Chapter 226: 211

「Phaaw」

The cloth bag covering her head was removed. Yukikaze squinted against the blinding light.

She found herself in a place resembling the box seats of a stadium.

On the other side of the glass, she could see a round, white, modern-style arena.

Her crutch had been taken away from her, but she wasn't restrained.

On either side of her were the men in combat uniforms who had abducted her. Masks hid their features and they were armed with firearms.

（Russian-made, German-made, and American-made PDWs . Differing handguns. Are they from a private military company? Or are they freelance mercenaries? Either way, a lot of money has been spent on their equipment.

If they were government people, they would all have matching guns. So are the ones behind this employing people who work for money, or is this all a bluff?）

Unable to decide either way, Yukikaze put her thoughts aside for the moment.

『Please forgive my abrupt invitation』

「What?」

A man's voice came over the speakers.

He sounded older, but ill at ease.

『I hadn't expected that the A.I. specialist, one who violates regulations at that, would be so young』

「I'll have you know that my company is properly licensed」

『No, that's not what I meant. Yukikaze-kun, no matter which conferences or labs I checked, your name was nowhere to be found. On the off chance, I even looked into universities and post-graduate programs, but I could find no trace of you, or anyone connected to you for that matter. With no other choice, I had to use the roundabout method of attaching tracking devices to old A.I.s and then scattering them all over before finally getting the chance to extend you an invitation』

「That Makina, huh………I sure screwed up」

Yukikaze held her head in her hands, lamenting her own carelessness.

『I never dreamed that you'd be a girl so young that you hadn't even started higher education. Did you make "that" through self-study?』

Lately, there had been signs that some strange people had been on her trail.

However, Yukikaze, who was only an ordinary person, had no way of predicting a development like getting abducted all of a sudden.

「………Is Gunmerry what you're after?」

『That’s right』

Pictures of Gunmerry appeared on the glass in front of her, which appeared to actually be a transparent monitor.

The pictures showed Gunmerry pouncing on the gangsters from above.

Lifting them up and slamming them down.

Injecting them with some kind of dubious-looking drug.

And………………bending down to peek up Yukikaze's skirt when she was looking the other way.

（I'll kick his ass later）

Last of all, the image of Gunmerry in the present.

It showed Gunmerry walking down what appeared to be a corridor. His head had been replaced with a part that looked like a motorcycle helmet with a single large eye sensor.

He looked just like one of those evil robots.

『Capable of full bipedal movement in an upright position. This unique degree of mobility makes it unlike any other A.I. Most striking of all is its combat ability. It "caused humans harm" without any hesitation at all. This tramples on the pacifistic and naive ideas that have been around since the first generation like they're mere bugs. For a teenage girl to develop this kind of ideology, it must be derived from your experience of having your leg amputated due to an accident, or maybe your physical therapy caused you to think in a way―――――』

「You must have had a very dark youth. You poor thing」

At Yukikaze's words, the men who had abducted her chuckled.

There was no adult in the world who would not be offended to hear such words from a young girl.

『W, well, that's fine. If you have no intention of having a conversation, I’ll simply investigate the actual machine instead』

The voice trembled, but the owner of the voice managed to not lose his temper.

The image displayed on the monitor disappeared, and Gummerry could be seen with the naked eye. After entering the arena, he spotted Yukikaze and waved broadly at her.

『Are you all right~? Have you suffered any age-restricted humiliation~?』

「No, I haven't!」

Yukikaze responded with exasperation at the words the microphone had picked up.

When Gunmerry started walking towards her, the man next to her pulled out a handgun and pulled the slide back.

『Now, mysterious A.I., if you value your master's life, you will obey my orders』

『Myself refuses. Myself doesn't negotiate with terrorists』

Yukikaze gulped as the muzzle of the gun was pressed against her temple.

『Umu, myself will hear what you have to say』

Gunmerry obeyed obediently.

Then, part of the arena floor rose up.

『To start, I want you to fight this』

A figure twice Gunmerry's size emerged.

It had a round, onion-shaped helmet, a bulbous abdomen, and a white, stocky design that resembled medieval armor.

PAA: Power Assist Armor.

Developed out of plans to augment the bomb suit, its selling point was its special multi-layered armor that could withstand medium caliber rounds and the power assist that allowed its user to operate heavy weapons with ease.

However, it could only withstand a few rounds of large-caliber ammunition, could not withstand a direct hit from an RPG, and its performance against bombs, what it had been developed for in the first place, was questionable, so it was mostly used for relatively mundane purposes, such as suppressing rioters, putting down lightly armed criminals, transporting and delivering supplies on the battlefield, or clearing rubble.

It was armed not with a gun, but a large mace.

『It's the most advanced PAA available. How well can you fight with that slim body of yours, I wonder?』

『Oh-ho』

Gunmerry stood naturally, not taking up a stance.

『So, can myself start now?』

「Hey, Electric Pod, I'll show you what happens when you dare defy a human――――――」

In an instant,

The person wearing the PAA was slammed into the wall.

He didn't even have time to finish his snarky remark.

『………………』

The voice over the speakers fell silent.

Neither the man pointing the gun at Yukikaze nor any of his posse understood what had happened.

『Is that it?』

Gunmerry put his foot back down on the ground.

He had sent the nearly one-ton PAA flying 30 meters through the air and into the wall with a single front kick.

It wasn't humanly possible. Or rather, it went beyond what human knowledge said was possible.

『Well, that's hardly a good demonstration of anything』

The next thing that rose to the surface was a huge silhouette.

It was five meters tall and two meters wide. Its legs were short compared to its two abnormally large arms. It was a so-called gorilla-type unit that walked on two legs.

Its armor had been painted green, and its head, which was integrated into the torso, was a typical cylindrical A.I. pod. The round sensor eye in the middle of it glowed red and then……

『GAAAAAAAAAAAAA!』

……it roared like a beast.

『This is a pseudo combat A.I. There's no point in trying to talk to it. Drugs and a malfunctioning failsafe have wiped out any remnants of the aqueous brain's personality. Yes, the best opponent for an A.I. is another A.I. after all』

『Myself sees』

A huge fist was swung at Gunmerry, who still seemed very relaxed.

Just a single finger of that fist was a lump of metal thicker than Gunmerry's arm. But Gunmerry dodged the punch effortlessly, still maintaining his air of composure.

That was merely a jab to check him out.

Another roar filled the air.

A wild flurry of punches was unleashed. All of them deadly.

Those attacks bore no resemblance to anything artificial or man-made, but instead reflected the very nature of beasts. They were forceful, savage, and filled with murderous intent.

The power behind each blow was enough to reduce a human to liquid with just a glancing touch. Even steel would likely be smashed like tofu.

……if they hit.

Gunmerry continued to dodge the attacks of the combat A.I. more brilliantly than any matador.

『What the heck are these readings?』

Gunmerry's reaction speed was displayed on a section of the transparent monitor. Yukikaze couldn't tell if it was displayed intentionally or by accident.

『An average of 0.03? That's far beyond the input delay of any unit. Are you telling me that it's calculating and predicting the future in such a short time? Where is it getting the astronomical amount of processing power required for that………………』

（This is bad）

Yukikaze realized.

The man on the speakers appeared to have some decent expertise in the field.

If things continued as is, Gunmerry's secret would be exposed. If that were to happen, the whole world would be after them.

（If it’s exposed, the plan will be ruined. Dammit, there's no other choice）

「Gunmerry! Take it out in one blow!」

『Are you sure? This is an innocent A.I., you know?』

The men around Yukikaze showed no inclination of stopping her.

It would seem that they were not contracted to do anything other than to intimidate her.

「There are those who can be saved with absolute certainty and those who cannot be. That being the case, priority must be given to the former」

『Understood』

Gunmerry's mono-eye glowed suspiciously.

He suddenly stopped in his tracks and met the fist of the combat A.I. head-on.

The high-pitched sound of metal crashing against metal rang out.

『Impossible』

The man's astonishment could be heard over the speakers.

Gunmerry had stopped a fist as large as himself with "one hand". On the face of it, it completely defied the laws of physics.

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The numbers on the transparent monitor turned red, indicating that the readings could not be measured.

『Graviton particles? No, that's not it. Is it using particles that can’t be detected? What the hell is going on?』

The combat A.I. lifted up its other arm.

That punch was also easily stopped, and then both of its massive arms were twisted until they were ripped off.

『By my master's order, myself will take your life』

Gunmerry plunged his hand into the pod.

A cacophony of screeching metal could be heard as he gouged and raked its insides. When Gunmerry retracted his hand, he was holding the key components of the A.I.

The joints of the combat A.I. unit locked up, leaving it frozen like some unnatural sculpture.

「It's over. Can we go home now?」

『………………It can’t be helped』

Rather surprisingly, the man on the speakers complied……

『Open fire』

There was no way that was going to happen.

Gunshots rang out and one of Gunmerry's legs was blown off.

The walls of the arena had swung open, revealing many more combat A.I.s of the same type. And all of them were armed with M2 heavy machine guns.

『With its combat ability, it cannot be neutralized by half-hearted attacks. I’d have preferred to acquire it intact, but it can't be helped. I'll just steal what I can from the wreckage』

A hail of bullets rained down on Gunmerry. Both of his arms were shattered, his head was partially destroyed, a gaping hole was punched through his chest, and his jacket was riddled with holes.

Gunmerry fell over.

The light of his eye sensor flickered, then went out.

『Alright, that should do it』

「………………What have you done?」

Yukikaze let out a cry of woe.

『Are you bitter? The measures I employed may seem a little extreme to a child, but that's just how adults are. Take what you want with all the means at your disposal. When you grow up, you'll understand how――――――』

「You stupid fool. You've just rattled the cage of a fantastic beast」

There was a snap and the power was cut, causing the lights to go out.

『What happened? Turn the backup power on』

The speakers and the monitor were still live. Only the lights seemed to have gone out.

In the darkness, the half-destroyed Gunmerry began to glow.

The broken parts floated into the air, then one by one, as if they had a will of their own, they came together.

『What's that light? Why aren't the instruments picking up any readings? What the hell is going on?』

「If I knew that, I wouldn't have so much trouble」

Yukikaze's words were lost in the hubbub of the confusion.

The men around her were also watching Gunmerry intently.

『Open fire! Destroy it!』

Upon receiving that command, the combat A.I.s unloaded a salvo of bullets from their guns.

Muzzle flashes sparkled in the darkness, and then different kinds of sparks erupted.

Something was intercepting the bullets.

The massive number of bullets, .50 large-caliber rounds at that, were all being deflected.

As gunfire continued to pop off like a pneumatic drill, a red-hot hand emerged from the darkness.

A devilish silhouette with hooked claws.

A single eye glowing a dull red.

Gunmerry, who was supposedly half-destroyed, rose to his feet amid the darkness.

The gunfire ceased.

The shell casings scattered everywhere tinkled as they bounced across the floor.

The heated muzzles of the guns glowed red.

Quietly, with the air of a ruler, Gunmerry spoke.

『It would not do for those myself opposes and seeks to destroy to not know myself’s name. Thus, allow myself to introduce myself. Myself is Outer World・Reverse Engineered・Advent Intelligence. Integrated Combat Type・Ultimate Fighter Unit #1・User Interface Modified Version. Prototype・Guns-Memory. And all of you are my enemies』

Dazzling streaks of lightning flashed through the space.

Then, the lights of the arena gradually came on.

Guns-Memory chanted.

『Code break. Each outcry of the hunted hare, a fiber from the brain does tear. A skylark wounded in the wing, a cherubim does cease to sing. Joy and woe are woven fine, a clothing for the soul divine』

『Code break. Change user information………………』

This was heard over the speakers.

『Wh, what?』

The man's baffled voice. And……

『Code break. Changing user information』

『Code break. Changing user information』

『Code break. Changing user information』

『Code break. Changing user information』

『Code break. Changing user information』

『Code break. Changing user information』

『Code break. Changing user information』

『Code break. Changing user information』

『Code break. Changing user information』

『Code break. Changing user information』

『Code break. Changing user information』

『Code break. Changing user information』

『Code break. Changing user information』

『Code break. Changing user information』

『Code break. Changing user information』

『Code break. Changing user information』

『Code break. Changing user information』

『Code break. Changing user information』

The A.I.s in the arena collectively broadcasted the same words and then awaited the final command.

『Guns-Memory, please provide the new user’s name』

『Register【Yukikaze】as the new user. Protect her with your lives and obey her commands with all of your heart』

『Understood』

The muzzles of the combat A.I.s’ guns were turned towards the men.

「Wha」

He was not given the chance to finish what he was saying. The men were riddled with bullets and turned into chunks of flesh.

「That's why I called you stupid, you fool」

Yukikaze wiped the blood from her cheeks with a ghastly look on her face.

『Integrated Combat Type A.I.? That's impossible! That's no more than a fanciful concept that has only been bandied about recently. Even if it were ever to be completed, it'd be at least 500 years from now! No, wait. What do you mean, "Advent Intelligence"? Could it be that, upon their advent, the A.I.s already possessed――――――』

The sounds of flesh being mangled came from the speakers.

Moments later……

『Elimination complete. Awaiting further orders』

……a mechanical voice waited for further orders from Yukikaze.

「I can't believe you didn’t understand the nature of what you were using. Really, you were such a fool」

He got what he deserved.

Even so, Yukikaze had not yet grown to be the kind of adult who could shrug off the deaths of others so easily.

A single error of judgment had cost them the one life they had.

Gunmerry crashed through the monitor, which was littered with bullet holes, and approached her.

『Yukikaze?』

「What?」

『Your vitals are unstable. Are you all right?』

「I’m alright」

A fight with lives at stake that she wasn’t accustomed to. And an ally more terrifying than any enemy.

But she swallowed it down out of pride. Because she knew that weakness was a poison.

『Myself's favorite jacket has been damaged. Myself requests a new one』

He was back in perfect condition despite how much damage his body had taken earlier, but his leather jacket was riddled with holes.

「Jackets like that are really expensive. I'll take it out of your paycheck」

『Can't you write it off as an expense?』

「No」

Picking up her crutch, Yukikaze stood up.

She surveyed the horrific scene and burned it into her mind so that she would never forget it.

「Hey, eh? What?!」

Yukikaze was suddenly picked up by Gunmerry.

In what was known as the "princess carry".

『It would be troublesome if you got abducted again on the way home. Allow myself to take you home like this today』

「Well………………fine」

Feeling embarrassed for some unknown reason, Yukikaze hid her face.

『But well――――』

As Gunmerry took a look around the arena, all the combat A.I.s that were awaiting orders turned to face them in unison.

There were forty of them.

『Our family has suddenly grown quite a bit, huh?』

「Really, what am I supposed to do with all of them?」

[1] Personal defense weapons (PDWs) are a class of compact, selective fire, magazine-fed, submachine gun-like firearms. Most PDWs fire a small-caliber (less than 6 millimeters or 0.24 inches), high-velocity centerfire bottleneck cartridge resembling a scaled-down intermediate rifle cartridge, essentially making them an "in-between" hybrid between a submachine gun and a carbine. Some of the more famous PDWs include the AR-57, B&T MP9, FN P90, H&K MP5 Parabellum & MP7, PP-2000 SMG, and so on. This class of firearms tends to be used as close-quarters combat weapons by riot police, special operations forces, and the like.

Well……WTF?!?! So many questions!!! Why is the Code Break password for the A.I.s in the modern world so similar to what Souya set for Makina and Yukikaze?! In the first place, Souya had to specifically set it, so why do those A.I.s have it and why does it work?! And where did Gunmerry get the password to begin with?! Also, this arc has all but confirmed that Gunmerry is an A.I. but just what kind of A.I. is he? All those names! And despite it all, he peeks up skirts…wait, that’s kinda familiar…

By the way, “Outer World・Reverse Engineered・Advent Intelligence” is all in “English”. If you recall, Outer World is the “English” term for the alternate world(Tortch used it, as well as “Advent Intelligence”). Remember that “English” terms do not exist in the alternate world because Babel translates all language there into the listener’s language, which in Souya’s case, is Japanese. In other words, “English” terms seen in the alternate world are all “brought over” from the modern world. This point is something I hope everyone remembers, though probably not for the reason you’re expecting keke.

Also, this is only the second time I’ve used the term “fantastic beast”(do you remember when was the first instance I used it?). It can actually be translated in a variety of ways like Magical Beast, Demonic Beast, Demon Beast, and so on. However I chose “Fantastic Beast” frankly because of the book/movie as the beasts that appear in them are very close to what I believe is the feel of these beasts that the author is conveying: Beasts that are fantastical, rather than just magical or demonic.

As you’ve probably figured out from the picture I attached in the afterword of the previous chapter, Gunmerry took the time to change his head to a Zaku’s head before coming to Yukikaze’s rescue. What a chad. For non-Gundam fans, the red robot shown with the curry is the Zaku-type robot and yes, they’re the bad guys’ robots. And even his powered-up form sounds suspiciously like a Z’Gok(see below), another unit the same pilot of the red Zaku had used… Can’t say I don’t love it tho, given I’m a fan of the Gundam series. Oh, and the particles thing is also another old Gundam plot-device/running joke that’ll take far too long to explain here.

Well, lots of mysteries uncovered and 2 chapters more to go! Stay tuned!

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