I thought the tide of battle would shift sharply, but perhaps this was to be expected of a guy living as a swordsman in an age where guns ruled.
He was focusing more on defense than before, but it didn’t feel like he was being pushed back badly.
Pressing him did create chances for Gochi to slip in, but even that lost much meaning once he started putting his strength into defense.
It seemed like he wouldn’t have any new abilities left, either.
Rustle.
“Are you serious about that?”
Rustle.
“Damn it, if we fail, we both die, you know?”
As if drunk on arrogance, I made an unnecessarily large motion and drove my claw at the swordsman.
“Is that attack truly serious?”
The swordsman immediately dropped his defensive stance, aimed the tip of his blade at my body, and thrust.
Success.
The moment the swordsman released his defensive stance, I had gained a chance to land a clean hit.
Gochi pulled out every tentacle it could, wrapped them around the swordsman’s blade, and I brought my claw down to block the sword,
driving it into the ground.
“?!”
“I’ll fix that high-and-mighty nose of yours!”
The fist clenched in my right hand struck the swordsman’s face.
Since I had no major means of attack, I couldn’t finish him off, but it was certain that I had dealt meaningful damage.
The swordsman, struck by the fist, rolled once across the ground and got back up while clutching his nose.
“I was far too careless. That was my mistake.”
“Why is it this hard just to land one hit on you?”
Red liquid was flowing from the swordsman’s nose.
He wiped the liquid away with the back of his hand and began laughing heartily.
“You are a strong one. I have never seen my own blood until now.”
No, what the hell.
Was he saying this was the first time he’d ever seen his own blood?
He really must be ridiculously strong.
This isn’t easy.
He’s not going to get pissed off and make sword energy chase me around the next time he attacks, right?
If that happens, it’s going to be seriously brutal.
Just as that tension hung in the air,
the wandering swordsman sheathed his sword.
“I have lost. I admit defeat.”
I let out a sigh of relief.
Because I had no desire to keep fighting a monster like this.
“What do you plan to do now?”
“I have to return to the facility.”
“With power like that, you would still choose to remain captured in a facility? With your level of strength,
escape should be child’s play.”
It wasn’t as if I’d never thought about it.
But I had considered the possibilities once I left this place.
Once I escaped, I wouldn’t be able to completely avoid pursuit from the facility.
Even if I subdued the ones who came at me, the greater the damage became, the more attention would gather on me,
and even more forces would assemble to contain me.
Since I already had a record of being contained, there was no guarantee I wouldn’t be caught again.
I had judged that compromising moderately and remaining captured here would be better.
“I have thought about it, but the aftermath would be troublesome.”
“Hmm, just as I expected. What a shame.”
“I hope we can meet again someday.”
“Why are you speaking as if we are parting ways right now?”
Eh.
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
If I put it bluntly, it sounds like you’re saying you’re going to stay here.
Of course, there’s no way you’d actually say something like that.
“Are there any spare containment rooms?”
This crazy bastard.
No way, right?
Yeah, I must have misunderstood. This guy had been sailing around on a boat until just now,
and now he was saying he’d let himself be captured by the facility.
It seemed I had seriously misunderstood something.
“If someone heard that, they’d think you were saying you wanted to be contained here.”
“Did I fail to convey myself properly? I thought I had spoken clearly enough.”
Shit, is this for real?
A guy who just fought the one who beat him was voluntarily asking to be contained in the facility.
He was a humanoid Unknown, dressed pretty stylishly, and I’d thought he had his head on straight,
but looking at him again, he was a lunatic beyond imagination.
“Uh, are you really going to be okay? I don’t know what you’re imagining, but this place is—”
“Even if I am a swordsman, I am not so ignorant as to be unaware of that much.”
I don’t even know anymore.
If I just take him along, won’t he talk things out on his own and compromise somehow?
Strictly speaking, this isn’t my fault.
He says he wants to stay here himself. How am I supposed to stop him?
Right, if he wants it, it’s only proper to do that for him.
Let’s return to the facility for now.
For some reason, I missed Hugmon more than usual today.
+++
“So what you’re saying is, you want to be contained here of your own accord?”
“That is correct. Is there not a spare containment room?”
“Well, what we have plenty of are containment rooms. But it has to make sense.”
“Is it not the facility’s job to contain Unknowns like me? If anything,
I should be the one saying that it makes no sense.”
That’s true.
It wasn’t like the swordsman was saying anything wrong.
If I said that out loud, I’d probably be called insane, though.
Pretending not to care, I began listening in on their conversation as closely as possible.
As expected, the Director looked troubled, while the swordsman was leisurely looking around the facility,
their appearances complete opposites.
“Director, this isn’t something we can just let slide. If headquarters finds out,
they won’t try to brush it off as easily as last time.”
“He says he wants to stay here, so how are we supposed to stop him? If he were just some human bastard,
we could at least kick him out, but guns can’t even suppress this bastard.”
“Even so, the risk we take by accepting that thing is too great.”
“No, Adjutant. Let’s change our way of thinking.”
“What kind of bullshit is that supposed to be?”
“If a theft is never discovered, can it really be called a crime?”
“No, that’s the best crap you can come up with? Director, are you even in your right—”
“Then do you want to report that you captured him? I’m all for that.”
“Ha, even so, I don’t think this is right.”
“How are they going to insist on anything when there’s no proof he committed a crime? Don’t worry,
as long as you let it pass, persuading the others won’t be a problem.”
“Is this really the best option?”
“I always say it, don’t I? If you have a better idea, I’ll welcome it with open arms.”
It would be awkward if the two of them heard me say this, but this situation was really fun.
You were the ones who sent me to resolve it, after all.
You should at least help with the aftermath.
Of course, I didn’t expect the scale to get this big either.
“We’re the ones who know this place’s circumstances best. I’m telling you, we can let it pass moderately.”
“This is driving me insane. Do whatever you want. I don’t know anymore.”
In any case, the wandering swordsman was now able to stay here.
With this, everyone should be able to reach a happy ending.
If there was anyone who wasn’t happy, I would like to offer my sincere apologies.
+++
“You don’t get tired, do you? The moment you wake up, this is where you come?”
Dawn had not even broken yet, but someone had come to the Director’s office.
Cracker gave a light greeting and took a seat.
“There is a lot I must take care of once I return. Please understand.”
“True. If they work an old man like me this hard, I can only imagine what they do to the young ones.”
“Now, will you tell me?”
Pagos stared into Cracker’s eyes for a moment, then smiled.
“How can one change their nature? It’s quicker to give up.”
“What do you mean?”
“You must be busy, so I’ll keep it brief. Graver is searching for a hard substance.
Even if that substance happens to be an Unknown.”
“A hard substance, you say.”
“When I first met him, his body was as hard as steel. But lately,
from what I hear, his body seems to be composed of soil. Is that correct?”
“Yes. That was how it looked to me as well.”
“Among the entities discovered so far, there may be some that can suppress Graver, but it is unclear whether any can kill him.
In a situation like this, is there any need to waste high-grade materials?”
“Unless he finds a substance capable of blocking any attack,
it would be reasonable to make his body out of the soil lying all around him.”
“That is likely the conclusion he reached. And that is probably why he attacks facilities.”
“Is it even possible to kill a guy who can take a nuclear warhead head-on and remain fine?”
“Idiots. They really do pick only the most suspicious things to do.”
“Pardon?”
“No, I was only speaking to myself. Pay it no mind.”
At that moment, Cracker’s radio began to ring.
“What is it?”
“I sent some men to bring you, Team Leader. They should arrive soon.”
“Ah, understood. I’ll prepare right away.”
Cracker did not look at all at ease.
But the fact that it was time to leave did not change.
Cracker rose from his seat.
“Thank you for everything. I hope we can meet again.”
“Now this sounds like you’re taking a jab at me for being old. You’re not, are you?”
“Think what you like. I’ll be going.”
Cracker gave a light bow and left the Director’s office.
Pagos clicked his tongue regretfully and leaned back against the sofa.
And not long after,
Gern entered the Director’s office.
“You’re not even trying to hide it anymore, are you?”
“Were you listening to all of it? You gloomy bastard.”
“You assume everyone is awake like you, Director. How could I not be worried?”
“Don’t worry. A man who survived as a normal person in a den of madmen is no ordinary fellow either.”
“By the way, it seemed like he was trying to hide something fishy, didn’t it?”
“There was definitely something. It’s a time-honored tradition headquarters has used since long ago.”
“By now, the data will have been erased. How are we supposed to find out?”
“Where people gather, information gathers, and when information gathers,
there is bound to be someone who possesses information others do not know.”
“Headquarters won’t try to let this slide. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they keep you alive only because of your achievements,
Director. Will it be all right?”
Pagos looked at Gern as if mocking him.
“If you’re scared, pull out now. Though they’ll probably drag you in and interrogate you until you’re sick of it.”
“If I had intended to get off the boat, I would have stabbed a knife into your back long ago.”
“This is why I like you. Let’s dig up the truth, then!”