episode_0181

Four hours before Violet’s friends grasped the situation, the Violets began waking up one by one at 3 AM.

One hour before the operation began, at 4 AM, seven large balloons rose into the sky over the Western District from various locations.

Each massive hydrogen balloon, designed for advertising, ascended into the dark sky, carrying a crude basket.

Inside, a Violet, clad in thick cold-weather gear, lay in a state of hibernation. Considering the possibility of the basket flipping over, the hibernating body was tied to both the basket and the balloon.

As the sky slowly changed from black to indigo, then to blue, the advertising balloons drifted steadily and diligently through the wind, ascending higher.

Information from the altimeter and GPS indicated that the balloons were gradually rising into the sky.

“Good, at this rate, we’ll reach the target altitude within a reasonable time.”

“It’s going to be very cold! Don’t forget to warm yourselves with hot packs as soon as your hibernating bodies wake up.”

At the same time, the hibernating Violets sleeping across the Western District opened their eyes.

The transparent plastic wrapping crinkled, and a short blade popped out.

The hibernating bodies, brought in days or even weeks earlier, moved skillfully as if they had never been asleep once consciousness transferred to them.

Shedding the packaging like a skin, the Violets then inspected the replicated weapons enclosed with them.

Their movements were perfectly synchronized, without a single error. They pulled the charging handles to check the chambers, and ran their fingers along the blades of their swords and axes.

“Verification complete!”

Having prepared, the Violets pulled their masks down twice and boarded the waiting trucks.

Each truck carried approximately ten passengers. Including the heavy weapons, it was an overload that would likely draw protests from truck enthusiasts, but the girls didn’t care.

Hardly any of the vehicles prepared here were expected to survive past today.

Thirty minutes before the operation began, the Violets casually took out a chocolate bar and bit into it.

The vehicles started. Armed trucks and trailers carrying bulldozers sped along the quiet pre-dawn roads under the brightening blue sky.

The Violets “in the walls,” who had been sleeping under floors and inside walls in various locations, also waited for orders.

Having nothing to do, they waited for instructions.

The Violets at headquarters checked the balloons’ positions on screen.

The balloons were scattered chaotically from their launch points.

“They haven’t deviated much from the expected range. Altitude is what matters anyway!”

Ten minutes before the operation began, the Violets took deep breaths. This battle would determine the future course of their friends and themselves.

Five minutes before the operation began, the Violets loaded their weapons. With sharp metallic clicks, bullets and bolts were inserted into the chambers of firearms and the bodies of crossbows.

Some Violets checked the power and connection of the webcams attached to their helmets. These were key points of the operation.

One minute before the operation began, Violet Unit 1 whispered.

“It’s nothing special. Just do what you always do. Got it?”

“Kill and destroy!”

30 seconds, 20 seconds, 15 seconds.

Time felt inexplicably long.

In their tension, time seemed to stretch like rubber.

10 seconds, 5 seconds. 1 second.

Violet blinked.

The electronic alarm gave a light beep.

“Operation start!”

The Violet Regiment Command declared the attack.

The 1,800 Violet units scattered across various locations began their activities.

From mansions, hotels, airfields, laboratories, factories, and broadcasting stations. The fuses placed throughout the Western District were lit.

At 5 AM Trist Standard Global Time, Operation Witch’s Hammer began.

**

Our Violet Command had long pondered.

Where and how to attack to inflict critical damage upon them.

The core objectives of this operation were roughly three-fold.

First, people.

Every time a well-trained Awakened died, their future disappeared, and if their command structure evaporated, their ability to respond to future political offensives would vanish.

Being able to punish those who had done wrong was a bonus.

Second, Magnabyss Group and the academy’s critical facilities and equipment.

To prevent them from pulling any more tricks in the future, most of their buildings, excluding those meant for public display, had to be destroyed and rendered unusable.

Third, the clan’s equipment and data.

Everything that could be carried would be stolen, and everything that couldn’t would be burned. The acquired data would be disseminated to the Academy City Inspection Bureau, the Federal Parliament, and the military.

The most important objective, it seemed, was the first one.

So, as the operation began, the Violets hidden within buildings smashed through walls and charged forward.

First, let’s look at the situation in Unit 1224.

I smashed through the living room floor and burst into the bedroom. A pajama-clad old man lay in the bed, raising his head with a groggy expression.

“Wh-what? Who are you—”

“Old Principal John Wilbur! You’re fired!”

A sword slashed across the neck of Principal John Wilbur, who had been wearing a bewildered expression.

His head rolled onto the floor.

“Principal eliminated! What about the board members?”

“Engaging! Engaging!”

At 5 AM, the academy officials in the Western District who were on the kill list began losing their lives one by one.

-Thwack!

A silenced gunshot echoed through the house. A hole appeared in Dr. Alexander’s head. He was the chairman of the board.

“Wh-who is it? Help m—”

Professor Azarel was the director of research and development. He was sliced in half while doing morning exercises in his front yard.

“What, room service? Aaaargh!”

Director Luca, the finance manager staying at the hotel, was torn to shreds by Violets who smashed through the window and burst in.

The board members’ lives were extinguished one by one.

Their heads were blown off while sleeping in bed, using the bathroom, or lifting a spoon in the dining room.

“Ugh, aaaaaagh!”

Immediately after killing the Dean of Students, a woman named Eleanor, a woman who opened the door and entered the room screamed.

She was the housekeeper working at the target’s house.

-Thump!

I struck the housekeeper, knocked her out, and tied her up.

“Ma’am, you’re fired starting today! Find another job!”

“Well done, try not to touch anyone other than the targets! Don’t forget our justification.”

We handled non-target individuals according to the pre-planned procedures.

We had no intention of repeating the mistakes of self-proclaimed revolutionary organizations from memories before my transmigration. We Violets are also an organization that upholds international law, you know.

“…Mom? Where are you?”

After tying the housekeeper securely and throwing her into the bathroom, a child’s whimper could be heard, seemingly awakened by the noise.

This was a bit awkward. A significant number of the assassination targets lived with their families like this.

“Put all bodies into inventory and get out! Get out before they wake up if possible!”

The bloodstains were quickly cleaned. Everyone encountered was tied up and confined to a corner of the room. The Violets, having finished their work, vanished without a sound.

“All board members and professors on the list, eliminated.”

In this manner, throughout the early morning, we crossed off names one by one on the kill list.

Not just the academy’s board, but everyone involved with the clan.

First, the president of a Magnabyss Group subsidiary. The fellow resisted in his swimming pool, wielding a halberd.

“You bastard… do you know who I am? How dare you—”

“The president of Intellesia Manufacture. You know about Stregonix, don’t you?”

“H-how do you know that? *Cough*…!”

Intellesia Manufacture was the company that made critical components for the cyborg that attacked Irene.

Since the president resisted with a halberd, we showered him with bolts, turning him and his bodyguards into pincushions.

The operation team leader of Ascaria, a subordinate clan under Magnabyss.

The hunters and mercenaries guarding the secret laboratory were members of this clan.

“…Why are you doing this?”

“Just because!”

As he was hit by gunfire, he deployed a shield and quickly leaped out the window.

“Where do you think you’re going? Violet Beam!”

A melting beam sliced through the air. The target turned to ash.

“Ceres Security Service, Lutesia Industries. Eliminated!”

“Group executives are also being handled!”

The elimination process was not always smooth.

Contrary to plans, some people weren’t home, and others were awake early, requiring a struggle.

Nevertheless, we Violets patiently killed them off one by one.

With guns, crossbows, swords, bombs, and magic!

“N-no. Save me!”

“Attack! Attack!”

One hour into the operation, at 6 AM, most of the individuals on the list were dead bodies.

Only those who weren’t home or were elsewhere survived.

“Damn it! Where are the others?”

“Don’t worry, we’re searching every possible location! By the way, what about the academy’s underground?”

When Unit 890 asked, Unit 1437 replied.

“Yep! Suppression complete. Now collecting data!”

And then, good news arrived.

“We’ve also captured Dr. Sturges alive!”

**

While the academy board and Magnabyss executives were being attacked, the academy itself was no exception to the assault.

-Boom!

“Hands up!”

“P-please save us! We’re just people working for a salary!”

At 6:30 AM, the Violets in the dormitories finished suppressing the academy security headquarters and were now controlling the academy’s interior.

The security guards’ skill level was terrible. Or perhaps, our own skills had simply improved.

While seizing the broadcasting room, we also opened the barrier at the entrance.

Armed trucks lined up and sped into the academy.

“Disembark! Secure!”

As the armed trucks secured the area, reinforcements disembarked and entered the academy buildings and dormitories.

Shortly after, we cut off the internal electricity and communications.

The method was simple: just smash them.

“Antenna, base station destroyed!”

The underground facilities were also no exception to our attack.

“Run fast! We need to catch him alive!”

There was a crunching sound. A blade, flickering with red light, burst through the wall.

The Violets who had been hidden for weeks woke up and broke through the walls of the underground laboratory to emerge.

We ran down the concrete passage towards the research building.

Just then, the Violets inside the school, who had finished their preparations, also launched a diversionary operation.

“Tear gas deploying! Everyone, gas masks on!”

Those of us outside poured large quantities of tear gas into the ventilation shafts leading underground.

The interior of the research building was instantly filled with thick smoke. Simultaneously, the bunker’s electrical equipment was destroyed, plunging the research facility into darkness.

“Co-cough! Cough! Is it a fire?”

“Help!”

Violets in black combat suits switched on their lights and approached the researchers.

Most of the researchers had not gone home and were working overnight.

This was proof that their plans were nearing completion.

“Here! Over here! We’ve come to rescue you! Here, take a gas mask. Put it on!”

“Co-cough, cough… Thank you. I’m saved now. But who are you? I haven’t seen you before…”

As one researcher questioned, I swung my rifle butt and a mace.

“Aaaargh! Stop it!”

“Aaaaargh! Don’t hit me!”

I beat the researchers black and blue.

Among them, I saw a familiar-faced old man whose name was on the top of the kill list.

“Dr. Sturges. Right?”

“Who are you?”

The bruised, white-haired old man who heard my words raised his head.

Before he could say anything more, I gagged him and put a black hood over his head.

“Capture complete! Move to the passage!”

While a Violet squad dragged the researchers through the ground passage like slave traders taking captives, another platoon searched the interior of the laboratory.

The task was simple.

Collection of all data and installation of explosives. To blow up this massive facility, a huge amount of explosives would be needed.

And we had mountains of improvised explosives and vast quantities of gasoline.

“Dormitory student suppression?”

“Done!”

The students living in the dormitories rubbed their eyes and came out following our broadcast announcement.

Armed soldiers in black combat suits searched the buildings, waking up and dragging out even the sleeping students.

Still groggy with sleep, the students hadn’t grasped the situation yet, and looked at us with a mixture of fear and displeasure.

“Ugh…? Hey! Who are you guys!”

“Sirs, why did you call us?”

“I need to study…”

Hmm, haven’t they realized yet? They’re incredibly dense.

I raised my arm and gestured to the back.

Trucks carrying autocannons and recoilless rifles sped up, semi-surrounding the students.

As the startled students hesitated at the sight, Unit 1320 picked up a megaphone.

“Alright, alright! Attention! You are no longer students of this academy. As of today, Polaris Academy belongs to our Ariel Group. So get out!”

No sooner had the words finished than I detonated the bombs I had set in the dormitory.

-Boom boom boom!

“Wh-what? It exploded!”

“C-crazy!”

“See that? Anyone who resists will be crushed like this. Now get out!”

Violets in the armed trucks fired their autocannons into the air and launched shells at the building. Following them, a Violet squad, deploying sword energy, approached the students with menacing authority. The horrified students recoiled.

“Aaaargh!”

“Hahaha! Run! You fools!”

The Violet group fired their guns wildly into the air. The terrified dorm students cried and fled towards the main gate.

To flee just because of firearms, what weaklings.

“Dorm student evacuation complete!”

“Excellent! Regiment Command transmits: All forces deployed at the academy are to begin preparations for the academy’s incineration. Take anything valuable, then douse it with incendiaries and gasoline!”

Following the Regiment Command’s orders, the Violets rushed into the buildings.

“Companies, report status! Airfield and base secured? What are the factory and research lab teams doing? Headquarters situation? Are broadcasting station occupation preparations complete?”

Reports, accompanied by gunshots, came through the network.

“Engaging! Enemy resistance is fierce!”

“Artillery support requested! Where’s the air force!”

“Filming preparations are complete. Broadcasting station! Now!”

Heated reports, mixed with sensory details, streamed in from the field.

It seemed the Magnabyss individuals had also begun their own countermeasures. Truly the reaction speed of a giant clan.

But alas, our operation had only just begun.

We’ll show them exactly what a real fight tastes like.