"Bang!"
"Bang! Bang!"
Another string of rivets burst from the container door, striking the concrete like bullets before bouncing and rolling into the shadows.
The heavy white iron door had already bulged outward into an absurd curve. The grating screech of twisting metal set everyone's teeth on edge.
Every searchlight beam remained fixed on that door.
"All units, prepare for impact." The leader of the protective-suit squad spoke steadily, his voice carrying across the entire clearing through a loudspeaker.
He raised a hand in a preparatory signal.
But just then, he suddenly turned toward where Bai Zhu and the others were hiding and lifted a hand to remove his helmet.
Beneath it was the refined face of a man in his thirties wearing gold-rimmed glasses. He even wore a faint, polite smile as he bowed slightly to the three people in the darkness.
"Welcome, our outstanding beta testers."
His voice was quiet, yet everyone heard it clearly.
Bai Zhu and his two companions stepped out from behind the container.
Milluki's chubby face was taut, while Camilla looked utterly incredulous.
"I oversee Project D-04 at Anvil Enterprises. You may call me the 'Overseer.'" The man adjusted his glasses, their lenses reflecting the searchlights' glare. "Thank you for your excellent performance. You have provided us with extremely valuable combat data."
Camilla trembled with rage, squeezing the combination-lock case in her arms until it creaked.
"Testers? You were making fools of the Kakin Empire's Royal Family?"
"It is an honor," the Overseer corrected her, his tone as flat as though he were stating a fact. "The data from every one of you will provide an indispensable foundation for the birth of our more perfected D-05."
"BANG!"
A thunderous crash interrupted him.
The long-abused door of the refrigerated container finally flew off. The heavy