"It seems like it's been raining a lot lately."

"On days like this, operational efficiency drops. This weather will significantly lower the temperature in the operational area."

"And yet, there are two entities here who aren't affected by such trivial matters."

It was as though the sky itself had been punctured, pouring rain relentlessly.

The thick raindrops, far beyond what one could describe as a drizzle, drenched everything in the vicinity, including the shopping mall. The surroundings had already turned into a sea of water. Small streams had formed, turning the dirt paths into muddy rivers, and puddles had gathered everywhere.

Amidst it all, the sound of boots and mechanical feet moving through the downpour could be heard, as if trying to drown the weeds that grew from the cracked road. The sound of sizzling and booming explosions echoed around—likely from tanks.

Soon, these would be scattered into debris.

"There is no unusual energy flow detected inside the shopping mall. The possibility that there is no model present cannot be ruled out."

"While that's not impossible, after the last four skirmishes, we confirmed that Artemis's power loss escalated and the models showed up around the same time. So, it’s likely they’ll show up again either around the same time or slightly earlier."

"So, you’re saying if we keep hammering at the surroundings, they’ll show up when they can’t hold on anymore?"

"Correct."

"According to the database, this kind of action is often referred to as an 'Indian rain dance'."

…Seems like they've started using fact-based violence too.

Nevertheless, it wasn't entirely wrong. The world often worked in simple ways, and when you dig deep enough into combat strategies, many things turn out to be simpler than you might expect.

From what I’ve gathered so far, the main objective of the target we're trying to engage is to ensure Artemis's forces retreat safely.

In other words, as soon as we start pounding the enemy, they will realize that Jin and I have appeared, and the unit we temporarily named 'Rain' will likely show up to stop us.

The reason we named it 'Rain' was simple. The first time we encountered it, it was a rainy day, so that’s what we called it.

'Based on the same logic, I might need to come up with a different name for Jin... but "Jin" just sounds more pleasant than naming her after the weather.'

Thinking about naming a unit created from my data—truly, what a strange world we live in.

Anyway, I moved between cover points, tapping Jin's shoulder. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the luxury of advanced electronic binoculars that would mark the enemy’s positions like we did when we fought under the wings of Icarus.

But, at least, I had Jin.

“There’s a machine gun nest on the roof. There are posts and watchtowers around, all with some form of... active defense shields. The thick walls and barbed wire surrounding the shopping mall will also make entry difficult.”

"Hmm."

This might take longer than expected.

As I observed the surroundings, it confirmed what was said. It wasn’t just some dirt piled up; there were reinforced concrete blocks, and even places where containers or train platforms were used to create walls.

Breaking through places like this would likely be a serious challenge, so as I observed, an entrance came into view. The door was always open. It had been visible for a while, and it wasn’t just personnel—it was also frequently used by trucks.

If it was intentionally left like this, it was definitely a trap, but if not...

"I remember trucks passing about every two minutes. It seems like some preliminary work is needed."

"Do you plan to sneak in through that entrance?"

"Of course. It's an old trick, but there’s nothing more effective if you mix in a few others."

With Jin eagerly watching, I continued to explain.

She seemed to wonder what kind of creative idea the Archetype would come up with this time.

Anyway, the method was simple—the basic plan was to sneak in by riding on the back of a truck. But, as mentioned earlier, we would mix in a few tricks. Simply riding in the truck’s cargo area would make it easy to get spotted, so naturally, we’d need some distractions.

For example... we could blow up a truck that wasn't the one we were riding in.

"How long could you maintain the plasma shell if it's made as sturdy as possible?"

"Three minutes. Of course, I can remotely detonate it, so we don’t need to keep the timing too tight."

"Sounds perfect. Then let's set an ambush on the truck’s route."

And so, we started moving through the pouring rain.

Naturally, there were a few preparations needed to board the truck’s cargo area. First, we had to slow it down, which was easily solved by creating chaos on the truck’s route. By placing the plasma shells Jin created into cracks in the road, large holes quickly appeared.

The second step was to break the truck's side mirrors to avoid being detected, but fortunately, the Dagger team would help with this.

How much time had passed? Three rather poorly constructed trucks, looking quite sloppy for Artemis, formed a convoy and slowly made their way toward us. But as soon as the Dagger team began shooting, the trucks accelerated.

Without hesitation, the side mirrors of the trucks were shattered, and one of the trucks even had its windshield so badly damaged that its visibility was completely compromised. But what they were about to face was the rough, pothole-ridden road.

The speed of the trucks suddenly dropped as they passed.

"Plasma cell."

"Here it is."

As the trucks slowed to a crawl, I crouched down to remain out of sight from the driver’s seat. Hiding behind the last truck, I slid the plasma cell between the gap of the middle truck, while Jin was cutting apart the tarp covering the cargo area with her blade.

Fortunately, the sound of the rain and combat noises masked most of the noise and vibrations as we boarded. A rainy day had its own advantages.

Within ten seconds, the trucks began moving again, and it wasn’t long before they entered the base. Perhaps the situation was so urgent that there was no real inspection.

After passing through the entrance and moving about 50 meters inside, Jin and I quickly scanned our surroundings and jumped out of the truck.

We had planted explosives on the truck in case there would be a check, but the lack of one was somewhat disappointing. However, people like us tended to feel relief rather than regret in such situations. As we hid inside the base, Jin spoke.

"It’s going to explode soon."

From about 140 meters away from our position, flames erupted.

An interesting point was that the explosion’s sound came a beat late, which meant at least one of the trucks must have been carrying explosives.

From behind the abandoned vehicles, we checked the situation. Many enemy soldiers were rushing toward the site of the explosion. But they were not our targets. Combat had always been about a larger area, and this was no different.

Taking advantage of their distraction, we were set to destroy the shield generators and power supply machines defending the fortifications, watchtowers, and posts.

After relaying this information, I readied my weapon and opened the communication network to call the Dagger team.

"We’re going to stir up some trouble inside the base. It’d be great if you could draw some attention outside."

Fifteen seconds later, a grenade, likely a type Charlie, pummeled the base's shields.

I clicked my tongue at the ridiculous firepower, but it was an ingenious tactic used for misdirection. My body was already in motion. Now, it was our turn, and Artemis would soon realize how close it was to their end.

Time to pay for submitting ridiculous negotiation terms.

───Boom!

The chaos began as the enemy soldiers, stationed at the base's gate, fell without even a scream, starting the beginning of a true war.

A war to erase the name "Artemis" from every kind of record.

"You're here."

In the midst of the relentless downpour, within a towering building that stood precariously, countless sounds and signals tingled through her senses. The rain pouring down through the half-destroyed ceiling, explosions and deafening noises from the outside, commands that seemed to crawl through her head, the dwindling numbers of allies, and signals indicating where support was needed.

In a room where no one cared, a bluish light appeared, and a heavily shielded unit opened the door and stepped out. Unlike before, her expression was subtly different, but the Artemis forces stationed inside the shopping mall paid no mind to her.

However, if one looked closely at her face, they would realize that it wasn’t just pride or confidence that showed.

───Boom!

The 600kg machine leaped from the second floor and landed on the first.

The floor cracked and countless fragments flew into the air as the landing point caved in. But despite the destruction, she wasn’t harmed. She carefully took a step forward, raised her shield, and locked eyes with the two figures that had suddenly appeared before her.

A multitude of thoughts rushed through her mind. How much had the Artemis forces retreated? Was I too late to show up? What were they targeting here this time?

It wasn’t the first time she faced these two. To be precise, counting this moment, it was the fifth. She had lost count of the number of times she had confronted them. Now, the numbers had become few enough to be counted on one hand.

She thought this as she spoke.

"Well, in the end, it’s you two again. I figured you’d be the ones to break through here. No one else would have the guts to do so."

"It’s not the first time, and I expected this. So, what kind of answer are you going to give today?"

There was no reply.

A peculiar sound filled the air as she effortlessly raised her tail, which she pointed at the two before her. In response, the model aimed its advanced plasma cannon at her. It was a more advanced version of the weapon compared to the initial prototype.

Yet, none of them were ready to pull the trigger.

The nearby Artemis soldiers had no idea—among these two, the representatives of the incompatible forces, the amount of dialogue in their exchanges was steadily increasing.

However, that did not mean the combat had ended.

───Boom!

As she powered up, Rain was always a step slower than Jin.

The plasma flew through the air, shaking her aim. Consequently, the railgun fired at the wrong target—hitting another spot instead. Even if it had been fired on time, hitting the Archetype would have been impossible due to its momentary evasive ability, which even her sensors couldn’t track.

With a loud crash, the terrain inside the shopping mall was altered. The walls collapsed, leaving behind a massive hole, and beyond that, the gloomy sky could be seen. The railgun had punched a hole through the building—Rain, using the recoil from the shot, was thrown in the opposite direction.

Plasma hit where she had just been standing, vaporizing stone with its sheer power.

The conversation continued.

"My answer hasn’t changed, Archetype. No matter what I think about Artemis, it’s not you who decides the outcome of this...!"

"Interesting. But our stance is firm. If necessary, we’ll completely erase Artemis from the map, even if it means wiping this area out."

"Hah, is that your final ultimatum?"

But there was no immediate reply.

Out of nowhere, and faster than one could gauge, the Archetype appeared from behind a column and struck Rain’s head with the stock of its rifle. In an instant, one of her eyes shattered. A reflexive counterattack followed. A brief hand-to-hand fight broke out, but the Archetype, with its extraordinary reflexes, dodged every attack.

In that moment, a sinister intuition swept through her body. Instinctively, she raised the 70kg ballistic shield in front of her, while Eugene emptied a full clip of Mjolnir rounds into the shield. The AP rounds punched through the shield, leaving holes in it.

Before she could retaliate, plasma flew toward her. The synergy between the Archetype and Jin had become so solid and seamless that it was becoming unbearable to withstand.

Eugene spoke.

"It seems you don’t even know what kind of answer you’re supposed to give. Saying that you, yourself, are the one who decides the result is an interesting response, but it doesn’t mean anything."

"What?"

"If the only choice left is ‘to choose nothing,’ then what do you plan to do then?"

"Choosing nothing"—that choice.

Rain bit her lip, not because she had nothing to say, but because it was the truth. The blade hanging over Artemis’s neck was closing in more and more, and the Archetype and Jin were the spearheads, the vanguard of that attack.

A brief silence followed. Many questions began to surface, but strangely, despite everything happening in front of her—despite the fact that the entity in front of her was destroying Artemis, the very thing she had once believed in entirely—she couldn’t bring herself to ask why they were attacking so relentlessly.

It was natural.

'The Archetype, that means... the original form.'

Just as the name implied.

Among the three in this room, the two who embodied the original forms—Eugene and the Archetype—attacking Artemis signified one simple thing: it meant that Rain and Jin were the very beings that should never have been created in the first place.

It was only natural that the Archetype would demand retribution from Artemis for creating something that should never have existed. In other words, the "choose nothing" option was a sign that Eugene would erase Artemis from the earth.

But that wasn’t all.

"You must be starting to realize by now. Every battle we’ve fought up to now has been an opportunity for you. Jin, on the other hand, never even had the chance to hesitate."

At that moment, the railgun fired once again. But it missed.

Hundreds of fragments scattered throughout the shopping mall, but they were filled with numerous thoughts. Just as said, the Archetype and its model had the power to shatter her into pieces long ago. Yet, they had missed her three times.

The reason was simple. They wanted an answer.

The answer to betraying Artemis.

But the next words shattered that illusion.

"Regardless of whether you cooperate, Artemis will be completely erased from the map within two weeks. This conversation will have no meaning unless it decides your survival."

"...Hah, so now you’re showing your true colors?"

"Let’s just say, we don’t need to put much weight on persuading you, because the speed at which we’re eliminating Artemis is what truly matters."

It didn’t matter whether they succeeded or failed.

At that moment, Rain, full of frustration, briefly let out her anger.

"You arrogant bastards."

But even as she vented, one thing was clear—there was nothing she could do about it.

However, that fact alone revealed one thing—if they were erasing Artemis at such an accelerating pace, Rain would soon understand how to view her own home. Artemis was out of time, and how they would treat her was already inevitable.

Of course, there was still something she needed to resolve first.

"You talk so big, but you never intended to let me leave alive...!"

"That’s something you’ll have to resolve with your own abilities, right?"

"You bastard—!"

An explosion echoed.

Regardless of persuasion, the Archetype and Jin were relentless in achieving their goals.

It was 6 minutes and 21 seconds before Rain lost half of her four limbs.

"Well done. Now, please wait in the recovery coffin. Repairs will be completed within 12 hours."

"Yes."

Damn them.

Even as she cursed, one of her limbs left behind in the shopping mall wouldn't return. Rain painfully crawled into the coffin. There was no pain, but the emptiness felt just as intense. As the engineer left and darkness fell over the room, she slowly felt her consciousness fade.

But within that, a fragment of thought lingered.

'...Just because I haven’t decided yet, doesn’t mean Artemis hasn’t made its decision.'

Why, then, did that thought send a cold shiver down her spine?

With that shard of unease, Rain’s logical circuits finally shut down.

Darkness flooded in.