My Failure!
“But where's the door down here?”
The rooftop of the Central Control Management Center. No matter where they looked, there was no way down. More precisely, there wasn't even an entrance—just nothing at all.
“They didn't design this place with people climbing up in mind.”
Joanna Carlson whistled and tapped the floor with her toe. Impressive durability. Someone like Namgung Pacheon could probably slice through it easily, but that risked dulling the blade.
“I'll handle it.”
Stepping forward was Victor Brooke, one of America's Chilgeuk hunters and a former U.S. soldier. As his palm, nicknamed Break Point, touched the rooftop surface, cracks spiderwebbed out from the center, punching a hole big enough for two or three people to pass through. The sound of debris falling echoed close by—no issues with the landing spot.
“Convenient.”
Baek Yeonhwa, standing beside me, nodded in admiration. They all descended together.
“……Is this some kind of boiler room?”
“So hot!”
The interior was dark. Joanna Carlson pulled a flashlight from her pocket, while Holy Knight Gawain and Namgung Pacheon illuminated the surroundings with their respective abilities. Colors of light filled the space, revealing—
Hello, this is Axis!
—an explosion erupted alongside Axis's voice.
KABOOOM!
An intense wave of heat surged densely past them. Smoke billowed out through the hole blasted in the building by the blast. Only then did they realize Gawain had shielded them all with his holy power.
“……”
Gawain's silent gaze fixed on the explosion's origin. The boiler room entrance—or what was left of it after the walls crumbled into rubble unfit for the name. A cat-faced drone zipped around, sending an emoticon.
It had planned to abandon the entire floor the moment they landed on the roof—nothing remained around them.
“Shit……”
“If it weren't for the holy knight, we'd all be dead.”
The two Chilgeuk hunters expressed their gratitude, but Gawain didn't bother replying. He just looked a bit fatigued from summoning such intense holy power on the spot, though he hid it well.
I've got plenty prepared!
Axis has to wipe out humanity, after all!
A consistent goal. Like with the radio, I seized the chance to ask.
“Axis, how do we shut you down?”
“What the—.”
“Hey, you think it'll tell us that?”
The two Americans, two martial artists, and one holy knight all stared at me in disbelief—but.
First, you need the head research director's card key.
The card key is held by a Sentinel waiting inside the building.
Once you have the card key, come to the Central Control Center on the 10th floor of this building.
“Sentinel……?”
Baek Yeonhwa tilted her head at the unfamiliar term, and it immediately explained.
They typically mount independent combat AIs with fixed or semi-fixed weapon systems, designed to counter intrusions, riots, terrorism, and higher-level threats.
“Ah…… th-thank you.”
Victor lit a cigarette, thinking it was some bizarre sideshow.
“What're you thanking it for?”
“But books always say to thank someone when they help you.”
“A proper young lady's among us.”
Victor looked exasperated, while Baek Yeonhwa shot him a glare for the sarcasm. She'd lived strictly by the Heavenly Canon since childhood, so she took book teachings a bit too literally—and it hadn't worn off yet.
“Hey, Victor. She's cute.”
As Joanna smoothed things over, Axis continued its explanation.
Then command Axis: 'Stop everything happening right now.'
“……”
“……”
“……”
Everyone fell silent. But they were probably all thinking the same thing.
“You—.”
Namgung Pacheon, unable to wrap his head around it, stepped forward with sword drawn.
“What sense does it make to tell your enemies that? Deception? Or arrogance?”
“Duty……?”
“Then why prattle on about exterminating humanity?”
Public and private matters are strictly separated.
“……These modern things make no damn sense.”
Namgung Pacheon suppressed his urge to cleave it in two and took the lead. As they passed the drone—
“Um, Mr. Axis?”
Baek Yeonhwa, sticking close to me, asked cautiously.
“If it's that important, couldn't you just destroy the card key? Why leave it alone?”
A valid blind spot. Why leave a universal master key that could forcibly control it?
The others, stepping out, slowly turned back to the drone.
“Now that you mention it.”
“Ho, sharp one. Martial girl.”
Once pointed out, everyone saw the oddity—and Axis—
—gave another incomprehensible answer.
* * *
Traps and explosions popped up occasionally on the way down. Axis's setups, but after the initial ambush failed, their success rate was near zero.
You survived again!
The cat drone trailing them chattered annoyingly. Tempting to smash it, but it was proving weirdly useful.
“What traps are on the lower floors?”
They'll appear in that order—be especially careful with the poison gas.
Because it spilled every trap. Not overconfidence that they couldn't counter. Not deception to mislead. It just answered every question straight.
“……Freakish.”
Namgung Pacheon had given up prying. His expression soured, feeling insulted by the treatment. The group's mood was complicated overall. They'd come to stop a war and shut down a mad AI, risking their lives—yet it felt like a guided tour of a mildly hazardous tourist spot.
“Where's the Sentinel, anyway?”
They'd expected a gatekeeper waiting. Not one encountered so far.
At my question, Victor clenched his fist and bellowed.
“This is the ploy! Luring us away from the Sentinel with its own card key on purpose—.”
“……”
Victor froze mid-shout. Axis ignored him and continued.
But your rooftop approach delayed redeployment.
Plus, the fixer I hired said, 'Only an idiot splits their forces.'
You'll see the Sentinels once you head down.
“……Fuck.”
Things were going smoothly, yet it felt off. Wait.
“A separately hired fixer?”
As they descended, I asked, and Axis sounded almost pleased.
Cyber City anticipated clashes with AIs and deliberately limited advanced strategic modules.
As a result, Sentinels have limits as independent forces.
Axis determined external combat personnel were needed to compensate.
And just one.
A fixer accepted Axis's commission.
“Humanity's traitor.”
Gawain, silent until now, finally spoke. His disdain for Cyber City was palpable.
Descending further revealed a massive hall. And enormous war machines—at least 5 meters tall. Some evoked armored troops, others floated like drones. Some were ceiling-mounted, projecting blue holograms in computational models.
“Client.”
Even amid the overwhelming Sentinels, her dignified presence stood out.
“Why are you just sitting there?”
“No wonder the descent felt quick.”
She spat out her cigarette. Long white braided hair, green bridge glasses. Nun attire modified like a suit. Dual pistols in hand.
The sole fixer to accept AI Axis's commission.
Neon Valkyrie.
Mosco Bi Chacos.
A familiar face. Impossible not to recognize.
“Ahem, Ms. Bi Chacos? Long time no see.”
My chest twinged awkwardly as I greeted her, and Bi Chacos scowled at me.
“Well, well.”
Her long gun barrel trained precisely on me as she sneered.
“Isn't this the Meracle scammer?”
Yes, she was my client. A Meracle member—and.
“Ahem, ahem!”
My failure from the early days, when enthusiasm outpaced skill.