Combatants Will Be Dispatched - Volume 2 - Chapter 4.7

7 

After punching Russell’s giant robot’s foot, I… 

“The hell?! If you’re going to run around like that, you shouldn’t have come out in the first place!” 

“Oh, shut up! This is all part of my clever scheme! I don’t know what kind of energy you’re using, but I doubt anything that big can run for long!” 

…have been focusing on evading any attacks, running around the robot’s feet and tossing taunts at every opportunity. 

“This thing uses the pilot’s life force as fuel! A mere mortal might get exhausted quickly, but if it’s a Chimera like me at the controls, it can run for hours! Dammit, stop moving!” Russell stomps around in irritation. Each step sends a quiver through the ground, almost tripping me. 

I’m not actually waiting for him to run out of energy; I only said that to explain why I bothered to come out and start scurrying about. 

“You say that, but you seem kinda worried! No idiot’s going to take what an enemy says at face value! I’m used to endurance matches. It’ll take you hours to catch me!” 

“Grrr, you little…! Screw it! I’m going to crush your friends first while you watch!” Russell shouts, turning the robot around to resume destroying the ruins… 

“Whoa! Wh-what are you doing?! Now I’m pissed! I’m going to crush you flat!” 

…but is promptly interrupted by the shots I fire at the cockpit. He quickly resumes chasing me. 

Even if all I’m doing is buying time, this is nerve-racking. The worst part is that I don’t have a real way to fight back. 

“Oh, for the love of…! Why are you doing this?! You can’t even scratch me! Just give up and surrender already!” 

…Wait, no. I actually do have a way to fight back. 

As Russell loses patience and turns his back to me, I draw my favorite weapon from behind me. 

“Leave me an opening, and I’ll chop you to pieces!” 

Seems he let his guard down, thinking I couldn’t do anything to him. 

As the robot stands there, unconcerned with losing sight of me, I leap forward and slash with my R-Buzzsaw. 

“Wh-whoa?! Wh-what are you…?!” 

As I cut a gash into the giant robot’s ankle, it loses its balance and falls onto its butt—and I almost end up crushed underneath. That was a little too close for comfort. 

“Hey now, looks like this ancient weapon isn’t as tough as it looks. It’s pretty lame, actually!” 

“Y-you…! That’s enough !” 

Russell flies into a rage at my umpteenth taunt, but he seems to realize it’s quicker to take my companions hostage than to try to get to me directly. 

He only turns his gaze toward me and resumes demolishing the ruins. 

Looks like he figured out I was trying to buy time. Still, I can’t just let him destroy the ruins…! 

The moment of hesitation may have been my undoing as the giant robot stops attacking the walls and jumps at me, ignoring the risk of damage. 

I feel an enormous impact, and then everything seems to grow a little brighter—no, that’s not right. Seems I lost consciousness, if only for a moment. 

I’m driven by an instinctual need to escape, but I can only move my right arm. 

Crap, this isn’t good. 

I look toward Russell in the hopes I can get out of this with clever wordplay, but it seems my taunts were a little too effective. 

Sitting in the giant robot’s cockpit, Russell wears the creepily ruthless smile only children can pull off. Step by step, he makes his way toward me. 

“Don’t think I’ll let you die so easily.” 

Russell utters a line worthy of a third-rate villain. 

“That was a dumb thing to say. You’re tempting fate, you know.” 

I remain in a slumped pose, offering a warning that comes from my greater experience in villainy. 

Russell snorts mockingly, raising his arm toward me— 

—and freezes at a sound that echoes from inside the ruins. 

Guess the sound got his attention. 

“What’s making that noise?” Russell looks down at me, his features wary. 

“Wow… Can’t believe she ordered that of all things…” 

It’s a low rumble familiar to every Combat Agent. 

It’s a reassuring sound if it’s on your side, and a terrifying one if it’s not—the engine notes that every long-term Kisaragi employee can recognize in their sleep. 

At the same time, the sound of something hitting a surface rings out from inside the ruins. It’s similar to the one Russell made demolishing the walls. 

Russell’s expression slowly turns to one of alarm as the smashing noises and vibrations grow stronger. 

The source emerges from the ruins, annihilating the walls in its wake. 

“Wh-what is…?” 

Russell gapes when he sees it. 

“Sorry to keep you waiting, partner. The cavalry’s here.” The heroic line rings out from the speaker equipped on the thing’s exterior. 

I can’t blame Russell for staring. 

My badass partner is piloting a vehicle that gives Russell’s giant robot a run for its money. 

“Wh-what, wh-wh-what is that thing…?!” 

Suddenly bursting through the ruin’s wall is a giant multilegged combat vehicle, the pride of Kisaragi’s vehicle fleet. 

I don’t know who named it, but it’s a spider-shaped weapon nicknamed the Destroyer. 

Russell stands agape, staring at it in confusion. 

I, in turn, do the same thing that Alice did when I took on Gadalkand. 

Forcing my pain-racked body to move, I turn to Alice riding inside the Destroyer. 

“Get him!” 

I hold up my right arm and give her a thumbs-up—!