Chapter 160: Large-scale Battle (1/2)

When Akira was heading to where Sheryl was held. Another change happened outside the mansion.

A few dozen vehicles went past through the gate that Akira kicked down. Since Katsuya killed the entrance guards, no one was there to stop those vehicles.

A large trailer stopped in the courtyard. Its huge backside opened and revealed multiple powered suits under its cover. They were about 5 metres tall with thick bodies and limbs, those thick limbs gave off a powerful and durable impression rather than simply being heavy. There was also a big gun lined up beside each and every powered suit.

The other trailers also opened their backsides, showing the same powered suits and tanks under them. While some of the other trailers started disembarking the soldiers inside them.

Those people were from Haurias. Rogelt’s guess was correct, Haurias used the chaos caused by Akira and Katsuya to attack Ezont Family’s base.

Haurias commander looked around the mansion and gave his men an order.

“That info was correct! Let’s use this chance to crush the Ezont Family!! Go out there and join the battle!”

The activated powered suits slowly moved their huge limbs to get up before grabbing the huge gun lying next to them. They then fixed their aim at the mansion in front of them.

Right at the next moment, a huge explosion flashed from their torsos. High-calibre rounds hit their large torsos followed by a loud banging as they were toppling over one by one. The armour platings around the area where they were hit, crumbled down and made a loud banging sound when it hit the ground.

The one that shot them was a black powered suit that appeared from behind the mansion. Those robots were designed for agility with light thin limbs and bodies. It was manoeuvring around quickly on the ground with the mobility support device equipped under its feet while carrying huge guns that looked unfitting with its small body.

That black robot was Rogelt’s powered suit. Rogelt then shouted from inside his powered suit as if to let everyone in that place hear him.

“You damn bastard!! I knew you would come!! I’ll crush you here and now!”

The other undamaged Haurias’ powered suits and tanks focused their aim from the general direction of the mansion to that black powered suit. But that powered suit manoeuvred nimbly to evade the incoming rounds while shooting back at them. Haurias’ foot soldiers spread out so as to not get swallowed in that exchange.

With tanks and powered suits involved, it was no longer on the level of a battle between the slum gangs.

Akira watched what was going on from the mansion’s rooftop and could not help but frown.

“…What the heck is going on?”

Just right outside the mansion, there was an ongoing chaos between dozens of tanks and powered suits. Not to mention the cannon barrage coming from outside the mansion by Haurias’ side, Ezont Family’s powered suits were shooting back at those cannons from inside the mansion. Haurias’ powered suits flooded the courtyard trying to neutralize Ezont Family’s powered suits, but a black powered suit was blocking them.

Quantity-wise, Haurias had the upper hand with their tanks and powered suit. But the black powered suit was obviously a few times stronger than a common powered suit and it compensated for the lack of number on the Ezont Family’s side.

It would not be strange to feel a sense of superiority if someone was to stand somewhere high while looking down on the ensuing battle. But since Akira knew very well there was a good chance one of those huge rounds strayed and hit him, he was only able to smile wryly with a stern face.

“What kind of battle is going on here? They even have powered suits out too, this isn’t on the level of a fight between slum gangs…”

Akira watched the black powered suit closing its distance against its enemies. It bobbed and swayed, evading the incoming bullets to get close enough before using its chainsaw-like weapon to cut down the cover together with the enemy hiding behind it. Fire sparkles flew everywhere as it cut the whole thing together and left a clean-cut powered suit and cover in its trail.

Akira inadvertently asked.

“…Whoah, that’s really something. But why is that powered suit fighting in such close proximity from his enemies? It has a gun with it, right?”

Alpha answered his question.

“The anti-force field armour device works better when it’s in close range, you see. Of course, some of the warheads have anti-force field armour devices installed on them too, but it’s impossible to have the same negating power in those relatively smaller warheads. Not to mention that it might also be for scaring the enemies by showing its ability to fight in close range. Other than that, it might be its user’s preference, I guess?”

“Preference?”

“You still remember back then in Seranthal building when Shiori cut down the huge monster, right? I bet it has similar equipment to Shiori. There was also Kanae who fought the smaller monsters using CQC. Those people who have that kind of preference often have the talent and skill to support it, you see. For them, fighting in close range is much easier and they do perform better in close range.”

“I see, so that’s how it is, huh.”

Akira nodded as if he was fully convinced.

From Sheryl’s point of view, it looked like Akira found an answer that he just mumbled himself. Although she did find that strange, she felt like Akira would tell her not to ask him if she tried, and since it might even worsen his mood too, Sheryl decided to stay silent.

“Akira, let’s not spend our time watching them and get out of here. It would be bad if you get involved in that battle.”

Alpha was urging Akira to withdraw, but he had a conflicted expression as he said.

“…But, I still have that pickpocket to be killed…”

“Like I said, it’s impossible for you to hunt for that pickpocket while carrying Sheryl around. Even standing here is already pretty dangerous, you know? Moreover, although I don’t know the reason, it seems that a fight is also ensuing outside the base. It would be dangerous if you don’t escort Sheryl to a safer place.”

A battle was also going on outside the fence of the base. It was a fight between Haurias reinforcement soldiers and Rogelt’s men that were on their way back after they were told to return to the base.

Akira had thought that he could just escort Sheryl outside the fence and then return back to the base, but it seemed that it was no longer a viable option now.

“Like people always say, if you chase 2 rabbits at the same time, you’ll lose both of them. Your best course of action in this situation is to evacuate Sheryl to somewhere safe and hope that pickpocket gets killed in the ongoing battle.”

Akira made a stern face, it might really be his only choice there. But before he decided to just give up and do that, another idea came up in his mind.

Akira understood that his plan was unlikely to work. But even so, he was still willing to try. And if it really did not work, he would just give up and retreat, that way it would lessen his regret.

“Alpha, I need your help to control my information terminal.”

“Sure, but what do you need me to do?”

After Akira explained his plan, Alpha frowned and said.

“I’m not even sure that it would work, but…”

“I know, we’re just going to give it a try. And if it doesn’t work, I’ll give up killing that pickpocket and obediently leave this place.”

“Well, if you would feel better that way, then sure.”

Alpha operated Akira’s information terminal to send a message.

—-*—*—*—

Inside a building not too far away from Ezont Family’s base, Viola was watching the ongoing battle between Ezont Family and Haurias through her binoculars.

“Ohh, they’re fighting just fine.”

Carol was also there as Viola’s bodyguard, she then exasperatedly said.

“Good grief, you’re really an awful woman. But still, although it’s true that they’re fighting just next to the wasteland, to think that they would bring out tanks and powered suits too. I wonder how much oil you poured for that to happen.”

Viola replied with an empty smile.

“Oh my, you make it sound like I caused them to fight. That’s so rude of you. They did that themselves, you know. I have no power to make them fight each other. And even if I do, just imagine how much damage they would cause had they fought in the lower district. So I really want the City Management to thank me for making them fight in the slum. But well, since of course, I don’t have that power, I guess that’s meaningless, huh.”

“I’ll just leave it as that.”

Carol lightly smiled, it was obvious that she did not believe Viola at all.

Suddenly a notice reached Carol’s information terminal. Carol checked the content of that message and raised her eyebrows. She then smiled amusedly.

“Viola, I need to leave for a bit.”

“Oh, but you’re my bodyguard, you know?”

“I’m sure you’ll be safe in this place. So just stay here. I got a request that might earn me 50 million Aurum, you see. If you would pay me more than that, I don’t mind staying here though. I’m just staying here since I don’t have any other things to do, but I don’t feel like I’ll get any extra bonus if I continue staying here, you know.”

“Well, good luck then.”

Viola waved at Carol. After Carol picked up her equipment that she left in that room and finished her preparation, she then said to Viola.

“I don’t really care if it’s because you planned all of this. But how about you try to be a bit more careful? It’s only a matter of time before the fire that you set also gets you burned, you know?”

Carol then immediately left the room. Viola who saw that only mumbled.

“Looking at how excited she is, it must be from a guy that she likes or something. Either that or it is some kind of time-limited request.”

She then smiled amusedly.

“Get myself burned, huh? But even without me setting the fire, they already had enough oil mixed that it was only a matter of time before they started fighting though. And it would have been too late for me to run away if I don’t know where and when that fire will start.”

Viola thought that if it was only a matter of time, she could just set it herself so she knew when she had to run away to not get swallowed by the fire. To top it off, she could even enjoy watching the fire too. She was very talented in this kind of thing.

Viola thought that her work there was what god destined her to be, after all, she had the right aptitude to do that kind of work and it was a kind of work that could easily influence someone’s habit. Moreover, she believed that it was only a matter of supply and demand, and she was on the side who was supplying.

Viola then shifted her focus back to the fight and watched it while smiling.

—*—*—*—

Sheryl was still carried by Akira as she was looking around. She looked slightly scared.

She could see powered suits fighting each other and their firepower way outside what normal people could produce. Stray bullets that were more like huge warheads ripped off the mansion and opened a huge hole. If it hit someone, there was no question it would turn him or her into minced meat. Sheryl could also feel her feet trembling, someone inside the mansion might have been using explosives. Although Akira was protecting her, it did not change the fact that it was scary.

And Akira was just standing on top of that mansion, it did not seem like he was going to move anywhere anytime soon. It was not strange that Sheryl found it weird and felt worried.

“Uhmm, are we not going to withdraw?”

Akira calmly replied.

“Yeah, but just wait for a bit here. It’s not like I’m just waiting here without any reason, you know.”

“I-I see, I understand.”

Sheryl could not pursue any further if Akira said so. After all, she did not have the ability to escape from that place with her own power. If Akira thought of her as a bother, she might get left behind to die there. She did not say anything any further, she just tightened her arms around Akira to ward off her worry.

Akira seemed a little disappointed and thought.

“…As I thought, it won’t work, huh. Well, I did expect that though.”

He did that fully expecting that it would not work in the first place. As he was about to make his next move, Alpha suddenly said in surprise.