4-101: Defend the Concert! Prologue

4-101: Defend the Concert! Prologue

June 15.

On the day of the live performance, at a certain location, at a certain time, in a dimly lit room, a man operated a terminal built into a desk.

On the floating displays could be seen reports appearing one after another.

The way he processed them emotionlessly showed a meticulousness completely different from the impression given by his scarred and rugged appearance and well-trained physique.

Moreover, the volume of information pouring in should have normally been too much for just one person to handle, yet he easily handled everything by himself.

Oh?

When the rate of reports appearing finally settled down, the Englishman who had been working on something similar behind him murmured.

The stern-faced Oriental man, who had stopped his hands, moistened his throat with a lukewarm black coffee in a cup and said.

Whats up, Venom? Did Masquerade do something again? Please dont lose your temper again Youve already wasted 2 minutes and 34 seconds cleaning up.

He smiled cynically as he pointed that out.

Such an outrageous act was beyond Venoms understanding. Although he did clean up after himself, he still ended up wasting time.

Get over it, Six! More importantly, we got a report from the scout in the extended area. Take a look.

As he said that, he sent the data and projected an outline diagram depicting an overview of the area around the live venue. On the projection could be seen light points surrounding the venue in a circular shape.

These light were divided into red and white, and upon expanding on the detailed information, Six made a puzzled face.

Crimsons unit, the Ladies, has been positioned in the outer forest?

Theres really only one road to enter the venue, so most guests would use that. Who would go out of their way go through an undeveloped forest?

People with a terrible sense of direction or people like us.

Although they did expect that there would be some kind of mechanism set there, they did not think that they would actually position the Ladies there.

Those girls are good. With the training and equipment of the personnel we gathered, wed have to force our way through with sheer numbers or rely on a large-scale attack with no concern for the commotion well cause. From what Ive heard, Fang once fought them without your leadership and lost despite having twice their numbers.

Thats only when theyre all gathered together. And theres only about ten of them. Literally the few elite. Considering the size of the venue, they wont have enough. Moreover, due to having to be dispersed, they wont be able to form a defensive line.

They are positioned too far away from the venue. Perhaps thats to avoid the attention of the guests, but I think its still unusually far. Because of that the area they have to cover is too big, and no matter how many sensors or cameras they use, itll end up full of holes.

The white dot certainly surrounded the venue, but they were too far apart, so even though theyve debugged the venue, they could still easily infiltrate.

I was thinking they would surround the Songstress with the Ladies, then have Masquerade act as a sniper, but its actually the opposite. Her guards are sticking tightly to her again today. Six, as the leader of the operational unit, what do you think?

It could be a fake, but its definitely not Crimsons plan. That woman is more solid. Although she occasionally uses clever strategies, the situation hasnt deteriorated to that point, so this is probably Masquerade. It would be dangerous to think of it as a simple mistake or lack of manpower.

So its purposeful?

Six became thoughtful then changed the displays to show another set of data over the initial outline diagram.

Look at this one.

He added dots onto the wide open space between the hole-ridden circle and the venue. Venom looked at him, and he said.

I sent 16 small underground reconnaissance drones to the venue, but they all vanished. The cause remains unknown even after analyzing the last data sent.

Upon connecting the 16 points with lines, a sound of breath resounded.

What do you think?

A circle within a circle A second defense line?

Inside the crude, hole-riddled large circle was another circle.

A line that cannot be crossed from below. Guess they didnt want to receive guests underground.

Venom nodded.

What about on ground or in the air?

We dont know. Various reconnaissance drones have been sent to the first defense line too, but they all appear to have been stopped via hacking. Were trying to figure out from a distance what happened, but all the trees and sensors set up keep getting in the way. The satellites also cant display the area for some reason.

Six shook his head with a sigh. It was both refreshing and irritating when he did it so blatantly.

Whos behind it? Nameless or Masquerade?

Could be either, and honestly, it makes no difference to us.

The other side hadnt sent them a letter or anything, but it was clear what the message was.

Venom wore a grim expression.

Its an invitation.

If we go there in our exoskeleton, the sensors will likely be able to tell whats there, but its probably a trap.

You still have to send our forces in though, right?

Yeah, though when you think about it, the holes in the first line are actually scary. If you try to break through without thinking and get caught between the first and second forces. Even if you manage to overcome them safely, theres no guarantee there wont be a third or fourth force, and in the end, theres the venue where Masquerade himself is waiting.

Moreover, that was only the threat on the surface. A solemn breath escaped Venoms lips.

The moment he cleaned up the area, what was supposed to be a simple assassination has already turned into an invasion. So thats what you meant yesterday.

Yesterday?

Six seemed puzzled for a moment, but he quickly understood. It was something he told Venom after being annoyed by his lack of self control.

Right, just as I said, he has no intention of just protecting. From the start he was planning on welcoming us as guests, and this was nothing more the just the prearrangement, but its even worse than I expected. I cant believe he managed so much in just one night.

His methods are straightforward, but he moves quick, and the strategy is cunning. Definitely an unpleasant type. However, it still feels strange. Considering the Masks investigative ability and combat power, it would make more sense to let Nameless protect the Songstress and then just attack with himself as a guerrilla force. That way he wont have to listen to the song.

Venom became thoughtful, and Six watched him. He was quite smart when he calmed down, but in the end, Six shook his head.

Unfortunately, its already too late.

Stop it. Trying to completely decipher the opponents intentions at this point is impossible. There are just too many possibilities. For example, maybe hes just prioritizing the safety of the songstress, maybe he doesnt fully trust Nameless, maybe he wants to draw us out so he can crush us once and for all, maybe hes worried about a third party interfering, the list goes on.

Your point?

All we need to do is to check what traps theyve prepared for us.

Six said with a meaningful smile, and Venom nodded. As the leader of the Snakes operational unit, Six was a well-known figure even though their departments were different. He could sense Sixs intentions, and he didnt think there was anything wrong with them.

Oh, right. The team that was initially scheduled to infiltrate the venue has been disbanded.

In the publics eyes, it was just one of those stories, but the reality was different. Somehow, footage of actual incidents had leaked onto Garestos public network. The government manipulated information to prevent a panic, resulting in the legend being established.

The original footage was attached to the documents.

Whether due to data corruption or equipment malfunction, the footage was chaotic and mixed with interference and noise. However, it showed a huge humanoid figure glowing in silver in the complete darkness. The figure had a faceless, featureless body, glowing in silver and casually stepping on the surrounding trees. There was an eerie atmosphere about it that resembled those of horror movies.

Then the silver giants powerful arm swung at a speed that didnt match its massive body, and the footage was dyed in silver before being cut off.

Unfortunately, the encounter was by a squad patrolling outside the dome. Initially mistaking it for a massive raybeast, they tried to defeat it before it approached the city. However, before they could assume an attacking position, the giant noticed them, and they received a blow from the powerful arm mentioned earlier. Several squad members hit directly were swallowed up, leaving only their equipment behind. In the aftermath, half of the squad was incapacitated due to the shockwaves, causing confusion in the command structure. Although they fought back, none of Garestos attacks or skills were effective. Before they could decide to retreat, the giant charged at them at a speed comparable to a fighter jet, and most of the squad couldnt evade and were swallowed in silver light.

This information was based on the testimony of the surviving squad members, who had managed to barely escape after a desperate attempt.

Naturally, the military sent a rescue team when communication with the squad was lost. However, by the time they arrived, the tragedy had already ended, and there was no sign of the silver giant or any traces of its movement.

But during the search for survivors and the giant itself, they were astonished.

That place, which had been a gentle hill in a forested area until just the day before, was now a sunken sandy expanse of about 3,000 square meters. The outside appeared unchanged, as if nothing unusual had happened, leaving an eerie impression on the military personnel.

Investigations and research were ongoing, but the true identity and purpose of the Silver Giant, as well as the cause of the partial desertification, remained unknown.

On one hand was the commander of Snake, who, despite having some opaque aspects and an incomprehensible immortality, was a realistic threat due to understandable abilities, while on the other hand was a completely unknown and incomprehensible creature of silver light, possessing an attack method whose nature and effects were unclear.

And they had just witnessed something with the same color and radiance yesterday.

There was no one here who couldnt connect Snake and the Silver Giant at this point. If it were only one of them, they might have avoided hostility. But due to the existence of the outlier, Masquerade, even a minor conflict would likely escalate. Everyone remained calm because they were confident in the fact that, even in a small number, they could handle a fight as long as they had Masquerade. However, it was just a small sense of security. She probably understood that the most. Thats why Shinichi said.

Hey.

Hmm?

An order from your employer. Yesterday, I was spoiled by you, so this time, Ill spoil you.

He spoke bluntly, but the words themselves were gentle. Myuhi didnt understand right away and made a dumbfounded expression, leading Shinichi to tilt his head, until realization dawned on her and her face broke out into an amused smile.

Hehe, you just love to talk in such a roundabout way, dont you?

Huh?

Shinichi tilted his head and pondered on her words, while Myuhis heart further loosened, and the smile on her grew deeper.

So Im going to be spoiled by you today, am I? Well, alright, lets do that.

Myuhi muttered in an expression of joy that was as though she received the sweetest thing in the world. It was so out of the blue that Shinichi was caught off guard and couldnt even tease her.

Telepathy is convenient, but it seems like itll probably be misused.

She hadnt meant to reveal her true feelings, but as it turns out, one could accidentally reveal ones thoughts during telepathy, and the sweetness of the emotions she conveyed made Shinichis cheeks loosen.

He could just imagine his childhood friend looking at him mockingly, but he pushed such thoughts aside and just silently appreciated this aspect of her. It wasnt his fault. It was only natural to be drawn to cute, but this pleasant period could only last for so long, for while this conversation was taking place within their consciousness, it was really happening in real time.

Ah, the live is starting, so the attack will probably start soon.

Myuhi too changed gears as soon as she realized that it was starting. It was precisely for this professionalism of hers that he chose her to be his partner.

Itll probably start when her song begins. Leave the outside to me and dont push yourself. Weve already prepared for the possibility of being overwhelmed by numbers.

Even if the two threats she worried about emerged, Shinichi believed that the chances of a direct confrontation with them were low.

But we do need to work hard enough to draw them out, right?

One downside to having Masquerade as an ally was that there was a chance that the enemy would be so scared that they went berserk, so it was important for Myuhi and her soldiers to fight at just the right level without making them crazy.

Within their telepathy, they looked at each other. Myuhi might have spoken casually, but the burden on her and her team was substantial, nonetheless, she smiled confidently, and after a moment of hesitation, he too smiled.

Show me what it means to be Nameless Spear.

Of course!

Ill spoil you as much as you want.

Fue!?

Shinichi brought that part up again just before they closed the call, causing panic to surface on Myuhi, as well as a hint of expectation in her reddening face. Shinichis cheeks also loosened.

Despite his somewhat mischievous expression, he quickly composed himself and shifted his focus entirely to Monica on stage.

Their eyes met, and though neither of them said anything, she definitely smiled fearlessly.

The songstress stood on the battlefield as a singer, while her guardian stood on the battlefield as her defender.

She might still be afraid, but she stood tall with her pride as a singer and her trust in them.

Monica stood there with composure. With her dignified appearance, combined with the dress, she looked just like a princess. Even the crescent moon swaying at her neckline appeared divine.

With a serious nod, Shinichi sent her off with confidence. With unwavering steps, the songstress ascended the stage, bathed in the spotlight as she presented herself to the thousands of spectators.

!!!

Seismic cheers erupted like an earthquake in the air. She raised her hand to calm the crowd, and intense sounds began to flow from the speakers.

The audience seemed to recognize the song from that, and the venues voltage rose even higher. The heavenly voice that surpassed everything captivated the people.

Ah!

Contrary to his involuntarily captivated heart, Shinichi clicked his tongue as his body swayed.

Darn it, what a troublesome body. Everything is a mess.

Shinichi understandably complained while suppressing the discomfort. Whether it was a headache, a shaky body, or the distorted vision, the moment he realized that he could deal with all the symptoms as long as he understood enough, he knew he would somehow be able to manage.

He had already verified during the rehearsal how much of a handicap fighting under her song would be, so although his body was in poor condition, it was fine as long as he could move the way he wanted.

Anyone who heard that would probably call him stupid, but it didnt matter. As he confirmed that there were no gazes on him, he disappeared via teleportation, and in the next moment, he appeared on top of the large monitor on stage as Masquerade; however, even if some recording equipment were to be directed at him, there was no way to see through the darkness that completely concealed his figure.

He wouldnt be a part of the show, but this was the best place to oversee the entire venue. It was limited only to what he could see, however. That was a huge area to cover in and of itself, but the fact that someone like him, who could normally see over 1,000km if he were to focus, would have his senses limited to such an extent was undoubtedly because of the song. He would just have to rely on modern tools to compensate.

Huh? Ah, darn it, Hina noticed.

It was a bit late, but he finally realized what felt off. This wasnt the first time he and Myuhi would be working together, but it was the first time they were sharing combat information. He had initially planned to just silently watch, but Myuhi noticed him and chose to help him.

Really, why do these curious busybodies always gather around me? At this rate, Ill never be able to repay all their good will.

Shinichi happily complained but nonetheless kept a watchful eye on the venue as he went through the information delivered to him. Nothing was amiss in the venue itself, but battles were already taking place.

So, it came to this, after all. This wont be pleasant.

Suddenly, his voice became flat. It was completely void of temperature, interest, concern, hostility, sympathy, or pity. Not even the color of his fighting spirit dyed it. That was the sort of emotionless state he was in as he, alone, looked up at the distant sky with indifferent eyes.