Editing The Unexplored Summon Blood Sign:Volume3 Chapter4 (section)

===Part 1===

Let us review the specs.

The Stingray was a large Repliglass sea transport vessel 35 meters long and 43 meters wide. Its overall silhouette was similar to a stingray or like a boomerang-shaped stealth bomber with a long tail attached. Despite its size, it could travel across the ocean surface at 200 kph. The world’s largest air cushion ship was a 50 meter amphibious assault ship, but this could hold an even larger load.

The Blue Whale was even bigger. It was a Repliglass submarine 70 meters long. It did not have the same speed, but it was a rare model that brought together great size and silent movement. There were many varieties: for combat, for transportation, for underwater data management, etc. Its overall silhouette goes without saying. As a side note, some environmental protection groups seemed to hate that a strategic missile weapons platform had been given that name.

“And with that out of the way…”

The coordinator woman who wore a military uniform spoke with her back to a whiteboard in the large conference room of A Block’s international airport.

“First, Miss Maria Heartocean and the Anthill classified server will be placed on the Stingray. It will be guided to the ocean surface directly below this airport which is supported in the air by several pillars, so that should not be difficult. Of course, our information says Liar Cat’s Blood-Sign can be used as a sniper rifle, so we cannot let our guard down. Miss Heartocean will be wearing a small Repliglass VIP protection suit known as a Water Bear and we will surround her with riot shields.”

A map and cross section of the airport were projected on the whiteboard and some arrows were added. In addition to the simple route to the Stingray, a few possible sniping points had apparently been located.

“We must keep in mind that the Stingray must get away from Toy Dream 35 with Miss Heartocean onboard. That might sound easy at 200 kph, but that is not how it works. With its size and all of Toy Dream 35’s pillars, do not assume it can move freely through the ocean. It will be taking a very indirect route. If Liar Cat attacks with the Summoning Ceremony, it will likely be here. …Simply put, ''they will jump onboard.''”

Now a map of Toy Dream 35 and the surrounding ocean appeared.

There were a few different options for the Stingray’s route, but they all looked as indirect as the coordinator had said.

“The Blue Whale submarine will be waiting sixty kilometers out at sea. If the Stingray arrives here, Miss Heartocean and the server can be transferred over. This is the final challenge. While it isn’t impossible, it is unlikely a summoner can attack the Blue Whale when it is deep under the ocean. You can effectively think of this as the goal.”

The coordinator paused there, did not sit down, and looked to Shiroyama Kyousuke who was leaning against the far wall.
Government’s Repliglass soldiers and summoners also focused on him.

“Now, then. All of that is nothing more than a flimsy excuse to draw out Miss Heartocean. This will come down to a battle between 900 level summoners. Several Anthills and their bases have already been destroyed, so Liar Cat’s skill far exceeds what our defenses were designed for. What we can muster now could easily just get in your way. This is of course dependent on the situation, but can we generally leave the fighting to you?”

“Yes.”

The Government personnel did not protest Kyousuke’s blunt reply.

Freedom was a gathering of around five hundred individual summoners. They were all mighty warriors with no hierarchy and barely any friendly relationships. Nevertheless, they could stand on the same level as the world police of Government and the criminal organizations of Illegal. In other words, it was widely understood that they were seemingly legendary people who could singlehandedly hold their own against entire groups and could push back an international coalition if all five hundred gathered together.

The only ones who ever snapped back at Kyousuke were high officials who knew nothing of the frontline or high officials who had never seen a Freedom member with a high level of Awards.

“And with that in mind, I would like to ask something. The battle will most likely occur on the Stingray’s deck, so is there any problem with that?”

“Not at all. We won’t be thrown off while the Artificial Sacred Ground is active and its size should be adequate for whatever kind of fight we end up having. It should be perfect for settling this once and for all.”

“Are you confident in your skill?”

“If I was going to lose to that ''Cheshire Cat'', I wouldn’t be standing here right now.”

“Good. Then let’s get started!”

The coordinator woman clapped her hands twice. Like a switch had been thrown, the people gathered in the conference room left to prepare for battle and take their positions.

The military uniform girl named Isabelle followed Kyousuke out and asked a question as they strayed from the general flow of people.

“Nuuun (deadpan). I would super-sized like to know where we’re going.”

“I would like to take a detour before taking our position.”

The two of them walked between an elf and an alarm clock costume on their way to the maintenance hatch leading below the midair international airport. The door opened like a submarine hatch and a glance through it showed they were already on an elevated floor. More than one hundred pillars were lined up to support them several dozen meters up. The airport float itself was 250 meters up, but the many shopping buildings extended straight down like icicles. This was like the rooftop of a normal building.

Far below that, a giant stingray silhouette floated in the dark ocean. It was the Repliglass Stingray.

“What do you think?”

“?”

“If I was making the attack, I would stop the Stingray right away. Wouldn’t the simplest method be pouring a ton of rubble down on it from above? And this is…”

Kyousuke leaned down through the maintenance hatch as he spoke.

This was an upside down rooftop and the underside was not a flat surface. Just as the underside of a metal bridge was reinforced by a framework of steel beams, a steel framework was built up like a jungle gym. It must have doubled as a means of maintaining the wiring and plumbing because skinny walkways and stairs were set up like a theatre catwalk.

“You wouldn’t even need to use a Material. A single bomb and you can ''send down as solid a shutter as you need''.”

“That isn’t good. If they’re going to bring down an entire building, we’re super-sized not up to the task. We’d never find the bomb.”

“They won’t go that far. And I’m not just being optimistic; it would be too inefficient. Demolishing an entire building would require dozens if not more than a hundred bombs precisely placed at key structural points and then they would all have to be detonated at once. Even with a group of specialists, it’s a precision job that takes more than a week. To be blunt, it would be unnecessary work and the odds of failure are pretty high. If all they have to do is stop the Stingray, stripping off and dropping the top of the roof would be enough.”

“Then will the Liar Cat pair be coming here?”

“First, we need to see if there’s a bomb already set up. If not, we can lie in wait at least until the Stingray below leaves.”

That was their first step.

And the lack of an attack was not a cause for celebration.

Biondetta and Murasame Kuina of Liar Cat would definitely show up.

Kyousuke and Isabelle had to fight and defeat them somewhere, so they needed to take up the most useful position for that.

“Oh, Maria’s coming out,” said Isabelle in her red hat.

Several bodyguards with transparent shields surrounded a single figure in the Repliglass Water Bear that resembled a lumpy human caterpillar. They used the “upside down rooftop” of another building to reach the emergency stairs along one of the giant pillars supporting the international airport.

Kyousuke slowly exhaled and looked around.

As far as he could see, the demon with the folded Blood-Sign that doubled as a sniper rifle was not present. And in that self-defense Repliglass suit, Maria Heartocean would not die from a 7.62mm rifle bullet.

“They’re bringing out something else. Fidget fidget (deadpan).”

“Is that the Anthill server?”

Several Repliglass soldiers left along a different pillar. They were units with grasshopper-like back legs. They carried a metal cube like movers. It was likely the classified server that weighed more than a ton.

That was the cornerstone of the project that had smashed Isabelle’s soul and ruined her life.

And it had done it so thoroughly that she could not even judge how sad that was.

What did it look like for her to see it carried to safety like this?

“…”

Kyousuke watched Maria and the server as they were carried to the Stingray using different emergency staircases.

He glanced around, searched for presences, and read his enemy’s algorithm.

And then he muttered to himself.

“Odd…”

“What is? They seem to be making quick progress. Whoosh (deadpan).”

“That’s what’s odd. If I was making the attack, I wouldn’t wait for my opponent to complete their preparations. Even if this wasn’t where I planned to settle things, I’d still use a bomb or rocket to hinder them right at the beginning. Even if they want to pursue their target to savor their revenge, it would stimulate their sadistic desires more if they broke one of their target’s legs first.”

“…Hm? If you were making the attack?”

“Well, I don’t often run across someone I hate that much. …I think the ‘color white’ would be the only exception.”

At any rate, Maria and the server had arrived at the Stingray floating in the ocean. This would be the easiest time for an attack, but there was no sign of Biondetta or Murasame Kuina.

Were they hesitating to attack because the bodyguards were on the highest alert? Nonsense. Liar Cat had broken right through the main entrance of fully-equipped Anthill bases.

Had they not figured out where Maria was hiding or how she would escape? Nonsense. They had acquired all the information on the Anthills using Lu Niang Lan and Aika. Biondetta would be able to read ahead on the algorithm to know what they would do at normal times, during emergencies, ''and after Kyousuke’s interference.''

And yet they had not shown up.

Kyousuke spent a few seconds wondering what that meant.

“Don’t tell me…”

“?”

Isabelle looked puzzled and Kyousuke grabbed the back of her collar.

He immediately jumped from the catwalk-like walkway.

They were several dozen meters up. Falling on the Stingray’s deck (which was larger than a tennis court) would mean instant death. Falling into the ocean would knock them out and they could drown.

But instead of dropping straight down, Kyousuke made quick hops between different surfaces: from pillar to pillar, from emergency staircase railing to railing, from maintenance crane shaft to the heavy hook dangling from the end of the wire, etc. In less than twenty seconds, they descended the height of ten flights of stairs and landed on the Stingray’s deck.

He let go of Isabelle and approached Maria Heartocean just as she was being loaded inside the Stingray. No, he approached the Water Bear she wore.

He asked a question as he walked over.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“What are you-…?”

It was the surrounding Repliglass soldiers who attempted to reply.

After holding out a hand to silence them, Kyousuke grabbed the Water Bear’s hand and forcefully twisted it. Like an aikido throw, it spun around and its back slammed against the deck.

Before the bodyguards could panic, he let out a cold voice.

“Show me your face.”

“…”

“Did you think you’d be safe if you were inside that Water Bear? I know plenty of ways to take that thing apart.”

With the sound of a soda being opened, the neck and torso split in two and opened.

“Happy Walpurgis,” muttered Kyousuke.

It was not the Maria Heartocean ''who he knew so well'' that appeared.

Instead of a woman who looked like a school doctor, he saw a muscular soldier. The bodyguards must not have been informed because they were taken aback and froze in place.

“I’m guessing the server is a fake too.”

“These were my orders. I don’t know what he’s thinking, but I can’t disobey my commanding officer.”

The body double raised her hands and argued her case.

This was why Biondetta and Murasame Kuina of Liar Cat had not attacked.

“I even told him increasing the number of targets would shift the enemy’s aim and make them harder to predict…”

Kyousuke gestured to a nearby Repliglass soldier. That solider must have contacted the Stingray’s bridge because he finally replied.

“Another large reading was detected nearby. Until now, a secret code had interfered and caused it to disappear from our radar. It’s the same size as this one, so another Stingray was likely sent in. Miss Heartocean and the server may be there.”

“And Liar Cat didn’t show up here. They read this all perfectly, including this irregularity. …In fact, it may have been Biondetta that set this up.”

“Wait a second. Then…?”

“Don’t worry about it. This wasn’t your mistake. The problems are all in your commander’s head,” spat out Kyousuke. “Where is the other Stingray?”

“Not far. Between two and three thousand meters.”

“Then hurry. All hell will already have broken loose out there.”