A Backpack, a Gun and a Codex

Chapter 6 - Storage Assault (part 2, final)

  A quick update on our current dire situation. The Intruders' aerial vehicles approach very closely to us, and even if the EMP device jams their vehicles, the sheer number of them parachuting and landing on the storage will outnumber us.

-          Let's come to our main course for today! - Mirai seems to get eager as she takes out two remote-controlled planes, equipped with bulletproof, explosion-resistant layers, laser guns and flares to destroy incoming thermal missiles.

  I hold one of them and quickly observe the plane. Mirai taps on the remote control icon on my tablet and tunes the frequency of the remote control to match the planes.

-          Since the automatically-operated drones cannot effectively avoid missiles, we change to manually controlled planes. You know how to play a remote-controlled toy plane, can I presume?

-          Yep.

-          Well then, let's rock the field.

  From the entrance of the storage, there emerge two heavily armed drones. The cameras built inside the planes send us live footage to view the outside battlefield. I control the plane with the tablet, like a game, while Mirai can sync her sight with her plane and directly command it by transferring signals. Immediately noticing the threat coming from our aircraft, some thermal missiles are launched from the Intruders' planes. However, we dodge all of them, and after all of the missiles have detonated in the air, we retaliate with the laser guns.

-          Mirai, two planes at bearing 270, two others right in front. Split up!

-          Noted! Initiate laser guns. You go left, I go right!

  The Intruders' planes continue relentlessly firing missiles in different directions, and with our expert-level plane controlling skills, none of them hit. Numerous planes have been shot down by us, and everywhere, we see scrap metals piling. We will recycle them later. Soon, we have already finished dealing with the smaller planes, leaving the biggest one.

  However, something feels off. This biggest plane is not moving or reacting at all, and just floating in the air, so I zoom in to take a closer look at it. Through its windows, the control room of the plane is as clear as daylight, but the captain is nowhere to be seen.

-          Yuusha, watch out! - Mirai suddenly pushes me to the side, right before a bullet flies past and burns my skin.

  Right as I expect, albeit too late. The captain has already left the plane and searched for our location. Behind me, the bullet hits a rock wall, and a part of it collapses. At the entrance of the storage where we are hiding, there stands a humanoid Intruder, with heavy weapons and armour.

-          Tsk! These brats. - The Intruder speaks.

-          Yuusha, that Intruder is a Technologist class, overall rating of 50. Every statistic is above average, and intelligence is slightly higher than the rest. Get ready to engage in combat.

  We prepare our weapons and step out of our hiding area, face-to-face with the menacing aura coming from the Intruder. And of course, I have some spare toys in my backpack, in case things get serious.

-          I do not know how you rascals manage to discover our plan, although we have been very surreptitious right from the start. But, regarding the threat level you can pose to us, it is best to kill you before the information gets leaked. Now, prepare to meet your ends. - The Intruder arrogantly declares and opens fire.

  Instinctively, we split in two opposite directions to dodge the bullets and decide to outnumber them by flanking. It is time that I use my toys.

-          Mirai, flash and smoke grenade out! Cover your ears and eyes!

-          Nice cover!

  This Intruder seems to realise it and activates its face shield. Of course, this will be useless against an intelligent Intruder, but this is just a decoy. We drag him out of the storage, where the field is piled with the metal scraps from the falling planes. There is much cover here, and we will have a better advantage.

-          Huh, trying to be funny, is it? - The Intruder, after turning off the face shield and seeing nobody inside the storage, furiously runs to the battlefield, where we would retaliate.

  We swiftly move between the plane remnants, rapidly switching our positions to confuse the Intruder. The laser beams seem to be rendered useless compared with the armour of the Intruder. The only way is to closely approach it, and then blow it up with a pack of C4 explosives. But the real question is, how we even approach it.

  The worst thing is that this Intruder seems to understand its weakness, and is very cautious whenever one of us comes near. Even if the gun barrel drifts aimlessly around our direction, any random bullet will tear us into pieces if we cannot dodge them in time.

-          I have been wasting a lot of time here with you human. How about we end here? - The Intruder snaps its fingers, and from the big plane, some heavily armed Intruders parachute to the battlefield.

-          Oh, so you think that we do not have any toys to play your game, is it? - Mirai calls out various drones that only wait for our command to charge.

  With both sides ramping up their firepower, the battle escalates. We need to fight the minion Intruders, and with the assistance of our drones, approach the boss one and kill it.

  Explosions are everywhere. The sounds of us finishing off the mobs, the sounds of the drones shooting from above, and the boss Intruder shooting down our drones, everything harmonises into a bloody symphony. All the burning and shooting create thick walls of smoke, covering the battlefield.

-          Yuusha, fire grenade incoming!

-          Roger that. I will provide cover fire! - I summon a Flamethrower and use up everything in the fuel magazine.

  We try to burn the boss to see if it works, but it seems unscathed except for the lasting fire sticking to its armour. Its weapon seems to melt a bit, and I suddenly have this idea.

-          Mirai, I will set up the Orbital Solar Gun! You buy me a few seconds.

-          Understood!

  The Orbital Solar Gun, in layman's terms, is just a gigantic flamethrower that orbits around the Earth. It concentrates the light rays coming from the Sun and forms a lethal ray that burns anything.

  I open the tablet and key in the location of the island cluster. The estimated time for the satellite to move and shoot is five minutes.

-          Tsk! Next time when I see your filthy faces again, I will not let you away as easily! - The boss seems to understand what we are trying to do, and it plans to retreat by levitating towards the plane.

-          Oh no, you do not! - Mirai throws a sticky grenade at his back. It blows up, damaging the weakly protected propeller of his jetpack. - You will stay here.

  The boss Intruder, unable to escape, snaps his fingers. From the big plane, every mob jumps from the plane, armed with cutting-edge electronic equipment.

-          EMP attack incoming! - I activate the EMP device which I still leave in the storage.

  In a brief moment, all the weapons of the Intruders are disabled. They quickly take off their equipment.

-          Now, the game is fair. - I put my submachine gun away and take out a Gatling Gun. In a few seconds, the boss Intruder still becomes the only one left.

-          Oh, so that is what you want, is it? - The boss Intruder grows furious. He charges at me, spraying the bullets randomly.

  Mirai throws a plate on the ground, right in front of me. It transforms into a Compact Shield, blocking the charge attack. The full power of the attack causes the shield to immediately explode into pieces, with the earth-shaking vigorously.

  This boss cannot escape, so it is attacking all out to drag us down with it. It does not show a calm and arrogant face anymore, but a serious look. The look of a suicide soldier.

  The counter says four minutes remaining. I hold the gun tightly in my hands and take a deep breath. The atmosphere is still as intense as always, as I prepare to block another attack. Right before I take out a grenade, another plate flew in front of me, transforming into a Compact Shield and blocking another attack. I collapse on the ground due to the impact.

-          Yuusha, this Intruder is way faster than normal Intruders of rating from zero to ten. Let me deal with it, and you provide cover fire! Agility Combat Module activated! - Mirai presses a button on her right arm. A submachine gun appears on her right hand, while a photon knife appears on her left. There are sounds of motors running at full speed, and suddenly she becomes quicker than normal. Mirai dashes forward, right before I realise.

  The boss Intruder, even when holding a heavy weapon, is still as fast as a hare, quickly changing stances and positions. Mirai is also on par with that superhuman speed, rapidly dodging the swinging guns and bullets that seem to fly anywhere. I am cowardly hiding behind the Compact Shield, waiting to counterattack.

  At some point, either of them will run out of stamina. The countdown timer says three minutes. I need to do something. Desperately flicking my finger through the screen of the tablet, I try to look for a game-changer. Then, I finally have an idea, as the screen moves to the heavy weapon section.

  I tap on the tablet, and in a blink, a Railgun appears on my arms. A railgun is a gun that propels projectiles by electromagnetic force. Each bullet has devastating firepower and can easily penetrate and destroy even an armoured vehicle, but at a cost of massive energy consumed, and very high fire interval due to recharging. This is used before the laser weapon series is adopted into the human army, and soon forgotten thanks to laser weapons completely outperforming in terms of every statistic, except damage. Now, the boss Intruder is distracted, which is the best time to use the railgun.

  Carefully mounting the railgun on the ground, I recharge it. With the aim assist, the bullet locks onto the boss.

-          Mirai, dodge! - I shouted as I press the trigger.

  I can feel the extreme recoil that pushes my lying body backwards, as the bullet goes out of the barrel at an unparalleled speed. Right after Mirai jumps away from the Intruder, the bullet penetrates his layers of armour, followed by a devastating detonation that blows up his lower body. I can feel the tremor when the bullet makes the impact. The boss is neutralised, and I put the railgun back into the arsenal.

  Without the legs, he falls onto the ground, but his consciousness is still there. He tries to hold his gun and shoots, but a shot from my submachine gun blows it away from his hands. He is completely rendered powerless.

-          Tsk! This is why I hate brats like yours. I have sent the data about your existence to the higher-ups. Even if I die here, this is not the end for you. Interfering with us is your first fatal mistake. You will... - The dying boss is trying to provoke us.

-          Mirai, let's go. The Orbital Solar Gun will roast this island in a minute. He can just lie down here, blabbing about his life. - I cut in before this guy finishes his speech.

  We leave the island on our plane. Right after that, a yellow beam is sent onto the island cluster. Not long after that, the island cluster becomes filled with burning flows of melted earth, completely erasing the existence of this particular storage.