の服と、整備状態の怪しい拳銃。それがここを探索している少年の装備だ。それは少年の境遇から考えれば正しく、この場の危険性から考えれば著しく間違っている。ここが旧世界の遺跡と呼ばれる場所だからだ。
故障による暴走で目標を無差別に襲う自律兵器。既に死に絶えた制作者の命令に従って今も外敵を排除し続けている警備機械。野生化した生物兵器の
な物がねえな。命懸けでここまで来たっていうのに。......もっと奥まで行かないと駄目か?」
顔を少し上げて遺跡の奥に視線を向ける。その先には無数の高層ビルが建ち並ぶ遠景が広がっている。
アキラは欲を振り払って周囲の探索を続けた。
ここはクズスハラ街遺跡の外周部と呼ばれている場所だ。アキラが住むクガマヤマ都市から一番近い遺跡であり、また都市の経済圏内に存在する遺跡の中では最も大規模な遺跡でもある。
この遺跡の外周部にいるモンスターは比較的弱いものばかりだ。アキラはその比較的安全な外周部を探索していた。
なお比較的弱いとはしっかり武装した人間ならある程度対処可能という意味だ。同じく比較的安全とは遺跡の奥部よりは生還の可能性が高いという意味だ。アキラが問題なく生還できるという意味など
(......このままだと日が暮れる。夜になったら遺跡探索は無理だ。照明なんか持ってない。それにモンスターに襲われる確率も高くなる。......危険な遺跡から生還した。その経験が最大の収穫だ......ってことにして、今日はもう帰るか? 下手に意地を張って残れば、この白骨死体の仲間入りだ)
アキラはこのまま帰る言い訳を考え始めていた。命賭けでここまで来たこともあり、成果無しで帰る
しそうに笑った。そして、一歩アキラに近付いた。
見知らぬ誰かが自分に近付こうとしている。その認識がアキラに僅かな警戒心を抱かせた。その瞬間、アキラは一気に状況を理解し直した。
普段のアキラなら警告などせずに既に撃っている。相手が丸腰だと一目で分かること。彼女の表情から敵意を感じられないこと。訳の分からない状況で混乱していること。それらがアキラの指を鈍らせていた。
しかしそれにも限度がある。警告を無視して近付いてくる相手に引き金を引こうとする。その瞬間、彼女の姿がアキラの視界から
む。混乱しながら周囲を見渡すが、彼女の姿はどこにも見えない。
自分の真横から、誰もいないはずの場所から、アキラは彼女の声を聞いた。反射的に声の方へ顔を向けると、すぐ横、手を伸ばせば届く至近距離に彼女がいた。いつの間にか服を着て、目線を合わせる
アキラはその恐怖に歯を食い縛って耐えていた。半狂乱になって慌てふためくのを何とか防いでいた。正気を失った者から死ぬ。スラム街で生き延びた経験がアキラの意識を支えていた。
本来その動作は出来ないはずだった。彼女との距離が近すぎる
していた高度な文明が滅び、半壊した都市の跡、原型を失いつつある建造物、壊れて動かなくなった道具などから、かつての英知と栄華を想像するのが困難になるほどの長い年月が流れた。
雨粒さえも改造され作り替えられた世界で降る雨は、その膨大な年月の中で、地平の果てまで続く
万能な魔術と見間違うほどの高度な科学力を誇った文明さえ滅ぼした崩壊ですら、その担い手である人類を滅ぼすことは出来なかったのだ。
人類の生存圏の東部と呼ばれる地域には、統治企業と呼ばれる組織が管理運営する企業都市が無数に存在する。クガマヤマ都市もその一つだ。
クガマヤマ都市はその一部を巨大な防壁で囲っている。壁の内側も外側もどちらも同じクガマヤマ都市なのだが、そこには明確な格差が存在していた。
防壁の内側には、企業の幹部などの富裕層や権力者達が住む上位区画と、比較的裕福な一般人が住む中位区画が存在している。外側は下位区画であり、主に経済的な事情で防壁の内側に住めない者達が住んでいる。都市の外である荒野と呼ばれる危険地帯に近い部分には、スラム街も広がっていた。
アキラはスラム街に幾らでもいる子供達の一人だ。つまり、サイボーグのような機械的強化処置も無く、生体改造のような生物的強化処理も受けておらず、ナノマシン等による身体能力の強化も無い、身体的にごく普通の子供だ。専門性の高い技術も保持しておらず、学校教育等による教養も無く、親もおらず、他の保護者も無く、金も無く、食事も足らず、いつ死んでも不思議は無く、死んでも誰も気にも
にしているモンスター達は時折都市を襲撃する。真っ先に襲われるのは荒野と接しているスラム街であり、その住人達だ。
アキラはモンスターの襲撃を3度生き延びた。1度目と2度目の襲撃は、
で、モンスターの歯が腕にかなり食い込んでいた。だがそれでもアキラは何とか腕と命を失わずに済んだ。
3度目の襲撃を生き残った後、アキラはハンターになって成り上がると覚悟を決めた。ハンター稼業の危険性を一応知ってはいたが、自力でモンスターを倒せたことで、自信を、希望を持ってしまったのだ。
この世界にはハンターと呼ばれる人々がいる。金と名誉を荒野に求める者達だ。荒野は都市の外であり、モンスターが
人々を襲うモンスターは、現存する旧世界の遺物でもある。生物系モンスターは高度な生体技術の実物例であり、機械系モンスターは貴重な機械部品の宝庫だ。都市に持ち帰れば相応の金になるのだ。
更に遺跡から極めて貴重な遺物を持ち帰れば、都市すら買える大金が手に入ることもある。現在でも稼働し続けている旧世界の遺跡、特に軍事施設等を掌握して完全に制御できれば、国を興すことすら可能だ。
アキラは確かに自力でモンスターを倒した。だがそれはモンスターだらけの荒野から生還できる確率がゼロではなくなったという程度の意味でしかない。
しかしそれでも賭けに出るには十分だった。スラム街で現在の生活を続けていれば、いずれは死ぬのだ。そこから
その日、アキラはハンターを目指して立ち上がった。今日よりましな明日を目指して。
アキラは得体の知れない美女の前で
取りあえず自分を害するつもりはないようだ。得体の知れない存在であることに変わりはないが、敵意が無いのなら過剰に警戒する必要もない。今は遺跡の中にいるのだ。余分な警戒心はモンスターなどの直接的な敵への警戒に振り分けた方が良い。アキラはそう判断してアルファに対する警戒心を下げた。
「......それで、アルファさんは、幽霊じゃ......ないんだよな? 触れないけど」
「......分かった。それで、アルファはこんな場所で何をやってるんだ?」
『人を探していたのよ。私を知覚できる人をね。ちょっとした頼み事があるのだけれど、そもそも私と会話が出来る人でないと、話すら聞いてもらえないからね。一番良いのはその人がハンターであることよ。私からの頼み事を、依頼を引き受けてくれる可能性が高いからね。まあ、そこまで都合良くはいかなかったわね』
アルファは少し残念そうに笑った。
「えっと、俺は一応ハンターなんだけど......」
『え? アキラはハンターだったの? その
はしたくなかった。しかしハンターとしての実力もないのに、他者にハンターだと名乗るのは良くなかったかもしれない。そう思い直して自身の発言を取り消した。
しかしアルファは意欲的に話を続ける。
『そう言わずに話ぐらい聞いてもらえないかしら。これも何かの縁。
なハンターを名乗れる実力などアキラには無い。それはアルファも分かっている。しかし他にアルファを認識できる人間はいないのも事実だ。更に現時点でアキラの実力が極めて未熟であることは、長期的に見ればアルファにとってマイナスの判断材料ではなかった。
『依頼内容は、私が指定する遺跡を極秘に攻略すること。報酬として私がアキラをいろいろサポートしてあげるわ。これは前払分よ。更に成功報酬として、遺跡の攻略後に貴重な旧世界の遺物を進呈するわ』
予想外の内容にアキラが思わず声を大きくする。
そう疑った後で、アキラは自分にとって当たり前のことに気付いて、考えを改めた。得体の知れない相手だからこそ、何らかの裏や事情があるからこそ、自分に依頼を持ちかけているのだ。普通の人間は自分など相手にするはずがないのだ。ならばチャンスは生かすべきだ。アキラは覚悟を決めた。
アキラは自分でも驚くほどに強い覚悟を込めて、ハンターとして、初めての依頼の承諾を告げた。
アルファがとても
『契約成立ね。では、早速前払分のサポートを始めるわ』
そして、話の間も
アルファは先ほどと同じ真剣な表情で階段を指差している。
アキラが必死の形相で階段に向かい急いで駆け上がる。背後から再び爆発音が響く。爆風が階段を通ってアキラを追い越していく。階段を必死に駆け上がっていると、先回りしていたアルファが踊り場で上を指差していた。
『5秒以内に上階へ......』
アキラは悲鳴を上げている肺と両脚の抗議を無視して、全力で階段を駆け上がり続けた。
アキラはアルファの指示通りに走り続け、息も絶え絶えの状態でビルの屋上に
このモンスター達を殺して武装を持ち帰ればそれなりの金額になる。だがアキラにはその実力も手段も無い。それらを見て金になるとは考えられない駆け出し未満のハンターは、先ほど自分を殺しかけたモンスターを見て険しい表情を浮かべていた。
『あれはウェポンドッグよ。元々は都市部の警備を行う
「何で生物から銃火器が生えるんだよ。おかしいだろう」
『生体部分がナノマシンの保持保有機能を兼ねていて、金属等の原材料を経口摂取して、材料に応じた火器を背中に生成するのよ。恐らく既に当初の設計とは大分かけ離れた存在に変異しているわ。現状に応じて独自に仕様変更でもしたのでしょうね』
Clothes tarnished with filth and lone gun were the only things the boy held. For the boy, this was all he had. However, in a place like this, he was unbelievably ill equipped. After all this was the place known as 'The Ruins of the Old World'.
In the ruins, there are autonomous weapons that mindlessly attack their target due to a malfunction. They were machines that were once designed for security, obeying a criteria set by their creators. Abandoned with only an order to kill their targets, these autonomous weapons continue to follow their only order.
Akira sighed and murmured to himself, "....There's nothing useful here. I risked my life all for this? ... Do I have to venture deeper into the ruins?"
He tilted his head up and looked ahead. In the distance, there were countless of high-rise buildings. Even from afar, he could see the towering buildings still in good condition. That was a stark contrast to the destroyed buildings that stood around Akira. [If I managed to get there, would I be able to get my hands on an expensive relic?]
Akira ignored his greed and continued to search around the area he was in.
The area he was in was the outer area of a place called Kuzusuhara Street Ruins. It was the closest Ruins from Kugamayama City, the place where Akira lives, and the largest ruins within the city's finance area.
The Monsters lurking around these ruins were Medium Weak and Akira was exploring in a Medium Safe Area.
Medium Weak is the classification that declares a person who is well-prepared could handle the Monster. Additionally, Medium Safe Area means there is a higher chance of surviving compared to the ruins in the distance. That being said, it does not mean Akira could let down his guard.
[...At this rate, the sun will set and it would be impossible to explore the ruins at night since I don't have any light. And, the probability of being attacked by Monsters is high... I survived the dangerous ruins so the experience I've gained is what matters... right? So, I should go back. If I stubbornly remained here, I'll just join that pile of bones.]
Akira began to think of excuses that he could use to return. Because he had risked his life to be here, it was hard to accept his defeat.
The girl realized that Akira noticed her. When she realized it, she giggled merrily as she took a step closer to Akira.
Akira quickly put up his guard as he realized that someone he didn't know was approaching him. In an instant, Akira immediately reassessed his current situation. His dumbfounded expression suddenly changed into such a stern look as he pointed his gun to her and shouted.
Normally, Akira would've shot at her without giving her any warning. But since she was unarmed and showing no hostility, Akira was so confused from this absurd situation, so much that his finger was frozen in place.
But there's a limit to that. The girl kept moving toward Akira despite all his warnings. Looking at that, Akira was about to pull the trigger when suddenly, the girl just vanished from his line of sight. Although he didn't even wink there, he didn't see her moved outside his line of sight either. The girl just vanished instantly in front of his eyes.
Akira was shocked and trembling like crazy. He looked around nervously but he couldn't find her at all.
Suddenly, Akira heard a voice from beside him where no one should be at. And when he turned his face toward the source of that voice, the girl was there, fully clothed, and close enough for Akira to reach her with his hand. She hunched over such that their eyes meet on the same height as she was smiling and staring at him.
But Akira shook his fear off and stood his ground, he was able to regain his composure. Those who lose their composure will die. That is one thing that he learned by living in the slum.
The girl was actually close enough for his gun to reach her. But as he extended his arms, Akira found both of his hands were inside of her chest right until his wrists.
A long time ago, a great civilization that spanned across the world was destroyed. What left of it are only half destroyed cities, crumbling buildings, and broken down machines. It happened so many years ago that it is hard for people nowadays to imagine the technological greatness of the old world.
In that world where even raindrops were artificially made, the rain kept falling there during all those long years, sweeping all the broken building, giving nourishment for trees to grow high enough to reach the sky, and eventually supporting the life of people who live in the surface.
In the end, even a civilization with such advanced technologies that people might even mistake them as magic, couldn't destroy all humanity.
In the far eastern part of the human civilization, there are countless corporate cities managed by a group called the governing corporate. And Kugamayama city is one of these corporate cities.
A part of the Kugamayama city was surrounded by a huge wall. Although all the areas both inside and outside of the wall are collectively called as Kugamayama City. There's a big difference between these two areas.
The area inside the wall was divided into 2 districts. The upper district was filled with rich people and people with powerful influences such as the corporate executives, while the middle district is filled with moderately wealthy people. And, there are the areas outside of the wall, known as the lower district. People who live there are mostly people who can't afford to live inside the wall. And if you go further away from the city, you can find residential blocks sitting right next to the dangerous area outside the city that people call as the wasteland. These blocks are the slums.
Akira is one of the many children living in the slums. In another word, he's just your normal everyday kid; he has no mechanical strength of a cyborg, no enhanced strength like those remodelled humans, and no augmented strength from the nanomachines. Just like all the children in the slums, he has no special skill, no school education, no parents, no guardian, no food, no money, and no one would grieve even if he dies.
As for the Monsters living in the wasteland, they would attack the city from time to time, and when that happens, the ones who suffer the most would be people who are living in the wasteland and in the slums.
Akira had survived 3 times through this kind of attack, in his first and second time, he just ran around and hid. It's thanks to those strangers who got attacked, killed, and eaten in his place, that he was able to barely survive.
But then in the brief moment after that, as the monster was still alive, it clamped down hard on Akira's arms. Fortunately, Akira was able to survive without losing his arm or his life.
After surviving his third time, Akira decided to be a hunter. Although he pretty much understood just how dangerous it was to be a hunter, he was feeling hopeful and brimming with confidence after killing a monster all by himself.
There are people who are working as hunters in this world, these people would venture the monster-filled wasteland outside of the city seeking for money and fame despite knowing that it's such a dangerous place, the wasteland is so dangerous that it's actually safer for them to stay in the slums where cheap guns circulating freely and the public order there is just the worst. But on the other side, the wasteland is a place filled with riches and power since you might find the ruins and the relics of the old world there.
These Monsters that attacking the human are also relics of the old world, the biological Monsters are samples of advanced biotechnology, while the machine Monsters are treasure boxes filled with valuable components. Anyone who can bring them back to the city will be rewarded with a huge amount of money.
Moreover, if you can bring back a highly valuable relic from the ruins, you might be awarded with enough money to even buy a whole city. And if you can take control of the facilities inside the ruin of the old world that are still running even until now, especially if you can take control of its military facilities, then you can even start a nation.
Akira might have killed a monster all on his own, but it was only enough to give him a non-zero chance to come back alive from the wasteland.
But that was enough for him to take the gamble, if he kept his living style in the slums like that, he would just end up dead one day. And so in order to get out from there, he had no other choice but to take this gamble.
So the day Akira went on a journey aiming to be a hunter. Or, to be more precise, the day he was aiming for a better tomorrow.
Akira was still stood frozen in front of the beautiful girl, as for the girl herself, she was giggling while waiting for Akira to regain his composure.
At least he knew that she didn't seem to have any ill will against him. Although it didn't change the fact that she's a mysterious entity to him, he understood well that she didn't mean him any harm, so there's no need for him to be overly cautious about her. Moreover, he's in the middle of a ruin, its better if he put his attention for watching out for Monsters. As Akira concluded his thought, he lowered his guard.
"...So, Alpha-san, you're not a ghost... Right...? I can't touch you though..."
"...Alright, sure... I understand. So then, Alpha, what are you doing in this place?"
"I'm looking for someone who can see and hear me. I actually have a request, you see. But I can't ask them to do anything if they can't even hear me in the first place, you know. And it would be the best if that person is a hunter, after all, there's a good chance that they would listen to my request. But well, as you can see, it didn't go well at all."
Alpha laughed bitterly for a bit.
"Well, uhh, I'm actually a hunter, you know..."
"Eh? You're a hunter? Although you're that young? How long have you been a hunter?"
Since he had decided to live his life as a hunter, he had no wish to hide the fact that he's a hunter. But, he thought that it was a bad idea to call himself a hunter despite the fact he didn't have the skill. After realizing that, he lost all his confidence.
But Alpha kept pushing the conversation forward.
"Please don't say that, can you at least please listen to my story? After all, this must be some kind of fate that we met here,"
Even though he called himself a hunter, Akira didn't have the skill, and Alpha knew that very well. But it's also true that there's no one else other than him who could communicate with her. Moreover, the fact that Akira was just an inexperienced hunter was not a minus point in the long run for Alpha.
"My request is that for you to delve into a certain ruin in secret. In exchange, I'll give you my support, but this is only a down payment. Once you complete my request, you may take all the precious relics of the old world inside that ruin"
Akira was so surprised by that offer that he inadvertently raised his voice.
After hesitating there, Akira realized what he should've realized right from the start and tried to rethink his current situation. It's exactly because she's an unknown entity who strangely enough would come to him with a request, so there must be some kind of secret or a particular situation behind it. But normally, no one would offer a request to a kid like him. That's why; he knew that he should grab this opportunity. And so Akira hardened his resolve and said to Alpha.
Akira resolved himself so much that he himself was surprised by it, which was his first time as a hunter accepting a request.
Alpha looked so happy hearing that.
"That will conclude our contact then. Now, I'll immediately start giving you my support as my down payment to you."
And so, Alpha who was always giggling during their conversation suddenly changed into a serious mood.
Alpha kept that serious expression from before as she pointed her finger to the stairs.
Akira desperately ran toward the stairs and started climbing up. Then again, another explosion blew off behind him and the shockwave sent by that explosion stopped Akira from climbing higher. Once it died down, he immediately started climbing up again, and then he suddenly saw Alpha already standing on one of the stairs while pointing upward.
"Go to the rooftop in 5 seconds..."
Akira ignored his screaming lungs and legs as he kept climbing the stairs.
Akira followed Alpha's instruction and kept running, and then he finally reached the rooftop. Out of breath, there he saw Alpha standing in one end as she was waving at him, telling him to come closer. But by looking on how she was smiling and how she was waving at him, it didn't seem like he had to do that in a hurry, so Akira ran slowly to approach her.
It would make him a lot of money if he could kill those Monsters and bring some of them back home. But Akira didn't have the power or method to do that. That young hunter who just about to get killed by those Monsters looked frustrated as he was looking at the potential money that was out of his reach.
"They are the weapon dogs, the man-made living organism created in order to protect the city. Although guns and other weapons are growing on their body, they are not machines, they are living biological organism. I'm sure that these ones were programmed to watch over this area. They might evolve differently from one and another, but the weapons behind their back will get stronger as they grow up. Maybe that weapon dog with missile pods growing behind it is the leader of the pack."
"But why guns can grow from a living organism? Isn't that just strange?"
"Their living tissues have become home for the nanomachines inside them. Then these nanomachines use the metal ores that they ingested to grow guns on their backs. I'm pretty sure that they've deviated so much from their original design. Well, I guess they've evolved independently from their original design in order to adapt to the current condition."
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