Kanata was asked by Rinsei if he would join them…
“You want Kanata to join Rinsei? What for?” Marika questioned with a startled voice.
Shigure-san, I want to know the reason too.
Asuna is stepping down as Company Captain and wants to move to a support role. I’ve tried to dissuade her, but her resolve seems firm, which is troublesome. Abumi and Asuna believe Kanata is suitable for the successor position, and I agree.
So you’re saying I should send Kanata over? Even if Shigure asks, that’s impossible.
Why not? Considering Kanata’s future, it’s not a bad offer. The Crystal Widow’s Company Captain position is a stable system. If Kanata wants to become Company Captain, he should come to us.
I have my own ideas! I’m going to raise Kanata!
Aren’t I Kanata’s Master?
Ugh! …Well, that’s about swordsmanship. Not about being a commander.
Shigure-san looked at me. I had a bad feeling…
What about Kanata? Do you hate the idea of coming to Rinsei?
Here it comes! That’s the one question I didn’t want to hear…
…Um, well. How should I put it…
Kanata, be straight with them. Say you prefer Crystal Widow!
Kanata, is that so?
What do you expect me to do! Marika-san is my benefactor and a superior officer I respect. But Shigure-san is also my benefactor and my Master.
Damn it! How can I choose! This is too much of a choice!
Don’t make unreasonable demands! Can you answer whether your brain or your heart is more important!
Hearing my answer, Marika-san and Shigure-san burst out laughing simultaneously, and put away their swords.
Hahaha, you can’t choose between your brain and heart. You’d die without either.
Hmm, I was childish. Asuna didn’t say it had to be immediate. Marika, let’s think about this slowly.
That’s right. I should hear it directly from Asuna too. Shigure, please arrange something soon.
Understood.
Phew. I managed to get through it.
Hey, Warrant Officer. If my body were an example, where would I be?
Lilith-san asked, poking my side.
Um… the appendix?
That’s the most useless part of the body! I’m so angry, nyaa!
I was scratched hard by the cat-eared Lilith-san, whose anger was through the roof.
Leaving the cafeteria, I went to various places to report my safe return and express my thanks, my steps lighter than a skip. I rested on a bench in the courtyard. I broke out in a cold sweat being caught in an unexpected battle for possession, but now that I’ve gotten through it, I feel pretty good. Marika-san wants me to stay with them at Crystal Widow, and Shigure-san wants me in Rinsei.
What’s with the grin, kid? Your already slovenly face is looking its ugliest.
Not as bad as Curtis-san’s pompadour.
You’ve got some nerve. Well, it’s good you’re alive.
Thanks. Do you need something from me?
Curtis-san scratched his cheek with his mechanical arm.
Shigure asked me to teach you how to deal with heavy firepower gunners and cyborgs.
That’s a kind offer, but is it alright?
If Shigure bows to me, I can’t refuse. You should be grateful you have such a good Master.
Of course, I am grateful.
Bakura was asked to teach me defense against long-range weapons, and I heard Abby was asked to teach me defense against heavyweights. He’s probably asking all the Captains in the Garden. The Captains are all strong individuals with different fighting styles.
Shigure-san is doing all this for me. Maybe I should go to Rinsei. If Hotaru and I weren’t in the same squad, maybe she would be able to come to an understanding…
!! A mechanical arm is thrust into my face!
I instinctively grabbed it to twist it, but Curtis-san detached his arm like a lizard’s tail! Then he unleashed a roaring kick! Don’t grab it! I grabbed the back of the bench and dodged with a backflip, creating distance. Grabbing a cyborg’s limbs is a bad move; they can detach, and you don’t know what’s built into them!
…I see. You’ve already reached that level. And you learned it in one go.
Curtis-san reattached his detached mechanical arm with a click and lit a cigar.
Grabbing a cyborg’s limbs is a common mistake?
That’s right. They’ll detach if they’re dangerous, like yours, and they usually have blades or stun guns built in. …Kanata, you’re quite something. I acknowledge you. Sit down.
It seems I passed Curtis-san’s surprise test. I returned to the bench, sat down next to Curtis-san, and listened.
We’ll save the gunner countermeasures for another day. Lesson one for cyborg countermeasures: don’t carelessly grab a cyborg’s limbs. Lesson two: first, determine if the opponent is a first-rate augmented human user.
Where should I look to determine that?
It’s about skill, but fundamentally, second-rate augmented human users handle their limbs carelessly. They don’t feel pain, and limbs are easily replaceable. If you’re fighting a second-rater, Kanata, you can win with brute force if you just deal with their built-in weapons.
I see. What about when facing a first-rate augmented human user?
Even first-rate augmented human users make mistakes. Exploit that.
Mistakes?
Yeah, even first-rate augmented human users think their augmented bodies are tougher than flesh. That’s not true.
Aren’t augmented bodies made of high-grade Magnum Steel tougher than flesh?
Curtis-san shook his cigar. That’s a common mistake. Augmented bodies with a high compatibility Bio-Metal skeleton are tougher than augmented bodies. The strength value alone might be higher for Magnum Steel, but flesh is “resilient.” It bends, which is a better way to put it.
The fighting styles of Tozen-san and Uroko-san came to mind. The killing techniques that utilize their snake-like bending limbs are something metal cannot replicate.
Tozen-san and Uroko-san effectively utilize bending, right?
They’re freaks to that extent. But first-rate Bio-Metal soldiers skillfully utilize their physical strength and flexibility. That’s an advantage of flesh alone.
An advantage of flesh alone, huh. Curtis-san continued his lecture as I nodded. First-rate augmented human users focus on leveraging the advantage of their body’s hardness over flesh. That’s not wrong in itself, but they forget the disadvantage of hardness. They don’t realize the drawback of being stiff and easily breakable. They are blinded by the advantages of augmented bodies.
They have built-in weapons, don’t feel pain, and can be replaced, so they do have many advantages.
But look. Down at your feet.
I looked at the asphalt-paved path. Weeds were growing along the path. …Weeds penetrate the asphalt and root themselves firmly in the ground. See? Even weeds can penetrate asphalt. This is a truth these weeds are teaching me. In the end, cyborgs cannot win a head-on battle against trained flesh-and-blood soldiers with the resilience of weeds. These words from the Alliance’s top augmented human user carried weight.
Everyone who becomes cyborg-like is mistaken. As a price for easily gaining strength, they disregard the potential of life. That’s why they lose. Everyone except me, that is.
Curtis-san, you’re different then.
I don’t get swayed by immediate advantages or overestimate obvious strength. I know the fragility of augmented bodies. I use them fearfully like a rabbit, delicately like handling glass. That’s why I’m a super-class professional.
Ever since I came to the Garden, I’ve truly felt it. This place is where first-rate soldiers gather, and the Captains who lead them are undoubtedly super-class men. Not just men, though. Super-class men and women.
It’s a distant future challenge, but how can one defeat a super-class augmented human user?
Curtis-san put his finished cigar into a portable ashtray and gave me a frightening smile. Oh, you want to beat me?
Don’t you want to dream?
Normally I’d say figure it out yourself, but I’ll tell you as a special favor. …A cyborg like me cannot defeat someone who embodies the ultimate brilliance of life. For example, a soldier like Marika.
I don’t think I can possess the brilliance of someone like Marika-san. I might become the weeds among weeds.
…Weeds among weeds, you say? Interesting. Go ahead and try. Weeds living in dumps are bound to be stronger than delicate alpine flowers. Hahaha, Shigure’s disciple is an amusing kid.
Curtis-san seemed to like my answer and laughed merrily. Amusing? Shigure-san does say my fighting style is unique.
Speaking of Shigure, don’t forget he’s our immediate enemy.
Shigure-san is the enemy!? That’s a joke! He’s my Master!
What is Curtis-san talking about? I don’t understand.
Shigure is the Director of Rinsei, which maintains order in the Garden. Tomorrow at 22:00, Warehouse 1 in Sector 08.
Warehouse 1 in Sector 08! …0-8-1… oppai! Curtis-san, you don’t mean…!
That’s right, comrade Kanata. See you then.
Curtis-san said, then disappeared gracefully with the falling leaves. Warehouse 1 in Sector 08 is the headquarters of the Oppai Reform Party. Tomorrow, an extraordinary party convention (Oppai Mania Fest) will be held at 22:00!
Hehehe, an extraordinary party convention! …This is getting exciting!
