"Does it intend to attack?"
"It appears so, My Lord. Transitioning to combat status."
The Adriana shifted from high alert to a combat stance, deploying its Aegis shield between itself and the enemy sphere.
"I suspect they'll rely on magical attacks, so deploy the magic barriers as well," Jin ordered.
"Understood."
Heeding his command, the Adriana projected magic barriers just beyond the Aegis shield.
Charging straight for them, the enemy sphere unleashed a volley.
"Lightning-attribute magic detected," Taisei reported.
In the vacuum of space, where electrical discharges cannot easily travel, the lightning magic manifested as spheres of ball lightning—condensed masses of high-voltage energy fueled by mana.
However, they posed little threat as long as they avoided a direct hit. Despite their appearance, the core of these lightning spheres was composed of mana, allowing the magic barriers to neutralize them effortlessly. Any residual discharge was absorbed by the Aegis.
"Incredible..." Earl Kuzuma—Louis—breathed, his voice filled with awe.
"It really is amazing..." Beside him, his wife Beena wore a similar expression of wonder.
Their amazement was understandable; none of them had ever witnessed a battle in the void of space. For that matter, neither had Jin.
"The real difficulty is that I’d rather not destroy it," Jin mused.
He wanted to gather as much information as possible, a goal shared by Laojun. A full-throttle collision with the Aegis deployed would likely shatter the enemy craft, but there was no guarantee the Central Brain would survive the impact.
"I suppose we’ll have to infiltrate," Jin muttered.
"In that case, I recommend Reiko-san," Taisei suggested.
"True... I hate to put her through consecutive battles, but let's leave it to her."
"Father, please leave it to me!"
Reiko had returned to Hourai Island via the Warp Gate aboard the battleship Hotaka, and she now accepted the task with a spirited declaration. Since the initial infiltration of the Disaster had been cut short, she seemed determined to finish the job this time.
"Very well," Laojun stated. "However, the sphere has deployed its own magic barriers. I recommend using an aircraft for the approach."
"I see," Jin agreed.
Aircraft like the Falcon and Raptor were all equipped with force generators, making them perfectly capable of maneuvering in space. However, since they weren't equipped with life-support systems like oxygen generators, they weren't suitable for human pilots.
That was a moot point for Reiko and the Land units, however.
"In that case, you have permission to use Pegasus 1," Jin said.
Pegasus 1 was Jin’s personal craft; a five-seater and the highest-performing aircraft in Hourai Island’s hangar. While the Falcon and Raptor models were two-seaters, they could only carry a single passenger once a pilot was factored in. The Pelican could carry ten, but it lacked the necessary agility for this mission.
"Thank you, My Lord. For the infiltration squad, I shall assign Reiko-san along with Land 21, 22, and 23—four units in total."
"That works. Also, deploy two Raptors as support," Jin added.
Pilots were selected from the Sky squad: Sky 1 would pilot Pegasus 1, while Sky 2 and Sky 3 would man Raptor 1 and Raptor 2, respectively.
"All right, Reiko, Land squad—I’m counting on you. Neutralize that sphere and bring back whatever information you can find."
"Yes, Father!"
"Master, leave it to us."
Even as they prepared, the enemy sphere continued its relentless assault. While every shot was deflected by the Adriana’s magic barriers, its sheer persistence was startling.
"I don't get it. Why is it being so tenacious?"
"Normally, one would retreat after realizing their attacks were ineffective," Reinhard agreed, exchanging a look with Jin.
Soon, Reiko and her team were ready. They deployed via transporter, appearing one kilometer behind the Adriana.
"Father, we are heading out."
"Master, we're off."
Their reports came in through the manacam, and Jin replied instantly.
"Copy that. I'm counting on you. But don't overdo it, all right? Just make sure everyone comes back in one piece!"
The three crafts accelerated into the void.
Raptors 1 and 2 acted as diversions, weaving across the enemy sphere’s field of vision to draw its fire. In the airless vacuum of space, the non-human pilots could withstand maneuvers pulling ten Gs. Their flight paths were so erratic that neither a human nor even Laojun could have predicted their next move. Every bolt fired from the enemy sphere missed its mark, vanishing harmlessly into the distance.
"Now!"
Seizing the moment while the enemy was distracted, Pegasus 1 engaged its Invisible function and surged forward. It closed in from the side opposite the two Raptors and, seconds later, slipped through the enemy’s magic barrier.
"Hurry," Reiko urged.
Even cloaked, she knew the disruption in the barrier's flow would likely tip off the enemy. When they were within fifty meters of the sphere, Reiko and her team leaped from Pegasus 1.
"Sky 1, thank you. Please return Father’s Pegasus 1 safely to Hourai Island," Reiko instructed.
With those final words, she and the three Land units propelled themselves toward the enemy sphere using their internal force generators. They closed the distance in a flash, touching down on the sphere’s cold hull.
"Whether there is a hatch or not, we must find a way inside."
A quick two-second scan of the immediate area confirmed there were no hatches in sight.
"This will have to do, then."
Reiko drew Touka. She activated the sword’s vibration sword mode and sliced into the hull. There was no rush of venting atmosphere, suggesting the interior was also a vacuum. Undeterred, she continued to work the blade.
The armor plating was roughly thirty centimeters thick, but Touka cut through it with ease, carving out a fifty-centimeter square. Finding the opening a bit tight for the Land units, she used the engineering magic Forming to expand the breach.
Land 21 remained on the surface, tasked with disabling the sphere’s Magi Trans Cannons.
"Good luck."
"You as well."
After a brief final check, Reiko and the remaining two Land units slipped into the dark interior.
"Laojun noted that in a spherical vessel, the critical systems should be located near the center," Reiko said.
"Then let us head for the core."
Because they communicated via manacam, the lack of air posed no obstacle to their coordination.
"They have undoubtedly detected us by now. We must move quickly," one of the units said. "Ojou-sama, leave the pathfinding to us."
Land 22 raised his arm and fired a laser directly into the floor.