by Sakon Kaidou
“Go, KoD!”
“Masters! Please do your best!”
“Please help us...”
Most of the voices were supporting the King of Destruction and the other Masters fighting the monsters, while the rest were worried about whether they would see tomorrow. But none of them were overcome by despair.
Clearly, none of them had any idea that they would be wiped from this world the moment the NDW reached the surface in just a few minutes.
The creature didn’t think much of it, mostly because it wasn’t equipped with the ability to think. The NDW’s only role was to “stand by below the arena, wait for the signal, rise, and blow up,” so it didn’t need to have any sort of thoughts.
Even its biological audio sensors were nothing but a means of knowing where it had to rise. Thus, the NDW didn’t pay any heed to the people’s voices...
“Magic Range Extension, Magic Power Magnification, Magic Area Designation Magnification, Magic Conceal.”
...even when someone was speaking a curious set of words.
“Now, for the MP I’ll give to the magnification skills... All right, I’ll go with 500,000 each.”
It sounded like delirious gibberish to those who didn’t understand, and delusional nonsense to those who did.
Naturally, the NDW, not having any mind to speak of, ignored the words. But then...
“Mud Clap.”
...the very next moment, it was rendered completely immobile. It was unable to move even a single one of its many legs.
“DDRRRRRR?!”
Though the NDW couldn’t think, the thoroughly unexpected event caused errors in its programming which made it release a sound much like a shriek.
It tried moving the drill on its head, but it couldn’t spin at all. In fact, the burden of even trying to move it made the drill break.
Of course, the NDW couldn’t understand what was happening to it. But anyone looking at the situation from the side would surely realize that the NDW was surrounded by ground compressed to the point of becoming ultra hard.
◇◆
The central arena’s audience was astir.
It was caused by the ground below them slightly shaking.
Though earthquakes in the kingdom hadn’t been all that uncommon recently, the suddenness of this shaking made the people panic slightly.
Still, since there was no aftershock, most peopled believed that it had been nothing but a side effect of the raging battle outside, and they quickly shifted their attention back to the broadcast.
Among the people, there was a man that muttered something inaudible while looking downwards. The turban and the skin-concealing, loose clothing he wore made him look highly Arabic.
“I used about as much as that other time... but it seems it was too much,” he said and sighed. “Should’ve used a third of that.”
His pensive face made the middle-aged spectator at his side call out to him.
“Hey, what’s up, lad? Why the muttering?”
The Arabian-looking man looked back at him with a troubled expression.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” he said. “There was a bug below, and it caught my attention.”
The words made the middle-aged man look at him in shock before bursting into laughter. “Ha ha ha! You care about bugs in this situation?! I can’t tell if that’s tough or weak! Oh well, it’s not like we can do much from here! Let’s just leave it to the King of Destruction and the other Masters!”
“Ahaha, yes. Let’s leave it to them.” The Arabian-looking man laughed and chose to watch the broadcast along with the fellow spectator.
3,000 metels under them, Franklin’s final pawn, the NDW, was completely bound and unable to move.
That had been done by the basic earth spell of Mud Clap, but the insane amounts of magic used had brought its effects far beyond “basic.”
The worm was equipped with a powerful tunneling ability, yet it couldn’t even shake one of its legs. It was as though it was lodged into a casket designed specifically for it.
The NDW had been rendered incapable of doing anything.
To prevent it from accidentally exploding while underground, Franklin had made sure to set it so that it would only blow up when it reached its target.
And now that it was stuck below ground, his last pawn was rendered completely useless, and a few minutes later, Xunyu used her ultimate skill to rip out its core and kill it.
◇◆◇
Jeand Grasslands
“Just a few more minutes...” Franklin sighed and muttered after pressing the button to activate the NDW.
In Franklin’s final act of terror, his game became nothing but an event where he simply waited for the result. Regardless of whether it ended with the NDW’s explosion or his own death penalty, it was all over for him.
“There were just too many unexpected factors,” he muttered.
The Superior Killer, the RSK’s defeat, Hugo’s disaffection, and then the appearance of the King of Destruction. Though Franklin had taken measures to assure his success, the unforeseen factors had just been too many for him.
“Especially that King of Destruction. Guy’s just unfair.”
The King of Destruction’s Embryo’s artillery had destroyed both Franklin’s Suicide Series and the ground beneath. The Jeand Grasslands were grassy no longer.
“Well, at least all the shots he’s firing cost materials, just like my monsters, so it probably hurts him as much as it does me,” Franklin muttered.
He assumed that this barrage had cost the King of Destruction about 3,000,000,000 lir, which made him grin in a satisfied manner.
But at the same time, a question came to his mind.
“So... why isn’t he attacking Pandemonium, again?”
That firepower and range would’ve made short work of Franklin’s Embryo.
He considered why the man wasn’t doing it, and quickly noticed the reason at the edge of his vision.
The second princess was not far from him, sleeping at the top of Pandemonium.
That’s right, Franklin realized. He wasn’t the only one riding his Embryo — he was accompanied by one of the most important figures in the country.
The King of Destruction couldn’t use that infernal artillery when Franklin had such a hostage.
Franklin now knew the reason why he’d avoided attacking Pandemonium, but that brought him to his second question.
“Why didn’t he use the Embryo from the start?”
That battleship could’ve easily taken care of the 5,000 monsters released first. And yet, the King of Destruction had taunted Franklin with his proclamation and gone out of his way to show off and waste time fighting the monsters without his Embryo. He’d only started using the battleship when the 50,000 monsters had been about to make their move.
It was just illogical.
Almost as if...
“He has something planned!” The moment he shouted that, a silver silhouette passed the edge of his vision.
Before he could confirm what it was, he heard hooves hit the top of Pandemonium and felt the silver silhouette land behind him.
“Mh...”
Franklin felt the ominous presence, but he was above doing anything as pathetic as hastily turning around in shock. That was mostly due to the fact that he had Life Link — the skill that transferred damage done to him over to his monsters.
DGP, KOS, and all his other minion monsters were already destroyed, but he still had Pandemonium. The Embryo was basically a giant monster, and Franklin believed that, even though King of Destruction could made short work of it, the person standing behind him couldn’t damage it all that much.
Thus, with a certain degree of calmness, he slowly turned around.
“Yo. You sure have an annoying habit of charging in on the front lines, don’t you... Ray?”
“Well, I still have some unfinished business,” the man replied.
The man standing there was exactly who Franklin thought it would be:
Chapter Five: Game, Set, Match
Jeand Grasslands
The battle in the Jeand Grasslands was approaching its end.
The army of over 55,000 monsters was already down to half of that number, and the many Masters on the scene, especially the King of Destruction, were quickly taking care of those still standing.
Franklin also didn’t have any more of his unique monsters. The RSK had been felled by Ray Starling, while DGP and KOS had been destroyed by the man’s brother.
The fights in the streets of Gideon were abating, as well.
The freed monsters and the traitors had been more or less exterminated, while the King of Orchestras, the second strongest imperium Master on the scene, had been given the death penalty.
The direction of the battle was fixed, and Franklin’s defeat was now inevitable.
Normally, the surviving Dryfean forces would have ended the battle by retreating, but they displayed no intention of stopping. After all, the overwhelming majority of those remaining were monsters of the Suicide Series, an army of biological weapons whose cells practically screamed for them to charge and kill until death. They were the reason why the kingdom’s Masters were still fighting and why the King of Destruction’s Baldr continued its infernal artillery.
Even now, the Suicide Series — and chunks of the ground, along with them — were being scattered into the wind by the battleship’s bombardment.
It was happening a short distance away from the kingdom’s Masters, and one of them was keenly observing the sight.
“Ray’s brother’s Embryo sure is something,” muttered Rook to himself, feeling much like someone watching a firework show.
He wasn’t alone in that. Just about every one of the low-rank Masters present on the battlefield was doing the exact same thing.
When the many high-rank Masters had escaped the barrier surrounding the central arena, the newbies had been told to stand back.
It wasn’t because they would get in the way, but because the high-ranks had a consensus that the newbies had worked too hard to get the death penalty here.
Rook himself was unable to keep up with their speed without using Union Jack or Liz’s protection, so he could only agree that he had no place on the front lines.
“High firepower artillery...” he muttered. “Honestly, I’m not sure if that fits him all that well...”
That sentiment aside, Rook was in absolute awe at Baldr’s power, proficiency, and precision. It fired countless shots, yet none of them hit Ray as he made his way towards Pandemonium.
Despite being a newbie just like Rook, Ray was still out there fighting. He’d broken through the enemy lines and gone after the leader, Franklin.
Rook had seen Ray and Shu talk to each other. The two hadn’t spoken aloud, and instead had used the Telepathy Cuffs Shu’d given Ray before he’d left the arena. Nevertheless, Rook had been able to correctly assume what they’d talked about.
Ray had said that he wanted to get to Franklin atop of Pandemonium. Shu had decided to help him.
By their own will, with no hesitation to speak of, they instantly set out to do what they had to do.
Rook found it nothing short of dazzling, and observed Baldr’s artillery while basking in the aftertaste of the sentiment.
Suddenly, something caught his attention.
“Hm...?”
It was somewhere in the area ravaged by Baldr’s attacks.
“That’s...”
Surrounded by explosions and dust, there was a familiar silhouette.
It quickly disappeared beyond the veil. Rook could easily tell that it went towards Pandemonium and fully understood the reason why.
Rook heaved a sigh, understanding that this had happened because of his carelessness. Absentminded as she was, he’d left her all alone without any supervision. But at the same time...
“That’s much better than merely hesitating...” he murmured to himself.
...he was a bit satisfied.
◇◆◇
“Ray Starling has arrived at the upper part of Pandemonium,” Baldr reported to its Master.
"Right," Shu said as he swung his fist. It landed directly on a Suicide Series monster, instantly obliterating and making it vanish.
The unfortunate creatures stood no chance against fists that could instantly kill legendary monsters.
To add to that, his Right of Destruction negated most defensive skills and fatal damage negation effects, such as those provided by the Lifesaving Brooch. Some of the Suicides he’d pulverized had impressive resistances, but those meant nothing before his punches. Yet the Suicides continued attacking him, showing no fear whatsoever.
Their minds weren’t even equipped to consider their own lives, so they kept on charging towards Shu — towards certain death.
“Mh...” he muttered.
It was easy to describe it as disgusting and call it a day, but Shu felt like their way of existence was a brief glimpse into the mind of their creator, Franklin.
He clearly defines what he has to gain, what to discard, what to win, and what to spend for that purpose, Shu thought, feeling that Franklin was much like himself and a bit like Ray in that regard.
Shu looked up at Pandemonium, where Ray should be facing Franklin, and recalled what his brother had told him over the Telepathy Cuffs.
I have something I have to do and a question I have to ask him. Can you help me get to him?
Remembering Ray’s request made Shu form a faint smile.
“You just do whatever you think you have to,” he muttered as he looked up at the top of Pandemonium, towards Ray. “Whatever happens, I’ll set things straight. That’s my role as your big bro.”
◇◆◇
Franklin, the mastermind behind the evening’s terrorist plot, was grinning.
The tables had completely turned, and the numerous monsters he had made were being exterminated by overwhelming destruction and a unified will to protect Gideon. Despite it all, Franklin stood atop his Pandemonium and faced Ray Starling with a smile on his face.
“KoD over there is doing all the needed work,” he said. “You’re damaged all over, Ray-boy. Why didn’t you just stay back and sleep?”
Ray’s appearance more or less confirmed Franklin’s suspicions that the King of Destruction’s strange actions were nothing but a distraction. His flashy performance had attracted Franklin’s attention, allowing Ray to arrive at the top of Pandemonium.
The fact that Ray had been able to ride Silver all the way here without being caught up in the bombardment was all the proof that Franklin needed. Also, the explosions had killed all the monsters he’d positioned in the Jeand Grasslands to act as sensors. The broadcast monsters around Pandemonium were dead, as well, meaning that no one else could see Franklin face Ray.
“Still... the King of Destruction himself...” Franklin mused.
Franklin had a good reason to believe that the Superior had a reason to help Ray. It was the name.
Along with the stats, Franklin’s Analyzing Eye of Wisdom allowed him to see the name of the King of Destruction — “Shu Starling.”
“Here’s a question, Ray Starling,” he said. “Do you know a Master called ‘Shu Starling’?”
“He’s my big brother,” Ray answered with no hesitation.
Upon hearing that, Franklin nodded in understanding and formed a wry grin. “Two brothers and two sisters,” he said. “The older ones are Superiors and the younger ones are Maiden’s Masters... Helluva funny little coincidence.”
“Huh...?” Ray raised an eyebrow.
“So, what’s so important that you had your brother help you get to me?” Franklin asked.
“I’m here for three reasons.”
“Well, that’s a number. I already know one of them, though.” Franklin pointed at a part of the floor they were standing on, towards a young, unconscious girl. It was Elizabeth, the second princess of the Kingdom of Altar. “You’re here to save her,
aren’t you? Your brother can’t attack Pandemonium while she’s here, right?”
Elizabeth was his enemy’s Embryo’s Achilles’ heel. Without her, the King of Destruction would barrage Pandemonium with focused hellfire. Franklin was fully aware of that, so he was being careful not to let Ray take her.
“So what’s the second thing?” he asked.
“I have a question,” Ray replied.
“A question, eh?”
This was within Franklin’s expectations. If Ray had only been here to save the girl, he could’ve done it while atop Silver, not giving Franklin a chance to react. And if Ray had only come here to defeat him, he could’ve hit him with a surprise attack. The fact that he’d gone out of his way to get off his horse and stand there talking meant that he was obviously here for an exchange.
“What do you want to hear about?” asked Franklin. “My recommended hunting spots? The UBM habitats I know? Or perhaps my country’s internal affairs?”
Franklin had a hunch that it wasn’t any of those... but...
“Why did you do this?”
But the question that actually came wasn’t within his expectations.
“Why... What? Didn’t I talk about my goal? Did you forget it?” Franklin shot back.
“You wanted to give the kingdom’s Masters an embarrassing defeat and break the Altarian fighting spirit by showing them a devastated Gideon, right?”
“Hey, so you do remember.”
“That’s not what I’m asking, though.”
“What’s the question, then?” Franklin asked with a ridiculing look in his eyes and a jeering tone.
Ray looked directly back at him.
“What do you think of the tians?” he asked.
The question momentarily confused Franklin, but he quickly processed it and understood what it meant. “Oh, you want to know whether I think that Infinite Dendrogram is a world or a game?”
Ray nodded.
“I see, I see... AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!” Franklin roared with laughter.
As though broken in more ways than one, Franklin laughed out loud until he had to catch a breath.
“Anyone who thinks this is just a game is either a retard or a child who believes everything he’s told,” he said with the most serious expression imaginable. “A game? Like hell. The realism, the models, the life. Everything besides the system-related stuff is way beyond game level. Honestly, if the system weren’t there to try and convince us that we’re just playing something, none of this would look like a game.”