"No matter how shitty things have to be, you better believe that I will end up handling it! If the sky starts to fall and the earth crumbles from under our feet one day, I. will. be. there! I will be fighting it! I fucking swear that much!"
I raised my hand back, standing up straight again, and grinning from ear to ear.
"So when it gets hard, and it will fucking get hard, remember what I promised you today, and decide for yourself if you have the strength to keep your head up! When you fight, no matter where or how, you will never be fighting alone!"
The last words came out like a battle cry.
"Remember this; for other people, there is no shame in running! No shame in despairing, no shame in saying 'it's too much'! But you aren't other people! If you guys are the M.O.T.H. then I will be the flame! I will go first, and you, all of you, grit your fucking teeth and follow me!"
I don't know what I expected, pouring my heart out, making promises to myself as much as to the crowd, but somehow I didn't expect the deafening battle cry that followed, as people started to stand up, roaring their throats out.
***
The party that followed started off wild, and that particular train didn't seem to have any stops.
I realized that around the time when Blanca tried to climb the table, and I think, undress, before Ato dragged her down, and shut up her protests with a kiss. Some other girls and men were decisively much more successful.
As for me, I sat at the head of our long table, throwing back my booze slowly and measuredly. If I knew how to do one thing well, it was how to get drunk without getting wasted. Dot luckily fell asleep in my pocket from the snacks I fed him after the speech, bless the little guy's soul. I don't want to see what a drunk polymorph can do.
After giving a speech like that, I can't afford to be miserably drunk like I originally planned, so here I was, nursing my drinks.
It's all Ato's fault.
The party progressed, so we had music turned on and some people went dancing.
Eventually, some folks started getting up and gathering into small groups around the club, talking, dancing, drinking, smoking, spreading to smaller tables, and breaking into smaller groups.
I hung out mostly with our internal security guys, actually wondering what the fuck was going on on that front. Most of my curiosity-fueled questions they refused to answer, saying it's a need-to-know basis, but I still got to hear fun stories from wherever they worked before. Bjorn, in particular, despite his experience as an operative, and now being retired due to having way too much Honkai in him, had some fun stories to tell.
Eventually, however, I had to go take a leak.
It was when I came back that I spotted a familiar person I didn't expect to see. Waiting for me with a glass of champagne.
"...you?!" I actually gaped, seeing a woman in a rather pretty dress, with a familiar tint of red flame-like hair framing her.
It was partially her knockout beauty, especially in that dress, that took me aback, but also the sheer surprise.
She seemed a bit sheepish at my reaction, but she definitely was waiting for me here.
"Hey," She said, giving me a small, awkward wave, "Sorry to ambush you like this."
I paused for a moment, trying to compute how a Japanese outbreak survivor could've ended up here, amongst M.O.T.H. personnel...
I spoke up before I had time to think of anything, just to avoid an awkward silence.
"It's fine, I guess..." I muttered before shaking my head, "More importantly, how the hell did you end up here?"
She clearly knew who I was, too, despite the fact that she'd only seen me in my armour. I wasn't sure if it was the booze or the situation, but the whole scenario felt too surreal.
"That's... not that complicated, honestly," She said, her expression darkening just a bit, "Not really much other places where I can be, if I want to stop things like that with my own hands, are there?"
I, too, snapped my stupid mouth shut, nodding slowly at her. This... made sense in a way. Her Honkai resistance must be insane for her to last for so long in that outbreak zone; from that perspective, she surely was qualified. She also fought there for a while... though that doesn't substitute for military training as far as M.O.T.H. recruiters are concerned. If she is here, and not in the accelerated bootcamp, then...
"You were ex-military?" I asked, honestly surprised.
She chuckled, awkwardly but kindly, scratching the back of her head.
"JDF. I don't look it, do I?"
And she worked as an elementary school teacher too...
"You'd be surprised." Maybe it was the year, but a lot of M.O.T.H. combat operatives were female. Meaning they were quick to bring them up to speed, or they already did serve in the military, active units at that. Sexual equality in the army seemed to somehow work out in this world.
It's kinda cursed, if I think about it...
"Listen, Knightmare..." She trailed off, glancing up at me as if looking for confirmation, before she continued, "I wanted to say thank you. I heard what you said, that it wasn't a win but... You saved me. Itsune survived, too." Her expression darkened for a second, as she gritted her teeth, before she smiled despite that, honest gratitude on her face in spite of the underlying rage, "And it's only because of you. I just wanted to make sure you know."
I blinked, taken aback. I realized what that strange expression was; it was about that girl.
I glanced down too.
I really couldn't put into words how much it meant hearing that. The relief and a sense of gratitude.
"...thanks." I pushed out with greater difficulty than I wanted.
All the promises about doing something about Honkai, about beating it, tasted like shit in my mouth right about now.
"I am surprised you recognized me," I finally said, looking up at her, trying not to show too much on my face, "Or, now that I think about it, that you got assigned to our HQ of all places."
Himeko chuckled humourlessly.
"Well, I was told my scores were just way too promising to keep me in the small base M.O.T.H. has in Japan. As for you, well," She chuckled awkwardly, glancing aside, "I didn't really recognize you, as much as Alka told me... It's my second day at the base, you see. You probably didn't notice me, but I've seen you in the cafeteria yesterday."
...I knew Alka. It was that weirdo girl from South America who spoke way too much. And also had amazing ass.
I am so used to people speaking about me or gawking at me at the base, especially the strangers, that it seems I didn't notice Himeko's presence at all.
Kinda a shame that. Because damn, this woman was hot. Especially with this neckline, I swear her breasts must be held inside that dress by some arcane spell. Where the hell do I even look with this dress?! Am I allowed to look?!
Spoiler: Himeko
Okay, okay, calm down. At rest, Knightmare Junior, your time is yet to cum... come. fuck.
"Ditto!" A voice rang out from my pocket, as Dot decided to let the world know about him, poking out, rubbing his little eyes.
Himeko recoiled, pointing a hand at it.
"W-what is that?"
I glanced down at Dot, and our eyes met.
A connection formed, a silent understanding passed, and a plan was born.
"You know, a pokémon," I told her, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"A what?!" She was more confused than anything.
"Pocket monster." I nodded to her seriously, my expression downright pitying as I placed my hand on her bare shoulder, and nodding to her sadly, as if I was a doctor telling the patient they will die in three days, "You see, the government doesn't want you to know this, but actually most of the myths are real. Ever heard of youkai? This is a pocket youkai. Hence, a pocket monster. Pokémon."
She looked at me for a few long seconds. I could practically feel her head spinning. A troll living somewhere deep inside my soul was sated today.
"Pocket youkai..." She paused, looking at me, then down at the Dot. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You two are messing with me, aren't you?"
Keep your face straight, keep your face straight...
"Pfff... whatever could make you... think that?" I asked, feeling my face almost physically cracking.
"Di-di-di-di-di..." I looked down at my pocket in betrayal, as Dot broke down first, laughing his nonexistent ass off, as he was clutching his nonexistent stomach.
Himeko pouted, and that expression was a WMD on her face, as she seemed like she really wanted to smack me at least a bit, but wasn't sure if she could...
"Dooooooot~!"
A wild Blanca appeared!
The woman was on me before I could even blink, her alcohol-fueled breath washing over my face like a cloud of mustard gas, making me recoil... unfortunately, there was a wall behind me.
"I'm taking yooooouuuu~!"
"Diiittooo!" My friend begged for help, as I was disoriented, while the inhuman beast of a scientist grabbed him, took him out of my pocket, and started to carry him away, swaying and giggling.
"I am sorry, little one..." I whispered to him, wiping a non-existent tear from my face, as I saw his little hands outstretched towards me dramatically, looking for salvation, "...but such is the work of Karma."
"Diiiitoooo!!!"
I would like to see you try, you little shit.
My shit-eating grin only disappeared when Himeko came a bit closer, glancing in sheer bewilderment towards the scientist who brought Dot to the now panicking Ato.
I think Ato was trying to gesture for me to come there, probably because he was afraid Dot would get agitated, but fuck Ato, he made me do a speech. I waved to him cheerfully, completely ignoring the beginning of the chaos.
And then Dot turned into a second Blanca.
As I saw despair on his face, I now waved him a bye-bye.
"I... what was..." She gestured towards the club's main lobby, then back at me, clearly lost for words.
"Tell you what, we are both too sober for this conversation," I gestured with my thumb towards the bar, "Let's go fix that, and I'll tell what I can tell, outside of the stuff that will get me violated by our internal security." Or Mobius. Not in a fun way either.
Somehow, despite the crudeness of the joke, the refined-looking and absolutely stunning lady giggled.
"That sounds like a plan!"
Come on now, no way I have a chance here. I can't get too optimistic…
***
"...no, no, you don't understand," Himeko said, laughing so hard she had to put her drink down. "The kid literally tried to convince me that his dog ate his homework. Classic excuse, right? Except he brought the dog to school to prove it."
"He brought the dog?" I asked, already knowing this was going somewhere good.
"IN HIS BACKPACK!" She was practically wheezing now. "This massive golden retriever. Just... stuffed in there. The dog's head popped out during math class like some kind of..." She made a popping gesture with her hands, nearly knocking over her glass.
I caught it just in time, which somehow made us both laugh harder.
"Okay, okay," I said, trying to breathe. "But did the dog actually eat the homework?"
"That's the best part!" She leaned in conspiratorially, and I definitely wasn't noticing how her eyes lit up when she told stories. "The dog was chewing on the textbook for classic literature class when he opened the bag. Just nom nom nom, staring innocently right at me!"
I couldn't help it, I exploded in a small fit of laughter, just imagining it.
"So you... what... had to give him credit... for honesty?" I asked, wheezing,
"I gave him detention for bringing a dog to school!" She protested, but she was grinning. "Though I did pet the dog. How could I not? Abe was a good boy."
"That's the dog or the student?" I asked innocently.
She smacked my arm. "You're terrible."
"I've been told," I said, taking another sip. The warmth of the alcohol made everything feel loose and easy. "Though speaking of dogs, I once tried to train my uncle's husky when I was like fifteen." I wanted to make it do a funny salute, not knowing that one Scottish guy would get canceled for teaching his pug to do it. Honestly, all my best ideas always ended up being stolen.
Even drunk, I knew saying that would probably get any female in a twenty-kilometer radius drier than the Sahara desert, though.
"Oh no."
"Oh yes. Thought I'd be the dog whisperer, you know? Watched some YouTube videos, figured how hard could it be?"
She propped her chin on her hand, watching me with this amused expression. "Let me guess, the husky trained you instead?"
"The husky fucking destroyed me," I admitted. "First day, I'm all confident, right? Got treats, got a clicker, got all the gear. This dog took one look at me and decided I was his personal entertainment system." I leaned back, shuddering just remembering it, yet still grinning.
"What did he do?"
"What didn't he do? He'd sit when I said stand, stand when I said sit, and when I tried to teach him 'stay,' he somehow interpreted that as 'steal this idiot's shoes and run around the yard.'"
Himeko nearly spit out her drink. "Your shoes?"
"Every. Single. Time." I shook my head at the memory. "I'd be standing there barefoot in the grass like a moron while this dog pranced around with my sneaker, looking so proud of himself."
"Please tell me you gave up."
"After two weeks," I said, then paused. "And after he figured out how to open doors. Came home to find him in my kitchen, eating a whole loaf of bread. He was supposed to be living in the dog house!"
"He broke into your house?!"
"My mom was SO pissed," I laughed. "She saw my attempts to try and train him, and was sure his new trick had something to do with me. Figured it a prank." Can't even blame her, honestly; she was close, he was supposed to be my prank... just not like this! "Which was probably fair."
She was shaking her head, but her smile was so wide it looked like it might hurt. "Were you always this much of a disaster?"
"Says the woman who just told me she once accidentally locked herself in a supply closet for three hours."
"That was different!" She protested, her face going pink. "The handle was broken!"
"You tried to kick down the door and got your foot stuck." I teased, praying to Jesus Christ almighty that she will NEVER, EVER get her hands on my dossier.
I am confident that our intelligence guys know about that Military Base Door accident, so Mobius PROBABLY knows, but I'll kill myself, no joke, if it ever spreads.
"It was a very small closet!" ...yeah, like Himeko clearly wanted to do now. She was cute, blushing this fiercely.
"You had to be rescued by a ten-year-old with a screwdriver," I repeated what she told me, seeing her grow more indignant and embarrassed.
"Kenji was eleven, thank you very much," She said with as much dignity as she could muster, which wasn't much. "And he promised never to tell anyone."
"He didn't have to; you seem to be doing it just fine yourself."
The grown-ass woman pouted, shaking her head.
"He told the entire school by lunch," She groaned, covering her face with her hands. "They called me Closet-Sensei for a month."
"Closet-Sensei," I repeated, trying not to laugh.
"Don't you dare-"
"Look at the bright side," I said, my face almost unable to contain the shit-eating grin it sprouted, "At least you came out of the closet." And when she almost relaxed... "Closet-sensei."
"...I hate you." She groaned, resting her head on the bar table, looking at the bottle that stood on the table between us, "I am really tempted to try this bottle against your head..."
"You wouldn't waste good whiskey," I called her out, letting my grin drop a bit.
She looked at her glass, then at me, clearly weighing her options. "You're right, this stuff's too expensive." Then she grabbed my glass instead. "This one's cheaper."
"Hey!"
She held it threateningly over my head, and we had this brief standoff where we were both trying not to laugh. She was standing now, arm raised, and I was half out of my chair, and we must have looked absolutely ridiculous.
"Truce?" I offered.
"No more Closet-Sensei?"
"I make no promises."
She tilted the glass just slightly. A drop hit my nose.
"Okay, okay! Truce!"
She set the glass down triumphantly and plopped back onto her barstool, which had somehow migrated closer to mine during all this. Our knees bumped, but neither of us moved away.
"You're ridiculous," She said, but it sounded fond.
"Says the woman who just threatened me with my own drink."
"It was a justified threat." She paused, then added more quietly, "This is nice."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. It's been... a while since I.. had something like that. Like a normal person. Talking about normal, stupid things."
I knew what she meant. Everything had been so heavy lately, so serious. This, just laughing about dumb stories... it felt like breathing again.
"Well," I said, lifting my thankfully not-poured-on-my-head glass, "Here's to normal, stupid things."
She clinked her glass against mine. "And to dogs that eat homework."
"And huskies that steal shoes." I parroted back.
"And broken closets." She agreed, darkly.
"And ladies who can't be contained by no closet." I added wrily.
She glared at me with mock anger.
"I will hit you again."
"Silly you, I am bulletproof."
She did hit me, but she was laughing, and her hand lingered on my arm afterwards. It lingered there until the rest of the evening. This was nice. Really nice.
I already felt like I won a lottery, but, apparently, I was the luckiest bastard alive today.
***
There were enough drinks in me by that point that things were… hazy. Oh, I remembered the important bits, and I drank enough water that I'd be alright tomorrow, but details slipped away.
There was a car, and we were getting out of the club, maybe not in that order, and then…
The door of the hotel room closed.
A deep kiss.
She somehow tasted like strawberry and mint, but both sweeter and deeper. I couldn't feel the taste of alcohol, probably because I was just that drunk too.
I don't know who kissed who first, and I didn't really care.
My hands trailed along the literal divine figure, feeling up the curves, now without any pretenses, and she did very much the same, looking every bit as hungry for the touch and feeling as I was.
It's quite indescribable seeing a woman that beautiful looking at you like this when both of you couldn't tear yourself away from each other. It was more intoxicating than all the booze today, made my head spin.
My fingers slid against her thighs as I gently moved my other hand across her back, feeling the goosebumps and her ever more erratic breathing against my chest.
"You…" She breathed out, breaking the kiss for a moment and biting her lower lip. Her eyes, so deep they were practically molten gold, never looked so alluring before.
From some intrinsic need to fight back, it seems, she placed her hand on my cock through my pants, gently squeezing.
She had no trouble finding it. I've been at full mast for a while now.
That escalation led to another frenzy I can't quite describe.
I was undressing her, at least that's what I told myself, but honestly, it was me fondling and feeling up her body. Himeko was one of the most stunning women I've seen. Her chest was huge, her legs went on for days, and her ass was enough to bury a man under.
What I didn't expect was how lean, yet soft, her body was. How smooth, literally silky, her skin felt under my fingers. How amazing she smelled, spicy, sweet, yet light, and how the small sounds she made, from whimpers to loud, broken breathing, were destroying something in me.
I felt like a man born in a desert seeing a lake for the first time.
She too unbuttoned my shirt, and for some reason was exploring my chest and stomach, trying to get her own fingers a bit lower, seemingly just as thirsty for more of all of this as I was.
This was the part that truly ignited something in me. I knew, of course, that we weren't in love. But tonight we wanted, no, needed each other, and were both burning up.
But for just a moment, a presence of mind won, much to my regret.
"I don't have… a condom on me," I whispered to her, wanting to fucking shoot myself, as I started to move back just a tad…
"I can get an emergency contraceptive in the morning," She whispered back, grabbing me by the back of my head, and bringing me back towards her lips. "Stay."
…alright then.
I started to remove my shirt, which seemed to be a sign for her to start working on the complicated ties behind the top of her dress. I got out of my shirt in a moment, throwing it aside… and seeing it melt into shadows.
…I may be retarded, I realized.
That thought went away as I glanced back, and my breathing hitched.
I've seen my fair share of breasts, practically every retard with internet access did, but I've never quite seen two milky globes so perfect, and with nipples this well-sized. It looked like a sculpture. No, scratch that, it looked like the tits I'd imagined when thinking of 'perfect tits'.
Now that I think about it, Himeko doesn't even look very Japanese… since when do Japs have figures like this?!
Then again, her face does have some Asian features, even if they are soft and only add to her amazing beauty…
"Stop thinking something stupid," She said, leaning in, and blushing, though, to be fair, she was blushing throughout the whole ordeal. A brief kiss, before she looked me in the eyes and grabbed my hands, "You can touch if you want…" She mumbled as she placed my hands on her tits.
That woke me up real good. Or to be more precise, it woke up my lower brain.
I leaned to initiate a new kiss, making us both fall on the bed, as I started gently massaging and fondling her breasts, paying some attention to her nipples, but not enough for her to get used to it. Not enough to be predictable. Mostly, my movements were those of a person massaging, rather than groping.
I don't think I needed to try that hard. All of those sex tricks you pick up with your hookups mean just about nothing when you get into it with the right girl. The girl who really wants you, just as much as you want her, and when you both are fucking not just because it generally feels good, but because you both feel like monkeys in heat who can't tear themselves from one another… that's when nuances and tricks cease to matter.
Emotions are king.
"Kuso…" She whimpered into the kiss, glaring at me, as her hand went down towards my pants and… oh fuck.
One of my hands, in response to this unprovoked assault, went down to where the lower part of her dress still covered her crotch, and I slid my fingers across her panties first, seeing her stiffen even more dramatically than I did, before I moved the fabric aside gently.
From what I can tell by touch, she was already ridiculously wet, and as I started to slowly move my fingers across and around her puffy, lower lips, trying not to play with the clit too much and ruin the fun, she was already moaning into my mouth like few women did during actual sex.
…she really needed this as much as I did.
I don't know how long we were edging each other, but we clearly didn't even need much foreplay. It just felt so great that I didn't want to lean back even for a moment, and somehow I sensed it was mutual.
But a kiss broke one moment, and our eyes met.
"Let's do it," She whispered, breathlessly and both incredibly hopeful, aroused, needy, but also just a touch scared. Probably from how intense this was, whatever this was.
"Let's," I said, and I'd like to say that I sounded dominating and cool, but I think my voice was just as shaky from the overwhelming need and fascination as hers was.
I leaned back and allowed my pants to disintegrate into dark mist as I saw her reach down towards her dress…
I gently caught her hands.
"Can the dress stay?" I asked. I knew she'd probably feel better if she could feel all the skin contact, but I really wanted to fuck her while she wore this. At least for one round.
Slowly, she nodded, her eyes glued to my cock, sometimes trailing up along my lower body.
"Okay."
I nodded back and reached for my shades…
A soft hand gently grabbed mine this time.
"Can the glasses stay?" I blinked, dumbfounded for a moment.
A moment of pure tension. And then, it felt like this was the funniest thing that had ever happened.
I couldn't help it, I chuckled, breaking into a grin, and I could see her chuckling too, her fist too.
Still, even if this was funny, and the atmosphere a bit ruined, I'll just have to ramp it back up.
"For you, sure," I whispered, as I leaned again towards her.
I was practically hanging over her, between her spread legs, as she looked up at me.
Slowly, passionately, I kissed her. My tongue explored her mouth, and she responded very eagerly.
At the same time, I pulled myself closer, taking my cock in one hand and lining it up a bit.
Her breathing hitched.
"Yasashiku shite~..." She moaned into my mouth, and I had no idea what the fuck she said. I also didn't care to find out, because I don't think I need a translator for this one.
Instead of sliding it into her, I started to slide my cock across her snatch, again and again, teasing her and myself in equal measures. It's a good thing she shaved, or maybe just did one of the magical procedures women do so hair doesn't grow there, because it felt much better this way.
Made the teasing easier.
"Yoooou~!" Himeko obviously realised that much as I smirked against her mouth.
My triumph was short-lived. Alas, I was outwitted, destroyed, and annihilated by a superior player.
At the moment when I was lining up for another wet thrust, she thrusted her hips instead, and at just the right angle.
All pussies are hot, wet, and tight; that's not exactly a fucking discovery of America. No, the physical feeling of being inside her felt amazing, don't get me wrong, but by itself it wouldn't have been all that great. A pussy is a pussy, feeling a difference between them by sensation is a meme.
No, what made it feel so good wasn't just the physical sensation. It was her smell. The hitch of her breath as she had me enter her. The look in her eyes that was hungry, a bit fearful, and so wanting. It was how her body shuddered slightly. It was in remembering how she smiled and laughed just before this, how utterly out of my league she looked an hour ago, how bravely she fought, and having her, all to myself, all vulnerable and just so perfect in my arms, taking me in, as she looked at me with the same hunger I looked at her with… that was the part that made something primal in me howl.
I kissed her even more, now taking a good fistful of her ass with one hand, and having the other grab and play with her left tit properly, as I started thrusting.
It was fucking difficult, because Himeko was moving too. If I didn't know better, I'd think she was trying to slip out of the position entirely, or just try to make it difficult. As it is, I figured she just felt so good she wanted to move somewhere; it was her back that was arching a bit that was messing up my angle and aim.
This made it almost impossible to have a consistent tempo.
I growled into her mouth, but stopped myself mentally.
I felt that this might be for the better. I think I might've cum way too quickly, pent up as I am, if she didn't accidentally make fucking her harder.
Instead of trying to fix her in place and get my own pleasure, I called out to my remaining willpower.
Gently massaging her breast and ass, I slowed down and started to thrust in and out slowly, but thoughtfully, making each movement lengthy and agonizing for her, and aiming each a bit differently, trying to find how she liked it best. When I did, and I could tell by her body tensing up and a truly impressive moan being let out into my mouth, I kept going like this, slowly, trying to add some twist to my movement, while keeping it around her sweet spot. One of my exes liked it like this.
A moment later, I was vindicated by Himeko feeling like a more wound-up guitar string with each thrust. I could feel the muscles in her body tensing, and her body shuddering more and more each time I slowly went into her.
"Motto~" She asked, breaking a kiss for just a moment, and I knew enough moon speak from hentai to know what it meant, "Faster!" She clarified pleadingly, as if I didn't understand.
No, I was already shifting after the first request. I needed both of my hands to really get going here.
"You are amazing," I tell her, as my second hand grabs her butt. "Goodness, you are perfect…"
Then, I start to fuck her in earnest. And she, clearly no blushing virgin herself, very much does her best to respond.
Heated whimpers and whispers are exchanged as I start and pick up the pace, but I barely pay attention to the words. It's how she smells, so sweet, so delicious, so right, at the little sounds she makes with every breath, as she softly bites her own finger, at her eyes that are practically laser-focused on my own behind the oversized shades.
"Cuming!" I warn, gritting my teeth, as I force myself to keep up the pace, and I feel her shuddering under me. Coming undone.
I wasn't too surprised. I could feel her body tensing up throughout all of this. Yet, it felt surreal, a woman like her melting so easily, when the usual amount of foreplay needed was so much more.
Instead, I leaned in, kissing her deeply, as we both, for a brief moment, moaned and groaned in each other's mouths. Her legs wrapped around me, without limiting my movement just yet.
I don't think I've ever cum this hard. For a moment, it felt like I was flashbanged all over again; the sensation of sheer pleasure was so overwhelming, it felt like physical light and sound, and I sensed Himeko was just as out of it as I was.
Still, somehow, by some miracle, I didn't stop fucking her even as I flood her depths. It wasn't that pleasant after the first five to six thrusts; the cock is always oversensitized after an orgasm, but women orgasm differently. What was kinda unpleasant to me was only adding to the cascading pleasure in her that I sensed as her body, coiled around, was tensing and relaxing.
Afterwards, however, I couldn't force myself to continue ruining this amazing feeling, and simply embraced her tighter, continuing the kiss, but ceasing movement. Though her hands wrapped around me, and her leg-lock pressed me tight.
The kiss that followed was slow, leisurely, tender from both sides.
I felt like I was deep enough inside of her to get stranded and lost forever.
The kiss got broken after a moment, and I felt more drunk than when we started.
"God…," I licked my lips despite myself, "I don't deserve to have you here,"
Something, in whatever I said, seemed to have returned more clarity to her eyes.
Before I really understood it, she started to tilt her center of mass. I allowed it, more confused than anything, we turned, and now, she was on top.
"Wrong," She said, sounding like the throatiest, sexiest teacher I've met just yet.
She also licked her lips.
"Let me show you just how wrong…" Slowly, she started to move. "...you are."
Luckily for her, I was already hard. Partially because I was that backed up, and partially because, as far as I remembered, I never really understood the refractory period thing. I always got ready for action real quick again. Sure, waiting ten seconds is preferable, but it didn't really get soft for a few rounds, and that was with my exes. With this woman?
I wasn't sure I would go soft at all.
That being said, her switching position was for the best. I was really out of breath fucking her like that without my armour on, and while kissing.
Also, god, she looks amazing from this angle. Toned stomach, tits, and her wild, a bit sweaty hair falling down her figure like a red waterfall.
When I saw the happy, cute smile on her face, as she saw something (probably worship) on my face, and started to slowly move her hips, trying to look and move sexy (which only made her cuter, which in turn was sexy), I promised myself I would pay her back a hundredfold tonight.
***
The next morning, shortly after waking up, I had to enjoy the sound of my phone mimicking the actual air raid siren.
Good thing I wasn't hungover enough to turn it off, or disable it somehow. I am sure the security guys would've broken down the door if I did.
The Second Herrscher has appeared.
I didn't have much time to say goodbye to Himeko. Dealing with the alarm and a call immediately after, I got myself dressed, picked up the shades from the bedside table, and only had time to promise the beautiful and very perplexed woman to talk about this later.
...wish I could've handled this better. That woman deserves more than seeing me run away in the morning.
In my defense, yesterday fucked me up. I barely got any sleep and was still a bit hungover, add all that to not having the time to get a bite, a morning coffee, or even a shower after a night full of sex, and you can picture how out of it I've been waiting on the rooftop for the Skybolt to pick me up.
Luckily, the flight to HQ gave me enough time to sort myself out a bit.
"Knightmare," One of the familiar guys from our internal security waited for me outside the bathroom, immediately gesturing for me to follow along, "Come, I'll show you to the briefing room."
...at least they did give me the time to take a leak.
"Lead the way Jahm," I nodded to him simply.
I think his name was Jahm. Judging by the fact he didn't object, I was either right about this (I usually was) or he was too professional to correct me.
Now, as we walked at a quick pace across the familiar corridor, which was full of rushing people, I focused again on the two new strings connecting me to the greater thing.
I've pulled on both already, figuring the situation calls for it. Shame I couldn't contact Mobius. I tried calling the woman, unsurprisingly, she either didn't pick up or straight up didn't have her phone on her.
Considering that, unlike me, she was probably playing a part in coordinating the response to the new Eruption in Belarus from the moment it started, it wasn't too surprising.
As we went, I saw some of our combat guys rushing in squads towards the hangar; they were probably being ordered to deploy, or at least relocate closer to the disaster site so M.O.T.H. had more forces to play around with.
"Jahm," I spoke up to the man, once I knew we were close, "I know my way around the base, but I don't have a way to contact Alexanderson or Mobius," Or anyone important from the science team, really. "Pass to one of them, directly, that I have something new that may change their plans. ASAP."
The man glanced at me, pausing his stride, and after a moment of hesitation, nodded.
"Got it. Just go straight and to the right, room E-D 205."
With that, he headed off, and I headed to the briefing room.
Inside, I spotted a couple of familiar faces, but no one I spoke to often. Most were officers, seemingly pretty high-ranked ones at that, and the briefing was already in progress.
The news was far from being reassuring.
My own personal fears were confirmed; there is now a Second Herrscher. Its emergence happened in the middle of nowhere, in Belarus, which, I know, tautology, and absolutely no one was ready. The Honkai emission that the satellite grid detected went from zero to 'holy fucking shit' within a minute; this wasn't a slow escalation like with the Japanese outbreak.
This was just like Germany.
Once it was clear what had happened and that the reading of the powerful Honkai signature on the ground matched the data from Germany just over a year ago, authorization and use of strategic ballistic nuclear missiles went through within ten minutes. The protocol was already in place, apparently, because the main reason why most of Europe currently was so fucked, was precisely because the politicians and generals wasted precious hours fumbling their thumbs and escalating their response too fucking slowly as the situation went to shit. Lessons were learned since then.
The Belarusian village in the middle of nowhere had three different nukes impacting it with a ten-second interval, because someone in Russia REALLY wanted to make sure the Herrscher is gone. Not surprising considering how close their capital is geographically.
Each rocket carried a payload measured in megatons. That's the kind of firepower you use to kill everything in a 100+ kilometers range.
The birthplace of Herrscher was leveled, the honkai energy there dropped, and the guys at HQ were just about ready to celebrate.
Except for a spike of energy that registered in the nearby city of Pinsk after thirty seconds, which matched the output of the presumed new Herrscher. Also, the city went dark in an instant, at the same moment when the Honkai spiked.
A second set of ballistic missiles was launched, but this time, instead of impacting the target, they were redirected.
Into the three closest most populated towns.
Ballistic missiles, redirected, when they already re-entered the atmosphere.
The current hypothesis by our analytical department is that this Herrscher can somehow influence space.
And that's the latest news we were getting. Currently, the higher-ups were discussing what to do next in light of the new Herrscher having the perfect power to counter ballistic nukes, which killed the first.
Someone tapped me on the shoulder.
I blinked, turning around, and seeing a pair of security guys gesturing for me to follow.
***
I was led to our command center.
The place I was familiar with from the last time, except today, it was even busier. I could see the operators constantly talking to whoever was on the line with them, giant holo-screen projecting the map of Belarus and the movements of... whatever the fuck.
Just from the overall chaos, I managed to pick up some things. Hordes of Honkai beasts were pouring out of Pinsk and a single other town where Herrscher, apparently, teleported to.
M.O.T.H. had some agents on the ground, but it seems the majority of the efforts were centered around trying to coordinate local armed forces.
There were quite a few officers and people I didn't recognize being around here. Alexanderson specifically was talking with someone from his post rather loudly; if I managed to glimpse the hologram right, that might have been one of the local presidents I've seen on the news.
Mobius was standing in her small corner, with a few other people from the science team on standby.
She also seemed busy arguing over something on her tablet, but seeing me approach, she snapped to attention.
"Lab Rat, I've been told you have something important for me," She said, and despite her best efforts, through the usual brisk and cold front, I could hear that she was, to put it mildly, a bit on edge.
"It seems it's as you suspected about my powers. Got two more strings," I explained to her, short and to the point. Clearly, there wasn't much time to beat around the bush. "One gives me knowledge of how to move correctly, even with my augmented physical abilities. As if I had practiced doing just about everything for years. Dodging, running, fighting, you name it, I can do it well," And make it look good. Just like with animal handling, it wasn't literal knowledge, more like habits and skills engraved so deeply that it turned instinctual. Except it wasn't about just combat effectiveness; it also made me look good. Like, not just trained in fighting now, but trained in fighting with style. "The other ability is more important. My body is now capable of producing antibodies that counteract any disease or illness. Anything a human body can respond to and counter, mine can too."
The feeling I got from that string was weird when I was trying to feel it up on my flight here. I could tell it would make me resistant or immune to anything that can plague normal people. Sort of 'your body would change as if it were always amongst those few who had immunity', and augmented even further. My body would produce antibodies to any threat instantly, as if I were already immune to the infection, and my body was familiar with it.
I saw Mobius' eyes widen.
"You are implying it includes Honkai?"
I nodded sharply.
"I am sure it does," I told her simply, feeling myself tensing up.
I could see Mobius tensing up, her eyes growing distant as she was clearly thinking. She glanced back, towards Ato, who was clearly listening in to the discussion.
Behind him, I could see Blanca with Dot in her pocket. The woman was busy on her computer, but I elected to ignore them for now.
"Ato, go and prepare the prototype. I need to talk with Alexanderson. Instruct Knightmare, afterwards, on the usage of the prototype weaponry. I'll send you a list of samples I will need from him, and you will take them."
The man seemed taken aback for a moment, his brows furrowing.
"Doctor, I think the testing can wait until..."
"His armour isn't good enough to completely reflect Honkai Radiation anywhere near a Herrscher. A large percentage will leak through," Mobius said coldly, not even letting him finish, "If we are to deploy him, and that's likely what we will end up doing, we need to know precisely how long he will last."
So, they are going to be testing my resistance while I was en-route to the deployment site? Yeah, that's... probably the only choice we have here.
Ato too quieted down; he didn't seem happy, but he nodded sharply, glancing at me.
"Let's go," I agreed.
***
The proto-adamantium/vibranium external armour, dubbed simply as MK.0, wasn't, strictly speaking, a mech.
It was, however, a set of power armour. Very bulky power armour that would roughly double my profile.
As Ato strapped me in and walked me through its functions, it felt nothing like what I'd imagined from Iron Man suits or anything remotely sleek. The closest association I could come up with was those clunky Jobber Mechs™ from Avatar, which is really all that needed to be said about the design.
The thing repeated my movements with a slight but noticeable delay. No additional controls, just mimicry of my limbs. I did a few combat-dodges, and it felt slow. Painfully slow.
I knew it was an illusion; in my shadow-armour, I was still supernaturally quick even with this extra weight. But I knew just how much quicker and more agile I could be on my own two feet.
It felt fucking terrible to use, which I immediately made clear to Ato.
"...most of the electronics on board are custom-made, and even the backups have backups," he explained awkwardly. "We couldn't use any semiconductors, so the chipsets are extremely limited. Most of the design relies on mechanical engineering rather than electronics, that is why it must feel so sluggish to you." He said apologetically.
Right. I'd been the one who transformed all the pieces of the outer armour layer and some internal components into adamantium just a week ago. This thing was never meant to be field-ready. I've been told I will be involved in testing starting next week.
Fuck, we were really desperate to pull this out from the labs, weren't we?
"But Mobius wants me deployed in this?" I asked just to clarify, awkwardly gesturing with my now-giant metallic arm. "You do realize I'll be a sitting duck."
Ato nodded slowly.
"I understand your concern, but the impenetrable armour should more than compensate for the loss in mobility. The adamantium-augmented servos should also boost your physical strength." He gestured at the suit. "By our calculations, this armour, combined with shock-absorbing gel filling and your augmented physiology, with your shadow armour active, will allow you to withstand a direct hit from any weapon mankind has ever produced."
...which explained why they wanted me to pilot this walking coffin into a death zone. As long as it didn't catastrophically fail, it would make me exponentially more useful. I mean, they could nuke me directly with the Herrscher, and I'd still be alive.
Not that they'd ever do that, of course.
"Battery life is still fifteen minutes?" I asked, locking the power armour in place with a specific gesture of my fingers, before starting to unstrap myself.
"We've extended it to seventeen minutes of active combat," Ato confirmed. "The batteries are duplicated and shock-resistant, as are all the electronics. Nothing should malfunction on site, but..." He shook his head. "To be frank, this is exactly the kind of experimental prototype that should never see live deployment without extensive testing."
"Beggars can't be choosers," I corrected him with a sigh, "It's fine, even with my shadow armour, I doubt I'd be able to take on a Herrscher by my lonesome, if they will decide to deploy me, this is the best bet."
Even as I said that, I couldn't exactly stop my hands from shaking slightly.
This didn't feel right. The information we had on the first Herrscher was extremely limited, no visual records survived, only eye-witness descriptions, and those, for understandable reasons, were sparse to say the least. Mostly because pretty much all eye-witnesses didn't live long, Honkai sickness and all.
The first Herrscher was able to create things out of nothing. Mostly weapons. He was throwing around nukes like there is no tomorrow. Or the artillery that kept firing without anyone to pilot the machines.
The second Herrscher seemed to have another ability, but on the same level of bullshit. In just my shadow armour, with sword and shield, I don't think I'll be able to do anything. Even with my new and improved combat style.
In this power armour, there was a chance.
Ato already took the samples, and let me just say, the list of tissues Mobius needed was extensive. Because my new 'superpower' provided my body with the ability to produce antibodies, Ato had me irradiated with a small but noticeable dosage of Honkai and took the blood, urine, saliva, and even bone marrow samples.
He also had to do it fast; luckily, there were plenty of assistants and science personnel in the lab who helped to carry out the procedures.
Let's just say it fucking hurt, and that my dignity suffered tremendously. At least I could have a sweet combat stim after the fact, and didn't feel like a dead man walking anymore.
Contrary to that, I've never felt more awake and clear-minded.
"There is another thing," Ato said, taking a small briefcase, opening it up, and presenting it to me. "Here, take a look."
It was a revolver. Not like any revolver I've ever seen, but still. It seems to have a few spare cylinders of ammo. I took one and spun it in place. I recognized the noses of the bullets; it was adamantium coating that I transformed for them months ago, which was also sharpened. The design looked like no bullets I've ever seen.
"I thought the project was canceled?" I commented, placing the cylinder back, and instead of taking the revolver, I gently checked it over in the case at first. It too was assembled from mostly adamantium parts. The barrel was for sure. "And here I was wondering why my recent schedule involved going to firing ranges."
"Your previous complaint about lacking a ranged option was noted," Ato replied seriously, "Each of the bullets is rocket-propelled to give it substantially more kinetic force. It was a real challenge to produce, but with the technology available and keeping the size constraints in mind, this was the best armour-penetrating option we came up with on a schedule," He explained.
I glanced at the weapon in disbelief. This was a fucking Bolter, wasn't it? Is every future timeline with an existential threat of interdimensional energy one step away from being 40k?
I shook my head and, following the new engraved instincts, spun the revolver around and between my fingers before promptly stopping and taking aim at the nearest wall. I just knew that I could reload it while spinning too, and that I would hit a bullseye while hip-firing. Or aiming.
This new skill that was engraved in me now truly was something else.
...call me Revolver Knightmare now.
"I like it," I said honestly, grinning, as I conjured a holster around my hip and a small bag for the spare cylinders, but weighing the three of them, I glanced at Ato, unimpressed, "But what's with the ammo count? I have eighteen shots in total?"
Ato smiled apologetically.
"Each bullet takes a ridiculous amount of time to produce, and costs around as much as a sports car."
I fought down the urge to whistle at that.
"...and again, this is a prototype you were meant to test in the following week, to see if you can integrate it properly into your combat style. We just didn't make more yet. Our budget isn't quite unlimited," He sounded fucking livid about that, "So think about it as a backup option rather than the main weapon. Besides, you are most likely not going to use it today." Fair enough, shooting this out of the power armour is a bit unrealistic, considering I was supposed to be entombed in it, and the thing's fingers were just too big.
...wait, isn't MK.0 a bootleg Dreadnaught armour?
What the fuck is wrong with this world, again?
Becoming a walking coffin before I am even thirty wasn't in my isekai bingo card.
Having to fight a Herrscher-level opponent, however, is. Depending on how today goes, and if I survive, I'll cross that out.
"Hey, Knightmare, I just wanted to ask..." I glanced back at Ato, who had just finished directing technies around the now immobile armor. He gestured for me to follow him aside. I did, when we were far away, he spoke up again. "...I wanted to ask, and I know it might be a stupid question, but... are you feeling alright?"
For a moment, I was taken aback.
Am I alright? I mean, it seems I'll have to deploy to fight a civilization-murdering monstrosity with an untested gear, not even knowing if I can survive the Honkai irradiation I will receive, and that's without mentioning if I will survive the possible Nuclear explosion, and...
I took a deep breath, as I allowed myself to crack my shoulders a bit.
"Not exactly," I said honestly, before glancing at him, "But that's mostly because I am still catching up for what is happening, I think." I flashed the man a thumbs up, unwilling to admit to the pit in my stomach, "Don't worry, I'll get fired up properly before the fight. Right now, while we wait, it's... the worst part."
Ato, who was looking at me attentively, and I think with some honest concern, nodded hesitantly.
Honestly, I just didn't know what to say. I am full of shit after all. This whole situation made me sick and quite a bit terrified. I didn't know who I would be fighting, how I would be fighting, or even when I will be doing the fighting. All I know is that M.O.T.H. can't afford not to use me now.
It was the uncertainty that was pressing down on me, the inability to even mentally prepare myself for anything.
But also, on top of all of that, there was the Herrscher. There weren't many enemies who could swat me away like a fly. Thinking that an enemy that wipes out cities might be my opponent... this was only adding to all that.
Because how the fuck does a man fight a hurricane, or a tsunami?
"There are two things," I finally said, pressing my lips tight for a moment, "Two things it all ultimately boils down to. The first is that no matter what, running away or refusing to fight when people count on me will always be scarier," I admitted quietly, before looking at Ato and smiling at him. "The other is that I trust you, I trust Mobius, I trust Alexanderson, and I trust the rest of you guys. It's up to all of you to find where, when, and how I fight. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you'll hash out the details much better than I can." At that thought, a grin appeared on my face almost on its own, "My job is simple when I think about it, just fight and win. That much you can trust me to do."
"'That so?"
I stiffened before glancing around to see Hulk Alexanderson in all his bench-pressing glory, standing there with a few assistants, with Mobius too.
The man looked exhausted, and his gaze was pretty grim.
"I've been told you acquired impressive Honkai resistance..."
"Allegedly," Mobius interrupted, glaring at the man.
"Allegedly acquired an impressive Honkai resistance," Hulk didn't argue, "That means we can deploy you against a Herrscher, and with that..." He pointed towards the armour, "You might just tie it down."
I thought I'd be surprised. Maybe horrified. But somehow, just knowing who I would be fighting was such a relief.
"Tie it down? Please, chief," I grinned, striking a fist into my palm. "Just get me there and I'll kill the bastard."
No one seemed too reassured, but I could tell some tension had disappeared from them at least. Aside from Mobius, that is.
"I will test your tissues for this new resistance, Lab Rat," She told me plainly, "You will only be authorized to engage the Herrscher if I can confirm the effectiveness of your augmented immune system. Otherwise, you will be on clean-up and containment duties, like most agents."
I glanced at her, then at Alexanderson, who didn't seem to argue what she was saying.
I didn't want to say it out loud, but... suicide missions weren't exactly rare in our line of duty, were they? During the German eruption, countless soldiers were sent pretty much to their deaths just to delay the enemy or to get some intel, and while M.O.T.H. wasn't exactly involved with that clusterfuck, considering the situation, well...
I sort of was expecting them to volunteer me no matter what.
"Mobius, can you really afford to do that?" Ato asked, sounding more bewildered than protesting. But it seems he decided to ask what I pussied out of voicing, "We need you to monitor the situation as it develops in mission control, you can't hole up in the labs!"
...ah, he was talking about something else altogether.
"I am not the only person with a triple-digit IQ in this building," She said coldly, "But I am the only one qualified to confirm and test the limits of Knightmares' so-called antibodies without having him in the lab. We need to know if the resistance he spoke off is real, and if it's real, how long will it allow him to last near a Herrscher. Without those estimates, deploying him is the same as killing him ourselves, and he is too valuable for humanity to throw away. Especially because my theories about the possible emergence of new Herrschers are confirmed." She looked me in the eyes, "We can't afford to burn all we have just to win quicker. Not as things are now."
Hulk simply nodded to her assessment, and Ato, after a brief moment when it looked like he wanted to argue, answered quietly.
"I see."
Mobius measured him with a long look before glancing at me, just for a brief moment, our eyes met. Then, turning around, she left, heading towards the labs, I assume.
...why did she even bother coming here to begin with? Aren't we, including her, short on time?
"Knightmare, normally, I wouldn't have time to personally speak with an operative before deployment, especially in a crisis," The man spoke plainly, "But frankly, the thing I am about to ask is outrageous enough that just giving the order wouldn't be right."
He gestured, and a holographic screen appeared behind his back. It was the map of Belarus, with a number of small towns and cities outlined in red.
"Those are the places where the Herrscher struck so far. The pattern is different from Germany; this one teleports into a city or a town with a sizable enough population, and stays there long enough for the Honkai beasts it summons to entrench and spread. Afterwards, it moves on to the next settlement that fits its criteria." The man looked me in the eyes, "Five different nuclear strikes were conducted on the Second Herrscher, each using multiple ballistic missiles. As long as the Herrscher was still present in a location, the strike was always unsuccessful; the payloads were simply... displaced away to the other nearby civilian target or the contingents of ground troops that the Belarusian armed forces tried to muster. Multiple different methods were attempted, striking from different angles, utilizing decoys, if you thought of it, we tried it."
...fuck me, they didn't just stop at two tries?
Then again, I suppose this is the ultimate weapon technology mankind has produced so far. Any other response will likely have even less of a chance of working.
"Whatever limitations it has on the number of objects it can displace, if there are any at all, we didn't manage to approach them with brute force."
The man looked me in the eyes as he folded his arms on his chest.
"We can't engage the Herrscher on the ground; by the time the local military contingent starts to respond to its presence and assemble on location, it's already gone, and they have to deal with infected and dying civilizans and hordes of Honkai beasts. Moreover, normal people without outstanding Honkai resistance are dead within half an hour if Herrscher appears anywhere near them. We also need time to rotate our own agents, that is M.O.T.H., to the combat zone in sufficient numbers. We don't have that many combat-ready personnel in Europe, and the number of planes we have is limited." He paused for a moment. "That's why we need you."
The man paused for a moment.
"Our analysts hatched a plan. Herrscher must have limits on its capabilities. Even the previous one had them. Which leads us to believe that if it's sufficiently distracted, it may not be able to deflect the nuclear strike. We need you to confront the Herrscher and engage on the ground, distract it long enough for the alpha strike to hit, or if that fails, the armed forces to arrive and assist you in combat."
"What are the Herrscher's abilities exactly?" I asked directly, massaging my neck as I considered the situation, "If it can just teleport me to space to suffocate, I am not sure how much I can do."
"The Second Herrscher demonstrated the ability to distort and control space to an extent," One of the officers by Hulk's side spoke up, I don't think I know this man. "From the short battles it engaged in, we know it is capable of creating spatial distortions and portals to attack and defend itself. If the remains of the first Herrscher taught us anything, it's that its body is also durable and can't be damaged by any hand-held weaponry. Its reaction speed and ability to multitask also seem to be inhuman, as is its sensory range, as it can detect ballistic missiles on descent and redirect them." Which was telling, considering that the re-entry of a ballistic missile is usually what, Mach 15?
That begs the question, however...
"If it can control space on demand, and either can multitask to this extent or have such a sensory range... in what universe am I expected to slow it down?" I ask simply, glancing across the three.
The second unfamiliar man spoke up at that.
"According to our data, any serious distortion of space requires time and effort from the Herrscher. Fractions of seconds, we aren't certain about a precise number," He said, adjusting his glasses. "What we do know is that the sheer area it can influence is also limited. What we know of the Herrscher's ability so far is mostly from a single brigade of Belarusian armed forces that managed to reach and engage it." He paused for a moment, his expression darkening, "They were wiped out, but not instantly. From what we can tell, the Herrscher's ability to shape space has limits that leave it vulnerable."
Hulk nodded at that.
"And from what we know about your own reaction speed and your danger sense, you are the only one who can match that monster." The man said.
...I see. In other words, it's the good old 'you don't have to be faster than a bullet, just be faster than whoever is shooting' thing.
"While I have a feeling it's not as easy as any of you describe," I said simply, before grinning, "As long as you are halfway right about this, I can win. Let's do it."
Hulk's expression darkened for a moment, but he nodded.
"You are a good man. Hopefully the suit will hold up," He glanced at Ato, who chuckled awkwardly.
"From what we can tell, the proto-adamantium will probably be useless against the ability to tear apart space," He explained awkwardly. "That being said, the armour should let you shrug off the nuclear explosion. The normal radiation and thermal energy aren't an issue, and the kinetic one should mostly be suppressed by vibranium and the shock-absorbing gel, combined with your own inhuman constitution." Ato blinked, scratching his head as he realized what he said. "No offense."
"None taken," I wave it off.
The scientist walked to the side and tapped the sizable sword to the side,
"As for the weaponry, unfortunately, we don't have any firearms prepared that could realistically help against the expected durability of the Herrscher. Energy weapons are better, but they will deplete your batteries in an instant. You will have to face it in melee."
...so, I am going with a sword, against a teleporting, space-controlling opponent, in a clunky suit of power armour that explicitly impedes my mobility, and with that armour being mostly useful against the friendly fire of my allies who are going to try and drown both me and my enemy, in the nuclear fire?
"Yeah, well, can I get at least some gun to try and harass it?" I asked, deadpanning at the man, "Because don't get me wrong, but shortening the distance is kind of the main issue here."
Ato shook his head regretfully.
"We have an auto-canon that you can probably carry around, but it will weigh you down, and the kinetic energy of the shots simply won't be enough to damage a Herrscher. Even if it won't defend itself."
I opened my mouth.
"Turning bullets into proto-adamantium won't give them more kinetic energy, Knightmare."
I grumbled, but closed my mouth, nodding.
"Alright, lad," Alexanderson spoke up again, "The VT-49 is yours. Get your equipment and prepare for departure. You'll get briefings and tactical updates on your way there, hopefully, by then, Doctor Mobius will be able to tell us if you can handle the mission."
I pause just for a moment, as morbid curiosity takes the better of me.
"Big Boss, if you don't mind me asking," I pause for a moment, "What is plan B in case I can't handle that Honkai emission level?" Or if I fail and die.
He pauses for a moment.
"Full-scale army assault whenever it reaches Minsk or, failing that, Kiev or Moscow."
In other words, millions will die if that happens.
No pressure.
Nodding slowly, I look towards the VT-49.
"Please get me something to eat and drink on my way there." I said, glancing back at them, "I barely had time to go to the toilet this morning, I need something or I'll crash once the stimms wear off."
That took them aback. However, at least I was able to get some breakfast for the flight.
Author's Note: Here is the chapter. I'd like to hear what you think. Some of you people did have your questions answered.
I also have news. From now on, one advanced chapter for this fic, too, will be posted on Patreon.
If I ever decide to stop writing this fic or take a pause, I will inform readers in advance. Expect a chapter per week/two weeks. Consider Patreon a guarantee of that.