The ruins on the outskirts of Millennium.
Unfortunately, my worries became reality.
Compared to our last visit, the number of white and yellow patrol robots had increased dramatically. They moved in groups of two or three, and the defenses were far more stringent.
So much so that I could not help but suspect that somewhere within the ruins there was a massive military factory, not only still operational but running at full capacity, continuously producing robots.
However, on the other hand, our combat strength had also undergone an almost qualitative leap compared to before.
A squad of robots was patrolling along its predetermined route, vigilant against any disturbance, seemingly with nothing out of the ordinary.
Yet in the next instant, a ghostlike black shadow darted out from behind cover. With a single gunshot, the robots, who had no time to react, were all struck down.
Bullets imbued with mysterious power easily tore through special alloy armor, plunging inside and wreaking havoc on the delicate internal structures.
After several bursts of brilliant fireworks, Eimi turned back and called out, "All enemies in this area have been eliminated. Let's continue forward."
The girls of the Game Development Department and I emerged from behind cover.
Glancing at the smoking, burning robot wreckage on the ground, I could not help but sigh. Agreeing to change tactics had truly been a wise decision.
Originally, our plan was the same as last time, to rely on stealth as much as possible and advance steadily without alerting the enemy.
When Eimi heard it, she did not say anything at first, but after confirming the number of enemy units, she voiced her opposition.
"With this many, it's unrealistic to avoid them all. And it's far too inefficient," Eimi said at the time. "Sensei, how about adjusting the strategy?"
After she demonstrated that she could wipe out an entire group of robots in an instant with just a single shot, I accepted her proposal.
The Sword of Light used by Aris and the grenade launcher used by Yuzu likely possessed similar destructive power, but their flaw lay in the long charge up time, making it impossible to destroy the robots before they could sound an alarm.
After discussion, the plan became this. First, rely on Aris's excellent frame to roughly confirm enemy positions. Next, have the game domain master Yuzu plan the specific route and determine the order of elimination. Then, Eimi would carry out the execution. Finally, Midori would serve as insurance, always ready to pick off any stragglers with her sniper rifle.
Of course, so far no such situation had occurred. Eimi was executing her role flawlessly.
As for Momoi, for now, she could be considered my personal bodyguard.
All in all, just as Eimi said, this approach was far more efficient than the original plan.
That said, assuming these robots had an intelligence hub of some sort, the temporary loss of a very small number of units might not attract attention immediately. But as time passed and the number grew, it would only be a matter of time before our route was discovered.
Therefore, this exploration was already destined to be a swift and decisive operation.
Although I did harbor some doubts, with Eimi and Aris around, even if we ended up surrounded by a large number of enemies like last time, we should still be able to break through.
Momoi, Midori, and I, who were not currently acting as the main force, were positioned slightly toward the back of the team. The bored sisters huddled together, chatting quietly in lowered voices.
Out of curiosity, I pricked up my ears and listened closely, barely able to make out their conversation.
"Is Eimi really a first year student like us?" Midori's tone was complicated. "She doesn't look like it at all."
"You think she's really strong too, right?" Momoi said excitedly.
Midori sighed. "I wasn't talking about strength, I was talking about her figure..."
Momoi understood immediately. "Oh, that. Now that you mention it, Eimi really is tall, she's a whole head taller than us. Does she drink milk every day or something?"
"Milk... I have heard it has that kind of effect..."
I feel like the channels these two are on are not quite aligned.
Recalling Eimi's figure, it felt like she was not just a head taller than the Saiba sisters, but bigger in more ways than one. An inexplicable sense of pity arose in my heart.
It's fine. Small is cute too. I cherish everyone equally.
Midori thought for a moment. "It's okay. We're still in our growth period."
"Huh? Didn't you tell Sensei last time that you weren't a child anymore?"
"...That's different. Or rather, I was talking about the exact same thing."
"What?"
"Sigh... really, Onee-chan is an idiot."
Momoi protested. "What's the point of calling names? If you want to grow taller, then don't stay up late playing games with me every day. And comparing physical condition with someone who strips anytime, anywhere, you really lack self awareness as an otaku girl."
Damn, she actually said something that cut straight to the core of the problem. Is this really little Momoi?
Midori fell silent for a while, then sighed again. "Compared to us, Sensei probably likes girls like that more, right?"
"What kind of nonsense are you saying? Sensei clearly likes us a lot."
Although that was true, I noticed that Momoi seemed to possess a mysterious level of confidence, and it had been growing stronger lately. I had no idea who she learned it from. It felt like it was simply her nature.
"I'm not talking about that kind of liking... never mind, it's pointless explaining it to onee-chan."
"Huh? You don't seriously think I'm an idiot, do you?"
I think everyone already knows the answer to that question.
Midori did not answer directly and moved on to another topic. "I didn't expect Sensei to know someone so amazing."
"Yeah, she even dares to undress so freely in front of people she just met..."
"Who told you to talk about that? I meant her strength."
"Huh? Didn't you say we weren't talking about that?" Momoi pondered. "Sensei isn't like us, an otaku with very few friends. It's normal for him to know other students."
In truth, Eimi and I had only just met as well. She was someone I had indirectly commissioned through Rio.
After reaching a certain tacit understanding with Rio and Himari regarding Aris, the three of us had effectively formed a loose alliance.
Since we were going to explore the ruins again, it was only natural to give the two of them advance notice and try to obtain support from their side.
The result was that Rio was willing to provide appropriate combat strength, but instead of dispatching the C&C maid agents, she chose another club. It was a club that belonged directly to the Seminar, established personally by Rio, yet had always remained obscure. The Super Phenomenon Task Force, whose only current member was Eimi. (Aside from Himari)
Based on actual results, Eimi was indeed very strong, which further increased my confidence in this mission.
Now, we were already not far from our destination.
And at that moment, the alarm sounded.
At the very front of the team, Eimi turned around calmly. "We've been discovered. Everyone, it's time for the final sprint."