Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 34 - Chapter 7

The Offensive at the Kasumi Estate

Wednesday, June 8th

The remnants of Vandarion’s faction were stymied by room 106’s stalwart defenses. Corona House was once a humble apartment building, but now it was an extension of a galactic embassy. It had been fortified in subtle ways in addition to the guards and stealth fighters that now patrolled it around the clock. It was as protected as a military base, meaning that a direct assault on it would be pointless. The most tactical plan, in that case, would be to get Koutarou and his allies away from it.

That was where the People of the Earth came in. If Vandarion’s men could use the radical faction to their advantage, it would be an easy way to draw Koutarou out. That was what Ralgwin had in mind when he first approached them.

The radicals’ aim was to overthrow the current establishment, which would have made them ideal allies under different circumstances, but they’d recently staged a failed coup and their leader was detained. Their organization was destabilized and the risk of forming a serious alliance with them was thus too high. And sure enough, Raiga had taken the first opportunity to sell Vandarion’s faction out...

But that was essentially what Ralgwin wanted. Once rumor reached Koutarou and company that trouble was brewing underground, he was certain they’d make a move. They’d be forced to leave Corona House, meaning all that was left for Ralgwin to do was wait. He discreetly took his troops underground and camped out until the time was right.

“So this is what you were planning...” Fasta remarked.

“To be honest,” Ralgwin replied, “I would have liked it if another couple of them had headed for the secret base, but I suppose I can’t be too greedy.”

Beyond the Kasumi estate was a forested hill where Ralgwin had taken up with his men. They calmly observed the situation as they waited for their chance to attack.

“How’s it looking, Fasta?” he asked.

“They’ve been cooped up in one of the rooms in the back for a while now. It seems they’re up to something.”

“Well, their friends are sneaking into an enemy base, so they’re probably providing support. Perhaps even making plans for what’s to come.”

Ralgwin’s best sniper, Fasta, was a skilled reconnaissance agent. That was part of what made her such a deadly assassin, and she was now putting her talents to use tracking the inner goings-on of the Kasumi estate. The assault had not yet begun, however, so she was still keeping her methods discreet—small measuring devices, surveillance crafts, and the like that wouldn’t be noticed from a distance. Fortunately for her, the Kasumi mansion was a primarily wooden structure, so there was a lot of intel she could gather even at this range.

“Everyone aside from the infiltration team is gathered in that room,” she informed Ralgwin.

“That means this is a decisive moment for them... Everyone, prepare for battle and await my order!” he called out.

While Harumi and Ruth were shadowing Uraga, Koutarou and the others went about their own business as they waited for results. They took turns eating, napping, training, and such as they waited to hear back, so there were rarely more than two or three people in the makeshift conference room at any given time. Everyone was gathered there now, however, which suggested something was happening—likely the invasion of the radical faction’s secret base. If worse came to worst, they might even flee the Kasumi estate to go to their friends’ aid. That meant Ralgwin had to make his move, and while Koutarou and the others were focused on Ruth and Harumi was the perfect chance.

“Ralgwin-sama, the mobile weapon we set up in the storehouse is sending a signal! It’s engaged in combat!”

“Then we move in ten seconds! Start the countdown!”

There was a several second delay between a mobile weapon identifying a target and attacking, and it would be even longer before Koutarou and company could process what was happening and respond. They were all undoubtedly concentrated on the news that there was a Forthorthian weapon in the radical faction’s base right now... making it the perfect time to spring an attack. Ralgwin didn’t hesitate to act.

“Five... Four... Three... Two... Move out!”

“All units, permission to fire! We don’t want them to know what hit them!”

The troop rolled out on Ralgwin’s command. They were stationed on the hill behind the Kasumi estate, which was a good distance away. They were all mounted in vehicles and ready to go, so the plan was to begin the assault that way. The vehicles made it difficult to approach stealthily, so an ambush was immediately out of the question. Instead, they’d open fire as soon as they could with the heavy-duty turrets and such that wouldn’t be an option in a quieter strike on foot.

“Begin your assault as soon as you’re in range!”

Their first move was a beam cannon bombardment, which was fairly common practice in Forthorthian ground battles. With the widespread availability of other technology, missiles had largely fallen out of favor with infantry, and lasers simply weren’t as effective inside the atmosphere. Because of that, a fully-charged beam cannon was always the opening weapon of choice.

“Enemy has activated defenses and is returning fire!”

Both sides were now exchanging beam volleys, but there was a fundamental difference between them. Ralgwin and his men used superheated heavy metal particle beams, and all of the shots coming from the Kasumi estate were made of spiritual energy. Due to their very nature, each side was having a great deal of trouble defending against their opponents’ weapons.

“It’s too late for you! We’re already closing in on you!”

But even in the face of a hefty counterattack, Ralgwin was confident and unshaken. Losses in the initial onslaught at this range were well within his expectations. As far as he was concerned, everything was going according to plan.

Koutarou and company detected Ralgwin the moment he opened fire. In truth, he was in an advantageous position since he already had his troops underground; there was no space distortion when they warped in, for example. Koutarou and the girls could have been in serious trouble if Kiriha hadn’t anticipated an attack. She’d considered the possibility that the remaining radicals might come to try to liberate Raiga, and the extra precautions she’d taken because of that were paying dividends now.

“High energy reaction detected! It’s coming from the hill like you predicted, Kii!”

In terms of raiding the Kasumi estate, there were several potential attack routes. Kiriha had foreseen that a threat from the hill behind the mansion would be the most likely, and thanks to her keen insight, everyone was primed to respond.

“Deploy the spiritual energy field! Open the cannon ports and return fire!” Kiriha ordered immediately after hearing Clan’s report.

Doing nothing in the face of an attack would only land them in deeper trouble. And since Kiriha was already prepared for an attack, she decided to put her resources to use. She’d brought a mobile spiritual energy field and beam cannon to the Kasumi estate, and she was relying on those to buy some time while Koutarou and everyone else got in position.

“Bwahaha! Your starboard fire is weaksauce! What are you doing?!” Sanae cackled.

She was in charge of the initial bombardment. Spiritual energy weaponry was heavily influenced by its user, which gave her an incredible advantage with it. She could launch an attack in any direction she wanted and still psychically guide her fire to her target. Moreover, she also had the energy to supercharge spiritual weapons and change their attack properties, including making them nonlethal if she so chose. Vandarion’s faction had already had to carry away several unconscious men thanks to her.

“Bad news, Kiriha-san! This wall’s taking heavy fire! They’re going to blow it wide open!” Shizuka radioed in a shrill tone from behind the mansion.

The Kasumis hailed from a line of proud warriors, but their family estate hadn’t been used as a stronghold for hundreds of years. The centuries-old stone walls no longer had the defensive power they once used to, and unfortunately, the spiritual energy field did little to protect against physical impact. It only weakened the enemy’s beams, which were still hammering the rear wall. Like Shizuka warned, it was only a matter of time before it gave way.

“Yurika, when you get to the backyard, reinforce the stone wall!” Kiriha called.

“O-Okay! But I don’t think it’ll last long!” Yurika called back.

“That’s fine! Whatever you can do to hold them off!”

Ralgwin’s forces would aim to breach the mansion somewhere out of the way of Sanae’s bombardment. Their goal was also presumably to assassinate Koutarou and the girls, so they would move in swiftly to go for the kill.

Koutarou, Theia, and Shizuka were already out behind the mansion. As the group’s main fighters, they’d moved immediately when the assault began. Yurika, a versatile magic user, had stayed inside the mansion in order to respond wherever was needed—and by Kiriha’s estimation, that was now the backyard. They had precious little time, and every second counted.

“Heh, it’s finally my turn,” Theia pronounced with a fearless grin.

She stood nearly five meters tall right now thanks to Melee Black, an accessory for her combat dress. As its name suggested, it was an equipment setup that focused on hand-to-hand combat. Its arms and legs were designed like weapons for close-quarters combat. Strictly speaking, it was something of a cross between a combat suit and a mobile weapon.

Wham!

When Theia confidently palmed her fist, the robotic arms of Melee Black imitated the gesture. It was fashioned with several attack options, but its greatest weapon was its incredible mass. There was a weighty impact when it simply planted its fist into its own hand.

“Theia, you’ll be hard to get around... but you can leave your blind spots to me.”

“Letting me steal the show, are you? That’s surprisingly deferential of you, Koutarou.”

“Sakuraba-senpai’s not around right now, so I can’t fight at full strength. Besides...”

“Besides what?”

“Besides... I decided that I’m going to trust you guys more. Like how I let Sakuraba-senpai and Ruth-san go on that mission alone.”

“Heh, it seems you finally understand! Just sit back and watch me go! I’ll show you how great your lord is!”

Koutarou’s words were an instant boost to Theia’s morale. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, filling her with even more confidence. And as if responding to that, a red sword began glowing on her forehead. Its power spread throughout her body, the excess of which was channeled directly into Melee Black.

“Satomi-kun, don’t you have anything like that to say to me too?” Shizuka asked with a teasing smile as she did some light stretches.

“Don’t kid yourself, Landlord-san. You know you’re stronger than me.”

“Come on! I’m scared of getting shot too, you know?”

“Fine... How about some anmitsu later?”

“It’s a date! You can’t go back on your word later, okay?”

“Yes, yes, I know.”

“Good!”

Shizuka took one last stretch and glanced back at the wall being bombarded. She now looked like she was raring to go. And just like Theia, the sword-shaped crest on her forehead was glowing bright. She was a deadly force to be reckoned with right now, and likely wouldn’t be her usual smiling self again until this fight was over.

“S-Sorry! I-I’m here now!” Yurika called out raggedly, running as fast as she could over to the group.

“Can you get right to it?” Koutarou asked.

“Mending Agent! Modifier: Effective Area, Large!”

Without even stopping to catch her breath, Yurika incanted a spell meant to temporarily strengthen materials. With this, the failing structure should hold up a little longer. Yurika held her glowing staff up to the wall, and an orange light began flowing into it.

“That should buy us some time!”

“Good job, Yurika! Now, I want you to start off covering Theia and Landlord-san! After that, the rest is up to you!”

“Wha...”

Yurika’s eyes went wide when she heard Koutarou’s orders. The first part she could process; since Theia and Shizuka would be prime targets, they’d need her defensive magic to keep them safe. But as for the second part of Koutarou’s instructions, Yurika was at a loss.

The rest is up to me...?

No one had ever said that to her before. She was always following someone else’s plan—usually Kiriha’s, Theia’s, or Koutarou’s. The only times she’d ever been given clearance to make her own decisions were when everything else had failed or she was alone. But Koutarou had just given her free reign, and that absolutely bewildered her.

“Can you handle that, Yurika?!”

With Harumi gone, Koutarou couldn’t bring the full power of Signaltin to bear. He knew he was going to need all the help he could get in this fight and that he likely wouldn’t have the time to give orders in the heat of the moment. Theia had serious blind spots while in the oversize Melee Black, so all of his focus would be spent protecting her. He needed Yurika to follow her own judgment.

“I-I can do it! Leave it to me!”

Yurika nodded with determination in her eyes. She was happy that Koutarou had faith in her when he needed her most, and she would never betray his faith. The glowing crest on her forehead was like a promise of that. Thus, Yurika firmly grasped Angel Halo and proudly took her place next to Koutarou.

Ralgwin and his forces broke through the rear gate of the estate not long after Yurika arrived in the backyard. Even bolstered by magic, the wall simply wasn’t strong enough to withstand being rammed by a military vehicle. It pried open the gate enough to create a hole that allowed infantrymen and weapons to make it inside the mansion grounds.

In total, Ralgwin’s strike force consisted of 32 soldiers and two supporting mobile weapons. They’d started with a full platoon of forty men, but Sanae’s bombardment on the hill had knocked out four men. Four more then stayed behind to carry away their unconscious comrades. Ralgwin had expected this much, however, and pressed his charge.

Meeting his forces at the back gate were Koutarou, Theia, Shizuka, Yurika, and eight of Kouma’s personal guards. The enemy outnumbered them almost three to one, but it was hard to say they were outmatched considering their individual abilities. Ralgwin’s men were armed with military-grade gear, however, meaning each one of them rivaled Theia in terms of sheer firepower. Koutarou and company would have to keep their guard up.

“Greetings, Lord Layous Fatra Veltlion. I am Ralgwin Vester Vandarion of the Vandarion family. It’s truly a pleasure to meet you.”

To everyone’s surprise, Ralgwin was personally leading the attack. He was known for his caution and intellect, so it was hard to believe he was putting himself on the front line.

“Ralgwin... I never dreamed you’d show up yourself.”

“I thought it was high time you and I meet. I owe a debt to my uncle, you see.”

In other words, Ralgwin was here for vengeance. Vandarion was ultimately consumed by chaos, but it was Koutarou who’d driven him to such a fate. As such, Ralgwin didn’t just want him dead. No, it wouldn’t do for Koutarou to be killed by some faceless assassin... Ralgwin wanted him to know who took his life and why.

“I have no intention of dying here, Ralgwin. I have a duty to fulfill and my own debts to repay.”

There, Koutarou drew Signaltin from its sheath at his waist. He looked far more serious than usual. When he wore his brilliant blue armor and wielded his silver sword, he needed to stand proud as a model knight... for the girls, and for all of the comrades he’d fought alongside two thousand years ago.

“I suppose your history is what makes you the legend you are... But it’s quite a pain for anyone trying to extinguish you.”

With that, Ralgwin readied his rifle. He hailed from a family of knights himself, but he had no intention of crossing swords with Koutarou. He knew that he wouldn’t win, and he wasn’t the type to hold his pride over his life. He wanted revenge at all costs.

“Then I assume you showing yourself means you’re convinced you can win...”

Koutarou found that part the most unsettling. Considering Ralgwin’s behavior before now, it was hard to imagine him making such a move if he didn’t wholeheartedly believe in his odds of success. If he was daring enough to step out on the front line, he must have some sort of plan.

“But of course. I can’t afford to waste resources on fruitless attacks.”

“So this discussion is just a prelude, huh?”

Koutarou suddenly swung Signaltin in his right hand without any warning.

Wham!

When he did, something to his left went flying—it was an assassin who’d crept close with thermal optic camouflage while Koutarou and Ralgwin were talking. And that first strike was like the starting pistol to the fight.

“Begin the attack!”

Ralgwin immediately cut short his conversation with Koutarou and ordered his subordinates to attack. All thirty-some men, Ralgwin included, sprang into action at once. Some set up behind whatever cover was available, some advanced alongside the heavily armored mobile weapons, and so on. Ralgwin himself took cover and opened fire with his rifle.

He shouldn’t have been able to detect the assassin through their camouflage, but he cut him down the moment he was in range. He can also react to gunfire at incredible speeds... The Blue Knight truly must be able to see something we can’t. It’s not sound or electromagnetic waves, though... Does he possess technology here from the underground, or something else?

Ralgwin wasn’t just commanding and fighting, but also strategically observing how Koutarou reacted to various attacks.

“Distribute your fire! Target the Blue Knight’s allies too!”

Attacking Koutarou directly didn’t seem to be very effective; in fact, it seemed to be just what Koutarou wanted. So instead, Ralgwin decided to simply keep Koutarou in check while they targeted the girls. They could pick them off one by one that way, then converge on Koutarou and overwhelm him. Ralgwin wanted to thin Koutarou’s inner circle anyway, so this was as good a chance as any.

“Koutarou, the enemy’s pushing!”

“These little...!”

Ralgwin’s change of plans effectively tied Koutarou’s hands. Theia was using Melee Black to corner the enemy, but its bulky frame left her with several blind spots. If anyone got around her or tactically targeted the joints of the suit, she would be in trouble. And while Kouma’s guards were strong, there were only a few of them. They were vastly outnumbered by Ralgwin’s men and could easily be overrun. That meant Koutarou had to keep an eye on both them and Theia at the same time, which kept him entirely on the defensive.

The Blue Knight’s greatest weakness is the simple fact that he’s the Blue Knight...

When Ralgwin realized the tides were turning in his favor, he smiled. A thorough analysis had revealed several of Koutarou’s weaknesses, and Ralgwin was intent to exploit those to his advantage.

Bang, bang!

“Tch!”

While Koutarou was occupied defending Theia and Kouma’s guards, he had trouble defending himself from enemy fire. He would dodge attacks that came directly for him, but he stood in the way of fire that came for his allies. That meant Ralgwin and his men were reliably able to hit Koutarou by aiming for Theia and the others instead. Thus in Ralgwin’s eyes, Koutarou’s unwillingness to abandon his friends was a weakness.

“Satomi-kun, Theia-chan! Are you guys okay?!” Shizuka called out.

“I-I’m coming!” Yurika called in turn.

They were in a similarly sticky situation. Shizuka’s go-to strategy was capitalizing on her supernatural strength and defensive power; she would jump straight into enemy lines and scatter their formation. An assassin had come for her right at the start of the fight, however, which threw off the timing for her opening move. By the time she’d taken care of the assassin, the enemy had already begun their offensive. They then concentrated their fire on Yurika, leaving Shizuka no choice but to cover for the magical girl. That kept her on the defensive just like Koutarou, though Ralgwin and his men seemed largely focused on Koutarou and Theia. That gave them a little bit of leeway, and they used that to lend a hand whenever they could.

“We’re fine!” Koutarou shouted back to the girls. “But Yurika has to attack for us to win this!”

“B-But...!” she stammered.

“If this continues, we’ll lose simply because we’re outmanned! Someone needs to go on the offensive!”

It was an undeniable fact that Koutarou and the girls were seriously outnumbered. And with the enemy as heavily armed as Theia, they would lose in a pure firefight. They needed something to turn the tables. And since Shizuka had her hands full protecting her, Yurika would have to do the trick.

“He’s right, Yurika-chan! Now’s the time to show us your stuff! Fight like a magical girl!”

“Fight like a magical girl...? O-Okay, I’ll give it a shot!”

Yurika was uneasy; normally she followed someone else’s lead in combat. But Shizuka’s encouragement reminded her of her heroes: the magical girls she watched on TV and, of course, Nana. So when she asked herself what Nana would do in a situation like this, the answer was clear. Nana never cowered before an enemy, no matter how great. In spite of her small figure, she always stood tall.

“I am the princess of love and courage, Magical Girl Rainbow Yurika! I will protect the peace of this world!”

With that bold declaration, Yurika changed course and fled away from Koutarou and the crowd of enemies. She wasn’t the fighter Nana was, but she had her own way of doing things. And if she could stand tall like Rainbow Nana, that was all she wanted. Thus, with that wish, she firmly grasped her staff with both hands.

When the girl in the flashiest outfit took off running, the soldiers firing at her temporarily lost sight of her. Not because she was that fast, of course. She simply fled their scopes for a moment. The trained soldiers kept their cool, however, and zeroed in on her again. Picking her out of a crowd was easy thanks to her bright pink outfit. But just before the soldiers could pull their triggers again... a grenade rolled up to her feet.

Kaboom!

The ground shook from the loud explosion, and then the girl was gone. All that remained was a crater and a billowing dust cloud where she’d been standing.

“Idiot! What did you think you’d get away with in that outfit? All right, men, let’s fall back some!”

The squad leader determined that the girl was dead and prepared to put some distance between their unit and their remaining target—a close combat expert. She was no longer protecting the girl in the flashy outfit, so she would undoubtedly go on the offensive now. The squad leader figured they could use the dust cloud from the grenade to retreat a ways... but something was strange. Several of his subordinates ignored his order and stood in place.

“I repeat: fall back!”

It was easy enough to miss an order in the chaos and noise of the battlefield. There were explosions and countless other distractions, so a good commander made sure their men stayed on task. The squad leader thus repeated his order to the team...

“...”

But some of his men still showed no reaction. Multiple soldiers missing orders twice in a row was odd, no matter how he looked at it. The squad leader couldn’t shake the bad feeling he was getting as he addressed his men a third time.

“What are you—”

Whud!

There, the frozen soldiers suddenly collapsed to the ground like marionettes with cut strings.

“You men over there! Carry them away!”

“Understood!”

This squad leader wasn’t the type to leave men behind. He sent a soldier apiece to cart away his fallen subordinates, but his plan backfired...

Whud!

“What?!”

For when the soldiers reached their collapsed comrades, they too collapsed on the spot. With this, the squad leader finally realized what was happening.

“No one move or you’ll collapse just like them! We’re under some kind of attack!”

More soldiers were moving to help their unconscious allies, but the squad leader quickly stopped them. He then tried to parse the situation in his head.

They just collapsed all of a sudden... What happened? There was nothing but that one grenade and then a dust cloud. Wait, that grenade... Who threw it in the first place?!

The squad leader’s eyes went wide as he stared into the persisting dust cloud. Without any wind, it wasn’t unusual for one to linger like this... but something was still strange about it.

“Don’t breathe it in! That cloud’s some kind of gas!”

In fact, the entire situation was strange. Since grenades were explosives that risked friendly fire, they were usually only thrown on the commander’s orders. At the very least, advance warning was given before they were released.

But the squad leader had never called for one and no one had ever reported one. Where had the grenade at the girl’s feet come from, then? Was it just a hologram? A diversion to disguise a drone spewing poison gas in the middle of the apparent dust cloud? The squad leader shuddered at the thought. He’d heard from Ralgwin that one of the Blue Knight’s allies used holograms in such devious ways. Vandarion himself had fallen for similar ploys.

“Don’t let appearances fool you! There’s more to that girl than meets the eye!”

The squad leader couldn’t deny he’d been duped. He was completely taken in by the girl’s ridiculous outfit and the fake grenade. He’d let his guard down and lost men because of it. He grit his teeth bitterly when he realized he’d been fooled by a young girl, but his misfortune was far from over.

“Sir, the cloud is moving!”

Perhaps because the squad leader had now seen through it, the cloud began whirling and started moving toward the soldiers as if it had a mind of its own. He signaled for his subordinates to get away as he fell back himself.

“Don’t breathe in that smoke! If you do—”

Suddenly, the squad leader’s vision went black.

What? I didn’t breathe in any of the smoke, so why...?

He’d figured out the enemy’s trick and kept his distance from the cloud in question, so he couldn’t understand what had happened.

“Don’t worry. The gas will only knock you out for a while,” said the girl in the flashy outfit as she emerged from the cloud.

When the squad leader saw her, he understood everything.

The actual gas was colorless, and that cloud was just a hologram...

Her flashy outfit, the explosion, and the cloud of dust were all diversions. She pretended she’d been killed by the grenade and then hid within the cloud while unleashing an invisible gas. The moment the squad leader assumed she was dead, it was already too late for him.

“Y’know, Yurika-chan, I’ve actually been thinking that you’re probably the scariest member of our group...”

The other girl dealt with the soldiers who’d made it through the gas. The squad leader couldn’t help remarking what an incredible strategy it really was—his last thought before he lost consciousness from the gas.

“I-I won using poison again...”

That was the only problem. You see, this flashy girl didn’t want to be known as a chemical warfare expert.

After Yurika and Shizuka took out the squad attacking them, the tides of battle began to turn. The two girls then moved to flank the squad Ralgwin was personally commanding.

“Don’t you think it’s time you fall back like usual?” Koutarou called out.

“I don’t think you’re in much of a position to talk,” responded Ralgwin.

Koutarou was now bruised and bloody. He’d been boldly defending his allies, and as Ralgwin pointed out, he’d taken quite a beating in the process. Theia and Kouma’s guards weren’t much better off at this point, either. Everyone was worse for wear, but none of them were willing to give up the fight.

“We’re right where we want to be, Ralgwin! We’ve been waiting for this moment!” Theia declared with a fearless smile.

Staying on the defensive had actually been part of their plan. Since they were terribly outnumbered, Koutarou and Theia were holding out while Shizuka and Yurika whittled down the enemy forces. And now that they were on the scene, it was finally time to go on the offensive. As impatient as she was, the long wait had been brutal for Theia. She was chomping at the bit, primed to cut loose—and now she had Koutarou’s permission.

“Go wild, Theia.”

“Oh, I will. Princess Theiamillis moving out! Follow me, my knight!”

Theia rushed forward while taking a big swing, and Melee Black copied the gesture perfectly.

Wa-bam!

Melee Black’s giant fist blew away several enemy soldiers, as well as the cover they were hiding behind. A single punch from a five-meter giant was a lethal weapon in itself. The sheer force behind its momentous blows was enough to knock out anyone unlucky enough to be on the receiving end.

“Talk about powerful...”

“Heh. Incredible, aren’t I?”

“I wasn’t praising you.”

Just a few moments ago, a sweeping charge attack would have been unthinkable. They could hardly move at all when they were on the defensive. Theia was such a massive target that it had taken everything Koutarou had to protect her. But now that the enemy’s fire had been stemmed, Theia was emboldened.

Ralgwin, however, had no intention of letting her mow him down.

“Their reinforcements from the right have the princess on the move... Are you still not ready, Fasta?”

“The calibration is coming along, but there’s still a 5 percent margin of error.”

“That’s good enough! Begin!”

“Understood!”

If he could assassinate even one member of Forthorthe’s premier band of knights—the Blue Knight’s personal retinue—Ralgwin was sure the battle would turn in his favor. Opportunities for surprise attacks like this were rare, so he wanted to make the most of the occasion by eliminating an emotional pillar of the team or an information specialist.

“Veltlion, I’m picking up high energy reactions from the hill!” Clan called in over the comms.

“Now of all times?!” Koutarou shouted.

He felled the man he was currently fighting and then used his armor’s display to zoom in on the hill. The footage appeared in his peripheral vision so as not to obscure his line of sight in combat. He had GoL bombard the enemies trying to flank Theia as he scrutinized the feed.

“Those are some big cannons, Clan!”

“I see them! They’re siege weapons meant for attacking fortresses!”

The high energy reactions Clan was detecting were coming from artillery charging up to fire. Said artillery consisted of movable beam cannons that could be floated through the air for ease of transport when they weren’t in use. They were then lowered to the ground when firing for stability and accuracy. They were the largest variety of cannon used by Forthorthian infantry—and there were currently four of them trained on Koutarou and company.

“Kiriha-san, can’t we blow those away?!” Koutarou asked over the comms.

“They’re out of range for ordinary spiritual energy beam cannons and I’ve already sent Sanae your way.”

The four cannons were positioned near the top of the hill over a kilometer away—too far for even the defensive spiritual energy cannons to hit. Sanae would have been able to extend their range, but she was en route to the main battlefield for backup.

“What about you, Clan?! Any ideas?!” Koutarou asked desperately.

“All we can do now is set the spiritual energy fields to max and— Lock on detected!” Clan shouted, cutting herself off.

“What are they aiming at?!”

“You! All four of them are aiming at you!”

“Damn it!”

The sudden long-range attack caught Koutarou and company by surprise. The best they’d be able to manage by way of defenses was an emergency deployment of the spiritual energy barrier around the mansion, but that likely wouldn’t be enough given the size of the cannons. That meant all Koutarou could do now was try to move away from everyone else.

“All forces, fall back to the safe area marked on the map!” Ralgwin ordered.

“Cannons fully charged! Ready to fire, sir!” Fasta reported.

“We’ll be out of luck if this doesn’t work! Do it, Fasta!”

“Firing!”

Boosh!

The four cannons opened fire virtually at the exact same time. They shot beams several dozen centimeters in diameter, and they’d been fired in tandem to make sure their target couldn’t get away.

I can’t dodge that...!

Koutarou knew instantly that he was in trouble. He could sense the trajectory of the beams Fasta shot, and he could see no way to escape it in time. That was the true nefarious nature of this attack—Ralgwin had studied Koutarou’s reaction times, his speed, and various other data so that he could corner him.

And the plan he’d come up with to defeat Koutarou for certain was the tandem use of several beam cannons. By diverging their points of impacts slightly, he could cover a wide area with just one attack. Elexis had come to a similar conclusion, but had never been able to employ the strategy for fear of collateral damage.

Ralgwin had no such reservations here, but there was still a point of concern. Due to the sheer size of the cannons, they needed to be calibrated carefully. Fasta had overseen the process herself, yet the best she could say was, “It should hit, but it might not.” Those words troubled Ralgwin, but he ultimately decided there simply was no surefire way to kill a legend. Moreover, there was no time to hesitate now. He had to fire.

Vrummm!

The four beams moved almost in parallel. They were spread out in such a way that they covered a diameter of roughly two meters. Ralgwin knew Koutarou could react to bullets like he had during the sniping incident, but beams moved frighteningly faster. It would be near impossible for Koutarou to escape their effective range in time. Unexpectedly, however, the beams never even reached him...

“Curses! Get in there, Cradle!” Clan cried.

“As you wish,” her AI responded.

Kerboom!

On Clan’s orders, the Cradle warped directly into the line of fire. It ate all four beams in a grand explosion that destroyed its main flight capabilities, sending it crashing into the ground. But thanks to its sacrifice, Koutarou was spared.

“Tch, the princess’s ship!”

Ralgwin unhappily clicked his tongue at this development, but quickly regained his focus. This battle wasn’t over yet.

“Thanks, Clan!”

“Don’t let your guard down! The cannons are recharging as we speak!”

“What?!”

Koutarou wasn’t out of the woods. In another ten seconds or so, another barrage would come... and Clan didn’t have a second ship on hand to take the shot this time. The Cradle would take longer than that to recharge, too. Koutarou could use the precious few seconds he had to hide, but it was likely whatever cover he took would simply be blown away right along with him. And with the group split up, he couldn’t even rally the girls to bolster his defenses. He was right in the middle of Ralgwin’s trap.

In that case, I’ll just have to get close enough to Ralgwin before he can fire... Or maybe I could use magic to hide?

Koutarou desperately racked his brain for a plan. Ralgwin was currently falling back, meaning it would be hard to catch up with him in time. He could use Signaltin to negate his heat and electromagnetic signatures and make himself undetectable... but could he do all that with what time he had left? He gripped his sword, ready to try... but that was when something strange happened.

Yurika, of all people, had an idea.

“Wait, please! I’ll go! Shizuka-san, can you lend me your mana?!”

“I don’t know what you’re up to, but go for it! Let her have it, Uncle!”

She didn’t explain herself, but Shizuka didn’t bat an eye. If there wasn’t time for explanations, there wasn’t time for hesitation. She would much rather weigh a couple hundred kilograms than lose Koutarou.

“Understood!”

When Alunaya willed it, vast amounts of mana began pouring into Yurika through the sword crest on her forehead. The Fire Dragon Emperor’s incredible stores of magic replenished her mana and then some in the blink of an eye.

“Recall Precast Teleport!”

Yurika always had a spell up her sleeve so long as she had enough mana to cast it. By magically jumping through spacetime, she could blink from one place to another—and she used that now to warp herself directly to the cannons. She then moved right into another spell

“Rotting Swamp! Modifier: Effective Area, Large!”

This one converted a section of ground into foul swampland. It was a powerful spell meant to sink a target and decompose them, but Yurika had another goal in mind here.

“Charging complete!” Fasta reported.

“Open fire! Don’t give them any quarter!” Ralgwin ordered.

“Understood! Firing— Kyaaah!”

As Fasta went to pull the trigger, the gunner’s seat lurched sideways. She didn’t know what was happening and instinctively moved to brace herself.

“What was that?! What’s going on?!” Ralgwin demanded.

“I don’t know. The gunner’s seat suddenly moved...” Fasta explained in disbelief.

“It moved?!”

Only Yurika was any the wiser. The large siege cannons could only fire accurately when they were docked on solid, level ground. So what happened when the earth underneath them suddenly transformed into a bog? Moreover, this was no ordinary bog. The unprotected parts of the cannons immediately began melting away. “Rotting Swamp” was normally used against people, but it turned out to be equally effective against large equipment.

“Fasta, get away from there right now! I don’t know what happened, but all four cannons have tipped over! Further attack won’t be possible like this!” Ralgwin informed her.

“Understood!” she complied.

“We’re retreating! Rendezvous at point F!”

“Roger!”

With his trump card taken out of commission, Ralgwin accepted defeat and made the call to withdraw. His forces had already moved back in preparation for the beam attack. As for Yurika, she was completely out of mana now and could only watch as Fasta retreated too. But nevertheless, the day was won. Koutarou and company had managed to survive Ralgwin’s ambush.

After the failed offensive at the Kasumi estate, Ralgwin returned to his base. His mood, however, wasn’t as sour as one might expect after such a defeat. There seemed to be no strategic victory here either, so Fasta couldn’t understand it.

“You look perplexed, Fasta,” Ralgwin remarked.

“If I’m being honest, I don’t understand why you seem so pleased, Ralgwin-sama. This is nothing like before.”

“Oh?” Ralgwin hummed, eyeing her curiously. As far as he was concerned, the answer was obvious. “Did I not tell you?”

“About?”

“Our attack on the Blue Knight was actually part of a diversion.”

“A diversion? For what?”

“Extracting engineers from the underground. Everything else we did down there was simply to keep eyes off the real operation.”

Through a company on the surface, Ralgwin had made contact with the People of the Earth—and more than just the radical faction. Ralgwin had actually sought out the surviving relatives of the long-gone dismantlement faction. Most of them continued their lines of work as engineers, and Ralgwin’s true goal was taking them hostage. Lurking in the underground for such a nefarious purpose, however, was bound to catch the conservative faction’s attention.

So to disguise his true objective, Ralgwin had intentionally made a scene of contacting the radical faction. He was surprised that Raiga himself had been the one to blow the whistle, but once everyone knew that Vandarion’s faction was in touch with the radical faction, they all assumed that an alliance was their purpose underground. Thus Ralgwin was able to kidnap several engineers while the conservative faction was distracted. Splitting up Koutarou’s group, the assault on the Kasumi estate, and everything else were simply secondary objectives and distractions. In other words, Ralgwin had accomplished exactly what he’d set out to do and had no qualms about cutting his losses otherwise.

“This is the first I’ve heard of the extraction...”

“Apologies. I’d meant to tell you. Anyway, the kidnappings were a success and we managed to make off with more than we anticipated.”

“Do you mean to say you now have your hands on military grade spiritual energy technology?”

“Yes, and it’s performing wonderfully. It concealed our entire platoon.”

In addition to making off with engineers, Ralgwin’s men had grabbed some of the cutting-edge technology they were working on. It would take time to force the engineers to make weapons and other devices, but the stolen technology could be used right away. It was an excellent prize.

“So everything is proceeding...”

“Yes. It seemed so out of reach at first, but it’s all gradually coming together. This technology alone will be a great boon in slaying the Blue Knight.”

Ralgwin had been prepared to spend years acquiring the technology. Solving the mystery behind the Blue Knight’s fantastical powers seemed like a pipe dream, but in just a few months, they’d already discovered the first piece of the puzzle. He had no idea how many more pieces there were, but as far as he was concerned, things were looking up.

Yurika had won a great victory in the battle at the Kasumi estate, but she was in a terrible mood when the group returned to room 106. The reason? Another one of Koutarou’s slips of the tongue.

“How could you say something so awful, Satomi-san?!” she cried.

“I’m sorry. Everyone was so on edge. I just thought I could lighten the mood a little with a joke,” he apologized.

“There are some things you can’t joke about, no matter the reason!”

“What?” Sanae interjected. “He didn’t say anything wrong. You’re a dirty girl who dragged our enemy down into a filthy swamp to win.”

“Sanae-chaaan!”

Koutarou hadn’t meant anything by it, but proclaimed after Yurika’s victory: “As expected of such a dirty girl.” The other girls burst out laughing when they heard him say it, immediately dispelling the tension of the battle. All in all, it really did lighten the mood, but Yurika was still furious.

“I’m not dirty! I prefer wholesome romances!”

“I know, I know. You may love your swamps and poison, but you don’t actually have a dirty bone in your body.”

“Do you really feel that way, Satomi-san?”

Yurika stared at Koutarou dubiously. After what he’d said, she couldn’t help being skeptical.

“I really do. In fact, the notion that you’ve ever had a dirty thought in your mind is near laughable.”

“...”

“Hey, Yurika! You’re thinking something dirty right now, aren’t you?!”

“A-Am not!”

Yurika rapidly shook her head. She was desperate to deny it, lest anyone get the wrong idea.

“I understand how you feel, Nijino Yurika, but you accomplished a splendid victory. Such feats make quite an impression, so I’m afraid you’ll simply have to bear with it,” Kiriha said with a gentle smile and took a sip of tea.

She then cast a glance over to the clock on the wall. It was almost midnight.

“She sure is late, isn’t she? I hope all’s well...” Harumi commented, picking up on Kiriha’s unspoken thoughts.

Koutarou and the others were actually awaiting one of their own, and her return would determine the ultimate success or failure of their trip underground. Regardless of the news she was bringing, however, the Corona House crew would have happily waited up all night for her. She was that precious to them. Needless to say, then, they all turned toward the front door when it opened...

“I’m back,” called Maki softly.

The tense atmosphere in the apartment relaxed when she arrived, but she seemed puzzled as to why.

“Huh? What’s the matter everyone?” she asked as she stepped into the inner room.

In truth, it hadn’t been all that long since Maki found her home here at Corona House. She still didn’t understand the full nuance of family, and it never dawned on her that everyone had been so concerned about her in her absence.

No one needed to explain that to her, however. It was something she would eventually come to understand on her own. So instead, Koutarou pushed the conversation in a different direction and the girls all followed his lead.

“Actually, Aika-san, we couldn’t decide whether or not we should eat without you. But here you are, so let’s get to it,” he said.

“Yes, let’s eat! I vote that we eat!” Sanae cheered.

“Agreed! I’m starving!” Yurika seconded.

“I’m running on empty myself,” Theia commented.

“Ugh, but my weight... Nah, I’ll start my diet tomorrow!” Shizuka rallied.

“I think I’ll enjoy a meal... I’m strangely in the mood for it,” Kiriha added.

“I have something of an appetite myself. Perhaps it’s because I’ve gotten healthier,” Harumi observed.

“That’s a good sign. I recommend you try eating all kinds of things,” Clan encouraged.

“You should be eating right too, you know?” chimed in Koutarou.

“What about you, Maki-san?” asked Ruth.

“I... I’ll eat too. I suddenly feel hungry now that I’m home,” she replied.

Maki, in time, was gradually coming to accept her new family. It wouldn’t be long now before she felt right at home all the time.

“By the way, Maki,” Kiriha called, “how did it go?”

She could tell just by looking, but she felt the need to ask anyway. Since this concerned the People of the Earth’s future, Kiriha wanted to hear it from Maki’s lips directly.

“It was a success. I found what I believe is the secret base being used by the remnants of Vandarion’s faction,” Maki said with a triumphant smile as she sat down at a cushion at the tea table—her cushion.

“I see... So our gamble paid off...” Kiriha said with a sigh of relief, her expression brightening.

For the Corona House crew, their real objective was locating Ralgwin’s base. When Kiriha first heard from Raiga that Vandarion’s faction had reached out to the radical faction, she couldn’t shake a lingering question in the back of her mind: what had driven the ever-cautious Ralgwin to contact the radicals when there was no way to account for Raiga’s reaction? He must have had a reason. Was the offer for an alliance just a diversion? Or perhaps a trap to lure in her and the others? Or worse, both? Kiriha wasn’t quite able to suss out Ralgwin’s true intentions at the time, which was why she’d suspected an attack.

Ralgwin wasn’t the kind of man who would overlook an opportunity when it presented itself, and Koutarou and company leaving Corona House would have been a golden one. Kiriha anticipated the attack on the Kasumi estate, though she’d chosen not to fortify it with guards so as not to scare Ralgwin away. She knew Ralgwin wouldn’t reveal himself unless the odds were in his favor. That was also why she’d agreed to send Harumi and Ruth off to infiltrate the radical faction’s new base.

If Koutarou and company hadn’t divided their forces, Ralgwin might not have made a move. Kiriha had a good reason for trying to draw him out, which was why Maki had stayed out of the ensuing fight entirely. Her job was shadowing Ralgwin when he retreated after the fact. He had already gotten his hands on spiritual energy technology, but he was still oblivious to the existence of magic. That made Maki the ideal agent.

That was also why Kiriha had held Maki back from the base infiltration mission. Kiriha wanted to make sure she was in position to go after Ralgwin when he showed up. As long as Maki was ready and waiting for him, Kiriha knew she’d likely learn what she wanted to know... but that was only if everything went perfectly, which was a gamble.

She couldn’t say when or if Ralgwin really would attack, and when he did, they would have to fend him off with the minimal forces and weapons they had on hand at the Kasumi estate. It was a dangerous prospect. They also had to hold out on the defensive until Maki was ready, which wasn’t conducive to Shizuka and Theia’s fighting style. And lastly, even if everything else went according to plan, there was still a chance Maki might come up emptyhanded.

Fortunately, however, Kiriha’s gamble had paid off. The tandem cannon attack was unexpected, but the team nevertheless managed to eke out a win by the skin of their teeth. Yurika had saved everyone, and Maki couldn’t let that hard work go to waste. She was determined to find the base and thus returned to room 106 successfully.

“Good work, Aika-san,” Koutarou congratulated her.

“It’s all because you believed in me, Satomi-kun,” she replied.

“And now I know how hard it is to be the one waiting around and hoping...”

“That’s how I always feel,” Kiriha interjected.

“Yeah, I get that now. Thanks for everything you do, Kiriha-san.”

“Heh, hearing you say that makes it all worth it.”

“Would it all be worth it for you if we thanked you too, Satomi-kun?” Maki asked.

“Honestly, for me...”

There, Koutarou seemed to trail off. He was whispering so quietly that only Maki, who leaned in close, could hear him.

“Oh my, heehee...”

Her eyes went wide for a moment when she heard what he said, but she couldn’t help grinning and giggling. Seeing this, Kiriha waved her over.

“What did Koutarou say?” she asked.

“Satomi-kun said—”

“You don’t have to tell her!”

“—that he’s happy as long as he can see me smile.”

“How selfless, Satomi Koutarou.”

“...Gimme a break...”

Thus exposed, Koutarou turned away bashfully. It was a shame, however, as he missed Kiriha’s radiant smile because of it.

“Koutarou,” Sanae called. “Hey, Koutarou, what are you doing?”

“Nothing. Just thinking,” he replied.

“Then you should help me! We’re talking about whether we should have curry or ramen for our late-night snack.”

“Which do you want?”

“Curry.”

“That’s too bad. I want ramen.”

“Whaaat?! It’s your duty to side with me, isn’t it?”

“I’d prefer curry myself, Higashihongan-san,” piped up Maki.

“Really?! Then screw Koutarou. Come over here, Maki.”

“Wow, I was relieved of that duty pretty quickly,” Koutarou grumbled.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take you instead, Satomi Koutarou.”

“I don’t belong to you guys!”

“Oh, don’t be so coy.”

Thus the night wore on in room 106. The battle was far from over. Koutarou and the girls now needed to plan their next move against Ralgwin, but that could wait until tomorrow. Tonight would be a carefree night of rest together. It was that—their bond as a family—that would get them through the fighting to come.