"Final Weapon"—that was a term Jin and the others couldn't simply ignore. They all frowned.
"Laojun, do you have any idea what this Final Weapon is?"
"No, I have no information on it at this time. My apologies, My Lord."
It seemed even Laojun was in the dark. Nothing in the Five-man group's conversation had given a clear picture of its true nature.
"I will continue the investigation."
"Right. Please do."
The subsequent meeting of the Five-man group yielded no further useful information.
"The Shinobi Squad will remain undercover and investigate this Final Weapon."
"Yeah, I'm counting on them."
Jin tried to imagine what kind of thing a "Final Weapon" could be, but with so little data, it was impossible to pin down.
"A magi-device that triggers an Ether Stampede, or maybe a Magi Machine capable of destroying a planet?"
"Jin-san, wouldn't the latter be a bit much?"
Lordtoss had also been thinking about it, but he admitted he couldn't come up with anything plausible.
"Well, I certainly wouldn't feel like building something like that myself," Jin said. If it were just a matter of imagination, he could think of several terrifying possibilities. "Something like combining the oxygen in the air all at once to make the atmosphere unbreathable, or generating lethal mana lines..."
"T-That is truly horrifying."
Still, it was often said that if something could be imagined, it could eventually be realized. Jin wasn't interested in making such things; rather, he wanted to devise countermeasures.
"No matter what kind of weapon it is, the top priority is neutralizing it before it can activate."
The first thing that came to mind was using a device like a transporter gun to send the weapon to arbitrary coordinates, teleporting it to the far reaches of outer space.
"Alternatively, we could melt it in an instant," Jin added, referring to using a Plasma Sword or an ultra-powerful laser. "Or we could wrap it in a barrier so its effects can't spread to the surroundings."
Jin concluded that there were various ways to handle it.
"If we understand how it works, we should be able to build a jamming magi-device as well."
"Yeah, exactly."
In any case, they all agreed that they couldn't just ignore a group intent on building a "Final Weapon."
"However, letting that man get away was a bit of a setback."
"That man... Oh, you mean Graham Derby."
"He managed to become the chief administrator of Avalon, but he was an incompetent who only lasted about three years."
"Still, he was easy to manipulate."
The Five-man group continued talking, though their conversation gradually drifted into idle chatter. Even so, Jin knew better than to dismiss it; important information often slipped out during such small talk.
"Why don't we just catch someone else and brainwash them?"
"Don't be foolish. Selecting the right 'someone' is the hard part. A mere underling is useless, and positions with too many colleagues make things difficult. We need someone in a role where being alone doesn't seem suspicious."
"I see. They're actually putting some thought into this," Jin muttered to himself.
"It appears that Graham Derby is currently missing," Laojun reported.
"Right. And he definitely seems to have been brainwashed."
"It looks that way. Perhaps knowing that will provide some small comfort to Marikka-sama," Lordtoss noted. Marikka had been heartbroken that her former student had turned into a terrorist; knowing he had been a victim might offer some solace. Jin agreed.
"My Lord, it seems the Shinobi Squad has discovered something."
"What is it?"
The Shinobi Squad was operating in two-man cells.
One pair, Shinobi 1 and 2, were currently eavesdropping in the Five-man group's meeting room, while the other four pairs were scattered throughout the rest of the base.
At that moment, Shinobi 9 and 10 had reached the deepest part of the arsenal.
(There seems to be something here.)
The Shinobi Squad communicated primarily via their built-in manacams.
(The very back of the arsenal... Maybe this is where the Final Weapon is.)
The two units proceeded with even greater caution. There was always the possibility of a hidden room.
Soon, they discovered a highly unnatural spot.
The path ended at a wall, but the space directly in front of it was strangely empty—a vacant lot roughly ten meters square. This was particularly odd given that workbenches, tools, and Magi Machines were lined up neatly on either side of the gap.
(This is too unnatural... What do you think?) Shinobi 9 asked.
(It looks as if something was recently moved out of here,) Shinobi 10 replied.
(Or perhaps they're planning to place something here.)
Thinking about it didn't provide any concrete answers.
(Could there be something behind the wall, or perhaps underground?)
Shinobi 9 speculated, but they had no way to confirm it without being detected.
(I'd like to use Sonar, but that would give us away... Is there another way? Wait, I have an idea!)
Shinobi 9 contacted Laojun.
(This is Shinobi 9. We've found a suspicious space at the rear of the arsenal. Requesting a scan via Peeper.)
"This is Laojun. Request acknowledged. Commencing now."
The reply was instantaneous. After waiting for two minutes, the voice returned.
"There is indeed a hollow space behind that wall. An incomplete Magi Machine is located inside."
Laojun provided the details of the scan.
"That Magi Machine is flawed; even if completed, it would be useless. You may ignore it."
(Shinobi 9 and 10, acknowledged.)
"Laojun, what exactly is that Magi Machine?" Jin asked.
"Yes, My Lord. It appears to be a Magi Machine designed to generate mana waves that induce dementia."
"What?!" Jin shouted reflexively. "I-If a thing like that was finished, it would be a catastrophe!"
Laojun, however, remained composed.
"There is a reason why we can consider it a non-threat."
"Is that so?"
"Yes." Laojun began its explanation. "The origin of this device is a theory published approximately two hundred and fifty years ago."
"Right."
Since this occurred about two hundred and fifty years ago, it fell within the blank period after Jin's "passing" four hundred years prior. It was only natural that Jin didn't know of it. Likewise, it was no surprise that Lordtoss, who was 126 years old, was also unfamiliar with the theory.
Jin and Lordtoss both leaned in to listen to Laojun's explanation.