「ったく、冗談じゃねぇよなぁ」
　パイロットスーツを着込み、半壊したアロー・ヘッドのコクピットに収まっている男、ガウル・ナカジョウは、そうひとりごちた。
　簡単な任務のハズだったのだ。火星付近で愛機をひとっ飛びさせればそれで済むような、新兵にだってできるお遣いのような哨戒任務、そのハズだったのだ。バイドの侵攻は火星までは及んでいない、そんな胡散臭い軍の発表も、アホみたいに何の変化もない、だだっ広くて真っ黒な宇宙を見れば、多少は本当だと思う。お気楽なピクニック気分で来てみれば、これだ。
　突如鳴り響いたエマージェンシーコールが、このクソッタレな虐殺の合図だった。まず、矢継ぎ早に表示されるデータ、膨大な数の敵性反応に、早期警戒機ミッドナイト・アイに搭乗する同僚が悲鳴を上げた。次の瞬間、その同僚が何か得体の知れないものに機体ごと「喰われた」。初めて見る「本物のバイド」にパニックに陥る温室育ちのクルー、喚くだけで何の役にも立たないクソ指揮官。戦闘機であるはずのアロー・ヘッドで、事も有ろうか背を向け逃げ出すパイロットに、遥か遠方から一閃、何機ものアロー・ヘッドが巻き込まれ爆散していった。フォーメーションを組む間もなく、あっという間に散り散りになったアロー・ヘッド一個小隊は最早、破壊衝動しか持たないクサレビッチ共の格好の射的の的になった。
　その中でもガウル属するジェローム隊は奮戦した。不意打ちに一瞬怯んだものの、号をかける事無くフォーメーションを組んだジェローム隊の５機は、即座に反撃を開始。小物のバイドを華麗なロールですり抜けざまにレーザーと誘導ミサイルをたらふく食わせてやり、この場で一番の脅威と目す、アロー・ヘッド数機を一瞬で蒸発させたファッキン野郎、ゲインズまで一気に肉薄すると、一斉に波動砲をお見舞いしてやった。５発もの波動砲を受けてなお火花を散らしながら動いていたが、四方からフォースをブチ込むことで沈黙させ、あとは小物を掃討すれば今日を生き延びられる、そう思った矢先に後方の味方機が苦し紛れに撃ったミサイルが隊長機を直撃した。制止の声を上げたが、バイドに食い付かれ半狂乱になったパイロットの耳には届かず、挙げ句の果てには波動砲までガウル達に向けて撃ったのだ。ガウル機は運良く掠っただけで済んだ（それでも機体後部をごっそり持っていかれた）が、残る３機は本来バイドを討つはずの閃光の中に消えていった。最悪の死に様だった。
　旗艦なんてものはとっくに鉄クズと化していた。ライバルを蹴落とし他人の手柄を横取りしてのし上がってきた男が指揮官の艦だ、実戦で満足に動けようはずもない。老朽化したとはいえ、今なお対バイド兵器として高い攻撃能力を有するヘイムダル級宇宙戦艦は、ロクな回避行動も取らず何体ものバイドの体当たりの直撃を受け、その自慢の兵装を披露することなく虐殺開始早々にヘシ折れた。こんな事なら懲罰覚悟で、あの脂ハゲを殴っておけば良かった。あの不愉快極まりない横っツラに拳をジャストミートさせていたら、きっとスッキリしたに違いない。
　自分の地位にしか興味のない男、金で何でも解決できると思っていた男、そんな腐肉に群がった、おこぼれに預かろうとするウジ虫共が形成する、ヘドロのような肥溜め。それがガウルのいた艦隊だった。ガウル達はバイドと数度の実戦を経験し生き延びてきた、それなりに名のある隊だったが、他人から奪った「功績」で今の地位を手に入れ、安全な場所で「戦争ごっこ」をしているいけ好かない脂ハゲに、自分の艦隊に箔を付ける為だけに招集され、この艦隊に配属されたのだ。正直、戦いがどういうものかをまるで解っていない、肥えて段々畑なあの後頭部を、何度撃ち抜いてやろうと思った事か。自分は戦う為に戦闘機乗りをしているのであって、自己顕示欲を満足させる「お飾り」ではないのだ。
　だからガウルは旗艦の残骸を見ても、ただ「ざまぁみろ」と思うだけだった。もっとも、かつて同僚だったもの、仲間だったものを見た時には、軽く黙祷をして哀悼の意を捧げていたが。
　そして今、バイドに喰われる時を待っている。キャノピー越しに見える、同僚の愛機を貪るバイドの咀嚼音が聞こえてくるような気がして、信じてもいない神様に助けを乞おうか、等と現実味の無い考えが頭をよぎった。フォースと合体している間は視界の関係上バーチャル映像になる癖に、単機の時は有視界になるこのラウンドキャノピーを、ほんの少し恨めしく思う。それとも逆に見えているのは幸せなのか。もし目も耳も塞がれたまま、いつ番が回ってくるとも知れないこの無慈悲な死刑執行を待つ事になっていたならば、それはどれ程の恐怖なのか想像もつかない。
　このまま俺の事は放っておいて、何処かへ行ってはくれまいか。お願いしてそうしてくれるのであれば、ガウルは喜んで土下座でも何でもしただろう。じわじわと背筋を這い上がってくるような、例えようのない漠然とした死の予感。動かぬと分かり切っている操縦桿を握る手は震えていた。いつだって死と隣り合わせの戦場、頼れる仲間とは装甲で隔たれ、鉄の棺桶にたった独り、そこにはロマンティシズムの欠片もなく、死という９９％のリアルだけがある。今日を生き延びても明日を生き延びられる保障なんて誰もしてはくれない。戦場に出る限り、戦闘機乗りでいる限り、それが当たり前だと思っていたし、覚悟は決めていたつもりだった。だがこうして己の死を目前にしてみると、覚悟とは名ばかりで、そうやって自分を騙していただけなのだと思い知らされる。
　ふと、同僚の愛機に取り付いていたバイドと目が合った。気がした。
　無機質なセンサー・アイが、人間の視線のようにガウルを捉えたのかどうかは解らない。しかし、目が合ったと思ったと思うや否や、それまでパーツ取りでも行うかのように丁寧に分解していた機体を手放すと、ゆっくりとガウルの方へと近付いてきたのだ。
（ヤバイ…！）
　咄嗟にバルカンを撃とうとするも、ジェネレーターを基部から根こそぎ失った彼の愛機は、反応すらしやしなかった。キャノピーを掴もうと伸ばされたバイドのマニュピレーターが、ガウルの視界一杯に映った。
「ったく、冗談じゃねぇよなぁ」
　取り敢えずあの世に行ったら、間違いなく地獄行きであろうあの脂ハゲの顔面を原型が変わるくらいまでしこたまボコってやる、とだけ心に決めて、恐らく今までの人生の中で最高に引きつった顔でガウルはそうひとりごちた。

　刹那。光が走ったかと思うと、目の前のバイドが爆散した。

「なんだ！？　今のは波動砲…味方…？」
　次に聞こえてきたのは低い唸り。波動砲のエネルギーチャージの音だ。体感時間的に２ループチャージ、機体によってはフルパワーの波動砲を準備している証拠である。しかも、すぐ近くにいる。
「…って、ちょっと待てよ、オイ！　俺に当たったらどうするつもりだ！！」
　慌てて何の反応も示さなかった緊急脱出のレバーを反射的に掴む。仮に装置が作動した所で、身一つで外に出てどうなる訳でもないが、少なくともデブリ共々波動砲で消し飛ばされるよりマシだ。しかしレバーを引くよりも早く、緑色の不思議な光を放つフォースと、宇宙の深淵に穴でも空けたかのような純白の機体が、真横を通り過ぎていった。そして閃光、爆発。
　そこからは一方的だった。狩人と獲物、虐殺の主役が入れ替わり、まるで紙細工を破り捨てていくように、バイドが粉々になっていく。粒子弾を、ミサイルを小さな動きだけで回避し、レーザーで引き裂き、フォースで押し潰し、波動砲で蹴散らす。まるで小さな白い点がバイドの群れを食い破っていくかのように、見る間にバイドの数が減っていく。こんな事を単機でやってのけるパイロットなど、エースの中のエース、ＴＹＰＥＲと呼ばれる精鋭でなければ有り得ない。なにより、波動砲を連射する機体など聞いた事も無かった。
「なんだよ、ありゃあ…連射式の波動砲なんて出鱈目過ぎじゃねぇか…」
　呆然と呟くガウルの視線のその先で、速射される波動砲を避け損ねた最後のバイドが、デブリと化した。
「…誰か、生きてる？」
（女？　しかも若い…というより、若すぎる…）
　パイロットスーツに備え付けられた通信機から聞こえる声に、ガウルはぎょっとした。あれだけの芸当を見せ付けてくれた凄腕パイロットの声は、年端もいかない少女のものだったのだ。

　ガウルが交戦を開始してから２０分、半時にも満たない時間でクソッタレとクレイジーをごた混ぜにした出来事が終わり、ガウルは今日も生き延びた。

「…変な夢見た…なんで私が戦闘機に乗ってるんだろう…にゅにゅ」
　普段のとろんとした目元からは想像もできない剣のある寝ぼけ眼を擦りつつ、ふわりと浮かび上がりかけたランは、そのままずぶずぶとベッドの中に文字通りの意味で沈み込んでいった。
「え、ええぇ！？小お嬢様ぁ～～～～～ッ！？」
　すぐ近くでキュイの悲鳴が聞こえた気がした。
　というか実際にキュイが悲鳴を上げていた。

　ラン・シュトラヘルツの朝は遅い。
　というのもこの少女、かなりの低血圧なのである。加えて疲れている時は寝ている間に幽体化してしまう事も多々あり、ベッドにめり込んでいたり、酷い時には下の階の天井からはみ出ていたりする事すらある。今でこそ慣れたものだが、ランがシュトラヘルツ家の一員になってからしばらくの間は、週に何度かメイドのミフィの悲鳴が早朝に響いていた程だ。
　かくして今日も、文字通りベッドに沈み込んで眠っていたのだった。
　とにかく昨日は騒動の連続で、道中神経をすり減らしながらの長距離移動と到着後に屋敷のメイド達が起こした騒動だけでは収まらず、夜にはやたら豪華な夕食を慣れないテーブルマナーで食べる羽目になり、入浴時には体育館程の広さがある浴場で背中を流したがるメイド達に襲撃されかけた挙句に湯船がスライムだったりと、なんというか…落ち着く暇が全く無かったのである。その疲労度合いといったら、ベッドに潜り込み横になった途端に何を考える間もなく深い眠りに就けた事からも、容易に想像できよう。
　だから起こしに来たキュイが、枕に顔だけ残してベッドの中に埋まったランを見て悲鳴を上げたのも、仕方がない事なのだろう。お陰でコルを始めメイド達が何事かと集まって大騒ぎになってしまい、いつもより１時間も早く起きられたのは、何かの皮肉なのだろうか。
「お願いですから、あんな冗談はやめて下さい…」
「…冗談でやってる訳じゃないんだけど…」
　どうもキュイを驚かそうとしてやったものと思われているらしく、何度も何度も念押しするように繰り返しやめてくれと懇願するキュイに、ランは少しだけヘコんでいた。流石に寝ている間の事まで意識できないし、自分だって起きたら時々ベッドやら床やらにめり込んでいるのを、どうにかしたいと思っているのだ。
（もしかして、まだ実体が安定してないのかなぁ、私）
　考えてみれば、生きていた頃よりも無自覚に怨霊になっていた時間の方が長くもあるし、実体化しても遺体から欠損している腰から膝までの部分は黒い霧状の幽体のままである。無意識下でそれに引き摺られ、寝ている間に勝手に幽体化してしまっている可能性も無くはない。
　いつか欠損している遺体の一部を見つけて、五体満足で実体化できるようにしたい。怨念を昇華してから何度も繰り返してきた考えを、気付かれぬように小さく息を吐いて中断すると、お気に入りのパンダのパジャマのフードを外した。
「取り敢えず、着替える」
「はい、お召し物はこちらに」
「………」
「？」
　無言で自分を見つめるランに、キュイはきょとんとした様子で小首を傾げる。
「どうしました？」
「いや、その、だから…着替えたいんだけど」
「ええ、ですから、お召し物はこちらに」
　ちゃんと用意してある事を強調するように服を示すと、ランの表情が苦々しいような恥ずかしいようなものに変わる。ほんのり頬が赤いから恥ずかしい方だろうか。小お嬢様は何を恥ずかしがっているのだろう？キュイには良く判らなかった。
「…いや、だから」
「あ、パジャマを脱ぐところからお手伝いした方が良いのでしょうか！？」
「そういう事かぁ！」
　着替えるのだから部屋から出てくれる、と思っていたランに対し、キュイは着替えを手伝うつもりでいたのだ。そりゃあ着替えると言ったにも関わらず微動だにしない訳である。
　折角早く起きられたというのに、妙な使命感に燃えるキュイを相手に出ていけ出ていかないの押し問答となってしまい、結局キュイが折れて無事着替えを済ませられたのは、１時間後のいつも通りの時間だったりした。

　そんな朝の１コマ。
昨日の豪華な夕食とは打って変わったトーストとサラダにコーンスープという至極あっさりした朝食を摂りながら、テーブルマナーもどこへやら、エルザが大爆笑していた。その後ろではコルまでがクスクス笑いを隠しきれないでいる。
「ははははははは！主の着替えを手伝うなぞ、今のご時世コミックの中くらいなもんじゃぞ？ひはは！」
「ぇぅ…そんなぁ…あんなに練習したのに…」
　余程おかしいのか笑いを堪えようとする度に吹き出しまくるエルザに、トーストを齧るランの後ろに控えるキュイは見るからに落胆していた。扉の傍に待機しているメイド達の内一人が、両脇のメイドからこっそりと、しかしひっきりなしに肘打ちを打ち込まれているところを見ると、どうやら彼女がキュイにある事ない事吹き込んだ犯人のようである。ちなみにその犯人はつぎはぎだらけで額に真新しい小さな縫合跡がある。
（複数人メイドが居る家は、ああいうメイドさんを最低一人は飼ってるのかしら…）
　思い当たりがありまくるあまり、なんとも失礼な物思いに耽ってしまうランだった。
「さてさて、あまり笑っていてはキュイが可哀想じゃな。話は変わるがコル、今日の予定じゃが…」
「承知しております、アイーナ様にお会いになるのでしたね」
「あとミフィの回収もな。どうやら押し掛けて居座っているようじゃし、いつまでも放っておいたらアイーナのご両親にも迷惑が掛かる。アイーナと知り合えた事で築けたフォックスライダー家との良好な関係を、こんな事で崩したくはない。そんな事になれば儂個人としてもビジネス的に見ても大打撃じゃしの」
「全くあの子は…珍しく爆発したと思えば、お嬢様にこんな迷惑を掛けて…」
「…ま、今回の件は間違いなく儂に非があるのだがな」
　口調こそ軽いものの難しい顔をしたエルザはそう零し、もそもそとトーストを口に運んだ。ミフィを迎えに行き、そこで交わすであろう話の内容を考えると、どうにも気が重いらしい。どちらかといえば気恥ずかしいという方が正確かもしれないが。もっとも、その胸中と話の内容を知らないランには、どーせまたエロ絡みでしょーもない痴情の縺れに発展してるんでしょ、としか思えなかった。ニアピン賞である。
「ともかくだな、食事が済んだらすぐに出かける。エアリ＝アルを用意しておいてくれ」
「魔法の箒を、ですか？…まさかお一人で行かれるおつもりで？」
「うむ。これは儂らの問題であり、あまり他人に聞かれたくない話でもあるからな。コル、おぬしにもじゃ」
　キリッという効果音が付きそうな程、いつになく真面目な表情で語るエルザだが、対するコルはそんなエルザを半眼で見やり、小さく鼻を鳴らした。
「どうなっても知りませんよ！ミフィはどうにかなるかもしれませんけど、あの子単純ですし…ただ、アイーナ様相手に話をこじらせるなんて事、絶対になさらないで下さいましね。あちらのご両親にご迷惑が掛かる、なんてものでは済まないのですよ、最悪フォックスライダー家相手に全面戦争勃発です。我々は専守防衛がモットーなんですから、暗殺なんて後味の悪い真似、もう二度といたしませんからね」
「何この信用の無さ！？」
「だってお嬢様ですもの」
「てめぇコルこのやろう！それが主に面と向かって言う言葉か！泣くぞ儂！？」
「胸、お貸し致しましょうか？追加サービスに一揉み５８ドルで」
「微妙に中途半端だな１０００揉み分頼むﾊｧﾊｧ」
「１０００揉みですと、お出掛けするまでに朝食を食べ終えられませんわね。残念ですがキャンセルで」
「チクショー！」
　少しは真面目な話をするかと思えばこれである。突如始まったツッコミ不在の漫才に、ランは素知らぬ顔でトーストを齧り、キュイはチラリと出てきた不穏な単語に狼狽するばかりだったが、不意に「ぎゅう」という音が聞こえ、全ての動きが止まった。

ややあって、視線がキュイに集中する。
「ぇぅ…も、申し訳ございません…」
　昨日の自己紹介の時のように赤い肌を一層赤く染めたキュイは、またも大きな体を目一杯縮こませて俯いた。先程の音の正体はキュイの胃が空腹に耐えかねて鳴った音だったのだ。
「はは、気にするでない。腹が減れば誰しも腹の虫が鳴くものじゃ。ランよ、儂らも急いで平らげるとしよう、メイド達の食事の時間が無くなってしまう」
　と猛烈な勢いでトーストに齧り付くエルザに、どの口が抜かすか、と思ったランだったが、ここでやっといつもの食事とは違っている事に気付いた。やたら広い食堂とか、軍事議会が行えそうな長大なテーブルだとか、メイドに囲まれて落ち着かないとかの場所や環境等ではなく、いつもと今の食卓の決定的な違いに。
「そういえば、どうして一緒に食事しないの？他のみんなはお腹空いてないの？」
　不思議顔で問いかけられ、何故ランがそんな事を言い出すのか解らない、といった様子でコルとキュイも不思議顔になる。見れば待機しているメイド達も困惑した表情でお互い顔を見合わせていた。
「ど、どうして、と申されましても…その…」
「私共はお嬢様方のお食事の後に頂きますので…」
　言い淀むキュイの言葉をコルが引き継いで説明するが、ランはますます不思議そうに首を傾げてしまう。
「あの、小お嬢様？私、何かおかしな事を言いましたでしょうか…？」
「だって、家では揃って食事してたよ。あ、家って言っても、日本での家だけど」
　そう、いつもはメイドのミフィもエルザ達と一緒に食事をしている。それなのに、何故コル達の場合は自分達の食事が終わってから食べる事になるのかが不思議だったのである。
「あの子ったら…！まさかメイドが主と食事を共にするなどと…なんて失礼な！」
「ええ？な、なんでそれが失礼になるの？」
「はわ、はわわ…ぇぅう…」
　眉間を指で押さえ、額に青筋でも浮き上がらんばかりの苦々しげなコルの言い草に、ランはぎょっとすると同時に、背筋に嫌な感覚が這い上がってくるのを感じた。後ろのキュイからも慌てた気配が伝わってくるし、もしかしたら自分は今、ミフィの立場を悪くするような、とんでもなく軽率な事を口にしたのだろうか。そう思うと急に居心地が悪くなってくる。
「落ち着かんかコル。ミフィが儂らと一緒に食事をしているのは、一般家庭の暮らしを指標とするために、儂がそうしろと命じたからじゃ。ランにとってはそれが普通だから、おぬしらが儂らと一緒に食事をせん事を不思議に思っただけじゃよ。そうじゃろう、ラン？」
「う、うん？うん、そう、そうなの！」
「そうでしたか。あらいやだ、これはとんだ失礼を、小お嬢様」
「…ほっ」
　コルの反応を見て、おそらく不穏な空気を感じ取り再び狼狽しだしたキュイと同じくらいランも狼狽していたが、苦笑交じりに出してやった助け舟で二人同時に落ち着きを取り戻した様を見て、エルザは小さく吹き出した。なんとまぁ可愛らしい主従なことか。
「でも、そうなると…本当はメイドさんは一緒に食事をしちゃダメなの…？」
「一般家庭でも雇えるようになった今ではメイドの在り様も変わってきているからな、特にダメという事はない。雪恋達だって金香や銀香と一緒に食事をしていたじゃろう？だが富裕層ともなると格式を重んじ、過去の在り様の通りにメイドを扱うからな…こう言うと嫌味に聞こえるかもしれんが、シュトラヘルツ家も富裕層に当たる家系であり、そこら辺の線引きをキッチリさせている、というだけの話じゃ。ま、主に対して軽口叩けるくらいには扱いが緩くなってはいるが」
「まあ、その主に対して軽口を叩くメイドとは、一体誰の事でございましょう」
「ほれ鏡」
「あらあら、この鏡に映った見目麗しい美女は誰ですか？」
「平行世界の知らない人」
「いやあぁ私がっ！私が居ないっ！私が何処にも居ーなーいー！？」
「…とまぁ、こんな具合にな」
「そういう横道脱線はどーでもいーとして」
　ツッコミ待ちだったのか仲良くショックを受ける二人と、笑い処が掴めず大きなハテナを浮かべるキュイを交互に見遣り、
（玉竜と夫婦漫才やれっていうなら、頑張らなくもないけど）
　チラッとよぎった考えから、危うく「晴れ舞台に立つ自分達」を幻視しそうになったが、その舞台袖から覗く「むー」な気配を纏う狐巫女の目が嫉妬に狂う危険な光を発していて怖かったので、なんとかこの想像を頭の片隅に押し留める事に成功した。それから一人だけ知らず仲間外れにしていた事に良心の呵責を覚え、同時にちょっとだけ怖くなった。あの狐巫女、霊に対して攻撃手段持ってるし。ペット？観客席に縛り付けられてた。
　以上が僅かコンマ秒で展開されたランの思考プロセスである（０．７秒）。なお、これを記した事に深い意味はない。多分。
　なんだかんだで自分も随分横道脱線しているなと思いつつ、思考をずずいと元に戻す。
「接し方自体は、これまで通りでも良い、っていうのは解ったけど…でも、お腹が空いてる人を待たせてるっていうのは、気が引けちゃう…」
「あ、そういう事でございますか」
　得心した、とばかりに手を打ったコルは、嬉しそうに、しかしどこか困ったように微笑んだ。
「お心遣い、ありがとうございます。ですが、主と使用人という立場、こればかりはしっかりしておかなければならないのです。お嬢様の…いえ、当家の名誉の為にも」
「名誉？」
「シュトラヘルツの当主は使用人に甘い顔をしてつけ上がらせている、或いは使用人から軽んじられている、等という噂ひとつでも広まれば、シュトラヘルツという家そのものが他家より格を下に見られてしまう…乱暴な言い方をすればナメられてしまうのです。シュトラヘルツ家は上場企業を多数抱える財閥でもあるので、シュトラヘルツ家の名を落とすという事はつまり、当家を後ろ盾として成り立っていた事業にとって取引における切り札を失うにも等しく、立ち行かなくなる可能性もあり得ます。最悪の場合、市場の混乱を招く事にもなりかねません。そうなれば最早当家がどうこうという問題ではなくなり、事業の食い合いが始まり倒産が相次ぎ、失業者が溢れ返り、国内流通は低迷、外資為替取引値は崩壊し、ひいては他国を巻き込んで金融恐慌が…」
「コル。おいコル、いい加減にせんか！」
　エルザに小声で声を掛けられ、ランが青い顔をして小刻みに震えている事に気付いたコルは、しまった、やりすぎた、とこっそり心の中でテヘペロする。一連の説明はあながち間違いでもないのだが、多少は危機感を持ってもらった方が良いだろうと思い、相当大袈裟に話を盛っていたのである。調子こいて尾ひれどころか胸びれ背びれまで付けちゃった。テヘペロ♪

"Really now, you can't be serious."
Muttered Garl Nakajou, a man wearing a pilot uniform and sitting inside the half-broken cockpit of an Arrowhead.
It was supposed to be a simple mission. He just had to fly his ship close to Mars, it was supposed to be a patrol mission that even a rookie could do. The Bydo invasion wouldn't reach Mars, and even with the announcement of that suspicious looking ship, nothing was different, and when he looked out into the vast darkness of space, he thought it probably was true. He'd go over there with a carefree picnic attitude.
The sudden sound of an emergency call was a sign of some massacre. First, a bunch of data was displayed, with a huge number of hostile targets that the inboard Midnight Eye announced. The next moment, it said that some unknown ship was "eaten". At first glance, the green crew went into a panic thinking it was "a real Bydo", and with just the alarm, the shitty commander became completely useless. The Arrowhead was supposed to be a military vessel, and the pilots who turned and fled at the first sight of anything, with a flash from far far away, had many Arrowheads caught up in explosions. There was no time to get into formation, so the few scattered Arrowheads, who had nothing left but the urge to destroy, started using those no good bastards as target practice.
In it all, Garl, who was part of the Jerome group, was in fierce combat. Shocked for a moment from the surprise attack, and without any orders, the 5 ships of the Jerome group went into formation, and instantly began their counter attack. With a beautiful roll, they slipped between the small Bydos and with their lasers and homing missiles, they gave it those fucking bastards, and instantly closing in on even the Gains, they simultaneously paid them a visit with their wave cannons. Taking 5 wave cannons, it was still moving after exploding into fireworks, but having forces jammed into it from all sides silenced it, and after mopping up the smaller ships, they would live to see another day. But just as they thought this, a missile desperately fired by a friendly ship behind them made a direct hit with their squad leader's ship. He shouted to stop, but the half-crazed pilot who was being devoured by the Bydo didn't listen, and finally even aimed his wave cannon at them and fired. Garl's ship was lucky and it only grazed him (however the entire rear of it was hit), but the 3 remaining Bydo, instead of attacking, disappeared in a flash of light. It was a terrible scene of death.
The flagship had already been turned into a scrap heap. The ship's commander would be the one who would take the credit for the battle, although he didn't do anything during the actual fight. Although it was deteriorated, the Heimdall-class space battleship, with its high power anti-Bydo weapons, didn't take evasive manuevers, and took direct hits from multiple Bydo crafts. It was unable to use its weapons, and was quickly massacred and destroyed. Since that happened, he would have liked for that bald fatty to be smacked as discipline. If he could only punch him right in the side of his unpleasant face, he would definitely feel much better.
Men who care only about their position, men who think that money can solve anything, they swarm to it, like maggots on rotting meat, like a slurry of manure. That was the fleet that Garl was a part of. Garl and others like him had taken part of, and survived, multiple encounters with the Bydo, and because of it, having stolen the "prestige" from others, and had now obtained positions where they can "play war" from a completely safe place, like this disgusting bald fatty. Just to give his fleet some dignity, Garl had been summoned and assigned to this fleet. Honestly, he had no idea about battle, and Garl had wanted to blast the back of his head, which had gotten fatter and fatter, countless times. He was here because he wanted to fight, not because he wanted the self-satisfaction of some "medal".
So even when Garl looked at the wreck of the flagship, all he thought was "that's what you get". Though they had been comrades, so when he looked at them as an ally, he felt a little something and said a small prayer for them.
And now, he was waiting to be devoured by the Bydo. Across the canopy, it was like he could hear his allied ships being digested by the Bydo. Unrealistic thoughts like should he pray to God, even though he doesn't believe in him, went through his mind. While he was part of a force, there was a virtual image of their views, but when he was alone, all that was displayed was this round canopy, which made him a little angry. Or perhaps it was the other way around, that seeing it made him happy. With this eyes and ears shut, as he waited for his ruthless execution without knowing when it would be his turn, he couldn't imagine how scary it would be.
If this keeps up, maybe they'll ignore me, and go off somewhere else. If they would please do so, Garl would have gladly begged on his knees or done anything. A vague premonition of death slowly crept up his spine. Even though he didn't move, his hand that was holding the control yoke was shaking. Always, death and the accompanying battlefield, separated from his dependable allies by this metal, alone in this iron coffin. This was not some broken romanticism, just the fact that death was a 99% reality. Even if he survived today, no one could guarantee that he would survive tomorrow. As long as he was on the battlefield, as long as he was in a warship, he thought that it was only natural, and had been prepared for it. But now that his death was right in front of him, he realized that the preparation was in name only, and that he had been fooling himself.
Suddenly, his eyes met those of the Bydo who was attached to an allied ship. That's what he felt.
Garl didn't know if the ruthless sensor eye, like a human's field of vision, had noticed him. However, just as he thought that their eyes had met, the Bydo, who had been previously disassembling the parts from the body of a craft, let go of it, and slowly drew closer to Garl.
(Oh shit...!)
Even though he reflexively tried to fire his vulcan, his ship, which had completely lost its generator, didn't respond at all. As the Bydo extended its manipulator to grab the canopy, it filled Garl's sight.
"Damn, this ain't no joke."
If there was a place he was headed, it would definitely be hell. He readied his mind, thinking of how he was going to beat that bald fatty until his face was rearranged. With a more hardened face than probably any other time in his life, Garl muttered this to himself.

Suddenly. He thought he saw a flash of light, and the Bydo in front of him exploded.

"What!? That wave cannon just now... An ally...?"
The next thing he heard was a low roar. It was the sound of the wave cannon's energy charging. From the time, it felt like a 2 loop charge, and depending on the ship, it was proof of preparing a full power wave cannon. And, it was very close by.
"...Wh, wait, hey! What are you going to do it that hits me!!"
In a fluster, he grabbed the emergency escape lever, from which there was no response. Even if the equipment was functioning, he couldn't go outside without any gear, but that would be better than being disintegrated by the wave cannon. However, before he could pull the lever, the force shot out a mysterious green light, and like it was making a hole in space, a pure white ship pass right beside him. And then a flash of light, and an explosion.
From then on it, was one sided. The roles of the hunter and the hunted were reversed, and the Bydo were ripped apart like paper and turned to dust. Making small movements to avoid the particle shots and missiles, destroying them with lasers, crushing them with the force, and destroying them with the wave cannon. It was just like a small white dot destroying the group of Bydo, with multiple Bydo being demolished before his eyes. The only pilots who would be able to do this as a solo ship, was the ace among aces, the elite who were called Type R. More importantly, he had never heard of a ship that could continuously fire the wave cannon.
"What, that's... continuously firing the wave cannon is just too random..."
Garl whispered that in awe, as in his line of sight, the continuously fired wave cannon finished off the final Bydo, and turned it to debris.
"...Is anyone alive?"
(A woman? And she's young... Actually, she's too young...)
Garl was surprised at the voice coming from the comm unit in his pilot suit. The voice of the skilled pilot who pulled off that performance, was a young girl.

It had been 20 minutes, maybe half an hour at most, since the battle had started. This incident that was a mix of bastards and craziness had ended, and Garl survived today.

"...I had a weird dream... Why was I in a warship... Yawn"
Rubbing her sleepy eyes that she couldn't even imagine what they looked like, Ran got out of the bed that she was literally sunken inside.
"E, ehh!? Little Mistress~~~~!?"
She thought she heard Cuey's scream come from very close by.
Actually, Cuey was actually screaming.

Ran Schtlehertz was a late riser.
She had very low blood pressure. Also, when she was tired, she would often turn ghostly as she slept, and would sink into the bed. And when it's really bad, she would sink all the way into the ceiling of the floor beneath her. She was used to it, but she had only been a member of the Schtlehertz family for a short time, so the maid Mifi's early morning scream would happen multiple times per week.
And so, once again, today she was sleeping while literally sunk inside the bed.
Anyway, yesterday was a series of commotions, and along the way, her mental state was worn down not only by long distance travel and the mansion's maids' commotion at their arrival, but also at night, when eating an extravagant dinner with table manners that she wasn't used to, and being attacked by the maids washing her back in a bath as big a gym, and also the bath was a slime... She had no time at all to calm down. The moment she got into bed, she couldn't think of anything and fell into a deep sleep, so it's not hard to imagine how fatigued she was.
So, when Cuey, who came to wake her up, saw only Ran's face on the pillow, and that she was buried inside the bed, it was only natural that she screamed. Because of that, Col and the gathered maids nearby were thrown into a panic about what happened, and she was woken up an hour earlier than usual, which I guess is some sort of irony.
"I'm begging you, please stop that kind of prank..."
"...But I'm not pulling a prank..."
It seemed like she thought that Ran was doing it to surprise her, and no matter how many times Ran tried to remind her, Cuey kept pleading for her to stop, so Ran was a little worried. Of course, no one is conscious while they're asleep, and even for her, when she wakes up, she's sometimes sunk into the bed or the floor, so what does she want her to do about that?
(Maybe, my body still isn't stable?)
Thinking about it, she had been a non-self aware vengeful spirit for a longer than she had been alive, and even when she materializes her body, the missing part of her corpse from her knees to her waist was still a ethereal black mist. It's not impossible that her subconscious is transforming her back into a ghost while she sleeps.
Eventually, she hoped that missing part of her corpse will be found and she'll be able to materialize her entire body. Ever since she subliminated her grudge, she's gone though this cycle of thinking countless times, and when she paused to subconsciously give a little sigh, the hood of her favorite panda pajama came off.
"First, I'll get changed."
"Yes, your clothes are over here."
"..."
"?"
As Ran silently stared at her, Cuey looked back questioningly and titled her head.
"What's wrong?"
"Well, you see... I want to get changed..."
"Yes, so your clothes are over here."
As she pointed at the properly prepared clothes to emphasize her point, Ran's expression turned to one of unpleasantness and embarrassment. Her cheeks were slightly blushing, so it was probably more embarrassment. Cuey couldn't understand at all about what the little mistress was embarrassed about.
"...No, I mean..."
"Ah, would you like some help removing your pajamas!?"
"Why would you think that!?"
In contrast to Ran, who was thinking she should leave the room since she was going to change, Cuey was planning on helping her change her clothes. Even though she said she was changing, she made no indication of moving.
Even though she finally woke up early, it turned into a dispute with Cuey, who was strangely fired up about her duty, about whether she should leave or not. By the time Cuey finally broke, and the changing of clothes was completed incident-free, it was 1 hour later than the normal time.

That was the 1st part of the morning.
In stark contrast with yesterday's extravagant dinner, breakfast was very simple, with toast, salad and corn soup. When asked what happened to the table manners, Elza burst out laughing. Even Col, standing behind her, couldn't hold in her snickering.
"Hahahahahaha! Don't help out with your mistress' changing, that something that would happen in a comic? Hihaha!"
"Uuu... That's... But I practiced it..."
Every time Elza tried to hold her in laughter about how strange it was, she would let a little out, and Cuey, who was standing behind Ran as she nibbled on toast, would see it and become disappointed. When she saw one of the maids who were standing by their shoulders, ready to serve, was getting looks from the maids on either side of her and was constantly getting elbowed by them, she realized that she was probably the perpetrator who was mixing in lies with what she were telling her. By the way, the perpetrator now had a brand new patch and stitches across her forehead.
(In a house with multiple maids, I wonder if that kind of maid is the worst kind to have...)
These sorts of things started coming to Ran's mind too often, and she started thinking about these rude thoughts.
"Well, well, it's too sad for Cuey if we laugh too much. Changing the topic, Col, what are the plans for today..."
"Understood, you have a meeting with Aiina-sama."
"And then we retrieve Mifi. It seems like she barged in and was staying here. If we just keep ignoring that, it will be a real problem for Aiina's parents. I was able to build a good relationship with Aiina and Foxrider family, so I don't want this to destroy that. If that happens, it would not only be a huge blow to me personally, but also to the business."
"Really now, that girl... I thought it was something strange to explode over, but even causing Mistress such a problem..."
"...Well, this incident was definitely my fault."
Her intonation was light, but Elza had a difficult expression on her face, and restlessly brought a piece of toast to her mouth. When she thought about how she would go and get Mifi, and then the conversation she would have, it was depressing. Or maybe it's more correct to say that she was embarrassed. However, Ran, who didn't know what the conversation would be about, could only think that it was about another sexual relationship or jealousy.
"In any case, once I finish eating, I'll leave immediately. Prepare the aeri=al."
"The... magic broom? ...You aren't planning on going there by yourself?"
"Yes. This is a problem between us, and I don't want others to hear our conversation. Even you, Col."
Elza said that with an unusually serious face that seemed like it should have a serious sound effect with it, but Col looked at her with eyes half closed, and gave a small snort.
"You don't know what will happen! Something might have happened to Mifi, but that girl is simple... However, talking with Aiina-sama is going to make things worse, so I definitely cannot allow that. It will cause her parents problems, and that would be bad. At worst, it could mean all out war with the Foxrider family. Our motto is defense only, but assassination leaves a bad aftertaste, so I won't let it happen again."
"What's with that lack of faith!?"
"Because it's you, mistress."
"Damn it, Col! Are those the words you say directly to my face! I'm crying!?"
"Then would you like to borrow my chest? As an extra service, it's 58 dollars per grope."
"That's oddly not thought out. Then I'll take 1000 gropes. Haahaa"
"At 1000 gropes, you wouldn't finish eating breakfast in time for you to leave. I'm sorry, but it's cancelled."
"Damn it!"
Just when she thought it was going to be a slightly serious conversation, it turned into this. Seeing the suddenly beginning absentee manzai, Ran pretended like she didn't know them and nibbled on her toast. Cuey was confused over the word she didn't know that got them excited, but suddenly hearing the sound "Rrrr", all activity stopped.

Then, everyone's gaze was fixed on Cuey.
"Uuu... I, I'm terribly sorry..."
Cuey, who was even a shade more red than she was during yesterday's self introduction, was once again scrunching her body and hanging her head down. That noise earlier was actually the sound of her stomach not being able to stand being hungry.
"Haha, don't worry about it. Everyone's stomach grumbles when they're hungry. Ran, let's hurry up and eat, or the maids won't have time to eat."
Said Elza, as she chowed into the toast. Which hole did that come out of, thought Ran, but she finally realized at this point that this meal wasn't a normal one. An excessively big dining hall, a giant table that could fit a war council, surrounded by maids and not able to calm down... This wasn't the time or place for that, this was definitely different from a normal meal.
"By the way, why aren't we eating together? Isn't everyone else hungry?"
Asking the question with a strange look on her face, Ran said that, not knowing why, which caused Col and Cuey to have a strange look on their face. If she had looked, the other maids on standby were also looking at each other with bewildered expressions.
"E, even if you ask why... umm..."
"We will eat after you mistresses eat..."
Col finished up Cuey's halting sentence with an explanation, but Ran titled her head to the side with an even stranger look.
"Umm, little mistress? Did I say something strange...?"
"But at home, everyone eats together. Ah, by home I meant home in Japan."
Yes, usually Mifi the maid ate together with Elza and Ran. But still, from Col's standpoint, it was still strange to ask why she would eat after they finished eating.
"That girl...! A maid eating together with her mistress... How rude!"
"Ehh? W, why is that rude?"
"Hawa, hawawa... uuu..."
Pushing on her foreheard with her finger, with the vein on her forehead barely not popping up, Col disgustedly said. Ran was startled and, at the same time, felt a chill run up her back. Cuey, who was behind her, also seemed to be getting flustered. Maybe she just made Mifi's position worse, and said such a thoughtless thing? Thinking this, she became uncomfortable.
"Won't you calm down, Col. Mifi eats with us because that's how families normally are, and I ordered her to do so. For Ran, that's normal, so she just thought it was strange for all of you not to eat with us. Isn't that right, Ran?"
"Y, yeah? Yeah, th, that's right!"
"Is that right? Oh my, I'm very sorry, little mistress."
"...Ho"
Seeing Col's reaction, and feeling the dangerous atmosphere, Cuey, just like Ran, was panicing, but with a dry laugh and a timely rescue, the two of them simultaneously calmed back down. Seeing this, Elza gave a small laugh. They're quite a lovely mistress and servant.
"But, then... Is it really wrong for maids to eat with us...?"
"Nowadays, since they can be hired by families, the existence of maids is changing, so it's not particularly wrong. Seren eats together with Kinka and Ginka, right? However, the upper class value customs, and have them follow the ways of the past... Saying this that might sound bad, but the Schtlehertz family is also an upper class family, so there is a clear distinction drawn around here. Well, there are some who treat their masters casually and make fun of them..."
"Oh, and just who are those maids that make fun of their masters?"
"Here's a mirror."
"Oh my, who is this beautiful charming girl in the mirror?"
"Some unknown person from an alternate dimension."
"Noo, I'm! I'm not there! I'm not anywhere!?"
"...Well, that's how it is."
"No one cares about that sort of tangent!"
Maybe the two of them were waiting for a tsukkomi, but it was a shock to them. Not understanding what was funny, Cuey had a questioning look. Ran, seeing this,
(If I do married couple manzai with Tamaryuu, I'll have to try harder.)
Thinking about that for a moment, she almost had a vision of "our time in the spotlight", but from backstage, a glaring "Nnnnn" feeling from a fox miko with crazed eyes of jealousy and a dangerous light in them made her scared, so that imaginary scene was successfully pushed off into a corner of her mind. And then she was reminded of one other who she wasn't sure if she was a comrade, and at the same time, was a little scary. That fox miko had anti-spirit attacks. The pet? She was tied up in the audience.
The above only took Ran a split second to mentally process (0.7 seconds). Now, there's no deep meaning behind remembering it. Probably.
Thinking that that was also quite a tangent, she brought her thoughts back to the subject at hand.
"I understand that attendants should do just that, but... It's embarrassing for those who are hungry and waiting..."
"Ah, is that so."
Clapping her hands together in understanding, Col seemed happy, but gave a dry smile as though she was bothered by something.
"Thank you for your concern. However, from the standpoint of master and servant, this alone isn't enough to justify it. This is for the Mistress... no, the family's honor."
"Honor?"
"If a rumor is spread that the head of the Schtlehertz is lenient towards the servants, or if she isn't respected by the servants, the Schtlehertz family name would be lowered in the eyes of other families... To put it informally, it would be disdained. The Schtlehertz family is a business conglomerate that is publicly traded and employs many people, so the Schtlehertz family name falling is basically the same as losing their trump card of having the support of the family head in business deals. And it's even possible for it to become insolvent. Worst case, it could even cause chaos in the financial markets. If that happens, it won't just be a problem for the family head, and there will be corporate acquisitions, bankruptcy, high unemployment, domestic trade would fall, foreign investment would plummet, and it would cause a global financial crisis..."
"Col. Hey, Col, that's enough!"
Col, upon being called out to by Elza, and noticing that Ran's face had gone pale and she was trembling, thought oops, I went too far, and secretly in her heart went tehepero. Her explanation wasn't necessarily wrong, but she thought that it would be better if she had some sense of danger, so she started exaggerating her story. And by the time she realized it, she had gotten caught up in it and overexaggerated it in every way. Tehepero [This is the expression she's making in the image.]