𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟐: 𝐁𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫
The Actor Kan’no ki operating the Berlette stared at the monitor, both frustrated and impressed.
ㅤ
“You escape well, this All-Rounder.”
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The All-Rounder with weak processing ability cannot install a collision avoidance app that recognizes obstacles and avoids them automatically. Running through these sparse gaps between trees is purely due to the Actor’s skill.
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“Maybe the type that gets lost in a bustling city crowd.”
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Thanks to the collision avoidance app, the Berlette pursues, easily avoiding the trees.
The speed difference is clear. The All-Rounder’s shape gradually grows larger.
Then, realizing he could not escape, the All-Rounder began to stir up snow with his assault rifle. Looking at the All-Rounder that disappeared into the snow, Kan’no ki whistles.
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The decision to escape immediately, the judgment not to let him aim by raising the snow, well done for an All-Rounder that is mocked as an antique.
If you dive into the snow, communication failure or lag may occur. Probably, the LAN function of the Husaria, which was taken down earlier, is still alive.
Going into it with the Berlette without assistance from the Husaria is a little scary.
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He thought the target was only an amateur Actor, but he’s quite a tough one.
However, the antique All-Rounder can’t match the speed of the Berlette.
Kan’no ki operates the Berlette, bypasses the snow smoke, and takes a shortcut to the All-Rounder’s path.
If caught in range, it should be shot down with the built-in light machine gun.
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The All-Rounder’s armament is an assault rifle 『Breakthrough』, with a range of three to four hundred meters. The Berlette’s built-in machine gun ranges from four to five hundred meters. You can attack from outrange.
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“Don’t resent me. Amateur.”
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Realizing he was being outmaneuvered, the All-Rounder turns right and fires his assault rifle.
Like a sheep escaping from a shepherd’s dog named Berlette, the All-Rounder has no choice but to return the way he came.
But he’s doing well against the Berlette. If it weren’t for the snow, it would have been over long ago.
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Kan’no ki was not in a hurry.
When the sun goes down, the All-Rounder, without a night scope, won’t be able to avoid the trees in the forest and will either collide or leave the forest. It’s only a few more minutes until the showdown in the dark.
Changing the magazine, the All-Rounder runs out of the forest, stirring up snow. He’s aware too and has opted for a do-or-die battle.
If the Berlette avoids open battle and doesn’t leave the forest, it will get away; if it chases, it will be shot at.
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“I have a machine gun, you know?”
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Coming out of the forest with the Berlette, a wall of snow is created by the machine gun stored in the sleeve. Communication failure occurs, but as long as it’s not targeted when leaving, that’s fine.
Break through the snow smoke and chase the All-Rounder.
Now that there are no trees as obstacles, the distance will be closed quickly.
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At full speed, the Berlette approaches the All-Rounder, who’s desperately stirring up snow.
Firing into the All-Rounder in the snow smoke with the machine gun, Kan’no ki is confident of victory――
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“――Huh?”
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The monitor suddenly shook up and down. For a moment, he thought it was lag, but immediately after, the scene on the monitor vanished upward.
The Berlette is falling. There is no sensation of floating for the Actor Kan’no ki, but the loud crash sound from the headphones and the numerous red error messages displayed tell of the violent impact when crashing.
He couldn’t see ahead because of the snow smoke, but he stepped into a crevasse. Considering such a coincidence, Kan’no ki realizes.
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“――Here, a rare metal deposit?!”
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Berlette moves its head, looking upward. Its proud legs are already broken and immobile, but it is bothered by the absence of the All-Rounder at the bottom of the crevasse.
The figure of the All-Rounder appears on the main monitor.
It’s the All-Rounder, hanging on a wire anchor shot into the edge of the crevasse.
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“Damn――.”
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Before it can raise its intact arm to shoot its machine gun, the hanging All-Rounder throws a hand grenade.
There’s no escape. It’s completely trapped.
A booming explosion shakes the valley floor. The thinly armored Berlette couldn’t possibly survive, and all of its imaging devices, including the main camera, spew errors, and the screen goes completely black.
The status diagram of the Berlette shown on the system screen has no intact parts. It’s totally wrecked.
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Kan’no ki collapses, sitting on the floor in confusion.
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“All that for mineral resources? Throwing a hand grenade at a mountain of resources? If you mess it up, you might cause an avalanche and get buried with it. . . . . .”
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Probably, it had run out of assault rifle ammunition, hiding the crevasse and causing a snow cloud. But it’s still too reckless.
There’s something familiar about this recklessness and judgment.
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“A warrior, a mercenary?. . . . . .He might switch sides depending on the money.”
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In a moment of hesitation, Kan’no ki’s headphones crackled with an irritating noise.
It’s hard to tell with the monitor completely dark, but it must be the sound from the Berlette’s surviving sound collector. It seems the All-Rounder intend to remove the Berlette’s armor and seize the black box inside.
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“. . . . . .Fu-hehe.”
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A sound like leaking laughter can be heard.
What is it? Kan’no ki strains his ears. It’s a voice altered with electronics, probably being emitted from the All-Rounder.
Perhaps he meant to offer surrender when he fell into the crevasse, or maybe he had left the speaker on. He wouldn’t know that the Berlette’s sound collector is still functioning.
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But this is just right. Talking through Actanoid on-site is less risky than attempting to access the opponent’s line.
Kan’no ki’s ears pick up an eerie laugh just as he’s about to open his mouth to start negotiations.
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“Fu-fuhihe. . . . . .”
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What’s so funny? Kan’no ki shuts his half-open mouth.
Following the laughter, there’s the grating sound of metal as Berlette’s chest armor is torn away.
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“Really, enjoying the destruction even at this stage?”
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This guy is dangerous. A complete destroyer, no, a bomber.
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“Fu-fuhe, y-your turn next――.”
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With those words, the display indicates that Berlette’s black box is seized, and the communication is cut off with the words “Signal Lost.”
Kan’no ki feels a cold sweat run down his spine.
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“Is that Bomber still going to continue? . . . . . .Or is it a mercenary hired by Unison Human-Machine Technology? If so, will we have to fight such things in the future?”
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Deciding it’s best to report to his superior, Kan’no ki takes out his smartphone.
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