「…フ。お前の殺意は心地良い、ついつられて張り合ってしまう。わたしでさえ今この瞬間にも、不意に引き金を引いてしまいそうだ」
「いつでも私を殺せるとでも言いたいの？」
　ぐっと視線に怒りを滲ませたコルの指が、引き金を引き絞っていく。あと少し、ほんの数ｇの力でも加われば、弾丸が放たれる。
「そういきり立つな、お前がその引き金を引けば、条件反射的にわたしも引き金を引いてしまう。こいつにはサプレッサーを装着できんからな、ここで一発でも撃てば上にも銃声は届くだろう、そうなれば嫌が応にも巡回共に気付かれ、連中が雪崩れ込んでくるぞ。それはわたしとしても望ましくはない」　
「な…何言ってんだ、あんた…」
　てっきりこのまま取り囲まれると思っていたピンクちゃんが、ギガノフの言葉に顔を顰める。確かに、向かい合って二言三言の時間しか経過していないが、巡回が集まってくる気配は全くない。それどころか、意図的にこちらの存在を隠そうとさえしているとも取れる物言いに、理解が追い付かない。
「どういう風の吹き回しで、そんな…あ、もしかして『お礼』目当てだったりするワケぇ？そうねー、あたしみたいな性潤派エロかわ系女子が相手だからね、仕方ないね。でも、こうなった原因はあんたにもあるんだし、罰として本番ナシよ。お情けでストリップくらいはしてやるから、オカズにしてセンズリでもコイてな、おっさん」
「お前達と慣れ合うつもりは無い、そういう下品なジョークも嫌いだ。グリズリーはお前に上等な教育を施したようだが、お前は部下の躾がなっていないな、バレット・スコール」
「チッ…気取りやがって、テメエみてーな犯罪者なんぞに言われたかねえんだよ、ファッキンヒゲダルマ！」
　挑発を含めた皮肉をいともあっさりといなされ、憮然として睨み付けるが、内心では歯噛みしていた。戦場におていも止む事の無い軽口は、相対する相手を苛立たせペースと集中を乱す為に自然と身に付いたものだ。それが全く通用しない。
（どーもカタブツっぽいし、この手合いには催淫フェロモンが効くかどうか怪しいのよねぇ…ダメ元でやったりしたら、この状況じゃミフィちゃんとキュイちゃんまで巻き込んじゃうし…チャーム掛けようにも、お姉サマから視線を外そうともしやがらない…間に割って入ったり、意識がお姉サマに向いている間にあたしが斬りかかっても、銃が相手、それも銃弾を防ぐほどの反応速度を持つ化物じみた相手に、得物がナイフじゃ分が悪い…くそっ、生粋の銃使いって奴はこれだから…！）
　接近戦においてはナイフに勝るものなし、といわれるが、実はナイフの間合いなら拳銃も有効である。それが実力者であれば尚更だ。動体視力と反応速度についての噂も、実際に銃弾を弾いたのを目の当たりにしたのだから、ただの噂と楽観視する事はできない。二人掛かりであれば、等と考えてはいたが、それさえも容易ではないと認識を改める程に、目の前の男には隙が見当たらなかった。
「お前達とて騒ぎを起こすのは得策ではあるまい。信用しろとは言わん、だが今は銃を下ろせ、バレット・スコール」
「………」
「お姉サマ！？」
　暫しの沈黙。ややあってコルが引き金から指を離し、ギガノフも応じて銃をホルスターに戻す。勿論、今すぐにでも討ってやりたいという葛藤はあったが、長年培った傭兵としての冷静な部分は、この男は嘘を吐いていないと確信していた。この警告が善意からくるものではない事も、何かしらの意図があってのものである事も解り切っている。怒りを収めた訳でもない、だが不思議な事に、ランを攫った憎き犯罪組織に組し、ベアを殺した怨敵ともいうべき彼から、悪意でも害意でもない、純然たる闘志を感じ取っていたのだ。
　それに、と思う。相手の手の内にあるランの身の安全を思えばこそ余計な戦闘を避けてきたのだ、元より最大の障害となり得るこの男とやり合う事は想定の範囲内でもある、騒ぎを起こさずに人知れず決着を付けられるのは、むしろ好都合な筈だ。ならば敢えて甘言に乗ってやるのも悪くない。
「そうだ、それで良い、とにかく今は時間が惜しいのだからな。おい、そこの桃色」
「それってどういう意味…つーか、色で呼ばないでよ、合ってるけど！」
「お前達が救い出そうとしている小娘を使った研究は、最終段階に差し掛かっているぞ。成功にしろ失敗にしろ、少なくとも実験が終われば存在か自我か、そのどちらかを保つのは難しいだろうよ。実験場へは奥の部屋の隠し扉から直接入れるが、この先には私の他にもう一人が待ち構えている。二人掛かりで挑んでくるのならば歓迎するが、先を急ぐというのであればお前は見逃してやろう。実験が開始されるまでの時間は残り僅か、無事に小娘を救い出したいのなら一刻の猶予もない、お前達に選択の余地は無い筈だ」
「な、何よそれ！その話を信じろっての！？」
　脇に避けて道を開けるギガノフに、ピンクちゃんはますます困惑を深め、つい素の反応を返してしまう。こいつらは自分達をランの下へ行かせない為に立ち塞がっているのではなかったのか？各個撃破を狙い、戦力を分散させようとしているのでは、とすら疑ってしまう。
　しかし、疑いきれない部分もある。アイーナは「研究データと思しきものがリアルタイムで更新され続けている」と言っていた、そしてギガノフが語った最終段階に入った実験、これを偶然の一致と切り捨てる事は簡単だが、漠然とした不安を煽る符合である事も確かだった。
　決断する。迷いは一瞬だ。
「お姉サマ」
　呼び掛けの応えは無言の頷き。次の瞬間にはピンクちゃんの体はギガノフの脇をすり抜けていた。
（マジで道を譲っただけか、このおっさん…手の内で踊らされてるみたいで良い気分じゃないけど…！）
　すれ違いざま、少しでもおかしな動きをすれば、相打ち覚悟で額に向けて投擲してやろうと手に忍ばせた投げナイフを戻す。
「そこのお前達も行け、わたしが用があるのはバレット・スコールだけなのだからな」
「えう、ぅ…」
「大丈夫だ、私達に危害を加えるつもりなら、ピンクちゃんが通り過ぎる時に何かしてる。モタモタしてる方が何をされるか分からないぞ、行こう」
　先に動いたミフィに促され、おっかなびっくりといった様子でキュイも通路に巨体を押し込んだ。
「あれ、二人も？」
「ああ、侍従長との一騎打ちをご所望らしい。私達は邪魔だと言外にハッキリ言われたよ。足枷になるだろうから、間違いじゃないのが悔しいがな」
「そっか…ま、お姉サマが易々と負けるワケないもんね。おっさんの思惑はともかく、小お嬢様まで近いってのが本当なら、一気に突破しちゃおう！」
「はい！」
　そしてピンクちゃんの先導で通路の奥へと走り出す。後続の二人、主に通路の狭さの所為で早く走れないキュイには可哀想だが、事態が既に転がり出している以上、悠長に構えてなどいられない。
（これが罠だっていうなら上等だってのよ！お姉サマもあたしも、そんなヤワなメイドじゃないっての、嵌まった上で踏み潰してやろうじゃないさ！）
　内なる闘志が魔性の瞳に宿る。
　そんなピンクちゃんの後を、離されまいと必死に追うキュイは、ミフィがしきりに後ろを気にしている事に気付いた。
「侍従長が心配ですか？」
「そうじゃない、ピンクちゃんも言ってたろう、侍従長は易々と負けやしないってさ。ただ…」
　そこまで言ってミフィの表情が歪む。説明のしようの無い事を説明しようとしている、そんな表情だ。
「あの男、まるで精霊が同時に喋ってるみたいに、声が二重になって聞こえたんだ。精霊を宿しているにしても、何かがおかしい。精霊が人間の言葉から覚えた単語を真似る事はよくある事だけれど、単語の羅列ではなく、そっくりそのまま同じ内容の言葉を同時に話すなんて事、有り得るのか…？」
　精霊の声を聞く事の叶わないキュイに、返せる答えは持っていなかった。

　実験開始まで、残り３４分。

「我々も場所を変えるぞ」
　三人の足音が問題なく遠ざかっていくのを確認したコルは、出入り口ではなく大きく開いた壁の穴を潜るギガノフの後に続いた。心配はあるが、ピンクちゃんならやってくれる筈だ。やる事成す事全て破茶滅茶が過ぎる性格だが、過酷な局面に追い込まれるほど悪巫山戯に拍車が掛かり、巫山戯れば巫山戯るだけ比例して技のキレが増していき、数多の死線から笑顔で生還してきた猛者である、その程度には信用している。
（さて…そろそろ自分の心配をした方が良さそうね）
　思考を切り替え、道順を記憶しながら、先導するギガノフに探る視線を向ける。ずんぐりした体型は到底歩兵とは思えないものだが、モンスターであれば彼よりも遥かに巨漢な者が途轍もない俊敏さを発揮する事がある、そこから身体能力を推し量る判断材料には成り得そうもない。ただ、鈍器としても通用しそうな太く盛り上がった腕周りを見れば、胴回りに付いた分厚い脂肪の内側には、硬く引き締まった筋肉が隠れている事くらいは想像が付く。体の作りはどちらかといえば大リーガーに近い印象を受ける中、何気ない歩みに含まれる、即座に早駆けに移れる重心移動を行う歩法は、訓練された軍人のそれだ。加えて、見た目だけで騙されそうな鈍重な体躯から醸し出される風格が、彼が熟練した「戦士」である事を知らしめていた。
　その背からは、こちらを警戒する気配は伝わってきても、隙を伺っている様子ではない。むしろこちらが先走って仕掛けるのを抑えるべく牽制している、というのが正しいだろう。
「…これだけ訊かせてもらえないかしら。何故、私達に有利になるような事を？」
　答えを期待せずに発した問いに、予想に反して反応が返ってきた。
「勘違いするな。わたしは奴等に従っているつもりもなければ、思想を支持している訳でもなく、奴等の生み出す利益にも、成し遂げようとしている理想にも、興味は無い。奴等は戦力を必要とし、わたしは戦場を欲している、ただ互いに利用し合っているだけの関係に過ぎん。密かにお前達と接触したのは、戦いを邪魔されたくないからだ。その結果、奴等がどうなろうと知った事ではない…着いたぞ、ここだ」
　通路の途中、壁の中腹に崩れて横長に開いた穴を跨ぎ、ギガノフが窮屈そうに潜り込む。彼よりも小柄なコルでさえ、腹這いに近い姿勢にならなければ通れない狭い穴は、素早く通り抜けようとするのは難しそうだ。出入り口にはなるが脱出口には向かない、退路を断たれたも同然だった。
（逃げるのは許さないって事？よくもまあ用意周到に場所を選んだものだわ…）
　なんとか足を付けて穴から抜け出すと、イベントホール並の空間がコルを待ち受けていた。もっとも、煌びやかなシャンデリアに照らされているのでも、洒落たテーブルの上に豪華な食事が用意されているのでもなく、相変わらずの朽ちかけた石造り壁と床が静かに殺風景を晒しているだけだった。本来の出入り口であろう開き切ったままになっている大型のシャッターの奥は、完全に瓦礫で埋め尽くされていて通れそうなスペースは見当たらず、こちらも脱出路にはなりそうにもない。見上げれば随分と天井が高く、２階に相当する部分にはガラス窓で隔てられた部屋が見える。そこから中を観察できるモニタールームになっているのだろうが、よしんばガラスを破れたとしても、あの高さまで跳び上がって転がり込む隙を狙われるのが関の山だろう、やはり逃げ道に使えそうもなかった。
「ここなら上まで銃声は届かない、多少の振動も石材が抑えてくれる。無用な横槍を入れられる事無く存分に戦える」
「男ってのは、どうしてこういう隠れ家みたいな所が好きなのかしらね。こんな狭い穴を通らされて、見てみなさい、エプロンが無駄に汚れてしまったじゃないの。仕事で汚れるのはメイドの誉でも、主に付き従うメイドとしては身なりを清潔にしておかなければ、主に恥をかかせてしまう事になるのよ？どうしてくれるの」
「…戦士ではなく、あくまでメイドであろうというのか、バレット・スコール」
「コルよ。コル・ＴＲ・ＢＦ、フルネームは条件を満たした相手にしか教えない事にしてるの、悪く思わないで頂戴。またの名を”バレット・スコール”、誇りあるシュトラヘルツ家に仕えるメイド、侍従長を務めているわ」
「わたしの名はギガノフ。ギガノフ・プリャードコフ・ガルガニコ、特に二つ名等は持ち合わせていないが、どうやら人伝に”対戦車歩兵”と呼ばれているらしいな。戦う事しか知らない時代遅れの傭兵だ」
　名乗り合い、構える前にコルが飛び出した。
　前に。
「！！」
　速い。ホルスターから銃を抜き放ち、反射的に照準を合わせるが一瞬遅く、コルの体は射線の下に潜り込む。照準の修正をしようとする腕を、コルの左手が掴んで銃口を逸らした。
　コルがするりと脇の下を抜け、ギガノフの膝を裏から蹴り崩し、掴んだままの腕を軸にして体を回転させながら宙を舞った。腕を掴む手を外そうとよりも先に、肩から伸びてきた脚が首に絡み付き、後ろへ引き倒される。
（…だが…！）
　倒れ込みながら左腕を右肩に回し、エプロンの帯を強引に掴んだ。
「ホールドが甘い！」
　力任せに引き剥がすと、思いの外簡単に腕から手が離れる。放り投げられたコルと倒れ込んだギガノフは、受け身を取って転がると距離を取り、素早く立ち上がる。
　同じ銃使い、銃撃戦になるとの予想を見事に逆手に取った奇襲といえた。もし腕を掴んでいた手が離れなければ、倒れた時点で首を折られ、そうでなくとも脳天を床に叩き付けられていた。仮にそれを逃れられても、掴まれていた腕を圧し折るくらいはしていただろう。いずれにせよ無事では済まなかった筈だ。コルの握力がもう少し強ければ、完全に引き剥がす事ができず腕をやられていた。
「ＣＱＣでもＣＱＢでもない…ジュード―、いやジュージュツか。どこで技を修めた？」
「サトイチメイド闘法柔、今の技は陰式「ラクジツ」。私はあくまで手ほどきを受けた程度で、全てを修める事はできなかったけれど、二ホンの護衛メイドはサトイチかサツキ、どちらかのメイド闘法を嗜みとしているらしくてよっ！」
　言葉の途中で腕を交差させてから、語尾を強めてその手を大きく広げると、スカートが大きく捲れ上がり、ストッキングとガーターが露わになる。しかし、大胆に開放された艶めかしい絶対領域を堪能する余裕など、振り上げた両手に握られた黒光りする物騒な得物が根こそぎ奪っていた。
　同時に横っ飛び、轟音。ギガノフが放った弾丸はエプロンの帯の先端を掠め、背後の壁を大きく陥没させる。そのまま円を描くように走るギガノフへ、同じく円を描きながら走るコルが、両手で構えたサブマシンガンを撃ち込み、追い縋っていく。
「成程な、絶え間なく放たれる弾丸なら防げないと考えたか！」
　ギガノフの動きが変化、描いていた円を崩し、壁へと寄っていく。
（しかし、その手を止める事は容易い！）
　床ではなく壁を蹴り、巨漢が高く宙を舞い、後方に反転した。突然の反対方向への動きに、それを追う弾丸の追従がやや遅れる。その隙にギガノフが重い一撃を放った。

　急ブレーキをかけ体を捻るコルの目の前を、大口径の弾丸が切り裂く空気のうねりが、前髪を激しく乱して通り過ぎていき、掃射が止まる。
（点をばら撒いて駄目なら、次は面…！）
　体を捻った勢いで回転、左手のサブマシンガンを上に放って正面に向き直り、新たに左手に現れた木製の銃床を持つ大型の銃器が火を噴いた。拳銃弾とは違う低速のそれが、緩い軌道を描いて宙に居るギガノフに迫ってくる。
（サンパーだと！？あんな骨董品と化した単発式グレネードランチャーまで持ち出してくるとは…！）
　壁をもう一度蹴り、手の届くところまで飛来していた弾の側面に裏拳を叩き込んで上方に弾き飛ばした。
　グレネード弾が空中で爆発する。爆炎の中から飛び出したギガノフは体を丸めて床を転がると、強引に体を起こしてサイドステップを踏み発砲、それをスカートの裾を身代わりに背面跳びで躱したコルはグレネードランチャーを手放し、先程放ったサブマシンガンをキャッチ、着地するとジグザグに移動しながら弾をランダムにばら撒いていく。ギガノフ目掛けての疾走を出迎えるのは有無を言わさぬ弾丸だ。サブマシンガンに狙われている中で、常人には見えてはいても照準を合わせる事など叶わない高速移動に容易く合わせてくる。左肩のフリルが千切れ飛び、空気と共に袖と皮膚を切り裂いた。だがコルは止まらない。
　次の発砲を待たずしてコルが肉薄、撃たれる前に腕を蹴り上げる。高々と上がった脚で派手にスカートの中身が晒され、ギガノフの視界が純白と肌色で染まるが、殺気を感じて上体を反らし、スカートの陰から突き出てきたサブマシンガンの銃口から逃れながら蹴りを放った。上がっていた脚が戻ってきて蹴りを放とうとするギガノフの膝を踏み、蹴りの勢いに乗って宙を舞ったコルの踵が、咄嗟に喉の前に翳した左腕に食い込んだ。即座に右側頭部をコルの放った二発目の蹴りが襲う。
「がはっ！」
　しかし苦悶の声を上げたのはコルだった。体ごと横に回転させる回避行動を取りながら放ったあびせ蹴りが、コルの脇腹にクリーンヒットしていたのだ。コルの胴回りほどもある脚で放たれた強烈な蹴り、しかも鉄板入りの軍靴による一撃だ。もんどりうって床に落ちたコルの顔に苦痛が浮かぶ。
（く…今の一撃、人間なら肋骨どころか内臓までやられていた…人間じゃない事に救われるとは）
　オーガに殴られたような痛みはあるが、幸い動きには支障は無さそうだ。人間より頑強にできているモンスターの肉体に感謝しつつ、コルは左手で力一杯、何かを手繰り寄せた。
（手痛いカウンターは貰ったが、何もやり合うだけが戦いじゃない…搦め手も戦法の内さ、既に仕掛けは済んでいる！）
　起き上がろうとしていたギガノフは、自分に何かが迫ってきている事を直感する。視界の中で微かに何かが光った気がした。
（…今度はピアノ線のワイヤートラップか！）
　正体を見破るが遅く、ギガノフを拘束しようと床に散らばっていたピアノ線が殺到し、全身を締め上げようとする。かかった、そう確信しかけたコルは、ピアノ線を引く手が不意に軽くなったのを感じた。絡め取られようとしていたギガノフが、神懸かり的な反応でナイフを引き抜き、ピアノ線を寸前で切断していたのだ。
「サブマシンガン、グレネードランチャー、ジュージュツでは執拗に首を狙い、果ては即席のワイヤートラップか。なかなかえげつない対抗策を用意してきたものだな」
　力無く垂れ下がるピアノ線を取り払い、今度こそギガノフが起き上がる。コルもまた、鈍痛を訴える脇腹を無視して立ち上がり、睨み付ける。
「…そうさせる為に私を殺さなかったのでしょう？あの時、殺ろうと思えば殺れたはずよ」
「作戦行動中だったからな、私情より任務を優先しただけの事だ。大体、そうしていたところで、素直に殺されるお前ではあるまい。あの場でお前とやり合えば時間を食うだけだった、余計な時間を掛ければ撤退は難しくなり、無駄にリスクを高めるだけだ、そうだろう？」
「そうね、戦術論として間違っていないのは認めるわ。…だから殺さなかった」
「そしてお前は、わたしの目論み通りにここへ現れた。傭兵として落とし前を付ける為に」
「仲間が殺されたら傭兵は黙っちゃいない、仲間を殺した奴は逃がさない…か。正直、傭兵を引退した後になってから、今更こんな事をするようになるなんて、思ってもみなかったわ。だけどね、私があなたの挑発に乗って対決に臨んだ理由は、それだけじゃない」
「ほう？」
　目を閉じて一呼吸。再び開かれた目に浮かぶのは、視線で相手を焼き尽くさんとする、純然たる怒り。
「一線退いた古兵を負かして得意ヅラしてやがる、テメェの根性が気に食わねえからだッ！！」
　かつて傭兵だった頃の荒々しい口調に戻ったコルの纏う空気が一変した。身を引き裂かれるような殺気が肌を刺し、今まで以上に緊張感が高まっていくのが解る。元傭兵のメイドでも、コルという個人でもない、傭兵”バレット・スコール”を引き摺り出せた達成感に、ギガノフの顔に知らず好戦的な笑みが浮かんでいた。
　修羅場を潜り抜けてきた者同士の、目に見えぬ鋭い刃と化した攻撃的な意志が、二人の間で飛び交う。
「やっとエンジンがかかってきたようだな、バレット・スコール！」
「黙れ蛆虫野郎、死ぬほど後悔させてから、その腐れた脳味噌ブチまけて、死んでからも後悔させてやる！」
　床を蹴り、互いに前へ飛び出した。
　拳を拳で、蹴りを蹴りで迎え撃ち、銃と銃がぶつかり合う。目まぐるしく位置が入れ替わり、離れては間合いを詰め、防御をすり抜けて打ち、攻撃の手を逆手に取って極め、隙を見せれば投げを仕掛け、また離れては引き金を引く、銃声を交えながらの攻防は、さながら竜巻だ。予測、牽制、回避、攻撃、防御、五感を最大限に研ぎ澄ませ、相手の些細な動作を捉え、死角からの攻撃を察知し、次の狙いを読み、自分の一手を捻じ込んでいく。少しでも動きに淀みを見せれば身の破滅、数瞬の迷いすら許されない駆け引き。

　壁が爆ぜ、砕けた床の上で薬莢が跳ねる。それだけではない、竜巻の中から次々と弾き出されてくるのは、コルが手放した弾切れを起こした銃器類だ。サブマシンガンの次はショットガン、その次はアサルトライフル。何系統何種類ものコルのコレクション達が、弾倉を空にして飛び出してくる。コルがこれだけ撃ち込んでいるのに対し、ギガノフが発砲したのは十発にも満たない。未だ命中弾は無し、弾が掠めたメイド服と野戦服には細かな焦げ目の付いた切れ込みが刻まれていたが、血を滲ませているのはコルだけだ。超大型ハンドガンから放たれる弾丸は、ライフリングに沿って回転する表面で空気を激しく捩じり、弾丸の周囲に衝撃波に似た効果を生み出して、直接掠ってもいないコルの肌を裂いているのである。火薬の効果では説明が付かない、いくら大口径とて拳銃弾の薬莢に詰められる火薬の量などたかが知れているし、少なくとも拳銃で扱えるサイズの弾丸で起きる現象ではなく、まともな手段で再現しようとすれば銃身が保たない事など考えるまでもない。第一、あの馬鹿げた破壊力の正体がその程度のものならば、とっくの昔に技術革新という名を掲げ、銃の歴史が変わっている筈だ。やはり何らかの「力」が働いているのだろう、コルにはそれが何なのかまでは知り得ないが。
　唯一ハッキリしたのは、ギガノフが体術の陰で超大型ハンドガンからマガジンを密かに抜き落とし、グリップで殴り掛かろうとするのをフェイントにして新たなマガジンに交換した事から判明した、装弾数５発という事実だけだ。事ここに至って、こんな情報が何の役に立つというのか。予備などいくらでも用意できる、いつ訪れるとも限らない弾切れを待つつもりもない。コルが欲しているのは、目の前の男に鉛玉をブチ込むチャンス、ただ一つ。
　更に攻撃の手が加速するコルに、ギガノフは己の意気が高揚していくのを実感していた。気を緩めれば全身を蜂の巣にされる、止む事の無い豪雨が如き弾丸が降り注ぐ暴力的なまでの暴風、まさにバレット・スコール。力と体術は自分の目から見ればやや拙いが、駆け引きの技術と射撃の腕は一級だ。真正面からの単純な射撃なら弾道を見切る事は容易いが、もしここが戦場であれば、まして銃のみに頼らない格闘戦に引き摺りこまれた今ならば条件次第で当ててくる、それだけの実力を備えた強敵。相手にとって不足なし、魂が震える最高の好敵手たる存在が目の前に居る。
　その喜びは弾丸となって放たれ、ギガノフに代わり銃声が雄叫びを上げた。

"...Hmph. Your killing intent is comfortable. So much so that I unintentionally matched it. Even for me, for a moment, I felt like I was going to pull the trigger."
"Are you saying that you can kill me whenever you want?"
Col's vision ran red with anger, as her finger pressed on the trigger. Just a little more, just a few more grams of strength, and a bullet would fly out.
"Don't lose your temper, if you pull the trigger, I would have have to do so as well. I don't have a suppressor, so if I shoot, the sound of the gunfire will reach up there. And if that happens, the patrols will notice, and come rushing here. I would not want that to happen."
"W... What are you saying..."
Pink-chan thought they were completely surrounded, and she frowned at Giganov's words. Certainly, the time for only a few words had passed since they met, but she couldn't sense the patrols at all. On the contrary, if they were intentionally hiding their presence here, then this wouldn't make an sense.
"So this situation is... Ah, could it be you're looking for some "thanks"? I see, you want a cute, sexy, lewd type of girl. It can't be helped. But, since you're the cause of it, as a punishment, there won't be anything actually done. But I'll strip for you, so feel free to use me as you pleasure yourself, mister."
"I don't have any intention of being intimate with you. I hate these kinds of crude jokes. Grizzly was a superb teacher for you, but your subordinates have no discipline, Bullet Squall."
"Tch... I don't want to hear that from a pretentious criminal, you fucking bearded ball!"
Ignoring the sarcasm laced with provocation, he disappointedly stared at her. But in his mind, he grinded his teeth. Even on the battlefield, the endless banter that is used to annoy your enemy and disrupt their pace and concentration is a skill you naturally learn. So that didn't work at all against him.
(He seems pretty serious, and it's strange that my arousing pheremones didn't work... I figured I'd give it a try, but in this situation, Mifi-chan and Cuey-chan would get caught in it... Even if I try to use charm, I can't remove Onee-sama from my sight... Even if I could get to him and slash him while he's focused on Onee-sama, he has a gun, and the reaction speed to defend against bullets, so I'm at a disadvantage, being a knife specialist... Damn, that's why natural gun users are...!)
They say that in melee combat, there's nothing better than a knife, but in reality, in knife range, a hand gun is also effective. Even more so if it's a powerful one. Moving, tracking and reaction speed are all required to shoot at point blank, so it's not as easy as it sounds. For someone like those two, they might be focused on something else, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't easily notice the attack, and there were no opening in the man.
"I don't think any of you want to make a disturbance. I won't say that you should trust me, but lower your gun, Bullet Squall."
"......"
"Onee-sama!?"
It was silent. After a brief moment, Col removed her finger from the trigger, and Giganov also responded by holstering his gun. Of course, they wanted to start shooting right away, but as a veteran mercenary, the calm part of her believed that this man wasn't lying. Although his warning wasn't done with any benevolence in mind, she knew that was some purpose behind it. She hadn't lost her rage, but it was strange. He was part of the horrible criminal organization that had kidnapped Ran, and was the one who killed Bear. But she couldn't feel any malice or evil from him, just a pure will to fight.
That is what she thought. As long as Ran was safe and in the grip of the enemy, she wanted to avoid any unnecessary combat. And from the start, she assumed that the biggest barrier would be fighting this man, and if she could settle it without causing a disturbance or having anyone find out about it, that would actually be convenient. So it wasn't bad for her to go along with his invitation.
"Yes, that's good. Time is of the essence right now. Hey, you pink one."
"What do you mean... hey, don't call me by my color, though I am!"
"The research that is using the little girl you came to save is on the last phase. Whether it succeeds for fails, once the experiment is finished, it will be difficult for her to hold on to either her existence or her sense of self. To get to the laboratory, you will need to go through the hidden door in the room further inside. However, there will be one other waiting for you. If you two dare to challenge him, he will welcome it, but if you go too quickly, you won't see him. There is only a little bit of time left before the experiment begins, so if you want to save the little girl, you have no time to lose, and no other options."
"Wh, what!? Are we supposed to believe you!?"
Giganov moved aside to let them go through, and Pink-chan became more confused and gave her honest response. Weren't they there to stop them from getting to Ran? She wondered if he was trying to defeat each of them separately, so they couldn't combine their power.
However, there was a part of her that didn't doubt him. Aiina said "the experimental data was being constantly updated in real time", and the experiment that Giganov talked about was on the final phase. It would be easy to dismiss that as a coincidence, but she felt a vague uneasiness at the fact that they matched.
Then she decided. Her doubt was only for a second.
"Onee-sama"
Her response was only a silent nod. In the next instant, Pink-chan slipped by Giganov.
(That guy really is letting us by... It doesn't feel good to be dancing in the palm of his hand though...!)
She put away the throwing knives she had been hiding in her hand. She was ready to throw them at his head, in case he made any sudden moves while she was passing by him.
"You two over there, you go too. The only one I have business with is Bullet Squall."
"Eh, uh..."
"It's ok, if he was planning to harm us, he would have done so when Pink-chan was passing him. He might do something if we're slow, so let's go."
Mifi moved first, urging the nervous Cuey to squeeze her giant body into the passage.
"Oh, you two too?"
"Ah, he wanted to duel the head chamberlain. He made it pretty clear that we'd be in the way. And we probably would be a hinderance, and that would be bad."
"I see... Well, Onee-sama won't lose so easily. If that man's speculation is right, and the little mistress is close by, then let's break on through!"
"Yes!"
And then, under Pink-chan's leadership, they ran further down the hallway. Behind them, Cuey was couldn't run, mostly in the narrow parts, which was sad for her, but now that the situation has changed, there's no time to be going slow.
(If this is a trap, then let them spring it! Onee-sama and I aren't weak maids. Rather than get caught by it, we'll destroy them!)
Her inner will to fight shone in her eyes.
Behind Pink-chan, Cuey followed, desperately trying to stay close, and noticed that Mifi was constantly looking back.
"Are you worried about the head chamberlain?"
"No, Pink-chan said it. The head chamberlain won't lose so easily. But..."
Saying that, Mifi's expression changed. It was the expression of trying to explain the unexplainable.
"That man, it was like his soul was talking at the same time, and I could hear his voice twice. Even though he has a soul, something was odd. Souls often mirror words they learn from humans, but it was just the number of words, and it was saying the exact same things at the same time. Is that even possible...?"
Cuey, who couldn't hear the voices of souls, didn't have an answer.

There was 34 minutes left until the experiment began.

"We should also change venues."
Col, confirming that the footsteps of the 3 of them were moving away, followed Giganov. Not through the doorway, but through a giant hole in a wall. She was worried about them, but Pink-chan should be able to manage. She had a personality that was overly frivolous in everything she did, but when things got serious, the more desperate she got, the more she wanted to mess around. But when that happens, her anger increases much more than her messing around, and that's how she managed to make it out alive and smiling from multiple life or death situations. So she had faith in her.
(Well then... I should start worrying about myself instead soon.)
Switching thoughts, she memorized the route as she turned her gaze towards her guide, Giganov. He had a wide figure, so he couldn't be a foot soldier, but if he was a monster, then she'd seen monsters much bigger than him who were unbelievably nimble. So she didn't have enough information to make a guess about his physical body. However, looking at his thick arms that could be used to hit her with, she imagined that hidden within the thick layer of fat around his torso, there was a lot of strong hard muscles. If she had to say, her impression of his body was that it was like a major league player. The way he was casually walking was such that he could suddenly break out into a run by shifting is center of gravity, which was proof of a seasoned soldier. In addition, his appearance would fool you into thinking he was slow, but she knew he was a skilled "warrior".
From his back, she could tell he was on guard against her, and he had no openings. Or rather, it was a guard telling her that she shouldn't try to attack.
"...Can I ask you this? Why did help us?"
Asking the question even though she didn't expect a response, he defied her expectations and answered.
"Don't misunderstand. I never planned on following them, or have any interest in supporting their ideas, reaping the benefits they are creating, or fulfilling their dream. They needed strength, and I wanted a battlefield. Our relationship is nothing more than us using each other. I only made contact with you secretly because I don't want anything to get in the way of our fight. To that end, they don't know anything about this. ...We're here."
Midway down the hallway, Giganov squeezed through a narrow hole in the middle of the wall. Even Col, who was smaller than him, almost had to crawl to make it through it. It was difficult to pass through it quickly. It was an entrance, but not an exit, meaning that there was no retreating.
(Does this mean that he won't allow any escape? He's chosen the place very carefully...)
Pulling her foot out from the hole, Col found a space that looked like an event hall waiting for her. Although there was an impressive chandelier lighting the place, there was no exquisite food laid out on tables, but just the usual ruined stone walls and floor plainly decorating it. The large shutter for the real entrance was partially open and completely buried in rubble, and there didn't seem to be any open space to go through. So that was not an escape path. Looking up, the ceiling was quite high, and on the 2nd floor, there were glass windows from which another room could be seen. That was probably a monitoring room to observe this room, but even if she could break the glass, jumping that high and aiming for that gap would be near impossible, so she wouldn't be able to use that to escape.
"Here, the sound of gunfire won't reach up there, and most of the waves will be absorbed the stone. We can fight here, without any unnecessary interruptions."
"Why do you like such a hidden room? I had to go through a narrow hole, and look, my apron is now all dirtied. It's a mark of pride for a maid to get it dirty doing work, but as a maid attached to my mistress, to have an unclean body would shame my mistress? Why did you bring me here?"
"...So you are saying that you are no longer a soldier, but fully a maid, Bullet Squall?"
"It's Col. Col TR BF. Since you've honored your part, I must tell you my full name, please don't think poorly of me. My alias is "Bullet Squall", I am a maid of the great Schtlehertz family, and am the head chamberlain."
"My name is Giganov. Giganov Priadkov Garganiko. I don't really have an alias, but I've heard that I'm known as the "anti-tank foot soldier". I am a mercenary from an age gone by who knows nothing but fighting."
Exchanging names, before he could prepare himself, Col rushed forward.
Before that.
"!!"
It was so fast. Pulling his gun out of the hostler, and aiming by reflex was a moment too slow, and Col slipped beneath his aim. Col, using the gun in her left hand, knocked aside his arm that was adjusting the sights.
Col fluidly ducked past him, and kicked in the back of Giganov's knee. Grabbing onto his arm and using it to spin his body, he floated in midair for a moment. Before he could escape from the hand holding his arm, her leg extended out from his shoulder and wrapped around his neck, and pulled him down by his back.
(...But...!)
Lying on the ground with her left arm aroudn his right shoulder, he gripped onto the string of the apron.
"Too naive with that hold!"
Pulling with all his strength, he unexpectedly easily pulled her hand from his arm. Col was tossed and Giganov was on the floor. Going on the defensive and putting distance between them, he quickly stood up. As they were both gun users, she defied expectations and made a surprise attack. If he hadn't been able to remove the hand gripping him, she would have broken his neck. Or if not that, she could have just bashed his head into the floor. And even if he could have escaped that, she could have broken his arm. In any case, he wouldn't have gotten away unhurt. If Col's grip had been a little stronger, he wouldn't have been to completely throw her off and his arm would have been done for.
"It's not CQC or CQB... Judo, no jujutsu? Where did you learn that?"
"The Satoichi maid combat art, that move was shadow style "setting sun". I learned as much as I could, and while I couldn't master everything, Japanese guard maids learn either the Satoichi or Sakki maid combat arts!"
As she was saying this, she crossed her arms, and emphatically said the last word and opened her hands wide, and turned up her skirt, and her stocking and garters were revealed. However, there wasn't time to appreciate her boldly revealed zettai ryouiki, for the shiny black dangerous weapons that she had gripped in both of her upraised hands were what drew his attention.
As she dove to the side, there was a loud sound. Giganov's bullet grazed the tip of the string of her apron, and caused a huge indentation in the wall behind her. Giganov ran like he was making a circle, and Col ran after him, firing the submachine guns in both of her hands, and chased after him.
"I see, you think that I can't defend against a constant stream of bullets!"
Giganov changed his movements, and broke the circle, and headed towards the wall.
(However, stopping that is simple!)
Kicking off the wall, fluttering in the large space, he turned around. Suddenly moving in the opposite direction, the bullets chasing him were too slow. In that interval, Giganov shot one heavy shot.

Col tried to twist her body to suddenly brake. In front of her, the large caliber bullet caused waves in the air, and messed up her bangs as they passed by, and she stopped her barrage.
(If spreading out points doesn't work, then next is a surface...!)
Forcefully twisting her body, she tossed the submachine gun in her left hand upward and faced forward. The new gun that appeared in her left hand had a wooden stock, and she fired. Unlike handgun bullets, it was low speed, but it traced out a loose trajectory through the air as it came after Giganov.
(A thumper!? She has such an old, single shot grenade launcher...!)
Kicking off the wall once again, when the shot came within arms reach, he hit the side of it with the back of his hand and knocked it upward.
The grenade round exploded in midair. Coming out of the explosion, Giganov curled up his body and rolled on the floor, forced his body up, stepped to the side and fired. Col, using the hem of her skirt as a decoy, jumped backwards to dodge, and released the grenade launcher, caught the submachine gun she had thrown earlier, and once she landed, she zigzagged and fired randomly. They were shots to try and hit Giganov no matter where he might move, regardless of where he was. While being targeted by a submachine gun, and even though she moving fast enough that it would be impossible for a normal person to hit her while using sights, he was able to easily match it. The frills on her left shoulders were torn apart, and the air and her sleeve and skin were shredded. But Col didn't stop.
Not waiting for the next shot, Col closed in, kicking his arm up before she could be shot. Her raised leg exposed what was hidden inside the skirt, and Giganov's vision turned white and flesh colored. However, feeling her killing intent, he bent his upper body, and dodged the submachine guns that were stick out from the shadow of her skirt as she kicked. Trying to bring her leg down and kick Giganov in the knee, the force from the kick sent her floating in the air, and Col's heel dug into his left arm that was protecting his throat. Immediately, a second kick was launched to the right side of the head.
"Gah!"
However, that yell of agony was Col's. Though she rotated her body as an evasive action as she launched her kick, it was a clean hit to Col's side. The kick was made with a leg that was as big as Col's waist, and it was with iron plated military boots. Flipping backwards, Col landed on the floor, and her head was filled with pain.
(Kuh... That one hit, a human would have had not only their ribs, but their organs smashed... Fortunately, I'm not a human.)
It hurt as much as being hit by an ogre, but fortunately, it didn't impede her movement. Thanking that her monster body was tougher than that of a human, Col pulled in something with all her strength into her left hand.
(That was a pretty harsh counter, but just because it's no holds barred doesn't mean it's a fight... My tactic will be to strike at his weakness!)
Getting up, Giganov sensed that something was closing on him. In his field of vision, he thought something was glimmering.
(...Now a piano wire trap!?)
Realizing what it was too late, the piano wire spread out on the floor rushed towards him, and was about to bind his entire body. Col, believing he was caught, felt it suddenly go slack. Giganov, who should have been tied up, had fervently pulled out a knife in response, and had barely cut the piano wire.
"With submachine guns, grenade launcher, jujutsu, you stubbornly aimed for my head, and finally an instant wire trap. You have some pretty dirty tricks prepared."
Moving away the limply hanging piano wire, Giganov stood up this time. Col, ignoring her side screaming out in pain, also stood up, and stared at him.
"...That's why you didn't tell me, right? Back then, if you wanted to, you could have killed me."
"That was part of a tactical action. The mission takes priority over my personal feelings. Anyway, if that happened, honestly you wouldn't be the one who got killed. If we had fought there, it just would have wasted time, and wasting time would have made evacuation difficult, and would have just been an unnecessarily high risk, right?"
"Yes, from a tactical standpoint, that's definitely true. ...That's why you didn't kill me."
"And now, just as I planned, you came here. To repay me as a mercenary."
"A mercenary whose allies are killed won't stay silent, and the one who killed them won't be allowed to escape... you mean? Honestly, after I retired from being a mercenary, I never thought I'd be doing this now. However, that's not the only reason why I responded to your provocation and answered your challenge."
"Oh?"
He closed his eyes for a moment. Reopening them, he saw in his line of sight his opponent burning with a pure and total anger.
"I can't stand someone like you, who acts like beating an old retired soldier is his specialty!!"
Col had returned to the rough way of speaking that she had when she used to be a mercenary, and her atmosphere completely changed. A killing intent that seemed to be drawn from her body pierced his skin, and he knew she was even more serious than before. Knowing that he had drawn out not Col, the ex-mercenary maid, but the mercenary "Bullet Squall", a smile from his love of combat came to Giganov's face.
As ones who had made it through the battlefield, their invisible, razor-sharp attacking wills clashed between them.
"You've finally revved up your engine, Bullet Squall!"
"Shut up you maggot, I'll make you wish you were dead, then get everything out of your rotten miso brain, and make you regret everything even after your dead!"
Kicking off the floor, they flew towards each other.
They fought hand to hand, foot to foot, and gun to gun. Frantically changing positions, distances being closed, striking through defenses, countering attacks, trying to trick by showing an opening, separating and firing. A combination of attacking and defending mixed in the the sound of exchanged gunfire. It was just like a whirlwind. Guess, feint, dodge, attack, defend, using all of their senses to their maximum limit, noticing their opponent's subtle actions, sensing an attack coming from a blind spot, reading the next target, imposing their will. If they showed even the slightest of hesitation, they would be destroyed. Their strategy could not allow a moment of indecision.

The walls were blown up, shell casings were bouncing on the smashed floor. But that's not all. From inside the whirlwind, Col's spent guns were also flying out one after another. A submachine gun, then a shotgun, then an assault rifle. The many different types and styles of guns of Col's collection, once they had emptied their clip, came flying out. Although Col fired all these at him, the number of Giganov's shots wasn't even in double digits yet. Though none of the were direct hits yet, the bullets grazed them and left burn marks and tears in their maid outfit and fatigues. However, the only one who had blood on them was Col. The bullets shot from the very high caliber handgun were rifled, and the torque from the spinning motion caused the air to move, which caused an effect similar to an impact to its surroundings. Though Col hadn't gotten hit, it still cut her skin. It couldn't be explained just from the gunpowder. She knew that a cartridge of a handgun could only have so much gunpowder inside of it, and this shouldn't happen with that size bullet from a handgun, and if this were to be replicated normally, the barrel wouldn't be able to withstand it. In the first place, if it really was the source of that stupidly high destructive power, then it would have been scientifically discovered a long time ago, and the history of guns would be different. So of course, he must use some kind of "power", but Col had no idea what it might be.
The only thing that was clear was that due to Giganov's technique, he would secretly discard a magazine from his high caliber gun, then do a feint like he was going to strike with the grip, and replace the magazine, and there were 5 shots per magazine. But how would that information be useful here? Even if he had prepared a lot, he would eventually run out of ammo, but she wasn't willing to wait that long. Col just wanted the chance to fill the guy in front of her with lead.
As Col quickened her attacks even more, Giganov's own excitement increased. If he relaxed at all, his entire body would be filled with holes. The unending rain of bullets poured on with the force of a storm. It truly was a bullet squall. The strength and skill, in his eyes, was pretty low, but the tactical skill and aim was first class. It was easy to determine the trajectory of the simple firing of his opponent, but if this was a battlefield, not to mention if he was drawn into hand to hand combat where he couldn't just rely on his gun, depending on the situation, he might get hit, and that alone made her a formidable opponent. He was completely satisfied with his opponent, and his soul quivered at his rival in front of him.
That joy was put into the bullets he fired, and in Giganov's stead, his gun roared.