Chapter 374: The Formidable Weapon of the Gods—Nalakuvera
Perhaps due to the many changes brought about by Mahiro's arrival in this world, or perhaps because of the previous conversation with Vatler.
The current plot progression now seemed to have taken a subtle turn.
The new leader of the Black Death Emperor Faction, Christoph Gardos, had been driven into a corner and desperately awakened the ancient biological weapon Nalakuvera, releasing it in an uncontrolled state.
Nalakuvera was described as a weapon created by the gods, its true form being a mechanical beast with its own will.
Once activated, it would automatically identify hostile targets and launch attacks to annihilate them.
However, the specially designed commands also served as restraints on Nalakuvera. Only by deciphering all the instructions on the fifty-four stone tablets could one perfectly control this world-destroying biological weapon.
Otherwise, Nalakuvera freed from command restraints would become even more powerful than in its controlled state.
Just like now.
On the under-construction expanded artificial island, the decaying construction cranes and monitoring towers below were completely surrounded by Itogami Island's Guard.
Countless tanks, armored vehicles, and even armed helicopters gathered in formation, their anti-demon weaponry aimed at those monitoring towers.
According to intelligence, the last detected unregistered demon signal was traced here.
The remnants of the Black Death Emperor Faction gathered beneath the tower forest were desperately resisting the Guard's assault.
But the next second.
Boom!
An explosion like a powerful earthquake swept across the entire expanded artificial island.
Then, the intense gunfire that had been raging suddenly ceased.
The hollow structure of the expanded artificial island caused the explosion to echo, creating violent shaking akin to an earthquake.
Immediately after, the monitoring tower defended by the Black Death Emperor Faction began to collapse. The exposed steel framework of the iron tower was engulfed in flames, scattering debris over the heads of the Island Guard surrounding the tower.
"Report! First, second, and third squads have all suddenly lost contact!"
"What's going on?!"
Hearing the voice from the communicator, the commander of this operation was stunned.
He clenched his fist and slammed it hard against the metal desk in the command center.
Victory had been within reach—those remnant demons of the Black Death Emperor Faction were about to be eliminated. How could so many suddenly lose communication?
"The reason is still unclear for now. It seems like those desperately resisting demons self-destructed... Wait, hold on, what is that?! Ah—!!"
With a terrified scream, the communication was forcibly cut off.
At the base of the collapsed monitoring tower, it appeared as if some enormous object had swept away the massive pile of rubble, stirring restlessly beneath the ruins.
What surged from underground was immense magical power.
Dense, with an oddly artificial quality, carrying an indescribably sinister and abnormal presence.
This sudden anomaly naturally caused the Guard members on-site to turn pale.
What could possibly possess such enormous magical power?
As if answering their confusion, several massive figures emerged amidst the falling rubble.
Before they could react, those figures shot deep red flashes that swept across the ground.
The armored vehicles struck by the flashes were sliced apart as easily as thin paper sculptures, exploding into pieces with astonishing flames.
A laser beam shot out, instantly exploding the armed helicopter hovering in the sky, which then fell like a dead bird engulfed in flames.
By the time Mahiro and the others arrived, the expanded artificial island was already ablaze with raging fire.
Even standing on the bridge, they could feel the scorching heat waves and the particularly terrifying magical power.
The scene resembled a war of attrition where both sides were trapped in a quagmire. The security forces had suffered heavy losses—it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were nearly wiped out.
Fortunately, there were no civilian casualties.
"Mahiro, why did you skip class and bring them here?"
Before they could even set foot on the expanded artificial island, someone blocked their path.
Suddenly, a large mass of frills appeared before them. As if stepping out of thin air, the figure materialized in an instant.
An expensive-looking parasol, an overly ornate black dress, and a pair of dark-toned knee-high gothic boots—on Itogami Island, where summer lasted all year round, only one person would dress like this.
"What happened? Are you injured?"
Mahiro's brow furrowed slightly. There was no trace of his usual joking demeanor; instead, his expression was serious.
He noticed that Natsuki's delicate, fair, and slightly chubby face was stained with blood.
Although her dark-colored clothing made it impossible to see any bloodstains, he could still catch the faint scent of blood drifting toward him.
"It's not mine. I'm not injured."
Natsuki brushed away the hands that reached out to check her condition, a rare blush appearing on her face as she explained:
"It's theirs."
With a casual wave, several figures in security force uniforms appeared out of nowhere and were thrown onto the ground.
They were disheveled, their eyes tightly shut, lying motionless and clearly unconscious.
Fortunately, their injuries weren't severe, and Natsuki Minamiya had already administered first aid and relocated them, saving their lives.
"Natsuki-sensei, what's the situation now?!"
It was Yukina who spoke. The girl gripped the strap of the guitar case on her shoulder, her expression tense and serious.
But Natsuki ignored her, instead turning to Mahiro with a frown and asking:
"You still haven't answered my question. Why did you bring these two girls from the Lion King Organization here?"
Mahiro felt a bit helpless at this.
Nevertheless, he briefly explained to Natsuki what had happened at Saikai Academy.
He also mentioned his subsequent encounter with Kirasaka Sayaka—or rather, being deliberately followed and "coincidentally" met by her.
After their encounter, Sayaka, who was already dissatisfied with him, hadn't spoken a word to him the entire way.
Instead, she huddled close to Yukina, whispering something to her.
After hearing this, Natsuki's willow-like brows furrowed tightly.
She hadn't expected the Black Death Emperor Faction to be bold enough to suddenly attack the school.
"What about them? Since the school was attacked, why didn't they go to a safe place like they were supposed to?"
Natsuki was referring to Aiba Asagi and Nagisa Akatsuki, who had been following behind him without saying a word.
"I was worried about Nagisa, so I kept her with me. After all, that old dog Christoph Gardos and his pack of pups haven't been caught yet. It's a precaution in case they attack again."
To this, Natsuki Minamiya offered no rebuttal, as Mahiro's words were quite reasonable.
Even on the expanded artificial island, only a few minor underlings had appeared, with no sign of Gardos yet.
"As for Asagi..."
"I was the one who deciphered Nalakuvera's command tablet, so I wanted to come along and see if there was anything I could help with." Aiba Asagi suddenly stepped forward, taking over his words.
"You deciphered Nalakuvera's command? No wonder. So it was you who helped them unlock it. I was wondering how those beastmen's wooden heads could have gotten smarter."
Even so, Natsuki Minamiya's frown deepened, and she tightened her grip on the folding fan in her hand.
Right now, she wished she could smack this foolish student's head hard with her fan!
Why on earth did she have to go meddling with something like that!
Otherwise, the situation wouldn't have become so dire.
"I only deciphered a small part of the command. I never expected Nalakuvera to awaken."
Asagi knew she had made a mistake and shrank her neck slightly, her tone growing much weaker.
But just then, the sound of chains breaking suddenly echoed from the nearly shattered artificial island in the distance.
Crack! Crack!
"To think it broke my Chains of Restraint so quickly?"
Natsuki immediately turned toward the distant expanded artificial island, a look of disbelief flashing in her eyes.
No wonder she showed such an expression.
Because the Chains of Restraint were a powerful magical artifact created by the Deva to capture mythical monsters.
They could ignore all obstructions, strike from gaps in space, and possessed a strength that even divine beasts could not break through by brute force.
And the moment her words fell, a massive figure slowly emerged from the blazing flames in the distance. Just its shadow already towered far above ordinary building floors.
Nalakuvera kicked away the rubble pressing down on it, finally revealing its full form before Mahiro and the others—
A ten-meter-tall, fifteen-meter-long armored mechanical construct with six legs for climbing.
In overall impression, it resembled a giant ant-shaped machine covered in a carapace.
Its oval body was embedded with a hemispherical head, from the tip of which extended two antennae-like structures.
The texture of its armor resembled an earthen figurine excavated from the soil, making it indeed fitting to call it an ancient weapon.
Even the mere display of its physical majesty was enough to awe the eyes!
"Hahaha, magnificent! Truly a weapon forged by the gods! Rampage, turn this pitiful, false metal land into scorched earth! Aim your spear at the Progenitor, destroy the detestable Sanctuary Treaty, and annihilate the First Progenitor who betrayed us demons!
Destroy everything!!"
In a dimly lit room, an elderly soldier with scars—Christoph Gardos, leader of the Black Death Emperor Faction—stared intently through a live network broadcast at the scene of devastation.
The depths of the wrinkles on his aged face seemed to grow more profound from his fervor and excitement.
His tightly clenched left fist was raised high toward the ceiling, while his empty right arm oozed thick, fresh blood.
But he paid it no mind.
Because he had witnessed with his own eyes Nalakuvera breaking free and welcoming its rebirth.
Witnessing with my own eyes that filthy, despicable metal artificial island reduced to scorched earth under the ravages of Nalakuvera;
Witnessing with my own eyes how Nalakuvera shattered the chains that the Demon Slayer prided itself on!
Although it cost everything, it was all worth it.
His will, the will of the Black Death Emperor Faction, that humble prayer had finally been answered, and today, it was finally about to be realized!
"Destroy everything? Disgusting maggot, why would you harbor such a laughable idea?"
A pleasant, calm voice shattered the frenzied atmosphere in the room, and Gardos stiffened instantly.
Just as he turned his head, the door was forcibly broken open.
As if sliced by some sharp blade, it was split in two from the center.
Several graceful, slender figures walked leisurely into the room, each an absolute beauty.
They were uniformly dressed in black attire, and similarly, their gazes toward Gardos were filled with a chilling coldness and sharpness.
Especially Zeta, who wished she could tear this scum to pieces on the spot!
Never would she have imagined that the task assigned by Mahiro-sama would be delayed for so long by such a thing.
But Gardos's gaze toward these women was utterly indifferent.
No, to be precise, it was mockery, the joy of success already achieved, the calmness of having everything under control.
"A laughable idea? No, no, no, you are underestimating Nalakuvera too much. It is an absolute weapon created by the gods, a terrifying existence that even a Progenitor would be no match for."
Gardos said this to the blonde woman at the forefront.
His right arm had been severed by this very woman during his escape.
If not for several subordinates desperately holding her back, he would have died on the spot.
But now, Nalakuvera had been activated, and no matter the sacrifices, it was all worth it!
"Is that so?"
Alpha's expression and tone remained as calm as ever.
This left Gardos, who had already achieved his goal and was on the verge of victory, feeling no joy of triumph. Instead, a sense of defeat began to stir within him.
He immediately pointed at the screen and shouted:
"Of course it is! Look! The gods' weapon, Nalakuvera, possesses the abilities of self-repair, autonomous evolution, and information sharing. It is the most powerful weapon!"
Upon hearing the words "self-repair" and "autonomous evolution," Alpha's expression finally shifted slightly.
But it was only a fleeting change.
She shifted her gaze, glanced at the screen, and shook her head, saying:
"Let's assume that's the case. Delta, I leave this man to you. Do with him as you please."
"Yes!"
These words, this response, pronounced Gardos's death sentence and the method of its execution.
From the dark corridor, a pitch-black figure, demon-like in appearance, slowly emerged. Her twitching ears and fluffy wolf tail spoke of her non-human identity.
However, apart from that, she was holding two strange objects in her hands, dragging them along and leaving two trails of mottled bloodstains on the floor.
Judging by their shape, they appeared to be the spines of some creature.
Like a yo-yo held in her hand, she walked with steady, slow steps, finally stopping before a dimly lit room.
She raised her head, revealing a bloodthirsty and cruel smile to Gardos inside, who had already lost an arm.
"Heh."
At the same time.
On the expanded artificial island.
The Nalakuvera, which should have already broken through the island's blockade, was now forcibly held in place, all because a little girl had suddenly appeared to block its path.
Her iridescent golden hair danced in the wind as Avrora's small face shed its usual clumsiness and childishness, now filled with a solemn, weathered seriousness.
She raised a hand toward the massive mechanical beast before her, her eyes gleaming with intensity—
"Come forth swiftly—『Alrescha-Glacies』!"
Her childish voice echoed across the sky and earth.
Responding to her call was the Beast Vassal sealed within her body.
It was entirely different from the previously seen Mesarthim-Adamas and Regulus-Aurum.
This was a beautiful Beast Vassal less than ten meters in length.
Its upper body resembled a human female, while its lower body took the form of a fish tail; wings grew from its back, and its fingertips were sharp, hooked claws like those of a raptor.
An ice mermaid, or a siren (Seiren)—
A star Beast Vassal that commanded immense cold and possessed a dreamlike, beautiful appearance!
A clear, piercing chill erupted from the ice mermaid, sweeping across the land. The extreme, biting cold seemed capable of freezing everything. In an instant, the entire artificial island, along with tens of millions of tons of seawater nearby, was completely frozen!
The Beast Vassal, enveloped in icy frost, guarded Avrora, looking down with disdain at the Nalakuvera, which had already been frozen into an ice sculpture.
The scene was like a confrontation between two colossal beasts!
And the moment the twelfth Beast Vassal, Alrescha-Glacies, appeared, it gained an absolute advantage!
The residual waves of immense magical power violently shook the artificial ground.
Yet, Avrora's expression remained grave, showing no sign of easing.
Because she clearly sensed that the terrifying magical power emanating from the frozen Nalakuvera had not diminished in the slightest—it was even breaking through the ice!
Crack!
Just as Avrora had suspected.
In the next second, a crack appeared on the surface of the Nalakuvera's icy shell, rapidly spreading in all directions.
Finally, the frozen surface could no longer hold, shattering with a thunderous crash.
The Nalakuvera, radiating terrifying heat, reappeared, targeting the small figure of Avrora below.
"—Blow it away, 'Regulus-Aurum'!"
A voice, different from Avrora's but equally childish, suddenly rang out.
Immediately after, a muffled thunderclap erupted in the sky as a golden lightning bolt formed the massive silhouette of a beast descending from above.
"Ooooooooooooooh—!"
Responding to the fighting spirit of the fifth Vessel, Pemptos, the thunderous lion raced across the sky and charged toward the ground.
Howling with golden lightning and radiance, in the blink of an eye, its front claws slammed fiercely onto the Nalakuvera, which was about to launch an attack.
Boom!
With a deafening roar, the massive body of the Nalakuvera was sent flying backward by sheer force.
Like a cannonball, it smashed through half the buildings on the expanded artificial island, even colliding with another Nalakuvera.
The thick steel plates covering the surface of the artificial island were torn away, and the reinforcing bars scattered everywhere were forcibly snapped.
Avrora merely watched all this calmly, then smiled at a girl in sportswear not far away, whose face bore a seventy to eighty percent resemblance to hers.
"Good coordination, Number Five."
"Hmph, Number Twelve Avrora, do not call me Number Five. My name is Pemptos—!!"
Before the proud girl could even finish her words, a searing laser suddenly shot out from the ruins in the distance.
With an extreme temperature of twenty thousand degrees, it instantly burned through her shoulder.
She felt not even a hint of pain, and Pemptos herself had no time to react.
Even Avrora, standing face to face with her, was caught off guard, her eyes widening slightly as she instinctively reached out to catch the collapsing Number Five.
Then, she watched helplessly as a second beam of light shot toward her!