Jigil said she wanted them to help rescue Michelle.
Jigil's escape had apparently been timed to absolute perfection.
She'd judged that her own combat ability was clearly no match for General Christoph, and that even a reckless move wouldn't lead to Michelle's rescue—so she'd come to this location, which she'd heard about from Michelle herself.
When they pressed for details, it turned out that General Christoph, the founding genius of the Machina Arts, had visited the Southern City and held some kind of private meeting with Michelle.
The negotiations had broken down, and a battle ensued.
"General Christoph's strength is overwhelming, and every one of his subordinates is first-rate. Besides... Michelle held back for fear of damaging the city, so she couldn't fight at full power. Her defeat was inevitable."
Even so, the city had sustained damage, and the chaos still hadn't subsided.
Jigil had used that confusion to slip out of the city...
"But even so, none of us could take on the Four Great Machine Generals, could we?"
When Kalman said that, Jigil nodded as if that went without saying.
Sneak attacks were useless against the Four Great Machine Generals.
They were monsters beyond imagination—the most powerful strategic weapons in the world.
"I know that. I'm not expecting that much. But I want the Resistance to gather its forces and draw the Imperial Army's attention while they're in disarray. Then, with a small elite squad, we rescue Michelle—"
The Southern City was in the depths of chaos, and the Imperial soldiers couldn't decide where they stood in the conflict between the Four Great Machine Generals.
That was where the Resistance forces would come in.
Jigil had heard that Michelle was commissioning them to amass military strength, so she'd devised a plan to use that operation to rescue Michelle. To request the Resistance's cooperation, she'd risked her life to escape the city.
"I see. Even if we don't know the Resistance's full strength, they'd still be a threat to the Empire in its current state of confusion. If things go well, it might even lure General Christoph out. But what about the other Four Great Machine Generals?"
"Michelle was captured just over an hour ago. The content of Michelle and General Christoph's secret meeting is unclear, so I can't say for certain, but I don't think word has reached the other cities yet. To mobilize the other Four Great Machine Generals, they'd need to establish Michelle's crimes clearly first."
Jigil answered Reitz's question.
The possibility of the other Four Great Machine Generals joining the battle was low.
Even if General Christoph held the highest military authority, condemning Michelle—the Emperor's daughter—would require enough reasons and evidence to convince others. Until that was prepared, the problem would remain contained within the Southern City, or so Jigil argued.
"I understand the situation. For our part, we'd like Michelle to remain an ally going forward, so we're willing to offer full cooperation. However—"
"Without answers from the other Resistance cells, we can't make promises based on our judgment alone."
Salma and Lindou replied to Jigil apologetically.
They wanted to help Michelle, but they simply didn't have enough forces to deploy. To pull off the kind of diversion Jigil was describing, they needed numbers.
"Jigil, we're ready to move anytime! We owe our lives to Michelle anyway—use us however you like!"
Kalman said with a grin, and his subordinates twisted their faces into defiant smirks, nodding along.
Zaza had complicated feelings toward Kalman and his group.
"I want to go rescue Michelle too. But if I leave, this place's defenses—"
Zaza said, torn by the dilemma.
He wanted to go, but doing so meant leaving behind his non-combat companions.
Even though this was their hidden base, Zaza worried about leaving it unguarded.
"But Zaza, now might be our best chance. We can't match the Four Great Machine Generals, but we've got Jigil here. If we succeed in rescuing Michelle, we might be able to strike back at General Christoph! And if things go well, other Resistance members might join this operation too!"
Reitz offered his opinion, pushing things forward.
Zaza knew Reitz by reputation—an officer famous for being laid-back but razor-sharp.
There were records of engagements between Reitz's unit and the Resistance forces, yet neither side had suffered a single fatality.
Coming from someone that sharp, Reitz's words shook Zaza's resolve.
"It depends on what the other branch leaders think. If everyone cooperates, we could amass more firepower than ever before. If Michelle's rescue succeeds..."
"—then a pincer attack with the Resistance forces deployed for the diversion wouldn't be a pipe dream."
When Salma said that hesitantly, Zaza—who had already considered that scenario—sighed and nodded.
That was all predicated on the Resistance actually working together, of course...
Still, the possibility of toppling a corner of the Empire lay right before their eyes.
It would be a shame to let this slip by, and not just Zaza—Salma and the others felt the same way.
—At that moment, Veldora, who'd been growing impatient, finally moved.
He spoke in a booming voice.
"Now hold on. Have you all forgotten someone? A truly remarkable person—someone who'd be invaluable at a time like this, like some kind of secret weapon—"
The heavy atmosphere shattered in an instant.
"You're going to help us!?"
"But your agreement with Michelle was only to escort us this far... right?"
Zaza and Salma asked in surprise, but Veldora only let out a booming laugh.
Watching this,
"Ramiris, the deadline is tonight. The presentation was supposed to be today... There doesn't seem to be a difference in the flow of time, so Rimuru might find out about our activities as early as today. If we want to cover our tracks, we should head back immediately, but—"
"Master's completely planning to leave everything to Rimuru, isn't she?"
"That's what I thought too. Even if we went back now, we probably wouldn't have enough time to cover things up..."
"You're right, I agree. Besides, leaving this world as-is and going back would leave a bad taste in our mouths. And what if everything's already over by the time we return? That'd be the worst-case scenario. I think it's better to see things through to the end here."
Ramiris and Beretta were of one mind, leaning toward supporting Veldora.
Beretta's true feelings—covering things up would be a hassle—were also visible between the lines. Beretta was certain that the task would inevitably fall on them.
If things went wrong, they could even get complaints about the operation not being completed in time. Beretta's demonic instincts warned that cutting corners was dangerous.
So Beretta had no objections either.
If they were going to get scolded, they'd all go down together! That was Beretta's honest sentiment.
"AHAHAHA! Diversionary tactics are my specialty! It wouldn't be a problem if we just destroyed the enemy outright, would it?"
Veldora declared smugly.
Beside him, Ramiris muttered: "That just means you want to go wild, doesn't it?"
While Beretta replied: "Ramiris, as frustrating as it is, the most effective option in this situation really is to let Veldora run rampant."
Neither of them had objections.
Veldora joining the fight—that was what tipped everyone's decision.
But a problem remained.
"If Veldora's helping, that's reassuring, but we still can't commit all our forces to the diversion. We need to defend this location too, and we only have a small squad..."
Sending everything out while leaving behind people who needed protection was out of the question.
So Zaza proposed a diversion with minimal forces.
Reinforcements from other branches would be nice, but he wasn't counting on them—he planned to cause a spectacle all on their own.
For Zaza, this was a resolve to die.
If they made that kind of move in the Empire's backyard, they'd certainly be surrounded and annihilated.
Veldora, with his extraordinary power, might survive—but ordinary people like Zaza and the rest couldn't harbor any such hope.
But still, if it led to Michelle's rescue— Zaza steeled himself.
But then.
"Zaza, rest easy. Since Beretta and Ramiris will remain here, the fighters can join the fray in style. I'll prepare the necessary armaments by tomorrow."
Veldora said without a moment's hesitation.
But one person wasn't satisfied with that.
Ramiris.
"Wait, wait, wait, Master!? I'm going with you!"
She hopped onto Veldora's shoulder and declared.
Standing guard was something Ramiris simply couldn't bear.
"Tch, if you come along, I'll have to look after you, won't I?"
"So what? That's a small price!"
They were about to get into an argument when Beretta stepped in to help Ramiris.
"Veldora, wouldn't it solve things if I accompanied you?"
But Veldora's response was clear.
"Wait, Beretta. You must stay here and protect these people. So that Zaza can fight without worry."
Hearing that, Beretta had no choice but to accept.
With those words from Veldora, Beretta's staying behind was decided.
The one remaining was Ramiris...
"I'm absolutely coming with you, you know!"
That unyielding determination—faced with it, Veldora gave in.
"You're impossible. Fine, I could just protect you, but then I wouldn't be able to go all out..."
"So what? You don't need to go all out!"
Ramiris had a point.
Since it was obvious Veldora just wanted to rampage, having Ramiris along as a restraint might actually be better, Beretta thought.
And as for defense—if Veldora was there, there shouldn't be any problems.
So Beretta decided to leave Ramiris in Veldora's care.
In the end, Veldora and Ramiris would join the diversion, while Beretta would be left in charge of the base.
"All right! Then I'll lead the diversionary force! Veldora, I'm counting on your support!"
"Leave it to me."
Zaza made his declaration of resolve, and Veldora nodded grandly.
And so, with Veldora's group on board, the broad strokes of the operation were drawn up.
◇◇◇ Now, the present.
A night had passed, and the operation was set for dawn.
Kalman and his four subordinates were en route to the Empire aboard Reitz's supply transport ship.
A detailed briefing at the later strategy meeting had established the formal division of roles.
"Good, good. Kalman's lot should know their way around the city interior. Infiltrate and rescue Michelle. I, under Zaza's command, will cause as spectacular a ruckus as possible!"
As casual as "Grandma went to the river to do laundry, Grandpa went to the mountain to mow grass."
That was how lightly Veldora had declared it.
Of course, in Veldora's mind, what was being mowed—or rather hunted—wasn't grass, but Imperial soldiers.
As Kalman recalled that departure scene, Jigil approached him.
"By the way, Kalman—there's something I've been curious about."
"Y-Yes, what is it?"
Jigil surveyed Kalman and his subordinates appraisingly, then spoke carefully.
"You fought that person called Veldora too, didn't you? Michelle said it was 'someone on par with me, or even stronger.' So how are you still alive after fighting someone like that?"
Kalman explained, realizing the report hadn't been filed yet.
"No, no, we fought Beretta, not Veldora. All five of us went at her, and she kicked us aside."
"Incredibly, the Neutron Convergence Cannon was completely ineffective."
"Plasma-type weapons didn't work either. Beretta was a monster too."
"But come on—"
"Yeah. Veldora's in a whole different league. He's the kind of guy who can punch a Super Beast into the ground."
Kalman and his subordinates all said the same, their words carrying more than mere respect—it was clear they were drawn to Veldora and Beretta.
But from Jigil's perspective as the listener, this was far from convincing.
"Impossible. The Neutron Convergence Cannon was ineffective? It fires neutrons that pass through matter at sub-light speeds to pierce atomic nuclei—how could anyone block that!? And he punched a Super Beast into the ground? Are you making fun of me?"
Kalman could only smile wryly at that question.
"No, no, we're the ones who'd like to ask that! We actually fought them and saw that unbelievable sight with our own eyes."
At Kalman's response, Jigil murmured, "So it's true."
"But still, what kind of technology were those three modified with?"
"Beats me. But seeing the technical capability to modify us in a single night, I'd believe it if someone told me they were top scientists from some city."
Listening to the conversation between Kalman and his subordinates, Jigil paused to think before asking a confirming question.
"Michelle only told me about the fight with Veldora, but Beretta sounds reliable too. And it was Beretta who repaired you, correct?"
"That's right."
"Hmm, I see..."
When Jigil heard that, her lips curled into a twisted smile.
Curving upward at both ends like a crescent moon— Evil.
"I thought having one person stay behind would be troublesome, but this works out nicely. That knowledge should prove useful. Perhaps I'll have her captured at leisure later."
That seamless transformation was so sudden that Kalman momentarily couldn't process what had been said.
"Huh? Jigil, what exactly are you—?"
Kalman asked Jigil cautiously.
It was a fatal mistake. Though in truth, the moment he'd trusted Jigil, it was already too late.
"You're slow on the uptake, Kalman. Thank goodness you're stupid. Zaza wouldn't have walked into a trap this easily—at the very least—"
It was only after hearing that much that Kalman finally grasped the situation.
"Son of a—! You bastards, scatter! And sprint to the hangar—!!"
Kalman shouted.
But it was already too late.
"—He wouldn't have made such a basic mistake. No one knows who the traitor is, and yet you trusted me simply because I'm Michelle's confidante? Utterly foolish. You should have left at least one person behind in the hangar."
Kalman and his subordinates weren't wearing their Enhanced External
It was stored in the hangar.
Then came a muffled explosion.
It was the sound of hope being crushed.
"Jigil—no, you—don't tell me you've done something to Veldora and the others—!?"
"Yes. By now, my forces should have deployed to the designated location. The Resistance is weak and could be crushed at any time, but I'd rather deal with anyone Michelle would be wary of. So I've prepared a death trap for them."
"A death trap, you say?"
"Yes. The Six-Fold Destruction Emperor—have you heard of it?"
"N-No way... the ultimate weapon said to reduce entire cities to ash...?"
"That's the one. It's an older model, but its destructive power is genuine. It'd be a waste not to use it."
Watching Jigil smile as she said this, Kalman felt a chill run down his spine.
(This one's insane. She's got unbelievably dangerous way of thinking...)
He thought that, and then a question nagged at him.
Could Michelle truly not have seen through someone this deranged?
And so Kalman found himself speaking, not entirely of his own volition.
"—You, you've been betraying Michelle from the very start!?"
He glared at Jigil with eyes full of fury and doubt, roaring the words.
But Jigil lightly shook her head in denial.
"No, that's not it. I was reborn, you see. By the hand of the great True Emperor Fuudra, I became the ultimate warrior—a Bio-Modified Human."
She declared it proudly, and in the very next instant, Jigil struck Kalman down faster than a blink.
"Guboh—"
Punched in the cheek and kicked in the abdomen, Kalman rolled across the ground.
But thanks to his pain sensitivity being capped beyond standard limits, he didn't suffer as much as one might expect.
More important than the pain was what Jigil had just said.
(So Michelle wasn't deceived or betrayed. It's not the worst-case scenario, but it's not exactly something I can handle either...)
Thinking that far, Kalman realized he was surprisingly composed.
Before he could dwell on that composure, an answer flashed through his mind.
(No doubt about it—that's thanks to the modification surgery.)
Understanding dawned on him, and gratitude toward Veldora welled up.
(If I hadn't been modified, that blow would've been the end of me. Still, this body is incredible. I can see the damage numbers... that hit did about ten percent to my head and three percent to my abdomen. To sell the act, I should pretend I'm more hurt than I am...)
With that thought, Kalman put on a pained expression and collapsed to the ground, groaning.
"Oh my, you're still alive? Getting maintenance from the Empire has paid off—you're sturdier than I expected."
Kalman let Jigil's taunts wash over him and established a telepathic link to his subordinates.
"I'm fine, everyone. But we're in a tight spot. No matter what, we're getting out of this alive."
His subordinates, who'd been shaken by his takedown, regained their composure with those words.
"Thank goodness you're safe!"
"But what do we do? Our Enhanced External Equipment looks like it's been destroyed!"
"Remote operation isn't responding either..."
Quickly and precisely, the subordinates assessed the situation.
And through the secret weapon of telepathic communication, they established a course of action without Jigil catching on.
"Listen up. We're Mechanized Soldiers, so without the Enhanced External Equipment, people think we're trash. And they're not entirely wrong—but the modification technology from Veldora and the others is incredible. That last hit from Jigil didn't actually do that much damage to me. And the self-repair function is amazing too—my abdominal injuries should heal in about three minutes."
"In that case, if we're lucky, the Enhanced External Equipment might—"
"Yeah, it might still be usable. Don't give up hope yet! If we can somehow escape from this transport ship—"
That was the conclusion they'd reached—but that hope was brutally shattered.
"Jigil, it's done. Just as ordered, I've destroyed all of their Enhanced External Equipment."
Reitz said with a laugh as he strolled onto the bridge.
"Well done. What about the performance analysis?"
"I tried to collect data, but this ship's systems couldn't analyze most of it. A shame, but I prioritized the destruction. Once they equip those, they match the combat capability of Imperial Combat-Type Mechanized Humans. Destroying them before they're used—that's just common sense. Though, they're no match for us Bio-Modified Humans anyway. Aren't you being overly cautious?"
Any tactical-class weapon, if destroyed before deployment, was simple to deal with.
Reitz laughed.
And that meant Kalman and his group's last hope had been severed.
"You bastards—!"
Kalman shouted.
"Oh? You're still alive. Jigil, did you go easy on him?"
"He was like a rabid dog, and tougher than I expected."
"I see. Well then—"
Reitz grinned and reshaped his right hand into a blade.
He intended to finish Kalman off.
But at that moment— A sharp hiss, followed by a muffled explosion.
The ship's control computer had been shot through by a Thermal Beam Gun.
"WARNING. Fatal error in ship control systems. Impact with ground surface in fifty seconds. Repeat. Fatal error in ship control systems. Impact with ground surface in fifty seconds—"
An automated voice blared the warning, and tension flooded the bridge.
Kalman grinned.
"Heh heh—how's that? Things have gotten to the point where you can't beat us. But if I make this ship uncontrollable, I can take you all with me. When this thing kisses the ground at over the speed of sound, no amount of durability is gonna keep you alive!"
He pulled a cigar from somewhere, placed it in his mouth, and said defiantly.
Kalman took a drag from the cigar and slowly exhaled smoke.
His subordinates all wore grinning expressions—not one of them showed any fear of death.
As professional soldiers, they had the resolve to do what needed to be done.
"How troublesome. Repairing this is impossible. I didn't expect him to be hiding a Thermal Beam Gun on his body. I really underestimated Kalman for being a brute."
"How irritating. This is why I can't stand rabid dogs. Why did Michelle take a liking to brutes like you? And why did I—"
Reitz shrugged as he spoke, and Jigil shook her head.
But then Reitz delivered the blow that shattered Kalman's composure.
"Too bad, Kalman. If it were just us, we could escape from a ship traveling at extreme speeds."
"What!?"
"Obviously. Unlike Mechanized Soldiers who can't even fly in older models, Bio-Modified Humans are superior."
"That's right. I was going to kill you myself, but there's no time. I'd rather not die together with you, so I'll be leaving first."
"I'll gift this ship to you, Kalman. Make good use of it as a high-class coffin."
Saying that, Jigil and Reitz promptly departed.
"Son of a—! Get back here—!"
Kalman's shout echoed hollowly.
But then— It was all part of Kalman's plan.
"Phew, Captain, that was incredible."
"Amazing acting—you've earned your rest!"
"We pulled through somehow."
"Now the question is whether we can survive the impact of the crash..."
His subordinates chattered amongst themselves.
Kalman barked at them.
"You idiots! There's no time—gather up, now!"
On his order, his subordinates formed a circle.
Seeing that, Kalman gave a single nod.
"Sorry about this, dragging you all into this."
His subordinates said nothing.
But their faces wore wicked grins—not one of them regretted a thing.
Kalman smiled slightly and continued.
"Veldora told me that my Mobile Body has the same structure as Michelle's. In other words, the Singular Linked Barrier—something only the Four Great Machine Generals can use—is available to me. Crazy as it sounds, it's even displayed in the menu inside my head."
"Seriously...?"
"I thought he was joking too, but right now we have to trust him. Well, it's Veldora who said it... no point doubting it."
If they trusted him and he was wrong, they'd die.
If he was right, there was a chance they'd survive.
So Kalman and his subordinates chose to trust—to believe.
"—Ten seconds to impact."
Kalman and his subordinates nodded to each other.
"Get ready, everyone! Here we go—Singular Linked Barrier—!!"
Kalman roared, and the thermonuclear fusion reactor within his body converted all its energy into a special wavelength—black rings of particles enveloped Kalman and his subordinates.
Its incomplete functions had been improved by Veldora, Ramiris, and Beretta, bringing it as close to its true performance as possible.
The Singular Linked Barrier—theoretically, the ultimate shield, capable of protecting against virtually all attacks.
—And now, a seventy-meter-class medium transport airship, traveling at over a dozen times the speed of sound, was about to collide with the ground— Kalman and his group entrusted their fate to that shield.
◆◆◆ At that same moment.
A thunderous roar.
A cataclysmic explosion, beyond human comprehension, erupted as if a second sun had fallen to earth.
— The Six-Fold Destruction Emperor.
— It was a demonic weapon forged by the Empire.
Its principle was simple.
For a single instant, it generated a Singular Linked Barrier. Simultaneously, six gigaton-class nuclear bombs detonated at the vertices of a hexagram inscribed within the barrier.
The resulting shockwaves and heat, trapped inside the Singular Linked Barrier with nowhere to go, generated destructive power beyond imagination within its confines.
That was the Six-Fold Destruction Emperor.
Before this transcendent destructive force, even the Four Great Machine Generals would not escape unscathed.
Whether a surprise attack caught them off guard or they raised the Singular Linked Barrier to maximum output to shield themselves, they would be incinerated before the tyrant's fury subsided.
Now, this terrifying superweapon had bared its fangs at Veldora and the others—