“Lord Markitus, the assistant automata we deployed has ceased function.”
“Hmm... Nostalgia shouldn't possess a golem of that caliber.”
“Indeed. It is likely the work of either Deus Ex Machina or Jin Nidou.”
“The probability is high.”
“...In which case, it is highly likely that they will eventually arrive here.”
The assistant automata at the base had correctly predicted Jin’s actions.
“I suppose so.”
“What are your orders, Lord Markitus? Shall we evacuate?”
“...No, let us welcome them. If Deus Ex Machina or Jin Nidou is coming, I wish to see them for myself.”
“Understood.”
“But do not let them approach easily. Prepare to receive them at maximum alert.”
“Yes. Transitioning base status to maximum alert. Activating all traps.”
＊ ＊ ＊
“Well, here we are.”
“Quite the welcome, isn't it, Father?”
Before Pegasus 2 as it neared Mount Nakyu, twenty soaring ships hung in the air.
“‘Soaring ships,’ was it?”
“Yes. According to the data from the captured enemy golem, they refer to them as soaring ships rather than airships.”
“I see. It makes sense, given they use gravity magic to stay aloft.”
Jin considered the situation while operating his Doppel.
(Taking them all on with just one Pegasus 2 might be a bit of a hassle.)
“Alright!”
Jin made up his mind.
“Adriana, go!”
As he issued the command from Hourai Island, the flagship Adriana, which had been on standby in high orbit, dived toward the location.
＊ ＊ ＊
“So, they’re greeting us with twenty soaring ships first.”
“Yes. We must expect them to break through at least this much.”
“Let us see what they can do. How will that small aircraft... wait, is it even an aircraft? How will they— What?”
Markitus—or rather, his Slavedoll—and the assistant automata were watching the magi-screen within the base when the display flickered. Simultaneously, a heavy vibration shuddered through the entire facility.
“W-What happened?”
“This is... a shockwave. Something has reached supersonic speeds within the atmosphere.”
“What?!”
Then, a massive sphere appeared on the magi-screen.
“Diameter: approximately 300 meters. This... could it be a spaceship?!”
“A spaceship?!”
Markitus’s Slavedoll stared intensely at the screen.
“T-This is a spaceship...?”
Even for someone as ambitious as Markitus, this was his first time seeing an actual spaceship. While he understood the concept of outer space, he had never even reached the upper atmosphere.
But then, the Fragment of the spiritual lifeform asserted its influence.
“...Heh heh heh, I see... so whether it’s Deus Ex Machina or Jin Nidou, they’ve already reached this level of development....How fascinating.”
While the atmosphere surrounding Markitus’s Slavedoll changed subtly, the assistant automata did not react. To it, Markitus was still Markitus; it could not perceive the internal shift. In that regard, the automata were inferior to the creations of Hourai Island.
Had Jin behaved so strangely, his family would have immediately asked with concern, “Father, are you alright?” or “My Lord, is something the matter?”
But back to the matter at hand.
On the magi-screen in Markitus’s base, the spherical spaceship was putting its power on full display. Not a single magical attack launched by the soaring ships reached its hull; every spell was intercepted and neutralized far in advance.
The same held true for the attacks using high-velocity bolts comparable to rockets. Not one could touch the spherical vessel.
And it seemed the spaceship was not content to remain merely on the defensive. Suddenly, the prow of one soaring ship crumpled inward, and the vessel began to plummet.
“W-What did they do?”
“Lord Markitus, it appears they are rapidly expanding their barrier to cause physical collisions.”
The assistant automata analyzed the tactic.
“What?...I see. So there are other ways to utilize such a system.”
While they spoke, two more soaring ships were knocked out of the sky.
“At this rate, we’ll be picked off one by one....Use the Sonic Breakers.”
“Acknowledged.”
The Sonic Breaker was a weapon developed by the Progenitors. Because they utilized sound waves, they possessed the unique property of bypassing most standard barriers.
Within moments, sixty-four Sonic Breakers were fired simultaneously from the remaining sixteen soaring ships.
＊ ＊ ＊
“Hmm?”
Jin’s Doppel and Reiko, currently maintaining their distance in Pegasus 2, as well as Jin back on Hourai Island, all detected the sound-based assault from the soaring ships.
“I see. Barriers do keep certain frequency channels open to allow external sounds through, after all.”
That said, the Adriana’s hull was designed to withstand supersonic flight within the atmosphere even without a barrier; an attack of this magnitude wouldn't leave a scratch. Furthermore, simply increasing the barrier’s intensity would turn it into a protective wall that blocked out sound entirely.
“But they're definitely being a nuisance.”
Jin had no intention of letting the battle drag on defensively. Pegasus 2 was equipped for combat as well.
“Alright, let’s give them something to think about from our side.”
Magi-cannons and lasers.
With those two weapons at his disposal, Jin’s Doppel joined the fray.
＊ ＊ ＊
Two soaring ships crashed. Then another two. And another two.
“What is happening?!”
Guillermo Markitus was at a total loss.
“It appears to be an attack from the small enemy aircraft.”
“What? That thing is armed too?!”
“So it seems.”
“Ugh... where is it? Where are they hiding?!”
Though dawn was approaching, the world was still draped in darkness. Furthermore, since Pegasus 2 was shrouded in an Invisible barrier, Markitus and his forces had no way of spotting it.
Four more ships were sent spiraling down.
“Scatter! You’re just sitting ducks if you stay clustered together!”
Guillermo Markitus shouted his orders.
To the east, the sky was just beginning to grow pale.