Sometimes Catfish, Sometimes Bahamut, and Sometimes Maeda Gen’i

 

「Karkinos has been nearly wiped out.」

Bahamut rose from the sea, his head emerging with a great splash.

Even that one gesture had a kind of charm to it. Just the size of its head alone could rival the deck of the Astraea.

「Thank you, Bahamut!」

Aimer called out in gratitude. It was impossible to know how he had heard her, but Bahamut responded with a cheerful smile.

「Bahamut’s super cute, nya.」

「It’s oddly endearing.」

Aki and Nyanta murmured in turn.

Bahamut almost looked bashful.

「Still… He’s a bit different from what I imagined Bahamut would be.」

Eri whispered. Her knowledge of Bahamut was limited to video games.

「Yeah, I thought the same.」

Added Kurose, who wasn’t much better informed.

Bahamut looked around, puzzled, as if to say, ‘Huh? What are they talking about?’

Kinukawa, unfamiliar with gaming, posed a question.

「So, what kind of Bahamut were you all expecting?」

「You know, the kind that either saves or destroys the world—like a giant dragon god.」

「Something majestic and divine.」

「What kind of Bahamut is that…」

「Nyaa! Nyaa!」

A voice called out to reprimand the crestfallen Bahamut.

It was Bastet. She sounded angry.

「What’s Bastet saying?」

「She says that not being taken seriously is Bahamut’s own fault for not giving it his all, nya. She’s telling him to stop wasting time and take to the skies.」

「Bahamut’s full force…?」

「Can a worldfish even fly?」

「Technically, it’s a spaceship, so he should be able to fly. But a catfish flying…」

Astraea sounded uncertain whether a catfish-shaped Mythology Weapon could manage aerial combat.

With a splash, Bahamut sank back into the sea.

「Ah! Wait—Bahamut!」

Aimer called out desperately, but Bahamut slipped beneath the waves and disappeared into the deep.

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

「Admiral Eri, Kurose-san. That was kinda mean to Bahamut.」

「Sorry…」

「My bad…」

Both apologized. They hadn’t expected Bahamut could hear them over the comms.

Mythology Weapons tended to gain enhanced radar and electronic warfare capabilities depending on the scale of their base weapon. Vritra was formidable in that respect—Bahamut, even more so. Naturally, he had picked up everything.

「Nyaa!」

「Bastet says that Bahamut is going to go all out now, nya!」

「Huh!?」

A colossal splash.

A massive shadow soared into the sky—growing larger still, until it eclipsed the Astraea completely.

「That shape…」

Bahamut was no longer a giant catfish.

It had transformed into a dragon—a majestic, winged reptilian form. A true divine dragon god.

「Bahamut!」

「That’s definitely Bahamut.」

「No doubt about it.」

Eri, Kurose, and one of the pilots of the Type-0 all recognized the form immediately—Bahamut’s dragon form.

With wings large enough to cover the Astraea, sturdy limbs, and a dignified dragon’s head crowned with twin horns. Only a faint resemblance to its former catfish form remained, hinted at by cheek guards near the mouth.

「So that’s what Bahamut’s supposed to look like?」

「That seems to be the dominant perception, yes. Legends tend to evolve. Among the Transferees’ cultures—particularly in the US and Japan—that form of Bahamut is the prevailing one.」

Bahamut soared higher and joined the aerial battle.

From his maw came a flare rivaling Bastet’s cannon in power, striking Ladon squarely. The enemy reeled from the blast, and the nearby Teras caught in the flare dissolved and crashed into the earth below.

「Incredible, Bahamut!」

「That’s the Bahamut we imagined!」

Cheers rang out from the Trireme’s crew.

「But… a catfish turning into a dragon?」

「Impossible, by most traditional standards. Scanning legends for plausible matches.」

「It’s not impossible. Didn’t Aural mention it? That Bahamut is influenced by a Japanese myth.」

Kinukawa said with a chuckle.

「There is… such a thing?」

Astraea sounded slightly defeated. She lacked data on Japanese myths and youkai, evidenced by her lack of knowledge on the Kasha. It must have been considered not important enough.

「Back home, we have this big lake called Lake Biwa. On an island there—Chikubushima—there’s a legend of a giant catfish, believed to be the avatar of Suzuka Gozen, a celestial maiden. This catfish lived in a dragon’s den and protected the people by transforming into a sea dragon to defeat a great serpent.」

「The catfish protected the people?」

「It was a dragon god, after all. That island even had its own unique catfish. In Buddhism, there’s a term—konrinzai—used to indicate the ‘lowest foundation of the earth.’ Chikubushima is said to be the site from which the indestructible vajra jewel grew. In that sense, it’s not unlike the worldfish that supports the world.」

「Cross-referencing database… Confirmed. There is indeed a relevant legend. During the Sengoku period, a document was delivered to a priest-warrior known as Maeda Gen’i.」

「A priest? So he was a monk. Yeah, Maeda Gen’i was both monk and general. Haven’t heard that name in a while. Didn’t expect him to be connected to Bahamut.」

Even Kinukawa couldn’t help but smile at the absurdity.

Bahamut lunged at Ladon with speed belying his size.

Not even Ladon’s charged particle cannon could track him.

On the ground, even Orthros had paused its advance—on guard against Bahamut.

「This changes everything… but still…」

Aimer watched Bahamut fight, then quietly murmured,

「I like the catfish Bahamut best.」

As if hearing her, Bahamut turned toward the Astraea, locking eyes through the monitor with Aimer.

It squinted its eyes and raised its mouth—smiling, or at least seeming to.

Then, with a glare that could melt steel, it turned its attention back to Ladon and rejoined the fray.

「Thank you, Bahamut.」

And as if to say I hear you, Bahamut lifted its great tail and swept it through the sky.

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

A transmission reached Kou as he infiltrated the sealed sector.

「Kou! The Eidolon Bahamut came to help us!」

Aimer sounded excited—unusually so.

Kou responded immediately.

「Bahamut!? What did he look like?」

「A giant catfish. Like the fish. He’s cute.」

「…A catfish?」

Kou couldn’t wrap his head around a Bahamut that looked like a catfish.

「But then it transformed into an impressive dragon, like a god! Kinukawa-san said it’s based on Japanese legends!」

「Wait—Japanese legends? A catfish that turns into a dragon?」

「Yup! It seems there’s this record by someone named Maeda Gen’i.」

「Hold up, Aimer. Why is Bahamut tied to Maeda Gen’i of the Sengoku period!?」

Kou, who knew a decent bit of history—especially from the Sengoku period—was clearly baffled.

He vaguely remembered Gen’i being a domestic-affairs character in a very famous strategy games series—more diplomat than warrior.

Even by associative logic, this connection was a stretch too far.

「Uh-huh. Apparently, there’s a historical document where Gen’i was told to prepare for earthquakes caused by a giant catfish.」

「Aimer, maybe save the rest for later. Kou knows just enough to get confused, he can’t wrap his head around Bahamut relating to Maeda Gen’i.」

Seeing Kou’s struggle, Asia stepped in with a laugh.

「Ah, sorry, Kou.」

「No, it’s fine. Sounds interesting. I’ll ask for the details when I’m back.」

「Okay!」

Kou ended the call and let out a sigh.

「How do you even begin to connect a catfish, Bahamut, and Maeda Gen’i…?」

But truthfully, he was pretty intrigued.

「Mythology Weapons are indiscriminate in the legends they draw from… No idea why they ended up doing that, though. Right, Libya?」

「If the myths weren’t picked randomly, the balance between god and bad would be skewed, Asia.」

「Wouldn’t it be better to skew toward benevolence…?」

「That wouldn’t be enough to defeat the Stones.」

「…Right. You’re right.」

The war with the Murders was a battle of annihilation. Against the Stones, who even had space battleships, nothing short of overwhelming force would suffice.

Such weapons couldn’t have been prepared through conventional means.

「Still, Aimer seemed happy. Bahamut must be a benevolent one.」

「Yes. I received Astraea’s data. There’s no mistaking its nature.」

「I’m interested in Bahamut… but now’s not the time. I’ll hear the rest later.」

Kou forced himself to refocus.

Arthur, amused by his curiosity, spoke.

「Your homeland is filled with fantastical ideas, Outis.」

In response, Kou silently sent him images of the two Fairy types and the Nuckelavee.

Arthur, too, fell silent.