Three seconds after Reiko leaped forward, the five security golems were nothing but scrap metal. But then...
“Father?!”
After effortlessly crushing the five units, Reiko looked back to find a sixth security golem pinning Jin D from behind in a bear hug.
Jin D, however, was unperturbed.
“I’m fine... apparently.”
The “apparently” stemmed from the fact that Laojun had already briefed Jin on Jin D’s capabilities, assuring him that an opponent of this caliber wouldn’t be a problem.
And true to those words...
“...Oh.”
With a simple twist of his body, Jin D sent the security golem that had been pinning him flying. A strength equivalent to thirty percent of Reiko’s was no joke.
“Even so, it’s a shock when you aren’t used to it.”
『Yes, My Lord. I shall support you to ensure your movements remain precise.』
“...I’m counting on you.”
An incremental increase in strength was one thing, but when your power jumped by dozens or hundreds of times, your senses struggled to keep up. That was the state Jin D was currently in.
He would likely adjust in time, but for now, Laojun was still providing active motor support.
“Father, how are you faring?”
“Yeah, with Laojun’s support, I can manage the controls well enough. The rest is just getting the hang of it.”
Hearing that, Reiko nodded with a visible look of relief.
“I understand. Let us proceed.”
“Right.”
Jin D and Reiko began making their way down the corridor, but they soon came upon a T-junction.
“Right or left?”
Splitting their forces would be a poor strategy.
“Let’s go right.”
“Yes, Father.”
With no particular reasoning other than being right-handed, Jin D chose the right path on a whim.
After turning and walking a short distance, the corridor hooked to the left. Beyond that lay another T-junction.
“It seems we’re in a maze.”
“It would appear so.”
“I’d rather not waste time on this. Reiko, use your magi-detector to check for any reactions.”
“Understood... There is a large mana reaction roughly in this direction.”
Reiko pointed diagonally toward the front-left.
“Alright. Then we’ll take the shortest path.”
“Yes, Father.”
Reiko drew Touka and swung it four times at the wall.
That alone carved a hole large enough for a person to walk through, but...
“This is inefficient.”
Reiko decided to try another method.
“I will use Baika.”
Glancing at Jin D, Reiko sheathed Touka.
“Baika? Did the ‘me’ from four hundred years ago make that as well?”
“He did. Please, watch.”
Reiko pulled a short sword from her person.
“So that’s Baika?”
“Yes.”
Plum, Peach, Cherry—Jin's favorite spring blossoms. He suspected he’d never use “Sakura,” though, as it evoked memories of a different kind of weapon.
Reiko held Baika in her hand. On closer inspection, it wasn't a short sword at all, but a sword that consisted of nothing but a hilt.
“Is that... by any chance...”
As Reiko woke up Baika, Jin’s suspicions were confirmed.
A blade of light extended from the hilt.
“...Ah, it really is a plasma sword...”
Jin deduced it was likely boosted by Elradrite—or Mityanite, as it was also known. After all, it was his own technology.
He also assumed that Reiko was the one supplying the energy.
(With a hilt that size, there’s no way you could fit a magi-reactor capable of providing that much mana.)
While he was mulling this over, Reiko began carving through the walls. With this method, the maze was rendered meaningless.
Jin D followed in her wake.
＊ ＊ ＊
〈Lord Markitus, the intruders are bypassing the maze via an extraordinary method.〉
Even the assistant automata sounded bewildered.
“W-What on earth is that automaton?!”
〈Could that be the ‘Jet-black Destruction Princess’?〉
“Her appearance certainly matches the descriptions I’ve heard... but I thought the ‘Jet-black Destruction Princess’ was nothing more than tall tales from those Nostalgia fellows!”
Nostalgia... formerly known as the Unifilar.
The Jet-black Destruction Princess was a legend passed down by their first-generation executives.
Markitus had previously ordered Reiko’s destruction, but he’d only viewed her as a vital security asset for Hourai Island. This level of power was beyond anything he had imagined.
On the magi-screen displaying the corridor, the automaton believed to be the Jet-black Destruction Princess was advancing deeper and deeper, smashing through walls as she went.
“Judging by her progress, she must have some means of knowing the correct direction.”
“Hrgh... The Jet-black Destruction Princess is truly fearsome!...But who on earth is that following behind her?”
“The Destruction Princess was addressing him as ‘Father.’”
“‘Father’?...Don’t tell me that’s Jin Nidou?!”
From information obtained from the captured Quinta units, he knew that their creator, Jin, named his golems and automata, and that some of them apparently referred to him as Father.
“Is that Jin Nidou, then?! No, impossible... It must be another Slavedoll.”
＊ ＊ ＊
Jin D and Reiko finally cleared the maze floor and reached the stairs leading to the lower level.
Two security golems were stationed there.
“It seems these two were the source of the mana reactions.”
“Looks like it. There’s a staircase behind them, so this must be the right way.”
“Then, I shall dispose of them.”
No sooner had Reiko spoken than she swept the plasma sword in a horizontal arc.
With that single strike, the two security golems were sliced in half and collapsed. Simultaneously, the glow of the plasma vanished.
“It seems Baika has reached its limit.”
Ten minutes of continuous use had caused the magi-circuit to overheat.
“I’ll perform maintenance on it once we get back.”
“Yes, please do.”
After making that promise to Reiko, Jin D headed for the stairs.
“It must be down. There is a larger mana reaction in that direction.”
There were stairs leading up as well, but Reiko pointed down without hesitation.
“I thought so. Alright, let’s go.”
Reiko took the lead and headed down the stairs.
“The people at this base must have a dedicated corridor somewhere else,” Jin mused.
He couldn’t imagine the Progenitors walking all over this vast base on their own feet.
Furthermore...
“I can see signs of repair here and there,” Jin D muttered to himself as they descended.
“I suppose they’ve made modifications to a base built by the Progenitors.”
Then they reached the bottom of the stairs.
Unlike the floors they had traversed so far, the area ahead was brightly lit.