Scoody Pule

——Sitalskia Unified Calendar 266. May 6, 01:05 AM

——Central Karaf Continent, Scoody Jacket Wetlands. Salor Underground Bunker.

Operation ID: Io-200

The Charger’s response was mostly preordained.

When Io dove into Sitalskia, it was total darkness.

Red light in the shape of a U floating two or three meters ahead. Something pressing against the toes. Unnaturally hot.

Io reached up to the visor and activated night vision.

‘Salor Underground Bunker. Two command points with defensive mechanisms divided into three layers. Extremely fortified.’

‘What about the lizard corpse?’

The sensation at his foot was a freshly dead Weedran.

Hard to tell through night vision, but unnaturally pale.

Weedran each bear different scales—pale blue, deep green, varying in hue.

But a white Weedran was unprecedented.

‘Engaged prior to intervention. Io eliminated it.’

‘Huh… white. First time seeing one.’

‘Data confirmed. Identified in Sitalskia Coalition database as B-7.

Designated as “Red Crest,” “White Bastard.” A unique specimen.’

Io forcibly rips off the corpse’s headgear. A dangling tongue. A vicious gaze.

Even through night vision, color is hard to discern, but unmistakably, a crimson crest runs from head to back.

‘Unique enemy?’

Goblet flickers at the edge of vision.

‘Unique?’

‘Strong?’

‘On the Karaaf Front Army’s standard combat protocols, combat against this entity is prohibited unless absolutely necessary or under direct order.’

A special unit with superior combat capability and equipment, one might say.

"Interesting."

"Agent Io. You call a powerful enemy specimen unique?"

"Problematic?"

"No. Blue Goblet has learned.

'Only a strong enemy can elevate you.'

Your combat enthusiasm is undoubtedly a positive factor for us."

"Hah. And your navigation too."

"Honored, Agent Io."

Blue Goblet detaches from its station and swims through Io's field of view.

Before Io even requests it, kisses her cheek and returns.

Io rubs the spot where lips touched, and smiles. A curious one.

Scans the surroundings.

"Nothing like the underground bunker I imagined."

She had envisioned a cave-like space upon awakening—this was not that.

Floor and walls of an unknown material. Red lines run across them, faintly glowing.

Feels like a horror game. Silent darkness.

Reminds me of a spaceship interior from some film.

Right, this was science fiction. Doesn't matter.

The issue is why I encountered a special forces operative like Weedran.

Communication. Charger.

Seems like someone who’d respond.

Activating Little Lady. The data window shows only static.

Sergeant Io, I need a reply.

Unexpected.

Time is short. You know the Karaaf Front Army is under pressure.

That’s right. So what do you want me to do?

—Sinclair is currently executing an assassination mission against enemy command.

The target is in Skordi Pull, near your location at Salor Bunker.

Hmm. I just happened to be there.

A side mission, then—Io. Triggered at a specific moment, at a specific point.

Knowing I’m here means you know the circumstances surrounding 3552 as well.

I'll push for the reformation of Team 3552 if you assist.

You don’t have authority like that.

That’s all it takes—just apply pressure. …But you can expect results.

Negotiations concluded. What now.

Get out. We're here.

Comms go dark.

Seemed like they’d come to pick him up. The Charger was a straight-to-the-point kind of unit.

Operations come in rapid succession—no time to get bored.

The Weedran units surrounding the area have already abandoned pursuit of Agent Io and are withdrawing.

Safe.

Engaging.

Io was resting in a chamber not far from the underground bunker entrance.

Stepping out from the disguised escape route, the surrounding area was enclosed by trees. Insects hummed.

The whir of the helicopter’s rotors. No visual confirmation.

Power and heat source detected. Target appears to be cloaked.

"Wait, is it some kind of invisible man?"

"Invisible helicopter."

Details like that don't matter.

Crouch beside a large tree for cover, blend into the undergrowth.

Communication from Charger again.

"Reached Salor bunker. Descending. Do not fire."

A faint crackling sound—then the helicopter materializes in the moonlit sky.

A faint scent of sparks, like burning plastic. Charger descends from it.

Compressed air vents from the sci-fi armor, damping the landing impact.

Io emerges from the brush to meet Charger.

"Your combat patterns are partially predictable. Not bad, you."

"Hmph. What about that chopper?"

"Test prototype weapons onboard. Classified. Don’t spread it."

Charger waves a hand. The helicopter vanishes again.

The retreating whir of rotors. Iou turns to Charger.

"Alone?"

"Affirmative."

"Assassination by us two?"

"Currently, countless operations are underway inside and outside the main defense lines.

Our forces at Sinclair are nearing depletion."

That’s why they’d need help even from a cat’s paw.

He hadn’t planned to argue about consistency in the game’s logic, but now he understood why Charger had contacted him specifically.

"Charger, whether I die, you die, or both—we keep the promise."

"Already taken care of. Rest easy, corporal.

—Take this. It’s different from Raven’s, but you’ll know how to use it."

The case opens. A classic-shaped firearm appears.

Raven had a sleek, military-sf balance—this was different. Pure military. No frills.

—Whatever.

Goblet’s support. Information overlays into Io’s vision.

RX-3. Suppressor integrated into handguard. Standard magazine capacity: twenty rounds.

Lower rate of fire than Raven’s, but fires heavier ammunition.

Note: Despite compact length of 860 mm, maintains high accuracy in long-range engagements. Semi-automatic operation appears standard.

Pull charging handle to chamber first round.

—Let’s go. We’ll slip past enemy patrol to Scoridy Pull.

You’re an enhanced soldier. Situation’s not a problem?

—Got it.

—Yeah, that’s what I thought. …Ah, Corporal, I almost forgot.

Charger turned on heel and began walking, speaking as they moved.

Extended spinal muscles, a firm core.

Appreciate your participation in the operation. I have expectations for you.

—That move right now. Pretty slick, huh.

Io vowed I’d do it someday.

――

Killed one "Red Crest" inside the Salor bunker.

The question is why a single unit would be stationed in a strategically worthless abandoned bunker.

— Guesswork is possible. But you'd be better off not hearing it.

classified as especially hazardous even within classified material

Just tell me if it’s an obstacle to this operation.

It's fine.

The Charger was quick, quiet, and precise.

Moving through the wasteland, through the forest—killing the enemy with cunning, deceiving them with boldness.

Hidden in the night, blending with the environment, silencing sound, slipping through surveillance grids one after another.

A lizard swarm passing just a meter away through the grass made the hand twitch—resisting the urge to fire was harder than expected.

Don’t move. If they notice, we’re finished.

Slipping past enemy patrols, guided by the lead, the situation was standard in FPSs—but experiencing it here, in this game, was different. Real.

Cross the river. Move through the shattered asphalt of a local way. The city was close.

A thousand breaths pressed in from all sides. Io’s skill, “Starving Jackal,” was in peak condition again.

Is the Reaper still alive? I have a debt to collect. Can’t have him die before repayment.

Alive. The data and samples you recovered were extremely important.

But the medical supplies… ah. Seems they’re not being distributed efficiently.

……Fletcher TV staff’s intel. Don’t dig too deep.

You really love hiding things. …Huh? Something…?

The ones hiding things aren’t us. The military does.

…Down—! Firefly’s here…!

Skordie Pull was a mountain of rubble. The lizard clans had turned the ruined city into a base.

When they infiltrated a residential building, the Charger issued a sharp command. Io dropped into the shadow of a crumbling pillar.

A ceiling riddled with holes in a shredded house. A smooth, flying object scanned the floor with laser light.

It looked like two large frying pans stacked together, with a massive camera sandwiched between.

Stay still.

A patrol drone?

Something similar existed before, but the one confirmed recently is troublesome.

Don’t get spotted.

The firefly hovers for a moment, scanning, then abruptly darts away.

A faint, high-pitched whine—hinn—echoes. That was the sound from earlier.

—It’s gone. Climb onto the roof for now. Need to check the perimeter.

—Don’t get spotted by that “flying pancake” right now.

Climb through the ceiling hole onto the rooftop. Only moonlight.

But Io’s hyper-senses don’t lie. The city sprawled below was utterly destroyed by combat, yet countless enemy signatures flicker in the dark.

—Moi Misuka… thought Skordi-Pull was an abandoned town.

—How did Weedran deploy here?

—Didn’t you notice the anti-air emplacements built right on your nose?

—Enemy strategic sabotage disabled the satellites. The Karaaf Front Army has lost sight.

The communication network is disrupted. Coordination is impossible.

I see. So that’s why you appeared at that insignificant communications outpost before.

No resources can be wasted. Not in this situation.

Io paused. The status of the Karaaf Front Army was temporarily stable. The problem lay in the operation from here onward.

The enemy forces deployed across Scordy-Pull were not a large-scale formation, but certainly not something Io and the Charger could handle alone.

As usual, stealth. Yet this operation’s objective was the elimination of the enemy command.

A retreat plan must be prepared.

...Wait. Is it really just the same as always?

( Goblet, I need to mark the enemy )

‘Not recommended. Nanomachines may suffer system failure.’

( We’ll deal with that when it happens. )

‘...Marking is possible using Snake Eye detection.’

Real-time display on the map, but exceeds Little Lady’s processing capacity.

Pay attention to the update latency.’

That’s good. Once an enemy is spotted, tracking continues even beyond Snake Eye range.

( Name the new skill Tracker. )

Understood. Tracker activated. Monitor load on auxiliary brain.

( ……I was only joking. )

What is a joke?

( No, never mind. )

Io stares down each enemy silhouette rising from the dark, summoning the Charger.

Charger, transmit target data.

Transferring……? Wait, can’t link to your Little Lady.

……Yeah, happens sometimes. Show me your terminal directly.

Enemy command displayed on Charger’s terminal. Shot from extreme range—tiny weed-like dot on screen.

You're thinking it won’t make sense like this when the image zooms in. Black scales. A crest darker than the scales. Milky white along the jaw, throat, and belly.

Target’s predicted position here. Scorpio Pools central, Salt Hill Church.

…A withdrawal plan after achieving the objective is necessary.

You’re right. …I’m considering it now.

There’s risk of detection by the enemy. But there’s a way to relay our position to the accompanying Condor.

Ideally, kill the enemy quietly and extract quietly. If not, then… we’ll have to pull off something reckless.

Relatively undamaged older structure. Religious symbol mounted on the roof.

Target’s appearance and location confirmed. All that remains is Io’s own meticulousness.

Always before a fight, it comes back to mind. This game is hardcore and high freedom. Every careless move comes back to bite you.

The more cunning Io becomes, the more this night's darkness will empower her.

Charger, there's still time until dawn.

I'll set up a few things. Going solo keeps the risk of detection low.

We'll regroup later.

...Sergeant, what are you planning?

You know how I've fought before.

Just doing it the usual way.

Without waiting for further words, Io leapt from the rooftop.

In the darkness, Io was invincible.