258: Sudden Attack

"!?!"

Suddenly, Villigianira sharply turned her gaze toward two directions.

No words were spoken, but to someone experienced, that was more than enough to prepare oneself.

"Satā! One o'clock and nine o'clock! Upward thrust!"

"Got it!"

My main body's arm extended from the ground up to just before the middle layer's base.

From Vilijaniela's perspective, the ground was rising up at the one o'clock and nine o'clock positions, forming a barrier against whatever might come from those directions.

"Wha—?! Military-grade Level 8, and a sniper-modded blaster!?"

Immediately after, the blaster fired directly at my main body's arm.

The output wasn't strong enough to pierce my main body's shield mod.

So I quickly analyzed what kind of mod had been fired... and was startled by the result.

A military-grade level 8 blaster mod, enhanced for sniping with significantly increased penetration and damage at the cost of range, is certainly not something that would ever be leaked into civilian hands—such a weapon is beyond the reach of even ordinary soldiers, let alone possession or use by common troops.

While its power is negligible against a creature like me, a cosmic monster, it could easily obliterate an unprotected human target, leaving no trace at all.

Memo, Joharis! Above you! Four of them!

Understood.

Got it!

「「「……」」」

What's truly frightening is that this overwhelming attack was only their first strike.

Almost at the same instant that Viridiana screamed, several figures wrapped in branches and leaves came tumbling down from above us, descending from the trees that made up the dense forest canopy.

But if you're aware of it, you can deal with it.

So I quickly install the memo and Johari's... and while I'm at it, I also plug in Wami's blaster mod and fire off a burst.

A moment later, the guards also begin firing their blaster mods.

It seems whoever was there wasn't using a powerful shield mod, as they're quickly stripped of their shield mods and shot down, rendering them combat ineffective...

"Ghob...!"

"Mmm... looks like a self-destruct mod..."

One by one, the unconscious ones coughed up blood and died, their entire bodies burning until only charred skeletons remained.

"Is that so? Then the snipers should be in the same position by now."

"Probably. That said, about that part..."

"Emergency alert! Attacked!! The direct attackers have been repelled, but we're being fired on from two directions! The point is..."

"Well, that's just the military's job, isn't it?"

"Yes, it's not our responsibility."

As soon as the battle ended, the soldiers immediately began their next actions.

Reporting, scouting the surroundings, checking the bodies, reinforcing the area around the Vilijaniela in case of pursuit—there was a lot to do.

We gathered around the Vilijaniela and kept a lookout for any threats nearby.

Still, if the Vilijaniela isn't reacting, there shouldn't be any pursuit.

"Anyway, I've got a question for Satu—what's this 'suicide mod' you're talking about? I get it's not something ordinary, but..."

"Basically, it's exactly what the name suggests. The specifics... just hold on a second. I'm still analyzing the corpse."

I gently extended a bit of the main body's arm and touched the blackened corpse.

Hmm... yeah, I figured as much—those perpetrators seem to be androids.

Still, there's almost no sign of physical enhancement, nor any indication that knowledge was installed.

Did they at least modify it to reduce discomfort or unpleasant sensations?

In any case, it's clearly an android designed to move only as instructed.

"Ah... after the mod is activated, either it stays on until consciousness is lost, or it's triggered manually. Once activated, it completely severs awareness and burns the entire body down to the cellular level. That's the gist. They probably adjusted everything, even clothing, to be highly flammable. That's why nothing remains afterward but bones."

"I see. This clearly reveals how whoever sent this android views artificial humans."

"This is a completely illegal mod. Attacking people and unauthorized entry into the Underlayer are both illegal to begin with."

"Whoever it is, they're really going all out."

As for the suicide mod, as its name suggests, it's exactly that.

Just as Viridiana described, it's a worthless and utterly unacceptable thing—so much so that even possessing it is forbidden.

"Madam Viridiana. Initiating movement to the safe zone now."

Understood. No, please send it only to Zacrok and Wami.

"Huh? Um..."

The soldier could hardly hide his confusion at Virijianila's words.

Zacrok needs to make the vanilla essence as soon as possible, and Wami is here to guard and assist Zacrok, so please take these two to safety first. As members of the reconnaissance unit, we'll proceed to the sniper's location for investigation.

"... Understood. I shall proceed accordingly. However, please wait a little longer. We must await reinforcements so that we can assign sufficient guards to both parties."

"Understood. Let's do that then."

They must have concluded that persuading Virijanira was impossible.

Almost exactly following Virijanira's instructions, the soldiers began moving, and we decided to wait a while while examining the body of the direct attacker.

Still, even so...

"Launching an attack on Virijanira in the underlayers of Imperial Star Vanilla Sid. It wouldn't be surprising if the assailant looked down on the imperial family."

Given the location, weapons, and personnel involved, the opponent is clearly no ordinary foe.

Suspicious elements include Prince Sinkubilumzo and Funaka... yet if they were truly serious, one might expect something like a space monster to show up. Still, there's something subtly off about this.

Hmm... just who exactly are they?

It would probably be best to keep a sufficient level of alertness.