The crowd trembled with fear. “No way, that terrorist…?”
“He was formerly ranked 134…”
Rentaro glared at Kagetane spitefully. “What’s with this turn of events?”
“Don’t you need my help, my comrade?” Kagetane chuckled, holding down his mask, as Rentaro glared at him coldly.
“I can trust you, right, Joker?”
“Leave it to me, King.”
Rentaro nodded once and then threw out an even colder glare at the civil officers. “That’s how it is. If you try to run away or cause trouble, then you will be eliminated. After this, anyone who points a sword at me or attacks me will be eliminated. I’m not as soft as Gado. I will give you orders later. That is all. Dismissed.”
Rentaro left with a wave of his cloak.
“Wait a minute, Satomi!” He walked a little farther before turning around to see Kisara, as expected. From her indignant eyes, it was clearer than the sun that she was not feeling kindly toward him.
“Why did you do something like that? Making people obey you in such a violent way. Everyone’s afraid of you now.”
“That’s good.”
“What?”
Rentaro turned his back toward Kisara again and closed his eyes without speaking. “Kisara, you saw it, too, didn’t you? Everyone’s exhausted, and they’re all overwhelmed by fear of the Gastrea. They couldn’t fight like that. That’s why from now on, I’ll have them fear me, not the Gastrea.”
Rentaro could see that Kisara’s head and body were shaking. “Don’t tell me, Satomi… Then that was all a performance…?”
Rentaro didn’t say anything.
He could hear Kisara making a hard fist. “You’ll be hated by everyone! Detested! Then who will be on your side, Satomi?”
“I don’t need anyone. At least, not right now.” This was the conclusion Rentaro had come to while looking at Midori’s dead body yesterday. If he wanted to do his best to keep there from being any more victims, he would have to abandon all his feelings as a human. He would think about allowing himself the luxury of feeling emotions like everyone else after he was still breathing when this war was over.
Just then, he was hugged hard from behind in a surprise attack, and Rentaro’s body stiffened.
“Idiot.” There was strength in the arms that wrapped around him from behind, and body warmth found its way into Rentaro’s chilled body.
“Kisara……” He felt the inside of his heart slowly become warmer.
Kisara sounded like she was sulking. “Next time, you must consult with me, your boss, before doing anything like that. You’re mine, Satomi. You need my permission even to breathe, you know.”
Rentaro laughed. “You’re dangerous.”
“Idiot.”
“Sorry…”
“Idiot.”
Just then, Rentaro noticed the quiet figure of a girl behind Kisara and slowly separated himself from Kisara, stiffening his expression again.
“I heard your excellent speech.” Asaka Mibu, wearing light blue Japanese armor, opened her closed eyes just a little. “However, please allow me to speak frankly. You are not fit to be commander.”
Kisara looked angry, but Rentaro held her back with his arm and had the girl continue.
“If it were Master Nagamasa, he would have been able to gather the troops better and handle everything better. Simple people may not have noticed, but you cannot fool me. You are acting like a dictator.”
Rentaro looked down at Asaka coldly. “Gado is not here anymore. And I’m not Gado. His way of doing things failed. The way he was doing things was wrong. That’s why we lost two battles in the past and it’s turned into this war. Right?”
Asaka’s anger flared and she crouched down, drawing her long sword from its scabbard. “You dare insult Master Nagamasa, you peasant?!”
The next instant, it seemed like Asaka had disappeared as she left an afterimage and rushed at him a high speed. The long sword she was brandishing drew an arc and would reach Rentaro’s throat in no time. Just as it was about to get to him, a hand suddenly stretched out from the side and twisted Asaka’s arm up.
She gasped in surprise. Her body spun once and she was thrown onto the ground back first, making a depression in the ground. Her small frame convulsed sharply.
Asaka looked at the sky with her eyes still open, looking bewildered.
“Are you confused? That a simple human threw you?” The tall man in the long coat looked at her emotionlessly. “You rushed like a fireball. Are you only calm on the outside? Or did you get angry because Commander Gado was being made fun of?”
Asaka leapt back like she was being repelled and fumed with teeth bared, “Who are you?! State your name!”
“Shoma Nagisawa. Actually, I also lost my Initiator, so I was just looking for a strong Initiator. Wanna pair up with me?”
“I will not serve two masters.”
“Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not looking for a replacement for Midori, either. It’s just, rather than fighting alone, I think we could more efficiently fight Gastrea as even a temporary pair. That’s all I’m suggesting.”
“You mean…a pair to last only until the end of the Aldebaran War?”
Shoma nodded. “I mean, I’m sure you know yourself how far off the mark you are by blaming Satomi. Satomi isn’t the one who killed your Promoter. It was the Gastrea. Get rid of your grudge by fighting Aldebaran on the battlefield. Don’t be mistaken about where to point your hatred.”
Asaka was silent for a while, thinking. However, she finally got on her knees and respectfully offered her sword to Shoma with both hands. For someone militaristic like Asaka, offering her sword meant she was offering her trust and allegiance. “I give you my sword for the time being. Use it as you will, Master.” She exchanged glances with Shoma and nodded.
Asaka and Shoma seemed to have a lot in common. Neither was very approachable, and they both had reticent but sober and honest personalities. They were an impromptu pair, but they would likely work together well.
Rentaro felt emotions flare up inside him like magma. He finally had all his cards together:
The King—Rentaro Satomi and Enju Aihara.
The Queen—Kisara Tendo and Tina Sprout.
The Jack—Tamaki Katagiri and Yuzuki Katagiri.
The Ace—Shoma Nagisawa and Asaka Mibu.
And right now, Rentaro also had the strongest wild card in his hand:
The Joker—Kagetane Hiruko and Kohina Hiruko.
The plan he had from the start for a five-pair adjuvant had finally come together at the eleventh hour. It was the strongest party he could think of.
Rentaro glared at his old enemy, Aldebaran, beyond the grave marker of the collapsed Monolith.
This fight will not necessarily end in our loss.
5
Just then, Rentaro heard the sound of a large number of distant rotors in the air. Turning to spot them, he estimated that there were over twenty transport aircraft and helicopters flying in a formation toward them. When the transport craft swelled and passed over Rentaro’s head, he was sure he could see the Shiba Heavy Weapons emblem printed on its side.
It looked like what he had ordered had arrived.
As Rentaro pushed his way through the stunned civil officers, a rappelling extraction rope was lowered to the ground from one of the air units, and a girl wearing a kimono with long, fluttering sleeves gave a big wave as she blew a kiss toward Rentaro. “Satomi, dear! I’m on my way! Whoa!” Miori Shiba swung dangerously midair, and just as Rentaro expected, her sleeves got tangled with the rope in the air and she lost her balance.
Rentaro didn’t wait, but pushed the crowd out of the way as he rushed over, sliding to catch the falling woman.
As she hit, he felt the air being squeezed out of his lungs and almost lost consciousness as a thud vibrated all the way to his organs.
When he looked again, he was on his back and Miori was sitting on him, flushed with embarrassment.
“Owwww… It’s been a while, Satomi, dear. Oof. This is kind of a kinky position.”
“Hey, idiot! Don’t climb down a rope ladder wearing a kimono and geta clogs!” Rentaro yelled.
“But I wanted to see my dear Satomi as quickly as possible!” Flirtatiously, the daughter of the weapons conglomerate CEO put her arms around Rentaro’s neck and whispered in his ear. “I knew you’d save me, Satomi dearest. I think I might’ve sprained my ankle. I wish you’d carry me in your arms like a princess to a nearby tent. You can take care of me however you want, mon ami.”
Her elegant kimono was made of dyed black cloth and embroidered embellishments. Her lustrous black hair was wavy, and her beautiful white face with its shapely nose was so close to Rentaro’s face his heart pounded.
“H-hey, Miori…” Rentaro said.
“Sa-to-mi, my dear… Tee-hee,” she said, articulating each syllable distinctly.
Suddenly, Rentaro heard a sharp tongue click from behind him. “Too bad. It would have been nice if you’d fallen and broken your neck.”
Jumping up with astonishment, he found that it was Kisara who had spoken, as he expected, and was standing in front of his chest with her arms crossed, her legs shifting with irritation. “What business do you have here? Hurry up and take care of it and leave.”
“Oh my, it’s been a while, Kisara. Have your breasts distended since we last met?”
“We just saw each other recently! There’s no way they’d get bigger so suddenly!”
Miori took a fan out from her bosom and spread it, covering her mouth as she narrowed her eyes, laughing bewitchingly. “Unfortunately, I’m here today officially employed as a weapons advisor to dear Satomi. I don’t have to listen to you.”
“What?” Kisara glared at Rentaro sharply. “Hey, Satomi! What’s the meaning of this?”
Rentaro felt like he’d finally gotten permission to speak as he went to stand between them. “It’s true that I asked Miori to come. In order to defeat Aldebaran, we definitely need the cooperation of a weapons specialist.”
In the staff tent Miori constructed was a crude desk, and the lightbulb that hung from the ceiling with a simple lampshade over it lit only the desk. But around that desk were the members of Rentaro’s adjuvant, plus Miori.
Miori put her hands on the plain wood surface and looked around at everyone with an uncharacteristic scowl. “I’ve heard about Aldebaran from our dear Satomi. An immortal Gastrea is no joke. You’ve all done your best. Let us at Shiba Heavy Weapons back you civil officers up with everything we’ve got.”
Rentaro nodded. “Thanks. That’s encouraging.”
“Hey…Miori.” Kisara, who had her hands crossed in front of her chest, put a hand to her chin and looked uneasily at the woman. “It’s not that I have any complaints against you all, but don’t we have any extra backup other than Shiba?”
Miori understood what Kisara was trying to say and nodded. “Kisara, you’ve been at the front lines this whole time, so you may not know much about the mood in Tokyo Area right now, but it’s terrible on the home front. In the first place, in order to prevent the attack of the Zodiac Scorpion that came out during the Kagetane Hiruko terrorist incident, Tokyo’s land, sea, and air self-defense forces were already nearly annihilated. Then, before the paint was even dry on that matter, Aldebaran came. The city’s defense systems are practically worthless now.
“Even if it can miraculously defeat Aldebaran, it would take Tokyo Area years to recover to its national power to previous levels. I’m sure the Lady Seitenshi will have to deal with more national troubles than any Seitenshi we’ve had so far.”
Gazes with deep-rooted criticism fell to the terrorist in the corner of the tent, but Kagetane just shrugged, showing no sign of remorse.
Kisara continued. “What about support from outside the country, or other areas?”
“That’s difficult, too. The other countries have their own speculations, but in the end, most think of it as someone else’s problem.”
Miori pointed a finger at Rentaro. “I have one more piece of bad news. This is a report from Shiba Heavy Weapons’ man-made satellite. It looks like the Aldebaran troops have finally started moving.”
The mood inside the tent stiffened noticeably.
“When are they expected to arrive?” Rentaro asked.
“At eleven p.m.”
Rentaro hurriedly checked the time. They had a little over half a day left. Rentaro forced down the nervousness inside him and asked Miori as calmly as possible: “Well, Miori, is there a way to defeat Aldebaran?”
Everyone’s eyes seemed to cling to her as Miori suppressed a smile and hid her mouth with her fan. “Who do you think I am? Of course I came with a plan.”
Miori placed the small case at her feet on the table before opening it and pulling out a cylindrical object. The shiny black metal on its surface was probably Varanium; the red sensor inside that gave an impression of solidity, reflecting the light of the bulb above them.
When Rentaro stroked the surface, it felt cool, and when he tried holding it, it was much heavier than he expected. It was just about as thick as a tea canister, but Rentaro could hold it with one hand with no problems.
Since he had been preparing himself for what was about to come out, Rentaro was a little disappointed. And it looked like Rentaro was not the only one who felt that way.
“Oh my, is Miss Miori going to make us some tea?”
Miori did not respond to Kisara’s sarcasm, but looked at everyone with seriousness. “That is a special bomb developed by our research team. Its development code name was the ekpyrotic bomb, but everyone calls it the EP bomb because the name is too long. It can cause extreme explosive damage to a very small area, and it has twenty times the power of the five-hundred-pound bombs dropped on Aldebaran by the self-defense force, so be careful when you’re handling that.”
Rentaro almost dropped it.
Seeing that, Miori chuckled and took the can from Rentaro’s hand.
“In other words, Miori, you’re saying—”
Miori nodded. “Completely destroy Aldebaran so that not even a scrap of it is left. There is no other way for us to win.”
Rentaro stared hard at the small cylindrical bomb. It didn’t look like there was a spare. The fate of Tokyo Area literally lay in this single small bomb.
“But Satomi, dear, at this rate, just hitting Aldebaran with this will not kill it.”
Rentaro tilted his head in question. “What do you mean?”
Miori smiled bewitchingly and continued. “Exactly what I said. At this rate, I’m still worried that there is not enough firepower. That’s why, based on the results of analysis by our research team, making this explode inside Aldebaran’s body is the only chance we have to destroy it.”
Kisara, Tina, and Shoma had looks of sudden realization on their faces, but Rentaro still didn’t understand.
“Satomi, did you know that gunpowder is more powerful when you have it explode sealed up inside a hard container than when you just let it explode as is? It’s like when you let a firecracker explode on the palm of your hand, your hand will just get burned, but if you hold it tightly in your hand, your whole hand can be blown off. The EP bomb is an amazing bomb that explodes with a high-pressure implosion reaction, but that will not completely destroy Aldebaran. That’s why we would like to have it explode with another layer of complete airtightness around it.”
After getting that explanation, Rentaro was finally also able to follow the conversation. “In other words, Miori, you’re saying we need to injure Aldebaran, toss the EP bomb in before it regenerates, wait until the wound fully heals, and then make the bomb explode?”
All of the giant Gastrea had exoskeletons that were extremely hard so that they would not be crushed under the pressure of gravity. If they injured one, threw the bomb in, and then waited for it to heal, the bomb would be taken in by the Gastrea’s body, which should completely seal it off. If they activated a timed fuse in
those conditions, it was possible to create a terrifying detonation.
In other words, Miori was planning to use the Gastrea’s body as a vessel to increase the bomb’s explosive power.
Miori pointed at a slit in the middle of the tea canister–shaped bomb. Upon closer inspection, Rentaro noticed that the slit part was notched with red gradations. “If you twist the EP bomb itself to this notch, it will explode three minutes later. It will be more sensitive at that point, so after you twist the can, make sure you do not let it undergo any strong shocks.”
Rentaro was dumbfounded at the audacity of the plan. However, it was true that it might be possible to kill Aldebaran with this. But his doubts had not all been cleared up yet. “Miori, how do you plan on getting a wind hole into Aldebaran? We don’t have a weapon left that can do that.”
The five-hundred-pound bomb dropped from the fighter aircraft could deliver a blow like a giant war hammer with the addition of gravitational acceleration, and the first blow to injure Aldebaran that Gado delivered was a satisfying one from the state-of-the-art powered-exoskeleton suit he wore. However, in order to throw the EP bomb deep into Aldebaran’s body, they would need a combination of ballistic and penetrating power greater than those. Rentaro explained without pausing that even a tank gun or bunker buster might not be strong enough.
“We do have a weapon strong enough. Just one. Something with greater ballistic and penetrating power than a tank gun. One that, if it’s not damaged, is a weapon we can trust. Our greatest and last weapon.”
“Where?” As he braced himself for the answer, he noticed that all the eyes in the tent were looking at him—or more precisely, at Rentaro’s arm and leg. Consecutive days of fighting had left the artificial skin peeling off, and he hadn’t had time to do repairs. His uniform was torn and frayed. The cloak was also a hand-me-down from Gado, so its hem was worn out, and it was tattered, but it made it look almost strangely vintage.
Vengeance Is Mine Page 16
