Words Never Heard Before
The next morning.
The air in the commander's quarters, where we'd gathered for the briefing, felt a touch awkward— unlike before.
The reason for the change was obvious.
It was Pomen.
The girl who would normally already be clinging to my side, chattering away, was standing stiffly with her lips pressed tightly together for some reason.
Was groping her ass last night really that shocking for her?
A much more intense reaction than I'd expected.
It was a raw side of her, completely different from the version I'd only known through game data.
Maybe she carried deeper wounds than I'd realized.
This timeline was decades earlier than when I'd played the game.
The depth of her trauma would be different too.
"……."
And Arva wasn't one to miss the subtle tension between us.
She alternated glances between her datapad, me, and Pomen, tilting her head repeatedly as if analyzing an incomprehensible variable.
Eventually, unable to find a clear answer, she broke the silence with a stiff voice and began the mission briefing.
"Commander. I'll now begin the operation briefing on yesterday's discussion points."
"Proceed."
Arva activated the hologram display, projecting an old blueprint of the ark into the air.
"Our first objective is to reclaim the 'C-3 Sector Supplies Warehouse’. According to the Central AI's last records, there's a high probability it holds ten days' worth of concentrated nutrients and basic parts for ECHO repairs."
As her words ended, the C-3 sector was highlighted in red.
I had no idea what tech made it possible, but this high-tech display felt incredibly novel.
"Analysis shows the most efficient infiltration route is a frontal breakthrough via the central passageway."
"...Really? Are there no better options?"
"We'd have to pass through already infested sectors."
"Pass. What about the enemies?"
"Twenty zombie specimens and seven mass-produced ECHOs corrupted by the infestation. They are defender types. Tactical simulation puts success probability at 88.4%."
"What are the grades of the zombies?"
"Normal."
The zombies Arva mentioned weren't your typical movie zombies.
They were slow, but they could shrug off machine gun fire and rip tanks apart with their bare hands— in conclusion, utter monstrosities.
With those things spawning every time a human got infected, no wonder humanity was on its last ropes. And zombies weren't the only threat to human survival.
Thinking about it again really drove home how insane this dystopian world was.
But an 88.4% success rate?
That spoke volumes about Arclight Squad's combat prowess.
"Good thing they're not special specimens."
Defender types, huh... Which mass-produced model was it?
"Do you know the Defender model's designation?"
"Defender-7."
"...Ah."
I rummaged through the ECHO game's lore in my mind.
Defender-7.
The most widely produced disposable defense specialist ECHO since the early days of the cataclysm.
Their primary role was to be deployed as living barricades in narrow passages or key points to shield human commanders or original ECHOs, blocking enemy advances.
Their strengths were overwhelming frontal armor and shield-based tanking ability.
While their weaknesses included slow reaction speed, poor mobility, and highly vulnerable joints.
In the game, you could even take them down with small arms by targeting the joints.
It required solid marksmanship, but Arclight Squad wouldn't have any issues.
"Countermeasures?"
"Simple. Pomen destroys their armor with her shotgun, and I remove the cores."
It sounded like a reasonable plan given their roles and specialties.
I'd only clicked a mouse in the game; I had no idea how real combat here would play out.
Best to go with Arva's plan for now.
"Approved. We'll follow Arva's lead. Armament?"
"Thanks to you, Commander, we have no issues for the operation."
"Same here. Firepower deployment will be fine. Mags are stocked."
Pomen pointed to her gear in the corner of the command room as she spoke.
Looking at it, I couldn’t help but ask.
"So what should I use?"
In the ECHO game, commanders never joined the front lines, but this was reality.
I wasn't planning to just sit around twiddling my thumbs while sending the Arclight Squad out there all alone.
Plus, the Money Compass cash was an issue. I looked at the previous reward I got from it.
💰MONEY COMPASS💰
Acquired Cash: 99,000C
Acquisition History: Operation Blast - Crawler Queen Engagement (Command Participation Bonus)
The OOPArt, Money Compass, could produce survival essentials.
But activating it required cash, which came from command participation bonuses.
Guess sitting on my ass won't cut it.
So I had to join the fights.
Confronting those horrific scenes I'd only seen on monitors was daunting, but... maybe because of the nanites in my body?
No panic or suffocating dread loomed in my mind at having to participate in real combat.
"...Pardon?"
The moment my question landed, the air in the command room seemed to have frozen over.
"The Commander?"
Pomen stared at me with wide, rabbit-like eyes.
She smirked at first, thinking it was a joke, but her face hardened when she saw my face filled with seriousness. It wasn’t a joke.
"N-No way! You're the last human left in Ark 69!"
"I must object as well, Commander."
Arva cut me off with a cold, firm voice.
"The Commander's duty is rear-line command and control. Direct combat participation blatantly violates protocol. Your safety is the Ark's top priority."
There was strong opposition, as I had expected.
But I already had a counter in mind for this exact situation.
"I know my safety comes first. But it's unavoidable."
I pulled the Money Compass from my pocket and set it on the table.
"This thing. It needs cash to work, and it seems I have to command in person to earn it."
"Ah, uh...?"
Arva's composure cracked for the first time.
She immediately started interfacing with the Central AI and her datapad.
"W-Wait! Commander, you're really joining the operation?"
Meanwhile, Pomen approached me, her face full of panic.
She clearly hadn't imagined the commander – the ark's sole human – heading into battle with them.
I nodded coolly toward her, figuring this was a chance to score points with Pomen.
"Of course. I can't just send you and Arva into danger alone."
"......Pardon?"
Pomen blinked, not grasping what she'd heard.
Then her eyes shook violently.
It was nothing like the past commanders who'd called her 'scrap metal' or 'a consumable.'
No commander had ever gone to the front lines with ECHOs, not a single one.
Arva looked up, supposedly having finished her conversation with the Central AI.
"...Confirmed. The Central AI respects your decision, Commander. We'll adjust the operation plan accordingly."
Arva's revised briefing was meticulous, as though screaming, “We'll allow your participation, but we won't let a single hair on your head get hurt.”
I nodded along, then asked one last thing.
"Good. What weapon am I to use?"
"We have a standard-issue ECHO rifle. The model is K-28 White Tiger Custom."
"... K-28? Right, I see."
I'd used a K2 back home. Just how many generations had passed in this world since my time?
The design was a bit – no, a lot – different from what I knew, but there was no issue in handling it.
"Operation commencing."
And so began my first real operation with the Arclight Squad.
Kuoooong—!
The massive door to C-3 Sector groaned open amid warning sirens.
With it came a nauseating stench of blood, gunpowder, and disinfectant.
It was proof of the desperate battle that had raged here not long ago. It was a rotting stench of death.
"……."
My first real combat in this world.
I gripped the K-28 White Tiger tighter.
Facing the ruins and operation zone in person, not through a game screen, sent chills racing up my spine.
"Commander, maintain a safe distance and follow. I'll clear ahead. Pomen?"
"Don't worry. I'll block anything that comes at us."
"Then I’m counting on you."
"You too."
Arva nodded to Pomen – who hefted her massive Gatling gun one-handed like it was nothing – then vanished inside like a stealthy assassin.
Her speed was astonishing; she was gone in an instant.
Watching Arva's back, Pomen turned to me.
"But you're really going in?"
"Hm?"
"It's dangerous. Just leave it all to us. That OOPArt isn't urgent anyway."
"We don't know when we might need it."
"True, but..."
Pomen still seemed uneasy about me joining the fray.
And in a situation like this, the protagonist of 'Echoes of Humanity - ECHO' had the perfect magic words that enchanted the ECHOs.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"I can't just send you two alone. This isn't a battlefield where only you fight— it's our reality, where you and I have to survive together."
The moment those words left my mouth.
Pomen froze, as if time itself had stopped.
I could see her pupils tremble violently.
For the first time, the playful, seductive gleam in her eyes vanished, leaving only confusion and disbelief.
It was the sound of the wall – ”Humans see ECHOs as mere tools” – beginning to crack.
Of course, it could be a lie.
Another cunning, cruel ploy to use and discard them, like always.
"Our reality... where you and I have to survive together..."
But her heart – her core – wouldn't listen no matter what.
"Hngh—!"
A frail whimper escaped Pomen's lips.
Her sultry smile and mischievous expression shattered and melted away.
(Picture)
What remained was the true face of 'Pomen'— like an abandoned kitten, terrified and on the verge of tears.
Her trembling hand clutched my combat suit.
"Why... say something like that? Why... to scrap like us...?"
Pomen trailed off, bowing her head.
A big hug and confession now would seal the deal, right?
And then......
Pomen's ample chest caught my eye.
Even on the brink of combat that could spell death at any turn, a man's body was brutally honest.
Of course, what I'd told Pomen was true.
Without ECHOs, I doubted I'd survive this world.
In this dystopian world where humans were near extinct, I craved warmth too.
Tonight, it's you, Pomen—!
I swallowed hard, reaching to wrap my arms around her shaking shoulders, but then…
Clank... Clank...
From the darkness came the heavy scrape of steel, and something approached.
"……."
A steel woman corrupted by zombies.
Her thick armor had fused with some grotesque organism, and fleshy tendrils pulsed between her joints.
"Insane..."
Worse, writhing tentacles suckled greedily at the Defender's breasts.
Another plunged roughly in and out of her crotch, her belly bulging unnaturally each time— like it was alive.
"Ah, ugh... ahh... M-Must... protect. H-Hold... on..."
A pathetic, feeble moan spilled from the Z Virus-infected Defender ECHO’s mouth.