Ch.155

The 'Coin Rush' is a major amusement facility set to open soon, described by Mustang as such. However, for Moore, who heard the explanation from Mustang, the image of a game center had taken shape in his mind.

The pass card handed to him by Mustang, required to pass through the employee-exclusive entrance, was inserted into the reading slot, unlocking the door.

As the door opened, Moore stepped into the interior.

The interior, reminiscent of old-fashioned casinos, spread out before him.

"...Quite impressive."

Various things were available: poker tables, slot machines, roulette—seemingly approved as a form of public gambling. Moore marveled internally at how they managed to gather such a variety.

However, he himself was exceptionally weak when it came to gambling. Perhaps he lacked the aptitude.

After a rushed RPS (Rock, Paper, Scissors) game wagering drinks held at the forward operating base, he couldn't even recall how many consecutive losses he suffered.

"...I might lose everything."

"Excuse me. Are you Mr. Moore, by any chance?"

A dignified voice addressed him as he gazed at the interior.

"...Yes, I am Moore. If I remember correctly, you are... Miss..."

"I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. I am Rouge, the dealer. Nice to meet you."

Rouge, wearing a red vest and slim pants, approached with regular footsteps, offering a respectful bow. Moore responded with a slight nod.

"Nice to meet you. I have been entrusted by President Mustang to deliver this USB memory."

"Yes, I understand. I can take it, but... it might be more appropriate to give it to the anticipated pride of our establishment, the twin bunny entertainers."

"...Twin bunnies... Ah, yes..."

"Noir and Blanc. They are currently in the midst of pole dance lessons. If it's acceptable to you, how about having a match while waiting?"

The necessary information given to Moore by President Mustang before the mission included details about the employees of Coin Rush, mainly focusing on Nike and the 777 Triple Seven Squad.

While recalling their faces in his mind, Rouge, with a smile, extended her arm and pointed to the casino floor.

"I'm not particularly skilled at gambling. As you may know, I'm a man who can only bet his life."

"...I've heard rumors, but it seems the stories were true."

What those rumors entailed—perhaps it was best to refrain from asking at this point. In most cases, it would not lead to anything good.

---If he had time to spare. Moore surveyed the surroundings and soon noticed a billiard table.

At that moment, a dull pain surged in the depths of his brain.

"...Are you okay?"

"...Don't worry. How about a game of nine-ball billiards?"

"As you wish."

Rouge, responding to Moore's request, bowed once again and walked towards the billiard table where his gaze had landed.

She placed a rack on the surface covered with green cloth and arranged colorful target balls inside. Moore held a cue, observing the scene.

"Who goes first, and shall we use banking for the turn?"

The dealer's dignified voice inquired.

The slim red pants were a bit distracting—or rather, a feast for the eyes. The curves and lines of Rouge's well-shaped buttocks were unmistakably apparent.

Adhering to gentlemanly manners, Moore avoided looking below her waist and replied to Rouge's question.

"...Since it's not a formal match, how about a coin toss?"

"Fine."

After arranging the target balls and removing the rack, she took out a golden coin from her pocket. After confirming both sides with Moore, she placed it on the tip of her thumb.

Flicking it upward with her thumb and catching the spinning coin with the back of her hand, she immediately covered it with the other hand.

"Heads."

"Feel free to break."

Moore, having the first turn, applied chalk to the cue's tip.

Placing the white cue ball on the green cloth, adopting an open stance with the left hand forming a bridge on the fingertips, and gripping the cue with the right hand—soon, the powerful collision sound of the break shot echoed in the quiet interior.

---

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"Big sister, are you looking at pictures again?"

"Ah! B-Blanc...!"

In a fluster, Noir, a tall woman with a tan complexion and long black hair, a member of the 777 Squad, hid her mobile device.

Peeking into her side was a woman with a completely opposite appearance but with similar facial features. White porcelain-like skin and white hair extending to her legs.

Both had very well-proportioned features, but their physique, skin, and hair color differed.

Noir—the elder twin—hid the LCD screen of her mobile device, displaying an image of a man.

The man was dressed in a combat uniform with white as the primary color, armed as if indicating his upcoming descent to the surface. He had sharp dark brown eyes.

The true identity behind it all was none other than Moore.

"...Is he your admiration, big sis~?"

"A-Admiration...!?"

Blushing appeared on her tan cheeks, already broad due to her tall stature.

While Blanc, aware that she was being teased by her twin sister, didn't have the courage to deny the admiration part.

"E-Even Blanc... downloads pictures of this person from the group chat...!"

"Wha...! How do you know!?"

Skin and hair colors differed, and there were differences in eye shapes—droopy or slanted. However, true to being twins, their irises were both golden.

With unintentional blushes on both their cheeks, the twin sisters with a height difference entered the casino floor.

The first thing they noticed was the pleasant sound of phenolic resin-made balls colliding.

Then, the heavy sound of balls dropping into the pockets echoed—one, two, in quick succession.

"...Well done. Was that a cannon shot?"

"...It went well. Allow me to finish then."

At the billiard table set up in the store—two figures with a difference in stature.

One was Rouge, wearing the familiar dealer uniform. However, the other figure was unfamiliar.

Nearby, a person wearing a black jacket, a vest over a light gray shirt, with a tall stature, broad shoulders, and a voice clearly belonging to a man.

Upon closer inspection, on the table with the black jacket hung, there was a shoulder holster containing a few handguns and spare magazines.

The cautious white rabbit—Blanc, the younger twin sister—stepped in front of her sister. However, considering Rouge was engaged in the game, this mysterious person didn't seem suspicious.

So, who could it be? Just as she raised an invisible question mark on the bunny-eared headband...

"Ah!!"

The black rabbit involuntarily—more than she had thought—exclaimed loudly, and at that moment, a dull sound echoed on the billiard table.

"...Foul, isn't it?"

"...My apologies. Please go ahead."

"Then, excuse me."

It seemed like he failed the shot. The tall and sturdy man stepped away from the table, and just as Rouge took the cue, assuming an open stance—soon, the pleasant sound resonated.

"...Well done."

Acknowledging the defeat gracefully, the man applauded Rouge. After a respectful bow from her, the man finally turned his attention to the standing twin rabbits.

With her droopy golden eyes widened to the maximum, Noir looked down at the photo still displayed on her mobile device.

----...It's the same...!

Although his black hair was slightly mixed with white, and noticeable scars ran in a straight line from his right eyelid to his brow—there was no mistake.

Her breathing became erratic, and her chest pounded.

The man, who handed over the cue he had used to Rouge, approached the twins with regular footsteps.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Shaw Moore."

"N-Ni-nice... to... nice to meet you...!!"

...He's tall.

Noir was tall too, but she still had to look up a bit due to his height. Blushing, she couldn't help but make her cheeks redder as she received his gaze from dark brown irises.

"Nice... to meet you. Um, really... you're Commander Moore, right?"

...He's so cool.

Even Blanc, the younger twin who was looking at the photo, blushed more than she had imagined, and the man was taller and had a more handsome face than she had expected.

"...I don't know which Moore you're talking about..."

"T-Through Tetra's group chat... a few months ago...!"

"...Anis, huh?"

A sigh mixed with a small murmur. Nevertheless, in front of him were the beautiful twin sisters. Thinking it would be impolite to complain too much, he returned a confirming nod.

"...In that case, it's probably *that* Moore. The commander of the Counters Squad, Moore."

"「...Ah!!」"

The shy sister and the outgoing sister—though their personalities differed, they shared similar tastes. Perhaps—

"Uh, um...!"

"Will you... shake hands... with us...!?"

"...Sure."

Is it really that nerve-wracking? While harboring doubts in his mind, he shook hands with the twin rabbits one after the other.

Handing over the USB memory received from Mustang to the twins.

With this, the mission to Coin Rush is complete. It might have ended abruptly, but that's okay.

"Now that my business is done, I'll take my leave here."

The slim USB memory held in Noir's hand. Its contents were probably data related to future business plans.

While thinking about trivial matters, Moore slung the shoulder holster containing a pistol and spare magazines over his shoulder and hung a .45 caliber on his left side.

Attempting to put on his jacket, but before he could, pale and slender hands swiftly picked it up.

"Thank you."

"No problem."

Blanc, the white rabbit, spread the jacket wide, and Moore inserted his arms into the sleeves, allowing it to drape over his shoulders.

Buttoning up the jacket and preparing to leave Coin Rush, hurried footsteps echoed.

"Um...!"

Noir, the tan-skinned girl with broad shoulders, rushed towards Moore, her ample chest swaying. She held something in both hands and extended it towards him.

"This...! I-I know you're busy, but... have something to eat...!"

...It's frustrating not to be able to express oneself properly.

A piece of chocolate—newly released at Tetra Line. It was a chocolate planned by Made For You, an organization under the same company dedicated to civilian support.

Most of the ingredients were perfect, and the taste had been given the seal of approval.

However, he wasn't particularly fond of sweet things.

"Thank you for your consideration. I'll take it."

Politely accepting what she offered, Moore placed it in the inner pocket of his jacket.

Turning towards them again after expressing his gratitude, he passed through the employees-only entrance and left outside.

The twin rabbits, black and white, watched him with reddened cheeks as he walked away.

---

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"─The gate to Outer Rim will open shortly. The interior of the gate will become the 'danger zone' designated by the central government. Citizens, please be careful not to enter by mistake."

As the mechanical voice played the warning, Moore, standing in front of the gate, slowly unbuttoned both buttons of his jacket.

His right hand, inside the jacket—inserted into the left side, pulled out the slide of the .45 caliber automatic pistol.

Acknowledging the presence of the dull-colored .45 ACP bullets in the chamber, Moore performs a chamber check inspection.

Securing the safety, he reholsters the handgun back into the shoulder holster.

"...36 rounds."

Already, there is one full magazine in the pistol—7 rounds in the magazine, 1 in the chamber, and four spare magazines.

36 rounds. This is the remaining ammunition to protect Moore.

"...It would be better not to shoot, but..."

<The gate will open.>

The expression he didn't show to the twin rabbits and the dealer at Coin Rush—a slight increase in tension. Deep vertical wrinkles appeared on his forehead, and his dark brown eyes narrowed sharply.

Slowly, the gate opened before him, and in response, he began to walk.

First, he needs to head to the bar.

A bar specified by Mustang within the Outer Rim. There, he must meet the individuals known as the Underworld Queens and directly hand over the USB memory entrusted to him by the CEO.

But there's one problem.

This is the Outer Rim.

In the underworld, a cesspool—a place where the map app doesn't work.

Therefore—

"...This is bad, I'm lost."

This man doesn't have a predisposition to get lost easily, but occasionally, he finds himself unexpectedly lost like this.

Well, humans, by nature, often wander through the long journey called life.

For about an hour, Moore continued to walk through the rough neighborhood.

Whether it was debris or a road was difficult to judge as he progressed through alleys that were close to being malodorous, perhaps due to the perpetually malfunctioning ventilation system or simply because they didn't exist.

Even though he had walked from the nearest gate, strangely, he felt like he was getting further away from his destination.

"...I should ask someone. ...No, but who?"

He never thought of residents who would willingly answer when asked for directions. Despite being perceived as kind by Anis, he doesn't possess an overly positive thought circuit.

However, the situation was truly intractable.

Well, he had no choice, so he decided to ask for directions.

"...E-Excuse me! Please wait a little longer for the payment... I'll definitely have it by next month...!"

Attempting to inquire about the way to the makeshift dwellings of the residents—calling it a semblance of life would be too generous. He approached a resident who lived in a rusted shipping container, but the resident misunderstood him as a debt collector or something, and he disappeared further into the back, seemingly running away.

It's a miss from the first try.

---he's a little hurt.

Really, just a little.