kscans

Chapter 52 - Activating the Floating Lift and the Aerial Breakthrough

Nemesis Gear, the central district. Nemesis Tower.

Beyond the steel corridors, the floating lift, the Zero Elevator, stood tall. At a height of 500 meters, this device, levitating through magical buoyancy and a lightning magnetic field, was the only means to reach the upper levels of Nemesis Tower.

"We can't get to Crow's place unless we start this thing up, huh."

As Ares said this while looking up at the lift, Gilliam jumped onto the control panel on the wall.

"Leave the code interference to me, yes... ugh, the layers are multiplexed, they are...!"

His fingertips moved as if dancing, and analysis tool screens opened one after another. In that moment, an alarm sounded.

"Automated interceptor drones approaching, yes!"

Appearing in the air were magic drones. From their wing-like flight units, cold lenses stared down at Ares and his party.

"They plan to pick us off from the sky... Tiris, do it!"

Tiris nodded silently at Ares's command. The magic-sealing handcuffs on her wrists were temporarily released, and the magic bow, Ignis Bow, appeared in her hands.

"...Fall."

With a quiet voice, an arrow wreathed in flames tore through the sky. One drone exploded into pieces. Immediately, the next arrow was fired, shooting down the pursuing drones one by one.

"Hoh... not bad, Tiris."

"I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it for everyone." To her cold reply, Ares gave a wry smile.

In the meantime, Autogear, magic soldiers, were approaching from the ground. Soldiers of steel, stamping the ground with their metal legs and firing electric bullets.

"...I'll handle these!"

Bolt stepped forward. He focused magic into his lightning rod and muttered in a low voice.

"Thunder Blade Chain: Full Charge."

Lightning was unleashed from his staff, and a flash ran across the heads of the enemy soldiers. In an instant, six Autogears short-circuited and collapsed in a shower of sparks.

"...Overheating. Recharging, thirty seconds."

"That's enough."

Ares drew his sword and charged at the remaining enemy magic cavalry.

Gilliam was astonished.

"...This is no ordinary feat, yes it is. The code has seven layers, and an interference loop is built in. The shape of the key changes every time I touch it, yes it does!"

"Just do something about it!!"

Ares roared. Behind him, magic drones closed in from above, while on the ground, the soldier units made the earth tremble with their steel legs.

"We don't have time, just get us through before you start spouting nonsense!"

"I'm trying, yes! But this... it even has an AI-based automatic counter-interference system! Every time I touch the code, the other side overwrites it, yes it does!"

"Damn it! What the hell are we supposed to do!"

"I'll buy some time!"

Bolt stepped forward. His lightning rod became charged with high-voltage electricity, a clap of thunder roared, and the surrounding air burned.

"Deploying Thunder Net Barrier. For ten seconds only, this is my domain."

A dome of electricity was formed, blocking the enemy's entry. In that opening, Tiris fired a volley of arrows, intercepting the drones.

The lift groaned and started up for a moment... but in the next instant, it stopped.

"It moved... wait, it stopped, yes!? Why!?"

Gilliam's face turned pale.

"There's packet jamming in the energy guidance field, yes...! Our release code has been nullified, yes it has!"

"Stop saying things I don't understand!! Just fix it!!"

Ares slammed his fist into the control panel. As sparks flew, Tiris calmly said one thing.

"Ares, if you break that, it will be even harder to get it to move."

"Grrr... argh!"

Ares bit back his anger. The hilt of his sword was gripped so tightly it creaked.

"...Then, I guess I have no choice but to trust in you guys' brains."

Gilliam took a deep breath and said.

"From here on, it's all based on intuition, yes... but we have to do it, yes we do!"

He ran his fingers as if parting a maze of code. In the dizzyingly changing interference field, numbers and figures intersected.

"I did it! The lift's code, it's open, yes it is!!"

In that moment, the lift let out a low groan and restarted.

"Move!!" Along with Ares's shout, the Zero Elevator emitted a light and began to ascend towards the heavens.

The remaining enemy soldiers could only look up at the lift from the ground, being burned by lightning and flames. Gilliam shouted. The floating lift roared to life, and the floor in the central section began to rise.

"Everyone, get on, yes!"

Ares gave the order. Tiris, Gilliam, Bolt, and he himself jumped on, and in that moment.

"...More drones coming from above!"

Tiris once again nocked an arrow and shot down a drone that was about to take off.

Fragments of machinery burst in the air, and smoke rose into the sky. But the lift had already begun its ascent.

"We're breaking through just like this... Just you wait, Crow. I'm gonna destroy this shitty world of yours!!"

With the roar of thunder and the cries of steel at their backs, the floating lift rapidly ascended toward the 70th floor.