WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Cyberpunk Chivalry ◈
Chapter 23: TRICK OR TREAT?
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This expedition was different from the very start.
The moment they left Sanctum and emerged beyond the Outer, Halloween Society's pent-up madness exploded all at once.
Dozens of armored vehicles raced across the wasteland, covered in flashy paint, geometric neon signs, and decorations of unknown purpose.
The huge speakers mounted on each vehicle blasted different music at ear-splitting volumes, each demanding attention.
Rather than an expedition, the scene looked more like a mad carnival parade filled with clashing noise.
Several idols climbed onto the roofs of their speeding vehicles. Then they began their streams, shouting at the drones following them.
One roared while downing a newly released energy drink. Another flashed a V sign in front of a rival's vehicle, which had been blown to pieces.
-Oh! Team Underdogs! What an explosive start! They've neatly taken out a rival and won the viewers' hearts!
The commentary played over the car radio.
Before Chatterbox could finish marveling at the scene, another huge explosion erupted. A half-wrecked armored vehicle flew through the air.
Watching the scene outside the window, Ash suddenly remembered that everyone except him and Akina belonged to Halloween Society.
A society united by a single value.
The one value ruling this expedition was clear.
Popularity.
The battles taking place here weren't about survival.
They were closer to a show meant to draw higher ratings.
From now on, everything here would be controlled by one absolute truth: viewer ratings.
In a world where even life-or-death combat had become mere entertainment, likes and donations mattered more than survival.
That was the true nature of this expedition.
"Fuck. They're already making complete asses of themselves."
At least there was one small comfort. His teammates, Ifrit, Dullahan, and Jack O'Lantern, were relatively quiet.
Ash turned his blue-green optical sensors toward Ifrit.
"Will you not join that commotion, lady warrior?"
At his question, Ifrit grinned while tending to her personal weapon, Dragon's Breath.
"Ash. Whatever you do, you've gotta make an impact. If we join in while everyone's going wild, we'll just get lost in the crowd."
"...Could you explain in more detail?"
"There's nothing to explain. In the end, every viewer wants to know one thing: who's in first place? We just need to find the Nexus first. Ratings? We can steal every last viewer from the others."
Jack O'Lantern shouted from the driver's seat.
"Exactly, sis! The real star always shows up last! Hehehe."
A message also scrolled across Dullahan's visor.
[only noobs chase attention right from the start, yep]
"...Is that so?"
Their methods differed, but they were no different from the others.
It was only natural when he thought about it.
They all belonged to Halloween Society.
Ifrit.
Dullahan.
Jack O'Lantern.
There was only one reason they had joined this dangerous retaking operation, even recruiting guest members for it.
Popularity.
Greater fame.
More viewers.
They wanted to shine brighter than anyone else on the grand stage of the Nexus retaking operation.
Ash wanted to ask.
What exactly was this thing called popularity, for which they were willing to throw away their lives?
"..."
But he didn't ask.
'Have I not lived a life consumed by something myself?'
The only difference was that they sought popularity, while he had sought revenge.
If someone asked me why I had lived that way, could I give them an answer? Ash wasn't sure.
Someone aboard a ship could not see the shape of that ship.
Adjusting the steel blade strapped to his back, Ash detached himself from this world of violence wrapped in good cheer.
None of the festival's excitement reached him.
But this wild festival apparently had no intention of leaving him alone.
"Oh, fu...!"
With that short cry, their armored vehicle swerved sharply. Jack O'Lantern had jerked the wheel.
"Aaah!"
Ash caught Akina as she lost her balance and nearly went flying, then raised his head.
Outside the window, five or six motorcycles were racing toward them across the wasteland. Smoke rose from the heavy weapon one of the riders held. Apparently, they had aimed and fired at their vehicle.
"Those bastards...!"
Ifrit, who had been thrown into a corner by the sharp turn, swore.
"So you wanna play?"
As she reached to open the roof hatch, Ash rose too.
"I shall join you."
"Good! Let's have some fun!"
The two climbed through the roof hatch of the speeding armored vehicle. The fierce, biting wind whipped their clothes.
With dust storms and gunfire rising from dozens of vehicles, the wasteland was utter chaos.
Through that chaos, the motorcycles approached in clouds of dust, pulling alongside them and spraying bullets.
Ratatatat!
Sparks flew from the armor plating.
Ifrit swore once, then raised Dragon's Breath with a wild grin.
"Eat this!"
Dragon's Breath was a shotgun.
One that breathed fire.
With a thunderous blast, a spread of flaming shot swallowed the bikers.
A couple of bikes tumbled, their riders screaming as flames engulfed them.
Three bikers burst out of the dust storm. Instead of retreating, they closed in, adjusting the heavy weapons resting on their shoulders.
They were anti-tank guns.
"Oh, shit!"
Before Ifrit could take aim, Ash stepped forward. His low electronic voice rang through the rushing wind.
"Cover me."
Ash shot from the edge of the armored vehicle's roof as though launched by an explosion. Faint sparks flickered along the spiral trail he left behind.
"Wh-what the hell is that?!"
A biker stared in horror at Ash hurtling toward them. Before the rider could do anything, Ash reached them and swung his blade.
With a slicing crack, the barrel of the anti-tank gun was cut clean through.
Ash stepped on the biker's shoulder as he passed, launching himself toward another rider behind them.
"What the fuck?!"
Shocked by Ash's flying approach, the bikers raised their guns. But Ash moved faster than their bullets.
He twisted in midair, narrowly slipping past the incoming rounds, and landed precisely behind the second rider.
"How do you do?"
"..."
A humanoid had arrived as though dropping straight from the sky. His blue-green optical sensors shone, and he swung his blade, striking the biker with its blunt back.
"Aargh!"
The motorcycle lost its balance and veered toward another rider.
"Huh? Hey! You bastard! Don't come this wa..."
The two motorcycles collided, tangling horribly as they rolled across the ground.
And Ash?
Ash was already gone.
Just as when he had set out, he had somehow flown through the air and returned to the armored vehicle's roof. The whole thing had taken less than ten seconds.
Leaping between moving motorcycles and subduing every rider. It was an almost miraculous feat, made possible by lightness arts honed to their peak.
Instead of providing the cover he had requested, Ifrit had simply stared at him. She blinked.
Ash had already sheathed his blade. He paused on his way into the hatch and spoke to her.
"Are you not coming in?"
"Uh, yeah..."
Still looking dazed, Ifrit followed Ash through the hatch. The moment she entered, Chatterbox's excited voice burst from the car speakers.
-Unbelievable! Did you see that, viewers? Team Elementary Girls' secret weapon! That is, uh... Give me a moment. Ah! Ash Blade! The humanoid swordsman who recently took Sanctum by storm with a single short video! What a thrill, charging into enemy lines alone and smashing everything in his path! Just what were those moves?!
Chatterbox wasn't the only one making a fuss.
Honk! Honk! Hooonk!
After sounding the horn several times, Jack O'Lantern whipped his head around.
"Wow! That was insane! What was that just now? How do you move like that?"
Dullahan, sitting in the front passenger seat, was much the same.
A short message on the visor summed up their feelings.
[holy shit]
Dullahan even clapped.
Apparently, it had been quite impressive.
"Heh, hehehe! What did I tell you? I said he was no joke! We're gonna be the stars of this operation!"
"If this goes well, we might even make Today's Best!"
"Of course we will! All right! Let's goooo!"
[go go go go go Today's Best let's goooo go go go go]
The armored vehicle grew noisy.
But Ash, the very person they were celebrating, remained quiet. Leaving his rowdy teammates behind, he quietly sat down beside Akina.
"Is anything damaged?"
"No."
"What about your power? How much battery do you have left?"
Ash looked at Akina for a moment, then raised the steel hand she had fitted for him and gently stroked her head.
"Do not worry. There is nothing to worry about."
Ratings. Streaming. Popularity.
None of that mattered to Ash or Akina. Even in this lively moment, survival was their only concern.
After reassuring Akina, Ash closed his voice module and turned his gaze out the window.
"All right! Let's keep this going! Jack! Step on it!"
The armored vehicle's heavy engine growled, its eight cylinders firing one after another.
With a deep rumble, the vehicle accelerated across the wasteland, raising a cloud of dust.
* * *
After driving without a break, the armored vehicle came to a stop.
They had reached their destination.
"But sis, are we really going in without streaming?"
Jack O'Lantern spoke while switching off the engine.
His voice was full of regret.
Ifrit answered as she opened the rear hatch.
"I told you. Every little detail of the exploration isn't important. Our target is the Nexus Port. We just need to find it first. Starting the stream then won't be too late."
Dullahan nodded.
A message appeared on the visor.
[yeah and we gotta watch out for anyone following our route]
Jack O'Lantern still looked disappointed.
He seemed reluctant to let go of the sudden attention Ash had brought them.
But he also knew that a no-stream run had several advantages, so he said nothing more.
"That's enough chatting."
Ifrit was the first to step out of the armored vehicle.
"Let's get ready."
At her quiet words, the team began to move.
Jack O'Lantern took out several small bombs and secured them around his waist. Dullahan moved their mechanical arm several times, checking its systems. They also carefully inspected their gun.
"Dullahan and I will take the lead. Jack, cover the rear. Let's blast through obstacles whenever we can. Speed is everything on this expedition. Oh, bring a few more bombs. Now that we're here, these ruins look bigger than I expected."
Following her instructions, the three idols busied themselves with preparations. Their movements were practiced.
Ifrit and her teammates clearly weren't ordinary Pathfinders. They were veterans who knew the ruins well.
Amid the bustle, Ash stepped out of the armored vehicle with Akina and spoke.
"What is my role?"
Apparently surprised by the question, Ifrit raised an eyebrow.
"What's gotten into you? You're creeping me out. Would you even listen if I told you?"
"If necessary."
Ifrit blinked a couple of times at his answer.
"...You've got a strange way of winning people over."
Ifrit raised Dragon's Breath and chambered a round. A heavy Clack rang out.
"Protect Akina. No matter what happens. That's all you need to do."
There wasn't a hint of playfulness in her voice. Ash looked into her unusual eyes for a moment, then slowly nodded.
"Thank you for your consideration."
"Consideration, my ass. That's the hardest job of all."
Their preparations were soon complete.
Resting Dragon's Breath on her shoulder, Ifrit spoke one last time.
"All right. Shall we get going?"
The five Pathfinders nodded together and headed into the dark ruins.
And so their second expedition began.
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