Chapter 53: The Meaning of Alter
"Blues, King. To the front."
"Got it."
"Indeed!"
"Lancelot, Scarlet, mid-guard."
Lancelot gave a sharp nod.
"Noise, long-range support and guard me."
"Understood."
"Yellow, skirmisher."
"Should've just done that from the start."
"And is that your answer?"
"No... it’s our answer."
In that instant, a deluge of data flooded my vision. I felt a primal terror at the sight of hundreds of Lica units surging forward in chaotic unison, but I couldn't break now—not after what happened to Esil.
"Blues, Noise, create a barrier and blow them back! Yellow, you're cleared for up to eighty percent output! Scarlet, find the Lica units' frequency! King, Lancelot, neutralize them with precision! As long as their heads are intact, anything goes!!"
The girls executed my orders with flawless coordination.
"Noise, five, four, three... now!"
"Sonic Impact Reflex: Noise Wave Parry Pad!!"
A rejection so violent it made my ears ring shattered the formation of the advancing hoard. However, the gap left by those blown away was immediately filled by the next wave of mass-produced units.
The sheer volume of the assault was overwhelming. A barrage of bullets from nearly a hundred units, some even wielding fixed machine guns, caused Blues and Noise to grit their teeth in strain. But they weren't finished yet.
"Noise! I can handle this much on my own!"
"Copy that!"
She was going to take that entire payload without Noise’s help!
"Haaaaaaaaaa!!"
My relief was short-lived, however, as I caught the glint of a high-powered scope in the distance. This was bad—an anti-materiel rifle—!
"Thunderbolt."
Suddenly, the barrel of that rifle twisted out of shape.
"Scarlet, give me a hand here."
"Good grief..."
"Witness my loyalty! Magician’s Special: Twisted Staff!!"
Noise brandished a light machine gun in each hand—though where she had hidden them, I had no idea—and fired wildly into the air. Every single round was caught by the vibrations overhead; four hundred bullets lost their lateral momentum and rained straight down upon the heads of the Lica units without losing any velocity.
The robots naturally moved to defend themselves, but by prioritizing their own protection, every single one of their weapons was rendered useless.
"Not a bad performance. You make a decent opening act for me."
Yellow leaped over a five-meter-high barrier in a single bound, thrusting her right hand toward the sky.
"Since you went to the trouble of firing all those shots, I might as well put them to good use."
Blue sparks crackled and hissed violently. Her target: Noise’s bullets.
A high-pitched electronic whine filled the area, and in seconds, only a handful of the enemy were still moving.
"Damn it... Alter is getting away!"
"King, Lancelot, with me! We're chasing Alter! Scarlet, I'm leaving the rest to you!"
"Understood."
"I've got this! It’s a piece of cake... Wait, I'm almost out of energy."
"What are you doing, you idiot!?"
I really hope they’ll be okay.
"Let’s go, Commander Amane! Royal Strike!!"
"I’ll clear the way!"
"Right!"
We gave chase to Alter, but...
"Where are we...?"
"Look out!"
My vision blurred as I felt myself being yanked aside. The culprit was immediately clear.
"Undo..."
"I’m sorry, but I can't let you pass."
For a split second, I considered leaving Lancelot behind to handle it, but the sheer tension in the air told me that wouldn't be an option.
"Three, two, one."
"Wait, you don't mean—!"
"Now!!"
The two of them reacted instantly to my sudden, reckless countdown.
"Leave the rest to us!"
"Taming the riff-raff is also the duty of a King! Go!!"
"I'm counting on you!"
"So, you finally arrived."
In the center of the Commander’s office...
"Esil..."
"No. That is Asuna."
The fundamental gap in our perceptions served as the signal for both sides to level their weapons.
"Why is she here?"
Floating naked inside a liquid tank, she was curled up with her knees to her chest like a small child—like an infant waiting to be born.
"It is quite simple. While you were busy fighting battle after battle, she returned to me. Back to where she belongs."
"What do you intend to do with her?"
"That should be obvious. I am going to wake her up."
"Do you even know how? We possess the only method. Let’s talk terms."
"No. That information no longer holds any value."
"What are you...!?"
Wait. What were those countless electronic cables concentrated on Alter’s back?
They all led to a mysterious machine behind her that looked like a supercomputer... No, it wasn't a mystery at all!
"Don't tell me... is that—!?"
"So, you noticed. Yes, this machine is Dr. Fordbolt’s eighth legacy..."
"Märchen: Breadcrumbs."
"Have you... given up on being human?"
"What a strange thing to say. I was never human to begin with. I am... no, I am..."
"S-Class Slayer, Alter: Jester’s Ash."
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