“See ya~”
Major Raymond, who was so lighthearted it was hard to believe he was a career soldier, handed me some mineral water as he departed.
Thank heavens. Thank heavens.
I etched it into my soul then and there: special status was truly justice.
The train rattled along.
Why was it that boarding a train always made me so hungry?
I rummaged through the pockets of my military uniform and fished out two energy bars. They were made of a soybean powder dough kneaded with protein, supplemented by a generous helping of sugar and starch syrup.
They were cloyingly sweet, with a mysterious caramel flavor.
Rumor had it these were the ultra-high-calorie snacks that would give a desk jockey a lifestyle disease within a single year if they ate them regularly. Before the war with the Zorks, I’d found them way too sweet to enjoy, but now, eating one actually made me feel a sense of relief.
I’d been moving around way too much lately!
“Want one?”
“Mm.”
I handed one to Kevin. Perhaps he was exhausted as well, because he ate it in total silence.
The snack sucked all the moisture out of my mouth. I took a long swig of the water I’d received from Major Raymond. As a precaution against spies, I checked the bottle for signs of tampering, but the seal was intact and there were no foreign substances inside.
Living a life where you had to doubt everyone really impoverished the soul...
“Yo, want something to munch on?”
A man with narrow eyes offered me some snack crackers.
“Ah, uh...”
“Corporal Ito, sir. Usually, I’m with the military public relations department, but well, given the state of the world, here I am.”
“I’m Leo Kamishiro.”
“I know! I heard you were on this train, so I figured I’d try for a quick interview. Mind if I record a bit?”
Without waiting for an answer, Ito flipped the switch on an action camera.
“We’ve found him! The legendary Leo Kamishiro is right here!”
“Whoo-hoo!”
I’d reached the point of total desperation. I’d just lean into the hype and act like a party animal.
“You’re really an idiot,” Kevin muttered, looking annoyed for some reason.
“So, Leo-kun. How do you think this war is going to turn out?”
“I’m just a student, so I wouldn’t really know. I simply place my trust in Her Highness.”
Translation: “Isn’t my wife the one supposed to handle all that complicated crap?”
“So you trust Imperial Princess Veronica?”
“Naturally. I only exist because of Her Highness.”
I let my teeth flash in a sparkling grin.
When I glanced to the side, Kevin had a look on his face that clearly said: Don’t just spout whatever nonsense comes to mind! You’ve just completely stopped thinking, haven’t you?! You moron!
I mean, it was Edge’s job to defeat the final boss anyway. I intended to retire from the spotlight forever after this battle for the capital. I was absolutely going to retire! I’d become the behind-the-scenes support for my wife and the "advice big brother" for the protagonist!
“What incredible resolve! Such composure! Such objectivity! And such loyalty to the Empire! We should all strive to follow your example!” Ito gushed.
First of all, I had zero composure. My sense of fear was just paralyzed. After every fight, I usually ended up shaking like a leaf once the adrenaline wore off. I didn’t have any objectivity either! I was right in the middle of it!
Besides, I was planning to help my wife take over the country. In a sense, you could say I was planning to destroy the current Empire. It was honestly hilarious how he hadn't hit on a single grain of truth.
Well, time to ride this train straight to the Palace—
“Hm? Kamishiro-san, do you hear something?”
The moment Mr. Ito stood up from his seat, the ceiling blew apart.
“Whoa?!”
Despite my shock, I shoved Kevin’s head down and forced him flat against the floor.
This was bad!
As the thought flashed through my mind, I saw a massive piece of debris hurtling toward Mr. Ito.
“Eh?”
Ito’s body was swept up. He was thrown right out of the train car.
“Mr. Ito!!!”
He was gone in an instant. In his place, something else entered my field of vision—a gargantuan object descending from the sky, as if tearing through the heavens themselves.
A battleship-type Zork.
Are you kidding me? That’s a mid-game boss!
The battleship-type Zork unleashed hundreds of beams. It wasn't even aiming; it was just scattering destruction at random, intent on nothing but the total annihilation of humanity.
A beam impacted nearby. The carriage bucked, and several people were hurled violently out of the gap in the ceiling.
“Move to another carriage!!!” someone screamed.
The owner of that voice was thrown clear of the train by the very next tremor. The soldiers descended into a panic, scrambling toward the other cars.
I grabbed Kevin’s hand and hauled him up.
“We’re running!”
“Which way?!”
“There was a battery in the back! We’re going there!”
The turret was one reason, but I was also worried about Suzuki and Takahashi. Besides, Major Raymond should have headed toward the rear before the attack started.
We sprinted for the back of the train. Since most of the soldiers were bottlenecking at the front, we didn't run into any traffic.
We burst into the rear carriage. Major Raymond was collapsed on the floor, blood trickling from his head.
“Major Raymond!”
“U-ugh...”
It looked like a concussion. A physical terminal had fallen beside him, displaying lists of supplies and civilians. He must have been in the middle of his paperwork when the strike hit.
“L-Leo-kun... the turret... is right there... Please...”
“Kevin, look after the Major.”
“Y-yeah! Don’t get hurt, okay?!”
“Listen, if I don’t make it back, tell my wife this: ‘There’s a video of a tan-skinned gyaru that I bought on a whim saved on our home terminal. If the worst happens, delete it for me.’”
“Stop making tasteless jokes and just get going already!!!” Kevin screamed.
Fiiiine.
When I reached the battery, a soldier inside pointed a gun at me. His eyes were glazed over, completely vacant.
Ah, this is just like those guys at the academy.
The moment the thought occurred to me, I punched him. My fist caught his jaw and knocked him out cold in a single blow. Phew. He’d seriously been trying to kill me.
I threw myself into the gunner's seat. It was an anti-aircraft beam cannon. There was no way this weapon could take down a battleship-type, but I already knew what was coming next.
Countless small objects swarmed out from the battleship-type Zork.
Flying-type Zorks.
They began strafing the city as they swooped down toward the train.
“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
I screamed as I slammed down on the triggers.
I had to! I couldn’t keep my sanity unless I was yelling!
I picked off the flying-types one after another. Fortunately, unlike the Crab-chans, these things actually stayed down if you clipped their wings. The reason my intuition hadn't warned me about the attack earlier was likely because the killing intent had originated from outside the atmosphere.
“Leo-kun! I’m moving Major Raymond further back!” Kevin’s voice came over the comms.
“Help the civilians too!” I yelled back.
Thinking during a firefight—multitasking—was impossible for me! I just focused on shooting. Claire was way better at precision fire than I was.
Man, I really need to practice shooting without closing my eyes.
I didn't need to do everything myself, but it was always better to have a wide repertoire. Still, right now, I didn't feel like I could do a damn thing against that behemoth in the sky. I had my hands full just keeping the small fries off us.
“Lord Groom!!!”
A girl’s high-pitched voice crackled through a new transmission. The air began to vibrate with a heavy, rhythmic thrumming.
“Kah-hah-hah-hah!!! I’ve come to fetch you!!!”
My wife and the Imperial Guard’s ship had finally arrived.