Chapter 158: Ignition (1/2)

Akira was relaxing in his own home. He left his augmented suit on a shelf in an empty room.

Just like with the previous augmented suit, Alpha was working on the control device of Akira’s new augmented suit.

“Alpha, how long will it take until my augmented suit is ready?”

“It’ll be done sometime around tomorrow night. We’ll head to the wasteland again after that.”

“Hmmm, that’s pretty long.”

“Unlike your previous augmented suit, this is a high-quality augmented suit after all. Moreover, it’s not like I’m just simply hijacking the control device. I’m basically rewriting the software from the bottom-up to be able to pull out its full power, so putting that in consideration, finishing it tomorrow night is pretty fast, you know.”

“Is that so? That’s pretty amazing then.”

Alpha was telling the truth, but Akira barely showed any reaction to it at all. So Alpha pouted and said.

“It’s understandable since it’s out of your area of expertise, but I really wish that you would show more interest in it.”

“Even if you told me so… Just wait patiently until I have enough knowledge to be honestly amazed by something like that.”

Forget difficult things like that, Akira only had barely enough common knowledge according to the current standard. Not to mention, he would need all kinds of complex information that normal people would not know in order to be honestly amazed by what Alpha just said.

“Seems like it would take quite a long time until you reach that point, huh.”

“Yup.”

It seemed that it was not an easy thing to get Akira interested in that kind of information. Alpha thought so from how he replied apathetically.

A call suddenly reached Akira’s information terminal. When he checked the caller, it was from Viola.

“It’s Akira, what is it?”

“…It’s about Sheryl, is this a good time?”

Viola’s voice was rather rough. There was a hint of fear and it was obvious that she could not keep her calm. Akira also noticed that and frowned, but it was out of suspicion.

“What? If it’s about Sheryl’s gang, go talk with her. Don’t try to jump over her by trying to ask for permission straight from me.”

“That’s not it. As in matter of fact, this problem is because I didn’t inform you first. So I want to give you a short explanation first here.”

“Alright alright, so, what is it?”

Akira got even more suspicious. Viola then carefully started her explanation.

“…Sheryl is being held in Ezont Family’s base. At this rate, she might even get killed.”

Akira’s face slightly turned stern.

Viola then continued her explanation which sounded more like her making excuses. She started from when she introduced Sheryl to Ezont Family which she did originally as an apology to Akira. But then, for some reason, Sheryl refused that offer which offended Ezont Family. She then said that it was something that she did not expect and that it was not her fault. She nervously gave her explanation as if she was making excuses for what she did.

“…So basically that’s what happened, I really didn’t have any wish to put your lover in danger. I hope you can understand that.”

Akira replied rather indifferently.

“I understand the situation.”

Viola sounded rather relieved as she said.

“I see. I only called you to make sure that we don’t have any misunderstanding between us, so I’m really glad that you understand.”

“Is that all?”

Viola then continued while sounding rather nervous.

“Just one more. About that pickpocket, it seems that Alna is also in Ezont Family’s base. But I don’t know if she’s also being held there or if the Ezont Family is sheltering her.”

Akira’s voice immediately changed, he sounded slightly annoyed.

“So?”

“…You might already know that Shijima and I tried to capture or kill Alna, but unfortunately, Drankam got in our way. If Alna is still somewhere in the slum city, we can try again, but it would be too much of a trouble if she’s under Ezont Family’s protection. That’s why, I know that you didn’t ask us anything, but in case you were expecting us to be able to capture Alna… I’m sorry that we can’t satisfy your expectations. I hope you can understand.”

Viola sounded slightly scared although she also sounded rather relaxed at the same time.

“I did say it before, I didn’t you ask you to do anything.”

“Is that so? Well, you have a point there… Although it might sound strange for me to say this, but it might be a good idea for you to give up on killing that Alna, you know.”

Akira’s mood clearly worsened.

“…What do you mean by that?”

“There’s no need to be that angry. It’s simply a matter of too much trouble, you see. It isn’t worth getting into trouble with Ezont Family just in order to kill one pickpocket. That’s all there’s to it, so don’t misunderstand me here. It’s not like I’m saying that you can’t win against Ezont Family, it’s simply a matter of whether it’s worth the trouble or not. Moreover, from the information that I gathered, it seems that Katsuya Hunter is making a deal with a Drankam officer to make Alna a Drankam member. Of course, that officer is opposing his request, but it’s only a matter of time before she gets overwhelmed. It’s a whole different thing between killing a mere pickpocket and killing a Drankam member. Not to mention, Drankam seems to be in a rather good relationship with the Kugamayama City Management. So in the worst-case scenario, you might get the whole city against you. No matter how strong you are, it’s stupid to get into a fight against Drankam. I’m sure you know at least that much too, right?”

In the middle of her explanation, Viola’s tone slowly turned to normal. But once she remembered her position, after a short pause, she once again sounded rather scared as she said.

“That’s all, later then.”

“Wait!”

Akira still sounded in a bad mood. Viola replied, sounding scared.

“W-what is it?”

“Tell me where’s this Ezont Family’s base.”

“What are you planning to do with it if I tell you…? No, it’s nothing. I’ll send the location to your information terminal after this. Later then.”

Viola flusteredly closed the call. It seemed that she was scared since continuing the call might only turn the situation worse.

Akira put down his information terminal. He hung his head low, sighed, and raised his head again. His bad mood seemed to have vanished. In its place, he had a resolute expression.

Akira swung his legs toward the room where he kept his augmented suit. Alpha understood what he was about to do, she frowned and said to Akira.

“Akira, as I explained to you, the augmented suit is not ready yet.”

“It’s not like it’s useless just because I can’t receive your support, right? Well, if it’s useless, I can just use another armour though. I’m glad we modified the AAH and A2D assault rifles so that I can use them without an augmented suit. As for the CWH anti-material rifle and DVTS minigun, I’ll only use them when they’re ported on my vehicle.”

Alpha understood that Akira was being serious. There was a time when Akira went to Shijima’s base with only his AAH assault rifle and no augmented suit. Considering his opponent and his equipment at that time, it might be equally as reckless as what he was going to do this time. So it was rather impossible to stop Akira who had made his decision using his equipment as an excuse. So Alpha decided to try a different method.

“Are you going to save Sheryl or to kill that pickpocket?”

“Both if it’s possible. You’ll know whether I can do it while I’m at it.”

Akira himself could not tell if he would only save Sheryl while aiming for Alna or that he would kill Alna while he’s saving Sheryl. If it was only one of those, he might not have decided to move out. But with both of those things pointing at the same location, it was enough of a reason for him to move out.

“I believe Shizuka told you to think about it one more time about killing that pickpocket though.”

“She did, but it seems that I don’t have the leeway to take my time any longer.”

Akira was running out of time, if Drankam gave protection to Alna, he would have to prepare to fight Drankam in order to kill her. But right now, he just needed to prepare to fight Ezont Family in order to kill her. As a matter of fact, he might be already too late, but it did not change the fact that the sooner he made his move, the better it was. And that would mean to make his move now.

Alpha made a serious face and said to Akira.

“Like I said before, I have no obligation to provide you support for this, you know?”

Akira stopped and stared back at Alpha. Normally, he would casually say that she did not have to help him in that case, and Alpha was actually expecting him to say that and was planning to use that to convince him.

But Akira lightly smiled and said to Alpha.

“You did tell me to spoil myself with your support, right? So help me.”

Alpha looked obviously surprised. She then smiled bitterly, a little amused too at the same time.

“Geez, alright.”

“Thanks!”

“I wonder if it was a mistake telling you that.”

“It’s really something you or I should not say lightly.”

“I completely agree with you.”

Akira and Alpha smiled at each other, they then immediately prepared themselves to move out.

Once Akira finished his preparation, he hopped onto his vehicle. Alpha was already sitting on the driver assistant’s seat. She then teased Akira.

“But still, it seems that you are starting to learn how to use me, huh?”

Akira replied with a joke.

“That’s well, that’s all thanks to all of your education.”

“Oh my, are you saying that it’s my fault? I might have taught you things that I shouldn’t have.”

Alpha’s expression turned to her usual smile as she continued.

“Viola just sent you the location of Ezont Family’s base. Now that we know where it is, shall we go?”

“Roger that!”

Akira immediately moved out once he finished all of his preparation.

—*—*—*—

Viola was smiling in a certain room. It was right after she sent the location of Ezont Family’s base to Akira.

“…That should do it. I delayed some time before sending the information to make him think that I didn’t have it ready beforehand, but did I delay too much?”

Viola’s expression did not show the fear that she had when she was talking with Akira. All of that was nothing more than her acting. She was just acting scared like how she was usually acting calm. She looked completely fine like usual as she said.

“I guess it’s time to give a call to the other person too… Now then, I wonder what will happen next.”

Viola smiled amusedly imagining what was going to happen.

—*—*—*—

Ezont Family’s base was surrounded by fences. The scene behind that fence completely looked out of place in the slum city, it looked so luxurious with a big courtyard. It was sitting in the boundary between the slum city and the wasteland.

The people who lived outside that fence would look inside the fence and be amazed by the power of the Ezont Family. Eventually, they would join the gang in order to get a share of that power.

Right when the sun was about to set. The entrance guard noticed a vehicle heading in their direction. They immediately aimed their guns at that incoming vehicle. But that vehicle stopped not too far away from the entrance.

The guards quickly surrounded the vehicle. One of the guards saw that it was only a young boy driving that car, he then mockingly said to Akira.

“Brat, what are you playing here? It’s not a place for a brat like you to loiter around. Go away!”

“I heard that Sheryl is here, so I’m here to pick her up.”

“Sheryl?”

Since that guard was only a lackey in the gang, he did not know the details of what was going on inside the gang, but even so, he felt that he heard that name before when his boss summoned that Sheryl. So he made a call to the people inside the base.

“You, what is your name?”

“It’s Akira.”

That man was talking with his superior through his information terminal while glancing at Akira from time to time.

“…Eh, ah, yes. He said that it’s his name, and he said that he’s here to pick up Sheryl… No, even if you say so, he looks like just a common brat from my point of view… Well, it’s true that he has better equipment than a common slum brat, it won’t be strange if he calls himself a Hunter with his equipment… No, he doesn’t look that strong.”

That man lowered his information terminal and turned to Akira.

“You, are you really Akira?”

“I don’t know who’s this real Akira that you’re expecting, but my name is Akira.”

“I’m talking about that Akira, a Hunter who is protecting Sheryl’s gang. Is that you?”

“That would be me.”

That man compared the Akira from the picture that he received from his co-worker and the person in front of him. The person in front of him did look like the one in the picture, but he did not seem like a strong Hunter that his superior told him about. He then frowned and made another call.

“…Yes, it’s the brat from the picture… I understand.”

That man then closed the call, looked at the other guards, and gave them a signal to lower their guard and return back to their posts.

“Just wait there!”

Akira was still sitting in the driver’s seat as he nodded. Alpha, who saw that Akira just obediently nodded, lightly smiled.

“And here I thought that you would just break your way through.”

“If we can solve this without a fight, it would be way easier, right?”

“Of course. Let’s just hope that we can solve the other matter as easily too.”

“That would depend on the reason why these guys are protecting that pickpocket. If these guys are also a victim to that pickpocket and are planning to publicly execute her to make an example out of her, then I’ll just leave her be.”