GalaxyTL
* * *
The final stage, the fourth stage, begins.
——
Mihabyushira Hill, suddenly rising into the pale blue sky.
Its appearance is, roughly speaking, a cone with a pointed bottom.
Would it be easier to understand if I said… shaped like a spinning top?
On its upper part sits the natural, verdant Mihabyushira Hill, beloved by the citizens of the royal capital.
But attached right below it is a structure made of a mysterious metal, with a very mechanical design.
Although it’s covered in dirt because it was buried underground, you can see gears rotating, antenna-like parts, and protrusions that look like they could shoot something, all arranged haphazardly, with purple cables running through the gaps.
Several of these cables, especially the thicker ones, extend downwards, still connected to the ground.
I just described it as ‘shaped like a spinning top’, but if you include these cables, this flying hill doesn’t look that different from a jellyfish.
And it seems these cables are extending radially from Mihabyushira Hill.
What happened as a result of the hill’s ascent was the collapse of the houses built on the ground above the cables.
The beautiful cityscape of the royal capital, built with gray stone, was mercilessly destroyed simply because the cables were pulled up, dragging the hill with them.
And on the underside of this floating Mihabyushira Hill, there was a structure that was even more eye-catching.
It’s a super giant sphere, located at the tip, the very bottom of the cone.
This sphere is glowing like fire, dyeing the pre-dawn royal capital redder than a sunset.
Now, about this bizarre Mihabyushira Hill.
Why did this hill suddenly rise into the air?
A prank by the gods?
A natural phenomenon caused by mana?
Both of these are answers that could be considered correct in this world of Ardyst, but in this case, they’re wrong.
This ascent of Mihabyushira Hill…
…Was artificially induced.
And its purpose is.
…A massacre of unprecedented scale!
* * *
“I-Ihihi… Amazing! This is amazing! We’re flying, aren’t we!!”
Let’s change perspectives.
This Mihabyushira Hill actually has a control room inside for operating its movements.
The walls of this semi-circular room are a single display, showing several images of the surrounding area.
The man sitting comfortably in a luxurious chair in the center of the room, like a throne, clapping his hands in delight, watching the images.
This man is one of the culprits behind Mihabyushira Hill’s ascent.
This filthy, giant man with a bushy beard.
He’s a lawless man from the ‘Country of Thieves’, Yabonove, a villain who once led a small band of thieves and caused havoc.
And now, he’s also a murderer who indiscriminately kills people at the instigation of his ‘partner’.
His name… is Megzam.
<IHIHIHIHIHIーーー! How’s this, how’s this, isn’t it amazingggggg!? This is the aerial fortress I built during my ‘very first’ life, my pride and joy! In other words, it’s ‘Soul Conqueror’ーーー!!>
A high-pitched, jarring voice echoed in Megzam’s head.
It’s the voice of his partner.
“‘Soul Conqueror’… ‘Soul’ again. So this flying hill is related to ‘Soul Devourer’ as well? Partner.”
There’s no one in Megzam’s line of sight as he asks that while twirling his beard.
What’s there is a long, slender, eerie sword, its blood-red blade glowing, stuck into a device that looks like a giant pincushion.
In other words… the magic sword ‘Soul Devourer’.
Yes, Megzam’s partner is the magic sword ‘Soul Devourer’… or rather, the ‘Great Evil Spirit, Engee Albitt’, who was possessing that magic sword.
<Yes, yes, yes, yes, absolutelyyy! I told you before, didn’t I!? ‘Soul Devourer’ has external devices!>
Engee happily answered Megzam’s question.
Now, originally, these two couldn’t converse unless Megzam was holding the hilt of the magic sword.
But by sticking ‘Soul Devourer’ into ‘Soul Conqueror’, Engee transferred his possession target to the giant ‘Soul Conqueror’.
And Megzam is also wearing a strange hat with lots of cables sticking out of it to operate ‘Soul Conqueror’.
In other words, as long as he’s wearing this hat, Megzam can talk to Engee even without holding ‘Soul Devourer’.
“Hoo… So this ‘Soul Conqueror’… is that… external something?”
Megzam continued his conversation with Engee while picking his nose.
‘External device’ is a term rarely used in modern Ardyst, so Megzam is unfamiliar with it.
And he’s not very interested in this topic.
So, no matter how many times he’s told, he doesn’t really remember.
<That’s righttt!! And this ‘Soul Conqueror’ greatly expands the functions of ‘Soul Devourer’ーーー!! ‘Soul Devourer’ is just a sword, you know, so there’s a limit to how many it can kill!! But this aerial fortress is differentーーー!?>
Engee shouted proudly.
Megzam’s heart pounded as he listened.
“So you’re saying… I can kill… more and more…?”
<That’s right!>
“I can devour… more and more… souls?”
<Yes, yes!>
“So I can… experience that… supreme sensation… to my heart’s content?”
<Yes, yes, yessss!>
“That… well…”
After saying that, Megzam paused, wiping the drool dripping from his chin with the sleeve of his bloodstained clothes.
“It’s going to be a fun feast.”
…He licked his lips, a wicked smile spreading across his face, gazing at the cityscape of the Ashgo Kingdom’s royal capital displayed on the front wall display.