When the special drone began firing, those fragments appeared to be magnetically drawn into each bullet, one by one, effectively neutralizing the rounds from the rotating gun. Sakamoto and Hayato exchanged relieved glances as Airi murmured:
Airi: “This isn’t going to last forever.”
Without wasting a second, the trio bolted for the exit, the black powder cloud trailing behind them and intercepting bullets as they ran. With every shot that the powder blocked, its supply gradually dwindled. As they sprinted, Sakamoto slowed down slightly to stay by Airi’s side, who was limping from an earlier bullet injury. Hayato handed the flash drive to Airi, who quickly inserted it into her watch—even though the device still hadn’t reactivated from the earlier EMP.
Hayato: “Tell me this wasn’t for nothing.”
Airi: “It wasn’t. Just give it another ten minutes, and both my watch and the enemy drones will be back online.”
Hayato: “I wish I hadn’t asked…”
They managed to escape the confines of the military base, though the special drone continued to pursue them. As the black powder dissipated, they ducked behind a cluster of trees to hide. After a few more shots, the drone’s ammunition finally ran low. In a desperate move, it pulled a laser sword from its leg.
Sakamoto: “I can buy us some time—while you two run for the car!”
Sakamoto attempted to hand the car keys to Airi, but she pretended not to notice.
Airi: “No way!”
Sakamoto: “That’s an order!”
Airi: “I’m not following orders like that! Either everyone lives, or everyone dies!”
Tears threatened to spill from Airi’s eyes as the tension escalated.
Hayato: “Hey! I’d rather not die.”
Hayato’s words broke the grim mood, and Sakamoto conceded:
Sakamoto: “You’re right. We need to get out of here alive!”
Sakamoto emerged from behind the trees to confront the special drone.
Airi: “If you die, we all die. We’re not going anywhere.”
Hayato tried to move away, but Airi grabbed his arm to keep him close. The special drone lunged at Sakamoto, attempting a slicing attack. Sakamoto responded with a swift blow to the drone’s chin, followed by a flurry of punches to its belly and ribs. Each strike landed with a resounding impact, denting the drone’s chassis. An experienced boxer, Sakamoto circled the drone, landing dozens of powerful punches. Soon, his hands were slick with his own blood.
Sakamoto: “Let’s get to the car!”
Now solely focused on evading further damage, Sakamoto maneuvered with his boxing expertise as he led Airi and Hayato toward the vehicle. The special drone, severely damaged, abandoned its focus on Sakamoto and lunged toward Airi and Hayato. Airi tossed the car keys to Hayato.
Airi: “Start the car!”
Hayato: “Okay!”
Airi then paused and tried to lure the drone to the right—a relatively easy target given her injuries. As the drone approached, maneuvering past a tree, it failed to notice a thin steel cable strung low between two trees. The moment it brushed against the cable, an elaborate trap sprung forth: multiple thin steel wires erupted from nearby trees, ensnaring the drone and immobilizing it.
Airi (smiling confidently): “Good thing I set up this backup trap.”
Within seconds, however, the special drone began tearing the wires apart. Sakamoto had already caught up, but he could only watch as the drone broke free of the trap. The moment it saw Hayato reaching the car, it shifted its attack toward him. Sakamoto quickly dodged the incoming strike, yet the drone pressed on, targeting Hayato, who was already starting the car.
A desperate cry rang out:
Sakamoto: “Hayato!”
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
The car roared to life, and the drone leaped onto its front hood. With a flash of its laser sword, the drone slashed off the car’s roof. Hayato froze, uncertain of what to do next, as the drone aimed to eliminate him. Before it could land a fatal blow, Sakamoto charged through the open passenger door and, with every ounce of strength, yanked the drone’s arm away from Hayato. In the process, the drone’s laser sword severed Sakamoto’s right arm, its blade clinging momentarily to the car’s metal. Not wasting a moment, Sakamoto used his remaining left arm to grab the drone’s arm, pinning it with all his might.
Sakamoto: “Floor it, Hayato!”
Hayato slammed the accelerator. The car surged forward at breakneck speed, crashing headlong into a tree. The violent collision obliterated the car and split the special drone in half. Hayato blacked out from the impact, but his seatbelt saved him, and he quickly regained consciousness. Sakamoto, meanwhile, lay unconscious but still clutching the drone’s severed arm—the force of the collision had ripped it from him.
For a fleeting moment, Hayato allowed himself a brief celebration as he looked upon the defeated drone.
Hayato: “We did it… we actually did it!”
Sakamoto stirred as he heard Hayato’s voice.
Sakamoto: “Yeah, well done, kid.” But almost immediately, Sakamoto slumped back into unconsciousness. That’s when Hayato realized the severity of Sakamoto’s injuries.
Hayato (shouting): “No! No! No! He’s not going to die now!”
Airi rushed to the wreckage, her eyes filling with tears as she saw Sakamoto—unconscious and missing his right arm. Before she could mourn, the sound of sirens, police cars, and ambulances filled the air.
Airi: “He can still be saved!”
In a flurry, Airi began scanning the data on the flash drive using her watch, though Hayato couldn’t quite understand what she was doing. Soon, police arrived, weapons drawn, but upon recognizing Airi and Sakamoto, their confusion was evident.
Airi: “Sakamoto needs medical attention!”
The officers lowered their weapons as paramedics hurried to extract Sakamoto from the wreckage. He was loaded onto a stretcher and rushed away.
Airi continued scrutinizing the flash drive data without pause. The police escorted her to a building near the station where she and Sakamoto worked. Inside, she was led to a small room with a table at its center. Standing around the table were several men unfamiliar to her, and even Chief Matsumoto—who oversaw both her and Sakamoto’s cases—was standing, with only one elderly man seated at the head.
Airi was seated and kept poring over the data.
Matsumoto: “Do you know what you’ve gotten yourself into?”
Ignoring him, Airi continued her review. Matsumoto’s temper flared as he slammed his hand down on the table, causing it to bend toward her.
Matsumoto: “I’m talking to you, young lady! Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
At last, Airi finished reviewing the data. With a sudden motion, Matsumoto struck her head hard against the table.
Airi: “Done.”
She lifted her head, blood trickling from her nose, and stared unflinchingly into Matsumoto’s eyes, causing him to recoil momentarily.
Airi: “I know what I’ve gotten into, but it seems you all have no idea either.”
Matsumoto hesitated for a moment, but Airi pressed on:
Airi: “Did you really think no one would uncover the drone hacking behind last year’s attack? And you even bought a special drone to prevent future hacks—imagine what the media would say about that.”
At that, all the men in the room drew their weapons and pointed them at Airi—except for one, an elderly man who appeared to be the leader of them all. He spoke in a low, menacing tone:
Elder: “Do you really think you’ll walk out of here alive after this?”
Airi: “Do you really think that killing me will stop the data from leaking? It’s not just this data—it's plans, funding, secret operations, and every piece of sensitive army information. All of it is here.”
She pointed decisively at her watch.
The elder moved closer, pressing a gun against her head.
Elder: “Take off the watch!”
Calmly, Airi removed her watch and placed it on the table.
Airi: “I’ve already uploaded all the data to cloud servers in several countries. In two hours, if I don’t stop it, the information will be public.”
She shoved the watch toward the elder. He snatched it and handed it to a young man, who after several minutes confirmed:
Young Man: “All the data is here… There’s no way to shut down that many servers in time.”
The elder raised one hand, fingers extended, and signaled for everyone to lower their weapons. Then he spoke:
Elder: “What do you intend to do, girl? I could kill you right here, or do something even worse—let you live and ensure that your life becomes a living hell from now on.”
His voice was calm yet terrifying. Airi’s heart pounded as she considered his words.
Airi: “I want to negotiate.”
The elder frowned.
Elder: “And what do I get out of this? It seems I only have losses here. You destroyed several drones—including the special drone—and caused millions in damage, and now you want to negotiate to avoid further losses?”
The elder rose from his chair and began to exit the room.
Airi: “I will arrest the mastermind behind the massacre. I saw in the records how important that was to you—the humiliation of the army, the millions wasted on investigations. General Takeda!”
The elder halted just before the door. His gaze hardened as he spoke.
General Takeda: “And what guarantees do I have that you’ll catch the criminal?”
Airi: “I already have a few suspects, and I can share the data with you to prove I’m not lying—but I have two conditions.”
General Takeda’s interest was piqued.
General Takeda: “You want more? Go on.”
Airi met his gaze steadily.
Airi: “First, I want the best treatment and support for Sakamoto—in the top hospitals.”
General Takeda frowned.
General Takeda: “And the second?”
Airi glanced at Matsumoto, who shuddered.
Airi: “I want him out of my way.”
Matsumoto: “You—!”
Matsumoto’s anger flared and he lunged at Airi, but Takeda signaled, and the other men restrained him.
General Takeda: “I hope you know what happens to those who disappoint me.”
Takeda exited the room, and the door slowly closed behind him.