The Second Airship Unit also rescued the members of the Mimaka Principality Garrison, who had been forced into an emergency landing.
"We’re in your debt. I am Gajue Tsuga, the Vice-captain of the Mimaka Principality Garrison."
"Jorda Carter, Captain of the Second Airship Unit. Your unit arrived on the scene before us, did it not? Could you explain the situation?"
"Certainly. We..."
Gajue Tsuga proceeded to brief Jorda Carter.
He recounted how word had reached them of mysterious airships and golems appearing on the Pandor Continent and trampling the local populace, prompting their emergency deployment. He detailed their engagement with the enemy airships and how, confronted by the superior mobility, firepower, and defenses of the hostile vessels, they had been left with no choice but to make an emergency landing.
Once on the ground, they had relied on their general-purpose golems for protection.
"I see," Jorda said. "And where are your general-purpose golems now?"
"Well... they have yet to return. Initially, they were successfully repelling the enemy golems that attacked us, but..."
Eventually, Gajue explained, the golems simply stopped coming back. He added that they had only managed to survive because the enemy golem attacks had also ceased around the same time.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Heh. So I've secured the World Security Guard's general-purpose golems first. That will do nicely."
Even if they were only "general-purpose" models, the golems maintained by the World Security Guard were among the most advanced in the world. Guillermo Marukitasu smirked, satisfied that he had already turned four of them to his side using the Magi Emulator.
"...But what of the golems belonging to Deus Ex Machina? Have they not fallen under our control yet?"
<No....However, we have discovered one significant piece of information during the process.>
"What is it?"
<Deus Ex Machina's magic pattern is an exact match for Jin Nidou's.>
"What!?"
To utilize the Magi Emulator, one had to know the magic pattern of the individual whom the target recognized as its Master.
There were various methods for measuring such a pattern: monitoring a person as they cast magic, analyzing magi-devices they had crafted, or examining the control core of a servant golem. In this instance, Guillermo’s forces had happened to sense and analyze the "Cure" Healing magic used by the silver-brown golems.
<Magic patterns do not match simply because individuals are fellow disciples or blood relatives.>
"Hmm, quite true. Which means..."
<There is a high probability that Deus Ex Machina is the same individual as Jin Nidou.>
"Or perhaps Deus Ex Machina is simply a creation left behind by Jin Nidou."
Guillermo Marukitasu’s hypothesis was, for all intents and purposes, entirely on the mark. Not that this realization changed his immediate plans.
"I am well aware that Jin Nidou was a mere human. I also know he died in the year 3537."
Consequently, Guillermo concluded that Deus Ex Machina was likely a legacy creation Jin had built before his death.
"Hmph. Just like Hourai Island, then. Dolls without a master, mindlessly following the dying wishes of a ghost... it makes me want to retch."
However, he still didn't understand why the Magi Emulator was proving ineffective against them. Guillermo pondered the problem.
"...No matter how I look at it, I can only assume they have implemented some kind of countermeasure."
<Yes, Lord Marukitasu, I am of the same opinion.>
His assistant automata was capable of high-level logical reasoning. Since it had reached the same conclusion as him, Guillermo judged there to be no doubt.
"Infuriating! To think they've already countered me!"
Yet, regardless of his frustration, reality remained unchanged. He could not add Deus Ex Machina’s golems to his own ranks.
"I suppose I must employ other means."
Guillermo Marukitasu broke into a grin. The Magi Emulator was far from his only trump card. He decided it was time to play another—one he had never revealed to anyone.
<How shall we proceed with the battle involving the soaring ships?>
"We will keep them in reserve for the time being."
<Understood.>
"...Wait. Before I use that, there is one more thing I wish to test. Let us see exactly what level of technology the enemy possesses."
He wanted to know if they had simply targeted a specific countermeasure for the Magi Emulator or if they genuinely possessed high-level technology across the board.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Report on the status of the relief operations."
It was already past midnight, and the date had turned to November 1st, but the World Security Guard continued its rescue efforts in Mahalig, the devastated capital of the Mercana Principality.
"Sir. Triage and treatment of the wounded is seventy percent complete. The remaining thirty percent are not in critical, life-threatening condition."
"As for the search of the city, the rescue of survivors is nearly complete, largely thanks to the cooperation of the golems dispatched by the one calling himself Deus Ex Machina."
"Understood."
The soldier added that the golems belonging to Deus Ex Machina seemed capable of sensing survivors through some magical means.
"Hmm. Is it truly Lord Deus Ex Machina...?"
Jorda Carter, Captain of the Second Airship Unit, looked troubled.
"Lord Jorda, for now, let us simply be grateful that he is an ally," Gajue Tsuga said.
"...You're right."
Jorda nodded at Gajue’s words. At the very least, now was not the time to be debating the man's identity. He turned the conversation back to their current assessment.
Gajue mentioned once more that their own golems had not returned.
"We deployed four general-purpose golems in total, and none have returned. Is it not possible that the enemy is still lurking somewhere nearby?"
"I cannot deny the possibility."
Jorda’s team had deployed ten Sappers to clear the rubble and search for survivors, but while the debris was being moved, they hadn't had much luck finding more people.
The time was 2:00 AM. Dawn was still several hours away.
"Do you know where the enemy airship fleet went?"
"After we received the message from Lord Deus Ex Machina stating, 'The enemy is Guillermo Marukitasu. I shall deal with him myself; please focus your efforts on ground-level rescue,' they seemed to vanish from the skies."
"I see..."
Gajue Tsuga looked up into the dark night sky. Only a few bright stars twinkled in the void.
＊ ＊ ＊
"It is as I suspected... a combination of Nostalgia technology, Avalon technology, and something entirely unique."
Laojun was analyzing the visual data being transmitted by Mentor, who was currently piloting the Maquina body double.
As for Jin, he had been observing the tactical situation for a while before standing up. "Laojun, I'll leave the rest to you. I've had an idea, so I'll be in the workshop."
At present, Guillermo Marukitasu’s soaring ship fleet was moving north-northeast from Mahalig, with the Deus Ex Machina units in pursuit. Their current location was over the region known as the Great Flot Plain.
The forces under Maquina’s command consisted of five airships identical to the Konron 3—forty-meter-long rigid airships.
"It should be about time for him to try something."
Laojun did not believe Guillermo Marukitasu would travel such a long distance with his entire fleet without some kind of plan or preparation.
"I must ensure we are prepared to handle whatever he might attempt."
At that moment, a massive surge of mana radiated from the enemy fleet.
"This is—!?"
It was magic. It was a spell with an effect strikingly similar to a Magic Canceller, forcibly reverting mana into free ether. Under such an effect, ordinary magi-devices and Magi Machines would cease to function instantly.
"Could this be Guillermo Marukitasu’s other trump card?"
Laojun continued his analysis without a hint of panic. The Magic Canceller was a device Jin had originally developed to counter Ether Stampedes. It appeared Guillermo had amplified the effect to the point where it could disrupt the internal functions of magi-devices.
"However, such things can be repelled by barriers and magic barriers."
Laojun recalled Jin’s philosophy.
"My Lord always said that if one develops a means of attack, one must also devise the means to defend against it."
Jin believed that such an approach allowed one to see the full picture. It was a process where a synthesis is born from a thesis and an antithesis.
"Now then, I would be pleased if this were the end... but I doubt this was his true final card."
Laojun could not shake the feeling that Guillermo Marukitasu was still holding something back.