“What are you—”
“I’m gonna kill that bastard! Leaving him alive is bad news for me and you, isn’t it!?”
“!”
Perhaps seeing the logic in Gilbert’s words, the Divine people didn’t hesitate much before operating the terminal in their hands.
In an instant, the Divine people, Gilbert, and Rebecca disappeared. They must have been transported to the Divine people’ ship, as he had said.
There was no ship near the object. Even before entering the atmosphere, the Divine people’ ship hadn’t been spotted. That meant it was either extremely far away or—
“They’ve been hiding it on Earth all along…?”
Just as Kaito reached that conclusion, the ground suddenly shook violently.
Gilbert, who had been transported into the massive ship now floating in the air, roughly shoved Rebecca aside. He glared back at the Divine people, who were giving him wary looks. From experience, he knew showing weakness in moments like this was dangerous.
“Why did you bring her along?”
“She’s a hostage. She seemed to know him, so I brought her just in case.”
“R-representative…”
The pain from being shoved seemed to slightly clear her confusion, as Rebecca turned to Gilbert with an uneasy expression. She still seemed half in disbelief. Dealing with someone who was smart but foolish was truly a hassle. For Gilbert, it was an advantage that she was easy to manipulate, but in a busy situation like this, it was downright annoying.
“What? You believed we were doing good, only to end up helping aliens sell off your own kind. Still dissatisfied?”
“S-so, it’s true then…”
“Are you going to say you didn’t know? Among the first hundred thousand, there were probably people who bought Earthlings as food. Do you think those who were sent there would forgive you for saying you didn’t know?”
Rebecca’s face was plastered with despair. She collapsed onto the floor, sobbing. It was such a nuisance, but since she was a hostage, killing her here and now wasn’t an option.
Just then, one of the Divine people, who had been silent until now, spoke up with a mix of anger and impatience evident in his voice.
“Hey, what’s the plan now? You said you were going to kill that Federation citizen, but…”
“Calm down. Are you sure he’s really a Federation citizen?”
“Those eye modifications are unmistakable proof he’s a Federation citizen. Do you think we’d overlook something like that?”
“Even if that’s true, listen. Just six months ago, he was in the same position as me. In six months, he made it all the way to Jupiter. How long do you think it would take to get there with Earth’s technology? Even if the Federation picked him up along the way, would they really grant him citizenship so easily?”
“Y-yeah. That does seem strange.”
Gilbert’s words carried a certain persuasiveness.
The Divine people exchanged glances, mulling over Gilbert’s logic.
“Being protected by the Federation and becoming a Federation citizen—are they the same thing? No, they’re not. In the worst-case scenario, if we take care of him, we’ll have room to make excuses to the Federation. What do you think?”
“…Alright. I’ll go along with your plan.”
“Hey, Piklashkaa!”
“Either way, unless we kill that Earthling, our goal will only grow more distant. But you’re the one who’s going to finish him off.”
With Piklashkaa, their leader, making the decision, the Divine people’s resolve seemed to solidify. There was some resistance, but it quickly subsided. Still, they didn’t forget to use Gilbert as insurance, showing a shrewdness that bordered on cunning.
It might be necessary to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
“I don’t mind, but what’s the plan? Are you lending me an attack craft?”
“Fine. I’ll lend you the latest model, so make it quick.”
Piklashkaa readily agreed to Gilbert’s request. Did he think an Earthling wouldn’t be able to handle it? Or was he more worried about the Federation’s intervention than they were?
It might be wise to cover all bases. Rebecca came into view at the edge of his vision. She seemed close to that man, so she might know something.
“Hey, Rebecca. Are his family members still alive?”
“…Huh?”
“That face tells me they are. Right, you mentioned you had a family you were taking care of yourself.”
“Wait! Stop!”
Bingo.
Gilbert twisted his face into a wicked grin and turned to Piklashkaa.
“Hey, Piklashkaa. Tell the guys below to suck it up and bring them up.”
“What are you—”
“What’s wrong? I thought you’d be more composed.”
Was he still prioritizing business at a time like this? He was more clueless than expected.
“Listen, when it comes to schemes, the best thing to do is destroy the evidence, grab the profit, and run as fast as you can.”
As they exited the building, a massive ship loomed in the sky.
Was that the Divine people’s ship? It was no wonder they called it the Ark—the design fit the name.
People were all looking up at the sky, kneeling in awe.
Then, more ships of similar design began to appear around the Ark. It seemed the speculation that they’d been hidden on Earth was correct. One of the ships spilled dirt as it moved.
People began pouring out of the building. Staying here wasn’t an option. If I were in Gilbert’s shoes, I’d be targeting myself first. The innocent residents would just get caught in the crossfire.
Kaito ran alone toward the edge of the town. It was a small comfort that the residents were busy praying.
“What’s that…!?”
Several of the Arks began emitting a pale blue light, which shot down to the ground. People caught in the light began floating up toward the ships.
Were they taking hostages? Kaito gritted his teeth in frustration.
The town’s exit came into view.
“Come, Queen Bee!”
He shouted with intent. It wasn’t about the sound—it was about the strong will to call it here.
East. A green light flew toward him from the horizon. He focused on the light, projecting his will to board it.
A spark of purple electricity danced from Kaito’s hair.
[I’m here, Captain.]
“Gilbert-Jane and the Divine people have clearly made themselves my enemies. As of now, this ship enters combat mode!”
[Understood. How should we notify the Federation?]
“Earthlings have been taken hostage. Request their cooperation to ensure not a single ship escapes the solar system.”
[Message sent. Do as you please, Captain.]
“Right.”
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They were a step too late. It seemed that man had also summoned a ship. I’d have preferred to finish him off while he was still on the ground.
The attack order didn’t make it in time, but I’ve got my pieces in place. Gilbert’s mind raced as he turned to Piklashkaa.
“Hey, Piklashkaa. Do you know what that ship’s made of?”
“Hold on, I’m checking now. …The exterior is made of Earth metals. The internal structure is unclear. It might have been modified by the Federation.”
“Good. That’s all I need to know.”
“What?”
“It means that ship isn’t Federation-made.”
“Right? Yeah, that’s it…!”
Piklashkaa seemed to catch on. With a twisted smile that rivaled Gilbert’s, he began issuing orders.
“Break away from the gravity well now.”
“Some ships haven’t picked up the designated humans yet.”
“Doesn’t matter. Once we’re out of the gravity well, destroy the ships. That’ll make it certain.”
“What if they don’t follow?”
“We’ll destroy the planet and run. It’s not like we can take more Earthlings with us anyway, right?”
He laughed, calling it a loss-cutting move, and the others joined in with similar laughter.
In the worst-case scenario, to avoid Federation intervention, destroying everything and leaving no trace would be the way to go. Piklashkaa was starting to get it.
While receiving instructions on how to operate the attack craft, Gilbert had Rebecca and the other hostages gathered in one place.
The scenery changed. The bleakness of space, which he’d hated so much just six months ago, now felt oddly nostalgic to Gilbert.
“So we’re heading into space. They’re determined to kill me no matter what it takes.”
[Wouldn’t it be more efficient to do it on the ground? It seems unnecessarily complicated.]
Emotion responded to Kaito’s muttering.
But Kaito was certain. Gilbert-Jane was the type who prided himself on his survival instincts.
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