Chapter 180: Episode (4)
Chapter 180: Episode (4)
───「Outcast: Character Appendix」───
■ Meden
• Height: 187cm. Jet-black hair and eyes. Admittedly, he was handsome.
• Supernatural Ability: Corporeal Hardening. Hardens his blood and bones to the density of a mana alloy. It might not sound like much, but simple is best. Could he one day stand against the Empire’s strongest, Zebestian? (Hint: The fact that his ‘blood’ also hardens like a mana alloy is key!)
■ Elze
• Height: 168cm. Platinum blonde hair. She carries a cold, haughty air about her—which is exactly what she’s like.
• Supernatural Ability: Phase Transition. Manipulates temperature and pressure with mana to rapidly change a substance’s physical state.
■ Pain
• Height: 213cm. An even more overwhelming giant in person. A bald head covered in scars. Surprisingly, he is the gentlest of the group.
• Supernatural Ability: Vibrational Collapse. Forces the mana particles in the atmosphere to resonate, releasing a shockwave that pulverizes any physical structure it touches. Anyone with insufficient mana resistance cannot even stand before him.
■ Filty
• Height: 160cm. A slender and beautiful physique. Everyone insists she can’t be 160cm, but she is. The story’s officially recognized, peerless beauty.
• Supernatural Ability: Clairvoyance and Mana Visualization. Can observe scenes from tens to hundreds of kilometers away. However, due to the resulting brain overload, she cannot fully remember what she sees and must draw it.
■ Kaden
• Height: 173cm. A sharp and sensitive impression. A weasel-like face topped with a mohawk.
• Supernatural Ability: Neural Disruption. Synchronizes mana wavelengths with an enemy’s bio-currents to distort their vision or induce auditory hallucinations.
* * *
Having finished the main story at some point, I read the detailed profiles of the Outcast members written in the appendix at the very back of the comic book.
I also checked the release date for the next issue printed beside it.
—"You finished?"
The homeless man in the seat next to me asked abruptly.
—"That is correct."
—"Man, the way you talk is hilarious."
The homeless man chuckled. Without another word, I handed the comic book back.
—"Nah, it’s fine. Keep it. It’s just kindling, anyway."
—"…Ahem."
I gladly tucked it away inside my coat.
Lately, I’d been wanting to get a bag—something for storing emergency rations, and now, for this comic book. Of course, carrying luggage would make it harder to run…
That’s what I thought back then.
—"When the next issue comes out, when, where, and how can I acquire it?"
It was a serious question, but the homeless man just snickered and grabbed a few coins from the can in front of him.
—"It’ll turn up if you wait~"
—"…What do you mean?"
—"It’s a super popular comic, so there are plenty of copies floating around, and plenty that get thrown in the trash."
He waved a soot-stained finger through the air as he continued.
—"As long as you’re alive, you can always see it again. Somewhere, sometime."
As long as you’re alive.
Back then, those words had struck me with a pang of regret.
* * *
"This is an order from the top. Everyone, evacuate!"
At those words in the present, the researchers moved with perfect discipline. An order from the top was sacred law to them. I found it absurd, but I feigned compliance, following them up the emergency staircase before stopping in my tracks.
Tat-tat-tat-tat…
The researchers’ footsteps faded into the distance. Once they were far enough up, I headed back down the stairs.
Ruuuumble—
The core laboratory on the upper floors of Mason Industries groaned.
Feeling the Outcasts steadily approaching, I looked at Elze inside the lab.
"..."
I quietly stepped inside. Thud. I made my footsteps deliberately loud. Elze’s eyelids fluttered open. Her face bloodied, she glared at me the moment she saw me.
"What are you staring at? You wanna die, you fucking bastard?"
It was a somewhat familiar sight.
"Your comrades are coming."
"!"
Her body went rigid. Bewilderment, sorrow, and hope flickered in her trembling pupils, but her expression soon contorted back into a snarl.
"If anything happens to them, I swear I’ll wring your necks first!"
I gave a faint smile at her desperate outburst.
It had been fun, thanks to them.
I didn't mean that I enjoyed being cursed at like this. I meant the joy and amusement Outcast had given me before my regression…
It was a truly strange feeling. Perhaps it was a sentiment all my own. To think that I would meet them here, in reality—the ones who had been my comfort and my sole joy during my days as a fugitive.
"Farewell."
I gave a slight nod and turned to leave. I had to exit first so they could rally around Elze.
"Hey! If you let me go now, I’ll let you off the hook this one time!" Elze shouted desperately at my back.
"I know that’s a lie," I replied with a bitter smile. According to her profile, Elze was a liar. The comic book character’s personality was manifesting perfectly in reality.
"Hey! Where are you going! You bastard!"
No, they were more vivid than any comic. Since they were real people, I had always wanted to meet them in person at least once. I had now fulfilled that wish.
"You son of a bitch—!"
But now, those who should live will die, and those who should die will live. That was hundreds of times better than everyone perishing together in ruin.
KUUUUUUUUUUUUMBLE—!
A tremor shook the building as if to swallow it whole. Walking down the hallway, I checked the timer.
`04 : 18 : 13`
They would be here soon.
...
In the predawn darkness, where the night refused to yield, the armed group ‘Onyx’ was the first to enter the first-floor lobby of Mason Industries. They had willingly taken the vanguard; breaking through the front was the only way to enter Mason’s research facility.
KRAAAASH—!
"Forty-fifth floor!"
Meden no longer hid his power. His skin and muscles hardened like a mana stone alloy. He plowed forward, sweeping aside security guards, fleeing researchers, and anyone else who got in his way.
—"Kill them all! There’s no reason to let these bastards live!"
The armed group, Onyx, shrieked with malice. While they laid waste to the lobby and lower floors, the members of Outcast used the chaos to ascend quickly, racing madly up the emergency stairs.
"Heek!"
They ran into a researcher around a corner.
"P-Please, spare me…"
The researcher collapsed to the floor, trembling. Pain hesitated, about to kill him. He only glared, but Meden, right beside him, brought his fist down without a second thought.
Splat!
The researcher’s skull shattered, and his breathing stopped.
"…They deserve to die. Hesitate and we’ll be late."
Meden flicked the blood and brain matter from his hand. Pain gave a slight nod with a smirk.
"Right. Let’s go."
They charged up the stairs again, toward the place where Elze was being held.
THUD!
There were still plenty of obstacles. An emergency exit suddenly burst open, and Mason Industries’ private soldiers poured out.
Rat-tat-tat-tat—!
They fired magic bullets. A barrage of rounds filled the passageway, but Outcast didn’t stop. They took the bullets with their bodies. Though their flesh was torn, they pushed forward and reached out.
—"GRAAAAGH!"
—"Gack!"
Tearing out their enemies’ throats, they raced upward, ever upward.
`02 : 15 : 31`
There wasn’t much time left.
...
Feeling the vibrations from below, Elze let out a ragged breath. Fear, joy, and a terrible wave of worry and guilt washed over her. Could they make it up here safely, into the heart of enemy territory? If so, how in the world…
"…Haa."
This time, I’m the liability. She’d always nagged Meden about not being a burden. A pang of regret hit her. This is why you shouldn’t speak carelessly.
Just as such thoughts swelled in her mind—
KWAAAAAK!
The entire thick outer wall of the laboratory was obliterated.
Pshhhhhhh! Mana pushed through the concrete like a tidal wave, and beyond it, her comrades came ‘flying’ in. Elze’s jaw dropped.
"Ah…"
Elze stared at them as they burst in, scattering dust and debris. Surprise and overwhelming emotion washed over her at the sight of Meden and her comrades, already covered in blood.
She muttered with a complex expression, "Hey. What if you die doing this?"
"Then we die together. Isn’t that why we’re a team?"
Meden’s answer was, for them, a perfect score. Especially for them, who had relied on each other to survive the hell that was T24.
"Let’s go."
Meden shattered Elze’s restraints. Just as he was about to grab her hand—
Fzzt.
Mana ignited from somewhere. A sea-like torrent erupted from a single point. A massive tidal wave twisted and slammed into the entire space.
SWOOOOOOOSH───
Suddenly, time seemed to slow. Everything before Elze’s eyes fractured into fragments. The rushing steam. The flash of red mana. Meden, desperately reaching for her. And, beyond the crumbling wall, the mechanical monster that finally revealed its silhouette.
‘Falkenrat.’
KWAAAAAAA───!
As if snatched away, Elze was flung out of the building.
WHOOOSH.
The air pressure slammed into her. As she free-fell through the night sky, the view of the ruined Mason Industries filled her vision. Steel. Concrete. Girders. Glass. Amidst the debris raining down like a meteor shower, once again, one person appeared for her.
Elze screamed, reaching out her hand.
"…Meden!"
Her platinum blonde hair, bathed in moonlight, scattered wildly, and her eyes shimmered with tears.
"Elze—!"
The other protagonist, Meden. He leaped off the collapsing debris and grabbed Elze’s hand, pulling her into his arms. The two embraced in mid-air, and then—
KRAAANG!
—they landed safely.
"Keoheok!"
Meden let out a groan. Elze frantically placed a hand on his cheek.
"Meden! Are you okay?"
"…I’m fine. Think my legs are a little broken, though."
The two stared at each other for a moment. A silence where no words were exchanged. A needless tension seemed to blush pink in the air, but there was no time for relief.
As if following them, a much larger mass slammed into the ground.
KUUUUUUUUUUNG—!
Acrid smoke billowed from the epicenter. Through the thick curtain, Falkenrat’s crimson prosthetic eye gleamed.
—"Foolish. Did you think you could escape?"
At the monster’s mocking words, Meden kicked off the ground. The first strike was everything. His hardened body shot forward like a cannonball. He slammed his fist into Falkenrat’s abdomen.
KWAAAK!
But Falkenrat didn’t even budge. Instead, it raised a mechanical arm and smashed it into Meden’s face.
"Kuk!"
Meden coughed up blood as he was sent flying. Flesh and blood scattered from his body, and Falkenrat leaped after him.
"This monster bastard…!"
This time, however, Pain blocked Falkenrat. Mana gathered in his hands. Vibrational Collapse. The wave exploded at point-blank range.
KUGUGUGUGUNG—!
The shockwave flowed into Falkenrat’s mechanical joints, causing them to resonate. A part of Falkenrat’s armor crumpled, but the monster twisted its torso grotesquely and seized Pain by the neck.
"Keoheok…!"
—"Is this all you have?"
The monster slammed Pain into the ground. From behind Pain, Kaden jumped in and fired a mana wave. Neural Disruption. It struck the back of Falkenrat’s neck. The red prosthetic eye flickered for a moment as its vision distorted.
Meden seized the opening and charged. He pushed himself past his limits, raising the density of his hardened body to its absolute peak.
"Die—!"
Meden’s fist struck Falkenrat’s knee joint with perfect accuracy.
Kwajik!
Finally, Falkenrat’s body staggered. Pain and Kaden joined in, unleashing a flurry of attacks from all sides. The roar of steel striking hardened flesh, the explosion of mana, and the tearing sound of ripped muscle filled the pandemonium.
`00 : 13 : 15`
...
On the upper floors of Mason Industries, I leaned against a pillar by the completely blown-out outer wall, gazing down at the scene far below. I watched the spectacle unfolding there with indifference. A chaotic mess of this scale was likely unprecedented in the history of the Western Empire.
"…Interesting."
Two people, a man and a woman, embracing as they fell to the ground amidst the collapsing wreckage. I had just witnessed in person the famous scene I had read about in the comic book. A bittersweet feeling washed over me.
Now they had landed and were fighting Falkenrat. The winner would probably be…
"…?"
I felt that gaze again. Not far from me, a ‘super-vision’ was watching me. I met her eyes and gave a faint smile.
"Nice to meet you."
Filty’s gaze wavered. I could feel her immense agitation even from a distance. Soon, her observation was cut off. I quietly closed my eyes. Finally, I focused on my deepest core.
Thump.
My heart beat with a heavy pulse. It was the pulse of the virus, directed at one of the Outcasts on the ground.
Among them, too, was an Izenheim.
`00 : 07 : 15`
...
Though it had faltered for a moment under Outcast’s combined assault, Falkenrat did not fall. Instead, it boosted its output and overwhelmed the three of them.
KWAAAAANG! CHAAAENG! KWAAAAAAK!
A continuous onslaught. Meden’s Corporeal Hardening had reached its limit, and Pain was on his knees, covered in blood. Kaden, too, had been hit by Falkenrat’s rifle and lost part of his right arm.
—"Pathetic vermin. But it was amusing."
Falkenrat laughed leisurely as it grabbed Meden by the neck. Its objective was capture, so brain death wouldn’t be an issue.
Kwwwwwaaaaak. The pressure from the mechanical arm surged.
"Gack—"
Watching Meden suffocate, Elze staggered to her feet. Her platinum blonde hair shimmered with waves of mana. Her eyes turned a deep blue.
"Machines are…"
Phase Transition. The mana radiating from her eyes enveloped Falkenrat’s mechanical body. Mana needed a ‘gap’ to seep in, but one had already been made. Her comrades had made it for her. The damage to the joints—that was enough.
Paaaaaaat──!
In an instant, the moisture in the area boiled, turning into superheated steam. Falkenrat’s coolant rapidly vaporized, bursting out from between its mechanical joints.
—"…!"
Falkenrat’s prosthetic eye flickered through various colors, and its body moved erratically. Just like that, a machine was ultimately just a machine—a machine that cannot resist errors, that cannot adapt to its environment.
"Now!" Elze shouted, coughing up blood.
Meden squeezed out his last remaining mana, forging his right arm into its hardest possible form.
"You tin can bastard—!"
A strike carrying his entire being hammered into Falkenrat’s armor, which was glowing red from the overheating.
KWAAAAAAAAAAAAANG────!
The impact radiated out like a cannonball. Falkenrat was thrown back and slammed into a wall.
"Hah, hah…"
A breath escaped Meden’s lips like steam. The sound of broken metal scraping the ground filled the air, and the area fell silent in an instant. The four of them leaned against the dirt ground, gasping for breath.
"…Keoheo."
"Agh, fuck…"
"Hurts like hell, for real."
A silence that came at the end of a life-or-death struggle. Their bodies were a mess of blood and soot, but they had survived. The members of Outcast looked at each other and grinned.
"Let’s go."
Meden pushed himself up with difficulty.
"Meden. Before we go."
Elze pointed at Falkenrat. The monster was still alive. A cyborg could recover its durability at any time, so a kill confirmation was essential.
"…Ah. Right."
Meden nodded and was about to approach the monster when—
Thud.
The sound of footsteps approached from the other side. From between the torn steel frames and concrete, a man in a research uniform calmly walked out.
A mask. A white coat. Rimless glasses. His attire was impeccably neat, without a single wrinkle. Even in this pandemonium, he simply stood there, calmly observing the members of Outcast.
"…Wait. I remember that guy’s face."
Pain let out a hollow laugh. It was the researcher Filty had ‘checked’ in her drawings. Seeing him, Elze’s lips curled into a smirk.
"It’s that researcher from before. Nice to see you again!"
"Oh yeah? If you’re so happy to see him, shouldn’t you get a closer look?"
Elze waved, and Pain cracked his knuckles as he approached the man.
"Ooh~ This one’s not running away."
Even before the giant that was Pain, the researcher remained still. He simply looked up at the approaching man.
"Hey. Let’s have a little chat. You had fun torturing us, right? This will probably be our last conversation—"
Just as Pain grinned and reached out to grab him by the collar—
Shink—
Moonlight flowed.
A fine, straight line drew across Pain’s neck. A crimson line bloomed softly, then burst into full flower.
"…?"
Thud.
Pain’s head fell. His face, still holding his smile, rolled onto the pavement.
`00 : 00 : 00`