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I’m aiming for an explosion that’s different in many ways from the fireworks I saw on Christmas.

Unceasingly spewing acrid smoke, a fire that shows no sign of dying down, no matter what volatile substance it’s caught on.

Whether they were originally part of the bomb or fragments of shattered rails, metal shards that soared high into the sky fall irregularly, embedding themselves all over the desert.

God damn it, how big was the explosion for debris to fly all the way here?

The first thing that flashed through my mind was the original terrorists, now enjoying the spaciousness of the passenger car with two fewer occupants. …Even if they had the chance, isn’t this too extreme to be the work of those guys who only scratched at corporate egos?

Besides, the explosion site, filled with a sticky and ominous color like vaporized tar, didn’t feel like it had a very cute intention.

“So, the experts’ decision is to just plow through that…?”

Needless to say, I’m not just a bare body, and it’s an operation to crash through with the body of the train, but I raised a reasonable question about the incredibly ignorant on-site judgment.

But the crew member, as if perfectly armed with their own logic, began to explain in a very confident voice.

“This matter has been considered in light of the physical force of a high-speed train, the strength of the front alloy, and the repulsive force that the repulsor can generate. It’s not the first time that external thugs have tried to steal supplies in this way.”

“Hmm… well, that’s a relief, but…”

“Furthermore, a support request has been made, so at the very least, troops sent from Harvest Planet and a dispatch team from the maintenance management branch will arrive within 30 minutes to clean up this mess.”

He added reassuring information, reading my suspicious expression.

But that’s just after-the-fact support, it doesn’t help right now…?

I’ve been through this situation several times, so it’s okay.

But conversely, doesn’t that mean the other side is confident they can get a different result this time, so they went for it? Unfortunately, that nagging worry didn’t miss the mark.

Rumble…!

A bit far to call it nearby… but a very artificial and small sandstorm is swirling on the hill visible beyond the window.

Digging up the piles of sand stacked in layers above, blowing them away with updrafts, what revealed its gleaming outline and massive form was a Hovercraft.

The desert, which lightly embraced even the earlier explosion, rippling like a swimming pool in the vibrations and pressure played by the violently spinning propeller blades, was quite impressive.

In addition, the classic ambush method, reminiscent of an antlion, was old, but there was nothing that worked as well in the middle of this desert.

Thanks to that, I got a good look. I wish they’d stop showing me now.

“…I wish that was the support force?”

“Uh…”

I took my eyes off the crew member, who was gaping.

I only asked out of courtesy, so I didn’t expect much.

There was a possibility of a service that said it would take 30 minutes to deliver and then came in 10 minutes. Yeah, I wasn’t disappointed.

It’s just that, in this case, the probability that the military Hovercraft that appeared at such a coincidental timing is an ally has become significantly lower… but it felt strange to consider it an enemy.

Not a hoverbike or a hovermobile (floating van), but something that I barely saw even when I was rolling around in Metropolis for over half a year, even when there was an EMP terror attack, suddenly pops out in a place like this?

…Something smells fishy, it stinks.

And that intense fishy smell gets stronger as the unidentified aircraft approaches the train… and then it sticks to me.

“…Huh.”

Hovercraft is just a name for a type of vehicle after all.

Even if there are only a few companies with the technological capability to mass-produce them. Depending on the purpose, different models and types, and the detailed options required, will vary.

For example, a military Hovercraft released by ExaTech would be a mobile fortress armed with various weapons and sensors so that it can operate as an independent weapon in itself.

If it’s a Hovercraft made by Heilong, the soldiers on board are the main focus, so it would be a transport ship that emphasizes fast mobility and durability rather than additional armaments.

And even within that, mechanical products have endless customization options depending on the customer’s wishes, so there shouldn’t be any perfectly identical items among such ultra-expensive machines… so why is this Hovercraft so familiar? What is it?

Clatter, clatter…

Before I could finish thinking, the window began to shake violently due to the vibrations emitted by the approaching steel wings.

As the distance became close enough, the crude skull pattern painting and the red and yellow paint job, which were not clearly visible from afar, and above all, the dented scratch on the side, which suggested a story, came into view.

Yes, a gouged mark as if a grenade had exploded at close range.

“…I’m so frustrated, really.”

What should I say about this?

Your pocket money will return as a criminal’s bullet in the future? Who lives their life even imagining this kind of situation!

“Listen up, you city rat bastards!! We are the Taito Gang, who control the Fresno food plant complex and the area near the Mojave Desert from Harvest Planet! If you don’t turn off the engine completely and stop this fucking train right now, we’ll risk damaging the goods and just flip it over!”

A raspy and barbaric voice echoes loudly.

They never even go near places where the police or corporate military are stationed, but they’re pretty good at talking big.

In this case, they might be able to say they ‘control’ the situation as they claim, because they have something to rely on.

Clatter…! Thud….

With only a short distance left to the explosion point where the tracks were cut off, the Hovercraft circles in the air when there is no response from the train.

Of course, they weren’t trying to put on a motor show. Instead of driving diagonally, they run parallel to the train, even matching the speed… and then they slam their armor against the train.

Squeak… Squeeeak…!!

Clatter!

Soon after, a chilling metallic sound reverberated from the car body.

I could see the wildly spinning rotary blades and the booster engine spewing blue flames. They’re pushing it all the way. So that the train’s path completely deviates when passing the disconnected area.

If the front part loses control, the rest will obviously follow in a row.

The metallic sound pounding on my eardrums gradually intensifies. It felt like being on a sinking ship, so it wasn’t a sound I could keep listening to even as a joke. I didn’t know if the train would keep holding out.

I’m not a mechanic, but I could tell.

If the vaunted lower repulsor can respond to the force pushing from the side, it will break through as is. But if it’s not such a convenient device…

Thump! A vibration different from the violent external interference runs through the entire vehicle.

The speed at which the desert scenery reflected in the window receded decreased, and the outer armor of the Hovercraft, unable to keep up with the sudden change in speed, left long fingernail marks on the side of the train.

They’ve temporarily complied with the demands of the Taito or Tiger or whatever gang.

“…I don’t know if this is right.”

Of course, no one can deny that it’s much better than overturning and everyone getting screwed… but I felt really dirty thinking that I had surrendered to the gangster bastards before it turned into a real problem.

Or is this a safety insensitivity, is that it?

“It’s still, it’s still okay! There are two security doors blocking the way to the first-class section…!”

“Yeah~ I understand, so go back and keep holding on according to that manual.”

I chased away the crew member who was begging me to evacuate to the engine room with him.

I wouldn’t trust an electronic security door that a decent hacker could fiddle with and open in 10 seconds, saying welcome~, unless it was a real vault door that was difficult to move.

“Hurry!! The work is a race against time! Anyone who wastes time gets abandoned!!”

“Everyone who doesn’t want to die, get down! Get dow…^&%#…!!”

“Fuck! You…^&*$….”

I focused my attention on the curses and gunshots that had already begun to echo noisily inside the vehicle, and pulled back the slide of the pistol I had taken out after a long time to check the chamber.

See, they only turned off the engine. It’s not like they surrendered separately. The enemies have already broken through the train doors and are fighting.

The door breaching is quick and the hands are skillful, so they are truly top-notch trash among criminals.

Karma… should I call it that? But it’s karma that no one can point to the culprit of.

There’s no way to assign responsibility, and there’s not enough evidence to speculate, so it’s best to just ignore it unless they plan to attack.

But what if that damn nuisance somehow survives and its operating records are thoroughly investigated? Even though I cleanly factory reset it before leaving the settlement, the records left from there will obviously flow in as is.

If a meticulous person compares them, they might even find out that it was something I used in Enama.

Back then, I urgently needed Credits for citizenship, so I reluctantly agreed to sell it.

There was a limit to fighting alone, so I used it well in its own way, but now?

“Zero? That Hovercraft, I need you to destroy it no matter what.”

Do you have a separate grudge against the Taito Gang? –

“…Ah, do you not have detailed memories of this either? That thing, it’s from the same ‘hometown’ as us, so let’s completely scrap it this time.”

Zero’s sensors, recognizing a truly important reason, turned on to maximum brightness.

Even if it’s just destroying evidence, he probably thinks it’s the most brutal request I’ve ever made, but he took it a step further, thinking it was an opportunity to make up for his mistakes.

The witnesses too. Do I eliminate them all? –

“You only have to kill the outlaws…?”

…This guy. His scanner looks like it’s bloodshot?