The Bunker was an artificial structure built in Earth's satellite orbit.
It served as the forward base of operations for the YoRHa forces.
A door to a YoRHa unit's private quarters suddenly slid open, and a figure with a distinctly cold aura stepped out.
Beneath short, silver hair, half of her face was covered by a black visor. From the fair, refined line of her lower face, it was clear she possessed a near-flawless beauty.
She wore a tight black dress that looked practically tailored to her body, perfectly outlining her elegant, slender curves.
Below the skirt hem were long, shapely legs wrapped in over-the-knee black stockings and black thigh-high boots.
She was a member of YoRHa.
YoRHa No. 2 Type B, an all-purpose combat android.
2B.
Now, having received a transmission from the Commander, she was running toward the command room.
On one side of the corridor, a viewing window offered a glimpse outside.
In the cold darkness of space, stars glittered. Most striking of all was the blue planet hanging in the void.
Humanity's home. Earth.
If the Commander had summoned her to the command room, it meant a new mission was about to be issued, and she would likely be deployed down to that planet.
The mission was probably related to the machine lifeforms occupying Humanity's homeworld, perhaps gathering intelligence, sabotaging a server cluster, or supporting a Resistance cell somewhere on the surface.
That said, the Commander's tone just now had felt more severe than usual, as if something far beyond expectations had occurred.
2B drew her gaze back from the viewing window. The corridor ahead no longer had windows.
The Bunker was not large. It would not take long to reach the command room.
When 2B arrived, several others were there as well, moving alongside her.
YoRHa No. 1 Type D, YoRHa No. 4 Type B, YoRHa No. 7 Type E, YoRHa No. 11 Type B, and YoRHa No. 12 Type H.
Type B units specialized in combat.
Type D units specialized in defense.
Type H units were medical support.
Type E units were special. Executioners.
When the group stepped into the command room, their eyes immediately went to a single figure.
Blonde hair, blue eyes, tall and full-bodied, dressed in a white dress with white thigh-high boots.
The Commander of YoRHa.
"Commander."
As they spoke, they saluted.
"Mhm."
The Commander answered softly, nodding once.
Without wasting words, she immediately operated a screen and played a recording.
"This was captured by surface reconnaissance seven minutes ago."
Had a scout-type uncovered critical intelligence about the machines?
2B had heard rumors that the machine lifeforms were constructing something massive. Had they found the factory?
So the mission was to destroy it, was it not?
But then—
In the footage, the machine lifeforms were attacking another humanoid machine.
No. That did not look like a machine lifeform.
It might have been heavy armour built by the surface Resistance to protect themselves.
Yet the armour looked far too durable.
Stronger even than the powered armour aboard the Bunker. Under that kind of shelling, it should have been torn apart, but it was not.
And logically, wearing something so heavy should have slowed the wearer down.
Instead, the opposite was true. It moved faster, stronger, as if the weight meant nothing.
The weapons it carried were also unfamiliar.
They did not look refined. If anything, they looked crude.
But the bullets it fired were terrifyingly destructive. The shrapnel from each explosion easily punched through machine plating.
In addition, it carried another firearm, a laser weapon.
Each beam effortlessly burned through thick machine armour. The output was clearly stronger than the laser fire from YoRHa support Pods.
"The two firearms shown here," the Commander said, her voice heavy, "do not exist in our inventory. I have confirmed this."
Then they were not from YoRHa.
And they could not be machine-made.
Were they developed by the surface Resistance?
That was even less plausible. The Resistance did not have that level of capability.
In the footage, the armoured figure suddenly encountered a defense-specialized machine.
Its firepower could not bring the target down immediately.
The armoured figure reached for another weapon. A chainsaw sword, like something meant for felling trees.
It dodged the heavy machine's attacks with uncanny agility, then drove the chainsaw blade into the armour.
The plating tore open as if it were paper.
From the figure's movement and follow-through, 2B could tell the resistance of that cut was even less than the recoil of its gunfire.
Which meant the chainsaw sword's edge was beyond imagination.
If she were to clash blades with that thing, and it came down with that kind of force, 2B suspected her own sword would not last even a tenth of a second before being severed.
After killing that machine, the armoured figure dispatched the remaining few and ended the engagement.
2B noticed the Commander's expression harden further, as if what came next would be even more shocking.
The armoured figure reached the forest edge, then removed the thick armour.
Beneath it was a male android.
Exquisitely made.
So refined that only a YoRHa-made android should have been able to reach that level of precision.
"There is no such appearance design among YoRHa androids," the Commander said, her tone even heavier now.
The room fell into stunned silence.
Which meant an unknown force had emerged, and it possessed android technology no less advanced than YoRHa's.
"Commander, could the Council of Humanity have another secret unit?" someone asked.
The one who voiced that speculation was a female android with golden twin drills.
Operator 6O, the liaison.
"Impossible!" the Commander replied with absolute certainty.
That certainty surprised 2B.
Why was the Commander so sure the Council of Humanity would not hide something from her?
It was as if the Commander knew everything about the Council, as if every movement they made was under surveillance.
That could not be right.
Then it had to be something else.
Either the Commander's trust in the Council of Humanity was absolute, or she had reasons she could not say aloud.
The footage continued.
The male android took out a small knife and scraped away what looked like rotten, dead skin around his wound.
"Hm?"
"This is—"
"Is the wound healing on its own? Regenerating?"
The image was not perfectly clear due to distance, but the signs were visible enough.
Everyone froze in disbelief.
That android looked even more advanced than YoRHa units.
Then, after putting the heavy armour back on, the armoured figure suddenly lunged into the forest.
Had it realized it was being observed and fled immediately?
The Commander's gaze swept over the assembled units.
"So, you understand the mission now."
"Investigate this target. If possible, capture him with minimal harm. Ideally, do not injure him at all."
Her expression was severe as she delivered the order.
(End of Chapter)
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