Horizon:Volume 1 Chapter 17
Chapter 17: Usurper in the Street
Something which holds not the figure of a human yet is a human.
Something which takes the figure of a human yet is not human.
What can we call the chance meeting of the two.
Point Allocation (Battlefield)
In the nighttime sky, the sky in which two moons hovered, a ship had moored.
It was an aerial ship emblazoned with the emblem of the Far East, Musashi Ariadust Academy, the leading ship of the group that had been advancing towards the west. It only had one cannon, which was mounted on its bow.
The ship had stop signals created with illumination Ability placed by its flanks. It stayed unmoving in the sky.
The lights in the bridge, which was located towards the stern of the ship, were lit up.
A flight map was spread out on the work table in the middle of the bridge, and several people, the ship's captain included, were speaking to each other as they stood around it.
A single girl stood amongst them. Her hair was tied up behind her head.
The captain spoke to her.
"Futayo-sama...what should we do? Should we go on ahead to the border or go back? According to the Testament Union's Divine Communications, Mikawa is currently in an emergency situation. The earth pulse reactors have started to overload, and the Testament Union have tried to ascertain the cause. The automatons are resisting their efforts."
"I see."
Folding her arms, Futayo nodded.
I want to reach a decision concerning what we should do now, but we cannot simply move when the Testament Union is involved. I wish there was someone here that was both decisive and good with politics.
...If only Masazumi was here..."
Such a wish will never be fulfilled. Even as she thought of her classmate, Futayo understood this.
If she is a vice-president at Musashi, then as always, she is probably doing her best using her knowledge and decisiveness.
However, at this moment, she was not here.
"Well then," Futayo said. Though she was interested in the fate of Kazuno and her father, she did not show it.
"The important thing is what we should do for the good of the Far East. However, I am unfamiliar with this. Is there someone who could tell me?"
Hearing Futayo's question, the captain looked around at everyone. His gaze landed on the vice-captain of the escort squadron.
"Under your role as an advisor, do you have any opinions, vice-captain?"
The well-built vice-captain nodded in response to the question.
"If the overloading of the earth pulse reactors is intentional on Mikawa's part, Mikawa's status as the Far East's representative will be taken away, or Mikawa won't disappear."
"If what you're saying is true--"
"Jud., there's the possibility that Mikawa has parted with the Far East and will come under the control of the Testament Union. In this event, Musashi will also eventually come under their control, and any real substance of the Far East will be gone..."
Hearing those words and seeing his gaze covertly flick from face to face, everyone looked at each other.
Seeing all those expressions enter her field of vision, Futayo realised that everyone was thinking the same thing. As such, in order to ascertain this, she said this:
"...As regards the current situation, what are the advantages of the Far East taking control of the Far East and Musashi?"
"There are many."
The vice-captain started by saying this.
"This could be the solution to the division between the people of the Far East and other countries living within and without the Harmonic Territories. In addition, due to the circulation of money and their complete control, the people of the Far East will be concentrated in certain locations. Also, they'll be able to usurp Musashi's trading powers and technical skills...This depends on the level of their control, but the worst case scenario for us is their best case scenario."
"If so..." Futayo said.
"Then we are the ones that can step between the Testament Union and Musashi...We are people of Mikawa, and because of this, we have the strength to support Musashi's views without colluding with them."
"Then..."
The ship's captain said. He exchanged looks with the on-board head of Divine Communications.
"Probe the Testament Union. Tell them that we want them to use us if there's an emergency. Even if the Testament Union does something to Musashi, they won't want to commit the mistake of bringing people from other countries aboard."
"Jud."
The head of Divine Communications turned towards the Divine Communications systems. It was then that the ship's captain said this.
"Well then, this vessel will wait. We will await the Testament Union's response. Futayo-sama, according to the situation, this may seem like we are going against how we truly feel, but..."
"Jud." Futayo nodded and smiled. A smile that she herself felt was forced. In addition to this, she spoke thus:
"Loyalty...it is in such behaviour that we see its meaning."
Hearing those words, the ship's captain nodded after a moment. Besides him, the sailors and the vice-captain of the escort squadron also nodded and bowed.
...Thank goodness.
Futayo felt relieved that, at the very least, she had not said something wrong.
It was at that moment.
Having intercepted a Divine Communication, the head of Divine Communications screamed its contents at her.
"--Tres Espana's vanguard has entered Mikawa! They're heading towards New Nagoya Castle, gods of war in tow!"
A breath.
"According to their estimates...there's 15 minutes until the overload of the earth pulse reactors is set!"
The nighttime village was painted with light and darkness.
The darkness had two forms: the darkness of the night and the shadows of the houses and cracks in the earth.
There were three types of light. One was the light coming from within the houses. Another was the light of the earth pulse, coming forth from the depths of the vast cracks that split the crust, on which the roads, the waterways, and the houses were built. The last light was this.
"--!"
The light of shots continually fired along the surface.
Of course, there was a certain sound that accompanied the barrage of bullets.
This was the overlapping sound of guns and cannons.
Finishing off the confluence of sound was the sound of the heartbeat, reaching out from below the earth.
Every time the periodic pulse rang out with a noise that shook all things, the fissures which ran through the surface spread, moving as if they were in search of air, and the light that could be seen in the depths of the earth grew stronger.
Darkness and light painted the village, and sound traveled within them. Something was moving as if to cut through the pulse, which pushed upwards.
"a1, we've started to take point!!"
Shouting and accelerating down the streets, the god of war was an armoured figure in white and crimson, half its height again taller than the roofs of the village. Four wings in the style of a cross were on its back, and a rifle the size of a cannon was wielded by its right arm.
The leader of the god of war squadron, a1, looked forward. At the end of his vision was the straight line that made up a street, and beyond it, the colossal New Nagoya Castle that lay in the depths of the town.
He went.
Because it was originally meant for aerial usage, the crimson and white mechanical body had no legs. However, in its stead, the god of war extended graviton particles from its legs, running on the virtual feet that this created.
The street was the shortest path. Despite this, it was the path that the enemies were targeting.
However, the warriors of the assault team were behind him and starting to advance with a2.
Going first and drawing the enemy out was his duty.
"--!"
a1 expelled the air that had been stored to the limit within its wings.
Pressed forward by the resulting explosion of air, a1 burst forth in a straight line forward. Chaining some shots from his cannon, he blew apart the enemies that came within his automatic targeting sights. Even as he did this, he simply continued straight on, scattering white papers in his wake.
So he could create the path that led to the accomplishment of the operation.
He gusted down the road, at the lowest of altitudes.
| Back to Chapter 16 | Return to Main Page | Forward to Chapter 18 |