Boom!

They felt a harsh shake as an explosion occurred near them. Anton, Kayla, Ronald, and Cecily were all thrown around as the Tarup 57 shook violently. Kayla leaped away, jumping into the driver’s seat. She hit the gas, causing the vehicle to jump forward.

‘We’re hit! We’re hit!’ Lily’s voice echoed through the in-game voice chat.

‘The tank, it fired a shot!’ Caleb explained, also through the in-game voice chat.

‘They’re dead, the IFVs gone! They’re aiming for you, Ronald!’ Mia said.

Kayla swerved through the forest, driving as fast as she could through the narrow openings. A boom came heard behind them, but they escaped relatively unscathed.

‘Second shot, second shot!’ Caleb called.

“Luke, Lily, where are you now?” Ronald asked.

‘Mitte Adventure Terminal. They got us.’

Hearing that, Ronald directed his attention toward Anton. Anton searched for the tank through his camera, its figure no longer visible behind the dense foliage.

“What should we do now?” Anton asked, Kayla continued driving away from the tank. Going back to the Rodley building and getting TOW missiles equipped will take a long time, and with the third and last IFV gone, They no longer had any vehicles to entertain the bandits.

At this point, they were too deep to let that tank go. Without needing to even look at Ronald, Anton knew that he would like to avenge his friends.

“The truth is, I can use Light Pierce.”

Anton turned his head at Cecily’s words. Light Pierce, a powerful, high-level spell that could destroy almost everything. Physical weapons, to help balance them against long-range magic and weapons, could deflect them. But, all vehicles, including battleships could be damaged with Light Pierce.

There was just one major issue.

Light Pierce only had a distance of three meters, meaning the user needed to be very close to the target. Cecily needed to get close to the tank to use Light Pierce, and that posed a problem. Kayla needed to place the Tarup 57 near the tank, to minimize the time Cecily stood out in the open. Hiding a person was one thing, but hiding an entire LAV?

They couldn’t let Cecily die, either. If she died, that meant leaving them with returning to Mitte as their only option. At best, that meant wasting time. But, at worst, that meant needing to find the tank again. Anton doubted that their two scouts could continuously keep up with a tank. As slow as a tank was, as long it had fuel, it could continue moving.

“Maybe we should call for support?” Kayla suggested. Both Anton and Ronald checked their list of friends.

“No,” Anton answered.

“I’ll try asking my dad…” Ronald said. They waited for his reply.

“It will take a while…”

“Guess we’re out of options, huh?” Kayla looked toward the other AI companion in the vehicle.

“I’ll do it,” Cecily said with confidence.

“No, no, no. Cecily, the question isn’t whether or not you’ll do it, it’s how you do it.”

“Ah, yeah, right. About that,” Cecily scratched her cheeks with a wry smile. Anton then looked toward Ronald.

“Call your friends. Ask them where the tank is.”

“... Aren’t we in the same voice?”

‘Yes, heard you loud and clear,’ Caleb said from the voice chat.

‘About that tank. It hasn’t spotted us just yet, and looks like it’s returning to that field. Must have a good view out there,’ Caleb continued, explaining the situation.

“The open field…”

With no cover, it would be impossible for Cecily to sneak up on the tank. The tank may have terrible visibility, but they should still be able to see Cecily, especially if she approached from afar. They need to make a distraction. The Tarup 57 was fast, but Anton doubted it would be faster compared to the tank’s turret traverse speed. He also needed to consider the open plains the tank sat in. Yes, it was open, but it didn’t really give much room to maneuver. Kayla also needed to dodge the countless things that blocked their way, things like trees, roots, or branches that blocked the way.

Considering that it managed to hit the trucks and the IFVs from such a distance, the crew certainly had experience. If only they had one of the other IFVs still with them, then they could possibly do this trick. The tank’s gun would track the IFV, while the LAV circled the tank’s other side, attracting attention and possibly gunfire from the tank’s smaller machine guns.

“What if we crash the Tarup 57 into the tank’s sides, leap out, then use Light Pierce?” Cecily blurted out her thoughts. Ronald looked at her and lightly knocked her head.

“This isn’t our vehicle, we couldn’t do something so rash.”

“We can repair it, though,” Kayla said, inviting Anton’s eyes.

“What?” she asked, oblivious. Anton let out another sigh.

“For one, that meant going in a straight line straight toward the enemy tank, making it an easy shot. Second, there’s no guarantee that we would survive the shot in the first place.”

Neither had gone out of the vehicle to check the damages, but based on the sheer force that pushed them when the last IFV was destroyed, it wouldn’t be surprising if all four ended up getting killed in one shot.

‘What if we lease another vehicle to help distract it?’ Luke said through the voice chat. Ronald looked at Anton, waiting for his comments.

“Depends on the vehicle. If we can get something with good off-road capabilities… but it would be obvious that the car would be a trap.”

“And it will focus its fire on the Tarup 57,” Lily added.

“Then, what if we get Cecily to drive it?” Kayla said from the driver’s seat.

“Hmm, me?” Cecily pointed toward herself. She then let out an ah and clapped her hands together.

“I get it! Since the tank wouldn’t consider me a threat, it would focus its sights on the Tarup 57. I can pretend to be a distraction, get closer to it, and use my magic.”

“But that would mean risking the Tarup 57.” Ronald muttered, turning his attention toward Anton. Anton checked his balance.

“... Fine… let’s go with this plan. We can repair it anyway,” Anton said with a slightly tired tone.

“Sorry for involving you like this, even if we just met,” Ronald apologized.

“No problem, I guess. Come on, let’s finish this.”

* ••

The group made their way toward the street. Once they were far enough from the plains, the Tarup 57 came to a stop. Anton selected an off-road equipped pickup truck. It looked similar to the one he used with Mana before, but with a performance upgrade, allowing it to better handle the dirt.

Ronald and Cecily left the vehicle. After she closed the rear door, Kayla maneuvered the five-seven off the road, clearing the way for the incoming pickup. Anton rested his back on the seat. He opened the virtual screen and muted himself from the voice chat.

“Kayla, turn off your mic,” Anton said. From the driver’s seat, Kayla wordlessly did as told.

“Yes?” she asked after turning her mic off.

“I need to rest a bit. Don’t feel comfortable with either of our mics on.”

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“But they couldn’t hear you through my mic?”

“I know… it’s just…” Anton scratched his head.

“How do I say this? Sometimes people just want alone time, where no one is around?”

“Sorry. I don’t really understand that feeling.”

“Don’t think about it,” Anton said, returning back to the screen in front of him.

Kayla stopped the LAV a few hundred meters away from Ronald and Cecily. Anton used the cameras installed in his vehicle to check their surroundings.

“To think we were roped into this thing with those kids.”

“How do you even know that?”

“They look young.”

“Look isn’t the thing that decides age, though. Besides, it may be just their avatar.”

“Yeah, their actual ages aren’t important. Not like we will see them again.”

“You’re not interested in playing with them?” Kayla asked. Anton stopped and made sure that his microphone had indeed been muted, before continuing.

“I don’t know... I’m not even that interested in this quest anyway. I’m used to being with just you.”

“I don’t know whether I should be happy or not hearing that.”

“You don’t like playing with me?”

“It’s not that. As an AI companion, I’m not even capable of disliking you… but still, I wish you would play with others more.”

“Others… huh.”

Kayla’s words made Anton recall a memory he didn’t want to remember.

“... Did I strike an unpleasant memory?”

“How do you know?”

“Sorry…,” Kayla whimpered.

“I’m more interested in how you decipher that in the first place.”

“Well… there’s the thing with Rito and his brother.”

“Oh, yeah…”

Kayla was right. It did have something to do with him. He didn’t want to discuss it any further, however. At that moment, the pickup truck came and parked beside the road, prompting the other two to go into them. Ronald took the driver’s seat and Cecily took the passenger seat. It made the perfect topic to switch into, only for him to realize something.

“Wait, you can enter someone's vehicle without permission now?” Anton asked, staring down at the screen.

While he wasn’t necessarily close with Mana, he did have her as a friend, thus she could enter his vehicle without permission. For a moment, he thought that it was a result of them being in the same party, but Kayla gave him a different answer.

“No. It’s a new system. Everyone can enter a car unless you set it to be locked,” she explained. Anton headed for his settings and quickly checked through his lists, finding that the change had turned off his default setting for vehicles to be unlocked.

“This too?” he said with a hint of frustration. He quickly changed the settings, but it did nothing to Ronald and Cecily, probably because they were already inside.

“Yeah. Should we get going?”

“Alright,” Anton answered. The two then turned on their mics, allowing them to communicate with the other six.

“You two ready?” Kayla asked through the radio.

‘Ready when you are,’ she heard the answer coming from the other side.

‘Scouts here, the tank isn’t moving.’

“Roger, we’re moving,” Kayla then pushed the Tapur 57 forward, the pickup following behind them. The two vehicles went deeper into the forest, away from the road.

Anton opened the map and mapped a route toward the tank. He used the party map, a map that allowed all members inside the party to see it. He marked waypoints that went through trees, making a long line of points similar to a snake traveling through the land. These zig-zags serve as a way to hide their presence and make it harder to shoot them from a distance.

“I hope you all don’t mind me taking the lead,” Anton said.

‘Of course.’

‘We’ll rely on you.’

‘Please avenge us.’

‘We can do this!’

Loud barks filled with enthusiasm echoed through Anton’s ears.

Must be nice being a kid.

“Scouts, where is the tank and its gun facing?”

‘Tank facing north, toward the road. Gun facing the same way,’ Caleb’s voice filled the tense air.

“Alright, I will engage from behind the tank, from this point,” Anton changed his waypoint color and added one behind the tank. He made a line from southwest, circling the enemy’s left side in a clockwise movement. The machine gun on top of it is its largest threat to Cecily. The five-seven would focus its attacks on the top side of the turret, before trying to hit the parts further down.

“Scouts, you think you can provide us with supporting fire?”

‘Affirmative, commander!’ Caleb answered.

Commander?

Anton couldn’t say he hated being called that.

“Someone’s up in the clouds,” Kayla teased.

‘Huh, who?’ Ronald asked, not understanding the joke.

“Kayla!”

“It’s nothing, nothing,” she said with a light giggle.

“Urgh, start swerving left and right. Ronald, try to keep up with us, hide your figure behind our LAV.”

‘I’ll try my best.’

After that reply, Anton focused on his camera. He kept track of their position relative to the tank, making sure the main gun was always aimed at the tank that rested in the middle of the plains. As they got closer, Anton gripped the control stick on the right side of his seat, ready to fire the second he saw its figure.

Then it appeared.

Its silhouette, its turret, its long barrel, its sandy brown color that stood like a sore thumb in the center of all the greenery. Anton kept the tank’s body in his sights, ready to fire. Kayla drove to the right, heading east, before turning north. This made the vehicle travel relatively parallel to the tank, preventing it from getting a straight shot and forcing the bandits to lead the shot. They would be forced to aim in front of the LAV, making it a harder shot compared to when the LAV headed straight for them, when all they needed to do was to fire at its body.

Anton kept his attention on the turret, waiting for the moment the tank crew noticed their arrival.

Then it happened. The tank’s turret toward them. Its speed, while slow compared to other armored vehicles, still fast enough to lock on to Anton’s Five-Seven. The entire body of the tank moved as well, placing Anton’s Tarup 57 right at the end of the barrel. As expected, it didn’t immediately fire, but instead adjusted its aim, pointing to a spot in front of Anton’s LAV.

“Brake!” Anton yelled. Kayla pulled the entire vehicle to a halt. Ronald managed to stop as well, barely hitting Anton’s LAV. A projectile weighing around ten kilograms zipped past the front of the LAV, narrowly missing it and crashing into an unfortunate tree fifty meters away from it.

“Damn, how good are these guys!?” Anton yelled. Kayla quickly continued moving.

“The tank we’re facing will take a while to reload. Let’s go, before they load another shell!”

‘Alright!’

As they continued moving, Anton adjusted his cannon. Anton pulled the trigger, opening fire on the tank from behind the trees. Tracers pierced through the sky, filling the empty air with red-colored darts. They crashed into the tank’s side, some attempting to drill into its thick metal armor while others bounced off. Some even went into the sky.

“Right!” Anton called out, prompting both vehicles to make a sharp turn to the right. The sharp turn caused Anton to hold onto his seat, unable to shoot his gun as she tried to counter the turn. Once the turn ended, he continued firing. The sudden turn forced the tank crew to realign their shot. The sheer speed of how fast they could get Anton’s LAV back in their sights was frightening. They adjusted their aim, aiming in front of Anton, to account for Anton’s movements.

Anton wanted to call another brake, but if he made a mistake, he would put them in another tough situation, with no speed to escape.

“Ronald, split. Kayla, Left!”

Boom!

A loud noise filled the air as the tank fired another shell at them. This one scraped the LAV’s right side. The armor deflected it, sending the shell into the sky, the force enough to shake the LAV’s occupants. Kayla continued driving, speeding away. The two vehicles left the forest cover, now in the same plains as the tank.

Kayla made a right turn, the LAV’s nose facing northeast.

The LAV then made a turn, facing toward the LAV, while Ronald’s pickup made its way south of the tank’s position. The tank body had been rotated, with its rear now facing the southeast. Anton continued firing. His 25mm managed to hit the machine gun above the tank’s turret, possibly damaging it, but other than that, it absolutely did nothing. It was simply too weak for the tank’s armor. The tank aimed once more, but this time, it didn’t fire. Its turret continued to track the LAV, however.

“... Huh?”

Its entire body turned toward the LAV, then it opened fire. Not with its main gun, however, but inside, the front machine gun next to the driver. Smaller bullets rattled the LAV’s side. The turret aligned itself with the LAV, and the machine gun there, too, started opening fire. Anton, distracted by them, noticed it too late. The main cannon fired.

“Brake!” he yelled. Kayla quickly did as ordered, but it was too late. The shell, unlike before, slammed into the ground in front of the LAV, throwing the LAV upward before crashing back down. The shot didn’t hit the LAV, but the force momentarily disabled the vehicle, getting it stuck.

“Kayla, you’re alright?”

“I’m fine!” Kayla replied from the driver’s seat. She tried moving forward, but the LAV refused to move.

‘Anton, Kayla! Your vehicle’s front side is stuck in the crater!’ Caleb said through the call.

“Ah!” Kayla switched gears and attempted to reverse. The tank’s machine guns continued pestering them with bullets, although, like their 25mm to the tank’s armor, it was ineffective. The tank moved forward, attempting to block their escape. Its gun adjusted its aim, ready to fire once it reloaded its next shell.

“What should we do!?” Kayla asked from the front.

It would take a few more seconds before the LAV could take up speed, reversing away from the crater, but those few seconds gave enough time for the tank crew to destroy them. Anton racked his mind, trying to find a way out. He checked the screen, thinking of firing at the tank again, but then noticed a small marking on the bottom right side. A marking of a black ball with white cloud-like drawings.

“Ah, that’s it!”

Using the buttons on the side, he quickly selected the marking. He pulled the trigger, sending grenades out from small tubes on the turret. They flew and exploded in the air, filling the once-empty air with smoke.

‘Now’s our chance!’

Anton heard Ronald’s voice.

“Forward!”

Anton yelled, sending the LAV back into its previous position, stuck in the crater. They heard another loud explosion above them, throwing them to the side. The smoke prevented Anton from seeing anything happening outside.

‘I’m on them!’ Cecily said through the radio.

‘Light Pierce!’

Anton heard her yell, followed by the sound of a loud explosion.