Chapter 25

Chapter 25

In the meantime, MetroCity Station has undergone a major transformation. Not only is the station closed to the public, but the interior has changed dramatically.

Cover on each floor. Warehouse for ammunition. Vantage points for snipers. Escalators and elevators made it easy to replenish supplies.

“…… is a little out of the ordinary.

It was a fortress. The nine sturdy, perfectly separated floors were perfect for strategic use.

“Thank goodness Congress was proactive.”

“Sure. Wasn’t your default stance ‘what goes underground stays underground’?”

“I guess they figured it was time to clean house. Looks like you’ve been focusing on the Outlaws rather than the Legion.”

It was a conversation between Bryce and Pep.

Ten in total, including Kim and the three missing from the previous operation. The remaining White Fang members were gathered on the seventh floor of the basement.

“Whatever the reason, it’s good to see it coming together, and it’s reassuring… and it’s not like I’m not proud of it.”

“Why are you proud of yourself?”

“Uh oh. I didn’t contribute, did I?”

Pep and Jenna chattered as they peered down the railing to the lowest level, just as a fleet of crab-like unmanned scout planes flew over the tracks.

“How much do you want for one of those?”

“Why, are you buying it?”

“It looks cute, I’d love to have one at home.”

“Pay me to crawl around like that.”

“Shit. Disgusting.”

Dozens have already been deployed over the past few days. Based on the destruction of the reconnaissance plane and the footage it captured, MetroCity Station is put on combat alert.

It’s the herald of the beginning of the battle.

Then Bryce said.

“This will be Whitefang’s last job.”

“Yes.”

“We’ve only ever dealt with outlaws in the underground, and when the underground business shrinks, it’s a high-maintenance feeder.”

Technically, it wasn’t a reduction. When you have less outflow, you have less risk. You just need to find a different way to monetize it.

There are endless uses for the underground. It just makes mercenaries with guns obsolete.

“Rather than replenish and reuse you, the brass would rather disband you and send you to another platoon. You’ll still have a job, so don’t worry.”

“What does the other platoon do?”

Bryce replied to Kim’s question.

“Various. Factor protection, convoys of freighters going to foreign countries.”

“That’s not funny, how you used to do that before you were assigned to Whitefang.”

Bald Robben grumbled through gritted teeth.

“Did you have fun working underground?”

“No, it sucked, monsters popping out when you got bored, Outlaws pretending to be bounty hunters and stabbing you in the back… it was just a bunch of assholes.”

“Haha. Isn’t it about time, then? We’ve been rotting underground for too long, and it’s time to see the light and meet some sane people.”

There was a naturally sentimental atmosphere. The idea of disbanding had just come up, but everyone knew it was coming.

“I’m getting married.”

“Who’s up for it?”

“No? But with my face, it happens quickly.”

“Fuck.”

In a back-and-forth, Kim wrote an arrogance award. Jenna giggled at the reaction.

“What’s wrong?”

“……Pep, keep an eye on that asshole. I think he’s going to get shot in the head for his bullshit.”

“What kind of badmouthing is that?”

Kim shook his head; he didn’t understand why people who were about to die always talked about the future.

To be honest, I wasn’t convinced that all of the White Fangs would survive. Eventually, there will be a battle and a lot of people will die.

Some of them will have allies. There might be Pep or Bryce. This wasn’t something Kim could do anything about.

“I won’t have time to pay attention to each one.

To borrow Snowfield’s phrase, Kim had a role to play. “You don’t need to do anything spectacular. You just need to make the right moves.

You’re all set.

Kim was going all in on this one. He decided to use all the few hands he had. If he fails here, he’ll be in trouble.

“You have to keep a cool head.

There’s no room for silly mistakes.

Kim mulled over the tension and let it out in a breath. There’s still time to relax now. There’s no need to ruin the mood.

“If you have nowhere to go afterward, tell me.”

“Do you want me to introduce you somewhere?”

“Maybe I’ll hire you.”

“Oh. Our ransom is not a penny or two.”

“When did you save up that much money?”

Pep’s words made Kim think of her account balance.

“I didn’t save much, I had to spend a lot of money here and there, but money comes and goes.”

“Haha. I don’t know of any employer who would say that.”

It is.

“But strings.”

“Huh?”

“Was it really okay to bring her in?”

Kim followed Bryce’s gaze and looked behind him to a cargo warehouse belonging to the Lotus Company, and a human shadow prowled uneasily through the warehouse.

“……that is.”

It wasn’t what he wanted either. Not yet, at least, not at this point in time.

“It’s self-delusion to think that.

In the end, it wasn’t enough to put aside his humanity. There were too many things he would have to sacrifice to survive on Polaris.

* * *

People get used to things pretty quickly.

Snowfield suddenly realized. The dank, dark, echoing underground no longer felt foreign.

I didn’t feel at ease. It had been a long time since she’d felt comfortable. She had wandered the continents, but she was a stranger everywhere.

Snowfield closed his eyes. An old memory stirred behind his eyelids.

A clock tower over a hill. A snow-covered church. Children running through the snow, their faces grimy and spitting breath.

It was the only land where she could take off her armor. It was a place where she could breathe freely, where she could make footprints with her bare feet.

The day my hometown burned.

That day, Snowfield thought I had poison in my system. The lid would not open. It was poison with no place to go.

The cause of the catastrophe is unknown. Maybe there is no cause. Maybe it’s not anyone’s fault, and we just have to accept it.

‘……flow.’

The catastrophe that began in earnest more than 40 years ago was undoubtedly the great tide of the times. It was a high wave that swept away all life on the continent.

What kind of flow could Legion be?

– ……suckers. I’ll kill them all …….

– If you go up… from…?

– …Now. I need … anyway.

– Haha! That’s a bit… The Outlaws… all had… eyes… and looked like….

– …I’m ……, …Val!

The sounds of obscenities rang in my ears. Vulgar words. The Outlaws were excited to return to the sun.

They were the foundation. Firewood to light the continent’s Chapters. They may be ugly and messy, but they were an indispensable resource.

Snowfield himself was no different. The flap that sealed the venom was now crooked. The venom that spilled out forced her to throw herself into a new torrent.

There were footsteps getting closer.

“Snowfield. We’re going to have to get moving.”

“Are you ready to go?”

“Yes. I’m just waiting for instructions.”

A one-legged man spat out a volley. He wore a poncho that came down to his ankles. Behind him stood a dozen men.

All of them were the same color. Except for the men, I couldn’t recognize their faces. They were wearing gas masks with holes for their eyes.

Snowfield looked around at them wordlessly. After a moment, the man in the lead snorted.

“But maybe it’s because I’ve seen it all before? I know what you’re thinking, even with the helmet on, ‘creeps’. Am I wrong?”

“…….”

“That’s good to hear, we don’t really like you either, we’d rather have Shadow, he’s grim but willing.”

The man’s face grew more and more impassive. He didn’t seem to mind. He may have been frowning through his helmet.

“I’d rather not.

There’s a guy who’s fascinated by the ephemerality and ephemerality of snowfields, but it’s hard for him to understand.

“Snowfield, you asked for this, didn’t you, on your own initiative, to take the place of the eager Mithril. Take responsibility.”

“Am I ugly?”

Sana lowered his gaze. He looked at the longsword hanging down and cleared his throat. Even in the darkness of the dungeon, the sound of the blade’s thrumming was still audible.

“I don’t doubt your abilities, but we’re betting our lives on you. If your plan fails, don’t let us think, ‘Why didn’t Mithril come?”

“Unfortunately, I’ve never compared myself to him, but I see.”

With the clinking of iron, Snowfield began to walk. As she passed him, he felt a chill breeze.

“I don’t think I’m going to be left behind.”

“……You betcha.”

Like his men, he covered his face with a gas mask. They followed Snowfield into a vast underpass.

Countless outrows were there.

The ranks were a mess. There were guys who had been punching each other, and others who had been beaten down. Some of them were convulsing from biting into crab bubbles.

The beasts of the field quieted themselves at Snowfield’s appearance. There was a way to tame the beasts.

No one here was afraid of the snowfields.

I don’t need to tell you how much blood was shed to get there. For the men, this was a blessed day in many ways. He could finally say goodbye to them.

There were no long speeches before we left.

“Let’s get going.”

With a single word, Snowfield began to lead the way. The Outlaws murmured, and then someone shouted.

Step by step, they fell. It was an ugly, ugly march, pushing against each other.

* * *

Boom!

A blade protruded from the iron-paneled shutters. Frost caked the blade. In an instant, a chill spread through the entire barrier.

InsertionGig.

The knife slid back in with an unpleasant metal rubbing sound. A bounty hunter with a gun pointed at him from behind cover swallowed dryly.

There’s a moment of silence.

-Caaaaang!

The barrier that divided the tracks has been cut down. By a single sword. They emerged from the empty passageway.

Legion and Outlaw.

They were what Parliament called a “mob. At the head of the mob, clutching a cold weapon, stood a knight clad in iron armor as white as snow.

“Kill without sparing.”

This was the beginning of the LW-6 stage.