Chapter 36

Author Notes:I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who has taken the time to read this far.

On a less important note, I'm curious about how everyone envisions Lieutenant Moore's appearance.

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"FU*K...I hate you for this, Your Excellency. What kind of 'research facility' is this?"

The field commander, who had been cursing Anderson with a sudden F-word out of frustration during the meeting, took a look through his binoculars and noticed the appearance of the so-called "research facility." Unconciously, he clicked his tounge for the absurdness of this mission.

"Commander, I understand your frustration, but..."

"That's a bit..."

Annis spoke with a wry smile, and Neon lightly patted his back in an attempt to calm him down, but Moore had three deep vertical wrinkles on his forehead.

"...It becomes a fortress."

"The original concept was a research facility with its own defense systems. It was heavily armed. In fact, it never allowed intruders when it was operational alone... Well, after they took it over, those weapons have been targeting us."

"...Were they planning to use it to fight Kaiju or something?"

"Something like that."

1.5 kilometers away, a dome-shaped structure could be seen. Even though Moore confirmed its full extent through binoculars, he couldn't stop cursing. That thing was definitely a "fortress."

Dozens of gun barrels protruded like a hedgehog, with a makeshift runway that seemed capable of accommodating helicopters and aircraft storage hangars, and even Vertical Launch System (VLS) cells for launching missiles.

In the past, as firearms evolved and developed, the value of permanent fortresses declined, likely due to the lack of mobility despite the enormous maintenance costs. Various factors contributed to the decline of fortresses as a concept.

It was ironic that they were making a comeback in this era and were currently a threat. Even though personal firearms had already been pushed to their limits in terms of performance, who were the basta*d responsible for devising such a concept that seemed to mock that fact?

"Ludmila, can you tell us how the research facility was taken over?"

As Rapi's reddish brown hair fluttered in the cold wind blowing from the north, she asked Rudmila, who responded in a calm tone after a brief sigh.

"...It started with minor malfunctions. I thought it was only natural, given how old the research facility was. But it wasn't. It began with minor issues and gradually expanded. Before I knew it, most of the facility was in their hands."

"...Hacking?"

"Probably. There doesn't seem to have been any direct external intrusion."

"Perhaps if it had been a direct intrusion, they would have been able to handle it. Or maybe they anticipated this and used hacking to take control of the base; that possibility was considered."

"Can Rapture also do hacking?"

"Some of them can communicate. I'm sure hacking would be nothing to them..."

" "Anis..." "

Both Moore and Rapi's voices overlapped as they reprimanded Annis, who had slipped up. She hastily covered her mouth with her hand, but it was too late.

"Hehe... Let's just pretend we didn't hear that."

"Thank you. Anis, no sparkling water for you."

"What?! After all the trouble I went through to find you, Commander!?"

Ludmila, shrugging her shoulders and wearing a wry smile, informed him, and Moore expressed his gratitude while scouting the base with binoculars. The promise to treat Anis to sparkling water upon their return seemed to be null and void.

It was audacious of Anis to speak about confidential matters when there should have been a gag order. Although, Moore could understand her frustration to some extent. Just as he was thinking of having a beer and making a toast, he felt someone's gaze on his back. When he turned around, he saw Rapi looking at him.

"Commander... A moment, please."

He nodded in response to her and stowed his binoculars in his pouch. Six wolves were following them, but it shouldn't be a problem.

As he lit a cigarette during the pre-battle break, she promptly took out a turbo lighter from her pocket. While Moore shielded his cigarette from the wind with both hands, Rapi lit it for him with the lighter held in her delicate hand. In the midst of the purple smoke from his cigarette, Rapi whispered.

"As Anis mentioned, there are indeed special individuals like Talkatives among them, but hacking is the essence of human technology. It's unlikely that Rapture can do it."

"...I can't say for sure due to the lack of evidence..."

As he let the nicotine and tar from the cigarette he was now smoking fill his mind, Moore dispelled the thoughts that seemed to be freezing up due to the possibility of the upcoming battle turning into something reminiscent of the battles of the 19th to early 20th centuries.

"…The likelihood of having an insider is high."

"Yes, I'm confident about it now, considering this incident. It's reasonable to think that the objective of targeting the research base is related to Pilgrim."

"Of course... There could be other objectives, but... if our missions and actions are anticipated, especially in the event of encountering Talkatives, it would naturally lead them to the research base if information about our missions leaks."

As he exhaled the purple smoke simultaneously from his nostrils and lips, Rapi nodded in response.

"It doesn't change what we have to do... but I think we should keep that in mind."

"Yeah... damn it... this is such a sh*tty job."

A sigh that brought back memories of their former comrades, along with candid remarks from him. Despite his somewhat rough language and an appearance that could be considered befitting of his age, Rapi lightly patted Moore's back when he saw a rare smile on her face.

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"Ha ha... Well, well... Fighting against a 'building' is a first for me."

As the advancing group approached the outer perimeter of the research base or fortress, Anis muttered while shrugging her shoulders.

"----I'm fired up! I wonder how much firepower I could test! Can I blow up buildings too? If that's possible... it means I've surpassed my limits! It's a shame... I wanted to become even stronger..."

"What is this child talking about...? Commander, your 'disciple' is saying something."

"...Don't look at me. I'm busy right now."

While Moore designated the Frontal Penetrating Line (FPL) for the Rapture, who would normally make witty comments, he never thought they would find themselves on the said side. Moore was preoccupied with examining the terrain and the debris that would serve as cover.

In addition, he made sure to load grenades into the grenade launcher attached to the underside of his assault rifle, all while being in the midst of preparing for combat.

"Rudmila, do you have any key points for the assault?"

"Even though I'm amazing, I have no experience in fighting buildings. Do you, sir?"

"...Do you think I do? I'm so eager to go and ask General Nogi for a lecture on fortress assaults."

"...Who's that?"

"A REALLY old generation general."

"Do you know him?"

Moore asked while performing the final check on his assault rifle after completing the loading process. However, both Rudmila and Rapi shook their heads left and right.

"Anyway... regardless of that, there might be a key point. There are joints supporting the external frame. If you break them, it should collapse."

It seemed there was no other choice but to concentrate the squad's firepower. Moore also confirmed that there were multiple frames supporting the upper structure above the foundation buried in the snowy terrain.

If they could destroy it, the armored dome-shaped structure, stuck on top due to its own weight, would likely collapse. Of course, that was assuming they could break it with the grenades.

"Your Majesty, is that the Queen of Hearts over there?"

"No, Alice. That's just a subordinate serving the Queen of Hearts. The real Queen of Hearts... is even more formidable."

"I see...! But I'm not afraid! I'm with my comrades who wield legendary weapons!"

"That's good. Well then, let's begin..."

They were 700 meters away from the outer perimeter of the fortress. Moore had assumed that the gun barrels would soon turn towards them, but his gaze caught something moving.

"Scatter! Disperse!"

It was the barrel of what appeared to be a perfect circle. Memories of being targeted by a Tyrant-class—Blacksmith—came back to him, and as he shouted a warning, he started running, and everyone scattered.

Just as it seemed that a bluish-white light was converging at the back of the barrel, a surge of light was expelled, completely vaporizing the point where they had just been standing, along with the snow that had piled up.

...If they get hit by that, it'll be more than just a mess.

Moore, hiding behind cover, observed the situation behind him, then turned to face the wolves gathering around him and urged them to retreat.

"Hurry. There's no need for you to come with us beyond this point."

He hadn't wished for it, but even in less than half a day, they had become attached to him, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie. That's why he was encouraging the wolves to escape. However, they showed no sign of fleeing.

"...Disobeying orders could lead to a court-martial."

With an expression that seemed to say he couldn't care less, he let out a wry smile. In that case, so be it.

"...Follow me without delay. We're charging together. Squad!! Advance individually and approach!!"

In response to Moore's loud voice, the girls who had scattered returned their acknowledgment. He ran towards the right flank.

Peering out from behind the rubble serving as cover, he confirmed that the barrel was not pointed in their direction and quickly moved from one piece of debris to the next.

While running alongside the wolves aiming for his back, Moore continued to advance one after another.

They were about 300 meters from the outer perimeter.

Suddenly, the fortress's shelling intensified. It seemed they had crossed the Frontal Penetrating Line (FPL).

Bluish-white beams rained down like hail, melting the snow-covered ground one after another, blocking their path. But at this point, retreating was difficult.

There was nothing left but to charge. Turning back now would be hard after reaching this point.

A beam of light passed over Moore's head and landed about 10 meters behind him. But before he felt the danger to his life, he was overwhelmed by a sense of exhilaration.

Perhaps the tension had come full circle, but he couldn't hide the relaxed expression on his face.

"Commander! We're joining up!"

"Alice and I got separated!"

Around the debris that Moore used as cover to evade enemy fire, there were scattered pieces of varying sizes. Seeing the two figures that had each jumped into one of them unharmed, Moore let out a relieved breath.

"Are you both okay? Rapi, let's fire grenades! Ludmila, tell me where to shoot the joints! Fire there!"

He opened the chamber of the grenade launcher with a clank. After confirming that the grenades were indeed loaded, he closed the chamber and raised the specialized sight and the front sight of his assault rifle.

It seemed that Rapi had finished loading the grenades as well, as she reported that she was ready.

"Focus on the tracer round! Aim precisely!"

Leaning out, Rudmila pointed the barrel of her submachine gun at a specific point on the upper structure and frame supporting the armor. She pulled the trigger and used the tail of the tracer rounds, loaded ten at a time, to indicate the target point for everyone.

Seeing that point, Moore and Rapi adjusted their grenade launcher and assault rifle, respectively, to estimate the angle for firing.

When the marks on the sight, the front sight, and the joint coincided, Moore and Rapi pulled the trigger.

With two shots and the relieving sound of firing, the grenades, forming an arc, struck the joints as if they were being sucked in. The explosive charge inside detonated, scattering shrapnel.

The black smoke cleared away in the cold wind, but the armor remained completely intact.

However—

"We did it! It's collapsing!"

—A heavy, creaking sound began to echo. The frames supporting the thick armor in their line of sight bent and twisted one after another.

The frames that must have been unable to withstand their own weight broke, and the armor began to collapse as Ludmila had predicted, with a loud crashing sound, following the laws of gravity.

At the same time, it seemed that the attack had begun on the left flank as well.

The sound of exploding grenades, as well as the gunfire from shotguns and sniper rifles, resounded one after another.

"Neon is shooting wildly, huh?"

Had she been accumulating stress lately? Moore envisioned his disciple shouting something like "Firepower!!" while madly pulling the trigger of her shotgun.

And just as the heavily armored left outer perimeter began to collapse with a resounding roar, the ground suddenly began to shake.

"What the---"

A tremor resembling an earthquake began, causing cracks to form in the snow-covered ground that had solidified underfoot. An ominous feeling swept through his entire body without mercy.

"Evacuate! Hurry!"

At times like this, it was best to follow one's instincts without hesitation. Moore, who had jumped out from behind cover, began to retrace the path he had taken with great effort.

Almost simultaneously, the wolves started to run, showcasing their leg strength, with Rapi and Rudmila following closely behind.

Moore had physical abilities beyond an average human, but he couldn't compete with Nikke, let alone the wolves, in terms of running speed. He was overtaken by the wolves, and then the two girls caught up.

"What's going on!?"

"Something is coming!!"

"What!?"

The heavy rumbling grew even stronger. It was not like an avalanche; it was something with even greater mass.

The shaking ground made it difficult to run, but after sprinting for about 200 meters, the three of them managed to jump into the shadows of container wreckage together. Just then, a thunderous noise rang out as if an explosion had occurred.

"---Well, that's not fair."

He had muttered something similar when facing Blacksmith, but this time, Moore couldn't help but say it out loud.

After all— the research base had started to move.

Rising up on all fours was, to put it simply, a gigantic turtle.

The dome-shaped fortress-like base was its shell, and beneath that, four legs and a head were hidden. It raised its head and revealed itself in the snowy landscape with a rumbling sound.

"Rapi, do we still have grenades!?"

"Yes, we do! Please, get down!"

As Moore reached for the launcher after receiving the grenades from Rapi, her warning rang out.

At the moment when the research base, now transformed into a gigantic turtle, lifted its head, a part of the snow that had been thrown high into the air when it emerged began to fall.

Upon hearing Rapi's warning about the falling snow overhead, Moore attempted to react by getting down, but he noticed that Ludmila was slightly delayed and pulled her hand with all his strength, embracing her as they fell to the snowy ground together.

Just as they fell to the ground, the massive chunk of snow that had descended crushed the container wreckage.

"Are you okay!?"

"Y-yes. I'm fine."

"Good. Rapi, aim for the joints in its legs!"

Having confirmed that Rudmila was unharmed, Moore stood up and removed the spent shell casing from the launcher. He then loaded the newly received grenades.

Although the research base had transformed into a gigantic turtle, its movements were sluggish, befitting its appearance. Furthermore, the thinness of its legs was its weak point. It was still carrying the upper structure, and if the joints were damaged, it would be in big trouble.

Moore and Rapi dropped their assault rifle's buttstocks to the snowy ground and adjusted their angles. When the marks on the sight, the front sight, and the joint lined up, the triggers were pulled almost simultaneously.

Grenades hit each of the two right legs, resulting in explosions. However, they didn't seem to cause significant damage to the appearance of the legs. But there were small cracks. This might be what became fatal.

Following that, Anis's grenades landed one after another on the two left legs as well. The moment cracks appeared on all the leg joints, the upper structure's weight concentrated, and with a snap, the joints shattered.

The part of the neck that connected to the massive turtle's head, which was crushed by the shell-like upper structure, was severed, and the twin blue lights emitted from its eyes disappeared.

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"Ahh... destroying the building too... it seems my firepower has reached its limit. Sensei, I'm going down the 'mountain'. There's no longer a destination I should aim for."

"In that case, it's time for the orbital elevator. Why not aim for space?"

As the fire-power fanatics, master and disciple continued their incomprehensible conversation, the group entered the just-destroyed interior of the base.

They never expected the base to be mobile, but for now, their infiltration had been successful.

However—

"This is troublesome. The security is still active."

Driven by an urge to talk to the designer who planned this base, Moore found himself in a bit of a predicament.

A mobile base with excessive armaments—it was definitely going overboard. While not denying the pursuit of something romantic that would delight men, this seemed excessive.

It would have been better if they had installed a self-destruct mechanism to prevent it from falling into Rapture's hands.

The silver lining was that they were stranded in front of a locked door inside, albeit just one wall away from the chilly winds outside.

"...If only we had a key card to enter... I was too busy with the escape, so I couldn't take it with me," Ludmila suddenly muttered, and the word "key card" struck Moore's ears.

Immediately, the events from this morning came rushing back to his mind.

"Me! Show your pass! But this pass is a bit special, DESU!!"

"Now, when Me performs this action, the pass activates!! This pass has accumulated the technology of My Company Tetraline!!"

"I guess.... this is where my 'pride' die."

Moore's expression changed to one he had never seen before—a determination as if he were about to charge into a horde of hundreds of Raptures alone. He put down his backpack and then removed his body armor. Anything that would hinder his movement was taken off.

"Eh? Commander..."

"I'm gonna dance."

Moore opened the pouch on the body armor he had just removed. He took out the access pass he had received from Mustang and held it firmly in his right hand as he stood in front of the tightly closed door.

"Commander, do we also have to dance...?"

"...Anis, Rapi. It's weird. I'm feeling embarrassed."

"...I feel the same..."

"...No, I should be able to dance alone. Everyone, take a short break... Anis, do you have the song that was playing at that time on your phone?"

"...Huh? Yeah."

"...Play it for me."

Following Moore's resolute request, Anis took out her mobile device. She tapped the screen, set the BGM to maximum volume, and began playing the music through the speaker.

"All right, here goes."

Moore, with a determined look, started a once-in-a-lifetime dance.

To put it simply, it was a "perfect copy."

Rapi and Neon were utterly stunned; he had reproduced it perfectly. Anis instinctively activated her camera function and recorded the video, which would later be sent to Mustang.

"Oh! THIS IS ENTERTAINMENT!!!"

That was a separate story, though.

"...Please kill me..."

"...Commander..."

"...Master..."

After the perfect copy of the successful dance, Moore presented the activated access pass, and the door opened without issue. However, Moore was leaning against the wall beside it, his head hung low, which goes without saying.

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Author Notes:

In the next chapter, I believe we'll be entering the themes of "pilgrimage" and "reunion"... I'm looking forward to how we can chip away at Lieutenant Moore's steel mental resolve. Break... just break already...!