EP.4 The Fuse -3
EP.4 The Fuse -3
—B O O M!!
The battle began with a thunderous roar.
The sound of an explosion echoed from the distance. Someone must have stepped on a mine I'd set in advance.
"Looks like they're finally here."
"It seems so. Ah, would you like a bit more yuzu honey?"
"I'd appreciate that."
"Okay!"
The top floor of an abandoned building.
Even after the battle began, I leisurely enjoyed tea with Miho.
"How many terrorists managed to get in?"
"At a rough estimate, I'd say about 300."
"As many as 300? If you count their Companion Animals, that's 600... That's a lot."
"Does it seem like it might be too difficult after all?"
"It's fine. It's within expectations. Anyway, how many do you think will reach this point?"
"I think about 100 or so will be lucky enough to survive and make it up."
"A third of the total. That's a tricky number."
Still, it was a relief. With that many, they'd definitely be able to fit inside this space.
"...Um, husband."
"Mm?"
"Couldn't we use a different plan, even now?"
"Why?"
"Because it's a plan that's far too dangerous only for you. So even now, if I were to cast an illusion..."
"You know we can't. And to wipe out every last one of those bastards, this method is necessary."
Those bastards had been persistently trying to invade my peaceful daily life. I intended to pull them out, roots and all, with this opportunity.
"Even so, is there a need for you to put yourself at risk?"
"It's fine. It's not dangerous at all. If it comes down to it, I have my Companion Animals, don't I?"
"Saying that is unfair..."
"I'm sorry. Still, the operation has already started. You know we can't change it now."
"That's true, but..."
"There's no turning back now, so the only choice is to see it through. So... please, Miho."
"Can you promise me that you will return safely, no matter what?"
Miho, her expression filled to the brim with worry as dejection settled over her, looked so utterly pitiable.
"Yeah, I promise."
So that she could find even a little peace of mind, I swore the promise with my pinky finger.
"...I understand. Then I'll be watching and waiting for your exploits!"
"Thank you."
Left alone in the room after watching Miho depart, I was filled with loneliness.
"Back in the day, this was just normal..."
Ironically, things had changed now. I'd come to crave attachment.
"Merely the fact that I had precious Companion Animals made my life change this much..."
Alone in the empty room, I was merely waiting for the moment the fuse would burn down completely.
***
The day before.
I had been trying to devise a way to keep everyone safe without exposing Miho's power.
It wasn't easy.
In the case where they were only weakly influenced by Miho, the danger to the other agents grew larger, and in the case where Miho's influence was large, there was the problem that people would grow suspicious of Miho's existence.
Only then did I realize... that finding a suitable middle ground could be so difficult.
Anyway, after clutching my head over this vexing challenge and even tearing at my hair, I was barely able to think of one good method.
A method where the other agents would be safe and Miho's existence wouldn't be suspected at the same time: it was a simple matter of pushing myself a little further into danger.
I was also included among those under protection, like Tia, but there was no law in the world that said someone under protection couldn't help, and I was also an agent like them, after all.
So, if there was a possibility that could satisfy everyone, it was only natural to give it a try, even if it meant I'd be in a bit of danger.
"Excuse me! I have one good idea... would you be willing to hear it?"
For the operation to succeed, several conditions had to be met.
If I had to pick the single most important yet tricky condition, it was the agents' trust.
No matter how good a method I proposed, if they said they wouldn't follow it, it was useless.
In that sense, this condition was on the very tricky side.
They and I were practically strangers, and they had far more mission experience than I did.
Who would listen to the plan of a greenhorn who'd just now become an agent...?
"Try telling me. I'll listen and then judge."
"If it's alright, I'll adopt it."
"So please, a detailed explanation~ junior."
Fortunately, my seniors were the generous sort.
I realized once again why Director Edwiner had advised me to trust them once.
Anyway, since the opportunity had come, it was a law of nature that I had to seize it.
I explained the entire operation I'd been thinking of to them.
Since it was my first time explaining an operation, I was a little nervous, but seeing their visibly surprised expressions — perhaps because it unexpectedly turned out to be a decent plan — put my mind at ease.
"Unexpected! That was a seriously good operation!"
"Ahh, a plan that doesn't feel like it was someone's first."
"You even factored in all the potential variables. You put a lot of meticulous work into this."
"In that case...!"
"However, rejected."
"I reject it as well."
"Same here~!"
"Wh-why?"
Things had seemed to be going smoothly, but they rejected my plan without hesitation.
"Why? Because it would put you in danger, obviously."
"Your safety is included in the mission objective. Therefore, this plan is unusable."
"Above all, there's no way we'd agree to a plan where only our junior is put at risk, is there?"
The reason for the refusal was just as I'd expected.
Since I'd realized they were people of considerable character, I'd known, of course, that they'd reject it if it meant I'd be in danger.
"If what's exposed to danger isn't me but a dummy, would it be acceptable then?"
"Then the issue of your safety would disappear, but would the terrorists really fall for a dummy?"
"If it seems like they won't fall for it, then we'll have to make them fall for it."
"How?"
Unlike my earlier plan, I intended to put my real body in danger rather than a dummy. The enemy was certain to take the bait.
But I couldn't say that fact as-is, so I convinced my seniors by telling them a plausible excuse and a well-fabricated plan.
I felt sorry for essentially deceiving them, but I absolutely had to get this operation adopted, no matter what.
"If it's like that, then it doesn't sound bad. The biggest problem is resolved."
It was fair to say the biggest hurdle had been cleared.
"Me! Me! I have one question!"
"What is it, Senior Da-hye?"
"Why did you designate this place for the operation?"
What I'd designated as the operation area was an abandoned building I'd discovered on my way back after finishing a previous mission.
It was a building where construction had been halted due to some kind of accident while they'd been trying to erect a high-rise, and had been left neglected for a long time.
"Because there must be no civilians nearby. You never know what the terrorists might demand by taking a civilian hostage, do you?"
According to Miho, there were absolutely no civilians living near that derelict building.
"But if we're in a place like this, they'll obviously think it's a trap, so the terrorists won't come, will they?"
"They probably will. Since their objective is the dragon, they'll try to enter even if they have to accept some losses, don't you think?"
If they were the kind of bastards who couldn't accept even that level of risk, I wouldn't have used this kind of operation.
I was using this kind of operation precisely because I knew well how vicious those bastards were.
"Are there any other points of curiosity, or parts you don't understand?"
"I have a question regarding the final part of the operation. How do you intend to match the timing of the enemy's rush?"
"I'm thinking of one hour at most. If we drag it too long, it'll burden you seniors that much, so please just buy us a suitable amount of time before extracting."
As for the timing, it wouldn't be a problem at all, since I intended to match it personally at the final location.
"Any more questions?"
"Is it alright if the three of us coordinate the method for buying time by ourselves?"
"Yes, you seniors can discuss and decide that part among yourselves. But in return, please make sure to safely withdraw after buying an appropriate amount of time. Please, just observe that one thing."
"Okay! Got it~"
"Are there any remaining questions by chance?"
After that last question, the three agents kept their mouths firmly shut.
It meant they were satisfied, with nothing more to ask and nothing more to discuss.
"Alright! Then I'll be counting on you all tomorrow, according to the operation! Seniors!"
I trusted the plan I had devised, but I was still uneasy.
It wasn't because we were a team thrown together in a single day.
They were already seasoned agents and my Companion Animals were powerful Divine Beasts. There wasn't a single thing to worry about.
I was the only ordinary person among them. Entrusting such an important role to someone like me made me anxious enough to go mad.
However, this was absolutely a job that I had to do, a job no one but me could do, a job that I had no choice but to accomplish...
"I can do this...! Even someone like me should be able to do it...!"
Amid a suffocating pressure that clutched at my breath, I endlessly reviewed the operation, and reviewed it again.
I learned a little bit about why the project leads for university group assignments gradually went insane.
***
The operation went roughly like this.
As soon as the enemy arrived, I'd install a bomb set with a one-hour timer and withdraw in advance.
Up to the bomb's timing, the agents would impede the terrorists' entry.
Since the abandoned building had many confined spaces, we'd use traps and focused fire to hinder the enemy's infiltration as much as possible.
Repeating obstruction and retreat to hold off the enemy, and upon reaching the 15th floor, the agents would escape via a hidden emergency stairway, then blow up the stairway to block off pursuit and any route of retreat.
And finally, the C-4 bomb installed on the dummy of me and Tia placed on the top floor, the 18th floor, would detonate, sweeping away the terrorists in one go.
That was the general plot of the operation.
However, contrary to the plan I'd agreed upon with my seniors, I had no intention of withdrawing.
In order to properly draw in the enemies, being on the top floor required a real lure — me — and not a dummy.
On top of that, if the bomb detonated too early or too late, there was a possibility the terrorists might survive, so to completely block that variable, I needed to remain until the very end.
"The 9th floor has been breached! How's the trap installation going?"
"Nearly done! I'll finish up, join you, and provide cover fire~!"
The unending chatter of the radio and the sound of gunfire.
I could tell even without seeing it just how intense the battle on the floor below was.
"Da-hye, enemies are circling around from the left!"
"Okay! I'm going to rush in after reloading and then come out, so make sure you put up a good shield when I'm withdrawing!"
"Don't worry."
Whether in training or in live combat, their coordination maintained an unchangingly superb state.
"Miria, how many minutes has it been now?"
"It's been 40 minutes since the battle started!"
"Meaning 20 minutes remain... It's tight."
They were holding them off smoothly for now, but the numerical difference was so staggeringly large that it looked difficult to endure much longer.
The increasingly ragged sound of their breathing over the radio was clear proof.
If things stayed like this, they could become exhausted and end up in danger.
To help lighten their burden, I too put my mouth to the radio.
"You don't have to hold out for 20 minutes! Just hold for 10 and then withdraw!"
"But in that case...!!"
"It's fine! I installed a ton of traps and obstacles from the 16th to the 17th floor, so we can buy more than enough time."
The floors specially modified using Miho's ability—floors optimized for stalling—would be enough to bog the terrorists down for a while.
"Got it!"
Time began to flow again, and at last the three agents were pushed back to the 15th floor, the final line of defense.
"We held for about 50 minutes, huh."
"Seems a little short. I'll hold out one more second."
"No! If you delay any longer you'll be in danger. Our junior here told us, didn't he? To get out safely!"
"Senior Miria is right! You don't need to stall any longer, please withdraw now!"
To be honest, it was a little tight—the timer on the bomb showed 12 minutes.
I wanted them to hold on just a bit longer, but I couldn't make that kind of unreasonable demand.
If they did not make it out safely, the entire operation would have been pointless.
"Then I'll pull back shortly!"
"I'll pull back as well."
"No hostiles spotted on the emergency stairs. I'm going to plant the bomb, so both of you hurry back!"
The sound of gunfire gradually faded until, at some point, it stopped completely.
That meant the seniors had successfully withdrawn.
"Now the rest of the traps have to hold them off long enough..."
The timer showed 10 minutes remaining.
The sound of explosions rang out from the traps—it seemed the enemy had breached the 16th floor.
9 minutes.
They appeared to be carefully dismantling the traps I had set, one by one.
8 minutes.
A crashing sound—they seemed to be smashing through the obstacles I had put in place.
7 minutes.
Footsteps drawing close—it looked like they'd reached the 17th floor.
6 minutes.
The sound of dogs barking—they seemed to be using Companion Animals to detect the presence of traps.
5 minutes.
The sound of the final barricade, the last line of defense, breaking echoed out.
"Five minutes..."
Neither short nor long.
If the person standing here had been my dummy, it would have essentially meant the operation had failed.
But the me standing here was no dummy—I was the real one.
The success or failure of the operation now rested entirely on me.
Now then, what should I do...?
-BANG!
At last the final barricade crumbled, and onto my floor surged the humans pointing their guns at me, along with excited animals who looked ready to tear me apart at any moment.
"Honestly, every last one of you is a damn nuisance. You really think government backup is coming just because you pull this crap?"
Among the many terrorists, the one who looked like the leader.
He was the only one wearing a mask stained with blood—no doubt about it.
"I could say the same to you. Can't we just stop causing each other trouble and live in peace?"
"That's not something some clueless civilian needs to worry about. Now bring the dragon here, right now. You're pissing me off."
"Too bad for you, but the dragon you're looking for isn't here."
"Oh yeah? Real shame!"
-BANG!
The moment the gunshot rang out, impact slammed into my shoulder and knocked me backward.
"Kh...!!"
The shoulder of my top began to stain red with blood.
"We already know damn well the baby dragon follows you around! If we hurt you here or take you hostage, the dragon'll come waltzing right up on its own, won't it?"
"Who knows...? Wouldn't government agents show up before that?"
"Still haven't grasped the situation, huh? The agents who were protecting you already abandoned you and ran. Now do you really think other government agents are gonna come rescue you?"
"There's no way to know that."
"You're really an idiot. They and we have the exact same objective: the dragon. They don't give a single shit about a worthless civilian like you."
It was true. If you asked people to choose between Tia and me, naturally it'd be the former.
The very act of comparing Tia's value to mine was honestly laughable.
"Be grateful you still have some use to us. If you weren't the only human that dragon is attached to, that bullet just now would've gone in your skull instead of your shoulder."
A gunshot wound in my right shoulder that made my whole face crumple.
I wanted to treat it fast, but there were still about 3 minutes left.
"Anyway, the only thing you can do is call the dragon. If you obediently hand the dragon over to us, well... I'll consider letting you keep your life as much as possible."
Why did every single one of these terrorist bastards tell the same obvious lies?
That masochist freak said something similar not long ago, and this guy was exactly the same.
Without Tia, I had no value at all.
If that were the case, from their standpoint, killing me on the spot was the natural next step.
There was no way I didn't know that, so why did they keep spewing things they didn't mean?
I could not make sense of her.
"Is this answer enough for you?"
At the same time I raised my middle finger at them, I drew my pistol and aimed it.
"That was the worst answer possible. Even if you have some use, that doesn't mean I can't kill you, you know?"
"Then I'd better shoot first before I get shot and croak, yeah?"
Without hesitation, I redirected the gun aimed at the terrorists up toward the ceiling and pulled the trigger.
Then I quickly discarded the gun, threw myself flat on the spot, and covered my eyes and ears.
After that initial burst of fire came the enraged howls of animals and the thunder of return gunfire.
All sorts of noise rapidly filled the once-silent space, but a single sound erased all of it and seeped into my covered ears.
A deafening blast as an object hit the floor and detonated.
It was the flashbang I had rigged in advance—set to drop from the ceiling when shot, its safety pin already pulled.
"Everyone shut your eyes!"
The terrorist leader's voice was the last thing I heard, but it was already too late.
Even that man's voice was swallowed up by the flashbang's detonation.
Deafening blast and blinding flash filled the room.
The light paralyzed their vision, and the sound scrambled their minds into a daze.
Sure enough, the terrorists caught by the flashbang began throwing a frenzy of a party: friendly fire.
"Stop! You bastards, cease fire, I said cease fire!!"
The effect created by the single flashbang I had prepared as my final bastion was immense.
They shot their own allies, making them scream and sowing even greater chaos, and it became impossible for them to concentrate fire on me, their sole enemy—exactly the situation I'd aimed for.
"One minute...!"
The timer on the C-4 bomb hidden against my abdomen now erased the minute digits and began counting down in seconds.
The time had come.
Without hesitation, I set the C-4 bomb on the floor and sprinted toward the window, throwing my body out.
"Graahh...!! Kuh...!!"
In that instant, a few blind bullets tore through my abdomen, but I bit down hard on my lower lip and thought only of leaping out.
And so my body was hurled into empty air, and gravity swiftly began to pull it down.
The fact that I was plummeting fast was so terrifying it made my mind go completely blank, but remembering that the operation wasn't over yet, I focused every ounce of strength into my throat.
"Block it!!"
I shouted the words downward at the top of my lungs.
To whom?
In this world, wasn't there only one being who listened to what I said better than anyone else?
"Yes!!"
A clear voice rang out from below.
Simultaneous with that answer, the spot I had leaped from was sealed off by iron walls, forbidding anyone from escaping.
And within that sealed space, the bomb left behind—
-KABOOOOOM!!
—erupted with arguably the loudest explosion of the entire day, blasting away the whole top floor.
I did it!
I'd succeeded!
I'd braved the terror of possible death and flawlessly carried out my role!
Had I ever worked so hard and accomplished something so big before?
I thought this might be the first time.
"I felt so happy I could cry but...!"
That joy lasted only a moment; I became aware once again that I was falling, and the fear I'd briefly shelved came rushing back.
"Uwaaaaaah!!"
Before I knew it, the ground was right in front of my nose.
Imagining my body slamming into it and being crushed, the blood all over my body ran ice-cold.
Ahh, I was dying...
"Honestly..."
I was dying...
"...isn't this just reckless?"
Huh...?
"Our dear husband?"
At that familiar word, I opened the eyes I'd been squeezing shut, only to realize my body was suspended in midair, and the blood that had been freezing cold was now wrapped in soft black wings, growing warm again.
"This... I didn't expect this at all."
"Don't worry. Whatever you don't expect, I'll handle it for you."
A laugh that felt both cheerful and noble.
It came from the woman before my eyes, the one with chocolate-toned, copper-brown skin.
"Anyway, you worked hard, dear husband! It's all over now, so you can rest easy."
"I can rest...?"
"Yeah! I'll lend you my embrace, so rest while I hold you tight."
"Then..."
Overwhelmed with relief that it was over, all the strength drained from my body.
With that, I tried to rest for a moment in the shelter of her black wings and arms.
"Ah, right! Breast milk hasn't come in yet, so no sucking on my chest, okay? Though if you really want to, a little sucking is fine...♡"
The mood for resting peacefully was ruined.
"You birdbrain! Put my husband down this instant!"
Below, Miho had been preparing to catch me and hold me.
Yata had stolen a march on her, and she seemed absolutely furious about it.
"Kkyu-ee! Kkyu-ee!"
Tia, likewise, had apparently tried to catch me using her own power—and was angry that she hadn't managed to.
Cute.
"If you're jealous, grow your own wings~! Tia, you can try when you're a bit bigger!"
Yata sneered, practically taunting the two of them.
Even as a third party, her smile looked insufferable to me.
"You birdbrain bitch, I'll take this chance to rip out every last feather so you can never fly again...!"
"Kkyu-it! Kkyu-ee-it!!"
Honestly, my companion animals... never failed to make me laugh.
The downside being that the only laughter I could produce was hollow laughter.
'They'd completely shattered the emotional moment, so they'd better take responsibility.'
Idiots.