OTO Chapter 84

[Approaching Lullaby]

Neo Slaceid Building.

On the roof of the building, which is well over 200m high, I look at the unfolding war front with a binocular.

Together with Nursery Rhymes, the members of the ‘Association’ broke through the southwest gate easily, and the SDF chased after them.

As expected, they seem to know the entrance to the hideout. About half of the 50 people deal with the Self-Defense Force, and the other half divide their course into four, each heading in the direction of the entrances. While doing their best to make destruction.

The ripples of chaos spread from the southwest gate.

Anonymous relies heavily on the functions of this city. Are they rampaging because they knew it, or are they just crazy?

Either way, it’s bad. We can’t stay in this city anymore.

“The enemy has divided apart.”

[Roger. The blockade of the entrances has just been completed too.]

“Alright.”

I replied to the voice emitted from the income attached to my necktie.

While following the map of city hanged on the rooftop fence with my eyes, I compared it with their position.

Red markers are placed where the members are on standby. Nothing is written at the 5 entrances of the hideout, but Hikisaki-san is placed at the entrance of District B, Lily-san is at C, Daruma-san is at F, Kaya-san and Rashin-san are at H, and Byakurei-san is at J.

These people basically do not move. They have to protect the entrance to the end.

The point of J-32 where Byakurei-san is, is at the café, it is the easiest place for a large number of people to infiltrate.

When we enter the hideout, we mostly enter through there.

The one who decided who protect which place is Shikkou-san.

The only thing I think about is how to move everyone. The one who suited to decide the position of the members is Shikkou-san, who knows everyone’s ability.

“Everybody, can you hear me?”

I send sounds to each and every one to confirm whether the sound reach them, and each of them replied back.

I also confirmed that I could hear everyone’s voice properly.

“The enemies are heading toward the respective entrances at district B, C, F, and H. I don’t see anyone heading toward J, but Byakurei-san shouldn’t leave. The rearguard of the SDF is likely to rush there.”

[Roger that.]

The ‘Observer’ can sense a specific object and its sensing range doesn’t need to be questioned, but it seems that it lacks precision when the population density increases accordingly.

At first, I was thinking of synchronizing what I constantly grasp with the ‘Observer’ and coordinating with it, but due to that problem, I gave up

I look at my wrist watch.

I took about 10 minutes to reach the roof of this building, so there is still about 10 minutes until Renga arrived.

The detection of the enemies at a vast range makes me quite nervous, and exhausting my stamina.

And I have to give command on top of that. But if I don’t do it, only annihilation wait for us.

At least one hour from now. We’ll have to buy that much time somehow.

Thinking so, I took a deep breath.

“Face Punch-san, please strike the enemies who are currently heading toward the entrance from point B-16. The number of the enemies is four. Since it is a residential area, I think you can preemptively attack them with a move with high firepower from the start. I’ll give you a signal when the time comes.”

“Getsuri-san and Logos-san, please don’t move from C-68. The enemies are coming shortly. There are 5 people. You’ll be able to see them from the corner in front of you, so if you ambush them, I think you two can take the initiative with Getsuri-san’s ability ‘Skill Lock’.”

“Inshi-san. There are 10 enemies. It is a little far from the marker, so hurry up to F-44. If you climb someplace high, you should see the group of enemies. Please make the first move and stop the enemies’ movement with your ‘Versus Territory’

“Chiyaku-san, please head to F-44. Please cooperate with Inshi-san. Please be careful because that is the place with the greatest number of enemies. In case you finish up early, it would be great if you could break into the fight at District D and stir up disturbance as you see fit.”

“Hajin-san, please head toward H-18 and wait for further orders. Let the enemies pass until the entrance and after they start fighting Kaya-san and co, please attack them from behind. There are four enemies heading to the entrance at District H.”

Finished saying that, I took a deep breath.

I hear replies from each of them, and confirm that they have started to move. I can sense that some of them were dissatisfied with my instructions from their replies, but still, in this situation, they can’t help but obey.

Just now is the technique that Yoiyami-san told me to practice.

I call it ‘Sound Sequence’. In short, it is a technique to speak different words at the same time.

Therefore, I only deliver the sounds to each people I want to tell to so it is delivered clearly. All of it was heard by Shikkou-san who connected to me through the income of the necktie, but maybe she couldn’t hear them well.

No, that’s not the case, huh.

Shikkou-san’s ability is ‘Rapid Process’. She can think several times faster than a normal person. That is also the reason why Anonymous’s central management is entrusted to her.

I don’t know the details, but there are many high-performance devices in the center that can only be handled by Shikkou-san.

There is no way that Shikkou-san would be confused by my simultaneous conversation with five people.

Still, it is easy to use Sound Sequence if it’s just a word or two, but as expected, when it comes to conversation, it sure is though. Even though it was a one-sided conversation, it was with five people.

It takes a lot of my stamina and mind. I wish I have Shikkou-san’s ability.

If I get used to it, I may be able to increase the number of the receiver. Technically, it’s not that difficult because it only makes different sounds at the same time.

I trace the tracks of the enemies with the markers on the map.

I thought that the enemy’s forces would move more spread apart considering their nature, but they were unexpectedly firm and tricky.

“Getsuri-san, Logos-san, the enemies have changed course, so please go ahead to C-78 from the opposite direction. The enemies will appear from the corner of the crossroads where a bakery is located.”

At worst, the five enemy can work together, so it is overwhelmingly disadvantageous to go alone.

If they have high firepower type ability like Face Punch-san, they can take them out by surprise, but there are only few of the current members who can do it.

That’s why I would like to have a few more people to go there too, but since there are only a few people who can cooperate, it is necessary to rotate according the situation.

Therefore, there are many members currently on standby.

In the opening of the war front, the ease of movement will change depending on to how much Chiyaku-san disperses the people in the back.

I also want Chiyaku-san to handle medical treatment, but currently, she is an important combatant. What this means is that injured people who are incapacitated are to be cast away.

I have already brought up this subject at the meeting previously, so everyone should understand it.

Well, however, seeing how organized they are so far, I can’t think of it as just a collaboration between Nursery Rhymes and ‘Association’. I wonder if their leader has that much charisma(power).

My nerves were gradually tightened because of the field of sound collection over a radius of 2km.

I reduce my exhaustion by separating the sounds I want to hear and the sounds I don’t need. I can intuitively mark sounds.

Not just the ears.

I can sense sound even with the five senses other than hearing.

I grasp the field with all my senses.

I guess the first one who will make contact is Face Punch-san. Is it five minutes until the time to give the sign?

The damage to the residents is not taken into account. Anonymous will be withdrawn from the city once the battle is over, Shikkou-san said so too.

[Shion-kun, the reinforcements of the SDF have just left Saint Celia. Two generals and in addition a great number of people are coming to this city.]

When I heard Shikkou-san’s voice from the income, I unintentionally said “Haa?”. Confused voices echoed from behind her, and I can hear the uproar in the monitor room.

You’re kidding, right? No, it is not strange. In case of this time, they can round up Anonymous and Nursery Rhymes simultaneously.

And in the pinch of Anonymous, there is no worry that the headquarters of the SDF will be targeted.

“When will they arrive?”

[About 30 minutes from now. They are repeatedly using long-distance transitions.]

Dammit, even though they are coming from Saint Celia, they are too fast, right?

“What about our reinforcement?”

[No good. The only executive I could got in contact with is Kemuri. Even the other combatants will definitely take 30 minutes from now, they will not be in time.

So at my own discretion, important equipment and data around the center will be deleted appropriately. Even if we are wiped out, I want to keep only the management function of the ‘Observer’ somehow, so…]

I interrupted Shikkou-san who started to prattled on.

“I’ll leave that area to you.”

Even if we who are fighting in this city die, almost all of our main forces are outside. If they use the branches, they can recover. Even though it will take time.

However, I don’t give a damn about that kind of thing.

Shikkou-san seems to be calm at first glance and she seems to be fine with this situation.

Her processing is not catching up.

Seems like I can’t just rely on Shikkou-san…

“…I understand. Please leave this place to me. I’ll do something about it.” I read Shikkou-san’s emotions and said so.

[…Well then, please do. Sorry. For the time being, I’ll keep the income connected.] Hearing Shikkou-san answered so easily, I nodded inwardly that I was correct.

As I thought, she is at her wits’ end. Now, only she can do one thing or another in the hideout.

“Understood.”

I check the time on the phone.

The time is past 6pm. It’s already getting dark, and the scenery in front of me is gradually being colored.

The ignorant splendor that does not know the hustle and bustle is proof that the evacuation warning has not been given to the residents.

At least in the radius of 2 km of this city center, I turned off the warning sound that was supposed to ring.

It was in order to increase the work of the SDF. This is because we, who are inferior in number, will take advantage of even more chaos.

It still takes more time for Renga to arrive.

I trace the markers of the enemy’s forces in order and grasp the position of the ally in my brain. I feel like I’m in each of their position three-dimensionally.

I closed my eyes and shut down the information coming in from my sight.

“Face Punch-san. Please stop there. The enemies will appear directly to your right in about 10 seconds. Please prepare to attack.”

“OK.”

ーーー

ーー

ー

Face Punch.

This codename was given by Destroy(Desuko), who is an executive of the secret society Anonymous.

Speaking of its origin, it was because Destroy witnessed him threw a punch on Hyde’s face in their first meeting.

A codename that had become attached to him before he realizes it. It is often abbreviated as Face Pan(KaoPan).

The fact that he accepted that out of character codename was also a proof of his confidence in himself.

And the fact that he himself had a difference in sensibility also plays a big a part in it.

[Now.]

A signal was sent to him from Shion who is currently commanding the battle.

Lowering his posture, Face Punch, who was waiting for the signal, released his ability

‘One Time Impact’.

The fist that was thrusted from low posture couldn’t be seen by eyes, it surpassed the speed of sound and the empty space ‘shifted’ as if the space was distorted for a moment.

And the shock wave that came late blasted away the private house ahead.

No, it wasn’t just the private house ahead. It passed through beyond that to the distant and blasted away the residential area.

If seen from the sky, it seemed as if a pile of dust was strongly blown upon.

“Haa… Haa…”

Exhausted of his stamina, his breath became ragged.

This ability of him was a little special. It fell under either the strengthening system or the operating system, but if it had to be said then it is rather close to the strengthening system.

The strengthening system was the abilities that is able to carry the ability of all living beings in oneself. However, since the ability to harden the body surface also belonged to the strengthening system, it was widely recognized that the abilities that is able to grant some sort of power to the body is of the strengthening system. However, it may be different in the strict sense.

Thus, it is easy for one to be mistaken about Face Punch’s ‘One Time Impact’.

As could be imagined from the name of his ability, it was a one-shot ability.

The number it could be shot per day is fixed.

This One Time Impact, which had absolute power from the time of its manifestation, was an excessive ability enough to throw the life of Face Punch, who was 7 years old at that time, into disorder.

‘One Time Impact’ had various applications created and refined by Face Punch, but this time, he was purely demonstrating its power.

In the rising dust cloud, he overlooked the area that had become a mountain of rubble.

It had been a long time since he released this ability, which can’t be finely adjusted, without worrying about anything.

Some feelings like exhilaration and a little irritation swirled in him.

Face Punch glared at the end of the dust cloud.

“Man! I didn’t think that two people would suddenly get killed! If I didn’t cover him, even Boss Sakasegawa would have died too.”

What emerged from the cleared dust cloud was a man with blond hair in a white coat and a man with swept back hair in a leather jacket.

Looking at the colorful mask in one hand of the blonde man, this man surely is someone from Nursery Rhymes – so Face Punch thought.

The man with hawk-like eyes and swept back hair looked familiar to Face Punch too.

The current chairman of the ‘Association’. Sakasegawa.

I surely got a hit.

So was Face Punch’s thought.

“Boss Sakasegawa, go ahead. I’ll deal with that guy.”

“Ahh, I’ll do that. My compatibility with him seems bad. I’ll head toward District J. Somehow, no one seems to be heading there.”

Sakasegawa turned on his heels, grew wings on his back, and flew in the opposite direction through the rubble.

Seeing that, Face Punch took a step forward, but hearing Shion’s voice in his ears, he stopped in place.

At the same time, the blonde man also took a step toward Face Punch, restraining him.

“My name is Setsuna. I ask of you, O’ Face Punch. Please make my blood seething.”

-Face punch VS Setsuna-

ーーー

A cafe on the outskirts of the city at point 32 in J district.

The table and chairs were taken out of the cafe, and Byakurei was slurping coffee there.

He was also flustered at the beginning, but when the battle started, he regained his calm.

He hated the word responsibility. In fact, he was relieved to be able to shift the command to Shion.

Byakurei could demonstrate his maximum potential only when the shackles of consideration and responsibility are removed.

In that sense, he settled in the best position. The position of an executive is convenient for him to do whatever he wants, but sometimes he misses the lower position where he only has to do what he is told.

“This may be the last time I drink coffee here, Master.”

“When the base is moved, you can drink again.”

The taciturn master also kept Byakurei company.

[Byakurei-san, the enemy is coming from the sky. Standing at the entrance of the cafe, the direction is 10 o’clock in front.]

With the words of Shion, Byakurei got up from the chair.

“Thanks for the company. You should back down, Master.”

That said, he pulls out the sword on his back.

He looked at whoever flying down from the sky.

The figure that gradually grew larger was familiar to Byakurei.

“O~i oi… Isn’t it Sakasegawa?”

A companion who once founded the ‘Association’ together with him.

Now we stood on the opposite side though.

That was the thought of Byakurei.

―Byakurei VS Sakasegawa―

Prev | ToC | Next

---

Will he meet with those guys who harassed him at the association?

Want more? Check out my patreon for 4 more chapters!