Queen Rono's Secret Machinations
The city functioned as it always had. The glass facades of skyscrapers reflected the lights of the night, streams of vehicles filled the roads in orderly patterns, and neon signs and streetlights cast an impersonal glow over the lives of the people below. Even when elves, dwarves, and hobbits mingled among them, no one paid them any particular attention anymore. Differences in ear length and body shape were treated as just another form of racial variation in this era, naturally incorporated into the framework of society.
Yet this equilibrium existed only on the surface. Deeper down, different principles continued to shift and flow. One of them was the power known as magical arts.
Although magical arts constituted a system entirely separate from science, they had come to serve as one of the energy sources sustaining modern society. Whether incorporated into auxiliary mechanisms hidden behind the electrical grid or employed for military applications, their use was strictly regulated. However, only a limited number of people knew precisely where this power originated.
The dimension known as Magic Castle.
It was an otherworldly realm in which certain physical laws were distorted, and it was said that magical energy emerged from within it in quantities approaching the inexhaustible. Under normal circumstances, the dimension remained stable, and its connections to the outside world were supposed to be carefully controlled. Recently, however, fluctuations had begun to be observed.
The first to detect the anomaly was not a government agency.
It was the secret society known as Queen Rono.
Although the organization officially did not exist, it was known in the underworld as a faction seeking to monopolize magical technology. By independently securing access points to Magic Castle and taking control of the channels through which its energy was supplied, its members intended to establish a form of dominion that would transcend even the power of nations.
Once a subterranean facility constructed as part of this plan was confirmed to exist on the outskirts of the city, the National Security Forces immediately began their operation.
The elven soldier Mitook and the dwarf Drydos had been dispatched to the site as members of the advance unit.
Surrounded by concrete walls, the facility appeared at first glance to be nothing more than an abandoned factory. Inside, however, a magical barrier had been erected to block the detection of magical activity, making it difficult for conventional surveillance equipment to determine the facility's internal layout.
Mitook disengaged the safety on his assault rifle and kept his aim steady as he watched the distortion in the air near the entrance. The senses unique to elves allowed him to perceive not only visible light but also the flow of magical energy itself.
"There is a barrier, but it's not complete. The flow inside is becoming unstable. There's a good chance something is happening on the Magic Castle side."
Mitook spoke in a low, restrained voice.
Drydos responded, casually shifting the rifle resting on his shoulder.
"Unstable or not, it doesn't change what we have to do. We charge in and smash the place to pieces. That's all there is to it."
A dwarf's sturdy physique made him well suited to close-quarters combat, but in the modern era, dwarves had also become highly proficient in the use of firearms. Drydos, in particular, was highly regarded within his unit for his handling of heavy weapons. Despite his rugged appearance, he assessed combat situations with a cool head.
The two exchanged a signal and stormed into the facility simultaneously.
The moment they forced their way through the door, the atmosphere changed. The pressure of magical energy filled the space in an invisible tide. Lights illuminated the interior, but their glow seemed somehow distorted, while magic circles engraved into the walls emitted a faint radiance.
Gunfire erupted first.
Mitook pulled the trigger, and a rapid series of shots echoed through the corridor. At the same time, the magic circle ahead of them reacted. Geometric rings of light unfolded in the air, releasing a barrage of highly concentrated magical energy.
Bullets and magical attacks intersected in midair, and explosions erupted at the moment of impact. Shock waves tore into the concrete pillars, sending fragments flying in every direction. Keeping low, Drydos advanced, using the available cover to close the distance.
"There are a lot of them. And these bastards have fully weaponized their spells."
Mitook gave a brief reply to Drydos's remark.
"Don't let this drag on. If we destroy the control device, the supply of magical energy will stop."
Farther down the corridor, members of Queen Rono retreated one after another, deploying defensive formations as they fell back. Their clothing was not uniform. Instead, they wore a mixture of modern combat gear adorned with magical embellishments, a combination that demonstrated just how indistinct the boundary between science and magic had become.
The fighting intensified.
Suppressive gunfire and magical counterattacks followed one another in rapid succession, creating the growing sensation that space itself was beginning to groan under the strain. Perhaps because of the unstable connection to Magic Castle, the magic circles showed signs of losing control. Some activated a fraction of a second too late, while others released excessive amounts of energy.
Eventually, the members of Queen Rono lost their cohesion and began retreating toward the rear of the facility.
"They're running!"
Someone shouted.
Mitook and Drydos immediately pursued them. But the moment they caught sight of the night sky through an opening at the far end of the facility, the situation changed completely.
Several shadows were circling outside.
Wyverns.
The sight of these classic flying magical beasts soaring above a modern city should have been impossible. Yet the members of Queen Rono climbed onto their backs without hesitation, one after another taking to the sky and escaping into the night.
Mitook kept his rifle raised as he looked up at them.
"...Has the influence of Magic Castle really spread this far into our side of reality?"
Drydos muttered through clenched teeth.
"They're not just some smuggling outfit. Those bastards are trying to drag an entire dimension into our world."
The flock of wyverns crossed the night sky and eventually disappeared among the lights of the city.
There was no way to pursue them.
The two soldiers stood motionless for a while, sensing the faint magical fluctuations that lingered inside the facility, now on the verge of collapse.
Something had begun.
This was not merely a crime or a struggle between rival organizations. The changes taking place concerned something far more fundamental, and the signs suggested that they might eventually affect the very structure of reality itself.
Mitook slowly lowered his rifle and looked up at the night sky once more.
There was nothing left to see.
And yet, something had unquestionably begun to move.
Queen Rono's Secret Machinations — The End