Vilma-san and her knights were rounding up the local knights one by one.
I really wondered how it had come to this...
Assassins were coming after me just for existing. Even if they managed to take me out, all they’d get next was a visit from Leo-kun. I didn't think he’d be nearly as soft as me, especially given his responsibilities.
Besides, assassinating me seemed utterly pointless. The Duke Association was already gone, with no hope of a comeback. Any legitimate heirs who could have legally claimed power had been sent off for adoption, while the mistresses and unregistered children were being ignored.
Truth be told—and this was a secret—it was mostly a budget issue. The Military Police and the local police were perpetually broke.
This planet might have looked urban, but it was a closed-off world. Living in a harem meant the residents had zero contact with society. Their social circle was so small they’d fallen into an echo chamber. It was basically a Village of Evil Customs.
I made a mental note to try and maintain a healthy social life myself.
"Guh—!"
I suddenly dropped my weight, collapsing my knees and slamming my hands against the floor to execute a breakfall. A hole instantly appeared in the wall right where my head had been.
Safe! Safe!!!
"What?! A sniper!"
As I scrambled away using a high-speed prone crawl, Vilma-san and her team began firing back with their pulse rifles. They didn't even know where the enemy was, but they suppressed the area anyway. That was an essential tactic.
"Lieutenant Colonel Riko! This way! Everyone, fall back!"
Vilma-san hauled me to my feet, and we bolted.
Seriously, how did this happen?! All I did was try to walk from my room to the dining hall! And yet, here I was, being ambushed in the corridor of the Lord’s Mansion.
The mansion was a sixty-story skyscraper. We were currently on the fiftieth floor. With so many tall buildings surrounding us, sniping was easy—but again, there was no reason to kill me!
We ducked into a random room, pulled the curtains, and barricaded the door.
"Lieutenant Colonel Riko, may I ask one thing? It truly appeared as if you were dodging the shots after they were fired..."
"Vilma-san... In Leo-kun’s squad, a pilot isn't considered full-fledged until they can clear Solo Mode in the simulator."
I was a pilot too, after all. My skills were pretty average, mind you—just enough not to be a burden. I couldn't pull off flashy moves as an Offenser like Isono-kun or Nakajima-kun. My job was just to spray lead with heavy weapons.
Even so, I could still read bloodlust... or at least sense when something was wrong and take evasive action. Honestly, if you couldn't do at least a basic bullet catching, you wouldn't survive five minutes in Leo-kun's unit.
"I... I see. Clearing that... As expected of one of Leo Kamishiro's Squad Executives."
"I'm actually right on the edge of being a substitute! My only real value is my intelligence gathering!"
"Eh?"
What was with that look on her face? She looked like she was staring at a monster. I wanted to defend my humanity, but there was no time.
"Luna-chan! We’re under attack!"
"Got it, got it! Riko-chan, I already sent a humanoid fighter and your custom machine, Usapyon, your way! They should be arriving any second!"
"Thank you!"
Usapyon was my dedicated machine. Its formal name was 'Torments of the Forest of Sword Leaves,' but I called it Usapyon.
"Knights! Luna-chan is sending humanoid fighters! Hold the line until they get here!"
"Understood!"
Ugh, I hated this! I was never good at conflict! Gunfire continued to rattle outside. We were completely surrounded.
"Enemy humanoid fighters detected!"
Ah, we were doomed. Or so I thought.
"Riko-chan! I’ve dropped your machine!"
Well, I guess I had to do it. Time for a little Kamishiro Squad tradition.
"I'm jumping out the window! Cover me!"
"Beg pardon?"
Vilma-san’s eyes turned into dots.
It was a dive from the fiftieth floor, but I was wearing my combat suit, so it would probably be fine.
"Simplified vernier, check!"
"N-No! Wait! Lieutenant Colonel Riko!"
"Personal shield, check!"
I bit down on my mouthpiece.
"Okay, here I go!"
I sprinted at the glass and smashed right through it, tumbling into the open air.
"Vernier, ignite!"
These were technically for assisting with EVA maneuvers on ships—a last resort for when a tether snapped. But we were the Space Marines. We considered atmospheric entry on a motorcycle to be a standard skill. I used the verniers for posture control, gradually bleeding off my velocity.
"Yeah... when I get back, I'm punching Leo-kun."
I muttered that just as the ground rushed up to meet me.
Personal shield, full power!!!
Break—fall!
Thud! My internal organs screamed, and I felt like my teeth were going to shatter. I rolled repeatedly to disperse the kinetic energy. Somehow, I’d made it to the ground.
My legs were killing me. My breakfall technique really was amateur.
"Na-Nanomachines! Repair mode!"
I forced the nanomachines to mend my body. Once the painkillers kicked in, I could move again. Usapyon was right there waiting for me. It was a dumpy, massive machine with two long radar stalks on its head that looked like rabbit ears. It was actually quite cute.
I climbed into the cockpit and initiated authentication.
"Lieutenant Colonel Riko Sakazaki, authenticated."
"Deploy equipment."
"Deploying Gatling gun and shield."
Dun-da-da-daaah! Usapyon, combat mode!
Usapyon was a heavy-armored radar machine, designed to serve as a command unit for a scout unit. Basically, it was meant to support someone like Kevin-kun. Because I was usually tasked with protecting communications equipment, I was classified as a defense type with heavy plating.
The enemy machines were Imperial humanoid fighters—old models from before the Zork War. Even so, the numbers were overwhelmingly against me.
However, they seemed paralyzed with shock at the sight of Usapyon. They were so startled they were even broadcasting over open channels.
"Wh-What is that?! That machine?!"
"W-Wait! That’s the 'Bloody Rabbit'..."
"The one they call Leo Kamishiro's Executioner! That's her!"
I don't know who you're talking about! Talk about a massive exaggeration!
"S-She'll kill us all!"
"Hah!"
I opened up with the Gatling gun. I called it a Gatling, but it was actually a Death Blaster modified entirely for rapid fire at the cost of some power. Still, those old models stood no chance; even with shields, they were turned into scrap in seconds. They tried to fire back, but their shots were like pea shooters against Usapyon’s massive shield.
"C-Close the distance! She should be weak at melee!"
"Only by Leo-kun’s standards."
They drew their blades and charged.
"Deploy Urumi!"
"Acknowledged."
I stowed my gun and shield, then drew the whip sword, the Urumi, from where it was coiled around the machine's waist. Each time I snapped it against the ground—crack, crack, crack—the speed intensified. The tip broke the sound barrier, the air shrieking in its wake.
"Huh?"
I performed a horizontal sweep, the machine dancing in sync with the flexible blade. The head of the lead enemy machine vanished instantly.
"What—?"
Swish!
I sliced through another machine on a diagonal.
"Wait, hold on—"
I slammed the blade down, cleaving the next one in two. This weapon was powerful, but it had one flaw: it wasn't great for group battles. Also, practicing with it absolutely shredded the training grounds because you had to strike the earth to build up speed.
"M-Monster!"
I lashed the Urumi across the back of an enemy machine trying to flee. With a sharp snap, a hole burst through its hull.
The few remaining enemies scattered, and the battle came to an end.
"First things first... I need to get some protein."
I must have cut the inside of my cheek during the landing; I could taste the tang of iron.