Chapter 22 : First Mission – 3

My mind blanked.

Obviously, the android before me wasn’t Ruby.
Merely black hair in twin tails—otherwise, just a plain alert android.

I knew this better than anyone, but my body wouldn’t move.
No matter how I screamed to pull the trigger, my finger froze.

The android’s pink eyes glowed brightly.
The emergency protocol was activating.

I had to shoot.
If I didn’t act now, the mission might fail.

Forcing myself, I bit my cheek, the sharp pain jarring me awake.
Just as I prepared to fire—

Whirr. Clank!

A combat android burst into the room.
Spotting its gun aimed at me, I reflexively activated my Stone.

Ratatatat!!!

A barrage of bullets unleashed.
I needed to neutralize the alert android quickly, but had to keep distance.

The combat android seized the moment, blocking the door.
To reach the target, I had to deal with it first.

“Hey!
What’re you doing, idiot?!”

Karen’s scolding echoed behind me.
Trying to stay calm, I briefed the situation.

“I was about to shoot the alert bot, but a combat bot showed up.”

“Tch.
Spade!
How much time?!”

[20 seconds.]

“I’ll distract it—you eliminate the target.
Can you handle it?”

Nodding, I repeated to myself.

“I can do it.
I’ll make it happen.”

“Ugh.
My fault for having a clueless disciple.
Here I go!”

[15 seconds.]

“I know!”

Karen instantly drew her main weapon.
Sharp blades sprouting from her hands, like beast claws.

Stoners, maximizing superhuman physicality, often use melee weapons.

Her weapon?
Claws.
The most savage, feral kind.

As Karen charged, the combat android aimed precisely, firing to block her.
But she deflected bullets with her claws, rushing like a beast, overwhelming it.

“Get in!!”

Not missing her opening, I rushed back into the room.

5 seconds left.

Aiming at the android, still in the same spot.
4 seconds.

“Ugh!!”

A pained groan from behind.
3 seconds.

Aiming at its head, I pulled the trigger.
2 seconds.

Bang!!

The bullet pierced its processing unit, shutting it down.
Confirming deactivation, I turned to join the fight.

“No fuss.
Already handled…”

Karen, leaning against the wall, muttered softly.
As she said, the combat android was torn to shreds by her claws.

[How’s your side?]

“Done.”

[Good.
Come to the server room.
All* androids are down, so no major issues.]

“Got it.”

While talking to Lycan—

Swoosh.

Karen slumped to the floor, like her legs gave out.
Confused, I called out.

“Master?”

“What.”

Stone side effects?
Unlike her usual tough image, she struggled to stand, groaning.
Cautiously, I asked.

“Uh, need help standing?”

“Didn’t I say no fuss?
I’m fine…”

Despite her words, she stumbled trying to rise.
Without* permission, I decided to support her anyway.

Grumbling earlier, but now quiet while I helped.

“Hey.
Pass me a cigarette.
In my pocket.”

“Cigarettes now?”

Still, thinking smoking might ease her side effects, I obediently rummaged through her pocket.

Digging briefly, I felt wetness, tilting my head and checking my hand.

“…”

Frozen*, I stared for a long moment.

“Hey.
Hand over the cigarette.”

“Master.
This…”

“Didn’t I say no fuss?”

I knew what the red liquid meant.
The pained groan earlier—I finally realized what happened.

“Just a graze on my side.
Slap on some ointment later.”

My gaze dropped.
Shame and self-loathing kept me from looking up.

“I’m sorry.
Because of me…”

“Idiot.
How’s this your fault?
That sliced-up scrap did this.”

“If I hadn’t messed up initially, hadn’t hesitated, you wouldn’t…”

Swish.

A warm touch on my head.
Karen roughly ruffled my hair, speaking.

“Enough.
Say more, and I’ll really get mad.
In times like this, just say thanks for helping.
I didn’t get shot to see you cry and apologize.”

“…Yeah, thanks.
Really.”

“Ugh, too sappy.
Just shut up and move.
Server room, right?”

Watching Karen’s embarrassed profile, I vowed.

One mistake is enough.
From now on, I won’t burden my comrades.

At the server room, Spade’s hacking was still ongoing.

Lycan, seeing Karen limping with my support, narrowed his eyes.

“Injured?”

“Slightly nicked.”

“Unlike you to slip up.”

“Shut it, it’s embarrassing.”

Karen’s among the top Stoners.
Normally, she’d handle androids without a scratch.

Her injury?
Entirely my fault.
My mistake shortened our time, forcing her to push recklessly to clear a path.

Lycan likely guessed this instantly.
Not mentioning it was probably to spare me.

Even I thought my mistake was pathetic, stupid.
Hesitating to shoot because it resembled my sister?
If my life was on the line, that moment of hesitation could’ve killed me.

“Data?”

“Almost done.”

“Taking this long?
Any longer, they’ll catch on.”

“Security’s tighter than expected.
Plus, this unique security pattern…”

Spade trailed off, about to say something.

“By now, headquarters probably knows the lab’s under attack.
They’ll be rushing here.”

Anxious, fearing mission failure, I waited nervously.
Soon, Spade disconnected from the database, sighing.

“How’d it go?!”

“Success.
Let’s get out.”

Relief.
But celebrating was premature.
Only escaping safely would count as true success.

We hurried out of the lab, boarding the car.

Vroom!!

The car roared forward with a loud exhaust.
Sitting in the backseat, head lowered, I replayed my mistake.

I couldn’t perform properly.
Far from executing my role perfectly, I endangered a comrade.

This debut?
A massive failure.
I don’t deserve payment.
If I’m not kicked out of the mercs, I’ll be lucky.

“Tch.
Pests tailing us.”

Lycan’s voice, tongue-clicking at the side mirror, snapped me back.
Looking back, a motorcycle was closely chasing us.

“Going straight to the hideout’ll expose us.
Trouble.”

“Let’s lose ‘em first.”

Lycan accelerated, speeding up.
But the pursuer stubbornly followed.
If we entered the city, motorcycles’ maneuverability would overtake us—catching us was inevitable.

We had to deal with it here, now.

“…I’ll handle it.
My face isn’t known, so they won’t link me to Red Dog.”

“You can’t manage alone.”

“I’m fine.
I can do this.”

“Absolutely not.”

Karen fiercely opposed, but Lycan calmly met my eyes through the rearview mirror.
Reading my resolve, he said only one thing.

“Go.”

Screech!!

The car stopped abruptly.
Before stepping out, I spoke to Karen.

“I’ll be back, Master.”

“…Get hurt even a bit, and you’re dead.”

“Then I won’t get hurt.”

Stepping out, the helmeted motorcyclist glanced at me.
Then, sneering, he dismissed me.

“Ha.
Just a girl alone thinks she can take me, the mightiest merc, Ryunosuke?”

“Less talk, come on.”

Reloading my pistol calmly before him, I taunted with a gesture.
It worked perfectly.
Furious, Ryunosuke, the mightiest merc, drew a gleaming katana from his waist, shouting.

“I’ll slice you in two!!”

Charging* fiercely at me.

“Phew…”

Sighing, I reminded myself inwardly.
No hesitating.
I can’t repeat the same mistake.

Steeling myself, I connected my Stone and connector.
The gem glowed blue, sharpening all my senses.

Ryunosuke’s movements seemed painfully slow.
Even walking forward, he couldn’t register my motion.

Sidling* up to him, I pressed the gun to his temple.

Bang!!

With the deafening shot, he collapsed limply.
A pathetically empty death.

“…”

Staring* blankly at the motionless corpse, I returned to the car.

Beep—Click.