Chapter 83

Author's Note: Alt Eisen Senpai, Ossu Ossu!

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Firing, defeating, running, then firing again—how many times had they repeated this cycle?

"Damn it! Isn't it too much?! Weren't they supposed to clear the way?!"

No matter how many they defeated, it seemed endless. Special Counter Force, the "Counters," had been running for about twenty minutes, trying to escape the city ravaged by the onslaught of 155mm shells and 227mm rockets from the prepped bombardment.

However, a large number of newly emerged Raptures blocked their path, forcing the Counters to halt. They hid behind rusty, abandoned freight cars that lay along the railway tracks, retaliating while attempting to find a way forward.

"...What if we just charge? I'll lead the way again."

"Stop joking around at a time like this!"

"Well, I'm kind of serious... But before that, we should request fire support..."

"No need to worry, Master! I'll clear the path! With my firepower!"

The devotee of firepower, or rather, the firepower fanatic, confidently readjusted her beloved shotgun. However, even with her enthusiasm, it was clear that the enemy's numbers were overwhelming.

Nevertheless, they couldn't afford to stay pinned down forever. They needed to sweep the enemies roaming the tracks quickly and advance.

As Moore reached for the microphone to request fire support, the others observed a strange gesture: they all tilted their heads simultaneously.

"...What's wrong?"

"Well, it sounds like a whistle, but..."

"A whistle?"

As they contemplated the possibility that another unit nearby might be sounding a rescue signal with a whistle or something similar, Moore shifted her earpiece slightly to listen more carefully. Just as he thought, he heard a high-pitched warning, resembling a train whistle.

Before she could respond, Shifty's voice came through urgently.

[They're coming!]

"Damn it...! Continue sweeping while advancing—"

At the edge of her vision, a colossal shadow appeared. The moment Moore registered its presence—flying down the tracks, crushing numerous Raptures in its path—the massive figure came to a halt.

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.

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*BANG!*

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.

.

Debris from the destroyed enemy units scattered around the tracks. Even those severely damaged and barely functioning, their red single eyes flickering, were visible in great numbers.

.

.

.

" "―Hah?" "

.

.

.

Moore and Anis found themselves wide-eyed and astonished. This was no ordinary infantry combat vehicle. It was a towering behemoth, even Moore had to look up to see it. It was a floating train, armed and armored, painted in blue and white.

"Wow! It's a train!"

"Whoa! A train!!"

The train consisted of three cars, all armed. Moore stared up at it in disbelief.

"...Why did a train suddenly appear?"

"I don't know. Commander, do you have any idea?"

"...No, even if you ask me..."

Neon and Anis snapped back to reality, their eyes asking the same question. Moore had no recollection of such information. While the squads and units participating in the operation were well-known, she couldn't recall any units operating this kind of machinery.

"Infinity Rail...!"

(Tl Notes: Ohhh...! Honkai St*r Rail reference!! LOL.)

Rapi muttered as she gazed at the train. It was the name of the squad, the Arc Express, formed by Elysion, the organization that created her. They usually worked as staff in a railway-related company.

Just then, an announcement echoed around them, sounding like a station announcement.

[Attention, Special Counter Force members! Can you hear me?]

The mechanical voice resounded through the surroundings. Moore recognized the voice and squinted her eyes while securing the safety on her assault rifle.

[We, the Infinity Rail, will guide you to your desired destination~]

[Hurry, get on! Quickly!]

[As soon as boarding is complete, we will depart. Passengers, please board promptly~]

It seemed to be a train operated by multiple individuals. Aside from the familiar voice, two unknown voices accompanied the announcements.

Moore's subordinates all turned their gaze toward him, silently seeking him decision.

"Hurry up and get on. ...There might be a fare, though."

At least they weren't enemies. As Moore urged her team to board swiftly, ramps for boarding and disembarking descended from the train. As her team sprinted toward them, Moore finished off the half-dead Raptures before leaping onto the ramp.

"Thank you for boarding~ Long time no see."

"Hello Diesel-san. You seem well."

"Yes, Captain Moore... No, Major, right? I'm glad to see you're doing well. Is your left arm okay?"

"Thanks to you, it's more than capable. Much better than my original arm."

"...Huh? Do you know each other?"

Boarding the train, they were immediately greeted by a Nikké named Diesel, dressed in a blue uniform and a peaked cap, with long black hair that partially covered her slightly droopy, gentle eyes. Seeing the interaction between Moore and Diesel, Anis asked, and Diesel briefly explained the situation.

"She guided me when I got lost at the station."

"...Lost, you say?"

Anis understood the reason they were acquainted, but she hadn't expected it to be due to Moore getting lost. After giving Moore a bemused look, she felt the train lift off, and they began to move.

"Thank you for your hard work until now. Please take a break if you can."

"...If there's a dining car, I'd love to do that... But first, we need to satisfy these guns. Do you have ammunition?"

"Yes, right here."

Their available ammunition was running low due to continuous engagements. Sensing the need for resupply, Moore inquired, and it seemed there were supplies stored inside the train.

Diesel led them to the front of the train. Inside what was likely the locomotive, various consoles were embedded, and a figure was busy operating them from what seemed to be the driver's seat.

"Yes, I've prepared it."

"Soline, thank you. Major Moore, this is Soline. The one at the driver's seat is Brid."

"Nice to meet you, Major Moore. I apologize for my appearance; Diesel has told me about you."

"No, it's fine. I appreciate your help."

The owners of the voices from the announcement appeared outside, and Moore nodded in acknowledgment after being introduced by Diesel.

Soline, with long silver hair, brought various ammunition boxes on a cart. Moore reached out, grabbing a stripper clip with ammunition that matched her assault rifle's specifications, inserting them one by one into the magazine after removing the spent magazine from the dump pouch and attaching the device.

"...But seriously, what is this train? Where did it come from?"

As Anis replenished her grenades, she asked Diesel, who smiled and began to explain.

"It's an Autonomous Levitation Train for surface use, AZX. It was completed a long time ago, but we never had the chance to conduct a test run."

"...Huh?"

A sense of unease crept over Moore. His hands, in the midst of reloading ammunition, paused, and he glanced at Diesel, who appeared oddly satisfied.

"It started with rumors about a total war, and they demanded, 'Let us go to the surface!'" Diesel explained, her tone playful. 

"...So, this is a test run, and it's the first real battle...?"

"Yes♪"

(Tl Notes: Wahh~~ so cute...except the ominous news from her.)

"It runs well, doesn't it? We might consider making a few more."

Diesel looked extremely satisfied, and Soline nodded in agreement. Moore couldn't help but search the surroundings with his eyes, wondering where the emergency exits were. Even for him, boarding a new type of weapon required courage.

However, he had to admit that he agreed with Soline's assessment of its "good performance." Looking out the window, the wilderness passed by in a blur. While appreciating the speed, Moore also felt the noticeable swaying, indicating room for improvement in terms of stability.

"Hmm... It sways a bit too much..."

Anis seemed to share Moore's thoughts. Moore casually thought that such swaying might be expected when carrying such a huge thing, although he didn't voice his concern.

"Well, that's because—"

"Everyone, please hold on tight!"

Before Diesel could explain, Brid, who took over the control of the AZX train from the driver's seat, issued a warning. Immediately afterward, the train experienced a jolt, as if it had collided with something. But in the next moment, the train continued on as if nothing had happened.

"Commander, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Thanks."

Moore, nearly thrown off balance by the sudden impact, managed to keep his posture intact due to his strong core muscles. He expressed his gratitude to Rapi, who had supported his backpack to prevent him from falling over.

"Brid! Drive properly!"

"I apologize. We just ran over a Lord-class Rapture. Our AZX won, though!"

Brid calmly reported, but her voice hinted at excitement and satisfaction that couldn't be concealed.

---Well, considering the mass and speed of this train, it's not surprising that it won against an ordinary Rapture...

While the specifics might vary between individual specimens, even for a Lord-class Rapture, the mass is at most a few tons. In contrast, the AZX train has more than twice the mass, and its speed surpasses that of the Rapture.

For instance, when an object weighing 500 kg collides with a wall at 100 km/h and stops after 0.5 seconds, the impact force is approximately 2.8 tons.

Most Raptures, when encountering such a massive force, would be easily crushed, without even needing to use the particle cannons or machine guns mounted on them.

"This is the reason. A steel horse to break through enemy lines, isn't it fabulous?"

"It's absolutely fabulous!"

"...I have some reservations, but... Using tactics similar to those of tanks and MBTs isn't a bad idea. ──Rapi, maybe we should get infantry fighting vehicles IFVs for us too..."

"No, we shouldn't."

"...It's appealing to be able to run over Raptures, you know?"

"No, we shouldn't."

─ They seem to get along well~~

Diesel, observing the banter between Moore and Rapi, couldn't help but express her honest opinion. Despite not requesting MBTs, he might still have some common sense left. However, in the end, when considering maintenance needs and dealing with situations where they become immobile, it was a firm rejection.

"But are you sure about this? What if it stops suddenly? We might end up getting surrounded, right?"

"That won't happen. AZX is made up of 30% Goddesium, you see..."

"─ Diesel!" 

"Yes, what is it?"

Diesel, about to start explaining confidently in response to Anis' cautious question, quickly turned her attention back to her colleague, who had sat back in the driver's seat and called out to her.

"─ There's something strange following us from the left rear!"

Brid referred to it as "something strange." In this case, it likely meant an unidentified entity, probably an enemy.

While the pre-entered information didn't mention the presence of any enemy that could catch up with the AZX train in this area, unexpected situations could occur on the battlefield.

Diesel approached the window to check, directing her gaze in the opposite direction of the train's movement. Sure enough, there was a looming figure chasing after them, raising clouds of dust.

Having finished reloading the ammunition and stowing the magazines into his pouch, Moore approached the window to check. However...

"What the... is that?"

"...A train...?"

(Tl Notes: Hated enemy of interception stage in the game. SO DIFFICULT!!)

It was a train that could be described as having a variety of arms, including a huge twin particle cannon. It appeared somewhat peculiar, resembling a combination of a tank and a train due to the multiple tank treads visible beneath it.

Anis also tilted her head in confusion while observing this unusual sight. Just then, the train in question, towing the massive twin particle cannon, rotated its turret.

[Rapture detected! Estimated energy reaction indicates Tyrant class!]

Of all times, a Tyrant-class Rapture appeared. Moore let out a deep sigh upon receiving the report from Shifty, which reverberated inside his housing. Dealing with a Tyrant-class Rapture was undoubtedly going to be troublesome.

The massive particle cannon mounted on the rotating turret began to converge light at its barrel. Soon, two beams of light shot out from the cannon's muzzle, hitting dangerously close to the AZX train.

While a direct hit was avoided—or rather, the stabilizer suppressing the movement of the opposing train seemed to be malfunctioning—the sheer size of the particle cannon meant that it could still inflict some damage on the AZX, even with a near miss.

"We've been hit! Cylinder number 12 on the left side is heavily damaged!"

On the console in front of the driver's compartment, a WARNING message displayed the extent of the damage sustained by the AZX, making the situation clear to everyone. While not yet fatal, the damage was significant.

"What! How dare they attack our AZX... I won't forgive them!"

"Hey! Don't shoot at my child!"

"How dare you harm our child...!"

Although their sentiments varied, all three of them expressed their anger toward the attacking train. The most vehement among them was undoubtedly the Brid, who, literally seething with rage, started pounding on her console.

"...Commander, should we return fire?"

"It's okay. Leave this to us! ...Brid, are you ready?"

Noticing the gentle swaying of the light purple hair under her blue garrison cap, Diesel turned her gaze towards Moore and the three members of the special task force. She spoke in a calm tone:

"Please make sure your eyes are protected. Brid, go ahead and start."

"Understood. Target... locked... Maximum output...!"

Brid, manipulating the console, followed the procedure. Although Moore and the others roughly guessed the nature of these actions due to the heavy vibrations felt from the rear of the train, they still protected their eyes by turning their faces towards the floor. Moore wore sunglasses, but he took the precaution nonetheless.

Meanwhile, the Tyrant-class Rapture—the enemy train—aimed various-sized cannons at them, bombarding AZX with a barrage of beams and projectiles.

The train's body took several machine gun hits, but due to the relatively high Goddesium content, most of them were deflected—

"...Tch... Cylinder number 10 too...!"

The alarm sounded, and she quickly silenced it, assessing the damage. It seemed that new improvements had been made to the AZX based on the lessons learned from this initial combat deployment. Of course, that was assuming they made it back safely.

Eventually, it appeared that the primary weapon, the particle cannon, was ready for firing.

While urging everyone to be mindful of the flash, the Bride continued to target the enemy train, which clung to their left side, bombarding it persistently.

"FIRE!"

As soon as the console was struck, a thick beam of light was released toward the enemy train. It hit the enemy's massive particle cannon directly, melting through it before erupting into an explosion and roar reminiscent of a dying scream, enveloping the enemy train.

The enemy train lost balance, overturned, and raised a violent cloud of dust. It was clear that it had fallen into complete silence.

"We did it!"

"...That firepower is incredible."

"As expected of a particle cannon... I'm starting to want an armored vehicle equipped with a 120mm smoothbore gun and composite armor."

"I absolutely won't allow it."

It had become more than just a tank or an MBT. They had initially considered introducing infantry fighting vehicles cautiously, but somehow, the scale had escalated.

Seeing Diesel smiling at the sight of Rapi admonishing Moore with a sigh, Moore noticed the increasingly violent shaking of the train carriage. He inquired of the Brid in the driver's seat:

"Brid, it feels like the shaking has become excessive... What's the situation?"

"The main stabilizer is broken! I can't control the direction!—At this rate, we'll be drifting away from the Heretic!"

This was a problem. Was the cause the enemy train's gunfire, or was it that the stabilizer couldn't withstand the recoil from firing the particle cannon? However, investigating the cause would have to wait.

"...Counters members, can you disembark? I'd like to guide you to your destination, but it has become difficult. I apologize."

"...No, please don't worry about it."

Diesel turned directly to Moore and his team, bowing her head. When she gestured for him to lift his head, Rapi, who stood beside her, asked:

"What about you all?"

"We'll try to repair it while it's still moving. If we don't, it could turn into a disaster."

"Yeah. It would be a big problem if we accidentally ran over Nikke."

"...Understood. Please don't push yourselves too hard. I want to express my gratitude once again for giving us a ride."

Moore told Diesel, Soline, and the Brid, who continued struggling with the alarms and consoles, that they should escape if they concluded that repairs were impossible. Infinity Rail's leader, Diesel, smiled gently as she took off the wrapper from a strawberry candy, picked it up with her fingers, and stretched her arm out, bringing the candy closer to his mouth. Despite feeling a bit embarrassed to do this in front of her subordinates, he obediently opened his mouth, and the same candy he had been given before was placed inside.

"...You're welcome. I'm sorry I couldn't guide you to the end. I wish you the best of luck."

His right hand, holding the assault rifle, reached out, and Diesel responded by extending her hand. They shook hands briefly in between them, and Moore's hand eventually moved away.

Now, they had to escape. Just as Moore was about to head to the rear car, Rapi called out to him.

"Commander, give me your hand."

"Huh? Oh, sure."

From among the group gathered at the entrance, a black-sleeved arm extended toward Moore. Reflexively, he reached out his hand, and a slender hand grasped his own. He thought she might be guiding him, but in the next moment, she forcefully pulled him, smoothly threading her arm through the gap between his backpack and combat suit. Then, she placed her hand around the back of his helmet and hugged him tightly.

"Huh?"

Why was she hugging him now?

It's not like Moore disliked being hugged by Rapi. However, it was an unexpected hug in this situation. Moore looked puzzled with wide eyes.

"We're making an emergency escape. Please don't let go of my body under any circumstances."

"What about the escape vehicle?"

"...I'm sorry. We don't have one on board."

Amid Diesel's apologetic voice from behind, Anis pressed the open/close button buried beside the entrance door.

As the thick door opened, a roaring wind rushed in like the roar of a beast, echoing inside the carriage.

Honestly, Moore had a bad feeling about this.

"Let's go. Anis, Neon!"

"Yeah!"

"Jump!"

Without hesitation, Neon and Anis leaped out of the vehicle one after the other.

Moore watched them disappear, then turned his head slightly to glance at Diesel.

"Diesel-san, thank you for—"

"We're going! Be careful not to bite your tongue!"

(Tl notes: Is Rapi...interrupting them on purpose? Ooohh~~ as expect of main heroine!)

Rapi interrupted him, and without further ado, she too jumped out of the moving train.

"I appreciate your help," Moore wanted to say before leaving, but his competent subordinates didn't give him the chance. Holding him tightly despite the height difference, they leaped out of the moving vehicle together.

Escaping from the AZX traveling at approximately 210 km/h.

As the wind assaulted his face, Moore couldn't help but find the sensation strangely nostalgic. 

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Author's Notes: And now, with the departure from the AZX,

here comes the arrival of Moore's idol.