第１１８０堀：魔女っ子チーム (Part2)
Unlike in a video game, not every firearm you scavenge is guaranteed to function, nor will they be perfectly calibrated. You might be able to use them, but you have to master their quirks. You have to master the quirks of this battle royale.
"Well, that is precisely why Master suggested we play three matches before aiming for a top finish in the fourth. For the first round, we should treat it as a throwaway and focus on testing whether we can actually handle these guns. So, combat is secondary; if we’re going to drop somewhere, it should be a place with a decent supply of weapons and gear, but one where we aren't likely to run into enemies immediately."
"If such a convenient location existed, everyone would flock to it. Still, we must find one, I suppose."
"Mm. First, finding a training ground to learn the ropes is vital. I agree with Sasari’s plan."
"Thank you, Cleena. And Samantha, do you agree?"
"Yes, that will do. We shall go along with Sasari’s strategy for this round."
Once Samantha gave her consent, I took another long, hard look at the map. Where should we touch down in this arena...? That was when an idea struck me.
"……Mm. I have a proposal. Why don't we intentionally drop into the center?"
"Wouldn't that be a hot zone for combat?"
"Hmm. May I ask for your reasoning?"
"Mm. We have to practice regardless. But it’s meaningless if we aren't in a place with weapons and gear. Furthermore, we need to practice reloading while under fire. In that case, I think it’s best to push ourselves right into the heart of the battlefield. There is no teacher like real combat."
While it’s true that practicing in a stable environment far from other teams is an option, that’s no different from what we can do on our own. If that’s the case, wouldn't it be a better learning experience for us to operate while enemies are nearby? Because we would have to gather weapons and gear, collect information, and move while remaining vigilant against hostiles.
"……There is a chance we’ll be eliminated early, but I don't think we could beat Yuki or Taizo if we just hide until the end with our current lack of experience."
"That is certainly true. Even if we made it to the final circle, the chances of us defeating those two teams would be slim."
"Or rather, we’d lose immediately. We simply lack the experience. Hmm, so perhaps going to the center of the battlefield to compensate for that experience is a sound plan. Though, as Cleena said, there is a risk we’ll be wiped out instantly and learn nothing at all..."
"……If we worry about that, we’ll never get anywhere. It’s just a choice between gaining experience or playing it safe and finishing the main event without having learned a thing."
That’s right. There are only two paths to choose from. Play it safe, or survive the crucible of a hot zone. It all comes down to how much weight we place on the value of experience.
"……I agree with Cleena’s opinion. It might be a bit of a stretch to call this a 'recreation,' but since we’ve been keeping quiet due to our pregnancies, it would be nice to cut loose for once. With that in mind, let’s fight in the center."
"Mm. I want to cut loose, too. Running around with a gun. Like a scene from a movie."
"Ah, that sounds wonderful. It does sound fun. And really, it’s not as if our lives are actually at stake. Let’s make a bold move, survive, and take down Master and the others."
" " "Yeah!!" " "
And so, we decided to aim for victory by purging the center of enemies. However, the benefits of holding the center didn't end there.
"Actually, with this many buildings, they’ll have a hard time finding us. It might be safer than we think."
"I see. So, even if they hear gunfire, they’ll struggle to navigate the area to locate us."
"Mm. There are many obstacles, which makes it easy to hide. Finding buildings suitable for interception is also important."
"That’s true. This might be unexpectedly important. If we can find usable buildings in the center during the first round, we can aim for them in the subsequent ones."
"A safe zone of our own, then. Well, finding such spots might be a good idea."
"And from there, we can snipe to our hearts' content. Though, I imagine we’ll be found out quickly, so we should keep track of multiple buildings."
As we talked, I couldn't help but think of the others. What kind of strategies would they deploy?
"I'm excited."
Mm, this is going to be so much fun. I haven't had much of a role lately due to my pregnancy, but now is my time to shine. And it seems Sasari is poised to be our joker. Now then, let’s see just how well we can fight.