The hometown of Kisaragi Hayato is situated in the west of the Empire of Yamato, which is in the huge continent of Eurasia that comprises the European continent and the Assyrian region.
Qin Empire is located almost in the center of it. A large-scale Savage annihilation operation involving 12 countries and 3 organizations in a mountainous region of more than 6,000 meters height along the border with the Republic of Ural, the Empire of Mongolia and the Federation of Rasiya titled《Operation: Bird in Cage》took place half a month ago.
Unfortunately, not all the Savages that were aimed at the operation could be exterminated.
Because the operation was interrupted due to the attack of the three hunters who are artificial Variants and the dragon type Savage, they fell into a continuous state of battle, and the Slayers who were participating were seriously injured.
As a result, and despite dropping sharply, there are still some existences of them in that place as several Savages could be confirmed with satellite photographs.
Therefore, it was decided that a joint operation was to be carried out again, combining both the extermination of the remaining Savages and the search of unknown Savages like the dragon type.
However, in that operation——in the second 《Operation: Bird in Cage》not a single member of Little Garden is participating in it.
The vital and energy of the members of Selections, including Hayato and co. who participated in the previous operation, had been considerable exhausted and returned to Little Garden because they had captured the trio of hunters.
The ones participating in the operation this time are the Slayers of countries and organization that remained in Qin Empire and had relatively suffered small damage in the previous battle.
Among them are Aly Harlech who belongs to Al-Salaam and Wendy Velvet who belongs to the army of Liberia, they followed operation actions with Latia and the others.
Though they were attacked by the hunters, they were hurt enough to the extent that their armaments cancelled but got minor injuries.
Two weeks later, their vital and sense energies were completely recovered and decided to participate in the operation.
80% of the participants are in the second operation.
With that much, the second 《Operation: Bird in Cage》was progressing favorably.
From noon to night when the operation started, the number of Savages exterminated was 12.
The Savages remaining in the area have already been reduced to 10.
Wendy and Aly who are also in the same team this time, were exploring apart from the tent stretched around the top of the mountain late at night.
Since they are in the midst of the operation, they are, of course, wearing their Variable Suits.
– Wait a moment, Wendy. Something moved ahead just now.
Aly, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped her feet.
Wendy also stops her feet and strains her eyes.
– Certainly, that’s the case.
The distant grass is swaying.
Moreover, it’s gradually approaching to where they are.
– Hide.
– Okay.
Wendy hides herself in the shadow of the big tree, following Aly who moved first.
– I’ll check to see if it’s a Savage or not.
Aly peeked at the moving grass while hiding half of her body at the tree trunk.
What she saw was the figure of a grotesque life form with a darkened steel shell.
– Look, it’s quite small!
From behind Aly, Wendy also confirms the figure of the Savage.
– Certainly, it’s around 2 times smaller than a normal type, isn’t it?
One could say that it’s over-all length is 3 meters and its height around 2 meters.
– If it’s only one, then it can be dealt with a single person, don’t ya think?
– Please wait!
Trying to jump out towards the direction of the Savage, and without a moment’s delay, Wendy took the arm of Aly.
– If we are going to fight, we have to contact everyone. That’s the rule.
It was decided by the operation that to head towards a perfect situation, they have to keep in touch in case they enter a battle act other than in an emergency situation.
But, Aly showed a confident smile like saying “don’t worry”
– The enemy is smaller than a normal type. That’s not necessary. There’s no Savage that I haven’t finished off so far, I must show that guy my true strength here as a proud Slayer of Al-Salaam. Otherwise, Al-Salaam will be treated with contempt.
– But, there may be other Savages…. Besides, that Savage, the color of the pattern of its body is red. Despite the other Savages being yellow…
– The grass on the other places isn’t moving and what’s with the color again? You are going to watch my fight from here.
– Wait, Aly!
Shaking off the arm of Wendy, Aly jumps out from the other side of the tree and deploys the Hundred that was already grasped tightly in her hand.
– HUNDRED ON!
The body of the girl is covered with a golden light.
What appeared in both hands is a weapon similar to a willow leaf dagger. The width of the blade is very wide.
It’s the Phalanx type Hundred of Aly, 《Blazing Fighting Spirit》Braveheart.
– Here I go!
Kicking the earth, Aly swoops down on the Savage.
However, at the same time she catches hold of the whole body with her eyes, she had an uncomfortable feeling and stopped moving.
– What is, this thing…?
There’s no core in the head.
On the contrary, no core was found anywhere in its body.
When looking properly, there are two eyes in the center of the head but there’s only one, and it doesn’t have long tactile.
– What the hell is this thing? Hey…!
– Aly, be careful!
Something protruded from the back of the Savage in a forward-bent posture.
Aly stares at it.
It’s a wire with something like a kunai on the tip.
By a hair’s breadth, Aly dodged it with a jump and starts slashing at the Savage with the blades of both hands.
However, she was able to slightly scratch the steel shell.
She spits out and jumps, trying to cut at the steel shell of the Savage once again.
(What the hell is that one-eyed thing? A few seconds ago, a Savage of this size left me unable to load energy into my weapons. If it doesn’t have a core, if I strike it loading my weapons with all my energy, then I should be able to slaughter it, cutting its flesh——)
Thinking so, Aly tried to strike the two daggers against the steel shell,
– Aly, avoid it!
The voice of Wendy that resounded like a shriek, informs about the danger.
Becoming disconcerted and turning her neck, what slips through the many trees is a long straight beam that came into view.
(What, the…?)
The beam is approaching before her eyes, it seems unlikely that she can dodge it in her current condition.
– ——guah!
Aly received a direct hit of the beam that she didn’t predict and is knocked down on the ground.
– Tsk, there was another Savage!?
While enduring the pain, she picks up the two daggers that fell to the ground and tried to stand up.
But just there, when she tried to attack a little while ago, the pincers of a Savage approached.
Feeling the sense of danger that Aly had not noticed there yet,
– Aly, it’s dangerous!! …aah!
A sorrowful voice leaks out from the mouth of Wendy as she tried to push down Aly.
As they entangle themselves together, they flopped onto the ground.
– … kh, I’m glad, I managed to save you somehow…
As she says so, Aly knitted her brows, looking at the cold sweat that started to suspend on the forehead of Wendy who repeats short sighs over and over again.
– Somehow? You——
Immediately afterwards, Aly felt the sensation of a thick liquid in her hand which was shaped to surround the back of Wendy.
– This is…
Checking her hand, Aly was shocked.
– Isn’t this blood…? Hey, Wendy! You, the shriek of earlier was——
– Ahaha, looks like I just messed up a little. My back got hurt…
Wendy laughs at herself.
– I messed up, you say…? Hey, you okay!? Respond!
– Please, Aly. Run away… to our comrades…
– What are you spouting, Wendy!? Don’t die! Hey!
But, there’s no reply.
Strength comes out from the body of the stumbling Wendy.
– Wendy!!
No way, she thought.
But, her heart is still moving.
(——she’s alive!)
It’s weak, but she’s breathing.
– This was my fault…. Because I fought as I wanted——
This isn’t the situation to be saying that it’s for the pride of Al-Salaam or whatever.
She definitely needs to help Wendy who was wounded to save her…
Aly tried to transmit an emergency call to their comrades who are resting in a tent, using the wireless ring of her arm. However, the wireless doesn’t get communicate.
(You are joking, right…? It’s broken due to the impact just now?)
She thinks that it was to that degree, since it’s a fact that she can’t connect.
Then, she immediately takes Wendy away from that place and calls for help.
– Damn!
Aly stands up carrying Wendy in both arms and tried to run towards the tent, but a sudden cracking-like pain attacks her head and ends up falling down.
– What’s this sound…!?
A high-pitched sound that continues intermittently stimulates the brain.
*Twitch* *Twitch*, the body of Wendy twitches and repeatedly suffered from convulsions when she was thrown down to the ground and separated her hand when she fell down.
– Damn, what’s happening… my body, doesn’t move…
On the contrary, her consciousness becomes thinner.
– … Wen-dy… every-one…
– The motion test is a success.
A woman was standing to the side of Aly who lost consciousness.
She’s a very tall woman.
Her figure is nice, her body that is covered with a black bodysuit draws an arc appropriate for a woman and is charming but her long, unruly and mingled hair is ruffled and the white coat she put on is tattered.
The expression of her eyes is fairly sharp and fascinating and yet, those eyes are wearing an ominous aura.
– With this, I can execute that strategy…
She holds the cigarette that she was holding in her mouth between her fingers and *Fuu*, emitted smoke while looking up at the sky.
Slightly above her shoulders, something like a hornet with a length of about 30 centimeters, which has a steel shell like the Savages, and has a reddish pattern on the whole body, and despite all that, is floating while turning on a light like a firefly.
It’s an artificial life-form created by Vitaly Tynyanov from the cores of the Savages and the Variable Stones that she accumulated.
She’s a traitor who, in order to stop the movement of the Slayers and attack Little Garden, has prepared a trump card——a decisive battle weapon.