Hired as Support: A. Saber Elimination
The details of the mission that hired me as support for eliminating A. Saber, the Rank 35 pilot. "This is the one."
Not every pilot in the rankings appeared in the game. There were a whopping fifty of them in total. Still, A. Saber had shown up in the game. Inevitably, in every playthrough, as the sacrificial lamb in the final mission of Chapter 2.
"At least it's a normal story mission."
I'd nearly panicked if it'd been some unknown task like the Fallen Angel one last time... I wondered why I was getting worked up over something like this. Hadn't I decided not to care how the player acted?
'Damn, guess I can't stick to that.'
No matter how the world turned or what the player did—it was all just empty words, a self-suggestion that didn't stick. Still, as the protagonist of the game I'd played, I couldn't help being curious. I had to admit that honestly.
"But knowing doesn't mean I can do anything about it..."
If it didn't go the route I wanted, was I going to backseat-game the player? I had no idea. What did I even want?
I sighed, gave up thinking, and opened the briefing video that had come with the request.
The voice in the briefing belonged to Sonya. It made sense. I couldn't picture that blank protagonist doing the briefing like this.
I'd felt it back in Eden too. He was weirdly persistent. Wasn't he going out of his way to call someone not on the list?
As I started suspecting his motives, Sonya whispered conspiratorially.
A holographic map popped up on screen. A blue pulse effect spread out with a whoosh, then the entire region turned red. An arrow for the invading forces from the northeast, with A. Saber at the tip.
The reward popped up next. Definitely less than what I'd seen in the game... Makes sense. I'm just sub-subcontract support. But factoring that in...
"Is that amount right?"
Forty percent of the in-game credit payout. 40%.
"That's top-10 Nexus hire territory."
Did they rate me that highly? Or why so much? Made me suspicious. A trap? "A trap... why bother?" That hypothesis was even harder to buy.
While I was tilting my head at the weird number, Sonya wrapped up.
I scowled hard at the blank screen for a good while.
"What the hell?"
Sonya's attitude felt off. But no reason to refuse. "Good pay, mission I know. Nothing to skip."
And so, the next request was set: hired as the player's support.
"Think she'll accept?"
"...Entirely up to her."
Sonya turned to the boy. As always, he stared at the screen with that ambiguous smile.
"You little punk."
Sonya chided him. "If you're begging 'please do it, please,' show some passion. Didn't you send it because you wanted her?"
"I didn't go that far..."
"But look. A guy who's usually dead silent suddenly wants something and asks for it—that carries way more weight than if someone else requested it."
"......"
The boy scratched his head silently. Compared to his usual shameless deflections, it was definitely odd. But not incomprehensible.
"...So, think this obsession's settled?"
"Dunno. I don't know... I have no idea what's gonna happen. What do I even want by calling her?"
Every now and then, it felt like a spark of life—a desire for a toy, or coffee. He never showed even basic preferences, giving off an alien vibe, not quite human. Since this was his first real request, she hoped it'd end well.
The boy was conflicted now. Unthinkable before. Like he'd realized his own inhumanity and was belatedly learning to be human.
"Eh, don't overthink it. I don't always know why I feel things either. For now, just let it play out?"
"Yeah..."
"Right. The rest depends on how it goes when you meet Rabe. Rest up till then."
She immediately poked at him with a finger. "And don't forget the mission target. Not flirting with support—killing the enemy."
"Of course. I wouldn't forget something that obvious."
His voice was rock-solid, like someone asked why he'd forget to breathe.
Vroooom... Descending into the mobile hangar.
Sonya's voice echoed over the comms as Anon's Nexus, Worker, appeared. Still light armor close to medium spec, frame, high-impact close-quarters weapons.
"Our concepts overlap."
Didn't matter. I started moving with Anon, taking in the view from the cameras.
"Familiar sight..."
Seeing in real life what I'd only known from game graphics. Like when I first saw a Nexus... something. A profound nostalgia? Dizzying vertigo hit as I fought to maintain booster output.
Static—crackle— then a voice.
"......"
If I could, I'd roll my eyes. Really? This necessary?
I tweaked my radio slightly and opened the mic. "What?"
"Not sure?"
Just chit-chat over open comms? Energy was plentiful anyway. His unique speech pattern—or because he was the player?—no real aversion. Like listening to radio while driving. I'd let him ramble solo.
Anon prefaced briefly, then clammed up. I didn't snap at him.
Enemy signals pinged. Natural with battle imminent.
Static, crackle—
"Ugh..."
Headache incoming. In-game, it was dot damage, but feeling it raw? New.
Sonya griped, but a calm male voice cut her off.
With that single line, we plunged into combat.