“It's nothing, my name is Brian Foster, it was no big deal. If my dad found out I ignored someone in need, he'd kill me.” The girl waved her hand carelessly. “It's all those interstellar bandits' fault. I heard they were in our area, but I didn't expect it to be true... um... Emily Foster, what are you doing... don't cover my mouth...”

A pair of hands covered the wildly waving hands of Brian Foster. Behind her, a girl who looked a few years older sized up the straight-backed Charles Carter with sparkling eyes, then giggled, “You said... as long as we need help, you'll do your best to help us?”

“As long as I can.”

The demon hunter answered without any hesitation.

“Great!” The girl named Emily Foster clapped her hands, ignoring her friend's angry glare, and looked at Charles Carter with a bright smile. “My name is Emily Thompson, and we're both students at Alpha Military Academy.”

“Perfect timing, tomorrow is the annual spy competition at the academy, and we're still short a teammate. Young man, you look extraordinary—this task is yours! How about it?”

“Emily Foster!”

“I can.”

The demon hunter nodded, his expression as calm as ever, though a ripple flickered deep in his eyes at the mention of “spy.”

“Straightforward! No wonder you're an interstellar mercenary. Tomorrow at 8 a.m., we'll come find you here.” She pounded her left fist into her palm, then sidestepped to dodge Brian Foster's embarrassed and angry punch, and with a few quick steps, darted four or five meters away.

Her crisp laughter carried a note of triumph.

“Let's go, Little Brian, there's an inspection at the academy at noon. Since he's already awake, you don't need to treat him anymore... or do you want to... wah... so dirty~”

“Emily Foster, you!... I—I'm leaving now. Here, this is for you, get some rest...”

Whether from embarrassment or because time at the academy was really running out, Brian Foster handed a box to Charles Carter, then ran off in a fluster, while Charles Carter stood there holding the white box until the girls' figures disappeared from view before withdrawing his gaze.

His eyes remained calm and unruffled.

“Military Academy system, triple their physical stats, grant them knight-level combat awareness, and simulate a battle with me...”

“Beep~ Data collection complete, beginning simulated battle.”

“Beep~ Brian Foster, in the fourth second of the simulation, is decapitated by the host; Emily Thompson simultaneously has her carotid artery frozen by frost... death.”

“So that's it... In other words, the strongest students at the Military Academy are probably only at this level. Is this a world where individual combat strength isn't the main focus?”

Tossing the box in his hand, Charles Carter turned and entered the small house, his gaze sweeping over the projected mecha battle in the air, his eyes filled with gravity.

“Then, the focus should be on these... weapons...”

(Seriously, guys, even when setting off fireworks you want to hear a bang, right? At least say something! (ノДt))

Chapter 14: Missing?!

“Alpha Three Star, located on the northern edge of the Milky Way, is a human colony planet. Its technology isn't advanced, but it's famous for producing genius gunsmiths, making it well-known throughout the universe.”

“Apart from Earth humans, there are over a hundred alien species. After contact with these aliens, Earth humans began focusing on improving their own combat abilities. Across the universe, there are those who train their bodies, practice martial arts, and use genetic modification to enhance themselves, as well as espers who develop their brains and awaken all sorts of strange abilities.”

“In this world, the upper limit of individual combat strength isn't high, but there are all kinds of powerful weapons.”

As the mechanical voice spoke, a blue light screen unfolded in front of Charles Carter, then formed into a tall, streamlined machine.

“The strongest individual combat force is the battle puppet known as a mecha. Even the most basic mechas have average combat power equivalent to the peak knight level in the main world, and when the mecha engine goes into overload for ten seconds, it can break through to the great knight level.”

“In other words, it matches the host's current combat level.”

“Calculations show that only this kind of war machine can pose a fatal threat to the host.”

“The host excels at short-range maneuvering and explosive bursts of battle energy. Ordinary mechas piloted by low-level warriors, due to their reaction speed, can't even track a host who bursts out with great knight-level battle energy, and will have their joints or vital parts sliced by the indestructible holy sword, then be killed.”

As the system's mechanical voice droned on, a figure appeared and charged at the mecha. The figure representing Charles Carter easily dodged the mecha's heavy punch, then a flash of sword light swept across the mecha's knee joint. As the mecha lost balance and dropped to one knee, the figure leapt up, and in the next instant, the longsword pierced straight through the mecha's cockpit.

“But at the same time, the host's body can't withstand even a single hit from a mecha's conventional weapon.”

The scene changed. The mecha's right fist, steaming with power, slammed hard into the figure's waist. Almost instantly, the blue figure representing Charles Carter dimmed, and was then stomped to pieces by the approaching mecha!