GalaxyTL
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“<IHIHIHIHIHIーーー!>”
Inside the control room of the aerial fortress, ‘Soul Conqueror’, floating high above the royal capital.
“Now then, to our glorious victory! And to the future… where our eternal growth is guaranteed…”
“<Cheers!>”
…Megzam and Engee had started drinking.
Well, Engee currently doesn’t have a body, so he’s enjoying the atmosphere of a drinking party by having Megzam pour sake onto the magic sword, ‘Soul Devourer’, which is stuck in the pincushion-like mechanism in the control room.
“…Haaaah! Sake after a hard day’s work really hits the spot! The bestーーー!!”
Megzam, after gulping down the top-quality stolen sake, threw the empty glass in his hand, relaxed, and leaned back on the throne.
Displayed on the super large display in front of him, on the wall, was the sight of the beautiful morning sun illuminating the Ashgo Kingdom’s royal capital.
That morning sun is a blessing.
It’s a spotlight, shining on him.
Megzam, who had always lived in the shadows as a criminal.
But from now on, it’ll be different.
He’ll be the protagonist of the world.
Thinking that, he looked at the two screens displayed at the edge of the display with his slightly drunken mind.
One is the display showing the effective range of the 【Soul Absorption Barrier】.
This barrier already covers the entire Ashgo Kingdom’s royal capital.
Any human who dies in this royal capital now will be a sacrifice to Megzam and Engee.
And the other screen shows a red bar extending upwards.
In other words… the progress of the 【Red Magical Beam Cannon】 launch preparation.
The preparation progress of this superweapon, its cooldown time over, was at 46%.
“Where should I fire it…?”
Engee, recalling the pleasure of devouring souls, grinned lecherously, his body trembling.
But.
<How about… we fire it at that brat from earlier! She’s monstrously strong, you know! Just killing her alone will give us far more power than killing everyone in this city!!>
Hearing Engee’s carefree remark…
…Megzam instantly sobered up.
“Hey, wait a minute.”
Megzam, his face, which had been flushed red from the alcohol, turning pale, questioned Engee in a sharp tone.
“That brat… is she alive?”
<Probably! The 【Soul Absorption Barrier】 is working, but I didn’t feel her soul being absorbed! So she’s probably still alive! Ihihi!>
“It’s not ‘Ihihi’ time!! It’s not the time to be laughing!?”
Megzam, stomping his feet, was enraged!
He’s afraid of Emi.
To be honest, for him, the most terrifying being in the world is Emi Rune.
And you’re telling me she’s still alive!?
What if she attacks again!?
This is not the time to be drinking!
<Ihihi, you worry too much, Partner! Calm down, calm down!>
But Engee was nonchalant.
He started explaining, laughing as if mocking the panicking Megzam.
<Listen, first of all, we’re currently at a very high altitude. We even stopped replenishing mana from the magical cables! That brat can summon wings, but it seems she’s not good at flying! So there’s no way she can reach us now!>
“…………”
Megzam silently listened to Engee, scratching his beard.
Satisfied with his docile demeanor, Engee continued.
<And as I said before, ‘Soul Conqueror’ has a limited number of cannonballs! So we need to avoid wasting them. And its range is short! Then what should we use to make sure we kill her?>
“…The 【Red something】, I guess.”
<That’s rightーーー! Ihihi, there’s no way a super genius like me would leave such a dangerous monster alone without a plan! I’m always thinking aheadーーー!!>
“…Huuuuーーー…”
Megzam, after listening to Engee, let out a long breath.
And then, he leaned back on the throne again.
Since he broke the glass when he threw it away earlier, he put the bottle to his lips and guzzled down the sake.
“…So? Then where is that brat now?”
<Ihihi, she’s probably lying around somewhere! Should we lock onto her target while we have the chance!? Let’s see…>
Click, click, click.
Engee switched the footage on the display.
One of them, a camera capturing the main street running through the center of the royal capital.
And when the footage from there was displayed on the screen… Megzam and Engee found the girl they were looking for.
Zoom, zoom, zoom.
Zooming in on the footage repeatedly.
Standing there was indeed the Cursed Child with black hair and black eyes, Emi Rune.
She was standing in the middle of the deserted main street, glaring at ‘Soul Conqueror’.
“<…She can still stand after all that…?>”
Megzam and Engee, terrified by that fact, shuddered, but as Engee speculated earlier, that monster should have no way of harming them anymore.
Calming themselves down… they solemnly aimed the 【Red Magical Beam Cannon】 at Emi.
The preparation progress for the launch was at 87%.
Almost there.
Almost.
Soon, the red beam will scorch the ground…
…And that monster will be obliterated.
That’s how it should be.
But for some reason, Megzam, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, swallowed.
…It was at that moment.
Emi Rune, displayed on the screen.
…Started moving.
She spread her legs, wider than shoulder-width.
Her right hand, gripping something white, pulled back.
Her other hand, her left hand, as if aiming, was pointed towards ‘Soul Conqueror’.
It was unmistakably…
…The preparatory stance for 【Stone Throw】.
“W-Wait!!”
Megzam, having a bad feeling, seeing that, involuntarily stood up, reached out towards the display, and shouted!
But his voice wouldn’t reach the ground.
Emi slowly raised her left foot.
It was a slow movement, as if gathering strength, but…
…There’s no doubt that that girl is about to unleash a 【Stone Throw】 towards ‘Soul Conqueror’.
And it’s only a matter of seconds before it’s released.
“Wait, wait, wait… Wait, wait, wait, waiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitーーー!!!”
Just a… 【Stone Throw】!
Megzam couldn’t laugh it off!
He frantically slammed his hand on the 【Red Magical Beam Cannon】 launch button, repeatedly, repeatedly, repeatedly!
Pepepe-popope-pomyun!
But all that echoed in response was that weak, cute… operation failure sound effect!
The current 【Red Magical Beam Cannon】!
The preparation progress for the launch is at 97%!!
“Uwaaa, aaaa, aaaaaaaaaaaahーーー!!”
While Megzam was screaming in terror!
Emi on the ground, what she was holding in her right hand…
…The Divine Jewel!
With all her might… towards the power source of ‘Soul Conqueror’…
…She unleashed a 【Stone Throw】!!
BYUUUUUN!!!
Faster than the wind!
Leaving even sound behind!
The Divine Jewel, continuing straight ahead…
…Finally hit the giant, glowing red sphere!
In other words, the power source of ‘Soul Conqueror’!
…And easily pierced through it!!
What happened as a result?
It was… a massive explosion… of the aerial fortress ‘Soul Conqueror’!!!
——
【Stone Throw】
Appeared from Arc 2.
A technique that Emi learned early on to survive in another world as a child.