SWNOVELXO Chapter 26
Boom… Boom…
The only sounds echoing in the serene, pure white hallway reminiscent of a corporate laboratory are the footsteps of the four of us, including myself. In truth, even if you combine the noise from the other three, it wouldn’t surpass that of a single Omens… but still.
The suppression team that entered together split up whenever they encountered a fork in the road, eventually leaving us completely alone. With just Nocturne and Omens, I felt adequately secure, so I didn’t really mind, but seeing the state of the internal enemies made it hard to let my guard down.
Clang—!!
“!! Where do you think…!”
The quiet gunshot fired, as if it had a silencer, was easily deflected by Omens at the front line.
Stepping forward with that sturdy shield, Domino slipped a pistol through the gap between his arm and side and returned fire in kind.
Swish…!
The bullet fired from his pistol nearly severed the wrist of the enemy holding the gun. However, the enemy, who should have been writhing in pain, simply grinned and tried to pick up the gun that had fallen to the ground with his other hand.
“He… Heek!!”
“…Shit, not again?”
Seeing the organization member with a twisted laugh, Domino unhesitatingly put a hole in his forehead.
Even if I wanted to capture him and force him to spill the boss’s location, in that condition, torture would be pointless.
“Gah!!”
Crack—! Bang!!
This time, a creature wielding a knife resembling a sashimi knife jumped out from around the corner, which our shield moved directly to bat away. To say he merely swung his arm from below to above would be an understatement of the incredible force at play… The cost of making the wrong choice in opponents left that body smashed against the ceiling in an instant.
If expressed severely, one could say it became a bloody mess, yet the arm still clutching the knife wriggled from the ceiling.
“…The effectiveness of painkillers must have developed significantly over the years…?”
“This is…”
Horatio whistled in admiration, but my mind was busy replaying the sights I had seen so far and the memories stored in my male past.
…I’m beginning to get the hang of it now.
Dulled rationality, judgment that recklessly leaps out of a building, combatants who feel no pain. I wondered how they were still willing to charge in under such conditions, and it turned out they were using drugs that matched their organization’s name.
But? On the other hand… I felt somewhat reassured.
Among the consumables in Neo Haven was PK-452, a doping item that users casually referred to as a stimpack.
Syringes filled with the blue liquid, available from back-alley dealers or Paradise Company stores, eliminated the penalty of decreased movement speed due to injury, making it used by everyone.
The PK in front of the name hinted at the octopus-like expansion of Paradise Company into all businesses related to human life. Naturally, there were many speculations about Paradise and such… Could it be that they took it from Painkiller, just to commemorate it? …That’s truly despicable.
Still, thanks to that, I firmly realized that there are indeed histories where this operation succeeded without me. That means as long as I don’t mess up, I can guarantee things will conclude safely…!
With a much lighter heart, I watch as the intermittently charging enemies get sorted out while I advance. Just how deep have I gone? A peculiar structure appeared in the mundane hallway.
“Oh? Is this finally a proper room…? Ivory sister, I need your help!”
“…It’s not Ivory; my name is Anastasia. Anastasia Valentine! Stop teasing…!!”
“!! Anastasia… Anastasia… Ahsa? Sister Ahsa!! Your name is as beautiful as your eyes and heart!!”
“……Didn’t we agree to call each other by nicknames during the mission…!”
Horatio, who was making a fuss, was rebuked by Omens. However… I thought that it was less persuasive to hear such words from a mercenary whose name itself was a nickname.
For now, I placed my hand on the keypad next to the firmly closed sliding door and input the signal.
Anticipating a security system or firewall of a level similar to the facility’s outer appearance, I cautiously summoned the mental landscape. Just as the crude virus on the laptop turned into bugs, the defensive mechanisms preventing intruders in cyberspace could manifest in various bizarre shapes.
So, staying calm and prepared while waiting… something feels strange…?
“The lock is already completely disengaged. Be careful.”
“……”
I wasn’t the only one who thought it was an obvious trap.
After confirming that the drugged Domino was taking another hefty stimulant, Horatio and Omens exchanged glances and nodded.
Bang—!!
The entry was executed very quickly and accurately.
The door, struck directly by a gauntlet, flew across to the opposite wall. Horatio, who had been standing still until now, dashed in like a flash, followed closely by Domino, who wielded a pistol in each hand.
“Whew…”
My position, waiting breathlessly in the corner for the victory report, felt absurd. No matter how much I wished to provide supporting fire, trying to keep up with the whirlwind of battle at that speed… I still feel quite lacking.
“Wow…!! Are we really first place? Dust uncle! Damn, it’s been a long time, right?? Things seem to be going well for you!”
“…I really want to hear how the boys who used to run errands for drugs under you feel about dying.”
…Dust? The mission target?
Peeking inside through the gap in Omens’ body as he blocked the entrance, I saw…
There were… piles of boxes filled with glowing syringes, various test tubes, and… a fat black man seated on an ostentatious and garish red sofa, along with quadrupedal security droids.
Despite the mercenaries closing in right before them, and having suffered numerous sacrifices, it seemed Dust was the one acting all high and mighty as if he were something. The two facing the boss looked highly excited at the thought of putting an end to past grievances.
“…The three disgraceful bastards who lost.”
“What…?”
He lit a cigarette that he unfurled ostentatiously. Taking a deep breath, he unleashed a torrent of words along with the smoke.
“…An overflowing workforce, plenty of credits, and above all, the dream drug that makes you forget all pain…!! I don’t understand why pieces of trash from this town lack drive! With such a foundation, the growth of the next-gen Mega Cop shouldn’t be a hopeless dream, and yet you all… you all ruined it!!”
““……””
His filthy spit splattered everywhere, and with his fat hands, he slammed the armrest of the chair and the drug boxes. To add to that, it seems he thought the audience was keeping silence out of persuasion, continuing with a twisted sense of superiority.
“Humans of yellow or green rank are bound to be exploited by corporations their whole lives anyway! The ammo factories… food factories scattered down below… If all they demand in exchange for relieving that harsh pain, even momentarily, is loyalty and a bit of credits, isn’t that perfect?! So… if you work for me again, I will give you more credits than chump change earned from mercenary work! …That woman outside the door would fit perfectly next to me.”
…This bastard is unhinged.
Not just unhinged, but truly… a fool dreaming disgraceful, extravagant, and ridiculous dreams.
To think this scumbag was nearly responsible for a massacre… it’s impossible to believe. He doesn’t even surpass a proxy agent who operates based on cost-effectiveness, let alone a corporate direct unit?
Ah, right. A thousand concessions aside, the tactic or mindset of discarding subordinates in private settings was indeed closer to corporations. He didn’t see people as people. But… this pig lacked the fundamental strength, the charisma to lead all, the insight to grasp the lofty walls of reality.
…Crucially, he couldn’t read the atmosphere either.
“””Shut it. You idiot.”””
“…That’s a pity.”
Wiiiiing…!
The once still security droid powered up, and I heard footsteps rushing in from the far corridor.
I was curious what the suppression team was doing, but it seemed they still had plenty of drugged subordinates lying around.
“Ivory, I’ll take care of outside, so you go inside.”
“…Can’t I just hide behind you?”
Even though the room was pretty spacious, wouldn’t being behind that note be safer than the spot where two killer droids activated…?
I provided a somewhat logical answer to Omens’ warning about reinforcements, but I noticed that his eyes, which had listened to what I said, turned amused as if he had heard something entertaining.
“When it comes to fighting seriously… you can trust Horatio. It’ll be fine.”
…That perverted cabbage-headed man? Really?
As Omens gently nudged my body, I shot him a doubtful glare full of suspicion, but just then, a green beam of light erupted from behind, forcing my head to turn.
“I was thinking of scoring some points with Ahsa sister, showing off a bit…but Dust, you scum shouldn’t live for even a minute more…. Die by the hands of the lowly beings you looked down upon—!!”
His frivolous tone remained unchanged, but his face was twisted with ferocious anger.
The tattoos on his body seemed to all be enhancements for physical augmentation, glowing painfully bright, and even the piercings on his head and the mohawk style of hair I thought was funny crackled with electricity.
When I was about to smash his head in the hotel, I didn’t realize why he would bother implanting metal into his hair… I thought it was just absurd and hit him, but could it be that each one was an external circuit…? That’s why electrical attacks slipped through and didn’t work well!!
– External threat response system activated. Eliminating the cause. –
With a dry mechanical voice, the metal arm and the attached barrel aimed.
However, by now, Domino had drawn his pistol and jammed the bullet into the droid’s barrel.
Bang!! Crackle!!
The bullet accurately backtracked through the gun barrel, bursting one of the droid’s arms like a balloon.
In that instant, a sharp blade attached to a swiftly moving arm was swung at the defenseless gunman, but… it wasn’t just the security droid that was warmed up.
The swung arm was caught by green lightning and pulled off with a crack! When I realized the loss and hurriedly retreated, I kicked the spider leg, which was wobbling under the shock, causing one of the supports that held the heavy droid’s body to shatter in the direction of the impact.
The name of that lightning was Daredevil, the one whom even demons fear.
This madman, who followed my gaming strategy that suggests earning money to fill in deficiencies with implants, truly existed in reality.
– …Threat level increased to maximum. Extermination mode activated. The protected client is advised to evacuate outside. –
The pig’s complexion paled as if he were intoxicated, and the sunglasses he was wearing slid down.
…Look at that.