Published: September 10, 2025
September 17, 2017 – Typo corrections made.
September 11, 2017 – Some additions made.
Written from third-person perspective.
“An airship? But it feels somewhat... alive.”
“There’s an evil presence. I wonder if even Mr. Satou can figure out what it is?”
From the terrace of the Tenion Temple, Satou exchanged words with the shrine maiden apprentice, Lily.
According to Satou’s AR display, it was labeled as an "Evil Float Ship," a type of ghost ship.
“It seems to be a kind of ghost ship called an Evil Float Ship.”
The ghost ship triggered a memory in Satou’s mind — the ghost ship he had fought off the coast of Lalacie during the Divine Punishment incident.
Ghost ships possess a unique skill called “soul realm crossing,” a form of subspace travel. That must be how it appeared in the Duke’s Capital.
(I understand now why it didn’t show up on my map before the ritual, but who attacked the Duke’s Capital, and why?)
As Satou pondered, the battle between the Evil Float Ship and the Duke’s Capital forces continued.
“The Duke’s Capital army seems to be holding their ground.”
Lily murmured.
The Evil Float Ship’s attacks were being blocked by the defensive barrier around the Duke’s Castle.
However, the Duke’s Capital forces had not managed to break through the Evil Float Ship’s own defensive barrier either.
“—Ah!”
Lily’s gaze fixed on a high-powered beam fired from the Evil Float Ship that sliced a wyvern rider in two.
Seeing this, Satou clicked his tongue quietly.
“That beam is dangerous.”
“What are you doing?”
“I’m going to try to neutralize it a bit—”
Satou plunged his hand into the shadow beneath his feet and twisted it around.
Almost simultaneously, the Evil Float Ship’s cannon, which had been firing the beam, was enveloped in black shadow.
“All right, that should do it.”
Lily looked up to see the cannon on the Evil Float Ship had disappeared.
“Amazing...”
While conversing with Lily, Satou used his “magic hand” and “otherworld” abilities to evacuate people from areas likely to be damaged by the Evil Float Ship.
Satou hadn’t dealt with the Evil Float Ship quickly because he was trying to uncover the identity of whoever had sent it.
“The Royal Capital — there doesn’t seem to be any particular threat.”
Satou surveyed the Royal Capital with the spatial magic “distant vision.”
He had been wary of simultaneous terrorist acts but realized that was probably just paranoia.
(It seems there was an accident during the false Holy Relic Animated Armor’s activation test, but hijacking that to run amok is impossible. Plus, Princess Sistina and Ms. Zena, both golem users, are on site. Even if Miss Karina is there too, they’ll handle it.)
Satou sent a warning via the spatial magic “telephone” to Liza, who was sparring with the Shiga Eight Swords in a corner of the Royal Castle, asking her to stay alert.
He also gave similar instructions to the Echigoya Trading Company’s intelligence team and Chuuta from the Mouse Empire.
Before them, the Evil Float Ship was engulfed in a tremendous series of explosions.
“That came from the Duke’s Castle, right?”
“Yes, Lady Ringlande’s attack magic.”
A gigantic robot resembling the Holy Relic Animated Armor stood at the bow of the Evil Float Ship, which had lost some of its armor.
Satou murmured quietly, “Overlord.”
â—‡
—We must stop this.
Lady Ringlande, aboard a small airship, looked anxiously down at the large air battleship — the Evil Float Ship.
The gleam from the Holy Relic Animated Armor’s chest was about to unleash a catastrophic force that would devastate the Duke’s Castle.
Long ago, the gods had bestowed the “Divine Punishment Cannon” — a divinely bestowed weapon — upon the king of Lalacie living on the floating island. Now, that power was about to wreak havoc here.
A dazzling light flickered unstably.
—The incantation won’t complete in time.
To Lady Ringlande’s eyes, the flicker was a clear sign the weapon was about to fire.