Chapter 76

"Robots and fairies, huh..."

On the way to Yayoi's bar, Soji glanced at Nia and Ul, who were snugly tucked into his suit pocket, looking around, and muttered.

"Wow, it feels like a grown-up city! Nia, look, look! There's a weird sign!"

"Master and I have been coming here for 10 days now. You shouldn't look at that sign."

(They look incredibly fantastical, but they're having a surprisingly down-to-earth conversation...)

Soji silently thought to himself. Incidentally, through the spirit threads, he could hear Nia and Ul's conversation, but the guards around them couldn't hear it, nor could they see Ul.

"By the way, what can Nia and Ul do? If there are any conditions for activating your abilities, we can adjust our strategy accordingly."

"I can hack electronic devices and control golems and shikigami."

"I can use various spells. I can use really powerful ones when I'm with Master, but on my own, I can only use moderate ones."

"Hacking and various spells, huh. Oh, I can use a special ability called 'Cold and Heat,' which lets me freeze or heat things."

"What's that? Sounds cool! Can you show me?"

"No way. There are civilians around, and there's foot traffic."

While chatting through the spirit threads, Nia, Ul, and Soji arrived at the mixed-use building owned by 'Great Ultimate Yayoi.'

"Kyaa! Soji-chan!!"

"Ah!"

As the door opened, Yayoi leaped at Soji, but he caught her arms, deftly absorbing the impact from her massive body and narrowly avoiding her love hug.

"To dodge that... you've gotten stronger, Soji-chan."

"Don't act like you were testing me! You just tackled me because you wanted to hug me!"

"Wow. Nia, I know this race. It's an ogre!"

"She's human."

Yayoi, who had been on her knees, stood up and looked at Soji and the red subordinate standing beside him, her expression turning serious.

"I've received a call from Red, so I understand the situation. Lisa has been captured, it seems."

"You planned to tackle me even after understanding the situation?"

"Hehe, in a situation like this, humor is important, Soji-chan. Anyway, I should be hiding in a safe place, but this time, I'll also support Red and try to reduce the enemy's strength."

"Are you planning to intercept them?"

"Yes. The best scenario is to finish this as quickly as possible and join Red's team. I've already evacuated the employees who can't fight to a safe place. This mixed-use building is empty except for my combat team and you guys, so feel free to go all out. Let's have a quick strategy meeting, shall we?"

Yayoi and the red subordinate nodded, and they were assigned to different floors of the building.

The five-story mixed-use building. Yayoi, the target of protection, would wait on the third floor with two of her strongest subordinates and Soji, where an escape route was secured. The other subordinates would secure the front and back entrances on the first floor, and the 10 guards sent as reinforcements from Red would wait on the second floor and above, as well as on the roof.

"Hey, Yayoi. Can I go check the back entrance just in case?"

"Sure. We don't know when the attack will happen, so come back quickly."

"Got it."

Soji took Nia and Ul to a deserted alley with a scrap yard next to the back entrance.

"This is the scrap yard. No one is around right now, and the materials here are meant to be disposed of, so you can use them freely."

"Thank you. There isn't much material, but we can make one."

"Why did you want to come here?"

"Ul and I need a body to fight. Being in your pocket would interfere with your battle."

"Wait, make a body?"

"Yeah. Just watch, first, 'Iron Factory'!"

As Ul shouted, the scrap yard's sign and iron pipes gathered to form a skeletal structure.

"Wow..."

"Not done yet. Next, 'Golden Giant'!"

The iron skeleton was covered with scrap and wiring, forming an orange golem about 180 cm tall.

"Wow, fairies can do this?"

"If Master is nearby, I can make a much prettier, gold-plated giant. Still, this time, I've paid attention to the details, even the invisible parts! Cockpit open!"

"Whoa, the chest opened."

At Ul's command, the golem's chest opened, revealing a small seat for Nia and Ul, along with levers, switches, and displays.

"Amazing. You can make such an incredible robot with a spell?"

"Technically, it's a golem, not a robot. By the way, all these switches and levers are just for show."

"Really?"

"Yeah! As long as the shape is right, Nia can control it with spirit threads, so everything inside the cockpit is just for show! Atmosphere is key!"

"Oh, I see."

Despite this, Soji was impressed. Ul carried Nia and flew into the golem's cockpit.

"The interior is inspired by a certain Gundam!"

"Gundam is great, excellent reproduction!"

"Wow, Nia, you know your stuff!"

"Advanced two-seater designs are rare. How about making the displays show the outside view? That would be more realistic."

"Really? Like glass fragments?"

"By converting the visual information sensed through spirit threads into images, it's possible, though it requires some complex calculations."

"I don't understand, but Nia, you're a genius!"

(They don't make much sense, but this fairy and robot seem to get along well with Shizukanae.)

While thinking this, Soji noticed something.

"Um... that form is pretty noticeable, isn't it?"

"Oh!"

"Ah!"

The 180 cm tall, bulky, orange golem was a level that might get reported immediately.

"Is there any suitable cloth...? Ul, can I use the 'Iron Factory' to make it?"

"Got it! 'Iron Factory'!"

Iron sand from around the building gathered on the golem, forming a skin-like covering. Some of the iron sand transformed into a thin, black robe.

"The robe and the body are made of pure iron, so they can withstand close-range gunfire."

"All black, looks cool! But in the city, a black robe might still be noticeable, right?"

"Better than before, though."

After that, the all-black golem, despite their best efforts, was still quite noticeable, so they decided to wait on the roof of the adjacent building.

"By the way, do you have any confidence in acting?"

"Acting? Sorry, I'm terrible at it."

Soji remembered his terrible acting in a school play during his middle school days.

"Understood... I'll just give you the instructions. First, when we return to the bar, do not leave the room with the bar counter until the enemy invades. Even if you hear noises outside or lose communication, do not move from the room with the bar counter."

"Okay, got it."

"Second, please have Yayoi and the dedicated guards wait in the back room or kitchen, not the room with the bar counter."

"Got it. Is this part of a strategy?"

"Yes. When the enemy invades the bar, it would help if you could buy as much time as possible."

"Understood. I'll try my best."

Soji realized that the strategy might be compromised if he knew the details, so he didn't ask Nia about it.

"The attackers disappeared in the crowd 5 minutes ago, but the attack should start soon. Be careful."

"See you later!"

"Take care."

The golem, with the iron sand robe transformed into wires, was hoisted up to the roof of the adjacent building.

(Amazing, anything is possible with Yuki's friends...)

With this thought, Soji watched the golem ascend to the roof and then returned to the bar where Yayoi was waiting.

I'm sorry, the author is safe and healthy!