I Became a Sub Heroine in a Cyberpunk Game

“……Huh?”

A dazed sigh escaped my lips involuntarily.

Why? Because I had been engaged in what could be called a battle of wits at the studio, and my senses were sharp enough to sound the alarm, ‘Hey, that seems like a really big mistake.’

Even though gunfire and shouts were rampant on one side, the somewhat mismatched solemnity that had enveloped the atmosphere had vanished in an instant.

Where was the principle of a united front that sets aside petty grudges or friction in the face of a common enemy?

I had politely asked my friends from Arcadia, who were clearly being a nuisance, to quickly clear out, yet somehow a fierce tension began to swirl here as well.

Was it really my fault? Huh?? Is it all my fault?

While a cold opinion emerged from a corner of my mind—acknowledging that it was unreasonable to expect everything to be fine after mixing oil and water, let alone stuffing Mentos into cola… it didn’t seem like I had gone that far.

Ah, could it be that I inadvertently sounded too much like it was someone else’s problem while presuming I wouldn’t be able to provide significant help?

It was I who had business to reach the newsroom through a group of terrorists, only to then shove the entire log onto others, right?

I just assessed my combat abilities as a sort of secret weapon in an emergency; I certainly didn’t mean to back out. As long as even a helping hand from my small stature would be of assistance, I was willing to provide support.

As if I had ever been picky about the side dish during a fight, I believed I could deal with a few enemies as long as the battle lines could more easily catch the attention of those on the front lines.

“Alright, then I’ll support as gently as possible, so there shouldn’t be any complaints…”

– You don’t need to do that on purpose. –

“That’s the shame of a warrior.”

“…What do you want from us!!”

I had just unlocked the holster and drawn the Peacemaker, readying for a shot. Yet, without anyone needing to take the lead, both sides actively tried to discourage me from joining the fray simultaneously.

And even though I shot them a sidelong glance, there was a notable silence among them.

This wasn’t right, neither was that.

As I glanced at the cyberware broadcast screen, bewildered by what everyone was intending to do, maybe they finally realized that making someone anxious is actually a bad thing, as they exchanged glances before slowly approaching the corner.

Masanari’s weapon… was a peculiar Japanese dagger paired with a silenced handgun in the other hand, contrary to my earlier complaints about the limitation of a single pistol. A sparse armament but entirely different if the user is an extraordinary person.

On the other hand, Zero advanced with all of Zero’s weaponry deployed, like a porcupine raising its quills, checking the output of each body part while holding the blade.

“We can’t act foolishly while the noble one is watching. Just as I accepted Zero’s proposal in the past, how about we do this in my own way this time?”

– I will actively accept it as long as it’s a reasonable and valid proposal. –

It seemed they deemed that, with the durability and precise shooting abilities of the security droids in front, they could sufficiently seize the upper hand. The fighters from Arcadia boldly pushed forward, slowly advancing down the corridor.

In contrast to the visibly troubled broadcast station guards, our two members remained calm, waiting for the prey to poke its head out to seize the initiative.

Surely… they couldn’t possibly think that prolonging this unique power struggle was significantly more important. I really hope not.

“I’ve heard that, in a desperate extermination battle, pursuers often place bets based on the number of kills. Unfortunately… I do not have comrades from the same class, so I’ve only been able to hear the experiences of many seniors.”

– It’s not as bad as I thought. So, what is the signal to start? –

Strike as fast as the wind when attacking, act as orderly as a forest when moving.

Invade with the fierceness of a fire, and finally, remain calm like a mountain when stationed.

There were some descriptions in the game about the loyalty expected from pursuers, though.

It seemed that, on the samurai code propagated by Masanari, there existed the notion of ‘Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain’—after which, she quietly prepared to accelerate, having completed her breathing, and softly responded.

“Now.”

Bang——!!!

With a noise comparable to the air being drawn in and then exploding, the fully drawn bowstring released, leaving a hazy afterimage as it shot out.

“What the hell is this!?”

“Shoot!! Those without a sect recognition tag are all heretics anyway!”

Screams erupted from the terrorists who were first to charge.

To their eyes, it must have appeared as if a black mass had suddenly blocked their path.

The black, bulky combat armor… enjoying ambushes from high ground…

I was reminded of a bat hero guarding some night somewhere. Of course, there was that slight but significant difference: this side had its murder limiter completely off and its booster mode activated.

– Unidentified entity’s hostile action detected, deemed a threat level with immediate lethal response. Gentlemen, please take special care not to become embroiled in combat… –

Crash!!

Clang! Bang…!

Having likely employed relatively high-grade components for visual systems, robots analyzed the flying object, determining it was a living organism, and simultaneously raised their guns.

But, as seasoned agents who knew instinctively that they wouldn’t indiscriminately fire, Masanari jumped into the midst of the back row of cultists, using their heads like stepping stones as she trampled on the stones beneath her feet.

Some of the bullets flying in her direction, she even joyously slashed away with her dagger.

Consequentially, the droids calculated that it was more critical to block the recently missed attacker than to maintain the threat level created by the existing security personnel in front of them; they staggered back in unison. …That was definitely a big mistake, wasn’t it?

Clang! Crack!!

– Fatal… enemy, damage confirmed. –

– Emergency shutdown to prevent core overcharge… –

Two systems shut down almost simultaneously, leaving behind faint dying words.

The executioner’s blade that thrust through the head part—akin to a face for humans—spouted upwards, leaving no room for hesitation.

Zero’s blade had smoothly penetrated the weak points inherent to the droids, which must exist in the gaps between the outer armor, the joints, and the data transmission ports, twisting in a way that seemed cruelly intent on destroying the internal circuits.

It didn’t seem equipped with an AI that would be concerned about kinship—though sometimes this one also becomes unforgiving.

Now with steel instead of flowers dangling from both hands, Zero, seemingly worried about dulling the hidden blade’s edge, roughly shook off what remained of the fallen bodies and shoved them into the corner of the corridor.

– Two. I’ve scored a significant first point. –

“!? Counting the heads of robots that are practically free is clearly cheating!”

– You placed a bet on the droid; do you think I would now acknowledge such exceptions? –

With the effort from the Arcadia believer, who was selected as the first sacrifice, to keep their arms close against their body to create a close-range firing angle for their rifle now rendered meaningless.

As soon as she landed after finishing her acceleration, Masanari spun like a storm, throwing away her guard, and using her dagger, deeply struck the neck hidden beneath the Hazard Suit, decisively crushing even the mildest resistance.

Moreover, without even glancing at one dazed one who hadn’t fully grasped the situation, she finished off with a shot to the forehead.

“Indeed, that point is valid! Then allow me to… one and two…!”

There was no longer time to explain.

With both front and rear lines, and the balance of the formation crumbling, the scene that unfolded seemed like a wolf released among the flock of sheep would also shake its head in disbelief.

This may come out rather unexpectedly, but did you know that some FPS games have temporary walls erected, with targets that need to be accurately eliminated? These training and assessment buildings are known as Killing Houses.

In such a space meant to hone one’s instincts, the specialized duo was creating a ruckus like they had entered a bar with their life insurance on the line, making it hard for me to take charge.

Uh… so they’re currently scoring points off the terrorists, right?

…These crazy bastards?

Only then did I realize how wrong I had been to think.

Aha, since facing even one of these fools is already a massive overkill, there’s no way they’d be behaving seriously like kindergarten teachers calming them down before they collaborate like war machines. No way.

I truly wanted to know this information. …Wow~ this is strange.

“Hey, could you catch just one person since you seem so relaxed? I’d like to confirm a few things?”

I felt a fleeting sense of pity, but these guys had certainly committed many sins. It seemed the damage done to the guards was considerably severe, so they should bear some of the consequences with their lives.

Amidst all this, although there was no sense of crisis, they were incredibly busy, nodding their heads without even giving direct responses, engrossed in their work like human blenders. I decided to focus on what I needed to do.

Isn’t diplomacy just as important as the direct application of force? Hm.

So, to you security guards…?

Oh, my companions may seem quite savage, but these are guests who were formally invited by Director Morgan, you see? So please lower those firearms a bit to prevent any accidental friendly fire.

I understand that you’re startled by my sudden interruption, but aiming that at me could be dangerous… for you, mostly.

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