Book 16 - 16-69. Saga Empire, Battle at the Imperial Capital (2)

16-69. Saga Empire, Battle at the Imperial Capital (2)

※This is not from Satou's point of view as well

"--Err?"

The elder sister (Lulu) tilted her head in confusion at her little sister (Arisa) who pointed her finger with a snap at the imperial capital while saying, "Go get 'em."

"Like. Zubabaan!"

"Zubabaan?"

Lulu still couldn't really follow, but then she inferred Arisa was talking about bombardment and began to act on it.

"Activating combat assistance functionality, expanded vision."

『YES MY LADY, ACTIVATE, SYNCHRONIZED SENSOR』

Voice of the Floating Fort support system replied to her order, Lulu's vision got synchronized with the Floating Fort's expanded vision.

"Aim, retina transfer."

『AYE AYE MA'AM, EXECUTE, RETINA TRANSFER』

A reticle inside the vision overlaps with the target.

Figure of the demon lord that's taken position on top of a spire at the imperial castle's wall showed up in the center display.

Behind it, massive dark clouds are covering the imperial capital.

◇

"Your imperial majesty, the castle's barrier won't hold up much longer at this rate. We have to get [Heroes' Attendants] in the castle to summon the heroes here as quickly as possible."

"It cannot be helped. Have them use the Divine Gift Talisman."

The new emperor reluctantly gave his consent at the prime minister's word.

"That Hero Meiko, absent at a time like this..."

"Those fools at Parion Holy Land are beyond help!"

The new emperor took a glance at the selfish ministers only for an instant without saying anything in particular.

"""Oh great god Parion. We offer you our prayers and lifespan to grant us the summoning of heroes"""

Attendants of Hero Seigi, Hero Yuuki and Hero Fuu held up Talismans while praying to god to summon heroes.

Although not as rarely as the summoning of heroes from other worlds, this particular summoning is rarely ever performed.

The reason is because the talismans given by god Parion would shave off the heroes' attendants lifespan doing this.

"Attendant of Hero Seigi, Moryu, prays in reverence."

"Attendant of Hero Yuuki, Rafe, prays in reverence."

"Attendant of Hero Fuu, Zomu, prays in reverence."

Blue light magic circles manifested around the three attendants.

"""For a miracle that brings salvation to the world of men"""

Blue lights rise up from the magic circles as the attendants who recited the holy verses got dyed in blue color.

"May the Embodiment of Justice, Hero Seigi come to our aid."

"May the Embodiment of Hope, Hero Yuuki come to our aid."

"May the Embodiment of Benevolence, Hero Fuu come to our aid."

Right as the attendants finished the holy verses, torrents of overflowing mana swept over the audience hall and the heroes showed up from within the lights.

Apparently, even the god who forsook Parion Holy Land of prophecy lent her power to the heroes.

"Huh, what's happening?"

"Audience hall? Did Rapahel call for me?"

"Geh, enforced summon?"

Hero Seigi, Hero Yuuki, and Hero Fuu looked around in surprise.

Unlike the other two heroes, Hero Fuu is wearing a distasteful-looking robe with a hood covering his head.

"Listen well, heroes! Right now an unprecedented crisis has befallen upon Saga Empire."

The emperor stood up from his throne, and swung the scepter connected to City Core to display the scene outside the castle.

"Is that, this castle?"

"Something's latching on it? What's that big thing?"

Hero Seigi and Hero Yuuki muttered.

Apparently, they cannot use their divine gift Appraisal skill through a display, they have no idea that it's showing a demon lord.

"That's a demon lord."

"D-demon lord?"

"Another one, aren't there way too many demon lords in this other world?!"

At the emperor's word, Hero Seigi and Hero Yuuki sounded surprised and amazed.

Hero Fuu who's been looking down since the beginning is chewing his nails while restlessly surveying the surroundings like some suspicious person.

"--Oh crap oh crap oh crap, this is bad. Why'd the Vampire General who should have been leading Vampire Knights turned into a demon lord. It doesn't make any sense. It's gotten out of my control too, and I can't call for help since the connection to Ramiko-san at the base got cut off... Oh crap, it's a dead end. Damn, damn, damn..."

His muttering never turned into sounds, and no one in the audience hall where the crisis of demon lord was looming paid any heed to Hero Fuu's strange demeanor.

◇

At the same time, on the outskirts of Saga Empire--.

"Aiming complete. Fix."

『YES MY LADY. DIMENSION PILE, STAND BY』

The invisible dimensional pile fastened its long heavy main armament in the air along with the Floating Fort itself.

"Deploy Virtual Barrel."

『OK, VIRTUAL BARREL, SPREAD』

A 20 meter long gun barrel made of artificial substance created by force magic expands out of the main armament.

"Mana Overcharged Holy Shell, load."

『LOAD, AMMO』

With a loud thunk sound, a holy shell that has been overcharged with mana by Satou got loaded into the main armament.

"Accelerated magic circle, limit liftoff."

『AYE AYE MA'AM, BATTERY, FULL CHARGE』

The sacred tree stone furnace in the main floating fort fills the main armament with an enormous amount of mana.

『ACCELERATION, OVER DRIVE』

When it's done charging, a red light magic circle spreads out, parallel to the virtual gun barrel.

"Preparations complete! Arisa?"

"Get 'em!"

At Lulu who checked for the final confirmation, Arisa swung her arm down.

"Launch off!"

『IGNITION!』

As Lulu pulled the trigger, a flash of light dyed the surrounding in white, a light ball shining blue blasted into the head of demon lord that was sitting on top of the castle while leaving a beam-like trail behind.

That blue light ray made the atmosphere vibrate, burning brilliant blue lights under the dark clouds into the people's eyes.

Even the people who were scrambling to escape stopped in their tracks, some stopped the people next to them who were holding their arm, and looked up at the sky.

--ＶＷＺ.

When the demon lord sensed a danger, the holy shell had already blown its head away, vanishing into the capital's sky.

The holy shell didn't stop at just obliterating the demon lord's head, the shockwaves generated from it also blew away the dark clouds behind the demon lord, allowing sunlights to peek into the imperial capital.

Even the dark clouds that didn't get hit directly by the shockwave are moving away as if getting pushed aside by the sunlights.

--ＶＺＳ.

--ＧＷＵＧＹＺＡＡＡ.

--ＶＺＷＳ.

Blood Stalkers and Vampire Slaves that were bathed in sunlights instantly turned into ashes, while Vampires and Vampire Knights scampered off into shadows as their body were getting burned by the sunlights.

Bats and wolves familiars that were split from the demon lord's body turned into splashes of dark red blood the moment the demon lord's head went poof.

"Hit."

Mia who had dispatched Sylph to scout ahead again reported the collision.

"Yeay. How much damage did it make?"

"It has lost its head, I think that might have killed it."

Lulu replied to Hikaru who clapped her hands in elation.

"That was awesome. One-shotting a demon lord from somewhere far out view."

"Lulu is the world's best sniper, so I announce."

"Nn, good girl."

"Looks like we won't have our turn here."

All the girls besides Arisa praised Lulu who was unsure herself.

"What's wrong, Arisa-cchi?"

"U,uuun, it's nothing. I'd expect no less from my Onee-sama! Awe-Lulu!"

Arisa who got asked by Hikaru gave her thumb up to Lulu even while looking slightly restless.

Arisa's objective was actually for Lulu to blow away the dark clouds above the capital's sky, exterminating the weaker undeads and crippling the demon lord.

Arisa muttered, "All's well that ends well", while wiping off her nonexistent sweat.

Besides--.

『Pochi here nanodesu. The demon lord person's head turned into a goat's nanodesu!』

『Tama here~? After the blue faced person went aplomp, soldeers-san got weird~?』

Pochi and Tama reported on the revival of the demon lord and the remaining vampires' scheme.

As an addition for the sake of Tama's honor, the vampire that bit the soldier Tama witnessed had been previously defeated.

"So it really went and regenerated itself eh~"

"Demon lords are more persistent than G, so Master said."

Arisa reacted to something else next to Hikaru and Nana who lamented over the demon lord's revival.

"What's the meaning of this? The vampires in this world can only increase their numbers through ritual right?"

"Undead."

Mia gave the answer to Arisa's question in one word.

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe they turned the soldiers into undead with Soul Magic after killing them?"

"Ah, I see..."

Hikaru gave an explanation on Mia's word.

"Arisa, we should move out too, so I suggest."

"You're right. Everyone, grab on the Floating Fort."

While saying that, Arisa got onto the seat behind the Floating Fort's cockpit where Lulu resided.

Liza, Nana and Hikaru grabbed on handles situated on the Floating Fort's sides, and put their feet on the assist step.

Mia alone summoned Garuda and made it carry her on its arms.

『Tama, you know where the vampires are right?』

『Aye』

『Exterminate them』

『Aye aye sir~』

While traveling on the Floating Fort, Liza gave an order to Tama through space magic.

Almost at the same time, spectacles of vampires weakened by the sunlights getting killed off by ninjas that popped out of shadows, and of vampire knights getting chased off by multiple cat ninjas were witnessed in various locations at the capital.

◇

"The demon lord's head got blown off?"

"What was that attack!"

"Was it a ritual magic performed by the imperial court mage division?"

"Not possible. The commander and vice commander of the court mage division are still missing--"

"It's dragons! That absurd amount of force could only come from the species that walks on the path of destruction, it must be a heavenly dragon's attack!"

"No, could it be a magic cannon used by Furu Empire at the climax of great war?"

"Nonsense! Where could such a weapon get deployed from?"

A crucible of confusion descended in the imperial castle's audience hall after they witnessed Lulu's shot blowing away the demon lord's head.

None of them appears to be aware that the attack that had bewildered them so much came not from a dragon nor a hero, but an attendant of a hero.

"Your imperial majesty, perhaps that was Shiga Kingdom's Hero Nanashi's doing?"

"That can't be... Are you telling me that was a feat done by the hands of man? Even the magic cannon of ancient Lalakie civilization didn't hold that much power, did it?"

"However, it is said that Hero Nanashi even managed to eradicate the 『Golden Wild Boar King』 and the 『Dog-head Ancient King』 that were beyond men's powers."

"Father told me that Shiga Kingdom was cheating on it though?"

The new emperor and the prime minister exchanged words in whispers.

The [Immovable Sword] hanging in the previous emperor's bedroom flashed on the new emperor's mind. From his perspective, Hero Nanashi is someone that excels in assassinations, an insolent criminal that's hero in name only.

Hero Fuu got away from the people who were in uproar as they argued with each others.

"Fuu-han, Fuu-han--"

Someone with a peculiar accent talked to Hero Fuu who kept looking down.