Chapter 244. The Immortal (12)
At a rough count, over twenty transports and cargo helicopters blanketed the sky in formation, scattering a deafening roar.
They couldn't match the airships of Artigen Domain — the colossal aerial warships known as sky-frigates — but even so, the sight of formidable aircraft converging all at once was truly spectacular.
In the blink of an eye, a jet-black transport passed over Enoch's head, and the white SIEG Industry emblem on its flank glinted in the sun.
"Things I asked for — hold on a second?"
In the shadow cast by the aircraft, April stared at him with dazed eyes.
"Th, then. You don't mean. Direct Lineage called in all those SIEG Industry planes with a single phone call……?"
"That's right. Is there a problem?"
"No, it's insane! Massively!! Even for the Direct Lineage of Elsyde, how do you get that snobbish corporate dinosaur to move?!"
"No need to make such a fuss."
April made a stunned face at that answer, then grabbed Nano by the shoulders — Nano, who had been staring blankly up at the sky beside her. Then, on the verge of tears, she pointed at Enoch and started shaking Nano frantically.
"Am I the crazy one?! Right?! Aren't I right?! No matter how you look at it, this is insane!!"
"W, wow. That's really the SIEG Industry mark-mda…"
"Nano?! Why do you have that look on your face?!"
Nano only murmured absently while gazing at the sky. Leaving April, who was panicking even further at that, Enoch looked ahead.
A commotion had already broken out around them.
Pushing through the freelancers buzzing over the sudden appearance of a massive aerial unit, Enoch pressed forward. One helicopter was just lowering a rappelling rope to the ground, and atop it, a girl in a blouse and skirt was waving enthusiastically and blowing kisses.
"Lord Enooooch~! Coming down now~! Kyaah!!"
Elena Sieg, with precarious footwork, launched herself toward the rope — and, living up to expectations, lost her grip in midair, her body tangling as her posture crumbled entirely.
Enoch shot through the crowd like a bullet, went into a long slide, and caught the falling Elena.
Dust billowed and a sensation like the air being punched from his lungs swept over him from the impact.
Opening his eyes immediately after, he found Elena — cheeks flushed with embarrassment — her backside seated squarely atop Enoch's stomach as he lay flat on his back, facing skyward.
"Oww, ow ow ow. It's been a while, Lord Enoch. Uhuhu, quite the suggestive position, isn't it?"
"……I've never seen anyone try to rappel from a helicopter in heels and a blouse."
"Oh, come now~. I just wanted to meet Lord Enoch even a teensy bit sooner, that's all!"
Flashing her peculiar charm, the arms company heiress wrapped both arms around Enoch's neck and whispered in his ear.
"I just knew Lord Enoch would come and catch me. But I think I twisted my ankle a little — would you carry me like a princess to the nearest container building~? As a reward, I could let you nurse me however you like."
With the girl's healthy, beautiful figure wrapped in a white blouse and black skirt, her long, sleek cool-brown hair, and her fair-skinned, finely featured face right before his eyes, Enoch calmly opened his mouth.
"Nurse you, huh……"
"Lord.E.noch? Uhuhu."
A sharp click of a tongue suddenly came from behind Enoch.
"Too bad. Would've been satisfying if she'd broken her neck in the fall."
Flinching, he looked to the side, and sure enough — Sirocco stood there, arms folded across her chest, a look of thorough annoyance on her face, her wolf ears atop her head twitching.
"What business do you have? Hurry up and leave. And get off him. I'm his Follower Family."
"Oh my, Sirocco. It's been a while! You're as adorable and charming as ever! I brought some of those sweets you liked last time — how about it?"
"Hmph, the sweets at your place last time were tasty, but you think I'm going to take that bait? Don't change the subject."
"Uhuhu, I had no intention of baiting you or changing the subject."
Elena coolly glanced at Sirocco's chest and tilted her head.
"By the way, it seems like your chest has gotten quite a bit bigger since I last saw you? As expected, are you entering a growth spurt, Sirocco?"
At that, Sirocco's face brightened somewhat, and she glanced down at Enoch. Then, as though this worked in her favor, she reluctantly tilted her chin up, ears twitching with satisfaction.
"Hmm~. Really? A growth spurt, yeah, that's definitely right. But do breasts really grow that fast?"
"We could always do another body measurement next time. Uhuhu, I look forward to that!"
Watching Elena neutralize Sirocco's prickly displeasure in a single second, Enoch was wearing a sour expression when Nano leaned in from the side, eyes sparkling, practically bursting forward.
"W, waaaah!! Is that really Elena Sieg-mka?!"
"That's me. I'm delighted you recognize me."
"I, I'm a huge fan-mda! Starting with the expo you hosted, I've looked up every blueprint of the magic gear and artifacts you personally designed, plus all the patents-mda!"
Elena let out a soft, knowing laugh and curved her eyes in a graceful arc at Nano's adoring gaze.
"Oh my, you like my designs?"
"Yes-mda! There are so many brilliant pieces that I want to build with my own hands someday as an engineer-mda!!"
"Ah, so you're an engineer? I do hope we'll have the chance to discuss my design philosophy and product aesthetics in depth sometime."
Elena drew a fan from her pocket, covered her mouth, and narrowed her eyes in an alluring smile.
"However, if you'll forgive me, today I've come here formally hired as Lord Enoch's tactical advisor. I'm afraid other conversations will have to wait."
"What?"
Sirocco stared down at Enoch with wide eyes.
"Hey, you. What's going on here?"
Enoch, still facing Elena who was clasped around his neck, nodded calmly.
"It's true. To defeat Anarchilon in this situation, we need the cooperation of a specialist in weaponry and tactics."
Calling in mages or talent stronger than Sirocco or Lien to the Outsourcing District simply wasn't possible right now.
But even if the combat forces stayed the same, if the Empire's largest tactical equipment corporation provided support, it changed the picture entirely.
***
Inside the command tent set up by SIEG Industry support personnel, a jet-black steel table was placed.
A shaded lamp lit the ceiling, casting a brilliant beam only on the tabletop. Several large tablets, powered on, were arranged atop it.
From the artifact at the center of the table, a map of the borderland plains was projected in both 3D and 2D forms, floating in the air.
Surrounding it were all members of Enoch's squad and the newly arrived Elena.
Elena placed her hand on the table and, wearing a serious expression rarely seen on her, looked around the group.
"Regarding Anarchilon, I've referenced the documents your team sent over. An Immortal experimental magical beast — whatever Black Mage is behind this, that's beyond a joke. You've all had a very rough time."
She placed a hand on her blouse-covered chest, eyes gleaming.
"From here on, SIEG Industry will provide full backup to Lord Enoch's people."
Enoch nodded.
"Thank you, sincerely. That's incredibly reassuring."
"Hey…… one thing I want to ask."
Sirocco, arms crossed, looked at Elena with a slightly uneasy expression.
"Other than your SIEG Industry group, is there any other support coming?"
Sensing her concern, Elena nodded as well.
"Since Sirocco and the others have been here on the battlefield, you wouldn't know outside conditions, but the situation here still hasn't reached the outside. I only found out myself after receiving the call."
"As expected. Until that wall is breached, we should assume no additional reinforcements from outside."
Enoch looked at the Outsourcing District wall, expressionless.
"Fortunately, within the Outsourcing District there's still room to persuade the Dragoons."
All eyes turned to Alicia, who stood in one corner of the tent with conflicted eyes.
The Dragoon girl — the bold spirit she had shown in front of the freelancers seemingly gone — gave a sheepish "ahaha" laugh and awkwardly averted her gaze.
Soon it would be time to report back to the unit as promised with Aslin, but she had insisted on attending the briefing beforehand. Reminding herself of that resolve, Alicia raised her head and looked at Elena.
"If there's anything I can do to help here, I will. Please, tell me anything!"
"Understood. Cooperation is absolutely essential this time."
Elena placed a hand on her cheek with a look of regret and sighed lightly.
"Unfortunately, what I've been able to mobilize with my authority and staff at SIEG Industry is this much. Providing support beyond this is, well, difficult even from my position."
"No, you coming here in person is already irreplaceable help."
As Enoch shook his head, April raised her hand timidly toward Elena.
"Um. I have one question."
"Yes, please."
April touched her cheek with a finger, looking back and forth between Enoch and Elena.
"It's just, I don't quite understand. Miss Elena Sieg, are you personally acquainted with Direct Lineage Enoch Elsyde? How did you come all the way to this Outsourcing District, and this quickly at that……"
"Oh, is that all? That's perfectly natural."
"Natural?"
Elena walked over to Enoch's side and, with an utterly natural motion, leaned against his arm and hugged it with both of hers.
At the sudden soft sensation against his entire arm, he turned to find himself locking eyes with Elena, who was wearing a faintly mischievous smile.
"But of course! The truth is, this man is someone I've pledged my future to!"
In that instant, the room went silent.
"Pl, pledged your futuuure?!"
Immediately after, a chorus of bizarre cries erupted, and Enoch glanced that way.
For some reason, the other squad members were frozen stiff with looks of utter shock.
Nano seemed genuinely stunned, hands clasped before her mouth, eyes wide. And Lily had gone further still — wearing an expression as if the world itself had been lost — staring blankly at him.
"S, so that's what it was?"
Among them, April murmured with wide eyes, as if it had finally clicked.
"N, no wonder! The reason SIEG Industry's heiress rushed to support another Main House domain's Outsourcing District with a single phone call was……!!"
Of course, with the sole exception of one — who was drawing a question mark with her plush wolf tail and tilting her head.
"Hm? What? What does pledging your future mean?"
April hesitated, then whispered something in Sirocco's ear.
After several small nods while listening, Sirocco suddenly bristled her wolf ears, folded her arms, and shot Enoch a frigid look.
"Hmph. Wait. You…… Is that true?"
"It's true. We've pledged our futures to each other."
Enoch nodded, expression unchanged.
Having struck a contract as an unofficial sponsor to prove her own capabilities within the company, from Elena's perspective, saying she had staked her future on him was not an inaccurate statement.
Come to think of it, Sirocco had also visited the SIEG headquarters last time, so she should know — Enoch tilted his head, puzzled.
"In the first place, Sirocco, you of all people should know full we——"
But Sirocco's expression was growing colder than he had ever seen.
"Hmm~. Really? Pledged your futures, you say?"
Elena, standing beside Enoch and observing that expression for a moment, smiled alluringly and spread her black fan to cover her lips.
"Well, to be a bit more precise, we're in a partnership for now. An unofficial sponsor relationship, if you will~?"
"Partnership? What, that's all it was?"
Only then did Sirocco snap back with a sharp "Hah."
Apart from Nano tilting her head and murmuring, "Hm? 'For now'?" the rest of the squad seemed to have more or less accepted the explanation.
April, too, came back to her senses but still seemed not entirely convinced, and turned to Elena,
"E, even so, is it really okay to move this much of a company's resources?"
"Oh my. There's no need to doubt my sincerity, you know."
Watching the SIEG Industry members hauling supplies here and there beyond the makeshift tent, Elena smiled.
"From headquarters' perspective and mine, this is also an excellent environment for conducting live field tests on new products. Our early adopters are second to none."
Elena snapped her fan shut with a crisp sound, held it up at eye level, and looked at Enoch.
"However, there is bad news."
"What is it?"
"It's reconnaissance intelligence from our SIEG field teams. Among Anarchilon's remaining forces, the surviving flying-type magical beasts are showing signs of launching guerrilla attacks."
Elena manipulated the tablet before her, adjusting the 3D graphic.
The aerial view of the Outsourcing District city center, projected in holographic form on the table, rotated once, and the expected flight paths of the enemy were marked in red dotted lines.
Watching, Enoch asked sharply,
"Guerrilla attacks — you mean aerial raids?"
He had already witnessed dropping assault troops behind the lines during the magical beasts' previous full-scale battle.
If they used the same tactic — exploiting the weakened defenses to airdrop units into the city center — it would indeed be an extremely difficult scenario to defend against.
Sure enough, Elena nodded.
"Yes. Damage will likely pop up all over the Outsourcing District city center. Once we deal with those first alongside our support teams, we'll eventually face the main force."
Tension filled the tent.
"Estimated arrival time of the main force?"
"Tomorrow, 11 p.m."
He hastily checked the time on the tablet's top bar. Just over twenty-four hours remained until the enemy's arrival.
Enoch, with a composed expression, raised his head and looked at Elena.
"What's the method to defeat Anarchilon?"
Under the weight of everyone's desperate gaze, Elena smiled silently and covered her mouth with her fan.
"Lord Enoch, really — do you not know who I am? Of course I came prepared!"
Elena snapped her fingers and summoned a girl who appeared to be a SIEG Industry guard — visor-clad with an assault rifle slung over her shoulder — from beside her.
The agent, her long hair tied back, placed a duralumin case on the table. Then she released the hard case's lock.
Elena drew a cylindrical object from inside.
The dark, gleaming metal surface appeared to be an alloy with magic stone. Embedded in it was something like a small triangular sensor, giving it a cold, mechanical look.
The object reflected the white lamplight, glinting. When she set it heavily on the table, it gave off a dull thud suggesting considerable weight.
Everyone wore puzzled expressions, but one person — Nano — her eyes went wide the instant she saw it. She pointed at what Elena had pulled out and exclaimed in shock,
"Ah! Th, that can't be……!!"
"As expected, you recognize it. This is a special-purpose bomb created by SIEG's research and technical division."
Elena nodded at Nano's reaction, then looked at everyone with a serious expression.
"Development code: Atrophy Bomb. Among single-artifact detonation devices using gunpowder and stored mana circuits, it boasts the strongest thermal-heat damage in current Imperial technology. Under highly specific conditions, its performance can reach up to 7th Rank Unique Magic levels."
At the words "7th Rank," April — who had moved closer to the bomb and was touching it — nearly dropped it in shock.
Watching that, Elena chuckled and took the canister from April's hands. Enoch calmly observed SIEG Industry's heiress from beside her.
"So, Elena, what you're saying is……"
Elena nodded.
"We use this bomb to completely annihilate the Immortal Anarchilon without leaving a speck of dust behind. That is our only victory plan!"