Supporting Characters in the Game are Obsessed – Chapter 43

—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
—————————————————————–

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

The thick hatch slowly opened. A fierce gust of wind from outside swept through the airship’s interior. I gripped the safety line tightly against the strong vibrations. I peeked out and looked down. Outside the airship, the vast horizon and the shielded cityscape of Neon City came into full view.

I didn’t have a fear of heights. But even so, it was hard to stay sane at this altitude.

‘What am I doing here?’ I stared blankly at the scenery.

Catherine’s voice cut through the strong wind.

“…Ready?!”

I didn’t reply. I just raised my trembling hand and formed an “okay” sign with my thumb and index finger. I was afraid my trembling voice would be noticeable if I spoke.

I regretted not noticing this part of the plan beforehand. I hadn’t expected this (or not) to be hidden in Natasha’s plan, which I had only half-listened to.

I briefly recalled Natasha’s plan. She had said:

[And using this opportunity, infiltrating and hijacking it from the air, then landing it at the designated external waste landfill is the most crucial part. Finally, transporting the target to the safe house completes the plan.]

Right. I should have asked then. How we were going to infiltrate from the air. What method we would use to hijack the airship.

Finally, right before boarding the airship, I finally grasped the situation. Back then, I had desperately come up with excuses to survive.

“Do we really have to jump from the airship without parachutes? You know, like, there are tactical jetpacks or small airships…”

Rejected because infiltrating the airship would be slow, and we’d be intercepted by the tactical drones.

“What if we just crash the Vice President’s airship—?”

Rejected because he might not be Smile John, and the objective of the plan was kidnapping, not murder.

“Let’s just not do this.”

I even said that in the end…

But there was nothing I could do after Catherine grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and dragged me onto the airship.

Entering and exiting Neon City was strictly and thoroughly controlled, and launching airships was also restricted by city law, but… somehow, those problems were easily resolved. There were too many capable people around.

So, that’s how Catherine and I ended up skydiving without parachutes. I wanted to drag Drake and Andrea into this mess with us, but…

Unfortunately, their equipment specs weren’t suitable for an assault, so they were waiting at a designated ground point.

I wanted to back out, but… in this operation without “parachutes,” my role was the most crucial.

Even Catherine, the protagonist of the game, would be in extreme danger falling from this height without any safety devices.

“…Sigh.”

‘Why did I learn magic?’ Today, I resented my teacher (the video channel).

《Jump in exactly 15 seconds. I’ll count down.》

Natasha contacted me through the radio.

《Communication will likely be impossible once you enter the airship due to radio interference, so say anything you need to now.》

There was nothing more to say now that we’d come this far. I took a deep breath. The wind, even stronger than before, battered my masked face. Because of that, only I could hear my own breathing.

《10.》

Natasha slowly began the countdown. The countdown reached 5 in an instant, leaving me no time to prepare myself mentally.

5, 4, 3, 2—.

And…

《1.》

My eyes were tightly shut.

“Let’s go!”

Catherine jumped out of the hatch with me.

‘If there is a cyberpunk god, please just leave me alone.’

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

Falling through the air is more romantic than you’d think. At least, it was before I came to this world. Many people paid to enjoy skydiving. The cool breeze, the sense of liberation. It was a kind of extreme sport enjoyed with guaranteed safety.

Of course, things were a little different in the cyberpunk world I now lived in.

I didn’t know about other cities, but Neon City was encased in a giant shield. Except for certain areas, entry and exit were strictly prohibited. How Natasha managed to bypass it and launch an airship was still a mystery.

The reason for the city’s shield, as I’ve mentioned before, was the severe weather abnormalities in this world. A prime example was typhoons carrying poisonous gas. In this world, where radioactive or toxic storms frequently raged, few could leisurely enjoy skydiving outside the city.

In that sense, I tried to be positive. Though it wasn’t what I wanted, I was experiencing skydiving that others couldn’t. I had no complaints except for the minor issue of not having a parachute.

While I was falling, lost in thought, Catherine reached out and grabbed my hand. Our fingers intertwined.

Unlike me, who was trying to escape reality, Catherine was enjoying the fall with a bright smile. She hadn’t put on her mask yet, so her expression was clearly visible. Her golden hair, brightly reflecting the sunlight, fluttered in the wind. Perhaps because of that, the tension in my heart seemed to ease as well.

‘…Right.’

‘Well, I guess falling from the sky without a parachute is something that can happen in life.’

Then Catherine shouted something. I couldn’t hear what she was saying because of the roaring wind. Realizing I couldn’t hear her, Catherine pulled on my hand and moved closer. Her flushed face filled my vision.

“Shiun!!”

“Yeah!”

I replied. It must have been my imagination, but I felt Catherine’s breath against my ear, somehow piercing through the strong wind. I faced Catherine, my back to the earth, looking up at the sky. Her sharp nose and golden eyes were striking.

‘What is she trying to say? Why is she talking to me in this situation?’

‘Is it something important—?’

“Look behind you!!”

“Huh?”

It didn’t seem to be anything important. Well, it had been a while since we jumped. That meant it was time to prepare for landing. I calmed my heart, which had started beating faster because of Catherine’s proximity.

I turned my whole body and looked down at the ground. A large airship was visible in the distance. It was still far away, but judging from its shape, it seemed to be the Vice President’s private airship that Natasha had shown us in the hologram.

It was incredibly large. I wouldn’t have to worry about missing it.

And then… A light flickered on the ground. A launched missile drew a curve, leaving a trail of smoke behind it.

‘…Wait a second.’

‘Isn’t that a bit big?’

The missile was larger than I’d expected. It was so big that I wondered if they had fired it with the intention of bringing the airship down.

But my worries were short-lived. Beams of light erupted from the bottom of the Vice President’s airship. The spreading beams of light ignited, setting the sky ablaze.

───■■!!

An enormous explosion, difficult to describe with words, followed. The roar was short, the explosion long. The shockwave sent several tactical drones flying near the airship plummeting to the ground like scraps.

As I watched the explosion in awe, Catherine grabbed me and began a rapid descent. We were perpendicular to the ground, minimizing air resistance. Glancing back, I saw Catherine had put on her mask. A holographic image appeared like a mask.

“Confirmed flares and chaff. The radar should be down now. That means the defense systems are wide open.”

She continued, “…But, the launch speed is faster than I calculated. There might be another problem.”

Despite saying there might be a problem, she didn’t slow our descent. That made sense, as we only had one option.

I prepared to use magic. There were only two spells I would use. One was the wind magic I had used before to send the back alley thugs flying.

I would ride the wind and change our direction of descent. Towards the location where the Vice President was likely to be, according to the blueprints I had memorized.

The other spell was the main reason I was involved in this operation. It was the magic I’d used when I was attacked by Smile John’s subordinate. The magic I’d used when I was hit by an anti-tank weapon while riding in a driverless taxi.

Through the hand holding me, I enveloped Catherine and myself in my magic. This wasn’t armor. If it were, something would have broken when I was thrown from the driverless taxi.

A barrier, a shield. Magic that blocked the impact itself. Simply put, the magic absorbed the shock.

The airship was getting closer and closer. Meaning…

This impossible operation…
…was actually possible.

Crash!

“Wh-What?! What happened now?!”

As soon as we crashed into the airship, Catherine broke through the interior. As expected, just like the blueprints.

“Ko-ozaka William,” startled, stared at us as we suddenly intruded into the airship.

Ding dong, your delivery is here.

…However… something about the scene felt off.

Inside the airship, there were not only Ko-ozaka William and his subordinates…

…but also masked figures pointing guns at him.

I first thought of Smile John’s subordinates, but their masks were different.

“……”

Us, suddenly appearing through the ceiling of the airship. The anonymous people pointing guns at the Vice President. And the Vice President and his subordinates.

Just then, the radio attached to my pouch flickered. Seeing the light on Catherine’s radio as well, it was definitely Natasha.

“…Um, excuse me for a moment.”

I asked for their understanding. Perhaps because they were so bewildered, no one stopped me. People facing unexpected situations usually froze.

Natasha’s voice came from the radio.

《We have a problem. Someone launched missiles before we did.》

Hmm.

《No wonder the security channels were so easy to breach when I was planning…Someone must have already breached them.》

Hmmm.

《But according to my calculations, they shouldn’t have reached the airship yet, so first, get down to the ground and assess the situation—》

The radio cut off. The radio interference inside the airship that Natasha had mentioned seemed to have been restored.

…

Even if others had interfered…

The order of events seemed a little strange. Judging by the armed people here, they had already infiltrated the airship secretly.

And that meant their allies had fired missiles at it. Our objective was the infiltration itself. We fired the missiles and then entered the airship.

That meant these guys’ objective…

…wasn’t something as gentle as kidnapping.

A brief silence followed. Amidst the unexpected three-way standoff, as the silent battle of nerves continued, Ko-ozaka William spoke.

“…Are you…here to rescue me?”

‘We’re here to kidnap you.’

I sighed inwardly.

Things had just gone to hell.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇