"You've worked hard. With this, it can certainly serve as evidence."
At William's words, Plimene finally let out the breath she had been holding. How much hardship had she endured to reach William?
"Plimene. You've truly done something great. I mean that sincerely."
How many trials and tribulations must Plimene have faced to reach him? Just seeing her usually neatly arranged hair disheveled was enough to sense that she had suffered considerably. William knew this fact, so he didn't spare his praise for Plimene.
"Thank you."
Praise from William, who usually wouldn't even speak empty words, was very precious. Plimene felt as if she had been compensated for about half of all the hardships she had endured.
William's gaze turned to Basilio, who was beside Plimene.
"Special-grade fixer Basilio."
William Sterling stared at Basilio with sharp eyes, as if piercing through him. Basilio stood in place like a mannequin, steadfastly receiving the blade-like gaze. William was a veteran of a hundred battles. The aura possessed by a veteran who had crossed countless ridges was not something to be taken lightly.
"You helped bring Plimene here safely. Did you receive a commission?"
A completely different reaction from when dealing with Plimene. It couldn't be helped. Basilio was a man who had never shown his face. Where he came from, what he did, and what his purpose was.
Nothing was known about him. Unlike Mist, who deliberately flaunted his mysteriousness, Basilio was the real deal.
Therefore, William couldn't easily trust Basilio. Even if he had worked hard during the District 17 incident, it was the same. Someone who doesn't reveal himself has something fishy about him.
Basilio also knew that William's gaze wasn't favorable. If he were in the same position, he would have acted the same way. But he had no intention of convincing William.
"It's not a commission. I just stepped forward because I wanted to."
"You stepped forward because you wanted to? A special-grade fixer like you, whose price is very high, moved on your own without a commission?"
William smiled mockingly. It was a smile that made one's heart turn cold just by looking at it. Special-grade fixers are difficult to hire even with expensive money. Him moving on his own was like an elephant being careful of ants while walking.
"Are you telling me to believe that now?"
"It seems you think I have some ulterior motive."
"For instance, you might be trying to make connections with high-ranking officials of Tirna to gain advantages in various aspects."
In reality, all kinds of lobbying comes to Tirna's officials. Not to mention high-ranking officials. William had experienced this many times. Naturally, he was more disgusted by this than anyone else.
Plimene wasn't young. But she had overflowing potential to rise higher. Who would like it when a fixer whose identity and background are unknown approaches such a person?
Plimene was flustered by the power struggle between the two men. But for William, this was something he absolutely had to address.
It wasn't just anyone else, but someone affiliated with the council who had come to find him like this. From the moment they faced each other like this, Basilio was given the duty to persuade him.
"Listen, old man."
Basilio spoke to William.
"I have absolutely no interest in what you think. I have no intention of making a place for myself in Tirna, nor am I interested in making lots of money or anything like that. What I want is only one thing."
Basilio looked back at Plimene.
"Her safety. That's all."
"Why?"
"Why? Is it so strange to care for someone you like?"
At the confession that was even bold, William's eyes showed slight surprise. He looked at Plimene. Plimene's face was slightly flushed, as if embarrassed.
Huh. So that's the kind of relationship they had.
"Well, if that's the case, it's not incomprehensible."
Rather, if it was such a primitive relationship, it was easier to understand. Just then, replies came back from the other committee chairs he had contacted.
They too would have confirmed all the evidence Plimene had delivered. Even though it was genuine with no possibility of manipulation.
Now, it was time to stop the baptism of fire.
Hu-hihihihi.
The clown laughed. A bright red balloon with only eyes and mouth protruding, laughing madly - it was nothing short of bizarre. From that balloon's mouth, blood poured out like a broken faucet.
"St-stop it!"
"What are the soldiers doing!"
The command control room was in chaos. There was no fool who didn't know what the suddenly appeared red balloon meant. They immediately activated the emergency alarm, but no sound came out.
The command staff drew pistols from their waists and fired at the balloon.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Holes were pierced throughout the balloon. But the balloon didn't pop and instead giggled with laughter. More red blood poured from the pierced holes.
The blood covering the tactical display spread even wider. It seemed like it would fill the entire control room. The soldiers turned pale and tried to flee.
Naturally, the clown didn't leave them alone.
Giggle giggle giggle! Hehehe! Ehehehe!
Countless sounds of laughter came from the ceiling. The soldiers looked up, and their faces immediately turned pale. The ceiling of the control room was full of balloons with mouths like cockroaches. It was incomprehensible how they hadn't noticed this until now.
Kwaaaack!
The balloons all simultaneously spat blood from their mouths. Like activated fire alarms, countless liquids poured from the ceiling. The problem was that it wasn't water for fire suppression, but blood vomited by otherworldly beings.
"Aaahhh!"
A soldier touched by the blood writhed in pain. He soon convulsed with his eyes rolled back like an epileptic patient.
The corners of his blood-soaked mouth began to slowly rise.
Rip. Riiiip.
The corners of his mouth rose to positions impossible for human anatomy. Naturally, both cheeks tore, revealing the flesh inside.
With his mouth torn to below his ears, the soldier laughed.
The same happened to other soldiers touched by the blood.
"Th-this can't be."
The commander, Corsolini, felt like he was having a nightmare. Otherwise, how could the situation change like this?
Squeak squeak!
The guns the soldiers were holding turned into cymbal-clashing monkeys. The monkeys earnestly cried while clashing their cymbals. The tactical display changed to a picture of an amusement park. Countless children were running around, and there a painted clown was smiling eerily while distributing red balloons.
Popcorn popped in one corner of the room, while toy robots emerged from elsewhere and lined the streets.
In the parade that confused eyes and ears, the clown finally appeared before Corsolini. Corsolini completely lost his fighting spirit. Seeing his terror, the clown grinned.
That maw, long and torn with countless blade-like teeth, swallowed Corsolini's face whole.
The command control room was thus completely eroded by the clown. And the erosion instantly spread its influence throughout the entire Ultima Ship No. 1.
The clown had lost considerable power, but recovered that power again through the military's bombardment. And now, for greater chaos, he had made Ultima his own.
Screams spread throughout the ship's interior. He could feel the lives of the crew members inside disappearing helplessly. The cries and screams they emitted, the fear of death, immediately became the clown's power.
The clown felt his hungry belly filling up. But it wasn't enough. It was still far from sufficient.
The airship transformed.
"Wh-what?"
Those who noticed the change were Osian's companions. Ultima's massive body began to twist. Most noticeable was the enormous gas bag. The dull khaki color of the gas bag's outer skin changed to white and red. Red patterns were drawn like whirlwinds on a pure white background, and the patterns began moving in real-time.
Kekekeke!
The gun barrels that had been pouring out shells split open with a crack, sprouting human teeth and emitting bizarre laughter.
Hissss!
Colorful gases of green, purple, red, and other colors spewed from the giant steam vents. The entire hull flashed with strobe lights along with mechanical sounds resembling the clown's laughter.
Trumpets sounded, fireworks exploded, and the cheerful music characteristic of amusement parks covered the night sky. That's why it was bizarre, and everyone could see that spectacle.
"Ah, aah."
"What the hell is that?"
People were shocked and terrified seeing the bizarrely transformed Ultima. The other Ultima battleships were equally startled. Ships No. 2 and 3 couldn't respond properly seeing the transformation of Ship No. 1, which carried the command staff.
[Command! What's happening!]
[Ship No. 1! Answer! Damn it! Everyone prepare! Ship No. 1 has been eroded!]
The gun barrels that had been aimed at the ground slowly turned toward Ship No. 1 right beside them. But their response was far too late.
Getting close together to form a formation was the biggest mistake. Ship No. 1, which had already finished its erosion, began attacking first.
Massive steel structures burst through the airship's gas bag skin. Those tentacle-like protrusions immediately pierced the Ultima ships on both sides.
The steel structures were super-special roller coasters. Rails connected, and trains carrying the clown's minions ran on them.
"En-enemy! Everyone be careful!"
"Stop them!"
The corpses from Ship No. 1, eroded by the clown, penetrated Ships No. 2 and 3, causing havoc from within. The soldiers resisted with all their might, but it wasn't easy. The clown's terror was contagious. And the influence gradually strengthened, beginning to taint the Ultima ships on both sides with erosion.
The red patterns on the front of the gas bag skin moved to create a picture of the clown. The clown picture grinned. That spine-chilling smile was etched into people's minds.
"Uh, uaaah! We're all going to die!"
"Eheheh! Cl-clown. It's the clown!"
Some weak-minded people went insane the moment they saw that smile. It was proof that the clown's erosion was gaining more power than before.
CLANG!
Just then, a massive hand axe flew and struck the gas bag skin. The frost flowers that bloomed were a bonus. The clown's eyeballs rolled around, then turned toward Balud who had thrown the axe.
Ah yes. That human was there. The human who dared to tear off one of his arms and legs.
"Tch. Of all things, I got caught by the most troublesome type. The type that holds grudges inside. This is why I thought I should finish it in one go back then."
The clown's mouth gaped wide open. Through that opened mouth, something began pouring out. They were aerial bombs transformed through erosion. Things that could no longer be called bombs, things transformed by the clown.
Monkey dolls, toy robots, merry-go-rounds, artificial fireworks. All of these poured down like a waterfall. Just by appearance, they looked like children's toys. But no one there took them lightly. They were objects vomited from the mouth of a clown fused with a giant ship.
Even a 3-year-old child wouldn't want to approach them.
Indeed, the toy dolls that fell to the ground were considerably large. Even the toy robot that stood up appeared to be 3 meters tall. It was larger than the armored corps wearing steam suits.
The toy forces that fell to the ground began moving and wandering around.
"Wh-what!"
People who couldn't evacuate in time panicked and backed away. A monkey doll that had somehow gotten close smiled eerily, then...
CRASH!
It burst the upper body like crushing it with the cymbals in both hands. Similar slaughter occurred everywhere.
"Everyone fall back! Get as far away as possible!"
"Stop those things!"
The liberation army stepped forward to fight, but the firepower they possessed didn't work at all against the clown's forces. Terror was contagious and spread to more people. The more such emotions grew, the stronger power the clown gained.
The clown felt power filling up like never before. The more it did, the stronger the erosion became, and he could see even the adjacent Ships No. 2 and 3 being tainted as his own.
Yes. This was it. This was what he wanted most. Everything terrified, frustrated, and despairing. And ultimately being swallowed by his power.
The clown who devoured all negativity laughed. As if the world had become his.
At that moment.
Flash!
A brilliant ray of light shot up as if piercing the sky. The face of the clown, who had been laughing madly, turned cold. His gaze turned toward the center where the pillar of light had risen.
There was a knight floating in the air, wrapped in noble light.
Behind the knight's back, three emblems symbolizing the sun, moon, and stars floated in balance.
"You've really done well to get this far."
Osian, who had achieved the Sun-Moon-Star Divine Form, gazed at the clown.