Cuts through dozen meter wide 30mm thick steel balloon

She saw giant spherical tanks that were a few dozen meters across.

They were hanging down like fruit from the giant stone structure that was a few dozen kilometers across. As there was nothing else to compare their size to, the scene messed with her sense of scale.

“The method it uses to float is still unknown. If it does use some kind of gas, you need to keep in mind the possibility that it is flammable.”

The metal balloons and the scaffolding were both hanging down from the giant stone structure above her head. She had no idea how far its effects would spread if an explosion did occur. It was even possible that the stone structure that seemed to cover the sky would separate, sending her crashing down.

Kanzaki made sure that she had a straight path to the nearest staircase up to a higher level, and reached for the sword hanging from her waist.

Technically, she was reaching for the seven thin wires stored on the sword’s scabbard.

“I’m beginning. What is below me?”

“You are around the center of Eurasia. The area is complete wilderness. There are no civilian, military, or magical facilities there. We have received permission from the Russian Orthodox Church.”

“Then here goes.”

Immediately after Kanzaki said that…

Nanasen.

A flash of light was emitted from the space between the scabbard and the sword’s hilt. Immediately afterwards, the scaffolding between Kanzaki and the metal balloon was sliced to pieces. The destruction stretched all the way to the metal balloon.

There were no sparks.

That quick slicing attack that used many wires sliced through everything before her like it was clay.

However, the massive amount of wreckage fell in a distinctive way.

It was different from being blown by a strong wind in a single direction.

The countless pieces of wreckage were blown in all directions, with the spot the metal balloon had been in at the center.

“It seems that it truly was filled with something like a gas. However, I do not know if that alone is providing the lift it—”

She trailed off because the scaffolding below her feet wobbled slightly.

It sank down about ten centimeters.

But Kanzaki sensed it as an instability like a suspension bridge having the wires supporting it snapped one by one.

***

“The balloon’s estimated strength is on the level of thirty millimeters of steel. We think that they were made intentionally fragile so that a ballistic missile would have immediately and catastrophically brought it down. You need to open a hole about thirteen millimeters across, but don’t go through it all at once. Be careful and take at least a hundred seconds.”

- New Testament Toaru Majutsu no Index Volume 2 Between the Lines 3