“Crosswind compensation complete. Returning clockwise to original position.”
From the cockpit of the tilt-rotor, a PMC pilot delivered his report in a droning monotone. It was no secret that Takamasa hated the AI, but the smartphone in his hand allowed him to take control of any AI program—aside from the Magistelli anyway.
“Time?” he asked.
“Forty-five seconds. Not long now.”
But more than enough time for Kaname to take as many carefully aimed shots as he needs, Takamasa thought.
However, it didn’t matter how accurate Kaname was. Takamasa knew his foe and had come prepared. This tilt-rotor was far more heavily armored than the average helicopter. No .45-caliber bullet could hope to penetrate it, even if it hit the windshield.
He has #tempest.err, #fireline.err, #dracolord.err, and #thunderbolt .err… Out of all those, it’s the minigun #dracolord.err that worries me the most.
Fwush!! The tilt-rotor rounded a corner and came once more to the ruined wall of the tower. Takamasa owned the building, so there was nowhere for Kaname to hide. Takamasa could sniff out his old friend’s location and loadout simply by examining the security footage.
“If it’s only #tempest.err, then there’s nothing for me to worry about. A blast of two thousand pellets sounds impressive, but a shotgun is nothing more than an anti-personnel weapon. I just have to make sure the beam doesn’t come through the glass.”
He smiled fiercely.
He’d never wanted things to end up this way. Both Kaname and Midori were humans, and human life was irreplaceable. Yet somewhere along the line, matters had become complicated. Perhaps Kaname and Midori were beating themselves up about it right now, but as far as Takamasa was concerned, they didn’t need to. They weren’t the problem; he was.
And that was why they should come at him with everything they had.
If familial love could be used as an excuse for anything, the teenagers of the world wouldn’t resent their mothers and fathers. Parents fought against society regardless of whether they were understood or not. As long as they were able to protect their children, it was worth it.
Boom!! The sound of an explosion rang out.
“We’re being fired upon, sir.”
“I know.”
He could see his sister, Midori, leaning out from behind a ruined pillar and pointing a huge shotgun his way. The enormous weapon, shaped like a revolving grenade launcher, was clearly beyond the young girl’s capacity to handle, and it was rather amusing to see the recoil launch her back each time she pulled the trigger.
However, as valiant an effort as it was, there was no way she would inflict more than the merest scratch on the tilt-rotor’s armor with a weapon like that.
…She should have concentrated her fire on the wires instead. At least then she could have taken away my means of attack.
She was probably so caught up in controlling the enormous gun she hadn’t realized it, but she was now much farther from Kaname’s side than when she had started. Takamasa was ready to slice the other Dealer in half at the first chance he got. And now he had even been given enough time to adjust his position so nothing else got caught in the cross fire.
“Kaname…”
He and Takamasa had both agreed on the subject of the AI menace. It was Kaname who had refused to do what was necessary and extinguish the Magistelli completely. He would never be able to save humanity like that. As painful as it was, Kaname needed to Fall here.
“It’s okay, my friend. Your life of debt won’t last long. Once I eliminate snow entirely, it’ll all be meaningless.”
This was simply the logical course of action. However, Takamasa couldn’t deny there was another part of him thrilled to be playing the game once more.
“…There’s no need to be scared. Just stay still and let #flash.err take care of the rest,” he proclaimed.
But just then, Takamasa noticed something unusual.
Kaname, hiding behind another pillar, was holding something other than his .45-caliber short-range sniper rifle.
It was a bare-bones shotgun, intended to be mounted under the barrel of an assault rifle—#lockpick.err. And its special effect allowed it to open any locks and doors it hit.
“Grh?!”
Takamasa immediately grabbed a metal pole by the wall of the tilt-rotor. If the cargo door suddenly opened, it wouldn’t matter how well-armored the vehicle was. He would be sucked out into the blustery winds and greeted with a twenty-floor drop.
However, that wasn’t what Kaname was aiming for.
A chill ran down Takamasa’s spine, informing him of a different threat.
“Oh no…”
Panicking, he called out.
“Get to cover!! Quick!”
But it was too late.
Kaname’s shotgun blast sliced through the air.
✦ ✦ ✦
Directly toward the already unstable engine block of the tilt-rotor aircraft.
✦ ✦ ✦
The turbofan engine was housed inside a cylindrical container, which included a hatch for maintenance access on its rounded side. This was obviously something that should not be opened during flight.
Clang! A tremor rocked the aircraft. It was clear what had just happened.
Imagine having your stomach sliced open in an unsterilized operating room. If the engine hatch were removed, it would not be difficult for a stray bird to find its way inside and do some serious damage.
However, there were more dangerous things in the air than stray birds.
There were the two thousand shotgun pellets dispensed every time Midori pulled #tempest.err’s trigger. Not to mention the silenced .45-caliber bullets of Kaname’s short-range sniper rifle, Short Spear.
The aircraft was in range of both of them.
Takamasa’s throat dried up as a terrifying barrage of gunfire flew toward the tilt-rotor’s weak point.