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It is morning.
I open my eyes, but what comes into my view is a woman crying tears of blood.
「 Why aren’t you scared? Why won’t you leave? 」
Her voice sounded as if it was ringing right inside my head. Being greeted in the morning by a visual delusion, combined with an auditory phantasm; it is the worst.
「 W-what? You won’t scare me by making that kind of face! 」
I ignore the auditory hallucination. There is nothing there, so there is no problem even if I headbutt her on the forehead.
Besides, I am in a bit of a bad mood right now.
「 Eep! 」
I could hear another voice, but my head did not bump into anything.
I am disappointed due to the fact that my worldly desire has taken its form on Earth.
I finish breakfast, wear my school uniform, and go to school.
I attend my first class, eat lunch, and attend class again.
Afterwards, I return home, passing by the crowds of students soliciting new members into their clubs.
I change my clothes, and I head towards Fureai Park.
Confirming that no one is around, I walk through the hidden passage towards the train platform, and I ride a monorail heading to the headquarters.
At the headquarters, I change into the combatant suit in the locker room.
When I put on the mask, the carbon coating wraps me again, latching the armor parts in place.
A screen starts up before my eyes, and my field of vision widens.
Words appear on the screen.
‘Combatant No. 59603, please head towards Departure Ward 6.’
‘You will be briefed on the functions of your suit, as well as today’s operation.’
Walking while checking the map for ten minutes, I arrive at Departure Ward 6.
There are already five people in there.
Among them, four are wearing the same combatant suits, but the other one looks clearly different.
He must be from the Leader class. The combatants are standing in a row in front of him.
I join the line right away, and stand in wait for everyone else to arrive.
This mask is really convenient.
When I look at the combatant beside me, I can see ‘Combatant No. 27572’ written above his head.
The same happens when I look at the other combatants.
Then I look at the discernible Leader.
Above his head is written ‘Kirvin’.
Kaa-ban? When I observe his appearance closely, I finally understand what his suit is like.
Yes, it is none other than the deformed version of a hippo (kaba).
I will say this, though. The design itself is not cute, but instead, fitting for an evil organization. It is exquisite; exquisitely cool.
Still, I have never seen nor heard of a cool hippo before.
While thinking this and that, more combatants arrived, one after another.
「 Everyone, please face over here. 」
It seems that the group has all gathered, as Kirvin starts briefing.
「 From here on in occasions, a random group of you, combatants, will be gathered. Then someone from the Leader class, such as myself, will accompany you to execute an operation. 」
Kirvin-san is instructing us in a very courteous manner.
Despite being a Leader in the evil organization.
「 What are our means of transport, and who are we responsible to in this operation? 」
Kirvin-san nods in approval and answers.
「 We will be moving in super-stealth helicopters—faster than the conventional ones, and as transparent as they can be. 」
「 And about the latter question? 」
「 Proposals come from the Executives, which are then checked by the Boss. He will finalize the ones which he deems feasible by stamping them with his seal. 」
Are we actually working for an event organizer?
「 Sometimes we are also instructed by the researchers to test some experimental weapons. Although, since there are specialists for that, it doesn’t really come around that often. 」
Experimental weapons, huh. I definitely do not want to touch them at all.
「 Any other questions? It will be best if you do it before we move to our next topic. 」
Suggested Kirvin. But since there are no other questions, he continues to explain about the combat suits.
「 Combatant suits are capable to multiply the physical strength that humans naturally exhibit during a scene of fire to five times the amount. 」
Incredible. In emergencies, an ordinary human can already lift a car with his power alone, and this is five times that!
It is something that must not be misused.
…but since the Evil Organization is the one using it, it is already three strikes and out.
「 Since your suits are the standard ones, that is pretty much the limit. But for us, leaders and above, our suits are kind of order-made. You will notice a considerable difference in strength. 」
After that, we are lectured about a special wire (with claw) installed in our chest armor part, about the ways to aid comrades who fall unconscious, so on and so forth.
「 Explanation’s over. Let us proceed to the heliport. 」
We leave through the door situated behind Kirvin-san.
There is a helicopter standing by; its size bigger than the usual.
Its front is shaped like a shooting star, while its back is rectangular. Its color is black, and I think it can carry one medium-sized bus in it.
Including Kirvin-san, a total of 21 people board the helicopter.
As soon as we take our seats on the fixed benches inside, the vessel starts to hover.
I have no idea how this helicopter moves because there are no windows.
But, it should be using a state-of-art technology like the monorail since I can barely feel the shaking.
「 I forgot to mention one thing. If you push a button near your left ear, you will switch into the heat-source camera mode. It’s pretty useful to search for hidden enemies. 」
This mask has so many functions.
Is what I am feeling right now similar to the people who grumble because they cannot master using all the functions in their mobile phones?
*pii pii!*
The stop light rings like an alarm clock.
「 All right, we’ve arrived. Gentlemen, here comes your first battle! 」
The hatch in the rear opens.
「 First unit, descend! 」
Following Kirvin-san’s yell, I hang a wire from my chest armor part to the bar attached overhead.
I make my descent after confirming my landing point.
I press the button to rewind the wire.
Then I immediately move to the side.
The second unit comes down afterwards.
The city that we will now sabotage, is one that I do not even know the name of.
The citizens are scrambling in a panic.
Naturally.
Whether they are in a shopping or a business trip; maybe some of them are on their way home, but they are all living in the midst of peace.
But all of a sudden, there are combatants raining on them from the sky above that was supposed to empty.
In a state where there is a mass of cosplayers making their descents in surreal, slanted postures, anyone must be feeling dread. It is the more so if they do not notice the wires.
「 Kyaaa! 」
「 The evil organization is attacking! 」
「 H-Hurry! We have to run! 」
「 Waah! Mom—, where are you—? 」
「 Eri! Erie! 」
We have just landed, but there is already so much commotion.
It is fine, though. I need to start the sabotage by hitting the buildings, while avoiding people.
「 Ooh, oooh! 」(All right! Let’s do this!)
「「 OOoooOOh! 」」
First, I strike a street lamp nearby.
*gashaan!*
The post easily sways back and forth in the section that was punched, until the lamp grandly crashes to the ground and shatters.
This is one amazing power.
OooOOoh!
The other combatants start destroying the building walls, or making holes along the road.
Has it been three minutes since our sabotage begun?
I sense someone’s gaze from afar, and I find a TV camera and a newscaster from that location.
It seems that they are here specifically to broadcast this incident.
Maybe LIVE.
Seeming to have noticed them as well, the other combatants grow more festive, as if trying to make themselves look better in the media.
They start demolishing walls in more exaggerated fashions, making pictures out of the cracks on the road, carrying a Manneken Pis1 from who-knows-where to increase his efficiency in drilling holes in the buildings.
1 The cupid-like statue urinating into a fountain.
Please do not ask me how he increases the efficiency with that Manneken Pis.
As for Kirvin-san, he is linking his arms while giving instructions on methods to destroy.
…Sir, was it your idea to use that Manneken Pis?
「 That’s far enough! 」
Suddenly, I can hear a voice from above.
「 Oooh? 」 (W-what’s that?)
Looking towards the source, on the top of an almost destroyed building, there stands five shadows looking down on us.