The Shark team that operated the Leviathans had found these early targets pathetically easy to dispose of, and this went doubly so for the captain of the Shark-1; he had once been an elite submariner in the British Navy, but the whims of a tyrannical superior had sealed him off from a path to captaincy. Yet now here he was, master of the world’s greatest underwater vessel—and he was deeply grateful to Amalgam, who had given him this chance.
The Tuatha de Danaan would be the ultimate prey. According to reports, its formidable female captain was not currently aboard, so the hunt wouldn’t even prove especially difficult. The vessel was probably currently under command of that man—that incompetent, neurotic officer who had ruined his life. It was finally time for revenge.
“I’ll teach you a lesson...” In the stuffy cockpit, he smiled cruelly to himself. “As usual, we’ll attack from three directions. Break!”
The three machines, sailing in a reverse V-formation through the dark water, split apart at his word, each going in a different direction. They turned with the precise ferocity of a raptor in flight; by comparison, their prey seemed especially slow and pathetic.24 December, 2327 Hours (Japan Standard Time)Casino, Pacific Chrysalis
“Not yet?” Sousuke whispered into the radio from a corner of the casino, as he readied his Belgian-made submachine gun. The sprinklers were still raining down on them.
“Not yet,” the soaked Kaname responded in a trembling voice, standing next to the roulette table a few dozen meters away. An Alastor was standing right in front of her, close enough to grab her with just one leap. “Keep holding,” she told him. “Once it realizes that I’m the one it’s after, it definitely won’t hurt me. Don’t worry.”
“But what if you’re wrong?” Sousuke fretted. “You’ve done enough, haven’t you? Get away from it, Chidori.”
“I haven’t done enough!” Kaname’s voice cracked. Sousuke, who had his sight trained on the Alastor from afar, could hear her even without the radio.
The robot approached her, slowly. As it stared straight at Kaname, the robot’s hooded sensor glowed. With one or two more steps, it would be close enough to tear her in half with one swing of its arm.
Sousuke had plenty of experience with decoy plans, but he’d never had to fight so hard against the urge to pull the trigger. I feel like a new recruit... he thought. What if that metal mountain just swats off her head? What if it shoots through her with its arm rifle? What if it grabs her throat with its hand, and twists... He was shocked by where his own imagination was taking him.
How many times has Kaname faced an imminent threat like this now? Sousuke wondered. Why do I always get this way? I lose all my cool the minute she’s in danger. My emotions race and my blood runs hot. I don’t feel this way about my other comrades... Why is that?
He narrowed his eyes. Kaname held stock-still before the Alastor, wreathed in light mist from the pouring rain. She was standing in the one faint beam of light in the room, which illuminated her droplet-covered face and her trembling shoulders. As she stood there, almost symbolically, he finally understood. The understanding was sudden, and inappropriate, and unforeseen. There was no logic to it at all. She was just special.
She’s strong. She’s beautiful. I want to protect her. Comfort, hope, inspiration—she is the symbol of all those things, Sousuke realized. I want her all to myself. I can’t stand the idea of anyone having her; especially not an enemy. That’s how I feel right now. Knowing that is all I need. I finally understand—
But as he was about to come upon the final answer, Sousuke’s ruminations were interrupted by the sound of Kaname’s voice. “Ah... wait. Er... Tessa? I’m a little occupied right now...”
“What is it, Chidori?” he asked, staring at her in confusion.
Kaname’s tone abruptly changed, and her voice came through the radio in a whisper. “I’m sorry, Kaname-san. This situation is... oh, my goodness. Very dangerous. But ah... I see. I’ll leave it to you...”
What is she talking about? Sousuke wondered. It was bizarre, just like that day in the depths of the de Danaan, in the Lady Chapel. She’d been talking to someone, as if she was a different person—specifically, as if she was Tessa.
But Sousuke didn’t have any more time to think it over, because Kaname was herself again, and shouting, “All right... do it!” In his sight, he could see the robot reaching for Kaname, and he opened fire without hesitation.
The stricken enemy turned to face him as Kurz bathed it in fire from the other direction. “Run!” Sousuke cried, pulling the safety off of a flash grenade.
Clouseau was at all ends trying to deal with everything at once: getting hostages to safety; organizing his subordinates; fighting off the encroaching enemy; the condition of the mothership they were no longer in touch with; the progress of the safecracking. It never rains, but it pours... he thought gloomily.
“Team Golf, move back from E13 to E15,” he ordered. “As slowly as you can. Don’t let them through to E14. Gebo-9, how’s Santa Claus coming? Kaun-6, prioritize the hostages—” Clouseau continued to shoot while dishing out his orders. Empty shell casings littered the floor around him, and the smell of smoke filled the hallway. On the other side of the corridor, a dark silhouette flew back and hid around the bend. Dammit... The stupid robot. Was it intentionally making him waste ammunition?
It was learning.
Just then, he got the call he’d been waiting for. It was Tessa; she was calling from the phone in the women’s bathroom, routed through the radio
