novelraw Chapter 349
Chapter 349
Chapter 349
Against a Pleroma that has constructed its own independent coordinate system, what strategy is best for us?
BOOM—
We had been standing by at the dam and now stomped our feet while chanting the warp coordinates of the Pleroma world. Just before closing my eyes, I saw the world change.
In a situation where encirclement doesn't work, we must strike the enemy's heart directly.
The Corniviano 780:736:485 that our 101st Class was entering was the Archbishop's Residence, which housed the offices of the two archbishops. The Archbishop's Residence was not merely an office and living space—it served as a last escape route in emergencies, and if the Pleroma leadership opened a portal, reinforcements could arrive through it. Using a strategy of encircling and closing in from all sides against an opponent unbound by space would be suicide, so striking the center directly was the correct approach. All the more so given that Munich-Freising had been determined to be more proficient in Space Magic than other dioceses.
We give them no time—that was our strategy.
'Then what are the 91st and 98th Classes doing while we're at the cathedral?'
WHOOSH—
The instant I felt the surrounding air change, Narce silently grabbed my arm to keep me from falling.The 91st Class Teams A and B would extract the two cathedrals out of Pleroma's domain and move to the control rooms connected to those cathedrals, where they would ensure the Pleroma here couldn't flee. The 91st Class Team C and 98th Class Team C would relocate the coordinate system of Munich-Freising's Pleroma residential area. Then what would the 98th Class Teams A and B do? They would relocate the other churches inside the Munich-Freising Archdiocese, one by one—churches other than the cathedral. It might seem relatively easy, but having to relocate numerous churches in a short time would be anything but. Naturally, even after all teams had moved the coordinate systems outside, combat would continue within.
'More importantly.'
The moment I inhaled, my airway and lungs stung.
'As expected, Munich-Freising uses the same air as the Brandenburg Archdiocese.'
Only the baptized would be unharmed by the air in this place. That said, one cannot be hindered the same way twice by something already experienced, so command had administered resistance medication to everyone entering these worlds. Thanks to that, whereas before it had felt as though my body were being scorched, now it only stung.
The moment Leo saw the sun-drenched white lobby, the massive staircases flanking both sides leading to the second floor, and the gallery hall far beyond, he spoke.
"…Alte Pinakothek."
The Archbishop of Munich-Freising had been using the royal art museum as his office. This was information already shared during strategy planning, but seeing it in person must have been different from merely hearing about it. Elias glanced at a painting hanging in the gallery and asked without a trace of humor.
"As the Crown Prince of Bavaria, how does it feel to see Pleroma squatting illegally in a building paid for with royal money?"
"……."
Instead of responding, Leo reinforced his Divine Power barrier to a thicker setting. The Magic Power swirling around Heike and Ulrike also deepened.
—David said.
CRASH—!
—The hand of the Lord was on me, and he gave me understanding of all the details of the plan in writing.
Following Narce's incantation, the light that burst forth engulfed this vast building. Now was the time to cast the spell that would send this space to the real Kingdom of Bavaria. Having already obtained the coordinate system's information, we had essentially completed eighty percent of the battle—if we could just execute the transfer, everything would be resolved. Everyone maintained combat readiness and watched Narce's face as he chanted. For an instant, alarm flashed across Narce's features, then was immediately replaced by a cold composure that said he'd expected as much.
"It's blocked."
The new magical formula developed in cooperation with the Papal State wasn't working. I could see every possible explanation surfacing on my friends' faces. At the same time, sounds from the artifact in my ear painted an entirely different picture.
[98th A, destroyed coordinate system for Church 1. It's the Church of St. Benno. Moving to Church 2.]
[91st C, destroyed coordinate system for Zone 1.]
[91st C, destroyed coordinate system for Zone 2.]
[98th A, destroyed coordinate system for Church 2. It's the Church of St. Margaret. Moving to Church 3.]
[98th C, destroyed coordinate system for Zone 30.]
About thirty seconds since entry. Reports of objectives achieved kept pouring in. Pleroma's air imposed strain on the body with every use of Magic Power, but each team only needed to protect the Divine Power mage attached to them—this mage served the same role as Narce—while briefly subduing the small-fry Pleroma, so there was no reason it should take long. Once they'd transferred everything to Bavaria, support would flood in afterward, and all they had to do was swiftly move to the next location before our command destroyed the entry routes one by one. But the fact that they had already transferred their coordinate systems to the real Bavaria while we still hadn't moved the bishop's building meant….
CRASH—!!
Pitch-black Vitriol bore down before my eyes.
'Finally.'
An elderly Old Human wearing Monsignor's vestments materialized before me. The awareness that we had truly crossed over into Pleroma's world swept through my entire body. I planted my legs firmly, switched my Wand to a sword, and deflected his attack.
SCREECH— CREAK— CRASH—!
The sound of green Magic Power scraping against the blade was chilling. The same number of Monsignors had already latched onto my friends as well. I darted my eyes around to check the surroundings.
'…They aren't different people. It's the same person, over a dozen of them.'
Self-replication? Or illusions? Either way, it was a serious problem.
[101st Class, has a problem arisen? One minute thirty seconds have elapsed.]
There was no time to answer the transmission. I clenched and unclenched my raised hand once to request a temporary transfer of command authority, and shouted.
"Ainsidel, Kleist!"
That was the signal. In that instant, someone shot in like a ray of light and pounced on the Monsignor attached to Heike.
SQUELCH— SLASH—
The sound of a blade plunging deep into flesh rang out clearly alongside a scream. Even through the flashes of light, the color could be seen draining from Ulrike's face. She immediately spun around and struck the throat of the Monsignor that had been tailing her with tremendous force. The detonation of Magic Power in her sword mixed faintly with a sound like something bursting. Heike watched someone's head fly off without a change in expression, then thrust her Wand upward and landed on the staircase above. While she sprinted toward the bishop's chamber that should be on the second floor, Ulrike swung her sword while retching.
CLANG—….
The moment Ulrike's sword collided with hardened Vitriol and produced a dull ring, Elias grabbed the back of her neck, threw her aside, and swung his sword without hesitation. Tsheringen moved in tandem with him. Screams erupting sporadically everywhere scattered my focus. Even as replicated Monsignors fell to the floor, their numbers kept growing.
'Right. It wouldn't be any fun without a unique ability variable or two.'
Back in Brandenburg, these kinds of people had given me headaches every time. Feeling my head grow cold, I swung my sword at the Monsignor bombarding me with Magic Power. I could glance at my surroundings while deflecting and thrusting. I sliced away the globs of Vitriol flying at my neck and legs, then brought my sword down on the Monsignor's forearm.
"AAAARGH!"
One fortunate point: it was impossible to finely control each replicate. Rather than employing high-level magic requiring complex formulas, the opponent was just waving their Wand, and I was handling everything with Magic Power alone. To put it in analogy, the enemy was currently just repeating the motion of swinging a fist forward.
'Well, sure. If they could simultaneously give different commands to each body….'
SLASH—
This person must have been a bishop, not a Monsignor.
Thick blood splattered across my face. I spat out the fishy blood seeping past my lips and swung my sword. The blood I'd spat out evaporated midair and vanished as if it had never been. Until just now, I'd entertained some hopeful thoughts. Now for the dire news. You might have already sensed it from the fact that 'their numbers kept growing,' but killing these replicates sent them back to the source as fuel. Quite the talent for recycling. The original body must be among them, and he was the one who needed to die.
And one more thing.
[Even heaven's blessed light shines dismally through painted panes in this place!]
My Magic Power felt like it was flowing in reverse, and nausea surged without warning.
"…Faust…!"
Whether it was more shocking to actually hear an incantation that wasn't from the Bible, Ulrike's mouth fell open. Despite having eaten nothing, it felt as though everything in my stomach was pouring out. I pressed my mouth shut, grimacing, and deflected the attacks the Monsignor before me was raining down. Right—there wouldn't be just one Monsignor stationed at the Archbishop's Residence, and indeed, others were already mixed in here.
'This is why we should have transferred immediately….'
I hadn't expected it to work right away. Of course they wouldn't run the Archbishop's Residence sloppily. That was precisely why our 101st Class had been deployed. From the 91st to the 101st, among the seven teams, only the 101st had a majority remaining at A-Class. Beyond that, no variables beyond this could be created without orders. Even wide-area attacks beyond close combat couldn't be carried out independently. The reason for that was something I'd already experienced in the Extra Chapter. Elias shouted.
"Captain!"
[Farnese.]
From far away, Leo called that name in a low voice through the communication artifact. The instant Narce moved his Staff, the Vitriol thickened.
'Hmm.'
They already knew perfectly well that the black-haired, yellow-eyed mage was a Divine Power user. Enter through the narrow gate—following Narce's incantation, the moment white light spread, the Vitriol briefly dissolved only to reconstitute itself. Blocked, as expected. However….
Even buying one second of time was precious to us, and there was something they were overlooking.
'Most people assume a Divine Power mage mainly uses mental-type magic.'
That, or they support with wide-area spells. Unless one was on the level of someone like Gabriele Caetani, it was true that most stopped there. Narce's Staff transformed into a white sword. A distinct gleam entered his yellow eyes, and I immediately recognized the look he wore when using Insight. Elias, who had been watching Narce, knocked away the blade of the replicated Monsignor he was facing and charged at the replicate that Narce's gaze had landed on. Narce kicked off the ground and blew past them without a moment's hesitation. While I was watching him, Magic Power struck from behind.
WHOOSH— CLANG—!
I deflected the sword that flew in from behind and brought down the Monsignor.
CRUNCH—
When I turned my head at the sound of something being crushed, a Monsignor lay beneath Narce's feet. The white floor of the lobby was stained with dark red blood and Vitriol. Narce smiled, flicked the blood from his sword, and beamed brightly at me.
"There really was someone who uses electricity. If we'd used wide-area magic with Magic Power, it would have been disastrous."
"……."
Promoted at breakneck speed from devotee to Monsignor assisting the bishop in just seven years—having one good unique ability certainly guarantees a career. The individuals with special unique abilities I'd encountered at the cathedral would already be spread throughout this entire diocese. Of all of them, I happened to run into one here.
[Askanian, commence.]
At last, the time to conclude had come. At Leo's command, I slashed away the arm of a replicated Monsignor charging at me and spoke the incantation.
[The wicked are denied their light, and their upraised arm is broken!]
CRASH—
Black sand scattered in the wind. The Monsignors standing throughout the space turned into pillars of sand and cleared away entirely. Dozens of Monsignors vanished, and now only three people in cassocks remained. The other four besides me moved toward them. I swung my Wand, transformed it back into a Staff, and slammed it into the floor.
BOOM—
[The Lord Almighty will punish them with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with windstorm and tempest and flames of devouring fire.]
At the same time, the sound of someone drawing a deep breath could be heard. Unlike before, when it had felt like being beneath the sky just before dawn, my vision turned blood-red. Gazing into that alien crimson field, I slammed Magic Power through the Staff fiercely into the floor.
[Then the hordes of all the nations that fight against Ariel, that attack her and her fortress and besiege her, will be as it is with a dream, with a vision in the night!]
CRASH—!!
I fought to keep my eyes open and watched fire-like Magic Power erupt from where the Pleroma stood. Elias and Ulrike's swords and Divine Power blazed in this blood-red field. When I could no longer sense life in the spots where Vitriol had been, I lifted my head from where it had been leaning against the top of the Staff and pulled in my Magic Power.
[Don't let your guard down.]
As Leo's words came through, Elias—when had he gotten here—clapped me on the back.
"It could end this quickly? Your wide-area stuff, no matter how many times I see it…."
"No matter how many times?"
"It's fresh."
Elias mumbled vaguely and smiled. Then Heike's dry voice, from upstairs, came through the artifact.
[101st Class, to Corniviano 780:900:550.]
[Team 1, move. Teams 2 and 3, suppress to y850.]
"Found it."
Narce answered briefly and smiled at me and Elias. Elias and I were Team 1—this had been arranged in advance for situations requiring the team to split.
After the day we'd dealt with the Grade 3 Victim in the northern wheat field, I had revised the team strategy to make full use of Heike's unique ability. Frankly, it was difficult to put an ability that read the past of objects to significant use at a Berserker suppression site, but since Heike's unique ability wasn't perfected and had many gaps, I'd thought it best to develop it in advance. That was how we had now, through Heike, identified where this Archbishop's Residence's coordinate system security was located.
[91st C, 98th C, all residential coordinate systems destroyed. Moving to the diocese museum and archives, respectively.]
Meanwhile, the 98th Class Teams A and B had already sent more than half the churches to Bavaria. I was truly looking forward to finding out just how many Pleroma were currently raining down on Bavaria.
I moved with Elias to the building coordinates Heike had recited. And the moment we arrived, I saw the Vitriol rushing at me and swung my sword.
WHOOSH— SLASH—
"Going smoothly."
Elias, attacking Pleroma behind me, said with amusement. Vitriol splattered across my face. I wiped it away and clashed swords with a Pleroma.
CLANG— CREAK—
"How so."
"We've already blown away half of Munich-Freising, haven't we?"
"Blowing away half means nothing. It's not over until we capture the council of bishops."
"Fair point, but you're being way too modest~"
"……."
CRASH—!
I poured Magic Power into my sword, hurled my opponent, and kicked off the ground. Far away, a priest I'd taken note of at the cathedral seven years ago had already become a Monsignor and was here. Fragments of Faust verses and the sound of clashing blades drifted in alongside Elias's voice.
[Would we have even managed half by now without you? Command is moving exactly according to the strategy you drew up.]
"Other people helped plan it too."
[If copying what you wrote in your letters straight onto the operations document counts as part of strategy development, then sure.]
"……."
I chuckled at Elias's gall and chanted the coordinate formula one position forward. Someone's back of the head appeared before me. The instant his flashing eyes turned toward me.
"…!"
SQUELCH—
"AAAARGH!"
I destroyed his core and brought him down. This was why knowing the coordinate system mattered. It made it possible to overwhelm with speed before the opponent could even use their unique ability.
[All units, commencing search for the council of bishops. Total bishops killed: three. According to prior investigation, ten bishops remain. Currently, of the 103 total coordinate systems in Pleroma's Munich-Freising Archdiocese, two remain: the Archbishop's Residence and the Munich-Freising archives.]
Already that far. Impressive that they'd cleared out all 103 coordinate systems. I continued my thoughts while listening to the update. Then how did we learn these coordinate systems? Let's think. On the first day of the strategy meeting in Munich, I concluded that 'Munich-Freising has higher vigilance than other dioceses,' and no objection had been raised against that to this day. Why was Munich-Freising so thorough with security? Why did the Munich-Freising Archdiocese priest captured by the Bavarian side know less than priests of other dioceses? Why was information so tightly controlled?
Two possibilities coexisted: a compulsive security obsession on the part of the leader, or a prior incident where weak security had caused problems. I didn't know which was the answer. From that state, I'd visited seven years ago and come here. Now the balance tipped toward the latter, yielding a probable answer to the above question. What if, seven years ago, they'd had their archives ransacked spectacularly by one Pleroma?
The conclusion was this. Obviously, the probability that every piece of information I'd brought from seven years ago remained valid to the present was low. But there was equally no guarantee that everything had changed. Things easy to change: entry routes, the number of days for bishop council sessions, security protocols. Things hard to change… were places already constructed.
I had received support from the Catacombs, operating under the guise of the Papal State, and thoroughly surveyed all the Space Magic laid on the Bavarian buildings I'd observed over the previous two days, and that had been an enormous help in uncovering the Corniviano coordinate system today. This was something that would have been difficult with the Imperial Government's technology alone. It had also been an opportunity to gradually expand the Catacombs' influence beneath the surface, so in that regard, I could only consider it fortunate in many ways.
'And….'
There was one more source of help, but now wasn't the time to think about it. I rejoined Elias in this building full of corpses and stopped before the iron door with the most layers of security magic.
"Ah, what should we do now~?"
I smiled at Elias, who was grinning playfully despite knowing full well. I pulled the coordinate system one step forward and chanted the warp formula. Elias grabbed my back, and when I opened my eyes, a circuit panel surrounded by multiple layers of magic was visible. I tapped the communication artifact and smiled.
"Farnese."
[…Ah~ alright.]
Narce let out a light laugh. Simultaneously with smashing the circuit panel, the sound of something being slammed into the floor came through the artifact, and his voice—carrying a sacred resonance—reached me.
[—David said, 'The hand of the Lord was on me, and he gave me understanding of all the details of the plan in writing.']
[CRASH—….]
"……."
Elias, standing beside me, raised the corner of his mouth and patted my back. Now the council of bishops of Munich-Freising had nowhere left to flee. They could no longer receive support from Pleroma's leadership, either. Leo's voice came through the artifact.
[101st Class, the Archbishop's Residence coordinate system has been destroyed. Moving to the final stronghold.]