“It’s going to take some time removing this. Should we call for some more help?” I asked.
“No, I’ve got this,” replied President Momone. “You two just step back.”
There, she drew her wooden sword...
“Hah...”
And raised it high above her head.
“Hiyah!”
She then swung it down directly on the hedge, which rattled and rustled as its branches gave way. It looked like they were snapped right off—no, sliced—leaving a neat gap.
“Hiyah!”
President Momone swung again, making the gap large enough for a person to pass through. I guess I’d been expecting her to beat down the bushes, not trim them... It was a wooden kendo sword, after all.
“Say, uh, Prez... Have you ever killed anyone during club activities?”
“How rude. I’m using a technique that brandishes my spiritual power. I would never use such a thing in kendo practice,” President Momone said with a sullen face, kicking away some fallen branches.
The three of us then worked together to clear out the rest of the plant-y debris and uproot the stumps so there was a safe path to walk through.
“Gramps, we’ve taken care of the fence and hedges. Now we just need to make sure this connects to the intersection—”
As President Momone was reporting the status of our operation to her grandfather, she was interrupted by a terrible sound.
“Kyaaah!”
“Nooooo!”
It was screaming coming from around front.
“Damn!”
I was the first to take off running. Dashing through the garden, I came back out on the road where Yulia, Yorun, and the others were supposed to be clearing away the fence. And there, I saw...
Whirr-clunk!
A robot crushing houses as it walked this way.
“Eeeeek!”
The yokai had completely fallen into a panic and were scattering in every direction.
“Calm down! Remember: they don’t attack people!” I yelled in a voice loud enough to surprise myself, making all the yokai freeze in place. Even the nekomata who had jumped onto the roof stopped in their tracks. “Just stay out of the way and hide! Wait until it passes by!”
“G-Got it!”
“Stay hidden, meow!”
The direct instructions seemed to help abate the panic and confusion. The yokai quickly began helping each other find places to hide as the robot approached. But as it drew nearer...
“Mew! Mew!”
I spotted a kitten that had been left out on the road, too scared to move.
“Crap!”
It had to be one of the nekomata. Fear had probably taken hold of it and forced it out of its human transformation, leaving it frozen in place. In the heat of the moment, everyone had been too focused on other things. No one had seen the tiny kitten on the ground. And worse yet, its fearful cries had been drowned out by all the chaos.
“Hup!”
If I was the only one who noticed it, I had to save it. I leaped out of my hiding place and made a run for it. I’d be fine, right? The robots allegedly didn’t attack on sight, so I’d just grab the kitten and get the hell out of the way. Or at least, that’s what I told myself as I snatched the kitten up and clutched it close. All I had to do now was run. And even though I knew that... I couldn’t help but turn my eyes towards the robot.
“!”
The sound of its heavy footsteps grew louder as it approached. With no head, it was hard to tell where the cockpit was at a glance. Was it that weird part sticking out of its torso?
Whirr-clunk!
The robot took another step forward. Its large frame made it look lumbering, but the robot actually had surprisingly smooth movements. The hulking two-legged robots in old TV shows were always slow and wobbly, but the low center of gravity on this one made it quite stable.
Whrrp!
Suddenly, its large body lurched forward. Rather than falling over, however, it appeared to be looking down at something. It almost felt like we were meeting eyes. But the next thing I knew...
Vwoom!
It was reaching its massive arm out right for me!
“Wah!”
I jumped to the right in a fluster to evade it, but... Was it really aiming for me just now?! I thought President Momone said they didn’t attack people! I was ready to have a full-on freak-out, but the second arm was already coming for me.
“Bah!”
I dove for the ground, rolling out of the way.
“Mrow!”
The kitten in my arms squealed, so I let go of it as soon as I stopped moving.
“Mew!”
“Get out of here!” I shouted to the frightened kitten, running away from it as fast as I could to put some distance between us...
But the robot’s arms were faster than my legs! Just as it looked like it was about to catch me...
“Rekka!”
WHAM!
Yorun jumped out of nowhere, deflecting the robot arm with her hammer.
“You okay?!”
“Yeah!”
With Yorun covering me, I collected myself and looked up at the robot once more... It really did seem like it was coming for me, but why? Everyone else had said the robots didn’t attack on sight. Pondering the issue, I couldn’t help remembering President Momone’s conjecture...
“This is just a theory, but I suspect they’re looking for something.”
If that was true and they really were looking for something, could that something be...
“Is it me?”
That would explain why the robot in front of me had tried to grab me. But seriously, why me? There was nothing special about me other than my bloodline, so what gives? No, wait. Was this a new story I’d gotten caught up in? If that was the case, who was the heroine? I hadn’t met any new girls lately...
Whirr-clunk. Whirr-clunk. Whirr-clunk. Whirr-clunk. Whirr-clunk. Whirr-clunk.
What was that, more footsteps? It sounds like they’re getting closer! Don’t tell me...
“Rekka! The robots are heading this way!” Poppy reported in a panic from the air.
Damn, they really were after me!
The robot on the street hadn’t visibly done anything, but it probably had some sort of communication device installed inside. It had likely contacted the other robots. And if they’d given up searching other parts of the town to come here, that had to mean that whatever they were looking for was here. But the robot here had only contacted them after seeing me... Yeah, all signs pointed to it being me they were after.
Just then, the robot in front of us reached out for me again. With both arms this time.
“Take that!”
Yorun knocked its left arm away with her hammer, but its right arm was coming at me faster than she could ready a second swing. Thankfully...
“Rekka!”
“Problem child!”
Yulia and President Momone came running, working together to deflect the incoming arm.
“Tch! I thought I’d at least be able to bend the iron plating, but there isn’t even a scratch!” President Momone said with a click of her tongue.
The wooden sword in her hand was emitting a faint light like before. It was probably another spiritual technique of hers. Keeping one eye on the robot, President Momone then turned to me.
“Yo, problem child! Did you do anything to piss off these robots?!”
“Not that I’m aware of!”
“Then I guess they just instinctually hate you, huh?!”
That didn’t sound too good, either...
“Momone, this isn’t the time to be messing around!” Yulia cautioned as she readied her axe again.
“I know,” President Momone replied casually as she glanced up at the robot. “But why are these things after the problem child?”
“I don’t know, but I cannot abide them targeting a poor, defenseless boy. Not to mention destroying the town and hurting innocent people... It’s time for a
smiting.”
“Yeah!” agreed Yorun. “But we don’t know what they’ll do if they get their hands on Rekka, so we have to make sure to keep him safe too!”
There, President Momone, Yulia, and Yorun all squared off with the robot. Unfortunately, however, none of their weapons were really up for the task. President Momone had professed confidence in her ability to bend iron, but as far as I could tell, the armor plating on the robots was far stronger than any ordinary metal. I also was just now belatedly noticing it didn’t appear to have any seams or other weaknesses in it...
Now, I’m not a scientist or anything, but wouldn’t it take some fairly advanced technology to make something like that? That was a stupid question. It was obvious just from the way these robots were moving that they were made with advanced technology.
Fortunately, however, they only seemed to have an interest in me. They ignored the girls completely. At least that much was consistent with the stories I’d heard. Yet it only seemed like more evidence I was their real target...
Whirr-clunk. Whirr-clunk. Whirr-clunk. Whirr-clunk. Whirr-clunk. Whirr-clunk.
As I contemplated my fate, the footsteps of the other robots drew nearer. They’d probably be here in a matter of minutes. This might be the end of the road. I had one hell of a decision to make...
Somehow, I managed to calm my shaking legs.
“Sorry!”
“Huh? Rekka?!”
I grabbed Poppy from my shoulder and threw her to the side. Then...
“Hey! I’m over here!” I yelled at the robot before making a break for it.
“Problem child?!”
“Rekka?!”
The voices of President Momone and the others called after me as I ran. The robots had been ignoring them so far, but there was no telling when that would change. More robots were on the way. Worse yet, we didn’t have the means to even scratch them, let alone defeat them. The more the situation escalated, the more dangerous it would become. I had to act before it reached critical mass, which was why I’d run. If I was really the robots’ target, they should leave the girls behind and follow after me. I couldn’t stay behind and put anyone else in danger.
“Tch!”
I ran through the hedge President Momone had cut away earlier and onto the road past the neighboring house, fleeing in a random direction. My only goal was to get as far away from the girls as possible right now. That was more important than getting out of town. I’d just pick whatever road looked clear and run. This was the town I grew up in, after all; I knew my way around pretty well.
Going road by road, I ended up closing in on the station. In other words, I was in the middle of town. I’d basically backtracked to where I’d been earlier in the day, but I didn’t really have a choice about it. Besides, if I led the robots back this way, it would make it easier for the girls and the refugees to get out of town.
“Wow... You really never change, Rekka.”
What? Who was that talking just now? The voice was familiar to me, like I’d heard it many, many times before... It was a young girl that sounded strangely exasperated. I looked around, but didn’t see signs of anyone nearby.
“Was I hearing things...?” I wondered aloud, cocking my head to the side.
I listened carefully for a moment, but didn’t hear anything else.
Déjà vu, giant robots, and now auditory hallucinations... Today was playing out like the opening chapter of a manga where the main character was about to get wrapped up in some crazy battle. I mean, that was totally possible considering my bloodline.
“Just what the hell am I supposed to do...?” I muttered as I continued running.
Speaking of my bloodline... I wonder if Dad ever got mixed up in a story this ridiculous. I remember him telling me about the Namidare bloodline the day before I started high school, but he never mentioned anything about this. I’d only ever been caught up in slightly unusual problems so far, like with President Momone and Tokiwa, so I’d never considered it before... But had Dad been through life-and-death situations like this? He didn’t particularly strike me as a hardened warrior or anything...
“Maybe I should’ve asked him more questions...”
It may have provided me with some kind of hint as to how to get through this. For example, it’d be really convenient if we had some legendary weapon stashed away in the storehouse at home. Wishful thinking, right?
While my mind ran away with me, I kept running. When I actually made it to the station, it was in flames. Half of the main building was already gone.
“Damn it all!”
Honestly, why did things have to end up like this?
“Did I do something?” I wondered, turning back.
“...”
The looming robots, of course, offered no answer. They just silently closed in, completing their encirclement. I now had a dozen robots surrounding me on all sides. There was enough room to pass between them, but if I got that close, I was sure they’d be able to grab me. I was cornered...
So now what? What should I do? Honestly speaking, whatever these robots wanted, I knew nothing good would come of being captured. I’d rather not find out what they had in store for me, so I had to think of some way to escape...
All I had in my pockets was the talisman of distraction and the talisman of protection. Could they do anything? There was no guarantee, but I had to try.
Whirr-click. Whirr-click. Whirr-click. Whirr-click. Whirr-click. Whirr-click.
The ground trembled beneath me as the robots stepped forward, closing their ranks.
“Damn it!”
I tried making a run for what looked like the biggest opening, but...
Whirr!
The closest robot immediately stretched an arm out for me.
“Take that!”
As it did, I threw the talisman of defense into the air.
Crackle!
There was a staticky sound and flash of light as a round barrier appeared in the air and deflected the arm coming for me. I’d had no idea what the talisman would do, but it seemed that its power was creating a spherical shield of sorts. If I could just duck under the robot’s arm like this, then...!
But the second I looked up to see how the robot was responding, there was a bright flash of light and a loud boom. At first, I didn’t even know what had exploded. The next thing I knew, however, I was hitting the ground hard after being sent flying through the air.
“Urgh... ah!”
Every bone in my body was groaning. I tried to force myself to my feet, but it hurt so bad that my legs collapsed under me. My entire body felt like jelly.
Was... Was that a laser beam just now? I didn’t know if that was the scientifically correct term for it or not, but I didn’t particularly care right now. The scorched hole in the ground just behind where I’d fallen was all the proof I needed.
But, man, robots and laser beams... This really was starting to play out just like a sci-fi manga. It was almost comical at this point, but I certainly wasn’t laughing. That laser just now, unlike everything so far, was clearly meant to kill. Come to think of it, I had drawn the robots away from the girls in order to keep them out of harm’s way, but the robots hadn’t whipped out their lasers until I was away from everyone... That had to mean their goal wasn’t to capture me, but to kill me. This was literally do-or-die.
Whirrrrr!
Light began gathering at the center of the robot’s torso. So that was the beam’s launch point...
I was surrounded on all sides with nowhere to run or hide, and there was no telling how long the talisman of protection would hold up. Would it even block another laser? I squeezed the talisman of protection, half bracing myself for my death. Then the beam came at me.
“!”
The light was so bright that I reflexively closed my eyes and raised my arms to cover my face. There was no way I could throw the talisman in time now. Surely this would be the end. But one, two, three seconds passed... and I was still conscious. Did that
mean... I wasn’t dead?
“...?”
I fearfully opened my eyes. Standing tall in front of me was a young girl in a crimson red kimono.
“...L?”
“What are you doing?” my newest next-door neighbor scoffed in a disgusted tone.
“Um... I could ask you the same.”
Really, what was she doing here? And where had she appeared from just now? It was too dangerous for a little girl like her to be here where... Wait, what happened to the laser?
“...!”
Question after question rolled around together in my head, ultimately rendering me speechless. And as I stood there like a fool, L was bravely squaring up with the robots.
“...”
For some reason, they’d stopped moving. What was this? A standoff?
“L, what do you think you’re doing?”
What the?! The robots talk?! They’d been acting so, well, robotically that I’d just assumed they were on some kind of autopilot. Did this mean there was really someone inside? Were they remote controlled? Of course, thinking about it rationally... There had to be someone behind them. Same with this attack. And their assassination attempts. Someone somewhere was behind this all—and they wanted me dead.
“...”
The moment I realized that, I broke out in a cold sweat all over. Damn it... Just who could it be? Whoever was controlling the robots knew the answer. And it seemed like L might, too.
“L!” the robot called out to her.
But she stayed silent. The robot called a second and third time, but she still didn’t answer. She just kept looking between me and the robot... Then aggravatedly pulled at her hair.
“Argh, fine!” she shouted, turning her back on the robot and reaching for me.
“Huh?”
“Just stay still!” she shouted again, grabbing me by the collar.
The next moment, I could hear an intense whooshing sound like something heavy had shifted suddenly. Everything in my field of vision shook.
“How dare you, L?! Wait—”
The enraged voice coming from the robot faded away rapidly, as did my consciousness.
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I Saved Too Many Girls and Caused the Apocalypse: Volume 14 Page 6
