223 どちらでも良かった
カツヤに気付いたアキラが一気に警戒を高める。だが
へ駆け出させた感情は、敵意や憎悪よりも、逃避や悔恨に近い。視界に入った途端に殺しに掛かるような激情ではなかった。
アキラとカツヤの間に、困惑と戸惑いから生まれた沈黙が流れる。その後で、カツヤが口を開く。
「......取引の話は聞いた」
「それで、俺がちゃんとあいつを殺すか確認しにでも来たのか? ちゃんと殺したぞ。そこら辺に散らばってる肉片があいつだ」
「......そうか。あいつからユミナを助けてくれたことには、礼を言っておく」
アキラが思わず意外そうな顔を浮かべる。そして、この流れなら、と期待した。
「それで、取引は成立か?」
「みんなは撤退作業を進めている。すぐにビルから出て行くよ」
アキラは自分の提案が通ったと思って驚きながらも喜んだ。だがすぐに表情を
「単純にどうしても俺を殺したいのか。それとも仲間が逃げるまでの時間稼ぎか。後者なら撤退中の連中を背後から襲ったりしないから帰ってくれ、と言いたいんだけど、まあ、信じないよな。お互いに」
「何でもない。こっちの話だ」
アキラもカツヤが今更やっぱり帰ると言い出しても信じられない。深手を負っている姿を見られてしまった。この場で退いたとしても、この負傷なら後は仲間達と一緒にじっくり潰せば良いと考えて、今度は仲間を引き連れて殺しにくる。カツヤ本人がこの場では本当に大人しく帰るつもりだったとしても、多くの仲間を殺された他の者達に説得されて結局は殺しにくる。そう疑ってしまう。
相手はネリアのような狂人ではない。悩み、疑い、迷い、揺れ動く普通の人間だ。そう思っているからこそ、アキラはカツヤ達を信じられなかった。そして相手も同じだと無意識に思っていた。
言葉は尽きた。次は相手の命。どちらもそう認識し、ほぼ同時に動き出す。
アキラがだらりと下げていた刀を振り上げる。輝く刀身から光刃が放たれ、その斬撃が床を切り裂きながらカツヤに襲いかかる。
本来絶対に届かない距離で刀を振ろうとする相手の姿を見ても、カツヤは相手の殺意からそれが自身に届くと察した。素早く横に飛び、高速で迫る光刃を回避する。同時にアキラに銃を向ける。
東部で剣術を学ぶと敵を垂直に斬る癖が付くことが多い。義体者などが相手では首や胴を両断しても致命傷にならない場合があるからだ。
ぎ、頭が胴体と物理的に
いので反撃も受けにくい。水平方向の技術を軽視する訳ではないが、基本は垂直方向を重視する。アキラにもその癖が染み付いていた。アルファとの訓練で横に斬ると、平然と反撃されていたからだ。
アキラが斬撃の種類に偏りが見られる荒削りの剣技で刀身を振り上げ、振り下ろす。カツヤがそれを横へ横へと回避していく。輝く刀身がカツヤを追ってジグザグに波打った。
刀は切れ味の維持にもエネルギーを消費している。斬撃を飛ばせば更に消費する上に刀身への負担も大きく、加減を誤れば刀身が崩壊する。残弾も残り少ない。どちらかが残っている内に終わらせなければ、アキラは詰みだ。
一方カツヤは少しずつ調子を取り戻していた。余計なことを考える暇など無い強敵との戦闘が、揺れ動いていた意識を研ぎ澄ませ、動きの精度を向上させていく。互角だった攻防がほんの僅かずつカツヤの優勢に傾いていく。その僅かな余裕がカツヤに気付きを生む。
(こいつ、さっき距離を詰めてきた時は斬撃を飛ばさなかった。それに床の傷が短い......)
で、刀身を何度も床にぶつけていた。それでも床を切り裂く切れ味のおかげで、刀身が床に引っかかることはなかった。しかしそれで床を斬った跡は、斬撃を飛ばしていればもっと長く伸びているはずだった。
(俺に避けられると判断して、斬撃を飛ばすのを止める暇なんて無いはずだ! つまり、もう斬撃は飛ばせない!)
カツヤがアキラの振り下ろしを大きく後ろに退いて回避する。アキラが更に踏み込んで間合いを詰める。僅かに笑うカツヤ。更に表情を険しくするアキラ。その表情の差が、そのまま攻防の傾きを示していた。
回避行動の制限が無くなった分だけ攻勢を強めるカツヤに対し、アキラが体感時間の更なる圧縮で対応する。途端に頭痛が一気に
「カツヤ。大丈夫?」
「ア、アイリ。どうしてここに......」
「カツヤを連れ戻しに来た」
きっぱりとそう答えたアイリに、カツヤが悲痛な表情を向ける。
「撤退しろって、ちゃんと指示を出したはずだ!」
「部隊の指揮を投げ出した人の指示に従う義理は無い。ユミナからも1人で飛び出すなと言われたはず」
アイリ達が決死の覚悟で助けに来たことぐらいはカツヤにも分かっている。部隊でアキラと戦っても、勝てずに多数の犠牲を出したのだ。その基準ならば、この場の少数では勝ち目などどこにも無い。
「死ぬ時は一緒。私達を死なせたくないのなら、カツヤが生きて帰れば良い」
に過酷なハンター稼業を楽しみながらも頑張っていた。カツヤはそのかつての自分を思い出し、意気を取り戻していた。
「それで良い。一応言っておくけれど、後でカツヤがユミナにぶちのめされる時に、
にそろそろカツヤは1回ぐらいユミナに壁まで殴り飛ばされた方が良い。その後の治療ぐらいは手伝う」
軽口を挟んでアイリは少し楽しげに笑い、カツヤは苦笑を浮かべた。落ち着きを取り戻したカツヤは、一度は切断した仲間達との連携を取り戻していた。
「さて、問題はあいつが俺達を帰してくれるかどうかだな」
「難しい?」
「......分からない。取引を思いっきり蹴ったんだ。あいつが当初の宣言通り俺達を皆殺しにするつもりなら、このまま撤退してあいつをユミナ達の所まで連れていく形になるのは
お互いに信じ合った方が無駄な戦いを避けられるので得だ。それを分かった上でお互いに信じられない、と相手も思っている。カツヤはアキラも同じように考えていると、それだけは通じ合っていると、その納得を不思議に思いながらも受け入れていた。
通路からアキラが全速力で飛び出してくる。その動きをカツヤは極限の集中で捉えて、違和感を覚える。アキラはSSB複合銃を握って構えていた。だがグリップではなく銃身を
(仲間がいるなら、お前は仲間の安全を優先する!)
SSB複合銃がカツヤの仲間達へ向けて飛んでいく。それは既に壊れているが、カツヤ達には分からない。
(この状況なら、お前は仲間を下がらせて自分が前に出る!)
に、俺への攻撃よりも、銃の破壊を優先する!)
その想定はエリオ達との模擬戦を基にしたものだ。カツヤがそう動く保証などどこにも無い。だがアキラはそこに全てを賭けた。
単純な才能であればカツヤの方が上だ。才能が五分であれば、アルファから非常に効率的な訓練を受け続けているアキラは、現在の装備性能の差もあって、カツヤを確実に蹴散らしている。
その才能で磨かれたカツヤの実力は非常に高い、しかし知らず
小型輸送機がクズスハラ街遺跡を飛んでいる。仮設基地を出発して既に大規模遺跡探索区域の内部に入っている。周辺のビルの屋上より少し上の高度を、胴体部の左右を大きく開けて飛行していた。
サラとシカラベ、パルガとヤマノベが左右に分かれて機体の側面に立ち、大型の銃を構えている。エレナが自身の情報収集機器と機体の索敵装置を駆使して迷彩状態の機械系モンスターを探知すると、その情報をサラ達に送信した。
サラがその情報を基に照準を合わせて引き金を引く。
「エレナ。これ、本当にどこから調達してきたんだ? やばい物じゃないんだよな?」
銃と輸送機を手配したのはネリアだ。輸送機は仮設基地に配備されていたもので、銃はヤナギサワ直属部隊の予備だ。自身の権限で持ち出せたので、ネリアが勝手にエレナ達に貸していた。
「経緯は軽く説明したでしょう? それ以上のことは私も知らないわ。不安なら自前のを使って」
シカラベは懸念の残る表情のまま追及を諦めた。エレナの態度から自分と似たような疑問を抱いている上で割り切っていると判断し、取り
パルガが苦笑に疑問を滲ませて口を挟む。
「シカラベ。銃の出所なんかより、あの女の出所を気にしろよ」
パルガの視線の先には、空中をまるで見えない足場を蹴って跳躍し続けているような動きを見せているネリアの姿があった。機敏な動きで空中の機械系モンスターに接近し、両手のブレードで切り裂いている。何も無い空中に突如十字に刻まれた機械系モンスターの残骸が出現し、そのまま落下していくという奇妙な光景が繰り返されていた。
ヤマノベも同じ光景を見て苦笑を浮かべている。
「近接戦闘特化のやつの実力は、頭のイカレ具合に比例しているって話を聞いたことがあるが、あれを見る限り納得だ。美人だが、お近づきにはなりたくないタイプだな。まあ義体者はその気になれば顔なんか幾らでも変えられるから、方向性の差異はあっても大抵は美人だけどな」
その時、ちょうど自身の側の敵を潰し終えたネリアが宙を駆けて戻ろうとしていた。そのままヤマノベの
そのまま輸送機の胴体部分を通り抜けて、ついでにブレードのエネルギーパックを交換して、逆側の空中に飛び出そうとするネリアをサラが呼び止める。
「ねえ、今更だけど、こんな高性能な銃を貸してくれたり、輸送機を手配してくれたりしてくれたのは助かるけど、アキラを助ける
「エレナ。意味、分かる?」
エレナも似たような表情を浮かべていた。
仮設基地に予備の人型兵器が残っていれば、ネリアは人型兵器部隊の応援に向かっていた。しかし予備の機体はイナベの指示で全て増援部隊側に配備されており、他のハンター達の部隊と一緒に該当区域の制圧作業に割り当てられていた。それにより、今は味方、の判断の味方の対象が、元々所属していた都市の人型兵器部隊よりアキラに偏った。それだけだった。
シカラベが口を挟む。
「彼女が帰ると言うまでは、このまま探索を続行よ。それと、一応当てはあるわ。輸送機の高性能な情報収集機器で、アキラの貸出端末とかから送信されている短距離通信の波長とかを探しているの。通信障害が回復すればすぐに分かるんだけど......」
エレナの険しい表情を見て、シカラベも別の意味で表情を険しくする。
そこでエレナから連絡を受けたシカラベは、余り考えずにアキラの救援に加わった。増援部隊の編制を待たずに出発したい。都市側の指揮に従って順に制圧作業を進めるよりアキラの捜索を優先したい。その程度の内容だと考えていたのだが、輸送機に、強力な大型銃に、得体の知れない女にと、少々予想外のことが多かった。
大規模遺跡探索の周辺を包囲していた機械系モンスターは、迷彩状態で飛行しながら包囲の内に入る者は通過させるが出る者は攻撃する。シカラベはエレナ達にそう聞かされていたのだが、輸送機等の飛行可能なものは対象外なのか、一度出た者が再度入ろうとするのは防ぐのか、輸送機は包囲区域に近付いた時点で襲われていた。
エレナ達を責めるつもりはないが、初手で
(......幾らカツヤが嫌いだからって、少し安請け合いしすぎたか。俺も焼きが回ってきたか?)
シカラベは自身の選択に少々後悔しながら、追加で現れた敵の銃撃を再開した。
Ch 223
Akira immediately tensed up the moment he noticed Katsuya, but the shock prevented him from immediately shooting at him.
Currently, Katsuya did not have enough reason to start a fight. At the moment, rather than hatred and animosity, his current feeling toward Akira was more of remorse and shame, and those feelings were not feelings that would cause him to open fire the moment he saw Akira.
There was an awkward silence between the two of them. After a short awkward pause, Katsuya was the first to open his mouth.
"...I've heard about your offer."
"So, are you here to check if I really killed that guy? He's dead, the flesh scattered around is his."
"...I see. At least I'll thank you for saving Yumina from him."
Akira inadvertently raised his eyebrows. He expected that it would turn out well judging from this mood.
"We have a deal then?"
"Everyone is in the process of retreating. They'll leave the building soon."
Akira looked happy for a split second, thinking that his deal was accepted, but his expression immediately turned grim.
"Is it that you want to kill me no matter what? Or are you simply trying to buy more time for the rest of your team? If it's the latter, don't worry, I have no plan to attack you from behind, so you can turn back and go in peace. Or at least that's what I want to say, but... As I thought, you won't believe me, huh. The same for me too."
"Don't worry, it's nothing for you to worry about."
Akira himself did not believe that Katsuya would just return back in peace after all that had happened. Now that Katsuya had seen him in a badly wounded state. Even if he retreated now, considering that wound, he could just bring the rest of his team later to safely kill Akira. And even if Katsuya was really thinking of going back in peace, considering how many people Akira had killed, the rest of the team would most likely convince him to go back to kill Akira later. Akira could not help but think so.
It was exactly because Katsuya was not a battle-crazed person like Nelia. He was still a normal human who would hesitate, doubt, get suspicious, and might have a change of heart like the other normal humans. This was exactly why Akira could not trust Katsuya and his team. Thus, he unconsciously thought that Katsuya and his team also could not trust Akira.
There were no more words to exchange, what was left was to exchange bullets. As both sides understood this, they immediately sprung to action almost at the same time.
Akira swung his blade that was hanging down up until now upward. The blade released a wave of light particles that cut through the ceiling and floor as it flew toward Katsuya.
Although Katsuya saw Akira swing his blade way outside its range, he understood that it would reach him based on Akira's intense killing intent. He immediately jumped to the side to evade the incoming wave while shooting at.
Most who learned swordsmanship in the eastern district have the habit of using a vertical slash. After all, some opponents like cyborgs would not die even after a beheading or disembowelment and this was true too to an extent against opponents with a biological body. People with emergency life support systems planted on their heads could still survive even after a beheading. They then could use a wireless connection to their augmented suits. Thus, allowing them to continue to fight even if their heads and bodies were no longer physically connected. An ambush during an opening when one just executed a slash could prove to be fatal.
Akira and Katsuya continued exchanging attack and defence, one with the swing of a blade while the other with bullets from a rifle. Although there was a huge gap between their skill, the quality of their equipment, and their level of fatigue both mentally and physically, made the fight continue evenly.
On the other hand, a vertical slash was fatal to most of the enemies, cyborgs or not. Even if the opponents were using long-range control devices, a vertical cut had a good chance to destroy their control devices on top of making it difficult for them to launch a counter-attack, even if the attack did not destroy their control devices. It was not like the current technique disregarded horizontal strikes, it just placed more emphasis on vertical strikes. This was also true for Akira. Although, the reason for this habit for him was because Alpha could easily fend him off every time he used a horizontal slash.
Akira raised his blade crudely telegraphing the kind of strike that he would use next, and as expected, he then swung the blade down. Katsuya jumped side to side to evade them as the blade released a wave of light in a zig-zag style.
The blade itself was actively consuming energy in order to maintain its sharpness. Every time Akira swung it, it consumed energy and also placed more burden on it. If Akira misjudged the durability of the blade, he might end up destroying the blade. While on the other hand, he no longer had that much ammo left. Akira had to finish the fight while he still had both resources, otherwise, this would be the end for him.
In contrast to that, Katsuya was slowly gaining confidence. The powerful opponent in front of him did not give him the leeway to think about anything else, it helped Katsuya regain his scattered focus. Thus increasing the sharpness of his movement. The fight that was evenly matched up until now slightly tilted toward Katsuya's favour and the leeway originated from that caused Katsuya to notice something.
[He has stopped throwing that long-range slashes. Moreover, the cut on the floor is also shallower than before...]
Akira still tried to slash at Katsuya even when he did not have proper footing, thanks to that, his blade would oversweep and hit the floor repeatedly. But even so, due to its sharpness, the blade would be able to smoothly cut through the floor. One thing that was obvious, was that the cut left on the floor should have been deeper if Akira was still releasing the sharp light wave.
[He should not have the leeway to stop doing that just because I'm evading his attacks! Which would mean that it's because he can't do that any longer!]
Katsuya jumped backwards to open up some distance between them. Akira lunged forward to close up that distance. The smile on Katsuya's face and the pressured look on Akira's face signalled the one who had the upper hand in their exchange.
As Katsuya was able to invest less effort in dodging, he could focus more on the offensive. In order to face that, Akira compressed his time perception even further. The burden caused a sharp stinging pain on his head, he kept himself from fainting while desperately looking for an opening to win the fight.
"Katsuya, are you okay?"
"A-Airi, why are you here...?"
"To bring you back."
Katsuya had a pained look on his face when Airi replied back almost instantly.
"I'm sure I've given you my order to retreat!"
"I have no need to listen to an order from a commander who left his own post. Yumina should have told you not to go alone too."
Katsuya understood that Airi and the other girls came there knowing fully that they might get killed. After all, even after all those fights with Akira, which only resulted in piling up dead count on their side, they still were not able to kill him. Judging from that fact alone, there was no way they could kill Akira with only that many people.
"We die together. If you don't want to get us killed, then you should survive as well."
Katsuya remembered his past self as he pulled himself together. He was working extremely hard as a Hunter, taking on dangerous tasks, placing himself in great danger in order to save his friends.
"Good. Also, one more thing, I have no plans to cover for you if Yumina gives you a good smacking later."
"No can do. I think it's time to let Yumina give you a good punching, but I'll at least help you tend to your wounds after that."
Airi smiled lightly while Katsuya smiled bitterly at that light exchange. Now that Katsuya had regained his calm, he once again returned back to his team that he had left once before.
"Now then, the problem is whether he would let us go back in peace or not."
"Is it unlikely?"
"...I don't know, I completely rejected his offer after all. If he's really planning to kill all of us just like he said, it would be bad to regroup with Yumina while that guy is still around. Airi, do you think Yumina and the rest would retreat ahead without waiting for us?"
They would have been able to save themselves from the unnecessary fight had they trusted each other. Although both sides knew that very well, they still could not trust the other side. That one point was the only thing that Katsuya and Akira completely agreed on and that fact really made Katsuya feel weird inside.
Akira leapt out from his hiding spot, Katsuya was able to follow him with his eyes, but there was something strange. Akira had his SSB rifle in his hand, but he was not holding it by its handle.
[You'll prioritize the safety of your friends now that they're here!]
The SSB rifle flew toward Katsuya's team, although it was already broken, Katsuya and his team had no means to know that.
[In this situation, you'll have no other choice but tell your men to stay back and put yourself in the front!]
[And to save your men, you'll focus on shooting down the rifle first instead of me!]
That assumption came from Akira's experience fighting Erio's team. There was no guarantee that Katsuya would also do the same as well, but even so, Akira decided to put down everything on this bet.
If it was purely about talent, Katsuya had the upper hand. If they were equally talented, Akira, who had received training from Alpha and had better equipment, would have demolished Katsuya.
Although Katsuya was very talented and had sharpened said talent, he was receiving support without even knowing it. This caused him to have a rather crooked evaluation of himself. But in this situation where the jamming caused him to lose that support, the sharpness of his movements was reduced, his ability to fight was greatly diminished.
A small transport aircraft went over Kuzusuhara ruin. It came from the forward base and was now already deep inside the expedition area. It was flying slightly above the tall buildings in the area. It then opened both the left and the right sides of its chassis.
Sara and Shikarabe stood in front of the left door while Valga and Yamanobe were on the right one. They had large rifles in their hands, aimed below them. Meanwhile, Elena was sending them the location of the enemies that she had detected using her information gathering device.
Sara used that information to fix her aim. Deafening explosions followed suit. A rain of warheads obliterated the monsters below. Shikarabe and the rest were also doing the same. They made short work of the monsters that were trying to attack the transport aircraft.
"Elena. How the heck did you get this thing? It's not some kind of illegal weapon, right?"
The guns and the aircraft were both from Nelia. The aircraft was the one parked in the forward base, while the guns came from Yanagisawa's team's reserve armoury. Since she was given permission, Nelia went and lent them to Elena's team.
"I'm sure I did give you a short explanation about it before. I don't know anything more than what I've already said. If you don't feel safe using it, you can use your own instead."
Shikarabe still had some questions in mind but decided to stop questioning. Judging from Elena's tone, it seemed that Elena had the exact same questions as he did. However, she also decided to just leave it unanswered. Thus, Shikarabe saved those questions for later and focused on the monsters in front of him.
Valga smiled wryly and spoke, full of suspicion.
"Shikarabe. Rather than where these guns come from, I think it's more important to question who the heck is that girl."
Valga was looking at Nelia, who was running in the air as if she had some kind of footing under her feet. She danced between the flying monsters, slicing them one by one with blades on both of her hands. The monsters that she sliced obeyed gravity and fell down to the ground. It was a surreal scene.
Yamanobe, who was looking at the same thing, also smiled wryly and said.
"I heard that those who specialize in close-range combat are crazy. Well, as far as I can see, those words must be true. She's a beauty, but I would rather have her at least 3 meters away from me at all times. Well, if it's about her face, cyborgs can have any kind of face they want. Although they have different preferences, most of them have beautiful faces."
Right about then, Nelia finished taking care of the monsters around the aircraft, so she returned back to the aircraft and stood beside Yamanobe. She then smiled at him and said.
Nelia continued walking through the aircraft, exchanged the energy packs in her blades, and was about to jump out from the other side of the aircraft when Sara stopped her.
"By the way, although it might be too late to ask this, and we're grateful that you lent us these powerful weapons as well as this aircraft, why would you go that far to save Akira? Are you that close?"
"Elena, what does that mean?"
Elena had the same confused look as Sara.
If there was still an unused powered suit back in the forward base, Nelia would have opted to use that instead. But due to Inabe's order, all the powered suits were distributed to the powered suit squads that were dispatched with the reinforcement Hunters to take control of the ensuing chaos in the expedition area.
Shikarabe then said.
"We'll be doing this until that girl decides to go back. It's not like we don't have any hints at all. I'm using the powerful radar installed on this aircraft to look for the signal from the information terminal lent to Akira. It can use both long-range and short-range communication frequency. But, if only this jamming could go away... I would be able to quickly detect his whereabouts..."
Elena knitted her eyebrows. Seeing that, Shikarabe also frowned but for a completely different reason.
That was when Elena called him, Shikarabe did not think much and quickly accepted the request to save Akira. He wanted to get out there without waiting for the rest of the reinforcement team, he rather chose to go to look for Akira instead of helping take control of the expedition area. That was why he did not expect to be loaned such powerful guns and a transport aircraft. The furthest he could have expected was this mysterious girl that accompanied him.
Shikarabe already heard from Elena and Sara about the invisible flying drones encircling the expedition area. They allowed people in but not out. However, either it was because the flying aircraft was out of their expectation or that they did not allow anyone who once got out to get in again, those monsters immediately attacked the aircraft when they got close.
He had no wish to blame it on Elena or anything, but it still caught him off-guard. The battles that would have been difficult without the powerful guns continued on.
[...No matter how much I hate Katsuya, this isn't worth it at all! I guess it has started to cause trouble for me as well, huh?]
Shikarabe regretted his decision as he continued shooting at the incoming monsters.
Rebuild World (WN)
リビルドワールド
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/rebuild-world/
Action Adventure Drama Harem Mecha Mystery Sci-fi Seinen
Abandoned Children Adapted to Manga Adventurers Alternate World Anti-social Protagonist Apocalypse Artificial Intelligence Beautiful Female Lead Cautious Protagonist Child Protagonist Dense Protagonist Determined Protagonist Distrustful Protagonist Futuristic Setting Gangs Gunfighters Harsh Training Lack of Common Sense Male Protagonist Manipulative Characters Monsters Near-Death Experience Older Love Interests Poor Protagonist Poor to Rich Ruthless Protagonist Shota Sudden Strength Gain Survival Twisted Personality Unlucky Protagonist Weak to Strong
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n9736dt/
非公開