Chapter 87
A little time has passed since that shock. It’s already evening and I’ve returned to my assigned hotel room. I down the strange medicine I got from that female doctor, but my thoughts remain stuck, going around in circles.
Is 「HAO」 really the future? If it is the future, and there’s some middle-school level conspiracy behind it, that could explain the lack of consistency and the shittiness of the game to some extent. Momiji pulled me away from Teo as if to dodge the question, likely to avoid letting me hear something inconvenient. Which means Momiji might know about this. What did she think of me? A fool who never realizes it? An idiot? …Maybe Momiji was so friendly with me not because of romance, but just doting on a dummy. Well, I’m not a dummy though. Probably, most likely, surely, faintly.
But no matter how much I turn it over in my head, I can’t find an answer. The reason I’m skeptical is because examples directly connecting 「HAO」 and reality, like Teo and Kana, kept appearing one after another. In other words, my brain is still refusing to accept this hypothesis.
And of course I won’t get an answer by continuing to think about it. Right now, I only have circumstantial evidence. Even if the information from 「HAO」 is said to be true, only the engineers would understand the truth behind it. I don’t have the knowledge to declare it’s the real thing.
「Well, no point thinking about it. If Momiji doesn’t want me to hear it, going along with that is probably the right thing to do.」
Momiji doesn’t have any ill intent towards me. If it turns out this was all a lie and it’s like 「Sorry Kanji, goodbye!」, then I’d just give up. We haven’t spent that much time together since reuniting, but between our relationship in elementary school and our recent conversations, I trusted Momiji enough to believe that.
Well, whatever will be, will be. I toss aside my thoughts that have been going around in circles and look around the hotel room. An unnecessarily luxurious bed and chairs, and VR equipment. That’s right, recently VR equipment is provided like computers. It’s essential for remote meetings so it’s only natural, but that means 「HAO」 is possible!
And the second important thing. This evening is the start of the conquest battle. From the devs’ perspective, the conquest battle will take place from the night of the first day until the second day, and the tournament will be held in front of players who lost and have free time. In that case, there’s only one thing to do as always.
「Log in to ‘HAO’!」
Wait, but if 「HAO」 is the future, what about that grey wasteland?
◇◇
「…The maintenance on ‘Falschblau’ is finished, Orange.」
「Thank you very much.」
I glance at Teo, who I haven’t seen in a while, and look at my beloved machine 「Falschblau」. It’s weird that I’ve only been able to pilot it once despite it being my favorite. The devs really suck.
It looks almost the same as before, equipped with a blade, a huge rifle UK-14, and shoulder missiles. The assault rifle I used before is gone, probably because the UK-14 has high performance.
「You saw the gimmick built into the blade, right?」
「I did. Isn’t it the best, Teo?」
「Your eyes were gleaming like crazy back then too. Well, if that’s the case, are you ready?」
「OK.」
Teo, who was standing imposingly waiting for me, laughs and gives a signal. Then a bell rings out. It seems to reverberate not just here, but throughout the city.
『The Infinite Horizon Conquest operation will begin shortly. Launch in 5 minutes. All participants, please secure your bodies.』
Along with the announcement, I board 「Falschblau」 and head out of the city. I’m cutting it really close on time, and I can see other stragglers like me rushing towards the city center with panicked expressions. At their destination, a large pillar rises up with numerous containers attached around it.
It was divided into three levels. The lowest level was for ordinary humans, and many players were strapping their bodies into simplistic fixation devices, with the containers being closed in order starting from the ones that reached capacity. At a glance, there were easily over 10,000 of them, and the containers were piled up like mountains to accommodate them. …There would have been even more if it weren’t for the game’s continued shittiness.
The second level is where we mass-produced Apollyons are secured to the pillar, or rather, the rocket. However, there are only about 12 units including mine. Two of them are familiar. One is the red machine of our senior with glasses, Nakamoto. The other is the gaudy gold machine that everyone avoids – Hiniru. He must have successfully avoided being spawn-killed, good for him.
And on the top level, there are familiar containers and armaments. They’re parts for the Apollyon Fusion. I’m curious about them since I never got to see what’s inside. As I ponder this, the launch time draws near.
「Let me ride with you. I hate the hot container.」
「OK.」
I let Teo into the cockpit, and while we’re crammed together in the tight space, I activate the NMM and board the second level. Hey Teo, don’t grope my ass taking advantage of the commotion, wipe that satisfied look off your face!
「You just need to insert the end of the upper belt into the place marked ② and secure it. That’s the last step.」
「Don’t suddenly get all serious. And stop groping me already.」
「It used to be a daily thing, so I did it out of habit.」
「What kind of relationship do we have!?」
『Launch in 10 seconds.』
What’s going on with the future me? Tell me everything! The announcement interrupts me as I turn around. The containers start up their NMMs in unison, and the mass-produced Apollyons activate their NMMs too. This creates the nonsensical situation where the rocket can fly despite having a ridiculous load thanks to effective zero gravity.
Smoke billows out from the pillar with a roar. At the same time, the top of the rocket opens and metal plates expand upward like an umbrella. They protect us from the wind pressure, and there are several small missiles equipped in their shadow. They’re probably for intercepting anti-air attacks, though I can’t imagine anyone doing that.
My body is enveloped in a floating sensation. It gradually intensifies and turns into a feeling of pressure. My field of view slowly rises, and fear grips me. As if to soothe that fear, hands extend from behind me and Teo’s body presses against mine. His right hand taps my chest in rhythm with my heartbeat, making me feel a bit better. Just a bit though.
「Don’t grope my ass to the same rhythm!」
「When you’re scared, the firmness of your ass increases a little.」
「Stop being an ass sommelier! A different kind of fear is welling up!」
At this moment, I wanted to ask if 「HAO」 is really the future, but why did it turn out like this? A communication comes in amidst my bewilderment at the reassuring right hand and the terrifying left hand in the cockpit.
『Thank you for boarding the Kōmitsu Solutions MR-01 one-way mobile rocket today. Currently, you can see the 13th sector of the Infinite Horizon Conquest base below. Also, the streaks of light rising from the surroundings are other participants in the same Infinite Horizon Conquest operation. After reaching point A and repairing the Apollyon Fusion, this operation will use the Fusion as a shield to approach the center of the Infinite Horizon. If possible, everyone, please cooperate by turning on your livestreams.』
Thinking it sounds like a bus tour, I turn on my livestream as instructed. The gray wasteland spreads out below the cockpit, but it’s starting to become harder to see as the rocket itself slowly rotates. However, I can still faintly make out that it’s enveloped in a white mist partway through.
『That mist over there is the digestive enzyme of ‘UYK’ which is making the conquest of the Infinite Horizon difficult. Because of it, comm devices and such get damaged in no time, making long-term operations impossible. After landing, each of you should use your own judgment to aim for a rendezvous at point A.』
But the story suddenly takes an ominous turn. Just as the rocket reaches the clouds, erasing the white mist, Teo gestures with his hand for me to grip the control stick, not giving me a moment to pay attention to the suddenly increased viewer comments. For now, I turn off the audio and leave only the video, trying to listen, but Teo’s heartbeat conveyed through my back has quickened. It shows extreme tension.
I quickly survey the surroundings. The blue sky spreads out in all directions after breaking through the clouds, but nothing else is approaching us. I couldn’t see the ground anymore due to the rotation, but I could see two streaks of light in the sky. I thought both were rockets like ours, but one of them is acting strange. It suddenly emits a red light, changes direction, crashes into the other one, and causes a huge explosion…!?
The sound of the explosion reaches my ears a little later, and a mushroom cloud forms where I’m looking.
「It’s nuclear. That damned 17 is still alive. This rocket will fall soon too. Prepare to evacuate, Kanji!」
「Huh!?」
Contrary to my words, I place my hands on the fixation belts of the machine. Doing this in the sky is suicidal, but what’s even more terrifying is Teo’s heartbeat ringing like an alarm bell. In other words, something even more frightening is about to happen. Urged on, I raise the NMM output and sit up. I glance to the side and see Nakamoto’s machine also unfastening its fixation belts and gripping the rocket with just its arms. An announcement rings out, delayed by our actions.
『Attack by Primordial Strain Type-UYK17 confirmed. This rocket will now commence flight as a decoy. All passengers, detach and aim to rendezvous at point A. Good luck.』
I can see the containers falling one after another. Matching that, I also max out the NMM and jump down from above the clouds. Fear assaults me, but the heartbeat behind me slowing down a little makes me feel reassured. It doesn’t change the fact that I’m about to piss myself though.
「Why are we going down!? I’m absolutely not going down!」
Hiniru’s gold machine can be seen shouting complaints over the comms as we fall, flying further up into the sky. And around the time it passed through the clouds and disappeared from view, a huge explosion echoed in the sky, and the shock wave sent me, in zero-G, flying.
Primordial Strain-17
An individual that survived after being hit by a nuke. As a result, it assimilated nuclear bomb and missile technology, nearly destroying the American continent. It is undoubtedly the deadliest of the Strains, a top-tier monster with the highest death toll.
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