Chapter 274

“Hmm….”

Inside the swaying van, the man’s rough hands fidgeted awkwardly. His neck and sides seemed uncomfortable, as if the size of the hazard suit he had donned was somehow off. He gripped its unfamiliar fabric tightly.

At least nominally—and indeed officially—he was here as a disinfection specialist employed by the cleaning service visiting today, so it wasn’t ideal to seem uneasy. But it was hard to cut off that strange tension one feels just before the plan is set into motion.

Maintaining not just caution but an entirely composed and bold demeanor? Sounds simple when someone’s chatting safely from a chair, but translating knowledge into real-world action is seldom easy.

Ultimately, the mounting anxiety left the man restless.

“Hey, buddy, stop shaking so much. We’re not here for some ‘evil deed’ or anything! And look at how many brothers and sisters are here to help ensure this operation goes smoothly—what is there really to worry about?”

“A, ahaha… you’re right, aren’t you…?”

Suddenly, the passenger sitting beside him jokingly poked him in the ribs with surprising casualness. The man responded awkwardly but seemed genuinely reassured, visibly relaxing his tense upper body with a slight shiver.

In truth, it wasn’t exactly empty encouragement either.

They were on their way to carry out an “enlightenment campaign” against the television network that was ignoring the looming dark future for the sake of empty profits and misguided propaganda—and misleading the populace along with it. With over two hundred believers involved, there was little reason to doubt the effort would succeed.

“Isn’t it obvious? Knowing who we’ll be facing, it’s almost a done deal already. We have knowledge of their defensive systems, inside sources, and allies on the inside—so worrying is just a waste. All we need from our tech guy is to watch out for stray bullets and take good care of that thing. …But you know, that’s what I’m most afraid of.”

“While it’s inside its specialized containment case, and the ignition cables are all disconnected, there’s no worry of an accidental detonation. But if focusing on it gives you more peace of mind, then I can prioritize this.”

Certainly, he had been detailed for his expertise in electronics and explosives. In contrast, the man who had eased the tension was a professional fighter from the mercenary business before joining the cult.

His advice, reeking of gunpowder and blood, clearly indicated what they should properly adhere to—his recommendations were worth following.

As they always said, there’s no reason to worry. If they each focused on their duties and kept the greater cause in mind, the mission would conclude without incident—or at least that’s what they repeated to themselves for several minutes.

Squeak…

The hydraulic door of the van opened as smoothly as possible, now parked in front of the Memorial Times building.

“…All other teams have reached their assigned entry points and are waiting for our signal. Good luck to everyone, for the dignity of humanity.”

“For the dignity of humanity…!”

Though often mocked as prepper fanatics, they were ardent believers in artificial intelligence, seeing themselves as enlightened visionaries.

Guided by the departing driver, the members of the cult quietly repeated the group’s slogan and stepped out, carrying their respective duffel bags. Despite some awkward fumbling caused by the concealed protective plates in their suits, their outward appearance blended seamlessly among the workers who always wore hazard suits while moving about. The observers merely assumed, ‘Oh, there must have been some toxic substance leak again…’

Of course, they hadn’t gathered randomly.

Precisely on line number 2, they joined the queue where the security officer waiting for them had already been alerted according to the agreed plan.

“Are you the team from Sweep and Swap disinfection services scheduled for today? Sorry, you’re a little late.”

“Yes, yes. We deeply apologize for that. Please, can we hurry? There are people waiting.”

Though the exchange had a peculiar overtone and significant undertones, no apparent problem arose and no alarms sounded, leaving the other security staff oblivious.

As if to wrap things up quickly, the officer began passing the bags through the X-ray scanner, each one appearing overstuffed with cleaning equipment.

But…

The first two duffels contained nothing but tightly packed assault rifles and an arsenal sufficient to arm a whole platoon.

The next revealed neatly stacked combat supplies, mainly magazines and gas grenades.

Finally, there came the pièce de résistance—the shadow of a medium-sized bomb whose silhouette alone was enough to make one’s heart skip a beat. The officer squeezed his eyes shut immediately.

Unwilling or unable to question the authority that had transferred his shift specifically to ensure he would follow orders—to not ask questions and wave them through—his fragile nature made him want to raise the alarm, but…

“Is there any problem? We’re already quite delayed, and our schedule is tight.”

“…No! Please proceed. Just make sure every piece of luggage is accounted for.”

A glimpse of a handgun, quietly extracted through a gap in the hazard suit, left him with few meaningful options.

The crazy pseudo-religious cultists had already quietly turned off the metal detectors they were about to pass through and planned to evacuate as soon as they lost sight of them.

Under normal circumstances, numerous drones and security robots would patrol the premises, making it impossible for just a few employees to be bought and coerced to infiltrate. But thanks to a recent outbreak of an aggressive new virus, the droid units originally guarding external perimeters had been redeployed inside, leaving this unfortunate gap.

…Or could these outsiders have anticipated even that and cooperated accordingly? But who inside the station?

Irrespective of the security officer’s internal torment, the cult had successfully breached the first gate and quickly advanced into the station.

“Engineers and their paired teams, split up to quickly override the dormant security bots’ software to boost our forces. The technical team and team B, hurry and assemble the bomb, then throw it into Control Room 4. Once that’s gone, the building’s lockdown capability will fail, and the backup teams will move in to secure our escape routes. Lastly, team A, the strike force…”

Until the explosion signaled the start of the operation, they needed to hide the fact that something had gone terribly wrong.

Briefly quieting as regular employees passed by, the leaders issued commands through gestures, emphasizing the importance of the mission.

“…I will personally lead the attack on the live newsroom. Remember, fear must be a tool, not an objective. We’ve come to warn the ignorant of the true threat, not to kill them all.”

“Well, commander, how much violence are we permitted to avoid? Banning preemptive strikes while in the enemy’s territory seems a bit excessive…”

Though somewhat grousing, the team member actually raised a valid concern considering their high-risk situation.

The ex-mercenary, now acting as field commander, grinned cruelly, an expression of pure conviction that cared little for anything outside his perceived righteousness.

“What nonsense is this? Of course, we have no reason to kill innocent civilians who don’t resist, but those who choose not to cooperate with the greater purpose? They are heretics. Eliminate anyone who gets in our way. Let’s go!”

By the time the security control room exploded and was reduced to rubble, and the Memorial Times’ lead announcer suddenly found his studio breached by lunatics pointing guns, only ten minutes had elapsed.

Flames and smoke erupted from various parts of the building.

“Ladies and gentlemen! Did everyone just see the emergency notice that went out? Unidentified intruders have entered the station, demanding to broadcast a statement! We don’t know the exact number of terrorists, their appearance doesn’t match anything standardized, and their exact positions remain unclear. Nevertheless, given the risks, all employees are advised to stay inside studios and rooms and not patrol the corridors while we manage the crisis. Please check the safety of your doors!”

Douglas exaggeratedly reassured everyone from the camera side, but despite the shaking building and blaring alarms, the people in the holographic studio were surprisingly calm.

Not panicking, no screeching, nothing but a low murmur.

This unusual tranquility in such a high building likely stemmed from the presence of the affable yet ridiculous figure nearby, one might cautiously speculate.

‘Wow, really, you guys could use better intelligence or at least some luck. And look, the misfortune just keeps piling up.’

Maybe I’m in no position to judge since I wasn’t the least bit aware until this idiot just appeared, skulking around to meddle with the station’s communication network. But still…

To anyone holding Enema Corporation’s standing director hostage while attempting to seize live broadcasts, a silent prayer for their souls.

Leaving aside Masanari, who seems confused about whether he should act as my bodyguard or Shou’s, Zero already has three trackers around him, and the armed soldiers of Enema stationed around the studio count easily five.

In such circumstances, even if this studio’s wide-open spaces were arranged with a more precise web of fire, how could these ‘AI will kill us all! Ahhh!’ folks possibly take down that cyber-ninja?

Given the wide variance in individual combat ability, it’s likely a scratch is the best anyone would hope for.

Thus, this intrusion couldn’t have come at a more perfect moment for me.

A troublesome intruder has appeared nearby; why waste time on a useless showdown with me when they have bigger problems to deal with?

I’ve both got my excuse to leave and a pre-marked target walking right into my trap. What luck!

Perhaps radical religious zealots are indeed the perfect excuse?

“Mr. Edamatsu, Miss Anastasia, are you all right? Surely, there was no accident in the dressing room due to the explosion just now, right? …Please, tell me there wasn’t!”

“…They seem quite eager, don’t they? Shouldn’t we go reassure them?”

“…”

Clearly annoyed at my quick subject change, Shou stared lazily into my eyes for a moment before breaking into an amused grin.

Yes, ‘to actively eliminate the threat for personal safety’ or ‘secure an escape route immediately’ are expected behaviors from someone in a leadership position.

After all, anyone valuing their life should respond quickly to an unknowable threat, regardless of the station’s instructions.

But what about someone with no intention to act that way?

Instead of using this situation to escape or clear the studio, what if they embraced the opportunity to sit tight?

“Well timed. Then let’s focus on our discussion here. I’ll make sure the distressed employees are reassured and return shortly. Ahsa.”

“…Huh?”

Before I could react, he had quickly moved toward the staff, leaving me standing there dumbfounded.

…Wait, what? Excuse me?? What is this??