3과 9/3권

제3회 암살자와 타깃

귀빈실 중의 귀빈실이라 해야 할까, 그 방은 휑뎅그렁했다.

할도르 바른은 소파에 앉아 조용히 와인글라스에 입을 대더니 씁쓸하게 얼굴을 찌푸렸다.

「하여간 무능한 것들. 결국은 엽병 찌꺼기들, 비용만큼의 일도 하질 못해」

그는 똑바로 현상을 이해하고 있었다.

앞에 서 있는 것은 어린아이 두 명. 아무도 들여보내지 말라고 명령한 데다 애초에 밖이 소란스러운 시점에 짐작은 갔다. 외견을 보고 당장 납득하긴 어려웠으나 이 두 사람이 자신의 목숨을 노리고 있는 암살자가 틀림없었다.

이해하고 있음에도 불구하고, 할도르의 얼굴에서는 조금도 초조한 기색이 보이지 않았다. 그의 앞에 있는“그것”이 그 원인일 것이다.

이 휑뎅그렁한 방도 “그것”의 존재 때문에 좁게 느껴진다. 높이 2에이쥬를 넘는 그 물체는 6개의 다리로 거미처럼 지면을 기고 있었다. 다만 상반신은 똑바로 서있었고 거기서 4개의 팔 같은 것이 더 뻗어 있었다. 그것은 전신에서 금속빛을 반사하며 고요한 위압감으로 그곳을 지배하고 있었다.

「크다～」

올려다보며 탄성을 지르는 나인.

「인형병기――！！」

스리는 즉시 전투 태세를 취했다.

「흐흐흐흐, 이건 내가 뒷세계 옥션에서 거금으로 구입한 애장품이다. 어느 조직이 유출한 물건인지는 모르지만 제법 고성능이라서 말이야, 거기다 미라를 더 얹어 개조했지. 소대 규모의 군대라도 여유롭게 싸울 수 있다」

장난감을 자랑하듯 할도르는 유쾌하게 웃었다.

「퇴물 엽병들은 어디까지나 경계 담당 정도였고 진짜 호위는 이쪽이라는 건가」

「그렇다. 이 녀석이 곁에 있으면 이 배에서의 내 안전은 보장된다. 그리고 이대로 공화국에 도착하면 그 다음은 어떻게든 될 거다！」

그렇게 말하고는 더욱 소리 높여 웃기 시작하는 할도르.

「어리석군」

「바보 같은 사람이네」

딱히 자신들의 실력을 과신하는 것은 아니다. 설령 자신들이 실패해도 《헤이위에》의 보호를 받는다 해도 “조직”이 타깃으로 인식하고 있다면 그는 결코 피할 수 없다.

「쳐라――――！！」

할도르의 명령을 받고 인형병기가 움직이기 시작했다.

첫 표적은 스리인 듯 일직선으로 그를 향해 돌진한다. 그것을 기회 삼아 나인은 아츠를 구동시켰다. 백병전에 특화된 스리와는 달리 그녀는 도력 마법(오벌 아츠)쪽 적성도 높다.

하지만 즉시 인형병기의 팔 하나가 총구로 변형되어 나인을 겨냥하고 발포했다.

「！！ 윽」

아슬아슬하게 회피했지만 구동하던 아츠는 중단되었다.

스리가 장검으로 덤벼들자 인형병기는 스리를 겨냥한다. 나인은 재빨리 이동해 스리의 반대편에서 다시 아츠를 구동했다.

“지이이잉――――”

하지만 또다시 총구가 나인에게로 향했고, 회피하기 위해 아츠를 중단시킬 수밖에 없었다. 아무래도 이 인형병기에는 아츠 구동을 탐지하는 고성능 센서가 장착되어, 반응이 있을 경우 즉시 공격하게 되어 있는 듯했다.

두 번이나 행동을 방해받은 나인이 조금 언짢은 듯, 평소보다 세게 봉제인형을 끌어안았다.

「나-는 그만할래～ 너무 안 맞아～ 나머지는 스-한테 맡길게」

기계에 독침을 던져 봤자 소용없다. 게다가 아츠 발동까지 뜻대로 할 수 없는 이상, 확실히 나인이 할 수 있는 일은 없었다.

그걸 이해하고, 스리는 어쩔 수 없다고 작게 중얼거리며 검을 고쳐 쥐었다.

「그럼 전투가 끝나거든 깨워 줘～ 나-는 이제 잘래……」

어느새 나인은 적당한 소파를 찾아내더니 봉제인형을 베개 삼아 자려고 했다.

「자지 마！！」

스리가 무심결에 고함을 질렀지만 나인은 반응하지 않았다. 인형병기도 위협은 없다고 판단했는지 스리만을 겨냥하고 있었다.

인형병기의 네 팔은 각각 검, 창, 도끼, 총으로 변형되어 노도와 같은 연속 공격을 스리에게 퍼부었다. 검으로 베고, 창으로 찌르고, 회피 방향을 파악해 도끼로 후려친다. 총을 그다지 쓰지 않는 것은 할도르에게 적이 접근하지 않게끔 경계하고 있기 때문이었다.

고속 이동과 참격이 스리의 기본적인 전투 스타일이었으나 여섯 개의 다리가 자아내는 밸런스 성능과 순발력은 금속제라고는 생각할 수 없을 정도의 민첩함을 인형병기에 부여했고, 팔이 많은 만큼 쓸 수 있는 수단도 많았다. 자신의 특기 영역을 전혀 발휘할 수 없는 상대. 나인만큼은 아니지만 스리에게도 결코 잘 맞는 상대라고는 할 수 없었다.

두 자루의 검으로 응전하는 스리. 체격도 수단도 자신을 뛰어넘는 상대 앞에 왼손의 단검은 방어용으로 돌렸다. 빗발치는 공격을 넘기고 피하고 궤도를 바꾼다. 틈이 생길 때마다 사정거리가 긴 오른손의 장검으로 공격한다.

격렬한 공격이 한동안 계속되었다. 몇 번인가 빈틈을 찔러 인형병기의 팔과 몸통을 공격했지만 그때마다 “카앙――” 하는 소리가 울리며 검이 튕겨 나왔다.

「흐하하하하하―― 소용없어, 애송이！ 장갑도 특주품이다. 네놈들이 돌파할 수 있을 리가 없어！」

사실 스리의 공격은 완전히 통하지 않는다고 해도 무방했다. 아직 부상은 거의 입지 않았지만, 이대로 가다가는 언젠간 점점 지치게 될 것이다.

그러던 그때, 자고 있을 터였던 나인이 갑자기 소리쳤다.

「해석 완료」

눈을 감고 소파에 누운 채로 나인은 말을 계속 했다. 목소리는 평소보다 평탄하게 들렸다.

「팔, 제1관절, 아래 5리쥬. 발, 제2관절, 위 3리쥬. 허리, 회전부 중심. 왼쪽 가슴, 위쪽 5분의 2, 왼쪽 5분의 1」

그 소리를 듣고 처음으로 반응한 것은 스리가 아닌 할도르였다. 그는 초조한 표정을 띄우며 고함쳤다.

「이년！ 어떻게 이 녀석의 구조적 약점을 아는 거냐！？」

나인은 천천히 소파에서 몸을 일으키더니, 눈을 비비며 평소와 같은 태도로 대답했다.

「소리로 알아～ 조금 집중해야 하지만」

「그런, 말도 안 되는……」

믿기 힘들다는 표정을 짓는 할도르. 반면 스리는 침착했다. 당연히 나인의 목적이 해석이라는 것을 스리는 처음부터 알고 있었다. 그리고 해석이 완성되는 이때를, 그는 계속 기다리고 있었다.

「스-, 해치워～！！」

「그래, 알았어」

스리는 순간 몸을 숙이더니 빠른 속도로 뛰쳐나갔다. 아까보다 빠른 속도로 장검을 휘둘러 인형병기에 참격을 퍼붓는다. 하나하나가 전부 나인이 지시한 약점에 명중했다. 그리고 시간차를 두지 않고 단검을 앞으로 내밀어, 직전과 같은 궤도로 인형병기의 모든 약점을 단검으로 다시 한 번――

베었으나, 결과는 이전과 마찬가지. 날카로운 금속음이 울려퍼질 뿐 상대는 전혀 대미지를 입은 것 같지 않았다.

「큭큭큭큭흐하하하하하하――――」

배를 잡고 웃는 할도르.

「약점을 알아 봤자 소용없잖나, 네놈들은 이 장갑을 결코 돌파할 수 없어！！」

「방금 그건 밑준비였어」

그렇게 말하고 스리는 왼손의 단검을 자루 쪽을 오른손에 든 장검의 칼막이에―― 꽂아 넣었다.

그러자 마치 처음부터 한 자루였던 것처럼 너무나도 가는 도신과 이지러진 것 같았던 칼막이가 적당히 균형을 이룬 한 자루의 검이 되었다.

멍하니 그걸 보던 할도르는 한순간 침묵하더니 실소했다.

「후… 후후후후, 그 장난감 칼은 뭐냐？ 설마 그걸로 이길 수 있을 거라고 생각했나？」

할도르의 말대로 두 자루의 검을 합쳐 한 자루로 만들어도 사정거리와 베는 위력에 변함은 없다. 중량이 늘어난 만큼 조금 파괴력이 커질지도 모르지만 그것도 눈앞의 적의 장갑을 돌파할 것 같지는 않았다. 이건 장난감에 불과했다.

스리는 대답하지 않고, 그저 말없이 한 자루가 된 검을 휘둘렀다. 참격은 아까도 베려던 발의 약점 부분에 명중했다.

그러자 “펑――！！” 하는 폭음과 함께 인형병기의 팔이 폭발해 산산조각났다. 마치 안쪽에서 폭발한 것처럼, 화속성 아츠의 효과를 연상시켰으나 스리에게도 나인에게도 아츠를 구동한 기색은 없었다. 애초에 인형병기의 센서도 반응하지 않았었다.

「뭐, 뭐야아아아아아아아！！！！！！！？？」

할도르가 경악하는 표정을 지었다.

다시 한번 휘두르고. 그러자――――

“펑――！！” 또 하나의 다리가 터져 날아갔다.

「뭐냐 그건！！！！！？？」

이성을 잃은 그는 절규했다.

「이 검은 조금 특수하거든」

스리는 아무런 표정도 떠올리지 않은 채 말하기 시작했다.

「검과 전술 오브먼트가 일체화되어 있어. 아니, 전술 오브먼트라기보다 일반적인 도력기(오브먼트)에 가까울지도 모르지」

말하는 동안에도 손을 멈추지 않는다.

「쓸 수 있는 아츠는 하나뿐, 지정한 위치에 폭발을 일으키는 거야. 다만 발동시키려면 나뉜 두 자루의 검으로 각자 목표한 곳을 베어야만 해. 상대 좌표의 기록, 즉 마킹이야」

튕겨 나오는데도 두 자루의 검으로 베었던 것은 그야말로 “밑준비”.

「마지막에 한 자루로 돌아간 검으로 이중 마크한 자리를 건드려 충격을 주면 폭발해」

위치와 타이밍 지정을 다른 형태로 대행하여 전용 오브먼트의 자동 프로세스와 합쳐 아츠 구동 과정 그 자체를 생략하는 것. 절차는 번거롭지만 잘만 쓰면 영창 없이도 높은 위력의 아츠 공격을 터뜨릴 수 있다. 그것이 스리가 가진 무기의 진가였다.

「그런…… 게……」

곳곳에서 불꽃이 튀고 있는 인형병기는 이미 상당한 대미지를 입었다. 자신의 패배를 깨달은 할도르는 즉각 도망칠 준비를 시작했다.

「전투를 멈춰！ 어서 나를 데리고 여기서 이탈해라！！」

새로운 명령을 받은 인형병기는 돌아서서 할도르에게로 다가간다.

「그렇겐 안 될걸～」

어느새, 그 거미 같은 다리에 뒤감긴 여러 줄의 강철실이 칭칭 얽어매고 있었다.

「끝이다」

숨통을 끊듯, 스리는 남은 약점 부위를 단숨에 쳐냈다. 거듭되는 폭발에 부서진 부품들이 온 방 안에 흩날렸고, 이윽고 인형병기는 완전히 기능을 정지한 채 산산조각으로 무너져 내렸다.

잔해를 밟고 넘어, 스리는 조용히 할도르에게 다가갔다.

「흐어어――」

한심한 목소리를 내며 뒷걸음질치는 할도르. 하지만 그에게 도주로가 없다는 것은 이미 명백했다.

임무 달성에 방해가 될 만한 것은 이미 없었음에도 스리의 얼굴에 승리의 기쁨은 없다.

한 걸음 다가간다.

손 안의 검이 갑자기 무거워진 것 같았다.

또 한 걸음.

발도 무거워졌다. 더 이상 나아가고 싶지 않았다.

또다시 한 걸음.

늘 하던 일이다. 이 다음은 “기계”에, “도구”에 이입하면 그만이다. 문제없다.

마지막 한 걸음.

「사실 당신에게 그런 해설을 해 봤자 의미는 없지만 적어도 자신이 어떤 상대에게 살해당했는지 정도는 알 권리가 있겠지」

지옥에서 저주할 상대에 대한 것 정도는――

「내 이름은 소드의 3(스리 오브 소즈)」

심장에 일격.

「“조직”의 암살자다」

◇

2층 홀의 혼란을 수습하고 경비원들이 3층으로 진입하려 했다. 그 낌새를 느끼고, 목적을 달성한 스리와 나인은 창을 깨고 바다로 뛰어들었다.

「비행선이 아니라서 다행이네～ 만일 공중이었다면 이렇게 탈출할 수는 없었을 거야」

「그러게」

그야말로 고성능 전용 비행정을 보유하고 거기로 날아 옮겨 타지 않는 이상은. 이 세계 어딘가에 그런 식으로 단독 임무를 수행하는 녀석은 과연 있을까.

「스-」

가만히 스리를 부르는 나인.

「그 사람은 악당이야～ 악덕 상인」

배 쪽을 본다. 누구를 가리키는 것인지는 말할 것도 없다.

「그래, 알아」

임무 전 자료를 통해 잘 알고 있다. 돈을 위해 온갖 악행을 저질러 죽는 쪽이 세상에 도움이 될 인종이다. 하지만.

「하지만 상관없어」

그런 것이 변명이 될 수는 없다. 악당이든 선인이든 “조직”의 명령이라면 죽였다. 지금까지 그렇게 해왔듯이.

「그래」

나인은 더 이상 아무 말도 하지 않았다.

그녀는 봉제인형에서 무언가를 꺼내더니 거기에 숨을 불어넣었다. 잠시 후, 그 “무언가”가 1인용 크기의 고무 보트라는 것을 알게 되었다.

이번에는 봉제인형을 긴 베개처럼 끌어안고, 나인은 고무 보트에 엎드려 누웠다.

「그럼 나-는 잘게. 뒷일은 부탁해～」

그건 스리에게 「기슭까지 밀고 가 줘」를 돌려 말한 표현이었다.

「직접 헤엄쳐」

불평하면서도, 그런 나인의 모습을 보고 스리는 아주 조금 마음이 가벼워진 것을 느꼈다.

스리와 나인은 1년 이상 함께 행동했다.

스리 쪽이 아주 조금 연상으로, 약간 멍한 구석이 있는 나인을 가끔씩 동생처럼 느꼈다. 임무 때는 든든한 파트너다.

하지만 스리는 안다.

동생 같기도 하고 파트너이기도 한 그녀는

――――결코 신용해서는 안 된다는 것을.

TO BE CONTINUED

Chapter 3 - The Assassins & The Target

Inside, the room was opulence made manifest--the best of the best. Enough to make the wealthiest noble envious. In the center of its spacious layout sat Halldor Baarn, reclined on a sofa. He brought a glass of wine to his lips as his features twisted in a wry, unpleasant expression.

'Absolute incompetence. Such a simple job, and yet apparently, one completely beyond them.'

Mr. Baarn had fully grasped the situation. He had given the order that no one be allowed in, yet there were now two children standing before him. Given the commotion outside, it had been easy to guess what had happened. Though their appearances made it hard to believe, the two standing before him were no doubt professional assassins, here for his life.

Still, Halldor maintained his composure. He kept this realization hidden, and didn't allow so much as a hint of panic to creep into his features.

The source of this confidence was a certain colossal machine that sat on the floor before him. Its mere presence made even the impossibly spacious room feel cramped. It towered over two arge in height, with six spiderlike legs protruding from its body. Its humanoid upper half stood erect, with four menacing arms stretching out from it. The entire machine emitted an eerie glow, making for a most intimidating sight to behold.

'Wowee. That's a big one,' Nine remarked, glancing up at it.

'An archaism!' Three exclaimed, immediately shifting to a battle stance.

'Heh. This beauty is a new favorite of mine--a rather fruitful find at a recent back-alley auction I happened to attend. And it wasn't cheap, let me tell you. But no, I didn't stop there. I'm a man who doesn't do things by half measures. I paid a princely sum to have it outfitted with the most cutting-edge technology available. Mira well spent, in my opinion. I daresay it has enough firepower to easily wipe out an entire platoon of soldiers if I wanted it to. In fact, it'd be mere child's play.'

Barely able to contain his smug grin, Halldor looked like a boastful child showing off his expensive toy at school.

'So the bums outside were just bouncers, then. And this monstrosity is what's actually here to protect you...' Three deduced.

'Oh! A sharp one. That's precisely correct,' Halldor said gleefully, 'As long as I have it by my side, my safety here is guaranteed. And once I make it to the Republic, I'll be untouchable!'

He let out a long laugh, his voice rising higher and higher, echoing endlessly throughout the gaudy chamber.

'Shockingly stupid.'

'He really is an idiot, huh?'

The duo's comments weren't born from simple overconfidence. Even if they did somehow fail in their mission, and even if Halldor did somehow manage to make it to Heiyue territory, he had already been marked for death by the Organization. They would pursue him to the bitter end. To the last man. He had zero chance of survival.

'ATTACK!'

At Halldor's order, the archaism lurched into action. It set its sights on Three, and charged straight for him. Nine took the opportunity to begin casting her arts. While her partner specialized in close-quarters combat, she was a force to be reckoned with when it came to orbal arts.

As she began the charge, however, one of the archaism's arms rapidly folded out into a gun, the muzzle pointed in Nine's direction. Without delay, it sprayed a hail of bullets at her.

'Whoa!'

Nine evaded the gunfire by a hair's breadth, but was forced to abandon casting her art. The archaism focused its attention back on Three, who was busy fending off its melee attacks with his longsword. Nine sprinted to the other side of the room and started her cast again. The machine's aim was too adept, however, and she found herself unable to escape it long enough to get an art off.

It appeared that their foe was equipped with a powerful arts-detection sensor--one that allowed it to identify incoming orbal attacks and counterattack before they could be launched. Forced to abandon her casting yet again, Nine screwed up her face in frustration, and sullenly gripped her plush bear.

'Hmph. This thing doesn't play nice. I quit,' she said in a huff.

It was a fair point. Poison-tipped needles wouldn't have been particularly effective against the steel plating of a machine, and without the ability to cast her arts, Nine found herself at a loss.

Three, however, remained unperturbed and readied himself for another onslaught.

'I'm gonna grab a little shuteye. Wake me when the fighting's over, okay?' Nine said as she flopped down on one of the room's sofas, using her bear as a pillow.

'Nine?! Cut it out! I need you to stay awake!' Three shouted from across the room.

Despite this, Nine didn't react at all. As she dozed, the archaism seemed to disregard her as a threat and fully focused its attention on Three. Its four arms, transformed into a sword, a lance, an axe, and a gun, proceeded to launch a relentless string of attacks at the already-overwhelmed assassin.

Three leapt out of the way as the machine's sword arm cut an arc through the air, only to then see the lance rocketing toward him. He narrowly avoided it, but his escape path was blocked by a mighty swing of the axe. Meanwhile, the archaism had its gun trained in Halldor's direction. Even in the heat of combat, it prioritized protecting its master against any approaching threats.

Swift movements and deft swordplay were the foundation of Three's combat style, but they were of little use against such a powerful machine. The archaism was simply too fast, and its attacks were both explosively powerful and aimed with deadly precision. Further, its six legs afforded it perfect balance, and its multiple arms allowed it to launch attacks faster than Three could keep up. To his irritation, Three found his skillset completely useless against the metal monstrosity.

Sure, he was a better fit for the task than Nine, but only by a slim margin.

Regardless, he continued to fight, both blades flashing as they moved to intercept his foe. The sheer number of attacks coming at him forced Three to focus entirely on defense. He parried, dodged, and deflected the relentless wave of strikes, biding his time, waiting for the machine to leave an opening for him to strike with his longsword.

This violent dance continued on for some time. Three had managed to land a number of blows to the machine's body and arms, but each had resulted in no more than a metallic twang as his blade was repelled by its solid metal armor.

'Hahaha! It's no use, child! That armor was specially commissioned, and your pathetic little butter knives don't have a snowball's chance in Gehenna against them!'

Halldor's mocking tone grated on Three's nerves. It was made worse by the fact it was clear he wasn't lying--Three's attacks had been completely ineffective so far. Still, Three had yet to suffer any wounds. Given how things were going, though, it was only a matter of time before he was slowly worn down.

'Analysis complete.'

Nine suddenly began speaking, apparently having woken up from her nap. Still lounging on the sofa, she continued, her voice flatter and more precise than usual.

'Arms: Joint one, down five rege. Legs: Joint two, up three rege. Waist: Rotation axis center. Left side of chest: Up 2/5, left 1/5.'

The first to respond was not Three, but Halldor.

'You little wench! How did you do that?!'

He was flustered, clearly shocked that Nine had figured out the archaism's structural weak points.

Nine slowly rose from the sofa and reverted back to her usual drawl, sleepily rubbing her eyes as she spoke.

'I could tell by the sound. It takes a bit of concentration, though.'

Pure disbelief was etched into Halldor's face. Three, on the other hand, looked as composed as ever. He had known from the start what Nine was doing; he was simply buying time until the analysis was complete.

'S! Now!'

'Right.'

Three readied himself and rushed the archaism, his swordplay swifter than ever, a veritable tornado of slashes and stabs. Each of his attacks hit upon one of the weak points that Nine had pointed out. He suddenly switched to his short sword and performed the same volley of attacks, hitting each point a second time, but the result was the same as before--nothing save the same high-pitched metallic sound that rang out with each hit.

It didn't appear that the archaism had been damaged in the slightest.

'HAHAHA!!!'

Halldor was beside himself with laughter, relishing watching the young assassin struggle.

'What a joke! You can swing those little swords of yours until the poms come home, but you're never getting through that armor!'

'All part of the process.'

Letting this simple reply linger in the air, Three lined up his shortsword with the empty section in the base of his longsword. The two blades locked into place, becoming a single weapon, their sharp edges lining up perfectly. At first glance, it would be difficult to tell the two were ever anything other than a single sword. Halldor watched the process with interest, but then burst into mocking laughter a moment later.

'Proud of your pocket knife, little boy? Do you honestly think that will be your ticket to victory?'

Truth be told, even in its combined state, the reach of Three's sword hadn't improved any. Nor was the weapon sharper or faster. The slightly increased weight of the blade may have provided some increase in power, but certainly not enough to break through the archaism's thick armor. Given the opponent at hand, the weapon truly seemed little better than a toy.

Three chose to remain silent and let his weapon do the talking. He swung it at the weak point on the archaism's leg--the same spot he had targeted before. This time, however, his strike was followed by a loud explosion and the archaism's leg flew across the room. The blast seemed to have come from within the archaism itself, and was powerful enough to have blown its limb clean off. The blast appeared similar to that of a fire-element art, but neither Three nor Nine had appeared to have cast anything. Even if they had, the archaism's sensor would surely have detected it.

'Wh-What the--' Halldor stammered, his face twisted with shock and fear.

Another swing by Three's sword.

Followed by another explosion. A second of the archaism's limbs was sent flying to a corner of the room.

'What the hell is going on?!' Halldor screeched, no longer trying to hide his panic. His tone quickly deteriorated from alarm to abject terror.

'This is no ordinary sword,' Three began to speak, his face devoid of expression. 'It's fully integrated with a battle orbment, forming a single weapon. Well, strictly speaking, I suppose it's closer to an ordinary orbment than a battle orbment.'

As he spoke, he continued his attack, his swordplay not pausing for even a second.

'An orbment with a single function--a controlled explosion on points I designate. However, its activation requires each blade to have separately made contact with the intended target area. You can think of the marks as targeting coordinates, essentially.'

Even though Three's initial attacks seemed to have been repelled, they were actually preparatory steps in this process. The subsequent explosions were the true attack.

'The third strike to the same location, this time made with the unified blade, results in the explosion.'

The location and timing specifications were complicated, as was the use of the specialized orbment in conjunction with some automated processing. The end result was an instantaneous cast time, however. If the wielder was skilled enough, they'd be able to launch powerful arts attacks without the need for any chargeup period. It was in this ability that the true value of Three's weapons lay.

'B-But...'

Having suffered an enormous amount of damage from the rapid arts strikes unleashed on it, the archaism began throwing sparks in all directions.

It began to dawn on Halldor that victory was no longer an option for him, and he began desperately looking for a means of escape.

'Stop! Stop fighting and get me out of here, NOW!' he ordered the archaism in a shrill yell.

Reacting to its new orders, the machine quickly rotated its torso and began moving toward him.

'I don't think so,' a lazy voice called out from across the room.

During the commotion, its remaining spiderlike legs had been bound with a complex web of steel wire, rendering it immobile.

'This is the end.'

Three quickly struck its remaining weak points in rapid succession. The resulting series of explosions tore the machine to pieces, littering its surroundings with burnt steel and charred components. When the smoke had cleared, the room was so filled with broken parts, it was more scrapyard than suite. What remained of the archaism's body ceased all functions and collapsed, its chassis mangled beyond recognition.

Three deftly wove his way through the junk scattered at his feet, silently moving toward Halldor.

'S-Stay back!'

A pitiful squeak escaped Halldor's throat as he scrambled backward, away from the approaching assassin. There was nowhere to run, however. Three's mission was nearing its end, yet he didn't feel happiness, or even relief.

He took a step closer.

He felt his sword suddenly grow heavy in his hand.

He forced himself to take another step.

His legs felt like they were encased in concrete.

His whole body felt like it was desperately rejecting his advance. Trying to pull itself away.

Another step.

This was how it always ended. All that remained was for him to fulfill his role. He was nothing but a tool--a machine.

This was how it was supposed to be.

Three took one final step forward.

'There's no need to share any details with you. Still, I figure you at least deserve to know who's ending your life.'

To know, Three thought to himself, whose name to curse as you burn in the fires of Gehenna.

'I am Three of Swords.'

He plunged his blade deep into Halldor's chest, piercing the man's heart.

'I'm an assassin for the Organization.'

◇

By this point, the panic on the second floor had largely subsided and the ship's security guards were finally starting to move up to the third floor. Picking up on this, Three and Nine quietly broke open the window and jumped through it to the sea outside.

'It's a good thing this mission wasn't on an airship. That would've made escaping way more of a pain,' Nine remarked.

'Agreed.'

She was right. Escaping from an airship would have necessitated a specialized aircraft for the operation, as well as forcing the two to leap from ship to ship midair. It wouldn't have been entirely impossible for the young assassins, though, and surely someone in their wide world had carried out such an operation before.

'S.'

Nine softly called out to Three, again using her preferred nickname for him.

'He was a corrupt man. An evil man.'

The two of them looked back toward the ship. There was no need for further explanation between the two.

'Yeah,' Three said quietly, 'I know.'

He had been thorough in reading through the mission dossier, and knew that Nine spoke true. Halldor was a bastard through and through--one that had performed all kinds of horrible acts in the pursuit of mira. His mere existence sullied the world, and society was better off with him no longer a part of it.

'Not that it matters either way.'

When it came down to it, a hit was a hit. A target could be the person with the purest heart on the continent or the scummiest bottom-feeder imaginable. If an assassination order came in from the Organization, Three and Nine followed it. That's how it always was.

'I guess.'

Nine went silent. She took something out from her plush bear and began blowing into it. It gradually took the shape of an inflatable raft big enough for one. Nine climbed aboard it and flopped down, once again using her bear as a pillow.

'I'm gonna catch another few winks. I'll leave this part to you, S, 'kay?'

'This part' meant for Three to swim them both to shore.

'Your legs work just fine,' he retorted, 'Do it yourself.'

Despite his words, Three felt a twinge of something resembling affection in his heart. He and Nine had been operating together for over a year by this point. She was a little younger than him and he sometimes found himself thinking of her as more a little sister than just his partner. Their natural rapport aside, she was also someone he could truly rely on during their missions.

Despite this, Three understood the situation. He understood that even if Nine was his partner, even if he thought of her as a little sister, he could never let his guard down.

He could never truly trust her.

To be continued

第３巻 殺し屋とターゲット

貴賓室(きひんしつ)のなかの貴賓室というべきか、その部屋はだだっ広かった。

ハルドル・バールンはソファーに座り、そっとワイングラスに口をつけてから、不味そうに顔をしかめる。

「無能どもめ。所詮(しょせん)は猟兵崩れ、料金分の仕事すらできんとはな」

彼は正しく現状を理解している。目の前に立っているのは子供二人。

誰も入れるなと命令したし、そもそも外が騒がしくなった時点で察しがついていた。外見からにわかには信じがたいが、この二人が自分の命を狙っている殺し屋で間違いない。理解しているにもかかわらず、ハルドルの顔からは少しも焦(あせ)りの色がみえない。それはきっと彼の前にある“あれ”が原因だろう。

このだだっ広い部屋でも、“あれ”が存在するだけで狭く感じられる。高さ２アージュを超えるその物体は６本の脚を持ち蜘蛛(くも)のように地面を這(は)う。ただし上半身は直立し、そこからさらに４本の腕らしきものが伸びている。全身から金属の光を反射させ、静かな威圧感で場を支配している。

「大きい～」

見上げながら感嘆の声を漏らすナイン。

「人形兵器――！！」

スリーは即座に戦闘態勢を取る。

「フフン、これは俺が闇のオークションから高額で購入したお気に入りだ。どこの組織が流したのかは知らんが、かなりの高性能でね、そのうえでさらにミラを積んで改造したのだ。小隊規模の軍隊相手でも余裕で戦える」

おもちゃを自慢するようにハルドルは上機嫌に笑う。

「猟兵崩れたちはあくまで哨戒(しょうかい)程度で、本命の護衛はこっちというわけか」

「そのとおり。こいつが傍(そば)にいれば、この船での俺の安全は保障される。そしてこのまま共和国に着けば、あとはどうとでもなる！」

そう言って、さらに声高く笑い出すハルドル。

「愚かな」

「バカなひとね」

べつに自分たちの実力を過信しているわけではない。たとえ自分たちが失敗しても、《黒月(ヘイユエ)》の保護を受けても、“組織”がターゲットとして認識しているなら、彼はきっと逃げられない。

「やれ！！　―――」

ハルドルの命令を受け、人形兵器が動き出す。最初の標的はスリーのようで、一直線で彼に向って突進していく。それを機に、ナインはアーツの駆動にはいる。白兵戦に特化したスリーと違い、彼女は導力魔法(オーバルアーツ)の適性も高い。しかし即座に、人形兵器の腕のひとつが銃口に変形し、ナイン目掛けて掃射する。

「！！ッ」

間一髪でそれを回避したが、駆動中のアーツが中断された。スリーは長剣で斬りかかり、人形兵器の注意はスリーにもどる。ナインは素早く移動し、スリーの反対側でふたたびアーツを駆動する。

“ズゥイイン―――”

が、またもや銃口を向けられたナインは、回避のためにアーツの中断を余儀なくされた。どうやらこの人形兵器にはアーツの駆動を探知する高性能のセンサーがついており、反応があれば即座に攻撃するようになっているらしい。２回も行動を邪魔されて、ナインが少し不機嫌そうにいつもよりきつくぬいぐるみを抱きしめる。

「なーちゃん、やめた～、相性悪すぎ～あとはすーちゃんに任せる」

機械相手に毒針を投げつけても意味はない。そのうえアーツの発動までままならないとなると、たしかにナインにはどうすることもできない。それを理解して、スリーは仕方がないと小声でつぶやき、剣を構えなおす。

「じゃあ、戦闘が終わったら起こしてね～なーちゃんもう寝る……」

いつの間にかナインは手頃なソファーを見つけて、ぬいぐるみを枕に寝ようとしている。

「寝るな！！」

思わず大声を上げるスリーだが、ナインは反応しない。人形兵器も脅威ではないと判断したか、スリーにだけ狙いを定めている。

人形兵器の４本の腕はそれぞれ剣、槍、斧、銃に変形し、怒涛の連続攻撃をスリーに仕掛ける。剣で斬り、避けられたら槍で突き、回避方向をつぶして斧で薙(な)ぐ。銃をあまり使ってこないのはハルドルのほうに向けて、彼に敵が近づけないよう警戒しているからだ。

高速での移動と斬撃こそスリーの基本的な戦闘スタイルだが、６本の脚によるバランス性能と瞬発力は金属製の体とは思えないほどの素早さを人形兵器にもたらし、さらに腕が多いぶん、手数はスリーをも上回る。自分の得意領域がまったく発揮できない相手。ナインほどではないが、スリーにとっても決して相性がいいとはいえない。

二本の剣で応戦するスリー。

体格も手数も自分より遥か上の相手に、左手の短剣は防御用と割り切る。降り注ぐ攻撃をいなし、そらし、軌道を変えさせる。そして隙あらばリーチの長い右手の長剣で攻撃する。

激しい攻防がしばらく続く。

何度か隙をついて人形兵器の腕や胴に攻撃を届かせたが、その度に“キンッ――”という音が響き、剣が弾き返される。

「フハハハハハ―― 無駄だ小僧！　装甲も特注品を使っている、貴様らに突破できるはずもない！」

事実、スリーの攻撃は完全に効いていないと言ってもいい。まだほとんど傷を負っていないが、このままではいずれジリ貧になる。そんなとき、寝ているはずのナインが突然声をあげる。

「解析完了」

目を閉じ、ソファーに横たわったまま、ナインは言葉を続ける。声はいつもより平坦に聞こえる。

「腕、第一関節、下５リジュ。脚、第二関節、上３リジュ。腰、回転部中心。左胸、上５分の２、左５分の１」

それを聞いて、最初に反応したのはスリーではなくハルドルだった。彼は焦(あせ)りの表情を浮かべて叫ぶ。

「貴様！　なぜこいつの構造的弱点を知っている！？」

ナインはゆっくりとソファーから身を起こし、目を擦りながら、いつもの調子で答える。

「音で分かるよ～、ちょっと集中する必要があるけど」

「そんなっ、バカな……」

信じ難いといった表情を浮かべるハルドル。対してスリーは冷静だった。当然ナインは解析が目的だということをスリーは最初からわかっている。そして解析が完了するこの時を、彼はずっと待っていた。

「すーちゃん～、やっちゃって～！！」

「ああ、了解だ」

スリーは一瞬身を屈め、鋭く飛び出す。

先ほどよりも高速で長剣を振るい、人形兵器に斬撃を浴びせる。

その一撃一撃がすべてナインの指示した弱点に命中した。すかさず短剣を前に出し、直前と同じ軌道で人形兵器のすべての弱点を、短剣を使ってもう一度斬る――が、結果は前と変わらず、甲高い金属音が何度も響き渡るだけで、相手がダメージを負ったようには見えない。

「クククク……フハハハハハハ―――」

腹を抱えて笑うハルドル。

「弱点を知っても無駄だったようだな、貴様らにはこの装甲を突破することなどできんわ！！」

「いまのは前準備だ」

言って、スリーは左手の短剣を柄のほうから、右手の長剣の鍔(つば)に――差し込んだ。

すると、あたかも最初から一体であるかのように、細すぎた刀身も、欠けていた鍔も、これで丁度バランスが取れた、一本の剣となった。ハルドルは呆然とそれを見て、一瞬の沈黙の後、失笑した。

「フ…フフフン、なんだそのおもちゃの剣は？　まさかそれで勝てるとでも思ったか？」

ハルドルのいうとおり、二本の剣を合わせて一本にしたところでリーチも切れ味も変わらない。重量が増した分、幾分か破壊力が増すかもしれないが、それでも目の前の敵の装甲を突破できそうにない。これではただのおもちゃだ。

スリーは返答せず、ただ無言で一本となった剣を振る。

斬撃は先ほども斬ろうとした脚の弱点部分に命中した。すると “バンッ――！！” という爆音とともに、人形兵器の狙った脚が爆散した。まるで内側から爆発したようで、火属性のアーツの効果を思わせるが、スリーにもナインにもアーツを駆動した素振りはない。そもそも人形兵器のセンサーも反応しなかった。

「なっ、なにぃぃぃいいいい！！！！！！！？？」

ハルドルが驚愕の表情を浮かべる。

もうひと振り、すると―――

“バンッ――！！”

もう１本の脚が弾け飛んだ。

「なんだそれは！！！！！？？」

必死の形相(ぎょうそう)を隠せず、彼は叫ぶ。

「この剣は少し特殊なんだ」

スリーはなんの表情も浮かべずに語りはじめる。

「剣と戦術オーブメントが一体となっている。いや、戦術オーブメントより、普通の導力器(オーブメント)に近いかもしれない。」

語りながら、その間も手を止めない。

「使えるアーツはひとつだけ、指定位置に爆発を起こすというものだ。ただし発動させるには、分かれた二本の剣でそれぞれ目標の場所を斬る必要がある。相対座標の記録、つまりマーキングだ」

弾かれながらも二本の剣で斬りつけたのは、まさにその“前準備”。

「最後に一本に戻った剣で二重マークしたところに触れ、衝撃を与えれば、爆発する」

位置とタイミングの指定をほかの形で代行し、専用特化型のオーブメントによる自動プロセスと合わせ、アーツ駆動の過程そのものを省略する。手順は面倒だが、うまく使えば無詠唱で高威力のアーツ攻撃を放てる。それがスリーの持つ武器の真価だ。

「そんな……ものが……」

所々火花を散らしている人形兵器はすでにかなりのダメージを受けている。自分の敗北を悟ったハルドルはすぐさま逃げる準備をはじめる。

「戦闘をやめろ！　早く俺を連れてここから離脱しろ！！」

新たな命令を受け取った人形兵器は転向し、ハルドルのところへ向かおうとする。

「させないよ～」

いつの間にか、その蜘蛛のような脚には鋼糸が複雑に絡み合い、がんじがらめになっている。

「終わりだ」

とどめとばかりに、スリーは残りの弱点部位を一気に叩き斬る。爆発が幾重にも重なり、壊れた部品が部屋中に飛び散り、そしてついに、人形兵器は完全に機能を停止し、バラバラに崩れた。ガラクタを踏み越え、スリーは静かにハルドルへ近づいていく。

「ひぃぃ――」

情けない声を発しながら後ずさるハルドル。しかし、彼に逃げ道はないことはもはや明確だ。任務達成の障害になるものはすでにないにもかかわらず、スリーの顔に勝利の喜びはない。

一歩近づく。
手のなかの剣が急に重くなったように感じる。

もう一歩。
足も重くなった。これ以上進みたくない。

さらに一歩。
いつものことだ。あとは“機械”に、“道具”になりきればいい。問題ない。

最後の、一歩。

「本当はアンタにあんな解説をしても意味はないけど、せめてどんな相手に殺されるかくらい、知る権利はあるだろう」

煉獄で呪う相手のことくらい――

「オレの名はソードの３(スリー・オブ・ソーズ)」

心臓へひと突き。

「“組織”の、殺し屋だ」

…………２階ホールの混乱を収め、船の警備員たちは３階へ乗り込もうとする。その気配を感じ、目的を達成したスリーとナインは窓を割り、海に飛び込んだ。

「飛行船じゃなくてよかったね～ もし空中だったら、こんな脱出は出来なかったよ」

「そうだな」

それこそ高性能な専用飛行艇を持っていて、そこに飛び移らない限りは。この世界のどこかに、そんな風に単独任務を行うヤツはいるのだろうか。

「すーちゃん」

そっとスリーに呼びかけるナイン。

「あのひとは悪人だよ～、悪徳商人」

船のほうを見る。誰のことを指しているかはいうまでもない。

「ああ、分かっている」

任務前の資料でよく知っている。ミラのために悪事の限りを尽くした、死んだほうが世のためになるような人種だ。だが――

「だが、関係ない」

そんなことは言い訳にならない。悪人だろうと善人だろうと、“組織”からの命令なら殺した。今までそうしてきたように。

「そう」

ナインはそれ以上何も言わなかった。彼女はぬいぐるみから何かを取り出し、それに息を吹き入れる。しばらくすると、その“何か”が一人用サイズのゴムボートということが分かった。今度はぬいぐるみを抱き枕にして、ナインはゴムボートに寝そべる。

「じゃあ、なーちゃんは寝る。あとはお願いね～」

それは暗に、スリーに「岸まで押していって」という意味を持つ。

「自分で泳げよ」

文句を言いながら、そんな彼女の姿を見て、スリーは少しだけ心が軽くなった感じがした。スリーとナインは１年以上行動をともにしている。スリーのほうが少しだけ年上で、少々天然なところがあるナインのことを時々妹のように感じる。任務のときは頼りになるパートナーだ。

だがスリーは分かっている。

妹のようであり、パートナーでもある彼女は

――― 決して信用してはいけない。

TO BE CONTINUED