“You fools! Light! Please turn on the flashlight…”
“Gah?!”
Shouts, curses, blood, and bullets.
Even with all that chaos, the real source of disturbance to the senses was, without a doubt, Zero itself.
Crack!
With a cheerful pop, the machine arm swung through the air and shattered the man’s shoulder blade.
Crunch!
The chilling metallic sound of the captured barrel crumpling like clay lost its original function.
The enemy formation had already crumbled.
At best, they were just lurking around the door, poking out the ends of their guns and shooting wildly, but the fact that they blocked the only entry point was undoubtedly excellent.
From the moment they allowed the intrusion of an opponent with overwhelming physical abilities, it had turned into a case of encouraging them to fight individually.
“Damn it…! If I yank off their arms and legs, they’re just as good as rebar!!”
-? Isn’t that the same for you?-
With a bang!! the eardrum-shattering gunfire erupted.
Excluding the streaks of light and afterimages left by the rampaging Zero, there was only that muzzle flash illuminating the darkness.
Did that intermittent lighting help them in any way…? Ridiculously, not at all.
They didn’t even notice their feet getting caught on the discarded loot, crawling around on all fours in blind panic.
Each flash of light showed the distorted faces of terrified men and the blood-splattered droid gloves, reminiscent of a poor-quality horror film scene.
“…Is that right?”
Honestly, if I found myself trapped in a dark room with a frenzied combat robot, I would panic and flounder too. Of course, once that brief state of panic passed, I’d at least look for a source of light or consider a means of counterattack, like any other gang member with a semblance of reason.
On the other hand, there would undoubtedly be a strong desire to resist as quickly as possible.
But would just wildly pulling the trigger where the light was be a good idea? If they shot there, they wouldn’t hit Zero, but…
“Ah?! Damn it! That guy is shooting too!”
“Ugh… cough…! Someone get a bandage…!”
“…You all are just making such a commotion. What a nuisance.”
Bang!!
I clicked my tongue at the idiots who laid bare their harsh natures. In clicking my tongue, I unintentionally killed a coward who was trying to crawl away towards me in confusion.
I couldn’t guarantee that I could see through the darkness, but it certainly seemed like there were far more of them who had collapsed from shooting at each other than from being killed or incapacitated by Zero.
Even amidst all this, some fool misguidedly approached waving a knife toward the very spot where the gunfire had come from.
I couldn’t help but admire the scene which was nothing short of collateral destruction.
Aren’t they afraid of friendly fire? How can they be this irresponsible and selfish?
At this point, I thought they might just self-destruct even if I stood back and watched.
The light, far brighter than gunfire, drove away the darkness only to vanish.
Bang! Crackle……
“This is… a flare? I see they had something like this.”
As the reddish light thrown into the center finally illuminated the cargo area, the disaster that had unfolded, merely obscured by brief darkness, became fully revealed.
Scattered bodies everywhere, gleaming pools of blood, and heaps of boxes in disarray.
And finally, a group of survivors huddled against one wall.
“Those dumbasses… what the hell are they doing…!”
That thin voice reached this far. Seeing the awkwardly lodged sharp objects and the injured state of those who hardly seemed to have been touched by the droid, the man snarled.
Wow… Seriously, did some idiot throw someone else away while escaping those circumstances? They truly are the kind of bastards who prioritize their own safety without a second thought.
The bulky figure’s sharp gaze scanned the battlefield.
It seemed he was trying to gauge the odds based on the remaining troops and Zero’s intact state, as his thoughts rolled cautiously.
“Hey, engineer lady! We aren’t planning on crossing that line either, so it would be better for both sides if you back off…”
“…What, did the corpse just talk?”
The long-winded nonsense was cut off mercilessly.
It was quite calm for him to recall seeing me first, right in front of Zero, but whether he rambled or not, he immediately drew his pistol, aiming at the bulky head and pulling the trigger.
I understand that he wants to say some simple remarks about the situation, but neither I nor Zero had agreed to simply wait, nor did we give him permission to speak out. So why was he acting so tough all of a sudden?
Moreover, he had already revealed that the main forces were in the back, making it pointless to play along.
Ultimately, the time invested in these small fries felt wasted.
“!!”
“Ugh?”
He reacted.
Not that he saw the bullet in the air. The moment he saw me aiming so confidently at him without hesitation, he immediately grabbed the neck of another gang member right next to him and pulled them in front.
The man, now acting as a meat shield, had his neck snapped back for an instant before returning to its place, and soon afterward, his breath ceased, his body collapsing uselessly.
“Oh…? Did they do some modifications after all?!”
“This… you filthy bitch…!!”
That wasn’t meant to be mocking; it was pure envy spilling out, but the bulky guy, enraged, rushed in.
– You’ve got some serious audacity! –
As Zero naturally blocked their line of sight, it positioned itself against the boar.
Bang—!!
A clash as if calculated. It looked like a primal display of strength as both sides interlocked their fingers in a wrestling grip.
Perhaps trying to mitigate the shock, Zero’s legs grooved into the ground as he got pushed back. It seemed like he was slightly losing out on output, but as the bulk lost momentum, their strength was evenly matched.
However, both hands were now completely blocked, and not being able to utilize his legs which were pinned down by the opposing force. Even the gang members who’d been calm enough to use their allies as shields regained their composure and aimed their guns once more.
“……”
My heart raced.
In that standoff, I barely managed to pull out a hand axe stored in the gap of the gloves—perhaps a situation where I had overestimated my own external armor and capabilities.
…Why do I say it was an ‘executed’ situation?
It’s because he was no longer just a tortoise clad in armor.
When initially customizing, I had no intention of using Zero as a shield or front line. I merely upgraded its defense to prevent it from breaking easily.
But… after witnessing battle dynamics akin to a game of tag with the Five Eyes, I had a change of heart.
Not only to shield oneself through attacks, but also to secure one’s own safety by neutralizing the enemy is a valid strategy. Moreover, isn’t it unfair to receive a one-sided beating just because I don’t want to create more enemies?
If we’re firing at a poor robot for no reason, it better be ready to counterattack.
Thus, finally, this was the first practical deployment after I installed weaponry.
Unfortunately, while it’s impossible for me to integrate a proper-grade implant, I believe Zero full of combat principles will show its true worth.
…Ah, I’ll confess this in advance. That guy didn’t have a particular preference for weaponry, so I added a few parts of my personal taste.
Whirr!
“?!”
Unlike my easily recognizable preparation, without any warning, the droid’s hand rotated 360 degrees. It maintained the opposing force, but the bulky guy’s fingers got pinned between its grip.
Snap. In an instant, the wrist joint and bones shattered, and the bulky guy’s mouth went agape.
If you thought it would mimic a humanoid until the end, you’re making a big mistake. This one is a giraffe that utilizes every advantage it can get.
– The muscle strength is decent, but the flexibility is woefully lacking. –
As the bulk withdrew hesitantly, Zero dug inside, taking advantage of the moment when the remaining rogues hesitated due to the obstructed shooting angle, and a fist raised towards the exposed throat.
Is the free-rotating joint even a weapon? There’s no way! That was merely foundational equipment for using the weapon!
Clang—!
A blade unfurled from Zero’s knuckles. The material was identical to the combat knives commonly carried by mercenaries.
But what’s worth mentioning is its size. The blade, merging the weight of three swords previously used to complain about being large and heavy in the military, pierced through the bulk’s cervical spine.
The official designation for that part? “Fully Retractable Tactical Cutting Blade”.
I feel like somewhere in this world, there are designers who know romance, so I confidently say it. How could a man endure the hidden blade that springs out from the back of his hand…?
– I mean, if you had just died quietly from the start, Ahsa wouldn’t have had to be embarrassed. –
“Hey! I can hear that!?”
In the middle of nodding that it was a regret-free choice, he added thoughtless remarks.
The cunning Zero had already used the bulk’s corpse as mobile cover, reaching right into the faces of the rogues.
As I watched the idiots losing their focal point in confusion see Zero’s bloodied droid and the crimson hidden blade, I hit the ground, hiding behind the wall to avoid any ricochet.
Compared to the ones who had died long ago, the remaining ones were clearly quicker at assessing the situation and their movements were much more graceful.
But unfortunately, when their strength was quantified, whether it was 1 or 1.1 didn’t matter.
It was still an infinitely smaller number compared to a perfect hundred-point robot.
“Damn it…!”
“Eyes!! If we break the lenses, we can win…”
Once again, screams and gunfire exchanged, and the sound of the sweeping blade slicing through the air and the splatter of viscous liquid were soon wrapped up.
As I peered out, I saw Zero standing confidently, shrouded in the fading light of the flare and the murky smoke.
And far away, I could see gang members fleeing like mad in the general compartment where the lights remained intact.
“…Damn it.”
Seeing the utterly missed target of the gun I hastily fired, I gave up on ranged suppression.
If they are planning to run away now, I wish they would at least leave the hovercraft behind, but I knew they wouldn’t listen.
There was no other choice.
They arrived as they pleased, but I had to let them know they had to pay a toll to leave.
“…Passengers must never swing that around?”
– Of course. I will switch to Search-and-Destroy mode. –
