Chapter 22

【The World of Otome Games is Harsh for the Mob 10th Volume】Now on Sale!!

【Manga Version】【Mob Seka 43】is available for free streaming!

* In Monthly Dragon Age, it is published one chapter ahead.

Inside the warship of the mercenary group Dalia.

The Gold Raccoon, brought into the hangar, had cables connected to its cockpit.

Sirena, who had changed into her pilot suit, returned to the hangar.

"How many minutes until launch?"

A mechanic, floating in the zero-gravity hangar, flew over and answered.

"Ready to go anytime."

"Thank you."

The mechanic, looking worried, asked Sirena as she entered the cockpit.

"Are you really going to continue?"

Sirena answered expressionlessly.

"For the sake of my fallen comrades—though I won't say it that way. If I don't make a stand before I retreat, it will affect my future work."

She wasn't going to seek revenge.

It was all for the job.

However, Sirena thought it was fair to get back at those who killed her comrades.

Besides,

"I want to test this one too."

The mechanic was exasperated.

"Regardless of its appearance, it is indeed an amazing mobile knight. For a custom mass-production model, it seems too expensive."

"Who was supposed to ride it, I wonder?"

As the hatch closed, the mechanics moved away from the Gold Raccoon.

Once the launch preparations were complete, it was launched by the catapult.

"I'll finish you off this time."

She was more concerned about the knight Emma than Atalante.

Sirena had unknowingly let personal feelings interfere with her mission.

◇

Inside Atalante's cockpit.

Emma, now in the seventh pilot suit, sat in the seat and gripped the control stick.

Percy, acting as the operator, explained the situation to Emma.

"The machine is one thing, but the software is a makeshift product. Don't expect it to function properly."

"Understood."

"Just focus on joining up with your allies. If you encounter the enemy, run away."

"Yes."

"Alright, then I'll unlock the hangar."

As Percy said this, Atalante, which had been secured in the hangar, was released.

After confirming that it could move, Emma made Atalante walk.

The movements were awkward.

"It's fine. I just need to join up with my allies."

She reassured herself as she headed for the hatch leading to space.

As the hatch opened and she went outside, the seventh defense force was waiting for her.

They were there to escort Atalante to safety.

"Second Lieutenant, the seventh defense force will escort you. Join up with your allies."

Just as she thought she could safely join up with the Vanfield family's fleet, an alarm sounded in the cockpit.

"Enemies! Above!"

She looked up to see small mobile knights approaching.

They were attacking with the weapons in their hands, firing bullets and beams.

Additionally, the silhouette of a warship was visible.

One of the seventh defense force's destroyers, hit by a beam, exploded.

Atalante was blown back by the shockwave, but its attitude control was unstable.

She moved the control stick and pressed the foot pedals, but Atalante was struggling in space.

"Until the allies arrive"

As she tried to run, the small mobile knights flew towards Atalante.

Seeing them ignore the seventh defense force and charge straight at her, it seemed Atalante was indeed their target.

Using the twin boosters on the backpack, gravity was generated inside the cockpit.

As Atalante tried to escape, the small mobile knights pursued her.

However, with Atalante's uncontrollable movements, it was zigzagging through space.

As a result, the enemy caught up to her.

Then, a new presence appeared—

"Ha! Just a bunch of grunts!"

—It was mass-produced mobile knights.

They bore the Vanfield family crest, making it clear they were allies.

Leading them was a major whom Emma recognized.

"Major!"

"Emma, are you okay? Just hang on a bit. I'll finish this quickly."

The major led a formation of three units—twelve mobile knights—that attacked the small mobile knights.

Although the enemy was excellent for small mobile knights, they were inferior in power to the mass-produced models.

As one of the small mobile knights was destroyed, the others began to retreat.

Seeing this, Emma sighed in relief.

"I'm saved."

"Don't let your guard down in battle. Keep your guard up until you reach the flagship."

With the twelve mobile knights escorting her, Emma thought it would be over once the allied ships arrived.

As she tried to stay alert until the flagship arrived, Atalante's sensors detected an enemy.

"Major, it's an enemy!"

"Wait, this machine isn't supposed to react yet—"

Immediately after, the major's machine also detected the approaching enemy.

The mass-produced models armed themselves and faced downwards.

"Coming from below! —What?"

But there were no enemy machines there.

Emma was surprised.

"It's not that! The enemy is—"

One of the mass-produced models was pierced from behind and exploded.

As the allies turned to look, a golden Raccoon was there.

They had received word that it had been seized from the seventh and was already registered as an enemy.

"Where did it come from!"

The major aimed his rifle and attacked, but the solid bullets passed through the Gold Raccoon.

"Unbelievable."

The other allied machines also attacked, but the optical weapons also passed through.

Then, Percy's communication came through.

"That thing has a function to confuse sensors. If you don't want to die, keep moving!"

Hearing this, the major immediately gave orders to his subordinates.

"Scatter!"

The major's mobile knight grabbed Atalante and moved away from the scene.

Then, one after another, the cries of the allies could be heard.

"Help—"

"Don't come! Don't come!!"

"Where are you, you damn raccoon!"

In the cockpit, Emma heard the cries of her allies and saw the explosions.

As she watched her allies disappear, she couldn't stop trembling.

"What can I do in this situation?"

There might have been a way to deal with it, but in this situation, there was nothing she could do.

In the end, only Emma and the major were left.

The major threw Atalante in the direction the allies would come from and armed himself.

"Emma, let the allies pick you up."

"Major?"

"I have to avenge my subordinates."

The major was about to fight the enemy to let Emma escape.

As if eavesdropping on their conversation, the Gold Raccoon appeared.

It opened a communication line.

"You're not my target, so I could let you go."

The voice was familiar.

"Could it be, that time?"

The woman from the model shop came to mind.

"Finally figured it out? You're really slow. Being a knight isn't for you, little girl."

Clenching her teeth, the major attacked the Raccoon.

The opponent easily dodged and dealt with the major's attacks.

"You're my opponent!"

"Why don't you run? Why are you coming at me?"

"I am a knight!"

Though it seemed like an answer, it was not a direct one, but it was enough for the opponent.

"I can't understand. I can understand avenging your subordinates. But, why do you fight a battle you can't win just because you're a knight? You need to value your own life."

"Shut up!"

The major's mass-produced model discarded its rifle and attacked with a laser blade.

The Gold Raccoon kicked it away, destroying the arm.

It then cut off the limbs with the large axe it held and smashed its left arm into the cockpit.

The B-class knight major was no match for it.

"Major!!"

Emma shouted, but there was no response.

Instead, the enemy woman answered.

"Knights? What a bunch of fools. They're just pawns for the nobles, yet they get all worked up about pride and honor. I can't understand these fools."

The woman, who had kicked the major's machine away, aimed her rifle at Atalante.

"You think the same, right?"

Her voice was low, and it was clear that she would kill immediately depending on the response.

"Knights are just pawns. They're disposable to the nobles. You think the same, right?"

"No, that's not true."

Emma, rejecting the woman's agreement, gripped the control stick, trembling.

The woman, with a cold voice, said,

"Then, die miserably for your pride."

Just as the enemy was about to pull the trigger,

"Second Lieutenant Emma Rodman"

Nias's face appeared on part of the monitor, and Atalante began to act strangely.

Windows appeared one after another, displaying information about the start of an update.

"Major Nias!?"

Surprised, Emma pressed the pedal, and Atalante spun.

Thanks to this, she avoided the bullets, but the enemy machine pursued her.

"I don't have time, so I'll adjust the software while you're moving."

"What? Huh?"

Emma was surprised, but Percy, on the other side of the monitor, was equally surprised.

"Rewriting the system during combat!?"

"Just rewriting it for the second lieutenant."

"That's impossible. That's a foolish thing to do."

"At least, I'm better than you. —Can you do it, Second Lieutenant?"

Nias looked straight at her through the monitor.

Emma nodded in response.

"I'll do it. Let me do it!"

"Good answer."

The monitor disappeared, and a temporary system version was displayed.

"——This system"

"The system is based on the special unit's system. I'll adjust it for Atalante now."

As the system started, changes appeared in Atalante.

The twin eyes glowed, and the machine, which had been spiraling, began to move straight.

Emma was surprised by the machine's response.

(Amazing. It's completely different from before.)

It was well-suited to her senses.

The enemy also seemed to notice the change.

"Rewriting the system during combat? This is why geniuses are so annoying!"

As the Gold Raccoon approached, Emma's Atalante stopped running and faced the enemy.

She took the laser blade from the side skirt and prepared to attack.

The enemy, surprised by her speed, tried to dodge.

(This thing!)

The enemy seemed to have underestimated her speed.

Emma was thinking about how to attack next.

"How dare you to the major!"

The situation had reversed, with the Gold Raccoon now running away.

She aimed her rifle and attacked, but Atalante's speed was too fast.

"Damn!"

It seemed she had rushed into battle, and the adjustments were not complete.

As Atalante approached the enemy machine, she swung her laser blade.

But—

"!"

Atalante took a step back.

The enemy tried to block the attack with its arm, which seemed to be the right move.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha! What is this machine? I heard it had special armor, but to be unscathed after being slashed is amazing!"

The enemy woman laughed joyfully in the cockpit because Emma's laser blade had not burned through the armor.

The Gold Raccoon's armor was unscathed.

"I'll destroy it quickly as part of the test run."

Young tree (#ﾟДﾟ) "You can read the manga version of [I Am the Evil Lord of the Interstellar State! 9th Episode Part 2] for free on Nico Nico Seiga. —Why do I have to promote other works? I'm an idol for the afterword, you know. Everyone, don't forget about Mob Seka! The [10th Volume] is now on sale, so please buy it!"