Takano didn't have enough stamina to walk around in the mountains. She was running out of breath, but even so she continued to scream at the Mountain Dogs on the radio.

She wasn't using an intercom like the Mountain Dogs were.

Instead, she was using the communication unit on the back of one of the Dogs, so he constantly had to listen to her yelling.

"......Damn!

Everyone is so useless!

How can they call themselves a special unit?

Whatever happened to the famous Mountain Dogs, huh?"

Takano bit her lower lip and squeezed her left arm with her nails.

Her arms had nail marks all over them.

She was holding her grandfather's research scrapbook in her left hand.

Even Takano didn't even know why she was holding it.

Maybe she grabbed it unconsciously because she wanted her grandfather to comfort her.

The Mountain Dogs had already suffered devastating damage.

They had to walk around in an area they weren't familiar with,

and they wasted their energy on the multitude of traps that had been set.

Although they were as tough as can be, they were getting exhausted.

"...Shit.

...Does the Major even know

...any commands other than 'attack'...?

Hah,

hah...!!"

"Nightingale 1 to Nightingale 13...

watch out, your left wing is down.

You're next...!"

"Y-You've got to be kidding me!

Why me... damn it!!"

He panicked.

The same thing kept happening.

His team members had been going down one at a time, starting from the left flank!!

And he was next!!

Did that mean the enemy was coming from his nine o'clock?

No, those demons didn't think normally!!

On this mountain, being aware of 360 degrees around yourself wasn't enough!

Even being cautious of the ground below your feet and sky above your head wasn't enough!

W-Where are they fucking coming from?!

Those bastards! Come here, come here, come the fuck at me!!

Nightingale 13 held his taser in front of him as he looked around timidly.

This taser could have been a powerful weapon.

But it was far more effectively used indoors.

On this mountain, it was almost worthless.

Nightingale 13 heard a noise behind him from a bush.

He thought he saw something, so he fired his taser!!

The electrodes flew out into the bush.

...Did he just imagine it?

He felt a tug on his taser.

The cord from the taser was stuck in the bush, and he couldn't rewind it!!

If it wasn't useless before, it had certainly become that way.

Then he heard a noise behind him again, and this time, he saw someone coming at him!!

But his weapon was useless!

The newcomer growled at him!!!

"Au au au au au au au!!!"

"Whaaahhh!!

Damn you!!!"

That was all it took!

Because he was so scared, he didn't think.

...That was exactly what Satoko expected!!

Satoko, who was up in the tree, dropped a metal bucket on his head.

It landed perfectly!!

"Whaahhh, what the heck? What is this?"

The bucket had some drawings on it.

What were they?

They were drawings of strange unknown creatures.

...They somehow resembled those strange characters you see on educational TV programs.

"Aren't they just shoooooooo kyute?

Take it home with you!!!"

As Rena jumped out from another bush, she hit the bucket with a stick!!!

No, maybe it should be described as a strike...

instead of a hit.

The man flew backwards.

Keiichi was ready for him.

The stance he was in

looked a bit like...

that's it!!

He looked like a batter in a batter's box!!

He was on one foot... that was

the legendary one foot swing, created by that one world famous baseball player!!

Destructive force can't be measured from just one direction.

It's a function of both speeds added together!!

Both Keiichi's strike and the speed of his opponent created a truly amazing destructive force!!

"Whooooaaaah, a home run bunt!!!"

With an exhilarating and magnificent sound, the Mountain Dog flew into the air in the opposite direction.

Then he rolled down on the ground and stopped. There Rika awaited him.

It was almost as though they calculated that he would end up there.

"Poor thing, poor thing.

Pat, pat, meep meep~☆."

Rika patted the bucket happily.

This comforting moment for Nightingale 13 only lasted for a second.

Mion shot her taser at his butt. Nightingale 13 jerked for a moment, then went limp.

"Heh heh heh!

Another one down!! Let's tie him up!!"

Keiichi and Rena jumped on him and tied his hands behind his back with wire.

"Auuu auuu!!

That was great!! What a team we are!!"

"Oh ho ho ho ho!!

That was perfect!!

We shall do Combination 7 next!!"

"Au au!!

I want to do 5 again!"

"Oh, you liked that one, did you? You might have a hidden talent for using traps, Hanyuu-san!!"

Hanyuu and Satoko high-fived.

While Keiichi and Rena tied Nightingale 13 up...

Rika tried to sense something in the air.

"...Meep, meep, meep.

Bing.

I feel something coming towards us from that direction.

...Meep, meep, meep,

there are two,

and they are both very scared. Nipah~☆."

Rika reported to Mion.

She was a bit like a radar.

Mion didn't even care about the guy they had just knocked out.

She was already trying to figure out their next move while looking at Satoko's map and using the info Rika gave her.

Everyone eagerly awaited Mion's next order.

"Heh heh heh heh!!

Why are you looking at me that way?

You haven't had enough fun yet?

Yeah.

I guess we're just getting warmed up, huh?

Shall we continue?

Let's get them all!!!"

"""Yeahhhhhh!!!"""

Mion was a great leader. She had both leadership skills and tactical ability, but more than anything else, she was great at encouraging people's spirits.

There are no cowardly soldiers under a brave General.

And brave soldiers fight like a million men under Mion's command!

Nobody could stop Mion and her club members!

Both Mion and Okonogi's original estimates were too low.

Now Okonogi was thinking something else.

...Before they started this siege, he likened one of them to a well trained platoon,

...but that didn't fit anymore.

...They were on par with an elite armored division.

...Foot soldiers couldn't beat an armored division.

What Okonogi had was just a company!!

Where was the air support, or a bombardment from a warship, or an artillery base?

Okonogi needed someone to pump the mountain full of holes!!

If he couldn't have that, he needed a submarine to fire a nuclear weapon!!

If he couldn't have that, he wanted to retreat!!!

Okonogi no longer doubted it.

The enemy commander was a genius.

Under a mighty commander, all soldiers become heroes!!

He wanted to see the face of the commander, or at least he wanted to know their name!

But then Okonogi remembered that demons used to live in Hinamizawa.

...He also realized

the commander had to be a demon!!

"Nightingale 13 is down!!"

"Phoenix 4 is down!!"

"Th-This is Skylark 10...!

I-I can hear the voices of children...

I'm surrounded!!

Help, help me!!!"

"Skylark 10, fall back, fall back!!"

"To where?

Whahhhhhh!!!"

"Th-This is Phoenix 9...!

I found R. I'm following her, I need assistance!!"

"Phoenix 9, where are you? I don't know where you are!

Give me your current location!!"

"There is... a fog,

it's cold...

Is this a riverbank?"

"Phoenix 9, there are no rivers anywhere near us. Calm down, where are you?"

"What...? I can see...

my dead sister on the other side of the river...!!

Sis!!"

"Phoenix 9, Phoenix 9!!

Answer me!!

Ph-Phoenix 9 is down!!"

"This is impossible! They must be the demons of this mountain!!

I know, they're all being demoned away!!

None of us are making it out of here alive tonight!!"

"St-Stop saying things like that!!

All unit leaders, conduct a roll call and give your members some encouragement!!

Our enemies aren't demons!!

They're just a bunch of damn kids!!

Show them what we've got!!"

"...Ahahahahahahahaha ahahahahahahaha..."

"I-I hear that, whose intercom is it coming from?

Not mine, it's not coming from mine!!"

"A bear!!!

Whahhhhhhhhh!!!"

"This is Phoenix 3.

Are there wild bears here?

That wasn't in the briefing!!

Phoenix 1, let's fall back. Give us approval to use fireams!!"

"Don't be stupid, there are no wild bears around here!!

It's just them, don't let them fool you!!"

"You foolish humans...

Know your sins for stepping onto this sacred ground...

Be grateful to me, for I am giving you a chance to atone...

...Hee hee hee,

Bwaaaahahahahahahahahahaha..."

"Damn it, she has one of our intercoms!!

Don't let the enemy fool you!!"

"You, fearless humans.

If you can only learn by making mistakes, then I shall teach you..."

"Th-This is Nightingale 1...!!

Where is everyone?

Where did you all go? Come in, come in!!!"

"...Hee hee hee.

I see a helpless bird getting lost in a forbidden forest.

Do you want to know that badly?

Do you want to know about the world of demons?

Say goodbye to the world of humans.

Curse your foolishness for not listening to my warning..."

"...

Ehhhhh...

gyahhhh!!!"

"Wh-Who was that?

Nightingale, roll call!!"

"......Ghahh

...gahhh...

kahhh...!!"

"One more down!!

Who was it?

By the way, HQ, I have someone on my left, right?

I'm not alone, am I?"

"Hee hee hee... do you want to hear more painful voices...?"

"Gyahh!!

......bzzt..."

"Wh-What was that?

What made that sound?"

"I've seen someone jump in front of a train before...

It made the exact same sound!!

That's the sound of a human body being crushed!!"

"No, I don't want to die like that!!!

I don't want to die, I don't want to die!!!

Please, god of the mountain, please stop!!

I'm not doing this because I want to, I'm doing this because I get paid for it!!"

"N-Nightingale 1 to base!!

This isn't working.

Too many unit members are dropping out and it's almost impossible to get them to fight anymore.

We can't maintain the battle line!!

We are just going to lose more men!!"

"Calm down, Nightingale 1...!

The rest of our soldiers are all amateurs in the field!!

You graduated from that hell!!

So what are you doing, getting shook up?!

Calm down, and set an example!!"

"Base... there's no response from Nightingale 1...!!

I can't believe it, but he's down...

this is impossible, they are demons!!"

"N-No... damn it!!

Our enemy is even using psychological warfare!!

Those damn punks are winning against a professional unconventional warfare unit!!"

Radios are usually helpful communication tools.

But in this case, they backfired.

The club members took an intercom from a Mountain Dog they knocked out, and used it to corner the other members psychologically.

It worked even more effectively because they were in enemy territory and were unfamiliar with the terrain.

The best solution would be to make everyone stop using the intercom, but that would give the enemy more chances to attack them individually.

Okonogi was growing fearful of the club members, as he still hadn't grasped their true identities...

However, Takano still hadn't recognized how serious the situation was. She kept yelling at the Mountain Dogs to get their act together.

...Okonogi could tell she was exactly the type of commander who only commanded to attack and let her men die...

But Takano's reckless orders were working in a way.

Although the club members were winning, their area of operation was getting smaller.

The club members were trying to lure their enemies to one trap area after another.

In other words, they were defeating the Mountain Dogs by allowing them to come into their territory.

The Mountain Dogs were about to be annihilated... but the curtains were closing on the club members' theater, too.

Okonogi realized his enemies were trying to finish this battle in a hurry.

If the Mountain Dogs fell back, everything they'd done would be for nothing.

He didn't want to, but he had to follow the princess's order.

Okonogi figured he was finally about to get his enemies...!

Hanyuu and Keiichi continued to act over the commandeered radio.

"Hauuu, that was great, Hanyuu-chan, you sounded like a real god!!"

"You really were awesome, Hanyuu!

I never thought a normal person could sound like that...!"

"...That's because she is a god.

Nipah~☆!"

"Au au au!

But Keiichi was great too.

His scream was incredible, like someone was strangling a chicken."

"Oh ho ho ho!

That was easy for Keiichi-san, no?

In our club, he is also known as the Magician of Words!!"

"Heh heh heh!!

As long as my opponent is a human being with ears,

I can control him!!"

"You should become a voice actor.

I bet you'd be famous.

Nipah~☆."

"Can you hear me?

I am Takano, Major Takano!!

I'm your boss's boss!!

Listen well! There is no god or demon.

And if there is, then you can still fight.

Drag God down from its pedestal!!

Skylark and Nightingale, join up and reorganize your forces.

Phoenix, you join the remainder of Heron.

The enemies are near the top of the mountain. Their base is probably somewhere by the forestry service's storage shed!

They're at the top, so of course they could see our movements!!

They'll be trying to ambush you. Even if you have to stab each other, make sure you take them out!!"

"Major, let us arm ourselves!!

We need more than tasers!!"

"Absolutely not!!

We've finally surrounded them!!

If we fall back, they'll escape!!

We almost have our hands around their necks. We just have to squeeze them!!!"

At the same time, Okonogi received another radio call.

Using that line meant his caller didn't want Takano to hear the conversation.

Okonogi understood the meaning of that, so he walked away from Takano and answered quietly.

"Command vehicle to Phoenix 1.

There's been an emergency.

The research area of the clinic has been attacked.

We received the intruder alarm from the entrance area, but it was turned off.

But whoever turned it off didn't follow the false alarm procedure.

We've been trying to confirm the situation, but there has been no response as of yet.

All the security unit members in the basement have gone quiet."

"..............

...Heh,

heh heh heh heh, hahahaaaahahahaha..."

Okonogi understood everything.

He had been fooled.

He suspected a diversion.

But he never even thought that the heavily-armed security unit of the Mountain Dogs could be bested.

If the enemies were soldiers in camouflage, then he wouldn't have been fooled.

He underestimated them because he thought they were kids.

But now he really understood.

He understood the reason why no adults had showed up in this battle on the mountain.

"...I get it.

Did you let Cuckoo in Tokyo know?"

"Not yet.

Would you like me to?"

"...Do it now.

Tomitake has escaped.

We've closed the escape route, but I guess that's no use...

They defeated even the armed security unit within seconds. I don't think one RPG could stop them."

"Should we send reinforcements to the blockade team?"

"Fool! If we had any extra men, the Princess would have already sent them in!

Actually, you're the only one who isn't doing anything!

Get in touch with the blockade team.

Tell them to be prepared for a vehicle trying to break through the roadblock."

"R-Roger."

"...Roger, we'll be ready!

Everyone, listen up! I just found out that the clinic has been attacked and the hostage has escaped.

The enemy is expected to break through the blockade.

Get the RPG ready.

We'll fire at them all at once.

We have permission to shoot."

One of the Mountain Dogs nodded and opened a narrow case in the trunk of the van.

...In that case was a powerful anti-tank weapon, designated RPG-7.

...This was a weapon that many said changed the history of modern warfare.

After all, this terrifying weapon had a firing range over several hundred meters, and it was capable of burying most tanks in existence.

...The dawn of this weapon meant that we were now in an age where a lone foot soldier possesed the firepower to destroy a tank.

...It was capable of reshaping the history of warfare.

...That was the RPG-7.

Each of the other four members had an MP5, the weapon used to destroy the tire on Irie's car.

...There was no question that the blockade team was well-armed.

They waited in the van until the enemy vehicle showed up. Once they saw a suspicious vehicle, they were planning to stop it by moving into the middle of the road.

They intended to destroy that vehicle by firing all at once.

They all watched very carefully for suspicious vehicles coming from Hinamizawa.

This was the only road that connected Hinamizawa to Okinomiya.

It would take more than half a day to get to there if they used a different route.

Their blockade was where the gravel road changed to a paved road. It was what people called the village border, and was their last chance to stop anyone from leaving.

Hinamizawa was at a higher elevation from that point, so the vehicle would be coming downhill.

...They were probably expecting a barricade, as well as heavy resistance from the Mountain Dogs.

If they wanted to pass this point, the only way would be by force.

They could start a gunfight, but that would take too much time.

Since they didn't want to waste any, they should avoid unnecessary conflict.

...Grumble...

Someone's stomach growled, but nobody made fun of it.

That was understandable. Since all the members were getting ready for a battle, nobody even wanted to laugh.

...They looked at the clock.

...It was almost noon.

Of course they'd be getting hungry.

At that time, they heard a noise coming from the direction of Hinamizawa.

Obviously, the car was going very fast.

"Here they come!!"

The van moved to the middle of the road and stopped there.

Some of them hid behind the van, and some hid in bushes on the side of the road. They pointed their guns at the suspicious vehicle coming towards them.

The car must've been going very fast.

But this was a straight road.

No matter how fast it was going, it couldn't escape!

That car happened to belong to Kasai.

The shining black paint and the sound of the engine made it clear that it was a very nice car.

"Wait until the last possible second!

We can only fire once!

Make sure to get them in one shot!!"

The RPG-7 fires unguided rockets.

Therefore, hitting a quickly moving target is extremely difficult.

...In this case, however, their target was straight ahead.

If the car tried to swerve suddenly, it'd flip.

If that was the case, it wasn't necessary to shoot directly at it.

Besides, according to what Kasai said, its power can easily flip a car without a direct hit.

Even if there was only one chance to fire, the Mountain Dogs were definitely in an advantageous position.

"...Tomitake-san, a suspicious van is blocking the road.

Please stay low!"

"Careful!

Try to hit the nose of the van!"

"I know!

I've done this before!"

The Mountain Dogs aimed at the vehicle. It was coming right for them...

"Not yet, not yet...!!

Wait until it's within a hundred meters!!"

"I know!!

Just range me!!"

The Mountain Dogs in the bushes laid in wait, ready to fire.

The rocket on the tip glinted eerily, like it was waiting for its prey.

"Two hundred meters...

...one fifty...

...prepare to fire!!!"

The soldier put his finger on the trigger of the RPG-7...!!

"Whhooooooooaaaaaaahhhh!!!"

"Akasaka-san, prepare for impact!!!"

"One hundred meters...

FIRE!!!"

............

...?

What happened?

Didn't the RPG-7 fire?

That was when the one measuring the distance next to the shooter noticed something!!

The shooter's shoulder had been hit, and he was tumbling to the ground!!

"Was there a sniper?

I didn't hear anything, so it must have been from over four hundred meters away!!"

"Who cares? Fire, fire, fire, fire!!!"

Only their regular guns could stop the car now!!

The other Mountain Dogs fired all at once!!!

But immediately, they realized something!!!

The car had been hit by a hail of bullets at close range. Any normal car would've been on fire in short order!!

But... there was nothing!!

This wasn't a normal car!!

"...Of course it isn't.

That's the Sonozaki family's specially-made bulletproof limousine.

...Kasai!

The spotter picked up the RPG!!

Don't let him fire!!!"

"...Huh.

Do you think I'm going to miss him at this distance?"

Shion and Kasai were far beyond that straight road.

They were in the enemy's blind spot on the other side of the hill, on top of an abandoned car.

Shion was on her knees, checking the Mountain Dogs' movements with a pair of military-grade, high power binoculars.

Kasai was lying on top of the car with a sniper rifle in his hands!

Shion figured this would be where the Mountain Dogs would place their ambush, so the only way for them to beat the Dogs was to snipe at them.

Both Shion and Kasai took sniping lessons in the US during the dam conflict!

Kasai was now aiming at the man who picked up the RPG and was trying to take position with it.

"Hurry up, fire it!!!

...What?!"

Again, the RPG wasn't fired and was down on the ground. The two who tried to shoot were both groaning and clutching at their wounds.

...They were both shot in the shoulder.

The wounds wouldn't kill them, but they definitely couldn't fire that rocket!

The car had arrived!!

The Mountain Dogs screamed and dove out of its way!!

Akasaka must have been used to driving in this kind of situation.

He hit the nose of the van just right, and broke through the blockade.

The van was hurled away and spun in a circle.

"After them!!

Let's go, let's go!!!"

As the Mountain Dogs tried to get back in the van, Shion and Kasai shot at them!!

"There is a delay between the impact and the sound of the gunshot!! It's an extra-long-distance snipe!!

He must be a veteran sniper!!"

"Also a veteran spotter!!

They must know exactly where we are!!

Their aim is just too precise!!"

The scope on a sniper rifle is one specifically made for sniping. Therefore, its field of vision is so narrow that the sniper is unable to see their surroundings well.

That's why it's always necessary to pair up with a spotter.

A spotter uses powerful binoculars to probe the situation and communicate information to the sniper.

Snipers can't do their job alone.

Their potential is unleashed only when paired up with a spotter equally as skilled!

They tried to stand up and climb into the van, but the ultra velocity rifle bullets pinned them down!!

The bullets ripped through the air, traveling faster than the speed of sound...!

The noise those bullets created was nothing like the sound from a normal gun.

It almost sounded like the grim reaper himself swinging down his scythe!!

Furthermore, they could see the Mountain Dogs, but the Dogs couldn't see them!

Only those who actually had experience being sniped at could understand this fear...!!

"We can't even go near the van!!

Forget about us, just go!!"

"Okay, we'll go after them!!"

There was a driver and one Mountain Dog in the van.

They had to leave, otherwise it would be too late!!

The driver made a snap judgment and slammed on the gas pedal.

"Are they after us?"

"......Yeah,

they're after us!

Boy, he drives well. He's catching up in that van."

"Hahaha, that's worrying.

...Please fend them off!"

"Yeah, I'll leave it to you!!"

Tomitake opened a window near one of the backseats and leaned out.

...Hot air blew into the car.

Though the car was jolting up and down on the bumpy road, he checked the mechanism of his gun calmly.

He did it naturally,

as though examining his favorite camera.

The gun had been taken from one of the security guards in the basement.

One of the Dogs in the van held the same gun in his hands.

Their weapons were evenly matched!

The road was no longer straight. It curved like a snake.

There were some bumps and sharp curves, which made things in the car fly all over.

A gunfight in this situation would be extremely difficult.

Tomitake realized he'd run empty in no time if he wasted bullets, so instead of firing recklessly, he carefully waited for the right distance.

...And in doing so, tried to convince his enemy they were still out of range to make them close the gap.

On the other hand, the Mountain Dog couldn't take it any longer.

He fired, wasting his bullets on the bumpy road.

Some of those bullets hit the body of Kasai's car, making a nasty metallic noise.

"Tomitake-san, it's not safe to lean out like that!!!"

"Don't worry.

A shooter that clumsy can't hit me.

If he was my student, he would have to start all over...

...In a situation like this, it's safer to wait and see for a moment.

You predict their movements, and barrage that prediction with bullets.

Don't try to shoot the target.

Try to let the bullet find it.

Just like this!!"

Tomitake fired for the first time, after cautiously waiting for the perfect moment.

Those who understood guns would be fascinated with his shooting form.

His stance was so firm he didn't lose control, even in the violent burst of shots.

Yet there was no unnecessary tension, and just enough slack.

Despite being in such an anomalous position as leaning out from a car,

Tomitake was shooting very precisely.

It was nothing like what the Mountain Dogs did earlier!

He shot at just the right time, so his bullet went where it was supposed to go!!

It was hard to believe that they were using the same gun!!

Nasty metallic sounds etched themselves into the body of the van, which made the Mountain Dogs realize just how good Tomitake was.

"...Sh-Shit... he's a crazy good shot!!

He isn't just some office worker in Tokyo!!"

".........I heard it once before.

First Lieutenant Tomitake was transferred to the offices after an accident, but, during his instructor years, he taught marksmanship for unconventional warfare units..."

"Huh? What are you saying...?!

Are you saying he's... aah!!"

Tomitake started to aim for the driver's seat to pressure them to give up.

The Mountain Dogs could tell they were in a predicament...

Tomitake was capable of hitting his targets easily even on such a bad road.

Furthermore, they were in a bulletproof limousine,

while the Mountain Dogs were in a regular van.

...The van which, incidentally, was facing the limousine in pursuit.

All his shots had just been warning ones.

Unless the Mountain Dogs called off the chase, Tomitake would start shooting at them soon enough.

They had no chance of winning!

"...Phoenix 1 to pursuit vehicle.

If the blockade was broken through, that's enough.

Don't go too far.

Tomitake is an expert sniper!

Don't throw away your lives!"

"......What

do we do?

Can we let them go...?"

"......

Roger, this is the pursuit vehicle.

Abandoning pursuit. We're falling back!"

"Hahahaha.

Looks like they finally gave up.

They're slowing down."

"...Whew.

Even after such a gunfight, you're still so calm.

I bet you've gone through quite a bit, huh?"

"Ahahahaha!

It's all thanks to my training!"

Tomitake, having slid back into the car, raised his fist in victory.

He was as easygoing as ever, even after a gunfight.

Akasaka felt like he was finally getting to know Tomitake for the first time.

"First Lieutenant Tomitake!!

I'm glad you're safe. We were so worried that we couldn't get in touch with you!!!"

Tomitake was making a call from a telephone booth outside of Okinomiya.

The phone lines around there were on a different network than the one the Mountain Dogs had sabotaged.

That was why he could make the call.

Tomitake had called Tokyo immediately.

He told Tokyo that there were some spies from the Mountain Dogs within Tokyo's research division, which is how they found out where he was.

He also told them that he was captured, but that he had escaped.

He told them that they were fooled by the diversion, and that they were on the mountain as they spoke.

While he was captured, Major Takano, the ringleader, had hinted at the existence of masterminds she was working for... etc.

He explained everything that he had learned thus far.

"Please take control of the Irie Institute immediately.

They've already fired repeatedly, and it will only be a matter of time before the villagers find something out.

I urge you to give the command for the Bloodhounds to take action!"

"...Hello, this is Oka from the research division!

I'm glad you're safe!

The Bloodhounds are already standing by in the air, approximately thirty kilometers south of Hinamizawa!

We've been requesting an order to move in, but the higher-ups are stubborn and don't want any problems, so they've been hesitating!

But if you're safe, then that makes things simple!

I'll tell them what you just told me now.

I'm sure they'll approve the operation immediately.

The Bloodhounds will arrive within twenty minutes!

Mmm... hey, we just got an arrest order for Major Takano and First Lieutenant Okonogi!

We also got orders to secure the Irie Institute as well as to disarm the Mountain Dogs!!

All thanks to you! Great job!!"

Tomitake walked out of the telephone box.

"Is everything settled?"

"Yes.

The Bloodhounds are moving in.

They're already standing by in the air and should arrive within twenty minutes."

"How powerful are they?

These Bloodhounds, that is."

"The Mountain Dogs are a multipurpose unit, largely deployed to preserve secrecy, but the Bloodhounds are elite units specially trained to do battle.

Both their skills and their equipment are far superior.

Things will be taken care of very quickly."

Akasaka looked at his watch.

It was about half past twelve.

The Bloodhounds would arrive in about twenty minutes.

Akasaka remembered how hungry he was.

It was lunch time already.

If he was brave enough...

he would head to a noodle shop, and by the time he was done, everything would have ended.

For the Mountain Dogs, who fought well until the last possible moment, it was ending rather too soon.

They were in an area where rice fields and a residential area mix. It was the border of Okinomiya.

The sun was covered by a thin layer of silver clouds, and a cool breeze was blowing.

......It looked like it might even rain a little.

The two of them couldn't even remember how many times their lives were threatened that day.

They wanted nothing more than to let the rain soak their bodies.

After a while,

Akasaka spoke.

"So what do you think, Tomitake-san?"

"...Hmm?

What do you mean?"

"I think... I'll go back to Hinamizawa.

They're still fighting."

"...Yeah, that's true.

But are you sure?

We are safe here."

"Rika-chan... is waiting for me.

I haven't kept my promise yet."

".........Okay, then let's go back.

I actually have something to take care of too.

I was thinking of going back anyway.

Akasaka-san, have you been on a helicopter before?

I have a permit for one."

They watched the breeze blowing over the rice fields for a while, then returned to the bullet-ridden car.

The car started up quickly, and they drove it back the way it came.

It was only noon.

There was still plenty of time before the Watanagashi festival began...