Rebuild World

As Akira, Shiori, and Kanae were busy fighting somewhere close to the border between the slums and the wasteland, another battle was taking place. Back in Sheryl's HQ, an intense battle was raging.

Erio was running through a partially destroyed alleyway when roars of chaos reached his communication device.

"Hurry!! Do you want to get blown to bits!?"

"I know!! I know!!"

Erio replied, shouting. He was already pushing himself to run in an augmented suit that he was not that familiar with. Yet, the moment he reached his destination, he was told to hurry up and go somewhere else.

"Keep moving people!! Just because you're under jamming smoke doesn't mean you're hidden. You'll still get discovered if you keep still!!"

"I said, I got it already!!"

As Erio screamed, he extended both of his hands forward. The AF anti-material cannon behind him immediately slid forward. Erio firmly held onto it and somehow managed to hold it up with the help of the CA31R augmented suit. He then carefully took aim.

"Aim correction, done!! Fire!!"

As soon as Erio received the signal, he pulled the trigger. A pillar of light got released. At the same time, Erio got blown back from the recoil.

Even so, the AF anti-material cannon still hit its target. The pillar of light drilled a hole through the body of a large augmented suit. A moment later, it fell to the ground. The missiles that it just launched lost their guiding system and hit the nearby buildings, turning them into a pile of rubble. Meanwhile, the other heavy augmented suit nearby flusteredly tried to get away from the area as fast as they could.

Seeing the aftermath, Erio thought that it was a huge success. He yelped in excitement.

"I-I did it!! I shot it down!!"

"Get on your feet! Do you have a death wish!?"

Erio could not help but pout. That harsh reply was basically a scolding. It completely ignored what Erio had just accomplished. Though, his facial expression quickly changed. His lips returned back as his expression turned to one of anxiety. He noticed that someone was aiming their rifle at him.

Erio pushed his body back up in a panic. He followed the indicator guidance shown inside his helmet's display and leapt into a nearby building. A barrage of bullets struck the location right where Erio was a moment ago. Fortunately, he was no longer there. Thus, that area was only left with ricocheting bullets flying all over.

"Whoah. That was dangerous."

"Don't give me that! Shoot back at them immediately!"

The display on his helmet showed enemy locations behind the wall. That display was also accompanied by two orders: 'shoot at them, use LEO multi-rifle'.

Erio grabbed his LEO multi-rifle with both hands and released fire toward his targets. It seemed more like haphazard fire instead of precise fire. Although the walls were relatively thick, they were like a sheet of paper when faced against the C-bullets. They had no problems piercing through and successfully hit their targets.

"A-alright…! With this… I can finally… Get… A break…"

"Next! Get moving! Quickly!!"

The display on Erio's helmet indicated that it was administering medicine continuously. Thanks to that, he was able to maintain his physical condition. Even so, the non-stop action and the consecutive orders exhausted him, psychologically.

"Just let me take a small break, will you!?"

"The others would die if you take a break now! If you're fine with that, then be my guest!!"

"…Goddammit!!"

Erio cursed and immediately started running again.

"I know that Carol-san was the one who introduced you! But can't you do something about the enemies!?"

"I'm doing my best here to provide you support. It's your job to handle the fighting, right!?"

Erio's face twitched. In truth, it was only thanks to the other person's support that he was able to fight this well. Therefore, he could not find a counter to his stated point.

The person providing support to Erio was Shirou. Other than being someone Carol brought in as support, Erio knew next to nothing about him. Erio guessed Shirou was a skilled Hunter, who unfortunately got trapped in Carol's grasp. That he was being blackmailed by her to help out.

Nonetheless, Erio still recognized his skills. Currently, the jamming smoke prevented the coordination support system of the augmented suit from providing any support. Without that support, they were basically close to useless. However, after Shirou started providing them support, Erio and the other children were able to recover their connection.

Moreover, even with the jamming smoke, which prevented information-gathering, they were able to accurately pinpoint enemy locations, past walls and other obstructions. The support was even better than their original coordination support system.

In order to provide support, Shirou had been ordering Erio and the other children to install a copious number of information-gathering devices all around. He issued so many orders that it seemed like harassment. Under normal circumstances, those devices should have been rendered useless under the jamming smoke. However, with Shirou's technique, he was able to create and adjust his own communication network. The reason why Erio and the others were still able to communicate with each other was because of his communication network. Furthermore, he hijacked the enemy's communication network to accurately ascertain their exact position.

In the first place, for the past few days, Erio and the others had already been installing information-gathering devices around the area. They were placed in a manner to be used in tandem with the base's security system and the coordination support system. It was fortunate that they were also located in excellent places for Shirou's use. Thus, he managed to be able to provide Erio and the others with great support.

It was exactly because of their prior setup, that even in the face of an overwhelming number of enemies, Erio and the others were able to control the flow of the battle. They turned the jamming smoke to their advantage.

Furthermore, Erio was using the equipment that Akira had used before. Thus, he was technically stronger than any normal Hunter in the area. The heavy augmented suit that he just shot down could easily crush any normal monsters around Kugamayama city. Even so, he was able to defeat it with only one shot.

Since he had overwhelming firepower, he was assigned to take down any powerful enemies; enemies that the others could not handle. Naturally, that meant Erio had to work the hardest among his peers.

"Good grief! You guys are on Akira's team, right? You should put more effort into this, you know?"

Erio was already exhausted, though it was not physical fatigue. Even so, Shirou continued to berate him, asking him to move like Akira. Because of that, Erio inadvertently replied.

"…No, we're not on Akira-san's team!"

"Oh? Is that so?"

Shirou was honestly taken aback. Due to the stress, Erio could not help but harshly explain.

"Yeah, we're not on his team! I don't know what Carol-san has told you, but Akira-san is only helping our boss as an individual. We're only receiving benefits from him through our boss. Akira-san is not even a member of our gang. He already stated he has no plans to join us. So, in the end, we're just working under our boss, Sheryl. We're not working under Akira-san… We are not part of his team. But I guess it's no surprise that others often misunderstand."

"Ahhh, I see."

After hearing Erio's explanation, Shirou now understood why their movements were this horrendous. Up until now, he had thought that Erio and the others were a squad from Tsukisada Construction. That they were disguising themselves as a slum gang, working under Akira. He hypothesized that Akira was so proactive in helping the gang because it was part of the plan. To build up Tsukisada Construction's forces here.

If his hypothesis held true, their origins did not matter. Be it sent here from another place or recruited from the slum, as long as they were a military squad from Tsukisada Construction, they should be able to fight to some extent.

With such an expectation in mind, Shirou kept berating Erio and the others for obvious mistakes. When he discovered his hypothesis was far from the truth, that they were really just amateurs, he felt guilty. He had been too harsh on them.

"I see. Sorry, I expected you guys to be able to fight better if you were directly under Akira. I'll change my approach then. For now, just keep following my orders."

"…? Alright."

Erio found Shirou's sudden change in attitude to be a bit strange. Nonetheless, he hurriedly followed Shirou's instructions. After he changed location, his next order was to hide. From behind cover, a half-destroyed building, he could see tanks and powered suits slowly marching into the slums.

Erio frowned. He suspected Shirou would tell him to defeat that whole squad. Although he was currently wearing Akira's equipment, he still saw this as a suicidal attack.

Unexpectedly, the next order was for him to stand by. Erio felt that something was off. It was a completely different order compared to the rest that he has been receiving up till now. However, the jamming smoke suddenly got incinerated. A laser swept through, taking out the tanks and powered suits in one strike.

Erio was astonished. He turned toward the source of that laser. It was from atop of a building, far away from where he was. It was from a huge laser cannon; held by someone he knew. It was Carol. She glanced at Erio and waved at him before moving to another building.

Erio was still recovering from the shock when Shirou contacted him again.

"See? I thought that you would at least be able to do that if you're part of Akira's team."

"Like I said… don't compare me to Akira-san… In the first place, I don't have the equipment for that…"

"Oh? That should not be a problem though? Akira did shoot down a powered suit with the equipment you're wearing."

"Again! Don't compare me and Akira-san!"

Erio had no wish to deny that one could do amazing things with amazing equipment. However, he was reminded there was a limit to that. There were things that could not be compensated with exceptional equipment.

The group attacking Sheryl's base was large. However, they were not well organized. Their individual strength varied from ex-Hunters to high-ranking Hunters working further to the east. In other words, it was nothing more than a motley group of Hunters. Even so, with that many, they completely overwhelmed Sheryl's force. Thus, there were many in the assaulting group who were certain of victory.

What's more, the majority in the assaulting group had casually decided to join the group. They heard a vague rumour and accepted an assault request. For some reason, before anyone noticed, a strange rumour with no clear source had spread. It stated that they just had to act as a diversion. Alternatively, they just had to lightly attack Sheryl's base. Do any of these, and they could gain a connection to the Lion Steel company, receive monetary support, or get paid for this task. Though it was hopeless to pick a fight against Akira, if it was only this much, to them, it seemed completely doable. Thus, many joined to launch an assault.

Some joined, seeing it as the perfect chance to kill Sheryl and completely decimate her gang. Even if Akira survived this battle, if they could get Sheryl, her gang would not be able to survive. Many struggling for influence in the slums were not able to mess with her, fearing retribution from Akira. However, with this many involved in this assault, it would be difficult to pinpoint the blame if Sheryl got killed. Thus, they sent manpower and funding to support the assault.

However, it did not end there. Some remnants from the Ezont and Haurias families had gathered together. They were hoping for their gang to rise from the ashes. They also received monetary support secretly from Udajima. This allowed them to purchase tanks and powered suits. If they were able to destroy Sheryl's gang, it would throw a wrench in Inabe's plan to amass his fortune. Furthermore, many survivors of the Ezont family had a grudge against Akira since he was the one who destroyed their gang. Meanwhile, the Haurias family was doing this in return for Udajima's support, which they would use to recover their gang. For all sorts of reasons, they formed a coalition — one normally impossible to be formed in the slums.

Carol was going around Sheryl's base. She was facing the ongoing onslaught while carrying her large cannon. She prioritized destroying tanks and powered suits, which were completely out of Erio and the children's league.

"Well, as I thought. Even if they bring out tanks and powered suits, their skills only amount to this much."

Carol gazed at the leftover destroyed tanks and powered suits. She mumbled so with a smile plastered on her face. She realized that her standard had substantially increased after she said that. Her smile quickly turned bitter. Although they were way weaker than the opponent that she and Akira had fought against, it did not change the fact they were tanks and powered suits. If it was the past, she would not have looked down on them this much.

Suddenly she noticed the presence of an enemy and jumped to the side. She avoided its bullets as she aimed and fired her laser cannon. However, this opponent was particularly strong, and could quickly evade her laser beam.

Normally, they would immediately continue the fight. However, when both recognized the others' faces, their battle came to an awkward halt. Both were equally surprised while facing each other.

"Oh, so you're also participating in the attack, huh?"

"You too, what are you doing here? And here I thought you went somewhere far away after buying that camping vehicle."

It was someone that Carol knew from her side job. She knew that he was a high-ranking Hunter, who earnt a good amount. Thanks to that, he was well equipped and pretty skilled. He was stronger than the powered suits that Carol had just destroyed.

"Well, I have my reasons, you see. Ah, now that you mention it, how about switching sides? Since we're in this situation, I will not charge you that much money."

Carol said so and smiled bewitchingly. However, the man frowned and seemed apologetic as he replied.

"Sorry. I would be more than happy to accept that offer if it was before I accepted this job. But I can't do that now. So, it would be great if you can just leave. I won't chase after you if you do so, yeah?"

Toward that guy who still looked apologetic, Carol lightly shook her head.

"Sorry, I'm also doing this because it's my job, you see. So, I can't do that."

"I see."

Carol could not withdraw because it was something that Akira had asked her to do. The Hunter could not withdraw because he was faithful to his job. As such, there was only one choice.

"I won't be holding back. Be careful not to get killed, alright?"

"You too. Just so you know, I'm pretty strong right now."

Seeing Carol speak with an amused smile, the guy raised his eyebrows in surprise. However, his lips quickly curled up.

"I see. Here I go then!"

"Take this!"

Carol quickly jumped and aimed her laser cannon. The man reacted accordingly and aimed his rifle. Two people, skilled enough to kill the other, exchanged shots in the middle of the slums.

Tanks, heavy augmented suits, powered suits, and even high-ranking Hunters were among the attackers. To deal with them, Babalod and Levin were working as a team. Both were sold to Viola because of their debt. They were ordered to kill the other if the other guy attempted to escape. Since both had no plans to escape, they were diligently working their butts off.

Putting Babalod aside, fighting such a strong force was practically suicide for Levin. The reason why he was able to keep up so far was because Kiryou had partially sponsored him.

In exchange for their sponsorship, Levin's debt went past 1 billion Aurum. He was pressed between getting killed because of a lack of suitable equipment or getting better equipment by borrowing more money. Naturally, he ended up choosing the latter.

Levin was amazed at how Babalod fought. Unlike him, who was compensating for his lack of power with equipment, Babalod was originally a member of Zelos' team, a high-ranking Hunter team.

"You're pretty good, I guess your Rank 50 is not just for show, huh?"

"Hm? Well, I can at least do this much."

"If you're that strong, there's no need to get into debt in the first place, right? Just how much exactly do you owe?"

Babalod frowned and went silent. Thus, Levin lightly prodded a bit further.

"Well, I won't force you to tell me. Ah, by the way, in my case, it's about 1 billion Aurum. Just when exactly would I be able to pay it all back…"

"…10 billion Aurum."

"Haah!?"

Levin could not hide his shock, which only worsened Babalod's mood.

"It's complicated."

"I-I see…"

Although Levin was interested in what was complicated, he did not have the courage to ask.

Right at the next moment, Babalod suddenly grabbed Levin and jumped away. A moment later, the building next to them was sliced. It crumbled down to something unrecognizable. Levin was taken aback by this sudden attack.

"An enemy!? But there's nothing on the radar!?"

"If you're talking about the information sent through the coordination support system, it's based on the information-gathering device on our side. With a fight this big, it would not be surprising that some of them got destroyed. It would create holes in the radar. You should also do the scanning yourself."

"B-but I also don't see any signals from my own information-gathering device…"

"That's why I'm telling you. Do the scanning yourself. This is what will happen if you leave the setting on auto."

While Babalod was lecturing Levin, he was also showing him the real skill of a high-ranking Hunter. Suddenly, the two who just tried to ambush them revealed themselves.

The two people who thought that anyone other than Akira was nothing to be worried about, were impressed to find that their ambush had failed.

"Oh, you got yourself out of that, huh? Not bad."

But the other guy was surprised to see Babalod there.

"…Hm? Wasn't that guy from Zelos' team?"

"Really? That's strange. I'm sure they said that they'll not get involved this time. I heard they're still trying to rebuild the team after one of their members betrayed them and wrecked the team."

"I bet he just joined their side to get some pocket change. Well, it doesn't matter. Either way, keep your wits. If he's really from Zelos' team, even if he's a new blood, he must be pretty strong."

"Roger that!"

Babalod, who quickly noticed the change in aura coming from his opponent, knitted his eyebrows and warned Levin.

"Hey, give me support like your life depends on it. Those two are not like the rest. If we're unlucky, just one of them might be as strong as me."

"D-do we have any chance of winning?"

"Stop thinking about unnecessary things and focus on giving me your full support. If you get killed, then that's it. Even if we die here, we will still die fighting. It's a far better way to die for Hunters drowning in debt, don't you think?"

Babalod smiled wryly there as if he just discovered a newfound resolve. Watching him get motivated, Levin frowned and pulled himself together.

"L-let's do this then!"

Levin knew how awful it was to be drowning in debt. However, he also knew how much worse it would be if he selfishly ran away from the front-line. It would be the same as resigning his worth as a human. As he stepped into the arena, where he could either choose to die valiantly or give his all and hope to survive the day, Levin made his resolve.

As both sides showed signs of now taking it seriously, they started exchanging bullets. Although they were aware of the speed filter, they had bullets with enough firepower to lay waste to the area around them.

—*—*—*—

Meanwhile, somewhere near Kugamayama city's inner wall. Inside a restaurant on the first floor of the Kugama building, which was basically integrated as a part of the wall. Elena was gazing outside with worried eyes.

She then glanced at her information panel and heaved a huge sigh.

"…Sara, it has started."

"…I see."

Sara had the same look as Elena. Seeing the same expression on her best friend, Elena looked down.

"Sara, are you angry?"

Similarly, when Sara saw Elena's expression, she gave a slight smile and shook her head.

"I'm not angry. Though, I don't think I can just get over it. In the first place, I did leave the decision to you, the team leader. There's no need for you to feel responsible for everything."

"…Thanks."

Elena was finally able to smile back, though it was a faint one. However, that did not change their situation. She then gave another sigh and wondered.

"I wonder if Akira is doing alright…"

"…He'll be fine… Probably…"

Elena and Sara already knew what Akira's situation was when they decided not to help him. There were many reasons why Elena decided to do so.

First, they were still in the middle of a job, which was to be Hikaru's bodyguards. Since Hikaru was traumatized, she found it difficult to go outside of the inner wall. She stayed within the inner wall, never stepping out ever since she returned. Even so, their job had not ended yet. Thus, Elena and Sara were on stand-by in case Hikaru wanted to go outside.

Elana and Sara were still Hunters. They could not afford to disregard their current job and go help Akira. Moreover, Akira did stress to them, to do their job properly as Hunters.

Furthermore, Hikaru ordered Sara and Elena not to help Akira. Judging from Akira's reaction back in the wasteland when they got ambushed, he did not want to get Elena and Sara involved. Thus, using that as an excuse, Hikaru convinced Elena and Sara not to go. Otherwise, it would cause Akira to get anxious.

Even if Akira somehow managed to overcome the battle with Elena and Sara's help, and either of them got killed, there was no telling how far Akira would go for revenge. In the worst-case scenario, Akira might take on the whole Lion Steel company.

If it had come to that point, that would spell the end of him as well. If his target was only Chloe, and he was able to successfully eliminate her, everything could be brought to a close. That was why Hikaru ordered Elena and Sara to not go to Akira's side this time.

There was also the issue of equipment. Although they received powerful equipment from Hikaru as the upfront payment for the bodyguard mission, those would only become their personal belongings once the mission came to an end. This meant, at the moment, if they went to help Akira and abandon their current job, they had no right to use their current equipment. From the ethical and professional point of view, it was not something that they could do.

If they went to help Akira with their previous equipment, they knew they would only be a burden to him. They might forgive themselves if they went, risking their lives to help him. However, they could not forgive themselves if they went there just to slow him down.

With that in mind, after a lot of thought, Elena eventually decided not to go. Sara was fine with it since Elena had made the decision. However, neither was completely fine with that decision.

That was when Shizuka called them. She called with the simple intention of inviting them to go have a meal together. However, Elena, who was crushed under the feeling of hopelessness, ended up telling Shizuka everything. It was as if she was trying to find a way to forgive herself. She finally threw a question that she had no answer to.

"…Say, Shizuka, what do you think we should do?"

"Hmm, I think you just need to do what you want to do; don't you think so?"

Although Shizuka's reply was merely her opinion, Elena seemed a bit taken aback by it. She broke out a smile as if she had found her answer.

"I should do what I want to, huh… That's right! That's just what it means to be a Hunter!"

Hunters do their job, charging into the wasteland filled with death on their own volition. Be it for fame, money, or glory. Even if their goal was something else, they could achieve anything by being bold. They had to understand the danger and press on in order to achieve their desires. That was what it meant to be a Hunter. Elena was once again reminded that she was one of those Hunters.

Shizuka's intuition told her that it was best for Elena to follow her heart.

Elena thought of what she had to do. One thing for certain, sitting there, depressed with her friend, was not what she desired. Neither was it the best course of action. Now that she had found her answer, Elena quickly decided on what to do next.

"Alright then. Shizuka, sorry, but we suddenly have a business to take care of."

"Is that so? Okay, be careful."

"Of course, and thank you!"

Elena ended their conversation and then contacted Inabe. After she conveyed her situation to Inabe, he replied with a rather excited tone of voice.

"So, you want to abandon your current bodyguard job for Hikaru and go help Akira. The issue now is that you can't get permission to use the equipment you have on you?"

Elena was fully expecting Inabe to refuse her request. She did not expect Inabe to react in such a manner.

"Very well then, go. You can make full use of your current equipment. I will also pay for the ammo and medicine as well. Feel free to go as hard as you desire."

"…Are you sure you're fine with it?"

As Elena inadvertently raised her voice, Inabe calmly replied.

"You're still planning to go even if I say no, right? In that case, it's better to send someone well-equipped to help, you know? Moreover, if I took away your equipment knowing that you'll still go, what do you think Akira would do later? Well, I will just add it to be part of the documented request. I will take care of the paperwork and corrections, so you don't have to worry about it."

It also served as an excuse to give to Akira later. Even if Elena and Sara got killed, they went there on their own volition. Therefore, Inabe could not be held responsible. Though, it was a fact that as a city officer, Inabe could not openly declare that he was helping a bounty target, one that might even attack the city. Thus, this was the limit in terms of aid Inabe could give.

Despite his position, Inabe was entirely on Akira's side. Elena, who realized this, thanked him.

"Thank you very much!"

"Don't mention it. Be careful out there."

Elena then closed the call and looked at Sara. Her best friend smiled at her as she spoke.

"Sorry, Sara, I've changed my mind. As I thought, we should go."

"Right. If the team leader has decided, it's not like I have any other choice."

"Geez, don't say it like that. If I may add something, this is also our last chance to show up as Akira's senior Hunters, okay?"

"I see. Well, if I'm being honest, I do feel a bit irritated. We keep being on the receiving end like this. This is a good opportunity to show what we can do as his senior Hunters."

Elena and Sara looked and smiled at each other. They knew where they were heading. It was a battlefield where a 50 billion bounty target was being hunted. Death was just a mistake away. Nonetheless, to achieve what they desired, they decided to go.

—*—*—*—

Inside a rest area in the Kugama building, Shizuka was nibbling on a portable meal for Hunters. High-quality portable meals were not cheap, they were delicious and designed to reduce digestion waste products. It was designed to support Hunter's life out in the wasteland. Though, many wealthy individuals inside the inner wall often opted to buy these instead of having a light meal.

"This is actually pretty good. I wonder if I should stock some in my shop."

Though, even if Shizuka stocked some in her shop, the only Hunters that would be able to purchase them would be Akira, Sara, and Elena. That was just how expensive it was. Even so, she still thought that it might be a good idea to have them in her shop.

Furthermore, her muttering indicated she was not there to sample goods for her shop. Hikaru had used the meal as an excuse to have Shizuka placed inside a safe area within the Kugama building, which was treated as part of the area within the inner wall.

Previously, Hunters who were after Akria did try to attack him while he was negotiating with City Management. If they were even willing to go that far, it would come as no surprise they would go as far as to kidnap someone important to him. Hikaru, who suspected that might be the case, did some research. She concluded there were four possible targets: Elena, Sara, Shizuka, and Sheryl.

Since Elena and Sara were Hunters while Sheryl was the boss of a slum gang, which was actively receiving support from Inabe, they should be able to defend themselves.

However, Shizuka was only a normal civilian. The most that she could do was pay for some bodyguards from the private security company in the lower district. Hikaru believed it to be too dangerous. Thus, she decided to evacuate Shizuka to the safety of the Kugama building. At least until things settled down.

However, by doing so, it meant that she was helping out a 50 billion bounty target. A monster recognised by the city, which feared he might attack it. This was not something that Hikaru could do as a staff member of the city. Thus, to circumvent this issue, she came up with many excuses. All just to invite/lure Shizuka to the Kugama building.

After Shizuka received Hikaru's invitation, she closed her shop and started to temporarily live in the Kugama building.

Once Elena and Sara left, Shizuka received a call from Hikaru.

"Shizuka-san, I just have a small question. What did you say to Elena-san and Sara-san? Just now, I received a message saying that Elean-san and Sara-san are going to help Akira…"

"Hm? Nothing important, they just asked for my opinion."

"I'm sorry but could you please not do that."

Hikaru was only barely able to convince Elena and Sara to stay after expending so much effort. Thus, she was disgruntled that they suddenly changed their minds.

However, Shizuka just made a small smile and replied.

"They made their decision on their own. I did not encourage them."

"That does not change the fact that they changed their minds."

"I was also trying to be considerate of you too though."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I don't know what exactly is going on, but one thing I know for certain. You're in a rather difficult situation, right? If things somehow manage to calm down, to the point negotiations could be held, I'm pretty sure you will be chosen to represent City Management. After all, you are a staff member from City Management. You're also acquainted with Akira. You even spent quite a lot on bodyguards. Now that you don't have any escorts, it might be difficult to…"

Hikaru went silent. However, from her silence, it could be felt that she was simply too astounded to speak.

"But if you insist, I can still call them and ask them to stop and rethink it again…"

"Ah, no, that won't be necessary… Ah! Sorry! Something came up so I have to end the call here! Bye!"

Hikaru ended the call with a blatant lie. Shizuka smiled bitterly and mumbled.

"I'm sorry but I believe this is for the best."

Though she muttered that to herself, Shizuka was not sure what was 'for the best'. She knew that she might have done something that she should not. However, even so, instead of just sitting there and doing nothing, she thought that it would still be better for her to do something to push the conclusion in a better direction.

Shizuka wished that her intuition today was still as accurate as ever as she prayed for Akira and the others' safety.

—*—*—*—

Inside a large armoured wasteland vehicle, Pamela was looking over how the battle was going on. She watched how Akira's group was faring against the automata that she had dispatched and smiled. Although she had lost the multi-legged tank, which was her greatest firepower, Pamela did not seem anxious at all.

"I guess that should do it…"

She had finished checking out the opponent group's fighting capability through long-range remote automata - the large-sized multi-legged tank, and the reinforcement automata. She had identified the people on the opponent's side, their equipment, as well as their trump cards. Once Pamela had decided that she had sufficient information, she grabbed Latis' hand.

"Latis, it's time. Let's go and kill them altogether."

Pamela then left the large room which also doubled as the command centre. She wore a huge smile on her face as she had her hand tangled together with the emotionless Latis. They both left with the goal of killing Shiori and Kanae. Joy and hatred were all mixed into one. It was to a point it was difficult to differentiate them as Pamela directed all her killing intent toward Shiori and Kanae.

For Pamela, this was where things got serious.

Also, My god this chapter is long. It's nearly 1.5x the length of the chapters in the hundreds.