Ch.89Ancient Vessel (2)

# Chapter 89: Ancient Vessel (2)

What Meteorn was transmitting was nothing special.

The remnants of battle, things so horrifically destroyed that their original forms were unrecognizable.

The ship’s internal defense system consisting of various unmanned turrets and drones armed with grenades, machine guns, beam cannons, and other weaponry.

And the screen clearly showed someone slaughtering these formidable opponents with nothing but melee weapons on both arms.

-“This is what we just discovered, and it’s truly astonishing.”

“…Hmm.”

It was certainly impressive.

One moment this “someone” would appear to make a slash, and a combat robot larger than myself would be split in two.

They dodged or blocked all manner of bullets and grenades fired by drones and defense turrets, performing aerial acrobatics more impressive than the hovering drones themselves.

The problem was that I had to rely entirely on the commentary from Meteorn and the Purification Unit members for all the battle details.

-Flash! Boom!

-“Did you see that? That being just kicked an incoming grenade sideways, redirecting it straight into another combat robot’s head.”

“…”

-“Wow, is that jumping by stepping on drones?”

-“Amazing, that form is the very embodiment of a spirited marine.”

-“Incredible, dodging bullets and slicing through robot legs from that position.”

I could hear the Purification Unit members and marines beyond the communication screen constantly evaluating what they saw.

But my eyes couldn’t track such movements with my limited motion vision.

“All I see is… flashing.”

“They think that because they can see it, you and I naturally can too, Minister.”

To be frank, what I was currently seeing was no different from a normal person watching Drag*n Ball Saiyans fighting each other.

“Still impressive though. How can joints even bend at that angle?”

Even Riel could see the battle that kept flashing and disappearing, thanks to her enhanced vision as a humanoid.

‘What exactly are they seeing? Show me what you’re showing them!’

Of course, having such thoughts wouldn’t make the “someone” on screen slow down their combat speed.

It would be some time before I could actually see this person’s form with my own eyes.

————————–

A short while later.

A weaponless drone charged forward as if attempting a suicide attack.

The perpetrator who had destroyed all defense systems casually swung a fist into the drone’s visual sensor, then—

-Crack! Bang!

—slammed the drone into the ship’s floor, demonstrating their unharmed state.

Finally grateful that I no longer had to watch something resembling Saiyan combat, I immediately tried to pause the video to identify this individual…

[Pause]

‘Ah, damn it.’

I mentally berated myself for such a rookie move, trying to pause without even zooming in first.

[Resume]

After enlarging the screen, I immediately paused it again to confirm the figure’s appearance.

[Pause]

Using the entire office screen, I could see what was unmistakably a Pioneer Empire combat soldier, matching the vague image in my memory.

Unlike the Purification Unit or Prosnack Marines with their mechanical SF-style power suits,

This was combat armor reminiscent of fantasy knights, adorned with brilliant jewels and decorations, gleaming in radiant gold and platinum colors.

The energy swords—or something similar—attached to both wrists with adjustable lengths would make anyone recognize their origin.

Moreover, those jewel-like attachments on the combat suit were actually highly integrated circuits that assisted the user in combat, generating protective shields, and providing other combat support functions.

While nominally just a soldier, they were essentially equivalent to our walking armored vehicles or light tanks.

I hadn’t thought much when reading the setting materials.

But facing this reality head-on, I could suddenly understand why countless empires had avoided all-out war with the Pioneers.

Essentially, this single soldier was comparable to or superior to an entire platoon of Purification Unit members.

‘Hah, how do we deal with this?’

I continued pondering how to confront this Pioneer soldier on screen…

‘No, impossible.’

Recalling the number of personnel I’d seen when Meteorn panned the camera, I concluded it was impossible to face the Pioneer soldier with just the forces currently there.

And immediately after:

[Resume]

Having organized my thoughts, I released the pause and immediately ordered Meteorn to leave that position and rejoin the main force.

“Meteorn, retreat immediately.”

-“Understood, everyone withdraw quickly.”

-“Formation! Pioneer attack! Everyone execute reverse charge!”

-“Charge!”

Of course, that damned Pioneer soldier wouldn’t just let our allied forces escape.

-“Minister, that individual has begun pursuing us.”

How long had it been since they’d massacred the defense systems?

Seeing this malicious soldier coming after the innocent marines and Purification Unit, I hastily gave Meteorn additional instructions.

“Gather all forces to confront them. Prohibit full engagement until then.”

-“Understood, Minister.”

But no matter how fast they ran, the opponent was a superhuman with physical enhancements beyond ours.

Not long after issuing the order, the distance between Meteorn’s allied forces and the superhuman soldier decreased exponentially, approaching the brink of disaster.

But at that moment:

-Clank! Screech…Thud!

-“Minister, a bulkhead suddenly dropped behind us, sealing the passage.”

“What?”

A thick reinforced bulkhead instantly descended between the allied forces and the Pioneer’s superhuman soldier, blocking the path.

The situation momentarily stunned everyone including myself and the personnel on site.

-Slash! Slash!

When that crazy superhuman soldier started trying to cut through the bulkhead with their energy sword like a Jed*, Meteorn hastily decided to continue fleeing with the unit members.

————————–

Finally, as the scattered allied forces successfully gathered in an auditorium-like space,

Just as Meteorn’s unit entered the hall, the Pioneer soldier burst through with bulkhead fragments, making a dramatic entrance.

-“…”

-“Halt reverse charge! Everyone prepare for combat!”

-“Bastard…spirit!”

As the Pioneer soldier made their surprise appearance, the unit members gathered in the hall drew their weapons, ready to attack at any moment.

But the Pioneer soldier, receiving murderous glares from all the unit members, merely looked around and shook their head.

Then, deactivating the visor on their helmet, they looked around at the unit members again and spoke with contempt:

-“Such crude primitives, are you really trying to challenge me with those irritatingly primitive weapons?”

-“…”

From the appearance hidden behind the visor to the combat suit and the supremacist tone of speech.

The Pioneer, who looked exactly like an “elf” straight out of fantasy, maintained an overflowing confidence as they looked around, then:

-“Ah yes, you’re the primitive who kept running from me, receiving help from this vessel?”

They directed these words toward Meteorn, who was aiming a gun at them from one side.

“…Help from the vessel? What does that mean?”

“I think they’re referring to the bulkhead that came down, maybe?”

Hearing this, I whispered with Riel beside me about what it might mean.

-“Hmm no, no, I see you’re merely a slave being controlled, and there’s a separate source manipulating you.”

The elf-like woman pointed her finger at Meteorn.

No, at the camera lens on Meteorn’s arm-mounted terminal.

-“First, I’ll dispose of everyone here, then carefully find out who among you inferior beings is controlling the rest.”

With such supremacist attitude and arrogance, the faces of the allied forces including Meteorn grew even more murderous.

Of course, she merely snorted at the unit members’ expressions.

-“Let me teach you one thing.”

With those words, she reactivated the energy swords on both arms and took a step forward.

-“No matter how many inferior beings like you gather against me… the hopeless difference between us will never diminish!”

——————————–

About three minutes later.

-“Minister, shall we finish this now?”

“W-wait! I’ll give you all the equipment and information! Just spare me!”

Through the screen, I was experiencing very mixed feelings as I witnessed both the height of ugliness and an allied force that was stronger than expected.