Black Crow
"Cough, cough..."
The ECHO production facility of Ark 74.
Jester, the head of the Black Crow Merchant Guild, leaned against a black special armored vehicle parked in front of a massive steel door, letting out an exaggerated cough.
The dust that had billowed up from a loud explosion had irritated her sensitive olfactory sensors.
"...Here, a handkerchief."
"Oh, thank you, Raven."
"Do you want another one if you need it?"
As Raven, dressed in jet-black combat gear, quietly pulled a pink handkerchief with a cute character stitched on one side from her bosom and handed it over, Jester smiled and gently stroked her head.
"No. I couldn't possibly use one of our cute Raven's lovely things in a place like this. Anyway, Gizmo, since you blew things up so noisily, I feel like we should have gained something..."
At Jester's question, the ECHO called Gizmo grumbled.
"I'm looking for it right now. But there's seriously nothing here!"
"Strange. The Astral bastards said it hasn't been long since Ark 74 collapsed."
"I'm telling you, someone definitely swept everything clean! I mean, didn't you see the tracks of the humans who were outside?"
At Gizmo's words, Jester adjusted her mask and frowned.
"Where did the tracks lead?"
"Ark 86. There was actually a communication record stating that Ark 74 requested help and Ark 86 deployed."
"You got that from the data the Astral bastards hacked, right?"
"Yes."
"Then it's probably not wrong..."
Jester, who had been tapping her finger with her arms crossed, spoke again.
"Who is in charge of Ark 86?"
“Lin Xiaolin.”
Raven answered curtly.
"What?! That bitch must have taken everything! And she probably set this damn trap too!"
As Gizmo shouted, Jester shook her head.
Through information obtained during a deal with Astral, she had rushed here upon hearing the news that Ark 74 had fallen.
It was to obtain the Arc Reactor believed to be inside the collapsed Ark. Only with that could she activate the ECHOs belonging to the guild.
That was why she had risked everything to blow away all the traps of Ark 74, but...
"Sigh... there really is nothing?"
"......"
"Jester. Forget the Arc Reactor, there aren't even any usable items. It... looks like Lin Xiaolin stripped the place bare."
"Sigh..."
Lin Xiaolin.
Mulling over the name, Jester adjusted her mask.
Of all people, the woman she least wanted to deal with among the humans in this area seemed to have snatched the things they needed most.
"Ark 86... how long does it take from here?"
"Uh... about 6,000 km. Even if we run with our Crow's Feet, it'll take a full week. The energy consumption will be insane...?"
At Gizmo's words, Jester fell into thought for a moment.
Still, she had to get her hands on the Arc Reactor. Even if it meant attacking Ark 86.
"For now, let's move to Ark 86. We'll go and propose a deal, and well... if they say no, we'll steal it."
"Steal—? Does that mean I can cause an even bigger explosion than before?"
"Well, if the situation gets bad once we get there?"
"I can just collapse half the Ark, right? A ton of humans will die—!"
It was just as the Black Crow Merchant Guild was formulating their new plan.
Vroooooom—!
"Unidentified vehicle approaching."
"...Unidentified vehicle? Could it be survivors from Ark 74?"
Was there any force in this area capable of operating a vehicle?
At Raven's report, Jester's eyes gleamed with interest.
And upon seeing the TFR-7—Mercury Howl emerge from beyond the wasteland, she became certain of her guess.
It seemed someone had come targeting the collapsed Ark 74.
"New toys have rolled right to us on their own. Today... shall we act as raiders instead of merchants? Raven. Today's hunt will be them."
"Should I... kill them all?"
"No. Don't break them too much. There might be some usable dolls among them."
At Jester's command, Raven nodded silently and activated her stealth function.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
KABOOOOM—!
A massive explosion that shook the very earth.
It wasn't an explosion caused by combat. Rather, it was closer to a simple sound of collapse.
However, that fact only made the ECHOs aboard the Mercury Howl more urgent.
"Damn it, were there others targeting this place besides us?!"
Helena cursed as she jumped out of the driver's seat.
The other ECHOs quickly formed a defensive perimeter around the truck, wielding their respective weapons.
“Someone's inside. The number... doesn't seem to be large.”
Moi, who had been in the cargo hold, whispered so that only they could hear.
Having lived outside for a long time as a Wanderer, her eyes were already staring as if piercing through the entrance of the Ark.
"W-What do we do?"
To Luna's frightened question, Arva answered calmly.
"First, we approach and assess the situation. Helena."
"Okay. Silva, secure a sniping position. Luna, the twins, and the mass-produced girls, stay in the rear with the truck. Arva and I will lead the entry."
"Wait, I'm coming too."
At Helena's words, Moi stepped forward, spinning a small survival knife.
Another combat-type ECHO, different from her sister Rai.
After a brief hesitation, Helena looked into Moi's eyes and nodded in agreement.
She then gripped her Artifact shotgun, Hell's Gatekeeper, tightly.
"Front clear."
"No problems here either."
Helena, Arva, and Moi cautiously approached the Ark entrance, utilizing cover.
The massive steel door of the Ark was half-open, and acrid smoke was billowing from within.
“Vehicle tire tracks.”
Arva noted, pointing to the marks on the ground.
"Right. Then it's probably not zombies or an Anomaly... Humans?"
"Or it could be the opposite."
Moi flinched at the question posed to Helena's guess.
According to her common sense, there were only two forces on this Earth capable of operating vehicles.
Humans and Astral.
The former was troublesome enough, but what if it was the latter?
An unavoidable fight would surely break out.
Just as zombies used ECHOs as hosts, Astral's mechanical monsters often took ECHO parts for their own.
Then, Arva, who had been carefully examining the vehicle tracks, spoke with certainty.
"...It's not Astral. Their vehicle tracks are slightly—no, very different from the ones recorded in my database."
"Phew. That's a relief."
As they entered the Ark, Helena spotted the black special armored vehicle in the distance and clenched her fist.
Simultaneously, Arva and Moi hid behind covers to the left and right.
Moi's pupils quickly scanned the appearance of the armored vehicle.
Having survived on the surface for a long time, she had encountered Astral's mechanical monsters several times.
"It's a Ghostrunner model tactical armored vehicle."
As Arva said, it looked completely different from the grotesque armored vehicles operated by Astral.
Instead, it resembled the military armored vehicles used by humans of the old era. The only difference was that it had been excessively modified.
"Oh my, we have guests, do we? ECHOs, and Original ones at that?"
Then, an exaggerated voice, like that of a stage actor, echoed from somewhere.
"—!"
The gazes of Helena, Arva, and Moi simultaneously shifted toward the source of the sound—atop the armored vehicle.
There, a woman wearing a flamboyant mask was looking down at them, crossing her legs elegantly as if she were the protagonist on a stage.
“Who are you?”
Arva asked in a cool whisper.
"Hmm... is there a need for introductions, cute little doll girls? More importantly... that shiny core you possess and that truck. I quite like them. Would it be alright if we borrowed them?"
At Jester's gesture, the Hunters hiding around the armored vehicle revealed themselves.
They were mass-produced ECHOs with hideous appearances that evoked the uncanny valley, their mechanical parts crudely attached to human bodies.
“What? They're raiders?”
Helena gawked, readjusting her grip on the shotgun with a grave look.
"Oh my, raiders? I feel like I'd be hurt by that. Instead, would you call us Wanderers who roam this land?"
"Fine. Then I'll make your head wander this land forever."
It was the moment Helena was about to pull the trigger of Hell's Gatekeeper.
A chilling murderous intent was felt from behind. Instinctively, Moi, who had been still, threw herself aside.
CLANG—!
With a sharp metallic sound, the survival knife Moi swung blocked something that had appeared out of thin air.
Then, the transparent space distorted like a haze, and Raven, the ECHO in obsidian combat gear, revealed herself.
The high-frequency dagger in her hand was clashing with Moi's knife, creating violent sparks.
"Kugh—!"
"Shadow Hunter, Raven...? These people. They're the Black Crow Merchant Guild."
Recalling their notorious names from her days as a Wanderer, Moi clearly stated their identity.
"Oh my, I wondered who you were..."
Just as Jester wore an interested expression at Moi's words, having recognized them instantly—
"You... pieces of trash—!"
Helena's eyes, suddenly ambushed, turned red.
As if responding to her rage, Hell's Gatekeeper let out a roar and spat fire.
BOOM! BANG! K-BOOM—!
As Hell's Gatekeeper roared and spewed overwhelming flames from its openings, the hideous mass-produced ECHOs were shattered into pieces instantly, unable to even scream.
"W-Wha—! What is that?! Is that an Artifact?!"
A panicked voice was heard from inside the armored vehicle, and the machine gun mounted on top began to fire.
Rat-tat-tat—!
It was a hail of bullets firing 600 rounds per minute, but they were helplessly blocked as the massive, rugged tower shield attached to Helena's shotgun deployed.
"Damn it—! Jester! That's an Artifact! It's dangerous—!!"
At Gizmo's urgent shout, Jester also adjusted her mask and spat.
"Things really aren't working out today... Just how much of a loss is this? Raven, Gizmo. Retreat. And... you, Shotgun girl... I'll see you again later."
Then, with a pop, a smoke grenade exploded, and she turned her back without hesitation, disappearing into the smoke.
Raven also stopped her confrontation with Moi and retreated quickly.
"Where do you think you're running—!"
A furious Helena tried to chase Jester's group, but Arva stepped in to stop her.
"Stop it, Helena. The enemy's strength and objective are unclear. If we chase recklessly, we could fall into a trap."
"But—!"
"Retreating first and reporting to the Commander is the priority."
At Arva's cold judgment, Helena lowered her muzzle, swallowing her anger.
As she said, reporting the appearance of a new, unknown enemy came first.