Kitty Killer Isn't Very Cold

"The only problem... is how long we can keep this up in a wasteland already showing Catastrophe activity~ Don't stop, Liskarm~ Otherwise, we might really end up walking to Ticarondo, just like our allies predicted in the worst-case scenario~"

"Did you really need to say that—?!"

Seeing the driver and passenger return to the teasing banter they had shared when they first met, Su Sulo, who had watched them argue just now but felt she had wronged them and had not said a word from beginning to end, blinked as she looked out the window.

"Maybe... we won't need to hold out much longer..."

Hearing Su Sulo's words, the two from Blacksteel Team looked into the rearview mirror together... After both of them frowned, Liskarm rubbed her eyes and turned on the van's dashcam.

After adjusting the rear camera's focus, they saw a vessel... mixed with smoke and dust, seemingly without any walking mechanism... yet charging toward them at at least thirty times the speed of an ordinary Landship?!

Before anyone could recover from their shock, the bizarre Landship had already reached directly above them.

Through the skylight, they were astonished to find Columbia's national emblem engraved on its hull, while the massive cannon at its bow made its identity as a warship unmistakable...

This was a Columbian warship?! A hovering vessel unheard of anywhere on Terra?!

[Blacksteel Worldwide BPRS Squad, this is a Columbia Homeland Security Bureau special operations vessel...]

"Homeland Security Bureau..."

Before Liskarm and Franka could pick up the radio to respond, the strange warship, having lowered its boarding ramp, continued broadcasting.

[You're Blacksteel's scouting vanguard, correct? Board the ship... Don't worry, the terrain data along the route has already been fully shared with the Blacksteel Landship through the enhanced Intercity Network...]

Hearing that unmistakably flat-chested voice, Su Sulo and Blaze swiftly exchanged delighted looks.

"That voice—?!"

Holding the broadcast Terminal, Nana... now back in her Rhodes Island uniform, with Medic once again wearing the Contingency Contract Catastrophe Messenger armband over the mechanical exoskeleton bearing the Rhine Lab logo on her coat.

Behind her stood Vanilla, the dispatched operator already assigned to Rhodes Island, and Jessica, who had "just laid down only to be called back up"... wearing a standard Blacksteel uniform, holding a little note, and questioning the meaning of life as she continued pondering the truths of the universe.

Only Medic sincerely held the microphone and looked gently at the monitor beneath the ship.

"You completed your mission very well. Please board and rest. Next, with this ship as our base... let's continue our mission."

PS: I feel kind of numb... Arknights' fourth anniversary, Rosemary is getting a MOD, and Rhine Lab's second storyline also has Rosemary. Could it be that I've only just started writing and YJ is about to kill my story's foundational background framework at the root... I hope not. Even if they do... I'll find a way to patch it up.

PS2: Information that can now be made public... Regarding Franka's seemingly insane actions in this chapter... well, even I, the author, think she's pretty insane...

I did my best to portray a Mercenary's contempt for matters with meager returns, her envy toward those who step forward, her self-destructive tendency born from a future as dead as ashes, and her attachment to her companions...

Readers who feel the logic is unclear can simply assume that she got carried away, saw an opportunity to borrow passage through government agents, and impulsively decided to go crazy for once... She didn't want Liskarm to know that she had become Infected, and thought, "It wouldn't be bad to disappear into a Catastrophe like this." But in truth, she also genuinely wanted to help Ticarondo. Otherwise, she would not have contracted Oripathy in the original story due to insisting on rescuing her target despite her damaged mask.

According to the original course of events, she should have used Rhodes Island's medicine, heard that Rhodes Island wanted to establish cooperation, considered it an opportunity, and proposed going to Rhodes Island herself. Liskarm would then discover it and latch onto her, and the two would continue working together as companions...

But now, they would probably be more honest with each other.

PS3: Wuwu, kitty...

I really want to scratch Blaze's belly...

The Mystery of the 2nd Medic: People and People

When facing a Catastrophe, what was above one's head? The sky? Fabric? Or steel plating? The difference in security one felt was practically exponential.

But there were differences between people too. Some, like Cardigan and her little partner whose name was hard to distinguish from hers, seemed to have escaped death and shouted in celebration. Others, after being rescued, were like the Blacksteel BPRS pair, whose first act upon stepping off the vehicle was grabbing their companion by the collar and demanding an explanation...

Nana felt that Su Sulo and Blaze fell somewhere between both types. Su Sulo throwing herself into the girl's arms could, for the moment, be measured as one and a half Little Cat headbutts... But how was she supposed to count Blaze scooping up Nana and Su Sulo, then spinning all three of them in circles? That truly stumped Miss Killer.

"Medic, you did it!"

"Yes. More precisely, Director Kal'tsit did..."

As she spoke, allowing Su Sulo and Blaze to examine the Rhine Lab-marked exoskeleton armor on her like it was some rare curiosity, Nana smiled.

"Though rational people would refuse a commission with a low success rate and unbearable costs, Director Kal'tsit gave the captain a reason he could not refuse..."

"...A reason?"

Seeing Su Sulo's curious gaze as her tail swished in Nana's arms, Nana's smile turned a little awkward. The specific details, many steps in the process, and the contingencies they had not needed to use were all confidential.

"Without reducing their income, we turned their risk into something 'acceptable'... That way, even the most cautious captain would naturally agree to our reasonable request... But, Su Sulo, if... the captain had not cooperated, if our reinforcements had not been this 'flying ship,' what were you planning to do? I said from the start that even if the persuasion failed, it didn't matter. You were supposed to stay aboard and wait properly for further news, weren't you?!"

Looking at the embarrassed expression on the Little Fox in her arms, Nana expressionlessly wrapped an arm beneath her armpits and lifted her straight up. After awkwardly kicking her legs without touching the floor, Su Sulo's ears flattened into airplane ears. It was the first time she had seen Nana angry with her.

"...We probably really would have waited for the Blacksteel Landship to arrive? Franka said they... would probably be here soon? And she also said the Landship setting out was inevitable or something..."

Listening to Su Sulo's disjointed, confused explanation, Nana held Su Sulo with one arm and grabbed the back collar of a certain innocent-looking big cat with the other... Tilting her head, she exchanged grateful looks with another big fox whose collar was being grabbed by her own teammate while being questioned about her family tree. Nana then set Su Sulo down and subjected Blaze to the Mess Up Her Hair technique...

After thoroughly kneading them as punishment and venting a little, Nana finally let them go.

"...I've decided. I'm reporting this. I'm going to ask ACE and Kal'tsit to give you stronger education on operational discipline... As for now, newcomers, are you all alright?"

"Y-Yes!"

Seeing Cardigan's group approach awkwardly, Nana finally signaled for the Security Bureau vessel's crew, who had been waiting for some time, to check everyone's Originium radiation levels and other data. While they worked, Miss Killer carefully chose her words.

"First, thank you all for bravely taking your first step toward a Catastrophe. Under authorization from Rhodes Island's Director Kal'tsit, as well as the deployment orders from Blacksteel Worldwide BPRS and the captain, command over all of you once again belongs to me...

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am a Rhodes Island Medical Department operator and personnel officer, Medic. I am the captain of this Rhodes Island field team, as well as the Catastrophe Messenger who calculated Ticarondo's Catastrophe development model.

"Under orders from the Columbia Homeland Security Bureau, Captain Teresa Walter of the Columbian special operations vessel beneath our feet... that is, Operator Puff... and I will guide the rescue fleet through the Catastrophe to find a safe route to Ticarondo."

Looking at the eyepatch-wearing Rhodes Island operator before her, Liskarm clicked her tongue.

"So the 'Jessica' we saw aboard the ship earlier was you?"

"...There is no way I could admit to that. What evidence do you have?"

"Evidence?"

Glancing at the crying cat girl who had arrived together with Vanilla, Liskarm pointed at Jessica, whose ears drooped.

"Jessica herself isn't wearing an eyepatch. Isn't that evidence?"

"...Of course not. At most, it proves that young people have good constitutions and recover quickly after falling and hurting their eyes... Besides, I bear no ill will toward any of you. I also hope that future cooperation between Rhodes Island and BPRS will not be mixed with this kind of... personal grudge."

"...Who knows? That depends on your performance."

At that point, Liskarm realized that Franka had angered her so badly that she had actually said something so childish to someone from a partner organization... After shaking her head and reflecting on herself, Liskarm saluted and stood at ease.

"Defender Operator Liskarm, standing by. I have participated in multiple special operations involving VIP protection, stronghold assaults, hostage rescues, and threat elimination. During this deployment, I will strictly observe organizational regulations and complete the tasks you assign... Also, please do not believe anything strange Franka says!"

"Ahahaha~ As you can see, my adorable partner is still a little upset... And I, Environmental Protection Operator Franka, will contribute my share toward suppressing the pollution caused by Originium to the greatest extent possible."

Rather than saluting like Liskarm had, as though she were a soldier, she extended her hand to indicate that she wanted to shake Nana's. Nana, whose role had now changed to that of "doctor" and "Catastrophe Messenger," naturally obliged.

Seeing that Nana showed no disgust toward her status as an Oripathy patient, the big fox immediately changed the subject.

"And these two... Jessica and Vanilla, are they also being deployed with us to the Catastrophe frontline?"

Before Nana could explain, the teary-eyed Feline girl first bowed several times in quick succession to Franka... Nana could not understand why she was doing that...

"Y-Y-Y-Yes!! Franlo originally said that Vanilla would be assigned to station at Rhodes Island with you..."

"After all, Vanilla is studying with me... But why is little Jessica here too? Isn't your instructor Liskarm?"

"Th-That's because I thought... Senior Liskarm would definitely catch up with you, so I... Eh? No, no! I'm not saying I dislike Senior Liskarm! It's just that I thought I would leave first... No, that's not right either!! I was actually ordered to go to Rhodes Island!! My family... Blacksteel, somehow decided while I was asleep that I was to be stationed at Rhodes Island... Maybe that was Doctor Franlo's... foresight?"

So everyone thinks I'm completely wrapped around this stinking fox's finger, huh?

—An unnamed Liskarm operator.

Seeing Jessica make things worse the more she explained, until her final words seemed like she was smearing ink directly across Liskarm's face, Franka chuckled twice... Feeling Liskarm's hand reach for her waist again, the big fox coughed twice and pretended she had heard nothing.

"Alright. So Rhodes Island's members who went off on their own have returned to your command channel, and BPRS Squad is also following your arrangements. I think we can begin the mission briefing... and get to know each other a little better... For example, could we discuss this ship's origins? Or perhaps introduce us to... the captain of this 'special operations vessel'?"

Seeing Franka's curious expression, Nana turned around...

At some point, the military-uniformed girl with the platinum—or rather, flaxen-blonde—ponytail had come to stand beside the energetic white-haired old man in a first officer's uniform. Both wore smiles, yet neither moved.

"Puff... Lady Walter!"

"Just call me Puff~ Or Tessa, directly. It's rare to meet people our own age, so don't let military rules and regulations constrain us... Besides, while this ship belongs to Columbia's military, it isn't part of the warship registry... Of course, it's enough that you know that. Don't go spreading it around."

She cutely made a silencing gesture before her moist lips. Though Puff's gaze was lively and possessed an almost seductive charm, her bearing was unquestionably that of an exceptionally elegant young lady.

The girl bowed slightly to show courtesy, while lifting her voice with incomparable pride.

"Welcome to my Landship..."

Quiet. Stable... There was none of the deafening noise normally produced by a Landship's walking mechanisms. If they did not occasionally see the dark wilderness rapidly slipping away beyond the portholes, no one could say for certain whether they were even aboard a Landship running at full power.

"Well, it's a hovering experimental vessel... What makes me proudest about this ship is her mobility~ We showed some of it while catching up to Blacksteel's van, but to be honest, thirty times the speed of an ordinary Landship isn't even this baby's limit... In areas with relatively flat terrain, she has once reached ultra-high speeds no different from commercial aircraft...

"Of course, traveling at that speed causes considerable damage to both the crew and the cargo... Once we exceed one hundred and twenty kilometers per hour, even a slight bump can send the entire ship into an outrageous skipping trajectory... Unless we are especially trying to catch something, we generally do not activate that high-speed mode."

"This... really is quite an honor~"

Seeing the big fox still habitually mouthing off, Liskarm expressionlessly drove an elbow into her... Nana, however, ignored the young people's flirtation and began explaining the mission to everyone.

"And that high speed and outstanding maneuverability form the basis that allows us to probe deep within a Catastrophe while maintaining our safety as much as possible. The anti-gravity engines, combined with attitude-control thrusters, are enough to let us evade Originium Crystals falling from the sky..."

Puff said, "But the prerequisite is a highly sensitive detector capable of confirming Originium concentration within a Catastrophe and its position in the storm clouds... Fortunately, Rhodes Island truly has a powerful Catastrophe Messenger who can see through Catastrophe Clouds. Only then can we establish the foundation for opening a route to Ticarondo."

Raising a hand to interrupt the mutual business praise between the two of them, Franka asked the question that all four Blacksteel members... and even Rhodes Island's side had been curious about.

"So, what exactly do we need to do?"

"The action team... Your burden is actually quite heavy... Although it looks as though we are casually traveling through the Catastrophe right now, that is based on the route map Lady Medic already shared for entering the inner ring... Once we reach the inner ring, the Originium dust concentration will be thicker, and there will be more hidden Originium. As the volume of information increases exponentially, the combat system aboard the vessel alone certainly cannot process the information fed back by Operator Medic in real time... After all, whether through paper and pen or speech, the volume of information they can convey is still far too slow compared to the Intercity Network itself..."

"So..."

Puff nodded and patted the exoskeleton on Nana's body as she looked at Franka.

"At that point, the action team will need to protect Medic while she enters deeper into the Catastrophe ahead of us... and organizes the route information... Don't worry, Rhine Lab has provided a considerable number of exoskeleton sets, along with several patented Originium devices for you to choose from..."

"...And that will open a path for the Landship to pass through?"

Seeing Franka's doubtful expression, Puff smiled and nodded.

"Yes. In a Catastrophe storm where Active Originium fills the sky, even if we have to blast our way forward with the main cannon, we will blast open a road."

"Whoa... Hearing that... you sound so determined that you don't even seem like Columbia's military..."

Puff did not pay much attention to Vanilla's quiet mutter, because she answered in much the same way.

"We really aren't Columbia's military... We are a Columbia Homeland Security Bureau special operations vessel. Our usual work is mainly using our extremely high speed to perform some... material transport duties... Receiving frontline assignments like today's, especially one as noble as rescuing refugees... I'm rather surprised myself."

"Ahem... Captain... You've said too much..."

As the first officer, who had remained silent all this time, coughed awkwardly twice, Miss Puff covered her reddened cheeks and stuck out her tongue at Medic.

"Sorry... That last part doesn't count... Anyway... the government officials will gain votes, the mobilized soldiers will receive pay and leave, my technical team will obtain extreme-environment usage data unlike anything we have ever had before, and all of you... will bring a higher survival rate to your companions... Everyone gets what they need."

"Well~ Since we're all facing the same risks..."

Seeing that Franka understood Puff's reasoning well, Nana nodded too.

At this moment, everyone took the elevator to the officers' lounge below the bridge. Before reaching the boundary Nana had calculated, they could rest here for a while... At the same time, the Security Bureau's Engineering Department personnel were urgently preparing the vehicles everyone would use later.

"...Everything for more lives."

Let us turn back time by one day and return to that afternoon, before the Catastrophe had officially begun.

In Ticarondo time, Matilda's ears twitched anxiously as she looked at the sky, already black as though night had fallen. Since a while ago, aside from the thunder in the sky, the city district beneath the girl's feet had been making booming noises every so often.

They were accompanied by light tremors like an earthquake... Now that the girl was holding Amiya's hand, Matilda would not reflexively punch through the mobile city's top deck out of concern for her friend's safety. But this startling situation had already left the Little Cat's nerves taut.

Elva, the gang girl, could only explain with her ears drooping.

"That's the sound of the district blocks changing circulation pipes before emergency evacuation, and the engines in neighboring blocks warming up... Our equipment is all very old, so it makes strange noises... I'm used to hearing it."

Though she said that, Elva's airplane ears were much worse than the Little Cat's... Or perhaps what she heard had never been merely those simple sounds.

"...Every time I hear that sound, nothing good happens..."

Saying that, Elva looked at Fang, Kroos, and Beagle, the three trainee officers directing people toward the lower levels for shelter, and curled her lip... She could not quite describe how she felt about those three... They clearly were not Infected. They could have gone straight to the Core City shelters and left together... Yet they were now mixed in with the Infected...

Really, she did not know what to say.

"Come to think of it, little CEO, have you found your employees? Didn't you say they weren't allowed into the shelters here?"

"Ah... Yes, thank you for your concern. They are already by our side."

"Eh? Where?"