Part 1
(November 10 – California – Grand Arrow Air Force Base – Central Control Room – From a camera for recording military activities)
The commotion in the Hawaiian Islands had spread all the way to the largest air force base on the west coast. The commotion was greatest for those in command rather than for the maintenance workers performing the final checks on the fighters or the pilots waiting for orders.
Alfred Thirdman, the base commander, glanced over the thick documents and tossed them aside. He stomped on the useless pieces of paper with his boot and shouted in anger.
"You fools!! We can investigate who this enemy force is later! Right now, the president's safety takes priority, so we just need to kill all of the enemies! Did you not hear me ask you to calculate whether we can attack or not!? What is the situation regarding the spread, altitude, and density of the volcanic ash!?"
The satellite imagery showed something baffling.
A large number of soldiers were landing on the eight main islands forming the Hawaiian Islands. It seemed a few of the tankers and passenger ships off the coast had been disguised landing ships. A large number of hovercrafts were bringing in soldiers and weapons such as off-road vehicles, armored vehicles, and even anti-ship missile units.
A quick estimate said there were just under seven thousand soldiers.
However, in addition to those soldiers to fight on the front lines, there were likely maintenance workers and communications officers for logistical support. With those included, it was possible the number was as high as ten thousand.
It was too great a force to function as a single division.
Alfred felt the blood vessels in his temples throb uncomfortably as he thought about the fact that they had somehow overlooked so great a force and that they had been allowed to invade American soil.
One of Alfred's subordinates gave a report while looking frightened either of the situation developing or of his own commander.
"Th-the ash has spread over quite a large area around Kilauea and with a very high density. We are using the satellite's laser scanning, but the visibility is very nearly hopeless. If an airplane is launched into ash that dense, it is almost guaranteed to have engine trouble…"
"Is it due to a trade wind? If so, the ash should be spreading mostly in one direction. Areas to the west like Guam or Yokosuka might be out of the question, but surely we can provide air support from here on the mainland!"
"While it is greater in that direction, the ash is spreading in every direction. W-we cannot get closer than three hundred kilometers."
Alfred clicked his tongue and kicked the useless console as hard as he could with the end of his boot.
The Hawaiian Islands had more of America's military might than anywhere else in the Pacific, but not even that gave him hope about the developing crisis. Even then, Aegis ships anchored in naval ports were being blown up one after another.
It actually seemed fortunate that the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Hubble Lotus was out in the South China Sea.
"The president is there. Are you saying we should just sit here doing nothing while anti-ship missiles are being deployed all across the Hawaiian Islands and a military force of unknown affiliation is invading?"
"N-no, but…"
"It seems support with warships is our only option."
"Those anti-ship missiles rule that out. With current technology, it is difficult to avoid missiles that fly only a few meters above the surface of the—"
Without letting his subordinate finish speaking, Alfred kicked the console again.
After a bit, he said, "Open a connection to Dirty Lance in Texas. They are likely thinking the same thing over there."
"T-to that ballistic missile launching ground!? But the president is there, not to mention all the other people…!!"
"I have no intention of using a nuclear missile and will not fire any kind of missile on our own country. And at this stage, I have no intention of suggesting we go to war." Alfred looked over at the projector. "We will detonate normal warheads at high altitude to blow away the scattered volcanic ash. Even if air support from the nearby Guam is impossible, we may be able to create enough of an opening to get something through on this side where the ash has spread much less in comparison."
"B-but can we even do that? I doubt the vice president will go along with this and there is no specific law regarding the use of ballistic missiles on areas within America…"
"In all likelihood, reality will get in our way," said Alfred with a sigh. "But given the situation, I want as many usable cards as I can get. I want to be able to move as quickly as possible in the unlikely event we are given the opportunity."
Part 2
(November 10 – Oahu – Blackport Naval Base – From the camera in a soldier's helmet for the command cloud)
Mercenaries in military uniforms that glittered like the surface of a CD climbed over the fence of an American naval port. Raymond Kalman was one of them. Merely getting within twenty kilometers of the base was a miracle, so setting foot inside it was unheard of. His steel-toed military boots trampled on that kind of thinking.
In fact, the mercenaries were doing more than just entering the base.
Several of the frigates and Aegis ships anchored in the port were spewing black smoke. Explosions burst out. The various explosives within the ships caught fire causing more and more explosions.
"Oh, fuck yeah!! The symbol of the stars and stripes' power is sinking! The Aegis ships are sinking!"
"Quit the celebrating, Eater 8! This isn't over yet!!"
Continual deep gunfire rang out. Even as Raymond frantically lowered his body down and jumped behind a toppled military tractor, he had a smile on his face. The counterattack from the American navy was continuing, but it was growing sporadic. The barrage of bullets was thin and no organized waves of attacks or coordinated attacks from multiple sides came. It was clear the American side's chain of command was in chaos. They had more or less won.
"Where is it? Where's the aircraft carrier? I thought that horrible thing with the name of a president was supposed to be here."
"It's in the South China Sea, remember? …Y'know, I'm a little worried about how well this is going."
There was of course a good reason everything was going so well.
It was difficult for Raymond to believe so suddenly. Those who denied the occult always said they would only believe what they saw with their own eyes, but things had gone well beyond that level. He was actually seeing what was happening, but he still did not want to believe it.
Some kind of giant black shadow was jumping from warship to warship.
The enemy soldiers hiding behind cover were accurately struck by lightning attacks coming from the volcanic ash.
The flames spewing from the warships changed shape and blasted through the solid buildings as if they had a mind of their own.
However, the conquest was not being carried out solely by that "unknown occult". Raymond and the others were combating the American navy with normal bullets and explosives. The occult was weaving its way through the gaps in that stalemate and advancing as it slipped past the flying bullets and cover. A new golden ratio had been created. It was almost amusing how easily they were taking control of the battlefield.
And then…
"Don't overdo it…" said a sharp, ice-like voice in Raymond's ear.
The voice belonged to a mature woman who was wearing the same outfit as the others. Something other than her appearance clearly distinguished her from the others in the silver uniforms. She was obviously different. She was one of the ones who had brought the new power to the battlefield.
She was part of Gremlin.
She was a magician.
That woman held a power that completely rid the occult of the outdated aspect that surrounded it and allowed it to conquer even a modern battlefield.
"Our goal is to seize America for ourselves, not to destroy it. Those will be our forces in the near future, so we must not do any more damage than is necessary."
"Wait, you're telling us to hold back and only incapacitate them!? Are you an idiot!? Everyone on the battlefield who has a weapon and can move their trigger finger is an enemy. In war, that is all you need to take a life! How are we supposed to win if we don't kill them when we have the chance!? Well!?" shouted back Raymond Kalman whose mood had been lifted more due to the repeated explosions and flashes of light than due to the unexpected ease of the battle.
The woman with the sharp voice softly wrapped her hand around Raymond's hand as if to kindly stop him.
That was all it took.
With a sound like a hot wok, Raymond's right hand and wrist turned to black ash.
"Gh…gyaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!? A-ah?"
His scream ended and changed to a noise of confusion because, after burning away so that not even the outline of the bone remained, his right hand regained its flesh and skin as if he was watching a video in reverse. After only ten seconds, his hand and even the silver glove over it were back to normal.
The pain and injury were gone, but the fear alone remained.
He was assaulted by an extreme sense of unease due to the mismatch between how he felt and what his physical state was.
Then, the woman's sharp voice continued in a clear whisper.
"Don't overdo it."
The occult ruled the battlefield.
It did not distinguish between friend and foe.
Despite being on the side with an overwhelming advantage, Raymond and the others were tormented by a powerful sense of intimidation as if they had a cold blade pressed against their chest.
However, the strange turns of event did not end there.
"Oh, come on. Isn't that going a bit too far to threaten an amateur?"
The next thing Raymond knew, a man in formal clothes was standing in the center of the military dock.
Raymond had no idea how or when the man had gotten there.
A single card floated through the air like a leaf.
Someone with good eyes may have been able to see that it was the ace of swords, a tarot card from the minor arcana.
He was one of the magicians who had entered the Hawaiian Islands along with Leivinia Birdway.
He was a member of the Dawn-Colored Sunlight.
He was Mark Space.
"…"
One of the soldiers in a silver uniform, the woman with the sharp voice, checked something over her radio. The details were unclear, but battles between magicians were beginning on Lanai and Hawaii as well.
She sharpened her already sharp voice and said, "So you were concealed all over the place to gather information."
"More or less."
Like a stage magician, a large number of cards flew from the man's right hand to his left.
Even if the American military and the Dawn-Colored Sunlight joined forces, they could not do much more than what Gremlin was already doing. The overwhelming difference lay in how many magicians each side had.
"I doubt we can completely turn this around, but we can at least buy some time even if all it allows us is a more effective retreat," the man said.
"Do you really think a mere magician trained from a young age can reach the level of Gremlin?"
"Fortunately, I have the full minor arcana at my disposal to entertain you with."
Part 3
(November 10 – Oahu – Main Road – Government Vehicle – From the camera to record proceedings)
The black government vehicle swerved back and forth.
Inside, the president's aide, Roseline Krackhart, looked behind with a sharp gaze as her body shook about.
A military off-road vehicle was closing in on them.
A man whose upper body was sticking up from the roof was firing countless bullets from his bullpup-style assault rifle and orange sparks were flying from the surface of the government vehicle.
"How can they do this in the middle of the public eye and in broad daylight…!?" exclaimed Roseline.
She grinded her teeth at how the situation across the entire Hawaiian Islands had completely changed over the past hour. Even then, police officers in uniform were merely watching in shock as Roseline and the military vehicle flew by.
They were in America, but it certainly did not seem like it.
Just as she was about to accept that fact, Roseline forcibly cut off that line of thinking.
As the person meant to support the leader of the nation, she could not let herself accept it.
She looked over at the policemen and yelled, "Use your radios or your cell phones or whatever. Just use my name to get all police officers to fall back!! Your bulletproof jackets can't stop rifle bullets!!"
"More importantly, what are we going to do!? We don't have an unlimited supply of gasoline!!"
"The closest base is Pearl Harbor's third marine base! We need to get inside even if we have to force our way in and get protection there. It's time we showed them the power of the world police!!"
Some objects clearly stood out within the scenery soaring by at high speed.
Countless giant black hovercrafts were landing on the beach, seeming to sully the pure white sand. Dozens of soldiers wearing silver uniforms and armored off-road vehicles poured from the hovercrafts. There were even what looked like giant containers. Those objects that crane-like "arms" were keeping balanced were the very low altitude anti-ship missile units.
(This is ridiculous. This goes well beyond the level of a terrorist group. At this scale, it's basically an army. And that would mean this is basically the beginning of a war…)
"A Gray Flag… B-but from where…?"
"There is no uniformity to their movements. Most likely, this is not a national army trained together from the beginning. This is most likely a mercenary PMC that gathered soldiers that already had a certain level of experience. But that isn't the real issue here."
"?"
"Who hired them and for what reason?"
As Roseline gritted her teeth, the government vehicle charged into the marine base.
However, she was not given the hope she had expected.
The government vehicle came to a sudden stop in front of the base. It had not been asked to stop by soldiers. No soldiers were there to stop them.
Instead, a sea of flames spread before their eyes.
The largest collection of the world police's military power in the Pacific was burning. There was no longer a defensive line around the base. Long distance bombardments had torn the long, long fence to pieces and enemy soldiers were beginning to charge in.
"They" were made up of teams of five.
They all wore matching full-body CD-like silver uniforms that erased any individuality, but the center members of those groups of five were clearly different.
In a clash of firepower, the American marines were the very best. They may lose to Academy City when it came to unique technology, but in standard fields, America clearly ruled the world both in quality and quantity.
And yet that ultimate army was being overwhelmed.
They were being overwhelmed by the mercenaries pouring into the base like an avalanche in groups of five.
The source of the mercenaries' success was those "center members".
They alone did not rely on guns. Flames blew from their hands, ice spears poured down like rain, lightning leaped about like a living being, and cracks opened in the ground that brought barricades crashing down.
Those phenomena baring their fangs against the Americans did not follow the laws of physics or chemistry.
The flames burned through supposedly unburnable steel and the lightning attacks passed through supposed insulators like concrete. That alone was not always enough to settle things, but when the marines frantically fled from behind the barricades, they were further cornered by the mercenaries' assault rifles and grenade launchers.
It was not merely normal firepower.
It was not merely the occult.
Their combination like that was something not seen even in World War III. If they had been brought together in a different way, the combination could have embodied peace greater than anything else. However, this was the complete opposite.
While Roseline sat dumbfounded, something even more baffling occurred.
A few hundred meters ahead, one of the silver soldiers looked her way. Immediately afterwards, he leaped toward her like a long throw in baseball. He landed on the hood of the government vehicle and silently held his hand out toward the car.
Something shot from his hand and before Roseline was able to comprehend whether it was fire or ice, a new figure seemed to fly in from the side and kick the silver soldier.
The new figure had white hair and red eyes. Roseline had no way of knowing, but he was the Level 5 who was said to be the strongest even in Japan's Academy City.
"Tch. There's just no end to them. Birdway! Can't you just blow them all away with some convenient magic!? This is just a waste of my battery!!"
"Y'know, magicians use up a part of their body to use magic. It isn't like it doesn't cost me anything. …That's why Gremlin joined forces with standard firepower to make up for that loss."
"A mixture of science and magic…"
"Yes, and with a different type of construction than with the Rome/Russia alliance during World War III."
A sea of flames spread out.
Everyone was fleeing in terror, but those two alone seemed set apart from it all.
The small girl casually pointed her wand at a wall of flames overrunning the base and it was swallowed up by an even larger white explosion. The mercenaries hiding behind an armored vehicle were blown away along with it. More white explosions appeared. The flashes of light easily continued through the base and reinforced the attacks from the battered Americans.
"I love doing things on a large scale like this. I think I'll just go all out without worrying about regulating my output."
"Don't pretend you're attacking discriminately. You're getting the Americans caught up in this too," replied Accelerator.
"Neither side will die…as long as they've been trained to a level higher than your average person. I've made sure of that."
That was when Roseline realized something.
The American marines were being pushed back and cornered by the mercenaries. Plenty of them had been shot and were injured, but as far as she could see, there were no corpses. They were just barely managing to protect that final line.
"…Looks like we've picked up another god damn piece of luggage," said the white monster sounding utterly irritated.
"Yes, but you have no intention of leaving her behind, do you, hero?"
"Don't act like you know what I'm going to do."
"Fine, fine. Go ahead and pretend you don't like it. We just need to preserve enough of a military force to turn this around. For now, we need to buy enough time for the Americans to retreat and take out some of those damn mercenaries or magicians when needed."
Part 4
(November 10 – Molokai – From a security camera at the Shrimp Motel)
Saronia A. Irivika stood in front of a motel. She was leaning against the thin door while drinking mineral water from a bottle. Her hair was wet as if she had just taken a shower. She had actually been in the sea only a half hour or so before.
She could hear the intermittent explosions and gunfire from where she was.
During World War III only two weeks before, those had been sounds heard anywhere on the globe. And most likely people all over the world including the Hawaiian Islands had decided they never wanted to hear those sounds again.
She was the only guest at the row house-like beachside motel. Even the manager had fled. As Saronia looked around, she really could not blame everyone for fleeing.
The white beach was no longer a tourist location.
It was now covered with large military hovercrafts, off-road vehicles, soldiers in silver uniforms, and container shaped anti-ship missile units. The black and moss green spread about reminded one of the stench of death. The long, narrow spear-shaped trails of smoke coming from the anti-ship missile units led to the wreckage of frigates that had managed to escape the military ports. The weapons of war on the beach were not simply installed there and they were not merely a threat. They were actually being used and were truly causing destruction. It was unmistakably the return of that war.
Saronia turned toward one of the silver soldiers walking nearby and said, "We are finally approaching the scale we wanted. Until now, the size has simply been too small to see anything properly."
"We could have complete control of the islands in about five hours, but there is no need to wait. We should carry out our objective as quickly as possible."
"I got a nice demonstration of the anti-ship missiles just now, but what is our countermeasure against submarines?"
"We are setting up torpedoes that are launched from low altitude. After flying for about one hundred meters, they enter the ocean and continue from there like a normal torpedo. The model was designed to carry out antisubmarine attacks from land."
"Make sure to strengthen your anti-personnel defenses. There is always a possibility of specialized soldiers—frogmen, I think they're called—swimming in."
"…Do you really think a few people can overcome our advantage? It would be like taking on a full soccer team of eleven by yourself."
"Just be careful. Don't forget our true objective here."
Suddenly, the silver soldier's cell phone started to ring.
After a short conversation, he handed the phone to Saronia.
"It's from Knowledge 12."
"Who's that?"
"The one who hired us."
"Oh, her. Hand it over then." Saronia's manner of speech suddenly grew much more polite. "Hello. This phase is going quite well. Are there any problems on your end?"
"The lack of any obvious problems has put me on edge, so I am nitpicking everything."
"Oh, so there are no problems. How is the influence on the center going?"
"What I can do with the range of my power is going well enough, but you know very well that is not enough. That is the entire reason I am having you help."
"It seems a little indirect to me, but it takes quite a bit of preparation time for even Gremlin to capture the United States. We just have to be patient." Despite the gravity of what she was saying, Saronia's tone was light. "By the way, we have the vice president, so can't we just hurry up and say the missing president cannot continue his official duties?"
"Unfortunately, no," said the person over the phone uninterestedly. "Do you know what Air Force One is?"
"The president's personal jet. It has the bare minimum of equipment needed for him to carry out his duties and he can command all of the nation's armed forces from within it in an emergency."
"The Imperial Package that Roberto Katze has is the same. It gives him complete authority on the government cloud and allows him to send out presidential orders from anywhere. Just having him out of the White House is not enough. As long as he has the Imperial Package, he is seen as able to carry out his official duties as president."
"Then we just have to follow the plan without searching for shortcuts. Please take care of things on your end. I suppose I will take care of some final preparations before things truly begin," said Saronia casually. "Oh, one more thing."
The silver soldier trembled slightly.
It almost seemed the negative emotions radiating from Saronia's body could pass through the electronic device and reach the person that she was speaking to.
"I realize you were just trying to keep me from having the difficult task of fighting while protecting the Trigger if my position was discovered, but if you try to trick me and use me as a diversion again…I will have your head along with the president's."