Léon: The Cat Killer

'kitten……'

'I am here.'

'Location.'

We are ready to provide support at any time.

'Wait for my command.'

'it is good. '

As the heavy top deck unfolded horizontally, Nana entered the roof via the elevator. Although they hadn't fully entered Ursus's territory yet, the biting wind had already penetrated to the bone.

Fortunately, Nana had changed into new warm clothes, so the cold wind wouldn't have much of an effect on her.

As three reconnaissance aircraft, each about the size of a person, took off, two electromagnetic railguns were also activated.

The turret self-check began, and the retractable square barrel unfolded in the cold wind. The superconducting synthetic jade crystal inside shimmered with indigo light. As the exploration vehicle also began to illuminate the rapidly approaching unidentified object with a laser, Nana took out a high-brightness flashlight and began to communicate with the reconnaissance drone using light.

Meanwhile, PRTS also began sending inquiries to the other party through the Rhode Island intercity network.

Who are you people?

……

[Captain, a call has come through the Originium-resistant communication circuit.]

"Get in."

Along with the distinctive low-pitched crackling sound of Originium-resistant communications, Nana heard an extremely arrogant voice:

[This is the Ursus Empire, the Fifth Army's Border Fleet. Unknown unit, stop immediately for inspection!]

“We’re not some unknown entity. The response devices here have never been shut down, and entry permits are readily available on the Ursus network… Did you spot the wrong target? Or is the target we’re calibrating not yours?”

After a brief pause, Nana added via the Originium Resistance Communicator:

"There might be a third party. Load the guns, fire a few shots at that guy who didn't turn on his transponder..."

Just as Yato gave the order to repeat the song, the approaching unknown target displayed on Nana's phone suddenly responded.

However, unlike what they claimed to be the Fifth Army, the display on the transponder clearly indicated that it belonged to the Third Army... And by comparing the transponder data, Nana quickly found the other party's registration record in the database.

The other side was a 100-meter-long border patrol boat, with a 12-inch Originium electrothermal projection cannon as its main gun... In terms of size, the other side was about the same size as the exploration vehicle.

However, the exploration vehicle was not a dedicated warship, and Nana did not intend to let her valuable mobile base confront the warship head-on. When the other party requested to stop for inspection for the second time, Nana had the exploration vehicle stop near a birch forest.

Before the other side arrived, the two jeeps immediately rushed into the forest through the open tail compartment. As a tracked patrol boat, about the size of the exploration vehicle and carrying a huge twelve-inch naval gun, arrived, Nana was already waiting at the wide Kazdel tundra border.

4th Crimson Warm Winter: 083 The So-Called Way to Death

Perhaps it was the electromagnetic cannon's raised barrels, signifying 'no hostility,' that emboldened the other side to approach, or perhaps this Ursus warship never took this exploration vehicle with only two symbolic cannons seriously from the start.

From Nana's perspective, the massive tracked ship stopped on the open plain that Nana had prepared for it, at intervals of about two hundred meters, which was almost too short to even turn around, and almost touching the exploration vehicle.

The billowing dust and the ice and gravel kicked up by the tracks made the assassin instinctively raise her hand to protect her face... This was clearly a deliberate attempt to intimidate her; under normal circumstances, no pilot with a sound mind would allow a land-based ship to approach a person who was standing still so readily...

Amidst the smoke and dust, with the loud mechanical roar of the rear main hatch opening, three trucks and a military jeep roared out... Ursus military vehicles are quite popular in this region, and Nana is no stranger to them.

To prevent the absurd situation of being run over by a car by some clueless Ursus soldier, Nana strictly followed the standard handover procedure, maintaining communication with the other party via the intercity network through the Originium Resistance Circuit.

This communication will be archived in both parties' intercity network systems. The advantage is that there is basically no spam on this channel, and communication between the two parties here is very reliable... The key point is obviously the direct meeting that follows.

Four vehicles surrounded Nana and the exploration vehicle that had just stood up, forming a semi-circle around her. An Ursus armored warlock, led by two spear-wielding vanguards, and a total of about ten soldiers looked at Nana, who had come alone, with strange expressions.

What puzzled Nana was... why did they bring four cars when there were fewer than twenty people in total?

There was no time to think about such things. The warlock stepped forward first, looked Nana up and down and at the exploration vehicle behind her, then took out a notebook and began to ask questions in an unpleasant Ursus accented with Victorian language:

“Rhodes Island… I’ve never heard of that company, but you’re here to enter the country, right? Have your crew come down; we need to check for contraband.”

"...Before that, perhaps you should take a look at our access credentials, sir..."

“I said we need to board the ship for inspection first.”

As she spoke, she gestured for the other person to move forward, but the other person showed no interest in looking at the documents in Nana's hand.

However... they say they're going to board the ship for inspection, but I've never heard of boarding a ship and then having people disembark... This looks more like they're preparing to seize control of the vehicle.

Nana counted the number of people walking past her with her eyes, her gaze uneasy, and her voice trembling as she spoke:

"Sir, this is not the proper procedure for inspection."

"Here, my words are the program... or... could you make our program more standardized?"

Seeing the other party openly soliciting bribes in front of so many people, Nana looked genuinely bewildered.

Nana wasn't surprised that things developed this way, after all, it was the Third Army Group controlled by the old nobles... Their level of corruption was clearly strongly related to the old nobles of Ursus.

Just as Nana was considering whether to pay some money to settle the matter, the sorcerer continued:

"Ah... Also, infected people are subject to strict control in our country. Rhodes Island... seems to be a company that employs infected people? Do you have any infected people among you? Ah, it doesn't matter whether you do or not, we will check 'carefully'... starting with you."

Seeing a sinister smile emerge from the crowd opposite, Nana shivered uncomfortably, as she was rarely seen being looked at like that. Facing the two spear-wielding vanguards approaching head-on, Nana decided to give them one last chance:

“You might really need to take a look at the documents I have… Rhodes Island’s entry was at the invitation of the Ursus Emperor, we are guests of Ursus… I can understand the toll fees for entry, but such humiliation… then this matter will not be resolved peacefully.”

Nana's harsh words made the two vanguards stop in their tracks, and the document Nana unfolded, especially the royal document covered with gold leaf, shone brightly even in the gloomy weather.

Clearly, such a sudden turn of events was enough to leave the warlock momentarily stunned. As all the Ursus soldiers stopped their preparations to board the ship, the warlock frowned and glanced at Nana's documents...

Next came the routine document scanning... but the other party didn't register the crew list, nor did they seem interested in checking the cargo hold... The warlock frowned and immediately began contacting the commander of their patrol ship. Since it concerned the emperor, it was clearly not something a warlock captain like him could decide.

"...Yes, Major, the documents are genuine, the serial number matches the paperwork and notification... Shall we still board the ship?"

Hearing the other person's question, under the gaze of nearly twenty people, Nana changed her posture and scratched the top of her head... Of course, this was actually tapping her earphone to send a signal to the others.

The situation was very delicate. Although the enemy did not aim their main gun at the exploration vehicle, compared to the situation where there was only one 100mm gun with a firing arc, the enemy's secondary guns on the side, which were several times larger than those on the exploration vehicle, were enough to give them a thorough thrashing.

But the team members are already in place, and Rosemary, with her tactical gear, is ready to send the entire enemy ship to meet their late emperor at any time.

Meanwhile, Huang and Razer's two groups surrounded the main tailgate entrance in the forest... If the enemy wanted to loot the valuables inside the car, they would definitely have to go through here. And whether the enemy was planning to rob the money or launch a strong attack, once they started to gather in the tailgate, then under the cover of their own comrades, Jessica in her angel form could use her vast number of etching bullets to make them also go to the throne of God to repent for their actions.

However... despite the impressive comparison of combat strength between the two sides, the main problem facing Rhodes Island is that their exploration vehicles will be thoroughly bombarded by the enemy's secondary guns as soon as the fighting begins, and this problem remains unresolved.

Nana spent a lot of money to buy this car, and even a scratch on the paint would break her heart... If a fight breaks out, the whole car might need a major structural overhaul if she's unlucky... Who could afford that kind of expense?

Just as Nana was feeling so distressed about the cost, the other party seemed to have finished the call... Perhaps the emperor's title meant nothing to those old nobles, but for a group of soldiers, there was obviously a basic level of respect... They even seemed to show more respect to Nana, who was carrying the document, even though this was the proper attitude for normal conversations these days.

"Alright, Rhodes Island Corporation, your entry permit is fine... Out of respect for His Majesty, we will not board the ship for further inspection... However, the nationwide centralized containment decree for infected individuals does exist... Now we will verify your personnel list, and also have your members come out for a check. If there are no crystals on their skin, you can pass."

Nana's opinion of the other party changed a lot after he became serious, but it was this serious conversation that seemed to make things more and more inevitable... After all, there were indeed infected people in Nana's team, and more than half of them had obvious crystals on their skin.

Now it was Nana who was embarrassed:

“…Um, sir…we’re all girls here, so it’s not convenient to search them…how about…this amount…consider it a reward for your hard work?”

With Nana's attitude softening, the warlock and his men were all smiles.

"It's hard work...it really is hard work...this isn't enough for us to make up for it."

"Then... add this number again?"

"Not enough, not enough~"

Seeing that the two spear-wielding vanguards ignored the documents in her hands and grabbed her wrists, pulling her forward, Nana had no choice but to soothe the kitten in the mental network while also asking with a fake smile:

"Um...sir?"

"Originally, I said that I could let the entry procedures slide for His Majesty's sake... Our superior said the same thing, but infected people are a no-go... No means no. Our superior's superior said that the number of infected people in this area must be strictly reduced to zero... Don't worry, they won't die... If your company is willing to pay a lot of money to retrieve them from the mine~ Hahahaha—"

"Um, is there really no room for negotiation?"

Seeing the other person quickly place their hand on her WA2000, Nana couldn't bear it any longer and slapped the groping hand away, her tone suddenly becoming calm... Although the surrounding soldiers were shouting and drawing their weapons, they were facing an emergency situation where pistol barrels were already pointed at their captain's eyes, so chaos was obviously inevitable.

"You—!! You actually dare to attack the Ursus Army Group on Ursus soil?! You're dead! Go ahead and shoot if you dare!"

Ignoring the gleaming swords and guns around her, Nana finally reverted to her familiar, aloof demeanor... As the Rhodes Island operations team adjusted their positions, Sky Cat completed the allocation of the four tactical units, preparing to cut the enemy land-based warship into five sections. Nana made a final attempt at peace:

"...First of all, I have to correct one of your points...This isn't Ursus territory, so nobody's going to investigate what happened to a patrol ship that was silent in Kazdel..."

"So, since you've already decided to let them pass, why are you so concerned about a few infected individuals with company backgrounds? I can tell you the truth: to complete the mission given to us by your emperor, we've all come with top-notch skills... If a real fight breaks out, I can only say that you're courting death."

“But even if you are so foolish, I am still willing to give you a chance. Either we pretend we never met and the price we agreed on remains the same... or we send you to meet God... the Ursus patrol boats will be silenced because they are outside the country…”

Nana slightly changed the angle of her gun by rotating her wrist, but it was as if she was shoving the muzzle into the other person's eye... Black flames began to smolder on the gun. The Ursus soldiers seemed to have something to say about Nana's complete disregard for the soldiers around her.

But the sorcerer officer glared at the others, and they were now speechless... It was still his turn to talk to Nana:

“…Your Highness’s guests certainly deserve to be entertained, but all the infected on the Snowfield Route must be concentrated at the mines. This is the Duke’s order… This isn’t just something we’re doing; the infected search teams are doing it, the entire Third Army is doing it… Even if we pretend we don’t see it, you’ll encounter others doing the same thing once you enter the territory…”

"This is none of your business. We have our own way of dealing with those people... So, what's your choice?"

"Of course... my own life is more important... Could you please let me go, lovely lady..."

Through the telepathic connection with the Bruce family, Nana knew exactly what the other party was planning to do and how nasty he was cursing in his mind... But Nana still let him go, because even if Rhodes Island retaliated, it needed a 'just cause'.

As the combat recorder precisely captured the enemy's sudden retreat followed by a string of curses and an order for their soldiers to attack, Nana's single shot precisely pierced the sorcerer's shield...

As two seasoned veterans roared and charged toward her, seeing that they still chose to die so recklessly... Nana gestured for them to be quiet, and at the same time, said the same word to a certain kitten that had been waiting in the sky.

"—As you wish."

Marked by the violent creaking of the Ursus landship, the Rhodes Island exploration vehicle hastily evaded enemy fire, while the waiting Blaze and Liskarm floored the accelerator, ready to provide reinforcements.

But the violent earthquake halted their progress; the intense impact and subsequent dust storm rendered the surrounding area completely invisible.

As Nana instructed them to continue following the exploration vehicle via communication, Huang and Liskarm's teams obeyed orders. Through the vehicle windows, they saw streaks of light constantly descending from the sky, and heard terrifying sounds as if an invisible behemoth was tearing apart the enemy landship.

The commotion caused by Rosemary dismembering the landship provided excellent cover for Nana; Dust and Shadow were undoubtedly the assassin's allies.

The warlock killed by the first shot can be ignored; before the second shot can be fired, the Ursus vanguard has already charged forward with spears drawn…

In his view, the weak Felin might only need a forceful stab to kill the odd-even creature, but in reality, he only saw a figure dancing gracefully... wife

In the smoke, the small film vanished in the blink of an eye, and with a light tap in his hand, the vanguard realized with horror that his spear was now missing its tip.

The terrified soldier brandished his rifle butt, pursuing the man's head in an attempt to escape his predicament. But the sensation of the blow and the man's cry of pain instantly made him realize he had shot a friendly.

"Watch out for that person! She's gone! She's gone!!!"

"What happened next?! Where are the landships?"

"It's exploded! The landship has exploded!!"

"The ground!! The ground has cracked open!! Someone has fallen in!!"

Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, the veteran had no choice but to roar and restore order while throwing away his stick and drawing his sword... But just as he was repeatedly reminding his teammates to be careful of the 'disappearing film', he inexplicably felt air leaking from his neck.

When... no... what?

The armor of the veteran warrior proved useless; despite his countless battles, he was helpless against the chaos before him… He couldn't even stop the gushing blood with his hands, and darkness gradually swallowed his consciousness completely…

In the final moments of his life, he saw that graceful, dancing figure once more…

The girl with heterochromatic eyes, one green and one blue, spun around, creating ripples with her knife... The milky-white blade even sliced ​​through the smoke and dust, and her colleagues, struck by it, could not even cry out but could only struggle and fall.

In the final moments of his life, he forgot to curse the fool who had died even earlier than him... He simply watched the fluttering dance of death, as if he had returned to his youth, to a simple childhood free from Oripathy and the infected.

Ah... I've had such pure moments in my life before?

If we had maintained that purity, would we not have died such foolish deaths today?

With these questions in mind, the screams of the team gradually faded away in the deafening tremors.

PS: Waaaaaah, kitty

PS2: Jessica's aura is BA

The halo of Misaki Kaino.

It's something like this—

Of course, Jessica doesn't have a rocket launcher right now... but she will later.

PS3: I finally remembered to replace the temporary version... QWQ

4th Crimson Warm Winter: 084 Making a Plan

Earthquakes, wailing cries, capsized warships, assassins covered in dust and grime from the shockwave...

As the deliveryman who died, Nana completed her mission perfectly, but as always, she was not happy... because these people were not the target. According to the ICA's scoring criteria, this situation, which required hiring extra cleaners to clean up the scene, would result in a deduction in wages.

Of course, there were no ICA support staff available, so Nana had to call her colleagues, who were seeing the kitten for the first time, to handle the situation.