Chương 75: Chapter 20 The Eve of the Counteroffensive (Part 3 )

"I understand."

"Oh, by the way..."

"Do you have that ready?"

"We do."

"Would you like to see it?"

"Please." It had been a while since I'd ridden a motorcycle. Within a five-kilometer radius, it would let me move far faster than on foot. If necessary... I could even launch it into the air and ram a monster head-on. I'd seen a certain masked rider do far crazier things.

"Chloe."

"Before you go, could I have those materials?"

"Oh, Dr. Takatsuki."

"Of course."

"I'm not using them anyway." Three horses' worth of meat. Eyeballs. An absurd amount of warabi mochi. Human Hand Grass. And countless other ingredients. My storage ring accepted practically anything, and I'd long since stopped wondering where its limit was. The only real problem was forgetting what I'd put inside. If I did... It might stay there forever.

"Oh, right."

"Hyodo-san."

"Here."

"Candy?" If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"In that case..."

"Allow me." He handed me an entire carton of cigarettes. I had no idea whose idea that had been, but I certainly wasn't going to complain. Hyodo didn't smoke. I'd make very good use of them. Takatsuki stored every last ingredient inside his own ring before hurrying away. He had his own battlefield to fight on— creating medicine anyone could use.

"Well then."

"Let's go." He led me into the neighboring tent. There it was. My GSR250S. Even the color scheme had been perfectly recreated. It rested on its center stand. I swung a leg over the seat.... My feet no longer reached the ground. Well... Back when I had my original body, it had fit me perfectly.

"... Will you be alright?"

"No problem."

"I don't need both feet on the ground." Once a motorcycle starts moving... It keeps itself upright. Compared to other bikes in the same displacement class, the GSR250S was heavier and noticeably larger. Viewed from above, its silhouette almost resembled a squid. Still... It was honest. Predictable. Easy to ride. I climbed back off the bike.

"Anything else before deployment, Hyodo-san?" At the moment... Probably not. Once the announcement came, everyone would move into position. Judging by the sun... It was nearly noon. Might as well eat while we still had the chance.

"Nothing for now."

"Would you like to sing for morale?" Hyodo asked with a grin. Unfortunately... Performing in front of people wasn't exactly my specialty. If this were a send-off before battle, I could probably give a speech. But this wasn't a concert. And I certainly wasn't a singer.

"I can help serve food."

"But singing?"

"I'll pass."

"I'm not good with crowds."

"I see."

"In that case..."

"Would you help with the meal service?"

"The men would appreciate being served by you."

"Of course."

"I'm no maid..."

"But I can at least greet them with a smile." No one knew whether they'd still be alive tomorrow. The least I could do was avoid greeting them with a grim face. Hyodo led me to another tent. Inside stood a field kitchen— a mobile military cooking unit. Rows of Self-Defense Force personnel and police officers waited patiently in line. I began handing each of them a hot meal.

"Your mission will be dangerous."

"Please come back alive."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Thank you very much!"... By the time Chiyoda returned... The announcement everyone had been waiting for echoed across the city. > "The Gate has reached its designated capacity. Forced ejection will commence in one hour. Please remove all garbage located within the transfer area. Estimated ejection volume: equivalent to one hundred thousand units. Targets will be expelled sequentially."

"...!"

"One hundred thousand..."

"Not one hundred thousand monsters..."

"One hundred thousand worth..."

"So my prediction was correct."

"And they're still determined to provoke us." Six thousand defenders. One hundred thousand enemy equivalents. A numerical disadvantage of nearly seventeen to one. Our only consolation... Unique Monsters counted as multiple ordinary monsters. That mercury sphere I'd encountered before... If it really represented the equivalent of ten monsters... Then the actual headcount would be somewhat lower. Still... Something else bothered me. The voice. The announcement... It sounded exactly like my wife.

Had they copied her voice when we'd first met... Only to use it now? Those bastards...

"Hyodo-san."

"There's no time."

"Let's move to our assigned positions."

"... Agreed."

"The numbers are far beyond our expectations."

"I'm counting on you."

"You can count on me."

"Next time..."

"Let's have a drink together."

"Deal."

"It's been a long time since I've been to a proper drinking party."

"I'd like that." We exchanged one last promise before parting ways. Whether we'd ever get to keep it... No one knew. But sometimes... Those small, ordinary promises were enough to keep people moving forward.

"Chloe."

"There you are."

"It's time to get you ready."

"Understood." I entered one of the temporary tents to change. The dress waiting inside was exactly what they'd promised. A black, high-neck gothic dress with an open back. Long gloves reached all the way to my elbows. At least the shoes had low heels. If they'd chosen stilettos... I might actually have punched someone.

"Chiyoda-san."

"Can you do my hair?"

"I've had plenty of practice with my daughter." His hands moved surprisingly deftly. He gathered my hair into an elegant updo and tied it neatly with a red ribbon. It wasn't exactly Gothic Lolita... But it would do.

"Here's your communicator."

"Mochida will be providing remote support."

"If anything happens, follow her instructions."

"Understood."

"And Chiyoda-san..."

"You should evacuate too."

"I will."

"Good luck."

"See you later."

"Yeah."

"See you later."