Chapter 134

“Welcome back, Miss Momo!” When Momo emerged from the half-day trip through the underground hub to return to the surface, she was greeted immediately by a green-haired priestess who clearly had too much time on her hands. The young woman with glasses that resembled interlinked cogwheels had an abnormal fixation on Guiding Force. Momo ignored her and directed a beaming smile at the other priestess with her. “Your dear Inquisitor Momo is baaack!” “Indeed. And I already know what happened in the City of Ruins.” Momo had used a spare scripture to send a report while on her way. Her other scripture was now with Menou. She looked up at the sky and saw that the Starhusk was still floating safely. A huge amount of rubble had fallen around the entrance to the Mechanical Society that lay directly below, enough that it would be very difficult to reach. No sooner had that thought crossed Momo’s mind than a large quantity of densely compressed Guiding Force was unleashed. Guiding Force: Connect—Sword of Judgment, Crest—Double Invoke [Current, Compression] The crest conjuring surged forth. In a single swing, it cleaved through the debris filling the crater and cut open a path. “Ohhh… You really are amazing, Michele,” Hooseyard praised. “Shut up. Your praise annoys me, for some reason,” Michele replied. “I know, riiight?” Momo agreed. “That was great, my darling Micheeeele!” “Don’t compliment me so much. It’s embarrassing.” “Why does she get a different reaction when we basically said the same thing?” The three of them walked down the path Michele had created. “I saw your report. Just to confirm, Flarette didn’t die in the City of Ruins?” “Yes, ma’am. Well, technically, she did die once. But she came baaack.” “I see. These things do tend to happen when Lady Nono’s predictions are involved.” Michele clicked her tongue irritably. Half a year ago, Momo had met the Astrologer, Nono, and received a prophecy from her. Momo had told Michele about the encounter, of the conjured soldier that activated when the world was in danger. Michele knew, too, that the Astrologer was a recording of Nono’s predictions. Just as she blindly believed Hakua’s every word, Michele never doubted Nono’s message. “But Lady Maya did enter the Mechanical Society, just as Lady Nono predicted,” Michele added. Maya was still unquestionably a child of Concepts of Original Sin, even if she wasn’t as fearsome as Pandæmonium. She would still be enough to destroy the Mechanical Society. Michele looked at Hooseyard, the subordinate she’d kept on standby throughout their time in the north. “We’ll reclaim control of the Starhusk and annihilate the Mechanical Society’s subspace. We’ll need ceremonial conjurings to deal with a pocket dimension of such a large scale. Be aware that I’ll need to rely on you for once.” “Yes, ma’am! I’ve never been to the Mechanical Society, Michele, so I’m really, really excited!” Hooseyard’s eyes sparkled with curiosity from behind her lenses. Put mildly, the young woman’s battle proficiency was virtually zero. However, Hooseyard possessed a talent for which there was no substitute. When the situation called for her area of expertise, she became an unbelievably formidable enemy. “Right. I suppose I’m looking forward to it a little bit myself.” Michele couldn’t use her full strength on a continent inhabited by humans. But there was nothing in the Mechanical Society that she had to worry about destroying. “It’s been a very long time since I was able to really put my Dragon side into action.” “I can’t wait to see you go all out, darliiing…!” Even as she fawned on her superior, Momo inwardly snarled to herself. These people were all monsters, every last one of them. That was true of more than just Michele and Hooseyard. Menou and her friends were rising to rival them. Momo had to make enemies of all of them if she wanted her wish to come true. Her time in the City of Ruins erased all doubt in her mind. When Menou’s beautiful hair turned black and Akari showed her face, Momo knew she was right. She knew the prediction Nono gave her when she invited her into the City of Ruins was correct. “Your ‘darling’ will choose to sacrifice herself in the end.” Nono’s eyes had shone with star-shaped Guiding Light when she spoke those words. The Astrologer only woke when the world was in danger, and she had gone out of her way to deliver that prophecy to Momo. Momo didn’t know how her actions would affect the world, now that she was armed with that knowledge. But what Menou was doing was unforgivable—unacceptable. Momo would never allow it. Menou intended to erase all of her own memories and give her body to Akari. “Your dear Momo will fight those people for all I’m worth, toooo! After all they’ve done…” The idea of Menou’s body housing Akari’s spirit. “…I’ll never let them get away with it!” Momo set out for the Mechanical Society to crush Menou’s plans once and for all, with no real allies to help her.