Chapter 141
Chapter 141
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 141
Chapter Title: The Giant Soldier's Throw
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I took the giant soldier that was undergoing test operations out of the hangar. Even though it was an emergency, there would be hell to pay.
I'd get a proper scolding, wouldn't I? Or maybe it wouldn't end at just a scolding.
Biil stopped worrying, embracing the convenient philosophy of dealing with tomorrow's problems tomorrow. It wasn't like this was the first or second incident, and this really was an emergency.
The giant soldier's eyes, now fully integrated with his cognition, relayed the situation outside. An unidentified mass of mana had appeared in the skies above the noble residential district, sweeping through the surrounding area.
"What the hell is that thing?"
It seemed like a living creature, yet also like a magical phenomenon.
As the distance closed, Biil realized something. This was a crisis no single giant soldier could handle.
Even strategic weapons like giant soldiers had their limits as weaponry. There was no way to directly strike an enemy about 300 meters off the ground.
Should he prioritize rescuing people? That was the thought crossing his mind when the red lines, which had been lashing out indiscriminately, began converging on one spot.
Like concentrated bombardment, the red lines gathered at a single point, and an unidentified object appeared at the center.
At first, he thought it was debris from a shattered building. The red lines had crumpled and torn apart even metal structures.
No one could imagine something alive moving at the center of that.
But it was too agile to be an inanimate object.
Biil quickly realized. It wasn't mere building debris.
It was a person. A person holding just a single sword.
Using the red lines that pulverized everything as footholds, he leaped forward repeatedly.
Was there a problem with the cognitive integration? Or an error in the giant soldier's external modules? Or maybe the automata handling the computations had malfunctioned?
But all the giant soldier's data was normal. He could confirm it because he felt it directly through his body. There was no issue with the giant soldier's functions.
So what was that human?
Biil recalled the external mana detection function on the prototype. It wasn't perfect since it was unfinished, but it visualized mana density to some extent.
The giant soldier's cognitively integrated eyes converted the visual data into recognizable information.
The unidentified object floating in the sky showed a danger-level mana density. It was higher-grade than the mana condensation rods used in giant soldiers.
There was no way something like that occurred naturally. It was deliberate. An extension of the terrorism?
He was piecing together the situation when an explosion erupted. The detection function cut out for a moment.
Intense light scattered, and a mana wave strong enough to feel inside the giant soldier crashed over them.
Biil squinted up at the sky. The red lines, dangling like cornsilk, converged in one place.
It was where the mana density was highest. It seemed to be protecting the core.
Why had that explosion happened?
As he pondered, a figure in freefall entered his view from the sky. Falling from that height would be dangerous even inside a giant soldier.
He didn't know the identity, but this person had fought to protect the area.
He had to save him. Biil pushed the giant soldier to maximum speed, but the prototype's lower modules hadn't finished inspection. It wouldn't accelerate properly.
In the end, Biil could only watch the person plummet. The body wouldn't even stay intact—horrible images flashed in his mind.
But Biil's worries were unfounded. The figure flipped in midair and landed lightly on the ground.
It was as graceful as a cat. But could someone really do that falling from 300 meters? What about the strain on the body? The impact?
Nothing made sense. Well, there was one possible explanation.
Mana-enhanced physical techniques. Of course, even that wasn't a perfect answer.
Physical techniques weren't omnipotent.
Biil moved the giant soldier toward the man standing on the ground.
The man would know what that monstrous thing floating in the sky was.
The man turned his head. He was looking at the giant soldier. He wasn't about to attack, was he?
Biil tensed, preparing countermeasures. The giant soldier was nearly unarmed, but still a weapon no individual could face.
But why?
He felt an annoyingly strong urge to worry.
The red lines would probably shred even giant soldier armor, yet the man in front of him kicked them away with leather boots.
How did one manipulate mana to give human flesh the durability of giant soldier armor?
Doubts piled up endlessly.
"Is the one inside a Giant Soldier Knight, or a test pilot?"
"Test pilot" was a term used only within the Giant Soldier Foundry and Giant Soldier Administration Bureau.
It referred to those who operated giant soldiers for test runs or inspections, not professionally trained knights.
"Test pilot."
Biil answered first. The man approached in a non-threatening tone. No reason to be hostile.
"How's the mobility?"
The man seemed quite knowledgeable about giant soldiers.
"Basic maneuvers are possible."
"Can you throw things too?"
"If it's within what I can handle, throwing is possible. But who are you?"
"Member of the Special Inspection Unit."
He'd heard that the Special Inspection Unit, including the captain, had returned to the Holy City from terrorism investigations elsewhere.
Biil asked to see proof of identity. An inspector would have a notebook with their unique emblem. Or an identification token.
"Given the situation, I lost all my belongings."
The man showed his empty hands. His clothes were in tatters, and his cloak was a rag.
Biil started to question further but stopped. This was the man who'd moved in ways that defied common sense. If he had ill intent, he'd have acted by now.
The sky monster had gone quiet, but the situation wasn't resolved. One more remained.
"I can throw, but it won't have much effect. The bigger issue is this giant soldier has no dedicated throwing weapons."
Biil said.
"No problem."
The man approached. What was he planning? Biil watched. The man walked right up to the giant soldier's feet, turned, and said,
"Just throw me up there."
He must have misheard. Or maybe the voice module was busted.
Biil, full of doubt, asked again.
"Who what now?"
"Throw me there. Leave the positioning to you."
The man jumped up. Biil instinctively extended the giant soldier's arm.
Landing in the palm, the man lightly swung the sword and spear in his hands.
"You're serious about throwing me?"
"Yes."
"But..."
He was confident throwing up that high. As a test pilot, he handled giant soldiers as well as any knight. Delivering accurately was easy.
The problem was that what he was throwing was a flesh-and-blood human. He was about to say it was impossible, that the body couldn't withstand it, but he closed his mouth.
He remembered what he'd seen moments ago.
The man charging while kicking dense mana with his feet. Air resistance wouldn't be an issue.
"Let's say I throw you. What then?"
"I'll stab it."
A simple, clear answer.
"It's not precise, but from the giant soldier's eyes, that thing's mana density exceeds danger levels. It'll have force barriers too. Mana that materialized to that degree can't be dealt with by external force."
The man, facing the sky, slightly turned his head.
Biil looked at the man's face, wearing a calm smile. The expression held more conviction than any long explanation.
"You're really okay with this? I'm not killing an innocent person here?"
"That won't happen."
Biil let out a deep sigh. No time to hesitate. The monster twitched. He had to strike before it resumed activity.
"Throwing!"
He assumed position. He'd hurl the man up there. With automata assistance, he locked coordinates. All that remained was fine control.
As he manipulated the machine amid the hum of liquid muscles, a warning blared.
High-risk mana exceeding measurements was nearby.
It wasn't the sky monster. Then it had to be...
Holding the giant soldier steady, Biil shifted his gaze slightly.
Pure, dense mana was gathering around the man in the palm.
Biil was stunned. A scream escaped his lips. The automata's warnings grew even louder.
The thing beside him could no longer be called human. Even a mana condensation rod at critical point was safer than this guy on the verge of exploding.
Biil whipped his head around and glared at the floating sky monster. Eyes wide, he hurled the human bomb at it.
Whoosh. He activated the right arm module. The man in the palm rocketed skyward.
"Please."
The word slipped out. The tiny dot of a man collided with the monster.
And then.
A thin blue line sliced through the monster. No explosion. Just as he wondered if that was it,
The red mass bubbled and melted away. The artificially bound mana dispersed into the atmosphere.
A disorienting mana wave rippled out, but it was bearable.
Biil moved toward the falling man. This time, he could catch him from below.
The man landed lightly on the giant soldier's head and let out a small breath.
"That's fairly taxing."
Fairly? Biil swallowed the urge to argue and said,
"You can handle that one too?"
He pointed at the remaining monster. It had grown larger.
"Let's go see."
"Is your body okay? Holding that much mana in flesh..."
He trailed off. Common sense had already been defied. Any question would go unanswered.
The Special Inspection Unit wasn't combat-focused, but Biil shook off thoughts of their duties.
Deal with that thing first, think later.
As they charged the remaining monster, a gray dust storm hit. Visibility narrowed instantly.
The wind was fierce enough to make even the giant soldier stagger. He steadied and pressed forward.
The wind died quickly. The swirling dust settled just as fast.
Visibility cleared. Biil looked toward the monster.
"Oh my god."
Something vast, too big to take in at a glance, blanketed the sky.
The moment he realized it resembled a bird's wing.
The wing swept at the monster.
Boom!
With a deafening roar, the red lines ravaging the ground were swept away in an instant. The red lines' parent body wobbled in the wind.
It was a clash of immense forces, yet oddly, no shock reached the ground. The colossal power was fully focused on suppressing the monster.
Sweeping the air, the wing moved again. Clouds tore long in its wake.
A spectacle. An awe-inspiring sight. And a moment of profound powerlessness.
The term "strategic weapon" suddenly felt ridiculous. The realms of power humanity hadn't grasped were still vast.
The red monster vanished.
The wing faded away as well.
Biil opened the giant soldier's cockpit and stepped out. The impossibly blue sky, mystical in its clarity, contrasted with the destroyed residential district.
Staring blankly at the surreal scene, he soon looked at the giant soldier's hand. The man who'd been standing there moments ago was gone.
Biil blinked, then slapped his cheeks with both hands.
"I'm not crazy. This isn't a dream."
One incomprehensible event after another—his head felt ready to burst.
(To be continued in the next episode)