"Arihara! When is the signal coming?!" he shouted, his voice laced with urgency. His finger tightened on the trigger of his assault rifle, unleashing a volley of gunfire toward the encroaching demons.
The deafening sound of their agonized screams echoed through the air, drowning out all other noise. The acrid stench of blood mixed with a putrid odor permeated the surroundings
"It's not there yet!" I shouted, glancing at the tablet. The tablet was equipped with a heartbeat sensor, capable of detecting enemies both above and below. However, the sensor's range wouldn't provide an indication of the distance.
"Ugh, are you kidding me?! I'm running out of ammo soon!" he exclaimed, quickly reloading his assault rifle before resuming his relentless firing.
"Put your rifle in single mode!" I shouted as I looked at the tablet.
He nodded, swiftly switching his rifle from auto-mode to single-mode, ensuring that it would only fire one bullet at a time.
"Once the demons get close to us, that's when I'll signal," I muttered, observing their approach and the resounding roars growing louder.
"Shin, you can stop now!" I called out to him.
Shin glanced at me and nodded, immediately taking cover. "Here we go!" I grabbed a smoke signal, tossing it ahead of the advancing demons.
As it landed, a plume of green smoke billowed into the air, marking our intended signal.
then a voice crackled over the radio. "I can see the signal, Arihara! Your plan is as accurate as always! I am able to identify level 5 to 6 demons heading your way!"
Responding on the radio, I said, "I'm counting on you, Saori!"
"Yeah, count on me!" came Saori's confident reply.
The sound of a helicopter could be heard in the distance, steadily growing louder as it approached. Moments later, a distinct "swoosh" marked the launch of a missile.
A different voice crackled through the radio, likely the helicopter pilot. "Missiles away, Operator Saori's deploying!"
The ground rumbled as the missiles soared through the sky, aimed to deliver devastating blows to the oncoming horde of demons.
Following the deafening explosions in the distance, I cautiously peeked out to assess the situation. The chaos was evident, with billowing smoke and debris filling the air. However, amidst the turmoil, signs of progress were visible.
Saori's voice broke through the crackling radio. "I have landed on the ground. Pilot, please cover my back!"
"Yeah, good luck Saori!" came the supportive response.
I watched in awe as Saori unsheathed her twin katanas, their blades gleaming with a vibrant blue aura.
she charged fearlessly toward the approaching demons, her agility, and precision on full display. With every swing of her blades, the demons fell one by one, unable to match her skill.
Shin, who had taken a momentary break from his cover to witness the spectacle, couldn't help but express his admiration. "Woah, as expected of an Attacker."
"Yeah, she's surprisingly agile."
Saori's voice crackled through the radio, interrupting our admiration. "Hey, boys, thanks for the compliments, but if you're just going to stand there watching, I'll die here!"
Shin responded nonchalantly over the radio, "Nah, you'll be fine."
"Go die then!" Saori retorted sharply through the radio.
I chuckled at their banter before chiming in. "Yeah, I'm sending in my drones."
Using the implanted system, I swiped the air, revealing an inventory interface similar to that of a video game. Though the stakes were high in this real-life battle, the advanced technology at our disposal made it feel almost like a game. With a click, a drone materialized in my hand.
"Saori, my drones are ready!" I responded to the radio.
"Great, send them over!" Saori responded eagerly.
Taking control of the two drones through the system, I commanded them to provide support to Saori. One drone focused on healing, while the other enhanced her speed and agility.
The drones swiftly flew towards Saori, seamlessly integrating into the battle. With their assistance, she gained additional healing capabilities and enhanced mobility, further amplifying her already impressive combat prowess.
"Thank you!" Saori exclaimed gratefully as she felt the increased speed from the drone support. She tapped into her system skill, activating "Twin Style: Whirlwind Fang!" With a swift swing of her sword, it extended to an extraordinary length, slicing through the demons with incredible precision.
The pilot's voice broke through the radio once more, "I'm ready for support, Saori. You can fall back now!"
"Roger!" Saori acknowledged. Taking advantage of the chaos caused by her devastating attack, she swiftly retreated from the frontline.
As Saori retreated, the helicopter hovered in the sky, maintaining a steady position. The pilot's voice sounded over the radio again, filled with determination. "Marking targets... Firing in 3... 2... 1..."
The distinct sound of machine-gun fire erupted, as the helicopter unleashed a barrage of bullets onto the marked demon targets.
After a few minutes of intense gunfire, the helicopter ceased its barrage and began to hover away. The pilot's voice crackled through the radio, "Seems that's all, folks!"
"Thank you!" I expressed my gratitude over the radio.
"No worries! I'll be picking you three up now!" the pilot responded.
The helicopter descended safely near our position. Saori swiftly ran towards us, playfully smacking me on the shoulder. "That was a great command, strategist boy."
"You mean, Arihara?" I said, giving her a playful glare before climbing aboard the helicopter.
"You almost scared me to death, you know?" Shin commented as he followed, settling into the passenger seat. "That was my last magazine."
"Yeah? But it worked, didn't it?" I replied confidently with a smile.
Shin nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it did."
"Well, if it weren't for Arihara's plan, all you youngins would've been in trouble," the pilot chimed in, ready to take off.
"Urgk, I have to agree, though mostly. This mission was a success, andd~ I got the most damage!" Saori proudly said in a confident tone.
The helicopter hovered up and began its journey back to the city, leaving the battlefield behind.
"Huh!? What do you mean!? I got the most damage!" Shin protested, glaring at Saori.
"Shut it! If it weren't for me, you would be dead!" Saori glared at Shin.
"Say that again, woman!"
The two locked eyes, their expressions filled with determination and a hint of friendly rivalry. They gritted their teeth, ready to defend their claims.
Meanwhile, I watched their banter playfully, enjoying the commotion. Curious, I swiped the air to access the mission statistics. I clicked on the damage graph and discovered that Shin had indeed incurred the most damage, surpassing everyone by 153%.
Shin noticed the graph and grinned triumphantly. "Hah! See?!"
Saori glanced at the graph, her expression softening. "Because I arrived a bit late, that's all."
Though mostly, Arihara did plan this, so mostly it's Arihara's MVP for today!" Saori said as she smiles at me.
"Huh? Me? All I did was watch..." I replied modestly, closing the system statistics interface with a swipe.
"Oh, shush it!" Saori retorted, dismissing my humble response.
"It may have been a simple plan, but it saved our lives," Shin acknowledged.
"Yeah, yeah!" Saori agreed.
"Everyone..."
"Even though I may not possess exceptional combat stats, I'm grateful to have found people who accept me for who I am," I whispered to myself, a smile spreading across my face.
A few hours later, the helicopter touched down on the rooftop landing pad of the Aegis Defense Agency. "Here we are," the pilot announced.
Taking a deep breath, I opened the helicopter door and leaped down onto the solid ground, feeling the cool breeze brush against my face. Saori and Shin followed suit, jumping down.
"Gah! It's already night?!" Shin exclaimed, suddenly realizing the time. Without wasting a moment, he hurried towards the door and made his way down the stairs.
"Oh, see ya... I guess," I called out, waving goodbye to Shin's retreating figure. Turning my attention to Saori, I asked, "What about you?"
"Hm? Me? I'm also heading back, but I have to check in to claim my reward," Saori replied.
"I see. I'll go report the mission to the admins,"
"Thank you, Arihara," Saori bows expressing her gratitude.
Saori turned and started to run off toward the agency's administrative offices. However, she suddenly halted and turned back to face me. "You're a good leader!" she shouted, waving enthusiastically before resuming downstairs.
"Yeah..." I murmured to myself, my smile growing wider as I watched her disappear from sight.