Vending Machine - 119 - (Communication) Breakdown (Patreon)

“Looks like the negotiations have broken down, what a pity.”

“Dis-a-po-in-te-d”

Thinking that my clumsy way of speaking would only be a hindrance, I had refrained from speaking up until now, but I wanted to say that much in the end.

“Out of all of us, Hakkon. I wish to have you with us most.”

“Hakkon is meant to be with me forever, I won’t give him up to anyone else.”

This… could certainly be taken as a confession of love, but Ramis did not appear to be thinking about such things at all. She’s probably just saying whatever she is thinking in the heat of the moment.

“It is the duty of a cleric to stop the foolish acts of my party members and lead them down the right path. Even if I had to hit them on the head with my weapon, I must make sure that they regain their sanity eventually.”

“Oi, oi! People will die!”

The twins were shaking their heads vigorously from side to side. Even in this situation, this comedic little exchange seems to disperse the tensions in the air.

“I see that you have no intention of changing your mind, do you?”

“Why are you being so naggy, Hevoy? Aren’t you supposed to persuade us gently? Speaking of which, do you mind letting go of this matter peacefully? I have no intention of hurting any of you, but…”

“How understanding of you. I suppose you wish to speak with us one by one and try and persuade us once again, failing that, you plan to eliminate us. Therefore, I see no benefit in speaking to you alone. Better to have it out here all at once.”

“If that is the case I would appreciate it very much if you would turn a blind eye and let us leave.”

“I cannot allow foolish companions who have lost their ways to follow those willing to kill others so easily,” was Hevoy’s response.

Until the moment Hevoy mentioned it, I had not realised that these people really had no intention of harming us even though negotiations have broken down.

Both sides were staring each other down with weapons in hand, but do these people really intend to start killing each other here? We have all been exchanging some heart-to-heart talk like close companions just a few minutes ago…

“If you drop your weapons and surrender quietly, we will not have you sent to prison, hurt you or take your shoes away.”

“I would really appreciate not going to prison or losing my shoes.”

As the two continued to talk, I examined our situation once again.

The room has a high ceiling and is spacious enough for everyone to fight in.

On one side were Leader Keyroil, Vice-Leader Felmina and the Twins Akai and Shiro, on our side were Mishael, Hevoy, Ramis, Shui and a vending machine.

Since Hyurumi is a non-combatant, the fight would be 4 vs 4+machine.

From what I could see, Mishael has more pure combat power than Leader Keyroil. However, we cannot let our guard down due to the difference in battle experience.

The vice-leader’s magic is a little troublesome, however, we can contain her from acting with Shui’s arrows.

The problem is the twins, Akai and Shiro, and whether Hevoy could handle them alone. Since we don’t have a real handle on their strength, it’s difficult to say how the fight would go.

The issue is whether to let Ramis participate in the fight. She still could not fully control her superhuman strength. It would be too dangerous to let her fight them. If by chance, she accidentally kills someone, it could leave an irreparable scar in her heart.

It is difficult enough to fight with a tough opponent, and even more difficult to decide how much to hold back in a fight. However, I also understand that Ramis won’t be able to just sit around and do nothing.

I just need to give her a reason not to join in the fight… ah!

“Sh-ui an-d”

“El-der-sis”

“He-re”

By giving Ramis the job of ‘protecting’ non-combatants Hyurumi and long-range attack Shui within the <Barrier>, she won’t be able to move freely. Thankfully, the two girls caught on quickly and rushed over to our side.

“Thank goodness for you, Hakkon-[1]ssu!”

“Hold it, what do you mean by ‘Elder Sis’?”

Ah, Hyurumi’s temple was twitching and the edges of her mouth had curled up.

Did she not like to be addressed that way? Since I can’t call her Hyurumi, I thought this should be a good choice, but it looks like she did not like it.

“Sor-ry”

“Hey, look, can’t you just call me something cuter?”

She mutters as she turns her face away. That's right, since Hyurumi is also a woman, I should think of a more suitable way to address her.”

“En-te-ran-ce”

“Go”

“Oh, you want us to go and block the entrance and not let them escape?”

“Okay, understood!”

By moving to the only exit point, we would seal off the Leader’s escape route.

However, that left only Mishael and Hevoy to deal with the Leader and the Twins. Shui has the task of blocking the Vice-Leader’s movements, so she won’t be able to participate in the battle.

Both sides are still staring at each other, observing each other's actions. Even though we have suddenly become enemies, it looks like everyone is still reluctant to take the initiative to fight seriously.

This precarious balance could be broken with one trigger. But for now, neither seemed willing to take that step forward.

It’s best if we could resolve the issue through negotiation, however, it is impossible for me to try and persuade anyone with my speaking ability.

“We have no intention of killing anyone. We only wish to make use of the King of the Netherworld to conquer the dungeon.”

“I believe the other side must be thinking the same thing, and will discard you once they have made use of you.”

“Perhaps. However, I believe we can still outsmart them. No matter what, I wish to give my child a normal healthy life.”

The conversation had stalled. No matter what words were used, it was clear that there was no changing Leader’s thoughts.

At first, it looked like everyone was frozen in place. However, Mishael and Hevoy were slowly closing in on either side with slow steps.

Leader and the Twins were also inching forward little by little. At this rate, they would be within each other’s range of attack in a few steps.

“Negotiations have broken down, let's do this!”

“Let’s go, old man!”

Leader shot forward first, with the Twins following closely. They rushed forward towards Mishael and Hevoy, to my surprise, the Leader made his way towards while the Twins took on Mishael.

“I'll take on Hevoy,” said Leader.

“It is an honour to be chosen by Leader,” replied Hevoy.

A pair of short swords thrust forward and were parried away by a spiked iron ball.

Leader’s attacks were sharp and relentless, and Hevoy was pushed back. However, he still managed to hold his ground thanks to the weapons he had in each hand.

“As expected, you're also strong in close combat,” said Leader.

“Well, I certainly do my best,” Hevoy replied.

He blocked and deflected the short swords, throwing out the occasional kicks against Leader’s fierce attacks. However, it looked like the opponent had the upper hand. Hevoy’s robes are torn and shallow wounds cover his entire body. Fresh blood dripping from these wounds stained his white robes red.

Though he manages to hold his ground, for now, the situation did not look optimistic. I thought about transforming into a < High-Pressure Washer Machine>, but I could barely catch their movements with my eyes with how fast they were moving. I don’t have the confidence to strike the Leader with high-pressure water.

What about the situation on the other side?

Mishael was fighting a two-on-one battle, but from the looks of it, the battle is in his favour.

He did not seem to have trouble dealing with two opponents, in contrast, the Twins seemed to understand that one hit from his greatsword would incapacitate them and did their best to avoid his attacks.

Akai fought with a spear and always took the front while Shiro provided cover through sneak attacks and verbal jabs to disturb their opponent’s concentration.

“Whoa, scary! I could die if that hit me!”

“If Akai dies, I’ll take care of the girl you hit on before, so don’t you worry.”

“I do not wish to kill you. So, I would appreciate it if you surrender.”

Despite joking around, the Twins showed no sign of wavering and rejected the offer to surrender. While there was a clear difference in power, there was no intent to kill on either side, which made them hesitant to use their most effective attacks.

Mishael’s roar and his flaming blade was just too powerful and sealed off all the twins’ moves. However, because his attacks were too flashy, and the Twins too wily, it was difficult to capture them alive.

Vice-Leader Felmina was staring at us through masses of water floating around her. Shui had taken a kneel in front of her, bow in hand and arrow cocked.

Shui released an arrow once, and the water moved itself to form a wall to block it.

They had been at a stalemate since, with Shui waiting for Vice-Leader to attack first so that she could counterattack. However, the other side seemed to understand what Shui was aiming for and refrained from attacking.

The forces were evenly matched, but I think my side is at a disadvantage.

Our side hesitated to make a move because we don’t want to kill or seriously hurt our opponents, but it felt like the Whimsical Fools are willing to consider eliminating us if we get in their way, if the way they aim at our vital points was any indication.

Although I am free to act, my melee-style battle is useless when allies and enemies are jumbled up together. Any move I make against the enemy could hurt my friends too. Aside from maintaining a <Barrier>, is there anything else I could do?

Come on, think, think. If I cannot contribute to a battle as a person, what could I do as a vending machine?

Spread kerosene or gasoline and set it on fire?

No, we are indoors now, even if we don’t burn or suffocate, we could die from carbon monoxide poisoning. Everyone with a working set of lungs outside of my <Barrier> would suffer.

The pachinko balls and lube combo would also affect my allies. High-pressure water won’t work because they move too quickly for me to aim at them.

In the end, I guess we have no choice but to rely on Mishael and Hevoy.

[1] The ‘-ssu’ verbal tic mentioned earlier