The aftermath of the mecha robot's explosion has filled this area. Debris is scattered everywhere, and the ruins of several surrounding areas have once again covered the courtyard.
The mecha robot just set off a huge explosion.
Luckily, we all managed to dodge it, though there were some minor injuries and scratches from the flying debris.
"Goddamn! This thing's a tough nut to crack...!"
Kenjiro told his teammates to get ready to attack the robot again.
"Alright, Listen up…! We're going back for that tin can. Brenner, Yumiki, draw its fire. Give me an opening. I'm taking it down for good this time…!"
"Aight, Cap! No doubt…!"
Instantly, Yumiki charged forward with all her strength, her blades flashing through the air. She sliced through the air, trying to bring the robot down. Brenner moved alongside her, his fists pounding the robot's body continuously. The two of them became the perfect bait.
Rin, who was behind Kenjiro, quickly took a safe position to try hacking the robot's system.
While the robot was busy with Yumiki and Brenner's attacks, Kenjiro was getting ready to fire an RPG at it when it appeared out of his blind spot.
"Alright, time for a little 'shock and awe'...!" His grin was almost audible.
"...Go…! Get clear…!"
BOOM...!!
A strong attack hit the robot's main parts.
I watched their moves. They were a group of crazies, their coordination nearly perfect despite the desperate situation.
"Tch…!"
But their attack still couldn't bring down the mecha robot. Its iron armor was still able to withstand the missiles that should have destroyed it.
The Executioner Robot was still standing tall, though its black armor was covered in scratches and shards from the previous battle.
"Damn, that was inefficient…!"
I tried to study the robot's movements to find another way to beat it. My hacking abilities weren't enough to get past its security protocols. I couldn't get in there and destroy its core from the inside.
The robot started moving again right away and counterattacked.
A bunch of micro-missiles from the robot's shoulders ignited, ready to be launched.
BOOOOOM…!!! BOOOOM…!!! BOOOOMM!!!
"Tch…!!"
"Dammit…! This ain't just an attack, it's a bloody wipeout…!"
A huge explosion wave hit the area again. The air pressure threw everyone backward. Dust and debris filled the air, making it hard to see.
I was thrown back, hitting the wall. I felt pain spreading across my back.
Yumiki took a spill and rolled, stabbing his blades into the floor to stop himself from being thrown any further. Kenjiro took a hard hit, but he got up and let out a growl. Brenner and Rin were also thrown back, gasping for breath.
The robot kicked off the scan in its eyes right away. This time, it scanned the targets in the middle: Kenjiro and Rin.
Without hesitation, the robot lunged toward them, attacking again without mercy.
However, Brenner struck it swiftly, though it felt incredibly painful.
Daaugh…!!!
He pushed himself forward, keeping the robot from moving. His muscles tensed, and the veins in his neck bulged. He looked as though he would destroy himself to hold back the monster.
"You ain't blowin' nothin' up 'cept this fist in your face…!"
The robot immediately activated the scanner in its eyes again and tried to attack Brenner. Its left hand lunged forward, attempting to tear into his body.
"Tch... Yo, y'all better figure somethin' out! I'm holdin' this big homie down, but I ain't got all day…!"
I could hardly believe what I was seeing.
"Damn, he's this strong…?"
Brenner was strong, but the robot was a walking fortress. Every muscle strained, but it refused to give in. Blood trickled from the gaps between its claws on the mecha's arm. This was a battle of courage against a merciless machine.
"Hufft…Dammit. This thing's a tank…If physical attacks don't work, there must be another way…!!"
"How about it, Rin? Did you manage to hack into the robot's system?"
"Damn it…! The core protocol's a brick wall. Their armor's got serious redundancy."
She continued typing at high speed, trying every possible way to break through and destroy the mecha robot's security protocol.
"No worries, though. I'll just find another back door. There's always another back door."
I was doing the same thing as Rin, trying to scan the network, but the core remained impenetrable.
Kenjiro stood tall, trying to make the best decision. At this point, however, it seemed futile.
"Alright, listen up, team. I'm not in the business of heroic last stands today. Our number one priority is getting out of this joint alive. If this next hit still doesn't crack that core, then we're switching to evac mode, understood…?" His eyes swept over them.
"Move out…!"
"Tch. Aight, I'm layin' this damn thing out..!"
Yumiki moved toward the mecha robot and attacked it brutally. Her blades flashed as she aimed for every opening to pierce its core.
Kenjiro immediately prepared himself again, raising his rocket launcher.
However, right before he fired, he looked over at me, who was standing next to the robot.
"Hey, you gonna stand there and watch, you bastard…?" Kenjiro shouted.
I glanced at him for a moment.
"Tch…! You think I'm just standing here admiring the view? I'm busting my ass trying to hack this thing, but like your buddy said, this system's a goddamn brick wall! Can't get a damn foot in!..."
Kenjiro stared at me in disbelief, his eyes wide.
"Hacking, huh? Last I checked, you were just standing there, lookin' like a damn statue. What kind of black magic you pullin'? Dammit...!
"... "Nah, I don't need a gadget to hack…"
"They turned my damn eyes into gizmos hooked straight into their network, asshole!"
"Wow…! Fancy…!"
Commotion broke out in this critical situation. He couldn't believe what I had done.
However, her partner, Yumiki, told Kenjiro to shoot again immediately.
"What the hell are you waiting for, Kenjiro…?! Get on it! Don't be a damn statue! Shoot!"
"Yeah, yeah, coming through…!"
"Take this, pal…!"
BOOOM…!!
Kenjiro fired another high-powered bullet at the robot. Another powerful explosion hit it.
The robot was thrown back a little.
But it still wouldn't go down.
"Tch... damn…!"
They were all frustrated and would probably resort to their last resort soon to escape this place.
I stared at the robot as it paused for a moment. My eyes focused on a certain point. Sure enough, even though it couldn't be knocked down, it seemed to be processing something to repair its firewall network and protect its core. That must be a pause.
When the mecha robot's visual sensors were hit by a barrage of attacks, its core attempted to repair the firewall network.
However, Rin continued to send out signal waves that disrupted the recovery process slightly.
At that moment, a pop-up window briefly appeared, displaying information as it scanned again:
[NETWORK INTERFERENCE: Please wait and try again.]
"Well... bingo...!!!"
I stared at Rin, the ghost. She was still trying to hack the mecha robot. I immediately walked closer to her.
"Hey, you…! You can't penetrate the firewall, right…?"
Rin gritted her teeth, typing furiously on her gadget.
"Ugh… this firewall is a nightmare! It keeps patching itself every time I get near the core. It's adaptive."
"Well… Listen carefully!" I grinned again.
"Alright, here's the deal. Firewall rebuilds every five clicks after damage. There's a microsecond window in between. We blast it before it fully recovers. That's our shot…!"
Rin was silent for a moment, then her expression changed.
"Hmmm... Damn it…! That makes sense…!"
"Well, here's the plan: brute-force overload in that gap. We'll spam the hell out of that firewall to keep it confused…!"
I'll pinpoint the damn gap for you. After that? Hit it hard and don't stop…!"
Rin grinned slightly.
"Heh, you're pretty smart, too, boy…!"
"...Damn right, I am. Now quit staring and let's get this done…!"
"Okay, I'll run with that…! I'll try it your way…!"
Rin immediately started entering new commands into the program.
"Tch… let's make this AI bastard cough up its guts…!"
I looked over at the others, Yumiki and Brenner.
"Hey there… I need a minute here! Can you two keep that scrap metal off my back for a bit…?"
They were confused by my shout.
Then, Kenjiro snorted.
"Whoa there, look at you, acting like a leader already…!"
He cocked his weapon again.
"Can't you see, huh…? We've been trying to beat it to death since earlier!"
Yumiki, who had overheard this, also became emotional.
"Get out of my damn sight if you're just gonna stand there! Or I'll cut you down right where you are, you worthless piece of shit…!"
Meanwhile, Brenner just shook his head.
"She ain't wrong, though…! You messin' with the wrong one, fam…!"
But Rin shouted to his companions.
"Listen up, guys! This is our window! I just need a momentary system overload from him. Please! Just one again!"
Kenjiro narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment before following his comrade's orders.
"Fine, Dammit…! This is either genius or pure madness…! Let's make our names legendary in this story…!"
I refocused my gaze on the robot, waiting for the right moment. My holographic system searched for the five-second gap Rin needed and identified it.
"Yoo, let's get it…!!" Brenner shouted, clenching his fists.
"Hufft... alright…!"
Yumiki sighed and unsheathed her blades once more. She charged forward at an alarming speed, channeling every ounce of energy left in her body.
Brenner charged at the mecha robot from the front and held it back with all his might. His body collided with the robot's armor, producing a deafening crash.
Duaghht...!
After his two companions successfully blocked the mecha robot, Kenjiro advanced, firing his trusty shotgun to disrupt the robot's vision from the front.
BLARRR…!
The robot tried to attack them again. It shook its body, trying to break free from Yumiki's and Brenner's interference. But they showed no mercy. Kenjiro immediately slid backward and fired his RPG, aiming for the core protection behind the armor.
"Get ready…! everyone…!" Kenjiro shouted.
I narrowed my eyes and activated my holographic vision, preparing for action after the robot was hit.
BOOOM…!
The robot was flung backward again.
That was the moment.
It was off guard.
My holographic vision quickly displayed the flickering firewall of the mecha robot.
"Alright, I'm almost done... just a little more…!!"
"...and… Now…!!"
The robot's system was working overtime to block the incoming signal waves and prevent its core from being hacked. However, the attack had already penetrated through simultaneous frequencies in rapid succession.
Instantly, the robot's eyes displayed an odd visual as it frantically processed the data and flickered wildly.
As the signal waves continued to flood in, they attacked its core.
CRACK…!!
The firewall couldn't close the gap and block the signal waves.
I smirked.
The object-scanning ability activated again instantly, and I quickly scanned the mecha robot's system with ease.
My holographic vision flooded its internal data. I read every piece of information:
[SECURITY PROTOCOL]
[WEAPONS SYSTEM]
[DEVELOPMENT MODE]
[ADVANCED SETTINGS]
until I found the option I wanted.
[EXECUTE]
"You're done, bastard…!"
BZZZZZZZZT!
The mecha robot's eyes flickered wildly from bright red to orange. Its voice turned into a series of broken, distorted words, like a damaged tape.
"ERROR...PROTOKOL E—M—E—R—G—E..."
The system continued to try to repair itself, but it slowly began to burn, with sparks flying all over its body.
Thick smoke billowed from every crack in its armor. It didn't have time to fire its plasma cannon again.
It had lost control and was firing wildly in all directions. Its missiles streaked through the air, crashing into walls and shattering the already scattered debris.
Those of us in the front jumped back and watched the robot, which was now moving erratically, until it finally collapsed to the ground with a loud thud.
"Bingo…!"
BOOOMM…!!!
We all fell silent, staring at the burning debris.
"Yo, did we actually just pull that off…?" Brenner slowly shook his head
I smiled tiredly. My pupils felt so hot that they almost burned my eyelids, and every muscle in my body trembled uncontrollably.
"Holy hell, that took more out of me than I expected…!"
"It's Over…!" Kenjiro chuckled.
Rin collapsed, her fingers still trembling slightly, a soft, exhausted laugh escaping her lips.
"Yeah… we did it. That was... something else."
Yumiki remained silent, staring at the pile of scrap metal that used to be the mecha robot. Her face was expressionless.
.
.
.
After a while, they quickly returned to the vehicle. They approached the combat van that had been severely damaged by the robot's missile.
"Man, this thing's lookin' rough…! Gotta get this thing patched up when we're back at base, for real…!"
"It's a miracle, honestly. We're in deep trouble if this thing decides to break."
"Haha... Nah, man, this vehicle ain't never gonna quit. It's got the same stubborn code as that robot. Think it just takes a beating for fun."
I stared at them as they prepared to leave.
I quickly rushed toward them.
"Hay…! You remember I'm still asking you to take me away from this hell!"
Kenjiro turned to look at me.
"Hmmm, you're still annoying. But we don't know who you are exactly…!"
Yumiki looked at me, her expression still cold as if she didn't care.
I hissed in annoyance.
"Tch…! Look, my memory's a fucking mess right now…! But we have the same enemy! I don't know where else to go, so please take me with you…!"
Kenjiro raised his eyebrows. He glanced at me, looking me up and down.
"Hufft... Can you fight?"
I raised my hand, which was still trembling from the earlier hacking.
"What the hell?! I just helped you put down that armored monster, dammit…!"
Suddenly, Rin, a ghost, turned her head.
"Exactly, Kenjiro. Without him, we would've been toast a minute ago…!"
"Argh…! I get it…! I just want to know if he's useful to us…!"
Rin turned to Yumiki.
"So, Yumiki, what's your read on him?"
Yumiki glanced at me. Her gaze was still cold, but there was a moment of hesitation in it.
"Hufft... I don't know. We'd better leave this place before something worse happens…!"
Kenjiro sighed. After a few seconds of consideration, he finally nodded.
"All right, you can come with us. But we'll kill you if you're found to be a spy for O.R.B.B.I.T Corp...!"
Brenner, the burly man, grinned at me.
"Yo, ain't no gettin' away when Luchsa sets her sights on you, my dude! You're locked in…!"
I smiled slightly, feeling relieved and happy. This was my chance, a way out of this hell.
"Hah... Alright. Thanks.
Kenjiro ordered Brenner to leave immediately.
"Come on, Guys. We've to leave now…!"
"Aight, Cap...! We're gonna need to restart the party after this long-ass day!"
He pressed the gas pedal harder, and the heavy-duty van sped off, leaving the shattered parking lot behind.
…
In the meantime,
The corridor was pretty much a mess.
In the mess of rubble and bodies of soldiers,
Someone was moving.
There were footsteps, and then a guy in a suit looked down at the dead body of Professor Kurokawa, who had been killed in a gruesome way.
The man bends down, staring at the remains of the professor with a look of horror on his face.
"Kurokawa, you messed up big time…!" he says, sounding pretty angry.
He reaches into his jacket, searching for a device that's barely registering. The professor types something with his fingers, then activates the communication signal.
.
.
.
It looks like he's reaching out to someone.
"This base is a mess... we need help from central headquarters right away... and Kurokawa has released the anomalous subject..."
He quickly walked away from that place.
...
The combat vehicle drove steadily down the road, leaving the district behind.
Inside, the atmosphere was still tense.
I sat in one of the back seats, holding my head, which was aching from the fight earlier.
Kenjiro leaned back with his arms crossed, his shotgun lying beside him. Brenner looked at the rearview mirror every now and then, while Yumiki sat in the middle, treating her wounds and keeping an eye on what was going on behind them. Meanwhile, Rin was still busy with her gadget screen and occasionally helped Yumiki treat herself.
That is, until Kenjiro spoke up.
"Hey, pal. I still don't know your name, so who are you really…?"
I fell silent for a moment, staring at my hands and body, trying to remember something… anything… that could explain who I really was.
"I... don't know for sure...! But the professor I met told me my name is Rinne Eisenhardt…!"
Kenjiro looked a bit doubtful.
"Huh…?"
Everyone fell silent for a moment. Rin gave me a suspicious look, her eyes narrowing.
"Wait, you don't remember who you are...?"
I shook my head.
"One thing's for sure. I used to be a Ghost. I know how to hack into systems. I know how to fight in a digital war. Other than that, my memories are still a bit hazy..."
"...The old man also told me that I had been asleep for several years. I have no idea what that crazy corporation did to me..."
They all gave me a suspicious look.
Kenjiro looked at me like he was trying to read my mind.
"The past, huh? So, you're not from around here, or around now, I guess. This could get complicated. Spill it…!"
"hmmm… The last thing I remember is that I was trying to break into their security system, but before I could escape, they caught me. They beat me up, and then everything went dark…!"
"Wow, that's pretty crazy..."
Rin's lips curved into a subtle, charming smile, her eyes sparkling with an almost mischievous glint.
"Well, this just got significantly more intriguing. Never thought we'd encounter a living legend in here. You're exactly the kind of wildcard that could simplify our current predicament. I'm counting on you."
Yumiki was still on the fence about me and made a cutting remark.
"Don't trust him. Could be playing us. Could be part of their game."
Brenner nodded in agreement.
"Yo, straight up, nobody just hacks O.R.B.B.I.T. Corp's system clean. No trace? Nah, man. If he ain't a legend we already know, then this dude's some next-level bullshit."
I didn't say a word when I heard that, and it just made me more confused and wonder who I really was.
But Kenjiro quickly calmed everyone down.
"Okay, we'll check later if he's really trustworthy or not..."
"Alright, enough speculation. We'll run a background check on him later. Right now, he's must... useful for us…!"
"Tch…!!"
It was honestly so annoying.
The silence returned, broken only by the sound of the car's engine.