Volume 4 Chapter 10 A Secret Weapon
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Fedelate had promised that, once his long-cherished wish was fulfilled, he would heal Karin’s crippled arm. Several days later—
”Gyaaaaahhhh!”
A beastly shriek split the midnight silence. I jolted awake, heart hammering. What on earth? At this hour…a bird? But that cry was far too huge.
It came only once. Probably nothing serious…but now I was awake. With a groan, I decided to fetch some water—and maybe visit the latrine. A pit had been dug near the wall a little apart from the chieftain’s tent. My pit, in fact. I dug it myself.
I wondered absently—how did the Spirit Clan handle their toilets? I had never once seen them relieve themselves. Pondering that oddity, I turned back toward the tent…and froze.
A strange pulse rippled through the air.
”What is this…mana, trembling?” I whispered.
This was a Demon Clan military facility, after all. Plenty of magicians around. But at this hour, what could they be doing? I wanted to investigate—but the chieftain had ordered me not to interfere. Worse, if I blundered into Bear in those halls, I might end up trading blows on the spot.
”Tomorrow. I’ll ask the chieftain tomorrow,” I decided, retreating to my tent.
* * *
”This way!” Melon led us toward the underground Gate. I marched close by her side, sworn to be her shield. Reina and Sheena followed, flanked tightly by the kingdom’s elite special forces.
We had slipped into the facility under cover of night, riding Reina’s flying dragon from the Imperial Capital.
”Strange…the guards are awfully thin,” Reina murmured.
”Probably heard about the capital being attacked and ran home in a panic,” Sheena quipped.
Her flippant tone belied her keen insight. Aaron hadn’t planned that deeply, but I suspected she was right.
Still, once inside, we ran into a web of patrols. The special forces fought in bursts—blocking, striking ahead, clearing paths. Step by step, we pressed toward the Gate, for Melon and Reina had to be delivered there at all costs.
The deeper we went, the stronger the defense became, slowing our progress. When we finally reached the underground levels, my gut clenched.
”Damn…that’s bad.”
Before the Gate loomed an unfamiliar heavy weapon, mounted and waiting. Imperial Army gear, no doubt.
”A frontal charge won’t work here,” Reina said, frowning.
”What about above?” Melon asked suddenly.
Reina blinked, then her eyes lit up. “That hole—the one for watching the battery room! Yes. Back upstairs!”
We made for the watch room. A soldier blasted the lock, ready to storm inside when—
”Gwah!”
He crumpled, struck from behind.
”What—?”
A massive bear-beastfolk loomed, axe raised.
”Bear!” Melon shouted.
”Well, well. Back again, sweetheart? Couldn’t stay away from me, huh? Ha! I must be irresistible!” Bear jeered.
”Damn bear!” Reina lunged from his blind side—
”Don’t move.”
The cold voice came from behind.
”Zaharu…” Reina spat, frustration burning.
The demon woman stood with soldiers, rifles leveled at us. Behind, our trailing comrades had already been seized.
”One step, and I’ll paint the wall with your brains,” Zaharu said sweetly. Her eyes cut to Melon. “You really are trouble, aren’t you? But you made a big mistake.”
”What mistake?” Melon snapped.
”You forgot to reset the alchemy furnace’s recipe. Thanks to that, the batteries were easy to restore.”
”No! I thought the furnace burned with the batteries!”
”Too bad. You’re no longer needed. Die here!”
Her finger tightened on the trigger—
”Flash Strike!!”
A whirlwind ripped through the room. Zaharu’s body split apart, her soldiers falling in pieces. All dead before they hit the ground.
”What—? Who—? Sharlin!?” Melon gasped.
”Lady Melon! You’re safe! And…Yuuta? What in the—” Sharlin sputtered, bewildered.
No time. Bear charged, axe flashing.
Sparks burst as Sharlin met the strike with her greatsword.
”You again, damn bear! This time I’ll finish it!”
”Tch. A dark elf? Not worth a straight fight.” Bear hacked a few more times, then his hand dipped to his waist—
”He’s escaping!” Melon cried.
And vanish he did.
”Gate spell,” Reina growled.
”That bastard! I’ll chase him down—” Sharlin snarled.
”Wait! Why are you here?” Melon cut in. “Weren’t you ordered to destroy the Gate?”
”Gate…destruction order? I lost my shortwave set, missed the rest of the transmissions. I was captured with Karin by the Spirit Clan, escaped when they pulled out, and learned Karin had headed here. I followed and found this mess.”
”And Karin? Is she safe?” I demanded.
Sharlin shook her head. She didn’t know.
Karin…please be safe.
”Yuuta, save it. Private matters later. On to the Gate!” Melon ordered.
* * *
Below the watch room lay the battery chamber. Melon frowned.
”The wall’s been rebuilt. We can’t reach the Gate Room this way.”
”If we step into that hall, their gun will shred us,” Reina said grimly.
”What are you dithering for?” Sheena cut in. “We’ll blow a hole.”
”You have a plan?” Reina asked, skeptical.
”With all these batteries, sure. We can make it work.” Sheena eyed the rows of cells laid neatly across the floor.
”But Sheena,” Melon warned, “these aren’t yours. They might not—”
”Relax. I’ll handle it. You two help me. Dark-elf lady, you and the scrawny old man—”
”Scrawny old man…? Fine.” I sighed.
Sharlin dropped first through the hole, helping the rest down. No reinforcements yet. Melon barked for haste. Sheena crouched over the batteries, eyes gleaming.
”Well made. With this, two hundred volts easy. Melon, rearrange them like this.”
”All right. But what are you planning?”
”Heh. Secret weapon. You’ll see.”
The three of them set to work while I kept watch. Fifteen minutes later, Sheena cheered.
”Done!”
”Finally. But what’s the plan?” I asked.
She shrugged off her pack and pulled out—
”No way. That’s…Sheena No. 6!?”
Not that obscene mana-breeding contraption, right?
”What is that thing?” Sharlin muttered, suspicious.
Sheena grinned. “It started as something else, but I rigged it with a probe core. Pump in too much voltage, it blows sky-high. Found that out when it took my workbench with it. Figured—it could crack a Gate, maybe. And no, I didn’t bring it to sneak in some fun with Yuuta! …Though I’ll need to apologize to Claudel later.”
”Why Claudel?” Melon asked.
”It’s hers,” Sheena admitted.
”Then let’s do it.”
We huddled behind a shield wall, same as before. Sheena shorted the lead wires.
The blast was monstrous.
”Whoa…the hole’s even bigger than last time,” Melon gasped. “The ceiling’s caving!”
”Move! Don’t stand gaping!” Reina snapped, charging with Sharlin into the Gate Room.
Notes:
• Fedelate – The clan leader of the Spirit Clan. He is kind, gentle, and shows a unique interest in Sofia. Fedelate is powerful, capable of using telekinesis and healing magic. He is intrigued by human emotions and experiences, especially love.
• Sheena – A Lizardman from the Apocalypse Empire, specifically a junior researcher in the teleportation research team of the empire’s army. She is the 47th resident (hence ‘No. 47’) of the secret underground facility in Nevada, where she has been living for several years after accidentally being transported to this world through a failed gate experiment. Yuuta’s saffle too.
• Melon – Puruun’s younger sister who is close with Ms. Akari and wants Yuuta and Ms. Akari to be together and have children.
• Reina – Lizardman lieutenant from the Apocalypse Empire who was part of the gate research team. She is trying to find her missing sister Sheena. She infiltrated Zerlant to gather intelligence but ended up helping Melon and the others escape, making her a traitor to the Apocalypse Empire.
• Zaharu – Male. A specialist in charge of transporting and installing the gate. He works closely with Reina to ensure the gate’s functionality and security.
• Claudel – The elf captain of the royal guard assigned to Princess Asuka. At first, she had a strong dislike for Yuuta, who is human. Now, Yuuta’s saffle.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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