“Oh? They bit the bait rather early, didn’t they?”
Masquerade knew of the ongoing battle outside the venue and was able to keep up to date on it by reading the battle data sent to his Foster.
“Rather than say he’s being recklessly bold, it’s more like he doesn’t care at all.”
His subordinates were dying one by one at this very moment, yet if one were to ask that man what he thought, he would probably just say that he didn’t care. After all, they were all criminals. They probably considered death on the battlefield to be one of their better endings.
That being said, it was those girls who had to deal with them, so he told them that the would be leaving everything to their discretion, leaving them bewildered and perplexed, while Myuhi just laughed, saying, “That’s so like you.”
There was nothing particularly noteworthy among the information he received. At most, he learned that they increased morale by planning to generously reward themselves by taking advantage of him, their wallet. Other than that they seemed to be doing well despite facing so many enemies.
The enemy appears to have given up on hiding as well, and they started boldly attacking. One unit, equipped with leg modifications for ground travel, raised up clods of dust as they rocketed onward, while another unit flew in a vertical formation. They had support fire too. All of this was so that they could break through and see what was waiting for them up ahead.
The Mask thought that was smart of them, though they didn’t really have a choice if they wanted information. Of course that meant that these soldiers were all sacrificial pawns, but the Mask didn’t care about them either.
“…”
Below him danced and sang the Songstress. Her outfit did not expose much, but she did generously display her long limbs and their tan skin, radiating a healthy allure and a captivating brightness.
She moved flawlessly on stage with her similarly dressed backup dancers, jumping and captivating the audience altogether.
“Now that I think about it, I might have been too naive. I mean, isn’t this basically torture?”
He could hear the song, watch her sing and dance, but there was no way for him to simply enjoy her, but even as he expressed his disappointment, his gaze continued to scan the surroundings. Unlike his voice, they looked into the distance with apathy.
“Being able to grasp things I can’t see is still as creepy as ever, I see.”
While the songstress and the audience made merry in the venue, booming sounds and gunfire intensified in the forest alongside the screams and blooming flowers of red, but it was really just a repeat of the earlier attacks.
There were gaps between each battlefield, and through one such gap raced a group of gray exoskeletons among the dense trees.
There were eight of them all in all. Due to the repeated malfunctions of unmanned drones near the first defense line, only actual soldiers have been deployed here, but all their exoskeletons have been enhanced with sensors and tuned specifically for electronic warfare.
Information data was continuously being sent to the main force, and they knew that this was basically a suicide scouting mission. Regardless, they hoped to be able to overcome that with sheer determination and make great achievements.
“We’re about to pass through the second defense line! Be vigilant!”
All of his soldiers obeyed and stood vigilant of any snipers, ambushes, traps, or hidden enemies. They were fighting Nameless and Masquerade. Though the enemy numbered few, they were incredibly powerful.
“That’s it! Follow me!”
As they were about to cross the second line, the squad leader took the lead and took that last step.
“!?”
The seven following him immediately noticed that something was off. With their night vision goggles, they could see the path before them as though it were day, so they were able to see it clearly – that the space, they were about to pass through, shook.
“──────Gyaaaaaaaahhhhh!!??”
What came next was the scream of the squad leader as his signal suddenly vanished. Everyone realized that the situation was bad, but they were already too close and too fast to stop, and they found themselves plunging straight into the darkness.
“Squad leader!”
Their squad leader appeared before them. He had been lifted up high, pierced by something, but there was no sign of bleeding. He seemed alive, but his signal was gone, and he was unresponsive.
“W-What is that? A raybeast? Masquerade!?”
That “something” was a black object hard to make out, so it was understandable that someone might have made such a misunderstanding, but saying something like that also only served to worsen the tension.
Everyone raised their weapons, only for screams to resound as they were suddenly struck by a severe pain that felt as though their nerves were being pierced by thick needles. One of them barely managed to endure the pain and looked around to find the culprit and be shocked.
The black “something” had pierced their limbs and bodies too. They didn’t even feel, but it didn’t take long for them to realize that it was not the pain drowning out all other sensations, rather they couldn’t feel anything else but pain.
It didn’t feel like they even had a physical body, much less limbs, yet an unimaginable and intense pain ate away at them. When did they get hit? No, what was it that hit them? What was happening to them? They desperately tried to think amidst the intense pain to no avail. It was as if a switch had been turned off, and their consciousness fell into darkness.
This all happened within the first ten seconds after they crossed the line. The otherworldly high-tech armor they wore maintained its form, but it stopped functioning completely. In fact, a similar scene occurred on the opposite side in the air. A squadron flew in a vertical formation for the second line. They numbered about ten. However, the moment they all crossed the line, seven members from the lower part of their formation screamed and fell.
Someone tried to go down to assist them, only to become the eighth victim, while the remaining two were left unable to move, helpless to do anything but watch as their eight comrades fell.
“I can’t believe it really happened!”
“Just as Master Six predicted.”
The reason for the unusual vertical formation was none other than to investigate “how far” the defense net and traps set up extended.
“This has got to be some kind of joke! What kind of trap is this!? Eight people were taken out in an instant!!”
“B-But with this!”
“───So you considered the height limit. Impressive.”
An emotionless, mechanical voice called out to the two remaining, at the sound of which, the two remaining soldiers’ fate were guaranteed.
“Huh— Gaaahh!?!”
“I hope you haven’t forgotten that I’m still around.”
Without even giving anyone time to question who the owner of that voice was, a red flower bloomed in someone’s chest. The conical tip protruded along with the fountain of blood colored the dark night. The remaining person was so surprised by the sudden attack that he could only say one thing.
“Red Ogre!?”
What captured his attention was none other than the red figure behind his colleague. That was a warrior second only to the general in Nameless. With deep crimson armor, just like those of the subordinates, only stripped of all excess fat, that figure stood there with a pressure that was beyond comparison.
“I’m not sure how to feel about being called a red ogre or demon when that thing is around.”
As the spear was pointed at him, the remaining soldier could only mutter out a helpless ‘ah’ before vomiting blood with a face frozen in shock as the spear found its way through him. His exoskeleton initiated life-saving measures, but whatever it did only served to prolong his suffering.
“Gah, ahh.”
“It feels like I’m being called a puppy, you know.”
Those words were muttered absentmindedly, but they were the last words the remaining soldier heard. As all life signs ceased, the only coffin left remained suspended in the air.
“…In the end, is it better to be killed by me or be polluted by that thing?”
She swung her spear as if to shake off the blood and the unnecessary packaged lodged into it before promptly leaving the scene.
“All wiped out? Instantly?”
Projected on a particularly large display was a schematic overview of the area surrounding the venue. Satellite and reconnaissance aircraft couldn’t penetrate deep into the area, so the information sent back had to be represented like this. But upon seeing the disappearing points of light, Venom couldn’t help but gasp.
“…Can that guy really do anything?”
While operating a terminal beside him, Six groaned a little though his expression remained the same. Venom responded by displaying all the information received up to the moment of total annihilation from both squads.
“A physical and mental interference type of spiritual barrier!? Could it be that Sister?”
Venom deduced, but Six shook his head.
“No, the composition of the spell is clearly different from that church. It’s closer to Japanese style but with a unique touch, and the spiritual reaction is in a negative waveform. Moreover, if the equipment response was cut off first, then even the exoskeletons were destroyed. This is more akin to a tangible magical barrier… with immediate effect.”
“What the hell is that? Is Masquerade a demon!?”
A barrier that ensnared both the physical bodies and exoskeletons, rendering them incapacitated by spiritual magic. Venom was understandably agitated, but Six remained calm.
“It might actually be preferable if he were a demon, but the bigger problem is that we don’t have anyone or anything to deal with him. We had to gather our forces over at the US in order to silence the church there, but it appears that backfired on us.”
They had to take into consideration what the US exorcist organization might do if they assassinated Monica Chantal, as the Sister still had connections with them. They had hinted at a full-scale war with the Snake along with other political pressures, deals, threats, etc…, to keep them quiet, but who would’ve thought that doing so would actually become a hindrance to them now? But then again, given the abnormal readings they were receiving, it was probable that even if they had their forces and equipment with them, they wouldn’t have been able to do anything. Six didn’t say that out loud, though.
“However, thanks to their sacrifice, we now know the range of their defenses, so we’ll pin down a part of the first-line with the main unit while deploying a large-scale air strike force from a safe altitude. What do you think, Six?”
Perhaps Venom couldn’t stand losing so many of their soldiers without achieving anything, so he worded it positively like that, and Six didn’t object.
“…Make sure to inform everyone about the traps and that Crimson is lurking.”
Venom nodded in agreement and issued instructions to all members. However, Six mused to himself that it wouldn’t be something that could be countered just by being wary of it. Moreover, Crimson herself was the most troublesome force to deal with solo. If their forces were to fight her, the only result could be more casualties. Besides, even the limit of altitude might have been an intentionally provided loophole. If such a heinous and impenetrable barrier were to be spread thoroughly throughout the whole area, it would become impossible to predict what kind of radical means they might’ve resorted to.
“But this way of doing things… Is it really not Ortiz?” Six muttered to himself as he considered the odds that the general might have been taking command remotely against the odds of the Mask being the same type of schemer. “Ah, I see. A righteous guardian pretending to be a villain certainly makes one want to puke.”
Yes, there was another reason why they had to assassinate Masquerade. General Ortiz could still be dealt with, and there was room to use him too, but that wasn’t the case for the Mask. When it came to him, there was just one choice to be made: him or them.
“Venom,” Six said.
“What’s up? I’ve finished giving orders,” Venom replied.
“Change of plans. Be ready, and you’re going out too.”
──Since I’m just going to use you before abandoning you anyway, shouldn’t it be fine to play around a little?
“Look, they’re here. All the poor little sheep are coming in droves.”
Exoskeletons in formation approached at an altitude of around 600 meters. The effective range of the magic barrier was determined to be around 500 meters from the previous sacrifice, so they knew to approach at a somewhat higher altitude.
“Like stars twinkling high up in the sky. Though putting it that way sure makes me want to run away from reality.”
The brilliance of the approaching photons was indeed like the “stars” in the way they were visible from directly above the venue where she was. If their altitudes were aligned, their numbers would fill every direction in her line of sight. Earlier, she moved to intercept an approaching unit, but for the most part, Myuhi’s role was just to watch the progress of the battle from here and defend the inside of the second line. Being alone didn’t bother her much. In fact, it was the opposite.
“Or so I said, but they sure are making a fuss below.”
Below her were the guests still unaware of the situation unfolding. They were all just innocently happy about the songstress’s performance. Though she could neither see the Songstress nor hear her from this distance, the excitement was still palpable, and she felt as though she could see them. Whether it was Monica, who was doing her best singing, or her friend that was most likely having the time of her life.
“Still, what a cruel guy. While it’s true that it would be bad to ignore these people, it’s still cruel of him to make us protect them.”
What’s the point of teaching the sweetness of such an act to a villain? What was the point of teaching them the joy of protecting such casual encounters and connections? What was the point of forcing those who knew they were villains to engage in a battle that stirred such emotions? See? What a nasty thing to do indeed. Yet even as she said such things to herself with a delighted expression, she raised one arm as if reaching towards the heavens.
『But since it’s a request, I’ll do it with all my might』
She smirked as she confirmed the Snake’s massive aerial assault unit crossing the second line. Though she stood alone, she faced the army confidently, and just like someone else, she snapped her fingers and summoned her weapons.
She might be able to enjoy herself, she thought as she focused on the weapons she deployed. Those were “bows” taller than her, crafted with metallic red and photon strings to form an arc. Their size was comparable to a traditional Japanese bow, though their shape resembled a Western bow more. In Garesto, such bows were referred to as a large bow-type shooting armament. There were 24 of them all in all. As for why she chose these bows instead of guns that could shoot more rapidly, the answer was simple. They were more convenient.
『I’m starting to get sick of people telling me I’m good for nothing but charging head first, so… ‘Set’.』
The “arrows” fitted into the twenty-four bows and pulled taut automatically. Whether these things could be called arrows was debatable, as they were really more like long spears, but for some reason, a peculiar object was wound around the handle too.
『Really, what an outrageous imagination───Simultaneous Fire!』
For a moment, she grinned in disbelief, but then in the next moment, the twenty-four spear-arrows shot out and tore through the sky at a speed that far exceeded Earth’s bows. Relentlessly, they attacked the swarm of enemy soldiers in the sky above the venue.
However, the arrows did not go unnoticed by these opponents with similar technology. Those who noticed them could be mainly divided into three. Those that tried to dodge by scattering, those that tried to raise their shield, and those that tried to shoot down the arrows.
At first glance, none of these responses seemed wrong, but Myuhi just laughed.
『───Self-Destruct (Burst)』
When they skillfully avoided the spear-arrows that gave way like a path, when they steadfastly intercepted the meteor-like force with a sturdy rock-like shield, when they successfully shot down the impending threat that was about to pierce them, what awaited them was a grand explosion.
Those who narrowly avoided and those who successfully intercepted trembled from the shock, but that was it, or so it seemed, until they realized they couldn’t move. Myuhi smiled. By the time they realized the white powder scattered around them along with the shockwave, it was already too late.
“Second wave, fire!”
As if to deliver the finishing blow, Myuhi unleashed another barrage of arrows. The second shot, subtly adjusting its angle, traced a trajectory as if to fill in the gaps. Before they could react, the arrows exploded again and scattered that mysterious powder. Bathed in these white particles, they found themselves unable to move properly. Their confusion, anger, and fear could easily be imagined even from a distance.
“So cold-hearted, to think of scattering unphotonium like this.”
It was a brutal act carried out under the instructions of the client, which tasked her to scatter the substance that could neutralize the power of photons onto these exoskeletons that relied on them to move in the air. Moreover, waiting beneath was none other than a curse-bound barrier that would contaminate the equipment, bodies, and minds of those who fell into it.
“Oh, what an unbearable chorus of screams. I wouldn’t mind joining the audience and purifying myself with that singing right about now.”
The exoskeletons, now deprived of photons, were nothing more than mere weights. Thousands of them fell right away and were absorbed into that barrier, causing the vortex of their screams to thin out, but she could still hear it. Moreover, this was the result after just two shots. While they wouldn’t die from the impact of the fall due to the barrier, it was debatable if that was actually a good thing.
How many of them could return to a mentally stable state and lead a normal life? Myuhi shuddered as she thought back to that terrifying crescent moon smile. However, the way to set this whole thing up was actually really simple.
“Hey, do you have any convenient ways to deal with the intruders?”
“My blood? Oh, right!”
“Alright, let’s go with that.”
Shinichi had spoken to Tomoe’s sword yesterday, then he gripped the base of the blade, just above the guard, and stabbed it into the ground while letting his red blood drip onto the blade, then he ran around and drew a circle with the sword for about 30 seconds, before placing his hand on that circle, muttering something, then striking it, upon which, a formidable barrier formed at once. The fear-inducing smile he made then makes her shiver still.
“…Well, it’s not that bad. I mean, even I’ve wanted to take down a ton of enemies like this myself without regard for cost.”
There was indeed nothing like the rush of perfectly fitting equipment and tactics to overturn an overwhelming numerical disadvantage. Moreover, this was at the request of the client, and the funds to make it possible had already been paid. In essence, it was a situation where one could rampage freely with other people’s money. Above all, they were just getting started.
“…Anyway, he probably knows who’s responsible for the department store incident now, since he’s trying to to waste Unphotonium. He’s pushing all those illegal funds he stole from somewhere onto us too. No doubt, also tracing where the money is going. Ha ha.”
What a troublesome client she had. Alas, nothing could be done about it but to laugh. The payment was good, and the job wasn’t entirely unreasonable, though the client did impose constraints on them and monitored them, but then again, he was Masquerade, so it wasn’t like they could easily refuse even when they knew what his motives were.
“…Anyway, I don’t have the luxury to think about the future right now.”
New enemy signals appeared on the radar. Though there weren’t enough to surround her from all directions again, it was still a force akin to a second wave. With a puzzled expression behind her red full-face mask, she confirmed that reinforcements had crossed the second line.
Immediately, using the same method as before, she scattered Unphotonium in all directions, causing them to crash down. Their lack of vigilance and response was as conspicuous as their numbers.
“…Rather sloppy for Sixth’s work, or is it someone else? Maybe this was a decoy, or maybe they’re trying to waste the unphotonium too? How many soldiers have they even gathered?”
If hundreds of soldiers could be discarded for such reasons, one could only imagine the extent of the forces they had prepared for this situation. Just the thought of it made her break into a cold sweat.
But the enemy wasn’t going to wait for her to flinch.
“Underhanded.”
Once again, from a different direction than the previous cross formation, another force of a similar size emerged. Immediately, she assigned about half of her spear-arrows to target them while confirming their positions, then she launched her attack.
“But too obvious.”
Just like before, the enemy figures fell as if to reenact the same scene. So, she muttered disdainfully and suddenly aimed the remaining bows upwards and shot. Any surprised voices disappeared beyond the explosion and impact of the detonated spears.
The relentless advance with no countermeasures made it blatantly clear that they were acting as decoys, so the main threat could only come from above or below. Given the circumstances, however, it could only be from above.
So, as long as she could limit the direction, with her advanced stealth technology and optical camouflage, she could easily detect them regardless of their attempts to hide.
However…
“Hm?”
Thanks to her studying how Shinichi was able to detect her before, she was able to instantly tell that the enemies behind the wall of flame her arrows conjured in their explosion have not yet gone. Expanding the circle of her bows immediately, she created space for herself and drew out her trident. She intercepted the humanoid silhouette that had breached the layer of flame. If piercing the first intruder with the lance was merely a result of brute force, then the three unique prongs shaped by Garesto’s technology was designed to penetrate barriers and armor, enabling the killing of armored opponents.
“!?”
“Haaah!!”
There was surprise from the enemy at Myuhi’s impeccable response, but she didn’t deign to say anything and just focused on her attack. The momentum of her attack combined with the boost from various supports allowed for a straight, powerful thrust, piercing the heart in a perfectly straight line.
“!?”
Or at least, that should have been the case. This time, it was her who was shocked, for the prongs of the armor-killing spear just bounced off the enemy. Something seemed to attack it and destroy it before it could even make contact with the enemy’s barrier, but Myuhi was a professional, and any astonishment or agitation lasted no more than a moment. Immediately, she detonated the remaining handle part and deliberately distanced herself, switching into a pair of short spears to prioritize movement.
“What was that!?”
In the brief encounter, the silhouette she caught was noticeably larger than a normal exoskeleton, and, more importantly, it had small tank-like objects attached throughout. Could it be…? The moment she thought of that, silver bullets shot out in a silver light for her.
“Apostle weapons!!”
Oh no!
It did sound like they were in mass production from the way they were talking, but a lot of them were destroyed yesterday, and they also didn’t work on the Mask or in an area filled with the Songstress’ singing voice, so she’d assumed that it wouldn’t come out here.
“Tch!”
Unable to decide what to do, she clicked her tongue and reflexively extended both hands towards the bullets. It might be futile resistance, but if she could stop those bullets with this, she was willing to sacrifice both her hands. It was a desperate measure with no guarantee of success, but then someone spoke.
“…I told you to rely on me, didn’t I?”
“Huh?”
Black overflowed. In the sky of the dark night, jet black burst from her waist, extending like a belt to effortlessly destroy both silver bullets before at last reemerging as crimson. Upon closer inspection, it seamlessly blended with her armor, almost as if it had been designed that way from the beginning. The rippling lines, somewhat warped and seemingly scribbled with a free hand, gave the entirely red armor a pattern reminiscent of black accents.
“W-W-What was that!?”
Myuhi was the most surprised. Where did that “black” even come from? As she recalled what happened, Myuhi was taken aback. There was a small fragment that had hurt Shinichi when he collapsed upon hearing Monica’s song yesterday, and it was precisely that fragment that she’d forgotten ever collecting that protected her now. Moreover, it protected her from a threat she had overlooked.
“How come the Songstress got a memento while I literally get blood-stained trash? Well, it’s just like him, I guess.”
Uttering words that sounded like complaints, yet somehow cheerful, Myuhi felt a strange sense of relief in the black pattern that seemed eerie at first glance.
“What was that!?”
“Shoot, shoot!”
“Uwaaah!!”
However, that same pattern seemed to instill intense fear in her enemies, and they shot silver bullets one after another while trembling and yelling angrily.
But…
“As mysterious a power as ever…”
As if responding to her thoughts, a jet-black burst emerged from her waist, easily destroying both silver bullets before returning into her crimson. It wasn’t long before she realized that the armor had been adorned with a black pattern, seemingly designed to blend seamlessly with it.
Those bullets would normally be a death sentence, but right now, there wasn’t even any need to evade, as they would disperse all on their own as soon as they got close. Interestingly enough, the phenomenon was not limited to just her.
“Captain, suddenly there are black lines on my exoskeleton!”
“The attacks from the Apostle weapons are coming this way, but suddenly something black is deflecting them!”
“No way, that outrageous weapon is completely ineffective…”
“Could it be Masquerade?”
Similar reports simultaneously reached her through telepathic communication, and while affirming them casually, she recalled the other reason he appeared in that situation during the morning briefing.
“…That guy, I swear!!”
When she deployed her lance with one hand, black tendrils would extend from her armor and cling to it on their own, but she deliberately ignored that as she thought about something else.
“For once, I wish he’d consider how it feels to have your body tampered with without being told!”
Oh, but wouldn’t it be embarrassing if it turned out to be unnecessary? She could just imagine him saying that, contorting her expression into a mix of indignation and amusement. At the same time, photon flames burst out from the jet nozzles on her back.
Her exoskeleton’s main feature was its system that enabled instantaneous acceleration, a simplistic system that allowed her to reach maximum speed in an instant through the sheer power of simplicity. In it, there was no turning, but if the opponent couldn’t keep up, then what did it matter?
“!?”
By the time the opponent’s armor sounded in alarm, a red and black spear had already pierced someone’s chest. Pulling out the spear, she threw the enemy soldier away, and charged again.
“Don’t look down on us, Red Spear!”
She took advantage of the enemy’s fear and attacked all of the sudden; however, as expected, their armor was also of a mysterious design. And perhaps losing one of their own woke them up, as they reacted swiftly and quickly adapted to her speed. Sparks erupted as Myuhi’s spear clashed with their sword of silver light.
“You’re the one looking down on me! Using an obvious trick like this!”
She sent the enemy flying with a kick, and the remaining one shot at her to support him, but she didn’t care for it one bit, and with an indifferent demeanor, she, who never had any intention of pursuing, snapped her fingers.
Immediately, all the bows placed outside the sequence of attacks unleashed a new barrage of arrows. They were aimed at the imminent fourth wave and just like before they all fell.
“A surprise attack by Apostle weapons with a larger force as a feint, then trying to eliminate or stop me while advancing your main force. A typical tactic, but did you really think it would work against me?”
Me of all people? She seemed to say. The two enemies who shot at her and were ignored gnashed their teeth in frustration, but Myuhi’s inner thoughts were complicated.
She boasted proudly, but in truth, she was concealing her own mistake of dismissing the possibility that they might use these apostle weapons.
Of course, it wasn’t the time for introspection and regret. Her experience and intuition were warning her that even this was just a feint meant to hinder her movements.
The soldiers themselves were probably unaware, but whoever designed this plan clearly wasn’t serious about breaking through.
Admittedly, she’d misjudged the Apostle weapon situation, but they probably knew that it wouldn’t work with the Mask as her ally. As for the numbers they pitted against her, that much wasn’t anything special for her.
“Did you forget about the sharpness of our blades in the face of the threat that was Masquerade? It appears that I, Crimson, and even my subordinates, the Ladies, have been underestimated. In that case, allow me to remind you once again of the terror of this spear of Nameless.”
“There’s a limit to how far you can go alone!”
“Be crushed by the waves of our Snake, Red Ogre!!”
If this force really was just a feint meant to hinder her, then she should draw the hostility of the soldiers here as much as possible.
There were three more Apostle weapons in the fourth formation, while a fifth wave was waiting just behind.
With a large lance in her right hand and a short spear in the left, Myuhi adopted a dual spear style and attacked.
The enemy already had silver blades in both hands, but her mottled spear of red and black did not yield to them, instead skillfully pushing back even in a two-on-one situation. Her bow also continued to fire on their own rapidly.
“…You said it yourself, so take responsibility, okay?”
In the midst of the battle that began and the interception against the military forces, she murmured that quietly. If the gathered forces here were decoys, then what was their real target? It was all-too-obvious a story, but there was no way for her to leave this place until she eliminated all threats; therefore, there was only one thing for her to do.
“Since that was your responsibility anyway, I’ll just leave it to you and allow myself to be spoiled.”
Under the full-face mask, she unconsciously smiled without a trace of worry or anxiety.
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