Chapter 100

“Even beasts use their heads when hunting, but these guys…!”

With a shriek, Rosaline, burning with determination, was busy tearing into the outlaw gang, when Asyef, who had been cautiously eavesdropping on the atmosphere in the hallway, intervened.

“There’s an easier way, but no one seems to be going that route. But… I can’t tell if their equipment is good or if they have some extraordinary modified humans among them. If I had known it would come to this, I wouldn’t have opted for an old train to save on expenses. …Ugh!”

“Damn it, stop making it complicated and just stay holed up in the room!! Even if you pull out a nail clipper, I’ll assume you’re about to fight back and shoot you! Ugh!!”

Seeing a group passing by, firing a few threatening shots toward the ceiling, he quickly pulled his head back in.

It was a brief observation, but he managed to read the atmosphere of the gang well.

Despite starting off smoothly for a robbery, moving towards their destination as if chased by something without a hint of leisure.

A voice brimming with suspicion, wary that there might be even a hint of resistance despite having overwhelming dominance.

While it’s quite common for robbery to stem from desperation rather than malice, as the scale increases, there are rules to follow.

…He hoped it wasn’t the case, but he had something to confirm just in case.

“Rosaline. Are there any cities or business branches we can communicate with from here?”

“Pardon? For comms… they still reach the far end of the Harvest Planet’s external base, and the railway construction branch is looking fine on the network… Oh.”

Finding something strange in her own words, she displayed an incredulous expression.

Asyef, who had tentatively asked the question, also wrinkled his face in confusion.

They had the audacity and guts to attempt to rob corporate property in such a remote place. Instead of utilizing basic radio jamming, they opted for a quick strike, which could only be seen as a reckless idea worthy of a thief without any backup plan.

“A mayfly would be more cautious than this! A person from a time without a super wide-area computer network wouldn’t be this primitive…!”

“Maybe they were that desperate, or couldn’t control their greed. Either way, it’s going to end disastrously.”

Highway bandits and high-profile fugitives, wasteland criminals and resistance elite unit members.

In a sense, they could be seen as the predecessors of the two affiliated with Five Eyes, who were judging their incompetent and rash juniors with disdain.

If there was to be a difference, Rosaline thought that they wouldn’t need to worry too much because those fools would be wiped out by the reinforcements, which would soon respond to the report. But Asyef had an instinctive feeling of the chaos that would ensue during that ‘process.’

“…Could you check the vehicle structure? Where the cargo compartments are in this old train. And the approximate passenger list too.”

“?”

She tilted her head in confusion, but her hands and head diligently brought up the passenger list and a diagram of the Astra Express train model.

The noise and screams starting to come from everywhere disrupted the calm, but he focused on confirming the blueprints Rosaline was showing him.

Large cargo holds were placed at the front and back. And there were general compartments that needed to be passed through to reach them.

The front was relatively manageable. There weren’t many passengers, and the thugs likely wouldn’t enjoy getting caught up, so they would probably refrain from unnecessary fights.

Moreover… if they went any further, a ‘certain lady’ and the goblin that bit off his arm would likely emerge, so it wouldn’t be unreasonable to think they might self-destruct.

…But what about the rear compartment?

Among the individualists hailing from cities, there wouldn’t be anyone unhappy if gangs quietly stole corporate property. They might even secretly cheer them on.

But what if the conditions arose where both passengers and gangs became uncomfortable?

Adjacent to the cargo compartment was an overcrowded standing room filled with people.

For the robbers to steal their goods, they would inevitably have to keep going back and forth while occupying that space, and the standing passengers would have to watch helplessly as their belongings mixed in with the cargo boxes were being stolen.

It was evident that an extremely awkward confrontation would soon escalate into a full-blown conflict, as was strongly guaranteed by the furious cries reverberating through the train.

Bang!!

“These deaf idiots…! You throw the ones with guns on the floor! The ones without should put their hands up against the wall?!”

“So we gotta just sit back and let you shoot us at your leisure??? Did your mother go out to buy you some boy with the pocket money she should’ve spent on your implants when you were a kid?!”

“…I’ll tear your head off alive…!!”

The rowdy laughter and the responses that followed.

The air vibrated with noise produced by nearly a hundred unspecified people.

…It seemed that the ordinary citizens, who were getting enraged by bumping into other passengers in the cramped space, looked angrier, all the same.

Judging that if they just watched idly, innocent people’s blood would be flowing abundantly, Asyef rummaged through his bag and began to arm himself.

“Haah… It’s not too great to help with corporate stuff…”

“…If you don’t feel like it, you can take a break. I’ll also just harass them appropriately and decide to retreat when the time comes.”

“……”

It only occurred to Rosaline after seeing the amiable Anastasia that their leader, Asyef, was also the type with quiet affection.

Yet her dilemma was brief.

Staying in this gloomy mood would leave her with nothing else to do. Therefore, helping Asyef while assisting the people seemed like a good idea… and also a way to gradually recover her slightly bruised self-esteem.

“…I’ll continuously send the camera video data and battlefield diagrams to your cyberware for updates, so don’t break the CCTV out of habit!”

“Thanks for that…!”

Crash!!

With a fierce momentum, he dashed out and split the head of a thug who had been foolishly focused on the cargo area while exposing his back to him, marking the beginning of Rosaline’s fight.

“Sixty degrees rear! I spotted someone loading a 20mm grenade!!”

“The time… it’s been 11 minutes now, if there’s still something they’re hiding, they should be…”

“No, more importantly, Leader! If you’re struggling for manpower, stay away from getting too deep in!”

The rear operator was often dismissed for not knowing the battlefield, but that was merely a whining of a rookie who had never received proper backup.

Asyef was now nearly fighting with his eyes closed.

Isn’t it said that someone who has mastered something still sees it clearly even with their eyes shut?

The consistently provided phase data, nearly devoid of time lag, acted as if he had eyes on the ceiling, making it more efficient to trust the processed imagery Rosaline was providing in such chaotic conditions than limited visibility.

“Which gang do you belong to?! If it’s over a meal, just move the goods and later…”

“Just put down your guns and steal the goods, if you don’t like that, you can give up and retreat.”

“What kind of nonsense is that?!”

Bam!!

“Good job! Our leader!!”

A mix of screams and gunfire erupted from the boss who had received a bizarre suggestion from a current resistance member.

Of course, the involved party had no intention of treating them kindly, so negotiations did not proceed further.

During the initial ambush, the enemies assumed to have unusual firepower were already sunk.

No variables were entertained by Asyef, which led to their early elimination.

Ultimately, with Rosaline dynamically adjusting the terrain connected to the control system and calculating the enemies’ equipment and expected bullet paths, he was completely seizing control of the battlefield.

Though it seemed there were still some lingering regrets, there were quite a few individuals among the standing passengers desperately guarding the entrance. However, it was clear that soon they would concentrate their firepower on Asyef, who had blocked their escape route.

While making money is good, none of those among them would want to have a chat with the thoroughly enraged border guards or corporate elite soldiers.

“Capture them, damn it! Tell those who went ahead to ambush!!”

“…What do you mean there’s been no contact since earlier?!”

“Hmm♪”

In contrast to the chaos bursting out from the laptop, a pleasant hum flowed gracefully through the air.

Considering that she didn’t even realize it, it might be more accurate to say it escaped from her.

Having unexpectedly stumbled into a tough mission because of the formidable opponent—Anastasia—all this while, the previously tightness in her chest had somewhat eased.

Although the other side lacked even a hacker to counter them, making it an unfair fight… considering how they managed to reverse the disadvantage of more than ten times the number of opponents with her assistance, anyone would feel a little puffed up.

Now, with the flustered enemies attempting to flee, Asyef would safely retreat, and it would be over.

For something impulsive, it had concluded rather well. The moment she relaxed her tension, an unexpected visitor rolled into the compartment that Rosaline was guarding alone.

Thud…!

“…Eh?”

As soon as the door entered, it closed again, and the sweaty man’s gaze collided with Rosaline’s, who had just been stretching.

Where had he come from? Didn’t the leader take care of everyone he saw?

Sure, with only a sliding door separating the hallway and the compartment and no locking mechanism, it was undoubtedly an unsafe position, but to come right in here?

In a hurry, she glanced at her bag containing her self-defense items, but… it was out of reach, and the man was quicker to react.

“Damn…!”

“Ugh?!”

With a swift motion, a strong hand flew in and gripped her mouth shut.

She had assumed he would shoot when he saw her, so she had made the mistake of crouching, covering her vital spots with the laptop she was holding.

If only she had kept observing with her eyes, she might have at least attempted minimal resistance.

‘Get off…!’

Her nose was assaulted by the sweat and odor, making her wonder if he had ever bathed.

Attempting to scratch with sharply etched nails, she realized he was a criminal who operated in the desert, fully concealing his skin, yielding no results.

Instead, her clumsy provocations only seemed to stir up his anger.

Bang!!

“Gah?!”

The punch to her abdomen made Rosaline’s eyes widen painfully, and her jaw trembled reflexively.

She wanted to scream, but only the sound of air escaping like a slow-leaking balloon came out, sinking her into silence, unable even to form a sentence or utter a word.

Usually, one would start by slapping the face–the cheek–with a palm, right?

The relentless suppression of noise and his continuous glances toward the door… it appeared he was cautious of Asyef, who might rush in upon detecting any strange occurrences.

“….”

For now, she figured that cooperating might be the best course of action. If she could drag this out a bit, something would resolve itself.

Ignoring the agonizing pain in her stomach and jaw, caused by the brutal treatment, she nudged her extended arm lightly to catch his attention. Implicitly suggesting to negotiate instead if he wasn’t planning to kill her.

“…Sss.”

The rational judgment was not at all wrong.

However, regrettably, this man didn’t seem to have a specific purpose for finding Rosaline; he was merely in a frenzied state, fleeing from a manifestation of machine phobia that had descended upon reality, and had intersected with her quite coincidentally.

And… once he had fled from the fear, he stumbled upon a rather pleasing beauty in this room at that moment.

He swallowed hard. The pumped-up adrenaline gave the man’s eyes a reddish tint.

‘Crazy…!!’

Like a monkey whose survival instincts had been replaced by other desires, his entire being trembled as he became aware of his rising lust, extinguishing any will to negotiate.

But mindless opposition now seemed daunting… since her body had already been exposed to relentless violence once, it had now stiffened.

If there was no plan of action, patience would be the best option. Though…

Sluuuurp… shlurp…

“!! ……!”

A silent scream. A path deemed correct isn’t always the one of understanding.

As the man’s hand delved under her clothing, Rosaline’s mind and stomach revolted simultaneously.

Though she had faced crises before, it had been against clear-cut enemies from hostile organizations or defined hunting dogs from corporations—not this filthy, vulgar beast.

The gloved hand—erasing even the thought that it was a hand—searched above her smooth thigh, pulling up her top in search of a prize.

Alongside that, the face, eager to inhale a woman’s scent that hadn’t been seen in a while, drew closer by the second.

‘Absolutely not!!’

With her mouth still covered, she barely managed to twist her head away.

He’s supposed to be struggling against time and incoming reinforcements…? How much time is left until the reinforcements arrive? 10 minutes…? 20 minutes…?

If there’s plenty of time left, wouldn’t this situation not just end but escalate further?

“Ugh… ugh?!”

‘Please, stop…!’

The man sniffing like he was on drugs, his physique that she had resolved to ignore due to its filthy gloves and lips, met Rosaline beneath her senses—two fresh scent receptors à la new guests in her compartment.

Knock-knock.

A small knock. Entering boldly without waiting for approval, but slowly, so the man wouldn’t make any mistakes in surprise.

“…Hey there, dude? Sorry, but as a temporary guardian, I really find it hard to forgive any non-consensual sexual acts?”

A black angel appeared with empty hands raised.

With the arduous journey she had faced, her face was likely a mess with sweat, blood, and dust, but she remained stunning, hardly marred.

Moreover, the man’s sweat, which acted like an odor amplifier, only served to accentuate her sensuous fragrance, making it alluring to anyone who smelled it.

This was undeniably a potent drug—no, perhaps more accurately it could be called a stimulant or aphrodisiac.

“If you quietly disappear now… I’ll really let you go, a thousand times over. What do you say…?”

The firm yet somewhat innocent tone, slightly reddened complexion, and trembling voice—each was akin to spice teasing a man’s instincts.

“……”

As if possessed by a ghost, the man stood vacantly.

The condition of ‘I won’t harm you’ hadn’t even reached his central nervous system. When displayed without a single pocket knife, those fully open hands didn’t indicate refusal, did they?

Thus… this wasn’t resistance but rather an invitation, willingly offering himself in preference over the angry red woman—undoubtedly.

Thud.

“…What the hell.”

Expected to comply and withdraw as per the request, the man’s face buried within Anastasia’s chest with a state of mental shutdown.

Was there any room for misinterpretation in his demands? He shot a questioning glance toward Rosaline, who merely shook her head in response.

“…This bastard?”

There was no need for further clarification.

With the belly and waist feeling groped by the vulgar hand movements, it felt like an unambiguous conviction of guilt, bordering on an urgent malfeasance conviction.

Displaying that he had no intention of fighting, both hands gently embraced the man’s head.

There was no time to relish the warmth. A bolt from the blue; this was a divine punishment, scorching a decaying mind and soul, the minuscule electromagnetic storm erupting in the void frying the wretched head.

Crackle crackle crackle—!!

“!!”

“…Nice going!”

Rosaline confirmed that the man was screaming, a sound she couldn’t even utter a moment ago, despite not knowing the method or theory, and stuck her tongue out with a smug smile.

Seconds passed in a state of electrocution.

When the greasy hair tangled from the shock and the man’s consciousness faded to white, Anastasia, who had depleted her battery, declared her surrender.

“…Ugh. Even having three meals a day, this is tough.”

After roughly shaking off the tingling sleeves of her suit, she pushed the limp figure of the man into the hallway.

“Take him somewhere out of sight and dispose of him.”

“……”

An arm clad in steel leaped forth to grab the fallen pervert by the scruff and quickly pulled him out of view.

While she didn’t bother with the clean up herself, Rosaline got the distinct impression that if that droid handled it, she would never have to see him again.

She had just been saved.

Clearly, there was no need for that, nor was there any reason to. Anastasia Valentine had saved Rosaline Sereno with her pure goodwill.

Having gone through immense angst and confusion, the meticulously planned operation had been thoroughly ruined, yet when she herself faced danger, she didn’t hesitate to appear and help.

“Um… Rosaline? Are you okay…?”

As he tentatively asked, she looked up and met his gaze.

Skill, will, even personal appearance—he was demonstrating superiority in every aspect, yet he was also offering her care.

Despite weak struggles against the beating man, unable to contain her swelling indignation, Rosaline snapped at her benefactor.

“What the hell…! You’ve been making me feel confused, neither friend nor foe!”

“……”

Was the shock of attempted rape irritating her more than the physical presence surrounding her?

Anastasia, who had begun to organize her inner tumult from the shock received and made a note of Rosaline’s prickly attitudes, eventually spewed out a twisted rationale after much thought.

“…You don’t know the saying ‘keep your friends close, and your enemies closer’? So you should be getting even closer to those who could be both friends and foes…”

Whether that was indeed persuasive reasoning or just a pathetic excuse for her close relationship with Aaron and the corporation before Five Eyes, no one could know.

But one thing was certain.

“…Pff.”

Rosaline Sereno finally accepted deep in her heart after hearing that awkward and far-fetched reasoning.

The trivial manner of speaking and the gaze looking down upon her with affection didn’t bother her anymore, having acknowledged that the competitor was worthy of such consideration.

And more importantly… even having one unidentified senior who cared for her so much wasn’t truly a bad thing.

Wiping away her tears with her sleeve, feeling embarrassed, she expressed her gratitude as politely as she could.

“Thank you for saving me, Anastasia.”

“Ugh, yeah…”

Just like during the DDoS attack, in the chat channel, she realized that everyone had hurled all kinds of ridiculous insults at her, and that time she had freaked out, calling her a demon upon meeting her; with those memories, Rosaline shyly played with the ends of her hair.

After a brief silence passed.

Confirming again that Rosaline had nothing more to say, Anastasia poured out the questions she had been saving.

“So!! Where did Asyef go, and what’s with the crazy gunfire coming from behind? Is he trying to stress me out by causing trouble everywhere he goes?!”

“……”

The red girl learned one thing.

Ah, even the most enigmatic person, who can time their observations more accurately than anyone, still didn’t know things they didn’t know.