The Surrounded

Can I kill Wild Mane?

Of course... now that things have come to this.

If we find ourselves some prey, that'll help make our owners less grumpy.

......

They're prey who got away to begin with... I'm just taking back what should've been mine.

Contact Team 3. Have them pack it up and come with me.

Wild Mane spotted! Wild—

Too slow, Armorless!

Urgh!

Pulling dirty tricks in the shadows... Don't tell me you people have forgotten how to take on a knight!

Filthy Infected!

This is for Jamie and all the innocent who died by your hands!

Eek—

—Iwona! Don't forget what Sona said. Avoid killing anyone if you can... At the very least, when you kill them, make sure you're prepared to handle it.

Hey, you. Armorless... How many people have you killed?

Heh...

Trying to act all righteous now, are we? Hypocritical brat. Back when I was a bounty hunter on the Golden Prairie, I never gave a crap about that!

Have you forgotten what life outside the cities is like? Those who stand at the top, the strongest survivors, are all cold-blooded bastards! That's the way it goes!

—Say whatever you want, but I've won.

When you've lost, when you're dead, nothing you say matters.

You—

He probably sent out a distress signal just now...

Hopefully that'll lure the Armorless Union here. That'll make Greynuty's job easier.

......

Fartooth, have you spotted any Armorless over there?

No.

What about you?

Greynuty's already in position. Just waiting on our signal.

That said, the Armorless can't be this slow to react... Did Wild Mane really manage to lure them her way?

She probably...

......!

Armorless spotted. They're heading your way from an alleyway on 4th Street, Iwona!

Iwona...? Can you hear me? Iwona?

Hey?! Szewczyk? Iwona?!

The transmission... got cut? No way... In a city with this much transmission traffic...?

......

This silence is creepy... Iwona. I have a bad feeling about this.

Are those Armorless guys really such pushovers that we can take them down with an ambush?

I'm not sure.

Bigger problem, I'm not getting any of Justyna's transmissions, and she should be staring down at us from somewhere up high right—

(Shudder)—

—Move!

You jumped from so high up, but you didn't even let out a peep, huh?

Must be nice to be a Feline.

Team 3...

What?! When did they—

(The difference between these guys and the ones we fought just now are night and day... She's wearing blue. Is she the Lazurite from the other day?)

You go on ahead...

But!

Go!

You'd better survive this!

Aargh?!

—?!

No way. I didn't even see her pull that bowstring—

She... threw it?

Aghh! My leg. My leg!

Grit your teeth and keep running! Don't stop!

Hey, stop looking around! I'm right here!

......!

Are you Infected all idiots? Look how many bows we have aimed at you.

Wild Mane Knight, you should be dead several days by now. Good on you, though. You still have the chance to play hero today.

Now run. I don't want this hunt to end on a such a boring note. Let's kill some time together.

Hah, you seem to be mistaken.

Do I look like the kind of gal who hides in the shadows?

You look like the kind who's getting herself killed.

*Spit*. We Infected are sick of toiling our miserable lives away like that!

You're just a bunch of despicable bastards hiding behind the K.G.C.C., doing all kinds of shady business. Every one of us living out in the open is stronger than you!

......

Armorless scum...

Have you ever fought a gloompincer on the brink of death? Do you know how a dying, cornered animal fights?

You're too full of yourself.

I may die, but that doesn't mean I'll lose. And you. You'll pay your dues right here.

Then... My friends will...

Look at you. No fear of death on your face. You don't want to live, yet you still want to win. Ridiculous.

Come.

You're going to use that arrow as a blade? What, you looking down on me?

Of course.

You little...

Urgh—!

So that's the speed you Kuranta are so proud of?

Don't underestimate me—

Hraaagh––!!

Don't be such a crybaby. I made sure not to kill you.

Now let me see how much blood you have to spill.

After I've painted the entire street with it, the Infected hiding in the dark will probably stop resisting?

Um, Lazurite, she is Infected though...

If you're worried about catching it, you should look for a new job.

Once death calms her down, it'll be much easier to deal with the resisting Infected.

It's been a while since I heard from Justyna...

Maybe she ran into some kind of trouble?

......

Either way, there's five minutes till our ambush.

Sona should be in position by now. We just have to trust each other.

It's almost time...

Everyone, be safe...

You didn't even last a few minutes.

......

Go on... There should be seven or eight Infected hideouts around here, though I wouldn't be surprised if they're empty by now. Search all of them, one by one.

Get... back... here...

I'm not... done yet!

I'm leaving her to you. Not worth any more of my time.

Right.

All units, prepare to fire—

Didn't I just say... I'm not done?!

—She still has the strength to fight?!

I don't want to kill too many people here...

The old and the young can go, but I'll take the heads of ten Infected knights back to keep my bosses happy.

You... You murderer!

What did you do to Iwona?!

She should probably have passed out from the blood loss by now, though it sounds like she might still be putting up a fight.

You monster—!

You should know that even if you manage to get away now, it won't vindicate you.

I'll say it again. Ten Infected knights for the lives of everyone else.

How can we trust you?! You're just a bunch of murderers, a bunch of sick bastards!

I'll count Iwona... Just the lives of nine more knights.

You—

Are you sure you can win?

......!

I...

Never mind, then... It'll be faster if I do it myself.

Now what's the rush?

If you want to keep your bosses happy, surely you'd want quality over quantity?

Wouldn't you agree?

Toland Cash.

Not to toot my own horn, but I'm sure I'm worth a hefty sum on the wanted posters?

If you are willing to give me your own head, then I won't need any more.

Don't taunt her, Toland! She's—

'Lazurite' Monique of the Armorless Union, am I correct?

I said it before... I don't like to be interrupted when I'm working.

If you don't plan on giving yourself up, that makes three times you've interrupted me, Toland Cash.

Phew~ You really are quick on the draw with that bowstring.

You saw it...? No, your stance... That's the swordhand of a knight.

Since when do bounty hunters have tricks like that?

Oh, don't say that. If all we knew was shooting arrows, setting up traps, pulling dirty tricks, and waiting for our prey...

Would we really be any different from the scum in the Armorless Union?

You won't dodge many more of my shots.

You sure?

Whew, that was close.

Might want to watch your step, though.

Nngh—

An explosive trap...? You're still a bounty hunter in the end...

Needless to say.

—?!

—A charge... You've received knight training?

That's it. You're helping the Nearls... so you must have something tied up with them.

This really piques my interest, but work is work. We can't waste too much time on you.

Man, what a pain... There's just no catching a taxi during the Major, is there?

Excuse me, which way is the Holiday Knight Souvenir Shop?

Hey, look at the time. Let's find a restaurant and get a bite to eat first.

Will you look at that?! Our Columbian newbie is about to overwhelm Wisteria Knight once again!

Impressive speed! Now just one more—Hold on, hold on! What's going on?!

Unbelievable! A devastating accident at the very last moment! Did our newbie trip?! Come on, this is the Major! Get up!

......

Do you always leave work this late, Młynar?

To what do I owe the pleasure...?

If I had known in advance, Lady Russell, I would've received you more properly.

Don't worry yourself. I won't be taking up much of your time.

Tonight will be messy. There will be lots for us to take care of.

......

Młynar, is the sword-bearing wanderer back?

......

The wanderer traveled through corpse-laden battlefields and boundless wastelands, at last making it to the fortress lit ablaze by cannonfire. Is the wanderer not back yet?

......

—I still haven't heard anything from them, but we can't wait any longer.

In five minutes, we'll begin our ambush and cut off the core power source. The core district, where the General Chamber of Commerce is, will lose all power.

Then, and only then, will Sona have a chance to break inside.

A big show then, huh? I like it.

Our Adeptus 'friends' should have withdrawn the security here, clearing a path for us.

We need to be quick. Get ready—

?!

W-What's that?! Where was that explosion?

T-The power supply sector? Why?

Ashlock! Why did you start the operation early?!

No, we haven't started the charge yet—

—We've been had. Get out of there!

Now sleep, Kawalerielki, my beloved Grand Knight Territory.

Good night.