Chapter 81

“……Tsk.”

Even after swallowing the saliva pooling in my mouth and staring anxiously, the visible wounds didn’t change at all.

From the smooth cut surface, the broken circuits and shattered alloy terminals were creating a sad fireworks display.

Moreover, what had just this morning glimmered with sheen now bore countless scratches as if it had been ground against a metal plate.

In contrast, the Five Eyes agents looked remarkably fine without any visible damage, which was quite irritating.

With Rosaline approaching me, having diligently completed her background check and ready to draw me into the organization, I believed that an extreme situation wouldn’t unfold. How could they treat me this way?

Did the tin can manage to take down a few agents?

– We have cut off the power to the electromagnetic devices presumed to be used by them. –

Is that all? …How petty can you get?

“…Tsk.”

Thanks to the mounting stress, my neck was starting to feel stiff.

It was already burdensome for an underground secret organization, which I wasn’t even supposed to be involved with until the timing was right, to show personal interest in an ordinary hacker, but why did they have to target the innocent robot?

As questions from my thoughts began to lead to a burgeoning sense of rebellion, I came to realize that everything I was witnessing—the viewpoints and the sound of the peace agreement being delivered—was borrowed.

“Ugh….”

Just hold on a little longer. Let’s note this debt in my mental ledger.

If I explode in anger first, the one who will pay the harsh price will be the tin can present at the scene. It’s obvious that things would only get worse.

However, the situation already set in motion by my interference didn’t require much patience… and it didn’t seem to resolve as I wished.

“What an obvious deception. While we are left in doubt, the corporate forces must be drawing closer, right?”

“…Huh?”

Asif shot down my offered hand with an ice-cold tone.

At least he courteously explained the reason… but damn it, why is he so cautious!?

– It seems they suspect Ahsa’s leniency. –

“I heard that clearly…!”

I thought I had managed to remain quite composed, yet he didn’t seem to trust the very terms of the deal he himself put forth.

Clink…!

Swish……

From the military belt wrapped around my waist, a hand axe, sharpened instead of bullets, emerged with a chilling sound.

A weapon that would pose a significant threat even if held by an ordinary person. And now it was wielded by Asif, the team leader of a rebel-like organization.

I regretted not just chatting more with Rosaline, who, while frustrating, was at least manageable… but it was too late.

“Capture only the droid for future tracking. No loud weapons that could reveal our specific location are allowed. Retreat quickly as soon as we acquire it.”

At the leader’s command, the rear began to scatter to check their escape routes, while the others drew their hand-to-hand combat weapons and cautiously shrank the distance.

I looked towards Rosaline as if asking if they were really going to approach this way, but she waved her device around, suggesting that if she wanted to talk to me, she should join the channel again.

…Are you kidding me right now?

“The people trying to kidnap my child. When is there time for leisurely chatting?!”

– Is that your chosen nickname? It’s certainly a rough expression, yet there’s a strange familiarity to it. –

“Ugh…! Stop with the nonchalance! Get ready to run away quickly…!”

I finally stood up, my stiff body creaking after hours in the same position.

Sending intel about suspicious individuals spotted in the alley to the mercenaries on the ground, I muttered about tactics… then stopped.

I had come to realize that even if I ran at full speed from here, a conclusion would likely come about before I arrived. But still, I didn’t like the idea that I, an innocent victim alongside the tin can, had to kneel.

Isn’t it one of the universally accepted truths throughout human history?

That there’s a massive difference between dealing with things without raising our voices and being dismissed and taken advantage of.

…Damn. Hitting these things like they’re broken might not fix them.

The tin can, and while there’s no guarantee we’d win, I still wanted to hit something.

After all, it’s a fight where stalling could grant us victory, and it’s the perfect opportunity to show that we’re not an easy opponent.

– It’s difficult to guarantee victory with the hand axe equipped under current hardware. If necessary, is it okay to kill? –

“……No, I’m sorry, let’s return just as much as we received.”

I barely calmed down our killing machine that seemed inclined to make an enemy for life.

Deciding on a course of action, I sprinted down the building’s stairs as quickly as possible.

It was evident that the distance was too far, making it difficult to control my abilities… but as I got closer, those problems would resolve. What really troubled me was how my modified signal would interact with the tin can, which had a strong sense of self.

“Hey tin can, do you trust me?”

– There’s no need to ask for permission one by one. I exist for Ahsa. –

Damn, I poked that too much. If I mess up, I’ll be the one dismantled, and yet it seems like he’s not worried at all.

“…That’s too much pressure. Anyway, please take care of relaying the signal. I’ll be right there, so don’t get hurt… don’t even get scratched…!!”

★

Boom!!

My metallic fist cuts through the air.

However, if you were to ask whether I truly intended to strike Asif with that swing, none of the combatants present would answer affirmatively.

It was an attack meant for defense, to block impending danger in advance.

Asif admired the cunning ploy, much like a trained hunting dog only barking threats at crucial moments.

“Just as I suspected…! The blatant stalling is a very obvious target.”

– It was you who kicked away Ahsa’s sincere good will. Such a shift of responsibility is hard to understand…! –

Crash!!

As I disrupt his attention with conversation, the hand axe projected through the air lands on the ground.

Seemingly confident in his accuracy, the tin can barely dodged the axe thrown once again, bending its joints in a way impossible for a human.

The outer armor barely grazed, looking completely intact at first glance, but it was evident to the carebot, which had already taken a hit, that the surface had been sharply scraped away.

– ……Your temper is quite bad, isn’t it? –

“Tch! The way it talks is almost human, making it easy to forget it’s a robot.”

In the middle of the battlefield, especially with the fight not yet concluded, laying down arms is akin to inviting death. Still, with multiple enemies, there was no choice but to let it go.

To back up Asif, who was now barehanded, there came an ambush from behind.

Clang—!

“Ugh?!”

The sound of metal clashing and tearing at the ears didn’t loosen the hold of the agents.

Perhaps the amplification of the implanted devices wasn’t sufficient, as the metal pipe clashed with my armor, wildly vibrating and bouncing off.

However, during that brief moment, he had already escaped from pursuing range, and the tin can leaped with the sole intent of retrieving the thrown weapon.

But before it could even reach the axe lodged in the ground, one agent blocked its path, while another collected the hand axe to return it to its owner.

– Aren’t you too cautious? It’s hard to tell who is stalling at this rate. –

“Damn! You only set up a robotic system with this kind of AI?!”

The pressure from their clever maneuvering made me mutter a low curse.

After turning down the proposal from the adversary hacker, the colleague attempting to ‘capture’ in the initial skirmish, as instructed, got knocked unconscious after crashing into a wall. They never went for a one-on-one confrontation.

Instead, they were stalling to prevent a being with dreadful combat power from attaining weapons while gradually wearing down the defenses.

“What are the hackers doing? Shouldn’t they forcefully shut down the combat module quickly? Didn’t we have to face the droid?”

“Miss from headquarters…! Please, use more power somehow!”

“No…!! The firewall keeps changing structure as if it’s alive. Is hacking it that easy?!”

But it was they who wished the fight wouldn’t drag on like the tin can did.

With the risk of exposing nearby hideouts or personnel growing, they could hardly afford to scout for talent.

“……Those with a physical evaluation grade of B or lower, retreat. Only heavily modified combatants should remain to subdue swiftly. Rosaline, I’ll leave watching for approaching enemies to you; I’ll withdraw immediately.”

“Ah… understood, Leader.”

Swish….

As Asif discarded his gloves and jacket with great vigor after issuing the command, instead of twitching muscles, a shiny prosthetic arm was revealed.

The agents who had disappeared into the shadows of the alleyway were all replaced by modified humans boasting mechanical arms or legs.

With the emergence of illegal modifications devoid of safety devices or output restrictions, machines that could easily crush home robots, the tense atmosphere that had lingered for a moment surged back.

“Let’s blame the unprepared master.”

– ……. –

The sound of harsh friction reverberated.

However, the machine that had been so defiant and hadn’t uttered a word until now maintained a strange silence even after hearing derogatory remarks that crossed the threshold of tolerance… as if coming back to consciousness after being absent for a while.

– Excuse me, I was just busy updating my software and let some nonsense slip. I’ve just received an appropriate non-lethal weapon, so rest assured. You mean to return damage in kind? –

“…Huff!!”

With a grunt, the distance between us instantly became zero.

The main reason the tin can had focused on evading until now—the sharp strike from Asif hurtled toward it.

Other agents also moved to tighten the net from all around, but… they thought victory was secured against the unmoving droid.

However, Asif didn’t realize.

As the words spoken like a joke would indicate, an unseen weapon had truly entered his hands.

The only path toward victory—capture—had just been blocked by a hacker riddled with worries.

A death blow swung toward the area where the power source would be located in its chest.

In fact, considering the physical power contained within it, it was akin to a small bomb, yet the tin can merely extended its arm against this violence.

Splat!!

The prosthetic arm, which appeared unyielding and formidable, shattered as if an egg had been dropped on a rock upon contact.

No, it wasn’t just shattered… it was disassembling itself due to a new command layered over it.

“What… is this…?”

Looking at the scattering components, Rosaline muttered in confusion beyond the realm of understanding, but the culprit behind it, the machine, only returned an unblushing response.

– I’m sorry, but the one I serve is immensely superior and exceptional to anyone you might bring, so please refrain from drawing conclusions on your own. –

…Though it had no idea itself.