The journey had lasted for hours now. Everybody in the squad was sleeping, except the captain, who was with the driver in the front seat, keeping an eye on the road.
Our destination was the once-renowned city of Kyoto. The journey from Shibuya to Kyoto is over a hundred kilometers, with an estimated travel time of over six hours. However, the repairs would definitely take a day or two, so barring any major attacks, the total journey was estimated to be three to four days. I was definitely not going to see the end of my stay at the immigrant base.
Speaking of attacks, the formation in which we moved was devised for quick combat engagement. Squad Seven's bus was in front, followed by the control unit bus and the engineers' bus. Behind them was the bus carrying repair tools, and lastly, Squad Six's bus took up the rear. But it's been over three hours now, and we have yet to encounter any attacks.
Now, I think I actually want an attack to happen. The boredom is unbearable.
"That's right."
Hana handed me the music player. I think she predicted this kind of situation. What a thoughtful girl, with that cute face of hers—I might need a picture of her too.
Not like that.
I pulled the music player and earphones from my pocket, plugged them in, and played some music. It was rock. I'm not really a fan of rock, but I think this one's an exception.
As I settled in to enjoy the music, I noticed Captain Leonard speaking into his headset.
He turned and spoke.
"Multiple Nephilims spotted, three kilometers north. Snake and Fox, handle it."
"Roger!"
Saiya and Nagato, who I thought were asleep, suddenly jolted awake.
Now that I think about it, I haven't received my animal name yet.
"The rest of you, watch and pay close attention. This is what a real battle looks like."
Saiya and Nagato grabbed weapons of their choice from those hanging on the walls of the bus, opened the back door, and climbed onto the roof.
Nagato had picked a sniper rifle, while Saiya took two katana-like blades.
Nagato knelt down, one knee on the roof, positioning himself for a shot. His eyes, focused through the binoculars, locked onto the Nephilim ahead of them.
Saiya crouched and then launched forward into the air, getting a clear view of the Nephilim ahead.
There were only five of them, all grade D.
Saiya landed on the ground and began running toward them. She moved like a ninja, arms trailing behind her, incredibly fast—so fast that even the bus behind us couldn't catch up.
"Awesome," Haruchi exclaimed.
"Expected from Senior Saiya," Kitetsu nodded.
"How much is her capability to the suit?" Haruchi asked.
Leonard, still up front, turned and said, "Check your suits—you can see the stats on your wrist."
We pressed a button on our wrists simultaneously, and as Captain Leonard said, a holographic screen popped up, displaying everyone's stats in Team Seven: heart rate, pain points, and so much more.
I tapped on Saiya's and expanded her details. My eyes locked onto her physical capabilities.
"Eighty-four!" Haruchi shouted.
"Before I enrolled, I heard rumors I couldn't believe, but seeing these numbers, I think they might be true. Rumors like Senior Saiya's top speed being as fast as the speed of light—"
"Speed of light? Give me a break."
"That's what I heard. I also heard she's the fastest in the military."
I'm not that knowledgeable about mathematics and physics, but as someone who grew up playing video games and watching movies, I know those who move at the speed of light only exist in fiction.
"She's not as fast as light, and she might not even be the fastest ranger. But her speed, combined with her agility and finesse, sets her apart from any other ranger. That's why she earned the name Snake," Leonard said, his eyes still glued to the battle ahead.
We all watched silently as Saiya cut through the air, charging toward the Nephilim, who had just noticed her. But it was already too late for them.
Saiya thrust herself into the air and spun, beheading one of the Nephilim. She landed on the corpse before it hit the ground and kicked forward at another, running her blade through it.
"Argh!"
One of the Nephilim roared, raising its hand to attack Saiya when a bullet pierced its head—and the head of another. Both exploded into chunks of flesh.
"Ah!"
Saiya darted toward the last Nephilim, swiftly dodging its deadly attack, and sliced her blade through its gut, cutting it clean in half. Both halves fell to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. From within the dust, Saiya emerged, casual as ever.
"Nephilim eradication complete. Will extraction be carried out?" she asked through the earphone.
"No extraction for now. Head back to the bus," Leonard replied.
The battle hadn't lasted two minutes. I stared in disbelief, wondering if I ever had to fight against Saiya and Nagato—would I make it out alive?