Arc 27: The Reverse World
The advanced-cla.s.s nautilus softly floats in about four meters above the desert. If I remember correctly, my grandfather told me that the nautilus acc.u.mulates gas inside its sh.e.l.l to then exhaust it, making it bobble up and down. Based on that disposition which is similar to a submersible vehicle, the writer Jules Verne named the submarine in his novel after such a creature. A “Nautilus” that is.
You could say Nautilus is unable to do quick movements, but this rule may not apply to this advanced-cla.s.s…
「What should I do… I didn’t expect two advanced-cla.s.s would appear at the same time. Defeating them together… something like that is impossible…」
As a trump card I’m keeping in reserve, there’s the huge magic gun “Brionac” that can shoot drill bullets. We could defeat even an advanced-cla.s.s in one hit if we used it well.
However, it would take some time to shoot a bullet, so rapid-fire is impossible. In addition, we would need to disa.s.semble and adjust it once in Babylon to shoot the second shot, otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to fix the aiming.
To make the matter worse, a vast amount of magic power is needed to shoot that gun, alongside the magic of fire and wind attributes.
Though it might be fine for me to pour the magic power, there’s the possibility of the gun exploding by accident like what happened with Dverg if I make a mistake in the amount. Should I be careless in “Brionac”, Linzie and Rin would be pretty much exposed to danger. As such the idea of using Brionac was rejected.
Since we are in the desert, if I target the advanced-cla.s.ses with 【Slip】the sand should immediately scatter with the wind, so its effectiveness will be minimal…
「Either way… Eat this first, 【Meteor Shower】!」
In the sky above the two advanced-cla.s.ses, multiple softball-sized “Stars” made from the fragments of the crystal material appear one after another. As I cast 【Gravity】 on them in advance, they’re now pouring down onto the ground like falling stars.
Did it notice the stars that came flying from the sky? The peac.o.c.k raised its neck.
Kiyiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!
A high-pitched resonance shakes the surroundings, the spread feathers of the peac.o.c.k face the sky. Looking carefully at the place where peac.o.c.k’s tail feathers would be, there are round patterns on feathers that looked totally like circular lenses, with small lights gathering there. No way that…!
“Kyubaa” a countless number of scattered laser-like lights are fired from those feathers, which then shot down all the dropping stars. No, rather than shooting them down, the lasers extinguished them.
Isn’t it just like a particle scattergun?! How am I supposed to deal with that!?
While I was being fl.u.s.tered, the peac.o.c.k Fraze folded its feathers, laid them straight down, returning to its original position. As if putting down its weapon.
Why? Could it be that that Fraze is unable to shoot continuously same as “Brionac”?
I am not sure but… the scatter laser is bad news! I should defeat this Fraze now before it’s too late!
「Monica! Transfer 『Brionac』here from 『Hangar』 immediately! Linzie, Rin, make preparations to shoot!」
Via smartphone I sent instructions to Monica who was in Babylon’s “Hangar”.
I still have stars with 【Gravity】 inside 【Storage】. But, the amount is enough for just one shot. Even I am to drop them on this fellow now, the amount of damage shouldn’t be enough to kill it.
Then, if we attack him with “Meteor Shower” before firing “Brionac” and this fellow attempts to use his scatter laser against it, we will fire “Brionac” at its core while it’s charging.
The problem is whether we will be able to hold out until then…
After “Brionac” is transferred from Babylon, it’s caught and securely held between Linzie’s Helmwige and Rin’s Grimgerde.
Both of them link a cord coming out from Brionac to a connector at their backs. A talon-like anchor of Brionac is then thrust into the sand.
『Brionac connected. Charging started』
Alongside Linzie’s voice, the gauge on the side of Brionac starts slowly filling. While glancing at it, I send instructions to the other Valkyries.
「Elzie, Yae, Hilda, restrain the peac.o.c.k Fraze and avert its attention from Linze and Rin! Luu and Yumina, pull the nautilus away from the peac.o.c.k! Sakura and Suu, protect Linzie and Rin! It’s fine to leave the mutated species for a while!」
I am not saying that Nautilus doesn’t have a scatter laser as well. The long waited “Meteor Shower” will turn into nothing if it’s shot down by that one.
The variants are troublesome as well, but it’s not like they cannot be defeated by regular Chevaliers. In addition, those guys will probably start attacking the normal Fraze before attacking us.
『Dam…! These long feathers are in the way!』
While avoiding the folded feathers that the peac.o.c.k Fraze swung each time it changed direction, Elzie’s Gerhilde is approaching it bit by bit.
In the same way, Yae’s Schwertleite and Hilda’s Siegrune also dash through the desert toward the peac.o.c.k Fraze.
Eventually, the three units arrive at the right leg of the peac.o.c.k, and each of them lands a blow with all their power to said leg.
『Cr-usssss.h.!.+』
『Kokonoe s.h.i.+nmei ryuu secret move, Housuu Hi Ren 《Phoenix flies》』
『Restia style swordplay, third style Zantetsu 《Iron Cutting》！』
Gerhilde’s pile bunker, Schwertleite’s Katana, and Siegrune’s sword attack lands on the peac.o.c.k Fraze’s right leg at the same time.
Compared to the crocodile, gorilla, and tortoise that appeared before, the peac.o.c.k Fraze has thin legs. Unable to withstand the concentrated attacks of the three, its right leg gets splendidly shattered.
「Alright~！」
The foot crushed, the peac.o.c.k has lost its balance. As to avoid getting under the falling body, all three units leave the place quickly.
A dust storm soars up in the desert by the shock of the advanced-cla.s.s falling down. The smashed right leg would regenerate immediately anyway, but we managed to earn a little time nonetheless.
On the other side of the peac.o.c.k Fraze, Luu’s Waltraute has been drawing away the Nautilus, equipped with the “Booster unit” of multi-directional thrusters at its back and switching between quick movements and acceleration.
While the nautilus slowly bounced, innumerable tentacles were launched toward Waltraude, coming like spears. However, the Waltraute was equipped with “B” unit so Luu just continued to quickly dodge to left and right in her retreat through the desert.
Looks like the nautilus isn’t as quick as the other one. Rather than flying in the sky, it’s floating which probably implies that it might not be able to do any quick movements.
But still, we shouldn’t drop our guard. Even if the main body’s speed is slow, its tentacles are being shot considerably fast. If Waltraute wasn’t equipped with B-unit, Luu probably wouldn’t be able to evade them with such composure.
Suddenly, I heard “Kyaaa!” along with the sound of something cras.h.i.+ng down. One of the tentacles got smashed. It was likely sniped by Yumina’s Brunhilde at the back.
As Brunhilde has stealth capabilities that allow it to merge with its surroundings, it’s impossible to confirm that from here. If the stealth mode is canceled, the silver body would reflect the sunlight and stand out too much with its dazzling…
『Filling Completed! We can shoot any time!』
I return my eyes to the peac.o.c.k after receiving the communication from Rin.
The right left of the peac.o.c.k has almost regenerated, and it started to stand by itself.
Did it notice the “Brionac” which was aimed at it? The peac.o.c.k spread its wings and began shooting surfboard-shaped things towards Linzie and Rin all at once.
Countless crystal feathers are approaching Linzie and Rin. However, what stands in front of those is Suu’s huge frame gear which has already completed the fusion with the support mechas, an Ortlinde Overlord.
『Stardust Sheel!』
The light of a mult.i.tude of stars shot from the held up left hand formed a defensive wall of light in no time. All the incoming feathers were blocked by the star s.h.i.+eld and knocked down.
There’s no unit superior to Ortlinde in regard to defense. Since I took the youngest Suu to the battlefield, I piled safety functions upon other safety functions after all.
The feathers which the peac.o.c.k shot are in process of regenerating. If I want to finish it, now would be the time.
「Eat this one more time, 【Meteor Shower】!』
This time, I drop “Stars” aiming at the Fraze alone. In response to that, the peac.o.c.k spreads its feathers like before and enters into an interception stance.
The scatter laser is shot again, annihilating the incoming attacks same as the last time, as if trying to repel the meteors coming down on the Fraze’s head.
「Now!」
The “Brionac”, prepared by Linze’s Helmwige and Rin’s Grimgerde, fires the drill bullet with a roaring sound.
The drill bullet raises the fluttering sand on its path and pierces the chest of the peac.o.c.k Fraze in a straight line.
The stuck bullet lets out a terrible destruction sound which resounds all over the desert as it drills its way inside the Fraze’s body. Once it single-handedly goes through the big orange core at the back of the chest in one go, it flies outs of the peac.o.c.k’s back.
The movement of the peac.o.c.k Fraze stop, innumerable cracks begin to run through its whole body. Next moment, the body shatters into pieces while letting out a thunderous roar, and, with a clattering sound, leaves behind a mountain of crystal wreckage.
「Well, one is…!」
Bushuuu! As I turned around to the sound, I saw a dense steam vapor rising from “Brionac”, as well as Linzie’s and Rin’s frame gears.
「Are both of you safe?」
『I-am-alright. There is no problem』
『I am also somehow…. There is hardly any magic power left though』
The magic power of the two girls should be able to recover to some degree with the help of their engagement rings.
However, apart from that, they will probably still be physically fatigued from using “Brionac”. It’s because they used up all their magic power at once. One should have some physical strength to even use magic. The two have to take a little rest.
In any case, both Helmwige and Grimgerde took considerable damage as well, so they won’t be able to fight for a while.
「Linzie, Rin, transfer to the headquarter at once. You should go see Flora」
It wasn’t just Rosetta of “Workshop” who remained at the headquarters to do maintenance of frame gears. Flora of “Alchemy Building” is also on standby to treat the knights who were injured during the battle.
I open 【Gate】 and transfer “Brionac” and the two frame gears to the headquarters.
Alright, only the nautilus is left…
『Touya-san!』
I turn my eyes toward the nautilus because of Yumina’s voice. The thing I saw there was, with a lot of mutated species clinging on to it, the figure of the nautilus struggling in the air.
The variants that were clinging to the nautilus erode it as if fusing their own bodies with it.
The nautilus Fraze chopped the variants to pieces with its tentacles while it continued to struggle.
However, it’s unfortunate but there were too many. As the nautilus’ body was being painted with dark gold, the variants fused little by little, eventually transforming the advanced-cla.s.s.
Before long, the nautilus collapsed onto the desert, and its many feelers started to swing violently at random targets.
Without a doubt, the mutated species are consuming that Fraze. No, are they trying to hijack it?
『Touya-dono, look!』
Suddenly, a lot of ominous thorns started to grow from the nautilus’ sh.e.l.l. The thin feelers merged and changed into long, plump squid-like arms.
With a metal-like l.u.s.ter and sharp-pointed shape, it didn’t give off an unpleasant feeling of soft and flabby mollusk anymore, but the ominousness remained the same.
The eroded nautilus with a dark gold body moved in slippery motions. ────No, it’s probably not a nautilus any longer. It’s something of strange form, like a mix of a squid, an octopus, and a snail.
It feels like its whole body grew one size larger. Did it grow with the amount of the mutated species that were clinging to it?
Furthermore, the mutated advanced-cla.s.s continued its transformation. The place that was part of nautilus’ sh.e.l.l conspicuously split to left and right, exposing multiple conically-shaped long protuberances.
Suddenly, the advanced-cla.s.s started to disorderly shoot those thorns in all directions like rocket fireworks. Once the conically-shaped things exploded in the sky, they turned into even smaller arrows and descended upon the desert like rain.
「s.h.i.+eld!」
I block the downpour of arrows with 【s.h.i.+eld】.
Is that pseudo cl.u.s.ter bomb which that advanced-cla.s.s crocodile used in Yuuron?
The attack made no distinction between friend or foe. The thorns a.s.sault both the Frazes and the Frame Gears. As the advanced-cla.s.s was absorbed by the mutated species, Frazes might no longer be its allies.
The Frazes shatter here and there while the frame gears are damaged in arms and legs. The former would regenerate as long as the core’s safe, which cannot be said for the latter.
「Rosetta! What is the damage outcome of this attack?!」
『Twenty nine units received half the damage, seven units were severely damaged. All the pilots of said seven machines have been evacuated already. However, two people are seriously injured. They won’t die, but it will be impossible for them to continue the battle』
Was someone unlucky to get their c.o.c.kpit hit? Or did they receive several hits? No matter what it was, it’s a good thing they didn’t die…
『Touya-sama! It’s a second volley!』
「Whaat!?」
Hearing the abrupt Luu’s voice, I look at the mutated advanced-cla.s.s to see it raise up its missiles like before in no time flat.
Once again the missiles were launched. And once again crystal arrows were scattered widely through the desert. d.a.m.n it! Cut it out!
Nineteen units — half damage, eight — severe damage, and it seems the number of severely wounded increased by three people. If this continues….
『Touya-kun, can you hear me?』
「Professor?」
A transmission comes from the professor who should be in Babylon. Did something happen?
『It’s yet in the break-in stage right now, but you probably wouldn’t mind. I’m sending your frame gear right now』
「! Was it completed!?」
『I would say it’s 90% done. Though some equipment can’t be used, someone like you should be able to fight with it plenty enough』
Particles of light gather in the desert which, in the next moment, turn into a frame gear.
The body is clad in crystal armor, several golden lines run on transparent parts. Size-wise it’s the same as a standard frame gear. There are folded-like wings on its backs but those are the equipment and not real wings.
A pair of wide katanas on both sides of the waist, no s.h.i.+eld present. Basically, its main purpose is offense. The head has a couple of horns stretching behind, and the shoulders have acute angles to them.
The unit’s overall appearance is stylish, and you could feel its strength at the same time as well.
This’s my personal frame gear, the multi-purpose battle type “Reginleiv”.
The frame gear which bore that name of “The one who would succeed the G.o.ds (Reginleiv)” gleamed in the light of the sun.