26 Unwanted Assistance

"Why is this happening! It doesn't make sense!"

There was no sign anyone had entered ahead of them.

Yet suddenly, Emissa raged at the locked shelter.

May felt her prediction had been confirmed.

(Just as I thought—someone inside… or multiple people… has been barred from entering.)

May hesitated—should she identify the cause?

Those not responsible for the lock could enter, increasing safety.

The one who drew the unlucky lot would have to flee with her—toward the training academy—but two people would move more freely.

Or, they could bypass this wasted time and reach the academy at maximum speed.

Time alone favored the latter.

May’s hesitation lasted only an instant.

"Let's go to the training academy. They have training units there."

No signs of the Defense Force mobilizing.

Then, May could simply activate the unit using her own authority.

No—strictly speaking, she lacks that authority. The order would be a personal gamble, but that is beside the point.

"Hyperloop—"

She activates the simulation display, checks the operational status.

She had not expected much from it after the earlier explosion, but apparently.

Damage to the underground block has disrupted Hyperloop operations.

It is now fully suspended, inactive.

The training academy is far away. Another means of transport will be required.

"Rental car, rental car… Shiron! Is there a ride-hailing app available?!"

"There is, but will it come under these conditions...?"

"Please just try asking!"

The Hyperloop exists, so demand for rental cars is minimal to begin with.

The ship with the resort module is used mostly for driving.

Whether a rental car could operate on this ship under these conditions was questionable—but apparently, it existed.

May relaxed her lips as she spoke.

A rental car stopped in front of May’s group with a smooth glide.

It had arrived here autonomously; the interior was empty.

"Get in!"

Though cramped for six people, comfort was not the goal.

Just reach the destination.

May climbed in and entered the destination.

"Y-ya—"

A short cry came from the back seat.

Looking over, Yumi was trembling, pointing through the window.

"That...?"

Beyond, emerging from across the road, was the massive form of a worm-type ASID.

The shock of it having come this far.

ASIDs typically target crowds.

They always go for large numbers of humans first.

The ASID advanced here, ignoring its standard doctrine.

Crawling across the ground, toppling buildings.

The vibration reaches this far.

"Secure yourselves!"

Destination set. Pressing the start button.

The rental vehicle moves smoothly—but—

"Damn it!"

Shu suddenly curses.

On the display, a message reads: "Low-speed navigation due to surrounding obstacles."

Safe operation is acceptable, but under these conditions, it only provokes anger.

More precisely, this is—

"It's coming straight at us!"

It will catch up.

"Damn it... enter manual override command for disaster response... Shu. Do you have driving experience!?"

"Uh... none..."

"What about the other three?"

"None at all! And none have licenses either!"

"Damn it... I'll have to do it myself then!"

The command is acknowledged. Driving controls—steering wheel, gear lever, pedals—extend into position.

"...Hey, if my memory’s correct, your sister didn’t have a license either."

"It’s fine, Guard. Remember this. Operating an assault frame is more complex than driving a car."

"Are you seriously sure about this?!"

"Leave it to me. I’ll show you my skills—just like back at the arcade."

"You’re kidding me, right?!"

As Guard lets out a scream-like cry,

May slams the accelerator without hesitation.

The vehicle surges forward in rapid acceleration.

The worm-type ASID accelerates in response.

"Ugh! That thing’s moving in such a sickening way—chasing us like that!"

"Hey, Mio-chan… are you really okay? You’re white as a sheet."

"Yeah. I’m fine… I’m fine, Jin."

Even as she spoke, Mio turned her gaze back toward the rear ASID, as if enduring something.

"Why... come this way...?"

Someone here was being targeted. But who? Mio wondered.

The gaze of that entity was not directed at her.

That realization was precisely what caused her confusion.

There had been two instances in the past when an ASID had targeted her.

She had once considered there might be something within herself that attracted such attention. But this time was different.

It offered no comfort in the current situation, yet it eased Mio’s anxiety just slightly.

Anyone could be the target.

The car driven by May screeched around the intersection, brakes shrieking high and sharp.

Tires left marks on the road.

"Whoa! You’re really okay, sis!?"

"I’m fine! I’ve only gone off-course a few times."

"Out of course in reality and you're done—really!?"

Shu was finally screaming, overwhelmed by the rough driving.

Yet no one else was available to drive.

Enduring the rough handling was the only option now.

Still, fleeing by vehicle proved effective.

The worm-like ASID, crawling across the ground, couldn't match the speed.

No chance of catching up to a car cruising at around one hundred kilometers per hour.

"F-fufu... This is getting fun, driving! A bit sluggish compared to the Assault Frame, but this is nice!"

"Make sure you never let the older brother drive a car."

Knowing they weren’t being caught brought a slight ease.

The two in the front seats exchanged light banter.

Junpei seemed to think this was some kind of attraction. He was ecstatic.

Mio felt relief at having put some distance between them.

She turned, shivers tracing her spine.

—This quickly?

The words escaped before she could stop them.

The stares of Emissa and the others, questioning her meaning.

Mio herself was bewildered by the thought that had just formed.

The movement speed of the worm-type ASID increased.

—Sister! It’s faster now!

—Huh!? What’s going on all of a sudden!

The reason for the change was immediately clear.

The pursuer was no longer a worm-type—its form had shifted to a centipede-type.

—Adapted to the ship’s environment? In this short time?

May had never seen it with her own eyes.

ASIDs possessed high adaptability, designed to consume diverse planetary ecosystems.

From a worm-type suited for space travel, it had transformed into a centipede-type optimized for ground movement.

Whether the centipede-type ASID is suited for ground movement is debatable, but it is certainly faster than crawling.

Being caught.

Mio calculated the distance based on current speed, road conditions, and the pursuer’s velocity.

Estimated time: five minutes. Assuming the chase continues unchanged.

"Don't come any closer!"

Mio’s eyes flared crimson—identical in hue to the thing closing in from behind.

Her plea—would not be heard.

The centipede-type ASID advanced without slowing.

Its tail lifted.

The glow visible there made Mio’s breath catch.

"Turn the wheel right!"

"Ugh!"

As Mio cried out, May turned the wheel fully to the right.

Etheric light streaked past the side.

Then explosion.

The vehicle, already destabilized by the abrupt turn, rolled over.

"—Are you all still alive?"

Something...

Struggling to escape from the vehicle, suspended midair by seatbelts, each voice offering feeble replies.

And so, somehow, they managed to escape from the vehicle.

...I’m still a married woman, so I don’t need that kind of intense stare. Not that I’m saying yes or anything.

May mutters with a strained smile.

The centipede-type ASID approached to within a breath's distance.

The red camera eye is fixed on May's form.

From the centipede-like form, pincers sprout outward.

Its form resembled a scorpion more than a centipede. It had undergone a dramatic transformation in such a short time.

It extended slowly toward May.

...Guard. Take everyone and run.

What are you going to do, sister?

I'm going to play with fire a little—don't tell Kou, okay?

Mio thinks her head hurts.

My head has hurt for ages—since just a moment ago.

A voice has been echoing continuously.

A scream is heard.

The final cries persist.

"……Stop."

Mio murmurs again, her eyes glowing.

The scorpion-type unit does not cease.

May is gripped by the pincers.

Then, slowly, pressure increases.

"…You're handling a woman poorly. You should touch something like this more gently."

It does not stop.

A groundless certainty within Mio: it should have stopped by now.

"Gh…"

May's expression twists in pain.

It cannot be stopped.

Words alone cannot stop it.

What should be done? What should be done? What should be done?

Only that phrase echoes within Mio.

If words cannot stop it…

Then it must be stopped by force.

"Stop it!"

The scorpion-type arm flies through the air.

May, still gripped, is thrown to the ground and coughs.

The figure was—human-shaped.

A colossal form wrapped in pure white metal.

A twenty-meter-tall figure with a rounded silhouette, almost appearing feminine.

Silver-colored parts, like hair, swayed gently.

"...Assault Frame?"

It appeared without warning. To Shu's eyes, that was what it seemed.

But those eyes—

The camera eyes were crimson.

The color of ASID.

"This is... humanoid...?"

"...Mio?"

Emissa's voice trembled.

Mio, facing away from them.

Just now, it had looked as if Mio had summoned it.

"…………ah"

The figure that had saved May.

Seeing it, Mio twisted in terror.