by Shouji Gatou
“Wh-What’s going on?” Shocked by the sudden vibration and noise, Kaname clamped down the boiling pot of curry.
“The boat is rising to the surface,” the cook responded. Likewise, he was holding a stack of dishes to keep them from falling.
“Why? Is there some kind of problem?”
“I’m not sure. We don’t usually surface with all this noise... Something could have happened to the SRT.”
“To... Sousuke?” she asked hesitantly.
“Sergeant Sagara?” The cook shrugged. “I couldn’t say. It also might not mean anything.”
“I see...” Kaname looked up at the kitchen’s ceiling, nervously. Sousuke... Will he be okay?
28 August, 0405 Hours (Local Time)
Berildaob Island, Perio Archipelago
Bathed in the glow of the rising sun, two Mistral IIs appeared beyond the flames. They broke away from each other at high speeds, then closed in on him while laying down alternating shots of cover fire.
A run-of-the-mill operator would try to dodge the shots and get some distance, but not Sousuke; his Arbalest stopped running and knelt down in place. The enemy was trying to lock down his attacks, he knew; all their rapid movement and wild fire was just a buildup to their next move, to stop and take careful aim. That’s right, he thought. Come after me...
The enemies’ fire hit the ground around the Arbalest, sending up bits of asphalt and puffs of white smoke. A trilling alarm from the AI warned him that it was dangerous to stand still.
“Shut up,” he muttered. He readied his machine’s shot cannon in both hands, took careful aim, and fired. The shot sent one of the enemies reeling back. Shards of metal went flying, and the Mistral II slammed into the ground. Its severed right leg spun through the air and landed on an abandoned jeep, crushing it.
Sousuke fired again. The second machine fell, bounced into a somersault, and exploded. His shotcannon was out of ammo. He wanted to change clips, but there was already another enemy machine bearing down on him.
Sousuke rolled the Arbalest forward to skillfully dodge its shots. As it sprang back to its feet, the enemy machine cast its rifle aside and drew a melee weapon that resembled a long-handled hammer. It came in range in a second. The hammer swung down. As Sousuke’s machine just managed to dodge, the hammer hit the ground and exploded.
A HEAT hammer? Sousuke instantly identified the weapon, even as the blast poured over him and he drew his machine back. A HEAT hammer—it resembled a long-handled hammer, but the head was filled with a powerful shaped charge. Their disposability made them cheap and easy to produce, while still packing enough power to destroy a tank in one hit.
The Mistral II tossed the spent shaft aside, and pulled out another HEAT hammer. This one it swung sideways; the Arbalest dodged it by a hair. Sousuke grabbed the enemy’s shoulder with his machine’s left hand; he fixed the shotcannon to the hardpoint on the Arbalest’s head—sticking it “in its mouth”—and used its free right hand to draw a monomolecular cutter.
Impact. The two machines slammed into each other; the knife-like cutter plunged into the Mistral II’s chest. There was an ear-piercing scream as the enemy machine trembled from the force. Sousuke ignored it as he moved the monomolecular cutter, smoothly tearing the enemy’s control system to shreds. That made four.
He pulled out the knife. The Mistral II fell to its knees, and then collapsed forward, its wound sparking and smoking. Sousuke replaced his shotcannon’s clip, then propelled his machine forward with leopard-like agility, searching for more enemies.
Where? Where is it? Where is the Venom? The Arbalest’s head moved back and forth. The ECCS on its forehead was on full blast, emitting radar waves to catch any trace of nearby enemies. Over the radio, he heard reports from various allied machines:
“Uruz-6. We’ve taken out all targets visible from here. Bring on some more!”
“Uruz-12. We’re topside. Barracks B secured and locked down; one enemy infantry dead, two injured. Hostages all safe.”
“Uruz-10. All confirmed surface-to-air artillery destroyed.”
“Uruz-2. Barracks A secured and locked down. Twenty-three hostages located, all safe. Four enemy infantry subdued with tasers.”
It was going pretty smoothly. Most of the enemy ASes were destroyed, the enemy soldiers were captured, and the base personnel had been rescued, safe under the protection of Mao and Dunnigan. But that most crucial element—the red machine—was still missing.
“Uruz-1 to squad. I’ve had no sign of the Venom yet. Anyone seen it? Even the slightest trace. Report.”
“Negative” was the universal reply to the commander’s call. But just then—
“No, affirmative. It’s... is this supposed to be a joke?” Mao said.
“What is it, Uruz-2—” McAllen’s response cut off in a gasp.
“What the...?” Dunnigan also let out a groan of disbelief.
The reason for their confusion was immediately clear. The red AS—the Venom—was in plain sight, standing atop of the tallest building of the facility, to the northeast. Its ECS wasn’t even engaged.
What’s its game? Sousuke wondered.
The diamond-shaped head. The oversized frame. The jagged silhouette. And... the red monoeye. Like a poison dart frog in humanoid form—that was the kind of sharp, dangerous aura that wreathed this new AS.
The Venom turned its head languidly, lording over the flame-wreathed base. There was a large Gatling gun in its hand; a hard-to-wield but insanely powerful weapon.
“Greetings, Mithril friends...” came a voice from its external speakers. Sousuke recognized it, and his heart sank in his chest.
“It’s been so very long. How I’ve missed you... Particularly you, Kashim. Or is it Sagara-kun these days?”
“Ga...” Gauron. Even before he could say the full name, the enemy cut him off, mockingly.
“Right-o! It’s me.” With great effort, the red AS readied its heavy weapon.
4: The Venom Spreads
28 August, 0411 (Local Time)
Berildaob Island, Perio Archipelago
“Time to get this party started... Dance for me!” Gauron laughed in a voice that crackled with madness. From the roof of the building, his AS fired its Gatling gun wildly. A Gatling gun was like a wheel of six connected gun barrels; it rotated at high speed to fire each in rapid succession, letting it rain shells down on them faster than any rifle.
“Uruz-1 to Uruz-6!” McAllen called. “Can you snipe him?”
“Negative,” Kurz responded. “I can’t get a shot from my current position. I’m on the move now.”
“How about a Hellfire, Uruz-10?!”
“Out of ammo, sir,” Nguyen replied tersely.
“Piece of shit!”
The 35mm shells shredded buildings and asphalt like confetti and sent the ground-locked machines scattering. Blinded by fragments and white smoke, the M9s continued to run at full speed.
“Uruz-7, advance! The rest of you, fall back! Give him cover!” McAllen called over the radio.
“7, roger,” Sousuke responded shortly, running the Arbalest forward in a crouch. Gauron... He didn’t even bother telling himself he was supposed to be dead. All he could feel was bitterness and exhaustion.
He was so sure he’d finished him back then, in the mountains of North Korea. But he’d been wrong. He didn’t know what kind of devil’s luck had kept the man alive—but regardless, here he was. He was inside that machine—the Venom—that stood between Sousuke and his goal.
In a situation where every second counted, he’d had no time to check if the enemy was dead. Perhaps his assumption had been mere wishful thinking?
Gauron. What are you doing here? he wondered. Was this a trap after all? The man was talking like he’d expected them. But if so, why would he show himself so readily? None of it made any sense.
Sousuke’s feeling before the charge began—that fear—began to well up again from deep inside him. He felt an itchy sensation at the top of his head
. His breathing became labored, and he felt panic rising. He urged his nerves to return to their finely honed state, but they wouldn’t budge.
This wasn’t good. He couldn’t stay like this. He remembered that destroyed Dark Bushnell he’d seen, and imagined it as one of his allies’ M9s. If he messed up... If he failed... If he lost...
There would be no going back.
It’s Gauron I’m facing. I made it out of Sunan, but he... he’s come here to kill my allies again. Just like the last time. Three years ago, in Afghanistan...
“Uruz-7!”
McAllen’s voice snapped him back to reality. He realized with a gasp that he must have slowed down.
“Look alive over there!” McAllen ordered.
Gauron was firing grenades from a launcher attached to the Gatling gun. Small bombs rained down on them, bringing calamity in their wake. Explosions burst and popped like bubbles. Sousuke propelled his machine in a zig-zag motion, managing to weave it through the grenades.
“Uruz-7! What are you doing?!” The M9s of McAllen, Mao, and Dunnigan, which had pulled back, all fired their rifles at Gauron. Their indiscriminate barrage rained down on the Venom; 40mm armor-piercing rounds peppered its head, its chest, its shoulders, its legs... no, it only looked like they did. In fact, each round sparked and exploded inches away from the machine. There would be a warp in the air around it, and then a radial fracture would run through the building’s wall nearby—but the Venom itself remained uninjured.
“Is that the magic trick you mentioned?” Dunnigan growled.
“Affirmative. Keep away from it,” Sousuke responded, diving to the side to dodge a Gatling strafe. The immense enemy firepower made it impossible for him to close in. The data they had suggested that the effective range of the Arbalest’s lambda driver was a few dozen meters. He had to get into that range, then use that technique—“pour your will into the shot, then fire.”
“Not that we could get close like this anyway... Dammit!” McAllen cursed, hiding behind the wall of a warehouse, which was looking like a tattered old rag. It was only the M9s’ remarkable maneuverability that had kept them safe from the curtain of fire so far. If this went on much longer, none of their machines would be safe.
“Uruz-2 to all units. Don’t aim at the machine, aim at the weapon! The ammo belt for the Gatling—ah!”
“What is it?”
“I’m okay. Minor damage. Hurry!”
Without even a “roger,” McAllen and the others opened fire. Some leaped, others crouched. They were aiming at the Venom’s right side. Most of the shots were blocked by the usual forcefields, but—
Gauron cackled. “You know it’s pointless... hmm?”
A flash. An explosion. A shot had managed to hit the Gatling gun’s ammo reserves, igniting the gunpowder. This started a chain reaction through several hundred 35mm rounds, sending shrapnel bursting all around.
The force of it pulverized the building, and wreathed the area in swelling flames and black smoke. Gauron’s AS was nowhere to be seen. Had he been blown to bits, or had it simply flown clear?
“Did we do it?”
“Well...”
“Be careful!”
Just then—
The Venom seemed clothed in flame as it tore through the smoke from above. It appeared completely undamaged from the point-blank blast.
“Well, well!” Gauron remarked casually. “Not bad at all!” He landed with a crunch, then bolted into a charge, kicking up concrete like sand. The Venom’s spontaneous power was equal to—no, greater than the M9’s.
“The hell is that thing?!” Dunnigan shouted.
“12, fall back!” Sousuke ordered as he faced down the machine’s charge. Now was the time to use the lambda driver; he fixed the shotcannon at his mechanical hip and took aim. He could see the Venom in his targeting box, holding a large monomolecular cutter in each hand.
“Kaaashiiim!” Gauron laughed, prolonging every syllable. It was exactly like that moment four months ago.
“It’s time...” Sousuke whispered. I can do this, he reminded himself. I’ve done it before. I will make it work. If I don’t... if I fail... he swallowed hard.
Calm your mind—You have to stay calm. Focus your will—You have to focus. Imagine the shot—Imagine it. The image is important. It’s absolutely crucial.
Sousuke pulled the trigger. The shotcannon blasted out a 57mm shell. His aim was perfect. The winged armor-piercing shot flew right into Gauron’s AS—No. It exploded into sparks just in front of the Venom, as every previous shot had done.
Sousuke’s jaw dropped. Nothing had happened. He’d just fired a normal shot; the lambda driver hadn’t activated. He gritted his teeth. The Venom was already flying at him. Its knife-wielding hands were spread wide, as if to take the Arbalest in an embrace—
“Sousuke!”
Before Gauron’s knives could tear into the Arbalest’s cockpit, another M9 came flying from the side and tackled Sousuke out of the way. The two machines fell together in a tangle; the knife’s point sliced through the air where he’d been a second earlier.
Sousuke sat his machine up. “Mao?” he questioned.
“Get it together! Are you even paying—” That was as far as Mao got.
Gauron had stopped on a dime and turned to face them. He thrust out his right hand, and with his index finger pointed at Mao’s M9, he whispered, “Bang.” There was a sudden warping along a line of empty space between the Venom and her machine. Something ran along that line, an invisible power that slammed into the M9 and—
The noise that followed was unsettling: a low, dull thunk; cracking and screaming of the machine’s metal frame; fluid bursting out of something elastic...
An internal explosion of some kind caused the M9’s head to fly out of its socket—it dangled limply against its back like a rokurokubi, trailing various broken cables and pipes. Shock absorbent bled from the pipes and pooled on the ground below.
“Mao?” Sousuke called out nervously. There was no response. The M9 lay limp and motionless in the Arbalest’s arms, with no sign of movement at all. He didn’t even have time to check on the pilot’s safety; Gauron had already turned his “finger gun” to the Arbalest. Instinctively sensing the danger he was in, Sousuke had his machine pick up the M9 and beat a swift retreat.
Gauron released a low chuckle. “Come on, why so scared? I just pointed at you, that’s all.”
Sousuke bared his teeth, and glared ahead of him as he laid Mao’s machine on the ground.
“Uruz-7, what happened?!” McAllen’s and Dunnigan’s M9s took up his flanks and fired their rifles at Gauron from several hundred meters away.
Gauron, who appeared to regard their attack as no more than a light drizzle, hunched over, as if gathering power. “All right,” he said, “let’s try this again.” Gauron brandished his monomolecular cutters and went back on the offensive.
Sousuke flew back again, releasing a blast from his shotcannon. “Uruz-7 here. 2 is... down. I don’t know her status. Check on her while I draw the Venom’s fire.”
“What? Say that a—”
“I said Mao’s down! Check in on her already!” He fired and fired, but Gauron was relentless. Each shell from the shotcannon was deflected; he didn’t even leave a dent.
This isn’t... like before! Sousuke realized. The last time they’d fought, his opponent’s use of the lambda driver had also appeared limited. But now it was different; there was nothing holding Gauron back. Even total surprise shots weren’t fazing him.
On top of that, Sousuke couldn’t use the device he needed to fight back. No matter how he focused, he couldn’t get the lambda driver to work. He was panicking too much to use it, and his inability to use it increased his panic. It was a terrible spiral.
Just then, he received a communication: “Sousuke. It’s me.”
“Kurz?” Sousuke asked with surprise.
“Lure the Venom to the east side of the island,” Kurz told him. “Get it back to building D1
.” Building D1 was the one Gauron had appeared on earlier.
“What’s the plan?”
“Don’t ask; just keep cool and get going. Leave this to me.”
“All right,” he eventually agreed. As instructed, Sousuke raced his machine to the northeast building. Kurz’s voice seemed awfully composed for someone who must have heard what happened to Mao—but Sousuke knew that was no reason to take him lightly. The mask he usually wore—of the perpetually laid-back, shallow man who irritated his comrades—there in the cockpit, hidden from the eyes of others, he had let it fall away.
Gauron pursued the Arbalest. They were a match in agility and explosive power, so it was hard to completely shake him.
“Are you just going to run away forever?” Gauron jeered. “Why won’t you play along?”
Sousuke had managed to get close to the building. It was 10 stories tall, five or six times an AS’s height—but the floors from the sixth up had been ravaged by the Gatling gun’s explosion.
“All right. Get in front of it and hold there,” Kurz told him.
The Arbalest stopped near the entrance on the building’s east side, which was littered with the remains of cars and concrete, and turned to face his pursuer. That’s when Sousuke realized: the place he’d arrived at was in the direct line of sight from Kurz and Nguyen’s sniper point. He increased his sensors’ magnification and saw an M9 readying a large rifle far off in the ocean. Right ahead of him, Gauron’s AS was drawing close. Sousuke turned his shotcannon toward the red machine and fired off a few shots. Each one was deflected.
“I’m disappointed, Kashim,” Gauron commented lightly. “I was hoping you’d have grown a little more skilled...” His knife flashed through the air. Sousuke blocked it with the shotcannon, which Gauron sliced in two. There was another flash, and part of his machine’s shoulder armor fell away.
A sharp thrust came at him from either side. Sousuke launched his machine forward hard, and managed to grab his opponent’s wrists. A normal operator would be dead before he’d reached this stage.
“Fighting hard, I see. But...!” The hands holding the knives continued to push forward. The Arbalest’s electromagnetic muscles creaked from the force as they tried to push back, pitting mechanical strength against strength. But the power of the enemy machine was incredible, and it had gravity on its side.