by Kamiya Yuu
And so, that thing appeared from the darkness.
“—Are you kidding me?”
Halter groaned when he saw that scene.
Why is it that those bad feelings of mine always happen without exception?
“…What, is…this…?”
And Marie widened her eyes, speechless. Halter clicked his tongue.
“What else can it be?”
He gasped.
“—Like hell it’s something, shitty droopy eyes!”
Halter’s eyes sharpened behind those thick-colored sunglasses.
—Over there was a hill of iron.
There was no other description of it. It was extremely massive, overly massive, truly massive. Any person seeing it could only comprehend of it this way.
No matter how they tried to look up, they were unable to grasp its entire form.
But even so, Marie barely managed to feel some depth as she tried to observe, and found it to resemble a spider.
It was a shocking large, multi-legged thing, probably an automata.
It was hard to believe that such a thing could actually move, and one had to suspect which lunatic would say such a thing. To the ex-Meister Marie however, that was how it appeared on the surface.
But even so—this size was way beyond common sense.
One of its folded legs alone was as large as a skyscraper. Those legs covered over the black armored plates that were like scales, equipped with so many cannons it would be foolish to even begin counting.
The frame itself was so big even a luxurious cruise or a fleet mothership would be a mere boat compared to it, the armor itself littered with countless cannon muzzles like a hedgehog.
There was no need for Naoto’s hearing to comprehend this.
That this—was some enormous weapon, and there was no room to doubt it.
Marie spoke up, eking a voice,
“—Halter, do you remember…what’s the first article of the ISS (International Stability Systems) regarding the limiting of military might?”
“All massive weapons of destruction that will fatally damage the city structures—the planetary structures, or severely threaten the human biosphere are thorough banned from being researched, created and owned. Am I correct?”
“…Then, unless I’m drunk on caffeine right now, this joke-like thing in front of my eyes now looks like a super Dreadnought kind of a destructive weapon…”
Is it my imagination? Marie chanted this, her voice dry and hoarse.
“Yeah, that thing’s definitely a real deal unless it’s a paper machete or something.”
Halter’s voice too was not calm in the slightest.
While the duo remained still, Naoto threw from at the large object from beside them. A metal shrapnel as large as the palm spun as it hit the deck of the weapon, letting out a clang.
Once the weak echo vanished completely, Naoto said,
“…There’s probably something I shouldn’t be telling the professionals Master Marie and Mr Halter here, but can I?”
“…What?”
“This really is a bad situation.”
“Yeah, we know.”
Marie stared at the ceiling blankly, and continued,
“Now, Naoto, the one with the unique superpower, do you might giving us a detailed insight as to—how bad it is right now?”
“…First off, I can conclude that is where the parts of the Clock Tower went to.”
That line alone caused Marie to gasp.
—A single clock tower was turned into this weapon?
“I see…so this is the reason why the ‘city’s dead.”
“Isn’t it supposed to be a 1000 years ago when the Japanese love their humongous robots…?”
Halter groaned as he rubbed his bald head.
But Naoto shook his head, and continued,
“That isn’t all that it is now. This one’s not completely activated now, so I can’t be certain, but—it uses at least 6 times the parts used for the ‘sounds that couldn’t be heard’.”
Marie silently raised a hand. She narrowed her eyes, blocking the light from the flashbang, and stared at the gigantic weapon to estimate the size.
“Naoto, I can’t see how big this thing is exactly. You know how big it is?”
“I say, are you treating me as a sensor or something now—?”
“Just answer me already!”
“I can’t really tell since it’s not fully operational right now, but I can guess from the gears spinning right in front and the sounds right at the back that it’s 320m tall and 932m wide, damn it!! Adding on, I can sense that it’s completely ready to be activated!! Furthermore—!”
Naoto pointed diagonally left in front, saying,
“I hear 42 set of footsteps approaching us here, and there’s another 18 multi-legged things with unnaturally heavy footsteps, all filled with such killing intent! Shit, fuck!”
—Our infiltration was exposed? Marie gritted her teeth.
However, they could not leave this weapon alone no matter what it was.
“RyuZU.”
“Yes. Is there a reason why you are being so overly familiar with me?”
“–Can your scythe break this armor?”
RyuZU tilted her head in silence upon being asked this, and the moment she turned her eyes to the deck of that gigantic weapon.
The skirt swayed slightly, and the scythe reached out at a speed the eye could not distinguish.
—And then, there was a sharp, crisp sound, sparks spluttering.
“!?”
RyuZU’s eyes widened in shock, a rarity at that. She looked back at forth between her black scythe and the armored deck that was slightly damaged in scrutiny, curling her lips.
“…This truly is surprising. I see that despite the mosquito-like brains of humans, by foolishly emphasizing their ‘extreme stubborness’, they are unexpectedly able to accomplish something beyond expectations—now this is a new discovery.”
Marie had her eyes half-closed as she asked
“—In other words, you can destroy it? Or you can’t?”
“So Master Marie, you are asking me if I can cut a tungsten alloy with a kitchen knife? Such a question truly shows a deplorable mental capab—”
“Just tell me the conclusion already!”
Marie cut off RyuZU’s words, and ran off.
“Let’s hurry and gather the data, evidence, anything we can get. Once we’re done, let’s scream!”
“Eh, wait, this is really alright?”
In response to Naoto’s voice from behind, Marie growled without looking back,
“That Super Technology Scrap down there’s something we can’t even think of crossing ‘scythes’ with. What do you want me to do!?”
“But isn’t this thing very dangerous!?”
“I’m a clockwork technician, not a war mercenary!”
This isn’t a joke Marie thought.
…Yes, this really was not a joke.
In the current era, the strongest weapons for city combat were heavy-armed automata. Using the current line of technology, there was nothing that could currently surpass the heavy-armed automata either in terms of attack power, or defense capabilities.
And RyuZU’s scythe could even slice apart the armor of heavy-armed automata. That alone was an utterly ridiculous fact, yet…
Her attack was completely futile here?
In other words, it meant that current existing weapons would have practically no use against that armor.
—Or rather, even if the conclusion may be a little unreasonable, the weapons used for ‘city combat’ at least would be unable to wreck through that armor.
It would be a different case altogether it was a situation of a ‘battle outside the city’—weapons situated in no-man’s land.
The military capabilities limit was imposed by the ISS, like the uses of Resonance Cannon, the heavy arms that shoots Super Frequency Bullets, or just some simple high powered limited edition weapons. No ma
tter how potent the armor was, perhaps these weapons could puncture through them.
The problem here would be the ‘size’.
Once so many of these weapons used for combat outside cities were to be used on such a gigantic weapon.
“Won’t it mind that no city can remain safe anymore…!?”
Marie clenched her fists as she lambasted.
But again, she thought.
—Anyway, what’s this thing built for?
That was a weapon, and surely it had to be used for military purposes.
But even if they are weapons, different weapons have different characteristics. Weapons are tools that needed an astonishing amount of money to obtain, and thus, there had to be an existing ‘concept’. For example, a concept to invade, to defend, or simply to exist and kept with the view of it being a deterrence.
…That gigantic weapon did not seem to belong to any of those categories.
If an automata of that size was to actually move, the results would be plain to see.
Any city would be left wasted once that thing moved, whether it would be for invasion or defense. Even if it was used for deterrence, it was so extraordinarily big.
In that case—
Marie felt darkness shrouding her eyes, and groaned.
Once that thing moved, a city would be destroyed.
There was a way to destroy it just as it was destroyed before.
But surely that would cause a city to be taken down with it.
s—In other words, that would mean that it was that kind of a weapon.
“You killing me…!”
A weapon that destroys cities?
That would be a weapon that destroys the world.
Which idiots in the world built such a thing for that purpose?
…They would have to gather information to learn about this.
The enemies’ identities, objectives, weapon structures, specific capabilities, weaknesses—there were a lot of things for them to investigate. They had to find something like a blueprint or a transmission record, and then
“Hm…?”
“—Stop, Milady.”
Only two people managed to notice that presence
In response to Halter’s sharp command to stop, Marie turned around.
● ● ●
Standing there was a very young girl.
Marie, who reacted a little later, muttered,
“—A, kid?”
No.
That was an automata.
A girl automata that was smaller and more petite even compared to the miniature Marie.
She was wearing a red and white dress, the left arm and leg covered in silver armor.
She had a cube pendant at her chest, and there was a gear ring above her head, like an angelic halo.
The girl had an innocent and pure appearance, yet on her face was a menacing look black mask.
—And that black mask alone looked extremely extraordinary and ominous.
Sweat trickled down Marie’s forehead, and she felt a chill up her spine. Halter took a step forward, spreading his arms wide to protect her.
…To any observer seeing this, this surely would be a strong sight to behold.
The cyborg man was actually on his guard as much as possible against this young girl automata.
But Marie neither found it to be strange nor abnormal.
For she herself…Why is this automata that looks like a cute girl in front of me here scaring me so much that I’m so scared of breathing had been wondering about this too.
RyuZU showed a smile on a face, and took a step forward, saying,
“Oh—I guess it’s AnchoR after all? It’s been a while.”
“Heh…? AnchoR? This girl?”
Naoto widened his eyes, tilting his head as he asked,
“I do remember AnchoR being in Tokyo, right? If it’s according to Marie.”
“I did hear the same as well, but now I do think that since it is information provided by Master Marie, it was a mistake to accept it fully…but AnchoR, what is with that mask? I have to say that it is too distasteful, to say the least.”
RyuZU asked, but AnchoR remained silent.
She did not show any reaction, merely showing a still stare through the mask.
Naoto tilted his head skeptically.
…This is?
The 4th machine of the Initial-Y series, ‘Trishula’ AnchoR.
Since RyuZU herself did testify this, surely this girl was AnchoR. There was no way RyuZU would make a mistake in identifying those of the same series.
However, Naoto wondered.
—Something seems amiss.
The girl in front of him was just standing there.
Even after having removed his headphones, Naoto could not be certain as to whether she was activated, or whether there was a silencer function that resulted in ‘silence’.
—There was no friction, no conflict, no excess. There was no noise, no distortion, just a natural flow like water dripping.
Naoto had never heard such a calm running sound before. Like RyuZU, there was no doubt this was an otherworldly, absolutely intricate automata.
But, Naoto wondered.
—Something’s definitely amiss.
He took a step back, gritted his teeth as he glared at the girl in front of him. There was no doubt; he had a firm belief.
The girl in front of him was quiet, too quiet.
But the mask, the noise ringing from it, contorted and ruined everything.
For example, it was like a concert aria performed using a string, and then violently rupturing to a point of nearly wrecking the arena with violent sounds, contorting everything.
The dreadful amount of ‘exotic sounds’ shrouded the girl.
Again, RyuZU called out her name,
“AnchoR?”
“Threat level, Category Two’—request for change in ‘Power Reservoir’…acknowledged.”
The girl suddenly spoke up.
It was not a response. What came out from her mouth was something more terrifying and dangerous.
“—Begin difference loop, 3rd Shift.”
The girl’s appearance changed.
Her hair became long, her limbs became large, her eyes became red, and the whites on her became black.
The ring spinning above her head folded, the cube pendant on her chest transforming into a solid gear.
The angelic, innocent girl had transformed into a pure, devilish girl.
“Chrono Hook—beginning Imaginary Output from Perpetual Gear, emerge.”
Naoto’s ears captured the exceptionally loud contortion and grinding of the strange noise.
—It sounded like a lament.
The girl said these final words,
“—Absolute Mobility (Bloody Murder)—”
The next instance.
““—SCRAM!!””
Both Halter and Naoto screamed the same line, Halter using his gut feeling, and Naoto his insight.
RyuZU immediately executed this ‘command’ without asking the meaning behind those words, and she grabbed Naoto before leaping far back with breakneck speed. Halter, grabbing Marie, managed to jump away a tad later.
The girl in front of them raised her hands, the solid gear floating above her head transformed.
And immediately afterwards—
—The space exploded
There was no way to describe it other than simply an overwhelming ‘something’. The things that should not be destroyed were destroyed, and the things which should be impossible to shred were shredded apart. That sound agitated Naoto’s eardrums sharply.
And then, Naoto saw,
The space RyuZU and him were at had been ‘liquidated’.
The alloy floor that could not be destroyed under any ordinary circumstances were completely obliterated without a trace.
“—Wha”
This is impossible. Marie was left speechless.
On the other hand, RyuZU narrowed her eyes as she stared
at the crater-shaped hole on the the floor.
The topaz eyes were dull.
“AnchoR?”
RyuZU again called her name.
However, her eyes were filled with adamant will, and they were no longer those of someone treating a close person, the complete opposite of before.
“—I shall give you one chance. Do explain yourself prudently. Depending on your intentions of offending Master Naoto, even if you are my cute little sister—”
The emotion from that voice was frigid. RyuZu had completely lost all the warmth of humanity as she gradually became a robotic automata that was only focused on accomplishing its objectives.
With a monotonous voice, she declared,
“—I shall thoroughly destroy you until you cannot be repaired.”
And as she said this, RyuZU’s eyes turned red.
That was the sign of her activating the special function installed in her alone.
But Naoto interrupted her as he yelled,
“Wait a second, RyuZU! That girl’s—she isn’t functioning!”
RyuZU immediately answered without looking away,
“But we were just attacked.”
“No, her body’s moving, but her functions aren’t working! She’s broken—no, that’s not the right way of putting it. Anyway, she’s not working normally now!”
—Again, there was a sound.
The gears were distorted, twisted, and grounded. Naoto knew this sound, it was the ‘cry’ of the gears, desperately trying to fight back against the overwhelming power.
That’s basically…and Naoto turned to look at AnchoR
“!!”
His eyes met the eyes behind the mask.
This isn’t just a feeling, Naoto thought. He felt this way, he believed that was it; the eyes under the mask were clearly telling him this.
—I hate, this—
It was a hoarse yell that could not be reached out, lamenting that it could not be heard, yet it continued to let out a voice that could not form a sound.
—Sister, destroy AnchoR—
“Damn it.”
After hearing her actually say such a thing, Naoto gritted his teeth and clenched his fists,
“—Missy, if I may ask, can you beat her?”