After finishing their information gathering, Koutarou and the others headed towards the exit of the control room. Using their obtained information as their basis, there was a ton of things that needed to be done.
“Kii, I've sent Theiamillis-san and the others the sign to withdraw through the Cradle.”
“Thank you. After grouping up with Theia-dono and the rest we should head straight towards the island. There's no time to lose.”
“Sakuraba-senpai, how's your body holding up?”
“I'm feeling just fine.”
“I see... then let's go.”
Waiting for the four to gather by the door, Koutarou opened the door. Just like when they had entered, the door slid to the side to open. However, the scenery on the other side was different from when they had entered.
Past the door was a large passage, over ten meters wide. It was a passage that looked like it could house several lanes of traffic. And in the passage was a man that Koutarou and Kiriha had seen before.
“It's been a while, Kurano's daughter, and the brat.”
“Tayuma! As expected, you were here!”
Kiriha glared at the man, Shijima Tayuma. However, Tayuma had a grin and look that was looking down on her.
“As expected is my line. As expected, you fell into my trap, Kurano's daughter.”
“What?!”
Upon hearing the word trap, Koutarou's expression changed, and Tayuma showed Koutarou a condescending smile.
“You're slow as always, brat. You think we'd leave the control room unmanned for no reason?”
“...You used it as a trap.”
Koutarou began understanding the situation. The moment the diversion team appeared, Tayuma and the other expected that there would be another team that would infiltrate. And if a second team existed they would without fail head towards the control room filled with secrets. There, they would all be all swept up. The control room had only one entrance. Once they had been lured in their path of retreat would be cut off and they would be trapped.
“Then the factory's security on the inside was lax for the same reason?”
“Fufun, at least Kurano's daughter is quick on the draw. That's correct. Why would we waste soldiers if we didn't know where you'd enter. All we had to do was place our soldiers in an ambush around the area you were guaranteed to go to, the control room, just like this.”
Radical faction soldiers appeared from the darkness of the passage. There were twelve of the robots that had appeared during the daytime. On the opposite side of them were four large machines guns, moved by wheels that would automatically track their targets. Both were weapons that had been produced in this factory.
“So your target was Kiriha-san from the very beginning.”
“That's right. If we stimulate her sense for danger, Kurano's daughter would have no choice but to appear in hopes to find information. Just like Maguz-sama planned.”
“Maguz...? I see, so he's the mastermind...”
Koutarou lightly grinded his teeth. Koutarou knew that Tayuma wasn't all there was to tthe radical faction, so he wasn't all that surprised. However, he didn't think it would be easy to defeat someone that had planned this far ahead. He couldn't help but imagine how severe the future battle would be.
“Mastermind? Not at all. Maguz-sama is our supreme leader that will bring us People of the Earth a great future.”
Tayuma smiled proudly. He was fiercely loyal to Maguz.
“Despite that, you failed last year.”
“The outcome of that didn't matter. In truth. All the attention was gathered on me, allowing us to prepare for the war.”
Maguz had been pulling the strings behind Tayuma's attack last year.