Chapter 107
「We’re moving up the plan! We won’t wait until the closing ceremony. We’ll kill Orange before he can get his hands on the divine child!」
At the same time as Kanji points a gatling gun at Strain-46, Kurage’s voice comes through the comm device to the underground.
This place is a deep cavern. However, what makes it different from a normal one is that it was born in a place where it shouldn’t have existed a few days ago. This is due to the ability of Mogura, one of the members of SOD. The hole, which is close in size to the hall above, has nearly 100 people gathered in it.
First, there is SOD, the largest force. They are a group that seeks to destroy those who have been altered, who defy God’s judgment according to their teachings. Nearly 40 of them, each with their own unique metal parts. Evidence that they originate from Machine Beasts, just like the Beastkin.
Looking at them with a sour face are the Crusaders. Although they are a mixed organization of radical factions from multiple religious groups, their ideologies are all the same. It stems from the idea that the process of alteration must not be allowed. Those who have been altered disappear somewhere, unable to go to either heaven or hell. The Crusaders will not forgive the Hereafter Corporation for creating and erasing countless such people.
Looking at both groups with a suspicious expression is Thunder. They are a renowned mercenary group based in Asia, willing to fight even regular armies if necessary. But what they seek is simply money, and they don’t care about the doctrines shouted by SOD, the so-called heaven of the Crusaders, and above all, the intentions of their employer corporations.
And with Kurage’s shout, they all stand up at once, scattering documents at their feet. The most important figures in this battle are listed there. The Crusaders gather about 30 men and head for the path leading to the surface. They hold standard assault rifles in their hands and return a voice to the comm device.
「Understood, we will raid Space Ignition Industries’ group as planned.」
「I’ll leave it to you. Don’t overdo it.」
The Crusaders are not Espers to begin with. They are fanatics who have risen up due to leaked information and SOD’s incitement. Therefore, they have little combat experience, which is why their role is to raid. It was predicted that even if the most unrelated, or rather, those who could pretend to be unrelated in this matter, the Reformists, had military power, they would withdraw from the battlefield if an appropriate amount of pressure was applied.
「We, Thunder, will carry out the assassination of Orange and the apprehension of key figures. However, once we have captured the Chief of Staff and killed Orange, we will consider our mission accomplished and withdraw.」
「I am aware of that. Use the route dug by Mogura to retreat… Don’t pursue Orange too deeply. Unless you have enough moves to overwhelm his precognition, you probably won’t be able to defeat him.」
「You’re too cowardly. Are you looking down on us?」
「That’s not… Aaaaahhhhh!」
「What’s wrong?」
「It’s a roar! The divine child’s anger is bouncing around on the surface! The children of 46 are uniting to bring down an early judgment!」
At the sudden scream over the comm device, the leader of Thunder tries to make an exasperated expression – and changes his mind when he sees that all the SOD members behind him are also holding their heads. They were all sweating profusely with angry expressions. The Thunder members have no choice but to understand the fact that an unusual phenomenon is occurring, one that cannot be dismissed as a joke.
They quickly advance through the cavern, dispersing to their destinations, wondering how long they can participate in such a bizarre operation. Like the Crusaders, their basic equipment is assault rifles, but unlike them, that is not their only armament. Submachine guns, rocket launchers. And.
「This is Thunder’s 11th squad. Commencing fire!」
With a thud, the leaders of Thunder kick through the ground and leap out onto the earth. It is the edge of the hall, and two guards are standing there. But that’s not what they’re looking at. It was the truck running outside. Countless bursts of gunfire are echoing from it. Gun emplacements that shouldn’t be there are crammed into it, and members of Thunder are starting to shoot while using armor plates as shields. The guards, not hesitating at the unexpected situation, immediately reach for the boxes on their backs, but before that, the shots from the leader of Thunder hit their mark. With a clink, the bullets are deflected.
「Cyborgs… I suspected it at the time of the preliminary investigation, but I was right! All members, engage in saturation fire with at least 3 people per target! If less than that, retreat. One person should carry a submachine gun and not approach!」
The black boxes on their backs open. But there is nothing inside, and plates unfold like a deployment diagram, becoming large shields that hide an adult male. They are plastic bulletproof shields. However, they are operated by Cyborgs with inhuman strength.
Gunfire is exchanged. But even so, the bulletproof shields cannot be broken through, and the guards slowly approach. But a tentacle that flew horizontally tore the guard’s arm. The tentacle, which has a metallic luster, sprouts from the waist of a young woman.
「Do your job!」
「Understood!」
And the role of SOD is to defeat the guards and the forces led by Kōmitsu Solutions. That’s why they, who could be called natural Beastkin, were gathered. But there is one opponent they still can’t match. That existence was revealed in the Inverse Dive Citation Information Project. The second-generation Beastkin. The Strain itself.
So.
「How long has it been~ Number 0 Reina, since the killing of Number 2 Nina?」
「Number 1…」
Shiroinu Reina does not call her by name. Since her sister was brutally murdered by her, she has started calling her by just a number. She, too, is a second-generation Beastkin. The girl has the appearance of a 16-year-old, with a slender body that looks like it would break if you hugged her, and her appearance is identical to Shiroinu Reina’s. However, the difference is her bewitching expression that doesn’t match her appearance and the severed head. It was proof of the atrocity of tearing off the head of a nearby pedestrian with her bare hands, as if to comfort herself. Reina, with a more severe expression than ever before, takes a low stance against the girl who smiles naturally.
This is SOD’s secret weapon. An existence prepared as a counter to Shiroinu Reina in the Scorch Wars.
「Call me by my name~ I go by Luck now, it’s a nice name, isn’t it, yeah.」
「Right. More like Lack.」
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