Chapter 838: December 19th: Absoloof Steel Warfare

Author's Preface

Happy New Year, please continue to support ShanFro this year as well.

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"Hah!? Fig is dead!?"

Because they were in a party, the elimination of a party member was notified to the other players in the party. And this proved that Fig, who was by no means an amateur, had been taken down as easily as a beginner getting spawn-killed.

<<......This is Donut. Sorry, I'm not dead, but I took massive damage.>>

"Eh, seriously?"

Donut should have been positioned not too far from where Fig was killed. If so, had their locations been exposed by the sonar earlier led to an attack by that "something yellow and sliding" Fig had mentioned as his final words?

However, the response that came back from Donut was one that further confused Apple Pie...... and by extension, the GUN! GUN! Mercenary Corps.

<<It's some kind of...... black motorcycle-like Tactical Mech. I managed to escape by popping smoke, but...... ah, damn it, my left arm isn't moving. This is the worst; are you telling me to fire an assault rifle one-handed?>>

"Donut, was it really black?"

<<I wouldn't mistake yellow for black, it was definitely black......>>

This is more troublesome than I thought, Apple Pie clicked his tongue at a volume low enough not to be picked up by the meteor iron mirror. For this assault, Apple Pie and the others had prepared the highest-performance Tactical Mechs they possibly could; at the very least, they were far superior to the un-customized Tactical Mechs purchasable on the Behemoth.

But even so, there was a lingering concern he couldn't shake off.

"So they've assigned a group of hardcore Tactical Mech players to defense, huh...... Tch, getting separated is bad news. For now, group up into two-man cells and prepare for ambushes!"

To begin with, the plan for the eight of them to launch the assault operating individually was entirely based on the premise that it would be a surprise attack. If they were actually being ambushed instead, the advantage of that massive premise was already completely crushed.

<<There's seven of us, don't worry about me.>>

"Sorry, Donut!"

Under the special rules of this event, deceased players did not respawn at their most recent save point, but rather at their headquarters city...... which, for the New King Faction, was Thirthed. In other words, it was effectively equivalent to dropping out of the assault operation.

That being the case, they couldn't fill the hole left by Fig. If they formed two-man cells, one person would inevitably be left out.

Apple Pie was about to apologize to Donut, who had volunteered himself, assuming that if someone had to be cut loose, it would be him, but someone interrupted him.

<<Hnn? Isn't it fine if I go solo?>>

"Eclair...... Isn't that a bit reckless?"

<<Well, it'll work out somehow. Besides, position-wise〜, Donut and Honey Toast are pretty close to each other, right? If your legs are working, you can at least act as a scout while taking kills with a pistol at worst, right?>>

Despite the casual tone, those words contain a strength akin to an assertion. At the very least, they couldn't reject it… because the one speaking those words is someone capable of exactly that.

<<Don't say it so casually, jeez...... Understood, I'm linking up with Honey Toast.>>

<<Soooorry, Honey Toast here! I might die too! Is it this thing!? I encountered it!!>>

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Vwaon! With a roaring sound, a pitch-black Tactical Mech raced down the main street of Thirdrema. However, its appearance was far removed from that of a Tactical Mech, which was fundamentally supposed to be humanoid.

"......Surprisingly close. Aiming to group up?"

Rust, who had been searching for the Tactical Mech she had let slip away earlier, thought to herself as she initiated a charge against a completely different third player.

In this type of PvP, there are generally two types of movements when one's position is compromised. Either flee from the location, or gather numbers and solidify defenses.

Rust, assuming they would scatter, had deployed the highly mobile 【Kokushimusou】, but upon seeing the figure of another enemy unitplayer surprisingly close by, she concluded that the "GUN! GUN! Mercenary Corps" had chosen to regroup rather than disperse.

"Mold."

<<Hmm, they're being thorough about avoiding lines of sight as expected. However......... yeah, two-man cells, or maybe splitting 4:3? That's the kind of movement it is.>>

"......Then I'll crush whoever I can before they merge."

This was by no means underestimating their abilities. It was simply a judgment based on the pure pride and skill of "I can do it." After all, the game where she reigned at the very apex—Nephilim Hollow—was also a battle of humans against Nephilim.

<<Damn it, just asking as a precaution, but how many people are in your defense force!?>>

"......Heh."

Rust couldn't help but smile at the enemy, who seemed desperate yet still threw out a question aiming for a one-in-a-million chance at an information advantage while safely dodging her charge. Rust stored the 【Kokushimusou】, as if to say, "Your spirit is commendable, so I'll tell you."

"......No need to be reserved. I'll tell you."

<<Oh my, it actually pays to ask......>>

Watching the Tactical Mech displaying "Honey Toast @ GGMC" above its head turn its face toward the meteor iron mirror floating around it with exaggerated movements, Rust declared to Honey Toast in front of her, or rather, to the GUN! GUN! Mercenary Corps through him, or perhaps...... to the countless "potential Nephilim Hollow users" watching their stream.

".........Two."

<<.............Eh, seriously? One sniper and............ just you?>>

"......That's right."

<<What do we do now? It's either 'BM' or a 'bluff' — one of the two, but….>>

"......Please rest assured."

<<Eh?>>

Gagon! A "navy blue" cube fell from the storage space into reality. The navy cube that dropped between Rust and Honey Toast hid Rust's figure as she changed suits, leaving only her voice echoing clearly.

"......Because we're going to wipe you out 'seriously' and 'without a single lie'."

<<Uh-oh......? Could it be that the yellow guy Fig was talking about is......>>

The rectangular metal block transformed, taking the shape of armor for the player who boasted the highest number of Tactical Mechs owned in Shangri-La Frontier.

She was one person, but possessed six colors.

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Author's Afterword

RS:Δ【Kokushimusou】[*1]

Designed first among the Rust Series, yet completed last, it is the Alpha and Omega of Pyramid-Men. A grotesquely transforming Pyramid-Men completed under the highly eccentric design philosophy of "enabling high-spec movements on various battlefields through transformation," rather than being bound by the common sense of Tactical Mechs acting strictly as armor.

Due to its nature, it possesses absolutely no built-in armaments. However, it features four transformation patterns: Armor Form, Two-Wheel Form, Three-Wheel Form, and Four-Wheel Form. It compensates for its lack of built-in weapons using the infinite, weightless logistics of the Inventoria. Because this is the only unit that switches its connection to the suit corresponding to its transformation pattern, the enhanced suit worn by the player is uniquely prepared for it.

The foundation for its design philosophy was Wethermon the Tombguard...... or rather, his Tactical Horse [Kirin]. The non-humanoid transformation and amalgamation were devised by Rust after reading the Tome of Truth.

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Translator's Notes

• [1] Kokushimusou (黒獅無双):I think author changed the kanji to mean "Peerless Black Lion", it was 黒紫無双 in 732, maybe it was an IME typo at the time.