Chapter 380: Bring Down the Ancient Aerial Fortress! 3
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<<<Ah ーーー ... Ah ーーー ... Good morning, good morning, good morninngg! Can you hear me, you foolish primitives on the ground!! My name is Engee! The 'Great Inventor of the Century', the 'Discoverer of the Divine Realm'! Furthermore, the 'World's Weakest', and yet, the 'World's Only Calamity to Have Escaped from the Gods'! I am the Great Evil Spirit, Engee Albitt ーーー !!>>>
The Ashgo Kingdom's royal capital, just before dawn.
A high-pitched, jarring voice echoed throughout the town, illuminated in red by the light emanating from the aerial fortress, 'Soul Conqueror'.
It's a one-sided announcement from the Great Evil Spirit, Engee Albitt, who possesses 'Soul Conqueror'.
<<<This might be sudden, but this land, where you guys are currently squatting and building your filthy houses, is the property of Albitt Companyyyy! In the old days, my company's factories stretched all the way to the horizon, a truly beautiful sight!!>>>
And then, he spoke of a scene that the citizens of the royal capital could never know... a scene from the distant past.
A landscape that spread out around here during the end of the super ancient magical civilization.
Engee's words aren't lies.
Indeed, this area was once a factory zone owned by him.
That's why the aerial fortress 'Soul Conqueror' was manufactured here... and before it could be activated, the 'Day of Ruin' arrived, the world was destroyed... and it remained dormant until this very day.
<<<And yet, you guys! Illegally occupying my land! A country? A royal capital? Who gave you permission to build such things, huh ーーー !!>>>
But as I said, that's a story from the distant past.
Roughly... 5,000 years ago.
So there's no such thing as illegal occupation.
In short, Engee is just picking a fight.
<<<Ihihi! That's why I have the right to exterminate youuu! That's why I'm going to kill you all! If anyone has any objections, file a complaint with the relevant court later! Ihihihihihi ーーー !!>>>
And as Engee's utterly unreasonable claims echoed, 'Soul Conqueror' finally began to move.
Clank, clang, clang, kiiiiiiii...
With such creaking sounds, scattering dirt that was clinging to its exterior, one of the protrusions on the aerial fortress... extended and transformed...!
<<<If you want to blame someone, blame those incompetent gods who didn't confiscate this 'Soul Conqueror' like they did with 'Saikanedon' and 'Neverfall'! Well, the essential core for activating this, 'Soul Devourer'... wasn't completed during my lifetime! So I can understand why those incompetent fools mistook it for a useless hunk of junk! Ihihi!>>>
The protrusion, after extending and transforming, finally took the shape of a gun barrel.
It's aiming at the royal castle... towering in the center of the Ashgo Kingdom's royal capital...!
<<<Ah!? Wait, wait, Partner! That's no good! The [ Soul Absorption Barrier ] hasn't expanded that far yet! Aim lower ーーー !!>>>
...But its aim was forcibly changed by Engee's panicked intervention.
The gun barrel, moving with a 'gurin' sound, was now aiming at the residential area in the eastern part of the royal capital.
An area where many innocent ordinary citizens live.
A town where, until yesterday, people lived their unchanging daily lives, with good things and bad things happening, joys and sorrows.
And towards that town.
ZWIIN!!
With such a high-pitched sound.
A red beam... the [Red Magical Beam Cannon]... was fired.
It lasted for only about a second, but...
...It sliced through the residential area in the eastern part of the royal capital in a straight line!
And that's not all.
The damage inflicted where the [Red Magical Beam Cannon] struck...
...Didn't stop at just being destroyed by the impact.
To put it simply, what happens next is.
...A red, spherical... [Magical Explosion]!
ZBOBOBOBOBOBOON!!!
A beat after the [Red Magical Beam Cannon] landed, an explosion occurred, instantly destroying the beautiful gray cityscape of the royal capital...!
<<<Ihihihihihi ーーー ! Massacre ーーー !!>>>
Seeing that, Engee laughed joyfully!
<<<Now, come, souls ーーー ! Become... my sustenance ーーー !!>>>
And he shouted!!
But, however!!
Here, something that Engee had never anticipated, happened.
<<<...Huh?>>>
What he was seeking.
What he should have reaped plenty of with the [Red Magical Beam Cannon] just now.
Human souls.
...Weren't being absorbed by 'Soul Conqueror' at all.
In other words, that attack just now...
Didn't kill a single person...
<<<Why, why, why!? Why isn't anyone dying ーーー !?>>>
The Great Evil Spirit, Engee Albitt, cried out in confusion!
['Day of Ruin']
The day when the super ancient magical civilization, which boasted far more advanced magical technology than the present, was suddenly destroyed.
It was mentioned in Arc 15.
['Saikanedon']
An ancient ruin located in the Tezonka Kingdom.
It's currently called 'Saikanedon's Tower' and is the home of the Silver Dragon, Herensia.
It seems it was the stage for the hero Torch and his party's adventure, but the details are unknown as it hasn't been described in detail.
Its name only appeared in Arc 9.
['Neverfall']
Details unknown as it hasn't appeared yet.
However, this is not Engee's 'other masterpiece'.
It's scheduled to appear in the first half of Part 2.