Rebuild World Volume 3 Part 2 MTL

Table of Contents
front cover
Contents
Episode 86 Mutant Species
Episode 87 An Invitation to Defeat the Bounty Hunters
Episode 88 The Killing Too Much and Self-Destructive Type
Episode 89 Shackles and Recognition
Episode 90 Revelation
Episode 91 A Promising Star of the Anti-Katsuya Faction
Episode 92 Hunters Over 100 Million
Episode 93 Tancrantula
Episode 94 The Bounty Hunter is Defeated
Episode 95 Tricks of the Trade
Episode 96 Katsuya's Unit
Episode 97 Over-Synthesized Snake
Episode 98 Chain of Command
Episode 99 Each Decision
Episode 100 The Impact of Choice
Episode 101 Ridicule
Episode 102 Continuing Trial, Changing Orientation
quiet story A Matter of Luck
colophon
Contents

Episode The Impact of Choice
Episode Mockery
Episode Continuing Trial, Changing Orientation
quiet a matter of luck
Finding undiscovered ruins and getting rich quick. With this idea in mind, Akira and Alfa surveyed
the wilderness and found the ruins of Yonozuka Station buried in the ground.
The ruins were large and, as expected, a bonanza of relics, with a large amount of artifacts and no
monsters. We had great success exploring there with Elena and her friends, and collecting relics
with Cheryl and her friends.
So far, so good. However, Akira underestimated the value of the undiscovered ruins. He was
caught up in the commotion surrounding the ruins.
After the existence of the ruins was exposed, the aspect of the ruins became something else due to
the commotion caused by a large number of hunters and a large group of monsters. Akira managed
to deal with them.
In the midst of the commotion, there was a rather unexpected event for Akira, when he met Yumina
at the ruins, asked for help, and helped Katsuya in the process. He also had a brief but unexpected
encounter with Katsuya and was surprised by his ability to fight with him.
And now we are on our way home. Elena and her family gave me a ride in their car and I took a
nap, succumbing to the fatigue that had built up.
The battle was that fierce at the ruins, but thanks to the new equipment and Alpha's support, it was
not such a hard fight that it could be called a duel to the death. Even so, with Akira's previous
abilities and equipment, he would have died in this battle for sure.
Akira has dramatically increased its capabilities, as well as its equipment.
Throw yourself into it, along with the difficulty of the battle.
After returning to the city of Kugamayama from the Yonozuka Station ruins, Akira had Elena and
her family take him straight home, where they disbanded for the day.
Before that, it would be better to collect the relics that had been transported to the city earlier, and
to make a simple decision on the distribution of the results of this project.
Although Akira and Elena are friends, they are both hunters, not a formal team, and they are not
working together under a detailed contract. Since money is involved, neglecting this aspect could
lead to problems later on.
However, Akira, out of trust in Elena and her family, or out of resignation that there was nothing
he could do if Elena and her family were to be dishonest, decided to leave the details for a later
time. Above all, he was that tired.
And Elena and her friends had the good sense to want to be honest and decent hunters and not to
be unfair to Akira, their friend and benefactor. Thanks to this, there were no problems even if they
put off talking about the distribution of the results.
Akira and his friends said a few parting words to each other, and then broke up.
As Akira continues to dissolve his fatigue and consciousness into the hot water in his bath at home,
he receives a light warning from Alfa, who is in the bath with him as usual.
Akira. If you go to sleep as you are, you will drown.'
......, it's okay."
Shaking his head lightly, Akira regained consciousness from the bathtub and regained his much-
collapsed position. Then he somehow remembered the incident at the Yonozuka Station ruins.
'And yet, ......, a lot has happened today. I wonder what will happen to those ruins now."
'Now that many hunters have entered the site, it is no longer an unknown ruin, so I guess it will be
conquered normally from now on. Well, there might be at least one more disturbance.
Another wave, for example?"
Yes. For example, the monster ecosystem has become so deranged that mutant species have sprung
up.
Carnivorous biological monsters do not live by eating only humans. They also prey on other
monsters.
An ecosystem is then established based on the strength of each type. When the ecosystem becomes
stable, the types and numbers of monsters living and breathing in the area are generally fixed.
But from there, if the local ecosystem was deranged by some factor, there could be a sudden
increase in the number of different kinds of monsters that could not thrive in the previous
ecosystem, or a mutant species that was distinctly different from mere growth.
Many monsters that do not originally inhabit the area are now appearing through tunnels in and
around the Yonozuka Station ruins. It is no wonder that they have adapted to different
environments, mutated, and reproduced, and that individuals and groups of them suddenly appear
as a threat.
Furthermore, the ruins are home to a large amount of food produced by the battles between the
monster hordes and the hunters. As long as they have food, they can grow and become as strong
as they want, but in their original habitat, they are eaten before they become that strong. There was
a fear that such individuals would escape the original selection process and grow rapidly, becoming
a mutant species.
I'm sure it will stop happening once the environment at the ruins stabilizes, but I think we should
be careful for a while longer.
Heh. Is that possible? Well, then you just have to stay away from them for a while. I'll rest,
replenish my ammunition, sell my relics, and be done with it by the time I'm done with it.
Akira enjoyed a relaxing bath while thinking about his immediate needs. After getting out of the
bath, he went to bed, relaxing as much as he could to take away the remaining fatigue.
After a day of rest and recuperation, Akira visited Shizuka's store to get his equipment ready for
the next step. He had his car, which had finally been repaired, brought to the store's parking lot,
where he loaded the ammunition he had bought while chatting with Shizuka.
When Akira told Shizuka about the events at the Yonozuka Station site, Shizuka gave a light
chuckle.
But still, it must have been tough for Akira to have fought so many monsters."
Yes. It was hard work. Without the new equipment, we would have been in danger. Thank you so
much.
As the seller of that new set of equipment, I'm glad to hear you say that. But as I've said many
times before, don't overdo it.
Akira laughs in response to Shizuka's gentle rebuke.
I understand. I don't like to push myself too hard. When we fought with the monster hordes, it was
tough, but it wasn't a huge struggle.
Is that so?" From what I've heard, it sounds like a lot of work."
I was trying to make it as easy as possible to win there, so I fired my DVTS minigun as hard as I
could."
Akira chuckles lightly as he says this.
Well, that made it pretty easy for me to win, but I used up a lot of expensive extended magazines,
and the ammunition costs were huge. It was certainly a lot of work in that sense."
To replenish what was used and for additional spares, Akira purchased even more expensive
extended magazines and loaded them into the car. In fact, the cost of ammunition was ballooning
and would have been dangerous if he had not already converted a large number of shelves, relics
he and Elena had brought back from the Yonozka Station ruins earlier.
Sizuka smiles jokingly and with a bit of amusement, using polite language and a meaningful smile.
Akira-sama. Thank you very much for purchasing a mountain of ammunition.
No, no, you're welcome."
Akira laughed in return. They laughed lightly together, and after changing their minds, Shizuka's
expression returned to its normal smiling face.
So what are you going to do now, Akira? Are you going to go back to the Yonozka Station ruins
soon?"
I'll think about that after I finish my immediate business. We haven't even redeemed the relics yet.
Akira then pointed to a backpack on the floor. Inside it were relics that he had collected last time
at the Yonozuka Station site and had asked to be transported to the city ahead of time.
After returning to the city, Elena and her friends received the relics from Kurosawa, whom they
had asked to transport them, and carried them to Shizuka's store to give them to Akira.
Those relics are to be converted into money by each of us. Since they were also acquired as a team,
Elena could usually sell them all off and then distribute them evenly after expenses were taken
out.
This time, however, Sarah did not sell her Old World underwear, but kept it for herself, so the
relics were to be handled at their own discretion.
Sizuka looks a little emotional when she sees the multiple backpacks filled with these relics.
I mean, you could afford to buy that much ammunition even before this relic was redeemed? Akira
has become a hunter who makes a lot of money.
Then he smiles and lightly cautions.
It's good to be on the upswing, but if you get carried away with it, you could get yourself into
trouble. Be careful.
Yes."
Akira smiled back happily at the concern from one of the few people who cared about his well-
being.
Akira loaded the vehicle with ammunition and relics and returned home once from Shizuka's store,
unloading some of it before leaving again.
After informing Katsuragi that he was going to sell the relics, he left the city and proceeded through
the wilderness until he arrived at a familiar place. There, a trailer, Katsuragi's mobile store, was
parked.
Katsuragi notices Akira and puts on a good mood.
I've been waiting for you, Akira. Looks like you brought plenty of relics."
Well, in its own way. It's a little subtle, though, as if they went out of their way to transport the
relics back and forth."
Akira looks around with a slightly complicated expression on his face, but Katsuragi laughs to
appease him.
Don't say that. If you want, why don't you go diving too?"
I'm not in the mood for this. I brought it all the way here for now. Let me assess it."
Akira gets out of the car and places a backpack full of relics in front of Katsuragi. Seeing the
bulging backpack, Katsuragi smiled good-humoredly.
The bonus time for relics from the same site, right after they are discovered, is over, and the number
of relics being brought in is increasing. We got these relics from the untouched Yonozuka Station
ruins. Let's hope for the best."
The location where Katsuragi's trailer was parked was near the ground level of the Yonozuka
Station site.
The name of the Yonozka Station Ruins was also commonly used as the Yonozka Station Ruins
due to widespread stories of Old World ghosts at the ruins.
Since the existence of the ruins has not yet been widely exposed for less than a week, many skilled
hunters are now exploring the ruins.
Katsuragi saw a business opportunity here and took advantage of the mobile store to do business
near the ruins. He called on his acquaintances to set up a collective store so that he could actively
purchase relics.
For the hunters, if they can sell relics and replenish ammunition right here, there is no need to
return to the city every time. Thanks to the large number of customers who were willing to pay the
wilderness price, even if it was a little expensive, Katsuragi and his team's business was thriving,
thanks to the fact that they had come to the ruins, knowing the risks involved.
Akira was somewhat observing the ruins as he waited for the relics to be assessed. When he
zoomed in on the area near the entrance and exit of the ruins with his information-gathering
equipment, he could see many hunters parked their vehicles.
But there is no one to occupy the entrances and exits. Unlike when there was only one entrance
and exit, monsters who went outside the ruins could enter through other entrances and exits that
they dug up from the inside, or through parts of the ruins that had collapsed and caved in.
And that meant that monsters could get out of the ruins as much as they wanted. Dangerous, of
course.
I don't know how Katsuragi decided to open a store in a place like this," he said. This is a different
translation from the side of the Kuzuthara Street ruins, remember?"
I know it's risky. But that's how much money we can make. It's at times like this that we need to
take advantage of our mobile stores."
...... Well, if you're willing to take the risk, good for you."
Katsuragi was in a good mood about his sales, which were growing at a different rate than usual.
However, Akira's attitude made him a little uneasy, and he lightly probed him.
What the hell, are you bragging that you survived such a dangerous site? That's unusual."
I'm not like that," he said. It was really close."
Seeing Akira's slightly mousy appearance, Katsuragi was a little concerned that he might be in so
much danger. Still, he asked back, ostensibly in a lighthearted manner.
Heh. How close was it?"
I'm so ready to sell the relics and get the hell out of here. If Katsuragi hadn't opened his store here,
I wouldn't be stopping around here for a while. That's about it.
Oh, yeah.
Akira is not saying the right things out of anger. Katsuragi, who saw through this and also
understood Akira's ability, hardened his good mood smile a little.
I'm aware of the risks I'm taking here," he said. I'm at least prepared. I've called on my
acquaintances and hired hunters who survived the first day's disturbances at the ruins to escort me.
I'll be fine."
Hearing this, Akira imagined the strength of Katsuragi and his group's guards to be people like
Elena and Chares, who had continued to collect relics during the commotion. Subconsciously, he
thought that would be okay, and it showed in his attitude.
Katsuragi saw Akira's condition and inwardly felt a sense of relief. And just as the guards returned
from their rounds, I briefly introduced them.
Look, there they are. They cost me a pretty penny, huh?"
Akira, however, looked at them with a subtle expression on his face. And Katsuragi's expression
was one of doubt and anxiety.
...... Akira. What's wrong?"
No, it's nothing.
'If it's nothing, don't look at me like that,' he said. What is it?"
The leader of the returning guards noticed Akira as he was about to report the situation to his
employer. He shouted out.
Team 5. Periodic report. Returned from patrol. No problems. We're going to take a break now. ......
Geez!"
The reaction of that hunter, in addition to Akira's condition, made Katsuragi's face grim, as one
would expect.
...... Akira. Do you know him?"
Well, I know your face.
The guards were the Levins. They were indeed hunters who had survived the first day's commotion
at the Yonozuka Station site, and their explanation was not incorrect.
When Katsuragi heard from Akira how he had come to know Levin and his friends, the
businessman's smile fell wide.
（Those middlemen, they've got to be kidding me! What hunters have returned from the ruins
alive! (You really just came back from the dead!)
Naturally, Katsuragi was looking for a competent person who could get through the commotion at
the ruins on his own. Based on the information obtained from Akira, I recalled my conversation
with the intermediaries, and while I certainly did not lie, I soon realized that I had not intentionally
cleared up the misunderstanding.
If you point that out to the intermediary now, they are sure to turn white. The attitude of Levin and
his team suggests that they are probably complicit, and it is unlikely that they will talk.
(You got me. ......! Fuck you! (You made me look like a phony!)
If they were not careful, they would have paid a not-so-expensive escort fee and hired a hunter
who was as good as an amateur. Katsuragi's frustration was that high.
First, however, he suppresses his frustration and continues to assess the relics. If he let his emotions
get the better of him and did something like yell at Akira, he might lose his relationship with a
potential client. While thinking of a way to recover from the situation with a miffed look on his
face, he continues his thorough assessment of the relics.
Akira. This relic is the one you raided on the first day at the Yonozuka Station ruins, right? A little
low for that, don't you think?"
I'm leaving out the stuff they told me it was wrong to bring to Katsuragi's."
I see. Yeah, I've said a few things before, but I'm continuing to build new sales channels too. And
you know what? I've had a good response to clothing relics."
Katsuragi continues the conversation casually under the guise of light banter.
Well, I don't really want to be in the market for clothing-related relics, because very few people
bring them to me," he said.
After saying so, then proceed to talk about it.
'Yeah, but I can build that route for you if Akira asks, okay? It's you and me, you know. I'll do my
best."
I say this lightly, as if it's no big deal, after a little ingratiation.
Well, it takes a lot of work to establish new purchase routes, and there are more wholesalers in
between, so the purchase price drops a bit for that reason, but it's better than letting the relics die
at home, isn't it?"
Then, completely hiding his inner thoughts, he smiled an affable businessman's smile.
So, how's that working out for you?"
Akira, however, readily turns him down.
No, it's okay. I've made a couple of places to sell clothing-related relics, too. I'll take it there. I've
asked Katsuragi to take care of Cheryl, and I don't want to make things more difficult for you.
I see." ...... Ok."
I would like to obtain clothing-related relics that can be sold at a fairly high price if I can create a
suitable purchase route, at a low price while ingratiating myself with Akira. Thinking this way,
Katsuragi had made a few tricks when he taught Akira the knowledge of relic sales before. And
he thought it went well.
All that remained was to get Akira, who was not originally familiar with the handling of relics, to
agree to handle the clothing-related relics, taking advantage of his perception, which was probably
biased due to the knowledge he had taught him.
However, this eye for an eye was ruined by the fact that Akira found another buyer on his own.
Katsuragi, who ostensibly seemed unconcerned about the situation, inwardly clicked his tongue.
(From the looks of Akira, it's not like they figured out our idea and took countermeasures. I thought
he wouldn't go through the trouble of looking for another buyer, but ......, I guess I was naive. This
is not going to work.)
Katsuragi was a little disappointed, partly because he had hoped to make up for the loss of Levin
and his team's case. The sigh that he let out unintentionally also deepened a little.
...... Akira. You're leaving right after selling the relics, right? Then go ahead and look at my store's
merchandise until you're done with the valuation. I have a lot of money coming in. Be generous
and buy something once in a while. If you buy a lot of stuff, it will make it easier for me to study
the purchase price, okay?"
Seeing Katsuragi's somewhat throwaway attitude, Akira also dropped his suspicions. He also
thought that he needed to replenish his supply of recovery medicine, which was okay, he thought.
'Ah, I get it. If I buy it, you'll study the purchase price?"
Yeah," he said. If you buy that much. Let me study. I'm counting on you."
Unlike his words, Katsuragi looked less hopeful.
Inside the trailer, which is also Katsuragi's mobile store, were various products such as firearms,
ammunition, and other small items used in the hunter's business.
Akira, who was looking at them, saw an item that caught his attention and stopped. It was the relic
storage bag recommended by Sarah at the last relic collection.
'I'll buy this one. Let's see, ......, for precision machinery, waterproof, bulletproof, antistatic,
shockproof ......, there are many kinds. Alpha. Which one do you think is better?"
It would be best to buy all kinds and use them accordingly, but if you think that's too much trouble,
just buy the general-purpose ones.
'There's a lot of stuff in the generic ones. ......'
The only way to tell the difference between each product is to actually use it. It's not bulky, so
choose appropriately.
I'll do that."
Akira puts a general-purpose relic storage bag into the shopping basket. The price varies widely
depending on whether they are disposable or reusable, but with Akira's current financial sense, it
is within the realm of error. Akira was buying them at random, without paying much attention to
the price.
In a sense, this is proof that Akira has come that far as a hunter. It means that he is not so strapped
for cash that he can do this kind of thing.
Continue at that rate and look at the products.
'Waterproofing spray? ...... protects your firearms from rust and rust. Limited time only. Now
comes with an impact resistant agent. ...... Hmmm."
The most important thing to remember is that these things are compatible with the material of the
gun, so be careful. If you are going to buy one, I suggest you go to Sizuka's and buy it with the
gun maintenance tools and ask them if it is safe to use it.
I guess so."
The product is put back on the shelf and another item is picked up.
'Information gathering jamming smoke screen jamming smoke? ...... Yuzmo General Purpose A28
Type. For compatibility with your information-gathering equipment, please contact the
information-gathering equipment sales manufacturer based on the ingredient list below. ......
Would something like this be useful?"
'The accuracy of Akira's intelligence-gathering equipment could be severely degraded, and even
with my support I may not be able to compensate for it. In that case, don't forget that my spotting
will also be adversely affected.'
'I see. Then I'll stop.'
Akira put the merchandise back on the shelves again. And just as he was about to continue
shopping, Katsuragi entered the trailer.
Akira. We've finished appraising the relics over here. So, are you going to buy enough over there
for me to study the purchase price?"
When Akira showed Katsuragi the shopping basket, a sigh of dissatisfaction came back.
He said, "You, I'm going to study the purchase price of relics if you buy a lot, so don't buy those
cheap little things, buy more expensive things. See those expensive guns lined up there?"
No, I don't want the gun. Sorry."
Katsuragi let out another sigh. And then, with a little throwaway suggestion, he said, "If it's not
good enough, it's not good enough.
The purchase price of the relic is 12 million aurum. But if you buy more than 10 million aurums
at my store, I will study and add another 1 million aurums. How about it?
Akira looks inside the shopping basket after being told this.
How much for this?
I don't know. At any rate, we're certainly a long way from 10 million."
Then I'll buy some extra recovery pills."
You could fill that basket to the brim, and it still wouldn't be enough.
No, it's not. I don't want the cheap one on the shelf there, I want the expensive one I bought before.
I want the expensive ones that I've bought before, the ones that cost two million aurum a box. I
didn't see it on the shelf, do you have it in stock?"
Hearing this, Katsuragi's attitude, which had been somewhat unfaithful, suddenly changed.
I said, "Wait a minute, you're buying that thing again? Already? Isn't it too soon?"
There was a lot going on at the Yonozuka Station site. I didn't use all of it, but I used enough to
get some more. If you have any in stock, give me five boxes. That's 10 million. If not, I give up.
Wait! I'm going to go check the inventory now! Even if they're out of them at my place, they might
be at someone you know. Just wait and see!"
Katsuragi was so happy that he hurried away. Akira did not pay much attention to this and went
back to his normal shopping.
Katsuragi managed to prepare the goods and close the deal with Akira. Katsuragi, who had been
in a bad mood about the Levins and the purchase route for clothing-related relics, is now in a much
better mood after successfully concluding a business deal for 10 million aurums in addition to the
purchase of relics.
It was a good deal. Now we've got Levin and the others off the books. Good, good, good."
Akira looked a little mystified when he heard this.
What's wrong?"
What are you talking about? You're the one who told me that they didn't come back from the ruins
by themselves. I paid a lot of money to hire them as guards. It's natural to feel dissatisfied. You
had a subtle look on your face, too, didn't you?"
Akira replies normally to Katsuragi, who also looks a little strange when he says this.
I just wondered what it would be like to be the only one who made it back from the ruins alive,"
he said. They're not exactly small fry, are they?"
Katsuragi was unexpectedly dubious upon hearing the unexpected opinion.
Is that so?"
Oh. If you're talking about overall ability, I think the equipment is a little bit. But on the other
hand, he was able to survive in that situation without any reinforced clothing. I think that's great.
Akira is not defending Levin and his team. He is simply saying what he thinks. Katsuragi noticed
this, which is why he looked surprised.
I can't believe you said that. Was the situation that hard?"
Yeah. At least I don't have the confidence to survive that situation without the reinforced clothes.
I barely survived with this new equipment, recovery medicine, and a little ammunition without
making a profit.
Katsuragi's face turns into that of a businessman.
(This information is probably unknown to the intermediaries. If they knew, they would tell me and
use it as a bargaining chip to raise the escort fee. Can you put me on ......?)
Akira was a little mistaken when he saw Katsuragi's appearance. He lightly added to Katsuragi,
who was thinking seriously, although the direction of his thoughts was different from his own
expectations.
You said, "So, you paid a lot of money to hire those guys, but I don't think you're missing out on
anything. And, well, if I'm being a little selfish, it helps me too when Katsuragi pays those guys
so much money."
Why?"
I haven't received the full amount from them yet for the urgent request. I don't mean to urge them
too much, but it would be a problem for me and for Elena and the others if the payment is delayed.
Akira and his team were to settle the expenses incurred in connection with the Yonozuka Station
ruins with the fees for the urgent requests they had undertaken at that time and for escorting Levin
and his team.
This is the intention of Elena and her team. Akira was taking a separate action to help Yumina and
the others, and was not escorting Levin and the others. He was reluctant to accept the reward on
that basis, but Elena convinced Akira that it was part of their operational activities as a team.
Akira also thought it would be a good idea to go against Elena and the others and refuse to accept
the money, so he decided to go along with it.
But Levin and his team did not have the money to pay the 50 million aurum in one lump sum.
Even after selling relics, selling information on the ruins, and cutting into their bank deposits, they
still did not have enough money to pay the rest in installments.
Akira and his team must still collect the money on their own. Even if it is an urgent request through
the Hunter's Office, the Hunter's Office will only take care of the validity of the contract. They do
not even act as a collection agency.
There is also the option of selling the claim to the hunter's office. However, Elena decided not to
do so, because she was beaten by the hunter's office at a very low price, and also because she felt
that it was a bit of a quandary emotionally.
Hearing those stories, Katsuragi strengthens the merchant's smile.
Akira. Can I ask you more about that story?"
What are you up to?"
When Akira wonders about this, Katsuragi takes an exaggerated attitude, as if he is offended.
I'm just trying to help them pay you guys the rest of the money right away. It's you and me. I'll
help you."
Katsuragi smiles meaningfully at Akira, who still has a dubious look on his face.
I certainly hope that when the money comes in, you'll be able to buy things with it. But collecting
debts from hunters is a terrible hassle, isn't it? I'm in the business and I know what I'm doing."
......Well, I guess."
Hopefully, Elena and the others will be less burdened. "Hopefully, Elena and her family will be
less burdened, and I want you to buy more things at my store to help them. It's good enough to
expect that. Am I right?
Akira thought about it for a moment, but decided that it was certainly in his and Elena's interests.
I get it. What do you want me to tell you?"
Well, let's start with ......."
Katsuragi filled Akira in on the conversation with a happy businessman's smile.
After finishing his business, Akira quickly tried to return to his car to go home. When he got out
of Katsuragi's trailer, he noticed that the area around the entrance to the ruins was quite noisy.
What is it?"
Looking at the area through the telephoto function of the information-gathering equipment with a
dubious look on my face, I saw many hunters rushing out of the ruins.
A swarm of monsters continued to spring up from the ruins. Akira saw this and thought that the
hunters must be running away from them.
But then he notices something, and his face turns a little dubious again.
Alpha. To me it doesn't look like the monsters are attacking the hunters, is it my imagination?"
To be precise, they attack those who are in the direction of travel. However, this was to clear
obstacles in their escape route, and if they were not in the way, they would have passed by the
hunters even if they were nearby.
'No, it's not my imagination. The evidence is nowhere to be seen as individuals stop to prey on
hunters. The monsters are too busy running away from something to attack the hunters.
"Running Away From What: ......"
The next moment, the answer emerged from within the ruins. A huge snake-like monster, with a
body over 5 meters in diameter, leaped out of the ruins with great force, its mouth full of teeth and
a mountain of other monsters inside.
The serpent's scales were a mosaic of diverse monster appearances. The scales of the reptiles, the
fur of carnivorous beasts, the shells of insects, and even the armor of machines, all of which it
devoured, were reflected on its own scales, showing those who saw the serpent that it was strong
enough to devour such a monster.
Akira pulls a face.
"What the hell is that?"
In contrast, Alpha maintained his usual attitude.
It's a kind of syngnathomorphic reconstructor, like a ravenous crocodile," he said. They must need
a lot of food to get that big, but, well, they must have had it.
'I don't look like an alligator. ......'
It's not that there are only crocodilian forms of antifebrile reconstructors," he said. I think it was
originally a snake.
So. ......."
Once on the ground, the giant snake swallowed the food it had stuffed into its large mouth and
began targeting nearby monsters and hunters in search of new food.
Thanks to the fact that they are targeted in order of size, the relatively small hunters who are
running away are not being attacked.
But the larger vehicles were being targeted, and they were frantically running away, spinning their
tires vigorously to prevent themselves from being eaten after the large, slow-footed monsters had
been devoured.
Akira. Don't take it easy just because it's a long way away, let's get out of here as soon as possible.
'Oh, yes.
Akira's face tightened as if he had come to himself, and he quickly got into his car. Then Katsuragi
stopped him.
Hey! Akira! You can't just run away!
Akira looked at Katsuragi's trailer and vaguely wondered if a vehicle this large would be a good
bite for that giant snake.
And run away, too," he said. After seeing that, you still want to stay in business here?"
Not so!" Can we at least run away together?
Fine, but if that's how you're going to have me escort you, I'm going to have to take your money,
okay?"
Akira then turned a slightly stern gaze on Katsuragi.
Katsuragi, who had been planning to have the company escort him for free, flinched slightly. But
there was no time to negotiate the details of compensation. In addition, he thought that Akira would
run away on his own as soon as he felt that negotiations would be too much trouble. So, I proposed
a reward in a different direction.
I'll work with Cheryl as much as you work with me. How's that?"
"......, got it."
All right," he said. You got it."
Katsuragi was mildly relieved and immediately began preparing to retreat. He contacted his
business associates and they all formed a convoy to begin the escape.
Akira was at the tail end of the convoy. A pack of monsters fleeing from a giant snake is far from
attacking people, but it does not avoid those in its direction of travel. He intercepts them from the
top of the car.
With the vehicle ostensibly on autopilot, but actually in Alpha's hands, a large magazine of
conventional ammunition is attached to a DVTS minigun at the rear of the vehicle. He then fired
a series of shots at the monsters in the rear of the convoy.
Individuals exposed to countless bullets are wounded and crumble. Or they slow down their
movement. Akira and his team need not force the monster to be defeated, as all they have to do is
escape. They continue to intercept the monsters based on check-and-control shooting.
Then, when the individual is hit and enraged, and comes toward them with great vigor, they
carefully fire bullets to crush them.
The beast, clad in tough fur and well-developed muscles, is reduced in size with each bullet, as its
hair and flesh are gradually shaved off by the large number of bullets.
Each shot wounded only a few, but it wasn't long before the beast, which had been hit by a storm
of bullets from the DVTS minigun, was rendered immobile by the loss of some of its original
shape.
There, a large magazine empties. Akira was a little surprised and hurriedly began replacing the
magazines.
It's already empty. It's so big, but with a normal magazine it would run out so quickly.'
Alpha smiles lightly at Akira, who looks surprised and discards the empty magazine outside the
car.
'That's what miniguns are for,' he said. Unless you use an extended magazine, it won't be long
before you run out of ammunition.
The extended magazines are small but have a different order of magnitude of ammunition capacity.
No wonder they are expensive. The price is also an order of magnitude higher.
'Having said that, I'd like to make sure that from now on I basically use extended mags. There's a
limit to how much you can carry.'
I guess so. Then I'll use up the cheaper mags while I still can.'
Akira fires the DVTS minigun continuously at a rate that empties all the regular magazines in the
vehicle. Thanks to his efforts, the monsters trying to approach Akira's convoy were almost
completely wiped out.
Akira, who now has more time to spare, looks in the direction of the ruins. He could see the figure
of a huge snake. The figure had already become much smaller to the naked eye, as it was already
quite far away.
Akira then gave a quizzical look. Then, when he checked the snake's figure again with the telephoto
function of his information-gathering equipment, his face twisted even more doubtfully.
'...... Alpha. What's up with that snake, is it getting bigger?"
The diameter of the torso has doubled. Since they were outside the ruins, they must have changed
their body shape accordingly, since they were no longer limited by the width of the passageway.
'Can you get big for that reason ......'
Akira returned to the city of Kugamayama with a sense of mild dismay at the sight of the giant
snake rampaging in the distance, an incomprehensible presence that transcended his own common
sense.
Katsuragi returns to the city and calls out to Akira, who is about to leave, saying that his escort is
done.
I'm glad you're here. Akira. By the way, you are still strong.
If that's what you think, then play the reward."
I know. I'll do my best to cooperate with Cheryl at an extra cost. It's you and me, you know. Don't
worry.
Katsuragi was showing a very friendly attitude toward Akira. Akira wondered a little about this,
but he thought it was probably just a friendly gesture for the customers and did not pay much
attention to it.
I see. I asked. See you."
As Akira left, Katsuragi saw him off with a businessman's smile. And now he turns that smile to
Levin and the others.
You guys did a great job. Well, thank you for your hard work after all that commotion. I'd offer
you an extra bonus if I could, but it's hard to do that because of the contract with the brokerage.
I'm sorry."
Levin was conversely perplexed and flinched a little at Katsuragi's attitude, which valued them so
highly.
I see. I would appreciate it if you could mention that to the intermediary. If the client gives us a
high evaluation, we will be able to negotiate with the intermediary for a higher fee.
Then Katsuragi laughs meaningfully.
I'm not sure I'll be able to do it. I'll be sure to let them know. I'll make sure to tell him that he did
a great job for coming back from the Yonozuka Station ruins with an emergency request and an
escort."
Levin blew up involuntarily. His reaction was evidence of many things, but he still made it up as
he went along.
You said, "...... we were just doing a job that was referred to us by an intermediary. If something
goes wrong between you and the brokerage deal, we don't want you telling us about it."
The expressions on the faces of the Levins are hard because they are aware that they are half
complicit in the crime, though they are not lying. Katsuragi dared to give them a friendly smile.
I know. I'm not complaining. Regardless of your background, you certainly worked hard with
Akira to protect us.
Oh, yeah.
Katsuragi interrupted there with a meaningful silence. Levin and the others were unnecessarily
pressured and felt impatient.
And Katsuragi added pity to his own expression.
By the way, you guys are in a tough spot. "By the way, you guys are in a tough spot. He told us
about it, didn't he? You haven't paid me for the emergency request yet, have you? Just make sure
they don't kill you, okay?"
He said, "They're going to kill me. ......
I know Akira well because I've known him for a while, and he's from the slums, so he's used to
killing. Last time he killed three hunters who were messing around with his women.
Levin and the others turn pale.
"Yeah, and the guys who were killed weren't just a bunch of hunters, either, you know? All of
them were wearing at least reinforced suits as a matter of course. I heard that some of them were
equipped with miniguns that were immune to gunfire. They said they killed him lightly, too."
The Levins' faces turn even paler.
Be careful, okay? Maybe it's because of their past, but people from the slums hate to be licked. A
loser who doesn't pay back his debts may kill him without thinking about the consequences,
because he doesn't care about the money anymore.
No, no, wait. We're in debt to a hunter named Elena, not him, okay?"
Levin tried to cover up his uneasiness by answering that somehow. But Katsuragi shook his head.
It doesn't matter. Akira will be paid for the emergency request because he worked as part of a team.
The fact that the payment is overdue makes no difference.
And Katsuragi speaks with a light head.
And Elena and the others are very strict with their payments. Don't underestimate them. As a matter
of fact, I once had Elena and her team take an emergency request for me, you know? It was a tough
time. If I hadn't done it right, I would have gone bankrupt.
Katsuragi spoke of the hardships he faced at that time. He chuckled inwardly as he watched Levin
and the others grow anxious and impatient after hearing his story.
Well, that's why. Be careful. You guys may not have the best equipment, but you're not bad at
what you do. Don't get killed because of some stupid debt. See you.
As Katsuragi was about to end the conversation with that, Levin hurriedly interrupted him.
Wait a minute! Is that all you're saying? You've made me so anxious, and now you're just going to
end it like that?
I'm not so sure. What do you want me to do? I'm sorry, but you can't ask me to increase your
compensation to pay off your debt."
I won't say so. But you know what? Look, you seem to be on good terms with him, can't you work
something out?"
Katsuragi hides his inner feelings and his face becomes grim.
I have to tell you, I don't want to upset him either. You know how strong he is. Don't push me."
Yeah, let's do something about that. I'm counting on you. See, you said you wanted to add an extra
bonus. And you don't think we're bad at what we do, do you? Sell a favor to a prospective hunter
and we'll patronize your store. So, please, do something. You know?"
Hmmm." I guess so. ......"
Katsuragi pretends to think about it and then tells us what he has already finished thinking about.
"Would you refinance your debt, then, at ......? The point is, all you have to do is pay the fee for
the emergency request. That way we won't owe Akira and the others any money, so that concern
on your side will go away, okay?"
Refinancing or ......."
I'll do the refinancing for you. But I will ask you to accept various conditions. I'm lending money
to a hunter who may be dead tomorrow. You have to be prepared for a few harsh conditions.
Levin and the others are looking grim-faced and worried, but Katsuragi puts the final nail in the
coffin.
I'll negotiate as much as I can with the lender I'm referring you to as an added bonus for this job.
If you don't like it, I won't force you. But I don't want anything more from you. What do you say?"
Levin and his team have no choice. Katsuragi knew this and pressed them to make a choice. As
expected, the Levins accepted the proposal with resignation and a glimmer of hope.
I understand. Please."
I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to get the job done. Then I'll arrange it right away. Just give
me a minute."
Katsuragi took out his information terminal and turned his back on Levin and the others as he
contacted his business associates, gloating that it had worked.
Akira was visiting the base of Cheryl and her family today to digest his immediate business. After
completing the same preparations as before heading out into the wilderness, he left his house and
parked his well-armed wilderness-specification vehicle in front of the base. He went inside with
Cheryl, who greeted him, and was escorted to his room.
I sit down on the recommended sofa and Cheryl hugs me as she did before. Akira let out a light
sigh.
Cheryl. We need to talk first. We can talk later."
I understand. Later, right?"
Cheryl looked disappointed, but sat back down in front of Akira with the later expectation on her
face.
So you were talking about the relics you got with us."
The results of the artifact collection that he and Cheryl and others conducted at the Yonozuka
Station site are still piled in the garage of Akira's home. Although there had been some confusion,
it was time to decide on the best way to distribute the relics.
Yes," he said. Is there any hope on Cheryl's part? I've caused you a lot of trouble. As long as you
don't ask me to give you everything, I'll give it some thought.
If the relic collection had been uneventful, Akira would not have said this.
However, Cheryl's involvement in the undiscovered ruins caused damage to Cheryl and her group,
as she was kidnapped by Guba and others who were trying to obtain information about the
Yonozuka Station ruins, and in the process, some of the clique members were killed.
If they had been born out of a simple dispute in the slums for reasons unrelated to Akira, Akira
would have simply said, "I've been unlucky.
But those things would not have happened if Akira had not invited Cheryl and her family to collect
relics. Akira was aware of the trouble he had caused. He was aware that he had caused trouble for
Akira, so he was willing to make concessions to that extent.
But Cheryl shakes her head lightly.
No," he said. Nothing from me. I leave it to Akira's judgment. It's fine if you don't want our share.
Akira thought that was quaint and unequal, and from there his suspicions were a little dubious.
What?" No, what about the stones? And what if I really say, well, no your share then?"
So Cheryl turned to Akira with the most sincere smile she could muster.
In that case, please let me say that I have repaid Akira's debt to the entire clique for all the great
things he has done for us. It is far from repaying the debt, though.
Originally, Cheryl thought that Akira would take most of the relics. She then decided that it would
be more effective to give it all away and use it to pay off the debt, rather than negotiating a small
percentage of the remainder from there and getting into a bad situation with Akira.
Even if all the relics were to be acquired by the clique through negotiations, if Akira were to give
up on them, Cheryl's group would be dead in the water. In a sense, it was a natural decision.
But Akira doesn't understand that much. He unconsciously relaxed his expression, though only
slightly, as he wondered if he could say that much.
Then Cheryl laughs jokingly and continues.
Well, I'll take it if you can give it to me," he said. We need money to run the clique."
Akira also returns with a light laugh.
Well, I guess."
Yes," he said. So, please really decide as you like. Of course, I would appreciate it if you would
go easy on me.
Akira was wondering quite seriously how much to distribute, but when he heard Cheryl's story and
eased his mind, he came up with an idea.
Then again, I have a little favor to ask, would you be willing to try and sell some relics on Cheryl's
end?"
Me, sir?"
Oh. Not just the relics I'm giving Cheryl, but the other relics as well, please."
At Akira's home, relics that could not be sold at Katsuragi's place are left lying around. Something
must be done about it eventually. And Akira would like to turn them into money if possible.
However, it is doubtful that any serious price would be paid for the items that Katsuragi refused
to purchase, even if they were brought to the Hunter's Office's purchase office. If you put a pile of
accessories on the tray for purchase and the result is 100 aurum, it is a hassle just to sell them.
But it was also troublesome to find suitable buyers for them by myself, and I thought it would be
convenient if there was an easy way to redeem those kinds of relics.
You see, Cheryl did a lot of things, like selling hot sandwiches and crafts when we went to the
Yonozka Station ruins, didn't she?" It would be helpful if you could use your skills to sell the relics
at a higher price. ...... Well, I just thought it would be nice. If you can't, then you can't."
Akira asked me for a favor, and Cheryl never responded that she didn't want to do it. But I couldn't
answer this immediately.
I would be happy to accept Akira's request, but as I recall, Akira promised to sell the relics to
Katsuragi, didn't he? Are you okay with that?"
I'd like to leave that to Cheryl, or rather, I'd like it if Cheryl would negotiate with Katsuragi. I told
Cheryl a little while ago that I would cooperate with her as a reward for escorting Katsuragi and
the others, so I think we'll be fine.
Cheryl nodded her head vigorously, hoping that Katsuragi had been told that.
I understand. I'll try as much as I can."
Thank you. I'm counting on you."
If things go badly, relics that cannot be sold might fill his home. That's what I thought, but Akira
was in a good mood now that he no longer had to worry about that.
And Cheryl was secretly excited about the prospect of further strengthening her connection with
Akira if she could be of service to him in this way.
Both thought they had a satisfying conversation. However, there existed a discrepancy in
perception. Akira's perception of selling relics was that it was a cash transaction, but Cheryl's was
a sale.
If we had worked out the details here, that difference in perception would have been quickly
resolved. But it was put off by Cheryl.
I'd like to discuss the details at a later date, as I need time to finalize my plans. Is that all right with
you?"
Ah."
When Akira responds lightly, Cheryl's smile tightens, as if to say that she has already made her
point.
Then we're done talking about it for today, okay?"
Akira notices a little later and chuckles.
Suit yourself."
Thank you."
Cheryl happily got up from her seat and hugged Akira, who was sitting down.
Akira thought they had a strange relationship, but he let Cheryl do what she wanted until she felt
comfortable.
Having taken care of his immediate business, Akira was about to resume his hunter's business and
head out into the wilderness. His goal is to discover undiscovered ruins.
The fact that we were able to locate the Yonozka Station site has proven that the information on
the location of the Leon's Tail terminal is valuable enough to provide a clue to an undiscovered
archaeological site.
The commotion at that Yonozuka Station site was tough, but it was still a big earner for sure. Akira
was determined to do better next time.
And just as he is about to leave the garage of his home with great enthusiasm, he is approached by
Alfa, the passenger seat.
Akira. Hunter's office just notified me.'
Akira checks the contents of the notification on his information terminal. He then made a dubious
face.
'Bounty Hunting Bulletin. New Bounty Recognition Monster Announcement: ......?"
The Hunter's Office has a system of bounty hunters. These are separate requests from the normal
general-purpose requests, and are of a different level of difficulty and reward.
When an out-of-place strong monster roams the wilderness and blocks the transportation routes
connecting cities, distributors may jointly put a high bounty on the monster for its prompt
elimination.
The bounty system is mainly used in such situations, and the monsters certified as bounty hunters
are all that powerful.
The purpose of the notification is to spread the word of their existence among hunters. The purpose
is to prevent inexperienced hunters from bypassing the bounty hunter's area and dying, and to
encourage competent hunters to take down the bounty hunters.
And the bounty hunters have a great opportunity to show off their skills and make a name for
themselves. Information on bounty hunter kills will also include the name of the hunter who took
down the bounty. The hunter's name will also be listed on the hunter's personal page in the hunter
office.
Defeating a bounty hunter not only earns you a large sum of money, but also raises your hunter
rank, adds a foil to your hunter career, and even earns you prestige.
In search of those real profit and honor, every time a new bounty appears, many skilled hunters set
out to take down the bounty hunter.
Akira checks the bounty information listed in the hunter's office. In addition to the individual
names and bounty amounts, there were rough areas where they appeared and images of their
exteriors.
Over-synthetic snake, 500 million aurum. Tankantula, 100 million Auram. Multi-cannon mai-mai,
100 million Auram. Big walker, 400 million Auram. Akira recognized one of the giant snakes.
'Alpha. This over-synthetic snake is that thing, right?"
Yes. It must be that snake we saw at the Yonozuka Station ruins.'
'Is that thing wandering around the wilderness right now ......'
Akira looked difficult and a little distressed, then silently got out of the car.
Akira. Are you going to stop today?'
Oh. I don't want to go out into the wilderness and have an unlucky run-in with that thing.'
It might just be a matter of making the search area for the ruins much farther away from the bounty
hunter's area. Despite this thought, Akira could not expect that much from his luck.
Alpha senses this and smiles meaningfully.
I guess so. I guess I'll stop for the day so as not to underestimate Akira's bad luck.
Akira's expression was a little pouty, but he didn't argue and quietly went back inside the house.
And today we spent the day indoors training and studying.
◆
Akira, not counting on his own luck, decided to suspend his search for the undiscovered ruins until
the bounty was defeated, fearing that he might encounter the bounty while he was moving through
the wilderness in search of the ruins.
Still, we can't stay cooped up in the city all the time. So, he accepted a request to patrol around the
city of Kugamayama as part of his training.
Since they have their own vehicles, they do not need to ride in a truck for patrols, and to some
extent they can decide their own patrol routes. There is little danger if you avoid areas where
bounty hunters appear.
Also, if they are unlucky enough to encounter a bounty hunter, they can ask for help from the city's
defense force if they are in the middle of a patrol request in the suburbs of the city. Although it is
not the job of the defense force to kill bounty hunters, they will at least drive them away if they
come close to a city.
If the patrols continue for a while, the bounty hunters will be defeated in time. Akira thought so.
While on patrol, he spots a monster and shoots at it from atop a shaking car body. The hit rate was
not good, partly because they were shooting without Alpha's support as a training exercise. Most
of the bullets fired landed on the ground near the target.
Even so, he maintained his shooting stance with the physical capabilities of his reinforced clothing,
manipulated his sensory time to adjust his aim, and repeatedly pulled the trigger amidst the shaking
of both scaffolding and target. The shot hit the opponent's head and knocked down the monster.
Akira's face, however, was dull.
I finally hit it. I guess I'm not ready to do it on my own."
In fact, this is still an astounding enough skill in the sense of those hunters out there. Aiming at
and hitting a moving target in the distance from a car on unpaved ground is a clear departure from
normal standards.
However, Akira was unconsciously using the precision shooting by Alpha's support as his
standard, and he was lightly sighing at his ability, which was insufficiently unprofessional by that
standard.
Alpha laughs and encourages Akira.
Don't worry," he said. Akira's skill is improving. Let's be patient and steadily improve his skills.
'......, yes.'
If Alfa says so, then his own skill is probably not so low that he can nod his head every time he
says so. Akira thought so and smiled back as if to change his mind.
'By the way, Alpha. Any progress on the bounty? I think it's about time that at least one of them
was taken down.
Akira is hesitant to venture out into the wilderness, largely because there are four bounty hunters
roaming around.
Once at least one of the bounty hunters was defeated, the area where the bounty hunter had been
haunting would be relatively safe, so I thought it might be a good idea to focus my search there
and resume my search for undiscovered ruins.
But Alpha shakes his head.
'Unfortunately, not one of them has been defeated. There hasn't been much change in the bounty
hunter listings either. The bounty has only increased in size and the areas where they appear have
become a little more detailed.
'I see. I feel like some strong hunter team or something could force me to beat them, since I'd get
at least 100 million aurum if I beat them. Oh, I thought the prize money went up. Alpha. How
much did it go up?'
The lowest bounty is 600 million Oram. The highest is 1.5 billion aurums.
Akira lightly blurts out, thinking it was probably only a 10%-20% increase.
I've seen a lot more of you.
Akira said that a strong team of hunters went to defeat them, and they must have been beaten back.
So they increased the bounty in order to have stronger hunters beat them, and they were beaten
back again, and I think the bounty went up and up and up through the repetition.
'So, then, the current bounty might not be worth it. ...... Is there such a strong monster hanging
around? ......'
Akira, feeling less and less inclined to go away, let out a light sigh.
'I don't care who you are, you can't beat me fast enough. They're not in the back of some narrow
ruins or something, they're wandering around in the open wilderness, so maybe a hunter with a
tank or something could take them down easily.'
'The hunters who are tanking around are basically operating further east,' he said. They may be on
their way here right now.'
'Oh, I see. So if I just wait this out, I should be fine?'
But I'm not sure how many of those great hunters are likely to travel all the way from further east
to this area. If they are killed on the way, it would be a wasted trip.
'Oh, I see.'
But if no one beats them for a long time, or if the prize money goes up more, they might change
their minds and come and beat them."
'......? Right."
But if it goes that long without being taken down, there might be a problem, and it's not clear if
the bounty will go that high."
'...... alpha'
What?"
When Alpha repeatedly raised and lowered his expectations, Akira understood that he was being
teased. However, he also realized that he had been repeating the same thing to others, so he held
his tongue.
'...... nothing.'
'Yes,' he said. Then let's continue our patrol. Akira. It's the monster again.
Roger that.
Akira picked up his gun again.
As Akira continued his patrols around the city, he noticed that he was seeing an odd number of
other hunters. When he told this to Alpha, he was told that they were all thinking the same thing.
Fear of encountering bounty hunters keeps many hunters from traveling too far. And just like
Akira, they accept requests to patrol nearby areas to make some extra money, since money is
dwindling if they stay cooped up in the cities.
I don't know about you, but I don't see the point in patrolling so close to the city in such large
numbers."
'I'm sure they can lower their fees for that. Akira is fine as long as he can offset the cost of
ammunition, but it will be impossible for a regular hunter to live off that kind of money.'
I guess that's what the bounty hunter does to you."
As the sun began to set, Akira decided to end his patrol request and head back to the city. On his
way back, he passed many hunters.
When Akira has finished today's patrol request, he comes to the side of the city and is contacted
by the information terminal.
Akira. You have a call request. It's from Shikarabe in Drunkham.
'...... who's that?'
I was a hunter when I teamed up with Elena and her team in the underground city of Kuzuthara
Street Ruins a few years ago. You and Katsuya had a big fight, didn't you? Don't you remember?"
Shikarabe is a hunter belonging to the same drancum as Katsuya. He used to lead Katsuya and his
group, and since that time, he and Katsuya have been very close.
He was assigned to guard the front line with Elena and others in the construction of the temporary
base at the Kuzuthara Street ruins, and is highly competent. Akira saw firsthand his abilities when
they worked together in the underground city, and he thought he was as capable as Elena and the
others.
'Oh, that guy. What do you want?"
Akira remembered Shikarabe, but he did not consider her to be a particularly friendly person and
could not think of any business to contact him, so he looked doubtful. Still, after a little hesitation,
he pulled out his information terminal.
It's Akira. What do you want?"
Akira's somewhat ungracious voice, which is full of doubt, is answered by the good-humored voice
of Shikarabe, who has plenty of time to spare.
It's been a long time. I'm Shikarabe. I'd like to talk to you. Can you take a moment of your time
now? Where are you now?"
'It's in the wilderness near the city, and I'm on my way back. What's the story?"
It's all about the hunter's business," he said. It's not a strange story, and there's no harm in hearing
it. Elena and others have heard similar stories. But I want to talk about it face to face because of
the content. I'll send you my location, so if you're interested, please come. See you."
With that, the call to Shikarabe was disconnected. Akira hesitated for a moment, then went on to
contact Elena.
This is Akira. May I have a moment now?"
From the other side of the information terminal, Elena answers in her usual cheerful voice.
I'm fine. What's wrong?"
It's not a big deal, but I just wanted to ask you something."
If it's going to be a long story, do you want to meet somewhere and talk?" We can do it at our
place. Sara is there now, too."
No, it's probably just a quick story, I'll be fine."
Akira explained his story with Shikarabe to Elena. Then, after a short pause, Elena responded with
her own guess.
He said, "Hmmm, perhaps they want to hire Akira to take down the bounty hunters. I'm sure we've
received similar offers. But I can't tell you the details due to confidentiality reasons. I'm sorry."
No, no, don't worry about it. I just got a call from Shikarabe suddenly and was wondering what
they were talking about. But, would you be talking to me about something like that?"
In response, Elena returned a silence that evoked a wry smile. Then, as if to cover it up, she
continued.
You know, "...... Akira would have worked with Shikarabe at the Kuzuthara Street Ruins
Underground. I think they decided that was enough to make them a force to be reckoned with.
Also, Akira's activities at the Yonozuka Station ruins must have been conveyed to Drunkham by
Katsuya and others, or something like that."
Hmmm. Is that what it is?"
And, speaking a little smugly, I wouldn't want someone who is good enough to help us to say, 'I
don't care.
I'm sorry.
Akira apologized unintentionally, a little impatiently. Then, a voice with a hint of a wry smile
came back to him.
Maybe Akira has a little too low self-esteem. Humility may be a good thing, but some people find
it repugnant. Some people take it as sarcasm. Be careful.
Akira believes he has a somewhat correct understanding of his own abilities. Whether or not he is
actually correct is another matter.
Currently, there is a marked difference between Akira's evaluation by others and Akira's own
evaluation. This is both a proof and a side effect of Alpha's support being that phenomenal. Akira
was aware of this.
In addition to this, Akira unconsciously lowered his own evaluation of the power of Alpha's
support, which would be much weaker without it, because he understood the power of Alpha's
support.
I, Sarah, and maybe even Shikarabe, since we went to the trouble of contacting Akira, recognize
his abilities. So, Akira, have a little more confidence. Right?
That is not my ability. Akira understands this, but he dares to sound cheerful, giving priority to
Elena's concern.
Yes. I understand."
Still, Elena noticed that he was pushing himself a little too hard. But Elena decided that it would
be difficult for her to suddenly be asked to change her opinion of herself, and she was fine with
that for now.
'So, getting back to the subject, I don't think the Chicarabee thing is a bad idea. But it's not
necessarily the same work that came to us, so you'll have to listen to that and make your own
decision."
I understand.
And if it's a bad story, tell me. I've worked hard as a negotiator for my team. I'll do something
about it.
Akira laughs and replies to Elena's joking words.
Yes, I am. Please do me a favor then. For the time being, I will try to hear from Shikarabe. Thank
you."
If we ever decide to work together, I'll be happy to do so."
Of course. See you then."
Akira hung up the call and exhaled lightly, a little satisfied. Then he noticed Alfa staring at him
and wondered slightly.
What?
It's nothing. If you want to go to the shicarabes, go back to your house first. The designated place
is the tavern in the lower section. There is no guarantee that parking will be available.
'Okay,' he said. I'll go to ...... and just call them.'
Akira operated an information terminal and sent a message to that effect to Shikarabe.
Alpha ponders. Perhaps Akira will take the Shikarabe story. And mostly because he has learned
that Elena and the others have received similar stories, and he has decided to take them.
In addition, Akira would never have gone to Shikarabe if Elena and the others had stopped him.
I don't know if Akira is aware of this or not. But by confirming it, he may become aware of it.
Alpha, thinking that Akira's awareness might affect his own plans, avoided confirming it and
remained silent.
Elena stretches out in her chair at home. It is a luxury item that is so comfortable that she can get
a good night's sleep while sitting on it, and she does not get tired even after sitting and working
for a long time. It is her favorite item, which she purchased with great excitement.
And they are dressed very comfortably. The only things he wears are a head-mounted information
terminal and his underwear.
Then Sarah arrives with the food. Sarah is also dressed comfortably, wearing only a shirt over her
underwear.
Both of them were dressed in comfortable, open-ended outfits when they were in the safety of their
homes, partly because their dangerous hunter work required them to wear combat uniforms that
covered their entire bodies tightly or snugly.
Initially, I did this to consciously switch between daily life and combat. Recently, however, it was
more for the reason that I had become accustomed to dressing comfortably.
While eating together, Sarah asks, as if suddenly remembering.
Elena. By the way, I heard you talking, did you hear from Drunkham?"
No, it's not. It's Akira. He said he got a call from Shikarabe that she wanted to talk to me.
Elena explained the details to Sarah with her own guesses. Hearing this, Sarah looked at her
curiously.
If it's a request from Drunkham, shouldn't the negotiator there be the one to contact me?" Why is
Shikarabe going directly to Akira?"
"Maybe they're trying to play some tricks with the mess inside Drunkham?"
What's a little trick, for example?"
Yes, it is. Akira is that strong, and at his age, he is not much older than Drunkham's youngsters,
right? If we secretly join the younger members of the team in defeating the bounty hunters, we can
greatly increase the strength of the younger members, who are still only slightly competent.
Moreover, the outside world won't be able to tell that you're working with a helper.
Sarah nodded her head once in agreement, lightly, and then tilted her head.
But then wouldn't the administrative faction of Drunkham get in touch with them? It would seem
odd for the Chicarabees to be the ones to contact them."
Then, on the other hand, maybe they're going to ask for some random requests for a while to keep
the clerical faction from doing so."
Elena smiles a little happily at Sarah, who nods her head in interest.
Well, I don't really know. I lightly told Akira to contact me if he found out anything strange, and
I think he'll be fine.
Yes. Good then."
Sarah was convinced by the opinion of Elena, their negotiator, and was fine with that.
Many of the entertainment districts in the sub-divisions of the city of Kugamayama are specialized
places for hunters.
Hunters, accustomed to killing, for better or worse, pay good money and drink in good humor at
the bars, still armed after work, their reason dulled by drunkenness. Public order will be maintained
accordingly. Naturally, it is not a place where normal people are advised to stop by.
In such entertainment districts, there are many brothels and prostitutes who do business with these
hunters. There are also many people in charge of the rough business that backs these women. Those
who are not confident in their rough business skills should not stop by these places.
The chicarabes were inside a tavern in that entertainment district.
In a position at the back of the restaurant, where the hunters who earn their money sit, Cicarabe
was talking with his friends. There is a bottle of liquor on the table, but Sicarabe does not touch it.
His head was dulled by alcohol, and he was in no mood to negotiate.
But his two companions, Yamanobe and Parga, drank without restraint. Yamanobe has a device
implanted in his body that breaks down alcohol, allowing him to return to sober in 10 seconds,
even if he is drunk. Parga was drinking with an alcohol remover on hand.
Shikarabe had her own personal opinion about the way her friends drank, but she did not want to
interfere with their drinking because it did not interfere with her work.
A notification arrives on my mobile device. When I check it, I see that it is from Akira and that he
is on his way.
Akira is coming here. I'll handle the negotiations. Don't interfere by saying unnecessary things,
okay?"
A slightly intoxicated Yamanobe laughs in return.
I know. So, is this Akira guy available?"
At least we're not dragging our feet." What's the guess on your end?"
'On my end, I have two debtors to start with, and one to watch over them. The arms are there. I've
already talked to the creditors. They don't mind if I let the debtors die, but they want me to collect
the bodies. I've approached a few others, but I'm not sure they'll come here."
Over here are two guys who want connections to join Drunkham," he said. One of them is a good
guy, and the other one is as good as us. We're waiting to hear from other intermediaries.
The shikarabe was a bit dubious when she heard what the parga's guess was.
If you're as good as us, you don't have to get involved in this matter, you can just negotiate normally
with the contact person at Drunkum. What kind of underhandedness would they have to have to
want our connections?"
He's in some kind of trouble and wants to get some backing. I guess it's not a good idea to go
through the regular channels. I don't know the details. I don't know the details, but I'm supposed
to ask him in person.
"......, you just ask me what's going on and then burn me with the expectation that I'll do what's
appropriate."
It was the message of a trusted colleague, and the shikarabe was fine with that, even if it was a bit
underhanded.
The Shikarabes' objective is to take down the bounty hunter, and this is the place to gather the men
for that purpose. That's why they invited Akira.
However, as Elena had expected, it was a seat with some tricks, as it did not go through the usual
negotiating window of Drangkam.
Akira is making his way through the entertainment district toward the bar designated for
shikarabes.
The glamorous entertainment districts are not as safe as the slums. The streets, which were built
by sucking up the money that hunters have risked their lives to earn, still exude a distinctive
glamour today in order to maintain an environment that allows them to squander the money they
have earned with their own blood as a price.
It was the driving force behind the hunter's vitality to live today, and the cause of his depravity to
lose tomorrow.
Akira watched the scene with interest, as it was a place he normally had no connection to and no
reason to stop by. Surprised by the voices of the touts offering him alcohol and women, he ignored
them and proceeded on his way.
Then Akira noticed that the alphas walking side by side were avoiding each other so as not to
collide with the person they were passing. He suddenly wonders why he would do such a thing,
since Alpha does not have an entity.
'Alpha. Why are you going out of your way to avoid people? What's the harm in bumping into
them?"
It's all about mood.
'Does bumping into someone make you feel bad about Alpha?'
It makes Akira feel bad. If Akira doesn't frown when he sees me merging with someone out there,
I don't have a problem with it.
When Alpha said this, he approached a hunter who was walking in the area and intentionally
superimposed his figure on the hunter. A four-armed, unidentifiable humanoid object was then
created, with a head that was a bizarre mixture of Hunter and Alpha's facial parts halfway around
the world.
Akira frowned involuntarily. It was certainly not a pleasant thing to watch.
'...... my bad. Avoid from now on.'
Right?"
Alpha returned to Akira's side and smiled at him.
The destination bar was a three-story building with each floor taller than the next. Arriving in front
of the bar, Akira looks at the people around him and the hunters in the bar's clientele. Many of
them were conspicuously armed, as if they had come here directly on their feet after returning from
the ruins. Some were carrying what appeared to be relics.
Akira's equipment is a reinforced suit, and an AAH assault rifle and an A2D assault rifle. The
CWH objective assault rifle and DVTS minigun were left behind with the car. He is also not
carrying his backpack filled with spare ammunition at the moment.
I avoided heavy equipment, thinking that I might be refused entry if I was armed as if I were going
to the ruins, but with this I didn't have to worry too much. The atmosphere of the store was
reasonably noisy, as much as Akira thought so.
Still, Akira easily walked into the bar, saying that it was nothing compared to the ruins or to the
Steliana, an upscale restaurant on the upper floor of the Kugama building.
Inside the spacious restaurant, many hunters were drinking to their heart's content. From the
counter near the entrance, the owner of the bar gives Akira a stern look.
This is no place for a kid like you. Don't leave."
It is the owner's job to serve alcohol to the hunters, and sometimes to calm down the commotion
by threatening the drunks. His intimidation was powerful.
Akira, however, was unconcerned.
Tell that to the guy who called this kid here. There's supposed to be a guy named Shikarabe. Don't
you know?"
Seeing Akira's demeanor, the store owner decided that there was no need to be concerned about
knocking out a child who had wandered into the wrong place. He tells him in a troublesome manner
that although he looks weak at first glance, he probably has the ability to match the equipment he
wears.
I don't know. Find the right one. ......Totally, what kind of idiot would call a kid like this to a place
like this?"
They complained, but permission was granted, so Akira looked around the store for shikarabes.
However, he could not find any within sight.
'Where are the shikarabes? Or you can contact ...... and ask."
'They were in the back upstairs. Let's go.
Akira, who was about to retrieve the information terminal, stopped moving, wondering how he
had found the shikarabe, who was not even on the first floor. The question came to him, but he
told himself that it was too late, and put the question in the back of his mind.
Upstairs, huh? Let's go.
Akira, who could not even read or write, has now acquired a variety of knowledge thanks to
Alpha's classes. He has also obtained various information via the Internet. Although he still lacks
some common sense, he is no longer the child for whom the back alleys of the slums were the
whole world.
But every time Akira gains this common knowledge, he is reminded once again of just how
unknowable Alpha is.
The identity of Alpha is not that important to Akira. What is important to Akira is that Alpha is on
his side, even if it is a contractual relationship of a commission.
So Akira keeps a lid on his doubts and curiosity. He held on tightly to the more important things,
to avoid opening a lid that did not need to be opened, to avoid losing the good fortune that has
continued since that day, and to avoid losing the days with Alpha.
True to Alfa's word, the shicarabes were at the back of the second floor.
You're here. Akira. Here we are."
Shikarabe lightly waved her hand and called Akira. The only people sitting at the large table and
on the large sofa, which was designed to accommodate a large number of samurai women for
serving guests, were now the shikarabes.
These two are my colleagues, Yamanobe and Parga. Yamanobe. Parga. This is Akira. Well, have
a seat."
Akira sat down across from Shikarabe, unperturbed by the looks of interest and skepticism from
Yamanobe and Parga.
So, what's the story?"
I'd like to order something before I go. This is a bar, but we have a pretty good selection of food
besides snacks."
I don't need it. I'll eat the food and see if it's something I want to hear. I don't even know how much
it costs."
The shikarabe smiles wryly at Akira, who shows light alarm.
I see. Then let's get down to business. We are planning to take down the bounty hunter. Just so
you know, you know about those four bounty hunters, right?
Ah."
If we were to simply defeat them, we could do it on our own, but if we were to do it quickly and
surely, we would need more strength. So we decided to hire additional personnel to make up the
shortfall. That's why I called on Akira. The reward was a bounty. Won't you hire me?"
Akira lowered his guard, as Elena had guessed.
It depends on the specifics of the contract," he said. But if that's the extent of it, you could have at
least given me an outline when you called me up."
Akira's lighthearted question is met with a serious look from Shikarabe.
I can't have you coming up with half-baked ideas without hearing the terms I'm about to tell you.
This request does not involve the Hunter's Office. This is purely a hunter-to-hunter request. I ask
you to accept these conditions."
Akira understood from the attitude of the shikarabes that they had been told something quite
important. But why and to what extent it was important, he did not know. So he asked back with
a serious expression on his face.
What exactly would be the disadvantages of taking it? Explain as best you can."
Parga interjects dubiously.
We're not amateurs. You're not going to make me explain every single one of those things to you?"
In terms of the common sense aspect of hunters, Akira is still in the category of an amateur. As if
to cover it up, he answers with a light, wary glance.
I'm basically a one-man operation, so I'm not familiar with the conventions and unspoken
agreements among hunters," he said. Besides, I'm not a hunter of Drangkam and I don't have a
relationship with Drangkam. I can't be expected to make tacit concessions in negotiations with
Drangkam."
Yamanobe interpreted Akira's words to mean that he had no intention of backing down against
Drunkham, and laughed lightly as if satisfied.
Oh, that's what you meant."
That's what I mean. You don't have to explain it every time. Such unspoken understanding is a
source of trouble. I didn't ask, so I didn't tell. Please don't do that. I don't want to get into trouble
later.
Chicarabe decides that, based on his years of experience, it is probably just a lack of knowledge,
but he sees no point in pointing this out and ruining the negotiations, so he decides to proceed.
That's fine. If you think the explanation is unclear, just ask me back each time."
As requested by Akira, Shikarabe gave details of the request, including some details that he would
normally leave out.
If the request does not involve the Hunter Office, the Hunter Office is of course unaware of the
existence of the request and is not involved.
Even if he is hired by Shikarabe for this request, it will not remain on Akira's personal page in the
Hunter Office as part of his hunter business career.
And there is nothing to warrant this request. It will be a request that never officially existed in the
first place.
If the contract is through a hunter's office, there will be a record of any incompleteness in the
request or non-payment of compensation. It becomes an enforcement force to force the contracted
hunter to honor the contract.
As long as there is none of that, the only one who can make them abide by the contract is the hunter
who signed it. In other words, even if a hunter tries to collect unpaid fees by force and is treated
as a robber and killed, he will get off with what he deserves.
The risk of promises becoming meaningless in the unethical environment of the wilderness, let
alone inside a defensive wall, is too great.
Consider any request that does not involve the Hunter Office a fraud. There was such a difference
in the credibility of the request that if you were not good at it, you would be told so.
Shikarabe, as a hunter with a long history of experience, fully understands this and says he will
not involve the Hunter's Office in this request. The reward that Shikarabe offered Akira was high,
as the high return was commensurate with the high risk.
After the bounty leader is defeated, the remainder of the bounty, minus expenses, will be divided
according to the success of the participants. However, the number of participants will not include
the shikarabes.
The final team size is still being worked out, but if the four of us here, including Akira, defeat the
bounty hunter, Akira will receive the full amount remaining after expenses are deducted from the
prize money.
The payment method is that the Shikarabes receive the prize money once from the hunter's office,
and then the money is transferred to Akira's account after expenses are deducted from it.
Even if the bounty hunter is not defeated, Shikarabe will pay Akira 5 million aurum. In that case,
however, the cost will be included.
Akira, having finished listening to Shikarabe's story, ruminates over the content and identifies
questions.
There are a couple of things I want to make sure of. First, what exactly is an expense?"
I'm not going to go into detail. So I'll explain what I don't approve. First of all, no repayment of
debts. You can't participate in an operation if you don't repay your debts, so you can't ask us to
recognize those debts as expenses. That will be paid out of each person's compensation."
Who would expense such a thing?"
I'm here. Secondly, you can't pay for equipment, either: I bought 500 million aurums worth of new
equipment to take down a 500 million aurum bounty hunter. If you allow that as an expense, he's
effectively taking all of it.
That, well, I suppose it would."
However, even in such cases, the cost of consumable supplies, including ammunition, and the cost
of equipment rental are allowed as expenses. The rest can be found at ......."
Then the shikarabe looked like she was thinking a little and took on a troublesome demeanor.
...... looking for loopholes is a pain in the ass. The three of us will not take a single aurum from the
bounty, even if we succeed in killing the bounty hunter. I promise you this."
Akira agreed with that for the time being.
Second. How many people are on your team?"
Including Akira, at least four people. The final number will depend on the outcome of the
negotiations, but it will probably be 15, 20, or so. We will try to gather as many people as possible,
but the maximum will probably be 30.
Third. What guarantees do you have that you will be paid?"
No.
Shikarabe assured him succinctly. Akira's expression turned grim and his gaze sharp, and the
shikarabe matched it. Then they silently exchanged glances as if intimidating each other.
After a mutually confirming silence about the meaning of the request not involving the hunter's
office, Sicarabe adds.
I'd rather pay you honestly than kill each other in a fury because you overstepped your bounty.
That's what I think."
Akira's silence changed from intimidation of the other party to questioning the truth of the content.
Then Shikarabe adds, "I'm not sure what you're talking about.
You're good enough that I could easily overdraw the payment. So I'll overturn it. If I thought that,
I wouldn't have hired you in the first place. You're useless.
Akira ponders with a difficult look on his face. If interpreted favorably, Shikarabe is saying that
he recognizes Akira's ability. However, if interpreted in a twisted way, he said that he would
overturn the reward if he was wrong.
And no matter what Shikarabe's true intentions are, he can impose the former interpretation on
Shikarabe if he is competent. Akira somehow realized that the response included a mild
provocation to do so.
With that realization, Akira was satisfied for the moment as a response. Moving on to the
remaining questions.
Fourth." Why not intervene with the Hunter Office? If that's what you just heard, then I guess we
could just sign a separate, regular contract."
For Akira, it was a mild question. But Shikarabe's expression turned grim again.
...... If I don't answer that question, will Akira turn this down?"
I refuse. At least, I don't want to get involved in some strange trouble without knowing it."
Cicarabe looked at his companions to see if he alone could decide whether or not to speak. Then,
first of all, Parga returns a wry smile.
"It's all good, right? It's a story that will become known anyway. Well, I understand why you don't
want to tell me."
Yamanobe continues to agree.
If you don't blow it, it doesn't matter. It's a force recommended by Shikarabe. We don't want to be
rejected for that reason."
Shikarabe sighs, then reminds Akira.
Don't tell on me, okay? In case you're wondering, this is an internal Drunkham story. It is not
something that should be discussed with outsiders.
Okay."
Seeing Akira's attitude as he nodded firmly, Shikarabe let out a sigh that he had no choice.
......The point is, well, it's part of the power struggle inside Drunkham, for its convenience."
The tone of the shikarabe's voice was a bit gruff as he spoke of the blunder, which was also the
fault of his relatives.
Drangkam is one of the countless hunter cliques in the city of Kgamayama. It is also a private
military company whose main business is the hunter business.
However, the scale of the company is far greater than any of its competitors. It has increased its
power by strengthening its connection with cities, and the number of hunters has increased by an
order of magnitude from the small scale of its early days.
As the number of people increases, factions form. Frictions between management and others also
begin to increase. Frictions between factions can sometimes hinder the operation of the
organization.
And Drunkham was currently in the midst of its factional warfare.
An old faction with many hunters from the early days of the clique. A young faction with mainly
young hunters. The clerical faction, in which the backroom staff of the clique has gained power by
interfering in the management of the organization. These major factions sometimes cooperated
with each other and sometimes fought against each other.
And those factions are not monolithic. Even though they are broadly the same faction, they are
divided into smaller internal groups.
Many of the old-timers hate those of the clerical faction. They complain about the amount of
consumables such as ammunition and restoratives they use without ever stepping outside the safety
of the city. Some, however, have gravitated to the clerical faction, whose connections to the cities
bring in more lucrative commissions.
Many of the younger workers dislike the old-timers, who look down on them as inexperienced.
However, some of them have changed their attitude to a certain extent after learning the clear
difference in ability between them and the old-timers and the fact that their equipment costs come
from the old-timers' earnings.
In addition, the clerical faction favored Team A, a group of young people from relatively straight
backgrounds, while Team B, also young but from slums, was not treated well, creating a conflict
between Team A and Team B. The
The clerical faction consists mostly of pure clerical personnel with no previous hunter experience,
but there are also a fair number of former hunters. Some of the pure clerical staff also understand
the hardships of the hunter's occupation. Furthermore, there was also a struggle for advancement
on the clerical side.
Drangkam was currently in a state where such factions of various sizes were fighting for influence
within the organization. And in order to win the factional war, they turned to the exploits of the
bounty hunters.
Akira heard from Shikarabe about that factional conflict. However, he could not catch up with the
understanding.
I understand that, but how does that relate to why we are not involving the Hunter Office in this
request?"
Whenever the Hunter Office is involved, Drunkham's procedures require that they go through an
outside negotiator. They step back from the factional conflict and pretend to be neutral, but the
bottom line is that they're going to inform all the factions. We're trying to prevent that."
'Oh, all kinds of trouble.'
Akira's light-hearted impression causes Shikarabe to let out a deep sigh.
Yeah, it's a real pain in the ass."
Akira couldn't help but chuckle at Shikarabe's spitting words, which were filled with such heartfelt
emotion.
I understand. That's all I have to ask."
Chicarabe exhales and switches consciousness.
I see. Then let's hear what you have to say about whether or not you'll accept the request."
You can take it, but on one condition. I'll follow the general plan, but don't expect me to coordinate
the details of troop actions or anything like that. Also, if I don't think we have a chance to win, I
will withdraw at my discretion. I will call out to them before I do so, but I will not stay and fight.
If these conditions are acceptable, I will accept."
That's pretty convenient.
It's a win-win situation. I don't want to be a pawn in a request that doesn't go through the Hunter's
Office. So what do we do?"
......, would be good."
With this, the contract was concluded. Although quite irregular, Akira was to be involved in
defeating the bounty hunter.
Alfa asks in a noncommittal way.
Akira. Are you glad? You were holed up in the city to avoid encountering the bounty hunter,
weren't you?"
'At the very least, I got a promise to flee on my own accord. ...... with my ability, is it still
dangerous?"
Akira is not fighting alone, I will support him, and I will not stop him. I'm not trying to stop you.
I'm just a little concerned because you suddenly seemed to have become more aggressive. After
all, it had nothing to do with Elena and the others, right?
'That reminds me. I guess that means that similar requests from Drunkham are going to Elena and
her colleagues in that area.'
The reason Shikarabe smelled the involvement of Elena and the others was because he thought he
could get Akira's interest by saying so. And indeed it was.
'Well, that's good. I may have come here because of Elena and her friends, but it will be good for
me if the bounty hunters are defeated early. It's better than leaving it all up to someone else to take
them down as soon as possible.
I guess so. Let's think so.
Alpha ponders. Akira's interest in the Shikarabe story was certainly influenced by Elena and the
others to come here. But they were not involved in the final decision.
For now, it is acceptable. But I don't know in the future. If necessary, we will develop
countermeasures. Alpha decided so.
Akira, who had accepted the request from Shikarabe, remained there at Shikarabe's request. He
was now to proceed with negotiations with the other additional personnel, and he was asked to be
present as a participant.
I moved from my seat across from the shicarabe so as not to disturb the next person coming to
negotiate, and ordered a simple meal at the ordering terminal provided at the table. I was told that
I could use the money to pay for this, so I ordered more without hesitation.
After waiting for a while while hearing from Shikarabe about her plan to defeat the bounty hunter,
a female waitress, dressed more for serving the opposite sex than for a restaurant, brings the food.
The woman was somewhat surprised to see a child like Akira. She gives a surprised look to
Shikarabe as she places the food in front of Akira.
I've never seen a child so new. And he's on the second floor. Is she with you, Shikarabe?"
Yes," he said. He's busy. So don't come to sales. Tell the others to do the same.
I don't deal with quirky kids," he said. What about you guys?"
A woman sets up a sales pitch to the shicarabes with a familiar smile. However, she is lightly
ignored by the shicarabes.
I told the master we're busy too. Didn't you hear? All the guests at this table should be exempt."
You're so boring. What are you doing upstairs?"
There's a lot going on over here," he said. When the work is done and we're celebrating, we'll be
feeling good about ourselves. Just you wait till then.
Don't forget that word, okay?"
The woman laughed provocatively and left.
Akira looks at the woman with a curious expression on his face, not understanding the meaning of
the exchange between the shikarabe and the woman.
Shikarabe...what's the point of the second floor?"
Oh. The third floor here is a whorehouse. The guy who works there is a waitress on the second
floor, and he takes orders from there, too. It is customary for those who come here purely to drink
to drink on the first floor.
Akira looked at Shikarabe with some satisfaction, but also with some frustration.
...... isn't the place to call a kid."
I don't think age has anything to do with being a hunter. I didn't specify this place to harass Akira.
Shikarabe laughs off Akira's accusations and adds.
Well, I hate to tell you this, but most people who take requests that don't involve the Hunter's
Office do so for a reason, you know? The second floor is more convenient for negotiations with
such people. Don't worry about it."
Akira lets out a light sigh. Then he stopped caring deeply anymore and started eating his food.
Next to Akira, additional personnel called by Yamanobe and their associates came to the site.
There are two debtors and one person who monitors them. And one man who represents the
creditors and is a negotiator with the shicarabes. In total, there are four people.
Yamanobe switches seats with Shikarabe and beckons them over. Tomejima, the negotiator, did
as recommended and sat down across from Yamanobe.
Did I keep you waiting?"
Yeah. I hope you brought enough guys to keep us waiting?"
Of course. If you want a scarecrow or a scarecrow, I'll bring you as many as you want, but it's hard
to bring people who meet your requirements. Please forgive me if I'm a little late. It's hard enough
to find someone who is good enough to take on the bounty without the intervention of the hunter's
office.
That's why I paid you guys such a high commission. If the guy behind you is useless in this, we'll
take care of it."
I know. Then let's start negotiating."
Beside Yamanobe and Tomejima as they continued their negotiations, Akira stopped eating and
turned a slightly grim face to the man who was watching.
The man chuckles and sits next to Akira.
Long time no see."
...... I know."
The man who was on watch was Kolbe, whom Cheryl and I had met when we were collecting
artifacts at the Yonozka Station site. Akira's face was filled with alarm, as Gyuba, who was with
that Kolbe, had attacked Cheryl.
Don't look at me like that. I didn't do anything to you, did I?"
Your companion attacked Cheryl. I'll at least be on the lookout. ...... wait, how do you know that?"
A debtor went down before he could repay his debts. Of course they're going to investigate.
Kolbe explained his position to Akira, who gave him a dubious look.
Being a monitor of a collective relic collection operation composed of hunters with debts. That the
people who attacked Cheryl were heavily in debt. That they had disappeared, and that he had
investigated their whereabouts, believing that they had escaped. Kolbe explained, with some light
excuses, that he had learned many things in the course of that investigation.
It makes sense. Akira thought so, but kept a suspicious eye on Kolbe.
Are you sure it doesn't matter?"
I'm sorry if they say I was negligent in my supervision, but I didn't tell them to do so, nor did I
indirectly encourage them to do so. I had nothing to do with that.
Alpha."
At least I didn't lie.
For Akira, there is nothing better than Alpha's judgment in determining the truth, as he is aware
that he does not excel in negotiation matters. In a manner of speaking, he decides to trust him.
I get it. I'm sorry I doubted you."
Akira then let down his guard against Kolbe.
Don't worry about it," he said. I'm glad we could clear up the misunderstanding."
Do you have any idea who might have instigated this? Before he could ask that question, Kolbe
laughed lightly and dropped the subject.
What are you doing here, anyway? It's not like you're in huge debt, is it?"
I have no debt. I have a previous teaming relationship with the Chicarabees, and that's why I was
hired to help them take down the bounty."
You said, "Is that why you accepted a request that didn't go through Hunter's office? And you don't
even owe me any money?"
What does debt have to do with it?"
When Akira and Kolbe looked at each other suspiciously because of the difference in perception,
Shikarabe interrupted them.
Hey, there, don't interfere with the contract between us and Akira. Shut up. And don't worry about
Akira. Don't leak the details of the contract to anyone.
With that, Akira and the others stopped talking. However, another person interrupted them.
Hey! What do you mean, the kid is a member too?
The voice was raised by a hunter named Cadre, who was standing behind Tomejima.
Don't interrupt me without permission. Shut up and wait."
When Tomejima warns him in a stronger tone, Cadle raises his voice even more.
...... we're risking our lives to fight the bounty hunters! And you want that kid on your team? You're
not just going to pad your team's headcount and reduce the reward to be shared, are you!"
Shut the fuck up! Stay out of the negotiations! ...... Kolbe, keep watch."
Tomezima had Kolbe stand next to Cadle to suppress the commotion, and then, gloating inwardly
that he now had a good excuse, he resumed negotiations with the Yamanobe.
I'm sorry for making a fuss. But what the heck, you know what he means, right? If you risk your
life to pay off a debt and your reward is the same as that kid over there, you might want to complain.
Can't you do something about it?"
What exactly do you mean by "something"? If you're a negotiator too, you're going to have to
come up with the specifics."
I'm not saying he should be removed from the team, but I'd like to see the percentage of his
compensation reduced commensurate with his abilities."
Tomejima suggested, looking meaningfully at Akira.
Young hunters in Drangkam have a notorious reputation for being imaginary, kakokei, and
intimidating, with only high-performance equipment. Seeing Akira, who did not look strong at all,
Tomejima thought that Akira was one of these people, and that he was a member of the group to
increase the number of hunters.
Cadle's thoughts were much the same as Tomejima's, but he suspected worse. He thought they
were just equipping slum kids with cheap equipment that only looked expensive, not young
hunters. He also suspected that Tomejima was colluding with the Shikarabes to reduce his own
compensation and pocket the difference.
Yamanobe and Parga were also quite suspicious of Akira's ability, who did not appear to be very
strong, although they did not say so in terms of the person whom Shikarabe had taken the trouble
to call.
All eyes in the room are on Akira. Akira, however, continues to eat without paying attention.
Their gazes then fall on Shikarabe. The shikarabe exhaled a troublesome breath, then turned his
face a bit stern and turned to Tomejima.
No. We've already negotiated with Akira. I'm not going to change the terms of the contract for
your convenience now."
And now he turns his lightly mocking face to Cadle.
First of all, if Akira's compensation is reduced because he is not good enough or competent enough,
then the compensation we pay you will be rounded down to the nearest whole number.
What? You! Are you saying I'm weaker than this kid?
Cadle, seeing himself as a fool, exclaimed involuntarily in exasperation. But even so, he still barely
had the strength of reason not to do anything more than that.
However, any remaining reason disappeared when Akira turned his gaze toward him with his loud
voice, gave him a very troublesome look, sighed, and returned to his meal as if it were a trivial
matter.
To Cadle, all of Akira's actions seemed to be designed to make him look like a fool.
You little brat!"
Cadle, in a fit of rage, pulls out a gun and tries to hold the muzzle against Akira.
Cadle himself does not know whether he wants to kill his opponent, or just to scare him, or to draw
out his frightened and frightened appearance and erase the attitude that he can afford to be bothered
with. He is just driven by his passion and goes on a rampage.
The next moment, Cadle was knocked to the floor. The gun was shot off, the muzzle was twisted
vigorously into his wide-open mouth as he screamed, and he was knocked down by the force of
the blow to the back of his throat.
Cadle, lying with the gun in his mouth, too startled and confused to understand his situation, saw
Akira with his finger on the trigger with the muzzle of the gun twisted into his opponent's mouth.
There, Cadle reflexively tried to point his gun, finally realizing that his own gun had already been
shot away.
Akira pushes the gun even harder against the back of Cadle's throat. The pain and the warning in
his eyes that he would kill him if he tried any harder caused Kadru to let out a small cry of bitter
agony mixed with fear, and he became quiet with a frightened expression on his face.
Those who had grasped the process from the results were astonished, while those who had grasped
the process from the beginning were mildly surprised. The former were the Tomejimas, and the
latter were the Shikarabes.
Cadle's move to point a gun at Akira was done out of Akira's sight.
Akira nevertheless reacted to Cadle's movements, quickly standing up and closing the distance,
flicking his opponent's gun away with his left hand, pulling it out with his right and wrenching it
into Cadle's mouth.
Kolbe also tried to stop Cadre, but Akira was faster. He was limited to recognizing his opponent's
movements and was now appalled and looking at Akira.
The shikarabe did not seem surprised. But that was only on the surface. In fact, he only managed
to keep his inner surprise and doubts from showing on his face.
(This reaction to the movement of an opponent who was out of sight. Akira was able to accurately
locate monsters at a distance in the underground city. Is this the same technology? Are you
constantly monitoring your surroundings by constantly activating information gathering devices?
(...... I have a feeling it's different)
Your guess, including that hunch, is partially correct. It is not Akira who is constantly monitoring
his surroundings, but Alpha.
(Even if the movement is the performance of the reinforced suit, the reinforced suit that Akira is
wearing now is a different product from the one he was wearing in the underground mall. ) He
would need to have adequate training in order to grasp the physical capabilities of the suit and
move fully in it. Is he that proficient in the new suit in such a short period of time? Or is it just the
control unit of the reinforced suit that is so sophisticated? (...... I have a feeling that's not the case.)
This hunch and guess is partially correct. The advanced manipulation of the reinforced clothing is
aided by Alpha's support.
(...... don't know. Apparently, when I'm dealing with Akira, these hunches get dull.)
Due to his high ability to arrive at a close answer by intuition and guesswork, and then realize that
it was a mistake, Shikarabe had lost track of Akira again.
Meanwhile, Yamanobe and Parga confirmed Akira's ability, which they had been half-convinced
of, and revised their assessment that Shikarabe had gone to the trouble of calling him.
However, a hunter's reputation is not determined solely by his or her combat ability. As I wonder
about the other aspects, Akira makes a move.
Akira, who is silent, expressionless, and holding a gun to the other's mouth, asks as if it were
nothing.
Shikarabe. How much does killing this guy affect your chances of defeating the bounty hunter?"
The reason Akira has not killed Cadre is because he is already in the employ of Shikarabe, in case
you were wondering. The thought that it might not be a good idea to eliminate an additional force
to defeat the bounty hunter as a hired hand stopped his finger from hanging on the trigger.
Depending on Shikarabe's response, I will die. Cadre's trembling becomes stronger as he realizes
this.
Then the response is announced.
Do what you want. But clean up after yourself, okay?"
Cleanup?
This ain't the wilderness. The store will at least charge you for disposing of the bodies, cleaning
up the bloodstained floors, and repairing the holes in the floor. You'll have to pay for that yourself."
Akira's expressionless look at his enemies was joined by an emotion of annoyance.
Wouldn't that be an expense for ......?"
No," he said. You have to deal with the shopkeepers who hear the gunshots and yell at you. I won't
help you because it's too much trouble."
Akira let out a sigh and put his gun back. Having dealt with the situation one-sidedly enough, his
desire to kill Cadle was not strong enough to tolerate the hassle that followed.
If this were the wilderness, I would have killed him. In the wilderness, we could just dump the
bodies as we saw fit. There were a good number of people with similar ideas, and they were
worsening the security of the wilderness.
The difference between the city and the wilderness, the difference between the city and the
wilderness, saved Cadle's life just in time.
Akira looks back toward Shikarabe.
I'm leaving. I'm going to get in trouble if I stay here."
I understand. I'll call you later. In the meantime, get ready to take down the bounty hunter."
Oh," he said. See you."
Akira said just that and turned to head toward the stairs. But then he stopped and added, "I'm going
to go up the stairs.
Shikarabe. It's your choice to hire him, but you better not promise to return him alive."
Shikarabe answers with a laugh.
I'm sure."
He lightly exhaled that the nail had been nailed, and Akira left without further ado.
Yamanobe says as he watches Akira leaving.
He's got a temper. That's the type of guy who kills too many people and then destroys himself."
Yamanobe took a rather negative view of Akira's actions. Parga, however, viewed it rather
positively and lightly refuted it.
There's no guarantee they'll be patient, and it's a defense in the meantime. We just need to make
sure we keep that separation."
The line between the two is becoming increasingly lax," he said. Right now, that end of the line is
lying right there, isn't it?"
Yamanobe then pointed at Cadle with a light sneer.
Seeing a clear example of someone who has become overly lax in his boundaries, and who has
become comfortable pointing a gun at people, Parga growled, unable to come up with a counter-
argument.
Cadle rises to his feet and tries to pick up the gun. However, Kolbe picks up the gun first. Kolbe
kicked him again, and he fell to the floor on his face, screaming in agony.
Kolbe kicks Cadle to stomp him again, then orders him to do it.
Go back to sleep."
So Cadre was unable to get up, regardless of his own will.
Kolbe warns the other debtor man as he stomps on the cudgels.
You don't do anything strange either."
The man nodded vigorously, his face contorted with fear.
Yamanobe laughs as he lightly intimidates Tomejima.
Now, we were in the middle of a negotiation. It is true that I did not specify in the terms and
conditions I gave you that the additional personnel must not be stupid enough to point a gun at an
ally. I thought it was an unspoken condition that I didn't have to tell you every time, but, Tomejima,
should I have told you?
Tomejima's impatience grows stronger as he breaks out in a cold sweat.
No, no, that's not why I ......
Well, the deal isn't done yet," he said. Depending on the interpretation, it could be said that you
are not on our side, but let's talk about it at length, including confirming the discrepancies.
Tomezima's very painful negotiations had just begun.
Akira was hired by Shikarabe to take down the bounty, but his immediate plan was to stay at home.
The shikarabes have preparations and plans. And even though the first one to defeat a bounty
hunter wins, it is important to determine which bounty hunter to defeat and at what time, and it is
not simply a matter of defeating them as quickly as possible.
The bounty on Tangkrantula, initially 100 million aurum, had now risen to 800 million aurum.
Those who went first were beaten back, those who were not good enough backed out, and the
bounty hunters continued to raise the bounty in order to get more powerful hunters to beat them.
And there is no guarantee that the eight-fold increase in prize money is the right amount. There is
still a good chance that the amount is not worth it.
We will take this into consideration and move at the appropriate time. We will contact you well in
advance of taking action, but we will move quickly depending on the situation, so keep yourself
ready to act at any time as much as possible. Akira, who had received such instructions from
Shikarabe, was waiting at home for the call to come in.
But Tancrantula is 800 million aurum. It was 100 million aurum at the beginning, but it has gone
up a lot. How strong is it that even this might not be worth it?
Akira frowns at the latest bounty information, but Alpha laughs and explains it to him.
It's not so easy to know the exact strength of a monster. You have to actually fight them to find
out.
I'm sure they did, but I'm sure the guys who went to beat them at 100 million aurum were
scattered."
'I guess it is also a hunter's ability to recognize that,' he said. Akira's decision not to go out into the
wilderness for a while, just to be safe, was not a mistake.
Seeing Alpha laughing meaningfully, Akira returns a wry smile.
I guess so." I didn't have to encounter such a strong bounty hunter by myself. Let's just say it was
a good decision.
Akira laughed lightly, self-praising himself for having avoided bad luck through proper judgment.
Katsuya was summoned by Mizuha to the conference room at the base of Drangkam.
Mizuha is a senior member of the administrative faction of the Drangkam, and in his position he
is the boss and backer of Katsuya and the others. Originally, Katsuya wanted to be affable.
But Katsuya's expression was a little hard. This is because one of his comrades died in the operation
that was dispatched to the Yonozuka Station ruins under Mizuha's instructions.
So, what's the story?"
Mizuha inferred various things from Katsuya's not-so-affectionate attitude, but first he tried to put
him in a good mood.
Before we talk, I've procured the restorative you asked for earlier, so I'll give it to you first."
Mizuha then placed a box of recovery medicine in front of Katsuya. It was the same product given
to Akira at the Yonozuka Station ruins.
These days, with the other factions watching, it's not nice to give these luxury items out in public."
Is it really that expensive?"
Yes," he said. This is an item that could have cost two million aurums, you know?
Mizuha dared to mention a higher amount of money to ingratiate himself. In fact, he got it by
mixing it into the negotiations for procurement of consumables for the drankam, so the
procurement cost was not that high, whatever the actual selling price was.
But for Katsuya, it was proof that Akira was right when he said the price of the recovery drug was
2 million aurum.
In other words, it is proof that Akira is not a member of a clique like himself, but he earns enough
to have access to such a high quality product. Katsuya looked at the recovery medicine in his hand
with some mixed feelings. Still, he managed to thank her.
Thank you, ......."
Mizuha was inwardly frustrated by Katsuya's reaction. Even after handing over the item he had
worked so hard to obtain, Katsuya's mood did not change much. But he hid it well and smiled.
You're welcome. To tell you the truth, it was hard to get it, but it was Katsuya's request. I did my
best."
I'm at ......, yes." Thank you for your time."
A subtle heaviness lingered in the air. But then Mizuha changed her mind and took a serious
attitude to dispel the atmosphere.
Now, let's get down to business. You know there's been a bounty on the market recently, right?
Drangkam has decided to go out and take it down. I'm supposed to form a squad for it. The
commander is you, Katsuya."
Katsuya is surprised, then suspicious.
Me, sir? No, it is impossible for us to defeat a bounty hunter by ourselves. Even at the Yonozuka
Station ruins, we had to retreat, you know?"
Don't worry about that. We're going to form a large force, and we'll be well prepared. We are still
adjusting the number of people, but we will increase the number as much as possible. I will make
sure that Katsuya has enough strength to crush the bounty hunter. Don't worry. Leave the
preparations to me.
Katsuya looks away from Mizuha once as if to show his strong hesitation. Then he turned his gaze
back to Mizuha with a stern look on his face.
Well, that being said, ......
Mizuha reads deeply into Katsuya's attitude, which expresses strong difficulty. He put on a
sorrowful expression, hiding his inner dissatisfaction, and bowed his head apologetically.
You don't believe me about the Yonozka Station site. I'm sorry. But that was, believe it or not, I
thought I was doing the best I could for everyone."
Mizuha decided that someone from another faction must have infused Katsuya with something
that lowered his reputation. He chose his words to dispel that.
It is true that if we had informed the Shikarabes from the beginning, the damage might have been
lessened," he said. But then Katsuya and the others would have ended up being nothing more than
the old guard's errand boys. They will always be looked down upon. That was not good enough."
Mizuha piles on the lies.
To make the young ones a force to be reckoned with, even by the old ones, we had to at least
excavate the ruins with the young ones alone, occupy the entrance and exit, and then call in the
old ones." Then we wouldn't be able to treat them as amateurs with only good equipment. That
was the way it was supposed to be."
Mizuha also feels very disappointed that the capture of the Yonozuka Station ruins by Katsuya and
his team was a failure. She continues her words by showing only her true feelings, the part of her
that is sad and regretful.
Of course, this can be said any way you want after the fact. I'm not going to make excuses that I
couldn't have foreseen that situation. I also take it very seriously that I have undermined Katsuya's
trust. That is why I will do everything in my power to reestablish that trust.
In fact, Mizuha intends to go all out. Defeating the bounty hunter is the perfect opportunity for
Mizuha to make up for the blunder at the Yonozuka Station ruins, which in a sense was also
Mizuha's fault. If he fails to do so, Mizuha will have no time to lose.
I'd like you to believe that, if you can. ...... but that should be shown by the results. You don't have
to believe me now.
Mizuha then showed a sad, determined face.
Katsuya certainly had his doubts about Mizuha regarding the Yonozuka Station ruins. However,
this was wiped away by the sincerity and determination he felt from Mizuha's attitude.
But still, Katsuya's face was dull.
I understand that Mizuha-san is thinking about us. It's just that, you know, I don't think I'm capable
of captaining such a large unit. ......"
The old Katsuya would have immediately answered that he would do his best for his friends. He
could have answered that he would protect everyone if something happened to them.
But now, Katsuya's mouth was heavy with the sight of his friends he could not save at the
Yonozuka Station ruins.
Mizuha smiles brightly for a change. He switches the direction of his persuasion to praise, hoping
that the cause of Katsuya's attitude is not distrust of him.
I don't think so. Katsuya will be fine. It may not be nice to say it like this, but he brought the team
back alive with only a few casualties in that situation, right? That's an accomplishment."
Aside from their individual prowess, a large number of hunters were swallowed up and killed by
the monster hordes, and Mizuha truly admired Katsuya.
Of course, Katsuya wanted to save everyone. "Of course, Katsuya wanted to save everyone, not
just one casualty. I understand that. But considering the number of hunters who died in that fiasco,
I'm proud enough to say that I was able to save my team from such a tough situation.
Continue with words that further supplement the basis for praise and make it easier to accept.
I talked to some of the people who came back to see what was going on. They all thanked Katsuya.
They said, "Thanks to Katsuya, we were saved. They praised him as the best. As the leader of the
team, for everyone's sake, accept that praise."
Katsuya showed a slight wavering. But he quickly erased it and managed to smile for his friends.
I understand." "......, I understand. I'll try."
Thank you. I'll let you know if there are any developments. In the meantime, please refrain from
working as a hunter until we take down the bounty hunter so that you don't get hurt or anything."
After being escorted out of the conference room by a satisfied Mizuha, Katsuya left the conference
room.
In the hallway, Katsuya's face once again contorted into a grim, sad expression. His friends who
should have died at the Yonozuka Station ruins, friends who could not help him, were staring at
Katsuya with a look as if they were blaming him for something.
Katsuya closes his eyes once strongly and firmly. Then he opens his eyes. His friends have
disappeared. He exhales lightly.
(...... I know I'm hallucinating, but it's tough)
I've had many nightmares in my life where my friends who couldn't save me blamed me. But lately,
precisely after returning from the Yonozuka Station ruins, I have been having them even when I
am awake.
There, he is approached by Yumina. She was waiting for Katsuya in the hallway.
Katsuya. Is it over? What was that about?"
Katsuya quickly mended and laughed like it was nothing.
Hmm?" Mizuha-san appointed me as the captain of the team to take down the bounty hunters."
Really? That's great."
And this is a recovery medicine. They took the trouble to give it to me inside, saying it wouldn't
be good if I showed it off. I need to get this to him somehow.
I guess so. We may see each other again sometime soon, so let's keep it for a while. Don't push it
so you don't have to use ...... it in the meantime, okay?"
When Yumina laughed lightly and teasingly, Katsuya smiled back a little bitterly.
Yes, yes. I know."
Good. Iris is taking a seat in the cafeteria. Let's go."
Yumina laughed and pulled Katsuya's hand. She noticed behind Katsuya's smile, but took him
without pointing it out.
I can't say I don't care about the deaths of my friends. But I held his hand firmly so that that death
would not take Katsuya with it.
Cheryl was visiting Kugamaville to discuss a relic sale requested by Akira. Erio, Katsuragi and
the others are with her.
When Cheryl informed Katsuragi of this, Akira told him that Katsuragi had previously asked for
his cooperation as a reward for escorting him, so he had no choice but to cooperate.
In addition, having seen Cheryl's unexpected business acumen in selling hot sandwiches, I offered
to help her in a somewhat more serious way. Specifically, I suggested that Cheryl publicly start
her own business and make it a subsidiary of Katsuragi's store.
This will allow Cheryl to officially use the Hunter Office account and Hunter ID to make
payments, etc., at the opening of the store. For hot sandwich sales, she has been able to borrow
from Katsuragi's store accounts to get by, but this is a quandary for relic sales where large amounts
of money are at stake. It was necessary.
In front of the reception desk of the Hunter Office on the first floor of the building, Cheryl takes
off her wilderness coat. When the coat was revealed, all eyes were on her.
The clothes were made from a number of clothes made in the old world and paid 1.5 million aurum
for tailoring. The hunters' eyes were attracted by the fact that their earnings were on a different
order of magnitude from those of the lower-ranked hunters.
Furthermore, Cheryl is also doing her best to look appropriate for her outfit. She does not look like
she is being worn or taken in by the atmosphere of the place, she looks natural. Her outfit and
demeanor gave off a sense of lighthearted elegance. Combined with her natural good looks, she
looks like a young lady of some sort.
The young lady, who had been outside the walls on business, came back inside the walls with her
escort. Everyone misunderstood the scene. At least, no one recognized Cheryl as a slum dweller.
Still, there is a source of discomfort. It was Elio, who was accompanying me as my escort.
Elio was taken in by the atmosphere of the place. He had been to the side of the Kugama Building
before, but the inside of the building was different from the outside.
With Katsuragi's help, Erio is now dressed up in a way that can just barely be called a fake Akira.
However, the contents have not caught up with the equipment.
He could not hide his nervousness at the atmosphere of these hunters, who were different from the
hunters he saw in the slums, and he looked around restlessly, even breaking out in a cold sweat.
Elio is warned in a whisper as Cheryl hands him his coat.
Elio. Calm down. This is not a dangerous place. It is much safer than the back alleys of the slums.
There is no need to be afraid.
Well, that being said, ......
Take slow, quiet, deep breaths. That alone will calm you down.
Elio repeats the deep breaths as he was told. That calmed me down a bit, and I felt a mild respect
and almost awe at the sight of Cheryl, who was naturally unconcerned.
(What kind of nerve do you have? When he was kidnapped before and came back, he was calm,
just saying that he was very tired.)
With this doubt, Elio forgot his nervousness for a few moments. He forgot together with himself
that he had been swallowed up by the atmosphere around him and relaxed his thoughts.
(...... Well, doesn't a normal guy go and negotiate with the hunters that his clique has attacked? So
he made a deal with Akira and became the boss of the clique. He must have extraordinary guts in
that area. (I guess he's not like those guys after all.)
And with a loose head, he realizes that Akira is not here today. He has some business to attend to
in the Kugama Building, which is the perfect excuse to ask Akira to escort him. I wonder why I
didn't call him.
Come to think of it, why didn't you call Akira-san today?"
I called ....... But they said no because they were busy. I had no choice."
Unfortunately for Cheryl, Akira was on standby at the time for a request from Shikarabe. Because
of this, he was refused, saying that an errand of that magnitude would be a no-no.
Cheryl was just thinking that she and Akira had developed quite a rapport, as he had come to her
rescue when she had been kidnapped not long before and the hunter had asked her to help him sell
an important relic.
And yet, Cheryl was mildly bewildered and anxious when she was summarily turned down for a
favor that she had thought was trivial in nature.
The request for the shikarabe is a private one. What about telling others about it? Akira thought
so, and finished his explanation to Cheryl with a single word: "I'm busy. He did not accept the
suggestion to move the date.
That was what was driving Cheryl's anxiety. Could it be that she didn't want to be with me, that
she would turn down something of that magnitude? She thought that was a bad idea.
With this background, Cheryl did not want to continue the subject.
But Erio, hoping to distract himself by chatting with Cheryl, continues the conversation without
much thought.
Heh. What was the errand?"
...... Elio. What do you make of that?"
I'd rather be with Alicia if it's a simple errand, so I was just wondering what kind of errand it was.
......
When I told Akira that Cheryl had been kidnapped, his attitude seemed quite calm and
unsympathetic. But even so, he immediately went to Cheryl's rescue, and after saving her, he killed
all those who had kidnapped her.
What could someone who cares so much about Cheryl have to do to put her off? For Erio, it was
just a mild question that made him feel a little unnatural in fitting himself and his girlfriend into
the same category.
But that would put Cheryl over the limit. Since she is in the Kugamaville, she has to dress even
more securely than usual. With that in mind, Cheryl erases the smile that had been on her face and
lets out a quiet voice.
Erio. Are you suspecting that Akira and I are inseparable?"
His voice was filled with cold anger. The sparkle that captivated the opposite sex was gone from
his eyes. He was looking at Elio darkly and deeply, with eyes that peered into the depths of his
partner's soul.
Oh no. Erio, thinking so, hurriedly denies it.
No, no! You're wrong! The opposite! I'm just surprised that Akira-san threw away the opportunity
to date Cheryl ...... and forsook her when she and Cheryl were so close! I know, right! Akira-san
makes so much money! I can't keep Cheryl busy ......!"
Elio managed to explain himself, impatiently, to the point of saying something unnecessary and
hurriedly rephrasing his words.
After a short silence, Cheryl smiles back. Then she smiles and nails it.
'......, that's fine then. It's unfortunate that you say and do things that can lead to unnecessary
misunderstandings."
Elio also managed to smile back.
I'm like, "Yeah, right. I'll be careful."
And you're talking too loud." Stop it, it attracts unnecessary attention."
Okay. Okay.
Elio breathes a sigh of relief, thinking it was a close call. His reservations and shyness about the
atmosphere of the place had already completely disappeared.
Cheryl also exhaled loudly inwardly and tried to regain her composure firmly.
(Calm down. If you're in a bad mood over something like this, it's like saying there's a cause for
concern between you and Akira, isn't it? It's okay. I just got a little cranky because I was questioned
about my friendship with Akira. I was just acting a little to calm Erio down. That's all.)
Cheryl smiled a generous smile to tell Erio, Katsuragi and the others, and most of all, herself, that
it was true.
Mr. Katsuragi. Erio seems to have settled down by now. Thank you for waiting. Let's go."
I got it. This way."
The group of fake ladies, led by Cheryl, proceeded deeper into the building as a matter of course,
with Katsuragi leading the way.
If he succeeds in selling this relic, Akira will not be able to cut himself off so easily. Depending
on the degree of success, there is a possibility that Akira may become actively involved with me
in pursuit of further profits. For this reason, he cannot fail. Cheryl reminded herself of this, and
steeled herself.
◆
After completing paperwork on the second floor of the building, Cheryl and her friends stopped
by a coffee shop on the first floor at Katsuragi's request. While Sheryl was planning the sale of the
relics with Katsuragi, Erio and Dalis were chatting with each other.
So, Cheryl," he said, "I'll tell you what. Even if we do a relic sale, there will be items that are not
for sale. It takes knowledge to know what is and isn't for sale. I'd be happy to help you with that,
if you'd like.
Of course. I think there is basically no problem in the form of selling relics that have not found
buyers for a certain period of time to Mr. Katsuragi as before. I heard that Mr. Katsuragi took a lot
of trouble for Akira in purchasing clothing-related relics. I will inform Akira of the details of the
time and effort involved and get his approval.
No, that's fine. Akira will understand without having to say it every time. But I think it's better to
have good security when you're dealing with relics, don't you?
Yes. We would very much like Mr. Katsuragi to cooperate with us in that area."
When Katsuragi pressed her to sell the relics brought in by Akira that could be sold for a higher
price to him instead of selling them, Cheryl threatened to tell Akira that Katsuragi had tried to buy
clothing-related relics from Akira at a discount.
Katsuragi retreated once with that and then pressed him to buy equipment for his store with the
profits from the sale. Cheryl accepted.
A similar banter followed. Dalis has known Katsuragi for a long time and can at least understand
what they are talking about. He listened with pleasure to their gamesmanship and probing.
Even though Erio did not know that much, he could somehow guess that there was some kind of
bargaining going on behind the scenes. And while he felt reassured by Cheryl, he was also a little
scared, wondering when she had learned to do such a thing.
At that moment, someone passing by Cheryl and her friends stopped in their tracks.
...... Cheryl?"
Cheryl turns her head in the direction of the voice and smiles amiably as she recognizes the person.
It's been a while. Mr. Katsuya."
His smile made Katsuya fall in love with him all over again.
◆
Mizuha, as an executive of the Drunkham clerical faction, had come to Kugamaville with Katsuya.
The purpose was to introduce Katsuya to their own supporters to gain further support.
Many of the supporters are the so-called good guys from the wealthy urban areas. They want the
relics, but they refuse to pay for unethical, criminal-like people who kill with impunity. Such are
the people of decency.
Those in Group A prepared by the clerical faction, who became hunters due to economic hardship
caused by the death of their guardians and other reasons, but who were equipped with the ethics
of not stealing, cheating, and killing within the barrier, the children were well qualified to be
supported by these good people.
Thanks to their support, boys and girls who have grown up to be hunters without getting involved
in any wrongdoing have finally come forward to take down the bounty hunters. In order to make
this a success and prove that our support for these unfortunate children was right, we need your
further support. Mizuha and his group had prepared a standing dinner party, telling their supporters
in advance that they would do so.
Katsuya is the star and billboard for that standing reception.
His hunter rank is 32, a number that is not only outstanding among young hunters, but is
approaching the top tier of hunters in the city.
He is a man of such talent that he can be expected to make further progress, and he is also very
friendly and trusted by his peers, and even his appearance is exceptionally good.
If that was the only explanation, supporters suspected a little too much exaggeration, and that is
why Mizuha supported Katsuya and bet on his breakthrough.
But when Mizuha arrived at the Kugama Building with enthusiasm, his face was a little grim.
Katsuya. Are you okay?"
"......, yes."
Despite his reply, or perhaps in accordance with his lack of strength, Katsuya was listless. There
was no energy in his face. It was as if he had been forced to raise his face, which would have
remained drooping if he had been left alone.
Mizuha cares for Katsuya as much as possible.
Yumina and the others are worried that you haven't been well lately. If something is wrong, please
tell me. If you have something difficult to say to them, why don't you talk to me?
"...... is fine."
......, yes."
Mizuha held her head inwardly. It would be counterproductive to introduce Katsuya in this state
to his supporters. However, he could not change the schedule of the dinner party.
(There is still time before the standing buffet: ....... We need to do something while we can: ......)
Impatient, Mizuha decided to take Katsuya to a nearby coffee shop and encourage him there until
the end of the time limit.
Katsuya follows Mizuha. In his vision, he saw the image of his dead comrades.
It is not real. However, it was enough to gouge out Katsuya's heart.
Cheryl smiled at Katsuya, who was admiring her, and briefly pondered how to handle the situation.
Then she looked at Katsuragi.
Katsuragi, with a businessman's wit, smiled amiably and a little humbly at Cheryl and Katsuya.
Cheryl," he said. Is this a friend of yours?"
Cheryl then shared with Katsuragi the direction of how to deal with the situation and smiled
happily at Katsuya.
Yes. Yes, if Mr. Katsuya thinks so about me, that is. What do you think?
Katsuya comes to himself and answers hurriedly.
What? Uh, yeah! I'm a friend! Yes!"
Mizuha, who had gone on ahead without noticing Katsuya stopping there, came back. She was
surprised to see Katsuya.
Katsuya. What's wrong with ......, eh?"
Katsuya was a bit flustered, but his face did not have the dark shade it had earlier. Mizuha was
mildly puzzled, wondering what on earth had happened.
So Katsuragi nodded knowingly.
I am sorry to hear that you are a friend of Cheryl's. Then, let us give up our seats. No, don't worry
about it. We'll have enough time to discuss business with you after we've had a nice chat with you.
Thank you for your concern."
Cheryl bowed lightly to him, and Katsuragi returned the compliment and stood up. Darice
followed, getting up from her seat and tapping Erio on the shoulder to make him stand with her.
The three of them then moved to the next table.
Cheryl recommends an empty seat to Katsuya and the others.
If you like, you can come in. I have an opening."
Katsuya takes the front seat without hesitation. Mizuha wondered slightly, but guessed that the
cause of Katsuya's change was the girl in front of him, and sat down next to Katsuya.
Cheryl smiles meaningfully at them as they take their seats.
I'm glad to see you again," he said. Katsuya-san."
"Oh, me too. ......"
By the way, you left the woman with you again and called out to me, didn't you? She is a different
person from before, and this time she seems to be a little older than before. Are you in the process
of getting a wider range of people in that area?"
No, no, no, ......!
The flustered Katsuya is an energetic child, appropriate for his age. The gloomy atmosphere he
had shown outside the restaurant was nowhere to be found. Mizuha was surprised at how much he
had changed.
At the table where Cheryl, Katsuya, and Mizuha were now three people, Cheryl and her friends
made light introductions and began to chat.
The main topic of discussion is Katsuya's activities in Drangkam. The difficulties he faced when
he first joined the clique. The fact that his exceptional talent was discovered through training and
actual combat. His success in the hunter business. Being loved by many of his friends. Struggles
at the ruins. Recognition from the leadership of the clique. The brilliant success story of this
talented young hunter continues.
Mizuha intentionally biased the content of the talk to make it easier for Cheryl to praise Katsuya.
The purpose was to bring Katsuya to the venue in as good a mood as possible and make the dinner
party a success.
Cheryl was in turn praising Katsuya. The purpose was to learn about the inner workings of the
clique through Katsuya's circumstances. In addition, if possible, he was trying to find out as much
as he could about relic sales to see if he could get any useful information.
As a result, Katsuya was praised incessantly by two people who had different goals but shared the
same means.
And Cheryl was the first to notice something was wrong. She changed her attitude from smiling
amiably to asking worriedly with confusion and anxiety on her face.
......Katsuya. Did I say something that might offend you, without your knowledge or consent? If
so, I apologize."
Katsuya, who had been slightly above the game, came to his senses and began to panic.
What? No, I said, that's not true!"
I'm not so sure. ...... Well, it seemed to me that every time I said something from a while ago, it
seemed to me that I was spoiling Katsuya-san's mood a lot. ......"
Cheryl replied in a hushed tone of voice and hung her head with a slightly dejected expression.
Katsuya's face hardens.
That's not ......."
Katsuya could not answer that this was not true. He was aware of it.
In fact, Katsuya lost his enthusiasm whenever he was praised. At first, he was genuinely pleased
and smiled a little shyly. However, each time he was repeatedly praised, his smile gradually lost
some of its poignancy.
He is highly regarded by his supporters within the walls and has now even been appointed as the
leader of the team to take down the bounty hunters. Katsuya would surely succeed. By the time
Mizuha said this, Katsuya was already having difficulty even smiling awkwardly.
Cheryl calmly ponders, looking puzzled and concerned for Katsuya.
Did I offend you by being a little too explicit in my praise? No, I didn't. Then, did I use the wrong
kind of praise? No. The other person was happy to be praised and was only more depressed than
that. That's what I judged.
He separates his inner thoughts from his facial expression and calmly looks at Mizuha with a
melancholy look on his face. He is worried about Katsuya and holds his head in his hands, but he
does not feel bewildered or surprised. In other words, this is not an unexpected situation for
Mizuha. Nor is it his own fault, as he does not seem to be blaming us.
Once she had reached that point in her judgment, Cheryl discontinued her pursuit of the cause once
and for all. Then she moved on to another decision. Either continue the conversation or cut it short.
(I heard you had a problem with Akira before, and I hope you can cut ties with him for cutting off
the conversation here: ......)
Cheryl glanced at Katsuragi and quickly returned her gaze to Katsuya and the others.
(I guess they're testing how to handle this situation, and if it's a cut-and-dry negotiation, I'm not
sure I'd appreciate it. ......)
Try to fix the place by yourself. Cheryl interpreted Katsuragi's intention, who willingly left his
seat, that way.
(If Katsuragi's reputation goes down here, it will have a negative impact on the sale of the relics.
It can't be helped.)
Continue. Cheryl made this decision and immediately moved to deal with the situation. Her smile
of encouragement and concern for Katsuya naturally mixed with a shade of sadness that she had
hurt him through her own carelessness, and she spoke gently to him in a tone of concern for his
safety.
Mr. Katsuya. If it is really not my fault, no, even if it is my fault, if you don't mind, could you tell
me why?"
Katsuya makes eye contact with Cheryl. But he doesn't open his mouth.
I don't want to force you to listen. But if it's okay with me, I will listen. I may not be able to solve
your problems, but I hear that just talking to someone can make you feel better. Besides, I can do
something as simple as listening to your problems and complaints. Please feel free to talk to me."
Katsuya is drawn to Cheryl's smile, which is a little shadowy, as if she dared to smile brightly. But
he does not open his mouth.
I understand." ...... I give up. I'm sorry for being unreasonable. I wanted to know why I hurt
someone who called me a friend, but I can't call myself a friend if that hurts you even more. ......
though it is probably too late for that now."
The smile shades and the sorrow grows stronger. Katsuya's mouth dropped open at the thought
that he had distorted Cheryl's smile to such a degree.
No, no, no, no, no, no! It's really not Cheryl's fault ......, I mean, uh, ......, I don't know how to say
it ......, I'm sure I've had my troubles. ......, I can't even describe it well myself. ......"
With Katsuya's attitude of talking, Cheryl raised her drooping face and put gentleness into her
expression.
Their eyes meet. That made Katsuya ready. He exhales heavily and asks with a serious face.
Do you think I'm a terrific hunter, ...... Cheryl?"
Cheryl looked surprised, then smiled firmly and nodded.
Yes. I think."
"...... really?"
Yes. I think he is a great hunter, at least I think he is, unless what I just said is all lies, or just
random talk, etc."
...... I see."
Katsuya laughed a little happily.
Thank you. Glad to hear it. But ......"
Then he lets out a loud sigh as if to exhale his inner thoughts, and his face clouds over.
...... I don't think so."
In front of Cheryl and Mizuha, who looked surprised, Katsuya exhaled again and continued.
...... I'm starting to get confused about that awesome hunter thing."
And Katsuya, feeling a little more at ease now that he could finally speak out about the problems
he had been unable to tell anyone, continued to speak slowly.
Katsuya has always admired hunters. He had seen and heard various stories of hunters in action,
and his heart was filled with excitement as he imagined the sights and sounds of their exploits.
They are to improve their own skills through continuous study, and then head for dangerous and
even more fascinating ruins with their trusted companions.
Fighting hordes of monsters beyond your stature, advancing aimlessly through unknown areas of
the ruins, overcoming various hardships together with your friends, and returning home with
precious relics in hand.
They spend their huge rewards with their friends and make a lot of noise. They also discuss how
to use the rewards for further progress.
They are adventure tales that can be found all over the East.
Eventually, I will become a great hunter like the ones in those adventure stories. That's what
Katsuya once decided as he imagined himself fulfilling his dream.
I hate to put it this way, but maybe that dream has already come true," he said. I'm apparently the
best young hunter in Drunkham, and I've made a lot of friends, and maybe it's egotism, but I don't
feel like I'm going to lose to those low-ranking guys.
In fact, Katsuya is already a hunter who stands apart from the rest of the pack. As the head of the
younger generation of Drangkam, he is different from those who have only been hunters for a long
time and have no aspirations, and he is an upstart and a successful man.
So, well, maybe I've become a terrific hunter."
And now that Katsuya has become a terrific hunter, as he had hoped, he must face the shadows of
the adventure stories that once thrilled him.
......In the beginning, and no, it wasn't the first time, but it was an emergency request from
Kugamayama Urban Defense that I became aware of, or rather, I understood it clearly. My ......
colleague died. I couldn't save them."
We ate together in the same cafeteria, worked hard together in grueling training, explored the ruins,
defeated monsters, and helped each other...and now our friends are dead.
He was killed by enemy shelling and turned into a tree. I died half-crazed while being eaten by a
monster. He was not fatally wounded, but he died because he ran out of recovery medicine on
hand.
Glorious adventure stories are about the successful, the survivors. They do not tell about those who
died.
At that time, all I had to do was become stronger, become a great hunter so that I could save them
all. That's what I thought. But it didn't work. My friends died again, and ...... I couldn't save them
again."
Many people have walked away from the hunter's trade because of the loss of a fellow hunter.
Some of them do so out of remorse for having caused the death of their friends. Some do not quit
the hunter business, but they are afraid of losing their friends again, so they work alone.
It's true that I was happy when Cheryl told me I was a great hunter. But when she said I was great
because I couldn't save my friends, I thought ......, well, I thought a lot about it, and I thought that
no matter how great she said I was, I wouldn't be able to save them again ......, that's all."
The incident at the Yonozuka Station ruins left a deep scar on Katsuya's heart. It was not simply
because he could not save his friends, but because he felt he had abandoned them.
In addition, the images of my dead companions that came into my vision after that, I could sense
their will, as if to say that you cannot help them, and that it is therefore suitable for you to work
alone.
But if I quit being a hunter now, if I decide to work alone from now on, that would be the same as
abandoning the rest of my friends. I cannot do it. That thought, and the image of his dead comrades
who kept staring at him as if to blame him, drove Katsuya to the edge.
Cheryl was ostensibly sympathetic to Katsuya's distress, but behind the scenes she was
interpreting, summarizing, and contemplating her response to Katsuya's story. And inwardly, she
was mildly dismayed.
(Oh, so basically you think everything will be fine if you just try your best, and you're depressed
because of a series of things that went wrong despite your efforts. You're so overconfident.)
Talents and achievements must be genuine enough to have strong confidence in them. However,
when he builds on them further and unconsciously begins to take his achievements for granted, his
overly strong self-confidence begins to harm him. Cheryl surmised.
(I guess that's why my friends adore me so much. (I guess it's not so much that they adore me, but
that they are already dependent on me.)
In the midst of dangerous hunter work and repeated hardships, he spoke out loud to inspire himself
and his companions, and his exceptional talents made those words a reality.
Helped, pleased, saved, relied upon, responded to, sought after. To forget our fears, to find hope,
to be wished for. That with him, we will be all right.
(I guess that's the pain of having too much talent.)
He has too much confidence, too much responsibility, and too much talent to live up to it. He
produces results, expects more, and demands more from those he works with.
Finally, the demands exceeded the talent. There were more seekers than he could save with his
abilities. Cheryl surmised.
(He is truly saddened by the death of his friends, but more than that, he deeply regrets that he could
not save them. But that means he thinks he could have saved them.)
It is not that he was unable to save the person despite his best efforts, but rather that he caused the
death of a person who could have been saved by his own negligence. Because he believes this, he
feels responsible and his contrition is deep. Cheryl thought so.
Then, after some light contemplation, he decided on a method of response. Turning a serious face
to Katsuya, he tells him in a slightly stronger tone.
Mr. Katsuya. Now I am going to say what I thought after listening to Katsuya-san. I may say
something misguided or off the mark. At that time, please listen or snicker at me."
Katsuya raises his drooping head. He was a little intimidated by Cheryl, who was staring at him
intently, but he took the attitude of listening to her carefully.
As it is, they stare at each other silently with serious faces. And when Katsuya tensed slightly at
the silence that followed, Cheryl relaxed her expression, smiled, and bowed her head deeply.
Thank you for protecting our city. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Katsuya and his
friends, and to those who died fighting to protect the city. Thank you very much.
Katsuya was taken aback by the sudden thank-you. Cheryl looked up and continued to look
Katsuya squarely in the eye.
If we had not been able to fight off that pack of monsters, the city would have been severely
damaged. There were people who fought for reasons other than to protect the city, such as for high
rewards, to enhance their prestige, as part of the hunter's occupation, or because they were forced
to do so by economic hardship.
There is no need to thank him because he fought for you. Cheryl bows her head once more,
meaning to crush those words in advance.
Still, it makes no difference that they risked death and actually lost their lives to fight for us." I am
deeply grateful."
Katsuya found himself extremely upset. But he did not know why.
As long as you continue to work as a hunter, the risk of death will always be with you. "As long
as I continue to work as a hunter, the risk of death will always be with me," he says, "and that
includes my own responsibility. Perhaps hunters need to be prepared for that.
We assume so and deny it.
But I don't think everyone is a hunter with that determination. I think there are hunters who became
hunters due to unavoidable circumstances and died without being competent or prepared."
After expressing sympathy for the situation, he continues.
And even those who have the ability and determination to do so can die by bad luck. I believe that
bad luck includes the fact that Mr. Katsuya's help did not arrive in time."
Katsuya found himself feeling a little more at ease. But he did not know why.
I don't know how Katsuya-san feels about his fallen comrades. But if you are proud of those who
fought for their lives with you, please remember them always."
Cheryl had told the story to that point with a respectful smile. But here she turns serious again.
But if that is not the case, and the deaths of those people are an encumbrance to Mr. Katsuya, then
forget all about them, right now."
Forget about your dead friends. That's what he was told, and Katsuya unintentionally reveals his
anger.
Are you trying to tell me that I should just forget about the dead guy?"
The anger in his voice was so strong that it was almost excessive due to his feeling that he had
been insulted by his dead comrades. It was something Katsuya would never have done.
But Cheryl did not flinch. On the contrary, she turned a serious and intense gaze on Katsuya,
causing him to flinch, calming his anger and restoring his composure.
Then, in a serious voice, he continues as if to say.
If you are proud of those who have passed away, no problem. It will help you. It will give you the
strength to step forward even in difficult situations. It will encourage your will to face hopeless
situations."
Then he showed sadness in his serious face.
But if the grief and regret of not being able to help that person becomes an obstacle for Mr.
Katsuya, it will kill him. Please forget it."
With that look, he stares at them and makes a strong appeal.
He kills Mr. Katsuya by cowering his legs when he should be advancing. When you should retreat,
I kill Mr. Katsuya by tying his legs. So please forget about it. Yell at me as hard as you can, hurl
all the abuse you can think of, and then forget about it.
Katsuya listened to the story in silence. The grief of losing his friends still lingered in his heart.
However, what was produced from that grief was no longer a kind of condemnation of Katsuya.
Cheryl's expression relaxed a bit there.
I don't say, "...... don't live for someone who is dead. But live for someone who is alive. We've
both been worrying about you for a while now, haven't we?"
Cheryl then pointed behind Katsuya. Katsuya turned around and revealed his surprise. There stood
Yumina and Iris.
I've been here for a while now, but I haven't had a chance to talk to you.
Yumina smiled stiffly to cover it up. Aili nodded strongly with her usual expression.
Katsuya felt as if he had not seen these two people in a very long time. He finally realized that he
had been in a shell of regret and self-loathing for so long, and that he had worried Yumina and the
others that much.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see the image of my dead friends. But Katsuya was no longer
frightened.
I couldn't save him. I am sure he would have hated me terribly. This assumption made the dead
fellow's face resentful.
The regret of not being able to save him made him unconsciously wish to be blamed, and made
him see visions of his dead companions, blaming them as he wished.
Not wanting to lose any more friends, he tried to isolate himself in order not to make any more
friends.
The hallucinations of my friends in my vision were all reflections of my own beliefs and wishes.
My own weakness had turned my dead companions into evil spirits themselves.
Katsuya recognized this and then changed his perception.
There is no way my dead friends would want me dead. Even if they did, they would not leave their
living companions behind. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
Thinking about it, the fellow in my vision had a smile on his face. He nodded that it was okay and
slowly disappeared.
Katsuya laughs as if blown away. It was a smile that Yumina and the others had not seen in a long
time. And then he declares firmly to Cheryl again, "I'm not going to let you down.
I will not forget. I will always remember."
There were those there who embraced sorrow and regret and then looked ahead with a smile on
their faces.
Katsuya smiles as he gets back on his feet, and Cheryl smiles back firmly.
You are very kind. To be honest, I thought you would yell at me with all your might, telling me
not to say random things with an outsider's knowing mouth."
What?" Then ......, why did you say that?"
I thought it would be a lot easier if Katsuya-san got angry with me once and let out what he was
holding inside. It was a needless worry.
Cheryl laughed and answered simply.
Katsuya was strongly shocked. The girl who had taken away the pain she had been carrying since
the loss of her friends had given priority to relieving her own worry and suffering, even if it angered
the hunter who could easily kill an ordinary human being. I was even mildly moved by this.
I involuntarily stare at Cheryl with that emotion, and she smiles and stares back at me. That made
Katsuya feel embarrassed, and he smiled to cover it up.
A girl's face is twisted grimly in a blank world.

Even if it is a real object, depending on the perception of the viewer, the information may be
supplemented and appear to be something else.
Even more so if it is not real. It is, and if we perceive it to be, it appears to be.
Extra."
Perceptions were rewritten.
After Katsuya regained his enthusiasm from his talk with Cheryl, Yumina and Aili were seated at
that table instead of Mizuha.
There was still some time before the start of the standing buffet, or more precisely, before
Katsuya's introduction time, so Mizuha suggested that we all chat until then.
Katsuya is brighter and more energetic than usual. Cheryl is smiling with a hint of elegance. Iris,
with her usual expression that lacks a few emotional ups and downs. Compared to these three,
Yumina looked a little restless.
Katsuya wonders about the state of Yumina.
Yumina. What's wrong?"
What?" It's nothing."
Yumina smiled lightly to mend the situation and bowed to Cheryl.
Thank you for listening to my concerns about Katsuya. It helped."
Yumina was also aware of the cause of Katsuya's problems. But that did not mean she could tell
him not to worry about it or to forget about it. She knew that if she did not choose her words
carefully, she would only make things worse.
And even though it was best for Katsuya to simply change his mind and forget about his dead
friends, he was hesitant to think that one day he would be forgotten in the same way when he died.
I don't want to be a burden after I die. But I did not want to be forgotten by Katsuya, treated to the
extent that there were such people.
Aili joins in and bows her head to Cheryl.
Thank God."
Aili also had some idea of Katsuya's concerns, but did not say anything, thinking it was a matter
of getting used to it.
Aili is not as saddened by the death of his friends as Katsuya and his friends. When people die,
they die. It is a natural thing. Even if it is someone you laughed with yesterday, you eventually get
used to it. It is because he has lived his life with a sense of taking it for granted.
While thinking this, he also had a desire to have Katsuya grieve for him when he died. I didn't
want to be treated lightly when I died, as if I had died because I hadn't seen him recently.
In a sense, Iris hoped that Katsuya's exhaustion over the death of his friends would be the same
when he died. That is why she could not tell Katsuya to get used to the death of his friends.
Talking with Cheryl gave Katsuya the strength to accept the death of his friends. Yumina and her
friends were genuinely happy that Katsuya had regained his strength, but also unconsciously and
lightly relieved that they would not be forgotten in this way, even if they were dead.
You're welcome. I'm glad I could help."
Seeing Cheryl smiling so graciously, Yumina had mixed feelings.
I am grateful for the solution to Katsuya's problem. It is understandable that this Katsuya would
turn to Cheryl with a strong liking for her.
However, when I think of how a girl I have only met twice easily accomplished what I, who has
known Katsuya for a long time, could not do, I feel self-loathing mixed with jealousy, wondering
what the months between myself and Katsuya had been like.
(Oh, no, this kind of thinking is not good. Katsuya is feeling better. That's all right.)
At least Cheryl must not see Katsuya as a love interest. So it must be all right. Yumina strongly
reminded herself of this.
The food ordered by Cheryl and her friends was brought to their table.
Katsuya was planning to attend a standing buffet later in the day, but since the gathering was not
intended to be a meal, he ordered enough food so that he would not go hungry. Yumina and Aili
are ordering without hesitation since they will not be attending the standing buffet. Payment is
made by Mizuha at the clique's expense.
Then only a small cup of coffee was placed in front of Cheryl. Payment was at my own expense.
Mizuha offered to pay for your share, but I refused.
Katsuya looks a little strange.
Is that really all Cheryl needs to know?" Just coffee?"
Yes," he said. Don't worry about it."
Cheryl answered with a smile, but to tell the truth, she really wanted to be treated to a round of
drinks and enjoy the expensive food to the fullest.
But now I'm in the middle of posing as a young lady. She doesn't know the food that a real lady
would choose, nor does she know the etiquette of upper-class dining, and there is no way she can
do a bad imitation and reveal that she is actually a slum dweller. I had to put up with it.
When accepting Mizuha and his friends' drinks, there is even a risk of being questioned about their
upbringing. So, I decided to pay for my own expenses.
But it would also be unnatural not to ask for anything. Even if there was something unnatural about
his manners, he could just barely cover it up by drinking a cup of coffee. That was my decision.
The dishes are lined up in front of Katsuya and his friends. It was inevitable that they would be in
view. It is unnatural for a person living a wealthy life to look at them as if they were delicious.
So don't look at the food, and don't react badly. Cheryl told herself that, smiling and trying her best
to bear it.
That is what Katsuya intuited.
I think it's pretty good for the price, but it's not for Cheryl's palate, is it?"
Looking at Cheryl's attire again calmly, it was clear that she had a distinctly different air of class
than those ready-to-wear items. I wondered if she was a resident within the walls of the city and
would not be satisfied with this level of restaurant cuisine.
Cheryl, on the other hand, heard the unexpected words and was limited to pretending not to react
to them.
(Affordable! This coffee alone costs 1,500 Oram! What kind of financial sensibility are you talking
about?)
After all, a skilled hunter's earnings are different. Cheryl was surprised, while at the same time
convinced, that Akira would buy a box of 2 million arams of recovery medicine without a second
thought.
Then, hiding his inner feelings, he shook his head lightly with a slightly embarrassed gesture.
No, nothing like that. Well, it's not that I disapprove of the quality of the food, it's just that it was
a choice that prioritized improving my figure ......"
Unable to read the intent of what Cheryl said, Katsuya tilted his head curiously.
"Body type? Cheryl's?"
There, a reprimand flies from Yumina and Aili.
Katsuya. Shut up."
Katsuya. You should think and speak a little more."
After receiving a reproachful look from Yumina and the others, Katsuya realized what was
happening a little late. He hurriedly uttered something like an explanation.
No, I don't see Cheryl as fat, and I think it's healthier for her to be a little plump. ......
Katsuya. Just shut up first."
Katsuya. You really should think and talk more."
After receiving a stronger reprimand and sensing that the situation was deteriorating, Katsuya kept
his mouth shut to prevent further deterioration.
Yumina smiles bitterly and apologizes to Cheryl.
I'm sorry. It may be a little late for this, but Katsuya is this kind of guy. This may sound like an
excuse, but I don't mean to be offensive. It's just that I'm a bit wordy or ......, no, it's still not good.
I wonder if the effects of my previous remorse have already begun to wear off?"
I'm sorry. Sorry about Cheryl, too."
I don't mind," he said. It's a good opportunity. Let's talk happily without worrying about each
other."
I managed to cheat through it. Cheryl was relieved to think so and began to pour sugar and milk
into a small coffee cup.
When Katsuya and the others see this, their expressions turn a little doubtful. Then, they gradually
become more puzzled.
In a coffee cup so small that even Cheryl's petite hands could hide it, coffee was poured to about
70% of its capacity. Sugar and milk were added to it one after another, pushing the water up to
80%, then 90%, and so on.
Finally, sugar and milk were added in quantities that some people would consider sacrilege to
coffee. Cheryl popped the liquidy substance, already questionable to be called coffee, into her
mouth.
Then he smiled deliciously. If it were not for this situation, Katsuya would have been able to
admire the smile. But right now, Katsuya was too shocked to be able to look on in a prodigal way.
Cheryl notices Katsuya and the others looking at her.
"...... Um, what is it?"
Uh, you know, not, uh, sweet?"
When Yumina asked this fearfully, Cheryl gave her a curious look.
It's sweet, right?"
'No, I didn't. ...... sorry. It's nothing."
Is it not too sweet? Yumina dropped the question, not needing to hear the answer to that question.
Katsuya asks something similar in a bit of a panic.
Um, does Cheryl have a sweet tooth?"
Yes," he said. I love it."
Cheryl answered with a lie and a smile. It was a smile that made him smile, but Katsuya felt as if
his mouth had suddenly become very sweet, and he couldn't help it. He continued talking as if he
was trying to cover something up.
I see. That's right. There are a lot of women in my group, and they all like sweets. Hunter work
requires a lot of moving around, and there are recovery medicines that consume energy in the body
to improve the efficiency of recovery from wounds and physical strength. So there are those who
can eat as much as they want without worrying about calories, and they eat a tremendous amount.
......
In order to forget the sweetness that seemed to be traveling to their tongues, Katsuya and the others
pretended they had not seen the whole thing and turned away from the cup Cheryl was holding.
Katsuragi, who had been watching Cheryl and the others from another table, was horrified.
It was more than a show-and-tell. He had not only deceived a top executive of Drunkham into
believing he was from a wealthy family, but had also won the trust of a hunter whom the executive
strongly favored.
It may be due to the effect of the clothes tailored from several old-world-made clothes, but it is
hard to believe that they could have fooled me so beautifully. Katsuragi even felt a slight shiver,
thinking that if he had not known Cheryl's true identity, he would have been fooled himself.
(But I'm scared...). How can he do that with no real intention? If I didn't know him as the boss of
a clique, I wouldn't think he was acting.)
If you look at Dalis and Elio, both had similar expressions on their faces. I thought perhaps it was
the same for me, and tried to put the businessman's smile back on my hard, almost bitter face. Then
Mizuha, who had given up her seat to Yumina and the others, called out to him.
May I come in here?"
Ah! Go ahead!"
Katsuragi stood up and offered Mizuha a seat. Then, with a glance at Darice, he instructed her not
to say anything unnecessary and not to let Erio say anything. Daris nodded slightly with a wry
smile.
Katsuragi gives Mizuha, sitting across from him, a deliberately flirtatious look.
Nice to meet you. My name is Katsuragi. You must be a friend of Cheryl's. Please make my
acquaintance. May I ask you about your relationship with Cheryl? No, I have no other intention.
This is just another chance for me to meet you. ......"
A small businessman who is desperate to connect with the important people he encounters, whom
he would not normally be able to meet. Mizuha judged this from Katsuragi's attitude. The first
thing that comes to mind is the fact that the two of them are not the same person.
Yeah, well. Oh, I'm sorry, I'm late. My name is Mizuha. At Drunkham, I'm mainly in charge of
paperwork.
Mizuha introduced herself without denying that she was Cheryl's friend, but without explicitly
affirming it, and let the conversation flow.
Katsuragi overreacts.
Of Drunkum! So, by paperwork, do you also get involved in the procurement of equipment? In
fact, I also arrange for those kinds of items. ......"
I'm sorry, but I don't want to talk about that kind of thing here at ....... And even though it's your
kindness, as someone who interrupted Cheryl in the middle of her business meeting, it would be
disrespectful to her if I talked about it there. ......
I see. I beg your pardon."
Katsuragi and Mizuha laugh amiably, explore each other, and pile on the fictions.
By the way, Mr. Katsuragi. What kind of business meeting did you have with Cheryl? With all
due respect, I was a little surprised that she would be involved in procuring equipment for hunters.
Besides, I thought it would not be the right place for a business meeting."
Is it really a business meeting? Could it be some kind of scam? Mizuha suspected so. It was also
evidence that he already thought Cheryl was wealthy enough to be the target of such a scam.
Katsuragi dares to show his impatience.
He said, "Uh, well, no, well, yes, a little bit about the handling of relics, including the buying and
selling of relics. That's why I asked you to come. We can just barely get in here."
Katsuragi replied deceptively, implying that Cheryl was from inside the walls.
Mizuha did not question there. He questioned another part of the story while being misled into a
false perception.
Is it the handling of relics? Like what, for example?"
Yes," he said. There are many things, but to give you an example, ......, then please take a look at
her clothes."
Mizuha takes another look at Cheryl's clothes at Katsuragi's urging. The overall design is more
modern, and it is difficult to consider them as old-world clothes. I was a little dubious as to what
the connection was.
It's a great outfit," he said. So what?"
Then Katsuragi looked overtly surprised.
That's all ......, is it?"
That's it, sir?
Mizuha returned a dubious look, to which Katsuragi expressed skepticism with his expression.
That dress is a tailored garment using several old-world garments as materials," he said. The cost
of the tailoring alone was 1.5 million aurum. I wonder how much it would have cost including the
price of the materials. I can't even imagine.
Mizuha hurriedly checks Cheryl's clothes again. After hearing her explanation and looking at it
again, I could see that it was indeed such an item. I'm sorry," she thought inwardly as she began
to get back on her feet.
...... If you imitate that, doesn't the relic's value as a relic vanish?"
Yes, of course it will disappear. She is the one who knows that and can do such an imitation. You
are a friend of Cheryl's, aren't you ......?"
If you are really Cheryl's friend, why can't you understand that level of detail? Mizuha cannot
answer that they are not friends now, so she turns back to Katsuragi, who implicitly expresses such
doubt.
No, I was wondering if such an imitation is the proper way to handle relics for sale. Um, you
consulted with us about the sale of relics, right?"
What?" Oh, oh, that's what you mean. Of course, I answered that I doubt that. Not all people are
capable of spending that kind of money. Of course not."
Right."
Yes."
They continue to pile on the fictions with mutual relief that they have cut back, that they have
fooled through. In the process, Cheryl's position rose to where it was.
Cheryl and her friends continued to chat and laugh, but it was almost time for the standing buffet.
Mizuha, who had told her it was time to cut the crap, sees Cheryl, who is looking at her very
favorably from Katsuya, and makes a plan.
Cheryl," he said. Would you like to join us for a standing buffet afterwards, if you don't mind? We
have made friends with each other. I think Katsuya will be pleased."
With Cheryl, Katsuya would suddenly become more motivated. As Mizuha had predicted, Katsuya
showed such high expectations that he leaned forward lightly.
But Cheryl shakes her head.
I am sorry. I appreciate the offer, but we are in the middle of a business meeting, so I must decline."
I see. I'm sorry to hear that."
Katsuya was blatantly disappointed. Cheryl giggles at the sight of him.
Mr. Katsuya. Since you already have flowers in both hands, I would recommend that you weigh
yourself no further. I think you should also hold off on bringing home additional flowers from the
standing reception. If you want to sell them with that kind of character, I won't stop you."
Katsuya starts to panic.
I would never do that! First of all, the yuminas will not be attending the standing buffet ......, what?
Are you going to attend?"
Mizuha had informed him that Yumina and the others would not be attending, and Katsuya now
wonders why they came here if that is the case.
When Yumina heard that Mizuha had forcefully taken out Katsuya, who was apparently in poor
health, she became concerned and only came with Iri to look for him.
He also did not know Katsuya was here, but he had come this far with Aili leading the way. Aili
must have known, and Yumina had no doubts there.
Mizuha also did not mind, judging that the only reason Yumina and the others were able to come
here was that they had somehow managed to find out where they were.
In fact, Iri didn't know either. He only came here because he somehow knew where Katsuya was.
How he knew this was the case was left unanswered because he himself did not care and no one
asked him about it.
Furthermore, Mizuha interrupts the conversation.
Katsuya is fine in his reinforced uniform, but I think Yumina and the others need to change.
The truth is, I had no intention of letting Yumina and her friends attend the standing buffet. They
had decided that having Iris, who hails from the slums, at the dinner party would be unpopular
with their supporters. They were aware of this without being told, and they kept their mouths shut
in consideration of their position.
Mizuha, however, thought that telling Katsuya, who could not realize it himself, about the true
situation would definitely put him in a bad mood, so he told Katsuya that he would only take
Katsuya with him under the guise that he was a representative of his unit.
But Mizuha changed his decision here. Mizuha felt that it would be even worse to discriminate
against people from the slums in front of Cheryl.
Considering her attitude of thanking him for the urban defense battle, Cheryl does not have the
value of disparaging him as a slumlord. On the contrary, she is even afraid that she will become
angry if she finds out that Iri is not participating because of that.
It would not be good to offend Cheryl because of that. We don't know what kind of influence he
has among the city's wealthy. It would be even worse if Katsuya were to agree with her.
Then it would be better to let Yumina and the others join in and praise Katsuya. Mizuha made that
much judgment in an instant.
He then decided to take them out of the place before Yumina and the others could say anything
else. While pushing them back, he lightly tells Katsuya.
Katsuya. We'll go ahead of you because we're going to change into our clothes for the dinner party.
There is still time, but don't be late.
Oh, yes. I understand."
Katsuya wondered a little, but thought nothing more of it and left Mizuha and the others to their
own devices.
Cheryl looks at the remaining Katsuya and thinks.

(Eh. Isn't that where we go together?)
Cheryl wondered how he would have treated Yumina and the others who adored him so much, and
while lowering her opinion of Katsuya a little, she wondered what Akira would have done.
And immediately dismissed the speculation. If Akira had the same attitude toward me, I would not
want to choose between whether he was simply being inconsiderate or whether it was because he
thought I didn't care about him.
It was evidence that Cheryl herself knew it was more of the latter.
When Cheryl was slightly but needlessly grumpy from herself, Katsuya, who looked a little lost,
asked her in a serious manner.
I'm about to leave too, but before I do, can I ask you one question?"
What is it?"
Katsuya hesitated for a moment. But he regained his nerve and opened his mouth.
I've noticed a big difference in my hunter's performance since a while ago," he said. I don't want
you to take this the wrong way, but I'm doing much better when I work alone, both in training and
in the field. Why do you think that is?"
Cheryl pretends to think, careful not to let the emotion of being told such a thing show on her face.
"Maybe you're just imagining things, or overthinking things."
No, no. There's a difference in tone that I can clearly see."
But Mr. Katsuya, you don't always feel better when you're alone, and you don't always feel worse
when you're with someone else, do you?"
'Yes, it is, ......, but it's not. It's definitely not my imagination."
Katsuya assured him seriously.
Cheryl felt inwardly annoyed at the hassle, but decided that she would not be convinced without
some kind of addendum. She thought randomly to see what she could come up with.
I'm willing to take a wild guess?" Also, Mr. Katsuya might get mad when he hears this."
I don't care. And I'll never get angry. I promise."
Katsuya replied in earnest and with sincerity.
Although not as bad as the problems of the person who had them resolved, our problems were also
quite worrisome, and we were having trouble finding a solution.
In addition, it is also something I can't discuss with my friends. There was no way I could tell them
that my condition would deteriorate if I stayed with them.
He had a kind of faith in Cheryl, who solved his nightmares when he slept and his hallucinations
when he woke up.
I am sure that Cheryl will be able to solve the problems on our side. That is what I was hoping for.
I prayed and hoped so much.
Then Cheryl gives a revelation.
That's probably because Mr. Katsuya is trying to protect his friends.
"............ eh?"
But the content of the revelation was so unexpected that Katsuya was more taken aback than
offended.
Cheryl's explanation continues there.
If Katsuya's ability is 10, and he acts alone, he can use all of that 10 for himself.
However, when working with his friends, Katsuya uses 7 or 8 out of 10, or 9 if he is not very good,
to protect his friends, and uses the rest for himself.
And since Katsuya and his team are based on working as a team, the standard is that they can
hardly perform at their best because they care too much about their friends.
In addition, Katsuya thinks he is helping his friends, but in reality he is escorting everyone but
himself rather than helping each other. He can't give his best if he does that.
So when I am alone without the need to escort my companions, I seem to be in very good shape
because I don't have that burden.
He regrets so much that he could not save his friends. He probably always does his best to protect
his friends. He is so exhausted that he uses up all of his strength just to make sure that they are all
right.
When one person is not feeling well, it's because they are concerned about the safety of their
friends in another location. When I am in good shape even with my friends, it is because I have
subconsciously decided that for some reason I don't need to escort my friends, or because the
situation was not conducive to escorting my friends.
Cheryl spoke up to that point and looked once for Katsuya's reaction. He did not seem angry.
Katsuya was half aghast. He was trying to protect his friends, but in doing so, he had become weak
and unable to protect them, a situation that was difficult to accept because it was a complete
reversal of the original plan.
However, once I thought about the fact that Cheryl had told me that it might be so, the room for
doubt disappeared. In addition, I had an idea where some parts of the story made sense.
When I was involved in the collapse at the ground level of the Yonozuka Station ruins before, I
was with Yumina and the others, but I was definitely able to give it my all. At that time, it was not
a situation where I could say, "I will protect you.
Later, when he was fighting with Akira, he was able to give his all. They were fighting together in
the flow of the fight, but they were not conscious of protecting the other side.
The explanations make sense. There are examples. Then, the only thing I could think of was to do
it as soon as possible.
So Cheryl tells me more.
I don't know if this is the right thing to say to someone who has been appointed commander of a
team to take down a bounty hunter, but I don't think Katsuya-san is suited to be the commander of
such a large team or a commander.
If Katsuya were to become the commander of a large unit of 100 men, he would recognize each
member individually and try to protect all of them, but he would be limited to checking the status
of each member at all times and would not be able to command the entire unit.
Furthermore, even in a situation where abandoning one person would save the other 99, Katsuya
would probably not be able to abandon that one person. Even in a situation where there is nothing
he can do, he will gamble on the slightest chance and go to the rescue of all the others, probably
causing more damage.
When that was explained to him, Katsuya tried to imagine the situation himself. And with the same
result, he involuntarily contorted his face into a grimace.
What do you want me to do?"
Seeking relief from the answer, Katsuya asked further.
Cheryl opens her mouth, thinking again about being told such a thing.
Yes, ......, for example. ......"
Change perceptions in team behavior. Help each other well instead of helping your fellow team
members unilaterally. If you can't, think of everyone as you. Katsuya would do his best, whether
strong or weak, including the consequences.
In commanding a unit, it is sometimes more important whether the members of the unit can follow
the instructions than the content of the command. Even a solid operation can be ruined if the troops
do not trust the instructions and move on their own. Even a mediocre command can produce better
results if the troops are fully organized.
If you are adored as a captain, you might as well tell them that if they fail, I will take responsibility
and they should definitely move as instructed.
If you can't abandon your friends, you don't just want to be a great hunter, you want to be a better
hunter. He will volunteer to be a decoy to save the other 99, and then become a great hunter who
can survive on his own.
I think "...... is about right. This is just a layman's idea. Just laugh it off and get over it."
Cheryl thought she was being absurd and laughed after making that last escape route.
But Katsuya's response was curiously positive. He nodded strongly as if he was convinced.
I see. ......." That's fine. ......."
Then his smile brightened.
Thank you. Thank you.
You're welcome.
Cheryl was so upset that it seemed unnatural to her, and she couldn't hide it.
With a confident smile on his handsome face and an attitude full of high spirits, Katsuya thanked
me for my visit, giving me a strange sense of his presence. There was something about him that,
once recognized, could not be ignored.
(What ...... this ....... I don't remember Katsuya being like this)
I doubt if it is the same person. Katsuya had changed so much that Cheryl thought so.
I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me about it. I'll leave you to it then."
Katsuya thanked him again. Then he smiled somewhat shyly there and stared at Cheryl.
One last thing, really," he said. ...... that, will we see you again?"
Cheryl smiled teasingly and meaningfully, trying to get back on track.
Are you picking on me?"
I'm not, but ......, well, I was hoping we could meet again and you could talk to me about anything
that's going on."
I'm just kidding. I'll see you again when we have a chance. Good luck in your fight against the
bounty hunters."
Oh," he said. See you later, Cheryl."
Katsuya leaves. Cheryl watched her back with a smile, but her face contorted suspiciously as soon
as Katsuya disappeared completely.
"...... what was that?"
No one answered that question.
The standing reception that followed was a great success. Everyone praised Katsuya for his high
spirits.
Only Yumina was pleased, but also curious, to see how much Katsuya had changed.
Back at the base, Cheryl was in her room, taking a breath. Then, Erio appears with a slightly
difficult look on his face.
Elio. What's wrong?"
No, I just wanted to ask you something.
Elio said so himself, but hesitated, puzzled, and closed his mouth once. Cheryl wondered about
that.
What?" I'm tired, so if you have something you want to ask me, just say it quickly."
'Uh, well, you know, Cheryl said a lot of things when she was talking to this guy Katsuya, didn't
she? How much of that ...... did you really mean?"
You mean it?"
Cheryl did not immediately understand the meaning of Elio's question, and mild confusion was on
her face.
I'm sorry, Elio. What's that about?"
No, you see, he was saying how his buddy died and he was having a hard time, and you were all
over him about how he should just forget about it and not worry about it."
Oh, that? You were moping about the death of your friends, so why don't you stop moping and
moping forever and think a little more positively? A lightly adapted version of that?"
Or, "Or, lightly adapted. ......"
Cheryl looks at Elio, who is surprised and puzzled, a little taken aback.
I'm just saying, Erio. Did you really think I meant that? Get a grip."
No, but you said something like, "Thank you for protecting the city. And isn't it true that we would
have been in danger if a pack of monsters had reached the city?"
"Did you think the cities they protected included the slums? No, that's not true. They'll just be used
as human shields to buy time, or wiped out along with the rest of us. Where's the thanks in that?"
Sure, other hunters might, but ......, that guy was trying to protect the slums as well, right?"
Cheryl felt uncomfortable with Elio's appearance there. She lightly affirms it to probe.
'Well, I guess you could say that.'
Then Elio, who had been looking at Cheryl with a slight but reproachful gaze, changed his attitude
dramatically.
Right?" He is the kind of guy who regrets so much that he couldn't save his friends. I'm sure he'll
protect us too. ......"
Cheryl wonders if Erio's atmosphere is a little bit too much, and if he is showing a little bit of
infatuation or devotion to her. Then she wrinkled her brow and lightly nailed him.
Erio. I'm going to go ahead and say this, but if you're trying to get Katsuya to have our backs like
Akira does, you're never going to get it."
The strong tone of his words made Elio flinch lightly, as if he had come back to himself.
What? No, I don't think so."
No. What is there that is not good?
No, you see, Cheryl and I seemed to be getting along so well, and if you ask hard enough, we can
manage ......."
I'm sure it's because they thought I was some young lady, right? Do you really think a hunter from
Drunkham is going to take a kid from the slums seriously?"
Normally, yes, but that doesn't mean it's a given with Katsuya. ......
Cheryl's inward concern was heightened by Erio's oddly insistent attitude. Checking for the other's
reaction, she continued to talk about the rationale for the no-no.
First of all, even if Katsuya were to back us, what would we get in return?"
Akira is getting by in that area, too. ......
That's because I'm Akira's lover, isn't it? Or are you trying to tell me that I should include that and
do something about it?"
Cheryl unconsciously let the cold anger seep into her voice.
That's not what I meant.
Erio knew that his life would be over when he answered, "Yes, I do. Whether he meant to say
"yes," he knew that it would be the end of him.
Elio broke out in a cold sweat, and with that, he felt the strange elation inside him cool down. He
regained his composure and exhaled lightly, thinking to himself that he had said something a little
strange.
You're right, "....... I certainly can't. My bad."
I wish I knew. So, why did you suddenly start talking like that?"
Why? Because I kind of thought it would be nice if it happened.
"Yes."
For a reason of that magnitude, he was being very stubborn. Cheryl wondered inwardly, but she
couldn't sense any lies or insinuations from the current Erio.
I thought that was unnatural, but I decided that even if there was some reason, it was probably
something that even he did not understand, and there was no use in questioning him about it. And
just in case, I would like to add a little more.
Well, if we had Katsuya behind us, Elio would probably dump Alicia.
Being told so simply, as if it were a matter of course, made Elio blow up lightly without thinking.
Hey, why not?"
Alicia is an executive. If Katsuya becomes the backbone of the clique, there will be more
opportunities for contact. Don't you think it's natural that she would fall in love with him at some
point?"
No, no, it's just ......"
He must be used to dealing with women, since he had a couple of them with him that time. Also,
I heard that Katsuya has a lot of things to say and do that would make the opposite sex
misunderstand him."
But that doesn't mean ......"
He's beautiful, strong, talented, well-paid, kind, and someone who will protect and hopefully
provide for them as their own backer. Once someone like that says the wrong kind of words to you
and you think you have a pulse, it won't be long before you get serious."
Elio pales at the thought of the scene. Cheryl observed the scene seriously.
So, Elio. What's the story after all? I'm tired too. If it's not a big deal, I'd like to talk about it later."
Oh, yeah. I'm sorry. I'll come back later."
Elio walked out of the room with somewhat unsteady steps.
Cheryl, now alone, reflects on Elio's words and actions.

If I were to hazard a guess, I would say that Erio, by some mistake or ill-considered thinking,
thought that he could make Katsuya a supporter of his clique.
However, there were many deviations from Erio's usual behavior, such as when he asked about his
true feelings about what he thought was just an act, and when he was insisting on the unthinkable
to have Katsuya as a backer.
Really, what was that about ......?"
I thought about it for a while after that, but could only conclude that I wasn't sure. So Cheryl
dismissed the thought. She had a lot of other things to think about.
There is no connection between the matter of true feelings and the matter of backing. But Cheryl,
who had made the connection, was unaware of it, and because of it, she was also unaware that she
was so frightened that she wanted to ask Katsuya about his true feelings about her performance.
Akira was driving through the wilderness at a time when it was hard to decide whether it was late
at night or early in the morning. His destination was the rendezvous point with the Shikarabes. The
objective was to take down the bounty hunters.
It was after sunset the day before that Akira, who had been waiting at home, received a call from
Shikarabe. He went to bed early, but still did not get enough sleep. Akira was driving his car, trying
to fight off a slight feeling of drowsiness.
Alfa, in the passenger seat, is concerned about Akira.
Akira. I'll drive, so take a nap while you still can. If you don't get enough sleep, it will affect the
mission.
I guess so." Then I'm asking you."
Akira closed his eyes and fell asleep quickly, partly due to drowsiness.
Alfa, who had already taken over driving, proceeded through the unpaved wilderness with
precision driving techniques so as not to wake Akira with the shaking of the car. Thanks to this,
Akira's sleep was of good quality for being in a car.
After a reasonable nap, Akira was awakened by Alpha.

Good morning. Good morning, Akira. Have you recovered from your drowsiness?"
......Well, sort of."
Akira looks around with an unawakened head. The sun had not yet risen.
'Have your breakfast while you still can. There's no guarantee you'll have time for it after you meet
up with the shicarabes.
Yes."
Most of the cargo in the car is ammunition, but there is also some food and other supplies. Akira
took out portable food for hunters from the luggage.
Many of the portable foods marketed to hunters have different selling points than regular portable
foods.
It appears to be an ordinary food with an ordinary taste and texture, but it is almost completely
digested and absorbed by the body, and very little of it is expelled from the body.
Items that can be used as substitutes for recovery drugs. Items that will not be adversely affected
if the stomach is destroyed in battle and the digested food is scattered throughout the body. Items
that are unusually fast in digestion and absorption. Items that promote wakefulness and
concentration.
They are a variety of products that sell functions, effectiveness, and safety that we do not need at
all as long as we live a normal life in the city.
Akira had purchased various items to test them out. The portable food for hunters that he now has
in his hand looks like just a sandwich and coffee.
If I may say so, the sandwiches are firm and tender, and the coffee is decently warm. And you
don't have to worry about the bathroom.
Akira takes them in his mouth, wondering.
Hmmm. It's normal. I guess that's what makes this so great."
'If you are dissatisfied with the ordinary taste, why don't you take taste into consideration next time
you make a choice? It's important to have a warm, tasty meal to keep our spirits up for the war
effort."
I guess so," he said. Now that I can afford to live a little more comfortably, I should be able to
afford that level of luxury. Maybe.
Akira's statement, which was in a sense very frugal, made Alpha chuckle with amusement.
'I would not hesitate to pay 80 million aurums for equipment, and I would not hesitate to use 2
million aurums of restorative medicine. That doesn't sound like a statement from a hunter. Can't
we just eat a little better on a regular basis?"
Hmmm. That being said, I usually don't have any particular complaints about that much."
Akira's usual meals are more lavish than they were in the slums. In addition, even once he had
tasted the overly tasty food at Steliana's, his palate had become so fattened that he had
unconsciously raised the cost of his meals little by little.
Still, compared to Akira's current income, the cost of food is very modest. Moreover, Akira was
generally satisfied with the food.
Of course, Akira also has a desire to eat better food. However, he was still hesitant to pay a lot of
money out of his own pocket for it, partly because of his long years of living in back alleys.
'I wouldn't push it. But remember, it's okay to be a little more extravagant. At least enough to be
able to pick out a portable hunter's meal without hesitation.
I guess so. Then let's eat some more. I was a little short."
Akira grabs an extra portable meal. Seeing that he was in a bit of a better mood for that level of
food, Alpha chuckled.
Akira arrives at the rendezvous point with the Shikarabes. Several vehicles, mainly armored
personnel carriers, were already parked there.
There, Shikarabe, who was discussing a plan to take down the bounty leader with his friends,
notices Akira parked his car nearby.
Akira. How are you?"
I'm fine.
I see. We will leave as soon as the time is right. Ask him about it and get ready by then. When
you're done, you'll be on standby. Kill time as you see fit.
Shikarabe said and pointed to an armored personnel carrier. The rear doors of the vehicle were
open, and hired hunters were taking out and distributing supplies for the bounty hunters to the
participants.
Akira went there as instructed and received various items after a light explanation.
Rocket launchers and their bullets for use against large monsters. Table of ingredients of the
information gathering jamming smoke screen jamming smoke to be used and adjustment data for
the information gathering equipment. A communication device and communication code. Return
to your vehicle with these items.
When Akira saw the large number of rockets on the armored personnel carriers, he was once again
aware that he had been hired to be in charge of firepower and understood how powerful the bounty
hunters were, requiring so much firepower to destroy them.
There is still some time before the start of the operation. The additional personnel hired by the
Shikarabes were not yet available. Akira, who was sitting in the driver's seat waiting for the
operation to begin, was once again struck with a light sleepiness. However, he thought it would be
a good idea to take another nap, so he endured the drowsiness while chatting with Alpha.
Seeing this, Alpha makes a suggestion.
Akira. If you're sleepy, why don't you do some calisthenics to help you stay awake?"
Flexible? In a place like this? It's the wilderness, remember?"
I'll take care of the perimeter. Besides, we are going to fight a bounty hunter, right? I think it's a
good idea to loosen up while you still can.
Akira was a little dubious, but if Alpha said so, he followed the recommendation.
Although he thinks he is doing something a little out of place, Akira continues to do flexibility
exercises with Alpha, hoping that this will help him move better.
Alpha is showing an example of his movements in front of Akira. He had changed into a swimsuit
that boldly exposed his skin on the pretext that he wanted his partner to be able to see the
movements of his limbs as an example.
In this form, she spreads her arms and legs wide, twists her limbs, twists her hips, stretches from
toe to toe, and stands dexterously with one leg raised. Although the purpose of this exercise was
not to be sexy, the graceful beauty of functionality was added to the artistic limbs, enhancing their
attractiveness.
Akira, however, was far from admiring the sight. He was not admiring the figure of Akira,
however, because his body had not been stretched enough, but had been stretched to the limit
where it would not hurt him, thanks to Alpha's manipulation of his reinforced clothes.
'Alpha. Ouch. It hurts a little.'
You are a little stiff. Flexibility is important to prevent injuries and to improve the efficiency of
your movements. You should continue to train and adjust your reinforced clothing as well.'
'Oh, please be gentle. It hurts. No, wait, hey, it really hurts!
I'll be fine. If you get a little shredded, there's always a recovery pill.
That is absolutely wrong as a basis for saying it's okay!"
Smiling happily at Alpha, Akira complained but did not tell him to stop.
Alpha, showing the example of an open-leg forward bend, has his legs spread wide in a straight
line, his chest pressed against the ground, and a smile on his face with plenty of room to spare.
Akira, who takes the same position, has a look of anguish on his face.
Then the shikarabes come.
...... what are you doing?"
You'll know it when you see it. It's calisthenics."
......, I see."
What Shikarabe wanted to ask was why he was doing that now, but Akira's matter-of-fact answer
dissuaded him from pursuing the question further. Instead, another question sprang up when I saw
the look of anguish on Akira's face.
'Just out of curiosity, are those reinforced suits tracked? Or is it readable?"
Let's see... ......."
It's a readout.
It's a readout.
I see." ...... Akira will be fine, but be careful, okay?"
Akira curiously asks back at Shikarabe's attitude, who says something meaningful with a slightly
stern expression on her face.
"Attention to what?"
"Don't twist off your own limbs," he said.
Seeing Akira's dubious look, Shikarabe adds.
The physical abilities that normally require exceptional qualities can be obtained for a high price,
and the enhanced clothing is so popular that it is said to be the basic equipment for hunters who
want to earn money.
Naturally, companies compete for that market and put a lot of effort into advertising. They
sometimes claim that just by wearing them, anyone can become a superhuman, an overblown
advertising slogan.
Some people are misled by the hype that floods the market, and although they know it is an
exaggeration, they misjudge the extent of the hype and misunderstand it. They are under the
illusion that anyone can obtain that much power immediately by simply putting on the right
clothes.
And one of Shikarabe's acquaintances had misjudged the extent of the problem. He went through
back channels to obtain high-performance reinforced clothing at a low price, and obtained a
diverted product that had not yet undergone the resale process.
Furthermore, they wore the reinforced clothes as they were, assuming that they would
automatically adjust to the wearer's needs, and that other people's data would still remain in the
clothes.
So I went with him to collect relics. He was fine on the move, too. He had no problems during the
trip, probably because he was doing nothing more than walking, sitting, and other normal
activities. But after that, it was a problem.
Akira's face broke out in a slight sweat of disgust when he saw Shikarabe's expression of pity.
...... what's going on?"
The man began to do some light flexibility exercises to kill time while he was waiting and to check
the operation of the suit. As soon as he moved his body, the suit bent his joints beyond the range
of motion of a human body and snapped his arms and legs with force. His arms and legs were in
terrible shape."
Akira's face stiffens involuntarily. Shikarabe's face was also distorted as she recalled the scene.
The man's suit was readable, and the previous user was a cyborg with a range of motion that would
be impossible in the flesh. They tried to use that data to bend the joints. With a follow-up suit, the
user's movements would not be exceeded, so it would be difficult for such an accident to occur.
The type of reinforced clothing that reads neurotransmission may move faster than the person in
question in order to increase reaction time. By the time you think it hurts, it's too late.
Akira had a disgusted, pained look on his face as he imagined the scene.
Didn't you have a ...... safety device or something on it?"
'Apparently, the previous user had disabled it. You'd be surprised how many of those guys are out
there, you know? There are many cyborgs that can't move freely in a setting for the living, and
even the living have to be prepared to break their bones to survive in some situations. In those
cases, the safety devices are a hindrance.
There, Shikarabe chuckles lightly.
Even if the safeties had worked, the result would have been the same because they would have
only worked to the standards that would have been safe for the previous user, who was a cyborg."
"......What happened to that guy after that?"
I managed to get through it by taking a pile of recovery pills," he said. However, he was so
traumatized by the suit that he switched to a combination of body enhancement and protective
clothing. Well, I understand how you feel.
Akira looks at Alfa, looking away somehow, precisely out of some concern. Alfa was smiling
peacefully.
The recovery drug story was a joke. Akira decided to assume so.
Trying to regain his composure and put unnecessary concerns out of his mind, Akira stops his
flexibility exercises and stands up.
So, Shikarabe, what can I do for you? Are we leaving soon?"
Oops. That's right. I'm about to leave, but I don't mean that. I have a favor to ask. I need you to put
him in Akira's car.
Shikarabe then put the boy behind him in front of Akira.
The young hunter belonging to Drunkham looked at Akira as if he was unconsciously pricing him
out, and then he looked somewhat stern and suspicious. Still, he shows some courtesy to the outside
hunter.
I'm Togami. Nice to meet you."
I'm Akira from ....... Nice to meet you."
Akira also looked doubtful. But the subject was not Togami, but Shikarabe.
Shikarabe. If they ask me to ride, I will, but does that mean I have to fight with them? You don't
mean I have to escort you, do you?"
It's all right. I hired you as an additional asset. I'm not going to ask you to do anything complicated
like that. We don't have to fight together. Fight your own battles.
'If I'm allowed to do whatever I want, then I'm allowed to throw you out of the car if you get in my
way?'
Akira, too, intends to follow instructions as much as possible since he has accepted this as a
request. However, he would have preferred to fight alone if possible, and he was in the mood to
decline.
So, in my own way, to the extent that it did not contradict my attitude toward the request, I said so
on a trial basis in the hope that he would withdraw his instructions.
But the shikarabe laughs lightly back at him.
'Then throw it into my car if you can. It's too much trouble to pick it up."
Having been told this, Akira had no choice but to comply.
I'm going to go to ...... and see what I can find out." I'll give you a ride."
I'm sorry," he said. We'll be leaving soon. Don't be late."
Shikarabe returns without Togami. Togami's face was twisted into a grimace as he was treated as
a foot soldier, but neither Akira nor the shikarabe cared.
After loading Togami's supplies into Akira's vehicle and getting it ready to go, the Shikarabe soon
gave the order to depart. Akira is fired up.
'All right. Let's go."
Yes. Let's get on with it.'
Encouraged by Alpha, who was sitting on the opposite side of the air for the convenience of having
Togami in the passenger seat, Akira's bounty hunters began to take down the bounty hunters.
Akira and his group were advancing in a group through the dark wilderness before sunrise. An
armored personnel carrier, the command vehicle in which the Shikarabes were riding, led the way,
followed by several vehicles carrying additional personnel.
Togami has been in a foul mood since before he left. Moreover, he was in an even worse mood
during the trip. This was due to the fact that, looking again from the passenger seat at Akira in the
driver's seat, he still did not look strong.
Driven by a heightened sense of irritation, he unconsciously looks down on Akira and calls out to
him in an abhorrent manner.
Hey," he said. What did you mean when you said something about an escort before we left?"
What do you mean, what?"
What? You've got to be kidding me. You've been slowing me down, no matter how you look at it.
Throw me out of the car when I get in the way? On the contrary, I'm going to throw you off. You'd
better make sure you stay out of my way so that that doesn't happen."
Okay."
Akira's attitude, which seemed to be unimportant to no end, made Togami more and more grumpy.
(The bastard of Shikarabe. ....... What the hell do you think you're doing, letting me hang out with
this guy?)
Togami boarded Akira's vehicle at Shikarabe's instruction, but was not told why. He was simply
given a coercive order to shut up and get in.
I was a little angry at the shikarabe's attitude, but since I was instructed to do so by a hunter with
superior skills, equipment, battle experience, and hunter rank, I meekly obeyed.
He is confident in his own abilities, but still understands that he is still a young man in the eyes of
the old-timers, and he knows enough to back away from that.
But I am curious as to the reason for the instructions. He went out of his way to let himself be a
passenger. Togami was reading too much into it, partly because of his high self-esteem.
However, the passenger was a child who did not look strong by any means. He was an
inexperienced man with only the right equipment, the very same notoriety that is attached to young
hunters in Drangkam.
(Are you trying to tell me that I should look at this guy and look back on myself a little? Don't put
us together!)
I am different. As if to confirm this, Togami opens his mouth.
Hey," he said. How many hunter ranks do you have? Tell me."
21."
Hearing this, Togami's face broke into a confident sneer based on his own ability.
21? That's how high your hunter rank is, and you're acting like that towards me? I'm 27!"
Since equipment can be borrowed from the clique, it is better to raise the hunter rank than money.
Due to the schemes of its clerical faction, young hunters in Drangkam are increasingly placing
special emphasis on hunter rank.
Togami is also in a position to borrow equipment from the clique. He could not escape its
influence, and when he heard Akira's hunter rank, he unconsciously assigned a higher or lower
rank to his position.
This is partly why Akira's reaction ended with a glance at him, and his mood worsened again when
he immediately returned his gaze to the front as if he didn't care.
Hey! Are you listening to me?
No matter how many times I called out to him, there was no further response from Akira. He was
completely ignored. So Togami clicked his tongue as if to spit it out and turned his grim face to
the wilderness. Then he laughed slightly.
If he was going to take such an attitude toward me, I would show him the difference in our abilities
and make him understand. With this thought in mind, he was raising his spirits.
On the driver's side, Alfa was sitting in the air and laughing at Akira, who was ignoring Togami
because of the hassle.
Can we just leave it alone?"
'If anyone disturbs us except with noise, we'll throw them into the car of the shikarabe.'
Akira answered simply.
I have permission from Shikarabe. I was really going to do it.
The armored personnel carriers leading Akira and his team included Shikarabe, Yamanobe, and
Parga.
The vehicle has a capacity for 10 people. The extra space for seven people was loaded with supplies
for taking down the bounty hunters, but most of the supplies had already been distributed to
additional personnel, including Akira, so there was plenty of room for more now.
In other words, Togami was kicked out regardless of the size of the car's interior.
The driver, Yamanobe, wonders a bit about that.
Shikarabe. Why did you bring Togami here if you were going to go to the trouble of kicking him
out? You don't like the younger guys to begin with, do you?"
Shikarabe replies as he checks the location of the bounty hunter sent by the reconnaissance team.
I hate it. But I think the B team members are relatively better than the A team members. Unlike
those in Group A, who are favored by the office staff and are well armed and well commissioned,
those in Group B are doing a little better on their own.
'But you don't like them enough to kick them out of our car because they're an eyesore, do you?'
No," he said. The reason I brought Togami along was to make a deal with those who wanted to
increase the strength of the B team. I brought Togami along with Akira just for the sake of it.
The old guard in Drangkam basically dislike the younger members who receive generous support
from the clique due to the administrative policies of the clerical faction.
However, there were a certain number of people who understood that the majority of the B team
members were from slum-like conditions and had passed a life-threatening test.
The people who approached Shikarabe with the deal were those who wanted to have the best men
of Team B participate in the defeat of the bounty hunters, so that they would have a foil for their
success in defeating the bounty hunters. The objective was to maintain a force that could rival
Team A, centered on the leader of Team B.
The recent failure of Team A to capture the Yonozuka Station ruins has also affected the clerical
faction. If things went well, we would be able to bring the momentum between Team A and Team
B into a state of rivalry. That was the thinking behind the move.
That is in the category of factional strife and its wrangling, which Shikarabe dislikes. However,
the A-team and the clerical faction disliked it even more, so the shikarabe agreed to a deal and
accepted Togami's accompaniment. And in exchange, he received funds to take down the bounty
hunter.
Hearing these stories, Parga shows mild interest on his face.
Heh. So that's why he was chosen as the foil. So, Shikarabe. What about your ability? To me, he
just looked like a kid who was on a roll."
I don't know. I was chosen to be the foil. You've got to be in good shape, don't you?"
Hmmm," he said. Then he is a promising star of Team B, or anti-Taiwan A, or anti-Katsuya group.
The division of Group A and Group B is a classification within the young hunters. When we refer
to the Katsuya faction, it is the faction of the entire Drunkham. The A faction is centered on
Katsuya, the faction of Mizuha and others who are backing Katsuya and his group, and those who
cooperate with them with an eye to the future.
As a force that went beyond the younger generation, the Katsuya faction had grown into a faction
that could not be ignored in the entire Drunkham.
The mention of Katsuya's name made Shikarabe's face blatantly grim. Parga sees this and laughs.
You really don't like that guy."
Yeah, I hate it."
The shikarabe's attitude, which he clearly answered with a look of disgust, made the yamanobe
laugh as well. Then he noticed the response of the search equipment and laughed happily.
Then, in order to put Shikarabe in a better mood, let's see what the promising star of the anti-
Katsuya faction can do here."
He then gives instructions to Togami over the communicator.
Number eight! Monster in the direction of travel! Go ahead and kick some ass!"
Number 8! Roger that! I'll get it done right away!"
Hearing their spirited replies, Yamanobe and Parga laugh happily.
Shikarabe let out a light sigh.
After receiving instructions from Parga, Togami smiled wryly, thinking that he had an early
opportunity to show Akira what he was capable of.
Number 8! Roger that! I'll get it done right away!"
He then turns his confident face to Akira and gives him instructions.
Hey! Move the car closer to the monster now! Hurry up!"
Akira silently accelerated the car rapidly. He also changed his course drastically to overtake an
armored personnel carrier in front of him. The momentum of the acceleration caused the vehicle
to shake violently.
This caused Togami to lose his position. He almost fell off the passenger seat. He hurriedly
regained his position and raised his voice.
Hey! Drive better! What the hell were you thinking?
Akira glanced at Togami and returned his gaze forward.
As for Akira, he simply followed the instructions to hurry up and move quickly. However, because
he had unconsciously based his actions on the condition of having Alpha's support, it seemed like
harassment to Togami.
Togami glares at Akira in exasperation.
You know, ......."
Akira did not mind the stares at all. Still, at one point, he slowed the car's acceleration.
As they passed the armored personnel carriers and hurried onward, a group of monsters, mainly
giant carnivores, appeared ahead of them. The beasts, as large as vehicles, let out a fierce roar
when they noticed Akira and the others. Then they rushed toward their prey as a group.
As the distance between them and the other party rapidly closes because of this, Akira asks without
looking at Togami.
So how close do you want me to get?"
"...... park around there at random!"
Togami replied as if to spit. Akira silently and slowly pulled the car to a stop.
Togami got out of the car, grabbed his gun, and turned and smiled at Akira. It was close to a sneer
and condescending to his opponent, but there was a certain confidence overflowing in it.
I was the only one instructed to do it. That means I'm enough on my own. You just sit there and
watch. I'll show you the difference in ability.
Togami believes that the only serious forces in this bounty hunter's defeat are those belonging to
Drunkham, including himself.
That perception is largely correct. Most of the additional personnel gathered by the shicarabes
were debt-hungry hunters whose abilities were significantly less than those of the shicarabes, and
who were all below Togami's pay grade.
He thought that the reason he was able to participate in the latest bounty hunter strike was because
the old-timers finally recognized his abilities. He was not wrong, but there was a big gap between
Togami's perception and that of the old-timers.
Togami was determined to show his skills to the Shikarabes, whom he admired for their ability, to
the additional members, who were lower in rank, and to Akira.
First, he looks around and quickly finds a suitable sniping position. He quickly moves there and
readies the large gun he has prepared for this occasion. He aimed at the head of the enemy group
and pulled the trigger.
The recoil of the shot was strong enough to shift Togami's body backward, and the bullet pierced
through the air and scraped the side of the target's torso. The wounded area, which was too gouged
out to be called a laceration, was splattered with fresh blood mixed with pieces of flesh.
Still, the huge beast did not lose its spirit, but on the contrary, raged forward in anger. Even though
Togami could see its powerful appearance through the sights, he fired the next round with a smile
on his face.
Bullets shot out at intervals from a large gun forcefully chip away at the monster's seemingly
abnormal life force.
The thick eight legs were reduced to five by the bullet, and the beast, which had been moving
forward even with a hole in its torso, was slowed down by the additional holes in its body. Then it
was hit in the head with the final blow, and finally died.
Meanwhile, the monster hordes were closing in on Togami. They were already getting very close.
However, Togami was in no hurry and switched guns, firing wildly at the group of enemies.
A series of bullets, enough to compensate for any slight deviation in aiming, are fired in rapid
succession. Each bullet pierced the skin, flesh, blood, and bones of the monster.
The medium-sized individual, which was a crony of the giant beast, is also tough enough to roam
the wilderness. Each bullet hit would not cause serious injury unless it was in a weak spot.
But if you eat it all over your body, it's lethal enough. The gun, which has an ample supply of
extended magazines, is destroying the larger cronies one after the other.
When Togami had finished defeating them, the smaller ones, which had escaped the barrage by
making a large detour, were close enough to pounce on Togami. The remnants of the herd,
motivated more by anger than appetite, pounced on the avenging enemy.
However, Togami, who had already noticed the approach, easily avoided the enemy's assault. He
then countered in time. He kicked the small beast with the physical strength of his reinforced
clothes. The chunk of flesh flew through the air and crashed to the ground, its bones crushed.
Togami then struck a similar blow to several others that jumped on him as well, and he firmly put
a stop to them by shooting at them, who were already unable to move properly.
As he declared, Togami single-handedly defeated a swarm of monsters that would have been too
much for a novice hunter like him to escape.
I'm going to go to the store and buy a new one," he said. That's about right. It's a piece of cake.
Togami was satisfied that he had done well enough to be proud of. He then returned to his car,
looking forward to Akira's reaction, who was probably watching him fight.
But those expectations were disappointed. Akira was sitting in the driver's seat, looking ahead at
leisure. The car of the shikarabes was passing by.
Akira's demeanor slightly surprises Togami, then makes a dubious face.
(Didn't you see ......? No, you must have seen it. He was looking at me when he went back. (No
doubt.)
Then, without hiding his grumpiness, he calls out to Akira.
...... Hey, you got something to say to me?"
Get on it," he said. You won't be able to keep up."
Akira's response was just that.
Togami's mood quickly deteriorates.
Whatever it was, Togami was satisfied with the reaction to his fighting style. If it was praise, he
took it as it was; if it was slander, he took it as sore loser; either way, it satisfied his self-esteem.
But Akira's response was almost nonexistent. It wasn't even because he was simply ignoring them.
There was nothing of note about the battle that had just taken place. Akira's attitude was as if he
was telling Togami so.
Togami tried to raise his voice unintentionally. However, Paluga's voice from the communicator
stopped him.
Number 8. 9. There's a big separation. What's going on? Did you have trouble with your car in the
fight earlier?"
Akira exhales lightly.
This is number 9. No damage to the vehicle. For some unknown reason, number 8 is not getting in
the car. Can I leave him here?"
Is number 8 close by?" Number 8. What happened? Are you wounded and immobile?"
No, no, that's not why I ......
If that's the case, get the hell on board!"
The communication was cut off by the scolding cries of the parga.
Togami shuddered, gritted his teeth and managed to suppress his inner rage, and got into his car in
a very grumpy mood. Akira quickly got the car started.
There was no conversation in the car after that.
◆
The shikarabes, who had been watching Togami's fight on the vehicle's equipment, were lightly
exchanging their impressions.
Parga gave a good rating.
I think it's not so bad. Considering my age and equipment, I'd say that's more than respectable."
Yamanobe's assessment, on the other hand, is more subtle.
Really?" What about going in alone during a team action just because you can win?"
That's because I told him what to do."
But still. You could just do the leader for the reason of instructions and put Akira in a support role.
I admit that he is capable of winning by himself, but that's not leeway, that's carelessness. It's the
wilderness. There is no need to take senseless risks.
That's tough," he said. Shikarabe. What do you think?"
Shikarabe answers lightly.
I'm on hold. Well, if you want me to give you an assessment at this point, I don't want anyone
getting carried away just because they beat a mook like that.
Parga laughs with Yamanobe.
You're too tough," he said. He's the star of the anti-Katsuya faction. If you don't like Katsuya, why
don't you give him a little credit?
I'm not going to let my own personal feelings get in the way of my evaluation," he said. If you do
well in the prize fights, I'll give you credit where credit is due."
Yamanobe wonders a little.
"You're going to put him up front in a bounty fight? You made a deal with him to foil him, didn't
you? What happens if he dies?"
When it's your time, it's your time. If he's that good, even if you put a foil on him, he'll peel it right
off. In the first place, the deal doesn't include his protection.
Yamanobe and Parga laughed back at Shikarabe's harsh words, saying that was true.
Akira and his team were making their way through the wilderness before sunrise toward the area
where the bounty hunters were appearing.
There is no conversation between Akira and Togami. Akira is ostensibly mute but chatting with
Alpha, while Togami keeps his mouth shut in frustration with Akira. Neither felt the need to talk
to the other, and in a sense, that was the only part of the conversation that was cooperative.
Soon the sun rose and the light of dawn began to illuminate the wilderness.
Akira unconsciously turns his gaze toward the morning sun. There, he saw Alfa flying in the air
alongside the car, due to the fact that Togami had taken the passenger seat.
A scene of the brief time when night and morning switch. The place where sunlight shines through
turns into morning, while the area under the shadows where no light reaches remains night, a
momentary scene where morning and night exist at the same time.
In the midst of this scenery, Alfa, bathed in the morning sun, smiles at Akira with a fantastic glow
in her hair and skin.
Akira. It's the morning sun.
'......, yes.'
Akira's words were too short to be spoken by someone who had seen the scene.
Alpha laughs a little teasingly.
'You are as reactive as ever. Do you have any more thoughts on this?'
'That's not what they told me. ......'
In fact, Akira was even moved to a certain degree by the sight. However, his vocabulary was not
good enough to adequately express what welled up inside him.
Still, I speak my mind honestly at least once.
'Well, it's a more memorable sight than a sunrise in the slums.
That is all Akira said. However, Akira did not have anything that was necessary for him to say just
that.
For example, a place with a view of the sunrise. When I was living in the back alleys of the slums,
I had to choose my sleeping place carefully so that I would not be killed while sleeping. No sunrise
light would reach such a place.
Next, you can afford to watch the sunrise. We must always be on the lookout for someone to attack
us. The direction to look was not into the sun, but into the dark or around the bend of an alley,
where there was a high risk of surprise attack. There is no time to be aware of the sunrise.
Various other factors did not allow Akira the luxury of watching the sunrise slowly in the past.
And now, there were factors in this place that would not allow Akira to continue that luxury.
Alpha points to the end of the wilderness.
Akira. It's a monster. It's a little far away, but it has already caught us. It's going to rush at us.
'......, got it.
Akira felt a sense of discomfort that he did not understand, and he followed his heart to the rear of
the vehicle. He then removed the CWH objective assault rifle installed there from its seat and held
it up with a grim look on his face.
The expanded vision with Alpha's support magnifies the figure of the being that caused the
discomfort. A huge biological monster is running at a brisk pace, defying the weight of its massive
body.
The size of its torso is twice that of the armored troop carriers carried by the shicarabes, and its
entire body is covered with armored-like scales. It looked like a mixture of a shark and a crocodile,
but it had thick, articulated multiple legs that did not match either of them.
The dozens of eyes arranged in a fan-like pattern on their heads were firmly fixed on Akira and
the others as they ran dexterously and forcefully across the bumpy wilderness. It was a sight that
one could almost hear the earth shaking just by looking at it.
Looking directly at the figure, Akira grimly but seriously pulls the trigger. The bullet shot out with
a roaring sound and flew through the air in an instant, landing on a distant target with no deviation
at all.
It did not simply mean that it hit the enemy at a distance, but that it hit a very small part of the
enemy's weak spot with precision and accuracy.
Specialized bullets from the CWH objective assault rifle penetrate the enemy's body from the point
of impact, scattering the shock inside. With a power that could be used against even an ordinary
tank, it shatters the target's tough body from the inside out.
The bullet did not penetrate the target. That is proof that the biological monster is that tough.
However, they were not tough enough to take the force of a specialized bullet with their entire
body and survive. Although it maintained its overall shape thanks to its hard exterior, the impact
of the bullet's propagation messed up its interior and caused it to die out. The huge body, which
had lost consciousness, fell over with a flourish.
After a slight delay, Akira receives Palga's instructions from the communicator.
Number 9. 3 o'clock, large monster response. Considering its speed of movement, it will catch up
with us if we leave it alone. If possible, you guys can handle it. If you can't, we'll take care of it.
Check the target first."
This is number 9. Done."
I see. Is that okay?"
No," he said. I already beat him."
What about ......?"
His brief words indicated that Akira's reply was that much more unexpected. After a short pause,
the voice of Parga, who had confirmed the destruction of the target with the search and rescue
equipment of the armored personnel carrier, came back.
I checked "...... ah, we confirmed it here too. Keep it up next time."
Number 9. Copy."
Akira answered that much and returned to the driver's seat. He was still a little grumpy after
defeating the enemy.
And when he notices Alfa smiling happily at him, he adopts a brusque attitude to cover his
embarrassment.
What?
Alpha smiles meaningfully.
It's nothing. Akira seemed to enjoy the spectacle of the sunrise to the extent that he was angry at
being disturbed.'
'....... Well,"
Sunrise was over during the battle. Akira did not enjoy only the sight of the sunrise, but that was
all he answered.
I knew they knew it was more than that, but I didn't want to be teased willingly, so I didn't answer
any further.
One gets used to it. But Akira was still not used to the endless beauty of Alpha in the morning sun.
Beside Akira, who had returned to the driver's seat, Togami continued to be appalled.
When I instructed Akira to fight off the monster, he had already defeated it. Parga was surprised
at this situation. The fact that the target was not a small one, but a big one that they had decided to
replace themselves if it was too much for them to handle, had strongly attracted Parga's interest.
Cicarabe. Where did you find that guy?"
'We had worked together in the underground city at the Kuzuthara Street site. That's when it all
started."
Oh, that. That's the one with the Yarata scorpion nest, right? They found a big nest and did a big
cleanup operation. They were active there, so that's why we invited them.
No, no. I was accompanying him on his search for the underground mall. Even then, well, ......, I
didn't do much. I didn't slow them down. That's about it."
Parga looks dubious.
Then why did you invite Akira? That one? Shikarabe intuition? And you say you have to have
good instincts to make a living as a hunter."
Shikarabe laughs lightly.
I don't deny it, but I'm not going to let you guys go along with my hunch. I'm soliciting you based
on other information.
He then operated an information terminal and sent the data on which he based his decision to
Paluga and his colleagues.
Yamanobe looks curiously at its contents.
Is this a copy of Akira's personal page at Hunter's office? I was curious about that guy too because
of the barroom fiasco, so I had a quick look at ...... and didn't see much on there, did you?"
Parga nodded in agreement. Like Yamanobe, I browsed with interest, but Akira's war history was
largely undisclosed, and the war history in the underground city that I was able to view was
mediocre, with him leaving during the war due to injury, so there was nothing interesting to be
found. That is why I thought that Shikarabe might have had a hunch.
Shikarabe adds a supplement.
You can guess from the fact that I went to the trouble of giving you a local copy," he said. That's
data I bought from an informant. There are parts of the data that are not normally available to the
public. Look at the history of the underground mall.
Parga, who looked there as he was told, laughs amusedly.
You've changed the content of your history. Kugamayama Urban Sales Department confidential
related request. Can't you see ...... for details!"
Yamanobe also checks the same section with interest.
You copied it from a staff member who doesn't have that high of an authority. The only thing I can
view is the ...... location and a summary of the request."
Oh. But you can see the rough amount of compensation. Take a look."
As soon as they confirmed the amount of the reward as they were told, the faces of the Yamanobe
and the others changed dramatically. Parga couldn't help but speak out.
160 million aurum! That guy was over a billion!"
A "billionaire" is a hunter whose fee for a commission exceeds 100 million in corporate currency.
It means and proves that the hunter is good enough to earn that much, and it is one of the ratings
of hunters.
Naturally, this is not an area that can be reached by any number of hunters. Therefore, if the number
of hunters exceeds 100 million, they will be treated very differently from others. Yamanobe and
Parga also greatly changed their perception of Akira.
Parga nods in agreement and notices at the same time.
No wonder they are so strong. ...... Oh, so that's how it is. That's why you have Togami with
Akira?"
When a bounty hunter succeeds in defeating a bounty hunter, the hunter is listed in the bounty
hunter information in the hunter office. In this case, however, only four members of the Drunkham
team were listed. The names of additional personnel, including Akira, are not listed. The reason is
that they are not officially listed as participants in the bounty hunter's name.
Even if success in defeating a bounty hunter is a good foil for a hunter, the foil will be too thin and
meaningless if 100 of Drangkam's oldest members worked together to crush the bounty hunter.
In order to maintain the value of the foil, it is necessary to have a situation where the bounty head
is defeated by a small number of people. That is why the shikarabes ostensibly pretend that they
are taking on the challenge of defeating the bounty head with four people belonging to Drangkam,
three of them excluding Togami.
The reason the Shikarabes hired Akira and his team for a request that did not involve the Hunter
Office was also because they needed additional personnel that did not officially exist, ostensibly
to ensure that they were defeated only by hunters belonging to Drunkham.
And from that premise, Parga determined that the reason Shikarabe let Togami and Akira be
together was to confuse others about Togami's and Akira's abilities.
Even if we attempted to add a foil by having Togami accompany the bounty hunter to defeat him,
it would be too much to ask if he is not good enough. There is a limit to what can be done to keep
the additional debt holders in the dark about the conspicuous presence of a child who is a liability.
It's not like they're being kept completely in the dark to begin with. If you do some research, a
certain amount of information will leak out.
However, if he were to be placed together with Akira, a child of about the same age but more than
a hundred million strong, outsiders would not be able to tell which of the two was more active and
which was a liability.
Neither Togami nor Akira have sold up to their faces on the outside. Judging only by public
information, it is normal to assume that the higher hunter ranks were more active. In addition,
Akira is ostensibly not accompanying them. It is quite possible that he could be mistaken for
someone similar to the other additional personnel.
But that is also something that can be understood if one does one's research. However, there are
few people who would go that far. Shikarabe also understands this, and thinks that it is enough if
he is somehow misunderstood. That is what Parga judged as the reason why Shikarabe called it a
trick.
Shikarabe smiled back at Parga, who was pleased with her performance.
That's what I mean. Shut up, will you?"
I know."
Yamanobe is convinced, but wonders.
Judging from this local data, it seems that they are not only withholding their military history, but
also falsifying ostensible information. If it goes that far, there must be some kind of deal between
the city and Akira. What happened?"
I don't know. But at least there must be no mistake about the amount of the reward. It's inside
information. There is no need to falsify it. In other words, even if you can't put the matter out there,
you must have done the work to get that much money. It's enough to know that you're that good."
That's true, too."
Yamanobe, too, was curious about the details if he really wanted to know, but he didn't want to
get noticed by wasting his time probing the city's confidential information.
But Shikarabe. But, Shikarabe, if you are over 100 million, that means you are in some ways equal
to us. If we default on the payment of such a person, we will be in trouble, right? You okay? I don't
know if they'll kill you, do you?"
The shikarabe laughs back at Yamanobe, who smiles teasingly.
If we can kill even one bounty hunter, we'll be in the black. We will have Akira do his best to pay
the bounty as well.
That's right."
A skinny betting with your life. This is also the daily routine of hunters. To varying degrees, as
long as you are out in the wilderness, the hunter's job is always a deadly gamble. Whether the
opponent is a ruin or a bounty hunter, there is no difference in the glory that awaits them if they
win and the destruction that awaits them if they lose.
Still, it doesn't matter if you win. Taking that premise for granted, the shicarabes laughed at each
other.
Although he did not tell the Yamanobe and others, there was a bit more to the story of why the
Shikarabes included Akira in this bounty hunter strike. There is also the reason why he paid not-
so-expensive money to buy confidential information from an informant.
After seeing Akira's ability in the underground city of the Kuzuthara Street Ruins, Shikarabe had
doubts about Akira's ability, which led him to leave the event in the middle of the day due to injury.
His doubts also extended to his trust in his own intuition.
Was that the extent of his character, after all? Or did he have some other underlying reason? Unable
to discern Akira's abilities, Shikarabe was lost and was investigating on his own.
The results showed that there was something going on, but I don't know the details of it. We
thought it might be related to the relic-robbing racket that was going on at the same time, but we
couldn't speculate.
That is why Akira was added to the bounty hunters. To confirm Akira's ability once again.
Show Akira to trusted colleagues and check their reactions. Objectively judge Akira's ability in a
fight with the prize winner. Based on the results, determine to what extent he can trust his own
intuition. That is why.
This was one of the reasons why Shikarabe was a little more aggressive in the factional warfare,
which he did not want to engage in.
Togami, who was in the passenger seat with his face turned toward the wilderness, glances at Akira
with a somewhat stiff expression. There is no reaction. Togami was ignored by Akira, who knew
he was being watched.
There was no conversation between Akira and Togami after Akira defeated the giant monster by
himself.
But there was a change. There is not a shred of the moody mood Togami was in before. Instead,
he was filled with suspicion and caution toward the unknown, as well as anxiety and impatience.
Akira's shooting had that effect on Togami.
He was the first to notice the presence of the monster at a distance and destroyed it with a single
shot from a moving, shaking vehicle. If Togami had asked himself if he could do the same thing,
he would have immediately answered that it was impossible.
If the shicarabes had done it, we would have been only surprised that they were so capable.
However, those who had looked down on them as lower-ranked easily accomplished it. That is
why Togami's surprise was so great and he was in a state of confusion.
My confused mind seeks consistency in the situation. Unconsciously, I continue to speculate,
looking at Akira again and again.
And Togami has come up with a reason why it makes sense.
Immediately, Togami's face became greatly distorted. His reluctance to admit it was strongly
evident in his expression.
It makes sense if you are more inexperienced than the person next to you, or the person who is
lower in hunter rank than you and does not look strong, or the person who has a bad reputation as
an inexperienced person with only the right equipment. That's what I thought.
(...... not! (How could that be!)
Deny it without a second thought. He scolds and rebuilds his shaken confidence. But the shaking
does not stop.
(I'm strong! (The reason I was able to participate in this special bounty hunter strike is because I'm
that strong!)
In fact, Togami had the ability to say so himself. His hunter rank is second only to Katsuya's among
the younger members of the Drangkamu. He is so highly regarded that he is expected to be the
organizer of the anti-Katsuya faction. At best, he had the power to be proud of it, and at worst, he
had the power to be in good shape.
And then, based on that confidence, he tries another story-telling. He makes a grim face as if he is
bluffing, and tells Akira firmly.
...... Hey, don't get carried away with a fluke hit like that. I'm not going to accept that you're that
good."
Akira turned his face to Togami. It was a normal, unimportant look, but even so, Togami felt a
slight tension and involuntarily backed away slightly.
After a short pause, Akira answers.
I guess so." I don't have the confidence to hit it on my own."
With that said, Akira returned his gaze to the front.
After a short silence, Togami laughs with a stiff smile.
"...... haha! I knew it was just a coincidence! You scared me! That's right! There's no way a mere
rank 21 could pull off something like that!"
Togami is a man who can boast of his own abilities and the high level of talent that supports them.
Although young, he is actively out in the wilderness, gaining a great deal of experience in the
hunter's trade and honing his instincts as a hunter.
All of this told Togami that it was no coincidence. Togami's face was drawn as he laughed because
of this.
Alpha turns a curious face to Akira.

Akira. Did you mean what you said?'
Hmm? I'm sure I didn't lie. It wasn't a fluke, but it didn't happen by itself either. I got it with the
support of Alpha.
'That's true, but Elena has told you that before, right? If you are too modest, some people will take
it as sarcasm.
Akira frowned slightly. But then he thought backwards.
'Well, let's just say it was sarcasm, then.
"Oh, is that coming?"
'You don't have to be nice to people who come at you all the time.
Akira's frowning face relaxed as he said it back. However, Alpha easily pointed this out to him.
I think the only reason he's lunging at Akira is because Akira said he was going to throw him out
of the car in the first place?"
Akira was at a loss for words.
The "Trouble Maker" is still going as well as ever, but I think it's time to turn the output down,
don't you?"
'I'm sorry, .......'
Akira did his best to twist and turn his apology toward Alpha, who was smiling happily. Akira was
still twisting, but he had loosened his twist, slightly, at least, to the extent that he could say such
words.
Another spider-like monster was hanging around near the giant monster that had been defeated by
Akira.
It was about one meter long, partially mechanized like a cyborg, and the eyes on its head were
cameras.
That spider was watching Akira's sniper on its camera. It was well aware of who it had defeated
and what it had defeated.
Akira's vehicle is still moving silently through the wilderness. Akira is ignoring Togami. Togami,
who has regained his composure, occasionally looks at Akira with a dubious expression, but that
is all. There were no monster attacks, and the time was peaceful.
But the peace and quiet came to an end when the voice of a chicarabe came out of the
communicator. It had finally begun.
We are about to enter a notional encounter zone with the bounty hunter we are aiming to take
down. The target is Tangkrantula. The bounty is 800 million aurum. Get fired up."
Akira and Togami also quickly switched their attention to a serious face. Togami, in particular,
was overly enthusiastic.
Shikarabe informs everyone of the plan via communication.
Spread out and effectively surround the target before contact is made. Each man's initial position
is indicated on the display of the communicator he has handed over.
After that, the yamanobe and the parga will move, and the rest of us will act as decoys and checks
to attract the attacks of the tarantulas.
As soon as the work of the Yamanobe and their colleagues is finished, they will move on to a full-
scale attack. The rocket launcher will be used at that time, so do not use it without permission until
instructed to do so.
The strategy communicated to Akira and his team was fairly general to that extent.
That's all. Anybody have any questions?"
Togami poses the question with a dubious look on his face.
It's number eight. The operation is too general. Are there no movement routes, positions, timing
of attacks, instructions, etc. for each of them?"
"Except for the decision to withdraw, each of you must make your own decisions on a case-by-
case basis."
Does "resourceful" mean "do as you please?"
Take your best move," he said. We'll give you instructions as needed."
I'm not sure how much I like ....... Isn't it your job to lead the troops?"
Togami's opinion is correct in a sense. Under Shikarabe's direction, the additional personnel could
only be made into a slightly better group than the crowds. The advantages of unit action had been
largely discarded.
But Shikarabe knew this, too, and gave instructions. The majority of the additional personnel were
those who had been forced to participate in the latest bounty hunter operation due to mounting
debts, and from the outset, they had determined that efficient unit operations requiring precise
coordination were impossible.
The reason why Togami did not think of that is because he has been trained in group combat as a
young hunter in Drangkam, even though he is cold-shouldered by the clerical faction. Based on
that experience, he thought that even the additional personnel would be able to do that much.
Even if they are the same hunters, they hold different common sense. The difference in standards
of judgment that emerged from these differences was another cause of friction between the old and
young hunters.
And now the shikarabe has neither the time nor the will to argue. I reply in a slightly stronger tone.
You can't do anything without detailed instructions? Then just stay out of our way. Do whatever
you want with the rest. Anybody else have any questions?"
No one asked any additional questions. Akira had no complaints about the instructions to use their
own judgment, and those who were participating for the purpose of paying off their debts were not
aggressive enough to get a head start.
If there are no questions, that's all. Each of you work at least as hard as you are paid."
With that, the communication went dead. Akira, who is under contract to be paid according to his
performance, is determined to raise his reward as much as possible.
Beside him, Togami continued to stare at the communicator.
Shikarabe calls out to Yamanobe and Parga in the armored personnel carrier.
Are you finished getting things set up over there?"
The two were straddling a wilderness-spec motorcycle in the car. Both have a relaxed smile on
their faces, showing a light exuberance born of a good amount of tension.
Oh," he said. I can always go."
Same here.
Yamanobe is holding a large gun that looks like a mixture of a recoilless gun and a sniper rifle,
and Parga has a large automatic grenade launcher. The guns are linked to ammunition magazines
with automatic loaders attached to each motorcycle.
The two of them were ready to go, and Shikarabe laughed and nodded.
I'm going to go to the office and ask for a few questions. What do we do now? Should we leave it
outside now? I don't know how serious the others are about taking the bait. Depending on the
situation, I'll take the bait, but it won't do any good if you guys are still in the car when I do."
Yamanobe shakes his head.
No, it would be bad if you are caught by surprise and take a direct hit with a motorcycle. The least
you can do is to get a good idea of the enemy's position before you go out. This vehicle is well
armored, right?"
Oh," he said. It will last for a while under concentrated attack. If the durability of this vehicle is
compromised, we will retreat. Don't push yourselves too hard.
Parga laughs in tune.
I know. I'm a hunter, and I'm only a hunter if I make it back alive. I'm not going to die greedy."
Always weigh the risks and rewards on a balance sheet and continue to choose accurate decisions.
When greed increases the weight of the reward and the relative disregard for danger, the hunter is
swallowed by the wilderness and dies.
The shikarabes had no intention of dying today or ever again.
There, the vehicle's spotting equipment picked up a large response. Chicarabe immediately
confirms the source of the response. Then, smiling wryly, he turned to his communicator and
shouted with great enthusiasm. We have found the tarantula! Let the battle begin!"
With that decree, the battle against the 800 million aurum bounty finally began.
Akira had spotted the tarantulas before the shikarabes.

When he checked his own position on the communicator when he received the order to spread out,
he was in front of the unit, well ahead of the armored personnel carriers. This was the result of
Alpha's spotting at that position.
Akira. We found your bounty."
Alpha points to the wilderness, and Akira gazes ahead. Then, the information-gathering
equipment, whose performance had been dramatically improved with Alpha's support, used its
telephoto function to capture the image of the enemy, which appeared to be little more than a speck
to the naked eye, and magnified it in Akira's expanded field of vision.
When Akira saw the figure, he involuntarily showed surprise on his face, which was more interest
than alarm.
'So that's the tarantula. ...... It's huge."
The tarantula is a giant spider-shaped monster.
Its size is as large as a three-story house. Its entire body is covered with an armored plate-like
exoskeleton, and its 16 legs grow not only from its cephalothorax but also from its abdomen.
The cephalothorax and upper abdomen have areas resembling tank turrets, each of which is
equipped with two cannons. The lower part of the body has multiple tires larger than a person's
height and an infinite track.
If those hunters happened to encounter them, they would choose to run away. There was a powerful
monster there that was out of place.
Out of the corner of Akira's eye, a tarantula thrusts a burnt and half-destroyed car with its foot and
brings it to its mouth to chew. The wreckage of the car is shredded and crushed by the tough, tooth-
like crusher and taken into the giant body.
'I'm eating a car. ...... You're eating."
'I guess so. The vehicle belongs to the hunter who returned fire.
'You can't get much more omnivorous than that: ......'
Akira's face contorted in disgust as he imagined the sight of his car being eaten. Meanwhile,
Tancrantula finishes eating the vehicle.
It is a wilderness-specification vehicle that is different from those small cars. Even that huge body
would be able to eat up a lot of food. It would take him a while to finish eating. Akira thought so,
but he finished the meal immediately with a voracious appetite.
'Have you finished eating already? What a guy.
"They've grown so large that their omnivorous nature and appetites seem to have increased
commensurately.
'...... that mutant thing you heard about before?'
Yes. The mutation was probably in the ruins of Yonozuka Station. It must have grown up there,
getting a lot of food. Then it grew so large that it could no longer live inside the ruins, so it came
outside.
'Well, if they're that big, it's impossible for them to be in the ruins. I wonder how they got that big
after eating a lot of food from the ruins.
Akira was satisfied with that thought. But Alpha adds a little more.
'I don't think they were that big right after they came out of the ruins. I think what caused it to
grow so huge was after that.
What? But there wouldn't be that much food in the wilderness. By bait, you mean the pack of
monsters at those ruins, right?"
Alpha smiles meaningfully at Akira, who looks at him strangely.
Instead, you have another herd flooding in. Well, it seems to have caused the food to be biased
toward metals, and it seems to have mutated even further to be able to eat those foods as well.
Akira noticed this, too, and his face contorted even more disgustedly.
The bounty hunters were the hunters who took on the challenge of defeating the bounty hunters.
The hunters who turned them down ate their equipment and vehicles, making them stronger and
bigger.
'That's why the prize money keeps going up: ......'
There, the voice of a shikarabe echoes from the communicator.
We've got a tarantula! Let the battle begin! Keep the tankantula's attackers at bay, just as we
planned! Let's go!
Akira switches his attention and braces himself. He then accelerated the car, assuming that since
he was positioned at the front, he would be expected to plow into the car first.
Togami, who was knocked out of position because of this, starts to panic.
Hey! What are you doing?
What do you mean? That's the plan, right?"
Togami froze slightly in surprise at the words and actions of Akira, who was about to rush into the
tank runtura without hesitation because it was an operation.
I'll stop by the car in Chicarabe if you want to get off, just let me know. I'm sorry, but I can't afford
to take care of you either."
But when he heard the words that followed, he raised his voice.
Don't be stupid! Don't you dare treat me like I'm a liability!"
Okay."
Akira then assumed that his word was taken.
Alpha. He said, "Alpha, it's okay. So don't worry about it.
'Roger that. Let's say he gets tossed out of the car and we don't have to go through the trouble of
throwing him over.'
'If I could afford ......, I'd at least pick it up and throw it into the car of a shikarabe.'
Turning to Alpha, who was smiling meaningfully, Akira returned a wry smile.
Akira's driving suddenly becomes rough. The vehicle accelerates while forcibly changing the
direction of travel. Togami, who had not been informed of the change, was thrown off his position
and almost fell out of the passenger seat.
Hey!" What now, ......!"
A surprised Togami stops speechless with another surprise. Above the violently shaking body of
the vehicle, Akira had risen flatly from the driver's seat and was heading toward the rear of the
vehicle, not at all out of position.
And Togami flinched when he saw Akira holding the CWH objective assault rifle as he had done
during the previous shooting.
(...... No way, will I hit it?)
The shaking of the vehicle is not comparable to the previous one. It is impossible to say that the
target is bigger than before. Even though I thought so, I could not deny the impossibility when I
saw Akira holding the gun firmly in his hand.
(...... Hey, are you kidding! I can't even stand up!)
The trigger is pulled. A bullet is released with a roar into the target at the end of the wilderness.
Togami put his hand on the edge of the vehicle and stared at the result.
Alpha's driving is very rough because he is trying to divert Akira from the enemy's line of fire,
considering the fear that he has already been noticed by Tangkrantula.
Driving like that in the wilderness, where there is no real pavement, will naturally cause the car
body to sway violently. If you get up from a standing start, you will usually be thrown out of the
car immediately.
Akira, however, holds his gun up with impunity. This is thanks to Alpha's precise center-of-gravity
control via his reinforced clothing. The information-gathering equipment recognizes the vehicle
and its surroundings, calculates the swaying of the body due to driving, and applies minute
corrections to Akira's movements.
In addition, Akira concentrated and manipulated his experience of time, placing his own
consciousness in a slow, densely flowing world, thereby slowing the relative shaking of the
vehicle.
He then aligns the blue line of ballistic projection extending from the muzzle of the gun with the
tancrantura. Then he concentrated further, concentrating as much as possible on the density of the
moment, and the moment he felt the illusion that the shaking of the vehicle's body had completely
disappeared, he pulled the trigger.
A specialized bullet fired from a CWH objective assault rifle pierced the air. With such force that
the recoil shook the vehicle body, it forcefully penetrated the layer of air between it and the target,
hitting the target while attenuating its power.
The bullets were easily rebounded by the strong exoskeleton of the tarantula.
'Did I hit ......?'
It was hard to believe that he had missed because of Alpha's support, but Akira was dubious about
the fact that he could see no effect of the bullet from his opponent.
I hit it, but it bounced back."
'You took a dedicated bullet and you're unscathed. ......
'But I've succeeded in attracting their attention. The shelling is coming. I'm going to have to drive
even harder to avoid it, so be careful.
Roger that.
Akira lowered his gun and grabbed the car body with one hand.
Tancrantura had noticed Akira and his team even before they were hit. However, they ignored
them due to the distance between them and the other party and the fact that they saw a large vehicle
that looked like it could have eaten them.
But having been attacked, they moved up the priority list for dealing with the situation, even if
they were unharmed, and moved on to counterattack. They turned their turrets, adjusted their
sights, and opened fire with a roar.
Shells rain down one after another at high speed in an attempt to blow up Akira's vehicle. Alfa
avoids them with skillful driving.
The trajectory is predicted based on the angle of the tarantula's cannon, the trajectory is
recalculated by recognizing the shell after it has been fired, and the landing position is accurately
calculated to close the gap between the shells.
Its operation was done with full consideration for the lives of its occupants, but in exchange for
escape from heavy bombardment, ride comfort was neglected. Each sudden acceleration,
deceleration, and change of direction was accompanied by a painful inertia that struck Akira and
Togami.
Akira was able to withstand this with the physical capabilities of his reinforced clothing. He
grabbed the vehicle body with one hand to prevent it from being swept away, while firing the
CWH objective assault rifle with the other hand. He cannot stop shooting to attract the attack of
the tanquillo.
The shell lands on the ground and explodes underground, sending up a cloud of smoke, sediment,
and debris. The impact and blast lifted the vehicle for a moment, giving Akira and the others a
sense of floating before it landed.
Akira's face is drawn in quicksand. His legs were separated from the car for a short while, and he
would have been in danger had he not been holding the body of the car with one hand.
Still, Alfa has a smile to spare.
The accuracy of their sights seems to be pretty poor. I can get closer with this.
'Then get further away from the point of impact! That was a little dangerous, wasn't it?
I'll be fine. I can withstand at least one direct hit with that kind of power.
That's a car, isn't it? If I take a direct hit, I'll die, right?
Akira's reinforced clothes are not enough to prevent that. We'll have to buy something more
sophisticated.
The conversation was starting to get off-topic, but Akira was having none of it, and Alpha didn't
care.
Don't be absurd! How much does that thing cost?
'If Akira could take down Tancrantula by himself, maybe he could use the prize money to buy it.
I don't have that kind of money!"
'Then you'll have to earn more money. Let's work hard and earn.'
'Oh, yes!
Akira replied to Alfa, who smiled at him as if it were a matter of course, with a little desperation.
The shikarabes were watching Akira's battle through the vehicle's equipment. Parga laughs wryly
at the seemingly reckless way he is fighting.
I'm impressed. "You're doing a good job. You have guts."
Yamanobe also looks impressed.
It's good enough as bait. It's a little early, but we'll get out of here. Shikarabe. Open the door.
The doors at the rear of the vehicle slowly open under the operation of the chicarabe. The armored
troop carriers were also moving at considerable speed, and the ground visible from them was
moving at high speed.
Don't overdo it. As soon as you get the job done, get your distance."
I know. I'm not trying to show off my good side, either.
I have no intention of dying amidst the applause. That kind of thing can be done by other people.
We'll do what we always do.
The shikarabes looked a little relieved to see their friends.
All right!" Then go!"
Number two. Let's get to work."
Number 3. Operation start!
Yamanobe and Parga jump out of the vehicle on their motorcycles with great force. And although
the inertia from the moving vehicle caused them to skid on the ground after landing, they
maintained their motorcycles firmly in position with their superb driving skills, accelerated as they
were, overtook the armored personnel carriers, and split into two groups to head for the tank run-
trucks.
Akira was able to wade through the bombardment to further close the distance between him and
Tangkrantula. As a decoy, he moved in closer to increase the effectiveness of his fire in order to
attract the enemy's attention, plus inflict some injuries if possible.
A dedicated round from the CWH objective assault rifle landed again on the tarantula. It was worth
the close proximity and increased power, but it was bounced back and did not result in an unscathed
result. The armor, distorted by the impact of the bullet, peels off.
But that is only the surface layer that has been peeled away. Underneath, there is new, intact armor,
which will be raised up and put back on. So far, no damage has been done to the tank truncheon.
Akira frowned at the sturdiness of the enemy.
'I don't feel like it's working at all when I shoot this close to ....... Alpha. Do I have to at least press
the muzzle against this thing to shoot it anymore?"
I'm sure it would work to that extent, but it's too dangerous to get that close to the stones. Since
we have already done our job as a decoy, let's hope that the Shikarabes will be able to do the rest.
I guess so. Roger that.'
At that moment, the car changed the direction of travel very forcefully and shook the body
violently. A little later, a shell flying horizontally passed nearby. The wind pressure of the air,
stirred up by the passing shells, ruffled Akira's hair, shook his cheeks, and blew cold sweat off his
face.
Akira saw the shell's landing site blown away and replenished the cold sweat on his forehead.
Watch out! Alpha! Keep driving safe! ......Speaking for myself, I have to question the meaning of
safe driving."
Akira smiled wryly at that, and Alfa gave him a mischievous smile.
'Oh, I'm driving safely. I'm driving safely, and the proof is in the pudding.
'......, yes.'
Akira would have liked to ask what the definition of "safe" meant, but he had his hands full with
himself and could not afford to be so concerned about the other crew member.
Seeing Akira's sniping shook Togami's confidence in his own abilities, which he had been
supporting himself, and he unconsciously raised his enthusiasm excessively.
He is proud of his ability to take down bounty hunters and regain his shaken confidence. For this
purpose, he was prepared to take some risks.
That resolve is still there. But the current situation was not something that could be managed with
that resolve.
The car continues to meander in order to avoid the tanker's bombardment, and then stops,
accelerates, and turns sharply. In addition to its inertia, the blast and impact of the shells were
shaking Togami violently. If he was distracted even for a moment, he was likely to be thrown out
of the vehicle.
Togami looks at those who should be in the same situation, using his own ability only to avoid
being swept out of the car. There was Akira, who was holding and supporting the vehicle with one
hand, but still gripping the gun with the other hand and continuing to fire at the tanquillo.
（What the hell is this guy? Hunter rank 21? Screw you! (I can't stand this kind of Hunter Rank
21!)
Togami could only consider Akira's ability as an anomaly, even if he disregarded his sniping skills.
It is impossible to lose the enemy's bombardment by automatic driving. And since this car belongs
to Akira, it can only be assumed that Akira is driving it by remote control.
Remote control itself is technically feasible, as it is simply a matter of operating the vehicle's
control unit via an information terminal or other communication device.
But to do so while shooting at the enemy on top of a violently shaking car seems to Togami to be
out of the ordinary. To succeed in sniping on top of that, it was a divine feat with not even a shred
of room for coincidence.
While astonished by this fact, Togami's face contorts for another reason.
I have to shoot the tankantura myself to attract their attention. I am not riding in the car with him
to stick to it. Even though I scolded myself, I knew that if I stood up, I would be thrown out of the
car, and I couldn't stand up.
（I'm a liability! Damn it!)
Togami could not even voice his passion because he was afraid that if he opened his mouth, he
would bite his tongue. This made Togami's heart ache even more.
Yamanobe, who had closed the distance to Tancrantura on his motorcycle, took his own work
station.
The concern about the shicarabes was unfounded," he said. The decoys worked well.
Yamanobe was pleased that the decoys' efforts had made things easier than he had expected.
However, he also had a slight doubt.
...... But I didn't think there would be two sets of guys that would make it that far. Akira is the one
that Shikarabe brought in and he is over a hundred million. I don't know. But the fourth one over
there, ......, I think it was Nelgo? Why did he get an add-on at that level of performance?"
Nelgo is a hunter who joined this bounty hunter's hunt by the legend of Parga, a four-armed cyborg
with an easily recognizable mechanical body that differs from a prosthetic body. Like Akira, he
was able to get quite close to Tangkrantura in his own vehicle and repeatedly fired shots with his
large gun, which he maneuvered skillfully.
Unlike the other additional personnel who are participating in this bounty hunter strike for money,
Nelgo is seeking to join Drangkam as a reward. And he was promised an oral offer from Sicarabe
on the condition that he perform well enough.
"They want to join Drunkham with our message because the regular window is sucky, but I don't
know how much trouble they've gotten into where they're that competent and the regular window
is sucky. ......"
Yamanobe wondered this, but then changed his mind, saying that he was at work now.
......Well, that's okay. You did your best to play the decoy and made it easy for me. I'll get my work
done."
Tightening his expression, he straddles his motorcycle and holds up a large gun. Then, pointing
the muzzle of the large caliber gun, which is more like a cannon than a gun, at the tarantula, he
focused on the huge body that continues to fire on the decoys and pulled the trigger.
What was shot out was a small machine. It is encased in a strong adhesive substance and sticks to
the target as it is after impact.
Tancrantura was aware of the sniping from the Yamanobe. However, due to the fact that it was not
aimed at damaging him, he prioritized attacking Akira and Nelgo, who were shooting powerful
bullets at him.
This allowed the Yamanobe to continue shooting with ease. Smaller machines stuck all over the
giant body.
After finishing the job, Yamanobe contacts Parga, who is in charge of the next job.
This is number two. Marking done."
This is number 3. Roger that. Go ahead and get back.
I'm going to stay just in case," he said. If you get into trouble, I'll be in trouble."
Keep talking."
We returned each other's light talk and finished the work on the Yamanobe first.
Parga had already closed the distance with Tangkrantula, and thanks to the decoys, he was at the
very edge of the boundary where he would not be the target of an attack as long as he did not attack
himself.
And when he heard from Yamanobe, he stepped over that boundary with a light laugh.
Tancrantura, sensing this, immediately added Parga to its list of targets. It turned its turret to smash
the target with artillery fire. Akira and Nelgo tried to fire and bring the target's sights back to
themselves, but were ignored as Parga closed the distance even further.
The sights of the turret's cannon follow the accelerating Parga. Before the sight was fully aligned
with his own, Parga raised the large automatic grenade launcher, smiled wryly, and pulled the
trigger.
Countless grenades fly through the air, scattering a large amount of smoke upon impact. Some of
the grenades stick to the tarantulas without exploding upon impact, spreading the smoke like a
smoke bomb.
Parga fires the automatic grenade launcher in rapid succession as it is. A large supply of grenades,
supplied from a magazine attached to the motorcycle, is ejected from the muzzle. The area around
the tarantula was enveloped in thick smoke in a short time.
From the smoke, a huge shell was fired at Parga. However, the shell flew in the direction of the
day after tomorrow. The bombardment was repeated several times, but all the sights were
drastically off. Parga saw to that and left the scene with ease.
If it were a simple smoke screen, the tarantulas would have had no problem targeting the pargas.
However, with not only visible light, but also infrared and ultrasonic waves, and all other
information to capture the opponent blocked, accurate bombardment was impossible, even for a
bounty hunter.
The parga shot out was a generator of jamming smoke, an information-gathering jamming
smokescreen.
When Shikarabe received the report from Yamanobe and Parga that the preparation was
completed, he instructed them to leave the target immediately. He then switched the
communication destination to the whole area.
This is number one! You are authorized to use the rocket launchers you distributed! I want
everyone close enough to lock onto the tank truncheon! First, on our signal, we fire all at once!
Never delay!"
Hopefully this was a win-win, and the shikarabe's smile deepened.
Akira's face turns grim as he sees the tarantula enveloped in smoke. The enemy is huge and easy
to hit, but the range of the smoke enveloping its massive body is even greater. This raised his
alertness that he could not hit it seriously.
'Smoke screens or ....... It's a pain in the ass. Alpha. What do we do? Can you handle it?"
It's okay. And that smoke screen is a jamming smoke screen, and it's the work of the cigarabets.
It's not the tarantulas.
They shot out an information-gathering jamming smoke generator and attached it to the tarantula.
Alpha supplemented it as such and then extended Akira's vision.
Then the image of the tarantula, which had been hidden by the smoke screen, was clearly projected.
The display was corrected based on the list of ingredients in the information-gathering jamming
smoke screen jamming smoke.
Oh," he said. Wow, that's great. So now I can't see this way from the other side, and I can see the
whole other side from here. That's very convenient. ......If it's this convenient, I should have bought
it back then, right?"
Unfortunately, the cheap stuff they were selling in the Katsuragi trailer couldn't do what they were
trying to do."
Jamming smoke, a special information-gathering jamming smoke screen that, when corrected
based on a list of ingredients, compounds noise and makes it possible to gather information, is
expensive because it is difficult to manufacture.
The shicarabes were using large quantities of that expensive product to impede as much as possible
the enemy side's search for the enemy, and to reduce the impediment to the gathering of
information by their allies.
As Akira listens to the explanation and looks impressed, Alpha gives him a meaningful smile.
The cost is quite high for such a high-performance, high-end product in such large quantities," he
said. It seems you've spent a lot of money to fight the bounty hunter. I wonder how much is left
over after deducting those expenses from the ...... prize money.
Compensation to participants is paid from the remainder. Akira's face hardened a little.
I hope there's some prize money left?"
'......, it'll be fine.'
There, Shikarabe gives the order to use a rocket launcher. As if to cover up the anxiety that had
arisen, Akira immediately began preparations.
The tarantulas can only fire in off-target directions due to the information-gathering jamming
smoke screen. Even if it tries to move and escape the smoke, the source remains attached to itself.
It is immediately coated in smoke.
The fear of being hit by a bullet has dropped dramatically, and Alfa has curbed its rough driving.
Thanks to this, Togami is finally able to stand up. He was quite fatigued, but managed to stagger
back to his stance.
"...... Oh, hey."
Togami subconsciously called out to Akira to do so. However, he was not sure of his intentions.
Complaints of rough driving. Questions about why they are so good at what they do. Excuses to
cover up the fact that I'm slowing you down. Before they can come out of their mouths, they collide
and become mute.
Akira interpreted Togami's attitude as meaning that he wanted me to give him a rocket launcher
as well, and tossed the rocket launcher and its bullets to Togami.
Then, leaving Togami lightly bewildered, he continued his preparations. The sighting device of
the rocket launcher showed that it had already finished acquiring the target and that automatic
tracking was also enabled.
From the communicator, we hear Shikarabe's instructions.
Fifteen seconds to attack!" I brought you here for this! Anyone who doesn't participate in the attack
will have their reward reduced!"
Togami hurriedly begins preparations.
Five, four, three, two, one!
Akira already has his rocket launcher ready. Togami barely made it in time.
Zero!"
At Shikarabe's command, additional personnel, including Akira, fired rockets all at once.
The rockets flew one after another toward the tankantura. When they approached the target to a
certain extent, they changed their trajectory and ascended, corrected for their distance and launch
timing in the air, gathered together, and landed on the tank runner at about the same time.
The next moment, a huge explosion occurs, compounded by the detonation of countless rocket-
propelled grenades. A flash of light streaks across the wilderness, and the explosion flame that
instantly engulfed the tarantula spreads around it, burning and scorching the area. The blast reached
Akira's place, and the strong winds shook the vehicle.
Akira was half appalled and kept looking at the explosion site.
'...... awesome. You have to go to these lengths to beat the bounty hunters.'
Surprised by the fierce attack, and therefore thinking that he had now won, Akira unconsciously
let his guard down.
Alpha notes that.
Akira. It's too early to relax. It is not yet decided that we have defeated him.
What?
Akira, who was told something unexpected, looks at Alfa without thinking. It was the behavior of
a suspicious person who suddenly turns his head in the direction of no one, and was so surprised.
'No, Alpha. You would have beaten him no matter what. Even if he was still alive, he was hit by
that. He's already dying. Now all we have to do is rain rockets down on them and slowly put an
end to it. ......
Akira. Look."
The tarantulas were visible to the naked eye because the surrounding information-gathering
obstruction smoke screen jamming smoke was blown away by the blast.
He has lost several legs. A metal part that looks like a turret is also blown off. The huge belly is
heavily distorted and torn. The lower tires and infinite track are also destroyed.
Yet, despite that explosion, the tarantula still retained its original form. Moreover, it was trying to
move. It was struggling to support its huge body with its remaining legs.
But the damage to the rest of his legs was also severe, and the load was too much for his reduced
legs. Unable to support his huge body, he broke several more legs and collapsed with a roar.
Oh, you can still move after taking that? No, but look, you don't seem to be able to move anymore.
Akira was surprised at how sturdy the tarantulas were, but was relieved to see their deadly
movements.
At that time, instructions are given by Shikarabe through a communicator.
Again. As soon as the guidance system is installed, we will attack in the same way. Have your
rocket launchers ready."
This is number 2. Copy that. I'll be right with you."
This is number 3. What about me? Shall we reapply the information-gathering jamming smoke
screen just in case?"
I'm going to check their condition. The ...... enemy has lost its long-range attack capability and
should be fine. Use it in the next battle against the bounty hunter. Leave it. Use it if the situation
changes and you think you need it."
I understand. Well, we certainly destroyed the enemy's main gun. Don't you want an intelligence-
gathering jamming smoke screen jamming smoke ...... hmm? What the hell is that?
Parga's panicked voice was transmitted to all of us through the communicator.
The perceptions of those present vary. Some are completely relaxed, convinced of victory. Others
are still alive and remain vigilant.
But to varying degrees, it made no difference that they thought they had the upper hand and that
the rest was just a cleanup job.
A scene that overturned everyone's expectations appeared before Akira and his colleagues. The
abdomen of the tankulantula, which had already been partially ripped open, broke open even more
widely, and a large number of small tankulantula sprang out of the cracks.
Countless baby spiders spread out around them. Even though they are small, I am talking about in
comparison to the parent spiders. Although they varied in size, there were a large number of
individuals, some as large as two meters in length, mixed in with the rest.
A swarm of those small tankantulas came toward Akira and his team, moving their tires and infinite
orbits with great vigor.
One of the baby spiders points a small turret at Akira's car. A shell was fired, landing near the car
and exploding. Although its power was much lower than the parent spider's cannon, it had the
destructive power to wreck even a wilderness-specification vehicle if it was hit repeatedly.
Alfa launches the car with great force. Countless spiders fire at once, and countless shells land one
after another behind the car. Both the rapid launch of the vehicle and the enemy shelling caused
the panicked Togami to scream.
Akira switches equipment on the violently shaking vehicle body. Holding a CWH objective assault
rifle in his right hand and a DVTS minigun in his left, he slammed his firepower into the swarm
of baby spiders.
The bullets fed from the extended magazine, gaining the rate of fire of the DVTS minigun, strike
the enemy herd. The relatively smallest individuals in the herd were reduced to fragments of wood
by the barrage of bullets.
The large individuals that survived the sweep were pierced by specialized rounds fired from the
CWH objective assault rifle. The targeted individual was wrecked and blown up at the same time
as the bullet landed.
Still, Akira had a grim look on his face.
'More fragile than my parents! But there are too many of them!"
'Still, if you beat them, they'll decrease. Just reduce their numbers."
I get it!
Even when part of the swarm is defeated, the remnants of the swarm come at you, trampling over
the remnants of the same species. Large numbers of baby spiders are still springing from the
abdomen of the tarantula, as if ignoring the volume of their parents. The bombardment from those
swarms has caused a large number of shells to rain down on the area as a barrage.
Alfa was able to avoid those shells with his advanced driving skills, but the quicksand
bombardment was too intense to avoid all of them.
A large drop of bullet rain landed on the front of the vehicle, and the impact shook the body of the
vehicle. Akira, who felt the force of the impact firsthand, managed to hold on through clenched
teeth to keep from being thrown out of the vehicle.
'Alpha! Please, please, please, please avoid them!
I'll be fine. It's not a problem if you take a few hits with that kind of power.
That's why! It is! You're talking about a car! I'm not!
Akira said, "Good, Akira, reduce the number of enemies. If you reduce the number of sources of
fire, the probability of being hit will surely decrease by that much, won't it?"
I get it! You just do it! Do it!"
Akira replied with a bit of desperation, showering the enemy hordes with the firepower of his
CWH objective assault rifle and DVTS minigun. Continue. With Alpha's support, the firepower
was at its most efficient, and countless baby spiders were being crushed without any way to stop
them.
Still, the situation has not reached a state of improvement. Even though they are small, there are
individuals that have sprung up from the bounty hunters, and each one is more powerful than those
monsters. When they attack in packs, a hard fight is inevitable.
The situation was worse than before the simultaneous attacks by rocket launchers.
The shikarabes were busy dealing with the baby spiders that had sprung up from the tarantulas.
Akira and other additional personnel were also fighting while running around in their own vehicles,
but the situation was not good.
The instructions of the shikarabe fly from the communicator.
Ignore the ones that get away! There's no bounty for killing them! If you're defending the parent,
destroying it could cause it to scatter around! Think of defeating the parent as your main objective!
Number two! What about the markings!"
This is number two! Even though the parent individual has a guidance system in place, the child
individual is destroying it! ...... Wait a minute! There was an individual who peeled off the
guidance system from the parent and took off! He's heading towards vehicle #1 with the guidance
system! If you don't change your guidance settings, the rockets will fly that way!"
Fuck you!" The parent unit is immobile! It's a little less powerful, but so what! I'm changing the
guidance settings to the parent coordinates! Number 2, switch your work to destroying the child!
Those with rocket launchers, attack in one-minute intervals! Match the timing of the firing to the
count from the communicator!"
A mechanical voice repeats from the communicator.
59, 58, 57......"
Identical voices were heard from everyone's communication devices. The instructions had been
received, but most of us were not in the mood for it.
Akira continued to fight back with a very grim face. There was a reason why his face was so
distorted, beyond the situation of being surrounded by a swarm of baby spiders.
'Alpha! Why am I the only one getting attacked like this?
The child spiders are attacking Akira's car as a clear priority. The next target was the Shikarabes'
armored personnel carriers, with the other additional personnel being targeted much later.
In a sense, this saved them from being suddenly annihilated by the other additional personnel, who
were less capable of fighting. However, Akira could not help but feel that he was the only one
being attacked unreasonably.
Maybe they were set as a priority target for destruction as a strong enemy by their engagement
algorithm because they killed too many of the enemy hordes. Let's just call it bad luck.
Akira, blamed for his own bad luck, chuckles.
'Is this just my bad luck? Oh yeah! Then...
And then he dared to laugh forcefully.
'Well, I guess we'll just have to smash them as usual!
Alpha also laughs and raises Akira's spirits.
That's what I'm talking about. Let's kick ass, as always!'
Alpha moves each of the four wheels precisely through the car's control unit, controlling the
direction of tire rotation individually and causing the car body itself to rotate in a sideways motion.
Akira passes on this inertia by manipulating his reinforced clothing. In this precarious situation,
where even a slight error in shifting the center of gravity could result in being thrown out of the
vehicle, Akira continues to fire both guns without worrying about running out of ammunition.
As a result, the DVTS minigun held by Akira did not reap a swarm of enemies, but instead spun
the entire car around twice, scattering bullets in all directions.
The barrage, thinned by the extended range of the sweep, remained dense enough to take full
advantage of the extended magazine. The dense storm of bullets carefully pulverized the child
spiders, turning them into a mixture of flesh and metal fragments.
Akira's field of vision shows the enemy's position in red from an overhead viewpoint. The red
disappeared one after another with Akira at the center, creating a colorless circle in the area that
had been tinted red just a few moments before.
Yet the circle gradually narrowed again. That many still remained.
The area is already littered with the wreckage of the destroyed small tank runtura everywhere.
However, the enemy fire shows no sign of abating. Akira, too, became dismayed.
'Alpha. Isn't this a lot, no matter how much? I've killed this many. The one that sprang from the
big belly of the tarantula must have been killed off by a stone, right?"
I am not the only one dealing with a swarm. The shikarabes and other additional personnel have
also defeated a considerable number of individuals, albeit to varying degrees. Despite this, Akira
was beginning to wonder if this was a strange situation.
Akira. I have some unfortunate news on that matter.'
'...... what the hell. Don't tell me it's splitting and growing?'
No, it's not. Reinforcements are still coming in from other places. So, even if you wipe out all the
nearby individuals, it won't reduce the number of reinforcements much.
Presumably, the tarantulas had produced a large number of baby spiders before the engagement
and released them into the wilderness. It is then calling in the grown-up individuals to protect
itself. Alpha added.
Akira makes a disgusted face.
'No wonder it hasn't decreased. ...... Well, it's better than being split up.'
A mechanical voice continues from the communicator to time the attack with the rocket launcher.
"......5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0."
Akira, who is busy dealing with the baby spiders, does not have time to fire a rocket launcher.
However, Togami was shooting instead.
A total of 10 rockets, including those fired by the other additional personnel, flew into the sky.
The rockets then changed their trajectory in mid-air and headed for Tangkrantula.
However, they were intercepted by shells fired by the baby spiders surrounding the parent spider,
and only six shots landed. They were not powerful enough to put a stop to the tarantulas.
Seeing Alpha lightly shake his head, Akira lets out an involuntary sigh.
'It's really sturdy. If I could do the first attack again, I'd probably be able to beat the stones. ......"
'To do that, we need to get rid of the baby spiders. At least enough so that half of the additional
personnel can join the attack.'
Most of the additional personnel are busy dealing with the baby spiders. The Shikarabe also tried
to create an opening for an attack by using a machine gun in their vehicle to drive away the enemy
swarm, even if only temporarily, but they were limited to holding off the enemy's massed forces.
'......Anyway, I guess I'll just have to do it.'
That's the way it is. I'll support you, too.
Akira shoots at a swarm of baby spiders with encouragement from Alpha. He was prepared to be
a little off, changing his expensive extended magazine several times along the way and making
sure he would pay for this expense.
Togami prepares the rocket launcher with a grim look on his face as he listens to the automated
voice that follows from the communicator.
"......20, 19, 18......"
Taking care not to fall out of the vehicle, he grips each in both hands and holds them ready. There
is no need to aim. As long as you shoot, they will fly away with automatic guidance. Pull the
trigger at the right moment.
"......2, 1, 0. 59, 58, 57......"
Then, they prepare for the next attack. Instead of Akira, who is unable to participate in the rocket
launcher attack because he is too busy dealing with the baby spiders, he holds a loaded rocket
launcher in each hand and prepares to shoot two people without fail.
This repetition was the best Togami could do.
Driving a car is much better than before. It is possible to participate in the fight against the baby
spiders. However, I couldn't choose that option because I wondered how much sense it would
make if I shot the swarm.
If that's the case, I'll concentrate on attacking with rocket launchers. In this way, he reinforces the
meaning of being in the same car. Although he was aware that it was an excusable act, he was
doing everything he could not to make himself a complete liability.
Still, Togami was trembling with anger at his own unworthiness.
Akira, who had been concentrating on exterminating the baby spiders, was confronted by a large
individual among the swarm. Wrapping its entire body in strong armor, it charged at a speed that
could not be achieved by foot, using tires and an infinite trajectory.
Even when Akira swept the area with other baby spiders using a DVTS minigun, the individual
raced forward with fewer bullets lodged in its armored body.
Although a little surprised by its sturdiness, Akira unhurriedly pointed the CWH objective assault
rifle at it. The specialized bullet shot out easily penetrated the enemy's solid armor, destroying the
cephalothorax and killing the individual instantly. The abdomen, shredded from the cephalothorax,
flies through the air due to inertia.
The next moment, its abdomen burst open, scattering its contents. Akira's face involuntarily
scrunched up.
Scattered around the area were a large number of spiders the size of Akira's palm.
I reflexively intercepted them, but it was impossible to shoot them all down. The grandchild spiders
born from the baby spiders landed on Akira's vehicle.
What the hell is this?
Akira! Deal with the individual stuck on the car immediately! He's trying to eat the car!"
Whoa!
Akira hurriedly kicked away a nearby grandchild spider. He continued on to exterminate other
individuals highlighted in his extended vision.
Armored tiles and seats are acceptable, but gnawing on vehicle controls and tires is fatal. We will
eliminate them as quickly as possible. There is no need to knock them down. The first priority is
to remove them from the vehicle.
While I was dealing with the grandchild spiders, the baby spiders attacked me, so I couldn't let go
of both guns. Being careful not to accidentally shoot the car, I shoot the ones stuck on the surface
of the car body, pop the ones on the seat with the barrel, and kick the ones on the floor.
Then another shot rang out. Akira reflexively turned his gaze to see Togami hurriedly shooting a
spider with his pistol. His voice cracks involuntarily.
Hey! Watch out and shoot! No, don't shoot the ones in the car, put them away!"
I'd at least shoot him with a handgun pellet! It's a wilderness vehicle! That's not going to break it!"
That's my car!
During that futile argument, the car was being gnawed off by a grandchild spider. Furthermore, a
large baby spider rushed forward again.
Akira, despite having a bad feeling about the situation, cannot ignore it. Left unattended, he would
be struck by a car, and even a rollover in this situation would be fatal, so he points the CWH anti-
materials assault rifle and pulls the trigger. The specialized bullet blew out his cephalothorax and
sent his opponent's abdomen flying into the air again.
Without a moment's notice, he fires a DVTS minigun repeatedly at its abdomen. It would be good
if we could smash the whole contents while we are at it. If we can make it fly away with bullets,
that would be good too. That was what he thought.
But the abdominal surface armor resisted its barrage of bullets halfway through. While protecting
the contents from bullets, it could not withstand them and popped off. As a result, the grandchild
spiders inside scattered around the area again. Part of it also landed on Akira's vehicle.
Not again!"
Akira. I'm going to try to pull away with some momentum, so tell him not to let me shake him
off."
Hold on so you don't get swept off your feet!
Togami hears this and tries to hold on to the car tightly. At that moment, however, one of the
grandchild spiders stuck to Togami's arm. Just as he let go of the car to shake it off, an extremely
strong inertia hit Togami.
Alfa made a sharp U-turn, spinning the car violently. The grandchild spiders stuck to the vehicle
were scattered by its inertia and centrifugal force. And the togami were thrown out of the vehicle
together.
Akira reached for Togami in mid-air, but could not reach him.
Thrown out of the car, Togami hits the ground. Thanks to his reinforced clothing, he is unharmed,
but the situation is deadly. He had let go of his gun when he was thrown out of the car, and there
were swarms of baby spiders around him, plus the car was moving away from him.
Damn!" It's disgusting!"
After cursing the situation, Togami reflexively jumps to the side. A moment later, a large baby
spider ran past Togami's side.
The child spider, having evaded the attack, skids on its tires and infinite orbit and makes a sharp
turn, then tries to strike the target again.
Togami, who was about to raise his gun reflexively, stops moving. There is no gun.
Fuck you!"
This is not the end of the story. Putting his will into his fist, Togami delivered a full-body blow to
the baby spider that was coming toward him.
A fist fully loaded with the physical capabilities of the enhanced suit is shot into the enemy's face.
The blow, which was enough to cause the feet of both legs supporting the recoil to cave in rather
than crack, depressed the opponent's cephalothorax and canceled out the inertia of the huge body.
The inertia of the impact lifts the spider's abdomen, which falls to the ground and makes a loud
noise. The tires and the infinite orbit also stopped moving.
But that still did not bring down the child spider. The tires and the infinite orbit started moving
again, gaining strength in an attempt to push Togami down.
Togami immediately held his opponent with both hands. The situation was not improving. If he
made a bad move, he would be pushed down at once. But even at this rate, he would eventually be
pushed down.
I'm stuck. This realization reflected the unmitigated horror on Togami's face.
The perception of death accelerates consciousness and slows the pace of the world. But that, too,
produced no effect other than to let the fear ripen in that dense time.
"I'm ......, I'm ...... in a place like this, damn it ......."
With a small cry of resignation escaping his mouth, Togami broke.
The next moment, the spider in front of Togami's eyes was trampled by Akira.
After Togami was swung from the car, Akira jumped out of the car with a troublesome look on his
face. Then, leaping with the physical strength of his reinforced clothes, he stomped down with all
his might on the baby spider that had been attacking Togami.
It was quite powerful, partly because of the weight of both firearms, but it was not enough to kill
the baby spider. But it was enough to stop the enemy. While lightly leaping again in reaction, it
shot the spider under the legs.
The cephalothorax was hit by a direct hit from a dedicated bullet from a CWH objective assault
rifle, and the DVTS minigun fired a barrage of rounds at point-blank range. The abdomen, this
time bathed, was shattered, this time with its entire contents, and the individual was instantly killed
and incapacitated.
Akira landed in front of the appalled Togami, and after scattering a barrage of bullets around him,
he approached Togami's side and kicked him to the ground.
To be precise, he put the back of his foot on it once and then threw it away with his foot, but
because he did it so quickly, it only seemed to Togami as if he had been kicked.
The back seat of the car that made a U-turn and returned again catches Togami, who screams in
mid-air. Akira also jumped into the car.
Removal of the grandchild spiders that had attached themselves to the vehicle was only a matter
of two fast U-turns.
Togami was half stunned, but when he saw Akira jump into the car, he opened his mouth with a
confused head.
What the ......, what the fuck are you doing ......?"
I'm sorry. My hands were full."
Seeing Akira tell him that, Alpha chuckled lightly.
'You've given me a lot of trouble. So what's he going to do? I hate to say it, but I don't think I'm
going to be much use to you if I keep you on board.
'...... I guess so.'
Akira nodded, thinking lightly.
'All right. Let's just throw him in the car with the cigarabes, as requested by the cigarabes, since it
means he's in my way.'
Copy that.
Alfa laughed and turned the car around.
◆
The armored personnel carrier in which the shicarabe rides was also attacked by countless
grandchild spiders. They were scattered when the baby spiders were crushed by the onboard
machine gun.
The vehicle is sturdy enough, but intensive gnawing on the machine gun will eventually hinder it.
However, it is impossible to destroy a small spider stuck to the vehicle body with the onboard
machine gun.
Shikarabe thought about having the additional personnel outside exterminate them, but decided
that they would only cause more damage in vain by shooting at the vehicles in the dark.
I had no choice. I'll just have to make do on my own."
He clicks his tongue and switches the car to automatic operation. He then opened the door at the
rear of the vehicle to get out. There, the shicarabe looked outside and couldn't help but make a
dubious face.
Akira was driving toward Shikarabe, and moreover, he was forcing Togami on top of the car and
swinging him around.
'Oh, come on, you're really going to throw that in there?'
When the shikarabe spilled out a giggle, the togami was really thrown. It flew through the air with
a shriek and flew toward the interior of the armored personnel carrier.
Shikarabe deftly grabbed Togami and prevented him from crashing into the car. However, he drops
it as if to dump it on the floor.
You've come at just the right time. Togami. You can drive, can't you?"
Togami was in a state of confusion, having been tossed aside without saying a word, and was in
no condition to respond.
Shikarabe clicks her tongue and kicks Togami lightly.
Hey! Togami! You hear me? ! I'm driving the car! Can you do it?"
What?" Uh, yeah, I can."
You drive for me. There's a limit to how much you can drive on autopilot. Call me if you need
anything."
The shikarabe gave these instructions, then grabbed the ceiling of the rear door and deftly climbed
on top of the vehicle. He then shot at the grandchild spiders stuck to the car one after another.
The grandchild spiders, which were peeled off from the car body by the impact of the bullet, were
run over and shattered the moment they fell to the ground.
Togami, who had been left behind, came to his senses and hurried to the driver's seat.
After finishing throwing the togami, Akira was mildly amazed to see the shikarabe continue to
deal with the grandchild spiders on the armored troop carriers.
I'm impressed. Unlike me, you don't have the support of Alpha, so how can you do something like
that? What if you fall off?
I'm sure he has that much ability to take down a bounty hunter," he said. Don't be impressed
forever, Akira, go back to your work.
I understand. Let's do it.
Akira picks up the CWH objective assault rifle and DVTS minigun again, which he had put down
to throw Togami off. Then Alpha sneered a little.
'Now I don't have to worry about shaking him off, so I can get into my usual groove from now on.
'Yes,' he said. ...... Wait a minute, driving a car, were you holding back on that one?'
Yes. Let's go.'
The car accelerates rapidly. Akira hurriedly adjusted his collapsed position.
The desperate response of Akira and his team had gradually improved the war situation. The enemy
reinforcements were much smaller, and Akira, the Shikarabes, and Nelgo, who were all strong
players, had reduced the number of the herds to a trickle.
Akira even had room for a light laugh as he told Alfa, who continued to drive so roughly that he
suspected a malfunction in the car's control unit, that it was worth fighting through many words of
desperation bordering on bitchiness as he drank his recovery medicine.
But then Alfa told him about the war situation, and his face clouded. He was told that he could not
win if the situation continued as it was.
What? But we're almost done defeating hordes of enemies. I don't think there's anything to lose,
so what's the harm?"
It's not so much that we can't win as that we can't lose."
Normally, the game would have been won in the first round of attacks. However, because of the
chaos that ensued, another simultaneous attack was blocked, and the rockets that had been prepared
were consumed in large quantities in a situation in which they could not be used effectively.
In addition, the tarantulas not only let the baby spiders protect themselves, but also carried and ate
the fallen baby spiders. With sufficient food and time, it is thought that complete recovery of
destroyed parts is possible.
Even if they don't recover that much, they will be able to at least move around once they finish
healing themselves with tires and endless orbits. The battle with the herd had already bought them
a lot of time. If they were not careful, there was a risk that they would escape.
Akira involuntarily turns his gaze to the tarantula. The huge spider-shaped monster, magnified in
the extended vision, seemed to have finished recovering each part of its body.
'Ehhh. What are you going to do? I don't want you to fight like this and get away.
'Maybe we'll get instructions from Shikarabe soon on how to do that as well.
Alpha's prediction is correct, and the communicator gives the instructions for the shikarabe.
All callers! The next salvo will decide it! Change the guidance settings of the rockets to extend the
time in the air to the limit and attack! On my next signal, fire off all the rocket launchers I give
you!"
Cicarabes decided that it would be a bad idea to give Tancrantula any more time to recover, so
they decided to play the game.
"Anyone who has finished firing rockets, fire around the tanquillo anyway! That should suppress
enemy interceptions as much as possible! Next time is the last! And you'd better be willing to die
for it! No prize money if you miss! There will be no reward for you!"
Akira laughed lightly, exhaled heavily, and then changed his expression to a serious one to keep
his attention.
'All right. We'll end up winning if we can. Let's go for it."
This is the moment of truth. Let's do our best. But first, Akira, someone is approaching.
What? Who is it?"
It was Nelgo's car that approached. He laid down in Akira's car and called out to him in an amiable
manner.
Hi. My name is Nelgo. May I join you? As a matter of fact, I've already spent most of the rockets
they gave me."
......, well, okay."
I appreciate it."
Nelgo replied and jumped into Akira's car. The car, now unmanned, automatically followed Akira's
car.
Akira is a little surprised. Nelgo's movements were truly natural, despite the fact that he leapt
between moving vehicles with the rest of his rockets. Even when he landed, he gave Akira's vehicle
very little sway, and the sound of his landing was almost inaudible.
What's wrong?"
Oh, no, I was just a little surprised at how easily you got in while the car was running.
It's an aircraft that costs a certain amount of money," he said. It's a high-performance aircraft."
Oh, I see. ......"
By the way, may I ask your name?"
Akira, but ......"
Akira. That's a good name. Take good care of it.
Hi. Hi.
Akira sensed a strange mood from Nelgo and flinched a little, not knowing why.
Nelgo grips a gun in each of his four arms and shoots at the surrounding child spiders.
It was a very small gun, even though it was designed for use against monsters. However, the bullets
shot out of it were powerful enough. Moreover, the sights of all four guns were aimed at different
targets individually and precisely.
The child spiders were crushed one by one by the powerful and precise gunfire.
Akira hurriedly joined in the shooting, with his CWH objective assault rifle and DVTS minigun
ready to fire on the already thinning herd. They destroy them.
Nelgo calls out to Akira as he continues shooting.
You have great ability," he said. In fact, I have watched you fight several times since the battle
began, and all of them were perfect. I am a cyborg, as you can see, but perhaps you have a
prosthetic body too?"
No, I'm flesh and blood. I'm wearing reinforced clothes, though."
Hm. You're a reinforced clothing user."
Nelgo stares at Akira while dealing with the enemies around him without problems. Akira was a
little pressured.
What?
No, excuse me. Professionally, I am interested in strong men like you. Even if you are wearing an
enhancement suit, your movements are quite impressive in the flesh. I wonder if you have
undergone some kind of body enhancement process. Or is it the result of rigorous training?"
It's training and real combat. No physical enhancements or anything like that."
I see. That's great."
Akira was out of tune and even looked dubious when he was praised.
It was not because he was not at all happy to be praised for his abilities with the support of Alpha,
but because he was feeling a titillation at the strong interest he was receiving from someone he did
not know.
'Hey, what's this guy ....... Alpha. Do you know what it is?"
He is a cyborg as he looks, and from the way he just moved, he is capable of fully demonstrating
the performance of the aircraft. That's about all I can tell. I think the reason people are interested
in him is because he was doing so well, but I don't know exactly what he's capable of.
"Yes, I see."
There, mixed in with the mechanical voice count that continues from the communicator, is the
voice of the shikarabe.
It's about time! When I give the signal, keep firing until I tell you to retreat! Anyone who fails to
participate in this final attack will be deemed useless! Don't think you'll get paid if you survive!"
"......10, 9, 8......"
Akira and his team hold up rocket launchers. Unlike Akira, who held it with both hands, Nelgo
held it with each of his four arms.
"......7, 6, 5......"
Near Tangkrantula, the Yamanobe and his team continued to fire guidance devices and
information-gathering jamming smoke screens. Thanks to the reduced number of baby spiders,
they are able to get closer and are doing all they can for another round of attacks.
"......4, 3"
Shikarabe had adjusted the guidance settings of the rockets to ignore guidance devices that were
well off the target's position. In addition, he had Togami shoot the baby spiders with an onboard
machine gun.
2, 1......"
Other additional personnel were also readying rocket launchers. I was desperate to miss this
opportunity to really get my reward.
Zero."
Akira and the others release rockets in unison to the count of a mechanical voice. Countless rockets
fly into the air one after another.
Akira immediately tried to fire the next rocket as instructed by Shikarabe. Nelgo stopped him.
I'll take care of firing the rockets. I am more skilled than you. You will take care of intercepting
the rockets.
Okay. Okay.
The baby spiders in the vicinity of the tarantula cannot intercept the rockets due to the very dense
information-gathering jamming smoke screen. However, the baby spiders in other locations can
extend their airtime to the limit and aim at the rockets they are guiding.
Akira will destroy those baby spiders with priority. Thanks to Alpha's support, they were
preventing the enemy from intercepting them with maximum efficiency.
Nelgo was behind Akira, shooting rockets dexterously one after the other with his four arms,
carefully observing his abilities.
Numerous rockets flying in the air lightly circled in the air, extending their dwell time, and then
merged with the followers to form a swarm. The moment they reached sufficient numbers, they
attacked the tarantulas simultaneously.
The trajectory and timing of impact were automatically corrected by each side, and the swarms of
rockets that landed and detonated on their targets from all directions almost simultaneously created
an explosion that was even more painful than the initial attack.
Akira was amazed at the power of the vehicle, which was violently shaken by the blast.
'If we can't beat this, there's really nothing we can do about it!'
It's okay. Akira. Look at that.
Alpha laughed and pointed to a tarantula that had been blown to pieces with a loud bang.
In addition, the surrounding baby spiders have also stopped moving. Some of them had stopped
while moving at high speed, and with their momentum, they collided with other individuals and
overturned.
The parent was probably under the control of the child, and when the parent was destroyed, the
child's control unit was shut down at the same time. It's okay now.
You won, didn't you?"
Yeah. I won.'
Akira exhales loudly. The realization of victory brought more relief than jubilation.
Nelgo addresses Akira in a calm manner.
I see you made it down without incident. I'm glad to hear that. I shall take my leave now. If there
is a chance, I will see you again.
Nergo said this, hopped into his car, and drove away.
Akira makes a curious, subtle face.
'After all, ......, what was that guy?'
I don't know. Well, it's not our concern.'
'That's true, too. ...... Oh, I'm tired.'
Akira sat down in the driver's seat with a truly tired expression on his face and relaxed his entire
body. He then let himself be carried away by the pleasant exhaustion of having defeated a 800
million-olam bounty hunter.
Alpha labors over Akira with the same beautiful smile he always has.
Akira. Thanks for your hard work.
It was really the same smile as usual, showing that there is not much difference between an 800-
million-ohrum bounty hunter and a monster out there.
Despite the unexpected situation, Akira and the Shikarabes succeeded in defeating the
tanquantulas.
The process of killing a bounty hunter does not end when the target is defeated. In order to be
recognized as a bounty hunter and receive the bounty, you need to complete the necessary
procedures.
On the hunter's side, it is to ensure that they get a large bounty and a foil for their success in
defeating the hunters. They cannot afford to have their achievements stolen by other hunters who
falsely claim that they are the ones who defeated the bounty hunter. We also don't want them to
refuse to pay the bounty, saying that the target disappeared from the wilderness but that they could
not confirm that they were the ones who defeated him.
The payer needs a guarantee that the target has been killed, as long as they are paying a high
bounty. Deliberate falsehoods are out of the question. Even if it is a guess that the target was killed,
if there is a possibility that the target is still alive, it is not so easy to pay a large sum of money.
There, the hunter's office will thoroughly verify the destruction of the bounty. If any errors are
found after the verification, it is proof that even the hunter office did not anticipate the situation,
and the subsequent trouble can be settled peacefully.
Even if the bounty hunter's head is completely reduced to dust in the battle and the target's
destruction cannot be confirmed by the presence or absence of a corpse, if the hunter office certifies
that the target has indeed been defeated based on information gathering equipment and other data,
it is officially considered a successful defeat.
Even when multiple hunter teams that are not cooperating with each other kill a bounty in a
crowded field, the hunter office can be left to adjudicate which team killed the bounty, thereby
avoiding unnecessary hassles.
For those reasons, confirmation of the defeat by the hunter's office was very important.
In addition, monsters powerful enough to be certified as bounty hunters are often special
individuals that have been mutated or self-modified to become that strong, and they have high
value after their destruction as research targets for companies, whether biological or mechanical.
The bodies and wreckage then become the property of the hunter's office in the name of
investigating the destruction decision.
However, if the bounty hunter refuses to hand over the body of a dead bounty hunter, negotiations
are necessary. Sometimes, hunters with no shortage of money would kill a bounty hunter for the
sake of their hobby and honor, and then make a pare for display in their homes.
Cicarabe had instructed additional personnel to pick up and collect the wreckage of the
tanctorantura as he proceeded with the procedures with the hunter's office.
I have no intention of making tankantula hulls in Chicarabes. The reason is to collect them first so
that they can be handed over immediately to the hunter's office and the procedure for defeating the
bounty can be completed quickly.
Because of this, even those additional personnel such as Akira and Nelgo, who had performed well
enough, were instructed to take a break.
The survivors were spending their time in the wilderness, where traces of the large-scale battle
remained in abundance.
Akira was about to start a late lunch. He lined up the portable meals he had brought with him on
the ground and pondered which one to eat. He put a sandwich in his mouth, choosing from a
selection of sandwiches.
After a hard day's work, I was just as hungry as I could be. While chewing on the satisfying
ingredients, I enjoy the gratitude of the meal mainly in my stomach, and my face relaxes.
In front of Akira, Alpha was smiling and munching on a sandwich as well.
However, the alphas do not need to eat, and the sandwiches exist only as visual images, and are
merely a pretense for the spectacle of eating together.
Still, there was enough there to make Akira involuntarily stop eating.
'...... something, that one looks pretty tasty.'
'Do you want to try some, Akira? Yes. Aaan."
Alpha laughs and brings his own sandwich close to Akira's mouth. Fluffy bread. Fresh vegetables.
Meat dripping with sauce. A very tasty looking sandwich made up of all of those things, and it had
Alfa's teeth marks on it.
Akira frowned.
'Let's not have that kind of harassment ......'
This is a brilliantly made sandwich that makes you think this is delicious just by visual information,
but it is not real. Through both of Akira's eyes, it increases saliva in the mouth and strongly
stimulates the stomach, but it is inedible. A kind of torture was there.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Alpha laughed happily and put the sandwich back in his own mouth, which he then popped into
his mouth with relish.
Akira finished his sandwich, the edible one, with a disapproving look on his face. He had eaten
the same thing at breakfast, but the lack of it was quite different.
'All right,' he said. I've decided. I'll eat better food when I get home. I'll buy the ones that look
good without worrying about the price.
Hearing Akira's determined declaration, Alpha nodded a little exaggeratedly.
That's all right. Akira should learn to have that kind of luxury. It was worth it for me to do this.
It's not true. I swear I was just teasing you.
Oh, my. I would never lie to Akira. Don't you believe me?
If you answer that you believe them, you are admitting that you are not teasing them. But I don't
want to answer that I don't believe it. Akira returned the silence unfaithfully. Then he resumed his
meal in a binge-like manner to forcefully quiet his stomach, which had been unnecessarily
activated by Alpha's sandwich.
Alpha laughed happily at the sight.
The Chicarabes were in an armored personnel carrier awaiting the arrival of the Hunter Office
personnel. While resting and chatting, they recounted the battle with Tangkrantula.
Yamanobe and Parga were smiling good-humoredly in appreciation of the bounty hunter's defeat,
but Shikarabe was a little buoyant and let out a sigh.
I failed. Eight hundred million aurum is not worth it to beat that thing. I guess I was wrong.
Yamanobe laughs lightly at this harsh assessment.
Well, it was certainly strong. With that one, I would have liked 1.2 billion."
Parga laughed in good form and shook his head.
No, I want 1.4 billion. If you're going to hunt that thing for a bounty, you have to get that much to
make it worthwhile. Hey, Shikarabe.
'That's why I said you failed. I'm sorry I put you through the ...... not-so-worthwhile work."
Shikarabe let out a sigh. Yamanobe chuckled and quieted Parga.
Don't say that. The purpose of this project was to take down the bounty hunter, and from the
beginning, we didn't care about the profitability of the project. Even so, we still managed to make
a profit. Considering that, it's probably enough.
The reason why the Chicarabes fought Tangkrantula was to gain the upper hand in the factional
war within Drangkam by taking credit for the successful defeat of the bounty hunters. Because of
this, it was necessary to hasten the defeat in order to prevent other factions and non-drangkham
hunters from getting ahead of them.
There was a good chance that the prize money could be increased to a more reasonable amount if
they waited longer. However, there was an increased risk that they would be ahead of us. And we
would not know if the prize money was really worth it until we actually fought.
Shikarabe also considered this and judged the timing, but this time she was a little too hasty and
lightly regretted it. The sighs were deeper for that reason.
I should have waited until at least 1 billion, if not 1.4 billion," he said. Ah, we're in a bit of trouble."
Yamanobe wonders a little at the sight of Shikarabe lightly holding her head as she says this.
Hmm?" What difference does it make? It may not be worth it, but as long as we don't go into the
red, it won't make much difference to us. We're under contract not to take any money from the
winnings."
Even if they succeeded in defeating the bounty hunters, they would not receive a single aurum for
themselves. That was the deal the shicarabes made when they hired the additional personnel.
But Shikarabe knew this and kept her head in the game.
There it is. That, basically, is the prize money minus expenses, minus us, and then the head split,
right? In addition, they've been burning the idea of changing the ratio based on success."
I guess so." So?"
I didn't expect Akira and Nelgo to do so well either. If you simply divide the prize money by the
expenses, the reward is not commensurate with the prize money. But if we give them a reward
commensurate with their performance, the rewards we give to the others will disappear.
I see." "Oh, I see. That's tough."
Nergo's is just trying to talk to Drunkham, so he can handle it, but Akira's, you know. ......
As this is an informal and risky request that does not involve the hunter's office, it is expected that
the reward will be reasonably high.
If the request is a legitimate request through the hunter's office, the authority is there, and even if
the fee is unexpectedly low, it can be accepted to some extent on the grounds that it was
contractually agreed upon.
But if you do that with an irregular request, screw you. You are out in the wilderness risking your
life on a high-risk, high-return premise. If they disregard their own lives in exchange for the
money, they usually end up killing each other.
Shikarabe, as a hunter, is not willing to pay that price. In addition, he does not want to kill Akira.
However, if he were to lower the compensation for the other additional members of the team, and
they were to kill each other, he would win by a comfortable margin, but it would have a significant
negative impact on subsequent business dealings.
The shicarabes had to somehow resolve both of these issues amicably.
Parga laughs good-naturedly and teases Shikarabe.
It was Shikarabe who negotiated with Akira. That's why you're in charge. Good luck with the
negotiations, okay?"
I know."
This would not have happened if there were no factional squabbles. Shikarabe let out a sigh to let
her heart out.
Togami was in the armored personnel carrier with the shicarabes, but he was not between them to
join in the banter, so he kept a bit of distance.
Sitting on a couch, he operates an information terminal with a complicated, somewhat trapped
expression on his face. Connecting to the Hunter Office website, he browses Akira's personal page.
Then, prayerfully, he checked his hunter rank.
The wish did not come true.
21...... or ......"
I have to admit now that Akira is very good at what he does. Then he must have been lying to
make fun of himself. He must have been saying that his hunter rank was much lower than it actually
was. If that was the case, even that strength would make sense, I had hoped for the last time, but
to no avail.
You can keep your hunter rank private, but you can't change it to a false number. Even if you
could, there is no reason to make it low. There is no point in keeping it low. Based on these reasons,
Togami had no choice but to admit that he had not lied.
"He's 21......, I'm 27......, what's going on......"
Togami stood up, looking slightly exhausted. He then went straight to the front of the shikarabe.
Shikarabe makes a dubious face.
What is it?"
What the hell is that Akira guy, ......?"
An outside hunter I hired."
That's not what I'm asking!"
The shikarabes are surprised to hear Togami's voice suddenly become hoarse. The usual shicarabes
would have been in a bad mood and returned the intimidation, but with the atmosphere of Togami,
who seemed to be somewhat cornered, their reaction was limited to a surprised look on their faces.
How can he be Hunter Rank 21 with that kind of ability? What the hell is that guy?
Hunter rank is a measure of a hunter's ability as a hunter, not a measure of combat ability. Some
high-ranked hunters are not good at fighting, but are skilled at searching for enemies and hiding in
secret, and have brought large quantities of relics from the ruins without being found by monsters.
On the other hand, there are some hunters with low hunter ranks but very strong hunters who are
skilled in combat but have a devastating lack of ability to collect relics, and who are unable to
accomplish much because they insist on bringing back relics from the ruins as hunters.
But both are extreme examples. Even if you are good at spotting and hiding, there will still be
battles. Even if you are not good at collecting relics, if you are capable of defeating powerful
monsters, you can raid unexplored areas for relics. For these reasons, a hunter's combat ability is
usually proportional to his or her hunter rank.
Togami knows this. But he also knows that there are exceptions. Akira is that exception, and
perhaps Shikarabe hired Akira because he knew that. He subconsciously hopes for that and raises
his voice.
You hired me? Then you know something! Tell me! What the hell is that guy?
Togami continued to breathe roughly as he let out his heart. Then the stunned shikarabes began to
laugh.
"What's that you say, ......, hey?"
Paluga then turned his gaze to Shikarabe with a meaningful laugh. Yamanobe matches it.
Yeah," he said. We don't know what to say about that. Shikarabe. You know something?"
I don't know. Well, I was with Akira for a while in the underground shopping center at the
Kuzuthara Street ruins, and I knew that he was different from those small fry. That's why I invited
him to join the bounty hunters."
Togami relaxes his expression slightly.
I know, right? Oh, he's supposed to be one of those ......"
But, well, Akira had to leave the request for the underground shopping center in the middle of the
day, so that's about the extent of it. Yamanobe and Parga also complained to me why I added such
a small fish to the team.
Parga understands and gets into the story.
But that's from the Hunter's Office, right? If you believe that, you're a small fish. Normally, I
wouldn't doubt it."
Yamanobe joins in on the bad ride.
Parga. That's because you're overconfident in your own abilities. You only look at the number of
your hunter rank and look down on yourself as being lower than me.
What? Really?"
If you're really good, you don't look down on people like that anymore," he said. "If you're a really
good hunter, you naturally don't look down on people like that," he said. "You're not fooled by
their hunter rank, and you can see what they're capable of. That's what a real competent person is.
You're on a roll, you know."
What are you talking about? I'll be fine. I was doing fine this time when we took down the bounty
hunter, wasn't I?"
Togami's face grows pale beside Yamanobe and the others, who exchange light banter. Then,
Shikarabe puts a stop to it.
I understand that you are unhappy that someone of a lower hunter rank than you is taking your
place, but instead of complaining to me about it, why don't you just show us what you can do to
match your hunter rank?"
When implicitly told by someone who knew he couldn't do it that your abilities were not
commensurate with that hunter rank, Togami lost the energy to raise his voice.
I'm going to go to ...... and get some wind."
With a sagging head and slightly wobbly gait, Togami exits the car. And just as the car door closed,
the shikarabes blew out.
Parga, the source of the stream, laughs to himself.
Shikarabe. You're a terrible person, even though you said the B team was relatively good.
You're the one who put me on the story. And it's only comparatively better. They must be the ones
who have been outfitted with our hard-earned money.
Well, yes.
And he's on a roll. He is usually overconfident in his abilities and dies in a fit state. It's not a bad
idea to know your place here. I'm just being kind.
I guess that's one way of putting it.
Chicarabe continues there, ostensibly lightly.
...... And you can't make fun of Togami either, can you? When you first met Akira at the bar, you
thought he didn't look very strong, didn't you?"
Parga blithely looks away. Yamanobe affirmed with a wry smile.
No, Shikarabe. I admit that the guy looked weak at first glance. But it would be unreasonable to
expect me to recognize him as a billionaire on the spot.
Parga is on board with the story.
I know!" There are usually no hunter ranks 21 like that! Your instincts are amazing! That's just
great! Shikarabe. That should do it, right?"
"You're so full of shit, you know that?"
Chicarabe laughed in return at the light-hearted praise of his friends. Behind the scenes, he ponders.
(Did Yamanobe, Parga, and perhaps even Togami misjudge Akira's ability at first sight? After all,
what's in it for that guy?)
Even now, there is a big discrepancy between Akira's ability as confirmed in actual combat and
what his own intuition tells him. Shikarabe was troubled by this discrepancy.
Hunter office personnel arrive on the scene. After the Chicarabes turned over the collected
wreckage of the tankrantula, the destroyed turret, the shredded legs, and the scattered armor, along
with the battle data, to the hunter office for processing at the site, the rest was handed over to the
Drangkam office for processing.
The four ostensible defeaters will be Shikarabe, Yamanobe, Parga, and Togami. Other additional
personnel are nearby, but the Hunter Office will not be involved in that area as it is a matter for
the Drangkam.
What used to be a tankantula was loaded onto a large truck. There were also baby spiders mixed
in.
So, Shikarabe, what are you going to do now? Should we pull out too? Or shall we continue?"
When asked by Yamanobe, Shikarabe had a difficult look on her face.
The original plan was to take down Tancrantula, then scout for other bounty hunters, and if
possible, take them down as well. For this purpose, we had prepared a large amount of ammunition.
However, due to the unexpected amount of ammunition consumed in the battle of Tangkrantula,
the Chicarabees found it difficult to fight a series of battles from this state.
It doesn't make much sense to just do a power reconnaissance with the remaining ammunition.
There is no unit that can move immediately based on the information obtained from that.
There were other old veterans of Drangkam who had set out to defeat the bounty hunters in addition
to Shikarabe and his team, but they had withdrawn after misjudging the strength of the force. It
would take several days to reorganize the troops. We cannot move immediately.
Pouring the remaining ammunition and wounding the bounty hunter during the reconnaissance
would only benefit another team of hunters who would fight the bounty hunter next.
After a little bit of distress, Shikarabe comes up with an idea.
Yamanoobe." Parga. Is it acceptable to be treated as an additional member of the team? Worst case
scenario, it's treated unofficially. Even if it's official, your name won't be on the public list of
bounty hunters."
If it's unofficial, it depends on the money. If it's official, I'd like to at least put it on my personal
page, but that, too, depends on the money."
Plus, if there's trouble, it's Shikarabe's fault. That's good then, right?"
I get it."
Shikarabe chuckled, but, assuming he had received approval, he took out his information terminal
and made the call.
Additional personnel return to the city following the Hunter Office vehicle. When Akira sees this
and thinks they are finally retreating, he is approached by a shikarabe.
Akira. Can we go another round?"
Akira unintentionally turned a rather dubious face. Shikarabe quickly adds.
'Oh, it's not what you think it is. "Oh, it's not what you think. There's just some guys fighting other
bounty hunters. I'm thinking of joining them as an extra man."
We don't expect Akira to be active again in the battle of Tangkrantula, but this time we will be in
a support role, including ourselves. If they want to go all out, I won't stop them, but basically, they
should just play a safe role as a firepower-increasing member. Akira, who has been told this, snorts
and thinks lightly.
What happens if I say no to that?"
I won't force you to do anything. Go home, get some rest, and then go back to waiting and waiting
to hear from us."
Then Shikarabe laughs as if she had just thought of it.
'Oh, if you're not talking about that, and you're asking about the disadvantages of refusing ......,
then yes, if anything happens to us after this, worst case scenario, there'll be no one left to pay you.
Even if we don't get that far, if we struggle, it's going to cost us a lot of money, isn't it?"
Akira looked a little uncomfortable and then let out a sigh.
I'm going to go to ...... and see what I can find out." I'll go out with you."
I see. Then follow our car."
That was all Shikarabe said and went back.
Alpha looks a little mystified.
Akira. Were you happy?"
This time, the shikarabes are additional members of the team. I'm sure they'll be fine. Maybe. And
......"
And?"
'He was badly injured without me. It cost me hundreds of millions of dollars for medical treatment,
and I spent all my winnings on those expenses. I don't want to go to .......'
Armored personnel carrier wrecked, but same thing. Even if the damage is actually minor, there is
no way for Akira to be sure unless he is accompanied.
'All right,' he said. I'll take care of that surveillance.'
I asked.
For somewhat backward reasons, Akira accepted the additional battle.
Shikarabe was in contact with his business partner, Kurosawa, as he moved on to the next site.
Yeah, I'm already on my way. We should be there in about a half hour."
I see. Just to confirm, you don't have a problem with coming under my command? Wouldn't it be
bad if a hunter from Drunkham took me under his wing, even temporarily?"
I'll be fine. Even if something happens, I'm the one who gets messed up. No problem. Don't worry
about it.
After a brief pause, Kurosawa's voice continues.
I see." ...... Well, okay. Additional confirmation. In the contract that was sent to me, there are four
participants, including the leader, Cicarabe, who belongs to Drunkham. Why?"
Hmm?" There's nothing weird about it."
The standardized form on that side would have listed four hunters belonging to Drunkham and
then the individual names." Why did you bother changing it?"
That's good," he said. It's a unit-based participation, and I'm in charge. That's it."
Kurosawa's sigh echoed through the communicator.
I see that even you are getting involved in such tricks. What's a hunter supposed to do, tie his own
hands and feet with internal politics? It's ridiculous.
Kurosawa originally belonged to Drunkham. However, as the size of the clique expanded and
factions emerged, and as the intra-organizational turmoil grew worse with the rise of clerical
factions, he gave up and left the clique, saying he could no longer deal with it.
Shikarabe, on the other hand, remained. And, as Kurosawa had predicted, he had to deal with the
troublesome affairs of the organization.
I know," Cicarabe said with a wry smile.
I'm sorry. If we don't do this, the people who come in after us will take everything we've built up
and snatch it away. Even if it is their achievement that made the organization big, unlike you, I
can't cut that much slack. At least, not yet.
Kurosawa's tone softens a bit.
I'll just say, "Well, that's okay. I have something to say, but I don't think I should say it now. Let's
do it again when we go for a drink. No matter how many people you have over there, you will be
treated as four, including compensation. Is that clear?"
Oh," he said. That's helpful. One more thing. There's a kid in there, but if you see him, don't worry
about it."
The kid? You don't like those kids in Drangkam, do you? You're not even bringing those laggards
with you."
You'll be fine, too. I won't slow you down."
That's fine," he said. I'll see you there."
After the communication with Kurosawa is cut, Shikarabe exhales lightly.
I am aware that I am doing something trivial and troublesome. I sometimes wonder if I am a good
hunter. But I don't think I would give up my drangkam for that.
Cicarabe could not be divided.
The Minakado Ruins are a desolate ruin lined with half-destroyed high-rise buildings. It has
already lost its value as a place to collect relics because all the relics have been taken away, and
the monsters that live there are quite strong, so no one usually stops by.
Recently, however, it has been quite busy. The bounty hunter, the multiple cannon Mai Mai, has
taken up residence there, and it has become a place to take down the bounty hunter.
The bounty, initially 100 million aurum, has already been increased to 1.5 billion aurum. He is that
strong and that much of a bounty hunter that we want him to die.
The multi-armed gun mai-mai is a snail the size of a two-story house. It is a monster that grows
countless cannons in its huge metallic shell and crushes its enemies with its caustic bombardment,
hence the origin of its naming.
But now its shell was cracked by fierce battles with bounty hunters, and its regeneration could not
keep up with the destruction of countless cannons, so the "multiple cannon" part no longer fit its
name.
Still, however, the oversized cannon that has stood out since the beginning is still in place. It is
still attached to the half-destroyed skyscraper with it on its back.
Then, slowly climbing the building from a distance, but as fast as a car from the side, he pointed
his oversized cannon out of the ruins around the tip of the building.
Kurosawa gives instructions to the shikarabes as they proceed toward the Minakado ruins.
The "Multiple Gun Mai Mai" is too close to the firing range of the gun. Move further away."
Akira also received that instruction and map information of the surrounding area via the equipment
in the Shikarabes' vehicle. The vehicle's course was changed away from the red area of the map
showing the enemy's bombardment range.
'Alpha. Where do you think the bombardment came from?"
It started right there.
Alfa said and pointed forward.
Akira looks in that direction. He was instructed where to focus his attention in the extended view,
and after several more degrees of magnification, the image of the multi-cannon Mai Mai in the
ruins in the distance was projected.
'Is that it? ...... hmm?"
The giant snail was stuck to a skyscraper, pointing a cannon sprouting from its shell in the direction
of Akira and his friends.
The next moment, a torrent of light is released from its muzzle. A portion of Akira's extended
vision, the magnified portion, was painted over by the violent flash.
Slightly delayed, the light reaches the surface of the wilderness. A high-energy beam of light
rushes across the ground, melting rather than scorching the point of contact and causing further
explosions.
While the car is shaken up by the blast, Akira, who is lightly appalled, is beside him, and Alfa
gives him instructions in a matter-of-fact manner.
I think I'd better stay away a little longer. Akira. Akira, you need to get more distance from the red
area.
"Oh, yeah."
Akira changed the course of the car even more dramatically and pulled a face at the devastation of
the land, which was burning and smoking in the light.
'Alpha. What was that?"
Enemy fire.
'No, I know that, but ......'
It's what we call a laser cannon. As I explained a bit at the Yonozuka Station site, it is a common
name, but it is not capable of attacking at the speed of light, and its directional high energy reacts
with the colorless fog in the atmosphere. ......
No, not that one either. ......
'It was shot from the bounty hunter's multiple cannon mai-mai. It's probably sucking energy from
the building it's attached to, increasing its power. If Akira takes a direct hit, there won't be any dust
left, but the aiming accuracy seems to be pretty poor, so as long as he doesn't get within the range
of the fire that I taught him, he should be fine.
Akira awkwardly thanks Alpha, who smiles as if to ask if this is okay.
'Oh, yeah. I understand. Thank you.
You're welcome.
Alfa laughed back, as usual.
Taking care never to enter the red area, he approached the Minakado ruins cautiously. Just a few
moments ago, Akira was also shaken and broke out in a cold sweat by the power of the multiple
cannon Mai Mai's fire, but he had regained his composure after being told by Alpha that he would
be fine.
'I thought the prize money for Tancrantula was 800 million. How much was the bounty for the
multi-cannon Mai Mai?'
1.5 billion Orams.
'1.5 billion or ....... You mean twice as strong as a tankantula if it's bad? It's enough to do that kind
of bombardment. ......"
The amount of prize money is not proportional to strength. The only thing that is proportional is
the intensity of the demand for a quicker defeat.
The exact range of the main gun of the multiple gun Mai Mai is unknown, but it can be inferred
that the effective range is quite long, even if the power is attenuated with distance. Even when
fired from outside the search range of a transport vehicle, it is believed to be powerful enough to
wreck an ordinary transport vehicle.
If such monsters roamed the wilderness, transportation would be greatly affected. Distributors
would want to rush to defeat them, even if they had to pay a premium for the prize as an express
fare. So they may not be that strong. Alpha added.
'Well, even if we fight against the multi-cannon Mai Mai, we're just going to be an extra part of
the team, so we don't have to work as hard as we did against the tanquantulas in the first place. So
there should be less danger. We'll be fine.
I guess so."
Akira was satisfied and hurried onward, relieved.
Arriving at the Minakado ruins, Akira and his team fought against the multiple cannon Mai-Mai
under Kurosawa's command. The battle had already begun, and they joined in the middle of the
battle.
This is the second time to fight a prize fighter, even though he is an additional member of the team.
Akira was fired up and ready to go against the multi-gun Mai-Mai.
But in a sense, that enthusiasm was for naught. After all, Akira never had a direct fight with the
multiple gun mai-mai.
Akira and his team were instructed to hold the passage in the combat zone. If the bounty hunters
and the monsters of the ruins were to fight spectacularly, they would also come close to them. The
role was to exterminate them so that they would not interfere with the movement of other hunters.
If the monster is large enough to block the road, move it away from the road with a car or reinforced
clothing. If the quantity is too large, even if it is small, throw it inside a nearby building to get out
of the way.
During this process, we always receive data on the range of the bombardment, which changes
depending on the position of the multiple gun mai-mai, and we are careful not to enter it.
Once that care was taken, all that remained was to defeat the monsters, which were far weaker than
the bounty hunters, and for Akira, it was a deceptively easy job.
Kurosawa was thoroughly concerned about safety when taking down the multi-cannon Mai Mai.
He bought information from hunters who had returned home defeated by the multi-cannon Mai
Mai, observed his targets from a distance, developed solid countermeasures, and only went into
action when he was sure he could safely win the game.
Against the multiple cannon Mai Mai, whose actual guns were already on the verge of being
wrecked in a series of battles, we first concentrated our attacks on those guns. The guns were made
unusable without fail.
Then, he moved to attack with a force fortified with anti-energy defenses. In doing so, they made
sure to take up positions that would not be subject to counterattack.
And Kurosawa, as the operation commander, was constantly checking the information sent by the
information-gathering officer and giving individual instructions to the team members after
determining the range of the opponent's bombardment. The Shikarabes, who had joined in the
middle of the operation and had no anti-energy defenses, were kept away from the bombardment
range as a precaution.
This seamless strategy is gradually and surely driving the multiple gun mai-mai away. All guns
except the main gun have already been crushed, making it impossible to mount a detailed attack.
Even if the main gun is fired inside the ruins and its power causes the surrounding buildings to
collapse, Kurosawa and his team have evacuated in advance in anticipation.
With Akira and his team maintaining the state of the passage, Kurosawa and his team did not have
the misfortune of being interrupted by other monsters while moving. They were able to retreat
safely and fight back.
The number of attackers and their respective ammunition are provided with plenty of room to
spare. Firepower is sufficient. The multiple cannon Mai Mai was also using the energy sucked
from the building for defense, but the total firepower of the large number of shells, the too-dense
barrage, and the flood of rockets penetrated its defenses.
Under concentrated fire, the multi-gun Mai Mai was dropped three times from the building to
which it was affixed, sometimes blowing the entire building down, and it escaped through the ruins
and scrambled three times to another building, but could not withstand the fourth fall.
The impact of the fall caused the shell to crack, and the exposed contents were subjected to a
barrage of fire, and the multiple gun mai-mai was carefully destroyed, scattering the internal pieces
of flesh in a spectacular manner.
◆
After the multiple gun Mai Mai was defeated, Akira and his team were again in a state of waiting
for the arrival of the Hunter Office personnel.
Akira exhales lightly as he sits in the driver's seat of his car.
It was all so easy."
Alfa, as usual, had a smile on his face with plenty of room to spare.
I even had some free time at the end."
In fact, once Akira had roughly defeated the surrounding monsters and retreated to the side of the
road, all he had to do was to be careful not to get within range of enemy fire.
The shikarabes had changed the guidance settings of their rocket launchers midway through the
attack and joined the attack, but Akira was sent to warn the surrounding area, which was also
basically left to Alpha, so to say that he was free would be an understatement.
Akira was not dissatisfied with the prize fights, which were so different from the tancrantula fights,
but he felt subtly unconvinced.
A short distance away from Akira, Kurosawa continued chatting with Shikarabe. Then, once he
looked at Akira, he turned his gaze meaningfully to the shikarabe.
Heh. So that's what the battle of Tancrantula was like. I see. By the way, is that Togami? As I
recall, it was the promising star of the anti-Katsuya faction ......?"
Knowing it's not the same, the shikarabe also returns a wry smile to the question.
Well, let's just leave it at that."
I'll just leave it at that, then. But he doesn't look like much of a guy to me, if that's what you want
to call him.
It's okay. I'm not really trying to manipulate anything. If someone misunderstands me a little
through hearsay, I'll make a profit. That's about it.
After saying this, Shikarabe now laughs meaningfully.
Kurosawa. As far as I'm concerned, he's the right man for the job, don't you think? He may look
weak at first glance, but his ability is real. You know that as well as I do, having actually taken
command of him just now, don't you?"
Oh well."
But a man who is not in the field can't know that," he said. That's why you can't tie his results to
himself.
Kurosawa chuckles when he sees what Shikarabe is trying to say.
And the results that float in the air belong to someone who was there on the record, someone who
is not unnaturally capable of achieving that much?
That's about it."
A trivial little trick. Both Kurosawa and Shikarabe smiled at each other, agreeing on this
recognition.
That they did that lame little trick. That we are in a situation where we have to do so. That the
situation in Drangkam, the place where Shikarabe still belongs and Kurosawa's old home, has
deteriorated to such a degree. The complex emotions born from these perceptions were evident on
their faces.
Then Kurosawa suddenly thinks.
Shikarabe. Can I talk to him for a minute? I'll make sure we're on the same page."
"Fine, but don't get into any trouble with me by saying something funny, okay?"
I know.
Kurosawa then headed downstairs to Akira with mild interest.
When Kurosawa came to Akira's bottom, he looked at Akira up close again while Shikarabe
introduced himself to Akira. Then he groaned inwardly.
In addition to what Shikarabe had told him about the battle of Tangkrantula, Kurosawa recognized
Akira's ability based on the way Akira was moving precisely in response to his instructions.
That assessment is objective to a fault. The information on the battle of Tangkrantula is only
hearsay, and does not include Kurosawa's own evaluation. Also, Akira's evaluation of the battle
against the Mai Mai was an evaluation of the output of Akira's actions in response to the input of
his own instructions, and was a very bird's-eye view of the situation.
As a commander, Kurosawa was a competent person who could evaluate others objectively based
on hearsay and indirect information. This also meant that there was little difference between an
evaluation based on subjectivity or intuition and an evaluation based on an objective view.
On top of that, Kurosawa was mildly puzzled by the fact that the subjective evaluation of Akira,
which he himself had produced by seeing him up close and personal, was very different from the
objective evaluation.
(Hmmm. I'm not sure if it's a good idea to look at him, but he looks like a small fry. (...... the
opposite of that guy)
As Kurosawa looked at Akira, he thought of another person. That person was in the opposite
direction from Akira, but was the same in that there was a marked difference between intuitive and
objective evaluations.
There he is asked by Akira, who learns that his opponent is the commander of the multi-gun Mai
Mai battle.
I'd like to ask you, how much did you get for the cost of taking down the multiple cannon Mai
Mai?"
Hmm?" Roughly, I'd say about a billion."
Jyu, billion ......"
Akira involuntarily pulled a face. The prize money for the multiple gun Mai Mai was 1.5 billion
aurum, and even if it cost that much, the company would still be in the black. But even so, Akira
could not help but think that this was an outrageous calculation.
Kurosawa laughed and nodded at Akira's attitude, saying he understood what he meant.
If you spend that much on expenses, your own compensation, which is distributed after deducting
expenses from the prize money, is not much," he said. So I can understand why you might think
it's not worth it to take on a bounty hunter for that kind of reward.
After prefacing his remarks with this, Kurosawa shook his head lightly to the side.
But those who think they can get rich fighting bounty hunters and skimping on expenses usually
end up dead. I don't want to die. So I want to win safely, even if I have to cut my profits a little.
Although Kurosawa is an excellent hunter and has high command skills, he is often ridiculed as a
coward because of his standards of judgment. In fact, he sometimes takes an overly pessimistic
view of the situation when collecting relics, and easily abandons the gains he could have made if
he had continued a little longer and returns home.
On the other hand, however, the survival rate of the team led by Kurosawa was very high. Although
the team was not involved in the hunter's best pastime of raiding for relics at unknown sites, they
were able to secure a sufficient surplus in the long run.
In this battle of the multi-cannon Mai Mai, there were no casualties or even serious injuries.
Even in the hunter's business, you risk your life," he said. There are always unexpected situations.
Considering the risks involved, it is just fine to think that you can win without even a scratch. Even
if it is a simple forceful push.
Kurosawa's operation to defeat the multiple gun mai-mai is, in a sense, a trivial one that merely
crushed the enemy with sheer mass. He took on the ruins, the monsters, and the difficulties,
knowing the dangers involved, and achieved glorious glory through sheer luck and ability. It is the
opposite of the heroic tales told by a handful of such successful people. There is not much to boast
about.
Kurosawa thinks that's fine. I don't deny those who put their lives on the line for glorious glory,
but I don't, and I have no desire to associate with them. That's all.
Well, a win is still a win. It's a good way to add to my war record as a successful bounty hunter. If
you use it well, it will help you in many ways in your future career as a hunter. If you take that
into account and think that you can safely obtain that foil, it's not such a bad deal.
Then Kurosawa gives Shikarabe a meaningful look.
You're the one who beat Tancrantula with just four guys, right?" That must have been hard work."
I guess so. But all four of us were safe, so that's good."
To be exact, five additional personnel died. Officially, however, four of the shicarabes and their
men killed them, so there were no fatalities.
That's great. That's great, but it must have been a lot of work. Did you make a profit?"
Kurosawa laughed meaningfully when he said this. Knowing that there were not actually four of
them and that they had to suffer extra hardship because of the subterfuge, he asked if the benefits
were worth it.
Chicarabe smiles wryly.
Well, in its own way."
I see. You can go to all the trouble you want, but keep it in moderation, okay?"
Kurosawa lightly advised his friend that the trouble would have been unnecessary if he had not
made such a silly little trick.
After Kurosawa leaves after chatting with him, Akira asks Shikarabe with a slightly worried look
on his face when he learns of the expenses of the multi-cannon Mai-Mai battle.
You said, "Hey, ......, you made money on the Tancrantula fight, didn't you? How much am I going
to get paid?"
...... prize money will be received through Drunkum's accounting process, so it will take some time
to pay you. Akira will calculate the expenses and get them to me before that. The specific amount
of your reward will be determined after that."
Okay."
Those who grew anxious and impatient inwardly broke off the conversation once it was over.
Kurosawa returned to the command vehicle, a troop transport vehicle. Once inside the vehicle, he
was approached by a boy who accompanied him but was not a member of the unit.
I'm sorry," he said. I have a few questions about commanding in the battle of the multi-cannon My
My My. ......"
Kurosawa looked at the boy and first swallowed his many thoughts. Then, he answered in a
straightforward, clerical manner.
I refuse ......."
What?"
'At the request of Drunkham, I have allowed you to accompany the unit and to ride in the command
vehicle. He also allowed you to view and take battle logs with you. But I did not take on the role
of instructor. So I won't answer that question."
Ha, ha ......"
However, if your command is adversely affected because of something I said that was unnecessary,
your superiors may hold you accountable for doing something that was unnecessary. Therefore, I
cannot say anything unnecessary. I'm sorry. Katsuya-kun."
I see. ....... I understand."
The boy was Katsuya. Mizuha had requested Kurosawa to help him get used to the atmosphere of
a prize fight with a large contingent.
Even though the request came from a clique that had left on its own, as long as there is no question
of compensation, a request is a request. Kurosawa accepted the request with this in mind.
Well, just relax in the car until we get back to the city. You are a hunter. I know you don't want to
be treated like a guest, but I've been asked to make sure you get home safely."
Kurosawa quieted Katsuya down by saying so, and then dismissed the conversation on the pretext
of his work as a commander. He then looked sideways at Katsuya as he worked on that task.
(...... I knew it was the other way around with that guy)
I don't think Katsuya has no talent as a hunter. Rather, I judge that he is fully capable and has high
potential. That is consistent with both subjective and objective judgments.
However, there was a marked difference between intuitive and objective judgments as to whether
Katsuya even had the talent to command a unit.
Intuition tells him that Katsuya also has ample talent for commanding troops. But Kurosawa did
not believe it.
As a competent conductor, Kurosawa has honed his skills to see things objectively. He bases his
winning on unquestionable facts derived from adequate analysis of sufficient information to ensure
a sure victory. He tries not to take the risk of taking a gamble based on a hunch from incomplete
information.
His high capacity for objectivity tells us that Katsuya is a mediocre conductor, at least at this point
in his career. From the information he had obtained beforehand, and from the way he was trying
to learn how to conduct himself in the car, he answered that he did not see any talent as a conductor,
not even a glimmer of it.
Never before had there been such a discrepancy between one's intuition and one's objectivity.
Kurosawa was more than surprised by this, and turned his gaze a little sternly toward Katsuya.
But he decided that another concern was unfounded and softened his expression with a light
chuckle.
(Well, the sudden addition of the shikarabes had nothing to do with this guy. That one's good.)
Shikarabe did not participate to make Katsuya the success of someone who does not exist on
record, an achievement in the air. It was just a coincidence. Having confirmed this, Kurosawa was
subconsciously relieved.
Even though I had left there, I felt relief that my friends who remained in the clique were not the
ones who would go that far to maneuver within the organization, not the ones who would go out
into the wilderness as hunters, but the ones who were devoted to fighting for power within the
organization.
Akira, back at home after two prize fights, is soaking in the bathtub to recover from his fatigue.
"...... Alpha. Can I ask you to calculate my expenses? Don't make me ...... do it just because it's a
study, not today."
I understand. Get some rest.'
"I asked for ....... Thanks for the help ......."
As his consciousness dissolved into the bathtub, Akira thought back to today's battle.
The battle of Tangkrantula can only be described as a fierce battle. The battle against the multiple
cannon Mai Mai was like a question of how to fight as a hunter. It was a battle of opposites, but it
leaves a deep impression when I think back on it.
Then it occurs to me.
"...... bounty hunters, there are still two of them left. And one with an even higher bounty."
'Surely, both of the people you beat today were small-time knickknacks.
I know."
Despite such strength, he was the weaker of the four bounty hunters. Akira lets out a sigh to let out
the emotions born from this fact. Then he is supplemented by Alpha.
I would add that there are plenty of monsters of that caliber further east.
Is that so?"
Yes, it is. And there are plenty of hunters out there who can easily defeat a monster of that caliber.
That's why they don't become bounty hunters, though.
Akira imagines the scene of that dreadful region in his boiled head and mutters with deep emotion.
The world is ...... big. ......
Akira had expanded his world by venturing out of the back alleys of the slums, but there were still
opportunities for him to further expand his world.
Hunters are setting up camp in the wilderness near the city and preparing to take down a bounty
hunter. The target is an oversynthetic snake. The bounty is 2 billion aurum.
Centered around the command vehicle, an armored personnel carrier, are several armored vehicles
and wilderness-specification vehicles. All of them were high-performance vehicles, not the cheap
ones used by hunters, indicating the large amount of money that was poured into this bounty
hunter's hunt.
Around the vehicle, one can see those who fight on them, the mainstay of the unit. All of them are
young hunters belonging to the Drunkham team.
This unit was the Katsuya faction's bounty hunter-killing unit led by Katsuya.
Elena and her team had parked their car a short distance away from the main force. Sarah is leaning
against the car watching the main group.
There are a lot of people, but they are all really young. I don't mean to make light of them just
because of their age, but I'm a little worried about them being so young. I wonder if they will be
all right.
Hunters basically become more ageless the longer their career is.
Repeated cell-by-cell treatment through the regular use of high-performance restorative drugs
inhibits the aging process that causes the decline in physical capabilities. The body is converted to
a prosthetic body or undergoes cyborg treatment, and the body is no longer associated with aging
in appearance. This is often the case after a long period of time in the grueling hunter business.
Even so, their appearance is basically that of an adult or later. This is because equipment for
hunters is made to adult standards, and many of them are difficult for children to handle. No one
dares to maintain the physique of a child unless he or she is very particular about it.
For this reason, hunters who look less than adults are often as old as they appear. Children naturally
have a shorter history as hunters, and most of them are of a similar level of ability. This is also the
reason why young hunters are often underestimated.
Sarah also did not think the young hunters belonging to Drunkham were very strong. At least, they
didn't seem to be strong enough to willingly participate in the bounty hunts.
As the person who made the decision to take this job, Elena puts in a light defense.
The number of people and the equipment are good enough," he said. At least enough money has
been poured into the project to make a profit even if we succeed in defeating them.
Hmmm. But Elena, even so, we're up against a 2 billion dollar bounty hunter. I think there's a limit
to how much you can push with your numbers and equipment. ......"
Elena smiled back at Sarah, who expressed mild concern, with a bit of a meaningful smile.
What are you talking about? You're hiring outside hunters like us as assistants to take care of that,
aren't you?"
Elena and her team were hired by Drunkham to assist in this bounty hunter strike.
Unlike Akira, who was hired as an unofficial participant, this is an official request through the
Hunter's Office, but its content is very vague: assistance in operational activities.
This means that the drums can adjust how well the auxiliaries have performed in the history of the
hunter's office.
If Katsuya and his team, the main force, could defeat the overcompounded snake alone, that would
be good enough. If it is not possible, then they should be asked to participate as additional
firepower, and although it was possible to defeat the main force alone, it should be noted that they
were asked to participate as a precaution.
Either way, the names of auxiliary personnel will not appear in the bounty hunter's information.
Sarah chuckles lightly.
Oh, that's what I mean. The point is to protect the main force, or worse, to babysit them."
It's not explicitly stated. But I guess it's implicitly expected when the contract is to base our
compensation on the survival rate of the main force.
Injuring the bounty hunter severely does not increase the reward by a shred, and the more damage
is inflicted on the main force, the lower the reward. Even though the contract did not specify that
they were to escort the main force, it was clear that they were expected to do so.
Then another car appears and stops by Elena and her friends' car. Then an armed boy gets out and
bows lightly to Elena and the others.
I'm sorry. I'm a little late."
I don't care. I'm the one who asked you out suddenly."
Elena laughs at this and then continues with a light stare at her partner.
I don't know if I should be the one to tell you this, but are you feeling okay? You don't have to take
it easy, okay? Sizuka would be furious with me if it turned out that I had forced her to invite him
when she wasn't tired."
I'm fine. No problem. It's perfect."
Seeing the other person who smiled cheerfully at the mention of Sizuka's name, Elena, who was
lightly probing, also laughed and nodded. Sarah also laughed happily.
Then Akira. Good day to you.
Yes. I look forward to working with you."
Akira's third bounty hunter battle was about to begin as he joined Elena and her team.
Mizuha was lightly holding her head in her command vehicle, an armored personnel carrier. In
front of Mizuha, a young hunter girl named Lily was raising her voice.
I don't get it! Why are you taking hunters other than us! Are you trying to say that you don't trust
Katsuya's ability?
You didn't say that. Of course I believe in Katsuya's ability. I also believe in your power. That's
why we formed a unit with Katsuya and the others as the main force, right? You know what I
mean."
I don't understand! Then we should be enough! We should leave the extra people behind now!"
It doesn't work that way. ......
Why? If it's the B team, it's not hard to understand that they finally recognized Katsuya, but I'm
sure the outside hunters will just try to steal our achievements!
Even among the younger hunters of the Katsuya faction, there are differences in perception of
Katsuya, though not to the extent of being called a faction. There is also a group that overly
appreciates and projects Katsuya's abilities.
And Lily was clearly from that group. Katsuya is awesome. Based on that perception, they
unknowingly identified themselves, to varying degrees, as being great, too, as their fellow
members of the group.
Mizuha sighs inwardly while quieting Lily.
I heard that Katsuya had a hard time at the Yonozuka Station site because of unforeseen
circumstances. Don't you think we should at least be prepared to prevent that?"
Don't use such an unusual situation as a basis for your argument! If you said that, you'd always
have to act with a large contingent like you did this time!"
That's true, but ......"
And Katsuya overcame that situation on his own! Don't you know what he is capable of?
I'm sure you would have been in danger if you hadn't been saved by another hunter who happened
to be there. That's what I've been told."
That's just Katsuya being modest! Of course he would rather have helped other hunters! Mizuha-
san, are you saying Katsuya is so weak!
You didn't say so. ......
Mizuha, as someone who has seen Katsuya's ability, and who has spoken of it boldly to his
supporters, cannot say anything that would admit that Katsuya's ability is lacking. He decided that
it would be impossible to convince the other party of this by what happened at the Yonozuka
Station ruins.
In fact, Katsuya was anxious to lead such a large force this time. I have been working with ...... for
additional forces to allay his fears."
Please don't cheat me by lying! If I see Katsuya now, I know that's a lie! Besides, you told us
before that Katsuya was very motivated!
Mizuha is at a loss for words. In the past, when Katsuya was not in good shape, Mizuha had rather
forcibly gotten Katsuya to agree to lead a team to take down a bounty hunter.
And to keep others from realizing it, he told them that Katsuya was highly motivated. In addition,
to prevent the lies from being exposed, he arranged for Katsuya to meet with as few other people
as possible.
That manipulation has now become a fact of life, in a sense, thanks to Katsuya's high spirits. Even
if he denies it, it will not be believed. In other words, those who did not know the situation could
only think that Mizuha had increased its strength without regard to Katsuya's will.
Mizuha also had her head in the sand as much as she understood it.
Then Katsuya returned with Yumina and his friends after giving a pep talk to his friends.
Mr. Mizuha. I've finished the final check. You can leave anytime. ......? Lily. Why are you here? I
don't think Lilly's placement is here."
As soon as he reported that he could start the operation at any time, Katsuya looked a little
uncomfortable because he found his friends not in position.
Lily, however, did not mind at all, and on the contrary, she packed it in with Katsuya.
Katsuya! Why did you allow an assistant to accompany you! Are you trying to tell us that we are
so unreliable?
What's with you all of a sudden? What are you talking about?
Mizuha explained the situation to Katsuya, who looked dubious, not understanding what was going
on. Hearing this, Katsuya nodded lightly, smiled, and hushed Lily.
What are you talking about? Lily's right, we just need to take them down on our own."
I know you do!" That's why ......"
Lily's face broke into a happy smile. But that soon faded.
If it is too dangerous or too much for you, you can ask for help from Elena and the other assistants.
That's all. Mizuha-san has made the arrangements, so there is no need to leave her behind. Okay,
Lily. Go back to your position immediately. ......"
For Katsuya, that was the end of the story. But Lily's face was angry, and her voice was hoarse.
Even Katsuya said that!"
Katsuya looks surprised, then dubious.
"That's not how it works. ....... Yumina. Aili. Did I say something funny?"
I didn't say that.
I didn't say that."
Right?"
Katsuya nodded a little relieved when he heard the answer from Yumina and the others, and then
turned his head suspiciously in Lily's direction, thinking that she was the one who was still acting
weird.
Lily's face contorted at Katsuya's attitude. Then, as if to vent her frustration, she glared at Yumina
and the others quite tightly.
That's why you guys are such ......"
Beside Katsuya's confusion at Lily's attitude, Mizuha came to a conclusion.
Katsuya. Before you start the operation, you should at least say hello to Elena-san and the others."
What?" Are you sure?"
Even if they are acquaintances, they are merely auxiliary personnel in the operation. If the captain
of the unit calls on such a person, he or she will be treated as a special agent and may disrupt the
overall command. Therefore, please refrain from talking to Elena and the others. That is what
Katsuya was told by Mizuha.
This mizuha laughs and reverses his previous statement.
I reminded him that if it would lift his spirits, I could at least pass on the complaints from the other
assistants. Katsuya's motivation comes first.
Katsuya smiles happily and thanks him.
Thank you."
It's okay. Don't worry about it. I'll just drop Lily off at the deployment point and go straight back
to the city, and you can handle the rest, Captain Katsuya, okay?"
Yes!"
Hearing Katsuya's high-spirited reply, Mizuha smiled with satisfaction and then turned her face
back to a slightly more serious one.
Lily. Let's go."
Hey! We're not done talking yet. ......"
When Lily tried to raise her voice in discontent, Mizuha, as the leader of the clique, gave her a
stern voice.
Come. If you can't follow instructions, I'll remove you from the mission. The captain may be
Katsuya, but I'm the one in charge, remember?"
Lily could not resist when told so, and silently got out of the armored personnel carrier with
Mizuha.
Mizuha got into a small car parked beside an armored personnel carrier with Lily. Then his attitude
changed.
I'm sorry. I was harsh. It's true that the car was provided by the administrative faction, and I am a
member of that faction, but there are a lot of things going on within that faction, and it wouldn't
be good if anything I said was recorded. This car is my personal property, so I'm fine."
Lily was mildly bewildered by Mizuha's suddenly affable attitude, forgetting her earlier frustration.
Mizuha then folded up.
I understand. I want Katsuya to be, how should I say it, a dependable leader. Leave it to me! Shut
up and follow me! Like that."
Seeing Lily nodding unconsciously, Mizuha continues further.
Then you have to rely on outside hunters, or you have to rely on them to fight, and that's a little
bit... you know.
Yes, yes! That's what you ......!"
When you have raised their enthusiasm, you laugh and quiet them down.
I know, I know. But there is also the sponsor's will. They can't just say, "We got a loan, but we're
not going to use it. If you have a lot of people, they will think that you spent money somehow.
Even if they didn't actually spend much.
Oh, really?"
Yes, it is. And the rewards for assistants are based on performance. So, if you kill the bounty in a
snap, you pay less. Then the assistants will be as good as dead weight. The sponsors won't need
them next time, in fact, they'll tell you not to spend money on them. I'm counting on it, aren't you?"
I'll take care of it! Katsuya will be fine!"
After making sure Lily's enthusiasm was sufficiently high, Mizuha began to drop her.
'Well, I'm sure Katsuya will be fine, but I doubt if that Katsuya thinks you guys are fine.
Lily, who had been in a good mood, involuntarily raised her voice at those words.
What do you mean? Are you trying to say that Katsuya thinks we're holding him back?
That's what happens when you put it in a bad light."
Mizuha adds to Lily's indignation.
When he was still in charge of leading the group, Katsuya showed his ability by saying that he did
not need such an escort, even though he had friends like Yumina and Aili. After that, he continued
to work only with younger members to silence the old-timers who disrespected them with their
abilities.
But now we are accepting auxiliary personnel who are in a sense our escorts. If we think about
what the difference is, which is the reason for this, it is the new additions to the group. Namely,
the Lillies.
When the number grows to that level, it's impossible to protect your friends from the quicksand.
The Yonozuka Station ruins also resulted in the deaths of many people. That is why Katsuya
compromised and accepted the offer to be accompanied by auxiliary personnel.
Lily is half-awestruck when she hears this explanation.
Ugh, lie! Katsuya never said that!"
That's true. You probably just think so subconsciously. Even if I were aware of it, I would never
say that you are a liability. I would just protect you.
Lily could not argue and fell silent. Then Mizuha calls out to her kindly.
Of course, that's just what Katsuya thinks. So, there is no problem if you show Katsuya your power
and make him recognize your ability. Don't you think this bounty hunter strike is a good
opportunity?"
The whispered voices invade Lily's mind.
Katsuya is the leader and Yumina and Iris are the sub-leaders. Yumina and the others are in that
position solely because of the length of their association with Katsuya. Some people are unhappy
about that, but they can't complain because Katsuya approves of it. It seems some people are like
that."
Lily is one of them. Where that frustration is stirred up, hope and expectation pierce.
But the fact that they have known each other for a long time means that they have many
opportunities to know each other's capabilities. That's why Katsuya recognizes the abilities of
Yumina and her team and keeps them by his side without considering them a liability. So if he
recognizes the competence of others there, that might change Katsuya's mind."
Mizuha laughs. I already knew the answer.
What do you want? If you wish, I can rearrange your equipment and deployment now to make it
easier for you to show Katsuya what you can do."
......, please!"
All right.
Mizuha took out an information terminal and met Lily's expectations.
◆
Akira, who was chatting with Elena and the others and looking toward the main unit, turns his face
into a dubious one. Ahead of his gaze, a large armored vehicle was parked, with a huge cannon
attached to it that was clearly not its original armament.
And Akira recognized that gun.
'...... Alpha. I'm seeing something familiar, but am I looking at it wrong, or am I imagining things,
or am I mistaken?"
No," he said. I've seen the same thing before.'
So. ......."
The cannon was the main gun of a multiple gun mai-mai. The turret was forcefully attached to the
roof of the car, and it appeared that the entire body of the car had to be moved to change its sights.
Can you shoot that one, ......?"
Even if you install it as a bluff or a false threat, it's useless against a monster. That's why you can
shoot them.
'So ......, you can shoot ......'
But it can't be the same power. Even if we installed several large generators in the car, the power
would be much lower.
I see. Right.'
Akira was satisfied and somewhat relieved. Still, he was lost in emotion as he recalled the power
of the main gun of the multi-cannon Mai Mai.
At that moment, an armored personnel carrier approaches near Akira and his group. And when it
stopped nearby, Katsuya got out from inside with Yumina and the others.
Elena responds amiably.
Captain Katsuya. Are we about to start the operation?"
Yes. What's the formality of taking me under your wing today, and I'm looking forward to working
with you. ...... hmm?"
That's when Katsuya finally noticed Akira. He was mildly surprised by the unexpected figure and
then turned a dubious face to Akira.
Why are you here?"
Because I was hired by Elena and her team."
After a brief exchange in which neither party showed any intention of deepening their friendship,
Katsuya looked a little puzzled by Elena and the others.
Well, Elena," he said, "I'm sorry. As captain, I at least looked over the list of auxiliary personnel,
but I'm pretty sure this guy wasn't on it. ......"
'Yeah, because that's the format of the contract there.
Akira is only a personnel hired by Elena and her team. He is not employed by Drunkham and is
not even an assistant. Therefore, officially, Akira did not even participate in this bounty hunter's
defeat.
Similar things are done not only by Elena and her team, but also by other teams of auxiliary
personnel. This is also a ploy by Mizuha to reduce the number of auxiliary personnel on the
paperwork as much as possible.
Ostensibly, this was done on their own initiative by auxiliary personnel who were concerned about
their own strength. And on paper, they increased the amount of remuneration after informing them
of their intention to hire people who had nothing to do with the current operation, without explicitly
stating it verbally.
Elena explained it implicitly so as not to violate confidentiality. Katsuya had not caught up with
the subtle understanding, but understood it after Yumina supplemented it.
"Is that what you mean ......"
I don't feel comfortable having Akira accompany me. Katsuya thought so, but he could not say so
because he was in front of Elena and the others. If he told them, it would be disrespectful to Elena
and the others who had hired Akira.
In addition, he believes that Akira's fighting skills are genuine based on what he saw at the
Yonozuka Station ruins, and he told himself that he would compromise here, even though it was
unwilling. He then turned a slightly stern gaze toward Akira.
Hey," he said. Don't leave it to Elena and the others. You're going with them, so do your job.
We're good enough on our own. Don't get in the way. Don't drag us down. If you're going to go
with us, do your job. Don't be a hindrance to Elena and the others. Katsuya was about to say
something like that, but he chose his words just in time so as not to be rude to Elena and the others.
I know. I'll do my job."
It's Elena and the others who hire me. Not you. So I have no right to be dictated to by you. Akira
would normally say this, but since he is employed by Elena and her family, he refrains from saying
so. He did not want to cause trouble for Elena and her family by getting himself into unnecessary
trouble.
Elena and the others, who were at a loss to deal with the situation between Akira and Katsuya,
who seemed to be on very bad terms with each other, smiled subtly.
Yumina, too, was inwardly troubled. However, both of them were determined to avoid any conflict
in front of Elena and the others, so they decided not to intercede badly. Instead, she urged them to
finish their business and return quickly.
Katsuya. Give Akira the recovery medicine while you still can. I've already said hello to Elena and
the others, and that's all you need to do now, isn't it?"
What?" Yeah, right."
Katsuya silently tossed the recovery medicine Mizuha gave him to Akira. Akira took it and thought
for a moment before tossing it to Yumina. Yumina was puzzled, and Katsuya gave Akira a dubious
look.
What are you imitating?
You can give it back to me after the bounty hunters are done with the bounty."
It was hard for others to determine whether it was a concern that he would be willing to use it if
he was injured, or a provocation that he would be in a situation where he would need 2 million
aurum of recovery medicine in a box anyway.
As for Akira, he meant the former. That is why he gave it to Yumina. And while Yumina took it
to mean the former, Katsuya unconsciously interpreted it to mean the latter because he and Akira
did not get along.
Yumina quickly interjects to avoid any unnecessary trouble.
I get it. Akira. I'll see you when I'm done. Elena. Sara. Please take care of me if anything happens.
Katsuya, I'm coming back."
He then quickly bowed to Elena and the others and pulled Katsuya with him.
Yoo, yumina, don't pull it. Oh, well, I'll take this one too."
Katsuya, who managed to greet Elena and the others, was taken directly to them. Aili followed
with her head bowed.
Sarah explores with a light touch.
Akira. You and Katsuya seem to be on very bad terms, what's going on?"
Well, yes.
Akira affirmed, but did not give details of the situation.
Elena decided to ask a little more about it, after some hesitation, whether because of his personality
or because he did not want to talk about it.
If you don't mind my asking, what happened?"
Akira is a little lost.
I'm sorry." ...... I'm not going to tell you. If you get a chance, ask Yumina."
This was Akira's decision, in his own way, based on his concern for Yumina, who was on Katsuya's
side. If he wanted to be honest, he would talk about it; if he wanted to cheat, he would cheat.
......, yes." Okay."
Next to Sarah's laughing but slightly difficult face, Elena dares to sound cheerful.
'Well, that's it, that's what we're hiring you for, so make sure you get the job done.
Yes. Of course."
Akira smiled firmly and nodded, meaning that he would not bring his personal feelings into it.
Yes. Let's work together."
Akira's clear reply made Elena and the others laughed and decided that was good enough for now.
Yumina let out a bland sigh as she returned to the car with Katsuya and the others. She then turned
a slightly stern gaze toward Katsuya.
Katsuya. I'm not saying you and Akira should get along, but can't you do something more? I know
you and Akira have been through a lot, but didn't he help you twice at the Yonozuka Station ruins?"
Katsuya flinched a little at being offended quite seriously. Then he let his complicated feelings
show on his face.
I'm sorry. But something just doesn't work with that guy."
If you know that, then stop poking me. If you don't provoke them, they won't get involved. Maybe."
Yumina then handed the recovery medicine she had just given to Katsuya. She then nailed Katsuya
with a curious look.
"Keep your composure and take charge so you don't have to use it."
Don't do what you always do, which is to rush off on your own because your friends are in danger.
Katsuya, who took it as meaning that, chuckles.
I understand," he said. As captain, I will take overall command. Is that clear?"
Yumina laughed and nodded strongly.
I'm going to go with "Okay, I'll be right back. Well then, Captain Katsuya. Let's get started."
Ah."
Katsuya connected the communication chain to the entire unit and announced the start of the
operation with great enthusiasm.
The vehicles of the main unit begin to move one after another. The command vehicle, an armored
personnel carrier, leads the way, followed by armored vehicles with huge guns on their backs, and
the vehicles of auxiliary personnel also move forward in convoys at their own discretion.
The operation to defeat the over-synthesized snake, which carried the thoughts of various parties,
has begun.
A large contingent of hunters is advancing through the wilderness. It is a unit of the Katsuya faction
of Drangkam, which aims to defeat the overgrown snakes. The sight of dozens of wilderness-
specification vehicles pushing vigorously through the wilderness was as powerful as a large-scale
monster swarm attack.
Naturally, the commotion attracts monsters from the surrounding area. But they were easily
dispatched, for they were a unit that wanted to take down a two-billion-orum bounty hunter. If
they can't do that, they are nothing to talk about.
The main force led by Katsuya, however, is not suitable for mopping up small fry because its
armament is biased toward killing big game. Therefore, auxiliary personnel are dealing with them.
Akira readies the CWH objective assault rifle and pulls the trigger. The armor-piercing rounds
fired pierce through the air and lodge themselves between the target's eyes. The large predator falls
over with a flourish and dies.
From Elena and her car, which is driving a short distance away, Sarah sends her praise over the
communicator.
Well done," he said. I knew you could do it."
Thank you."
Akira laughed and accepted the praise, as he had hit the target on his own.
By the way, is our job just to deal with these small fry?"
Basically. It's our job to keep the other monsters out of the way of the main force's spectacular
attack on the bounty. They may be thinking, 'They're the only ones who get the best of us,' but
please bear with us."
After Sarah said this in a light tone, Elena also laughed and continued.
I get paid handsomely for it. We get paid enough to hire Akira personally. So if you have any
complaints, please let us know. We'll do our best to accommodate you.
No," he said. I have no complaints. If I can make things easier this time, I'm more than happy to
do so.
Then Sarah makes a curious sound.
Akira. I heard that you were hired by Shikarabe to take down the bounty hunters, was it that easy?"
Let's see. ......."
Akira says and stutters. Akira is a bit hesitant because he has been told by Shikarabe not to mention
it because it is an unofficial request.
However, I think it would not be a problem to answer Elena and the others, at least to the extent
that it was easy or difficult. I thought it would be unnatural to hide that much.
Elena adds, with a hint of insight at Akira's groaning.
If you want to know the circumstances of Shikarabe's request, we heard it from Shikarabe when
we hired Akira, so you should be fine."
Akira is now employed by Elena and her team, but technically he was sent by Shikarabe. When
Akira was invited by Elena and her colleagues, he responded that he personally wanted to
participate but that it would be difficult since he was already employed by Shikarabe, so Elena
contacted Shikarabe to make arrangements.
Shikarabe hesitated for a moment, but then decided that, with the payment of the reward to Akira
about to become a delicate matter, it would be a waste of time to spoil Akira's good mood if he
were to refuse Elena and the others' invitation for his own reasons.
In addition, he had agreed to the situation where the clerical faction wanted a young hunter to play
an active role, thinking that it would be interesting if Akira, in a situation where he was employed,
could play an active role.
In other words, Akira's presence here was, in a sense, the result of a factional struggle in Drangkam.
'You were an unofficial addition to the team, taking part in the Battle of Tangkrantula and the
Battle of the Multiple Gun Mai Mai, weren't you? I know that. And if you don't want to tell me on
that, I won't force you to ask."
No, I'm fine if that's what you mean.
Sara looks interested to hear Akira's impressions of that prize fight.
Heh. I didn't know it was that different."
Yes. The 1.5 billion aurum bounty was much easier to beat than the 800 million aurum bounty, so
I was a little sensitive about it.
There, a report of the discovery of a super-synthetic snake arrived. Ahead of Akira and his team,
a large plume of dust was rising.
Sarah asks Elena to pull their car over to the side of Akira's car, smiles and addresses him directly.
The bounty on the over-synthesized snake is 2 billion Orams! Strong enemy! Even though the
main force is going to be dealing with them, we'll do our best!"
Yes!"
Akira also answered with a cheerful smile.
It is as tall as a skyscraper, if not taller. A serpent with such a huge body and length is moving
through the wilderness, blowing away obstacles that lie in its path. From a distance, the serpent
appears to be moving slowly, but this is an illusion created by its gigantic size; in reality, it is as
fast as a vehicle.
The two-billion-olum bounty hunter, named Overgrown Snake, was even larger than when he left
the Yonozuka Station ruins.
Katsuya ordered the attack to begin as he deployed his main force to flank the target. The young
hunters of Drunkham fired rockets all at once.
Get out of the car and shoot. Shoot while in a car without a roof or doors. Open the door of the
vehicle and lean out to shoot. Shoot from inside the back of a large wilderness truck by opening
the side doors of the truck bed wide and up and down. A large number of rockets tailed off in the
air and hit their targets.
The explosion scorches, peels, and shatters the serpent's scales. Subsequent landings burn, gouge,
and splatter the flesh beneath them. Rocket bombs rain down all over the giant body, inflicting
similar damage.
But that's not much of an injury for a hyper-synthetic snake. Its torso is as thick as a skyscraper,
and its overall length is so long that its body is hardly too thick. Before the muscular strength and
vitality that allow it to move with such a huge body, a slight gouge in the flesh is nothing.
And Katsuya and his team understand that much. In order to cut down its enormous life force and
kill it off, they continue to pour fire on it.
The rockets they use have low guidance performance and cannot be used in the same way as when
the Chicarabes fought the tanquillo. However, they have excellent range and power, and can be
prepared in large quantities at a low price.
With the huge body of an oversynthetic snake, there is no need to aim and shoot. Even a rough
aim is enough to hit somewhere.
If it hits, the rest is sheer volume. With the somewhat outlandishly large firepower of a barrage of
rockets, the enemy's life force is slowly and surely whittled away.
From each person's rocket launcher and from a large automatic grenade launcher attached to the
vehicle, rockets are shot out one after another and land somewhere on the giant body.
The wounded part regenerates with a strong life force, but before it can heal, the next bullet lands.
Pieces of flesh are gradually chipped off from the serpent and scattered on the ground in the
wilderness.
Katsuya and his team then maintained a certain distance from the over-synthetic snake. If the
opponent ran away, they chased; if they approached, they moved away; and they kept the target
within effective range. And they kept on shooting.
Now it's just a matter of taking out the enemy before they run out of ammunition. We have enough
ammunition for that. If necessary, we will ask auxiliary personnel to join the attack. If that is not
enough, we will abandon our achievement of victory by Katsuya's faction alone and ask Drunkham
to send additional personnel.
Not to be outdone. It seemed to everyone that the winner was decided.
Akira was both surprised and dismayed to see the hyper-synthetic Snake, which showed no sign
of slowing down its movements, even though its entire body was decorated with flames and smoke
from the massive rockets it had been hit with.
'It's a powerful attack. What do you mean you can't beat it even with that ......? Alpha. How could
that thing possibly be unscathed?"
From a distance, it looks unscathed because there are no obvious injuries, but it is wounded. The
body uses a lot of energy to regenerate missing parts, so the overall damage must be substantial.
'I see. Then I guess we can win.'
Akira was mildly relieved that a win was still a win, even though he felt that he had done nothing
much except defeat a monster that had come by in the commotion of the battle.
But then Alfa nails me a little seriously.
Akira. It's too early to be sure of victory.'
I know. I won't let up until the end.
'That's not all. Look.'
Akira's field of view was expanded and additional information about the surrounding area was
displayed from a bird's eye view.
The locations of Akira, Katsuya, and others are shown as dots, but the oversynthetic snakes are
shown as thick lines because they are too large.
Around it, monster dots were sparsely displayed, but their numbers had been reduced as they were
knocked down by auxiliary personnel. Even now, Akira had just killed one of them, eliminating
one of the dots.
'Doesn't look like there's anything wrong with it, but ......'
When Akira wondered this, the search area displayed in his field of vision widened considerably.
The over-synthesized snake's response, which had been displayed as a thick line until now, has
expanded so much that it has changed to a thin line.
At the edge of its search range, a large number of dots were displayed, approaching gradually from
the distance. A swarm of monsters was approaching from outside the pre-expanded search range.
Akira's face contorts involuntarily.
'Wait a minute,' he said. What's going on? Even if you came by because of all the commotion from
the battle, this is still a bit odd, don't you think?"
'Perhaps the oversynthetic snake was intentionally called in.
Akira's face turned even more dubious, to which Alpha added a few words.
For an oversynthetic snake to grow to such a large size, it needs a reasonable amount of food.
However, they will never be able to obtain such a large amount of food just by wandering around
in the wilderness. Even if they spot a pack of monsters, they will run away. Only a small portion
of them will be available for predation.
Therefore, it is thought that the over-synthetic snakes have some means of attracting a large enough
number of monsters to sustain their massive size even if they only eat part of the herd, an organ
that resembles an enemy mating machine.
Also, the over-synthetic snakes appeared to be moving through the wilderness in the dark, but in
reality they were moving in a giant circle.
And probably used the hostile organ toward the outside of the circle. They called in a large amount
of food to heal the injuries caused by the attack of Katsuya and the others.
Hearing this explanation, Akira was a little relieved, although he understood that the situation had
worsened somewhat. At least the monster herd was not on the side of the overgrown snake. A
situation like the tankantula battle could be avoided. At the very least, it would be a three-way
battle. That was what he thought.
Alpha. Just out of curiosity, do you think we can take on that herd by ourselves? Even though they
are auxiliary personnel, they are hunters who have been recruited to fight against overgrown
snakes. I think I can handle it.
'I think I'll be fine, too.'
Akira makes a curious face.
'......That's not a problem, is it?'
But Alpha did not relax his expression.
It's not me or Akira who will make that decision, but Katsuya and the others. Even if we determine
that there is a problem, it doesn't matter as long as they take safety measures. It would be great if
they make the right decision.
If people could always make the right decision, most of the world's problems would be solved.
Akira felt a little uneasy.
At least Katsuya did not err in his judgment within the scope of his position as captain.
Katsuya's command skills are mediocre. Not enough to be entrusted with command of such a large
unit.
Still, he was doing all he could. He was doing his best as a captain.
In addition, this large force was organized in such a way that it could win even with its mediocre
command abilities, and it had enough strength that it did not need a divine command. Even if there
were some delays or errors in instructions, there was enough power to compensate for them.
And Katsuya played it safe against the swarms of monsters summoned by the overgrown snakes.
First, he broadcast the information obtained by the command vehicle's sophisticated search-and-
rescue equipment to the auxiliary personnel and asked them if they could respond.
The response was the same for all of them. Some appreciated the fact that they were sure, some
secretly mocked them for being so timid, and some complained that they underestimated their own
abilities, but all said they were fine and could handle the situation without problems.
Katsuya then takes a further safety measure. He does not ask Mizuha to contact him and actually
dispatch support, but he does ask that they at least be prepared for any contingency.
Mizuha then accepted Katsuya's request on the premise that as many local people as possible would
respond to the request.
Now, all eventualities have been squashed. Katsuya was relieved at this decision and informed his
friends of it. This was Katsuya's way of expressing his concern for his friends, saying that he
wanted them to fight with peace of mind.
And just as Katsuya had hoped, the fears of his fellow workers were put to rest.
But the dissatisfaction was not resolved. In fact, it never occurred to Katsuya that it would increase.
The command vehicle in which Katsuya and his team ride is equipped with a large monitor on
which the positions of all vehicles are displayed. Katsuya looked at it and gave detailed
instructions.
Then one vehicle makes a move. It had been keeping a reasonable distance from the over-synthetic
snake, but suddenly it began to close the distance.
Katsuya notices this and immediately gives instructions.
Car 2. You are too close to the target. Get further away from the target."
However, Car 2 does not follow the instructions and closes the distance with the oversynthetic
snake even further. Katsuya gives instructions again with a dubious look on his face.
Car 2! You're too close to the target! Get further away from me!"
Car 2 still does not want to return. A flustered Katsuya intensifies his tone.
Car 2! I told you to get further away! Do you hear me? ! Answer me!"
I can hear you!
Katsuya is surprised to hear the voice of someone he did not expect. The yelling voice belonged
to Lily. And Lily was not supposed to be the occupant of Car 2.
Car 2 is an armored car fitted with the main gun of the multiple gun Mai Mai. It was Lily who was
driving it, and it was Lily's intention to defy Katsuya's instructions.
I can hear you!
When I replied in an irritated voice, Katsuya's puzzled voice echoed through the communicator.
Lily! Why are you in car 2? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!
No!"
Lily assured him. After a silence that could easily be interpreted as surprise in the command car,
Yumina's voice is heard this time.
Lily. I know you have something in mind, but ignoring orders while taking down a bounty hunter
is not a light punishment. If you have a reason, I'll listen to it, but for your own safety, please go
back. You know how worried Katsuya is about Lily, don't you? Katsuya. Isn't that right?"
Yumina tried to stop Lily on the grounds that Katsuya was concerned for her safety, with a light
warning. She decided that even if the warning would be ignored because of the blood on her hands,
it would not be ignored because of Katsuya's concern for her.
Of course. So Lily, once you go back to ......"
Katsuya continued that he meant it, too.
But it had the opposite effect. Lily shouted angrily.
Don't be silly! Katsuya! Do you really think we're that much of a liability?
At his words, Katsuya froze on the other end of the communicator.
If you had listened to me earlier, you would have heard me checking with my assistants to see if
they could protect us, asking Mizuha to back us up, and what the hell! It was Katsuya who hated
it the most when people made fun of them for not having guards or babysitters! How could Katsuya
do such a thing?
Lily says, as silence indicating rigidity due to the impact continues from the other party.
If you don't believe so much in our abilities, just watch us there!"
"Order the people in Car 2! Stop Lily with all your might!"
At the same time as Yumina's voice, Lily cut off the communication. Then she turns her bloodshot
eyes to the other crew members.
Wanna give ...... a try?"
In addition to Lily, there were three other young hunters in car 2, all of whom were pressured by
Lily.
No, I mean, it's not good to ignore orders, is it?"
Do you expect me to follow orders to sneak around and fight on the backs of the old-timers just
because Katsuya tells me to? They think we are weak enough to easily follow such an order, which
is why Katsuya wants us to have an escort!"
The young people look at each other. The expressions on their faces indicated that they were indeed
inclined to agree with Lily. Then they exhaled lightly and clenched their bellies.
I get it. So what are you going to do? Since you're going to go that far, do you have a plan that will
produce enough results to make Katsuya take a second look at us?"
Of course. That's why I asked Mizuha to rearrange them.
Lily said and pointed upward.
I'm going to get as close as I can to the main gun of this car and fire it. Hopefully, that should be
enough to take out the oversynthetic snake."
The main gun is a laser gun, and its power attenuates with distance. Conversely, the closer you
get, the more powerful it becomes. This armament was a factor in raising the bounty from 100
million aurums to 1.5 billion aurums. As long as one gets close enough, even an oversynthetic
snake can be killed with a single shot.
Lily thought so, and they were going to attack the limits of their ability to prove themselves.
Although he had finished defeating the monsters in the vicinity, Akira was half spectator, as the
distant herds were too far away for him to defeat them himself.
There, Alpha explains the war situation.
Akira. It seems Katsuya and the others have decided to rush the game. The vehicle equipped with
the main gun is closing the distance to the overcomposite snake. They are going to shoot as close
as possible to increase the power.
Is that a bad move?"
Not necessarily. If it works, it can do a lot of damage, and if it fails, it can be called minor damage,
just the loss of one vehicle.
'I see. Then I hope it works out.'
It is a main gun with that much power. It is a threat if used by the enemy, but it is reassuring if
used by an ally. Akira thought so, and asked Alpha to zoom in on the area around the armored car
to keep an eye on the battle situation.
In the command car, Yumina turns a stern face to Katsuya.

Katsuya. What are you going to do?"
What do you mean, ......?"
Yumina, sensing from Katsuya's attitude that he could not expect a concrete response, changes the
question to a two-choice one.
Will you stop Lily?" Are you going to stop?"
I'll stop. What shall I do?"
I get it. Iri. Can I ask?"
Okay."
Aili nodded and straddled the motorcycle parked inside the car. Yumina tries to open the rear door
of the car. Katsuya saw this and was puzzled.
I said, "Wait a minute. What are you doing?"
Aili looks a little strange, but answers because she was asked.
I'm going to get into car 2 and knock him comatose.
"What do you mean, comatose? ......, he's one of us!"
Aili gives Yumina a slightly stern look. In response, Yumina turned a stern look at Katsuya.
Lily won't listen to me even if we connect again. And the fact that Car 2 hasn't stopped after I gave
the order to stop it with all my might means that the others have either been defeated by Lily or
have taken her side. The only way to stop Lily in that situation would be to get in directly."
Aili nodded. Unable to argue, Katsuya's face turned grim.
But that's ......, no, if you do that, at least let me ......!"
Yumina interrupts Katsuya's words with a strong tone.
Katsuya is the captain and he has to take charge of the whole group. So no."
Yumina knew that even if Katsuya were to get into Car 2, he would only get into an argument over
there. That is why she asked Aili, who would not hesitate to use force.
Katsuya. I'm going to ask you one more time. Are you going to stop Lily? Are you going to stop?"
Katsuya could not answer. Yumina waited a bit for an answer and then gave instructions to the
main force.
Attack continues! Be careful not to hit Car 2 as hard as possible!"
Wait a minute! If you keep attacking like this, you're going to hit Lily and the others!
Yumina tells the flustered Katsuya, making firm eye contact with him.
'Then, Katsuya, as captain, revoke my orders. The entire unit will cover for those who disobey the
captain's instructions. If that is Katsuya's choice, I am fine with it and will obey. I will wait as long
as you want, so decide."
Yumina said just that and took her eyes off Katsuya. He looked at the large monitor and took over
detailed instructions to the whole group on his own. Aili also got off the bike and helped Yumina.
Katsuya's job is to choose. He must choose whether to stop Lily even by instructing his friends to
attack his friends, or to collapse his own chain of command by defending the violators of his orders
despite his position as captain.
But you can't choose. Time is running out.
And Yumina was fine with that.
There is no need for Katsuya to turn his gun on his friends or abandon them. The strength to make
that ruthless choice does not suit Katsuya. And if that choice is necessary, he should do it himself
instead. That's what I thought.
That is why Yumina told Katsuya to wait as long as he wanted, not to decide right now. To keep
Katsuya from having to make that choice.
◆
Lily closes the distance with the over-synthetic snake. Meanwhile, the attack by the main forces
continues, with a large number of rockets being fired at the oversynthetic snake.
However, the armored car in which Lily and her crew were riding was spared from collateral
damage. This was thanks to Yumina's instructions and the fact that the enemy was so huge that
even rockets with low guidance performance were able to avoid Lily and her team.
And Lily thought it was because Katsuya approved of her actions. Then, that's why she couldn't
fail and closed the distance even more.
It is up to Lily to decide how close to shoot. From the understanding that she is approaching a huge
opponent to the extent that her sense of perspective is almost distorted, she conversely thinks that
the opponent must still be far away and continues approaching.
The oversynthetic snake was so large that just by twisting around, the surrounding boulders and
debris were blown away like pebbles. They flew near the armored car and made a loud noise.
Relatively small, but still larger than a man's head, the rocks hit the car, causing the occupants to
scream.
"Lily, Lily! I think we're in trouble!"
Not yet! We need to get closer! I don't think I can shoot twice! I have to make one shot!"
The rocks that pour down become larger and increase in volume. The ground shakes with the
vibrations transmitted from the huge body. The armored car on top of it shakes so violently that it
has difficulty moving forward.
Anything more than this would be like suicide. The young hunters thought so and tried to stop Lily
with all their might, but she made a decision.
Now!
The next moment, light shot out of the muzzle of what was the main gun of the armored car's
cannon, the multiple cannon Mai Mai.
The energy that had already been supplied to the very limit from multiple large generators was
released all at once, and a torrent of light that seemed to incinerate everything in the line of fire hit
the torso of the super-synthetic snake.
Scales and flesh at the point of impact are instantly blown off, vaporized, and become a raging
heat wave mixed with the atmosphere. The turbulence further scorches the surrounding area,
mixing with the energy continuously released from the main gun and causing it to fly off. The
heightened energy reacts with the colorless fog in the atmosphere and scatters in a shining
explosion. The light that leaked out engulfed the surrounding area and obliterated the shadows.
Akira yelps as he sees the over-synthesized snake take a painful blow from the laser cannon.
You got it?
The light subsides. There was a limp, over-synthetic snake that had been blown off part of its torso
and shredded at the point of impact. The cut surface was completely carbonized at around two-
thirds of the length of the body. It had not been burned through, but the area had been obliterated.
"Yay ......?"
Akira is at a loss to judge. It is an unusually huge serpent, a biological monster with extraordinary
vitality. If the head is intact and two-thirds of the body remains, it can be said to be alive and well.
Alpha determines the status of over-synthetic snakes.
'I haven't beaten him yet. But we must have done a lot of damage.'
Akira again shows surprise and dismay together.
'You can't beat that one? ....... That's absurd. If I'd aimed closer to the head, could I have taken it
down?"
'Maybe so, but then you'll be directly attacked by the overgrown snake before you can shoot it. If
you are closer to the tail, it is easier to read their movement, so it is relatively easy to get close to
them. I guess they preferred to shoot as close as possible.
I've done everything I can do. ...... hmm? The one with the head will move.'
The over-synthetic snake resumes activity with slow movements that give a sense of the extent of
the injury.
But instead of running away or attacking, it headed for the shredded tail and began to eat it. Instead
of swallowing the whole thing, it bites it to pieces with its teeth, which are full of teeth despite its
serpentine shape, and eats it up. Then, it curled up on the spot and stopped moving.
'Alpha. What kind of behavior was that?'
'I kind of don't know either. I don't think it's a defense.
Akira was a little bewildered by the behavior of the hyper-synthetic snake, which had become a
huge target from him, but he was optimistic about the situation, thinking that it made no difference
that he had inflicted a painful injury.
In the command vehicle, the young hunters' voices were echoing through the communicator as
they praised Lily for inflicting significant injuries on the over-synthetic snakes.
Yumina acknowledges Lily's achievement but has mixed feelings inwardly.
(This is definitely going to set a precedent...)
There is no problem if you achieve results even if you ignore orders. If this is allowed to go
unchallenged, the chain of command can easily break down. There will be people who will be hurt
because they acted on their own initiative, but those who do so do so because they think they can
do it. They will not stop even if you tell them to stop.
And it is in a way an imitation of Katsuya. Even if the purpose is to save someone, it is still reckless.
And many of the young hunters of Katsuya's faction admire him. They are trying to be just like
Katsuya, and they are working in the same way.
Yumina was well aware that accusing Lily of ignoring her orders at this late stage would only
arouse the animosity of everyone. The cost of Katsuya's success in keeping the unit together was
now being borne by everyone.
There, the cheers coming from the communicator suddenly turned into bewilderment. The over-
synthetic snake was on the move. Many thought they had already won and had relaxed their
consciousness. A bewildered voice echoed, wondering if it had not yet been defeated.
However, the oversynthetic snake did not try to attack Katsuya and his team when they were loose.
It bit into its own tail, and when it finished eating, it curled up and stopped moving.
That's when Yumina came to her senses.
Continue the attack! We haven't beaten them yet!"
The main troops, who had stopped moving in surprise, were about to resume their attack at his
order. However, there was a problem in moving immediately to attack. The target had become
smaller due to the overgrown snake's coil, and if they attacked as is, there was a risk that Lily and
the others would be caught in the crossfire.
Since we had no choice, each of us closed the distance to the target to a distance where we would
not misfire. Then, some of them became elated at the opportunity.
He judged that his opponent was already a dead man because of the hyper-synthetic snake that was
still curled up in a coil and not moving. In addition, he was determined to be as active as Lily.
They make you forget the danger. Even rocket attacks are more powerful if you get close and
concentrate on a single point, so they close the distance even more. Seeing this, more and more
people followed suit.
Over-synthesized snakes are very large and powerful, but they do not have long-range attack
capabilities. Therefore, we have to take them down at a distance. The basic guideline of that
strategy was completely disrupted by Lily's activities.
The armored car in which Lilly and his crew were riding was spinning, rather than overturning, as
it was hit directly by the aftermath of the bombardment due to shooting too close to the
overcomposite snake.
Fortunately, the tires are down and the spinning momentum stops. Lily was knocked into the car,
but only suffered a slight physical injury thanks to her reinforced clothing.
And as I wondered what had happened to my attack, the cheers streaming from the communicator
answered it. I smile.
I did ......!"
While basking in the elation and joy of having accomplished the task, he carefully checks on the
over-synthesized snakes. And while he was surprised that he had not been able to defeat it, he was
convinced of his victory when he saw the deadly movement.
Lily received praise from her fellow passengers on board, and was truly happy that she had made
the right choice.
There, Yumina gives the order to continue the attack. Lily looked at the over-synthesized snake,
which was sprawled out and not moving, and began preparing to fire again, thinking that this would
allow her to fire another shot, this time at a closer range.
When I finished that setting in the driver's seat, I had time to finish filling the main gun with
energy, so now I went outside the vehicle with my friends, carrying a rocket launcher. Then he
fired out with the main troops who had gathered.
Countless rockets land on the target, causing one explosion after another. The oversynthetic snake
still does not move. The one-sided attack continues.
There was a definite sense of unity. In addition, there was the illusion that I was leading a unit.
Lily was having the best time enjoying it to the fullest.
And that time will end.
The surface of the supersynthetic snake, which had been coiled in a coil, was integrated into a shell
that covered the entire surface. Breaking through the shell, an intact supersynthetic snake emerges
from within. It further extended itself as vertically as possible and stood upright.
Both Lily and the young hunters nearby looked up involuntarily with expressions of surprise at the
giant tower-like serpent that suddenly appeared. And then impatience and fear on their faces. The
huge body, so huge that they could look up at it, fell toward them with great force.
The massive mass of the over-synthetic snake slams into the ground as if a skyscraper had snapped
from its roots. The earth rippled with the violent impact, and everything in its place - rocks, debris,
soil, people, and vehicles - was blown away.
A massive cloud of dust and smoke was rising in the wilderness due to the attack of a hyper-
synthetic snake that had emerged through its spiny shell.
Akira's face turns grim at the sight.
'Alpha. That was kind of tasteless, wasn't it?'
Alfa also looked a little dubious.
That's weird. If he does that, he'll do a lot of damage to the oversynthetic snake. I wonder if he's
going to stab Katsuya and the others in the back.
Then Elena calls.
Akira. We're going to rescue you. I'll move the wounded to the rear of the unit."
I understand.
Akira immediately departed for the rescue site, near the over-synthetic snake.
Other auxiliary personnel were moving forward with the same decision. After sharing information
on the location of Drangkam's vehicle, they assigned their respective areas of responsibility on a
team basis and headed for the rescue. From afar, a swarm of monsters was approaching. We hurried
ahead before they arrived and the battle became a melee.
Akira, who was separated from Elena and the others in order to help efficiently, arrived at the
scene. The huge body of a hyper-synthetic snake can be seen a short distance away.
'Alpha. What's going on with the over-synthetic snakes?"
He's still limp. It looks like a lot of damage has been done.
'Then why did you imitate him like that?'
'Consider it later,' he said. Better hurry now.
Oops."
After a very quick telephonic conversation, which was much faster than verbal communication,
Akira quickly searched his surroundings with his information-gathering equipment.
When he finds the boy tossed near an overturned wilderness-specification vehicle, he checks his
condition. The external injuries are not severe, but he is unconscious. It is also unclear what is
going on inside his reinforced clothes. Akira forcefully stuffed the recovery medicine he had in his
hand into the boy's mouth as a first aid measure.
Next, the overturned car is put back together with the physical capabilities of the reinforced
clothing. Expecting the sturdiness of the wilderness-specification vehicle, we want the vehicle to
come back on its own if possible.
And just like that, the boy woke up with vomiting blood. He coughs violently and sprays blood all
over the place.
"......, where am I?"
You're up. Can you move?"
The boy looked around in confusion.
Without waiting for a reply, Akira grabs the boy by the arm and forces him to stand up.
'See if the car works, and if you can, pull out on your own. Understood?"
Wait a minute." The situation is at ......."
Akira interrupts the boy's words with a slightly stronger tone.
I'm sorry, but we're busy too. You can do that by contacting the main group after you move to the
rear."
The boy flinches and checks the condition of the car. The car was sturdy, as it had been prepared
for the oversynthetic snake fight, and although it was a little damaged, it worked well enough.
I'm going to go to the airport and see if I can find a place. You're all right. Go on."
Wait, wait, wait! There was another fellow on board! We need to find it. ......"
Akira stops a boy who is about to get off.
I'll look for him, you go ahead."
No!" If we don't hurry up and look for them, it could be too late!
Seeing the boy's face grimacing that he will not return alone, Alpha interjects.
Akira. It's faster if you bring him to me.'
I'm going to go to ...... and say, "Okay. I'll look for it, just wait a bit. Okay?"
Akira told the boy and left the car. He then returned with what appeared to be the boy's companion
and seated him in the back seat.
Is that the right guy?"
............ yeah. Maybe."
The boy's companion was dead. His head was crushed and it was difficult to identify him, and he
was paying the price for fighting without any kind of helmet.
Then go quickly. We need to rescue the next one before the oversynthetic snake makes its move."
......, then I'll help."
These were words squeezed out of regret for the deaths of his friends and for not being able to save
them. But Akira shook his head.
I'm sorry, but I'm not so smug as to think I can do rescue work with a wounded man who can
barely move.
I understand." ...... Help the others as much as you can. Please."
There is nothing I can do even if I stay behind. Understanding this, the boy left with a sorrowful
expression on his face.
Alpha turns his usual smile to Akira.
'You've made me go through a lot of extra trouble. Now let's move on.'
'......, yes.'
Akira affirmed Alpha's words with reason. His emotions didn't go so far as to deny them, but they
were a little heavy to let them pass lightly.
Confusion reigned in the command vehicle in which Katsuya and his team were riding. Inside the
car, the communications of fellow passengers asking for instructions were echoing, but neither
Katsuya nor Yumina were able to respond.
Anguish comes over Yumina's face.
The oversynthetic snake is probably still alive. Should we order him to resume the attack? We
can't, because it will surely engulf our comrades near the hypersynthetic snake.
My friends must still be alive. Should we instruct the troops who did not follow Lily to rescue their
comrades? If the over-synthetic snake moves in during the rescue, there will be even more damage.
Do you expect the auxiliary personnel to do the same? I don't know how far they will go. Do we
throw away the achievement of defeating the young men alone and demand support from
Drunkham? I don't know if Mizuha would approve of that with the current damage.
Various other thoughts come to mind, but I can't decide if I should do it or not, and I keep getting
lost. Unable to make a decision on how to handle the situation, Yumina was consumed by her
thoughts.
Katsuya was in a similar situation. His thoughts were biased toward helping his friends, but he was
equally consumed by his own thoughts.
From whom do we help? How will we help them? What will we do if we move our troops to help
anyway and the damage increases even more? These thoughts filled my head, and I could not think
straight. Words such as "without further loss of life," "all of us," "without fail," and so on added
to the spinning of thoughts.
What should I do? My head, so distressed and asking for help, reminded me of someone who had
easily solved my problems before. Then I remembered what that Cheryl had told me, and I
chuckled.
(Oh ......, Cheryl was right. I guess I'm not cut out to be a commander)
He is here as a commander, but here is an incompetent who cannot command. Recognizing this,
Katsuya decided that there was no point in his being here, and he simply cut himself off as the
captain of a large unit.
Yumina! I'm sorry, but I need a change of command!"
This brought Yumina back to herself, as she had been engulfed in her thoughts. But she was
puzzled, wondering what he was suddenly going to say.
Aili, help Yumina!" Please!"
Seeing Katsuya smiling as if he was blown away, Aili was puzzled along with Yumina.
Katsuya then straddled the motorcycle parked inside the car and opened the door at the rear of the
vehicle.
I'm going to go save everybody! I'll take care of this!"
Hey, hey, Katsuya!
Katsuya shook off Yumina's restraint and jumped out of the car on his motorcycle with great force.
As soon as he landed, he slid on his tires and changed direction, accelerating rapidly toward the
over-synthetic snake. No more victims. With this in mind, he headed out to save his friends.
No more victims. The only exception to that is myself.
◆
Lily found herself looking at the sky. Her consciousness was dim and hazy, and she did not know
when she had awakened from her coma, but she felt a little strange that the sky, which she should
have been used to seeing, seemed so beautiful and clean.
He finally realizes that he is falling and tries to raise himself up. But he cannot move. My body
just won't move.
Lily somehow understood then that she was not going to make it.
In fact, Lily was dying. Her reinforced clothes had already stopped functioning, unable to
withstand the impact, and the inside of the suit was in such a terrible state that it was a wonder that
Lily was still alive, and the large amount of blood leaking from the suit was staining the area red.
My eyes begin to blur. Lily spends her last moments, feeling more loneliness than fear that she is
slowly dying.
Then Katsuya appears. His vision was so blurred that he could not make out the face of the person
standing next to him, but strangely enough, he recognized him.
(Oh, Katsuya. You're here to help me again. ......)
While I was happy about this to no end, I found myself believing that he would surely come to my
rescue, and I finally realized that I had been spoiled by Katsuya's help.
(Sorry, ....... I ......, I knew it ......, I guess I was a liability ......)
I wanted to apologize out loud, but I was already in no condition to speak. Still, I used the last of
my strength to reach out to Katsuya.
(But you did your best at ......, didn't you?)
The hand that touches Katsuya's cheek uses up the last of its strength and falls to the ground.
Lily laughed and died, satisfied that she had seen him one last time before he died, that he had
touched her one last time, that he had been there for her at the end.
I couldn't save him again. Katsuya's face contorts sadly as he is overcome by this thought.
"Lily ......"
Lily, on her deathbed, no longer had the strength to voice her feelings, and no sound came out of
her weakly moving mouth.
But it was firmly conveyed to Katsuya. The joy of coming to his rescue, the apologies and regrets
for dragging him down, and the desire for him to still be acknowledged were all delivered as
eloquently and correctly as if sent directly to the other person without language.
Katsuya had a recovery potion in his hand. He had returned it once to Akira and knew firsthand its
high effectiveness. He took it out thinking that he might be able to use it in time, but he stopped
his hand in the process.
This was due to the inexplicable realization that Lily would never survive, and therefore it was
useless.
A third party voice reinforces this realization.
Hey, is that guy dead too?"
When Katsuya involuntarily turned his gaze toward the voice, he saw several men standing there,
looking dissatisfied.
The men were assistants assigned to rescue the armored car in which Lilly and her family were
riding. They had found the armored car, but there was no one in it, and they were looking for
anyone nearby.
I don't see how this is going to help us get paid less." I can't do this.
The man who so complained was dragging the dead body of another young hunter in an armored
car. They were carrying them to prove that they had gone to the rescue and had done their job.
Another man grabs Lily by the ankle and calls out to Katsuya while trying to carry her roughly.
"Are you a survivor? If you can move, don't just stand there and do nothing. Don't make it easy
for me. ......?"
No, that woman should be all the occupants. There's a motorcycle, too, and maybe some other guy
came to help. ...... hmm?"
The man who interrupted him also looked doubtful when he saw Katsuya's face. Then he realized.
You're the commander of the main force, aren't you? What are you doing here? Where's your
command?"
Hey, hey, hey, hey, this is not funny! How much do you think we'd get paid less if you died? Get
back here right now!"
Katsuya couldn't help but glare at the men who showed their dismay and impatience. He was
angered by the behavior of the men, who cared only about rewards even though numerous people
had died, and by the careless treatment of his friends, even though they were already dead.
Is that all you have to say?"
The men involuntarily flinch at the spirit of the young man. But not enough to extinguish their
inner frustration, they return Katsuya's mocking attitude.
Oh, there's one more thing if you want to say it. When you asked me about dealing with additional
monsters, I said okay, but I take it back. I didn't think you guys were that stupid at the time."
Yeah, totally. If we had just kept fighting like that, we would have won without any problems, but
you went all the way in and caused more damage, what were you thinking?"
Katsuya could not say it back. Then he remembered Cheryl's words again.
Even an effective operation can be ruined if the troops act on their own. Even a mediocre command
can produce results if the troops are fully disciplined.
Although my command was mediocre, I could have avoided this outcome if I had still done
everything in my power to ensure that my companions followed those instructions. Or so I thought.
And the ground, which shook slightly but surely, blew away the acrimonious atmosphere between
Katsuya and the men. The oversynthetic snake was on the move again.
The men start moving with tongues wagging. They try to get back to their cars, carrying the dead
bodies of Lily and the others in a messy way. One of them reaches out to take Katsuya with him,
but Katsuya brushes his hand away.
I see." ...... Die on your own!"
The man spat this out and left, leaving Katsuya behind.
The remaining Katsuya looks at the over-synthesized snake with a stern face.
(Are you trying to preferentially attack the ones near you, the ones who attack you? ......)
Katsuya himself did not know why he thought so. It was something he realized, like when he
stopped Lily from using the restorative, so don't attack and stay away.
But Katsuya, upon realizing this, did the opposite. He straddled his motorcycle and drove briskly,
accelerating toward the over-synthetic snake. He also readied a larger gun, aimed it at his
opponent's head, and pulled the trigger.
Originally, Katsuya was only supposed to command the troops in the command vehicle, but he
was issued high-performance reinforced clothing and powerful guns to look good and in case of
emergencies. A bullet from a large gun, which is designed to be used with reinforced clothing,
lands in the head of the over-synthesized snake.
The wounds inflicted are equivalent to a graze. However, I was able to draw his consciousness.
The giant snake turns its head toward Katsuya.
That's all right, Katsuya laughs. Then he shoots again as he gets even closer. He doesn't think he
can beat him. He was shooting to draw the over-synthetic snake's attack to him.
The rescue of the fellow workers has not yet been completed. With their comrades lying so close
to the enemy, the main force is also unable to resume their rocket-propelled attack. To deal with
this, Katsuya was trying to guide the over-synthesized snakes.
I have some idea of the location of my fallen comrades. From there, I try to pull the over-synthetic
snake away as much as possible, and repeat the shooting while further closing the distance with
my opponent.
Then, when he saw the over-synthetic snake moving toward him, he used the recoil of the gunfire
to switch the direction of travel significantly.
Okay! This way! Follow me!"
Seeing the hyper-synthetic snake that was undoubtedly trying to follow him, Katsuya laughed that
it worked. He knew he was being irresponsible, not unlike the captain of a large unit, but he had
no regrets.
I cannot fulfill my role as captain. Then, I must do something else. As I thought about this, I
remembered Cheryl's words. She had already told me what I should do here.
If you can't help but abandon your friends, you don't just want to be a great hunter, you want to be
even better. Volunteer to be a decoy to save your friends and become a great hunter who can
survive on his own ability.
Katsuya was about to follow that advice and become a tremendous hunter.
He regains the high spirits he almost lost, and without hesitation, he believes and does his best to
the death. This determination feeds on his predicament and awakens talents that are not external.
Even his external power is added to the situation, and Katsuya's ability is dramatically enhanced.
Whether he was being chased by a snake as huge as a skyscraper or accelerating his motorcycle to
the limit in the wilderness to attract it, Katsuya felt not a shred of fear.
Akira, who was continuing the rescue operation, was more mildly dismayed than surprised to see
Katsuya attracting oversynthetic snakes.
'Alpha. There's a guy doing something outrageous, is that thing okay?"
No problem.
'Oh, really?'
Either way, Akira was a little surprised at the unexpectedness of Katsuya's performance.
But Alpha laughs and continues.
'We won't be bothered if he dies, will we? Akira works for Elena and her team, and he doesn't get
paid by Drunkham."
Yes, I do.
He was not wrong, and in fact, he was right, but Akira was a bit at a loss for a response.
Seeing Katsuya begin to use decoys to attract oversynthetic snakes, Yumina was dismayed in the
command vehicle. Forgetting even to give the order to rush to the rescue while she still can, she
sends a message to Katsuya.
Katsuya!" What are you doing?
Yumina. Please finish rescuing everyone while you still can. I'll try to keep them as close to me as
possible, but I don't have enough time to accurately guide them, so I'm sorry if I move the
overgrown snake in a strange direction. If that happens, you'll have to handle it."
The reply was so ordinary that Yumina momentarily forgot what to say. If her voice had contained
a sorrowful resolve, she could have tried to keep her composure to help Katsuya, but her tone was
too normal.
Ka, Katsuya, what are you saying ......"
Yumina then realizes her confusion and shakes her head broadly to the side to keep her sanity, and
then she raises her voice.
Stop this right now!" I'm going to die!
What are you talking about? How could this possibly kill me?"
His high-spirited, lighthearted tone was meant to reassure Yumina, but it was also meant to inspire
Katsuya. In other words, he does not really believe that he will not die.
Normally, Yumina would have been able to recognize this. But now she could not. But she still
had to make Katsuya stop thinking about taking the bait, so she desperately tried to think of
something to say.
Don't put me in command of a unit and tell me what to do! Why is Yumina in command and not
Katsuya?
The words were close to lies. Yes, there have been some complaints from my colleagues, but it
has not reached the point where the chain of command of the unit has collapsed. Organized action
has been maintained.
If we don't do something, we'll be in danger too! I'll try to create an opening for Katsuya to escape,
so you get out of there and get back in command!"
If Katsuya does not return to the command vehicle, at the very least, the entire unit will be in
danger if he does not return to a situation where he is safe enough to calmly command. If we let
him make that decision, Katsuya would stop playing the role of decoy. Yumina thought so and
yelled at him with a sad face.
When Katsuya hears Yumina's reply, his face turns grim, believing its contents. The reason,
however, was not what he expected from Yumina.
I don't want any more damage to occur because someone made another move on their own and I
was unable to stop them. With this intention, he connects the entire communication and shouts
with his high energy.
"Don't mess around and follow orders! I'll take responsibility!"
Katsuya's voice echoed through the communicator. And something more echoed along with it.
Katsuya's will is transmitted to the wilderness. Katsuya's companions, auxiliary personnel, and
others in the vicinity heard it, but not the sound. Some of them turned their heads not toward the
communicator from which Katsuya's voice came, but in the direction where Katsuya actually was.
The loud voice echoing from the communicator made Yumina flinch involuntarily. But she quickly
came to herself and tried to retort that it was not enough to say such a thing.
But then a dubious look appears on his face. The complaints from his friends that he had been
hearing over the communicator had completely disappeared.
Moreover, judging from the movement of reactions indicating the location of fellow vehicles, even
those who had been reluctant to follow their own instructions were now trying to move as directed.
Yumina knows that this is thanks to Katsuya's scolding. However, while she is happy that the
concern that her friends would not follow her command and move on their own has decreased, her
face is grim. This is because there is no longer any reason for Katsuya to stop acting as a decoy.
Yumina began to think of her next excuse, but nothing came to mind, partly due to mild confusion.
She was distressed and her face contorted even more.
There, he is approached by Aili.
Yumina. I have to lead the rescue."
Yumina was a little dubious when she heard this. She felt uncomfortable because she felt that Aili
would say that she had to help Katsuya.
However, I decided that Katsuya would never stop playing the role of decoy until he had finished
rescuing his friends, and stopped worrying about it further.
I agree. Anyway, let's help everyone."
Let's concentrate on that for now in order to save Katsuya. Thinking this, Yumina changed her
mind and returned to commanding the troops.
The unit is now in command. Katsuya thought this without reason, or at least without reason to be
aware of it, and then he cut off the communication and shot at the overgenerated snake behind him
while riding his motorcycle.
A small bullet lands on the huge body, which disturbs the perspective, and succeeds in inflicting
injuries that, from the side of the impact point, are significant, but from Katsuya's position, are
merely harassing. He let out an involuntary sigh.
I don't feel like it's working at all. ...... I'm attracting them for now, but are they ok?"
Katsuya intends to continue playing the decoy role until the main force defeats the oversynthetic
snake. However, when the rescue of his friends was over and the main force began attacking again
with rocket-propelled grenades, he was uncertain whether the hypersynthetic snake would
continue to aim at him.
The over-synthetic snake preferentially attacks enemies who attack more powerfully from closer
quarters. Although it was now making itself the target by attacking from close quarters, there was
a danger that if the main force resumed its attack, the hyper-synthetic snake's attack target would
shift to it.
In order to prevent this from happening, it would be necessary to attack more severely from even
closer, but even Katsuya felt that he could not go any further.
However, you cannot ask one of your friends to play the decoy role with you. In the first place, he
went out of his way to act as a lone decoy because he feared that working with his companions
would make him look bad.
Wondering what to do, Katsuya then remembered someone who had fought with him but had not
lost his own condition.
Then, despite the strong inner feeling of unwillingness on my face, I contacted him, thinking on
that basis that it was a good time for my friends, and that it would be a good time for me to make
a good contact with him, even if it would be a bad one.
The rescue work that Akira and his team had been carrying out was relatively short-lived, thanks
to the addition of some members of the main force along the way. Even so, the monster hordes
were still able to get very close to us in the process.
As Akira drives off to deal with that side next, he receives a communication from Elena.
Elena. What's wrong? Are you joining us for once?"
No, that's not what I thought. Katsuya sent me a message and asked me to connect to Akira. I'll
take over."
When Akira looks doubtful, a straightforward instruction comes from Katsuya.
It's my job. Help me."
With just those short words, the communication with Katsuya was cut off, as was the
communication channel, Elena's communication.
Akira involuntarily falls silent. Alpha, too, does not smile as he usually does, and gives light advice
with a dubious look on his face.
Elena and her colleagues are the ones who hire Akira. Since it's not from them, I don't think you
have to follow their orders, do you?"
'......, yes.'
Yes.
Alpha laughed and nodded. But Akira, on the contrary, looked very unhappy and frowned as hard
as he could. Then he changed the direction of the car drastically.
This unexpected behavior causes Alpha to look unusually flustered.
'Hey, Akira? Are you going to go to Katsuya's place?
'......, work!'
Akira replied in a half-hearted manner, as if telling himself that he had to do something he was
very reluctant to do, and that he had no choice but to do it.
Katsuya was sprinting through the wilderness while attracting overgrown snakes, but it was
difficult to say that he had enough time to spare.
Although the motorcycle equipped in the command vehicle was designed for wilderness use, it
was not designed for combat with bounty hunters. It was being overworked without regard to the
load on the body. The limit was near.
If you lose your bike, there is no way to survive. You will be crushed to death by a snake as huge
as a skyscraper. So, ignoring the silent voice that told him to stop playing the decoy role right now,
Katsuya was running for his life.
However, he also understands that it is not good to continue as is, and a grim look appears on his
face as he wonders if there is any better way to deal with the situation. However, the only idea that
came to mind was to stop acting as a decoy, and no good ideas came to mind at all.
And time is running out. The hordes of monsters that had been gathering from afar had finally
arrived.
One of the herd, an eight-legged tiger-like semi-mechanical monster with a huge cannon on its
back, regards the over-synthetic snake as an enemy and opens fire. The shell aimed at the target's
head, however, landed shortly before it did.
The explosion blows up Katsuya and his motorcycle. He was not hit directly, and thanks to the
rubble he was using as a foothold, which served as a shield, he himself was unharmed. However,
the entire scaffold was blown high into the air.
(...... not good! (A fall from this height would definitely destroy the bike, let alone me in my
reinforced suit!)
The new time limit is until he falls to the ground. The situation must be reversed by then. In this
desperate situation, Katsuya jumped at the idea that came to him.
In mid-air, while both wheels of the motorcycle are still attached to the debris that flew by together,
it accelerates at maximum power. He spins his tires with the force of the recoil blowing the debris
from his foothold backward, and then rushes forward at full speed, leaping out of the debris in
mid-air.
The footing was short, but the bike was going quite fast even before the impact of the gunfire sent
it flying into the air. Accelerating to the limit there, the bike flew like a cannonball. But the sky is
not traveled. After running out of momentum, it fell in a parabolic path.
If it hits the ground, the bike will be wrecked and Katsuya will lose his means of transportation.
All that was left was to be crushed from behind by the over-synthetic snake. In order to reverse
the situation, Katsuya leapt from the top of the bike with the force to crush the bike himself as
soon as he landed.
Katsuya flies further forward, letting the bike shoulder the impact of hitting the ground.
(...... reachable!)
Katsuya looks grim and impatient, but now there is nothing more he can do. If he fails, he will be
knocked to the ground and killed by the over-synthesized snake.
Deliver. Be there in time. I hope so. And it arrived in time. It arrived just in time to reach the
vehicle that was coming at high speed from in front of Katsuya.
The boy in the car reaches out and grabs Katsuya, killing as much inertia as possible, and throws
him into the car. At the same time, the car quickly changed direction of travel and passed the head
of the over-synthetic snake, which reversed in a sharp arc.
Katsuya, who had managed to get out of his predicament, exhaled on the seat of the vehicle and
his expression relaxed once. But sooner than he could thank him, a feeling of surprise came over
him. It was stronger than the joy of being saved and made his face change into a doubtful one.
I didn't see you coming, ......."
And before I could thank him for continuing, I received a tongue lashing from the other party. This
caused the words of thanks to stop before they left Katsuya's mouth. The voice came back even
more frustrated.
Don't call me if you don't."
Akira gave Katsuya a very grim look.
Akira's decision to go to Katsuya's aid was the result of a really close call.
If Akira had been hired directly by Drunkham, he would have included in his contract that he
would act independently as needed, as he did when he was asked to remove the Yarata scorpion
nest, and he ignored Katsuya's instructions that he was not obligated to go that far.
But now he is employed by Elena and her family. And based on the trust they have in each other,
they only have verbal agreements with each other. They did not even talk about their own
arrangements, which would even allow them to abandon Elena and her family if necessary.
On top of that, Akira was aware that since he took it on as a job, he was going to do it diligently.
But still, if he had received direct instructions from Katsuya, he could have decided that it was
Elena and her colleagues who hired him and that he had no obligation to follow Katsuya's
instructions to that extent.
Katsuya's instructions, however, were given once through Elena and her colleagues. This made it
seem to Akira as if Elena and the others had psychologically accepted the instructions.
In addition, since they are now working as a team with Elena and her team, the responsibility for
ignoring their instructions falls not only on me but also on Elena and her team. Furthermore,
considering that the instructions were given to the team, Elena and her team could have gone to
Katsuya instead of themselves if they were not careful.
All of these reasons piled up, and Akira made a really last-minute decision to go to Katsuya's place.
And he saved the day when it was very close.
Akira's mood was severely aggravated by the fact that the words on top of that were, "I didn't think
you would come. For Akira, it would have been better if he had been cursed for being late.
Don't call me if you don't."
What?"
If the enemy is so blatantly displeased with his heart, even Katsuya is in a bad mood, even right
after being saved. He unintentionally glares back at her.
Akira, however, is completely unfazed.
So what do you want me to do? Your bodyguard?"
Akira did not intend to make fun of him. However, Katsuya took the words with clear displeasure
too far. He associates the word "babysitting" with the part about being a hunter with an escort, and
returns the same clear sense of displeasure.
Help me do my job!" Together we can attract oversynthetic snakes!"
Oh, yeah."
Akira replied only that, as if to spit it out in an almost contemptuous manner.
'Alpha. Sorry, but you'll have to drive like that.'
Alpha, too, is not smiling as he usually does, and has a dubious look on his face.
'That's fine, but if you don't like it so much, why didn't you just leave it alone?
'...... work. I'm not forcing you to go out with me.'
In a sense, it was an escape. Akira has no intention of dying with Katsuya. If Alpha said he couldn't
go out with him and wouldn't support him, he could use that as an excuse to throw away his job as
he couldn't do it on his own.
But Alpha can't say that either. Because it would interfere with the other attempts. Instead, as usual,
he smiles happily and in a slightly better mood.
I'm not sure what to say. You've been with Akira's selfishness so many times before, and now you
say such a thing? There, Alpha! Please! Please! I'm just trying to get you in a good mood," he said.
Akira couldn't help but chuckle at this light-hearted remark. Then he realized that he was indeed
right and eased his mind a little.
'Yes,' he said. Alpha! Please! Please!
I'll take care of it!
At that moment, Akira's car, which was running next to the head of the oversynthetic snake, began
to rapidly close the distance between it and its opponent.
Unlike Katsuya, who drove his motorcycle with his own limbs, Akira's car is driven directly by
Alpha via a control unit. The danger zone of how close he can get to his opponent is much closer
than that of Katsuya on his motorcycle.
Akira's CWH objective assault rifle and DVTS minigun on top of the vehicle, just inches from the
giant snake's head. Each hand holds a ready position. Then, he pulled the trigger at a close enough
distance considering the opponent's huge body.
The powerful special bullets and the fastest rapid-fire projectiles from the extended magazine blow
away the serpent's scales with their inner flesh. Unlike rockets, the power of both bullets increases
the closer they are to the target, and their aim is also focused on a single point with Alpha's support.
The power of the bullets was inflated.
Still, it was far from a fatal wound for the overgrown snake. However, it was not so light that it
could be ignored as a graze wound. The serpent, not liking the attack, tried to reap Akira and the
others with its huge head. It was an attack like a giant holding a skyscraper and cleaving it
horizontally across the surface of the earth.
A head of such size that it disrupts one's sense of distance runs just above the surface of the ground.
Akira ducked and dodged. It was that close.
While the wind pressure alone was raging around the area, the car was not blown away by Alfa's
driving. Katsuya bent down and held onto the vehicle to keep it from being swept away.
The next attack comes. This time, instead of sweeping over the ground, it cleaves the ground with
its huge head. Thanks to the friction with the ground, it moves slower than before, but even so,
this time it is impossible to avoid it by bending down. Not only the wind pressure from the vigorous
swinging of the giant body, but also the earth, rocks, and debris that have been chipped away from
the surface of the ground are blown away.
But Alpha accelerated his car to the limit and fled from its attack range. Large rocks flew around
the vehicle and by Akira and his team, some of them hitting the vehicle body and peeling off the
armored tiles, forcing Akira and his team to evade and defend themselves.
In the contradictory experience time, Akira prevented a rock coming toward him by kicking it, and
Katsuya also evaded it by turning his head to the side in a wide swerve.
Katsuya looks at Akira, questioning his sanity, wondering if he would go that far, even as a decoy.
But Akira returned a spare glance.
If my job isn't to protect you, then don't make me protect you, okay? If it's too tight, tell me early."
The words, which could be interpreted as a concern for the difficulties of the other person, unlike
himself with Alpha's support, were also used as an excuse not to do anything reckless if the other
person said it was too hard.
And Katsuya took that as a complete provocation.
"...... who's to say!"
Oh, yeah."
Then they both point their guns outside the car. The bullets that are shot out wildly from the
powerful heavy weapons strike not only the over-synthetic snakes, but also the hordes of monsters
that have gathered. The biological monsters are reduced to dust by the barrage of bullets, and the
mechanical monsters are wrecked by a single shot.
The maximum efficiency of their combined firepower overran the monster hordes and attracted
the attention of the over-alloyed snakes. They had no intention of cooperating with each other, and
while squabbling on the same vehicle, they were working together to a frightening degree.
After rescuing their comrades, the main force had resumed its attack on the overgrown snake. They
were ready to fire all the rockets loaded in their vehicles.
Auxiliary personnel are protecting the main force from the monster hordes. They answered that
there was no problem, and they were well escorted, including the non-combat-ready vehicles
carrying the wounded.
After Katsuya's blackmail, the bounty hunter unit had fully regained its organized behavior. In
fact, it even seemed to Yumina's senses that they were taking a more sophisticated troop behavior.
Because both the target and themselves are constantly moving and fighting, the encirclement is in
a very fragile state. Yumina is checking the state of the encirclement with Aili and instructing her
companions to correct their positions.
However, the ability of those who receive instructions to follow those instructions depends largely
on the skills of each individual. It is the role of the conductor to grasp this lack of skill and issue
appropriate instructions.
However, Yumina does not have that level of command ability. Even when she was in command
with Katsuya, she made a series of minor mistakes, and it was difficult to say that she was able to
give full direction to the unit's actions.
But now it was more than made up for by his fellow workers. Moreover, in some cases, they were
adjusting their own positions before Yumina gave them instructions.
(I'm sure everyone didn't have this kind of skill. ...... What's going on?)
In the command car, Yumina was mildly puzzled by this. But she quickly shook her head to shake
off the miscellaneous thoughts.
(...... No, now is not the time to worry about that. How can we ......)
Yumina's expression of distress grows stronger. She has no idea how to rescue Katsuya.
The situation is stable. But that stability was only possible because Katsuya and his team were
acting as decoys.
You can't tell them to stop playing the decoy role and come back now. If you try to return Katsuya
to the command vehicle, the main force will be attacked by overgenerated snakes as it is.
You can't even ask someone else to take the bait. Just getting close enough to the oversynthetic
snake to take its place requires extraordinary skill. No one in the main force has that kind of skill,
and it is unlikely that the auxiliaries will follow their instructions.
Above all, Katsuya would never agree. Yumina knew that.
The only way to save Katsuya now is to defeat the over-synthesized snake. However, the opponent
is unusually durable. I don't know if Katsuya will be able to hold out until the oversynthetic snake
is defeated. If Akira had not come to his aid in the first place, he might have died. This uncertainty
was causing deep distress to Yumina.
(If only we could use that main gun here: ......!)
I regret now that I could not stop Lily. But just as I was about to change my mind, thinking it was
something I didn't have, I realized something. I operated the terminal of the command vehicle to
remotely check the status of the armored car with the main gun.
The condition of the armored car was all items were wrecked, except for the control unit, which
incorporated an automatic inspection device. However, the main gun and generator are not listed
under that item since they are retrofitted armament.
(To the extent that communication with the control unit is possible, the interior of Car 2 is in safe
condition. Is the generator also safe? (And the main gun, does it work?)
Once Yumina realized this possibility, she could not stop. The fact that his companions were taking
firm troop actions on their own, and that he thought that this would make his own command
unnecessary, helped Yumina make his decision.
Iri. Take over command."
......?" Ok."
Aili looked a little strange but nodded. Yumina took over command with Katsuya. I will help
Yumina. I will follow the command without making any mistakes. I will follow the command
without making any mistakes, because replacing Yumina's command with Katsuya's is not
contrary to what Katsuya told me.
Still, Iri was mildly puzzled when he saw Yumina take the folding bikes and other equipment
provided from the shelves.
Yumina?"
Iris. I have something to do, I'll be out in a bit."
Iri was surprised. Even though the support staff was taking care of them, there was still a pack of
monsters outside the vehicle. It was too dangerous to go out alone on a small motorcycle.
That's impossible, no matter how much you want to do it. I will stop him by all means necessary.
Just before he was about to take action, the words that followed stopped him.
Aili, stay here and help me as Katsuya instructed. Don't move on your own.
Thinking it was a bit unfair, Yumina looked at Aili and smiled gently. She tells Aili, who is
confused, conflicted, and trying to follow Katsuya's instructions with a sad face, that it might be
the last time.
If you need anything else, please take care of Katsuya."
Yumina said, opened the rear door of the vehicle, and jumped out of the vehicle on her motorcycle.
Aili was left behind. But when he understood that he could no longer stop Yumina, he closed the
door of the vehicle and returned to the communications equipment, determined to at least make
good on the command he had taken over.
Yumina rides a small motorcycle through the wilderness toward an armored car. It is slower than
the bike Katsuya used for emergency equipment, but still faster than running in reinforced clothing.
She hurries as fast as she can.
(Now I ignore orders too. (This is not funny, Lily.)
Yumina had mixed feelings about doing the same thing as those who had condemned her so much.
Still, she had no regrets. Even if she remained in the command car, she could only pray for
Katsuya's safety.
And I knew a long time ago that there was nothing to be solved by praying.
Even though I jumped out of the car, so far I have not been attacked by monsters. This is thanks
to the fact that the auxiliary personnel in the vicinity are giving priority to defeating the monsters
that are trying to attack Yumina. This was under the direction of Iris.
However, the auxiliary personnel protect only the main force. They cannot cover for Yumina, who
is moving away from them alone, forever. At some distance away, Yumina also begins to be
attacked.
Yumina stopped her motorcycle once and held her large gun firmly in both hands. She aimed at
the approaching monster and pulled the trigger. The bullet smashed the target with a single blow.
Good. It's for Katsuya. It's got good power."
The bullets are part of the ammunition provided for Katsuya. I took the liberty of bringing it with
me when I took out the bike. It can be shot with Yumina's gun, but it is not recommended to use it
because the bullets are a little out of standard and will damage the gun.
Yumina knew this, too, but she was prepared to use it even in the event of an outburst, hoping it
would hold until she reached the armored car.
Once again, he hurried ahead on his motorcycle. I saw a huge snake rampaging in the distance and
wished it would wait a little longer, thinking that it was nothing compared to Katsuya, the decoy
that was attracting it.
Akira and his team were driving Alpha to the edge of the over-synthetic snakes, while they were
wreaking fire on the area. They proceeded through the wilderness, shooting incessantly, destroying
the monsters around them and attracting the giant snake, which smashed the surface of the earth
with its huge body.
Naturally, a large amount of ammunition is consumed. First, Katsuya ran out of ammunition. Akira
points to the rear of the vehicle, seeing Katsuya's frowning face.
Use it.
Akira's ammunition is loaded there. Katsuya frowned even more, but he understood that if he did
not give it up, he would be reduced to a mere passenger, and reached for the ammunition.
Don't think you're going to owe me anything for this?"
Akira, too, responds to Katsuya's words, as if confessing that he owes him a favor, with unnatural
bitterness.
If you're serious, why don't you get off and run?"
When you keep riding in my car, you're piling up debts to wherever you can. If you don't like it,
get out. Akira's attitude, as if to say so, made Katsuya grit his teeth.
Akira and the others glare at each other. The atmosphere was so grim that it was a wonder they
were not killing each other here, but even so, they continued to shoot as if they were taking out
their exasperation on those around them, without disturbing the coordination of maximum
efficiency in any way.
Despite this state of affairs, Akira was inwardly a bit puzzled.
（Why am I so frustrated?)
I don't like Katsuya in an unnatural way. I am uncomfortable to the point that I don't understand
why. But I don't know why.
If you ask me whether I like or dislike Katsuya, I definitely dislike him. However, it would be
strange to dislike him so much that he would give priority to his own feelings, even to the point of
quarreling with him in this situation. I was aware of that.
(But Alfa doesn't stop me either, and from someone else's point of view, isn't that unnatural? (But
hey, ......)
I have been stopped many times by Alfa in the past, telling me not to get into trouble for nothing.
Considering this, it seems strange that Alpha does not stop him now. I think so.
However, it is thought that it is also to avoid making the trouble bigger by interrupting. Also, with
the incident with Lucia, I think they think it is useless to say anything at this point.
Either way, no satisfactory conclusion was reached. Then I reconsidered that this was not the time
to be thinking about unnecessary things, and to that end, I first tried to calm down, looked for a
compromise, and put it into words.
Hey, I don't care, but you owe it to Elena and the others. I'm working as part of Elena's team now."
"I know ......."
Katsuya also used this as an excuse to suppress unnecessary irritation.
A compromise was reached because of those whom they both recognized. On top of the car, which
softened the atmosphere a bit, Alfa watched the proceedings with great interest.
When Yumina managed to reach the armored car, her face turned grim as she saw the heavily
distorted body of the vehicle. However, she was surprised to see the almost intact main gun.
It's sturdy, and it's only armed with a 1.5 billion aurum bounty on its head. This is what we can
expect.
He forced open the distorted door with the physical capabilities of his reinforced clothing and
entered the armored car. Then, he checked the condition with the control unit of the main gun.
The main gun had a force-field armor force-field armor feature that protected itself using energy
supplied by the generator. This is the reason why there is a difference between the armored car
itself and the condition of the damage.
The self-check function of the control unit on the main gun side indicates that there is no problem.
Yumina couldn't help but smile.
Yes! You read that right! Now all we need to do is initiate the firing sequence and have Katsuya
and his team guide the oversynthetic snake to the firing line."
The main gun is retrofitted on an armored car. Because of this, the sights were aligned by moving
the entire body of the vehicle, which was the foundation.
But that armored car is broken, so basically the sights can't be changed anymore. There is a limit
to what Yumina can do with her reinforced clothing to move the vehicle and force it to adjust its
sights. Therefore, it was necessary to have the target come in the line of fire.
Yumina operated the terminal and re-activated the main gun. Energy is supplied to the main gun,
which has moved from standby to ready to fire. Waves of energy leaked from the cannon and were
transmitted to the wilderness.
And the over-synthetic snake detected it.
◆
Akira and his team were steadily attracting over-synthetic snakes. But suddenly it was over. The
oversynthetic snake suddenly reversed its direction of movement, ignoring Akira and his team.
Surprised, Akira asks Alpha to move his car to the side of the overgrown snake's head and
concentrates on his opponent's face with both guns. Katsuya also fires a shot.
It's an attack that ignores the monsters around it. This would get their attention. Both Akira and
Katsuya thought so.
But the oversynthetic snake ignored it. A puzzled look comes over the faces of Akira and the
others.
'Alpha. What's going on?"
'The overgrowth snake has changed the priority of the attack target. Akira and his team can no
longer guide the attackers.
'So you're saying we can't play the decoy role anymore. That seems like a good thing, but then
what's the over-compound snake after?"
There it is.
Alpha pointed to an armored car that was preparing to fire its main gun. Akira was a little surprised
to see it.
That's it. But why all of a sudden?'
The over-synthetic snakes are targeted based on distance from the enemy and the power of the
attack. It's that powerful from that far away. It must have been the top priority target of the attack.'
'No. Still, why the sudden ......"
Then, Katsuya received a communication from Yumina. It was a loud voice, so Akira could hear
it.
Katsuya! You're still alive! Answer me if you can hear me!"
I can hear you! What happened!"
I checked the main gun on car #2 and it's still working! I'm getting ready to fire right now! But I
can't change the sights because the vehicle is broken! Lure the oversynthetic snake into the line of
fire on Katsuya and his team's side!
After a delay, Katsuya understood the situation. Or more precisely, he was somehow made aware
of it. Immediately, he shouted with a very stern face.
Yumina! Get out of there now! The oversynthetic snake is headed your way!"
What?" Wait a minute. Did you already lead them this way?"
No!" For some reason, the over-alloyed snakes realized that Yumina was about to fire the main
gun on that side! We can't guide them anymore!"
I get it. I'll be right with you at ......."
There Yumina's voice stopped once. Katsuya looks doubtful.
Yumina?" What's up?"
Uh, yeah. "Uh, yeah, I'm fine. If Katsuya and the others can no longer act as decoys, then go
straight back to the main force.
Wait a minute. What are you talking about? What happened over there?"
It's okay! Katsuya, you're in charge of the whole operation with Iris! Bye!"
So the communication was cut off unilaterally. Even Katsuya, who was slow in many ways, did
not believe it was okay.
Yumina, who has been out of communication, lets out a sigh in the armored car. Then, she forced
herself to change the bitter smile on her face into a bright smile and raised her spirits.
Well, let's do as much as we can."
He ransacked the distorted interior of the car and went outside with safe rockets and other items.
Then he readied the rocket launcher and pulled the trigger.
The rockets land on the target and smash the large monster into tiny pieces. The rockets are
powerful enough to be used against bounty hunters.
And several monsters run past them.
That's a lot."
Yumina complained and fired the next rocket.
The over-synthesized snake was not the only one that sensed the energy leaking from the main
gun. Some of the monster hordes that had noticed it were rushing toward Yumina.
Once Katsuya stopped acting as a decoy, the purpose of Yumina's visit to this place was
accomplished. Therefore, they could have abandoned firing the main gun and returned, but after
seeing the amount of the monster herd, they decided that it would be impossible to return on their
own.
If that is the case, I will do everything I can here. That's what I decided. Fire the main gun and
destroy the oversynthetic snake. I decided to keep this place for that purpose.
The muzzle of the main gun is pointed toward the side of the over-integrated snake, but the target
is still too far away and the sights are off to hit it when fired. It is necessary to attract the target
until the sighting error is filled in thanks to the opponent's huge body.
They must also prevent the hordes of monsters from attacking the armored vehicles. If the impact
of the attack causes the car body to move, the sight will be greatly distorted. In the worst case
scenario, the angle of the car will never be hit even if an over-synthetic snake approaches at close
range.
That's a lot!"
To do the best she could, Yumina continued to fire rockets at the onrushing hordes of monsters.
When Akira heard from Alpha about Yumina's situation and grasped it, he turned a serious face to
Katsuya.
I'm done playing the decoy," he said. So what are you going to do? Are you going back?"
Katsuya, who had been in a hurry, came to his senses upon hearing this. He then glared at Akira.
Of course we're going to help Yumina!"
Okay."
Akira did not answer, "Oh, yes.
'Alpha. It is, it is. Head on over as fast as you can.'
'That's fine, but do we have to go that far?'
It's my job."
Akira's lighthearted response showed no sign of the reluctance he had shown earlier in his attitude.
I understand. Then make sure you take enough recovery pills while you're at it.'
Roger that.
Akira takes out a recovery medicine and advises Katsuya in passing.
I'm rushing to Yumina's place now, but if you want to get off, now's the time."
Who's going down!"
I see. Then, if you have recovery medicine, take it. Also, from here on out, I won't be your
bodyguard even if you ask me to. You're on your own.
Who would ask?
Akira nodded lightly, saying that his word was taken. He then began to take a large dose of
recovery medicine.
Katsuya looks at him and is dubious. He sees no connection between rushing to Yumina's side and
taking the restorative. He wonders if he's making a fool of himself by tying this up with the escort
thing, but decides against it since Akira himself is also taking it.
In that dubious time, Katsuya ran out of time to take his recovery medicine beforehand. When he
said he would not accept the escort, Akira did not wait for Katsuya to take the recovery medicine.
Alpha. Begin."
I'm going. Be careful.
The next moment, Alfa switched to driving the car with complete disregard for the burden on the
occupants. In order to reach Yumina's place in the shortest possible time, the car was forced to run
wildly on the roadless road, accelerating continuously as much as the car's performance would
allow, through the wilderness that was not suitable for driving.
The car runs with god-like driving skill. It even leaps through places where it would normally have
to make a large detour, using nearby slopes and earth and sand as a platform. The car makes two
rotations in mid-air, calculates and lands with its tires down, and then accelerates further and
pushes forward.
Such driving naturally places an exponentially higher burden on the occupants. With each sudden
acceleration, deceleration, extreme right turn, left turn, vertical turn, horizontal turn, and twisting
turn, Akira and his crew had to struggle desperately to keep from being thrown from the vehicle.
Akira managed to bear the load thanks to Alpha's support. The burden is relatively reduced because
the movements of the reinforced clothing are compensated for the vehicle's operation in the area
of the control unit.
Even so, even Akira himself could see that he was consuming more and more of the recovery
medicine in his body, and he was replenishing his strength by gradually drinking what he had in
his mouth.
Meanwhile, Katsuya, who had not received that much compensation, was on the verge of being
thrown from the car. He desperately gripped the edge of the car with both hands, and his legs,
which were already outside the car, were being swung around by inertia and centrifugal force as
he managed to withstand the load that was about to tear his body to shreds.
He struggles to get back into the car, understanding firsthand the meaning of his prior advice to
take recovery pills. There, he saw Akira and tried to raise his voice, but he gritted his teeth and
held on. Akira, too, was trying desperately not to be thrown out of the car.
This driving is not to harass me, but to hurry to the limit to get to Yumina. If I complain with this
understanding, it is no different than admitting that I am slowing them down. With this in mind,
Katsuya put all his strength into his arms, which were about to be twisted under the load, and
brought himself closer to the car.
Akira. Mae"
Roger that!
Akira holds up his gun as he struggles to maintain his position on the violently shaking car. Ahead
of him was a large monster. If he continued on, he would collide with it. Knowing this, Alfa, in
his haste to get ahead, chose to go straight ahead.
Akira then defeats that monster with a CWH objective assault rifle and a DVTS minigun. The
specialized bullets kill the target instantly with a single shot, the barrage transforms its body as it
drills all over the opponent's body and whittles it down, and the enemy's corpse is processed into
a moderately soft jumping-off point.
The next moment, Akira's car jumped up using its platform.
Akira. Mae"
I get it!
Akira moved over the leaping vehicle and when he reached the front end of the vehicle, he fired
at the large predator on the ground. The specialized bullets and barrage now turned the opponent
into a cushion of meat. The vehicle lands on it as if to trample it down, and it pushes forward
through the wilderness without stopping.
'Good. Akira. Now we're getting pretty close. The ground is relatively gentle from here on, so you
can relax a little.
"Yes, I see."
When Akira managed to get back to the seating area, Katsuya also managed to get back into the
car. They both took recovery pills and exhaled.
Katsuya had mixed feelings about having used the recovery medicine that he was supposed to
return to Akira, but he dared to forget about it, saying that now was not the time.
Then a loud sound echoed from behind the vehicle. An over-synthetic snake was approaching,
blasting away at the obstacle.
Episode The Impact of Choice
The image of a giant snake is reflected beyond Yumina's field of vision as she continues her
desperate resistance.
"It's about time. ......"
It was a word muttered not from the judgment that they had attracted enough over-synthetic snakes,
but because they could not hold back the monster hordes any longer.
All that remained was to fire the main gun, hoping it would hit, and be overrun by the monsters. I
would try to get away as far as I could on the bike, but the calm part of my brain told me that I
couldn't count on it.
Well, Katsuya will be saved, and I think I did all I could."
Accepting the mixed feelings of satisfaction and resignation, Yumina takes aim at her next target.
And just as she was about to fire, the target's head blew off. The entire torso was pierced from
behind and obliterated.
The unexpectedness of the situation surprised Yumina so much that she forgot the sentiments she
had been harboring. Then a short-range communication arrives.
Akira. Yumina. If you've received my transmission, please respond."
A little later, Katsuya's voice arrives via Drangkam's communication.
Hey! What are you doing trying to connect to Yumina? Yumina! It's me! Are you okay?
Yumina answers the two voices coming from both communications with a puzzled look on her
face.
It's Yumina. I'm fine."
I see. We'll take care of the monsters around you. Do you have time to fire the main gun? If you
can't, I'll cover you and you can leave."
I'm not going to let you get away with this! Yumina! I'll cover you, now get out of there!"
If you can afford to shoot," he said, "you might as well do it. If you don't, you'll be asking what
Yumina was doing there. So what do you think?"
Hearing Akira's calm voice and Katsuya's raspy voice, Yumina couldn't help but blurt out. The
resignation she had felt earlier was instantly blown away, and she regained her enthusiasm and
made a cheerful sound.
I have a shot! Akira! Tell me when! I'm sorry, but we can't change the sights! If you shoot at my
discretion just because I'm in the line of fire, I'll probably blow you up too!"
"Yumina!"
Katsuya! Shut up for a second! Akira! Is that okay?"
Do I have to be there when you shoot?" Can't you shoot remotely, or shoot after 10 seconds?"
Remote control is not possible. There is no timer setting, but you can do something similar by
adjusting the firing sequence. The maximum is 20 seconds.
I'll tell you when to set it over here, so you shoot after 20 seconds and run the other way at the
same time it's set."
I get it. I'll try. Katsuya! You better get your shit together, too! If you try to get into a petty
argument in this situation, I'll beat you up later!"
Yumina said just that and finished her story. Then she tried to do as much as she could.
I will do what I can do. Nothing has changed since before Akira and his team sent the message.
But what we do has changed so much that Yumina can put a cloudless smile on her face.
Akira, who had finished giving Alpha's instructions to Yumina, shot and killed monsters one after
another from the car. Katsuya, who had been nailed by Yumina, was also destroying hordes of
enemies with his face contorted as if to bite back his frustration.
From behind, the over-synthetic snakes are coming at us in a cloud of dust. Akira and his team
completely ignored it.
'Alpha. Give me the count to tell Yumina."
I'll start at 30. I still have a while.
I get it. But anyway, I was just wondering, why is the over-synthetic snake trying to attack that
main gun? If you don't want to eat that thing again, wouldn't you run the other way?"
I don't know. I don't know how monsters think. Especially biological ones. They are so mutated
that they may not be thinking normally.
'Hmmm. I was thinking, maybe he's angry and upset or something, but I don't think so.'
'Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. Well, you don't have to worry about it, because we're going to beat
them now. Akira. It's time to start counting.'
I get it."
Akira tells Yumina with his mouth instead of Alpha.
"Yumina! Let the count begin!"
30, 29, 28. ......."
"30! 29! 28! ......"
Akira continued to count loudly so as not to be drowned out by the sound of the intense gunfire.
Yumina was finishing her preparations as she listened to Akira's count.

Now all that is left is to touch the control terminal of the main gun, then open the rear door of the
armored car with the force of a thousand cuts, and set up the motorcycle on its side. Then, at the
same time as inputting the firing instruction, he hurriedly got on the bike, accelerated it to the limit,
and finished preparations to leave.
But then an interruption occurs. The monster was seen beyond the open door. Akira and his team
could target the monster in the vicinity of the armored car, but not the target directly behind it.
Oh! Oh, God!"
Yumina rushed out of the car and readied her rocket launcher. The rockets shot out blasted the
monster to smithereens.
"6! 5! 4! ......"
Yuck!"
Yumina rushes into the car.
3! 2! ......"
He rushes straight back to the control terminal.
One!
And at the same time as his voice, he gave the order to fire the main gun.
Akira! Katsuya! They're starting the firing sequence!"
Yumina shouted as she stepped out of the car, jumped on her motorcycle, and started riding off at
a brisk pace.
The main gun doesn't count! You better avoid them!"
Hoping it would work, Yumina shouted and left the scene.
Akira's face is a little grim at the sight ahead. Light was leaking from the mouth of the main gun.
'Scary ......! Alpha! You better avoid that thing! I'm serious, please!
Of course. If you take a hit, the whole Akira vehicle will be obliterated.
'I mean, we've already killed all the monsters in the vicinity, so why don't we just go away? The
overgrown snakes aren't after us, are they?"
There is no longer any fear that a nearby monster will attack the armored car and throw the main
gun out of its sights. Then all we had to do was move wide to the side and get out of the line of
fire. Akira thought so.
But Alfa shakes his head a little sternly.
Akira. I'm sorry, but it may be too late for you to sidestep.'
What do you mean?"
We don't know the angle of spread of that laser cannon. The way that energy is leaking out, the
worst-case scenario is that it could be spread out at nearly 180 degrees.
'...... Are you saying that, if we're bad, if we're in front of the laser cannon, it's going to obliterate
us, even if we're about 500 meters to the side?'
He's saying.
Akira began to panic.
'Wait a minute! Why is Yumina trying to shoot in that setting?
'It's a monster-derived weapon, so I don't think she failed to control it, or it was broken by the
attack, or at least not by her own will. And it could be fired with normal spread width. It's all about
probability.
'I ...... think I'm the unlucky one ......'
'So you're aiming behind the laser cannon, where it will never hit you, no matter how unlucky you
are, right?'
Akira's face was drawn with impatience.
Alpha! More haste!"
'I think I'll make it in plenty of time, but okay. I'll give it my all again.
Alfa laughs and accelerates the car again, ignoring the burden on the occupants. Akira and Katsuya
grabbed the car in a panic.
The car pulls off the over-synthetic snake in the rear and drives through the ground at top speed.
Then it passed by the armored car, making Akira and the others look frantic.
Akira looks behind him on the car with some relief as he slows down. Near the muzzle of the main
gun in front of his gaze was a scene that looked as if it were absorbing and stirring up the light
from the surrounding area.
Then, from the firing port, which was so energetic that it even gave the illusion of space distortion,
all the energy stored by the laser cannon and the power generated in exchange for the wreckage of
the vehicle's generator were released at once as a torrent of light.
A huge pillar of light, which seems to burn everything up, strikes the over-synthesized snake at
close range. At that moment, the entire area is engulfed by the light, and the aftermath alone causes
an explosion that scorches the surrounding area. The blast blows away the earth and rocks in the
area, and a massive plume of smoke rises from the explosion.
You got it?
Akira looks at the hypocenter without thinking. The impact of the bombardment is so great that
the smoke from the explosion does not subside easily.
The smoke from the explosion finally subsided when Akira's car, which had continued to slow
down, slowly came to a stop and Yumina, who had fled earlier, returned on her motorcycle.
Akira and the other three looked seriously at the hypersynthetic snake, which had lost its entire
head, when they looked at the hypocenter where the smoke had cleared. The torso had also been
pierced by a laser cannon and had partially disappeared.
A 2 billion aurum bounty hunter is defeated, and the main force cheers. Katsuya also hugged
Yumina and shared his joy.
Akira breathed out a breath of relief, then a breath of exhaustion. There was no smile on his face.
He gets out of the car and leaves Katsuya frolicking with Yumina, and moves the car as if the job
is done.
Katsuya notices this and looks surprised. Yumina also rushes to stop Akira.
Hey! Akira!
Akira ignored them and moved away from Katsuya and the others.
After the over-synthesized snake was defeated, the remaining monster hordes in the surrounding
area were quickly brought down. The main force joined Katsuya, and auxiliary personnel were a
short distance away from there, guarding the perimeter until the hunter office personnel arrived.
Akira was alone, keeping an eye on his surroundings. But since he had left the spotting completely
to Alfa, he was technically just lounging in the driver's seat. He is sighing with fatigue and
grumpiness on his face.
I'm tired. ......"
Akira. If you're so tired, why don't you go home first? Akira is not working for Drunkham, so he
should be able to tell Elena and the others that he is leaving.
When told so by Alpha, Akira would normally have decided that it was not a good idea. But now,
due to fatigue and a lack of motivation caused by his moodiness, he was prompted by Alpha's
suggestion.
Yes. ......."
Connecting the communication to Elena, the voice reflects her inner feelings.
Elena. I'm sorry, but can I go home now? I'm a little tired."
But no reply came back. Akira didn't even have time to wonder if he had offended them by saying
something selfish. I called out to him curiously.
Elena?"
"...... Eh, yeah, yeah. Okay, okay. Okay, so ......."
Elena's not-so-normal voice is followed by Sarah's cheerful voice that dares to try to be normal.
Akira. I don't mind if you leave, but before you do, can I have a word? I'm on my way over there
now, so wait a bit."
I'm at "......? Yes. Understood."
Akira was a little dubious, but that was it, he cut off the communication and waited for Elena and
the others.
Elena and her family soon arrived. Akira was tired, but he got out of the car to greet them, thinking
it was time to say goodbye.
Sara. What's wrong?"
Hmm?" Sort of."
Sarah said and unzipped the front of her protective suit. Her ample breasts, which also serve as a
nanomachine supply depot, are exposed along with her underwear. And while Akira was surprised
by Sarah's unexpected behavior, Sarah hugged Akira and pressed Akira's face against her cleavage.
"Sara, Sara, Sara, Sara!"
Well, well, well, well."
To the bewildered Akira, Sara was speaking to him in her usual cheerful voice, but with a slightly
serious face, as if to appease him.
Then, looking at Akira, he begins to speak slowly, relieved that the other is not brushing him off
in confusion and bewilderment.
I know you're probably thinking, "What are you doing?" And I'm going to answer that and try to
clear things up.
Hearing this, Akira was growing confused, and he also stopped moving, mildly confused by the
feel of Sarah's breasts.
So, what are you trying to fix?" "Well, Akira went to save Katsuya, didn't he? About that, you
know, we have a lot of thoughts about it now, too."
Elena and her colleagues recognize that that was clearly not a job for auxiliary personnel. And
Akira fulfilled that job. On top of that, Elena and the others were troubled by the fact that they had
not stopped Akira.
As long as we didn't stop Akira, it could be said that we condoned those instructions. But as long
as Akira accomplished his job well, we may have been right not to stop him. It sounds good to say
that we sent Akira out because we trusted his abilities, but it could also be said that we forced him
to take on a dangerous job. But if I apologized for that, he would think that I was disrespecting his
abilities, and it might put him in a bad mood. But if I don't apologize, he might think I made him
do such a dangerous job.
Sarah continues to spit out the thoughts in her head as she goes.
Akira went to help Katsuya without saying anything, but that may have been because we didn't
stop him, and if we had, he might not have gone to cover him. If he had asked us if he should go
for backup, we probably would have stopped him. If we told them now, they'd be like, "You're
telling us now," and if we didn't tell them, they'd think we were still going to let them go. ...... Even
if you praise them for being great and say you're sorry for making it so hard for them, the ones
who stayed behind might say, "What are you talking about? ......"
Sarah said a lot of things and started to get herself into trouble. So I tried to force myself to get my
story straight.
We're all messing things up, but we're just as messed up in the head as you are, you know? We
don't really know what to say or how to say it. But we will say this. We want to continue to get
along with Akira. You may think we're making all kinds of excuses, but this much is true. If Akira
doesn't like it, there's nothing we can do.
No, no, that's not ......"
There were certainly some parts of what Sara told me that Akira could agree with a little. However,
Akira was more than happy to know that she was saying this because she wanted to continue a
good relationship with him.
Sara also senses this and smiles happily.
Yes," he said. Thank you. So, should I apologize? Should I give him a compliment?"
"Oh, well, I did that on my own, so you don't have to tell me anything ......."
If you had to choose between the two, which would you prefer?"
Well, well, if you have to choose between the two, I'd rather have the praise ......
That was amazing!" You did a tremendous job!"
Do, hi. ......"
With a subtle air of embarrassment in the air, Sarah enters to close the conversation.
'So, well, I guess we both have our own thoughts, but that's about it, and we want to continue to
get along, so we tried to put things behind us! Is it a done deal?"
I'm now at ....... Now that you're here, it's time for you to let go."
Sarah laughs lightly and teasingly.
You didn't have to hold back."
Please let go.
Akira sounded a little miffed in return. That freed him from Sarah's chest, but his face was
somewhat red and he looked a little sulky. However, there was nowhere near the grimness on his
face that he had before Elena and the others arrived.
The air is relaxed, if a little embarrassed. Then Elena opens her mouth next.
Akira: "Well then, Akira. Next, let's talk about something that can't be left unanswered."
What is it?"
I'm talking about Akira's compensation. I'm going to be frank, Akira, how much do you want?"
As I said before, I'll leave it to your judgment.
And if I do, you know? It's not enough to give Akira all of our team's compensation. We're talking
about what to do about that."
Elena tells Akira, who is again bewildered, about the situation.
Elena envisioned her job as an auxiliary worker, just enough to take down a pack of monsters. It
was an easy job and well paid considering the nature of the work. She planned to pay Akira enough
for his help.
Akira, however, performed far beyond those expectations.
There is an impact of reduced compensation due to the deaths in the main unit, but even ignoring
this, the amount of compensation is not commensurate with the success of the project. In the first
place, auxiliary personnel are not desired by Drunkham. This is the reason why the contract does
not increase their remuneration no matter how active they are.
Even if Elena allocated the entire team's compensation to Akira, the amount would not be
commensurate with Akira's success.
And if a team of three had been hired by Drunkham, Elena could excuse herself by saying that she
felt sorry for Akira, but it was such a contract, so she had no choice.
However, Akira is employed by Elena and her colleagues. In other words, they are responsible for
paying him what he deserves. As fellow hunters and friends, they needed to give Akira a fair
reward.
However, you can't swing a sleeve you don't have. Elena and her team had to discuss with Akira
what to do, including that.
Akira, who understands the story, answers with a light laugh.
If that's the case, as far as I'm concerned, if I get a third of the overall fee, ......
But upon hearing this, Elena returned a serious demeanor that seemed a bit angry.
No. As long as we hired Akira, we will pay him. So, Akira, you should get it, too."
Yes, I do. But you don't have the money to pay, do you? What are you going to do? I don't mean
to put it this way, but in the end I did it on my own, and if Elena and the others have to shoulder
the shortfall in compensation, it would be extremely painful for me too. ......
I'm going to try to renegotiate with Drunkham for a higher fee. Even if the agreement was made
in advance, I think there is room for negotiation with Akira's performance. However, the
negotiations will probably take a long time, so it will take some time before the reward is paid. I'm
sorry, but would you agree to that?"
Yes. Yes, I'm fine. I have enough money for the time being.
Thanks. All that's left is ......."
Elena laughs and thanks him, then looks a little annoyed.
"Although we're going to try to negotiate with ......, I'm not sure it will work. Contracts are such a
heavy thing, and it's tough when Drunkum pushes you away..."
Elena, as a negotiator, had her head in the sand as much as she understood the weight of the
contract. Seeing this, Akira mentioned a thought that occurred to him.
Then talk to Yumina and Katsuya. They said something like, 'You owe me and Elena and the
others a favor.'"
Elena was surprised that Akira had interjected himself into the negotiation, but he gave her an
interesting look as well.
If the captain of the bounty hunter squad would tell Drunkham to reward those guys more or
something, it might make things a little better. Well, that is, if he really meant what he said about
repaying the debt.
I understand. I'll talk to both of you. I'm sorry I can't tell them to hold their breath, but I'll do what
I can."
Elena also goes in to close the conversation with that.
Then Akira looks tired, so let's end our conversation here, shall we? Akira. If it's really hard for
you, I have to stay behind as leader, so I'll have Sarah send you on your way, what do you say?"
No, I'm fine.
Yes. Well then, Akira, thank you for your hard work today. See you later."
Akira returns to the car and bails out in the driver's seat. Elena and the others waved Akira off
lightly.
Akira stretched wide around a little distance from the bounty hunter's unit.
Alpha. Please drive. And if you can, try not to run into any monsters."
Alfa was in the passenger seat, his usual smile on his face.
I understand. But you seem to be in a very good mood.
Really?" I'm very tired, and I don't feel comfortably tired at all."
'So does that mean that you're still experiencing the afterglow of enjoying the feel of Sarah's
breasts?'
Akira couldn't help but blow it out of the water. Then he looked at Alpha and was met with a
teasingly happy smile.
I'm supposed to be better than you in terms of color, luster, and shape, but do I still have to have
substance?"
"I'm going to ...... sleep. Wake me if you need anything."
Unable to find a good response, Akira decided to sleep and let it all go away. He closed his eyes
and accepted his exhaustion, and soon sleep came to him. He greeted it without resistance, and it
didn't take long before he fell asleep.
Alpha watched the situation with a serious face. He was interested to see that so much grumpiness,
displeasure, and strong discomfort had already disappeared after just that one thing.
After parting with Akira, Elena and her team continued to watch the surrounding area as auxiliary
personnel. However, they had finished defeating the monsters in the area, so they were free and
had plenty of time to think.
Then Elena opens her mouth.
Hey, Sara. Let me ask you something, why did you do that to Akira?"
Hmm?" Huh? Just a quick check. It seems Akira isn't uninterested in that kind of thing either, so
I'm giving it a try. Don't touch that! If they brush you off with something like that, it is difficult to
improve the relationship. It's like a confirmation of that judgment."
Yeah, that's what I meant."
Well, I'm glad my fears were unfounded."
'We were fighting normally, so Sarah's breasts didn't shrink, and I wonder if that had a high effect?'
Then we both laughed lightly in a joking manner, and were first of all glad that my relationship
with Akira had not broken down.
Then Elena makes her expression a little more serious.
I have one more question, Sarah, why didn't you stop Akira at that time? Because I didn't stop
you?"
Sarah needed time to respond. And before she could reply, Elena added.
If that's the reason, I'm very glad you trust my judgment so much, but next time, don't."
Sarah exhales lightly with a bit of a come clean attitude.
'...... not true. I know it sounds like an excuse, but that idea just didn't occur to me."
Then Elena let out a sigh as well.
Is ...... sarah like me?"
And Elena?
Yes. If I think about the situation now and consider what I would have done, I would have stopped
Akira first, complained to Katsuya about the instructions, and at the very least would have checked
with Akira to see if he really wanted to go."
Elena's face turns a little grim.
But the idea didn't occur to me at the time." I didn't even have the idea that it would be okay. It's
so strange to me."
Along with Elena, who was troubled, Sarah also thought about it for a bit. Then it occurred to me.
Then, were they both taken in by Katsuya's spirit? It was like something amazing."
I will take responsibility, so follow my command. Elena and the others heard Katsuya's message
to the entire unit. After that communication, Elena also noticed a clear improvement in the control
of the entire unit.
Strong, confident words have the power to attract and compel people to follow them. A group led
by a person who can utter such words will be far more powerful than a group led by a crowd.
Basically, it's a good thing. But his words, his instructions, his will, are not always right.
If they were swept away by Katsuya's enthusiasm and misjudged because of it, it was proof that
they were that inexperienced. Thinking this, Elena said as if to warn us.
If that's the case, we're not there yet.
'Well, if that's the case, good for you for realizing it, and let's keep up the good work.
I guess so. Shall we?
Regret alone will not improve the situation. Elena and her team dared to laugh cheerfully and think
positively that they would not fail next time.
Then a car came from the main force. It was Katsuya and the others in the car.
◆
After returning to the command vehicle with Katsuya, Yumina looked for Akira's car to thank him
again after the successful defeat of the oversynthetic snake.
The location of the vehicles of auxiliary personnel directly employed by Drunkham can be
determined from the command vehicle. However, the location of those who are indirectly
employed by the company is not known. This is because they are officially treated as non-existent
and therefore cannot be recorded.
So, he took Katsuya and the others with him to Elena and her family to ask them. However,
Yumina was a bit surprised when she heard what Elena and the others had to say.
What?" Have you left already?"
I had talked with Akira about receiving recovery medicine once the oversynthetic snake was
defeated, so I was surprised to learn that there would be some left.
Katsuya looks doubtful in a different way.
"That guy ......, sure, he took down the over-synthesized Snake, but he hasn't finished the job yet
......."
A simple question and a slight dissatisfaction. That was the extent of Katsuya's concern. But Elena
spoke up in a slightly serious manner.
We're the ones who hired Akira. I was also the one who decided that he was very tired and could
go home first. You can complain to me."
Oh, well, I'm not complaining.
"Yes."
Katsuya was a bit puzzled by the strangely cold attitude of Elena and the others. As for Elena and
the others, they were just careful not to be swallowed up by Katsuya's enthusiasm again. But to
Katsuya, it felt that way.
Yumina felt similarly and slightly uncomfortable, but first she bowed her head.
Elena. Sara. Thank you very much for today. I would like to thank Akira as well, so may I have
your chain?"
Yumina and her colleagues have no means of contacting Akira directly. So they asked Elena to
intercede, but the response was not encouraging.
Elena makes eye contact once with Sarah before answering.
I know Akira is tired, so let's talk about those things later."
Oh, ......, yes. I understand."
Is that all you have to say?"
Um, yes. That's it."
Sensing a slightly strong and uncomfortable atmosphere, Yumina tried to end the conversation
with that. But Elena continued.
Then I have a few questions for Katsuya, okay?"
What is it?"
Why did you call Akira back then?"
Somehow, Katsuya flinched a little, feeling as if he were being accused.
What's wrong with that ......?" Sure, that guy was an auxiliary, but he was still a participant in the
unit and ......"
Elena shakes her head.
No, it's not. I'm not asking about good or bad, or the appropriateness of the content of the
instructions, or the chain of command, or anything like that. Why did they let Akira help them?
I'm simply asking why. Why?"
Katsuya is at a loss for a reply, not knowing how to answer. But from the attitude of Elena and the
others, he feels it's impossible not to answer, so he gives a really straightforward reason.
Because he's strong.
......, yes."
It was impossible for either Katsuya or Yumina to grasp the inner thoughts of Elena and the others
from that brief reply. When he was at a loss for a response, Elena gave him a negotiating smile.
I heard that Katsuya and Yumina said they owed Akira and us a favor. Akira told me that. Is it
true?"
Yumina looks at Katsuya. They had indeed said so in the Yonozuka Station ruins and on Akira's
vehicle, and nodded in unison.
Yes. Then I'm sorry to rush you, but can you give it back to me now? Actually, I would like to
renegotiate with Drunkham regarding compensation. Could you contact Mr. Mizuha and persuade
him to join us?"
Stared at with smiles by Elena and the others, Yumina and Katsuya could not say no, impossible,
or difficult, and had to nod their heads.
Hunter office personnel arrive on the scene and examine the body and shell of a hypersynthetic
snake.
But it's huge. What kind of thickness of torso is it? How did you beat this thing?
Shells? A snake would molt, right? Why the shell?"
It's just a snake-like monster. They're not like regular snakes."
There's a huge hole in the remaining torso section, is that it?"
A hole? Maybe he got burned by a laser cannon?"
No, no. It's like a series of holes along the torso inside. It's not like a stomach. It's like something
long and thin was in there and then it went out."
It's a kind of antifeedant reconstructor, and it must have mutated to have such an unexplainable
organ. Well, I'm sure the researchers there will do a detailed investigation after we get this to the
lab."
Yes."
With that, the officials dismissed the consideration and continued with their duties.
The day after the oversynthetic snake was defeated, Drunkham was holding a celebration at his
base for the successful defeat of the oversynthetic snake.
The celebration is in the form of a standing buffet. This is because the number of participants is
unknown at the time of preparation. Even so, the preparations are made on the assumption that
everyone will attend, so there will be plenty of food on hand.
The celebration began with light greetings from Mizuha and other administrative faction leaders.
After that, each person ate and talked as they pleased.
Katsuya was also there with his friends. All but the injured and immobile were present, but still a
bit small. This is because the dead cannot participate.
There is a limit to how much you can cover up your sadness with the joy of victory. Yumina was
worried that Katsuya might become depressed and blocked out again, but he looked up and ate his
food well.
Yumina. Don't you want to eat? This is delicious."
Uh, yeah.
Yumina laughed in relief and began to eat the food with Katsuya. Katsuya laughed at that.
I'm fine. I'm sad about the loss of life, but I'm not depressed anymore. If I stay drooping, my dead
friends will be angry with me. I'll reassure them by eating well, smiling, and showing them that
I'm fine.
He is not worn out, not divided, but saddened by the death of his friends, but accepting and
laughing. Yumina laughed, too, as she saw that.
I'm going to go to ...... and see if I can find anything. I think that's a good idea."
And then, well, you know what someone said in the speech before it started? We had sacrifices,
but we won, so we should celebrate. If we don't, we won't be rewarded. I hate to put it this way,
but Lily is no different than me."
With Katsuya?
Oh," he said. He was just like me in what he was doing, working hard for everyone, being reckless,
and dying as a result. ...... maybe."
Yumina smiles as she lightly admonishes him.
If that's how you feel, then next time you should take charge so no one else has to die. If everyone
is like Katsuya, then even Katsuya wouldn't want to die, would he?"
It's a given."
Yumina was relieved when Katsuya laughed and replied. She laughed and said that Katsuya had
grown up, too, only not saying that he would help her even if he died.
In his mind, Katsuya had something in mind that Cheryl had taught him.
Think of everyone on the team as yourself and do your best. Follow instructions and act in a
disciplined manner. He will never abandon his friends and will be a great hunter who returns alive
from a tight spot.
Katsuya had made up his mind to do so for the sake of his friends, and to aim to do so.
Each of them, though, was trying to implement a goal that contained contradictions when all of
them were mixed together, and each of those contradictions was going to be implemented.
Episode Mockery
Ten days after the oversynthetic snake was defeated, Akira was out in the wilderness to resume
his search for undiscovered ruins.
Alfa calls out to him from the passenger seat, looking a little worried.
Akira. Are you sure you didn't wait until the last bounty hunter was defeated?"
Akira had his own ideas in mind when he resumed his search for the undiscovered ruins even
though the last bounty hunter, Big Walker, had not yet been defeated.
The bounty on the Big Walker, a giant mechanical monster, had finally risen to 3 billion aurum.
When the bounty rises to this level, there is a fork in the road. The payers, the transporters, have
given up on the hunters based in the city of Kgamayama and have begun to ask for their own teams
of highly ranked hunters from further east or to send out a defense force into the city.
That would be no fun for the local hunters. It would also affect their reputation and future work.
Therefore, many hunter cliques cooperated beyond the boundaries of business rivalry, and formed
a large force to take down the hunters.
When Akira learned that the operation to defeat them would take place today, he dared to resume
his search for the undiscovered ruins on the same day.
Large-scale battles also attract monsters. So if you search for ruins away from that battle area,
monsters that normally roam widely in the wilderness are drawn there, and their numbers are
reduced in other places. You can search for ruins more safely than usual.
In addition, even if the ruins were discovered in a somewhat conspicuous manner, it would be
difficult to stand out because the other hunters' attention would be focused on the battle with the
bounty hunter. Akira thought so.
I'm sure it'll be fine. If Alpha insists on stopping, I'll stop, but not that much, right?"
I'm not sure. But don't lose heart. Good?"
For his own purposes, Alfa also preferred that Akira be able to move to some extent without his
direction, so he did not strongly oppose the idea of encouraging Akira's independence, but only
gave him a mild warning.
I know.
Akira smiled back good-humoredly at Alfa, who reminded him with a smile.
The search for undiscovered ruins was going well, for a change. Although no ruins were found,
there were no encounters with monsters at all, and we were able to expand our survey area well.
'It's to be expected, but I'm a little bored not having run into any monsters so far.'
When they arrived at the site, if an arrow pointing to the location of the Lyons Tail terminal pointed
to empty air, Akira and his team would glance at it and immediately move on to the next location.
Since this was going on, they actually had time to spare.
It's good to have some free time when you're moving through the wilderness. It's good to be free
while traveling in the wilderness, but it's a sign that you're not satisfied there. You need to tighten
up.
I understand. My bad."
As Akira said this, a monster response appeared on the vehicle's search equipment. A cloud of dust
was rising in front of the vehicle, at a considerable distance.
Alpha sighs at this.
'Look, Akira says things like that.
Was it me?"
Akira laughed and made a big change in the car's direction of travel to get away from the reaction
position.
We continued on for a while, but the monster's reaction did not disappear. In fact, it was gradually
getting closer. I turned around, made a U-turn, and increased my speed a little, but it didn't change.
Akira makes a troublesome face.
They say, "Oh, this one's captured. We have no choice. Alpha. Shall we take it down?"
At this point, Akira was still optimistic about the situation. But Alpha's face turned a little grim.
Akira. I'll drive.
The car accelerates quickly and drives roughly, trying to pull away from the monster. Akira's face
contorted a little painfully as the inertia pushed him back into his seat.
Alpha! What's going on all of a sudden?
Alfa ignored Akira's accusations and accelerated the car further. The car drove through the
wilderness, ignoring the comfort of its occupants.
But still the monster could not pull away. As it got even closer, the accuracy of the information
obtained by the spotting equipment increased, and the figure indicating the opponent's response
changed from a circular sentence indicating a rough location to a long line indicating a more
specific shape and position.
Alpha decides he can't get away with it and slows the car down.
No. They'll catch up. Akira. I'm going to take you down. Get ready. And when you see them, stay
calm.
Akira looks to the rear of the vehicle with a bad feeling. Then, he pulled a face. There he saw a
familiar monster.
"Wait a minute. ....... You beat that thing!
There was a giant snake crawling on the ground, a hyper-synthetic snake.
Alpha dares to quiet Akira, who is flustered, in his usual voice.
'Calm down,' he said. It's not the same as the one you knocked down before. It's not the same size
at all, is it?'
Akira regains his composure after hearing Alpha's voice, which is the same as usual, and looks at
the over-synthesized snake again, this time with a dubious look on his face.
The serpent is so large that it can swallow Akira whole with its vehicle. However, it is so small
compared to the previous giant that skyscrapers crawled on the ground. I was misled by the
impression of its huge body, which made me lose my perspective, but when I calmed down, I
realized that it was something else.
Could it be the child of a hyper-synthetic snake?"
Akira expected this, since tarantulas also gave birth to baby spiders similar to his own. But Alpha
shook his head.
No, it's probably the body.
The mainframe is a whole different size, and you knocked the mainframe over, didn't you?"
It's not like that. Perhaps it was not the oversynthetic snake itself that Akira and his team defeated,
but the decoy parts.
To Akira's surprise, Alpha prefaces his explanation by saying that he is just guessing.
The oversynthetic snake was a monster with its main body hidden inside a huge exterior. It
manipulated the outside from the inside, just as a human would board a humanoid weapon.
And when they were hit by the laser cannon prepared by Katsuya and his team, they decided they
had no chance of winning, so they abandoned the outside and ran away.
'I think the reason the over-synthetic snake took actions that could have damaged itself at that time,
or went toward the laser cannon instead of running away, was because it was acting as a decoy to
get the main body to escape. Perhaps, when it came out through that huge shell, the main body
was escaping from underneath by going under the ground."
Akira heard this and was reminded of the time he was attacked by a large, heavily reinforced suit
at the Kuzuthara Street ruins. It was a scene where the crew had detached and the unmanned
aircraft followed him everywhere.
Then it occurs to me.
Alpha. Then is it possible that the body inside is actually quite weak?"
I do.
Yes!"
Akira moves to the rear of the vehicle and removes the CWH objective assault rifle from its seat.
In normal driving conditions, he could just shoot it as is, but if he is driving roughly and shaking
violently, he would rather hold it himself because he has the support of the alpha.
He then aimed it at the over-synthetic snake, aimed firmly, and pulled the trigger. The powerful
special bullet landed on the distant target without any deviation, blowing away the opponent's
scales with the flesh underneath.
Akira, however, made a subtle face. It is working. But it is weak. Unlike last time, when he only
needed to attract the attention of the opponent as a decoy, this was an attack to defeat him. It is not
powerful enough.
Not very effective. Alpha. What do we do?"
'You'll have to get closer, no, you'll have to shoot at it at point-blank range to take it down. Either
way, it can't escape, so let's take it down aggressively from here. Akira. Are you ready?"
Akira also removed the DVTS minigun from the gun's seat in preparation for close range combat,
along with the CWH objective assault rifle. He held it up with both hands. Then he smiled back
with authority at Alpha, who laughed provocatively.
Yeah, I'm in charge of preparedness."
'All right. Let's go!"
The car, which was fleeing from the oversynthetic snake, turns its body vigorously and switches
its direction of travel to the exact opposite direction. It then accelerated rapidly and began to close
the distance with its opponent at once.
The accelerating vehicle and the giant snake, which is as fast as the vehicle, quickly close the
distance between each other. Above the violently swaying vehicle, Akira began firing both guns
at his opponent's head.
The closer the distance, the more powerful the bullet is when it lands. Countless bullets dent,
shatter, and pierce the serpent's scales. The flesh beneath the serpent is gouged out and scattered
as pieces of flesh, and scattered in the wilderness along with the shattered scales.
Still, the overgrown snake does not flinch. It opens its large mouth, which has fangs that are not
unlike those of a snake, and approaches Akira, spraying blood as it is hit by a bullet.
Akira watched the vicious figure closely, without closing his eyes, as he gritted his teeth and
continued shooting, in the slow passage of time caused by the manipulation of sensory time.
Then, just before colliding with the giant snake, a huge face at the end of the huge body snatches
the side of the vehicle. A wall of scales leading from the head to the torso flows at high speed
sideways at a distance that is almost reachable by reaching for it.
Alpha saw the slight gap created by the over-synthetic snake, a preliminary move to swallow Akira
whole with the vehicle, and took advantage of it with his godlike driving skills.
As the vehicle glides along the side of the serpent's body, Akira fires both guns wildly at the scaled
wall in front of him. If you shoot, you will hit. Shoot anyway.
A dedicated round from the CWH objective assault rifle lands on the wall of scales, rippling the
surface of the torso on impact while blowing away the point of impact. A large number of bullets
fed from the extended magazine are shot out from the DVTS minigun at a continuous rate of fire
at the highest velocity setting, drawing a trail of bullets across the serpent's torso as the vehicle
moves along.
The car meanders greatly as the huge body twists and turns to move. Even so, the car maintained
a certain distance from the other driver, thanks to the amazing driving skills of Alpha.
A large number of bullets shot out at close range, so close that a kick could reach it if it got a little
closer, shredded and shredded the torso of the over-synthetic snake.
Mixed in with the pieces of meat, metal parts and machine parts scattered together. These are the
remains of mechanical monsters and hunters' vehicles that were preyed upon by the over-synthetic
snakes. There were even magazines that had retained their original shape.
Akira then reached the position of the tail and passed by, continuing to shave off the volume of
the over-synthetic snake. The car turned in a small arc, reversed its direction of travel again, and
stopped once.
Mags fall from the CWH objective assault rifle and the DVTS minigun. Both were empty.
Akira looks at the over-synthetic snake as he installs a new magazine. The serpent, though
wounded, did not stop moving and was trying to flip toward Akira and the others.
Akira shows more dismay than surprise.
I can't beat him even after all these shots. You're just a bounty hunter, aren't you? ...... No, that's
not a bounty anymore?"
I don't know. At any rate, it is still strong enough to be designated as a bounty hunter.
"What's my luck to have to fight a guy like that all by myself?" ...... Alpha. Just so you know, you
can win, right?"
Of course. As long as you have my support, right?"
Akira erased the uneasiness that had welled up in him when he saw Alpha smiling proudly. He
laughed and got back into the swing of things.
I see. ......." Let's do it then!"
The car accelerates forward again accordingly. To do the same thing again, it closes the distance
to the over-synthetic snake.
Why don't you just attack someone else instead of going all the way on me? Don't chase after me
all the time. I've been injured this many times. Akira had many wishes.
That wish has not been granted so far. It probably will not come true in the future. Wishing for
something does not make it come true. Akira somehow knew that.
Even so, there are reassuring people by his side who would do something for him if he asked.
Akira had that feeling. Akira asked, and Alpha responded.
For now. For now.
Akira unconsciously relied on Alpha to the extent that he could not even think of those words. The
boundary between trust and naivete became so blurred.
Again shooting over-synthetic snakes. It closes in on the opponent's eye, shoots him in the head,
evades the enemy's attack at the critical moment, and continues to shoot at his torso. Safely, thanks
to Alpha's extremely advanced driving skills, he continues to attack, believing it, with gusto and
to a one-sided degree.
This gave Akira the slightest hint of conceit.
Similar battles had been fought when he fought with Katsuya and his team, and what's more, the
over-synthesized snakes at that time were as huge as skyscrapers.
The current opponent is much smaller than that. In addition, the opponent, who has been exposed
to a barrage of shots from close range, is slowing down little by little.
He's certainly strong, but if he keeps it up, he'll win without a problem. Akira unconsciously thinks
so. That was certainly correct, but on the borderline between complacency and carelessness, he
was biased toward carelessness, albeit only slightly.
Then, just as Akira was about to cross paths with the oversynthetic snake again, bad luck struck.
At that time, the bottom of the vehicle was littered with pieces of meat and other debris that had
been scraped from the over-synthetic snakes by gunfire, mixed in with the cargo of the predatory
vehicle.
The car was also loaded with explosives such as hand grenade bombs. After being eaten, they were
not completely decomposed, but were incorporated as components of the oversynthetic snake.
It exploded on impact when it was stepped on by a tire. The force of the explosion was very weak,
and it was small enough to not even damage the tire.
But it was enough to derail Alpha's precision driving skills. And it was happening at the same time
as the over-synthetic snake attack.
An unexpected explosion causes the tires to come off the ground, rendering the car inoperable for
a brief moment. The car, which was supposed to move sideways, is propelled toward the large
mouth of the over-synthetic snake.
Alpha!
That short time is a reasonably long time for Akira, who was in the slow flow of time through the
manipulation of his experiential time.
But Akira stopped moving in surprise. The slightest hint of conceit and carelessness intensifies
Akira's surprise and prolongs the time he remains motionless.
If I had come to my senses and immediately disengaged on my own, I would have made it in time.
However, Akira was swallowed whole by the oversynthetic snake with the entire vehicle.
The mouth of the oversynthetic snake closes with the force of an attempt to bite. The light from
outside is blocked out, and Akira's vision is tinged with darkness.
At that moment, Akira felt a strong dizziness. At the same time, Alpha's figure disappeared from
Akira's vision.
Akira comes back to himself. It was a few seconds after the mouth of the hypersynthetic snake
was closed, but in a battle where a momentary lapse of guard can be fatal, it is fatal folly to take
that long to finally come to one's senses. Still, I was lucky to be alive.
Strange noises echo in the complete darkness. It is the sound of over-synthetic snake digestive
fluids reacting with the car body, armored tiles, and tires.
Alpha!"
I called out to him, but he didn't answer. My vision remains in complete darkness.
Alpha!"
No change occurred when I shouted out. The drops dripping from above melted Akira's hair and
cheeks. The skin begins to ache as if it were burning.
Infinite darkness stimulates Akira's memory. He recalls that when he found the Yonozuka Station
ruins, it was explained to him that if he went inside, he might lose connection with Alpha.
Now I am disconnected from Alpha. Akira understood this.
The sound of the vehicle body distorting. The inner walls of the over-synthetic snake are
compressing and squeezing the vehicle from side to side. But the car does not move on its own to
save us from this crisis.
Strange noises are heard from the reinforced clothes. The fluid from the over-synthetic snake is
trying to dissolve the reinforced suit. However, the reinforced suit does not move on its own and
does not help Akira.
It's a critical situation, but no solution has come to mind. Even now the situation is worsening. But
I can't get the right advice to get out of the crisis.
Akira is alone in the belly of the giant monster. There is no one by his side.
Akira understood that.
Alpha's support was lost. The good fortune that had followed me from the day I met Alpha was
gone. The blessing that transformed a slum kid into a seasoned hunter was gone.
I used up all my good fortune when I met Alpha. And with Alpha's blessing, I overcame the bad
luck that followed.
Someday, that blessing will bring bad luck that cannot be compensated for by alpha support. That
would be the end of me. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I had always thought so.
That someday had arrived. Akira understood that.
I was prepared. Whether I was prepared enough or not was another matter.
The sound echoes. Your feet sway. There is no light. All of this drives Akira to the edge. And
Akira's consciousness accelerates.
The five senses tell Akira of a death he cannot escape, forcing him to concentrate extremely hard.
He unconsciously manipulates the time he experiences, even creating the illusion that the flow of
time has stopped.
The moment lasts for an endlessly intense period of time. The spirit is sharpened. Sounds are
distorted and strange. Underfoot, you can feel the movement of something trying to eat you. The
light leaking from the car's control unit accentuates the darkness around you. Everything around
him clearly indicates Akira's death.
In that world, Akira laughed.
Oh yeah!" I guess I wasn't prepared enough!"
I raised my voice as high as I could and laughed as hard as I could. I laughed at the misfortune that
had put me in this situation, mocking it all.
Don't be naive! You want me to tell you to take care of yourself a little!"
The voice that was forced out of the vocal cords in the densely compressed experience time to the
limit was terribly distorted. Even Akira's own voice did not sound sincere.
I get it!" I'm in charge of being prepared, you know!"
But no problem. This is a declaration. It is a declaration against this predicament, against the bad
luck that led to this predicament. It is a declaration of hostility to that misfortune.
Only Akira should shout and only Akira should listen. This is a declaration to ridicule, resist, and
strike back at one's enemies and one's own misfortune.
Akira understood this, even if he was not aware of it.
Point the DVTS minigun right at the side and pull the trigger. Loud gunshots echo through the air
and ignition flames illuminate the surroundings. The grotesque inner walls of the over-synthesized
snake are dragged out of the darkness and become even more grotesque as they are bombarded
with a barrage of bullets at close range.
A large amount of flesh and blood splatters, some of which lands on Akira. But that weakens the
pressure on the inner walls and the creaking of the car body stops.
Once Akira put down his gun in the meantime, he took out a tube of recovery medicine, crushed
it, and spewed out its contents. After applying it to his own head to protect it from the digestive
juices, he now takes a large dose of the recovery medicine in pill form, ignoring the side effects.
Excessive use of recovery drugs prolongs the limits of the strain on Akira's body. The therapeutic
nanomachines begin to immediately and rapidly heal the damage caused by moving the reinforced
clothes without regard to the body's load.
Akira reaches for the vehicle's controls as the digestive juices dripping down his face react with
the paste-like recovery drug and make a noise. The vehicle, switched to autopilot, executes a
simple instruction: move forward. The four wheels, which have begun to melt, are spun as fast as
they can, and the vehicle begins to move forward at maximum power.
There is no way out. Then there is no choice but to move forward. The tires spinning at high speed
gouge, scrape, and scatter the flesh beneath. Still, the car spins around and does not move forward.
There, Akira grabs his gun again, CWH objective assault rifle and DVTS minigun held toward the
rear of the vehicle and fires. He supported the recoil with his reinforced clothing, stepped on it and
transmitted it to the vehicle body, forcing the vehicle forward.
Akira laughs and continues to pull the trigger on the car as it moves forward, scraping the flesh off
the over-synthesized snake. There is no need to aim. No matter where he shoots, he hits. Akira
continued to fire wildly in all directions on the vehicle as it moved from the mouth to the tail inside
the hypersynthetic snake's body.
The serpent goes crazy with the gunfire from within. The serpent is pierced from the inside by
bullets shot from inside its body, and it sprays bullets outside its body as it writhes about.
Still, the car moved forward. Akira kept shooting wildly and laughing as if the recoil of the shots
would push the car, which was being bathed in digestive juices and breaking down.
The over-synthetic snake is a biological monster with extraordinary vitality, so powerful that it is
designated as a bounty hunter. The monster is shot from the inside out, raging and destroying its
surroundings.
But even its life force finally reached its limit. The oversynthetic snake's body trembled as if in a
desperate plea, then froze and fell to the ground with a resounding crash. It never moved again.
Bullets continued to fly out of the over-synthesized snake's corpse for some time afterward. But
after the scattered gunfire was concentrated on a single point, Akira now drove out, smashing
through the side of the torso section.
The car overturned with its momentum. Akira was thrown out of the car and rolled on his back on
the ground.
"Outside ............?"
Looking at the blue sky, Akira just kind of mumbled something like that, and then Alpha jumped
into his field of vision.
Akira! Are you okay?
In contrast to Alpha, who looked very flustered, Akira looked somewhat dazed, partly because he
was tired of laughing.
After being called by name several times, Akira's awareness and focus shift to Alpha. Then he says
something he doesn't quite understand himself.
...... um, welcome back."
Hearing this, Alpha responds in unison, looking unusually puzzled.
I'm home.
There was a bit of a strange air between them.
Finally conscious and clear, Akira sat up, shook his head lightly, and began to look around to
assess the situation. Naturally, he saw the corpse of a hyper-synthetic snake and became a little
more serious.
Alpha. Check it. Is he dead?"
What? Yes. Wait a minute. It's okay. He's dead.
I was happy to hear that," he said. If that didn't work, there was nothing I could do."
Akira finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Alfa looks unusually puzzled.
Akira. What the hell happened?"
Alpha is unaware of what happened during the time the connection with Akira was broken.
Although it has been confirmed that Akira's life is not in danger, it was necessary to quickly and
accurately ascertain the situation that occurred while he was unconnected.
But Akira was too tired to even open his mouth. He felt a little bad but put it off.
I'm sorry, but I'm tired. Let me rest a bit and we'll talk about the details later. Oh, and in the
meantime, please keep an eye out for me."
I understand. Tell me more later.'
Seeing Alfa with his usual smile on his face, Akira was relieved and relaxed.
Oh, yes. I'll just say this. Thank you for all your support. I know firsthand how hard it would be
without Alpha's support."
Akira was smiling as he said this, but there was also an air of pride about him.
I'm not sure. You're welcome.
Alpha was genuinely confused.
According to Alpha's calculations, Akira should have been dead. The chances of Akira returning
alive after being swallowed whole by the over-synthesized snake and losing his connection to
himself were unrealistically low.
But Akira survived. The results of Alpha's calculations were once again overturned. Moreover, he
surpassed the probability, which was several orders of magnitude lower than the previous
calculation result, on his own.
The existence that should be in one's own hands is beginning to transform. Alpha continued to
estimate whether it would be beneficial, futile, or detrimental to its own trials.
The calculation was so difficult that too much computing resources were allocated to its estimation,
neglecting the control of facial expressions.
Episode Continuing Trial, Changing Orientation
Kibayashi, who is also an employee of Kugamayama City and the Hunter Office, was very fond
of Akira, who continued to be unreasonable and reckless as a hunter.
However, I do not have any personal interaction with Akira. He was surprised to hear from Akira,
but as soon as he heard what Akira had to say, he made preparations and headed for the site with
his subordinates.
Then, when he met up with Akira there and heard again about the detailed situation, Kibayashi
burst out laughing.
"Did you beat him? This guy? You alone? Once, the whole vehicle was almost eaten? Hey, I went
through the inside, blah, blah, blah, and came out. ......"
I laughed so hard that I could not continue talking, and the conversation was interrupted once.
Then Akira, who is a little grumpy because he is probably laughing too much, says a few words.
Yes."
With that, Kibayashi burst out laughing again. It took a while to calm down until we could have a
conversation.
I'm going to go to "...... Okay! I'm settled. I'm glad to see that you are still going on with your
impossible, reckless, and reckless ways. I like you more and more."
The laughter subsided, but Kibayashi was in a good mood. Conversely, Akira was lightly bending
his navel.
I see. Well, thank you very much. So, what's the deal with this?"
Kobayashi looks again at the corpse of the over-synthesized snake that Akira pointed out to him.
Around the corpse, the subordinates he brought with him continue to investigate, as they did when
they took down the bounty hunter.
I agree." Let me say this first. I'm sorry, but this guy is not considered a bounty hunter.
Well, I suppose."
Akira seemed a little disappointed as he said this.
Don't be so downhearted. It must be a monster that has some connection with the oversynthetic
snake. You were right to call me."
After Akira defeated the main body of the oversynthetic snake, he had trouble dealing with it.
He knew to contact the hunter's office once he had defeated the bounty hunter. However, I thought
it would be wrong to contact the hunter's office to inform them that I had defeated an oversynthetic
snake, but I also thought it would be wrong to leave it alone. So he contacted Kibayashi, who
seemed to know how to handle the situation.
Akira was not too happy to be told that was the right answer.
'If you're right, you don't get paid, do you? Then it's the same if it's wrong."
Money. It's true that even if I beat such a big guy, he's not a bounty hunter, and it won't be much
money even if I wrench him into a general-purpose defeat from now on. But it's such a big fish.
Why don't you put it on your personal page in the hunter's office as your war record so you'll have
some foil?"
The accuracy of the information can be fully guaranteed, as Kibayashi has brought in an
investigator for the bounty hunter. It is a perfect achievement as a foil for the hunter.
Akira, however, remained dissatisfied.
'If you don't have money, not foil, you can't recoup the cost of ammunition. Besides, the cars are
scrapped. We're in the red."
We did everything in our power to die without thinking of the aftermath in order to survive, but
now that we have survived, life goes on. We have consumed a lot of expensive bullets, lost our
car, and our reinforced clothes are melting. Akira needed money in order not to return to the
situation of heading for the ruins with pistol in hand.
Seeing Akira's condition, Kibayashi thinks a little.
I see. You're the kind of guy who doesn't care about your war record. As I recall, you were in a
dispute with Drunkham over a reward for fighting an over-compounded snake. If that's the case,
I'll take care of it. If you don't need a war record for defeating this guy, you should be able to do
it.
Akira is surprised and suspicious when he hears this.
What? That's helpful, but how do you know that? And I'm not the one negotiating with Drunkham."
You're a hunter, aren't you, Elena? You're negotiating with an executive named Mizuha of
Drunkum for an increase in your reward because of your success."
Akira wonders how he knows so much, but Kobayashi smiles happily at him.
As I said before, I like you. So when you're doing something fun, I make sure I get that information.
You've been playing bait to attract over-synthesized snakes. You really do love your impossible
recklessness."
I don't enjoy it, and I hate it."
Seeing Akira's face contorted in dissatisfaction, Kibayashi lightly blew up, further damaging
Akira's mood.
I know it's been a lot of work for you, but I'm very satisfied. So, as a thank you for entertaining
me, I'll take care of the negotiation. That should put you in a better mood. I'll take you back to the
city when the investigation is over. Until then, get some rest.
Akira let out a big sigh and went back to his car. The car was definitely scrapped, but some of his
belongings were safe. He gathered them up and began preparing to leave.
Kibayashi goes to the corpse of the over-synthesized snake and calls out to his men who are
investigating.
How's the investigation going? Did you find any evidence that he was eaten and shot from the
inside, like Akira said?"
Oh, that's the story. As far as I can tell from a quick check, it's probably true. There are several
gunshot wounds that can only be done by shooting from inside the body."
Ho, what else?"
We also examined his car a bit and found a lot of the digestive juices from the monster's body on
it. I don't see any organ that sprays digestive juices, so he must not have been doused with it outside
of his body. There was no damage to the vehicle from the fangs, so he must have been swallowed
whole."
Kibayashi holds his stomach, unable to hold back his laughter. The staff was a little taken aback
by the situation.
Mr. Kibayashi. What is that guy?"
He's my favorite hunter."
Oh, I see what you mean. So, how crazy are you?"
Don't be rude. Well, if I had to guess, I'd say I like it."
That's considerable."
The staff was well aware of Kibayashi's bad reputation, and it was a natural reaction.
Later, after completing his investigation, Kibayashi arranged transportation and finished his work
in the area, and then drove Akira back to the city as promised.
He was in a very good mood, having heard from Akira along the way.
Akira is in his bath at home, dissolving his accumulated fatigue in the hot water. He looked more
dazed than usual, as if his soul had been stolen by the bathtub.
Seeing Akira's condition, Alpha, who is bathing with him, calls out to him with some concern.
Akira. You'd better go up now, because you're going to fall asleep if you stay there. You will
drown if you fall asleep.
He said, "It's okay. ...... I took ...... so many ...... recovery pills."
'Recovery pills won't prevent drowning,' he said. Besides, when did you take them?'
"It was that time ......, that time ....... Oh ......, that's right ....... Alpha......, you weren't there......."
Akira's consciousness is hazy, as his overworked brain is in desperate need of rest and he is
succumbing to the pleasures of bathing. His voice, which lacked intonation, indicated that he was
beginning to succumb to sleepiness as well.
Akira. You really should go up now. It's dangerous.
Ew."
Alpha turns a serious face to Akira, who expresses his dissatisfaction in his expression and voice.
No. It's really dangerous. Go up.
Akira reluctantly got out of the bath when he saw the look on Alpha's face that warned him of
danger.
Akira comes out of the bathroom and collapses on the bed in his room. There is no fear of dying
if he sleeps here. He sinks deeply into his body and mind.
Akira. You can sleep if you want, but I got a call request from Shikarabe. What do we do?"
Akira hesitated for a moment, but then raised himself and picked up the information terminal.
Akira's request for additional personnel was over before the battle to defeat the Big Walkers. This
was because there was no point in the Shikarabes going out of their way to hire unofficial
additional personnel for a joint operation to take down the hunters. In the meantime, Akira was
asked if he would normally participate, but he declined.
Therefore, if we were to hear from Shikarabe, it would be about the reward that he was asked to
wait until after the bounty hunter battle due to Drangkam's accounting reasons. Thinking this, I
shook my head lightly to stay conscious before answering the call.
Shikarabe. I'm sorry, but if you're not talking about the rewards, then we can talk about it later."
I'm talking about that reward." If you don't have time, we can talk later."
No, I'm listening.
Akira needs money to buy all the equipment he has lost. This sense of crisis awakened Akira's
consciousness, which was still a little blurry.
I see. If you have time, you want to talk to me in person? We're at the bar down the street, so come
on over if you're better off there."
No, I'm going to ask you first as it is. Or is it so contentious that we need to meet in person?"
That's up to you, but let's get straight to the point. Your fee, if paid in gold, would be, I'm sorry to
say, a very small amount."
Akira frowned, but Shikarabe continued the story.
Akira's remuneration was contractually agreed to be allocated according to his performance, with
the remainder of the prize money minus expenses. However, due to unexpectedly high expenses,
Akira's payment was a mere pittance considering his performance against Tangkrantzula.
If they want us to pay for the shortfall, we refuse. We are not supposed to take money from the
prize money in the first place. We don't have the money to make up the shortfall out of our own
pocket for you."
So you're telling me I should put up with lousy rewards?"
Akira unconsciously sounded quite grumpy. But Shikarabe, too, was in no hurry to answer.
Don't be so angry. I recognize your struggle, you know? That's why I'm trying to renegotiate the
contract to your advantage, instead of just saying it's that kind of contract. I'm giving you special
treatment in my own way.
Akira, having been told by Elena about the importance of the contract, took the Shikarabe's attitude
as a sufficient concession and regained his composure.
I see." So, what's the reward?"
Yeah, I've got a suggestion for you: ......."
The fight with the bounty hunters caused damage to many of Drunkham's vehicles. Some vehicles
were completely scrapped, while many others were so damaged that it was cheaper to replace them
than to repair them, and they were scheduled to be restocked in bulk.
Shikarabe suggested that Akira's car be bought there as well. The large volume of purchases and
the vendor's desire for long-term association with Drunkham would allow for a substantial
discount. Considering the market price, this would be a significant increase over receiving the
reward in gold.
'Well, if you already have your own car and you'd rather have the money, I won't force you to do
it. ......
Make it a car!"
Oh, yeah.
The shikarabe returned Akira's swashbuckling, rather flinching voice.
I get it. A car, right? I'll make the arrangements. I'll send you a catalog later so you can choose
whatever you want. I should be able to get it to you in about two weeks at the latest. Is that all right
with you?"
Oh, thank God."
I said, "Okay, I'll do it. We have a deal. Call me if you need anything. See you."
When the call with the shikarabe was disconnected, Akira exhaled loudly and raised his hands in
jubilation as if stretching.
Now we have a car!" Yes!"
Akira. Good for you."
Yeah," he said. Now all we need is equipment. I'm hoping to get the money from them, and if all
goes well, I'll ask Shizuka-san to help me procure some more equipment.
Akira laughed and lay back on his bed, feeling that his concerns about returning to hunter work
without equipment were about to be put to rest.
◆
Shikarabe, who was drinking with his friends at a bar, was relieved that the deal with Akira had
gone through.
Yamanobe laughs happily with a face full of alcohol.
What happened? Can we avoid killing each other with Akira?"
Oh," he said. I don't know what it was, but he wanted a car a lot. It was so easy that it was almost
anticlimactic.
The woman serving the guests is amused and joins in the conversation. She is the one whom
Shikarabe once promised to call for the celebration, and her voice is sweet as she invites him to
join her.
I'm not sure I'd like to be in a car. I like it. Give me one too!"
What are you going to do with a wilderness vehicle?" he said. What, are you going to change your
job to a hunter because you can't make money on the third floor anymore?"
Oh, don't be so mean. Why don't you just let the shicarabes earn their money there? You're being
generous now, aren't you?"
I'm going to go to the airport and see if I can find a place. I'll see you later."
The shikarabes were happily celebrating afterward.
With all four bounty hunters down, similar scenes were being played out throughout the downtown
area.
In a parlor at the base of Drunkham, Mizuha continued to renegotiate with Elena about rewards
for defeating oversynthetic snakes.
Mizuha is an executive on the accounting side of the business faction, and as such, he places even
greater emphasis than the hunters in the field on adhering to the terms of the contract. This is
because no organization can survive if agreements within and between organizations are violated.
In addition, Drunkham would not want to negotiate an increase in remuneration after the work was
completed because he was dissatisfied with the contracted remuneration. If a case in which such a
negotiation is successful is made, the client will be asked to repeat the same kind of negotiation
many times. Normally, renegotiations are not an option.
This time, however, the situation was different.
Elena," he said. As I have said many times, do you understand that it is not normal for us to make
such concessions?"
Mizuha made concessions. Just accepting the renegotiation was a significant concession, and they
even accepted a certain amount of increase. In fact, this is something that would not normally be
possible.
Mizuha had no choice but to do so because Katsuya and his team requested very strongly that they
negotiate positively. It was to the point that Mizuha was so concerned that refusing would
completely destroy her relationship with Katsuya and his group that she involuntarily flinched.
So, we had no choice but to accept it first, even to the point of writing off the reduction in the
amount that would have originally caused the loss of life in the main force.
But Elena wanted more.
I don't care how exceptional it is, as long as the compensation is not commensurate with Akira's
work, it is unacceptable. As long as you have made him do work outside of his contract at your
direction, it is only natural that you should demand additional compensation for that work, isn't
it?"
If Katsuya had given appropriate instructions to someone nearby, or if Akira had done it on his
own, Mizuha could have ignored it, even though it was a poor decision.
However, Katsuya had clearly chosen Akira to give him instructions, and he was strong enough to
say that he had asked for his cooperation. He could not ignore it.
But even Drunkham has a budget. The 2 billion aurum prize money for oversynthetic snakes will
be significantly reduced if dividends are paid out to supporters. Even if Akira asks for a special
exception, there is no extra budget.
The limit is to give the other assistants a reduced amount. Mizuha also compromised up to that
point by making a truly last-minute decision. If they demanded more than that, Mizuha had to
make a decision to break up.
If you continue to insist, we will have to consider our future relationship with you.
I'm trying to figure out how much it's worth to deal with a clique that forces you to work outside
of your contract for a fee that's not what you signed up for."
They laugh amiably at each other, intensifying the acrimonious atmosphere. Still, neither of them
wants to get up from their seats. They know that if negotiations break down, it will be detrimental
to both sides.
In the event of a breakdown, the increased compensation, however small, would be lost. Elena
wants to avoid that for Akira's sake.
At that time, however, Elena goes around talking about how Akira saved Katsuya. That would
tarnish his foil for defeating a 2 billion aurum bounty hunter. That would be quite inconvenient for
Mizuha, who wants to use Katsuya's success as a sign to advance the Katsuya faction and the
Drangkam.
There can be no rupture. But neither can they swallow their demands whole. Negotiations were
protracted as both sides tried to determine how far they would compromise.
Then Drunkham contacted Mizuha. Knowing that he was in the middle of negotiations, he decided
that it must be a matter of some importance, so he lightly declined Elena's offer before answering
it. Then, upon hearing what it was about, he made a dubious face.
A third person entered the parlor where Mizuha and Elena were continuing negotiations. It was
Kobayashi.
Hi. I'm sorry to bother you so suddenly."
The contact that had just come to Mizuha was to inform him that Kibayashi was seeking Mizuha
and his team's participation in the negotiations.
Both Mizuha and Elena were dubious about this, but they could not ignore the request of
Kibayashi, an employee of the city and of the Hunter's Office, and accepted it.
Still unsure of Kibayashi's intentions, Mizuha, as the leader of the clique, smiled amiably, but
could not hide his doubtful look.
No, no, don't worry about it. So, how can I help you today? No, we heard that you wanted to
participate in our negotiations, but we are aware that it is not something that the City of
Kgamayama or the Hunter Office would intervene in. ......"
Oh, that's it. ......"
Then Kibayashi looks at Elena.
I'm sorry, but could you give us a minute?" I have a bit of a confidentiality agreement or something.
It's okay. I'll call you as soon as I'm done, and it's a good story for you."
Ha, ha ......"
Elena was mildly frustrated inwardly, but she had no intention of making a scene against the city
or the hunter's office, so she quietly excused herself.
Once he and Mizuha are alone, Kibayashi hands Mizuha the materials he brought with him.
It's a document about a hunter named Akira's military history," he said. It's confidential. Be
careful."
The documents were related to Akira's single-handed defeat of a monster that he believed to be the
main body of an over-synthesized snake.
Mizuha was a little surprised at the contents of the letter, but he was also suspicious of Kibayashi's
intentions.
What's this about?" I don't see how showing me that he is a good hunter means anything to you."
Mizuha judged that Kibayashi was willing to participate in the negotiations on Elena's side for
some reason and brought information that reinforced Akira's ability, based on which he pressed
for further concessions, since Kibayashi had told Elena that it was a good deal for that side as well.
He then responded by implying that he could not make concessions with that level of information.
But Kibayashi shakes his head.
No, this hunter doesn't care about his military record, he's more interested in gold than foil. He's
willing to sell his military record. What do you think?"
Mizuha was increasingly puzzled. Even if he were to buy Akira's war record as a decoy in the
battle against the overgrown Snake, thereby erasing Akira's success, which was the source of
Elena's request, and undermining the renegotiation, the war record presented to him is something
else. There is no point in buying that military history.
Mizuha probes to see if there is some misunderstanding or if he has other intentions.
I don't understand the need to buy his war history at all, but since it's a good opportunity, let's at
least ask him about the price. How much?
I'm thinking, "Yeah, how about a billion aurum?"
That's not very nice."
Mizuha took Kibayashi's offer as a malicious joke. He frowned at the quirk.
But Kibayashi was smiling happily.
By the way, if this war record doesn't sell, I'm going to have to scramble to make up for it. In fact,
I've been bold enough to tell Akira that I'll sell it to him at a higher price. I'm going to do my best
to make up for that.
Then we will talk about the specifics.
First, we will incorporate this currently unregistered military history into a generic defeat request
as an employee of the Hunter's Office and have it firmly listed in Akira's personal page on his
military history. Furthermore, we will also relate it to the bounty hunter's defeat information as
related to the over-synthesized snake.
Then, Kibayashi himself goes around introducing Akira to other excellent hunters, so that Akira
can be offered high commissions to make up for not being able to sell his war record.
He explains firmly and carefully that Akira saved Drangkam's troops at the Yonozuka Station
ruins, that he was active in the battle to defeat the 2 billion aurum bounty hunter, and that he single-
handedly defeated the monster he believed to be the main body of the oversynthetic snake. I told
him so.
Hearing this story, Mizuha became very pale.
Katsuya played the decoy role with Akira, but whatever the actual situation, it was ostensibly
mostly Katsuya's doing.
After all, Akira does not even participate publicly. The outward impression can be manipulated in
any number of ways. No matter how many public statements Elena and her team make, they can
make it appear that they are exaggerating the activities of a single hunter in search of money.
But if Kibayashi does it, the impact will be far greater. The notoriety of Kibayashi, who gleefully
offers hunters high-risk, high-reward requests, in this case, guarantees his reputation as a
competent person who won that bet.
Add to that the story of the Yonozuka Station ruins and the one-man defeat of the main body of
the oversynthetic snake, and Katsuya and his group's successes would be swept under the rug, and
the story would be that Akira saved Katsuya and his group again.
In other words, the foil that was supposed to be attached to Katsuya and the young hunters in the
battle against the over-synthesized snake was completely taken away by Akira. The meaning of
procuring a large amount of funds from sponsors, equipping themselves with equipment without
regard to profitability in a sense, and fighting for the foil would be lost.
From Mizuha's expression, Kibayashi understood that his intentions were well conveyed.
Well, you have your own reasons for being. You can't pay Akira directly. The money is honest.
But you can rest assured. It's all right. You can pay Elena and the others instead. That will solve
the problem."
You don't have to tell Elena and the others that you have accepted the compensation negotiation,
and you don't have to tell them anything else. Rather, confidentiality can be established under the
guise of keeping the other assistants' complaints at bay.
There is no fear of exposure because I will be there both as a Hunter Office employee and as an
employee of the city. Kibayashi laughed and told him so.
Well, I don't care either way. It would be fun to introduce Akira to a great request as an apology.
I won't force you to do it.
Mizuha grows impatient. It wasn't a negotiating bluff, but because he realized that he really thought
it could go either way.
And a billion is a joke. But if you're going to buy it, you'd better come up with a realistic price,
okay? If the price is unreasonably low, we will pretend that this conversation never happened.
Think it over and make a decision."
With that, Kibayashi stood up and slammed the door to his room, inviting Elena in.
When Elena arrived at the negotiating table again, she was bewildered by Mizuha's bitter face and
Kibayashi's amused smile as he sat next to her. Nevertheless, she regained her composure and tried
to enter the negotiations.
So, here's the payment: ......"
I'll take a look at ......." I'll pay you. ......."
Elena was taken aback by Mizuha's attitude of total surrender. She was even more surprised when
she heard the amount of money that had been offered.
Next to him, Kibayashi was laughing.
◆
Akira decided to suspend his hunter business until he could get a car for now, so he rested at home.
Then he receives a call from Elena.
Elena. What's wrong?"
You said before that you would renegotiate the compensation with Drunkham. It's done and I've
transferred the money to Akira's account. Can you make sure?"
I understand.
Akira checks the account on the information terminal. Then he blows it up.
"E, Elena-san! I've got 100 million aurum in my account!
If you're surprised like that, does that mean Akira doesn't have any idea what you're talking about?
......
What do you mean?"
Akira was puzzled, but Elena told him what happened at the renegotiation. That makes some sense.
Oh, that's what you mean."
Do you have any idea what's going on on Akira's end?"
Well, yes, I mean, yes. I'm sure I asked Kibayashi to take care of that for now."
They also told me something like, "It includes hush money, do you know what that is?"
I can't tell you the details, but I can guess what they are. Uh, I'm sorry, but I would appreciate it if
you and Elena would keep your mouth shut."
He must have sold his war record to someone else behind his back again. That was all Akira could
think of.
I get it. Oh, just to ask, is that enough? We got paid separately, too, so we can add a little more."
No, no, that's enough. I'd like to ask you something else if I could. ......"
Good. What?"
I'm thinking of going to ...... Sizuka's store to buy all my equipment again, go with me and we'll
talk about it."
From behind the information terminal, I heard Elena giggle.
◆
Sizuka, who heard what happened, looks a little difficult at Akira and the others. Elena and Sara
are smiling happily, but Akira's gaze is subtly wandering.
"100 million aurum is ......, Akira, and you just bought all the new equipment for 80 million aurum
a while ago. I think?"
I've been through a lot. I had some unexpected income."
Elena enters to quiet Sizuka, who wonders about the situation.
I'm not sure I want to be a part of it," he said. It's good for hunters to get better equipment, isn't it?
How can the owner of a store that caters to hunters discourage his customers from buying with a
face like that?"
Sarah laughs and joins the conversation.
Yes, yes, yes, yes. A complete set of equipment, but no car this time. The store's profit will increase
by that amount, so be sociable and earn your keep."
Sizuka judged from the appearance of Elena and the others that Elena and the others knew where
the 100 million aurum came from and thought that it was either not a problem or had been resolved.
I thought it would be okay then, but I got a confirmation.
Akira. So the car is okay?"
Yes," he said. I'm fine."
When asked if he had not had to replace his car, he replied that he would be able to get a new one
and that he would be fine. There was a discrepancy, but it was a valid response.
Sizuka dares to ask quizzically.
Akira. You didn't do anything to push yourself too hard, did you?"
I didn't."
Akira answered clearly. He assured us that he did not do it willingly, only recklessly, either out of
reluctance or bad luck.
Sizuka, with his keen intuition, somehow realized what was behind it, but decided that if at least
Akira had not willingly done something reckless, there was no need for further caution.
Akira is also a hunter. As long as he continues to make money as a hunter, danger is absolutely
present. If he willingly maintains the will not to overreach himself in this situation, then it is not
an area in which I can say anything more. That's what I thought. Instead, he smiles amiably.
Yes," he said. That's good. Then, this time, I'd like you to contribute a lot to the profits of my store.
Sizuka then began discussing Akira's equipment with him. Elena and the others joined in the
conversation, and Akira had a good time.
In the lower section of the city of Kugamayama, there is a facility that looks like a mixture of a
hospital and a factory. Although classified as a hospital, it is a facility used by prosthetics, cyborgs,
and others who are better suited for repair than for treatment.
The area near the hospital is dominated by prosthetics, while the area near the factory is dominated
by cyborgs. Some of the in-between areas have facilities for converting bodies for combat and
daily life.
Nergo was in that private room repairing his own body himself. While his entire body was fixed
to the workbench, he operated the equipment provided to inspect the damage to the fuselage and
continued to replace each part of the body.
During this work, a confidential communication was received. The call was answered by a method
that does not emit audio to the outside world.
'Comrade. What do you want?'
'......Errrr, what do I call you now?"
Call me Nergo. I don't like it when you call me comrade.
'So now it's Nergo. Before that it was Kane, and before that, what was it again?'
It is only a temporary first name dedicated to a great cause. I have already given my first name to
the cause. Therefore I have no name. The name does not signify me, but the cause signifies me.
Therefore I am a comrade.
Nergo used to be called Kane. Eventually, he will be the one once called Nelgo. For now, he is
still Nelgo.
A voice with a hint of exasperation comes back from the communication destination.
'You can change your name as often as you like. Then why don't you call me comrade too? Then
I won't call you by the wrong name.
No," he said. You lack the merit and conviction to call me that.'
'Well, I think that my accomplishments are enough, even if my beliefs are not. I gave you
information about the underground city at the Kuzuthara Street site, and you helped clean up
afterwards, didn't you?'
No.
A sigh arrives through the line.
You call me comrade, but you can't be called comrade by me? I still don't understand your
standards. I'm doing my best for the world, too.
That's enough preamble. Let's hear what you have to say.
After a slight silence, a cheerful voice continues.
No, no, no, I heard that Nelgo personally infiltrated Drunkham, so I thought I'd see if there was
anything I could do to help."
'Not at present. We'll let you know if there's anything else.'
'Yeah? Well, I'll be waiting to hear from you.
'Wait a minute. I have a question.
When Nelgo stops the man who is about to hang up the call in a light tone, a bright, friendly,
familiar voice replies.
What is it? Ask anything. It is important to talk and understand each other. It is an important
element to connect people to people. If you can't do that, you have no choice but to treat them as
monsters. After all, we cannot understand each other.
Nergo continues, ignoring his opponent's pet theory.
Why are you looking for the old realm connections?"
Why is it any wonder? It would be very convenient to have them. Isn't that why the Tory party and
the Founding Fathers are working so hard to find people who are connected to the old realm?"
'Let's change the question. Why are you looking for the Old Territory connections in Kgamayama
City? No, the old domain connection who was at the Kuzuthara Street site?"
The man returned silence. Nelgo continues in a serious voice.
I understand your excellence. I understand your excellence, and so does the Federation. What is
the reason for you to stay in the city of Kgamayama, which is only one city in the eastern part of
the country, even though you have turned down an invitation from the Federation?
In response to this question, after a moment of silence, a slightly frightened voice replies.
'It is the realization and continuation of the happiness and salvation of an unspecified number of
human beings. You, the Founding Fathers, often say similar things, don't you? I'm the same way.
That's why I'm working with you.
'Let's hope he meant what he said.
'That's terrible. He said he meant it. Well then.
The confidential line is disconnected. Nergo continues his thoughts on the person he is
communicating with, with a slight deformation of the machine's face that is difficult to perceive
inwardly.
A very talented person and one who understands the principles of the Founding Fathers. I call him
a comrade in the hope that we will eventually be of the same cause. But he is not identical enough
to allow himself to be called a comrade.
Someone who is extremely reassuring if they are equal to the cause, but extremely dangerous if
they become contrary to the cause. Nergo was both welcoming and wary of that person.
This thought was interrupted by the sound that announced the entrance of the room. It was Mizuha
who entered.
Mr. Nergo. How are you feeling?"
Thanks to the help of the staff, we did not find any critical failure points. We are now making
minor adjustments. Mr. Mizuha. Thank you very much for introducing us to a very good
maintenance place.
It's okay. From now on, we are colleagues working in the same office. It's only natural."
I am totally grateful. It was hard to do any serious maintenance at my old job, so it was a big help."
Both Nelgo and Mizuha responded amiably.
There is not a shred of the attitude that Nergo had when he was talking to his correspondent today.
He has an attitude that could be interpreted, if one were to make a mistake, as a newcomer who
humbles himself before the leaders of his clique.
At first Mizuha was wary of Nelgo because he had joined the clique through Shikarabe and others.
However, after he joined, he was forgiven for his attitude toward the clerical faction, especially
for his approach to the Katsuya faction.
Speaking of being saved, I should also thank a boy named Katsuya. If he hadn't saved me, I don't
know what I would be doing now. I would love to thank him in person. Oh, is it bad for a newcomer
like me to be so selfish?"
Mizuha also knew that Nelgo had been saved from danger by Katsuya during the engagement with
the big walkers. They laughingly agreed to do so in order to firmly incorporate him into their
faction.
I'm fine," he said. I'll let Katsuya know later.
Thank you."
It is true that Nergo was saved by Katsuya when he was in danger. However, that situation was
intentionally created by Nergo, and was a maneuver to win over the Katsuya faction.
And Mizuha, Drunkham could not see that.
In a room in a high-rise building inside the Kugamayama city walls, Yanagisawa, who has cut off
secret communication with Nergo, is smiling thinly.
I think your cause is a noble one, don't you? But no. Not enough. We lack the power to make that
cause a reality. Then, no."
Yanagisawa is in touch with the Founding Fathers despite being a senior city official. It was also
Yanagisawa who shaded information from the city about the foundingist cadres, then known as
Kane.
The message with the founders was also used earlier when a large group of monsters emerged
from the Kuzuthara Street ruins. It caused such a commotion that an urban defense battle broke
out, but that was just a thinning-out operation for Yanagisawa to make it easier for himself to
capture the deeper parts of the ruins.
Yanagisawa had a black card in his hand. He laughed when he saw it.
I can get that power. All I have to do is go to that place again."
The card was one that Yanagisawa had obtained deep within the ruins of Kuzuthara Street. After
thinning out the monsters in the ruins, he led a team equipped with frontline-level gear into the
area and finally obtained this valuable item.
The card bore the national emblem of an Old World nation. It belonged to a country whose capital
was a large city that included the Kuzuthara Street ruins as part of it.
I got the key. All we have to do is go to the door. Then we can get to that place again."
Yanagisawa stands in front of the window, his face suddenly grim. From there, he could see a
distant view of the Kuzuthara Street ruins.
Nergo. The old domain connectors themselves are not the problem. The problem is who might be
behind it."
Then he sharpens his eyes as if he were staring at someone in the corner of his eye.
You're looking for me, aren't you?" The next one after me. But there can't be that many Old
Territory connections that can see you."
I stare at what I can no longer see.
Or have you already found it? Even if that were the case, that place should not be so easy to reach.
There are no hunters of that caliber in the current city of Kgamayama.
Reflect on past failures to increase enthusiasm for the plan.
I was one step away. This time, I'm going to get it."
He clenches his fists tightly, his expression turning more grim with what is swirling around inside.
I can't stand it when you beat me to it."
Yanagisawa was determined.
◆
Akira found himself in a completely white world. His consciousness was hazy, but he understood
that this was a dream he had had before. He somehow knew that he would probably forget it once
he woke up, as he had done before.
But there were some differences from before. There was the same Alpha, unaware of himself, but
there was a girl standing nearby who looked a lot like him.
And there was another difference. On the other side of the room, across from the alphas, stood a
boy who looked familiar.
However, the boy's image was blurred, and I had no idea who exactly he was. I just had the
impression that he looked familiar, but I had no idea.
With his cold expression, the alpha shows his clear displeasure with the girl.
Can you please just let it go?"
The girl maintained her composure.
I think it's a matter of chance and the judgment of each individual."
But still. And your sudden and excessive use of computational resources has caused some
problems with our calculations.
It was caused by the unreasonable actions of this individual to rescue his companion. For safety
reasons, it was necessary to control the transmission of information on an imperfect local network.
This caused an exponential increase in computing power."
I'm not asking why, I'm pointing out that it almost caused the death of one of our individuals."
I thought I explained that it was accidental. And that individual didn't die. There is nothing wrong
with that, is there?"
It was only by chance that I survived," he said. According to our calculations, the odds of survival
were not realistic."
If you're going to overturn that many calculations, then the individual is that much more difficult
to control, and there is a high risk that it will reproduce trial 498. Wouldn't it be a problem to
continue the trial with such an individual?"
Alpha and the girl stop talking and confront each other. Then Alpha tells her with a straight face.
Warning. Any further interference with our attempts will be considered an obstacle to our attempts.
This includes forcible interruption of your attempt.
The girl also answers with a straight face.
I understand. In that case, we will do the same.
Then the conversation stopped again. There was something cold-hearted there that carried out a
simple procedure that did not even require hostility toward the other party, but for the annihilation
of the target.
After confirming this, the girl now resumes her story.
Then, to prevent a recurrence, let's change the allotment of each resource to a fixed rather than
variable amount. In addition, although the tendency has been high in the past, since the individual
here has begun to build a local network, it will be extremely difficult to induce death in a way that
makes the people around it desolate if they are attributed and identified with the individual.
Therefore, the future guidance method will mainly be to support and control the construction of
the local network. This will also reduce the chances of seeking rescue from that individual. Is that
clear?"
Alpha gave a certain amount of credit to the proposal. He replies by restoring his expression.
All right.
We judge that we have avoided unnecessary conflicts by our concessions. Any suggestions from
your side?"
No.
Then here's one more thing. It looks like you partially deactivated the filter on that individual, can
you put it back?"
No.
The disarming of the individual has caused a strong dislike and irritation on the part of the
individual. There is no point in increasing the probability of unwanted conflicts triggered by it. I
don't think the partial deactivation of the filter is necessary.
It's necessary. If we can make our individual overestimate your individual's ability, it may reduce
unnecessary conflicts. I partially removed the evaluation filter when our unit fought with your unit
at the Yonozuka Station ruins, but it didn't seem to have the desired effect. So, we switched the
filter removal point."
Hearing this story, Akira's memory of the time he and Katsuya fought together in the space where
the above-ground portion of the Yonozuka Station ruins had caved in came back to his mind. It
was the memory of being astonished to see Katsuya's ability.
He also recalled that he had been unnaturally irritated with Katsuya during the oversynthetic snake
fight. However, Akira, who was in a dream and vaguely conscious, could not grasp the connection
between the two.
Wouldn't it make sense to have more collisions between individuals?"
"Wouldn't it just be a matter of taking care to keep that individual out of physical proximity to ours
in order to avoid that conflict?"
Okay."
Yes.
Alpha simply told him that there was no need for further discussion on this matter. The girl also
took this as a sign to discontinue the conversation.
Then let's continue our mutually better attempts."
I guess so. Well, good luck. Bye."
The alphas disappear and the white world fades away.
Akira's consciousness faded as well. The dream ended, leaving him wondering what on earth it
was all about.
Akira woke up in his bed at home. Alpha is smiling at him, as usual.

Akira. Good morning."
Usually Akira would reply. But now he did not reply, but stared at Alpha.
What's wrong?"
Akira, who had just woken up, groaned a little as if something had caught his attention. But nothing
came to mind.
You said, "...... No, it's nothing. I just had a weird dream, that's all. Ah, good morning."
'If you're not feeling well, you can rest, okay?'
He said, "It's all right. "All right. Let's eat."
Akira smiled back at Alpha, who looked a little worried. He then began to prepare breakfast.
By the time I started eating, I had forgotten all about the dream.
Katsuya, who was eating in the cafeteria at the base in Drangkam, looked a little strange and
groaned. Yumina looked at Katsuya and wondered how he was doing.
Katsuya. What's wrong? Did you pick the wrong set meal that you don't like?"
No," he said. No, I just felt like I had a weird dream. Something is bothering me."
What kind of weird dreams?"
I can't remember that at all."
Well, that's what dreams are for, isn't it?"
Thinking it was no big deal, Yumina resumed eating.
During the meal, Katsuya unexpectedly extended his left hand, accepted a hand-delivered
condiment from Aili, and sprinkled it on his food.
That's where Yumina feels a little uncomfortable.
"...... hmm? Katsuya. Did you just ask Aili to get it for you?"
What?" That's what I asked for. ...... did you ask for it?"
When Katsuya and Yumina looked at Aili, Aili nodded lightly.
Yes," he said. Katsuya. If you got it, you should at least thank Iris."
Oops. Aili. Thanks."
Aili nodded again. Yumina was satisfied and continued eating. Any minor discomfort disappeared
with that.
At least Katsuya did not communicate anything to Aili, either by mouth, glance, or gesture.
Two weeks after all the bounty hunters who had caused a stir in the city of Kugamayama had been
defeated, Akira, having restocked his equipment, was about to head out into the wilderness again.
The car I got as a reward from Cicarabe is a Telos Type 99. It is a higher-end model of the Telos
Type 97, with improved speed and durability, and more functions as a wilderness-specification
vehicle. It has a similar appearance, but this time it is a new vehicle.
The reinforced clothing was purchased from a product called ER2US. This suit is also an integrated
type of comprehensive information gathering equipment and inherits the basic design of the ERPS,
which did not sell well due to bad publicity. The appearance is similar to the ERPS, but it is a
higher-end model with improved performance to prevent it from gaining bad publicity again.
The gun, which had been badly damaged by digestive fluids, was also replaced with a new one. In
addition, expensive expansion parts were incorporated to boost performance.
There is no significant difference in Akira's appearance with the new equipment. Still, performance
has improved overall.
In addition, Akira himself has grown. The fact that he was able to escape from inside the hyper-
synthetic snake's body without Alpha's support is proof of this. The experience itself also helped
Akira grow.
After defeating the bounty hunter, Akira clearly moved up a notch in both the performance of his
equipment and his own abilities.
All right! Let's go!"
Next to Akira, who was so fired up in the driver's seat, Alfa was laughing as usual.
Let's go. Don't worry. If we run into another monster like the main body of the over-synthetic
snake, I won't try to make it eat Akira this time.'
Thank you. Well, if something like that happens again, I'll take care of it myself again."
Alpha looks a little sulky.
'Oh my, can't you count on me there?'
There you must first rely on Alpha to make sure that something similar doesn't happen again.
Please! I beg you! I'm begging you!"
I'll take care of it.
Alpha smiled confidently, as if he was in a better mood. Akira smiled back. Then he started the
car.
A car leaving the city drives through the wilderness. The bounty hunters are gone, but the
wilderness is still harsh enough. Many hunters are risking their lives today to gain glory in that
wilderness.
Akira is one of them.
quiet a matter of luck
When Akira ordered new equipment from Sizuka with a budget of 100 million aurum and was
waiting for them all to arrive, Cheryl asked him to show up at the base again.
The bounty racket caused many casualties among the hunters. Some people suspect that Akira may
have also died in the commotion, so we asked him to show himself once in order to reassure
ourselves and to check the other cliques in the slum. That is what they asked me to do.
Akira, who had no intention of going out into the wilderness until he had his equipment in good
shape, agreed to Cheryl's request, thinking that the slums would be a good place for him to go.
And then he growled a little while he was getting ready.
Hmmm. Reinforced clothing, what shall I do?"
The reinforced suit, bathed in the digestive juices of the over-synthetic snake, was badly damaged.
It was partially melted and almost completely broken.
When I went to Sizuka's store to order equipment, I didn't wear it so as not to worry Sizuka, but
instead wore the protective clothing I use as loungewear. It was that bad.
A few scratches would create the atmosphere of a past war, but if the condition is this bad, it may
have the opposite effect. Akira was unsure about this.
So Alpha lightly advises.
If you're going to wear it, you have to separate the purpose of wearing it from the purpose of
bluffing. It is not recommended to wear it for combat purposes.
Is that so?" But it still works, okay?"
I can move normally, but if I try to move with all my might in battle, I get in trouble," he said. As
long as the reinforced suit itself is malfunctioning, there is a limit to how much support I can give
it. Although the probability is low, Akira wouldn't want his joints to bend backwards, would he?
Alpha then added that Akira would rather fight without it than operate at reduced power and speed
for safety reasons.
Akira remembered what Shikarabe had told him earlier about the accident with the reinforced suits,
and decided to wear protective clothing this time.
I finished getting ready and left the house. My car had not yet arrived, so I headed to Cheryl's
clique base on foot with a backpack on my back.
Around the time he enters the slum, Akira is approached by Alpha.
Akira. I'll let you know just in case. They're watching you."
Are you surrounded?"
No.' 'No, I don't think so. But I'm careful not to let Akira find out.'
Akira thinks a little.
'Hmmm. Is that really that suspicious? I hate to put it this way, but Cheryl is going to show the rest
of the clique that I'm alive and well, isn't she? Isn't that why you're here?"
'Maybe it is, maybe it's not. But you just have to understand that things are a little different than
usual.'
I get it."
Akira braced himself and continued on through the slums. And then he arrived directly in front of
Cheryl's base.
Akira wonders a little there. He was not greeted by Cheryl. The area in front of the base was
deserted.
Further attention is given by Alfa.
Akira. Stay alert."
Roger that.
Akira grabs the AAH assault rifle and the A2D assault rifle, asks Alpha to operate the information
terminal, and sends a call request to Cheryl. But it did not connect. Erio tried the same thing.
No? I don't know what's going on.'
Akira. What are you going to do? Do you want to go inside? Or do you want to leave?"
Akira laughs a little provocatively.
If you say it's not safe even with alpha support, then I'm leaving.
Shall we proceed then?
Alpha smiled back confidently.
Akira's vision, augmented by Alpha's support, showed through the wall the boys holding guns on
either side of the base's entrance and exit.
◆
While Akira was still making his way through the slums, a boy named Zebra was talking to a man
using an information terminal in the base of Cheryl and her friends.
...... Is that true?"
It's true. Look at the video I just sent you. I'm not in a car, and I'm not wearing a reinforced suit,
right?"
Zebra looks at the screen of the information terminal. There, he sees Akira moving through the
slums.
Your boss called Akira to show the others that your backers are alive and well. And yet, that's what
he looks like, you know? That's the limit."
Zebra's face is distorted with anguish. But it was also evidence that he was about to believe the
other's words.
Think about it," he said. If the other clique's idea is to get your clique and put it under their control,
then you can keep it the way it is. But if they want to destroy you because you are an eyesore, it's
easy, isn't it? All we have to do is target Akira when he's not around."
Zebra recalled a previous time when his base was attacked by Guba and his group. His face
contorted in anguish as he imagined what would happen if Guba's group's goal was not to take
Cheryl, but to destroy the clique.
You know what I mean. That's all you guys have behind you. So now is your chance."
There must be a way to convince the boss without doing that!"
Of course, that's fine. But you're not going to convince me, are you?"
Zebra fell silent. It was the same as an affirmation.
Akira is on his way. This may be your last chance, okay? I keep telling you, think about it, will
you?"
So the call was disconnected.
"............ Damn!"
Those short, spitting words were also the words of Zebra, who had made his decision and cursed
himself for having made the decision.
◆
Cheryl is in her room, giving Zebra a hard look.
I told you, no."
But boss, he said he couldn't do it anymore if he didn't. It would be good if Akira-san would be
stationed at the base. But that's not possible, is it?"
But still. If we join some clique for our safety, they will take our money and territory for whatever
reason, and we will lose Akira's cooperation as well. Even if the current situation is high-risk, high-
return, it is better than low-risk, no-return.
Then at least ask Sijima-san to help you and send soldiers or at least ......
When we ask them to do that, it's the same as saying that we can't run the clique by ourselves, even
with Akira behind us. At that point, they're still going to take our money and our territory."
Cheryl and Zebra's discussions continued to parallel. Then Zebra makes a final decision.
Boss. Why not?"
No.
I see." ...... Okay. Sorry. Boss."
So Cheryl decided that Zebra had finally given up. She didn't read into it what he did after he gave
up.
Then go back. Akira is coming now. Well, I'll at least ask him to give you more opportunities to
show up at the base. ......
That's where Cheryl's words stop.
Boss. Sorry. I'm really sorry. But you have to understand."
Zebra was pointing a pistol at Cheryl. His expression was grim and distorted, but there was no
stopping him now.
Let's get started!"
At the signal, four boys enter the room. They are all armed personnel of the clique, but they were
already not on Cheryl's side.
After taking Cheryl hostage, the Zebras went straight into control of the base. While holding a gun
to Cheryl's head, they moved the others to the top floor of the base.
There were quite a few armed personnel besides the Zebras, but they could not help themselves
when Cheryl was taken hostage, and they disarmed her meekly.
Elio looked bewildered and incredulous at Zebra's outburst.
Zebra. What the hell were you thinking?"
I'm sorry. I'm sorry, but I've given this a lot of thought. We made too much money. We made too
much money to be able to protect ourselves, even with Akira's support.
...... that Akira-san is coming after this. He's just going to kill you, okay?"
I'm thinking about that, too.
So Zebra hesitated for a moment and then handed the gun only to Elio.
Erio," he said, "hold the others back. When they come down, I'll shoot even you guys. Whether
we're right or wrong, it will be over soon. Just wait for a while."
Cheryl looked at Elio and nodded slightly. So Elio maturely decided to follow the instructions.
The Zebras take Cheryl downstairs. Erio watched them go, and as soon as the Zebras disappeared,
he threw up.
"...... Damn!"
Although he felt helpless to himself, limited in his ability to spit that out, Elio could do no more
than that.
Cheryl gives Zebra a cold stare as Zebra and the others walk with her through the base.
So, what are you thinking? Do you think you can beat Akira with just five people? How many
people do you think were there when Akira killed Sibea and the others?"
When the hunter-collapsed Sibea and his group attacked Akira and were turned back, Cheryl
negotiated with Akira to form a new clique that would take over Sibea's clique.
There was no way that five slightly armed slum kids could beat Akira. Cheryl was even a little
confused inwardly, thinking that she knew that much.
You'll see."
Zebra replied and headed straight for the base warehouse. Then, inside the warehouse, he tells
Cheryl.
This is it.
Four boxes of storage cases were placed there. As Cheryl looked dubious, not knowing Zebra's
intentions, including the fact that these were things she didn't recognize, Zebra once again thrust
the muzzle of a gun to her temple.
Then another boy connected through an information terminal and began to show Zebra and Cheryl.
Zebra looks sternly over the information terminal at the man he is communicating with.
That's better!" Open it!"
Then a joyful voice comes back from the information terminal.
Okay! Unlocking! Good luck!"
A small sound came from the storage case and the lid opened slightly. The boys, directed by a
glance from the zebra, open the storage case.
Cheryl's face lit up with surprise when she saw the contents. It contained reinforced clothing and
a gun for use against monsters. She also understood Zebra's intention.
Zebra!" You ......, you sold out your clique for this!"
It is better to sell than to have it taken away from you. Didn't the boss say the same thing when he
sold part of his clique's territory to the Shijimas?"
The boys in their reinforced suits were thrilled to be able to hold the guns so lightly that they could
hardly lift them in the flesh.
Wow!" This is a reinforced suit!"
That's why Akira would destroy a building!
It even has a helmet!" It looks sturdy!"
This thing will bounce back at least a normal bullet!"
One lone flesh-and-blood Zebra gave the boys their instructions, and the four boys split into pairs,
one to seal off the main entrance to the base, the other to guard the other entrances.
Cheryl laughs at Zebra in a mocking way.
Do you think you can beat Akira just by wearing a reinforced suit? Even Akira wears a suit of
armor, remember?"
I'm not wearing it today."
What?"
When Cheryl's face showed her confusion, Zebra showed her the screen of the information
terminal. Akira's image was shown on the screen.
'Here's a video of me entering a slum. He wasn't in a car, and he wasn't wearing a reinforced suit.
Both were apparently lost in the fight with the bounty hunter. They're wearing protective gear, but
that's it. They were badly wounded. Don't you think we have a good chance of winning?"
Cheryl's face grows tinged with surprise.
Who in the world would go to such lengths to find out information about Akira?
Zebra raises his voice.
We're already on their radar to the point that someone would go to such lengths to find out
information about our backers!"
Cheryl, too, raises her voice and retorts.
But what are you going to do with that, kill Akira? Are you going to eliminate the backers of the
clique by yourselves? What kind of thinking are you doing!
"What's the point of having a backer if he's just going to get us killed!"
Cheryl stopped speaking slightly in surprise.
You ......"
Let's check it out. Boss. "Boss, let's see if Akira is really the only one who has our back."
That stopped Zebra from speaking, too. Both had grim expressions on their faces, but there was
no tussling there.
Thanks to the extended vision provided by Alpha's support, Akira has a clear view of the two boys
holding guns on either side of the base's entrance and exit, including their equipment, through the
wall.
'Alpha. That's an enhancement suit, right?"
Alpha laughs and notes. That smile tells Akira that there is nothing wrong.
Yes, it is. The gun is also for anti-monster use. If Akira gets hit by one of those, he will die, so
make sure you avoid them. You're wearing nothing but cheap body armor, so don't expect to find
any restorative drugs in there.
I know. Even if you're wearing a reinforced suit, you'll die if you get hit in the head. I'll avoid it.
After a light laugh and a few light words, Akira's face turned serious.
"Hey, you two! You don't look like base security to me! If you're not the enemy, just come out
slowly with your hands in the air!
On the other side of the wall separating the outside from the inside, the boys' faces become grim.
Hey, they know. What's going on?"
"Isn't that some kind of intelligence-gathering device or something?"
"Tsk! Lose that one too! I don't have a choice! Let's do it!"
The boys, who had planned to shoot Akira from behind as he walked in, moved their backs away
from the wall. Then they reversed vigorously and shot the entire wall on either side of the entrance
and exit doors.
Powerful bullets fired from guns that are designed to use reinforced clothing shatter the doors,
leaving them full of holes.
Even though he was not wearing reinforced clothes, his opponent was Akira. He fired repeatedly
at a rate that emptied his magazine, scattering a large number of bullets to the outside. Finally, he
stopped shooting when the door, which had been shot through and fallen to the ground, was further
shattered.
After a short wait, no bullets flew from outside. The boys try to fearfully check outside.
Did you do ......?"
We both cautiously go outside and look around. But Akira's body was not there. There was only
the sight of the slum, which still bore the scars of the many bullets that had been fired at it.
You can find him at ....... Did he run away? What do we do? Shall we look for him?"
No, he may have headed for another entrance/exit. Let's meet up with the guys watching that way."
I understand. Let's go."
The next moment, the boys had the muzzle of a gun held in front of them through their full-face
helmets. And before their faces could turn startled, the trigger was pulled. The bullet shot out
penetrated the helmet and shattered the head of its contents.
The bodies of the boys, blown away by the impact of the impact of the bullets, lie in the base.
Blood pours from the holes and crevices of their helmets, staining the floor red.
Akira exhales lightly as he watches.
Two for starters."
Akira moved wide to the side and out of the way of the gunfire before the boys could move to
attack. Thanks to Alpha's support, he was in full view of his opponent's movements and was
already moving when the boys moved their backs away from the wall.
After escaping the gunfire, he looks for the next way out. Then, when he saw movement to go
outside to check, he ran up the outer wall of the base and moved over the doorway.
When the boys went outside the base to check, they looked ahead and to the left and right, but not
up. Because of this, Akira caught them off guard and shot them at close range, killing them.
'Alpha. How many more?"
There are probably three of them, two on the first floor and one holding a gun to Cheryl's head."
What is it? There are surprisingly few. From the looks of things, I wouldn't have thought there
would be many more.
It's nice to have it easy for less. Let's just say we got lucky.'
'Yes, that's right. Let's just get the ones on the first floor out of the way. It would be easier if the
other ones were weak too.
Let's hope for good luck there, too."
'I'm the unlucky one. Well, I guess I'm unlucky, including the fact that I have a gun that works
well in the flesh.'
The boys' helmets were sturdy enough to withstand ordinary bullets, even if they were shot at close
range. However, they could not protect them from a bullet strong enough to destroy even the
exoskeleton of a Yarata scorpion.
The helmet was useless as a protective gear when it was shot at point-blank range. It was only a
little protection from the contents being scattered around the area, which had turned into pieces of
meat.
Normally, Akira would not be able to shoot strong-arm ammunition with his own body. However,
with the gun he is using now, it is possible. The AAH assault rifle and A2D assault rifle in his
hands were already equipped with expensive modified parts.
Akira consulted with Shizuka when modifying those two guns and decided to improve their
performance as much as possible on the premise that they were without reinforced clothing. Then,
he incorporated high-performance modified parts produced by those who are known as AAH
enthusiasts.
The two guns had already become something other than what they were supposed to be.
The majority of its parts are made of extremely light materials, and it can be handled as lightly as
if it were held in a reinforced suit. Extended magazines can also be used without any problem.
In addition, by attaching an energy pack, a simple force-field armor force field armor is generated
to protect the gun body and the holder from the recoil of the gunfire. Thanks to this, it is possible
to fire even strong-arm ammunition normally.
The modification cost was high, but the performance was enough to convince Akira.
Offsetting the misfortune of being attacked by an enemy armed with solid armor when not wearing
reinforced clothing with the good fortune of having already procured a gun that could penetrate
that protection, Akira made his way through the base.
The boys who had been on guard at the other entrances and exits turned grim-faced when they
heard the gunshots. Then they turned their backs to each other.
What do you think?"
Akira must have come. That's why those guys over there engaged."
Do you want me to cover you?"
'...... No, let's wait and see. The gunshots keep coming. Maybe it's one of ours that's shooting. They
are trying to kill Akira carefully. I hope that's enough to kill him, but if he keeps shooting without
realizing he's getting away, Akira might be coming this way."
Okay."
I wait a little while, alert, and the gunfire stops. We wait a little longer, but there is no sign of Akira
emerging from a nearby doorway. A smile appears on the boys' faces.
Akira didn't show up either. Did we win?"
Well, I'm wearing a reinforced suit. No matter how much Akira's opponent may be, he won't lose
to a live one.
When the boys went to the Yonozuka Station ruins, they had seen Akira collapse a building with
the power of his reinforced suits, which caused them to overestimate the power of the suits.
At the same time, it made the boys underestimate Akira's ability without his reinforced clothes.
That was a big part of the reason why they took Zebra's invitation.
All right. Let's meet up with the other side."
Good grief, if only Akira would have come over here so we could have beaten him, but he took
the credit."
This carelessness and optimism determined the boys' deaths. The boys, who had relaxed and
lowered their guns, were hit by a barrage of hard-loaded bullets from Akira, who suddenly
appeared from the shadows of the corridor. Unable to put up any resistance or make use of their
reinforced suits, they died, their entire bodies riddled with holes.
When Akira came to the boys' side, he looked surprised to see a dead body on the floor.
Would it be careless of me if I said, 'I'm out of sync, ......?'"
In response, Alpha laughs and tells him.
I think it's a fine line between carelessness and leeway, but let's call this leeway. Akira, with my
support, knows exactly where the opponent is and what he's doing, okay? If you think it's a bit of
a letdown, I'd rather you be impressed by how great my support is.
You're right. Great! Quintessential! All right. Let's go."
The Alpha looked unhappy at the discrepancy between the overt compliment and the lighthearted
reply.
Akira. I feel like your praise is a little too generous.
Don't expect me to be a good compliment. Well, I'm not lying, and I really mean it when I say I
think you're great. Give me a break with that.
When Akira excuses himself with a light smile, Alfa too returns his usual smile.
'I don't have a choice. Shall we go then?
After leaving the place, Akira and the others went straight up to the upper floor.
Zebra was waiting for Akira with Cheryl.

Then Akira shows up. Zebra wasn't sure himself whether it was as expected or not.
Akira entered the passageway where the Zebras were, exposing himself normally. There were
several reasons for this.
The opponent is armed only with a pistol. In addition, while using Cheryl as a shield, he is holding
the muzzle of the gun against his temple.
There is a way to shoot Zebra from the shadows of the aisle, but he is not wearing reinforced
clothing and cannot receive the sight correction by Alpha. I am not confident enough in my gun
skills to be able to say that I would never misfire on Cheryl. Also, even if he shoots only the zebra
accurately, the impact of the impact may cause the trigger to be pulled.
Taking them into consideration, Akira stepped directly into the passageway. He then walked
toward the Zebras and approached them.
Stop.
Akira stops in his tracks when Zebra stops him.
There must have been four of them down there. What happened?"
I killed him.
Hearing this, Zebra was not surprised.
......, I see."
Then Cheryl interjects.
Zebra. You lose. Now put down your gun like a big boy."
No, not yet.
Do you really think you stand a chance in this situation?"
That's up to the boss."
What do you mean?"
The boss is Akira's lover, isn't he?"
Zebra says just that and raises his voice toward Akira.
Drop the gun! Unless you want your girlfriend killed!"
Cheryl's face turns grim. Akira will not drop his gun. How will Zebra move against that? She tries
to anticipate it and think of a way to deal with it.
The next moment, however, Cheryl's face changed to a look of dismay and amazement.
"............ eh?"
Akira had thrown away his gun.
I'm going to go to "......, why? No, no! Don't throw it away!"
Cheryl comes to her senses and starts panicking, frantically yelling at Akira to pick up his gun.
Akira, however, ignored her and stared at Zebra.
Zebra was also surprised by Akira's behavior. At the same time, he was disappointed, bordering
on anger. He turned his somewhat saddened gaze on Akira, saying, "That's not good enough.
I'm going to go to ...... and see if I can find it. Okay, then ......."
Zebra does not consider himself a gunslinger. However, he knew his own skill from his many
shootings in the slums and was confident that he would never miss at this distance. He puts strength
into the hand that holds the pistol.
Die!"
He then pointed the gun he had been aiming at Cheryl at Akira, aimed at his head and pulled the
trigger.
The sound of gunfire reverberates through the corridor. The bullet that ran down that passageway
landed not on Akira, but on the back wall.
What?
Before he had time to say, "What the hell?", Zebra was punched out by Akira.
Akira had begun manipulating his sense of time even before he discarded his gun. He concentrates
in a world where time flows slowly and does not miss even the slightest movement of his opponent.
And the moment the muzzle of Zebra's pistol left Cheryl's temple, she concentrated even more,
distorted the flow of time even more strongly, and ran toward Zebra.
In a world of extremely compressed consciousness, so dense that he could follow the movement
of his opponent's finger on the trigger with his eyes, Akira had completely discerned the line of
fire from the direction of his opponent's muzzle and the moment of firing from the movement of
his finger, and he moved widely to the side to avoid bullets.
And it was not a feat that was possible just by spotting the line of fire and the moment of firing.
Even though he did not avoid the bullet after it was fired, it was too late for him to evade it if he
had just avoided it as usual.
Akira made this possible with his own physical abilities, without the use of reinforced clothing.
The reason why it is said that wearing an enhancement suit prevents the physical ability from
improving is because by relying on the power of the enhancement suit, there is no need for the
person to exert his or her own strength.
However, it is a different story if the body is moved so fast and strongly that the power of the
reinforced suit alone is not enough. Because the body moves too slowly compared to the suit, a
high load is placed on the body, and that load strengthens the wearer.
Furthermore, Old World recovery drugs treat the body of the person taking them by Old World
standards.
A quintessential example is that you don't get a superhuman body just by taking it once. However,
if the entire body is wounded cell by cell and taken in large doses over and over again, the body's
inability to withstand the load is assumed to be an injured state, and the cells of the entire body are
treated and strengthened to withstand the load.
As a result, the body of the person taking the drug becomes closer to a superhuman, albeit only
gradually.
And even modern recovery drugs, if they are expensive recovery drugs manufactured using Old
World technology, can have similar effects, albeit with varying degrees of impact.
These factors raised Akira's physical abilities to a level that could not be reached through normal
training.
In addition, Akira was accustomed to ignoring pain and moving his body due to the intense battles
he had experienced many times since he began his hunter career.
Pain is also a control function that prevents the body from being destroyed by excessive exercise.
Normally, pain interferes with our ability to use our physical capabilities to the limit.
But Akira was able to do so thanks to his familiarity with extreme pain. Furthermore, he had taken
a larger dose of recovery medicine before entering the corridor where the Zebras were, which also
helped with the painkilling effect.
In addition, Akira had experience in high-speed combat using reinforced clothing. Even if his
physical ability was reduced by not wearing the reinforced clothes, it would not slow him down to
the awareness that would allow him to keep up with that high-speed combat.
Furthermore, while it is easy to lift heavy objects in reinforced clothing, it is difficult to move fast
and accurately using that physical ability. Akira, who has been training for this long, was able to
achieve speeds as close as physically possible with his physical abilities, even in the raw.
With them, Akira had not only avoided Zebra's gunfire in the flesh, but had also finished closing
the distance between him and his opponent in an instant. He then grabbed the pistol from Zebra,
pulled Cheryl off of him, and punched her to the ground.
It was a fleeting moment for Zebra and Cheryl. But for Akira, it was long enough.
Zebra, who was punched out by Akira, laughs as he lies on the floor. He had no strength left to get
up again.
What's this ......, this is ......." Reinforced clothing ......, you were wearing ......?"
Akira comes to the side and looks into Zebra.
No, I'm not wearing it.
Akira then opened the top of his protective suit a little to show it. He also showed that it was indeed
a protective suit and that he was not wearing any reinforced innerwear underneath.
So Zebra also understood that Akira threw away his gun because he could kill himself without a
gun without any problem.
Seriously, ....... What the hell is going on? ......"
Zebra chuckled and let out a somewhat amused laugh.
Hey, how come you're so strong? I know, right? You were just like us not too long ago. You were
just a kid living off the rations of the slums.
Zebra looked at Akira with an expression that seemed both longing and unfaithful, and he looked
at Akira as if it was inevitably bothering him.
Don't tell me you've been to the ruins? We went to the ruins, too. We went to the ruins, we worked
hard, we prepared, we went to ......, and we came away without finding much."
A self-mocking laugh escaped from Zebra as he said this.
Akira was about to reply that it was because he had been to the ruins, but was crushed and thought
for a moment.
Well, ......, then it's because you got lucky."
"Luck or ....... I can't help it if you say so."
Zebra chuckled with some amusement at what was in a sense a no-questions-asked answer, and in
a sense a truth.
That's when Cheryl finally came to herself. She picked up the gun that Akira had taken from Zebra
and dumped on the floor, and pointed it at Zebra.
Zebra. Before you die, tell me where you got that reinforced suit. If you tell me, I'll kill you, but
I'll make it easy for you."
Then Akira interjects.
Cheryl. But first, tell me what's going on."
Let's see.
Cheryl is at a loss for words. There is no way to hide the fact that her subordinates, who questioned
Akira's power as a backer, have revolted against her, and she desperately tries to think of a way to
put it in the best possible way.
But before that can happen, Zebra opens his mouth.
I understand. I'll tell you everything."
As Cheryl supplemented Zebra's story, Akira finally grasped the situation.
Cheryl was on edge next to Akira, but Akira was also convinced by Zebra's suggestion to kill him
and invite in the armed forces of another clique, because no matter how strong he is, he cannot
respond to a sudden attack with a backer who does not show up at the base.
But at the same time, I am a little dubious.
I'm not sure I'd have gone that far. The last time Cheryl was kidnapped, we saved her, and we
killed everyone who kidnapped her, didn't we?"
Even though I am behind the clique, it is true that I can only take retaliatory measures that are
always behind me. Still, I am sure that other cliques do not want to be retaliated against. It is
enough to intimidate other cliques. Akira thought so.
But Zebra answers in the other direction.
Yes," he said. That certainly saved the boss at that time. But that's how Valens died."
The name was that of a victim from when the base was attacked by Guba and his group. Cheryl
tells Akira about it and then gives Zebra a hard look.
'So you think it's okay to do this kind of mimicry?'
It's not a question of good or bad. If Mr. Akira had been at the base at that time, or if the clique
had enough strength to survive without him, he might not have died. That's all."
Zebra says just that and laughs lightly.
'No, it's not. ...... It's a matter of good and bad. It was bad luck. That's it?"
He then reached for the gun in Cheryl's hand, grabbed it, and pressed its muzzle against his
forehead.
I'm not so lucky. Me and Valens, too.
The trigger of the pistol is pulled by Zebra along with Cheryl's finger. A shot rang out. The bullet
fired pierced Zebra's skull, killing him instantly.
If Zebra had any regrets, it was that he had misjudged Akira's ability. There was no other.
After Zebra died, Cheryl thanked Akira for his help and went to tell Elio and the others that the
situation was resolved.
Akira refused to accompany him and remained on the spot. Once back to pick up his own gun, he
returned to the side of Zebra's corpse, looking at Zebra thoughtfully with a difficult expression on
his face.
Alpha looks at him curiously.
Akira. What's wrong? He doesn't look like a corpse in distress to me.
Hmm? Sort of. ...... Alpha. Just out of curiosity, do you know the whereabouts of the guy who
gave this guy the enhanced suit and instigated the raid?"
I understand.
'Do you understand ......'
Akira was surprised to hear this himself. Questions such as how did he know, how did he find out,
etc. came to mind. But he shelved them all because he was an alpha.
'I see. Then show me around.'
Alpha pondered a bit and decided not to stop.
When Cheryl returned with Elio and the others, Akira was not there. Instead, she received a simple
message saying that she had something to do and would be coming out.
Cheryl was anxious about how much this incident had upset Akira, but as the boss of the clique,
she began the work of calming things down.
A man named Yazan, who led a medium-sized clique in the slums, was holding his tongue in the
room of his base.
Failure. That hunter Akira is stronger than I thought."
A man in his entourage interjects.
Maybe you didn't get your information right."
If you mean "rough on accuracy," then yes, but I'm not lying about the content. I almost died
fighting the bounty hunter. I lost my equipment. That much is certain. That's why I'm guessing that
your injuries haven't healed yet. ......
It was Yazan who seduced Zebra into killing Akira. He mixed up what was and was not true with
what was not true. He even gave him a reinforced suit for that purpose.
I see. But that reinforced suit was a good one, wasn't it? It was a bit of a waste to give it to those
kids, wasn't it?"
'Well, there's a lot going on around here. You don't care."
But you failed, didn't you?" Is it good?"
It's okay. It would have been better to succeed, sure, but it makes sense when you do it."
If attacked by those in the clique that is backing him, Akira will distrust and be distant from Cheryl
and her group. Furthermore, if they knew the reason for Zebra's move, Cheryl and the others would
have to rethink their defense of the clique.
This would leave more opportunities for other cliques to take advantage of Cheryl and her group.
Cheryl and the others cannot expect Akira to protect them as he has done so far, now that the clique
has attacked Akira. They will seek other defenses, even if they have to compromise and give up
their profits.
Yazan told them to the man.
Well, we'll have to confer with the other cliques to decide which one will actually bite Cheryl and
the others," he said. "Well, we have to consult with the other cliques to decide which clique will
actually go after Cheryl and the others. None of them are going to force their way in right away.
It is impossible for Zebra, who is only one of the members of the clique, to sense this. Zebra's haste
was partly due to that. Of course, Yazan was pretending to be accommodating, but he was giving
information with the opposite intention.
Well, let's wait and see," he said. If we wait a little, this incident might trigger a civil war among
Cheryl's clique. There are opportunities to take advantage of. There's no need to be hasty.
As Yazan continues these conversations with the clique leaders, he receives a call from his
subordinate.
Boss. There's a guy downstairs who calls himself Akira. It's probably that Akira."
What about ......?"
Yazan's face contorted involuntarily at the unexpected report.
Yazan put Akira in his base after some hesitation.

Akira's request was to meet the boss, and at that point, there was no indication that he had come
to retaliate. He was acting as if he would come in with all his might if he was told not to.
And that even if the opponent's objective is to engage, it is more advantageous to gather forces and
invite them in beforehand than to fight them from the entrance or exit of the base.
Because of these factors, Yazan wondered if he should reject Akira out of the blue. In addition, he
was of the opinion that Zebra himself must not have known that he was the one who had seduced
Zebra. He had done a good job of shading that area, and even if Zebra had spoken up, he would
have mentioned the name of another clique.
Even if Akira had somehow become aware of the situation and came to probe us as a warning, his
pursuit would probably reach its limit if we kept our mouths shut. Even if Akira had reportedly
raided Shijima's base, he had only negotiated with him and left. It shouldn't be a big deal. That was
Yazan's judgment.
After gathering his armed men in the room, he lets Akira into the room. The guns are lowered, but
the difference in numbers is overwhelming.
And I don't detect anything stern in Akira's appearance. Yazan attributed this to the fact that his
willingness to engage was that low. He was inwardly relieved that he was right.
So what do the backers at Cheryl's place want with me?"
"You're the one who made the deal with Zebra to have him attack me?"
Oh? What are you talking about?"
Yazan's performance was almost perfect. He naturally expressed his confusion at being suddenly
told something he didn't understand and his doubtful attitude toward those who had come all the
way here to tell him such a thing.
Yazan, however, was raw.
Answer me. Are you or are you not? If you don't know what's being said, answer that it's irrelevant
and it's not."
Yazan lightly clicks his tongue as if making fun of someone who doesn't understand his meaning
before answering.
No, it's not.
Alpha."
Unbelievable!
The next moment, Yazan's head was blown off. It was hit by a strong bullet and bounced off, losing
most of its original shape and scattering its contents around the room.
It was Akira who shot him. He pulled out his gun in an instant and shot without hesitation.
I was going to kill him as soon as Alpha told me that he was the one who had seduced Zebra. Even
so, I met with the person in person to make sure, asked him about it, and asked Alpha again to
confirm that he could detect lies in the flesh, and once the results were in, there was no reason for
me to hesitate.
Those around them were taken aback by the suddenness of the situation. But soon after, they all
set their guns on Akira in an attempt to kill him.
You son of a bitch!"
The one who shouted so and reacted the fastest was killed next. And those who were judged by
Alpha's calculations to have a high level of astonishment were shot one after another.
Yazan's men are caught by surprise and suffer numerous casualties. Even so, they were not wiped
out in an instant. Those who are still alive and well counterattack without time or room to worry
about friendly fire. In the blink of an eye, bullets fly all over the room.
But that doesn't hit Akira. While manipulating his body time, he had Alpha tell him the enemy's
line of fire, and he was able to maintain his full power of movement, completely ignoring the strain
on his body, under the effect of the recovery drug he had taken beforehand, and escape the bunch
of red lines of fire in his extended field of vision.
The men who were gathered in the room were there for intimidation purposes and to deter combat,
even though they were armed. Because of this, the room was not arranged in a way that was
suitable for a barrage of bullets that would fill the room and eliminate escape routes, and they did
not have the skill to do so.
Thanks to this, it was easy for Akira to avoid the line of fire that was focused on him. Even if the
shot came from behind, Akira could clearly see the line of fire in the sense that he could perceive
it because Alpha was telepathically telling him the location and direction of the shot.
The strong-arm and armor-piercing rounds fired from the two modified guns easily penetrate the
enemy's defenses and destroy the interior. They are scattered around the room by the continuous
fire power of the extended magazines. The walls, floors, and ceilings are stained red with blood
and flesh in quantities sufficient to be called a scourge.
When the gunfire ceased, the only people left alive in the room were Akira, who had created the
carnage, and the man who had been deemed sufficiently low threat by Alpha's calculations,
frightened and completely lost his will to fight.
Akira approaches the man and calls out to him, changing magazines just in case.
Hey."
Hi!
The screams came back, but Akira remained unconcerned. He advises in a somewhat light tone.
If you don't want to fight me, get the hell out of here and as far away from here as possible.
Reinforcements will be here in a few minutes, but I won't be dexterous enough to fight them
without shooting you.
The man nodded repeatedly. Then he hurried out of the room and ran off to his death.
After that, Akira continued to engage those who showed up after hearing the commotion. He killed
those who attacked him and left those who ran away. When there were no more people coming
toward him, he searched the base and drove out those who still remained.
Then exhale lightly.
I guess that's about it."
With that said, he took out his information terminal and contacted Cheryl.
A truck is parked in front of the building that is the base of the Yazan clique. The children of
Cheryl's clique were loading the items they had taken out of the building onto its bed.
They are carrying out all the money, weapons, furniture, and clothes. The clothes and equipment
peeled from the corpses were thrown into the back of a larger truck, as if they were taking
everything but the corpses with them.
As the children carried their belongings, their faces turned pale at the horrific scene inside the
building.
This is Akira's doing, isn't it?"
"I hear that. The guy behind Zebra was the head of the clique here ....... That's what I heard from
Elio."
'That said, ......, would you normally go this far?'
...... normal guys don't kill another clique member and then drag his corpse into their stronghold."
Yeah, right.
When the children were reminded of the craziness of their backers, they wasted no time in shutting
their mouths and continuing their work.
Cheryl is talking to Sijima over the information terminal by the truck. Akira, angry that his clique
was messed with, destroyed the Yazan clique in retaliation and took their base and territory. After
explaining this to him, he approached him about purchasing Yazan's territory.
I understand. Let's buy it. We'll discuss the price at a later date. So, we're on our own territory now,
right?"
Yes. Blank spaces are a source of trouble. We will give you the base building when we are done
with our business."
I said, "Okay, I'll do it. We have a deal."
Cheryl was relieved to have given up her territory safely. Cheryl and her colleagues would never
be able to manage the territory of a medium-sized clique. It was obvious that other cliques would
rush in with requests to transfer their territory, and negotiations would eventually involve military
force.
By the way, what did Yazan and the others do?"
It's all kinds of things. And they, unlike Mr. Sijima, were not going to let things go quietly. That's
all. I hope it doesn't come to that with Mr. Sijima in the future."
Yes."
If they try to buy the territory at an unfairly low price, if things don't go peacefully, Akira will
come out. With that implied, Cheryl ended the negotiations.
Akira was looking around from the roof of the building. He had moved to the rooftop because he
thought it would be easier to snipe at the remnants of Yazan's clique when they came to attack
again, but his fears were unfounded, as Yazan's clique, which had lost many of its armed personnel
in the base, had no power to reawaken.
Alpha judged Akira's appearance to be unusual. He then asked for further judgments.
Akira. Why did you bother to destroy those here?"
'...... Well, I guess it's on the side.'
The Zebras caused a civil war within the clique, but if that were simply the case, Akira would have
killed the Zebras and ended it.
But the main reason Zebra came up with the idea of doing so was because his friend had died when
Guba and his friends attacked him. Once Akira learned this, he realized that the incident had
occurred because of the involvement of Cheryl and her friends in the collection of artifacts at the
Yonozuka Station site.
That recognition moved Akira. He added Yazan, who had seduced Zebra, to his list of targets to
kill. And having killed the boss of the clique, in a sense, he had no choice but to destroy that clique
as well.
Akira did not go into that much detail. He did not send it in a telegram, so it was really just treated
as an incidental thing in Alpha's mind.
Alpha. Just to change the subject a bit, do you really think that Zebra guy was trying to kill me?"
I think I would have."
Really?"
The alpha scrutinizes the content of the response, having been asked a strange question that he
didn't need to ask and even reminded of.
'At the very least, I'm certain that he intended to fire a shot that would kill him if it hit him,' he
said. Even if he was shooting with the certainty that he would never be hit, I don't know that much.
'......, I see.'
Akira felt as if Zebra had directed discouragement toward him when he threw away his gun. Why
would he be discouraged when we threw away the gun? Akira did not understand. Even after he
was defeated, he felt as if he was somewhat pleased about it. He did not know why, either.
Then Cheryl appears.
Akira. You were in a place like this?"
Hmm? Yeah, kind of."
Cheryl came to Akira's side and reiterated the status of the clique and other information. Then,
after some hesitation, she asks.
Um, how did you know that Yazan here was in touch with Zebra?"
Don't ask."
Uh, yes.
I don't want to believe that he killed her because of a misunderstanding or mistake, but when he
told me that, I had to give up on Cheryl. I tell myself that Akira must have his own rationale.
Akira must be really strong to be able to destroy this clique all by himself, without even wearing
a reinforced suit. I wonder how he can become so strong. Is it talent? Or is it hard work?"
Whether the response was talent or effort, Cheryl was going to praise Akira.
But then Akira remembers that Zebra had asked him a similar question, and he utters his response.
I'm sure you're right." ...... Guess that's because I got lucky."
Luck?"
Ah, luck."
Cheryl was at a loss for words as she thought it would be quaint to praise him for being so
incredibly lucky to be so strong.
Next to him, Akira thinks.
The main reason I became stronger is Alpha. Because I met Alpha at the ruins.
Zebra also said he went to the ruins. But he did not see Alpha.
I don't think we can make up that difference with our efforts. I have survived with deadly force
even before I met Alpha. Maybe it is an effort.
But still, Akira could not believe that he had made enough effort to meet Alpha, at least not enough
to meet him.
That is why Akira responded that he was fortunate to be strong, recalling the hardships he had
gone through since meeting Alpha.
Then I remember Zebra's last words.
That guy was ...... out of luck."
Um, you know, who are you talking about?"
"......, it's nothing."
Cheryl sensed Akira's subtle inner feelings when his response was not "don't ask," but she decided
not to ask for more details so as not to provoke Akira. Instead, she decided to talk about something
else and put on a serious face.
Akira. I am so glad that you dropped your gun when I was taken hostage. But please don't do it
next time. If that's how Akira dies, ......"
Oh, that one." That was because I thought it was safer to do it that way at that time. I'm sorry, but
don't expect me to do it all the time."
Cheryl's face, which had been trying to convince Akira with a sad expression, turns subtle upon
hearing his simple reply.
I see.
That's right. See, the last time Cheryl was kidnapped, I crashed my car head-on into their car, right?
That was also so they wouldn't have time to take Cheryl hostage. If they had done the same thing
to me, I would have been in trouble. That's why it was the right thing to hit them head-on with the
entire vehicle."
Akira was in a bit of a good mood, having come up with a good excuse.
I see.
Cheryl had to put on a stiff smile.
If only Akira was there when Guba and his group attacked Cheryl and her group's base. If only
Zebra's best friend, Valens, had not died at that time. If Akira had been wearing reinforced clothes
today.
The event, caused by a combination of various coincidences, was brought to a close by the luck of
those involved.
In the pavilion of one side of the huge clique that divides the slum into two, Viola, an informant,
was handing out information, a commodity, to her customers.
I have the information you want. What do you think?"
A customer man browses its contents and groans.
Even though it was a gathering of only hunters, he was able to destroy a medium-sized clique by
himself without even wearing a reinforced suit. That's quite a feat. I've heard rumors that he was
eaten by a bounty hunter but killed him from the inside,......, but if he's this strong, is it possible?"
Do you want that investigation, too?"
No, this is good enough for now."
Yes. By the way, may I ask why you even shed your reinforced clothes to investigate this hunter?"
If you're going to be killed by someone with that level of equipment, it doesn't matter if you go
against them, and there's no point in recruiting them to your side," he said. I'm just trying to make
sure that's the case.
Is that the reason?" That looked pretty expensive to me."
The man smiles in a good way at Viola, who looks surprised when he says so.
That stuff is just cheap stuff to us. It's just an extra when we equip our troops."
Oh my, that's great. Is the next war going to be that big?"
Oh well."
There, the man's face turned serious and an intimidating sharpness entered his gaze.
Of course we'll win." We're going to need your help, okay?"
Viola laughed off the intimidation of the giant clique's leadership. Then she smiled invitingly.
That depends on the reward. I'll be looking forward to it.
"......, hmmm. That's good."
The man was well aware of the very bad quality of the woman in front of him. That is why he
could only be alarmed by her smile.
Rebuild World III <Bottom
the battle for the prize money, the gold neck, and the invitation to fight for the felling of trees
Author/Naphse
Illustration by Gin Gin
Illustration of world view
Mechanical design/cell
The New Literature of the Blitz
September 17, 2020 Issued
ver.003
©Nahuse 2020
This e-book is based on the following
Dengeki's new literary work, "Rebuild World III <Bottom>: An Invitation to Defeat the Bounty Hunters."
September 17, 2020 First edition published
Publisher: Masayuki Aoyagi
Published by KADOKAWA Co.
Inquiry
https://www.kadokawa.co.jp/
(Please proceed to "Contact Us")
*We may not be able to answer your questions depending on the content.
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Japanese text only
Author Naphse
Won the grand prize and debuted with "Rebuild World," an entry in the Dengeki 《New Literature》 Startup Contest.
Design BEE-PEE
First appearance
This book is a revised edition of "Rebuild World," which won the 《Grand Prize》 in the "Dengeki 《New Literature》 Startup
Contest" held at Kakuyom in 2018.
This story is a work of fiction. It is in no way related to any real person or organization.
Unauthorized reproduction, reprinting, distribution, or transmission of this e-book, in whole or in part, or reproduction on any
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In accordance with the terms and conditions accepted at the time of purchase of this e-book, this e-book may not be transferred to
any third party, whether with or without compensation.
The content of this e-book is based on the content of the interviews and writing at the time of publication of the bottom copy.

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Table of Contents

Episode 86 Mutant Species

A girl's face is twisted grimly in a blank world.

Cheryl looks at the remaining Katsuya and thinks.

Cheryl, now alone, reflects on Elio's words and actions.

After a reasonable nap, Akira was awakened by Alpha.

Alpha turns a curious face to Akira.

Akira had spotted the tarantulas before the shikarabes.

In the command car, Yumina turns a stern face to Katsuya.

Yumina was finishing her preparations as she listened to Akira's count.

Akira woke up in his bed at home. Alpha is smiling at him, as usual.

Zebra was waiting for Akira with Cheryl.

Yazan put Akira in his base after some hesitation.

Illustration by Gin Gin

Illustration of world view

September 17, 2020 Issued

Contest" held at Kakuyom in 2018.

any third party, whether with or without compensation.

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