Meanwhile, a shower of DVTS bullets descended upon the mechanical targets below. They instantly deployed their force-field armor, and flashes of impact conversion scattered everywhere as the armor covering their bodies became scarred with bullet marks. But because of the distance from which Akira was shooting and the strength of the robots’ armor, the bullets failed to pierce the machines’ defenses, and their inner systems remained unharmed.

  But the barrage was certainly effective in one respect—convincing the machines to raise Akira’s threat level. An autonomous weapon that he’d attacked immediately rotated one of its two autocannons in his direction. Once it had him lined up in its sights, it temporarily weakened the force field surrounding its cannon so it could fire. The moment the force-field output dropped, however, a CWH proprietary bullet flew down the cannon’s muzzle. The powerful round struck the shell within just as it was about to fire, causing a shock-induced explosion that destroyed the cannon from the inside.

  The cannon hadn’t even finished turning toward Akira before he’d fired. Nevertheless, the bullet had entered the cannon’s muzzle with perfect timing—thanks to the preciseness of Alpha’s calculations, which bordered on precognition.

  With one of its autocannons destroyed, the autonomous weapon’s control system immediately sensed the damage and increased the force-field armor around the other gun to maximum intensity, protecting its sole remaining method of attack. The force field around the rest of the machine became weaker as a result, however. A second proprietary bullet was already on the way, and it pierced through the lowered defenses, opening a large hole in the armored part of its metallic surface and striking the control system within. Unable to even put up a decent counteroffensive, the monstrous machine fell motionless.

  With their comrade out of commission, the other guards registered Akira as an even bigger threat and swiftly moved as one to eliminate him. Countless micromissiles fired from their pods in quick succession. They seemed to hang in midair for a moment before rerouting themselves to Akira’s location, steering by adjusting the movable nozzles on their tails. They came in from different angles so their prey wouldn’t have a chance to escape. At the same time, another machine equipped with an autocannon also got Akira in its sights, firing shells at high speed to keep him pinned down while the missiles closed in.

  Akira wanted desperately to avoid them. Still using the recoil from this rifle to keep himself against the side of the building, and running perpendicular to the wall, he leaped from side to side to dodge the projectiles, occasionally reaching speeds even faster than he would’ve hit in freefall. At the same time, he intercepted enough of the missiles with his DVTS to open a hole in their encirclement wide enough for him to keep from getting blown up with the rest of his surroundings. Feeling heat on his skin from the explosions on all sides, Akira looked the very picture of panic.

  Alpha, I thought you said I just needed a “fair” amount of resolve! This is way more than “fair!”

  Alpha just gave him a breezy smile. I would say this is fair—considering what you went through during the bounty hunts, this is practically a walk in the park, right?

  That’s like comparing apples and oranges!

  Oh, don’t be so humble. Look, you’re not only avoiding everything—you’re also fighting back, right? Just don’t let up on that trigger, okay?

  Yes, ma’am! Akira spat sarcastically as he fired his CWH, sending powerful proprietary bullets toward the autocannon with perfect accuracy. Just as before, he’d waited until the machine lowered the force field around its muzzle, but this time he’d pierced its steel body instead, destroying its internal system in one hit.

  Another one bites the dust! Alpha announced. It’ll get easier the more you take down, so keep it up!

  Thanks for the tip! Akira retorted as he continued to run. But of course, since all of this would normally have been impossible for him to pull off, it forced him to recognize even more just how incredible Alpha’s support was.

  Akira was currently somewhere near the building’s eighteenth floor. He could have covered that distance in no time in freefall, but it was a considerable distance nonetheless. Traveling vertically via recoil was already putting a constant burden on his body, not to mention performing movements that strained the physical limits of his suit. And getting blasted with nearby explosions certainly hadn’t helped matters. His bones were cracking from the stress, and his muscles were tearing. The nanomachines from his medicine were healing those injuries, only for the bones and muscles to crack and tear again. And the cycle would continue until either the battle was over or he ran out of meds.

  Still, they were definitely eliminating most of the pain. But the uncomfortable sensation of repeatedly having his body destroyed and regenerated at the cellular level was still present, and Akira couldn’t help but force a twisted grin.

  Alpha, however, was genuinely happy that Akira could even manage that under such conditions. She gave him a smile that seemed to say, I know this seems rough, but this is nothing compared to what you’ll be facing in the future—just a drop in the bucket.

  In that case, Akira reasoned, he certainly had no business wearing such a grim face. Bucking up, he focused on the fight with renewed resolve. Alpha was right—there were fewer enemies than there had been at the start, and the more he defeated, the easier time he’d have. But he wasn’t about to proclaim this a cinch—for now she’d have to settle for his forced smile.

  Unfortunately, the enemy had started to call in reinforcements. The mechanical monsters stationed on the opposite side of the Serantal Building were now circling around to join the fight. One of them looked like a combat car with a fan-shaped missile pod mounted on top, which fired a volley of micromissiles. A similar machine nearby fired only a single missile, but one which was much more massive. Targeted by rockets both small and large, Akira began to panic. Alpha! We’re not screwed, right?!

  Well, it’ll be impossible to intercept them all... But no, you’ll be fine.

  Really? Whew, that’s a relief! If Alpha said he was going to be fine, then he would be. In truth, Akira harbored a variety of doubts about Alpha, each of which he’d locked away in the depths of his heart—but this was one of the things he did trust her on. To doubt her here would mean all was for naught. And besides, at his current level, placing his faith in her as he fought was the only way he could repay her.

  Following her orders, Akira targeted the huge missile first. Just as she’d calculated, the rounds he fired knocked the projectile off course, sending it into the side of the building and creating a gargantuan hole. Had he been fighting on the ground, he would have had nowhere to run. But since he was fighting sideways, and the wall of the building had become his “floor,” he now had another direction he could escape—“down.”

  Akira leaped into the hole, entering the building. A split second later, explosions from the micromissiles rocked the area “above” him. Some entered the building as well, but compared to the damage on the surface, the injuries he received were minimal.

  He ran through the building, panting hard. I see now. You had me get familiar with this building in the first place so that I’d have a place to escape to if things got dicey, didn’t you?

  You got it! Bet you’re pretty glad I had you explore every floor now, right? In fact, having analyzed the building’s structure beforehand, Alpha had been continually adjusting Akira’s position during the fight so that if worse came to worse, he could escape into the building and get to a safe area.

  Seeing Alpha’s smug grin, Akira gave a hollow laugh. Sorry for questioning what the point was.

  It’s okay, as long as you understand now. All right, let’s head back outside!

  Roger! Of course, after investigating so thoroughly, he already knew exactly where to make an exit, and he shot out a thin wall. He emerged outside once more, and it was back to fighting from the side of the building.

  For some time afterward, the battle raged on. More reinforcements kept arriving, putting even more pressure on Akira. Even so, he kept pushing back, and thanks to Alpha’s extremely efficient aid he slowly but surely gained the advantage.

  Mechanical monsters essentially moved according to how they were programmed, so their actions were far more predictable than those of the organic variety. The most efficient way to fight them was to exploit their pattern once you got the hang of it. However, these monsters’ combat programs were by no means simple—in fact, normally they would have been impossible to analyze accurately in the heat of battle.

  But Alpha made the impossible possible. Leaving the aiming entirely up to her, Akira fired his CWH with reckless abandon. Proprietary bullets sliced through enemies’ weak points as though this were the most natural thing in the world. And with their all-important artillery destroyed, the machines were reduced to scrap with no resistance whatsoever.

  At the same time, he fired his DVTS to knock missiles off course, disrupt trajectories of howitzer shells, and whittle away at weak enemy armor—while using the recoil from those shots to speed up or stop on a dime as he raced down the side of the building. He kept this up without missing a step, slaughtering the enemy with optimal efficiency. Akira almost wondered if the enemies kept attacking because they wanted to be destroyed.

  He was now somewhere near the tenth floor—the ground was near, and there were only a handful of enemies left. But he couldn’t relax yet, up against powerful machines who would wipe him out the instant he let his guard down. By the same token, if he stayed vigilant, he would maintain the upper hand.

  As it turned out, Akira didn’t let his guard slip, and the robots never had a chance to turn the tables. So the moment he finally touched down on the ground, he only had to aim his CWH toward the lone surviving monster and pull the trigger.

  Last one! Alpha announced.

  At this, he zeroed in on his target and fired. The proprietary bullet pierced the enemy’s force field and struck steel. Impact conversion flashed, shattered, and vanished. The impact from the shot smashed the system inside, reducing the mechanical monstrosity to scrap, and the rumble of its movements ceased. Finally, peace and quiet returned to the area. But Akira stayed rooted to the spot, still on guard in the midst of a tranquil landscape.

  Alpha stood in front of him and smiled. It’s okay, Akira, you can relax now. It’s over—you won!

  It finally hit him that he had been victorious. The first thing he did was heave a deep sigh. Then, looking up at the roof he’d leaped from not long ago, he smiled wryly.

  He turned back to Alpha, who grinned smugly. That’s just the power of my support for you! Have I finally made it sink in?

  Akira looked sheepish. “Yeah, I believe that about did it. I get it now, so you don’t ever have to make me experience anything like that again.”

  Oh, don’t be so reserved. Indulge a little! You’ve got my support as an advance on the payment for my job, and we’re partners besides!

  “Then use that support you’re so proud of to make sure I never have to experience anything like that again.” He grinned again.

  I believe I’m doing the best I can on that front as well, you know. Alpha gave him a knowing look.

  Akira sensed what Alpha was getting at, and couldn’t help but grimace. Previously, he’d been attacked by hordes of monsters just by venturing out into the wasteland, and just recently he and his vehicle had been swallowed whole by a gigantic serpent. If Alpha was saying that Akira’s luck was too rotten to fully compensate for, then he couldn’t argue. That was something even Alpha couldn’t calculate.

  Moreover, Akira couldn’t deny that many of the dicey situations he’d gotten into had come about through his own words and actions. These were also things Alpha had no control over. Either way, for someone like Akira, the skill to overcome adversity was more necessary than the ability to avoid it. “Okay, I get it! Then I’m counting on your support going forward, so it’ll at least be easier to handle those situations when they occur.”

  Of course! Like always, leave it to me. Naturally, though, you won’t be able to handle much without your belongings. So let’s hurry and retrieve them. Alpha pointed up to the roof with a huge smile.

  Akira’s things were still on the roof where he’d left them.

  Akira looked up at the building once more. Twenty-seven floors was not a small number. “I have to climb all the way back up there again?” Exasperated, he made a face.

  Don’t worry, Alpha said with an impish grin. You can use the stairs going down this time. Or maybe you’d rather run down the wall again? Never fear—I’ll support you every step of the way!

  “Hell no!” Akira scowled.

  But this just made Alpha’s grin grow wider.

  Of course, once Akira climbed the twenty-seven floors up to the roof and retrieved his belongings, he had to descend twenty-seven stories back down. Yet though he seriously found it a pain, there was a lightness in his step as he walked.

  He’d fought a hard battle and emerged victorious. It wasn’t the fighting itself that had improved his mood—even with Alpha’s help he knew what he’d done had been extremely reckless, and he’d only survived because he’d trusted her, followed her every instruction, and had the necessary amount of resolve.

  He’d needed resolve to walk his path, so he’d steeled himself and walked it. And because of this, he’d been able to progress. Moreover, he’d been able to prove the strength of his resolve to both Alpha and himself. So he was satisfied.

  However, in truth, that battle had been completely unnecessary, and could’ve been avoided. Back when Akira had used the scope on his rifle to examine the monsters guarding the Serantal Building, Alpha had maintained control of his suit, and could have stopped him from making such a careless mistake.

  But she hadn’t. Instead, she’d seen it as an opportunity to show Akira firsthand how valuable her support was.

  After all, back when he’d been swallowed by the hypersynthetic snake, he’d managed to escape without Alpha’s help. Then he’d wiped out a medium-sized gang without even wearing a powered suit, meaning that she’d only been able to provide him with limited aid.

  So Alpha wanted to dispel any notions in Akira’s head that he might be able to manage without her. To that end, she had deliberately made Akira fight the Serantal Building defense force, setting up a grand, elaborate stage for a battle defying all expectations—and then had helped him win.

  Now, she was sure, her disquiet could be laid to rest.

  And Alpha was satisfied.

  Chapter 106: The Factory District

  With the building’s guards taken care of, Akira stood at the entrance to the Serantal Building and looked up. A vestige of the Old World, it was large enough to be seen from anywhere in Mihazono, and so its presence seemed to loom over him.

  “Whoa, it sure is tall!” he murmured in awe.

  Back when he had first entered the Kuzusuhara Ruins, he’d seen the hazy skyline of undamaged skyscrapers deep within the ruin, imagined that the ruin’s autorestoration system was probably still intact and formidable mechanical guards were likely still roaming the area, and had immediately decided to turn back. While this was a different ruin, of course, he’d just defeated a group of powerful guardian robots in order to reach an area he would never have been able to reach previously, and he was feeling quite accomplished.

  “Well, guess we should head on in,” he said aloud. “Hope there’s lots of good loot in here—I’m gonna need a ton of money to recoup all that ammo I just used.” Yet to keep himself from growing complacent, he reminded himself that this expedition could really only be called a success once he managed to turn a profit.

  If that’s what you’re worried about, how about mentioning the guards you just took down in your job report when you’re done? Considering how strong they were, I imagine you’d get quite a bonus.

  Akira made a face. “Nuh-uh. If the Hunter Office found out what I just did, they’d only recommend me even tougher, more dangerous jobs from here on. No thanks.”

  Are you sure? Then how about handing the report over to Kibayashi instead? It might give him such a good laugh that he’d be more inclined to throw his weight around to help you.

  “Hell no!” Akira shouted reflexively. Then, a bit more calmly, “I’m not out here risking my life for that guy’s amusement. Now let’s go in.”

  Even though the hypersynthetic snake he’d defeated hadn’t been officially designated as a bounty monster (despite being the real one), thanks to Kibayashi’s influence Akira had nonetheless earned a cool one hundred million aurum for doing so. So he had in fact found himself thinking that perhaps there was some merit in entertaining Kibayashi after all. But that would only make the man expect even more crazy, reckless, and rash endeavors from Akira in the future. So the boy walked up to the entrance with an exaggerated scowl as if to show Alpha how opposed he was to the idea.

  The automatic sliding door was constructed from a material that resembled glass, and which—as Akira found out when he stood in front of it—had no power. Undeterred, he wrenched open the door with suit-enhanced strength and slipped inside. Rolling her eyes, Alpha followed behind him.

  Inside the Serantal Building, he was met with a spacious lobby, complete with a reception desk. The lobby had a vast atrium-like design, and the ceiling was nearly as high as the room was wide. The walls showed no sign of the wear and tear of the years, and the floor was immaculate, free of dust. While the furnishings weren’t particularly extravagant, just looking at the materials used in the building’s construction was enough to see that this was a high-class establishment. So elegant and spacious did it appear that to some it might even seem a place of worship. Akira, for his part, got a vague sense that his presence was somehow defiling the sanctity of these grounds—and for a moment, he hesitated to go any farther.

  Still, at this point turning back was not an option, and he cautiously approached the center of the lobby.

 

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