by Unknown
certain point it can be imagined.
If you estimate extremely optimistically----it will be more than half of this
continent. Everything under that area, wil die.
This land which almost every race are gathered----with the possible exception
being Artosh, it wil all be eradicated.
“----[Great War]...[Star Grail]...[Old Deus]----[Essence]...”
----“Don’t doubt”, “don’t think”----that’s right, the thoughts that remained
somewhere subconsciously, were blown away in the face of the rampaging view
that announced the world’s demise, and now it showed up clearly.
Old Deus Cainasu...the creator of the Elfs, the Forest God----the concept of
“Nature”.
Old Deus----prayers, wishes, are the [Essence] that fil s the “activation condition”
----in other words it’s the concept that obtained “me”.
(TL Note: That’s not worded wrong. That’s what it says. It’l only make sense
later.)
(“The concept that obtained me”...? Is that really a God? By [Essence]----“
Just what is it----the thought were continuing on like that, but----
(...Eh?)
The rampaging storm of extinction that reported the end of the world was----
abruptly, deviated.
The fabric that danced in mid-air wrapped around as if being washed away, and
was flowing to the southwest direction.
It divided the continent, and while everyone was dazed at the power outside
logic that was “being mowed down”, only Sink followed it.
Octo-Caster, what she saw after deploying all of it at the same time in the very
far-away horizon was----
“...Ex-Machina.........? Why----“
And then at the destination of the light that would end the world, that divided the
continent like waving a curtain.
Thousands of Ex-Machinas were engulfed by it and disappeared----Sink
Nirvalein, certainly saw that.
In a moment----the thought that crossed her mind----it can’t be.
It can’t be it can’t be it can’t be----By making full use of too many detailed spells that burned through the Elemental Circuit Connection Nerve.
Sink searched for a certain something, and then finally----she found out two
figures.
What that meant----was in other words. It was “just as planned” until the very,
very end----
She murmured, towards the existence that made she move, with a violent smile
that showed up kil ing intent.
“----...So it was you~, who was the [Ghost]-san right~...Wolf-san?”
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
The view that was like the collapse of the heavens and earth could be seen in
the horizon, from above a hil very far away.
“----Report from the Zweihen [Examination Unit]----The reproduction of the
design succeeded with <<72.8%>> of the output----Now Synchronizing.
One female machine of the Ex-Machinas----said that to Riku, and held up her
arm.
“
entrusted to you.”
----The thing that was born from the void, was a gun that was stuck in the
ground, just like a small tower.
The vortex of violence that seemed like it would be ending the world, that was
seen just a little ago.
Namely----all energy of the collision of [Divine Strike], [Arka-shi-anse], [Zuibaku]
and [Far Cry].
That thing that recreated “more than a seventh” of that----if it was Riku
alone...no, it didn’t matter how many of him there was he couldn’t hold it, it had
many times his height, it was too much gigantic to be called a gun----it was like a
[Pile].
The mouth of the cannon pierced the ground, and the [Gun] that stood by itself,
was just silently waiting for the trigger to be pulled.
In other words----when the [Signal] come----it will be pulled by Riku.
The Ex-Machina said towards Riku, whose black eyes didn’t reflect anything,
and was just wordlessly and expressionlessly gazing at that.
“
The Ex-Machina who said that and was about to leave, was stopped by Riku’s
question.
“With that just now...for the sake of constructing this, how many tools (Ex-
Machinas) were...broken?”
“----
“...Five units remained huh.”
“
“It’s more of a confirmation than a question but...I’l wait until your guys peel off Artosh’s [essence], after that I’l pull this thing’s trigger, and pierce the core of the star----and then the [Star Grail] wil manifest----is that all?”
“--------
Closing the eyes that were like darkness, Riku clenched the ring ShuVi
entrusted and recalled.
----What, it’s a easy, talk...
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
“Reporting with frankness----there was a error in the calculations of Player
[Legacy Unit] ShuVi.”
What the Ex-Machina who called himself Eintihi talked about in Riku’s hideout,
was this----
Even with thirty-two [Eensweg] lined up “converging” it----was impossible.
“To induce downwards all attacks from all camps through the [Eensweg], they
won’t make it within the difference of “10^-609 mil iseconds”, and the power wil
collide and swirl. To grant it directivity and make it converge after that was----
impossible.”
What came up in ShuVi’s plan, that was hazy even for the silent Nirvana, was a
too much microscopic “error”.
That----was the conclusion given by the Ex-Machinas who computed alongside
multiples clusters.
At those words Riku hid his eyes and smiled bitterly. So even if everything went
wel ----they would stil fail.
But----towards such Riku, Eintihi continued.
“With the thirty-two [Eensweg] set by the Player [Legacy Unit]----it’s possible to
“deflect” it.”
“...And what’s with that?”
“Originally, the swirling power that collided would converge, and after that it
would diffuse to all directions. But since the thirty-two [Eensweg] that she tried to set up stopped at twenty-four----there’s a hole in the southwest direction.
----In other words, Riku answered, by reading ahead.
“To make all the power that collided, not go downwards----but it’s possible to
induce it to southwest, you say?”
Giving one nod----Eintihi continued.
“Accompanying it and sharing information----“
That was strictly as a tool.
“First, the Ex-Machinas possesses Himea-Pocrifen [False Epigraphy – Air
Strike]----it’s an armament that imitates the [Air Strike].”
It’s nothing but information that the observer caught.
“Second, this is something that the Player [Legacy Unit] also understood but, if
the star is pierced and the released power makes the [Star Grail] materialize,
then with a probability of 52%----it wil appear in the hands of the Artosh (War
God). He possesses just that much of [Essence].”
After being
told that Riku once again thought----just what, exactly, is [Essence].
But Eintihi looked away from that Riku, and continued.
“Using the above as the base, Wil er [One with Wil ].Correct the strategy----give
the order.”
That’s right, they are machines. They are just tools. Giving them orders----giving
them the decision----is the wil of Riku (the user)
“----Then, it’s a simple talk. Let’s feign the preemptive strike from the Artosh
Camp.”
Cutting off his thoughts, and gazing at the strategy map with eyes that didn’t
reflect light, Riku continued.
Indifferently, calmly, coldly, calculative----and thoroughly.
“Launch[Air Strikes] in the coalition from behind the Avant-Heim without kil ing
anyone. With just this that Elf (Sink Nirvalein) wil move----after that they will do the full fire power collision by themselves. After you deflect that to the
southwest, this----“
The hand that lined up the pieces in the game board (map), seemed to be about
to stop for a moment----but, it continued.
“Imitate-replicate an armament that converges----if it’s the Ex-Machinas then it
can be constructed right?”
“Affirmation. From the thirty-two [clusters], if eleven charges in, at the very worst it wil possible to replicate 70%.”
---Putting his hand on the chest as if he was grabbing the key that was giving a
crushing sound, Riku continued.
“And so, wil it be sufficient to pierce the core of the star and materialize the [Star Grail]?”
“Affirmation. Four thousand eight hundred and seven machines wil be lost, the
core wil be pierced if you fire it after converging a seventh of the output, as the result it’l make the power flow source of the elemental circuit collapse----and
then it’l occur the spouting reaching the necessary value to materialize the [Star
Grail].”
----In other words it was to watch die, almost five thousand people----brethren, of
ShuVi----of his wife----
As if to shake off that thought that crossed his mind, Riku once again chanted as
if turning around in his chest.
----Put up the [Key]. And then say as if telling it to yourself.
“The breaking of a tool isn’t included in the [Rules]----it’s just like I threw away an arm.”
“Affirmative.”
----And then, Riku asked the last question.
“Is it possible to incapacitate without kil ing Artosh with the twenty-one [Clusters]
remaining?”
“----Affirmation.”
..........
“----[Divine Strike] is a single attack that bundles together Artosh’s power and the
[Air Strike] of al Flügels. The Flügels becomes incapacitated and Artosh too
becomes weakened. We’l pick that opening and “peel off”----Artosh’s
[Essence].”
“......”
“An Old Deus after having its essence peeled off, wil probably be “inactivated”
for one hundred years. After that if the power flow source of the elemental circuit
gets pierced----certainly the [Star Grail] wil surely materialize in the hands of the Wil er [One with Wil ].”
At those words Riku hid his face and smiled bitterly----this guy, he’s really
clumsy right.
Almost, like her (ShuVi).
If you’re going to pretend to be a heartless machine then----notice that words
like certainly, probably, surely, isn’t like a machine (Ex-Machina) at all.
“We are heartless machines, just tools, so commands wil just be faithfully
obeyed and executed----therefore.”
And then, as a fundamentally talk you see----like that Riku hid his eyes.
“When you see “the light of the peeled off essence” of Artosh just pull the trigger
without hesitation and obtain the [Star Grail].”
----A machine, you know...when it tells a lie, it doesn’t avert its eyes...
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
The Ex-Machina girl made a bow to Riku, who finished recollecting, and said.
“
----And then until the very end, those guys who self-proclaimed themselves as
just machines.
Left behind a line that they didn’t even notice they weren’t used to it,
“----I pray, for your fortune...”
And then it leaped away.
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
<----From Eitihi[Commander of Al Connected Units] to---->
Samuel / Shulle / Estze / Theodor / Ul yhi / Yuber / Vil / Viem / Ikusati / Ipsilon /
Tzaharia---to the remaining [Al Clusters]’s all nine thousand one hundred and
seventy-seven machines.>
<----Befehl ist nun Ein. By betting this soul gifted to us by Player[Legacy Unit]
ShuVi, we wil assist Wil er Riku----namely. The retirement of Old Deus Artosh’s
[Essence]. Ignore the damage of a universal annihilation but without
accomplishing a suicide... Incidentally I’l finish the command by adding a
remark that’s unbefitting of an Ex-Machina---->
(TL Note: “Befehl ist nun Ein” is german for “The command/order is only One”.)
<----Lived without life, went without life----we depart with life----Aus>
<<
Eintihi snorted in a way unbefitting of a Ex-Machina and apologized for the [lie].
Forgive me Wil er. Having the Flügels, Avant-Heim (Phantasma), and a Old
Deus as the opponent after the [Divine Strike].
To peel off Artosh’s [Essence] without kil ing anyone is impossible----even
subjugating seems extremely difficult.
Please----I wish that you think like this. The heartless tools ran out of control by themselves.
“Al machines, authority for armaments’ use, restriction released----!”
[[----
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
“----Don’t, underestimate us-nya----scrapsssss!!”
Continuing through the passage in the area of Artosh’s throne until the
prisoner’s base, Azriel shouted.
The countless blades of light released by squeezing out the little amount of
power left dyed the red sky in white, and caught up many enemy figures.
Barely visualizing, the multiples Ex-Machinas that released a blue light and
exploded.
----A [Divine Strike]----of the greatest output.
This is its after-effect. Almost every Flügel lost their power, and there were ones
who couldn’t even move.
As if targeting that----no, with a timing that was definitely targeting that.
A legion of machines surged through, seemingly to completely cover the sky.
What approached was the entire army, which with only a fourth of its power,
slaughtered Aranreiv, one of the
The few ones that has a minor amount of power left from the entire units are,
Azriel and one part of the Flügels.
And the attacks of the Avant-Heim only, they were received and shot with those
but----there’s a limit.
The anti-air artil ery is steadily shooting down the Ex-Machinas.
But, the legion of machines assaulted, seemingly to not even care about the
damages.
----That’s probably what Jibril said too, an armament that imitates Aranreiv’s [Far
Cry].
With each one of those simu
ltaneous sweep----the few Flügels that has power
left to fight gets instantly blown away.
The ones that can’t move----namely the ones that they conclude that can’t
become an obstacle, they don’t even turn towards them.
Rather than that, what are they planning.
Even the coalition fleet that considered this to be a opportunity and went to the
offensive, suffered attacks of the Ex-Machinas.
They clearly, don’t want to kil . They are only stealing the fleet’s battle capacity.