286 死者の呪詛
ビルから飛び降りたレイナは落下しながら空中で身を反転させた。そしてトガミの背後にいる人型端末に気付くと、すぐに銃を構えて引き金を引く。銃弾が標的の頭部を目掛けて一直線に飛び、相手の首から上を吹き飛ばす。
「アキラ! どうなってるの!? 何があったの!?」
「俺にもよく分からないし、説明する時間も無いからこれだけ聞いておく。このままレイナ達だけ安全な場所に避難する。距離を取って一緒にシオリ達の援護に回る。どっちにする?」
「了解だ」
アキラがバイクを垂直方向に勢い良くUターンさせる。地面すれすれで折り返し、一気に飛び上がった。
『アルファ。さっきレイナ達が倒したやつだけどさ、随分弱かった......と思うのは俺の
それをアルファが否定する。
『いいえ。実際に大分動きが悪かったわ。恐らく本人が戦っている最中だから、遠隔操作端末の操作までは手が回らないのよ』
『なるほど。それなら上にいたやつは、やっぱり本物か』
『希望的観測ではあるけれど、彼女を殺せば敵の勢いが激減する可能性はあるわ。急ぎましょう』
『ああ。とっとと終わらせよう』
念話で済ませた一瞬の会話なので、
「アキラ! あれ! 何なの!? アキラ達が連れてきたの!? 向こうで何と戦ってたの!?」
「向こうにもあんなのはいなかったよ。どうなってるんだ?」
困惑を強めるアキラに、アルファが真面目な顔で指示を出す。
『アキラ。追加が来たわ。意識を切り替えて迎撃して』
遠距離から高速で接近してくる新手の異形達は、元は飛行バイクだった部分から多腕で頭部の無い上半身を複数生やす個体や、異様に肥大した眼球を付けている個体など様々だ。だが少なくとも人間には見えないという点で、基本的には似たような形状をしていた。そしてその全てが間違いなくアキラ達を攻撃対象にしていた。
「レイナ。トガミ。あいつらがシオリ達を攻撃する前にこっちで全部撃破する。俺にそっちを気遣う余裕はあんまりないと思って、出来るだけ自力で何とかしてくれ」
レイナが力強く笑い、トガミも軽く笑って、どちらも高い意気を見せる。
「元々レイナの護衛は俺の仕事だ。そっちに押し付ける気はねえよ」
「よし。行くぞ!」
バイクが一気に加速する。そのまま高く上がり、ビルの屋上を越えると、次は拠点の周囲を高速で旋回する。並の者達であれば慣性で即座に振り落とされる負荷の中、アキラ達は各自の銃を異形達へ向けると銃弾に己の才を
エリオ達はシロウの指示で拠点まで撤退していた。仲間に犠牲者を出してでも戦線を維持していた状況で急に出た撤退の指示に憤りを覚えた者もいたのだが、そこにドランカムのハンター達まで戻ってきたことで、指示の妥当性を受け入れるのと引き替えに、一体何があったのかと不安と困惑を強めていた。
ビルを完全に閉鎖すれば防御は増すが、襲撃者達への反撃も出来ず一方的に攻撃されてしまい、いずれは破られる。ビルの
為
に今までは外に打って出て、奇襲を続ける形で応戦していた。
「エリオ。どうなってるんだ?」
「おぉ! そうか!」
エリオの発言には何の根拠も無いのだが、それでも他の少年達が活気付く。それに釣られてエリオ自身もそうかもしれないと考え始めた時、上から落ちてきたものがその楽観視を粉砕した。
「な、何だ!?」
エリオ達が慌てて銃を向ける。手足の生えた肉塊が拠点近くの地面に激突していた。
「まだ動いてるぞ!」
驚き戸惑っていたエリオ達がその言葉で我に返り一斉に銃撃する。モンスターは被弾しながらも再生しようとしていたが、既に負傷で動けないところへ銃弾を山ほど浴びては再生が追い付かず、体内に流れる緑色の回復液を使い切って動きを止めた。
しかしそれでは終わらなかった。拠点の上空でアキラ達に撃墜された異形達が、エリオ達の
する少年達をエリオが一喝する。
「落ち着いて撃て! ちゃんと倒せる!」
それで少年達も我に返った。統率を取り戻した部隊が総合支援システムの支援もあって効果的に動き出し、戦況を優勢に固定する。その成果が少年達の意気を回復させた。
そこに更なる変化が現れる。今まで姿を見せていなかった襲撃者達が遠方から現れたのだ。こんな時に、とエリオが思わず顔を
「本当に......、どうなってるんだ......?」
訳が分からない状況が続いていたが、それでもエリオ達は戦うしかなかった。
拠点の周辺の空中をバイクで旋回しながら戦っていたアキラが、辺りの状況を見て考える。
『アルファ。これさ、足の速い個体が先にこっちに来ただけで、その内に他のやつも来るよな?』
『恐らくね』
自分達が戦っている相手は暴食ワニのように食べたものを自身に反映させる何かだ。その何かの内、人型端末達が使っていた飛行バイクを取り込んだ個体が、その機動力で先にここまで来た。それならば他の個体はまだ到着していないだけで、今ここに向かっている最中だ。そして恐らく後続の方が量も多く強い個体も多い。その中には撃墜した人型兵器を取り込んだ個体もいるはずだからだ。そう考えたアキラが、面倒だと顔を
見れば分かるだろうと、アキラは少し不思議そうな顔を返したが、レイナはそれで言質は取ったとした。
「アキラもそう思うのね? それならこの状況を都市に伝えましょう。アキラとリオンズテイル社の戦闘なら防衛隊も傍観するでしょうけど、モンスターの群れが都市を襲撃してきたのであれば動くはずよ。私とトガミで行ってくるわ」
アキラが僅かに思案する。相手はモンスターに見えるが、無関係のモンスターが偶然同時期に都市を襲撃したとはとても思えない。間違いなくリオンズテイル社、パメラ達が関わっている。それを分かった上で防衛隊を戦闘に参加させるのは、無関係な都市をこちらの都合で利用し巻き込むことを意味する。自分ならばしない、と考える。
しかし自分ならばしないだけであって、レイナ達に、だからやめろ、と強制するのは違うとも思う。レイナも分かってやっており、だからこそ自分に、敵はモンスターだと確認を取ったのだ。そう遅れて理解する。
モンスターの襲撃という口実を使ってでも、防衛隊を巻き込んででも、シオリ達を助ける
で直接伝えに行く必要があるが、通信可能な距離まで近付くとアキラの立入禁止領域に重なる恐れが高いので、危険ではあるがアキラと別行動になるのは仕方無いと思っていた。しかしバイクを貸してくれるとは思わなかった。
「まあ、シオリ達には向こうで手伝ってもらった借りもあるからな。その分だ」
アキラもシオリ達からレイナの護衛を期待されていることは分かっている。その上でレイナ達と別行動を取るのならそれぐらいはしておこうと、アキラとしてはその程度の考えだった。その程度の考えで、バイクという重要な武装をレイナ達に貸していた。
当然だがアキラはバイクから降りればその分だけ危険になる。アキラにそれを許容させるだけの貸しを作ったのはシオリ達であり、それがどれだけ大変なことだったなのかはレイナにも容易に想像できた。その上で、レイナはシオリ達の主として、その貸しを、責任を
「言っとくけど、壊すなよ?」
「一応、気を付けるわ」
運転を代わったレイナがバイクを加速させる。
「トガミ! アキラはいないけど、その分しっかり
「分かってる! 全く、人使い荒えなあ!」
飛行バイク並みに空中を移動する異形達は大分減らしていたが、地面を移動する他の個体達は既に周辺まで近付いていた。筋肉が異様に肥大した
め息で懸念を示すアルファに、アキラは苦笑を返してごまかした。
そしてアキラの残弾が本当に尽きる。両手の銃が同時に沈黙したが、アキラは慌てずに宙を蹴って下方向へ跳躍、加速した。
その下ではキャンピングカーが自動操縦で拠点の外へ勢い良く出ようとしていた。アキラは着地と同時に既に開いている後部扉から車両の中に入り、弾薬補充を素早く済ませると今度は車の屋根に飛び乗った。そして弾薬を満杯にしたRL2複合銃を宙に向けると、驚異的な装弾数を誇る拡張弾倉の中身を全て吐き出すように、濃密な弾幕を周辺の敵へ撃ち出した。
み込まれた異形が、一瞬で気化したように形も残さず消滅する。弾丸サイズの小型ミサイルである誘導弾がその余りの数に空中を流れる濁流と化し、無数の支流に分かれて敵に襲い掛かり標的を撃破する。バイクとキャンピングカーでは携帯可能な装弾数に根本的な違いがある。その強みを存分に生かして膨大な量の弾丸で敵を圧殺していく。
そう言って笑うアキラに向けて、アルファが意味深に
『アキラ。弾薬費って知ってる?』
『......対滅弾頭を5発も撃ったんだ。後はもう誤差だよ』
アキラはそのままキャンピングカーで拠点の周囲を回り続けながら、有効射程にいる敵を消し飛ばし続けた。その途中、拠点の屋上に視線を向ける。誘導弾の濁流がそちらに向かい、途中にいた異形達に命中して相手を派手に吹き飛ばす。
周辺の異形達はアキラを最優先の攻撃目標にしていた。だがそれは単純にアキラを狙っているのではなく、アキラがシオリ達を援護しようとしているからだった。また異形達はパメラ達を援護もしない。拠点の屋上で繰り広げられているシオリ達とパメラ達の戦闘に介入しようとする者を優先して襲っていた。
(邪魔するなってことか? どうなってるんだ?)
疑問に思いながらも、アキラはシオリ達の下には向かわずに周辺の敵の排除に専念する。自分がシオリ達と強引に合流しようとすると、恐らく異形の群れもそこに殺到する。そしてその乱戦はシオリ達に不利に働く。そう判断し、まずは周囲の敵の
(......強い! やはりあの時に殺しておくべきだったのはこっちだった......!)
己の選択の誤りを悔いながら、その悔恨すら力に変えてカナエは戦い続けていた。
シオリが刀を振るう。高性能な強化服から生み出される驚異的な身体能力を、長年の
シオリはそれをギリギリで防ぐ。光刃同士が再び衝突し、そこから漏れたエネルギーが火花のように飛び散った。
(本人よりも強い......! 自身もカナエと戦いながらこの操作......! 何て技量......! 道理でこっちを生かす訳です......!)
あの時ラティスではなくパメラを殺しておけばこの状況は無かったと、シオリは自分の命と引き換えにしてでも
でラティスが死んだと思っているパメラは、自身とラティスの精密操作の配分を偏らせた。
ラティスはシオリの一撃を完璧に受け切った。死を賭して繰り出した一撃でも駄目なのかと、シオリの顔が大きく
即死したパメラが背後へゆっくり崩れ落ちる。限界だったカナエも少し遅れて崩れ落ち、片手と片膝を付いた。
シオリも膝をつく。動かす者がいなくなったラティスはその場に立ったままだった。
「こっちの方は......、初めから死んでるでしょう......」
荒い息を続けながらシオリ達が呼吸を整える。そして少しだが体力を回復させたシオリは、刀を
に使用不能にしておく。その程度の考えでシオリは刀を振り下ろした。
カナエがシオリを助けようと反射的に拳を振るう。だが既にほぼ死に体の体では余りにも遅い。それはシオリも同じで、顔を一気に険しくしていた。そして次のラティスの動きを反撃の予備動作と捉えたシオリ達が顔を大きく
としていたシオリ達だったが、まずシオリが我に返る。そして懸念を覚えてパメラの死体に視線を向けると、次にカナエを見た。
察したカナエが首を横に振る。
「いや、こっちが本人だと思うっす。そうじゃなきゃ二人とも殺されてるっすよ」
実はラティスとパメラは脳を入れ替えており、逃げていったラティスの中身はパメラだったのかもしれない。シオリはそう思ったのだが、それならばそのまま自分達を殺していただろうと考え直した。パメラが死に、操縦者を失ったラティスが動きを止めたからこそ、シオリ達は死なずに済んだのだ。
「パメラが死んだことで外部入力が無くなったから、強化服の保護機能が、着用者が最低でも意識喪失、致命的な状態であると判断して、自動操縦で着用者を逃がそうとした......、かもしれないわね」
「ああ、それなら、急に動いたことも、反撃せずに逃げたことも
「本当のところは分からないわ。でも今は放っておきましょう。追う余力も無いし、そんなことよりお嬢様の援護の方が重要よ。カナエ。動けるわね?」
「そんなこと、お嬢様の安全と比ぶべくもないわ」
に苦笑を浮かべる。言いたいことは分かるのだが、シオリ自身もふらついており、無理をしているのがはっきりと分かった。
「ここでアキラ少年の援護でも欲しいところっすけど......、向こうに回したっすからねー。......ん?」
「ちょうど良いところに来た、か、もうちょっと早く来てくれれば、か、迷うっすねー」
「アキラ様。回復薬、ありがとう御座います。経費は後日御請求を。それで......、お嬢様は?」
「モンスターの群れが都市を襲撃しようとしてるって防衛隊に伝えに行った。俺のバイクを貸したから、まあ、大丈夫だろう。最悪でも逃げるぐらいは出来るはずだ」
シオリはそれで大体の事情を察した。欲を言えばアキラにはそのままレイナに付いていて欲しかったのだが、都市に入れないアキラにそれは出来ない以上、この状況下でバイクという移動手段をレイナに渡すのは十分な配慮だと判断した。
「パメラは殺しました。三区支店の部隊を指揮していたのは恐らくパメラです。ですが、それで三区の部隊が退くかどうかまでは、私には何とも......」
「あー、そうか。退いてくれると良いんだけど......」
状況は好転しつつあるが、気を緩めるには早すぎる。アキラがそう思っていると、まるでそれを肯定するように声が響く。
声はパメラの方から出ていた。アキラ達が反射的に警戒態勢を取る。
「いや、ちゃんと殺したっすよ!?」
『アルファ!?』
『死んでいるわ。録音が死後に自動で再生されるようになっていたようね』
「結局私は足手
くようなその声は、自身の敗北時を想像して込めただけあって恨みに満ちていたが、最後だけ非常にはっきりした声だった。
アキラ達が険しい表情で顔を見合わせる。
「......なあ、そのラティスってやつ、前に殺したんじゃなかったのか?」
Ch 286
As Reina was falling, she looked up and saw an automaton behind Togami, chasing after them. She immediately grabbed her rifle and aimed at the automaton's head. The bullet travelled straight towards its target and blew its head off.
"Akira! What's going on? What happened!?"
"I don't know the whole situation myself. But since we have no time right now, I will just tell you this. You have two choices: evacuate to somewhere safe, or get away from this place and provide support for Shiori and Kanae from afar."
"Alright then."
Akira made a sharp vertical U-turn, barely touching the ground, bouncing quickly back up.
"Alpha, that automaton that they just shot down, it's pretty weak, don't you think? Or is it just my imagination?"
Thankfully, Alpha denied his worries.
"No. They're indeed of pretty bad quality. My guess is that they're moving horrendously because the one controlling them is busy fighting."
"I see. Then as I thought, the one on the top is the real Pamela, right?"
"I can't confirm it, but there's a good chance that the assault will let up if we manage to kill her. So, let's hurry back up."
"Yeah, let's get this done."
Since it was a conversation through telepathy, it did not take much time and the rooftop was still a bit further ahead. Even so, it would not take that much time for Akira to reach a location where they could provide Shiori and Kanae support.
"Akira! What was that!? Did you bring them here!? What exactly were you fighting against back there!?"
"I didn't see anything like that before though. Just what in the world is going on?"
Akira seems really confused. That was when Alpha suddenly warned him with a grave expression.
"Akira, more of them are coming. Get ready to engage."
Akira could see more strange-looking similar masses of flesh heading in his direction from afar. They were of many different variations. Some of them had a portion of the flying bike assimilated into their bodies. Some with more limbs than the others. Some with headless upper bodies sticking out. All of them were of a distorted spherical shape, and all of them looked horrific. Although they seemed to be trying to imitate a humanoid shape, it was clear that they were failing spectacularly. Furthermore, they were obviously targeting them.
"Reina. Togami. We'll take them down before they can reach Shiori and Kanae. Assume that I have no leeway to help you out and try to do your best on your own."
Reina smiled confidently. Meanwhile, Togami made a faint smile. Both were fired up.
"Well, I'm Reina's bodyguard, after all. So, I have no wish to push that duty onto you."
"Alright then, let's go."
Akira suddenly accelerated the bike and went straight up. Afterwards, they went past the roofs of most of the buildings there and raced around the base at high speed. Due to the speed, any normal person would have been thrown off by the centripetal force. However, Akira and the others were able to easily hold on, and continue using their respective rifles to shoot down the new wave of strange enemies swarming the place.
By Shirou's command, Erio and the other gang children retreated back into the base. At first, many were displeased since it meant they had to leave the defence line that they had been maintaining. A defence line that had come at the cost of some of their friends. However, after seeing that the team from Drankam had also returned, they were able to accept Shirou's retreat order. Now, they were confused as to what was going on outside.
Closing all entry meant strengthening the building's defences. However, they would be simply taking hits without being able to shoot back. It would only be a matter of time before their defences got broken through. Furthermore, the forcefield installed in the base would not be able to buy that much time. To prevent the worst, they have been outside, striking surprise attacks - that was until Shirou issued his retreat order.
"...What?"
But instead of striking back, Latis jumped back and left the area. He then started running away from the place.
"Erio, what is going on?"
"Oooh! I see!"
Erio had nothing to support his claim. However, it did help to raise the morale of the other children. Thus, even Erio started to believe his baseless guess. That was right when he saw something falling from the sky. It had completely betrayed his hopeful wish.
"W-what is that thing!?"
Erio flusteredly aimed his rifle. Horrifying-looking masses of flesh with multiple limbs were raining down from the sky around the base.
"They're still moving!!"
Erio and the children's bewilderment got shaken off when they heard that. The monsters were still trying to clump up and return back to its original form even after being sprayed with bullets. However, at a certain point, it could not move anymore. It took on too much damage and its regenerative capability was not able to keep. In other words, it had used up all the green liquid in its veins and finally stopped moving.
However, that was not the end. Since Akira and the others were still shooting more down from the sky, these monstrosities were basically raining down to the ground for Erio and the others to fight.
Erio shouted to the other children, who were in a state of disarray and chaos.
"Calm down and shoot at them! They're not unkillable!"
The other children finally calmed down and returned back to shooting. With the help of the coordination support system, they were able to perform very well and hold the upper hand. This helped raise their morale.
That was when suddenly, another strange thing happened. The attackers that were hiding suddenly showed themselves. As expected, it was at the worst possible time. However, the children's fright was quickly replaced by bewilderment. After all, the incoming enemies were also attacked by the monsters.
"Seriously... What the heck is going on...?"
Although the strange situation continued on, Erio and the others had no other choice but to keep fighting back.
As Akira was racing about above Sheryl's base on his bike at high speed, he looked around his surroundings.
"Alpha, those things... Basically, the ones with greater speed are reaching us first and there are actually even more of them coming, right?"
"Most probably, yes."
They were similar to monsters like the greedy crocodile, which assimilated things that they ate. Thus, the ones Akira was facing right now were those that managed to consume and assimilate with air bikes. They were more mobile and were able to get here sooner than the others. This meant that there were still others out there, headed here. Worst, there were most likely even stronger variants. After all, some must have devoured the automata.
Akira was a little bit confused as to why Reina asked that question. After all, the answer was obvious. However, Reina took Akira's words extremely seriously.
"You think so too, right? Then let's tell the city defence squad. Although they're taking a neutral stance in the conflict between you and Lion Steel, I'm sure they would dispatch their men if it's against a swarm of monsters this close to the city. Togami and I will go and inform them."
Akira took some time to figure out what to do. Although it was a fact that they were fighting against monsters, it was hard for him to simply accept that monsters came here in the middle of the fight with such timing by pure coincidence. These monsters definitely had something to do with the Lion Steel company. Or at the very least, something to do with Pamela. Asking for help from City Management would mean getting them involved in his problem due to his selfishness. It was not something that he would like to do.
But in the end, this was something Togami or Reina volunteered to do. Although it was something he would never do, it was also not his place to force them not to involve City Management. It took a moment, but Akira finally realized something. That Reina knew exactly what she was doing, that her question and future actions were self-serving ones.
Even if it meant using monsters as an excuse, even if it meant getting City Management involved, as long as it might help Shiori and Kanae, Reina would not hesitate to do it. Akira finally understood and he gave his permission.
Reina, who was originally planning to go on foot, was shocked by Akira's proposal. Since they had to directly go make contact with City Management due to the jamming smoke, the area that they had to go to was well within the red area where Akira was not permitted to enter. Thus, Reina thought that there was no other choice but to go on their own. Reina knew that they would have to split here but she did not expect Akira would offer to lend them his bike.
"Well, they did help me out back then. So, I'll have to somehow pay that favour back, right?"
Akira knew that Shiori and Kanae expected him to protect Reina when they sent him to chase after her. Now that they had to move separately from here, Akira believed that he should at least do something to help Reina. Thus, he thought of lending her his precious bike.
Of course, it was safer for Akira to have the bike around. Even so, Akira allowed Reina to borrow it. She could imagine just how grateful Akira was to Shiori and Kanae, for him to go this far. Thus, as Shiori and Kanae's master, Reina decided to take full responsibility and gratefully accepted his offer.
"By the way, don't break it, okay?"
"I'll be careful."
Now that Reina was on the steer, she immediately accelerated forward.
"Togami! Now that Akira is not here, make sure to protect me, okay?"
"I know it already! Geez! Give me a break!"
Although most of those strange monsters that could fly got shot down, there were still those that were walking on the ground. Some had deformed arms, without skin, exposing its broken bones held together by enhanced muscles. Large-sized rifles seemed to sprout out from their bodies, while some were held, all of which aimed at Reina.
Akira smiled bitterly while he jokingly said, to which Alpha responded with a huge sigh.
Finally, Akira did deplete his reserve ammo. Even when both his rifles suddenly stopped shooting, he calmly kicked the air and accelerated down.
On the ground, the camping vehicle leapt out of the base through remote driving. Once Akira landed, he quickly entered the already opened back door and finished replenishing his ammunition before jumping out through the opened skylight window. Without missing a beat, he started shooting as if to empty the extended magazine, which surprisingly held numerous bullets for its small size.
The weird monsters got overwhelmed by the storm of bullets and basically got obliterated in an instant. Hundreds of mini-missiles, the size of a bullet but with the homing capability, filled the area like a tsunami. They sought their respective targets and blew up. This was just the stark difference between how many bullets one could carry on a bike compared to a camping vehicle. Akira used that to his advantage as much as he could.
Akira said and smiled, Alpha turned towards him and made a deep smile.
"Akira, do you know what ammo expense is?"
"...I used 5 annihilator warheads back then, the rest would not change my total expenses by that much."
Akira went around the base on the camping vehicle, obliterating any hostile entities that he encountered. In the middle of that, he glanced at the rooftop of Sheryl's base. The homing bullets went in that direction, but those strange monsters jumped and sacrificed themselves to block the homing bullets.
The masses of flesh in the area were obviously focusing on him. However. it was not like they were targeting him because of who he was. They were targeting him because he was trying to help Shiori and Kanae. In the first place, these strange monsters were not being controlled by Pamela. They were simply attacking anyone who was trying to get involved with the battle on the rooftop of Sheryl's base.
[So, basically, they're telling me not to get in the way, huh? Just what is going on with them?]
Akira thought that this was indeed strange. However, he simply continued to focus on the enemies around the base without trying to go to the rooftop. There was a good chance that those strange creatures would swarm him if he tried to force his way up to the rooftop. That might only cause more chaos, which could distract Shiori and Kanae. With that in mind, Akira prioritised cleaning up the monsters in the area first.
"...She's strong! As I thought. I should have killed her back then...!!"
As Kanae lamented her past mistake. She used that regret to fuel her attacks.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Shiori swung her blade. The combination of her powerful augmented suit and the skill that she had polished over the years gave birth to a masterful slash that demonstrated her unyielding loyalty to her master and her duty to eliminate her enemies.
Shiori somehow managed to block it. As their blades made contact, the energy that was dispersed into the air created sparks.
[He's even stronger than before...! To think that she could do this while fighting Kanae...! No wonder he decided to save Pamela back then...!!]
Shiori thought back, that this would not have happened if she had focused on killing Pamela last time. She was impressed by Latis' calm and rational decision. To spare Pamela even if it meant sacrificing his own life. Meanwhile, it also showed Shiori's inadequacy since she made such a huge mistake.
Since she believed that Latis got killed because of her, Pamela unconsciously invested more of her attention into Latis.
Thanks to that, Latis was able to perfectly receive Shiori's strike. Shiori knitted her eyebrows and gritted her teeth, believing that even the attack that she had staked her life on, was not enough to finish off Latis. At this point, Shiori had no power left to react to the next attack. A counter would come, and it would definitely end her life. With that in mind, Shiori's last thought was an apology. She wanted to apologize to Reina for not being able to fulfill her duty.
Pamela was dead in an instant. She staggered backwards and finally fell. Kanae, who had hit her limit, fell to her knees a moment later.
Seeing how things played out, Shiori also fell to her knees. Meanwhile, Latis stood there, frozen.
"W-well... Latis is... already dead... Right from the start... though..."
Shiori and Kanae were panting. They slowly calmed down their breathing and after a short break, Shiori eventually managed to barely stand. Although she still had to use the sheath of her blade to help her up, she continued to move forward. She then raised her blade and spoke.
Shiori thought that it might be better to render Latis harmless before he could move again. Thus, she swung her blade down.
Kanae immediately threw a punch to help Shiori. However, since she was also exhausted, her movement was greatly dulled. Shiori's face turned grave seeing Latis start to move as if he was about to strike back.
Shiori and Kanae were shocked. It was Shiori, who first to returned to her senses as she turned her gaze to Pamela with suspicion. A moment later, she glanced at Kanae.
Kanae, who understood what Shiori was about to ask, shook her head.
"I'm sure that this is her real body. Otherwise, we would have been killed by now."
Shiori was suspicious if Pamela had swapped Latis' brain with hers. That she was using Latis' body. However, if that was really the case, Latis would have killed them instead of running away. Pamela was already dead. It was thanks to her death that Latis stopped moving. That was the reason why Shiori was still alive.
"Now that Pamela is dead, Latis can't move through external control. The emergency measure of his augmented suit might have recognized that its user had lost consciousness and evacuated its user to preserve his life... Maybe something like that?"
"Ahhh. That would explain why it suddenly started moving and ran away instead of trying to attack us."
"We don't know for sure if that is really the case though. But let's just leave it be for now. It's not like we have any strength to chase after him. It's more important to return back to Milady. Kanae, can you still move?"
"It's nothing compared to Milady's safety."
Kanae could not help but smile bitterly. It was not like Shiori could not understand how bad Kanae's condition was. As a matter of fact, Shiori was also barely able to stand. Thus, Shiori understood that she was basically asking Kanae for the impossible.
"If only Akira-boy would do that for us... We did leave that to him, after all... Hm?"
"Hmmm, not sure if I should say you came at the right time or I wished you had arrived a bit sooner."
"Akira-sama. Thank you very much for the medicine. I will reimburse the cost on another day. So then... Where is Milady?"
"She went to the city to let them know about the monsters' attack. I let them borrow my bike, so they should be fine. They should be able to run away if things go south."
Shiori understood the situation just from his short explanation. She wanted Akira to stay with Reina to protect her. However, Akira was barred from entering the city. Thus, he could not do so. She judged that under such circumstances, it was commendable that he loaned Reina his means of transportation.
"Pamela is dead. I believe that the commander from the third ward branch's side was Pamela. But I can't say for certain they will pull their force back with this..."
"Ahhh, I see. It would be great if they would pull back though."
Akira believed that although the situation got better, it was still too early to let his guard down. A voice suddenly echoed, which confirmed Akira's belief.
That voice came from Pamela. Akira and the others immediately looked in her direction.
"No, I made sure that she's dead, you know!?"
"Alpha!?"
"She's dead. It seems like that voice has been pre-recorded and set to be played if she dies."
"So, in the end... I'm still nothing but a burden... I had hoped to kill you together with Latis... It is indeed unfortunate..."
That was her final curse after her death. That faint mumble was filled with hatred. It was recorded imagining her defeat. Thanks to that, her ominous last words were extremely clear.
Akira and the others frowned and looked at each other.
"...Say, isn't that Latis guy the one that you've already killed?"
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/
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