Thunder—!!!
Bzzz~
A streak of violet blade light that filled the entire field of vision cleaved through the void, slicing apart the mass of mechs in front of her just as they were about to activate their weapon systems. The lingering violet corrosion erased the remaining wreckage completely, leaving not even a frame behind.
Crash~
The surrounding ground and buildings were caught in the sweep of that blade light. Deep gashes split across the earth, and the structures were forcibly severed in half.
In an instant, this entire GHQ force was annihilated. Only the distant command vehicle remained, along with Daryl standing off to the side, frozen in shock.
"What—!!! What the hell just happened?!"
After several deafening explosions outside the vehicle, the screen before him abruptly lost signal. The soldiers' screams crackled intermittently through his headset. Yan was drenched in sweat, his face pale. His hands braced against the console trembled uncontrollably. Everything had happened too suddenly—so suddenly he had yet to process it.
"Sir! We're under attack!! The enemy is a woman—we can't see her clearly!"
A soldier who still had breath left shouted through the comms.
"Hah?! Then counterattack!! Where are the mechs?! Use the mechs!!"
He roared in confusion.
"It's useless! The mechs were just destroyed by her—!"
Bzzz—!!
The transmission cut off mid-sentence, leaving only a piercing static noise.
"Damn it!!!"
Bang!
He kicked over the chair beside him and cursed viciously.
...Funeral Parlor?!
But...how could they possess such overwhelming combat power?!
"—! Lieutenant Daryl! Are you still there?!"
He suddenly remembered Yan outside and hurriedly switched channels on the communicator.
On the other side—
"...! What the hell is that?! A—a monster?!"
Daryl had long since stopped paying attention to the unconscious woman beneath his foot. He released her and collapsed onto the ground, legs giving out, staring at the army being slaughtered by a single person. The sheer impact of the scene left him momentarily incapable of movement.
[—! Lieutenant Daryl! Are you still there?!]
Yan's panicked voice echoed through his earpiece. That frantic tone snapped him back to his senses.
"Shut up, you fat pig!"
He shouted irritably, then glanced again at the violet light weaving through the battlefield. He swallowed hard before letting out an unhinged chuckle.
"Heh heh~! Not bad~! This just got interesting!"
He exclaimed loudly, scrambling to his feet in a sorry state. Ignoring the carnage around him, he sprinted toward the concealed mech cockpit nearby.
"...?"
The Shogun noticed Daryl's movement from the corner of her eye but did not intervene. Someone else would handle it. That was part of the plan.
Boom!
Without even lifting her hand, she merely glanced at a soldier staggering to his feet nearby. A bolt of thunder descended, charring him black. She was enjoying the slaughter and paid no mind to whether the other members of Funeral Parlor saw her current appearance. They would certainly be shocked—but that was hardly her concern.
The Gautier unit's defining characteristic was the separation between pilot and body. The cockpit and mech were not integrated. Through remote guidance, the cockpit activated a distant Gautier unit. However, the pilot's neural system was tightly linked to the machine, meaning pain was shared. In extreme danger, a nearby technician would trigger emergency separation to prevent irreversible brain damage.
Daryl's Gautier was a customized silver-white model—more advanced, highly mobile, devastating in firepower, and heavily armored.
"Huff...huff...just you wait, you bitch!"
Panting heavily, he rushed into the truck housing his cockpit, sat down, donned his helmet, and synchronized with the Gautier stationed in the distance.
Bzzz!
Light flickered in the mech's cameras. The unit powered on.
Hum~
Through the monitors, Tsugumi saw the Gautier activating—
"Gai...the target's moving!"
"I know. Inori, it's time!"
Standing atop the overpass, Gai immediately called out after receiving Tsugumi's report.
"Mm..."
Inori, who had been hiding near the battlefield, moved at once. But as she turned, she saw a soldier running toward her. Biting her lip lightly, she flashed forward in an instant and appeared before him.
"Ugh!!"
Bang bang!!
He instinctively opened fire—however—
Hum~
In that instant, Inori activated the King's power in her right hand and plunged it into his chest. Since he was already an adult, no Void was extracted. Instead, she clenched her fingers tightly.
Crack!
"Aaaah!!"
Something shattered. His body crystallized and broke apart.
Whoosh!
Ignoring him, Inori sprinted toward the staircase leading upward.
Tap tap! ×N
Her footsteps were rapid and familiar. Glancing at the terminal's map and the moving red dot, she memorized the general location, put the device away, and kicked the door open with a bang. Immediately in her sight was the Gautier controlled by Daryl passing below.
"...!"
Pressing her lips together, she broke into a run toward the path it would take and vaulted cleanly over the railing.
Click!
Her feet braced against the edge. Her thighs exerted force.
Bang!
She leapt into the sky—her body tracing a gorgeous arc like a swimming fish, silver Void particles shimmering around her like flowing threads.
"Wha—?! What the hell is that?!"
Daryl reflexively raised his gun toward the backlit figure above.
Floating midair, Inori saw the motion. She grasped at the air before her with her right hand. As she did, the silver threads of Void around her intensified until—
Hum!
A hollow opened in her chest. Countless silver strands were drawn out and gathered in her hand, forming the shape of a massive Void greatsword. Her sakura-colored eyes glowed red, her slender body radiant like a goddess.
"...!"
Daryl froze for a split second—then snapped out of it, activating the weapon system and sweeping fire into the sky.
Bang! ×N
Holding the greatsword far taller than herself with both hands, Inori performed a midair double step, evading the bullets with extreme agility. Spinning like a thrown blade, she accelerated downward, crashing into the ground and carving out a crater. Before he could react, she flashed to the mech's leg and slashed.
Crack!
Her form dissolved into silver threads—slicing across its arm.
Another slash!
Whoosh!
The mech's thigh and arm were severed and torn free.
"Aaaah!!!"
Daryl screamed as the pain transmitted directly into the cockpit, his body convulsing violently.
"!"
Hardening her resolve, Inori kicked off the mech's body, flipped gracefully through the air, and drove the greatsword into the unit's left eye.
Splurt!
It pierced straight through.
"Aaaahhh!!! My eye!!!"
Inside the cockpit, Daryl descended into madness.
He had completely lost combat capability, slumping unconscious inside the cockpit. Inori had to move quickly. She withdrew the Void greatsword back into her body and, using the Void's power, made a massive leap toward the direction he had come from.
As expected!
In the corner stood a truck, its rear compartment half-open. Inside was Daryl, on the verge of passing out.
Without hesitation, she leapt onto the truck bed. As he attempted to rise, she lifted her beautiful leg and stomped down on his arm, forcing him brutally back into the cockpit.
Having finally seen her face clearly, Daryl tried to curse—but suddenly felt searing pain in his chest.
Hum~
Inori thrust her slender hand, glowing with silver particles, directly into the hollow at his chest resonating with the Void and drew it out.
"Aaaah!!"
His eyes rolled back as he screamed uncontrollably.
Hum~
After extracting a Void resembling a launcher gun, she did not spare him another glance and left immediately.
[Listen carefully...Inori. After Mio launches the first wave of attack, watch Daryl's movements and keep your distance. The moment he enters his mech, I'll contact you again. Get as close to him as possible, disable him, and extract his Void. His Void will be of tremendous help—it is the key.]
Recalling Gai's earlier plan, her gaze sharpened slightly as she ran toward the designated objective area.
"Gai...it's done on this side."
She opened the radio and spoke to Gai.
[Ah...good work, Inori.]
With that, the path was cleared. Gai switched frequencies to Ayase and the others.
"Dayun, you can move now."
[Leave it to me!]
The Funeral Parlor unit that had long been lying in ambush launched their assault instantly, catching the reinforcing GHQ soldiers completely off guard and wiping them out in one sweep.
They seized the elevated positions surrounding the central command vehicle where Yan was located.
"Red, Blue, Yellow—suppression complete at all points!"
Listening to Tsugumi's report...Gai and Sextant stepped out from beneath the overpass, exposing themselves in the open space between the buildings. The nearby Funeral Parlor members, already in position, looked toward them. Gai gave a hand signal.
"Ayase-nee, we'll leave our 'children' to you, okay?"
Tsugumi tapped rapidly on the keyboard, then looked toward Ayase, who had already entered the cockpit.
"Mm...leave it to me."
Ayase activated the unit and released a large number of spider-like micro-robots from the container at the rear. They scuttled past the Funeral Parlor soldiers, leaping down from the heights onto the overpass, surrounding the central command vehicle together with the others.
Meanwhile—
Inside the main control room, Yan was in utter panic.
"Damn it, Lieutenant Daryl! Daryl!!! Respond when you hear me!!"
Bzzz!
Only chaotic static answered him. The signal had clearly been cut.
It seemed quiet outside now... He grew uneasy and tried to access the cameras—but the next second—
Boom!
"Eek!!!"
A streak of blade light sliced off the rear of the vehicle he was in, exposing the cross-section of their compartment.
"What the hell?!"
The only soldier beside him grabbed his rifle and aimed toward the opening—but—
Hum!
Splurt!
"Aaaah!"
A shadow flashed behind him. With a single stroke, he was decapitated. His body was instantly devoured by violet light and turned to dust.
"Ah! Who—?!"
Yan instinctively reached for his gun upon seeing the woman in the windbreaker before him—but crack! She lifted her leg and stepped down onto the back of his hand pressed against the console.
"Aaaah!!"
The sharp pain of bones breaking forced a humiliating scream from his throat.
Rustle~
The Shogun slowly removed her hood, revealing her breathtakingly beautiful face. Her eyes were cold as she looked at the officer before her. Her black-stockinged leg maintained a flawless curve atop the console, the ribboned high heel beneath her foot grinding deliberately back and forth. Bones creaked under her sole.
"It hurts!! Ah!! Miss...please stop!"
Yan's face turned deathly pale as he stared at his hand being crushed beneath her heel, begging awkwardly. Yet in a blind spot she could not see, he subtly pressed a hidden button beneath the console.
[Mio...bring him outside.]
Gai's voice sounded in her earpiece.
The Shogun withdrew her leg slightly, seized him by the collar with one hand, and lifted his bulky body as though it weighed nothing. She dragged him forward and shoved him out of the vehicle.
"—!!"
When Yan was forced outside, what greeted his eyes were countless red infrared dots like a rainstorm. From rooftops, overpasses, and building windows—every direction was filled with Funeral Parlor members. The red dots covered both him and the vehicle completely.
Hum~
The Shogun pressed Musou Isshin against his neck in clear threat.
"!"
A chilling sensation bit into Yan's throat, cold sweat pouring down his face.
Tap tap! ×N
The reinforcing GHQ soldiers and mechs that had arrived earlier were already pinned down by the ambushing Funeral Parlor troops. For them, this was a dead end.
[We are Funeral Parlor. This is a warning to the commander of the Third Squad—General Yan. Release the hostages immediately and surrender. Accept these terms, and we will not annihilate you completely.]
From atop the overpass, Sextant spoke through a loudspeaker toward Yan in the center.
"Heh...how naive! Terrorists! We will never bow to terrorism. If you continue resisting, we will release the gas underground."
Though Musou Isshin pressed against his neck, Yan no longer showed fear. Instead, he wore a confident smile. Behind him, the Shogun narrowed her eyes and pressed the blade closer, yet he remained unmoved.
"Miss, you'd better give up... Communication between here and underground is linked. They are monitoring my heart rate. The moment you resist, they will release the gas. If I die and my heart stops, they'll release it as well. And...the gas disperses quickly. Even if you rush to reinforce, it will be useless. Think carefully—there are hundreds of lives down there."
Yan glanced at the woman behind him and smiled as he issued his threat.
[Mio...don't act rashly.]
Gai warned in her ear.
"..."
She did not respond. The blade remained pressed to his throat.
"Mio..."
From her concealed position, Inori looked toward the purple-haired woman in the distance, murmuring worriedly.
Tap tap! ×N
The reinforcing soldiers and mechs regained confidence and began gathering around Yan, raising their guns toward the Shogun behind him.
"Well? Call out your leader. I want to speak to him."
Yan smiled and addressed the Funeral Parlor members.
"I am the leader."
At that moment, a distant voice echoed from the overpass. Everyone turned to look—except the Shogun, whose gaze never left Yan.
Gai stood at the broken edge of the bridge, hands in his pockets, appearing before all.
"Funeral Parlor is hardly an auspicious name."
Yan sneered loudly.
"The world always forces us to choose. Survival of the fittest—that is its truth. We will forever deliver requiems to those who are cast aside. That is why we are called Funeral Parlor."
Gai's voice rang out.
"The name means we will always be the ones singing the elegy. And it also means we will always survive."
"Tch...you don't seem to understand your position. Who is it that faces elimination right now? Look at your situation. It may seem like you hold our lives—but in reality...it's the opposite!"
At Yan's command—
Click! ×N
From a blind spot far behind everyone, a row of artillery units disguised with optical camouflage suddenly materialized atop the overpass, all aimed precisely at Gai's position. A perfect counterattack.
The members of Funeral Parlor were stunned. Had the enemy prepared a backup plan all along?
"Where is the genetic weapon you stole? Speak!"
Yan seized the momentum and demanded.
"..."
Hearing this, Inori instinctively glanced at the faint mark on the back of her pale hand.
"...Never heard of such a thing."
Gai smiled as if provoking him.
Click! ×N
The artillery units locked and loaded.
"You have ten seconds. If you refuse to speak, you'll vanish from this world!"
Yan paid no attention to the blade at his throat. He was certain she would not kill him. If he died, the underground hostages would die as well. Resistance meant the same outcome. Therefore...he had won.
"10, 9, 8—"
He began counting down, the glow within the cannons intensifying.
"..."
Gai remained calm, as though waiting for something.
"...Right on schedule."
From her hidden position, Inori checked the time and lifted the Void gun she had extracted from Daryl, preparing herself.
"7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2—"
A triumphant grin spread across Yan's face as he prepared to say "1"—but Gai spoke first.
"Argo, how's it going?"
Bzzz!
[Ah~perfectly smooth. Ah...what a pity, General Yan. It's full down here~!]
To Yan's shock, Argo answered through his own channel. His line was connected to the underground parking structure—meaning—
"!!"
A chill ran down Yan's spine.
"You bastard!! Don't tell me—!!!"
[Ah, that's right~! Your troops were no match at all. We wrapped them up in no time. Gai...we've infiltrated successfully. The hostages are safe.]
This time Argo switched to public broadcast, reporting to Gai.
"Ah, good work."
Gai smiled.
"What?!!! Damn it!!! You bastards!!! F—!!!"
Splurt!!!
Before he could shout the word "fire," the Shogun slit his throat in a single stroke.