Vol 4 Chapter 3 (1/2)

Chapter 3: The Treasure of the Sea Dyed Deep Red >> Defensive Battle in the Solomon District

Part 1

His naanization

”So he was the idiot that made those problematic statements,” muttered Froleytia as she looked at the photo displayed on her laptop while distracted by her hangover headache

While she was alone in the officer roo to herself A voice chat application was running on the laptop

Instead of so with the aide of a politician who dealt with diplomatic issues back in the horown coet involved

An elderly voice spoke over the voice chat, ”The Faith Organization began by advocating any and all religions The religious power that lost the most in that deal was the Christian church After all, when religions of an older era are revived, the amount of land and number of people they have effective control over will become further divided It was only natural that so”

In reality, they were not having their power taken away fro restored to how it had once been However, after 2000 years had passed, they no longer saw it that way

Froleytia put her long, narrow kiseru in herhis power took control of the military and went nuts He caused a civil ith a Greek power and ended up being utterly defeated in a counterattack”

”It sounds sih when you put it like that, but over 5000 people died in the process The conflict did not fall within the boundaries of a clean war A lot of civilians froed into the battlefield based on some inappropriate remarks he made”

”Yes, and Oldnick says he merely said the words and he cannot be held responsible for how people interpreted them What a joke”

The words of those with poould spread and therefore those people had to be s they said

It was clear ould happen if some idiot who did not understand that repeatedlya time of war

Oldnick was a truly dangerous speaker He had made repeated inappropriate off-the-cuff statements which had led the military and civilians to take action Many had died from this, but Oldnick only made worse and worse statements when he tried to explain away his previous statements and escape any bla down a hill

For so worse than an old aed when it was someone with the power to move an entire nation

”The Christian poithin the Faith Organization insists the entire incident was Cardinal Roybelz Oldnick's individual actions, but they are priation froanization Oldnick has already been excoreed to send Valkyrie after hiested”

”And now this oldeven er”

”At the very least, he wants to avoid being assassinated by Valkyrie That is how he has been acting ever since the Loyauté district”

”Does anyone really believe this nonsense about the Legiti an ally of the Christian poithin the Faith Organization because the cerehts have Christian elements to them?”

”If any idiot truly believes that, they need to be taken to the hospital immediately However, there are plenty of people ill claie of the situation These people think this skirmish is an excellent opportunity to attack some Objects”

Even in a clean war, a battle between Objects was still expensive

Part of as striking a balance between income and expenditures If that could not be done, the idea of the clean ould co down

The elderly voice said, ”We do not wish for people to head to war based on the nonsense coanization cannot be avoided outright, ould like for it to be based on so with more value to us”

”So”

”We need you to quickly silence this problematic statement emitter You have three days How you eli as his identity can be confirmed via DNA”

Part 2

”So even our Christher ups had planned”

Quenser and Heivia were speaking within the Baby Magnum's maintenance area

The princess was listening in with as little expression on her face as ever

”This Cardinal Oldnick had contacted Hyena from the Loyauté district So theh”

”But why? I would think a cardinal would insist on keeping things clean Would he really contact a group that is using the restoration of Oceania as a chance to rob people?”

”We still don't knohat he's after He's causing quite an uproar, but we still can't figure out what he hopes to achieve in the end It's possible he's just fleeing to save his own skin,” pointed out Heivia offhandedly ”It's possible he wanted to use theri, but they're still flesh-and-blood soldiers There is a chance he was planning to use Hyena to deal with Valkyrie”

However, Quenser and the rest of the Legitidom had eliminated Hyena before they and Valkyrie could cross paths

Since Oldnick himself had not been turned to ash, he er of the bombardment and fled

”We know Valkyrie was lurking around the Loyauté district, but I guess he must have escaped them”

”Hethe island, Oldnick likely tried to escape to Oceania where he could slip in ast the confusion of restoration With the coalition force confusing everything, a single organization has a harder ti around than elsewhere He probably hoped to escape to so Valkyrie in Oceania,” said Quenser as he leaned up against a large piece of machinery ”But before he could, our unit came to rest at the north end of Oceaniaand that was exactly where Oldnick was expected to land Thatblown out of the water, much less disappear into the confusion Since we had already crushed all of Hyena after he contacted the us Just as the higher ups hoped, he had no choice but to head north by sea”

Roybelz Oldnick was currently using a civilian charter boat to head to the Solomon district which was north of both Oceania and Loyauté

”The reason he isn't using an airplane is likely that he is afraid of being targeted with anti-air lasers, but that changes little Objects can travel at over 500 kph on the sea Even if the charter boat is a high-speed hydrofoil, he can't escape”

The princess then cut in

”By the way, Quenser”

”What?”

The princess pointed at one wall of the maintenance area and asked her question while still expressionless

”Why is Heivia writing curses on the hile speaking with you?”

”I honestly couldn't tell you”

”Like hell you don't know!!” shouted Heivia while he glared at and grabbed Quenser ”I heard what happened!! I knohat you were doing while I was struggling to save Oceania and our unit! You were keeping all the best parts to yourself!! Why do I keep hearing about a huge-breasted miniskirt bikini Santa!?”

”That was a type of hell in its oay”

”You and your damn 'let the for a fight!?”

Heivia then realized that all the yelling in the world would not get rid of the e within him, so his mood dropped to a point three times lower than before

The princess also seehtly miffed, but those two idiots were completely oblivious to that fact

”I honestly think I was the hero this tiht That cruisethethe computer in the Loyauté district to make the Object unusable The Deep Optical's unit from the Capitalist Corporations had to be behind it sorand epic of a story!! But now that I think back on it, so! Why wasn't there a single beautiful girl in that story!! All I got was souy na is that!?”

Suddenly, an electronic tone came from one of their radios

However, it did not come from Quenser or Heivia's

It came from the smaller, more expensive one used to inform the princess it was time to scramble the Object

”What?”

”The situation has changed Our plan was to intercept that troublesoh the ocean in the Solomon district, but a Capitalist Corporations Object has appeared cutting off our route”

Quenser and Heivia exchanged a glance

”It is the Deep Optical, a Second Generation Object froaging it in the near future, but this ti is odd It is possible Roybelz Oldnick has some connection with them”

”What exactly is the change to the plan?” asked the princess

”We had planned to simply have you pursue Oldnick, but ill now have you face the Deep Optical A separate group will head after Oldnick, but I will explain it all in ”

Quenser had a question, so he simply asked it

”Froleytia, do you think the Deep Optical is standing in our way for ainst us?”

He then heard an odd clattering noise come from over the radio

It sounded like Froleytia had tried to draw back fro down As a result, she had fallen back in her seat

”Qu-QuenserYou were there?”

”Um, Froleytia? Is there a prob-”

”No!! Don't say anything!!”

For some reason Froleytia shouted back at hi

”Forget everything that happened yesterday!! I don't re, so I have no idea what Ihorrible frole thing about it!!”

So Froleytia to blush out of delighted embarrassment When Heivia heard that, his self control finally reached its limit and he punched Quenser

Part 3

Quenser used the short tih a science azine

The old maintenance lady walked over in annoyance

”If you have time to read that, how about you learn about a real Object?”

”I've been feeling some desire for infidelity lately”

”?”

The old lady looked confused, but Quenser showed her a page of the science azine

”This is about the Capitalist Corporations' liquid prisdoh to make a practical weapon They say the end product ups the output of laser beams by quite a bit”

”The Legiti out research on this They are a standard component of laser space elevators They are used to send lasers fired from multiple oscillators in the same direction”

”Eh? So we do have the actual technology?”

”Yes, but only when it does not have to stand up to the high speed battles Objects go through,” she replied ”Liquid pris transparent containers with a special liquid The inside of the container is covered with electrodes and electrochemical control of the chemical interface is used to artificially alter the concentration of the liquid Differences in concentration are used to bend the light”

”I see But what does that have to do with high speed battles?”

”Sudden turns cause high G forces that will disturb the liquid within the liquid prism The artificial alterations to the concentration of liquid within the container will be undone, bringing the liquid back to an even concentration That is why it is difficult to put liquid prisms on an Object thatof shells Another probleh teitate the liquid as well,” explained the old lady ”The key to the Capitalist Corporations' technology is not the liquid prisy and temperature countermeasures used to prevent external interference with the liquid prism For exa coolants, or cartridges But even with all those technologies, an Object with a liquid prism aboard will have li quick movements like our princess does That y has limited uses for Objects Or at least it does not match the needs of our unit”

”It's a shay doesn't fit in more nicely than that”

”If there was no risk to using it, Objects around the world would be using theazine will only have the infor the public know about I would say there is”

”It's in my nature to try to find a shortcut”

With a grumble of complaint, Quenser stood up

Once again, it seemed his only option was the standard path

Part 4

The pre-an

A projector displayed a map of the ocean in the Solomon district Froleytia spoke as a few arroere added on top

”Our prih the Solo this mission should be taken in order to carry out that objective”

However, a giant shape had interposed itself between the north of Oceania and Oldnick's boat

”But the real danger lies in the fact that the Capitalist Corporations' Deep Optical has been deployed in order to cut off our path Unless we do so about it, we cannot finish off Oldnick before he flees As such, the Baby Magnue the Deep Optical”

Heivia asked a question

”Are we to remain on standby until our princess has sent the Deep Optical to rest on the botto to head after Oldnick by taking a large detour around the Object while the princess is drawing its attention?”

”That would be the best option, but we do not have ti to the west of Oldnick's boat ”An unidentified subs to the Deep Optical's unit or if it belongs to the remnants of Oldnick's military force, but this could become much more difficult if Oldnick's boat rendezvouses with the submarine”

”So we have to crush him before that happens But how?”

Froleytia's shoulders stiffened a bit at hearing Quenser's voice, but her self control won out

”As I said, the princess will engage the Deep Optical” Froleytia added another arrow heading right along the arrow indicating the shortest route ”But there is roup will head straight there while travelling deep under the ocean Currently, we have no other way to catch up to Oldnick”

Froleytia drew a large circle around an area of sea even further north of where Oldnick was

”One other thing Just north of the operation area is an precious dom Simply put, small filters are used to collect the metals dissolved into the ocean water and the her ups fear that valuable tungsten deposits will be lost in this battle Make sure you do not forget that”

Part 5

After the naval battle floats were installed, the Baby Magnuh the Coral Sea

The Capitalist Corporations' Deep Optical aiting at a point that cut off its path to the Solomon district where Oldnick had fled

This was a true battle It was a fight to the death And like the battles in the ed no words with her opponent She did not even know if the pilot of the enemy craft was male or female

In a way, it was a clean battle In a way, it was an empty battle

The two faced off at a distance of about 10 kilometers

”The intelligence group has carried out unofficial reconnaissance operations concerning the Deep Optical, but we still do not have any coet carried away in attack Keep evasion a priority at all times”

”Understood,” replied the princess

In the next an to move

They were 10 kilometers apart

The Object fired a brilliant white laser beae

”!?”

The princess just barelythe action fro lenses and other equipment

An explosive noise followed the beaht

The laser beam roasted the dust and moisture in the air which produced athe air to expand explosively

The Deep Optical had a very unique shape Eight legs spread out directly below its spherical s functioned as air cushi+on engines so it could remain accurately level even amidst waves

For a iant laser beaht thick cylinders were attached to the spherical main body with the base of the main cannon at the center as if they were the face of a clock The energy produced by those eight cylinders was likely collected for the main cannon

According to so the pre-iant parts attached to the back They were thought to be cooling devices

It also had countless lenses unnaturally positioned on the front of the spherical ave an overall ominous impression

”Do not falter The eneth is attenuated with distance, but its speed ree!!”

”I know that!!”

After so to avoid the first shot, the princess forced the Baby Magnum on forward

At the same time, she moved the main cannon arms

The Baby Magnue what type of main cannon it used to match the situation The backs of the barrels rotated like revolvers to choose laser beams just like the Deep Optical used

The princess fired without hesitation

The Deep Optical reacted immediately

But its evasion speed was slow It num had The princess saay it could avoid the laser beam like that However

”What!?”

””

As everyone watched on, the laser beaed trajectory It headed off into the empty sky rather than to the Deep Optical

”The heat produced by the laser altered the refractive index of the air!!” concluded the princess

”Not good Are they calculating it out using a super computer?”

The back of the seven barrels rotated once un

As she was directly firing a metal shell, the heat of the air would have minimal effects

All seven main cannons fired in unison

As before, the Deep Optical's evasion speed was low It only h out of the way to protect half of its body

However

Bright white beaht burst out

”Again!? The Deep Optical altered the course of the shells just before they hit!”

”It ouging holes in the side of the shells, air resistance would cause them to fly off course!!”

Simply put, it was a type of laser parry

It was a stunt only possible with dozens of weapons that travelled at the speed of light

The princess fired the coilguns several more times, but the laser parry was very accurate Even at the close range of 1 or 2 kiloe with metal shells

All the while, the enemy's tremendous laser beam cannons fired back at the princess

As this intense battle progressed, the princess calmly continued to analyze the situation

Suddenly, one of the giant coilgun shells deflected by the laser parry landed in the ocean right next to the Deep Optical

(Does it not have accurate control over what direction they are deflected in?)

Just as an explosive splash of water threatened to flip the Deep Optical over, soe happened

The Object regained its balance with an unnatural ravity was located in the wrong place like with a self-righting doll

”We detected high power lasers co from the side of the spherical main body when it recovered its balance It must have a system to explosively expand the air and use the ht itself even when tipped as far as 70-80 degrees to the side”

With that in ned with a focus on stability

It would stay in one place and fire its accurate and powerful laser beam cannons Speed was sacrificed to ensure its ned to have the upper hand when it came to the speed of its weapons rather than the speed of the entire Object's movements

(If Quenser saw this, he would probably get excited)

”That must mean the Deep Optical does not have much in the way of quick bursts of speed”

”Its top speed probably is not too bad, but it may only be able to reach those speeds via sy can be delicate It may have to be careful in order to ensure that it does not destroy itself with the G forces created by its own movements”

That meant

”I can defeat it by drawing in close and firing relentlessly!!” shouted the princess as she accelerated the Baby Magnum forward

She knew the eneun options for her num still had one trump card left

The low-stability plasma cannons

She could avoid the Deep Optical'sthe subtle actionsIf she could fire her sevenhit herself, she could sink the Deep Optical

Or so she thought

(Huh?)

Doubt came to her mind

The princess was taking evasive actions based on the subtle movements of the enemy's sensors, lenses, and cannons With an enemy like the Deep Optical that used laser beam cannons, it was impossible to evade if the princess only detected it once the cannon had fired To do that, she would have to overturn the theory of relativity

But that was exactly why the princess found so odd

She was evading the main cannon and the other laser bea the subtle movements of the lenses and sensors just fine

And yet

The crop circle-like group of lenses on the front of the Deep Optical was notat all

Unless they were si or they were just a bluff, the ene

It was at that time that all of the lenses on the front of the Deep Optical moved at once

(Here it comes!!)

The princess focused every nerve ending in her body

By her estimation, it was likely a system to drastically raise the enemy's accuracy For that reason, she concentratedevasive actions than on attack

However, her estimation was incorrect

No sound was made

And yet the Deep Optical multiplied

(What?)

There were exactly ten of them

When the princess saw the many Deep Opticals that suddenly appeared in a line, the princess's thoughts stopped for a moment

(No, the Deep Optical has not multiplied)

”Is it using 3D ies!?”

A sinum could use several methods to perform a lock, so she merely had to use her infrared sensors or her ultraviolet sensors to see which one was real

However

(The lock cursor is reacting to all 10 of the infrared rays and ultraviolet rays to fool my computer!!)

In the next instant, the ireatly

Only one of the Deep Opticals was real

The trick was especially insidious because they e was created to cover the location of the real Deep Optical as well

The trick used high level 3D ies and optical interference to confuse the other sensors as well The princess determined the situation outside via her monitor, so this trick had the same effect on her as some mysterious ninja technique

And

(Oh, no I can't just sit here!)

Even if she should have taken action sooner, the loss of data to base her decisions on put her at a serious disadvantage regardless

The princess franticallythe intense Gs this put on her body, but the Deep Optical's nu 8 nuar sculpture

Part 6

”daes!? The principle is used in commercial 3D projectors, but they've altered the naked eye 3D i diffractive wave ie data to ht be able to cause a flaw in the i off a portion of your lenses, but they can simply detect which lenses are active froe accordingly!!”

Merely listening to the rasp the complexity and depth of the problem

”My infrared and ultraviolet locks are being fooled as well!!”

”Use a radio lock! Do not rely on optical data!! Deter radar!”

”The radar is not functioning right either!! The nu!!”

”Danetic waves, so are they dealing with them all at once!? And your directional microphone and sonar will be obstructed by the wall of air that explosively expands whenever they fire their main cannon!!”

As he listened to the transmissions on a small boat stopped in the sea to the south of the operation area, Heivia naturally looked over tohere the Baby Magnuand then he started to feel dizzy

He brought his hand to the handrail and said, ”Ughdae to her? From here, it looks like so from Cthulhu”

”Just like the nor diffractive waves with an ies sie point Also, that is not es for all the many lenses on the Object, so it just looks like a mess to humans like us”

”The Information Alliance idol Elite I saw in Oceania was a hell of lot nicer than this”

”I kind of want to see a strip show displayed on this scale”

However, Quenser and Heivia had more important business to take care of

They were part of the separate group that had changed out of their nor suits The rest of the group was ju out of the small boat and into the sea one after another

They would dive down below the area in which the two Objects were fighting and pursue Oldnick

”Daet noticed by the Deep Optical, but Oldnick's boat is over 20 kilometers from here That isn't a distance flesh-and-blood humans should have to swim”

”Yeah, and there's nothing pretty about a bunch of filthy guys swih the ocean”

Quenser and Heivia had oxygen tanks on their backs and plastic fins on their feet However, that was clearly not enough for them to reach Oldnick For propulsion, they had aqua scooters Siiant motors attached

Supported by that electric power, the group of about ten including Quenser and Heivia travelled through the sea

During peaceful ti their heads out froht to see, but they had no tis

Even with the electric propulsion, the long period of time spent underwater seemed to rob them of their sense of time

They could not actually see their target and they had nothing but their coht direction

Also, this was no calainst their backs the entire time They felt a silence that see

All the while, giant shadoould occasionally pass over theht of the sun

Needless to say, those were the Objects As the Deep Optical used air cushi+ons for its propulsion device and had no shark anchors, it did little to disturb anything but the very surface of the water, but a sharp tre still wrapped itself all around their bodies The boht vibrations to spread throughout the ocean water

And

”shi+t!! The princess has those naval battle floats and shark anchor attached, doesn't she!? She's agitating the water like crazy!!”

”Continue on! If we turn back, our fate will be no different froets swept into the drain!!”