Morning dawned on September 13th.
After finishing a slightly early breakfast, Jin climbed into the Rocket Mole. Reiko took her place at the controls.
After much consideration, they had decided that Hope would provide backup from high altitude aboard Pegasus 2.
"Yes, Jin-sama."
With this, Jin had played every card in his hand.
"Well then, I’m off."
Jin waved and closed the Rocket Mole's hatch.
A few seconds later, the craft began to move. Utilizing its force generator, it took flight. Almost simultaneously, Pegasus 2 launched into the sky.
"Have a safe journey..." Sion murmured softly.
Marikka, Lordtoss, Vita, Rolona, Istalis, and Belialus watched Jin depart in silence.
"Even if it succeeded the 'previous' time, there’s no guarantee it will work now..." Sion whispered, her voice too quiet for anyone else to hear.
Her gaze remained fixed on the Rocket Mole until it dwindled to a speck in the distance.
"Current speed is Mach 1.5. All systems normal," Reiko reported from the pilot's seat.
"Understood. Keep it steady."
"Yes, Father."
The interior of the Rocket Mole was so cramped that standing up was impossible. Reiko sat at the controls in the front, with Jin in the passenger seat directly behind her. This filled the cabin to capacity. It was only because the craft was a Magi Machine that such a compact frame could afford even this much cabin space.
"Pegasus 2 is keeping pace, right?"
"Yes, it is following as planned."
"Good. We'll head straight to the edge of the illusion barrier."
"Understood."
In approximately twenty-five minutes, the Rocket Mole reached the waters surrounding Hourai Island. Before Jin's eyes lay the false horizon generated by the illusion barrier.
And that wasn't all.
"What are those...?"
A fleet of ships, each about thirty meters long, ringed the barrier.
"Those belong to the Magic Federation," Reiko explained.
"So those are the ones..."
From Jin's observation, the hulls appeared to be wooden, though the internal structural frames likely utilized metal. Their propulsion systems were Aqua Thrusters, powered by ether converters and mana drivers.
"Is the crew... golems?"
"Yes. They are essentially unmanned."
This meant they were capable of continuous, tireless operations. If Jin showed even the slightest opening, they would likely launch a hijacking attempt using their Magi Emulators.
"And Pegasus 2?"
"It is currently on standby at an altitude of 2,000 meters."
"That’s fine, then."
Jin judged that maintaining a distance where they would be difficult for the Magic Federation's sensors to detect was the wisest course. While the current Pegasus 2 and Hope were protected against Magi Emulator takeovers, he preferred to be cautious.
"Alright, let’s go, Reiko."
"Yes, Father."
The Rocket Mole dove beneath the surface.
"Take us toward Tatsumi Bay."
"Yes. Shall I head for the deepest section?"
"No. It’s too deep there. Let’s avoid the center."
"Understood."
Reiko guided the Rocket Mole into Tatsumi Bay, following the underwater slope toward the west.
"We have reached the boundary of the barrier."
An invisible wall existed roughly ten meters ahead of the craft.
"Okay, start tunneling from here."
"Yes!"
The time had finally come for the Rocket Mole to prove its worth. The bedrock surrounding Hourai Island was hard but not brittle—ideal for tunneling. However, this time they would be backfilling the passage behind them. Debris pulverized by the leading blades was sent to the rear via the onboard Warp Gate, where it was fused and bonded to seal the tunnel using Bonding and Fusion.
Progressing at a rate of one meter per minute, the Rocket Mole bored through the seabed for roughly an hour and a half.
"We are clear. We have passed the barrier," Reiko declared, tilting the craft upward.
Ten minutes later, the Rocket Mole emerged back into the seawater.
"The area above the surface is saturated with nitrogen."
Explaining the situation to Jin, Reiko navigated through the water. Gradually, the seafloor rose to meet them as they approached the land.
Then, they reached the shore.
"We’ve cleared the nitrogen zone. Beyond this point, I cannot predict what countermeasures have been implemented."
The Rocket Mole surfaced. At last, Jin beheld the Hourai Island of this era.
"Ah... Hourai Island. It’s barely changed at all..."
The landscape projected on the magi-screen was almost identical to the one Jin knew.
"Yes, Father. Aside from the expansion of the fields and orchards, almost nothing is different. Ah, though it seems the aquaculture pens have been dismantled."
In his time, various fish had been raised in the pens of Tatsumi Bay. However, with Jin long gone, it seemed the practice had been abandoned.
"I see."
He had to reach Laojun as quickly as possible. Jin felt the weight of that mission once more. He was jolted from his thoughts by Reiko’s voice.
"Father, look at that!"
"Hmm?"
Before Jin stood the familiar sight of the laboratory. However, standing in the front yard was a single, massive golem he had never seen before.
"What is that thing?"
"My apologies. I do not recognize it."
If Reiko didn't know what it was, it was either a new model developed by Laojun or a foe.
"Father, there is absolutely no free ether in this vicinity."
"What?"
"If we assume that giant golem is an intruder, then draining the ether was likely Laojun’s method of neutralizing it."
"Most likely."
"Additionally, a high-power Magic Canceller barrier has been deployed around the area. The laboratory itself is protected by a solid barrier as well."
The situation was exactly as Jin had feared—perhaps even worse. If they deactivated the Magic Canceller, that golem would likely reboot and resume its rampage.
"Hmm, what’s the move here..."
The Rocket Mole was currently operating solely on its internal mana bombes. It was only thanks to the magic barrier maintained around the craft that it was currently resisting the effects of the Magic Canceller barrier.
"At this rate, we can't even retaliate with magic."
Jin wracked his brain, searching desperately for a way to break the stalemate.