Chapter 16

Volume 1, Episode 7

The deputy commander's office was located on the upper floor of the headquarters building. With an unusually free time until the next meeting, the occupant of the room absentmindedly pulled out a book from the drawer, without any particular reason.

The softness and warmth that couldn't be conveyed by the synthetic resin "paper" was a testament to the fact that it was genuine one made from plant fibers.

Opening the worn-out cover and flipping through the pages he had read many times before, he traced the lines of text with his gaze.

----

"Rapture had driven the evacuees to rush towards the bridge like sheep being chased by a pack of wolves. Although the number was said to be around tens of thousands, it wasn't officially confirmed. Even I, who was at the scene, couldn't tell. By this time, everyone was starting to notice when Rapture began attacking after sensing something emitted by humans.

Guiding and protecting the refugees, the equipment of the military and police forces was largely ineffective against the enemy. Just as the engineers started placing explosives on the bridge's supports to buy time, panic began to spread among the evacuees. While reassuring them and convincing them not to detonate until they had all crossed, a report of "Rapture approaching" reached our battalion headquarters, which had already lost so many personnel that it could hardly be called a battalion anymore. After that, all communication from the outpost ceased.

Army, Marines, and police forces that had been defeated took up a variety of weapons, resolving to become shields for the refugees until they had safely crossed.

Just before the battle began, an unusual group was discovered within the Marines. Armed with firearms never seen in catalogs, and bearing the emblem of a wolf, this was a platoon-sized unit.

Someone in the group muttered.

"That's a unit formed for anti-Rapture combat."

----

Patting the book closed, Anderson looked up. No matter how many times he read it, the content didn't change. However, this book was his favorite, dating back to when he was a child and realized that the sky reflected above him was a fake. It was more like a report, journal, or memoir than a book—a compilation of records of nameless heroes witnessed by the author.

"...Whose words were 'Human fate is in human hands' spoken from again?"

(Tl Notes: I think Faust was the one who said this. Correct me if I'm wrong though.)

Reciting the words of an ancient philosopher, Anderson put the book back into the drawer where it had come from.

------

BAM! The shotgun fired, pellets hitting one after another in rapid succession. Amidst the unrelenting echoes of gunfire in the semi-circular space, Moore smoked his cigarette, while Rapi and Anis could only watch the scene before them, somewhat dazed.

As the final shot was fired, the sound of spent shells rolling on the concrete-paved ground mingled with the echoes of gunfire. Neon turned to them with a somewhat refreshed expression.

"...For matter about firepower, she really is the specialist."

After discovering a pile of debris a little way ahead of the drainage entrance, initially, they planned to clear it away together. However, Neon suddenly asked to be left alone to deal with it, and after witnessing the debris that had blocked their path turning into dust, they couldn't help but agree with Anis' words.

"──Commander."

"Hm?"

Turning to him, Moore held the cigarette between his right index and middle fingers, exhaling a puff of purple smoke as Neon spoke.

"──I understand now. No matter the opponent, there's nothing that can't be resolved with firepower. The answer is firepower! Firepower is everything!"

"Well, that's one way to put it... It's not exactly the same as firepower, but... I'm also someone who believes that most of the world's problems can be solved with the appropriate amount of explosives. Indeed, firepower is justice. That's the truth, isn't it?"

"──Ohhhh! I see... the TRUTH...!"

--No, what do you mean by 'I see'?

--What madness are these duo talking about....

Left out of the loop enough, Rapi and Anis alternated their gazes between the two of them. Apparently, some kind of empathy or understanding seemed to have sprouted between them.

"Thank you very much...! Actually, I was a bit lost, but now I feel like you've given me a push. As someone who's walking the path of firepower, I feel like I've faced the essence."

"...So, there was a path like that."

"From now on, please let me call you Sensei!"

"Yeah, nice to meet you again."

"Nice to meet you again, Sensei!"

"Don't just change his way of address on your own!"

Left behind, Rapi and Anis voiced at least a token resistance, but whether the words of their newly formed mentor-student duo (temporary) reached their ears remained to be seen.

Nevertheless, with the debris blocking their path now cleared, they could finally infiltrate the power plant. Moore flicked the spent cigarette into a portable ashtray, then ordered Rapi to lead the way forward.

Lapi, Neon, and Anis all bent down—or rather, got down on all fours—and entered the drainage passage. Moore followed suit, but...

"Maybe I should have left my backpack behind..."

"Commander, are you okay? After all, your body is REALLY big."

Even for the three who were shorter than Moore, the drainage passage was so narrow that they had to move on all fours. With his height and the backpack he carried, Moore was practically crawling.

As a result, he ended up getting a close whiff of the awful smell that seemed to twist the nose of whatever substance had been flowing through it.

"...Wow... it really stinks."

"Even though no one lives here... it's so smelly."

"Because it's a drainage passage... various things have probably accumulated."

Even for her, who was Nikke—well, even for a Nikke, there wouldn't be much difference in their sense of smell. However, it was kind of strange how all three were grimacing at the strong smell, and Moore realized this as if he could grasp it with his hand. Well, he was feeling the same way.

"Um, can I say something...?"

"What?"

"I feel like... I'm going to... puke."

"....I recommend turning off your olfactory sensors."

"...Neon. If you throw up now, I'm confident I'll puke out too."

"Hey! Stop doing that it in front AND behind me!"

Do Neon and Moore's newly formed mentor-student relationship align even in such situations? However, the one suffering the most was Anis, sandwiched between the two. It was only natural that she would shout at them in a voice akin to a scream.

"...But seriously, olfactory sensors. I'm envious... I really want such functions, NOW."

"But, Sensei... how should I put it... if we could freely switch them on and off, it might make us feel detached from being human..."

"Haha, you're saying some strange things."

"Only my heart is that of a maiden..."

"I've given up on being a maiden. Snip."

It's truly enviable. Moore found himself earnestly wondering if there was any way humans could possess such a function.

Having no choice but to crawl, his combat uniform was soaked, and even his underwear was contaminated by the drainage water. The smell would probably linger even after they emerged from the drainage passage.

"Commander, are you okay?"

"...Physically, I'm fine, but my mental state is at risk. Lighting a cigarette might solve the issue, but... ---Something just entered my mouth!"

Rapi, leading the way, glanced back to the crawling figure of Moore at the rear, concerned about his situation. From his voice, it seemed that the task was proving quite challenging, and she could pick up on it easily.

"...But it's surprising, isn't it? Infiltrating through the drainage passage. Normally, commanders view 'Nikke = weapon,' and they prefer blowing things up with firepower."

"It's not about preference. It's that their minds doesn't function beyond that. Yet they value their own body so much and make a fuss over getting a little dirty. It's truly disappointing."

Neon spoke to change the mood and commented on the method of infiltration—rather, submersion—that Moore had suggested, sounding surprised. Anis returned a sarcastic remark in response.

"Ah, so that's what the discomfort earlier was about."

Understanding why they hadn't suggested any form of attack other than a direct assault, Moore spat out the drainage water that had entered his mouth along with his saliva and continued.

"I don't know what kind of commanders you've worked with, but for me, you're not weapons; you're my subordinates, my squad members. As valuable combat assets, I won't tolerate any unnecessary losses. ----Ah sh*t, I got more in!"

"Hahaha! You were pretty cool until midway!"

"...And I even drank a bit..."

"EH, are you okay? If you feel like throwing up, don't hold it in."

Although Anis laughed with a hint of disappointment at not being able to see Moore's expression from behind, her concern for Moore was evident in her serious response to his final comment.

"Stop...!...Neon."

"...Anis too...!"

"...Sorry..."

Suddenly, Rapi came to a halt, causing Neon and Anis, who couldn't react in time, to bury their faces into the backside of the person in front of them.

Since he was a bit further away, Moore managed to avoid being caught up in a collision. However, he asked why Rapi had stopped.

"What's going on?"

"Yes. I saw light. It seems we've reached the interior."

"Understood. Let's... get out of here quickly. I really feel like I'm going to throw up."

"Yes, let's hurry..."

For them, Rapi's report was nothing short of good news. Having received Moore's order, they nodded in agreement. Needless to say, Anis and Neon, especially, rushed toward the exit without hesitation.