On the monitor beyond, the Corporation’s fleet was forming up between Namibif 6 and Namibif 10. A little distance away was the observation fleet. This side had fewer numbers and mostly smaller ships.
Prosecutor MacDonell was apparently also aboard the firing fleet. Well, since that person wasn’t a scholar, that would be natural.
“Representative Stomato. During the first communication, was light-based communication implemented?”
“Yes. Light, heat, sound, radio waves, and so on. They were apparently measuring its reactions to each.”
“And it reacted to light.”
“Yes. It stopped eating and came toward us. It didn’t seem to react to heat, sound, or radio waves.”
“And then combat occurred?”
“No. Even when they changed the light intensity, its movement didn’t change, so they judged that its approach was an instinctive reaction and stopped the irradiation midway. When they stopped the light, it apparently lost sight of us and returned to eating. ……Combat?”
At Stomato’s question, Kaito nodded without hiding his anxiety.
Something was bothering him. Not about light or anything, but something more fundamental.
He let the recorded content race through his mind, voicing his thoughts freely. To make the nagging feeling concrete.
“Throwing rocks, releasing air to create vibrations… Representative Stomato, could the actions the Space Eel has shown so far result in the Corporation fleet’s annihilation?”
“Annihilation? No, that’s not… The air vibrations might be threatening at close range, but they shouldn’t have the range to annihilate a fleet.”
“Right. But the Corporation’s fleet was once annihilated. The Corporation hasn’t grasped the cause of that annihilation. In other words, the combat began and ended so instantaneously—”
“That’s impossible. The Corporation’s fleet is not inferior in fighting power to Federation fleets. For it to…”
The anxiety was taking shape.
Kaito looked behind him. He visualized the positioning of Namibif 6 and Radia, the Corporation’s firing fleet, and the Space Eel, then directed a sharp gaze at Stomato.
“Representative Stomato. Please move Radia away from the trajectory that connects the Space Eel and the fleet in a straight line. Emotion, how long until irradiation?”
“About fifteen minutes in Earth time.”
“Calculating from Namibif 6’s orbital velocity and position. If optical weapons powerful enough to annihilate the Corporation’s firing fleet were used, would there be an effect on Namibif 6?”
“Depending on the scale, there could be.”
“We’re going out in Queenbee!”
Kaito didn’t hesitate. He gave orders to Stomato without allowing objection, then transferred to Queenbee with Emotion.
As soon as he activated Queenbee, Stomato’s communication came through.
[Kaito, Third-rank Citizen, Enek-Ragif!? What exactly is going on!]
“When the Federation fleet went to subjugate the Space Eel, the Corporation fleet had been annihilated. Is that correct?”
[Yes. But what does that—]
“The Corporation has the same system as the Federation. In other words, the crew aboard ships destroyed by the Space Eel should have visually confirmed the Space Eel’s attack.”
[There was no record of that. Rather, they accused the Federation of launching a surprise attack on the Corporation fleet… No way]
Here, Stomato also seemed to grasp what Kaito’s words meant.
Kaito nodded and continued.
“The Corporation tried to protect that thing. Protection means they would have tried to control its movements to some degree. If they had seen Federation records, they would have known it reacts to light.”
[They irradiated light trying to control its movement. But the fleet was annihilated without time to record the attack method…?]
Stomato’s voice trembled. Orders flew to quickly move Radia.
Kaito transferred the ship outside Radia, then concentrated his power. Wreathing his entire body in purple lightning, he exited the ship. Standing on the platform at the ship’s front, he moved Queenbee to behind the firing fleet.
[Captain. Communication from Eanipol. They’re asking what we’re doing behind them]
“Tell them we’re just putting up a barrier toward Namibif 6. Workers, deploy.”
Without engaging, he deployed the steel plates. He connected the steel plates with invisible force, generating a barrier. He angled it to redirect away from Namibif 6 and Radia.
He made it in time. Kaito caught his breath and gave instructions to Emotion.
“Emotion. Contact Gorou-sensei. Depending on the light intensity, the Space Eel might take aggressive action. Tell them to move the observation fleet further away.”
[Understood]
He could see a small portion of the observation fleet retreating slightly. Not all of it. No good. From this situation, it seemed the Corporation fleet had no intention of listening to their advice. What they said about “considering it” was probably just diplomatic courtesy.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
[Irradiation commencing]
“Ah.”
The Corporation side seemed concerned about Kaito behind them, but after confirming he had only put up a barrier, they began irradiation on schedule.
Though the fleet blocked his view, he could sense the Space Eel reacting.
In an instant.
Invisible massive pressure struck directly against Queenbee’s barrier.
“I knew it would come!”
It wasn’t light. There was no eye-searing brightness. But certainly that pressure was hitting the barrier. Which meant the pressure was passing through the Corporation fleet.
“Emotion, analyze!”
[It’s heat. A heat wave with pressure has been irradiated from the Space Eel toward us]
“A heat wave!?”
As if to confirm those words, the Corporation fleet began melting and warping. Explosions occurred in various places, gradually making the other side clearer to see.
The central Eanipol was still safe. Just as he thought it impressive due to its massive size.
[!?]
Emotion reacted with surprise. No wonder. Kaito was also surprised.
Before his eyes, Eanipol was literally being eaten.
The Space Eel’s mouth opened in four parts. It approached Eanipol with surprising speed and closed.
An explosion must have occurred inside its mouth. The Space Eel opened its mouth as if startled, then fled into the planet it had been feeding on.
“Emotion.”
[Yes]
“Effect on Namibif 6?”
[None whatsoever]
“……That’s good.”
He shifted his gaze slightly. Compared to the literally annihilated firing fleet, the observation fleet could be said to be safe.
Several ships seemed to have suffered damage from the heat wave, but none were sunk.
“I wonder if the Federation will be billed for those repairs too?”
[Well, I wonder?]
A bit of escapism from reality.
The obnoxious branch manager, the clerical staff who had been intimidated by Kaito, MacDonell who had shown nothing but hostility.
In that instant, they had all become space debris. They clearly weren’t alive. He didn’t know how long it would take for them to revive, but the location would be the Corporation’s headquarters. They wouldn’t be able to participate in this matter anymore.
For now, the Corporation’s operation had failed. That was about all he could tell at the moment.
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