Chapter 160
"Ah?"
[They were exchanging fire, but after I went to request a surrender and ceasefire, for some reason, they suddenly abandoned each other and launched a joint attack on us! Requesting backup! Uncle Jaeger, I don't want to die!--!]
The sheriff's deputy, dressed in a leather trench coat, seemed somewhat speechless as he pursed his lips at the wailing and howling in the communication. Nana, who should have laughed out loud according to 'Alice's' personality, held back and then said seriously:
"The arrests this morning probably had an effect; they now see the police as troublemakers."
"This is outrageous... Where are the Rapid Response Force?! I'm going to send these thugs to their deaths!"
Seeing that the veteran cadre also looked furious, Nana smiled and patted him on the shoulder:
"Are we already calling for rapid response in an urban setting? I don't think it's that serious... How about I give it a try?"
As they spoke, the two had already seen the makeshift cordon set up by two police cars dozens of meters ahead. However, the four police officers were currently being suppressed by the firepower of a group of people in the distance who were "united against a common enemy," and the police car closer to the scene of the firefight was riddled with holes. Only one Feline agent, whose white socks had turned red, was standing there with his ears drooping, holding a communicator in one hand and a small pistol in the other, looking completely lost.
"How are you going to deal with them?"
"Of course, we'll solve it with a gun."
The car stopped at the outer perimeter of the blockade. The veteran operative got out and quickly ducked to the trunk to prepare to direct the operation via the backup radio. Then he watched as Nana, seemingly oblivious to any stray bullets, casually strolled to the trunk and took out the M1A Rifle... and also casually swiped a can of coffee from his trunk.
Without giving the sheriff's deputy time to reprimand her, Nana first opened her coffee, took a sip, and then placed it on the roof of the car... Using the bulletproof door as cover, Nana set up her rifle, first confirming that the bullets issued by the police station were the Columbia Army's standard M59 Steel-Core Etch Rounds, then put them back in the magazine, and then activated the car alarm.
The hoarse, low siren tore through the back-and-forth gunfire, and the coded acoustic signal belonging to Lycoris was broadcast in the form of a siren.
The girls in beige uniforms who had just been spraying bullets at the military and police officers paused for a moment, then, like startled hamsters, darted back behind the bullet-riddled wall, leaving only a small mirror peeking out to prove they were observing the scene.
As for those guys in military uniforms, they were clearly hot-blooded... Not only did they throw grenades at Lycoris's bunkers while she reduced her suppressive fire, but they also treated the police cars nearby the same way.
Of course, this scene looks completely different to the police.
As the sheriff's deputy and heavily armed men, suspected to be members of Rapid Response Force, arrived at the scene, these green-clad thugs not only refused to surrender but also launched another attack on our forces.
As Nana pursed her lips, turned on the walkie-talkie, and delivered the disciplined line, "Confirming the suspect is resisting strongly, begin using lethal force," the seemingly ordinary M1A Rifle in her hand emitted a crisp sound.
The precision rifle, of which only two were issued to each squad in the Columbia Army, spewed flames, and the grenades that were thrown were detonated one by one by the bullets trailing black contrails, like turkeys lying on the ground.
The grenade that exploded in mid-air was extremely deadly; a girl near Lycoris's bunker even screamed when her mirror broke. But what was clearly more dangerous than the airburst was the 'police reinforcements'.
As Nana coldly gave the order to 'advance,' the four officers present arrived shortly after. Three vehicles, totaling ten men, followed. With a nod from Sergeant Jaeger's deputy, they swallowed hard, raised their pistols, and began to advance towards the 'battlefield,' which had retreated due to the sudden explosion.
Hearing the faint, slightly impatient shouts of "counterattack" and "revenge" coming from Atlas's side, Nana changed the magazine on her rifle, downed the can of coffee she had just finished, and then gave a new order:
"Suppressive fire! Target: Olive-green uniformed positions! Fire rapidly! Begin!"
Taking advantage of the renewed gunfire ahead, Nana picked up the full-size bulletproof shield—1.3 meters wide and 2 meters high—from the trunk, carrying an M1A in one hand and needing both hands for a regular police officer to use.
Seeing the blonde girl's questioning gaze, which seemed to want to cause a scene, Jaeger calmly lit a cigarette and said: Wu
"Go ahead, let me see how the Route Patrol, who are always fighting against wilderness gangs and illegal Mercenaries, handles these thugs."
"Received... then, commence the assault." (Flag)
As the order to stand by came over the radio, the police officers, guns drawn and less than fifty meters from the bullet-riddled cover, were utterly stunned. They were now in the middle of an exposed road; stopping there and waiting for the other side to realize what was happening meant they were easy prey. Dad...
Before they could relay their idea, a series of heavy footsteps suddenly approached from behind, quickly passing by them—
As the girl, dressed in a police uniform and wearing an olive-green bulletproof vest clearly discarded by the army, wielding a shield in one hand and a long gun in the other, charged towards the enemy lines, the image of her advancing with shield raised in the dust easily reminded one of the Silverlance Pegasi of Kazimierz.
The faint magical glow surrounding the blonde girl was probably the main reason for this association... Although unlike the knights' dazzling radiance, Nana's Halo, activated at low power, wasn't as noticeable as the legendary 'Pegasus,' the golden streak of light crashed into Atlas's position like a meteor. Amidst the dust and smoke, the sight of uniformed personnel pierced by rifles and screaming in agony made everyone gasp... Even Jaeger, holding a communicator and smoking a cigarette at the back, unconsciously muttered 'damn it.'
He knew that every single one of the Route Patrol was a ruthless individual who fought against illegal Mercenaries and nomadic groups at an intensity far exceeding that of regular military training. This was why, after discovering 'Alice,' he was willing to pay out of his own pocket to keep her around and help her... But seeing the way she used a rifle as a melee weapon in the distance, strung people up with a smile, and then slammed them hard to the ground still sent chills down his spine.
"Surrender and you'll be spared! Put your hands where I can see you!" Yi
Accompanied by the disciplined shouts of the police, Nana, not forgetting that she was holding a gun, naturally began firing at the uniformed personnel who had lost cover and were dumbfounded.
The semi-automatic rifle spewed flames rhythmically, while the shield in the girl's left hand blocked all the bullets aimed at her... Most of the Atlas members carrying pistols would be rendered unable to fight after being hit, and the captain, who was positioned a little further away and dodged Nana's charge, although carrying an advanced new assault rifle, was clearly no match for the heavy bulletproof shield.
With a crisp click, confirming that both assault rifles were ready to fire, Nana swung her shield, preparing to take down the resisting figure in the distance, only to find four grenades clattering around her feet...
"You lot, you don't even care about your own people?!"
She let out a loud shout befitting her character, and then, following the motion, Nana slammed the shield she was about to use as a weapon into the ground. The resulting explosion at close range propelled the shield, sending the blonde girl and her equipment flying...
However, judging from her light landing, although the explosion, which incorporated Originium Arts, caused some deformation at the bottom of the shield, it did not seem to have injured this police 'reinforcement'.
As the police reacted, they also opened fire on the stubborn men who were fighting and retreating. The two men, who appeared to be Atlas combat captains, were seen to have small amounts of blood splatter from their bodies before they retreated into the depths of the building and disappeared.
She grabbed the policeman, whose face was flushed and who was rushing in recklessly, and told him to turn away. Nana looked behind her and saw more reinforcements, including Uncle Jaeger, who was arriving with the regular Rapid Response Force.
Following the police officer's line of thought, the girl asked the first question:
"This building doesn't seem to be in normal use. Could there be hostages inside?"
"No, this is land that was recently acquired by Continental Hotel. It's a plot of land slated for demolition and reconstruction, and there's no one here... Besides, the surrounding area is completely sealed off. Your decision not to continue the pursuit was the right one."
While speaking, he gave a wink to the rapid response officers beside him, and the person in charge of negotiations started to shout through a megaphone... Meanwhile, the Lycoris and her companions on the other side clearly understood the situation and cooperated by putting on handcuffs... Because reporters started to gather around, the police had to put hoods on these obviously underage children to conceal their identities, and at the same time use whatever they could find to cover the reflection of the handcuffs.
Don't ask, it's just a policy requirement.
Now that things had come to this, it was clear that there was nothing more she needed to do. Nana casually tossed the cracked rifle into the trunk, blinked, and conveyed to Lycoris others the message to remain silent and wait. At the same time, she asked the sheriff's deputy beside her, who was clearly in a bad mood:
"... Judging from their expressions, they must have given some instructions?"
Glancing at the still energetic Nana, Jaeger squeezed the empty cigarette pack in his hand and said in a hoarse voice:
"A thorough inquiry still needs to be conducted back at the station... but... firstly, the organization that girl mentioned seems to exist, and then these girls said that they had followed orders from above to cease involvement in the incident and were waiting for it to end in the safe house... but these people came knocking on the door..."
"So, they're from Atlas?"
After a brief silence, the gray-haired deputy brushed the dust off his leather coat, which had accumulated during the previous battle.
"Yes..."
Why do you seem so reluctant to admit it?
"Perhaps this is the difference between combat and civilian positions, Alice... Charging ahead might not require much thought, but compared to that mysterious organization whose name we still don't know and which specifically hires little girls, I personally preferred Atlas."
"Huh? Why?"
Ignoring Nana's direct question, the sheriff's deputy pulled a stack of documents from his pocket and handed them to Nana. As the assassin opened the documents, which at first glance seemed unremarkable, containing business licenses and legal registration information...
Seemingly worried that this seemingly simple-minded girl, who was only exceptionally good at fighting, might not be easily understood, Jaeger sighed and said:
"Atlas is not just a PMC with state legislators as guarantors... This not only explains its green light for policies within the city, but also its relationship with the Army's experimental units, which have 'special exercise' permits within the country..."
"I know, there's nothing wrong with that in itself... but this authority was granted by the military, and its priority overrides criminal law and Castle Law. In other words, even if we file a public prosecution, as long as they define everything they do in the city as a military exercise, then everything they do is legal... Compared to that organization that has yet to show its face, there's very little we can do about Atlas ... If we're going to take action against them next, I'd rather investigate that mysterious organization that we haven't heard a single word about."
"... the mayor may not agree to this result."
"Of course, but there's nothing we can do if they disagree. Even if the mayor wants to get rid of Atlas, he has to wait for the state legislators' response... And if we go through administrative procedures, there are so many twists and turns that can make things 'insignificant'... You should understand that."
"Then... how about we just have reporters expose the lousy things this lousy company has done?"
"... This completely throws things into the unpredictable... The central government might be pressured by public opinion to disband Atlas and remove that senator from politics... or perhaps..."
"Before they get out, let the mayor and the RSPD be stripped of their titles from head to toe... But is that even possible?"
Seeing the blonde girl frown, the sheriff's deputy shrugged.
"Generally speaking, it's impossible, but Atlas is an armed group... It's a shelter for retired army veterans, essentially no different from the Columbia army except for heavy weapons... The kind that can go to war as soon as they're given a designation... If state legislators use exercises as a pretext to control the Laisenton government system, do you think that mayor, who's so eager to make up for the Loken Group's GDP shortfall, would raise his voice and call for the National Guard to go to war with them?"
Nana's answer was, of course, to shake her head.
Although she didn't know what role the city's higher-ups played in this conflict, judging from the police department's reaction, Laisenton seemed to be nothing more than a venue provider... It was unaware of the ICA's deeper-level unit, 'Lycoris,' and had no ability to resist Atlas, who had connections to state legislators and experimental forces.
"However... Laisenton himself should also have Mechanical Hunter stationed there, and they should belong to different units... Just what kind of experimental unit is it that allows the government to let the Atlas people act so recklessly?"
Listening to Nana's question, Jaeger silently flipped to the last page of the document in Nana's hand. In the section on 'Experimental Equipment and Tactical Verification', Nana saw a unit that made her eyes widen in shock.
"... Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory..."
PS: I tried to give all the characters who have appeared some screen time, but after facing a blank document several times, I realized it was a bad idea.
So it's best not to write it too complicatedly.
PS2: It's almost October, so updates are resuming.
PS3: Meow Meow Cat
5th The Laytonson's Ghost Assassin: 174 The Shadow of Atlas
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, internal government document number LLNL, is under the National Originium Security Bureau of the Columbia Department of Energy.
Its predecessor was an independent laboratory directly under the jurisdiction of Columbia University... Incidentally, Columbia University was the educational institution where the President of Columbia taught before entering politics, and it is said that its founder was Melander... In a broader sense, it is not wrong to regard Columbia University as a talent pool created by the President.
Returning to the laboratory, its main responsibility is to conduct scientific research on ancient civilizations and other unknown artifacts, as well as to properly preserve or dispose of them.
It was formerly operated by Columbia Trimounts University, but is now managed by the Homeland Security Bureau (SHD).
Judging from Nana's fleeting glimpse on the SHD agent Terminal, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's most successful and well-known achievement in modern times... is undoubtedly the hacking and replication of the Victoria Steam Knight.
Its achievement alone, the [Mechanical Hunter], has laid the foundation for the Columbia Pioneers to establish themselves in the wilderness and look out over the entire land. In a more detailed discussion, whether it is the demand side or the user side, it has almost every scientific research institution in the market with which it is connected. It is no exaggeration to say that it is the forefront and the final integration site of Columbia's high-tech and ancient technology applications.
And yet, this very research institution is a supporter of Atlas?
Even a seasoned assassin like Miss Assassin would gasp at such news, realizing she was making a tiny, insignificant contribution to global warming... Nana's first reaction was undoubtedly that her manager had completely lost power within the Homeland Security Bureau, and that his claims of 'safety' were no longer credible.
The assassin's mind then fast-forwarded to how much weaponry she needed to prepare to breach Trimounts, Columbia's most heavily fortified Mobile City, and rescue her agent from that cage...
Or should we just give up? The right choice is to immediately sever all ties with the agent, including Rhodes Island, and carry out a "holy cut"—a move the agent jokingly made—is that the correct course of action?
Does this authorization imply that the National Security Bureau has indeed abandoned the agent and all its subordinate armed forces? The implications not only affect the legality of Nana SHD's senior agent privileges, but also the underlying logic of whether Nana can continue to maintain the persona of an assassin who struggles to move forward even if it means using assassination for the sake of the country.
[Nana Ivy] and all her actions so far have been based on the agent's additional explanation of the ICA assassin organization's mission... Based on Number Seventy-Seven's own investigation and judgment, the agent is undoubtedly the basis for 'himself's' current actions, and even for 'himself' to be 'himself'.
If the Columbia to which the agent is loyal... Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and even the Homeland Security Bureau itself abandon the agent, then Nana will use those three long seconds of deliberation to make her judgment—that Columbia contains none of the rosy elements in the agent's future blueprint.
Without an agent who paints a beautiful and hopeful picture for me, the very element that drives me to fight would cease to exist.
Ultimately, the mission of Operation Number Seventy-Seven from the very beginning was to act in the name of 'the agent's justice'.
This is the underlying logic of the assassin lady... Without this layer of consideration, she wouldn't even understand how she should act, so it's no wonder that an assassin would be so shaken.
"So... is there any evidence that the National Laboratory is supporting Atlas?"
Continuing on the way to meet Atlas, as the surrounding scenery gradually deteriorated, Nana propped her head up and looked out the window, seemingly casually asking Uncle Jaeger this question.
Using the excuse that his squad had other missions, he delegated the street shootouts, the new 'prisoners,' and the report writing to others. Driving slowly in the police car through the old town, where street vendors and illegally parked cars had created roadblocks, the sheriff's deputy said without hesitation:
"The original permits at this level are definitely kept by the government. It's only because Atlas's backing is so extraordinary that I remember them so clearly... But even with a governor-level backer, when it comes to turning a city into a real battlefield, the mayor can't be completely indifferent... After all, the public's reaction is very real."
As he spoke, he made no attempt to hide his disgust at the graffiti left on the buildings by the so-called 'hippies' on the street.
The assassin girl, seeing that almost every alleyway around her was covered in obscene graffiti, glanced at an old-fashioned sedan parked behind her as she got out of the car...
The old Ford was covered in paint, and there was even a large pile of excrement on the roof. Judging from the amount, Nana couldn't tell whether it was left by a person or a pet like a dog.
But no matter what, the car roof is cleaner than the road... a pile of poop is better than a pile of poop.
Just as Nana was pondering how much of her hometown's municipal functions had ceased to function, a man with a protruding belly, who had parked his car in front of a police car and was holding a dog leash, demonstrated on the spot where the excrement in this area actually came from.
"Oh, hey... buddy, that's a police car, don't go near it... come on, let's go that way..."
Watching the greasy man drag his large dog to the apartment entrance, and then the dog seemingly reflexively start defecating to mark its territory, Nana looked around. This old district, which had obviously been conquered and abandoned, and had become a place of gangsters with no public order whatsoever, seemed to have become accustomed to this man's contempt for public morality.
Turning seriously to Jaeger, who was flipping through his notebook as if confirming something, Nana asked with a dark expression:
"... Aren't we going to deal with that guy?"
"I'm busy right now, and I don't have a suitable reason... Enforcement authority in this area has been entirely delegated to Atlas... Unless that person poops in the Continental Hotel at the end of the street and we receive a request for enforcement of the Continental Hotel's Castle Law, it's best not to make any moves."
"So, the next question is, how are you going to ask those guys from Atlas, and with what attitude? Roughly speaking, there are at least twenty people watching us around this street... and it seems like the apartment building next to us and the building across the street are also under considerable surveillance."
As Nana was speaking, a furious -Feline woman with a stack of newspapers suddenly appeared in the apartment building directly opposite her car door... Nana saw her first unleash a string of authentic Victoria profanities at the back of the person on the dog leash, then use the newspapers to clean up the dog poop in front of the door...
Just as Nana blinked, thinking to herself that there were people upholding justice even in the old town, the woman frantically smeared the excrement she had gathered from the newspapers all over the driver's window of the car in front of her... She even smeared it evenly with great force.
Seeing the woman glare at her angrily before quickly leaving, Nana blinked and continued:
"At the same time, there are also some citizens here who seem to be in a rather bad mood due to the lack of municipal services... Uncle?"
"Well, don't look at me like that. Even though this car belongs to the company, if I drive back to the station with a car covered in dog poop, it won't just be a topic of conversation or a laughing stock..."
After staring at each other for a moment, Nana tapped her finger and whispered:
"Please cover the car with the car cover after you get out of the car."
"Good idea, let's do it now. Remember to bring all your equipment."
As Jaeger closed his notebook, Nana opened the car door, and a complex scent filled her nostrils...
Looking at the city's appearance, which could no longer be described as 'decaying', Nana thought that if her manager saw this scene, who knows how furious that woman would be.