(Photo of Andrea making a V with her fingers)
@A_Rose
[I’m going to take a short break!]
#NeonCity #Vacation #Singer #MeetingFriends
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I turned off the visual interface.
“See? It’s a vacation.”
“…But, is it really okay for a celebrity to just roam around like this?”
“What’s the big deal?”
Andrea nonchalantly pulls her hood over her head.
“As long as I cover my ears with this.”
She then takes out a pair of blue sunglasses from her hoodie pocket and puts them on.
“And I’ve got stylish sunglasses too.”
Finally, she pulls out a familiar design mask and puts it on her face.
“And I bought a mask just like yours.”
“…Can you at least go back if I ask nicely?”
“I don’t want to. I’m not going back! So where are we headed?”
A sigh escaped me.
I was planning to go alone.
Nothing was going according to plan.
I instinctively rubbed my eyelids.
I was mentally drained.
“…You brought the car, right?”
“Of course.”
“…Okay, let’s go.”
“Oh, where to?”
Even I didn’t know that yet.
I checked the location of ‘Maya,’ who was still on the move.
“Anywhere.”
Just then.
6. On a Rainy Day (4)
《The vehicle is entering a toll road. Additional fees will be charged.》
A mechanical voice flowed from the wireless terminal installed in Andrea’s car.
But I didn’t care.
After all, it wasn’t my car.
I pressed down on the accelerator harder.
Andrea’s car resembled a low-slung sports car from Company L that I had seen in a past life.
Maybe it was the red paint job, but it felt at least three times faster than an ordinary vehicle.
Andrea, sitting in the passenger seat, stretched.
“So to sum it up…”
“Hmm.”
“A crazed Chrome Psycho stalker has escaped from prison and is after us, right?”
“…I’d say that’s about right.”
I gave Andrea an adequate explanation of the situation.
There was no reason not to tell her about my current situation at this point.
“I haven’t been able to work out lately, so this will be perfect for stress relief.”
Even if I explained that we were heading to meet a psycho armed like a weapon, Andrea showed no concern.
Leaning back against the car seat, Andrea tilted her upper body towards me.
“So, what were you doing that got those kinds of girls after you? You should have told me if anything happened.”
“That was before I met you and Drek. It happened while I was just hanging out with Catherine.”
“…Hmm.”
She then leaned back in the passenger seat again.
From my quick intuition, it seemed like she was a bit dissatisfied.
Just as I thought it might get quieter.
Andrea spoke to me again.
“Hey, I have something to ask.”
“What is it?”
Her voice sounded slightly cautious, which wasn’t typical for Andrea.
“Are you dating Catherine?”
“?”
I was almost caught off guard.
“No.”
“What? I thought you two were already dating.”
“…What kind of random thought is that?”
I felt like I had heard something similar from Drek before.
I wondered why this conversation was coming up.
“I was just curious, so I asked.”
“I’ve known her for over ten years. We’re not that kind of relationship.”
“…Is that so?”
That was a bit of an awkward topic to answer.
But luckily, I was soon able to reach my desired destination.
“Anyway, we’re here.”
It was a street in the Lower-Class Area, in the Citizen Zone.
I wondered if this area was located on the outskirts of the Lower-Class, but it seemed to be experiencing urban sprawl leading outside the city.
Even on the map, it looked very complex and poorly planned.
“So, where is this place?”
“I don’t really know.”
That was the absolute truth.
I was just following the map Eve provided.
From what I recalled, this area was frequently under construction, so even if I had been here before, it would likely look different now.
“…How did you know where this was?”
“…Uh, someone told me.”
Given that Eve’s identity was a secret, I couldn’t speak honestly.
“Who?”
“Secret.”
But for some reason, Andrea persisted.
“Not a woman, right?”
[First of all, this AI has no gender, I must clarify.]
“Not as far as I know.”
I answered while opening the car door.
I turned off the ignition and locked the wheels.
Since the rain had lessened compared to before, I didn’t take out an umbrella.
“‘Not as far as I know’ what does that mean?”
Andrea grumbled as she followed me out.
But then I thought about it.
There seemed to be a risk of parking here.
It wasn’t just about parking violations; it was more like whether someone would steal the car or not.
“…Hmm, should we move the car? Is there a parking tower nearby?”
“A─, nah, it’ll be fine. We’ll be in and out fast. If someone steals it, no worries, I have good insurance that’ll find it quick.”
Then I guess it’s all good.
I relaxed a bit.
Andrea walked towards the trunk.
“Wait a second.”
“Huh?”
The trunk was at the front of the vehicle.
As Andrea lightly placed her hand on it, the trunk’s door slowly opened.
Inside the trunk was a massive bag that fit perfectly in size.
It looked extremely heavy, but for Andrea, weight wasn’t a concern.
She effortlessly pulled the bag out.
“Looks like you’re still carrying it around.”
“Of course, my main job is a mercenary.”
Wasn’t that more of a side gig?
I thought that instantly.
…Well, if she believes that, then who am I to argue?
“And besides, if you’re wandering around Neon City, it’s basic to have your weapons well-prepared.”
“True.”
Hmm.
I guess I didn’t have to worry about Andrea.
Now I was the one who needed to start worrying.
We began walking deeper into the alleyway.
The chilly air of the Lower-Class region surrounded us.
One strange thing was that there wasn’t a single vagabond to be found in any of the alleyways.
From the cardboard scattered on the ground or the still-burning flames of a drum, it was evident that vagabonds had been here.
Even if it was raining, it felt odd.
We didn’t pause our steps despite sensing this unusual phenomenon.
At the end of the alley, there was a dilapidated garage door.
One side of my visual interface displayed a 3D map that Eve had pulled up.
The layout appeared far more elaborate than I expected.
I confirmed that Maya’s location was underground.
I wondered how Maya had found such a place.
Did she have some connections?
Or had the escapees told her?
One thing was certain: I wouldn’t find out until I went down.
[Seven biometric signals detected inside, I must inform you.]
That’s what it said.
Once I confirmed there were no surveillance cameras nearby, I approached the garage door.
I planned to sense the inside with magic.
“What are you doing?”
“I’ve seen this before, I’m just checking it out with magic before we go in. …It takes a little bit.”
“Make it snappy, what are you dragging it out for?”
“Excuse me?”
“Hurry up and let’s go before Catherine arrives─ No, wait. Let’s just go have some fun.”
I turned back at Andrea’s words.
There she was, sporting a massive mechanical arm.
That was from the bag she pulled out of the trunk earlier.
It was a special Colossus Machine Arm… or something like that.
It’s been so long since I saw something like that.
But why did she already have it on?
My question was fleeting.
Andrea swung her fist toward the garage door.
– Kwang!
With a huge roar, the garage door shattered.
Uh, Andrea?
What’s the rush…?
“…What if there’s someone else inside?”
“Then we’ll just ask them.”
Ah, I see.
“So what if there were civilians inside?”
“Ah, don’t worry. Do you think there are any sane civilians living in a place like this? The smell of corpses fills the air.”
Hearing that explanation, it made sense.
But still.
What if someone got caught in the chaos?
I was officially lost.
The loud noise echoed, and two individuals rushed out from behind the broken garage door.
“What’s going on?”
“What the hell is happening?”
Both were well-built.
At a glance, it was clear they had cyberware bodies above the average in Neon City.
One was an orc, and the other was a human, but their facial expressions were anything but pleasant.
Simultaneously, my visual interface provided images from Eve.
It displayed mug shots of the people before me.
[NCPD database, confirmed by NCB24 news. They’re escapees from Pelicanus prison, I must inform you.]
So this is where they were hiding.
I was starting to understand how Maya had found this place.
Andrea asked me.
“Who are they?”
“Escapees.”
“Oh, right. You mentioned several had escaped earlier.”
She clenched her fist lightly.
With each movement, the massive mechanical arm creaked.
“So what, can I squash them?”
Just as we were having a peaceful discussion, the escapees shouted.
“Who are you? This is private property!”
“Wait, isn’t that Andrea?”
“Who is that?”
The orc seemed clueless.
“Hey, you moron! Haven’t you ever heard of Red Horn or the Demon?”
“I’ve been in Pelicanus for years, how would I know?”
“Damn, isn’t that the wizard who’s always with her? Wait, did Meteor come too? This was supposed to be a safe house, but it’s already busted? Is that what’s going on?”
While one escapee was in a panic, the other spewed profanities non-stop, looking quite confused.
“Is there a back door? Is there a back door here?”
“Where would the back door be, dumbass? And even if those famous folks are here, isn’t it the same if they catch a bullet?!”
The orc looked ready to fight.
The panicked orc shouted nervously, and his arm split apart mechanically. Several gun barrels protruded from within.
Even that menacing display didn’t faze Andrea, still keeping a serene demeanor.
“Well then, ready to relieve some stress?”
*
Personally, I think the nickname given to Andrea in the mercenary world suits her perfectly.
She tossed aside the bodies of the two who had turned into nothing but meat chunks. Her massive mechanical arm was already drenched in blood.
She habitually tried to wipe the blood off her cheek, which resulted in splatters on her pointed elf ears.
“Ugh.”
To me, it looked almost like red horns.
“Your temperament hasn’t changed a bit.”
“I’m still the same.”
I thought she would have calmed down a bit from her fame as a singer.
By the way, she was still the best close-combat fighter I knew.
We proceeded to look for the basement.
It was time to face my regrets.
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