“I did it!”
“There’s no way I’m the kind of weak woman who would die from something like this.”
Right? Fiona? Lily murmurs as she stands atop the black iron cannon.
“Next round, loading.”
“Understood!”
As Rei stands on the pedestal of the gigantic cannon at her feet, red magical lines run throughout it.
“Still, its power is beyond my imagination. If this is just the secondary cannon, then the main cannon must be stronger than the Black Dragon King’s breath.”
The cannon Lily just fired is one of the secondary guns mounted on the ancient civilization’s heritage, the sky battleship “Shangri-La.”
Since Lily defeated the pale war machine after a fierce battle and acquired this Shangri-La, she has focused most of her efforts on restoring its functions.
It was not an impossible task for Lily, who had already accessed the heavy machinery “Taurus” during the Galahad War and knew how to handle basic ancient magic devices.
Of course, the super-massive weapon Shangri-La is far more complex and enormous than Taurus. Lily could only comprehend a tiny portion of its functions.
Currently, the only cannon Lily can use on the Shangri-La is this one secondary gun. The three main cannons, two on the front deck and one on the rear deck, have not moved at all.
Even if they did move, the operational rate of the restored Shangri-La’s engine that Lily restarted is only 0.2%. The amount of magical power supplied is far from enough to fire a single shot from the main cannon or even to lift the steel hull into the sky.
However, combining the magical power she possesses with what little she can draw from it is enough to fire the secondary gun. Moreover, her opponents are not giant battleships of the same kind but merely three people. Like targeting ants with advanced attack magic, the power exceeds normal standards.
“Hehe, I’m glad to see they’re still alive.”
A three-dimensional image of light magic appears in Lily’s hands. It shows a simplified surrounding map, with three red enemy icons indicating Fiona and her companions lit up.
The three reactions are still intact, swiftly zigzagging while retreating. Additionally, they must have laid down quite solid defenses. Next to the icons, it reads in ancient language, “High Magical Reaction – Currently Active.”
“They seem to be escaping well, but I wonder how many shots they can endure against this bombardment.”
There will be no mercy. There is no compassion. They will come at her with all their strength to kill. They are the kind of opponents that warrant such treatment.
Just as she is, they too have come with absolute murderous intent. Yes, for none other than Chrono—
“Now, let us begin the war. Anyone who wants Chrono, come at me all together. Fiona, Sariel, Nel, welcome to my paradise—”
With that, the sounds of cannon fire shook the ruins of the town once more.
—
“As expected of Lily, she’s going all out.”
“Her attacks exceed our expectations.”
“If she’d been just a little more accurate, we would have been dead.”
It seems that once they reached the entrance of the subway station in this area, Lily’s bombardment cannot reach them.
The bombardment was three shots. Even with defensive magic fully deployed, a direct hit would obliterate them without a trace.
The three were only struck by the shockwaves produced by the cannon fire. Yet, Fiona absorbed the heat with “Flame Barrier,” Sariel deflected the impact with “Thunderous Great Shield,” and Nel prevented the remaining force with “Holy Heart.” A triple defense by three Rank 5 adventurers. Even that allowed them to escape with their lives.
“If she can keep firing with that kind of power and interval, we would all be wiped out before we even got close.”
With a face tight in frustration, Nel nodded absentmindedly at Fiona.
“Indeed, even if we charged separately at full speed…”
“They’d get taken down halfway from the launch point. On our own, we have our limits in mitigating the shockwaves.”
Sariel’s calm analysis was something they regrettably could not deny.
“However, with that kind of power, she can’t keep firing repeatedly, can she?”
“Target magical depletion, right? That’s the theory, but it probably wouldn’t be possible.”
“This attack uses ancient weapons. It appears that sufficient magical power supply functionality has been restored.”
“How do you know that?”
“I sensed a reaction similar to Selene’s lighthouse.”
“Now that you mention it, that does seem to be the case.”
Fiona already knew that Sariel’s sixth sense was even sharper than Chrono’s. She wouldn’t misread the presence of magical power. With such a massive sensation, it was even more so.
“Did you catch a glimpse of what kind of ancient weapon it is?”
“I spotted something resembling a enormous ship just before it struck. It is likely the ‘airborne battleship’ mentioned in ancient texts.”
“An ‘airborne battleship’? No way, they really exist…”
Though flying battleships are almost like a joke mentioned in legends, it seems Princess Avalon has some recollection. For Fiona, who had never heard of it, she felt little interest.
“Does it really fly? The ship?”
“It doesn’t have enough magical power to enable flight. It seems only the mounted weapon’s cannon was restored for interception.”
“Then, it’s like facing a dragon that has barricaded itself in its nest.”
Some dragons have a terrifying ecology of staying nested within solid homes and unleashing powerful dragon breath on anyone who approaches. During breeding or child-rearing periods, they exhibit behavior that entirely forbids intrusion into their territory.
“Oh, I’ve experienced that once.”
“So have I.”
“I’ve done it twice.”
It seems that being Rank 5 adventurers has its merit; all three have experience in battling barricaded dragons.
“By the way, how did you conquer it?”
“Um, in my case, I challenged it with my party from ‘Wingroad’—”
In Nel’s case, the opponent was a water dragon that made a lake its nest. The surroundings were a pleasant grassland, and no matter which direction they approached from, the water dragon would soon catch sight of them breaking the surface of the lake.
“I sent Safi’s minions from all directions as bait to close the distance while forcing a breakthrough. The water dragon was still not fully grown, so I think that worked.”
Even so, it had already transformed into a decent dragon from its juvenile form. If defeated, it would be a brag-worthy trophy. A page in the illustrious adventure tales of “Wingroad.”
“This time, the same strategy is impossible.”
Even if they had hundreds or thousands of bait, it would be Lily who fires the breath-level cannon. While they can mislead the eyes of wild dragons, Lily would effortlessly blow them away with a single shot.
“What about you, Fiona?”
“As for me? Well, that dragon was, if I remember correctly, when I was still a student—”
The aloof witch Fiona, who maintained a solo path throughout the Sacred Elysion Magical Academy from enrollment to graduation, had faced the dragon entirely alone when it came to that.
The opponent was a fire earth dragon that made its nest in a volcanic area. It had a nest at the top of a small rocky mountain and would unleash magma breath on anyone approaching from its vantage point.
“I am resistant to fire, but that breath had lethal heat and explosive power that could kill with a direct hit.”
“And how did you manage to conquer such a dragon by yourself?”
“I gave up.”
“Eh?”
“What I wanted at the time was the legendary Phoenix Sage Flower that supposedly grows in that dragon’s nest, but while I was wandering around the vicinity, I found it and just collected it and went home. I thought I was really lucky at that time.”
That fortunate Phoenix Sage Flower, she pressed a spare one into a flower and still uses it as a bookmark in her grimoire.
“That’s not helpful at all!”
“I just answered honestly because I was asked.”
Despite being an utterly useless tale, Fiona showed no signs of regret.
Nel felt she could have complained endlessly, but realizing that it would be futile to say anything to a witch who did not understand the nuances of her heart, she simply sighed, reminiscent of her brother.
“I suppose I should ask, but what about you, Sariel?”
“If you’re asking about reference, my experience won’t help either.”
Both of her strategies relied on overwhelming apostolic power for a frontal assault. Sariel wasn’t so free as to wistfully speak of the blessing she’d already lost.
“…It’s nearly a deadlock, isn’t it?”
“Lily isn’t going to be lenient enough to allow for a straightforward approach.”
Even though they were prepared, the reality of pulling out the ancient massive weapon is nothing short of overwhelming.
“So, let’s get to it and use a trick. Sariel, prepare.”
“Understood, Lady Fiona.”
As if he understood the situation, Sariel dashed out toward the entrance alone. Fiona, who ordered him, remained seated, perhaps indicating there was no need for her to move yet.
“As I thought, you have a plan.”
“Yes, it’s unfortunate to be forced to exhaust options so early.”
Lily expresses that she’d like to keep her cards hidden until she directly encounters Fiona.
“Then, what should I do?”
“For now, just act as bait.”
“Fiona, I’m listening seriously here.”
“I replied seriously.”
Nel, the princess, furrowed her exquisitely shaped eyebrows. Fiona, the witch, looked at her with a cold gaze. Suddenly, a tense atmosphere flowed between them.
“Are you ordering me to die? You’ve shown your true nature.”
“Don’t worry; I’ll use Sariel as bait too.”
“Understood, I see you’re planning to eliminate both nuisances all at once, right?”
“If both die here, I will end up fighting Lily alone.”
No matter who challenges her, it’s unlikely they’d win against Lily in perfect condition. They need to eliminate as many of Lily’s options as possible and wear her down, however slightly.
To achieve victory, the power of the three is necessary.
It seems Fiona seriously considered the idea that both of them becoming bait constitutes a proper strategy.
“Then, let me explain the plan.”
“…Go ahead.”
Realizing this was a completely meaningless exchange, Nel listened to Fiona’s explanation while feeling drained.
—
“…Hehe, you’ve finally come out.”
After waiting for about an hour with Rei while having tea atop the secondary cannon of Shangri-La, the enemies finally emerged from their hideout.
An enemy icon lit up on the three-dimensional map Lily was observing.
“Ready for a surprise attack, go!”
With an upbeat voice, Rei called out, and red magical lines ran, awakening the ancient cannon once again.
“Fire.”
The cannon’s voice drowned out a quiet launch order as it rang throughout the ruins of the town.
“How’s that?”
“Terrible. You missed.”
“Mmm.”
With a sulky expression, Rei changed the cannon’s angle to track the target.
And then, two or three times. The secondary cannon continued to spit fire at regular intervals. A huge pillar of fire rose far away. It scorched the already charred streets of rubble while continuing a one-sided attack on the fleeing prey.
Yes, the enemy can still continue to escape.
“They’re reading our range.”
The targets Lily is tracking are circling at the very edge of the secondary cannon’s effective range. When she displayed the effective shooting area of the secondary cannon on the map, it matched perfectly.
At first glance, it seemed they weren’t advancing an inch in the face of heavy bombardment…
“Indeed, there’s no mistake.”
Even when she intentionally aimed off-target, extended the firing intervals, and let up on the attack, they didn’t try to close the distance, seizing the opportunity. The enemy wouldn’t advance past the very edge of her range.
“There have only been two reactions since earlier… Probably Sariel and Nel. If they keep their distance, they can evade. Their reaction speed is still monstrous.”
Under ordinary circumstances, they would have long been vaporized. She intended to deliver that level of attack.
The icons only indicated the enemy reactions from the current detection limits, without identifying individuals. However, the two dots dancing on Lily’s map revealed their personalities through their movements.
One was craftily avoiding direct hits as if it knew in advance where each projectile would land—this one was Sariel.
On the other hand, the other was staggered close to the landing point but remained unfazed by the shockwaves. A “High Magical Reaction” was detected just before the shot landed.
“It was ‘Sky Dragon Palm: Clear Sky’ and ‘Crimson Night,’ right?”
Lily knew about Nel’s abilities exhibited in the knight selection tournament as a battle shrine maiden. That she wielded a national treasure-level magical tool that maximizes her genius skill in ancient martial arts.
“Clear Sky” absorbs and “Crimson Night” reflects. With both abilities combined, she can remain safe even in the explosive winds.
“This isn’t going anywhere… But that’s fine; after all, we’re not short on ‘ammunition.'”
Using everything available until it runs dry is one of the basic principles for dealing with powerful long-range attacks.
If their actions are aimed at that, it would be entirely futile. No matter how capable Sariel and Nel are, remaining bait requires considerable concentration, stamina, and magical power, so exhaustion is inevitable.
“No, there’s no way they wouldn’t notice the heart of Shangri-La.”
All three of them are sharp. Even at a mere 0.2% operational rate, that amount of magical power produced from the Shangri-La would be colossal to modern humans. It would be odd if none of them noticed the presence.
They should be fully aware that targeting magical depletion is impossible.
Then, what they’re truly aiming for is—
“Expand the detection range and search for Fiona.”
“Got it! Go, drone squad, move out!”
From behind Lily, numerous spheres of white light floated up. After fluttering in the air like fireflies, they vanished as if they were illusions.
No, they merely appeared to disappear; they smoothly transitioned into stealth flying mode.
“Hmm, it would have been better if I could gather a few more elementals, but it can’t be helped.”
The spheres of light Lily sent fly were ancient magical tools officially referred to as “Spirit Reconnaissance Devices.”
Each elemental, as wild monsters, exists in various attributes like fire and ice, but modern magic also has the ability to create them with one’s own magic. Elementals, magical lifeforms that are dense balls of magical power, possess little strength both as monsters and magic, and consequently, have a low difficulty level in acquisition. They are well-known as training magic for novice mages to learn magical control.
Fire and light elementals are convenient enough to serve as torches, but few use them in actual combat.
This “Spirit Reconnaissance Device” is largely similar to the elementals currently managed. The difference lies in that it uses a small ball-shaped magical tool as a nucleus to generate elementals, possessing advanced information-gathering functions that can detect visual information and magical reactions and convey them back to the master.
By interpreting the information sent back from the “Spirit Reconnaissance Device” and inputting it into Shangri-La, Lily can update a more detailed map.
The reconnaissance device that can fly at a reasonable altitude and speed soon brought reconnaissance information to Lily. The map unfolding before her revealed the range that the reconnaissance device had seen in real-time.
“…Not here.”
The third enemy icon. The point of light indicating Fiona didn’t light up anywhere.
“Did she go underground… hiding her appearance and magical power?”
Lily had thought that Fiona was preparing some great magic that exceeded the range of the secondary cannon, but she was completely off base. If powerful magic were being prepared, there would be matching reactions.
The fact that they couldn’t find her meant that Fiona was hidden.
“Bring back the elementals and strengthen perimeter vigilance.”
As unlikely as it seems, it is hard to think that she opted for a simple strategy of approaching while hiding. While simple, such strategies are inherently difficult. Naturally, Lily had taken countermeasures against such methods.
Until they reach the core, she had strict layers of vigilance in place, including the embedded “Spirit Reconnaissance Devices.” While they don’t have enough fighters to intercept due to the balance of their available forces, they have certainly left ample eyes and ears to spot enemies concealing themselves and approaching.
Could Fiona, a witch who isn’t a stealth-specialized class like a thief or assassin, really slip past the numerous surveillance nets infused with ancient technology?
At least, Fiona, as Lily knows her, doesn’t possess skills to that extent. If she did, there would have been no need to wear the predator cloak with her while waiting for Chrono around Alsace Fortress.
Unable to use the crucial disappearing magic due to her lack of affinity for light magic, Fiona would surely be found once she moves—
“Fiona is coming.”
That was purely intuition.
Fiona intended to come directly here. Sariel and Nel were just a diversion.
Without a doubt. But how?
Before she could find the answer to that question, the moment arrived.
“—Long time no see, Lily.”
The nostalgic voice resonated distinctly.
When she turned around, there stood the Black-clothed Witch.
“Yes, it’s really been a long time, Fiona… I missed you.”
“I missed you too, Lily.”
Gently raised, her beloved witch’s long staff, “Ainz Bloom,” emanated the golden glow of flames that Lily had always hoped would never be directed at her.
“I came to kill you. Please die here for Chrono—’Fire Long Spear.'”
Her long blue hair swaying in the gentle breeze, two horns piercing the sky. The demon of Endymion with golden eyes holding the light of magic swung the staff that concealed the scorching heat of hell without knowing the concept of mercy.