The station interior was normal, devoid of that tacky, knockoff-Japan vibe.
A shift schedule was posted on the wall, reinforcing the sense that this was a functional workspace. We boarded a cargo carriage from the platform. It was an old rail-style model, though it had clearly been well-maintained. Perhaps because it was designed for transit through tunnels, it wasn't equipped with any weaponry.
The train's interior was sparse. Since it was intended for employee use, it lacked any decorative flair; it was a design with zero aesthetic considerations. The only thing of note was a display that cycled through the shift schedule and weather forecasts.
There was only a single button at the driver's seat, and no partition even separated the cockpit from the passenger area.
Melissa pressed the button.
"It’s automated, so you can just sleep if you want," she said, sitting heavily in one of the passenger seats.
The doors slid shut.
"How long will it take?" I asked.
"Under thirty minutes."
Since we were traveling through a tunnel, there was no way to see the outside scenery. Perhaps as a power-saving measure, the lights cut out the moment we began to move.
After a while, we reached our destination.
Being a dedicated cargo line, the unloading process was straightforward. Once the carriage was detached, it was automatically whisked away toward an elevator.
"Drones handle everything, even the sorting. Since I registered our units as military vehicles, they should be lined up in the lobby for us."
"Pretty high-tech."
"We have a small population," Melissa explained. "We have to use drones to make up for the lack of manpower."
We ascended via the elevator. It was cavernous—wider even than those in hospitals—likely to accommodate large carts. The Imperial Guard and I went up first, with the rest of the boys to follow.
The upper floor was bleak, but upon closer inspection, I spotted emergency shutters and weapon lockers. It was clearly designed to be a defensive position. The absurd "fake Japan" aesthetic was nowhere to be found here.
"The real castle is just above us," Melissa said. "We call it a 'castle' so we don't tip off the guests, but in reality, it’s a fortress. It houses ten Humanoid Fighters. For a Viscount's territory, I’d say we’re pretty well-equipped."
They spent way more money than my Marquis territory!
"That said, we only really use this place when pirates show up—which happens less than once a year. Hardly anyone is bored enough to pick a fight with a Samurai Planet."
"Fair point."
There was no real benefit to picking a fight with a world full of martial artists. It was the same reason no one bothered with our Marquis territory; no one wanted to raid a place that was basically just an Agricultural Cooperative.
"I’ll try to hail them on the internal comms. Captain, report to the Princess, if you would."
"Roger that."
I contacted my wifey. "We’ve reached the military base. Sending the GPS coordinates now."
"Understood, they’ve come through... It really is in the heart of the mountains. What’s with this temple? It looks incredibly fake."
"An imitation, maybe? The railway entrance was hidden by a Great Buddha, too."
"I’ve heard tourism planets can be quite dedicated to the theme," she replied. "Especially here, where the Public Security training school and the theme park are mashed together."
"Your Highness! I have a biological signature!"
"Oh, good work, Ren! Lord Groom, did you hear that? Something is here."
"Copy that."
Meanwhile, no one was responding to Melissa’s hails.
"I hope my old man and brothers are okay," she muttered. She still seemed to have enough composure to maintain her usual tone.
Once the boys arrived, we boarded our Humanoid Fighters and began the sweep. As we entered the inner corridors, traces of battle became visible.
"Pulse Grenades... Geez, they didn't even bother watching the Captain’s battle logs. I told them a thousand times that those don't work against Zorks."
"Pulse Rifles over here, too. Why doesn't anyone ever listen?"
Man, the sheer lack of trust in our Marquis House was really something else. Claire tilted her head as she examined the marks on the walls.
"But... aren't these blade scars?"
Marks that looked like thin metal plates had been driven into the walls were scattered everywhere.
"Hmm? If that's the case, doesn't it look like they were fighting each other with swords?"
Melissa stared at the wall, looking puzzled. There were countless sword cuts etched into the metal.
"No, seriously, let's hope it's not what we think it is."
"Right..."
Claire looked visibly unsettled.
Then, the encounter happened.
"Viscount machine detected! Querying identification!"
As Claire scouted the corridor with a drone, she found a Humanoid Fighter staggering aimlessly.
"Query complete. It’s Kou Sugaya’s Machine."
"...That’s Master Sugaya. He’s one of the instructors and the head of the theme park’s show department. Hey, can I try calling out to him?"
"Uh... what do you think, Claire?"
I wanted to try, but I couldn't see this ending well.
"I don't know! Major Piggett, your orders?"
"...Let’s try to communicate. It’s better than accidentally killing one of our own."
Piggett’s usual decisiveness was gone. He was clearly agonized by the situation. Melissa opened her comms.
"Uncle Sugaya! It’s Melissa! What happened? What’s going on?!"
The moment she spoke, the Humanoid Fighter shuddered.
Shit!
I threw myself in front of Melissa’s unit, shield raised. Something resembling a wire whipped toward us. No—it wasn't a wire. It was flesh. A tentacle.
It slammed into my shield with a heavy thud. The force was incredible, but the blow deflected, the tentacle burying itself in the ceiling.
Dammit! That’s way too much power!
"Uncle!" Melissa cried out.
She took off with terrifying speed, her limiters completely disengaged. More tentacles lashed out at her.
"Raaaaaagh!"
Melissa performed a short hop, planting her feet against the corridor wall and executing a vertical Wall Run.
"Hah!"
A sharp, metallic shlick echoed through the hall. Melissa’s blade severed the head of the enemy machine. It tumbled to the floor with a hollow clang.
She didn't stop. She drove her blade into the machine's torso, yanked it out, shifted into a high stance, and brought the sword down with everything she had.
"Yaaaaah!"
She cleaved it clean in two. Flesh spilled out from the wreckage as the two halves of the machine slumped to the ground.
Melissa whispered, "Something’s wrong."
"What do you mean?" I asked. I knew she was the one hurting the most right now, but I had to know.
"That wasn't Uncle Sugaya. He isn't that weak!"
Major Piggett stepped in to offer support. "Melissa, I understand how you feel, but the machine's ID was—"
"No! I know what I saw! I’ve sparred with him since I was a little kid! Uncle Sugaya is a power-type fighter. If he had tentacles like that, he would’ve hooked the walls to build momentum and hurl himself at me! Besides... when I cut through it, the machine felt too light!"
"So... a Parasite?"
"Probably. My old man and the others must still be fighting further in! They're still alive! Captain, we have to hurry!"
"Right! Let's move!"
There was still a glimmer of hope.