ch421-ch440 · 438-ch438

Chapter 438: Limbs That Move Like My Own

"Huh. It actually fights."

A few days later, we all carve out time and give the powered suit a real battle on Floor 43.

The powered suit Soushi pilots mows down skeletons.

Only a rough outer shell so far, so the defense is a worry—but the attack power looks plenty.

It's a giant kitchen knife Robo-ko-san slapped together, not Mia-san's work, but the enhancement takes just fine.

"But if they get around behind it, it looks dicey."

Yukiya-san's point is fair: it handles what's in front, but turning on a dime is apparently hard.

That was expected, though—Kasumi-san is covering, so no need to worry.

'Don't worry about hitting someone. Nobody looks foolish getting caught by an ally's attack. In fact—if you CAN hit me, I'd like to see you try.'

Right now we're meeting the skeletons coming out of the fortress, but the point of this run is leveling Soushi and Aikawa—so of course Aikawa is fighting too.

Chiharu-san is watching over her from a little distance away, but Aikawa seems to be struggling more than expected.

Actually, Aikawa's the only one fighting over there—her dance buff ran out and she can't manage to recast.

So this is training: recast your dance buffs MID-BATTLE.

When it gets dangerous, Chiharu-san does bail her out with a 【Flying Slash】, bang—but it's plenty spartan.

"Ah......"

"Hm, I've got it."

Ao-san throws a short knife.

It sinks into the chest of a bow-wielding skeleton. One hit.

As expected of 'Blue Shadow.'

Anything with long-range attacks gets handled on our side the moment it's spotted.

"A hammer would do fine for this, no. Tough without weapon enhancement?"

"Just stockpile numbers, no? You've got Haruki-kun. That long spear Watanabe-san uses would work too. But the armor comes first—we need something that stops at least simple arrows......"

"But the weight, though...... Any heavier and it'll......"

And what are the rest of us doing, you ask? ...... racking our brains over the powered suit's armament.

Partly it's so we don't soak up their EXP, granted.

Fight it for real, watch how it behaves, and pick the right armament based on that.

"Soushi's side is clear. Soushi—park it and charge up. I'm next!"

Or you could call it waiting in line.

There's only the one unit, after all.

Leveling?

Well, some days are like that.

"Looks usable. Then we're bringing it to the next new dungeon. You're hauling it to Floor 30, Haruki-kun? You're the one who started all this."

Honestly, this suit isn't even needed for this leveling run.

It becomes necessary for the new-dungeon survey—the one where we'll hole up in a dungeon for days.

And we have to film the survey video on top of that, with Mami-tan's crowd there—so it really does have to be carried up to Floor 30.

"Can't we just use it when the cameras are off? Then we wouldn't have to bring it, right?"

"No—if we don't show it working on the 40s floors on video, nobody will accept it. We spent a serious sum on expenses, so the results had better match the spending."

'Blue Ocean''s members aren't just the fighting party—there are support combat staff, production jobs, even people who never enter the dungeon and do nothing but edit video.

"Expenses" means THEIR money—not a slush fund Ao-san can spend as he pleases.

So he has to film properly and show everyone they got their money's worth......

Should've just had him buy it out of pocket.

"Too spartan...... Ah, that thing's nice though. I wanna try it—no, I want one. How much was it?"

Aikawa is back.

In the end, once Soushi's side was cleared, Kasumi-san stepped in to help, which bought Aikawa time to dance.

'No injuries.'

'That's HINDSIGHT!'

Well—Kasumi-san and Chiharu-san are fighting again over their respective teaching policies......

"About five million so far. It'll cost plenty more yet."

Ao-san answers.

A million yen of enhancements are already done, but it's nowhere near finished.

"Ugh. Yeah, forget it. But you paid for that for Soushi's sake, right? Was that really OK?"

"Well, so long as he works hard in return, no problem."

The fact that Soushi put up money first is a secret.

Looks like Robo-ko Labs will get to avoid the vacant-lot fate after all.

︙

︙

"I will guard your back, Haruki-san. Focus only on what's in front of you."

Afterwards, once the skeletons respawned, the turn passed to Yukiya-san—and then to me.

"Yes, ma'am."

With a wiiin, it stands up.

Powered suit, activate!

Once I'm within a certain distance of the fortress, the gate opens and the skeletons come pouring out.

Walking in this—does it feel like stilts, or tall platform clogs?

The desert makes for hard walking.

Impressive that both Soushi and Yukiya-san fought well in this.

(【Charge・Spear】...... doesn't take, huh)

The weapon is held by the powered suit's arms, not MY hands, so I can't charge it.

And yet Soushi managed it......

He's always enhanced just the spearhead from a distance—so handling enhancement of something apart from his body is old hat for him.

In that case......

(【Charge・Armor・Armor Enhancement・Armor・High】, and THEN 【Charge・Spear・Weapon Enhancement・Spear】!)

Once I've put 'Charge・Armor' on the powered suit first, the weapon enhancement takes on the halberd it's holding.

I see.

Which is better: enhancing it by direct touch and THEN handing it to the suit, or this?

Just in case enhancement failed, I picked a disposable Orc General halberd as the weapon.

"Here they come!"

Chiharu-san's 【Flying Slash】 streaks toward the skeletons holding long-range weapons.

Over there, Aikawa has just finished dancing—contact imminent.

"Oryah!"

Just swinging my arms and the halberd together sends skeletons flying.

Sweep right, then left, then left to right again.

This alone is plenty.

I did get some practice in before today, but pulling off 'Windmill' or the 'Mountain Kata' wearing this is a different story.

The footing's terrible, too.

Whoops......

"You're fine, keep going."

I was about to get flanked, but Kasumi-san handled it before that.

Can't be showing off anything uncool, so—time to rewrite the OS.

(【Charge・Armor・Armor Manipulation】)

Power assist, further assisted.

I feel the sensation in my legs run all the way down to the powered suit's soles.

Oh? This is actually really comfortable?

The extended limbs move as if they were my own.

There's an MP time limit, but I might be able to move nearly as well as normal.

Armor enhancement is running too—so body slams, watch THIS!

"Heyyy! Don't push it too hard! That's MINE!"

A complaint from Soushi.

Too bad—it was bought on expenses, so it's EVERYONE'S powered suit now.

I can feel the enhancement reaching the outer shell and the frame, but the machinery inside is a question mark.

I did try it once—but body slams are best avoided.

"Huh? That guy's movements are clearly better. Did he go practice on his own?"

Fufufu. That duel is going to be fun.

This side's mostly cleared, right? Then......

"Whoa—"

"Stay out of it!"

I tried to go help Aikawa, and a 【Flying Slash】 came flying my way.

"Mmm-mmm-mmm!"

Kasumi-san and Chiharu-san glare at each other.

Aikawa is surrounded by skeletons, struggling hard.

Run off first, THEN dance—or shove it all onto Chiharu-san—there are plenty of options, I'd think.

Figuring it out for yourself and finding the way that suits you—that's what matters, I suppose?