Yet the Serantal Building did not receive him warmly.

  Suddenly, Akira heard a voice, just as a woman appeared before him who clearly hadn’t been there a moment before. “Dear guest,” she stated, “I regret to inform you that our establishment is closed at this time. We ask that all personnel aside from staff refrain from entering. Kindly make your way to the exit.”

  Akira instinctively leaped backward and reached for his gun, but Alpha assumed control of his suit and stopped him before he could fire.

  Alpha?!

  Calm down, Akira. It’s just a hologram. Shooting her would only be a waste of ammo.

  Akira took another look and observed her more closely. She appeared to be wearing Old World clothing and was extraordinarily beautiful—on those points, she resembled Alpha. But this woman was visible to the naked eye, and she wasn’t communicating using telepathy—her words had reached his ears in the usual way. Perhaps the Akira of the past would have seen the woman and Alpha as more or less the same, but now he could clearly tell how they differed.

  At the same time, it was now evident to him that the woman didn’t actually exist—he couldn’t feel any sort of presence from her. And his scanner had reached the same conclusion—the woman could only be seen in visible light. In ultraviolet or infrared, she no longer existed. And while her voice seemed to come from the hologram, an echolocation scan revealed no sign of any human there. Nor had the scanner displayed any kinetic activity. If anything had actually appeared before him, or even if something had been there all along and he simply hadn’t noticed, his sensors would have detected a change in airflow. But no.

  Akira relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief. “A hologram. A ghost of the Old World, then. Guess that’s why they’re called ghosts—she sure spooked me!”

  Looking apologetic with her head bowed, the woman politely spoke again. “Dear guest, I repeat—I regret to inform you that this establishment is closed at this time. We ask that all personnel aside from staff refrain from entering. Kindly make your way to the exit.”

  Conflicted, Akira turned to his companion for a decision. “Umm, Alpha, what do you think I should do?” Of course, this late in the game Akira wouldn’t have any qualms infiltrating a dilapidated ruin and making off with any relics displayed on abandoned store shelves. But in a building that was practically as good as new and with a woman (never mind that she was a hologram) pleading with him to turn back and leave the establishment in peace, even Akira found it hard to just press on callously. It also didn’t help that he felt guilty at being treated so civilly—after mercilessly slaughtering the guards protecting the building.

  However, having come this far, Akira couldn’t turn back. With a trove of relics ahead just waiting to be collected, he wouldn’t be able to call himself a hunter if he made the unilateral decision to give up. So he passed the decision off to Alpha: if she answered that he had to make the choice on his own, he would, but he decided to ask just in case.

  But her response took him completely by surprise. Actually, I have something I need to take care of. Sorry, but wait here for a bit, and stay put.

  “Say what?”

  The next moment, Alpha disappeared, as did the other woman’s figure. Instantly, he felt his powered suit weighing him down, and the accuracy of his scanner fell sharply. Alpha and her support were completely gone.

  Alpha?! he cried out, frantic. Even telepathically, however, there was no response. In his mind, he remembered once more the isolation he’d felt in the hypersynthetic snake’s belly, after it had swallowed him and his vehicle whole, and his panic worsened.

  This wasn’t the inside of a monster’s stomach, of course. But his situation felt just as desperate: he was in the middle of a building whose autorestoration system was clearly still active, and there was no telling when a powerful guard might take him unawares. The pristine lobby, the immaculate floor, and the excellent condition of the building fed his mounting anxiety, which threatened to overwhelm him. He took deep breaths to keep the terror at bay.

  Get a hold of yourself, Akira, he told himself. It’ll be okay. This isn’t anything like last time. It’s not like our connection was suddenly cut off—she told me she was going first, and she said to wait here, so surely this area’s safe. Everything will be fine. Panicking was the worst thing he could do. Akira managed to calm down but still remained just as vigilant. Amid the silence, he became acutely aware of each detail of his surroundings, but he kept waiting patiently.

  Finally, Alpha reappeared. Looking amused for some reason, she said, I’m back. Did you miss me?

  “Yeah,” he replied sullenly. However, the pout on his face couldn’t hide his relief at her return. “So what was that all of a sudden?”

  I’ll explain as we head to our next destination. For now, let’s get out of here. Come on.

  “Wait, we’re leaving?”

  That’s right. Now quickly, follow me!

  Leading the way, Alpha hurried Akira along. The boy looked puzzled, but followed her anyway. Before exiting the building, however, he glanced back for no particular reason. The holographic woman had returned and was watching them go with an ill-tempered look on her face, quite different from the one she’d first shown him.

  We’re leaving just as she asked us to, so what’s her problem? Akira wondered, and then remembered what he’d done not long before. Well, I guess I did destroy the guards here and entered without permission, so I suppose I deserve it. He was a hunter, and this was what hunters did, so there was nothing for it; but he couldn’t help a small sense of guilt nonetheless. Yet he also knew that overthinking things would keep him from acting when it mattered most, so he put all of this out of his mind and faced forward once more.

  And so it was, as they walked off, that he failed to notice how the woman’s glare was not directed at him, but toward Alpha.

  “So tell me, why’d you leave like that, all of a sudden?” Akira asked Alpha again once they were outside.

  Because it was necessary.

  “Necessary? Really?” he grumbled.

  He was clearly unsatisfied by her cryptic reply, so she tried to placate him. Now, now, I know you were lonely without me around, but nothing happened, right? And I came back right away, she teased. Then, before he could question her any further, she changed the subject. In any case, that woman back there was the Serantal Building’s administrative interface. While I was away, I chatted with her a bit and found out exactly where that marker on the upper floor is pointing to—a Lion’s Tail branch on the fifty-seventh floor.

  “F-Fifty-seven?!” Akira croaked. From the marker’s location, he had determined it must be considerably high up, but upon hearing the actual number, he couldn’t help but feel intimidated—all the more so now that he knew how high the ceilings of the lobby alone were.

  So, Akira, how would you feel about climbing all those stairs?

  “Uh... I mean, it’s not like I want to, of course, but if it’s the only way to get a good haul, I’ll do it.”

  Good answer. However, I’d recommend against it. At your current level, the guards up there will kill you instantly. Even with my support, it would be suicide.

  Akira’s eyes widened. After defeating the guards outside the building, the ones inside were even tougher? So much that even he and Alpha together couldn’t handle them? “Are they really that strong?”

  Indeed. So I’m really sorry, but let’s give up on that marker for now.

  “Okay, fine.” He sighed. “Man, so in the end this search was a failure too. Even after all that work it took to get here...” He couldn’t help exhaling again. After traveling through the desert for hours on end, and even engaging in that deadly battle against powerful foes, everything had been for naught anyway. His disappointment was all the more severe.

  But Alpha looked smug. Don’t worry—where we’re going next, we’ll definitely be successful! The interface tipped me off to a place where there are tons of relics to be had.

  Akira, who’d been hanging his head, suddenly perked up. “Really?!”

  Absolutely. Would I lie to you? I’ll lead the way, so let’s go.

  Akira was about to follow her excitedly when something occurred to him. “Wait, would she really tell us something like that?”

  She’s an administrative interface for that skyscraper, not for the ruins as a whole. Whatever happens outside her jurisdiction is none of her concern. You saw the state of all the establishments around the Serantal Building, didn’t you?

  “Hmm... Well, I guess that makes sense,” he said, looking around the area and nodding, satisfied. With his doubt laid to rest, he set off after Alpha through the ruins.

  ◆

  Just as its name suggested, Mihazono’s factory district was made up of numerous Old World factories. There was beauty in the simplicity and functionality of the wide expanse of enormous structures, each identical and a uniform distance from its neighbors.

  But humans had been completely removed from this picture of functional beauty—naturally, since the factories were all automated, and human labor was no longer necessary.

  Akira gazed out from the top of a building in the business district, standing near the rooftop’s edge. He’d wanted to get a closer look at where they were headed, so Alpha had magnified his vision until he could see the marker indicating their next destination.

  The indicator was pointing to an area within the factory district.

  Okay, now I know where we’re going, but I don’t see any path to get there.

  You’re right, there isn’t one. So you’ll have to make one yourself, Alpha replied easily. Seeing his look of disbelief, she cheerfully kept talking before he could complain. Look, Akira. You can’t assume there will always be a trail to your destination in every ruin you explore. If anyone could get there, then it wouldn’t be unexplored in the first place.

  He nodded. Makes sense to me.

  And don’t worry, I’ll be scouting for the easiest route all the while. So I think you can manage a little trailblazing.

  Nah, my bad. I mean, it is a ruin after all. Of course there’ll be places you can’t easily reach. Compared to how he’d climbed mountains of rubble and found his own way without the aid of a powered suit when hunting relics in Kuzusuhara, this would practically be a cakewalk.

  He headed toward the marker with renewed enthusiasm.

  As before, while some of the buildings in the factory district were still up and running, there were also stretches of large abandoned ones. Akira and Alpha made their way primarily through these dilapidated, crumbling factories. Here they could clearly see the broken remains of mechanical guards. Such places were comparatively safer, since their autorestoration systems were inactive and their guards wouldn’t be reactivated anytime soon. Even so, Akira left the route planning to Alpha, focusing chiefly on staying vigilant.

  Along the way, he also occasionally passed through sites that looked brand-new, corridors that showed no sign of degradation over time, and freight tunnels that were still accessible. Yet none of the guards there ever seemed to notice him. Whether they were powered down, simply hadn’t spotted him, or were just ignoring him, he didn’t know. But he remained wary nonetheless as he proceeded.

  After a while, he reached an area with paved roads and comparatively better upkeep, and was immediately greeted by a large robot. It looked like a tank, except in place of treads it had a multitude of legs, each with tires at the bottom. It also carried an enormous artillery piece on its back that looked like it fired normal shells—but which was actually a laser cannon.

  Following Alpha’s instructions, Akira hid in the shadows of a nearby wall and observed the enemy. As he did, a thought came to his mind. Say, isn’t this machine supposed to be guarding the surrounding area?

  That would be a logical assumption, yes, she replied.

  Well, even though some of these factories are still running, they were built during the Old World, right? Which means even if these guards have been copied from past ones, and have been moved around in the ruin over time, their designs are still from back then?

  Essentially, that’s correct.

  Akira hesitated. Something was bothering him quite a bit. If the people of the Old World felt the need to outfit their guards with weapons like that... Akira gulped. Then just what on earth were they defending these factories from?

  That’s a question for the archeologists, not me. And keep in mind not all guards have the same specs. Or maybe the factory’s administrative system had to adapt to the times and modify the designs of its guardians accordingly.

  Oh, so as more hunters showed up, it had to beef up security? Something like that? Akira nodded.

  Actually, it’s likely the opposite, she said with a smile. Because only hunters were showing up, the admin probably lowered its guards’ specs to save on resources.

  Wait, what? Akira was dumbstruck. Was she saying that the monstrous robot in front of him was a weakened version? He felt like the more he learned about the Old World, the less he understood.

  But that’s all irrelevant—at least for the time being. Right now, all you need to worry about is defeating that thing.

  Roger! He’d already fought a similar opponent on the Serantal Building grounds, so he knew the drill. He fired his CWH directly into the monster’s cannon, destroying it. Then, while it stood defenseless, he shredded it with gunfire until it was a hunk of scrap. With the sentry out of the way, he now had access to the building.

  After making his way through the factory for a while, he found a room where he could take a breather. Sighing in relief, he had Alpha turn his vision to X-ray mode so he could see how far away the marker was through the wall.

  They only had a bit farther to go. Remembering that Alpha had been certain they’d hit the jackpot with this one, he found himself reflexively smiling.

  Then his scanner picked up a presence from a short distance beyond the wall. In his Alpha-augmented vision, he could detect what looked like a human figure nearby.

  Akira, someone’s coming this way. Be on your guard.

  Got it! He wasn’t entirely surprised to find other hunters here as well, but there was no guarantee they’d be friendly. Warily Akira drew his weapon, but kept it lowered so as not to accidentally provoke their visitor.

  As the image got closer, Akira began to make out two figures instead of just one. At that moment, both stopped where they were. Just as Akira was beginning to grow suspicious, his terminal received a short-distance call.

  “We’re a two-man team,” the voice said. “We have no intention of fighting, but we need to pass through the room you’re in. If you don’t trust us, then we’ll wait a while for you to exit the room before we head in.”

  So the pair wasn’t hostile, but careful enough to give him the right to decide whether he wanted to trust them. Then, based on his next actions, they’d be able to deduce his answer and in turn decide whether he could be trusted as well.

  Akira sensed from their caution that they were friendly, and he set down his gun. “Don’t worry, I don’t want to fight either. Come on through.”

  He heard silence on the other end before one of them finally spoke up. “Thank you so much. By the way, may I ask how many are in your team?”

  “Team? Naw, it’s just me,” he answered.

  From the hushed whispers he couldn’t quite make out, he could almost feel their bewilderment through the receiver. “Something wrong?” he asked.

  “No, no, it’s nothing. We’re coming now.”

  The line cut off, and two female hunters entered the room who looked the polar opposites of each other. Akira looked surprised, as did the women—albeit for different reasons.

  “Whoa, you weren’t bluffing—it really is just you, huh? And wow, you’re just a little kid!” said one.

  “Carol, that’s a rude thing to say to someone we’ve just met.”

  “Oh, whoopsie! Sorry, Monica!”

  The women—Carol and Monica—were taken aback to see that Akira really was going it solo. Hunters typically worked in groups since this was safer and more efficient, so it was incredibly rare to encounter a hunter operating alone in an area as dangerous as the factory district. Before they’d entered the room, both women had expected he was bluffing.

  But now it was clear otherwise. Perhaps the rest of his team could be out on different missions, but that didn’t seem likely either, as they could see no luggage or possessions that clearly belonged to anyone else.

  Which meant that the hunter standing before them must have been skilled enough to make it through the district this far on his own. And despite all this, he was just a kid?

  Akira’s surprise, meanwhile, stemmed from the women’s outfits—mainly Carol’s.

  Monica wore a protective coat, made from a material that clearly hadn’t been cheap. But it looked too big for her and was zipped up all the way so as not to expose an inch of her body. Akira’s only real impression of her outfit was that it had probably been pricey.

  But Carol’s outfit was the real eye-opener. She sported powered inner wear that accentuated her body’s curves, and while she was also wearing a powered suit over it, the latter was so skimpy it barely concealed the tight inner wear underneath. She also wore a full body harness which had obviously been designed to emphasize sex appeal. Carol’s racy getup—reminiscent of the clothing of the Old World—astounded even Akira, who typically showed no interest in what others wore.

  Alpha, um, that’s Old World clothing, right?

  No, modern. Its design was inspired by the Old World, though.

  Really? Hm... So she’s wearing it to intimidate other hunters? I mean, it’s not like a bluff like that would work on monsters. Akira recalled that Alpha had told him earlier about how some hunters would intentionally don outfits with Old World–like designs to make them appear stronger than they actually were.

  Actually, that depends on the monster. For some of the more intelligent monsters out there, in fact, it might be quite effective.

 

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