Chapter 16: Extra Work

"Damn! That thing got outside!"

Witnessing the pilot's gruesome demise, several soldiers turned and bolted back towards the mansion, the captain trailing behind them. But as one of them neared the doorway, a chilling premonition gripped their heart.

"Stop do-!" the captain yelled, the words barely escaping his lips before a long-handled axe, glinting with metallic sheen, plummeted from the top of the doorway.

With a sickening laugh and a resounding clang, the axe, not particularly sharp, severed a soldier's shoulder before slamming him to the ground. The unfortunate man didn't even have a chance to scream, knocked unconscious by the brutal blow.

The remaining soldiers reacted swiftly. The first man's fall was their cue, and their rifles were already raised. However, Renault was faster. A spinning short axe flew straight towards the second soldier's face.

Click!

"Ugh!"

The unexpected attack cost the soldier his eyes. Meanwhile, his comrades behind him opened fire, a hail of bullets chasing Renault's shadow. Just as they were about to hit their mark, two gunshots rang out from within the mansion.

Bang! Boom!

The dull boom of the particle rifle and the crisp sound of the M1 Garand echoed through the hall. The two Dolls who had left and returned now stood by the corner of the basement entrance, engaging the three soldiers with their backs turned.

"What?! It's a Doll! Get out of the way!"

Despite aiming directly at the soldiers' heads, neither the particle beams nor the bullets caused any harm. Their thick, rustic-looking protective gear effectively blocked all attacks.

"Oh no!" M1 Garand cursed under her breath, realizing the ineffectiveness of their attack. However, the Jaeger beside her, oblivious to the situation, continued firing her particle rifle relentlessly.

Seeing her companions didn't hesitate, M1 Garand gritted her teeth and continued to unload her clip on the remaining three soldiers. With a final "ding!", the magazine ran dry, automatically ejecting itself.

Though the bullets failed to penetrate their armor, she managed to disrupt their movements by aiming for their joints. This created a window of opportunity for Renault.

Automatic weapons in automatic mode can quickly empty a magazine in seconds if you lose focus and keep pulling the trigger rapidly. Some weapons with high firing rates may do so in less than a second.

Click!

Almost in unison with the sound of M1 Garand's empty clip, the three soldiers' magazines clicked empty as well.

"Hey! My turn!"

Scrambling, they dropped their assault rifles and reached for their holsters.

Too late!

Before their fingers could touch the pistol grips, Renault's hatchet and two longswords were already upon them.

Two swift thrusts with the longswords pierced the visors of the full-coverage helmets, pinning two soldiers to the wall by the door. The remaining soldier met a similar fate. His visor was ripped open by the axe, blinding him, before Renault tripped him to the ground and finished him off with a quick burst from the M30 in his hand.

With that, all five attacking soldiers and the helicopter pilot lay dead.

"Ugh, this is a real pain. Here I was, thinking I could fly out of here comfortably in a helicopter, but no, back to manual labor," Renault muttered, inspecting his clothing. The coat he'd just put on had several holes in the hem – these guys were actually pretty accurate shots.

Ordinary Dolls and Commanders wouldn't stand a chance against these heavily armored opponents. A full set of heavy-duty body armor, powered exoskeletons, tactical gear, and helicopter fire support – he couldn't deny it took some "effort" on his part.

The M30 tri-barreled shotgun wouldn't have cracked the cockpit glass if it weren't so powerful, let alone leave any scratches on the bulletproof glass. And without the pilot's carelessness in landing directly in the courtyard, Renault wouldn't have been able to intervene.

Heavy firepower – that's what he needed. Looking at the assault rifles and equipment left behind by the soldiers, Renault couldn't help but lament. If he'd had these before, things might have been much easier.

"Commander...Mr. Renault! Are you alright!?" M1 Garand and Jaeger rushed over, cautiously scanning the surroundings for any remaining threats.

"It's okay. They're all gone. Just a small squad. Did BM59 manage to contact Helian?"

"Not yet, there's been no response from headquarters..."

"Mr. Renault! Communication request from Miss Helian!" BM59 finally poked her head out from the corner, relief washing over her face as she saw Renault and M1 Garand.

"Um?"

Intrigued, Renault descended to the basement. As the connection established, he was taken aback by Helian's appearance on the holographic display. Gone was the composed leader he'd known. Her head was bandaged, worse than M1 Garand's, the white stained crimson with blood. Her once pristine Griffin coat was now marred by soot and smoke, a testament to the chaos unfolding at Griffin HQ.

He was about to comment about the 'evacuation' method and about the payment but...

Looking at Helian, his commission might disappear at any moment now.

"Mr. Renault," Helian began, her voice strained, "if it's alright, I'd appreciate it if you could convey a message to the Boss on my behalf. There's no time for formalities."

"Hold on! You're at Griffin HQ, right? Why do you need me to send a message?" Renault interrupted, bewildered.

"No, I arrived at a nearby Griffin base a day ago. It was because of the proximity that I remembered to contact you. This base is under attack by unknown assailants! We're in the same boat – cut off from communication with everyone else!"

"Alright, alright," Renault conceded.

"Give me the contact information for Griffin HQ, and good luck over there... Wait a minute! If you're not in HQ, what about my commission? Who do I talk to about getting paid?!"