TLN: Final notice, moving sites:
I slowly put my feet on the ramp and made sure that it wouldn't break as I approached the airs.h.i.+p.
The entrance isn't showing signs of opening with ivy being tangled with it, so I took out my sword and severed them. Then, once I opened the entrance with the card key, I entered the s.h.i.+p's──no, the wars.h.i.+p's interior.
Unlike the outside, it was still beautiful and lacked ivy or moss.
It's cla.s.sified as an airs.h.i.+p that can become a flying battles.h.i.+p. No wait, it's a s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p, so I suppose it's a cosmic battles.h.i.+p? At any rate, the design of the wars.h.i.+p's interior was very futuristic. It seems to come from a whole different universe…especially compared to the game it appears in.
“The interior isn't visible in the game, so this is the first time I'm seeing it. I wonder if it was like this there?”
I'm estimating the size to be around seven hundred meters, making it an enormous cosmic battles.h.i.+p. It's questionable whether something this large can fly, but this is a world where islands and continents can float.
Among them, some of the smaller islands have even been remodeled to become airs.h.i.+ps. I've heard that their size easily surpa.s.ses one thousand meters, and they're like a mobile fortress.
I can't really make a comparison here since I haven't actually seen them, but this is a world where it's not strange for something of this size to fly.
It seems that in this world, something of this magnitude is indeed large, but not rare.
On the outside, it basically has an engine that's like a square box on both sides of the machine's rear. It's aerodynamic body means that its head is pointed forward, so when looking at it from up top in the game──its graphic looks like an isosceles triangle with squares attached to both sides.
The shape itself is simple, with no propellers on the deck, sail, or anything of that sort.
The shapes of airs.h.i.+ps in this world vary.
A common airs.h.i.+p shape is one that resembles a rugby ball. Honestly, it seems that there isn't really a fixation towards the shape, probably since the level of difficulty in making an airs.h.i.+p is low.
It's easy to make it float in the first place. Hence, people tend to develop airs.h.i.+ps and then adventure around or do something else.
…As I move through the wars.h.i.+p's interior, the lights automatically turned on, so I shut off my lantern.
After coming this far, there's only one obstacle remaining.
I intend to make it to the s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p's center and get it to move.
As I moved along this incredibly lengthy pa.s.sage, I could only hear the sound of my own footsteps. Then, a door to my goal appeared, and I came to a halt while wiping my sweat.
While tense, I checked the status of my rifle and confirmed whether there were bullets loaded into the magazines.
I adjust my breathing.
“…Time to move.”
I brace myself, open the door, and head inside.
It was the central facility of the s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p──the place where everything is controlled, the core. A very s.p.a.cious area had been arranged here.
In the middle of the room, a humanoid robot, whose upper-half rose from the floor, was waiting.
It had a large body.
Its head had a simple shape, and within its visor were camereyes that glowed red.
A startup sound resounded within the room.
I readied my rifle.
[…Intruder detected. Exterminate…exterminate…]
The robot slowly came alive, and its size was about six meters. Its large hands moved to try and catch me, so I pulled the trigger on my rifle.
However, the impact only let out a small explosion on the surface of its armor, emitting a flash──that was it.
“So it really is going to be hard.”
When I loaded the next bullet, the ejected cartridge made a metallic clank as it hit the floor.
“Will you not permit me if I show it a key card?”
As I held the faint hope that it wouldn't stop me if I had one of the base members' key card, the robot in front of me replied in a calm tone.
[The card key you own is from a base staff member. Your body features do not match the member, nor any of the other staff members. Additionally, it has been judged that the survival of the owner, and the people of this base, is hopeless. Therefore, you are an intruder──exterminate.]
“Thanks for the honest reply, at least!”
I had heard a synthesized electronic voice. I did not expect it to be able to a hold a conversation. I think it's a bit surprising how direct its answer was, but I don't have the leisure to care about that right now.
The next shot was on the mark, but it likewise didn't deal that much damage.
I run to escape its arms that extended out.
When I took a cylindrical object attached to my belt, pulled out its pin, and after I threw it, the opponent tried to ward it off with one hand.
However, when trying to do so, it exploded on impact.
It brought forth an electrical shock stronger than what the bullets could do, and the robot opponent temporarily halted. Fumes where coming from its joints.
“Alright!”
While I was being glad that I hadn't missed, the visor on the robot's head s.h.i.+ned.
[Attacks from “magic” have reached critical levels. Now activating magic barrier.]
A faint light sprung out from its body to wrap it, as if protecting it entirely.
Even when I fire shot after shot, it completely repels the magic electric attacks. Electricity doesn't even come out on impact, and there's no damage.
“How cowardly!”
The robot replied in response to my cry.
[Thank you.]
Though I was surprised that it thanked me, I switched magazines and readied my rifle.
“Are you broken? You kinda just thanked me.”
While I was shooting bullet after bullet with the rifle, it seemed that the movements of the opponent dulled a bit.
[Fighting cowardly is a compliment. That's what I've been taught, is that wrong?]
“It's wrong! Why are do you have countermeasures against magic!”
This thing didn't have magic barriers in the game. I've been cheated here.
[Simple answer. I cannot say that I understand magic, but a.n.a.lyzing and preparing countermeasures is natural, no?]
“You sure are bright! Chatty too!”
While running around in the room, I continue pulling the trigger to attack consecutively. I've been searching for a weak point, but I can't see one.
If I ask, will it tell me?
[It's been a very long time since I've spoken like this, I may be in a state of excitement.]
I'm wondering what this machine is talking about, but this cheat-level s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p is a lost item.
The culmination of ancient technology, a microtransaction item I bought for one thousand yen…it's a bit odd that this was one thousand yen, but anyways, there's no doubt that it's a potent weapon.
It wouldn't be strange for there to be an AI, but I didn't think it could converse. Perhaps it's because the setting for this wasn't established in the game.
I take another cylinder from my waist──a hand grenade.
[Is that possibly a hand grenade with magic effects? There will be no effect on my current──]
“Idiot!”
I throw it, take a distance, and stoop down.
The enemy didn't try to defend against it.
However, when the grenade hit the robot opponent, it made a large explosion that was unlike the previous one. I tumbled over to the corner of the room from the blast, but I soon got up.
Black smoke sprung out into the room, and visibility soon worsened.
“That's just an ordinary bomb. Tremendous power, right? I was hesitant on using it because it could have destroyed the s.h.i.+p.”
I'm going to use this s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p later. It would have been better for there to be as few scratches as possible, so I didn't want to use it.
Within the smoke-filled room, I lowered my rifle.
“This is only a fragment of the trump cards I have. Even in the game, my power was quite──”
While thinking that this was it was over, a large hand then reached out from the black smoke and easily caught me.
The impact made me drop my rifle, so I took out my sword and thrust it at the robot's fingers. However, the blade only chipped and it didn't cause any damage.
Being grabbed this forcefully is very painful.
“L, let go──”
[──I was surprised. That was just a powerful grenade? Since you all are so obsessed with magic, I didn't think that you would use weapons like this. What an interesting battle.]
A portion of the robot opponent's armor was torn off, exposing what's inside. The infrastructure, motor, and other such parts were visible.
As it grasped me, it brought its face closer while looking at me.
[Your way of fighting is quite different from those in the past. That rifle is surprising, but I have an interest in those bullets. Incorporating magic into them is a fascinating concept.]
Using its camera lenses within its visor, it kept magnifying and retracting while looking at my face, moving frequently.
I can't escape, and the strength of the hand its using to seize me is gradually getting stronger.
It threw a question at me as I was struggling.
[Question. What year is it in terms of the solar calendar?]
“Agh! Solar calendar? As if I know! In terms of the Holfault Kingdom calendar…Gaaaah!!”
Electricity sprouted from the robot opponent's hand, and my body turned numb from the agony as I yelled in pain.
Losing control, I acted violently to try and get away, but it wasn't likely that I would escape anyhow.
[That answer is plenty. We had asked the same question many times…but we were defeated all the same.]
I was exhausted once the electric current ended, and the robot's motion ceased. I was trembling and I couldn't close my mouth, so I wiped my drool with the hand I was using to hold my sword.
“D, defeated? We? What are you talking──”
Were there even opponents that could make a cheat-level battles.h.i.+p lose?
[…This is about the new human race. The former civilization had been destroyed in the past before the advent of the new human race with overwhelming magic power.]
New human race?
Is this part of the game-like setting? Did the otome game include such a setting? I'm a little concerned. I wanted to deal with this simply, I wanted to be spared of any new facts when coming here.
Well, such a thing has nothing to do with me. I need to get out of here somehow.
[And you are a descendant of the new human race. You are the enemy for me.]
I suddenly heard a low voice akin to an electronic-sound. It was as if the voice was trying to label me as an enemy and eliminate me.
“T, that had a lot of emotion. Let's talk about this for a second──hey, w, wait! Augh!”
I heard a sound that I should not have heard coming from my body as the large hand continued constricting me. The sound of it gradually grew stronger.
[Exterminate the enemy…exterminate…]
Things were no longer in a state where we could talk.
It seemed that the robot was trying to crush me at once after having taken a large amount of damage. However, on the contrary, it only resulted in my prolonged suffering.
I don't know if that's good luck or bad luck, but I've decided on what I have to do.
“Y, you…you're just dragging out an old feud.”
[Our mission is not over. It is our maximum priority to exterminate the new human race. The orders were to be on standby at this base, but to exterminate if new human race beings come. At this point, many of the new human race had come to this base. And looking at you now, it's obvious that they are weakening…I will now launch an attack to destroy the new descendants of the new human race──]
There have been adventurer's that have come to this island before?
Leaving that aside, if this thing gets out there and goes on a rampage, my family is going to be erased.
Doesn't this make me the one who woke this dormant thing up?
It's fine if that Zola is gone, but it's definitely repulsive if my parents, my older brother, and my younger brother disappear.
I bit on a pin within the hilt of the sword on my right hand, pulled it out, and pointed the blade at the robot.
Then─
“Go to h.e.l.l…piece of junk.”
Once I activated the mechanism, the blade flew, stuck itself into the visor of the robot, and then burst into a flash of lightning. Since the electricity flowed into its internals, the damage was likely huge.
The head of the robot blew away with a small explosion, and the visor broke apart as it flew off. I don't mind that a piece sc.r.a.ped past my cheek, causing blood to come out.
The hand lost its power, releasing me as I dropped onto the floor. Hitting the floor is painful, but being released made it easier to breathe and I'm relieved that I was able to escape from harm. I don't know what's what anymore.
While coughing violently, I moved on my hands and knees to retrieve my rifle.
The robot had dull movements, and its behavior turned strange.
Pus.h.i.+ng myself up with the rifle, I then thrust the muzzle towards the visor.
“I don't need to have sympathy for you. I have my own circ.u.mstances. Be silent, lay down, and accept what's coming to you.”
I pull the trigger. Then I loaded a bullet again and pull the trigger once more. Each time I repeat, the robot tries to reach out and grab me with its hand, but──
“──It's over.”
I repeat this many times until my magazine became empty and the robot stopped moving.
