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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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Had I neglected to visit a cyber-shaman recently? My luck had taken a decidedly sour turn.
Of course, while my current predicament was undeniably unfortunate, it wasn’t entirely impossible.
I thought objectively.
Assassinations, kidnappings, raids… plans could certainly overlap.
The “missile” launch plan, for instance, necessitated a location near the city. Carrying out such an operation in the wastelands between cities was impractical, fraught with dangers ranging from radioactive creatures to toxic storms, not to mention logistical nightmares.
Thus, most plans inevitably unfolded near urban centers. It wasn’t unusual for an operation involving “firing a missile from a landfill” to coincide with another.
Moreover, this was Neon City, a free city notorious for its apathy towards anything happening outside its boundaries. Whether bombs exploded or people died beyond the city limits, Neon City remained indifferent.
This indifference probably explained the clash of our plans.
Knowing the Vice President’s travel route beforehand made this the perfect, and perhaps only, opportunity.
So, what could Catherine and I do in this situation?
Our immediate priority was preventing the Vice President’s assassination, their apparent objective. Whether by stopping the rivals or protecting the Vice President ourselves, his survival was crucial to our kidnapping plan.
Next, assess the situation. The airship currently held three factions: Catherine and me; the Vice President and his Ko-ozaka employees; and the assassins.
In such a three-way standoff, forming an alliance was the most advantageous course of action. While Catherine and I could likely achieve our goal even in the worst-case scenario, minimizing complications was preferable.
Having reached this conclusion, I subtly signaled Catherine. She, her face concealed by a holographic mask, nodded silently.
Years of working together had fostered an unspoken understanding. She anticipated my next move.
I cleared my throat with a short cough and activated my mask’s voice modulator. Earlier, in my surprise, I’d blurted out, “Um, hold on a second,” forgetting to disguise my voice—a crucial step in maintaining anonymity.
I spoke confidently.
《Situation assessed. Cyber Force, NCPD tactical unit, deployed to protect Neon City VIP, Ko-ozaka William.》
Confidence was key. I puffed out my chest and lied through my teeth.
《Ko-zaka William, is that correct?》
I decided to name-drop first.
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“…Cyber Force, Neon City’s special tactical unit. I’ve heard of them, but they’re not supposed to operate outside the city.”
《That’s generally true, but exceptions are made depending on the severity of the situation.》
I spouted nonsense with unwavering confidence.
They wouldn’t ask for identification now.
《We were dispatched to protect the Vice President of Ko-zaka Corporation.》
I positioned myself and Catherine between Ko-zaka William and his employees, facing the assassins as if everything were perfectly normal.
Just in case, I discreetly shielded myself with a defensive spell.
A brief silence followed.
《…….》
I wasn’t sure if my act had worked, but I didn’t feel any bullets piercing my back yet.
Given the circumstances, no one would suspect another group of kidnappers crashing the party. The assassins had already infiltrated the airship and launched a high-powered missile at it.
…Of course, we hadn’t anticipated this either, which is why things had become so complicated.
《Agent C, take care of the situation.》
C, for Catherine.
Catherine’s shoulders shook slightly, as if suppressing laughter. The movement was so subtle that no one else seemed to notice.
Our plan remained unchanged: kidnap the Vice President, land the airship, and move to the designated point. The only addition was subduing the assassins, along with the Ko-ozaka employees.
Realizing we weren’t allies, the assassins raised their guns.
Six of them.
“Damn it, die!!”
They spoke Japanese, translated through my neural computer chip’s translation module.
So, it was an internal corporate struggle? The assassins appeared to be Japanese.
I’d assumed they were Orc terrorists, but their voices lacked the characteristic Orcish growl.
Naturally, their bullets targeted Ko-ozaka William.
However, I stood in front of him.
The bullets harmlessly embedded themselves in the air thanks to my protective spell. Thankfully, they weren’t large-caliber rounds.
“…What is this?”
The Ko-ozaka employees erupted in commotion, startled.
They had just witnessed bullets stopping mid-air. Their reaction was understandable.
“It looks like new cyberware technology… a force field. Is it using gravity manipulation?”
“…That’s physically impossible while maintaining human structure and volume.”
Cyberware researchers seemed to be among the employees.
Ah, this technology? It’s called magic. Something talentless Muggles can’t use.
I wanted to say that, but I exercised restraint. I nearly burst out laughing when they nodded and murmured, “As expected of Cyber Force.”
I hadn’t noticed before, but there were no professional guards present. The people near Ko-ozaka William seemed to be ordinary researchers or employees.
I wondered why there were no security personnel, but it wasn’t my concern right now.
I focused on protecting Ko-ozaka William. That was my only task.
Because…
Agent C, Catherine, was with me.
[Airship’s jamming signal analyzed. Initiating cyberware hacking of hostiles.]
Ah.
And there was Eve, too.
“Wh-What?!”
The assassins’ cyberware malfunctioned, constricting their necks and sparking. Some of their weapons exploded.
And that brief window was all Catherine needed to resolve the situation.
Her neural acceleration cyberware activated—the same one she’d used in the cafe overrun by terrorists. It wasn’t supposed to be that easy to use, or without significant side effects, but Catherine seemed unaffected.
She truly was the protagonist.
Blurs of motion flashed before my eyes. A few seconds passed, and the results were remarkably clean. It wasn’t even a fight.
Thud!
Catherine slammed the last assassin against the wall with one hand. The metal plating dented deeply under the impact.
…….
We could have skipped the Cyber Force charade.
“…An acceleration implant? The strain must be enormous.”
“…As expected of Cyber Force.”
The employees, presumably researchers, continued their awed whispers.
Well, it didn’t matter.
The situation had been resolved favorably.
I turned to look at Ko-ozaka William. Catherine, having approached at some point, stood silently beside me.
With our faces masked and voices modulated, there was no risk of him recognizing us.
《Can you explain the current situation?》
“Sigh…”
Ko-ozaka William let out a sigh of relief.
He continued, “First of all, thank you. There must have been an internal leak. I never imagined my hand-picked security personnel would be bribed.”
That explained the situation.
Now, all that remained was to approach and kidnap him.
…….
Wait a minute.
《Um, are there still many enemies on board?》
“There must be. It seems they were thoroughly prepared. Based on the camera footage, there are at least dozens more.”
Hmm.
A sense of unease washed over me.
Now I understood why the researchers were present. They were holed up here with the Vice President.
We had arrived just in time when we breached the room.
And the missile launched as we neared Neon City had failed.
The Vice President’s enemies had few options left for a successful assassination.
We were about to enter Neon City’s airspace. Once inside, the assassination would be deemed a failure.
So, what options remained for them?
A voice crackled from the radio of the assassin Catherine had pinned to the wall.
《This is White 3. Cockpit secured. Awaiting further instructions.》
I drew my gun. It was too late for magic.
Startled by my sudden action, the Ko-ozaka employees pointed their pistols at me.
I ignored them. My defensive spell was still active.
And there was something more important.
Time seemed to slow as I fired.
I needed to hit his head—
Bang!
I fired several more rounds.
But my abysmal shooting skills betrayed me.
The bullets I fired were stopped by the thick hand of the assassin pinned to the wall.
He was hit, but not where I’d aimed.
Catherine had sprung into action the moment I fired, but he was faster.
“…Crash it.”
He spoke through a mouthful of blood. Catherine finished him off, but it was too late.
Shit.
As he uttered those words, the airship vibrated violently, the once-stable interior lurching.
…If it was destined to crash anyway, I should’ve just summoned a lightning strike from outside.
Inside the falling airship, plummeting towards the junkyard, I thought, Well, isn’t this just great.
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Great chapter~