𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟏: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐨𝐦𝐛

In front of the monitor, the sniper, Inozuka, let out a sigh of resignation.

The likes of Heavy Armored Helmet Actanoids, part of the Heavy Rounder system, were already in formation, and he had a bad feeling about it. They were on guard against attackers.

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“At this distance, I can’t penetrate the armor of the Heavy Rounder. Seriously, yesterday Banba-san was bullying the weak, so now they’re all riled up.”

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Banba-san does have this tendency, he muttered, making a dejected face as he watched a Conductor standing behind the Heavy Rounder deploy a drone.

There’s enough distance, so it should take quite a while to be detected. But it’s no longer a situation where he can aim for a snipe.

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The Lannoid series Actanoid 『Shepherd』 that Inozuka uses is an expensive model. Developed primarily for solo operation in the Lannoid series, it has a special mechanism to reduce the recoil of the sniper rifle 『Yoichi』.

Like most of the Lannoid series, it’s vulnerable to impact and is a typical long-range attacker that can only use this sniper rifle. He wants to avoid combat with the Heavy Rounder series, and especially dealing with the drones deployed by the Conductor.

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He hasn’t destroyed a single unit yet and has been found out, but it’s still much better than losing the mech.

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“Maybe I’ll just take down that lone All-Rounder and pull out. Poor thing being used as a decoy――huh? Where did it go?”

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Inozuka looked at the sub-monitor, incredulous.

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There are generally two ways to snipe with an Actanoid. Either pre-aiming at a location where the enemy will pass or deviation shooting using a sniper rifle equipped with a trajectory prediction AI that adjusts the lag on the spot.

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The sniper rifle 『Yoichi』 is an AI-equipped model, and the Lannoid series Actanoid 『Shepherd』 recognizes and tracks the target from image data, feeds it back to the AI, and increases the hit rate. The more data it collects, i.e., the longer it follows the target, the more accurate it becomes.

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But while Inozuka was checking the movement of the Heavy Rounder, the All-Rounder that was supposed to have been tracked by the AI had disappeared.

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“Was the AI deceived? No, no, it’s an All-Rounder! How could it lose sight――explosives?!”

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Going back through the AI’s video data, the All-Rounder in question had hidden behind a tree, rolled a grenade at its feet, and vanished in the smoke.

The distance from Inozuka’s Shepherd’s sniping point to the All-Rounder was quite far. Probably why the explosion’s sound didn’t reach the Shepherd.

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“You’re not supposed to roll it at your feet. That’s reckless.”

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Even if the All-Rounder had remained hidden behind the tree, Inozuka intended to move the Shepherd to a position where it could be shot. In hindsight, the rash act of disappearing into the smoke was the right move.

Half in awe and half in admiration, Inozuka scans various monitors to search for the All-Rounder.

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It was right after he stopped zooming in and displayed the entire forest.

A large amount of leaves and branches were pulled up by wires from part of the forest and scattered in the air above the forest.

At this strange change, Inozuka immediately directed his eyes.

The AI mounted on the sniper rifle 『Yoichi』 zoomed in on the branches and leaves scattering in the air and marked them with a red target mark. On close inspection, the All-Rounder was hidden among them.

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It seemed to have forcibly jumped up using the wires strung between the trees as a foothold. There’s a possibility of damaging the leg parts during landing. This was also a wild and reckless act.

But what made Inozuka curse was something else.

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“――Been hit?!”

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The AI of the sniper rifle 『Yoichi』 detected the All-Rounder and predicted the position just before it fell, being pulled by gravity after leaping. It executed an automatic deviation shot.

The bullet released sped past the speed of sound towards the All-Rounder. It destroyed the assault rifle 『Breakthrough』 that the All-Rounder was holding like a shield, and blew off the All-Rounder’s shoulder armor.

But not finishing it off with supposed to be a fatal shot.

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“Damn it! AI isn’t flexible at all. It’s not the right moment to shoot!”

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Although the All-Rounder lacks video analysis capabilities, cameras are positioned all around it. If it shares the footage with the held-back Psycholon, the muzzle flash’s location can likely be identified.

Inozuka turned the Shepherd around and made it run with its back to the All-Rounder.

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“What’s the deal with that All-Rounder?! Normally, would anyone expose themselves just to locate me?! If the bullet hadn’t hit the gun, it would’ve been smashed to pieces! Is that gun a lover’s pendant from a war movie, or what?!”

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The Lannoid-type Shepherds don’t have much speed. Seventy kilometers per hour is the limit.

However, compared to the heavy rounder types and other Lannoids, it assumes solitary action, so it has an advantage in speed. With enough distance, it can get away.

Luckily, the All-Rounder’s weapons, a large-caliber handgun, and an assault rifle, have been destroyed. It won’t chase.

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The problem is, Inozuka thought, glaring at the large drone appearing in the back camera.

Three large drones, equipped with firearms, were rushing towards the sniping point. Soon, the Shepherd itself would be discovered.

It’ll be a game of chase with the drones. If the Shepherd can get out of the communication range, it’s a win.

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Escape along the pre-planned route.

Drones are approaching from above but won’t enter the forest, lowering their altitude. They probably hate losing their communication through the leaves of the trees.

It looked dicey for a moment, but Inozuka thought he could just escape. The moment he sighed with relief, he caught sight of the All-Rounder running parallel through the gaps in the trees.

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“――It’s chasing after me?!”

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Swinging the broken assault rifle like a club, the All-Rounder struck the Shepherd from the side. The Shepherd went rolling sideways across the ground, automatically taking the fall.

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“You’ve got to be kidding, right? Normally, who’d chase a Shepherd with an antique, unarmed thing?!”

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The impact from rolling on the ground broke the Shepherd’s fragile sensors. The main and side cameras were fine, but the back monitor was filled with noise and unseeable.

Inozuka quickly assessed the damage, but the All-Rounder was already moving.

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“――Huh?!”

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The All-Rounder threw the broken assault rifle with all its might. It seemed to see that the Shepherd was weak to impacts and aimed to hit it at any cost.

The Shepherd’s AI avoided the assault rifle, but Inozuka noticed a wire attached to it.

He swiftly aimed the sniper rifle 『Yoichi』 at the All-Rounder. The Shepherd was an agile model, designed for single combat but not hand-to-hand fighting.

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Inozuka didn’t know what the All-Rounder intended to do with the wire, but at this distance, a shot from a sniper rifle would render it incapacitated with one blow.

But the All-Rounder wouldn’t stop. It wouldn’t even get closer. Even at close range, if it wasn’t coming head-on, the lag would make the shot miss.

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Regretting not bringing a shotgun is too late now.

The All-Rounder, holding the other end of the wire attached to the assault rifle, started running around Shepherd.

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“――Damn this guy! One after another!”

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While attempting to entangle with the wire, Inozuka immediately makes the Shepherd run towards All-Rounder’s path.

It was that moment.

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The All-Rounder rolls a grenade at his feet and distances himself from Shepherd.

Limiting the escape route with the wire, and finishing with a grenade. It’s classical, but not a tactic to use at this close range.

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“That’s something someone who sets traps would do!”

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Inozuka’s retorting scream is drowned out by the sound of the grenade’s explosion, and Shepherd and All-Rounder are engulfed in flames.

Shepherd, already weak against shocks, couldn’t move after taking a blast at this close range. The main monitor filled with noise shows the armor-blasted All-Rounder moving awkwardly, reaching out.

With the sound of crunching, and ripping off the chest armor, the words 『NO SIGNAL』, indicating the black box was taken, appear on the monitor.

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Inozuka, in the Actor room, drops to his knees from a sense of depletion, and remembers the contact that had been looping overhead.

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“. . .Was that the Bomber?”

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Realizing the identity, Inozuka brings out a twisted smile.

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“What Bomber? It’s a walking bomb. Crazy.”