Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 20: The White Machine
“Take-Mikazuchi? What are you talking about?”
“Huh!? Ah, I’m sorry! It’s nothing.”
Tanaka looked at Kenya with suspicion, but Kenya quickly corrected himself. He had unintentionally called the machine by the name from his previous world, but he wondered if it had the same name in this world too.
“…Well, never mind. This machine doesn’t have a name yet. In fact, it hasn’t even been fully tested. I was hoping for an ace-level pilot, but pilots of that caliber are hard to come by.”
“At the very least, this special machine requires someone who can use it at the level of a Holy Knight, like Reina. If you can’t handle it at that level, you won’t be able to use it properly.”
According to Tanaka and Sieg, the idea behind this high-spec special machine was to incorporate the latest technology, resulting in a machine with such high performance that even standing up was a challenge.
In terms of fighting games, it was like using a character whose win rate increased in proportion to the player’s skill level.
If you couldn’t operate it well, it would be incredibly weak. But as you got better, it would become stronger than normal machines. It was that kind of machine.
In the previous world, this machine was so difficult to control that it often ended up being either a carry or a feed, and it became a liability for the team. The main reason for this was the complete lack of long-range weapons.
It was a machine that fought only with two swords, a very masculine design.
“Today, the adjustments aren’t complete yet, but how about trying it out a little? I’m not even sure if it will be able to stand.”
“Is that alright!?”
“Of course.”
Kenya climbed into the white KOG.
“The cockpit… It’s the same as usual.”
The operation method was basically unchanged.
“Well then, let’s try standing and walking! You don’t need to push yourself!”
(If I can just stand, that would be a win. Even Sieg had a hard time standing at first.)
“Okay!”
(It’s kind of exciting… being able to ride you again…)
Kenya initiated the machine.
The mechanical sound of startup echoed, and the white giant stood up.
(Yeah, as expected from Take-Mikazuchi. The reaction speed is incredible.)
The KOG, sitting in a form similar to seiza (Japanese kneeling), was not like a human that could stand automatically without thinking. Standing up as a KOG required deliberate effort.
Imagine trying to stand up from a seiza position. First, you would move one foot forward, apply force to one leg, shift your weight, and support your body with your hands as you rise. If you describe it in detail, the process would be even longer.
The KOGs had high flexibility in operation, so standing up with just a press of a button was impossible. The process needed to be done carefully to stand properly.
This is why a significant skill gap exists between ace pilots and novices.
And this Take-Mikazuchi was particularly sensitive to control inputs.
It was like playing a game with a mouse set to maximum sensitivity. If you could master it, the machine could move incredibly fast, but the difficulty was incredibly high.
Even simple operations were challenging.
“Did you get up…? On the first try? That’s impossible.”
“Hoh, I thought it would be difficult at first, but…”
Kenya’s voice came through the open chat, surprising the two of them.
“Is it alright if I take a step?”
“Huh? Ah, sure… that’s fine, but…”
In front of Tanaka, the white giant took a step forward smoothly, just like a human.
(You’re not just standing, but walking… so easily…)
“Jeez, Sieg. What is he…?”
“I don’t really understand it myself, but I told you from the beginning, he’s stronger than me.”
…
“Well then, I’ll leave it to you from now on, Kenya.”
“Yes! Please call me anytime! I want to keep operating it!”
That day, Kenya only tested simple operations, and the test pilot session ended. It seemed that Tanaka was impressed, and Kenya was officially hired as a test pilot.
After the meeting, Kenya headed back to the dorm.
Ad
“Take-Mikazuchi… I wonder if there’s any way it can become mine…”
Although Kenya had been hired as a test pilot, he knew there was no way he could claim the machine for himself. After all, he was a Class 2 citizen, which made him a lower-class in the Empire.
“Well, what should I do now…? Infiltrate the Empire? Ha, I’d be killed in seconds.”
Lying on the couch, Kenya thought about his future.
He wanted to stop the world invasion, although he didn’t even fully understand the cause. For now, the emperor’s illness had halted any progress.
Once a new emperor was chosen, would things start moving again?
Also, for Kaguya’s sake, he wanted to reclaim Japan if possible.
But he was just a pilot good at operating KOGs.
There wasn’t much he could do.
“But I still want to help.”
At first, he had only wanted to protect Kaguya. But now, he wanted to help all the oppressed Japanese people, like Isshin and others.
Was it hypocrisy? Maybe.
He wasn’t from this world, and even though he was Japanese, he didn’t know these people personally and had never experienced the war.
Yet, he still remembered the feeling of that hand he had held at that time.
He remembered the tears of the girl who lost her parents.
Ad
“But still… the only thing I can do is KOGs.”
Kenya didn’t have any political power, nor was he skilled in strategy.
The knowledge from his previous world didn’t mean anything here.
Kenya was just an ordinary person.
In this world, the only thing Kenya could do was one thing.
The KOG was strong—that was all.
“What can I do, I wonder…”
He raised his hand toward the ceiling as if trying to grasp the sky.
No matter how much he thought about how to live through the uncertain future, he had no answers.
With those thoughts, he decided to go to bed that night.
However, Kenya still didn’t fully understand. He didn’t truly understand this world or the real meaning of fighting.
From then on, Kenya lived a life filled with KOGs. He was the test pilot for Take-Mikazuchi at school. After school, he practiced with Kaguya and the others. And he spent time training with the actual KOG at Amaterasu’s headquarters.
All while enjoying a fun “family game” with Azusa and the other children.
◇
A few days later
Ad
“It’s here…”
A phone rang at Sieg’s location.
It was a call notifying him of the arrival of an important person, and he knew who the caller was.
…
“To think that there are still resistance forces… We should just kill them all or make them slaves.”
As the sun rose, a woman descended from an airship.
She had golden hair, shining beautifully, and was a woman worthy of being called a princess.
“Ymir-sama… We’ve been waiting for you.”
Sieg bowed his head and welcomed her.
Around them, many soldiers from the Asgardian Empire also bowed their heads in greeting.
Including the KOG, there were many guards.
“Now that I’m here, there’s no need to worry. I’ll take care of the rebels in this area.”
“Are you going to go out and fight!?”
“Of course. It’s not like pigs who can’t even become Class 2 or 3 should have the right to live.”
She smiled at Sieg.
But there was no dignity in her smile.
Though she was beautiful, a grotesque expression hid beneath.
“Kill them all, right? Oh, but I’ll leave some of the young males. For fun.”
The princess licked her lips.
Her beautiful face twisted into something monstrous, as if she were about to kill insects. She was a sadistic princess, known for her infamous nickname “The Torture Princess.” It was said that it would be better to die than be captured by her—she was a true psychopath.
Asgardian Ymir.
She was one of the rulers of this world.