Story Reader / Floating Record / ER07 Soaring Beyond / Story
Hot brass casings scatter across the floor of the carriage, the steel barrel of the machine gun glowing faintly with a red-blue heat.
The battle against the infected mechanoids proves this new frame's absolute power, but it also raises doubts among Hanying's newfound companions.
...You got impressive skills, I've seen it for myself before.
But fighting the Corrupted hand-to-hand with such ease? Even the best soldiers I've ever trained couldn't pull that off.
Unknowingly, the few surviving soldiers gradually distance themselves from Hanying, subtly forming a loose encirclement.
...
I'm a simple man who speaks his mind. So, I hope you'll excuse my directness.
Behind his goggles, the veteran's eyes gleam with a predatory hawk-like intensity.
Who are you?
The rest of the soldiers remain on high alert, as if still in combat. The guns in their hands stay off safety.
These people before her are the only link to Aerospace City, but in an instant, the chance of negotiation becomes much harder.
Hanying carefully weighs her options, considering the best way to handle this situation.
...My identity and combat capabilities shouldn't be a source of conflict.
Hmph.
The veteran soldier lets out a derisive sneer.
Either way, I did come from Kowloong...
No one doubts you're from Kowloong... but are you really a Kowloonger BORN and RAISED there?
...
She's neither skilled at clever arguments nor good at hiding her true identity behind lies.
We've seen those centaur-looking things, the ones they call "Constructs", but stuffing humans into those hunks of metal...
Can they even be considered human anymore?
You might look human, but if you're one of those things...
I'm not a threat to any of you.
Hanying carefully sets her weapon down in a safe spot and takes a step back, a gesture meant to show she means no harm.
She has anticipated this reaction after sensing their hostility toward mechanoids earlier.
Prejudice against mechanoids naturally extends to Constructs, whose bodies aren't made of flesh and blood. Still, she has no desire to treat these humans with hostility.
The chocolate in her pocket still carries the warmth from the girl who gave it to her. Hanying purses her lips and tries to speak again.
The forest is quite dangerous. Are you sure you want to waste time lingering here?
Even though I'm not human, I can still help you with my combat abilities...
Hmph, we wouldn't dare trouble someone like you.
The veteran signals his men to step back. Just as he's about to continue his interrogation, static-filled voices crackle through his walkie-talkie, forcing him to put the confrontation on hold.
...Transport Convoy here, we have a situation... What's your status?
You've reached the ambush point? Do not engage. I repeat, do not engage.
Whatever the other party says catches the veteran off guard. Hanying's sensitive audio receptors pick up fragments about "the governor" and "numerous mechanoids."
...Copy that, we're on our way.
He signals to the soldiers surrounding Hanying, and they all fall back to their transport vehicle.
Sorry about this, but whether you're a Construct or some new tech we don't understand, we can't take any chances.
With your abilities, getting out of here shouldn't be a problem... But next time we meet, things might not be so peaceful.
He keeps his eyes narrowed in vigilance, only boarding the vehicle after ensuring all his soldiers are inside.
What in the world happened in Aerospace City...?
She can sense it—beneath the soldiers' cold indifference lies a more dangerous brutality.
But after that incident broke out... Under Spikehead's leadership, the mechanoids "executed" the former research director. Then, Spikehead installed a traitor as the governor and firmly took control of the city.
Then those mechanoids started tormenting everyone with their 24/7 nonstop work demands, forcing people to rack up work hours in exchange for food, clothing, and other necessities.
They couldn't care less about the elderly or children—if you don't meet the work hours, they'll let you starve to death.
Who would've thought... that we'd end up fighting our own mechanoids...
What kind of... "incident" happened there?
What could have happened to cause such a drastic breakdown in the relationship between humans and mechanoids?
With engines roaring, the vehicles drive straight away, their dark machine gun barrels trained cautiously on her position until they disappear from sight.
She is now left behind by the soldiers, along with the hastily buried corpse in the dense forest.
Just now... what kind of urgent "situation" forced them to leave in such a hurry, without even properly bidding farewell to their lost companion?
After burying the young soldier's body properly, Hanying lifts her head to gaze in the direction where the soldiers disappeared.
In the distance, the silhouette of a city is barely visible. Perhaps... more answers lie within its walls.
No matter what happens, she must reach that place first, to find the "key" Cervantes spoke of and seize that "future."
