He arrived at the Abydos main building.
Two more battles had occurred during the process. However, he didn't sustain any serious injuries. A bullet was embedded in his shoulder, but the combat uniform he was wearing had basic bulletproofing, so instead of his skin tearing, it ended with just a slight crack in the bone. That too was because it was a sniper shot; if it were a regular rifle bullet, it would have ended with just a bruise.
Damn tin can bastards. Who would have thought AIs would know how to set up ambushes. Anyway, this is why metalheads are no good. It was clear they didn't know the word 'fair play' because their brains were cold hunks of metal. Kenji clicked his tongue and rubbed his throbbing shoulder. It was fortunate that the number of automatons decreased as he got closer to Abydos Main School.
"Kenji!"
Just as he was catching his breath in front of the main school gate, Hayool's face suddenly popped out from a top-floor window of the building. Kenji looked at her and shouted in the brightest voice he could muster.
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
"Nope! Everyone in Abydos protected me well!"
Kenji let out a long sigh and nodded. He had glimpsed a few broken automatons inside the main building and was worried, but fortunately, it seemed no one was hurt. Well, with Arona attached, it wouldn't be easy to get hurt anyway. Kenji put down the automaton head he was holding and brushed off the machine debris clinging to his clothes.
"Huh? Kenji, something's coming behind you...?"
Suddenly, Hayool opened her mouth like that. Kenji immediately turned his body to see something approaching. But no battle ensued. He recognized the face of the girl leading the rapidly approaching group, running tap tap tap, and smiled wryly.
"Setsuka."
"Church Leader! Here's the lighter and cigarettes you ordered!"
Setsuka handed him a pack of cigarettes and a Zippo lighter she took from her bosom. Kenji transferred payment for her errand on the spot, then took the cigarettes and lighter. It was definitely the brand he usually smoked. The lighter looked a bit different, but the feeling and sound of opening it weren't bad.
"Thanks. I transferred the money too."
"Gasp! No! How dare I accept money from the Church Leader! That's blasphemy!"
"Stop with the nonsense and take it. It's an order."
"Gasp!"
Setsuka nodded her head up and down violently. Her cheeks trembled. Kenji patted Setsuka's head and looked at the students lined up behind her. At her gesture, they simultaneously bowed their heads.
""We greet the heavens!""
"Yeah, nice to meet you. Today is the cult's last gathering day. 20,000 yen per catch. Don't get hurt. Work hard. Fighting."
""Yes! We'll do our best!""
Kenji gave a casual wave to the girls who answered loudly, then entered the Abydos main building. Hayool, who came running out of the building with quick steps, greeted him with a bright smile.
"Long time no see, Kenji."
"It's only been a few weeks."
"A few weeks is a long time! More importantly, did you finish the Millennium business well?"
"Finished it well enough. I wrote a report too, so you can check the details when we get back."
"Yeah, got it."
Hayool nodded. She led Kenji up to the top floor of the main building, toward the Countermeasures Committee club room.
The bodies of automatons remained strewn about the hallway seen in passing. Their forms varied from ones with torn limbs to ones with nothing above the neck, to ones where the upper and lower halves were separate. If they were people instead of machines, it would have been quite a gruesome sight.
"The number of guys deployed for the occupation is much higher than I thought."
"They're machines, after all. Seems like they're mass-produced in their own military factory."
"Then wouldn't it be better to destroy the factory first? I'll go with the kids outside."
"Kenji, our goal is to rescue Hoshino, not annihilate the PMC. Let's destroy the factory later, okay?"
Hayool said in a placating tone. Kenji shrugged his shoulders as if to say he understood and followed Hayool.
"Here we are."
The Countermeasures Committee club room they arrived at. Hayool opened the door without hesitation, and Kenji followed her inside. The room wasn't very spacious, but it wasn't cramped either. 'Cozy' was the most appropriate description.
A large table was placed in the center of the room. A whiteboard with photos and maps attached stood beside it, and four students sat on chairs placed around the table. They narrowed their eyes at Kenji who entered with Hayool.
"Is that the person, Teacher?"
Among them, a twin-tailed girl with cat ears was the first to speak. Hayool beamed and patted Kenji's back firmly.
"That's right. My most trusted assistant!"
"We're in a hurry, so let's save introductions for later and just exchange simple greetings. My name is Kenji."
Kenji said, taking a step forward. Despite his suspicious appearance, his very polite tone made the four give their names, though bewildered.
"Yeah. Sunaookami Shiroko. Call me Shiroko."
"Abydos first-year, Kuromi Serika."
"Yeah yeah! I'm Izayoi Nonomi~"
"Okuusora Ayane. Nice to meet you."
Shiroko was a child with wolf ears and grayish short hair. Her differently colored pupils—white and black—were very striking. Although her appearance was blunt, seeing her stay still even when Hayool played with her cheeks suggested she wasn't a cold personality.
Serika was a child with dark blue twin-tails and cat ears. He was reminded of Akira for no reason. Though her hair color and features were completely different, her eye color and perked-up cat ears were similar to Akira's.
Nonomi was a child with a soft impression, her ash-gray hair hanging long. But contrary to her appearance, the weapon she held was a huge machine gun. It seemed her chest, comparable in size to Hayool's, served as a cushion. Of course, he didn't say that out loud.
Ayane was a child with black hair and amber eyes. Her ears were long like an elf's, and her red horn-rimmed glasses gave a very strong impression. Since she wasn't holding a weapon and was wearing earphones, she seemed to be in a strategist role.
"Now now, the simple introductions are over. Let's start the actual meeting!"
Hayool said, looking around at everyone. Kenji nodded and plopped down on a suitably empty chair. It was next to Nonomi. She smiled and waved at Kenji. Kenji gave a casual response and turned his head toward Hayool.
"I explained yesterday too, but since Kenji is here, I'll explain again. Where Hoshino is imprisoned is here, in the center of the Kaiser PMC garrison. It's in the abandoned desert."
Hayool tapped the map with a long pointer.
"The abandoned desert is a lawless zone. Besides the PMC, there are many Helmet Gang members and delinquents. Clearing a path probably won't be easy."
"I'll clear the path."
Kenji raised his hand to express his opinion.
"If I move with the kids outside, the path itself should be easy to clear. Then you all can conserve your strength."
"Good, let's do that. The north side of the garrison is being blocked by the Gehenna side. We don't need to worry about reinforcements from there."
"What about the south, west, and east sides?"
"We can't help that. We have to handle it ourselves."
Hayool said with a small sigh. If Abydos had many students, they could block the troops pouring in from the flanks, but unfortunately, Abydos has only 5 students total. One is kidnapped, so it's impossible for the four to carry out a rescue operation while also cutting off reinforcements.
"That's the end of the plan. Honestly, it's embarrassing to even call it a plan. It's just 'charge in and get Hoshino out!' That's it. It's not a place you can sneak into to begin with."
"So it's a frontal assault? Easy is good."
Serika nodded with a laugh. Shiroko and Nonomi agreed.
"Yeah. Then let's set off now."
"Okay~ Let's go quickly!"
"Yeah, let's go."
Hayool said that, then suddenly stretched her right hand forward. Then she looked at everyone with a bright smile.
"But before that! Let's do a quick cheer!"
"Wh, what cheer! Let's just go!"
Serika blushed and grumbled. Nonomi forcibly grabbed her hand.
"No way, Serika-chan~ This is a mandatory ritual."
"Yeah. Nonomi's right. We have to do this."
Shiroko said, placing her hand on top of Hayool's. Ayane placed her hand on top with an embarrassed expression, and Nonomi also placed her hand with a bright smile. Serika went ugh but eventually stuck out her hand. Kenji watched the scene with a pleased expression until, under Hayool's intense gaze telling him to join, he smiled wryly and placed his hand on the pile.
Feeling the warmth piled on her hand, Hayool shouted brightly.
"Then... Fighting!"
"Yeah. Fighting."
"Fighting~"
"Haha..."
"Wh, why am I doing this..."
After simple preparations, the group set off for the abandoned desert.
Clearing a path.
It sounds easy, but it's actually not. No matter how weak the opponents are, continuously taking down an endless number of enemies is tough. There's a reason the term 'human wave tactics' exists. No matter how strong a person is, they eventually tire. Even if you cut down countless foes, that many more appear, so losing morale isn't strange.
No, that's normal.
In a typical situation, that is.
"You guys hit and retreat appropriately. Just cover my blind spots somehow. And Setsuka, you come with me."
Kenji commanded while looking at the automatons standing across the way. They weren't attacking yet since he wasn't within range, but if he took a few more steps, bullets would pour. Then giving commands would be difficult. So it was right to do everything in advance now.
"You brought your gun, right?"
"Yes! I brought it properly!"
Setsuka said, holding out the shotgun she was carrying. Kenji chuckled and patted her head.
"If it seems dangerous, you retreat too. It's hard to protect you in a melee. I'm better off alone."
"Understood! Then shall we begin?"
Kenji took gloves from inside his coat and put them on. Silver embroidery was engraved on the protectors that came down to his wrists.
They were gloves given to him when he ordered bulletproof combat uniforms from Shanhaijing, saying they were made from leftover fabric. Since they were made from the same fabric as the uniform, these gloves also had bulletproof functionality. Of course, they couldn't deflect bullets, but they were sufficient to block one unavoidable hit. Kenji tapped the mask on his face with his finger.
"Start."
At the utterance, Kenji shot his body forward. Bzzzt, the voice of the Abydos group came through the earphones in his ears.
It was Hayool.
[K, Kenji?! If you suddenly rush out alone like thatㅡ]
He entered the automatons' attack range. They immediately raised their muzzles. Kenji exhaled briefly and used his running momentum to leap into the air. Their muzzles followed Kenji upward. Then, Setsuka, who had run up, shot and blew off the head of the automaton at the very front. Then she muttered in a low voice.
"One."
"I told you not to copy me."
Kenji smiled wryly and spun his body in mid-air. In that state, he wrapped his leg in fear and stomped down on the ground. His heel crushed one automaton's head and made a hole in the ground.
White Lotus Demonic Art, Falling Star.
The sandstorm violently shook. Since he was wearing a mask, it didn't enter his airways. Amidst the flying sand, Kenji tilted his head to the side as he looked at the flashing optical sensors. The sound of joints locking was heard simultaneously with the pouring bullets. Kenji moved his body as if sliding, escaping the range of the bullets.
But it wasn't perfect. One bullet that missed its range struck his back. A huge impact hit his body, and his cracked shoulder screamed. Kenji gritted his teeth tightly and swung his leg wide.
White Lotus Demonic Art, Ink Cloud.
A black cloud floated along the trajectory of his leg. The moment the cloud touched an automaton's body, it burst and swept the surroundings. But the sound was quiet despite the destructive power.
"You're following, right?"
Kenji swallowed the pain rising from his shoulder and asked while tapping his earphones. The answer came immediately.
[We're coming! And Kenji! Don't overdo it!]
"I'm not overdoing it. I'm someone who treasures my body terribly."
A flower bud bloomed from his clenched fist. The blossoming petals greedily devoured the nearby automatons.
"Ten."
Setsuka, who had followed beside him, muttered. Kenji patted her shoulder once, then swam through the battlefield with fluid, smooth movements.
White Lotus Demonic Art, Ink Shadow.
His extended fist shattered an automaton's head, and an ink shadow formed along the fist's trajectory. Another automaton touched by that shadow fell in exactly the same way as the one just destroyed. Kenji stomped down with his leg like a guillotine and muttered lowly.
"One hundred."
"Ah, a-woo... Nagisa-sama... Was it really necessary for me to come personally...?"
A girl with a bread bag over her head muttered as she watched the battle taking place far away on the sandy desert.
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