Then, anti-aircraft weapons from the battleship rain down on us.
I deflect everything with my sword, causing dust to fly.
Damn! I was worried about Amakusa's dress getting dirty, but thanks to its high performance, it remains spotless.
"That designer is impressive. I'll hire him exclusively."
I grip the hilt of my sword.
I lower my stance and steady my breathing.
As soon as I confirm that Amakusa has taken Rosetta back inside, the attacks from the battleship rain down on me.
They must have hesitated to fire the main cannon in the capital planet.
But, that hesitation will be their downfall.
If they wanted to kill me, they should have vaporized me with the main cannon.
Of course, I had a countermeasure in place.
A true villain never lets his guard down.
I came outside because I knew I could win.
I'll take them on personally.
"My skills are still far from my master's, but -- you are no match for me."
This is a full-power strike.
I unleash my maximum potential.
"Single Slash"
The slash aimed at the massive object floating in the sky feels amplified by the special sword I brought.
I can feel the increased power and the object in the sky becoming still.
I lower my guard and shoulder my sword.
"The problem is what comes next."
A crack slowly forms in the center of the battleship, gradually widening.
The massive battleship, floating in the sky, is about to crash into the capital planet, scattering debris.
There will be tremendous damage.
I intend to use self-defense as an excuse.
It's their fault for targeting me.
"Really, what is the security of the capital planet like?"
I think I see an animal at the edge of my vision, but there's nothing there.
"Was it a mistake? More importantly, what should I do now?"
If I hadn't brought it down, we would have been killed.
The building has a shield, so our safety is secured.
The problem is the surrounding area.
If the battleship crashes, it will cause a major disaster.
I don't want to be held responsible, so I'm trying to think of a solution when a mobile knight appears from the sky.
It seems to have launched from my fleet, which was waiting near the capital planet.
My beloved machine, equipped with the Machine Heart, doesn't seem to be affected by communication interference.
It literally flew to my rescue in a crisis.
"You're a good boy, Avid."
When Avid lands in front of me, the massive 24-meter-tall body doesn't even shake.
The technology of the interstellar nation is amazing.
Avid extends its hand, and I use it as a platform to jump into the cockpit.
I sit in the seat and grip the control stick.
"Avid, dropping it will be troublesome. -- Show me your power."
Avid's engine roars as it ascends into the sky.
Then, it starts to push the collapsing battleship from below.
"Good. Keep pushing it back into space!"
As Avid's output increases, the falling battleship is halted in mid-air and then slowly begins to rise.
The power of the small body pushing back the battleship is astonishing.
"Ha ha ha! This is my power!"
Escape pods are launching from the battleship one after another.
Contact from the enemy is established due to the contact.
"Please, help us! If this continues, we --"
You came to kill me, and now you're asking for my help.
I release the control stick and cross my arms behind my head.
I also cross my legs.
Avid is operating automatically, doing what I want.
"Right. If this continues, you will die."
"Please! We were ordered to --"
"You attacked the capital planet with a battleship. Even if you survive, you're finished. The ones who escaped will face severe consequences."
"We were ordered to --"
"I don't care. Die."
Avid accelerates, and the wall of liquid metal surrounding the capital planet comes into view.
When the battleship hits the wall, it passes through since it's liquid.
But outside is space.
"Stop! Stop!"
The voices of many people fade into space, and Avid, which pushed back the battleship, holds a sword in its right hand.
"Do you want to cut it to pieces?"
The engine roars in response, so I grip the control stick.
Avid, equipped with the Machine Heart, is so adorable.
I'll indulge it a little.
"Good. Show me how well you can replicate my movements!"
When Avid replicates the "Single Slash," it cuts through the battleship in front of it.
The various parts of the battleship scream as the damage level changes from green to orange.
However, Avid, equipped with the Machine Heart, begins self-repairing and restores the damage.
"Nice work. Now, you can go even further."
Avid roars in response, seemingly eager to do more.
"Don't rush. There are countless enemies in space. I'll play with you until I'm satisfied."
Avid seems to calm down a bit after hearing that.
The battleship in front of me is torn apart and disintegrates.
One of the strikes hits the engine, causing the battleship to explode.
Debris is scattered in space.
"Idiots -- oh, by the way."
I take out an alchemy box I had hidden in Avid.
When Avid extends its hand towards the floating debris, it generates gravity, causing the debris to gather.
Avid then compresses it into a solid mass.
Using the alchemy box, I turn it into gold.
The debris is transformed into gold particles, changing its appearance to gold.
"It works perfectly."
I should store it inside Avid from now on.
Only certain people can enter, and the current Avid is my true beloved steed, equipped with the Machine Heart.
--Or should I call it a partner? Avid isn't a horse.
"Well, since I've pushed back the battleship, I should head back. But, Calvin -- you've finally shown me an opening."
Calvin, who had been inactive, is now moving.
This is a big opportunity for me.
Moreover, he even moved a battleship in the capital planet.
This is a significant blunder.
"I'm looking forward to seeing how far I can corner you."
◇
The guide was stunned, watching the scene.
"What...?"
His mind couldn't process what had just happened.
It refused to process it.
After all, Liam had cut through a battleship with a single sword.
"Why...?"
Even stopping anti-aircraft laser beams with a sword was unbelievable.
And he cut through a battleship.
The assumption that a single person's power is insignificant against a battleship was shattered.
"Liam has become a monster beyond control."
The guide fell to his knees.
Could he defeat Liam now?
With his weakened state, there was no chance.
"What did I do wrong? What have I done?"
Then, Avid returned.
Exiting the party venue were Amakusa and the others.
Liam's first destination was not Rosetta, who had rushed to his side in worry, but Amakusa.
Seeing this, the guide smiled.
"You're already unbeatable. But, I'll at least leave a scar on your heart. If I can leave a scar that won't fade, I can disappear from this world."
It was fine even if he couldn't defeat Liam.
He just wanted to make him despair.
◇
The party venue was in chaos.
It was inevitable after receiving an attack from a battleship in the capital planet.
Amakusa, without time to change, was moving around the venue to help.
As she walked down a corridor, the presence of people suddenly disappeared.
The place, which had been bustling with people just moments ago, was now strangely devoid of them.
"Is something strange happening?"
As she hurried to reach Liam, a mysterious presence appeared in front of Amakusa.
"Hello, miss."
It was a man in a tuxedo, tall and slender, with a silk hat pulled down to cover his eyes.
However, to Amakusa, it appeared as something unrecognizable.
"Who are you?"
A humanoid something.
To Amakusa, the guide's form was distorted and unclear.
It was an existence not in her data.
An alarm rang in her head, warning her that the presence in front of her was dangerous.
"There's no need to answer a robot. If you die, Liam will suffer. That's all that matters."
The guide pulled out a gun from his pocket.
"In my weakened state, I can only rely on this. But, I should have done this from the beginning."
The weakened guide no longer had the strength to act directly.
However, the gun he held had enough power to destroy Amakusa.
"!"
Amakusa tried to run, but black smoke appeared around her, entangling her legs and preventing her from moving.
She tried to call for help, but communication was blocked, and no one was approaching.
In a building full of people, no one was coming to this spot.
Could such a thing happen?
Was the presence in front of her doing something?
Amakusa couldn't figure it out.
The guide smiled.
"What kind of face will Liam make when I throw your head in front of him?"
Mentioning Liam's name, the presence in front of her was someone she couldn't defeat.
Amakusa closed her eyes.
"Lord. I'm sorry."
The guide, with a smile on his lips, pulled the trigger.
Bryan (´・ω・｀) "W-What... (deadpan)"
Bryan (´・ω・｀) "..."
Bryan (´・ω・｀) "Ah, today is the release day of 'The School Labyrinth on the Solitary Island.' I hope those who have already obtained it are enjoying it. I would appreciate it if you could support it as you have with 'I Am the Corrupt Lord of an Interstellar Nation!'"