Estimated reading time: 8–10 minutes
Chapter 52
Nakamoto continues blowing away Machine Beasts one after another before finishing them off with his railgun. Apparently, the way he flings them into the air is actually a considerate move to make it easier for other players to follow up with attacks. It makes sense – if they’re knocked up high, there’s less risk of friendly fire and counterattacks, allowing for more accurate targeting. This in turn lets Nakamoto focus more on just launching enemies skyward with his red mech.
「Be careful, that dragon-looking one has a threat level of 8.」
「I don’t really get what threat level means, but for reference, what about that Spiral Canabun we defeated a while back?」
「That one was only threat level 1.」
「Wasn’t it insanely powerful though?!」
Any fleeting urge I had to boast that I too could defeat Machine Beasts with my human body instantly withers. Even with extensive setup, it took multiple retries to take that beetle down in one hit. As I’m pondering this, a fish-shaped Machine Beast comes charging in from the front left. That’s right, it’s running – despite mostly resembling a fish except for its reptilian legs. And on the parts corresponding to its fins, each one is mounted with a 「Kōmitsu Solutions Manufactured Incendiary Weapon UK-08」.
Wait, is this thing trying to pull the same move as the previous version’s Strain?! Before I can ready my weapon with that thought, I hear a snapping sound, like something being forcefully opened. Reina has somehow leapt onto the Machine Beast’s fin and is trying to rip the UK-08 right off. She runs a blade along the flow of its metal flesh, producing a satisfying noise as the right UK-08 pops off and goes flying.
「You’re all being way too influenced by the last hunting battle!」
「For real, what are they gonna do if our sales drop because of this!」
Immediately giving up on its fin-mounted guns, the Machine Beast tries to bite Reina’s head off with its sharp fangs. Seeing this, Momiji swoops in from the opposite side. Gunpowder hidden in her prosthetic leg explodes, launching her body forward in an instant. Closing the distance to mere centimeters, she releases a mechanism built into her right hand. Her palm splits open as her arm swells to several times its normal size, finally revealing its true nature.
It’s what’s known as a pile bunker.
She loads a black metal rod into its center and aims it at the Machine Beast’s leg.
「Fire!」
The mechanism disengages. Propelled by heat and pressure, the loaded metal rod assumes its genuine form as a red-hot, spiral-shaped short spear. Accelerated as a bullet while excess energy crackles off as sparks, it’s launched with a violent, shrill scream of shattering armor, pulverizing the leg’s nervous system and bones alike. Having lost a limb and its balance, I riddle the Machine Beast with rounds from the anti-Machine Beast assault rifle I borrowed. …Hmm, it does seem like the stuff I’m doing could be handled by a machine too. I eagerly await the day, no, hour when my Apollyon’s repairs are finished.
「Isn’t this too much like manual labor?」
「Nah, it’d be a real bargain sale on our lives if we had to risk ’em every time just to take out this many Machine Beasts. Gotta slay ’em mechanically, like a factory stuffin’ bread with bean paste.」
As she says this, she closes in on the next enemy while transforming her left hand and commencing some kind of bombardment. Well, I suppose this is just how MMO grinding goes, I think to myself as I too ready my gun. Incidentally, behind us, another 5 or so Machine Beasts are being juggled in the air and pummeled. …Hey, think you could let me pilot that mech later?
◇
Two days have passed since then. The Machine Beast hunt is going smoothly, to the point that the money rolling in has let me completely pay off my debt. Nakamoto, I really can’t thank you enough. But I’m positive this shitty system will try to throw me back into debt hell again soon enough. When that time comes, maybe I’ll turn to Momiji… While pondering such things, I hear the sound of a fist slamming on a table with a thud.
「Dammit, there shouldn’t be time for an update, so why the hell isn’t Orange moving?!」
The one snapping in rage is a yakuza-looking guy named Greg. I am moving though? And in the first place, why are you targeting me, a respectable civilian prophet?
His outburst makes everyone flinch for a moment, but it doesn’t resolve the underlying issue. The atmosphere in the break room is devolving into the worst. Then, out of nowhere, the one to open her mouth is none other than Urairo.
「Is it possible that he’s in disguise?」
My body reflexively twitches. Hey, hey, what are you revealing? Don’t tell me you’re actually an enemy…?! As I’m thinking this, even Nakamoto who was sitting beside me chimes in.
「Ah, that must be it. It’d be strange otherwise. Prophets always move at top speed, after all.」
Umm, that Orange guy wrecked his Apollyon and it’s taking forever to repair, you know. While I’m thinking this, Greg responds with 「…Is there a way to tell for sure?」. Gotta love how he’s using polite speech with Nakamoto alone, shows just how much he respects the guy.
To that, Nakamoto answers, 「The ‘Beast Slayer’.」 I see, certainly not many people use a perverted gun like that, so it would work as an identifier. But the thing is, I’m holding onto it right now, and it risks exposing me!
「We should start by investigating the people here.」
「You’re right. Oi! All of you, line up! Anyone who runs is as good as admitting they’ve got something to hide!」
Greg forcibly arranges us into a single line, intending to perform a body check on each person one by one. But amidst this, Nakamoto slyly rotates me to the front of the line while shifting Momiji and Reina towards the back. He might seriously be trying to kill me. As I brace myself, he extends a hand and starts rummaging around inside my clothes.
「Is that the kind of tastes you have?」
「…No, that was thoughtless of me.」
Oh, right, since I’m crossdressing as a girl, this probably looks like a guy feeling up a woman’s body. Nakamoto’s fingers pass through my pocket and arrive at the holster by my crotch. The spot where the ‘Beast Slayer’ is located. The weight on my leg abruptly vanishes. I resolve myself and face forward.
「There was nothing. Sorry for touching you rudely.」
「Huh…?」
I confirm the sensation on my leg. It’s true, the ‘Beast Slayer’ is no longer there. Yet no accusatory voices ring out. As Urairo widens her eyes beside me, Nakamoto proceeds to frisk the others one after another. After about 20 minutes of body checks, the sound of something falling with a clatter rings out.
「What’s this?」
「Whoa, huh, wait, why?!」
Brutish and excessively murderous for killing people, the lump of metal called ‘Beast Slayer’ drops to the ground. I recognize the scratches on that gun, it undoubtedly belongs to me.
「I’m Hiniru! You know, the streamer!」
The man also looks familiar. It wouldn’t be strange for him to resume Orange hunting now that the login restrictions have been lifted. I think he should get over what happened a month ago though.
Greg draws a long blade from his waist as the other players ready their respective weapons. I too ready my weapon. Sorry, but you’re gonna have to be a sacrifice. Also, I finally get what Nakamoto was doing earlier, you have my gratitude.
Stealing my gun and making it seem like it came from Hiniru is one hell of a false flag op that wouldn’t normally work. Fingerprints, past alibis and such would easily prove Hiniru isn’t actually the prophet.
However, Hiniru is Hiniru. Rumor has it his view count tanked so badly he couldn’t make ends meet – a man who’ll do anything for the views. He suddenly opens his command menu, presumably selecting 「Start Stream」, and declares with his chest puffed out:
「That’s right, I’m the pro—ack argh gyaaaaah!」
It was a reunion that lasted less than a minute before parting. …Yeah, I’m sure calling yourself the prophet would stand out and could maybe get you more views, but in this situation, you’d just get killed first.
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