The Airborne Tower

“Hey, is it just me, or is that guy burning a hole through me with his eyes?” Fritz asked, his voice low and uneasy.

“He just wants to test your mettle,” I replied. “Why not entertain him once we’re finished here?”

“...Isn’t he supposed to be the Empire’s Strongest? There’s no way I’m walking away from that in one piece!”

“I don’t know, I think you’d put up a surprisingly good fight. You’re a Dragon Slayer too, aren’t you?”

“Ho. So you’ve slain a Dragon as well? Then I suppose that puts us on equal footing.” First offered a thin, unsettling smile.

“Regardless,” I interrupted, trying to keep us on track, “just focus on blowing this tower away once the Tower Interior is finished. That’s the only thing I need from you right now.”

“Fine. Let’s get this over with so we can settle this duel,” First said, his gaze fixed on Fritz, hurrying him along.

“If you’re so eager, why don’t you do it yourself?” Fritz grunted, attempting to shove his hammer toward First.

“I use nothing but swords.”

“Well, then I—”

“Wasn’t your primary weapon a Shovel, Fritz?” I asked.

“It’s a sword! I use a sword!”

“It just means you’re versatile enough to fight with anything, right?”

“Ho. I look forward to seeing that.” First’s enthusiasm was becoming palpable, and honestly, a little threatening.

Fritz looked back at the massive structure behind us. “Besides, I can’t just launch a hunk of stone this big. It needs to be... I don’t know, in pieces.”

“Leave that to me,” First said. “I shall carve it up.”

“Don’t go overboard,” I warned. “If you mince it, it’ll never function as a tower again. Just... slice it into horizontal rings, maybe?”

If we’re going for a Daruma-Otoshi style launch, that’s really the only way it’ll work.

“A simple task.”

Without another word, First approached the structure, completely ignoring Melty as she worked frantically inside.

The next instant, the air seemed to shiver. I barely registered First moving at all.

“How is this?” he asked.

“Huh? Nothing’s changed,” Fritz said, looking puzzled.

I, however, could see it. I knew exactly what had just happened.

“Melty, are you alright?” I called out.

“I’m fine! Don’t bother me, I’m at a critical stage!”

“If you say so...”

At a glance, the tower looked unscathed. But as I squinted, I saw them: hair-thin, perfectly level lines encircling the stone. In a single heartbeat, he had sliced through the entire structure with surgical precision—and he’d done it so cleanly that nobody else even noticed.

His abilities are as terrifying as ever.

First was the strongest character in the Original Game—the kind of opponent you were never actually meant to beat. Even now that he’s technically an ally, that overwhelming power hasn’t faded in the slightest. Usually, characters get nerfed the moment they join your party; seeing him maintain this level of threat was, in a very grim way, a relief.

“Is this enough? I’ve finished the Magic Tool for the time being,” Melty announced, emerging with a thousand-yard stare. “I managed to imbue it with Damage Repair Power. But... well, it’s still going to shake like crazy.”

She looked exhausted. For some reason, the Magic Tool wasn’t functioning with its usual efficiency, yet the tower refused to break. It was an odd paradox. However, since the King had specifically requested this madness, we had to build it exactly to these specifications.

“Alright then. Fritz, are you ready?”

“Are you sure about this? Don't come crying to me regardless of how this turns out,” Fritz warned, checking one last time.

When he saw my expression hadn’t changed, he let out a heavy sigh and shouldered his hammer. He took a wide stance and swung with everything he had. The hammer slammed into the base, and the tower—already segmented by First’s cuts—soared into the distance with a satisfying, terrifying velocity.

[Comicalization News]

The manga adaptation begins today in Wednesday Sirius!

You can find the comicalization featured on Nico Nico Manga and Comic DAYS.

The artwork is stunningly beautiful, and the composition dives deep into the finer details of the world. As the author of the Original Game, I might actually be the one looking forward to this the most.

I hope you’ll go check it out and enjoy the ride!