“What do you mean, the Lion King Agency’s high-ups are in a tizzy?”
Kojou, all done with munching on the rest of the onigiri, posed that question to Endou. The black cat shook its head.
“That should be obvious…the Necropolises of the Devas and the Beast Vassal Warheads. I heard you’ve met with Ladli Ren. You’ve seen the footage of that fleet, I take it?”
“Well, kinda… So that was the real deal?”
“The NAU has acknowledged it has withdrawn the fleet it had dispatched after sustaining a heavy strike. It’s been on a loop on news channels around the world, too. Sayaka, show them the photo from earlier.”
“Y-yes.”
Nodding with a rigid expression, Sayaka took out her smartphone. It was displaying the nighttime landscape of Itogami Island. Floating in the sky above it were complex magic circles resembling geometric shapes—the gate connecting that world to Nod.
Small transport craft were visible right by the gate. Kojou recognized the model.
“MAR transport choppers…I take it?”
“They were most likely carrying Beast Vassal Warheads from Nod.”
Affirming Kojou’s comment, Yukari continued. Kojou was a little put off by how her reply sounded like it wasn’t any problem of hers.
“No one noticed those choppers?”
“No one had time to. Someone’s Beast Vassals were on a rampage on the surface, you see.”
“Ugh…”
Having his own accountability pointed out to him in an unexpected fashion made Kojou’s words stick in his throat.
Apparently, it was none other than Kojou’s Beast Vassals that had ensured MAR could transport the Beast Vassal Warheads without anyone noticing, with the beasts acting as decoys. Not even Shahryar Ren was likely to have planned it that way. From Kojou’s perspective, it was an unfortunate coincidence.
“Considering the helicopters’ carrying capacity, we estimate they have brought a maximum of twelve Beast Vassal Warheads from Nod. It was likely less than that, but we can ill afford to be optimistic under the circumstances.”
“…So they’ve already used two, leaving ten left at most.”
Natsuki spoke, picking up where Yukari had left off.
“However, we have no idea where in the world the Deva cities serving as firing platforms might appear. Small wonder the HGTO signatory nations are frightened out of their wits.”
“We kinda heard about that part from La Folia.”
Kojou spoke with a voice tinged with anger lacking any outlet. La Folia had told Kojou and company about the Deva Necropolises, but her home nation of Aldegia was one such HGTO signatory. If La Folia and her knights took hostile action against MAR, there was no guarantee Aldegia’s capital city wouldn’t become a Beast Vassal Warheads target. Hence, La Folia told Kojou and the others she could not cooperate with them. All she could do was watch—for the moment, at least.
“It is not just the Kingdom of Aldegia. The government of Japan is also in negotiations with MAR.”
Natsuki told Kojou this with a calm air. Kojou leaned forward in spontaneous surprise.
“The Japanese government’s negotiating with them… What about Itogami Island?”
“Itogami Island City-State is treated as a self-governing territory within the country of Japan. Worst case, they’ll sell you out.”
Natsuki spoke in a cold, dismissive voice.
Itogami Island’s political situation since the War of the Primogenitors remained unstable and vague. Though it had the right to govern its own affairs and engage in foreign relations, national defense and law enforcement remained in the hands of the government of Japan. That was why Natsuki, a Japanese Federal Attack Mage, and the Lion King Agency were able to operate as they had previously.
So if MAR demanded the ceding of its territorial rights for Itogami Island, the government of Japan couldn’t refuse. MAR had the Beast Vassal Warheads after all.
“Then why did Ladli Ren come to the Gigafloat Management Corporation? If she can persuade the government of Japan, additional negotiations with the Itogami Island side are meaningless…”
Yukina seemed perplexed as she murmured to herself.
“Even if they end up occupying it either way, the residents of Itogami Island will have a much easier time accepting it that way than if the Japanese government decides all on its own.”
Natsuki voiced that realistic deduction.
“The problem is, it doesn’t end with Itogami Island. If the Devas really do have their hands on over six thousand warheads, the whole world will come under their rule in the exact same way. Even if they understand that will be the result, deep down the politicians don’t want to sacrifice their own people.”
“That’s all the more reason not to sit on our butts in a place like this. I’ve gotta drag Shahryar Ren out of Nod before the Devas get their hands on any more warheads…”
Kojou unwittingly slammed his fist down on a work bench as he raised his voice.
Natsuki quietly lowered her eyes. Then she shifted her gaze overhead.
“I suppose so, but if we know that, the Devas know it, too. That’s why they brought that big thing floating in the sky.”
“So we’ve gotta do something about the Necropolises before we can go to Nod…”
The gravity of the issue they faced really sank in again.
According to the measurements taken by Lydianne’s tank, the Necropolis was floating in the sky some two thousand meters above the island. It was neatly positioned to seal the entrance to the gate.
“You can’t use your Beast Vassals to blow it away while it’s sitting over the island. We can’t even estimate the damage that’d come from fragments falling into urban areas.”
Natsuki warned Kojou as if seeing straight through his thoughts. It was not impossible for the black Beast Vassals obtained by Kojou to destroy the spherical castle a kilometer in diameter.
The Deva fortress was protected by a powerful magical barrier. There was no absolute guarantee Kojou’s attacks would even be effective against it, and even if they were, a single fragment of the Necropolis falling onto the surface would be a catastrophe.
“Well, that doesn’t mean we can just sit on our hands and watch. Or do you seriously plan on selling the island off to Ladli Ren?”
“The Attack Mage Section is working with the Lion King Agency on a countermeasure. Don’t worry too much and behave yourself. If you go on a rampage by your lonesome, it’ll be yesterday all over again.”
“…Ain’t like yesterday was ’cause I wanted it. Well, I’ve seen Cas already, so since you say so, I’ll behave and go home.”
With Natsuki firmly driving her point home, Kojou grudgingly rose to his feet.
If he could, he’d have liked to go grab Avrora and bring her back that second, but even Kojou understood that wasn’t feasible. It grated on him, but the Deva Necropolis and the Beast Vassal Warheads weren’t things Kojou could deal with by himself.
Watching with worry as Kojou’s shoulders slumped and he headed for the exit, Yukina started following him out of habit. Yukari abruptly called her to a halt.
“Wait, Yukina. You stay here.”
“…Master?”
“Yesterday you lost enough blood to collapse. Can you work if the situation demands it? I will arrange for healing spells. You will rest here with Koyomi until I give you permission to leave.”
Yukari’s black cat familiar spoke to the surprised Yukina in a firm tone of voice.
“With Lady Shizuka…? But my duty is to be Akatsuki-senpai’s watcher…”
Yukina softly resisted her master’s arbitrary command, but the black cat leered right back.
“You can leave that duty to Gisella.”
“Gisella…to Miss Kasugaya?”
Yukina had a perplexed expression as she looked at Shizuri there on the bed. Shizuri stripped off the bandage wrapped around her arm, leaping to her feet as if waiting for that very moment.
“You may leave this to me! It is my duty as a Paladin of Gisella to guide Kojou Akatsuki so he commits no wickedness! You are injured, so you should take your time and rest!”
“Injured…but does that not also apply to Miss Kasugaya…”
Yukina glared at Yukari’s black cat familiar with reproachful, half-lidded eyes. The black cat exhaled with an innocent look, gazing up at the face of the tall girl holding the cat against her chest.
“For peace of mind, let us assign one more. You do not mind, Sayaka?”
Twitch, went Sayaka, her body going rigid when she heard her name, almost like she was afraid of something.
“N-no.”
When Sayaka nodded with a cornered expression, Kojou thought it just a little strange. He knew Sayaka was a man hater, but he didn’t think just being Kojou’s watcher was anything to make her tense at this late stage.
For her part, Sayaka bit her lip and hugged the instrument case sheathing her long sword against her chest.
Yukina stared at her blatantly unnatural reaction without a word.