Combatants Will Be Dispatched - Volume 6 - Chapter 4.4

4

Rose, who’s waiting for us at the entrance to Hideout City, cries out as soon as she sees us.

“M-Ms. Viper?! Ms. Heine! And Mr. Russell, too!”

Viper is horribly disheveled and carrying an unconscious Heine in her arms. Russell, who is still unconscious, is now on my back.

The royal army started their retreat under Snow as Viper and Heine held off the mysterious approaching forces equipped with powerful weaponry.

Afterward, Alice and I hid ourselves using the optical camo we received from Kisaragi just in case Viper and Heine were in trouble, but—

“We’re all right. Heine and Russell are unconscious, but they’re not badly hurt.”

Viper smiles reassuringly as Rose comes to greet us.

The soldiers of the royal army didn’t suffer a single casualty and made it out with light wounds after trying to capture the giant cat. They likely would’ve fared far worse if they had engaged the new enemy.

Apparently Heine developed some new attacks with her powerful sorcerer stone, and she destroyed two APCs using super-concentrated flames. But she was hit by something that resembled a taser, and the shock rendered her unconscious.

In the end, the one who took the most damage was…

“Vi, you’re the worst hurt of the group, so leave Heine to Rose, and let’s take you to the infirmary. I know you’re strong, but you shouldn’t risk your own well-being much. You were pretty close to turning into a giant, you know.”

“I-I’m sorry, Mr. Six… I let them get the better of me despite being a Kisaragi leader…”

Viper had fearlessly faced the mysterious enemy by herself and leaped at the sturdy APC with her signature flying kick known as the Demon Lord Punch.

Although the mysterious enemy hit Viper with the same taser-like weapon, she didn’t seem to suffer any damage from it, and the enemy forces looked on in shock as she flipped over APCs, one after another. They hesitated before opening fire with their weapons, as if they had run out of options.

Against that gunfire, Viper slowed time so she could see the bullets and used her bracers to deflect them, then picked up Heine, using her back as a shield, and began her retreat.

She took a hail of gunfire to her back and somehow managed to join us after we emerged from our hiding space. And we then retreated with Viper still wounded.

“M-Ms. Viper, your back looks terrible! I’ll take care of Ms. Heine, so please, go get treated!”

Viper smiles to Rose as Rose takes Heine from her in a panic.

“It only looks like I’m seriously hurt because my mutant suit is in tatters. But as you can see, I’m fine, though I do appreciate your concern, Rose.”

Viper’s voice is calm, but she just had countless bullets removed from her back and received a medical nanobot injection as well.

While it looks like she finished healing on the surface, she still has a lot of internal damage and blood loss to deal with.

It’s a wonder she’s still upright. She must be putting on a brave face for Rose and the demons.

“The enemy must’ve been really strong if all of you got so hurt. I mean, even my fellow chimera Mr. Russell’s down, so I don’t know how much use I would have been, either…”

Rose seems troubled, but the one who took out Russell was actually me…

It’s then that Alice shakes her head with a frustrated look.

“The enemy was certainly powerful, but they were holding back. If anything, they didn’t show much interest in the retreating royal army. Their primary interest seemed to be the giant monster that was about to be captured.”

“Oh, right. They all had guns but they only used them on Vi.”

And there had been no sign of Adelie in that group.

It’s possible that Adelie, as an intelligence operative, doesn’t participate in war. If that’s not the case, it doesn’t make sense for them to leave such a powerful asset unused.

As we’re contemplating the bizarre behavior of our enemies…

“I’m sorry, may I rest a little?” asks Viper, pale from blood loss.

“No, you may not rest for a little. You’re going to rest until you’re fully healed. I’m the medic for Six’s squad, so you need to listen to your doctor.”

“…I understand. I’ll leave the rest to you, Ms. Alice.”

At Alice’s words, Viper starts to make her way toward Hideout City’s infirmary, but she furrowed her brow a moment and stops, as though debating something in her mind.

Viper turns and calls to me with an apologetic expression.

“…Um, Mr. Six.”

“Yes, Sexy-Tattered-Suit Viper? What is it?”

“I-is it really that sexy?! As a leader of an evil organization, I suppose I should be happy, but… No, that’s not it…”

After enduring my teasing, Viper raised her gaze from the floor to meet my eyes.

“Despite the fact that you accepted all my people and even saved my life, then hired me as a leader…I’m very sorry for failing you when I had the chance to repay you for everything.”

Viper lowers her head in apology, but I think she did the most work out of all of us.

“No, no, Vi, you’re doing fine. You’re the one doing the most for us, and you’re always up late working. Everyone’s worried about you, Vi. You push yourself too hard.”

Without Viper covering the retreat, we may very well have suffered some losses.

Covering a retreat is the most dangerous job on a battlefield.

While no one was saying it aloud, everyone thoroughly appreciated the fact that Viper had volunteered to take on that dangerous task.

Viper blushes a little then, swaying as she makes her way toward the infirmary.

As I watch Viper limp away and can’t find any words to direct at her exposed, small shoulders, Alice speaks up.

“I have a good sense of what you’re thinking, partner. But first, we need to head to the palace. Getting revenge for Viper comes after.”

It looks like our high-spec pretty-girl android has learned to read people’s emotions.

I wasn’t able to trust her completely, so this time I’m going to put all my faith in my partner.