I Possessed a Broken Academy Instructor

Chapter 20

〔Intruders detected aboard the ship. Intruders detected aboard the ship. All non-combat crew members, please proceed to designated shelters.〕

〔Sector D-7 sealed, repeating. Sector D-7 sealed…!〕

“D-Damn it! What the hell is happening…!”

The unidentified red assault ships, ten in total, charged into the rear hangar. Three were shot down by the partially operational air defense systems of the ship, but the rest met with failure.

As a result, the marines who had evacuated some non-combat crew members headed towards the corridor leading to the rear hangar.

What they faced was a horde of unknown soldiers clad in red uniforms and black gas masks.

“Take cover!”

“GRaaaH!”

“L-Let me live—! Cough!”

In terms of overall equipment, the Synthetic Nation’s marines had the upper hand, but as soon as the superhumans in crimson uniforms advanced, they were inevitably pushed back into the corridor beyond the hangar.

Of course, it wasn’t long before the captain commanding the scene could finally exhale a sigh of relief.

Though the late-arriving marines were all clad in reinforced exoskeletons, it was the equipment of the one at the forefront that drew attention.

〔Everyone, step aside!〕

Creeeak, Kwooom! With a sound that echoed, a behemoth, easily three meters tall, squeezed through the marines and stood towering in the center of the corridor.

〔I shall sweep you all away!〕

Before the red-uniformed ones could even react, it aimed the large-caliber machine gun mounted on its left forward.

Tatatatatatatat!

Tactical Exosuit – Titan.

An upgraded version of the exoskeleton created to bolster the firepower of squads during the Second Galactic War, it overwhelmed dual gears in sheer momentary firepower.

Fortunately, the superhumans in red uniforms seemed not to be of the highest rank, as they hesitated to throw themselves in front of the gun’s muzzle.

〔Uwaaah!〕

To witness a single figure nearly compensating for the firepower that dozens of marines had previously held at bay was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Perhaps it was this that allowed a sigh of relief to escape.

Captain Shiche, who was commanding the scene, turned to the sergeant who had come to support.

“What’s the situation?”

“I rushed over during my watch, so I’m not fully informed. However, I heard that Captain Hessen and Captain Arinne are heading to the bridge.”

“……Damn. Reinforcements will be difficult.”

Captain Hessen and Captain Arinne. Though they held the same rank, their weight was different.

Both were special officers who had graduated from the Northern Special Operations Academy.

‘Are they really attacking the bridge? But what on earth could have happened in hyperspace…’

Of course, it wasn’t unheard of to engage in combat in hyperspace, nor was it unprecedented.

In fact, it could be said that it was perfect for guerrilla warfare from a tactical standpoint.

The moment one entered hyperspace, the mother AI of each ship minimized all external air defense systems for safe navigation.

However, because of this, military hyperspace routes were managed with strict security classifications, and retreating in hyperspace was no easy feat, making it akin to a suicide mission.

“Captain?”

Yet his worries were cut short there.

Shiche knew well that this was not the time for such musings, and he quickly assessed the situation and issued commands.

“For now, we hold our position.”

If the special officers were heading to the bridge, it meant the main force was likely that way. For now, there was nothing more they could do but hold their ground.

〔Hahaha! Come on in, you fools!〕

With the Titan’s arrival, it seemed that holding their position would be quite manageable.

But then.

Step, step…

Was it a malfunction from the gunfire, or was it merely the flickering light? A man, draped in something long, approached slowly.

His face obscured by a black mask, yet the red uniform he wore spoke volumes—he was the enemy.

Thus, the sergeant aboard the Titan aimed his weapon without a hint of hesitation and pulled the trigger.

Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!

The bullets, fired from the glowing muzzle, filled the corridor with their deadly chorus.

‘Foolish.’

Now that he was within range, there was no escape.

Being a so-called superhuman, he wouldn’t lose his life to bullets immediately, but he would surely sustain considerable injuries.

Yet, at that very moment.

“Quickly, clean it up.”

A voice, barely a whisper beneath the gas mask, cut through the noise of the machine gun fire.

Boom!

With a thunderous explosion, the Titan’s right leg was torn away entirely.

“W-what…?”

Not just Captain Shiche, but every Marine defending the corridor could only doubt their own eyes.

It was clearly the b*stard at the end of the hallway.

Yet, in the blink of an eye, he was ravaging the Titan.

[Ugh, aaah!]

The sergeant controlling the Titan let out a desperate scream that brushed against their ears, leaving only a distant afterimage. In that moment, Captain Shiche caught sight of the weapon held by the red-clad soldier and murmured softly.

“Tonfa?”

The red uniform, the blonde hair, and most decisively, the overwhelming force wielding the tonfa as if it were a mere toy.

“…A Class 2 wanted criminal. Liberto.”

The most notorious criminal from the separatist, anti-government terrorist group known as the ‘Red Hand,’ presumed to be a quad-gear level superhuman.

“C-Captain, what should we do?”

“…”

He stood there, having assuredly ended the Titan’s breath, gazing at the soldiers of the Synthesized Nation.

Though he could kill them all in an instant if he wished, he chose to wait, perhaps out of some unspoken pressure.

Surrender. Or die.

If it were any other terrorist group, perhaps, but the Red Hand is a place that barks about a noble cause.

“……Huh.”

The contemplation was brief.

Surrendering would save his life, at least for now.

Yet he would be branded a traitor to the Synthesized Nation, and his family would surely endure a lifetime of beatings.

A death of honor, perhaps.

Or a coward’s survival.

The answer was already set in stone.

Shyche smiled bitterly and commanded.

“Prepare to fire.”

“……Prepare to fire!”

With his command, the remaining marines raised their rifles in unison, and upon witnessing this, Liberto let out a short sigh beneath his gas mask before speaking.

“If you truly wish to drink the poison, I shall not prolong it.”

And immediately after, the only sound that echoed from the corridor was the desperate, dying screams of the marines.

*

“Are you alright?”

“Th-thank you, Major.”

Obia Timist lightly brushed aside the injured marine’s gratitude and approached the soldier in the red uniform, collapsed with a fatal wound to his abdomen.

Shiiik, sss-.

He struggled to breathe, the gas mask making it difficult, and it was clear he was gasping for air.

Yet, in his eyes, there was a glint of malice and hostility directed at her.

Of course, she paid it no mind and reached out to rip off the gas mask.

“Cough! Hack….”

Was it the pain of forcibly tearing the straps?

Or perhaps it was because his insides had melted away from the flames that had pierced his abdomen moments before?

She pondered that it might be both, as she asked him, who glared at her as if he would kill her.

“I’ll ask just once since it’s our first meeting. What is your purpose?”

“……Kill me.”

“Hmm. Well, if that’s your wish!”

“……What?”

Could it be that I never expected to agree so readily?

The fallen one, eyes wide with disbelief, questioned back, but soon melted away without even a final scream, consumed by the flames that filled his vision.

Then, the lieutenant standing behind him, pale as death, opened his mouth.

“L-Lieutenant, even so…”

“Hmm?”

“N-Never mind.”

Yet, at Obia’s innocent retort, he too found himself silenced.

When facing the terrorists of the Red Hand, capture was the principle, but in such dire circumstances, summary execution was also an option.

…Setting aside humanitarian concerns, of course.

On the other hand, Obia cared not a whit for how others perceived her; she simply continued her thoughts.

‘An ambush in hyperspace. How intriguing.’

Indeed, it was wise to follow Jin Crow.

Perhaps she was experiencing something she might never encounter again in her lifetime.

However, the lieutenant’s incessant brooding over trivial matters was an unavoidable annoyance.

“Excuse me, could you move the injured soldiers to a safer location?”

“Yes, understood, Lieutenant.”

At her command, the lieutenant nodded.

It was necessary to escort the wounded to the rear, and her order was justified both in principle and practicality.

Of course, in reality, it was more like, ‘Please clear away the unnecessary obstacles.’

Just as the lieutenant hurried off to tend to the injured and briefly disappeared, Obia pondered where to go next, licking her lips in thought.

“Hmmm.”

She stood at the heart of the ship, with stairs leading to the aft hangar and a corridor leading to the bridge.

Which way would she encounter more enemies?

After a long moment of deliberation, she finally moved her feet toward the nearest path.

No, she intended to.

“…Huh?”

In that instant, a sound like wind came from behind. If not for the heavy sensation brushing against her ear as she instinctively turned aside.

She quickly threw herself to create distance.

Naturally, her white uniform was stained with blood and ash, but she paid it no mind, turning around with a bright smile.

“Obia Timist of the Military Police. Is that correct?”

“Not at all?”

“……You seem unnecessarily cheerful, according to the information.”

The face of the woman standing before him matched almost perfectly with the photo obtained from the dark web, and crucially, that striking white military uniform could only belong to the military police.

Kwaddukduk!

Just as he was certain that the woman was Obia Timist, Liberto leaped forward as if the answer mattered little.

‘Let’s settle this quickly.’

There was no benefit in dragging things out.

Especially if the opponent was a strong contender in the Quad Gear; a moment of carelessness and momentum could decide victory or defeat.

Kwaaang!

As he swiftly spun the tonfa and struck her abdomen, the sound of an explosion echoed, and her frail body soared into the air.

Yet Liberto did not stop there; he leaped again, aiming to swing the handle beneath her chin.

‘What?’

The connection was clean, devoid of any excess, but Liberto couldn’t shake the inexplicable sense of unease that furrowed his brow.

“Fast, aren’t you?”

And soon, a soft yet chilling whisper brushed past his ear, causing Liberto to instinctively twist his body.

Hwarururururuk!

A pinpoint of flame grazed Liberto’s cheek, crashing into the ground, and in an instant, it turned the fallen bodies into ashes.

But that was not all.

Liberto realized that the fleeting touch on his cheek had exposed bone, and he immediately stepped back, muttering.

“……Impressive firepower.”

In that moment, the fact that it had melted flesh and bone meant her flames overwhelmed any regenerative ability.

Because of this, Liberto could only gaze at the grinning Obia, tension filling his eyes.

‘Dragging this out would be disadvantageous.’

Of course, nothing would change.

Just as he was mulling this over and about to take a step forward.

“Stop.”

A voice, laced with irritation and boredom, echoed from the corridor connected to the bridge.

“Who would have thought you weren’t a terrorist? Struggling to die together, are we?”

At that moment, his gaze shifted not to Liberto, but to Obia.