Non-Administered World #97, Star Rail Universe…
[Starblazer online. Initiating route clearance.]
Starblazer stood high above the Gateport-Meldiana battlefield with its enormous lance held diagonally across its body. White, red, and gold armor covered its massive humanoid frame, with glowing golden sections carrying Trailblaze energy across its limbs and torso. Large engines rested along its back and shoulders, while a bright golden core shone from the center of its chest. As its head turned toward the dimensional opening Sirin had created, Starblazer's eyes lit up and locked onto the path ahead.
Inside the cockpit, Himeko stood at the central control position while Caelus, March, and Dan Heng occupied the stations around her.
"T-t-t-t-th-this… IS SO COOOOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!" March finally shouted after spending several seconds trying to process what had just happened. Her eyes darted around the spacious cockpit, taking in every control panel and display before settling on the screens showing Starblazer from the outside. "One second I was standing at Hogwarts, then everything turned gold, and suddenly I'm inside a giant robot with Miss Himeko! And it has a HUGE lance! Why did nobody tell me the Astral Express had something like this?!"
Himeko laughed at her enthusiasm. "Ahahaha, easy there, March. Starblazer isn't going anywhere just yet."
"But Mom, March is right! This is amazing!" Caelus immediately joined in, staring just as openly at the controls around him. "Also, after all of this is over, can I pilot Starblazer?"
March whipped around toward him. "Wait! If Caelus gets to pilot it, I want a turn too!"
"Of course you do."
"Why did you say that like it was obvious?!"
"Because it was."
Himeko shook her head with an amused smile. "Alright, alright. Once Dormammu is dealt with and this war is over, I'll let all of you see Starblazer properly."
"Then the promise has been secured," Dan Heng said calmly. "We can return later."
March and Caelus slowly turned toward him.
Dan Heng was already examining the cockpit in detail. His expression remained as composed as ever, but his eyes kept moving between the controls, displays, mechanical interfaces, and every other part of Starblazer he could see.
March narrowed her eyes. "Dan Heng…"
"What?" He finally looked toward them and frowned.
Caelus' grin widened. "You're interested too."
"I never said I wasn't."
March stared at him for a second before pointing dramatically. "He admitted it!"
Himeko covered her mouth as she laughed. "My, my. I suppose Starblazer has won over all three of you."
Dan Heng sighed, though he made absolutely no attempt to stop examining the controls. "If everyone is finished, the second firing window is approaching. We should not waste it."
That reminder immediately brought March and Caelus back to the reason they were there. Their excitement remained, but both quickly returned their attention to the main display where Dormammu's position was being tracked inside the Dimensional Gap.
Himeko nodded and placed both hands against Starblazer's controls. "Dan Heng is right. You can enjoy the ride properly later. Right now, we have a job to finish."
March straightened at her station. "Right!"
Caelus grinned and placed his hands against his own controls. "Let's go!"
Dan Heng gave a small nod. "Ready."
Trailblaze energy began flowing from all four Nameless into Starblazer. Silver rail lines appeared around the giant machine and brightened one after another as its engines increased their output. The golden core in its chest burned brighter, while the lance in its hands responded to the combined power of Himeko, March, Caelus, and Dan Heng.
Himeko raised one hand toward the dimensional opening ahead.
"Starblazer… set forth!"
Starblazer's eyes flashed brightly as its engines released a massive burst of golden light. The giant machine launched upward and accelerated across the sky above Gateport, moving far faster than something of its size had any right to before charging directly into the opening Sirin had created between Earth and the Dimensional Gap.
—-
Back in the Dimensional Gap, Noah, Hayate, Sirin, and Reinforce watched as Welt's Black Hole continued consuming nearly half of Dormammu's manifested body. Reinforce kept tracking every reaction produced by the attack, mapping the possible location of Dormammu's true body while more of his dimensional protections were crushed and stripped away.
[I'm getting more readings desu!] Reinforce reported as several calculation windows moved rapidly around her. [The number of possible dimensions is dropping quickly! Welt-san's attack has already eliminated more than half of them!]
[Keep following every reaction, Rein,] Hayate answered. [We only need to find the right one.]
[Hai desu!]
Sirin, meanwhile, kept most of her focus on maintaining the enormous rift between the Real World and the Dimensional Gap. Embrace the Void remained firmly in both hands as she stabilized the passage and prepared herself for the moment Reinforce finally identified the dimension hiding Dormammu's true body.
Noah and Hayate stayed closer to Dormammu. Hayate's task was to make certain he remained inside the calculated firing area, while Noah remained ready to respond if Dormammu somehow escaped Welt's Black Hole or attempted something unexpected. Once Reinforce found the real target, Noah would be the one to deliver the final attack.
Noah glanced toward the shrinking Black Hole. [How are we looking?]
[Still within the calculated result desu,] Reinforce answered. [But Welt-san's attack is starting to lose power.]
Hayate looked toward the collapsing dimensional layers around Dormammu. [Then Himeko-san's firing window should be close.]
[Correct,] Void Archives confirmed. [Everyone remain in position. We are transitioning to the second attack.]
The Black Hole continued shrinking as the next firing window approached.
"TRAILBLAZER! I WILL BURN YOU AND THIS ENTIRE WORLD TO ASH!" Dormammu roared from within the collapsing attack.
"Yeah, yeah. Get in line." Noah rolled his eyes.
Hayate gave him a sideways glance. "There's a line?"
"There's always a line."
Sirin nearly laughed through their communication channel, but before she could say anything, something enormous suddenly emerged from the dimensional opening behind them.
A gigantic red-and-white machine crossed through the passage and rapidly approached their position.
Sirin, being the closest to the opening, saw it first. Her eyes widened as she stared at the enormous machine coming toward them.
"…Eh?"
Hayate noticed a second later and froze as well.
"What… is that?"
Noah saw both of them staring behind him and slowly followed their line of sight.
He looked at the machine. Then blinked. He closed his eyes, counted to three, and opened them again. It was still there.
…VA."
[Yes, Captain?]
"Is that Miss Himeko's surprise?"
[Apparently.]
Noah remained silent for several seconds while his mind finally caught up with what he was seeing.
"…She had a giant robot this entire time?!"
[It would appear so.]
A communication window suddenly opened beside Noah, revealing Sirin pointing excitedly toward Starblazer as it continued approaching.
"NOAH! LOOK! A GIANT ROBOT!!!!"
"I CAN SEE THAT!"
"Hajime is going to be so jealous!"
"I know!" Noah immediately pulled out his communicator. "I'm taking pictures and sending them to him later."
Sirin gasped as though Noah had just suggested something truly unforgivable. "How cruel! If you just send him the pictures, how could we see his reaction!"
Noah stopped, then he turned to her.
"We should show him in person and watch everything live." Sirin's grin widened.
Hayate did a double-take so quickly that Reinforce nearly protested from inside their Unison. "Huh?!"
"Oh!" Noah's eyes immediately lit up. "Sii, you're right! I'll save everything until the crew gets together again!"
"Exactly!"
"You two…" Hayate stared at them with her mouth slightly open before releasing a long sigh. "Haaaa… just whose family do these two come from?"
She paused for a second.
"…Oh. Mine."
Before either Noah or Sirin could respond, Starblazer suddenly shot directly past them.
VROOOOOOM!!!
The force from its engines swept across the group. Noah braced himself against his Force Platform while Hayate was pushed several meters backward, but Sirin barely seemed to notice. Her eyes remained locked on Starblazer as it raced past them.
"Akivili… my great-grandmother's counterpart is so awesome!" Noah immediately turned around and started taking even more pictures.
"Noah-kun," Hayate called.
"I'm still watching Dormammu!"
"You're taking pictures!"
"I can do both!"
Sirin immediately raised her own communicator. "Move a little, Noah! I want one from this angle!"
"Sirin-chan!"
While Noah and Sirin continued fussing over Starblazer, Hayate could only watch them with a mixture of exasperation and fondness as Himeko guided the giant machine toward its assigned firing position.
Once Starblazer stopped, Himeko opened the communication channel.
"Rein-chan, Starblazer is in position and ready."
Reinforce immediately checked the coordinates against her calculations.
[Position confirmed desu! You are directly on the firing route!]
Noah looked toward Starblazer and gave a low whistle. [Grandma Himeko, I have several questions.]
Himeko smiled from inside the cockpit. [Later, Noah.]
[But… giant robot.]
[Later.]
Sirin immediately joined in. [I have questions too!]
[Later, Sirin.]
[Awww…]
Hayate giggled softly. [You heard Himeko-san. We can interrogate her after we win.]
[Thank you, Hayate.]
Noah narrowed his eyes at the communication window. [You say that now, Grandma Himeko, but there is absolutely going to be a family meeting about keeping giant robots secret.]
[Yes, yes. I'll prepare myself.]
Void Archives finally cut into the conversation before it could spiral any further. [As entertaining as everyone's reunion with Starblazer has apparently become, may I remind you that Dormammu is still attempting to destroy an entire world?]
The mental connection went completely silent.
Noah slowly turned back toward Dormammu. […Right.]
Sirin cleared her throat. [We knew that.]
[Of course you did.]
Hayate covered her mouth to hide a laugh, while Void Archives wisely ignored the conversation and returned everyone's attention to the operation.
[The Black Hole is reaching the end of its effective duration. Little Zwei, begin the final adjustment for the second attack.]
[Hai desu!] Reinforce immediately answered as several calculation windows appeared around her.
[Starblazer, maintain your current position.]
[Understood,] Himeko replied.
[Captain, Miss Hayate, remain ready in case Dormammu attempts to escape once the Black Hole collapses.]
[Got it,] Noah answered as he raised Shamash again.
[Understood,] Hayate added, tightening her grip on Schwertkreuz.
[Miss Sirin, maintain the passage until Starblazer's attack has completely crossed into the Dimensional Gap.]
[Leave it to me!] Sirin replied as she poured more Quantum energy into Embrace the Void.
Void Archives checked the final timing one more time before beginning the countdown.
[Second attack begins in ten seconds.]
The playful atmosphere disappeared immediately as everyone returned their full attention to Dormammu.
[Ten.]
Inside Starblazer, March tightened her grip on the controls while Caelus leaned forward beside her, both watching the targeting display as Dormammu's position remained locked at the center.
[Nine.]
Dan Heng carefully monitored the readings coming from Reinforce and Chaldea, making sure Starblazer remained perfectly aligned with the firing route Sirin had created.
[Eight. Seven.]
Himeko placed both hands firmly against Starblazer's controls. Across the giant machine, several sections of armor shifted into new positions as its internal systems redirected more power toward the weapons.
[Six. Five.]
Welt's Pseudo Black Hole continued shrinking. As its gravitational field weakened, Dormammu's heavily damaged manifested body slowly became visible again. Entire sections of him were missing, while most of the dimensional protections that had previously surrounded him had already been destroyed.
[Four.]
Starblazer's weapon systems came online, and several sections across its shoulders and torso began opening while Trailblaze energy gathered throughout the machine.
[Three.]
Silver rail lines formed behind Starblazer and extended far into the distance as its engines increased their output.
[Two.]
"One final push, everyone," Himeko said, her eyes remaining fixed on Dormammu.
March nodded firmly. "Alright… here we go!"
"Time to end this!" Caelus added with a grin.
Dan Heng gave a short nod as his Trailblaze energy flowed into Starblazer alongside theirs. "Fire when ready."
[One.]
The last remains of Welt's Pseudo Black Hole finally collapsed, releasing Dormammu from its gravitational pull. He immediately tried to move, but the damage done to his manifested body and dimensional protections left him unable to react as quickly as before.
Dormammu barely managed to raise his head before he noticed the enormous machine already aiming directly at him.
[ZERO.]
Starblazer moved.
Several armored sections across its shoulders and torso opened completely as the giant machine prepared to unleash its attack.
"What now?!" Dormammu's eyes widened as rows of cannons unfolded across Starblazer's shoulders, arms, and torso.
Inside the cockpit, Himeko raised one hand toward him.
"Fire!"
[Star-blazing Judgment, execute!]
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Dozens of blasts crossed the Dimensional Gap and struck Dormammu before he could fully recover from Welt's attack. Each impact damaged his manifested body while breaking apart more of the already weakened dimensional protections surrounding him.
"GRAAAAAAAAH!!!"
Dormammu hurriedly formed several barriers around himself, but the bombardment tore through them one after another before continuing directly into his body. Large sections of his manifested form were blasted apart, yet Starblazer showed no sign of stopping.
Its engines suddenly roared.
With a burst of acceleration, Starblazer crossed the distance and appeared directly beside Dormammu before swinging its enormous lance across his chest.
SHRAAAAAAK!!!
Dormammu was thrown sideways, but Starblazer rotated with the movement and immediately attacked from the opposite direction.
SLAAAAASH!!!
Another section of Dormammu's dimensional protection broke apart under the second strike.
"YOU INSOLENT MACHINE!"
Dark flames erupted from Dormammu's remaining arm and rushed toward Starblazer, but the giant machine pushed directly through the attack as Trailblaze energy reinforced its armor.
Inside the cockpit, Caelus grinned at the readings in front of him. "He's still standing!"
"Miss Himeko!" March called.
"I see it," Himeko replied, keeping her eyes on Dormammu.
Dan Heng checked another set of rapidly changing readings before looking toward Himeko. "Source Energy is ready."
A confident smile appeared on her face.
"Then let's use it."
Starblazer immediately pulled away from Dormammu. Several sections along its body shifted and transformed as its weapon systems changed configuration, redirecting energy throughout the entire machine. Golden light began gathering ahead of Starblazer until even Dormammu noticed the rapidly increasing output.
His expression changed.
"No…"
Himeko raised her hand while March, Caelus, and Dan Heng focused their Trailblaze energy through Starblazer together.
"Light up the cosmic night!"
[Orbital Annihilation Pulse.]
BWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
A massive golden beam erupted from Starblazer and crossed the Dimensional Gap before hitting Dormammu directly. His entire manifested body disappeared inside the blast as more dimensional protections shattered under the attack.
Reinforce's calculation windows immediately filled with new readings.
[Second attack is penetrating deeper desu!]
Hayate looked toward her. [Can you see his real body yet?!]
[Not yet!] Reinforce rapidly moved through the incoming data. [But I'm getting much closer!]
The Orbital Annihilation Pulse finally ended, leaving Dormammu barely visible inside the fading golden light.
Then Starblazer moved again.
Noah's eyes widened. "No way… it's not finished?!"
As if answering him, Starblazer raised its enormous lance vertically. Trailblaze energy poured into the weapon, causing the lance to grow higher and larger until a colossal blade of golden energy stretched far beyond Starblazer itself.
Sirin stared upward with wide eyes. "Waaaa…"
Even Hayate temporarily forgot about Noah and Sirin's earlier behavior as she looked at the enormous weapon. "That's… really big."
Noah slowly lowered the communicator he had been using to take pictures.
"…Hajime is going to cry."
[CAPTAIN.]
"Right! Mission!"
Starblazer gripped the colossal lance with both hands as Dormammu finally emerged from the remains of the previous blast. He raised his head, saw the enormous weapon hanging above him, and froze.
Inside the cockpit, Himeko looked toward March, Caelus, and Dan Heng. Their Trailblazing Will flowed together through Starblazer, strengthening the golden light surrounding the machine.
"Everyone."
March smiled. "Together!"
Caelus tightened his grip on the controls. "Clear the path!"
Dan Heng remained focused on Dormammu. "Finish it."
Himeko raised her eyes toward their target.
"Trailblaze…!"
March, Caelus, and Dan Heng joined her.
"…WILL NEVER END!!!"
[Hyperluminal Particle Beam.]
Starblazer swung the colossal lance downward.
KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!!!
The enormous pillar of Trailblaze energy crashed directly onto Dormammu.
At that moment, everything disappeared inside the explosion. The entire Dimensional Gap shook as Dormammu's scream rang across the battlefield, while layer after layer of his remaining dimensional protections shattered under Starblazer's attack.
[THIS IS?!]
Reinforce's eyes widened as countless new readings flooded into her calculations. She immediately began sorting through them.
"Rein, what happened?!" Hayate called out.
[Himeko-san's surprise surpassed my initial prediction desu!] Reinforce replied quickly. [Starblazer destroyed far more of Dormammu's dimensional protections than I calculated! There's much less interference now. I can finally search for where his true body is hidden!]
"Then let's not waste!" Sirin tightened her grip on Embrace the Void. "Find it and send me the coordinates immediately. I'll tear that dimension open for Noah!"
[Hai desu! Mapping the reaction now! Searching for Dormammu's true body desu!]
Reinforce's eyes moved rapidly between the countless readings surrounding her. With most of Dormammu's dimensional protections gone, the different dimensions hidden behind his manifested body were finally exposed enough for her to properly compare them.
[One hundred and seventeen possible locations… eighty-four… fifty-two…]
Hayate tightened her grip on Schwertkreuz while keeping her eyes on Dormammu.
[Twenty-seven… eleven…]
"No…!" Dormammu finally realized what they were doing.
His damaged body immediately tried to move away, but Hayate reacted before he could escape. She raised Schwertkreuz, and several Belkan circles appeared around Dormammu before chains wrapped around his arms and torso, locking him in place.
"You're not going anywhere!"
[Five… three…]
Reinforce suddenly stopped.
One of the remaining dimensional readings had reacted differently from all the others.
Her eyes widened.
[FOUND IT DESU!!!]
Everyone immediately looked toward her.
[That one!] Reinforce pointed toward a location hidden behind Dormammu's manifested body. [His true body is inside that dimension! I'm sending the coordinates now!]
The coordinates appeared in front of Sirin almost instantly.
"Got it!"
Sirin tightened both hands around Embrace the Void and swung. A crescent of Quantum energy crossed the battlefield and struck what appeared to be empty space behind Dormammu.
CRAAAAACK!!!
The dimension split open.
A massive purple tear appeared behind Dormammu, exposing a completely different space beyond it. Deep inside that opening, Dormammu's true body could finally be seen staring back at them in shock.
"STOP!" Dormammu shouted as panic finally appeared on his face.
[Final target confirmed,] Void Archives announced. [Captain, it's your turn.]
Noah immediately moved several Force Platforms away from Dormammu before planting both feet firmly against the last one. He raised Shamash in front of himself and wrapped both hands around the Divine Key.
His Imaginary Astral Emblem flashed brightly.
More and more Imaginary energy poured into Shamash, causing the golden-white flames surrounding the blade to expand as the temperature throughout the Dimensional Gap began rising rapidly.
"Uwah…!" Sirin immediately felt the heat.
"I've got you!" Hayate flew toward her without hesitation.
Several Belkan circles appeared around the two women as Hayate raised a large environmental barrier, shielding them from the rapidly increasing temperature.
Inside Starblazer, warning displays suddenly appeared around March, Caelus, and Dan Heng.
"W-Wait!" March stared at the rising readings. "That's coming from Noah?!"
Caelus leaned closer to the display. "His energy is still climbing."
"And quickly," Dan Heng added.
Himeko immediately moved Starblazer toward Hayate and Sirin.
"Starblazer, defensive output."
A large barrier formed around the giant machine before spreading outward, adding another layer of protection around Sirin and Hayate as Noah continued charging Shamash.
The flames around Noah began to change. Gold faded into white, and as even more Imaginary energy poured into Shamash, the white flames slowly turned blue.
Back on Earth, the difference was impossible to miss. The air above Gateport suddenly became painfully hot, forcing several mages to reinforce their barriers while the goblins and wizards positioned farther forward instinctively pulled back several steps.
Charlus raised an arm over his face. "Merlin's beard… that heat is coming through the dimensional opening!"
"And that's Lord Peverell's attack?!" Ragnok stared toward the rift.
Welt said nothing as he watched the blue light growing inside the Dimensional Gap. He knew Shamash well, but even he could tell Noah was pushing the Divine Key far beyond what he had used earlier.
Warning alarms suddenly filled the Arthra as Amy's eyes widened at the rapidly increasing readings. "Chrono! Noah's Imaginary output just passed his previous Shamash Unleash! It's still climbing!"
"How much higher?!" Chrono immediately turned toward her.
"I don't know! The sensors are already struggling to measure it!"
At Chaldea, the dimensional observation systems reacted almost at the same time. Several operators called out as warning indicators filled their displays.
"Energy levels are rising sharply inside the Dimensional Gap!"
Kirschtaria stared at the readings. "That entire increase is coming from one person?"
Marisbury kept his eyes fixed on Noah's image. "It seems Lord Peverell truly was saving everything he had left for the final attack."
Noah remained completely unaffected by the heat surrounding him. He slowly raised Shamash above his head, and the Divine Key responded immediately. Sections of the weapon separated and expanded as even more Imaginary energy flowed through it. The blade grew larger and heavier in appearance until Shamash finally reached its ultimate state.
Shuhadaku of Uriel.
The remaining golden-white flames disappeared entirely. Cold blue fire erupted around the transformed weapon instead.
FWOOOOOOOOOSH!!!
Blue light spread throughout the Dimensional Gap.
Sirin stared from behind Hayate and Starblazer's barriers. "…Noah really isn't holding anything back."
Hayate swallowed as she felt the pressure even through both layers of protection. "He can't afford to."
Inside Starblazer, March stared silently at Noah through the main screen. Even Caelus had stopped smiling.
"Go, Noah," Himeko said softly as she watched him. "Finish this battle."
Dormammu stared toward Noah, and for the first time there was no anger in his expression.
Only alarm.
"No…"
He tried to draw more energy toward himself, but nothing answered. Welt's Black Hole had already destroyed much of his manifested body and drained away most of the energy surrounding him. Starblazer had followed by destroying nearly all of his remaining dimensional protections. His arms were gone, his lower body had been completely destroyed, and large sections of his torso were missing.
Worse, Sirin had already torn open the dimension hiding his true body.
"TRAILBLAZER!" Dormammu's voice shook the Dimensional Gap.
Noah did not answer. He simply continued charging Shuhadaku of Uriel as the blue flames surrounding the weapon grew larger.
Reinforce checked the coordinates one final time.
[Path confirmed desu! Noah-san, if you fire from your current position, the attack will pass directly through his manifested body and enter the dimension containing his true body!]
"Thank you, Rein." Noah smiled. "Now leave the rest to me."
Trailblaze energy gathered around him before forming a single path stretching from Noah directly toward Dormammu's true body.
Noah opened his eyes.
"This is the end, Dormammu."
Dormammu thrashed desperately against what remained of Hayate's bindings.
"TRAILBLAZER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"SHAMASH…"
Noah swung Shuhadaku of Uriel downward, and every blue flame surrounding the weapon compressed into the blade for a single instant.
"…UNLEASH!!!!!!"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!
A massive blue light erupted through the darkness of the Dimensional Gap.
====== Chapter 234 END ======