"No, we can't keep up with them on foot alone. At this rate, they'll catch us sooner or later!"
Tsukishiro Yanagi glanced back at the pursuers rapidly closing in, then immediately formed a plan.
These soldiers, though newly promoted and assigned to the Falkenhayn Mercenary Troupe, came from different units, making their coordination clumsy. Otherwise, the two squads earlier would have already posed a serious threat. After all, anyone capable of joining the Falkenhayn Mercenary Troupe—rookie or not—was elite even among the Defense Force.
"Harumasa, Soukaku, we split up!"
At her command, Tsukishiro Yanagi quickly flashed a series of hand signals. Harumasa and Soukaku, long accustomed to her rhythm, immediately understood her intent—far faster than words could convey.
Soukaku then whispered something to Eous in her arms. Upon receiving an affirmative response, she nodded firmly to Tsukishiro Yanagi.
Seeing this, Tsukishiro Yanagi raised her hand, then slashed her finger downward.
The operation began.
Harumasa and Soukaku continued retreating with Eous in the direction Belle had indicated, while Tsukishiro Yanagi abruptly stopped. Her boots scraped a mark across the ground before she sprang forward again, veering sharply in another direction.
Her eyes locked on the residential blocks ahead. She remembered this place—they'd passed through earlier, and she had studied the layout along the way. Combined with the intelligence she'd reviewed on nearby facilities, shaking off the pursuers shouldn't be too difficult.
As for how to draw their attention...
To deal with clever enemies, you have to use clever methods.
The moment they split up, Harumasa didn't fall back immediately. Instead, he spun around and charged toward the pursuers. His twin blades flashed open, slicing directly toward the lead soldier's helmet.
The strike was lightning-fast, tearing through the pursuer's armor. But before Harumasa could follow up, another enemy was already upon him.
Numbers—that was the pursuers' greatest advantage.
Nearby, Soukaku covered Harumasa's counterattack, her movements quick and precise. Eous clung tightly to her clothes, hanging onto her with unwavering focus.
Meanwhile, on the opposite side, Tsukishiro Yanagi pulled a circular device from her belt and hurled it to the ground.
In an instant, an electromagnetic pulse burst forth, followed by a thick cloud of jamming smoke. The pursuers immediately lost track of her signal.
But only seconds later, Tsukishiro Yanagi's figure reappeared on the virtual displays of several mechs hovering above.
If these gadgets had been truly effective, they would've broken through the encirclement long ago.
Still, the smoke served its purpose—drawing nearly all the pursuers' attention toward her.
Her strength during the earlier clash had already made her a priority target, and now, seeing the others stay behind to cover her retreat, the pursuers were convinced she carried something important.
It was the same assumption anyone would make in their position.
After all, the orders from above weren't to capture three people—it was to retrieve the secret they carried.
Inside one of the mechs, an officer quickly gave new orders: a small detachment was to stay behind to block the remaining two, while the rest focused on Tsukishiro Yanagi.
And so, the chase began anew.
Tsukishiro Yanagi's plan had succeeded.
In the earlier skirmish, though her power had been revealed, Harumasa and Soukaku had barely shown theirs. What was meant as a way to conserve energy had now worked perfectly to mislead the pursuers.
Unaware of the others' true capabilities, the enemy had left behind only a small squad. Troublesome, yes—but the two could handle it.
Besides, the Proxy was assisting them.
That was one of the reasons she'd chosen to lure the enemy away herself.
A massive wave of pursuers raced after Tsukishiro Yanagi. Harumasa and Soukaku watched her fading figure, their faces grim.
They both understood the danger but said nothing. They knew what mattered most right now was getting Eous to safety.
Something had gone wrong at the video store, but maybe Bangboo had recorded something useful.
And even if Tsukishiro Yanagi was captured, once she revealed her identity, at least her life wouldn't be in danger.
The forces behind Section 6 weren't ones to be trifled with.
But Eous—being a Bangboo—wouldn't be granted the same mercy.
After a brief glance in the direction Tsukishiro Yanagi had gone, the two turned back and threw themselves into battle once more, determined to finish off the surrounding enemies as quickly as possible.
...
Meanwhile, elsewhere near the hollow at the edge of the lockdown zone...
"Looks like no one's beaten us to it yet..."
Shin gazed up at the hollow suspended in the sky and smiled faintly.
Even though control had been handed over to those people, sneaking in a backdoor or two was still easy enough. This accidental encounter with Section 6 had saved her a great deal of effort.
"Good baby, don't be afraid..."
Smiling softly, Shin began to walk toward the hollow, her tone gentle—like coaxing a young, innocent child.