Followers, the basic components of the insoluble army Divi:sion, soldiers under the command of AL-1S.
Weren't they all supposed to be in the ruins? Why were they appearing in a place like this?
The moment this question surfaced in my mind, I arrived at a reasonable answer.
C&C.
After Rio, in order to protect my safety, had dispatched almost all of C&C to my side, the once-tight surveillance network could very well have developed gaps, allowing some to slip through unnoticed.
Perhaps there were other reasons as well, but at least this explanation held together.
And in any case, the most important issue right now was not that.
What role did Arisu play in all this?
Could it be that Arisu… no, AL-1S, had refrained from acting for so long precisely because she was waiting for the appearance of the Followers?
When I turned my head and noticed Arisu staring at the Follower as if entranced, even taking a step forward.
My suspicion instantly surged to its peak.
"Arisu," I said coldly, "put the Sword of Light on the ground."
"Huh? What's wrong?"
Seeing Arisu look over in confusion only made the irritation in my chest grow stronger.
"Don't ask so much. Just do it."
"B-but…"
Perhaps my attitude was too harsh, as a layer of moisture welled up in Arisu's eyes. But I did not have the time to keep dragging things out with her.
I looked at the others and issued rapid orders. "Momoi, Midori, Yuzu, destroy that machine. Saori, you handle disarming."
"Yes."
Hearing this, Saori did not hesitate at all. She immediately drew her dagger and rushed to Arisu's side, aiming to cut the strap connecting the Sword of Light.
Arisu instinctively dodged and resisted, casting a pleading gaze toward me.
Midori and Yuzu opened their mouths as if to speak, but still obediently aimed and opened fire at the Follower.
However, Momoi remained where she was.
"Sensei, what are you suddenly doing?" she complained. "Can't you explain things properly? Arisu is about to cry."
…Being easily swayed by emotions was both Momoi's strength and her weakness.
But I truly had not expected her to falter at such a critical moment.
"Momoi, Arisu, trust the Sensei."
At that moment, Himari's voice rang out. In the projection, her expression was solemn.
With both the person she admired and the senior she respected speaking at once, the two of them finally began to comply.
Momoi followed her sister and department head, stepping forward quickly to fire at the Follower. Arisu closed her eyes, her body trembling slightly, and as if giving up resistance, allowed Saori to remove the strap of the Sword of Light from her body.
Yet at the very instant the Sword of Light was about to fall to the ground.
A slender, jade-white hand shot downward and firmly grasped the hilt of the Sword of Light.
Saori's pupils shrank. She stomped hard with her toe and brought her rifle up in front of her abdomen.
Clang!
A deafening crash of metal colliding. Saori was forced back several meters before she managed to stop herself.
This sudden turn of events drew everyone's attention, plunging the scene into an eerie silence.
"Arisu" opened her purplish-red eyes and coldly swept her gaze across the surroundings, before finally fixing her eyes on me, who had retreated farther away.
"Such quick reactions," Kei said in a tone utterly different from Arisu's, cold and detached, though the corners of her mouth curved slightly upward as if in mockery. "What a pity, though. You were still just a little too late, just like last time."
I narrowed my eyes and forced my unconsciously clenched fist to relax, speaking flatly.
"Himari."
"Understood. Making contact now."
As a teammate on the same side, Himari was always worthy of trust.
"Saori, hold her down."
The instant I called Saori's name, she understood and charged forward, engaging Kei in combat.
In terms of physical capabilities, Saori was far inferior to Kei. However, the flexibility and lightness of Saori's weapons, as well as her wealth of combat experience, were things Kei could not hope to match.
One side dared not close in and could only harass from mid-range, while the other used the cannon body as a shield supplemented with fists and kicks. For a time, the two traded blows back and forth, evenly matched.
Seeing that Saori had successfully tied Kei down, I continued issuing orders. "Momoi, Midori, Yuzu, keep destroying that machine, then retreat with me."
With the Game Development Department's combat strength, dealing with the Follower was already their limit. Recklessly remaining in the battlefield between Kei and Saori would only turn them into a burden.
After that, I targeted Kei and simultaneously activated several authorities for transmitting PDF files.
But Kei seemed to have been prepared. After a few seconds, her body only paused almost imperceptibly, then appeared to be unaffected again.
Somewhat regrettable, but not a serious problem.
At the same time, the three from the Game Development Department had already successfully destroyed the Follower and were closing in on me, ready to retreat strategically together.
But things were not that simple.
"To eliminate interference, summoning Followers."
The moment Kei's voice sounded, nearly ten Followers appeared from nowhere.
And it was not just Followers. Black-and-white mass-produced bear dolls and rabbit dolls also appeared alongside them, launching attacks together.
This situation completely exceeded my expectations.
Had the surveillance network outside the ruins really become this lax? How could Rio not have sent any warning?
While directing the Game Development Department to counterattack, I urged urgently, "Himari, how much longer?"
"Enemies have appeared along the route where reinforcements are coming…"
Himari frowned. "Sensei, you must be extremely careful. The situation on your side is very strange. Starting just now, the surrounding environment has undergone some kind of change, it's starting to feel like… the ruins."
"Exactly so."
Under the cover of the Followers and dolls, Kei was temporarily able to disengage from her entanglement with Saori and turn her attention this way, speaking as if in contemplation.
"If not for the hostility you revealed, I might truly have believed you were one of my kin. To think you would bring me and the princess to such an unimaginably suitable place for establishing a sanctuary. I really should thank someone as foolish as you. Then, as a token of gratitude…"
As she spoke, she raised the Sword of Light and aimed it at me, killing intent surging in her eyes. "Please disappear from this world."
Kei pulled the trigger and the charging began. I made a move to dodge, but there was no time.
"Sensei! Watch out!"
Momoi, the closest to me, instinctively threw herself in front of me, spreading her arms wide, trying to shield me from the light cannon.
Yet Kei, who had completed the charging of the Sword of Light, frowned.
Because the moment she released the trigger, the light gathered at the muzzle suddenly dimmed.
"Did you tamper with it?" Kei murmured. "Very well, then let's begin."
Casually discarding the Sword of Light that Arisu cherished, Kei clasped her hands before her chest, surrounded by countless Followers and dolls.
"To ensure access to usable resources connected to AL-1S," Kei said coldly. "Begin comprehensive search operations."