Five days earlier, during the Fukuoka Gate Battle…
The single Lunatic Order squad participating was the Fuji Squad. Hanabi wore her Division 5-only new weapon, the Drag Ride, and was once again dropped from the sky directly towards the Gate.
“Heavy Magic maximum output, all weaponry engaged. Nova Gravity Bomb deployed.”
A microsun dropped from the heavens towards the Jave mantas swarming protectively over the Gate. Before the Jave even saw the Kiryu, the Ultra-Hot Bullet burst right above the surface, a blinding light evaporating everything around it. It melted them, turning them to ash and blowing them away. In one instant, the Jave on the surface, the eggs laid in the town, and the four Meat Pillars were all gone.
The Kiryu was still wheeling through the sky above, observing the world below. The Jave outside the blast radius came swarming in, but there was no sign of the Queen emerging from the Gate. That was a first.
Thirty seconds after receiving this news, command ordered the Kiryu into the Gate. While dodging manta attacks 20,000 meters above the ground, the Kiryu and Air Force Cavalleria raised objections and arguments against sending a Student Echelon squad into an unknown dimensional portal solo. However, command ignored them, repeating the orders.
In her usual tone of voice, not sounding put out, Hanabi asked, “Squad Leader, what now? Going into the Gate is one thing, but there’s no telling what’ll happen inside. We go too deep, we might not make it back.”
“We’ve got our orders,” Fuji said grimly. “If we sense danger, we’ll just have to turn back then.”
“Okay, okaaay,” Rin said. “Roger that. Kyuu-kun, you cool? You gonna look after Hanabi and us?”
“I got you, Rin-san. You handle the ranged foes.”
Fuji nodded. “Everyone ready? Suzuka-kun, take us in.”
“Copy that. Drag Ride and the Fuji Squad entering the Gate!”
The Kiryu dropped down. Kuon was strapped onto its back with a cable arm. He knelt, drawing his Blade.
Inside the Gate was a place like outer space, and there was a welcome party waiting for them. Hundreds of tentacles emerged from the void, stretching towards the Kiryu. Kuon breathed out.
Shichisei Kenbu: Mod. Tensetsu Shigure.
Time seemed to stop. Enemy attack routes and evasion routes were shared with the Kiryu, along with everyone strapped to it. What the Kiryu’s large frame couldn’t dodge, Kuon cut down. Rin shot the tentacles just outside that range. Fuji located the Queen, and Hanabi shot a single extra-wide bullet ahead of them which burned everything in its path. They’d done exercises like this in training and mock battles any number of times.
Time moved again, and everything played out as planned.
“Queen located! Two o’clock above us!” Fuji shouted.
Kuon sliced and Rin shot and Hanabi launched her bullet, turning the Kiryu’s head towards their target. The blast lit up the starless space and struck the massive conical lump of flesh. The Queen screamed as her skin, muscle, and bone burned and melted, finally evaporating away.
Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeescreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
The Queen let out a roar that hit the pits of their stomachs and made them want to clap their hands to their ears. It was an inhuman, ugly, revolting noise that pulled up Hanabi’s memories of the Capital battle and her childhood trauma, and made her thoughts and body freeze.
But the magical lines connecting her to her squad reminded her that she wasn’t alone here. Her courage bolstered, she let out a roar that shoved aside everything worming its way under her skin. Kuon and Fuji and Rin all screamed with her, their spirits and vigor rising. The voices of her friends on her DM’s back gave Hanabi’s quivering fortitude the push it needed. The whole team’s hearts were one, and the bullet she fired ripped into the Queen’s massive bulk, about to eliminate it entirely.
Nothing happened.
The bullet ripping straight through the enemies inside the Gate suddenly vanished.
On her monitor, Fuji yelled, “Heavy Magic Engine offline! Shit, the field’ll—”
A moment later, the Heavy Magic Field surrounding the Kiryu vanished. The tentacles fired a shower of light bullets at the defenseless Fuji Squad. Kuon stopped time, but not only were there no evasion routes, the magic link was cut and he couldn’t share anything with his squad. Time flowed again, and he blocked three bullets with his Blade before it shattered. He’d managed to save his three companions, but…
“Retreat! Run for it, now!” Fuji ordered.
Hanabi was struggling to do something about the Kiryu’s stalled engine. At Fuji’s shout, Rin broke off firing at the encroaching tentacles to yell, “Hanabi!”
A number of light bullets struck the Kiryu’s bulk, exploding. Hanabi ejected a moment too late. Her Witch Bubble protected her, but the blast sent her flying. Rin instantly deployed her extra weapon, Falcon. She shifted it to Riding Mode, hopping on and chasing after Hanabi into the void.
“Senpai! Rin-san!” Kuon shouted.
“Change of orders!” Fuji said over the comm. “Okegawa-kun, kill the Queen! Leave Hanabi-san to Motegi-kun!”
“But…”
“Just kill the damn thing!”
“Ah…!” Before another thought struck him, he activated Tensetsu, found attack routes, evasion routes, and approach routes, and as Tensetsu ended…
Shichisei Kenbu: Chijin.
Three quick shukuchi and he was at the Queen’s side. Using up so much magic that fast left him feeling like all of his blood was rushing the wrong way, and he almost threw up. His heart was beating unnaturally and his vision tunneled, but he pulled his other Blade and prepared to thrust.
Shi…chisei Kenbu: Mumyo Tosen…
Direct hit.
Magic Dispersal activated, and the Queen’s body began to crumble. Hearing her scream, Kuon used the last of his power to push away towards his friends.
Huh?