第８４２堀：襲撃の結果 (Part1)
Chapter 842: The Aftermath of the Raid
Side: Taiki
"Alert, alert. Multiple large magical organisms are approaching the fleet. All personnel to battle stations. I repeat, approaching the fleet..."
The alarm blared throughout the aircraft carrier, and the surrounding area erupted into a flurry of activity.
"The enemy is moving faster than I anticipated."
"No kidding. I didn't expect them to show up the moment we entered the target waters. How did they even find us?"
"It is a mystery. Perhaps they possess some unique ability peculiar to sea monsters."
"Yeah, that sounds plausible. Fish don't rely on sight as much as smell or vibrations, after all."
They say sharks can detect the scent of blood from kilometers away. As Ruth and I discussed this, we made our way toward the CDC.
"Still, I don't know whether to call this good timing or lament that we just arrived..."
"I suppose it’s better than being urgently summoned while in the middle of official duties back home."
Well, personally, I’m always grateful for Yuki-san’s sudden summons—it’s the perfect excuse to slack off from work. But setting that aside, we had only just returned from the mainland. Or rather, "transferred" here might be the more accurate term.
The situation was still a blur. The moment we arrived, we were notified that we’d reached the target zone, followed by Dressa’s briefing, and then—suddenly—this alarm. I needed to get to the CDC, where the key personnel were surely gathering, to confirm the situation.
*BOOM!!*
The sound made me stop in my tracks.
"Did the enemy attack the ship?"
"No, the ship hasn't swayed at all."
"You're right."
I mean, even if it were a massive monster, a ship nearly 300 meters long wouldn't flinch from a minor strike. If the ship were actually shaking, we’d be in real trouble.
"Well, regardless, let’s get to the CDC. We can’t see or understand anything from here."
"Agreed."
We resumed our pace, unhurried, and arrived at the CDC.
"Yo."
"Excuse us."
As we entered, the main monitor was displaying the ongoing battle.
*SPLASH!! BOOM!!*
"One!!"
*SPLASH!! BOOM!!*
"Two!!"
*SPLASH!! BOOM!!*
"Three!!"
The screen showed Shera-chan leaping through the sea, shouting lines I felt like I’d heard somewhere before.
"..."
The core members of the CDC were speechless. It was, frankly, surreal. Every time Shera-chan breached the surface, a massive fish-like monster was sent flying, only to be finished off by a follow-up lightning spell in mid-air before splashing back down, floating belly-up.
I see. So that’s how they avoid electrocuting themselves while underwater. I felt a strange sense of admiration.
"So, Yuki-san. What exactly is going on here?"
I asked, unable to grasp the context.
"Hm? Oh, Taiki-kun. You’re back."
"More like 'arrived here,' but sure."
"Fair enough. Well, that footage is Shera-chan’s unit engaging a swarm of about a hundred monsters."
"She seems to be quoting some ace pilot, doesn't she?"
"That wasn't my doing. She pulled a stunt on Kagura earlier. I suppose she’s just trying to show off that she’s doing her job."
"What kind of stunt?"
"I don't know what she was thinking, but she jumped right onto the flight deck to land. The spray soaked Kagura."
"Well... judging by those lines, I’d say she’s just a romantic at heart, isn't she?"
If you know about mecha, you can’t help but want to try something like that when you see a runway or a catapult.
"...I can understand that if you're a robot-loving Earthling, but she’s a fish."
"...I think prejudice against species is a bad thing, you know."
We should be proud that Earth has robot anime that even fish monsters aspire to. Then again, come to think of it, the underwater world is often compared to space; in a way, it might be the perfect environment for a robot pilot.
"Anyway, setting that aside, it seems the monsters have attacked?"
"Yeah. Faster than expected. I was prepared for days of nothing but survey work."
"I was too. But this should give us some data, right?"
"I hope so. Though, I doubt this raid is the end of it."
"I should hope not."
In this vast ocean, there’s no way a measly hundred monsters would be the end of it. As we spoke, Shera-chan and her team continued to pick off the approaching swarm one by one.
"Reporting. All hostile biological signatures have been neutralized. It appears the marine survey team led by Shera-chan has successfully repelled them."
It was over in the blink of an eye. Well, that’s something to be happy about. At the very least, we now know we can handle these monsters without struggling, provided they’re the same type.
"Transition from combat status to alert status. All ships, report any damages. Have Shera-chan’s team recover the carcasses. Also, recall Agil and Comet. Tell them to examine the remains."
"Understood."
Dressa seemed to be handling things quite well, issuing orders with efficiency. She must have gotten used to this over the last few days. As I was thinking that, Yuki-san looked over at us.
"Well, from what we saw, Shera-chan held the line. The other ships should be fine, too."
"Indeed. If there were any issues, we would have received reports immediately."
"In that case, I’m going to go check on the monsters. What will you guys do?"
"We’re coming with you. I want to see the real thing with my own eyes. Everything we saw at Sea-Cypher was either rotting or just bones."
"Ah, I remember that. That was a mess."
It was true—until now, we hadn't seen the monsters attacking the Sea-Cypher Kingdom in their prime. Our timing had always been poor, or the bodies had been left so long they’d turned into zombies. Rurua-san had been there at the time and purified them instantly, but once they turn into zombies, their movements and habits change completely. They might look the same on the outside, but the reality is entirely different.
With that, we headed to the hangar, accompanied by General Lake.
"Oh. I see, I see."
"Incredible. So this is a sea monster! Come on, Kagura, want to touch it?"
"N-no, thank you. I just got out of the bath."
"Fair enough. But Shera-chan really took down something this huge. Micos-chan is surprised."
"Indeed. Shera-chan is amazing."