I readjusted my grip on the spear and lowered my stance.

Although a relentless barrage of magic arrows and ballista bolts flew towards me, they vanished upon hitting the translucent wall.

[What kind of absurdity is this…?]

The fairy muttered.

[How can such a thing exist? Destroying an airship with a single blow!]

“It exists.”

‘Two.’

I hurled Gungnir upwards.

In an instant, the spear transformed into lightning, angling sharply and penetrating the side of the airship which was tens of meters away. Piercing through and through. Layers of steel plates and alloy couldn’t stop it.

[Wait, time out! Time out!]

Bang!

The second airship began to lose control and started to crash.

The lightning pursued the falling airship, striking back and forth. The airship, having lost all propulsion, started falling into the void and eventually exploded.

As I waved my hand, the spear returned and coiled around it.

I prepared to throw the third spear. Four airships remained.

‘Three.’

The third bolt of lightning was launched.

The targeted airship turned sharply, but couldn’t shake it off. The spear pierced through the airship’s vital points, which shattered with noise and scattered.

[How is this possible…?]

The fairy’s face turned ashen.

Ignoring Iselle, who stood there stupidly, I fired the fourth bolt of lightning.

This time, the spearhead was aimed at the dozens of heroes parachuting down.

The lightning zigzagged several times among them.

The fifth bolt of lightning pierced the airship vertically.

The airship, emitting smoke and flames, fell downwards.

I retrieved the spear.

‘How many did I kill?’

At least a hundred.

Thanks to the skill’s effect, I could see clearly from a distance.

Most were the same ones killed in the last invasion. A few unfamiliar heroes were mixed in.

‘There won’t be a second time.’

There will be no pain.

Their bodies will burn up and vanish instantly upon contact.

Two airships remained.

<Wait!>

I stopped my hand, which was about to extend the spear.

A small airship wobbled towards us. Amplified voices echoed from the control room on the deck.

<We, we surrender. We don’t know who you are, but take whatever you want. Just…>

Thud!

A blue bolt of lightning struck the control room.

The glass shattered along with the flames. The airship caught fire and began to slowly spiral down.

Now only one remained.

It was the same medium-sized airship riding by that fool who calls herself the Pirate King or something.

After retrieving Fragarach, I flicked my hand.

The white sword turned into particles and disappeared. I reached towards my left eye. A purple orb emerged and was likewise sent back. The only weapon remaining was Gungnir.

I slung the spear on my back and entered the control room.

Turning the helm, I set a new course. Capitalism moved towards the airship.

The medium-sized airship hadn’t been struck by lightning yet but was already tattered.

The proudly boasted large-caliber magic cannon bent to the right, and the pillars and railings were completely destroyed.

One side of the deck was on fire. The imposing fairy who stood proudly at the stern was nowhere to be seen.

Thump.

Finally, the fronts of the two airships made contact.

Gripping the spear tightly, I climbed onto the deck of the other airship.

“Oh my god!”

A shadow sprang out from behind a pillar.

I reflexively swung my spear.

“Argh!”

The man who was hit by the shaft of the spear vomited blood.

“Oh, my mistake.”

“Why…”

“You suddenly appeared. You scared me.”

The man’s eyes rolled back, and he fainted.

“Ah, General!”

The door leading inside the ship burst open, and people swarmed out.

Roughly around seventeen of them. They prostrated themselves before me and began to bow.

“We dared not recognize the hero and committed a grave rudeness!”

“Spare our lives! We’ll live righteously if we return!”

“I have a fox-like daughter and a rabbit-like wife in my family…”

Their screams and cries were mixed, making it hard to understand them.

I straightened my spear and spoke.

“I have no business with you. Where is the fairy?”

They all pointed to the control room at once.

I walked forward. A few steps in, a man who was sobbing and sniveling grabbed my hem and collapsed.

“Take us with you!”

“Let go.”

“If we return, we’ll be synthesized. We’re all going to die!”

Thud!

“Ouch!”

“Stop this nuisance.”

I kicked the man away and headed to the control room.

Entering, I saw the fairy’s back, looking out the rear window.

[You’ve come.]

The fairy turned around.

A stick was in her mouth.

[Huh, is this the last candy I’ll eat in this world…?]

The fairy, sucking on the candy like a cigarette, half-opened her mouth.

[I lost. So stop this and go back.]

“Bring the oil.”

[I will never give…]

Crack!

A flash of lightning sparked from the tip of Gungnir.

“Where’s the oil?”

[J-Just, just a moment.]

I aimed the blade of the spear.

The fairy, flustered, backed away.

[Go away! Don’t come! It’s enough already!]

“Enough what?”

I hadn’t spared them out of mercy.

My airship was running low on fuel. I will take the fuel here and then leave on Capitalism. Then, maybe I’ll play more with them.

[What more do you want to do? You’ve done enough. We lost so many airships and heroes. We’re already groggy! In a state of surrender! You won! What more do you want to do?]

“You don’t know how to surrender, do you?”

[Ah, alright, I’ll surrender! I, Pirate King Iselle, admit defeat…]

“I doubt your master would be happy with you.”

The fairy hung her head.

Then…

[You, you rotten bastard!]

The fairy threw the candy she was sucking on.

Then she collapsed to the floor and started crying.

[What are you exactly! Just when we were recovering and barely surviving, you brought out strange weapons and destroyed everything! How much more do you need to be satisfied, huh?]

“……”

[We’re finished! The airships you destroyed, were all borrowed. They’re not ours. We have to pay them back! Do you know how much debt that is? I can’t pay it off even if I work my whole life. And now you’re tormenting us again… You, you, you evil jerk!]

The fairy lay facedown, crying bitterly.

[Do you think I wanted to become this? Pirate King Iselle? Screw that!]

The fairy threw down her tricorn hat.

She took off her eyepatch and stomped on it several times.

[I wanted to meet a master as cool as Loki and bask in glory…]

“……”

[At first, he did everything earnestly. He carefully nurtured heroes and steadily expanded the facilities, but then at some point, it all changed…]

The fairy continued through sobs.

[I didn’t want to be just a thief… I wanted to be a hero…]

“……”

[Don’t look at me! You want fuel, right?! Inside the ship, left corridor, second room! There’s a fuel tank. Take everything. Just end it all! Kill me too, why don’t you? Tear it apart, tear it apart!]

With a tear-stained face, the fairy fumbled in her pockets.

A crumpled pile of papers fell out.

[If that damn master had just changed his mind, we could have climbed back up the tower! I was all prepared! Now it’s all ruined!]

The fairy threw the papers.

I shifted my gaze. The papers were densely filled with text.

<An Introduction to Mission Analysis>

It was one of the strategies I had posted in the cafe.

[Hmph!]

The fairy, wiping her face with a sleeve, stood up.

[I won’t go down disgracefully like my other sisters. I’ll go out in style.]

The fairy carefully put the tricorn hat and eyepatch back on, then fluttered her cape.

[What are you looking at? I told you where it is. Take it and do whatever you want with the waiting room. Fold it. I’m sick of it all.]

“…”

[Go away. And whoever you are, don’t misuse the name Loki again.]

One fairy per account.

When the master folds, they vanish together.

I recalled the desperate appearance of Iselle.

It must be for survival.

‘Well, it’s not like I didn’t know.’

Everyone wanted to survive.

And not just me, but all heroes in Pick Me Up.

[……]

I turned my back.

Hyung_Otaku

I'm currently Translating the following novels: Pick Me Up! | A Frontline Soldier Awakened as a Gamer In The War! | The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player. If you want to support me and read more chapters please subscribe to my Patreon!

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