Estimated reading time: ~7 minutes
Chapter 92
There are various types of nuclear weapons. Even among nuclear missiles, there are ballistic missiles and nuclear artillery shells, but the Type 17 is a monster that can handle all ranges from short to long distance, apparently. The nuclear warheads launched from those missile ports have variable yields and ranges – a performance that would make all military personnel bow down in awe. Given that, there are very few options to take at this range.
Just one thing – activate the fusion type.
「Kanji, you do realize this is real, right!?」
「But wouldn’t it be worst to not achieve the objective?」
「It’s extremely annoying to be lectured by Orange, but I guess it can’t be helped…」
Kurage, who spat out those harsh words, drops down from Falschblau’s shoulder, her tentacles floating around her. Teo also grabs onto a tentacle and lands, looking at the Apollyon Fusion. It’s pretty much impossible to escape from this situation. If you turn your back on an enemy that can fire an instadeath attack like a nuke, you’ll just get blasted to pieces and it’ll be over. So it’s better to face it head-on, even if it means actually seeing lives lost right before your eyes.
But the truth is, it’s hard to grasp the reality. Even with evidence, it’s difficult to accept that the chunks of flesh lying in front of you are really living, real things. The limited sensations from using VR equipment also contribute to that.
So even though this is supposed to be the real future, the body starts moving nimbly as usual. Falschblau leaps over the piled up corpses with agility that belies its heavy armor, springing high into the air at once.
Looking around from the air, the extent of the devastation becomes clear again. The corpses of over hundreds of people, countless scattered metal parts, and craters from the bombardment. The Apollyon Fusion that is the objective sits behind and to the left of the Type 17 monster positioned at the center.
It’s in tatters. With its armor peeled off exposing its metal innards, it looks more like a kaiju or extraterrestrial lifeform than a giant robot. But there is still a chance. The existence of the repair parts they went to retrieve before.
Though he didn’t receive a detailed explanation, apparently those parts allow a fusion type to be quickly mobilized even on the battlefield. The reason for deliberately bringing the parts to challenge the Infinite Horizon this time isn’t a death wish, but because having them enables restoring combat capabilities in a short time.
So even if it can’t be fully repaired, it shouldn’t be impossible to at least get one arm working, Teo thinks, eyeing the key gripped in his right hand and the jet noises echoing from somewhere. The first hurdle, the gamble that the radio waves to summon the parts here won’t be jammed, was a success.
And the second hurdle is to not have the landing and usage of the parts obstructed. Ignoring the immobile right arm unit, he draws the UK-14 with just his left hand and points it at the Type 17. The Type 17’s spherical body with countless human-like hands protruding from it, yet covered in numerous metal eyes, all turn to look this way at once. Good, this thing knows this gun is bad news too.
The countless hands lunge forward all at once. They nimbly grab metal chunks and crystal trees lying around and hurl them with a whoosh.
「Crap!」
Following instinct, he dodges with all his might, but one incoming shot that couldn’t be evaded approaches – but I had a secret weapon. I flip the crimson switch in the cockpit to ON and firmly push the lever. Then I vigorously draw out the blade and slam the flat side against the approaching crystal tree.
It’s unthinkable operation for a normal blade, but that crystal tree, probably 6 meters long, collides with the blade, makes an abnormal dissonant sound, and gets powerfully blown back in the opposite direction. It also sweeps up the other projectiles and smashes them into the Type 17’s body with a crash, which makes me nod with satisfaction. Behind it, the dozens of centimeter square cartridges ejected from the blade clatter to the ground.
This is the heat reactive oriented explosive cartridge using NMM. Absorbing the massive heat generated by NMM, it explodes and can rapidly accelerate in a specific direction. It’s far more powerful than the previous method relying only on artificial muscles, and it also serves as a coolant by using NMM’s heat. The only issue is that if you mistime it, the energy goes off in a weird direction, I think as I spin three times and land in an unseemly way.
But the effect was tremendous. It’s not that the Type 17 took damage. But it seems to have judged from the fact that we didn’t die from the projectiles that we’re troublesome opponents, as all of its eyes completely leave Teo and the others… No, rather than recognizing us as troublesome opponents, it might have given up on capturing us alive. Either way, it’s favorable if it gives an opening to revive the fusion type.
The turret protruding from the top of the Type 17 creaks as it moves and starts glowing red-hot. While waiting for the NMM to cool down, I slowly steer Falschblau in the opposite direction of Teo and the others. That area with craters and countless body parts would probably sound a loud warning beep if there was a radiation detector, but unfortunately, this is the apocalyptic world after all, and such functions seem to no longer exist. Looks like we’ll be killed by mechanical beasts before dying from radiation.
I spot a familiar container at the edge of my vision. Express delivery, I say, but it will still take at least a few dozen seconds, probably a few minutes including landing and maintenance. Hmm, will we make it in time, I wonder as I dodge the continuing barrage of incoming projectiles.
It was as expected in a sense, but there was a point to the roundabout trick of hijacking communications to lure it in. Fundamentally, this thing is a boss character specialized in long-range combat. Given that its true nature is precision missiles that observe targets with those countless eyes and shoot them down, it seemed possible to buy more time than it appears.
While playing tricks like occasionally using cartridges to slam restrained players and such, I remain vigilant for nukes. But the Type 17 doesn’t fire. It’s probably waiting for an opening to pulverize us in one shot. Amidst the echoing sounds of countless projectiles shattering, the parts finally arrive behind the Type 17. I also see Teo infiltrating inside the fusion type.
And the next moment, the Type 17 turns all its eyes from me towards Teo and Kurage. I also realize what’s happening a beat later and freeze involuntarily.
The parts were floating in the air. From the gaps in the container before landing, mercury-like organs gush out in a messy flow and fall to the ground. They entangle the fusion type that collapses to the earth, parasitizing, no, fusing with it. The armor of the Apollyon Fusion bulges out unnaturally all over as it violates the interior.
The cannon on the Type 17’s back transforms with a clank and countless reptilian feet stomp the earth. But far more unnatural than that, the giant rises to its feet with far too abnormal speed. The armor on its head cracks off with a snap. There, a familiar head of a Machine Beast with its numerous skins peeled off sits enthroned.
Check out my Patreon for early access to upcoming updates. Patreon Link