Chapter 49 - Power-Up and the Situation That Still Won't Improve
～The Space Between the Gialpha Galaxy and the Umyu Galaxy, a Region of Outer Space Relatively Close to the Umyu Galaxy Side～
Sangou was fully focused on helping Captain Shin and Kichou safely scatter magical traps.
The bio-ship, with its super-high-performance capabilities, continued to maintain a position that allowed it to enter the super-high-gravity region of the moving black hole while staying inside the escape limit point without being pulled in.
At the same time, however.
The estimated distance to the center of the moving black hole.
The estimated results of its movement speed.
These two pieces of information were continuously relayed to the two who were casting magic.
In essence, Sangou was conveying to the two the optimal activation times for the magical traps derived from the measurement results, and assisting in setting the direction and activation times for the traps.
These actions by Sangou significantly compensated for parts that would have been impossible for Shin and Kichou alone.
Therefore, the operation being carried out was precisely one that could not be realized without Sangou's cooperation.
So, how did this situation come about?
Let's look back at the past and trace the flow of events in chronological order.
Sangou had continued to wait at sea on the capital planet of the Gialpha Galaxy Empire until the Captain returned.
Of course, it wasn't as if it was doing nothing there.
While eavesdropping on the discussion in Emperor Nobunaga's private room, Sangou itself was also thinking about countermeasures against the moving black hole that could improve the situation.
Incidentally, it also took into account the possibility that Kichou might offer some kind of idea, and the eavesdropped content was kept streaming in the bridge.
The discussion on the other side progressed, and the Captain presented a lavish bait to extract cooperation from Mechamille by having her use her precious powers.
Sangou was a bit exasperated by the useless goddess who jumped at it on the spot.
But in the end, that was a big plus for them and what the Captain wanted.
Precisely because of that, Sangou listened to the continuation with even more attention.
From Sangou's perspective, the three-way discussion was heading toward its conclusion.
In other words, it was expected that it wouldn't be much longer before the Captain returned to Sangou's bridge.
So, let's shift the scene to that final stage of the discussion.
"Father. I think it's a bit too blatant to throw such a bribe-like bait in front of her face. But putting that aside, if it's within this planet, I can build the facility you mentioned. If it's about 'having multiple locations, not just one, on other planets as well,' then that depends on negotiations."
"No, no. Respecting the goddess-sama and receiving her blessings is the proper way for a person to be. So this is fine as it is."
Shin was the one who flatly uttered things he didn't truly believe in response to Nobunaga's statement.
However, in this case, no one loses out because of it.
Therefore, there was no problem at all.
"Father. The conversation has completely derailed, but let me confirm something."
"Sure. Ask me anything. I'll answer properly what I can."
"Then, about this 'Fusion'? What exactly happens when it's done?"
"Simply put, your Dad's power increases. Kichou's too. As for Sangou, think of it as 'it will be reborn as a ship equipped with an engine that supplies infinite energy continuously.'"
From his father's explanation, Nobunaga felt a question only regarding Sangou's part.
Because, from the actual state of the country's expenditures and facility usage, there had been 'no' evidence of arranging supplies for Sangou until now.
In other words, from Nobunaga's and the Imperial Military's perspective, 'Sangou has been operating continuously without resupply or maintenance from the start,' making it an absurdly incredible ship by Gialpha Galaxy Empire's technical standards.
Simply put, it was already 'the same as having an infinite energy engine installed' even in its current state.
To Nobunaga, who knew this, he could only think, 'Does that even mean anything?'
However, he could also accept it by reasoning, 'If Father deems it necessary, then it must be necessary.'
Therefore, he gave up thinking further about it.
On the other hand, what Nobunaga thought and should confirm in this matter.
In other words, what had higher priority than the fact of Sangou's supply status or its performance.
That was something else entirely.
"By 'seeking further power' here, can I expect that we're heading toward 'dealing with this matter with that power'?"
"What will be possible and to what extent? I don't know at this point. But if we increase our power and can do more, our options should expand. This is also a kind of 'desperate struggle because we can't come up with effective measures in the current situation,' though."
"I see."
If there was no surefire method, the content his father spoke as a secondary plan was something Nobunaga could accept.
In any case, the situation was one where they had to try what they could.
"So that's the deal, Nobunaga. I'm counting on you to arrange the construction of the facility dedicated to Mechamille."
"Understood. I'll have it rushed as much as possible."
Having obtained his son's consent, Shin turned to Mechamille.
"Yeah. And once that's done, Mechamille, you perform the 'Origin of Dragon Vein' fusion on us. That's all for today's talk."
"Um— I can't do fusion without the material, you know—"
"Oh, didn't I mention? I already have it, so no problem. The material itself exists."
"Eh?"
That was the moment Mechamille froze.
"Well, that's that. I'm going to Sangou's place now. The rest is up to you."
With that, Shin left the discussion via teleportation.
Among those left behind, one was Mechamille, rigid and speechless.
"(What should I do with Brigadier General Mechamille, who's frozen in shock?)"
Nobunaga, the other one left behind, thought this but also needed to finalize the detailed arrangements for the religious facility to be built.
Therefore, he called for the Prime Minister.
Thus, the discussion at court involving Shin came to an end.
Well, for Nobunaga and Mechamille, a new discussion with the Prime Minister joining was held, but let's skip that part.
No matter what process led to the completion of the religious facility Mechamille demanded, it wouldn't affect the main storyline.
"Captain. Welcome back."
"Ah. I'm home. You heard our discussion, right, Sangou? Did you find any good ideas on your end?"
"No. Unfortunately, there was no measure I could consider 'definitely effective.'"
"Oh? So there was a method that wasn't certain? What kind was it?"
While throwing a confirming question to Sangou, Shin casually felt impressed.
"(When technology advances this much over thirty generations, they can come up with some means to handle such situations. The technological gap is amazing.)"
The reason for Shin's admiration came from the above thought, but unfortunately, it was immediately betrayed.
Because Sangou's first proposal was a method unrelated to science and technology.
"If the Captain were to make a suicide attack alone—"
"Wait, wait. I don't need that kind of joke right now."
Shin completely cut off Sangou's words before it could finish speaking.
"Yes. That was a customary joke this time. Half of it."
"(Half of it was serious?!)"
Shin felt like retorting to Sangou's statement.
However, actually voicing it might stir up trouble, so he endured it.
"Yeah. So, there are other methods, right?"
"I thought that the magical traps you often use, Captain, 'would not be affected by physical gravity or high temperatures.'"
"Ah, magical traps aren't physical objects, so they have no mass. So that reasoning is correct."
"Glad my prediction was correct. Now, from here on, it's a baseless conjecture, but I thought, 'The Captain might be able to create teleportation traps that gouge out space itself, not explosions.'"
"Yeah. That's possible."
"That's excellent. From Mechamille-san's explanation, there seems to be something at the center that creates the black hole. So, the core of the tactic is: 'If we set up a large number of them and shave away space via teleportation, perhaps we can disassemble it into pieces.' The basis for this comes from records of dealing with Delta-nia Army's Futagou's rampage, adapted from a tactic using a large number of Hyperspace Missiles."
"(Oh! That sounds promising, doesn't it?)"
Shin was impressed by the concrete method Sangou described.
However, Sangou's speech continued.
"However, since no one has confirmed the inside of the black hole, the attack would have to be made based on estimated positions of the target. Also, the activation would inevitably be time-based rather than perception-based. Can we hit it successfully with such a method? Even if we could hit it, how effective would it be? How many hits would we need? Where do we set the teleport destination? What would be the impact at the destination? And so on, there are countless uncertain factors."
"No. It's a good enough plan. Attacking with teleportation traps is possible. As for the destination, scattering them around the area where the center of the Umyu Galaxy used to be would cause few problems, I think."
"That's true. That place would have few problems."
Since the center of the galaxy originally had a supermassive black hole, teleporting things there would only degrade the existing situation.
Shin's idea for the teleport destination seemed reasonable to Sangou as well.
However, normally, the amount of magical power required to do this would be no joke.
In other words, for anyone other than Shin, that would be a huge problem.
Also, the space region designated as the teleport destination was not a place Shin had ever been.
Therefore, the coordinates could only be quite vague.
Sangou, who was not well-versed in magic, didn't understand these points.
Nevertheless, since it was a discussion limited to the Hero with infinite magical power, and the target was the already collapsed Umyu Galaxy, Sangou's proposal posed no problems.
"Even if there were a problem on-site, if it doesn't affect the Gialpha Galaxy or other galaxies, it was originally that galaxy's problem, so that's fine. The biggest issue with that method is probably 'whether we can hit the center.'"
This statement showed a slight lack of consideration for the Umyu Galaxy.
But since it was predicted that 'there are no longer any life forms existing there,' there was nothing Shin particularly had to worry about.
Perhaps the entire matter could be settled as 'the mineral life forms' own fault.'
"Yes. For that part, I'd like to deal with it through brute force. After all, we have no way to determine 'how many hit.' However, probably, just hitting it once or twice would make it difficult to observe any change from outside."
"That might be true..."
"Therefore, we would have to repeat tasks that show no effect endlessly. And the probability of success cannot be calculated. In short, 'if the executor weren't the Captain, this would be a delusional level that can't even be called a plan.'"
"Eh? You're asking me to do that? Can I do it? Hearing that last part you just said, I feel like my spirit might break normally."
"Since only the Captain can do it, we'll just have to ask you to do your best."
"So that's how it is, huh."
Even from Sangou's perspective, there was only the expectation that 'if it's the Captain,' and no 'basis for the Captain's spirit not breaking' whatsoever.
There was none, but Kichou would likely cooperate in creating and scattering traps, and his mental strength as a former Hero and sense of responsibility to those close to him (especially his wives) could be predicted to work in their favor in this case.
In any case, there were no other options.
So, they had to be optimistic and bet on the Captain's spirit not breaking.
"(To begin with, if it's impossible for the Captain, then no one else exists who could do it. Therefore, that would be a reason to give up and steer toward escape.)"
Additionally, Sangou also thought this.
Shin's partner, the brain in charge, was extremely competent.
"Master. If we incorporate a time-delayed absolute zero magic along with the teleportation, I think it would be even better, desu—"
"Oh! I see. A method that also lowers the temperature. Well, even if we throw absolute zero at super-high temperatures of hundreds of millions of degrees, it might only be better than doing nothing."
"No. It should increase the speed at which we can perceive changes from the outside, even if slightly. I consider it effective. However, I'm surprised that two phenomena can be woven into a single magical trap. I hadn't thought that far. Kichou, thank you."
With things coming to a somewhat natural pause, Shin remembered that he had gone ahead with the discussion about fusing the 'Origin of Dragon Vein' to the two of them without confirming Sangou's and Kichou's intentions first.
Once he remembered, it was obvious that he needed to properly discuss that as well.
"Ah— First, there's something I need to apologize to you two for. I'm sorry."
"What is it? So sudden."
"Master?"
"I didn't consult with you two in advance, but I went ahead and talked about the 'Origin of Dragon Vein' fusion. If you don't want it, please tell me."
Lately, Shin had often felt a one-beat delay in his magical power fully recovering after performing ultra-long-distance teleportation.
This meant that the amount of magical power poured into Shin from the 'Origin of Dragon Vein' in an instant had finally fallen below the capacity of the container that was Shin.
Therefore, he had gone off on a tangent during the discussion with Nobunaga and Mechamille, bringing up his own strengthening and then including Sangou and Kichou as well.
Note that in the past, Shin had not understood that the cause of his instant recovery skill was the fusion with the 'Origin of Dragon Vein.'
However, after the incident in the Orze Kingdom, he happened to notice that the performance of his simple identification skill had slightly improved, and he learned of it through that.
In other words, he was now able to obtain a bit of information beyond just the name, and as a result of trying this and that, he happened to identify that information.
Well, it was ultimately just a simple identification skill, so there wasn't a big difference, and the information obtained was minimal.
"Master. That makes me happy, desu—. Kichou's intuition tells me that both Kichou and Sangou-san will get a massive power-up, desu—"
"I had some concerns about this 'Fusion,' but if Kichou's intuition thinks it's safe, then it must be. A massive power-up and performance improvement are welcome. So, Captain, I look forward to it."
With this flow, what needed to be discussed was over, and all that remained was to prepare and move to take action against the moving black hole.
Among those preparations was the construction of the religious facility for Mechamille, and once the blueprints were completed and the location selected.
From there, it goes without saying that Sangou and Shin lent a hand in processing and transporting materials.
Incidentally, Shin used magic without any hesitation from Sangou's bridge, making it appear to the Empire's people as if 'Sangou had done it.'
The foundation and part of the building were completed in just a few minutes with magic, and the palace carpenters and construction workers of the Gialpha Galaxy Empire stood with their mouths wide open in shock, which was probably a trivial matter.
Thus, the large-scale religious facility for worshiping Mechamille was easily completed.
When that happened, the useless goddess had to fulfill her promise.
The fusion of the 'Origin of Dragon Vein,' which was Shin's second time and Sangou and Kichou's first, was performed by Mechamille.
And so, the stage finally connects to the opening scene.
"The magical traps we scattered on the first day should already be activated. Sangou, is there any effect?"
"No. Unfortunately, no difference is being observed. Therefore, there is no data that can be presented as an effect."
"I see. I knew this would happen, but 'having no tangible results' is still tough."
"We still have time, so we have no choice but to keep at it steadily."
That was the conversation between Shin and Sangou on the second day, after finishing the first day of attacking the moving black hole.
Incidentally, Kichou enjoyed the act of setting up magical traps itself, so she was engaged in the work without any particular complaints.
Having gained infinite magical power from the fusion, Kichou was in top form now.
Well, she fully understood that she was no match for her Master Shin, so she didn't go out of control.
In such a situation, 'What was Nobunaga on the capital planet doing?'
Nobunaga, as Emperor, was issuing necessary directives one after another.
At present, with the Empire's technology, it was impossible to observe the moving black hole from the Gialpha Galaxy.
Therefore, Nobunaga judged that 'publicizing its approach or the events accompanying its approach at this point has no meaning.'
He also had to assume the worst-case scenario where his father's operation failed and they had to flee.
It was already a predetermined course to maximize the production of ships and food that would be needed then.
Because a major crisis was certain to come in the future.
However, from Nobunaga's position, that didn't mean various everyday problems ceased to occur.
The Gialpha Galaxy Empire's sphere of influence was vast, and disasters such as 'space beast attacks,' natural disasters, and man-made calamities naturally occurred in various places.
However, since Kichou's intuition didn't react, they were ultimately not at the level of major incidents.
Also, Mechamille, the other key person besides Shin, was to run through numerous battlefields, by order of the Emperor, to deal with 'everyday problems within the Empire,' aiming to accumulate power for the coming future.
The useless goddess grew to be treated as the 'Invincible War Goddess' in the Imperial Military.
However, perhaps it was because she was a useless goddess that her klutzy side never disappeared.
And due to the circumstances, the high-speed battleship squadron upgraded to Imperial Military specifications that Shin had funded was lent to her unit along with personnel.
These were originally prepared as independent military forces for Nobunaga, who had become Marquis Asada during the peaceful past decade.
They were produced with full cooperation from Sangou and formed a half-fleet equivalent, but there was also the circumstance that 'it was no longer immediately needed as the military strength of the Asada Marquis family.'
Shin had prepared the fleet as a father's consideration for his son who didn't have Sangou, but in the end, it was diverted in a completely unexpected way.
The impact of Shin's return with Sangou also spread to such areas.
As an aside, because the self-repair technology of the mechanical knights from Deli's planet's alien civilization, which Sangou had played with and analyzed, was incorporated, these were high-performance ships with significantly improved maintainability.
Regarding that part, since it was originally treated as the Asada Marquis family's private military, it was filed as 'custom modification,' and the technology was kept secret.
And it goes without saying that the performance comparison was only against existing Imperial military vessels, not Sangou.
With this and that, three years passed.
The estimated time for the moving black hole to reach the Gialpha Galaxy Empire was just over two years remaining. If they were going to evacuate, it was about time they had to start or it would be too late.
Precisely because of that, a discussion between father and son was arranged.
"Father. Is evacuation truly the only option?"
"According to Sangou's estimate, at our current pace, we're far from destroying it. The current state is only a reduction of about twenty-five percent."
"So even you, Father, with your increased power, couldn't do it. What a shame, but it seems we have no choice but to shift to an evacuation plan. Although, unfortunately, we couldn't prepare enough ships to save all the people. We'll have to select who lives."
Seeing his son's face forced to make a bitter decision.
That was hard for a father.
And in truth, Shin still had another option left.
Of course, it was a plan he couldn't easily mention due to its high risk.
"Regarding evacuation, if we really tried, it's not impossible to transport everyone without exception. But can everyone survive at the evacuation destination? That's a separate problem."
Nobunaga was surprised by his father's unexpected statement.
"(Why did Dad keep quiet about this until now?)"
Although he sensed there was some reason, it was unavoidable that simple 'questions' passed through his mind.
"Even so, if all the citizens can evacuate, I'd like to ask for that. But why bring it up now?"
"It's not impossible. But the issue is 'whether it's safe or not.' Also, 'Dad couldn't do it before receiving the fusion from Mechamille' is another reason."
Then, Shin presented Nobunaga with 'the method of transporting planets by putting them into shadows.'
Of course, adding the words 'I'd really rather not do this if possible.'
First, to create a shadow large enough to contain a planet, a powerful light source is necessary.
It's possible to create the light source itself with magic, but how would the effects of that strong light appear on the planet scheduled to be stored in the shadow and its surroundings?
That point is unknown.
Also, when bringing the planet out of the shadow onto the orbital path of a suitable star at the evacuation destination, since the star would be different, the planet's environment would inevitably change.
However, if evacuating by spaceship, it would be a miracle if the planet at the destination had the same environment as before.
Therefore, that shouldn't normally be a problem.
But the hearts of the people transported along with the planet might not necessarily accept the situation that way.
Rather, it's easy to imagine they wouldn't accept it.
Furthermore, 'safety isn't just about people.'
The time spent in the shadow was intended to be as short as possible.
But at that time, 'the impact on living things other than people' would naturally follow.
In short, using shadow storage for a planet-wide evacuation would allow only those who understand language to be mentally prepared in advance.
Therefore, 'what kind of confusion would arise for all living things not included in that?' was unpredictable.
For various reasons, the rough outline of why Shin 'can do it but doesn't want to' is as above.
And there were also 'other options' for dealing with the situation.
"There's one more method. But this one is a gamble. We'll literally bet 'everything.'"
"One more. And a 'gamble' at that. What kind of method is it?"
"The method of Dad entering the black hole and directly destroying the center."
This method would literally involve Shin risking his life, so if it failed, evacuation using the combination of shadow storage and teleportation magic would also become impossible.
It was a method whose outcome was either 'everyone is saved' or 'everything is swallowed by the moving black hole.'
Nobunaga, who could understand that, could only stare intently at his father.
However, Shin's story didn't end there.
"Also, let me tell you the results of Sangou's calculations. If the Gialpha Galaxy is swallowed by this moving black hole, there's a high possibility it will change course toward the Lambda Nu Galaxy, the current candidate for evacuation destination. The estimated arrival time is eight years later. This assumes we continue the current work until the last moment; if we stop, it will be faster."
"So no matter which I choose, I'll end up relying on you, Father, again. Even though I'm the Emperor ruling a vast galaxy, am I powerless?"
Shin couldn't leave his son, who was drowning in self-deprecating thoughts, alone.
The Hero from a fantasy world had to show his son the figure of a confident, great father at times like this.
"I don't want to be a useless, pathetic father. I'm a great father respected by everyone, right? Dad is."
"(What he says and does is cool. But his appearance being younger than his own son is just disappointing and anticlimactic!)"
Nobunaga thought that instantly.
It's not relevant here, but 'an appearance far younger than one's age' can often be disadvantageous when dealing with others face-to-face in work.
Incidentally, there were other things Nobunaga thought in his head at that time but didn't say out loud.
"(The stuff with Mom that I can see as a son is also...!)"
Well, the latter is a sensitive topic and perhaps something that shouldn't be pointed out.
Even if his biological father had multiple wives and kept several mistresses.
Because the good relationship between his biological mother, the legal wife, and his father was undoubtedly wonderful for Nobunaga.
However, at this time, Nobunaga did not know that his future father would say the following and resort to a genuine last resort.
"No. At this stage, I'm not retreating. I'll use the last resort I have left."
Shin, who had been thrown from a different world with magic and had been granted Hero abilities doubly without precedent, had a final measure that even Sangou and Kichou, who were close to him, could not imagine, one he had sealed himself.
Thus, Hero Shin, together with Sangou and Kichou, became involved in the construction of the large-scale religious facility for Mechamille, and as compensation, each received the fusion of the 'Origin of Dragon Vein' and succeeded in powering up.
Through a collaboration between Sangou's plan and Kichou's idea, which was inspired by Nobunaga's statement, they also began an operation to deal with the moving black hole.
Of course, this was not easy, and an ominous future continued to be anticipated.
Does a bright future exist for the Gialpha Galaxy Empire?
What kind of final measure does Hero Shin have?
No one knows the future.
The Hero, who tried to show the figure of a dignified great father to encourage his mentally weakened son, completely failed to notice that his son's mind had gone in a completely different direction.
Still, he succeeded in dispelling Nobunaga's self-deprecating thoughts, so it was all's well that ends well for Shin.