I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship, so I Became a Space Mercenary

「It seems that the people outside the Holy Empire refer to the maneuvering light wings on our ships as Photon Wings, but they aren’t actually made up of photons—light particles. Instead, what you see is the manifestation of Spiritual Power, amplified, and controlled with the First Spiritual Form in the form of wings of light. Depending on the Spiritual Power they receive, they can even move and control a mass the size of a battleship with ease.」

「I see.」

After finishing my tea, I found myself receiving a one-on-one lecture from Ameno, an expert in the spaceship technology of the Holy Vuelzarus Empire. He looked like the typical angel, with a pair of magnificent pure white wings on his back, though he lacked a halo above his head.

「Now, regarding how exactly the First Spiritual Form creates the maneuvering light wings and uses them to move a spaceship… Well, I’d like to explain that, but you are not a technician, but a pilot, Hiro-dono. It would be more effective to present intuitive information that your mind and body can absorb rather than simply cramming in raw knowledge.」

「That’s true.」

Noticing that my eyes were glazing over at this sudden return to academia after over a decade of not exercising my brain, Ameno gave a wry smile and displayed some footage on a holo display.

「This is one of our nation’s small combat ships, the Totsuka, with its maneuvering light wings fully deployed.」

The holo display showed a small combat ship, its two pairs of pale blue light wings spread wide as it moved in a zigzag pattern, seemingly defying inertia. Apart from the two pairs of maneuvering light wings, there were no visible thrusters or other propulsion devices on its white hull. What agility! It’s nothing short of astonishing.

「The number of maneuvering light wing pairs can increase, and their agility can be enhanced, depending on the pilot’s proficiency and the output of their Spiritual Power.」

Next, the holo display showed footage of a similar ship deploying three pairs of maneuvering light wings, as well as another ship of the same model with two pairs of wings but those were noticeably larger, about twice the size. The ship with three pairs performed even more complex and unconventional maneuvers with ease, while the ship with the larger wings clearly demonstrated faster acceleration and deceleration. The transitions between motion and stillness are so extreme that it almost feels like watching a frame-by-frame animation. Honestly, the way these ships move is similar to those of those old-school UFOs, abruptly accelerating and stopping as if ignoring inertia altogether.

「Does adding more pairs increase the axes along which it can move?」

「…You figured that out quickly, didn’t you?」

「Well, it’s not that complicated, is it? With two pairs, you can manage movement on the horizontal or vertical axis, or perform rotations. With three pairs, you can combine any two of those directions. So with four pairs, you could theoretically combine all three axes for even more complex movements.」

In other words, it would be like executing a barrel roll in aerial combat, but with the ability to stop and go instantly, disregarding inertia. These maneuvers seem far more bizarre compared to the ones I do. Yes, those Elma keeps calling bizarre.

「What about with five pairs or more?」

「It is exceptionally rare for anyone to manifest five pairs of light wings on their own, but it might be possible for someone like you, Hiro-dono. The fifth pair allows for the ability to traverse a very short time axis.」

「Traverse a short time axis…? Are you saying it can perform a short leap?」

Ameno’s expression shifted to one of surprise at my question.

「I’m astonished. To be able to think of short-range teleportation immediately after hearing the phrase ‘traverse a short time axis,’ without any further explanation… Do you have some sort of specialized knowledge in space-time, Hiro-dono?」

「No, I was just fortunate enough to have been exposed to an environment where such ideas came naturally.」

I responded to Ameno’s question with a wry smile. In sci-fi games, anime, and manga, short-range warp abilities are pretty common for powerful characters or elite machines. Something like a ‘Zero Shift’ is a prime example.1

「By the way, is it possible to manifest six or seven pairs?」

「The sixth pair allows the ship to traverse a longer time axis.」

「Ah, so the sixth pair is the one that allows the ship to perform a Psionic Jump.」

In other words, these maneuvering light wings, depending on the user’s skill, can enable maneuvers far surpassing my own, with the added bonus of executing short-range teleports to get behind an enemy or performing literal ‘jumps’ to other star systems in an instant using a Psionic Jump Drive. Isn’t that a bit too overpowered?

「So, how exactly do we integrate that function into the Krishna…? Oh, wait. I get it. That’s where the holy relic evolution comes into play, right?」

「Precisely. If your Krishna were to acquire maneuvering light wings in response to your will, Hiro-dono, it would be like giving an oni an iron club—making it a force to be reckoned with.」

「Yeah, I suppose so… Naturally, there are other evolution paths, right? Or at least, options for different enhancements?」

「Of course. It’s generally recommended to have a clear image of what you want when it comes to holy relic evolution. Let me guide you through a brief explanation of the Holy Vuelzarus Empire’s spaceship technology, using some visual aids.」

With a smile, the middle-aged angel with his pure white wings continued the lecture. Looks like I’m in for quite an intense study session.

☆★☆

「Indeed! That was worthwhile! Extremely worthwhile! To think that it could absorb existing technological products and make them a part of itself! Hiro-dono, your Krishna may have already surpassed the boundaries of what we consider a holy relic!」

「I see…」

The day after Ameno’s intense one-on-one lecture, I boarded Krishna alone and headed out to the empty regions of space, away from the habitable zone crowded with populated planets. Alongside Krishna, was a research vessel where Buubo, Tina, and the rest of the technical team were, and the Holy Vuelzarus Empire’s First Fleet—the fleet serving as the Holy Empire’s main force.

Why did we go out of our way to come here? The fact that the elite First Fleet was sent along makes it obvious enough. It’s a precaution against the possibility of something completely unpredictable happening once I push Krishna to its limits, like drawing in a monstrous entity from the Other Side, for instance.

「Well then, let’s begin! Focus on channeling your Spiritual Power from the control stick into Krishna’s generator and let it flow throughout the entire ship!」

Thinking that was easier said than done, I nonetheless followed the instructions, concentrating my Psionic Power into the Krishna through the control stick. Suddenly, I felt a sense of something connecting.

「Huh?」

「Something happ…oh!? The potential readings from Krishna are spiking! Keep going, just like that!」

「Alright, alright…」

I felt a connection with Krishna through the control stick as Krishna hungrily absorbed my Psionic Power, like a newborn drinking milk for the first time. I never thought of channeling Psionic Power into Krishna like this before… Holy relics are often said to be similar to living beings, so perhaps from Krishna’s perspective, I had been somewhat neglectful up until now.

「Wa-wait a moment. Is it still increasing!?」

「Yeah, it still feels like it could keep absorbing more.」

As I continued to channel an immense amount of Psionic Power into Krishna, my mind drifted back to everything Ameno had drilled into me yesterday about the various technologies used in the Holy Vuelzarus Empire’s combat ships. First up, is the maneuvering light wings. On top of that, it would be great if Krishna could gain offensive capabilities—something powerful like that Soul Crush weapon, for instance. I want to have some options besides running away if we encounter an opponent that can’t be taken down with the heavy pulse laser cannons, the scattershot cannon, or the anti-ship reactive torpedoes. No way I’m leaving the Black Lotus or the Antlion behind in a tight spot.

I also need to consider how to handle attacks that regular shields can’t block. Maybe an ability to phase through incoming fire or some kind of barrier that can repel any attack—either is good. And while we’re at it, wouldn’t it be great if Krishna had some guided weaponry as well? Attacks powered by Psionic energy tend to be shaped by one’s imagination. So, what if I could create guided weapons that I could control with my thoughts? Like remote-operated beam weapons? Hmm, no, those are a bit inefficient. How about something like homing lasers? Maybe something that prioritizes piercing power over raw damage—or no, cutting! Cutting is the way to go.

Just as my mental image solidified, the sensation of Krishna siphoning off my Psionic Power stopped. It seems Krishna is finally satisfied.

「Is it… over?」

「It stopped absorbing, but from where I’m standing, I don’t see any visible change.」

「No, no! It has changed! I’ll show you the visuals!」

「…Oh!」

I was rendered speechless at the new appearance of Krishna on the main screen. It has now six maneuvering light wings, and its overall form has changed a little as well… Will this still fit inside the Black Lotus’s hangar?

TN: Zero Shift is a high-speed, short-range teleportation ability used by powerful Orbital Frames in the game Zone of the Enders.