Apocalypse Witch: To the Strongests of an Age of Plenty
Episode 3
Part X
Elicia Luxverg is known as one of the Problem Solving.
The woman has always been busy fighting the Threat that has shaken so much of our lives, but today she is graciously offering her free time for us!
"You've raised me too much, so please relax and enjoy this interview."
Miss Elicia, you are known to have protected dozens of cities, territories, and countries from Your Threats and legends including the New York rescue, the Hong Kong defense, and the Sydney protection. You are also notoriously not discriminating based on politics, ideology, religion, military level, race, or any other basis when it comes to providing assistance to a region in need. Of course, the same applies to other Problem Solving as well.
"I only served in densely populated areas, that's all. When we receive information about the Threat, it doesn't matter if it happens in a big city with millions of residents or in a wooden cabin in the mountains. We have to do everything we can and nothing is more important than that."
"All information about Your Threats and battles is kept secret, but it seems like you have acquired the nickname Saurus. Can you tell us why?"
"Heh. I cannot answer it because there are information restrictions. Sorry about that."
"Can you give us a little information about your future plans?"
"Once again, the restriction of information does not allow me to do so."
In addition to the battles mentioned earlier, you are also very involved with the waste handling infrastructure. I'm sorry, I have trouble understanding what a beautiful woman like you has to do with garbage handling.
"There is nothing beautiful or dirty in this world. There is only a cycle of resources and products, so if one side becomes stagnant, the other side will also collapse. Everything on this planet is limited. Efficient waste treatment and new resources obtained through it are the only ways to extend human lifespan. In a way, it's even more important than fighting the Threat. ... Oh, am I starting to give you a headache?"
How about we end the discussion about your work here.
Now, based on some of the exclusive information we have received, you are still at home. It feels a pity for a woman of your quality! What kind of guy is lucky to be your partner?
"Actually I hope the information can be confirmed as well, but not everything we want can be fulfilled in life. Besides, I don't like the concept of 'married to the top'. If that's why you're interested in me, then there's no need and let's save both of us time."
Are you the type of woman that men want to support?
"Of course, as a woman, I have every right to dream of a Prince."
Oh, is this what I saw!?
"Why surprised? But if you want to know, the first step to winning my heart is to become stronger than me. Are you listening, all the princes out there? I look forward to your challenge."
The spotlight of the smiling face on the television vanished as the screen turned black.
No one pushed the remote power button. They instead threw a remote and broke the LCD screen.
The crystal girl in the transparent white dress slowly tilted her head in the cramped room.
“What's up, Yumi?” ask Sacri.
"I can't stand it."
"But the TV didn't do anything wrong."
"I'm sorry."
Karuta submits obediently to the silent television, but it is too little and too late.
The Ocean Crystal Magic Grimnoah Magic Academy vanished in a day. The students and teachers are gone. How could that woman talk about the Threat when she also destroyed the world?
Karuta managed to escape the disaster with minor injuries and Marika injured both of her legs during the escape but did not have to worry about the lasting impact. All of that was thanks to the healing provided by the Magic Crystals.
It is a tropical island nation relatively close to the equatorial region of the sea.
People in the archipelago speak a mixed language including English, Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, and Japanese. A cheap used car is hidden in a small cave on the coast.
Their academy had possessed a 500m ship of the new era, all the latest Crystal Magic equipment, 700 specialists consisting of students and teachers, and even a bodyguard ship, but nothing remains of his previous success.
Karuta heard a squeaking sound similar to a rusty water faucet being rotated.
The voice came from a long black haired sexy girl inside the same RV as her.
His name is Omotesandou Kyouka.
He had become Rule 3 and the President of the Student Council, but no matter how many orders he sent from his printed circuit board, his Crystal Blossom would no longer produce armor for him. He was also unable to take out his Flamberge, a fire sword that was more than twice his height. Only very minimal communication could he do. He was talented enough that it was rumored that he could travel not only across the ocean and through the sky but also between dimensions, but due to the serious injuries on his back, he couldn't even get out of the wheelchair himself.
What happened during hell?
As long as the wound sustained was not a deadly wound, if the limbs of a Crystal Magician were to be cut, the broken part would be petrified into crystals and a rapid healing process would begin. After about 30 seconds, the crystal shells would shatter and they would be as healthy as ever again. However, Karuta has heard that this process will not work properly if debris or something is trapped in the body thus inhibiting healing.
Marika has been lucky and Karuta is even luckier.
However, the Student Council President did not lament his fate.
In fact, he was wise enough to understand that he was lucky only to have survived that hell.
"We saw how powerless we were, but we still chose the vehicle as our headquarters. Does it show how much the school is affecting us?"
He spoke thoughtfully as he slowly stroked his fingers along the edge of the folding table. Some handmade Crystal Magic experimental tools and printed circuit boards are smaller than the regular stamps on the table, but are actually just children's summer projects. Keeping the Crystal Blossom fresh was no easy task.
The rescued textbooks and reference books had so absorbed so much seawater that the pages were sticky until after they had dried, but by using the information there, the report said, they have manually entered the commands needed to recover the digital user manual for Crystal Blossom.
(Gekitja.)
One of the books they found had their friend's name written on the back in permanent ink.
The textbook was a book commonly used by boys to share with Karuta when he forgot to bring his own book from the dormitory even though the dormitory and school were on the same boat. The book has a roughly drawn flipbook in the corners of its pages. It is clear that the boy was more trying to draw whiskers and glasses on the drawings of scientists making historic discoveries than on underlining the parts to be tested.
The book contains things that are so personal and even vulnerable.
No one expected this to happen.
"..."
They also found several possible weapons: extendable sticks, shock devices, pepper spray, and military flashlights. However, they had clearly reached a low point when the Crystal Magicians tried to gather weapons instead of using their Crystal Blossoms. If everything was fine, they had honed their occult skills.
But nevertheless, he had to say it.
Utagai Karuta did it while playing around with a rather long military flashlight.
"It's still too early to look back on everything. We have to get revenge first."
He calmly mentioned Aine's name.
The girl had been sitting on the arm of the sofa bed, so she tilted her head in response, making her silver hair sway and reflect the rainbow light. It was his standard "waiting for orders.
The mysterious crystal girl did not appear in any known mythology or religion.
He was the greatest weapon that the boy had.
He opened the RV door, Aine propped up the wheelchair from behind, and they used a free-strain electric ramp so the three of them could get out.
The blue cave reflects sunlight in a strange way and looks like the crash site of a passenger plane.
The number is very much.
Hundreds of crystal statues lined up inside the cave. Broken arms and legs had been collected, arranged like as many puzzles as possible, and his human silhouette had been reshaped.
But that's still not enough.
The braided girl he saw in the hospital has recovered, but the crack above his navel is expected to take 550 years to heal.
He heard the sound of splashing something that split the surface of the water.
Marika emerged from the warm ocean in the tropical cave while wearing a racing swimsuit and oxygen tank.
"Don't bother with the next shift. The other pieces are too small for a human hand."
"..."
Karuta glanced towards one of the crystal statues among the statues lined up inside the cave.
It was Kazamuki Gekiha, his former classmate.
They had collected as many broken body parts as possible, but they estimated it would take 7000 years before the boy came back to life.
They would never be able to talk to the child again in their entire life.
But it could be worse. The people who work on the escort ships are ordinary people. To them, the ocean had truly become a water cemetery. They didn't get a second chance.
Marika throws the oxygen tank and Student Council President Kyouka talks to her.
"If there are nonhuman girls, there are only four of us. ... You really believe we can win against that world-class Problem Solver?"
"More than that, regardless of our reasons, I feel we will be considered as terrorists."
The girls seemed to test the water with her words.
Obviously they were not serious about backing out of their plans.
"We have to do it."
"Why?" "Because it's not because of our greatness, we can survive in that situation" honestly admitted Karuta. "If we try to go head-to-head with them, we're dead. If we run as usual, we will also be killed. The only reason we're alive is because someone else died in our place. We hide in the student forest and take shelter behind the shield of teachers to save our lives. We turn a deaf ear to the sounds of begging for help or even expecting a quick death and focus only on our own survival!!"
That's a very bad way to say it.
In a peaceful country where war is only a distant memory, perhaps they will be criticized for it.
But no one laughed. Everyone has passed through this terrible stage.
The only glimmer of hope was that those people were crystal magicians.
They are stuck in a cold sleep for a very long time, but they have a chance to wake up again one day.
But therein lies the problem.
"Once the Troubleshooters realize this, they will continue the search. They will act like agents of justice to get allies around the world who will report us soon and then this cave will be found in a witch hunt. Once that happens, no one can stop them. If Gekiha and the others were crushed into dust, baked into tiles, and used to paved roads around the world, then their history would be finished. They'll never regenerate after that."
"..."
If they can't be killed, there's another option.
There are several ways to make a person unable to die but also unable to recover.
Looks like something is blocking the recovery of the OSIS Chairman.
"So we can't let that happen. We have time until they find this cave. We have to hunt down the five of them to stop the chase. The world has gone mad, so we have to fix it. I am willing to do anything because this is our duty after surviving that hell!!!"
He could feel the flames burning in his heart.
It is no different than hurting yourself. He just burned himself with his own anger.
However, he could not let those five people off the hook.
Gekiha had apologized in her final moments and said that she had been acting foolishly.
But it's wrong. What is stupid about being angry when an adult who supports your self-esteem is killed and when your whole world is ridiculed and destroyed before your eyes? But that decision has brought about such a bad result. The right choice has been reversed to look stupid. Someone has to make them pay. And that someone must be the Karuta group that is here because they have managed to survive.
Problem Solver is in the wrong position.
They would make sure the five people admitted it themselves.
“Maybe not be the most popular choice in the world. For the other 5.5 billion people out there, your classmates as well as other school students are irrelevant. The thing you're considering might just spread chaos around the world. However, you don't have to face that shame alone.” The President of OSIS spoke softly. “Because we also refuse to let them take anything else from us.”
“…”
Karuta wiped away her tears that flooded with anger.
It was time for him to forget for a moment about Kazamuki Gekiha and his fun days at the Sea Crystal Magical Academy.
He glanced at the future coldly.
“Now, what information do we have about Elicia Luxverg?”
A decidedly artificial light joined the mysterious blue light that covered the cave walls.
Crystal girl Aine has taken out the projector from inside the RV.
After Marika tied her wet hair into a curly twintail, she leaned on the side of the RV while the Student Council President operated the remote control. Instead of a broken TV, the remote control is used to play the projector issued by Aine.
"The show was broadcast live, so we know that he's on this city's broadcast station."
The city map is the first thing to show.
The red dot in the middle will be the broadcast station.
A large circle was drawn around the spot and extended far outside the city.
Marika guessed what President OSIS meant.
"Elicia plays a role in global infrastructure, right?"
"Yes. Problem Solver has a major influence around the world, but Elicia's influence is particularly strong in Oceania and beyond. In other words, this tropical region is the region of origin."
"Part of its global infrastructure is waste processing and recycling. It took less than half an hour to crack an entire large passenger plane or tank that would normally take years, right?"
"Yes. It seemed like he had more than 20 megafloat 'resource bases' in the seven seas so that he could unleash those monsters freely. And each one of them is bigger than the Manhatan."
Elicia's dinosaur was small enough to fit into the gym, so why would she need such a large structure for it? Answer's clear.
Without the buoyancy and stability afforded by that size, dinosaurs could have flipped over the entire megafloat once it was released.
"Source can sail the world's oceans by being towed by several ships and serve as airports, seaports, and submarine bases. They will take passenger planes, tankers, submarines, or anything that reaches the end of its life. If he arrived by plane and boarded a submarine to another airport on a nearby continent, tracking him would be extremely difficult."
"So we have to do it here before he disappears" Utagai Karuta said.
They all stared at the red spots on the map: the broadcast station.
When the Student Council President pressed a button on the remote, the cave wall was covered by all the data he had collected regarding the location. Most likely he opened his information from the internet. Such information includes exterior images, the number and location of entrances and exits, a list of companies that design and build buildings, approximate location of cameras and sensors installed around the building, and, as well as even photos of trucks used to deliver materials or provide lunch.
“How can you get all this?” asked Marika while drying her swimsuit with a bath towel.
"All right, it's a TV station. A number of information has been gathered by people who are among fans and monitors who want to stalk someone outside or even head to the dressing room."
Omotesandou Kyouka gave an alluring smile.
He did not succeed in obtaining an official plan for the building, but he managed to obtain a set of layout estimates assembled by "volunteers". The layout is not only estimated based on the exterior appearance and number of posts, but also includes the actual studio number, so some parties involved may sneak in as part-time or cleaners.
"Broadcast stations are among the infrastructures mentioned as possible terrorist targets, right? Should all this information be available?"
"Yes, you never know when that information could fall into the wrong hands. Like ours."
Also, the broadcast station in question is an ultra-high building that stands 200 floors above the ground.
Surrounded by a collection of prefabricated buildings and barracks, it gives the rich area a sundial-like appearance with a broadcast station in the center.
This was the same as the giant ship that had become the Ocean Crystal Magic Academy.
New materials and technologies created as a side effect of Magic Crystals created a tendency for buildings and vehicles to become very swollen and bulky.
“This building is also used as an actual broadcast tower, right?” whispered Marika slowly. “Do you, Southeast Asia is not the place I expected to find the largest entertainment broadcast station in the world.”
“The television industry is all about fighting to dominate the market,” Karuta said. “When big content creators set themselves up, they put pressure on everyone around them. Hollywood's dominance has forced the European film industry out of densely populated China and India, so they scoured the world looking for their El Dorado where they could find hundreds of millions of people. That is why everyone seems to want to have a fancy broadcast equipment and station just because ‘that's what they do in Barat’.”
"Like a tea plantation, it's all about making money" added the Student Assembly's Chairman. "Then, security must be very tight. I do not recommend directly attacking by using Crystal Magic."
"Agree, Omotesandou-san. Besides, we can't hope to defeat Elicia that way," she spat hatefully.
"Sacri-sama," cut Crystal Girl Aine. "If you want to avoid a direct battle with Elicia Luxverg, can't you wait until she gets on the helicopter on the roof? They were not holding Crystal Blossoms and therefore could not fly, so shooting down their plane seemed to be the most effective method."
The answer is pretty simple.
"That means attacking the helicopter pilot as well. And unlike car drivers, they'll never survive."
"?"
"Basically, we don't want to involve others in this," Marika said with a bitter smile. "Is that too complicated for you, Aine-chan?"
However, just because they have to reject the idea does not mean the idea is worthless.
OSIS President Omotesandou Kyouka smiled faintly.
"But attacking him as he fell seemed like a good idea, didn't you think?"
"If we attack him at a broadcasting station, how do we avoid harming others around?"
“I want to avoid it, of course, but if you remember, the station is an important infrastructure,” Marika said. “We can't let Elicia off the hook, but if we deliberately set the alarm after catching her, I hope everyone else will be evacuated.”
“Let me take care of that while the rest of you focus on the fight,” said Omotesandou Kyouka. “While I am sitting in a wheelchair, I can still be useful. I want to help protect everyone.and help revenge on those who have five people.”.
“Um, what exactly will you do?” ask Marika carefully.
"People will become unwary around someone who looks like this, don't you think?" The Student Council president shrugged his shoulders. "I could damage the gas pipes around the station resulting in an explosion. I will keep the details secret, but it will definitely make them more vigilant. And if the tourists who are around run away from that place, better right?"
Far from a bad idea.
Karuta and Marika looked at each other and nodded.
"Trying through the main door while they're alert might not be a good idea."
"But we are the Crystal Magician. We can sneak through places no ordinary person ever thinks of."
"Then we'll use that way."
They have worked together for a long time while training for Catastrophe and it pays off here. They think more or less the same thing.
"Then it's time to really jump into the business world."
"Elicia 'Saurus' Luxverg's. How do we send that dinosaur woman to her grave?"
Several reports are on display on the cave walls.
They did not take photos or record any data during the terrible tragedy. They had used those repulsive memories to draw a diagram of the ship and write down what happened back then in as much detail as possible.
(Gekitja.)
They will not let death be in vain.
They will find a solution here and settle their revenge.
"The monster was made from weapons, shields, and other junk, and had the shape of a 15-meter-long flesh-eating dinosaur."
The Problem Solver has a value and influence that is very important in the international community in many ways other than fighting the Threat.
They use their immense power as the basis of global infrastructure.
"Maybe that's what he can do. For example, the size may be reduced to fit the gym ceiling."
Elicia helps in the garbage disposal.
He is very useful in dismantling giant structures such as passenger planes and tankers.
"But even then, I doubt it's no more than 50 meters."
It was easy enough for him. No longer do hundreds of people who need to spend six months or a year using blowtorch to dismantle the weathered tanker. Those dinosaurs could do it in less than an hour.
"How can you be so sure about its size?" ask Marika.
Karuta shrugged his shoulders.
"From the depths of the sea where the great ship sank. If the dinosaur could grow to 100 or even 1000 meters, he would not need to call it into the ship at all. He can let it stand on the bottom of the sea and use its huge jaws to go through the entire ship."
In such a desolate fight, it seemed impossible for him to hold back or bluff if it came in handy. Assuming that he was not very careful, Karuta's reasoning made sense.
President OSIS agreed.
"I wonder if this thing will be counted as a completely separate force like Aine-san," said Omotesandou Kyouka.
Compared to the woman, it gave her skin goosebumps, but Karuta suppressed his personal feelings.
"But sending my Aine to him won't be enough. The mass and power are too great."
"Sacri-sama, if you want to expand my functionality -"
"Don't rely on uncertain factors. It was no different from hoping to rely on 'hidden talent'."
“But that's the real problem.” Said Marika who was a strawberry blonde while scratching her chin. “That dinosaur didn't stop time or teleport through space. Nor does it shoot out the eyes or blow out the fire. He only has incredible mass. Dinosaurs turned their weight into strength and paved their way through that power. … There is no intelligence there, but no one can stop it. If we don't find the solution, we can't even start.”
White-haired Elicia must be very confident in her strength.
Otherwise, he would not have killed the headmaster in front of everyone, climbed onto the stage with almost no shelter, and stood in front of nearly 700 people. He almost asked them to concentrate on attacking him.
The crystal mages had the innate ability to fly, form barriers and regenerate.
Meanwhile, God-worshipping magic did not give all of that, but the most powerful of them had sent Karuta and the others to hell instantly even though they had innate abilities and up-to-date skills.
"..."
"Omotesandou-san?"
"No, just continue. Something stuck in my mind. I almost remember, but couldn't find it."
She was curious about the way Kyouka held her hand to her cheek, but she decided to focus on bringing up the idea.
"Marika, not even your Crystal Blossom will succeed, right? Even your laser and maser will have difficulty fighting such a large mass. It's like the difference between a vehicle covered in bulletproof armor and a sturdy piece of steel."
"More than that, is it by destroying it, that we will gain something? It was like a bunch of nails gathered together by a magnet, so wouldn't it regenerate every time we damage it? I mean, that dinosaur looks even less biological than Aine-chan."
"That leaves endless hell as the only option."
"Can't we fly the old lady by ourselves before the dinosaurs appear?"
If a surprise attack worked, it was indeed the best.
But there is one problem.
“We can't plan it,” Karuta said. “Especially when we do not know how the dinosaur was called or how long the call was needed after the order was sent.”
“Ya,” says Marika. “Let's hope it's not inside her body and can be summoned in an instant like with Aine-chan.”
“But we still need to have a plan if the dinosaur exists if the surprise attack fails,” Karuta added.
Aine, the pale-skinned crystal girl, tilted her head.
His silver hair fluttered as he spoke.
“So, what do you say is that the dinosaur is large, can freely change shape, can be stored anywhere, can be called in an instant, and is impossible to destroy?"
“Oops!” kilah Marika's. “Sounds really bad if you mention everything like that!!”
“Then, why was it that time Elicia Luxverg took to the stage?”
Everyone looked towards Aine.
He kept his head tilted when he answered.
“Sama is like Sacri-sama and I have similarities with Elicia and the dinosaurs. I myself have a separate force with the most powerful protector, while Sacri-sama remains protected.”
“What's your coin?”
“If so, getting on stage becomes a waste.” Aine replied straightforwardly and directly. “The safest and most effective rule is not to let Elicia get on board. It could unleash the dinosaurs and witness the destruction from a safe distance. But that's what he doesn't do.”
"It is true that Karuta's opinion that the maximum size of the dinosaur was not more than 50 meters. If he called her outside the ship, then the dinosaur would definitely sink to the bottom of the sea."
"However, that doesn't explain why Elicia appeared directly. It was better if he just sent the dinosaurs into the gym alone while he gave instructions from a hidden place. If he stays on another ship, that's the best option."
"Hmm .. is it a matter of pride? Does he feel the need to actually stand on stage and declare war on us?"
“Wait. Female dinosaurs weren't the only Problem Solving there. Those behind the spear of light and the giant sword were also there. Did they all actually board the ship?” Utagai Karuta digs the core of the problem. "If not and attacking from outside the ship was an option, then why would Elicia bother to board the ship? This is not a matter of pride and he will not bother to show his spectacle just for a regular ‘sergo’. I mean, we know the other members weren't on that stage."
“So are there any logical reasons like distance problem?” The Student Council chairman nagged under his breath. “Can he not control the dinosaurs if he goes too far? But..”
How far Karuta's instructions can get to Aine is an important issue, so it's not wrong to assume distance as the limiter.
But other than that....
“Why did he get on stage?"
If distance was the only problem, he could hide behind the stage or inside the air ducts. They recalled what Elicia had said so faithfully at that moment. More than that, they reviewed every move he made.
Yep.
Why was he standing in the most conspicuous location and therefore extremely dangerous?
“Or did we see this incorrectly? ...Oh!"
Omotesandou Kyouka seems to have realized something, but Marika and Aine still look confused.
They could not let the impact of the scene bother them. They should continue to think about the original position that the woman really wants. Where did the dinosaurs come from? What has it destroyed? What does it mean for the woman to stand with her back facing that direction? What position was important enough that he had to deal with 700 students and teachers?
Utagai Karuta refocused his mind.
He looked them in the eyes one by one and gave an answer.
"Why does he want to stand with his back to the wall?"