Volume 4, Sub.15
Having determined any possible bugs or transmitters would have been safely destroyed by the heat of the blowdryer, Kumokawa Maria and Oumi Shuri began moving again.
They left the staff locker room and walked down the long underground passageway.
“Is there any specific path of escape? Is nowhere safe?”
“My objective is Academy City technology and yours is that Kihara Kagun who previously contacted us. In that case, there is no real reason for us stay here in Baggage City while it is this dangerous.”
Kumokawa Maria and Oumi Shuri peered around a corner.
They could both tell the area they were in required more caution than a shopping mall filled with zombies.
Or so they thought.
“There’s no one here,” said Oumi Shuri in a low voice.
Kumokawa agreed, and said, “But doesn’t that make it even creepier?”
They saw no one living or dead. And yet plenty of military helmets, bulletproof jackets, and assault rifles were scattered about the floor. It was unclear where their owners had gone or if those owners were even still alive.
“That would be either Academy City or the Anti-Academy City Science Guardians.”
“Either one would be dangerous.”
From Oumi’s perspective, both of them had strange technology. The odd situation wore on her nerves.
“But why would they remove all the bodies and bloodstains?”
“That’s a good question. Neither of them are the type to soak up the last bit of soup with their bread.”
“Hmm hm hm hmm.”
The humming of a girl reverberated through the area.
No one was there. The cute bell-like voice sounded out of place in the eerie area that was strongly reminiscent of death.
Kumokawa Maria and Oumi Shuri slowly entered from around the corner.
The ninja whose height was no greater than an elementary school student pointed toward one of the assault rifles on the floor with a small finger.
“Which side uses this equipment?”
“Probably Academy City, so the attackers. I can tell from the technology used.”
“I thought the Anti-Academy City Science Guardians used cutting edge weapons Academy City had loaned them?”
“Do you have any idea how fast Academy City gets a new ‘cutting edge’?”
Kumokawa Maria reached to pick up the assault rifle, but Oumi Shuri grabbed the maid’s arm to stop her.
“I think I know the point of this.”
“Hmm hm hm hmm hm hm.”
The humming grew closer. Or rather, the girl producing it was growing closer. She was of course the one that had created the mysterious situation of Academy City military equipment being scattered about the floor.
Her goal was simple.
She created a mysterious situation.
Then she waited for that mysterious situation to draw someone out.
In other words, it was a trap.
If countless bodies were lying around and pools of blood were scattered about, no one would draw near. They would sense the danger and head in the opposite direction.
But what if only the cutting edge equipment was left?
It would seem strange, but not enough to immediately decide to run away. Also, humans had a tendency to give into their curiosity and investigate things they could not understand.
Also, the equipment was made up of things like bulletproof jackets and assault rifles.
In such a dangerous situation, even the most virtuous person would see no harm in possessing something like that.
Oumi Shuri approached one of the bulletproof jackets, crouched down, circled around it, and sighed.
“I thought it looked oddly puffed up and it indeed has a grenade hidden under it. The pin has been pulled and the weight of the jacket is holding the lever down. If you pick it up, it goes boom.”
“How can you tell?”
“Don’t just look at the scene. Look at the intention of the person who created the scene.”
In that case, the other equipment was likely booby-trapped as well. Even if it wasn’t obvious from the outside, the rifles could easily have had something done to them on the inside.
Kumokawa Maria put her hands on her hips and shook her head.
“So I guess we should get out of here then. ...Wait, what are you doing?”
“This is Academy City technology. It may have nothing to do with supernatural powers, but it’s still worth picking up.”
“...I thought you had decided it was a trap?”
“Even a trap can function as a resource. When you’re running low on ammo in the battlefield, searching for landmines or wired grenades is one convenient method of finding some more.”
“Is being a ninja these days like playing an FPS?”
It seemed the elementary school-size Oumi Shuri truly intended to disarm the trap. Kumokawa Maria nervously moved her hands around, but she did not dare actually stop Oumi Shuri for fear of causing her to make a mistake.
“To me, this seems like a case where getting greedy will lead to an unfortunate ending.”
“This isn’t a Hollywood movie. Bombs that complex are not used in actual combat. The rule of thumb for all kinds of weapons is ‘easily set up and easily taken apart’. As long as the lever of the grenade is held down, it’s safe. If you stick in a straightened paper clip or something in place of the pin, the trap will be neutralized.”
“What’s the range of a grenade?”
“There are various kinds of anti-personnel fragmentation grenades, but most of them have a range greater than ten meters.”
“I’ll be honest with you. I really wanna run away!”
“Don’t push me. No sneezing either. The process is simple, but the result of failure is simple too. If you try to pull any kind of ill-advised gags right now, this will have a real life explosion ending.”
“Hmm hm hm. Hm hm hmm.”
“Stay still.”
“Hey, umm...”
“What?”
“Could you sit on the floor rather than bending over like that? Your panties are on full display over here.”
“If you care, then hold my skirt down yourself!!”
“Hm hmm!”
“Stay still. I said still!!”
“I think you’re trembling even more than I am. Why did you start trembling the instant you sat down anyway?”
“The floor was colder than I had expected. Also, I really have to use the bathroom!”
“I’m pretty sure you’re holding down the lever of a grenade, though!”
“Shut up! Anyway, you just hold still. If you don’t, this thing will blow both of us away!!”
“Hm hm hm hm hmm!!”
And then something problematic occurred.
“Hm hm...huh?”
When she arrived at the scene humming and skipping, Kihara Enshuu looked confused.
No one was in the trapped passageway.
In fact, there was no sign anyone had touched any of the traps.
Just to make sure, she checked with an ultraviolet light, but she saw no footprints on the floor.
“Still too soon,” said Kihara Enshuu with a troubled look on her face. “Well, I set up these roach traps in twenty places, so maybe I caught something in one of the others.”
Meanwhile, Oumi Shuri cast aside the bulletproof jacket she had acquired.
“The fibers and plate within have been melted! This thing’s useless!! It’s not even worth analyzing!!”
“Exploding packets of paint are still used today to prevent shoplifting for a reason. And there is no real reason the contents have to be paint. I have heard of chemicals being developed that are harmless to humans but will melt right through the wall of an airplane. Something like that may have been running through the plate like blood vessels.”
“M-mhh...”
“I understand that this was all wasted effort, but at least decide whether you’re angry or embarrassed about it while rubbing your inner thighs together like that. ...At any rate, the most pathetic conclusion would be if we were attacked now.”