Duel with the Mad Knight

I equipped the Don Quixote removal rail shotgun, registered as BIG SHOT, onto the frame first. To offset the increased weight and load, I swapped out the sniper cannon for missiles again. It didn't make a huge difference, but in a fight where millimeters could decide victory or defeat, every bit counted. With BIG SHOT set as the one-shot wonder, it was time to pick a secondary weapon for the rest.

A submachine gun with high fire rate would be better than a rifle here. The moment I equipped BIG SHOT, worrying about long-range or mid-range setups became pointless. Full aggression mode—no holding back. The mobile hangar finished the fitting and headed for the agricultural plant complex with the Nexus loaded.

About half a day later.

'Arrival...'

The mobile hangar's autopilot blared a siren, noisily announcing we'd reached the destination. I stopped staring blankly and connected the neural link port to the Nexus.

'Dull.'

Shit. I'd meant to remove Hermann's frame tweaks the second I got out, but I forgot.

'Already built for close range, so it should be fine, right?'

Yeah, as long as I piloted well, it'd be okay. My senses were just floating around, not completely numb.

I switched the main system from standby to combat mode and finished launch prep. Ordering SIF activated the hangar mechanisms, pushing the Nexus toward the hatch. Just as I was about to drop...

"...?"

Something weird popped up on the monitor, so I tilted my head.

Pilot assist program?

The pilot assist ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠program started running on its own, leaving traces on the monitor. I felt an unfamiliar HUD interfering in my head and shook it off.

"I never installed anything like this."

"Frame-embedded...?"

Was there a setting like that in the game? They didn't explain the fine details, so I wasn't sure.

'Anyway, if it's assistance, it should be good, right...?'

This didn't seem like one of Hermann's tweaks.

'Weird that it didn't activate during past jobs.'

Pilot assist—maybe it was collecting my combat data back then. I shrugged it off and dropped from the mobile hangar.

Info I'd only known intuitively or vaguely before now slammed into my head with concrete details. The unfamiliar sensation left me dazed, but it felt pretty convenient. Not bad.

'Yeah, I don't have the mental bandwidth for that anyway.'

Especially now, when I needed every scrap of focus. Grateful for anything that let me zero in on combat, I raced across the wasteland.

Kuuuung—

Boosters spewing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠flames, closing in on the agricultural plant.

Chzzzk—

Soon after, enemy signals lit up the comm channel.

Two exo-frames that looked like perimeter guards popped on radar. They noticed me at the last second, too.

Too late—missiles were already away. Hatch popped once, and the two exo-frames vanished cleanly.

'From what they were saying, not corp forces.'

"Don Quixote nim"? No way a dispatched corp defense squad would talk like that. Easy to figure they were his followers.

'Don Quixote's nuts, but decent personality-wise.'

Game lore said as much. Head a bit off, but a rare good soul in this world. That's why he attracted people despite the crazy—his followers dubbed the "Idalgo Family" in the description. He even brought a small escort in-game.

'Still just small-time warlord level.'

With that thought, I blasted straight inside.

Desperate fire poured from all sides. I could've ignored it, but sustained hits would've added up. So...

Kwaang!Kuung!!

Missiles here and there, spreading them wide to scatter the units as much as possible. Static noise crackled loudly on comms.

I hadn't even asked, but the pilot assist—RNNE, was it? Rin-ne? Whatever, "Linne" it'd be—offered random advice. I pondered briefly, realized it made sense, and sprinkled more bullets and shells around, consciously thinning the exo-frame numbers.

Frustrated voices faded as they pulled back. The translucent dome of the ag plant came into view.

Nexus Rosinante's signal locked on. High-pitched old man's voice pierced the comms.

Overreacting to my six-month disappearance. Whatever.

Beep!

Another Nexus nearby. In-game, so no surprise. Sancho Panza. Nexus ID: Burro.

Pew-pew-bang—

The second I entered ID range, it sprayed missiles wildly.

Pang—

Awkward, jerky movements—like a toddler's first steps, swaying side to side. Unmanned Nexus.

'Proven useless ages ago...'

Still, not brainless to deploy it. Annoying missile spam from afar, so prioritize and scrap it quick. Up close, it'd end in under ten seconds.

Flames erupted from Rosinante's back, shifting to cruise mode straight at me.

The massive conical melee weapon encasing Rosinante's left arm—its lance—flared too, accelerating cruise mode. Despite being a heavy quad frame, its speed neared standard types.

Not all there, so don't overthink his words... but damn that theatrical knightly drawl hooked me—I'd been listening to every bit.

As he said, both our frames were close-range builds. Who'd win? Pew-bang! Harassment missiles from Sancho Panza detonated nearby in sequence. I didn't let impulse make me forget my top priority.

Kept Sancho Panza in sight beyond the charging Rosinante.

Kiiik—

Lance stabbed my side. At the same instant, charged BIG SHOT lit Rosinante's flank blue. Massive current condensed, then—

Kwaaaang!!

My side got gouged. Don Quixote's flank tore clean off.

Recoil ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stiffened him for seconds, pushing back. But since I'd half-turned just before firing, my frame used it to close on Sancho Panza faster, passing Don Quixote.

BIG SHOT reloading. Long delay, so I rammed Sancho Panza straight.

Kuung!!

The impact made its movements even clumsier. Simple AI couldn't handle the drive strain. Point-blank missile burst, kick, submachine gun rounds pouring like water into its power systems—critical failure.

Basically beating a scarecrow.

And with that, the unmanned Nexus met its end in five seconds flat.