NOVEL NEXT Chapter 61: Kiana, You're a Genius!!
On a chaotic main road, a pickup truck, carrying the only "popularity" of the entire street, was parked in the middle of the road.
However, the atmosphere in the car was one of distress.
Theresa, Fu Hua, and the others were thinking about where they could go to hide from those "supersonic, small Honkai beast groups," while Kallen and Kiana were thinking about how many Honkai beasts they could kill with their weapons.
Kiana's simulated opponent was that lingering armored-class Honkai beast. She figured that she could barely kill one by herself, with some artillery, but anything more than that would be impossible.
Kallen had seen two kinds of Honkai beasts, so she thought a bit more. At best, she could kill one and then have the ability to escape from another.
"Sigh…" The two white-haired bundles of energy sighed in frustration.
Bronya and Himeko were considering how many tactical Titan mechas there were in that military base, but after thinking about it, those weapons might not be enough for a "group of small, supersonic Honkai beasts" to pick their teeth with.
Theresa and Shu were thinking about how to escape the city, whether there was a place with helicopters or something similar, but this idea was quickly rejected by Shu. Helicopters were probably not faster than the advancing-class Honkai beasts.
At this time, going to the sky would be like valiantly using their lives to buy two seconds for the military base.
As for Otto... he was already thinking about where to get the materials to hand-craft a plane that could carry nine people at supersonic speeds.
He thought that this was actually a good idea, and that he might have some spare time to install some attack capabilities on the plane, such as a 55mm rotary cannon, or some chemical weapons that he had also hand-crafted...
Okay, before that, I still need to find a place where they can be safe from those Honkai beasts for a few months. He also wondered if those underground shelters built by those money-bags were still usable... He didn't know the passwords. If they were caught while trying to crack them, that would be a problem.
"Sigh... it seems a little difficult." Although Otto sighed, the furrow in his brow loosened.
He had confidence, so he wasn't panicking.
"Ah!" After thinking hard for a long time, Kiana suddenly punched the air wildly. "Damn Honkai beasts! If we can't beat them, can't we escape?!"
Shu's heart, which had been hanging in the air, suddenly felt relieved...
"So you really thought about fighting those Honkai beasts earlier?" Shu asked, looking back at Kiana incredulously. He had never seen someone so reckless!
Kiana held her head high. "We haven't fought yet, have we?!"
Shu: "You have to fight?"
Kiana's momentum weakened. She turned her face away and pouted, "If we can't win, why would we fight?... Are you stupid?"
Shu: "..."
I'm tired. I want to die. Let the world explode. I really want to punch this world.
Kallen guiltily averted her eyes.
So this is what Otto means by "the early bird gets shot"... Luckily, I'm an adult and have some self-restraint. Otherwise, I would be the one getting roasted by Shu…
"Sigh, since we've decided to escape, let's talk about how to escape!" Kiana was sheepish for a moment, but she quickly regained her momentum, stood up, held up her bicycle, and said boldly.
"Don't make a noise, I'm thinking." Shu poured cold water on Kiana's enthusiasm.
Otto looked and realized that he wouldn't be able to extract any more information. If they dragged on any longer, those fast Honkai beasts would likely appear, so he decided to speak up and share his thoughts.
But Kiana's enthusiasm couldn't be extinguished by Shu's cold water. She continued, "Are we going to take a plane?"
"A plane would be a sitting duck." Shu rolled his eyes and poured another bucket of cold water.
"Uh… then what about a boat? The first time I came to Nagazora City, I came by boat!!" Kiana refused to give up.
"Kiana, boats are... very slow, and if we get on one, we'll have to jump into the sea..." Mei was embarrassed. It seemed that Kiana hadn't learned the geography she had taught her.
"Ughh… then let's drive this car and run away!" Kiana decided to struggle a bit more. She wanted to prove that she was a genius!
"We lack supplies." Fu Hua sighed and replied.
"Then… then… what else is there…" Kiana was so anxious that she scratched her head and cheeks, wanting to struggle desperately.
Otto chuckled. Although this was all very interesting, Otto still had to give himself some time to explain his plan. So, he decided to speak up and break everyone's concerns.
And then he was interrupted by Kiana once again.
Otto: ... I'm suddenly starting to dislike white-haired bundles of energy other than Kallen...
"There are trains!! We can take a train! There are dining cars on trains! And they're fast! And long! And we won't be a target!" Kiana was really desperate, that she had said something that everyone else had overlooked from the beginning...
…
Trains?
Shu's heart, which was just about to give up, suddenly stopped. He stood there, as if he had lost his soul.
At the same time, Otto, who was also quickly recalling information related to "trains," stopped talking.
*[As he took the last step, Shu crossed the ticket gate and once again… also for the first time, stepped onto the platform.
The train was still there on the platform… it had not been damaged in any way. It was like a sleeping dragon, lying quietly on the platform. Shu was like an adventurer who had gone through many hardships and had finally arrived at the place where the dragon slumbered. He was exhausted, but he saw this beautiful dragon.
Oh, dragon… wake up… open your eyes and look at this world… Please? I'm waiting for you to let out a roar… I'm waiting… for you to soar in the sky again…]*
"Oh, dragon…" Shu murmured blankly. Then, in his mind, a white line seemed to appear, quickly piercing through a string of white pearls.
"Self-powered train," "Always ready to start," "dining car," "highly developed railway system"...
Everything was connected!!
That's right! That's what—what I've been searching for! That's the way out that I wanted!!
It was right in front of me—a way to survive!!
And what about Otto? He quickly recalled the train schedules from the day the Honkai broke out. Then, he remembered that one self-powered train was scheduled to depart one minute before the outbreak time.
So... / So!!
At the current train station, there was a train full of energy, filled with countless supplies and water, getting ready to depart!!
Otto's eyes gradually lit up. He looked at Kiana, with a smile on his face. He was just about to say something when he saw a figure, trembling with excitement, suddenly pounce on her. He grabbed Kiana and tossed her into the air.
"Hey, hey, hey!! What are you doing?!!"
"Kiana! You're a genius!!! Hahahaha!!!!"
Kiana's scream and Shu's excited laughter mixed together, finally breaking the anxiety that had filled the air.