GalaxyTL
* * *
“H-Hey! What are you all dumbfounded for! Shoot more, shoot more, quickly blow that cursed child to pieces!!”
The command center was stunned by the flying girl, still relatively unharmed even after being bombarded by the magic battery, but the one who quickly regained his senses… or rather, his usual composure, and started shouting, was Commander Kokiatsu.
“‘Why is she still alive’? It must be magic, or a supernatural ability, or some magic tool! The reason doesn’t matter! Quickly… SHOOT HEEEEER!!”
“Y-Yes sir!!”
Kokiatsu, with his buttocks sunk deep in the fluffy chair, kicking his legs, was screaming with an incredible intensity!
The young officer was unable to organize his emotions and his head was hazy, so he followed Kokiatsu’s orders with a pale and trembling face!
He aimed, took a deep breath, and then activated ‘Snake’s’ magic batteries!
Chuinn!!
Chuinn, chuinn, chuinn!!
Rattling and shaking as it moved on the rails, ‘Snake’ fired another volley of 【Yellow Magic Orbs】!
“…………”
But they missed!
The flying girl, Emi, no longer off guard, glanced at ‘Snake’ with her emotionless eyes, flapped her jet-black wings, rode the wind, ascended, swaying from side to side, and dodged the bombardments one after another…!
“Damn iiiit! Don’t underestimate me, don’t underestimate me, cursed child!”
Kokiatsu, seeing that on the monitor, became even more enraged!
His face flushed red, he crushed the Flyfish Fry Sandwich he was holding in his hand, and then gave a new order to the officers!
“Activate the ‘Sun’! Gather all the security airships! No matter what, sh-oo-t he-r do-wn!!”
“All the security airships!?”
“But if we do that…!”
Even the officers from the Prime Minister’s faction couldn’t help but be confused by this order!
Right now, the Sky Kingdom is in chaos, not only from the demonstration, but also from various other anti-Prime Minister activities!
The possibility of enemy airships hiding in the clouds around the area can’t be ruled out, so it’s foolish to deploy all the security airships against a single girl!
But…!
“Y-Yes sir! ‘ Your Excellency Commander Kokiatsu’!”
“‘Following Your Excellency Commander Kokiatsu’s orders’, activating ‘Sun’!”
“Attention all security airships flying near the outer wall! ‘This is an order from Commander Kokiatsu’! The Sky Kingdom Air Force is currently engaged in battle with a mysterious flying girl… and…”
Before the Prime Minister faction officers could remonstrate with Kokiatsu, the other officers immediately took action and started carrying out his order!
They’re being threatened by Kokiatsu.
If they disobey his orders, not only their own lives, but even the lives of their families will be in danger.
They have no choice but to obey.
And if that order is so foolish…
That the more they carry it out, the more they’ll damage the reputation of Kokiatsu, who got his position through his faction’s power, and whom they hate…
In the end, there was no choice but to obey!
“‘Sun’, magic batteries ready! Firing! Three… two… one… fire!”
And the next thing to attack Emi, the flying illegal immigrant, was the ancient Ferris wheel!
Bashun, bashun, bashun!
From the rapidly spinning ancient Ferris wheel, 【Yellow Magic Orbs】, larger than the ones fired from ‘Snake’, flew towards Emi one after another!
“…………”
After glancing at the giant orbs that flew past her, and the ancient Ferris wheel, Emi changed her flight path.
She had been aiming to cross the outer wall and enter Neverfall, but she made a sharp left turn, choosing to fly along a route parallel to the outer wall of Neverfall, distancing herself from the Ferris wheel.
Emi’s flying technique is still clumsy, and she judged that it would be difficult to keep dodging if she was being targeted from two directions, ‘Sun’ as well as ‘Snake’.
“Nuhaha! She’s running away! Chase her, chase her, shoot her, shoot heeeer!!”
Kokiatsu, pleased by that, ordered the officers to pursue!
Chuinn, chuinn!!
Bashun, bashun, bashun!!
‘Snake’, moving on the rails as if running alongside Emi, and ‘Sun’, towering behind!
They persistently chased after Emi!
But…!
“Damn it!? Why… can’t we hit heeeeer!?”
Emi, despite being tossed around by unstable air currents, swaying and spinning from side to side, dodged all the orbs!
Kokiatsu, seeing that, immediately got into a bad mood, and furiously ate Flyfish Fry Sandwiches!
“…………?”
But that question that’s bothering Kokiatsu… ‘Why aren’t the shots hitting?’…
Actually, Emi is having the exact same thought.
Emi is currently flying with a tailwind, and is going quite fast.
But it doesn’t seem like that’s the only reason she’s been able to dodge so well.
She’s sensing things, a presence, or intuition, or the premonition of a bombardment by glancing at the battery… and dodging based on those senses, but.
To begin with… now.
The magic batteries’ bombardments, although they’re flying right near Emi… she doesn’t feel any ‘intent to hit’ from them.
Emi tilted her head slightly, puzzled.
The officer operating ‘Sun’, seeing that on the monitor, grinned and winked.
The serious young officer operating ‘Snake’, who was winked at, gulped, his face pale, and nodded slightly.
Their patience with Kokiatsu’s tyranny has finally run out.
They’ll still obey Kokiatsu’s orders, but they have no intention of carrying them out!
Of course, they can’t let her enter the country illegally, so they’re firing warning shots every time Emi tries to cross the outer wall, driving her away, but…
They have no intention of shooting down this incomprehensible flying girl…
* * *
Now then, that rigged aerial battle continued along the outer wall of Neverfall for a while, but the situation took a new turn.
The security airships that Kokiatsu had called for began gathering, to capture Emi.
This makes the situation even safer for Emi.
“Shoot, shoot, shoooot!!”
Kokiatsu is still yelling, but because he recklessly called for all the ships, the sky is incredibly crowded.
To avoid friendly fire, the security airships, ‘Snake’, and ‘Sun’… can’t use their magic batteries or other weapons!
It’s unclear why they even gathered!
Emi somehow manages to continue flying, slipping through the gaps between the airships!
And then…
“Damn, damn, daaamn! You incompetent fools! Why can’t you stop a single brat with this much firepower!? Form a wall, a waaaall!!”
At this moment, in this situation, in this place, Kokiatsu issued that order…
And that became the trigger for the end of the battle between Emi and Kokiatsu.
The security airship pilots are not incompetent, as Kokiatsu says.
On the contrary, their piloting skills are excellent.
They immediately obeyed the order and formed a wall by lining up their ships in Emi’s flight path.
Emi is small and agile, but her flying technique isn’t very precise.
At this rate, she’s bound to crash into the wall of airships!
She flapped her wings hard, trying to change direction, to get out into the open sky, away from Neverfall.
But it was at that moment!
“…!?”
GOOOOH!!
That’s right, a sudden gust of wind blew up Emi’s body, blowing her ever-higher into the air, with a particularly loud noise!
It’s a disturbance in the airflow, caused by the security airships forming a wall!
Kokiatsu, the officers, and even Emi didn’t expect that powerful updraft, which quickly lifted Emi’s small and light body upwards…!
“Rah… Aaah…!!”
Emi struggled to regain control, her body spinning as she was tossed around by the wind.
But it’s no use!
She could only sway from side to side, at the mercy of the mighty force of nature.
“Oh!? Lost control have you!? Nuhaha, fall, faaaall!!”
Kokiatsu, seeing that on the monitor, laughed loudly, kicking his legs!
“…Hmm?”
But on the other hand, the young officer…
Feeling an unspeakable… anxiety, he involuntarily leaned forward and stared at the monitor.
Let me disclose some new information here.
The place where the security airships gathered and formed a wall.
Where is that place?
Actually, by chance… it’s right in front of this ancient iron tower… where the command center is located.
In other words… that flying girl… is being carried, out of control by the wind, to this command center, located on the top floor of the iron tower…?
Wait, no…
So, what?
The young officer doesn’t understand why his instincts are sounding the alarm.
He doesn’t understand, but somehow, he feels like something bad is about to happen.
Glancing around the room, the other officers also had anxious expressions on their faces.
Only Kokiatsu was grinning, his face twisted hideously, in a good mood.
‘I feel like something is about to happen.’
Their baseless anxiety… became reality a few seconds later.
And what caused ‘it’… was a single gust of wind…
“!?”
Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew horizontally…
…Hitting Emi, who had been carried upwards until now!
“Aaaah!?”
Emi, unable to resist, was blown sideways!
And in front of her… is the ancient iron tower, with its heavy texture!
For some reason, countless spikes are protruding from its outer wall, and if she’s slammed into them, an ordinary person would definitely be pierced and die, and even Emi would probably be hurt quite badly!
“Aaaah… RAAAAAH!!”
So, seeing that, Emi decided to brace herself.
She deactivated her 【Black Wings】, and allowed the wind to carry her towards the tower… and enveloped her entire body with 【Black Arms】, transforming into a jet-black, conical, spear-like bullet!
The same shape she transformed into before, when she buried the barnacle that turned into a water giant, together with her underling, Zaratopu!
“RAAAAAAHーーー!!”
Furthermore, Emi spun around inside, rotating the bullet, and jetted mana from the back of the bullet, creating propulsion!
In this form, she can’t see what’s going on outside.
The wind might suddenly stop, and she might fall straight into the sea of fog.
She can’t let it end like that, after coming this far.
If she could just pierce that iron tower…
Emi will be able to enter Neverfall.
And then, the sightseeing begins!
…That’s the kind of short-sighted thinking that led to this charge.
“Th-The mysterious flying girl! She’s coming this way!? She’s, she’s charging towards the command centerーーー!!”
“Wh-Whatーーー!?”
But from the perspective of the Sky Kingdom Air Force command center, located in her path… it was nothing short of a fatal attack!
“I-Impact in… five… four… Ah, it’s too late! Run awaaaay!!”
The figure of the jet-black bullet, displayed on the monitor, is rapidly growing larger!
Gyururururuuーーー!!
And along with that, a terrifying spinning sound, coming from the girl who had transformed into a bullet, reached the command center!
The officers, unable to bear the instinctive fear, hurriedly got up from their seats and began evacuating, rolling along the wall of the room!
“Hey, hey, you lot!? Don’t leave your posts without permission!?”
But only Kokiatsu… didn’t run!
No, he can’t run!
Because his custom-made office chair is so soft and fluffy, it feels like sitting on a cloud!
That’s why Kokiatsu, who’s too fat, can’t stand up quickly!
And the next moment!
ZUGAAAAAAAN!!!
The jet-black bullet broke through the wall of the iron tower, which was thinner than expected, and emerged from the center of the monitor!
This bullet of destruction, arriving by chance upon chance, headed straight for Kokiatsu, who was sitting in its path, unable to move!
“N-Nwah!? M-My body, become steel, repel everything! 【Iron Body】!”
Kokiatsu hurriedly used magic, strengthening his defenses!
Furthermore, he used 【Body Strengthening】 with all his might…
“NUWAAAAAAHーーー! Don’t underestimate meeeeーーー!!”
And then… he caught the tip of the incoming, high-speed spinning, jet-black bullet… with both hands, as if clapping!
But…!
“RAAAAAAHーーー!!”
Emi, feeling a slight resistance from being caught by Kokiatsu, judged that ‘she had hit a wall’!
So, without hesitation, she increased the power of her mana jet, increasing her propulsion!
“NUGYAAAAAAHーーー!?”
Even Kokiatsu’s body, bloated with fat and flab, couldn’t withstand that force!
Kokiatsu, caught in the bullet’s path, was blown to the back of the command center, breaking through the wall there!
“RAAAAAAHーーー!!”
“AAAAAAAAAAHーーー!?”
And then, Kokiatsu, caught on the tip of the bullet, was helplessly spun around, caught in its rotation…
But finally, unable to withstand the centrifugal force, he was flung…
…Towards a certain place in Neverfall’s city.
Meanwhile, Emi, who had transformed into a bullet…
With Kokiatsu, her dead weight, gone, her forward momentum increased… and finally, she fell to Neverfall’s ‘ground’… a narrow street with no people.
ZUGAAAAAAAN!!
And with a tremendous roar, she broke through the cobblestones laid during the amusement park era, and even the metal plates from the aerial fortress era underneath, and fell into the ‘underground’.
To Neverfall’s interior… where people don’t normally go…
* * *
Meanwhile, in the command center.
“““““…………”””””
The officers were standing there, dumbfounded, looking at the two large holes in the wall.
“It’s gotten quite… airy, hasn’t it…?”
The young officer who was operating ‘Snake’ muttered, with a strained smile.
The Prime Minister faction officer, hearing that, glared at the young officer.
…But then he sighed, and…
“It’s actually… quite pleasant, haha…”
He said that, and chuckled, his voice laced with fatigue.
A gentle breeze blew, caressing their cheeks.
The greasy smell of Flyfish Fry Sandwich that had permeated the room quickly vanished.
Beyond the large holes… a beautifully clear blue sky spread out.