I Came Back but the World is Still a Fantasy!?

4-29: -A: Sacred Sword (4/4)

As clouds of dust rose up with a thunderous roar, the crater was gouged out even deeper.

Arias consciousness started to leave her because of the impact, but the sound of her bones and her exoskeleton cracking ironically roused her, and she tried to move her hands.

GU, ah, you!

Despite lying face down, Aria pointed her handgun behind her and shot at Frire, but Frire just let Shirayuki take Arias attacks on while she calmly cut Arias gun.

GAH! KU!

Then Frire kicked her and sent her flying and tumbling 5 meters away.

By chance, after tumbling several times, Aria found herself facing upwards, and Frires blade was once again upon her throat.

!

Bind Lock What? You still want to fight? Frire asked as she bound her body with a photon restraint tool.

Aria couldnt immediately reply when Frire declared her victory so monotonously.

As far as Status was concerned, nothing she had could hold a candle to Frire.

If this were a contest of attacking through different methods simultaneously while attacking from at least medium range, then it would be her overwhelming victory, but now that shes lost her mobility and Frire was on her, there was no chance for her to win anymore.

Its frustrating how strong you are, but its too early for you to celebrate. Do you even know what I came here to do in the first place?

Despite lying on her back, there was no defeat in her eyes.

In fact, a fearless smile appeared on her face as she looked up at her old friend.

I never did know what was in your head, Frire said.

Hmph, I didnt really want to use it, but youve left me no choice, Aria said.

Aria wanted to shift the situation to their favor by getting rid of the inspectors and cutting off the communication network and command of the students all without using their trump card.

Knowing Frire, she didnt think she would simply stand back and watch given the situation, but she still hoped to avoid using it.

Of course, even if things had gone as planned, since the students werent actually being commanded, but instead mistakenly led to believe that their exams were still proceeding as planned, it wouldve been meaningless anyway.

You think Id let you? Frire said.

Unfortunately, unlike the fosters, the military weapon terminals can be used with just a thought, but you knew that, didnt you?

Invoked by her thoughts, her terminal transmitted a special code, which was then received by a certain place that then started mobilizing their trump card.

What did you do?

Hmph. No matter how strong you are, thats only when youre being used as part of an attack. You can break through enemy camps all on your own, but youre terrible at maintaining lines and defending. Unfortunately, theres no one more experienced in fighting than you in this school. The defense force is no slouch, but theres no one with the caliber of a general who can control everything. Thats why you wont be able to block this, Aria fearlessly smiled.

But that smile froze when Frire suddenly looked up at the sky.

So you really did prepare a large-scale air strike. You really didnt waste your 8 years hiding.

What!?

How did you know that!? her voice implicitly asked, but Frire ignored her and continued to look up at the distant sky.

The optical image reflected on her visor showed the sky above the clouds.

There, several giant elliptical spheres could be seen floating, each one about 50 meters long.

Drone descent pod carriers. Moreover, the unmanned type. How many did you fit in those? Looks like you could easily fit more than three hundred drones in one of those, Frire said.

The way Frire calmly shook her head left Aria speechless.

It disnt make sense. Frire shouldve been at the end of her wits already, and yet she still saw through her trump card.

At that, a malaise far worse than when she saw Frire filled her.

I see, if you drop over a thousand drones from that height, the defensive line of the city will collapse and the students will fall into a predicament. And of course, neither me nor the commander of the defense force is capable of qualming the ensuing chaos.

Frire, what are you trying to say!?

Frire admitted that all those drones falling would spell the end of the school, but she just smiled as though none of this concerned her.

No, that wasnt it. Arias back froze. That wasnt a smile of abandonment but a smile of certainty.

More so, than being seen through, it was the method she was relying on that bothered her.

And because she couldnt understand Frires source of confidence, the situation became even more terrifying to Aria.

You look like you dont understand whats going on. In that case, let me return to you the same words you gave me earlier. Why do you think I keep talking to an enemy like you?

Huh?

Due to the surprise of happening into her unexpectedly, she failed to realize it.

The Frire that Aria knew would never have spent so much time talking to a covert ops like her.

It wouldve been normal for Frire to beat her up without a word, but what she did instead was to talk.

Moreover, that was before she even knew that she was an old friend.

Youre also buying time? Aria asked.

Frire turned her back to her and glared at the skies.

Surprisingly, Kutoria has never actually been attacked from the skies, Frire said.

After all, it was hard for either worlds air forces or exoskeletons to break through the excellent radar system and Kutorias defense network, that was ever vigilant for attacks by those against the continuing interaction of the two worlds.

But that didnt mean it was impossible to attack them from the skies. For example, if one were to suddenly send a great number of forces from outside the range, the defenses wouldnt be able to respond fast enough.

All the more so if Kutoria was already in the middle of a battle.

Whether or not thats realistic, its an answer that anyone could come up with if they just gave it some thought.

If youd really thought things through, then theres no way you wouldnt attack from that angle. You could send a disorderly mob with that method and it would still cause chaos. Im sure you at least have a disorderly mob. Corner them, make them use it, and then crush it. Thats, right Ha ha, as unreasonable as ever.

That was the role that the boy had chosen for her.

She confronted the infiltrator and made her use their trump card on purpose.

The reason was because it would be much easier to deal with the enemys trump card if someone, who they knew could use it, used it at a time they were expecting, than for someone else they didnt know to use it when they werent expecting it.

F-Frire, what are you talking about?

The Gaen Volunteer Army had been preparing for 8 years for this day, thats why they were able to prepare this trump card, but now, Frire was casually enjoying herself as she uttered someone elses words after seeing through their plans.

Aria couldnt help but shudder.

It wasnt clear if the infiltrator would have the authority to use the trump card, but given that the infiltrator was the one person able to observe the situation from the school. Its likely that the infiltrator wouldve been given the authority to use it in case of emergencies Is what he said. Looks like he was right.

W-Who is that!? Who are you talking about!? Who said that!!

She didnt understand it.

She had lived in this city for 8 years and investigated various things at the academy.

She had sufficiently investigated all the people that could become a hindrance to them.

Despite that not a single candidate, who could do what Frire claimed, came to mind.

Perhaps hes a person who possesses the caliber of a general that you were talking about. At the very least, hes much better at using people than a clumsy teacher like me. It was thanks to him that today I could just be the sword that I am.

Just for this moment, she was able to forget the responsibility of a teacher and the weight of her fame.

That feeling grew even stronger as she thought how this role suited her better, but then she focused once more.

Now then, shall we, Shirayuki?

Roger

With a solemn face, she spoke to the armor(sword) wrapped around her, and then as she placed something on her right shoulder

The situation has now fallen into the special case of article III of the regulations of use. Permission cannot be acquired from the relevant authorities, and an encounter with a large-scale force cannot be avoided. For the sake of my allies and the civilians, I Frire Doneju, wielder of Shirayuki appeal to be permitted to draw the Sacred Sword.

Request acknowledged. Based on the observed situation, permission to use is granted. Sheathe deployment complete, safety released, photon energy charging. I understand its your first time using it, but please remain calm, Master.

I know. You think Id get excited over some drones?

Frire knitted her brows in response to that monotonous mechanical voice.

As a colossal sword blade extended behind her, the inside of a cave could be seen from in front.

Frire took her beloved sword blade and buried it inside that cave. Yes, that cave was none other than a giant sheathe.

Sword sheathing complete, coating starting, cooling systems released Objectives, locked on!

Roger that. Everything is ready.

Wait, Frire! What are you trying to do!? No, it doesnt matter! At that altitude, theres nothing you can do!

An unfamiliar weapon and an exaggerated appeal to use it.

Whats more, given the situation they were in, there was no way it would be just a simple weapon.

But the carriers were too far up. Even with Shirayukis speed, it should still take them a few minutes to get up there.

By the time they reach the carriers, the drones will have already descended.

By then, no weapon would be able to destroy all of the scattered drones immediately.

Moreover, Garesto didnt have any ultra long rang weapons.

That was one of the reasons why they feared the Earthlings in the first place.

But

Have you forgotten what my special skill is, Aria?

Photon Converter operational. Support system, starting. Please head straight for the target without unnecessary trips.

I see youve gone senile, Frire said as a monitor appeared before Aria.

The preparation of the carriers to drop the drones was projected there.

Take a good look. Thanks to the worlds good fortune, this has never been used until now! Feast with your eyes! This is Shirayukis sword!

Dropping her hips a little, she reached out for the handle of her beloved sword with both of her hands.

As she set her sight at the distant carrier through her visor, she uttered the name of the skill.

Shukuchi(Short Land)

No!

The moment realized her mistake, she cried that out in regret.

It was true that it would take Shirayuki some time to get to the carriers.

But if Frire had a skill that made it possible to teleport short distances, and if she could grasp the distance toward her target and the objects that existed until then, then she could simply teleport consecutively and make it all the way up there in a few seconds.

Damn it! Damn it all! Just who was it!? Who was it that I missed!?

When Aria saw Frire appear in the screen, she started cursing.

She hated whoever it was that advised her.

But what infuriated her the most was that she couldnt even imagine who it was.

Burn you, Frire! Burn youuuuu!!!

Everything would come to nothing. All their preparations this past 8 years, everything was going to be destroyed.

Because of someone she didnt know and because of a sword that theyd been wary of.

Aria screamed from the top of her lungs, but her voice couldnt reach the skies above.

All units within range. Master.

With the same stance as she had on the ground, Frire drew her sword.

Sacred Caliber!!!

In the next moment, that peculiar golden color filled the sky and everything was torn through mercilessly.

The Sacred Sword. A single stroke of instant death turned into a guardian that would keep anything from approaching.

That was the Wide Area Slash Type Attack Skill that she could use only while wearing Shirayuki.

The vast amount of photons that filled the sheathe was in a single stroke released with the sword, devouring all of the drones and the carriers in a single flash.

In the face of that powerful slash of highly-concentrated and highly-compressed photons, neither the drones nor the carriers could last even a second.

Not even fragments were left in its wake, and when everything had quieted, it was as though there was nothing there in the first place, the only thing left were the traces of those golden particles and the silver Valkyrie herself.

A line that could fill the whole sky. That was the attack released by Frire Doneju.

As the various systems of her exoskeleton spent time cooling down, she slowly returned to the ground, where a furious Aria greeted her.

Do you realize what youve done, Frire!? As strong as your weapon may be, Earths weapons are even stronger! That weapon that only you could use wont be able to stop them!

In Arias eyes were anger and a faint trace of resignation.

She was going to be arrested anyway, so she might as well let out her feelings now.

She glared at her old friend and continued.

Interacting with Earth is the governments biggest failure. Even if we have to resort to force, we have to correct this mistake, or a calamity will descend on Garesto! The Garesto we should be protecting doesnt need a world like Earth!!

Failure, mistake, disaster, and doesnt need huh. I didnt want to hear those words from you.

After Aria had laid bare her honest feelings, for a moment, Frires golden eyes wavered sorrowfully, but that color vanished and she drew her sword.

What KU!?

Just like that the weapon terminal over Arias exoskeleton was destroyed.

With the system maintaining her exoskeleton gone, the exoskeleton she wore was now nothing but dead weight.

Sorry, Aria. If I had the time, I wouldnt mind debating with you, but I was told to help the students after finishing my errand here. I dont have the time to spare for you right now, so go to sleep. Ill pick you up later.

That wasnt a conversation. Frire had just said what she wanted to say, as though to imply that the only reason shed talked for so long was to find their trump card, then without any hesitation, she threw a fist right into the pit of Arias stomach and knocked her out. She didnt even glance at her as she flew away to her next battlefield.

Infiltration AgentCaptured

Enemy Air ForcesDestroyed

School InvasionCommencing

Tl Note: Changed Inviolable Sword to Sacred Sword to better match her skill Sacred Caliber.