Chapter 4: The Brink of Death

The Brink of Death

The Imperial Central Research District.

Nina slipped through the magical security network and descended to the deepest part.

There wasn't a single guard along the way, making it clear the Empire had detected her "arrival," but she paid no attention to that.

All she could see was "it"—the Omega Relic—that she had seen in the ruins' memory device.

The image from that time was still burned into her mind.

A single blow that could split the sky and shatter the earth... the embodiment of destruction.

"I came for you... because I believe you'll destroy me ♡"

However, the Omega Relic, which should have been sleeping there, had not yet awakened.

Instead, waiting for her at the deepest level of the tower was another weapon—Ark Helvion.

Ark Helvion.

The name didn't appear in the memory device.

But it was clearly a defensive weapon that activated in response to Nina's intrusion.

An unusual sense of intimidation. A heavy mechanical hum. Magical circuits gleaming on steel armor. A semi-organic, semi-mechanical body. Advanced weaponry modeled after a human form. On its back, a deployable magic particle cannon—designed like a battering ram.

Nina licked her lips.

"This one's good too ♡"

Immediately afterward, space roared.

The opening blow unleashed by Ark Helvion twisted the gravitational field.

The ground was gouged out in a circular shape by the supergravity, but Nina kicked off the ground at the last moment, leaped into the air, and accelerated with wind magic... escaping at the last second.

"Wow, that was close! Hahaha ♡"

Ark Helvion instantly switched forms, extending both arms.

The armor on his shoulders cracked, and six "magic stakes" were launched from them.

Nina dodged them with spatial teleportation.

The next moment, she appeared behind the enemy and unleashed a full-power explosion magic at Ark Helvion's armor.

The impact resonated deep in its stomach, and smoke billowed.

Ark Helvion emerged from it, appearing almost completely unharmed.

 "...Not bad for a warm-up act ♡"

Nina's hand gleamed, and this time she deployed a magic barrier.

Not for defense, but something that could crush the entire space with its ultra-high density.

Tiny cracks appeared on Ark Helvion's outer shell.

But that was only for a moment.

Ark Helvion activated the "magic energy separation mechanisms" in various parts of its body, reversing the interference of the barrier and causing Nina's spell to collapse.

"Huh? What the─!"

The counterattack continued.

Ark Helvion's right arm instantly transformed into a blade unit, and its slash deeply cut Nina's left shoulder.

She parried it, but the impact was great.

Her small body flew through the air, and red blood arced through the air.

"Ah... Gahhh ♡"

Nina, being a student, had little combat experience.

Since gaining strength, she had rarely been injured.

Even so, Nina maintained her fearless smile.

"Finally, finally I've found it♡"

She wiped away the blood, forcibly solidifying the bleeding from her shoulder with magic.

Even the pain of the wound, which disrupted the circulation of her magic, was pleasurable for her in her excited state.

"But it's not enough♡ It's still not enough♡"

Nina ran across the battlefield.

She leaped over the unstable rubble, used the reflection from the ceiling to disrupt the enemy's vision, and charged using a mirrored image of magic projected by reversing the gravitational field as a decoy.

And then—

She finally pinpointed the location of the Ark Helvion's reactor core.

Nina concentrated magic in her palm and struck the vulnerable point with a shockwave.

"There, it's finished♡"

One hit.

The Ark-Helvion was destroyed.

Its control center was severed, and the machine crumbled with a rumbling sound.

Amidst the scattered wreckage, Nina placed her hands on her knees and regulated her breathing.

"Phew...hehe♡ That was pretty good...but it's still completely different from 'that'."

Recalling the 'real deal' she'd seen in the memory device, Nina's smile took on a shadow.

That destructive spectacle... with each hit, it felt like her life force was being chipped away, her consciousness being burned away──!

How she longs to quickly meet with it!

★★★

"...Ark Helvion, silent. Magical core disconnection confirmed."

The moment the report arrived, silence enveloped the command center.

Everyone believed its name to be "Perfect Military Power." Even though it was a prototype, it was a "monster" designed to form the core of the Imperial Magical Armament.

"All by herself, she..."

"No problem. That unit, though high-end, was a prototype. In fact, the fact that it managed to injure that kid alone means that if we build a few more, they'll be more than capable of being used in actual combat... Obtaining that data is a great achievement."

The commander-in-chief's eyes turned to the video.

The girl's eyes, as seen there, were clearly filled with "pleasure."

"A desire for destruction...? That sounds like madness....

.... Then we shall grant that wish. Thanks to the time that Ark-Helvion bought us, we are now ready!"

—The ultimate weapon, Omega-Relic

—A self-evolving annihilation mechanism left behind by an ancient civilization

—The wisdom of the apocalypse that once nearly killed a god

"Final stage of activation phase. Dimensional interference control, reaching criticality."

Magic circles overlapped in layers, and a black-red light converged before Nina's eyes.

★★★

A massive, gleaming, hard body.

Six floating magical wings.

Overflowing magical power distorts space.

Nina's vision blurs. Her breathing becomes shallow.

"Ahaha, this feels good ♡"

The wound on her left arm hasn't healed yet, and her body's movements are sluggish due to her slightly reckless actions.

'....Ah, this feeling is irresistible. I'm standing on the brink of death right now──!'

"Mm... this feels so good──"

Before she could finish thinking, space exploded.

Omega Relic's magical wings glow, unleashing slashes in all directions. Air particles are torn apart, and the rubble around Nina instantly dissipates into mist.

"[Barrier]!!"

There is no escape in this situation

She stretched the barrier, as if clinging to her body, to strengthen her defenses, but cracks began to appear within seconds.

Eventually, the slashes she couldn't completely block cut shallowly across her entire body.

"Ouch..."

Omega Relic stood towering in the center of the ruined city.

Its massive body slowly turned its gaze towards Nina.

["Confirmed—Target, eliminate."]

It was an inorganic and absolute voice, like the voice of a god.

Nina smiled again.

"That's right... That's more like it ♡!"

Bouncing quickly across the unstable rubble, Nina used the metal fragments on the ceiling and the reflective surfaces of the shattered magic crystals to scatter the light beam.

Suddenly, multiple images of Nina appeared above her head.

Simultaneously, she reversed the gravitational field that had unfolded at her feet, using the rising magical particles to form a mirror image.

As the illusion charged forward, her real body slid in from the opposite direction into Omega Relic's blind spot.

Normally, she wouldn't use such "tricks."

This opponent was that strong—Nina's emotions intensified even further.

Dimensional transfer. Moved to Omega Relic's right side.

However, its reaction speed was abnormally fast.

Before Nina's figure even appeared, one of the magical wings reacted, and a shockwave exploded.

'No way, was it reading my mind!?'

She was blown away before she could even dodge.

She slammed against the wall, her bones creaking.

"Agh!!"

Her vision blurred. She'd managed to break her fall, but the damage was still too great.

She couldn't put any strength into her legs. She couldn't stand. Tiny cracks were running through the bones of her entire body.

Yet, she still had some magic left.

"Ahaha... I'm really going to die...♡"

As her senses faded, she raised both hands towards Omega Relic, gathering her magic.

Deciding this to be her death trap, she literally poured all her "last strength" into it, without thinking about the consequences.

Then, she unleashed a blow that directly hit Omega Relic's core.

The aftershock of the explosion shook the underground space, and the burst of light bathed everything Nina saw in white. 

Overwhelmed by the blinding light, she turned her face away—the next thing she saw was the enemy's core, half-destroyed.

Clearly a fatal wound.

It would soon cease to function.

However... after killing Nina.

"Die with me, you loser...♡"

She spat out those words softly and closed her eyes.