4-33: The Devil’s Rampage (2/5)

4-33: The Devil’s Rampage (2/5)

The soldiers in exoskeleton floated in the sky as they watched on in shock.

Joyce had given the order to abandon ship too suddenly, but his subordinates were indeed former soldiers, and despite the abruptness of his order, most of them were able to immediately activate their exoskeleton and fly out of the ship.

However

Tsk, omega 2, how many are missing?

Not everyone was present.

They had been taking turns in resting and performing their duties, so there were people that were asleep in the ship, but regardless, his orders shouldve reached everyone through their terminals, and yet despite that, not everyone was present.

Including ourselves, 27 people all in all made it out, Cherry said.

So, three men, huh Wait, three!? Joyce said.

Yes, its the three people on patrol duty. Theyre probably the ones the black mist was talking about.

I see Answer me! What did you do with them!!?

Before Joyce and his men was a shadow that was floating just like them.

But yell as Joyce might in anger, the only response he got was that of a baffled voice.

Who knows? Perhaps I knocked them out and bound them, or perhaps I threw them unconscious into the sea.

The black mist said as though he had forgotten his own actions, even smiling as though he found the question amusing.

Joyce never expected an answer, but the black mists response just irritated him even more.

After all, given the situation, none of the things the black mist said guaranteed his subordinates lives.

Joyce banished the faces of the three soldiers in his mind.

The reports say you once broke into Kutoria and dealt with the terrorists from Earth. I also hear that youve saved some students from the bombing incident too. Given all that, I take it you are indeed someone from Kutoria?

Fu fu, in a broad sense, youre not wrong, but your imagination is lacking, former lieutenant, Joyce Ronan. If there are people such as yourselves, who yearn for the world to fall into chaos, naturally, the opposite also exists. And such people wont be limited merely to the publicly known legal forces.

What?

That was an implicit confession that the black mist was an illegal party that did not wish for the world to fall into chaos.

At a glance, one could simply take that as any other claim.

But because it held another meaning, the captain and his aide both paled.

All forces, assume formation GM4! Permission to use all weapons granted! Do anything it takes to defeat this enemy here!! Joyce said.

This enemy must die here! His existence itself is a threat! He must be erased! Cherry said.

Although the soldiers hesitated for a moment, they kept their questions to themselves as they spread out and immediately surrounded the black mist.

GM4 was originally a formation meant to deal with small type high-ranking raybeasts.

Because of that a wave of tension washed over the soldiers, knowing that they were about to face a foe on that level.

A wise decision, Joyce Ronan. It would indeed be too dangerous to leave me alone.

This isnt funny! Just one of you is already enough to turn this whole situation over its head!

A black mist that could infiltrate without being noticed by any security system or person.

And at the same time, also be capable of destroying a ship in a single blow via an unknown light.

Since they could talk with him, they figured the black mist must be someone using some kind of equipment, but the revelation of an illegal third party possessing such power was simply too terrifying.

Intelligence gathering, assassination, subversive activities Never before has there been someone so capable of such operations.

Normally, illegal organizations couldnt move as they pleased, but it was doubtful that the monitoring and security of nations would hold any meaning in the face of someone like this black mist.

To make things worse, there was no telling if he would one day bare his fangs against Garesto.

That was the reason why Joyce and Cherry paled.

As a reward, Ill answer your earlier question, the question pertaining to what business I have with you.

A soldier in exoskeleton was positioned in every direction, 25 soldiers all in all, and yet despite that, the black mist spoke arrogantly without the slightest hint of tension. Audacity at that level was no longer just irritating but ominous.

You see, Ive recently made the decision to become famous, so Im sorry, but Ill need you to become my stepping stones. Said the black mist with a huge smile.

Though they could not make out even the contours of the black mist, the tone of his voice clearly painted the expression behind the mask, and the people that could see the mask felt as though they could see a crescent moon smiling beneath it.

Gah, ah!?!?!?

So great was the resulting impact that even the Inertia Control system was helpless, and the medic and the wounded soldier were sent flying like a pair of bullets.

Kainz, Mike! Shouted Joyce, not comprehending what had just happened.

The other soldiers nearby immediately flew over to provide aid, but when a finger snapped, a strange light covered the medic and the wounded soldier, and their legs gradually vanished from right in front of their rescuers.

Were coming, Kainz!

Ugu, ah W-What, is this. Uwaah!?

Without even realizing that Kainzs arm had already vanished, the soldiers that came to their rescue frantically extended their arms.

They hoped to at least grab Kainzs arm, but the only thing they caught was air.

Damn it!

A-AHH!! No! My body, its, disappearing

Before long, even Kainzs mouth disappeared, and as he looked sorrowfully at his friends, he and Mike vanished without a trace.

W-What just happened? Joyce asked.

I dont know. The sensors picked up photon energy, but they couldnt analyze anything. All we know is that Omega 9 and Omega 24s signal were lost!

Cherry said while quivering, an unusual display for the ever calm aide that needlessly emphasized the severity and eeriness of the situation.

So, what, youre saying they just disappeared before our eyes just like that!?

It was like a joke, but this sort of disappearing act was the kind of spell that appeared in fairy tales.

An absolute power(rule) that couldnt be overturned unless the conditions were the same or they themselves possessed the same power.

In the face of something like that, the people of omega could only freeze up, become fearful, or

S-Screw you!!

How dare you hurt those two!!

Where did you send them!? Bring them back!!

Go crazy and start yelling angrily.

The three soldiers that couldnt catch anything despite extending their arms gave no ear to their captains orders to restrain themselves as they threw themselves single-mindedly at the human-shaped black mist.

Despite that the three soldiers drew complicated trajectories in the air as they approached the black mist.

As expected of former soldiers, even though their minds were a mess, their bodies remembered how to move.

As they surrounded the black mist, they took out their lance and thrust out.

Fu.

But in the face of three lances thrusting from three different directions, the mask only sneered.

As weapons clashed, metallic sounds and anguished voices resounded.

Three soldiers, three lances, three different targets penetrated.

Within that swirl of pain, impact, and confusion, the three soldiers were at a loss.

No matter how angry they were, they had attacked the same target simultaneously.

H-How? A soldier inadvertently found himself asking.

And yet despite how impossible it shouldve been to miss, not only did they miss, their lances even found their way into each other. It did not make sense.

Indeed, the question begs itself, does it not?

This was one of the advantages of the black mist that was ever indistinct.

Even the simple act of deflecting a weapon could greatly affect an enemys psyche.

And an enemy that has stopped moving from confusion was essentially one giant opening.

Ha!

With a short breath, the arms and legs or at least what appeared to be of the black mist simultaneously struck out toward the three soldiers.

At that, armors shattered, arms bent in erroneous directions, and the visors covering their faces were crushed.

The protection of the exoskeletons meaningless, a single blow scattered fresh blood.