CH 77

「Kyaah!?」 「W-, what is happening……!?」 「That was a pretty huge sway.」

It felt as if the floor beneath them was leaning heavily. Explosions were heard roaring two to three times in succession. Each time it happened, their footing tilted left and right.

「…… It looks like an oddity just happened.」

Remarked the Black Mask as he looked outside. The Ironblood Chain Brigade’s flying ship was seen floating higher and higher. But, in fact, the opposite was happening.

「W-, we’re falling!?」 「This is bad! We’re right above the Royal Capital!!」

Rafinha and Leone were correct. It was quite ironic that the negotiation that was held in the sky above the capital to countermeasure the Ironblood Chain Brigade, was intruded by that very brigade with their own private flying ship. None of the involved parties would have guessed it, not only was their countermeasure turned obsolete, but the ship they used for this plan would also bring about tremendous collateral damage if it crashed straight to the capital. Their plan backfired in every single meaning.

「Did you do this……!?」 「I didn’t give any such instruction.」

The moment the Black Mask shook his head—— Faris, bloodied and collapsed, jolted himself up with great vigor. He was stabbed through his chest, an undeniably fatal wound, but he squeezed out every last bit of resistance he could muster.

「DIIIEEEEE!!!!」 「!?」

Faris’ own sword was thrusting towards Leone’s unguarded back, but then—— A beast made of lightning jumped in from the side, pounced Faris to the wall. The lightning beast dragged Faris away from Leone, engulfing him, and exploded right after.

DOAARRR!!

Faris’ body, which had suffered fatal wounds already, was now scorched black and torn to shreds.

「Kgh…… I see now——alas, I’ve destroyed…… the engines…… down you go with the ship……!!」

He glared at Inglis’ group until the end of his breath, and his death truly had come this time.

「Leone!!」 「Are you okay!?」 「Y-, yeah.…… Just now, that was big brother’s Artifact——!! W-, was it you……!?」 「I play no part in this.」

Replied the Black Mask coldly. Leone looked towards Inglis, but she shook her head as well.

「No, it wasn’t me——」 「Then it must be him after all……!!」

As if to drown Leone’s voice, a single Flygear flew in from outside the cabin. The one at the control was Cystia, the Ironblood Chain Brigade’s Hyrule Menace.

「I’ve killed every Highlander on the ship, but someone destroyed the engine room, it’s out of control now! This ship is going under! Please, hastily make your escape!」 「Very well. I don’t see any reason to linger if our comrades are to be captured. Our loss would be great otherwise.」

At the end of the Black Mask’s gaze, the sight of the brigade’s flying ship being surrounded by the Kingdom’s Flygears and Flygear Carriers could be seen. The forces that had been on the perimeter had caught wind of what was happening and moved. The Knight Academy’s students should be there, as they were filling in for the short-handed Knights. Perhaps Lahti and Liselotte were among them.

「This might be a convenience for me. I suppose you won’t chase after me with the circumstance at play? Had this ship been safe, our fight would be inevitable. I wish not to fight with you.」

Inglis didn’t follow ‌the Black Mask as he climbed into Cystia’s Flygear. He was right; the situation was weighing on her.

「To me, it’s truly the most regrettable thing.」

It was much to her displeasure. Inglis replied with a slight twitch on her lips.

「Hm…… In any other event, I should lend my hand to reduce casualties, but I believe you can take care of it. I leave the rest to you. Now, let us go, Cystia.」 「Yessir!」

The Flygear took off, and the two went further into the sky.

「Big brother……! Is that you, big brother——?!」 「I think, there’s a chance that it’s not your brother. If it’s that guy, he must be able to replicate the same Gift.」

The Black Mask was more skilled in micromanaging Ether compared to Inglis. It was all too possible for him to drop Ether into mana and reproduce the abilities of Leon’s Artifact.

「Anyway, we have to get away fast!」 「She’s right. If the ship is out of control, we need to stop it from outside.」

At the very least, they couldn’t let it crash into the Royal Capital like this. Lest it would bring about colossal damage, both in infrastructure and human lives.

「Yes, we need to make haste!」

Leone also nodded, quickly changed the gear in her mind. Then, two more Flygears came charging in as though replacing the Black Mask’s.

「Oooi! Inglis!」 「Father! Are you alright!?」

Those were the Flygears piloted by Lahti and the twins, carrying Pullum and Liselotte respectively.

「Lahti. Just in time.」 「Ooh, Liselotte!!」 「Jump in! Let’s bounce from here!」 「Father, please quickly get in the Flygear!」

Inglis, Rafinha, and Leone climbed Lahti’s Flygear while the Prime Minister would ride with Liselotte’s group.

「Get the Prime Minister to safety, quickly. We’ll stop that ship ourselves.」 「I understand!」 「Please, children, don’t let it crash into the capital!」 「「「Yes!!」」」

Inglis and the others nodded at Prime Minister Althea’s plea.

「……’s what we said, but what we even can do to such a big ship!?」

With five people boarding it, the Flygear was suffering an overcapacity, with Lahti basically fusing his hand with the control stick.

「Lahti, go around to the under of the ship.」 「Gotcha!」

With smokes puffing from its engine room, the huge ship was definitely falling towards the capital below. However, it hadn’t completely lost its buoyancy, as Lahti’s Flygear could still get under it, but——

DOAAR!!

Another explosion rocked the ship. The hull shook, resulting in something to slide off the deck.

「Ahh!! That’s a cargo Flygear Carrier!!」 「S̲h̲i̲t̲, it’s going down!!」 「Leave it to me!」

If that Carrier crashed down, the damage wouldn’t be small either. Without hesitation, Inglis leapt off from the Flygear.

「Glis!?」 「Inglis! Don’t be absurd!!」 「WOOIII!! The hell are ya doing!?!?」

Still hearing Rafinha and the other’s shriek in her ear, Inglis vectored herself freely in the air to the vicinity of the falling Flygear Carrier.

「And there!!」

Then, she unleashed an Ether Strike on the Carrier itself!!

KABOOOMMM!!!

The vessel was swallowed into the enormous pale light and vanished. And then——riding the recoil of the attack, the vector of Inglis’ body changed drastically, bringing her back close to Lahti’s Flygear.

「——I’m back!」 「Ahaha….… Welcome back, Glis.」 「You made my heart jump, leaping into the sky like that.」 「As absurd as always.」 「Y-, you’re amazing, Inglis……!」

However, she only dealt with the cargo. She still needed to do something about the ship itself—