25 The End Approaches 2

A careless left-handed barrage comes flying toward him.

Though it's annoying, the aim is too predictable.

Even AI-controlled automatic fire would show more variation.

Avoiding it is not difficult.

The problem is the increasing weight of the机体 as he draws closer.

Jin cannot help but feel a sense of pressure.

He leaps aside at the last moment. No follow-up attack comes, as expected. Thanks to that, he manages to conduct a tactical briefing with Edelweiss with some room to spare.

“What is this…?”

He mutters, recognizing it himself.

This is something Edelweiss has done before.

“Controlling the ether around us.”

The ether generated by the End before him. The enemy has seized control of it all.

Even the ether spilled outside is being used without waste—tied to his movements, restricting his actions. Jin nods in understanding.

‘Likely, there’s no intent to interfere on the other side.’

Yet Edelweiss’s words contradict that.

‘This is simply because the output is too vast—we’re suffering of our own accord.’

Jin recalled having heard such a statement from Seventh.

Yet accepting that explanation outright revealed an unignorable issue.

‘Seventh said it depends on the quality.’

Jin realized it himself after speaking.

Only those with sufficient ether could endure it. In truth, Jin had no memory of being affected by Seventh.

And yet—he was being affected by the being before him.

That alone indicated the being was beyond standard.

Even with supply originating from beyond the aperture, the source itself was likely no ordinary entity.

‘Perhaps he’s attempting to expand the aperture for someone lurking within.’

Creating a galactic-scale black hole, huh? Quite an ambitious undertaking.

In other words, whatever lies beyond the aperture must be something that cannot emerge without such effort...

But regardless, the situation is straightforward.

One might hope that sealing the aperture would halt the enemy before them—but that would be wishful thinking.

This is troubling, Jin thinks.

"We need to drive that terminal—the one at the end of the apocalypse—into the aperture and force it back. But to do that, this ether is in our way."

To keep things clear, Jin proceeds with the blunt term: terminal.

‘To stop the ether, we must first seal the aperture. But if we do, then the terminal must be destroyed alone.’

A dead end either way. In either case, one difficult path must be chosen.

Push the terminal back into the hole while the ether remains disrupted.

Eliminate the etheric interference and destroy the terminal.

The enemy's depths remain unseen. Can one fight, burdened by disadvantage, before such an opponent? Can victory be achieved even without knowing the enemy's limits?

Jin’s thoughts were met with a voice that carried the faint echo of Edelweiss’s laughter.

We have not yet shown our true depths either.

...Yeah, that's right.

Jin laughed too, as if agreeing completely.

The worth of the partnership between myself and Edelweiss.

The extent of that vessel remains beyond my own measurement.

The disparity in their combat capabilities remains unknown. In such circumstances, merely trembling with fear achieves nothing.

I wish I could separate him—just a little distance, and the situation would improve.

Agreed. At least in that positioning, he would receive maximum backup.

If we take position between the opponent and that aperture, we’ll see how they respond.

The pressure will reach its maximum.

I'll endure through sheer will!

Then I shall do the same.

Declaring their resolve to withstand through grit alone.

Slowly approaching.

White and black.

Up close, Edelweiss and Terminal were remarkably similar.

Not by design. By structure, one might say.

Something familiar about it.

……As Your Majesty has stated. My structure is said to mimic a previously observed end of existence. It is not surprising, then, that I resemble Terminal, a member of the same lineage.

Say it sooner, that sort of thing.

Knowing it changes nothing.

Jin nods in agreement.

No thrusters fired. Only walking.

Jin and Edelweiss move behind Terminal.

The reaction was immediate.

The head rotates fully backward.

A machine, so such movement is possible. But the humanoid form makes it unsettling.

The mechanical — expected, yet easy to forget when interacting with the Terminus people — camera eye stares unblinkingly at them.

For the first time, Terminal

『———？』

High-frequency.

A sharp, piercing tone that makes Jin instinctively wince.

Responding to it is Edelweiss.

Yet her voice carries confusion.

『Identification error……？』

‘Is that what it’s saying?’

『It appears to be, sir.』

At least, that is how Edelweiss interpreted it.

Terminus speech remains far too complex for human comprehension. Jin truly appreciates that she learned the common fleet dialect.

Naturally, it’s impossible for Terminal to understand human language — Jin accepts this.

Yet Edelweiss did.

At the very least, Terminal understands the language of the Terminus people.

Or perhaps they used the same language.

Their origin.

A human with interest—someone like Rei, perhaps—would surely find this a tantalizing subject of study, Jin thought, with a faint trace of loneliness.

"Identify yourself," it said.

"Checking just to be sure—do you have it?"

"I do not."

Of course not, Jin nodded.

He was curious about what would happen if the identification code matched—but the answer from them to Terminal was already decided.

"Tell them in return: do you have boarding authorization?"

"We are boarding without permission as well," Edelweiss replied.

Jin gave a small laugh at Edelweiss's remark.

At the reaction, Edelweiss spoke with a slightly reluctant tone.

"Let me make this clear."

"Hm?"

"If you think my behavior has changed, it's because of you."

"What do you mean?"

"Your soul is fused to fill my missing parts. Naturally, it will mutate."

In other words, Jin was beginning to feel the influence of the soul on a fundamental level.

That explained why, since earlier, Jin had noticed an odd change in behavior—now he understood.

—If he ever makes a dull joke, it means his own humor has lost its edge. He must be careful.

"Then I know what I have to do next."

"Of course."

The Long Sword presses against the terminal's throat.

"Unauthorized passengers are to be removed."

"This is our domain. Not a place for one who thinks only of endings, like you."

The upper half of the terminal rotates 180 degrees. Only the torso faces forward.

The camera eye flickers. A gun barrel embedded in the forearm fires.

Tiny ether bullets.

This configuration was equally familiar to Jin and the others.

In fleet terminology, it could be called an Ether Vulcan.

With a heavy sound, the left-hand cannon detaches. The exposed fist is, again, hardly distinguishable from an assault frame.

From the palm, the terminal extends a blade of ether and faces off against Edelweiss.

"Seems you've decided to fight, then."

At least one thing was certain.

Jin's actions had been an irritation even to the terminal.

Had there been no reaction at all.

Had no counterattack followed any assault.

That would have meant the opponent did not regard them as a threat.

Judging by the opponent's actions alone was dangerous, but it seemed they were not entirely without options.

An opening existed. That alone was more than sufficient information for Jin and the others.

The Ether Dagger terminal plunged into the embrace, locked in clash with Edelweiss’s Long Sword.

"Close combat, then!"

‘That’s my specialty.’

Fierce blade strikes crossed between them.

Tiny particles scattered.

Even a single one, if touched by an ordinary ASID, would pierce through instantly.

Concentrated ether particles, condensed to lethal precision.

Terminal deflecting Edelweiss’s Long Sword with one arm alone.

Jin and Edelweiss—undisputed aces. Their skill matched by the ability to glimpse a fraction of the future.

Even with that foresight—unbreakable.

A sharp thrust launched from Terminal’s half-body.

The momentum of battle, once tipping in favor, was instantly balanced.

From there, advancing half a step further—a three-stage thrust.

Delivered at a speed so fast, the return motion was invisible. It was no longer a point, but a continuous attack surface.

The cut was so sharp it seemed as though the blades had been scattered in all directions, yet delivered simultaneously—so sharp it induced the illusion of a single, continuous strike.

"……Strong."

It would have been better if he’d charged in like a boar.

Terminal’s fighting style was remarkably calm.

He did not press the attack.

He simply received, received, received.

Whenever Jin, as the aggressor, showed even the slightest sign of impatience, Terminal struck back with a precision that pierced like a blade.

‘One arm, this much?’

Edelweiss’s voice, slightly stunned.

Jin had been confident—yet now, he felt that confidence slipping.