𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟖: 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐫
A disaster occurred because she had moved away to use a bomb, and there was no escape for Chihaya’s Warabe.
For now, she’s heading for the beach, running the Dolphin at full power, but the reticulifier is rapidly closing in.
There’s no way she can make it to the shore.
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Chihaya gives up and flees to the nearby rocks, steering the Dolphin.
She thought the reticulifier that grazed Warabe’s feet had changed course for fear of crashing into the rocks, but then it started circling around the rocks.
It seems not to care about the small fish, but it appears to believe unreservedly that the metal mass that is the Warabe can be eaten. It probably isn’t very intelligent.
Yet, she can see a determination not to let go of the prey once it’s cornered.
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Looking up at the sea surface in Warabe, she checked the movement of the ship.
Is the ship abandoning the Warabe? It doesn’t seem to be coming closer.
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“H, Help is. . . . . .?”
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Chihaya, who had thought they would drive it away with a barrage from the sea, becomes teary-eyed when the plan fails.
A voice chat arrived from the Unison members.
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“I’m sorry. The reticulifier’s shell is too hard, and underwater guns have no effect. We have no means to help, so we are retreating to avoid secondary disasters. Please give up.”
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Chihaya clutched her head at the ruthless announcement.
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“It’s a rental mech. . . . . .I thought it was a safe request, but why. . . . . .”
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She was told when accepting the request that even if the Warabe was destroyed, there would be no claim for compensation. Chihaya had interpreted it as natural since it was a test for explosives.
But this situation is different. Contractually, there should be no liability for damages, but Chihaya didn’t want to break the Warabe.
Unison Human-Machine Technology is a valuable client that orders requests other than combat ones. She wants to finish this request satisfactorily. At the same time, it hurts if the failure of this request is communicated to Citro Science Group, who gave them the request.
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Joining a clan and working on requests safely. Even considering Chihaya’s immediate goals, she wants to value connections with corporations.
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“Fu-he he. . . . . .”
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Even if the Warabe is destroyed, there’s no liability. Then, isn’t the enemy swimming there just the right target to test the power of the underwater explosives at hand?
Chihaya raises a creepy laugh, looking at the reticulifier on the monitor, and displays a seabed map on the submonitor.
Thanks to the video recording as part of the seabed survey, she can grasp the terrain somewhat. If the reticulifier avoids the reefs, she thought maybe she could hide and escape to the beach by moving from reef to reef.
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She gave up as the distance was too short to escape, and she followed the reticulifier with the Warabe’s main camera.
A bivalve covered with a hard shell. The blade-like part on the side and the speed from the front collision wouldn’t be spared even by an Actanoid.
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However, due to the propulsion method of ejecting water from the tip to the opposite end of the shell, it doesn’t seem able to make nimble turns to the left or right. There are two intake and exhaust ports, so it should be able to curve by changing the exhaust volume, but it doesn’t seem capable of nifty tricks like turning around on the spot.
It probably can’t go backward either. The fact that it doesn’t rush in, even though it recognizes Chihaya hiding in the hole in the rocks, proves it.
Unfortunately, because of the reticulifier’s low intelligence, it’s a shame that she can’t assert that it won’t rush in recklessly.
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“If only I had stayed hidden. . . . . .”
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Somehow, it appeared that the reticulifier was adjusting its angle of attack, and Chihaya operated the Warabe, leaping out of the hole.
To evade the immediately charging reticulifier, she circled around the back of the rocks. The reticulifier, with its wide turning radius, couldn’t maneuver around the rocks and slipped through the seaweed behind the Warabe.
Chilled by the difference in speed, Chihaya observed the reticulifier.
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“. . . . . . Fu-he.”
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The reticulifier slowed down as it rose to the ocean’s surface, dissipating its inertial force. It was an unnatural ascent, unlike any before. If inertia is at play, making a wide turn for re-assault should be feasible.
The reticulifier seemed to be avoiding seaweed ahead.
Chihaya let out an eerie voice, activating the voice chat.
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“Fu-he he, um, please, discard the cloth.”
“Huh? Cloth?”
“The cloth of the dummy rain cover. Please discard it. It avoids the seaweed.”
“. . . . . .U, Understood.”
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Half-believing, the Actanoids on the ship threw the cloth into the sea.
The reticulifier’s avoidance of seaweed was likely instinctual. The fibrous seaweed doesn’t tear easily, and the reticulifier itself would become entangled and immobilized, which it detested.
In that case, they could limit its movement with a cloth designed to resemble seaweed.
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The discarded cloth slowly descended to the ocean floor. During this time, Chihaya’s Warabe charged straight at it.
Unconcerned about the retreating ship and wanting to avoid getting entangled in the fight, Chihaya operated the Warabe’s controls while monitoring the rear camera.
The reticulifier, having adjusted its angle, charged in at its highest speed ever.
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“Hu, hurry, hurry.”
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Progress was slow because Chihaya held the underwater scooter Dolphin in one hand. However, by the time it slipped through the discarded cloths, the Dolphin’s wire had been loosely connected.
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The reticulifier was rapidly closing in from behind.
Chihaya tilted the Dolphin to change course and concealed the Warabe behind the cloth on the left side. Simultaneously, the Dolphin was thrown into the path of the reticulifier.
Right after the Dolphin crossed in front of the reticulifier, the reticulifier slipped through the cloths while drawing in seawater.
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“Click.”
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Muttering, Chihaya released the underwater explosive 『Water Ball Explosion』 from her hand, remotely severing the wire connected to the Dolphin.
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The reticulifier, swimming away at high speed, was seen attempting to turn around, but it couldn’t do so smoothly.
Of course, it had sucked up the wire connected to the Dolphin that Chihaya had released, and the attached Water Ball Explosion was obstructing one of its water intakes.
A wire’s end protruded from the reticulifier’s water jet. It appeared to have a surprisingly simple internal structure.
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Chihaya’s Warabe, having let go of the Dolphin that had been propelling it, sank into the sea.
The reticulifier, growing distant, suddenly expanded and detonated. The shockwave rippled through the seawater, jolting the Warabe, stunning nearby small fish, and sending a column of water into the air.
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“Fu-he he, that’s quite a fireworks display, isn’t it . . . . . .?”
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Observing the remains of the reticulifier, shattered into pieces and floating in the seawater, Chihaya muttered and gazed up at the ship heavily rocking on the surface through the Warabe’s main camera.
The underwater scooter Dolphin had embarked on its journey to the other side of the sea.
In other words, the Warabe had no means to ascend to the surface.
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“Pull, pull me up. . . . . .”
