Editing City Series:Volume1 Chapter 1 (section)

===Part 2===

Twenty years before, Oscar had returned alive from the front lines of the previous great war. The nation he had returned to had been just as exhausted as him.

Ever since, he had dedicated his life to rebuilding his nation as a soldier. Even now that he had a wife and daughter, that had not changed.

And that was why he glared at the young man before him.

“''I'' am the one saying ridiculous things?”

His emphasized word pushed back at Walter’s gaze.

“That would be you. You have no idea if your idea will work, so why not put that technology to more efficient use!?”

“We didn’t create the dp-XXX for something so boring.”

Walter took a step back and stood on the cliff-like edge of the deck.

With nowhere left to go, he spoke slowly and clearly.

“We care more about what we want to do than about anything as ridiculous as a nation or the military.”

That was a way of thinking that Oscar could never understand. For better or for worse, he was an excellent soldier and an adult.

Everyone had something that ran counter to their nature.

…''I see.

He replied to those words by announcing his decision.

“Negotiations have failed.”

“Wow, you sure can make up your mind nicely, Oscar.”

Oscar formed a bitter smile only on his lips.

“I have made up my mind. I will deal with you here.”

“Hmm. You can act all cool if you want…”

“What?”

“But next time you let someone on your ship, you should probably check what they’re carrying with them.”

With that, Walter pulled something from his lab coat’s right pocket.

He held what looked like a small black communicator.

“I managed to buy enough time.”

The young man’s line was accompanied by an urgent announcement behind Oscar and the other soldiers.

“Emergency! Emergency! Addressing all ships! An unidentified craft is approaching from five o’clock! It is moving extremely quickly!”

Oscar turned toward the deck speaker producing the voice.

…''What is approaching?

As if to answer that question, the hatch onto the deck opened and a young officer ran out.

The young man looked well-bred and wore his uniform impeccably.

“Major General Oscar!” he shouted while holding his cap in place. “Please hurry back inside!”

The young officer’s blue eyes faced Walter instead of Oscar.

“The dp-XXX has destroyed the Wagner Laboratory and is headed this way! We will be sending out the Eisen Soldat, so please leave the deck! This will be a dogfight!”

That statement was important. Knowing what it meant, Oscar turned toward Walter.

Walter gave a quiet smile toward the young officer standing next to Oscar.

“Sounds like you have it rough, Mayer. Military work is restricting, isn’t it?”

“Walter!” shouted the young officer named Mayer even as he tried to catch his breath. “A-are you picking a fight with the military!?”

“Wow, you’re asking that too? It was all of you that started the fight here. All I did was virtuously and kindly reject your offer.”

“But you did it in a cruel and over-the-top way, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, but whoever picked the fight, it’s starting after everything’s already settled. And in that case…how should I put it? Well, if you view it like a financial deal…”

He took a breath.

“You’re gonna be in the red.”

Suddenly, the deck shook as if it had sunk down.

Their knees threatened to collapse underneath them as the shaking continued three more times. Light resembling sparks scattered down below the deck.

Eisen Soldat, the fighter craft attached to the aerial aircraft carrier’s port side, had been sent out.

The sparks were the light produced when the craft were launched from their connectors. To provide initial velocity, they were fired out liked bullets using spirit gunpowder.

After a moment’s delay, the ship shook four more times as the craft on the starboard side were launched.

A ship-wide announcement reached the deck.

“Fighter craft launch complete. Unit 1 will reach the unidentified ship in seventy-one seconds! Unit 2 will be in position to protect our airspace in thirty-five seconds! All hands…”

Oscar frowned at that announcement and Mayer shouted out.

“Fall back! And tell those down below that this is not an unidentified ship! It is an enemy ship!”

“Y-yes, sir!”

Mayer turned to Walter without bothering to watch the soldiers run off.

“Do you think you’ve won!?”

“The unidentified ship is not responding to our communications!” continued the announcement. “It is maintaining its direct course! The fighter craft are moving to intercept! …It’s fast! This is twelve seconds sooner than predicted!”

That was the signal.

The deck’s lights all lit and faint light leaked from below the deck as well.

Four lights could be seen ascending into the night sky from below, two on each side. They were the four craft tasked with protecting the Bladlikburg.

An alarm blared.

“Unit 1 has made contact!”

The announcement filling the night sky briefly stopped.

The soldiers slowly backed away and frowned. Oscar realized Walter was the only one smiling in that tense atmosphere.

…''Is he convinced he can defeat the military?

He received an answer an instant later.

“Three of the fighter craft were destroyed! The enemy ship…is undamaged! At this rate…It will collide with us!”

The announcement ended there.

The wind could not even shake the Bladlikburg, but it seemed to hop up now.

It was enough of a tremor to send everyone aboard a little airborne. A great rumbling accompanied it. If any one of them had been calm enough to think, they would have realized the impact came from the shockwave of something smashing the sound barrier.

The soldiers on the deck fell to the metal floor as if they had tripped. Only two people remained standing: Oscar and…

“Walter!”

As if pushed by that shout, Walter jumped backwards. He did not hesitate to leap from the deck.

An afterimage of his white lab coat remained in the empty night.

The Bladlikburg’s shaking settled down and Oscar ran forward.

“It is unknown if the approaching enemy ship intends to attack! Everyone evacuate the deck! I repeat…”

As the commander, he ignored that command and reached the point Walter had jumped from.

And that was when something slowly ascended.