Chapter 80
Chapter 80
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: I Shall Stand in the Heavens (4)
[Western United States, Washington. A certain dark warehouse.]
The common perception of military training is, of course, that information to civilians is tightly controlled and security is strictly maintained.
But sometimes, certain military exercises get disclosed to the public.
Intentionally.
To avoid collision accidents with passenger planes passing through the airspace, they deliberately broadcast the movements of specific fighters or aircraft on public air traffic maps at air control centers.
When pilots are warned to "detour around this area—military training in progress," that info leaks out partially, and people catch on.
But even in those cases, it's inaccessible to the general public, and the details known to insiders are inevitably limited.
Just like now.
[Can you see it! The pride of the Air Force...!]
Unless, that is, they're blatantly flying transport planes right out in the open over U.S. airspace.
"Wow, that's impressive."
A blonde woman in military cargo pants and a tank top watched the three transport planes on the split-screen TV, clicking her tongue in admiration.
She lounged haphazardly on a sofa planted in the middle of the abandoned factory, swigging from a can of red-and-white beer in one hand while savoring the spectacle of the planes streaking across the screen.
"If we shoot that down, does Master die?"
"What kind of crazy talk is that?"
A woman in a suit approached the one in military gear and lightly smacked her on the head.
"Illinois?"
"Gone. Anyway, quit saying weird stuff."
The woman in military gear could've easily dodged the swat, but she just took it and pouted.
"No, was I wrong? Even Master—hit by a missile midair, plane exploding—could he survive that?"
"He'd survive. That's why no other countries are firing missiles at it."
"No, missiles might... "
"Human missile."
The woman in the suit pulled up a photo on her smartphone.
"Heard some country suggested loading an S-Rank Hunter into a missile and firing it. What do you think?"
"...An S-Rank Hunter turning into a rocket and slamming into the plane?"
"Exactly. Make contact with Master, then take him out."
"......."
The suit woman snapped her fingers, and a scene began playing on the TV screen.
A hunter riding atop a rocket as it soared through the sky.
The moment the rocket smashed into the plane, the hunter burrowed forward and threw a punch. A black-haired young man took it straight to the chest—a gaping hole punched clean through—and dropped dead.
As an animation.
"What the hell is this? AI-generated video?"
"Something like that. Plenty of people worldwide don't want Master waltzing into their territory."
The suit woman shrugged, then pulled up a world map.
"How many S-Rank Towers do you think there are globally? Hell, I'm tired just talking about it. Master's conquering them so fast, he's sucked up all the popularity from the ones who've been hogging them till now."
"Like us?"
"Pretty much. That's why the other S-Ranks called an emergency meeting."
The suit woman held up three fingers.
"One: Conquer the towers before Master gets there. Two: Keep the status quo and pray Master stays out of our country. Three."
"Like us—want Master gone?"
"Bingo."
The suit woman waggled her third finger, then rolled up the sleeve of her left arm.
"People like us don't mix with that saint from the 'land of courtesy and manners' in the East or whatever."
Her arm was covered in injection scars. The military woman's was too.
"So what're we doing? Just watch Master conquer? Or... go with someone's plan and backstab him inside a tower?"
"For that, we'd need to know Master's next S-Rank Tower target first. And since they know we'd figure that out... that's why they're flying all these planes."
The suit woman swiped through her phone, furrowing her brow.
"...One of those three has Master aboard. Definitely."
"What if not?"
"Even then... the destination's still one of the three."
Beep beep.
"If we're fighting inside the tower anyway, we just need to pinpoint which one he enters."
"...Right. Let's show 'em. America... has all kinds of American-style 'villains'."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Four planes hovering in U.S. airspace.
The Army, Navy, and Air Force had each deployed their latest transport models, heading to separate locations.
Why?
'Just a show.'
On the president's orders, each branch was putting on a performance, flying their finest transports for all to see.
The public justification was straight out of Armed Forces Day.
Demonstrating cutting-edge weapons and gear to boost military pride.
New fighters patrolled the skies, special forces marched in perfect formation, gates ripped open on highways unleashing warships—
'Ugh, headache.'
It gave me a brief throb, but that was the public line.
So what was the real reason?
-Wrong! A smokescreen to hide Master's next S-Rank Tower target!
If anyone guessed that, I'd flatly say no.
Why?
'Because the public excuse is the real reason.'
It was pure, unadulterated bragging by the U.S. Army, Air Force, and Navy.
With the president's blessing, a demo of how each branch would handle the "transport an S-Rank Hunter" operation.
"Right, Kiharu?"
"Muttering to yourself in your head, declaring it wrong, then asking my opinion."
"...At goddess level, reading thoughts is child's play, no?"
"Not planning to read thoughts. To answer your question: 'They're not idiots' nyang."
"What question?"
"Whether they'll spot the decoy."
"...Fair."
Rumble.
The Illinois feed showed three airships.
Each military transport bound for its designated S-Rank Tower: Delicate Arch, Devil's Tower, and the Statue of Liberty.
And nearby...
"Kiharu. Even with armies camped around an S-Rank Tower, can they really stop a hunter from entering?"
"Nope."
Around each site, Army and police had positions staked out, controlling the crowds.
But they could only corral civilians who held back on their own—folks who knew entering meant risking death.
They couldn't physically bar people who had to get in, no matter what.
Even if actual hunters were among the controllers.
"Impossible. If it were, it wouldn't have happened back when Elaine cleared that S-Rank Tower in Mungyeong—not a Korea thing, but it already failed once."
If a bunch of random A-Ranks, or even an S-Rank, crashed an ongoing S-Rank clear, could you stop them from inside or out?
Possible, sure.
Station an S-Rank Hunter at the entrance to guard it.
But entrances are surprisingly huge, and while that S-Rank's tied up, someone could slip past.
Question.
Who?
"Kiharu. If someone barges into our S-Rank Tower clear uninvited, ally or enemy?"
"Enemy's preferable."
"Why?"
"Ally would just be griefing."
"True enough."
All sorts of players could show up.
Folks who didn't want America's S-Rank Towers cleared.
Or wanted them cleared, but only by American S-Ranks—not Master.
Or anyone troubled by Master steadily building influence in the U.S.
"'America's problems get solved by pure-blooded Americans'... I could shrug off rigid beliefs like that, but this is different."
On my smartphone screen.
Red dots were blinking near our destination.
"Dryga's intel says unregistered hunters—so-called 'villains'—are gathering around the towers?"
"Why?"
"No clue. Maybe some think I stole their summons as their summoner and cried 'NTR'..."
"Most insane reason imaginable, but totally plausible nyang. Even against the guy protecting the world."
"...Didn't see that coming."
I stroked Kiharu, perched on my shoulder, and asked.
"Thought you hated types like that?"
"I do. But that doesn't mean I want the world to end nyang."
"So, mostly what kind?"
"Well..."
Kiharu peered at the phone and grinned.
"Despairists who think killing Master plunges the world into more chaos, inching closer to doom—driving humanity to utter hopelessness?"
Sometimes, you get humans like that.
Not using their power for honor or cash, but to sow chaos or bring about the apocalypse.
They do exist.
I plan to clean house a bit this time.
"First up, dive."
One hand on the smartphone.
The other—
Clunk!
—yanking open the plane door.
A gale rushed in.
Below the plane cruising over the tower's peak, I spotted crowds of people at a glance.
Waaaaah!!
Hunter ears picked it up.
The cheers ringing out in a circle around the base of the S-Rank Tower, Devil's Tower.
"What're you waiting for nyang? Jump already."
"...Tch."
"Worried about something?"
"Kiharu. Y'know."
I gripped my smartphone tight and asked.
"Bungeoppang—eat the head first or the tail?"
"......."
"...Never mind. Doesn't matter."
Calculations were done.
"Fell from 75,000 meters once. This? Piece of cake."
"...Anyone hearing thinks you did the falling."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ [Ground level. Near Devil's Tower.]
"Ahh, up there!!"
The sky.
The hatch on the U.S. Navy's C-2 transport popped open, revealing a young man.
"Th-that's...?"
"What the hell kinda outfit...?"
"A suit...?"
Not some jumpsuit—a young man in a white suit, clutching a single smartphone.
"What the heck is he planning?"
Ta-at.
The young man leapt from the transport.
No parachute.
No safety gear.
Just gripping that smartphone with both hands—
"Falling while... doing what...?"
—clutching it like he was playing a game.