Published at 25th of March 2019 10:06 pm

Volume 10 Chapter 3 - Odin

Part 1

Aine stripped off her negligee that had soaked up sweat when she stood up from her bed. Her figure without a single string covering her body was exposed on a mirror, her fingertip traced the valley of her breasts.

Even though her chest supposedly had a wind hole opened on it before, but now it didn’t even have any scar remaining.

「Queen Landred’s power……is it.」

Thinking back, she was a mysterious person. Even in Atlantis, Baldin was a country that had succeeded old legends, folklore, and ceremonies all this time until now. Even the knowledge of the past that had been lost from Vatlantis was surviving there.

The queen of Baldin stood at the summit of the country’s government, and at the same time she was also the head priestess. The queen was a person that managed various kinds of divine works and should even be called as god’s messenger. Perhaps the recovery magic that was performed on Aine like a miracle was also a magic technology of ancient Baldin. Or perhaps it was Queen Landred that was special.

It even felt like it was something connected to Kizuna’s power in some respect.

However it also looked like Landred herself wasn’t that attached to the position of queen. Rather, it appeared that she felt attachment to her job as a school nurse that she had at Ataraxia instead. From before she was a gentle and calm person that didn’t seem like a queen, but recently it felt like she slackened down even more so than before.

「Putting that aside……I have to restart my training genuinely soon.」

Aine sat on the floor and spread her legs still naked. Snow was falling outside, but the floor was faintly warm. That was because the magic formula carved on the floor board was giving off an effect like a floor heater.

Aine opened her groin widely on that floor and spread her legs with an angle nearly 180 degrees. Her stance was something that really couldn’t be shown to other people with how all of her was exposed. And then like that she let her body fall forward. The tip of her breast touched the floor, and then she was falling further which pressed flat her whole breast. She maintained that posture for a while before she raised her body. Her breast that was clinging on the floor was slowly torn away from there. She continued that several times, and then next she twisted her body and caught the tips of her toes. Her breast was a hindrance each time she bent forward. It touched her foot, and when she dropped her body even lower, her breast shape distorted and parted into a shape that sandwiched her leg between them.

It was something that bothered even her this much, so surely Yurishia and Queen Landred had it even harder than her, Aine thought. Although, it didn’t seem that Queen Landred was doing any practice.

When she stood up, this time she began flexibility exercises in a standing posture.

She straightened her knees and bent forward. And then she spread her legs and twisted her upper body to left and right. Perhaps her body was still stiff because she was just woke up from her sleep, it felt pleasant when she twisted her waist. When she shook her body with more force, her breast danced to the left and right as though it was swung around by her motion.

When she finished her flexibility exercises, next she did a handstand. It would be better if they had a weight training machine, but unfortunately there wasn’t even a dumbbell here.

「Nn……ku」

However her breast forced back her body before she could bend her elbow.

「Good grief……」

She repeated her motion several dozens of times even while complaining. Then next she threw herself down and began sit-ups. At that time the ring on her arm shined and flickered repeatedly.

――Troublesome.

When she tapped the ring with her fingertip, a voice echoed inside her head.

『Announcing to all of you noble warriors. The invasion of an external enemy has been confirmed. People who receive this message are assigned as soldiers. Prepare to fight urgently.』

「What’s with this, geez……」

Aine stood up and pulled out a new pilot suit from the closet. It was something that she ordered from this world’s tailor, but it was surprisingly well made. At first she tried handing over her suit that had become tattered and consulted whether she could order the same thing to be made because she had nothing to lose, but unexpectedly a product that was almost exactly the same was finished. Perhaps this was also something due to a machine god’s power.

――If I remember right, the people of Baldin said that perhaps it was really duplicated by analyzing the original raw material I think.

The door was knocked when she was putting her foot into the new pilot suit.

「Aine, are you awake?」

「Yes. I’m in the middle of a sortie preparation here.」

The door was opened when she answered so and Gravel wearing a coat peeked in her face.

「Are you okay?」

「Yes. If I don’t obey the conscription, the penalty will be having my ranking dropped down.」

Aine sent her eyes towards her bangle and confirmed her current ranking.

「Rank 3624……they really give no opening or negligence. When they understand that they can win without fighting, they come to challenge mercilessly don’t they.」

「Of course they would. After all, the position of the ranking will change the condition of their whole livelihood. Well, if it’s you Aine then you will be able to take back your ranking soon I guess.」

「Gravel, you were also conscripted?」

Gravel smiled wryly and lifted her hand to show her blinking ring.

「Aldea too. She is delighted with it.」

「The opponent?」

「I don’t know. Probably it will be the magic weapon living at the mountain peak area.」

Monsterized wild animals and mechanical killing machines that looked like magic weapons were wandering around the snow plains near the city. According to Baldin’s investigation, it seemed that the organisms and mechanical weapons that were developed in the past for combat sparring partners might be moving automatically, something like that.

It seemed that they were originally developed for the sake of higher ranking, they boasted strength that couldn’t be matched by lower ranking warriors. There was also a rumor that perhaps these things going wild wasn’t a coincidence, but Odin who was wishing for the emergence of an even stronger warrior that she intentionally created such a situation despite the many sacrifices that resulted from it.

But there was no use thinking about such a thing right now. At this rate Aine would be expelled from the apartment she was living in and driven out towards the slum that was distanced from the city center. The income that she, Gravel and the others earned was also being used to provide for the livelihood of Landred and the other non fighters. She had to return her ranking to before.

「There is a blizzard outside you know.」

「……Looks like it. It obstructs the sight, so perhaps this is convenient for me who is a close range fighter.」

Aine’s reply wasn’t false courage or anything. If she circulated the energy that the core was generating a bit more than usual through her whole body and deploy a Life Saver thinly on her body surface, then she would be able to block out the cold to a certain degree.

If it was when she was going out for shopping or something else, she would wear a winter outfit in order to refrain from consuming energy pointlessly, but it was a different story if it was for battle. In reality Gravel also took off the coat she was wearing and put it on the sofa before following behind Aine and exited the room.

After the two exited the apartment together, they followed the command of the ring and headed towards the outskirts of the city.

They were advancing towards the spreading out snow plains at the city’s outskirts following the instruction. Needle-leaved trees were growing sparsely on the snow plains with a forest spreading out in the far distance. It seemed the enemy was heading to this direction from the other side of the forest.

Two hundred warriors of Odin were forming a sloppy file to intercept the enemy while advancing inside the blizzard. Aine, Gravel and Aldea who were equipped with their magic armors also joined that file of troops.

The magic armor that Gravel’s body was equipped with, 『Zoros』 had its core reinstalled already and experienced an extensive power up. Even Aldea who was walking beside Gravel couldn’t talk to her without really looking up.

The value of the new Zoros was a divinity number of 235000. It was even above Aine’s Zeros. But, the Corruption Armament 『Sword Gatling』 that she could previously use by her own will now become unusable. It seemed that it was indispensable for the new Zoros to do Climax Hybrid, or maybe Kischarge Hybrid with Kizuna for it to be able to use its Corruption Armament.

Gravel turned around and focused her sight to the rear of the file from her high position.

「However, the number is too many just for exterminating a wild animal or an out of control magic weapon.」

「You are right, surely it will be a giant powerful monster that has never been seen before, or a pack with amazingly great number. Aa, I’m feeling shivers just by imagining it♪」

Aldea was in a good mood as usual.

「You are really easygoing aren’t you.」

Aldea smiled delightfully towards Aine who was replying in exasperation.

「Aine just recovered from injury so don’t force yourself okay? Or rather, don’t take away my prey.」

「Yes yes, I plan to do just that. I’m still not in my normal condition anyway, I intend to go through light rehabi――」

Aine felt some kind of presence at that time. It wasn’t due to Zeros’s senses. It was something that was like an intuition that sensed something with Aine’s instincts as a living thing. By coming to this world and fighting repeatedly, that kind of intuition became sensitive.

Perhaps Gravel and Aldea also felt something like her, their expressions changed entirely.

And then a fierce explosion occurred at the front in the next moment.

「Wha-!?」

Red and orange colored light pillars were rising inside the hazy blizzard and pure white snow.

「Gravel! Aldea!」

「Yeah!」

The three immediately started to run. Right after that, the place they were standing at until just now was blown away by a flame blast. The bombing flame was continuing along the troops file. The warriors of Odin were getting dispersed of with screams rising out from their mouths. The people who were slightly late in reacting became prey at that place.

「That’s some accurate sniping!」

「Yeah, to do something like that in the middle of this blizzard!」

「Ufufufu, it seems I can hold some expectation.」

The sound of sword clashing against sword was resounding inside the blizzard while the three were running on the snow.

「They are starting to fight already?」

「The enemy’s movement is fast. Also, is the opponent humanoid?」

Aine stopped her feet.

Something passed through in front of her eyes. A sound that was like air being cut apart continued from behind.

――Just now?

A scream of someone came from where that something was flying at. And then the sound of a tree getting cutting down and collapsing roared thunderously.

「It’s coming back!」

When Aine turned around at Aldea’s yell, a sound of a sharp cutting wind could be heard once more. And then it passed through the side of Aine and the others.

「It seems there are several of the same type.」

Gravel drew out her Gunsword and loaded a cartridge into the cylinder. Aldea also deployed the shield of her magic armor 『Zeel』 and prepared for the enemy’s attack.

Aine focused her eyes on the blizzard.

――It’s coming.

The moment she thought that, a sharp light pierced Aine’s body.

「Kuh!」

「Aine!?」

However Aine wasn’t wounded, and she also didn’t seem damaged on the outside.

「That’s not a physical attack……optical weapon, no magic weapon――」

Suddenly Aine felt strongly leaving out her body. She fell on her knee on the snow limply.

「Aine! Are you okay!?」

Aine turned towards Gravel that was about to rush to her and she thrust out her spreading hands.

「Be careful! It’s formidable!」

A sharp shockwave was assaulting next. It cut apart the piling up snow and wind, becoming a sharp blade that was passing through the air. Aine and Gravel rolled to the left and right and evaded that attack.

Right after they felt relieved from evading the attack, an explosion occurred along the trajectory that was just got passed through.

「Kyaaaa!」

「Uoh!?」

Snow flew up like smoke along with the flame blast. It wasn’t a mere shockwave, but an attack that was filled with some kind of magic power. Explosions were occurring one after another in a straight line.

「Aldea!」

When Gravel yelled, Aldea lined up her shields in front of Gravel. And then the Gunsword’s muzzle was stuck out from the gap between those shields, aiming toward the direction from where the shockwave was coming from.

「Bullet!」

The Gunsword also got larger in both length and caliber matching with the enlargement of the magic armor. That muzzle spouted out fire and that dazzling fire opened holes in the blizzard. The bullets raised sparks, cutting apart the snow. A moment later, a flame blast rose at the other side of the blizzard. And then a bombardment was also attacking from the other side. Explosions roared around the three and snow and flame rained down.

「Ku……-!」

Aine gritted her teeth while getting covered with snow.

――At this rate……but, if the opponent is also using magic power.

Aine stood up and pushed her hands forward. A circle of light was spreading out from her fingertips.

「Code Breaker!」

Aine’s figure changed instantly. Pink hair fluttered in the snow.

The magic power consumption of this power was minimal unlike in Lemuria. It was similar like when she was in Vatlantis, she could use a Corruption Armament or a Forbidden Armament.

A magic circle dome was spreading around Aine’s body, while a large amount of beams were twisting like living things where flying towards her in opposition.

「HAAAAAAAAA!」

The magic circle dome surrounding Aine increased in radiance. The flying beams crashed on Code Breaker and emitted a dazzling light.

「Eh!?」

Surprisingly, the beams were tearing apart Code Breaker’s dome even while it was getting dissolved into letters and numerical formulas.

――It’s offsetting each other!?

The number of beams that the enemy launched were increasing, pushing back Aine’s Code Breaker.

「Youuuu-!」

The rotation of Code Breaker accelerated and reflected the enemy’s beams. Aine reached out one of her hands and materialized one more magic circle. And then she grasped the weapon appearing from there.

――Pulverizer. I’ll fight with this!

Aine opened her thruster in full throttle. The snow under her feet got blown up as though it got hit with an explosion. Pillars of snow with a height that reached several meters rose up, and then Aine’s body flew into the blizzard as though she was shot there. Terrific acceleration G-force assaulted her whole body.

Aine was heightening the output of Code Breaker until the limit while pouring strength into Pulverizer that she was holding with both hands. She was going against the beams of the enemy that were attacking her like headwind while advancing. The light of the beams were strong and thick. However they were being concentrated to the direction she was heading towards. It was the proof that she was nearing the enemy.

「HaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!」

A second light was shining to the limit and burst out along with terrible impact. The piled up snow was sent flying, then wind, snow, and light were whirling with Aine at the center like a sudden tornado. The warriors of Odin that seemed to be nearby were also visibly getting dragged into the sky.

A crater with a depth of several meters suddenly appeared on the snow plains and exposed the frozen soil that was eternally under the snow.

At the center there was the figure of Aine and the enemy.

The muzzle of Aine’s Pulverizer was thrust onto the enemy’s chest.

And then the scythe of the enemy was hung on Aine’s neck. The blade that could cut down that neck anytime was stopped just before it hit.

And then the finger of Aine that was hovering on Pulverizer’s trigger had also stopped just a millimeter before it had fired the weapon.

The two who were facing each other had their eyes opened wide in shock from seeing each others’ faces.

「……Gra……ce?」

「Ne……Nee-sama?」

The blade of the scythe was slowly removed away from Aine’s neck and it fell on the ground noisily. Pulverizer also slipped off from Aine’s hands.

Grace spread both her hands and leaped at Aine.

「NEE-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!」

「GRACE!」

Aine caught Grace’s body and hugged that body strongly.

It wasn’t a dream or an illusion. It was the soft and warm body of her real sister.

「Nee-sama-! Nee-sama! Nee-samaaaaaa!」

Grace’s red eyes were trickling down tears unstoppably. Aine’s red eyes were also getting moist.

「Thank you Grace……you came here for me didn’t you.」

Grace was pushing her face on Aine’s chest while answering with a trembling voice.

「Obviously! I searched for Nee-sama……u, until now, there was really a lot of trouble!」

Aine was gently caressing Grace’s pink hair.

「Yes……thank you. I’m sorry, Grace.」

Grace was sniffing while shaking her head.

「I, it’s fine, if it’s for Nee-sama’s sake……then, it’s nothing at all.」

「Are Kizuna and the others together with you?」

Aine’s chest was swelling with expectation. However Grace answered apologetically.

「Nii-sama is heading to Thanatos’s world right now. The students of Ataraxia, they had been kidnapped by that damned Thanatos.」

「I see……」

Aine answered looking a little bit dejected.

「――But, I’m really happy that Grace came here. Really……I’m glad, I can meet you again.」

「Nee-sama……」

Both of them hugged each other once more.

「Grace-sama!」

A voice came from the other side of the vapor rising from the ground.

「Zel!」

Zelcyone rushed toward the two’s side before she quickly kneeled.

「Ainess-sama, my deepest apology for out late arrival. However――」

Zelcyone looked up at Aine’s face radiantly.

「……what’s important above all is that you are safe.」

Gravel and Aldea showed themselves from behind Aine.

「I’m sorry to interrupt this moving reunion, but Odin’s warriors will arrive soon. Now is the time if we want to escape.」

「Zelcyone-sama!」

When Aine looked up, with Clayda as the first, the four Quartum were standing there. Clayda was yelling at them.

「The enemy is coming! Are we meeting their attack?」

Zelcyone stood up and spoke towards Aine.

「I’ll show the way to Oldium. Let’s hurry.」

Zelcyone turned on her heels and started to run. Aine, Grace and then Gravel and Aldea followed behind her.

「Aine, what about the others who were left behind?」

Gravel referred to Queen Landred, and then the personnel who were on board the Golden Dragon. Other than Gravel and Aldea, there were nearly a total of fifty personnel who were magic knights, engineers, or researchers.

「Of course we won’t abandon them. We are going to reorganize ourselves for a moment and then head back her to rescue them.」

When Aine ignited her thrusters and climbed to the edge of the crater, Clayda, Elma, Lunorlla, and Ramza, the Quartum were waiting there.

「Let’s hurry. This way.」

They flew into the blizzard with bad visibility following Clayda’s guidance. They entered into the forest of needle-leaved trees with heights that could of reached a hundred meters and advanced by weaving through the gaps between the trees. Their field of vision opened up after moving through enough distance.

When they came out of the forest, there Oldium that looked big like a mountain with a total length that surpassed two kilometers had landed. Its surface was frozen with snow piling up, it really looked like a snow mountain.

However Aine’s eyes were attracted to the mountain side of the mountain towering up behind it.

「……That’s?」

There was some kind of man made building on the slope of the mountain. She couldn’t grasp its shape well because of the snow and ice covering it, but it even looked like a castle. Gravel also looked up at that building and frowned.

「Just what kind of facility is placed at that kind of place?」

「That’s the palace before I became a god you know.」

A voice that shouldn’t be here was heard.

Aine’s breathing stopped.

The moment when her chest was pierced was suddenly resurrected inside her mind.

――No way, she is here, why?

A human silhouette was in front of the Oldium.

That figure was standing still on top of the pure white snow. A goddess clad in armor and accompanied by two dragons.

「Machine god, Odin……why」

Aine’s eyes shook in despair.

「I’m sensitive to strength see. My power to detect high divinity numbers is even better than Thanatos you know? There is no way I will overlook a promising warrior that came to my world.」

She was walking towards them in the snow while saying that with a smile.

「Nee-sama. So that’s the ruler of this world, machine god Odin?」

「Yes……she is a terrifying opponent. Probably, the current us cannot win.」

The four Quartum were standing in the way of the approaching Odin.

「Machine god Odin……perhaps we are not a match against you. However, we won’t be defeated that easily.」

Clayda readied her Selene, Elma with her hammer, Lunorlla her twin swords, Ramza her tomahawk, each of them prepared their respective weapons and took a stance that could attack anytime.

However Odin didn’t look concerned at all, she left behind foot tracks in the snow, walking towards the Quartum.

「I welcome you all. Welcome to Odin’s world. This is a world where only strength has meaning. If you all are strong, then surely it will please you.」

Cold sweat trickled down Clayda’s cheeks.

Her distance with Odin was roughly five meters.

She was lost whether to attack or not.

――What’s with this person? She is just too defenseless, it’s like she isn’t even looking at us.

While all that was going on, Odin bumped into the body of the four and she kept advancing without stopping by pushing aside Elma and Lunorlla’s body.

「Honestly, with the current divinity number you all have there is nothing worth considering, but perhaps you will grow from here on, and even if it’s no good you can still become an underdog for others.」(Note: The underdog here has different meaning. In dog fighting ring, sometimes a weak dog will be used to teach other dogs to fight. Dogs with more potential will be faced with the weak dog so the dog can win and get more confidence. Sometimes the weaker dog will even have their mouth bound up so they cannot hurt the prized dog.)

Odin wasn’t talking to the Quartum. It seemed that Odin wasn’t seeing anything other than Grace and Zelcyone. For Odin, the Quartum were an existence at the level of rocks or grass on a roadside.

Elma instantly showed a furious expression and raised her hammer.

「Don’t screw around!」

The hammer of Elma’s magic armor 『Runir』 had a special power. It was a power that twisted cause and effect and forcefully prioritized the effect. Even if the opponent evaded the hammer’s attack, the fact that they evaded would be made to not exist and the effect that they were struck by the hammer would be prioritized by this ability.

That power was working against even Odin.

The reason it could be stated as fact was――,

Because the hammer struck Odin’s head.

Aine gulped.

「It hit……」

Fear was welling up inside her heart along with that whisper.

Odin’s leg stopped.

And then she looked up at the hammer above her head as though she only noticed it just now.

「My……this is rare.」

And then she glared at Elma.

「U……」

Elma was overwhelmed just from that and she drew back while holding her hammer.

「Ho, how is it? Now you rea, realize, my strength?」

Elma was completely pressured by Odin even though her mouth was bluffing. Even though she had hit her with a critical hit, but Odin acted like she was only hit by a raindrop. The inside of Elma’s heart was in pandemonium even if she was acting tough.

――Wha, what in the world, is this person!? There is not even a little bit of damage?

Odin looked around at the Quartum around her once more.

「I didn’t notice at all because Fafnir is not reacting. But, that weapon is the same type as Gungnir. That’s really rare.」

Aine recalled when her chest was pierced by Odin.

Indeed that attack was strange. She got blown away before she even realized it, the memory of her getting pierced by Gungnir before that, and the memory of her Life Saver getting smashed even further before only came to her mind after that. It was as though the result happened first and the facts were only created later to match that result.

Odin was staring scrutinizingly at Elma’s hammer with deep interest. But, her expression immediately changed into disappointment.

「It’s power is too weak. This hammer is a weapon of the same type as Gungnir but……that’s really rare but, it’s too lacking in destructive power. You won’t be able to defeat your enemy with power like that.」

「Wha……」

Odin said whatever she pleased to the Quartum, but they could do nothing but feel vexed.

――We are absolutely no match against that.

They could only give up with those words that were informed to them by their instincts.

The dragon head standing by behind Odin, Fafnir reacted to the existence of Grace and Zelcyone. Its eyes shined and raised a growling voice threateningly.

Odin faced Grace and Zelcyone as though she had completely forgotten the existence of the Quartum and smiled.

「You two have promise. I welcome you, warriors who arrived from another world.」

Zelcyone smiled fearlessly without getting overwhelmed.

「So my existence is being recognized. I’m really filled with awe.」

Zelcyone was staring at Odin’s eyes while saying that.

――Heart Rebuild.

Magic circle emerged in Zelcyone’s eyes, its light was transcripted to Odin’s only remaining eye.

「――!?」

Odin’s complexion changed.

「Wha……this, is……」

Aine and the others who saw that began to make a commotion.

「Zel, don’t tell me you did Heart Rebuild?」

「As expected from Zel! You did well!」

The Quartum also showed smiling faces as though they were saved.

「Zel-sama, that’s too amazing!」

「Just within an instant, as expected from Zel-sama!」

And then they spoke words that praised Zelcyone from their mouths.

「Fufu, I have finished confirming that Heart Rebuild also works against machine gods in the battle against Osiris. What’s left is only thinking of the way to use it even more effectively. I’ll pile up brainwashing over and over like this and turn you into a living corpse.」

Zelcyone made a satisfied smile, she then approached Odin and peered into her eye.

「Gah……!?」

The next moment, Zelcyone’s body was blown away.

「Wha……!」

Zelcyone’s body passed through beside Grace and charged into the forest far behind. The sound of trees getting snapped was reverberating from inside the forest.

「Zel!?」

Cold sweat was flowing inside Grace’s chest in a complete change from her previous relieve. And then she gulped in shock the moment she saw the eye of Odin who was making a fearless smile.

「Zel’s technique was……」

Zelcyone’s magic circle was vanishing from Odin’s right eye.

「You all really amuse me. Perhaps I ought to thank Thanatos for this.」

Odin made a cruel smile and put her hand on her eye patch at her left eye.

――Don’t tell me.

Something cold was creeping up Aine’s back.

One more eye appeared from under the eye patch.

It was a gem eyeball with beautiful brilliance. A beautifully shining precious gem was inserted there in place of an eye, various magic formulae were emerging and vanishing on it.

「Any kind of suggestion or hypnotism won’t work on this eye. In addition it also can deal against any kind of magic. For example, Aine. Even your Code Breaker too.」

「……!!」

Aine’s forehead was drenched with sweat.

「Certainly you can use Code Breaker to dissolve the shield that I made. But, it won’t work against I myself.」

Grace bit her lips to stop her body from shivering and pulled out a feather from a wing of her magic armor 『Koros』.

「You bastard……how dare you, do that to Zel.」

She changed the shape of the feather into a scythe and took a fighting stance.

Aine also faced Odin and raised her fist.

「That’s pointless. I wish you all won’t render futile all my troubles of summoning you all from another world with great pain.」

「Don’t screw around! Try to think about our feelings who were summoned to this world by your own convenience just to keep fighting until death!」

However Odin was staring at Aine with a cold eye and her inorganic inhuman gem eye.

「There is no need at all to think about something like the feelings of you all.」

「Why! If you introduce yourself as a god even as a joke, then why will you do things that torment humans!?」

「The reason is simple. Because you all are weak existences.」

「Wha……」

Aine couldn’t close her opened mouth.

「Powerless and incompetent existences, why should I have to be considerate to such things?」

「E……exactly because they are weak existences without power, that they need help isn’t that right!」

「You don’t understand. Exactly because they have low ability and a worthless existence, that they don’t need help. If it’s an existence with high ability and that possesses power, then their existence can be recognized, their existence value can also be acknowledged. They also have value to be helped. But, helping a human without any ability whatsoever, just what value is there in doing that? It’s the same whether an incompetent person exist or not. No, rather, they are only consuming energy, just by existing itself is a sin for them.」

Anger was also blazing inside Grace’s eyes.

「It’s intolerable for people with low ability to even exist. It doesn’t matter how many powerless masses die. Is that the rule of your world?」

However Odin smiled at Grace.

「You don’t need to worry. Because I don’t mind your existence in this world. I’ll allow you to become a warrior for my sake, as Odin’s warrior.」

「I’ll be begging off from becoming something like that!」

Grace swung her scythe. At that time, something glistened on her left wrist.

――What?

「You actually don’t have the right to refuse. You are already Odin’s warrior.」

A silver ring was fitted on Grace’s left arm. And then the number of 58925 emerged there.

「This is……since when, something like this was」

「Grace, as expected this person is unforgivable……」

A magic circled unfolded on Aine’s back.

Grace also nodded in response.

「Yes, that’s also what I’m thinking.」

Grace separated herself from Aine’s side and moved to a position that wouldn’t be affected by Code Breaker.

Gravel and Aldea also took distance from Aine and deployed to surround Odin. And then Gravel pointed the giant muzzle of her Gunsword at Odin while Aldea lined up her shields in preparation to attack.

The four Quartum also readied their respective weapons and searched for an opening in Odin from behind.

Aine faced Odin and closed the distance slowly.

「I’ll break Odin’s shield. And then you all suppress the dragon head.」

Grace and Gravel nodded.

「Got it.」

「Then I’ll land the finishing blow with Pulverizer.」

Aine leaped toward Odin right as she said that.

「Let’s fight one more time! Odin!」

Aine’s Code Breaker and Odin’s shield of light clashed once more. And then, the two shields were annihilated similarly like before along with a fierce flash.

「Bullet!」

Gravel’s Gunsword immediately spouted fire. The large caliber particle cannon flew towards Odin. However Fafnir blocked that.

「Kuh……」

Fafnir that could block even Pulverizer’s bombing was also unaffected by Bullet that had been powered up by core reinstall. Fafnir opened its mouth and inside light and lightning were whirling. That radiance was reflected on Gravel’s eyes.

「……!!」

Tremendous light swallowed Gravel like god’s lightning.

「Gravel!」

Aldea stood in the way by deploying her shield instantly in the front. However Fafnir’s attack could only be blocked just for a moment.

「KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!」

「UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!」

Zeel’s shield was broken and the magic armor of the two was destroyed to pieces. The body of the two who were left only in their pilot suit rolled on the snow slidingly.

「HAAAAAAAAAAAA!」

At that time Grace thrust Koros’s scythe at the other head of Fafnir.

「What the-, it’s hard-!」

The scythe was absorbing magic power and dissolving the deployed shield of Fafnir while pressing on. By all rights Fafnir should have been bisected right into two already, but it blocked the scythe with fierce sparks scattering around.

「Ku……Harvest!」

A large amount of light feathers flying out from Koros’s wings pierced Fafnir. The shining feathers were sucking out the magic power for making doubly sure.

「UAAAAAAAAAAAA!」

Grace was continuously sucking magic power with all her strength. Fafnir’s resistance was gradually weakening in proportion with that. However, what was essential was Odin herself. What Grace was doing was nothing more than holding back one of Odin’s followers.

――Please! Nee-sama!

Aine who negated Code Breaker pushed forward Pulverizer with one hand.

And then a moment faster than Aine, the Quartum leaped towards Odin’s back.

Odin’s lips slackened down slightly and she took out Gungnir. That was the peerless spear that once drove Aine to the abyss of death.

Clayda, Elma, Lunorlla, and Ramza howled.

「URaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!」

Quartum’s sure kill attacks were unleashed simultaneously from behind.

Odin couldn’t be defeated by those attacks.

Aine and also the Quartum themselves understood that.

But, there was a wordless cooperation in this action.

Aine and the Quartum matched their timings even without any advance arrangements.

The Quartum was faster than Aine just for an instant.

That was a decoy.

It was likely that Gungnir would drive away the Quartum. Perhaps they would die from that attack.

But even so――Aine gambled.

That the slight opening that they created would defeat Odin.

This was a do-or-die attack that was launched with that determination.

Aine also understood that.

――Everyone.

Pain ran through Aine’s heart.

Tears were blurring her eyes.

――But, in exchange,

I’ll absolutely defeat Odin!

Aine readied Pulverizer and charged to aim at that instant of opening.

However,

That instant didn’t come.

――Wha,

Grace opened her eyes wide in shock.

The sure kill, critical hit that the Quartum launched.

Odin received all of it with her back.

She didn’t even turn around. She didn’t even glance.

As though she had completely forgotten something like the Quartum’s existences.

Odin wasn’t looking at anything except Aine’s existence.

Aine’s finger touched on the trigger of Pulverizer.

「UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!」

There wasn’t any opening or anything.

But it was already at the range where missing was absolutely impossible. And then it was still a range that Gungnir couldn’t reach.

She pulled the trigger with superb timing.

Yes, she pulled.

She should have pulled it already.

「-……!?!!」

Gungnir pierced Pulverizer.

――!?

And then a great explosion occurred inside Aine’s arm.

「KYaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!」

That intense explosion tore off Zeros’s armor and shredded apart Aine’s body. The snow was vaporized instantly and a giant smoke was rising up into the sky with a mushroom shape.

「Ne, Nee-sama-!」

Grace whose attention was taken by Aine created an opening in her battle against Fafnir. And then in that moment Fafnir bit on Koros’s wings.

「Kuh……you!」

The wing of Koros was plucked off atrociously and Grace’s body fell on the snow.

「Guh! Ne, Nee-sama-」

Grace immediately raised her body and leaped grovelingly into the space that was filled with vapor. She advanced by parting through the smoke and then found an atrocious figure collapsing in front of Odin.

「NEE-SAMAAAAA!」

Grace rushed to the collapsing Aine.

Odin was looking down coldly at that figure and she lightly put Gungnir on her shoulder with a light wave.

「Now then, with this I’ll take the reward as the winner.」

「You bastard……」

Grace’s tears were flowing in frustration and she gritted her teeth towards her helplessness.

「Let’s see, 『Code Breaker』 from Aine. 『Harverst』 from Grace. As for Zelcyone……perhaps I’ll take the mental attack ability for now. From Gravel is 『Bullet』. And from Aldea is『shield』.」

At that moment, something important felt like it was lost from Grace’s body――it was such a sensation.

「Work hard from here on too. For my sake.」

「……With our trump card abilities stolen……what are you……telling us to do.」

Grace glared at Odin with rage boiling in her heart. However Odin didn’t even pay that any attention.

「Hm? Aah. Are you talking about, what if you cannot raise your ranking because your main abilities were taken away? At that time, let’s see…」

And then Odin said lightly.

「You can just die then.」

Part 2

The Battleship Ataraxia was hiding its frame inside Thanatos’s sea of clouds.

During the time before they arrived at Thanatos’s world, they attempted to break into another world several times and raised their proficiency in handling the ship. Thanks to that they managed to infiltrate quietly into Thanatos’s world.

「Nevertheless, it’s too rash to think that Thanatos doesn’t notice.」

Reiri crossed her arms and gazed outside from the window in the hangar.

Nothing could be seen outside due to the white clouds covering everything. When thinking that there might be something lurking inside this cloud, anxiety that couldn’t be contained attacked them.

It was a hangar that was comparatively small inside the battleship Ataraxia. The preparation for the rescue mission was progressed there. Kizuna, Himekawa, Yurishia, and Valdy were given an explanation by Reiri, while around them the staff of the research department with Kei in the lead were moving around busily.

Reiri faced Kizuna and the others and spoke with emphasis.

「Listen, this time the objective is a rescue. Avoid battle to the best of your ability.」

Kizuna nodded with a nervous look.

「Roger. The one infiltrating will be me and Valdy. I also tried testing whether Eros has properly copied the ability, but it was really a perfect stealth ability. I think we can do this without any problem.」

「Also bring Himekawa together with you.」

Himekawa who suddenly had the talk directed to her made a surprised face.

「Eh? I, I am? But……」

Kei’s window appeared in front of the bewildered Himekawa.

『No need to worry. We have confirmed that if Valdy and Kizuna’s stealth ability is combined, they can take along one more person stealthily.』

Yurishia pouted in dissatisfaction.

「Why is it Hayuru? I think that I will be useful when push comes to shove though?」

However Reiri shook her head.

「No. Cross’s bombardment is too conspicuous. Perhaps it won’t matter in the extraction, but in the case that the team is forced with the necessity to battle the enemy while infiltrating, Himekawa’s Neros is more fitting for that.」

『In addition, we also cannot leave this battleship completely defenseless. There is a need to reserve a powerful firepower.』

「Geez……it can’t be helped.」

Yurishia accepted the decision reluctantly with an unsatisfied face.

Himekawa peered at the side of Kizuna’s face with a glance. Kizuna was staring at the floating window projected behind Reiri. The position of the battleship Ataraxia and the Megafloat Ataraxia that was their rescue target was displayed there. Speaking in the common sense of Earth, there was approximately a hundred kilometer distance. Reiri was speaking while looking up at that map.

「First travel until the Megafloat Ataraxia. And then leave the command to Valdy when you are infiltrating. Kizuna and Himekawa, you two obey Valdy’s instructions.」

「「Roger.」」

Kizuna and Himekawa replied in unison.

「After infiltrating, Kizuna will take command. If you judge that a rescue is impossible then come back. But, in the case you manage to link up with the captured students and judge that a rescue is possible, move to the next step.」

「Next step?」

「First go to the hangar at Nayuta Lab. There should be five transport vehicles and also ten helicopters there. Make the research department students to prepare for takeoff. Let’s see……Kurumizawa should be there. Make her do it.」

「Got it……can those transport vehicles and helicopters carry all the students?」

「It’s possible somehow if you stuff them in. You can leave the work of gathering the students and grouping them to Hyakurath. If you cannot load all of them in, then enter the students into containers and carry it with the magic armor or whatever. Adapt to the situation.」

「A, aa……」

He thought that sounded rough, but in this situation some recklessness and forcefulness couldn’t be avoided.

「And then while that operation is being done……Kizuna, you will do Connective Hybrid.」

「Ha!?」

As expected even Kizuna was shocked. There was really no composure at all in him to do that kind of thing in this kind of situation. However Reiri answered before Kizuna could voice his question.

「It will take thirty minutes for the preparation to extract out all the students. That’s enough for doing Connective Hybrid.」

Himekawa cut in spontaneously.

「Bu, but, why is Connective Hybrid necessary?」

「As expected Thanatos surely won’t stay quiet if that kind of large movement is happening. I want a more powerful battle strength prepared for the sake of guarding the students.」

Himekawa couldn’t say anything anymore after getting told that.

Kizuna crossed his arms and frowned.

「However if it’s Connective Hybrid……what about the equipment? Are we going to use the Love Room at Nayuta Lab? Or else, are we going to use the lodging facility in the lab?」

Kei typed quickly on her keyboard.

『Unfortunately there is no Love Room on-site. Everything is loaded inside this battleship. Also, using a normal bedroom will take time and we cannot hold high expectations of the result.』

「Then, what other way is there?」

『The new type Love Room was developed for this kind of time.』

「……eh?」

Kizuna turned around not to the window but to Kei herself.

「Shikina-san, as expected carrying a Love Room is impossible no matter how miniaturized it is. Even if I combine my strength with Valdy, it’s already the most we can do to take along Hayuru.」

Key typed powerfully on the keyboard. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but she was looking a bit triumphant.

『Downsizing and lightening are the forte of Japanese technology. The name of what we developed this time is the 『Portable Tactical Tent Prototype for Replenishment Third Model』. Nicknamed, The Portable Love Room.』

――What’s that?

Kizuna retorted spontaneously inside his heart. However Kei walked until in front of Kizuna triumphantly.

『This is that Portable Love Room.』

Even if he was told that, Kizuna couldn’t see anything except Kei’s empty hand. She was only carrying the small keyboard that she was always using, other than that there was nothing.

However, Kei then made a self-satisfied look with rough breathing and twirled on the spot to show her back. Something like a thin bag was being shouldered there. Its thickness was around fifteen centimeters, but its size was mostly about the same like the backpack elementary school children usually used. When Kei was carrying that on her back, she really looked like a child carrying a backpack.

「That thing you are carrying……don’t tell me it’s that?」

『The way to use it is simple.』

After typing that on her keyboard, her hand moved away. She put the small keyboard into the pocket of her lab coat and put down the backpack she was carrying. She undid the clasp and opened the bag and then inflated the thing folded inside that looked like a thin membrane.

「O? What, is this?」

『A small compressor is sending air inside and is automatically constructing it up.』

Due to the pumped up air, the silver membrane that also looked like aluminum foil was expanding. Kizuna was shocked that a fabric this big could be put inside a bag this small.

Like that the Portable Love Room transformed into a square box shape with a height of two meters and width of four meters.

『Once it inflated, the membrane will harden and turn into a structure. However its toughness is low so be careful.』

The silver membrane was reflecting Kizuna’s face like a mirror. When he touched that membrane, it was indeed changing like a hard plank. But it was just as Kei said, if it was struck then it felt like it would snap easily.

『Enter inside.』

He entered inside the portable Love Room with Kei’s invitation. It vaguely reminded him of a tent for camping. When Kei closed the entrance, the inside became pitch dark.

『The entrance is a sliding door style made from vinyl and closed with a fastener. If the entrance is closed, the inside will become airtight. Right now is for demonstration, so the space is only filled with air, but in the main event, the fragrance that is used in Baldin for ceremonies will also be mixed. You will be able to perform Connective Hybrid much easier.』

「I see……」

What Kizuna noticed first when he entered inside was how quiet it was.

『The wall is thin, but its soundproofing is perfect.』

Kei pushed the small switch beside the entrance. Then a starry sky was projected on the wall and ceilings.

『Its functions are drastically limited compared to a normal Love Room. What it can do is only a situation setting. Also, you can only choose from the five kinds of preset patterns. In addition, it also cannot go as far as mock manipulating the sense of touch.』

「No……I cannot ask for luxury in this situation, I’m thankful just from being able to carry something like this.」

『Its functions are limited, but in exchange there is just one spare function in it.』

「Spare?」

Kei pointed at a red button that was one of the switches lining beside the entrance and spoke.

『Press on this red button if some kind of emergency happened. Surely it will be helpful.』

Kizuna completely didn’t understand what its function was, but he obediently nodded.

『The other problematic point is its lack of toughness and its weakness against wind. Further, it cannot be disassembled once it has been set up. In other words, it’s a disposable item. That’s why pay attention to where you set it up.』

「I understand. I think I’ll make it somehow if it has this much functions.」

He opened the vinyl fastener and came outside. Himekawa and Yurishia were also entering inside next with deep interest.

Kizuna nodded at Reiri when he returned to where she was at.

「I think we will be fine using that……so, who should I do the Connective Hybrid with?」

「Decide it depending on the situation, choose the appropriate partner. I’ll leave it to your judgment.」

「Ro, roger.」

It was an operation where his ability to ad lib would be really questioned on the whole. However it was a certainty that there was just too much unpredictable factors like the situation on-site or the enemy’s movements. When he thought that, perhaps it was unavoidable to feel overwhelmed.

「There is no problem with doing Connective Hybrid itself, but the problem is if Thanatos notices……if she appeared then what to do I wonder.」

Reiri also nodded with a complicated look.

「Certainly that’s the greatest problem. It will be better if Thanatos doesn’t notice us, or even if she notices us but won’t come to us, but……」

「There is no need to fret.」

It was unknown from where she appeared, but Nayuta landed down lightly in front of Kizuna and Reiri.

「I think that Thanatos herself won’t move. Of course, I really don’t have any concrete proof of that.」

「?」

Kizuna tilted his head at those puzzling words of Nayuta.

And then Reiri also frowned while staring at Nayuta.

Part 3

Two hours later, Kizuna was flying above the sea of clouds.

He wanted to move while hiding inside the clouds, but the one that stopped him from doing that was Valdy.

「If the clouds move……our location will be known.」

She said.

Kizuna was side by side with Valdy, holding Himekawa with the two of them while flying under the blue sky. They could see each other’s figures between comrades, which caused him anxiety whether they were really invisible. However, they were supposedly unseen from a third person’s point of view. It had been confirmed before that it was impossible to detect them using the naked eyes or sensors.

Nevertheless he was still nervous.

If the enemy discovered them, such fear was constantly lurking in his heart.

At that time Valdy changed the direction they were going to.

「Ahead from here……there is an enemy.」

――What? Don’t tell me, Thanatos is?

Himekawa was also directing an anxious face at Kizuna. Howeverm they could only leave it to Valdy for now. She was the best expert of covert operations in the Vatlantis Empire’s Imperial Guard. They could only put their faith in her ability.

However, perhaps it should be said just as expected from her, how she detected the enemy at range that even Kizuna and Himekawa didn’t notice and immediately moved to evasive maneuvers. It was as though it represented Valdy’s cowardly personality.

A silhouette really came into view after a while. However it wasn’t Thanatos.

――Is that……a magic weapon?

That winged figure carrying a gunsword felt like it somehow resembled an Albatross. However, its size was far smaller, around three meters tall. Its body possessed slenderness and smooth curves. Its white armor was attached with golden decorations with magnificent detail. Rather than calling it a magic weapon, it was more like a mechanical angel.

There was around ten of those mechanical angels floating in the sky.

Even though their appearance was like miniature Albatrosses, but it was easily imaginable that their strength couldn’t be compared. It was likely that every single one was possessing a power that could even endure against a Tri-Head. It would be difficult to take them on if not by a really powerful person.

Valdy put some distance from the mechanical angels and passed through without a single change on her face’s complexion.

「Isn’t it better to get farther from them?」

However Valdy answered without getting particularly bothered.

「If we put some distance where we don’t disturb the flow of air……it will be fine. Doing things more than necessary might call near another danger……」

Cowardly and bold. Those two contradictions were existing inside Valdy without trouble.

After that too they encountered mechanical angels several times, but each time they took the optimum evasive maneuvers and before long Ataraxia showed its face from the sea of clouds.

When they gazed at Ataraxia that was rapidly getting bigger, they noticed something strange with the situation. Lightings that were usually turned on were out, the place was silent as death without any sound of a machine or a power generator. Before long the three approached the sky above Ataraxia.

「Both of you, look there.」

Himekawa pointed at the research tower of Nayuta Lab. Large SOS letters were written on the rooftop there, and parasols were lined up around, perhaps to make it conspicuous.

「Valdy, can we land there?」

「I think there is no problem……next is whether there are enemies inside or not……but, we won’t be able to know that without actually going in.」

In that case, thinking that, Kizuna landed on the rooftop of Nayuta Lab’s research tower. He didn’t really comprehend from above, but under the parasols there were beach beds lining up.

「Nn…… Geez, don’t. In this kind of place……」

「It’s fine. There is no one here.」

He could hear erotic voices whispering to each other. When he looked around the rooftop, there was a parasol that was deeply tilted at the corner, with a beach bed positioned there as though to avoid the public eye. Bewitching legs were peeking out from the parasol’s shadow, entangled with each other.

「It’s not that kind of problem……ahn, even though, the sun is still high, like this……」

「Fufu, I’ll be affectionate with you at night too. Don’t worry.」

「I, I’m not worrying about anything like that, ah, ah, yaaaaan……」

Himekawa turned bright red and her shoulders were shaking.

「I thought that surely it’s heart-breaking for them, but when we actually came to rescue them……」

Hayuru, we are in the middle of a covert operation, so making a ruckus is――Kizuna was about to say so, but at that time Himekawa’s fury had already exploded.

「Both of you, just what are you doing at this time of crisis! Carrying out such licentious conduct in this sacred Ataraxia! This public morals committee member, Himekawa Hayuru won’t permit it!」

The legs of the two people twitched and stiffened.

「……Himekawa, san?」

A familiar voice came, a face of a blonde haired girl peeked out from the parasol’s shadow. The one who was looking around restlessly at the surroundings while standing up, was Hyakurath wearing a white bikini. However, her bra was removed and her large white breasts were being exposed with nothing to spare under the sunlight. The tips that were pointing out reservedly with pink color in the middle of her transparent white skin were shaking.

「Just now I felt like I was hearing a voice……」

「Certainly I could hear it. Did the power source come back online and someone played on a voice file in the broadcast?」

Behind Hyakurath, Mercuria wearing a black race swimsuit raised her body. She was also wearing an extremely thin material, with her breasts and navel’s undulations distinctly depicted.

Kizuna noticed how they hadn’t deactivated the stealth ability yet. He and Valdy nodded to each other and thought inside his heart so their appearance would appear.

As a result, the figure of the three suddenly came into view in front of Hyakurath and Mercuria.

「Hi……」

Hyakurath stiffened from shock, and then she raised a shrill scream that could tear apart even silk.

「KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!」

Mercuria embraced Hyakurath from behind and then moved her behind as though to protect her body. And then she glared at Himekawa across her shoulder.

「Himekawa Hayuru……also, the headmaster’s siscon little brother, and the stalker huh……is this the real thing?」

Kizuna wanted to complain with how Mercuria was recognizing them, but now wasn’t the time for that.

「We are the real ones. We used Valdy’s stealth ability to come until here.」

Himekawa slowly approached Hyakurath as though she was trying to come into contact with a scared animal.

「E, err……Hyakurath-san. I’m sorry that I surprised you.」

「Himekawa-san……hah!」

Hyakurath hid her breast with her own hands in panic and came out from Mercuria’s shadow.

「E, err, this is not something like that……when I was sunbathing, Me, Mercuria was, that……」

Mercuria handed over a bikini bra to Hyakurath. Hyakurath was making an excuse incoherently while turning behind and put her arms through the bra. Mercuria moved in front of Hyakurath and showed a refreshing smile.

「Yeah, it wasn’t like we were doing something to feel guilty about. The life here is boring. We were just fooling around a little.」

Mercuria nonchalantly spouted out a lie that anyone could see through. And then she kept asking without granting anyone the time to object.

「So, I guess you three came here to rescue us?」

「Yes. Is everyone safe?」

「They are well. Speaking of inconveniences, perhaps it’s how the power of Ataraxia has stopped working?」

Hyakurath who fixed her bra stepped forward with reddened cheeks.

「Right now we are trying to not use electricity as much as possible, we are living using a backup generator only when it’s really necessary. But just living is the most we can do, so we aren’t able to make a resistance or investigate this world.」

Mercuria sighed tiredly.

「Thanatos intentionally came to warn us after all. She said, you all are restrained. That meant she was telling us to refrain from acting as we pleased right?」

「Thanatos was……」

Kizuna made a grim face. Mercuria grinned widely seeing that face.

「Its appear that her aim is you, you know, Kizuna-kun?」

「Me?」

「She seemed to want to meet the one who defeated Hokuto and Osiris. That meant you right?」

Himekawa looked up at Kizuna worriedly.

「……Kizuna-kun.」

Kizuna was assaulted by an anxiety if Thanatos would suddenly appear here anytime.

『There is no need to fret. I think that Thanatos herself won’t move. Of course, I really don’t have any concrete proof of that.』

The words that Nayuta said were suddenly revived in his head.

――Just what did Kaa-san mean by that.

But, it gave him a peace of mind. Kizuna switched his feelings and stared at Hyakurath.

「Committee chairman. Gather everyone inside the lab’s hangar. Also, prepare the transport vehicles for takeoff. Use everything that can fly and transport everyone.」

「I get it Hida-kun. But, where are we going to withdraw to?」

「The Battleship Ataraxia is hiding inside the sea of clouds. We are abandoning this megafloat and only the people will retreat. Please.」

Hyakurath showed a bright expression and she turned to her best friend with shining eyes.

「Let’s go Mercuria.」

「Roger. Leave the transmission to each class to me.」

Kizuna and the others also entered into the lab following the rushing ahead duo.

And then they parted with Mercuria who was running to gather the students and together with Hyakurath they headed to the hangar. Suddenly a loud voice greeted them when they rushed into the hangar.

「AAAAAAAH! EROS-MAOU!」

「IT’S HIDA KIZUNA!」

Kurumizawa Momo was maintaining a railgun with her upper wear taken off, wearing only a black bikini on her upper body.

「Eeh? Why? How? You are here? What about Chief Shikina?」

Kizuna soothed Kurumizawa who was attacking him with a barrage of questions and requested her to prepare the takeoff of the transports. She immediately gathered the research department in the hangar and started checking the machines that could possibly fly in a hurry.

「Himekawa, you search for a place to set up the Portable Love Room. If possible please set it up too then.」

Kizuna put down the backpack he was carrying on his back and handed it over to Himekawa.

「Roger. When the preparations are over I’ll contact you.」

Leaving those words behind, Himekawa held the backpack into her embrace and ran off.

The silent Ataraxia was suddenly getting flurried. With Mercuria’s communication, the students were coming into the hangar one after another.

「I, isn’t this boss Kizuna!!」

The door opened and a girl with short black hair in twintails appeared.

「Gertrude! You, is your injury healed already!?」

Gertrude rushed to Kizuna’s side and gave a thumbs up with a wide grin.

「Yes, after all, it has been some time since we were locked here. I’m still in the middle of rehabilitation to be in the best condition but……there won’t be any problem for real combat.」

「KIZUNAA-!!」

Scarlet’s voice resounded, continuing after her the members of Masters also arrived merrily.

「You girls……seem lively too huh. Or rather……you all look like you are having fun. It’s just as always.」

Masters’ Scarlet, Henrietta, Clementine, Sharon, and Leila were appearing in the hangar with appearances just as they pleased.

With Scarlet who looked tanned and wearing an aloha shirt showily on the top of her swimsuit in the lead, Henrietta was wearing a seven colors wig and a roast chicken in hand for some reason, Clementine was looking drunk, Leila was also in a swimsuit with a lot of paint on her face and body. And then Sharon was in a goth loli outfit as always. Basically all of them looked like they had just arrived from a party just now.

But even Masters who were like that had their expression changed completely when they heard the story from Hyakurath.

「Now it’s getting interesting!」

「Momo! Lend me a gun! Free of charge.」

Leila ran towards Kurumizawa followed by Scarlet and the others. Only Gertrude remained behind, staring at her comrades who were like that.

「Gertrude isn’t going with them?」

Hearing that Gertrude shrugged her shoulders and smiled wryly.

「I’m still not in normal condition after all……Sigura!」

The Heart Hybrid Gear, 『Sigura』 was equipped on Gertrude’s body. Gertrude took a deep breath and withdrew two handguns instantly.

「For now taking back my instinct with this guy is my first priority.」

「I see……I’ll rely on you yeah, Gertrude.」

Hearing that, Gertrude spoke bashfully.

「Just leave it to me. Boss Kizuna, needs……me after all.」

That voice resounded a bit sadly in Kizuna’s ears. Kizuna felt like he understood Gertrude’s feelings. But, she didn’t need consoling word.

In exchange, Kizuna thrust out his fist.

「I’ll depend on you, partner.」

「Boss……」

Gertrude also clenched her fist and brought it forward. Their fists bumped. When she pulled her hand back, Gertrude made a smile and ran to where her comrades were.

――Do your best, Ger-san.

It was when he was whispering that in his heart, the entrance of the hangar opened and a yelling voice came.

「CAPTAIN――――!!」

A small shadow was charging at Kizuna while raising a cute voice.

「SYLVIA!」

Sylvia leaped at Kizuna. Her small head struck Kizuna’s solar plexus.

「Guh……n, nice headbut……are you well, Sylvia?」

「Captain, captain-, captain, captain――!」

Her small head was rubbing on him while tears were flowing from her eyes. Her actions were cute, that Kizuna’s face naturally loosened and he felt that the inside of his heart turned warm.

「You worked really hard until now. Good child, Sylvia.」

「Sylvia, Sylvia was, lonely desu……but, as captain’s subordinate, Sylvia worked hard so as to not be a shame desu. Captain too, Sylvia is glad that captain is safe desu.」

「Good grief……making Sylvia this anxious. Aren’t you a failure as a captain?」

Ragrus arrived while spouting out a thorny line.

「But, you were supporting Sylvia right? Thank you.」

Ragrus’s face flashed red and she talked back in a fluster.

「Wha, no, not really, I didn’t do anything like that! I, I just looked after her sometimes but, it, it’s not like I did it because I like it or anything just so you know!」

Even while Kizuna was gently patting the back of Sylvia who was hugging him tightly, inside he warned himself that this wasn’t the time to be carefree and happy with their reunion like this.

It was at that timing that Hyakurath came running with gasping breathing.

「Hida-kun. It will be about thirty more minutes until the first transport can takeoff. But, they cannot all depart simultaneously. There is the turn for waiting to use the runway and the fuel supply replenishment……The last transport can only depart about fifteen minutes after the first transport takes off.」

「If we assume, that we finish Connective Hybrid in thirty minutes, we will have to protect this place for fifteen minutes to the last then.」

――First who am I going to make into Connective Hybrid partners?

One is without question, Himekawa whose core is reinstalled already.

As for the other one?

The Holy Sword Hyakurath before him here?

Or else the long range attack specialist Mercuria?

However in Connective Hybrid a trusting relationship is necessary.

It’s my duty to look at the situation on-site and make a decision. Think about what is needed right now.

What will happen after this?

During their journey here, they saw quite the number of mechanical angels. It was better to consider that all of those would stand in their way on their journey back. In the worst case, even the appearance of Thanatos was possible. Thinking about that, the answer was obvious.

Kizuna stared at the girl sobbing on his chest.

――The strongest Heart Hybrid Gear that boasted the greatest firepower on this Ataraxia.

「Sylvia, I have a request.」

「Funyu?」

Sylvia raised her tear-stained face.

Share