Hermes’ Scheme

 

A stir rippled through the audience.

The blade’s tip had clearly pierced straight through the chest.

If a pilot were inside, it would’ve meant instant death.

「Is the pilot dead?」

「Weren’t any emergency measures activated?」

Most of the spectators were down-on-their-luck mercenaries.

The fact that no pilot rescue protocol had triggered sent shockwaves through them.

『The Teutates will be recovered later. —It is, after all, an unmanned weapon from Planet Europa. There is no living human piloting it. It is operated by a mechanical doll.』

「An automaton? You’re saying that thing really came from Planet Europa?」

「That’s not even a Silhouette, then. Now that I think about it, it did deploy a hidden blade from its arm.」

They had suspected it was an unusual type of Silhouette—but learning it wasn’t a Silhouette at all left them in stunned silence.

Meanwhile, Kou and the others had returned to the Palaestra’s garage, disembarking from their machines and letting out a breath.

Despite appearances,