Chapter 24

Volume 2, Episode 6

"Ahh, this is bad."

With an inward sigh, Moore releases the safety catch on the grip of his assault rifle with his right thumb.

"We've been lured in. This is the perfect spot for an ambush."

As he mutters to himself, he hears the sound of the safety catch being released just as he did. One by one, Rapi and Anis ready their firearms, aiming and releasing the safety catches.

With the urban landscape already offering numerous obstructions, there are plenty of ambush points.

Despite the fact that the road they had been following shows an unnaturally small amount of debris, the buildings and structures on both sides, which should have towered over, have collapsed, their exteriors deteriorated to the point where some internals are visible.

"Don't the Raptures have no intelligence...?"

"Retreat. We've fallen into a provocation trap."

Neon, holding a shotgun, questions Mihara. She, while gripping the long-barreled assault rifle, retracts her earlier statement.

In an instant, on the eerily quiet street, the sound of gunfire readiness echoes as they aim at the ruins resembling buildings and multi-level parking lots along the road.

In an already cluttered cityscape, there's a significant increase in potential ambush spots.

As they focus on advancing along the road they've traced, something catches Moore's attention, causing his spine to tingle.

He instinctively senses that they're being deliberately targeted.

"Enemy attack!!"

The moment Moore spots it at the edge of his vision, he quickly swings his gun barrel towards the multi-level parking lot, peering through the Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight (ACOG) and firing bullets towards the source of the glint.

"Formation HO!"

As he spots the enemy and begins shooting, Lapi, the counter-squad leader, shouts sharply. Immediately, Anis and Neon respond, forming a defensive circle centered around Commander Moore.

The Rapture that Moore caught in his ACOG reticle is just about to fire its beam when several bullets hit it directly, causing it to explode and scatter debris.

"Got it! Anis, Rapi! Smoke! Deploy smoke!"

"Are we running away!?"

"Yeah, we're running!"

With an unknown number of enemies, uncertain info about the balance of forces and firepower, running away is the only option.

Following Moore's order, Anis grips a smoke grenade hanging from her belt, while Rapi loads a smoke grenade into the underbarrel launcher attached to her assault rifle.

Despite the fact that there seems to be unusually fewer debris on the road they're walking, the buildings and multi-level parking lots on both sides have deteriorated to the extent that some of them have collapsed walls and parts of their interiors are visible.

"Urgent situation! I'm temporarily taking command without words!"

"Got it! Commander, give us orders!"

"Anyway, run! We're at a disadvantage here! Rapi, Mihara! Come to my side!"

Moore, having called the leaders of both squads, orders other squad members to retreat first. Then, with the three armed with assault rifles, he prepares to face the incoming Raptures.

"We've pulled back!"

As squad members who ran through about 150 meters roll into cover, Anis, representing them, shouts to them.

Having heard her, Moore initially lets Mihara go ahead, but...

"Commander!"

"Fire!"

Unluckily, just as a Rapture pierces through the expanding smoke screen, its cannon points toward Moore. In an instant, both Rapi and Moore's assault rifles are aimed at it, and they pull their triggers almost simultaneously.

Exposed to a barrage of bullets released in rapid succession, when he recognizes that the Rapture has been defeated, Rapi prompts Moore to go ahead.

Nodding, he lightly taps her shoulder and sprints through about 10 meters. Stopping and turning around, he aims his assault rifle.

"Come! I'll cover you!"

Following his signal, Rapi dashes out. Once again, the Raptures, this time three of them, emerge from the smoke screen on the multi-level parking lot.

In an attempt to take down the leading one, Moore assumes a shooting stance for knee shots. As soon as he catches the enemy in the crosshair of his ACOG reticle, he pulls the trigger.

"Why are they all targeting me!?"

Being popular when you don't want to be is tough.

Despite being a bit reluctant, Moore—reflexively rolling sideways—evades a beam that a group of Raptures is directing at him with clear intent. But the beam brushes his right cheek, leaving a scorching smell in the air.

Quickly recovering, he resumes his counter-fire. Lapi, as she avoids entering Moore's line of fire, reaches Moore's position and adopts the same knee shooting stance.

Repeating this sequence of actions several times, Moore and Lapi manage to reach their comrades, who have begun to provide covering fire.

The right cheek grazed by the beam slightly throbs. Touching it gently with his gloved left hand, he finds a bit of blood. Rather than this mild burn, it would have been better if he had been thoroughly cauterized.

"Anis, Yuni! Open fire!"

Observing the diminishing smoke screen, Moore instructs Anis and Yuni to shoot.

Anis readies her grenade launcher, and Yuni—carrying a shoulder-mounted, compact, multipurpose recoilless launcher that seems disproportionate to her petite frame—glances briefly behind her. Having confirmed that her allies aren't behind her, she peers through her sight and licks her small lips with her red tongue.

Disengaging the safety catch, Yuni pulls the trigger with her slender finger. As soon as she does, an explosion erupts behind her, and a cloud of dust billows upward.

Simultaneously, Anis also fires grenades at the approaching group of Raptures. Along with the detonation, the blast, shrapnel, and even debris and soil rain down on the Raptures, causing them to be thrown into the air, parts of their bodies scattering as if they were made of spare components.

"Cease fire!"

Having determined that they've managed to withstand the surprise attack, Moore issues a sharp command.

It was quite dangerous. Given the arrangement of the buildings and the terrain, they could have easily been caught in a crossfire of beams from both sides. However, perhaps relieved by narrowly escaping the crisis, Moore sits down on the spot and lets out a sigh.

Amidst the dust kicked up by Uni's recoilless gun, Moore opens his pouch, takes out a cigarette and an oil lighter, and lights it up.

"Commander, are you okay?"

"...Yeah, I'm fine. I'm releasing command of the Wardress squad. Thank you for your assistance."

"You're welcome. We worked well together, didn't we? Right, Yuni?"

Mihara, while engaging the safety catch on her assault rifle, asks her partner, and Yuni, loading another round into her recoilless gun, nods in response.

"Yeah, Yuni likes these people. Yuni also likes the Commander!"

"...That's flattering."

Sending a sidelong glance to him, Mihara, her expression somewhat languid—akin to the lethargy after some intimate encounter—sends a fleeting gaze to the man as he lets the purple smoke from the cigarette he's pinched between his index and middle fingers drift.

"Forming a squad of five doesn't sound bad, I think."

Well, it's not a bad suggestion, but he can't nod if he recalls who they are working for and under whose orders they are moving.

To hear other opinions, Moore shifts his gaze to Rapi, who is changing magazines.

Though not through words, he seeks her thoughts, but she tilts her head slightly after a brief contemplation and then shakes it from side to side.

The reply is that the squad leader's offer is not accepted.

"Hey, hey, Commander. Wasn't Yuni amazing?"

"Yeah, you were. After all, you turned them into dusts."

Yuni, who has reloaded her recoilless gun, approaches, and he nods while tossing the cigarette into a portable ashtray with his now free left hand and then extends it towards her peach-colored head.

If he pats her lightly, Yuni squints her eyes and seems to feel pleasure. However...

"T-T-T-Then... how about a hug?"

"That's a no. Sorry, but I'm not into th-that. Besides... it's already kind of hurting."

It's as he expected. Understanding the reason she approached him, he releases his left hand from patting and points to his right cheek.

Although most of the wound has healed, sealed by a scab, some parts apparently weren't burnt thoroughly, as blood is beginning to ooze.

"Commander, please stay still for a moment."

As Rapi approaches, she kneels to the side, removes one of her black gloves, and covers his right cheek with her slim, white hand. Feeling the slightly rough sensation of stubble against her palm, Rapi gazes at Moore as he receives first aid for the bleeding wound.

"...I told you last night, Commander, but you should take better care of yourself..."

{----found it.}

...Whose voice is that?

It's an unfamiliar, low, growling voice. Echoing from behind and causing their eardrums to vibrate, Moore reflexively shoves Rapi's shoulder with his left hand, stands up, and simultaneously turns, pointing the barrel of his assault rifle towards his back.

Reflected in the entire field of view of the ACOG's reticle is a gruesome smile formed by teeth so sharp that they might be better suited for a dentist's correction.

At least, he doesn't know anyone with teeth arranged like that.

With his thumb, Moore disengages the recently engaged safety, and with a slightly tense pull, he unleashes a burst of gunfire.

The bullets fired from the barrel are meant for anti-Rapture purposes. However, the unknown and grotesque entity before him shows no sign of being affected. Amidst the sounds of the small-caliber bullets hitting the armor like they're being deflected, Mihara and Yuni's hands begin to emit a blue glow.

The distance to the monstrous foe is no more than 10 meters. It's far too close; therefore, Anis' grenade launcher is unusable. For the grenades to detonate, a distance of about 30 meters with the safety disengaged is required.

As Anis quickly backs off to provide cover, Rapi and Neon also move. When they aim their assault rifles and shotgun at the massive enemy and pull the triggers, Mihara emits a blue flash from her hand—then clenches her fist and punches herself in the abdomen.

The body of the foe before her begins to stagger. The pain must be transmitted through the empathic connection. Quickly, Yuni's blue flash also streaks through the air.

"Let's cuuut it!"

As she declares, the monstrous entity's relatively small head, seemingly disproportionate to its massive body, starts shaking from side to side unnaturally.

"The eyes...? Has its vision been blocked?"

Though everyone is experiencing their first encounter with a talking Rapture, they don't have time to be astonished.

"Rapi, Neon! Fall back—"

Anis also retreats to the distance required for her grenades to detonate, and as Moore encourages Rapi and Neon to create distance from the enemy, something happens.

{Sense Exchange, huh?}

A dull, moist sound—a sound as if something is being torn apart—resounds. It's the sound of the monstrous foe ripping a portion of its thick arm off by itself.

{"..Ack,!? ----KYAAHHHH!!"

But it doesn't stop there. One after another, the monstrous enemy brutally tears parts of its own flesh and scatters them on the road.

{Fuha! Imitation Dolls, endure the pain of being torn apart!}

It seems it wasn't stricly sense exchange they were engaged in. Suddenly, Mihara begins to suffer. Her assault rifle drops to the ground, and she writhes in pain as if enduring intense agony.

"Mihara! Th-This basta*d...!"

A tailbone-like structure resembling that of a reptile's tail lashes out. Yuni, whose attention had been focused on Mihara, couldn't catch the whip-like strike in time. The impact of the striking tail sends her petite body flying into the air.

"Yuni...! ...The shape of your... leg...!"

Struggling with pain, Mihara tries to make sure her blown-away partner is safe, but due to her crawling position on the ground, she catches sight of evidence of the true form of the monstrous foe.

"This is the Chatterbox, huh...?"

{If your field of vision is obstructed, the first thing you should do is change your position. Remember that well, imitation dolls.}

"─I see. He sure is a talkative chatterbox."

While enduring the excruciating pain with clenched teeth, Moore, hearing Mihara's anguish-filled voice without a doubt, muttered the identity of the creature, pointing the barrel of his assault rifle at it.

As his barrel and gaze converge on the creature, the creature—the Chatterbox—replays a reverse sequence or rewinds its self-disassembled body parts, making a dull sound as they return to their original positions.

Self-repair function.

Anis is so taken aback by this functionality and spectacle that she forgets to fire her grenades and stands there, dumbfounded.

{─Human! Come with me! If you obediently follow, we won't harm you.}

Suddenly, the Talkative's gaze turns towards Moore. Words are spoken from its mouth that had formed an eerie smile, moving slightly up and down while it does. It's not exactly a phrase one would call pleasant to the ears.

"If it's an invitation for a date, I suggest you check the dress code first. Then, let me know on another day. ─Squad, fire at will!!"

The exchange between the two distinct, low voices is short-lived, and as soon as he issues the command, the squad's firepower is focused on the Talkative.

Two assault rifles, a shotgun, and a grenade launcher each contribute different gunshot sounds and firing noises to this quartet.

The instantaneous projectile volume is undoubtedly enough to intimidate the Talkative, but...

"Reload──?!"

At the moment when Moore tries to change the magazine that has run out of bullets, the long extended tail sweeps sideways, striking his right leg with a direct hit, causing an intense pain.

The impact is tremendous; his tall body, which weighs about 170 kg when including the backpack, is sent airborne, almost like being tossed by a spinning top.

His helmet and the headset attached to his head are blown off, and Moore's body crashes to the ground from his back.

Fortunately, the backpack cushions the impact, but due to the shock, the belt snaps, freeing Moore, who was supposed to be a form of counterbalance. Unfettered, he rolls awkwardly on the street.

"─Can't be helped. Losing an arm or a leg shouldn't affect functionality."

──His vision becomes hazy.

Though Moore understands he was blown away, it seems he hit his head hard when he rolled on the street. His head is bleeding, perhaps from being cut by debris, and he lies on his back, looking up at the overcast sky.

Sensing the ground-trembling footsteps of a heavy object approaching from a distance and struggling with a severe sense of fatigue throughout his body, Moore manages to lift his upper body somehow. Using only his well-trained abdominal muscles, he lifts his upper body, and then he sees the abnormality in his right leg.

Structurally, there are no joints below the knee. Yet, isn't it bending sideways? Moreover, the tip of the broken bone pierces through the flesh, skin, the fabric of his combat suit, staining both the white tibia and fibula with red blood, both protruding and visible.

When he acknowledges this, intense pain surges through his entire body in an instant.

In an attempt to protect the injured area reflexively, Moore reaches out his hand, but he realizes that the first priority is to get away from the approaching Chatterbox. However, just as he's about to start moving, someone stands in front of the approaching creature, blocking its path.

It's Rapi. Holding her assault rifle, she narrows her red eyes and glares at the Chatterbox.

Seeing her standing between him and Moore, the Chatterbox comes to a halt. Its gaze turns towards Rapi, and just as it seems to be observing her closely...

...from the unsettling depths of its mouth, a laughter-like chuckle emerges.

{─Fairy Tale model, Red Hood, huh.}

"─Shut up...!"

{─Hahaha! Today really is my lucky day!}

While facing the enemy who was provoking her with its creepy laughter, Rapi glanced slightly towards him over her shoulder. She urged him to retreat while buying time, but before she could sense her consciousness slipping away, Chatterbox, who noticed this, wagged his tail once again.

---"Get out of the way!"

Without any time for Moore's warning, her body was easily brushed aside and sent flying.

Rapi fell onto the debris, and as Neon tried to help her up, its figure appeared at the corner of Moore's vision. Suddenly, Chatterbox's tail pierced through Moore's skin and wrapped around his right leg. Ignoring his will, his body began to be dragged.

"Anis! Shoot!"

"No! The debris might hit Commander-sama!"

Though Rapi, who had been helped up, ordered Anis, who had aimed a grenade launcher, she replied that the distance between Chatterbox and Moore was too close to shoot.

Even though his bones were already broken and the sharp bone tips were piercing through his flesh, the tail's grip on his skin would subject him to excruciating pain if it tightened.

Biting down on his teeth, he tried to stay in place using his uninjured left leg and both hands, but the flesh and muscle fibers of his extended right leg tore, causing a new wave of intense pain to surge through him.

{—Human, stop struggling.}

Chatterbox growled softly, and his tail, which was wrapped around Moore's right leg in what seemed like an attempt to escape, tightened further, applying more pressure.

"Gaaaah!!!?"

The intense pain made him release an inarticulate scream.

The immense pain dulled Moore's human resistance, just as the implanted body function had been designed to. Following this understanding, Chatterbox had acted, and indeed, Moore's resistance had noticeably weakened.

Satisfied with the result, Toocative contorted his eerie mouth into a sinister grin. However—

{—Human, what are you doing?}

Just as Moore thought he was being dragged, he raised his upper body. Gripping the handle of a fighting knife hanging from his body armor, he drew the polished black blade from its sheath.

(Still struggling, huh? He should have given up.)

Chatterbox seemed to sense Moore's futile attempt to break free, despite the fact that the knife would have no effect on him.

Tightening his tail even more and increasing the pressure on Moore's entangled right leg, Chatterbox pressed on.

However—Moore didn't scream. Had the intense pain finally paralyzed his senses?

In Chatterbox's confusion, Moore turned the blade of the knife he held towards the underside of his own shin and smirked.

With a smile on his lips and his deep brown eyes widened, Moore directed the blade at Chatterbox to his own leg with all his might. Just as the blade sank deeply into his skin, the subordinate Nikkes and others finally understood what he was attempting.

"—Commander! What are you doing!?"

"—Commander-sama!?"

"—Sensei!? No!"

----This was the only way to fight. He couldn't win if he didn't fight.

Though he felt sorry for the women who were begging him to stop with their screams, Moore didn't hesitate. If there was a chance for counterattack, why would he hesitate even for a moment?

In the case of massive bleeding from his legs, he had only a minute or a few minutes to stop it, or the afterlife would come to him.

Time was ticking. The countdown until it reached zero seemed like it could be the greatest moment of his life.

Numb with an undeniable sense of exhilaration and excitement, Moore looked back at Chatterbox.

At this point, it seemed Chatterbox had sensed the grotesque scene and appeared perplexed.

Recognizing this, Moore's heart swelled with an uncontrollable sense of superiority.

—Serve you right. Don't underestimate me.

Cursing inwardly, he poured all his strength into the handle he gripped, as if trying to crush it, and pulled the knife's blade towards himself.

The blade effortlessly passed through the shredded skin, meat, and the gaps of broken bones, and as if turning a faucet, a torrent of blood gushed out from the severed area.

----

Author Notes: Should I include a tag like "Limb Amputation" for this?