Chapter 49

We arrived at the shipyard.

No enemy contacts.

"Factory or ship—which do you prefer?"

"Ah, um... Personally... the ships are taller than I expected, so I'd like to set up on a ship. The factory rooftops have good sightlines, but with no cover we'll be spotted easily. Plus, the shipyard has entrances on the east, west, and north, so we risk being surrounded."

"Understood. Let's take the ship."

Three factories, and, adjoining them, a harbor. Three large ships are docked. Sheena-san and I park the car behind one of the factories, then climb to the top deck of the central luxury liner.

I open the harbor-side window on the top deck and look through my sniper scope.

"Perfect spot."

The vantage is excellent, and it's hard for anyone to spot me.

Sheena-san watches my back. Thanks to her, I can focus on keeping watch. We can hole up here for a while; positionally, it's a huge advantage.

The fifth zone shrink ends.

Next, the sixth shrink is revealed. Both the shipyard and the forest remain inside the circle—in fact, the only safety zone now is the one-kilometre road connecting those two spots.

Sixteen Space Girls remain. Well, what now...?

(Here they come!)

—Ping. Enemy icons appear on the map.

"Radar contact! Count is three!"

"They're here. Three targets—snipe them—"

"W-wait, please!"

Three more blips—no, six!

"Nine! Nine enemies entered the shipyard at once!! They're converging on this liner from separate routes!! They're moving in groups of three—three teams!"

"We'll wait. If we snipe, we'll draw concentrated fire. If those teams wipe each other out, that's a bonus."

'No! Both of you split up!!'

Chacha-san issues new orders.

"Why, Chacha-san?"

Sheena-san asks.

'One team is climbing the factory roof! Their body orientation is toward the ship—they're definitely—'

Sniping? No, not that. Could it be—!?

"This is bad!!"

I shout and look toward the far factory.

A volley of rockets rises into the sky—nine in total. Each trio targets one of the three large ships.

(All three luxury liners are excellent strongholds. That team has given up on capturing one and decided to destroy them instead! Enemy presence doesn't matter. They're erasing the ships from the map to force a fight in the factory... to erase every advantage...!)

Do I shoot? No, judging by the trajectories, none of the rockets will hit us directly. Sniping would reveal our position—too risky.

(While I'm thinking, the rockets are already overhead!? No way to intercept!!)

The rockets strike the liner we're on. Two hit the bridge, one the ceiling of this top deck.

"Wha—!? Wahh!!?"

The ship lurches violently. Twenty metres behind us the ceiling collapses and falls. Sheena-san and I kick in our thrusters, smash through the wall, and escape outside.

"Incoming sniper fire!!"

As if they'd been waiting, two sniper shots come in. I twist in mid-air and dodge, landing on the deck.

(The footing is terrible!!)

I just landed with thrusters, and the deck keeps shaking. I can't dodge the follow-up shots, so I line up Shield Pieces to block—eight of them shatter. More incoming bombardment—Sheena-san shoots down rockets with her handgun, but several still hit the ship and shake the footing even more.

(One more blip—twelve machines in the shipyard now, including us!)

At this rate the ship will sink! We have to get out—fast...!

(!?)

Just as I'm about to boost toward the harbor, a gaze pierces my back.

(That gaze isn't Sheena-san's!)

Before I can turn, Sheena-san pushes me forward.

"Go on, just like that."

I look back and see Sheena-san riddled with bullet holes.

Behind her stand two Space Girls with assault rifles.

Dressed like ninjas, with stealth that hides them from radar—

(Reiwa's Number One...!)

My body is wet. Don't tell me they came aboard from the sea and took us from behind!!

"Sheena-san...!"

"I'm counting on you."

Sheena-san is deleted. I hit the thrusters and bolt from the ship. I dive straight into the factory ahead.

"...Again, I...!"

I held her back. Sheena-san must have noticed Reiwa's Number One before I did. On her own she could have dodged...!

'Shiki-san.'

Sheena-san's voice comes over the comm.

'I'm sorry for leaving you alone. But now nothing can bind you.'

"Bind...?"

'I had Chacha-san analyze your combat data. It turns out the fewer allies you have, the stronger you become. You're stronger without Niko-san and me.'

That's true. Less tension makes me stronger, but... I wish she wouldn't put it that way.

"N-no, that's not true! Without you and Niko-san I never would've made it this far!"

'That's true. Clearly, the three of us are stronger as a team than you alone. But your personal power is greater solo. That's all. Players who can't show their full strength in team fights but go all-out in solo play aren't rare. In other words, what I'm trying to say is...'

'The match is far from over!'

Niko-san cuts in.

'Now that Shikicchi can fight at full throttle, don't nerf yourself with weird feelings of obligation, okay?'

'Forget everything—team wins, who helped you, us watching you—forget it all!'

'Show us your full power.'

The trembling stops.

Distractions vanish from my mind.

"...Yes... Thank you, everyone."

The comm clicks off.

I lean my back against the factory wall and stare up at the rough ceiling.

(Without looking or hearing, the surroundings appear in my mind. My fingertips sharpen, a little drool pools at the corner of my mouth. My body forgets to blink, and the far distance feels right in front of me.)

Words Seika-san once spoke come back to me.

—'If, in the next Rank Match, you feel your heart race, don't hold back. Throw yourself into that beat, that thrill. Don't care about others' eyes—just surrender to the pleasure. Then an infinite, all-powerful feeling will wrap you up.'

Is now that moment?

(Seika-san... may I do as you said? May I forget everything and surrender to the pleasure before me?)

Sheena-san and Niko-san are gone. There are no allies left on this map.

Sniper is Bocchi—I'm alone.

"...I just need to play like always."

Toys? They're everywhere.

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