Hoshino, wearing a gas mask, was trudging along while dragging GPR equipment around. The teacher shook his head slowly and used a flashlight to scan the surroundings.
Gloom, gloom…
Who would see anything out here in the middle of the desert, right?
It seemed like everyone else was sharing the same thought, as Saki and Miyu looked completely unmotivated. The only one really trying hard was Miyako, but even her enthusiasm didn’t last long.
“i-if we can’t find a clue after all this… it’ll be super disappointing, right…?”
“…RABBIT 4, stop whining. Since this is Shalle’s first official activity, we must succeed. Our honor as SRT’s top elite prospects is on the line.”
“RABBIT 2, why are you standing still for 30 seconds?”
“W-what are you talking about? I’ve been moving this whole time! It must be the teacher’s fault.”
“Hehe~ Do you think you can call yourself elite while saying things like that about the teacher?”
“…It doesn’t really matter, does it?”
In the end, Hoshino, who concluded that nothing could be found with the naked eye, passed the GPR equipment over and returned to the vehicle to take a nap, inciting the outrage of everyone except the teacher.
However, the teacher was the kind of person who could smile and understand even Hoshino’s lazy behavior, and thanks to the hierarchy reorganization during training, RABBIT Squad could only grumble.
Even that was just Saki grumbling alone, though.
“By the way, what’s going on in Abydos? Doesn’t the situation seem a bit strange?”
“In what way?”
“No, think about it. The desertification that had been gradually progressing for decades suddenly got serious. Plus, the Vina monster has started moving actively. And the Kaiser Corporation is doing some unknown excavation work out there in the desert, while Saint Nephthys is stuck on some railroad project with no clear purpose.”
“According to FOX 5’s speculations, it seems that the absorption of Kaiser Industries has forced Saint Nephthys, equipped with the means to repel Vina, to resume the railroad project that they had to abandon. This is likely the problem created by messing with the ruins, the main culprit in the current situation. I think that’s pretty reasonable. The core issue is what those two companies are thinking about Abydos.”
“I think Saint Nephthys has something sneaky planned.”
“Isn’t that what Mika already pointed out…?”
“Not Mika, FOX 5! They worked with those seniors, so we should treat them properly.”
After hearing that razor-sharp comeback, Miyu quietly squatted down and started drawing on the ground with her finger. But just a few seconds later, the lines in the sand lost their shape, and she gave up immediately.
“What do you think, Teacher? If you think about it, this place we’re standing on is technically the property of Saint Nephthys…”
As Miyako continued speaking, she blinked her eyes. The situation was so serious that no one mentioned this point, but the ground they were stepping on was entirely owned by Saint Nephthys.
“…Shouldn’t we have gotten permission from them first?”
“No, what do you mean by that? If Saint Nephthys have some shady purpose, they wouldn’t allow us to step onto their land, would they?”
“Well… um, RABBIT 2 seems to have a point. In normal circumstances, RABBIT 1’s assumption would be correct. For now, this means there’s nothing for us to find here—”
[TEACHER! A column of tanks and a small company-sized force, presumed to belong to Saint Nephthys, are approaching from the west! Estimated encounter time in about 5 minutes. From now on, RABBIT Squad, please prioritize the Teacher’s withdrawal from the battlefield!]
Upon hearing Ayane’s sudden communication, Miyako and Saki exchanged glances.
[RABBIT 4, immediately board the vehicle and take the Teacher away from the battlefield. The Teacher must not get entangled in the fight. And Hoshino…!]
[Umm, there’s no need for that. This guy knows what’s going on. So what’s our SRT friends’ decision? Strategic retreat? Engagement? Negotiation? Preemptive strike?]
[…Based on the size of the forces, it appears that Saint Nephthys has already labeled us as enemies. Given our current armament, it would realistically be difficult to conduct a preemptive strike. We will immediately set up mines and prepare to counter. The desert will finish the planting for us. RABBIT 2, let’s aim to finish this within 3 minutes.]
[Good vibe check.]
As Miyako and Saki were busy laying mines, Hoshino waved lazily at the Teacher, who was getting into the vehicle, while stretching and yawning.
[Since there’s no cover on the battlefield, be extra careful…]
[Rabbit friends, I noticed you all seemed pretty capable last time. You can keep up, right~?]
After finishing a big yawn, Hoshino’s demeanor changed as she picked up a shotgun, ready for battle, without even bothering to pull out a shield.
If they succeed in resolving this situation… everything might not return to the way it was immediately, but honoring Yume senpai might not be impossible.
BOOOOM!!!
The tank at the front of the advancing Saint Nephthys forces hit a mine, and a deafening explosion rang out.
At that signal, Abydos’ asymmetrical forces, which had always dealt with a laid-back atmosphere, threw themselves into the fray.
[Just trust me and follow!]
Overwhelmed by that atmosphere, Miyako and Saki silently followed behind Hoshino.
*
“Hmm. I wonder how their side is doing?”
“I think they’re managing just fine~! Yes, the teacher is with them… Plus, Hoshino senpai and all the RABBIT members are capable people☆”
“Well, they probably will manage just fine, like Nonomi said. But the real problem is that my bad feeling turned out to be true, right? I thought Saint Nephthys was a bit suspicious, but it’s not normal for such a small unit to operate a company-sized force just because they invaded private property. Especially not in the middle of the desert with nothing around.”
“Umm. I hoped it wouldn’t be the case, but I never dreamed Mika’s concerns would come to light.”
It was just moments ago that they received word that the Teacher’s group was under attack from Saint Nephthys.
Should I say, “as expected”?
Is it that companies engaged in military affairs are bad, or is it that only bad companies get into military affairs? Who knows.
We were already almost at the next point, and the distance was too far to provide support to the Teacher. By the time we started moving, we’d probably arrive only after the situation ended.
With that in mind, we started investigating the second point, believing that their situation would resolve itself.
Just like the previous point, it seemed unlikely to find anything visible. Ultimately, we had to rely on the GPR equipment, but it didn’t seem to yield any results either.
“Hmm… if this is the last point for them, then if it’s not that, we’ll just be back to square one.”
“Yeah, that could be a bit tricky. There’s no use hanging around here since it only increases the chance of running into Saint Nephthys’ forces. How about we move while thinking?”
“That seems like a good idea.”
As everyone settled on moving towards the second point that the Teacher’s side had decided on, a radio transmission came through.
[Kuhihi. This is RABBIT 3. FOX 5, Saint Nephthys troops are moving towards you from the north and south. Their force size is similar to what the Teacher’s group defeated. Sorry I can’t help~]
[Here is F… sigh, right. This is FOX 5. Does the size of their forces add up, or are they similar in size separately?]
[Of course… separately?]
“Whoa—oh.”
“Wow, what a predicament☆ What should we do, Mika?”
“Being surrounded would be dangerous. It would be safest to break through one side or adjust direction eastward to merge with the Teacher’s group.”
“Right… I vote for breaking through.”
Shiroko, who glanced at me and Hina, nodded as if she was sure of victory.
In reality, I don’t feel like we’d fail thinking about breaking through with just Hina and me.
Tanks? I bet I could probably take them down barehanded like Tsurugi. Besides, the regular infantry would be no match for Hina and would practically be bowling pins. Shiroko and Nonomi are also considerable assets, so there’s no reason to avoid combat.
“Alright, then let’s break through to the north. Hina and Nonomi, you two will take the vehicle and head northeast before establishing a position from the side. Shiroko and I will break through from the front. You confident in following me, Shiroko?”
With Shiroko nodding firmly, the engagement was decided. If this drags on, we would end up facing both sides, so a quick resolution is the way to go.
[RABBIT 3, do you know the distance to the northern forces?]
[About 5 km. In a few minutes, they’ll be within the range of their tanks’ firepower. The sand won’t hide us.]
[That’s irrelevant, though. Once we get through their tanks, the rest will be a piece of cake.]
After signaling Hina and Nonomi to set off, I exchanged glances with Shiroko.
What can I say? Perhaps it’s been a while since this was real combat, but my heart is racing.
