Raid Control (3)
The light drained from Ergos's eyes, and one by one the limbs embedded in the cave fell away.
The ground shook as they plunged; the creatures lost control and began thrashing in every direction.
Kreek! Kreek!
Having received no attack orders, they collided with one another and in an instant disappeared from sight.
"Phew."
Shirone exhaled and saw a translucent box spinning in front of Ergos's frame.
It hadn't materialized because priority for claiming the item hadn't been set.
'Mikelan.'
He didn't know much about High Gear, but he could feel this was something someone wanted.
Just as he reached out toward the antique box, the mafia crew came running up.
"Wait! Wait a sec!"
Dex hurried to Shirone's side and stared at the box in disbelief.
"It's real. It's actually a legendary-grade item." Probabilities being what they are, it was hard to believe it had dropped on a single run.
'Ergos only ever gives one legendary—the Mikelan. If we sell this, the coins—'
Zeros skittered through his head.
'A free pass to the Western nation is nice, but Mikelan is worth way more. If we take this…'
Catching Shirone's gaze, Dex cleared his throat.
"Uh—hem. In party hunts the currency is split by default. Items don't get distributed automatically, so they won't materialize until priority is decided."
"Priority?"
"There are two ways. Either a user designates who gets it. Or you leave it to chance. Usually people pick the first, but if trust is low you draw cards. Higher hands get priority, and if you forfeit ownership it passes to the next."
"Then make me number one. Give me Donatello too and I'll hand over the free pass to the Western nation."
That had been the deal from the start, but the mafia crew's faces fell.
'I didn't expect a legendary to actually drop.'
They'd seen Yahweh2's power with their own eyes, but hadn't imagined it could control probabilities so precisely.
"Why? Suddenly don't want to give it?"
Say that outright and anyone's face would flush.
Sona made an aggrieved gesture.
"No, seriously! This is a jackpot of jackpots. Saying you'll hog it all is kind of shameless, isn't it? Be reasonable and give a little."
The mafia agreed.
"Ergos was C-type with a pursuit pattern, so you could catch it. You said you can see bullets and jump through space and all that. If it'd been B-type—defensive—your attacks probably wouldn't have done anything."
"Then what do you want? I need Mikelan. What do you want, coins?"
Fermira would pay any amount for it.
"A free pass to the Western nation plus coins. If Donatello drops, count that as coins too."
It was unlikely to drop, but still.
"Fine. Then let him get Mikelan. I'll contact the Gold Coin Wheel once we're out."
Sona said.
"No. We'll keep it and settle later. The Gold Coin Wheel might refuse settlement, and you might take it and bolt for the Eastern nation."
"That could happen to anyone." The mafia sat down as if daring them.
"We won't concede. Make your choice. If you don't set priority, you can't leave until you disconnect."
Pestered into rudeness, Shirone abandoned politeness.
"All right. Let's do it by chance—decide who gets it by drawing cards."
"Huh?"
The mafia turned, surprised.
"That's clean. Draw cards—whoever gets the highest hand gets priority, right?"
"That's true but—"
It was seven against one.
'They're serious? Only one of seven has to top Yahweh2's hand. Anyone with a higher hand than Yahweh2 will do.'
The mafia stood.
"We accept. It's fair. Any objections?"
They all nodded.
"Okay then, Yahweh2—touch the box. When the priority-selection menu pops up, choose random."
They meant for him to touch an item he wouldn't get, but Shirone ignored the jibe and complied.
When he chose random, AR card hands appeared, dealt one to each person.
"Let's see."
They flipped their cards. Sona clenched her fist and cheered.
"Yes! K!"
"Oh, nice hand. Congrats."
No one laughed entirely freely—nobody truly trusted Sona either.
'This is getting intense.'
Shirone licked his lips and stared hard at the card blinking before him.
"Hurry up and flip it. We don't have all day." In a focused state his senses sharpened and the world's true weight pressed in.
'Here.'
At the point his mind selected, the card opened and the air turned cold.
"An ace?"
The mafia peered, unable to believe what their eyes showed.
"W-what, an ace…? Huh? That's an ace…"
Still thinking they needed him, Shirone put on an innocent smile.
"Haha! What a lucky day! Maybe I'll even get Donatello in one go?"
A system message popped up.
- Item acquisition priority has been decided. 1st priority Yahweh2, 2nd priority Sona, 3rd priority...
"Acquired."
As the box materialized, a wooden glove-shaped part fell into Shirone's hand.
'Wood?'
That was an unusual material in High Gear.
"You! That—"
Before Sona could finish, the cave brightened and a pale radiance filled the space.
- Event concluded.
When their vision cleared, they were already standing before Ergos's sanctuary.
Sona hurried on, "You! Don't equip that now! Once you equip it you can't trade it!"
That was how legendary items worked.
"Equip."
"Ah—"
Shirone deliberately chose to equip. Mikelan cracked and poured out light.
With a pop its form shattered and particles of light coated Yahweh2's right arm.
"What is—"
When the light faded, a nacreous metal gauntlet had taken the place of his right hand.
Sona pressed a hand to her head.
"This is insane. If it binds to you, it won't even drop as loot. Is he really going to run off with it?"
When a great item appeared, people often killed the owner to take the loot.
"But how do you use this?"
Even that innocent question sounded almost like mockery.
"Ha—legendary at level 100, huh. Wait until you're a ranker to equip that. If you get cut down, what were you thinking?"
"Well, can't be helped. But this—"
Shirone held Mikelan out and the mafia approached, intrigued. It was the first time any of them had seen one up close.
"Legendary items have things in common. First, when acquired they're not in metal form. Second, once equipped they can't be traded. Third, their performance is independent of output."
Shirone nodded.
"Independent of output, huh. No wonder Fermira obsessed over legendaries."
"And this Mikelan…"
Sona gripped Mikelan with both hands and turned it over to inspect its functions.
An engraved lens sat in the palm.
"Oh, this must be it. From what I've heard, Mikelan is a photon-particle regulator. Light has destructive power."
Shirone's eyes narrowed.
'A photon cannon.'
He raised his palm and activated the part; the lens lit up.
"Huh? Whoa."
The mafia backed away and watched the smoky light gather on his palm.
"Wow."
It was mesmerizing to see the light move, and so far it didn't look especially threatening.
"This is tricky. Like most legendaries, it doesn't generate raw power itself; it manipulates something. Skill matters more than level."
Hence its independence from output.
"Hmm, I see."
Shirone toyed with the light to get a feel for it. The mafia clicked their tongues.
"Told you not to equip it. Now you can't hand it to the guild. What're you going to do? You still gonna settle—"
Everyone's eyes widened.
'Like this.'
Recalling the feel of a photon cannon, the smoky light compressed into a sphere in an instant.
"W-what is that?"
The light shivered, poised to erupt.
"It's compressed light. I don't know the principle in High Gear, but—"
Shirone thrust Mikelan forward like firing. The flash struck a distant rock dead on.
Kaa—BOOM!
A roar split the cave; the gust gouged out a crater.
"My god."
They all gaped.
"Light detonates? That's a missile!"
Power would vary with compression precision, but having no ammo restriction was a tremendous advantage.
Shirone clenched his fist.
'Done. One secured.'
It was a blade that could pierce an Operator.
The mafia, still staring at the wreckage, hurriedly rearranged their expressions.
"Anyway, congrats. Your skill's for real. Now only settlement remains. Can you contact the Gold Coin Wheel now?"
"No. Settlement comes after we find Donatello. Let's hurry to the next hunt."
Dex shouted.
"Hey! Where did that come from? You expect us to wait until Donatello shows up and stick with you until then?"
"That's what was promised from the start. You've broken every promise so far, so honor at least this one. Otherwise my settlement is void too."
"Ugh!"
Now the mafia were at a disadvantage.
'Damn it! We got played. If he bolts for the Eastern nation we get nothing.' Sona asked, frowning, "If we find Donatello you'll really settle up? Promise it here, yeah?"
'They break promises like nothing,' Shirone muttered inwardly, but the initiative was already his.
'I don't want to run into another Western user either.'
Having decided, Shirone opened the selection menu and equipped boosters. "Fine. Then let's head back to Democracy. I'll wait where Mid Gear is."
He activated the booster; Yahweh2's frame ignited like a rocket and shot into the sky.
"…He left."
As he flew off without looking back, the weight in their chests confirmed reality.
"Damn! Thought he was naive but he's a real bastard. Wait—he didn't run off, did he?"
Dex ground his teeth.
"He said he'd wait at Mid Gear, so we've got no choice but to trust him. Even if we only settle Mikelan, it'll raise several part tiers. We can't give up now." "Really? He'll even do Donatello?" Sighs leaked around as Sona fired her booster and said,
"Let's go. Our output is higher; chase him now and we won't lose him."
At that, everyone sped off.
Kukukukukuku!
Hearing the roar and glancing back, Shirone confirmed the mafia crew was following him at a distance.
'See? You should've been nicer to me.' He stuck his tongue out.