Akira started going to the wasteland again, but that was to train with his booster suit. He put on a reinforcement suit in the wasteland not far from the city. In short, he is more than capable of fighting monsters in the wasteland.

Alpha, on the other hand, wears a white jumpsuit, which is not a garment that is usually worn in the middle of the heath. The glossy feel of the dress further highlights that it is made of high-quality fabrics, and as the light hits, it creates a shadow effect that follows the lines of her body.

Although Akira wanted to exchange Alpha for something more suitable for the wasteland, he decided to hold back. He remembered her naked self when they first met in the ruins, and the beautiful plain white dress she wore when she was targeted by 2 hunters on a previous trip to the ruins. On both occasions, she wore such clothes for a reason. Again, he thought, there must be a reason why she is wearing this dress now. But more importantly, he knew that if he commented on it, she would only change her clothes for the worse. It's been a while since the last time he had a chance to go to the Badlands, and he doesn't want to do anything that might cause trouble for himself.

Akira muttered to himself that it was a thousand times better than being naked, and thought it was also part of his training.

Alpha laughed and told Akira to start training.

"Akira, we're going to start training with the Plyometric Suit."

"Okay."

Aki

A was about to open his augmentation set when the suit suddenly activated on its own. Although it was a bit of a surprise, when he saw Alpha smile meaningfully, he immediately realized that it was Alpha doing it.

"So, what should I do?"

Alpha gestured to a position in the wasteland that was 100 meters away from them.

"First, walk until you get there."

When Akira turns in the specified direction, he can see an arrow pointing to a predetermined position. It's something Alpha has added to his field of vision. Akira was used to it, so he wasn't surprised. Then, he began to walk towards that position. He was able to get there without any problems. So Alpha gave him the next order.

"Next, over there."

Having reached the next position, Alpha gave him the next command. He just walked from one place to another about 10 times without stopping. So, he began to feel strange.

“Α。 Do I need to walk more carefully? Or maybe walking with my gun? Or should I be doing any of this at all? Or are we still confirming the capabilities of the booster kit before we start the actual training? ”

"No, we're already training, and I've already started collecting your data."

"Just walking?"

Alpha just smiled meaningfully and looked at Akira with a puzzled expression.

"Yes, after all, unless you try to move around without it, you'll never realize the usefulness of my support."

"Support? But I'm just walking normally, right? Is there anything more important than that? ”

Alpha smiled mischievously.

"You'll find out soon. Aki

A, try to get there, but this time I'll turn off my support. Actually, I've been tweaking the power output of your booster kit. So, go ahead and feel how great my support is. ”

Akira had a bad feeling when she saw Alpha smiling at her. As soon as he wanted to step forward, he tripped and fell. With a flick of his leg, he accidentally kicked a boulder hard, knocking it into the air, and the reverse buckle made him roll over.

When it happened, he was stunned. He tried to stand up with his right hand pressed to the ground, but his right hand was dug deep into the ground to his wrist.

He then tried to pull out his right hand with his left hand on the ground, but he was thrown out so hard that he almost fell to the ground on his back, and he panicked and tried to adjust his posture. But instead, it completely upset his balance, and he fell to the ground again. When he tried to get back up, he pushed too hard and tripped again.

After that, he moved slowly and cautiously, and finally got back on his feet. But when he tried to move forward, he couldn't keep his balance and almost fell again, using all his strength to get up.

Alpha watched Akira move so slowly and carefully that she smiled as if she was enjoying it.

"Now you get the idea, right? If you can't control your booster strength, you can't even walk normally, you know. The reason why you usually don't fall when you walk is because your body unconsciously adjusts your center of gravity. You know, being able to walk in your pyotropic suit is a very important part of training. I'll turn my support back on so you can walk with peace of mind. ”

Akira began to walk cautiously. But this time, he was able to walk normally, his face became solemn, and he smiled bitterly.

"I can't even walk without your support, right? Does everyone who uses an enhancement kit for the first time experience this? Could it be that all of them have gone from being unable to move around with a lot of training to being able to use it in battle? I think it's best not to use this suit until I'm done with the whole training, you know? ”

"It depends on each enhancement set. Typically, a high-quality booster kit can be paired with advanced software that enables the user to adjust the power output of the booster kit. There are a lot of enhancement kits that can be used properly from the start. There are also enhancement kits that use an installed autobalancer as a selling point. The higher the power output, the more you need to exercise when you're doing a fine movement. For example, even if you have enough power to make a vehicle fly, it will make you fly on its own if you can't control its power. Therefore, not only the output power, but also having features that can help the user use it normally without any problems is also one of the indicators to measure the quality of the booster package. ”

Akira listened to Alpha's explanation, looking interested. Then he realized something.

"That is, you're adjusting the power output when it moves, right?"

"Yes."

"It's amazing."

Akira looked genuinely surprised. The difference between when he is supported by Alpha and when he is not supported when using the Enhancement Set is very clear to him.

Alpha was naturally pleased with Akira's reaction.

"But that's not all, you know. To make you realize how great my support is, I will make you work hard. Good? ”

"Roger."

Then he continued his training and continued to follow Alpha's orders. Walk slowly, walk briskly, jog, sprint, get up quickly after lying on the ground, stand with your hands on your hands, stand up again, sprint and then make a sharp turn. His movements slowly shifted from gentle movements to ones that made the most of his increased physical strength.

More often than not, a person needs to train for a long time to use such a low-functioning booster suit before they can perform any of these movements. But Akira doesn't realize it, and he's been moving around normally. He couldn't even understand that he was able to do this because of Alpha's strong support.

After her morning workout, Akira went for a light meal. He was eating the rations that Hunter had in his backpack. Cheap and nutritious, although it has no taste, at least it can fill his empty stomach.

While chewing on the tasteless fried dumplings that are hard to chew, I unconsciously complain about the taste. And when he realized that he was complaining about how bad things were, he just smiled wryly.

[I've been glad I can still eat something to this day, but now I'm complaining about the taste, hehe. It seems that I have become too accustomed to a life of luxury. ]

Although he is criticizing himself, he is also glad that his life is much better than before.

"Alpha, what are you doing in the afternoon? Are we going to continue training? ”

"We do shooting training in the afternoon, and then we do melee training."

"Melee training? Well, do you mean training to kickboxing enemies at close range? ”

"It's just standard training, including how to use a rifle at short distances. First of all, I have to teach you the martial art and train you to use it against humans. You'll also have a mock battle with me. ”

Akira looked confused.

“… What are you talking about? I can't touch you...... Wait, I can't touch you, can I? ”

Akira was a little surprised, wondering if she was physically present. So just to check, he held out his hand to her. But as usual, his hand passed through Alpha's body.

When he confirmed that she did not have a physical body, he did not know how they were going to train, which showed on his face. Seeing this, Alpha just smiled.

"When we do, you'll understand. Then you can look forward to it, okay? ”

While Akira would love to know, it doesn't seem like Alpha will tell him right now. So he continued to eat his ration while making an inquiring face.

After eating, Akira began shooting training as scheduled. He could feel a strange sensation coming from the thick gloves he used to hold the rifle. Since he was still in the process of adapting, he began to aim for small rocks instead of images of monsters.

He cautiously aimed at a small boulder a hundred meters away and pulled the trigger. The bullet flew out of his rifle and hit the small stone accurately, knocking it away.

Akira smiled because he knew he was doing a good job. Then he turned to the next target, carefully aimed and pulled the trigger. This time it's also a bull's-eye, and so is the next one, and so is the next one. All of his shots are accurate.

"Oh! You're having such a great day!! ”

Due to unexpected results in shooting exercises, Aki

A is in a good mood. Even Alpha added his results with a smile.

"In that case, I'll slowly distance myself from my target."

"Okay."

Then, Aki

A aimed more carefully at the next target than before and pulled the trigger. Then the bullet flew straight out and hit that target.

Since then, his successive targets have been farther and farther away from him with each hit of the previous target, and he has not missed even a single hit. But suddenly, his good mood vanished.

Aki

A realizes that his targets are already too far away from him and it is often impossible to hit them accurately. But even so, oddly enough, all of his shots still hit those targets accurately. He guessed that it might be because the suit absorbed the rifle's recoil, so his accuracy increased.

And after he shot a target 500 meters away from him, he turned to Alpha and asked her a question.

"Alpha, you're doing something here, aren't you?"

Alpha just smiled slightly, confirming Aki

A's guess.

"I fully support you."

“… Same as I thought. ”

Although he had already guessed that it was not because his shooting skills had suddenly gone up, he was still a little frustrated when he heard this. Realizing this fact, he could only smile bitterly.

"After you moved the sight around the target, I took control of the augmentation suit and made some fine-tuning. When you pull the trigger, I also adjust your stance and center of gravity. I've also made a small adjustment to your booster suit to fully absorb the rebate. ”

"So you can do that too, right. It's amazing...... Well? Doesn't that mean I don't need to do shooting training at all? ”

"Nope. The better you aim, the less adjustments I have to make to get an accurate shot. And, there may be occasions in the future when you will have to fight without an augmentation suit, or when I can't fully support you. That's why you still need to train. ”

"Well, that's true, okay then."

"Now that I can adjust your stance to the most effective shot, your training will be more rigorous than before. After all, with the booster suit, you can shoot from a variety of positions. I will train you to shoot accurately even on the run, or without visual confirmation of the enemy, or when you are in a pinch. Don't worry, even if you are too tired to walk, I will use a strengthening suit to help you walk, so that you can train without worry. ”

“…… Please be gentle. ”

Seeing Alpha laugh and say such terrible words, Akira cringed a little. Alpha then said solemnly.

"So, now that you know that thanks to the Enhancement Suit, I can support you while you're shooting, I have something you need to know."

"What is it?"

"At the moment, I can only provide support by adjusting your movements through your augmentation suit. That is, I can help you do what you want, but I can't ignore your desire and let you do what you don't want to do. But if you agree, I can configure your enhancement set so I have full control over your body. So that I can move your body without your will. Of course, I promise not to do anything that will hurt you. But even so, there are pros and cons to doing so, so listen to me carefully and think carefully before making any decisions. ”

Looking at Alpha with a serious face, Akira remembered the time when she asked him for permission because of some nasty rules. When he realized that it must be something she needed to give him her full support, he replied firmly.

"I see, tell me the merits first."

"If I can take full control of your booster set, I will be able to unleash its full power. As a result, you will be able to accomplish some superhuman feats. For example, you will be able to run along the edge of the roof and shoot monsters with a gun in both hands with your eyes closed. You will be able to engage in battles with martial arts experts. As long as I notice, you can dodge attacks and even counterattack from blind spots. ”

"All of this sounds great, so what's the downside?"

"First of all, you will feel uncomfortable because your body will move on its own. Then since the booster kit moves your body with it, it will put more stress on your body. And because it changes our characters, from me adjusting my movements with you, to you adjusting your movements with me, so when you try to make a move that is different from mine, it destroys the fluidity of your movements, and it causes more stress on your body. In the worst-case scenario, it may even break your bones. ”

Then, Akira thought with a serious look on her face.

[It sounds like the pros outweigh the cons, but since she told me to think carefully, I don't know if there is something else. 】

Although Ming tried to think about it, he couldn't think of anything other than what Alpha had just said.

“…… Can you give it a try? ”

"Of course, it's possible."

"In that case, I'll try it first."

"Alright, then I'll take control of your enhancement suit. Let's walk slowly, and then I'll pick up speed until you run. If you feel very uncomfortable, you can stop me immediately. ”

"Okay."

"Let's start now."

Aki

A's augmentation suit begins to move on its own and allows him to walk. He was a little shocked when that happened, but that's about it. Although it felt as if his legs were being moved by an external force, they were not so uncomfortable. And, as he adjusted his movements to match the movements of the enhancement suit, the pressure on his body was further reduced. And after he started running, he felt much more relaxed because his booster suit actively supported his movements.

[Well, that's all?] If that's the case, I don't think she had to warn me just now......]

Akira looked relieved and began to run faster and faster. Before he knew it, he was already running faster than he could have run alone without her support.

Every time his legs swung forward, he couldn't keep up with its movements, and his legs were forced to swing forward against his will. As a result, his leg began to scream in pain. And every time he kicked the ground, he could feel the impact, coming from his bones, and the whole person was trembling.

Akira ran in the middle of the wasteland, leaving a cloud of dust in her wake. He's running as fast as a car. His face twitched with shock, fear and pain, which was attacking him. Coming to his senses, he immediately told Alpha to stop.

"Stop!! Please stop!! ”

Then his running slowed down to make up for the load it brings. When it's slow enough, Aki

A regained control of his augmentation suit. When he finally stopped running, Akira fell to her knees, breathing heavily.

"If you can run a little faster than that, you'll be able to outrun a bunch of monsters chasing you. This may be hard for you, but for this situation, this is a great solution. So what do you think? ”

Aki

A understands why Alpha told him to think it through.

“…… I will only give my permission when necessary. Also, the next time you want to take control of my body, be sure to let me know. ”

"Roger. I'll ask for your consent every time. ”

“…… Permission, huh? That's it, right? Those nasty licensing rules. ”

"That's right, I need your permission when I want to do anything beyond your will. But don't worry, I won't do anything bad. Besides, let's do melee training and start when you can get moving, so you can take a break. ”

“… All right. ”

Akira just lay flat on the ground. The reinforcement suit puts too much pressure on the body when moving without the will to withstand it. He had always thought that things would be easier now that he had the augmentation, but that thought was ruined by the pain that struck.

But even then, there is no doubt that he has gained new strength and Alpha's support has become more effective. It was clear that he had gotten stronger, and that's what he told himself as he endured the pain. He just lay in the middle of the heath for a while, and when his pain had largely subsided, he got back on his feet.

"Are you done resting?"

"Yes, in the middle of the wasteland, I can't sleep peacefully. Wait until I get back to my room and get some good sleep. ”

Akira knew that if he kept lying down, he wouldn't get any stronger. He needs to become stronger to become a hunter. He wants the power to do what he wants. So, he got back on his feet.

"I see. In that case, let's move on to melee training. ”

Alpha smiled when he saw that Akira really had the motivation to move forward.

Melee training began, but they didn't go straight into martial arts training.

"It's not pretty, I guess. So let me change it. ”

Alpha took off her clothes, got naked, and then changed into a combat uniform.

Her combat suit consists of what looks like a high-cut leotard and low-waisted pants. It looks as if it was made of thin cloth that accentuates her figure. It even has a hole that seems to serve no other purpose than to show some skin. It's as if that dress contradicts its function in battle.

Alpha just smiled and stood in front of Akira. Although wearing a dress that is more attractive than being naked, Akira, who is looking at her, seems to really question the outfit.

“…… What's going on with that dress? ”

"It's one of the old world combat suits, you know."

"Did they really use that outfit?"

"Yes. If you look for it in the ruins, you can find it. ”

Akira's misunderstanding of the Old World deepened. He thought that although it was a high-quality suit made with advanced technology from the old world, it could not perform its full function because Alpha did not have a physical body. He asked Alpha another question.

"Should you really wear that dress?"

"If you ask for anything, I can change it to whatever you want. But choose something that shows my movements clearly. With your current ability, unless you can see my movements clearly, it's not good training. Therefore, anything that lowers my action prediction will be rejected. ”

Some people can predict their opponent's next move by small changes in their limbs. So someone uses clothes to disguise their movements. If that's what they do, the best dress to be able to make that prediction is a birthday suit. Akira realized this, and he changed the subject.

"Alright, let's get started. So, what should I do? Even if I attack you, my attack will only pass through you, right? ”

"Now, attack me by any means you want."

Although Akira was not sure yet, he just stepped forward to attack Alpha as he was told. She blocked his fist with her right hand, and strangely, he could feel his fist hit something as it just passed through her.

“…… Huh!? It was blocked? No, wait, what is it? ”

Akira was surprised by the unexpected turn of events. Alpha saw it and smiled and began to explain.

"Every time you hit me, I'm going to harden the parts of your booster suit that come into contact with me. It will give you a little feedback as if you really hit something. With this, you can at least get a feel, right? Now, let's really get started, come to me. ”

Then Alpha laughed as if inviting Akira, and made a "come on" taunt with his finger. Akira then changed her stance and attacked her.

It's clear that he's a complete amateur when it comes to close combat. Most of his attacks didn't even hit Alpha. So even if she had a physical body here, she would only end up with some minor bruises.

Alpha has been coaching him on how to execute his moves. From how to make a fist, how to kick, where to attack from, how to position yourself, what is the correct fighting position, how to step in, what he needs to pay attention to, how to adjust his weight, how to prepare himself to escape, how to escape, how to block. She constantly telepathically sends instructions to Akira.

Aki

The more accurate A's movements are, the easier his movements will be with the support of the augmentation suit. Whenever he makes the wrong move, the booster set pushes him in the right direction. Thanks to that, Aki

a can be learned by remembering what he felt and felt when he made the correct move.

The feeling of blows from the augmentation set during the battle also reproduces the feeling of an alpha attack. When he gets punched in the abdomen, he is pushed back. When his leg is swept over, he loses his balance and falls. Even if he had blocked the attack, he would have felt like he had really taken the blow.

Before she attacks, Alpha always tells him her target, how she will attack and when. But even then, Akira struggled to block her attacks. Even if he tried to dodge, he would only be hit if he dodged incorrectly. If he tries to block, he will lose his balance and get hit unless he blocks correctly. He had little chance of fighting back.

Every time Akira is hit in the head, it is considered a fatal blow and they resume the fight. If his head is attacked by someone using the Enhancement Suit, his head will undoubtedly be blown off. Depending on the situation, it may even blow his head to pieces. It is impossible to predict how effective his block will be against such an attack. So, Aki

a Taught to avoid such attacks first.

Akira lay on her back on the ground, and Alpha just smiled, lifted his leg and stamped his head to crush it.

Akira tried to look at Alpha's face hidden behind her chest, which was still lying on the ground. With a slight adjustment, he could see her looking down at him with a smile. He could feel that her smile was a little scarier than her usual smile.

"There, you died again. Stand up. Or do you want me to get you out of bed? ”

"It's okay, I can get up on my own."

Akira dragged her body up. His body was strewn on the ground around him, his head crushed. Just like when he was trained to shoot, although it was just a picture, it was enough to make him cringe.

"Here you go, another image of your corpse. Let's work hard so as not to add real Aki to these images

A, okay? ”

"Yes, I know."

Akira, who continued to train, once again felt that something terrible was hidden in her beautiful smile.

During his training, Akira realizes that something is strange.

"Alpha, can I ask you one thing?"

"Yes?"

"Uh-huh, how do you release this? I feel a little strange, did you do something to me? ”

"What's so strange? I'm just operating the booster set so I can effectively teach you how to move, is that what you mean? ”

"No, not that. Like, when I want to do something, I always find that my body is already moving. ”

"You mean, your body was moving before you deliberately tried to move it, and not the augmentation suit made you do it?"

"yes, that's right."

"Maybe it's just your imagination. My guess is that your booster kit receives information from its sensors about what you're going to do, so it moves to match your movements. What you notice is that action. I think the reason why you feel weird is because of the time gap between that action and how you feel. It's not like what I've done there, you know. ”

"Is that so?"

"But remember that feeling. If you try to match your body to that action, it should greatly reduce the burden on your body. Moreover, the booster set is set based on the movements of well-trained people, so if you follow that movement, you can play well even without my support. ”

"I know, anyway, that feeling is a good thing, right?"

"I agree. It's not something you're worried about. So, let's keep training. ”

Both Akira and Alpha took on fighting positions, and this time Akira continued to follow the movements he felt without hesitation.

They train until sunset. After the training, Ming was so tired that he couldn't even walk, and thanks to his reinforcement suit, he was able to return to his room. So in short, as Alpha says, he can return by using a booster suit to make him walk.

There's his new augmentation set, Aki

a's training has become more efficient and demanding than ever before.

Akira and the other hunters returned to the gathering place. busier than when they left. The trucks used during the patrol are lined up, and hunters get off and off their trucks.

When Akira stepped off the truck pallet, the tension and tension in his heart finally disappeared. Then, he breathed a long sigh of relief and dispelled all the tiredness in his heart.

Alpha smiled and tried to cheer up a tired Akira.

It works well there. You came back safely and without any trouble.

You are right.

I'm really happy. But don't forget that that's my support too, okay?

Yes.

To be honest, I thought I'd have to be careful of your bad luck when you got number 14, but it doesn't seem like there's anything to worry about.

When Akira heard this, she looked at Alpha in confusion.

Seriously, what exactly does this number 14 mean?

It's nothing to worry about.

Alpha's smile didn't change when she said it. Akira, though still a little confused, was interrupted by an announcement by a staff member at the Hunter's Office.

Show your Hunter ID and report to complete your patrol request! Rewards will be distributed over the counter at the Hunter's Office! Distribution starts at 18:00 today!! Hunters who do not receive their account within 48 hours of the start of distribution will lose their rewards!! Say it again!! Show your hunter ID and

The staff of the hunter's office kept repeating this announcement to the hunters returning from patrol. This is to avoid any problems that may arise when they distribute payments for these hunters.

Akira, let's go, officially complete today's request. It will be terrible if you forget. Now let's go.

Okay, okay. Let me take a break and get back to what you usually wear, okay?

Oh my gosh, do you hate this swimsuit that much?

Alpha then turns to Akira and poses to show off her charm while making an unhappy face to show that she is offended by his words. Knowing that he was no longer in the wasteland, he calmed down and breathed a sigh of relief, so he now felt that Alpha's swimsuit was a little too aggressive. So, he replied bluntly.

Go back to your usual attire.

Haha, then it can't be helped.

The alpha then turned into something less exposed. Although he was still more aggressive, Akira felt that at least for now. After all, if he complains too much, she might even make her own clothes worse.

After that, Aki

a Added to the summary of the report. When it was his turn, he asked the information terminal operated by the Hunter Office staff to read the data in his Hunter ID. The sound that the terminal makes when it reads his Hunter ID data indicates that his work is officially over.

Akira felt like she had accomplished something. Alpha then tells him to open his message terminal, connect it to the hunter's office and check the request history. With her help, Akira connected to the hunter's office with her own information terminal and opened a page showing the hunter's personal data. When he looks at the history section, he can see that the request he just completed is listed there.

By the way, what should I do to get rewarded?

It will be transferred to your account. The base reward is 5000 AU

um。 While I don't know about the data collected by the Hunter's Office information collection device, you did defeat only one monster there. So don't get your hopes up. Your rewards should be transferred to your account from the hunter's office at the beginning of the payment distribution. As for your hunter level, I really don't have anything to say. After all, the calculation of promotions was not revealed to the public.

(Athena: All Hunter Offices are owned by the Hunters' Guild.) ）

Akira now cares more about the money he gets for his lodging than his rank. So he frowned when he heard her explain his reward.

With so much money, I still can't get a room with a bath.

You've just made your first request this morning, you know. I guess if you sum up all the money you've made today.

I hope you're right.

Patrol requests are divided into 3 rounds in the morning and 4 rounds in the evening. Since the consumption of ammo depends on the number of monsters they encounter on patrol, it is distributed in such a way that they always have enough reserve ammo to return on time and without any trouble.

The hunters who accept this request are mostly young hunters who are new to the game. And even if their names were registered in advance, some people still did not show up at the gathering place. There are many possible causes. Some of them simply dropped the request. Some of them accepted multiple requests, were attacked by monsters in their previous requests, and were afraid to continue. Of course, some of them are no longer fit for battle and are even killed by monsters. These are common things among new hunters.

But the Hunter's Office does not distinguish between these reasons. After all, this kind of thing happens only because these hunters lack determination and skill.

Aki

a's next request will begin at 11:00. Since he only used 3 rounds on his last patrol, he doesn't need to refill his ammo before making the next request. So he decided to make small talk to Alpha while he waited. But suddenly, Elena, who happened to be passing by the area, noticed Akira and smiled at him.

Ah, as I thought, Akira. Long time no see, Akira.

Akira bowed her head politely.

Long time no see.

I thought I'd see you at Shizuka's shop often, but you don't seem to be going to her shop lately. Can I help you?

Ah, just after I placed my order, I stopped any hunter requests for the time being and spent most of my time in my room. My booster set arrived not too long ago, and today I'm accepting requests from hunters again.

I see, I'm glad it wasn't because you were bedridden after you were injured.

Elena then looked at Achillas' enhanced suit.

Is that what you call the Enhanced Outfit? Yes, it looks like a good fit for you. You look really cool wearing it.

Thank you for the compliment.

Akira was a little shy when she said this. Judging by his reaction, Elena thought it was cute. But then, her face turned serious.

[I look at him like this, and he looks like your normal normal boy.] But]

Aki

A noted Ele

As the subtle change in his expression, he looked at her in bewilderment. But then Elena politely bowed to Akira.

I know it may be too late, but I want to say it right. Thank you so much for saving me and Sara at that time. I really appreciate you.

Akira looked speechless, but Elena continued with a serious face.

Sara has already told me about it, and I promise you that I will not ask anything unnecessary and will not reveal it to anyone.

Akira had a conflicted expression on her face, and then smiled to hide it.

Ah, yes, please don't tell anyone.

Elena was disappointed when she saw Aquilas's reaction.

[As I thought, he can't trust us right away.] Well, that's just to be expected. ]

Elena was a little upset when she found out that Akira hadn't fully trusted her, but at the same time, she understood his reasoning.

She thought that Akira might be the one who was able to connect to the realm of the Old World, and he knew that it would be dangerous if someone else found out. Therefore, it is not surprising that he does not trust her. After all, in some cases, it's better to be killed than to be discovered. Elena also understands this, so she tries to show the most sincere smile to Akira to make him feel at ease.

Even though I look like this, I'm a pretty accomplished hunter, so I'm well aware of the importance of trust. What's more, I don't want Shizuka and Sarah to hate me, and of course, I don't want you to hate me too. So don't worry.

Ah, it's not that I can't trust you or Salasan. It's just you know

Is that so? Thank you for trusting us, I'm really glad you did.

Elena then smiled affectionately at Akira. Aki

A was embarrassed to see her so sincere with him, but then he started blushing and started to get flustered for different reasons.

Elena was delighted, and this showed on her face. Judging by Aquilas's reaction, it seems that he is indeed not lying. But then she said reluctantly.

To be honest, I'd like to talk to you a little longer, but I still have some things to do right now. Let's meet again in other places such as Shizuka store and have a long talk next time. Since you're here, I bet you'd accept that patrol request, right? Because this is your first hunter job after a while, be sure not to let your guard down and be careful, okay? See you then.

Yes, I'll be careful. Miss Elena, please be careful, too.

Elena waved to Akira before leaving. After Elena disappeared from sight, Akira lowered her head and sighed heavily. Just like with Sarassan, Akira's heart swells with strong and heavy emotions.

Alpha noticed this and immediately stopped him.

Shake.

Akira then remembered what Alpha had said to him back then.

I know, it doesn't matter.

Akira made up her mind and decided to save Elena and Sarah next time, in order to save them, not to kill them. For the sake of Elena and Salas, for his own sake, he will become stronger.

Alpha said with a smile as he looked at him.

As long as you get it, everything is fine. It's about the time of the next request, so let's move.

Good.

Akira looked up and walked forward firmly.

As the time for his next job draws closer, Aki

a Assigned to a truck as before. As he walked towards the truck assigned to him, Alpha beside him frowned slightly.

It's this number again, hehe. I wonder if this number is somehow connected to you or something.

Aki

A was again assigned to truck 14. Seeing Alpha frowning and saying as if he meant something, Akira frowned as well.

Seriously, if you were to say something like that, you should tell me the meaning behind this number.

It's nothing. It's just that in my experience, it's a rather unlucky number.

Oh, I see, I guess I'm unlucky, right?

Yes.

Aki

A was persuaded by her answer because she wouldn't explain more.

As the next patrol was dispatched, Akira looked around and checked the faces of the other hunters in his car. Although he saw some familiar faces, he didn't see the Hazawa and the drunkard hunter who had been with him on his last patrol.

This time, Akira is the only young hunter on the truck. Although he didn't make as much noise as last time, some hunters still looked at him as if he were a dead corpse. But after Alpha killed some monsters with his accurate shots, the other hunters stopped looking at him that way.

Due to his accurate shooting, some of them even believe that Akira is a robot. After all, if he is a robot with pre-installed accuracy support equipment and software, then it is not impossible to perform such high-precision shooting. Moreover, it is not uncommon for a hunter who has just received a new body modification to accept low-level requirements before adapting.

The patrol continued without any problems. The strength of the monster and the number of encounters are manageable for an ordinary hunter. And for hunters who are looking to make a lot of money, this patrol is a rewarding one.

Akira did kill a lot of monsters along with the other hunters, and he couldn't help but laugh, looking forward to his reward money.

When they finished their patrol and were on their way back to the city, some of the hunters, who had been expecting a big reward, were laughing and talking about how they planned to spend the money. Some plan to go to the entertainment district of the city, while others plan to squander their money on groceries.

Akira is also in a good mood. Although he didn't know how much reward he would get, judging from the performance of the other hunters, it seemed that he could have high hopes for this reward.

It seems that I can still stay in the room with the bath. Take a good shower today.

After completing the second patrol, Akira was very relaxed. Seeing this, Alpha smiled and warned Akira.

Remember, you also have patrol work at night, so don't relax too much, okay? Let's work hard so that from tomorrow you can continue to live in a room with a bath.

I know. But as long as it's at this level, it's fine. Or will the next patrol be harder than this one?

Although the difficulty of both requests is the same, it is common to find a true difference in difficulty compared to what is mentioned in the request information. This is even more prominent in the case of eradication requests. But I bet you're already well aware of this, right? After all, you yourself experienced being attacked by 2 groups of monsters on the same day.

Yes, you are right, I will be more careful.

Akira smiled wryly and adjusted her slack spirit just now. He was well aware of his misfortunes, as there were situations he had to face in the past.

Upon his return, he completed the summary of his work and accepted the request for the next patrol. Aki

a Then he sits in the gathering place and eats his hunting rations. His next truck was also number 14.

I wonder if they always assign hunters to the same truck.

Alpha tells him that number 14 is unlucky, and Akira looks conflicted, but on the contrary, Alpha doesn't seem to bother with it anymore.

This seems to be the case. But that's nothing to worry about. So, with some time to go until the next patrol begins, what are your plans now?

If you ask me, I still have a lot of ammunition in reserve, so I don't think it's necessary to refresh my reserves and I'm done eating, I don't know what to do next.

In that case, how about going to the truck for a nap? After completing your last patrol, you may feel rushed because you may not feel fatigued now. So to be on the safe side, it's best to take a break. Even a short nap will make you feel better.

Is that so? Well, just do as you say.

Akira then walked towards the truck assigned to him, which had no one on board. He climbed onto the tray, sat down on one of the seats, put his backpack on his lap, and prepared for a nap.

Alpha said with a smile and in a gentle voice.

I'll wake up your request on time, so don't worry.

I'll count on you, so I'm going to go ahead and take a nap now.

Akira nodded lightly and closed her eyes. He immediately fell asleep. As Alpha says, he is accumulating fatigue that he himself is not aware of. As soon as his body was loosened, he fell asleep.

For Akira, who has lived in the back alleys of a slum city for many years, it is unthinkable to be able to sleep in such a state. Under normal circumstances, he would have thought that sleeping in an open space full of armed men roaming around would be tantamount to suicide. But he was able to sleep here because of his trust in Alpha.

***

The gathering place for patrol work was crowded with hunters and traders. Sara and Elena are among them. It seems to be waiting for someone, but it also attracts the attention of the people around him. The reason was the large opening near the chest of Salas's suit.

Sa

A made a mistake in replenishing her inventory of nanomachines and completely filling her reservoir. So her suit couldn't completely cover her nanomachine memory, which was her chest, so she had to leave a big opening in the suit.

To prevent the opening from getting bigger, Sarah used a sturdy-looking buckle under her chest. But because of this, her charming and bewitching breasts became more prominent. And, because she wasn't wearing an undergarment today, the gap in the suit revealed her bare Elysium skin.

Elena smiled wryly.

As I thought, it might be better if you put something on top or wear it underneath.

Sara simply smiled and rejected the suggestion.

If I put a random thing on it, it might hinder my movements. As for the internal servants, all my internal ones were torn. None of them work for me right now. Also, I don't have a backup underwear, and clothes made of fabric that can cope with the body movements of enhanced people are expensive. Alas, there is no way, but to endure.

Your defense suit also has the function of improving the performance of nanomachines in the body, so the internal suit should also be compatible, right? The panties made with old-world technology are sturdy, but we haven't bought them yet, hehe. Well, no way.

Sarah smiled mischievously and made a suggestion.

Elena, I think some attention will shift to you if you're also as eye-opening as my suit. So can you do the same? Just take it as a help to me.

Ele

A smiled to Sa

a A short answer.

No, thanks.

That's too bad.

Sara then made an exaggerated gesture to show her disappointment.

Immediately afterward, a little boy ran over and stopped in front of Elena and Sarah, and gave them a big smile. He looked excited. It looks like he's the one Elena and Sara are waiting for.

Elena Sand!! Sarasan!! It's up to you to take care of today.

That boy was Katsuya. Airi and Yumina followed him.

Yumina looked annoyed and said to Katsuya with a wry smile.

Kye, don't go to such a person, you're too excited.

Yumina said the last sentence in a whisper that no one could hear, mixed with a hint of jealousy and displeasure. But she immediately returned to her usual appearance and bowed politely to Elena and Sarah.

Elena San, Sarah-san, is in your care today.

As for Airi, her expression hasn't changed as much as she said.

I will also be under your care.

Katsuya worships Ele

a and sa

a。 Although there were many other feelings mixed in, it was also a kind of admiration for the other hunters, and he admitted that he was above him. Of course, there were many hunters in Drarankham who were far above him, but because most of them always looked down on young hunters like him, he didn't really like them very much. Unlike them, even after working several jobs with Elena and Sarah, they didn't even look down on him, laugh at him, insult him, or show disgust for young hunters like him. There were even times when he was sympathetic to his low strength, but this was to be expected. In fact, Ele

a and sa

A is very considerate of him, he is actually very happy.

As a result of his past experiences, Katsu is also excited when he knows his request to be a hunter with the strong, gentle, admirable, and most importantly beautiful Elena and Sarah.

For Airi and Yumina, as huntress' sidekicks, Elena and Sarah are the idols they aspire to be. That's why they realized that it wouldn't help for Katsuya to get excited, so they held back.

Shikabe followed behind Katsuya. He glanced at Katsuya who was so excited, but then returned to his usual expression and turned to Elena and Sarah.

Are we late?

No, it doesn't matter.

I get it. Well, I'll leave them to you. Just check it out from time to time

D

a

KAM made a special appeal to Ele

a and sa

A accepts the request with Katsuya and his friends. Although a lot of details are included, at the end of the day, they want Elena and Sarah to take care of, train, and protect Katsuya, Airi, and Yumina. So in short, D

a

Kam wants them to look after the young hunters. Elena and Sara understood this when they accepted the request.

All belong to D

a

The young hunters of KAM were all prescribed to work under other veteran hunters until they had accumulated sufficient experience, abilities, and achievements. This is to improve the viability of young and inexperienced hunters in jobs where their chances of survival are already low. It's also a way to attract more hunters to their gangs.

Katsu was also considered very talented, so he was assigned to work under Hakube, who was considered a skilled hunter in the gang. This is also because it was Hakube who discovered a hidden talent in Katsuya.

But even so, Hakube doesn't like Katsuya, so when he wants to take care of Katsuya, he's quite annoyed. This is one of the reasons why Hakube asked Elena and Sarah to visit Katsuya and his party alone.

Seeing that Shirabe breathed a sigh of relief, because he didn't have to take care of Katsuya and his friends for the time being, Elena said to him with some apologies.

I'm really sorry for saying that all of a sudden about that request though, but can you cancel it?

Katsuya was looking forward to making this request and was surprised as a result.

Huh?! W- what's wrong?

Shikabe was also taken aback, and then asked Elena a with some displeasure why.

What do you mean? You want me to cancel it before the request starts, you know. I hope you have a good explanation for this.

Of course, the hunter's office sent us a job request. I'm really sorry, but please prioritize the request.

After hearing Elenas's explanation, Katsu was also very upset and unhappy. But for Shika

ABE, this is not the case. As the hunter of Drarankham, he only showed a little displeasure with Elena, who refused his request, and then continued to pressure her with a little intimidation.

So you cancel D because of that

a

Kam's request, huh? Do you really think we're going to allow you to do that? There will be consequences, you know?

But with Elenas answering, Shika

Abes's behavior changed immediately.

Even if the request comes from the corporate government?

Corporate Government ?!!

Shika

Abe was surprised, this reason was enough to completely eliminate him from Ele

a and sa

a's dissatisfaction.

The corporate government is a vast association of several large corporations that dominates the eastern region. The Hunters' Association, which operates various hunters' offices, is just one of the working partners of the corporate government. So for hunters, any request made in the name of the corporate government is very important. If they refuse a request for no reason, in the worst case, they may even turn the entire East End into their enemy.

The request was to patrol the dangerous area near the city of Kumayama, but the request was made under the corporate government. Although, to be honest, such work should be done by the city. I don't know why, but since the request was made officially from the hunter's office, I don't think there was anything wrong with it. I'm sorry, but I can't turn down this request just because I'm going to explore with some of my acquaintances. As for the cancellation fee, the hunter's office will transfer it directly to D

a

kam。 You're okay, right?

After Elena explained, she smiled as if she was challenging Shikabe.

Or, D

a

KAM wants to take responsibility and negotiate with the corporate government? Of course, if you are able to do this, I would reconsider your request.

Shika

Abe shook her head with a wry smile.

Don't be stupid, I know. I'll tell D

a

The people in kam But, it's still a requirement of the corporate government, right? What's going on?

Your guess is as good as mine. So there, there you have it, I have a lot to prepare. I'm sorry, but I'm leaving. Tell D

a

Kams side, I do meet with you directly to cancel the request.

When a hunter's office sends a request to a corporate government, they usually only send the request to a top-notch hunter who usually works near the front lines. Although Elena and Sarah are recognized as quite strong hunters in Bear Mountain City, their strength is not noticed by the corporate government. Shika

abe，Sa

a and Ele

A is well aware of this fact, so they have a lot of questions about this request.

Sarah turns to Kakuya and the other children.

Well, there you have it. I'm sorry today, see you next time.

。 Ahh It's unfortunate, but it can't help.

Although Katsuya is not yet fully convinced, he can only accept it. At the same time, his gaze was sucked into Salas's cleavage, but he immediately looked away. Sarah just smiled when she saw this.

Soon, Elena and Sarah left the place. Shika

abe then uses his message terminal to contact D

a

kam and discussed the matter.

Katsuya sighed.

A request from the corporate government, eh? It's amazing, it's a pity that Salasan and Elena San had to cancel today's request, and I don't know when I will have the next chance.

As for Yumina and Airi, they both think it's really too bad. But after seeing Katsuya's reaction, they all felt a little contradictory, which was shown on their faces.

In order to change her mood, Yumina smiled awkwardly and said.

I don't think there will be a next time, after all, you were still staring at Salasan's chest. She'll probably hate you for it, you know.

Gram also coughed, panicking.

Am I looking too hard?

Airi's brief comment corroborates Yumina's words.

You did it.

Katsuya panicked and began to make excuses.

Well, it's just that I'm hooked. No way, you know. Anyone who sees it will agree with me. So I believe in Sa

a-sa

Will understand

Yumina looked amused and kept teasing Katsuya.

I guess Sarasan is a girl, she won't understand.

Airi also follows Yumina, but her expression is flat.

Curiosity kills cats, so give up.

Unlike Yumina, who was obviously teasing Katsuya, Airi just told a fact, and when she heard this, Katsuya panicked even more.

T- that's not it. It's just that Miss Sarah doesn't usually wear it, she wears a pendant, and that pendant is made of uncommon bullets. The top of the pendant was sucked into her chest, so when I noticed that, I couldn't help but wonder, you know.

Yumina and Airi let out a sigh at the same time.

Since you say so, it's unusual for Sarah-san to wear a pendant like that. But it looks rough, I wonder if someone gave her this gift?

I don't think Sarah and Elena would buy that kind of thing on their own, so it could be someone's gift as well.

It could have been a gift from her boyfriend.

Katsuya was slightly stunned.

B、Boyfriend B、But I heard that Salasan and Elena-san only work in pairs。 So it's hard to believe she has a boyfriend

Her boyfriend doesn't have to be another hunter, you know. Also, it's not too incredible.

It could even be that another hunter can't join her hunter request because it would ruin his relationships with other hunters. If that's the case, then it's not surprising at all. Or they may have already started negotiating a transfer.

Yumi

a and Ai

i is making fun of what seems to be infatuated with Sa

a Katsuya. In this way, Katsuya's torment continued.

Shika

Abe ended his call in a bad mood. He was annoyed that the negotiations had not come to a successful conclusion. He put aside his displeasure and instead informed Katsuya and the children of the outcome of the negotiations.

You can go home if you want to, but if you want to do more work, you have to do the patrol work like I brought this morning, then what do you want to do? Today and Ele

A's job is still canceled, so I think you'll just go home today.

Personally, Hakube hopes that they will return home today, but as the person who takes care of them, he can't say it bluntly. So, he could only stare at it, hoping that they would dissolve like this.

"Let's go home quickly. You should be able to understand that I can't order you to disband. You should also start from before with Ele

a, it was hinted that something bad might be happening right now. I know you don't want to go on patrol with me either. Your next time and Ele

a The opportunity to go together will come again sooner or later. There's no need to work hard under me, just go home. ]

Shika

The abes silent prayer did not reach them, as Katsuya turned to Yumi

a and ai

I ask them.

What to do now? I did prepare my stuff for work, not to mention that I also wanted to increase my Hunter rank as soon as possible. After all, with our current hunter level, we can't accept other requests on our own, and we can't explore the ruins.

Either way, they still need Shika

Permission from ABES. Katsuya wants to get out of this situation as soon as possible. If so, then there are even fewer people who look down on him.

I don't mind if you say that, what about your love?

No problem.

As for Yumina and Airi, most of the time they just follow Katsuya. The budding love for Katsuya in their hearts prompted them to do so.

Shika

Abe just looked at them coldly, showing a strong hatred for Katsuya.

[It's the majority again, huh? I don't know if you make a suggestion, won't those two people object? Knowing this fact, did you do it on purpose? ]

Originally, Shika

Abe has 5 children under him. Every time they had to decide something, they were in the majority, and they always won when they won, so the other two asked to be transferred to another team. As a result, Hakube was left with Katsuya and the two girls.

Watching Katsuya use this majority rule to impose his own opinions, Shikabe's hatred for Katsuya intensified.

Katsuya then turned to Shika

Abe tells him about their decision.

Well, one more request for patrol.

All right.