episode_0007

‘Now!’

This wasn’t a planned attack.

It was a momentary conviction born from survival instinct and countless repetitions of in-game experience.

A reflexive movement created by senses pushed to the limit through ‘Kinetic Flow’.

I used the broken Vulcan cannon on my left arm as a shield, subtly obscuring her vision, while simultaneously extending my right arm with all my might, aiming a steel fist at the open right shoulder she exposed.

Silvera’s only blind spot, undefended because she had just swung her energy blade wide.

Boom!

The Bugbear’s crude fist accurately struck Silvera’s right shoulder armor.

Silvera’s perfect posture was disturbed for the first time.

The mech, having taken the impact, swayed slightly and stepped back a couple of paces.

On her shoulder armor, a clear, ugly black scorch mark was left, along with a dent in the shape of my fist.

It was a clear wound left on Silvera’s dazzling pure white armor.

For a moment, the entire training ground fell silent as if frozen.

Not even Yuna’s breathing could be heard through the comms.

She, and everyone else watching this scene, had expressions of disbelief at what had just transpired before their eyes.

And just then, a system window appeared in my vision once more.

[+5000CR (Additional Reward Goal Achieved: Successful Valid Hit)]

I did it! Survival, and even a valid hit! My heart was pounding like crazy.

A total of 10,000 credits in additional rewards. With this one blow, I had earned an enormous reward.

“My god! He hit her!”

“He really hit her! Silvera!”

“What is that guy, really?!”

“My money! My 50 credits! I should have bet on him!”

“Did you see that?! What did I say?! I knew that guy would do something!”

Squad Leader Han’s booming voice was also heard.

Sergeant Bulldog was frozen with his mouth agape, and the other mercenaries were excitedly slapping each other’s shoulders and shouting.

A moment later, Yuna’s communication reconnected.

Her voice was a tone lower than before.

Within it seemed to be a sense of surprise mixed with an indescribable emotion, clear displeasure, or perhaps something even more like dangerous interest.

[…Excellent, Driller.]

She spoke briefly. That voice no longer felt like it was testing me.

[That wasn’t luck just now.]

As soon as she finished speaking, Silvera’s aura completely changed.

If her previous movements were like a sharp and precise sword dance, now it was closer to a storm that would cut down everything in its path.

I even had the illusion that the air around the mech grew cold. She had definitely gotten serious.

No, she seemed angry.

[Alright, in that case, I’ll have to show you the real thing now.]

Silvera drew out another energy blade from each side of her waist.

Shining energy blades in both hands.

Blue energy surged throughout the entire mech, and even the atmospheric pressure seemed to change.

‘She’s crazy! She’s going to use that here?!’

My eyes widened in horror.

Twin Moon Slash.

It was a super-high-speed flurry, almost impossible to evade.

The moment that hit, my Bugbear wouldn’t just need repairs, it would become scrap metal dust.

The safety of the cockpit couldn’t be guaranteed.

The quest objective was already achieved.

The 10,000 credits in additional rewards were also secured.

There was absolutely no reason to take that crazy technique here.

This was a sparring match, not a life-or-death battle.

Of course, that woman looked ready to charge in as if it were a real battle right now.

‘I have to surrender! Right now!’

The decision was made instantly.

Pride? Throw that to the dogs. Surviving comes first.

The very moment Yuna lowered her stance, drawing energy to its peak to activate Twin Moon Slash.

I hastily opened the comm channel and shouted.

“Training ended! I surrender!”

At my urgent declaration of surrender, Silvera’s movements, just about to begin the attack, abruptly froze as if a film reel had snapped.

The blue energy surging from the energy blades in both hands dissipated to nothing.

Yuna remained motionless in that very stance for a moment.

“What? A sudden surrender?”

“Aw, it was just getting interesting!”

“But is it wise?”

“That technique was dangerous. The Silver Witch, she’s as crazy as the rumors say. If she’d used that here, the base might have been destroyed.”

Yuna relaxed her stance and sheathed her energy blades.

Her voice came through the comms again.

The previous anger or excitement was gone, replaced by a cold, flat tone.

[Test concluded.]

I thought she would say that and then cut the comms or leave.

But she didn’t move, instead watching me, or my damaged Bugbear, for a moment longer.

What was she thinking? Surely she wasn’t going to overturn the results now.

Just then, unexpectedly, her voice flowed through the comms once more.

It was a subtle, unexplainable tone, different from her previous cold or testing one.

A hint of… embarrassment? Or perhaps regret mixed in.

[…I’ll rescind that last attack.]

I was puzzled and about to ask, but she continued speaking first.

[I got carried away without realizing it. I think I became too engrossed in your unexpected counterattack.]

She paused for a moment, then spoke clearly, as if reluctantly admitting it.

[That final attack was clearly excessive. This was a test, not a real battle.]

Her voice contained not an excuse or self-justification, but a clear sign of self-reflection.

I was so surprised I couldn’t say anything.

Yuna, the Silver Witch, who was always aloof and cold with a mysterious concept even in the game, was explaining her actions to a rookie from a third-rate mercenary company like me.

[If you hadn’t surrendered, I might have accidentally killed you. Even with training settings, that technique inflicts too much impact on the mech.]

She made a sound like a sigh.

[That was my mistake. I apologize, Cog7.]

Apologize? Yuna? To me? I couldn’t believe my ears.

The murmuring of other mercenaries around intensified, as if they had also heard this communication.

“Yuna apologized?”

“To that rookie?”

Their voices were filled with shock and incomprehension.

I was silent for a moment, then opened my dry lips.

“I accept your apology.”

I tried to speak as calmly as possible.

“I suppose I was a bit reckless myself.”

Yuna said nothing more in response to my reply.

She gently moved Silvera to a corner of the landing pad and landed it.

Then she opened the cockpit hatch and descended herself.

As she, clad in a white pilot suit, strode towards me, I reflexively pushed open the Bugbear’s crumpled hatch and stepped out.

Yuna stopped in front of me.

Up close, her silver eyes were even deeper and more mysterious, and her white skin was truly flawless and beautiful.

She looked at me silently for a moment, then spoke again in a much softer tone than before.

“Cog7.”

She spoke my identification number as if it were my name.

“I apologize once more. I said it over the comms just now, but I wanted to tell you directly. As a pilot, I failed to respect my opponent and lost my composure.”

She bowed her head slightly.

It was a sincere apology, laying down the pride of an ace pilot.

“It was clearly my fault to almost put a training opponent in danger.”

I was flustered by her sudden actions, but tried hard not to show it.

“It’s fine. I survived, and thanks to you, I had a good experience.”

I answered with forced nonchalance.

“No, it’s not fine.”

She said firmly.

And then she made an astonishing offer.

“As an apology, and as a sign of respect for the interesting abilities you’ve shown, I’d like to formally invite you to our Icarus Technologies facility.”

“What?”

“I want to offer sufficient compensation for this incident, not just your mech repair costs, but a reward beyond that.”

Her gaze was serious.

“Furthermore, it could be an opportunity to discuss your potential with our company’s experts. Pilots like you are rare.”

Compensation, discussion of potential—it was a sweet offer.

Icarus Technologies.

One of the companies with the best technology.

Stepping foot into that place could perhaps be an opportunity to change my life.

But there was no such thing as a free lunch in the world.

Especially a hand extended by a mega-corporation was even more suspicious.

What did they want?

My abilities? Or the secret behind the ‘Kinetic Flow’ skill?

Was this an opportunity, or a more dangerous trap?

I hesitated for a moment, then opened my mouth carefully.

“It’s an honor to be invited, but it’s too sudden. I need time to think.”

Yuna nodded at my reply.

Her expression suggested she had expected it.

“Of course. That’s only natural.”

She pulled a small data chip from her suit pocket and offered it to me.

“This contains my personal contact information and a temporary access code for visiting our facility. Contact me here once you’ve made a decision. I hope you won’t make me wait too long.”

I hesitated for a moment, then accepted the data chip. A cold, smooth sensation was felt in my palm.

“Then, I’ll see you next time, Driller.”

With those words, she gave a slight bow and turned away.

And once again, without lingering, she boarded Silvera and disappeared into the dawn sky, becoming a speck of light.

“She’s not even asking my name.”

*****

Some time later, Yuna arrived at her personal quarters within the Icarus Technologies Far East Branch.

Everything was made with cutting-edge technology, a cold and minimalist space, much like her personality.

After showering to wash away the traces of her outdoor mission, she changed into comfortable indoor clothing that clung softly to her body.

The room was filled with an artificial silence, as always.

Yuna paced the room for a moment, then approached an old teddy bear placed on one side of the bed.

It was her old friend, a teddy bear, worn and faded in places, but still with twinkling round button eyes.

Yuna picked up the teddy bear, held it in her arms, and sat on the plush sofa.

In this empty space, she could finally shed the mask of the cool-headed ace pilot and be a little more honest.

“Teddy bear, today was really… a strange day.”

She buried her face in the teddy bear’s fluffy fur and whispered softly.

Her voice carried a hint of tiredness and complexity instead of her usual composure.

“That pilot, Cog7. Driller. The data was real. No, he was even more impressive than the data.”

Yuna gently lowered the teddy bear and looked into its round button eyes.

“He actually hit my Silvera, you know? He dented my shoulder! Can you believe it?”

Her lips pouted slightly, as if feeling a bit wronged.

It was an expression unimaginable for her usual self.

“So, I ended up getting angry without realizing it and tried to use Twin Moon Slash, you know? It almost turned into a disaster. It was just a test.”

She sighed softly.

“It was truly unprofessional.”

She hugged the teddy bear again.

“So, I invited him. To come here. I wanted to see his abilities in more detail. If we analyze them, couldn’t we develop them further with our technology?”

But was that all? She asked herself.

“That person, he keeps bothering me strangely. His face was quite handsome, too. Well, that’s not important, though.”

She muttered as if trying to distract herself.

“But you know what, teddy bear.”

She lowered her voice even more.

As if confessing a major secret.

“I… I forgot to ask his name, you know? His real name, not Cog7, or Driller. Isn’t that truly pathetic, especially after formally inviting him?”

She hugged the teddy bear tightly without realizing it, as if frustrated.

That action showed a rare lapse in her usual perfectionist demeanor.

“Why did I do that? Was it simply a mistake? Or did I get nervous in front of him without realizing it?”

She tilted her head slightly, as if unable to understand herself.

Yuna remained lost in thought for a long time, comforted by the teddy bear’s silent presence.