Estimated reading time: ~6 minutes
Chapter 101
I spout some nonsense and leave the stage. My mind goes blank, so I’ve already forgotten what I said, but whatever, it’s fine. I’m sure I said something cool like 「I’ll win!」
After that, I follow the guide in the black suit down a dark corridor. But it’s abnormally long. We turn down the passage many times without ever going outside, and the path just keeps going. Just as I start thinking this is a drag, we finally reach our destination.
「No way.」
Surrounded by the same prefab walls as everywhere else, there sit three mass-production model Apollyons. Ladders are set up so we can climb into the Apollyon cockpits as they kneel, and countless wires stretch from there to a large computer. Amidst all this, I see two familiar faces.
「Prophet!」
「Oh, if it isn’t Prophet.」
It’s Teo and Kanata. I guess it’s okay for these two to be in the same room. Kanata is already inside her cockpit with just her head sticking out, but then the cockpit closes on its own, swallowing her up and out of sight. Now it’s just me, Teo, and the jumpsuited staff doing some kind of work. Teo, who was starting to climb his ladder, hesitates for a moment about whether to come back down, but at the staff’s urging, he reluctantly averts his gaze from me.
「Unparalleled combat prowess! The NPC from the Grand Story, the basis for Nakamoto. You can understand his strength from the fact that he still survives in Infinite Horizon! One of today’s top contenders alongside Orange, it’s player Nakamoto!」
The stage is shown on a monitor some distance away. This program, being broadcast worldwide, has over 300,000 concurrent viewers… and that’s just in Japan. Who knows what the number would be if you included overseas.
「We’ll be starting soon. Please board your units.」
「Huh? We’re fighting like this?」
I ask, since based on this setup, it seems like the Apollyons are going to be rampaging around Expo Commemoration Park. After all, these mass-production model Apollyons can probably move. Judging from the lack of NMM cooling pipes, they’re likely version 1.07 or 1.08 in terms of functionality.
The staff member laughs at my question.
「That’s separate from the battle royale. You’ll be using these cockpits to control the in-game mass-production model Apollyons and fight. These cables are for sending video and audio into the units.」
I see, so when I thought 「It’s an HAO tournament, but…」, it turns out they’re also doing a hands-on experience with real Apollyons. I want to ask for more details, but since they’re rushing me, I have no choice but to hurry and board. The mass-production model Apollyons are blue, with a slightly thicker, heavy-armored design compared to before. It reminds me of the early days as I climb into the cockpit.
The interior is the familiar one I’m used to. Tons of switches line the walls, with control sticks in the center. The only difference is that, probably because we can’t use auxiliary brains for Apollyon control, there’s a cool-looking black helmet sitting there. I flip it over and see it’s densely packed with gold and silver exposed electrodes. It’s a little scary, but I put it on, feeling a bit excited. It really feels like I’m controlling a giant robot. I grip the actual control sticks, flip switches, and attack… But if that’s the case, couldn’t they have just put VR equipment here?
My doubtful 「Hmm」 is cut off by the cockpit closing, dimming the interior. For now, out of habit, I strap myself into the cockpit, putting my right hand on the control stick and my left on the switches for using weapons. After a short silence, a voice comes over the speakers.
「Thank you for waiting, everyone! We will now begin the battle royale of mass-production model Apollyons, by mass-production model Apollyons, for mass-production model Apollyons! Now, please open your screens!」
Light enters the cockpit. It’s the open ocean. I can see birds flying in the sky, and fish occasionally leaping out of the water. Countless transport ships line up in the blue sea, and I can see what appear to be the other participants’ units a short distance away. They’re suspended by cranes, and looking up, I see I’m the same. My unit is tethered by thick wires and slowly lowering toward the sea.
『The stage is here, the ocean! You’ll all be diving into the deep sea. The match ends when either only one person remains or the 3-hour time limit passes. If multiple people survive, rankings will be determined by points!』
Wait, that’s scary. We have to fight in the dark ocean, not a pool or something!? As the chicken in me surfaces, worrying if it’ll be scary, the speakers keep blaring, unbothered.
「Cooperation is of course allowed! Also, our live commentary will keep flowing, even in the deep sea. We won’t let you get bored! Now, it wouldn’t be interesting with just that, so there’s one more thing. Here it is!」
A screen opens on the side of the cockpit. It shows the mass-production model Apollyon weapon I saw before, a gatling gun called the RE-222, being suspended by a crane and… dropped into the sea? With a big splash, the gatling gun sinks into the ocean, and splashes start rising around me too. Right, this is international waters. Even if they drop weapons, it’s not a crime.
「It’s the point system! Remember the part swapping – the latest mass-production model Apollyons can do the bold move of completely swapping out arms on-site. That’s right, all players are dropped in unarmed and dive into the deep sea in pursuit of high-point parts. The deeper the sea, the higher the points and the more powerful the parts, but the nature of ocean trenches means the space gets narrower and the encounter rate with other participants rises. Will you aim to get the strongest weapons the fastest, or try to be the third party that profits? The strategy is up to each person!」
Collecting parts allows for upgrades and also serves as the metric for determining rankings when the time limit hits. So it’s a system of collecting parts, fighting, and deciding the last one standing, huh. But with the map this big, encounters… no, that’s what the live feed is for. This seems simple at a glance but is actually complex… or so I thought, but it’s actually simple. Guess there’s nothing to do but try it to understand.
「Now then, let the match begin. Ready, GO!」
《Activating ‘Moses’ Sword’.》
The unit is enveloped in a floating sensation. Before being slammed into the sea, I take another look. Blue ocean. Japanese and Russian written on the ships. In other words, this isn’t inside 「HAO」. I recall this morning’s news.
The Sea of Okhotsk in 2040. The battle royale finally begins at its center.
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