Story Reader / Main Story / 22 Renaissance du Fantastique / Story
The lobby alarm is still not disarmed, the mechanical statues continue to attack Iris Warbler.
The statues' movements are not complex, but they have the advantage in numbers. No matter how many they defeat, there are always new ones that appear out of nowhere to replace them.
Sica cannot predict where the next batch of enemies will strike next, and since Iris Warbler is still a new team, their cooperation is far from flawless, if they continue on like this, it is just a matter of time for the mechanic statues to break though their defenses.
They keep coming...!
The bullets rapidly fired from her tactical pistol hit the weak joints of the statues—Sica was the best shooter in her class, but no matter how accurately she shoots now, it still cannot make up for the disadvantage of armor.
She has to shoot half of her magazine before the mechanic statue ceases its movements. The usefulness of a commandant in this level of battle is limited.
Tsk... Get behind me! We'll be in trouble if you get hurt!
The alloy arrow soars through the air and pierces through the few statues in front of Sica with force.
This isn't ending any time soon...
We need to find a way to make them stop!
Sparks fly from the beam blade and heavy tonfas as they hit the statues. Ayla and Trojan have been bearing most of the burden as vanguards. Ayla can still manage with her new frame, but the sequela of M.I.N.D. damage is starting to show for Trojan as time goes on.
We probably activated the security system of the museum... If we talking about Golden Age formats, then these "security" statues are most probably remotely linked to the system.
Thanks for the info but what's the point?!
The point is, if we can hack the firewall of the museum and shut off the alarm, then the statues won't move anymore!
And does anyone here have a frame that has hacking functions?! Heads up, not me!
I may have the same name as a famous computer virus but don't expect an old relic from the Golden Age like me to be able to hack!
This is the first time I'm seeing people say they're useless with such confidence!
Fine... I'll hack the system, but I'm not a Support type so I'll have to use more primitive methods—
Hang in there till I get back!
Relying on the spatial data from the scan, Lena finds a hidden node port in the lobby. She takes our a specialized arrow from her quiver—this arrow contains a mini terminal, which can utilize a Construct's computing power to breakthrough from outside.
She plugs this arrow which is connected to her frame into the port. Instantly, a large amount of data swarms her M.I.N.D. She focuses on processing these data shards, trying to find a point for her to penetrate through.
Dammit... This frame...!
With Lena lost as an offensive asset, Sica had to get Ayla and Trojan to shrink the defense area, but that also implies that the enemies will attack more frequently. As a commandant, she could feel the continuous turmoil in Trojan's M.I.N.D.
Why do I feel like there's an increase in enemies?!
It's the system's level two security protocol... It detected me trying to hack it through the port. Give me some more time!
Waves after waves of mechanic statues appear with no end in sight. They seem to have determined Lena to be the biggest threat, targeting their attacks at Lena, making it harder for Ayla and Trojan to defend.
(If only I can help...)
Lena! Your 11 o'clock! Enemies are heading over!
Trojan hits a statue in the head with her tonfa as she turns to warn Lena. But she is already at her limits trying to take care of the mechanoids in front of her and cannot take on any more.
Dammit...! Just a bit more...
Don't worry, I got you covered...!
Idio... What are you doing?!
Sica already lunged toward the statue before Lena could finish her sentence.
She is nimble as an apodidae, her tactical dagger slips into her hand and she accurately stabs the statue in its neck joint. The dagger emits an electromagnetic pulse, instantly demobilizing the statue.
Not wasting a second, she turns and pounces onto another mechanoid, rapidly pulling the trigger and shooting directly into the statue's chest.
Annihilating two statues in a row with a surprisingly imposing manner, Sica grits her teeth and shoots at nearby statues with her pistol.
But even the newest pistol with expanded magazines would come a moment when it exhausts itself. Without a choice, she smashes her pistol into the memory shell of the statue in front of her. Its plaster face cracks, but the red glow of its eyes indicates that this hit was not enough to take it out.
Tsk—!
Schween!
A howling spark shines in front of Sica, an ice-blue energy stream swipes past, blasting away the mechanoids in front of Sica like a lawnmower.
Not far away, the muzzle of Ayla's gun is sizzling with white smoke, indicating that the energy blast was shot from it.
Why didn't you take that out earlier?!
Well, this is my last resort! Because it was made according to the Blast Hammer data of "Scire", I didn't know if it'd work or not!
Karenina insisted I add this function when I was brainstorming this new frame, I really should thank her when we get back.
The beam blade flickers, as if this one hit has used up all its stored-up energy.
All right, and—disarm!
Just as Lena announced this, the blaring alarm finally stops, and the remaining statues cease their attacks.
Sica, are you alright?
Ayla half kneels and extends her hand to Sica, helping her up.
Yes, I'm fine.
Sorry, I didn't expect them to suddenly attack us like that and I panicked...
It's not your fault, they seemed pretty normal at the beginning.
I don't recall us doing anything that could've enraged them... I don't think we triggered the alarm.
Or this is a trap set by the mechanoid called Cervantes.
Hm...
Ayla studies the scattered statue pieces on the ground—After a series of fierce battles, this meticulously designed space is now in ruins.
Spending so much effort in curating this museum and just letting it get destroyed as a "battlefield" to get rid of intruders...?
Just as she gets lost deep in thought, a small wave of quarreling can be heard from behind.
What in the world were you thinking back there?! Why did you protect me?!
The usually calm and collected Lena is now furiously shouting at Sica.
What if you get seriously injured? What should the Constructs connected to you do then?!
Her eyes are clouded by a complicated haze, as if what she is seeing is not Sica who is standing in front of her, but a past memory she does not dare to recall.
You're not a newbie on their first mission, do you not possess a bit of common sense?!
Even if I get injured, I just have to change my parts and get fixed, and even if I die here, you can still lead the remaining members to finish the mission.
But you? The core of a squad is their commandant. Did the F.O.S. not teach you the survival rate of a squad without a commandant?!
...
Why did you respond to that squad's S.O.S. signal?! We should focus on the battle on the frontlines!
Don't you know to weigh the pros and cons before making decisions as a commandant? That squad is stranded deep within enemy territory, it's a suicide mission!
Your job is to stabilize our M.I.N.D.s with your Mind Beacon. Tactics? What kind of tactics can someone who has never set foot in war come up with?
I...
...I admit that my actions were rash. As the commandant, I should've prioritized my own safety... because on the battlefields, the commandant is the Constructs' lifeline.
But in our case just now, protecting you was the priority, because without you hacking the systems, the battle would've been prolonged and we would've been at even more of a disadvantage.
That was my judgment of the situation... as the commandant.
...
Lena relaxes her fists and sighs defeatedly.
I apologize for my outburst.
It is partly my fault as a scout for not being able to predict this situation.
Let's not waste anymore time here and move on.
As if running away from something, Lena leaves the lobby through the exit on the side.
...Let's go.
Trojan pats Sica's shoulder before following after Lena.
I think... she was worried about your safety.
...I know.
