Chapter 16: Unintended Encounter

"Ghh...!"

"Commander!"

"I-I’m fine. I just lost my footing."

"Honestly, you’re so hopeless. Stop being so stubborn and just let Blues carry you already."

Even if she was technically older than me, the optics of being carried on the back of a girl who looked like a child were... problematic, to say the least.

"Shall I widen the path for you...?"

"Sorry. Please do."

"The shelter is just a bit further. Hang in there."

The Shitai Mountains. A massive chain of active volcanoes that rose up to divide the world into north and south following the crustal shifts during the war. They blocked the cold air blowing from the north, subjecting any traveler to constant, blinding blizzards.

"Eight hundred meters up and it’s already this bad...?"

I felt a flicker of despair looking at how little ground we’d covered—hardly a tenth of the total distance—but I forced myself to focus on our objective, bracing my flagging spirit.

"I’ve received a report from someone I trust implicitly regarding a peculiar automaton, likely Burnatville, spotted in the Shitai Mountains. There is almost no doubt."

"Is Asuna there...?"

"I don't know. I don't even know why Asuna knew about Burnatville, or why she told you to follow him. Regardless, there is no question that Burnatville is a threat to the Paradise and possesses the power to carry out his whims. It’s better to be over-prepared and have it be an easy job than the alternative."

"Right."

I stepped into the footprints Blues had packed down, firming up the snow with every stride.

"Commander, automatons ahead."

"I want to avoid combat in this terrain if possible. Let’s lie low."

We dug shallow pits in the snow, pulled optical camouflage sheets over ourselves, and waited.

One of the machines seemed to glance our way for a moment. Its lenses zoomed in and out repeatedly as if suspicious, but it eventually resumed its patrol.

"Did it pass...?"

"Yes... Wait! Commander, Contaminated Beasts!"

Camouflage was useless against them. They instinctively craved the Elix components within the human body; they could smell the lingering traces of the substance and would devour flesh and blood simply to survive.

"Damn it, open fire! Keep it to a minimum, though. Don't aim uphill—make sure we maintain the high ground!"

"Understood!"

As the fighting began, I kept a sharp eye on the direction the automatons had gone. There was a high chance they’d be drawn in by the sound of gunfire. If a full-scale battle broke out and triggered "that," the girls might be okay, but I’d be dead for sure.

Suddenly...

A deafening boom echoed from high above us, near the middle of the peaks.

"You’ve got to be kidding me..."

A deep, rhythmic rumbling shook the very earth beneath our feet. The snow we were standing on gave way, and I slid about three meters down the slope. A white torrent filled half my vision, surging toward us with lethal intent.

"Avalanche! Run sideways, now!"

"We won't make it, Commander! Get behind me!"

I dove into Blues’ shadow, bracing for the impact.

"Gah—!?"

As I was tossed around by the freezing chaos, I focused entirely on protecting my neck, tucking my chin and pressing my hands against the back of my head.

As my consciousness began to fade... someone grabbed my hand. I caught a glimpse of a black longcoat and a striking shock of pure white hair. It was a beautiful contrast. Then, the world went dark.

"Good grief... I wasn't planning on meeting you here."