NTL-001 - The Deliberate Bait
Deliberately letting the enemy escape? To be honest, it was hard to believe Netoru's story.
That was only natural. If what he said was really true, it meant the Bugs were making some kind of "strategic judgment" of their own.
Up until now, Bugs had always just attacked with brute force. Once they gathered their forces, they'd simply smash straight into enemy lines—that was the entirety of their strategy and tactics.
So the idea that they might intentionally let fleeing enemies go for some specific goal was utterly alien to them. They'd been like that for years, so a sudden change in pattern today was hard to swallow.
It must have been an even bigger shock for Commander Rien, who'd studied Bug patterns for so long.
Even so, as the squad members turned toward the changed rendezvous point, Seres asked worriedly when the Holy Knight stopped alone at an ideal choke point perfect for holding off the enemy.
"…Are you sure just the two of us will be okay?"
"Who knows. We've gotta try anyway. Can't just run off on our own."
Netoru's voice was flat. At a glance, it almost seemed irresponsible. But oddly, that put Seres at ease.
It was the meaning behind his words, despite his tone.
She'd been worrying about the squad members who were gradually falling behind. Apparently, Netoru felt the same.
…
That fact struck Seres as strange. No, surprising.
How to put it… It didn't match the image she'd had of him.
The disconnect left her staring blankly at him for a moment. Then, a sudden question flashed through her mind.
Come to think of it… It had been the same a few days ago.
"Netoru. Were you the one who volunteered as bait back when the Bugs crossed the border too?"
"…"
Netoru gave her a puzzled look, as if wondering why she'd ask that.
He wasn't denying it, so it was probably spot on. But Seres wanted his answer.
She waited, but he never responded. As if it wasn't worth answering.
Someone who liked bragging a little would have boasted about it, but no such thing. If anything, his glance seemed to scold her for bringing up pointless chatter.
Was he unexpectedly self-sacrificing?
Seres glanced at Netoru, her expression subtly shifting. Then she abruptly turned her head away and shut her mouth.
The Bugs would swarm them any moment now.
Netoru hadn't changed the rendezvous to Point 97 just to confuse the enemy. Midway along the path there was an ideal spot to buy time.
A place perfectly suited to temporarily block the enemy's advance.
But no matter how good the position, the enemy numbers were overwhelming. Netoru said he'd buy just enough time and then pull back, but would it really be that easy?
Even for him, getting surrounded by dozens of Centipedes would leave no options.
Yet he'd volunteered for this role.
Seres decided to trust the steady heartbeat she felt through their coupling—no trace of hesitation.
Even in the tense wait, Netoru remained calm. Thanks to that, Seres felt her own racing heart gradually settle, linked as they were through the coupling.
Times like this made their connected mindscapes a help. She could lean on her partner even when afraid or tense.
"Seres."
"…Yes. I'm ready."
At Netoru's low voice, Seres focused her mind. He gripped the controls and began slowly ramping up the Holy Knight's output.
His mana seeped into her body, surging toward her lower abdomen.
Her body was already warmed up from the previous battle, but she couldn't suppress the trembling.
The amount of mana being inserted kept increasing.
Output rose steadily, and the mana under her control grew accordingly.
Netoru's mana prodded her mana nerve system roughly, as always. But for some reason, it didn't feel so repulsive now.
Maybe because she'd glimpsed the hidden kindness beneath his teasing today?
The sudden thought made Seres shake her head in surprise.
…What am I even thinking?
His true nature wasn't the issue right now. She tried her best not to dwell on it.
Then he whispered from behind, out of nowhere.
"Seres. One thing I should tell you in advance."
"Y-Yes…? Ah… What is it?"
Her voice cracked in surprise. But Netoru continued without minding.
"Things are like this, so I probably can't hold back this time. Don't hate me for it. You'll have a rough time once we get back to base today."
His voice stayed matter-of-fact, like an announcement. But it didn't feel bad.
How could it? When had he ever worried about her like this?
"…It's fine. I was prepared for that much."
Seres, struggling to keep her expression neutral, looked straight ahead to avoid his gaze.
Just then, she spotted swarms of black Centipedes skittering rapidly across the ground not far off.
The writhing black mass kicking up dust was as repulsive as ever, no matter how many times she saw it. But she wasn't really scared.
One thing she could trust was his skill.
2. The spot was like a narrow canyon. Steep rock cliffs flanked both sides, leaving just enough room for two or three Holy Knights to pass precariously.
> Enemy entity confirmed
The pursuit-type Centipedes, chasing the fleeing enemy entities, suddenly spotted one right in front of them and immediately pulled back distance.
Anyone could see they were avoiding combat.
The reason was simple. Their current orders weren't to annihilate, but to pursue while maintaining a set distance.
So the Centipedes waited via their linked network for updated commands. They had no instructions for when the enemy approached first like this.
This led to a subtle standoff with the enemy entity.
The pursuit pack had no will to fight until new orders came, and the spotted enemy seemed content not to engage if they didn't advance further.
About ten seconds passed like that.
> KIRIRIK!
Suddenly, the standoff Centipedes surged forward fiercely.
Fresh orders had come: annihilate the enemy and resume the mission.
Without hesitation, the pursuit Centipedes charged the enemy entity.
And the monster watched from afar.
Naturally, the battle favored their kin. The enemy was just one.
But it didn't unfold one-sidedly. The terrain was the issue.
Already a narrow chokepoint hard to enter. The defender held an overwhelming advantage.
As if to prove it, the Centipedes charging in with momentum failed to leverage their numbers and started dying off.
The purple Holy Knight was seasoned. It exploited the terrain while repeatedly striking and retreating to avoid encirclement—a fierce back-and-forth.
It fought bravely but retreated without hesitation when needed. The movements screamed time-buying delay tactic to hold their kin back.
Mobile pursuit Centipedes couldn't keep up, constantly missing. Some climbed the cliffs to flank, but the enemy showed no gaps.
Blood and flesh sprayed. Centipede cries echoed with every Holy Knight move.
Judgment, piloting skill—both excellent. So the monster couldn't help but feel puzzled.
This enemy entity wasn't like that before.
The purple Holy Knight blocking the pass had been one of the pathetic ones fighting miserably just days ago.
Yet yesterday's battle, today's—its movements were unbelievably improved.
Why the sudden change?
The answer was obvious. The pilot inside had changed.
Someone incomparably more skilled than the novice before.
But who was piloting now?
Observing data soon provided the answer.
> Registration code: NTL-001
A special enemy entity drawing legion attention for switching Holy Knights every observed encounter.
Another Holy Knight swap? Some "collaborators" had been after NTL-001 data anyway.
The monster transmitted every scrap of recorded info across the wide-area network, built on the pursuit Centipedes' sacrifices.
And after some time—contrary to expectations—one collaborator quietly aiding the Frangia Kingdom conquest suddenly took interest and sent an intriguing directive.
> Do NOT destroy Seres's Holy Knight under any circumstances
Its interest wasn't in NTL-001, but the "purple Holy Knight" the observed target rode.
Apparently, the purple Holy Knight's owner was a woman named Seres.