Rescue Fantasy (2)
Four laser cannons mounted on the upper body of the multi-legged tank fired all at once. It was not residual energy scraped off drilling through the ceiling, but their full power that tore through the spot where the pureblood supremacists stood.
Like a beast raking with its claws, long marks were drawn in midair. Then black smoke swelled, growing in power. The scene looked just like thunderclouds covering the sky.
As the fierce powers clashed, minor energy storms sprang up. Red sparks flew wildly among the black smoke, as if the intense force within the lasers had not been fully unleashed.
But that was all. Even with the concentrated fire of four laser cannons, the black smoke did not break.
'You're blocking even this?'
It was in that moment that I realized why civilians had been forbidden from handling nanorobot technology.
"Do you really think you can beat us with such junk?"
"... That's not all. Security robots will be flooding in soon."
"Ah, the security protocol. Yes, I've heard about that."
Strange. We were definitely the ones with the advantage—or so it should have been—but there was no change in Cystus's attitude. In fact, he seemed as nonchalant as ever, as if he'd anticipated everything.
"I tried to block it, but it's not a setting that can be stopped right here. Looks like the Earth government hadn't completely abandoned things after all. This is a blow to my pride. On the other satellites, we managed to intervene before the protocol activated..."
"... Just what is your objective?"
Hearing about the "other satellites" confirmed my suspicion that the pureblood supremacists hadn't only targeted Titan.
How many people had died? How many facilities had been destroyed? There was definitely a reason behind their massacres.
Even if it wasn't an explanation we could accept, they weren't doing all this for no reason.
"There's nothing to hide. It's all for the advent of the era of purity. You lot must know that much. Haven't you seen all the records by now?"
The Age of Purity. Was it connected to the pure existence detected in the pureblood supremacists' bracelets, as analyzed by Licorice? That had to be it. Then what did purity mean to the supremacists to drive them to such acts?
As sinister imaginings started to unfurl, Cystus frowned as if mildly troubled, the scar running across his eye twitching.
"There's only Titan left in this area. Normally, the Holy Tree should have already begun to stir by now."
"..."
"How about it? Are you interested? I don't know why Lobelia is letting you be, but you could become a lead figure in the coming new era. Those who've accepted purity are rare. That'd be better than living as a toy, wouldn't it?"
Even as the multi-legged tank was ruthlessly dealing with the pureblood supremacists, Cystus kept his eyes only on me. The sense that nothing else held value made my breath catch.
Instead of answering, I forced my frozen body into motion and charged at the swarming supremacists. As soon as I stepped forward, a deafening explosion rang out.
A nearby pureblood supremacist thrust a gun at me, but I ducked low and knocked it aside faster. The muzzle jerked up—I grabbed and yanked it away.
It was a good thing I'd picked up basic instruction from Eric on how to handle and hold a gun. There was no time for proper aim, so I just trusted in brute strength and pulled the trigger tight. But at least my aim had been on point.
Rat-a-tat-tat!
As I pulled the trigger, the muzzle spat fire like mad. It was set to automatic, so a lot of rounds went to waste, but I didn't have the luxury of caring. I just kept pulling until the magazine went empty.
Even with such wild firing, my accuracy wasn't bad. The pureblood supremacists crawling up from everywhere dropped one by one. Some survived thanks to their suit's sub-armor, but the rest were shot through the helmet and collapsed, spurting blood.
Fighting the supremacists filled me with disgust. It was partly because they moved like marionettes, slavishly obeying Cystus's commands, but the main reason was something else.
They just didn't feel human at all. No emotions I'd expect from a person. It was as if some fundamental part of them had been severed.
The pureblood supremacists in the robot manufacturing facility had seemed to have at least a sliver of free will, but the ones here had none at all. Even ghouls showed a wider range of reactions.
Maybe that's why each time I killed a supremacist, a nameless discomfort ate away at me. My grip tightened unconsciously.
Tsk! Tsk-click!
When I realized the gun was empty, I didn't hesitate. I reversed my grip and smashed the stock into the head of a supremacist approaching from behind, then kicked his body off the railing.
As I gave my answer through action, Cystus clicked his tongue.
"You're like Myosotis. So blinded by desperation that you can't recognize treasure right before your eyes."
"What?"
"Looks like the time has come."
Cystus retracted the black smoke. The overwhelming force that had blocked the lasers and gnawed at the facility vanished into his body with a mere gesture—it looked like pure magic.
I didn't even have time to be wary of how it was possible. Couldn't afford to, anyway, because monsters were now pouring through the half-open bulkhead.
They ignored our forward position, howling toward the rear. As if they hadn't come on their own, but were forced out. Maybe it was the wave of security robots pushing from behind.
- Hyun-woo, security robots are here! They were held up a bit, but ghouls won't be a problem now!
Not long after, the bulkhead was completely breached. The ghouls were thrown out almost simultaneously—and through the gap, metal arms shot forth.
That was the start. Skeletal frames clenched at the air and howled with piercing metallic screams—hundreds of them, layered together.
The security robots had finally arrived, produced by the activated protocol.
They didn't have much in the way of equipment, but they attacked in overwhelming numbers. Relentless in the pursuit, they resembled ghouls in their doggedness.
"So many have gathered."
Cystus glanced down and went on.
"We'll give you a tip, Lobelia's toy. Just because you have numbers doesn't mean you're strong."
If I hadn't been anxious already, his words drove it home.
Even though the wave of security robots had saved Eric, Celestia, and Alpha from the ghouls, and more incoming robots were now attacking the pureblood supremacists and remaining ghouls alongside the tank, I still couldn't feel at ease.
"We've prepared a little gift, too."
The moment Cystus said that—
... THUD
A massive tremor shook the facility. It didn't feel like something was approaching; rather, it was as if something was awakening.
I asked quietly, though I knew the answer. I just wanted to shake off the sense of dread.
"... Licorice, did you send anything else?"
- Sorry, but this is all we prepared.
Which meant that whatever caused this vibration wasn't our doing. I raised my trembling gaze to Cystus, who grinned slyly.
"Let me finish what I was saying. We knew about the security protocol. With that being a factor against us, do you think we'd just stand back and watch?"
"..."
"We did what we could to disrupt comms, made our preparations. Not bad as a response, for an impurity. But it's still not enough to overcome the situation."
As Cystus finished, the already collapsed bulkhead burst open violently. What emerged through the sundered wall was a giant that could only be called a colossus.
- That's a military power loader?!
"A power loader? That thing?"
I was speechless at the sight of the power loader, which looked nothing like the ones I knew.
- Even though it's in bad condition, that's definitely a power loader! And military-grade! Must've come from a base...!
Even without Licorice's explanation, it was obvious the power loader was off. And just as obvious that it wasn't on our side.
Its interior was not only packed with writhing creep, but the stuff was overflowing out.
━━━━!
The power loader let out a drawn-out howl. The twist of creep and steel frame sounded too much like a mutant's shriek to be mistaken for anything else. No, it was practically identical.
Even for a military version, it was supposed to be manned, not unmanned, but there was no one inside. My guess was that the creep was controlling it in place of a person.
As I spotted the glowing core clumped in the cockpit, the power loader swept its arm across the ground—careless of whether there were ghouls or security robots beneath.
An overwhelming show of power, enough to tear up the floor. Everything in its path was sent flying, debris erupting in every direction.
"Kyaaa!"
"Celestia, miss!"
The impact reached Celestia and Eric as well—I heard their screams of terror. I wanted to run to them right away, but Cystus standing before me stopped me in my tracks.
'... I was wrong.'
I clenched my teeth. Whether or not I could retreat wasn't mine to decide. After that first clash, I realized I stood no chance of victory—each time I tried to fall back, Cystus's gaze stopped me.
If I'd ignored the warning and tried to act as I pleased then, I might have lost an arm—or even my life. The only reason I'd been able to kill the pureblood supremacists was so he could watch my desperate struggle.
"'Beast' isn't the wrong word for you. You've got good instincts. I'm amazed you don't just flail around cluelessly."
Amid the tangled melee below—security robots, ghouls, and the military power loader—Cystus posed a question.
"I'll ask you again. You really don't know the name 'Lobelia'? She's the woman who controls Titan as if it were her own home."
- Hyun-woo, I've got two flashbangs left. I'll throw them, so get out when you can.
Nadia spoke calmly, keeping her composure despite everything. I heard two voices at once, but couldn't respond to either.
Because the mention of someone controlling Titan as their own home brought a certain person to mind.
Because I doubted two flashbangs could shake off the pursuit of black smoke.
Because my heart was pounding so fiercely I could barely hear anything else.
I hesitated, glancing down. Dozens of security robots were swarming the infected power loader, trying to subdue it, while others clashed with ghouls, spraying fluids and metal fragments in every direction.
The multi-legged tank was clearing a path with its lasers, but the military loader's armor withstood it. If not for the constant influx of security robots, Eric and Celestia—along with the tank—would likely have been overwhelmed.
- We've thrown everything we had at it, but things aren't looking good, friend. I'll fire the laser at the fixed coordinates as soon as you signal.
Would Roxy's laser and Nadia's flashbangs be enough for us to escape this spot?
'I have to retreat—at least for now.'
In this layout, nothing would come of it. Whatever happened with the loader, ghouls, or robots, it was time to fall back.
"Roxy, you said the shuttle would crash if you fired that, right?"
When I asked if that was okay, a hearty laugh came over the comm.
- Just come save me before I get caught by monsters. I'll try to land as carefully as I can, so don't worry about me—focus on your end. The jamming devices are reaching their limit. If we waste any more time, even taking control of the pipelines will be too late. I checked from above earlier and the main pipe doesn't look good.
"... Thank you."
I steeled myself. I took a deep breath and readied to charge. Of course, it was only a show on the surface.
"Roxy, fire now. Like you said, don't wait. Nadia, time it as you see fit!"
- Finally, something reasonable!
The laser fired through the blasted ceiling. The red beam scattered attention, and at the same moment, the flashbangs exploded in bursts of blinding light. In the instant of chaos, I dove backward.
Just as Cystus seemed ready to kill us all with the black smoke, a waiting supremacist relayed a message. The smoke froze in place as if paused.
At length, Cystus withdrew the black smoke and turned away.
"Looks like luck is on both our sides. We'll withdraw for now. My offer stands—I hope for a positive answer next time we meet."
I wanted to yell, "you think we're letting you go?" but the situation didn't allow it. I had to admit our shortcomings. We simply couldn't hold the supremacists any longer.
"By all means, prove your worth."
Surveying the scene, Cystus left those words, then vanished through a passage in back. The structure offered no other path, so he must have carved a new one. The remaining supremacists soon disappeared after him.
All that was left was the rampaging infected military power loader, battling the multi-legged tank, with ghouls and security robots clashing below.
I barely had time to feel relief that our most dangerous foe had left. Only the supremacists had vanished; we still hadn't accomplished anything.
Bang!
The infected power loader and the multi-legged tank began to grapple in the middle of the control room. This wasn't a standard industrial loader—it's military grade, with a massive power difference, and structurally favored in a contest of strength.
If not for the multi-legged tank wearing Blue Eye's exoskeleton, it would already have been cooked in steam and left defenseless like a crab out of its shell.
Eric and Celestia were a good distance away from the console. They couldn't even think of getting closer—not just because of fear, but because the console was right in the middle of the melee.
Alpha was shielding them, blocking wild attacks as best he could, but it was only a matter of time until Alpha went down—he'd already taken the brunt of countless attacks to his frame and was in terrible shape.
"Celestia! Take control, quickly!"
"How can I, in this situation...!"
"We'll try to handle the rest somehow!"
At my shout, Celestia and Eric risked it and made a break for the console. As she moved, the multi-legged tank strained its frame to push the power loader away.
Simply for the result of shoving it back, the tank unleashed its still-functioning laser cannons. The loader took the heat on its body, but it had no choice but to give ground.
Kiaaaaak!
With each shriek of rending metal, the loader slowly lost ground and soon fell back into the breached sector.
Where refined blue crystals were being processed in a variety of forms.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Cystus OP af.
Also, him saying that Hyun-woo doesn't know how to harness the power of the core means that Hyun-woo should be able to do it in the future. Probably when Licorice gets her memory back, or Hyun-woo himself gets his memory back.
【(⌐■_■)-︻╦╤─】