Pick Me Up!-Chapter 320: Mission Type, Transcendence (5)
Clang! Crash!
Part of the Capitalism was torn off as it collided with a building during a sharp turn.
The steel-built rear of the airship barreled into the park.
“Get on board! We don’t have time!”
Jena shouted from the prow, barely keeping her balance.
The Capitalism swayed violently side to side as it dodged the attacks of the giants.
“Townia’s... airship.”
Siris’s expression hardened as she watched in silence.
There was no time to hesitate. The contamination entities were already closing in.
“All units, prepare to board!”
“Are you saying we’re getting on that thing?”
At Lidigion’s words, Siris looked around at the group.
“This isn’t the time to be picky. If there’s a chance—we take it! Non-combatants board first. I’ll be the last. Everyone, move!”
Screeeeech!
The Capitalism did a 180 spin above the clearing and plunged downward like a falling spear.
The heroes of Niflheim charged toward it.
“Miss it once and that’s it! Stay sharp!”
Jena pulled a lever beside her, and the railing of the deck dropped down.
The Capitalism jolted violently up and down as it descended.
The bottom of the ship scraped against the stone floor with a screech, throwing up sparks.
“Now!”
The airship tilted sideways.
“Uaaagh!”
The man at the front screamed as he dove onto the deck.
Operators and mechanics followed, sprinting and leaping aboard in a rush.
“Hup!”
Lidigion, Nihaku, and Aaron also leapt onto the deck.
Only after confirming everyone had boarded did Siris wrap her arms around Yurnet and jump.
“Boarding complete!”
Jena banged on a steel pillar.
Before it could crash into a giant tree ahead, the Capitalism spun three times and rocketed upward.
Supplies scattered and bounced across the deck in chaos.
“Gwaaah! I’m gonna fall!” ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
“Nihaku!”
“On it!”
Nihaku grabbed hold of the heroes who were about to fall off.
The Capitalism, having shaken off the pursuing contamination entities, veered off beside the park.
Rooaaaar!
Aaron looked back.
The vast clearing was now swarming with contamination entities.
Without Jena’s help, they would have had to fight their way through every single one.
“Phew.”
Jena wiped sweat from her forehead.
“Good—we made it. Finally caught a breather.”
“......”
“No need for introductions, right? You’ve all got places to be.”
She winked at Siris.
Siris's eyebrows twitched.
“How did you get here?”
“Long story.”
“Opening a dimensional gate here isn’t easy.”
Siris studied the airship.
Had the calculations been even slightly off, the Capitalism would’ve been torn apart by dimensional pressure.
Even with a rare item like a dimensional stone, one couldn’t use it lightly. Without a capable magitechnician, such an attempt would’ve been impossible.
“Don’t think you’re the only ones who get to fight.”
The group turned.
A boy in a white robe stepped out from an open door.
Adjusting the hat on his head, the boy spoke.
“Stopped by before heading home. Just wanted to give that bastard a piece of my mind.”
Dark circles were etched under his eyes.
He said his name was Katio, I think.
Aaron had met him a few times as well.
While Aaron was out on missions, his brother had recruited Katio—an interdimensional magitechnician.
Ever since his brother disappeared, the boy had holed himself up in the hangar, obsessively researching something.
“He said this job didn’t involve overtime. And here we are, going all out to the bitter end. He’s gonna live forever at this rate.”
Siris exchanged glances with the other 13th floor members.
Ever since being abandoned by the Master, she’d discarded her pride.
More than anything, these heroes had shared life and death with the Master. In a way, their bond ran deeper than that of Niflheim’s heroes.
“I am Siris Agentheim.”
“I know. Jena told me.”
“Will you help us?”
Katio shrugged.
“Thinking about how I was duped still pisses me off, but... well. If I didn’t want to help, I wouldn’t have come here.”
Katio glanced at the contamination cloud swirling outside.
This was no ordinary place. Below them, hundreds—maybe thousands—of monsters were roaming.
“This new Capitalism is an airship I modified over several sleepless nights. Fitted it with a Hell of Hell Engine. Balance is crap, but speed’s not an issue.”
He said it proudly.
The new Capitalism.
His masterpiece, built from his own theoretical model for a super-engine.
“...Thank you.”
Siris bowed her head.
Katio silently stepped back into the ship.
The party was granted a brief maintenance window—about three minutes.
They reconfigured the magic circles for data processing and reviewed contingency plans.
Though calling it a contingency plan...
There was no plan. Just push forward.
Siris crossed her arms, visibly anxious.
The control room monitors showed the surrounding landscape. Towering shadows with unclear forms were roaming the streets, looking around as if hunting something.
Our presence has been exposed.
The original plan was to speed through dangerous zones before the contamination giants woke.
But due to the incident with Frey, that plan had failed.
This won’t be easy.
One or two wouldn't be a problem, but they numbered in the dozens.
If they spotted the airship, they’d attack all at once.
Still...
There’s no time {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} to waste. The longer they delayed, the worse things would get.
Siris steadied herself. The other heroes were already in position.
“Oh, right.”
Katio rummaged in his coat and pulled out a vial of pills, handing a few to Siris.
“Take three. And give some to your companion.”
“...?”
“You don’t know? Then just take them.”
Katio shoved a handful of pills into his mouth.
Then he pulled a thick rope from his sleeve. The rope slithered on its own and tightly bound his body to a steel pillar.
What the hell is he doing?
It made no sense.
Katio smiled and said:
“Get ready. Looks like they’ve found us.”
Siris checked the external monitors.
Among the giants prowling between buildings, a few had spotted the Capitalism.
With groans, they began closing in on the airship.
Time to move.
The basic plan was the same as with Sleipnir.
Nihaku would handle the small fry. Lidigion would engage the main threats.
Aaron would hold the deck.
Still, Siris was uneasy about how under-equipped the Capitalism was. It didn’t even have a small ballista mounted. No contamination resistance either. Practically bare-bones.
“What should we do?”
One of the mechanics who had piloted Sleipnir approached.
Katio replied in a lazy tone.
“Just sit tight. Our Master will handle the controls.”
The contamination entities had already drawn near.
“Looks like it’s starting.”
On the deck.
Nihaku charged up Brynhildr and took firing stance.
Lidigion gripped his blade.
Roooar.
Four giants closed in, surrounding the airship.
“Even if it’s a little flimsy, it beats walking.”
The Capitalism began to move.
“The hull feels kinda weak, but still—”
Blue flames burst from the rocket engine at the stern.
The Capitalism turned in mid-air and continued flying.
Far ahead loomed a black wall, impossibly tall and endless.
The operation's target. The dimensional barrier separating Eden and the border zone.
SCREEEECH!
Unidentified Contaminated Entities Lv. ??? × 756
From both sides of the buildings, hundreds of contamination monsters charged out.
They sprinted on four legs and lunged toward the airship.
Faster than most cars.
“Where’s the flak?! We need to suppress them!”
“Screeeee!”
The contamination entities shrieked and leapt.
The Capitalism performed a sudden 720-degree spin and shot straight upward.
“...?!”
The creatures below lost sight of their target and plummeted.
In mid-air, the airship spun in a figure-eight.
Nice Drift!
You have gained momentum from Special Flight!
Between crumbling apartment complexes—
Unidentified Flying Contaminants Lv. ??? × 132
Winged monsters took flight in formation.
The blue flames at the rear intensified.
And then—
BOOM!
The Capitalism burst forward.
“Gwaaaaah!”
It tore through the flying monsters head-on.
Dozens smashed into the prow and exploded into gore.
“Wait—!”
The ship flipped upside down.
Spinning rapidly, the Capitalism nearly crashed, but at the last second it angled upward and shot skyward.
A violent tremor shook the deck.
“This piloting is a bit off—”
THUNK THUNK THUNK!
The ship began shaking like crazy.
In under ten seconds, the Capitalism accelerated to hundreds of kilometers per hour like a missile.
“Kiieek!”
“Kyaaaah?”
“Eek?”
Hundreds of contamination entities instantly became dogs chasing a runaway train.
Of course, another horde was waiting up ahead.
SCREECH!
Just before impact, the Capitalism banked 90 degrees and veered toward a nearby building.
“St—”
Lidigion couldn’t finish.
CRAAASH! SMASH!
The airship smashed through the glass façade and wrecked the interior office space.
FWWOOSH!
Friction surpassed its limits—flames ignited beneath the hull.
The Capitalism didn’t slow down one bit.
Like a berserk beast, it blasted straight through the building.
Screams rang out inside.
Warning!
Contaminated Jörmungandr Lv. 322
HISSSSSS!
A massive serpent uncoiled from a skyscraper and opened its maw.
It was several hundred meters long, casting darkness over the surroundings.
“Watch out ahead—!”
The Capitalism dodged, banking to escape the serpent’s mouth.
Its tail whipped around to strike, but the ship spun seven times and narrowly evaded.
Cargo tumbled across the deck.
“W-Wait! Slow down a little!”
Aaron yelled from where he clung to the railing.
“Nope, no time!”
“We’re gonna fall at this rate!”
“Full speed aheeeeead!”
BOOM!
Super Boost!
*Capitalism’s* engines blaze with fiery intensity!
SCREEEECH!
SCREEEEEECH!
The Capitalism pulled off twelve aerial maneuvers and accelerated further.
“Stop! Are you trying to kill us?!”
Lidigion shouted in panic.
“We won’t die!”
WHOOSH!
The airship slipped past the serpent’s head, skimming across its scales.
“Sleipnir? That thing was so slow I nearly yawned.”
“Are you insane?!”
“This is how an airship’s supposed to fly!”
The ship entered a dense building cluster.
The Capitalism darted through a tangled maze of corridors.
Hundreds of contamination monsters lunged, but not one touched it.
Nice Drift!
Super Boost!
Nice Drift!
Mega Boost!
Nice Drift!
Hell Boost!
Sometimes fast.
Sometimes bizarre.
“......”
CRASH! SMASH!
The side of the airship scraped against a building’s edge.
It looked nothing like when it first launched—badly dented, battered.
Without those added metal plates, it would've shattered long ago.
Ding!Ding!
Hero ‘Largan (★★★)’ has fainted!
Hero ‘Shuni (★★)’ has fainted!
Hero ‘Mihatran (★★★★)’ is...
Everyone in the control room who wasn’t a combatant had lost consciousness.
The fire sparked by friction spread across the deck.
This was acceleration beyond limits.
WHIIRRRRRR!
The engine whined. The booster flame turned pure white.
Even with turns, the speed wouldn’t drop.
An almost supernatural drift carved an S-curve through the air.
The pressure pressed directly onto the heroes inside.
“Waaaaaaaagh!”
Special Title Achievement!
You have obtained ‘Hell Driver’!
