15-28. Divine Punishment (2), the Power of Science
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Intimidating voices descended from the sky.
"It has begun at last."
"Umu, faster than predicted."
The emperor put his folded finger on his chin.
The court ladies are helping him since his hands cannot reach his fat-covered body.
And for some reason, he's wearing round glasses that reflect mysterious light on his nose.
Tactician Touya creased his eyebrows, thinking he had seen that pose somewhere.
Apparently, it reminded him of something.
"Playtime is over you know."
Tactician Touya thinks.
Perhaps the size of a reincarnated person's vessel depends on the profoundity of their actions.
"Don't get your knickers in a knot."
The emperor waved his other hand that was on the handrail to end the talk and looked around the throne room.
The God's influence doesn't seem to reach here, the ministers inside the room aren't prostrating themselves despite looking anxious.
"The God-proof Barrier left behind by the ancient kingdom is quite excellent."
"This will be a solace for the people who sacrificed their lives exploring the ruin."
Tactician Touya nodded at the emperor.
Even though they couldn't find the underground sea city of the ancient magic kingdom, the Artifact they found in the underground ruin of an ancient empire on the western desert demonstrated enough power.
"How about Kuro--no, Hero Nanashi?"
"Kana the 『Insightful』 tried looking for him, but he has disappeared leaving his followers behind. We've sent a platoon of Temple Knights to arrest them."
Common sense in the empire would dictate that it's an excessive force just to arrest two people, but the emperor nodded with a face that looked like it was obvious.
"Matching the oracle huh... As we thought, that person is really--"
"Yeah, it's most likely true."
Tactician Touya affirmed the emperor who was speaking with a sorrowful face.
There's no one here who chides him for interrupting the emperor.
Most of the ministers are looking up at the dim rays in the sky.
"Crepuscular rays huh."
"With such a scenery. Say it more elegantly, like, it's angel's ladder or something."
The emperor criticized tactician Touya.
"That expression may be appropriate, but it's ill-omened."
Tactician Touya points at one of the dim rays and speaks.
"Look, the angel--no, the god's apostle shows itself up."
"So that's apostle.... It doesn't look like a person even if it doesn't have wings."
The apostle who looks like a silver cone calmly descends inside the dim ray.
It seems to be descending to the area near the science armory outside the imperial capital.
"Looks like it has the angel halo."
There's a blinking golden light halo formed by unlimited symbols above the cone.
"Well then, should we begin too?"
"I give you the permission. Dispose of those who call themselves Gods."
By the emperor's command, tactician Touya puts up his bishop's staff and instruct the generals and the ministers.
"Generals, go with the special special science vehicle corps and flying corps to intercept the cone."
"Understood!"
The fully motivated weaselkin generals are rushing out of the room while shaking the decorations on their chest.
"Gather the Temple Knights in the palace."
"Tactician-dono! Give us the permission to intercept too!"
"I will not! Your opponent will personally show up."
"It can't be--"
Tactician Touya puts up his hand to stop the captain from speaking anymore and nods.
"Chief of security bureau, I entrust you the right to command soldiers inside Imperial Capital. Quickly evacuate the refugees to the nearest underground shelters."
"Acknowledged. Leave the populace's safety to us."
A male human with a villainous face salutes at tactician Touya and runs off to carry out his duty.
"Tactician-dono, would the underground be safe? Our opponents are Gods and their henchmen--"
The leaders of the house of lords came before tactician Touya.
Flattery are showing on their servile faces. The matter they have in mind is themselves--and their relatives self-protection.
"We've prepared three large airships in the Imperial Capital's airport. Ride on them with your relatives and other influential nobles and evacuate to the Saga Empire."
However, tactician Touya tells the leaders that preparation is everything.
"As expected of tactician-dono!"
"You've even foreseen that this will happen! Then Her Royal Highnesses will too?"
"They're your relatives huh. Then they can go together with you. We're racing against time. You'd do good to hurry."
He nods at the leaders who are fully eager to desert their country and urges them to hurry escape as if driving them away.
"Just how many will arrive at Saga Empire...."
"I don't care. Now the people who will obstruct our fight have disappeared."
At the knight captain's words, tactician Touya shook his head, expelling the trifle out of his mind.
"Now then, just how many of our hands would be bitten off?"
After saying that, the lips under his mask warped fearlessly.
◇
"So that's His Majesty's enemy!"
From the open hatch of a running tank, a vehicle captain scowled at the floating silver cone.
"It's shining something!"
Before the soldiers who were running on the side could finish speaking, a light resembling light magic's [Laser] shot out and mowed down one of the fort-like armory in the distant.
"Hmph, like that can break through the steel wall that's thicker than a common fortress city's--"
In the middle of the vehicle captain's talk, a roaring sound and flame arose, burning cloud of dust came up from the ground hit by the light earlier.
"W-woow, the hell was that."
The vehicle captain is looking at the scene with a dumbfounded face.
The defensive wall of the thick armory that renders even the armor of the tank he's riding on meaningless was torn off in an instant. The tank he's riding on is as good as having no armor. It can't be helped for him to lose his fighting spirit.
"Don't falter! We're invoking the Magic Eater!"
The commanding officer who was riding on parallel beside him encouraged the cowering vehicle captain.
Understanding what he meant, life returned on the vehicle captain's eyes.
"Here they come! The Magic Eater Birds!"
Twin-engine aircrafts equipped with disk-like Magic Eater Invokers appeared on the horizon.
The strange noise of the Magic Eater activation echoed together with the propellers and the engines sounds in the battlefield.
"Ooo, that cone bastard is slanting!"
The apostle who was standing still in the air began to fall.
"All vehicles stop! Prepare for bombardment, retake your aim after the first volley, fire three volleys of armor-piercing shells in succession. After that, stand by and prepare the high-explosive shells!"
The captain's voice reached every vehicle from the radio.
"Normal shell loading, complete!"
"Third special vehicle here, normal shell loading, complete!"
The radio personnel conveyed the reports he got from the loading personnels to the commanding officer.
At the same time, the apostle fell to the ground in the view of the vehicle captain who was peeking outside.
"All vehicles, start the bombardment."
"Fireeee!"
The main cannon of the special vehicles spouted fire, lead cannonballs hit the area around the apostle, raising cloud of dust.
"Correcting elevation--three to below, one to the left, a bit back to the right. Aiming complete."
"Armor piercing shells loading complete."
"Fireeeee!"
The armor piercing shells shot by the special vehicles sunk into the apostle one after another.
◇
"Who could've thought physical attacks would be this effective."
The emperor muttered while looking at the scene before his eyes.
The plan to contain the apostle with Magic Eater and tear the apostle with the special vehicles' cannons seems to be working well.
The light magicians and the space magicians from the imperial court magicians are showing the battlefield to the people in the throne room.
The imperial court magicians who usually don't get along are cooperating to capture image from outside the Magic Eater's range.
"Lead and iron have low interference against magic. Furthermore, we're using that in the special vehicle's corps' armor piercing shells."
"Hmph, fantasy against fantasy huh."
The bone of lesser dragons and the white warhead of the armor-piercing shells floated in the emperor's mind.
"His Majesty! We got a call from Magyuba City! An apostle has appeared!"
"Mogeiba City also called, they said 『Appearance of a silver cone. One third of the city has become white chloride』."
Similar reports from other cities came one after another.
"His Majesty! We've confirmed the apostle invasion on the opposite side of Imperial Capital! Their number is--"
"What is it, say it."
"--12. 12 apostles have appeared!"
Hearing the communication officer's words tinged with despair, the people in the throne room gather their line of sight at the emperor and tactician Touya as if imploring them.
"Looks like the opponent is serious."
"However, we're yet to go all-out either."
Tactician talked to the king and then turned toward the anxious-looking people.
"Get out the remaining 『Magic Eater Birds』. I allow the deployment of Temple Knights. Don't forget the D equipment!"
"Acknowledged."
Entrusted with the order by the tactician, the captain turns toward the emperor.
"Our loyalty to His Majesty! For the empire's victory and everlasting glory!"
The captain raised his spear and took a knightly bow to the emperor and then he left the room commanding the Temple Knights.
"How about the 『Whistling Arrow of Awakening』?"
"We just got the materials. We can't possibly make it that fast."
The tactician and the emperor exchanged words in a room sparse of people.
"Hahhahha! Don't lump me together with you Tactician!"
A man with loud footsteps showed up in the throne room that was ruled by silence.
The man wearing a white robe unsuited in the palace is the director of Brains.
"Director huh? What are you here for."
"I have a report for His Majesty."
He eluded the tactician's question and step forward before the emperor.
"We've completed the preparation for the 『Whistling Arrow of Awakening』, should we launch it as planned?"
Brains Director's frankness doesn't change even in front of the emperor.
"Of course. Push forward while there's still no obstacle."
"Okey! Prompt decision! I'm really mesmerized by that side of yours~"
Brains Director winked with a jestful expression, took out a hand radio and ordered the launch of the [Whistling Arrow of Awakening].
"What kind of magic did you use in such a short notice?"
Tactician caught the shoulder of the director who was going to pass through him and asked for his trick.
"I don't use no magic. It's human wisdom. I thought this was going to happen so I had it finished enough that we just needed to put the Darkness Crystal as the core and the Philosopher's Stone for the fuel. Working ahead of the schedule so that you don't fall into a death march is the basic of the basic."
"Is that so--"
The director shakes off the tactician's hands, and then tactician's words reach the ears of the director who's stretching his white robe to his ears while walking.
"--With this, His Majesty's plan takes a step forward."
"Hahn?"
The director stopped and asked the meaning of the tactician's words.
However, the tactician fell silent, only the words of the feverish emperor reached his ears.
"Now, go! Break the seal of the Moon's Demon God and wake the sleeping god."
◇
"This is bad! The steering golem of the Moonfaring Ship won't activate!"
"What should we do? Should we stop the launching sequence?"
"But, we can't possibly prepare a new golem now. It'll take at least three days at the latest even if we put together the 『Brains』's spare."
The [Brains] members are having a violent discussion inside the control tower near the rocket's launch pad.
"Is this really the result of our all-night works everyday."
"Damn with science almighty. Weren't you always lecturing us pompously? Bring out some good idea!"
"What are we doing quarreling against ourselves! There must be something that can be done!"
An apostle, crumbling from the tank cannons, is approaching the launch pad.
The apostle is probably aiming for the armory and the rocket launch pad from the start.
If this keeps up, there's no doubt that the rocket will be destroyed before the tanks defeat the apostle.
"I'll go!"
An apprentice girl in the control tower declared that while swaying her purple ponytail.
The only one who can ride the spaceship is only her with her small build.
"Becoming an astronaut has always been my dream in my previous life."
"You can't! The Moonfaring Ship's fuel is only enough for a one-way trip. Moreover, the core will explode on arrival. You can't, absolutely."
"I don't care. I also have good luck, though it's not as good as His Majesty Emperor."
"--Sorry."
The supervisor who opposed the girl who put up a bravado yielded to the unwavering eyes of the girl and gave her the permission.
"Maintenance division! Put every food and water into the 『Magic Bag』! Also stuff the oxygen cylinders there! And all of the remaining Darkness Crystal fragments! And don't you forget the gravity propeller prototype!"
The supervisor gave orders through the radio to increase the girl's chance of return even by 1%.
"What's that? ...Uh oh! Someone is clinging to the rocket."
"Priest clothing? --No way!"
One of the people in the control tower gave a warning, and the supervisor screamed after looking at it through the binoculars.
◇
"Patriarch-sama, just another step. It's our duty as God Zaikuon believers to crush the scheme of the demon lord's adherents. I'll accomplish mine soon."
A young man with long purple hair wearing priest clothing muttered in delirium.
He was the only one who arrived here among his allies who invaded the rocket launch pad during the chaos.
"Kuhi, kuhihihhi. Hand, my hand is trembling... I've to take the god's medicine."
The man took a small bottle from his breast pocket, but he couldn't open it with his trembling hands, he finally used his teeth to open the cap.
He drank the liquid inside the bottle, but he couldn't swallow it well because of his trembling hand, it was spilling out around his mouth.
"Kuhi, kuhihihihhi. kuhi, ＫＵＨＩＨＨＨＩkuhiＨＩＨＩ」
The man stopped trembling, but some strange noises that didn't sound human were mixed among his voice.
"You over there! Stop!"
A soldier carrying a gun stopped him, the man turned around with eyes clad in purple light.
"gunＪＪＪgＧＵＧＧＧＧＵＵＵＮＮＮＮＮ"
"M-monster!"
Before the soldier could even pull his gun's trigger, the blood from the remaining lower part of his body scattered in that place.
It was caused by the blade that extended from the man's purplish shadow.
"s-sOONpatriarchＳＡＳＡＳＡＭＡＭＡＡＡＭＭＭＭ"
The back of the man who had began to climb the rocket was burbling as if it was a different creature.
◇
"D-demon lord--"
One of the men wearing priest clothing on top of a hill muttered when he saw a purple giant that appeared on the rocket's launch pad.
The rocket broke easily, the launch pad and the falling control tower became submerged in fire.
"Priest Bebenbe, that's wrong. He is a holy king devoted to the great God Zaikuon. A holy warrior who has come to purify this land smeared in taboo."
"Patriarch-sama."
The patriarch who sent the fanatic man to his death said some made-up story.
No one besides his mistress knows that he secretly despises reincarnated people with their purple hair.
"We have our own role to fulfill. Let us go."
"Yes, Patriarch-sama."
The fanatics go down the stair toward a narrow underground ritual site behind the hill.
"Gentlemen, my gratitude for following me until today."
"""Patriarch-sama."""
"We will now hold the last ritual. For the glory of God Zaikuon."
"""For the glory of God Zaikuon."""
The fanatics are chanting the most secret art that's only been handed down to the priest king of the God Zaikuon Country destroyed in the past.
--<>.
An art to descend the great God into a body.
Even if the art is successful, the life and souls, everything of the people who chanted them will be annihilated, it's a forbidden ritual magic.
No one knows whether the secret art will be successful since the success rate up until now is exceedingly rare.
However, if it's successful--.
Another crisis would befall Weasel Empire.