"Oh dear. This is troublesome."
Neo lowered his metallic eyelids and blinked his bright yellow eyes. Currently, he was being transported in the back of a truck while restrained.
Inside the bumpy truck, two men in black suits stood guard with rifles, monitoring Neo.
"Hmm. This situation, I've been kidnapped, haven't I?"
Neo shook his head with a clatter. The situation had unfolded so suddenly that he was late in grasping what was happening.
Inside the shaking vehicle. Outside, gunfire and shouting could be heard. And what his sensors faintly detected was the sound of horse hooves. His friends were fighting to rescue him.
Looking at it this way, it seemed as if he had become the kidnapped princess from the Don Quixote story. Of course, he was a robot, but still. No matter how positive Neo's personality was, he couldn't remain at ease in this situation.
"In that case, I should try to make some effort too."
Neo thought deeply. How could he overcome this situation? The answer came sooner than expected. He wasn't sure if it would work, but there was no harm in trying.
Neo's eyes turned toward the two guards.Alpha One shifted his attention away from Don Quixote. Don Quixote was quite interesting, but right now there was someone else he needed to focus on.
[That one is particularly dangerous.]
Alpha One's voice deepened as he looked at the cowboy riding a horse that emitted a pure white light. Osian.
Watching this unknown figure who had appeared from nowhere stirring up the battlefield was enough to inspire admiration, even though he was an enemy. Especially when he single-handedly blew up the giant oil truck, Alpha One almost felt like applauding.
That would have been the case if they hadn't met in this environment.
[That light sword he's using. I've heard of it. Is he that super-rookie fixer they call in rumors? It's a pity we're meeting in these circumstances.]
Perhaps he heard Alpha One's murmur. Osian's gaze suddenly turned in his direction. He looked this way? It couldn't be a coincidence. To notice his gaze in this chaos showed remarkable sensitivity. Which is why he needed to be eliminated here and now.
[Soldier. Eliminate the target.]
The automaton with a blackish tint, Soldier, moved. Though their numbers had decreased by one, they still had enough firepower to erase a single person.
-Clack. Whirrr. Tatatatatata!
The multi-barrel guns attached to the Soldiers' right arms rotated fiercely and spewed fire.
Countless red hands aimed at Osian. Osian had already noticed the attack, so he quickly turned the reins of his warhorse.
As soon as the warhorse turned sideways, countless bullets grazed the spot where he had been. Sand sprayed up with a pa-ba-ba-bak sound.
The trajectory of the gun barrels quickly pursued Osian.
-Ti-ti-ti-ting!
Osian extended his shield forward. Bullets ricocheted off the shield with a shower of sparks, but the speed of the warhorse was restricted.
With bullets continuously coming, he couldn't easily lower his shield.
'The gunfire is persistent. Since they're not human, there's no trembling in their aim. That makes it difficult to change direction and perform evasive maneuvers.'
With three automatons concentrating their firepower at once, even Osian was finding it difficult to manage with just his body.
If he were fighting on bare ground it might be different, but in this situation, racing roughly through the wilderness, such an attack was nothing short of troublesome.
Preparing an attack to counter requires time. But the other side had already seized the initiative and was continuously pressing the attack. The fight had already become half-lost from the start.
'Moreover, those other gang members who were watching me have gradually begun to show their true colors.'
These were the ones who had been too frightened to approach when Osian was destroying the oil truck and rampaging. But now, as soon as they confirmed his mobility was hindered, they were approaching. Like a pack of hyenas who have confirmed their prey is wounded.
They too had realized that they needed to eliminate Osian, the most dangerous one here, first.
'Concentrated fire from the front without a moment to breathe. From behind, a pack of wolves is approaching to bite my neck at any moment.'
He was truly like a cornered rat with nowhere to go.
'In this situation, I can't retreat from this position since I need to rescue the kidnapped Neo. It's truly a desperate situation on all sides.'
The external pressure was intense. The performance of destroying the oil truck to diminish their morale had backfired. It had become the catalyst for them to unite against the most dangerous enemy.
But he couldn't regret or undo his actions. The only option was to find the best course of action and overcome this situation.
'If I were alone, it would have been impossible.'
Right now, he had two reliable comrades with him.
-Tatatatatata!
Of the three streams of bullets endlessly aimed at Osian, one abruptly veered off. The barrel of one of the Soldiers had suddenly twisted. One of the Soldiers shooting at Osian had an arm completely severed.
The firing stopped. Osian felt a sense of relief and looked at the person who had helped him.
-Vroooom!!!
A muscle car was seen tightly hugging the side of the truck where Neo had been kidnapped. A strand of magical power extending from the driver's seat was connected to the Soldier's arm. David, who was driving with one hand and pulling out a thread of magical power with the other, smiled wickedly.
"Actually, the newer models are easier for me to interfere with."
Of course, an automaton of Soldier's caliber would have means to resist external interference. David knew this and used a trick. He concentrated his attack on just one arm.
"I might not be able to do much else, but I can at least turn the gun barrel aside."
Of course, it wasn't as easy as it sounded. Such extreme situations required a high level of concentration. David was even holding the steering wheel. He was in the middle of a deadly race where the car would overturn if the wheel twisted even slightly.
In the past, even with his title as Commander, David wouldn't have been able to do this.
It was all thanks to his growth beyond rigorous training. Knight training had not only toughened his body but had also honed his senses to be sharper than ever before.
Getting beaten daily with a sword by Asmer had worked out this way.
[You damn bastard!]
Alpha One, who had lost his prey that was almost caught, burst into anger. It wasn't just anything - being caught off guard by David, whom he hadn't even bothered to notice, had properly disturbed his composure.
"Oops."
David immediately released the magical thread. He turned the steering wheel to the side and quickly distanced himself from the truck. Of course, he didn't forget to give Alpha One the middle finger through the open passenger window.
Alpha One gritted his teeth inside his helmet.
[Soldier. Resume firing. I'll handle that one myself. Team Alpha. Send a bike.]
Alpha One immediately signaled the lead vehicle. Soon, with a thud, a black bike was ejected from the lead Humvee.
Alpha One jumped from the top of the truck onto the bike.
-Vrooom!
With an intense exhaust sound, the bike scattered sand as it accelerated. Unlike the off-road bikes the mobile unit rode, this was a sleeker, more elegant black bike.
Naturally, its output and speed were incomparable to other bikes. Even the modified nitro-engine bikes from District 49 couldn't compare.
The bike skillfully changed direction and pursued David. It was like a black panther chasing its prey. David was astonished at the sight of Alpha One approaching rapidly.
He had deliberately provoked them to draw attention, but he didn't expect it to work this well.
"Damn it."
David tried to distance himself, but Alpha One was faster. Alpha One drew the pistol from his waist and fired at David.
Even at high speed, his shooting skills showed not the slightest disturbance.
-Ti-ti-ting!
However, the bullets were blocked by the iron knight who intervened midway.
"No one dares harm my comrade!"
[Right. You were there too. The outdated suit.]
Alpha One's fighting spirit flared at Don Quixote's appearance. He quickly moved close to Rocinante and emptied all his bullets.
The bullets hit the shield or Rocinante's body and ricocheted off.
"Such light attacks are futile!"
[I know. Did you think I wouldn't know the value of the suit you're wearing?]
The pistol was just suppressive fire. The real thing was yet to come. Alpha One pulled out a weapon from his waist. It was the sharp close-combat weapon he had used to kill the leader of the Oil Finger gang.
-Whirrrr!
With a mechanical sound, a blade like shark teeth began to rotate. It was one of the close-combat weapons called a chain sword. And the chain sword Alpha One used was an upgraded version of the original.
-Crackle!
Blue electric current flowed over the rotating blade that left afterimages. It was a formidable weapon that would cut through anything it touched by running high-voltage current through it.
Its cutting power was so excessive that it could even slice through a human body with a clean cross-section. Naturally, this wasn't meant to be used on humans. Rather, it was designed for opponents similar to himself, wearing steam suits.
-Kagagagak! Intense sparks flew from Rocinante's side.
"Oh no!"
[Both that suit and this horse. I don't know why someone as wealthy as you is doing this, but it's regrettable. I have to send off one of my major clients with my own hands.]
Alpha One had already guessed Don Quixote's identity. Handling the automaton industry's business in secret, he was naturally well-informed in these matters.
From the beginning, the people who had bought the few available suits for huge sums of money could be counted on one hand. It would be stranger not to know his opponent.
[To modify such a valuable item into this cheap form as you please. What a waste of money.]
"Ha! Did you say cheap? Do not insult the noble image of a knight!"
Don Quixote thrust his lance but Alpha One deflected it with his chain sword and said.
[A heat weapon, is it? You've brought a strange weapon too. It might have been enough to deal with mediocre opponents, but it won't work on me.]
The lance and chain sword collided fiercely in mid-air. Every time the two suit-assisted individuals swung their arms, white steam erupted from the seams.
In the confrontation without a moment's hesitation, Don Quixote groaned.
"Ugh!"
In the ongoing battle, Don Quixote gradually began to be pushed back. Alpha One laughed inside his helmet.
[You modified it away from its original purpose, reducing its output. To sacrifice practicality just for style. Even if the reduction is barely 5% of the total output, it can be fatal in situations like this.]
"You..."
[Above all, this suit I'm wearing is the same product as yours. No, it's been upgraded even further. I am perfectly your superior version.]
Moreover, Alpha One was a veteran with abundant combat experience. He was saying that an old man who had been deeply moved by a chivalric novel couldn't compare.
"Wag your tongue as you will, I shall not waver!"
As Don Quixote thrust his spear, Alpha One raised his lower body, did a handstand to avoid it. And from that position, he jumped up with the strength of his arms and kicked Don Quixote with all his might.
-Bang!
Don Quixote raised his shield to block, but the impact was considerable. His body, separated from Rocinante, flew far and crashed onto the roof of a large truck.
It was one of the mobile fortresses driven by the Mining Heavy Industry gang.
"What the hell! What is this?"
"He suddenly flew in!"
They seemed confused by the sudden appearance of a knight. As they wondered what to do with Don Quixote getting up, Alpha One dropped right on top of their heads.
-Slash.
As Alpha One rotated his body upon landing, the gang members around him were all dismembered, spraying blood.
Don Quixote looked back at Alpha One and took his stance.
[You're going to fight even knowing you can't win? How reckless.]
"A knight never flees from the enemy before him. To achieve victory despite knowing the odds. That is what makes a true knight."
[To speak of knights even in this situation. Have you lost your mind? Well, that's why you were called a madman. Isn't that right? The madman of dreams, Alonso.]
The identity of the old man who called himself Don Quixote was one of the Four Madmen. The Madman of Dreams, Alonso.
Don Quixote, whose real name had been called, remained unfazed and spoke in a solemn voice.
"I am Don Quixote. A knight who pursues honor and dreams. I know not of such a person."
[That dream talk again. Aren't you tired of the knight nonsense yet?]
Alpha One spun his chain sword brilliantly and charged at Don Quixote. Blue electric current remained in the air, tracing its trajectory. Don Quixote gripped his shield and spear, facing Alpha One.
-Bang!
As their weapons collided, a shock wave erupted around them with a thunderous sound.
"Hey, wait a minute. What's that?"
Inside the cargo compartment of the truck holding Neo. One of the guards watching Neo called to his colleague.
"That, its condition is strange?"
"What?"
As his colleague said, Neo was blinking excessively and his body was trembling. Moreover, electricity was sparking from various parts of his body with crackling sounds.
"Is this okay? It's not breaking down, is it?"
"No way."
Just as the two were muttering like this, Neo's seizure stopped, his body went limp and his operation ceased.
“Huh?”
The guards looked at each other.