episode_0323

If they didn’t respond immediately, they would often be ignored. So, the Violets mercilessly went for revenge.

“Delivery crew, assemble!”

The Violet Delivery Company, which arrived shortly after, quickly surrounded the scene. Soon, a merciless attack swept through the residential complex.

“Enemy! Enemies everywhere!”

—Slash!

The suspicious group, who had been acting like gangsters in our grasp, was utterly annihilated in less than 5 minutes. Only one survivor remained, groaning and spitting blood.

“Victory!”

Unfortunately, the brave pizza delivery people failed to achieve their true objective for gathering here. They had their revenge, but they failed to protect what needed to be protected.

“Pizza! Where’s the pizza! We need to find the pizza!”

“I think it’s over there?”

“Oh no! The pizza burned!”

These ruthless villains, to destroy the evidence, had thrown Violet and the pizza into the burning building. All we managed to salvage were charred remains.

“Damn them! The delivery’s late! Oh, wait a minute…”

“Why are you taking so long!”

“I’m sorry! We’ll be right there!”

Holding the blackened, crumbling pizza, all we could do was apologize to the torrent of customer complaints. We decided to interrogate these villains to vent our anger.

“Hey! The pizza burned! Who are you guys!”

—Thump! Thump!

Unable to control their rage, the Violets repeatedly struck the captive, but only enough to keep him alive. As they plunged a recovery potion into his neck, a blue liquid was sucked into his throat. The slumped figure slowly opened his eyes again. Of course, it wouldn’t last long; they had to make him talk somehow.

“Speak! Who do you work for!”

Violet grabbed him by the collar and shook him violently. The man painfully parted his lips.

“…a”

“What?”

Number 221 leaned close to his mouth. A few times, a weak, airy sound escaped, and then he mumbled something.

“…ma”

“I can’t hear you. Say it again.”

“Your… mom…”

“What?”

“Your mother, you idiots!”

Just as bewilderment was about to turn into rage, a strange sound was heard. The man bit down hard on something in his mouth. As he collapsed with a thud, the uninvited guests’ bodies simultaneously exploded and began to burn. Flames spread to the Violets nearby.

“Aaaah! The bodies are burning!”

“I’m burning too!”

As the Violets ran around trying to put out the fires, a sound of ripping wind echoed above their heads.

“What? Is that…”

Number 5543 and Number 2212 evaporated.

“Bombing!”

Suddenly, a firestorm rained down. Explosions obliterated where we had stood. The Rider Violets gasped and looked up at the sky. There was something invisible in the dark sky.

“Where is it? I can’t see it!”

“Run for it!”

The Violets deployed smoke screens and scattered in all directions, rapidly de-generating.

**

“Why are there so many of them?”

A sigh escaped the drone pilot’s lips as he watched the grim, grayish landscape captured by the thermal imaging equipment. The Intelligence Section Chief in the situation room turned his head, a sharp gaze in his eyes. On the screen, white figures scattered like fleeing rats among the buildings. The successive explosions of precision-guided bombs raining from the sky had ripped through the alleys of the redevelopment area like an overturned anthill, resulting in enemies scattering everywhere like rats.

Faced with this unexpected situation, the commander’s reaction was truly textbook. He appeared poised to cycle through the five stages of psychological change typical of a terminal cancer patient in the blink of an eye.

The first stage was denial.

“Is this… the end?”

“Beta-3 Special Mission Team, all personnel confirmed deceased. Multiple key targets have escaped.”

The trembling report from the radio operator instantly froze the control room. The commander, who had been observing the situation from the back of the operations room, finally had to face the harsh reality, and rage surged within him like a volcano on the verge of erupting.

“Damn them, what are those things? Any additional information? What are the reconnaissance assets doing? Reconfirm enemy positions immediately!”

“Commander-nim, enemy tracking is currently impossible. The enemy used multi-spectral smoke grenades to evade our surveillance network and rapidly concealed themselves using the complex terrain of the operational area. This situation exceeds the limits of our reconnaissance assets’ tracking capabilities.”

“Tracking impossible? Are you joking?! Our elite operatives have lost their lives, and what have you done? Is this acceptable? Is the high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft just for show? Recheck! Do you think Mech Hounds or other unmanned ground vehicles are children’s toys? Deploy them! All of them!”

The Major General’s rank insignia glinted menacingly under the control room’s red alarm lights. It was supposed to be a routine operation to strike an Army Intelligence hideout, but an unexpected variable had caused an absurd catastrophe.

“Damn it, who are these guys? Find any lead. Activate all intelligence networks!”

The Intelligence Section Chief cautiously spoke to the furious commander.

“Commander-nim, according to the analysis of the last communication… a codename, ‘National Pizza Rider Alliance,’ was confirmed.”

The moment he uttered the words, the officer’s face drained of color. His eyes trembled uneasily, as if he himself realized how preposterous the information he had just delivered was.

“Are you playing games? I heard that too! Is that all the analysis the Intelligence Section Chief can do? There must be some hidden meaning! It could be the Army’s new secret weapon or a local collaborating clan! Analyze it thoroughly! Quickly!”

The commander, who had been issuing orders, soon slumped in his seat like a machine that had been powered off. In the face of the shocking situation, his psychological state rapidly shifted from denial to anger, and beyond emptiness and rage over the evaporation of an elite operational team, he skipped the bargaining stage and plunged into a deep swamp of despair.

The person on the encrypted communication screen, who had been silently observing the situation beside him, broke the heavy silence.

—Major General Jukobik, are you alright?

“Chairman, do I look alright?”

—That’s why I warned you. Such dark corners are dangerous. Unexpectedly diverse forces are hidden in the shadows of Academy City. Retired legendary hunters, delinquent academy students, and veteran fixers from clans, forming gangs. So, don’t blame yourself too much.

Major General Jukobik gave a bitter smile at Raihan’s seemingly lighthearted remark.

“Are our elite special forces more incompetent than such a ragtag bunch…”

Raihan quietly ended the communication, watching the chaotic vortex in the Joint Special Operations Control Room. His secretary, who had been observing, spoke up.

“Chairman, it seems the Naval Special Warfare Flotilla’s capabilities are unreliable. How about providing the scheduled support to the Air Force Ground Troops instead?”

“I know, I know. Well, military types are all the same. The Air Force Ground Troops who are coming next? They’ll be no different. I don’t expect much.”

Raihan chuckled derisively, thinking of the peculiar special forces of the Air Force that operated armored units. His interest now turned to the unknown armed group dressed as delivery personnel.

“By the way, those friends are quite interesting. A gang claiming to be delivery people… Although it was achieved through surprise tactics, their combat power isn’t bad. Wouldn’t they be worth hiring as mercenaries?”

“I will attempt to make contact immediately.”

The attention of the Naval Special Warfare Command and Raihan was briefly focused on the mysterious enemy. It was around the time Violet 3213’s delivery pay was reduced due to a late penalty.

“Noooooo!”

**

We Violets moved with our usual vitality. Although there was some regret over the slight reduction in income due to the atrocities of the unknown villains overnight, our steps remained light.

“Who exactly were those guys?”

Unfortunately, there was no way of knowing who they were. The night sky was pitch black, and their bodies had turned to ash and vanished in an instant. There were no clues left for speculation. Through the collective intelligence of the Violet network, we deduced only two things.

“Could it be a large corporation or a medium to large clan?”

“If so, it’s definitely a clan conflict!”

Vowing never to get caught up in such troublesome affairs again, we looked out the airship window. It hadn’t been a few hours since we left Rustrum, and the ground was already right in front of us.

“Wow! An airship! It’s really the best!”

Enrica, her nose pressed against the window, cheered excitedly. Every time the clouds swept past and the scenery sped by, she had been squealing with excitement. Having been confined in the research lab for 10 years, everything seemed new to Enrica.

Of course, not everyone shared Enrica’s excited mood.

“Hmm, too noisy. This is an airship with other passengers. Can’t you please be quiet?”

Turning towards the source of the stern and irritable voice, an familiar face appeared. The speaker was Cheolkwon of Ruzilin, a black-haired girl in military uniform, sitting on a cargo crate, waiting.

“I don’t know why you’re so excited and making a fuss. It’s distracting. Moving around like that inside an airship is a bit…”

“Hey! Cheolkwon of Ruzilin, you’re louder. Be quiet!”

“Ugh…”

When I snapped at Cheolkwon, who had been sitting rigidly and lecturing, she immediately shut up. After being equipped with a reactor and regaining her energy, she had become a bit more active and talkative. However, perhaps because she was a soldier, she had a somewhat stiff and strict side.

—Violet, why are you so frivolous? You’re a hunter. You should be a role model for others. You shouldn’t act so flighty.

—Truly frustrating. Why do you only do reckless things? Self-destructing? You need to act rationally.

Her nagging came to mind, and I unconsciously frowned.

“Anyway, it’s just us here except for the pilot-misters and the crew. They won’t mind if we make a little noise. Dummy! It’s an order, so don’t worry about it.”

“Alright…”

A sulking Cheolkwon deactivated her girl-form and disappeared.

“Thanks to Violet, I got to try airline food for the first time! So this is what airship travel is like! Thank you!”

I chuckled at Enrica’s excited voice and replied.

“You’re welcome, and that’s not airline food. It’s just a packed lunch!”

“What? Oh, I wanted to try airline food…”

Seeing Enrica’s disappointed expression, my heart softened.

“Alright, then I’ll tell Adela Unnie that we’ll take a plane when we go back!”

“Wow…”

Enrica’s eyes sparkled. As I soothed her, I felt the airship slowly descend. Slowly, but with a slight tremor, the airship. Soon, a heavy yet soft, wind-like sound was heard, and the airship came to a complete stop.

The cargo airship’s ramp opened. Warm sunlight filled the cargo hold. Crew members swiftly removed the tarpaulin covering the cargo, revealing a majestic tank shimmering beneath it.

—Violet, do you remember the piloting method I taught you? Now you just need to drive me out of here.

Cheolkwon’s voice echoed in my head.

“Got it!”

The many devices securing the super-heavy tank were unfastened. Cheolkwon of Ruzilin reappeared, sitting next to the cockpit hatch, gesturing and guiding the way.

“Don’t shift gears too fast! And step on the pedal slowly. Got it? My drive system hasn’t properly driven before. Be careful.”

“Alright, already!”

The nagging Cheolkwon sighed, watching Enrica reaching out from atop the turret.

“Whoaaah! It’s moving forward!”

“No! No! Don’t lean out, get back in! You might fall. If you get run over, I’m not taking responsibility!”

“Alright, fairy-nim. Just a moment! This is my first time on a tank!”

The tank, now completely outside the airship, proceeded out of the airfield as guided. Now, all that was left was to load it onto a trailer.

An unexpected person was waiting for us at the airfield.

“Adela Unnie? Didn’t you say you were busy?”

I asked, surprised.

“Hmm, since it’s related to Violet, of course I couldn’t not attend, could I? This is our territory. I have a duty to personally guide our guests.”

Adela Unnie, accompanied by her attendants, personally greeted us. A graceful arc formed on Adela Unnie’s soft, white skin. Her gaze, which had been welcoming Number 6021 with a smile, now turned to Enrica beside me.

“And… this is that new… friend you made…”

Adela Unnie’s voice trembled slightly. I observed her expression.

“Hi, I heard you’re Violet’s school’s student council president. I’m Enrica.”

As Enrica suddenly extended her hand, Adela Unnie’s eyes sparkled.

“Ah… Enrica, it’s Enrica. I’ve heard about you.”

“Yes. But… huh? What’s wrong?”

“Enrica! Perhaps… would you consider coming to Aegis instead of Vesperia? Our school has various scholarship policies and benefits for students who desire independence. And there are mean witches at Vesperia! Do you need any support? I can talk to the board for you. How about reconsidering now? Aegis always welcomes talented students!”

Adela Unnie clasped Enrica’s hands. Enrica mumbled, looking a bit flustered.

“Thank you, but I think Vesperia suits me better. Their magic research is more specialized.”

“I-I see… That’s true. If that’s what you wish, I suppose it can’t be helped.”

Adela Unnie took a step back, looking regretful. Before I knew it, she had composed her expression and returned to her usual elegant and relaxed demeanor.

“By the way, that must be the tank Violet mentioned…”

Unnie’s gaze turned to the tank on the trailer. For a moment, Unnie’s movements froze. Her violet eyes were fixed on a girl sitting rigidly on the turret, adjusting her military uniform.

“…?”

“Violet! T-That child…! Surely…!”

Adela Unnie’s voice rose as if she were about to scream, then she quickly covered her mouth. Unnie’s attendants familiar shrugged and turned their heads.

Seeing Unnie approaching, Cheolkwon quickly dismounted from the tank.

“Excuse me… are you Cheolkwon of Ruzilin?”

Cheolkwon of Ruzilin looked puzzled for a moment but then stood at attention like a soldier.

“Yes, that’s right. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Grand Duchess of Cascadia. I am Cheolkwon of Ruzilin, in charge of the Violet Brigade’s Tank Battalion. What can I do for you?”

Cheolkwon saluted with a precise posture. Adela Unnie’s face flushed.

“C-Cute…”

“Pardon?”

Cheolkwon of Ruzilin tilted her head, clearly bewildered.