The Treacherous Albion

 

「Scatter!」

The Habetrots split off, each darting into the forest.

Laser fire—likely adapted from anti-aircraft artillery—swept across the terrain, but the rapid advance of the Panjandrums they used in place of wheels allowed them to evade the targeting systems.

Orthros, the massive quadruped, advanced slowly on towering limbs.

It seemed to have grown more cautious after witnessing Cerberus’s violent demise.

「Are the Habetrots going to attack Orthros’ legs?」

「No. If anything, the legs are probably reinforced more heavily than the torso. Honestly, the fact they managed to replicate quadrupedal motion at that scale is impressive in itself.」

While Aimer and Astraea analyzed the situation, one of the Habetrots suddenly burst into Orthros’s field of vision.

「Take this!」

The Habetrot dropped a Panjandrum from midair.

The weapon was at least five meters in diameter. Tethered by wires, the Panjandrum rocketed forward, engines flaring, and closed in on Orthros’s twin heads.

「Hmph!」

Orthros had two heads. The right head opened its enormous jaws and clamped down, tearing the panjandrum in half.

A heartbeat later, a massive explosion erupted from its mouth.

「Gwaaah!」

The left head let out a pained scream.

「An explosion like that probably didn’t do much real damage. But it should have sealed off the charged particle cannon.」

Orthros was a Mythology Weapon, but the structure of its throat had been modeled after a living creature’s respiratory system, allowing it to fire a particle cannon through its mouth. But now, a hydrogen-metal bomb had detonated inside that very mechanism. Recovery wouldn’t be quick.

「So that Panjandrum wasn’t just for blunt trauma…」

「They were smashing chimeras to pulp with them a moment ago.」

The Habetrots carried no firearms. They wielded seven Panjandrums each, battering enemies with a brutal, makeshift melee style. If an enemy got too close, they’d impale them using their spool-shaped drills.

「Whoa!」

Orthros stumbled.

At some point, a pit trap had been dug beneath its feet.

「Drilled that one out in advance! Our origin is a fairy that comes from caves, remember? These bodies are made for digging!」

Another five Habetrots appeared. Each carried a massive bundle of thread.

「Take this!」

They threw a giant net over the toppled Orthros.

「When it comes to weaving, we’re second to none. Even Anansi-dono would be hard-pressed to match us when we are together.」

「Even I couldn’t do that…」

The spider Mythology Weapon Anansi gave a dry sigh, his signature move now stolen.

「But a net reinforced by an A-Spinel won’t hold long!」

「No need to worry! See? There are five of us there. But one more is—」

The last one was speeding across the field at full tilt. Both legs’ Panjandrums had activated their P-MAX mode.

The speeding Habetrot found a Silhouette-sized index finger protruding from the ground and tied the net’s wire to it.

「Found ourselves a giant Mythology Weapon just lying around! With this, we can use the Whis produced by an A-Carbuncle. Orthros won’t be going anywhere soon.」

The Habetrots, the just recently built artificial Kryptos, executed their plan with flawless coordination.

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

Astraea furrowed her brow at one particular phrase.

「They found a giant Mythology Weapon? What could that mean? Morgan, do you know what’s over there?」

「No. I’ve accounted for every active Mythology Weapon. There shouldn’t be anything that large operating in that area.」

「Any possibilities?」

「The entire Etna region is off-limits. It’s essentially a graveyard for weapons. If something lying there chose now to activate, it’s not impossible, but… I can’t even begin to imagine what is in there. A Mythology Weapon of that size and age could become an issue…」

「Mythology Weapons tend to mirror their legends. The more powerful they are, the more similar to their myth is their presence and personality. For one to remain dormant all this time—deceiving everyone—」

「Kinda like Astraea, huh?」

Aimer’s comment froze Astraea in place.

「You and Eirene waited for the right moment to reappear, didn’t you?」

「That was… due to strategic necessity!」

Astraea, unusually flustered.

「Maybe this one’s the same. A guardian deity awakened when Orthros drew too close.」

「Th-that’s—」

Astraea was about to object when the giant index finger began to move.

A giant hand erupted from the earth, forcing the nearby Habetrot to leap away.

A massive shadow began to rise from underground.

Then, it declared:

「I am Albion the Giant. Guardian of my kin. I shall defend the giants from both the Habetrots and the Teras gathered here.」

It stood over 600 meters tall— a warship transformed into a humanoid Mythology Weapon, a Kryptos mimicking a giant had just appeared.

「Albion…?」

Even Morgan was left speechless.

「Albion? Isn’t that the name of the BAS branch located in Astraea’s underground factory?」

「Indeed. It refers to the very concept of Britain. It comes from the term: Perfidius Albion. The treacherous, two-faced Albion. It means, quite literally, ‘the untrustworthy Britain.’」

「So that thing’s British?」

Aimer’s voice was caught somewhere between awe and exasperation.

「Albion is a poetic name for Britain. It was already being called Perfidius Albion by the 13th century. Treachery in British diplomacy has a long tradition.」

「Britain was already considered untrustworthy that long ago…?」

Aimer could hardly process the weight of that history.

「In medieval Europe, there was the War of the Roses. Between Henry Tudor, a lowborn claimant, and Richard III. The turncoat Stanley betrayed Richard and sided with Henry, who raised the Red Dragon and emerged victorious, fulfilling prophecy. He became Henry VII, the final king of England.」

「I’ve heard of the War of the Roses.」

「Shakespeare’s Richard III made it famous. Despite later succession struggles, Henry proved an adept ruler and skilled diplomat, particularly in dealings with France.」

「I still don’t get Britain. Is that giant treacherous too?」

「Hold on, Aimer-sama. Albion was originally a Greek giant. Astraea-sama, you omitted that on purpose, didn’t you?」

Morgan interjected, voice tinged with accusation.

「Wait, seriously?!」

「Albion was also the son of Poseidon and the Nereid Amphitrite. Said to have developed a vast island where many giants lived—until Heracles felled him.」

Astraea turned away, silently avoiding their gaze.

「So it’s both Greek myth and British legend…」

「The name originally referred to the region of Caledonia—that is, modern-day Scotland.」

Astraea suddenly looked to Morgan, her eyes narrowing with realization.

「Did you do this on purpose? Are you trying to create new Mythology Weapons related to Britain by collecting related myths in this place?」

「What do you mean, Astraea-sama?」

「The Habetrots are based on Scottish fae. Their base machine was called Caledonia Crow—which, while referencing a crow species from New Caledonia in the South Pacific, shares its linguistic root with British Caledonia.」

「Same root word?」

「Caledonia is also a poetic name. It appeared in many regions across history. Albion once referred to all of Britain but later narrowed to Caledonia. In essence, the two terms describe the same place.」

「So Albion woke up in response to the Habetrots’ presence?」

Albion stood tall and swung a massive fist at Orthros.

Still entangled in the net, Orthros could only writhe in agony.

「Two weapons the size of battleships… just punching each other.」

「Though it’s a rather one-sided beating.」

Astraea watched Albion with a pained expression.

「This place is becoming more and more shaped by Britain.」

「Albion is originally from Greek mythology.」

Morgan insisted stubbornly.