act9mini

Engineer? I don't know what kind you're talking about...

Oh, I think there are a few in the neighborhood who know their machine stuff.

Just a bit ago you were having hell finding a weapons repair guy, but now you've got people who understand these machines? What's the deal?

Haha... well, he might take an interest in your weapon too. Should I take you?

Whatever, I'll take it over myself. You and Greynuty have other stuff to talk about, so go get chattering. Where's that engineer live?

...I see now. This fine outer hull and internal design...

How is it? Good stuff, right? This weapon's been with me for years now.

But something I don't get... if you really are that strong, why was your major lance's hull so broken when you were coming out of the K.G.C.C.?

You wanna know?

So long as you don't blow up the story too big, I'll hear you out. I wanna know how you use it, principally.

Ha. Where should I start, then—

Back when I was still readying to be a campaign knight, this lance was drawn up for the real battlefield, designed to open the way for the forces behind.

My major lance takes a tremendous amount of force and impact, multiple times over.

After the way's opened up, I'd switch over to a minor lance.

But, ever since I started in the arena, I've never let this big thing break.

In other words... you haven't used your full strength, because you don't actually want to take anyone's life?

In those grimy underground arenas...

Whether it's orders blaring at top volume or captions on the screen, it's all pushing me to do vicious work on someone, and they don't call it a win until they see every other Infected on the ground...

I never once seriously injured 'em before.

But when I finally clawed my way to being a competition knight, I heard what those old nobleheads were saying about me in the lounge...

Well, I hadn't treaded the ground in a long, long time. Took out my minor lance, aimed it right at the armor over those acid-spitters' hearts—

You understand? I was really, actually hoping to run them straight through.

Cheers to that. Would've been feel-good!

Feel-good nothing. Just give my pet a look already!

Oh, right...

Examination's done. This is an old Raythean model... and it shouldn't be too complicated to reboot it.

But it's got fairly limited capability. It probably won't understand your commands too well.

I'm good as long as it knows its own name.

Name? What will you name it?

I decided a long time ago—I'm calling it Justice Knight. Here's hoping it's a little doer of a pet.

Its original function was cover fire, it seems.

Well, isn't that peachy? It'll clean up nobodies for me. More boring than I'd like for a function, though. Can you make it more useful?

Depends whether there's any other compatible modules it can make use of...

You need to find other parts to fit? Leave it for later, then. Let's see if we can get to light up first?

Taking a look now...

(Sound of machine activating)

Ooh, there it goes.

卡西米尔1.5-7

Climbing the haystack again, Justyna?

You're looking that way again? At the Grand Knight Territory?

I know the Grand Knight Territory. That's where the powerful knight lords compete against each other, right?

You never stop talking about it, of course I know!

Hey, Justyna, you're really planning to go there?

I know you've been practicing whenever you don't have farm work. Everybody in the village knows you want to be a knight. You can fight off the bandits who come looking for trouble, they're no match for you.

But the Grand Knight Territory is pretty far... If you go, will you ever come back?

You will? Really? After you become a knight?

It's a promise then. We'll wait for you to come home, showered in glory, and then we'll spread the word that our town is the home of the Justyna, the knight!

No footprints, no tracks at all...

They didn't go this way.

The hospital team lost the target, they're bound to pass through here if they're trying to escape.

Stay alert. I want regular reports.

Roger.

Hm?

Guh... agh...

Go.

They're going to know something's wrong. Come with me while there's still time.

I don't take orders from Infected.

Though I admit you have some skill, able to handle those lowlifes from that distance.

But don't think that means I'm here to listen to you.

The Armorless have this whole place surrounded. You're not getting out of here alone.

They're not going to give up the chase.

So what?

I'll make them pay for it.

That's not going to be easy.

Your wounds haven't healed, how can you hide from them like this?

Ugh... damned Armorless.

I'll go along with you for now, but only because we share a common enemy. I'll make those murderers pay for what they did!

We'll talk about that later, we're still in danger here.

Don't think I have anything else to say to you later.

Listen girly, you've got a certain champion to thank for the fact that you're standing here, speaking to me in that armor.

You're not wrong.

There was a time when I had bottomless gratitude for the Blood Knight.

Hm?

Why so quiet?

Competition.

I watched you go up against Maria Nearl—'Plastic' Szewczyk.

I don't like you.

You're slightly less obnoxious out on the field.

Your feelings don't matter, but watch the attitude. You should never have taken me out of the hospital.

It was Sona's idea. And anyway—

And anyway nothing. Sona is your leader's name? Hmph, sounds like another little girl.

She's a friend.

I'll take you back to the base. Sona and my other friends are all waiting for us.

Make no mistake, I may have agreed to work with you for now, but I'm not part of your group, infected knight.

No, I'm very clear, you're not at all like us.

But, 'Plastic' Szewczyk, you must know, you have no hope of resisting the Armorless Union alone.

Heh... Sure, you're right about that.

It's funny, Kazimierz as it is today. An Infected can be a knight, and a gang of thugs like the Armorless can roam about freely.

Funny...

Let's meet up with the others first.

We won't get anything done by ourselves.

Ten days earlier...

Just who the hell are you people?!

There's no end to them...

Hiding in the crowd, are you?!

Don't think I won't—

Wait! Don't do it!

Ah... looks like I'm a little late? How did this turn into such a warzone?

Not good. Not good at all.

Anyway, let's pick up the pace. Start evacuating people first.