The sensation of falling, pulled by gravity, was far from pleasant. Even for Nikke, whose body was composed of Goddesium and had a frame-like structure, hitting debris during the fall would be even worse.
Still, Rapi, who held the commander tightly in her embrace, didn't let go of his body. She felt relieved that they safely reached the ground, serving as a cushion. As if confirming his presence, she hugged him tightly once again.
"─Commander, are you okay?"
"...I'm sorry... I'm fine... How about you?"
"...I'm fine too."
Rapi released her right arm, which had been wrapped around the backpack and the gap between their backs, and the arm protecting the back of her head. Moore replied while sitting up. They had fallen quite gracefully.
Around them, soil, debris, and rubble that had collapsed together were scattered. There were protruding iron bars that looked sharp, but they managed to land almost unscathed.
Standing up, Moore gripped the grip of his assault rifle and extended his empty left hand to Rapi. She noticed his gesture and reached out with one hand, grabbing his mechanical prosthetic hand when it was offered.
However, when he pulled her up like that─
"...Oops... Sorry. I might have used too much force..."
"...No. Thank you."
More strength than expected had been applied, and the ground was a bit uneven due to the rubble and soil. Perhaps it was also because she was wearing high-heeled shoes. Rapi acknowledged that she had almost lost her balance as she stood up, and Moore supported her by holding onto his own body.
"─Is it really a proper relationship between Nikke and the Commander?"
From nearby, Maxwell's teasing voice could be heard. It might look like they were embracing each other from a bystander's point of view, but Moore sighed.
After releasing Rapi, he noticed a thin, rising purple smoke coming from a gap in the rubble. It was the cigarette he had dropped during the fall. He picked it up and, placing the almost extinguished ember back between his dry lips, he sucked in the purple smoke forcefully, making the ember glow brighter.
"I'm glad we're safe."
"You too."
Moore turned to Maxwell, who was brushing off the dirt on his body, and then he recognized the presence of the remaining two members behind her. The three members of the Metis Squad were unharmed.
Once he confirmed that, Moore started examining the detailed appearance of his assault rifle that he was holding. Fortunately, he didn't notice any missing parts or malfunctions.
"There was a facility of this scale underground. Those guys... when did they establish a secret base?!"
Laplace's voice sounded strangely delighted. Perhaps the existence of a secret base was stimulating something within her. Moore pondered this while surveying the surroundings again.
"...More like... it's a... city."
"...A city, indeed."
Rapi, standing next to him, murmured, and Moore nodded in agreement. An underground cityscape of ruins spread out before them.
Upon closer inspection, all the buildings were either partially collapsed or completely ruined. Utility poles were visible, but all the power lines had been severed. Scorch marks could be seen on the buildings, utility poles, and vehicles strewn on the streets. Most likely...
"A crater... Did they fill it up almost 200 meters to hide the epicenter of the explosion when the heretics detonated?"
"...I don't know..."
She wondered if they had gone to such lengths to pull off such a trick. At the same time, Moore, too, seemed to have come to a similar conclusion, and he emitted a faint growl from the depths of his throat, smoke curling from his lips.
Just then, noise buzzed in the housing covering both his ears, and he cupped his left hand to it.
[─Everyone, are you all safe!?]
"Everyone is unharmed. Shifty, do you have our current location?"
Responding on behalf of the group to the operator's reassuring voice, Moore inquired. Shifty let out a relieved sigh, but in response to Moore's question, she reported that the situation was not very favorable.
[The jamming is too severe; we can't scan anything. Communication might be cut off anytime...]
"...We were saying earlier that there's likely a jammer interference device here... Could that be the cause?"
"Well, we need to somehow deal with the jamming first."
[Yes, but... that's the problem.]
Due to the jamming, they couldn't scan, and because they couldn't scan, they couldn't identify the source of the jamming. Shifty explained the situation, indicating that they were in a tight spot. Moore nodded at her words. Then, he sighed softly and tossed the cigarette butt, now just ashes, into a portable ashtray.
"...Looks like we have to search inch by inch."
"Don't worry, Baby. Drake is really helpful in situations like this."
"...Baby?"
Ignoring his confusion, Maxwell turned her gaze toward Drake, who was carrying a shotgun on his shoulder.
"Drake, do you feel any movement? Something heavy and sluggish."
"I do!"
"Then, can you find out where it's coming from?"
"If you beg me on your knees, I might listen!"
As soon as Drake arrogantly declared, Maxwell waved her self-made sniper rifle. She struck Laplace's knee with the barrel. Laplace almost crumbled to the ground from her knees, but she endured it with determination.
However, it seemed like she was enduring it halfway. She trembled both legs like a newborn fawn, somehow managing to return to her original position, placing both hands on her hips and puffing out her chest.
"Can you do it a bit more gently? Please?"
"─Heroes don't kneel...!"
"Hmph! you bent your knees halfway, so I'll do it halfway!"
"Don't say that and just do it. It won't diminish your worth, right?"
"My value will decrease!"
"...I'll treat you to lab-grown meat."
"─Then I'll do it."
Poor you.
Moore and Rapi couldn't help but gaze at Maxwell, their eyes filled with concern and sympathizing.
When making requests to Drake, it was good to use lab-grown meat as a bargaining chip. That information was etched into Moore's mind. While he was contemplating how Drake would react if it were real meat, Drake, who had been observing their surroundings, took the lead and began to move forward.
"...I hate to be skeptical, but... can you really find it?"
"Don't worry. Despite you appearance, Baby here is quite the worrier."
"...'Baby'... could it be..."
"That's right."
As Drake started moving forward, Moore inquired about something that had been bothering him, glancing at Maxwell. She showed her fang-like teeth and nodded back.
Moore didn't ask which nuance of 'Baby' she was referring to. He probably didn't want to know if it implied calling a baby, as there was a high chance it would be too embarrassing. Or perhaps it was because he generally didn't mind what he was called.
"...Well, that doesn't matter... Drake, how can you know the position of the jammer?"
"...Hmm... because of my unique physiology?"
"...That doesn't explain anything."
"Then what about Baby, who fought the Rapture hand-to-hand earlier? Are you really human? What about your muscles and body structure?"
"...Because of my unique physiology?"
"That explanation doesn't cut it~. Well, never mind. Drake can sense radio waves."
Maxwell shrugged exaggeratedly, but it seemed she was willing to spill the beans. According to her explanation, Drake possessed the ability to sense most radio waves.
According to her, he could track radio waves he had experienced before because the sensation of each radio wave was subtly different.
"...Quite useful."
[Well, um... if that's the case, doesn't it affect my role as an operator?]
Shifty voiced her candid thoughts with an indescribable tone, and Maxwell let out a wry smile.
"Of course, she's not as accurate as an operator. But she's quite handy. Um... about 0.7 times of an operator, I guess?"
The numerical representation felt a bit odd, but it might be enough for on-the-spot decision-making. It also indicated the operational capability of the Metis squad working independently to a certain extent.
"So, the reason Metis operates over a wide area is because of this, isn't it?"
Having grasped the situation, Rapi murmured, and walking ahead with Drake, Laplace, who was proudly strutting, responded with her nose in the air.
"That's right! By using electricity as auxiliary power, we can carry out operations for an overwhelmingly long time! With Maxwell's mechanical construction and repair skills, we possess overwhelming maintenance and repair capabilities! And thanks to Drake's radio sensing abilities, the area where we can carry out operations becomes overwhelmingly vast! Plus, my overwhelming combat abilities thanks to my Hero power!!"
── How many times did they use 'overwhelming' in this short period?
Well, it seems they have quite the confidence. Moore thought favorably as he listened to her speech.
"All of this combined makes Metis the strongest squad in name and reality!!"
Should I applaud? Moore pondered, inadvertently sighing in the process.
"──The s-str...ongest..."
Rapi repeated the words Laplace had uttered, her voice carrying a tone that suggested she wanted to contest the statement. Laplace, hearing the tone, stopped in her tracks and turned to face Rapi.
"Do you have any objections?"
"...No, it's nothing."
"If you have an opinion, I humbly accept it!"
──When did the meaning of 'humble' change? Moore wondered, his mind wandering aimlessly as he stood next to her. At the same time, Rapi sighed softly again.
"..At this point, when our enemies are clear, what does the title 'strongest' even mean...just thinking about it."
"...…"
"...I'm sorry. Forget I said anything."
Seeing Laplace struggling to find an answer, Rapi refrained from further comments.
Eventually, Drake seemed to have clearly sensed the presence of the jammer disrupting their communication and scans. Shortly after following her guidance, they arrived at an area guarded by six Raptures, where the jamming device was likely located.
"──Shall we destroy it then?"
Maxwell, who was quite casual about it, slapped Moore's back, and he, with a sigh, loaded a grenade into his grenade launcher and fired it at the jamming device.
The grenade hit its mark perfectly, sparking a shower of sparks from the jamming device. At that moment, the waiting Metis members opened fire with their respective weapons.
"──Cease fire, stop shooting."
In this situation, wasting ammunition was not an option. After confirming the destruction of all enemy machines, Moore gave the command, and everyone ceased firing.
〈──Jammer neutralized. Communication sensitivity is good here. How about your side?〉
"We're good here too. Shifty, scan the surroundings and look for any enemies─"
Just as Shifty was about to answer, a clattering sound came from the grenade launcher as it ejected the spent shell.
The moment Moore felt multiple presences behind him, he removed the safety from his assault rifle and turned around, aiming the barrel at them. However, upon recognizing their identities, he restrained his movement to point the gun mostly at Metis while addressing them.
"──Freeze, don't move."
"──If you don't cherish firepower, I'll shoot. Keyword.──Firepower."
.
.
──I don't know such a keyword.
However, unable to come up with anything else, Moore replied with the word that popped into his mind.
"...Banzai...?"
"──Confirmation complete. This person is on our side."
"...Does 'Saikou' work too?"
(Tl Notes: It means. the best.)
"Yes~~"
While engaging in a light banter with her disciple Neon, Moore raised his hand in the same gesture towards Anis.
Seeing the Absolute Squad behind them, Moore finally felt a sense of relief at their reunion.
The sensation of falling, pulled by gravity, was far from pleasant. Even for Nikke, whose body was composed of Goddesium and had a frame-like structure, hitting debris during the fall would be even worse.
Still, Rapi, who held the commander tightly in her embrace, didn't let go of his body. She felt relieved that they safely reached the ground, serving as a cushion. As if confirming his presence, she hugged him tightly once again.
"─Commander, are you okay?"
"...I'm sorry... I'm fine... How about you?"
"...I'm fine too."
Rapi released her right arm, which had been wrapped around the backpack and the gap between their backs, and the arm protecting the back of her head. Moore replied while sitting up. They had fallen quite gracefully.
Around them, soil, debris, and rubble that had collapsed together were scattered. There were protruding iron bars that looked sharp, but they managed to land almost unscathed.
Standing up, Moore gripped the grip of his assault rifle and extended his empty left hand to Rapi. She noticed his gesture and reached out with one hand, grabbing his mechanical prosthetic hand when it was offered.
However, when he pulled her up like that─
"...Oops... Sorry. I might have used too much force..."
"...No. Thank you."
More strength than expected had been applied, and the ground was a bit uneven due to the rubble and soil. Perhaps it was also because she was wearing high-heeled shoes. Rapi acknowledged that she had almost lost her balance as she stood up, and Moore supported her by holding onto his own body.
"─Is it really a proper relationship between Nikke and the Commander?"
From nearby, Maxwell's teasing voice could be heard. It might look like they were embracing each other from a bystander's point of view, but Moore sighed.
After releasing Rapi, he noticed a thin, rising purple smoke coming from a gap in the rubble. It was the cigarette he had dropped during the fall. He picked it up and, placing the almost extinguished ember back between his dry lips, he sucked in the purple smoke forcefully, making the ember glow brighter.
"I'm glad we're safe."
"You too."
Moore turned to Maxwell, who was brushing off the dirt on his body, and then he recognized the presence of the remaining two members behind her. The three members of the Metis Squad were unharmed.
Once he confirmed that, Moore started examining the detailed appearance of his assault rifle that he was holding. Fortunately, he didn't notice any missing parts or malfunctions.
"There was a facility of this scale underground. Those guys... when did they establish a secret base?!"
Laplace's voice sounded strangely delighted. Perhaps the existence of a secret base was stimulating something within her. Moore pondered this while surveying the surroundings again.
"...More like... it's a... city."
"...A city, indeed."
Rapi, standing next to him, murmured, and Moore nodded in agreement. An underground cityscape of ruins spread out before them.
Upon closer inspection, all the buildings were either partially collapsed or completely ruined. Utility poles were visible, but all the power lines had been severed. Scorch marks could be seen on the buildings, utility poles, and vehicles strewn on the streets. Most likely...
"A crater... Did they fill it up almost 200 meters to hide the epicenter of the explosion when the heretics detonated?"
"...I don't know..."
She wondered if they had gone to such lengths to pull off such a trick. At the same time, Moore, too, seemed to have come to a similar conclusion, and he emitted a faint growl from the depths of his throat, smoke curling from his lips.
Just then, noise buzzed in the housing covering both his ears, and he cupped his left hand to it.
[─Everyone, are you all safe!?]
"Everyone is unharmed. Shifty, do you have our current location?"
Responding on behalf of the group to the operator's reassuring voice, Moore inquired. Shifty let out a relieved sigh, but in response to Moore's question, she reported that the situation was not very favorable.
[The jamming is too severe; we can't scan anything. Communication might be cut off anytime...]
"...We were saying earlier that there's likely a jammer interference device here... Could that be the cause?"
"Well, we need to somehow deal with the jamming first."
[Yes, but... that's the problem.]
Due to the jamming, they couldn't scan, and because they couldn't scan, they couldn't identify the source of the jamming. Shifty explained the situation, indicating that they were in a tight spot. Moore nodded at her words. Then, he sighed softly and tossed the cigarette butt, now just ashes, into a portable ashtray.
"...Looks like we have to search inch by inch."
"Don't worry, Baby. Drake is really helpful in situations like this."
"...Baby?"
Ignoring his confusion, Maxwell turned her gaze toward Drake, who was carrying a shotgun on his shoulder.
"Drake, do you feel any movement? Something heavy and sluggish."
"I do!"
"Then, can you find out where it's coming from?"
"If you beg me on your knees, I might listen!"
As soon as Drake arrogantly declared, Maxwell waved her self-made sniper rifle. She struck Laplace's knee with the barrel. Laplace almost crumbled to the ground from her knees, but she endured it with determination.
However, it seemed like she was enduring it halfway. She trembled both legs like a newborn fawn, somehow managing to return to her original position, placing both hands on her hips and puffing out her chest.
"Can you do it a bit more gently? Please?"
"─Heroes don't kneel...!"
"Hmph! you bent your knees halfway, so I'll do it halfway!"
"Don't say that and just do it. It won't diminish your worth, right?"
"My value will decrease!"
"...I'll treat you to lab-grown meat."
"─Then I'll do it."
Poor you.
Moore and Rapi couldn't help but gaze at Maxwell, their eyes filled with concern and sympathizing.
When making requests to Drake, it was good to use lab-grown meat as a bargaining chip. That information was etched into Moore's mind. While he was contemplating how Drake would react if it were real meat, Drake, who had been observing their surroundings, took the lead and began to move forward.
"...I hate to be skeptical, but... can you really find it?"
"Don't worry. Despite you appearance, Baby here is quite the worrier."
"...'Baby'... could it be..."
"That's right."
As Drake started moving forward, Moore inquired about something that had been bothering him, glancing at Maxwell. She showed her fang-like teeth and nodded back.
Moore didn't ask which nuance of 'Baby' she was referring to. He probably didn't want to know if it implied calling a baby, as there was a high chance it would be too embarrassing. Or perhaps it was because he generally didn't mind what he was called.
"...Well, that doesn't matter... Drake, how can you know the position of the jammer?"
"...Hmm... because of my unique physiology?"
"...That doesn't explain anything."
"Then what about Baby, who fought the Rapture hand-to-hand earlier? Are you really human? What about your muscles and body structure?"
"...Because of my unique physiology?"
"That explanation doesn't cut it~. Well, never mind. Drake can sense radio waves."
Maxwell shrugged exaggeratedly, but it seemed she was willing to spill the beans. According to her explanation, Drake possessed the ability to sense most radio waves.
According to her, he could track radio waves he had experienced before because the sensation of each radio wave was subtly different.
"...Quite useful."
[Well, um... if that's the case, doesn't it affect my role as an operator?]
Shifty voiced her candid thoughts with an indescribable tone, and Maxwell let out a wry smile.
"Of course, she's not as accurate as an operator. But she's quite handy. Um... about 0.7 times of an operator, I guess?"
The numerical representation felt a bit odd, but it might be enough for on-the-spot decision-making. It also indicated the operational capability of the Metis squad working independently to a certain extent.
"So, the reason Metis operates over a wide area is because of this, isn't it?"
Having grasped the situation, Rapi murmured, and walking ahead with Drake, Laplace, who was proudly strutting, responded with her nose in the air.
"That's right! By using electricity as auxiliary power, we can carry out operations for an overwhelmingly long time! With Maxwell's mechanical construction and repair skills, we possess overwhelming maintenance and repair capabilities! And thanks to Drake's radio sensing abilities, the area where we can carry out operations becomes overwhelmingly vast! Plus, my overwhelming combat abilities thanks to my Hero power!!"
── How many times did they use 'overwhelming' in this short period?
Well, it seems they have quite the confidence. Moore thought favorably as he listened to her speech.
"All of this combined makes Metis the strongest squad in name and reality!!"
Should I applaud? Moore pondered, inadvertently sighing in the process.
"──The s-str...ongest..."
Rapi repeated the words Laplace had uttered, her voice carrying a tone that suggested she wanted to contest the statement. Laplace, hearing the tone, stopped in her tracks and turned to face Rapi.
"Do you have any objections?"
"...No, it's nothing."
"If you have an opinion, I humbly accept it!"
──When did the meaning of 'humble' change? Moore wondered, his mind wandering aimlessly as he stood next to her. At the same time, Rapi sighed softly again.
"..At this point, when our enemies are clear, what does the title 'strongest' even mean...just thinking about it."
"...…"
"...I'm sorry. Forget I said anything."
Seeing Laplace struggling to find an answer, Rapi refrained from further comments.
Eventually, Drake seemed to have clearly sensed the presence of the jammer disrupting their communication and scans. Shortly after following her guidance, they arrived at an area guarded by six Raptures, where the jamming device was likely located.
"──Shall we destroy it then?"
Maxwell, who was quite casual about it, slapped Moore's back, and he, with a sigh, loaded a grenade into his grenade launcher and fired it at the jamming device.
The grenade hit its mark perfectly, sparking a shower of sparks from the jamming device. At that moment, the waiting Metis members opened fire with their respective weapons.
"──Cease fire, stop shooting."
In this situation, wasting ammunition was not an option. After confirming the destruction of all enemy machines, Moore gave the command, and everyone ceased firing.
〈──Jammer neutralized. Communication sensitivity is good here. How about your side?〉
"We're good here too. Shifty, scan the surroundings and look for any enemies─"
Just as Shifty was about to answer, a clattering sound came from the grenade launcher as it ejected the spent shell.
The moment Moore felt multiple presences behind him, he removed the safety from his assault rifle and turned around, aiming the barrel at them. However, upon recognizing their identities, he restrained his movement to point the gun mostly at Metis while addressing them.
"──Freeze, don't move."
"──If you don't cherish firepower, I'll shoot. Keyword.──Firepower."
.
.
──I don't know such a keyword.
However, unable to come up with anything else, Moore replied with the word that popped into his mind.
"...Banzai...?"
"──Confirmation complete. This person is on our side."
"...Does 'Saikou' work too?"
(Tl Notes: It means. the best.)
"Yes~~"
While engaging in a light banter with her disciple Neon, Moore raised his hand in the same gesture towards Anis.
Seeing the Absolute Squad behind them, Moore finally felt a sense of relief at their reunion.
