The Wrong Target
R.P.M. produces tens of thousands of androids every generation. Among them, only the absolute best—a mere 1%—are inducted into the '5th Unit', also known as the Elite Unit. It was a position of immense honor and prestige.
Bang! Bang!
The members of the Elite Unit are the ultimate reclamation force, combining the strengths of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th units. Serika was one such elite, and perhaps it was due to her exceptional knack for engineering that she had recently succeeded in doing the impossible: repairing a discarded manufacturing facility all by herself. It was a tuna canning factory called Dongwon. She was a genius among geniuses, a true guardian of humanity and a goddess of victory. She was certain that she would become the most trusted and recognized hero in all of R.P.M.
That was why she had been working silently on her own, unwilling to share the credit with anyone else.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"What the hell are these guys?!"
Currently, she was panicking in a way that didn't suit a genius at all. Back when Serika was at R.P.M., the reason she was able to join the 5th Unit wasn't actually because of her engineering skills. To be honest, R.P.M. had little interest in her technical talents. For an android, the only thing that mattered was the 'extermination of mutant lifeforms.'
R.P.M.'s training manual was clear: no matter how brilliant your talent, if it’s unrelated to combat, it is ignored. In that sense, while Serika had the engineering skills to handle parts with ease, she possessed an even more important talent. In terms of sniping, she was a 'sharpshooter' in the truest sense of the word.
"Hoo...!"
It wasn't just about shooting well. The R.P.M. Elite Unit wasn't a place you could enter just by being a decent shot. The reason Serika was able to join the 5th Unit as the 'valedictorian' of the 162nd generation of 5th-generation androids was that her bullets were imbued with 'divinity.' It was only possible because she was a sniper who far surpassed R.P.M.'s training system.
Ta-ang!
Her bullets, metaphorically speaking, were alive. Ting. Ti-ing. No matter where she aimed, the bullets were 'programmed' to calculate the ricochet points to ensure they hit their target. That was the secret of Serika's bullets—the bullets that seemed alive.
Having clearly visualized every ricochet point before pulling the trigger, Serika fired in every direction—up, down, left, and right. She had lost count of how many mutant lifeforms she had taken down with this inescapable barrage. Recently, she had even defeated a 'Knight-class' mutant, the highest grade known to be soloable by an individual.
She was the best, yet those idiots had dared to steal her food. They were androids from other units who were insignificant compared to her, and since they were the ones who started it by trying to shake her down, she had decided to teach them a lesson. That was how Serika’s shooting had begun with such a light heart.
But within five minutes, the relaxed smile she had been wearing was nowhere to be found.
Clang. Claaang.
"?! You deflected it again?"
She had lost count of how many shots she’d fired. At first, she had aimed for their legs or elbows just to scare them, but they had reacted instantly and dodged. Now, they were even swatting away bullets that had ricocheted along unpredictable paths. Not only that, but the target had accurately identified her sniping position and was advancing toward her. A silver-haired android. Even though they were still several kilometers away, their reflexes and combat sense were on an absurd level. It was enough to make even an elite unit member panic.
"Who is that? If they had that kind of skill, there's no way I wouldn't know them!"
Could they be an android that descended to Earth after her generation? But if that were the case, it made even less sense. She had only been living on Earth for a little over a year, and if they were a later generation, they would have only been here for three months. How could they get that strong with such little field experience? It was an impossible growth rate. If they were a 'rookie' famous within R.P.M., she would have recognized their face through the 'TT Network' by now.
Conclusion: She had no idea. Everything about who they were and why they were so strong was a mystery.
Then, a possibility flashed through Serika's mind. It was a long shot, but what if this person was the type to designate even their own kind as targets for extermination? If they were an android who had 'betrayed' humanity... then this whole situation made perfect sense.
"Little-known fame, yet strength on par with the Elite Unit... there's only one explanation for this. You traitor!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Yes, they were definitely a traitor. They had abandoned the protection of humanity and become a deviant who gained power in exchange. As she thought this, dark flames flickered in Serika's amethyst eyes. It was a signal that she no longer needed to hold back. It was a silent resolution to stop playing around and fight for real—a fight to the death.
"Drone system, activate."
[Drone 'Capinyang'. Deployment standby complete.]
"Good. Surround them and rain down missiles. I'll prepare the 'Special Ammunition for Mutant Lifeforms' in the meantime."
[Yes, understood.]
As Serika called out, light shimmered in the air, forming a cat-box-shaped drone that looked like a hologram. It was a close-quarters combat drone that R.P.M. provided only to the Elite Unit to assist snipers who were vulnerable in melee combat. Serika had named it 'Capinyang' to suit her tastes.
[The target is out of range, hit probability will drop drastically. Is this acceptable?]
"It doesn't matter. You just need to buy me some time."
Until now, she had been using standard ammunition intended for 'capture.' But now that she knew the opponent was a 'villain,' she would fight with all her might, just as she would against a mutant lifeform. Capinyang began to rain missiles down on Revi, who was beyond the effective range. Naturally, since they were out of range, most of the missiles just struck the surrounding buildings, creating nothing but clouds of dust.
But.
Click.
That was exactly what Serika had intended. 'They probably didn't notice that my bullets changed amidst the obscured vision.' The brief moment when the opponent let their guard down. Exploiting that gap to end a life was the duty of a sniper. Imagining the silver-haired android flustered by the sudden missile attack, Serika prepared the new special ammunition she had just loaded. She intended to use an 'EMP round' to cut the power to their rechargeable blade first.
The next moment.
...Stomp.
"Huh?"
Her own blind spot, which she hadn't noticed because she was so focused on Revi. Stomp, stomp.
"...! Footsteps?"
Footsteps were slowly approaching the top of the abandoned building she was in. "Come to think of it, wasn't that person with someone else at the beginning?" Now that she thought about it, when she first caught the silver-haired android through her scope, she remembered seeing another silhouette faintly in the background. But perhaps because the silver-haired one had exuded such an overwhelming presence once the battle started, she had momentarily forgotten.
It seemed she had made a mistake. "Damn it! I wasn't the only one looking for an opening!"
Serika immediately took her eyes off Revi. Then, while still shouldering her sniper rifle, she turned around. The muzzle pointed toward the only entrance to the stairs of this abandoned building. Judging by the footsteps, the distance between them was probably only one floor now. In other words, she had to deal with the one close by first.
'Stupid fool. If you were going to sneak up on me, you should have hidden your footsteps perfectly.'
Or did they rush over because they were worried about their 'companion'? Either way, once discovered, a surprise attack was as good as failed. Moreover, she had already anticipated the opponent's surprise attack and entered a perfect 'counter-counter' stance. In other words, the outcome was already decided. This was the super-elite sniper of the 5th Unit, who had graduated as the 'valedictorian' of the 162nd generation of 5th-generation androids at R.P.M.
"That's me! Serika!"
"...!"
"Haha. You walked right into your own trap! Now, I'm going to put a hole in that smug head of yours... wait?!"
Click, click.
The footsteps climbing the stairs stopped right in front of her. Serika curled her lips as if to say it was pathetic. She planned to put a hole in the traitor's face. But.
A physique too sturdy to be an android. Most of all, the moment she made eye contact with 'him,' not 'her.'
The android 'Article 0' was triggered instantly. The strength in Serika's finger, which had been about to pull the trigger, was forcibly released. Then, warning messages flooded her vision. Red warning windows popped up as if they were pouring out.
[Danger! Danger!]
The entity attempted to express intent to attack a 'human'.
In accordance with R.P.M. Article 0, all ranks are stripped and a forced shutdown sequence is being initiated...
"E-eh...?"
[Codename: P859JSAO294ED.]
[Time remaining until Android - Serika's shutdown: 4 minutes 59 seconds.]
[To cancel the shutdown, please obtain permission from the human in question.]
"Eeeeeh?!"
In an instant, she had gone from an elite unit member to a criminal on the verge of being shut down. She had been dealt the worst possible punishment, one that even traitors who hunted their own kind didn't receive. At that fact, Serika's vision shook dizzily. And in front of her eyes... stood a human 'Master' she was seeing for the first time in her life. Now, there was only one thing she had to do.
"M-ma...!"
"Huh?"
"I have committed a mortal sin! Master!"
To regain her honor. No, even before that, to survive, she had to appease this person's mood immediately. "I-I've never seen a real human before... so, anything! I'll do 'anything,' so please, please forgive me!"
"...Anything?"