I arrived in front of the device.
Among the mess of gauges and control panels.
A single lever stood out in the very center.
'The lever's in the same place too.'
After staring at the lever for a moment, I heard the Nanomachine's voice in my ear.
[Hacking System activated.]
An interface appeared before my eyes like in the game, and the Nanomachine began hacking.
BZZT—.
There was nothing for me to operate, so in the meantime, I turned on the radio and contacted D-Pal.
"Can you hear me?"
"Communication confirmed."
I paused for a moment.
[Hacking complete.]
[User acquires control of the 'Subway Track Opening-and-Closing Device.']
The message appeared before my eyes, and I immediately spoke.
"This thing isn't working."
"Device activation required."
CLUNK—.
I pulled the lever hard.
After confirming that nothing happened.
"It's not working."
"Anomaly detected. Moving to relevant area."
Lure successful.
Now I just had to kill it.
CLICK— TICK—.
Feeling needlessly anxious, I fiddled with the revolver.
Hoping the unfamiliar coldness of the metal would help calm me, I waited for it.
CLANK—!
D-Pal appeared in a hurry, mechanical noises spilling from its body.
"Hey, over here."
CLUNK—.
It tried operating the lever, then began examining the device when nothing happened.
I casually tossed out a question.
"Looks like there's a problem. Aren't we going back?"
"Return impossible until request is completed."
So what are you going to do?
"Then what are you going to do?"
"Will report anomaly."
It started walking away, intending to leave Basement Level 3 where communications didn't work.
'This won't do.'
My plan was to make it attack me first no matter what.
After provoking a direct attack.
I'd let the old man see only the fragment of the situation where I was being attacked.
But there was one order that could destroy this entire plan.
'I have to stop a withdrawal order at all costs.'
One word from the company could erase the opportunity entirely.
'This isn't really my style, but.......'
Can't be helped.
Time to show it the tongue of a K-gamer.
"Is there really any reason we have to stay here?"
"Unable to disclose due to confidentiality."
"That damn confidentiality again. What the hell is your company hiding so badly?"
"......."
"What, planning a coup or something?"
I spat out rough remarks one after another to get its attention.
This kind of talk had a name.
Getting under someone's skin.
Stop—.
D-Pal, which had been about to head to Basement Level 2 to establish communications, stopped in place.
It looked at me coldly and spoke.
"This product belongs to Pentatech. Do not make statements that violate company policy."
"Whoa, look at those eyes. Keep staring like that and you might punch me."
An instinctive sense of pressure came from its gaze.
"Just returning."
I expected it not to back down from this argument, so I raised the stakes.
Normally, it would've reported in and withdrawn.
"Rejected. Leaving request area is not permitted."
But after hearing my insulting remarks, it didn't let it go.
"Shouldn't you go back and bring some more of those fancy Pentatech tin cans?"
"Warning. Do not insult headquarters."
"Ah, right. Guess you can't spare troops if you're planning a coup."
"Final warning. Retract all insults toward Pentatech."
CLANK—.
As it spoke, it raised both fists.
It looked ready to beat me until I took it back.
'More straightforward than it looks.'
At this point, provoking an attack was halfway successful.
'Time to finish this.'
Even while I was thinking that, D-Pal only threatened me.
That was because of the restriction that 'Androids do not attack first.'
Under ordinary circumstances, they did not attack humans first.
This was a restriction, and no one could remove it.
However, preemptive attacks were permitted in emergencies.
The definition of "emergency" was rather vague.
'But this is still a game.'
And I'm a veteran of that game.
There was no situation in the game I couldn't provoke.
"......Can't be helped."
With movement suspicious enough for anyone to notice, I moved my hand toward my back pocket.
FLASH—.
Something inside the pocket reflected light like metal.
"Attack detected. Immediate response."
After seeing the suspicious object, D-Pal interpreted my movement as the opening motion of an attack.
But what a shame.
BANG—!
Its fist grazed my right hand and slammed into the wall.
Tap—.
Stone dust scattered everywhere as the object in my hand dropped to the floor.
It made a light sound when it hit.
FLASH—!
A half-broken shard of mirror reflected the light.
Watching D-Pal flinch as though startled, I shouted.
"What?! Y-You attacked a human first?!"
The acting was a little awkward, but who cared?
Flinch—.
It was enough as long as the old man hiding over there heard it.
"Attack canceled."
It acknowledged its mistake and stepped back.
But what a shame.
You shouldn't create distance.
BANG—!
Without hesitation, I fired the revolver at my waist.
The muzzle flashed with fire.
CLANG—!
The bullet struck its arm and burst into a silver spark.
I aimed for the eye, but its reaction speed wasn't bad.
"Attack detected. Combat Mode activated."
'Nanomachine, hack.'
[Attempting hack.]
[Removing Firewall.......]
Flinch—.
It noticed the hacking attempt and looked around, trying to find whoever was hacking it.
But what a shame.
I'm the one doing both the fighting and the hacking.
And.
'You shouldn't leave an opening.'
BANG—!
The smell of gunpowder spread as another bullet fired.
This time I shot after properly taking aim, but once again, it blocked with its arm.
CRUNCH—.
The bullet embedded itself in its body and crumpled.
Only then did it begin transforming its arm.
It looked like it intended to finish me off before it could be hacked.
"Whoa, sorry. You attacked me out of nowhere, so that was self-defense."
I raised my hands to show surrender.
Even though it was an Android, D-Pal looked visibly flustered.
CLANK—.
After hearing my declaration of surrender, the arm that had been transforming into a blade stopped and began returning to normal.
'First time meeting a lunatic like me?'
CLACK—!
I lunged forward and jammed the revolver into the joint of the arm that was trying to return to normal.
[Collection of Dirty Tricks Against Androids!]
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The instant I rushed in close and met D-Pal's glowing red eyes.
CLICK—.
I cocked the revolver's hammer.
BANG—! BAANG—!
Then I fired rapidly.
CRUNCH—!
The joint was an especially weak point, so I easily destroyed everything below the elbow.
That took care of half its right arm.
"......."
D-Pal's expression didn't waver.
It still thought it could win.
[Firewall removal complete.]
[Additional Security System removal complete.]
Now the Firewall and Security System were gone.
I'd take over its control authority, and then this would end in a simple victory for me.
"Danger Classification Grade 1. Core activated."
HUMMMMM—!
Blue light began pouring out from its body in every direction.
"Shut down the Core!"
I hurriedly shouted at the Nanomachine.
[Target Core output increasing!]
[5% -> 80%]
[Magnetic field generated. Hacking connection terminated.]
'Damn it.'
Its Core output was so powerful it was hard to believe this was a D-Grade unit, and the hacking stopped working entirely.
"Signal!"
[Prepared signal sound activated.]
BEEEEEP—!
The signal I'd prepared in advance with the Nanomachine.
A high-frequency tone poured from the surrounding hacked speakers.
FLASH—!
It charged at me with movements my eyes could barely follow.
"Ugh!"
All I could do was raise both arms and prevent a fatal wound.
Its flashing blade surged between my arms.
"Duck!"
CRACK—!
At just the right moment, the old man rushed in from its blind spot and drove a dagger into the base of its left shoulder.
'Nice timing!'
A surprise attack buried beneath the loud noise.
Obvious, but undeniably effective.
"Sir!"
"I...... know!"
GRIND—!
The old man gritted his teeth and put more force into the dagger.
CLICK—!
The joint of D-Pal's left arm crumpled and separated cleanly, tumbling onto the floor.
"Catch!"
The old man blocked D-Pal's kick with both arms, then kicked the severed left arm toward me.
WHOOSH—.
Its left arm flew perfectly toward me.
GRAB—.
I snatched it out of the air and immediately charged.
Flinch—.
D-Pal raised its half-destroyed right arm to guard its Core, but that wasn't my target.
Without hesitation, I drove its own left arm into its abdomen and shouted.
"Here's your left arm back!"
CRUNCH—!
With the sound of metal caving in, the blade buried itself deep in its abdomen.
Stagger—.
For a moment, it lost its balance.
The old man didn't miss the opening and immediately rushed in.
TAP—!
His eyes flashed as he raised the dagger.
STAB—!
And drove it straight into D-Pal's eye.
"Hup!"
I aimed precisely at the same spot and punched it with a tightly clenched fist.
Sparks flew everywhere as the dagger blade punched through the back of its head.
"Warning...... Penta...... asset......."
"Shut up."
To finish it off, I grabbed both its shoulders and kicked the severed left arm lodged in its abdomen with all my strength.
CRRUNCH—!
The impact was strong enough to cave in steel.
Even at a glance, it was an enormous critical hit.
'It's over.'
The old man and I instinctively sensed that the fight was finished.
To deliver the final blow, the old man slowly approached.
But.
"Mission...... con......tinue......."
As it whispered weakly, wind began swirling around it.
[Target Core maximum output increasing!]
[80% -> 150%]
[Warning! Escape recommended!]
Heat—.
An enormous wave of heat immediately erupted from it.
HISSS—.
At the same time, steam gradually began taking over the entire space.
The sense that it would swallow everything tightened around both our throats.
"Urgh—!"
The old man, who was closest to it, was blasted away by the heat.
I hurriedly retreated.
'How can a D-Grade Android do that?!'
Overclock (Over-Clock).
A last-resort ability that forcibly drove Core output higher for five minutes.
Using it meant the Core itself could be destroyed.
If that happened, my request would fail.
'Forget the damn request. I feel like I'm about to die.'
Still, I had no intention of risking my life.
I didn't want to die inside a game like this.
'Neural Acceleration!'
[Neural Acceleration activated.]
I had no choice but to use the still-unstable Neural Acceleration.
It didn't make my body faster.
Only my thoughts accelerated.
In other words, all it did was buy me time.
'Another way.......'
Overclock hadn't been part of my plan.
It was an ability only Androids of at least B-Grade should've been able to use.
Yet for some reason, this D-Grade unit was using it.
'Nanomachine, is there any way to stop that?'
[There is none without destroying the Core.]
'Not that. Another way!'
[None.]
'Damn it.'
I'd thought too simply.
I'd gotten arrogant because I believed I knew everything.
That I could control all of it.
That was what I'd thought.
'Should I destroy the Core even now?'
[10 seconds remain in Neural Acceleration.]
It began transforming both legs into blades as it slowly started moving.
CREEEEEAK—!
With grotesque movements, it slowly turned its head as its own heat melted it.
SWISH—.
Its red glare, now even redder than human blood, swept across me.
In that instant, a chill struck my entire body.
'Damn it.'
Like prey overwhelmed by a predator, I instinctively froze.
I'd been confident that my game knowledge could overcome any danger or crisis.
That hadn't been confidence.
It had been arrogance.
[Neural Acceleration ends in 4...... 3......]
I had to come up with something.
But I had only about two seconds left.
Nowhere near enough time to find a way to survive.
[2...... 1...... Neural Acceleration ended.]
FLASH—!
The instant Neural Acceleration ended, its movements became fast again.
So fast my eyes could barely follow them.
"Hup—!"
I desperately threw myself backward.
But it closed the distance far faster and swung its blade.
WHOOSH—.
As I watched the blade flying toward me, I thought.
The one who was finished wasn't it.
It was me.
'What an X-ed-up life.'
All of this had happened because of my own mistake.
My overconfidence.
My arrogance.
I should humbly accept my mistake......
'Like hell!'
This is unfair.
Why the hell did I get dragged into a game world and have to play a survival game with my life on the line?
And I'm supposed to die because of one mistake?
'I can't die like this!'
With the single thought that even if I died, I'd struggle until the end, I twisted my waist with all my strength.
CRACK!
My body screamed from the sudden change in posture, but I gritted my teeth and endured it.
Thanks to that, instead of falling backward, I managed to roll sideways.
CRASH!
I dodged a blade powerful enough to easily shatter concrete.
Still, all I'd done was extend my life by a few seconds.
The outcome hadn't changed much.
'Fuck.'
Then the Nanomachine, which had been silent, spoke in its distinctive emotionless voice.
[Nanomachine Assimilation Rate increased.]
[98.7% -> 100%]
[The Nanomachine's first fragment, 'Mind,' has been fully unlocked.]
[Special Ability 'Separation' is now available.]
[User emergency detected.]
[Automatically activating 'Separation.']
Blink—.
My vision suddenly went black.
Then my body was struck by something and sent flying backward.
For a moment, I panicked, thinking D-Pal had hit me.
But then.
I suddenly felt myself floating, and my vision returned to normal.
And I saw it.
'Huh?'
Just like in a game.
My own body lying on the ground after dodging D-Pal's attack.
From a third-person perspective.