I Reincarnated as the Captain of a Battleship in a Robot Anime, but at This Rate, I’m Going to Be Assassinated – Chapter 65

Chapter 65: The Crazier the Thinker, the More Invincible the Theory They Possess To Justify Their Actions, so We Can’t Leave Them Alone
[space_man][space_man]”Damn it, what in the world is going on? Why can’t I grasp the situation outside?”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]In Babel’s control room, Anferu was irritated by the completely non-functional control system, barely managing to suppress the urge to smash the monitor with his fist.
[space_man][space_man]When he warped here, he was still able to communicate with his allies at first, but around the time Goetia started fighting, all communication frequencies were cut off, and contact with the outside was completely blocked.
[space_man][space_man]The only thing he could see was the monitored battlefield, and he was unable to send any instructions from his side.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Goetia, Fauden…… It’s fine that you’re manipulating our fleet, but this is just going to lead to unnecessary attrition, isn’t it?”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]The movements of the New Balance fleet were terrible, as if a child was scattering toys around. He wondered how much freedom the soldiers had to act…… More importantly, this situation was bad for Anferu in a way.
[space_man][space_man]Babel’s launch preparations were not yet complete, but even if they were, he wouldn’t be able to fire if there were allies in the line of fire.
[space_man][space_man]Anferu wanted to avoid losing any usable pawns.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”But the most worrying thing is that traitor’s cruiser……”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]While checking the monitor, Anferu looked at the Mirandora, which was forcibly docked using an anchor, using the disc as a shield.
[space_man][space_man]That damned ship. It was still trying to get closer. To stop it, the allied fleet controlled by Goetia was launching scattered attacks with strangely uncoordinated movements, but Anferu understood that they were meaningless.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”As expected, weapons that don’t listen to us are unnecessary. That machine will disappear if it’s hit directly by Babel, but……”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Anferu had no choice but to sit deep in his seat, cross his arms, and watch the situation.
[space_man][space_man]Strangely, Babel’s control had not been seized. He felt something deliberate about that itself, but at least he would be the one to pull the trigger first once Babel completed charging.
[space_man][space_man]However, that would mean sacrificing his allies. It would be painful to lose his pawns, and if he encouraged killing allies here, the organization would no longer be able to recover.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Even though the Mars fleet remains, I want to avoid doing anything that would lose the current main fleet. But if they continue to be controlled like this, the fleet in Babel’s line of fire will be annihilated. Above all, I have to do something about the fortress that’s approaching……”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]If he could fire Babel, he should be able to divert the course of the approaching fortress base, even if he couldn’t destroy it.
[space_man][space_man]Even if the barrel was damaged, as long as the main body was safe, it could be repaired, though it would take time. He should have fired it as soon as it was ready.
[space_man][space_man]However, that was difficult with allies in the line of fire. It would be ideal if he could irradiate it in a way that involved them, but that would require excuses later.
[space_man][space_man]More importantly, if he continued to watch silently, the fortress base would eventually collide with Babel. If that happened, Babel would also be shattered, and it wouldn’t be in a state where he could talk about repairs or anything like that.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”But why does it want to fix the allies in Babel’s line of fire? It’s meaningless to try to sew the enemy in like that. The true nature of Babel’s Big Cannon has already been revealed…… Even if you want to hit the enemy fleet directly……”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]At that moment, Anferu suddenly felt a sense of discomfort.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Wait, in the first place…… why is Babel charged?”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]He felt like the main gun’s energy charge had started before he warped here. It was a bit off in timing for him to have given the order.
[space_man][space_man]Besides, at first, he thought Goetia was supporting them, but calmly considering the current situation, he didn’t think so.
[space_man][space_man]Then why was he here? What was the reason he was made to warp meaninglessly from his own battleship?
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Fauden…… Are you trying to deceive me? Do you think I’d irradiate Babel with my allies? You fool, I’m thinking of ways to do what needs to be done. How can I kill my allies in a situation where I can’t even cover it up?”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Don’t make fun of me.
[space_man][space_man]You think I’m just a reckless man.
[space_man][space_man]He’s trying to blame me for the annihilation of the fleet. After he massacred the planet, what’s he doing now?
[space_man][space_man]Anferu’s mind was actually filled with thoughts of how to protect himself.
[space_man][space_man]But that self-preservation was, in a sense, what was keeping him alive by a thread.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”That’s why you’ll always be second-rate, Anferu.”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]The moment he heard that voice, Anferu was startled.
[space_man][space_man]Why was this man here? No, it didn’t matter.
[space_man][space_man]Anferu turned around and tried to pull out the pistol from his pocket.
[space_man][space_man]However, before he could do that, an impact ran through his abdomen.
[space_man][space_man]A sharp pain dulled his senses. He’d been shot. By the time he realized it, a second and third shot were fired into his body.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Ugh…… guh……”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Perhaps because the third shot was fired when he lost his balance, it pierced Anferu’s throat. Because of that, he could no longer raise his voice or breathe.
[space_man][space_man]Even so, Anferu glared at Fauden.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”You’re cunning. I wanted to kill you with my own hands for sure. You’re one of the people I should eliminate. It would be troublesome if I let you escape……”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]With the clicking sound of his shoes, Fauden appeared. Anferu, whose consciousness was fading, couldn’t even imagine when he had been there.
[space_man][space_man]Fauden was holding a pistol in his right hand.
[space_man][space_man]And while looking down at Anferu, he spoke with a blank expression.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”It was your misfortune that you didn’t kill me at Al Minar. No…… was it from the time you were betrayed by your subordinates?”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Fauden put away his pistol, passed by Anferu, and sat down on the tatami mat in the center of the control room.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”You are also an inferior human being who craves power and resources. You’ve done as you pleased under me, haven’t you? The destruction of planets, the massacre of residents…… that is something I cannot forgive.”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Anferu couldn’t understand what Fauden was saying at all.
[space_man][space_man]What was this man trying to say?
[space_man][space_man]It was you who condoned it. It was you who ordered it. Anferu, who was losing consciousness, still tried to pull himself together and glared at Fauden with a curse.
[space_man][space_man]But Fauden, the person in question, took it calmly.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”And it was I who allowed them. Then, disposing of you will also lead to atonement. I will atone for the sin of condoning and acquiescing to the massacre of the pioneering planet’s residents by killing you first. And by regenerating the planet with either Trismegistus or Goetia and leading humanity to a new stage, all of me will be forgiven.”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Fauden said it as if it were a matter of course.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”I am a man who should be judged. What I have created is unforgivable. My child, the organization, and even God. Eventually, humanity will defeat them and ascend to the next stage. Ah, that is what I must do. I will bear and purify all the sins that humanity has accumulated. I will accept the pain for that.”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Anferu lost consciousness before he could hear those words.
[space_man][space_man]Fauden didn’t care about Anferu anymore either. He had just settled one of his sins here. The rest was…… to wipe out all the soldiers here.
[space_man][space_man]And his daughter too. The proof of sin, born from a sinner like himself. By sacrificing his own child, he would show his resolve, and killing his child without letting her bear his sins was the least he could do as a kindness.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Franny…… My dear daughter, born on a pile of corpses of those who were not blessed and could not even be born. You are my beloved daughter, the proof of my arrogance, and the one I must kill the most…… I, who have sacrificed the Earth and its people, was not allowed to have children. Come, Goetia, kill my daughter. Erase my sin. Wash away all the impurity that exists here.”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]***
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Cruzo!”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Thoth warned through Trismegistus that Goetia’s output was rising.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”We just have to suppress it in reverse! Divert the output to the barrier!”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Yuuki chose to take it head-on.
[space_man][space_man]If it was just simple power, Trismegistus was superior. The Beam Punch was still alive.
[space_man][space_man]Yuuki unleashed the Beam Punch not with a fist, but with an open hand, spreading the area. Even a single scratch from a finger would cause damage.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Warp!”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Thoth shouted.
[space_man][space_man]Goetia disappeared from sight again.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Anish!”
[space_man][space_man]『It’s behind you!』
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]But that surprise attack wouldn’t work anymore.
[space_man][space_man]Goetia, who had performed a small warp, had definitely captured Trismegistus’ back. However, it was Anish’s machine that deployed the beam barrier during that time.
[space_man][space_man]Not only that, but the machine guns of the dispersed fighter squadron rained down like concentrated fire. They didn’t do much damage, but they were definitely stressing Goetia.
[space_man][space_man]When Goetia realized that the surprise attack had failed, it took distance again with a warp. But as if waiting for it, a small explosion occurred at that spot.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”！？！？！？”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]And it took distance again. Then, this time, a detonation occurred at a location far away from him.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”……!”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]It was a mine, a naval mine drifting through space, but the damage to the machine was minor.
[space_man][space_man]Rather than the damage, it was stronger to cause noise in Goetia’s thought circuit. It wasn’t electromagnetic interference, but something close to confusion in humans.
[space_man][space_man]While it was continuing to be confused, another explosion occurred.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”KYUUSHIKI……”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Goetia understood what it was. It was an old-fashioned sensor mine. The structure was simple. It would explode the moment it detected something with infrared or something similar.
[space_man][space_man]Furthermore, it was like a radio-controlled device that could also be detonated remotely. However, that simplicity was conversely what had leaked from Goetia’s control range.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]『It’s a booby trap, God?』
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]It was something Mark and the others had scattered.
[space_man][space_man]It would be good if it hit, and even if it detonated, it wouldn’t have enough firepower to destroy a Teurugia. However, even low firepower, the impact and light would cause confusion.
[space_man][space_man]Even if it was a machine, the moment it had human-like thoughts, these little tricks would become genuinely effective.
[space_man][space_man]That was what emotions were.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”GYAAAAOOOOON!”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Another roar. As if it thought it had been made a fool of, Goetia made its whole body glow and fired beams in all directions. This was to forcibly dispose of the mines and depth charges it had been able to detect.
[space_man][space_man]Once the type was known, bombs using such a system would be useless in front of Goetia.
[space_man][space_man]Once everything was dealt with, Goetia would repeat the warp again and maneuver to confuse Trismegistus and the others.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”──!”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]It would appear in front of them and strike or stab with its staff, and then take distance and fire beams.
[space_man][space_man]However, all of those actions were monotonous.
[space_man][space_man]At first, he thought it was a terrifying warp attack, but once it was repeated so many times, it was easy to predict the pattern.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]『Oh, come on! What’s with that guy!? Is he playing around!?』
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Anish, who was focusing on defense using the barrier, was irritated by Goetia’s strange movements. For her, Goetia was someone to resent. It had taken control of her machine and made her attack Yuuki.
[space_man][space_man]Precisely because it was an object of hatred, attacks that seemed to be making fun of her got on her nerves.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”……SOMETHING, IS STRANGE.”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]It was Thoth who felt something was wrong with those movements.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Yeah, I have a bad feeling about this too.”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]At the same time, Yuuki also didn’t feel like Goetia was seriously fighting them. It would get angry and fire beams in all directions, but that was it. He could see expressions of emotion, and it had gotten worked up in its arguments with Thoth.
[space_man][space_man]But when it came to combat, it felt underwhelming. There were surprise attacks using warp, but the frequency was low, and other than that, it was just petty attacks with the machines it controlled and beam attacks.
[space_man][space_man]Not only that, but the fleet control was also clumsy, and it was clearly far from the coldness of a machine.
[space_man][space_man]Thoth had also talked about playing around because it had emotions. For Goetia, war and management were a game, a form of play.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]’In the first place…… why did Goetia gather the fleet towards the Big Cannon? To escort it? No…… that wouldn’t make sense to warp them. If it just wanted to neutralize the Planet Killer, it could do it alone. Rather, it would be better to attack from all directions with control ships…… Could it be?’
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]And then Yuuki realized.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”This guy…… is it planning to blow everyone here away, including us……!”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]At that moment,
[space_man][space_man]Yuuki decided that the enemy he had to destroy was not the black Teurugia in front of him.
[space_man][space_man]That was certainly a threat, but its original performance was equivalent to Trismegistus. Yet, to surpass it in control ability, it would need some kind of assistance.
[space_man][space_man]Something that could provide such assistance. There was only one.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”That Big Cannon isn’t just a cannon. That’s Goetia’s other body……!”