Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 35 - Chapter 3

The Raid

Saturday, June 18th

In the dead of night, Koutarou stood at the edge of a lake in the forest waiting for his allies to finish their preparations. His job during the raid would be to attack the base from the front as a diversion... but he wasn’t alone.

“Sorry about this, Sun Rangers. You really got the short end of the stick this time.”

Koutarou apologized to the five Sun Rangers, who were all in full gear. Even in the dark of the night, their colorful suits were quite vibrant. They were assisting Koutarou’s assault on the enemy base alongside imperial troops under Theia’s command sent from the delegation. The latter made sense, but in truth, the Sun Rangers had no reason to be involved in this mission. It was Forthorthe’s problem... which was precisely why Koutarou and company had requested their help.

“Oh, don’t worry. I know it’s politics,” said Red Shine Kenichi, smiling underneath his mask.

Indeed, the Sun Rangers had agreed to participate in order to legitimize the mission. On paper, the Japanese government had dispatched the Sun Rangers here to investigate a mysterious enemy that was using spiritual energy technology, and they’d requested the Holy Forthorthe Galactic Empire’s aid in doing so. It would’ve been virtually impossible to authorize the other way around given Japan’s constitution and laws—there was no way Forthorthe could legally initiate a military movement of their own under the circumstances.

“Don’t sweat it. You scratch our backs and we scratch yours, you know?” added Blue Shine Hayato.

The established cooperation between the Sun Rangers and Forthorthe was mutually beneficial for everyone. Forthorthe needed their help for operations like this, and the Sun Rangers needed Forthorthe’s help against space-age forces and large-scale terrorist organizations trying to steal their technology—which was still an ongoing problem.

“That’s true. Even without Ralgwin, I’m sure we have a long battle ahead of us,” conceded Koutarou.

Attempts to purloin Forthorthian technology were still on the rise on Earth. There were entire crime rings trying to break into the trade, and that would continue to be a long-term problem on Earth until cultural exchange reached the point where technology was freely traded without restriction.

“Yeah, it’s a big help to us that you’re so well connected with Forthorthe. Keep it up, okay, Baron-san?” Green Shine Kotaro said half jokingly.

Forthorthe wanted to establish diplomatic relations with Earth because they feared magic and spiritual energy technology being leaked, but first and foremost, their interest in the tiny blue planet stemmed from the fact that it was Koutarou’s homeland. In other words, Earth’s relationship with Forthorthe depended entirely on Koutarou’s relationship with the royal families.

“Please don’t put too much pressure on me,” he said with a bitter smile.

He’d never had any intention of entrenching himself with the royal families of Forthorthe. It was just something that had happened along the way while he was trying to help out his friends. He felt like he was in over his head as far as maintaining political relationships was concerned.

“I’m sure you’ll do just fine, Baron-san. You’ll always get along as long as you remember to be honest with each other,” said Yellow Shine Daisaku.

“You mean like us?” asked Pink Shine Megumi.

“That’s right. You don’t have to do anything special.”

“That’s true. Heehee...”

Daisaku and Megumi had started dating a while back. At first, the other three Shines couldn’t figure out what Daisaku saw in her... but after they started dating, a change came over Megumi. She became less aggressive and unpredictable. Now, there was a calm kindness about her the others had never seen before.

“In that case, I’d be happy if you went on a little bit of a diet. I want you to live a long, healthy life.”

“I’ve never thought about it like that before... All right, I’ll give it a try.”

“Thank you, Daisaku-san.”

“Aww, how nice,” Kenichi cooed.

“Bleh. I can’t take this,” Hayato groaned.

“That’s enough, you two,” Kotaro scolded. “We’ll just have to find that special someone for ourselves.”

Unlike the other Shines, Daisaku had always known that Megumi was a sweet girl underneath all her quirks. He’d just never seen a reason to try to change who she was. As long as she was nice at heart, that was all he cared about. There was an open honesty in their relationship because of it, and Daisaku felt Koutarou would be just fine as long as he could manage the same thing with the princesses.

When Koutarou was done discussing things with the Sun Rangers, the captain of the Imperial Army forces assigned to the mission approached him. It was Orion, who would be acting as Koutarou’s second in command in the battle to come.

“May I say something, Lord Veltlion?”

“What is it, Orion?”

Orion was several years older than Koutarou, but they’d served together during the civil war in Forthorthe. They spoke to one another as old comrades rather than commander and vice commander.

“The people of Forthorthe have never asked anything special of Your Excellency...”

“That’s what makes it so hard. I mean, what’s even normal anymore? Remember when I went to buy ice cream that one time and it caused a huge fuss?”

Upon Vandarion’s defeat, the nation began its restoration efforts. Koutarou was still in Forthorthe at the time and was once caught sneaking out to an ice cream shop, which then became an overnight tourist destination. There were several other examples of similar things happening while he was there, too.

“That’s just how much Forthorthe adores you, Your Excellency.”

“But imagine how hard that must have been for that shop’s competitors...”

“I heard the CEO of a rival company came to get ice cream there himself.”

“Come on...”

When Koutarou came to understand how much influence he had over the people of Forthorthe, he’d decided to leave before things got out of hand. Little did he realize at the time, however, that his plan would ultimately backfire by endearing him to the citizens even more.

“I’m just not cut out to be a hero. I don’t have it in me to keep up the facade.”

“Then why not just become emperor?”

“Save the jokes, Orion.”

“...I wasn’t really joking, sir...”

“Hmm? Did you say something?”

“I said that no matter what Your Excellency plans to do in the future, we must first win today’s battle.”

“That’s true. It would be catastrophic if we failed here. Let’s do our best.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

Theia and Clan had announced to the people of Forthorthe that they would bring back Koutarou as their groom, which raised an important question about who the next emperor of the nation would be. Koutarou technically had a right to the throne, and marrying a princess would only solidify his claim to it. Even if he felt like he’d abdicated all his responsibilities to Theia upon his departure, Forthorthe would never forget the debt it owed him. The citizens, the royal families, and Elfaria especially wouldn’t let the Blue Knight and the sword of kingship get away a second time.

“That’s an awful lot of responsibility, Satomi-kun,” Harumi said with a smile. She’d been standing off to the side so as not to get in anyone’s way, so all eyes fell on her when she spoke up.

“That’s why I’m counting on you today, Sakuraba-senpai.”

“Let’s all do our best together.”

Harumi was the final member of Koutarou’s team, and the soldiers present were just as fascinated with her. A silver-haired girl wielding the power of Signaltin reminded them of another important figure in Forthorthe’s history... particularly when she stood at the Blue Knight’s side.

Ralgwin had prudently constructed his base with its entrance in the southern side of a lake, lying in the shadow of the mountain. Koutarou and his team were stationed nearby, and the second team was to the southeast.

“So these are the ducts, huh?” remarked Theia.

“Your Highness, you’ll be caught on their sensors if you get any closer,” admonished Ruth.

“I’m currently picking up signs of a spiritual energy sensor,” added Kiriha. “It seems they’re well aware of their weak point now.”

“Should we use my magic and the haniwas’ stealth mode to get past their surveillance?” asked Maki.

“It’s our time to shine again, ho!”

“We’ve been doing great since becoming knights, ho!”

The girls of room 106 had strategically been divided into two teams that allowed them to cover all their bases: brawn, technology, magic, and spiritual energy. Theia, Ruth, Maki, and Kiriha fulfilled those roles here respectively, while Shizuka, Clan, Yurika, and Sanae did the same for the other team.

“It would be best to neutralize their sensors while leaving their cameras and microphones online,” explained Kiriha.

“Understood, ho! Leave this to Flame Knight Karama!”

“And Cat Knight Korama, ho!”

“I’ll send a small drone with you to take care of any hacking,” offered Ruth.

With that, Theia and the girls approached one of the exhaust ducts on the east side of Ralgwin’s base. They were planning on infiltrating from there and launching a surprise attack from within. Step one, of course, was getting inside undetected—and that meant bypassing security.

“I’ll be off, then.”

“Flame Knight Karama will protect you, Maki-chan! Ho!”

“Don’t forget Cat Knight Korama, ho!”

“Heehee, thanks. I’m counting on you two.”

Maki set out with the haniwas and a small rabbit drone. Protected by both magic and spiritual energy technology, she had nothing to fear from the base’s sensors. She also moved carefully so as to avoid notice by the audiovisual surveillance equipment.

“Why does this look like a scene out of some fairy tale?” Theia muttered as she watched Maki go.

A magician with a staff in hand was walking through the forest, attended by two haniwas and a mechanical rabbit. It really did look like something straight out of a fantasy story.

“They do look a little like Maki’s familiars. How amusing,” Kiriha agreed.

The scouting rabbit led the pack, and the haniwas hovered on either side of Maki. They looked like a retinue of animal companions protecting her.

“I-I’m sorry. That wasn’t on purpose...” Ruth said with red cheeks. She’d been the one to choose the drone’s whimsical-looking design.

“I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, Ruth,” replied Theia. “Everyone needs something. I don’t hate it, you know?”

Given Theia’s obsession with the Blue Knight’s armor, she couldn’t fault Maki’s magical girl aesthetic. Koutarou’s personal band of knights becoming a non-combat unit was a problem in her eyes, but she had no need to worry about Maki in particular.

“I understand completely. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to wait for over ten years,” Kiriha said as she pulled something from her bosom and showed it to Ruth.

It was a well-worn hero trading card. Kiriha was obsessed with it, for she’d poured her love and her hope into it for more than a decade. After that, how could she blame Ruth for her whimsy? There was something she was curious about, however, so she approached Ruth and quietly asked...

“You haven’t let Koutarou see it, have you?”

Ruth’s cheeks instantly turned a brighter shade of crimson. She cast her eyes downward, as if to escape Kiriha’s gaze. She’d hit the nail on the head, you see.

“I-I-I haven’t had the chance yet... A-And if Master is going to use it, I’d like it to be more impressive...”

“That’s too bad. I hope you get the chance soon.”

From Kiriha’s perspective, Ruth was the most level-headed member of their group—and by far the most serious. She’d had her suspicions about the rabbit after seeing it, and Ruth had all but confirmed them just now. Ruth was having a hard time sending her rabbit drone into battle with the mighty, legendary Blue Knight. She was hoping for a chance to show it off outside of combat.

“Maki’s signaling us, you two! Seems she’s managed to neutralize the observation equipment. Let’s go!”

“Let’s.”

“R-Right!”

Putting her girlish fancies aside, Ruth steeled her heart. For the time being, at least, she would put herself forward as a stalwart member of the Satomi knights.

Theia’s team was southeast of Koutarou’s position, and stationed across from them on the southwest side of the lake were Shizuka, Clan, Sanae, and Yurika. They were preparing to infiltrate from another vent, and they’d stumbled across the same problem: neutralizing the observation equipment. Clan, however, took point for their team on that front.

“All right, that should do it. Let’s make our way there while avoiding the surveillance cameras and microphones,” she said as she shut down the feed being projected to her glasses.

Dealing with the surveillance was right up her alley. She had drones like Ruth, but hers were specially outfitted with proprietary technology and controllable arms. She’d had Yurika cast several spells on them to cloak them, then sent them in to disable the base’s sensors remotely.

The plan had gone off without a hitch, too. Without hesitation, she’d connected a bypass circuit to the sensors’ data cables and then begun sending false information through them. The job was done in a matter of minutes. The three girls watching her work found themselves applauding as she wrapped up, but there was one thing bothering Sanae.

“Hey, Glasses, why didn’t you take out the mics and cameras too?”

With all the technology at Clan’s disposal, Sanae felt that should have been a cakewalk.

“Because people can verify the information from those with their own senses. We’re totally reliant on the data from other types of sensors, however.”

For example, human beings had no way of detecting electromagnetism. Devices designed to do so forwarded pure data to their operators, whereas devices like cameras and microphones relayed pictures and sounds that had to be interpreted. They could be analyzed by AI as well, but generally speaking, there was a human operator monitoring security feeds.

And that was precisely why they couldn’t be messed with carelessly. If a video or audio feed suddenly cut off or changed abruptly, it would raise all kinds of alarms. Moreover, it was a lot of work to replace them with false feeds since they relayed more than just raw data.

“Huh? I don’t get it...”

“Think of it this way, Sanae-chan. Most sensors churn out numbers, but cameras send videos and microphones send sound, right? Since people watch and listen to those closely, you can’t just mess with them... right, Clan-san?”

“Yes, precisely.”

“Jeez, Glasses, why didn’t you just say that from the start?”

“I thought I was explaining it simply enough... Regardless, thank you, Shizuka.”

“Sure. You and Yurika-chan have done all the work so far, so it’s the least I can do.”

“Say, Yurika,” called Sanae. “Did you get why we didn’t stop the cameras and mics?”

“Nuh-uh. Not until Shizuka-san explained it just now.”

“Hey, that’s my girl!”

Once surveillance was under control, Shizuka and the girls stealthily approached the duct. They stayed in the cameras’ blind spots and moved slowly so they wouldn’t be heard.

“What do we do now?” asked Sanae.

“Open the vent so we can get inside,” answered Clan.

“How? Get Shizuka-san to yank it off?” asked Yurika.

“I suppose so...”

“So it’s finally my turn, huh? Here goes nothing!”

Shizuka seemed overly excited—and overly loud—for the situation, but the girls had little to worry about thanks to Yurika’s magic. She’d now cast a spell to hush the sounds they made, meaning they could actually move and talk normally.

“Gee, this thing sure is hot,” remarked Yurika.

“It is an exhaust vent,” Clan said plainly.

“Glasses, if it’s this hot on the outside, are we gonna be okay inside?”

“You don’t have to worry. We have technology on our side. Do you recall how Theiamillis-san went through reentry with a distortion field?”

“Oh, yeah, back in space? If she was okay then, surely we’ll be just fine here too.”

During the coup, Theia, Koutarou, and Yurika had accidentally entered Planet Alaia’s atmosphere without any protection. They were subjected to temperatures thousands of degrees high, and they’d managed to survive between Koutarou and Theia’s barriers with the help of Yurika’s magic. And surely, Sanae thought, crawling through an exhaust duct wouldn’t be anywhere near as bad as that.

“I don’t ever want to go through that again...” moaned Yurika.

“Yeah, you almost got burned to a crisp, didn’t you?” giggled Sanae.

“Clan-san, are you sure we’ll be okay?!”

“Yes, we’ll be fine with just a barrier! Now pipe down unless you want the microphones to hear you.”

“Augh...”

Yurika was the only one skeptical of their safety. She stared at the vent with tears in her eyes.

I-I’ll use cooling magic too just in case! Yeah!

It wasn’t that Yurika didn’t trust Clan; she simply knew from experience that bad luck was always around the corner. And since Koutarou wasn’t here, she was being extremely cautious. In stark contrast, the bold Shizuka wasn’t worried at all. Unlike the other girls, she didn’t feel the slightest bit hot—and she had an inkling as to why.

“Uncle, are you protecting me from the heat?” she asked, looking at the stuffed dragon on her shoulder.

“Indeed. I could fall straight into lava without breaking a sweat. This is nothing!”

Alunaya flashed his fangs with a proud laugh. As expected of the Fire Dragon Emperor, his natural resistance to heat and flame was peerless. He belched superheated plasma, after all.

“Yeah, it would be pretty funny if the Fire Dragon Emperor burned to death, huh? Talk about a blow to your pride.”

Shizuka saw a certain humor to the situation and couldn’t help joking around a little. Alunaya found it amusing as well and smiled back at her.

“You could say that again! If that ever happens to me, please keep the cause of my death a secret.”

His grin was one of absolute confidence. He was quite certain no flame would ever be his demise. Of course, given his current appearance, it certainly didn’t look that way to Shizuka.

“If that happens, I’ll be a goner too, you know?”

Under Alunaya’s influence, Shizuka had become quite resistant to heat and fire herself. Thanks to that, she volunteered to be the first one to venture inside the duct. It expelled heat through an iron grate fitted onto the end, but Shizuka would have no problem getting that off with her draconic strength. There was one last thing to do, however, before the operation began... and that was to wait for Nefilforan and her troops to get into position at the rear service tunnel.

“Again, I want all of you to proceed carefully. If we’re discovered here, the entire mission will be jeopardized,” Nefilforan pronounced.

She and her forces were currently cloaked within the dark forest as they approached the tunnel. With three companies of infantry, she had a total of 480 men under her command. Kiriha and Nefilforan had carefully calculated that number, believing it was all they’d need to succeed here.

It wasn’t, strictly speaking, the best possible force. But had they used more troops, they would have significantly increased the odds of them being discovered in their approach—and that was with science, spiritual energy, and magic on their side. They were toeing the line even now as they advanced, moving oh-so cautiously as to avoid notice.

“Your Highness, we’re about to reach the E line,” announced Nana.

She was a special unit on this team. She’d come to Earth as Nefilforan’s guide, and was now doubling as her adjutant in battle.

“Please don’t call me ‘Your Highness’ during a mission, Nana-san.”

“Heh, pardon me... We’ve now crossed the E line, commander.”

Despite serving Nefilforan, Nana was older and had seen far more in the way of battle. It was her intent to use her experience to support Nefilforan where necessary. She was actually worried her young commander was a little too straitlaced—the exact opposite reason she worried about Yurika.

“I see. Then we’ll commence the attack as planned.”

If all went according to plan, they would begin their assault once they were in position. And if they were discovered prematurely, they would begin by launching a charge. The deciding factor between the two was what Nana had referred to as the E line. Now that they’d crossed it without being spotted, chances of their assault succeeding were high even if they were spotted from here. Nefilforan still wanted the surprise initiative, however, so she continued to proceed cautiously. Lives were at stake here.

“You look pleased, commander.”

Now that their attack was imminent, a change came over Nefilforan’s face. It was subtle. Something most anyone would miss. Nana had only picked up on it because she was remarkably observant.

“Er, th-that’s not...”

“You don’t have to hide it. Satomi-san holds a special place in the hearts of all Forthorthians, you know?”

“Y-Yes, I suppose there’s a lot on my mind because of it... I want to make sure I show off my good side, be of use to him, and leave my own little mark in future history books...”

The Glendads were adamant about making up for what they hadn’t been able to contribute during the civil war, but Nefilforan was personally interested in making a good impression on Koutarou. She wanted to be a footnote in the long chapter of the Blue Knight’s success in the annals of history.

“I see... So you admire Satomi-san, do you?” Nana mused.

Nefilforan knew she wouldn’t be by Koutarou’s side for very long, so she wanted to stand tall while she could. The Blue Knight was like the walking pinnacle of chivalry, a role model for all. And because of that, Nefilforan saw him as something akin to an older brother or mentor.

“Please, that’s enough...” she begged.

“Oh, I understand how you feel. I’m no stranger to it myself,” Nana assured her.

Nana’s first meeting with Koutarou had left a big impression on her over ten years ago. She’d detected someone using necromancy—a notoriously evil magic—in the mountains and rushed to the scene. She had feared the worst, but arrived to find Koutarou channeling the young Kiriha’s late mother for one last goodbye. That was a profound encounter for Nana. Seeing that even necromancy could be used for good, she’d wondered ever since if perhaps there were exceptions to Rainbow Heart’s stricture on the personal use of magic as well.

“Spare me, Nana-san. We’re in the middle of a mission.”

“Right. I’m sorry, commander.”

“Any more will affect morale, so try to focus from here on.”

“Of course. Let’s talk more when this is over.”

A personal conversation between Nefilforan and Nana was one thing, but they couldn’t afford to distract the soldiers that overheard them. Nana was a veteran and understood that well, so she turned toward her objective with renewed seriousness. A stern look overtook both her face and Nefilforan’s.

“As expected, this area is heavily guarded.”

The first to detect the enemy was Nana. Part of her prodigious talent was thanks to her excellent senses. She signaled her allies to stop, then crept behind a nearby tree to get a better look at the enemy. Up ahead were two soldiers in imperial uniforms... but they were far from allies. They were Ralgwin’s men patrolling the outskirts of the base.

“What do you think is going to happen to us?” one asked.

“Who knows? But Ralgwin-sama is an outstanding leader, so no matter what he does, it won’t be anything half-hearted,” the other responded.

“Maybe we should’ve made a run for it when we heard about Vandarion-sama’s defeat...”

“And get hunted down like the others? Ralgwin-sama is really something.”

“Hahh... Seriously, what’s going to happen to us?”

“Dunno...”

The two patrolmen surveyed their surroundings as they went. But fortunately, thanks to Nana’s early warning, Nefilforan’s forces quietly held back in the distance. The patrolmen thus continued on their way without ever noticing them.

“Phew... We should be fine now. The next patrol won’t be here for another fifteen minutes, so we have until then.”

After the patrol passed by, Nana left the tree and returned to Nefilforan. When she did, Nefilforan silently signaled her troops to begin their advance again.

“I honestly thought that would be it for us. No wonder Ralgwin would want magic...”

All was well, but Nefilforan still looked stern. The two-man patrol was small, but they were monitoring the area with Forthorthian and spiritual energy technology. Nefilforan had nearly five hundred men with her—making them a rather large target, so to speak. Yet even so, they’d eluded the patrolmen with a combination of science, spiritual energy, and magic. Magic was what had made the difference, however, as it was the only advantage they had over Ralgwin. Nefilforan shuddered to think what would happen if he managed to get his hands on it.

“What magic can achieve when combined with other technology is truly impressive. To fool a thermal sensor, you only need a spell to reduce the heat you radiate by a few degrees. It was the perfect complement to the camouflage suits everyone is using.”

As Nana said, magic worked well in tandem with Forthorthian and spiritual energy technology. Forthorthe had developed specialized camouflage suits used for stealth missions, which allowed their users to blend in with their surroundings. They had two weaknesses, however: they weren’t entirely silent, and they couldn’t conceal their user’s body temperature. That was where Nana’s magic had come in handy—the proof being that nearly five hundred men had escaped the patrol’s survey.

“It’s almost scary... Just another reason we must succeed here. We cannot allow it to fall into the wrong hands,” Nefilforan agreed, her expression even more stern than before.

Who knew what Ralgwin could do to Forthorthe with spiritual energy technology and magic on his side? Magic in particular wasn’t conducive to any means of mass production, so quick surprise offensives were the hallmark of magical battles. The mere thought sent chills down Nefilforan’s spine.

This was no longer a matter of the Glendad family’s pride or Nefilforan’s personal desire to impress Koutarou. Ralgwin had to be defeated at all costs. That grim determination was evident on Nefilforan’s face. She no longer looked like a young woman, but a resolute soldier.

Nefilforan split her troops into three groups. The first was the assault force, focused on elite units and firepower. This, of course, included both Nefilforan and Nana.

The second group was assigned the task of defending the tunnel entrance, as there was a risk that Ralgwin would retaliate by circling troops around the base to pincer them. This group was composed of stalwart soldiers with combat suits and large stationary weaponry to protect the assault force.

The third and final group was a commando unit that would adapt to the situation as it developed. Their initial objective was to support the assault force, but they were equipped with anti-air and anti-armor weaponry in the event that Ralgwin sent combat crafts or large mobile weapons after them. They were a specialty unit full of crafty fighters.

“Satomi-san, Nefilforan’s team is in position. We’ve finished setting up our weapons as well,” Nana reported to Koutarou, who was a little surprised to hear it.

“That was faster than expected,” he replied.

“Nefilforan-san and her men are quite skilled. They’ve got plenty of stamina, and it’s as if they know this area like the back of their hand.”

According to Kiriha’s itinerary, Nana wasn’t supposed to contact Koutarou for another ten minutes. This meant Nefilforan’s marching speed had exceeded Kiriha’s expectations. They’d been moving stealthily and carrying heavy weaponry along the way too, so it was quite clear that they outpaced your average imperial soldiers. They were in a league of their own.

“She really is something...”

“That’s right. You fought her yourself, didn’t you?”

“Indeed. Anyways, thank you for the report.”

“I’ll be in touch.”

After hearing from Nana, Koutarou switched channels to contact everyone.

“This is Veltlion from the Blue Knight’s squad. In two minutes, precisely at 22:30, we will begin the attack. All men prepare for battle and wait for the signal.”

While speaking over comms, Koutarou referred to himself as Veltlion. It was a matter of formality and morale, as the vast majority of the soldiers present were Forthorthians. He wanted them to know the Blue Knight was on their side. It had an immediate impact on the soldiers around him, whose expressions brightened as they silently kept a careful watch on their surroundings.

“That should do it...”

Once he was done on the comms, Koutarou let out a sigh. At that, his second in command called out to him with a smile. He made sure to keep his voice down so that the other soldiers wouldn’t overhear.

“I suppose you’re still not used to being a commander.”

This was Orion, who Koutarou had met during the Forthorthian civil war. They’d talked quite a bit over the various battles they’d fought together, so he had a good feel for what kind of person Koutarou was. That was why he wanted to step in and give him a word of sympathetic encouragement.

“Orion, one wrong word from me means lives lost... So it’s more like I don’t want to get used to it.”

Koutarou felt similarly about Orion. The words he exchanged with his vice commander he would never utter to any of the girls of room 106 for fear of making them worry. He could only talk like this with a fellow soldier.

“Regardless, Your Excellency, I am honored to serve under your command.”

Orion knew that Koutarou kept a record of soldiers that had fallen under his leadership in his armor’s onboard computer. The list didn’t differentiate allies and enemies. He saw Koutarou staring at it from time to time. He could only imagine why, and the thought that his own name might adorn the list after this battle struck fear in him... but he was truly happy to know that the man behind the legendary Blue Knight was so kind at heart.

“I’m glad there’s at least one person that would say that... But we should say no more on the matter.”

“Of course, Your Excellency.”

Koutarou had noticed Harumi approaching and didn’t wish her to overhear any of their conversation, so he brought it to a swift halt.

“Sorry to keep you two waiting,” she said, showing the bag over her shoulder to Koutarou and Orion.

On it were two symbols, a red cross and a green tree, that were used to identify rescue workers on Earth and Forthorthe respectively. She’d started with just the red cross, but when Orion asked her what it meant, she’d realized that Forthorthians weren’t familiar with it. Thus she’d hurriedly gone to find a supplementary patch for her bag and brassard. For today, Harumi was doubling as a rescue worker.

“We’re in your hands, Sakuraba-senpai,” said Koutarou.

“I’ll do my best!” she enthusiastically replied.

Her job was ordinarily to support Koutarou specifically, but she couldn’t be with him all of the time. And since she could do more with her magic, including treating the injured, she figured she might as well help out on the rear lines while she was otherwise unengaged. Carrying a medic’s bag with first aid supplies would allow her to conserve her mana where possible as well.

“Your Excellency, Harumi-san... It’s nearly time.”

“Count us down, Orion.”

With that, Koutarou drew Signaltin from its sheath. He and his strike force would be launching the initial attack. Their goal was to destroy the underwater gate and make their way into the base from there. Koutarou stepped up onto a large mobile weapon, supporting himself with his left arm.

Forthorthe’s mobile weapons normally worked as tanks and helicopters, but this one additionally functioned as a submarine. Its performance was somewhat compromised for the extra functionality, but Koutarou and his team were reliant on it for the underwater portion of their mission.

“Be careful, Satomi-kun.”

“You too, Sakuraba-senpai.”

Harumi wasn’t attending Koutarou for now. The opening fight was bound to be a wild fray where her slow-to-chant magic would be less effective than usual, so she would hang back until Koutarou and the others breached the base. It was a precaution for safety’s sake. Since Harumi could control Signaltin, losing her would be an extraordinarily heavy blow. That was why she’d agreed to this plan, no matter how restless it made her.

“T-minus ten seconds,” Orion announced, beginning the requested countdown.

As if responding to his voice, the mobile weapon’s generator began whirring and brought the machine to a slight hover in the air.

“Five, four, three, two, one... Commence the operation!”

There, the generator let out a roar and the mobile weapon Koutarou was holding onto took off. It accelerated rapidly in order to break through the base’s gate in the shortest amount of time possible. If not for his armor’s increased grip strength, Koutarou would have been blown right off.

The mobile weapon shot out of the forest and dove underwater with Koutarou still on it. It was a violent ride, but thanks to the machine’s distortion field, he wasn’t ripped away from it by the water resistance. This was a feature unique to submersible mobile weapons.

“Is everyone with me?!” he called out over the comms.

“As planned, Your Excellency! We’re following on your eight!” radioed Orion.

“The Sun Diver is also cruising in from your four o’clock!” Kenichi likewise replied.

Koutarou’s escorts on his charge were a group of Theia’s imperial soldiers and the Sun Rangers. The Forthorthians were aboard a similar mobile weapon, and the Sun Rangers were using their own submarine. As they’d decided in their strategy meeting, the Sun Rangers would come in diagonally for the rendezvous.

I should have brought Sanae with me...

A smile appeared on Koutarou’s face when he glanced over at the Sun Rangers’ craft. It was essentially a prototype, but its combat functionality was almost fully implemented. The part that could still use some work was its combination ability. Even with the People of the Earth secretly lending a hand, getting five machines to seamlessly combine was a difficult endeavor.

“Your Excellency, there’s a ping on the sonar! It appears to be the enemy’s underwater weaponry!”

“We expected as much! Everyone, continue as planned!”

“Understood! Commencing the attack!”

“Sun Diver’s torpedo ports open! Spiritual energy torpedoes loaded!”

“Let’s do this!”

Koutarou would lead the charge to break through the metal gate. It would be up to the other two crafts to cover him. It seemed a reckless plan at first, but Kiriha believed it would succeed. She’d postulated that because the enemy was essentially stranded on Earth, they likely didn’t have a great deal of arms designed for use underwater—and it seemed she was right. The crafts the base sent out to intercept them were all general-purpose machines that moved slowly in the water. There wasn’t much in the way of underwater weaponry, either. Kiriha’s plan here was for Koutarou’s assault to threaten the enemy, additionally frustrating them with how difficult it would be to fight back.

Ralgwin’s forces were alerted to the incoming attack the moment Koutarou’s mobile weapon first activated its generator and lifted into the air. Mobile weapons that flew using space distortion technology were easy to detect. And when Ralgwin’s men turned their cameras in the direction of the reaction they’d picked up... the first thing they saw was a bright blue set of armor.

“We’re under attack! At the front gate! I-It’s the Blue Knight!”

“Wh-Why is he here?!”

“It’s all over for us!”

The soldiers in the command room immediately realized the significance of that blue armor and fell into a panic. The legendary Blue Knight was upon them. Not only had he found their secret base, he was now attacking. They’d been hoping to get the better of the Blue Knight in their next attack, but now the tables had turned.

It was understandable for even the best-trained troops to panic under the circumstances. They’d all seen footage of the final showdown between the Blue Knight and Vandarion, and the sight of a giant blade of light cutting through the Type Two made quite an impression even on the most experienced soldiers. While she didn’t say a word, Fasta inwardly steeled herself for defeat.

“We’re gonna die! The Blue Knight’s gonna kill us all!”

“Ralgwin-sama, we need to retreat!”

“Calm down, you idiots! The Blue Knight will do no such thing!”

The only calm soul in the command room was Ralgwin himself. He was initially surprised that their base had been discovered, but he knew that the Blue Knight wasn’t there for blood.

“How do you know that?! He could cut this entire base in half at any—”

“Like I said, he’ll do no such thing! He’s the Blue Knight! He only cut down my uncle, Lord Vandarion, because he had no other choice! Have you ever heard of the Blue Knight slaying anyone else?!”

“Er...”

“Rather than kill us, he’s here to detain us all! So we win if we can get away!”

Because Koutarou was the Blue Knight, Ralgwin knew good and well he hadn’t shown up to settle things in a demonstration of his strength. No, the Blue Knight was known for showing mercy to his enemies. If men died here today, it wouldn’t be because the Blue Knight wanted it to happen. He never killed if he could help it. The only exception was Vandarion, who had forced his hand with the enlarged Type Two.

But there was another reason the Blue Knight would never outright destroy Ralgwin’s base. Simply put, it was uncertain such an attack would do the job. Ralgwin could still have another holdout somewhere else, for example. So if Koutarou wanted to rout his faction entirely, he needed to do so methodically. He couldn’t carelessly risk a devastating offensive that might let men and valuable evidence sneak away.

Moreover, he couldn’t commit the kind of attack that would alter terrain and violate the sovereignty of another country. Not only was that forbidden by galactic convention, but it would be a bad look for Forthorthe while attempting to establish friendly relations with Japan. The Blue Knight himself was exempt from the laws of Forthorthe, but he respected the peace of his homeland.

“The Blue Knight on the front gate is merely a diversion! It couldn’t be more obvious! Just look at the state of this command room!” Ralgwin railed.

The Blue Knight was an incredible fighter, but if he was personally leading the assault on the base, he was using his real strength—his influence. It just smelled like a distraction to Ralgwin. The Blue Knight was attempting to use his name, reputation, and figure to get all eyes on him while something happened elsewhere... The panicked command room was all the proof Ralgwin needed.

“The Blue Knight is trying to fluster you all while he sends his main force to attack elsewhere! If we can push that force back, we can stop him cold! So cool your heads and get to work!” he continued.

For Ralgwin, victory now meant withstanding Koutarou’s assault long enough to get away. He had no choice but to abandon the base at this point. Staying would only mean siege and defeat. Now that its location was known, it would have to be abandoned anyway, so it was easy enough for Ralgwin to cut his losses. But in order to flee successfully, he and his men would have to push Koutarou’s forces back. If not, they’d mercilessly be chased down as they retreated.

“Can we really win against the Blue Knight?!” one soldier cried.

“Thinking you can’t is exactly what he wants!” Ralgwin shouted. “If he had enough troops on his side, he wouldn’t dare play decoy himself! We have them outnumbered!”

Ralgwin’s claims seemed to make sense at first, but that was mostly the work of his silver tongue. In truth, he believed Koutarou was personally on point at the front gate to keep any of Ralgwin’s men from escaping that way. Saying so out loud, however, would only cause further panic. Instead, Ralgwin would do anything he could to calm his troops down—including lying to them.

“Listen, men! We also have spiritual energy weapons on our side! They don’t know we’ve managed to produce them yet, so we have an advantage here!”

Ralgwin’s smooth-talking ways paid off, as his powerful words calmed the command room. Unrest still lingered in his men’s hearts, but their delirious panic from before was gone. They were now fit to put up a fight.

“Nicely done, Ralgwin-sama.”

Fasta, who happened to be in the command room at the time, thought highly of Ralgwin. If he hadn’t been there to keep the men together, the fight would’ve been over before it even started.

“I’d anticipated such a situation and knew what I had to do to get them back on their feet... not that I wanted it to come to this.”

“To be honest, I was a little shaken myself.”

“Anyone would be when faced with a living legend. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. The real work starts here, however.”

Ralgwin wasn’t as optimistic as he’d made it sound. One wrong move now and the enemy would be at their throats.

“What’s our plan of attack?” Fasta asked.

“For the time being, send the minimum force to meet the Blue Knight. Like I said before, he’s a decoy. Their main force will be elsewhere, so we don’t have the resources to waste on a diversion.”

“There are the exhaust ducts we’ve been worried about... But a larger force would go for the service tunnel, I suppose?”

“Indeed they would, Fasta. I’d like you to head there yourself.”

“Understood.”

Ralgwin wanted maximum use out of his star sniper on the biggest battlefield possible, and the service tunnel was more conducive to her attacks than the narrow ventilation system.

“Don’t bottleneck troops around each duct! They’ll be coming in in small numbers, so intercept them in larger areas!”

Ralgwin rapidly issued orders to his subordinates. He’d always been prepared for the possibility of an attack on the base, so he modified his plans to accommodate the Blue Knight’s presence and proceeded accordingly. The ideal scenario was defeating him, of course, but Ralgwin would be satisfied with pushing him back enough to escape. As such, he coldly began calculating what exactly he’d need in order to pull it off.

Immediately following the start of the battle, the service tunnel was a hotly contested area. Bullets and beams were flying between the sides as injured soldiers were dragged away by their comrades. The 240 men on Nefilforan’s assault team were forcing their way through the tunnel, and their current skirmish was taking place in the haulers’ parking lot.

It was the kind of fierce offensive expected of Nefilforan’s elite forces. Her ability to push forward and break through regardless of the circumstances had won her many a battle in the past. In truth, Ralgwin’s forces had done admirably well not to cave thus far. Surprisingly enough, they even slowly seemed to be getting the upper hand.

“They recovered faster than expected...” Nefilforan grumbled to herself.

She was displeased with the current situation, but she didn’t let it show. She’d been hoping to push farther into the tunnel while the enemy was still caught off guard. Ideally, she would have liked to make it all the way through the gate at the end. The enemy, however, had organized a counteroffensive much more quickly than anticipated. It was evidence of Ralgwin’s firm command, but that wasn’t all.

“It’s just like we heard... Their trajectory bends and they can’t be stopped by distortion fields. These weapons are really slowing our momentum.”

Nefilforan was concerned about the spiritual energy weapons Ralgwin had put in the hands of his troops. They came in plenty of variations, including pistols, rifles, grenades, and clay doll automatons. But they all shared one extraordinary feature: they could fire rounds that slipped right through conventional distortion fields.

Shootouts were simple in terms of strategy. The idea was to take cover and fire, even in technologically advanced Forthorthe. There existed weapons big and powerful enough to fire clean through cover, but they weren’t common. Spiritual energy technology, however, was changing up the game.

Nefilforan was receiving reports of troops being shot behind comprehensive cover... and even behind barriers. As a result, while spiritual energy weapons lacked the firepower of Forthorthian firearms, they were even more lethal. She was lucky that Kiriha had supplied her force with a large spiritual energy field to dampen incoming fire. Thanks to that, the greatest threat was really their bending trajectories.

Yet on the other hand, Nefilforan and her troops now had to stay within the range of the spiritual energy field. Not being able to move freely was inhibiting the speed of their advance and subsequently their offensive power.

“What should we do, Your Highness?” Nana asked even as several beams flew over her head.

Nana was equally concerned. Her mechanical body was largely powered by spiritual energy, so she knew better than most just how powerful it was. It wasn’t the incoming fire that alarmed her, but the prospects of how this situation might play out against them.

“I thought I told you not to call me that.”

“I’m sorry, but—”

“Our mission hasn’t changed! Let’s charge in!”

Nefilforan leaped out from cover and made a beeline for the enemy’s forward line some dozen meters ahead. They’d constructed a makeshift barricade by overturning maintenance vehicles, and about a dozen enemies or so were lined behind it. They were who had effectively put a stop to Nefilforan’s advance, and if they received backup now... this could be the end of the line. Nefilforan had realized as much and decided to prevent it personally.

“Get moving, everyone!” Nana called out to their forces as she chased after the princess.

Nefilforan had acted on the assumption that Nana and the others would follow. If they fell behind, Nefilforan would be in great danger alone. They couldn’t let that happen.

“Don’t forget your anti-flash protection!” Nana cautioned the troops as they moved.

“She’s gonna do a magic trick!” one of them hollered.

“You want us to charge without looking where we’re going?!” another clamored.

“You’ll just have to show some guts and power through!” she called back.

Not a moment later, a blinding white light filled the entire parking lot. Nana had thrown a flashbang up ahead and to the right, between her and Nefilforan. The enemy soldiers who were preparing to fire at the charging princess were staring right where it landed when it went off. Thus blinded, they had no choice but to fire at random.

As such, the homing function of their spiritual energy weapons was essentially incapacitated. When the soldiers couldn’t see their targets, it was nearly impossible to project their will to attack into their weapons. Nefilforan’s forces kept low as they charged, with most of the wild, straight-line fire flying clear overhead.

Thanks to Nana’s surprise attack, they were able to close half the distance to the makeshift barricade. But a single flashbang could only buy them so much time. The enemy soldiers were all too soon rubbing their eyes and taking aim again.

“Have another!” Nana shouted in a cutesy voice as she tossed something just like she had before.

The enemy soldiers who saw it all had the same response...

“It’s another flashbang!”

They swiftly shut and covered their eyes. Staring at a flashbang at this range would be a fatal mistake, so their recoil was perfectly understandable. Nana’s second attack looked like it would be completely ineffective...

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Nana said, quieter than before.

In reality, she’d outsmarted the enemy troops a second time by throwing an ordinary grenade. It cut a beautiful arc through the air and landed just on the other side of the barricade. With their eyes closed, the soldiers didn’t even see it coming.

Boom!

They had no time to respond to it and thus took the full brunt of the blast head on.

“Gaaaaah!”

“Waaaaah!”

They were spared fatal damage thanks to their distortion fields, but the impact still sent them flying. The attack was so unexpected that they couldn’t even brace themselves for it. And then...

Nefilforan, brandishing her greatspear, and her rowdy assault force fell upon them. The barricade had shielded them from the grenade, so they were unscathed by Nana’s clever attack. She’d secured them an advantageous opportunity, and Nefilforan was ready to make full use of it.

“Let’s clean them up! Follow me!” she ordered with a slash of her spear.

“Understood!” her troops rallied.

Nefilforan wore a powered suit of armor like Koutarou, making her more than a match for any wild beast. Her greatspear roared through the air when she swung it, sweeping up the enemies that had managed to escape the worst of the grenade’s blast. She knocked them unconscious and sent them flying backward with their collapsed comrades. Her troops followed her lead and moved in on the rest of the remaining enemies.

“Bring the riflemen in the rear up to here!”

Nefilforan moved right up against the barricade and peered over it. Having lost their forward line, the enemy soldiers were now gathering behind containers farther back—their new barricade. Nefilforan’s plan was to station her riflemen at the old one and use it as a defensive position while she and the rest of her troops continued to move forward.

“What’s the situation?” Nana asked as soon as she caught up.

As the outsider here, Nana was largely staying in the back to provide cover and make sure she didn’t get in the way of Nefilforan’s troops. She was a full head shorter than most of them, but they readily made way for her as she approached the princess now. She’d earned their trust and respect in the short time they’d been fighting together.

“Thanks to you, we were able to make it this far unharmed. It seems the enemy is fully prepared for us now, however.”

“Which means things will only get trickier from here...”

So far Nana had been using her talents to support Nefilforan as her adjutant. For example, she’d concocted the flashbang-grenade switch-up when she realized most of the enemy units weren’t wearing helmets. Now that they’d seen the trick, however, they were arming and equipping themselves more thoroughly. It wouldn’t work a second time, so Nana would have to get even more creative.

“It’ll be fine. You’re a magician, after all,” one soldier said.

“Yeah, show us another magic trick!” called another.

The soldiers were quite enamored with the idea of Nana the magician and her magic tricks, despite the fact that she’d yet to cast a single spell for them. They’d simply taken to calling her and her tactics that because they worked like magic.

“Don’t slack off now, men!” Nefilforan roared. “We all need to do our best to see this through!”

“Jeez, no mercy from the commander...” the soldiers grumbled.

“I would love to see what all of you can do,” Nana cooed.

“All right, guys! Let’s show the adjutant what we’re made of!” one of the men shouted.

“Raaaaah!” the rest cheered in agreement.

“Seriously...?” Nefilforan stammered.

Nana was petite, adorable, and certainly didn’t look like an experienced soldier. Yet she still delivered results without fail. Thanks to her, morale was soaring.

“I think this is just because your men trust you so much, Nefilforan-san. You’re like their bastion.”

“Nana-san... You really do have a way with people, friend and foe alike.”

“Heehee, I am a magician after all.”

Nefilforan’s team was making good progress between Nefilforan’s brawn and Nana’s brains. The two girls, however, were careful to stay on their toes. They both knew the fight was only just now getting serious.

The first team to encounter the problem Nana and Nefilforan were concerned about was Theia’s to the east.

Theia and Shizuka’s teams were stationed on either side of the base, waiting in position until Nefilforan launched her attack. The idea was to use that distraction to infiltrate stealthily. Theia, however, had an impatient streak and ended up sneaking inside before Shizuka’s group made their move. Because of that, the enemy troops were now more concentrated on the east than they were the west.

“Enemy resistance is gradually getting fiercer,” Theia said as she fiddled with her singed hair. That was her honest impression after pushing back the enemy several times.

She and the other girls had destroyed the grate over the exhaust vent and crept their way through the broiling duct to get inside the base. There had been a few hiccups in the operation, namely that Theia herself had walked into an explosive trap set up in the ductwork. Luckily, her hair had taken most of the damage. Several minutes had elapsed now since the girls had made it into the base proper, however, and Theia was certain the enemy was only getting stronger.

“They must be recovering from the surprise attack. The performance of their spiritual energy weaponry is improving, so there’s no doubt about it,” Kiriha remarked in response to her observation.

She had a hunch that was the root cause behind the rally. With Koutarou and Nefilforan pincering the base from the north and south, the enemy chain of command was initially thrown into disarray. Thanks to that, the best they could manage at first were sporadic counterattacks... but the enemy seemed to be getting a hold of themselves now. Rebels or not, they were still trained Forthorthian soldiers. They knew how to carry themselves in a crisis.

There was a secondary effect to the soldiers regaining their composure, however, which in turn increased the ferocity of their attacks even more. The spiritual energy weapons they were using operated under the influence of their user’s spiritual energy. The clearer the mind of the wielder, the more powerful the weapon became. Conversely, shock and confusion (from a surprise raid, for example) compromised the performance of the weapons.

So as the soldiers collected themselves and focused their attacks, they really were getting stronger. That compounding effect was what Theia had sensed.

“We only have a squad of forty. If we don’t move on the offensive, we’ll be crushed,” Ruth put forward.

She normally focused on safety first by prioritizing defense in combat, but today was different. They’d only been able to bring minimal troops with them through the exhaust ducts, and the game plan was to wreak havoc in the base to draw heat away from the other teams—especially Nefilforan’s, which was likely in the most danger right now.

“I know, I know,” said Theia.

When she sensed that the counterattacks were picking up in strength, she’d abandoned her rifle and changed her Combat Dress accessory. She’d equipped Melee Black, meaning she was now primed and ready for close combat. It was essentially a five-meter tall exoskeleton, so it looked a little like Theia was strapped to the front of a robot. Melee Black read her movements and replicated them perfectly—it was the same idea behind Koutarou’s armor, but Theia’s suit was completely external and much larger. In terms of sheer power, she far outstripped him.

“Don’t worry. Offense is my specialty, and I’ll be going all out this time,” she declared, knocking her fists together.

Clang!

Melee Black imitated the gesture, and its massive metal fists made it all the more intimidating. One blow from those would mean lights out for any enemy soldier. That was the kind of fighting Melee Black was all about. Unlike the last battle where Theia had to keep herself in check, she had free reign to go wild here.

“Theia-chan, let’s show these guys what we’re made of, ho!”

“We’ll protect you from spiritual energy weapons, ho! That’s our specialty, ho!”

“Then let’s move out.”

The haniwas hovered in the air on either side of Theia, ready to shield her with their spiritual energy field and keep an eye on her blind spots. Melee Black’s generator created a powerful barrier, making her almost invincible against physical attacks. The haniwas were there to enhance her defenses further; with them at her side, she was nearly like a mobile fortress. Ruth, Kiriha, and the allied soldiers on their team all fell into line and took cover behind her as they continued firing.

“We’re going, Maki!”

The only person out in front of Theia was Maki, although it was difficult to tell. She was using her magic to conceal herself, whether via invisibility or a disguise as an enemy soldier. She was essentially taking a stealthy ambush role, attacking the enemy wherever the best opportunities presented themselves.

“As you wish, Your Highness,” Maki said with a reserved smile as she disappeared once more.

She wouldn’t appear again until the next attack was initiated. But with her invisibly in tow, Theia rolled out with a now-serious look on her previously smiling face.

Thoom... Thoom...

She strode gracefully forward, but the giant Melee Black was a heavy machine. It thundered with each step it took, sending small tremors through the ground.

“Your Highness, an enemy force of twenty men is approaching—contact in fifteen seconds! They’ll be around the corner at your ten o’clock! Their vanguard is a land-based mobile weapon!” Ruth called.

The small drone she’d sent out ahead of Theia and Maki had alerted her of the incoming force. They’d all expected resistance since they were raiding the enemy’s base, and sure enough, soldiers were pouring in to defend the place. Theia flashed a grin and made a beeline for the engagement point.

“Follow after me, men! But stay behind me!”

“You can’t take point, Your Highness! The plan will fall apart!”

“You’d better keep up, Ruth!”

“Wait, Your Highness?! E-Everyone, follow the princess’s lead!”

“As you wish, my lady!”

Ruth was technically the commanding officer for the Forthorthian soldiers on this raid, so they obediently followed her orders and chased after Theia. As for Ruth, she stayed behind and tapped away at her computer, summoning six small unmanned fighters that she would use to protect her allies—a strategy befitting her title as Guardian Knight.

“Behold! You should all know who exactly it is you’re dealing with!” Theia cried as the enemy turned the corner, excitedly heaving one fist upward.

In front of her was an eight-legged mobile weapon skittering along. Ruth had given Theia a fifteen second warning, but the battle-hardy princess simply used her intuition to time her attack... and the enemy had appeared exactly when she expected.

“Enemy detected. Beginning automatic counter—”

“Too slow!”

Wham!

Theia slammed her right fist down upon the spiderlike robot’s head, where its composite sensor unit was located. The overwhelming force of the blow collapsed the distortion field around the mobile weapon in an instant, continuing unimpeded into the unit’s head. It would have ordinarily stood a chance of surviving an attack like that... but Theia’s assault wasn’t over yet.

Bwooooom!

A loud explosive sound shook the ground, and a large shell casing ejected from Melee Black’s right arm. Theia had triggered a mechanism that gave her punches a little extra firepower, you could say, by detonating a shell full of powder behind them for increased momentum. Effectively, it was a rocket punch.

The arachnid mobile weapon was unable to withstand the extra force. The impact of Theia’s artful swing not only collapsed the spider’s head, but continued to punch through the body and destroy its generator. Melee Black followed up by kicking the mobile weapon away, sending it crashing into the wall before it stopped moving altogether.

“That went just like I imagined it! I’m in top form today!”

Theia was quite pleased with the results of her attack. Unlike with Nefilforan who was dedicated to practical strategy, these kinds of wild attacks came naturally to Theia. Her improvised assault, however, had successfully managed to make short work of the mobile weapon. It was a reckless move, but her main goal was to end the encounter as quickly as possible—her allies were in danger, after all.

“Fire, fire! Don’t let that thing get closer!” the enemy soldiers cried.

“Who are you calling ‘that thing’?! I am your princess!” Theia railed.

This was the price she paid for her showy attack. She was now the enemy’s main target, and she’d thrown herself right into their line of fire. They were also using spiritual energy weapons, which posed the greatest threat to her. Beams rained down on her one after another.

“Theia-chan, you’re being too reckless, ho!”

“We won’t be able to protect you by ourselves, ho!”

The two haniwas swiftly activated their spiritual energy field to block the beams. Thanks to the power of spiritual energy, the haniwas could, albeit faintly, sense the enemy’s attacks just like Koutarou. Thanks to that, they were able to skillfully block the shots at first...

But once the soldiers started to surround Melee Black, the situation turned grim. With shots coming from the front and both sides, the two haniwas couldn’t block them all alone. If Theia had stayed with her allies, the enemy never would have been able to flank her in such a fashion. She’d put herself in this precarious position by making such a reckless play.

“Your Highness, please fall back!”

“Roger that, Ruth!”

Luckily, she had backup in the form of Ruth’s six fighters. They were each only about a few dozen centimeters in size, but they were exceptionally powerful when they worked together. Ruth sent them in in formation, attacking the soldiers flanking Theia and sending them running.

“Allow me to lend you a hand as well!” called Maki’s voice from seemingly nowhere.

“Thanks!”

A moment later, the ceiling collapsed and buried Theia. Or rather, it simply looked that way. In truth, it was an illusion that Maki had conjured. It was effectively a decoy, allowing Theia to get away while the enemy soldiers were distracted with the illusory scene.

“Are you okay, Your Highness?”

“Just fine! Good work there!”

Between Ruth and Maki’s support, Theia safely made it back to the rest of the group. Once she was in position, the team began their united advance again.

“Thank goodness... Please don’t ever do that again, Your Highness.”

“I-It was for a good reason...”

Though Theia had returned in one piece, her subordinates were still worried. She believed she’d done the right thing, but the situation didn’t really allow her time to explain herself. As such, she had no choice but to suffer the admonishments of her subjects.

“Even if it was for our sake, that kind of reckless behavior is bad for our hearts.”

“Fine... I’ll be more careful in the future.”

“Oh, so that’s what she was doing...”

Fortunately, however, some of the soldiers had understood her intention. Thanks to that, the others held back their rebukes. The princess had acted bravely for them, after all. And now that she’d survived her scolding, Theia could get back to the battle at hand.

“There are more enemies than expected... We might not be able to handle them all at this rate...” Ruth muttered.

She was beginning to feel a restless sense of urgency. She was giving orders to both her drones and the soldiers, so the increase in enemy units put exponential strain on her as she tried to manage the situation. She was now paying more attention to her computer screen than the actual battle, and, seeing this, Kiriha decided to step in and lend a hand.

“Hmm, let’s try this.”

She focused on her forehead, and a green sword crest appeared in response. With that, she forwarded what she could see directly to Ruth’s mind.

“I’ll be your eyes, so you focus on the computer.”

“What a wonderful idea! Thank you very much, Kiriha-sama!”

Not only did Kiriha become Ruth’s eyes, she also warned her about potential dangerous situations as her quick-thinking mind perceived them. Ruth would then divvy up the drones and soldiers accordingly. With Kiriha’s assistance, she had a little more breathing room than before. Her response time was clearly improving.

She also had a yellow sword crest glowing on her forehead, conveying what she was seeing to Kiriha. Kiriha used that information to move around safely like a scout, leaving all of the strategy up to Ruth. Functionally, they were using the power of their crests to complement one another and accomplish even greater things than either one of them could alone.

“If we’re in this much of a bind, the others must not be faring much better. I hope they’re all okay...”

“Our only choice is to press on and believe in them. We have our own mission to accomplish, after all.”

The enemy was strong enough that the girls were forced to rely on the power of their crests, which didn’t bode well for how things were going with the other teams. But the fact of the matter was that Kiriha, Ruth, Theia, and Maki didn’t have time to be worried about anyone else. They had their own objective—to occupy either the enemy command room or the factory. If they couldn’t manage that, there was no end in sight for this battle. It was going to be hard on all of them, but Kiriha was right. There was nothing they could do but press on and believe in their friends.

As the scope of the battle expanded and Ralgwin’s forces rallied their counterattacks, one team still had it relatively easy. That was Clan’s squad, although they were more accurately being led by Shizuka and Alunaya at the moment.

“It seems they still haven’t managed to mass produce spiritual energy sensors. Just some thermo-optical camouflage was enough to get by,” remarked Clan.

Surprisingly enough, their group had yet to be discovered—a feat possible thanks to Clan’s proprietary technology and Sanae’s psychic powers. Clan worked to keep the group cloaked, while Sanae kept careful track of and avoided the enemies around them. They’d accidentally tripped a few sensors along the way, but the soldiers who’d come to investigate left scratching their heads.

So far, their stealthy success was a glorious testament to their teamwork. But there was a third party playing a big part in it too...

“Don’t those guys over there look tough? They got fancy stuff on their heads.”

“In that case, it’s time for our chemical warfare expert to shine again.”

“Auuuuugh... I’m not a chemical warfare expert...”

That’s right; the third MVP was the chemist of love and courage, Miracle Yurika. Yurika’s “chemistry,” which was what the group was calling her magic around allied soldiers so as to conceal her identity as a magical girl, was extremely well suited for this battle. The first reason was the lack of wind indoors. The second was the abundance of small rooms and confined spaces in the base. Between the two, Yurika’s clouds of poison and acid took longer to diffuse and neutralized enemies faster.

Since Yurika had perfect control over her conjured clouds as well, her allies didn’t need to use gasmasks or similar equipment. She could precisely target any enemy that approached them, which had led to an interesting strategy: Sanae would locate soldiers, Clan would keep the group concealed, and Yurika would incapacitate anyone who got near. Progressing this way, they’d so far evaded detection entirely.

“But it seems they’re finally onto our tricks. That thing those soldiers are wearing on their faces... What was it called again?”

Even in his stuffed animal form atop Shizuka’s shoulder, Alunaya had very sharp eyes. The emperor of dragons could spot prey from great distances, so scrutinizing some soldiers from just a few dozen meters away was child’s play. The greater difficulty was explaining what he saw in Japanese. Fortunately, he managed to remember the word he was looking for...

“That’s right! Those gasmask things.”

Up ahead was an intersection that led to several important areas of the base. It was being watched by soldiers, who appeared to be wearing gasmasks and hazmat suits that could easily withstand a little poison and acid. After finding several men collapsed without any sign of external injuries, Ralgwin’s forces had figured that some kind of chemical weapon was being used inside the base and outfitted soldiers protecting key locations with specialized gear accordingly.

“Yay!”

Yurika was elated at this development. If acid and poison wouldn’t work anymore, she would no longer have to play the part of a chemical weapons expert. She much preferred being a magical girl of love and courage, and she wanted to prevent any further damage to her reputation.

“What are you cheering for, Yurika? Well, I suppose it’s not as though I don’t understand why you’re happy...” Clan muttered, both exasperated and sheepish.

In her case, she scorned her reputation as a crafty schemer who relied on traps to trick and deceive her enemies. She actively avoided those tactics now as a result, but sometimes a situation simply called for such measures. She suffered the indignity and did what she had to for the sake of the group, so in truth, she knew exactly how Yurika felt.

As the two of them were fretting, however, Sanae and Alunaya were getting excited.

“I guess it’s me and Shizuka’s turn!”

“No objections from me!”

Sanae was eager to make a contribution that would earn her Koutarou’s praise, and Alunaya simply wanted to fight.

“Come, Saguratin!” Sanae said dramatically, extending an empty hand and summoning the sword from thin air.

Saguratin had originally belonged to Theia. She’d given it to Koutarou, and it had gradually become ingrained with his spiritual energy over time. That made it a good match for Sanae, but most importantly, she liked fighting with it because it looked cool.

“Let us go, Shizuka!”

“Don’t get too worked up, Uncle.”

“There are twenty soldiers ahead,” Clan informed them. “That’s only half the size of our force, but they’re spread out in such a fashion that it will be difficult to defeat them all at once. Chemical weapons won’t work either because of their gear.”

The best case scenario was taking out all of the soldiers simultaneously in order to prevent them from alerting their allies of the situation, but that seemed like it would be next to impossible here. They’d have to find another way.

“I don’t use chemical weapons...” whined Yurika.

“Now, now, don’t sulk... Anyways, what’re we going to do?” Shizuka inquired.

“I think we should take our time defeating the soldiers one by one,” suggested Clan. “Everything’s gone smoothly so far, so there’s no need to rush.”

“So we just charge in and attack like usual, yeah?” Sanae confirmed.

“Understood!”

“Yes, but take four soldiers apiece with you,” Clan added. “I want to supplement your firepower with numbers.”

“What should I do, then?” Yurika asked.

“Please help me on the rear line.”

“Okaaay!”

Shizuka and Sanae advanced, each with four soldiers in tow. Clan and Yurika stayed behind to offer support from the rear, each with four soldiers of their own. They were especially vulnerable in close combat, so the soldiers staying with them were essentially a security detail.

The remaining twenty soldiers on their team would take up the middle ground between the forward and rear groups, offering covering and supplementary fire for Shizuka and Sanae. They’d also serve as a barrier that would keep any enemies or attacks from reaching Clan and Yurika. As such, it was a multipurpose position where veteran soldiers would really be putting their experience to use.

“Now, just to repeat myself, the enemy might be strong against spiritual energy, so take care out there.”

“Thanks, Glasses. Got it.”

“Do you really...?”

Unlike Koutarou, Sanae had no proper training in swordsmanship. Clan was a little nervous about her just swinging a sword around. Her form only looked good when she struck the signature pose of a character from a certain anime... which made Clan all the more uneasy, perhaps with good reason.

“I shall keep an eye on her, so be at ease, Princess Clan.”

“Yeah, you just focus on the enemy, Clan-san. I think that will help everyone more,” Shizuka said before quickly chasing after Sanae.

In Shizuka’s case, no matter what weapons her enemies might use, there was no way they were going to get through Alunaya’s defenses. That allowed her to worry less about her own safety and more about her allies’, making her the perfect babysitter for Sanae. However, when she looked over at her, Shizuka couldn’t help smiling wryly.

“I’m sure she’ll be fine on her own... Sanae-chan defies all logic, after all.”

Sanae had far stronger psychic powers than Koutarou, so she could easily foresee incoming attacks. Yet without any training, her movements were erratic and inefficient. She’d take a beam from time to time because of it, but with the overwhelming spiritual energy coursing through her body, the damage was completely nullified.

Once she learned that and got tired of dodging, she simply charged the enemy in a straight line. If Ralgwin’s men hadn’t been using spiritual energy weapons, she likely would’ve been in grave danger. But their perceived advantage was actually a great weakness against the likes of Sanae.

“That’s true,” conceded Clan. “I guess she is strong against spiritual energy.”

“In Sanae-chan’s case, normal spiritual energy weapons probably won’t work on her at all. Also, I don’t think the enemy soldiers will be able to run away from her in that gear they’re wearing,” Yurika observed.

As soon as Sanae was close enough, she began wildly swinging her sword. And, as Yurika had predicted, the soldiers clad in hazmat suits couldn’t get away from her. They were falling one after the other at her hands while Shizuka made similar progress on the other side of the line. She had the firepower and defenses of an entire fortress, so no single soldier was capable of standing against her. Yurika had started to cast a supporting spell or two, but lowered her staff when she realized her help wasn’t needed.

“Of course,” Clan sighed. “Kii must have taken all of this into account when forming the teams.”

Shizuka, Yurika, and Sanae were a near peerless trifecta in battle. Their greatest weakness was Yurika, who couldn’t hold her own in close combat. But with the addition of a strategist like Clan, the group of them could move freely and safely around the base with the cover they needed. Moreover, since their goal was to seize the command room and weapon factory, the group would need her to navigate and locate them. As such, Clan left the fighting to the other girls while she began work on her own special job.

After Maki initially uncovered Ralgwin’s base, Ruth and Clan had used satellites and the Hazy Moon in orbit to scope it out. With Forthorthian technology, it was possible to investigate even structures underground—but that was a two-way street. Defenses against such technology also existed, so even with time and detailed scans, the best the girls had been able to pinpoint was the size and general structure of the base. From that, they were only successfully able to identify the purpose of a few rooms.

As such, Koutarou and the girls had decided to go through the unknown rooms one by one until they discovered the command room and the factory. That was another facet of their multidirectional siege of the base. Ideally they could have invaded straight from the service tunnel, presumably into the warehouse and factory, but Nefilforan was under the heaviest fire right now. That left the other three teams to investigate the north, east, and west wings of the base respectively.

“Not this room either, huh? Jeez, it’s just like Kiriha-san predicted...” Koutarou sighed.

Unfortunately, even now that they were well into their assault, they still hadn’t located the command room or factory. Ralgwin had apparently built several dummies in anticipation of an attack, and the one Koutarou’s team currently found themselves in served as food storage. The room itself wouldn’t be a particularly useful location in a fight, and it was built in a way that made it difficult to see its center.

“Don’t let it get to you, Satomi-kun,” Harumi said in a calm voice.

While their allied soldiers were investigating the room, she opened her bag to treat Koutarou. He wasn’t seriously injured, but he was covered in small cuts and scrapes from all the earlier fighting.

“The enemy is trying to fluster you. Besides, if you get worked up, the soldiers will as well.”

“I know that, but...”

“Moreover, there’s no reason we have to be the ones to find it. Theiamillis-san’s team or Clan-san’s team could find it too, you know?”

“Yeah. If we can’t find it, we’ll just have to wait on good news from them. Hahh...”

Koutarou let out a heavy sigh as Harumi admonished him. It was tough to accept, but he knew she was right. There was no need for him to shoulder the burden of this mission alone. He needed to have more faith in the girls and the soldiers with them.

“...We also don’t mind monopolizing your weaknesses for ourselves.”

Harumi whispered that last bit into Koutarou’s ear as she put a bandage on his cheek after disinfecting a scratch. With that, she was finished treating him—both mentally and physically.

“Harumi-san, could you take care of this too?”

“Yes, I’ll be right there!”

With a smile, Harumi ran over to another injured soldier. She was quickly gaining popularity with the Forthorthian soldiers. Between her magic and first aid kit, she could bring a soldier back from the brink of incapacitation. And by working with a medic, they could make extremely accurate diagnoses. As a result, she could use her powers with maximum efficiency. She was keeping Koutarou’s squad in tip-top shape; not a single man was out of commission.

“It’ll hurt a little as the wound closes up, but please bear with me,” Harumi informed her next patient.

“O-Okay...” he stammered.

“What’s the matter?” she asked.

“I-It’s nothing...”

“Oh?”

Harumi had yet to realize it herself, but there was actually a second reason she was so popular with the troops: her hair. Whenever she used magic, it shone silver.

“Your Excellency, just who is that girl?” Orion asked as Harumi healed her next patient. It was something all the soldiers had been dying to know.

“As I’ve said before, she’s just a normal girl who inherited Signaltin’s power from Empress Alaia.”

“I find it oh-so hard to believe that’s all she inherited...”

The soldiers under Theia’s command knew that Harumi controlled Signaltin’s mana to cast magic. They’d been fighting alongside Koutarou and the others since the Forthorthian civil war broke out, after all. As such, there was another question lingering in the back of Orion’s—of everyone’s—mind...

“Is she truly not Empress Alaia herself?”

She possessed composure and worldliness far beyond her years. She had the mind and mannerisms of a leader, evident in how she’d gently admonished Koutarou just earlier. Still, her radiant silver hair was the most compelling evidence of all. That was the cause of the rumors whispered among Theia’s troops—that Harumi was actually Alaia herself.

“I don’t really understand it all that well myself,” Koutarou confessed. “She’s supposed to be another person, but at times, she doesn’t feel like it.”

After the battle against Vandarion, Alaia had bid her final farewell and supposedly departed this world for good. Thus released from her contract with Signaltin, her life and soul were forfeit to the reincarnated Harumi. Yet at times, Koutarou could still see an uncanny resemblance. He occasionally wondered just who, really, was inside of her. It would always be a mystery to him.

“There’s one thing I know for sure, however,” he continued.

“And what’s that?” Orion asked.

“I want her to live as a normal girl, whether she’s Sakuraba-senpai or Empress Alaia. If she really is Alaia, then I don’t want her sacrificing her life for Forthorthe again.”

Harumi was born constricted by her poor health, and Alaia had lived under the constraints of her obligations as princess. Neither one of them had been granted the chance to live their life as they pleased... until now, that is. So to Koutarou, it didn’t really matter which girl it was. His resolve was the same.

“That’s very much like you, Your Excellency. I applaud you for that, and I believe you’re right. I... We will all try to think that way as well.”

“I’m sorry to bother you over such things.”

“Hardly, Your Excellency. This is a first for all of us, I’m sure.”

It was a curious scenario that arose because of Koutarou’s identity as Blue Knight, but it wasn’t like he had all the answers. Indeed, some things would simply always be a mystery. Thus convinced that Koutarou had been honest with him, Orion was satisfied. Should a subordinate ask him the same question in the future, he would answer the same way.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Satomi-kun. I’ve finished treating the injured. Let’s move out,” Harumi said when she returned. She then copied the other soldiers in a salute.

“Heh heh...”

Seeing this, Koutarou couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped his lips. Harumi looked up at him in puzzlement.

“What is it, Satomi-kun?”

“I was just thinking that saluting doesn’t suit you at all.”

“Satomi-kun! If this were the palace, you’d be detained for lèse majesté!”

“Would you like us to arrest him, princess?”

“Orion! Aren’t you supposed to look out for your superior?!”

“I’m afraid I just converted to Team Harumi, Your Excellency.”

In the end, Orion felt the true identity of the girl in front of him wasn’t all that important. She was a kind, caring soul worthy of his respect. Someone he would protect no matter what.

Thirty minutes had now elapsed since Koutarou and company first began their assault. At the start, Vandarion’s faction was scrambled in disoriented surprise, but they began to push back as they recollected themselves. They had a serious advantage here, after all. This was their base, and they were prepared for just such an attack.

“I think it’s high time we do something a little bolder...”

Ralgwin sat watching a three-dimensional screen in the command room that displayed the status of the ongoing battle. He felt, however, that the current situation couldn’t go on for much longer.

“Is that truly necessary?” his adjutant questioned. “We’re still being pushed back a little, but...”

In his eyes, things didn’t seem all that bad. Koutarou’s forces were edging them out little by little, but it certainly wasn’t like defeat was imminent. If anything, he thought that the longer they held out, the more their home turf advantage would come into play.

“The problem here isn’t about winning or losing. Even if we’re victorious today, it will be meaningless if we cannot proceed with our plans,” Ralgwin explained.

He’d remained perfectly calm all this time, and he saw the strategic value of this battle. Like his adjutant had suggested, they still had a fighting chance of winning. But in the grand scheme of things, such a fight might cost them their true goal—quite literally winning the battle but losing the war.

The remnants of Vandarion’s faction had two primary aims. The first was to kill the Blue Knight and avenge Vandarion. The other was to conquer Forthorthe. And since they were now isolated on Earth, their operation would effectively be dead in the water if they lost but so much manpower. Ralgwin also believed they’d need to fully unravel the Blue Knight’s mysterious powers in order to dominate Forthorthe. They’d already gotten their hands on spiritual energy technology, and he wasn’t willing to stop there.

In other words, the most important objective right now wasn’t defeating the Blue Knight and his forces, but instead evacuating their spiritual energy technology and its engineers to another base. The hitch was that the Blue Knight specifically intended to keep them from doing just that—that much was evident in his thorough investigation of each room that had been blocked from orbital scans.

“I understand what you mean... But what should we do then, my lord?”

The adjutant’s expression turned every bit as stern as Ralgwin’s. He’d finally come to understand what his commander was seeing.

“Listen up. First, we need to...”

Ralgwin proceeded to issue order after order, each more shocking than the last. Yet the adjutant obeyed without question, for he understood the necessity of what Ralgwin was asking him to do.