《86》 Chapter Volume 1 prologue Prologue ¨C The Poppies Blooming Red on the Battlefield No country will scoff at the notion of not subjecting pigs to human rights, Thus: As long as thenguages differ, the skin colors differ, the ancestors are deemed to be of different tribes, they will be deemed as pigs taking on the appearance of humans; by suppressing and ughtering them, surely there is no issue per say with regards to vitions of human rights. ~dilena Millize (Memoirs) OS Ver 8.15.> A wireless signal sounding way behind the times echoed amidst the deafening noise. "-Handler One to Undertaker. Enemy intercepting forces detected on the radar,prising of battalion level anti-tank artillery and closebat hunters." "Undertaker here, understood. Detecting movement here." "Henceforth, all authority shall be deferred to the fieldmander. For the sake of the country, eliminate the enemies of the Republic even if it means sacrificing yourselves." "Understood." "¡­My apologies, everyone. Really sorry." "Ending transmission." "This is Undertaker to everyone, Handler One has handedmand. Undertaker shall take overmand." "Alpha Leader here. Roger that. Same as usual, ''death god.¡¯ Right, what are the final orders of that shitty pampered Princess?" "''Really sorry.''" A cackle could be heard from the other end of the bad. "Pff, same old hopeless white pig. See no evil, hear no evil, what the hell was that apology for¡­ds, you hear that? Well, we¡¯re gonna die either way; don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad thing for the death gods to lead us down the Styx." "Sixty seconds until frontal confrontation¡­ under enemy fire. Breaking through enemy artillery fire at maximum speed." "Alright, let¡¯s go you guys!" ¡°This is Delta Leader! Don¡¯t let them get around. Wipe them out here!!¡± ¡°Charlie Three! Enemy at ten o¡¯clock! Evade-dammit!!¡± ¡°Echo One to squad. Echo Leader is KIA. Echo One shall takemand.¡± ¡°This is Brave Two¡­ sorry everyone. End of the line here.¡± ¡°Alpha Leader here. Hang on for a minute, Alpha Three! Sending reinforcements now! Alpha One shall takemand!¡± ¡°-Roger that. Good luck Alpha Leader.¡± ¡°Leaving it to you¡­ hey Shin. Undertaker.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget the promise.¡± ¡°¡­Ahh.¡± ¡°C1: Signal Lost.¡± ¡°Friendly units: zero¡± Themander¡¯s voice came ringing through the noisy headset, which was removed from the head and ced by the side, merging with the breeze of the sunset. "¡­This¡­ is¡­ Handler One. All forces, do you hear me? First Forces, please respond." The organic being on the machine¡¯s cocoon-shaped belly opened the canopy, reached a hand out from the cockpit, and reached for the button of themunicator. "This is Undertaker to Handler One. All attacking enemies eliminated. Confirming enemy¡¯s retreat. Operation over. Ready to return." "¡­Undertaker. Is there, anyone else?" "Ending transmission." He cut off themunications before hearing the end of this foolish question, which he had no need or obligation to hear. The red Poppies were blooming across the horizon under the evening hue. The stoking mes stretched the shadows of the iron beasts and quad-pedaled spider carcasses that were partially copsed onto the ground, the insides visible through delicate angles. Friend or foe, such was the oue for them. No living thing could be seen anywhere. No matter where, however distant the ce, all that lingered were corpses and wandering souls of these corpses. A cruel silence beckoned. At the ends of the grasnd, past the mountains that were like ck shadows, the setting sun offered crimson light across the horizon. Lit by the crimson light, or shrouded in the ck shadows; only he and the machine were the only sources of life in this world that had practically severed ties with Life. The long slender legs mimicked an Arthropod''s. The rusted armor covered with stains had countless scars upon it, the high-frequency des akin to crab legs, and a main cannon on the back. The silhouette resembled a wandering spider, the long cannon atop the frame supported by the four legs resembling a scorpion, and appeared to be a skeleton wandering across the battlefield, seeking its lost hand. He let out a sigh, leaning on the deck that had cooled in the night breeze, and shriveled up under the evening hue, lifting his head at the burning sky. These flowers were born from the blood of the beloved Consort who killed herself, as a parting gift to the Conqueror in a country of the Far East. These flowers bloomed in the blood of the Knights who were massacred by the invading barbarians. The crimson red of the Poppies bloomed across the battlefield, so maddeningly beautiful under the evening hue that seemed primed to burn the sky down. Chapter Volume 1 1 Chapter One ¨C The battlefield With Zero Deaths On that battlefield, there were zero dead. "¡ªNow then, today''s battle reports." "The Empire''s unmanned armored corps invaded the seventeenth area, and were repelled and exterminated by the automated drones of our San Magnolia Republic. In contrast, our side has suffered minimal casualties, and none KIA¡ª" Located in the first area, the capital of San Magnolia, was the Main Street of Libert¨¦ et ¨¦galit¨¦, so peaceful and elegant it was impossible to imagine this country being in a state of war over the past nine years. The white fa?ades of the ancient-stone Western-styled buildings had various carvings upon them. Under the Spring sunlight and blue skies, the greenery of the trees and the antique rusted ck streetmps formed a contrast with the blue sky. At the caf¨¦ located at the corner of the street, there were students and lovers, born with silver hair,ughing and chirping away. Situated on the blue roof of the city hall was a statue of the revolutionary Saint Magnolia and the five colored g, symbolizing freedom, equality, fraternity, justice, and purity. The stone tiles on this main street extended straight out to the suburbs, paved after much careful city nning. A young man with silver, moon-like eyes was passing by, his hands held by his parents as he passed by,ughing out loud. Perhaps they were simply out on a stroll. Lena smiled at the family, and turned back to the massive holographic television screen, the smile wiped from her white-silver eyes. This sixteen year old girl was dressed in the Republic¡¯s cyan-cored female officer uniform. She had a snowy white pretty face, as delicate as ss, the elegant demeanor of hers a testimony to her noble upbringing. The silky silver hair of hers had light curls and the luster of satin, and she hadrge eyes that were of the same color, beneath her long eyebrows; such were the proof that she was one of the nobles with the Selena blood, a pureblood, of those who lived upon thesends long before the Republic was born. "Under the outstanding leadership of Handler, the high capability drones continue to battle, capable ofpleting the mission to defend the country without having to send into manpower to the dangerous frontlines; truly the capabilities of this advancedbat system are undoubted. It is likely that the will cease operations two years in the future, but surely the evil Empire shall be vanquished by the organization of justice that is the Republic. Vive San Magnolia. Glory to the five-colored g." The basta-type female broadcaster with snowy white hair and eyes showed a proud smile, yet Lena''s face was shrouded in gloom. Such a battle report kept airing over and over again ever since the war started, so much that it was more surreal than just optimistic, yet most of the citizens had no further doubts about it. Ironically, the reality was that, half of the Republic was conquered six months once the war started, its boundaries pushed back; ever since then, thends were unable to be reimed. And furthermore, Lena turned her head around, looking over at the Main Street shrouded in the light of Spring that was akin to a portrait. The female broadcaster, the students and lovers in the caf¨¦, the pedestrians walking down the streets, the family that just passed her by, and Lena herself. As the first modern Republican country in the world, San Magnolia boasted itself for epting immigrants from other countries and rewarding them. The Republic was historically a nest for the Albas, and other countries had people of different skin colors living there. Whether it was the Aqus who were as dark as the night, the golden light of Aurata, the bright red Rube, or the Caerulea with refreshing blue eyes, they weed Colorata of all colors within their borders. But at this point, on the bustling Main Street of the capital, no, even in the capital, or all eighty five legitive zones, none that were not a silver-haired, silvered eyed Alba could be found. Yes. Of the soldiers that were officially listed as humans on the battlefield, it was true that there were zero KIA to be countered. However. "¡­What kind of zero KIA is this?" A corner of the nc Neige Pce that had existed since the Imperial era, the military headquarters designed with dazzlingte Imperial era design was Lena''s destination; located in this pce was the Great Fortress Cluster, the , surrounding all the political sectors, and all soldiers of the Republic were there. Outside the , on the frontlines more than a hundred kilometres away, there were no soldiers stationed. The only ones on the frontlines were "Drones" ¡ª the "Juggernauts" ¡ª andmand was carried out in the control room of the country. There were at least a hundred thousand people controlling the "processors," and lined behind them was the defense lineprising of anti-personnel/tank mine area, automated interception cannons. They had yet to fail before. Of course, the forces inside the had never experienced a single battle. The other positions were simply to introduce processed operation strategies in a manner akin to logistics. The Republic Army at this point had no personnel in actualbat positions. Lena scented upon the pungent stench of alcohol breath from the passing officers, and frowned. It was likely they had been watching sports on therge screen in themanders'' room. She gave them a reproaching look, only to be met with sneers. "Look at this doll lover." "Oh, scary¡­ are you going to keep talking with the important drones you keep in your room?" She turned back without a second thought. "All of you¡ª" "Morning Lena." A voice came from the side, and turning around, she found her peer At. The technical Captain of the research department was the only one of the same age and year as Lena, her only friend of the same year. "¡­Morning At. Sure woke up early when you always sleep in." "I''m going back. Spent the entire night working¡­. don''t associate me with those idiots. I''m working. We''ve got a problem only this genius technical Captain Anrietta Penrose can solve." At let out a yawn like a cat. She had short, Selena silver white hair, andrge eyes that were of the same color. During the greeting, At nced aside at the drunk officers who slipped away, and shrugged, her eyes basically saying it was pointless to lecture such imbeciles. From those silver eyes, Lena realized that At was trying to stop her, and went beet red. "Ah, speaking of which, you have an alert on your intel terminal. I''ll help you settle it." "No need for that¡­ sorry, and thanks for that, At." "No problems. Try not to get too close to those drones though." Lena wanted to respond, but shook her head, and went to the control branch she was affiliated to. The cramped room that was upied by inorganic controls was dark and damp. The hologram main screen on standby gave a faint light, and the floor and walls were silver. Lena sat on this futuristic armchair, put on the stylish looking ring, the RAID device,bed her long silver hair behind her, and proudly looked up. At this ce, where the frontline was far from this , this cramped room was the only battlefield within the Republic''s eighty five areas. "Begin identification. Major dlena Millize. Commanding Officer of the Eastern Front, ninth battle area, third defense forces." After the voice and iris verification, the control system was activated. Following that were massive bundles of data appearing one after another on the hologram screen, obtained from the observation auxiliaries installed at the distant frontline. Appearing on the main screen was a digital map showing all the blinking spots, indicating forces of both ally and foe. There were seventy blue spots showing allied machines, and of those, twenty four were in the third squadron under Lena''s charge, while twenty three were under the second and fourth squadron respectively. The red spots indicating enemy forces were overwhelming in numbers. "Pallets activate. Synchronize target, ''Pleiades'' central processing unit." The blue crystals at the nape of the RAID device immediately sizzled. This was not heating from the crystals themselves, but a hallucinatory heat where the senses were being activated and synchronized in this Pallet process. The amplified virtual nervous crystals began to calcte. Through the established virtual nervous system, a specific part deep within the brain was being activated, the Nighthead (unused regions), one abandoned in the long process of evolution or forgotten in the tide of time. It passed through Lena¡¯s consciousness and subconsciousness, seeping further within. Typically, it was impossible to ess that section consciously, but the "passage" of the collection of subconsciousness, the "subconsciousness" shared with all of humanity, was gradually opened, connected towards the consciousness of the third squadronmander¡¯s Personal Name "Pleiades" processor The senses of the "Pleiades" were one with Lena. "Palletplete. Handler One to Pleiades, Please take care of me today." Her voice was calm and stable. After a pause, the "voice" of a youth, about a year or two older than her, responded, "Pleiades to Handler One. Pallet is fine." That "voice" sounded sarcastic. Lena was the only one in the control room, and this voice was not from anyone else; instead, it was the voice of the "Pleiades" processor unit that had synchronized with the senses, giving an audio hallucinatory effect. A voice. This "Juggernaut" built in hasty response to the war had nomunicative functions. It had noplex thought ability that could be considered feeling or consciousness. This Pallet was derived from the collective consciousness of the human race. The anti-personnelndmine zone, a defensive line set up to withstand the enemy armored forces. That was an intense frontline where drones on both sides massacred each other, zero KIA, but in fact, "Sure is tough work to studiously greet us Eighty Sixes who resemble humans, Albas (humans)." Eighty Six. They were thest bastion of paradise the Republic (humans) were left with when the ¡®Legion¡¯ swept the continent ¡ª human shaped pigs resting in the unhuman zone (eighty sixth legitive zone) beyond the eighty five legitive zones. That was the derogatory term used for the Colorata, those who were living as citizens of the Republic, yet deemed inferior to humans by their own countries, living outside thepulsory shelters outside the Gran Mule and on the frontlines. ? Nine years ago. Year 358 of the Republic¡¯s calendar, Year 2139 of the Anno Astrum. The Northern continent country, the Geade Empire bordering to the East of the Republic dered war in all directions. The first wave ofpletely unmanned battle drones forces began invasion. Faced with the overwhelming forces of the military superpower Geade, the Orthodox Army of the Republic crumbled in half a month. Back then, the military gathered all of its manpower, and as they continued with demoralizing dying tactics, the Republic government made two decisions. One was to evacuate all Republic citizens to the eighty five legitive zones. The other one was to initiate Presidential Order 6609, the Special Wartime Security Act. This Act had all Colorata residing in the Republic deemed as enemies allying with the Empire. They were rid of their citizenship, watched over, and isted in the shelters outside the eighty five areas. Surely this was a betrayal to the legition and five colored g the Republic was so proud of. Any and every Colorata born of the Empire, except for the Albas, were dealt as beings to be contained, so brazenly a case of human discrimination. Naturally, the Colorata protested. However, the government suppressed them through military might. There were quite a few Albas who protested. However, the majority of the Albas permitted it. The eighty five legitive zones were unable to contain the needs of all its people after all, whether it was resources,nd, or positions. The rumors of Colorata Spies ruining their country was much easier to ept than admitting the harsh reality that their country had fallen behind. And with the enemy forcesying siege on them, humans needed scapegoats to vent their rage and resentment.. Racial supremacy instantly gained recognition and justification. This noble, regal, and humane first modern Republic established in the world ended up recognizing Albas as the most outstanding of them all, while all Colorata of the old-fashioned, inhumane Empire were inferiors, who were simply foolish, barbaric swines who took on human appearances and could not evolve sessfully. All Colorata were contained in Concentration Camps, and while serving in the military, they had to build the fortress walls. All property of the Colorata was confiscated and appropriated, while the citizens heaped praise upon the humane government for allowing them to evade military service,bor, and additional wartime taxes. The discrimination against Colorata and Eighty Sixes (inferiors) urred amongst the Albas two yearster. They had the soldiers, all members of the Eighty Six, on active service, and sent them enter the battlefield as drones. The drones built from the outstanding technology gathered all over the Republic could never achieve operationally active status. However, how was it possible for the Albas, so superior to others, to build something inferior to the drones built by the inferior Empire? The Eighty Sixes are not humans, so what they will be piloting are not manned, but unmanned. The Republic Military Industry (RMI) created the automated unmanned fighter machine (drone), the "Juggernaut." It was deemed a humane weapon where human casualties were reduced to zero, and introduced into battle with rapturous praise from the citizens. It was an unmanned machine installed with Eighty Six pilots as a processor, with a capacity for persons to ride on. Year 367 of the Republic¡¯s calendar. Among this intense battlefield of zero KIA, the soldiers that were not counted as dead and treated as spare parts continued to sacrifice their lives on this day. ? Lena saw that the red lights indicating the were headed East towards their upying area and retreating, and she rxed a bit. There were seven units lost in the third squadron, and a bitterness rose up her chest. The seven "Juggernauts" exploded with their processors within. There were no survivors. The "Juggernaut," a name chosen by its developers who hailed themselves as intellectuals; it was named after the foreign gods from ancient mythology. The people who yearned to be saved gathered together, only to be crushed under the wheels of the chariot. "¡­Handler One to Pleiades. Confirming all enemies have retreated." She heaved a sigh, and through the processor of the "Pleiades," she spoke to the Eighty Six pilot who fought for himself and his family to regain citizenship. Through the use of synchronized hearing to transmit or receive voices, the Pallet was a brand newmunication system, more up to date aspared to past versions which were easily affected by distance, weather,ndscape, and the EMP of the electronic jammer (Eintagsfliege). In theory, this method could allow the senses to be synchronized, but only the hearing was synchronized in this case. The visual signals were too much for the user to handle. Hearing alone would be enough to transmit the bare minimum of information. Experience-wise, it was simr to amunicator or phone, and thus a low risk of confusion. However, Lena assumed that was not simply all to that. Without a synchronized visual, she would not have to witness. She would not have to witness the heinous looks of the enemy machines before her, the devastation of the allied machines close up being blown apart, and the colors of blood and organs being ripped from their bodies, oozing out. "Surveince will be carried out by the Fourth Squad. Third squad, please return." "Pleiades here, understood¡­ thanks for watching over the pigs with your telescope there, Handler One." Upon hearing the reply from Pleiades that was dripping with sarcasm, she lowered her eyes. She was an Alba, one of the hated who victimized others. At the same time, the fact remained that one of her duties as a Handler was to watch over the Eighty Sixes. "Good work, Pleiades. Everyone in the eam, and to the seven deceased¡­ my honest sympathies." "¡­" There was a sharp, de-like coldness in the silence. The Pallet only allowed synchronization of hearing, but as it was connected through various consciousness, the emotions of a conversation could be conveyed through this. "¡­Thank you for your usual kind words there, Handler One." Lena was left perturbed by the tone of cold condescension and malice, a stark contrast to the usual rage and hatred. ? The following day, the news reported the usual, that the enemy took heavy losses, the Republic took minimal casualties, no one was dead, that the morals and progression of the Republic would prevail; one might even suspect if it was a repeated footage being reyed. There was a logo of a sword and a severed foot aired on this national channel. It was the Attribute of the revolutionary San Magnolia, its meaning being the toppling of the dominion and destruction of oppression. "¡­And also, considering that the war shall end in another two years, the government has decided to reduce the budget. First off, the 18th area on the Southern battlefront shall be abandoned, and all forces within shall be dismissed¡ª¡± So the 18th area in the South has fallen. Lena sighed. This was not an issue that could be settled via changing the ount of the situation. Even after losing thends, it was preposterous that they had no intention of getting it back, and even nned to reduce the military budget. The finances confiscated from the Eighty Sixes had already been depleted, the massive military spending resulted in the budgets for public duties and social benefits capped at a bottleneck. The government was unable to ignore the calls from the citizens to downsize the military. Seated opposite Lena and dressed in an aged dress was her mother, opening her bright red lips as she spoke tenderly. "¡­What is the matter, Lena? Enough with the long face and eat." The breakfast wasid out on the dining table, and of them, most of them were foodstuffs synthesized in the production nts. The country had less than half itsnd left, and still contained at least eighty percent of the poption, other than the Eighty Sixes; clearly there was no ce to nt seed. With the attacking and jamming,munications with other countries had be impossible, let alone trade, and one might even be wondering if they remained. Lena took a sip of the red tea that tasted different from her collection of hazy memories, and sliced the synthesized meat made of wheat protein that differedpletely from real meat. Thepote apanying the tea was the only real deal, made from the raspberries grown in the garden. This one item was a luxury, considering that the Republic at this point had nond for various trees, let alone a garden. Her mother said with a smile, "Lena, it is quite time for you retire and wed another family¡¯s son." Lena quietly sighed. The news''s war reports remained the same every day, and so were her mother¡¯s words. Pedigree. Social status. Standing. Bloodline. Superior blood. The morous mansion was built when the Millizes were still nobles. The silk dress she wore was befitting of the mansion, but would be dismissed as aged once she stepped outside it. The blissful times seemed to have stopped there. She seemed to have shut herself away from the outside world, locked in her little, euphoric dream. "The noble Princess of the Millizes must not be involved with this or those ''Eight Sixes.'' It is true your deceased father was a soldier, however, this is not the era of war." Not the era of war, or anything else; at this point, the country remained in war against the . The citizens living so far away from the battlefield had yet to experience the war, the depictions only remained in film. They had long forgotten, whether it was reality or first-hand experience. "Dear mother, it is our duty and honor as citizens of the Republic to protect our country. Also, they are not called Eighty Sixes. They are like us, undisputedly citizens of the Republic." The thin, delicate bridge of her mother¡¯s face immediately showed a scowl. "Filthy Colors, what citizens of the Republic? Goodness, the herds of livestocks won¡¯t work without bait, yet the government allowed them to set foot on thends of the Republic." The Eighty Sixes joining the army would be given citizenship along with their families. Due to tant, radicalized racism in all the eighty five areas, their residences were never revealed over the past nine years, ever since the war started. However, there were many who probably returned to their old homes and spent the rest of their days. That was a reward as to be expected of their irrefutable contributions, but unfortunately, there were some amongst the beneficiaries who showed much reservation towards this. This person before Lena, sighing away as she shook her head, was one ssic example. "Ahh, filth. Absolute filth. Just to think, ten years ago, these creatures appearing just like humans were jumping about on the Libert¨¦ et ¨¦galit¨¦, and now it¡¯s happening again, ahh. For how long shall the freedom and equality of the Republic be trampled upon?" "¡­It does seem that your words right now are trampling upon freedom and equality, dear mother." "Hm? What is wrong with you?" Upon seeing the skeptical look on her mother, it was Lena¡¯s turn to sigh. Truly, her mother did not understand. It did not apply only to her mother. At this point, the citizens of the Republic continued to be proud of the country¡¯s Republic government, the five colored g symbolizing freedom and equality, fraternity, justice, and purity. They were taught, through history textbooks, of the things past monarchies and dictatorships hadmitted, and would show hatred at the oppression, outrage at suppression, disdain at discrimination, and decry genocide as the act of the devil. However, they could not understand that the same actions were repeating on thends of this Republic. If Lena pointed this out, they would give looks of pity, asking, Are you unable to distinguish between humans and swines? Lena bit onto her faint pink lips. Words were convenient, able to easily change the nature of things. Once a namete was dropped, humans would be swines. Her mother frowned, looking slightly perturbed. However, she seemed to have understood something as she chuckled away. "Your father certainly cared for those livestock, so we too should view them as equals, no?" "¡­No, that." Her father opposed the deportation of the Eighty Sixes until the very end, requesting for thew to be abandoned. Lena truly respected her father, but she could not bring herself to fullymit to his ideals. Still, she remembered. The burning mes. The silhouettes of the four legged spiders. The crest of the Duhan skeleton embedded upon the armor. The hand reaching out to help. The bright red and ck that shadowed her ever since birth. We are citizens of this Republic, born and raised in this country. Her mother¡¯s unrestrained voice broke the silence. "Still, Lena, the livestock will have their own rules as livestock. You cannot hope for those foolish and barbaric Eighty Sixes to understand the exalted ideals and virtues of humans. You simply have to lock them up and manage them." Lena wordlessly finished her breakfast, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and stood up. "I shall be leaving mother." "You wish for me¡­ to switch divisions?" In the headmaster¡¯s office adorned with dulled gold and maroon wallpaper. The headmaster Carl-Stahl was seated upon an antique chair, and when hismand was conveyed, Lena blinked her silver eyes in confusion. In fact, many officers would be swapped around due to squad reassignment. The intense fighting on the frontline meant that squads would be worn down until they were unable to be maintained. Thus, it wasmonce for squads to be dissolved and regrouped. Lena never intended to reform her current squad, but many werepletely obliterated. Truly, the was powerful. The Geade Empire, being a military and technology powerhouse,vished its vicious philosophy and advanced technology upon development, and in return, obtained devastating weaponry and stunningly agile drones. It amassed all of the superior Artificial Intelligence nobody else of its era had, which would never be fatigued, irate, or terrified as these were actual unmanned drones. No matter how many were destroyed, the fully automated factories located deep within thends of the would continue to churn out new machines, and send in new massive armies like swirling ck clouds. Unlike what the citizens knew, the were no match in capabilities, and naturally, the amount of damage incurred would certainly not be minimal. In fact, arge number of casualties would be incurred from every sortie, and only continual replenishments could maintain the frontlines. However, the squad Lena was in charge of did not incur many casualties. Carl-Stahl¡¯s scarred face rxed. He was tall and burly, with wide shoulders, the beard on his chin giving off a steady,manding presence. "Not to say that your squad will be reformed. In fact, themander of another squad has retired, so there is an urgent need to select amander to seed him." "So that squad is in charge of defending an important base?" It seemed they could no longer wait for the superiors to decide on the sessor. "Right. Eastern Frontier, First Defense Forces of the First Battle Area, codenamed Spearhead squad. It¡¯s a selection of veterans chosen on the Eastern Front¡­ in other words, the Elites." Lena was increasingly perplexed, her adorable eyebrows curling into a frown. The First Battle Zone was the defensive area most prone to taking the brunt of the invasion. The First Defense Forces were the premier squad operating in that battlefield, bearingpletely different responsibilities from the Second, Third, and Fourth Forces who were in charge of night surveince and support, and only head out for battle when the First Forces couldn¡¯t sortie. "A new Major like myself might not be up to such a task¡­" Carl-Stahl gave a grimace. "How can the youngest girl of the 91st Group, and the first to be promoted to Major, say such things? Being excessively humble will bring about disgust, Lena." "My apologies, Uncle Jerome." To Carl-Stahl, who referred to Lena by her first name, thetter humbly lowered her head. Carl-Stahl was a good friend of her deceased father, and the two were the rare few survivors from nine years ago, when the Republic¡¯s main army was wiped out. When she was young, he often dropped by to y with her, and after her father died, he took extra care of Lena, from funding of the funeral to other various matters. "To be honest¡­ nobody is willing to be the Handler for Squad Spearhead." "Are they not the elites? Is it not utmost honor tomand them as a soldier of the Republic?" Not all Handlers would fulfill their responsibilities earnestly. Lena had heard rumors that some would remain in the control room, ying video games, that some would not bother tomand in the control room, and that some would not provide their forces with intel, watching the units they were handling die one by one like a thriller,peting with their buddies to see which squad was eliminated faster. In fact, the ones who would actuallymand seriously were a rarity, but that was a different matter altogether. "Hmm, the squad does contain the elites¡­" Carl-Stahl spoke with a heavy tone. "¡­The leader unit of Spearhead, Personal Codename , has quite some history." Undertaker. Such a strange name. "Those that know him call him the ''God of Death,'' and stay away from him out of fear¡­ rumor is that he broke his old Handler." "Eh?" Lena could not help but exim. Typically, it was the other way around. A Processor broke a Handler? How? "Some strange story?" "I have no time to talk about such tales to my subordinate while on duty¡­ but the truth of the matter is that strangely, many Handlers who took the squads Undertaker was in had either requested a change of squad or retirement. There was even one who immediately requested a change of forces after the first operation, and another one whomitted suicide, though the corrtion is undetermined." "¡­Suicide, you say?" "Truly unbelievable words¡­ I heard that those retired still hear the ¡®voices of the dead.¡¯" "¡­" Certainly, it did some to be some sort of phantom story. Carl-Stahl noticed that Lena was silent, and thought of something, consoling her, "You can tell me if you are unwilling, Lena. It is fine for you to remain at your current squad. I did say Spearhead contained veterans. It¡¯s understood that it is impossible to synchronize with them all when they sortie, so the bare minimum surveince will do. Command-wise, you can leave it to them¡­" Lena pursed her lips. "I will do this. To manage,mand, and lead Squad Spearhead." It is a duty and privilege as a citizen of the Republic to protect the country. To be the leader of the Vanguard would be an utmost honor for her, not something she could allow or desire to refuse. Carl-Stahl narrowed his eyes. Seriously, this child, "Just the bare minimum will do. Nothing else more than that¡­ and please refrain frommunicating with the Processors under your charge." "Amander has an obligation to understand the subordinates. Communicating with them is a must, for as long as I am not refused." "Goodness, you¡­" With a gentle grimace, he sighed. He took out a bundle of documents from his desk, and waved it before her. "Again, I shall chime in a little. Do not record the number of casualties in the report. We have currently dered that there are no humans fighting on the frontlines, that anything recorded that is not supposed to exist will be ignored¡­ your form of protest will be heard by no one." "Even if you do say so, I cannot ept this quietly¡­ and thews to contain the Colorata have no basis to them anymore." The Geade Empire, which swept the continent through the powerful military might of the , seemed to have been wiped out four years ago. It was a rarity to tap the wireless signals controlled by the Empire due to constant jamming from the Eintagsfliege; four years ago, however, they suddenly vanished, and were never heard of again. One had to wonder if it was due to the going rampant, or other reasons, but in any case, the Empire should have been obliterated. The Concentration Camps of the Eighty Sixes were built on the premise that they were "descendants of the Empire," and the basis and justification for them lost as a result. However, the people were unwilling to let go of this entertainment called discrimination they had obtained. As they continued to trample and abuse, they were increasingly deluded in a sense of superiority, that they were victors. They chose the simple way to obtain delight, not to break, but to conceal the current scenario that they were sealed by the Empire and their drones, and the feeling of setback. "Ignoring a fault is a bigger fault at that. This is already unforgivable to begin with¡­" "Lena." The poised voice called for Lena, and she kept quiet. "You may be a little too idealistic. Not only for others, but for yourself. Ideals are too high and unable to be attained." "¡­I see." Carl-Stahl¡¯s silver eyes eased up, giving a bitter glint in the nostalgic gaze. "You are really so simr to Vav¡­ now then, Major dlena Millize, from this day forth, I hereby order you to be Handler of the First Defense Force in the First Battlefront. I hope you will work hard." "Thank you very much." "So you epted? What got you interested, Lena?" A change of squadron meant changes in many other things, and one of them was the Pallet settings, wherever the Pallet was to be connected. The Head of the Pallet Development Team was At, and she was also in charge of Lena¡¯s settings changes and adjustments. Lena, who had taken a checkup on her advice, was changing into her military uniform. She carefully hung the nonwoven fabric gown on the hanger, buttoning her blouse as she answered At. At was in the observation room, separated by a ss panel. The Detached Pce from the Imperial Era was used as the Research building, and though it looked as regal as it was during the mid-Monarchy, the metal and ss sheets seen everywhere gave a cold, hard feeling. One of the ss walls depicted a mural of tropical fish and coral reefs. "That¡¯s simply an excuse made up by them. They won¡¯t work hard, and made it up." Lena curled her lips into a smile as shetched her garter onto her stockings. She had been going through periodic checks rted to the use of the Pallet; At really was worrisome. "It is true that someone actuallymitted suicide." At, who was behind the ss wall and the holographic screen, modified the values of the settings, and took a sip of coffee from her mug¡­ or whatever that thick, mudwater-like thing was¡­ so she said, "The ghost thing might be something some bored old men came up with, but it was said the dead man blew out his brains with a shotgun." Lena put on her skirt and blouse, rolled up her sleeves, and turned around. She reached her hands out for the silver hair draped over her shoulder, andbed it behind her. "¡­Really?" "They had me investigate if it was a malfunction in the Pallet. Leaving aside whether he was amander, it¡¯s not a good thing if news of suicide is leaked." "And then?" At simply shrugged, as a matter of fact. "Who knows?" "Who knows, huh¡­?" "He¡¯s dead. Where else am I supposed to investigate? The RAID device is normal, checks were done. If possible, bring the ''Undertaker'' over? So I asked them to bring the Processer, but the idiots at the logistics branch just went ''This flight has no room for swines~''" She folded her arms angrily, leaning on the wallzily, snorting away. So pretty and posh she was, yet her demeanorcked in feminine charm. "If they had brought him along, I would have investigated him thoroughly, even in the head. Goodness sake." Lena frowned at her unfiltered terms. She knew At did not intend to say so, but she found it unbearable. "¡­So, what about the processor?" "Not from me, but those guys at the Military Police said so. I read their report, and it¡¯s basically nothing. He just said he had no idea, and it ended. Who knows what happened?" At curled her lips into a sarcastic sneer. "He was told the Handler died, and so he answered, ''Is that so?'' The tone was basically so what? Well whatever, he¡¯s just a mere Eighty Six. Even if his superior died, there¡¯s no other reaction to be expected." "¡­" Lena went silent, and the sneer vanished from At¡¯s face. "¡­Hey Lena, you should join the research team after all." "?" Lena blinked in confusion, and saw At raising her eyebrows like a cat. The silver-white eyes were showing unexpected sincerity. "The army right now is just a detention center for the unemployed now. Our research team is still fine, but the other forces are just a bunch of idiots from the high numbered areas that can¡¯t work to save their lives." At this point, the legitive zones of the Republic consisted of Area 1 at the center, and numbered starting from a centered square number. The greater the number, the worse off the living conditions, security, education levels, and the higher the unemployment rate. "Two yearster, when the is gone, what do you intend to do? The tag of a ¡®retired soldier¡¯ on your shoulder isn¡¯t going to help you find another job." Lena could only grimace. All drones would cease operation within two years. That was a fact discovered from the capture of a few drones. Their central processing units contained a fixed lifespan that could not be modified. Every new edition of the system could onlyst fifty thousand hours at most, or approximately six years. This was probably a failsafe in case the drones went rampant. Since the Empire was confirmed to have been wiped out four years ago, the central processing unit for the drones should cease functionpletely within two years. In fact, based on frontline observations, the numbers of had been declining, possibly due to the machines being worn out, unable to be enhanced. "Thanks. But we¡¯re still in a time of war." "Then you don¡¯t have to go out and do so." At did not back down. Once the data was configured, she switched off the screen with a wave of her hand, and leaned forward. And then, she loathingly spat. "Real or not, you are going to handle the troublesome Processors. Who knows how that will end up¡­ and the Pallets might not bepletely safe." Lena could not help but open her eyes. "¡­Isn¡¯t itpletely proven that the Pallets are safe?" At seemed to have blurted it out identally. She gave a look of a child who was caught, and hushed her voice, "Lena, do you not know this country? You cannot take what they say at face value." The Republic, so proud of its superior gics, would not allow for any ws in their technology. Even if there were, they would not admit it; this applied not only to the Pallets¡­ but also the . "In fact, I might say it¡¯s kind of like a superpower, or something? We had such people investigated, and figured out that agitating this part of brain will cause a Pallet effect¡­ the same as this thing." She pointed at the RAID device in her hand. The posh-looking silver ring was engraved with blue crystals. Several cables were connected from the crystals to the terminal, as the data being overwritten into the former. "These ¡®superhumans¡¯ were siblings, synchronized with each other, so we simply wrote a modified parent-child gic code into the RAID device of a Handler and the Processor units. As for why that could get them to synchronize, we¡¯re still not sure." "But¡­ this was your father¡¯s reseach, right?" "A coborated research. The basis of the research, or the hypothesis, came from the coborator. Father only prepared the research environment, and had the test subjects replicate the phenomenon." "So, you can get the coborator to work again, right?" At that moment, At¡¯s eyes became cold and dull. "Impossible¡­ he¡¯s an Eighty Sixer." The Eighty Sixers, not deemed as human in any way, would not have their names recorded, simply allocated a number when they were assigned to Concentration Camps. As to which ones they were at, nobody knew. "The RAID devices have safety features to prevent this from happening, but when the Pallets are activated by multiple people, the brain will overload, and at maximum synchronization, it will lead to mental breakdown. Also, there¡¯s the issue of too much activity that leads to one being ¡®lost¡¯¡­ you know about my father¡¯s mishap, don¡¯t you?" "¡­" At¡¯s father, Professor Joseph Von Penrose, unfortunately went berserk in an experiment soon after he had published the thesis on the Pallets andpleted the RAID device, and died as a result. It was said the activation of the RAID device was identally set to the theoretical maximum value. Some deduced that he might have slipped into ¡®a certain ce¡¯ deeper than the subconscious collection, and ended up in a subconscious collection of the world itself, viewing humanity as ''a whole'' instead of ''individuals.'' "If used over a long time, who knows the effect it will have¡­ one or two Eighty Sixers dead won¡¯t matter, but what will happen if something bad happens to you?" Lena instinctively gave a displeased look. She knew At was simply worried about her, but she could not help herself. "Don¡¯t do that¡­ that¡¯s sleazy of you." At finally waved her hand impatiently. "Okay okay. You¡¯re a curious one." An awkward silence soon filled both sides of the ss wall. Suddenly, At gave a smile, as though to purge the silence. "Speaking of curiosity, Lena, want some Chiffon cake? Something new I made from eggs." "Eh?" Lena¡¯s invisible cat ears seemed to have perked up, and At stifled her giggle. As a girl herself, Lena had an unconditional craving for sweets. This Chiffon cake had lots of egg white, an item that was a luxury amongst luxuries for the Republking innd to raise poultry. Such enjoyment was only something the Princesses of the von Penroses, who were ex-nobility, had a massive mansion, and reared chickens could possess. However, "Erm¡­ that isn¡¯t the type of thing to have some cheese vor even without cheese inside, giving off ck smoke, erm well¡­ looking like a frog¡­ or something like that¡­?" Just to note, that was the feedback of the one who ate the profiterole At made. Thest line, to be precise, should be "Like a lumpy, strangled frog." The appearance, and even the color was the same as a frog''s. "Rx. This is the normal one. My matchmaking partner came over yesterday, and I tried it on him." However, he foamed at the mouth and passed out after eating the fifth one. "At the very least¡­. even if you hate him, you could have shared your new creation with him." "Of course. I had it packed it really cute, with pink wrapper, a butterfly knot, a kiss on a message card that read ''To my beloved Theobalt,'' and had it posted to the apartment he¡¯s staying at with his lover." "¡­" Lena was wondering if she should be feeling sorry for the man. After an enjoyable time of some cake and tea with At, the data transfer waspleted. Lena returned home to her room, and had the RAID device ced on her neck. The silver ring has delicate patterns the Albas loved, and resembled a posh choker. The bead-like crystals ornament contained some mock-neural crystals used for calctions; it dazzled under the light, and it was hard to imagine its true nature being a headset earphone and neck microphone. She suddenly recalled what she had heard in the die. The death god. Caused a suicide. Did not care about human deaths¡ªEighty Six. What kind of person was he? Perhaps he hates us all? She shook her head, and took a little breath. Right. "¡ªActivate." She activated the Pallet. It was amunication for the ages, unaffected by distance, weather, orndscape, able to be contacted at any given moment. The connection wasplete. No problems. There was noise ringing in this room, when it should not have been. "Handler One here to all members of Squad Spearhead. First time meeting. Starting today, I shall be your handler." Following that was a troubled pause. Lena felt agony. Whenever she took over a new squad, everyone would show the same confused reaction upon hearing her voice. The greeting between humans should be something ever so natural. However, this awkward silence lingered only for a moment. A calm, extremely young voice echoed in the Pallet¡¯s hearing. "Nice to meet you, Handler One. This is the leader of Squad Spearhead. Personal codename ." The voice was different from what she expected. It was a precise, clear voice, one as rxing as ake surface deep within a forest. From his voice, it seemed he was of a simr age to Lena, very likely born to what was once a middle, upper ss family. "We have been notified of a change in handler. Starting from now, please take care of us." Lena smiled as she heard the monotonous voice of what appeared to be a standoffish person. Yes, if they continued to converse, she would understand that there was no way to misunderstand. They were all humans. Not some existence beneath humans called Eighty Sixers. "Here too. Nice to be in your care, Undertaker." Chapter Volume 1 2 Chapter 2 ¨C Im Westen nichts Neues "129 days till Run Out Date!! Fucking Glory to Spearhead Squadron!!" On an inner wall of a ck garage that had already faded in color due to weather, there was an old ckboard picked up by someone unknown, and thoserge words in colored chalk stated the countdown. Shinn lifted his eyes from his clipboard, and spotted this one optimistic line on the board. In fact, they should have a hundred and neen days. When Kujo was assigned to this squadron, he would update that number every day. Ten days ago, he died. Shinn had stopped to look at the countdown, and lowered his head back to the maintenance records on the clipboard. The "Juggernaut" remained on standby in the hangar. He went towards his personal unit. The bright red eyes of a Pyrope, and the short hair of the Onyx. He had inherited the noble bloodlines of both the Pyropes and the Onyx, and of who they called the Eighty Sixers, he had the most defining characteristics of the Colorata. His handsome face was etched with poise and a calmness unbefitting of his age, somewhat aloof, and his slender body and white skin reflected his old identity as a member of the Empire¡¯s nobility. Thendscape of the Eastern frontier was mostly dominated by forests, grasnds, and wends, yet he was dressed in desert camouge of dirt yellow and dark brown, for those were salvaged from the corpses in the deadstock of the Republic. The cor was messy, but he did not have to tidy himself, for no superior was there to supervise. The blue scarf was wrapped around his neck. The sound of machinery churning echoed in the hangar, as maintenance continued on while the repair crew were growling at each other. At the courtyard before the hangar, there were a bunch of people ying some two vs two basketball with strange rules. A leisurely guitar riff came from somewhere, an old anime song being yed. Kino waszing in his cockpit with its transparent hatch, reading a porno, and waved at Shinn once he spotted thetter approach. It may have been the frontlines, but the members of this base had it free and easy on days without battle. ording to the report sent to the Handler, it should be the time for patrol in the Contest Area. This should have been a daily routine, but the squadron had deemed it to be pointless, and did not do so. Of those who wanted to go out and about, they went to the nearby towns to scavenge, while the others went down to work on the chores they were assigned (cooking, washing clothes, cleaning, nting vegetables, feeding the hens, and so on), or just killed time. The military boots echoed crassly upon the floor, and following that was a bellow louder than a tank''s, one that echoed through the hangar. "Shinn! Shinei Nouzen! You made a mess again, you bastard!" Like a cockroach, Kino scampered from the cockpit to the shadows, while Shinn merely stared at the shouter with a nk face. "What?" "What, you say, Undertaker!? You bastard¡ª!" Quickly storming towards Shinn was a man with the savage face of a watchdog, donning sunsses plus a few strands of white hair amidst the grey, a mechanic who was approximately fifty, wearing oil-stained clothes. The maintenance chief of Spearhead Squadron, Lev Audreht. The sixteen-year-old Shinn was considered a senior amongst the Processors, but Audreht was a survivor of the first batch of recruits nine years ago, an elder amongst the seniors. "Why do you have to wreck the machine so much every time you sortie? The actuator and the dampener are rattling again. Its wheels aren¡¯t that stable, how many times have I told you to stop being reckless!?" "I¡¯m sorry." "You think a simple apology will settle this!? I¡¯m not making you apologise, I¡¯m changing you for the better right here. One of these days, you¡¯re going to die in some stupid battle! We¡¯re already running out of spare parts, and until the next resupply, repairs are unlikely!" "What about the second unit?" "Yeaaahhh we have the second unit all thanks to that certain leader wrecking the units until we had only two spare units left! Maintaining your personal unit alone takes triple the amount of time it does for the other Processors. Who do you think you are, a Prince!?" "The feudal system was abolished in the revolution three hundred years ago." "You sure are a shitty brat¡­ given how you¡¯re wearing them out and wrecking them, two or three units won¡¯t be enough until the next resupply and sortie dates, you hear me!? What do you want me to do, pray for you not to wreck it? What next, hope the scrap metal won¡¯te haunting you over the next hundred years or something, huh!?" "Fido probably had Kujo¡¯s unit scavenged." Shinn said these words with his usual monotonous tone, and Audreht was momentarily silent. "Yeah, we can get some spare parts from that Kujo¡¯s unit¡­ but I don¡¯t want to do it. Seriously, don¡¯t you think something is wrong about it? Putting on the unit of the dead onto your own?" Shinn turned his head around slightly, and pointed at the armor of his personal "Juggernaut," the "Undertaker." There was a spray painted skeleton wielding a shovel beneath the canopy, one without a head. Audreht could only grimace. "No point nitpicking the details now¡­ this is what you mean huh, Undertaker?" The elderly mechanic nodded in thought, and turned to the ajar hangar shutters, at the endless ins of Spring. The sky, so tall, so distant, was blue and cloudless, melting everything beneath it. Under it, thepis-colored Cornflower and the emerald young grass glittered, the scenery depicted endless as it became the grave of millions of Eighty-Sixers scattered all over the battlefield. The Eighty-Sixers had no graves. They did not exist, and naturally, had no graves; even reiming their corpses was forbidden. The pigs with the appearance of humans had no right to rest, and no freedom to be mourned over by their friends. That was the state of the world created by their own country nine years ago, and still maintained up to this point. "That Kujo was blown to smithereens, wasn¡¯t he?" "Yeah." Automated mines, faceless anti-personnel weapons with four limbs, their bodies filled with explosives; they were hideous, so resembling humans to an extent such that when viewed from a distance, they could be mistaken for casualties. Kujo went to assist another squadron in a night skirmish, and picked one up. "Now that¡¯s just great. He¡¯s there now, right?" "Probably." Personally, Shinn did not believe in the existence of Heaven or Hell, but he was willing to believe Kujo¡¯s soul had left this ce, and found its sce. Audreht gave an intriguing look. "That Kujo¡¯s lucky to be in the same squadron as you when he died¡­ these guys too." The ball entered the hoop, and the tattered swayed as the court erupted in cheers. The anime song echoed in thepany of the guitar riff, together with the random lyrics as delighted singing reverberated across the farms within the camp. Audreht knew very well that the scenery before them was never to be seen in any of the other squadrons. Continuous battles. Daily patrols against the ¡®s raids. Extreme tension and fear would drain a person¡¯s psyche, and across battles, friends would be lost. As every day was critically arduous for them, they had no possible times for any daily human life, let alone rxation or entertainment. Yet this squadron could rx, and not worry about any enemy raids, despite being unable to avoid any raids. "¡­These guys here are able to live peacefully because of you, Shinn." "The one with three times the armor maintenance of the other processors is me, right?" Audreht was left speechless. Shinn could only shrug upon facing the displeased look beneath the sunsses. "Brat¡­ just a little joke, and you took it for real." "I do feel bothered by this. Though I haven¡¯t expressed this through actions." "Fool. Us mechanic¡¯s job is to make sure you bratse back alive. One or two units isn¡¯t much as long you guyse home. We''ve got to repair them no matter how tough it is." He rattled off this spiel of words, and turned aside bashfully. "¡­Anyway, our Handler has changed again. What kind of person is it this time?" Silence. "¡­Yeah." "Yeah¡­ say something¡­" "That seems to be the case." Due to the frequent changes, Shinn had long forgotten their names. In fact, the Processors would never care about the existence of the Handlers. For the Handlers had long abandoned their duties. Once there were one too many Eintagsflieges, the radar would be unable to transmit the data, and the HQ in the maind far away would be able tomand effectively. Thus, the Processors would never care about the Handlers, for their existences did not matter. Thus, the duty of the Handler was merely relegated to supervising the Processor, and that was the job''s scope. The mission the Handler was left with, was to suppress the rebellious spirit of the Eighty-Sixers, using the Para-RAID that allowed them to monitor every action, and thoroughly dominate them. Shinn recalled the infrequent conversations over the past week, and said, "Got more writing work. Looks like I have to write a new patrol report every week." "¡­They haven¡¯t been reading them, and the only audacious one sending the same carelessly written reports from five years ago is you." To wit, he did not change the dates and location, and ever since then, they had never went on patrol, so everything included in the patrol was a sham. Shinn was dumbfounded that such reports remained undetected. "Did you send a past document here on ident?" He recalled the calm, silver bell-like voice pointing out this issue, and sighed. "Never thought you would have a careless moment." She chuckled as she said, herughter filled with pure kindness and sincerity. "On the day she was appointed, we synchronized as she wanted to greet us, and she said we are to keep in contact in the future, so there¡¯ll be contact at least once a day. I guess it¡¯s a rare type among the Republic¡¯s army." "Sounds like a kind one¡­ well, she¡¯s going to suffer now. Poor one." Shinn had the same thought, and did not answer. In this world, justice or ideals were both powerless and pointless¡ª "¡­Yes." And for some reason, Shinn turned towards the endless ins of Springs, as though someone had beckoned for him. "Ba dum tss! Now this is really a ''Pig living outside the Grand Mur!''" "Very funny, Haruto." At the cookhouse of the army, Seo, who bravely volunteered to control the fire of the massive pot containing the berry jam, bluntly retorted at the tomfoolery of the boy in his squadron. He was a Jade, with blond hair and green eyes, sixteen years old, a little short and scrawny. The Rubies boy Haruto hanging the massive wild boar at the entrance of the courtyard opened his arms wide to emphasize his delight, and scratched his head. He did not have any duties for the day, and went boar hunting in the nearby forest. "Hmm, what¡¯s with theck of reaction? That was funny, right?" "If I have to say, it¡¯s a cold joke¡­ but well." Seo dropped the sketch book he had in hand, and sized up the hunt before his eyes. It was probably dragged over by a "Juggernaut," but it might have been difficult for one to hunt it, for it was a monstrouslyrge boar. "This is amazing. It¡¯s big." "Isn¡¯t it!? We¡¯re having a barbeque tonight! Where¡¯s Raiden? And Angel? I want to switch dinner duty with them." "Well, Shinn¡¯s the one in charge today. Raiden went to ''town'' to search for stuff, while Angel and the other girls are in charge of washing clothes today." Haruto stared at Seo. "When was that decided?" "Probably¡­ after breakfast." "It¡¯s almost noon." "Yep." ""¡­"" Even though they had to do theundry for the entire camp, with six people washing, it would be impossible for them to not be done. The washing point was by the riverside, and it¡¯s a bright sunny Spring day. Haruto broke into a leer. "¡­So now they¡¯re bathing. The river¡¯s Heaven now, right!?" "Before you go to Heaven for real, they do all have guns with them." Haruto froze up immediately. Seo sighed hard, took up the wooden scoop, and stirred the pot. Once he saw that that the berry jam was almost done, he extinguished the fire. He was about to close the lid when his Para-RAID activated. When he wasmissioned, Seo had a RAID device imnted into the back of his neck, and there was also an earring data tag for registration synchronization. The RAID device and the earring activated at the same time, creating a hallucinatory heat. He tapped at his earring with his fingertip, and switched tomunication mode. "Activate¡­" Once the Para-RAID was synchronized, Seo¡¯s green eyes became icy cold. Not far away was Haruto, thetter¡¯s hand cupping his ear as the smile vanished from his face, with whom he exchanged looks with. "Shinn¡­ what now?" The washing point was at the riverside. The river was wide, and lots of water body could be seen, the six female members of Spearhead were enjoying a water fight amidst the river flow. "What are you doing, Kaie. Hurry over." Krena stopped in her tracks once she spotted her fidgeting squadmate, and called out to thetter. She had short Agate brown hair and the golden topaz eyes of a cat. She had taken off herbat uniform and tied the sleeves on her waist, the olive drab tank top showing the curves of her body in the middle of the day, but none of her friends were bashful despite being dressed as such. "No, well, thinking about it, it¡¯s a little embarrassing¡­" Kaie was a ck haired girl with ck eyes and white silky skin of ivory. Though her tone was simr to a boy¡¯s, she was a girl. Her eyes were slightly red, probably mindful of the tank top sticking to the body. The ponytail as long as a knight¡¯s helmet decoration draped upon her t cleavage, giving off an alluring vibe. "And is it really okay for us to be having a water fight¡­ warrgh!!" Angel, with her blueish-silver hair scattered on the back, scooped water with her hands and sshed it at Kaie. The former did not remove her uniform, but she had her zipper pulled to her belly, and for this poshdy, it was a daring getup for her. The silver hair proved her identity as an Adria, but as she had inherited the light blue eyes of her great grandmother, a Celesta, she was deemed as an Eighty Six by the radicalized Republic, and banished to the borders. "You¡¯re being so serious, Kaie. It¡¯s fine, our clothes are washed anyway." The other girls started to chime in, "And Shinn will understand." "Ah yes. He also said it¡¯s hot today. Showed a rare smile even." "Well that¡¯s kind of understandable, even from that stone-faced leader." Saying that, they suddenly smiled at Krena. "Th-That¡¯s not it! That¡¯s not what I meant!" "What¡¯s so good about that guy who always seem to have something on his mind?" "I said it¡¯s not!" "Anyway, your thoughts, Kaie?" "Shinn? Hmm, I personally don¡¯t think he¡¯s bad. Not much of a talker, stoic, but he¡¯s fine." "Wa-Wa-Wa-Wa-Wa-Wait a sec, Akie!?" Krena suddenly panicked, and Kaie stifled herugh. Krena really was easy to read. "I see, I see. But since nobody''s got him, I¡¯m going to strike first. Let¡¯s show him an Eastern ¡®night raid¡¯ tonight, as quickly as possible¡­" "K-Kaie!? E-Erm, I don¡¯t have any thoughts about Shinn, but, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s good! You sh-should be more like a Yamato Nadeshiko, or something." Krena reacted flusteredly, and the girls smirked in unison. """You¡¯re so cute, Krena.""" A momentter, and Krena realized she was had. "Hey!" "Yo, found you." The forest rustled, and their squadmate Daiya showed his face. He was a tallnky one, with bright blond hair and emerald eyes befitting a Sapphire. Just to note, he was a boy. """KYYAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!""" "WAHHH!!!!" Daiya was assaulted by the supersonic weapons from all the women, who were probably equipped with such weapons since birth, along with all kinds of throwable items, and he hastily retreated behind the shrubs. "Hey! Who threw a pistol!? It¡¯s dangerous if it¡¯s loaded!" """KYYAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!""" "WAHHH!!!!" Daiya, struck directly during this second assault, finally went silent. The girls hastily put on their clothes, and Angel approached. "So, Daiya, what is it?" "It¡¯d be great if you could ask me ¡®Are you alright?¡¯ with a cute voice now, Angel." "Well are you fine Daiya?" "Ah, my bad, please don¡¯t say that with a nk face or I¡¯ll cry¡­" Kaietched the velcro of herbat uniform, saw that the others had dressed up, and said, ¡°Yep, Daiya, you cane out now¡­ what is it?" "Ah yes. Actually, I have a part-time job as a messenger for today." It seemed someone had requested that he deliver a message. Krena used her arms to futilely cover her voluptuous body that could not be camouged by thebat uniform, pouting unhappily. "You could have contacted us through the Para-RAID. Whye here?" Daiya scratched his head. "Well, won¡¯t it be awkward tomunicate with you girls through Para-RAID when you¡¯re ying around, and that I¡¯ll identally eavesdrop on your love stories? Most likely it¡¯s about ¡®Krena really likes Shinn~¡¯ or something like that." "Wha¡­!" Krena¡¯s face went beetroot upon hearing him speak with a cutesy tone she would never use, and the female squadmates next to her started chatting away. "Hmm. Peeping¡¯s unforgivable, but this decision is the right one." "We personally don¡¯t mind, but Krena definitely can¡¯t take it." "And we were talking about this just now." "Oh yeah, if Shinn¡¯s synchronized with us next time, have her say it out loud. Let¡¯s see his reaction then." "Krena just said that Shinn was horrible, always the stone-faced death god, never changing his expressions, not cute at all." "I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I didn¡¯t say that! Stop it already!!" """You¡¯re so cute, Krena.""" "WAHHHH!! You idiots!!!" Krena, who was teased by everyone present (including Daiya), cupped her head as she screamed. Kaie was huffing her shoulders as sheughed, and asked, "So, what is it about? Whatever you¡¯re supposed to say." Upon hearing that, Daiya immediately erased all expression from his face. "Ahh¡­ it¡¯s from that Shinn." And upon those words, the girls¡¯ faces tensed up immediately. Man does not live on bread alone. Thousands of years ago, an ethereal savior once said so, and to this day it remained a ssic adage. In a person¡¯s life, there is always a need for additional things to enrich the mind and body, like snacks, coffee, music, games, and such. The white swines of the Republic who dumped them into this Hell never gave them anything other than the bare minimum, for they probably assumed there was no need to. On the other hand, if Man wanted to live on, the primary issue would be to first fill the stomach. "Alright Fido, we''ve got a problem here." It was a town reduced to rubble, and from time to time, they would search this town for some food that could be preserved for long, some vegetables growing in the gardens of some homes, pets that had be wild after escaping from captivity in the chaos of war, and abandoned entertainment. They were at a za buried under the rubble. The Vice-Commander Raiden put down the synthesized food and thepressed bread, produced in the base¡¯s factory and obtained from the emergency storeroom of a town hall raid shelter. His uniform was loose, showing his massive, tall body. He was a pure-blood Eisen, his dark metal short head and sharp face showing a robotic body. The "Scavenger" was a drone that would tail the "Juggernaut" and resupply thetter with ammunition and energy packs. It wasnky, with four short legs, unappealing in appearance. At this point, one such "Scavenger" opposite him had its head lowered, sizing up the objects before it through the lens-shaped optical sensor. "Which one is the trash?" "Pi." Fido immediately reached out its mechanical arm and tossed the synthesized food aside. Raiden watched the white object roll afar, and picked up the bread left behind, chewing on it. Even a drone knew it was trash. The tongues of those white swines must have been infected given how they had just tly deemed it as food. All Concentration Camps and bases had production nts and automated factories for the necessities required for battle. The power source and production control inputs came from the underground cables,ing from the other side of the Wall, and this was the automated food resupply system that was needlessly posh. However, the ones controlling this system were the white swines who had deemed them as pigs, and the produce were of the bare minimum quality, the thing called food that was synthesized out of it looking like stic bombs, without exception, and the taste so unpleasant, one might be dumber. Thus, one would have to search through the dumps abandoned nine years ago if real food was to be found. Luckily, this squadron had no need for patrol, and lots of time and energy packs could be conserved for the squadmates to search through towns while piloting the "Juggernaut." "So Fido, we¡¯re looking for stuff other than that trash today. Get as much as you want, including other kinds of food." "Pi." Raiden, seated on the ground like a delinquent, stood up, and Fido followed him with creaking footsteps. One of their missions as "Scavengers" was to fill their cockpits with anything from the debris of the machines, including bullet casings. Raiden¡¯s instructions however were a little weird. To wit, the term "Scavenger" was just a moniker. If the supplies on hand were insufficient in battle, they would pick up usable items from destroyed "Juggernauts" or other "Scavengers." Out of battle, they would wander the battlefield, and pick up items that could be used. Thus, the Processors simply called them "Scavengers." They were reliable squadmates, alleviating the worries about insufficient ammunition or energy packs, vultures who greedily searched their dead. Fido was a "Scavenger" who followed by Shinn¡¯s side for five years. It was said that it was picked up by Shinn after thetter¡¯s squad encountered an enemy assault, and he ended up as the lone survivor, notpletely destroyed, but its mobility lost. It had the bare minimum learning capability, but a mere broken robot that was picked up would not have the intelligence for gratitude. Ever since then, Fido would always prioritize Shinn as the one to resupply, would follow him no matter the squad he was assigned to, and be by his side immediately whenever he sortied. Unlike the "Scavengers" who would not bother about feelings, it did showcase some semnce of loyalty. It was an old model that began service in the beginning of the war, and as it had been in service for long, it probably learned more things. And to this drone that obediently followed its master, Shinn merely named it as "Fido." A name appropriate for a dog. Like Pochi or Shiro¡­ as expected, there was something wrong with thatd¡¯s head. "Pi." "Hm?" Fido suddenly stopped behind Raiden, and thetter turned around. He looked over at where the optical sensors were aiming, and saw the white bones that had long faded in color, huddled up at the bottom of a massive tree giving in the shadows of the rubble. "¡­Ahh." So that was what he was being called for. Raiden approached the corpse. The uniform waspletely tattered, the dismembered arms still grabbing the assault rifle until the very end. His neck had an identification tagtched to a chain, and he did not seem to be an Eighty-Sixer. Probably, he was one of the Republic¡¯s Orthodox army who fought nine years ago, until the very end. A tadter, Pi, Fido let out another electronic sound, asking if it could drag some things back. Outside of battle, it would prioritize picking up leftovers from the dead, probably a habit it had picked up from Shinn. It would never touch corpses, however, for the white swines had forbidden them from reiming corpses. After a pause, Raiden shook his head. "No need¡­ just leave him here." He recognized this tree before him. The Sakura. It was a tree that originated from the Far East of the continent, blooming with flowers when Spring started. This year, during the blooming season, per Kaie¡¯s suggestion, every member of the squad visited this eyecatching tree to marvel the flowers. The pink petals merged into the night as the full moon illuminated it back then, making it beautiful. The soldier remained on the carpet of petals, looking up at the radiant flowers; there was no reason to bury him and deny him the light of day. This may have been one of the Albas, but he did experience battle, and was a warrior who gave his body for his country; he should not be deemed a white swine. After a short moment of silence, he looked up, and felt a hallucinatory heat from his ear. "¡ªTo all forces on a stroll. Do you hear me?" "Seo? What is it?" The clear voice could be heard within striking distance. As representative of all synchronized members in the dumps, Raiden responded. "A sudden change in the weather report. A storm ising." Raiden narrowed his eyes. To the East, in the skies above the areas controlled by , some faint silver could be seen spreading, the color so faint that he, who had exceptional vision, had to squint his eyes to pick out. The Eintagsfliege of the "When?" "I¡¯m guessing in about two hours. It looks like other forces will be meeting up behind the ones closest to us. Resupply, more or less." The closest forces were so far that eyes could not make them out, and the radar was already disabled. However, Seo¡­ no, the one saying that could determine the actual situation as though it was in the palm of his hands. "Understood. Returning immediately ¡ª Chise, Clotho. Meet at the entrance of Route 12." "Understood." "Looks like there¡¯s no ''Shepherd'' this time, just a head on fight. There might be changes in the enemy¡¯s routes, but we¡¯ll set up an ambush near Point 304 and clean them up in one fell swoop." Raiden gavemands to his scout team and returned to his personal unit not too far away; Seo¡¯s voice was filled with an urge to smile as he said this in response. Raiden showed a savage smirk on his face. "Just ''Sheep'' huh? Good time to hunt." While the actual situation was more dire than they described, the tactics of the "Sheep" were simple without a "Shepherd" leading them, and a lot easier to deal with. Having knowledge of the enemy''s strength beforehand, they would feel more relieved than ever. Goodness sake, this great ol¡¯ death god. Raiden thought, and frowned. What was the former thinking? That red-eyed death god roaming the battlefield, seeking lost heads. Raiden and the others returned to base, and saw eighteen other units on standby, ready to sortie. Seo¡¯s unit was the one closest to the entrance, and he smiled like a mischievous cat. "You¡¯re slow, Raiden. Thought you stepped on andmine." "Came back as fast as I could. Also, enough with thendmine jokes." "Ah. Sorry." Kujo was blown apart by an automatedndmine. In the two months since this squadron was formed, he was the third KIA. The thinning rate of the processors was extremely high. Every year, hundreds of thousands were conscripted, and a yearter, less than a thousand remained. Although, this was a great improvement aspared to their forefathers, who could only tussle up close. Back then, the only way to fight was to charge into the camp with rockets or bombs in hands, such that the casualty rate each day would be at least fifty percent. In contrast, while the KIA rate of this squad was strangely low, the fact remained that this was the frontline. There was no battlefield without losses incurred. The arrival of Death would always be sudden, and fair. "Everyone here? Listen up.¡± Everyone straightened up once they heard the quiet voice that traveled far. The map of the First Battle Zone was clouded with a transparent cover containing the necessary information for the operation. Shinn was already before them, as though moonlight shone down upon him. His white face was apanied by a familiar desert camouge uniform, and the emblem of Captain indicating his identity as leader; the blue scarf continued to flutter around his neck, and that was one of the sources of his ominous nickname. The head of this death god was long gone, but remained hidden under the scarf, or something like that. "I shall exin the situation." This squad leader, nicknamed the "Death God," spotted the grim looks of his squadmates in his cold red eyes. The briefing over the enemy numbers, progression routes and nned countermeasures was extremely simple, yet clear. All of the processors boarded the "Juggernauts." Each of them, face or physique-wise, were youthful soldiers, in their mid-tote teens. Once thest part was sealed within the hatch, the twenty one armored units awoke from their slumber. The M1A4 "Juggernaut," a multi-pedaled armored weapon unmanned drone that had men within. Its four limbs were thin and long, supporting the little pupa-shaped body of light brown armor, like aged bones. The unit had two heavy machine guns as subarms, a pair of wire anchors, and a 57mm mounted cannon on the back. From afar, the machine resembled a wandering spider, and thebat weapons swinging at the front, along with the main cannon on the back, resembled the ws and tail of a scorpion. This was the burial ce of their Eighty Sixerpatriots. The ambush was to be set up in an abandoned city. Shinn was hidden in a corner of a copsed Church, camped in the cramped cockpit of the "Juggernaut," and opened his eyes that had been closed. The area of this kill zone was a main street, and they had divided into various teams, scattered along the corners of the street to assure that firing range would not ovep. The vanguard teamprising of Number One and Number Three (Shinn and Seo) had acted independently from the Covering Teamprising of Number Two and Number Four (Raiden and Kaie), nking the street. The grenadier team led by Number Five (Daiya) and the sniper team led by Number Six (Krena) were hidden at the other side of the street, waiting in ce. Shinn callously stared at the holographic screen of little visibility, detected the enemy numbers and formations, and narrowed his eyes. The cockpit of the "Juggernaut" was simr to a fighter jet, with various switches lined on both a left and right joystick, and an LCD disy showing various instruments. Unlike the anti-wind hatch of the fighter jet however, the cockpit of the "Juggernaut" waspletely covered, and it was impossible to see the outside. Instead, there was a three dimensional optical screen and a holographic window for showing messages, providing the pilot with intel but not alleviating the darkness and confined spaces at all. One could say it was a coffin. The enemy¡¯s formation was as expected, scattered in the shape of wheat¡ªthe scouting team leading the vanguard, and four teams at the tip of the wheat. Such was the ssic offensive formation of the armor squad, textbook-like, in fact. Numbers and capabilities-wise, the was always superior, and it would not use any unpredictable formations. Thus, they could be easily identified. No matter the prediction, the enemy would send in arge fighting force to win with numbers. Such was the tactic that had never changed. In the face of this , the nickname well deserved, it would be hard to beat it even with double the manpower, and a typical army would have chosen to retreat due to despair and helplessness. However, the fighting style of the "Juggernauts," the Eighty Sixers, had always been to fight many, the overwhelmingly many, with few. Suddenly, Shinn recalled a line from long before, when someone recited a line from the Bible. Someone. He could no longer that person¡¯s face and voice. All he could remember was the final scene, and the voice. And that line. ¡ªet interrogabat eum. Raiden heard Shinn mutter something through the Para-RAID, as though it was some noise, and put his leg down, sitting upright. He was hidden under the rubble, his main screen buried under the grey concrete, the radar in passive mode. Shinn was not speaking in their mother tongue, the Republic¡¯snguage, and he could not understand. All he could hear was dicit ei legio nomen mihi. Seo snapped in annoyance, "Shinn, were you reading the Bible just now? That¡¯s poor taste from you. Especially when you¡¯re using that line right now!" "What did he just say?" "When the Messiah asked if they were demons or dead spirits, they answered, ''Legion,'' for we are many." Raiden went silent. Of course, it was horrible. Suddenly, there was another person synchronized in the Para-RAID. "Handler One to all units. My apologies for beingte." The delightful silver bell voice entered their ears through the Para-RAID. It appeared this new Handler was assigned here after the previous one was terrified by this "death god" and resigned as a result. From her voice, it appeared she was of simr age to them. "Enemy approaching. Please intercept at Point 208." "Undertaker to Handler One. Confirming. Deployment at Point 304plete." Shinn tly answered. There seemed to be a gasp from the other end of the Para-RAID. "How fast¡­ impressive on your part, Undertaker." The Handler marveled with sincerity. Of course, Raiden muttered in his heart. Shinn and the other squadmates had personal codenames, indicating that they were veterans. Most processors would use call signs based on their squad names and numbers. Those who were not named as such were veterans, who survived a year of battlefields when the survival rate was less than a single percent. They were blessed with talents and elements those killed never had; they were demons, death gods, taking the form of monsters. All the processors in Spearhead had their unique "call signs," and they were veterans with four, five years ofbat experience. They were not handicapped in any way, even with the Princess hiding behind the city¡¯s walls. But at the same time, he was quietly impressed. Given the knowledge that the would be attacking, Point 208 would be deduced as the optimal point to counter. It had been a week since she had taken duty, but it seemed she was not simply a kind one. A siren. The sensors by the feet resonated. The holographic window popped out before him, and zoomed in. Before them, there was the debris of a building down the main street they were nking, and there appeared a ck spot at the other end as the sun shone down; following that, the horizon was covered in metal. They have arrived. The radar screen was immediately filled with blips of enemy units. The monster army of robots swarmed the grey dumps, like a shadow eating into the light, looming towards them. The units were lined ordingly, each team fifty to a hundred meters between them. Even the lightest of them, the scouts (Ameise) were more than ten tonnes in weight, yet when they advanced, they would let out a soft rattling of the bones, and no footsteps to be heard. Only the rustling of the leaves ¡­ as they spread before them. Such was a surreal yet regal sight. Three pairs of legs advanced at the front, shuffling their legs, theplex sensor unit beneath their abdomens and the 7.62mm anti-personnel guns on the shoulders shook before them. Such were the Ameise who were like piranhas. There was also the close range hunting type (Grauwolf), a terrifying unit resembling a six legged shark, with 76mm anti-tank rocketunchers on the back, and high frequency des on the front pair of legs reflecting a dull light. They were apanied by fifty ton tanks (L?we) with eight legs barely supporting the weight, bearing a terrifyingly overwhelming 120mm smoothbore cannon as it marched on with uppity. The massive flock of Eintagsfliege drones scattered in the skies above blocked off the sun, casting shadows onto the ground. The nanomachines forming the blood and neural system of the created husks due to metabolism, fluttering in the air like silver powder or white snow. The Ameise scouts entered the kill zone. It passed by the first team in ambush, leading the rest forward, until the final L?we had entered¡ª All of them entered. "Fire." Shinn ordered. At the same time, all units on standby squeezed the trigger in unison. The first shot came from the fourth team, aiming at the vanguard, and at the same time, team one fired cannons from the back. The weak Ameise and the L?we with thin armor at the back were shot down, disabled as a result, and before the rest of the could ready themselves, the otherbat units unleashed cannons through them. Explosions. Booms. The shattered metal chips and the silver blood of the the nanomachines sttered along with the ck mes. At the same time, the twenty one "Juggernauts" turned immediately. Some of them continued to fire while leaving their cover, while some quickly dispersed while using obstacles as cover, moving to the back or sides of their squadmates firing at the , and then fired away. Those that fired initially left their cover and began to nk the enemy. The "Juggernaut" was a failure as a machine. Thin aluminium alloy could not stand up to the barrage of a heavy machine gun. Though its mobility was far superior to a caterpir tank, the cannon¡¯s firepower was pitifully littlepared to the L?we. The delicate four limbs could only withstand lighter weight, probably because the programming time for movement was too short (the more legs there were, the moreplex the programming required), the pressure on the legs remained massive, and the legs would easily lose footing at the softer terrain of the swamps along the Eastern frontier. Combat robots in movies and anime were often depicted to run and jump with much speed, even in air, but those were an unattainable dream for this machine. One might evenugh in ridicule, for it was a moveable coffin. The "Juggernaut," so vulnerable to one hit, could barely muster a fight against the weakly armed Ameise, and was unable to fight a Grauwolf or a L?we head on. Typically, they could only coordinate with multiple units and use thendscape and obstacles to make up for the deficiency in mobility, duck to the nk or back where the weaker armor was, and attack. Such was the tactic that had passed on for seven years, derived from the Eighty Sixers predecessors who had made terrible sacrifices, developed these techniques, inherited them, and passed them on to others. The processors of Squad Spearhead relied on this to survive years on the battlefield, and were more familiar with this than anyone else. Chemistry was developed in the squad, such that they could understand each other, and fluidly fight on without the need for additional instructions and contact. And, Before he knew it, his lips showed a sneer. We have the protection of the "death god" here. The "Juggernaut" bearing the spray painted headless skeleton, the "Undertaker," quickly darted through the copsed buildings and the shadows beneath the rubble. The enemy¡¯s shots could not hit him, and he never missed. He could rely on skillful routes to attack the blind spots of the enemy, or lead them into his squadmates kill zone'' to be eliminated, whether they were Ameise, Grauwolf, or L?we. Shinn¡¯s mission was to deliberately charge into enemy ranks alone and break up their coordination, slicing his way through. He focused on close rangedbat against the Point Man of the enemy which was the style he was best at. The red signals indicating the enemy attackers did not vanish, as his bloody red eyes were no longer watching the radar filled with them. Like a real death god, he affirmed the order of enemy machines to be destroyed with his cold eyes. Suddenly, he was rattled by a littlement. Again, he would not show up, huh? This meaningless thought remained in his mind for just a moment, before it was scattered along with the massive explosion as he immediately squeezed the trigger. His eyes and thoughts were quickly diverted to the next one, and while firing away, he gave the most efficient killing instructions to his squadmates¡¯ machines. "¡ªTeam Three. Lure the enemy before you and retreat south west. Team five, hold your position, and wait for all the enemies to enter the kill zone before firing." "Daiya (ck Dog) here, understood¡­ Angel (Snow White), use this time to reload." "Seo (Laughing Fox) too. Don¡¯t shoot at us, ck Dog!" "Haruto (Falke). Bearing 270, distance 400. It¡¯sing out from the building. Once it shows up, open fire." ¡°Understood. Kino (Fafnir), lend me a hand.¡± A chain of rumbling cannon shots could be heard from afar, and the rubbled atop the dumps shook. The Grauwolfs scaled the wall perpendicr to the floor with unexpected mobility, aiming to attack from above, only to be torn apart by gunfire the moment they leaped off, exploding in the air. Shinn scanned his eyes for the next target, and spotted strange movements from the enemy before quickly averting his eyes. "Everyone cease fire and scatter." Everyone immediately responded to the suddenmands, and nobody asked, Why do such a stupid thing? As long as the frontlines were struggling, the would send in reinforcements. There was still an enemy unit that had yet to show up. Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinn, there was a shrill buzzing. The bombardment came from afar andnded upon every corner, resulting in sudden explosions, and the ck scorched earth burst like bubbles, sted into the air. It was the covering fire from the 155mm automated cannons, the long ranged type bombardiers "Scorpion." With theputer assisting to calcte the trajectory, it was deduced that the cannon was shot approximately 30km to the North-East. However, this information was pointless, for they had no weapon that could attack over such a long distance. What they could do was to scan thendscape and distribution of the enemy spotters that would be imperative for long distance sniping¡ª "Handler One to all units. Sending possible locations of spotters now, three of them. Please identify and suppress." Shinn raised an eyebrow. There were three lights flickering on the digital map,pared it with the enemy distribution he had figured out, and gave the instruction to the marksman Krena hidden amongst the buildings at the back. "Krena (Gunslinger). Bearing 030, distance 1200, four units on rooftop.¡± "Understood. Leave it to me." "Handler One, transmission of data throughser may reveal our locations. Please ry only through voice during operation." "¡­! My apologies." "Next wave of spotters areing. Please continue to deduce and reveal enemy position. Pa, he seemed to sense a beaming smile from the other end of the Para-RAID. "Yes!" Upon hearing the heartfelt answer from the Handler girl, Shinn frowned¡ªand his consciousness was again dragged to the battlefield with sudden shes and alerts. The cannons bombarded the battlefield like a storm, showing no concern for allied machines. Such barbaric tactics could be used, for they were all drones. Raiden heard the deafening explosions, and continued to seek the next prey. Looking across at the trail of bullets, he could see that the enemy was still superior in numbers. One hit from a heavy machine gun would be critical damage, and a st from a tank cannon would naturally blow him into smithereens. He darted through cover and entered the shadow of the ruins, only to find a guest there. It was the "Undertaker." He seemed to have depleted his bullets, and was getting resupply from the "Scavenger," Fido, as usual. "Quite a lot of them." "Isn¡¯t it like hunting? Just enjoy this." He definitely overheard the conversation with Seo, for he gave a sarcastic retort. "¡­We got a lot more L?we than expected. Looks like reinforcements resupplied them." He noted with a se tone, as though a reminder to bring an umbre during a drizzle. Rather, Raiden had never seen Shinn falter at all. Thetter would probably remain as such when he dies, or even after he dies. "There¡¯s a limit to the cover we have. Our movements are going to be detected at this rate. Better wipe them out before that happens." Fido¡¯s crane arms swapped out the ammunition container, and reloading was done. "Undertaker" stood up. "I¡¯ll handle the L?wes. I''m Leaving the other enemies andmand for covering fire to you." "Understood, Undertaker¡­ you¡¯re going to be sted by that old man Audreht again." "Undertaker" seemed to have chuckled. It burst out of the rubble. With the maximum speed possible, the "Juggernaut" darted from one spot of cover to another, and quickly approached the four enemy L?we. Such was an action that could not simply be dismissed as suicidal, let alone reckless, and the Handler Girl shrieked, "Undertaker! What are you¡­!?" A L?we adjusted its cannon, and opened fire. The "Undertaker" twitched to the side, evading the shot. Another cannon fired over, and he dodged it. Fire, fire, fire, fire; both humans and drones would be obliterated to dust by the continuous 120mm cannons, yet the "Undertaker" managed to dodge them all and avoid forward. He did not adjust his path upon see the cannons, but through experience and instincts, and a nightmarish piloting skills, like a headless white skeleton crawling about. The four L?we seemed peeved as they turned around, ring at the ground with heinous looks, and charged head on with explosive pace. The steel bodies were as heavy as ever, yet they could elerate to maximum speed silently from standing position, and charged towards the "Undertaker." The enemies¡¯ mobility was so unfair, boosted by powerful shock absorbers and a highly potent linear actuator. The eight legs bent slightly, and one unit jumped up abruptly, intending to crush him. At this point¡ª The "Undertaker" jumped immediately. It evaded the attack from the L?we by leaping to the side, spun in the air,nded, and jumped again. He got onto the leg of the L?we, trampled upon the joints, climbed up, quickly arrived atop the cannon, spread the front legs apart, leaned forward, and thrust the main cannon mounted on his subarm against the enemy¡¯s steel armor. Visibly, that was where the armor was thinnest, atop the back of the cannon. Fire. The fuse for the minimum range was killed off, and the high speed piercing grenade slotted through the steel tes, as the highly potent explosive that could trigger a detonation velocity of 8000 meters per second burst into the unit. The "Undertaker" was already eyeing a second L?we by the time it hopped off the first one that was sputtering ck smoke. He dodged the clustered array of bullets with much agility, and at its legs, swung the high frequency des, a close rangedbat weapon that nobody other than Shinn had equipped, for it had tremendous power yet limited range. Once the second unit lost its bnce and tripped over, he got onto its back, and fired to expunge it, using it to block the cannon from the third unit. While the L?we¡¯s weak sensors were distracted by the mes of the explosion, he fired a Wire Anchor, grappled onto the nearby frame of a tall building, and leapt onto the third unit that was moving its cannon in a frenzy after having lost its target, and fired upon it. "!" He could sense the speechlessness from the Handler on the other side of the Para-RAID. If the developer of this aluminium alloy coffin was to see this sequence of actions, he might copse or begin frothing in fear. Raiden narrowed his eyes as he watched Shinn battle. The "Juggernaut" was not meant for such a manner of battle. It was simply a suicidal weapon that would be taken down in one shot,cking in firepower, armor, and mobility, only good if it could shoot. To beat just one L?we, let alone many in this unit would be unthinkable. Naturally, the price of this was huge. The legs of the "Juggernaut" were fragile, and with the excessive burden, they would be utterly ruptured after the battle ended, so much that it would easily be a target for the other units aiming to protect the main forces, the L?we. Due to his efforts though, Raiden and the others could take down the other enemy types without worry for the L?we, and the oue was already decided. In fact, Raiden was curious as to how Shinn managed to live on. Not only did thetter not die, but for five years, this monster continued to survive through such methods. It¡¯s a pity, Raiden always thought. For three years they had fought together. For three years Raiden was Shinn¡¯s Vice Commander, his deputy. Both of them had "Personal Codenames," but Raiden could never mimic Shinn¡¯s movements. He could never surpass Shinn. That headless death god was really a prodigy at battle. Not only was he protected by luck, but if he had ample time and equipment, Shinn might be the crucial core of obliterating the entire by himself, and he had the potential to be a hero of any era. However, Shinn just happened to be born at the wrong time. If he could have appeared earlier, like in the era of the Knights from years back, he would have been a renowned warrior, and if he was in the final war of humanity, he would have been a hero with his name recorded in the war annuls. It was a stupid battlefield, and he had no hope for that. He had no human dignity or rights, no grave after he dies, and no aplishments left behind. He would be simply used as a single-use weapon, and be abandoned upon death, lying in an unknown corner of the battlefield; such was his fate. Like the millions ofrades and allies on this battlefield, they would leave nothing other than rotten bones. The clouds formed by the Eintagsfliege drones started to disperse, and the clear sun returned to thend, while the remaining retreated under the cover of the Scorpions. The cold drones would never harbor vengeance for the sacrifices of theirrades, for once they deemed that the losses exceeded a quota, they would determine that the objective would never be achieved, and immediately retreat. The setting sun shone upon the "Undertaker," now amidst the remains of the L?we, and disyed its silhouette. That light was like a moonlight shining upon the de of an ancient sword, so breathtakingly beautiful. As long as there were no night battles or raids by the enemy, the few hours between cleanup after dinner and lights out was free for them. Angel cleaned up the kitchen, brewed coffee for everyone, and returned to find everyone in the base gathered at the courtyard before the hangar. "Alright, one shot on Master Bear, and two on Rabbit Knight. Seven points for Haruto!" "Argh, missed two there. I really am poor at using the handgun~" "Oho, Fido suddenly poses a challenge! Put the cans sideways! How would Kino,ing next up, fare this time!?" "You serious¡­ ahhh! I can¡¯t do it at all! Next! Who¡¯s next, hurry up!" "It¡¯s me. Eh¡­ Kaie Tanya, challenging now!" "Okay, two points." "Woah, all five shots hit. As to be expected of you, Raiden." "Hmph, too easy." "Huh, don¡¯t get cocky. Get out there, Krena! Show them your real godlike skills!" "Okay, leave it to me! Fido, don¡¯t set it up, just toss it!" """Woooaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!""" "¡­Goodness, you¡¯re making it difficult today, Fido. This tower shape is harder than before." "Shinn, your turn." "Nn." "¡­¡­Wooooooaahhhh, you cleared them all. As annoying as always¡­" There were lots of empty cans after dinner, and everyone took out their handguns for some shooting game. Seo drew a few cute animal illustrations on the cans to denote points, while Fido picked up the empty cans that were shot down while everyone else was shooting, arranging them in towers or pyramids. Angel smiled as she watched this bustling mood. Dinner was considered scrumptious. They tore the boar meat and roasted it over the fire, and added lots of sauce made from currants, apanied with vegetables harvested from the fields, canned milk, and mushroom cream soup. It¡¯s not fun to eat in the canteen, so everyone yapped, so they moved the tables out; those on cooking duty had too much on their tes, resulting in everyone preparing. It was enjoyable. She felt utter delight in her heart while being with everyone. Shinn did not look at the cans he shot down, and started flipping through the pages of a book at a corner a little distance away from the ruckus; Angel ced the mug of coffee before him. "Good work." Shinn merely lifted his eyes towards her as response. Angel handed the tray of coffee mugs to Daiya, took a chair opposite Shinn, and sat down. He continued to read through the thick book, his eyes focused on it. A ck cat with white ws, which the squadron had adopted, was fighting a rough battle against the pages. She smiled, "Is it interesting?" "Not really." Shinn said, and probably felt his answer was too frivolous, so he continued on, "When I think about other matters, I won¡¯t really pay much attention to that." "¡­I see." Angel said as she gave a faint grimace. That alone was something neither she nor her squadmates could share the burden of. "Thank for for everything." Suddenly, the RAID device heated up. "To everyone in the squadron. Is it convenient now?¡± The Handler Girl¡¯s voice rang. It had been a week since she assumed duties, and every day, she would interact with everyone at this time, after dinner, not skipping a single day. "No problems here, Handler One. Good work again for today.¡± Shinn answered in everyone¡¯s stead. His eyes remained on the book, but the cat would not let him flip the pages, so he raised the book up. The squadmates who were enjoying their game hurriedly ejected the bullets from their handgun, and holstered them. The government had forbidden all Eighty Sixers from wielding small arms in case a rebellion urred. However, as nobody had been checking on them, they had taken them from an abandoned military facility nearby. "Yeah, good work from you and your squad too, Undertaker¡­ is everyone ying a game? I do apologize if I am disturbing you, so please continue." "Just wasting some time. Please do not mind." You may switch off the Para-RAID if you do not wish to talk, the girl had said the first day they synchronized, so they switched it off and started a knife throwing contest. To these squadmates of his, Shinn answered as he watched them. Raiden, Seo, Kaie, and a few probably decided to settle down for some coffee, as they dragged chairs to sit, or sat on the table. "Really? You do seem to be enjoying yourself¡­ in any case." It seemed their Handler had finally decided to get to the main point. Shinn could practically see the serious eyes directed right at him. "Undertaker. I do have a few words for you today." It sounded like a gentle reminder from a student councilor to an elite student, rather than a superior¡¯s reproaching, and Shinn took a sip of coffee, not minding in the slightest. He did not intend to listen to the Handler who was hiding within the city¡¯s walls. "What is it about?" "It is about the patrol and battle reports. They do not seem to have been sent mistakenly¡­ I found all of them to be the same." Shinn raised his eyebrows. "You read them all?" "Only the parts after you were assigned to Spearhead." "¡­You¡¯re still doing that again?" Raiden looked absolutely dumbfounded, but Shinn ignored him. "What is the point for you to know about the frontlines? It is a waste of time." "It is one of our duties as Handlers to analyze the tactics and formations.¡± Upon saying that, the Handler eased her tone slightly, "I do understand that you did not send any as we have not been reading them. It is our fault, and I will not reprimand you on that, but from now one, please write them to me. I will read them." What a bother. Shinn thought, and spoke up. "I¡¯m bad at writing." "You¡¯re so stubborn." Daiya muttered, and Shinn ignored him as he flipped a page of the thick philosophy book in his hands. Of course, the Handler would not know what he was doing as she was not present. She probably had assumed that a processor detained in a Concentration Camp since childhood might not have undergone basic education, and awkwardly said, "Ah¡­ my apologies. But if so, I do suppose there is a further need to train you in writing. Surely it wille in handyter on." "Who knows?" "¡­" The Handler was clearly dejected. He can still read words though, Seo snorted without care as he threw a knife, the de hitting the cute swing princess, knocking it off the table. Kaie, holding her mug with two hands, tilted her head slightly, "No, it will help, won¡¯t it, Undertaker? Your hobby¡¯s reading anyway¡­ aren¡¯t you reading a philosophy book now? It does look a little difficult." There was a terrifying silence from the other end of the Para-RAID. The Handler spoke up. Her voice remained so kind, and her face might have a smile, but for some reason, there was an abnormal pressure in that voice. "Undertaker?" "¡­¡­¡­¡­Understood." "Please send all reports from this point on, you understand? Battle reports too. Everything." "¡­Can¡¯t I just send the data from the mission recorder?" "Not at all. Please write them." Shinn clicked his tongue. Kaie, who had been peering at his face cautiously, shivered, the ponytail behind her hand swaying. She immediately pped her hands together and lowered her head in apology, It¡¯s not your fault, but Shinn merely waved his hand off. Goodness¡­ the Handler sighed, and seemed to have realized the reason why he had not been sending the reports. She quelled her heart, and spoke with earnesty. "Analysis here will be very useful in formting tactics. Your battle records as elites will serve to facilitate this. Proper nning will reduce the casualty rate of the frontlines, and also reduce your losses, so I do hope you will assist." "¡­" Shinn did not answer, and the Handler Girl remained silent. Perhaps she realized the reason why the Processors did not trust the Handler was due to thetter¡¯s side. Then, the girl¡¯s tone became cheery, probably to shake off the awkwardness from before. "Anyway, the date of the report seems to be from a long time back, so did you obtain it from someone? Or has it not been modified since then?" "Ahh, thisd¡¯s always been like this, Handler One. He¡¯s always been like this, even before I knew him." Raiden hopped in with a teasing voice. It seemed the Handler was blinking in confusion. "Werewolf, have you known Undertaker for a long time?" Kaie shrugged, "More than half of us here are like this. For example, Daiya (ck Dog) and Angel (Snow White) were always in the same squad since conscription, while Haruto (Falke) and I were together for a year. Seo (Laughing Fox) and Krena (Gunslinger) joined the squad with Shinn (Undertaker) and Raiden (Werewolf) two years ago¡­ you two have known each other for two years, right?" "Three years." Raiden answered, and the Handler went silent. "¡­How long has it been since you were conscripted?" "Everyone¡¯s in the fourth year. Ahhh, Undertaker¡¯s the most experienced here, this is his fifth year." The Handler seemed encouraged. "So, Undertaker is about to finish service¡­ what do you intend to do once you retire? Is there any ce you want to go to, or what you want to see?" Everyone focused their attention on Shinn. Thetter continued to stare at the book, and tly answered, "Who knows. I never thought of that." "I, see¡­ but, I do think it is good to think about it now. Maybe you might think of something; I¡¯m sure it will be enjoyable." Suddenly, Shinn smiled. The sleepy cat next to him pricked its ears, and looked up towards him, "Maybe it is." Chapter Volume 1 3 Half a month had passed since Lena tookmand as Handler of Squad Spearhead. On that day, there were no casualties in the battle during the day, and Lena, feeling relieved, activated her Para-RAID to contact the Processors as usual. It was after dinner, and she was in her room. Over the past half month, Spearhead had more sorties than the other squads, but there were no dead amongst the processors. It seemed they were the real deal as elite veterans. "Calling in now to say good work for the day." She could hear some chaos, probably some distance away, easily drained out by the responses of the processors. It was likely the sounds of night battles in the other battle zones ringing into the hangar. "Good work there, Handler One." The first to answer was typically Undertaker. His voice was poised and quiet, with no hint of his moniker "death god." There were a few others who connected through the Para-RAIDs, giving their greetings. There was the Vice-Commander Werewolf, crude in words yet a reliable big brother to the squad. There was the polite, blunt Kirschbl¨¹te who would be first to answer everything, including the stupid talk. The burly mood maker, ck Dog. The Snow Witch whose voice and personality were equally kind. And the Laughing Fox who would spew vicious words with the soft voice of a girl. The first impression Lena had of the Undertaker was that he was one of few words, rarely talking except when it came to business, but everyone would gather by his side whenever he synchronized with her, and there were a few without Para-RAIDs following him, so he did seem to be adored. "First off, Undertaker, regarding the resupply you requested for a few days back¡­" Raiden overheard the Handler discussing the mission with Shinn as he stared at the crossword puzzle of a magazine he picked up, using it to spend the time. Shinn''s room was in a dpidated barracks, and several members were leisurelyzing around in the room. Seo was focusing on sketching; Haruto, Kaie, and Krena were happily ying cards; Angel was sewingplicated lookingce patterns; and Daiya was repairing a broken radio. The others were at the canteen and the other rooms, and from afar, he could hearughter. Shinn, as squad leader, had to do various administrative duties like report writing, and he had thergest room in the barracks that doubled as an office. Raiden often came into this room to discuss various matters about the squad, and got several others who came to spice the mood. Thus, it became a ce for everyone to rest and interact. For Shinn, the owner of the room, he simply needed a ce to read, and he did not care if the cat next to him shook its tail, that it was the endgame of a thrilling chess match, or whether others did a belly dance before him (Kujo and Daiya actually did so). At this moment, he was conversing with the Handler, lying on the steel bed in his room as usual, his pillow a cushion as he read the old novel he had taken from a random library. The ck cat with white paws was crouched quietly on his chest, and it became amon fixture. How peaceful. He took a sip of coffee from the mug. That was the traditional recement coffee (Ersatz Caf¨¦) for Squad Steadfast, the brewing recipe handed down till this point. The ingredients were the Dandelions used in the camp, but it was a lot better than the factory synthesized taste of the mysterious liquid made from the strange ck powder. ¡­What will that old hag say if she''s to taste this coffee? Utterly strict and inflexible, cautious and in, that old hag would never understand the taste of the coffee. Even in the eighty five zones, the beverages produced by the factories were no different from the synthesized materials in the Concentration Camps. Will she still pity people like us? The cat let out a shrill purr, ovepping the bell-like voice of the Handler. Nyaa, Once she heard the cat during the conversation, Lena was taken aback. "A¡­ cat?" "Yeah, the squad adopted it." ck Dog answered. "Just to add, I was the one who picked it up. When I was assigned to this squad, I saw this little one squatting in the doors of a house that got blown up by a tank cannon. Its parents and siblings are all dead, this one is the only one left." "And for some reason, it just likes totch onto Undertaker." "Nobody yed with it, patted its head, orbed it." "It''s not being clingy. Just being a loyal pet. Look at it." "Well, it''s not moving while he''s reading. Looks like it''s never going to cling onto you, ck Dog." "Hey, that''s too much! What''s with that logic!? Correct it now! Doo doo doo." Lena chuckled as she heard the Processors bicker amongst each other. It seemed they were no different from other boys and girls of her age, and she even wondered why she was not with them. "What is the name of that cat?" With a smile, she asked, and the members answered in unison, "ckie." "White." "Two-fur." "Kiddo." "Kitty." "Lemarck." "¡­Seriously, don''t name a cat based on the author of the novel you''re reading. That''s way too casual¡­ anyway, what are you reading man? It''s ssless¡­" Laughing Fox was the only one retorting instead of giving a name. In any case, Lena was confused. "Erm¡­ are there many cats there?" "Didn''t you hear us? There''s only one." She remained clueless. ck Dog, unable to take the awkwardness, decided to lend her a hand. "It''s a ck cat, with white paws, so there are some who call it ckie, or White, and some call it Two-fur. There''s no fixed name, and everyone just calls it whatever they feel like. Recently though, it''de running towards us once we yelled at it." I see. "¡­But, why raise this cat?" "¡­Ahh¡­. well." ck Dog stammered, and was about to answer. Suddenly, he disconnected from the Para-RAID. Krena abruptly got up and left the room, toppling the chair, and Daiya, closest to her, hurried over. The sound of the toppled chair echoed through the room. "¡­? Did something happen?" Daiya was disconnected, and Krena was never connected in the first ce. Shinn fibbed. "Oh, there''s a mouse in the room." "Mouse!!?" "¡­That''s toox of you." Seo''s little jab apparently never reached the ears of their Handler. A mouse appeared¡­ the Handler''s voice was trembling, and it seemed she was really terrified of them. Shinn nonchntly answered as he narrowed his eyes at the door Krena mmed as she stormed out. Daiya headed to the end of the corridor, and found Krena exhaling hard, venting all the stress in her body. Why is everyone, and her¡­ Simply hearing her voice left Krena repulsed, anxious, jumpy. Up to this moment, she had spent her nights happily with everyone else, and it was a rarefortable time for her. "Krena." "Why is everyone, and that woman¡­" "Just for now. It''s not long until that princess stops bothering us." Daiya shrugged, his eyes filled with honesty, showing his usual frivolous attitude. No matter the Handler, in the past, none of them could handle that "death god." That girl had yet to know the real origin of Shinn''s moniker. Such enemies had never shown up, and her luck would soon run out. The mutated, cmitous ck Sheep amidst the White Sheep of the . These "ck Sheep" were called as such for they were once few in numbers, yet their numbers have far surpassed the "White Sheep" at this point. And then there were the "Shepherds," the bigger danger. Krena gritted her teeth. She knew, she knew that. "Why hasn''t Shinn dealt with her already?" She said as she repressed the emotions in her heart, her words oozing with vileness. "What''s there to bother about that white swine? Our synchronization rate is already set to the minimum." "That''s the normal procedure. Shinn didn''t destroy it just because he wanted it." The synchronization rate of the Para-RAID was set to the minimum, so as to allow consciousness and messages to be urately conveyed across the noisy battlefield, such that only the actual person speaking could hear. Daiya then asked calmly, not in a rebuking manner, but in a coaxing manner. "Besides, can you say those words to Shinn? I hate her, so please wreck her with that thing of yours. Can you say that?" Krena pursed her lips, remaining silent. What Daiya said was true. Shinn and the other squadmates were her allies, her family. She could never say such harsh things to her family. That should be normal for Shinn. But. "Sorry¡­ but I still can''t forgive them. They killed papa, mama, treated them as trash, and shot them like targets." On the night she was deported to the Concentration Camp, the Alba soldiers wereughing out loud as they had her parents shot, all just to see where the bullets could hit, how much they could take until they died. Her sister, seven years older than she was, was sent to the frontlines immediately after they were rounded up. Back then, she was fourteen. Now Krena is already fifteen. But on that night, someone chased those scoundrels away, ignoring the blood on his body as he did his best to revive her dying parents, yet was unable to save them. Apologizing them to them was an Alba, a Serena soldier. "The Whites are all scumbags¡­ I''ll never forgive them." Soon, both of them returned to the room, and the topic had long diverted from the mouse to the scenery and usual daily lives on the battlefield. Daiya merely shrugged as he spotted Raiden looking towards him, and continued to repair the radio. Krena picked up the kitten that was crouched on the bed next to Shinn and started ying with it. However, she may not have been in the mood to do so. And so Shinn shifted aside, indicating for Krena to sit down. Thetter cradled the kitten, looking nonchnt as she sat at the other side of the bed, pulling quite a distance from him. "Really? Are there really that many stars to be seen, Kirschbl¨¹te?" "Lots of them. I guess it was about two years back, when I just kept looking up, and suddenly a few stars started to fall from the skies. Most of the stars were flowing in trails of light. It''s really an impressive sight." The Kirschbl¨¹te Kaie continued to deal the cards, ignoring the fact that Krena had left her seat before. Raiden too had seen that meteor shower. However, back then, he was in the middle of the battlefield, as both friends and foes were obliterated, with Shinn alone next to him. The "Juggernauts" they piloted had depleted their power packs, and the straggling Fido hurriedly wandered the battlefield, gathering them. They could not smile, let alone marvel at this sight. There were no lights lit on the battlefield, and thus at night, the surroundings remained dark. That might be the endless darkness. On the ground, they could not see the fingers of their outstretched hands, and in the skies above, the white mes continued to slide across. The silent, breathtakingly majestic scenery was so beautiful, so radiant, as though the world was breaking into pieces, the end of the world dered. I guess it''s worth seeing such a scene before we die. Raiden really regretted saying that back then. That bastard let out a chuckle. "I''ll probably never get to see it again for the rest of my life¡­ets can be seen every year, but a meteor shower is like once in a few decades, and it''s said that such a massive one can''t be seen in a hundred years¡­ oh, I heard that from Kujo (Sirius)." "It''s a pity¡­ I want to have a look too." "You can''t see them within the Wall (over there)?" "The streets here are covered in light. I cannot see the stars." "Ahh." Kaie chuckled. How nostalgic it was for her. "Now that you mention it¡­ the night here is really dark. Not many people around here, it''s far from the city, and the lights are controlled, so we''re always able to see the stars in the night sky, so full of them. This is a benefit of living here." "¡­" Upon hearing Kaie''s conclusion, the Handler went silent. She probably heard an unexpected answer. Perhaps she had assumed there was nothing good to hear from the mouths of the Processors, living in the Hell on Earth. A strange voice raised this question. That voice was filled with conviction, one ready to bembasted and reproached. "Kirschbl¨¹te¡­ d-do you hate us?" Kaie was momentarily silent. "¡­Well, the painful discrimination is just tough, of course. It''s not easy being in the Concentration Camp, and every day we go out to battle is scary. Those people who imposed this lifestyle and duty on us, dismissing the Eighty Sixers as livestock instead of humans are not popr, to say the least." The Handler was about to say something, probably to apologize or me herself, but Kaie continued on. Naturally, she had no intention of letting the Handler speak up. "But I know not all Albas are bad¡­ just like how not all Eighty Sixers are good people." "Eh¡­?" Kaie suddenly pursed her lips bitterly. "I''m a Far East ck (Orienta). Back in the Concentration Camp and my old squad, I encountered some things." Not only her, but Angel too¡­ and though he did not mention it, Shinn probably suffered the same thing. Those that had the mixed blood of the oppressed, the Eighty Sixers, and the oppressors, the Albas, or the Empire''s nobles, their status was taken as a pretext to be detained. They were all the target of frustration and unhappiness. The rare races of the Republic, originating from the east and the south, were also discriminated for no reason at all. Not all Eighty Sixers were innocent victims. To the minority and the weak, the world remained so cold, indifferent towards them. "Anyways, there are good ones amongst the Albas. I''ve never met them personally, but there are those I know who said so. So I won''t hate you just because you are an Alba." "I see¡­ so I guess I will have to thank them all." Kaie leaned forward a little. They were only synchronized, but seemed as though they were talking face to face. "I have a question. Why do you care about us?" A scorching image suddenly appeared in Shinn''s mind, and he lifted his eyes. He had never encountered any fire or ming torture; it seemed these were the memories of the Handler. "I remember being saved by others. Those people were Processors, just like you¡­" Lena recalled. "We''re born to this country, raised in this country, citizens of the Republic." "Nobody admits to this now, but that''s why we have to prove ourselves. Fighting to protect our country is our duty, and honor as citizens. That is why we will fight." I want to respond to the words of that person who saved me. "He said that he''s fighting to prove his identity as a citizen of the Republic. I feel that we need to answer that call. I feel it is a betrayal of ideals to have you fight, be sacrificed, and not acknowledging you, let alone not trying to understand you well¡­ it is unforgivable, I feel." Upon hearing such na?ve words, Raiden narrowed his eyes. Kaie tilted her head as she heard that, and pondered for a moment, saying, "Handler One, you really are a virgin." ¡ªPfffff!? Heard was the sound of tea spat from the lips of the Handler. She was not the only one, for the air burst out from the lungs of the other members. Krena and Haruto, the only ones not synchronized, tilted their heads in confusion, and once they heard Angel''s exnation, they too burst outughing. The Handler girl continued to cough away. Kaie was initially perplexed by everyone''s reactions, before her face started to pale, "¡­Ahh! Sorry, my mistake here! I wanted to say that you''re like a virgin!" Typically, such mistakes would not be made. Even so, the meaning was simr. Daiya and Haruto were cupping their cramping tummies, mming on the wall (Shut up! And Kino, who was next door, growled back). Even Shinn showed a rare reaction, his shoulders shaking. Kaie panicked. "Erm, I want to say that, you''re the type of girl who thinks that the whole world is covered in flowers, or that there''s a perfect, innocent ideal. Anyway, what I''m trying to say is¡­" Clearly the Handler had frozen in ce, her face beetroot. "¡­You''re not a bad person. So, one piece of advice for you." Kaie finally appeared to have calmed down, as she said, "You are not suited for this position. And you shouldn''t be caring about us. We''re not fighting for such noble reasons, so you don''t have to care about us¡­ better swap yourself out before you regret it." You''re not a bad person, so Kaie said. You''re a good person, yet that was not what she said. Back then, Lena did not understand the distinction between them. "Handler One to all forces. Enemy forces detected on radar." On this day, all forces of Squad Spearhead sortied. Lena was in the control room, watching the screen as she said, "It''s an enemy squad of Grauwolf and L?we. And a few anti-tank cannons (Stier) following¡ª" "We know, Handler One. Ready to intercept at Point 478." "Ah¡­ understood. Undertaker." She was about to convey the positions of the enemies and the operation strategy, only to be cut off, and could only affirm nkly. Squad Spearhead, a gathering of veterans, had no need for Lena''s leadership, and recently, her main job was to provide all kinds of assistance to support them, including analyzing the enemy, escting the priority for resupply, visit the information branch every day, search for intel pertaining to the battle zone, and so on. Over the past few days, she had been repeatedly requesting permission to use the intercepting cannon at the back of the battle zone. It had enough range, and at the very least, suppressed the firepower from the Scorpions, which should make the battles a little easier. However, the interception cannon was for single use, to be realigned after every shot. The transport team however did not wish to spend much effort for the inferior Eighty Sixers, and were unwilling to shift them. Thus, she could never get the permit. When she grumbled about it during her regr contact, "That thing''s all rusty now, isn''t it?" she was rebuffed by Laughing Fox. "Undertaker. Gunslinger here in position." "Laughing Fox to Undertaker. Team Three in position." The teams quickly arrived at their designated locations, having predicted the path of the as they remained in wless ambush positions. It seemed they had established where the was going and attacking, and the Processors of Spearhead might have seen something, or independently determined their positions. Let''s ask them while this battle is over, Lena thought. If their methods could be shared with the other squads, perhaps that might reduce the number of Processors killed in ambushes. Precious intel was only useful personally, and one major w of this twisted battle system, was that the data could not be gathered and disseminated. In any case, she had a look at the map of the first battlezone she found on the prior night, and said, "Undertaker, please have Gunslinger positioned at 500 meters away, in the three o''clock direction. There should be a high tower over there that can be used for cover. It should be able to allow for a prone position for shooting, and enhanced vision." After a pause, Undertaker answered, "Affirming¡­ Gunslinger, can you see that position?" "Hold on, give me ten seconds¡­ yes, there is. I shall head there." "That position will cover the opposite direction as the vanguard team one is attacking towards. Considering that Undertaker''s basic strategy is to break their ranks and eliminate them, this should help hide our forces in the initial phase better than before." Werewolf snickered. "So basically, used as bait. You sound like a Princess there, but it sure is interesting." "¡­The L?we and Stier units are unable to shoot at high angles, and thus unable to attack gunners from high vantage pages. Also, if there is a need to shift, she can evade using the surroundingndscape¡­" "Don''t misunderstand¡­ that is a good idea. Right, Gunslinger?" "Fine with anything as long as it can help others." The girl tersely responded, and directed her icy tone at Lena. "You found a new map? How convenient huh?" Lena grimaced. It seemed she was unable to get on the good side of this girl called the Gunslinger. Not even once did thetter participate in the daily contact, and even in the usual conversations, she was full of spite. The map Lena had was once created by the military, with a lot of time and manpower put into it. It was detailed; however, it was said the map never made it to the frontline bases acting as important defense points. The map Squad Spearhead had was salvaged from a random pile of trash, by one of their ex-members, and they had been using it up to this point after much was added and edited. They were familiar with some locations and routes that would be beneficial to counterattack, but other than that, they were not familiar with thendscape at all. "Should I send it overter?" The data was massive, and it was inconvenient to send during the battle, so perhaps it would not bete for her to send itter. Werewolf''s voice was full of ridicule. "That''s fine. But is it fine to send a ssified military map to enemy citizens (Eighty Sixers)?" "It is fine. Information is to be used after all." Upon hearing her response, Werewolf went silent and let out a little sigh, probably out ofment. Lena rummaged this map from a pile of cardboard boxes that was unmanaged, and nobody knew where it was before she found it. Nobody knew if it was lost or stolen, let alone photocopied, surely that was no ssified information. Nine years ago, when the war started, all forces of the military, including the backline, charged to the battlefront, and were ughtered. Thus, the information and the empty positions were never passed down properly, resulting in much information being lost. And the pride of professional soldiers, who should have dealt with such issues decisively, was gone. "Also, none of you are just Eighty Sixers. I have never called you that¡ª" "Yes yes¡­ they''re here." A tense atmosphere lingered. Some of them seemed excited, probably due to confidence as veterans, or due to the mass amounts of adrenaline being pumped into their bodies during an intense battle. The roars of the cannons riveted her ears through the synchronized hearing. On the chaotic battlefield, the red blips of the started to dwindle in numbers. The first team of Spearhead waded through the forest in the battlezone, and wiped out the Stier that had strong firepower but low defence and mobility. In the meantime, they lured the Grauwolf and the L?we into the forest, intercepted them, and took them down one at a time. Due to the many obstacles in the forest, the L?we had difficulty turning back, and unable to disy its usual mobility, its firing range was greatly hindered. The was forced to scatter in the cramped space, resulting in a loss of numerical advantage on their page. To a bystander, they were very familiar in their actions, but in fact, the battle was not easy for them. The "Juggernaut" piloted by Kirschbl¨¹te barely managed to avoid a shot, ducked into a grove of trees, and tried to get to the left of the L?we. Lena immediately felt a chill. The positioning of the L?we was a little strange. That enemy unit should not be there, given where the other enemy units were positioned. There was no way that single unit could provide cover for the surrounding units. She frantically identified where Kirschbl¨¹te was headed, a clearly marked area on the map of the battlezone, which thetter would not know, a certain thing that seemed to be covered¡ª "Do not go there! Kirschbl¨¹te!" "Eh?" But it was toote to stop her The blip indicating the position of the Kirschbl¨¹te came to an unnatural halt on the radar. "¡­What? A wend¡­!?" Kaie shook hard due to inertia as her unit came to a rattling halt, groaning. Based on the screen, it appeared that the two front legs of her unit were sunk deep into the ground, she realized however that she was standing on wends, which only resembled grasnds due to the dark forest. This was a death trap for a "Juggernaut," for the pressure its legs exert onto the ground was huge. Anyway, I should retreat from here as soon as possible.So Kaie thought as she held her joysticks¡ª "Kirschbl¨¹te! Get out of there!" She lifted her head upon Shinn''s warning. The optical sensors of the Kirschbl¨¹te drifted upwards along with her eyes. Before her eyes was a L?we. "¡­Ah." The distance between the two was at bare minimum, and the L?we swung its front legs. Viciously. The spinning gears moved the joints, no matter how the prey under its feet whimpered. "No." Her voice was feeble, like a child on the verge of crying. "I don''t want to die." The gears spun, and the massive legs able to move fast and support a mass of fifty tonnes pped the Kirschbl¨¹te aside. The joints were very feeble, and once it took an impact beyond a limit, the insides would be sent flying. This mshell-like cockpit, dubbed the "guillotine" by the Processors, splintered apart as befitting of its name. Something roundnded on the ground with a thud, rolled into the greenery, and vanished. After a moment of shock, themunication system was overwhelmed with growls and rage. "Kirschbl¨¹te!? ¡ªShit!!" "Undertaker, I''m going to retrieve her. Give me a minute! We can''t just leave her like that!" Shinn answered, his voice as calm as ever, like water beneath the icy surface of a winterke. "It''s pointless, Snow Witch¡­ it''s a trap, and they''re lying in wait." The L?we that had killed Kaie remained hidden there. It''s amon tactic often used by Snipers, toy out an injured soldier or corpse in an obvious position, and kill any enemies whoe to aid or retrieve. Angel did not answer, instead hitting her fist onto the dashboard, which gave a thud. The "Snow White" continued to fire 57mm grenades upon the Kirschbl¨¹te and the area around it. "Kirschbl¨¹te is KIA. Kino (Fafnir), assist Team Four¡­ the enemies are few now, eliminate them before they breach her." "Understood." The calm response was not swallowed in rage. These "codenamed" were already too used to seeing their friends blown up before them, or the signals of their friends lost on the radar, so much so that they were numb. Agony would have to wait for its turn after the battle ended, for they would otherwise be buried as well. This damned sense of rationality was forged through the mes of war, such that they had to set all feelings aside, except for the necessity of remaining calm. Such was the decision made after being used to the madness of the battlefield, as humans were gradually imbued with the subconsciousness of a fighting machine. For a moment, in the blink of an eye, the four-legged spiders creaked, giving off weird footstep sounds as they entered the darkness of the greenery. They ughtered everything, like a bunch of wandering skeletons before the Gates of Hades, so that after they sent her off, their departedrade would not feel lonely. Soon after, the forces of the were liquidated. None could retreat, and they were all eliminated without a trace, in a demonstration of the wills of the Processors. Lena felt a pain in her heart. Two days ago, just two days ago, she heard the deceased one describe the majestic scene of the meteor shower, and those proud words. Regret surged into her heart like a tide. If only she could have found the map sooner. If only she had alerted them earlier. "Battle is over. Good work, everyone." Nobody responded. Everyone was probably in anguish. "With regards to the death of Kirschbl¨¹te¡­ my regrets. If only I could only done a little more¡­" At that moment, A terrifying silence came from the other end of the Para-RAID. "¡­Regret?" Uttering back was Laughing Fox. His voice was calm, yet ttering, trying his best to control his rage. "What are you regretting? What''s the deaths of an Eighty Sixer or two to you? Once you get home from work, you''ll just forget about it, and have a happy dinner, right? All you know is saying such pretty words. You know how empty they are!?" For a moment, she was taken aback, not knowing what he was saying, and not knowing how she should answer. Hey, It was unknown what feelings Laughing Fox had when Lena was at a loss of words, for he sighed, and continued, with clear hostility, disgust, and rage, "You said you wouldn''t discriminate against others, won''t think of us as pigs, call yourself so pure and righteous. That''s just a game for you to beautify yourself as a Saint, because we were bored. Mind reading the mood here though? We just lost arade. No time to entertain your fake goodness, get it?" "Fa¡ª" Fake goodness? "Or do you think that we don''t feel anything just because arade died? -Haha, yeah, for you, Eighty Sixers are just a bunch of Eighty Sixers, pigs who are beneath humans, and no way can the exalted humans reason with those beneath them!" "No¡­" The sudden words left Lena''s mindpletely nk. "No! I wasn''t¡­!" "No? Then what else? You dump us onto the battlefield as weapons, have us fight to the death, and hide within the walls, just enjoying the show with an uppity face there. If that''s not calling us Eighty Sixers as ''pigs,'' then what?" "¡­" The feelings of the Processors seeped into her heart through the Para-RAID. Some were unconcerned, while others, like Laughing Fox, were giving looks of varying levels of coldness, with malice, disgust, and forsakenness. "Not calling us Eighty Sixers!? You just haven''t called us that, that''s all! What ''protecting this country is our pride as citizens, that we have to respond to the call. Do you think we came to fighting a war willingly!? Isn''t it because you chased us out here and forced us to fight!? Do you know how many millions died ever since the war started!? You don''t care about ending the war, just say those nice words everyday, and think that''s enough to think of us as humans. You¡ª" With one sentence after another, Laughing Fox proceeded to p her face verbally. Lena had assumed she was thinking of them as people. That was all. What he said next was the decisive proof that she did not, gorging blood out from her bright, sparkling heart. "¡ªNever bothered asking for our names anyway, haven''t you!?" At that moment, she forgot to breathe. "Ah¡­" She recalled the conversations they had, and went into a state of shock. Right, she did not know their names, and never once did she ask them. She could not call any of them by their names, whether it was the Undertaker who always answered first, or the enthusiastic Kirschbl¨¹te. Naturally, she never gave her name, only referring to herself as Handler One, the codename indicating that she was the manager and invigtor. She never felt anything amiss about it. Such was an act of disrespect between humans, one that was absolutely unforgivable, unless it was an established guideline. She unwittingly did so, without realizing it. Pets should be treated as pets. She recalled her mother saying this, and herself acting this way. Other than the fact that she never blurted it out, how was she any different from her mother¡ª Her body started to shiver. Tears welled from her eyes, dripping like trails of pearls off a loose thread. She could not say anything, and could whimper. She covered her mouth with both hands. She had unwittingly trampled upon others, never feeling a sense of remorse. She was terrified upon seeing the ugly face hidden in her heart, and was terrified. Werewolf, no, the Colorata boy she referred to as such, whose name and appearance she did not know of, hissed back. "Seo." "Raiden! Why protect this white swine¡ª!?" "Seeeo." "Tch¡­ got it." The click of a tongue rang. Laughing Fox''s presence vanished from the Para-RAID. Werewolf gave a long sigh, venting all his feelings out from his heart, and directed his words towards her, "Handler One, disconnect." "¡­Werewolf, erm." "The battle has ended. We have no duty bound to be managed¡­ what Laughing Fox did was too much, but this does not mean that we are willing to chat around with you." The icy cold tone had no intention to criticize, yet it sounded exceptionally cruel to Lena''s ears. He never berated her insolence. He never med her, showing that he had given up on her. In any case, while they pretended to talk, she had no intention to listen, and did not know what she was saying. To him, she was simply a swine resembling a human. He had already given up. "¡­Sorry." She suppressed the trembling in her voice as she eked those words out, and after a pause, she disconnected. None of them responded to her apology. After disconnecting with the Handler and the other squadmates, Seo felt unbearable. And then, Angel finally connected with him. "Seo." "¡­I know." He grumbled. He hated his immature response, and pouted in anger. "I understand how you feel, but you were too much there. Even if it was the truth, you should not have said so." "I understand¡­ sorry." He understood. He had promised everyone that he would not do that. There was no need to emphasize anything that was understood, and he had abided by this promise up to this point. He expressed everything in his heart with the harshest words he could think of, but his heart could never be quelled. Instead, he was increasingly agitated, and that infuriated him. The sharp words also hurt his irreceable squadmates, the ones he should not be hurting. He broke that promise. He broke that important promise, because of that damned white swine. But he could not endure. For surely it was because, "¡­Of that Squad Leader?" "¡­Yeah." He recalled the massive back. When he was twelve, and had just enrolled, he met the Leader of his first squad. He was cheerful, bubbly, and yet ostracized by everyone in the squad. Back then, even Seo hated him. The personal codename "Laughing Fox" was inherited from him. Back then, Seo''s sketching skills were not decent in any way, and he could only doodle on the smiling Fox under the canopy of the Leader''s "Juggernaut", turning it into a sneer of a mischievous fox. Once he heard that white swine talk like a self-professed Saint, with the same expression as that Leader, acting sympathetic over Kaie''s death, Seo could not bear it anymore. A single moment of impulse resulted in the oue he was most unwilling to see. "¡­Sorry, Kaie." He lowered his eyes when he saw the remains of the burnt "Kirschbl¨¹te." He had seen countless of hisrades'' corpses, but for her, he could not bury her when she was in front of him, and neither could he retrieve her corpse. "I did what that white swine did. I wasted your sacrifice." To you, who stood so proudly even after experiencing so much, and never grumbled anything until the very end. Each night a squadmate died, the rest would be alone or in groups, mourning for the dead in their own ways. Nobody entered Shinn''s room. The light of the moon and the many stars filled the room, such that there was no need to switch the lights on. Shinn had his eyes closed under this cold light. Suddenly, he heard a tapping on the window from the outside, and opened his bloody red eyes. Outside the windows of the barracks was Fido, extending its crane arms to the second level, and with the maniptors, handed over the metal te that was several centimetres wide. "Thanks." "Pii." Shinn received the te, and Fido flickered its optical sensors, before creaking as it turned around, and returned to the automated remation nt to deliver the container full of debris. Such was the actual job of a "Scavenger." Once heid out the metal te on a piece of cloth, the Para-RAID was activated. Shinn stopped his hand from undoing the cloth bag of basic tools, and frowned. He was the only one being synchronized to, and the other party was not a member of this base. "¡­" But once she contacted him, she never said anything, a feeling of pain and sadness instead lingering. Shinn sighed, and asked, "Is there anything, Handler one?" It seemed her shoulders jolted, but she remained silent, probably hesitant. Shinn did not mind, waiting patiently for her to speak up. He continued with his work, and after a while, the Handler girl finally let out a quivering voice. This time, Shinn did not stop what he was doing as he heard the probing, delicate voice that was still fearful of rejection. "¡­Erm¡­" If he had refused, she would simply disconnect obediently, so she thought. With this notion in mind, Lena was terrified as she heard the usual, calm voice. Again and again she tried easing her breathing, preparing to talk, and after several tries, she finally let out a voice. "¡­Erm, Undertaker. Is it convenient now¡­?" "Yeah sure." It was a calm, steady, monotonous voice of a t reply. Once she heard that usual tone, she finally understood that it was not a disy of his calmness, but that he was simply aloof towards her. She lowered her head, berating her heart for hesitating due to fear. Perhaps it was still despicable of her. She should have introduced herself to every member. However, she had no courage to try contacting Laughing Fox or Werewolf, who would surely not be contacted again. "My apologies. For what happened in the day, and everything before, I am really sorry¡­ erm." She clenched her fists that were ced on her knees. "My name is Lena. dlena Millize. It might bete for me to ask now¡­ but do you mind telling me of your names¡­?" The silence lingered for a while. Lena felt utter apprehension in this silence. The voiceing from afar emphasized this silence before her. "¡­If you are bothered by what Laughing Fox just said¡­" The voice was still filled with coldness. It was aloof, straightforward, an objective narration. "Then you have no need to do so. What he said isn''t representative of what all of us think. This isn''t a problem you alone caused, and it''s unlikely you would have been able to do anything with your own power. We understand. What he is ming is what you couldn''t do, there''s no need to mind." "But¡­ it is my fault for not asking everyone their names." "There''s no need for that. The Para-RAID synchronization is designed so that the won''t eavesdrop, but we do need to identify each other through codenames. Why do you think the personal particrs of the Processors aren''t disclosed?" Lena pursed her lips. It was not difficult to realize the reason, though it was not a glorious one to begin with. "So that the Handlers will never think of the Processors as humans." "Yeah. Most of the Handlers won''t live past a year. It''s way too much responsibility for a single Handler to deal with so many deaths. Probably out of this consideration." "This is too despicable! I¡­" She recovered, and her voice once again shrivelled. "I too am despicable¡­ but I don''t want to remain like this possible. If you''re willing¡­ can you please, tell me your names?" Shinn could only sigh at this unexpectedly obstinate Handler girl. "The real name of today''s KIA Kirschbl¨¹te is Kaie Tanya." "!" There was a clearly delighted squeal from the other end of the Para-RAID, but it was stifled once she realized it was the name of the girl who had just died on the day itself. In contrast, Shinn calmly gave the names of his squadmates. "Vice Commander Werewolf''s name is Raiden Shuga. Laughing Fox is Seo Lica. Snow Witch is Angel Ema. Gunslinger is Krena Cucum. ck Dog is Daiya Iruma¡ª" After the names of the twenty squadmates, the Handler concluded them, "I am dlena Millize. Please call me Lena." "Heard that just now¡­ your rank is?" "Ah¡­ yes. Major. Just appointed." "So is it fine for me to call your Major Millize?" "¡­Goodness." Lena gave a wry smile upon hearing Shinn''s insistence to call her his superior. And then, she finally thought of something, asking, "Nobody seems to be around today¡­what are you doing?" Shinn was momentarily silent. "¡ªA name." "Eh?" "I''m engraving Kaie''s name now¡­ us Eighty Sixers have no graves." He raised the little metal te, put it under the moonlight, and inspected it. The rectangr aluminium alloy had Kaie''s name engraved upon it, the reddened part with ck words upon it. On the picture of the five-petaled cherry blossom petal, the word "Kirschbl¨¹te" of her native tongue was written, the personal codename of Kaie''s "Juggernaut." "In the first Squad I was in, I had a promise with others to engrave the names of those KIA on the debris of their units, and the survivors are to keep them. The ones to finally live on will carry the pieces of those dead along." Initially, they were unable to obtain the debris of some units, and could only use other metal tes or wooden boards to rece, and engrave the names of the dead with nails, as proof that they once existed. Once Fido learned of this, it started topromise and obtain the debris of the unit. It also learned to cut off the personal mark of the dead that was located at the bottom of the canopy. All the metal tes, including the members of his initial squad, and the deceased he encounteredter on, were in the equipment box located in the "Undertaker" cockpit. All he wanted to do was to abide by the promise he made with them. "Back then, the one who lived through to the end was me. I then went to another squad, and ended up being the only one alive again. So I have to bring them along. I need to keep therades who fought alongside me all the time." Lena felt a sudden jolt in her heart once she heard that calm voice. She suddenly understood that unlike before, the poise in his voice was not that he was unfazed. And she was quickly embarrassed by this. He simply epted the countless deaths of those around him. Never once did hement their deaths, for he simply epted it and took them on. In the day, he did not simply recognize that a squadmate had died and emptily mourn over her death. He simply took on her death in stride, and that really was more admirable. "How many have died at this point¡­?" "Five hundred and sixty one, including Kaie." He answered immediately, and she pursed her lips. She did not remember the numbers of those who had died under hermand. They were not numerous in numbers, but if she were to be asked, she might not be able to recall precisely. "¡­So that''s why you''re called ''Undertaker.''" "That''s one reason." He could only remember his deceasedrades, unable to build graves for them, and imprinted his memories and thoughts about them on the aluminium tes. It was no wonder that he was so adored. This boy, called the Undertaker, was so kind¡ª Upon thinking about this. Lena suddenly widened her eyes. "Erm, Undertaker." But even at this moment, Shinn did not realize how he had expressed so little care and concern for everything else. This not only applied to Lena, but also for himself. "I do not recall hearing your name¡­?" Shinn blinked his eyes. Are you unwilling to tell me? she asked, but that was not the case. It just slipped out of his mind. "Sorry. Shinei Nouzen." For Shinn, his name, or personal codename were just identification markers for him, and he did not care about what he was called. He simply answered, only to lift his eyes once he heard Lena gasp. "Nouzen¡­!?" Lena repeated that name in a daze. Thunk! It sounded as though her chair was toppled over as she suddenly stood up. "Do you know of someone called Shourei Nouzen? His personal codename is Duhan, with the personal mark of a white headless skeleton knight¡­!" Shinn widened his eyes slightly. ? "Let us have a look at the battlefield, Lena. Have a look at what is going on there." On that day, the Republic''s Colonel Vav Millize brought his one daughter, the ten year old dlena along to the frontlines, on a scout ne. "¡­Are we in the middle of war, father?" "Yes, of course. At the same time, we are doing something extremely inhumane." Vav was one of the few survivors of the Republic''s army. The subordinates under him fought for their families andpatriots, basked in blood, and yet his beloved country introduced a viciousw that trampled upon their ideals. They deemed that some of their people, whom they should protect, were not humans, and shooed them out, forcing them to battle. He was unable to forget an incident that happened onat a certain town. They hastily conscripted new recruits to rece their corps that were wiped out, and most of them were unemployed due to psychotic tendencies andziness,cking in education, and the first mission they received was to shoo away the citizens next to them, with guns. The pitifully little morality they had was wiped away, and all squads started being violent everywhere. He still remembered that scoundrel shooting down their parents before the children''s eyes. The girl, probably the older sister, bawled out loud, and the younger sister watched this with her icy eyes. This image remained imprinted upon Vav''s mind. It was unlikely that they would ever forgive the Albas and the Republic. "¡­If we can hurry and stop this¡­ better hurry¡­" The scout ne was not flying too fast, so that his young daughter could see everything beyond the . The citizens living in the first legitive zone hardly went out. The fighter ne flew over the production factories along the hilly ravines along the edge of the zones, across the sr power generators, geothermal generators, wind power generators, and across the that stood tall and majestic like the mountains. Lena widened her eyes as she saw this scenery for the first time in her life. However, once the ne flew over the skies of the containment zone, she saw the shoddy barracks surrounded by wire fences and mines draped upon the grasnds as the sunset shone upon it, and her eyes looked increasingly bleak, unlike the enthusiasm she showed before. Vav smiled as he saw his daughter look outside with a grim look. Such a smart maiden; she could observe, learn, and think with her own eyes, even without others teaching her. It was a military offense to use a military craft for personal use, and have a civilian without permit ride on it, but he did not care. The actual Republic Army consisted of failures wearing military clothes and caps, spending their working time gaming, gambling, and partying after work. "Head down a little further from the frontlines. I want to show my child what a battlefield is like." He told the pilot, who was holding the joystick. A scout ne hardly had the chance to fly beyond the eighty five legitive zones, and since there was hardly a chance to fly far, the pilot enthusiastically agreed by nodding without much of a thought. "Understood, Colonel¡­ but the area should be a no-fly zone established by the logistics team, right?" "It''s fine. We''re not flying into a contested area. It''ll be night if we keep flying at this speed. The won''t get moving." The would typically move in the day, for their power was generated through electricity. The generator-type enemies in the upied zone, the Admirals, would produce energy packs for the fighting forces in the day, and if the units were to run out of power during battle, they could recharge their power through sr panels. As electricity could not be generated at night, they would be shot down once their power ran out. Thus, they typically would avoid fighting at night. While Vav wanted to show Lena how intense a battle against the would be¡­ Nothingpared to the safety of his daughter. As he watched her little back, he grimaced. Yet Vav made a mistake. Subconsciously, he might have assumed that only the Eighty Sixers would be sacrificed on the battlefield, and did not mind too much. The surrounded them, their contact with the other countries was blocked off, and they could not deploy fighter jets to attack enemynd targets. The Stachelschwein. These are the mobile anti-air units of the deployed everywhere in the Republic and everywhere else right when the war started, hidden amidst the Eintagsfliege. The bright lights of the battlefield lit the pitch ck sky, and red mes scattered along with a deafening explosion. The rotor des on the left wing got hit as the scout ne let out a trail of ze, lost its bnce, and gradually fell towards the ground. One Squad Leader was on patrol at night as he witnessed this scene. "¡­Hey, there was a scout ne." "Huh? Ohh, forget about it, Duhan. Probably some dumb swine who flew a ne to see the frontlines. Isn''t it great for us Eighty Sixers to see several dead white swines?" The leader did not hear his words, instead closing the hatch of his cockpit, and activated his beloved unit. Bloody red hair, and pitch ck iris in the eyes. "Hey Duhan¡­" "I''m going to save them¡­ continue with the patrol." A sea of fire surrounded her when she opened her eyes. Lena''s hands were on the ground as she supported her body off it, staring around in a daze. Everything was aze, and her father was not moving in the middle of the mes, for everything above his torso had vanished. She heard the callsing from the outside, and climbed out of the cabin. Before her was a massive monster she could only see when her head was lifted, its exterior reflecting a blunt silver amidst the mes. The bloody red eyes were glowing like ss, and the multi-purpose machine guns mounted upon its shoulders were a terrifyingly deep color. The worm-like joints were grinding erratically, and the frame lingered in the air, practically gliding on ice, in a revolting manner. The pilot, not too far away, was yelling something, and raised the assault rifle on his waist, squeezing the trigger madly. Most of the bullets missed, and the few that did merely grazed the armor. The Ameise paid no heed as it slowly approached him, and nonchntly swung its front legs forward. At that moment, the upper body of the pilot was severed, and the blood sttered from the severed region like a geyser, the lower body left behind tumbling over. The Ameise''s optical sensor unit then turned to Lena again. She could only shrink back, at her wits end. At that moment, "¡ªAnyone who''s still alive there, get down!" A booming roar echoed through the speakers. A four-legged spider torqued a trail of fire, charging over with the darkness of the night and the red mes in the background. The personal mark of the white headless skeleton knight, at the side of the spider, was embellished in Lena''s eyes. It raised the heavy machine guns on itsbat arms, and started firing. The heavy machine guns roars, ripping at the ears. The assault rifle the soldier had just used was a mere toypared to them. The bullets of the heavy machine gun could easily shoot through concrete walls and armored tanks, and they rushed towards the Ameise like a strong gust, before thetter could turn around. The thin armor of the Ameise was immediately torn through, bing a thoroughly deformed piece of scrap metal. Lena, still dazed amidst the zing of heavy machine gun fire, lifted her head, and saw the massive spider creaking towards her. "You alright?" She was increasingly terrified as she heard the monster speak with a human voice andnguage, remaining silent, and shrivelling. The body of the spider then broke into two, the hatch opened, and someone appeared from within. It was a boy, approximately twenty, with bloody red hair, a slender body, and ck-green spectacles. The big brother who had just saved her called himself Shourei Nouzen. She came to the entrance of the ce he called . There were many mechanical spiders inside the base, and the stars filled the night sky, a scene not to be seen in the first legitive zone. There were a few others in the , but this big brother had warned not to approach them. None of them had approached her, only ring at her from afar, which left her a little terrified. Once she heard this big brother state his name, Lena blinked her eyes. She never knew, nor had heard of this name. "¡­That is a weird name." "Yep. Heard that even in the Empire, only the families of dad uses this rare family name. The name too is a weird one." The big brother shrugged with a wry smile. "Call me Ray. That''s not a nice name to read huh? It does seem to be a traditional name of my family, but it''s too foreign for the Republic." "Aren''t you a citizen of the Republic, big brother?" "My parents were born in the Empire, while my little brother and I were born in the Republic¡­ yeah, I got a little brother, about the same age as you are¡­ he should be all grown up now.¡± Ray was smiling as he said this, but looked so lonely. His eyes were filled with nostalgia and bitterness, as though he was looking not too far away. "You haven¡¯t see him?" "¡­Yeah. I can¡¯t go back." Until the end of their service, the Eighty Sixers could never go back, and not rest on any day. Back then, Lena did not know that. Are you hungry? he asked, and she remembered that she had yet to eat, but she was not feeling hungry, and shook her head. Ray¡¯s eyes became earnest, You should be able to drink some sweet stuff, right? He plopped a piece of chocte into hot water, and handed it to her. Though she was young, Lena realized such treatment was rare at such ces. "¡­Father once said." "Hm?" "That we did cruel things to Colorata. You¡¯re one too, big brother. Why did you save me?" Ray had a torn look on his face upon being posed this direct question from the girl. Thetter had seen such a face before, the face of an adult who would try to answer what would be aplex question for her. "¡­Well, we are being cruelly treated now, our freedoms are taken away, our dignities trampled upon. This is unforgivable for anyone, and those who did that are unforgivable. We were treated like that, branded as lower than humans, citizens, barbaric, violent, despicable pigs." The impressionable, icy rage flickered in those ck eyes for a moment, for faded in an instant. He took a mug, had a sip of water, and tried to swallow that rage down. "But we do belong to this country, and are citizens of the Republic, born to this country." It was a calm sentence filled with determination and ruggedness, echoing in Lena¡¯s ears. "Nobody now is willing to admit, but it¡¯s because of this that we¡¯re working hard to prove this. We¡¯re fighting to protect our country, and it¡¯s our duty and honor as citizens. That¡¯s why we¡¯re able to fight, and protect through battle. We will protect¡­ and no way will we do worse than those who will only work with their mouths." Lena blinked in confusion. Battle, for the sake of protecting, to prove. However, the enemy were such massive monsters. "Are you not scared¡­?" "Of course I am. But if I don¡¯t fight, I can¡¯t live on." He shrugged and smiled, lifted his head, and looked up at the starry sky. The stars filled every corner of the night skies, glittering away, resulting in a terrifying silence. Appearing between the stars was an endless void, a dignified night. The smile vanished from Ray¡¯s face. With every word, he punctuated a solemn oath. "I won¡¯t die, and I can¡¯t die. I¡¯ll have to live on, to find my little brother." ? To this day, the sixteen year old Lena could still remember the earnest look and words from Ray. And so when she heard of a family name simr to his, she stood up in excitement, not caring that the chair was toppled over, or that her teacup had fallen over and shattered. Ray had mentioned that hisst name was rare even in the Empire, and Lena had never met anyone else called "Nouzen." This boy with a simr name might be family to Ray, or even the one who was of simr age to her¡ª Finally, Shinn spoke up. He appeared to have been momentarily dumbfounded, for it was the first time she had heard such a stupefied voice from him. "¡­That¡¯s my older brother." "Older brother¡­ then." I haven¡¯t met him, he said. I want to meet him, he said. That person once swore I see, so he¡¯s the little brother. "He did say that he really wanted to meet you, that he had to go back¡­ may I ask how your older brother is doing?" Lena anxiously asked, for she was overwhelmed with nostalgia, but Shinn¡¯s voice was back to being icy. "He died. Five years ago. On the Eastern Front." Ah. "¡­My apologies.¡± "No." A terse answer from him that implied it really was nothing. Lena was slightly confused by how Shinn¡¯s attitude was so different from Ray¡¯s when thetter talked about the former. He remained silent, but it seemed he was not being aloof, as though he was familiar with death. While she was wondering what she should say, Shinn quietly spoke. "You asked me, what do I want to do once I retire, right?" "Ah¡­ yes." "I don¡¯t really have anything I want to do, whether it¡¯s now or when I retire. There is something I have to do however¡­ I need to find my older brother. I have been looking for him over the past five years." Lena tilted her head in confusion. He knew that his brother had died, so that meant, "You wish to find¡­ his body?" He seemed a little agitated. It was not a smile, more of a sneer, one icy and heartless aspared to before. His eyes were as alluring as a sharp, terrifying de of ice, filled with madness. "¡ªNo." ? The following day. After hearing a brief exnation from Shinn, the Handler synchronized with the squad, apologized, and asked for their names, one by one. This left Seo really awkward. "¡­Shinn. Mind if you don¡¯t do anything unnecessary?" "You¡¯re regretting it now, right? You shouldn¡¯t have said that anyway." Daiya showed a smirk, while Angel showed a tender look in her eyes. Damn it Krena, why are you looking away and acting like it has nothing to do with you? You were just as angry as I was. You would have yelled if I didn¡¯t. "I heard that you¡¯re Major Millize. Didn¡¯t Shinn tell you our names?" "I did hear from him. But I never heard any of you mention your names." So you¡¯re can¡¯t call us by our names until we have forgiven you? You¡¯re troublesome. Shinn remained silent, and Lena appeared to be a child who was shrivelling, waiting to be scolded, for she knew she was in the wrong. Seo showed a frustrated look, either because he was peeved, or that he was uncooperative. "The Leader who was first assigned to our squad." This sudden diversion of topic left Lena slightly perturbed, but he continued, "Was as happy as an idiot, and was already a soldier to begin with¡­ an Alba." He could hear a gasp from the other end of the Para-RAID. "He survived the first defenses, and said that it was weird for just the Eighty Sixers to fight, so he came to the frontlines. My squadmates never said anything in front of him, but they badmouthed him behind his back many times. Anyway, he was really irritating, already an irritating one to begin with. He said that everyone¡¯s a Processor, but he¡¯s the one who chose toe here, while we never had a choice. Even if he dide here, he could have gone back home if he got sick of this. We all got angry whenever he pretended to be one of us. Everyone was betting on when he would use up all his pity and go back." "¡­" "But we were all wrong. That Leader never went back, even until the very end. He died without going back. He protected the other Processors, remained behind, and died." Thest to hear his words was Seo. Seo was the closest to the Leader as they left him behind, and at that moment, thetter contacted him through the wirelessmunicator, asking to hear him out, even if they paid no heed to his words. ¡ªI know you guys hate me. It¡¯s normal, I won¡¯t say anything about it. ¡ªOf course you guys hate me. I didn¡¯te here to help you after all, and not to save you. ¡ªI just feel that if I let you guys fight, I¡¯ll never be able to forgive myself. I¡¯m scared of bing like that. I came to this battlefield for my own sake, and of course, I won¡¯t be forgiven. ¡ªDon¡¯t ever forgive me. Suddenly, the wirelessmunicator was filled with static, and silence beckoned. Seo finally understood that Leader knew such a day woulde, and never once synchronized with them on the Para-RAID. He had already made up his mind, that when he returned to the battlefield a second time, he would die in battle and never return. Seo regretted it, he regretted that he could never say a few words to the Leader. Even at this moment, he regretted it. "Look, I don¡¯t want you to do the same thing as that leader. I just want to say that, as long as you remain there behind the walls, you¡¯ll never be equals to us, and that we¡¯ll never berades of yours. That¡¯s all." Once he said what he wanted to say, he did azy stretch. It was clearly a past of his everyone else had known, self-exnatory, and something he had thought over many times over. At this point, it would not hurt for him to say this. "That¡¯s all I have to say here¡­ ahh, I¡¯m Seo Lica. Just call me Seo, or Lica, or cute shitty pig, anything you like." "This is not a trivial matter¡­ I do apologize, for everything through yesterday, really." "That¡¯s enough already. Goodness, you¡¯re annoying." "So when Kaie talked about that good person¡­ that was who she was referring to?" "Not just that leader. That goes for everyone else who came back to fight, like him." Everyone else was also fighting against this tragic world, created by those of their kind. "¡­" Raiden then introduced himself. "This is the Vice Commander Raiden here¡­ first off, I''ve got to apologize here. We thought you were just showing pity and acting like a Saint when you keep contacting us every night, and we wereughing at you, a swine who never knew how pretentious you were. We all have to apologize about that. Our bad. And also." The ck, metallic eyes coldly narrowed. "As Seo said, we don¡¯t think of you as equals, or arade. You are the idiot who trampled upon us and said such pretty words from high up. That will never change, and we can¡¯t really change our opinion here. If you want some people to continue spending time with you though, we don¡¯t mind thinking of it as free time, but I personally don¡¯t rmend doing so. You really aren¡¯t suited to be a Handler¡­ better resign as soon as possible." Lena let out a little chuckle. "If you do not mind the hassle, please allow me to intrude upon your spare time.¡± Raiden gave a wry smile. His ferocious wolf-like face was filled with a rare trace of human emotion. "You¡¯re a hopeless idiot too¡­. ah yeah. Send the map over. You forgot after crying all night long, right?" This time, Lena smiled again. "Immediately." As he nonchntly overheard their conversations, Shinn recalled the words Lena said. Shourei Nouzen. A name he had not heard in a while. He never thought he would hear that name again. He almost forgot about such a name. Shinn never called that person by his name, even until the very end. Unwittingly, his right hand reached for the scarf wrapped around his neck. Brother. Chapter Volume 1 4 All forces of his squad had died, he alone came to hide in the streets of an abandoned city, and when night came, snow started to fall. Shinn was in an abandoned library, leaning his back on the "Juggernaut" that had countless marks on the armor, the unit dating back to when he was first conscripted a year ago, in a light sleep as he awaited dawn. For the little body of a twelve year old, the cold of a snowy night was barely tolerable. The library did not copse, for the thick, heavy walls held their ground. He found a thin nket in a windowless archive of the library, and draped it over himself. The , still wandering around the ruins till a moment back, began their retreat to avoid running out of power and being buried in snow, so he should be able to return to base safely once day arrived. For some reason, however, the "Scavenger" belonging to his old squad, which he called Fido, was always so clingy towards him, and always found him first. Suddenly, he was beckoned by someone, and opened his eyes. Ever since he escaped from death, he was able to hear the voices of the dead. Unlike the typical fare, however, he could not hear any voices, instead sensing that he was being beckoned. It was a call that had vanished a long time back, one he thought he would never hear again. He was drawn to it, and went outside. The streets of ck metal and dark grey stone was mostly covered in pure white, leaving behind a silhouette. The snow was voiceless, breathless, raining upon his face, fluttering and piling up, dyeing the streets, rubble, and even the ck night, as though a white devil was silently rampaging. The beautiful scenery appeared to have whitened the souls. Passing through the streets of snow and rubble, he came to the center za of the town. And in the middle was a Church, one of its two spires having toppled over, and in the snowy white, it appeared to be a massive skeleton standing in the darkness. He arrived before it. A wrecked "Juggernaut" had copsed on the ground, like a fallen skeleton. The canopy had been blown away, nowhere to be seen, and all that was left was armor that had been deformed due to weather; he could barely see the personal mark of a headless skeletal knight. He trampled on the snow as he approached it, looking into the cockpit. "¡­Brother." How did he know? Even if he was asked, he could not answer, other than say that he knew. Shinn was merely convinced that it was a fact, and there was no need for excuses or reasons to exin why. The cramped, ck cockpit was slowly filled white. He lowered his head, and found the faded bones of his brother thatid inside, with his head gone. Chapter Volume 1 5 Lena woke up upon hearing a message notification from her PDA, sat upright, and stretched her body. It remained active, the holographic screen showing a still image from the gun camera, and the battle report printouts forming a sea of paper. Her window was facing east, and the sunlight shone through the curtains, lighting the room. She picked up the thin robe that was thrown onto the nket made of near transparent material, put it on,bed her hair simply with her hand, and got off the bed. She opened the mail, and found it was from At. "Next month¡¯s the anniversary of the Revolution. Let¡¯s go pick a party dress during our next break." After a little pause, she sent a reply, "Sorry. A little busy recently. Please invite me next time." At quickly responded. "I say, Lena, you haven¡¯t been appearing often." And then At sent another message, "Even if you do work hard for the Eighty Sixers, you won¡¯t gain anything, you know?" Lena turned her head around, and nced behind her. She had been analyzing the battle records of Squad Spearhead until she slept. The battle reports were concise and exnatory. The deftness and intelligence of the author was clearly conveyed with the reports, which were sent along with the data files from the Mission Recorder of the "Juggernaut." Though the patrol reports were devoid of content as per usual, the material obtained was a treasure trove of intelligence to be used in the battle against the . Surely they were not without benefit. This information would definitely allow everyone to return alive. "Sorry." ? "¡ªIt should be fine to attend that event, isn¡¯t it?" Shinn polished the assault rifle that was usually ced in the cockpit of his "Juggernaut" as he tly replied to the one on the other end of the Para-RAID. Other than her daily contact and his reports, they would chatter from time to time. The report stated that it should be the time for them to patrol. It was the afternoon, and he was in the bunk of the barracks. The kitten had been dumped outside, for it may otherwise touch the gun parts in the room, and so it was wing away at the door. "But what if they are to attack at that moment?" Lena pouted in response. One had to wonder if she was too serious, or if she was inflexible. "We¡¯ll figure out something." "Also, it is unreasonable to have a party while a war is going on." "There¡¯s probably a certain zone in the middle of battle. But anything within the won¡¯t affect the frontlines." He pushed the cam pin down, removed the bolt from the carrier group, and put it on aid out cloth. An assault rifle would do almost no damage to the , but it certainly did not mean that it was useless. It would be the only reliable thing as ast resort, and thus, daily maintenance was necessary. "I do think it is fine for you to participate. While I¡¯m grateful that you are able to help analyse the enemy, this isn¡¯t something worth taking up your personal time." Lena suddenly went silent once he said that, "Am I doing something unnecessary¡­?" "No, you have been of great help." He was stating the truth. He would never waste his time on a useless Handler trying to satisfy himself. "Besides, we know the frontlines, that¡¯s all. It is beneficial to have an officer who had been military trained analyze the greater scope." "¡­Thank goodness" "But there is no need to devote your all into this." Shinn could practically see Lena purse her lips unhappily, he took out the extractor pin, and while doing so, replied in a t tone, "If you get too involved in the battlefield, you will end up like us." Lena sighed at Shinn¡¯s words, unsure if he was joking or sincere. She had no intention to be funny. "You do like to joke around from time to time, Captain Nouzen¡­ understood. I shall try to enjoy the boring party, or the painfulness of wearing high heels and a dress." She retorted with this joke, and Shinn seemed to chuckle. "The anniversary festival of the Revolution, you say? I do remember such an event." "You do?" Shinn paused. "¡­I remember there are fireworks, right? At the garden with a fountain, right in front of the pce." Lena lifted her head. "Yes. At the presidential Lune Pce in the first legitive zone¡­ did you live in the first zone before?" The first zone contained the posh residential areas that existed since the Imperial era, and most of the residents there were descended from families who lived there back then¡­ the Albas, who used to be royalty, took up the majority, and even nine years ago, it was rare to see Colorate there. I might have met him before, she thought, and there was some sadness arising in her heart. "I don¡¯t really remember, but I guess that¡¯s right. I think I went with my family¡­ back then, my brother held my hand." Ah, Lena shriveled back. She messed up again. "My apologies." "¡­Why apologize?" "I really am insensitive. Back then too¡­ I mentioned your brother and parents¡­" "Ahh." Lena was dejected, and Shinn¡¯s tone was as se and aloof as usual. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve pretty much forgotten about them." ¡°Eh?" "I don¡¯t really remember my family. I can recall a few things here and there, but I¡¯ve mostly forgotten their appearances and voices." "¡­" Lena did not think Shinn was being deliberately insensitive. He was probably so young when he bade farewell to his family. After that, he spent another five years fighting for his life. In the chaotic battlefield, it might be expected of him to forget precious memories. At that moment, she seemed to visualize a lonely child standing in the middle of a battlefield of ruins, not knowing where he should return to. "¡ªHe said that he had to make it back alive, return to you." Lena tried to convey those words as urately as possible, as she recalled what Ray said, and his appearance back when he said that. The Para-RAID transferred the voice through the shared consciousness, and also the emotions of a face-to-face conversation. She hoped to pass on her feelings to him. Ray might be gone from Shinn¡¯s memories, but Lena still remembered him. She could still visualize his silhouette, words, and kind heart. "Obviously he does miss you, saying that ''You probably gave up.'' I can feel that he treated you as important family. Your brother really wanted to return back to you." "¡­¡­Let¡¯s hope so." He answered after this long silence, faltering in a way that was not easily noticed. It seemed while he did hope so, he thoroughly understood that the wish could no longer be granted. "Captain¡­?" Shinn did not answer. Lena realized it was not a topic she should be touching on, and did not say anything. The soft tapping of metal were the only thing heard from time to time in this silence. And once she heard this distinctive, louder sound, Lena tilted her head. That was¡­ "Captain, are you cleaning a rifle now?" Shinn paused. "¡­Yes." "It should be patrol time at this point, no?" Thetter did not answer. No wonder there was nothing important in the patrol reports. So Lena sighed. However, Squad Spearhead¡¯s actions were exceptionally fast, and one had to wonder if they could detect the without the use of a radar. She had yet to inquire about this. "Since you have determined that there is no need for that, I suppose there is no need to¡­ and as for the rifle." Officially, Eighty Sixers were forbidden from wielding rifles. "You have determined that there is a need to use that. I will not say anything much, but please follow through with the required maintenance." "¡­My apologies." Lena heard some confusion in the voice, and blinked her eyes. "Erm, did I say anything weird?" "No¡­ I thought you would be fuming." He was surprised after all. Lena was startled. Since the moment she tookmand, she had demanded that he was to submit detailed, timely reports, and often bemoaned her colleagues at the National Military Headquarters for being sox and unruly. "I¡­ will not be so rigid about meaningless rules and regtions. I repeat, I shall respect your decision if you have decided whether it will be beneficial tobat." Besides, I am not the one fighting. I have no right to tell them off here. She had this fleeting thought, and shook her head, diverting from the topic. "There is a need to carefully maintain the weapons at hand for the battlefield. For us here, we found the assault rifles manufactured by the Republic to be too heavy, and nobody actually uses them, not even in training." The Republic¡¯s Army required massive caliber bullets due to the firepower needed tobat armored forces. Thus, the guns models were all heavy, made with sturdy metals. However, Shinn was taken aback. "Heavy? You said the gun is heavy?" Lena was initially taken aback by his extremely perplexed voice, and then she understood. Yes, he is a boy. That weight is not a bother to him¡­ And the moment she understood this, she felt strangely flustered. Speaking of which, she had never spoken to a boy of her age for such a long time. "¡­Major?" The Para-RAID could convey the emotions of a face-to-face conversation. Shinn probably could sense Lena blushing. "I-It is nothing. Erm." Suddenly, the mood on the other end changed. There was no sound, but Lena could sense Shinn standing up, looking afar. "¡­Captain Nouzen?" "Please prepare to takemand." She had a look at her intel terminal which showed no alert. However, Shinn sounded convinced. "The ising." Shinn had already been synchronized with Lena, so Lena participated in this squad briefing. Once she heard the exnation on various aspects, including enemy numbers, formations, and attack paths, Did they create a strategy with so much information at hand? she was left dumbfounded, and, at the same time, she proposed a strategy for this operation. Once this strategy was made, the briefing ended, and the operation began. "The main enemy forces areposed only of Grauwolfs." All units were lying in ambush. Lenapared the information she had obtained from the frontline scouts with the radar signals and the battle records; she made a deduction with regards to the vague enemyposition. "Considering the production and maintenance rates, the L?wes destroyed in thest battle may not have been all rebuilt. It is hard to imagine the enemy having the Stier lead the charge." The Stier had no mobility, and practically no armor. It was a unit typically used for ambush. Due to their resemnce to the L?wes, they were often mistaken for thetter when they were first introduced, and the humans managed to fight them off.. "While the "Juggernaut''s" grenades are of no effect against the L?we, the lighter armor of the Grauwolf will mean that the support fire of the Scorpions will be limited in effectiveness. I think that if we eliminate the Ameise first, they should be of no threat." "Werewolf to all hands. Confirmed. Exactly as the Major had guessed." Speaking up was Raiden, who went forth to scout. He sounded impressed, and stunned. "But seriously¡­ you¡¯re talking about talking about production and maintenance rates? Did you get any proper sleep?" Shinn suddenly spoke up. "Major, please switch off the Para-RAID this time." "Eh?" "A chaotic battlefield is inevitable, especially since we are going to be fighting several Grauwolf. There are too many enemies¡­ it will be dangerous to remain synchronized with me." While Shinn had spoken in fluent Republican, Lena did notprehend. What, did he just say? Many ck sheep? "If you want to hear me out, I¡¯ll exin to you once this battle ends. Please break off now." The skirmish was about to start, and it was understandable that he did not have the time to exin. However, Lena was unhappy about this arrangement. "You have not disconnected with the other squadmates, am I right? The Eintagsfliege are still around, and wirelessmunications may fail. I will not disconnect." She refused to do so. Shinn probably had some words to say, but he swallowed his words once he saw the approaching . "¡­I¡¯ve warned you." After saying this grim line, the "Undertaker" stood up. As Shinn said, the battlefield was chaotic, and the blips indicating both ally and foe intertwined upon the barely working radar that was affected by the interference. Lena kept staring at the monitor, covering an ear with one hand. For some reason, the noise was abnormally shrill. It was either a sounding from inside her room, or the sounds Shinn and the others heard on the battlefield. What was that noise? The red blips indicated the enemies, and they were approaching the blue blips indicated as allies, including the "Undertaker," Shinn¡¯s unit. Both sides were closing in on each other at the battlefield far away, withinbat range. Both blips shed, and at that moment¡ª An unknown voice echoed shrilly in the ears. "¡ªMama." That voice was hollow and fleeting, the murmuring of a dying person saying this with hisst breath. Lena stopped, frozen in ce. The voice continued to echo however, the lingering memories and feelings that vanished in a puff of smoke before Death, as an empty voice groaned away, "Mama. Mama. Mamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamamama¡­" "Hii¡ª?" She felt her hair stand on end. She covered her ears with both hands, but it was pointless as the voice came from the the Para-RAID. The dying child calling for his mother seeped in like the tide. The intelligible yell swarmed upon her consciousness like andslide, repeating itself over and over again. The blunt, loud explosion cut off the voice calling for the mother, and simr voices quickly echoed "Save me save me save me save me save me save me save me save me save me." "It¡¯s hot it¡¯s hot it¡¯s hot it¡¯s hot it¡¯s hot it¡¯s hot it¡¯s hot it¡¯s hot it¡¯s hot it¡¯s hot it¡¯s hot it¡¯s hot." "No¡­ no¡­ no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no." "Mama, mama, mama, mama, mama mama mama mama mama mama mama mama." "I don¡¯t want to die. I don¡¯t want to die. I don¡¯t want to die I don¡¯t want to die I don¡¯t want to die I don¡¯t want to die I don¡¯t want to die." "N-No¡­ Nooooo¡­!" Lots of dying voices swirled like a vortex, silently devouring all shreds of rationality and thought. Amongst them, Shinn¡¯s voice rang. "Major! Disconnect now! Major Millize!" The usually poised boy showed a tinge of rare anxiety in his call, but he was unable to reach the ears of the panicked Lena. She covered her ears in pain, shrivelled up with an urge to run away, and let out a hoarse cry. However, she was losing herst shred of sanity amidst the endless waves of dying groans¡ª "Tch!" Shinn clicked his tongue and disconnected. The dying voices vanished. "¡­¡­Ah¡­" She stiffly lifted her head, and gingerly loosened her hands¡­ she could hear nothing. She had disconnected with all the Processors. In her fear and frantic breathing, she slowly widened her eyes, and stared at the dim control room, and found herself fallen off the child, tumbled upon the floor. ¡­What, was that¡­? It was not the voices of the synchronized Processors. None of those voices belonged to them, and they were much more in numbers. And amongst the endless groans, she could identify one. ¡ªI don¡¯t want to die. "¡­Kirschbl¨¹te¡­ Kaie¡­?" Shinn disconnected with Lena, and was fighting arge swarm of "ck sheep." He narrowed his eyes as the dying voices saturated his ears. Most of the enemies were Grauwolf, and the high frequency des they had could cut armor like water. Thus, he waste to disconnect as he had to deal with the iing shes. Screams, pants, groans, roars. All kinds of voices echoed, deafening when they were up close, so much that he could identify a voice. Seo could hear one of them through his Para-RAID, and groaned, "Damn it¡­! That was, Kaie¡­!" Shinn could sense a few gasp. Themunicator was filled withmotion. "Kaie¡­!? Was she taken away¡­!?" "Damn it¡­ Angel should dealt with it already¡­!" He ignored the furious yells of his squadmates and identified the location of "Kaie." Unlike the others hearing this through the Para-RAID, only Shinn could do so. He could easily identify where she was, without having to focus his hearing. The precision of his hearing was superhuman, one capable to finding a needle in a haystack. And closest to her was ¡ª Krena. "Gunslinger, two o¡¯clock, distance eight hundred. Leader of the squad with fifteen units, the Grauwolf second from right." "¡­Understood." After a cannon shot, the voice of a soul that had lingered even after death, Kaie¡¯s begging voice to live finally vanished, as the destruction brought it back to the gates of Hades. Shinn stood still in the mind-crushing vortex of grudges and screams, sighing in pity, "A battle to mourn the dead, huh." The souls of the Dead would never return until they were destroyed. They seemed to yearn a return to the sce they deserved. That Handler girl probably will never contact us again¡­ Shinn momentarily felt some lingering regret, and frowned. ? By the time she summoned the courage to synchronize again, the sun had already set. Whenever she had the urge to do so, her heart would be filled with lots of fear, so much that she was nauseous. She could only pause, ease herself, and try again, rinse and repeat. Only when nightfall arrived, when it was lights out on the frontlines, did she finally send a transmission. Will I be causing him an inconvenience at such ate moment? she thought, and she exerted a lot of effort into shooing those thoughts away. If she left it for tomorrow, she might dither upon the same excuses again, and would have no courage to synchronize again. She took a deep breath to restrain her frantic breathing, and activated the Para-RAID. Luckily, he was not asleep, and she managed to get through. There was only one person on the other end. He was the one who said to disconnect, and warned her not to remain synchronized. Naturally, he was the one she had to ask. "¡­Captain Nouzen." She sensed Shinn widen his eyes. "This is Millize. Erm, is it okay to talk now?" There was a short pause. And for some reason, she could hear some water during this time, as though rain was falling. "¡­I¡¯m in the showers." "Eh!?" It was the first time Lena had heard herself give such a startled squeak. Her ears werepletely red, and while she wanted to reply, she was tongue-tied, and she had ceased all thought. She was left terrified in a different way aspared to earlier in the day, and finally eked out some words. "So-Sorry, erm, it iste now¡­ I shall disconnect immediately." "No." Shinn¡¯s voice was as poised as ever, and it was a little irritating to Lena. "I don¡¯t mind, personally, and I¡¯m going to sleep once I¡¯m done showering. If there is anything, please ask. Also, please don¡¯t mind." "Is¡­¡­ that so? Then¡­" Even so, Lena¡¯s father died early, and she had no brothers, and no lover. This predicament was a little too stimting for her. She spoke up, sensing that her face was still sizzling. "Ah¡­ yeah, erm, how did the battle go? Are there any casualties? Or, KIA¡­?" "Not at all¡­ is that all you want to ask about?" "Because¡­" No matter how sharp they were, there was no assurance that they could return from the battle against the in one piece. Furthermore, they fought in the echoes of screams, she was utterly terrified to imagine that the squad had been wiped out, that nobody would be connected if she tried to synchronize. "Captain¡­ the voice I heard during today¡¯s battle was¡­" Once she said that, she felt a chill in her body. There was some noise in the background of the transmission, as per usual. It sounded like the rustling of a deep forest, or chatter in the distance. And at this point, the distant chatter resembled a collectiveness of countless voices of the dying. She finally understood why Shinn was called the "Undertaker," why the prior Handlers were utterly terrified of him. The reason was those voices. "What, were those¡­?" "¡­" The sound of water alone echoed in the pause. "In the past, I had died." From out of nowhere, there was a blunt paining from her neck, as though she was being brutally strangled. The pain did note from Lena¡¯s own senses, but through the Para-RAID¡­ in other words, it was Shinn¡¯s. "Rather, I¡¯ll say that I died once back then. So I can hear the voices of the souls who died and yet remain in this world¡­ because I¡¯m like them." "¡­Ghosts." Suddenly, she recalled the ident At¡¯s father went through. He pushed the nervous activation rate of the Para-RAID to the theoretical maximum value, and fell into the consciousness of the world itself, never able to return If that was the case, if all the dead must return to the deep bottomless world. Then those on the brink of death, who nearly fell into the abyss ¡ª might be able to establish contact with the other things inside that abyss, as easily as using a Para-RAID. For example, the ghosts that would never perish for eternity, that had fallen into the bottom of the abyss after death, and residing in the bodies that were still struggling to climb out. But that was¡­ "The ¡­is it not?" She heard the sounds when the Grauwolfs were right in front of Shinn. Before the battle, Shinn had said, "They, the , are ghosts. They lost their purpose as weapons when the Empire was destroyed, had no mission, and no need to fulfill their obligations, but they continue to linger on this world¡­ they are the ghosts belonging to the military of a destroyed country." "¡­Wait, so the reason you are able to detect the is¡­" "Yes, I can hear their voices. As long as theye close, I can hear them, even when I¡¯m sleeping." "Please wait¡­!" Lena groaned. He had just mentioned something she could not simply pass off. He could hear them while they approached? Even though the nearest enemy base was some distance away from theirs? He could tell how many of the was moving within that range!? The voices of the Dead were like footsteps far away, the rustling of the leaves. As the Para-RAID was set to the minimum value, she could only hear the voice of the one she was synchronized with, the sounds within arms'' length of the synchronized, and loud sounds. To Lena, whenever she synchronized with Shinn, the background noise simply seemed jumbled to her¡­ but what did they seem like to Shinn? "How many voices can you hear now, Shinn? Howrge is the range, and how much¡­" "I can¡¯t say the exact distance, but I can hear all inside the formernds of the Republic¡­ I can hear some voices further away, but I can¡¯t figure them all out." That world was beyond imagination. Even if a single voice was a murmur, including the total numbers of the . He had been listening to them the entire time, even in sleep. "Do you not¡­ find it a burden?" "Got used to it. It¡¯s been a long while." "When, did it start¡­?" He did not respond, so Lena went to the next question, "I heard the voice of Lieutenant Kaie Tanya. Is that because, she¡­ has be a ghost too?" There was some bewilderment in her words. This fact remained so surreal to her. A short pause. The sound of water stopped, and it seemed he was wiping away the water on his hair. "The Republic government determined that this war will end in another two years at most, right?" "Eh, yes¡­ how did you know?" Lena was a little perturbed with regards to the sudden change in conversation, but she nodded anyway. The government did not reveal this, in order to prevent the Processors from having hope. "Heard it from Seo. He heard it from his old Captain¡­ the CPU of the was designed to have a limited lifespan, with less than two years left. Am I right?" "¡­Yes." The Central Nervous System of the consisted of fluid nanomachines that mimicked the nervous system of a mammal, and granted the processor capability simr to the neural system of arge mammal. However, in the the blueprints maintaining these structures, there was an imposed time limit and self-destruction process that could not be removed. "Once I heard Seo¡¯s exnation, I got it. The sounded like machines, with no rhyme or rhythm. Then, one day, human voices entered. I can guess what happened, but I didn¡¯t know why they did so." There then came the sound of hair being dried in a crude manner a female could not imagine, followed by the soft sound of cloth rubbing. It was obvious the clothes were of low quality, rough and stiff. "If the Central Nervous System blueprints are gone, they can simply get a recement¡­ and the thing that can be used to rece it is right next to them." "¡­Is that?" "Yes. The Central Nervous System that is exceptionally advanced even amongst mammals. The human brain." A moment of thought was enough to leave Lena revolted. This was far beyond grotesque; it was an outright desecration of human dignity. In contrast, Shinn remained stoic as per usual. "My guess is that it is a replica of a human brain. The brain of a dead person will rot quickly, and there aren¡¯t many well preserved corpses that can be used, let alone those without damaged brains. In fact, we have encountered with the same voices at least once. I am guessing Kaie should be elsewhere." The girl was no longer alive, her plea remained sealed in a machine, repeating itself like a music box. "So while I say they are ghosts, they are different from the norm. I would say that they are more of a residue instead. They do not have the will of humans, and no intention tomunicate. What they replicated is the brain of the Dead, at theirst moments. Their thoughts are just a rey of that moment, and they became ghosts residing amongst the ." "¡­ck sheep¡­" "Yeah, the ck Sheep, mutated ones possessed by ghosts, are mixed amongst the White Sheep called the . Right now, the ck sheep have far surpassed the white sheep in numbers." Even though they started to rot from the moment of death, the human brain remained the most advanced amongst mammals. The Central Nervous System of the mimicked the human brain, and surely its capabilities were superior. Though the blueprints had failed over and over again, the incessant voices of the Dead showed that the mutated ck sheep were multiplying faster in numbers. She had a feeling Shinn was pitying the , for they had lost their hometown, the reason to keep fighting, and the reason to exist, yet they were mechanical ghosts, scavenging corpses, always fighting as defined in their parameters. "¡­I can somewhat understand the reason why they keep attacking the Republic." "Eh?" "They are ghosts. They should be gone, yet they remain, until they are wiped out. I suppose they want to go back, and that¡¯s why they are attacking those that are also ghosts before them, wanting to bring them along." "Ghosts¡­?" Who was he referring to? Was he referring to the Eighty Sixers who remained alive, but were not deemed human, and no different from the dead in society? "The Republic died nine years ago, right¡­ is it anywhere to be found now, the spirit of the five colored g that formed the basis of the country?" The calm words from Shinn contained his scathing criticism that hit too close to home. Freedom, equality, fraternity, justice, and purity. For no rational reason, they degraded people into sses, and had no shame or pity in having millions lose their lives¡­ this country had long lost its right to exalt its values. The Republic delivered its own demise. It died offpletely nine years ago, the moment some of its people persecuted different groups. Perhaps Shinn could hear the voice of that which had died, and yet lingered, the voice of the massive ghost called the Republic. Lena had nothing to say about that. After a short pause, Shinn suddenly spoke up, his voice was stoic as ever, narrating what appeared to be a well established fact. "Major, you will lose this war." He did not say "we." "What do you mean?" "I¡¯m saying that the might not cease function just because the Central Nervous System is disabled. In fact, I can sense that their numbers aren¡¯t decreasing, but increasing¡­ then, what about the Eighty Sixers? How many are there left?" Lena could not answer. She did not know. The Republic never counted them. "I¡¯m guessing the only ones left are two, three years younger than us. Once they were detained in the Concentration Camps, the Eighty Sixers never reproduced, and half of the babies back then died." The adult Eighty Sixers who were detained were practically wiped out two years into the war. None of the recruited soldiers survived, and the others who were mobilized to build the were put through harsh conditions, made to do tough manualbor meant to wear them out, and they perished as a result. The elderly and sickly, of no particr use to anyone, passed away during these nine years. "¡­Why, the babies too¡­?" "Are you asking about the mortality rates of the babies, in an environment bereft of proper medical services? ¡­In the Concentration Camp I was in, none of the babies survived the first Winter, and I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s the same for the other Camps. Of the surviving babies, half of them were sold." "Sold?" "Yeah, by some soldiers and the Eighty Sixers for money. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re sold in whole or in parts though." Only a tadter did Lena understand the significance. She felt her face pale. In other words, in this Republic, there were people who derided Eighty Sixers as pigs, who did whatever they wanted to the children of those pigs, and used their organs to extend their lives. All that was left were prepubescent teenagers, and they were sent to the battlefield, until they could no longer fight. "The will not drop in numbers, but the Eighty Sixers will die off. At that point, will you be able to fight? You don¡¯t know how to fight, don¡¯t understand battle formations. Without a second thought, you had the Eighty Sixers conscripted and pay for the military spending Do you think you will be able to arm yourselves and fight?" Probably not, he sneered. He was not mocking those who were inflicting the pain on others and were going to suffer from the same predicament; he was mocking those who only cared about the benefits before them, ignoring reality, residing in the brief, fleeting sce, and had degraded into backward creatures without ability to protect themselves. "If nobody is willing to volunteer, forced conscription is the only way out. Under the establishment of the Republic, this will only be done at thest moment, when danger is imminent. By then, it will be toote¡­ a w of modern Republicanism is that decisions can¡¯t be made unless it is a matter of life and death." Lena kept imagining a bright, realistic image of defeat as Shinn said this, and frantically shook her head to shake off the notion, trying to deny it. It was not because she had a reason to refute, but that she could not ept the sudden, unimaginable possibility that her country would be wiped out in a mere few years. "B-But, the detected are decreasing in numbers! It is already halfpared to years before¡­" "That is the number that can be detected within range, right? Due to the 24/7 electronic jamming from the Eintagsfliege, everything from the Contested Area to deep within Territory can¡¯t be detected¡­ it¡¯s true that the numbers on the frontlines have been dropping, but that¡¯s because they aren¡¯t sending any more than the necessary numbers needed. On one end, they continue to battle in a war of attrition, while on the other, they reserve more forces at the back, and are increasing in number." There was only one objective. To preserve strength, cease the war of attrition that wore them down, andunch a full scale attack, breaching the defenses of the Republic in one fell swoop. "But the does not have such intelligence to make such decisions." "It didn¡¯t. This is another reason for your defeat." Unlike the pathetic response from Lena, Shinn''s voice remained calm and nonchnt, "There are few corpses with their heads unblemished, but on this battlefield, there are millions of corpses that were not taken back, and it is possible to find a head that has not rotted¡­ for humans, it¡¯s easy to make the decision to build up the forces when fighting against an enemy that can¡¯t be defeated otherwise. So, assuming that there are units with intelligence on par with humans, what happens next?" "¡­!" ck sheep. The that had duplicated the human brain structure. Even after rotting, they would possess better capabilities than the Central Nervous System. Thus, what if they found a way to be immortal, that they could find a human brain that had yet to rot? "We call such units the . The are soldiers that are tasked to action, but the are themanders leading these dead souls. At this point, we''ve fought a few enemy squads led by , and they¡¯re a lot more vicious than those withoutmand. There¡¯s noparison." "Wait. You mean those machines aren¡¯t just an assumption, that they really exist? Can you¡ª" "I can hear them. The voices of thesemanders reach from far away, and I can distinguish them easily even amongst enemy units. There are dozens ofmanders along all the battlefields, and in our First BattleZone ¡ª there is one." At that moment, Shinn¡¯s voice got chillingly cold, like a de reflecting the moonlight, giving off a sharp, dangerous, maniacal presence simr to when he mentioned his dead brother. She was terrified. The Republic would be wiped out, because of its ipetence and foolishness, because millions were sent to the battlefield and perished, because their ankles were grabbed by the dead souls of the Eighty Sixers they were toozy to bury. "B-But." Suddenly, Lena spoke up, as though she thought of something. "That is¡­ only if all of you die out, right?" Shinn blinked. "Yes." "Then, if we can beat the before then, it will not happen. If it is you¡­ Squad Spearhead who can figure out where the are hiding and attacking, this is not impossible, no?" If it was them, who could fight off the harshest of the assaults. "With enough manpower, equipment, and time, there should be a possibility. All forms of warfare require such conditions." "Then, let us beat them. I too¡ª" She was about to say I will fight, but corrected herself as she felt it was arrogant of her. "I shall do my best. Whether it is to analyze the enemy, formte strategies, anything I can do, I shall¡­ that should be the same for the other battlefronts." Surely, if she could obtain detailed enemy intel and n the basic countermeasures, it would be beneficial to the Republic. With this logic, sharing this experience with others was not a difficult task to aplish. "Captain Nouzen, your service will end this year, right? Let us¡­ live until then." Shinn showed a wry smile, his voice filled with a tinge of kindness. "¡­I suppose." After disconnecting with Lena, Shinn returned to his room in the barracks, lights out and all quiet. He entered his dim room, and the ss window reflected his appearance under the moonlight of the full moon. The blue scarf remained on his neck even in battle, but he would remove it whenever he slept. He intended to sleep once he was done with the shower, and thus, at the cor of his army clothes that were hastily worn over the undershirt, the familiar blue was nowhere to be seen. Having lived a life of battle, each one a matter of life and death, his slender body was honed to be as strong and fast as a leopard. On this stic neck, there was a dark red ring mark. The nerve-wracking scar was not a straight line, but jagged. It was as though his head was once severed, and then sewed back on. He then lifted a hand, gently caressing the scar on his neck. Chapter Volume 1 6 It was half a year after he was conscripted when Raiden encountered that Death God, when he was assigned to thetter¡¯s squadron. Thest of his friends, who were conscripted at the same time, died in another squad just the day before he was reassigned. Before conscription, he had remained hidden in Area Eighty Five. Hiding him was an old Albady who had once managed a private boarding school. She hid all the Eighty Sixer children she could, whether they were her students or just children living nearby, and had them hidden in the dormitories. After five years, someone spilled the beans. The government sent soldiers to escort these children to the Concentration Camps. The olddy did her best to obstruct them, pleading with the conscience and justice of humanity, only to be answered with mocking and humiliation. The soldiers had them board a truck used to transport livestock and drove off as though nothing had happened. The olddy gave chase,shing out until the very end. She had never uttered a single bad word. Whenever Raiden and the others cussed, without fail, she would be utterly, flusteredly furious. But it was this old woman whose face was in tears, contorted in rage as she yelled, ¡°Go to hell, you scumbags!!!¡± That harsh yell, along with the sight of her sprawled on the road, wailing away, remained fresh in Raiden¡¯s mind. The one they called the "Death God" was his squad leader, of the same age. Given Raiden¡¯s prior experience, it was strange to see him extremelyx. He never organized patrols and would search around the dumps alone even though there might be lurking around, and even though the radar did not capture any signal, he would order them to sortie. He was able to givemands with stunning precision every time, but thatnguid demeanour of his seemed so suicidal to Raiden. Raiden had had enough of it. While his friends who were conscripted had all died out, they did fight until the very end. The olddy risked being beaten to death as she did her best to protect Raiden and the kids. But this guy before him did not seem to care about anything, whether it was Raiden¡¯s life or the others''. Half a month after he joined, his patience had reached its limit. On that day, the leader never ordered a patrol, as usual, and he started an argument that quickly escted into a scuffle. Given their difference in physique, he was able to hold back his punch, but he sent the tall and scrawny Shinn flying. He stared down thetter who was on the dusty floor, and hollered, "Stop fooling around!" However, thetter merely looked back up with those crimson red eyes, unfazed. "¡­It¡¯s my fault for not exining, I guess." Shinn spat out blood as he stood up. His movements remained nimble, and it seemed he was not grievously hurt. "But given my prior experience, nobody believes me until they actually hear it. I just don¡¯t want to waste my time." "Huh? What are you saying?" "I''ll exin when that happens¡­ also." Before he finished his words, Shinn mmed a fist in Raiden''s face. The scrawny body was nimble in movement, and delivered a stunning amount of force. The movement of his body and the delivery of force was without any unnecessary movement, and Raiden was sent sprawling to the ground, his mind shaking. "This doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m willing to get hit. I won¡¯t hold back; you want to fight, I¡¯ll take you on." The brat had such unabashed arrogance. Raiden darted forth with all his might. In conclusion, Raiden lost. He was beaten so badly that he was unable to fight back. Shinn had an extra year¡¯s worth ofbat experience, was more proficient in enacting violence, and knew how to use it. Though peeved, Raiden had to admit Shinn had some ability, and had a slight change in impression. "You think you¡¯re some manga protagonist or something? Don''t you feel ashamed?" Seo retorted when he heard of this incident, but for Raiden, Seo never understood what he was getting at. Shinn, the other party involved, was holding in hisughter, but Raiden did not care about what that idiot was thinking. The day after the scuffle, "You''d better exin this," he told Shinn while enduring the pain in his mouth. And in the following battle, he heard the bone-chilling screams of the ghosts. At that moment, Raiden understood why there was no need to patrol¡­ why Shinn had a poise that was far beyond his years. ? Once the lights were out, the barracks of Spearhead Squadron went silent. Raidenid the bunk in his room, his eyes still open as he suddenly heard some footsteps. He nced at the room next to his, the door slightly ajar. In the dim room, Shinn was standing before the window that was whitened by the moonlight. "Who were you talking to?" He seemed to have heard Shinn talking in the showers downstairs and in the changing room by the side. "Yep." Shinn merely nced towards him, nodding. The bright red eyes were encased in ice, giving a poise unbefitting his age, a callousness that would never falter. "It''s the Major. She synchronized with me. Had a few words." "..Ah, she actually contacted you. That Princess really has some guts." Raiden was a little impressed. Of the Handlers before her, every single one who heard those voices never contacted them again. His eyes were staring at bare neck, the red scar looping around it. He heard Shinn mention how the terrifying scar, akin to a beheading, came about. He knew Shinn could hear the voices of the dead, because of that scar. The night remained quiet. For Raiden, at least. However, Shinn¡­ apatriot of his, had obtained the supernatural ability to hear the voices of the ghosts that would never vanish. How much anguish andment could he hear? There was no one who could remain perfectly sane after hearing these voices all the time. The unflinching, poised Death God was probably a result of repressed emotions in his heart, along with his tormented mind. This Death God stared at Raiden, his bloody red eyes seemingly able to freeze everything within sight. Raiden knew that Shinn¡¯s heart was fixed upon the other end of the long battlefield, having spotted the head he was looking for. "Gotta sleep. We¡¯ll leave the talk for tomorrow." "¡­Ahh, sorry." The door was barely closed as footsteps returned to the next room, and the pipe bed rattled. Shinn stood before the window that was shrouded in moonlight, unflinching as he stared at the distant battlefield. He pricked his ears, and could hear the calls of countless ghosts, as plentiful as the countless stars, filling the darkness of the night. They included groans, yells,ments, screams, and monotonous murmurs that could not be heard. However, he was focused on a voice that came through everything else, from the distant ce he could not spot. It was eight years ago when he heard that person say this with the same voice. Back then, that was the sentence he heard. Every night, whenever he heard this voice, he could remember, never to forget. A shadow that leapt at him. The force and pressure choking his neck, trying to crush everything. ring at him were the ck eyes behind the lens, filled with utter malice. Sin. This is your name. How fitting. It''s all your fault. Everything is all your fault. The same voice was calling for him from afar. Five years ago, after he had died at an abandoned dump somewhere along the eastern battlefront, this voice had been calling for him ever since then. Shinn reached his hand out, touching the frosty ss window, and muttered despite knowing the other party could not hear him, "I''m going over to you ¡ª brother." Chapter Volume 1 7 On that day, there were many "ck Sheep" who battled, and after the battle ended, Lena gingerly heaved a sigh, trying her best to endure the disgust she felt. Her Para-RAID was not disconnected, and Krena on the other side suddenly spoke up. The battle had ended, and the other Processors had already disconnected, except for her. "If you can¡¯t take it, you can disconnect, you know." Her voice was so nonchnt, devoid of worry. "It doesn¡¯t matter whether you¡¯re watching over us. Nothing will happen even without you managing us. Nobody can see you anyway, and it¡¯s distracting to see you suffer when we¡¯re in battle, you understand?" Lena could not bring herself to be angry, because she was right. However, Lena was pleased to receive these words. Then, she suddenly thought of something, and asked, "Is this not painful, for you and everyone else¡­?" There was no way Krena and the others could disconnect the Para-RAID just because they were suffering. Shinn''s ability could precisely detect the location and number of the enemy, and it was a valuable information trove in battle. Krena then shrugged. "Nothing, we¡¯re used to it. Even without Shinn, us Processors are already way too used to hearing the screams of those meeting their demise." Her tone was as calm as ever, but Lena could sense a little falter. It was not an emotion of of fear, rage, regret, or remorse, but an emotion that was darker than that. "Being blown to bits along with the unit is a good way to die. Everyone''s used to seeing limbs getting blown up, brains shredded, bodies burned, organs spilling out from ruptured bellies, people in such pain that it¡¯s better to die than to survive, screams, until they all die. Compared to that, the voices aren¡¯t much." Behind the calm voice were the tears and bitterness that were endured. Lena could sense the girl at the distant battlefield pursing her lips. Her tightly clenched teeth were ttering. "It¡¯s the same here, this ''First Battle Zone¡­'' one or two deaths isn¡¯t strange for us." "¡­Yes." Of the twenty four initial members, one had died two days ago, and there were thirteen of them left. Raiden dumped the broken radio that could never be repaired into the remation furnace of the automated factory. As usual, a few familiar faces were lingering in the room when Lena suddenly connected through Para-RAID. "Good evening." Once she greeted them, they responded, "Copy that, Major¡­ just a few bastards here, so bear with it." The girl on the other end seemed to have tilted her head in confusion. It was natural that she would feel this way. Every night, the first to respond would always be Shinn, and not Raiden. "¡­Erm, is there anything wrong with Captain Nouzen?" Seo, holding the sketch book, snorted, "Don¡¯t you find it a bother, Major Millize? You know our ranks are all just for show, right?" Themander of the squadron was ranked Captain, followed by the vicemander and squad leaders, and finally the squad members, thetter ranked Warrant Officers. This was only to clearly define a hierarchy within the ranks, and no difference in treatment or authorization was granted. The Processors in this squadron had "Personal Codenames," and most of them were formerlymanders or vicemander, forcibly demoted from Captain and Lieutenant to 2nd Lieutenant or Warrant Officer. However, Lena answered with rity. Raiden was slightly amused to see the girl be a little more open, aspared to how tentative she was before. "Have you not been calling me Major too, Lieutenant Shuga and Second Lieutenant Lica? Is there a problem with me addressing you the same way?" "¡­You¡¯re right." Seo had nothing to say, and gave a wry smile. Lena is fine. Though she had said so, none of them had referred to her as such. It was likely they realized the barrier between them, and Lena had to address them as her subordinates, in an unacquainted manner. Though they conversed, they were not at the stage where they could address each other by personal names. If she were to act chummy with them, she would end up highlighting the fact that she was one of the oppressors, and that was a fine line never to be crossed. "¡­Then, erm, what about Captain Nouzen? Did something happen to him during the battle today¡ª?" "Ahh, no." Raiden nced aside at the wall isting the neighboring room. Everyone, other than Krena and Angel, were gathered together on this night, spending time in their own ways. However, they were not gathered in Shinn''s room, but Raiden''s. The other side of the thin partition was extremely quiet, not a single movement to be heard. "He¡¯s sleeping. He¡¯s tired." Shinn started to feel drowsy when they were having dinner, and he was already sleeping soundly by the time Raiden, who was on duty, was done cleaning up and checked on his room. The kitten next to him was purring unhappily, so Raiden took it out, andid a nket over Shinn. It was likely thetter would only wake up the following day. Over the three years Raiden had known Shinn, such a situation would happen every once in a while. Though he said he was used to it, it was tiring to hear the voices of the twenty four hours a day. Raiden and the others, with their Para-RAIDs set to the minimum, would not hear those voices. Nobody couldprehend what kind of world Shinn was living in. Once, just once, Shinn synchronized with an ex-Handler at the highest setting, and that Handler killed himself. Thetter had been deliberately giving wrong intel andmands, letting the Processors die for nothing, and reveled in it, resulting in a rookie, who had just been assigned, to be sacrificed amidst the confusion. Shinn was annoyed by the Handler''s actions, and during the next battle, set the Para-RAID to the maximum level, synchronized only with the Handler. The Handler never synchronized with them again, and the next day, they received a report from a messenger, stating that the Handler hadmitted suicide. Shinn was living in a world filled with such voices, and recently, Squad Spearhead had been hard pressed. "¡­I guess everyone, including the Captain, has been increasingly stressed in many ways¡­ never thought we would have KIAs¡­" "¡­Yeah." Lenamented, and Raiden nodded. Shinn was not the only one, for everyone else had been clearly weary during the recent battles, and were at their limits. Since the establishment of the squad, there had been eleven KIAs in Spearhead Squadron, almost half of the allotted number. Typically, this Squadron should be considered unable to battle, and had to be restructured. The frequency of the attacks, along with the numbers of the , had not changed in the slightest, so every member¡¯s responsibility in battle had increased. The enemy numbers had been beyond whatever they could handle, and the amounting fatigue resulted inpses of judgement, and increased the number of casualties. However, there had been no reinforcements, and even the vacancies of the trio who died in February, including Kujo, had not been reced. Lena¡¯s voice became stiff, as though she was pursing her lips. "I will expedite the request, and have the higher-ups prioritize the reinforcements here." Haruto gave Raiden a nce, and thetter let out a sigh, "Ahh¡­ I guess." "This Squad is in charge of defending the most critical bases, and has the privilege to be reinforced. I will ask the surrounding squadrons for reinforcements¡­ also, please hang on." "¡­Yeah." He nodded away in an ambiguous manner, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see Haruto and Seo shrugging. "¡­Hey, Angel, I say." Krena and Angel were the only ones in the showers. Angel was washing her long silver hair, and Krena was pouring warm water over her head. "What is it?" "Shouldn¡¯t it be time to tell that girl?" For some reason, Angel gave Krena an ted look. "Worried about the Major?" "Wha." She frantically shook her head. What is she saying!? "Not at all! Why should I be worried about that girl!? ¡­It''s just that, looking how, she''s not scared of Shinn, I just thought it¡¯s fine to tell her, that¡¯s all." Krena pursed her lips, pouting away. She hated Lena, how thetter was always saying such nauseatingly pretty words. However, Lena never thought of Krena''s precious squadmates as monsters, which was not something to take for granted. "Nobody has said it, I guess. Not Shinn, not Raiden¡­ if we did, that girl would probably never contact us again. It¡¯s better for us both." "I guess¡­ Kaie once said that¡­" You''re not a bad person. You shouldn''t be caring for us. "But it''s because of this that Shinn and Raiden haven''t said anything. They probably think that saying it will only hurt both sides." "¡­" Kaie was no longer around. This petite girl was always angsty about her t body whenever they showered, and always teased by others. Gone was that girl who was as obedient as a kitten, and all their friends who always enthusiastically discussed topics boys should never hear. At this point, only the two of them remained. Of the six female soldiers in the squadron, only Krena and Angel remained, everyone else had died. Krena was suddenly reminded of something, and lifted her head towards Angel. "Hey Angel." "Wha~tt?" "¡­Is it fine?" Angel¡¯s hands stopped washing her hair, and she shrugged. It had been more than a year since they first met, but it was the first time Angel was showering with her. Before this, Angel never stripped herself before anyone else, not even her female squadmates. "Yes, I guess it''s fine now. Since there''s only two of us, there''s nothing to hide." Her skin remained exceptionally pearly white, even in the steam. There were scars of various sizes all over her body, and in this aspect, she was no different from Krena. However, Angel¡¯s back clearly had some bright scars that obviously were not caused in battle. Krena could see word-like scars between the gaps of the long hair, and hurriedly looked aside. She could vaguely see the words "Daughter of a Whore." While Angel was almost a pure-blooded Alba, one of her ancestors had a Celesta bloodline. "¡­When he first met me, Daiya, he praised my pretty hair. He knew I had long hair to cover the scars, but he purposely asked if I had long hair because it''s pretty." As she said this with a calm tone, Angel finally looked up. The thin lips were trying their best to force a smile as they quivered, acting as though they did not belong to her. "Even that Daiya is no longer around. So, there¡¯s no need to hide now¡­" Krena had assumed Angel was crying, but thetter was not. Angel lifted her damp hair, and looked back at Krena, the kind face disying the usual, serene smile. "What about you, Krena? Not going to say it to him?" Angel never specified whom she was referring to, and did not have to prod. Krena knew very well. Krena lowered her eyes. "¡­Hm. I guess, I don¡¯t have the right to say those words." When she was first assigned to his squadron, truth be told, she was terrified. He was already infamous amongst them. The headless "Death God" with red eyes, ruling over the frontlines of the eastern battle zone. Most of those with "Personal Codenames" survived by sucking the blood of their deceasedrades, and most of them were malicious. Amongst them however, Shinn''s codename really stood out. Undertaker, the one who was always closest to death, and yet never could die, always simply burying others, no different from a death god. His codename was the most kindred, yet reviled existence on the battle. It was said that of his squad, everyone else other than "Werewolf" had died off. Some said that he was a harbinger of death, as his codename implied; others said he sacrificed the lives of hisrades to protect himself. It was onlyter on that she learned that, ever since he was conscripted, he was sent to the most turbulent of the areas the whole time. And during an umpteenth battle. Andmine unit crept under one of herrade''s unit, and blew it up. He was grievously hurt, suffering, but nobody else could do anything about it. Shinn alone quietly knelt by his side. Raiden was about to do so, only to be stopped by Shinn Krena, standing far away, saw Shinn draw his pistol. Everyone would do so, for self-defense, and also tomit suicide as ast resort. But on that day, for the first time, she learned of a third use. "I know it''s difficult for you. Try thinking of some happy things though, anything will do." For some reason, the dying person showed a smile. And their lips quivered. "Promise me¡­ take me along too, will you¡­?" "Yeah." The dyingrade extended the hand covered in blood and shattered organs, touching Shinn¡¯s face. Thetter did not blink. As she watched this, Krena felt it was the most sacred, beautiful scene to be seen. Our death god, thus she knew the reason why he was hailed as such by Raiden and the other squadmates who had joined earlier than she did. For he would always bring them along, he would bear everything, the names of his deceasedrades, their wishes, without exception, and keep going to the end of the journey. For the Processors could not enter the grave, destined to be forgotten, never able to know if they could see the sunrise on the following day, and this was an irreceable redemption they could never have yearned for. Truly, from the bottom of her heart, she had fallen for him. She was truly ted to think that when she were to die one day, he would take her along. She was no longer afraid, and started refining her skills until she was very proficient in marksmanship. If such a thing was to happen again, she could take over, so she thought. Even though she was fated to die, she wanted to remain by his side for a little longer. But, Krena turned off the tap, and looked up. She knew she could not do it. As long as she remained on this battlefield, she could never do so. She could not be like the Death God, able to go to the ends of the Earth while carrying the names and wishes of therades she fought alongside. . . But if that was the case, who would be the one carrying Shinn''s wishes¡­? ? "Hey, there''s one more here, Eighty Sixer." Once a month, the squadron would receive supplies airlifted from the , supplies that could not be provided by the production or automated nts. Shinn inspected the containers of supplies as listed, and lifted his head once he heard the transporter. There was a peeved looking officer wearing his military uniform shoddily, stroking his chin as he led two soldiers who were wielding assault rifles, probably for the purpose of intimidation. The soldiers had their rifle safeties on, and the bullets unloaded. Given their close proximity to Shinn, thetter could take them all down before they could fire, but it was pointless to do so, and he could not be bothered. "Your Handler (master) requested a delivery of this special ammunition. Hmph, bunch of pigs, to have a human worry so much about you¡­" The officer had an anti-st container behind him, a very bulky item with lots of packaging and a clearbel indicating explosives. Shinn looked on with surprise, and frowned. He did not remember ordering such a thing. And while Shinn remained silent, the officer suddenly leered. Most Eighty Sixers would subconsciously fight back, but the person before him seemed obedient and unfazed by anything. "Heard that your Master''s a woman. Hey, how did you pigs get her? Easily duped that naive Princess with just some sweet talk?" Suddenly, Shinn lifted his head at the officer. "So, do you want me to demonstrate with your wife? She''s feeling lonely this long night, right?" "You¡­!" The furious officer was about to go on a rampage, only to freeze up once he met Shinn in the eyes. The red eyes were as serene as ever, and showed no threatening intention, but for a white swine who lived his life in safety behind the , there was no way he was a match for a pig who lived on the battlefield. Shinn deliberately brushed aside the stiffened officer and went to the container. There was this serial number on the checklist, and it contained the signature of Lena he was used to seeing over the past few months. Beneath it, he spotted a line written on thebel. "Lune Pce¡­?" A short moment of thoughtter, Shinn widened his eyes, having been reminded of something. ? The party was a social gathering, an activity for many to gain leads, negotiate, and gather information. Mostly discussed were elegant, useless matters like the arts, music, or philosophy, but useless matters were useless. The za of the nc Neige Pce was filled with glittering lights and the noises of endless desires, and Lena escaped alone to a terrace which the stars shone upon, sighing. Personally, she disliked such parties, and she was frustrated with most of the males who came to discuss the topic unique to her age group. The Millizes were formerly nobles, investors. There were many aiming for the family''s prestige and inheritance. Luckily, nobody did speak to Lena. While the ck silk evening dress was not exactly a vition of the social dress code, it did clearly resemble mourning clothes when matched with ck gems and a white flower. Also, she did not take a drink, and merely stood silently by the flowers at the wall. All the poshdies there merely ignored her, save for a few troubled looks from time to time. Except for a few words with a stunned At and a troubled Carl-Stahl, there were somedies who would asionally praise her (literally and metaphorically) for having a flower on her head that matched the choker RAID device. It was truly rude of her to do so, but she had no intention to respond. For Lena, all these acts were simply idle foolishness, whether it was confining oneself by escaping reality, boasting self-pride in the pretentious, confined world, or showing desires of greed and lust. Furthermore, due to her own ipetence, she had caused the deaths of a few Processors¡­ Suddenly, her RAID device activated. "¡­Major?" "Captain Nouzen¡­ what is it now?" She immediately reached a hand for the device, pressed it, and responded softly. She should not bemanding at this time. Was there a massive battle that the second squadron could not handle¡­? However, Shinn¡¯s voice remainedposed. "It¡¯s the usual contact time, and you haven''t done so, so we contacted you. Did something happen? If it''s not convenient, another time is fine¡­" "I am fine. What is it?" Now that he mentioned it, it''s the usual contact time with Squad Spearhead. She turned her back on the party, and asked, as the darkness of the New Moon shone upon the garden. "''Special ammunition'' received. Reporting confirmation." Only the stars shone in the night, and a massive firework bloomed. The ming reaction resulted in a variety of vibrant colors being scattered in all directions, and they then fluttered like floating snowkes. Another boom echoed, and another shooting star shot out from the ground, passing through the extinguished snowkes, and exploded to form another vibrant firework. Whenever the petals bloomed, there was a raise of innocent, childlike cheers. It was no wonder, for most of them had never witnessed a firework since their childhood. The fleeting moments of fireworks lit their ted eyes, shining upon their dancing shadows. They could not light them up their the base after all, so the members of the squadron went to a nearby ser field that had be a dump. Wild grass grew through ground, the soldiers and mechanics scattered in bunches, and the "Juggernauts" waited silently outside. Fido, which came along with the maintenance crew, was putting the containers on the ground, lit the burner as a recement for a match, and lit them all one by one. Shinn was leaning by the "Undertaker," looking up as he watched yet another firework shoot up into the sky. "¡ªThank you very much for the fireworks." Lena heard some cheers from the other members. She realized Shinn might have increased the Para-RAID synchronization rate for her to hear, and felt ted. "It''s the Anniversary of the Revolution. You did see it along with your brother and parents, right? The others should be the same." Whenever the festival approached, the stores in the town wouldy out lots of fireworks. So Lena bought a fair bit of them, and had them delivered to the squadron. She issued a few bottles of fine wine to the workers of the logistical branch, did a few things to thebel, and stuffed them into the container. Fireworks are mmable, and need to be transported by carrier, while the container used was st-proof. The checklist had it listed as an explosive. She never thought she would end up bribing others, and yet was amazed to learn that it was a must if she had to do some unscrupulous things. "This is a tradition during the Revolution party, right¡­ can you see fireworks at the Presidential Hall?" "Erm." From the other side of the terrace, Lena looked over at the presidential residence. It seemed the fireworks had just began, and the multiple colors bloomed in the night sky along with the majestic anthem of the Republic. She was watching this intricate piece of firework art alone, and gave a forlorn smile. "I can. But the sky is too bright." The party on the streets and the many erratic lights were too bright. The air in the city was polluted, for energy was being wasted without a care. The massive mes that should be showing the dignity of the Republic were blurry due to how dull they were. Also, nobody else was watching the fireworks, not the ones in the party, nor the pedestrians on the streets. While the customized fireworks made by specialists were a lot prettier than the ones sold in the shops, the people did not seem to care. "The fireworks there should be pretty. The sky is dark, and the air is clean and clear." In the clear darkness of night, the fireworks were lit in a corner of a distant battlefield, blooming for the onlookers. I want to watch this along with them. Lena swallowed the words she nearly blurted out. She should not be saying such words. If she was willing to, Lena could head to the frontlines to investigate, but Shinn and the others had to remain put, and could not follow Lena and the others back behind the . The "together" was simply a short fleeting illusion, not a wish to be hoped for. After a thought, she said, "If possible, I want to invite everyone into the First Area to watch the fireworks. You will smile." It seemed Shinn gave a wry smile. "I don''t recall seeing so many fireworks over there." "So please witness them personally. Once the war ends, once you retire, together." Her voice gloomed. The names of Daiya and the other six members who died recently appeared in her mind. "I do wish Second Lieutenant Iruma and the others would be able to see this¡­ sorry, these words aren''t appropriate now." "No, I do think Daiya and the others would be happy, since we''re remembering the dead with fireworks for the first time. They didn''t like to be all gloomy and sad anyway." Kino and the others are probably happy with this ¡ª so Shinn ostensibly quipped with a smile. He was probably showing arger emotional changepared to usual, and probably moved to some extent. "Also, Angel finally cried. She''s always been bottling up her feelings alone, so in this sense, I''m grateful for the fireworks." "¡­" Daiya and Angel, the two who had remained close to each other for a long time. "Warrant Officer Emma probably will never forget this¡­" "Nobody will. Just as you never forgot about my brother, Major." After a moment of silence, Shinn continued, "I''m really d¡­ because I had already forgotten about my brother." Lena heard the quivering voice, and was left with some disbelief. It was the first time Shinn had been so frank with her. "¡­Captain Nouzen." "Can you please not forget about us, Major?" Shinn was probably joking. His tone, his voice, was dripped with mischief. However, as the synchronization rate was set higher than usual, Lena could sense the earnest wishes behind his words. If we die, even just for a moment. Please don''t forget about us. Lena slowly closed her eyes. They were so strong, had encountered countless battles, and had survived to this point. But for the time being, the possibility of death remained within reach, never departing. "Of course, I will not¡­ but." She took a deep breath, and clearly answered. This was her duty and responsibility, as dlena Millize, Handler of Spearhead Squadron. "Not only that, I am not letting another one of you die." Nevertheless, Lena kept reporting to her superiors, requesting reinforcements an umpteeth time. But Spearhead Squadron did not have a single soldier added to their file. ? On that day, during the sortie, four died. It was a simple assault mission, where they were attacking a frontline base of the . This base was a vantage point which enemy forces would attack from. However, it was simply bait, defenceless at first nce, butid out with traps everywhere. Shinn had determined the ambush and enemy units locations, and intended to avoid the front, attacking from the nks. For some reason, the enemy did not deploy any Eintagsfliege to jam the signals, and Lena did not see any enemy markers on the radar. Before they encountered the enemy however, Shinn and a few others sensed something amiss. "I''ve got a bad feeling about this," so Raiden muttered, stating what a few others had sensed. Perhaps it was an instinct that allowed them to survive through blood and death. It was not the ability to seek out the enemy by hearing the voices of the ghosts; it was a warrior''s sense of smell. The radar suddenly red, and a cannon shot in diagonally from the sky, exploding on the ground. A few subconsciously managed to evade at that moment due to the instinct they had. The "Griffin" (Chise¡¯s Unit) was a tadte, directly hit and reduced to ashes, while the "Fafnir" (Kino¡¯s unit) was too close to the shot, was hit by the shrapnel, and went silent. The other units were blown aside by the impact, tumbling around. At the same time, the second and third shots came along with explosions. Theputer calcted that the cannon shot was from 120 kilometers north-northeast. Nobody had seen such a st from such a long range, so abnormally fast too. The initial velocity of the shot was estimated to be at least four thousand meters per second, far beyond the firepower of a single shot. Even the enemy units in ambush were simply pawns to ensure Spearhead would remain in the st zone, thetter''s attempt to nk the sides considered. The detailed, cruel n was of apletely different level from the typical . Shinn, ever so alert, quickly discovered and destroyed the Ameise acting as scout, and the long ranged barrage suddenly stopped after ten shots or so (or perhaps there was some malfunction with the new instation). If he had not done so, even these elites would have been wiped out. And so, after losing four units, they managed to escape and retreat. The four KIA were Chise, Kino, Toma, and Kioto. There were only nine "Juggernaut" units left. More than half were killed, and their ranks were in the single digits. "I¡­" Lena was stunned, her voice quivering. She was parched. She had an ominous imagination, a premonition in her heart that caused her heart to race. She was anxious, at a loss of words. "I am demanding more soldiers. Right now, immediately. This is really weird¡ª!" Spearhead Squadron was too weary to be bothered. They werecking in numbers, unable to sufficiently rest, and could barely maintain the defense line by asking the surrounding squadrons for assistance or to temporarily take over. The superiors should have known, but they did not do anything. While the requests for reinforcements and resupplies had been easily approved, the request for more soldiers remained ignored. She once went straight to Brigadier General Carl-Stahl directly, at the risk of being used of nepotism, but never had a single one added to Spearhead. Shinn tersely said, "Major." "I am going to talk to the Brigadier General again. If not, then I will do anything to¡ª" "Major Millize." He called out again, and Lena went silent. "Everyone, no problems with this?" "¡­Yeah." Raiden answered for everyone. There was a heavy silence from them. "¡­What¡­?" "Major, it''s fine. No matter what you do, nothing will change." "Captain Nouzen, what do you mean?" "There will be no additional troops. Not even one." "¡­Eh." Shinn then quietly noted, The truth everyone knew, but never informed Lena of. "All of us will die. This Squadron is death row for that sole purpose." Chapter Volume 1 8 Before he matured, he could hear the unspoken voices of his mother, brother, and those around him, voices that were filled with much kindness and love. At that moment, he made up his mind, never to fawn around. That might be the cause of all this. His father died soon after conscription, and shortly thereafter, his mother was called to the battlefield. Ever since then, Shinn was together with his brother, living in a Church in the corner of a Concentration Camp, raised by a priest. The Concentration Camp Shinn lived in was a rebuilt vige, and the priest was a viger there. An Adria, the priest was strongly opposed to the directive to detain the Eighty Sixers, and refused to leave the Church and evacuate to the Eighty Five districts, remaining alone in the Concentration Camp that was barricaded by metal fences. As he was an Alba, he was shunned by the Eighty Sixers, yet he was on good terms with Shinn''s parents. When thetter were sent to the battlefield, the priest took care of the brothers, and did his best to raise them. If not for his actions, Shinn and his brother would not have survived the Concentration Camp. There was lots of outrage against the Albas who decided to forcibly contain them, the Empire that started the war, and the cruel fates that were bound to them, so without the priest''s protection, the duo, filled with a significant level of the Empire royalty''s noble blood, would easily be a target of rage. On the night before Shinn turned eight, they received news that their mother had died in battle. Back then, Shinn was still young, and unable to properly understand the fact that their parents were killed in battle. Though his parents were not with him, he could clearly sense their "voices." Suddenly, one day, that "voice" vanished, reced by a piece of paper. While someone else informed him that the paper stated that his parents were dead, the empty words seemed so surreal to him. They did not die as lingering silhouettes or skeletons, their "deaths" instead only expressed with a mere few sentences. For the child, who did not know what death was, the concept was insufficient for him to understand the meaning of an eternal farewell, and the disappointment and regrets of being unable to recoup anything. More than disappointment and regret, he felt confused. Even though others told him he would not see his parents again, that they would never return again, he did not understand what it mean. Just obey what the priest and your brother say, and be a good boy. So Shinn¡¯s mother said on the morning she departed, patting him on the head. Why isn¡¯t sheing back? He could not understand. So, he went to ask his brother. His brother Ray was ten years older than he was, and he knew everything, and could do anything. He would risk everything to protect his little brother, and doted on him more than anyone else. Thus, if he was to ask his older brother, he would surely answer. There was no light in the room. As the clear moonlight shone in, Ray stood alone. Shinn saw the back of his massive silhouette facing the door, and said, "Brother." Ray slowly turned around. His ck eyes were reddened as he was rubbing his tears, his anguish and sadness breaking out like a flood from a dam. However, the eyes looked extremely distant, unlike his usual cavalier demeanor, and that terrified Shinn. "Brother, where¡¯s mom?" The ck eyes seemed to show a crack. Shinn saw the eyes of his brother and heard the sigh, but he asked, "Is mom noting back? Why? ¡­Why did mom die?" The silence was like the darkness in the room with the lights shut, and something broke. The ice-encased ck eyes immediately shattered, revealing the magma-like madness within. The next moment, Shinn was choked with an astounding amount of force, mmed to the floor. "Ka¡­!" The lungs exhaled due to the pressure, and he was choked mercilessly on the throat with a vicious grip, shutting his windpipe down. His vision was blurred due to ack of oxygen. With all the weight and arm strength bearing down on him, his head was practically ripped off. Ray''s ck eyes were inches from him, giving off an extreme amount of excitement and malice. "¡ªIt''s all your fault." The murmur escape through the gaps between the gritted teeth. "It''s because of your presence that mom went to the battlefield. Mom died because of you. You killed mom!" It¡¯s all because of you. He could hear the "voice" of his brother. The inner voice was louder than the thundering growl he was giving. That hellfire of a voice, that blood-stained de of a voice, the consciousness behind it exposed upon him. It would have been good if you didn¡¯t have that ability. Someone like you should not have been born. Get out from this world right now. Die. "Sin. Your name. How fitting. It¡¯s all your fault. Everything is all your fault! Mom''s death, my inevitable death, it''s going to be all your fault!" His brother¡¯s growl, his brother¡¯s "voice," they were extremely scary. However, he could not move at all. Even though he tried shutting his ears, he could still hear that "voice." So Shinn chose to escape from there. He escaped deep into his consciousness, to the depths of his soul, until he could no longer see his parents. And without knowing, he lost consciousness, and everything dispersed in the darkness. He opened his eyes and found himself lying on the bed in the room, with only the priest next to him, his brother nowhere to be seen. "It''s fine," the priest told him. His brother was probably in the room, but he never saw his brother again. Ray quickly finished the procedures for conscription and, a few dayster, left the church. Shinn hid behind the priest as thetter led him to send his brother off. His brother never said a single thing, nor looked back at him. His sidelong face still appeared to be filled with fury. Shinn was scared that if he was to speak up, he would be scolded, and never said anything to the very end. His brother¡¯s "voice," which had always been by his ears, could no longer be heard. Several times, he summoned his courage and called out, but his brother never responded. Finally, he had to understand that his brother never forgave him¡­ and never would, for eternity. The scars on his neck never vanished, and would forever apany him. It was then that he could hear something amazing in the distance. He could not hear what the voice was saying; he could only understand that it was trying its best to tell him something. Finally, that voice started seeping into the words of humans, but he could not determine what it was. It was not anything like a broken recorder that kept reying the same contents, but something that yearned for something different. Nobody, not even the priest, could hear that voice. Naturally, Shinn understood what that was. It was likely that, on that night, he might have been killed by his brother. Killed, and perished. He died, but never vanished, only to remain on this world. That was why he could hear the voices of the ghosts, who were the same as him. On a certain day, his brother''s voice rang in his ears. His brother died, and his brother kept calling for him from the distance. It was on that day that Shinn did the paperwork, and joined the army. Chapter Volume 1 9 "What¡ª" For a moment, she did not understand what Shinn was saying. Everyone will die? Death row for this purpose? "What are you, saying¡­" At that moment, Lena realized. Six years ago, she met Ray. Back then, he was an Eighty Sixer, a Processor. The Eighty Sixers went to the battlefield of despair to regain the citizenships for themselves and their families. So why did Shinn, as Ray''s little brother, remain an Eighty Sixer when he should be a citizen of the Republic because of Ray''s service, and remain as a Processor on the battlefield? Also, this applied for the other Processors too. Every year, thousands of recruits were sent to the battlefield. What were their families and siblings doing? "That¡ª!" "Yeah. That''s it. Since the beginning, the white swine never thought of giving the Eighty Sixers citizenship at all." "They bluff us into being soldiers by using that as the incentive, and use us until we die. A bunch of white swine they are. Absolutely horrible." Lena kept shaking her head, trying to deny it. It was likely that, for her ideals, this was truly an uneptable fact. "How is this, how is this possible¡ª!?" Seo sighed. He was not trying to reproach her, he was anguished, and had simr thoughts to her. "Look, we''re not ming you here¡­ but think about it. Ever since the war started, have you seen a single Eighty Sixer inside the Eighty Five legitive zones?" "¡­Ah¡ª" Eighty Sixers were required to serve for five years in the military so that they could regain their citizenship. Even if they were to die before their terms ended, the other family members should have been receiving citizenship. However, the war had been going on for nine years. Logically, the families of the soldiers who died over these past nine years should have attained citizenship, but Lena had never ever seen a single one of them. Even though she was living in the first zone the entire time, that there were few Colorata in the first zone to begin with, it made no sense for her to not see a single one¡ª! Her foolishness left her utterly nauseous. She should have thought of it a long time ago. The brothers Shinn and Ray, the children who had their parents and siblings around when they were in the Concentration Camps, that she could only spot Albas in the first zone. She had seen them all before, yet ignored them; even at this point, she had foolishly believed the Republic was in the right. "Most of the Processors die before they retire from service, so the issue of the promised citizenship isn''t much even though they never abided by it. The key though is for those with ''Codenames'' like us, who lived through the hellish battlefield. We''ve been able to live through to today , aren¡¯t exactly stupid, and are heroes to the other Eighty Sixers; they''re probably scared that we will be the spark to a rebellion." Raiden''s voice was monotonous. He had lots of grudges against the Republic, but at this point, it was pointless to voice them. "Thus, they would have those with ''Codenames'' assigned to the areas with the most intense battles, hoping that they would then die. Most of those ¡®Codenamed¡¯ do die like this. However, there are those that just won''t die at all, and these people are sent to the first defense team in the first battle zone, thest death row. Once they have enough ''Codenamed'' to be executed, they have them sent here, and have them fight until every single one of them die. This is the objective of our squadron''s existence. There will be no new soldiers. Once we all die, the next batch to be executed will be sent over ¡ª this is our final battlefield. Sooner orter, we will die here." Lena felt dizzy, her worldpletely turned upside down. Having them continue fighting was not about protecting the Republic, but for them to die. That was no regimented conscription, but utter genocide through enemy hands. "B-But." Lena said, grasping at straws for thest bit of hope, "I-If you can fight on until the very end¡­" "Oh, there are some who just won''t die and live until the very end¡­ so to deal with these guys, at the end of their service, they will be sent to deal with some special recon mission, where the sess and survival rate is practically zero. Nobody will be able to survive. For those white swine, the trash''s cleared out. Job well done." "¡­" To protect their homnd, they ventured forth into the battlefield of death, even though their efforts would not be rewarded. If they survived long enough, they were deemed a cmity, and forced into a more dangerous battlefield, waiting to die. The squadron established for this execution continued to fight until this point. And at the very end ¡ª she was going to order them to die. Rage became tears, blurring her vision. This country had be so rotten, fallen. She recalled Seo and Raiden grumbling that there was nothing to do. She recalled Shinn having no thoughts about life after service. For they did not, and would not, have any future to look forward to, and no time to prepare for it. All that awaited them would be a signed execution order, the moment it would be implemented, never to be avoided. "Y-You knew about this¡­?" "Yeah¡­ sorry. Nobody dared say this to you, not even Shinn or Raiden." "Wh-When did you¡­?" Lena heard her own voice quaking. Krena answered, her voice exceptionally cold, "Right from the beginning. My older sister, Seo''s parents, Shinn''s family, none of them returned after they entered the battlefield, and we never left the Concentration Camp. The white swine will never fulfill their promises¡­ everyone already knew about it." "Then why do you still fight!? Have you not thought about running away¡­ taking revenge on the Republic!?" Upon hearing Lena''s anguished, furious question, Raiden closed his eyes, and gave a wry smile. "Where can we go to? The is before us, and we have mines and intercepting cannons behind us. Rebellion is an option¡­ but given our numbers, it''s impossible." If it had been the generation of their parents, there might have been a fighting chance. However, that generation of people fought on not to exact vengeance on the Republic, but for their families to regain lives as proper humans. If they did not fight with their utmost, the ones dead would be their families and children, locked in the Concentration Camps outside the . They could only believe in the sweet talk of the Republic, and continue the hopeless battle. Once their parents died, the generation of the eldest children understood that they would be unable to attain citizenship, and continued to fight to prove their identities as citizens of the Republic. They tried to fulfill their duties as citizens, fighting for their country, and pick up the identities and pride that their country had trampled upon. They wanted to prove that they were real citizens of the Republic, they who had fought and given their all, and not the white swine who had abandoned their duty to defend. And for Raiden and the others, they had nothing. The families they wanted to protect were long gone, and they were all too young when when they were sent to Concentration Camps or locked in the cramped gardens. Whether it was their memories strolling freely on the streets, or their experience of being treated as humans, that time was way too distant for them. All they knew was a life boxed in by metal fences and mines, a lifestyle no different from livestock, and the oppressors who had created everything, called the Republic. They did not know of the Republic who had once hailed freedom, equality, fraternity, justice, and purity, and were reduced to livestock before they even realized they were citizens of the Republic, and proud of it. To Raiden and the others, they did not think of themselves as citizens of the Republic. They were Eighty Sixers, born to the battlefield, and to die on the battlefield, the homnd they were most familiar with being the battlefield surrounded with enemies, and they were citizens who would meet their demise in battle. Such was their identity, their pride. The Republic of San Magnolia was simply a foreignnd, only for white swine to live in, and they did not care. "Then, why¡­" Thus, they had no need to answer her doubt. But they wanted to tell her. Even in the face of angryshings, even after hearing the chilling groans of the ghosts, she insisted, and even desired to interact with them. Perhaps they had all been touched by the foolishness of that obstinate girl. Raiden''s squadmates remained silent, but not because they refused to say anything. Once he was sure of this, Raiden spoke up, "Until I was twelve, I was hidden by an Alba granny in the ninth zone." "¡­? What¡­" "The one who raised Shinn was an Alba priest who refused to retreat, and stayed inside the Concentration Camp. Seo did mention the story of his squad leader, right? We know the white swine are those that did those despicable acts, and of them all, Krena saw the worst of them. Angel and Shinn even saw some Eighty Sixers who were as despicable as they are." Some were so unbearably uncouth, and some remained dazzlingly pure. They were clear on what one of them, or both of them, were like. "So we made our decisions. It''s simple. How to be a despicable cad, and how to be a noble, upright person." Inside the cramped cockpit, he straightened his body, and looked up. He had long forgotten about the old granny''s teachings about God, or the words to say for prayer. However, the image of her lying on the road, wailing away shabbily remained fresh in his mind. "If we wanted to take revenge, it wouldn''t be that difficult; just give up fighting. Let the pass through¡­ we won¡¯t survive, but the Republic would be doomed. There are times when we do think the white swine should all be killed." Even though theirpatriots in the Concentration Camps would be doomed as well, it was a matter of years until they died¡­ for the Processors, the choice to give up was not a difficult one. "But, well, even amongst the Albas, there are those who chose toe here to die, and even if we want to take revenge like that, the oue remains the same." "¡­" Lena did not seem to understand. Are you really fine with this? Such words could almost be heard from her. Raiden waspletely gobsmacked. This girl''s really kind, and also stupid. Perhaps she had never thought about revenge or something like that. The real hatred and vengeance was not simply about killing off those they hated. "True revenge is only done by having the offenders thoroughly understand what they did, regret and kneel on the ground, begging for forgiveness while wailing, before killing them¡­ but the white swine have already done all kinds of disgusting things. No way they will be reflecting on their actions just because of a rebellion or utter defeat, you know? You won¡¯t be reflecting on your own ipetence, instead justmbasting others as trash, and act as a victim, a tragic hero¡­ no way will anyone else want to be like those scumbags who end up being delusional." Before he knew it, his voice was filled with rage. For them, that was the most unforgivable act. The soldiers who mocked the granny who resisted out of kindness. The weak, dreaming citizens who shut their eyes and ears, running away from the reality that was war, and hid behind the . The white swine who refused to fulfill their duties, and robbed the rights of others, unabashedly hailing that only they were noble and upright, and unable to understand the hypocrisy of their actions. No way would anyone else want to end up like them. "While the scum did inhumane things to us, if we do simr things to them, we''ll end up as scum, just like them. If there is the option to fight the until the very end, or to give up and die, then we will choose to fight until the very end, never giving up, and never being reduced to trash. This is the reason why we fight, our raison d''etre, our pride¡­ though it might appear that we''re protecting the white swine, that doesn¡¯t matter now." They were the Eighty Sixers, discarded upon the battlefield, citizens of the battlefield. They would fight until they werepletely exhausted, fight and live on to the very end, with their own abilities, and that would be their pride. The Handler girl bit her lips. Everyone sensed a sense of rustic blood not belonging to them. "You know the oue¡­ that you won¡¯t be able to escape death, right?" Her voice seemed to be yearning for their vengeance, inflicted upon herself. Raiden grimaced, "Nobody''s going to hang himself just because he''s going to die tomorrow. We''re going to get onto the guillotine sooner orter, and we''re going to choose how we do it. We made our decisions already. We''re just going to keep living with our convictions." And it was because they knew the meaningless, tragic death was inevitable that they could face it head on. The doors to the empty hangar remained open, and Raiden stopped in his tracks once he saw the shadow and "Scavenger" approaching. It was night, in the beginning of Autumn, and the air was chilly, the moon a little blue, and in the pitch ck sky above, the stars exceptionally sharp. The stars and moon remained so dazzling, so hear, even though some died on that day. This world definitely would not show bias towards humanity. Even without humanity, the Earth would continue to revolve. "¡ªIt''s fine. This isn''t your fault. Thanks for today too." "¡­Pi." Shinn saw Fido leave gloomily as it lowered its shoulders (literally bending its front end forward), and returned to the hangar. Raiden asked him, "Kino and the others?" "Yeah. Seems like it can¡¯t find the scraps of Chise''s unit. It¡¯s been a while since we found a recement." "Can''t we use the ne model Chise used instead? The main wing should be fine¡­ but we can''t find the scraps. Guess nothing really remains after that shot." On this day, Fido had scavenged about for a very long time. Having followed the death god for a while, it learned however to seek the shrapnel of KIA units, and provided them for Shinn to write down their names as a memorial. While it was not Fido''s job originally, it had be its prioritized mission. Raiden had heard Shinn mention that Fido was taught to do so. In the past, Fido cut away the debris with the personal mark, and Shinn dumped that into the cockpit of the "Undertaker," together with the other metal gravestones he had. "Look, you''re probably not too bothered by it, but I just want to say that it''s not your fault." Shinn''s ability could only detect the position of enemies, and was unable to determine their type. He could somewhat infer it based on the enemy''s formation and numbers to some extent, but it was impossible for him to determine that there was a brand new unit type way behind the . Shinn nced at Raiden, and shrugged wordlessly, probably showing that he really was not bothered. Raiden, however, felt that it was fine. Those killed were mentally prepared, did their best, and died. It was their fault, not others'', not Shinn''s. The clear red eyes looked up at the sky above the battlefield, and Raiden followed suit. The hyper long distance cannon was there in the day. "¡­I thought the next shot would have hit the base directly. This is unexpected." "The heavy cannon''s purpose is to provide suppressing fire and destroy stationary targets. It can¡¯t snipe armored weapons precisely, and isn''t used to attack squadrons. It''s likely the attack target is a city, or a base. I¡¯m guessing they fired a few shots at us as a test." Raiden sneered, "A few shots, and four down, huh? No way we can fight." "If it''s actually used, the Republic, not just four people, will be wiped out. It¡¯s one thing if it''s us here¡­ but what is the Major going to do? Let''s hope they have some countermeasures there." Shinn tly spoke, but Raiden was a little bemused. It seemed Shinn had not realized it at all. "¡­What?" "Nothing." Never before had Shinn been worried about a Handler. "¡­Anyway, it''s the same as a Scorpion, there''s an observation unit at the target area. Right now, they aren''t firing." "You know that too?" "I remembered the voice. No matter which one it is, I can tell once it starts moving the next moment¡­ it''s unlikely they¡¯ll fire again though." "¡­?" Raiden looked at Shinn in shock. Thetter kept staring at the distant battlefield, narrowing his eyes. "I''ve been found. More or less, he''s sharing the optical sensor with an Ameise." "¡­! Your brother¡­!?" Raiden gasped audibly. He knew. They had never met, but they had fought against the led by him a few times. That "Shepherd''s" tactics were devious, cruel, and terrifyingly delicate. Shinn looked over at where the enemy was most likely at, and smiled. It was the smile of a war devil, mixed with an equal portion of fear and guts, a challenge against Death itself. His slender body was shaking, and he subconsciously cupped his body with his arms. "I already knew he''s in this battle zone, but he finally found me. Next time, he''sing for my life. He''s not going to take the easy option and finish me off with that cannon." Raiden felt a shiver as he saw his usually s¨¦rade give off a maniacal presence like never before, and had to narrow his eyes. Shinn was looking for his brother, the one who had once killed him, the one who had died in a certain ruin on the Eastern battlefront, his head taken away by the enemy, and who was taken by the . The Death God was smiling. It was an icy de, sharp and cold, a twisted, demented smile. The cold leer was akin to an ancient de that been deformed and honed due to the many battlefields, aiming at its prey, aiming to end its existence. "For me, it''s a perfect opportunity not to be missed, but it doesn''t look like you guys are lucky¡­ what now? Go hang ourselves before we die tomorrow?" Raiden too was leering heinously. It was born out the stubbornness of a hungry wolf following its survival instincts, leaping madly at its prey, an intense will to live. "129 days till Run Out Date!! Fucking Glory to Spearhead Squadron!!" The Run Out Date, or their deaths. That show of stupid optimism was a countdown to their execution. The countdown had been stopped for the moment, and the actual number of days left was thirty two. Even if that number reached zero, they would continue to fight, until the day they died. "You kidding me¡­ we''re going along with you, our Death God." ? "Eh, how do I put it though¡­ this is really something our country would do." After hearing Lena''s exnation, At looked utterly speechless. Both of them hade to At''s researchb so as to avoid any eavesdropping. The tabletop had a pair of matching white and ck bunny mugs, along with some strange cookies that were half purple, half pink. "Please, At, help. We have to¡­ stop this." At maintained a disinterested look as she picked up a cookie. Her silver eyes turned towards Lena. "And the details?" Those eyes were dry and cold, like those of a witch who had lived thousands of years, and was aloof to everything else. "Are you going to present a speech on TV? Negotiate directly with the superiors? You know that''s pointless, right? If people could have a change in heart just by hearing an idealized, riveting speech, things wouldn''t have ended up like this. You know this logic well." "That is¡­" "I said that''s enough already. It''s pointless. You can''t do anything here. So¡­" "Stop, At." Lena finally had enough of listening, and interrupted. At was an important friend. Even so, she could not let her friend say such a thing. "This is an important matter of life and death. You know that, no¡­ you are remaining as the viin by inaction. Enough fooling around." "You are the one fooling around!" At suddenly stood up. Faced with her sudden outburst, Lena was speechless. "Haven''t you had enough already!? How many times must I say that we can''t do anything!? We can''t do anything to help those people!" "At¡­!?" "I had a friend." At''s voice suddenly quieted, as though the shout was an illusion. It was the feeble voice of a hapless girl, who was lost as a result. "It''s the neighbor''s child. My father, and that child''s father were both researchers at the same university, friends even. I used to y with that child often. That child''s mother, the whole family, had some strange ability. That aunt, that child, and his brother who''s older by a few years, they could sense each other even though they weren''t together." Her father was a neurologist, a researcher analyzing brain functions as humans interacted with each other. That child''s family was an expert in Artificial Intelligence, and yearned to produce an Artificial Intelligence which could be friends with humans. Thus, the research never caused harm to others. They put on the toy-like sensor, and spoke to someone else in another room, enacting an experiment that was like a game. It was boring from time to time, but At insisted to y along too, and even participated in the experiment. The trial testers for the actual experiments were students from her father¡¯sb, basically all of them, hoping to gain credits, and also to get the sweets made by her mother. There was not much progress in the research, but At was really happy. "But everything ended when the war began." She entered elementary school, but that child never came along. Back then, the discrimination against Colorata had be really dire. In school, At was bullied, berated for having a dirty Colorata friend, and was really peeved about it. Once she got home, she found the boy waiting at her home, hoping to y with her, and she vented all her frustrations upon him. They had a squabble. She got increasingly infuriated, You Colorata are filthy, and finally blurted it out. That boy never looked really sad, but instead, confused, as he did not understand what she was saying. There was a divide between them that could no longer be mended, and caused by none other than herself. Faced with this fact, At shivered. She was terrified. Utterly terrified. Her parents discussed the matter of hiding her friend''s family, and weighed the friendship with her friend with their own safeties; when her father inquired her, she answered. Her father was probably hoping for someone to prompt him, and help him make the decision. However, she pointed in the opposite direction. I don''t care about that child. I''m not going to be in danger just because of him. The following day, that child and his family were brought to a Concentration Camp. All she could say to herself was that she had no choice, that she could only do this right from the beginning. However. At gave a crooked smile. That should have been the case, so why is this friend before me so trusting of me? "Hey, Lena. You kept acting like some pure Saintess, but you''re an aplice too¡­ think about it. How many Eighty Sixers were killed for that RAID device you''re wearing?" "Wait." Human experiment¡­ "Voices needed to be conveyed, so animals can''t be used for the experiments. We say that Eighty Sixers are not humans, but we used them as humans for this instance¡­ we had to get results as soon as possible, and never thought about the safety of the testers in the design of the experiment. My father was assigned to be the head of this research." While At''s father had never said anything to her, she did read through his records. Most of them had their brains burned out due to the excessive burden, and lost their personalities, before dying off in endless pain. The adults were taken to beborers and soldiers, and the ones used for experimenting were all children. The Eighty Sixers had no names left behind, and were managed as numbers. Thus, did the children of the same age as that boy, who died tragically in the experimentalb in a certain Concentration Camp, include that boy himself? Neither her father nor anyone else could affirm. "Father''s death was not an ident. He killed himself." He, who left his friend for dead, and personally caused the deaths and suffering of many more, would certainly die off in more anguish than any single one of them. Yes, that was what her father kept repeating. There was no way he could have implemented a wrong value by mistake. So I, who left that child for dead, share the same sin. So At thought as she took over her father''s research. A Handler killed himself. The military had her investigate the dead''s RAID device. Once she heard that the cause might be rted to a single Processor, she suddenly had a thought. If I have the military bring that Processor over for investigation, what will happen? If that person is an important experimental sample, I can hide him until the war ends. It''s no different from detention, but he can live. I can save someone, even if it''s just one. So she thought, and she was shocked by that thought. Because back then, she refused to help that child. When she heard the trash in the logistical department refuse to carry out their jobs, she heaved a sigh of relief. See, I can''t do anything after all. I can''t save a single one. "But you are the same too." It wasughable. This friend before her was too kind, too foolish, and never thought of these things, not knowing how low humanity''s malice would stoop too. "You can''t do anything too ¡ª it''s because you continue to insist that they remain alive that you have to order them to ''die,'' right? You could have just yed along with them, let them die sooner, and now you''ve dragged your feet for so long that you have to personally order them to. It''s all your fault!" Lena gasped. At was utterly relieved, and yet guilt-ridden as she saw that pearly face gradually turn pale. Again, I made the same mistake. Again. She grabbed the mug, and threw it hard into the trashbin. It was the matching mug they had both picked out and packaged together. The first cup of coffee was brewed in this room. The porcin shattered, like a shriek in her feeble heart. "I really hate you, Lena¡­ don''t let me see your face again." ? From then on, Spearhead Squadron undertook another two interception mission, and again, three people died. During the two missions, the tactics differed vastly from any of the ones they had previously encountered. The long-distance cannons were used, and the tactics were guileful, cruel, and sharp. Shinn said that the enemy had a "Shepherd." Ever since the long distance cannon was used, it remained in the backlines,manding, and never came to the frontlines. During that time, Lena could not do anything. Whether it was to provide covering fire, or to revoke the punishment. And finally, she received the order. "A long-term scouting mission to head into the deepest part of the controlled territory¡ª!?" Once she saw the contents of the absurd mission on the PDA, she groaned. The participants of this mission would be all of the "Juggernauts" which had survived since the initial formation of the squadron. The destination of this mission was the very end. There was no time limit. During the mission, if any member was to retreat or return, they would be deemed as deserters, and were to be executed immediately. At the same time, all records of the members'' Para-RAID, login of units, and Republic Military ranks were to be deleted. They were allotted a month''s worth of supplies for this mission. And also, all support from HQ or other squadrons was forbidden, and not recognized. ¡­Utterly preposterous. No way it was a scouting mission. It was simply to have them enter the enemy ranks and die meaninglessly, just not stated in ck and white. It was not even a mission to begin with. They could not survive days, let alone a month. With the continuing to attack, the scouting forces would be wiped out. After countless meaningless battles, they were still going to be abandoned deep inside the battlefield, and die alone. Lena gritted her aching teeth, and stood up abruptly, ignoring the chair that had toppled over. "Are you requesting that I retract the special scouting assignment, Lena?" "Please, Uncle Jerome. We cannot allow this to continue." Lena lowered her head desperately before herst bit of hope, Carl-Stahl. While doing her investigations to stop this mission, she had learned that this pointless order was a "tradition" in the Republic''s Army that had existed and endured to the present time. Spearhead was not the only case. There was the Razoredge Squadron, the first defense squadron on the first battle zone along the southern battlefront, Longbow Squadron, the first defense squadron on the first battle zone along the western battlefront, and Sledgehammer Squadron, the first defense squadron on the first battle zone along the northern battlefront. These squadrons were all wiped out within six months, and the few survivors were all sent for a "special scouting" mission, the survival rate being zero, no exceptions. Truly, they were sending all the Eighty Sixers who lived until the very end to the final execution ground, just to wiped them out¡ª Carl-Stahl looked at the report in his hands. "¡­Impressive. Typically, only one or two would participate in the special scouting mission. You are the only Handler who could have a small squadron participate in this ¡ª so I said, do not do anything unnecessary." "¡­" It''s because of you that they have lived to today, for nothing. She recalled At''s words, and was left terrified. However, she gritted her teeth, and begged. "Please. The Republic¡­ we cannot continue to make this mistake." "¡­" "As you said, morals and justice may not be enough to move them, but what about the benefits to the country? We are just losing outstanding Processors, fighting strength for the Republic, and it benefits the Republic, safety-wise. If it is you, you should be able to discuss this during the National Defense Meeting, or an open debate¡­" Carl-Stahl frowned as he heard Lena out. He then slowly spoke up, still frowning, "The Republican Government and its people are all secretly thinking that having all the Eighty Sixers wiped out will be the greatest benefit to the Republic, and the Republic''s army is simply epting this ideal. Now why do you not think this way?" "What¡­!?" She was stunned. Ignoring all formalities, she mmed her hands on the antique desk, and leaned forward. "What are you saying!? I just said that this is simply a waste of the Republic''s strength and conscience." "If there are any Eighty Sixers left alive after the war ends, everything we did to them shall be criticized and rpensed. Forced detention, confiscation of property,pulsory military service, have you ever thought about how much everything would cost? Do you think the citizens of the Republic now would agree to increased taxes for pensions?" "¡­This¡­" "And if there are any surviving countries nearby, we have already hurt theirpatriots. Once this is revealed to the world, the Republic shall lose its reputation and pride, and will be shamed for millennia as oppressors¡­ all the consequences can be erased, as long as all the Eighty Sixers die off." She gasped, and gritted her teeth. She recalled the words Shinn said. "So that is why you never reimed the corpses of the KIA, and never buried them¡­!" "Yes. And to add on, there are no records of the dead, whether in the concentration camps, or within the confinements of the . All the personal records of the dead Processors have all been deleted. The moment they are all dead, they will have never existed. Since they never existed, nobody can say that they were oppressed, and all facts that undermine the fraternity of the Republic will be void." "¡­To think the people of the Republic are so vicious¡­" For some reason, Carl-Stahl''s expression had a tinge of anguish to it. "Secretly, this is what everyone thinks. A small minority dare to say it, but most have quietly allowed it, either apathetic about it or just following along, but even so, they have all agreed to this¡­ this is the result of the Republicanism we are so proud of, Lena. Most of the people hoped to sacrifice the Eighty Sixers for their own benefit. Since the people have so decreed it, we as soldiers can only abide. What do you think?" Lena mmed the table, which gave a blunt sound that dispersed tly in the room. "Republicanism is definitely not about sacrificing the few for the benefit for many! There is a need to treat every single person equally, no matter what; that is the teaching of our five colored g, and the constitution built for this purpose, right!? If we cannot do this, what is this will of the Republic!?" At that moment, Carl-Stahl''s eyes showed a heavy glint. It was a reproaching one to Lena, and also, a deep resentment towards something vague and distant. "If there are no values worth respecting on the Constitution, the Constitution is just a worthless piece of paper. Like the revolutionary San Magnolia back in the day, all the revolution''s government needed was her name and image, and after the monarchy was toppled, the Saint was secretly executed in jail." Lena gasped as she heard that spiteful tone. It was the first time she had heard her uncle''s voice filled with such entrenched fury. "Are you saying this is violence? Of course. This is the result of letting the foolish people do whatever they want; giving political power to those who want unlimited power and yet are unwilling to bear it. This is the result of handing this political power to animals who only care about trampling over others, and consider nothing but their own benefits and desires. They harp upon the Saint, but all they do is to stain the name of the Saint with their folly. What else can thezy, despicable imbeciles do other than the bad!?" This agitated Carl-Stahl suddenly had a change in tone, and let out a deep sigh, sinking deep into his armchair. "Lena, for us humans, freedom and equality is too distant¡­ probably unattainable." Lena''s eyes showed no expression. She could only lower her head at the man she once saw as her second father, the one she admired. She had no choice other than to endure the condescension that was rising in her heart. "All that shows is that you have fallen into despair, and you have tried rationalizing it¡­ it is a grave mistake to watch the innocents lose their lives, and do nothing, all for this reason." Carl-Stahl lifted his eyes back towards Lena. His silver eyes were weary, defeated. "This hope you speak of, hope, is unable to save anyone. Ideals too. Because they are so exalted, we are not affected in the slightest. Because our ideals, our hopes, are unable to move anyone¡­ you came to me, did you not?" Lena gritted her teeth. He was right. "Despair and hope are actually the same thing. They are two sides of the same coin, always being sought, but never to be attained." "¡­" But even so, even if it was pointless, there was the choice to await their fates. Even if it was pointless, there was the choice to fight fate to the very end. The two choices clearly differed. But this man before her might never understand this point, ever. Ahh, I see, so this is despair. "¡­Farewell, Brigadier General Carl-Stahl." ? At the same time that Lena received the special scouting mission, Spearhead Squadron received the same orders, and everyone began preparations without saying anything more. They sorted out the airdropped supplies for the mission, and ensured that all the necessary items in the base were in fine condition, even the "Scavenger" that was chosen to transport the supplies. The "Juggernauts" could not be maintained and repaired once the mission started, so the maintenance team checked through all the "Juggernauts" thoroughly. The Processors, who were not returning to this base, checked through their belongings. The preparations were summarized in a report, and submitted to Shinn. Thetter''s job was to check through all the items and ensure they were in proper state. Audreht, who was proficient in supply preparations and allocation, volunteered to handle the preparation work. The empty hangar seemed so empty as he and Shinn remained in a corner filled with containers, leisurely affirming that all the checks were done. "Rations, energy packs, ammunition, spare parts, we loaded them up just as needed. And for this stupid squad leader, a few extra leg parts. You know how to do some simple repairs, right?" "Yeah. I always wreck them." "Shitty brat, always with the stupidebacks¡­ you only have one unit. Don''t fight in that same manner now." Once he had the old mechanic mutter so with a deep, earnest voice, Shinn merely shrugged. Even though he was asked to do so, he could not do what he was incapable of. If he did not go all out against the enemy units, he would have trouble saving his own life. "It''s the end already. Can¡¯t you just say ''copy that,'' even if it''s a lie? Just do what I say here, okay?" "Sorry." "Goodness, you cheeky brat¡­" Audreht snorted, and silence then beckoned upon the surrounding space. Shinn did not mind this awkward atmosphere, while Audreht scratched his cotton white hair, and spoke up, "¡­Shinn. Once all preparations are done, call all the kids here. I''ve got something to say to you lot." Shinn was a little skeptical, and tilted his head towards Audreht''s grim face shielded by his sunsses. What is it? He was about to ask, but the Para-RAID activated, and he could only swallow his words. "¡­Captain Nouzen." "Major. What is it?" Shinn answered, gesturing that he was unavable. Audreht nodded, and left. "¡­The special scouting mission has been ryed to me." "Affirmative. Preparations are proceeding smoothly with no dys. Is there any change in the situation?" Unlike Lena''s strangely grim tone, Shinn was as nonchnt in his response as usual, as though he had just received another typical order. Once she heard the callousness of that tone, Lena gritted her teeth. "I apologize. Given my capabilities now, I really cannot retract the orders." Lena pursed her lips. A momentter, she finally had enough, and spoke up. "Please run away. You have no need to fulfill this foolish order." She was utterly ashamed of her own ipetence. She could not retract this preposterous order, and could only give such irresponsible advice. His answer remained poised and serene. It was a question, but in essence, it was a denial. "Where to?" "¡­" She knew. There was no ce for them to run to. Even if there was, they would not survive. With so few of them, they could not ensure the most basic of food. It was obvious. No person could survive alone. Thus, people gathered together, forming viges and cities, and built countries. The establishment meant to sustain human livelihood was going to sentence them to death. There was an inexplicable rage rising in Lena''s heart, and she eximed, "Why are you, always like this¡­!?" She could not bear to see him ept his death so callously, like a death convict who had admitted his guilt, even though he had never sinned! "Because there is nothing to have a grudge over. Everyone dies, and we will just die earlier than others. Pointing the finger is not going to change that." "But you cannot be saying that! You are going to be killed!? Your future, your hopes, even your lives are going to be taken away from you without reason, and yet you do not have any grudges? There is no way this can happen!" Shinn went silent as he heard her weeping voice. After a while, he finally spoke up, with a grimace in his voice. "Major, we are not sending ourselves to our deaths." His voice had no sense of longing or reluctance, instead it sounded crisp and clear. "Until today, we have been locked up here, bound here. Everything is going to end though. We can finally head forth to a road we can look forward to, to the distant ce we are hoping for. Can you please not belittle the precious freedom we have here?" Lena kept shaking her head. That was not freedom. Real freedom is permitted byw, and does not intrude upon the rights of others. The desire to go anywhere, to do whatever they want, or freedom of thought that remains unhindered, this freedom is a right any individual should have. To choose their burial ground the next day, to choose the path towards death. Such limited choices surely could not be considered freedom. "Th-Then, at least, please do not fight. You should know where the is, so you can avoid them and safely move on¡­" "That is impossible. Even if we do know where they are, it is impossible for us to pass through without them being alerted. To move forward, we must fight¡­ we are already aware of that." For a moment, Shinn grinned. He was not saying that he knew, but that he was eagerly looking forward to it. Lena finally lowered her eyes, unable to endure this. Thus, "¡ªYou want to fight your brother, who is in the , right?" Silence lingered. Finally, Shinn sighed with some frustration. "¡­Why is it that you always notice such useless things?" "Of course I would. That''s because." When he said that he was seeking the deceased Ray, and the "Shepherd" in the first battle zone, Shinn showed a cold, broken smile, just like the one now. Shinn himself might not have noticed it. Just as one would not notice his own facial expression, he might have been the only one who never noticed the thoughts in the bottom of his heart. Fear, rage, persistence, drive, countless emotions were intertwined, forming a merciless, maniacal de leaping towards him. It was not anticipation, but the opposite. "All the more that I cannot allow you to battle. Even if it is the , to fight against your own brother is¡­" "Brother is a ''Shepherd.'' We cannot avoid him." His voice was stiff, spiteful. It was the first time she had heard a voice filled with rage from him. "Captain." "If you are willing tomand, please do not synchronize with us¡­ Raiden and Kaie must have said it countless times already." She heard the icy tone, and gasped. This intensity from Shinn came only for a moment, and then, he let out a long sigh, reverting back to the usual nonchnt tone. "¡­Major, you don''t have tomand us anymore." "That¡­" "I''ll correct what I just said¡­ I don''t want you to hear my brother''sst words." He did not want Lena, the girl who knew only of Ray''s outstretched kind hands and smile, hear the voice of curses and malice. "¡­" "And one other thing. Further East from here, beyond the border, there are no voices of the ." He sounded as though he was callously mentioning something he had just forgotten. Or perhaps, he was deliberately speaking with such a tone, to hide something. "¡­Captain Nouzen." "Maybe that is the maximum hearing range for me, or maybe there are other survivors on the other side. If it''s thetter, the Republic will probably be saved before it gets wiped out¡­ without the ''Shepherd,'' the will be confused for the time being, and we can buy some time until then. So, please hang until then, Major." His tone remained aloof, icy, but there was an earnest wish behind it. Hearing his words, Lena could only clench her fists. ? During the interception battle that day, Haruto was killed. It was the first time that Lena had not takenmand, from the beginning to the end of the battle. And so, the day to undertake the special scouting mission came. They boarded the "Juggernauts," and activated the system, showing lines of messages and checksum results on the screen. The sub-screen showed the number of friendlies. Raiden nced at it, and snorted. "Five of us, huh? Too bad for that Haruto." If he could have survived another two days, he could have joined in on their parade to paradise. He could hear a sigh from Seo through the synchronizedmunicator. "In the end, Major never contacted us, huh?" "What? You''re sounding pretty lonely there Seo." "No, not at all¡­ but." Seo tilted his head slightly. "Maybe I was a little concerned? More or less." "Given that she''s apanied us till this point, I suppose she could have said goodbye." "Right, I feel the same, Angel. Doesn''t matter if she''s around, but if she was, she could have said something." "That''s enough already. We told her many times not to bother about us, and now we''ve finally shaken her off. Isn''t this fine?" Krena seemed a little peeved as she said so. Seo and Angel were holding in theirughter, What''s with that? and she puffed her cheeks in response. Raiden tapped the inner wall of his cockpit, quietly agreeing. He never expected that Lena would never contact them again since that incident. He did not think she would retreat at this moment¡­ but she might have been quietly distraught due to some stupid guilt. I wanted to say a few words to her¡­ doesn''t matter now. The final checks were done, and the units activated. The disy screens flickered a few times before they lit up, and appearing on the monitor was the maintenance crew that had spent time with them for half a year. Though they knew the ones on the outside could not see, everyone lowered their heads deeply. Fido waited quietly at the back of the procession. It carried a month''s worth of supplies, living necessities, and another five containers of ammunition installed at its legs, resembling a centipede. Thus, everyone got ready. Once they took the next step forward, they could not turn back. Once the operation began, their military ranks, along with the login records stashed in the Republic Army HQ, would all be thoroughly erased, and the login message to register the Handler formand purposes was to be deleted at noon, or perhaps they would be unable to connect once they left the jurisdiction area. Once they retreated, they would be met by Republican fire, and they could only head forth towards thend of death, until they themselves died. For some reason, even when faced with such a future, Raiden was exceptionally calm. When he was first assigned to this squadron, he had already been prepared for this. Back then, Daiya was still alive, and there were the six of them. These six boarded a transport carrier from their respective old squadrons, and he met Kaie, Haruto, and Kino in this camp. The members had amemorative photo together, and pasted it on the squad book. Whenever the squadron was shuffled, they would take photos again. They all held papers containing their numbers, standing before the wall with the markers like prisoners. Once the squadron disbanded, all of its data would be abandoned, and their photos would probably be deleted on this night, not a single one would remain. They once begged a kind-looking soldier to take a photo of them¡­ but how long would it remain? That night, all of them stood together, and swore. Even if they were ridiculed as pigs, they would never fall and be pigs. They would fight until the bitter end, until thest man. Not bad. Managed to survive till five were left. He chuckled, and naturally thought of their squad leader, the "Undertaker," along with the mark that was etched on his unit, the headless skeleton lifting a shovel. It symbolized the Death God, their Death God, that had led the squad to this point, and remained with them in life and in death. Apanying them was the little aluminium grave, along with the other five hundred and seventy six KIA he had buried up to this point. Raiden sensed Shinn open his slightly closed red eyes, and heard a quiet voice. "Let''s go." Upon hearing that soft voice, it awoke from its standby phase. It''sing. It''s still far away, but it''s closing in. After looking for him for so long, they were finally going to meet again. For this purpose, it had waited for so long, angsty and jumpy, ready to pounce. It could not wait. This time, it wanted to wee it. Surely, this time. The voice of the ghosts lingering by Shinn''s ears suddenly got louder, and began to move. That voices gathered together, like a rampaging tidal wave engulfing thend, looming towards them. The silver Eintagsfliege before the troops were clustered, covering the entire sky, and the sun was darkened as a result. "¡­Shinn." "Yeah." Raiden hissed, and Shinn tersely noted. The enemy was right before them, on the path they had chosen. If they had taken a different path, the enemy would adjust ordingly and move forward. ¡­It was to be expected. If Shinn could hear the , naturally, the enemy could hear him too. After looking at thendscape, they chose a path of little contour. Since they could not evade, they chose a ce where it would be easier to battle. The radar screen showed blips of the enemy positions. In an instant, the blips increased in numbers, almost ovepping, and their path forward was covered in white. They passed through the hills, and came to a stretch of grasnd and forest, the forest being to the left. Before their eyes was an endless stretch of army. Leading the front was the Vanguard of Ameise. The L?we and Grauwolf were mixed in the armored corps two kilometers to the back, and further back was the second wave, with a third wave that could barely be seen behind. The artillery team of Scorpions was most likely behind them. It seemed the entire armada of the first battle zone was before them. Amongst them, Shinn''s attention was lured to a Dinosauria that was tailing an Ameise. It was at least four meters tall, twice the weight of a L?we. I was covered in imprable armor, its eight legs providing an astounding amount of mobility and explosiveness, like and battlecruiser. The massive 155mm cannon and the 75mm coaxial subcannon were aimed at them, the two 12.7mm heavy machine guns atop the body looking like toys on the massive beast of steel. Even without listening, Shinn knew the "Shepherd" was leading this armada. It did not set the army along all possible routes, and predicted the path they would choose, setting up camp there. It was impossible for the "Sheep" to analyze the conditions and predict where the enemy would proceed. And this "Shepherd" was hidden in the deepest part of the first battle zone. "¡­Shinn." That deep voice was the crucial evidence he needed. Shinn recalled that voice very well, and was never able to forget. It was thest thing he had heard when he was alive, that voice, those words. The same voice was calling for him. Shinn showed a faint smile. So you showed up¡­ finally, I''m right before you. That smile was like a de of ice, maddening, sharp, and vicious. "Found you ¡ª brother." Chapter Volume 1 10 The snow fell silently. The white snowkes falling from the dark sky, piling on silently like looming despair, were so savagely beautiful, and yet so surreal. The harsh winter dying the world white froze his tears andmentations. Ray was lying inside the "Juggernaut," its canopy ripped off as he looked at the sky, hoping to at least die while doing so. He quietly watched the white snowkes dripping from the other end, gently falling upon him. "¡­Shinn." Ray was ten when his brother was born. That was his little brother, a sibling he had so longed for. His little brother always clung to their parents, and moreso him. This little brother loved to fawn around for attention, and was a crybaby. Ray was always by his side, capable of anything, and always protecting him. Ray was a hero to his little brother. When Ray was seventeen, war broke out. He, along with his parents and little brother, were no longer deemed human. Threatened by their own country at gunpoint, they were crammed into trucks like livestock, and driven off. Shinn kept crying in fear, and clung to Ray. Thetter hugged his little brother. I''ll protect my little brother. No matter what happens. No matter who hurts him, I''m going to protect him. Their Concentration Camp was a shoddy army camp, with a production nt, and terrifying metal wires andndmines. That was all. Once they were notified that they could regain citizenship if they served in the military, their father enlisted first. At the very least, it''s better to have you all return home first, so he said with a smile, and never returned. His father died. Once notification of his death arrived, his motherpleted the enlistment form. The citizenship they should have received never came. The reply from the government was that since only one had served, only that one person would receive it. However, his mother had two children to protect. Finally, his mother died. Upon receiving notice of her death, Ray received the enlistment form. Ray stood alone in the room, his heart filled with enough rage to contort his vision. He was holding the enlistment form. Easily renegaded upon was the promise of granting citizenship to families once a member had enlisted in the military. To what extent was this government, this bunch of Albas, this world, willing to doom them? Why, why did I not stop mom, even when I started to realize it¡­!? "¡­Brother." It was Shinn. Don''te here. Go somewhere else. Just don''t approach me. I''m not in the mood to be bothered with you. "Brother, where''s mom?" Didn''t I say so already? How many times do you want me to say this again? He was utterly enraged by his little brother''s foolishness. "Why did mom die?" A snap, and he sensed a taut rope in his heart break apart. You. It''s all your fault. He grabbed Shinn by the neck, mming him onto the ground, and choked that slender neck. Break now. Break into pieces. Rage overwhelmed his mind as he yelled out, This is all your fault. Right, it''s because of Shinn that mom died. Mom had to die because of someone like him, this stupid brother I have to protect, to have him be deemed human. He yelled out the sins of his brother, feeling utterly relieved. Suffer this pain now. When you can''t take it anymore, die. "¡ªWhat are you doing, Ray!?" His shoulder was grabbed and pulled back, crashing hard onto the floor, before he finally regained his senses. What, did I, just do? In his hazy consciousness, he saw the priest''s ck robes move between them; he was checking on apletely lifeless Shinn. He extended his hands to Shinn''s nostrils, touched his neck, and was rmed, immediately beginning resuscitation. "¡­Father¡­" "Get out." He heard the priest mutter, and gave him a puzzled look. Shinn remained on the floor, motionless. With his silver eyes, the priest nced at the dumbfounded Ray, andshed out. "Do you want him to die!? Get out!" There was some clear malice in those words. Ray stumbled out of the room, and tumbled about, before copsing onto the floor. "Ah¡­" The Albas, defeated in battle, oppressed the Eighty Sixers, and the Eighty Sixers oppressed other Eighty Sixers weaker than them. This cycle of abuse was something Ray had always reviled. He despised those who could not endure or face the pain and injustice, and despicably vented on those weaker than them. Yet he did the same thing. His parents'' death, the despicable acts of the Republic, the cruelty of the world, and his own helplessness. These factors left him unable to restrain his rising hatred and rage. Yet the one he vented on was his little brother who was much weaker than he was, the one he should have been protecting. Once he noticed his own sin, he shivered in fear, cupped his head, and shriveled. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" I should, have been, protecting him instead. Luckily, Shinn quickly regained his heartbeat and consciousness. Ray could not bring himself to meet Shinn though. The priest remained wary of Ray, and forbade them to meet. Also, Ray himself was terrified of seeing Shinn''s face. He submitted the enlistment form, as though he was trying to escape. On the day of departure, the priest brought Shinn along to send Ray off. Ray could never say anything to Shinn however; he was heartbroken as he saw the terrified look directed at him. I can''t die like this, he anguished. I can''t let myself die like this. I''ve got to return alive. So Ray thought as he vigorously fought, doing his best to survive, while all of his squadmates died off one after another. However. The falling snowkes were freezing. Is this the end for me? so Ray thought in his mind, his brain having lost too much blood. The personal mark on his twisted armor entered his eyes. It was a headless skeleton knight, originating from the cover of a picture book. It was the protagonist of the story. For some reason, that story seemed so strange to Ray. But for some reason, little Shinn was so curious about it. I wonder if he still remembers that picture book. The story I read for him every night? I wonder if he still remembers that he was loved. Ray''s face grimaced. If only I told him on that day I left. If only I told him clearly, it''s not your fault. That night, Ray cursed Shinn, and ran away without looking back. After he was criticized for his family''s death, Shinn reproached himself again in his heart. To what extent would Shinn''s heart be twisted, after he was nearly killed by the family that should have loved him? Would he still cry because of his parents death? Because of what Ray did to him? Could he still smile again? "¡­Shinn." In his vision that was slowly bing white and blurry, a heavy shadow appeared. The . They caught up? The skeleton knight remained in a corner of his eyes. It was a hero of justice who helped the poor and saved the weak, one who fought strong foes head on. He wanted to be a hero who would protect his little brother. And he had personally destroyed that image, yet he continued to reach his hands out, yearning to be reunited again. Thus, "it" ended up in that form. Chapter Volume 1 11 "¡­Shinn." The armor of the Dinosauria rose slightly, extending an endless number of "arms." The arms were silver,prised of nanomachines. The fingers were long, the joints massive, and they were the hands of an adult male. The arms transformed at a breathtaking speed, and extended several sizes beyond their original length. Some were left arms, some were right, and they were reaching out, seemingly yearning for something. Every arm reached out for the "Undertaker," as they were apanied by a roaring boom, "Shhhhhiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!" Even with synchronization at the lowest level, that bellow was deafening, throbbing their organs and curdling their blood. Raiden, the one most ustomed to this, was shivering in a cold sweat. Angel shrieked, and covered her ears. Shinn in turn reacted as though he was called up, and turned the "Undertaker" towards the enemy unit. "¡­Shinn!?" "Go ahead. Raiden, you''ll be inmand." Raiden could practically see his cold eyes staring intently at the Dinosauria before them. "Once you enter the forest, watch out for the Ameise, and you probably won''t be discovered. Break through, and continue on." "What about you?" "Once I get rid of this guy, I''ll continue. We can''t continue if we don''t get rid of it, and I don''t want to continue¡­ it doesn''t look like it''s going to let me off either." Once he heard Shinn''sst words, Raiden felt a chill up his back. This guy, just, Grinned. Ahh. It''s hopeless. There was no turning back. This guy never thought of escape at all. All the time, he was looking, seeking the head of his dead brother that was taken by the enemy. It was likely that it all started from then¡­ no, ever since he was nearly strangled to death by his brother. Raiden knew very well. However, he hissed, "You''ve got to be kidding. Who''s going to obey you?" Who''s going to obey this run away and leave me behind order? "¡ª" "If you want to fight alone, fine by me¡­ but we''ll block the other attacks for you. Finish that guy off." Saying that, Raiden gritted his teeth, enduring the rising emotions. Fight alone, huh? You could have told us. Just say that we''ll fight together, and we''ll agree to help out. Why is this idiot so¡­ stupid at such a moment? After a short moment of silence, Shinn let out a little sigh. "¡­You''re idiots." "That makes all of us¡­ don''t die." This time, Shinn did not respond. The shrill metal cries of the long-distance cannons marked the start of the battle. The volley rained down like the wind, and the four units quickly retreated. The four-legged spider carrying the skeletal death god immediately dashed forward, like a beast aiming for its prey. The Dinosauria began its n. The Ameise waiting by the side began moving everywhere. The other units had weak sensors, and thus a massive number of Ameise, having sacrificed their offensive potency, acted as a data link that conveyed intel about the enemy. The Dinosauria''s objective was to have the Ameise all over the battlefield. Two of them caught sight of the approaching "Undertaker" and conveyed the various pieces of data back to the Dinosauria. Thetterbined the data with the optical images captured in its unit, and turned its cannons towards them. Fire. The 155mm cannons boomed. These cannons were not tank cannons, but heavy cannons. The armor piercing rounds broke the sound barrier, flying in at high speeds, and smashed hard into the space the "Undertaker" was at. The "Undertaker" immediately fought back, not aiming for the Dinosauria, but at the surrounding scattered Ameise. It took one down and evaded, kicking at the body of a second unit, before taking aim and firing at the Dinosauria again. The smoke grenade exploded in the air, temporarily masking the optical sensors of the Dinosauria, and the "Undertaker" seized the moment to duck into the blind spot of the two destroyed Ameise. The main cannon of the "Juggernaut" was a 57mm cannon,pletely iparable to the Dinosauria''s, and its firepower was unable to pierce thetter''s sturdy armor, no matter the angle. There was only one effective spot, and to approach it, there was a need to destroy the exterior eyes covering the blind spots of the massive enemy, and increase the chances of sess. The massive body of the Dinosauria blew aside the veil of white smoke, and leaped up. It predicted the approach pattern of the "Undertaker," and raised its heavy machine gun, took aim, and spewed a trail of fire. The "Undertaker" quickly ducked back to evade, and the smoke between them scattered. The sizzling hot muzzles of the cannon were aimed at the headless figure. While the enemy continued to aim with some godlike precision, the "Undertaker" continued to race forth with movements of a man possessed. The had obviously nned to have the "Undertaker" isted from the other four units, and then iste the four units before finishing them off. Several Grauwolf and L?we moved towards their targets, and even if they were to hide, they would be discovered by the Ameise scattered all over the battlefield. All possible routes of retreat were sealed by the Stiers, and the long-ranged bombardments of the Scorpions greatly limited their possible routes of retreat. They defeated the next to them, but more enemies continued to assault them. Typically speaking, the would never use such a clustered formation as a tactic. Clearly this wasmanded by a "Shepherd," the "Shepherd" that was most likely inside that Dinosauria. Amidst the maddening assaults, volleys, and shes, Raiden nced towards that side. The continued to swarm like ants, but that side remained clear as the Dinosauria and the "Undertaker" took each other on. It was an utterly ridiculous scene. Fighting that Dinosauria alone waspletely preposterous. Whatever that was happening before his eyes was a miracle. The "Juggernaut" was far inferior, whether it was in terms of firepower, armor, or mobility. This should have been no contest. Yet this battle could continue because the one riding in that "Juggernaut" was Shinn¡­ no, even Shinn could not make it a real battle. The Dinosauria pretty much ignored all definitions of a heavy tank as it remained still. In contrast, the "Undertaker" continued to dance and sh its way around in a delicate, yet barbaric manner, one that would make one''s guts wince, yet it was forced to continue this unbelievable chain of movements. It was not a battle. How long could the tightrope walking continue? Or will we be the ones to fall first? Raiden''s heart faltered. He could no longer remember how many enemies he had dealt with, for every time he got rid of one, another would appear. Fatigue and futility were setting in on the battle-hardened veterans. "Reloading! Cover me!" Seo panted as he yelled. That voice was clearly filled with fatigue. Fido darted through the fire alone, doing its utmost to resupply the various units, and had ejected one of its six containers. This clearly meant that the ammunition in the container was depleted. Of the one month''s worth of ammunition, 20% was depleted in this battle alone. Once we run out of ammunition, that''ll be our demise, huh? Thinking about this, Raiden gave a wry smile. Marvelous. This was the life he had hoped for, and the death he had hoped for. Suddenly, another person joined in the synchronized channel. "Lieutenant Shuga! Lend me your left eye!" In an instant, his left eye darkened, before it recovered again. The same voice continued to shout, "Firing now! Prepare for impact!" At the same moment, the sky suddenly cleared. A silent sh was followed by a dyed explosion. The Eintagsfliege deployed in the air were instantly burned away and vaporized by the mes, or shattered by the shockwaves that spread everywhere else, crumbling apart. Those were the mes and energy released in the explosion of a fuel type shell. The silver clouds dispersed momentarily, revealing a temporal blue sky, before being colored ck due to the barrage that followed. The missilesnded urately above their targets, and as their fuses burned, these missile shells cracked apart. The hundreds of bullets within seeked out the coordinates of the enemy units as per radar detection, exploding at a supersonic initial velocity of 2500 to 3000 meters per second. In the torrent of steel, the feeble armor of the Ameise broke apart, and the first half of the second wave was instantly silenced. A second wave of barrage followed immediately as steel rained upon the remnants of the second wave, obliterating them. Raiden, Seo, Krena, and Angel were momentarily stunned. They had never seen it before, but they understood. It was an interception cannon, standing behind the line guarded by the "Juggernauts" like a hedgehog, a piece of scrap metal that was never used for its purpose. And someone had actually activated it. There was only one weirdo who was willing to work hard for these people on death row. "Major Millize, is that you!?" Answering him was a silver bell-like voice, filled with some determined, ruthless conviction. "Yes. It is me. Sorry for beingte, squad." ? "I told you not to show up before me again, Lena." Lena was worried that At would not show up, but thetter did show up at the hall, right on time. "Yes, I heard that, At. But I never said that I wouldply." It was a drizzling night. Lena stood at the intersection between the light of the entrance and the darkness of the night, her face clearly fatigued and weary like a ghost. She was dressed in a flimsy military uniform, her silvery hair messilybed, her snowy white face devoid of any make up. The adamant silver eyes were giving off a strange glint from deep within. "Visual synchronization settings. RAID device adjustments. You can do that, right?" At groaned. She had the eyes of a defeated hound. "Not doing that, and it has nothing to do with me." "You will. Get to work." Lena chuckled. I guess my face is looking really cruel and ugly now, so she thought somewhere in a corner of her mind. "That childhood friend of yours that you left for dead." She chuckled. Like a devil. Like a death god. "His name is Shinn, right?" At that moment, At''s expression changed. "¡­How did you¡­!?" Once she saw the pale look on the girl''s face, I guessed so, Lena quietly remarked. Though Lena was trying to lure this out of her, she was somewhat confident to begin with. He had once lived in the first area, where Colorata were few in numbers, was of a simr age to Lena and At, and had an older brother. Shinn''s ability allowed him to hear the voices of the dead for some reason, while At''s childhood friend could hear the hearts of others. It was likely both of them were simr in nature, just different in the type of hearing. Given the many clues, a conclusion could be easily derived. "How do you know that name¡­!? Is he¡ª!" "Right, he is in the squadron I ammanding. Leader of Spearhead Squadron, codenamed ''Undertaker.'' That is Shinn." Again, she had a chance to save him, but again, At had abandoned him. At grabbed Lena''s cor. Thetter remained unfazed by her anxious actions and eyes, not flinching in the slightest. "Did Shinn tell you that!? I-Is he still alive!? D-Does he still hate me!?" "Why ask me? Doesn''t it not have anything to do with you?" Lena waved off At''s hand, and slowly retreated. Ignoring the rain on her clothes, At continued forward, and Lena showed a chilling smirk as At''s face showed a darkened look. Lena never heard Shinn mention anything about At¡­ it was likely that he had forgotten all about her. He, whose memories of Ray and his parents were swept aside by the battlefield and the voices of the ghosts, surely would be unable to remember his childhood friend. As for whether it was a redemption or a curse for At, Lena could not tell. "If it has something to do with you, help me. What do you intend to do? ¡ªHurry, before the rooster crows." Before that happens, you might reject me a third time. At remained rooted, smiling. That smile was mixed with tears, and a tinge of relief. "¡­A devil." "Well put, Technical Captain Penrose. That goes for me, and you." ? Yes, Lena was not dismayed nor disheartened in the slightest. She was simply too busy to be synchronized with the rest of Spearhead Squadron. She was looking for everything she could do that would be of assistance, whether it was the visual synchronization setting and adjustment, or the firing activation codes of the interception cannons in the neighboring battle zones. "¡­Half of them cannot be fired¡­!?" Once she saw this, Lena groaned. 30% of the cannons could not be fired, and of the rest, another 30% could not light the fuse, so their rounds could only plummet and bounce. The missiles, weighing more than a hundred kilograms,nded heavily on the unlucky Ameise units, crushing them, but they were utterly ineffective given the firepower they should have. The maintenance crew had actually be sox. They did not maintain the armor that was protecting them, and it was utterly foolish of them. She entered simr coordinates into the remaining interception cannon, and fired. Once she saw that the targeted enemy units were all wiped out, she heaved a sigh of relief. Back then, Shinn said that they were finally free. Lena did not think that could be considered freedom, but she could not retract the mission, and could not give them the pardon they deserved. At the very least, she wanted to ensure that their long-awaited journey to freedom would not be too obstructed, that they could continue on as far as they could. This freedom they had attained was so rare, so valuable. She would never allow the first day of their long journey be thest, and not have their destination be at her doorstep. Upon hearing that silver bell-like voice, Raidenshed out. The second wave off the enemy was wiped out, and the third wave ceased advance, stunned by the sudden situation. The first wave lost support, and everyone attacked at once. "You''re really an idiot, aren''t you!? What are you doing!?" "I simply synchronized with your left eye, checked the location, and fired the interception cannon there. Oh, I had my left eye closed during the synchronized sight so that you would not be distracted." Once he heard her nonchnt reply, he was increasingly enraged. What do you mean simply? How''s that simple in any way!? "Don''t you know that synchronized visuals can cause a Handler to go blind!? And where did you get the authority to fire the intercepting cannons!? You''re already defying military orders there, aren''t you!?" The information shared through the visual synchronization was overly massive, and could easily cause both sides to be confused, so much so that if synchronized for too long, the brain would be overburdened, and in the worst case scenario, it would result in blindness of the eyes. Thus, Handlers would typically not share synchronized vision. The directive for this mission clearly stated that any support was forbidden, yet this superior of theirs provided automated fire support without permission. Her actions were not worth it for a squadron put on death row! Suddenly, Lena shouted. It was the first time he had heard the girlsh out. "So what! Everyone can go blind anyway. Even though I may be defying orders and providing support using the interception cannons, I will only lose my rank and pay. Not that I will die here!" Raiden was bbergasted by this outburst. She was panting hard due to the sudden agitation, and spoke with a cold voice he could never have imagined from her. "The military, the government, none of them are reasonable, so I do not have to listen to their reasons, nor do I have to bother with their reprimands¡­ I should not have waited for any orders and gone ahead to begin with." The hissing was filled with bitterness, and then, she proudly snorted. This tension between them finally eased up, and Raiden gave a little bitter grin. "¡­You''re really an idiot." "Not that I am doing this for you. With so many enemies, the Republic will be endangered if they break through. I am doing this because I do not want to die." She tly stated such, and Raidenughed out loud. And so, Lena smiled for the first time on this day. "If the third wave begins to advance, I will be attacking. Sorry that I cannot support you since the first wave is so close to you. Please figure something out." "Right, leave it to us. This is just business as usual." "¡­What about Captain Nouzen?" Upon hearing that name, Raiden winced bitterly. Though they were synchronized, Shinn never answered, nor did he pay them any mind, merely giving off a cold, heinous will to fight. "Duking it out with his brother. That''s what Shinn''s really aiming for. He can''t hear us anymore." Amidst the deafening howls of his brother, Shinn continued to pilot the "Juggernaut," seeking a chance for counterattack. As he continued to battle on a tightrope, where even the slightest mistake would be punished, his concentration was focused entirely on the enemy before him, so much that the surrounding scenery, the countless shouts, and even the passing of time was all but neglected. The cannon took aim. It fired. The "Undertaker" deliberately slid, breaking its bnce, and evaded the cannon by mere inches. The sub cannon was to the right of the main cannon, and if he continued to dodge to the left, the enemy could only attack with the main cannon and the turrets at the top¡­ But the sub cannon fired. The shot grazed past the right leg. At the same time, the main cannon took aim. The "Undertaker" unit continued to skid to the side, and was unable to evade in time. Another shot. With the assistance of the grappling hook shot into the ground, the "Undertaker" barely managed to avoid the shot, and the L?we positioned right behind was hit, and exploded. Due to the consecutive shots, even the Dinosauria with its massive weight and sturdy legs had to grapple the ground with its eight legs to withstand the tremendous recoil. Seizing this moment, the "Undertaker" quickly darted before it. It had its main cannon aimed behind of the Dinosauria''s turrets. It was visibly the weakest part of the armor, the only part of the impregnable armor that the "Juggernaut''s" main cannon could prate. He squeezed the trigger. The armor-piercing round flew in an arc, preparing to deal a fatal blow. However, an arm extended from the Dinosauria, deflecting the grenade. "¡­!?" Shinn widened his eyes as he witnessed this nightmarish scene. The extended arm got hit by the grenade, and shattered, but as it was made of nanomachines, new fingers grew immediately, and they swayed again, as though nothing had happened. He sensed the Dinosauria direct its consciousness upon him again, and instinctively retreated. At the same time, the bullets of the spinning machine guns pelted upon him, so he retreated again, again, and again until he pulled far enough away. The weapons of weakest firepower the enemy had, the machine guns, were enough to force the "Juggernaut" to retreat. The massive Dinosauria slowly turned around. The enemy was shooting to fend him off, and he had to do his best to evade. Also, his final possible attack point was sealed off. While he was shivering, his lips showed a smile. A Grauwolf seized the opportunity to attack as it broke free from its squad and approached from the nk. However, the Dinosauria cruelly sted it apart, basically growling for no interference. Seeing this, Shinn''s smile got wider. The dying voice of his brother lingered in his eardrums. Sin. Your name. How fitting. It¡¯s all your fault. Repay with your life. So even when dead, you want to personally kill me? ¡­Same here, brother. For Ray at this point, whether he should be called the ghost of Shourei Nouzen or a member of the whose memory was replicated from his brain that had yet to rot on that snowy day, it did not matter. He had died, yet he had obtained a second chance. That was all fine to him. He knew Shinn had arrived on the battlefield. He heard that voice. Shinn''s voice, however, was soft, covered by the massive, ugly skeleton called the Republic. The Republic shamelessly dumped Shinn into the battlefield like a personal property, which left him unable to distinguish Shinn''s voice from the rest. Whenever it was deployed to a certain battle, it would search using the eyes of its Ameise. Ray, as a member of the , was unable to defy its given directives, and asmander, could not leave the inside of his assigned zone. However, if Shinn was nearby, it wanted to meet him again. To see him, to apologize to him, and to beg for his forgiveness. At this moment. One day, through the eyes of an Ameise that was wrecked and unable to move, it saw him. It was a night filled with meteor showers. Though the distance was too far away, it was finally able to see his face after erging the visual to maximum. He was all grown up, and probably saying something to his friend, an Eisen. It wanted to hear his voice, and directed the receiver towards them. Surely his voice must have broke. Or not at all. In any case, it wanted to hear that voice. Both of them were looking up at the night sky as the meteor shower glided back, resting on a "Juggernaut" that was all curled up, their silhouettes resembling children. "Your brother¡¯s still around?" "Yeah. He''s always calling for me. That''s why I have to go." Talking about me? Are you looking for me? The machine kept shaking. It was sad to see Shinn step onto the battlefield, but once it knew he was seeking it, it could not hide its delight. "But are you not going to find your brother''s corpse and bury it? That should be enough, isn''t it?" Ohh, bury my corpse? How kind of you, Shinn. "¡­Brother''s not going to forgive me just for that." It was stunned. Why do you say that? If you cannot be forgiven, that goes for me too, right? No, that is not true, it wanted to tell him, that it was not true. It wanted to see him, the desire driving it mad. The Republic''s carrier quickly deported Shinn along with the others, and his brother''s feeble voice was mixed in amongst the noise. It continued to search, and whenever it found him, it got excited. Ray could not leave its area, but it deployed all the units it could. Shinn kept fighting. Even though he knew that he would be buried alone in a corner of the battlefield, he continued to fight with ease. There is no need to fight. There was no need to fight for those swine. If those swine could only do that to survive, it might be better to bring Shinn over to its side. Shinn could leave the fragile exterior exoskeleton of a human, and change his body easily. Surely it could protect him, protect him, for eternity. On this day, the swine had finally lifted their filthy hands from Shinn. Amidst the voices within the noise, his feeble voice remained distinguishable. Ray knew that Shinn was headed towards it, and went to wee it. Finally, it could take action. At this moment, he was right before it. Its beloved brother, whom it had beckoned for years, and anxiously awaited, was in that ugly spider. That spider''s armor was too fragile, and it had to be careful not to destroy that spider. It raised its arms forth, and the spider was quick, hard to capture, so it only aimed for the legs. Finally, I get to meet you. Finally, I get to bring you back. We shall be together, forever. Brother shall always protect you. So,e here, Shinn. The Dinosauria was aiming only for the legs, not using grenades, only armor piercing rounds. The grenades'' explosions would create shrapnel flying at blinding speeds in unpredictable directions, and the "Juggernaut''s" shoddy armor could not withstand the st of a 155mm cannon from up close. Is he messing with me? Or is he not willing to kill me off immediately? The countless arms, the arms that tried to kill him on that night, were weaving about erratically. You think this will happen again? Shinn nced at the optical screen, searching for terrain he could fight on. He feinted a retreat, and saw that Ray gave pursuit. He darted horizontally, as he retreated. The cannons tailed his movements as they anxiously swayed left and right, trying to aim for the legs. They locked on, and the moment they were about to fire¡ª He came to the nned location. Moments before the cannon unleashed a sh, Shinn shot his grappling hook, aiming for a massive tree to the left, behind the Dinosauria. The next moment, he retracted the grappling rope, kicked off the branches and twig, and immediately leaped over the top of the Dinosauria. The turret of the Dinosauria was mainly to attack ground-based armor units, and though it could turn to an angle above, there was a limit to its peripheral angle. It could not attack anywhere directly above, and could not hit anything right beneath its feet. Shinn glided in the air, and at the same time, adjusted to where the enemy unit would be. He stomped on an armor joint, andnded right behind the Dinosauria. The turrets could not hit that position as it was overly massive, andpared to the front side, the armor was a little thinner. Shinn swung the high frequency des used for closedbat, and stabbed it deep into the armor. Sparks flew, and the thick armor was severed like liquid. The frequency des pried a massive hole, and after which, he aimed the main cannon at it. However, two silver arms extended out from that hole, tightly grappling the armaments. "Wha¡ª" And, as a repeated of what happened that night in the Church. He was raised up and then mmed down hard into the ground. At that moment, Shinn lost consciousness. Pzzt. The synchronization with Shinn was severed. Raiden immediately widened his eyes. The surrounding were more or less wiped out, and Fido discarded the second container. The surging forth from the back began to retreat due to the bombardments Lena unleashed upon them. At this moment, "¡­Shinn!?" Thetter''s signal was lost, and he tried to connect again, but failed. Looking over, he saw the "Undertaker" copsed unnaturally before the Dinosauria, motionless, probably knocked aside. The Para-RAID required an awake consciousness on both sides, so if any side was to pass out, the synchronization would not happen. This showed that Shinn was probably asleep, or unconscious ¡ª or even dead. The Dinosauria loomed slowly. For some reason, it did not attack, but the more it approached, the more ominous it seemed. Raiden switched the wirelessmunicator, and luckily, he got through. It seemed the cockpit was not damaged badly. "Shinn, you idiot! Get up!" But the "Undertaker" remained motionless. It did its best to control its strength and not damage the cockpit, but the armaments of the fragile "Juggernaut" could not withstand this impact, and Shinn, whom it managed to catch after much effort, flew away again. Seeing Shinn motionless, it heaved a sigh of relief. He was probably passed out, probably injured. In any case, it probably had to apologize afterwards. Suppressing the agitation in its heart, it approached it slowly. Finally, it could bring him to its side. Finally, it could bring back what it had lost. Finally, they could be together. Thus, first, he had to discard that feeble body of flesh. Once she saw the Dinosauria on the radar slowly closing in on the "Undertaker," Lena bit her lips. Raiden and the others gave pursuit, but their armaments alone would be unable to stop it. Surely, if this kept up, Shinn, and even Raiden and the others, would die. She bit her lips so hard, she could taste blood. Back then, Ray said that he wanted to return. He did not say how much he doted on his little brother, but his expression revealed everything. However, why did that Ray want to kill Shinn so much? Lena wanted to stop Ray, but she was out of ideas. There was an extremely potent weapon in her hands, but she could not use it to attack the Dinosauria without hurting Shinn. The power of the guided missiles, or the cannon, would be too much. The armor of a "Juggernaut" was exceptionally fragile, and if it did hit the Dinosauria, the shrapnel from the explosion would clearly hurt Shinn. What do I do? Is there really nothing I can do? Think, think, quick, think. ¡ªSuddenly, a memory shed by, and Lena widened her eyes. "Lieutenant Cucum, please give me the coordinates of the Dinosauria. The more precise it is, the better." Krena nearly jolted once she heard Lena''s orders. As a sniper, she immediately knew what Lena was nning. "I shall leave the probing beacon to you. Just have theser primed on the target¡­" "W-Wait a moment! Are you¡­!?" And then, Seo interrupted. Everyone was riled up. Even Angel joined in, feeling anxious. "Are you really going to fire!? You''ve got to be kidding! That Shinn''s still there!" "With an explosion nearby, there is no way the ''Juggernaut'' can withstand the st! Shinn will surely be caught in the st!" "I have an idea. However, I guess it can only create an opening¡­ I do not want the Captain to die either." Her voice was filled with honesty and determination. And Krena unwittingly nodded. Raiden caught up and fired, while Seo and Angel too continued on. The armor deflected their bullets, but they continued to fire. At the same time, they kept firing at the surrounding Ameise, continuing their fierce attacks. Everything was deflected by the armor, or parried away by the arms, as the Dinosauria showed no intentions of stopping in its track. Damn it, these two brothers really are the same, not caring about anything around them. A machine gun was disabled by shrapnel, as a cannon st on the optical sensor exploded before his eyes. Finally, the Dinosauria directed its attention towards them. The remaining machine gun turret turned around impatiently. Raiden saw it move, and evaded to the side. The sweeping volley of bullets whizzed right by him. Seo and Angel seized the opportunity to approach, and fired their grappling hooks onto the Dinosauria''s cannon and leg respectively, before stomping hard off the ground. The weight of the "Juggernaut" was only a tenth that of the Dinosauria''s, and even with two units, they were not enough to take it down. Raiden fired a grenade with a timed fuse in an arch, disabling the remaining gun, and then followed up with a grappling hook totch onto the Dinosauria. The massive machine finally slowed down slightly. A strong killing intent he had never sensed before came right at them, and the trio immediately loosened the wires. The next moment, the Dinosauria swung hard at the cannon and limbs that weretched onto. The "Snow Witch" was a tad toote, and was pelted into the air, mming hard into "Laughing Fox," who too was sent flying far away. "Angel! Seo!" "I-I''m fine." "Same here. Sorry, Seo." "It''s fine. Now¡­ Raiden! It¡¯sing for you!" "¡­!" While he was momentarily distracted, the enemy aimed at him. Raiden could not evade in time. The moment he gritted his teeth, he saw the body of the Dinosauria sink hard. The cannon shot came from far behind the "Werewolf." It was a snipe by Krena. She blew a hole in the ground under the feet of the Dinosauria. "Raiden, are you okay?" "Yeah, saved me there! Retreat first though. We''re doomed if you''re finished here¡­ Major, you alright!?" Lena''s voice was filled with tension. "I haveunched it. Distance tonding¡­ 3000! Lieutenant Cucum!" "Roger that. Preparing probing beacon. ETA to target is¡­ five seconds¡­ three, two¡­" The "Gunslinger" was aiming with aser probe invisible to the naked eye. It was pointed right at the Dinosauria stopping right before the "Undertaker." The Dinosauria had weak sensors. Even as amanding unit, Ray was no exception, and could onlypensate for this handicap using the numerous Ameise by its side and the armies itmanded. However, the Ameise were utterly annihted, and he had never given orders to his forces except for the beginning of the operation, resulting in them being beaten back. For it, taking back Shinn''s head was its primary goal, and the rest were secondary, which it paid no mind to. And thus, the moment it realized what was going on, it was toote. It was about to pry the cockpit open, before an alert signalling lock on rang without warning. On the optical sensors that popped out, there was a massive cannon round that was right before its eyes. It was akin to a baby-sized maggot, deploying its control wings as it flew in at forty-five degrees, aiming right for the armor. A 155mm heavy cannon, with a piercing round. Rage boiled within it. Of course. It was a massive, powerful cannon round, so much so that if it were to hit, even Ray could not remain unscathed. Those Republican bastards. It''s not enough that they''re discarding him, they''re using him as bait to kill us all? Ray could not escape with Shinn in time. Thus, it stomped its front legs, and raised its upper body like a horse that was reined in, trying to block the iing round with the sturdiest front armor, and deployed all of its nanomachines to form countless arms before it. If the weak armor on top could not withstand it, how about the front? I''ll block everything, the st, the impact. I''m going to protect Shinn behind me no matter what! The cannon round was right before it, and it would hit at the next moment. Suddenly, he recalled the countless stars he saw, as though countless pixies were muttering in the night. And beneath the sky, a girl spoke. She had silver hair and eyes, and was of simr age as Shinn. He had met her before. "Do you want to protect him?" Ahh, yes. I have to protect Shinn. He''s my beloved little brother. The girl then said, "And you are going to kill him again?" ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª The "Juggernaut" remained motionless. Little Shinn did not move. Again. I. Impact. Upon contact, the probe, did not explode. It was a dud. Given the materials used, the probing beacon filled with explosives would never be able to break through the thick frontal armor of the Dinosauria, even with velocity or density. The shot was quashed, and as the probe did not activate, the explosives would not explode. But given the supersonic speed and the material quality that was far superior to a tank shell, the tremendous impact it carried seeped into every corner of Ray''s body. "Right on target." Lena saw the probing beacon indicated on the radar, ovepping with the Dinosauria before vanishing. It did not explode. Of course. Lena deliberately made sure not to arm it. She once heard her father say. That the armor of a tank could deflect bullets. However, it did not mean that the tank was not damaged in any way. That as long as it was hit, some kic energy from the round would spread through the tank. This energy would be enough to loosen the parts of the body, knock down the passengers, or if the armor was fused together through nails or screws, these nails or screws would bounce out due to the contorted armor, even bouncing inside like bullets, killing the passengers. But for the Dinosauria, it was probably just a mere scratch. For Lena, given her weapons, this was her only choice if she wanted to attack it without hurting Shinn. At the very least, she had bought a few seconds. She prayed that everyone could use this short time to create some change. Suddenly, she noticed. There was an additional person in the synchronized channel. Raiden had been trying to connect to Shinn while inbat. He too noticed that Shinn had woken up. "Shinn!" Thetter''s reaction was slow. It seemed he was still groggy. Raiden called out again, but there was no response. And so, he yelled, "Get up, you idiot! Hey Shinn!!" "Captain Nouzen! Do you copy, Captain Nouzen!? Please wake up!" Lena heard everyone else in the squadron call out, and she too shouted. Wake up, get away from there, finish off the Dinosauria. However, she did not ask him to do so for those reasons. She knew. She noticed. Thus, she had to have him finish his mission. That moment, that night, he swore that he would beat his brother with much heartbreaking conviction. Shinn was not willing to fight his older brother, but he stood before thetter, and the reason for their faceoff was. "You want to hang your brother, right!? ¡ªShinn!" A twitch. The red eyes seemed to have opened slightly. The body of steel stumbled back greatly, and crumpled onto the ground. With the impact reverberating through greatly, the CPU malfunctioned, resulting in a temporary nk. However, the instincts of abat machine caused it to wildly fire its cannons at its surroundings. He could sense the flies flying around it. The CPU and the sensors recovered. And so, Ray saw it. Behind him, the "Undertaker" had finally stood up, raising its cannon right back at it. It seemed Shinn was injured the moment he lost consciousness, for blood remained glued to his left eye, and he had difficulty opening it. He felt that his body was so far away, his limbs would no longer obey him. His mind was still groggy, and he was unable to think properly. The sub screen was down, and in the dim cockpit, he raised his left hand, touching his still dizzy head, leaning on the inner wall, not getting up, just holding the joystick and staring at the main screen. Someone called out for him, and he opened his eyes, but the pain and damage would not disperse. He did not know what had happened, he did not know why he remained alive, nor did he know what was going on around him. But Shinn and the "Undertaker" were not dead. And the brother he wanted to personally bury was before his eyes. In his blurry consciousness, his body moved instinctively, and he held onto the joysticks again, priming his finger on the trigger. That was enough. "¡­Shinn." It was the ghost''s voice, the voice of his dead brother. Just like thest words he had heard, it was the voice of his brother, who was alone somewhere on this battlefield, still unwilling to forgive him even in death. The moment he heard that voice amongst the groans of the ghosts, he decided that he was going to find his brother, and bury him personally. "¡­Shinn." Before he knew it, Shinn gritted his teeth. He, who should have been strangled to death at the age of seven, was silently weeping in a corner of his heart, wailing, saying that he should have died, that it was all his fault. His brother''s voice continued to coax him, saying it was never toote to do it. Your brother will never let you forget¡­ will never forgive you, ever. However, Shinn was no longer a child. He would never let it happen to him again. An ample amount of time had passed since then, and he knew more than enough, and already understood what happened. Back then, when he was nearly choked to death, that was not his fault. His parents'' death, his brother''s death, everything was not his fault. That was just his brother venting frustrations upon him. Back then, his brother could not take it anymore, and found him, who was much weaker, to be someone tosh out at. That was simply all it was. He had no sin to bear. "Shinn." The ghost continued to call out. That voice kept on calling, but Shinn did not think it was scary. It was simply a tragic thing. It was a machine that borrowed the words of the dead, or some fragmented words it eavesdropped upon, and yearned to have some ce to return to. The countless ghosts lost their country, their bodies, and though dead, could not return to the ce they should be headed towards, merely repeating their desire to return, using the wailings of the dead who did not want to die. He could not bring himself to leave his brother there, nor move on from there. His brother was killed, and after his death, his head was extract, sealed in abat machine like a ghost, moaning over and over again to be returned to the ground. Shinn had to find him, face off against him, fight, defeat, and bury him. For this reason, Shinn stood on the battlefield. For this reason, Shinn fought for five full years. It was not the debt he should bear. It was not the sin he should seek redemption for. He knew that well. But even so, At the very end, his brother cursed him with a sin. Till the very end, the ghost of his dead brother kept calling for him. Without this redemption, Shinn could not move on. The reticule took aim. The cannon was aimed at an opened gap in the steel-colored armor. "¡­Farewell, brother." He squeezed the trigger. Through the optical sensors at the back of the unit, Ray witnessed everything. The trigger was squeezed, and a spark appeared. For some reason, at that moment, he saw it. The bloody red eyes were staring right at him, filled with strong conviction and will. That face, that expression, they were all too foreign to him. But that was obvious. Five years ago, Ray died. It died, and since then, it never changed, and never grew up. But Shinn remained alive. He lived on, and thus, he could continue to grow, venturing into unknownnds. The weak little brother it swore to protect was no longer around. Sooner orter, one day, Shinn would be older than it was. Though ted, Ray was a little forlorn. Ahh, of course. There were thosest words, just those words it wanted to say. The words it wanted to convey, but never could bring itself to say. The words it wanted to say before its death, in the dumps on that snowy night, but could never do so. Just like before, it reached its hand out. A hand reached out from a gap in the armor, and it seemed something passed through. Shinn. A sh. The canopy of his cockpit pped up, and during this time, a gap appeared. From that gap, flowing nanomachine seeped through, forming an arm. In fact, there was less than a second between the trigger to the hit. The hand however continued to extend for an immeasurable amount of time, slowly, steadily reaching forth. His brother''s massive hand opened slightly, seemingly seeking something. Shinn recalled that night, and instinctively shriveled. However, he quickly gritted his teeth, lifted his head up high, and stared at the hand before him, not flinching in the slightest. The next moment, his brother would be burned to bits due to the cannon. For five years, he sought his brother, or to be precise, the lingering thoughts of his brother before thetter''s death. He wanted to etch this scene in his mind. Whether it was malice or an urge to kill, he wanted to remember, even though he had no intention of bearing it. The hand touched his neck, wrapping itself around his scarf. It resembled the hand that had tried to kill him, yet it tenderly, sadly stroked the ugly scar it had once left behind. "¡­I''m sorry." At that moment, he widened his eyes. The flow of time resumed as normal. The next moment, the cannon shell hit the machine, and the explosives contained within shattered. The metal was deformed by the high temperatures and high speeds, the armor cracking from within as a result. The next moment, the massive body of the Dinosauria oozed out dark red mes. His brother''s hand let go, seeping out through the gap of the cockpit, and back into the burning mes. "Bro¡­" He unwittingly reached his hand out, but could not catch it in time. His brother''s hand retreated, and was devoured by the mes, burning away, so all he was grasping was a fleeting scenery that vanished in the mes, and everything seemed blurred. "¡­ther." Something slid down his cheeks. For a moment, Shinn did not realize what it was. Ever since he was killed by Ray, Shinn had never cried. He did not know why he was sad, and neither could heprehend that the feelings rising from the bottom of his heart were called anguish. All he knew was that tears wereing out, and that he could not control himself. "¡ªMajor. Disconnect please¡­ that guy probably doesn''t want anyone to see him like this." "Yes." A momentter, Raiden connected, saying it was fine, so Lena activated her Para-RAID too. The others were done, and Raiden spoke up for everyone. "Feeling better?" "Yeah." Shinn''s reply remained hoarse, but it seemed he was no longer crying, back to his usual calmness, albeit with something else broken. With a chuckle, Raiden said, "Now you can leave your brother''s name here." In response to that, Shinn quietly, but clearly, smiled, "I suppose." And he directed his consciousness aside, "¡­Major." "I am here. Of course I am. I am the Handler of Spearhead Squadron after all." She wanted to see them off through the very end. It was not an order, nor was it an obligation, but she knew it was something she had to do. "¡­" "Conflict resolved. Good work Undertaker. And everyone else too." Lena deliberately called out using the codename, and Shinn showed a wry smile. "Yes, good work, Handler One." "Okay," Raiden muttered. It seemed he was stretched in the cramped space, and spoke up. Lena suddenly blinked. Just then. For some reason, it seemed they had all made up their minds, with Lena excluded. She was forced to watch them, bbergasted. "Fido, you done with the reloading?" There was a silence, and they seemed to be waiting for something. "Fido? Ahh, that ''Scavenger'' who''s always following us." "We can only do our maintenance and repairs once we find a ce to sleep¡­ used up so much ammunition on the first day. It hurts." "Well that''s fine isn''t it? Took out lots of them." "I guess¡­ well, no choice then." A heavy rumbling sound rang. The five of them activated their waiting "Juggernauts," and stood up. "Let''s go ¡ª see you then, Major. Please take care of yourself." Lena heard the extremelymon farewell greeting, and for a moment, she could not understand. For the battle was over. The enemy had retreated, and they had no casualties. Surely, they could return back to camp like usual on this day. "Eh?" The teenagers ignored Lena''s concerns as they strode forth. The "Juggernauts" heavily ravaged in the intense battle gave off ttering sounds, and started chatting like children on the way to school. "Oh yeah, you sure we''ll be fine going forward like this? There were a lot of duds fired." "Yes¡­ it certainly does seem scary since these arendmines. Shinn, do you mind looking for an alternate route?" "There are no other units around, so any way is fine¡­ duds?" "Let''s talk on the way. I say, Shinn, you really don''t watch wherever you''re walking, huh?" They continued east, to the unknown battlefield controlled by the . Of course. They would not return again. "Wa¡ª" Anxiety filled her heart, her body cold as she sensed that she was about to lose something. Lena could not take it anymore, and blurted out, "Wait, please wait¡­!" It seemed everyone stopped, and turned around, waiting for her to continue. However, Lena did not know what to say. For she was the one who had shooed them. She was the one who had ordered them to die. At this point, whether she apologized or med herself, it was pointless to them, so she had nothing to say. But she inadvertently blurted out, "Please do not leave me behind!" A momentter, Lena realized what she had just said, and froze up. Of all things to say, this? Shameless, and perplexing it was. But once they heard those words, they kindly smiled. They were kind smiles, with a tinge of bitterness. They were like older siblings headed into grade school, watching their little sister pout as she yearned to go to school too. "Oh, that¡¯s a nice way to put it." Raiden grinned. His voice was filled with the determination and pride of a wild beast, striding across the prairie with his strength, along with hisrades. "Yeah. We''re not being chased. We''re marching on. We''ll keep going on, until the very end." Everyone diverted their attention towards Lena again. Their eyes, their hearts were all fixed forward, towards the future. Lena gasped. She could sense the feeling in their hearts. It was not rugged determination, and neither was it callousness. They were like people who had witnessed the vast seas sparkling with blue light. They were like children who had witnessed an endless prairie in spring, who were told by their parents that they could y however they liked. It was exhration, riveting emotions that could no longer be suppressed, pure ecstasy, joy, tion, an irrepressible anticipation. Ahh. She could not stop them. No words could form a shackle, a yoke. For them, it was freedom, It was something so precious, so difficult to obtain, even though they knew that it was their burial ce, and a path leading towards thatnd. Once they saw that Lena had silently epted their goodbyes, the teenagers moved on again. However, they probably saw through the lingering unwillingness in her heart, for at the very end, Shinn smile. For the first time, he showed a hearty smile. It was a clear smile, devoid of any pretense. "We shall be on our way, Major." The Para-RAIDs disconnected silently. The five blips of light vanished silently. They were beyond her jurisdiction, and they were erased from her Para-RAID contact list. From this point onwards, they would never meet again. Tears welled out from her eyes, forming broken trails of beads. She could not rein in her sobbing. Lenaid prone on the console, and cried out loud. ? The five colored gid out in the horizontally reciprocal manner had long faded, and it remained hanging on the wooden wall of the barracks. From left to right, the colors were reversed, hinting at the reversal of the values. Oppression, discrimination, bias, violence, degradation. To the side of the five colored g was a vandalized image of San Magnolia, who was not holding a sharp sword breaking the yoke of oppression, but chains and shackles. She was not stomping upon the chains of oppression, but the people who were derided as swine as she maintained the smile of a Saint. That was the Republic as seen from their eyes. Lena reached out her speckless fingers that were properly cared for, and caressed the thoroughly battered wooden wall along with the paint on it. This mural had been around for a long time, probably when the barracks was built nine years ago, and painted by the first batch of Eighty Sixers. It had died. Long dead was the Republic, whose citizens, including Lena, had trusted in. They were the ones who personally tore it down, trampled upon it, and discarded it without a second thought. She closed her eyes, and sighed. She recalled the boy who could hear the ghost of the Republic, the boy who was no longer around. After that battle, her superiors told her to maintain a low profile before her punishment was determined. However, she boarded a transport craft to the base camp Spearhead Squadron was at. The craft was filled with the next batch of soldiers gathered from various battle zones, ready to be executed. She was only able to board this craft by threatening the weak-willed, kind-hearted logistics staff soldier. "¡­Major Millize, right?" She turned her head around, and found a mechanic who was in his fifties. Lieutenant Lev Audreht, chief of the maintenance crew. "I heard from the kids, but I never expected you to show up here. You''re a weird one." He spoke with a hoarse, husky voice, and raised his chin, pointing at the barracks behind her. "They tidied up at least, but they did not leave anything behind. There''s still some time until the new kidse in, so if you''re willing, go have a look." "Thank you very much. I apologize for dropping by when you are busy." "It''s nothing. I''ve seen a few batches of kids leave already, but you''re the first Alba who came to mourn them." At that moment, Lena lifted her head at his sidelong, tanned face. "¡­Lieutenant Audreht. Are you," His hair was not grey, mixed with some white. Instead, it was silver hair, wrinkled as a result of oil stains. "An Alba¡­ no?" "¡­" Finally, Audreht removed his sunsses, revealing eyes as silvery as snow. "My wife was a Heliodor. My daughter really resembled her, and since they were taken away, I couldn''t take it, and dyed my hair to follow them. Back then, I swore to have them regain their citizenship¡­ I was useless. Negotiations failed, and I had no choice¡­ I could only watch them go to the battlefield, and die there." He took a long sigh, and scratched his head. "¡­You heard of his ability? That Shinn?" "Yes." "That ability''s rather famous along the eastern battlefront¡­ when he was first assigned here, I did whisper to him, asking if there were any looking for this shitty bastard who couldn¡¯t protect his wife and daughter." "¡­" "I was thinking, that if they were there, I would go over and have them kill me. That brat answered that there were no calling for my name. Hearing that¡­ I was a little relieved. At the very least, my wife and daughter aren¡¯t left behind on the battlefield. One day, when I go over to the other side, I might be able to see them." The elderly mechanic chief showed a smile, somewhat forlorn, yet somewhat at peace. But as he looked on at the distant battlefield to the east, his face was filled with sadness. "Before every special scouting mission, I would inform every squad member of my real identity, that it was fine for them to hate me, that they could just kill me if they wanted to vent¡­ none of the listened to me though. This time too. I''m still unable to die." It was as though he wasining that he had been left behind again. By his wife and daughter¡­ and the many children he had watched over up to this point. He put on his sunsses again, probably to hide the swelling emotions, and crudely said, "What? Didn¡¯t I say there isn¡¯t much time now? ¡­Hurry on." "Yes¡­ thank you very much." She bowed to Audreht, and passed him by, entering the barracks. The barracks made of shoddy materials was filled with grey and brown, and it was a dpidated sight to see. The corridor was a little white due to years of materials aging, along with the dust. The wooden floor was popping up everywhere, and as she stepped forward, it was creaking. The cafeteria and kitchen werepletely covered in oil and stains that could not be cleaned. In no way could it be considered clean. The bathroom resembled a gas chamber from the documentaries, damp and dark. In a corner, there was something ck shaking. There was no washing machine, no vacuum cleaner, just a broom and pan, along with some pails and boards filled with jagged marks at the pond in the back garden. These were all the cleaning tools they had. There was no sign of civilization to be seen. Lena was utterly embarrassed to think that this was the lifestyle a developed, humane country granted its people. She came to the sleeping quarters of the Processors on the second floor. She stepped on the stairs, and the wooden floor contorted, making creaking sounds in protest. The cramped room was filled with old, narrow pipe beds and closets. The colors had faded away due to dust, time, and sunlight, and the room was all tidied up, no presence of its original residents to be sensed, only piles of cleaned nkets, bedsheets, and pillows awaiting the next batch of residents. The innermost room was the most spacious, for the squad leader to use. She nudged the shaky door aside, and it let out a creak. It too contained a narrow pipe bed and a closet, but this room contained a desk too, along with items of various sizes. An old guitar, a deck of poker cards, a tabletop game, and some working tools. A book of crossword puzzles with its pages scattered everywhere, only spaces of unsolved ones remaining. A sketch book without any illustrations,pletely nk. A basket containingces and needles, with nothing done. A small bookshelf hastily made with boards, containing various books of various genres and authors, and it seemed the owner had no particr preferences. Perhaps they were not tidied up as they could be used for the next batch of squad members. Everything else that was created was all discarded, for they knew they could not be left behind. She could hear theirughter. They knew nothing would be left behind, but these youths did their best tough and live through every single day. They never sumbed to despair They never let hatred blemish their pride. In the harsh circumstances that could have trampled upon their dignity, they insisted upon a human dignity anyone would be proud of. She came to the bookshelf, and found a ck kitten with four white feet, seemingly wondering where the previous upants had gone to. Outside the window, the soldiers were gathering Processors who had their photos taken. Looking at this room, it seemed she could not find anything. She took out the book written by an author she had heard of, and flipped through it, trying to at least understand what it was about. At this moment, something slipped out from between the pages. "Ah." She picked it up. A few pieces of paper. The one on top was a photo depicting a group of people standing before a building. She could see the reversed five colored g. The photo was taken at this camp. Standing at the front were the maintenance crew members dressed in jumpsuits, along with twenty or so teenagers. "¡­!" Lena understood without any exnation needed. They were the members of Spearhead Squadron that had existed until the previous day. It was likely the first photo of the squad when it was formed, including Shinn, Raiden, Seo, Krena, Angel, and the other members. The size of this photo that was used for a case file was not big to begin with, and to ensure that all twenty four Processors and mechanics were included, every single person was small and blurry. For some reason, even the old "Scavenger" was included. That was likely to be Fido. It was the first time she had seen them. As the photo was too small however, and as it was taken from too far away, she was unable to see their appearances clearly. However, she could see them standing erratically, facing the camera, smiling serenely. The second piece of paper contained a messy, strong handwritten note of a male. "If you''re looking for us now, and find this piece of paper, that makes you a real idiot." This time, she gasped. It was Raiden. He did not sign off, but it was clearly written for Lena. If you''re looking for us now, and find this piece of paper, that makes you a real idiot. Are you not the same? You left this piece of paper for me, this one line. The piece of paper underneath had the names of many written messily. Obviously, it was written so that Lena could tell whoever was at which position. "Writing my name now. You''re probably crying away since you can''t tell who is who here." Seo. "Keep that cat. Since you like to act nice, isn''t it fine?" Krena. "It does not have a name, so pleasee up with a cute name for it, Major." Angel. She held the paper with trembling hands. The feelings rising in her heart filled her chest. They left words for her. They left their final words for her, who could not fight alongside them, who could not save them, and could only stamp on their heads, saying useless, pretty words. Thest piece of paper contained words written by Shinn. The tidy words and nonchnt attitude was so typical of him. "If one day, we arrive at the end of our journey, do you mind providing flowers for us?" It was a simple line of words, yet it contained a proverbial message. At the very end of their lives was the freedom Shinn and the others yearned for. Lena had to take a step forward to reach their destination. Lena too could continue to move on. Do not sumb to despair, nor trample upon the dignity of humanity, and keep on moving forward, until the very end of your life. Yes, I believe you can, until the very end. A tear fell down her cheek, filled with some warmth, and moreso anguish. Despite this, she showed a smile. Shinn had said that it was only a matter of time until the Republic fell. It was destined to fail, for it remained arrogant, and forgot to protect itself. Perhaps this country could not avoid its impending doom. That day might be tomorrow. But she was to continue fighting until the very end, never to give up, to live on, and to struggle until the very end, just like those indomitable people who proudly lived from beginning to end. To keep fighting. Until the end of her destiny, until her final moments. Chapter Volume 1 reboot - activate
[86 V1] Reboot ¨C Activate
The five soldiers remained at ease as they watched the officer girl of the Old Republic Army exit the ss case, approaching the President of the Federation. They were all in their teens, yet they showed poise far beyond their age, the brand new steel-colored uniforms on them surprisingly fitting. He frowned as he spotted the pretty Selena girl with slightly reddened silver hair and a ck uniform; next to him, the tall Vice Commander muttered, ¡°Hey¡­ is it really her? It feels like¡­ she¡¯s different from what I expected.¡± ¡°She probably has her own tale. Just like how we have ours,¡± he tly answered. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡± so came the reply. He nced aside at the Vice Commander who was smiling away. It had been two years since he started wearing this steel colored uniform of the Federation Army, yet it seemed a little off. This applied not only to himself, but also to the other four. The remaining three remained in position, not moving a hair as they muttered, ¡°What¡¯s with the ¡®Bloody Regina?¡¯ How rude. That doesn¡¯t fit her at all.¡± ¡°Hey, you think she can recognize us?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ sure will be happy if she can, but it¡¯ll be interesting if she can¡¯t¡­¡± Amidst the murmurs, the duo seemed to have ended their conversation as the President led the girl towards them. The Vice Commander and the other three yapping away immediately went quiet, and resumed the stern, cold expressions from before. Such might be the result of the Federation Army training, or perhaps it was part of their act. The five of them spotted the approaching President and the girl who was to be their superior again, tucked their legs together, and saluted in unison. The girl saluted back with a motion slightly different from the Federation¡¯s, and spoke up. Her expression was a little grim, and stiff. ¡°This is Colonel dlena Millize of the San Magnolia Republic Army. Pleased to be of acquaintance.¡± Huh, looks like she did not figured it out. The quintet quickly exchanged childish looks of those who had pulled off a prank sessfully. And he, their leader, acted as representative, speaking up, ¡°Pleased to be of acquaintance, but not exactly. This is the first time we are meeting though.¡± Eh? The silver white eyes widened. He looked down at her, smiling. ¡°It has been a while, Handler One.¡± Chapter Volume 1 epilogue No country will scoff at the notion of denying pigs human rights, Thus, As long as theirnguage differs, their skin color differs, their ancestors are deemed to be of different tribes, they will be found pigs taking on the appearance of humans. By suppressing and ughtering them, surely there is no issue per say with regards to human rights vitions. The moment every person rationalized it, the moment every person deemed it as appropriate, the Republic of San Magnolia began its descent towards destruction, and at the same time, that was its demise. ~dlena Millize (Memoirs) The remains of the five Republic units were leaning upon each other, enclosed in a case of hardened ss, remaining there for eternity. The location was along the streets of the city controlled by the Republican Geade Federation. Under the blue sky that was as clear as the best sapphire was a beautiful, fleeting scenery, as though isted scenery. It was along the border of the old San Magnolia Republic and Geade Empire, a little closer to thetter. Standing in the ss protection zone she was permitted to enter was eighteen year old dlena Millize, looking up at the remains of the "Juggernaut" that resembled a headless knight. A tinge of red was on her flowing silver hair,nding upon the shoulders of her now ck Republican Army uniform. Before they were encased in ss, the had been white armor thoroughly weathered, covered with scars of various sizes. The burn marks from cannon sts or lingering heat remained distinguishable, and the severely contorted frames could barely be pieced together to its original form. The "Scavenger" lying by the side of the remains had a line of words that could barely be seen. Fido. Our loyal¡ª the rest of the words were swallowed by the st, never to be known again. However, she could guess whatever it was. Why did Shinn not give that cat a name, yet named the "Scavenger?" Only then did she realize. To them, who lived and died as fated on the battlefield, only the ones that fought alongside them and died along with them were theirrades. Only those that managed to survive the same battlefields, fought until the very end in a corner of the battlefield, and experienced the same war, could be considered arade. The five additional containers Fido transported were all discarded. Each container would be discarded once depleted, so as to ease the load. It was said that the container within Fido was almost empty, and given that it was still controlled territory, the distance travelled probably added up. The five of them, expected tost no more than a few days, spent an entire month, used up a month''s worth of supplies, and reached the very end. They crossed the contested area on the side of the Republic, even passing through the controlled area, and approached the contested area of the Federation. It was at this point that they had finally ran out of supplies¡­ and probably died in battle. This was where their journey ended. Shinn left behind the tes with the five hundred and seventy six names engraved upon them, and it was said that the tes were discovered amidst the wreckage of the "Juggernaut." That te was taken out temporarily when the ss coffin was made, duplicated, the names recorded, and returned. Two years ago, Shinn came here. However, the Republic could not follow in their steps. The Republic was wiped out. As Shinn had predicted back then, it fell due to its arrogance. Since then, Lena was appointed as Handler for another squadron, in charge ofmanding its operations. She did not fight alongside them. She knew very well that all she could do on the battlefield was sacrifice. If they died, that was it, and given that she could not fight alongside Shinn and the others until the very end, the image of a tragic heroine did not match her at all. She had submitted her report on the "ck Sheep," "Shepherd," and the long distance cannon, but her superiors had dismissed them as the ramblings of the Eighty Sixers and unconfirmed rumors, discarding them aside. Even theck of maintenance of the interception cannon was never resolved. The battles in that zone were just as intense, the Processors were sacrificed one after another. However, Lena did not simply have them die, but personally led the battle,manding her subordinates without mercy, squeezing out every bit of their blood. Before she knew it, Lena had gained a moniker. "Bloody Regina." It was probably derived from her name. Though it resembled an antagonist from a third rate movie, Lena was not particrly concerned with it. She had trampled upon them, forced them to battle, and yet was unable to save any of them. Such a moniker was befitting of her cruelty and arrogance. However, the survival rates of her squadron was far superior to the others, and even after a year, there was no need for reshuffling. Slowly, the squadron under her charge were dubbed "The Queen''s Men." Whenever there were no missions, she went about visiting those that had opposed the containment, those that had hidden their friends or rtives, ex-Handlers who resigned when facing the retribution of their conscience, and recorded the names of the Eighty Sixers they remembered, their stories, their words. The country had purged their existence, but it could not purge their memories. So she thought, if one day, the Republic was to be wiped out, she wanted the whole world to know of this history. And the watershed moment happened. It was the National Day of the Republic. The high school valedictorian that year stood on stage, delivering a speech at the rally. That boy was of simr age to Lena, and she could only remember his eyes filled with rage. "Of my ssmates, many of them fought against the , and died." There was some slightmotion in the audience, showing their sympathies to the speaker. Some of them wept. The boy coldly lowered his gaze upon them, and suddenly roared agitatedly. "They are derided by this country, called Eighty Sixers. ¡ªThey died on the battlefield, but the one who sentenced them to death is this country! How long is this going tost!?" Nobody in the audience agreed with them. Some mocked him for not knowing the difference between a human and a pig. Some were as outraged as he was, but quietly bit their lips. Most of them remained callous, however, and paid no heed to his words, acting as though they were corpses. The enemy attacks from the North had always been the weakest, but that night, an unprecedentedly massive army suddenlyunched an assault. The defenses were immediately overwhelmed by the massive differences in numbers. They did not ry information to the Handler that their forces were all wiped out. It was not due to revenge, but because the Handlers who should have fulfilled their responsibilities were all partying away and celebrating, not one of them synchronized with their subordinates. Since not a single one did fulfill his duty, there was no need for them to report. Most of the interception cannons could not be activated, and the few that could fire normally were blown apart by the Scorpions, along with thendmine zone. The few shots that barely got out were shot down by the Stachelschwein before they could explode. And even thest line of defenses, the , was easily prated. The Morpho. A railgun type that shoots projectiles at an astonishing speed of eight thousand meters per second. It was a new type of enemy Spearhead Squadron had encountered and reported, only for the report to be discarded by the superiors. Faced with the nightmarish destructive power of the railgun and the heavy bombardments, the defensive fortifications were simply a sitting duck, targets that were instantly obliterated. By the time the government had understood what was going on, the had invaded the Eighty Five Zones. Over the past eleven years, the citizens had left all fighting responsibility to the Eighty Sixers, so naturally, they could not fight. A week after the had fallen. The Republic was wiped out. It was no punishment, for none of them died regretting their degradation and callousness. Most of them begrudged the ipetence of others,menting their innocence and untimely deaths. For the sinners who knew not of their deeds, death was no punishment to them. As she was in the first area, Lena managed to avoid the assault from the north. At the same time, she was amply prepared, and managed to implement countermeasures. She had all the heavy cannons near thendmines fire at thetter, sted a path through, and opened the gates of the . With the hidden function At had implemented, she had all surviving Processors synchronized, and requested for them to fight within the Eighty Five zeons. "The Queen''s Men," members of the squadrons under her charge, and other forces responded to her call. Of course, not all of them were willing to fight back out of the goodness of their heart. Most of them were aiming for the better living conditions inside the Eighty Five areas, including the electricity and the production nts, and others came along to help theirrades who were stuck in other squads and Concentration Camp. Once these forces were gathered, Lena led the defenses. A few Albas rode on the spare "Juggernauts" and went into despair, and more citizens were too busy tripping over, falling into despair. Some unabashedly showed their rage and disdain for the Eighty Sixers, but this time, the situation had changed aspared to how it was back then. The powerful weapons and firepower were not in their hands, but in the Eighty Sixers''. In the face of the ferocious enemy, the Eighty Sixers continued to focus on battling, and endured, wanting no part of any foolish infighting. If the battle continued a little longer however, the consequences would have been unpredictable. Two months into the defensive battle, they received reinforcements from a neighboring country. Their reinforcements came from a country in the Far East that had crossed the controlled territories, and their borders. The Geade Federation, which had vanquished the Empire, and was reborn as a Republic. While most of the was concentrated in the north, they broke through the thinned eastern battlefront. Soon after the Empire dered war, it was destroyed due to a civilian revolution, and what the other countries heard was a wireless transmission of thest stronghold. It seemed that in their efforts to eliminate the Empire, the Federation had deemed the as enemy, and had been fighting for ten years. Many of its people voluntarily joined the army, for it firmly believed that protecting their country, theirpatriots, was their duty as citizens, that they admired the ideals of a Republic, so much so that they could destroy their own country, and slowly regained theirnds. With the most advanced weapons and an elite military, the tide began to change. The first area was reimed, but there was friction between them. The citizens of the Republic celebrated the arrival of the Federation, but things did not end there. For some reason, the Federation knew very well of the atrocities that the Republic did to the Federation''s people and the Colorata deemed as Eighty Sixers. Before they attacked the Eighty Five Zones, the Federation saved the surviving Eighty Sixers from the Concentration Camps and frontline bases, and they had witnessed the tragic fates of the oppressed. Since you hate other colors, you can dye your gpletely white. So the Commander of the reinforcements barked at the President and Inner Cab of the Republic. The Federation decided to prioritize the protection of the Eighty Sixers, that if they were willing, they would be granted citizenship, unconditionally. The Albas too had the bare minimum of support, but the investigations into the extent of oppression was prioritized. They found a vast amount of personal particrs files in the underground warehouse of the national military headquarters, and these files were considered to be rtively well preserved. A certain official of the human resource branch had secretly preserved and hidden the records of the KIA. The Federation was stunned by the vast amount of information, and was skeptical that the recent batches of KIA were all young soldiers, but they kindly epted the understanding that there were a few kind souls in the Republic. However, they found the records of those detained in the Concentration Camps, heard the survivors describe their circumstances, and found a vast amount of bones near the Camps and bases that were not buried in time. Their attitude became much colder as a result. Also, once they came across the records of human experimentation, trading of infants and babies, and footage of soldiers ughtering them, the Federation deemed the citizens of the Republic as no different from trash. The Federation could have ceased all aid to the Albas, but they continued to provide the bare minimum. Perhaps this aid was a form of punishment. Scum you may be, but we shall not do the same thing to you, or we too will be like you. Those who knew their own sin would be ashamed. Those swines that did not were no different from being dead. This was a silent judgment. After reiming the zones to the north of the first zone, the Federation required officers of the old Republic to bolster their ranks, as amander for the counterattack forces, or an adviser. Most of them hesitated, but Lena answered the call. Thus, she stood here. Lena left the ss case, and from the street, she picked up a little bag along with a cage containing a ck cat with white legs, returning to the ranks. Standing in this garden of a spring rhapsody were the remains of the "Juggernauts," along with the stone tes containing five hundred and seventy six names. These were their gravestones that had reached this ce, after all the battles, after all the time they had survived. As she had no idea the graves were here, she had not prepared any flowers, and could never do so. She did not arrive here on her own strength, and had no right to present flowers to them. Faced with the higher ups of the Federation awaiting her, she lowered her head slightly. "My apologies, Your Excellency. I have kept you waiting." "Not at all. In no way is giving time to mourn the dead waiting." Showing a calm smile was a middle-aged, high ranking Jet, who resembled a schr more than a high ranking government official. His round framed sses had high degree in the lenses, his ck hair had some white in it, and he was dressed in an ordinary red. His kind eyes that showed no offense were narrowed at Lena, who was dressed in ck, a part of her hair dyed red. "Red symbolizes the blood that flows, while ck represents the sending off of the dead, ''Bloody Regina¡­'' .in fact, many in the Federation felt there was no need to save the scum of the Republic, that they should simply protect their Coloratapatriots ¡ª but seeing people like you make us think that yes, our decision remains correct. Wee, Colonel Millize. The Geade Federation wees your arrival." Seeing his weing smile, Lena showed a perturbed one, shaking her head. The flowing blood belonged to others, and the ones who died were all her subordinates. For the ck clothed Queen who was stained in blood, such praise was hard to ept. The Federation official watched her body of purity in a doting manner. Before she knew it, there were a few young Federation officers standing behind him, all dressed in the steel-colored Federation uniform. "Pleasee. I shall introduce you as themander of our new squad." "Understood." Before she walked off, Lena again looked back at the graves behind her. The four legged spiders and the remains of those that followed were leaning upon each other, sleeping silently. That was where the footsteps of those youths ended, the youths who fought their way through this cruel life, and smiled on along the way through their journey. The war had not ended. The forces still upied a majority of the continent. At this moment, there were still people who continued to fight, yearning to live. Fight. Until the veryst moment, until thest unit is defeated. For them, only those that struggled until the very end, for the sake of arriving at their destination, could enter the promisednd. Lena turned her head around adamantly, and took a step forward. The five officers of simr age saluted in unison. She walked towards them, towards another battlefield awaiting her. For the sake of fighting on, for the sake of survival. Chapter Volume 1 afterword
[86 V1] Afterword
Garterbelts are romantic, you know? Hello everyone, this is Asato Asato. Of course, this weird name is a pen name. The origin is based on my actual name and ¡°88.¡± To you, who picked up this book and have yet to read it, I do believe this work will greatly interest you. To you, who picked up this book with much skepticism, I do hope that you will be entertained by this somewhat peculiar work. And to you, who have read this book, thank you very much. What do you think? This volume includes mecha warfare, a boy¡¯s encounter with a girl, despair, and other various elements, so if any of them is to tug at your heartstrings, I shall be honored. Also, as an author, I enjoyed myself while writing this. This is the kind of story I like to read! This is the story including all the elements I like after all! This is written in the way I wanted it! As to why this work won the Grand Prize though, I really, really have no idea. Well, I greatly exceeded the number of pages specified for the submission, so I had to weep and cut away some elements. One of them was the part about the garterbelt (a descriptive scene), but I could add it in when editing the script. Garterbelts are really cute. Erotic. Erotically cute. If you are one of us, please enjoy the super-duper cute Lena drawn by the hands of Shirabi-sama, and marvel at her absolute territory decorated by these tantalizing garterbelts. If you are not, please allow me to exin a few points about this work before you feel disgust. >The plot of this work is based on the ck history of a certain Axis country and a certain Federation. However, this does not mean I have any hatred or bias against those two countries. I obtained some extra material for use in this work. >Themon terms of ¡°pigs¡± used in this work has vibes of verbal abuse and derogatory abuse, but it does not mean that I really hate pigs, instead that I really like them. Pork is really delicious. Fried pork cutlets, fatty pork, I love them. >Please do not read too much into the Para-RAID theory, thebat capabilities of the various weapons, and the pronunciation of variousnguages. Some parts were changed ordingly as needed. The ¡°collective¡± subconsciousness in particr was a deliberately false exnation on my part. >This work is set in a fictional world, but uses international metric measurements for easier visualization. Also, I did not use the Japanese units of measurements or yardage for this work, simply because I do not understand it. >This work is set in a fictional world, but the Bible and Mr. Lamarck¡¯s works are featured¡­ the reasons shall be for you to imagine. ¡­Enough with the tomfoolery. Following this, the thanksgiving. To the editors, Kiyose-sama and Tsuchiya-sama. Thank you for everything. You are able to give thorough views and analysis in parts I remain uncertain of, and I feel really relieved, sensing that the quality of the work has vastly improved; every interaction with the both of you has been enjoyable. To Shirabi-sama, who drew powerful, proud looking characters with pretty expressions, thank you very much for that. I did receive a draft of Shinn in full armor that was really cool, and was really troubled, wondering if I should change the setting of this work to fit this illustration. To I-IV-sama. Though you were hampered by my nonsensical demand to have ¡°weak, useless machines,¡± you managed to design a wonderful, ominous weapon full of coldness, the super cool design of the ¡°Juggernaut,¡± even including some amazing blueprints full of details. I really want to thank you for the unbreakable you drew, and the cute Fido, which now I want one beside me. Thank you very much. And to you, holding this book in hand. Thank you very much. The content of this volume has ended, but the story has yet to end, so please continue your support. So then, I do wish to be able to bring you into a greenhouse of faux honor and glory. Into the battlefield of blood and burned metal, the skies, the stars, the breeze, and the flowers, and to experience everything along with them. When writing this afterword, BGM: Sidonia OP (Ang). Chapter Volume 2 prologue Owen¡¯s army began to move to surround the enemy¡¯s headquarters. They all moved carefully to avoid enemy soldiers who were on night patrol. Sarya was sitting inside the headquarters, a soldier was reporting the situation to her. ¡°General Sarya, the enemy has entered our trap. Right now they¡¯ve surrounded this base.¡± ¡°All right, all the troops prepare that item. When they attack, use the item. Victory will be ours.¡± (Sarya) ¡°Ready!¡± All the soldiers in the base had been given items purchased by Ren from the Shop. ? ? ? The news of the massacres in the viges reached the ears of General Ro. At this time, the troops who had been sent to the vige were on their way back to Trase City. ¡°Without the rest¡­¡± (Ro) Damn Demi-Humans, but I should not be emotional. I must remain calm in this war. ¡°What about the enemy¡¯s movements, any news?¡± (Ro) ¡°No, the insects sent by the Tamers didn¡¯t find any suspicious movements from the enemy.¡± If the headquarters is fake, where would they attack us¡­ ¡°Spread the search in all directions, do not focus too much on the east.¡± (Ro) ¡°Alright!¡± ? ? ? Ren is still sitting watching the war with Demon Lord Yaura and her Generals. Humans seemed to have fallen into Yaura¡¯s trap, is it better if I move now? While thinking, Ren sees the soldiers returning from the vige to the Trase City. Two hundred people per group, now they are still separated. Level? Ah, if only two hundred people are on average level 30, I can still finish them. It seems it¡¯s time to raise my level drastically. Ren asked Demon Lord Yaura. ¡°Lord Yaura, can I go? I want to finish off the separated forces.¡± (Ren) Ren pointed his finger to the group that was heading for Trase City. ¡°Hmm? Of course, why not?¡± (Yaura) ¡°Okay then, I¡¯ll excuse myself.¡± (Ren) After asking for Demon Lord Yaura¡¯s permission, Ren left the room and went to the battlefield. After walking a few miles away from Demon Lord Yaura, Ren contacts One and Two with Telepathy. ¡°One, Two.¡± (Ren) ¡°What is it Zero?¡± (Two) ¡°Yes?¡± (One) ¡°We will hunt.¡± (Ren) ¡°I¡¯ve been hunting.¡± (One) ¡°Hunting what?¡± (Two) ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, One. Two, you know that the troops are being sent to the viges right?¡± (Ren) ¡°Yeah.¡± (Two) ¡°We¡¯ll finish them off.¡± (Ren) ¡°Hmm, please exin in more detail.¡± (Two) ¡°Right now they are divided into five groups each group consists of two hundred people. First, each of us will fight one group. We¡¯re going to kill six hundred people.¡± (Ren) ¡°Maybe you can fight two hundred people yourself, but I and One can not and what about my position here as Raffel?¡± (Two) ¡°Use your Clones to rece your presence there. Then, on the way to the troops consisting of two hundred people. One can use his Clone so One will attack with his Clone. While you¡¯re gonna strike along with my Clone.¡± (Ren) ¡°All right.¡± (Two) ¡°What will we do with the remaining four hundred people?¡± (One)* ¡°When we¡¯re done with six hundred people, I¡¯ll fight one of the remaining groups and you with Two against one other group.¡± (Ren) I will get many levels and SP. ¡°Now I will give you the location of the three groups we will attack first, then we will use Teleport directly to move there.¡± (Ren) Using the telepathic link between Ren and the other Clones, Ren sent the information containing the location of their prey to his Clones. ¡°All right, Two should prepare a clone to take your ce there. We¡¯re going to Teleport together in ten minutes. I will prepare a new skill that we can useter.¡± (Ren) ¡°Alright!¡± One and Two replied together. Ren stop Telepathy with them. ¡°Well, until now I have no Skill that can attack many enemies at once (AOE). I have to buy it now. Thanks to One who hunted for weeks, right now I have a lot of SP. Gui, please rmend it.¡± (Ren) [Well¡­ I suggest Master buys Ultimate Skill Comet, it costs fifty thousand SP.] Hearing the price, Ren¡¯s mouth was wide open with a surprised face. Not only that, he did not know that Ultimate Skill can be bought at Shop until now. ¡°Wait! Wait. So, I can buy Ultimate Skills from the Shop? I thought I had to match two or more Skills to get it.¡± (Ren) [If the Master has enough SP and no one else had that Ultimate skill, the Master does not need that way to get an Ultimate skill.] Hmm, this is good news. But, I have to save my SP to buy the Eye of Providence. I¡¯m also better off buying the regr AoE Skill for this battle. [And the Ultimate Comet skill has a very wide range of areas, with that Skill, it makes it look like killing dozens or even hundreds of thousands of people is not a difficult thing.] !! Ren was surprised by the statement given by Gui. ¡°How big is the Comet and how wide its range is?¡± (Ren) [A sphericalet that has a diameter of ten kilometers and can cause damage of up to fifteen kilometers due to the pressure generated when the Comet touches the ground. The Ultimate Skill Comet can also be developed into a God Skill Meteor that has a size and a range which is ten timesrger than the Ultimate Skill Comet. But the Comet can only be used once per day, while the Meteor once per week, which means they have different cooldown time.] Ren swallowed his saliva as he listened to Gui¡¯s exnation. ========================================= (AOE = WIDE RANGE ATTACK SKILL / AREA OF EFFECT) Editor: lightning Asura Please like orment below, it gives us motivation ?? You can also give a rating on novelupdates. Chapter Volume 2 1 The skies over the frontlines were engulfed in thin clouds of Eintagsfliege, staining it with a corrupted silver. ¡°The iing L?wes are determined to be a battalion!¡­we have got anotherpany iing!¡± The screams of thepany echoed through the wirelessmunications. Till this point, thepany had lost 30% of its total fighting strength, and the news of the enemy''s reinforcements was no different to a promation of death to the remaining survivors of the Geade Federation¡¯s 177th Armor Battalion, 141st Regiments'' , 18th Company. ¡°45 seconds till contact! Oh god¡­!¡± ¡°Argh¡­they¡¯re stilling¡­!?¡± Seated in the dual-manned cockpit of the ¡°Vanargand¡±, Eugene groaned as the unit shook left and right. He was a Selena, with silvery white hair and eyes. His youthful bespectacled face was a little slim considering he was seventeen. The Federation¡¯s tactics to deal with the were rather basic, to overwhelm one with many. Even with their 3rd generation full dress weapon ¡°Vanargand¡±, taking on a single L?we would require at least double the fighting strength. If the Federation is outnumbered, then it has no chances of winning. ¡°Shit, what are the bombardiers doing!? Provide the intercepting fire already!¡± The gunner and thepanymander seated behind him bemoaned, his rants echoing through the wireless. The noiseing from the eight legs reverberated loudly with the thundering from the tank cannons and the roars of the power pack; even inside the cockpit of the ¡°Vanargand¡±, conversation was possible only through the wireless system. Of course, themander also understood that with the intermittent interference of the Eintagsfliege, the radars and sensors could not function normally, and with only our naked eyes we could not see the surroundings clearly, since the surrounding was dark. Any battle with the would always begin with a sudden raid. With a 12.7mm heavy machine gun mounted, the battered Armored Skeleton was mercilessly pounded along with its fellow friendlies by the Grauwolf Melee Hunters. The ¡°Vanargands¡± armed with thickpound armour and a powerful 120mm cannon, were a tad bit slower in terms of mobility. In contrast to the that was made to be a weapon of massacre, humans had no hope to match them in terms of reaction time, and their units were slower in terms of eleration. While their top speeds were about equal, there was a fatal difference in their eleration, braking, turning, and various other mobility rted functions. ¡°Don¡¯t ck off! There¡¯s no way back even if we try to run away!¡± ¡°You scrap metals, bring it on! I¡¯m willing to be a shield for my countrymen!¡± ¡°Damn it! I can¡¯t die here! I can¡¯t let myself be taken away by them ¡­!¡± The wirelessmunicator was filled with theshings and gunshots of the foot soldiers as they took on the metal beasts in a desperate struggle, along with their dying screams. Eugene could only grit his teeth as he heard the clear determination in their voices. Pip. At this moment, someone responded to their distress call. Numerous cannons shot down from the skies, as though ripping apart the blue moonlight and the faint veil of the night, striking right above the with utmost precision, resulting in a cluster of bullets pelting upon them. This bombardment had barely managed to avoid hitting the fan-shaped formation of the armored troops, and hit the nucleus areas of the ; a perfect masterstroke. The Ameise, equipped with weak armor, werepletely neutralized. The rocketunchers on the back of the Grauwolfs were damaged, and had to be discarded. While the lightweight units were being depleted, the L?wes, still standing beside the cannons that were spinning about, were shot from the side by piercing rounds at the next instant, and werepletely wrecked. Once the dust dispersed, the L?we fell to the ground, and the sound of the continuous bombardments could finally be heard from far away. The sound of the cannon with an initial velocity of one thousand and six hundred meters per second, several times the speed of sound, could only be heard after the shotnded. It''s distinct sound was heavy and shrill, like metal tes shing. ¡°The 88mm (Ratsch-bumm)¡­!?¡± ¡°No-no way¡­!¡± Like a jumping spider mercilessly hunting the worms crawling upon the ground, it appeared from beyond the darkness of the skies, and assaulted the ¡°Legion¡±. The unitnded right atop the turret of the L?we in the middle of the pack, and mmed the anti armor pile driver on its four legs into the enemy, causing it to shiver. The four long thin legs mimicked the the joints of a spider, and the white armor were like grounded ash. The twobat arms were equipped with ultra vibration des and wire anchors, and they were curled up like the jaws of a spider. Also, it was equipped with an 88mm smoothbore cannon. The 57mm pile drivers on the tips of the four legs gave a menacing coldness befitting the war goddess, and at the same time, resembled the white skeleton seeking its lots skull on the battlefield. ¡°The ¡°Reginleif¡±¡­!¡± There were cries in the wirelessmunicator, but they were not showing relief upon seeing the iing aid. Instead, it seemed they were as terrified of it as they were to the enemy. The XM2 ¡°Reginleif¡±. The ¡°Vanargand¡± focused primarily on offensive and defensive capabilities, and was equipped withpound armor and a 120mm smoothbore cannon. In contrast, this unit focused primarily on mobility, and aspared to its weight, has tremendous output in its highly potent linear actuators. It was ate 3rd generationbat unit. It had discarded armor and firepower to enhance mobility, but the excessive mobility can wreck a pilot¡¯s body. This three dimensional high potent personalized unit was created with such a maniacal concept in mind. It was designed based on the fiendish manned drones created by the Republic on the other side of the controlled areas, developed for ¡®them¡¯ who came from the Republic. The had neither life no emotions, and would neither fear norment its deceasedrades. They immediately switched prioritized, and ignoring the remains of their fellow units, the L?wes cannons immediately flew before the ¡°Reginleif¡±. The ¡°Reginleif¡± retreated back by inches, and the cannons plummeted upon the L?we on the ground. The turret, dozens of tonnes in weight, was blown into the air due to he ammunition exploding within it. The turret was specifically designed not to have a blow-off panel, so as to protect its secrets, and this in turn resulted in its majestic final moments. The ¡°Reginleif¡± darted through the dark red mes and the countless armor shrapnel raining upon it, racing through the battlefield. In an instant, it darted through the fifty meters gap between the L?wes, leaped to the side, andnded right before a L?we that turned its turret around, trying to aim at it. At the same time, it fired the Armor-Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot (APFSDS) from its Ratsch-bumm into the nk of the enemy. The high frequency de sliced upon a Grauwolf that closed in without warning, and the machine charged towards another L?we alone. Yes, one unit. One single unit. That one unit practically annihted the that had beenpletely unscathed. The shrill screeches of the high frequency des kept echoing, the purple sparks of the pile drivers kept shing, and the Ratsch-bum continued to roar, reducing each enemy unit into scrap. In no way was it due to the machine¡¯s specifications. It was simply due to the overwhelming ability of pilot within¨Cdeliberately dubbed as such ironically and respectfully, not as a pilot for the ¡®unmanned machine¡¯, but as a ¡®processor¡¯. On average, the L?we killing rate of a ¡°Reginleif¡± aspared to the ¡°Vanargand¡± was pretty simr. The former¡¯s armor would not withstand a single cannon blow, and had a higher mortality rate. In fact, a squadron piloting the ¡°Reginleif¡± was practically wiped out during an experimental battle. Only one¨Cstanding on that battlefield, eradicated the enemy units alone. That war junkie lef the hell called the battlefield with the assistance of the Federation, only to choose to return there. ¡®They¡¯ did not fear the prospect of battling the . ¡®They¡¯ did not fear death. ¡®They¡¯, without care, boarded the ¡°Reginleif¡± that had eschewed its armor¨Cand the lives of the pilots, charging into the lonely battlefield when faced with the oppression of the . Madness. Suddenly, a shadow rose, trying to grab the slender limb of the ¡°Reginleif¡±. Thetter immediately lifted his leg to evade it, and stomped hard upon it, using the pile driver at the leg to stab into the human head. It was an anti-tank automated drone¨CEugene knew that. However, he was still left intimidated somewhere in his heart. Was the Processor really able to determine that it was not a friendly at that moment? Or was it that he never cared it was a friendly, and prioritized protecting himself? The long limb was raised nonchntly, and tossed the drone stabbed into the leg onto thest enemy L?we. The activated detonator ignited the explosives upon impact, and the metals, reduced to high speed particles along with the explosion, instantly shot through the top armor of the L?we. The scarlet mes rising to the skies lit the ¡°Reginleif¡± along with the personal mark on its snowy armor. The Processor might be mad after all. He, a headless skeleton raising a shovel, the symbol of a death god so overly heinous and ominous, so feared and yet so respected on the battlefield. During the first sortie, when all the friendlies were wiped out, he alone eliminated an entire unit. Even amongst ¡®them¡¯, he was the cream of the crop, his personal mark standing out amongst them. The name was¨Cdefinitely Eugene recalled, and widened his eyes. Thepanymander, seated at the cannoneer seat,shed out, They, borne out of malice of the Republic, went through arduous, horrifying trials. They were as horrifying as the itself, and their name were feared as the weapons of ughter taking on human form. ¡°Eighty-Sixers¡­the monsters of the Republic¡­!¡± In fact, it is preferable to avoid using multi-legged or caterpir legged armored weapons outside of battle, to mitigate wear and malfunction. The ¡°Undertaker¡±, Shinn, ced a personalized cargo carrier back into his personal ¡°Reginleif¡±, and returned back to his cabin. This carrier was designed by the advanced technology bureau, prototype deployment squad 1028 ¡°Nordlicht¡±. He was dressed in the steel-colored panzer jacket uniform of the Federation, the twin-headed hawk crest of the country and the insignia denoting his rank as Second Lieutenant. Wearing the blue scarf on his neck was strictly a breach of military code, but nobody cared about this appearance as long as it was not an official meeting. He was about to remove the RAID device beneath his scar, only to be contacted by the of the Para-RAID of the mechanic crew in the container cargo to the back. ¡°¨CLieutenant Nouzen.¡± ¡°Corporal, the wireless is still switched on.¡± There was a click of the tongue from both the Para-RAID and the wireless. ¡°Argh, forgot. Well, this Para-RAID¡¯s way too different from the wireless. It¡¯s one thing for us to be experimenting with this shrew here, why get this thing tested in our squadron too¡­so, same ol¡¯ level of ammo as thest time, half APFSDS and half HEAT (high-explosive anti-tank warheads), ya?¡± Most of ¡°Nordlicht¡± were Wargue, soldiers of the old battlezones, and without official military rank. Back when the Federation was still the Empire, these soldiers were sent to the Wolfnd at the border, where skirmishes often urred, and lived there, considered additional manpower. Having lived on the battlefield for generations, these crude men were deemed as mercenaries under the current administration, andx in discipline. Crude in tone they might be, that was the utmost respect shown. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Also, got no spare high freq des, ya. Number of ¡°Juggernauts¡± been dropping, and ya the only guy using such strange weapons there. Enough with the nerve-wrecking tactics next time, will ya?¡± Another unique trait of the Nordlicht was they would not call the XM2 by its official term ¡°Reginleif¡±. Instead, they would call it the ¡°Juggernaut¡±, the ¡®drone¡¯ of the Republic that formed the blueprint of it. Jut a month ago, during the experimentation of the newest machine, the original squad captain, along with a squadron which amounted of half of thispany, was wiped out. As the highest ranked soldier of the remaining forces, Shinn took over as squad leader. He had a habit of calling his unit the ¡°Juggernaut¡±, and it seemed everyone else was influenced as a result. In fact, all members of the squad felt it was a name more befitting than the war maiden it was actually named. It tormented the test pilots during the development process, and half of the squadron assigned with these units were wiped out. The steel horse was certainly appropriately named, its moniker based upon the deformed god mercilessly devouring in the name of Salvation. As the units were extremely picky in their choice of pilots, Nordlicht could not be regrouped, let alone be assigned with an additional member, despite thempletely unbefitting the military definition of battle. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. The should be retreating now.¡± ¡°Hmmm? ¡­Ohh, I see¡­I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but it sure is useful. ¡° Shinn removed the RAID device, ignoring the amazement and monologue imbued with grimace and fear that was directed to no one in particr. The RAID device was a metallic ring, a choker mic on the throat, only with a more polished appearance and improved functions. So this is close to being a choker again. Nothing changed so he thought. Suddenly, he could hear some shrill words from the pilot seat. The datednguage seemed pompous, and for Shinn, who knew nothing other than the battlefield, it was a difference of an era or two. ¡°Good work ye, Shinei.¡± ¡°¡­Frederica. How did you get in again?¡± Poking her head out from the seat and turning back was a petite girl of ten years or so. She had a delicate body, and had a pretty, intricate white doll-like face beneath her military cap. The red eyes of the Pyrope were dazzling like a gemstone, and the ck hair of the Onyx seemed strangely fitting with the grim looking steel-colored military uniform. Shinn had known this girl from at least half a year, even before he was assigned to this prototype squad. She puffed her t chest proudly ¡°How naive of you to collude with the maintenance crew against we. They¡¯ll were busy with the final checks for the emergency deployment. Lots of chances to slip in.¡± ¡°¨CCorporal. We have to talk once I return.¡± ¡°Lieutenant¡­!? No erm, hear our side out first! We were really too busy, ya¡­!¡± Shinn shut off the wireless without bothering to hear the excuses, sighed, and lowered his head towards the eyes of the same color as his. ¡°How many do I have to repeat myself again, not toe along when I¡¯m deployed? Know your position, ¡®Mascot¡¯.¡± ¡°Do not forgot, your actions are under us control. Thereafter, you have no right to criticize. Yourmander is I. Bernault neverined.¡± The middle-aged man who had returned first, the sergeant most senior in the squadron merely shrugged away, not say anything else. Bernault knew that while Shinn was tactically correct, he was simply grumbling out of personal feelings, and it was not worth talking. Shinn himself never pursued the matter. ¡°Their fault for not catching up. If we missed the time to attack because we have to meet up, there¡¯s no purpose in the term mobilizing the defense.¡± The Processors who were abandoned with the squadron at the back gave a quiet grimace. And Frederica in turn frowned, ¡°Mobilizing the defense, uh? While its a mission suited for you¡­I¡¯d say that I do not like it. Such tactics will require our forces to first break through.¡± The n was to deliberately deploy the infantry as the main forces on the frontline, and hide the armored corps with high mobility and firepower at the back. Once the frontline was breached, the armored forces would be deployed forward and wipe out the enemy quickly. The attacks over the past month had been particrly vicious, and the forces on the Western frontline could only cease advancement and remain put to reduce the depletion of their forces. ¡°But even if we managed to hang on till now, as long as there is a difference in forces and reproduction ability, it will be a matter of time until such tactics fail to work¨Cwhat are we going to do when that time is toe?¡± Shinn ignored her, and sat down, What is the point of saying this now? There is no need to worry about that. At this point. Once the country¡¯spletely battered, what would be of the forces on the frontlines? Was that even a question Frederica leaned her body over unhappily. ¡°You listening, Shinei? Also, one weakness of yours is the unwillingness to reflect upon your actions. No longer in the Eighty Six area of the Republic you are; this is the Federation¡¯s battlefield¨Chya!¡± The girl was not being loud, but that distinct shrill voice of hers was grating to Shinn, who pulled down the military cap of the girl leaning over, down past her nose to shut her up. Shinn ignored the iling girl next to me, leaned on the hard backrest, closing his eyes. There were too many of the attacking at night, and the requests he received on this day were relentless. While it was not the first time he was fighting throughout the night, he wanted to at least secure some sleep time for himself. Next to him, Frederica was still iling away. ¡°Woah! I cannot take it off at all! Bernault! Help me!¡± ¡°Okay okay, but be quiet after I take it off. The lieutenant and everyone else have been fighting for a few days. They¡¯re all tired, and need sleep.¡± ¡°Umu¡­sorry.¡± There seemed to be a nce directed towards Shinn, who did not mind as he let his body fall into a light sleep. Even in slumber, he could hear thements of the dead mechanical souls, not dwindling at all, and in fact, covering the entire West. FOB15 (Forward Operating Base No.15) was the main camp for the 141st Armor Corps, located on the Geade Federation western battlefront, right behind the standby second defensive line patrolled by the 177th armored corps. The base was rather vast, considering the many personnel along with the armored units that were to be contained. In the vast officer mess, Eugene was supporting a tray with one hand as he kept looking for a certain person. The camp had to be reestablished multiple times as the battlefront varied, and thus, the cafeteria was new and simple. If it had been ten years ago, before the civil revolution, when the Federation was still the Empire, there would probably be an image of a dictator, rather than the tapestry ¡®We shall boast our Justice to the World¡¯ on the wall inside. ¡°Hm. The officers from Nordlicht are still there.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re willing to understanding the foreigners, young lieutenant. Those Eighty-Sixers too deserve our sympathiespassion.¡± The pureblood Saphir Captain, who seemed to be an ex-noble, bared his teeth with a hearty smile, and Eugene gave a vague smile in turn, headed towards where the Captain was point. The Captain was correct in what he said. Eugene himself never met any ¡®Eighty-Sixer¡¯ after them, except for him, let alone met them. He was also a little intimidated by them. However, he was not being as kind as the Captain had implied. If he conversed with them normally, he should be able to know how they were as people, so he thought, but¡­ The Federation was a multi-racial country, and the military base naturally had races of various colors, but they were all rtively young, some youths in their teens. Like Eugene, they were graduates from the special cadet school. It was a unique establishment, set up for those who went through middle school education to be granted the rank of lieutenant after the bare minimum training, and the higher education they should be afforded before their vocation would be taught during their military days. Over the ten years of war against the , the Federation lost too many officers, and had to maintain the number of officers this way. But thanks to this, those that were of ordinary families had chances to be officers, voluntary. No matter how dire the situation was, they could not simply conscript soldiers while ignoring the will of its people. The Federation government was not this fallen. Forcibly conscripting others for battle was something only the vile would do. The Federation was different from the Empire, and naturally, different from that country in the West. In modern warfare, the demand was for soldiers proficient and experienced in wielding weapons. Surely getting numbers alone would not be of much help. That was what Eugene¡¯s buddy, his bunkmate in special cadet school exined. ¡°¡­Hey, why are the Nordlicht guys here?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t we request for their assistance just yesterday? The headless skeleton possessed by that death god is really unnerving.¡± ¡°Heard a lot of them got shot down during this month after they came in. Both friendlies and enemies.¡± ¡°Seriously, is there something in them or something? I really thought they are some processors or something.¡± ¡°Enough with that. You¡¯re no different from the scumbags of the Republic when you¡¯re acting like that. How can our glorious Federation do such a thing?¡± ¡°Well put¨Cmay glory be upon the double-headed eagle at all times.¡± Eugene passed by some soldiers as burly as the armored infantry, and ironically, it guided him to where he wanted to head to. He spotted the one he was looking for at the end of a long table in a corner of the cafeteria, and brought his tray over. Opposite that person was a petite girl wearing a military girl. He himself was dressed in a double-breasted zer, quietly dumping the food on his tray into his mouth. Both of them were Onyx and Pyropes, with ck hair and zing red eyes, and they really resembled siblings. The old empire nobles had distinctive appearances, and as a result, the two of them had identical appearances. Eugene heard that he had no family left, however. In the bustling cafeteria in the morning, this was the only space that was distinctively empty. It was either because they were shunned by the nobles who respected purebloods, or were reviled by the suppressed civilians for having the distinct colors and appearances (both Onyx and Pyropes were nobles throughout the Empire time, and mixed bloods were particr hated by both sides), or that their squad and names in particr were notorious enough. The girl tapped at a corner of the tray with her fork, and spoke with the shrill chirp of a canary, ¡°¡­Shinei. Do you like mushrooms?¡± ¡°Not really. Don¡¯t force yourself if you don¡¯t them?¡± ¡°Bu-but tis¡¯ the hard work of the chef. Leftovers are disrespectful.¡± ¡°Then do your best.¡± ¡°Uuu.¡± Though he said so, he did move the butter-fried mushrooms on the girl¡¯s te onto his, leaving only one behind. He might appear aloof, but he was a kind-hearted older brother.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Shinn.¡± The red eyes looked over at him, and once the former recognized him, they blinked. ¡°Eugene. So you¡¯re assigned here?¡± ¡°Justst month.¡± He greeted the girl, and sat on the chair next to her. Thetter looked back at him, her red eyes bloody andrge. ¡°Thanks for yesterday. That skeleton personal mark is yours, right?¡± Shinn paused, ¡°Ehh¡­sorry, which squad were you in?¡± It seemed Eugene¡¯s squad was not the only one asking for assistance. ¡°Haha. Sure was active yesterday, huh.¡± Frederica looked back and forth between them, and asked, ¡°Do you know each other?¡± ¡°Same batch during cadet school.¡± ¡°We knew each other soon after enrolling. Both of us were in the armored corps, in the same dormitory, and buddies during training. Both of us were in the same test unit wheen practicing how to operate the ¡°Vanargand¡±.¡± Frederica¡¯s eyes immediately drifted. ¡°Ahhh¡­sure is not easy, I supposed.¡± With an impish enthusiasm, Eugene leaned over, ¡°Not at all. This guy¡¯s boring and dull, can¡¯t understand what he¡¯s thinking, you know.¡± ¡°Uu, I¡¯d suppose. He would always look at a book whenever others talk to him, and will never lift his head up. If he¡¯d find it boring, he will never talk, if not ignore outright.¡± ¡°Some people wonder what¡¯s the color of his blood when it gets really chilly at night, and yet he does exert a lot of effort on weird things. You heard of the legendary moment when Shinn got zero?¡± ¡°Oh? What would that be about.¡± ¡°During the mock battle ofbat training, he got the ¡°Vanargand¡± to jump. Dangerous piloting, so he failed.¡± That was four months ago, near the end of the three months basic training in the special cadet school. Though that maneuver was certainly part of piloting skills, but with abat weight in excess of fifty tonnes, having the ¡°Vanargand¡± jump up would easily damage the unit and endanger the pilots inside. In fact, the gunner Eugene back hit the back of his head onto the headrest, and he could feel fire on the verge of zing out of his eyes. It was truly remarkable to see someone dislike a tank with sturdy armor and powerful cannons for being too heavy. Shinn, unused to piloting the ¡°Vanargand¡±, was assigned to the prototype squad with the ¡°Reginleif¡± as a result, the 1028¡­.Eugene really felt lonely back then. Shinn, the person being yapped at, nonchntly sipped at his coffee, being a downer as usual. Both Eugene and Frederica looked displeased. Both of them nced at each other, and snorted in unison. ¡°Lieutenant Eugene Lantz of the 18th Squadron. Pleased to meet you.¡± ¡°Frederica Rosenfort. An acquaintanceship¡­now then.¡± Frederica finished the coffee with lots of milk and sugar (so much so that Shinn confiscated the sugar after the fourth scoop of sugar), and got up. ¡°Since old friends have met, I¡¯d pardon myself for intruding. Excuse me.¡± With both hands, she took the tray that was meant for adults, a lotrger than her head, and skilfully darted through the crowd before vanishing. Eugene watched the delicate looking back leave, and asked, Such a young girl surely was unbefitting of the military base. ¡°¡­Your squad ¡®Victory Goddess (mascot)¡¯?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± It was a military tradition that hadsted since the Empire era. It was said to be a tactic used to prevent soldiers from deserting. They would have the daugthers or little sisters of the soldiers, young girls in particr live and dine along with the soldiers to create a family atmosphere. The army had hoped that the soldiers would protect the cute ¡®daughters¡¯, that they would fight the enemy with no regards for their own lives. ¡°Basically, our squad¡¯s full of mercenaries. Well, it¡¯s no different from being hostages like before.¡± Truth be told, it was not basically, but exactly. Just the previous night, of the squad assigned for aid, Shinn was the only actual soldier. The others were mercenaries (Wargus), for the other soldiers, including Shinn¡¯s superiors, had died in battle against the . ¡°¡­That¡¯s harsh. We still need mascots now? Amongst the Wargus too?¡± ¡°She chose to do so.¡± Shinn tly noted, and Eugene frowned, ¡°You got to be kidding. Why¡¯s such a young girl going to battle?¡± Shinn¡¯s bloody red eyes gave a nce. At that moment, Eugene felt his chest jump for a moment. It was a look of one wanting some distance. No, it was a look of one who clearly understood the distance between them. Those eyes indicated that they were not living in the same world, that there was a crevasse neither could cross. Eugene shook his head, and continued, ¡°Where¡¯s the reason to fight for that kid? Is there something to protect? Family, country, justice, way of life, there¡¯s no need for her to protect any of these¡­so why is she still fighting¨Cright?¡± Shinn closed his eyes, and then opened them again. As he opened them, the red eyes showed none of the distance from before. ¡°¡­Maybe.¡± Shinn went off to get a second cup of coffee, and brought another cup for Eugene. Thette thanked him as he received the paper cup. While it was called coffee, it was simply a concocted substitute, of fried barley and chicory. Thend was surrounded thoroughly by the , and with the electronic jamming of the Eintagsfliege, the Federation could not affirm if the other countries still existed, let alonemunicate or trade with the outside world. Naturally, nobody knew how real coffee looked like, for they were from the Southern continent and the Southeast. ¡°Oh yes, you have a little sister, I remember.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, she¡¯s still young though.¡± Eugene fondled the locket he hung on his neck, alongside his dog tag underneath his shirt. ¡°¡­We got no parents. I got to work hard to get her into a better school.¡± Six years ago, when the war against the escted, Eugene and his family were forced to evacuate their hometown. The train to the capital had no space for the entire family to ride on. Thus, his parents chose to send their two children onto the train, and decided to stay behind. That was thest he saw of them. The chaos and panic resulted in them being unable to have a proper family photo. His little sister, still a baby back then, could not remember the appearances of her parents. ¡°It¡¯s summer break in elementary school. If I get to return during the next break, I want to bring her out. We can¡¯t really go somewhere too far, but the zoo or the theme park should be fine. I should also buy something for her. She¡¯s a girl, so I should prepare some clothes and shoes. Ah, I heard there¡¯s a new cafe in the department store at the capital (Sankt Yedder). Seeing Eugene being all excited, Shinn showed a smile, ¡°Must be tough being an older brother.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m not giving her to you.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I got a lot of things on my mind.¡± Shinn looked dumbfounded, and immediately after, looked grim, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you not have be a soldier anyway? The situation isn¡¯t improving, and there won¡¯t be any guarantees in the future.¡± You¡¯re her only next of kin. Eugene, having interpreted these unspoken words, stopped smiling. ¡°Is that experience from the previous battlefield?¡± ¡°¨CYeah.¡± That was what Eugene heard from Shinn, when they were still officer cadets. And thus, he managed to save himself. In special cadet school, the cadets would step upon a real battlefield as part of their training. They wore old camouge clothes, and patrolled the frontlines with only an assault rifle. This was to ensure that they would experience the battlefield, a ¡®mission¡¯ to bolster their courage. Unfortunately, they so happened to be ambushed by the , and the instructor leading them died in the skirmish. It was because he was partnered with Shinn that Eugene fortuitously made it alive. Back then, Eugene had asked Shinn why thetter could determine the moments of the ¡­why he was so familiar withbat. After some hesitation, Shinn answered, narrating his experiences with his usual monotone. His past. His own experiences, from how his own country had sentenced him to death, to how he kept on living. The shocking throat scar hidden beneath the cor of his military uniform was clearly inflicted with the intent to kill, just like a beheading. Eugene did not have the courage to ask. And it was because Shinn knew the cruelty of the battlefield, how arduous the battles against the were, that he would express such worries. Having understood this, Eugene was really delighted. Though Shinn was quiet and introverted, he was not a bad person. And even after all the harrowing experiences, Shinn was still willing to be friends with him, a pureblood Alba. ¡°¡­Well, yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± Eugene took a sip of the cold coffee, and grimaced. It was bitter. He had forgotten to add sugar. ¡°Just yesterday, fifteen members of our squad died. The controlled area is a little bigger aspared to ten years ago, and this base was shifted here in Spring this year. However, it doesn¡¯t mean that there hasn¡¯t been lots of sacrifices.¡± The previous identity of the Federation¨Cthe Geade Federation, once upiednds from the northwest of the continent to the far North, and horizontally It was thergest country on continent, with the biggest poption, and also a military superpower. Soon after the Federation was formed, it was assaulted by the , but the Wolfnd at the border fulfilled their initial purposes. While the area was diminished by half, the vital areas of production and activities were protected sessfully, along with the capital area. The Federation managed to maintain a vast amount of production and military might after much defending, and at the same time, they obtained the remaining specifications data of the units within the old Empire researchbs. Also, after ten years of war against the , they amassed variousbat experiences against them. With all these factors taken into ount, the Federation finally had the ability to withstand the on even grounds, and started to reim lostnds little by little. The security of the country and the expansion of itsnds could be said to be built on the country¡¯s might, and the blood of every soldier. Specifications-wise, the did not have to consider the feeble pilots, and incorporated more functions, so they were better than the Federation¡¯s weapons in every facet. Also, while the should have a lifespan limit program in its central processing system, it had ovee this issue by taking the brains of the dead (which Shinn had dubbed such units as ¡®ck sheep¡¯), allow them to continue battling without ending. They kept attacking aggressively, to obtain the individual brains that had yet to rot, and even organized ¡®hunters squads¡¯ specialized in capturing soldiers alive. The existence of these squads proved that if this kept up, the Federation would be the first to fall in this war of attrition. ¡°Just yesterday, from I could see, the other squads are basically the same. It¡¯s a miracle that the second defensive line hasn¡¯t been breached.¡± ¡°The captain and the others said that when it¡¯s not going well, this is normal. The Western front is the biggest battlefield for the Federation, and the 177th Armor Battalion is one of the many heavy battle areas on the Western frontline.¡± The eastern battlefront, along with the first to fourth battlefront in the north and south were all mountainous regions. Due to the natural obstacles, it was easier to maintain the defensive lines. However, the Western battlefront was aplete t in, and skirmishes had to be done head on. A four hundred kilometers stretch of the battlefield, and there were four battalions assigned, the most of the frontlines. With these disadvantageous conditions, the casualty rate on the Western battlefront remained high¡­and naturally, this was the ce with the highest KIA. ¡°Normal, huh. I¡¯ve been fighting on this battlefield for a month, but the casualty rate here definitely isn¡¯t now. The number of wiped out doesn¡¯t match our casualty rate. We managed to hold the line, but there¡¯s way too many people dying.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that it doesn¡¯t feel like we¡¯re winning. The captain and the others have naturally be used to it, and the higher ups of the army are all nobility from old times. A civilian death or two is just a matter of numbers to them.¡± Saying that, Eugene realized his mistake, and pursed his lips. The friend before him was really beckoned by the Republic as livestock, never once tallied amongst the dead. ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± ¡°? What is it?¡± Shinn showed a look of surprise, and Eugene merely waved his hand. It was fine for Shinn to not notice it, for there was no need to harken the painful memories. But. Eugene suddenly had a thought. So why did Shinn return to the battlefield? Shinn no longer had family. His family was abandoned on the battlefield by his own country, the Republic, and he was the only one left behind. He was not born in the Federation, and there was nobody worth protecting in this country, nor was there a mission for him to protect his country orpatriots. He could simply live on through the Federation government¡¯s provisions if he simply wanted to fill his stomach. But¨Cwhy? ¡°¡­Shinn, I say.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No¡­about you.¡± Is it really okay to ask? So Eugene hesitated before he asked. Suddenly, the red eyes were looking else. The eyes were looking beyond the distance, practically through the thick walls of the base, his expressio icy. Overwhelmed by that vigor, Eugene hesitated. ¡°¡­Wh.¡± He was about to ask¨Cwhy. At that moment. The shrill siren interrupted his words. It was the drone venturing deep into the contested area airing this siren, for the was detected. The units were once developed by the Geade Empire, andunched a full scale war upon the continent. However, the Federation, inheriting part of that technology, would only use scouting drones that could be controlled over a long distanced. In the Empire era, higher education was afforded only to the aristocrats that formed the dictatorship government, along with those right beneath nobility, so technology-wise, the Federation was no match for the old Empire. The lead designer who single-handedly developed the artificial intelligence for the was killed before the war started, and the Federation could no longer create drones on par with the . Also, both the Federation government and its citizens felt that drones should not be used for war. It was the duty of the citizens, their privilege, to protect the country, and fight for theirrades. They could not, and would not let robots rob them of this glory. With their own eyes, they had witnessed what would happen when their robots were out of control. A short moment of silence came with the tension, and it was reced by the tense, ring siren. Both of them got up. ¡°Again? Seriously, those scrap metals have nothing better to do? No way they¡¯ll be popr with thedies.¡± The term Weisel originate from the queen ant after all, so in other words, the soldier ants should all be females.¡± ¡°So that makes the Federation amy horny men? How passionate, I¡¯m going to cry.¡± Both of them joked as they exited the cafeteria, and went their separate ways on the corridor. Eugene belonged to the official armored division, and was under a differentmand branch aspared to Shinn, who was sent from the prototype division. Naturally, their units were in different hangars. ¡°See youter then.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The main battlefield on the Western battlefront mostlyprised of a cramped, forested areas, or ruins of old cities. These were the measures implemented tobat the main forces of the , the L?we, and also the Dinosauria used to break through the lines, all to mitigate their disadvantages. However, the situation did not go as they wished. The mass of the ¡°Vanargand¡± certainly was not small, and it would be heard to move within the cramped areas. Once they were isted from their fellow machines, they would be easily surrounded by the smaller Grauwolfs, and be disadvantaged. The forest of conifers and hardwood was unique only to the Western battlefront. The Grauwolfs would scale the thick, sturdy old trunks, leap down, and strike from everywhere, so Eugene kept piloting the ¡°Vanargand¡±, trying to escape them. The heavy weight of fifty tonnes darted through the silent forest, causing the ground to rumble, and the drive system screeching away. The kept attacking day and night, roaring like a tsunami. They would attack at irregr, inopportune moments, and kept repeating the same motions to wear down the Federation¡¯s fighting strength, stamina and morale. At times, once they began attacking, the assaults wouldst half a month. Unlike humans, who had to spend single digits of months in the womb and years to grow, the Weisels deep within the controlled areas could regenerate the indefinitely, enabling their tactic of summoning ck clouds. The skies above the battlefield was covered by the silver clouds of Eintagsfliege, resulting in a continual jamming of the sensors, radar, and data link; at the same time, the Scorpions long distance cannons would rain upon the trenches. Capabilities-wise, the armored infantry was no match for the ¡°Grauwolfs¡±, and the ¡°Vanargand¡±. Numbers-wise, the were advantageous, and would attack in squads. While the tactics were pretty basic, the differences in numbers and capabilities were sufficient enough to corner the Federation, their relentless assaults befitting their names as the army of the dead. What if we¡¯re defeated. so he would think from time to time. Will we be defeated one day, the Federation, humanity, against killing machines without knowing the reasons and purposes for war¨C¡­ ¡°Lieutenant Lantz! What are you spacing out for? You want to die?¡± ¡°! Sorry!¡± And with the growl, Eugene was kicked in the back, finally recovering from his thoughts. The red blips indicated the cluttered the radar screen. The vetronics barely managed to connect, and showed the situation of the various squads on the hologram windows. The situation was dire. The armored division, supposedly behind the second defensive line for mobility defense, had rushed to the frontlines. Nordlicht, the squad Shinn belonged to, should be in deployment nearby. It was attacking the nk of the advancing L?wes, darting into enemy lines to halt the attack. The armored corps seized the opportunity to regroup and counterattack with Nordlicht. Shinn¡¯s squad was always there when they needed him most. And that was where it was most dangerous. Both the enemy and friendlies feel one after another, the bodies piling up, the blood forming creeks. Yet in the battlefield of hell people feared and shunned, Nordlicht kept advancing. Eugene knew that many on the frontlines hailed them as the bloodsucking devils. The headless skeletons bearing the name of a Walkure would follow the scent of blood to thend of Death. And with a buzzing noise, all the optical screens multiple holographic windows were blurred out. The holographic windows showed the Eintagsfliege density changing. There was jamming. And before everything was swallowed in the noise, he could vaguely hear Nordlicht hurriedly retreating, and someone on the public channels yelling at all the forces. An oing projectile in the air exploded, the shock tremoring the surrounding air. In modern warforce, a recoilless cannon with low velocity would still exceed supersonic. The sound would always beter than a hit. The hail of metal pelted. The wireless waspletely silent due to the strong interference. Due to the Para-RAID that connected the subconsciousness of people, Shinn was not affected. ¡°Fine there, Shinei?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Oh good.¡± Saying that, Frederica¡¯s voice quivered. ¡°But¡­my apologies, bad news, I fear.¡± Shinn looked up at the metallic colored carcass giving off blue smoke, ripped apart by the rain of self-forging fragments, and slowly spoke up. ¡°Frederica¨Cclose your ¡®eyes¡¯.¡± He opened his eye, and found lush greenery by the surroundings. Right above him were the tender green leaves of Oaks and Blumes, along with the sharp, rich green of Spruce and Pines. The sunlight barely managed to shine through the Eintagsfliege, and lit the surrounding mist with the surrounding green. The distinct emerald green of the northern summer forest was like droplets, like smoke. The dew-covered undergrowth touched his face, and he knew he was lying down. Right nearby was the silhouette of the ¡°Vanargand¡±, lying on the ground like the carcass of arge beast.¡± A slender figure knelt by his side. Eugene narrowed his eyes. ¡°Shinn.¡± The bloody red eyes turned towards him silently. The icy, poised look showed no signs of faltering at such a moment. If a death god really existed, surely its eyes would be like this. ¡°What happened to the squad leader¡­?¡± ¡°Dead.¡± ¡°What, about me¡­?¡± He had a feeling that he was a lost cause. If there had been a glimmer of hope, there was no way Shinn would leave him be. ¡°Better not ask.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± Shinn sighed. ¡°Everything below the stomach¡¯s gone.¡± Looking at Shinn¡¯s blood-soaked steel-colored uniform, Eugene could guess the severity of his wounds. Seriously¡­he¡¯s not a bad guy. He knew it was a little inopportune, but Eugene eked a smile. Shinn knew Eugene was a goner, and yet he dirtied his uniform, and pulled him out from the cockpit. Eugene could feel no pain, so perhaps he was given morphine. This extremely precious painkiller was used on a dying soldier. And he was grateful to be brought outside. He would have hated to die in the cramped cockpit, along with the stench of his blood and intestines. ¡°Shinn¡­onest thing I ask of you¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Mind, giving me my locket¡­inside my equipment¡­¡± Once he saw the red eyes looking down at him falter however, Eugene understood. Ahh, I have no hands to hold the locket. Shinn removed his glove, and took the locket out, probably worried that it would be stained by blood. After some thought, he moved it from the cor of the pilot clothes to the inside of the shirt. Some heat was absorbed as the icy metal rested on Eugenes body, and it took him a while to get used to it. Shinn then stood up wordlessly, like an ominous crow. He opened the holster on his right thigh, and pulled his pistol out. He pulled the slide, and loaded the bullet into the chamber. It was a 9mm automatic gun, one of arger caliber than the standard handgun the Federation issued its pilots, yet unable to pierce through the armor. If Eugene were to be doing the same thing, surely his hands would be shaking, unable to squeeze the trigger. However, the eyes beneath the muzzle pointed at him showed no signs of wavering. Eugene knew it was not out of aloofness. With hisst ounce of breath, he smiled. That was all he could do as thanks. ¡°Sorry¡­and thank you.¡± A gunshot. While Frederica did say he was alive, she never said to save him. At that point, he understood what was going on. ¡°Fido¡­¡± He called out subconsciously, and then realized that his loyal ¡°Scavenger¡± had been put to eternal rest in the controlled area, for there was no need to bring it along. He then kept quiet. The Federation would not abandon anyrade, even if that person had be a corpse. Once this battle was over, Eugene¡¯s corpse would be reimed, and brought to his family for a funeral. If humans really did have souls, perhaps they could have a moment of sce before they return to the dark abyss at the ends of the world. All Shinn did was to remember, his name, his dying face, his ted face, and the numerous stories of his family. It was the same for him as it was for the hundreds ofrades he watched depart. That was all he could do. In the past, and even now. He took down one of the two dog tags to write a death report. Suddenly, he heard some footsteps, as though something really heavy was being dragged along. It was not the , for the astounding elerators and buffers would leave even a Dinosauria silent. Furthermore, if there was any approaching, Shinn would have noticed it. And finally, from the thick, lush green mist, there was the squadron mark of the eighteenth squadron, the hedgehog, the silhouette of a battered ¡°Vanargand¡±. Once he saw the wrecked ¡°Vanargand¡± and the young soldier, not of his squadron, standing next to hisrade, the lone surviving operator of the eighteenth squadron, the pilot of the one surviving ¡°Vanargand¡± stood still. The might be lying in ambush somewhere, for it was a corner of the battlefield where death continued. The soldier before him did not wield his assault rifle, lookingpletely defenseless, and utterly reckless. The way he stood still however, he waspletely devoid of any sense of danger. Standing in the shadow of the wrecked ¡°Vanargand¡± was a white armored quad-pedaled unit in standby. Once he saw that, the pilot gasped. The ¡°Reginleif¡±. The headless white skeleton that symbolized cmity, only appearing on the devastated battlefield. The boy took off his helmet, and was unable tomunicate with the wireless. The gunner on the back seat remained wary as he opened the cockpit. The young soldier nced at them, raising an eyebrow. The pilot gasped. ¡°Nouzen¡­!¡± It was his peer in cadet school. Special cadet school was basically a measure to replenish the number of lost officers, and many students were brought to study here due to their poverty. This boy before him was outstanding, his grades inbat training were top notch, but due to insubordination and various issues, he was deployed to a certain prototype squadron. It was said that the squad was filled with Wargus, barbarians born out of Wolfnds, and were made to pilot the prototype as a form of punishment. Before the boy was the operator of the wrecked machine, again from the same batch, the boy¡¯s buddy and bunkmate, Eugene Lantz. Once he saw the half corpse left behind, he gasped. ¡°Perfect timing. Please write the KIA report.¡± He caught the dog tag the boy carelessly tossed. The gunner calmly asked, ¡°You sent him off?¡± He probably deduced it from the handgun wielded in one hand, along with the sttered blood on the grass and the ground. While it was typically a medical officer¡¯s responsibility to administer a triage of the casualty, there was no requirement for a specialist to determine if the wounds were obvious. If they were too serious, and aid was toote, ending a life would be relief and constion for the dying. Shinn nodded. While the gunner showed a conflicted look, he was about to give his thanks, only for the young operator to yell, ¡°¨CWhy didn¡¯t you save him!?¡± Shinn did not respond. Instead, he merely looked back, his bloody red eyes stiff and calm, ¡°You know it¡¯s Eugene, right!? Right before we sortied, he said he saw you, you know!? ¡­Why didn¡¯t you save him!? You were cutting your way through the battles of the other squads!?¡± Even amongst the armored division focused on mobile defense, Nordlicht¡¯s performances were the best of the bunch. It was to be expected, for they were always striking back at the enemy when other squads could not afford to do so. Even though he was so amazing. Even though he was aided and protected by the Federation, and did not need to return to the battlefield again! ¡°You just want to wipe out those pieces of scrap metal, right!? ¨CYou war hungry Eighty Sixer!¡± Eighty Six. They were thepatriots from the Republic of San Magnolia, deemed by their country as pigs with the appearances of humans, and saved by the Geade Federation. There were five soldiers who were forced to depart for their execution, and finally arrived in thends of the Federation. Shinn remained silent. And while the operator was about to keep talking, his officer, the gunner, grabbed him on the shoulder. ¡°Enough already, Lieutenant Marcel. Do you want to be as decadent as the scum of the Republic?¡± Marcel muted himself once he heard those words. The Republic did such inhumane things to the ¡®Eighty Sixers¡±, the citizens they should be protecting. Half a year ago, when the Federation sheltered and shielded them, media reports aired through television, radio and the like for days, so everyone knew. Surely he did not want to be like them. But. Patting Marcel¡¯s shoulder, the gunner lowered his head. ¡°I do hope you will forgive Lieutenant Marcel¡¯s rudeness. Also, I will like to thank you in Lieutenant Lant¡¯z ce. Thank you, and I apologize.¡± ¡°¡­No worries.¡± Shinn nodded. With an anguished look, the gunner watched him, and after some thought, he said, ¡°If you volunteered the Federation army as thanks for saving you, you do not need to do so.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Our Federation will never sumb to the . This is not simply for the sake of winning the war; it is also to dere our justice. Our battle is for our own will, to protect our families, country andpatriots. In no way will we force you poor children to participate in war¡­it isn¡¯t toote to retire and enjoy your days.¡± Shinn merely stared back at him nkly. Suddenly, he averted his eyes, and turned his back on the gunner, who though was not his direct superior, was rude on his part. With a calm, aloof voice, he noted, ¡°The ising. Better regroup with our forces now.¡± Shinn had a nce at the battle situations on the many windows in the cockpit of his ¡°Juggernaut¡±, the ¡°Undertaker¡±. Eugene¡¯s death was already out of his mind at this point. Having spent five years living on the battlefield, his mind was sculpted into a war machine. He recalled that he had switched off the Para-RAID for the time being. While he was fine with his squadmates who sortied since the era of the Empire hearing this, he was unwilling to have Frederica hear him personally kill his friend. While he had pointedly told her not to look, it was unknown if she did. They were synchronized, and Frederica¡¯s voice immediately rang by his ears. It seemed she had been waiting, ¡°Shinei?¡± ¡°How¡¯s the situation?¡± The vetronics data connection had not been restored. While he was certain of the locations, he had to determine his allies locations from how the enemy was scattered. It was not an impossible task, but the friendlies were more than he imagined on this battlefield, and it was better to ask someone to know. ¡°Not good. The main forces retreated to standby, primed to counter. The prior cannon assault had caused great devastation.¡± ¡°Got a more detailed report on the damages?¡± ¡°Several squads do have missingmanders¡­while I¡¯d still be in themand car, the data link has yet to be recovered¡­¡± It appeared the jamming of the Eintagsfliege was yet to be dispersed. The anti-aircraft guns meant to disperse them were suppressed by the Scorpions, and could not advance. The Federation¡¯s fighting strength far surpassed the Republic¡¯s, and the weapons used forbat were outstanding. The cannons and data link provided much needed support¡­yet they still could not defeat the . Theughable defense system of the Republic managed tost nine years, probably because the Federation had weakened the by at least half. One might even say that the used the Republic¡¯s battleground as a trial, a training session. ¡°¨CThere is contact from Division Headquarters. During the counterattack, Nordlicht shall strike from the nk. To gather at point twenty seven-thirty two, and wait for instructions¡­amunications soldier reported to us directly. Sure is a tight sport.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Shinn turned the ¡°Undertaker¡± around. Soon after, he regrouped with Nordlicht, along with the remaining two soldiers in his squad. The members scattered all over the battlefield to to his side, and the radar screen showed blue blips of friendlies, of simr numbers to before. He saw the familiar personal codenames on the blips, and at the same time, heard a familiar voice he had not heard in a while, ¡°¨CA rare reunion we have here, eh? So many ¡°Vanargands¡± got wiped out?¡± ¡®Werewolf¡¯. Shinn nced at the name that appeared with the squad code and unit serial, and responded to the other end of the Para-RAID. ¡°Raiden¡­how¡¯s the squads you¡¯re supporting?¡± ¡°Too bad the actual armored corps on my side got wiped out too¡­looks like we won¡¯t have the fighting strength to counterattack.¡± ¡°¡­Never had hope for them anyway.¡± ¡°However, if the counterattack fails this time, we will really be isted. Rather than an assault, we are basically cutting off the bait they haveid out.¡± ¡°We got thrown to the worst battlefield and are left to fend for ourselves. Guess everywhere¡¯s the same.¡± Chiming in were the other Eighty-Sixers scattered all over the battlefield. On the radar screen that kept blinking due to the strong jamming, the usual names appeared. Once he saw those names, Shinn sighed. They had arrived at a different country, but the war had not changed. In the face of the ghost army of machines, humans were powerless to resist, and were gradually devoured by the perimeter. Never once did he expect that beyond the ins where countless of hisrades had fallen, the same war was continuing¨Cand that he would step onto the battlefield again, facing the same enemies. Not when he was assigned to the special scouting mission of an execution. Not then. Chapter Volume 2 2 The special scouting mission went smoother than expected, and they had advanced far longer than expected. It might have a good thing to wipe out the enemy on the first day of the mission. After passing through the contested area, they entered the controlled area, where the enemy patrols were less frequent. With Shinn''s ability, they knew where the was, and either hid or detoured around, avoid contact as they advanced East. The season of autumn beckoned, and they began to feel chilly while camping outside, their rations of synthesized food dry and nd, their advance continuing indefinitely. To them however, this was the first trip of freedom in their lives after their hardships. The areas controlled by the were once resided by people, and though devoid of any, the cities and viges constructed remained. Given the chance, they would enter the relics to scout, and hunt livestock that had regained freedom. If conditions permitted, they would also light a bonfire. The cities they encountered on their differed, and the beautiful naturalndscapes brought them great joy on their journey. It was in mid-autumn that the Republic''sndmarks no longer featured in the ruins. Instead, the mark of the Empire remained. At that point, they had finally arrived. "Fido." "You witnessed our journey here¡ªwemand you to rest, until you rot away." Fido was shot in the nk by a cannon, and was silenced forever; Shinn knelt next to it, and slowly got up. It was unknown if his final order was received by the wrecked "Scavenger". It was unknown if this scrap-picking robot could understand the intent behind those words, given its feeble processing ability. He turned around, and found that Raiden had returned. "This should be okay, right?" After a thought, he remembered something. There were the aluminium graves containing the names of his deadrades. Including the grave of his brother, there were five hundred and seventy six of them. He had decided to leave these graves along with Fido and the debris of the "Juggernauts". "Yeah. We can''t hang on for long anyway." In the previous battle, all the "Juggernauts", aside from the "Undertaker", were wasted, but luckily, the five of them, including Fido, had survived. At this point, they had smarms to defend themselves, powerless against the mighty strength of the . They would really be done in during the next battle. But Shinn could only give a faint smile, and tapped his fingertip on the burned container equipped on Fido. "This is all I can repay it with¡­there is no need to bring this guy along." The loyal scavenger that peeled away the armor of the dead was no longer around. Raiden too chuckled. At this point, it was toote for them. The end was right before them. "So our happy journey ising to an end?" He sealed away the smile on his face, and looked to the west¨Cthe path they had treaded upon. Under the blue sky was dry, barren wastnd. The breeze blowing by rolled up the remaining yellow petals, and the eight ck rail tracks before them extended into the endless horizon, looking pretty ironic. This was the one proof that people once resided upon these empty ins. "Never thought there would be that many though." "¡­Yeah." They barely managed to eke through the deepest of the controlled areas, and there were a lot more than Shinn could deduce from the groans. Atop the grasnds, from where he could see, there were units of L?wes and Dinosaurias in standby, forming a mosaic of metal without any gaps in between. The recollection units Tausendf¨¹?ers formed a pair of flowing rivers, one moving from back to front, and the other vice versa. The Eintagsfliege had its wings concealed as it rested atop the wilted forest, forming silver icicles. From time to time, they would descend upon the barren wastnd of a copsed mountain, or a crater. It seemed the minerals had been minedpletely, and the scenery was akin to the end of this world. There was also a Weisel, or an Admiral unit, a huge monster lying in wait amidst the thick morning fog. It was so massive, its entire silhouette could not be determined. The moving around them were too clustered, and sometimes, they had to spend entire days, in the cold rain, hiding in there. How could one fight back against the multitudes of the undead machinery army? Surely the Republic would be defeated in this war. Or rather, humanity would surely be defeated. ¨COne day, if she arrives here¡­but will that daye? Angel stored the remaining resources into thest container that was cut away, tied it to the "Undertaker" with wires and winch, and returned to the other two. "I am done with my job, both of you; it is about time we leave. The other hearing this battle will hurry if we dither for longer." Krena and Seo too were done with their instation work, and hopped off their "Juggernauts". The five of them had decided they would take turns piloting the "Juggernaut" as they advanced, and if they were to encounter the , the one piloting would battle, while the others would hide. Seo stretched his back, cupped his hands behind his head, and pouted, "But we have Shinn''s "Juggernaut", of all things¡­the OS settings are really sensitive. To be honest, I''m a little scared of piloting it. A few limiters are wrecked." It was also the reason why the "Undertaker" could move in ways the "Juggernaut" could not. Of course, that was also the reason why Shinn''s piloting skills stood out amongst the "codenamed". At this moment, Krena raised her hand. "I shall pilot first then. My unit was the first to be destroyed, so I''m not that tired." They managed to hang on till this point, but the "Undertaker" was pretty aged as it had not been maintained for long, and it was more dangerous to pilot it than it was for a unit a pilot was unused to. Krena moved the machine, and Shinn, sated on the container that was being dragged along, suddenly turned his attention towards them. For a long time, there was a unit tailing them. And for some reason, it did not attack them. It might be an Ameise, or it might simply be monitoring their movements. However, it did not call for the other units, instead merely stalking them from behind. If they had tried to ambush it, it too would stop. If they returned where they came from, it would follow suit. The "Juggernaut" weapons were tailored for precision, and had little range, only capable of attacking anything within sight. Since it had no intention to attack, Shinn did not inform the other four. From the voice, he determined it was a "Shepherd". The voice was hushed, and he could not hear its words, but he did remember hearing this voice before. When exactly was it¨C¡­? ? Can''t die when I should have. Is this karma? Ray dragged the body that was hard to control, and had such a thought using the nanomachine neural system that was on the verge of copse. To preserve and cote battle data, the mission recorder would transmit data from a destroyed unit to the closest unit. If the one destroyed was a "Shepherd", the CPU inside the unit would also be sent to the standby unit. There could be many ''ck sheep'' derived from humans, but there had to be one "Shepherd". A "Shepherd", with its distinct personality, could not sustain other units of the same characteristics. However, the was unwilling to lose these "Shepherds" with better processing ability, and had prepared backup units and a special transfer system as a failure. Ray itself felt this system was pointless. The moment they were shot down, it was impossible to transmit the data that was practically destroyed. It was likely most of them could not transmit, and even if they did, it was hard to imagine the standby unit working as normal. In fact, after it was hit by the shrapnel of the HEAT warhead, Ray''s perforated data was barely transferred, but it was on the verge of copse. It could not hang on for long. It understood that, and thus, it decided to stalk Shinn. It wanted to ensure it would not be seen, and tailed from behind¡­wanting to witness the end of their journey. The old spare Dinosauria rattled as it advanced forward. Suddenly, it remembered it was the soul of Shourei Nouzen. As time transpired, its data was gradually breaking apart, yet it preserved the memory of its final battle. The fighting machine''s instincts kicked in with his own madness to protect and kill. He remembered everything, from the illusion of the silver haired girl who stood up to protect, and the voice that tried to kill it several times, and yet called it brother until the very end. In the controlled area where the kept crossing, Shinn and hisrades darted part them, avoidingbat as they navigated forward. This is fine. Ray thought. There was no need to fight any hopeless battles, and instead, they should consider how to advance further. Beyond this would be the Federation soil, thergest bastion of humanity that was isted from the outside world, yet fighting on against the And once they reached the Federation, surely Shinn and the others would be protected. Compared to the Republic, the Federation soldiers were a lot more normal. Its soldiers were of different colors, different races, fighting alongside each other, and would never abandon theirrades, even if they had be corpses. No way would they ignore the five children who escaped from the pits of death. By then, surely I will vanish. This is fine. Though he barely managed to maintain consciousness, it was a matter of time until he went berserk. All his memories, all his wishes would be ''eradicated''¡­and then, it would be summoned again. If summoned, surely he would look for it. The kind little brother who could not leave his killer of an older brother who died away, and ventured the hell called the battlefield for five years. Sorry, but I have to go this time. The Dinosauria strode off. It appeared to be praying hoping that the final wish it was protecting could be forgiven. ? "¨CAngel, it''s my turn." Angel, piloting the "Undertaker", felt confused as she suddenly heard Shinn''s voice through the Para-RAID. It was the second day since they bid farewell to Fido. The clouds were high up in the autumn skies, and the sunlight shone through the creases between the leaves, lighting spots of light, the red maple leaves in the forest fluttering with the window. "Is it not early? Am I not supposed to continue until noon break?" "Got sick of it." Angel grimaced once she heard his simple, sudden answer. Honestly, this was not the time for them to chatter, and it was to be expected that they would feel bored simply looking at the scenery. "If you had known that you would be so bored, you could have brought a book along on your way there, Shinn." Angel wryly noted, and reached for the hatch lever. ? As it watched Shinn and the others approach Federationnd, Ray heaved a sigh of relief. Its thought process was starting to break apart, dulled. If this kept up, they would arrive at the Federation patrol line. The there would only care about the Federation army before them, and not one unit approaching them from behind. If they could use thendscape to hide, passing through it would still be possible. Ray did not know how long its body could hang on¡­but they should be fine. He could rest. ¨CYes. It barely managed to connect to the allied forces intel on the data link. Once it saw the positioning, it felt something burning in its mock neuralwork. This is bad¡­! ? As they descended the treacherous, vertical cliff-like path, the "Undertaker" suddenly stopped. Radien, who had taken a nket out of his own unit, was lying on the container as he suddenly stood up. "What is it, Shinn?" Shinn spoke up. His voice was as aloof as before, but with some poised determination. "¨CWhoever pilots this has to fight. We discussed this." At that moment, Raiden understood. "Hey! You found out already!?" They could not avoid the no matter how hard they tried¡­it was likely he already knew when he took over from Angel. Angel, agitated with fear, hurriedly jumped off the container. "No, Shinn! -I never asked you to do so!" She was about to approach, but Shinn fired a grappling wire right towards her. She dodged, and the "Undertaker" seized the opportunity to scale the slope, up to the top. The steep slope was basically a cliff, impossible for any human to climb. There were no winding paths to be seen, and it was likely he led them here for this reason. The red optical sensors, with several cracks on it, turned towards the four of them. The "Juggernaut" waspletely battered, itsbat arms on both sides no longer seen; burn marks were all over its armor, and the propulsion was severely damaged. "Continue moving in this direction. Once you entered the forest, you probably won''t be discovered¡­not too far away, there won''t be any voices of the . If there are any survivors, if possible, ask them for protection." Those were the news they heard on the battlefield of the Eighty-Sixers. It was to be expected that they would not be discovered. Given that there was an enemy unit within the controlled area, the "Undertaker", the nearby units would simply focus on it, and not much on anything else. It was likely he had considered this part too. "You got to be joking! Doesn''t this mean that you''re going to be bait here!?" "Didn''t we say that everyone is to go together!? I''m not going to let you die alone at the very end¨C!" Ignoring Seo''s growls and Krena''s wailing, the "Undertaker" cut off contact on the Para-RAID, and vanished into the green. Raiden smacked the container without thinking. "Shit¡­!" The pilot had to fight when they encountered the . No matter whoever volunteered for thest battle, the others would never agree. Thus, they thought of a n that seemed more fair, one reliant on luck. However, they forgot something, that Shinn could sense the from afar, and that once they discovered an enemy unit they could not avoid, he could choose who to die. And to avoid that choice, he chose to sacrifice himself. "That idiot¡­!" Raiden armed himself with the assault rifle to his side, and stood up. ? The patrol squad was suddenly attacked by an unknown machine, and immediately rewrote its Identification friend or foe (IFF) system, its battle datalink switched to the tactic of engage as it took to the battlefield. The enemy unit ignored the usual armed forces theory, as it suddenly bombarded a L?we, taking it down before charging into the enemy. The patrol squads had no records of such an enemy in its local data, but after searching through the vast data, it discovered a unit type that matched the characteristics; the main weapon of the Republic of San Magnolia, identification "Juggernaut". The threat level was low, so much so that it was weaker in firepower and armorpared to an ordinary armored unit. It was basically an armored trrop. On this nd without any obstacles, there was no way it could be on par with the L?we, advantaged with overwhelming firepower and sturdy armor. But this "Juggernaut" exhibitedbat abilities far upon imagination. By inciting chaos in the battlefield, this unit defended itself from the bombardment through the thick armor of the L?we, and even fired from up close to mitigate theck of firepower. The "Juggernaut" used for close rangedbat was no different from the other units in terms. The main difference was the CPU. Four L?we patrolling the area were destroyed, and the squad lost 45% of its fighting strength. However, the machine monsters showed no sense of anxiety at all. They simply escted the threat level to the main field dress of the Federation, codenamed "Vanargand". It was impossible for them to suppress given their current strength. They requested reinforcements from their main forces and the surrounding squads. A special request¨Ca rmendation to capture it alive. Within several milliseconds, the report and request was submitted into thework, and the began movement again. ? ¡­There was a change in the enemy''s movements. As he destroyed the fourth enemy, Shinn sensed a change in pattern of the , and he quickly scanned his surroundings. Typically, when surrounding any enemy, the forces and units would space apart to avoid hitting friendlies. It was applicable for the too, as they could blow apart their allies without hesitation if necessary. However, the facing Shinn kept advancing into their friendlies line of fire, trying to get behind him, and cutting his escape route. A dying tactic, so Shinn determined. He sensed that the neighboring units was beginning to move. The closest, probably the main forces of this patrol squad, was probably eight thousand meters away. Given the navigation speed of a L?we, this area would be within firing range in less than a minute. If reinforcements came, he would really be in danger. He dodged the sh of an oing Grauwolf, pointed its cannon back and shot it down, and darted out from the gap that was formed that instant. The heavy machine gun bullets grazed by, and the warning lights indicating the overload of the left hind leg lit up. The was aiming at, So he thought, and bitterly narrowed his eyes. This head, huh? The "ck Sheep", and the "Shepherds". They were the units that absorbed the brains of dead humans, acting as possessed. But Shinn, who served the longest amongst the Processors, never thought of this before. It was to be expected. Till this point, he had only encountered one "Shepherd", and it would be hard to determine its location if it was hidden amongst the "ck Sheep". Furthermore, Shinn himself had said that the "Shepherd" main objective was to dominate arge area, or to destroy specific targets. It would be hard to imagine one deployed to deal with an armored unit. He could feel the stare. There was a strong malice from an area far beyond the range of a Scorpion, and one might even feel a hallucination of ck eyes filled with madness. "I''ll kill you." The words were no different, and the voice seemed strangely simr to that of his brother, whom he should have sent off. The night he was killed appeared before his eyes, and the hands holding the joysticks froze in the miasma of fear. I''ll kill you. The imagery kept seeping into his consciousness. It was not Shinn''s own memories. It was someone else''s he managed to peek into from time to time, as though shared through the Para-RAID, or through the ability he once had. A cloudy day. Ruins. Shattered stone. In the grey scenery, a hanged sinner appeared to be dangling in the air, and a child''s mantle, dyed a crimson red, looked astonishingly bright. I''ll kill you. Men, women, children, elderly, noble, plebs¡­everyone who doomed me. Back in the eighty-sixth area of the Republic, on the first battle zone Spearhead Squadron was in charge of. During that battle, four died. With one shot beyond the radar detection range, it obliterated the "Juggernauts". "¡­!" Shinn immediately had the "Undertaker" jump back, as his prior experience of that encounter and his warrior instincts kicked in. The radar immediately showed a warning, followed by a hit. With an initial velocity of up to four thousand meters and a mass of several tons, the cannon carried a vast amount of kic energy as it rained upon the surroundings, ignoring the scouting squads of the There was a deafening boom, so much so that it could render one deaf, and the dazzling light covered everything white. The tremendous impact waves engulfed everything, and the scattered high-velocity shrapnel contorted the sturdy armor of the , and blew everything far away. The tremors along the surface gradually formed an expanding round wave, whiffing up arge amount of dust and dirt, forming a crater that appeared to be formed by an asteroid. A beautiful, serene grasnd in autumn was instantly reduced to a massive, barren wastnd. With the deafening explosions and the wild gales that came right at him, "Undertaker" barely managed to escape from the impact radius, but not unscathed. The shrapnel pierced into the cockpit, and the main screen was shut down. The gyroscope and the cooling system readings had vanished, and all messages on the holographic windows were forced to shut down. The silver lining was that the propulsion and weapons systems were still functioning. The enemies remained. Subconsciously, he piloted with one hand to control the damage, and sought the enemies while ignoring the obsolete main screen. At this moment, the left hind leg that was overly stressed broke at the joint. "!" With the remaining three legs, he barely managed to hold the machine upright, and prevent it from falling over, but this was all he could do. The cannons and body of the "Juggernaut" was heavier, and mounted on the back. Thus, if one hind leg was lost, then the "Juggernaut", whose center of gravity deviated to the back, would be unable to move at all. The nostalgic growls of the old chief mechanic echoed at Shinn''s ears. ¨CIts wheels aren¡¯t that stable, how many times have I told you to stop being reckless!? ¨COne of these days, you¡¯re going to die in some stupid battle! So now it happens, huh? A L?we, having lost half its legs, hurriedly cut through the wall of dirt and sand that arose, darting in. Shinn could only give an inappropriate, wry smile as he watched the enemy reach its front leg towards him. The "Undertaker" was blown back, its armor scattered. Raiden and the others, who had finally managed to scale the slope, darted out of the forest as they followed the noises, having witnessed this. It was the first time they had witnessed their Death God''s defeat, even for Raiden. Their survival instincts immediately beckoned¨Cgiven their physical bodies, they was no way they could match a L?we. Their rationality anchored them for dead life¨Cif they darted out from this ce, Shinn''s death would really be for naught. To hell with that. It was a momentary pause, and once he heard the footsteps of hisrades running forth, Raiden leaped out of the forest. The rounds fired from an assault rifle could be heard. Shinn heard the shrill, familiar sound, and lifted his eyelids with much effort. All the optical screens and devices were wiped out, and he was lying in the cockpit of the "Juggernaut" lying to the side. He had much difficulty in breathing. It seemed to be burning inside his lungs, and there was a bloody stench in his breath. While he did not feel that he was bleeding, his body was strangely cold, and he merely felt aloof while injured. It seemed he was still alive, and his body should still be able to move. He wanted to at least pull his handgun out to end himself, but could not move a single finger. Outside the thin armor, he could hear the growls and gunshots from therades he should have abandoned. How stupid. So he thought, and then he realized he got what he deserved, and was unable tough at them. Perhaps this ending, being so pointless, was sopletely reasonable, a fitting end for this foolish, meaningless battle. Again, Shinn showed an inopportune, wry smile. He had personally bade farewell to his brother, and after that, he had unexpectedly advanced far, with no lingering regrets¡­but at this moment, he thought that he really did not want to die. If he died, would he too be one of the ? If he became part of the ¨Cwhose name would he call? He tried to recall a person whose appearance he did not know of, and had a bit of regret in his heart. The growls and gunshots suddenly vanished. Till the very end, with his ability to hear the dead, he knew the was right before him, preparing to peel off the hatch of the cockpit. ¨CBut a tungsten round was shot through the thick armor, giving off a shrill metallic cry. And that was thest Shinn heard before his consciousness sank into the darkness. ? Once it was certain that the five enemies were unable to fight back, the one remaining L?we broadcasted to the entire areawork, indicating the end of the battle. At the same time, it requested for an adjustment of the ''prototype'' that provided the fire support. While it had requested a priority to capture the enemy alive, the prototype fired with the intention to obliterate, and had an entire squad blown to smithereens just to deal with a single enemy. It appeared the core processing system was stillcking in judgmental ability. After sending out the request, it pointed its optical sensors towards the disabled "Juggernaut". Including the other four bodies, the enemy unit remained alive. The enemy CPU was extremely feeble, and theposition would be destroyed if it was taken out and scanned; worse, if its vitals stopped functioning, the body would start to deteriorate immediately. To capture it alive, it had to keep it alive as best as it could. This enemy processor piloting the "Juggernaut". Its capabilities were so high, it made up for the difference in specifications. If used on their own units, surely their performances would be much improved. At this moment, the IFF detected a response signal from a friendly closing it. It was a Dinosauria not belonging to any unit. Perhaps it was approaching, having sensed the cannon strike¨C A boom. The front of the L?we had aposite armor the equivalent of steel sheets 650mm thick, able to withstand a st from the same model up close; it was easily sted through by a 155mm APFSDS. It was a shot from the Dinosauria. The automated machine knew neither fear nor surprise, and took some time toprehend. To them, it was something impossible. Perhaps it was friendly fire. No, there wasmunication between them on the IFF. It knew it was a friendly, and still attacked. In other words, it was an enemy. It was a good thing the round used was an old tungsten APFSDS. If it had been a HEAT warehead or a depleted uranium piercing round, the insides would be scorched through, and it would be taken down. It updated the IFF, identifying it as an enemy. It prepared to fight back, using the engagement report in the datalink¨C A second shot. It came practically right after the first shot, andpletely destroyed the CPU that barely managed to evade the first shot. The Dinosauria did not use the HEAT warhead, but an APFSDS round, so as to prevent the explosion of the unit, and damaging the nearby "Juggernaut". Naturally, the L?we that was taken down could notprehend. The silver nanomachine ''arm'' extended out from the Dinosauria, and that was thest scene the shattered optical sensors detected before the L?we ceased to function. ? Shinn had a dream. In his dream, Shinn was still a child, and he was being carried around by someone. Other than him, everywhere else was pitch darkness, and nothing could be seen. It was the darkness deep within his consciousness and soul, the region he could hear the souls of the machines from. Looking up, he saw his brother''s face. His brother appeared a few years older than theirst encounter, probably in his early twenties¡­when he died. "Brother¡­?" Ray smiled. His smile was so smile, so nostalgic. "Finally woke up?" He stopped, and knelt down, putting Shinn on the floor. The little body could not maintain its bnce properly. Shinn stumbled a little, and lifted his head again. Ray remained crouched, but was still a little taller than Shinn. Looking at his eyes, he said. "This is where I shall stop. You can continue on your own, right? You still have friends waiting for you." Saying that, Ray stood up. Shinn continued to look up. While his brother had stood up, the distance between them did not seem to change. "How tall you have be." Shinn looked down, and found that he had reverted back to his sixteen year old body. Brother¨Che tried to speak up, but could not eke out any voice. For the ghosts, the dead could never be able to converse with the living. And looking at Shinn''s silent stare, Ray suddenly showed a pained look. Ray reached out, and gently caressed the scar. The brother''srge palm was the same as that night''s, that battlefield''s. "Sorry. I guess it hurts, huh¡­I couldn''t die, and kept calling for you, and brought you to such a ce." This isn''t it. Shinn wanted to respond. He tried to shake his head to deny it, but found that his body could not obey, and remained still. It was a lie to say it did not hurt. The malice he felt was a form of torture. "This is all your fault", he heard theseshings every night, dreaming of the night he was choked. The screams would not disappear no matter how he covered his ears, telling him over and over again that he would never be forgiven, until the very end. He was hurting because of this. But because of this, he made it all the way here. Whether it was the endless duels against the , each day on the battlefield where he could have died for naught, where his squads were wiped out, the lonely nights he spent, he managed to hang on, for he had the objective and conviction to send off his brother. If not, he would not have endured this much, and would have died a mangled corpse. Because of you. Even though you died, it''s because you are waiting before me. There were so many words he wanted to say, but he could not. "There is no need to be bound down to me. Forget about me." I don''t want to. "Ahh¡­no, I guess I hope you''ll still remember me thought. It''ll be great if you can gain freedom and happiness for the rest of the life that belongs to you, and think of me from time to time." Brother. Ray smiled. "This time, I''m not going to wait for you¡­I''m tired of waiting already. You still have a long, long time to go¡­so keep on living. I wish you happiness." He let go of the hand. And he turned around, walking into the darkness. Into the abyss his father, mother and countlessrades had fallen into. If he went there, there was no way he could return. Never would they meet again. Suddenly, Shinn''s body was released from its bounds. "Brother." He reached his arm out, but his hand could note close. He shouted out, but his voice could not reach. A certain border dividing life and death was before him, and he could not take the next step towards his brother again. "Brother!" Ray turned around, smiling at him, and melted into the abyss of darkness, disappearing. Like the end of that battle¨Chis brother''s gentle, wide hand that faded into the light he could not reach before him. "Brother." Shinn was woken up by his own voice. He stared at the dark, lifeless ceiling for a moment, and blinked his bloody red eyes that remained unfocused. It was a snowy white ceiling he had never seen before. Surrounding him were four simrly snowy white walls. A rhythmic electronic sound came from a monitor device, along with the stinging scent of disinfectants. Shinn was lying on a clean bed in a cramped room, and there was a drip and cords linking to the monitor attached to his body. Given that he was sent to a concentration camp since his youth, and never had any proper medical treatment, it was hard to imagine this ce being a ward room. Suddenly, he felt anguish rising up his nose, and he reached his left hand out, covering his eyes. A strong sense of relief was apanied with a simr sense of disappointment from out of nowhere, blurring his eyes. He finally recalled. But in fact¨Che really did not want to lose him. On his left arm, there was a drip, along with other sensors, and once he moved his elbow, a siren rang. It wascking in urgency, and appeared to be an indication that the monitored had woken up, rather than a warning outright. The white wall by his bedside gradually vanished, and became transparent. Appearing beyond it was an adult man dressed in a suit. The Jet man was wearing silver framed sses of high degrees, some traces of white in his ck hair, and he looked really schrly. There was a nurse standing behind him, and further beyond was a corridor as lifeless as this room. It seemed the ''wall'' that had just be transparent was the door. There were simr doors that could be seen beyond the corridor, and it seemed there were such rooms on both sides of the aisle. "¨CFinally woke up?" The poised voice reminded him of a certain someone he had long forgotten. Not knowing what was going on, Shinn was going to ask, but could not voice out. The sudden pain left him wincing. The nurse behind him frowned. "Your Excellency, he had just regained consciousness, still feverish after his operation. It is best not to¡­" "Understood. Just a few words." The man responded to the nurse''s grumbles with a calm smile, and reached his right hand out for the door. It was the hand of a soldier. So Shinn thought in his hazy consciousness. The sturdy, thick hand showed that he was proficient with a handgun. The silver ring on his ring finger left Shinn a little curious however. "Hello¡­first, do you mind telling me your name?" There was no need to spend time thinking in response to such a simple question, but Shinn took a lot of time to search this answer from his memories. His mind just could not work. He did not know if it was due to the anaesthetic, and how he ended up like this. A certain person did ask for his name before, just like this¨Cthe memory back then flickered in his mind, and he subconsciously answered. All he saw was the hallucination of a long, silver hair he had never seen before. "Shinei¡­Nouzen." The man nodded. "I am Ernst Zimmermann, temporary president of the Republican Geade Federation." ? It appeared that on that day, aired on the Federation news frequencies were the reports of five young foreign soldiers who were discovered on the Western battlefront, and protected. It was said that the five of them were imprisoned by a ''hunting'' Dinosauria that was shot down by the frontline troops. Looking at their camouge fatigues and a multi-pedalled operating system of unknown model, it appeared they were soldiers from the Republic of San Magnolia to the West. The Federation ruptured with tion. They never expected another surviving country other than them. There were other surviving countries. They were still not alone. At the same time, they were worried about the predicament of their neighbors. They wondered if the Republic was cornered to this point, that they had to send young children onto the battlefield. And after the questioning of the youths was revealed to the public, the people understood the revolting reasons why they were sent onto the battlefield, the worries in their hearts changing from concern to rage. Most of the people still showed concern for the youths from the neighboring country however. Such pitiful children, oppressed by their country, yet fighting on, escaping, and making their way here. At the very least, they should have afortable life in the Federation. ? "¨CAnd that was what happened after the lot of you were protected by our army. I wonder how much you do remember." Hearing this question, Shinn started to wonder how he should answer, and he sensed that his mind was beginning to work. Suddenly, he remembered the predicament before he lost consciousness, and looked around¨Conly to see no one. No way. Ahh, Ernst smiled. "My apologies. You were still sleeping, so we reduced the visibility to zero¡­it''s no wonder you are worried¡­a moment please." The man turned around, and said something to the nurse. The color pigments on the left and right wall dissolved away. Beyond the transparent walls were lifeless rooms just like this. He could see hisrades in the four adjacent rooms to the left. Next to him was Raiden, who heaved a sigh of relief, before frowning. "You slept for three whole says." The voice still came from the speakers at the ceiling. What about the Para-RAID? Shinn wondered, and found that it could not be activated. The RAID device once inserted in the back of his neck was aching away. The earcuffs the Processors could not remove by themselves were also gone. "¡­What is going on?" There was neither subject nor predicate, just a doubt. However, Raiden seemed to have understood it, as he shrugged. "Who knows? Once we woke up, we were locked in this room. They said we were captured by a Dinosauria¡­but nobody saw it." Then, Shinn recalled the dream just a moment ago. The brother whom he had supposedly sent off, yet still imprisoned inside the deepest part of the Dinosauria. For some reason, he knew that his brother was really no longer around. But he did not see the need to say it, and shook his head gently, only to feel a little dizzy. Immediately, he closed his eyes, and Seo frowned with concern. "If you''re still suffering, don''t try to force the issue. You just came back from the central treatment room yesterday. Still need some time to rest¡­Krena kept crying out loud until yesterday." "I wasn''t crying!" Krena protested, her eyes still red and swollen, but she was ignored by everyone. And in the furthest room, Angel stared at Shinn quietly, showing an alluring smile of a blooming white flower. Shinn knew it was her seething look, and looked away. "Shinn, I do know you have yet to recover from your injuries, but do not forget to collect a p from me once you are done, okay?" "Sorry that, but we all agree. Next time you do that, I''m going to beat you up." Upon Seo''s follow up, Shinn gave a gaudy look. "¡­I never nned on dying." "Like hell that would have worked out. Even if you never nned on dying, you know you would." If he had continued to lure the away, it was a matter of time until the unit would be worn out, or he would be depleted of ammunition, and died as a result. "You thought we never thought of this, and that''s why we can''t forgive you for what you did, Shinn. You know, and you could pull it off, but it''s selfish of you¡­ never again." "We were all so worried." This time, Krena was crying again. Shinn closed his eyes, and leaned his head on the pillow. "¨CMy bad." Ernst, watching this silently, continued on with a smile, "The main reason why we have you locked here is for fear of any biohazards, and nothing more, so do rx. You are our first foreign guests since the establishment of this country after all¨Cwee to the Geade Federation!" Ernst spread his arms wide in an exaggerated manner, only to be met with silence and cold stares. However, he merely shrugged, remaining unfazed. "Anyway, this is the matter. Neither you nor us fully know what happened. If you do remember something, I do wish you can tell us." Seo raised an eyebrow and was about to say something, and Ernst raised his hand to stop the former, giving a wry smile. "But you do have time, so you can continue to thinkter. It is too tiring to talk too much¡­and I am going to be told off by a certain terrifying big sister here." The nurse standing behind the president was giving his back a re full of quiet pressure. Just as that president, or whoever he was had considered, a still-injured Shinn still had difficulty staying awake. Soon after they left, he felt asleep. Looking at Shinn, who fell asleep without managing to say much, Krena nearly broke into tears, while Angel and Seoforted and teased her respectively. Three days ago, when she woke up, Krena did not manage to see Shinn, and bawled out loud. Even at this point, she would cry from time to time. It''s to be expected. So Raiden thought as he sat cross-legged on the bed in this small prison-like room. Leaving aside the fact that they were locked up, they were still treated rather well. They were given proper meals, their rooms and beds were really neat. The individual questioning and investigations went smoothly, and everyone had surgeries to various extents, including Shinn who needed an operation due to his severe injuries. The Republic would have left Shinn to die. However, this was no reason to trust. They were deemed as livestock taking the form of humans by their own country. Even if the other party was human, even if this was the end of their journey, they were not na?ve enough to be given unconditional protection and aid. If they were to be imprisoned here and give all the intel they knew¨Cthey would likely be executed. In any case, he still could not move. Shinn still needed their aid. Seriously, we''ll hate to meet our end like this, at this ce. Raiden looked up at the ceiling of the small room without windows or daylight, and gave a long snort. While the Federation had been overwhelming sympathetic to the youths, as the leader of his country, Ernst could not simply act onpassion and pity. Once he exited the shelter module and entered the hospital module linked to it, Ernst arrived at the treatment room that had be the temporary meeting room. "How''s the analysis?" The shelter module could act as an istion chamber against biohazards, and also as a prison; each room had cameras and various surveinces in them. The intelligence officers summarized all the data analysis, and showed them on the holographic screens. "The conclusion is that they are neither spies from the Republic of San Magnolia, nor anywhere else." While wary, the youths did not show signs of being trained in such aspects. Even in trivial conversations, given the frequency they would talk, the focal points of the questions, and the number of times the names were mentioned, one could deduce the hierarchy in an organization. However, they never realized they were being analyzed. Even if they were trained to sufficiently fool any analysis, their country had no reason to order them to pass through the controlled area that was assure death. With the Eintagsliege drones jamming the signals, neither the Federation nor the Republic could affirm each other''s existence. "They might be a little too cautious, but if their predicaments are as they had said, it might be normalcy for them. That sub-leader, Raiden, I believe, was tense the entire time, but it''s hard not to understand seeing how his leader''s like this. Their leader''s basically a hostage to us now." In fact, the Federation had no such intentions. While Raiden was not a pleasant person to begin with, he did answer all questions obediently, and there was no need to take hostages. Even so, that was not out of trust; it was an unwillingness for pointless extended questioning just because he refused. To them, the Republic was not a country worth protecting. "And one other thing¨Cis it possible they are carriers of biological weapons from the new models, or something simr?" "We need to finish all the checks before we can make the final conclusion. Looking at the current data and the scans after they were brought in, there doesn''t appear to be any anomalies. Also, the cannot create any weapons that mimick humans or other organisms, right?" The could not create or use any biological weapons, especially any units with viral and bacterial weapons, or mimicking the appearances of any known organism. There was a code in its process forbidding this. It was easy to understand, considering that the was originally created by the Empire to suppress their foreign enemies. It would be troublesome to deal with biological weapons that attacked indiscriminately, or androids that made it difficult to differentiate between human and robot. The ugliness of the automatednd mines was also due to this reason. And to add on, given that the definition of any biological weapon was too stringent, even those people deemed as friendlies would be deemed to have broken the rules if a knife was held. Thus, the old Empire could not let the take the battlefield along with the human army, and was reduced to aughing stock. However, the control system of the , especially the tactical,bat algorithms were encrypted in an extremelyplex manner, and the constructs of the units meant that if they were hit, the explosions caused within would burn the inner structurespletely, resulting in analysis of the going basically nowhere. It was ascertained that the had ovee its lifespan issue by duplicating the structure of the deceased''s brains, and it was another thing to take note of. "The devices we caught on the scan is basically amunication device, as they had said. The Pyropes do have some people capable tomunicating mentally amongst their kin, and this device does create the same effect in an artificial manner." "It''s pretty advanced." "Yeah. Given their testimonies and all the data regarding the control area in their mission recorders, this is too much of a gift if they are really spies." Due to the electronic jamming of the Eintagsliege, the Federation could notmunicate on the frontlines through their wireless signals. "The unit that was collected, I believe that is called the "Juggernaut", right? Leaving aside the specifications of that thing, the battle logs are really amazing. The pilot is probably that young leader. Once he''s recovered, we should have a talk with him." "Oh? We should be priority. We want him to be our test pilot. No way will we let him go to you. The high mobilitybat data, and a pilot with actual experience will go well with my prototype. It is a waste to let him go for that lump of a "Vanargand"." "What, spider girl?" "What, you drone beetle?" "If you want to talk, you can ask them once they have calmed down. No way will we let them be pilots though. If we do so, we''ll be the same as the Republic, no?" Ernst tly noted, and the two bickeringmanders quieted down. "Every cause will beget its results. They risked their lives battling till this point, and should have a steady life now. Since their country was unable to do so, all the more should our Federation should insist on our justice. This are the ideals and convictions humanity should have." Themander of the Western front spoke up, "¡­We should have executed them after all. It is for the Federation''s safety." "Lieutenant General, we''re done discussing this matter. You have epted the resolution, have you not?" "Yes. But as you have insisted, Your Excellency, it is our priority as soldiers to ensure the safety of our people. We shall abide during the expected istion period, and proceed with thorough checks and questioning." "Of course. Just in case, the soldiers protecting them have been sent to the istion rooms too, right?" At this point, they could not eliminate the possibility of them being dormant carriers. And furthermore¨C Suddenly, Ernst showed a hearty chuckle. "Furthermore¡­what about their immigration? So long we have dealt with the that we have long forgotten about this." Before him, the one in charge of this matter was hurriedly dealing with the necessary legal procedures. ? "So, starting today, you are citizens of the Federation." "¡­A month since we met, and this is what you start with? ''So''? Don''t you find it strange?" Raiden''s voice came from behind the reinforced acrylic walls, still full of spite, but the initial wariness was no longer there. All he was showing was simply discontentment. Ernst remained unppable. It was to be expected, so he thought. They were youths who should be lively and jumpy at their given age, but they were contained for a month, doing various boring checks every day; it was to be expected that they would grumble a little. Seeing the adolescence befitting their age, he was a little relieved. "In any case, for the next period of time, I shall be taking care of you. Do rest well, observe this country, and think about what you n to do in the future." In the future. In fact, the person in charge had already exined their future prospects, and asked for their wishes. Ernst had already read the reports. The five of them wished to enter the army. Did the person in charge not exin clearly, or did they misunderstand something¡­or did they know anything other than the battlefield? He had obtained simr reports from the nurses, doctors and consultants. All of them had felt the five could not remain in their rooms for long. The anxiety of being imprisoned, the boredom they could not starve off, and more importantly, their curiosity of how the war was going, and the restlessness over the fact that they were not where they should be at. They escaped the rule of the Republic, fled from the hellish battlefield¡­but never got rid of the psychological oppression. Seo sneered. "You sure? We''re kids from regions unknown who escaped from an enemy country, passed through the enemy controlled area, and made it all the way here. Isn''t it easier to just execute us?" "So you wish for us to execute you?" Ernst answered with a smile. Seo went silent. He understood. They did not want to be killed. They were trying to grasp this environment using their prior experiences. It was not something they could alter, and they were not wrong. Shinn quietly spoke up. Seeing that his wounds had healed after a month, the weight in Ernst heart broke apart. "So what benefit is there for you to save us?" "If there is no benefit, and we are to leave these children before us to die, it will not be beneficial to both of us. A basic ideal of society is co-operation¡­and furthermore." Suddenly, Ernst showed a chuckle. It was so cruel, so grim, and it left the children, who had witnessed the depths of hell, intimidated. "From regions unknown. If we really do have to kill children just to survive, it is better off for humanity to be wiped out." The door of the istion rooms opened, and the youths, ordered to change clothes, came out, still feeling wary. There was no casual clothing prepared on the frontlines, and they could only change into Federation uniform. Were they to be brought somewhere else to be executed, or would they be brought to some experimentalb, or prison? In any case, they would rather run away and be shot in the back than be facing a mere execution. Seeing them look for an opportunity, Ernst pretended not to notice as he discreetly ordered for added security. They would not shoot the youths in the back even if they did run away, but if they were hurt identally after they were held down, it would be troublesome. They were brought onto the transport craft, which flew above the city, and they started to doubt. The aircraftnded at the base in the capital''s suburbs, and they boarded a car arranged for them, leaving the youths perturbed. The car rushed out of the gates of the base, and into the main street of the Geade Federation capital, St. Yedder. "¡­Ah." Krena eximed, and leaned at the window. Angel and Seo both followed suit. Shinn and raiden were not reacting as openly, but even they took gasped as they watched the outside intently. There were many, countless people of different colors, just like them, hustling down the streets. A young girl was holding the hands of her parents, happily chipping. An elderly couple was seated at the open-aired seat of a caf¨¦. Students returning from school were joking andughing. Couples in love were inquiring a floral shop attendant. Their eyes were damp, their visions blurred. They had nostalgia, reminiscence, and yet felt so foreign. Outside the windows were the usual, peaceful scenes on the streets, which they had witnessed after nine years. "¨CFinally arrived, have you not, pitiful folk expelled from your country." The car was parked before the house in a quiet residential area. It was the residence of Ernst, who often stayed at his office instead. In any case, after hearing these words once he entered the hall, Ernst put a hand on his forehead, and the youths tilted their heads in confusion. There was a young girl with red eyes, probably just ten, speaking with a shrill voice and a mocking, cocky attitude. She stood on a podium, her arms folded as she raised her chin. "Us Geade Federation wee you pitiful folk withpassion and sympathy. Be grateful that you plebs have no need to repay us!" She pointed at Shinn. It was impressive that she was able to determine the hierarchy of the squad in such a short time. However¨C "Ehh, red eyes, why are you looking back!!?" "¡­Thought there was someone behind." Naturally, Shinn''s voice was as aloof as ever. "Was it not I who closed the door? Have you thought of I as a fool?" Shinn did not answer, but it was likely he did. "¡­So I say, the plebs of the Republic are¡­even though I do have the royal blood of the Empire¨C" Saying that, the girl''s eyes suddenly ''spotted'' a certain something. "¡­What in the world happened to your neck¡­?" "!" Shinn immediately gasped. The bloody eyes looking down at the girl cooled off, bing increasingly frosty, and it left the girl intimidated. Ernst sighed, and spoke up. He did notice the scar on Shinn''s neck, which was covered by the uniform cor at this point, but he never did ask about it. "Enough, Frederica. I did exin their situation to you¡­everyone has wounds they do not want to talk about. You should be the same too." "¡­My apologies." The girl unexpectedly lowered her head apologetically. Seeing her act obediently, Raiden turned towards Ernst. "Your daughter? ¡­Not my ce to say, but you should educate her some more, I think." "Ahh, no, she is not my daughter." "Who is willing to be the daughter of this chirpy dandy?" Saying that, the girl lifted her t chest proudly, only to tumble over, showing some cute innocence. "I am," "Frederica Rosenfort. Due to various circumstances, she is under my temporary care." Frederica red at Ernst, and thetter pretended not to answer. "it''s troublesome exining, so the official documentation has her as my daughter. Oh yes, you are my adopted children for the time being¡­if you''re willing, you can call me papa too." A pause urred. "¡­Just joking. You don''t have to show such unwillingness there¡­" Even Shinn gave a cold look. "Fine then. For the time being, all of you are going to stay together. This child may not know much, but I do hope you can think of her as a little sister and get along well with her." With a mocking sneer, Frederica curled her lips. "You pitiful plebs have been oppressed and battling. Surely your hearts are battered. You may think of I as a pet meant to sooth your souls." Shinn frowned. Frederica chuckled, having seen through everything. There is no way any of you can understand. so she leered with a strange sense of solidarity. "For not only I, every single person had prepared the same for you. A safe,fortable house, a motherly maid, a guardian-like father, an adorable little sister¨Call of these have been arrived by the Federation government, having considered your loss of your families and rtives at such an early age¡­you may dote on I as you please, my siblings. As people to be pitied, we shall love each other and¨Cwoah!?" First off, Shinn wordlessly reached his hand out, and ruffled her hair violently, causing thetter to squeal. She kept shaking her head, trying to shake off Shinn''s head, and scaled the slender blond hair, emerald eyed maid behind her, wailing. "Woahhh¨CTeresa! They started pulling me so quickly!" "Yes yes, Lady Frederica. It has been your fault the entire time though." Teresa continued with the dagger, and her snow queen-like face showed a tender smile. "It has been a long journey, everyone. First, will you like to have some coffee?" They had an earlier dinner than usual, and the five of them went to their assigned rooms, quickly falling asleep. It''s to be expected.So Ernst thought as he sat alone at the dining table. This was a luxurious residence in a safe city he was used to living in, but for them, isted from the outside world for years, they had arrived at a different world altogether, apletely different environment. It was no wonder they would be worn out. Frederica entered, curling her lips unhappily. "¡­They went to sleep. So I wanted to hear them talk about the Republic. How boring." In her little hands, she was holding a deck of poker cards, clearly intending to y with them while hearing their stories. "Need some milk, ex-premier?" "Shush. How ipetent you are. I have no memory of abdicating. Also, who needs milk? I am no longer a child." "It''s not good for a child to drink coffee before bed." He responded. Teresa was done with cleaning and breakfast for the following morning, and she entered. She brought cups of coffee, one for Frederica, and one for herself. "Good work, Teresa." "No worries. Those children are at a growing age, and ate a lot too. I had a lot of enthusiasm cooking." Her blue eyes nce aside, looking pretty upset. You are hardly at home due to administrative work, so Lady Frederica has been eating alone. She''s so lonely The rare grumble she made remained fresh in his mind. "My apologies¡­will be causing you more hardships in the future." The five children knew nothing other than oppression, the battlefield, malice, and death. For them, it was difficult getting used to the opposite world offort and sce. "You are being too kind, Master. It is my job to take care of you." "¡­Do you think I am being too much of a busybody?" Teresa did not answer, and merely epted his stare quietly. She was no different at all from his beloved woman, a splitting image even, but her heart was never moved. "A foolishpensation¡­am I letting them rece me?" "¨CNo, Master." But unlike her words, Teresa''s voice was extremely cold. The snow queen''s face was exceptionally frosty. This is the only way I can act before you, so she once said. It just so happened to be what Ernst had hoped for. A fleeting forgiveness was really unbefitting of him. "Nobody can rece another. For us humans, each person is a unique existence.." Frederica tly noted. "But people do choose to redeem others, in various ways." Ernst took a sip of coffee. "And who might you be referring to, Your Highness?" "That¡­" Saying this, Frederica kept quietly. The ripples on the ck coffee surface reflected her heart, and she pursed her lips. Having heard his exploits, and read his information, she was shocked. She could not hide her astonishment, both when she saw his photo, and when she met the actual person. But why, why did they resemble each other so much. If not for him being a different person¡­a pitiful person trapped in a cage just like her, she would have ovepped his image with the person in her heart. "¡­Kiri¡­" Chapter Volume 2 3 The Federation Capital St. Yedder was at least two hundred kilometers east of the Republic¡¯s eastern battlefront, covered in a silent white during this winter. Shinn came to the main road of the za, stopped, and looked up at the bell tower of the city hall that looked blurry amidst the fluttering snow. The snow on the asphalt road was already swept away. There was arge momi fir tree standing in the middle of the za before the shops, and appeared to be decorated for Christmas purposes. He had long assumed that he would never see the snow again. He had long assumed his corpse would be lying in an unknown corner of the battlefield, and that the snow piling atop him would slowly melt away in the Spring breeze. And at this point, he was standing in a corner of the bustling street, as pedestrians passed and go. The sounds of war could no longer be heard. He looked up, and felt that it was intriguing. He let out a long sigh, and the white mist that formed was exactly the same as the one on the battlefield back then, when he was at the za before the abandoned snow-covered church. However, the thick coat he bought and wore was a lot warmer than his clothing back then. He shook his head once, and again walked down the snow covered path. The Empire Capital Library stood in the central street of the Federation''s capital, its heaters working as Shinn removed his coat, shaking off the snow upon it, and entered the library. It had been a month since he arrived, and he started to get familiar with the librarians. He greeted them, and strolled off to the rows of books. Therge hall of the Empire Capital Library was five storeys high, with bookshelves reaching the ceiling, and the wing halls built around it in a radial manner. The dome arch at the top showcased an intricate spiral pattern, forming the constetions of summer. For Shinn, who never took particr heed to the dates, let alone have a vacation, the unique tranquillity of a library with few people on a ''usual day'' was something he could not get used to. ¡°¨CHm.¡± Suddenly, he stopped before the children bookshelves which he had never paid much attention to. There were a few picture books on this short bookshelf, their covers facing out. One of them was familiar, and he reached out for the one that was a little aged. He was unfamiliar with the book itself. His eyes remained on the cover illustration The headless skeleton raising a longsword. Brother''s¨C¡­ He casually flipped the pages, but he could not remember the contents of the story. He remembered seeing it somewhere before, but the story itself was not unique, or perhaps he was mistaken. It was about a hero of justice who helped the weak and defeated evil. But as he read the easy-to-read book, it seemed his brother''s voice echoed at his ears. The massive hand flipped the pages. It started to deepen before he knew it. Every night, he would beg his brother to read it. And that brother was no longer around. ¨CSorry. The final words, and the back of the unreachable silhouette that left him, just like how it was when he wasst seen alive. Suddenly, he noticed footsteps stopping a little distance away from him. He turned his eyes aside, and spotted a girl about five, six years old. She was wearing a plush cap, herrge silver eyes opened big and round. He realized the girl was staring at the book in his hands, and closed it shut before handing it to her with one hand. The girl seemed shy, and after some hesitation, she timidly reached out for the book, and turned to run away. Soon after, she was brought back to Shinn by a boy of simr age. Seeing his silvery hair hair and eyes behind his sses, Shinn''s face froze for a moment. A Selena¨Can Alba. It was not the Eighty-Sixth area of the Republic, and the boy before him was not of the Republic. Shinn understood this, but he remained restless. "I apologize for my sister''s rudeness." "¡­Oh, it''s fine. I wasn''t reading." The boy raised his eyebrows. "This won''t do. When you are helped or given something, you need to say thank you. This is something to be educated since young." Saying that, he nudged the girl on the back, prodding her to move forward. After some hesitation, she murmured something with a pitifully soft voice, and then teetered away again. ¡°Ah, hey!¡­eh, seriously.¡± Once thedy librarian red at him, the boy immediately kept quiet. Seeing the ck-haired, green eyed librarian tell off the Selena boy, Shinn was a little taken aback by this. Again, he realized he had arrived in a foreignnd. The boy sighed reluctantly, and turned towards Shinn, lowering his head. ¡°Thank you. Sorry for getting you involved in our home disciplinary issue.¡± The boy apologized seriously, and coupled with his silver hair and eyes, Shinn was reminded of thest Handler he had, whom he never met. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Being an older brother must be a tough thing.¡± ¡°She¡¯s too shy. Really, I wonder who she takes after here.¡± He weakly lowered his shoulders, and then seemed a little confused as he tilted his head, ¡°Erm, I¡¯m not sure if I can ask, but I have seen you often recently. Don¡¯t you go to school?¡± For the time being, the Federation had six years ofpulsory education, and any further education was on voluntary expenses. The reason for this was that the system was implemented nine years ago, that many areas away from the capital had insufficient teaching resources,cked teachers, and sometimes, no school buildings either. For Shinn, a Federation citizen who was not locally born, and lived in the concentration camps and the battlefield as an Eighty-Sixer for many years, he naturally never studied at any school. Ernst did say that Shinn would get used to this ce this uing Spring, and there was time time for him to think. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re saying that you saw me while there¡¯s school going on, that means you¡¯re often here too, right?¡± The boy gave an awkward smile. ¡°Ah, yes, I don¡¯t attend school. Rather, I can¡¯t attend school. The ex-nobles here are pretty much shunned aside anyway.¡± After the civil revolution, the nobility of the Federation was broken into two. The nobles who were involved with mass farming, heavy industries, and any productions involving the lifeline of the country continued with their businesses, aside from their status and tax privileges being revoked. Their businesses were directly involved with the fighting strength of the country, and if they were in chaos, the war against the would take a perilous turn. Simrly, the sons of the nobles who chose to be officers for the old Empire instead of taking over the businesses, and most of them chose to stay with the Federation army. The other nobles had the privilege to continue their lives as ordinary citizens, but it was often difficult for them to find jobs, for they were unused to toil, and begrudged by themoner. Some low-ranked nobles of rtively poor fortunes might be worse off than themoners. ¡°So I thought you would be the same as me¡­sorry for being rude.¡± Seeing the boy look so apologetic, Shinn shook his hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not a local.¡± He had intended to say he was not from the Federation, but through the prior conversation, he knew that the citizens of St. Yedder would subconsciously interpret it as ¡®not from the old Empire capital¡¯. It would be too troublesome to exin he was an Eighty-Sixers, for everywhere else other than the capital were considered ¡®colonies¡¯. Nobody would delve too deeply into this exnation, and Shinn had been giving this exnation the entire time. Of the territories the Empire used to rule, there were different cultures from differentnds, including values, customs andnguages, and they differed greatly from the old Empire capital. Having understood these unnecessary implication, the boy heaved a sigh of relief, and had a curious glint in his eyes. ¡°But it is rare to see an Onyx and Pyrope not being born in the capital¡­ah, pardon me for the rudeness again.¡± The boy lowered his head apologetically, and showed a smile on his face, and in the white eyes behind his sses. ¡°I¡¯m Eugene Lantz. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°¨CThis is basically how it is. They have been here for a month, and have started to get used to this ce.¡± Ernst had told the youths to ¡°watch this country carefully, and slowly think of the future.¡±. He had them stroll freely on the streets, but he could not just simply shoo them when they had just came from a foreignnd. During the initial few days, he had arranged for a few guides of simr age to lead them, had them familiarize with the ce, and the guides would supervise them from afar, sending reports of their actions to the secretary, who would thenpile therge pile of reports and submit to Ernst, who was reading through these electronic documents. He noted, his eyes still staring at the terminal on his work desk. ¡°Yes. Just yesterday, he went to check on the war history bookshelf, and two days ago, it was philosophy. Three days ago, he went to the war graveyard, but for some reason, he picked up an illustration book today, but I suppose it¡¯s a good thing he made a friend. Time to bust out the azuki bean rice today, huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be a mistake trying to cook that when you don¡¯t know how it looks like. Don¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Besides, are you able to return home today like this? Raiden brought a change of clothes here, and even passed Teresa¡¯sint to you. What are you doing?¡± The Oriental Eisen secretary tly noted, but Ernst did not mind. ¡°I did ask for a change of clothes because there is a washing machine in the office, so I have been wearing the same suit every day, and Teresa¡¯s probably just nagging at me because of this. Ah, but I¡¯m definitely going home today, so you people should return back too! It¡¯s the night of Christmas Eve after all!¡± ¡°Well, thanks for that then.¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s a rare opportunity, I guess I should buy some presents. I wonder if the Republic has a habit of giving presents on Christmas Eve night.¡± ¡°Probably yes¡­but I have no idea if those children could remember it.¡± ¡°If they have forgotten, it is best to let them remember¡­now then. What should I buy¡­¡± Ernst¡¯s eyes remained fixated on the screen, his lips showing an ted smile. However, as he was still busy with administrative duties, it appeared he would be unable to prepare any decent gifts. It had been almost a month since they arrived at St. Yedder, and the youths appeared to be getting used to enjoying their peaceful lifestyle. Raiden was working part-time as a transporter riding a motorbike, Angel participated in a cooking ss, Seo was going out with a sketchbook in hand, Krena enjoyed herself with window shopping, and Shinn had been visiting the library and museum. It appeared they were starting to know one or two acquaintances, or friends. Thank goodness, so he earnestly thought. None of them mentioned about joining the army again. It seemed they had finally escaped from the oppression their country had inflicted upon them¡­along with the mindset of abatant they were forced to learn. They were no longer ¡®Eighty-Sixers¡¯. ¡°¡­Starting Spring, it¡¯s time to consider their wishes.¡± Beyond the windows, the long Winter of the northern country seemed to be waiting for Spring and the light that shone. It snowed the entire night, and stopped the following day, at noon. The sky was clear, a pristine blue, shining upon the za made of white-grey bricks. Seo stopped his slow feet, and looked up at the blue skies. There were dried, wilted, ck branches atop therge sakura tree in the middle of the za, and the clear, distant winter sky was beyond them. These branches appeared to be forming fragments out of the skies, causing them to copse at any given moment. He lowered his stare, and could see the holographic screen on the TV by the streets, showing the telecast of a live meeting. Seeing Ernst present his speech at the podium with an ordinary suit and sses, Seo felt something was amiss. He was the hero who led the revolution, and in his tenth year of presidency, but to Seo, he was the entric uncle who would asionally drop by home, decide on the curfew and nag at the children who returned homete, and act like a child jostling over the remote control with Frederica. There were often times when the broadcasted news was switched to a magical girl anime, or a live ser telecast was switched to footage of some battalion; these often happened to Shinn and Raiden, and they would often be told, Can¡¯t we just watch a half hour anime clip together? Seo callously listened to the speech, which seemed to be regarding the Federation¡¯s status in the war. There were introductions to the various battlefields, analysis of the battlefield, and future prospects. While Ernst himself was probably not the one doing the analysis, there were at least intel from the various battlefields. It was really a world of difference from the Republic, who were fooled by the same report for five years, and only discovered by theirst handler. The broadcasted news, which Shinn would watch, albeit listening while reading his book, should probably be urate. At the end of it, the news would surely showcase a list of the KIA. Even the lowest of ranks would be recorded, and all citizens, no matter whether they knew the dead, would give a moment of silence. It was to be expected in the Federation, and also for the neighboring countries ten years ago, just that Seo would never know. Those white swines of the Republic are really dumb, so he thought as he listened, feeling extremely restless, impatient. He could not simply remain as he was, and could not simply remain at this ce. So, he thought, As expected, we, Tucking the sketchbook under his armpit, he walked on the za so clean, there was nary a piece of trash to be seen. It was truly too cold, and he did not see any other sketch-lovers on this street. It was said that there were war in this city during the civil revolution ten years ago. Along the way, there were some bricks that seemed brand new, and there were bridge sections along the city river that were obviously burned off. The ancient cathedral bell that was a derelict due to cannon bombardment remained there. The copsed stone walls had vines over them, and remained an outstanding sight in the populous city, showcasing an atmosphere of a war relic. Curious, Seo sat by the side, drawing, and for some reason, the old chain gave him some sweets. The distant footsteps approached, and turning around, he found Angel. ¡°So you are here. You said you were headed to the Republic Square today, so I thought you would be nearby.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. Never thought the Republic za would be right before the old embassy of the Republic¡­got anything?¡± Angel was dressed in a posh blouse, a faint colored coat, a fluffy long skirt, and tall boots. Seo was unused to seeing her dressed up like this, after seeing her in camouge for a long time. IT was the same for the others too, for though they did not appear to be out of ce, something seemed to be out of outdoors. ¡°Please lend me a hand. I have some baggage to carry, and I cannot do so alone.¡± ¡°Oh, okay¡­you sure I¡¯m enough help? Did you call anyone else?¡± Naturally, the girls Krena and the child Frederica would be excluded from this moving job. ¡°Raiden¡­is at work. Shinn probably has some spare time.¡± In fact, every one of them was free every day. Seo reached for the earcuff on his right ear, trying to activate the Para-RAID as he said, ¡°Activate.¡± But his fingers just slipped through, and did not touch the hard earcuff. ¡°¡­¡± Oh yeah, Seo went silent. Angel held in herughter as she took out a mobile phone from her pocket, and he looked sullen he too took his out. ¡°Goodness, this thing sure is convenient. Need to carry this every day, can¡¯t contact people of they don¡¯t switch on theirs, and everyone needs to store their numbers.¡± But unlike what he had initially said, Seo followed up with sarcastic words, befitting his facial expression. Angel followed with a chuckle. "But with a Para-RAID, there is a need to change contacts when there is a change of Handler, no?" "Those white swines¡­well, it''s pretty troublesome. All those white swines could have done whatever they wanted, but they alwayse so much nonsense." The choker called the Para-RAID was meant to deal with the Processors, and it was for the convenience of the Republic, who also ensured that the earcuffs containing the modifiable data could not be removed easily. There was no disinfection when they were removed, and once the Federation had taken them off, there were still scars on the ear. Seo himself did not mind, but even he was livid seeing the scars on Angel and and Krena''s ears. The fact remained that their Handler¡­or to be precise, the Handler in charge of contacting Shinn had been changing, it was not their responsibility. Furthermore, theirst Handler was a feeble princess of simr age, and even she endured this;pared to her, everyone else who could not endure lookedparatively bad. "Those Federation guys are really curious, wanting such a thing. We used this for such a long time, and even we don''t know what in the world that thing is." "But it sure is useful for for the warzone, right? We have Eintagsfliege on this side too. Regarding the "Juggernaut" though, that walking coffin is not worth investigating, I feel." The items of protection they obtained from the Federation no longer remained. The "Juggernaut" and the Para-RAID were said to be taken to a researchb for analysis. Of the other items, there was nothing worthmemorating, and they too were given to the Federation. "¡­Speaking of which, it did seem Shinn hoped to keep his gun. The Federation wouldn''t allow ordinary citizens to do so, so he was refused." For the time being, Ernst would keep it. "Might not be appropriate to say that it is worth remembering. That handgun had killed off many people however. This is the only job Shinn has never allowed anyone to do." Even Raiden, who spent the longest time with him, never got to do so. Seo sighed, ¡°Well, it remains a fact that he can hear them all the time, but¡­I do wish Shinn can enjoy his life a little more.¡± Seo assumed that hisrade, who could hear the voices of the unreleased, vengeful spirits, was being bound too heavily by the dead, or Death itself. For instance, he was the one who killed off hisrades who were in delirious pain. It was he who promised hisrades that he would apany them to the end of their lives, from his initial squad to Spearhead Squadron, therades who fought alongside him and left him behind. Their brains were taken by the , repeating the moans of death as they became ¡®ck Sheep¡¯. And also, there was the head of his brother¡­who died many years ago, yet kept clinging onto him until his recent defeat. Angel lowered her blue eyes, and sank into deep thought. ¡°Perhaps some things can only be fulfilled because we are bound down.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± "To be bound down, in other words, means to be forced to stay. Perhaps it is because he had the objective to y his brother, Shinn could remain on this battlefield, and remained on this world." And what forced him to stay was thementations of the countless dead, their curses ensnared upon the scar on his neck¡­and ironically, the deceased brother who caused this scar. "We are Eighty-Sixers. We should have died on that battlefield, so in a certain sense, it was inevitable. That goes the same for Shinn, who has been thinking about his brother the entire time. But now, he has nothing tomemorate him¡­I am a little worried about him." "¡­" Seo still did not understand the meaning behind those words. Adept was adept at observation. Thus, it was difficult for Seo to refute otherwise. "What about you, Angel?" "Eh?" "You too should have died on that battlefield, but you kept living. That old man wants use to think of our futures¡­but have you thought of it?" Angel''s flowery-colored lips grimaced. Ahh, so she''s starting to put on makeup, so he thought. "Do you still want to hear?" Seo suddenly cracked a smile. Of course. "I guess." "For example¡­I have thought of it, what will happen if Daiya is still alive, what if I wait a little longer. The result will remain the same. What we should do, and what we want to do, we¨C" "Yeah." Seo carried on, and nodded. "Same here. I guess everyone''s the same too. This is all we have." Yes. A short moment of silence lingered between those two. In this silence, there was a mutual understanding and chemistry, a satisfactory sce. Angel suddenly pped her hands. "In any case, that aside." "Ah, yeah. Carry the stuff back, right?" They forget. He checked for Shinn''s number that was stored, and pressed the call button. He kept dialling over and over again¡­but there was no response after a long while, so Seo frowned, "¨CHe''s not picking up!" ? For a long time, Shinn had the dream of the night when he was nearly killed by his brother, and hardly remembered anything else. But he still understood. That it was a dream. "¨CI know this is too much to ask for." Kaie was smiling in the sealed space with white mist drifting. She was one of Spearhead Squadron''s members, who fought on the Eastern front of the Republic''s Eighty-Six region, and died there. Her hair and eyes were an Oriental ck, and she was dressed in desert camouge uniform obtained from the Republic''s deadstock, and had a ponytail. Her little head was not at its usual position, but was severed neatly from its neck, held in her hands. That face was smiling. "You guys made it to the end of the journey here, and brought us to the end here. You can forget about us¡­but." There were more of them who departed without waiting for hispanionship. Rather than it being Kaie herself, she was simply a representation of them. Corpses, some dying, some dead, were abducted by the Sure rxed a lot here. Shinn callously thought. There was no noise of the hangar, no gunfire from afar, and no need to worry about the movements nearby. He was slowly getting used to this lifestyle. The only thing that remained by his ears were the dying groans of the mechanical ghosts, multiplying at the frontlines far away, surging like a flood. Eugene then leaned forward, his silvery white eyes giving a mischievous vibe. "It''s about time. Want to go check it out? There''s a terrace at the top floor of this hall, and very few know that you can actually get out from there. It''s a little far, but you can see it clearly." "¡­See what?" "The parade. On the night of Christmas Eve. It''s the 24th armored corps of the Western army participating today. Probably can see the third generation, newest ''Vanargand''." "¡­" Seeing Shinn''sck of response, Eugene tilted his head. "Huh? You don''t have any interest in this?" "No¡­" Rather, he was surprised this person before him was so interested in this. Leaving aside the Alba appearance that left Shinn startled, his slender frame and honest demeanour made him seem unacquainted with the harsh, cruel battlefield. His hands were a little rough due to the housework, and clearly have held a pen for far too long. It was obvious he was inexperienced in using a weapon, or enacting violence. "I thought¡­you wouldn''t be interested in that." Hearing that, Eugene beamed happily, "Yeah, I decided to join the army. Be part of the armored corps. So I went to learn¡­I thought you would be the same as me in this regards." Shinn had been reading up on war history just the previous day, and read the memoirs of famed Empire-era soldiers before then. Seeing Shinn visit the faculty he had been visiting, Eugene had been wondering if the former too wanted to join the special cadet school¡­since he could not attend school. So I thought, and I felt closer to you because of that, so the Alba boy said. Furthermore, he had wanted to talk for quite some time. "The Capital here has been very peaceful, but the war continues on at the borders, and who knows when will be the day theye here. I''m willing to do anything to prevent that from¡­to protect my little sister, the city here. Also¡­I want to bring her to see the sea. That''s why I want to end this war." "¡­" Kaie''s voice, which he had heard in the dream, echoed again. "Can you help us out here?" The distant battlefield. The battlefield where he spent years, and swore to advance until the very end. At this point, he was not at that ce he hoped to be. He had long forgotten about the insides of the Grand Mur. For those people were unwilling to face reality, and lost the means to protect themselves, rotting away pathetically in the eighty five areas of the Republic as they stagnated. At this point, he, who stagnated, had returned to the boundaries of the Grand Mur. "¡­I guess." The groans of the never ceased. They kept ringing by his ears, epassing till the ends of the continent. He kept looking for the massive, perverted corpses of the Republic mixed between them. But he could not hear her, for perhaps she was still alive. Would she continue to follow their footsteps, and fight the enemy? "¡­Enough rest." He muttered to himself quietly, and Eugene did not hear him. "Ah, got a message. It is from Shinn." "Eh, why the response to you!? I''ve been calling me lots of times!" "Hm¡­I guess it might be because you called too many times¡­" Hearing the overwhelming cheers and the noise of the procession at the other end of the road, Krena stopped in her tracks. She looked over, and in the vision that was reduced to a rectangle by the two tall buildings to the side, she spotted the massive steel colored bodies slowly ease their way down the main street, and froze in space. The massive 120mm cannon was nerve-wrecking, and it was followed by the long chair, a bare turret, and the body. A startling noise was caused by the motor and the power pack attached to it as the massive weight of the eight-legged armored unit hammered upon the stone tiles. The eight-legged machines causing loud footsteps and motor noises. It took her a while to remember these were not the , and heaved a huge sigh of relief. The hand instinctively reaching for her shoulder, where she once strapped the assault rifle over, returned back in ce. "¡­That scared me." In any case, this unit was often seen on the news Shinn and Raiden watched. Apparently, it was called the ''Vanargand'', the main weapon of the Federation. It had a main cannon and armor on par with the L?we, and was a far cry from the "Juggernaut" that was inferior to the Grauwolf. It was probably a parade. The well-polished ''Vanargand'' and the Federation soldiers dressed in morous parade uniform kept moving forward as the March yed on. The citizens standing on both sides of the main street were waving their hands at the twin-headed, ck-red eagle on the Federation g. The officer manning the turrets of the "Vanargand" met Krena in the eyes, and waved at her. Krena was taken aback, but she too lifted her hand, and waved it. The young officer, probably a few years older, showed a proud smile as he gave her a joking bow, before vanishing behind the building. This country continued to fight the , and the "Vanargands" were weapons used tobat them. However, the scene before her was so genial, so pleasant. The bustling streets remained a pleasant sight, but Krena remained unustomed to crowded ces. She turned aside, and walked off. Having obtained this peaceful, stable life, she got used to it, and enjoyed it. Initially however, she felt so lethargic and worn out, despite there not being any battles, nor any daily chores, and she was left frustrated. Herrades too found interests in their lives, and got to know a few friends. The friend list on her portable terminal too had been expanding. Ever since the beginning, they had decided. That as they watched this country, they would decide on their futures. No matter the final decision, they would respect it. She stood before the store she liked, and sized up the shop window reflecting herself. The girl in the reflection was wearing a one-piece dressmonly seen in magazine, along with a cape of fake fur. The heels of her boots were a little too tall, and she was trying to get used to it. When she initially arrived in this city, she was wearing clothes picked out by Teresa, Ernst''s secretary, and others of simr age to her, but recently, she had been picking out her own choice of clothes. She turned her body around, checking if she was cute. The older saledy behind the window chuckled, giving her a thumbs up. She was delighted. However, she was a little embarrassed. She lowered her head, and ran off. She chose the clothes she liked. She dolled herself up. She bought whatever she wanted, and strolled freely. She did not have to worry about dying the next day, nor did she need to worry about the battles she was to face. ¡­Yes. It was a dream. The cheers behind her vanished, and only the loud March of the band echoed on, stinging through the grim silence and the faint, tall blue skies above. It was said that beyond the blue sky was an endless darkness humans could not stay at. That was what she heard from the battlefield of the eighty five areas. Perhaps she had heard it from Kujo of Spearhead Squadron, who, in contrary to his appearance, was well-versed in astronomy, or perhaps she had heard it from the female squad leader of her first assigned squad, or perhaps from Shinn, soon after she met him. Beyond the blue sky was the shroud of darkness. The sky, the seas, the mesmerizing blue was the membrane of the afterlife. ¡­Perhaps this was the reason why Heaven was in the skies. Krena stopped in her tracks, and turned around. The March continued to re loudly, as though proiming to beyond the skies, today, at this moment, all of you shall return with us. There was a moment of silence by the crowd, along with retired soldiers dressed in uniform; the "Vanargand" was clothed in ck, symbolizing death, quietly matching on. There was a number at the front of the turret, representing the number of KIA and MIA since the previous parade. It was an astounding number. It did not simply represent the names; it represented the number of people who should have been alive. And there were many more who were once the same as them,rades, fighting on the frontlines. While the current life was enjoyable, for them, it was only a fleeting dream. And they would wake up from that dream. ? "I''m back¡­oh." Raiden, done with his part-time work, saw that the hall lights were not lit, and blinked in confusion. Typically, one he returned at this time, Teresa would have switched on the lights at the door and hall. ording to her, the children should be back, and the lights should be on. The lights at the living room down the hall was lit, and Frederica was seated on the massive sofa, hugging a bear plushie alone as she remained still. It was something Shinn had bought impulsively. Frederica pestered him to buy something for her, so he bought that plushie. Frederica would never leave by herself, and it appeared she never attended school either. "Wee back." "I''m back¡­the others aren''t back? Where''s Teresa?" "Went out shopping, yet to be back. Is there something?" She sighed, feeling a little worried. Suddenly, there was a loud rumbling sound from somewhere. Raiden looked down at Frederica, the source of this sound, and thetter''s face was flushed as she hugged the plushie in her hands firmly. Finally, with a teeny-weeny voice, sheined, "Raiden¡­I''m hungry." "Hm? ¡­Oh." Raiden had a look at the clock on the wall, and found that it was almost dinner time. While he and the others were used to irregr mealtimes due tobats and night raids, the child Frederica would have issues. "Wait a moment." Raiden put down his goods, and went into the kitchen. Unlike the synthesized foods of the Republic that remained the same both inside and outside the Grand Mur, the Federation had produces that could be obtained from the farms or fields. Raiden opened the fridge, ascertain the dishes he could cook, washed the ingredients, diced them, mixed them together and fried them on a pan. He simply needed to ensure Frederica had something to eat, and if Teresa was to return at this time, he could leave it as a side dish. Frederica''s eyes were dazzling as she watched from the sidelines, as though witnessing a spell. "Never thought you are able to cook!" "Well, if it''s not too difficult." Even if he was unwilling, this was a skill he had to learn on the battlefield, where he had to rely on himself. ¡­For most people anyway. "Next time, if Shinn''s the only one at home, tell him that you''re hungry, and to buy something back to eat. Don''t talk with that kind of tone though." Frederica seemed strangely happy for some reason. "Well, so Shinei is bad at cooking?" Back during his younger days, Raiden himself was ted to learn of things adults could not do. As he recalled his past, he shrugged. "Not that he can''t. He''s just toox with it." For instance, the saltiness of the dish being uneven, or egg shells mixed in, or the soup being overcooked. While it was not inedible in any case, the taste was undoubtedly terrible, and Shinn himself had no intention to improve. Thus, no matter the squad he was in, Shinn was usually exempted from cooking. For some reason, the only skill he was proficient at was using the knife, and he had mastered the ultimate art of cutting onions without crying. Once they arrived in the Federation however, they had a food processor to do the job, and that skill was not required. Perhaps he wasx in everything else, for he exerted too much effort on fighting andmanding. That was what Raiden had once thought, but given how Shinn''s lifestyle had not changed in the slightest, it appeared it was just his personality. "So I see. Surely he is someone who gave his utmost to y his brother¡­Raiden, what is that?" "¡­You haven''t seen raw eggs before?" Raiden cracked an egg with one hand, and dropped it into the bowl. It appeared theirst Handler was a prim and proper princess, but even she knew what an egg was. Whether she knew how to crack an egg or not remained up for scepticism however. "Umu. Teresa did say the kitchen is a maid''s territory, and never would allow me in. So eggs are packaged in such parcels¡­and coagte upon heating?" "It''s not a parcel, it''s a shell¡­you really aren''t educated on the outside world, are you?" "That," Frederica was about to say something, only to be at a loss of words. Well, it was unlikely she would say anything. Thinking this, Raiden looked down and narrowed his eyes at her. He had a feeling. It was likely hisrades too had the same thought. They never paid much heed into it, and did not pursue the matter. "Anyway, right now, you''re." The living room door let out a creak, and Shinn entered without making a sound. "¡­Frederica, hope you helped out with cooking." Frederica was shocked, while Raiden looked over at Shinn nonchntly. After four years together, he was used to Shinn''s ability to pop by without making any loud footsteps. "The end times are here if you''re saying that. Wee back¡­lots of things you have there." Shinn did not bring any excesses when he went out, and appeared to be out for a stroll. However, he was holding what appeared to be some pretty heavy bags. Following him, Angel, Seo and Teresa returned, holdingrge paper carriers, or cooler bags. Raiden raised an eyebrow. "¡­What''s going on?" "Teresa went out to purchase groceries, but the car broke down once she arrived there. She was done with them, but there was too much for her to handle, and she met me." "Angel couldn''t help much either, so she called me, and then I called Shinn." Saying that, Seo put down therge cooler bag, and moved his shoulders aroundzily. "Say I say, Teresa. Next time, if you''re shopping, give us a call. Tell Shinn or me. We''re free, and can help move some things." "Which maid out there will allow the children she is serving to carry the items?" "You aren''t exactly serving us here. More like that interesting old man." "I feel the same." "Not at all. He is not a father anyway." Ernst would probably be in tears if he was present, and at this moment, Krena, thest of them, returned. "Ah." For some reason, she stood at the living room entrance. Perhaps it was due to everyone looking over at her, or perhaps it was because she wanted to say something once the five of them were back, but found the other four to be present. "Wee back, Krena." "Ah, erm, I''m back¡­so." The cat-like golden eyes were drifting, only to be at peace. The determined resolve overtook the uneasiness within. And Raiden let out a little sigh. Ahh, this one''s the same too? The bloody red eyes looked calmly towards the standing Krena. The silent, cold eyes eased up. "You''re done, huh?" That voice, and those words appeared to be prompting Krena, who nodded. "Yeah. I think I''ve seen all I wanted." Shinn probably had already nned on this, and simply waited for the others to make the decision. But the others must have thought the same. So she spoke up. Her lips showed a natural smile, proud of herself. "Let''s go back. To where we should be at." ? Ernst was finally done with work, and returned to his private residence he had never returned in a while; he heard the youths talking, and was relieved to hear that they were starting to get used to the Federation''s lifestyle. One might consider it fortunate that they were detained in the concentration camp at schooling age. Most children of that age would have known basic socialmon sense and economical knowledge, like how to shop, and how to behave. Shinn and Raiden had better education than those of simr predicaments, probably due to their guardians. Seo, Angel and Krena seemed to have no formal education, but given how they could read the operational manual of the wed weapon, and calcte the trajectory of the projectiles, they were probably smarter than most of the Federation citizens. For a long time, the Federation had been ruled as an Empire, under a military dictatorship, for which higher education had been siphoned for the select few, so many of themoner children were never educated, and most of its citizens could not write their names. This was especially prevalent for its colonies. Ernst was made the temporary president before the official elections, and he was in his tenth year, partially due to this reason. For Ernst, who toiled under the dizzying load of administrative duties, browsing through materials on high schools and vocational schools was a form of leisure to him. It appeared Shinn liked to learn, and it was best if he could enter a school of a higher level. Raiden appeared to have an interest in tinkering machinery, and might be suited for a vocational school specializing in this. For Seo, Angel and Krena, he enjoyed considering their personalities, and make appropriate arrangements. Besides, ''her'' child never got the opportunity to be born, and he never had the chance to consider this. He hoped that they would continue like this, and be ordinary children again. That they would go to school, that they wouldugh with their friends, that they would brood over their futures, their love, wonder where they would go for the weekend, and think of other unnecessary matters. While they had missed out these childhood experiences, it was not toote for them to start again. Also, he had the capability to engineer it. It would be a misuse of power, but it was an insignificant issue. He might be permitted to do some things for the children who came to him, to ensure their happiness. There was however one thing he was concerned about. He had assigned personal rooms for everyone, and gave them pocket money a wealthier family could afford, but their personal belongings never increased in number. He never saw any excesses, other than the bare necessities. Once, they were forbidden from having hopes and dreams, aside from theirrades. So at least, starting from this point, they could pick whatever they liked, and hold it in their hands, experiencing the joy of receiving¡­ That was what he thought. So once he returned to the home he had not returned to in a while, he had a face to face conversation with the five of them. All of them said that they wanted to serve the army, to return to the battlefield the escaped from, and upon hearing that, the materials Ernst held slipped from his arms, scattered upon the floor. "W-why!?" Hearing his exmation, they could only show confused looks. While they were able to express themselves so honesty, he was not in the mood to be ted by this. "Why, you ask." "Didn''t we already say so? If we have a choice, we''ll enlist in the army." "That''s¡­" He had heard from them. The interrogators had reported on this, and when they first moved into this house, he had heard this from them personally. He had assumed they knew nothing of this world, and chose to serve the army. He assumed they did not know of peace and stability on this world. For they werebelled the derogatory term called Eighty-Sixers, and gave up on their future dreams and their lives of being treated as ordinary people. They knew, so why did they¡­? Raiden gave a quiet chuckle. Ernst found thatpared to their arrival, his smile was a lot calmer. "Sorry for suspecting you at first¡­it''s really a nice ce. We got careless and stayed too long however." "We have enough rest. It is time to move forward." "So we have to return, to where we should be at." The battlefield. Ernst slowly shook his head. They wanted to advance, and ''thus'', chose to return back to the battlefield. That choice was not something he could empathize with. "So¡­why¡­return to the battlefield¡­" They had risked their lives fighting, and surviving. They had escaped from there¨C Shinn lifted his head, and stared straight at the gaudy looking Ernst. When he first came here, he had already made up his mind. It was not really a conviction, however. For them, this was an obvious conclusion. Since they had this chance and moment, they decided to use this moment to reflect upon themselves, and their predicament. They had no intention of adapting to this lifestyle. And never did they think of staying here. During this short one month, they took the opportunity to ascertain that this momentary, peaceful lull from the endless war against the was not where they should be at. That instead of a nostalgia due to being too far away, it was a vague, distant feeling to them. In the face of this peaceful, decent lifestyle, they remained unfazed. This person reached out to these kinless people, and provided this opportunity and time for them. Even at this point, he was thinking for their sake, and he was showing a gaudy look at this point, so he deserved a response, at least, "We were just lucky." Shinn had the ability to hear the , and locate them. Back in the Republic, it was thest Handler, unlike her countrymen, who helped them cross the Contested Area. And at the end of the battlefield, when it was cornered, it was most probably his brother who lent them a hand. They were able to reach the Federation simply because they were lucky to receive help. The countlessrades who died were unfortunate not to receive aid. That was the difference between them. "We just so happened to get aid, but if we''re contented and stop here, how are we going to face ourrades who fought to their final moments? We aren''t dead yet¡­so we aren''t keeping the fight." The names of the KIArades who fought along them were engraved on the aluminium tes ced next to Fido, acting as an offertory, and also a mark of their journey. He however did not intend to leave the final promise behind him. He remembered them all. Even at this point, they were together with him. It is a promise, a promise to bring them to the end of the fight, and witness the end of the journey. "The still remains, and this country might not exist if the war continues. We can''t just ignore the fact before us and live in a seemingly peaceful environment, waiting for our deaths." Acting like the white swines was something they utterly detested, and would never forgive themselves over; this was why they gave up on the Republic of San Magnolia. For the white swines fled the battlefield despite a war going on, lulled themselves into a sense of false peace, shoved the responsibility to fight over to the Eighty-Sixers, and lost the means to protect themselves. Even animals were stronger than them at this point, let alone humans. During the special scouting mission, on their death march through the controlled areas, they had witnessed thetter''s fighting strength multiple times. For Shinn, who had been hearing the voices of the ghosts in his ears, the mechanical ghost army was expanding, murmuring away incessantly. The Republic alone would be unable to handle it. The whole of humanity might even be devoured by its might. And in the face of this threat, they could not simply ignore it. They were the Eighty-Sixers. Despite being swarmed by the enemies on the battlefield, they survived to the very end on their own might. They were abandoned by their country, and bade farewell to their friends. They had nothing else, other than themselves, which was their pride, their identity. "We can''t avoid death, but we can choose how we die. Since we''re going to die anyway, we''re going to fight until the very end. So please, don''t take away our freedom to choose." Hearing that, Raiden cracked a smile. Shinn had left some parting words for theirst Handler. "And also¡­we have said to a certain person that ''we''ll be leaving first''. It''ll be bad if she catches up and sees us like this." Shinn ignored the banter. However, Ernst kept shaking his head. "That''s not it. That''s not it¡­!" Ernst was no stranger to the battlefield. He was an officer of the Empire. When the civil revolution broke out, he led the revolutionaries on the frontlines. They killed many, and many of them were killed. Many people too harboured the same scars. Manyrades died valiantly inbat, and the others survived, earning peace and happiness. Ernst had seen too many instances of soldiers who were tormented by such unnecessary guilt. That was not the case. "You experienced war and hardship, so since you came here, you should enjoy what you earned. If those who died in battle are really yourrades, they will have the same thoughts¡­you shouldn''t be ming yourselves for this!" Not because they survived. Not because they obtained peace and happiness. Otherwise, humanity, the people unable to escape their pasts, would never to be able to obtain evesting joy once sacrifices are made¡­! However, the expressions of the five never changed in the slightest. They might have understood, but they remained unmoved. Ernst felt an unknown uneasiness surrounding him, and was about to continue with something, But Frederica, who had been quiet the entire time, silently spoke up, "Enough, Ernst." Ernst was taken aback, and looked down at Frederica. The bloody red eyes were looking up at him sternly, "Whilst it may be an act of kindness to provide a safe nest for an injured bird¡­when the bird is healed, and wants to fly, due to the various dangers outside, the nest thus bes a prison. So long have they tried to escape the cage of oppression, and you wish to lock them in the cage ofpassion?" For a moment, the faint colored lips pursed together, and chimed on with some rage, Her eyes were filled with some sadness, some anguish, like a caged beast looking at the outside. "Thus it will end up as no different from the Republic, which you surely would know, no?" Ernst was left speechless. "Furthermore, they are not stubborn children who do not know the ways of the world. One day, the children will leave their parents. As a parent¡­it is advised that you should let go and watch them move on." Ernst remained silent at the words of the petite girl whose age was not even half of his. It was unexpected that these words coulde from the lips of such a young child. Shinn lowered his head towards Frederica, asking, "Need me to say thanks, Princess?" "I''d say that it was out of a moment of impulse, that I wished to say something to that fool with the stone She snorted as she turned her head around, and quickly nced towards him. "¡­Figured, have you?" "More or less." She had a demeanour unbefitting her age, along with an uppity attitude. She was under the care of the country''s temporary president Ernst, never went to school, and never went out alone. It seemed her existence was kept a secret. Furthermore, "Your intonation has a unique characteristic. I felt I heard it somewhere before, and I figured it out a few days ago¡­it''s just like my mother." That was the most he could recall at this point. The faces and voices of his parents had long faded amidst the memories of war and the voices of the dead. "In other words, it does seem your parents were Empire nobles¡­perhaps others can be found if they are sought out, but given yourck of intent to meet them, truly I am unable to agree on that." Shinn seemed a little surprised as he looked back at her, and saw utter sincerity in her simrly bloody red eyes, "Abandoned by your country, separated from your rtives, and never inheriting your country''s history, nor the culture of your race. It is understandable that you may think of it as protecting yourself¡­but such a life remained an iplete one for people. People cannot leave the ce they grew up in, unable to break from the blood ties. For those who lost their homnd, their kin, and existed only by protecting oneself, they shall crumble easily once they lose their way¡­remember this so." "¡­" For some reason, her words sounded so sincere. It was hard to imagine them being from the mouth of a child who had just turned ten. It was as though she had personally witness the destruction of a person, that she had bitterly sought for an answer in her own way. A sense of familiarity suddenly shed by in his mind. The same bloody red eyes looked up at him again. For a moment, they faltered, but she closed them, and with a strange conviction, she looked up again, "Thus, my true name is Augusta Frederica Adele-Adler. I am the final queen of the Great Geade Empire whomanded the to conquer the continent¡­and thus the one person who took the lives of your rtives and homnd. If you begrudge me over this, I am willing to listen." Raiden silently spoke up. "How old were you back then?" The began its invasion ten years ago. Frederica, who just happened to be ten this year, was a baby back then. He had heard that for thest two hundred years of the Empire or so, the monarchy was mostly an installed puppet handled by the aristocracy. "The ones who took everything from us is the Republic. Are you still going to say nonsense now¡­don''t take us as fools." "My apologies." The girl sheepishly lowered her head. She shivered, and lifted her head again. "Whilst I do admire your pride, I too have something to ask of you, Eighty-Sixers¡­if you wish to return to the battlefield, do bring me along. Also, I do hope you shall y the soul of the wandering knight roaming the battlefield." There was no need for further exnation, and they had understood everything. As Eighty-Sixers, they were unable to reim the corpses of their deadrades, and could not build graves for them. All they could do was to watch the corpses be ripped apart by the enemy, and taken away. "Trapped inside there?" Frederica nodded slightly. In other words, that would be the that attacked you, before you arrived at the Federation. It bombarded you during the battle¡­the ''Shepherd'', I take it?" "How do you know?" It was through Shinn''s supernatural ability that they were able to distinguish thements of the individuals trapped in the machines. The Federation had practically no knowledge of the Para-RAID, and it was the capital far from the frontlines. How did she know that it was her knight who was within the deepest parts of the enemy controlled region, amongst the she had yet to meet? Hearing that question, Frederica winced in pain, "I''d say it is the ability granted by my bloodline, to look into the present and the past of them I meet¡­my apologies. The scar caused by your brother¡­surely must hurt." ¨CWhat in the world happened to your neck? At that point, Frederica probably saw everything. The night when he was killed by his brother. The moment he destroyed the Dinosauria containing his brother''s soul. That at her age, he had decided to finish this mission no matter what¨C "With my eyes, I can only observe. I alone cannot save the knight abandoned in a corner of the battlefield alone, crying away, so please aid me for this cause. Just as you saved your brother, and your brother saved you¡­I do hope you can save my knight." Shinn slowly closed his eyes. He finally understood the sense of familiarity he could not shake off. He was of the same age when he decided to y his brother, who died and wandered upon the distant battlefield. "¨CYeah." Ernst let out a long sigh. "¡­Understood. I will have Frederica sent as a mascot, and arranged to be in the same squadron¡­however, there is one condition I wish to make." Upon hearing the mood-killing words, all present gave him displeased, nonchnt looks, but he did not back down. "You shall enlist as officers. Specifically, through the special cadet school of the Federation. Or I won''t agree." While there were a few who did not fulfill the condition of finishing their secondary education, it should not be too much of a problem. It was not a rigid condition after all, and would not affect the Federation''s war situation too greatly. Huh? Krena narrowed her eyes sceptically. "Why? Rank doesn''t really matter to us." "No. I am taking care of you as though your parents have entrusted you to me. There''s no doubt your parents would feel the same, and I can''t leave my own discretion out of this. "How do you know what they think?" "I do¡­I was a father after all." The desire for their children to do well¡­such were these creatures. "The choices afforded for a soldier and an officer defer greatly after retirement. Once the war ends, and when you return to society, it is better for you to have more options." Once the war ends. Hearing these words, the youths looked strangely confused. Before they were wise enough, they were involved in the war against the , toyed by the cruelty and madness of war, and never considered anything beyond surviving the day. Their faces clearly showed that they had thought of nothing. Have I said something too cruel? Ernst could not help but wonder. Over the four, five years on the battlefield, they were tormented by the realization that their families, who took to the battlefield before them, would never return. They had once waited for their parents who would never return, watched theirrades die by their die, and harbored thoughts that they would surely die at a certain time, probably the next day. And thus, they should live and die as people instead. Yet he told these children, who made up their minds to die, to keep on living, to live a long, long life, without knowing when they would die. They were to live theplete opposite way of how they lived, having lived on edge and surviving by the skins of their teeth. Surely they did not know the cruelty behind this. "One day, the war will end. If you say you are going to fight until the very end¡­then from now onwards, you are to consider what you want to do after the war." Chapter Volume 2 4 The meeting room of the 177th Armor Battalion base was as spacious as a mini amphitheatre, and the faint light from the holographic screen dimmed the expressions of themanders gathered. There was the jamming of the Eintagstliege from the Contested Area to the "Legion" dominated areas, and even for the Federation, it was impossible to observe these areas. However, the Federation soldiers were not ipetent in their efforts to scout the enemy. Even the iplete data gathered had some intel worth understanding. That would include the changes in quantity of messages; which would indicate the sound patterns, numbers, and movements of the drones. Such were the reports from the scouting team that entered and exited the dangerous Contested Area. ¡°¨CGiven the aforementioned analysis, the Integrated Analytics has determined there is a high possibility of the ¡°Legion¡±unching a massive offensive in the following days.¡± Hearing the report, the Major General leading the 177th Armor Battalion sighed as he remained seated on the leather chair furthest inside the meeting room. ¡°We guessed it. They¡¯re finallying.¡± The enemy had tried to break through the various frontlines, and clearly, an imminent strike was about to begin. Suddenly, a slender figure stood in the silent veil of darkness. It was a young female officer. She had blond hair that was very shair, purple eyes, and red lips that were elegantly glossed over. The soldiers and officers of the Federation army had fallen one after another, and the fieldmanders had changed over and over again. The Lieutenant Colonel insignia on her cor was a rarity at her age. She had an armband on her left arm, indicating she was from the research team, and a pilot emblem on her chest. ¡°What is it? Colonel Wenzel?¡± ¡°Major General. Our army will be preparing to counter the mass scale attacks from the enemy, and the various squads of the 177th will have to be regrouped. I hope this time, you will return me my troops.¡± Some not-so-kind whispers immediately echoed in therge meeting room. And in response to the stinging malice, the prettydy showed a smile. The Major General let out a little sigh. ¡°The ¡°Reginleif¡± is still in its experimental phase, and it is unknown if it can be used for solobat. It might be more appropriate to mix them along with the ¡°Vanargands¡± like before.¡± ¡°If I may say something, Major General. Of the 177th, or even 8th army, Nordlicht has taken down the most units. This should justify solo operations, I presume?¡± ¡°Conversely, the loss rate has been exponential¡­half the field dress were destroyed during the first battle. It is not a unit worth trusting.¡± ¡°Please consider that a selection phase. The loss rate beyond that has been low.¡± A voice came from a corner of the room. ¡°Sure can boast with the experienced Eighty-Sixers there¡­a death merchant desperate to recover, sending those pitiful kids back onto the battlefield.¡± Upon hearing those words that seemed furious rather than condescending, the prettydy¡¯s face froze. Her eyes flickered, before she swallowed whatever feelings she had, and spoke up again, ¡°¨CMy XM2 ¡°Reginleif¡± mobility surpasses the ¡°Legion¡±, and with appropriate tactics, thebat capabilities are no inferior¡­given the onught of the ¡°Legion¡± far surpassing us in numbers, our current tactics won¡¯t be enough. I do believe we need to think out of the box, and beat the numerically superior enemy with the few elites.¡± The prettydy then smiled politely. The pretty purple eyes were staring right at the Major General. And the Major General looked back, narrowing his eyes. He knew what this youngerdy, who was his peer in military college, was thinking, What? Hurry up and agree to it already! This spider girl. ¡°For the sake of the peace of the Federation citizens, I do suggest looking into proper usage of :the ¡°Reginleifs¡± and the Nordlicht forces, Major General.¡± ? The ¡°Legion¡± had made its way to the second defense line, and on the previous night, it was beaten back by the Federation. ¡°Leaving that aside, can¡¯t we have a change of how we¡¯re used here¡­sortie when we receive request for aid, and get locked back in the hangar or warehouse once we¡¯re done. They think we¡¯re dogs or something?¡± ¡°Request for aid¡¯s always at thest minute. The base there doesn¡¯t have the time to actually take us in, I think.¡± In a corner of the 13th FOB acting as the temporary dormitory, Raiden was sitting on a simple bed on the canvas floor by the ¡°Juggernauts¡±, grumbling away, while Shinn, sitting on another bed next to him, ty retorted. The mornings of an army was often early. Outside the hangar, the mechanics of the base had begun work, and the thousands of soldiers started to buzz. These two, unaffiliated to this base, had nothing to do. Nordlicht¡¯s base was at the Divisional Headquarters to the back, and they, as the members of the mobile defense team, were on the frontlines with no base, and were in this abnormal situation. Specifically, the base calling for aid would providing supplies and lodging as a FOB, until they received a distress call again. The ones calling for aid however were not toons, but units instead, and even though they were in the same battalion, they would end up living at various bases. They had been living this life ever since they were assigned to this squad. Luckily, the various FOB would also ept soldiers from the other toons, and would provide the bare minimal lodging and meals. There were private rooms installed in this case, even in uninhabited areas, and the females, including Frederica, were assigned individual rooms. ¡°Basically, the ¡°Reginleifs¡± are just prototype units for testing, and the higher-ups probably never thought of tweaking it. Probably don¡¯t have the time.¡± ¡°Lots of us were killed off¡­they¡¯re probablying, just as you predicted.¡± Raiden looked aside at Shinn, who merely shrugged. His ability, granted by his brother and never disappeared after thetter was buried away, It was no longer a matter of ¡®they¡¯lle soon¡¯. ¡°To be precise, they mighte at any given moment¡­it has been like this for a while.¡± The morning buzz of the buzz was overpowered by the groans of the ghosts, sounding a little distant to Shinn. ¡°¨CTwo of our men died, Fabio and Beata of the second squad. They could have avoided death, but some soldiers were surrounded by Grauwolfs, and they said there were people they knew there, so they went to save them.¡± Creaking sounds echoed with the footsteps as they walked down the corridors of the barracks. Nordlicht squadron, which had no base on the frontlines, naturally had no office for the squad leader and vice leader. Thus, the reporting to be done in the office was done calmly, with Bernault tailing behind Shinn. ¡°Now we got less than 20 men in our forces. We did ask for resupplies, but the main army has lost quite a number too, so they probably won¡¯t send any over to us. Just a bunch of Wargus mercenaries deployed by the research branch¡­and our leader¡¯s a weirdo unpopr with both the military and the research branch.¡± The leader of the 1028th Experimental squad, Lieutenant Colonel Grethe Wenzel. Shinn had only met her on the day he joined, and nevermunicated with her directly. ¡°Well, since she built the ¡°Juggernaut¡±, I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll be popr.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the pilot crusher who had ten pilots hospitalized during the testing. That leader¡¯s the princess of her family¡¯s military business. We won¡¯t have to worry about a change of spare parts and backup units, but a death merchant selling weapons doesn¡¯t sound good, ya.¡± In response to Bernault¡¯s chatter, Shinn tly responded, ¡°I¡¯m already used tock of backup or supplies. If they send over the spare parts, that¡¯s good enough for me.¡± ¡°How many times have I said that it¡¯s just the Republic¡¯s weird way of doing things. Please don¡¯t say that it¡¯s fine with that ridiculous standard of you Eighty-Sixers, will ya?¡± Upon hearing that Shinn was Eighty-Sixer, Bernault immediately understood. Initially, Nordlicht was a battalion, with an actual captain leading them. However, to put it mildly, the captain was not capable, and during the first battle, many of the members died under his poormand, including himself. Shinn, who was just the toon sumander, took over, and they had assumed they would be done for. How could a brat out of special cadet school bear the responsibility of amander? He was wrong, utterly wrong. However, ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it better off for you to stay with the regr armored corps? Whye here to suffer with us?¡± ¡°I feel more at ease here. There¡¯s too much regimentation in tactics andmand chain in the regr army. It¡¯s very inconvenient.¡± There were no specified tactics when he was fighting as a ¡®drone¡¯ of the Republic, and no Handler who actually gavemands (except for thest one). Thus, the personal judgement and responsibilities came naturally, and surely he would not be happy to look up to his superiors¡¯ orders, and abide by the rules of the army. Bernault snorted. ¡°A teenage brat going ¡®very inconvenient¡¯?¡­Well, for us folks here, if we aren¡¯tmanded to waste our lives for nothing, that¡¯s good enough. Doesn¡¯t matter even if themander¡¯s an unsentimental brat who always charges first and is a steel-faced death god who¡¯ll make us crazy if we synchronize carelessly.¡± While Bernault was blunt in his words, Shinn never listened, and nonchntly lifted his head to look out of the window. His eyes were fixated upon an open-top truck that was driving down the dirt road, whiffing up dust. There were heaps of ck cadaver bags atop the truck, appearing like harvests of beans and yam. It was probably the KIA who were killed inbat the previous day. Eugene too was probably taken back. So Shinn thought. He was thinking of the peer who said he wanted to fight for his family. ¨CThen, you. Shinn knew what Eugene did not ask him¡­but back then, how would he have answered. ¡°Lieutenant¡­Lieutenant, you listening?¡± Regaining his senses, Shinn found Bernault¡¯s bewildered face looking at him. ¡°Ahh¡­sorry.¡± ¡°Well, we know you brats need to sleep at night, and fighting at night over the past few days has been sorta tiring¡­but that might be a little too much, ya think?¡± Bernault looked forward, kept quiet, and stopped in his tracks. Shinn looked over at where he was looking, and understood what he was getting at. Frederica,cking sleep over the past few days, was wearing a set of pajamas as she appeared with messy bedhair and sleepy eyes. She was dragging a teddy bear with one hand, approaching them while bare-footed. Federation military regtions would have deemed her appearance shoddy. The Wargus Bernault, deemed as a mercenary, hadx military standards, and Shinn, who was deemed as a drone, did not have any knowledge of military regtions. Neither of them bothered with that. However, the top three buttons of her blouse unbuttoned as it was draped loosely upon her, and the tender bare right shoulder to the top of her chest was exposed. Even if she was a ten year old who had nothing to be seen, it was unsightly. ¡°Frederica, change your clothes if you¡¯re going out. If not, go sleep a little more.¡± ¡°Uuu, Kiri,b my hair.¡± Shinn let out a sigh. ¡°Frederica.¡± The bloody red eyes blinked, and looked up in surprise, ¡°Shinei¡­sorry, mistaken here¡­¡± She tly responded, but intended to continue forward while appearing thus, so Shinn grabbed her by the cor. Angel, who just happened to pop by, was tasked with her. ¡°Sorry Angel. I¡¯ll leave her to you.¡± ¡°What is it? ¡­Goodness, Frederica! Why are you like this? Come here, hurry! Seo, get Frederica¡¯s uniform!¡± ¡°Eh, we got that here!? Well whatever.¡± And Seo, who just happened to be passing by, was assigned to Frederica¡¯s room.¡± After watching them leave, Bernault spoke up, ¡°Now where was I¡­ahh yeah. Those ¡®goods¡¯ are here again. HQ just contacted us.¡± ¡°Goods? ¡­Ahh¡­¡± Realizing what was going on, he sighed. They had received asylum in the Federation for half a year¡­all this while, the ¡®kind citizens¡¯ had been giving them items and support. They were no longer children, but they were given dolls and drawing books, and there was excessive concern and sympathy in their letters. Ernst had never revealed anything about the Eighty-Sixers, to ensure that they could live stable lives as residents. Perhaps it was due to this that the Federation¡¯s image of ¡®pitiful young children who were oppressed by the savage Republic¡¯ would never fade away. Shinn never cared about how others treated them, and never cared about others giving them kindness and pity. He was frustrated however if they were to disy such emotions to him. It did not feel good after all. ¡°Discard them, like usual¡­how many times must I say that checking them all is a waste of time. Don¡¯t ask me again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what HQ seemed to have thought. Checking them boxes and receiving cheap sympathy is probably you guys probably don¡¯t want. But I¡¯ll just report this to you, or else I¡¯ll be used of shirking responsibility.¡± Shinn looked over to the hulking sergeant who was at least double his age. ¡°Just a formality, lieutenant. An army¡¯s still an organization of humans. Humans are irrational, inefficient animals, so there will be irrational, inefficient procedures.¡± Well, it was the same for the Republic too. Shinn recalled his days of doing his battle reports properly, submitting his patrol reports regrly, and the silver bell voice that he was really annoyed by initially¡­upon recalling that, the instance of memory was puffed aside by Bernault¡¯s gruff voice. ¡°Anyway¨Cthis is the end of report,mander. Please sign here.¡± Shinn immediately sighed. ¡°¡­I say.¡± During breakfast, Seo pretended to be in a bad mood, "I was nice enough to bring a change of clothes, and then you wouldn''t open the door, and called me a rapist. Isn''t this too much, you think? And you smacked the doll onto me. Throwing is one thing, but smacking? Did I do anything to deserve this?" It all happened on the previous night, after Angel had told him to bring the washed uniform over. It was a trivial matter, but it was a quite a cmity for Seo, who proceeded to snip at Frederica regarding this. Angel, who had witnessed everything, stifled augh as she chuckled, while Raiden and Krena were stunned, while Shinn remained nonchnt as usual. Though they were all under Nordlicht, the five had not been gathered together like this in a long while, for they were assigned to different squads. They were in charge of mobile defences, and often ventured everywhere. The defense of the Western battlefront was frantic, to a point where they had to send in weird prototypes and experimental squads that were just introduced into actualbat without the results to show for it. Frederica lowered her reddened face. "Frederica too, you could have worn your blouse properly, but you took it off immediately." "I never saw anyone that sleepy. Couldn''t you have slept little more if you''re that tired?" "!! Ehh Shut up! Shaddap!" Seo''s casual concern was brushed aside like nothing. "Besides, the fault is yours for trying to enter without knocking, while a finedy is changing! Am I right, Krena?" "I did knock. And who''s the finedy here?" "And in any case, why did you strip without getting your change of clothes." "Basically, it''s your fault for running down the corridor half-naked and in a daze, Fredercia." "Wh-who ran down the corridor half-naked? Raiden, from whom did you hear that from!? You were not around at that moment!" Of course. Everyone present turned towards Shinn, who ignored them. Frederica lowered her head, "¡­Never have I expected you to be so mischievous¡­" "You forced yourself toe along, couldn''t take care of your body well, and couldn''t speak well, so I just told them to send you back to base." Frederica immediately pouted her mouth unhappily as she looked up to re at him. Without looking at her, Shinn continued calmly, "A Mascot doesn''t have to follow the rules of a soldier, and has no obligation to sortie. I''m not saying that you''re useless, just that we can''t guarantee your safety. Better to send you to the backline, and we can be more assured." "But that cannot do¡­to witness everything, I havee." Raiden chuckled. "Then starting tomorrow, you can''te out running half-naked." "Do not mention that already. Have you not have enough!?" Again, Frederica hollered with her face flushed. It was too pitiful of her to keep teasing her, so the five decided to stop. "So. Guess we''re going to start packing up today." Said Krena. The battles would end, but the frontline work never did. They were to repair or rebuild heavily damaged defense instations, reimed the damaged remains of both sides, and reim the corpses of friendlies. The 177th Armored Battalion managed to fend off the attacks, but it took heavy losses, and was short-handed everywhere." "Either that, or we''re to patrol the Contested Area¡­the armored division seemed to lost quite a number during the battle yesterday." "The Main Army won''t send in patrols for no real reason. It''s troublesome to obey orders even though we know it''s useless." "What about you, Angel?" "I suppose so¡­" Frederica closed the schedule book with the cute anime illustration, and let out a sigh unbefitting of a child. "It does seem that all of you are used to being deployed here and there." Ignoring the surprised looked from everyone, she tly continued. The Mascot''s role was simply to ''exist in the squad'', but Frederica was already assigned to the experimental squad while Shinn and the others were already in cadet school, and she was in charge of contacting the research branch and themander. "Grethe is calling for us. We are going home, the headquarters of us." The HQ of the 177th Battalion was an old Empire airbase, with many hangars, and repair rooms, along withrge runways that were simply used for ferrying transports. At one corner of the barracks, next to a hangar, was the 1028th Experimental headquarters, a borrowed control room. "¨CFirst of all, good work for providing aid every day." In the briefing room of ss walls, where the hangar downstairs could be seen, themander of the 1028th experimental squad, Lieutenant Colonel Grethe Wenzel greeted everyone with her lips coated red. Gathered were the research branch, the managers of the technical crew, and the Processors who oversaw the squad leaders, basically the five Eighty-Sixers including Shinn. Seeing the five squad leaders bring the average age down greatly, Grethe grimaced. "Compared to a month ago, there has been a lot of changes to thebat personnel¡­but it does seem the "Reginleifs" suit you Eighty-Sixers and mercenaries. She had a look at the hangar beyond the soundproof ss, towards the ''workpieces'' that were no more than twenty given full inspection and maintenance, having returned to roost after a long while. The Federation had finally introduced a high mobility field dress, the "Reginleif", the first in its history. It was designed with mobility being the focal concept, that the ''enemy could not take aim with its high mobility'', and was a result of her ideals and beliefs. The 120mm tank cannon of the L?we remained powerful, and even the "Vanargand" could only withstand a hit with its front armor; anywhere else, and it would be taken down. In that case, maybe they should ditch the armor and evade with mobility, which might increase the survival rates of the pilots. A month ago, training was done, and they were ready to sortie. Back then, there were fifty "Reginleif" units the battalion, and looked quite the impressive sight in the hangar. At this point, the massive hangar was mostly empty, with debris of the units containing ammo cache the 88mm cannon camped under the shutters, showing a forlorn sight. There were less than half of the existing units, and the young squad leaders were in theirter teens. But a conclusion could not be made yet¡­probably. "Before a notification, I will like to inform you of something good. The United Kingdom of Roa Graecia and the Wald Alliance still remain. Our patrols have captured their wireless signals." Since before the start of the war against the "Legion", the United Kingdom of Roa Graecia was thest imperial country of the continent, to the north of the Republic and the Federation (formerly the Empire), and the Wald Alliance was a militant neutral country to the South. Neither sides could contact each other due to the jamming, unable to ascertain if they were still alive. Given the detectable range however, it appeared they could. "It seemed they too managed to establish some defences and maintain survival. The United Kingdom is slowly moving south, and we probably can provide personnel and goods transfer. A joint operation too might be on the cards¡­but we have no detection of signals from the other countries, including the Republic of San Magnolia to the West¡­" Grethe said, and nced to the side, only to see Seo with his facezily resting on his hand, and Krena sprawled on the table, so she grimaced. They showed no worry of their country, and did notugh at this matter even though they were oppressed. They really did not care. The wounds sure are deep, so she thought. Shinn and Raiden were a little more serious, but it appeared they were worried about something else, or somebody else. Angel would give them looks from time to time, and she probably felt the same. The chief mechanic, with some white in his red hair, spoke up, "Alright LC, the messages aren''t exactly good, right?" Hearing his half-joking tone, Grethe nodded, "Unfortunately, no¡­our expectation is that the "Legion" willunch a full-scale assault in theing days." The head honcho of the research branch, the only civilian in the room, gasped. At the same moment, thex attitude from the squad leaders vanished. An inappropriateparison would be the bored watchdogs napping in their kennels, only to lift their heads after hearing the whistle. "Supposedly, the Western forces will be increasing its fighting strength, and regrouping all current forces. Our 1028th Experimental Squad will also be sorted as a formal armored divison, to the 15th FOB. Our squad will be under the 141st Regiment, and I shall take directmand¡­it won''t be like before where you are assigned in squads and deployed everywhere, you will be deploying as a full toon to fight the others. Our "Reginleif" and Nordlicht squadron shall show what we are made off¡­any questions?" "¨CHow''s the scale of the assault." Shinn asked with the usual nonchnce, either because he had expected a realignment, or had no interest in it. Grethe smiled, "Currently, it is predicted that we can handle it with the forces we have, and reinforcements are merely a precaution¡­speaking of which, you have submitted a report regarding this, Second Lieutenant Nouzen." Raiden nced aside at Shinn. Thetter ignored the look. Grethe noticed this, but did not realize the intent, so she let this pass. "There are good points to note from the viewpoint of a frontlinemander, and considering you were the leader of the ex-Republic''s elites, it is an interesting perspective. However, is it not a little too daring to predict the attacks of the entire Western battlefield just by surveying a battlefield upied by a battalion?" Shinn seemed to have expected this question, for he simply answered, ¡°The area the 177th is responsible for is particrly unique, and I think there is sufficient evidence to deduce based on the situation there¡­I had a feeling during the battle just now that the ¡°Legion¡± was retreating, and not beaten back by us.¡± We did not fend off the enemy, Were were lured in? The smile vanished from Grethe¡¯s face, ¡°Therger the battle area, the longer it will be stretched. The defense line and FOB were pushed forward and built just three months ago¡­personally, I don¡¯t think the present situation is optimistic in any way.¡± ¡°¡­How sharp you are. You can be cuter if you act a little more innocent.¡± She teased, but Shinn did not bat an eyelid, so she sighed. ¡°Right you are, Lieutenant. It appears Command has known of this. However, even if we maintain our lines like this, it¡¯s only a matter of time until the Federation shows weaknesses. The ¡°Legion¡± won¡¯t be waiting to be destroyed. We have to keep advancing and eradicate thempletely.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And also, even though the ¡°Legion¡± is intending to surround us and attack, you have detected too many enemies, far beyond the numbers the analytical branch has given.¡± It was far more than the theoretical numbers and production values of the Weisels, and even with reinforcements, the entire Western frontlines was in a disadvantaged. Grethe would have considered removing the usually stoic boy from his position if his reports had not exhibited knowledge and intelligence despite his predicament. Simply put, it was preposterous. Perhaps the Republic¡¯s experiences of fighting the ¡°Legion¡± in such fatal weapons and harsh conditions resulted in his overestimating the enemy as a result. If necessary, he would take independent action while ignoring military orders and discipline (but Grethe had been able to protect him due to his aplishments)¡­it appeared the trauma the Republic had inflicted on him was great. ¡°There is no need to worry¡­our Federation is different from the Republic, and will not ignore the threat before us. We will do everything we have to do thoroughly, even it is to collect intel, or to analyze them. Most importantly, the Federation will never abandon its allies.¡± There was no need to fight while stranded on the battlefield, as they were on the Republic¡¯s. They did not have to struggle for their lives, without the intel and support, and while overwhelmingly few in numbers. ¡°¡­¡± The bloody red eyes merely lowered, and closed; it was unknown if he had understood her. Seeing this, Grethe showed a smile. She had a long way to go before she could gain their trust. ¡°Also, I¡¯ll like to take the opportunity to wee newrades into our squad. I shall introduce them, so all squad members, please wait a little moment.¡± . Follow me, so Grethe ordered, and Shinn followed her through the corridor of the base, her heels tapping at the floor, causing a crisp sound to echo. They had just bade farewell to the familiar chief mechanic and the research chief whose words would leave others speechless whenever he did his inspection. Following them were the other Eighty-Sixers. "So what do you think of the "Reginleif", Lieutenants? Caught your fancy? -Compared to the old aluminium coffin you rode on." Grethe suddenly turned around, her face beaming, "I was in the base all of you were housed in. Back then, I could not speak to you directly, due to espionage and quarantine reasons¡­your partner was ced in my researchb. Want to have a look?" "¡­No need." It was one of his spare units; whenever a unit he was using was on the verge of being scrapped and unrepairable, he would change units, and thus would not spend much time using them. However, it did not mean he thought nothing of these units. As a pilot who once roamed the battlefield, he was unwilling to be reunited with the partner that should be scrapped and put to rest, for it would be akin to digging up a grave. "¡­The grading report was probably submitted along with the Para-RAID." The main reason for the establishment of the 1028th was to test the "Juggernaut" and the Para-RAID use. There would be grading reports and the checks on the human body, to determine how humans would be affected. "I know. Just want to hear your report. You did pilot a simr field dress by the Republic after all." Shinn let out a sigh." "If you''re talking about the "Juggernaut"." Grethe frowned. "It''s the "Reginleif"." ""Juggernaut"." "I said it''s the "Reginleif"." ""Juggernaut"." "¡­Yes yes whatever. And then?" Grethe shook her head unhappily. Raiden was behind them, trying to stifle hisugh, and ended up coughing. Shinn ignored them, and continued, "Basically, it''s an aluminium coffin somewhat better than the Republic''s "Juggernaut"." Grethe went silent for about ten seconds or so. And then, with a hurt look, she said, "¡­Really" "Eh, you didn''t know?" "Basically, that thing''s a pilot crusher." Krena and Seo muttered away, but Grethe did not hear them due to her shock. The "Reginleif" mobility was truly ridiculously high. After all, the initial development concept was to match the mobility of the "Legion", and not the personal safety of the pilot. Thus, there were many operators who were eviscerated during the testing phase. After they were introduced for actualbat, there were many who were also eaten away by the "Reginleif" Shinn, Raiden and the others managed to hang on because they were Eighty-Sixers. While they were growing during their early teens, they began piloted the Republic''s "Juggernaut" that were not designed with the pilot''s personal safety in consideration, and got used to it. "I never¡­expected such a shocking thought. It''s so weak, fragile¡­er¡­I do wonder if the fools who designed such field dresses are really alright¡­" It was callous of her to mention this before the ex-Processors, but it unfortunately was the truth, and Shinn did not mind. "¡­Seriously, did you guys really pilot such scrap metal full dresses in the Republic!?" "There was nothing else." "Ah, I see¡­" Grethe muttered a few words, probably cursing at the factories of the Republic, "¡­It''s not a bad unit, I think. It is a little selective of its pilot, but it''s fast, and has good controls, and takes little turns. The "Vanargand" too is a steel coffin, so this looks a lot morefortable than that." The Eighty-Sixers, already used to the Republic''s "Juggernaut" that was no different from nothing, never trusted in the defensive capabilities of the armor. Compared to the slow "Vanargand" that relied on its armor, the "Reginleif", with its enhanced mobility and able to evade the enemy, was a lot better. "Really¡­but I do get the feeling you are not praising it¡­" "¡­But Shinn is not praising it in any way." Angel''s quiet retort remained ignored. Grethe sighed, and saig, "So why did you sign up to be the Processors?" "I heard you''re the one who chose us Eighty-Sixers as candidates, Lieutenant Colonel." "Just as test pilots. I never thought you would join the actual corps. Your experiences and skills did help greatly¡­but truth be told, I am thoroughly opposed to having young soldiers like you take the field. Especially when you are Eighty-Sixers." Shinn looked towards Grethe, who shrugged, "I too was a pilot. Ten years ago, when the war against the "Legion" just started. I was the same age as you are¡­I was a cadet for the air force, and the airspace got taken by the "Legion"." With the anti-air cannons of the Stachelschwein and the jamming of the Eintagsfliege prevalent, the airspace from the Contested Area to the "Legion" controlled area waspletely seized. This appeared to be the case for both the Federation and the Republic. "I did just the military with many of my friends who were cadets¡­and many of them died. We piloted the slow "Vanargand", a few steps forward, and the "Legion" got behind us before wiping us out. I was thinking it would be great if there was a faster machine. That was why I built the "Reginleif"." Grethe, who had lowered her eyes in remembrance, lifted her eyes, and smiled, "¡­I do thank you for your unfiltered suggestion, Second Lieutenant, and everyone else¡­I will have you give a few better opinions after the next modification, so please do look forward to it, okay?" They exited the gate of the base, they stepped on the newly paved asphalt road. At the end of the road, there was the lush green grasnd of the summer. Beyond that, Shinn''s eyes remained upon the rail tracks buried amongst the grass. He remembered the eight rail tracks of multiple lines extended to the distance. This was the ce. "When you guys made your way through, this ce was "Legion" controlled territory." Grethe turned around, and smiled. The red lips showed pride.. "It has been half a year. We fought our way here." Ahh¡­ a sigh from the back reached Shinn''s ears. Upon the lush green grasnd of summer, the white flowers bloomed. Lying in an unfamiliar coffin of ss were five, no, four "Juggernauts" from the Republic, along with a "Scavenger". "We discovered this while pushing up our lines. I know it may be unpleasant, but we did dig them up and investigate them. The names on the grave tes were found along them¡­and they were put back to their old spot after their names were recorded on this cenotaph, so don''t worry" Grethe gently touched a stone monument built to the said of the ss coffin. Having visited the Federation''s graveyard, Shinn know it was the Federation''s version of the cenotaph. "We don''t know what the rules are in the Federation, but in the Federation, the people will exalt the heroes who protect the country. Thus, the names of the dead will remain on this cenotaph in the national graveyard¡­but we did think yourrades would have rested upon thend you have finally arrived at. Thus, we left their graves te here." "¡­" A slight feeling of emptiness appeared in the chest. Neither the dead, nor him had expected them to remain on this earth in such a miniature, pretty monument. All he had hoped for was that those that knew him could remember him from time to time¨C ¨CCan you please not forget about us, Major? That was what he had hoped for that night, while the blooming fireworks exploded in the sky. "¡­Lieutenant?" "It''s nothing." He shook his head. It appeared the Federation had different thoughts on this issuepared to them. Shinn had not hoped for them to understand¡­but the manner in which they expressed their thoughts was something worth being grateful for." Also, they did not discard the remaining tes with the engraved names of therades, the proofs that they once existed, or shifted them away along with the other data. I gave it a really long mission to do thought, so he thought as he looked at the remains of Fido concealed inside the ss coffin. Wemand you to continue to do so, until you rot away. The "Legion" too had a unit used to remain the remains of the units, the Tausendf¨¹ssler. One day, these remains would be taken away, or be eroded away by the weather. Shinn had assumed they would die soon after they left, and soon, Fido''s mission would end¡­so he thought. He heard familiar footsteps behind him, and they stopped nearby. It was the sound of four limbs tapping away. Looking back, he found the massive body of the "Scavenger". The body with distinct joints had four short, stout legs, and two mechanical arms. It had an old, ugly appearance that was rare even on the Republic''s battlefield. Following that, the fleeting footsteps of military boots hurried over. Raiden ducked to the side, and appearing was Frederica, who nearly collided into him. "Hey! Even if you are rushing, you cannot just leave me behind!" Her hands were on her knees, and she was panting away. Krena reached out, patting away at the twigs, petals and bright colored insects clinging onto Frederica''s long hair and uniform. "Oh yeah, Frederica, where did you go?" Frederica did not participate in the meeting, and was gone before they knew it. "To-to the, researchb, and get this fellow, working. This, has been, a surprise, Grethe, and the, other, researchers had prepared." "Surprise?" "You came from the researchb? You alright? Still alive?" "I rode this fellow, here, and then, this thing suddenly sped up, once it saw, you and so, abandoned ! was." "Well now, Frederica, calm down, regain your breath. You can talk after that." "¡­And then, what is this?" Frederica regained her breath, and then straightened herself proudly. "An excellent question it is, Raiden. So this one," "¨CFido?" Shinn cut them off, basically having paid no heed to them at all. Raiden gave a miffed look, "Hey, are you the type to call everything you think of as a pet Fido or something?" "Not at all¡­" Frederica was ted, ¡°So you do recognize it after all. Yes, thus the Fido who fought alongside you.¡± A moment of silence. ¡°¡±¡±¡±Huuhhh!?¡±¡±¡±¡± Four of them eximed in unison. Shinn in turn lifted his eyes towards therge body of Fido, and betrayed a rare reaction as he widened his eyes, remaining still. ¡°While those graves were inspected, this fellow here had an inspection. The interface was damaged, but luckily, the core unit remained intact, and thus repairable to this state. Oh, its controls has been enhanced, so you may expect it to perform during battles.¡± Though I¡¯d admit is as ugly as usual. Probably some humor from the researchb chief who assembled the unit. So she quipped. Since it was left along with the other graves and their personal units, one would suppose it was apanion unit they really missed. In that case, it probably was better to maintain its old appearance. ¡°Maybe it thought it was ¡®dead¡¯, so I¡¯d assume. Once it was transnted into its new body, in no way had it moved at all. Only when¡­¡± Frederica showed a grimace, ¡°Only when it heard of your name, Shinei, did it move¡­sure did miss you.¡± One had to wonder, how many could sense the jealousy in her tone. Shinn in particr never noticed, for he was not listening. Fido approached him from the front, and stopped within reach. ¡°¡­Pii¡­¡± The optical sensor peered up at Shinn¡¯s face. Thetter sighed. ¡°Wemand you to continue to do so, until you rot away. Didn¡¯t I tell you to do so?¡± ¡°Pii¡­¡± It then shrank back (the sensors and unit appeared to act this way). Seeing that, Shinn chuckled. He reached out for the cold metal casing. The countless scars were no longer on the surface. ¡°Well¡­it¡¯s good to see you again though.¡± ¡°Pii.¡± This mere trash picker might be feeling emotional too. The optical sensors continued to flicker, as though tears were going to break out from the dam. ¡°Pii¡­!¡± The massive body capable of lifting at least ten tonnes suddenly darted forward, perhaps trying to mimic an embrace. Shinn, having expected this, sidestepped it. Fido, unable to stop in time, continued to roll down, and only stopped once it collided with the debris of a L?we. Thunk¡­it collided, giving off a long, deep sound like a bell. Fido immediately went silent, and Seo looked towards it, saying, ¡°Well, still the same as usual.¡± ¡°! C-can you show some concern for it?¡± Frederica was the only one panicking, ¡°Fido won¡¯t break with one or two of that.¡± ¡°But I am talking about Shinei! Good thing he dodged, but that was dangerous!¡± ¡°Well, Shinn is able to predict Fido¡¯s movements, it seemed.¡± Nobody cared nor knew if it was due to them spending time together for five years, or that he was already used to Fido¡¯s antics. Seeing its head turn around dejectedly despite having expected this, Shinn¡¯s smile grew. Grethe, witnessing this by the side, gave a smile. Thank goodness, ¡°¡­You¡¯re finally smiling, Lieutenant.¡± ? The main base of Nordlicht was within the headquarters of the 177th Armor Battalion, and the Processors had personal rooms in the base barracks. However, ever since they were assigned squads, they spent days foraying the various bases on the frontlines, and hardly returned, and it did not feel like home to them. Inside his cramped, shoddy person room, Shinn was reading a philosophical book, his eyes on the words while not reading them at all. He heard a knock, and lifted his head. There was some free time from dinner till bedtime. The barracks, far from the hangar, could not receive any sound, while themotions at the cafeteria remained distant. This remained the same for both the Federation, and the Eighty Sixth area. He opened the door, and found Frederica there. ¡°!¡­Can you please change your habit of walking without making any sounds¡­!? It is bad for my heart!¡± She eximed. I can¡¯t change this habit even if you as me to, and that¡¯s why it¡¯s a habit. Shinn had no intention to change for the better, and Frederica did not know that. ¡°And in any case, how in goodness sake are you able to walk so quietly with those boots¡­? I cannot hear any shaking of the floor.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I had any intention to keep it hushed.¡± Daiya, Kaie and Kino had told him not to do so again, standing behind them so discreetly made him appear as a real death god, and that it was terrifying. Shinn pulled the door instead, and shuffled to the side, inviting her in. She teetered into the room, making loud sounds. She gently sat upon the hard bed, and looked around the simple, dead-looking room that was like a jail cell. ¡°How disappointing¡­you could have decorated this ce with some photos, drawings, or a book you like. How depressing it is to view your room.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a ce to sleep. Will be troublesome if there¡¯s more belongings.¡± Truth be told, he was not reading because he liked to read. Whenever he had matters on his mind, he would be distracted. Reading was a momentary sce for him, for his ears continued to be filled with the voices of the Dead. Back when he was in Spearhead Squadron, he built a simple bookshelf in his room, and the reason too was that he waszy to return to the library that was a ruin. Though they were protected by the Federation for a year, Shinn¡¯s concern and obsession that all things physical remained as little as usual. Frederica seemed to have realized it, and she frowned, ¡°Fool, how is this room just for sleeping. This is your ce, a ce to return to. A temporal barrack it may be¡­but no good it is to keep empty.¡± It would be understandable if he was still in the Eighty Sixth area, or Spearhead squadron. She sighed. The Eighty Sixers in that country would never be able to return. ¡°Eugene¡¯s room was filled with photos.¡± ¡°You cleared it?¡± ¡°They werecking manpower, so it so happened that I helped clear his belongings¡­they were all photos of his little sister. Never saw photos of his parents. Maybe she was hisst kin.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I wonder if a photo of Eugene remains with his sister, thinking that, Shinn felt some pain in his head. There was the little girl he met in the capital¡¯s library. Shinn was of a simr age as he when he lost his parents and brother, and with the arduous battlefield, he gradually lost memories of them. Eugene, who hoped for his little sister to have a happy life, kept thinking of her until the very end. Thinking how he would vanish from her memories¡­Shinn felt sadness. ¡°¡­I should not have asked of his name.¡± Frederica¡¯s ability would not work on anyone she had just met. With a name, and a few words, she could see that person¡¯s past and present with her ¡®eyes¡¯. If she had not spoken with him that morning, she would not have known of his death that day. ¡°No way you are thinking that people you know end up deadter, are you? I do feel the same. In no way do we no when we will die¡­but it is better to have known others. For you can remember them.¡± Shinn blinked. ¡°If there¡¯s no need to, I¡¯ll rather not link that to the deaths of anyone.¡± Shinn himself had lost his family, and was deployed through the intense battlefields as a Processor, seeing the other squad members die one after another. For Shinn, those were his true thoughts. He did not regret the promise he made with hisrades in his first squad. He did not regret the decision to bring along therades who fought valiantly and died on the battlefield. He was not numb to losses in any way¡­but that, for the girl who had to carry the soul of her own knight, there was no obligation for her to bear any more responsibility. Hmph, so Frederica snorted. ¡°Is that all you have to say?¡­you all-loving death god.¡± ¡°Anyway, what is it?¡± Certainly she did not drop by to critique the decorations of the room. Frederica blinked, and then seemed to have recalled. Her vision started to be unstable. ¡°Erm, well, in fact¡­¡± After some hesitation, she did not lift her head, and continued to mutter with a teeny-weeny voice, ¡°¡­Sorry about the morning. Erm¡­¡± Ahh, that. That morning. Kiri. He had not known of the name of Frederica¡¯s knight. ¡°Am I simr to him?¡± ¡°Not exactly an exact replica, but the back looks simr. Both of you are of the same family after all. Half the bloodline is the same, actually.¡± Hearing this unexpected truth, Shinn looked over at Frederica, who was grinning mischievously like a child who had seeded her prank. ¡°My Knight, Kiriya Nouzen, the same tribe Nouzen¡­have your father mentioned anything anything of your family lineage?¡± ¡°Uhh.¡± His father had not mentioned anything about time. Perhaps, even if it was mentioned, Shinn had long forgotten about it. ¡°He so happened to be of your family lineage. Do show some concern¡­since the beginning of the Empire, the Nouzens were an Onyx family of martial artists. Many have inherited the bloodline of outstandingbat ability, and it always bore the responsibility to protect the King¡­your family had served the royal family, all of them born with abnormal ability, and even of the old nobles, many inherited such a bloodline. The family forbade mixed-marriages to preserve such abilities¡­Shinei, this might be the reason why your family emigrated to the Republic.¡± Even after hearing that, Shinn remained unfazed. For he did not remember his parents having ties to the Federation, and did not remember them moving to the Republic. Not at all.¨Cno. s¡ªIt''s all your fault. Whenever he tried to recall, that scene would first appear before him. Even though he knew it was not his fault, it remained the same. ¨CMom''s death, my inevitable death, it''s going to be all your fault! Frederica, engrossed in her own memories, did not realize Shinn was frozen in ce, "Kiriya was not of direct rtion to the Marquis Nouzen family, and is a little distant from your bloodline. About four years older than you¡­andst I saw of him, he was the same age as you are now." Soon after Frederica ascended to the throne, the civil revolution broke out. She was chased out of the pce before she understood anything, arrived at the castle by the border, and was stationed there along with the monarchy side, along with her close guards. The fortress was named Rozen Fort. It was said that in the beginning of the Empire, it defended against the barbarians, whose blood stained the walls a bloody rose. Legend also had it that it had never fallen, and it was thest bastion of the Empire. There were only serious looking adults in the castle walls, and Kiriya, closest to Frederica''s age, was still ten years older, and the only one willing to be her ymate. Hebed her hair, plucked the fresh flowers from the garden. No matter the tantrums she threw, he remained by her side, and never was annoyed by her. Frederica''s eyes were filled with nostalgia. Suddenly, she giggled. "Serious to a fault he was, and extremely inflexible at that too. As Raiden would say, he''s damn serious¡­Shinei, surely you will not get along with him if you meet." She sounded mischievous. Hmph. Shinn snorted. He would never know the personality of the knight he never met. Given her description, perhaps that might be the case. "Sure sounds like I''ll have trouble dealing with someone like him." "That certainly doese to mind. He kept telling me to look away from my books when talking to others, that there are rules everywhere to follow, whether it is in house, or military rules, and given you have ignored every admonishing, he would be utterly furious¡­sure is nostalgic." They were linked by blood, but they knew of neither each other''s name nor appearance, let alone say goodbye to each other. Frederica showed a faint smile as she imagined these two youths interacting with each other, a scene that would never exist in reality, and she lowered her eyes. "Once, he said that he wanted to meet¡­his counterpart in the Republic." Publicly, the master of the n never forgave his son for eloping. But in fact, he wanted to meet his own flesh and blood. When his grandsons were born, he sent a picture book exactly the same as the one I''m holding now. He never threw away the letters his son sent him Hearing these words, Kiriya was smiling, but his hands were shaking. During the initial phase of the revolution, as the battles took ce in the capital of the Empire, Kiriya''s family, and the nobles close to them were all dead. The Marquis of Nouzen was on bad terms with the monarchy faction and Kiriya''s father, so he had long given up on the administration, instead joining the civilians. After the Federation was established, he managed to preserve his prestige and n. Frederica only knew of this after she was in the care of Ernest. Of course, Kiriya, besieged by the revolutionaries at the border castle, knew nothing of this. He really wanted to meet them, and tell that he was of the same n as them. He wanted to tell them that he was alone, with no one to rely on¡­and it was so unbearable. "¡­" Shinn could not experience the feeling. He lost his family, he lost his memories of them, and he lost the ce he could call his hometown, yet they did not matter to him. He kept living, without relying on anyone else, nor anything. He was an Eighty-Sixer, having lived such a long time. He could notprehend the need for strength other than his own when he was trying to protect himself. "How did he end up with the "Legion"?" Frederica remained silent for a long while. "¡­The skirmish at Rozenfort was intense. The Federation assumed that if they caught I, the "Legion" would stop." It was true that the prime minister and the closest generals had the ability to control the "Legion", and had used the "Legion" to secure strongholds. However, the "Legion" was simply designed to exterminate the enemy, could not determine nonbatants, and would leave anyone alive. It was hard for the "Legion" to execute such aplexmand. During most situations, the defences had to send in human soldiers to fight, but humans fighting along machinery was a forbidden protocol, and most of the defendants died. The youngest of the guards, Frederica''s knight Kiriya too participated in the battle against the Federation thatsted for days. As to be expected of a heir to the strongest warriors of the Empire, he ughter masses of Federation soldiers every day. "And then one day, Kiriya changed." His family and friends had died in the revolution, and the hometown he grew up in was his enemy, the guards who fought alongside him died one after another. It was likely Kiriya had lost too much. Protecting Frederica had be the one mission to him, until he was slowly showing his lust for battle. She could often see him trample upon the corpses of the Federation, stand beside the side of the bloodied field dress, and smile at Frederica. It was a calm, bright smile. ¨CPrincess. "Afraid of that him¡­I was." Thus, Frederica escaped the fortress. After escaping, she was soon captured by the Federation army. She was truly lucky that Ernst had arrived at that battlefield to patrol. She remained alive, and the imperial mantle of red and ck were hung up as proof of the death of the Queen. Kiriya witnessed it. Given her ability to discern the past and present of those she was familiar with, Frederica knew that Kiriya saw everything. Soon after, the fortress was broken through. He saw the mantle at his post. The sixteen year old boy, who ughtered countless to save his Queen, saw the Queen''s mantle hung up high, dyed red by the blood of the soldiers who were injured capturing her. Frederica''s ability could not discern what Kiriya was thinking of at that moment. But back then, the Tausendf¨¹ssler just happened to be wandering around. They were looking for resources that could be used again for battle. And unlike the Republic''s "Scavenger", the Tausendf¨¹ssler had no reservations of reiming the dead body The "Legion" had already learned the ability to use a human construct as the core. The steel monsters approached the highly prized ''prey''¡­and Kiriya stood still, not escaping at all. "It was I who turned Kiriya into a monster." Shinn could not see what Frederica could, and naturally, could not witness her image of ''Kiriya'' at this point. The Para-RAID of the Federation could not allow for anything beyond synchronized hearing. But twice he had experienced how powerful that long-distance cannon was. Even Frederica, who so dearly loved her Knight, had to call it a monster. "You have said the "Legion" will soon attack¡­Kiri mighte along too. When that happens¡­" "Understood." Shinn showed a wry smile as he was reminded by the girl. And then, showing a wry smile upon hearing his reply was Frederica. "You do not understand¡­if it gets too dangerous, do retreat and not try to hang on." He looked down at her. She did not lift her head. "I had long forgotten¨Cno matter how we humans look forward to the future, we die in an instant." Just as Eugene died the previous day. "¡­As you have said, I do not like to see people die, especially those I know. It is not worth sacrificing you and Raiden and the others just to save Kiri. You do have a life ahead of you. Thus, do not lose it. Ahead. "¡ªFuture, huh?" Hearing that, Frederica was stunned, and a little worried." "Goodness. You have not thought about it at all¡­an inappropriate example it may be, but you can learn from Eugene. Where do you want to go during your next break? What do you want to do in the future? It is good to think about that. You should think about it¡­a little." "¡­" ¨COnce you retire. At that moment, Shinn seemed to hear the silver bell-like voice he once heard of. It was soon after Kujo''s death, when they did not know each other, and did not feel the need to know. ¨CIs there any ce you want to go to, or what you want to see? Back then, he had ignored it, rather than feel annoyed by it. He never thought of it, and never felt the need to. The answer had never changed. But if the same question was to be posed to him again, how would she respond? And so, what inspired her to continue battling as a Handler while in the Republic that had long given up on fighting?¨C The night on the battlefield came early. War is a monster, repeatedly devouring away at massive resources andbor every day. There was no energy for lights, whether it was in the barracks, or in the Federation itself, and lights in the dark night would result in easy targets. Every area, aside from the headquarters having the bare minimum of lights, would enact a lights out. It was somethingmon in both the Eighty-Six area, and the Federation¡¯s Western battlefront. ¡°Shinn, do you know where Frederica is?¡­ah.¡± It was almost lights out, and Raiden, having heard from Krena that Frederica had yet to return, went out to look. He knocked on Shinn¡¯s door, nudged it aside, and stood there. Aside from the bed and desk here were no empty space to spare in the cramped coffin, prison cell-like room. In this usual barrack, Shinn was in deep thought as he leaned his back on the pillow like a cushion, and next to him, Frederica was clinging onto him, giving a rhythmic, sleeping breathing. ¡°So she¡¯s here. She really admires you as a big brother.¡± ¡°Just thought of me as him.¡± Shinn took a moment to answer, and probably was not used to hearing this. So how does he call his brother anyway?, Raiden, who had no siblings, was simrly unfamiliar with this term, and did not think too much about it. "Ahh, her old knight?¡­but are you taking that for real? You seem concerned." The feelings seemed a little different aspared to his Eighty-Sixersrades¡­and thest Handler." Shinn pondered a little. "Hmm¡­maybe¡­she''s like the old me." "The same?" Seeing the red eyes look back at him, Raiden pointed at his neck, the thing that was hidden under the uniform cor. Frederica''s knight never did the same thing to her. The brother who did that to you is nowhere to be found. In any case, Raiden activated the Para-RAID, called for Krena, and asked her to take Frederica back. A little moment, thetter dragged her feet into the room. Seriously, what are you doing!? saying that, she lifted Frederica like a baggage, and went back. After watching her leave, Raiden took out the chair under the table, and sat on it. Shinn''s RAID device was tossed onto the desk, and probably not with him as Frederica had been sleeping on him. "¡­I heard that you told the higher-ups?" Keep mum about that. that was what Raiden had reminded when they had first arrived at the Federation, and surely Shinn did not forget. "I told you not to already. Didn''t you say before that nobody will believe it until they actually hear it? And even if they do, nobody knows what will happen next. Anyone can understand immediately once the Para-RAIDs are connected¡­but you haven''t forgotten the consequences, have you, ''Death God''?" Back in the Republic, none of the Handlers who synchronized with Shinn and heard the voices of the dead connected with him again, except for thest one. The other Eighty-Sixers Processors managed to hang on, for they were used to the violent deaths of their squadmates, and numb to the grudges of the ghosts. However, Shinn was reviled by many, and those that could not get along with him died one after another. They cut off the Para-RAID synchronization with him, and lost the protection of the ''death god'' who could hear the "Legion", overseeing the battlefield. And there were many who hated Shinn because of this. Upon knowing of this, how would this Federation deal with Shinn''s supernatural ability to hear the "Legion"? Raiden had to make the worst assumption. The Federation had seen the "Juggernaut" destroy the test pilots, and never stopped using it. While unsure of the theory behind the Para-RAID, it continued to use them in a manner no different from human experimentation. To that extent, the Federation was a cruel entity. "The Federation isn''t as pure and noble as it likes to think it us. Even here, us Eighty-Sixers aren''t on equal grounds as them¡­maybe nothing has changed after all." Pity and condescendence; in terms of looking down from above, there was no difference. One-sidedpassion would only mean theck of determination to understand, and it would be a matter of time until it would be malice shrouded in kindness, or without the kindness. If they were deemed as monsters. If they were deemed as useful monsters. "The ones ripping your brain out this time won''t be the ""Legion". You can be ab rat all you want, but sorry, I don''t want to end up as a hostage. Don''t do anything stupid." Of course, these were not his true thoughts. Rather than do anything to Shinn, it would be easier to take the people around him as hostages. Shinn slowly closed his eyes, and sighed. "¡­Sorry." "It''s enough that you told them that¡­whether the Federation believes it or not, that''s up to them." This was not a bad country. They would have the country would not be vanquished, if possible. However, they had no obligation to sacrifice themselves or theirrades just to protect this ce. That was all. Thus, Raiden narrowed his eyes. Shinn was not one to make decisions so heartlessly. "You alright?" "¨CWhat?" "I''m telling you not to think too much about those useless things¡­thinking about what old man Ernst said?" Shinn went silent. "I''ll say that Frederica bothers me a little more¡­I never thought about it. Never needed to." Back then, he should have two futures awaiting him; to die along with his brother, or to meet his demise during the special scouting mission. At this point, him being here was way beyond what he had expected. Let alone the future. "What about you?" so Shinn asked, and Raiden shrugged. "Well, just going with the flow, I guess. I can''t really think of what will happen after that; I can''t even imagine this war actually ending. Do something, earn a living¡­I don''t think it''s harder than fighting the "Legion" anyway." Raiden did not think about this, he was confident he did not need to think too hard about it. To not die, one would have to work hard to live. To live, one had to be a little more honest. No matter whether it was the battlefield on the eighty-six area, or the endless future after the war, such a notion would not change drastically. In fact, the predicament was no different for the Eighty-Sixers, who had to keep fighting to live on until the very end. However, Seeing the red eyes look down in seemingly deep thought, Raiden had a thought. At the cor of the uniform, one could vaguely see the shocking scar of a beheading when his brother tried to kill him. Even after Shinn had yed the ghost of his older brother, the scar remained, ensnaring him. Perhaps such a person would need a little something extra to keep on living, unlike a human like him. Something that could counterbnce the curse, or to erase it. Raiden nced aside at something tossed in a corner. Tossed by the side of a bed was a stupid philosophical book with a note stuck between it. If they were back in the barracks of Spearhead Squadron, and it was theirst Handler contacting them through the Para-RAID from the first area of the Republic. What would he be thinking of at this moment? Or perhaps, what would he be waiting for? "¡­Wonder if Major''s doing well there." Shinn nced back at Raiden, chose not to say anything, and shrugged. Goodness, this guy isn''t being honest, Raiden let out a long sigh. Chapter Volume 2 5 Through electric signals, the robotic words were transmitted to the skies above the battlefield. ¡°¨CNo face to Big Network no. 1.¡± ¡°Begin the Purge now.¡± ¡°All ¡°Legion¡± units within Network are to be thawed ¡° ¡°Repeat. Begin the Purge now¡± ¡°Target, East battlefield. Geade Federation.¡± ¡°Northern battlefield. United Kingdom of Roa Graecia¡± ¡°Southern battlefield. Wald Alliance¡± ¡°Western battlefield. Republic of San Magnolia.¡± ¡°Notify all ¡°Legion¡± units under thework.¡± ¡°Begin extermination.¡± ? At the same moment. Western forces of the Geade Federation, Nordlicht squadron of the 177th Battalion. One officer got up immediately. ? Raiden had a dream of falling down a cliff. "¨CGet up." He heard these words while the back of his head hit the floor. Raiden rubbed his neck that was tilted as he slept, and got up from the hard bed of the barracks. The lights in the cramped room were not switched on, and the faint moonlight showed a silhouette. Shinn was holding the pillow he had pulled from under Raiden''s head, and was standing before him. "Hey¡­you''re saying one thing and doing the opposite¡­" "This isn''t the time for this." A terse reply. He sounded anxious. It was the middle of the night, and he was dressed in the Federation''s steel-colored Panzerjacke. At that moment, Raiden lost all desire to sleep. ¡°¡­They¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Raiden looked out of the window. At the distant skies to the west, silver clouds of Eintagsfliege cluttered the sky, burying the darkness of the night beyond it. ¡°How many of them?¡± ¡°Toozy to count. Feels like all Seven Seals have been opened.¡± ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re referencing here.¡± Hearing this rare joke from Shinn, Raiden knew things were getting really tricky. The red eyes narrowed towards the distant battlefield, giving a cold glint. ¡°¡­It¡¯s about time to assume the worst right now. Some of the forces we thought were headed to the other three countries are headed here. Looks like this Western battlefront is the most important one to the ¡°Legion¡±.¡± ¡°Quite an honor for us.¡± Raiden sarcastically retorted, and then got up in an instant. The sharp blue light of the crescent moon shone upon Shinn¡¯s sidelong face, and seeing that, Raiden frowned. ¡°¡­Say.¡± ¡°¨CFor today¡¯s battle, it¡¯s best to keep the Para-RAID synchronization to the minimum.¡± One had to wonder if the stone-faced death good had no intention to hide his feelings, or could not do so. The bloody red eyes were looking back at Raiden, grimacing. The white face looked exceptionally pale, even under the moonlight. The red eyes were a little contorted due to pain. ¡°Unless necessary, try not to get close to me¡­I thought I got used to this, but tonight¡¯s really tough.¡± The screams of the dead had numbed the heart of the death god, who remained unfazed by the howls of the older brother he worked so hard to seek. His death god was tantly showing weakness. ¡°¨CUnderstood.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave theunch preparations to you. Wake the others up.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± Shinn merely turned his eyes back, and patted the handgun by his side. It was not a small handgun the Federation had issued its pilot for suicide purposes, but a Republic automatic handgun that was bigger. ¡°This isn¡¯t the time to keep mum.¨C I¡¯m waking the entire army up.¡± It wasmon in the military for things to be abrupt and unreasonable, but the Processors, woken up from their sleep, were utterly annoyed. It was not an official order, and was made based on the squad leader¡¯s discretion. Even if he had the skills of a real death god, there were no sirens, and there was no enemy shown on the area radar. Everyone else was utterly furious. ¡°Shit, if they tell us this is a training, I¡¯m going to misfire at that death god¡­¡± ¡°What next time? This time already. Stray bullets. Stray bullets.¡± There were the hoarse yells of the mechanic crew, who received the order for the ¡°Juggernaut¡± tounch.. There were the mechanical sounds of the gantry crane, along with the noise of the heavy machinery moving the ammunition and energy packs. Hearing the Processors stifle theirints behind these noises, Bernault, who was passing by, snorted. ¡°Ya guys can¡¯t even retaliate man. Who were the ones who went to taunt the leader and got their asses kicked?¡± Back then, they did not know Shinn was an Eighty Sixer. Seeing his noble-like appearance, they despised him, thinking he was a noble prince. There were quite a few who got beaten badly.. ¡°But sergeant.¡± ¡°And ya haven¡¯t been under his charge, so ya can¡¯t feel it yet. Tell you what, that squad leader can figure out where those scraps are going better than the radar.¡± The siren red. The growls and noises froze, for an ominous sound upied the hangar hall. It was the signal heralding the assault of the ¡°Legion.¡± The Processors were bbergasted as they exchanged looks, and Bernault shrugged, ¡°¡­What I tell ya?¡± At a corner of the First Defense line, the armored infantries were huddled in the entrenched bunker Tochka, gulping nervously as they awaited the enemy. Ruins and forests weremonly seen on the Western battlefront, but unfortunately, neither could be seen here. The bunker had been reinforced heavily to withstand the barrage of the ¡°Legion¡±, and were positioned In a position where covering fire could be provided. The entrenchments were meandering, each corner a right angle to minimize the destructive sts of the grenades. The ins before them were littered with anti-tank mines, along with the 88m anti-tank cannons behind. Luckily, as the siren had aired early, the armored corps from the nearby barracks had hurried over with haste. The mighty machines brought some sce to the soldiers who feared darkness and death "¨CLeader." A soldier dressed in armored exoskeleton pointed forward. Beyond the distance, an inorganic, heinous, and surrealistic metallic silhouette appeared in the darker night. The next instant, the entire horizon stretched across their sights was filled with the color of metal. "Wha¡­!?" It was like an oing tsunami. A countless number of shadows crossing the ridge, the shattered waves bing torrents of madness, reducing the ins under the night into metal as they raced through. Like the looming water, like the cackling mes, and like the sounds of bones rubbing together, the rumbling sounds lurched forth as a tide, as the endless wave of enemy loomed from the other end. It was a sight impossible to imagine. The shadows covered everything that could be seen. The ominous darkness approached silently and quickly, devouring everything. They, everything, were, "The "Legion"¡­" Dicit ei legio nomen mihi¨Cest quia multi sumus. A thunderp boomed. The cannons ripped through the air,nding like a hammer from the heavens. Only a few might have realized it was the initial bombardments from the Scorpion. It was no wonder, for this scene before them was overly surreal. It was a scene out of a religious text, like the Last Judgment depicted in Revtions of the old Bible. The first shotsnded far behind the Federation''s defense bases. And this time, the second shotsnded before them, far closer this time. It was not a misfire. Artillery troops were meant to bombard enemies hidden in the horizon, dozens of kilometres away. The initial shots were simply test shots to zero the error, so surely, the next time¡ª "Fire for Impact iing!!!!!!" A boom. The grenades were fired in unison, and the silver covering the dye was instantaneously dyed ck, before they uratelynded in the trenches, and exploded. The 155mm grenades exploded, resulting in some intense sts, and the pellets that came flying at high speeds a tadter ripped apart the trenches and the armored infantries hidden inside. Following that was another st, a bombardment, another, and another. Each grenade would deal fatal damage to half of the people within the st radius of forty five meters, and hundreds of such were fired,nding in unison. The rain-like bombardment continued to blow aside the howls and shrieks. The armored infantries were pinned down the defense bases. At this moment, the steel-colored torrent had closed in upon them. A startling number of Dinosaurias were lined in a massive Panzerkeil formation, the cannons aimed forward as they stormed on. The intense bombardment of the Scorpions continued, but the "Legion" knew no fear as they continued to advance while pelted by friendly fire, relying on the sturdy armor, and the hundreds of tonnes of machines easily trampled upon the obstacles like toys. Seeing the Ameise leading the pack, the armored infantries were intimidated. The tremendous impacts blew upon the front of the "Legion", and destroyed the mine buried underneath. The sts from the cannons and mines uprooted the dirt, and the Ameise darted into thebat area. The few anti-tank mines that were not blown up were triggered, and several of the enemies were blown up. The Dinosauria continued to advance, even trampling upon the remains of their friendlies. The Ameise, of lower worth inbat, were sent forth to pave the way for the Dinosauria that were more valuable. It was a self-destructive sacrificial manner befitting of the battle machines, which humans could never replicate. The massive steel beasts remained unscathed as they passed the field of mines, and reached the trenches of armored infantries that somehow survived. "Shit!! Hold your ground!! Don''t fall back even if you die!!!!!" The soldiers and mechanics were not the only ones who sprung into action after hearing the siren. Themanding generals and colonels too hurriedly got changed, and hurried to position. The radar had long copsed due to the jamming, and the notification of a "Legion" assault was from an unmanned scout far beyond range. The Federation leaders had no interest in wondering why the scout unit was so far. Command then dispatched more scouts to the destroyed scout, and from the numbers and formations, they deduced the scale andposition. All of them paled at the shocking truth. "Impossible¡­the entire Western frontline is under heavy assault¡­!?" Grethe was in themand room of the 1028th Experimental squad, muttering as she saw the expected distribution map of the "Legion". The first defense line to the West waspletely dyed red. It was where the 177th battalion, the 8th army overseeing it was positioned. The red beacons indicating the enemy units reached so far back, and the friendly units assigned to the line, the blue units, were overwhelmingly fewer. They had expected this massive assault, and had prepared for it. Such a vast scale and numbers were beyond their initial expectations however. The garrisons assigned to the first defense line were insufficient to deal with them. The mobile defense squads on standby at the back should be prepare to sortie, but could the frontlines hang on until they arrive? Thus was a big w to the mobile defense, that they were too cumbersome, and specialized machinery were needed. If the frontlines were breached, it would be toote for the back to deploy on the go. Surely the Western frontlines would be breached¡­! Heard from the headset formanders were themunications between the division headquarters and the main. The United Kingdom of Roa Graecia too was under heavy assault. All forces were fighting back furiously, but it remained a question as to whether they could hang on. Will humanity finally reach its demise on this day? She heard a message from the hangar. "Lieutenant Colonel." "Second Lieutenant Nouzen. What is the situation? When can you sortie?" "Anytime. Nordlicht is ready tounch at any moment." Grethe was momentarily stunned, and she looked back at the holographic screen with the ''sound only'' words. The othermand staff in the room were stunned speechless. Shinn in turn answered calmly, "We have not received any orders. I''ll receive the reprimandingter" Reproaching aside, Independent action would result in punishment, but he seemed confident that he would not be punished in any way as he responded calmly,, or perhaps he did not care about being punished. Grethe curled her red lips into a smile. She had lipstick on her at all times, so that her subordinates would not realize when she paled. It seemed there was no need for that. "No matter what those shitty old men sayter, I''ll cover up for your guys, Lieutenant¡­the other squads will sortie once they''re done preparing. Hold the line until then." "Roger." Since its inception, the old Geade Empire had always been a military superpower, and many cities were designed specifically as bases to deal with iing enemies at the start of the war. All the streets were narrow, and would never be linked directly to the center of the city. The rivers flowing through the city also divided the city into two. The walls of the ancient cobbled streets of stone remained wed, and the brick houses were densely packed. But even so, the assumptions when building them was that they would be battling humans. "Retreat! Now! The armors are here!" A squad of armored infantry hastily darted through theplex bending stone pavements. The rearguard soldier turned around, and behind him, the sound of bones rubbing each other was approaching. At that instant, the cannon of 120mm sted through everything, ignoring the buildings between. The stone walls were utterly hapless in the face of the tank cannons capable of shooting through six hundred milliliters ofpressed steel. The cannon made a near direct hit upon the rearguard soldier, blowing him to smithereens, and the rubble blown away ripped apart the soldiers that were unable to escape, along with the armor upon them. "Captain!!" "Don''t go back! He''s a goner!" The walls copsed, and a smoking cannon appeared from there. The massive metallic coloured L?we leisurely turned around the corner. The shattered bricks piled upon the road, but were nothing to the multiple legs. There was no time to escape. The armored soldiers stopped in their tracks, ring back at the enemy about to kill them. The tank cannon was aimed towards them¨C A sharp, heavy sound of metal racing across the hard stone ground was followed by the stone tiles trampled upon as it jumped, and the wind that blew along with it. A pure white silhouette flew above the armored infantries. The white silhouettended upon the wall to the left of the street, leaped off the wall with a triangle jump, and bounced up again. The L?we tried to aim towards it, raising it up like a horse''s rein, but the cannon got hit. The armor was pierced, and it exploded within. The ammunition within the L?we blew up, and the armor module quickly fell off, before the mes gushed out. The heat waves and light scattered everywhere, but did not affect the soldiers behind the white silhouette''s armor. It was a pure white armor. The four-legged silhouette resembled a white skeletal corpse without a head. Under the canopy was a personal mark of a headless skeleton wielding a shovel. "The "Regin¡­leif"¡­" The "Reginleif" red sensor turned towards them. "Are there any other remaining fores?" Before the assistant squad leader knew it, there were white units standing on the roofs to the left and right of the street. One could hear the ttering footsteps and engine sounds of through the house, and clearly it was not the "Legion" with their highly effective sound reducer. They were a lot lighter than the "Vanargand", and appeared to be of a simr make to the "Reginleif" before them. Sensing the red optical sensor directed towards him, the assistant leader realized the question was posed towards him, and spoke up. The tactics would differ if there were any friendlies still alive in thebat zone. Since they were defeated so haplessly, he should at least inform therades who came to assist. "None at all, we''re the least! The other squads¡­were wiped out by those scrap metals." "That so?"" There was no mourning tone in the t answer, only an aloof voice. It was rumoured that the ''death god'' had a headless skeleton for a personal mark. And that would probably be that Eighty Sixer. "Please fall back and regroup. We''ll hold the line here." "¨CNow then, shall we get to work?" The XM2 "Reginleif", also known as the "Juggernaut", was recently deployed into battle, and had the highest mobility in the history of the Federation''s units. The unit had a main cannon,bat arms, and various parts to maximize its unique traits, and could fulfil multiple purposes. The ''Snow Witch'' Angel piloted abandoned the usual 88mm smoothbore cannon, and reced it with missile pods that could overwhelm with firepower. Before the battle began, she had heard of the "Legion" distribution from Shinn. Time passed, and the positioning had changed greatly; however, she could imagine where they would move. She predicted where the enemy would be, and figured out the position to deal maximum damage towards them. It was the weapon Angel had honed after four years of fighting and surviving against the "Legion". She entered the coordinates into the supportputer, and squeezed the trigger. All the missiles loaded fired off, the tails of smoke following as they glided through the air inplex trajectories, evading enemy intercepting fire as they zoned in on the target. Once the estimated coordinates were released, the proximity fuse of the missile shell exploded, and the cluster munitions within scattered. The cluster pelted upon the "Legion" from above, and thetter hurriedly scattered. Her voice was gentle, and she showed a smile. However, nobody knew that the gentle smile she showed in the cockpit was so cruel. "They''re out. Gonna step step step on them like ants with a wrecked hive." The goggle shaped headmount disy for precision targeting showed the "Legion" units darting around the blind spots behind the building and rubble. The enemies had scattered, wary of the cluster bombs from the missile. Krena was in her "Gunslinger" unit, hidden at an old church bell as she aimed at an enemy. The ''Gunslinger'', specializing in sniping, was equipped with the 88mm cannon with an elongated barrel, designed to stabilize the bullet trajectory and the initial velocity. The unit''s fire control and stance control too were swapped to sniping mode, andbined with Krena''s skill to shoot down fast moving "Legion" units, it resulted in high uracy the research branch was impressed by. The wind speed, temperature, and various data appeared on the headmount disy, along with the cross reticule. Upon hearing the voices of the deading through the Para-RAID, she narrowed her eyes. She had no need to fear the moans of the dead, or the screams of the dying. As long as they were not herrades turned into ''ck sheep'', she would notment for them like Shinn did. For Krena, the "Legion" was an enemy threatening the safety of her preciousrades, and especially Shinn who was fighting on the frontlines. The enemy. Should be vanquished. She subconsciously held her breath, her golden eyes bing frigid. She squeezed the trigger naturally, without thinking. Far away, the L?we that had its armor shot through copsed. "Commanding unit down. Switching positions. Cover me." "Copy that Krena. Leave the scraps to me!" Raiden''s ''Werewolf'' was equipped with heavy machine guns forbat, and the main cannon, along with the mount arm, was swapped out with an autocannon. This set of weapons allowed him to suppress, stop the enemy from darting through the hail of bullets, and provide cover for the advancing friendlies. Since he had been partnered with Shinn, who specialized in close rangedbat, for at least three years, it was inevitable that he chose such tactics and weapons to provide cover for thetter. Raiden was also in charge of covering the other members, always checking on their status. It was the perfect role for him, who was adept at taking care of others, though he would rather die than admit so. Two heavy machine guns, an autocannon, all of which could be aimed at different enemies. The Ameise and Grauwolf were pelted by the dense machine gun fire, falling one after another, and the shots from the autocannon stalled the two L?we squads. Two "Juggernauts" raced by the ''Werewolf''. ''Undertaker'' went by one L?we, severing it, while ''Laughing Fox'' hopped onto a tall position, and shot down another with a cannon. The ''Undertaker'' continued to charge to the end of the street, while ''Laughing Fox'' shot the wire anchor, headed to the neighboring block. Krena followed suit, providing cover for Shinn. Angel retreated to the back, reloading her missiles. Raiden immediately essed the battlefield, felt he had to support ''Laughing Fox'', and turned the ''Werewolf'' over. The ''Laughing Fox'', Seo''s "Juggernaut" had standard equipment and armaments, the 88m smoothbore cannon, heavy machine guns for itsbat arms, along with four pile drivers and two wire anchors. However, his style ofbat was not standard in any means. "Alrighty, there." He evaded the st from the L?we, hopped onto an abandoned car, and jumped up. A wire anchor was shot into the air, etched into the wall as he continued to jump. The Grauwolfs quickly gave chase, and he shot another wire anchor at the wall of the opposite building, releasing the previous anchor, and the recoiling steel wire formed an arch in the air. He got right above a L?we, and squeezed the trigger. The weakest part of the armor, the top was shot through, and the enemy unit blew up. He moved in all directions, using the wire anchors. The Republic had abandoned its cities, which became battlefields, and that, coupled with the weak firepower of the 57mm cannons, gave birth to thisbat ability. The biggest notable w of the L?we and Dinosauria was the thin armor at the top. Thus, Seo had it as his own style ofbat, and it was the best answer for him, who had outstanding spatial awarenesspared to the others. For he had nobat sense that would allow him to survive, unlike Shinn, who was able to fight meleebat. The lock-on alert signal rang. A Grauwolf had scaled to the roof before him, and fired a missile. Seo nced at it, fired another wire anchor that entered the wall of another building several blocks away, and used that to pull him towards it. With the explosion behind him, he turned around, and pelted a hail of machine gun fire to silence the enemy. At that moment, Seo saw the neighboring block, and his jaw dropped. At the vanguard of Nordlicht was the white silhouette of the ''Undertaker'', deep within enemy territory, evading assaults from all corners and destroying the enemy units one by one. One might say that, instead of the death god liking him, he was the death god instead. "Seriously¡­how in the world hasn''t Shinn died after all the crazy stuff he does?" While the frontlinebats were struggling, the backend personnel too fought their own war. "¨CGet all the ammunition and energy packs! Load them on the trucks so that it can go!" "Sergeant, backup unit is ready!" "If the frontline needs them, send them out now! ¨CListen up! Don''t let Fido get in here to take them! That guy''s to support our leader! It''s our job to deliver the pizza to them!" In the face of the mighty "Legion", thebatants had no war to fight if the ammunition and machine functions were depleted. The best form of support was to give them ample, prompt support. The backend personnel knew this, and did their best. Amidst the noise, it would be clearer to understand the situation through the Para-RAID. So Frederica thought as she listened to the RAID device inside her own room, doing her best to contain her urge to escape the barracks. She really wanted to help, even if it was just a little. However, she knew it was just for self-gratification, and kept reminding herself to remain rational. The personalized heavy machines were running at full throttle in the hangar, ferrying the heavy ammunition and energy packs. In themand room was Grethe and the other control staff, spewing terms Frederica did not understand. She was just a weak child, incapable of doing anything in this situation. At this point, she knew that her acting asmander in the heavy transport craft was simply about Shinn, Raiden and the others ying around with her. All she could do was to open her ''eyes'', and seek her Knight on the battlefield. Shinn, fighting on the frontlines against the "Legion", probably was not in the mood to find Kiriya. If she knew of Kiriya''s position and actions, she could at least give a warning. She spotted the Knight appearing in her ''eyes'', standing there, and froze. She hurriedly fumbled with the RAID device, and switched the contact target. Her face was clearly stunned, her voice gasping as she called out that name. "Shinei." There was no answer. The Para-RAID however was connected. The voices of the dead were usually heard when synchronized with Shinn, and again they echoed deep within her ears. At that distant battlefield, his voice remained so calm as he gave instructions. From time to time, he would contact the other Eighty-Sixers, and also instruct the Processors of Nordlicht, and barking off at the soldiers of the other squads through the wireless external speakers, all whilebating the astonishing numbers of enemies. "Shinei¡­Kiri is not here." There was no answer. She repeated her call. For some reason, she did not want to assume he did not hear her. "Kiri is not on this battlefield." There was still no answer. The blood immediately rose to her head. It was not out of anger¡­but due to a fear she did notprehend fully. "Do you hear me not, Shinei!? Kiri right now is¡­!" At that moment, her eyes switched over to the person she kept calling with conviction. It was a four-legged spider racing through the rubble of the city, in the middle of the night. The white machine was no longer coveredpletely white. Ash, dirt, and the silver nanomachine blood of the severed "Legion" limbs had died it silver and ash, covering it in spots. A shback to a previous scene urred. The red field dress that had trampled on the blood of the soldiers, and the person standing next to it, smiling brightly. He was smiling, his ck eyes frigid and unfazed. Princess. So he said, but his eyes were not looking at her. The red eyes inside the white armor were showing the same glint. It was swinging the des that had long stopped vibrating, shing the enemy with brute force, ignoring the fact that the des were partially shattered before it turned to another. Shrapnel from a proximity fuse that exploded up close flew into the cockpit, shattering a sub screen, but he remained unfazed. His consciousness was focused on the enemy unit before him, his red eyes sharp and cold. Frederica''s legs weakened, and she fell back. She finally realized why she had always associated him with Kiriya. They were not simr. They were the same. She had assumed they were so alike, because both of them were exactly the same. Fools. She could hear herself utter this silently. Shinei, you fool. Have you not understood? Enough. Stop. "You cannot continue to fight on like this¡­!" ? Beyond the clouds of silver was the crescent moon in the sky, high up to the west, lighting a dim silver upon the ruins. The heavy multi-legged units suddenly came to a halt. Having confirmed the surrounding voices of the "Legion", Shinn gasped, and turned around. The skies above the battlefield waspletely sealed by the Eintagsfliege, and the "Juggernaut" radar was already muffled, and since the IFF could not be used, Shinn had switched it off. "¨CHey, hold your fire, Nordlicht! Friendlies!" Appearing before him was the 67th armored forces of the 177th battalion, the crest of the squadron on the "Vanargand". The red sensor followed Shinn''s eyes, and slipped over there, seeing the fifty tonnes of heavy machinery approaching with light steps. The legs were not damaged due to thebat stress¡­it appeared the armored division had awoken up due to the siren, and finally sortied after all the preparations. "A personal mark with a headless skeleton. You''re the squad leader?" "Squad leader of Nordlicht. Second Lieutenant Shinei Nouzen¡­what''s the situation?" The driver of the "Vanargand" smiled. "Squad leader of the 67th, Captain Samuel Roots. It appears the first wave of attacking "Legion" has been fended off, and the same goes from the other areas. Thanks to your squad''s emergency deployment, we held the line. Good work." Shinn just wanted to ask about their side, for he already knew the "Legion" vanguard had started to retreat, but even if he did say so, the captain would not have believed. Thus, he did not say a single word. All he wanted was to rest his body that was a little weary after battle. "The other squads have mobilized¡­it''s alright now. Head back for resupply, and sortie when HQ gives the orders. Leave the rest to us, the Federation." You Eighty-Sixers can fall back for now. While still gasping for breath, Shinn continued on gruffly, "If I may say something, Captain." He affirmed the amount of supplied Fido next to him had brought, and disyed the status of the various "Juggernauts" on the windows¡­while they were not fully equipped, it was sufficient. They could all continue to battle. "That "Legion" was just the advance forces. The uing second wave is the real one¡­we fall back now, and this area will fall." The driver of the "Vanargand" immediately stopped smiling. "¡­What did you say?" "We''ll leave the defences to you here. Will head on to intercept the main forces. We''ll destroy the vanguard first, and try to dull their assault somehow." "Wait Lieutenant! That''s¨C" "Ending transmission.¡ªall units." While cutting off the transmission, Shinn called through the Para-RAID, and turned the ''Undertaker'' around, leaving the dumbfounded "Vanargand" behind. The advanced forces were to prepare the way for the following main army. The groans of the "Legion" were surging from a ce the eyes could not see. His ears immediately picked up replies. Repressed excitement, calm, and grinning audaciously. "You hear that? If you don''t want to die,e along." ? The main forces of the "Legion" came, and at the same time, the armored forces of the Federation reached the frontlines, building up sturdy defense lines, forming walls with thick armor, and defending stubbornly against the overwhelming attacks of the enemy. A deadlock urred as the garrisons switched hands. Somebody noticed that the sky had already brightened, and the naked eye could see the gun in hand. Red light shone at the horizon. The soldiers looked up at the skies, from the trenches, from the barricades formed out of copsed buildings, from the cramped cockpits of the units, and from the middle of the gunfire. The sky waspletely red. The bright red light of the rising sun was reflected and refracted by the Eintagsfliege covering the skypletely. The sky that was supposed to be dawn was locked under a dull, bloody red light, like an enclosed burning. Under the red skies, the battles continued. Under the bloody light, the ck shadowsprised of ruins, entrenches, remains of the units, and heaps of corpses started to pile up. Between them, the machine monsters and the humans remained locked in a deathmatch. Fire and blood were spewed, bing shadows that fell and remained, further reducing the world of red and ck to more red and ck. Such was a scene right out of Hell. Amidst the Hell of red and ck, a white nightmare could be seen. It was racing through like lightning, like a bright fantasy. It was thoroughly covered with scars, but like its name of a war goddess, the headless skeleton was pure. If this part had copsed, the surrounding defences would follow. Thus, they had focused on this position,bating without knowing of toil. In the face of the surging "Legion", they did not back down, and ughtered the enemy with the mad battling and precise shots, like wild beasts tearing at each other. They had ignored all requests of aid from the other squads, or calls from the back telling them to back then. In the face of the endless "Legion", they had no time to spare aid for other, and knew that they could not fall back even if they copsed. They, once cut off by the mines of their homnd, might have forgotten about the word ''retreat'' altogether. The destroyed "Legion" continued to pile one after another, and using them as cover or turrets, they continued to battle. But if they kept battling, they would run out of bullets or energy. The "Reginleifs" were units that sought mobility, so the ammunition they carried were far insufficient. Even if they were to head to the back to resupply, it was still insufficient. Thus, they could only remove usable parts from the destroyed friendlies and repair or resupply. The "Scavenger" following them too kept searching for spare parts, removing them, and piling them near their position. There were soldiers who lived at the border since the inception of the Empire, and were born on the Wolnds. Seeing these silhouettes, they were impressed. Even as they fought to the death, they were smiling, for they had a few more reliablerades. But most of the Federation soldiers could not think as such. The optical intel reached themand vehicles and headquarters through the data link. All of them, the armored infantries in the trenches, the operators, themanders, and the higher ups could only mutter in shock. "The Eighty Sixers¡­!" They were teenagers,rades who were from the Republic, treated as human-looking pigs, sent to the battlefield by the Republic. The Federation had assumed they were pitiful children. For they were robbed of human rights, freedom, family, hometown, even their names. They were sent to the battlefield before they had fully matured, and survived the countless battles, before they were finally ordered a meaningless death. At the very least, they should enjoy happiness in the Federation. That was what everyone had thought. But they gave up on those wishes. They chose to return to the battlefield, to the most dangerous of all battlefields. They had no reason to fight, no need to protect their homnd, family, and ideals. In fact, they were not protecting anything. Ignoring the pleas of aid from the friendlies, they ripped bones and flesh from the remains of their fellow units, and kept on fighting. It appeared as though they were jut seeking to fight a meaningless, unreasonable, endless battle. They were not innocent, pitiful children who were oppressed, who lost everything. They were monsters. They were human-looking, killing machines who were borne out of the ruthlessness of the battlefield, and the malice of the public. They were the demons of the battlefield, unable to understand thepassion and aid granted to them. It was not their sin to be born and twisted as such, but their hearts, twisted to this point, were a lost cause. "Monsters¡­" There was a possibility the Eighty Sixers might have overheard that, but nobody would reproach the person who uttered that. ? Therge transport craft ferrying the emergency response teamnded near FOB 15, the armored units and infantries soon hurried over. The blue blips indicating friendlies instantly multiplied on the screen, the red and blue intertwined like a mosaic. Grethe was watching on, and suddenly, the red blips started to move. The clusters of red and blue started to disperse. Like sand in an hourss returning to ce, the red blips slowly returned to the west, to their controlled area. "¨CThe "Legion"¡­" Shinn had long forgotten the time. The optical screens showing the outside was dyedpletely red. He could not remember how many enemies he had defeated, and how many were left. The short pause between the assaults allowed for them to feed on rations, and any minimal rest they had was through closing their eyes. There were no tactics, just a demolition of the waves of "Legion". It was not a battle per se, but a primitive deathmatch. With his lone shred of rationality, he could barely figure out friend and foe. If the battlested a little longer however, who knew what would happen. Suddenly, Shinn noticed it was raining, and lifted his head. The "Juggernaut" voice sensors picked up white noise and the rain pelting upon the armor. The sounds seemed serene in the noisy battlefield. His mind was dulled due to fatigue, and it took him a long while to understand the reason behind of this sound. The "Legion" was starting to retreat. The voices of the dead were fading, and only the covering fire of the Scorpions and the noise of pursuit squads battling echoed intermittently. He opened the canopy that had been locked for what felt like a long time, stood amidst the drizzle, and let out a long sigh. Seeing the red light by the edge of the thin clouds, he knew it was thete evening of the Northern summer. "¨CAll forces." His voice was a little hoarse. It appeared his throat was parched. The voices that answered were a lot fewer than when they sortied. Some answered with gasping breaths, and some did not, probably for theck of necessity. And of course, there were some who could do neither. "The "Legion" has begun a full retreat. It''s time to head back." Shinn docked the ''Undertaker'' at the hangar, got off, and found Frederica standing before him. Her eyes were slightly red, perhaps because she had spent the entire night up. The long hair that was usuallybed was all messy. Perhaps she had been waiting for him here after he sortied. Their eyes met, and her tender face contorted. She seemed relieved, and yet seemed to have been reprimanded harshly, for tears welled in her eyes, and she leapt into his clutches, feeling impatient as she embraced him tightly. "Shinei, you fool." He did not know why he was scolded. He subconsciously reached his hand for the little head that surprisingly did not have a military cap, and caressed the ck hair, her tender hands clutching at him harder. "Fools, both of you, you, and Kiri." ? The forces on standby were assigned to keep guard against another possible "Legion" attack, but the heaps of work for the Western forcesmanders remained. They had to replenish the lost manpower and equipment during this battle, move the wounded and the corpses, repair the defences, analyse the battles, and determine the contributions. First off, they should reward the scout unit manager that had detected the assault of the enemy (far) earlier than expected, pinpointed the correct area, and saved the Western front from the brink of annihtion. That was amon consensus amongst themanders. But the manager had doubt over this. He imed the instructions to scout the area was not from him. He said there was an officer who found him, and convinced him to spot this area, and that the discovery of the advanced forces, and the instructions to the otherbat areas were down to that officer. In that case, surely the contribution belonged to that officer. "¨CWhile the manager was poised when he said so, I heard that you have actually used some violent methods, Second Lieutenant Shinei Nouzen." Themander office inherited the positioning and decorations of the Empire. The Major General was seated behind the thick, heavy Mahogany desk. He was wearing service ribbons, and a cross medal on his neck. His hollow eyes were shrouded by his ck eyebags. "A Federation soldier''s gun is to be pointed at the enemy, not to threaten our side. This applies irregardless of you pointing a gun at anyone." "¡­The discovery of the enemy shall offset this punishment, I believe. That man could have been promoted if he had not said it." Hearing the calm response, the Major General narrowed his eyes. He could sense Grethe behind him rubbing her forehead. Shinn in turn remained still before the desk, in a ''restless'' posture. Countless independent actions, and a vition of military regtions. While out of necessity, interrogation and punishment were needed. Given the list of offenses, he could have been detained, but given how they were simply interrogating him, it appeared they were still essing him. The Major General turned his leather chair around, and nced aside at the tablet terminal, before lifting an eye towards Shinn. I heard from the gendarmerie that you had some interesting answers¡­that you can hear the voices of the "Legion", and determine their positions even." Grethe then interrupted impulsively. "Major General. You might not believe it, but it is the truth. The squad members that used the RAID devices and had audible synchronization with Lieutenant Nouzen have confirmed this¡­" "Did I ask for you to speak up, Lieutenant Colonel? I do know people with such powers exist, and the witnesses have said it. Those along however cannot prove this situation." The Major General tapped at the terminal, and disyed a map of the battlefield on the table. Beyond the hologram map were the ck eyes staring back at Shinn. "Where are they? ¨CPoint out ten ces, from closest to furthest." Shinn looked up. There was a dummy surveince camera at the ceiling, the tablet in the Major General''s hand was positioned just enough to prevent him from seeing it, and an inte was hidden in the Major General''s hair. It seemed the Major General wanted to affirm the data captured by the radar, and match it real-time. Principle aside, this certainly was the most direct, reliable manner to affirm the validity of something, so Shinn sighed, "¡­Excuse me." He sought out the closest enemy position on the map, and pinpointed ten positions. He was able to urately detect where the "Legion" were, and the distance, but he could not convert it as intomon distance units. Leaving aside the fact that he was used to the Republic''sbat areas, the battalion''s map was much bigger, and he could not deduce on gut feeling. Once he drew the seventh position, the Major General''s eyes widened, and he hushed his voice into the inte, for that position might not have been detected. Once Shinn was done answering, he returned back to his position. The Major General let out a long sigh. "¡­One thing I want to ask." After a moment of thought, the Major General asked. "Why do you want to do this? While it certainly helped support the Western front, you should know this is a dangerous act, right? Why risk this?" "I determined that proper protocol will be toote to intercept the enemy¡­at that moment, you probably will not believe if I said so." "You are not answering my question. I am asking if you have considered your own safety¡­have you not, as an Eighty Sixers, thought of the possibility of you being used as a canary, or a guinea pig?" For they were the Eighty Sixers, who were deemed as human-looking pigs by their homnd. "Of course I did¡­but if we are defeated by the "Legion" because of this reservation, everything else would have been for naught." The Major General remained silent for a few seconds. "I see¨Cyou will sacrifice yourself if it means destroying the enemy. That makes you Eighty Sixers, huh? An ice de you are, shattering yourself as you shatter the enemy." Grethe raised an eyebrow, trying to say something, but the Major General impatiently raised his hand to stop her, and said, "I shall not look into this matter any further¡­if there are simr crisis to be sensed, may I expect a report from you like this instance?" "Of course." "When that happens, I shall inquire you again, Lieutenant Colonel. You may contact me directly if it is an emergency. I shall inform my aide." Once they exited themander''s office, Grethe sighed, and said, "Please, stop making me worry so much, Second Lieutenant. Your words and tone are not appropriate when speaking to a superior." "My apologies." "Goodness¡­and also, please think of how you should protect yourself. Results wise, protecting yourself means protecting those around you. Do you understand, Full Lieutenant Nouzen?" Seeing the suspicious look from Shinn, Grethe merely shrugged. "All the Lieutenants died, so we promoted you. It''smon in the Federation army." She pointed at the Lieutenant Colonel insignia on her cor, the rank she attained midway through her twenties due to the impromptumissions on the battlefields, and she showed a wry smile. "You are already acting as squadronmander, so perfect timing¡­you could have an additional rank, but it was nullified because of your actions." "¡­" "Can''t you be happy or sad about this? Your pay will rise anyway, though you might not feel anything about this." The necessary expenses were paid by the military, and there was nothing else to spend of. Thus, despite her telling him this, he did not feel anything." Again, Grethe showed a wry smile. "Seriously¡­this is all from me. Good work, Lieutenant." "¡­ Please excuse me." Bidding farewell to Grethe, who returned to her office, Shinn walked down the long corridor paved with carpet, and quietly let out a sigh. The Western army had been dented to a destructive extent, its defences left for the backup forces as they regrouped, so there was no mission. The days of interrogation left him unable to affirm the situation of his squadron, and he prepared to head to Nordlicht''s barracks at the headquarters. Suddenly, Shinn heard quick footsteps approaching him. He lifted his head, and found Frederica. Her sturdy boots were trampling upon the carpet, and seemed unbefitting of the base camp that had mostly rxed. At the same time, he sensed a stare from far away. The ck eyes encased in malice. "¨CI''ll kill you." He felt a shiver down his spine. Why? Why did he forget? He encountered it twice. He knew that was the trump card of the "Legion". But why did he subconsciously eliminated the threat from his subconsciousness? It was because, in a corner of his heart, he thought that even if the strongholds, country, and even humanity right behind the battlefield he was on were destroyed, it had nothing to do with them. That for the Eighty Sixers, who had deemed the besieged battlefield as a hometown, faced the enemy in the eye, and would inevitably be crushed, nothing mattered¨C But at that moment, he realized that he never actually left the battlefield of the eighty six areas in the truest sense of the word. Frederica yelled, "Get down! Kiri is¡­!" The sound of an ultrasonic cannon ripping through the air came almost instantaneously with the noise of a tremendous weight hitting something. A sh appeared outside the windows. The line of sight was dyedpletely white. The noise was so great, it was deafening, as the cannon ripped the air like a thunderp, and the shockwaves that followed ripped through the entire base. Chapter Volume 2 epilogue "¡ªThis is the First Northern Area, First Forces ''Sledgehammer'' calling all Processors. To all Processors." The partner "Juggernaut" lying by the side was badly dented on the cannon and the armor, after having taken a clean impact from the L?we that weighed in excess of fifty tonnes, it could not move. The pilot managed to crawl out from the crushed cockpit, dragging his paralyzed right half as he came to an old bridge in the outskirts of the area. He leaned his back upon a wrecked stone pir, andid down weakly. He wanted to open his eyes, only to end up feeling utterly lethargic. The armor of wilted bone color was smeared with the blood oozing from his body, and was vividly clear even in the night. ¡°This is the leader of ¡°Sledgehammer¡¯, ¡®ck Bird¡¯.¡± All members of the squadron had been eliminated. It was likely that the other forces in the area were wiped out too. Total obliteration. The ¡°Legion¡±''s specifications were far superior to the ¡°Juggernaut¡±, and there was noparison. Such ferocious enemy units attacked on an unprecedented scale, and they, weak in fighting strength, had no hope of survival. But they fought. Behind them was the country that was not worth protecting, and there were no families awaiting their return. But they kept fighting. ¡°Our battle has ended.¡± Thus, that was the lone remaining pride of the Eighty-Sixers. The light-nulfillying armor reflected no moonlight, and the heavy metallic body of a L?we made practically no noise as it moved forward towards him. Perhaps the enemy was unwilling to ughter a dying mouse by wasting some rounds, for neither the terrifyingly powerful 12.7mm heavy machine guns nor the ferocious 120mm tank cannon were aimed at him. The L?we leisurely moved forth with the arrogance of a carnivore, its massive frame taking up the entire width of the stone bridge. He, unable to move anymore, could only lift his head towards this steel tank that was closing in, sneering. He was speaking into the public channels, in a one-waymunication channel, but he could sense that on the other end of the receiver, countless numbers of his fellow eighty-sixers were listening to him intently. ¡°To all the Processors who can hear this. To everyone who fought until the very end, and survived until the very end. We¡¯ve finally¨Cretired. Good work everyone.¡± They lived on this hellish battlefield of no death, where there was no redemption or hope, that no matter how they struggled, death awaited them. Once he said everything he had to, he cut off allmunications, and tossed aside his headset. He then picked up the crude looking control device within his crushed right hand. The L?we passed the stone bridge, closing in before his eyes as he leaned haplessly on the stone pir. Five years ago. Back then, themander of his first squadron was an Eighty-Sixer, a survivor of the Republic¡¯s Orthodox Army who was thrown into the battlefield. Themander taught him how to fight, how to survive, and how to use this controller. There were none of the white swines left who would do this. His lips and skin were searing and cracking under the intense heat, yet the smile on his face was so hearty. Never once should be sumb to despair, nor give up hope to survive, nor let hatred stain upon the pride in his heart. Such were the rules he had imposed upon himself, and thus was he able to keep fighting till this day. But at the very end, this line from him would surely be forgivable, no? He saw the enemy unit raise its leg before him, and with a chuckle, he pressed the detonator. This line was meant for the shameless, tragic white swines of the Republic who had given up on battling, shied away from reality, and neither knew how to resist nor choose to die this way. ¡°¨CServes you right.¡± The stic diamond chargetched onto the bridge exploded. The old passing bridge, along with the steel beast king ofndbat and a mere Eighty-Sixer who could not be counted amongst the dead, sank into the dark river in a rising fireball. Year 360 of the Republic¡¯s calendar, August 25th, time 2317. When the siren red in the military headquarters, none of the Handlers in themon office understood what that meant. In a certain sense, that was to be expected. The siren was installed ten years ago. By their predecessors, the Republic Orthodox Army who were in charge of protecting the country, that all men, even the backend staff, were to run to the battlefront and die valiantly there, never to allow this siren to be aired. The massive hologram screens blinked into life. Disyed on the massive hologram screen upying a wall was a crude footage, due to the darkness of the night and the electronic jamming. All of them stared at the screen intently, looking either surprised or annoyed. Amongst them, only Lena felt some strange urgency choking her throat. There was a massive concrete structure reaching the sky, its walls thick enough to bury a deck or a few small houses; and at this point, it was copsing haphazardly. That structure was truly too heavy, resulting in the shattered cracks to resemble a meander-like valley, and a massive horde of steel color roared in like rapids. A terrifying army formed by various multi-legged army exhibited its killing capacity to its limits as it crossed the valley. She felt a chill run up her spine. ¡°What is this? Some movie? Sounds interesting.¡± ¡°Hey, somebody turn that thing off. It¡¯s noisy.¡± None of them had ever seen such a thing, and as they obviously did not know of them, they justzed around in a trance. Lena herself felt weak, and stumbled a step back. Over the ten years, the citizens of the Republic pushed the responsibility of the war to the Eighty-Sixers, and concealed themselves in the cage of false peace by shutting their eyes and ears. Not even the military had ever seen the true appearance of the enemy. Amongst them, the only one who knew their appearances was Lena, who had witnessed them personally. That was six years ago, on the day she visited the frontlines with her deceased father, lost him, and was saved by Ray. And just a year ago, when she synchronized her sight with Raiden as she supported Spearhead Squadron. The charging vanguard leading the army in a wedge formation were the Ameises, shaped as sharp as piranhas. Approaching with astonishing mobility on their six legs, advancing through the irregr severed surfaces of the copsed wall were the Grauwolfs. And remaining alert to all of its surrounding with its 120mm tank cannon, racing in a stable formation were the L?we. Using its massive weight to trample and kick aside the rubble with impunity was the Dinosauria, advancing as though on the ins. And on the ground was the structure that was famed for being sturdy, yet utterly copsed before her eyes¨Cthe Grand Mur. This, Was the siren indicating the breach of the final defenses. ¡°¡­!¡± They havee. The ¡°Legion¡± had been quietly been building its strength behind the electronic interference of the Eintagsfliege, andunched their assault on this day. The Republic, hiding in their fragile dreand while ignoring reality, finally met its destruction on this day due to its arrogance, just as Shinn had predicted. The ¡°Legion¡± crossed the rubble of the Grand Mur, over and over and over again. They had entered the unprotected Eighty Five Areas, into the Republic of San Magnolia that had assumed it was filled with eternal peace, and forgot how to fight to protect itself. It was most likely that most of them were ¡®ck Sheep¡¯. The ¡°Legion¡±, with the brains of the dead imnted in them to ovee the state lifespan, were the masses of Eighty-Sixers souls the Republic left to die on the battlefield, not even granting them a proper burial. The army of the Dead had returned home. Amidst the crease in the fortress wall was on the verge of copse, there appeared a light beyond the torrent of steel and the night. It was a light caused by the optical sensors, cold and blue, a ghost light in a deep dark forest, leading people into an endless abyss. The faint moonlight shows a vague silhouette. The shadow, massive as a skyscraper or a colossus, made it difficult to determine the actual range. The front side of the shadow quickly rose. At the same time, the noise on the monitor was amplified for some reason. Suddenly, she noticed. Upon the devastated scene of the copsed Grand Mur, there was a giant hitting it repeatedly, and finally crushed it. It was a devastation, caused by a cannon strike. A sh. At that moment, the footage on the screen vanished, showingplete darkness. It was likely the camera..or thend where the camera was installed, had been blown away by the cannon. The siren showed no signs of abating. At that moment. There was a unit the elites of the elites on the First battle zone of the Eastern frontlines had once encountered, but had to retreat. It was a brand new long ranged cannon with astounding fire rate and range beyond its contemporaries, pelting its strikes with tremendous power like a downpour. ¡°¨CRailgun.¡± Lena muttered, and pursed her lips. Her fellow countrymen remained unperturbed, sensing that there was amotion, but not endangered in the slightest. She suddenly turned to leave the office, towards her control room. The heels of the military bootsnded on the woodennd, resulting in anxious knocking. The RAID device was giving off an illusionary heat. ¡°Lena! That siren was¡­!¡± ¡°Reporting in, your Majesty! The Northern battlefront¡­!¡± ¡°At, Cyclops. Affirmative. ¨CThey¡¯re here.¡± She switched the Para-RAID to target every single unit that could be connected, and began to do so. Typically, amander could only be synchronized with one unit, but this was certainly not enough. Thus, she had At help out, and adjusted the Para-RAID settings slightly over a year. The enemy was the army of dead souls, of the countless Eighty-Sixers the Republic had abandoned to die on the battlefield. To resist them, they had to gather their fighting strength. To keep on fighting. To continue fighting in response to their final words, to survive. ¡°¨CThis is ¡°Bloody Regina¡± to all Processors on the Frontlines!¡± Federation Military Alias, the Morphos. One unit alone was enough to breach the Grand Mur, and the new ¡°Legion¡± unit reduced the stronghold of the Federation military into dust. This footage, found in the copsed military headquarters, was the first observed data of this particr enemy unit. Chapter Volume 2 afterword A pilot suit is just a decoration! Hello everyone, this is Asato Asato. I''ve always wondered, "Why do all ''pilot suits'' have to be so ''tightfitting and snug''?", and never got to understand the reason why. Of course, suchbat uniforms have various functions and design, but does a pilot suit have to be like that? That goes especially for a robot specializing inndbat; why can''t they use the tanker jacket like actual tank soldiers? No, actually, we all understand. It''s because girls wearing pilot suits are cute. Cute is justice. But the protagonist of this work, Shinn is a boy¡­! Thus, in this work ''86-eightysix'', all pilots wore camouge when piloting, and not pilot suits. This volume however, it''s changed to something simr to the Panzer Jacke. Luckily, when editing the manuscript for the first volume, I wrote things like, "If possible, I hope not to use any pilot suits¡­", and when drafting the plot of the second volume, I wrote "I hate pilot suits!!!" on half of an A4 sized paper. The kind editors-in-charge kindly listened to the various weird requests I had, and epted them all. Yay! And so, we came to a consensus, "But we want to see Lena in a pilot suit!". To those of the girls in pilot suits faction, please look forward to it. No, this isn''t ironic. Cute is justice. Girls in pilot suits are justice. Now then. Back on point. It''s the second volume! It continues! It continues! It''s all thanks to the passionate support of you readers! Thank you very much!! And so, sorry that it ended up as a two parter. I had initially nned to write a book, but after cramming what I had to write, and what I wanted to write, it far exceeded what I had initially nned¡­ The content was basically the epilogue written in different perspectives, one from the perspective of one, and the other in the perspective of the many. The first volume was written in Lena''s perspective, while the second and third volumes focused on Shinn. The title of this work is ''86-EightySix-''. Why did they continue to use this derogatory term imposed upon them by the Republic after leaving that battlefield? Basically, what are the Eighty Sixers? I n to use the second volume to write what is a prologue to a story of him and her. And this time, a few other exnations. -The main cannon of the Juggernaut. The main cannon of the Juggernaut was the 88mm, called the ''Ratsch Bumm'', but in reality, the ''Ratsch Bumm'' is actually the 76mm anti-tank cannon of the Soviets. So why did I not use the actual term 88mm? Please refer to the German 8.8cm cannon during the Second World War, or themon nickname of the k 36, and then refer to the book cover or the fold behind the book. ¡­Understand now? It''s a typical example of picking a pen name without thinking too deeply, and getting into troubleter on. (TN: The Germans call the 8.8cm the Acht-Acht. 8-8) -Title. Like the pen name, I was often asked how the ''86'' came from. In English ng, it means ''rejecting entry into a shop'', or ''refusing a customer''. Also, it can mean various things like ''eliminate'', ''punish'', ''murder''. And finally, the thanksgiving. First, to the editors, Kiyose-sama and Tsuchiya-sama, who gave me much patience and feedback when I kept changing the plot and manuscript since the beginning like a headless chicken, precisely pointing out the ws in the story. Next, to Shirabi-sama, who added much needed killing intent in the pretty illustrations. There has been a huge variety of new female characters! And to I-IV-sama, who used the mysterious, random setting I came up with, and created a new, powerful "Juggernaut". I am looking forward to seeing how that guy looks in the third volume. And to all you readers who supported this work. The writing for the next part is right under way, and I hope to meet you in the third volume ''Run to the battlefront (Second Half)''! And I hope this work can temporarily lead you on a journey to the sun being born, to the battlefield of the Northern military countries in the summer, and to them who are again involved in the battlefield of howling iron and battle. When writing this afterword, BGM: Run Through the Jungle (Creedence Clearwater Revival). Chapter Volume 3 6 The television¡¯s ''news program'' talked about the ''situation'' on the Western battlefront'' where her brother was at. The news report stated that the ''Federation army'' had defeated lots of invading "Legion". Six year old Nina Lantz lifted her head when she heard a car park before her house. The red and ck colors of the twin-headed hawk was imprinted upon the Federation official vehicle. Every letter sent from her brother Eugene, currently serving the army, was delivered by this steel-colored sedan. Her aunt weed them, and upon seeing the twin-headed hawk crest of the Federation army on the envelope, Nina knew that it was from her brother, so she teetered forth. Ever since he had enlisted in special cadet school half a year ago, her brother hardly came back home, and did not do so ever since he was officially assigned a month and half ago. Her beloved brother was ten years old, resilient and kind. Nina wanted to call out to her aunt, but she noticed that something was amiss with her, and so she stopped in her tracks. Her aunt''s face turned pale as she received the letter, her hands, wrinkled from housework, were quivering slightly. The soldier handing the letter over had a ck sash dangling diagonally across his steel-colored uniform, his lips pursed grimly. What happened? Did something happen to my brother? At that moment, the live footage of the Western frontline''s was reced with a dazzling sh and a silent boom. ? Shinn twitched his body, and the ss fragments fell onto the floor, making a ttering noise. He, having pressed Frederica down, slowly got up on his feet. The ss windows were shattered, and the dust raised by the tremor fluttered under the sunlight shining onto the corridors of the Division Headquarters. He could feel blood on the left side of his temple, probably due to shards from the ss, but he wiped it off with the back of his hand. The impact from the tremor destroyed the ss, passing right above him as heid on the floor, causing his ears to be in pain. Shinn looked beyond the windows with its now nonexistent frames, and narrowed his eyes. Frederica staggered to her feet. "¡­Has it stopped? Shinei, the situation of the damage¡­" "Don''t look." Shinn did not wait for her to answer as he wrapped his arms around the little head at his belly, covering her sights. Beyond the window, tens of kilometres away from themand base was the FOB 14 barely visible. At this point, the base, including the 5000 forces, had vanished without a trace. Not crumbled, not destroyed, but vanished. The vague grey cluster of silhouettes that were down by the horizon had vanished without a trace. Therge cloud of dust that was lingering in the air was the only thing that remained, and it seemed to be an indication that something was there before it was destroyed by a cannon. He turned around, and found that themand base was slightly damaged. A hangar not too far away was utterly devastated, forming a wretched crater. While an unguided long distance cannon is not particrly urate to begin with, it''s circr error probability still remained big. The barracks and the "Vanargand" were ripped apartpletely, and amidst their wreckages,rge fragments of the cannon was to be seen. He had never seen destruction on such a scale before. Everyone inside was probably annihted. FOB 14, which was caught under the same concentrated cannon fire, probably encountered the same fate. From far away, he could hear the weak pleas for aid from the tanks that were caught in the impact and were toppled over, probably unable to evade it in time. Upon hearing the voices, Frederica''s little body started shivering. She kept shaking her head, barely opening her red eyes to look out of the window, only to end up widening it, and freezing up. "That¡­" "Frederica." "Did¡­Kiri, do this¡­" "Frederica. Return to your room. Don''t look outside." Suddenly, Frederica looked up to Shinn. Her feeble eyes were on the verge of tears. "Are you," "¡­What?" "Will you end up, like that too? Like Kiri©¤©¤" "No way. I don''t want to be a part of the "Legion"." He had no intentions to linger on in this world after he died. The door to themander''s office opened with a bang. "Lieutenant Nouzen, you alright!?" "Yeah" Though he had a little blood on him, it was merely a scratchpared to the situation at hand. Grethe pursed her lips nervously, ushering him into the office with her eyes. "Did you hear where that cannon came from? We need to locate it and strike back." "Understood¡­but." Shinn nudged Frederica aside, pushing her back to get her to head back, and shook his head gently. "Even if we figure out where the attack came from, what could we possibly do¡­it''s probably hundreds of kilometers away." ? Soon after it was formed, the Federation had devoted at least half of its resources to fight the "Legion", even at the expense of establishing itsws properly. Most situations demanded for its people to make ''on-site decisions'', and this allowed for reduced red tape and improved flexibility for all involved personnel and bureaus. Of course, this applied more so to the president, who had the most authority in the army and the government. "©¤©¤We have identified this long distance cannon as a new "Legion" unit. Henceforth, it shall be called "Morpho"." Geade Federation presidential estate, "Adlerhorst". This ce used to be the residence of the king during the imperial era, and the residence of the dictator during the dictatorship. The pce construct symbolized the dignity and honor of thete monarch, and at this point, it became the national defense meeting hall for the military and the higher hierarchy of the government. Within the vast meeting room, the attendees sat in a concentric manner. Ernst was seated at the frontmost, central position, looking up at the 3D model holographic disy floating above the middle of the meeting room. "The first bombardment consisted of 55 shots fired towards the 8th Armored Corps, FOB 14. 72 minutester, 45 were fired towards FOB 13. 15 hourster, 50 rounds were fired at the fifth infantry Corps located at both FOB 28 and FOB 30." Four lines of cannon fire popped up, starting from the "Legion" controlled areas to where they had hit, the FOB icons. 4 sub-screens appeared atop the 3D models, showing the aftermath of the bombardments. The bases that were supposed to have appeared hadpletely disappeared. Everything was shattered apart, leaving a few craters instead upon the barren wastnds. "Each FOB was destroyed under the earlier mentioned bombardments. 4 regiments were stationed at each base, at least 20,000 soldiers were killed." Within a day, they had lost 4 FOBs, including the 20,000batants and the base backline crew. The analyst reported with a trained, monotonous tone, but clearly sounded stiff, unable to hide the tension in the voice. "Currently, the hypothesized specifications include a main cannon with a barrel of 800mm, maximum firing distance of 400km. Initial velocity of the cannon is 8000m per second¡­it is deduced to be a railgun." Ernst narrowed his eyes. Railgun. A projectile weapon that elerates a sliding projectile along two conductive rails using electromaic forces. It required a lot of electricity, and it was difficult to miniaturize them, but its velocity is astoundingpared to the cannons that are typically fired at an initial velocity of 2000 meters per second. The projectile''s destructiveness varied with the kic energy, which was half the mass of the armature multiplied by the velocity. Even when taking into ount that the armature had slowed down when itnded, an initial velocity of 8000 meters per second, along with an 800mm barrel, would mean that the projectile weighted several tonnes. It''s destructive power was massive enough to reduce the sturdiest of fortresses into cities of sand, let alone the prefab FOBs. "©¤©¤They have already mentioned this in the report when they were to be protected, no?" "Yes. However, we have yet to develop effective countermeasures." Most of the researchers under the Empire General military research branch that had developed the "Legion" units were under the old regime, and they were devoured along with the bases. It was likely that the rted knowledge, and even their brains were devoured by the "Legion". At this point, the Federation had no expertise to surpass the Empire, and were unable to develop weapons on a simr level. "We do believe that the 15 hour pause between the second and the third shot was used to change the barrel. It is likely that the barrel was considerably worn down when an 800mm caliber was fired. During this time, the Western forces loaded all their cruise missiles, and immediately after the fourth strike by the enemy,unched the missiles to fight back considerably. There are no reliable estimates of the effects of the attacks itself as the trajectories could not be observed, but it seemed that considerable damage was caused to the enemy.¡± Everywhere deep within the Contested Area of the "Legion" was filled with the electronic jamming of the Eintagsfliege, so all forms of guided measures would fail. It would be fine if the attack originated from the entire battle area tens of kilometers away, but to strike a pinpoint target that was hundreds of kilometers away was utterly impossible. But even so, if they did intend to strike the target, they had to make up for it with numbers. At this juncture though, they had alreadypletely depleted all of their few guided missiles. The precision-guided missiles and the GPS satellite that wasunched had not been used in a long while, for they were ineffective against the "Legion". "After the assault, the "Morpho" neither attacked nor moved, proving the effects of the attack. However, ording to the report of the Cassandra, it appears that the enemy unit was not taken down." The one referred to was Shinn. It was the first time Ernst had known of this. However, Ernst could not me Shinn for this. The Eighty Sixers were stripped of their human rights by their own country, and reduced to mere human weapons. They knew that in the human society, anything cruel could be rationalized with excuses, and turning him into a convenient Canary was surely a worse fate. In fact¡­Shinn''s fate might have turned out that way if not for their predicament. Unfortunately for Shinn though, his senses were extremely vast. Ernst could easily imagine that if they had not returned to the battlefield as they wished, they could have been detained at the military facility near the safe capital. Shinn''s personal file was sent along with the report, and as he looked down at the photo clipped to the file, Ernst gritted his teeth. For a long time, Shinn did not speak up as he had been wary of this, but he was willing to notify the entire Western frontline of the enemy attack. Clearly, this showed how dire the situation was. In the face of this crisis, Ernst as a ''guardian'' waspletely useless. He was outraged by his own helplessness. Perhaps Shinn, who had fought to the death against the "Legion" for the past five years, might have felt fear in the face of the massive army. However, he was unable to ask others for help, and could only face it alone¡­surely he must have suffered. At the frontmost of the meeting hall was a holographic screen, the low resolution silhouette of a person twitched. "©¤©¤The drone of our United Kingdom has entered enemy territory. The estimation of the damages done, along with the sessful observation of the "Morpho". There was no direct hit to it, but there is no doubt that it took considerable damage" He was the Crown Prince of the United Kingdom of Roa Graecia, Zafar Idynolk. As the main "Legion" forces had retreated, the Eintagsfliege had retreated to the Controlled area, so connection was finally made. He was the representative of the United Kingdom of Roa Graecia. It was the Crown Prince attending the meeting, and not the younger prince who was acting asmander against the "Legion" at the Southern Frontline. He was second in authority only to the King, the vicemander-in-chief of the United Kingdom army. Clearly, to the United Kingdom, the "Morpho" was of considerable threat. A slender, aged, female general of the Wald Alliance straightened her back, or to be more precise, her holographic image. She was themander of the Alliance''s Northern defense, Lieutenant General Bell Aigis. Since its establishment, the militarily neutral country had introduced conscription regardless of gender, and it appeared that the policy had still not changed. "Since you have made it so close, why have your drones not eliminated the "Morpho" yet?" The Crown Prince smiled gracefully. "Unfortunately, the unit''s payload is not too great. It is only a short distance, but we have sessfully entered the "Legion" controlled area. I believe all parties have witnessed that our units are smaller than the "Legion". To put it simply¡­its capacity is as great as a weapon that an adorable maiden can hold. Also, lots of effort and sacrifices have been made to send this one unit into the enemy territory. As the older brother, it is unreasonable to impose this upon my younger brother." It appeared that this was the reason why the younger brother did not show up. The unit was probably meant for observation and surveince, and required a controller from afar. For the younger prince of the Royal family to personally control it, surely there was a reason why no other controller was chosen. Lieutenant General Bell snorted. "You have¡­put in quite the extravagant effort." They were willing to sacrifice it just to scout, and even revealing it publicly. "Henceforth, we will be partners in this joint operation. What else is there to hide? Trust is what ties humans and countries together after all." Well, it was a lie after all. They boasted and emphasized their country''s fighting capabilities and the sacrifices made while hinting at more cards at hand. The three countries would carry out a joint operation, mostly to benefit themselves as much as possible. The representatives of the two countries were on both sides of the semicircle, staring each other down with gentle smiles. Ernst in the middle merely smiled away. They had all been isted for ten years. Such were foreign rtions. Such was the way countries greeted each other. Lieutenant General Bell sneered coldly. "Your determination is amazing, dear Crown Prince¡­however, can you exin to us the tactics and algorithms used by the ¡°Legion". The ¡°Mariana Model¡± AI used by the "Legion" was developed by your country after all." The Crown Prince continued smiling gently. "Naturally, Lieutenant General¡­we will be willing to share this information, since your country has developed the technology of a multi-legged field dress with better mobility that was used for actualbat, and used to develop the ¡°Legion¡± units." An awkward silence lingered between the representatives of the two countries. Ernst sighed, and spoke up. While both sides were protecting their own interests, this was not the time to raise this issue. Both their statements were hitting the Federation right where it was sore. For it was the Federation¡¯s predecessor, the Geade Empire, that had developed the ¡°Legion¡±, which trampled upon the entire continent and was pressing down upon the three countries. "What we should consider should be, how we should be dealing with the "Morpho", and also the ¡°Legion¡± that has been confirmed to have equal intelligence, no?" "Our Alliance has learned that the ¡°Legion¡± units have be smarter¡­ever since they showed up, the defenses have been more frantic." "The one weakness of the "Legion" was that its tactics were too simple. Now with themander unit to make up for this, we too have quite the bother on our hands" Lieutenant General Bell leaned back, looked up, and sighed. "¡­That mass scale attack was probably a counterattack by the ¡°Legion¡± after gathering more of our soldiers on the frontlines. Annoyingly, the scraps of metal have be smarter." "All we can hope is that a certain Republic could reflect on increasing the number of enemies by not collecting the dead and sending outstanding soldiers to the controlled areas. Of course, that is if they are alive." The Crown Prince shook his head. The Federation had protected the escaped Eighty Sixers, and learned about the prototype "Morpho". Their harrowing fates in the Republic and their escape to the Federation had been documented to the other two countries. "Well, they have been a democratic Republic of fools that speaks emptily of equal human rights, only to secure their own safety and segregate others as ¡®Colorata¡¯ after all. Segregation leads to discrimination, and that leads to harm, so it was inevitable¡­we do however express our sympathies for our inpatriots and the Eighty Sixers who too encountered the same fate despite not being ourpatriots." The Crown Prince sighed, and turned towards the analyst who stood silently still by the side, waving with apletely elegant gesture. "Pardon me for interrupting your report. Please continue." "Yes" The analyst showed some respect for the other royal families, but was not blindly obedient to them. The analyst gave Ernst a look, spotted a nod, and continued, "I shall continue then©¤©¤given it''s speed and where they were fired from, we have deduced that the ¡°Morpho¡± was loaded onto the tracks, down the old inter-country highways. Currently, it is located at the terminal of Kreuzberk city, capable of hitting all bases on the Western frontlines, the United Kingdom¡¯s subcity Heit Birch, the second capital of the Alliance Esthorn, and the Republic¡¯s subcity Charity. Also, assuming it can move along the remaining railways within the ¡°Legion¡± controlled areas and the contested areas.¡± The 3D model of the battle map was switched to 2D, erged in scale to show arger region. The old high speed railways were highlighted in thick lines, with the 400km radius of the railgun ovepping them. Including the representatives of the two countries, all officers and officials present gasped. "The Federation capital St. Yedder, the United Kingdom capital Arx Styrie, the Alliance capital Cap, and all eighty five administrative areas of the Republic of San Magnolia will be within firing range." These were the confirmed survivors after the "Legion" ravaged the continent, humanity¡¯sst bastion. Their capitals were undoubtedly within range. Like a snake, the one way to destroy a country remained the same. Go straight for the head. "Given the current estimated productivity of the Weisel, a minimum of 8 weeks is required until it is repaired and deployed. If we cannot think of a countermeasure within these remaining 8 weeks¡­we will lose." Ernst silently spoke up. "Is there any reliable way to fight them?" The analyst¡¯s lips were pursed. "It is unknown if themanders on the western frontlines have any opinions of this. The analytical branch¡¯s conclusion is that©¤©¤" "©¤©¤There is no reliable countermeasure against this high speed, long distance cannon bombardment." They were in themand room of the Western army, an ancient fortress on noblend ten years ago. The room was surrounded with thick stone walls, with no windows, and the room waspletely dark.. The holographic screen above the round table showed a faint glow, dimly lighting the faces of themanders and the vicemanders of the reserve like ghosts. "Even if we want to shoot it down with cannons, our anti-air cannons are neither fast nor clustered enough. The enemy shell alone weighs several tonnes, and our 40mm machine turrets won¡¯t put a scratch on it." The young Chief of Staff opened several holographic disys on the side, not looking at the others as he exined. He had a handsome face and a dignity unique only to the nobles. His family was once the owner of this fortress, and had significant influence in heavy industries. He, the inheritor of the blood, had the ability to match his standing. The nobles of the old Empire would teach certain vocational or tactical knowledge to their children since young, and thus the children had a deeper understanding than the typical experts. And the creation of the "Legion", automated drones unbefitting of its times, was due to this habit of the Empire. "We have siphoned guided missiles from other frontlines, but this isn¡¯t a foolproof method. Ack of guiding functions, slow firing speed, and also easy pickings for the Stachelschwein. The "Morpho" itself seems to possess good anti-air functions." The holographic screen darkened for a moment, and what was aired next was a low resolution, ck and white video. It was the footage from the United KIngdom¡¯s scout drone. The screen disyed the remains of the city, with clouds visible in the distance. Visibility was low, about the height of the human eye. A few shes appeared by the side of the footage, followed by a series of explosions in the skies. Those were the guided missiles that barely made it through, and werepletely shot down. On the video, a cluster of missiles passed through the thick anti-air fire, activated its seeking system and went towards a massive target deep within the ruins, only to be shot down by anti-air fire, exploding up close. Thus, the video ended. "These are the two methods¡­however the cannon range is too small for a counterattack. Also, the Eintagsfliege and Stachelschwein have seized all air control, and aviation forces will have difficultiesunching ground attacks." The ¡°Legion" anti-air element included the Stachelschwein and the Eintagsfliege deployed in the air. Thetter could jam electric signals, andunch suicide attacks upon any projectiles¡¯ trajectories. In other words, they were the "Legion" hard counter against jet nes. "©¤©¤So basically," A Brigadier General with prosthetic legs, transferred from the Old Empire Air Force continued on. "Other than the pilots flying courier crafts at the backline, all the pilots of the fighter jet pilot, assault crafts and bombers had be "Vanargand" operators¡­and they have almost died out. Even with the few survivors left, none of them can fly" "So, as expected." Themanders gathered their eyes upon the Western army Chief of Staff, who nodded. "©¤©¤We¡¯ll have to destroy it usingnd forces" Silence befell the meeting room. Themander of the reserve army, slouched upon the chair, grumbled away, "So we¡¯re going to send in all forces on the Western frontlines towards the "Legion" controlled areas¡­and strike straight at the heart of the "Legion" that¡¯s hundreds of kilometers away?" For the Federation soldiers, who had been fighting against a numerically and specification wise superior enemy over thest ten years, this was a suicidal assault mission done under overwhelmingly disadvantageous conditions. Any soldier participating in this mission had a very unlikely chance of making it back alive. But if they did not do so, the entire Western frontline, and even the Federation would be destroyed. Even if the chances of sess was zero, they had to figure out a way to seed. "¡­Including the reinforcements and reserve forces, the fighting strength on the Western frontlines has been whittled down by 26% during thest attack. Since we can¡¯t involve the other defense lines in this, we can only fight with what''s left." "The normal "Legion" units have been destroyed on considerably equal figures too,¡­" "But the base numbers are different. The reproductive ability is far too different. Looking at the observed oue, they have five armies on the Western frontlines alone. The automated factories deep within the controlled area remain unscathed, and it¡¯s likely that there will be more of the enemy two monthster¡­the Cassandra really has a convenient tool to predict our total annihtion." The vicemander of the 5th Infantry Regiment snorted, tapping at a thin piece of paper attached to a file. It was a personal file without a photo attached. Everyone present knew why. After a pause, the vicemander whispered with some pain. "No matter the squad chosen to destroy it¡­it¡¯ll be a sacrifice." "Yeah¡­that¡¯s why we need to choose the ones most likely to seed," It was the most painful decision for them to make. "The one person we can¡¯t afford to lose." "¡­!" Shinn let out a groan without thinking, and the head of the Information Analytics Branch seated opposite to him overheard. "What is it, Lieutenant Nouzen?" The stone-faced field officer asked, sounding more concerned than curious, and for a moment, Shinn could not answer. The cry sounded so distant and vague at this point.. The mechanical cries of the souls kept echoing in his ears. He was figuring out their positions. "Lieutenant." It was on the second cry that Shinn recovered. They were in a corner of the Information Analytics room in the 177th Division Headquarters base. The military had requested for his ¡®aid¡¯ to determine the enemy numbers for their nning, and over the past few days, he had been seeking the enemy. Before the field officer was a hologram that could only be seen from the front, who waved it off, closed the document on the screen, and tilted his head like a hunting dog. "Do you need a rest? You¡¯ve been listening since morning. Even though you¡¯re hearing the "Legion" all the time, it¡¯s different from consciously paying attention to them like right now." "No need." Shinn shook his head, indicating that he was fine. The field officer sighed, and stood up. "¡­I see. I guess you lot©¤©¤you especially, do act like disposable weapons." The voice remained t, with neither mockery nor ridicule behind those words. With the stare upon his back, the field officer turned around to the cab. He took out what seemed to be a personal tea set and a pot with a tea cosy used to keep it warm. It appeared that this officer was one of the rare people who loved ck tea, but that tea, which originated from the east of the continent, was no more than a synthesized product from a manufacturing nt. The synthesized leaves had a unique faint medicinal scent to it. "Parts are interchangeable, but they can only be obtained after others are wrecked. That¡¯s why people pretend that the parts aren¡¯t worn out, and forget the moment of heartbreak when they break down. You¡¯re continuing to fight with fatigue, contempt and fear surrounding you, until you¡¯re wrecked and cannot move. You¡¯re basically a human weapon facing against the ¡°Legion¡±." The field officer served two cups of tea, one before Shinn, who did not ept it. He took a sip, and continued, "You aren¡¯t looking so good. This isn¡¯t the battlefield of zero dead you once were in. Everyone fighting is alive. Maybe you can relieve yourself of some pain and fatigue from time to time when you decide that you should. Fatigue and pain are rms from the body, and it¡¯s not a good thing to be slow to react to them¡­rx, those guys are also seeking them out." He pointed at the ss window of an office behind him. Inside there, a group of soldiers in steel colored uniforms were hard at work. They varied in age and genders, but their hair and eyes were blood red. They were Pyropes. It was said that some of the nobles would inherit unique abilities, and it wasmon for Rubera nobles of the Pyropes to have heightened neural senses. Of those who possessed such an ability, many of them joined the military as scouts and interrogators. "Remember. On this world, no matter whether good or bad¡­each person is irreceable." ? The prior assault brought about a lot of casualties. To ease the burden on the frontlines, the wounded were immediately brought back. However, at the military hospital in the capital far from the frontlines, the silent, looming despair was suffocating. Therge ward rooms were filled with suffocating silence. Second Lieutenant Alvin Marcel held the crutch with much difficulty, taking care of his fractured right leg as he slowly got out of the building. There was nobody he knew in the hospital. There were none of his friends who had just died in battle, no peers from the special cadet school. Most of them continued to fight on the Western frontlines, and some of them were no longer living. That included people like Eugene, a ssmate during middle school at the special cadet school, and a squadmate. News of a new "Legion" unit, its deduced capabilities and the potential damage it could cause had reached the citizens. Even from the hospital, one could see that the streets of St. Yedder were terrifyingly quiet. Everyone seemed to be like a bunch of terrified animals, hiding in their nests with bated breath in the face of impending danger, watching for changes that might appear intently. Freedom of press had been a basic of modern democracy. FOB 14 was the first to be destroyed, and it was impossible to conceal this news as the attack happened during the live broadcast. The government probably decided that it would be better to inform the people than to arbitrarily control the news and result in rumors and riots. The decision might have worked, for there was minimal unrest and chaos in the Federation, but most of its people remained calm. Some people fled the capital upon learning that it would be within railgun range if the Western frontlines retreated or copsed, but most of the people continued with their daily lives. However, it was because deep within their hearts, they knew. The Federation protected half hernds, but she was surrounded by "Legion". There was nowhere to run. "¡­Hm?" The Federation hospital was located in the military area, and no ordinary citizens were allowed except during pressing matters like cmities. Beyond the gates where the sentries kept watch along with the rare traces of people, he spotted a petite figure. Marcel had a look, and went forth. It was a child he knew. The little sister he met when he went to his ssmate¡¯s house. Yes. Eugene¡¯s. "Kid, what¡¯s the matter? Why are you here?¡± He asked, and saw the girl¡¯s shoulders shiver before she turned around. Eugene had onceined with a grimace that this girl was really terrified of strangers. However, Eugene himself was always clinging to others. Marcel even joked, who do you think you resemble there? ¡­Thus. That was why he got involved with the death god who had escaped from his country. Therge silver eyes looked up at Marcel, blinking as though he was someone she recognized. He exited the gate, and she hurried towards him.. "I¡¯m here to look for my brother¡­but they wouldn¡¯t let me in." Marcel nced aside at the sentry, who appeared to be a few years older than him, carrying his assault rifle, and remaining still while averting his eyes. Well, they were not being mean to her for no rhyme or reason. Even if she was a petnt child, regtions were regtions. Marcel pursed his lips. With a lot of struggle, he knelt down, lowered his eyes to the level of the little girl. "¡­Is brothering back?" The Federation soldiers would never abandon any of theirrades. They would ensure that each and every soldier would be returned to their families, even if they were corpses. Eugene¡¯s corpse too was taken back after the battle had ended, and his coffin was returned to his family right before the assault began. However, the girl¡¯s wish for her brother to return home was not in the manner she had yearned. Nina shook her head slightly. Her two braids swayed along, flickering like fireflies. "He¡¯s not back. Just a box returned¡­that¡¯s not my brother." "¡­!" Marcel bit his lips. The corpses of those dered KIA. Whenever they were too unsightly, the military would seal the coffin shut to avoid having the family see it. The coffins would then be buried immediately. Eugene probably met the same fate. He was left only with his upper body, and his head was shot through with a bullet. Such a sight should not be seen by the little sister. But for the young Nina who had yet to understand death¡­it would be surreal to expect her to believe that the sealed coffin with the Federation g draped over it was Eugene. Marcel nearly gnawed his lips apart. He recalled the blood-soaked uniform of the feared, revered death god of a youth soldier, standing in the thick forest of the Western battlefront, amidst the otherworldly greenery, holding the handgun that robbed the life of hisrade. On the battlefield, killing off the heavily injured was a form of mercy. It was probably because the head, the brain was shot through, that the ¡°Legion¡± headhunters or the Tausendf¨¹ssler did not take his head away, to turn him into a ¡°Legion¡± ghost. But©¤©¤but. It was for that very reason that Nina never got to meet Eugene at his thest moment. He managed to return home, yet he has not returned, and his death may not be weed. Did you think of that possibility to begin with? Hey. Nouzen. You Eighty-Sixer, killing as nonchntly as a death god, murdering yourrade without batting an eye. "¡­Brother" Nina continued to seek the non-existing figure of her brother with her innocent eyes. Marcel had enough, and averted his eyes. He knew Nina had no such intentions, yet he felt that he was being reproached. Why, Why didn¡¯t you save brother? But that wasn¡¯t me. That moment. That guy. Didn¡¯t save him. Didn¡¯t protect him. Didn¡¯t remain by his side. They were buddies, yet he left Eugene behind to pilot the headless war goddess ¡°Reginleif¡±. It¡¯s not my fault. me him. It was he who killed Eugene then. That guy. Ahh, suddenly, he had a feeling that he understood something. Why did the citizens of the Republic of San Magnolia discriminate and oppress the Eighty Sixers? Why could they do such inhumane things to the Eighty Sixers, who were also human like them? It was the most unspeakable thing, but for the first time, Marcel felt that he understood the reason why. In the face of sudden misfortune. In the face of their own helplessness. People would always want to push the me onto others. "¡­Eugene," Marcel could not see the smile on his lips as he spoke, and he could not see the malice hidden beneath his numb face. ? "I guess everyone would be scared of a cannon that could blow this entire base up from the controlled area after all." Krena looked around like a listless kitten as she said so, putting the scrambled eggs into her mouth. It was morning, and they were in the cafeteria of the 177th Division Headquarters. The ce was overcrowded due to the mobile reserve forces and realigned forces, but there was nary any noise made as they ate, and everyone appeared to be really tense. Ange took a sip of coffee from the paper cup, and said, "That new Railgun model is called the Morpho, no? Have they not been told that it won''t be attacking for 2 more months since it''s undergoing repairs?" "Well, the estimate is based on a footage from a country that they couldn¡¯t contact for ten years, and the footage itself was only five seconds long due to the jamming. There¡¯s also the ¡®special ability¡¯ of the Eighty Sixer that they can¡¯t reallyprehend. The Processors of the Republic didn¡¯t really believe it until they were told of it, right?" Seo stabbed at the famous Federation Wurst with his fork, saying this with no proper etiquette. "I guess so", Ange sighed. One might say that they were surprised by the extremely realistic organization called the military, even the higher ups, could ept Shinn''s ability wholeheartedly. "But they still haven''t showed any signs of chaos. The Federation army is really well trained in that regard." "I guess. Those white swines of the Republic would have already started running, starting with the Handlers." Seo showed a smirk, and then stopped doing so. "¡­But if that happens, can Major, survive?" "Seo." A reprimanded Seo looked distraught as he mmed up. Upon seeing that awkward, timid appearance, Shinn frowned. "What?" "Eh, what was that, I wonder? You haven¡¯t realized it yet?" Seo said, looking confused. So, what was that? Goodness gracious, so Raiden sighed, and said. "¡­Rather than thinking about what the Railgun "Morpho" is all about, the Federation guys realized how serious the situation is. Maybe we''ll all die tomorrow without being able to do anything." The battlefield was such a ce, but not everyone realized this. For organisms that instinctively prioritize self-survival, there was no situation more pressing than this. Hm hm, Krena snorted, somewhat pleased. "We''re all used to it anyway, so." They had to survive tomorrow''s battlefield that remained unknown. Such was the fate of the Eighty Sixers, who had to die at the end of their mission. However, Shinn quietly thought to himself. He did not fear death that was looming upon him. He had epted his death the next day as a matter of fact. It was a result of them adapting and surviving the Republic''s battlefield¡­and was not something worth to be proud of. He feared not his impending death, even though it was natural that he would die the following day¡­ By the time he realized this, he found Frederica, seated next to him, staring towards him. "Shinei? Is there something bothering you?" Hearing her voice filled with surprise, Shinn realized that he had been quiet for a long time. "¡­It''s nothing." Seo had a fork in hand, his face ced on his other hand. "You haven''t been resting well, have you? There were lots of the "Legion" when we fought them, and you''re probably tired¡­it''s like you lost yourself in there back then." "You never got to watch your surroundings, did you? You missed out on the signs of the "Legion" retreating, Mr Shinn. Was that your first time?" "¡­" Now that they mentioned it, it seemed to be the case. "You never answered when synchronized¡­that is not your usual manner of fighting.." "Synchronize?" "So you have not realized it yet¡­?" Frederica gave an unchildlike sigh, and looked around at everyone. The long ck hair fell down her shoulders like silk strands.. "Including Shinei, the advice to all of you is to rest. While it is the same battlefield, there is a significant difference between the Republic and the Federation, and you are probably feeling some form of fatigue and difort." The Eighty Sixth battlefield had no decent support ormand, and neither a military organization. They were deemed as ''drones'', and no military regtions applied to them. It was due to Shinn''s ability that they could grasp the movements of the "Legion", and every person had some spare time to enjoy themselves. Whenever there was no mission, everyone present would find things to do to spend time. But in the regimented Federation army, even though there were some problems arising due to this ten year war, their usual habits could not be applied here. Even so, "Rest at a time like this? That''s kinda hard, you know?" "Ensuring the mental health of the soldiers is certainly important to the army. Actually, many officers of simr age to you people were sent to the backlines during the prior assault due to signs ofbat stress reaction. As Eighty Sixers, there is probably more consideration needed for you lot." Krena scowled unhappily. "I don''t want that. I''m not willing to be treated specially just because I''m pitied." Even amidst the buzz in the cafeteria, the girl''s shrill voice stood out. There were inadvertent looks directed towards her, frozen just like the frigid atmosphere. ¡­Eighty-Sixers. Someone muttered. The monsters born out of the Republic. Can''t the monsters just murder each other in the controlled area? Why drag us too? Upon sensing the malice from everyone, Frederica gulped. However, the Eighty-Sixers, including Shinn, remained unfazed. They did not care at this point. As they were Eighty-Sixers, they were suspected by the Republic to collude with the "Legion", resulting in the Republic''s defeat. Thus, they were exiled to the battlefield. For Shinn, who had the rich Empire bloodline and an ability, he was deemed the death god, the harbinger of war and death, and was shunned by his fellow Eighty-Sixers. This world was always exceptionally harsh to the minorities, the ''unordinary'', the heretics. Raiden quietly spoke up. "¡­Krena." "I get it¡­.but this feels better than being pitied by them. We''re used to this." "¡­" "Even if we''re trampled, all we need to do is not lose. That''s different from pity. Pity feels like, we lost even though we didn''t¡­I hate that." The military had a hasty breakfast time, and the stares quickly dispersed. However, there was some distance lingering in the air, and Frederica looked around uneasily. Raiden snorted. "¡­But, two months of probation. It''s not really possible to think of a counter-strategy during this short interval, I guess." "I heard that just in case, they might start the operation half a month earlier¡­well, it''s probably some kind of a reckless n anyway." "The Federation''s really reckless there, but it''s true that specs, numbers and intel wise, we''re disadvantaged. Also, the "Legion" can''t be rattled no matter how we hit them." The terms lowered morale and contributions did not matter to the "Legion". They would not regret any losses of lives. Such were weaknesses that could be exploited if the enemies were human, and yet at this point, they could only gamble their hopes on some risky strategy. Ordinary tactics would fail in the face of the overwhelmingly superior drones, and they would be torn apart by massive firepower. The only way out was through brute force¡ªa frontal assault. "Missiles aren''t enough, cannons won''t work, aircrafts can''t be used¡­so." "Guess it''ll have to be thend forces. But we don''t know whether it''ll be a frontal charge, or a pration." At this moment, a person dressed in a steel-colored uniform stood at the entrance of the cafeteria. "©¤©¤Attention!" The booming order echoed throughout the cafeteria, and everyone present instinctively stopped moving. It was the result of the usual training, and even the fivezy Eighty-Sixers were no exception. The mascot girl, startled by the sudden roar, shrivelled a tadter. The officer with the Colonel insignia on his Federation uniform scanned the highly trained soldiers like a wolf, and nodded, "The strategy has been decided. Allpanymanders and above are to gather at the briefing room at 0900." The current time was 0730, Federation Standard Time. Shinn was alone in his living quarters, pondering again. He recalled the callous remark Seo made.. ¡ªBut if that happens, can Major, survive? In fact, there was no ''if''. He was the only one who could sense the situation, and as there was no need to say so, he told nobody. The Republic had fallen. He realized it as he had assisted to seek out the enemies in the "Legion" controlled area. Beyond the controlled area was the Republic''s territory, though much smaller than the Federation, and it waspletely overwhelmed by the howls of the machinery ghosts. He had heard that after the enemy hadunched its full scale assault, an unnatural seismic wave was detected, and it was likely a signal that the Grand Mur was breached. Given the effects of the Morpho, it would be most effective if a mass scale assault wasunched in conjunction. In fact, the cannon was fired after the assaults ended. It might be usible to say that the Republic was upied before then. It took a week from the start of the mass invasion to the breach of the Grand Mur. The country had lost all means to fend for itself, having pushed the responsibility of the battlefield to the Eighty-Sixers, unwilling to face reality, and hid inside its own sweet little dream. That was how long itsted. For the Eighty-Sixers, it was merely a country they had fleeting memories of during their childhood. It was not their homnd, and no feelings were felt whether it was trampled upon or destroyed. However. ©¤©¤The Republic will probably be saved before it gets wiped out. ©¤©¤ So, please hang until then, Major. Did we make it or not? A sigh lingered along the corridor that was covered with some ss fragments ©¤©¤Can you please not forget about us, Major? If we die, even just for a moment. Yes, that was what he had hoped¡­yet again, he was the one remembering everything. Suddenly, he felt that he was the one left behind He was abandoned by therades who sacrificed themselves on the Eighty-Sixth battlefield, abandoned by those he conversed with, those he had interacted with. Death had taken too many things from him. The death god had engraved the names and memories of those who had fought alongside him, and died before him, on the aluminium tes. He never thought that he was suffering for this role. ©¤©¤Please do not leave me behind. That was what she had hoped for. Yet she too had gone before them.. "©¤-Hm?," Shinn saw a thin envelope at the bottom of his door, and stopped in his tracks. Another one? He was speechless about the anonymous ''passionate citizens'' who sent letters on their own volition. Even at this moment, or rather, at this particr juncture, the ''pitiful Eighty-Sixers'' were deemed to be targets of pity. Shinn could onlyment at their attitudes. He was about to discard it, and noticed something. The envelope was not opened. Due to security reasons, the Federation army would check every letter between soldiers and family. However, this envelope in his hands was not opened. In fact such items should be intercepted by the military capital of the Federation, and given how the Western frontline forces were being reshuffled, there was no way that they could have afforded the time to deliver a letter. He inspected the envelop, and saw that there was no recipient and address, not even a stamp. Clearly the letter did note through official means. "¡­" Shinn narrowed his eyes, and flipped to check the back. Unexpectedly, there was a sender written on it. It was written in pencil, in a crooked, thin, indistinguishable manner, clearly of a child''s Nina Lantz. Lantz. Shinn frowned, and took out his multi tool knife to open the envelope. It was thin, something a child would clearly use, so there should not be any gadget inside. The letter itself was thin, folded twice. He opened it with one hand. There were two lines written on it. Why did you kill brother Return brother Hmm. He showed a cold smirk. He did not know who did this. Surely this person knew both Shinn and Eugene, and only of the circumstances behind Eugene''s death. Shinn had an idea, but surely the culprit was pretty free to do such a thing. In fact, Shinn did not see him during the prior assault, but since the letter could be delivered, he probably did not die. There should be other surviving peers from the special cadet school serving on the Western Frontline, and it''s not a difficult task to send a letter through irregr means. However, it was just a boring gesture. However, he probably did this due to this particr situation. He hid behind the back of a young girl''s me, using it as a shield of justice, andmbasted someone else for being the killer. "¡­I guess" Why. Why did you kill brother? Why did you leave him to die? Why didn''t you save him? He heard these words countless times.. Such questions were repeated to him countless times, ever since he first stepped onto the battlefield of the Eighty Six Area. You could hear the voices of the "Legion". You''re such a powerful, gifted person. You managed to survive. But why is it that he died, and not you? He had heard this same line far too many times, and all of them failed to meet the crucial point, without exception. The responsibility of one''s own life could only be carried by oneself. He himself was not to me it all on the weakness of those that he was protecting, but surely it was a mistake to reproach the living on this matter. But this time, it was a little different. She''s waiting for me. He could hear a reprimand, from the peer he only met once, whose appearance he did not remember, from the extremely young girl, and at the same time, from Eugene himself. She''s waiting for me to return. She knew I was waiting to return. Why? Why? Why are you the one returning, when nobody''s waiting for you? Why are you the one returning, when nothing''s waiting for you? Why is it he who died. Why is it that he died instead of you? "¡­Yeah." That might be the case. His forlorn mutter echoed down the empty corridor. But unlike what he was thinking, the thin letter in his hand was crushed. Raiden ascended the stairs of the Prefab barrack, saw Shinn standing before his door, and stopped. "What, Shinn, you''re back¡­what'' the matter?" Raiden felt a chill as he saw the blood red eyes that were turned abruptly towards him. He remembered those eyes. Shinn had shown those eyes on a certain night in the First Battle Zone. That day, four of theirrades were killed by the long distance cannon, and Shinn knew that he could not avoid the fate of fighting his brother. Those were the same eyes. "©¤©¤It''s nothing." What? Shinn''s voice was filled with some gloom, yet it appeared that he had not realized it. Raiden swallowed his fear and anxiety, saying, "Orders have changed. The meeting time is still at 0900, but it is at themander''s office. Only the Nordlicht Squadronmander and themander of the 1028th¡­just you and the Colonel." The blood eyes narrowed upon hearing those unexpected words. Upon hearing news that a certainmander and a squadmander under her charge were summoned, Grethe sensed that something was amiss. But after hearing the unexpectedmands, her red lips started quivering. "The main priority of this operation is to eliminate the "Morpho" Railgun, hidden 120km Northwest to the 177th Divisional Headquarters, at the old high speed railway terminal deep within the "Legion" controlled territory." The holographic screen showed the battlefield''s map, showcasing an area farrger than the 40km map used by the headquarters. It was the map showing the entire Western frontline, and the defense lines of the United Kingdom of Roa Graecia to the North and the Wald Alliance to the South. Grethe''s forces aplished the most on the Western battlefront, but this map was truly too big for a squadron to handle, especially one that had been depleted due to the massive assault. "The second priority is to secure the old Western border, known as the ''corridor''." On the strategy map, the area in question was blinking slowly. It was several dozen kilometres from the Western frontline, a belt near the old border. As named, the corridor was where the three countries were connected. Not only did it have streets linking the three countries, it also contained at least half of the old highway. If they could upy the area, they could easily limit the train ferrying the long distance cannons, or maybe even disable it. The "Legion" could pave more tracks elsewhere, but the easiest method to get across would be through this area, whether it was through the streets or the railway tracks. It would be a burden on the "Legion" worker units to pass through areas that were difficult to pass. "The participating forces include all remaining Western forces and reserve mobile forces, along with the Southern army of the Alliance, the defense forces of the United Kingdom, and the Central Army¡­at this point, the other two subcapitals are within range. This isn''t the time to remain passive." The United Kingdom and the Federation were separated by the natural defences of the Dragonbone mountain range, while the Wald Alliance was defended by the rugged mountain terrain centered around the peak of Mount Vlumnest, allowing them to use the natural defences to fend off the "Legion" assaults till this point. But those defences were powerless in the face of a long distance cannon that could fire through the skies. "I''ll summarize the strategy. The three country alliance will press hard into the "Legion" controlled territory, luring the main forces of the enemy out onto the frontlines. At the same time, a special squad will be airdropped deep into enemy territory to eliminate the "Morpho"." It was a simple, yet extremely crude n. With Shinn''s assistance, they had determined that the enemy "Legion" forces on the Western frontline was the size of 5 army corps, tens of thousands of enemies. The "Legion" simply needed resupply points and freight transportation, no other backups, and they already outnumber the human forces many times over. All forces were to break through using their shorthanded forces, and it was an utterly reckless n. The special squad sent into the deepest rea might not even be able to return alive. Surely themanders knew about it, but the Major General continued on calmly. While facing the purple eyes, the pitch ck eye would not budge. "After the "Morpho" is destroyed, the special squad will have to hold its ground until the main Federation army arrives." The one eyed man stared coldly beyond Grethe, at Shinn behind her, "The fifteen members of Nordlicht Squadron under themand of Lieutenant Shinei Nouzen." Shinn''s face showed no change. The Major General watched his lowered red eyes, and continued, "This operation will be the biggest coboration in history. You will be the spearhead to break through the "Legion" steel walls. I do hope that you will seed." If he had known why the squad named Spearhead was created, that would not be aughing matter. However, he did mention it¡­it was blunt sarcasm. Grethe kept suppressing her rage with all her might, saying, "If I may ask something, Major General." "What is it, Lieutenant Colonel Wenzel?" "Why©¤©¤choose our Nordlicht Squadron?" The Major General snorted nonchntly. "The demands for this special squadron is extremely stringent. The "Vanargand" is too slow and heavy to be airlifted in. Of course, the cannon is too slow to be deployed. The units require higher mobility and firepower, and need to be airlifted. Also, we need people withbat experience to fight whilemunications have been broken off, survivability under harsh conditions, and capable of pinpointing the location of the "Morpho". The only ones that fit the criteria are your "Reginleif" and Lieutenant Nouzen , Lieutenant Colonel." Grethe bit hard on her red lips. "This is absolutely shameless¡­! So they''re Eighty Sixers, with no friends or families in the Federation, children nobody cares about even if they died, and as discardable as pawns. Is that what you are implying!?" "Watch your words, Lieutenant Colonel." "No, I will not remain quiet about this. You are treating them as a suicide squad! Even if the Lieutenant and the others are to die, you just want them to attract the attention of the "Legion", the "Morpho", and get the main forces in to increase the sess rate of the missiles, or to wear down the enemy defences. Is that what you intended!?" The Circr Error of Probability remainedrge, but the uracy could increase if they went a little closer. If they could reach the frontlines of the enemy and attack with the same intensity, there was a likelihood that they could hit the target directly, and eliminate it. "We will prepare ample firepower to attack, just in case. I did not order them not to return. We are different from the Republic." "No way is that different! What do you think Nordlicht Squadron''s chances of survival are©¤©¤!?" While a transport helicopter can navigate down low to avoid radar and anti-air functions, they were still a lot slower than a ne. The "Reginleif" is rtively light, but one unit weighed at least ten tonnes, and a helicopter could only barely ferry one.. 15 helicopters were required for a 15 men squadron, and the loud rotors would surely be detected by the potent optical and sound sensors of the Ameise. And like all flight weapons, a transport helicopter hardly carried any heavy armor. Half of them were expected to be shot down. For a squadron with only 15 units, if half the units were neutralized, and they were to fight the "Morpho" and any of the units guarding it , the oue would be obvious. However, this strategy was established. This suicide squad was assembled. The Major General sighed, looking miffed. "Any more and it will be a defiance of orders. If you have any other suggestions, do state so." Grethe was immediately left speechless. The Major General shook his head slightly. "Someone has to do this. Thus ©¤©¤" The Major General looked at Shinn again. The calm red eyes remained lowered. His life, along with hisrades, were served on the tter again, yet his eyes showed no signs of faltering. It was madness. Did he, and his fellow Eighty-Sixers realize this? "Lieutenant, you have experience of breaking through the"Legion" controlled area. Since you seeded once, you can seed again. Even if that''s not the case, you Eighty-Sixers do love to fight." The moment he said this, the Major General''s one eye was filled with an inexplicable emotion. It was akin to a deep anguish, loads of fear, rage due to being bitten by a puppy he had picked up, and guilt of throwing children to the wolves just to ensure his own safety. Sadness and fear are the same as not understanding if they were exploited. Pitying while looking down from above, and looking up pleadingly out of fear were simply ack of desire for mutual understanding, to deliberately distance oneself. Once he saw that he was not hated as he had hoped for, he used the difference between them as an excuse to cover up his guilt. For they''re "different" from us. "Our Federation had saved you from the battlefield, and given you lives and environment to live with. Even so, all of you chose to return to the battlefield, and that means you have prepared yourself for this. The duty of abatant, a soldier, is to fight. One of the responsibilities is to die fighting." Grethe apanied Shinn out of the office, and the office door was mmed shut. At the same time, the door to the personal room of the office was opened. Entering was the Western Forces Chief of Staff. Even at the frontlines where the situation remained pressing, he was dressed in a clean, proper uniform, even with cologne on. It was however a ruse to ensure that his capable aide would not determine the situation based on his facial expression and the clothes. In fact, he had no time to sleep, and had lots of intel to process. "Sorry for making you do the dirty work, Major General." "No worries. It''s the duty of the Division Chief." Themander''s job was to send young people to their deaths, whether they had parents, siblings, children, or bright futures. To be precise, he is to order them to fight the enemy, even if they died in the process. However, it was rare for him to give an order to basically send others to their deaths. The Major General gave a gloomy sigh. "©¤©¤Do you think they can make it back?" Just one of them. The Chief of Staff shrugged. He was a pure blood Onyx, with ck hair and eyes. He was the Major General''s junior at military college, and was of the same year as Grethe. For these two of the same age, one ended up as the Chief of Staff for the Western army, a general, while the other ended up as themander of an experimental squad, a field officer. The former had direct ties to the nobility that formed the old government of the Empire; while the other was the daughter of a major enterprise merchant. After all, the deciding difference between them was their heritage. Amander had to be cruel, to think of every soldier as a pawn, and discard them for the sake ofpleting the objective. The nobles too had their own way of thinking, viewing the citizens within theirnds as personal assets. In a sense, there was a simrity between the two©¤©¤and not something Grethe had. "ording to the analysis of the Senate Headquarters, the chances of Nordlicht Squadron making it back is almost zero, not exactly zero in other words¡­of course, it''s just a numbers game." Numerically, a one may appear after many zeros in a decimal, and thus the decimal is not exactly zero, but it wasughable to conclude that there was a "possible chance of survival". Despite knowing that, the Chief of Staff showed a cruel sneer. "Any ordinary soldier would have shown a little anger at least in the face of this mission. The berserkers (monsters) created by the Republic epted it without a second thought. They''re looking like it was a mission befitting an Eighty-Sixer." Among the massive hordes of the "Legion", the numerous soldiers who fought alongside the Eighty-Sixers and witnessed their fight, spoke of it, and soon, rumors of their fight reached the entire Western frontlines. In the face of the appropriately named "Legion" army, they never retreated, and risked their lives as they fought on with ample bloodlust. Compared to what they were protecting behind them, their brilliance remained absolutely massive. For thebatants who worried about living, and suppressed their fear for the sake of their families andpatriots, such ferocity was akin to madness to them. "To defeat a monster, we need to be monsters. Right, the only ones that can fight monsters are monsters. That is the descendent of two monsters of the old Empire army, the ''Scarlet Witch'' Maika and the ''ck General" Nouzen. It''s all the more appropriate to use him to deal with the machine monsters." Grethe shut the thick office door, and sighed "¡­Are you disappointed, Lieutenant? Your destination, this world, is simply just this." It was necessary. They had no next of kin. They were foreigners. For such reasons, children were sent to their deaths. They risked their lives to make it till here, but what awaited them was the same fate. "..I think this is an appropriate conclusion given the current situation. The Federation can''t maintain it''s frontlines unless we eliminate the "Morpho". Furthermore." Shinn continued on nonchntly as he stared at the office door, shrugging. "The FOB is within range, and yet hasn''t moved away. That''s good enough, I guess. I''m not unhappy about it." "Ahh¡­the Republic probably won''t bother¡­" Grethe chuckled dryly. The soldiers that should be protecting their country, theirrades, did not stand before their enemies. The Republic could only be deemed as mad, thinking that everything was fine like that. And they, forced to grow up in the world filled with madness, could not rid themselves of their mad way of life even after escaping from it. Grethe stopped smiling, and turned around. "What''s needed are the specs of the "Reginleif", and your ability. This however, doesn''t mean that you need to go." Principle-wise, the military merely needed to achieve the given objective, and it was up to themander''s discretion to use the means necessary. The battlefield remained everchanging, with too many uncertainties, limited measures would merely shackle the operation. "Let the Wargus handle this assault operation¡­you all don''t have to go." At that moment, Shinn was clenching his fists, but Grethe did not notice it as her back was turned towards him. "Also, once this battle ends, do retire from the army.. You have done lots for the country that hasn''t protected you. There''s no need©¤©¤" "©¤©¤So," Upon being interrupted, Grethe turned around towards Shinn, And then, she gasped. "So you want us to give up on being ourselves, just to satisfy your own sense of justice andpassion? Is that what you mean?" The boy remained before her eyes. He was showing a tender expression befitting his age, an expression he had never shown when he was protected by the Federation half a year ago, when the enemy began its onught. His face was filled with stubbornness. "We''re grateful that your people saved us. This however doesn''t mean that we should be pitied, that we should give up fighting. For us," This is everything©¤©¤¡­! He kept suppressing his emotions. Thus, his words felt so heart-wrenching. Why did they continue to fight? They had no reason to fight, so why keep fighting? For them, the Eighty-Sixers, there was no question more humiliating than that. For that was thest of their dignity. They swore not to give up, to fight until the very end, and to survive until the very end. They were rid of everything, and left only with their dignity and that was their everything. The families that they should have been protecting no longer remained, and their hometowns were no more. Historically, they did not know their heritage, and culturally, they did not remember a single picture book that their parents recited to them. The country that was supposed to be their homnd had trampled upon their pride, and it only hoped for them to die. They had no reason to keep living, yet they kept gasping for air, unwilling to sumb. Thus, they wanted to protect themselves, to protect their dignity. They stood upon the battlefield of despair, shackled by the army of machine ghosts and the malice of their oppressors, an inevitable fate. Yet they did not sumb to despair, and were left only with their pride to keep fighting on until the very end. Why keep fighting? Even if they were asked this, they could not answer. They couldn''t. For they had nothing. They had nothing to lose by not fighting, and nothing to protect through fighting. However, fighting was the only thing for which they could hold their heads high, and they just did not want to lose this remaining dignity. Thus, they gave up on the life they could have had. "If we let others fight and escape the battlefield, or act like nothing is happening, our necks will be on the noose again. That makes it no different from the Republicans, no different from walking corpses. No way will we want to end up like that!" The usually stoic boy spoke with a rare stiff tone filled with angry words. It was the strong sense of rejection that he had felt. Damn it. The red lips gnawed together again. She realized what she was hurting. She was hurting the remaining dignity they had left, the one trace of hope that they had of her. They were Eighty-Sixers. They were abandoned on the battlefield, forced to survive, and hurdled through trials over and over again in a pool of endless despair. They were helpless children who had nothing left other than their dignity. Grethe and many others had given them words of kindness and concern, that they should forget the battlefield, and live a stable life, but to the Eighty-Sixers, they were robbing away thest bits of the dignity they had left. The red eyes lowered, and never looked up at her again. "Commanding from the backline will result in a fatal timeg¡­the squad will be directed by me personally." ? Once the assault operation was announced in the briefing room, the atmosphere for each squadron remained heavy, forlorn, and tense. The objectives themselves were insane to begin with, almost impossible. All forces could only give their all to aplish this mission. If they did not destroy the tactical weapon with the 400km firing range, the three countries, including the Federation, or even Humanity as a whole might be wiped out. The Western front wouldunch a full scale assault, and press forward 100km. And chosen to lead the charge were the young Eighty-Sixer soldiers. The strategic map disyed on the holographic screen in the briefing room remained cold and cruel. Within the tense briefing room were the 1028th Experimental squad, and the Nordlicht Squadron under its charge. They were the special forces to be sent to the deepest area of the battlefield. Of the entire Western army, the chances of their survival remained the slimmest. Once she was done, Grethe left the briefing room, followed by the other reporting officers. The maintenance crew and the research team had a few words as they exited, and the Wargus pilots remained where they were, with stiff looks on their faces. Before he left the five Eighty-Sixers in the briefing room, the Master Sergeant Bernault turned back. "Leader." The aged sergeant, often acting as Shinn''s adjutant, no longer spoke as a subordinate, but as a senior trying to coax a disobedient child. "We''re grateful that you aren''t leaving us behind¡­even though we''re Wargus who can kill without flinching, we''re not so ruthless as to watch brats of simr age to our rtives'' kids get killed for no reason¡­if you have a change of mind and want us to go alone, just give the order." "¡­" Nobody answered. Bernault did not say any more as he left the briefing room. Raiden took a long sigh, and leaned back hard upon the sturdy backrest. He looked up at the ceiling, sliding down. "¡­Well, given the scale of this operation, it''ll be great if they alone can go." "The entire army will lure out the "Legion", and we''ll break through during this time, go a few hundred klicks in, and figure out a way to destroy the "Morpho"." "And we can only return once the main forces make it to us. We don''t know if the main forces can even make it." "Well, that has to depend on if we survive though. We are to be surrounded by enemies, with no support. Certainly that is not much different from the Republic." But though they grumbled, they were grimacing. They had already anticipated it. They had epted it. In fact, there was no other way. If they did not eliminate it, they would be eliminated. The enemy unit stood in the heart of enemy territory, and there was no safe manner to destroy it. To live on, they had to take this risk, even if more than half of the army was to be sacrificed It was the same predicament as the battlefield of the Republic''s Eighty Sixth Area. There was never a simple battle. There was never a guarantee that they could survive a battle. Just like always. The only difference was that this time, they chose to return to the battlefield. They chose this path. They, the Eighty-Sixers, were the only ones who understood the suffering they went through toe this far, and that was all the more reason for them not to give up. But even after knowing this, Shinn spoke up. "The Lieutenant Colonel said that we don''t have to participate." "Is she joking? This makes us no different from the white swines." Seo grumbled, and understood something as he chuckled. "¡­Hey, Shinn, you argued with the Colonel, didn''t you? We''re all the same." During the briefing, Grethe never looked at Shinn in the eyes. Seo knew that Grethe hated the notion of sacrificing the young soldiers, and realized that a quarrel might have urred. The emerald eyes suddenly lowered. "But well, we''re sent to the most dangerous ce because we''re the Eighty-Sixers. It does feel a little¡­lonely." The Federation certainly was not a bad country. At the very least, it was far better than the Republic. However, that country determined them to be pawns to be sacrificed first, and it was a forlorn feeling that they felt. "¡­I guess." Why did they continue to fight? What were they fighting to protect? That question was an assumption that people fought to protect something. To the Eighty-Sixers who had nothing left, them stepping back onto the battlefield was something that the Federation could not ept. They had no hometown to return to, no families to protect, and if they could not find sce at the end of their journey, the battlefield remained the only refuge for them. They were unwilling to be raised as pets due topassion. Monsters. This might be more appropriate term for them. They lived on the battlefield, fighting until thest moments of their lives. Surely this was not the normal life of a human. But even so, Seo subconsciously clenched his fists. We have nothing but our dignity left, to keep on fighting. ? "©¤©¤Due to the aforementioned reasons, Nordlicht Squadron, and the five Eighty-Sixers have been chosen to destroy the "Morpho"." The capital of the Federation St. Yedder was located at a high altitude, and the summer sunset waste, turning the office of the official presidential residence a bright crimson. Ernst''s eyes were upon a holographic disy on a wall, and the Western Army Chief of Staff remained grim faced. "This is a legal order, and part of my authority as the Western Army Chief of Staff. They are children protected under you, Mr President, but no preferential treatment will be given since they are enlisted. You do not have the authority to override my orders." "Understood. I was already prepared for this when I agreed to their wish to serve the army¡­it would not make sense for me to have Federation soldiers die while I protect my children." Perhaps the Chief of Staff felt some guilt from Ernst'' t tone. The Lieutenant General hastily continued on with an urgent tone. "I do think that this is the perfect material to campaign with. The youths saved from the inhumane country willingly volunteered for the most dangerous squad involving the survival of their new country out of loyalty¡­this moving story will easily gain favour with the people. Once this is reported, the number of volunteers will rise, along with your poprity, Mr President." "Do not involve politics in this, Lieutenant General. It is unlike you." Ernst merely snorted at the grim square face of the man with the disposition of an ancient warrior. And then, he asked. "¡­Lieutenant General, is this the ''disinfection'' you spoke of a year ago?" For a moment. There was silence. "When they were protected, a few generals, including you, have expressed this point. The children who escaped the "Legion" controlled area might have something to time. It''s impossible for anyone to survive while crossing through the "Legion" controlled area, and they might be infected with something. You said that it is safer to execute them, for the safety of the Federation people." Five young soldiers, not of legal age, barely managed to escape the demonic clutches of the ''Headhunters''. A majority of the armymanders and the people at the Divisional Headquarters sheltering them were sympathetic to their plights. The suicidal unit was taken in along with them. They showed an overly wary attitude, and the scars they had added proof to testimonies that they were oppressed by their own country. However, there was a possibility that it was all a ruse. There was also a possibility that the Republic had sent them as staff for certain reasons. The "Legion" had a prohibition not to use biological weapons, and they were checked and isted strictly and regrly. However, nobody could prove that they were infected by biological weapons, or that they were not biological weapons themselves. Nobody could assure that they werepletely ''clean''. If they were fellowrades, some risks could be taken, but ultimately, they were foreigners. The Federation had no duty to protect them. A few generals had strongly insisted for them to be executed just in case. But Ernst rejected this notion, stating that the Federation should not be doing this if it wants to be a just country. The generals agreed. "I''m not saying that it was a cruel suggestion. The difference between them need not always be down to malice. Sometimes, it can be down to kindness. Some unimportant things may be discarded to protect important things. This line of thinking by itself isn''t wrong." No matter how inhumane the oue was, no matter how far one might stray from being humane when doing something. The notion to protect loved ones always remained humane. "However, as a person, it is a mistake to enact violence to exert your will without stating the reason and logic behind it. While there might be an agreement, some may act discreetly using the country''s safety as an excuse¡­now surely, you wouldn''t do that, right?" "©¤©¤Of course." For some reason, there was a dy in response. "However, I do implore you to rethink this one more time. They are not pitiful children, but berserkers feared by many. Is our beloved country really willing to ept such people? Is this the direction that our Federation should be progressing towards?" Upon hearing the advice born out of bitterness, Ernst merelyughed it off. "Of course, General." At the very least, Ernst knew that the Lieutenant General was not a madman who would go out of his way to murder children. And knowing that, he answered without hesitation. "That''s the ideal that I©¤©¤the country that I lead should have. Besides, I," Over the ten years, he had maintained more than half of the people''s support. "I am the one representing the will of all of the Federation citizens." Dignity. Purity. Justice. The Lieutenant General gasped, for the president stating his ideals before him somewhat resembled a vicious fire dragon spouting mes. ? They were asked to pack their personal belongings, since the chance of survival for this operation remained extremely small. Unlike thest time however, Shinn had few belongings to begin with. And so, Shinn knocked on the door to the room with the only belonging to be returned. "Frederica" "The door is open." He nudged aside the thin plywood door, and found furniture lined up in this cramped, pavement-like room. Frederica was seated on the cramped bed, putting a doll beneath her chin, within her clutches as she turned aside in a huff. "That operation." She said without looking back at Shinn, and thetter raised an eyebrow. "You agreed to it, no? That reckless special assault operation of no return." "I thought I removed the RAID device¡­you saw it, didn''t you?" The operation was military ssified. No forms ofmunication were allowed in the briefing room, including RAID devices. For this operation especially, if news of it was to be leaked, there was a high chance of chaos and uprising. If the "Legion" were to intercept and analyse this n, all the hard work put into it would be for naught. But Frederica who was able to see a person''s past and present, could see the strategic map on the holographic screen. It was not difficult to deduce what the operation entailed. "Then I don''t have to add anything more¡­hurry back to the capital now. Once preparation for the operation begins, the transport line won''t have the time to send you back." "¡­A mascot is a hostage to a soldier. There is no ce to return to. you know that." The mascot girls would only be a hindrance on the battlefield, yet it was not allowed to send them to the backlines. They were hostages to ensure that the soldiers would not desert the battlefield, like daughters, like little sisters. Their predicaments varied greatly. Some were homeless orphans. Some were children sold by their parents so that there was one less mouth to feed. Some were peasant girls thrown into the barracks in ce of the aristocratic children, all for the sake of showing loyalty to the country. They were not permitted to leave the frontlines, so that the soldiers would not desert the base that could be blown up at any given moment. Even if they did leave, they had no ce to return to. The duty of a mascot remained until 12 at most. After that, all of them ended up attending elementary school, and thenter on, joined the army. They had nowhere to return to, and grew up with the waters of the battlefield. Ultimately, they could not leave the battlefield. Yes, until then. "You can return back now, right? Do you have the time to be concerned about others?" "Perhaps it is possible using the authority of that blockhead¡­but why is it that I am asked to return? Is it not you who said that one''s way of living cannot be decided by others?" "I also said that there''s no need to get involved with the death of others." Shinn had seen his family depart to the battlefield for good, saw friendly units blown up upon the main screen of his "Juggernaut", was pleaded to kill his ownrades, and hadrades who killed themselves after hearing thements of the Dead through the Para-RAID¡­it would be better not to witness something like that, if possible. It was likely that for the next operation, more than half of thebatants would die. It would be a scene straight out of Hell, not something to be seen by Frederica, who could see the present of the living. "Normally, this operation won''t be permitted, and we''re in a severe disadvantage. It''s one thing if we''re beaten back, but if they counterattack, the frontlines may fall, and this base might notst." If that was to happen, the base, and even the capital would be doomed. Shinn however did not say it. If that were to happen, it would be pointless to run anyway, and he did not want that little speck of hope to be dashed. "I remember his voice¡­.when fighting in the first area, four people were blown up by him. I don''t need you to tell me where he is." Kino, Chise, Toma and Cloto. Those were the names of the fourrades who fought on thest battlefield of the Eighty Sixth Area, only to be blown up by a distant cannon in the blink of an eye. "Then is it not the other way around! It is I who is rted to Kiriya who should be on the battlefield, and you should be the one returning back instead!" Frederica immediately scampered to his side, tugging firmly at his clothes, yelling. The doll in her clutches fell from the bed. It was the handmade teddy bear he had bought for her, just because she said she wanted it. It was not cute in any way, and Shinn had no idea what she liked about it. "As Grethe and I have said, you should not fight. As your ability can indicate the location of the enemy, you should be by the backlines, helping the army observe the movements of the "Legion". Finally you managed to escape the battlefield of death that is the Eighty-Sixth area, so why should you waste your life in such a reckless operation." "You can see your Knight, but we can''t cut in if you can''t see the other enemies. We''ll just be wiped out." "But¡­!" "¡­So, why are you so eager to have us fall back?" The simrly blood red eyes widened timidly. Not because Eugene had died, and not because she realized that people would die one day. Thinking back about it, Frederica initially said that if they wish to return to the battlefield, she hoped that they would y the soul of her Knight, and not fight him. "You wanted us to y your Knight, didn''t you? We need to eliminate that Morpho even if the entire Federation army gets wiped out, but why reduce the chances of the operation''s sess¡­you aren''t really hoping that it gets destroyed, right?" "¡­" For a moment, fear clearly appeared in Frederica''s eyes. Shinn looked down at her, and sighed. It was just as he had thought. "¡­That''s all the more reason for you to return. Forget about it all. You don''t want to end up like us, right?" "! Do, do you have any right to say that to anyone!" Frederica hollered, trying her utmost to shove back. As a youth, Shinn''s body had fully matured, and he had fought on the battlefield for a long time. There was a thorough difference in physique and weight aspared to Frederica, who failed to nudge Shinn, and tumbled a few steps before regaining her footing. "You once sought the soul of your dead brother, aiming to y it, and now you are telling me to not seek the soul of my Knight!? Why!? Why say that I cannot do it!?¡­You probably understand that you have no aim, no ce to return to, and struggle on with your little bit of pride. That is the kind of pitiful soul you will be. Do you want to end up like that!?" She pointed her delicate hand to the Northwest. She was correctly pointing to where her Knight was, and Shinn, having heard its final voice, knew that. However, the voice alone could not determine how it looked like at this point. "¡­I''m not your Knight." ©¤©¤She''s the same as the old me. ©¤©¤How. Shinn once had such a conversation with Raiden. Thinking back about it, truly, Frederica was different from him. No matter the sacrifices made, no matter what was discarded, Shinn had no choice but to keep going. One could only advance by paying off his debts. And his brother was not someone he could easily give up on. "It''s your business thinking of me as him¡­but don''t lump your regrets and guilt on me." "!¡­You fool!" Frederica finally had enough, and hollered in rage. The girl''s shrill voice echoed in the cramped room. "It is I telling you not to go! As i have said, you should abide, fool!" She clenched her little fists, stomping on the ground like a toddler, hollering away. The red eyes were immediately filled with tears as they red at Shinn. "You regretted not saying that to your brother, did you not? You hoped for him not to leave, but you did not, and your brother went and died there. That left you with regret all this time. So why are you doing the same thing as your brother did!? Why is it that whatever your brother did to you, whatever suffering he caused you, why are you too doing the same!?" The petite body hollered from the bottom of its heart, and Frederica was left wheezing. She inhaled greatly, and tears flowed down her cheek. At that moment, teardrops fell like repressed emotions breaking through a dam. "¡­Frederica" "Do not go." A feeble, delicate voice rang. "In no way do I wish to lose another brother again¡­no way do I want you to die like Kiri did." "¡­" "Another older brother''s death on the battlefield is something that I do not wish for. No, I do not wish for another person to die¡­do not go." ? It was the middle of the night. A ckout was implemented for the bases along the Western frontlines, but the work of themanding officers did not end. The lights were switched off, yet themander office of the 177th Division Headquarters remained lit, and at the thick desk, the Major General continued to work using the light of the holographic screen. He heard a knock, and lifted his head. Once he saw a silhouette enter the room, he frowned. "©¤©¤If it''s to cancel this operation, that''s a no go." "I know. I''m here to suggest something." Grethe''s high heels clicked away as she stood before the desk, nodding. No soldier nor officer could refuse to execute an order, but an officer had the right to present a suggestion. As for whether it would be epted, that would depend upon the superior. In the darkness, the purple eyes glittered¡­there and then, Grethe smiled. "Splitting Nordlicht Squadron into toons is to avoid this situation from happening, right. Senior Richard?" The Processors themselves had demon-like capabilities, but there was a known limit to how much a toon could aplish. Naturally, they should be facing fewer enemies as a result. There would be few friendlies, so the scale of battle would not be as great, and theirbat prowess would not be as reputed. At most, they would end up as the stuff of legends on the battlefield, talked about during free time. And the units, which had always fought in toons, could never seed such a delicate operation if they were a squadron instead. "¡­I heard it''s called the "Juggernaut", right? Looking at the mission recorder''s data of that wed weapon, it''s something I wanted to try out. Including the first sortie of Nordlicht Squadron, when everyone in thepany died except for Lieutenant Nouzen. However, you seem to be merely concerned with gathering the results of the battle and the high mobilitybat data." The "Juggernaut" mission recorder containedpressed data file''s since its first sortie. The Major General had affirmed it. The number of sorties and kills were abnormally high. When they were interrogated under detention, they learnt that there were three other units, and every broken unit would be discarded for another unit. Thest unit in particr was not used for a long time. Upon seeing the data however, Richard had a hard time believing their testimonies. He knew that if they were to be sent to the frontlines all the time, it would not end well for them. Shinn was a sharp, overly refined demonic de, far different from the Federation soldiers. If they were too dazzling, there would be envy, and thest drop of blood might be squeezed out of them. But in fact, Shinn''s bloodlust was far beyond expectations. "¡­Don''t get too hung up over them. They''re pitiful, but that''s how it is. They''re children who grew up on the battlefield, surviving every one of them. Battles have be part and parcel of their lives, and it''s impossible to get rid of it. No matter how we try to protect and love them¡­they''ll never forget the battlefield." "No." Upon being interrupted, the Major General raised his only eye.. The purple eyes glittered in the darkness. "They aren''t pitiful, and this isn''t something we can decide on. What we can do is to give them enough time to make the decision, and wait until they can make that decision themselves." They were overly ustomed to the battlefield, and were more reliable than any ordinary soldier, so she had forgotten about that. Even Grethe, who had thought of them as young soldiers who could have died way too early, probably had subconsciously thought of them as veterans. But in fact, they were in theirte teens, and they had been at the Federation for no more than a year. Anyone would need time to adapt to the new environment. Furthermore, the environment they were in before waspletely different, and they ended up distrusting others. In the face of the new world called the Federation that suddenly appeared before them, they were not adapted well enough to reach out for what they yearned for. What they could do was to keep protecting themselves, and not ask for more. For the entire time, they lived in fear of death that mighte the next day. They knew how to live the day, but they did not know how to face the following day. Thus, it was fine for them to say that they only felt pride in fighting. They said they had no families to protect, no hometown to return to, and that was a fact, so that''s that. However, once they adapt, if they wanted to regain what was taken from them, Or that, despite all that, if they chose to live on the battlefield again. That would be the choice that they made, and not something that was influenced by others, nor was it something that could be decided by others. She did not know when that day woulde. How many years it would take. But that day would surelye. "They''re Federation citizens now, but they were foreigners to begin with. Is there a need to go this far?" "Of course. That is our responsibility. Our arrogance to save the lives of five as though we are going to save a drowning pup." Surely they would feel happy to have nice food,fy beds, and a kind master. That was what she thought was kind of her, but thinking back, she was treating them no different from dogs. She did not consider their wills and dignity. Basically, she had never treated them as fellow human''s. Her treatment was no different from the Republic''s treatment of the Eighty-Sixers. If she had stubbornly assumed that she was doing a good thing, it would be even worse of her. Even upon seeing a living person before themselves, there were times where they would be deemed as a certain character in a drama or a movie, a feel-good form of pity, or an icon of justice. "Can a bloody de polished by the battlefield understand human emotions?" "We used to have a simr bet, Richard. I won back then¡ªbut after that, everything got taken away by the "Legion"." "¡­" The Major General let out a long sigh. "I''ll repeat myself again. Don''t get too involved with them, Grethe. You''re just seeing the dead in them¡­those guys won''t be back." "Yeah, that''s right. But¡­what about that?" Grethe remained unruly as she mmed her hands onto the desk, leaning forward, showing a smile that he was particrly concerned with. "If those who know what I lost pity me as a result, I''ll be d for that. I''ll repeat myself as many times as I want. I''m not willing to let children die on the battlefield¡­I''ll do whatever it takes to prevent that." Saying that, Grethe suddenly smiled. The red lips that was gnawed through bloomed in the darkness, showing an alluring smile. "My cute war maidens, the ¡°Reginleifs¡± will be deployed, and they¡¯ll be delivered by those doofus of a transport helicopter.©¤©¤grant me the permission to use that." The Major General rested his elbows on the table, his hands folded and covering his mouth as he sighed. "¡­That?" "Yes" Grethe nodded. On the left chest of her uniform was the pilot emblem of the old air force, of a winged maiden, even though the organization had been dismissed. "The ¡°Nachzehrer".¡± Chapter Volume 3 7 "©¤©¤Activate Flywheel 1 and 2, no abnormalities detected on the Imaginary Temporary Substation." "Begin cooldown of Catapult Rail. Transfering cooling unit, 23% and rising.©¤©¤" "Release canopy. Beginunch of the Catapult Rail." Vroom, a heavy noise echoed high and far. Shinn, who was snoozing away inside the cockpit of the "Undertaker", lifted his head up. The three-sided optical screens were synchronized to the external camera of the mother unit, and the hatch of the catapult hidden underground was slowly exposed. Th rectangr sky as seen from the bottom of the culvert had the unique dark blue of twilight. The sun yet to be exposed was shining in from the other end of the horizon, the night was fading away, forming a unique, clear azure sky. The autumn stars of unknown names were giving off a faint glow, as they faded. The catapult slide was extended into the dawn of the sky, like a challenge to the Heavens, and with the metal rumbling through the night air, it was attached together. "First tost Joint locks have been attached. "Nachzehrer",unch preparationspleted." ? It was a month ago when the operation to invade the "Legion" area was decided on, and it was a week after that when that thing was shown. "©¤©¤People have been calling it the shutter that can''t be opened." They were at the shutters deep inside the hangar of the 1028th Experimental Hangar of the Division Headquarters, and as Grethe had said, nobody had been seen opening it before. Beyond the thick anti-st shutters was a slope more than 100m wide, and Grethe was standing before the elevator panel, watching it descend into the darkness. The abnormallyrge elevator remained spacious even with the 15 Processors, the maintenance crew, the control team and the research members. "This hangar is used to store the experimental airnes for the Empire. After the war began, the military was forced to abandon the entire base. Rollout and test flights were done for these experimental aircrafts, and all that awaits is their mass production." "I guess these things are ced down in this underground facility because they''re ssified, but why are the experiments for the test crafts so close to the border?" "Unlike the specs of the fighting jets or the bombers that needed to be ssified, the military demands of that baby is that it''s ''invisible''. The test flight area needs to be a wide, empty area, and there''s no such ce other than the Wolfnd here. The hangar being underground is to prevent air raid, and the underground is more conducive to maintenance and building rted facilities. Thanks to that, the Tausendf¨¹ssler never got to take them back." Other than the Ameise, the "Legion" sensors were extremely weak. It would be one thing if it had been a field dress or a fighting unit, but they probably never discovered the prototypes hidden deep behind the anti-st shutters and the partitions. "Rted facilities?" "Basically, runways, or catapults attached to them¡­they''ll do as much as the military demands them to do. If we add too much weight, an electromaic catapult will be needed to get them flying." The elevator rumbled to a stop. In the dark space, Grethe led them down the stairs in a familiar manner, the boots echoing far away. It was arge space in terms of length, width and height. All the lights went on in unison, and the white LED immediately stung in their eyes. With her back facing that thing, Grethe turned around.. The Processors, and the maintenance crew seeing it for the first time, gasped in unison. For a moment, nobody couldprehend the entire appearance of that thing. That thing was that massive. It was truly almost a hundred meters wide,rger than the C-5 "Fraserburgh". The dark grey frame had the t structure of a stealth jet, resembling arge boomerang shaped aircraft that was reminiscent of a flying dragon with its wings spread wide. "This is the prototype Ground Effect Landcraft, the XC-1 "Nachzehrer"." The unfamiliar name of the machine might have been derived from an ancient legend originating from the Southeast region of the Federation. The name of a vampire who had revived from the grave, dragged its shadow across the graveyard, and mmed the Church bell. For a military craft that was supposed to navigate the skies, it really was an unbefitting name. Grethe continued on, exining the two points of doubts. "It''s a weirdly shaped flying object that gains liftoff by gliding near the ground. The navigation speed and loading capacity is the same as an aircraft, and it glides lower than any cruise missile, so neither a radar nor anti-air missiles are going to be able to hit it easily¡­originally, it was built to provide mass freight transportation down the designated flight paths on the Wolfnd. The capacity is 250 tonnes, but if all the space is used up, 300 tonnes is possible. It can load four "Vanargand" squads at once." Saying that, Grethe showed a savage smirk. "It''s possible to load all 15 "Reginleifs"¡­it''s better than a transport heli. It''s a safer option to send you guys down to where the "Morpho" is." It had a fast cruise speed, could fly at low altitude beneath the radar range, and was quietpared to the noise of a helicopter. Truly, the risk was extremely lowered. But even so. Hearing that, Seo raised an eyebrow. "So, you''re saying it''s fine to fly this thing above ground? A few meters above ground would mean that it''s low enough to hit a building or a house, right?" There were other risks. "It''s the "Legion" controlled area, but this time, we''re fighting in ex-Empire territory. Unlike humans, the "Legion" won''t be building houses or streets, so thendscape probably won''t change much even though it''s their area now." Asnd weapons, there was no war to be fought if they were immobilized just because of a drizzle. "The frontlines won''t have too many Weisels or Atomarias near the frontlines, and besides, Lieutenant Nouzen can pinpoint their locations. We just need to evade them while flying through." "¡­I can pinpoint them, but I can''t figure out the unit type." "More than enough. In other words, we just need to fly through areas without "Legion"." They would fly in through low altitude, and would not be intercepted easily, but if there was any "Legion" unit in the way, they would be shot down. At several meters above ground, even a tank cannon incapable of firing upwards could shoot it down easily. "Yeah, and we need a catapult back, so what about the return trip? It can''t fly back, right?" "The initial operation for Nordlicht Squadron was to have the main forces retrieve it. In that case, we''ll just have to move this thing back using backup "Reginleifs". It''s better than waiting for a transport heli." Upon hearing that, the old mechanic chief frowned. "Missy, I hope this isn''t what I''m thinking, but who''s the pilot?" Grethe spread her arms wide in a whimsical manner. "Me." ? "©¤©¤I don''t think you need toe along, Colonel." Upon hearing Shinn''s t tone, Grethe in turn sounded ted as she sat on the pilot seat of theunching "Nachzehrer". "Who else other than me can fly this baby? Most of the other pilots of the old air force are KIA, and I''m the only one with experience in test piloting this "Nachzehrer"¡­good thing mypany had a flight simtor lying somewhere." The ominous mutter left a few groaning away, but Grethe remained nonchnt, and Shinn did not mind it. "Speaking of which, you used to be pilot of the air force, Lieutenant Colonel." "¡­It certainly sounds like you have just remembered about it, Lieutenant." In fact, Shinn did forget about it as he was not interested. "In that case, I suppose you have forgotten about this. I am still opposed to sending you kids onto the battlefield¡­maybe fighting till the very end is a form of pride for you Eighty-Sixers, some form of self-identity, but I can''t back down on this. If we''re fighting, I''m fighting alongside you guys, and making sure that you guys can fight until the very end. That is my responsibility." "¡­" "You arrived in this country, and while it''s some distance from your ideal homnd, there''s one thing that we want you to remember. In this country, nobody wants you to die in battle; we don''t want you to die. This goes for me, the Division Chief, and everyone in the squad¡­and this gentleman." "©¤©¤It has been a while, hasn''t it? How are all of you doing?" A calm, surprising voice left Shinn blinking. It was not a voice through the Para-RAID, but themunicator outside the "Nachzehrer". "What are you doing here, Ernst?" "No, you see, I am the Commander-in-Chief of the Federation. Since this is a crisis involving the survival of its people and borders, along with the neighboring countries, I am here to supervise. Besides, you all are the crux to this operation. Yes." Ernst sighed, and spoke in the tone of a man who had been leading the country for 10 years. "The future of the Federation, the surrounding countries, and humanity itself shall depend on your performance, Nordlicht Squadron. Do destroy the "Morpho"¡­I expect results." "Understood." "And also¡­one more thing. This mission is of utmost priority." Shinn nced forward, and Ernst seemed to be nodding earnestly. "Come back alive. All of you." It sounded strange. The voice sounded pretentious. It seemed he was saying it for himself, rather than for them. "¡­We''ll do our best." "No, that won''t do. Make sure all of youe back alive." The awkwardness lingered. But the temporary president and registered stepfather of theirs spoke with a different, extremely sincere tone, "Are you not going to keep fighting? In this Federation, fighting doesn''t mean dying in battle, but living until the battle ends. Thus, make sure all of youe back alive¡­every one of you." "Yes. Make sure all of youe back alive." Ernst hung up the inte, and muttered to himself. He was at the Divisional Headquarters of the Western Army, seated at themander seat. At this point, he had removed the mass produced suit that had be his trademark as the temporary President, and was wearing the steel colored army uniform of the Federation. It was this Western frontline where he first encountered them, albeit a different location. He hade to the frontlines to supervise the reports, and learned that some youths from a foreignnd were saved from a headhunter "Dinosauria". He pitied them. He had hoped that he could give them happiness in ce of the child that he could not have. But more importantly, Suddenly, a cold, empty smile appeared in the charcoal eyes of the Federation president. This was a country unable to save damaged children. This was a country children could not be happy with. A world that sends children to their deaths for its own benefits is not something she believed in. Humanity should have its own ideals©¤©¤. Ernst let out a long sigh. He let out a long, ming sigh, like a fire dragon tired of everything in this world. It was as though he wanted to burn everything in this world. "If not, I will destroy this world." The countdown on the main screen of themand room was down to thest five minutes before the operation began. Ernst nced aside at the Chief of Staff seated lower than him, and nodded slightly. ? Anno Astrum year 2149, October 9th. BMNT1. The temporary president was seated on themander seat, and the Lieutenant General was on the vicemander seat. Upon seeing them nod, the Chief of Staff spoke up. He was dressed in the steel colored uniform with the cap of the Federation military, his hands on the hilt of the sword stabbing at the ground, a thin saber in a strap and a sheath instead of amanding baton. "©¤©¤All fighters, take note." The voice of the Chief of Staff echoed through all forces of the Western front, where wirelessmunications were strictly forbidden. "Henceforth, all forces of the Western amy shall advance to the "Legion" controlled area." Every single person remained extremely tense as they heard that aloof voice with bated breaths. The objectives of the operation, emphasis and the duties of each battalion had been exined before sortie, and at this point, there was no need to repeat it again. The objective of the Western forces, the United Kingdom forces and the Wald Alliance forces was to suppress and retake the corridor.. And the special forces was to act as vanguard, slipping behind enemy lines to destroy the "Morpho".. It was basically an operation against the full force of the "Legion" army. They were not allowed to retreat or fail. "This is the biggest battle for humanity, involving not only the fate of our Geade Federation, or our allied United Kingdom of Roa Graecia and Wald Alliance, this will affect the fates of the neighboring friendly countries whose voices may not reach us. All of you are sturdy shields protecting ourpatriots, and sharpened swords opening the key to humanity''s future. The God of War cares not for the ves, but blesses the warriors. Under the g of the twin-headed hawk, advance with the mentality that you may die." "Attention!" 10km east of the frontlines, the artillery forces had lined up the muzzles of their guns in a single file. The 155mm towed howitzers resembled spears piercing the heavens. The 155mm self-propelled guns had their cannons mounted on carts. The old 105mm howitzers and the few 203mm howitzers made before cancetion of production were lined across there. The MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) had 40 loaded container magazines pointed towards the dark skies on the West. "Our mission is to cover for our friendlies! While our friendlies advance and grovel in mud, it is our job to blow up those raggedly ass scrap metals into smithereens!" The banter was referring to the armored infantries and field dresses who could not lift their heads as they would be overwhelmed by enemy firepower, and had to fight through mud baths and bloodbaths. The bombardiers were forcing smiles, their facespletely stiffened. The artillerymander looked around at everyone. Beneath the military cap was long ck hair, and the girl with ck framed sses had half her face covered. "For ourrades on the frontlines, for the warriors that will advance further, don''t you dare stop firing! I don''t care if the missiles blow up in the air or an angel flies through the sky, keep firing! ©¤©¤All hands, prepare to fire at will!" And on the frontlines, at the barracks of the armored corps. "©¤©¤Once the initial bombardment ends, it''s our turn to sortie! Don''t get stagefright now! Any of you chads who ain''t following, read out what you wrote to your honeys to everyone! Those virgins who have no honeys waiting, read out what you would tell your mamas!" The gruff voice of the armored corps echoed out through the speakers, and the "Vanargands" on standby slowly got up. The engines of the infantry vehicles ferrying the armored infantries started to rumble. The power packs screeched shrilly as it spun faster, apanied with the stato unique to the diesel engine that stung into thepis skies of dawn, filled with thick traces of the night. The data link had been switched off, for due to the Einstagfliege, allmunications in the "Legion" controlled areas were useless. The youngmander entering histe twenties had a look at his squad on the three sided optical sensors, and barked into the speaker microphone. "Who wants the Republic''s monsters protecting us here¡­this is our war! Show those berserkers the pride of the Federation soldiers!" The squadmander of the armored forces was rambling into the purple and ck darkness, and the leader of the armored infantries was on the infantry vehicle, grimacing. "Seriously, kids everywhere are all so hot-blooded¡­" The armored skeleton of the unit was mounted with the favored 12.7mm heavy machine gun, removing the visor that blocked its face to show the squarish face of a man about forty years of age. The subordinates had often teased him for looking like a weary white cor adultmuting on a train rather than a veteran soldiers. Even at this moment, he appearednguid and sleepy. Within the dark cargo space of the deck, He scanned the rough and rugged silhouettes of his subordinate armored infantries, and spoke without any hint of intimidation.. "Well everyone, leave the cool words like pride or glory to the others. Same thing as usual, just think of how we''re going to make it back alive¡­but either way," He nced aside at the photo of his wife and child attached to the inside of his armored skeleton, looking as dumbfounded as ever as he shrugged. "If we''re going to make it back alive, we need a home to make it back to. Let''s continue protecting today, us, and," The young fellows in the field dresses before him knew that they would be the first ones crushed, yet they were willing to charge through the barricade of the "Legion". And there were the young fellows who knew there was no return for them, and knew that they were the vanguard leading the charge, willing to be delivered deep into enemy territory. The armoured infantry toon leader could not help but smile at such conflicting sadness. The optical sensors ovepped with his retinal projection, and the countdown to the operation continued. 10 seconds until the operation began. 3, 2, 1 ©¤©¤. "Ourrades can return to our homnd." ©¤©¤Zero. The Chief of Staff and the Western Front Chief of Staff looked towards Ernst, who nodded back, and coldly spoke up. Ernst was dressed in the steel grey uniform and cap, his trench coat bereft of any sleeves as it remained draped upon him like a mantle. "Begin operation." "Firrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeee!!" Once themand was given, all the howitzers and MLRS were fired from the artillery area, and the 120mm mortars were fired from the armoured infantries.. The tremendous recoil caused a sandstorm. The rockets whizzed past,unching into the skies. The barrage covered the entirety of the Eastern skies like a wall of metal, blotting out the remaining lights of the stars. Upon reaching the apex of the parab, they stabbed into the "Legion" controlled areas with deafening sts and shockwaves. "©¤©¤Orders to advance! Alright, let''s do this, you bastards!!!" "Don''t lose out to those assaulting idiots! Make sure you kick their asses if possible!" The artillery forces at the back didn''t appear to be ceasing their assault. They just kept firing, not caring that the barrels were overheated, and found moving bases to be a waste of them. Every minute, every second, therge caliber howitzers continued to bombard them, and amidst the noise, "Vanargands" began their march in wedge formations. In an instant, they advanced with maximum velocity , and the infantry pursued them like shadows. The power packs and the engines let out ferocious roars, and the murky stream of steel raced across the battlefield at the break of dawn. ? The gap between the "Legion" controlled area and the humans was called the Contested Area. The drones remained on standby, their silhouettes appearing under the darkness of the dawn. One Ameise unit looked up to the Eastern skies. The potentplex sensors it had detected a sh in the distant sky to where it was looking. Following that, there was a tremendous st. Scattered in the skies above the hunting mobile weapons was a cluster of self-forging fragments, deploying their individual radars, swooping the hammer down on the "Legion" units with a velocity of 3000 meters per second.. The sts powerful enough to st through the "Dinosauria" kept exploding. The Earth itself was shaken. The brown-grey sediments were lifted sky high as they formed a veil. Something was breaking through that veil. The drones that barely managed to survive were being ughtered by a bunch of "Vanargands" hurling towards them like ravaging wolves. ? The main screen of themand post at the Joint Headquarters showed the forces fighting valiantly, along with the icons of the squads moving along and shing with the enemies. The "Legion" fighting back outnumbered the three countries armiesbined. The drones were numerically superior, but the friendlies had lured the enemy out to crush them, and continued to advance, as indicated by their blue icons. "!!, they''re moving¡­they''re baited¡­!" The "Legion" units waiting in the controlled area were swarming in waves, probably to intercept. The Controller turned around, saw a nod from the Chief of Staff, and spoke into the inte with a sharp tone. ""Legion" frontline units have been sessfully lured in. Begin second phase.©¤©¤Division Headquarters to 1028th Control Room, (L?raer)."Nachzehrer", pleaseunch!" "©¤©¤Alright, let''s go!" The four engines on the two wings of the "Nachzehrer" let out supersonic roars of a jet engine, ring away, and the tremendous power of the electromaic catapult thrusted the 600 ton unit forward. "¡­!" For the Eighty-Sixers, who were used to taking offnd in transport carriers or the high mobility of their machines, it was still a tremendous level of eleration to them. The electromaic waves clustered the main screen with noise, and the next moment, the light blue sky of dawn appeared before their eyes. The "Nachzehrer" glided past the runway at high speed, reaching the apex in an instant, and glided through the skies along with the wind. The atmosphere was dyed a dark blue, and the grasnds remained in slumber amidst the cold dawn of autumn as they appeared on screen, but in an instant, they were left far behind. It was that fast. And they knew that they were flying at an extremely low altitude. "This¡­this is scarier than I thought¡­!" "Who''s the one who suggested taking this to begin with!? That weirdo''s wrong in the head man!!" Grethe, seated on the pilot seat, was cackling away. She, being unlike her usual self, wasughing shrilly. She might be having excessive adrenaline pumped into her, for she was being high. She was unable to suppress her emotions, it was as though she was back at the casinos after a long time. "What an honor is it to to have you fearless fools say this! Just to note, this baby can fly 800km an hour. There''s another 100 click to go to the target¡­enjoy the nine minute ride while you can!" ? 20,000 meters in the air above "Legion" controlled territory. All the frontlines adjacent to the three countries were sending report of enemy engagements, and that "Legion" unit was gathering it greedily. It was a sister unit of the Einstagfliege, the EWAC type unit (Rabe). The Stachelschwein and Einstagfliege secured absolute aerial supremacy for the "Legion", and the EWAC unit could detect the various movements of all human forces in the far distance. The 122m full wingspan was cluttered with sr panels, and this silver crow would continue to fly until it got hit, or came to the end of its lifespan as a drone. It also possessedmanding and analytical abilities through the intel transmitted by the Einstagfliege, and give appropriatemands to the "Legion" unit under its charge. Through the hivemind, it analysed the situation, and immediately made decisions. The fighting strength under itsmand was limited, and there was a need to request the vastwork for response. The Rabe submitted this report to the deepest part of the Legion controlled area, to the vastwork of the mainmanding unit, pursuing the attacking enemy as it slowly tilted its wings in the high skies, turning away. "Understood.©¤©¤No Face to all units in Big Network no. 1. We have confirmed the invasion from the Federation, United Kingdom, and Alliance." This notification came from themander unit of Big Network no. 1, overseeing the "Legion" army dividing the Federation, Republic, United Kingdom and Alliance. The electronic voice was transmitted through the air. It was chatter between the machines, neither of human voices, nor of human words. It was the shepherd with the callsign "No Face". The face its wife and daughter could have recognized was gone, but the human faith it had still lingered. The upbringing this ghost had when it was alive that derived joy in such mockery and sarcasm. Themander unit had determined that this was an expected oue. The enemy''s aerial and guided weapons were sealed off, and did not possess a long ranged cannon of simr power. The enemy had no choice but to send the entire army forth to fight. It appeared that the armies of the three countries were not aiming to reduce their casualty count, waiting to be burned down by the railgun. Unlike its own country, which chose to hide within its walls, have a sweet dream, and be destroyed when the walls werepletely obliterated. But even so, the fight against the Republic was proceeding smoothly. Two months ago, there was a setback during the first move when it began its extermination ns against all four armies. For the Federation army appeared to have predicted when the attack would begin. Preparations were hastily made, but they managed to muster sufficient resistance. No Face knew. It had received a report from its old country, the frontlines against the Republic of San Magnolia.. There was a special battle area, where every attack and ambush was perfectly anticipated. And the Railgun, with the electromaic interference of the Einstagfliege, was deployed at the frontline against the Federation, and it started its assault from more than a hundred kilometers away However, it got counterattacked, its position was clearly locked upon. Perhaps, The dy of the n had to be rectified on this day. The enemies had to be exterminated. "All units, release standby phase. Tactical algorithm shifted to extermination battle mode." The killer instincts designed by the program had ordered them to fight when there was no reason to. It was a rule of engagement that the exterminated Empire had installed in the drones, an instinct to keep massacring anything not listed as an ally, and to simply continue battling if there was no onemanding it to stop. . Themander unit had ceased to consider this obsolete matter. The humannguage was long gone when it had died many years ago, on the battlefield of the Eighty-Sixth area. "Begin extermination." ? "Frontline forces have begun their advance. This ismand car to all vehicles! We''re moving forward too! Get ready to move out!" The mobile forces on the frontlines were shing with the enemies, and the artillery forces were not to attack thebatants, but the reinforcements that were being sent in from behind. Of course, if the mobile forces continued to advance, the rearguard would have to drag the heavy cannons down the burning battlefield as well. "Move artillery area to the front! Time to blow up that bunch of scrap metal right there©¤!" The squadmander girl had taken themander car to the frontlines, and took arger, spacious car with her squadmates, rousing on everyone as she held the car''s wireless microphone. However, she had an ominous feeling, and looked up. At that moment, the thick ck howitzers and rocket missiles ripped through the the blue sky, silently as it covered the Western sky. Those were the Scorpions'' anti-air sts . The Ameise possessed highly potent anti-cannon radars, and pinpointed theunch direction within 2 minutes, allowing for the Scorpions, connected through data link, to shoot them down with precision. "! Evade©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!" As she had yelled, she was slowed down. Everything seemed to be dragged out, and at thest moment, the artillerymander stared nkly at the 155mm shell falling right onto her head. "Captain!" The driver of themander''s car leapt over, and she was knocked off the car by the massive body, falling onto the ground. The munitionnded. The anti-tank, anti-personnel howitzers fired in unique, and the impact st of 8000 meters per second was spreading shrapnel and mes at high speeds, devastating the entire artillery area. Even a "Vanargand" would be pulverised by a direct hit from the 155mm munition, and themand car was shattered.. The ck framed sses had fallen off due to the shockwave, distorted as it flew in the sky. The artillerymander looked on nkly as the driver remained upon her. When the explosives blew up on the ground, lying down with feet facing the st could minimize the damage. The density of the human body is a lot more than the air, and can act as a shield against the sharpnel. Themander was prone on the ground, and was not fatally injured due to the driver''s body protecting her.. But the driver shielding her was, The pilot covering her suddenly felt heavy. Themander was nearly crushed by the weight of the body, finally climbing out, she gasped. "©¤©¤Corporal." Most likely, What was before her was the driver. She was momentarily dazed, and then immediately picked up the sses with the shattered lens by her side. The array of artillery forces no longer existed, and the forces under her charge became a hell of metal scraps and charred flesh. She looked around, and as she did not have her microphone, she yelled with all her might. She inhaled the stench of flesh and blood, unfazed by it, her eyes looking intimidating. "©¤©¤Damage report! The battle''s not over yet!!" Covering the dawn was a thin veil of darkness, and the waves of grass was like a sea amidst a storm. The evening dew and the sparks flew about, turbulent colours of steel and rust ripping through the night air. Comprising one side were the "Vanargands" armoured infantry, and infantry tanks, while the other sideprised of "Legion" units, L?wes, Grauwolves and Ameises. It was chaos, a vortex of shes. The grasnds had no obstacles present, and it meant that the L?wes and Dinosaurias, possessing superior firepower and mobility, werepletely advantaged. The armoured infantry knew that they werepletely disadvantaged, yet the Federation units had to enter this battlefield, and overwhelm the enemy through numbers, using an ally as a decoy to get behind, and wear down the enemy''s advantage. One side kept trying to get behind, while the other was not going to let that happen. It was no wonder that there was chaos when such mobility was taking ce. And amidst the countless blind spots formed, those things was hidden there. The squadmander was at the back seat of the "Vanargand", and spotted that in the narrow vision of the optical sensor. A miniature human silhouette was crawling up the edge of the armour,by the side of the turret of the multi-legged field dress. It was something that should not be present on a battlefield, the silhouette of a three year old toddler. For a moment, themander did not realize what was going on as it stared at the thing dragging itself up. Everything beneath the waist was blown away. There was no way a human could move in that situation. It was clearly a fatal blow. In other words, it was not human. It was a drone mine. The unexpected child-like appearance was the initial model that was used when there were some citizens on the frontlines ten years ago.. It was behind the turret, beneath the barrel of the heavy machine gun. Once it got there, it was over. The killing machine with the size and silhouette of a toddler was crawling up the cannon. The faceless head was peering into the optical sensor. The synthesized childish voice had sounded strangely clear and distinguishable, despite there not being any mouth on it to begin with.. ©¤©¤Ma, ma. "¡­Shit," "No no no, this won''t do.." Following that, a jolt of lightning urred. The armoured exoskeleton was way too lightpared to the "Vanargands" weighing over 50 tonnes, and was at most 100kg. This exoskeleton hopped onto the turret. The contactmunication circuit was activated, followed by an obfuscating dumb voice, "Can''t let the youngins die first. Those parents will cry." There was no time to raise the 12.7mm heavy machine gun to shoot it down, and there was no time to kick that thing off. The armoured infantry hopped onto the field dress, and leapt onto the anti-tank drone mine. The weight was far lighter than the "Vanargand", but the immature drone mine could not withstand the weight. The hands grabbing onto the armour let go of it immediately, tumbling to the ground along with the armoured infantry. Following that was a sh. "Captain¡­!?" The explosives could rip through the thick armor of the "Vanargand". Nothing would have remained of a fragile human body coupled with the thin armour. A small object fluttered past the optical sensors. Its edges were on fire. It was a family photo of two parents and their children. Damn it¡­! There was no time to bite their lips or hit the inside of the cockpit agitatedly. The battle was still going on.. In any case, he had to rally the armoured infantry that had lost theirmander¡­or at the very least, get the rest of them to survive.. "Unit 02 and 03, follow me! Armoured infantry, follow us! ¡­Shit!" Themander shut off the microphone, spitting out those words. He red at the dark skies beyond the "Dinosaurias" before him. You Eighty-Sixer brats aren''t there yet¡­!? ? News of the Federation army''s assault had reached the "Nachzehrer" through the unlocked wirelessmunicator.. The RAID device was still within experimental phase, and was not prepared for mass production. Thus, Nordlicht Squadron remained the only force equipped with them. Shinn was on standby within the "Juggernaut", listening intently, hearing the messages and noise caused by the Einstagfliege deployed all over the battlefield. 225th Armoured Battalion has arrived at the phase line Zink, and will hold its position until friendlies arrive. 417th Infantry Company here, 139th medic toon will be heading over. Please send the wounded to the back. This is 32nd Armoured Battalion,mander is KIA. Deputy will take over. 775th Infantry Company calling 828th Artillery Base. Please proceed with fire support. Yeah, that doesn''t matter. Fire it all over us. The messages exchanged amidst the roars and madness of the battlefield were all in the form of growls. Screams, hollers, shrieks came from the other end, and the yells that echoed overwhelming these noises. It had ferocity just a hair''s breadth away from madness; it was valiant determination. Raiden then muttered, "©¤©¤The Federation ain''t backing down here.." The Federation continued to be worn down over and over again by the waves of "Legion" units, but even so, the Federation army would not budge an inch. In fact, they had their field dresses flow into the waves of the enemy like wedges, and the rearguard kept pushing forth, ignoring the vanguard that was being torn apart, advancing forward to open the back. They did not back down. It appeared that they would lose something if they took a step back, and would not back down no matter how far they were pinned down. In fact, if they did retreat, they would lose things. If they lost the current frontline and allowed the "Morpho" to enter that space, the thing they have to protect, which was behind them, would be within range of the Railgun. Thus, they would not back down, not even an inch, even if their bodies were to be blown up by the cannons. It was a battle none of the Eighty-Sixers had seen, not even Shinn. There was no such battle at the Eighty-Sixth area of the Republic. For the Eighty-Sixers, the Republic was not their homnd, and the Albas who were supposed to serve their country never stepped onto the battlefield. "Protect¡­huh?" Families. Hometown. Compatriots. Ideals of the country. The ce of sce that they should be residing at, where these factors originated. He could hear the voice of the Selena boy who no longer lived. ©¤©¤I want to bring my little sister to the sea. He fought on, harbouring such hopes¡­and even with them, he died. ©¤©¤In that case, why did you? Shinn could not ask, He had no reason to fight, nothing to protect, and that meant, The messages kept flying. A certain squad was isted in a certain area, surrounded by attacks, and voices echoed through the wirelessmunicator. Hang on. Hang on. Just a little bit longer, until, Until the shitty Eighty-Sixers destroy the "Legion" ultimate weapon. That happens, and we win. Someone let out an agitatedugh that ended up being detected by the Para-RAID. "Those guys are waiting for us to destroy the "Morpho", huh? In that case," "I suppose we have to respond to everyone''s wishes then¡­maybe? Well, since they are working hard, we should give our utmost too." Hearing the delighted chatter from hisrades, Shinn did not respond. For he sensed new movements from the "Legion" forces they were headed towards. "©¤©¤Colonel," "Yeah, I see it¡­it''s going to block our way." "Any chances of evading?" "Going to be hard. This baby is bad at turning around." Thendcraft had a unique characteristic of flying close to the ground, and could not tilt about. While it was possible to steer its rudder, it would take too much time. Saying that, Grethe pulled the control stick up. The elevator moved, and the "Nachzehrer" lifted its head. While thendcraft continued to fly near the ground in the most suitable manner, it was unable to lift its altitude. The craft had sacrificed its speed for height, and in an instant, reached a height high enough to be considered airborne. It flew into the air stolen from human hands by the Stachelschwein and Einstagfliege, into the dangerous air that could be captured by radar and anti-air fire. "What¡­" "Even if I drop you all here, you''ll have to fight off those thingsing to block you. There''s no point in bringing out this baby then." The rm rang on the other end of the RAID device, clearly indicating that they had been targeted. The rm was due to the detection by the radar before the Stachelschwein fired at it.. At the same time, deep rumbling sounds came from the back cargo hatch as it opened. "I had the research branch prepare this just in case. Looks like it''s the right choice. Sorry, it''s just something made hastily, but we should be able to deploy it." The Processors suddenly realized that their "Reginleifs" were not fastened to the cargo space, but on sturdy pallets. Also, they found sturdy metal guide rails leading to the cargo hatch. "Ahh, don''t worry about me. I''m not going to crashnd, and I brought a spare machine here¡­didn''t I say that I used to be a pilot too? You Eighty-Sixers aren''t the only ones unhappy about how slow the "Vanargand" is." There were 15 Processors, and 16 "Reginleif" units. There was one unit in the deepest part of the cargo space, with no pilot. "¡­Colonel, there are twopanies of enemies on our paths, most likely made up of L?wes as the main units. There''s no need to engage if we''re going with a diversion, but do hide in the forests upon contact with the enemy." "Why thank you. But¡­don''t underestimate me, brat." Shinn was left bbergasted, and was shut down. Grethe chortled. For some reason, there was some nostalgia. "Well then, see you next time©¤©¤godspeed!" Grethe ended off with an old fashioned line of wishing people good luck on their journeys, and the Para-RAID was disconnected. At the same time, the locks of the guard rails were removed. Sparks and shrieks flew when the metal rubbed upon each other. The 15 "Reginleifs" units and Fido fell from the rails, tossed into the dawning skies immediately. Thend weapons "Reginleif" certainly didn''t have any functions to break free from gravity. They looked up to the sky as they fell, and could see the ck silhouette of the "Nachzehrer" turning away with the golden sky as the backdrop. The anti-air cannon fire blew by in the sky grazing it, and the silver glittering cities could be seen further ahead. The cluster of buildings got taller as they approached the city center, and the overhead bridges were abundant between them. Further beyond were echoing grudges that caught Shinn''s attention. ©¤©¤Is that it? After that, the parachutes installed on the pallets were opened, and the units slowed down tremendously. The unit felt the jolt caused by the eleration in the back, and the four point seat belt pulled Shinn back. He lifted his head, and at that moment, the palletnded on the ground. The "Nachzehrer" was slowing down as it raised its altitude, and the parachute had slowed down the unit''s decent greatly, but falling at this speed was still rtively unsafe even for hardnding. There were shock absorbers inside the pallets, yet the tremendous jolt shook the unit, and even the Processors, ustomed to the high mobility of the "Reginleif", could only endure the shock and avoid biting their tongues. The pallet left a few ck scorch marks on the green grasnds, and came to a halt. The automatic locks were removed, and the 15 "Reginleif" units stumbled into the "Legion" controlled area. It seemed that even the AI was dazed, as Fido''s optical sensor was facing a little bit to the back before it hopped off. Shinn shook his dazed head, and looked up. The barren ins were distorted by the middling forest, where a trail of ck smoke rose due to the burning jet fuel. A tad bitter, a tremendous barrage of fire was pelted upon them.. ? "! We lost contact with the "Nachzehrer"! "Nachzehrer" signal lost!" The controller for the 1028th Experimental Squad reported with a scream of agony, and the Division Headquarters immediately demanded for confirmation.The Western Army Chief of Staff was personally affirming it. "What''s the situation with Nordlicht Squadron?" "They were airborne before the signal was lost. All units are safe, 5kms within target¡­but," The controller reported as he bit his lips. The "Reginleif" had tremendous footspeed, and entered the outskirts of Kreuzberk while the "Nachzehrer" attracted the attention of the "Legion". However¡­ "Lieutenant Nouzen has just reported engagement¡ªthe squad is currently fighting "Legion" forces guarding the "Morpho"!" ? Firing upon the streets in a thick cluster were four sets of 155mm tank cannons and 76mm coaxial sub-cannons, coupled with eight 14mm rotating guns. There was a toon of "Dinosaurias" awaiting them as they entered the city, and Shinn narrowed his eyes. The "Legion" were definitely going to protect their tactical weapon, but it was truly difficult to deal with. The "Reginleifs" were a lot better than the aluminium coffins of the Republic, but the armour could not withstand the illogical destructiveness of the 155mm weapons. The cannons of the "Dinosaurias" spun everywhere, shooting aside the evading silver machines. Backed by the highly potent automated reloading system, the "Dinosaurias" continued to fire its missiles quickly in pursuit of the "Juggernauts". The walls were shot through, beams were torn apart, and buildings copsed, torn apart by the straight lines of bullets. Amidst the rubble, the squad led by Bernault tried to detour and get close, but 8 cannons were aimed towards them. The "Undertaker"nded right behind them. The high frequency de swung down from high and fast into the back armour of the "Dinosauria", and then he followed it up by cutting into a second unit next to it, before firing a cannon towards it. A tad bitter, "Laughing Fox" hopped out of a copsing building, did a somersault, and fired two more shots, destroying the remaining two "Dinosaurias". "©¤©¤Shinn! The next wave ising!" Shinn knew it without needing to be told. The "Undertaker" and "Laughing Fox" jumped left and right respectively, and two machine guns were fired upon where they were. The Federation provides armour even for its infantries, and mere 7.62mmmon bullets were ineffective. The Ameise abandoned the lowmon guns, and switched to the 14mm anti-light armour guns instead. The next moment, reinforcement "Juggernauts" hopped in to where the first two had vacated, firing all their guns at the enemies. The "Werewolf" emerged from between the gap of the fallen "Dinosaurias", while the "Snow Witch" appeared from the cover of the rubble, and the "Gunslinger" fired a wire at a wall, scaling it. All three fired the heavy machine guns on their arms. The Ameise, boasting thin armour to begin with, were immediately torn apart, and Nordlicht Squadron again advanced past them with the "Undertaker" leading the charge. Fido, which had been on standby at the back, regrouped with everyone. Soon after, Bernault and his squad returned. "You guys all right, Sergeant?" "That''s our line here. What''s with your crazy mobility there¡­yeah, we have no damage on our side, Lieutenant. Seeing how the enemy defense line is sopact, it looks like we have no choice but to fight our way through even with your hellish ears." Despite Shinn managing to pinpoint the locations and movements of the "Legion", battle remained inevitable as they were supposed to invade heavily fortified areas. The old Kreuzberk city, like the gateway cities of the other countries, was the ce where the railways of the neighbouring countries were gathered, along with the railwaywork, the city design had a rare emphasis. Skyscrapers of ss and metal stood everywhere, with numerous overhead bridges crossing about like a mechanized city, creating a futuristic vibe. Every single position there was filled with hidden "Legion" units. Grauwolves trampled upon the ss windows of the building, racing down in waves like an avnche. The L?wes raced upon the overhead bridges of the highways. The potent sensors of the Ameise gave off dark glints, as they crawled out of the gaps between the building. The Scorpions'' anti-armour missiles came flying at them over the buildings. The 15 "Juggernauts" darted between them, racing through the ruins of the building. Shinn followed thement of Frederica''s knight, darting through the gaps of the "Legion", heading towards the center of the city in the shortest time possible, where the terminal of the old high speed railway was said to be. "©¤©¤I''ll kill you." He was headed to thement of a ghost that he was used to hearing, one filled with emptiness, bare bloodlust. "I''ll kill all of you." Shinn continued to approach it. Thement of the "Morpho" was akin to thunder, or the roar of a tank cannon, its impact strongly reverberating through his body. The intimidating roar rattled his organs, and Shinn gritted his teeth. Perhaps, It felt relieved just by exuding its tremendous bloodlust . It was just being corrupted into a fighting machine, and letting the frenzy of war and cold blood devour itself, so that it would not need to think. It did not need to be concerned with anything that could help regain its self. Perhaps his brother back then was the same. And so , a doubt bounced about in his chest like a sturdy rock. What if he died before he could reach his brother? What if he died alone on that Eighty-Sixth area without managing a mutual kill? What if his body was so battered that his head could not be taken? Would his brother, having lost its objective, end up as a monster full of spite and malice against the entire world like this soul? If he had lost his brother before he could y his soul, and lost the objective that was his brother, would he have ended up like this too? "I''ll murder everything and anything¡­!" The ridge lines of the building snapped. Everyone came to an open ce with the sky wide open above. At that moment, the Eighty-Sixers and the Wargus, who had already seen everything in battle, were left dumbfounded. "¡­Uwah." "That¡­big¡­?" They were at a traffic circle, the concrete floor and the metal streetmps aligned evenly before them. Though it was morning, the skies beneath the Einstagfliege remained dark, dyed in a faded silver. Beneath it, That long and massive thing was just lying there sideways. It was crouched beneath frosted ss, amidst the dome-shaped station akin to a ss cocoon. The main body wasrge enough to devour amon house, and the calibre it bore could stuff an entire person whole. At this point, it was lying horizontally. Clearly it resembled the seven-headed dragon in the Revtions. The scale of that thing would drive anyone crazy. Its presence alone gave the impression that anything would be crushed by it. The childhood memory Shinn once had and forgotten appeared in his mind. He had seen such a depiction at a certain museum, before he was sent to the Concentration Camp. It was the skeletal specimen of a whale, the primitive beast of the sea, appearing beneath the ceiling of the already spacious hall. It was so massive that the young Shinn assumed that those were not the bones of a living creature. He could not imagine such a massive creature swimming. It was so big that it was on apletely different scale, probably dimensions apart. He looked up with bated breath, and felt fear at such an overwhelming presence. He shook off that feeling, and said, "©¤©¤1028th Control Room(L?raer HQ). We''re at the Kreuzberk highway terminal. Target confirmed. Preparing to engage." "L?raer HQ confirmed¡­The United Kingdom''s scout unit has arrived. Looks like it''s a railway gun. That''s really big though¡­!!" "¡­Lieutenant£¡" Bernault''s somewhat anxious voice echoed. Blue coloured ghost lights could be seen on the optical sensors, at the interior of the frosted ss dome, probably on newly installed multi-tracked railways. It caused a rumble that could be heard hundreds of meters away, while the long and massive cannon on its back started to turn. A groan could be heard as it moved within the interior, rumbling through the silver skies. "It''s moving!? Are the repairs done¡­!?" "The "Legion" have always exceeded our expectations, but why is it always this ridiculous¡­£¡" ¡­No. Beneath the trunk of the "Morpho" were multiple appendages resembling legs, that were unable to move. It appeared to have ignored the mobility of the railway gun, and prioritized repairs of its cannon¡­ Shinn felt that something was amiss. ¡­When repairing that thing. Was it possible to discard the legs bearing the weight of the entire body, and rece the cannon that was already heavy? The countlessments of the "Legion" suddenly faded away like the tide. Before Shinn could wonder why, he got the answer. He looked towards the stare facing him, and found the "Morpho" staring down at him. A voice. The voice of the "Legion"mander, the "shepherd" seemed to be right next to Shinn, distinct amongst the other voices. The vengeful screams of the "Morpho" overwhelmed the tempest of "Legion" wails scattered all over the city, It vanished. And at the same time, far away, the same roar happened. It was a roar filled with bloodlust at Humanity, the entire world. It was the bloodthirsty roar of a Knight, one who was blood-rted to Shinn, whose appearance while alive remained unknown. Another person appeared on the Para-RAID. The shrill voice of a girl that should not be on the battlefield entered deep within the synchronized audio. "©¤©¤Back down,Shinei£¡" It was Frederica, who should be back at the base. "The one before you is not Kiri!" The understanding, along with fear, rose up his spine. You''ve been baited. Shinn felt a jolt, and suddenly nced in a different direction. The frozen ck eyes opened, lifted slowly, and red at them. Shinn zoomed in at a corner of the main screen, towards a narrow gap between the buildings. The massive shadow appeared above the massive tower over the horizon, looming over them. The tower was crushed by the massive weight, and atop it, the thing lifted its head like a massive snake from an ancient Eastern legend, the massive cannon on its back aiming towards them. "All hands! Evade now ©¤©¤¡­" They witnessed a muzzle sh, or rather, what appeared to be an electrical discharge in the shape of an arc. The railgun st shot out in a low trajectory, literally blowing up a portion of the entire city. ? "Pale Rider to No Face. Prenned firing schedulepleted." Kiriya, within the new body it was transnted to, reported to themanding unit. "Sessfully lured in unique enemy, callsign "B¨¢leygr". The enemy appears to have been destroyed." They, the "shepherds", had detected a unique individual many years ago, one that could detect all ambushes and advances with astounding precision, and pick up themander unit. That unit had first appeared on the Eastern frontlines of the Republic. Over this year, it crossed through the "Legion" controlled area, to the Western frontlines of the Federation. Multiple units were not detected, so in other words, that was not a skill or knowledge that could be mass produced or passed down. Perhaps it was a gift, an ability unique to that enemy alone. That unit was a tremendous threat, and its elimination was to be prioritized. Luckily, Kiriya had twice detected a unit that should be piloted by that enemy, and fought with it twice. The data was insufficient, but it was worth analyzing. However, that enemy had weaknesses. "Analysis results are correct©¤©¤the B¨¢leygr is unable to detect backup units in stasis." The enemy unit appeared to be obsessed with a certain "Dinosauria" unit. But it did not respond to another machine created by the same corpse, until the machine moved. That unit was the backup "Shepherd" unit in stasis before its brain construct could be transferred from the destroyed "Dinosauria". Themander unit responded with an order. "No Face to Pale Rider. Confirm destruction of B¨¢leygr." Kiriya had a silent urge to snort. Truly, this fellow had been causing a series of problems for them over the past few months. ording to what the corework had determined, the prior mass scale onught would be ending in seven days. Back then, Kiriya had felt that it was just a mockery of the book of Genesis. But such ns were thrown out of the window. The perfectly nned ambush on the Federation''s Western frontlines waspletely seen through, and the armies of the three countries counterattacked. Once the Grand Mur was destroyed, Kiriya was supposed to attack the Republic, but was forced into the anti-Federation front, and was severely damaged by the counterattack of the guided missiles. Kiriya could not transfer its consciousness into the prepared backup unit, for fear that the enemy might detect its location, and ended up waiting for almost a month. All because there was a unique enemy that could detect their movements, fighting on the Federation''s frontlines. "Pale Rider to No Face. It is determined that there is no need for that. B¨¢leygr has been destroyed." "©¤©¤©¤©¤No Face here, roger. Quickly leave from firing position, and return to your area." "Hmph." It looked down at the tower at its feet. Weight exceeding a thousand tonnes caused the sturdy metal tower to crumble at the base, uplifted like a tree in a tornado as it remained exposed on the ground. ©¤©¤Kiri. The voice of its young master, now ever so distant, was reawakened within it. She was the one and only master it had, whose face it could not remember. A few times, she woulde to Kiriya crying, saying that her handkerchief was stuck on a tree in the courtyard, and would beg to see the nest perched atop it. She would climb the tree while the maidservants were not looking, only for the hem of her dress to be caught on the tree, and then she would end up being unable to climb down. Whenever that happened, it was Kiriya who climbed the tree to help her down. It could not do those things anymore. This machine body could not do it. Not in this world without her. Let''s go back. So it thought. It turned its back on its homnd that it had not entered for a long time. Let''s hurry and burn this world down. ? "Ugh©¤©¤!" Everyone was left momentarily speechless. "Bombardment around Kreuzberk terminal confirmed. Likely a "Morpho" attack ©¤©¤" Growls filled themand room. "Impossible!" "Repairs shouldn''t beplete!! How did it fire!?" "¡­No," The Chief of Staff suddenly muttered, and everyone looked at him. He rubbed his chiselled chin, staring at the main screen filled with alert messages, pondering as he said, "It was not repaired, but refitted¡­if the enemy had prepared a spare unit to begin with, it would be easier to transfer the intact core into the spare machine, rather than swap out all the damaged parts." Of course, if they had not considered the enormous costs of building two railguns and two railway guns. However, the "Legion" were not humans, and thus such issues were of no concern when the utmost priority was to defeat the enemy. "That bunch of scrap metal''s ridiculous¡­!" "What about Nordlicht Squadron''s situation?" "Unclear. The United Kingdom scout that had entered seemed to bepletely destroyed by the st.." Signals of the interrupted, noise-filled visuals surrounding the Kreuzberk were gradually vanishing one by one. "Then use the guided missiles©¤©¤" "It''s useless." Ernst tly noted, and everyone looked over. "What do you intend to destroy with the guided missiles? ©¤©¤Where did the "Morpho" fire from?" The generals understood the intent behind those words, and froze in their ces. When the FOBs were attacked, there were anti-fire radars tracking the trajectories of the shots, which allowed for them to deduce where it was first shot from. But this time, they were bombarded within enemy territory. There was no radar there. Even if they wanted to fire, they did not know the enemy''s position. "B-but¡­Your Excellency, we''re dealing with a railway gun! If we destroy the rails, at the very least, we can stop it from moving©¤©¤" "The enemy will still be capable of taking out almost all of the FOBs on the Western front, right? A few tracks can be repaired immediately. That will be a waste of missiles." "But now that Nordlicht Squadron has failed, we have no other strategy left! The Western front ispletely exposed to enemy fire, so if we keep fighting our way through ©¤©¤¡­!" "We may survive this, but we can''t hang on forever. Are you going to send in another squad? We don''t have any way to retreat, you know?" "¡­!" They did order to prepare the rest of their guided missiles. It was their backup n in case the assault failed, and another purpose was that, if the main Federation army did not reach Kreuzberk, they could use this to open a path for those retreating. Even if the main forces could not regroup with them, they could minimize the number of "Legion" units retreating. There was no need to tell the young soldiers whom they had sent to their deaths not toe back. Ernst scanned themand room, sneering, "So, you sent your subordinates to their deaths just to save your hides, and your backup ns have failed. As a human, this is truly an abomination of an act. Do you think I, the temporary President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federation army will allow that? Those are not the ideals the Federations should have. If we cannot abide by such ideals, we might as well be destroyed." Themand room immediately went quiet. What the President said was true, and it was a rational logic that humans should abide to, the justice they should have. But to fulfil these ideals, The ones capable of fulfilling them, The fire dragon sat on themander seat, sneering, The ideals, the justice was no more than pretty things said to please the crowd, yet this monster had exalted them to the point of trampling over the lives of others in a hypocritical manner, leering away with the madness in his heart revealed. "For many years, you have chosen someone like me as the President, and that responsibility falls on you. If you are unable to settle this without resorting to inhumane methods¡­sacrifice your lives for my ideals then." Suddenly, the Inte rang. Themunicator, who had been frozen still the entire time, was unable to respond. Instead, the Chief of Staff picked up the line. "¡­Looks like there''s no need for that.©¤©¤1028th control room, L?raer HQ has reported that all units of Nordlicht Squadron are safe. They will continue their mission to eliminate the "Morpho"." ? The warning reached the others in time. Luckily for them, the "Juggernauts" were located in the city center, shielded by the sturdier buildings. But even so, the shockwaves sent the "Undertaker" flying, and as Shinn shook off his dizziness inside the cockpit, he got his unit to stand. The buildings had copsed, the pavements were uplifted, and the ruins of the city was reduced to a rubble as he looked through the white concrete dust blinding his eyes. The old high speed railway terminal was pelted by the cannon''s concentrated fire, and it vanished without a trace. There was a massive crater etched till deep beneath, the steel coloured waste was torn and twistedpletely, and the nanomachines silver blood dripped upon the ground. A bait¡­Huh? The "Legion" was not a wooden dummy. It possessed amazing self-learning abilities, and would improve itself repeatedly to match up against human tactics and weapons. And the "shepherds" too had managed to absorb the undegraded neural constructs of the dead, possessing intellect and living knowledge equal to that of the human. But even so, it was the first time Shinn had his ghost hearing abilities used against him. He looked towards the tower in the distance, the massive shadow that red upon him after firing its cannon, and narrowed his eyes. "What the hell was that centipede bastard¡­!?" "More like a hundred legs. Its legs are so big, and it''s just moving them so quickly." "Doesn''t matter what it looks like¡­it''s disgusting." Clearly, it was a multi-legged carnivorous looking animal. It had a massive body, with the color of darkness upon it. The countless arthropod legs were folded at this point. The 800mm calibre gun had a long barrel that could initiate an 8000 meters per second initial velocity. This terrifyingly cold feeling was simr to an insect instinctively killing its prey despite being devoid of any intelligence and will. The cruelty of this heavy cannon witnessed no deaths, yet it caused the most deaths of them all. However, the dark silhouette stood tall beneath the dull morning sun and the skies encased in silver. The blue eye glittered, giving it a surreal majesty, like the evil Dragon challenging God itself in the myths. The blue optical sensor slowly scanned the rubble, probably yet to detect that they were hidden beneath the cover of the rubble and the buildings. It had no doubts that it destroyed its enemies, and was merely checking the destruction it caused. It was clearly acting haughty. "©¤©¤Everyone." All 15 members were connected through the Para-RAID, and while some units were damaged by the flying rubble and shockwaves, none of them died. None of them were unable to continue fighting. "Change target. Position 280, distance 5000. Switch to HEAT (High-explosive anti-tank) ©¤©¤fire away." Simultaneously, shots were fired from the sides of the ruined city''s craters and the gaps of the rockbed-like building rubble, concentrated upon the "Morpho". As it did not expect a counterattack, the huge Dragon did not follow the usual theory of fire movement, and instead remained still upon the tower, bombarded by the 88mm missiles. While the missile was slower than an APFSDS(Armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot), the HEAT warhead was still moving at a speed of several mach. It would take several seconds to see it hit from 5km away. Something shone on the back of the "Morpho". The CIWS (Close-in weapons system) roared, shooting down the 88mm HEAT warhead. The missile cluster Ange fired a momentter rained upon the enemy, but the "Morpho" nonchntly used the HEAT explosions to parry them aside. None of the shots appeared to have prated the armor¡­it was harder than expected. Shinn coolly watched on, and squeezed the trigger. He had used the cannons of every single ally as a decoy as he approached the outskirts of the ruined city. The HEAT and anti-armor warheads formed a smokescreen, while the APFSDS ripped through the air,nding near the turret of the "Morpho". The mes of the explosions must have dulled the sensors for a moment, for the huge Dragon looked a little intimidated. "¡­Shallow." But even so, Shinn could not prate it¡¯s armour. Most of the APFSDS destructiveness was due to its speed, and the closer the target, the more powerful the shot would be. Shinn approached the enemy, having anticipated this, but it appeared that it was still not close enough. There was nothing to provide cover from enemy fire. Shinn pondered on how to close in as his bloody eyes turned sharper. ? ¡­!? Kiriya took the pellets from the remaining small fries, and was taken aback by the sudden jolt. Turning around, it spotted the white machine on the optical sensor, unexpectedly closing in. The four legged machine appeared to be looking for its missing head. The 88mm cannon was on its back, and a pair of high frequency des were mounted on itsbat arms. Kiriya recognized that closebat white field dress that was out of ce in this firepower-focused era of modernbat. Callsign "B¨¢leygr"©¤©¤the unique enemy that could detect all "Legion" movements. Once it spotted the personal mark, it gasped. The headless skeleton with the raised shovel. The Headless Skeleton Knight was the ancestral crest of the Nouzens. The illustration book based on that legend¡­which the old master had sent to his grandchildren living in the Republic. No way. That, Suddenly, A heinous delight rose up within Kiriya, one it never felt before. You''re still alive©¤©¤no. You ended up like this, still living until now? The mainmander called in. "No Face to Pale Rider. Enemy forces are to be dealt by the escort squad. Retreat immediately." Kiriya''s mood was immediately dampened. What? "Pale Rider to No Face. This order can''t be epted. Unit will destroy the enemy now." "No Face to Pale Rider. Repeating this. Escort team will deal with the enemy. Retreat from current battle area right now. Further engagement within the current area is forbidden." Argh¡­! Despite the frustrations Kiriya felt, the protocol breach warning was flowing into its nanoachine head. The program entered in its brain had forbidden it from continuing to refute. Though it was a "Shepherd" with the personality and will of a KIA, it could not defy orders from its higher ups. "The current distance is advantageous to the tank cannons of the enemy field dresses. Given your equipment, there is a high possibility of you being killed by the B¨¢leygr, Pale Rider. Due to the aforementioned reasons, Pale Rider, you are not allowed to remain in your current battle area." "©¤©¤" ¡°Retreat to the area you are in charge of. Clean up your area." "©¤©¤.©¤©¤.©¤©¤.Copy that" Its instincts as a "Legion" unit would not allow it to do otherwise. However¡­this might be perfect as a sideshow in its aim to burn the world down. From the gap¡¯s in the rubble, it peered at the unit of its peer, which it had never seen. The unsightliness of the one who lost his homnd, his family robbed by his country, and yet he who continued to live on. We''re the same. You''re the same as me, with no ce to live other than the battlefield. And I''ll make sure you know this. Kiriya twisted its body, and hopped off the tower. The rails screeched as its massive weightnded upon it. It nced aside at the kindred soul whose name and face it did not know of. Come after me. I''m going to burn everything before your very eyes. Whether it''s yourrades, your ce of return, or the things keeping your humanity. I''ll make you lonelier than ever. ? The enemy nced at him. Shinn''s consciousness was sharpened by his fighting spirit, and he sensed the leer. ©¤©¤Come get me. He averted his eyes, and found the numerous legs of the "Morpho" rising like the waves, rumbling in a terrifying manner. It moved quietly, its massive weight racing forth, in a manner unbefitting of its massive body and the eleration of a typical "Legion". A strange noise was heard as the metallic legstched upon the eight rails, like rain that was bing distant as it went away. In an instant, it elerated as fast as a falcon aiming for its prey. Its ominous silhouette moved at a speed that neither the L?wes nor the Dinosaurias could match up to, and dashed off like the trains on the old high speed railway, and slipped out of the city. ©¤©¤Don''t you dare run away. Shinn narrowed his eyes, and was about to push the throttle. "©¤©¤Shinn£¡" Raiden''s voice echoed, and Shinn recovered. The voices that had vanished returned. Thements of the "Legion", the howls of the power packs and actuators of the "Juggernauts", the voices of thebatants over the Para-RAID, and the usual noise of the battlefield. The "Legion" units had retreated when the "Morpho" fired its cannon, and at this moment, they had returned. He could hear the "Legion" nearby beginning to approach them. At this moment, Shinn realized that they were about to be surrounded. "Now what? Are we giving chase?" The objective given to the Nordlicht Squadron was to destroy the "Morpho" stationed at Kreuzberk. Neither the squad nor the Western army had anticipated nor prepared for a further advance, but, "¡­Yeah, we''re giving chase." !"You serious!?" Raiden noted in silence, and the one responding instead was Bernault, the most senior sergeant of the toon who was assigned to assist the officer. Shinn nodded tly. "Our objective is to destroy the "Morpho", not to suppress this city." There was instant silence. And through the Para-RAID, Shinn could hear Bernault mming the console. "Ahh shit! If everyone stays behind, we could hang on until the main forces arrive! It''s not your hometown you''re fighting for, so why are you Eighty-Sixers fighting so hard!?" Not at all. They were neither fighting for this country, nor for that army. They were simply fighting¡­for themselves. "Seriously, I guess it''s dumb luck for me to be assigned to your squad! ©¤©¤hey you bastards, turn around!" On Bernault''smand, the ten units of the Wargus braked and turned around. They would be heading towards the looming voices of the ghosts. "Rejoice, this is the Hell you guys love!" Even the Eighty-Sixers, for whom the battlefield was their homnds, were unable toprehend this choice of words. Perhaps the Wargus had given up, for they yelled as they gradually vanished behind the skyscrapers. Bernault''s machine remained behind, his optical sensor turning towards them. "We''ll hold the line here. Go on ahead! It''s frustrating, but we aren''t as fast as you Eighty-Sixers." Like the Eighty-Sixers, they be professional soldiers in theirte teens, and had at least ten years of thebat experience the Eighty-Sixers had. However, for a long time, they had piloted the heavy "Vanargand". The Eighty-Sixers were used to the lighter field dress forbat, pushing beyond the limits, and clearly the Wargus''s instincts and experience could not match up to them. "We''re not going to hold you brats back¡ªgood luck." Chapter Volume 3 8 "©¤©¤First off, I''ll exin the current situation." 7 hourster, the voice of an unacquainted young man was connected on the Para-RAID. "The allied army of the three countries have basically seized the corridor for the time being. It will take some time untilplete suppression. The United Kingdom has been progressing a little slower, but this is still within eptable." Shinn listened nonchntly as he remained seated in the cockpit of the "Undertaker", evading the seeking Ameise, and did not answer. There were no patrols within range, and the noises within the cockpit should not be picked up. However, the enemy was not too far away for them to let their guard down. The officer calling himself the Western Army Chief of Staff did not reprimand the junior officer''s rudeness, perhaps understanding the situation, and continued, "The second objective of this operation can be said to be achieved, but unfortunately, the first objective to destroy the "Morpho" is yet to beplete. Yeah, it is the fault of Command HQ here for not anticipating a second unit, not the lot of you there. Do not mind." The others did not join in the conversation, as they immediately looked unconcerned. Needless to say, they did not mind at all. "This operation is pointless if we don''t eliminate the threat of the "Morpho". Thus, all forces will continue to advance, but we''ll zone in on the old high speed railways, pursuing the "Morpho" while limiting its possible range of motion." Shinn opened the old high speed railway on the old data map, affirming the predicted advance path the Chief of Staff had said. They would be headed 150km south of the old Empire''s border, beforeing making a turn there and heading West. "Right now, your current position is 70km west of the Western Army main forces. As your squad is much smaller, your progress will be much different, and the distance will be bigger. There will be no aerial, artillery support or reinforcements. With these, I want to ask again. Are you going to continue your pursuit?" "¡­Well, there''s no support and relief from the main forces for this mission. Don''t think anything changed at all." "The difference here is that it will take a longer time to regroup. To be honest, I cannot assure that the main forces can reach your point of advance, or that you can remain alive until then." Shinn let out a little sigh. What is he saying? At this point, he was repeating himself. "It''s not like we got any other choice here. The Chief of Staff appeared to be giving a bitter grin. "Your honest assessment left me with nothing to fall back on¡­someone has to do this mission, but it does feel unfair to have assigned you lot, and keeping to the original n despite the changes in circumstances. What I mean is that if you have a change of heart, you can swap out with others." "Enough with the jokes. It''ll take time to change over, and the "Morpho" will end up further into the controlled area. It''ll make it more difficult to destroy it." It appeared the grin got wider. "¡­Once you are swapped out to the backlines, the difficulty of the mission will have nothing to do with you, you know?" "We''ll die either way if the "Morpho" isn''t eliminated. It''s pointless to run for the day and die the next day." "I see?¡­Well, that''s all I have to say. Any questions?" "No." ? By suppressing the ground, the humans could freely scorch the Einstagfliege using anti-aircraft guns, and fly aircrafts to the frontlines. "Seriously, the lot of them is really unadorable. Pitiful they may be, they are going to die in battle one day." The Chief of Staff removed the RAID device, handed it to the aide by his side, and snorted. He hade to the frontlines to gather urate information instead of rumors, and all forces had been busy realigning before they could advance. Somehow or another, they had arrived on a hill overseeing the old city of Kreuzberk. The survivors on the frontlines to be grouped with reinforcements from the back, while the wounded and KIA were to be sent to the backlines. At this point, they were all jumbled up everywhere. Echoed everywhere were instructions for resupplies and realignment, yelled, and the engines of the trucks piled with body bags. There were many armored infantries inside and beside the burned, immobilized "Vanargands", and the wounded were stretchered away. They did not notice the general right next to them, for they were all curled up wearily. The Chief of Staff chose not to gain their attention as he narrowed his eyes at the city center of Kreuzberk had beenpletely levelled by the railgun st. Fallen by his side was the twisted frame of the "Reginleif", with its armor fallen off. Within the cockpit was Grethe, who lookedpletely unhurtpared to her unit, scowling away. Yes, she was basically unscatched. Once signal was lost from the "Nachzehrer", everyone had predicted that the squadron would die in battle, but they were unhurt. Better keep it a secret from that worrisome Major General, so the Chief of Staff thought. "And who has been hoping for him to die in battle soon?¡­a pure-blooded Onyx ex-noble like you must have felt the mixed blood Lieutenant born in the Republic is an eyesore, William." "I am not so narrow-minded, Grethe. Mixed blood has its own beauty, one limited to its own generation." Saying that, the Chief of Staff sneered. "¡­Also, he has not shown any worry about you. Your concerns are for naught." "Of course. I''ll be so pathetic that I can die if a kid at least ten years younger than me is to worry about me." Grethe seemed pretty unamused as she retorted. Ever since acting as decoy, she had avoided battle the entire time, but she remained alive while acting alone in the "Legion" controlled area. How many of the current "Vanargand" are capable of such feats? Nevertheless, the fatal mobility the "Reginleif" possessed had produced the results Grethe desired. "Looks like you did not lose your touch, spider girl©¤©¤ "Legion" killer ck Widow." The straight bridge on Grethe frowned hard. "Enough with that, man-cutting mantis. You do know where that nicknamee from." Haha, the Chief of Staffughed heartily. "Of course. I was the one who came up with that nickname after all. It''s not everyday you get to see a bride dressed in a mourning gown instead of a wedding gown because of her husband." "You rascal." Grethe retorted as she grabbed the outstretched right hand of the Chief of Staff. Thetter pulled the hand, and assisted her off the "Reginleif". The 10 Wargus or so under her charge started to climb up from the foot of the hill. The Chief of Staff watched the sergeants in their prime ages, and shrugged to Grethe who stood by his side. "Who was the one who dumped me, and was engaged to a fool who died while leaving behind ady who was to be married a monthter©¤©¤the Major General and I wanted to mess around by dumping roses all over the church during the ceremony." "¡­" The Chief of Staff was furious, and filled that fool''s coffin with roses instead of the shattered corpse. "¡­I do not care about what happens to those monsters, but it is unpleasant to have you cry because of them, and that is why I do not want them to die in battle for no reason." ? The "Juggernauts" were deep within a vast forest of oak, lurking in a pit beneath dense bushes and tall undergrowth. The Ameise did not appear to have noticed them. The patrol squads trampled upon the grass and the branches as they left with theirments. Shinn unwittingly heaved a sigh of relief, and Raiden, in the "Werewolf" just not too far away, said, "Are they gone?" "Yeah, but better to stay still for a while just in case¡­let''s wait while taking a break." Saying that, Shinn felt the tension ease from the other end of the Para-RAID. He could feel some of them stretching their backs. While the "Reginleif" cockpit was much better than the Republic''s "Juggernaut", it did not particr focus onfort, and was not a focus in the slightly. The field dress cockpit was cramped to reduce the front projected area, and did not take into consideration the stress the pilots would bear. Shinn had a look outside, and saw the sun that did not show itself over the earth when the operation began. It was midway, and the sun shone through the gaps of the heavily clustered leaves. Countless ovals of light ovepped each other, covering the 5 "Juggernauts" and the following Fido with spots. Now then. Everyone gathered their eyes on Fido¡­the container it carried.. Before they sortied, they were busy with the briefing and the checks of their units. Thus they did not notice that person''s absence early in the morning. Fido fidgeted uneasily as the silent stares gathered upon it. One could sense staresing from the windowless container, and the thing inside looked flustered, before that happened. "N-nya. Nyaa." """"Are you stupid!?"""" Everyone other than Shinn retorted, their voices still hushed as they were in enemy territory (Ange was a little off in her response, for she went "Are you a fool!?"). Shinn ignored the old-fashioned, poor acting as he said, "Fido" "Pii," Fido averted its optical sensors. Faced with such unnecessary theatrics, Shinn kicked at it. "It''s an order. Open the container." "¡­Pii." "No, Fido. Do not open¡­ahh." And, as expected, with nowhere to hide in the container, Frederica was curled up in the space between the fastened 88mm ammo cases and the energy packs . Before she could say anything, Seo had reached out to the back of her neck, picking her up like a kitten, and grabbed her out. "What the hell are you doing¡­!?" "Hyaaa¡­!?" The thunderous outrage had Frederica cringing her neck. The furious, heavily muffled voice was filled with the murderous rage of one hacking at the neck. "You know we can''t go back, right!? Why did youe along!? You could have died identally!" At that moment, Frederica''s bloody red eyes were glittering with anguish. "Because I hate this about you all!" The sudden words left Seo silent. Frederica realized the danger after her loud outburst, and covered her mouth with both hands. Looking overwhelmed, she lifted her head towards Shinn, who shook his head. The Ameise was long gone at this time, and the voice seemed to have dispersed amidst the dense, ovepping branches and leaves. They might be ying coy, but the main forces positioned further away did not appear to be moving. Frederica heaved a sigh of relief, and folded her arms as she continued what she was talking about. "Deary, why can you not return? To think that the lot of you can say this. How long are you going to stay in that Eighty-Sixth battlefield of certain death? Did that Ernst not say that you must return?¡­that should be the only fate you should abide." So, Frederica tried her best to lift her slender shoulders. "You may think of I as a hostage. Not to ensure that you do not run from the battlefield, but to ensure that you cannot run from your obligation to remain alive¡­you do not wish for a young, cute, delicate I to be hurt, right?" She said that with a pale face. Her lips were the only part smiling. Seeing that, Shinn let out a sigh. "¡­Raiden. What if I get you to bring her back¡­" "That''s too much to ask. You''re the only one able to do that." Raiden was right. They were 70km away from the main forces, and the only way to advance while avoiding all the "Legion" that had cluttered their path would be to know their whereabouts, for escape would be impossible otherwise. "Guess I got no choice but to bring her along¡­I guess nobody else can bring her along." The "Juggernaut" itself possessed mobility capable of wrecking a person''s body. The vanguards Shinn and Seo always moved erratically, which Frederica surely could not withstand. The sniper Krena had to focus, and so was Ange who had to fight multiple enemies. Fido was not abat armor, and having Frederica continue to remain in it was out of the question. By process of elimination, Raiden was the only one who could bring her along. "Sorry." "Don''t do this again¡­even if you don''t do this, we aren''t exactly aiming to just die." "¡­Umu." For some reason, the bloody red eyes looked over at Shinn again, before lowering. Thetter said, "Frederica." Frederica lifted her head, and Shinn tossed that thing to her. She caught it in a panic, saw the thing in her hands, and widened her eyes. It was an automatic handgun,rger than the Federation''s issue. It was a model belonging to the Republic army. "You know how to use this, right? In case we all get wiped out and you can''t regroup with the main forces, end yourself with that. The "Legion" won''t torture humans, but they won''t kill off dying people." Several times, Shinn had seen several dyingrades who were not killed off, some even begging for him to kill them off. And the thing dealing the final blow to them was the handgun Shinn handed over. He did not care about the past units or the Republic uniform he used, but this handgun was the only thing he was reluctant to give up. "Is this fine¡­did you not use this handgun to send off Eugene, yourrade?" "¡­Didn''t I tell you to close your eyes?" "Fool. What I saw were the memories. You bor everyone''s¡­" Frederica stopped talking, and embraced the handgun in her chest. "This shall be graciously in my care now¡­but as I am too weak, these hands cannot hold such a heavy thing for long. Surely I will return when we return to base¡­so do ensure that all returns." Due to the time and the patrol squads loitering around, they could not move from where they were. They decided to have an early breakfast, beginning preparations while ignoring Frederica, who did not know anything about camping. But even so, the situation did not allow for them to set fires, so they hadbat rations, a standard equipment for armored forces. Contained was a meal''s worth of food inminated packs, sterilized and stored food that could be self-heated through hydration in case fires could not be set. The greyminated packs were colored with urban camouge, and printed with the twin-headed hawk crest along with the exnations. Shinn took one out from Fido''s container, and sniffed at it. "Nothing''s written about what''s inside. Maybe it''s just to get them to enjoy the food, but it''s troublesome now." "Yeah" Next to him, Raiden responded. Frederice did not know what they were talking about. There were twenty two items on the menu forbat rations, and one had to open to see what was inside. All Frederica knew was that it was meant to raise the soldier''s anticipation for the contents, like a present surprise. Once the self-heated pack was handed over to her, she understood what they two of them meant. "It''s hot. Make sure you don''t get burned." "Umu." It appeared there was no Einstagfliege nor Rabe flying about. Frederica saw Fido deploy its sr panels under the sunny areas, preparing for the journey with no end in sight, cutting the pack that was handed to her. There were times where the packs had to be parachuted, and thus, they were particrly tough. Except for the outside however, the inside could be torn with hands. With much effort, Frederica opened the packaging, and held her breath. It was the smell of roasted meat, steamy after being heated. The "Nachzehrer" was originally intended for backline support, flying at low altitude, and thus, the storage was not pressurized. Fido was not designed to store any persons inside, and thus there was no NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) protection functions installed. Frederica had scented upon the stench of the battle over the entire morning, burned metal, ash, and the stench of human flesh half-charred by the heat of the ammunition. Upon seeing Frederica cover her mouth, Shinn, having expected this, looked around at the others. "Anyone else who didn''t get meat?" "I have trout here. Frederica, let''s swap." Krena snatched the bag in Frederica''s hands, and swapped it over. The raw stench of beasts distanced, allowing Frederica to be relieved.. Without hesitation, Seo used the spoon given to scoop some of the Eintopf, saying, "Obviously, this isn''t for kids to eat. There''s usually a lot of food given, so eat what you want." "Umu¡­.but," She recalled the bloody stench that was still lingering in her nostrils. The fish pack had the unique feeling of a vacuum pack, and its contents was ky and small, as though overcooked. Frederica used the stic spoon attached to poke at it, and said, "Never thought you could stomach it¡­" Upon saying that, she regretted her words. She sounded like she was reproaching them for being so aloof, even after witnessing many deaths. But Shinn and the others did not mind. "Yeah. We''re used to it." "Normally, we''ll eat immediately after moving the injured. We didn''t have time to care, and we were hungry." "It didn''t matter to us after some time, we didn''t end up not wanting to see meat." Saying that, the five hastily consumed the contents of the packs. It appeared they did not associate the meat food with the devastation of war. They were in enemy territory, and had no time to rx and rest. Right, so Frederica steeled herself as she brought the cream colored trout to her mouth. She nibbled, and froze still. Upon seeing the unspeakable expression on Frederica''s face, Krena giggled impishly. "So Princess, it''s not delicious huh?" "¡­¡­¡­¡­Umu." The quality of the food is corrted to the morale of the soldiers, and thus, the developers had been working hard on this. However, the main features of such foods was portability and calorie intake, while taste was secondary. Honestly, the Federation army meals was prepared by the base cafeterias or the cooking cars. Combat rations focused primarily on utility. There was no need to spare effort for better tasting food. But even so, such tastes was above average for most officers, sergeants and NCOs. Frederica was thest queen to the Empire, the adopted daughter of the temporary president, and had tasted fine cooking the entire time. It was a tough ordeal for her. The taste was too overbearing as it was meant forbatants worn out from battle. The texture was beyond chewy, and there was the stench of preservatives after heating, which made it undesirable for her. "My apologies for saying this again¡­but you are somehow able to stomach this." Luckily, it appeared none of them were offended, as they heartily responded with chuckles, "Sounds like this is a lot better than the rations back then. From what Bernault, the first batch was like eating starch." "It is interesting how whenever food is described as inedible, theparison will be things that definitely has not been eaten." Like soap, sponge, dirt, or a rag cloth filled with milk. "But even so, starch is too¡­" In a certain myth of the Far East, a little bird had its tongue cut out as punishment for consuming starch, but that starch was made through crushing rice. What Bernault spoke of was probably more of an adhesive instead. Also, Frederica had no intention of eating that Far East crushed starch. "There''s no doubt it''s a hundred times better than the synthesized food in the Eighty Sixth Area. There''s nothing more disgusting than that." "What kind of taste is it?" Upon hearing that, the Eighty-Sixers exchanges looks, and responded in unison. Even Shinn, who was unconcerned as he listened without smiling, joined in with the response. Ahh, it appeared to be utterly unsavory¡­so Frederica realized. If Shinn, who did not particrly nitpick about food, was showing a not-too-obvious disgruntled look. """""stic explosives.""""" "¡­" It appeared what they ate was not food at all. "©¤©¤It stopped?" Before they left, Shinn muttered sceptically to himself. It appeared the "Morpho" had stopped in its tracks after moving all the way West. "Probably maintenance¡­changing the barrel or something." "Quite likely." In any case, they had decided upon their advance. They were near the Northwest border of the Empire, and they would head diagonally down southwest, through the controlled area, with the shortest distance possible. The "L?we" and "Dinosauria" were unable to intrude upon this old forest with its trunks, where the roots of therge trees rose from the ground, and the branches and leaves were intertwined, forming a natural hazard. The five "Juggernauts" and one "Scavenger" made haste through this area. As decided during lunch, Frederica was riding on the "Werewolf". The "Juggernaut" cockpit had a foldable auxiliary seat meant to hold down and transport the wounded, but it was mostly for emergencies, and not meant to be amodated for a long time. To be precise, it was hard and cramped. Thus, Frederica quickly left the auxiliary seat, and was seated between Raiden''s knees at this point. ording to Shinn''s estimate, they probably could advance for a while without fighting. Also, Raiden was tall, unlikely to be obstructed, and thus left her to do as she pleased. Secondary to everything else, if the others were to see him in this state, this would not end with just a few jokes. Raiden sighed; he was relieved that they did not have to appear on screen in real time whenever they had tomunicate, unlike the anime robot shows he had seen during his childhood. "Once the battle starts, return to the auxiliary seat immediately. Also, don''t talk when that happens. You''ll bite your tongue." "I understand. Do not think of I as a child." Though she said so, her eyes were ncing at the flowing scenery outside on the optical screen, acting just like a child. Her eyes were glittering with curiosity and excitement, and though she had assumed she hid it well, her enthusiasm was clear. "Ohh, now there are deer! Raiden, a deer!" "Yeah¡­" He nced aside, and found two deer at the other end of the trees, his ck eyes staring at the trespassers unsuited for this location. The mother was surely the hornless doe, and the other was a little, delicate fawn. Surely they will be nice to eat, so he thought, but he swallowed it for nobody would have wanted to hear him. Raiden himself was sick and tired of seeing the same scenes on the Eighty-Sixth area battlefield, but surely Frederica felt different. She knew only of thest bastion of the Empire army, St. Yedder, and the FOB¡­Raiden realized she might be seeing this for the first time. Well, he was not unacquainted with this feeling after all. Almost a year had passed since thest Autumn, when they were assigned to the Special Scouting Mission. Back then, he had witnessed many scenes for the first time¡­and they were truly breathtaking. It was truly a special feeling to be able to witness things once unknown. During the five years he remained hidden in the Eighty Five Areas, Raiden managed to watch the television from time to time.Even so, that was the feeling he felt. He could not imagine what hisrades could have felt, for ten years ago, they were confined into the Eighty Sixth Area, only knowing of the Concentration Camps and the battlefield. Once, Raiden stepped foot upon an abandoned ancient city. It was a cloudless day, and the red color of the sunset filled the skies. The streets were built with white stone, the crimson sunlight shining through the red leaves left on the ginkgo trees, and the atmosphere was glittering golden amidst the evening ruins. Krena excitedly scampered around, and fell atop the fallen leaves, her face facing the sky. Shinn could notughing away when he saw it, and that left Krenapletely red face as she bickered with him. ¡­Yes, back then, he was still smiling. When did it end up this way? By the time he realized this, he found Frederica staring at him with her bloody red eyes. "Raiden¡­you are Shinei''s close friend, no?" "Nope. We just have a long history together." Frederica''s blunt words left Raiden unwilling to admit this fact as he denied it without thinking. Frederica however was unwilling to avert her earnest eyes. "¡­Kid, you referring to the battle just now?" "It has been like that since the mass invasion happened." Hmph, so Raiden snorted. He remembered her mentioning something simr. "When the invasion happened, to be honest, our minds were in a mess¡­there were too many enemies. I thought he was affected by those things, but," Raiden had assumed Shinn was affected by the endless hordes of enemies and the deafeningments of the ghosts, "What was his state like¡­.anyway, why did you synchronize with him?" Back then, the situation was too dire. She was reminded not to synchronize before they sortied, for fear that they would be distracted. None of them wanted Frederica to hear of anyone dying. It was a terrifying moment as thements of the swarming Dead were plentiful enough to leave Shinn shaken. Shinn surely did not want the young Frederica''s to crumble because of that. "¡­The Republic©¤©¤the "Grand Mur" has fallen. So I wanted to inform him¡­" "¡­" That idiot''s taking on this burden alone. So Raiden grimaced. Shinn could determine the locations of the "Legion" far away, and surely would not have missed the destruction of the Republic For Shinn, the white swines of the Republic were nothing to him, for they hadzed and slothed. ©¤©¤ We shall be on our way, Major. It was rare, really rare, for that idiot to be really concerned about thatst Handler. Frederica shrivelled. She appeared chilly as she cupped her shoulders with her hands. "But he did not respond. Back then, Shinei was looking¡­just like Kiriya during hisst moments" It was worse than what Raiden had thought. "¡­That bad?" "He could not see anything other than the enemy he had to beat. The same happened during the battle just now¡­.no, it was worse than when the invasion happened¡­" "Yeah. That guy never forgot us around him when he fought." No©¤©¤that happened once. Thest battle that happened at the Eighty Sixth Area of the Republic, the first battle zone. Shinn spent five years searching, and finally found the lost head, along with the ghost of his brother. He said he wanted to fight alone. He never considered their feelings. ¡­So that''s what happened. "Frederica¡­you okay if I tell you to ignore everything other than that idiot?" Raiden looked down at the red eyed girl, who nodded gingerly. ? "©¤©¤.Further advance has been decided." The crude armoredmander vehicle was unbefitting of an official state car, and it was dark inside. Visible within was a hazy silhouette of a controller seat lowered as much as possible, with a shadow slumped upon it, and a girl kneeling on one knee. The Crown Prince was dressed in a long-sleeved, high cored army uniform of the United Kingdom, standing at the door as he continued. "ording to the Gifted that had tracked down the whereabouts of the "Morpho", the massive dragon appears to be on the South Flower Crane Route at the Southern end of the Controlled Area. The main Federation forces shall work together with the Wald Alliance to advance and dominate this route. Our United Kingdom in turn shall work with a separate Federation force to suppress the North Flower Crane Route to the north of the Controlled Area." The shadow covered his eyes with the back of his hand, and the girl instead had her eyes turned to the Crown Prince. Her eyes were green like a cat, glittering in the darkness. "More effort will be required from all of you¡­do we have sufficient spares for the worn out parts?" "As a precaution, they have been ordered in advance to deliver anything that can be deployed from the backlines. However, as fast as we can move, we can only begin operation this evening if we are to advance a corps'' worth of forces. Until then, preparations will bepleted on our side." Upon hearing the deft response, the Crown Prince gracefully nodded with a smile. "To assist the forces advancing south, our United Kingdom shall provide a misdirection. However, the "Legion" cannot possibly overlook the advance of the main Federation force¡­what are the countermeasures?" "It is said the Alliance will use an anti-radar weapon. Metallic clouds shall be deployed at low altitude to discret the Rabe and the Ameise sensors, breaking up theirmunications. It will be for a short time, and will only cover the southern side of the Controlled Area, but we have been told that it could buy some time and cause the "Legion" to determine that the United Kingdom army are the main forces." "The Alliance certainly is that determined here. This move will only work once on the "Legion", given its high learning capabilities." "It is a wise decision, for if we fail, there will be no next time. This goes for our United Kingdom too." "As you wish, brother¡­however," The shadow never looked at the Crown Prince in the eye, and never moved the hand away from the eyes, despite thetter outranking him in military rank and session to the throne. It was then that he corrected his insolence as looked back at the Crown Prince. His eyes were purple. "There is a aircraft prototype in development that cannot fly on its own, and a Suicide Squadprising of young soldiers. Truly it is as outrageous as the Republic''s drones¡­but nobody is in the mood to sweat the details, I suppose." "I do find your cute Lerches to be pretty disgusting themselves¡­the situation will only get more dire. Please think of countermeasures." "Understood." ? The Southern skies were dyed a madder red, and a flock of white machine flew off from the south. Those were miniature aerial drones controlled from afar. They self-destructed before the Stachelschwein could react. The tiny fragments remained plentiful as they scattered everywhere beneath thest vestiges of the day, ovepping, and finally became dark clouds blotting out the sunset light. The second array flew over the dark clouds, and self-destructed. Following that was the third, and the fourth which was destroyed by anti-air fire, temporarily jamming the "Legion"municationwork. But this jamming action waspletely useless against the Ameise, which were not caught in the cloud of metal. The aircraft silhouettes and the clouds did not exist in the database, but they were deemed as offensive actions. The machine ants greedily gathered the intel and disseminated it through its vastwork. Their highly potent sensors could not view through the clouds, and allmunications with the friendlies beneath the clouds were jammed. Thus, it was determined to be an anti-radar weapon that neutralized light and electromaic waves. Misdirecting the enemy before an attack was a basic. However, this action was too obvious, and the "Legion" reinforced its defences everywhere other than the area around the metallic clouds. Presently, the United Kingdom and the Federation army would be advancing from the North and the Northwest. Clearly it was a misdirection, so themander unit of the two frontlines determined, and requested for reinforcements from the backline within the Controlled Area. ? "©¤©¤There''s movement. It looks like they were baited by the misdirection at the north." "A double whammy huh? Both North and South are working hard." They spent the entire day venturing through the forest, and chose a seemingly forgotten vige as a campsite. The "Juggernaut" wereid prone at the za. Raiden stood at a little chapel opposite a Cathedral with light shining through its rose window, and shook his head with some relief. "Now the main forces are finally able to move¡­guess it won''t be just some distance between us." "They''re nning to advance the entire night. I guess they''ll close the distance between us somewhat. "Looks that way." The main forces could swapbatants when fatigued, and unlike them, this small squad had to rest their bodies. Also, the "Juggernauts" had been fighting and moving the entire day, so maintenance was required. They could stay awake for a few consecutive days if the worst case scenario yed out, but that efficiency would drop, includingbat. Luckily, the "Morpho" appeared to be stationary, probably undergoing maintenance. A lot of effort would be needed to load a projectile 800mm in diameter and several tonnes heavy. The armor withstanding the pration of the 88mm tank cannons was probably as heavy as every other module. The enemy had disseminated the structure diagram of the CPU, and had forciblymanded for an all-out an attack, which could have influenced the situation. The simple stone huts showed no signs of destruction or battle, and it appeared the vigers had left this ce before they were attacked by the "Legion", probably years ago. The three girls, including Frederica, were off to the kitchen, having guessed that the stoves could be used. Seo went to see if there were any decent rooms in the houses, and alone in the chapel were just Raiden and Shinn. "¡­Shinn." What? Shinn retorted as he looked over at Raiden listlessly, and thetter went straight to the point. "Take Frederica and go back." A tadter. No, probably a little longer. "¡­Why?" "Don''t give me that. Didn''t I say in the day that you''re most suited? Who else other than you can head back through the "Legion" undetected?" "What if they pursue me?" "Well didn''t they stop? Even if it can move, it''ll just move on the tracks, and you can avoid it through the Para-RAID. Good thing this isn''t like thest time too, since they''re really luring the enemy away with some big misdirections." Hmph, so Shinn was looking like a de. Ahh, it''s that face. It was a smile of an ice de, of madness, of a war demon taking on the deatnds. It was the same face he made when he challenged his brother. "You think the "Legion" will be busy just by fighting off the misdirection and the main army? We had experiencing passing through here, this Controlled Area, and you know that if we fight, we''ll be wiped out, right?" "It''s better than being dragged along by you now¡­there''s always something wrong in that head of yours, but it''s been getting ridiculous recently. You''re far past it ever since that battle just now." Shinn''s usual demeanour was to charge right upon the line of death, and brute force his way through in closebat. However, he was typically able to remain calm, grasp thebat situation, or at the least, was watching over the battle. While there were some doubts to his sanity, they did not really worry about him. And that fulcrum had clearly been crumbling apart . He was toeing upon the edge of the de like usual, but he was just focused on the enemy unit before him. He was focused on the arduous, intense battle between the enemy, the "Legion", created to murder and much superior to humanity for that purpose. He was basically begging for a fight to the bitter end. "You''re being too affected by something¡­what happened?" Perhaps he was affected by the ghost of Frederica''s Knight, which he never met when thetter was alive. Or perhaps he was caught up in the madness of the battlefield. "¡­It''s nothing." Raiden clicked his tongue. This bastard. "You think you can bluff me with that, you idiot?" Perhaps Shinn himself did not notice it. Shinn might have assumed that his emotions were hidden beneath his poker face, but he might be rattled, conflicted and perturbed about himself. "¡­Bluff?" "Unfortunately, I know you for so longer, and I can see a little of your own blind spots" Shinn could not see his own expression. At this point, he had no self-awareness at all. Not in regard to the expression he showed. "You''re just drifting around, not knowing what to do¡­how many years have you regressed?" When they first met, Shinn appeared to be a cruel, twisted, unstable presence to Raiden''s eyes. At this point, heck the sociability, but he was worse back then, always drawing a line against those around him. He would only socialize during briefings, reporting time, or burying the dead, and hardly spoke to the other Eighty-Sixer squadmates and the maintenance crew. As his moniker implied, he was a death god venturing the battlefield, obsessed with a certain person''s death¡­even if he hadrades to rely on, he would never open his heart to them. Looking back, Raiden found it difficult to begrudge Shinn for that. Shinn was nearly murdered by his brother, who died without forgiving him, apparently. He was sent to the areas with the most fighting, and every single time, Shinn was the only one left alive, the squads all wiped out. ©¤©¤You. ©¤©¤You haven''t died even after hanging out with me for so long. Half a year passed, and their squad was disbanded. They were on board the transport carrier, headed towards the next mission field when Shinn said this. Back then, his voice was of a higher pitch, like a child, as his voice did not crack. What nonsense are you saying? So Raiden retorted, and did not think too much into it. But back then, Shinn might have secretly thought that he was the cause of his brother''s death, and that of hisrades who died in battle before him. It''s not your fault. It was only recently that Shinn got to sort out his feelings, or at the very least, hear Raiden out and not be too affected. They survived the Eighty Sixth Battlefield for many years, and gained many more ''codenamed'' like Krena, Seo and Ange. The squadmates he had did not die as easily as before. The red eyes were lowered, tormented by something as they tried to avert. Without looking back in the eyes, Shinn spat loathingly, "In that case, bring Frederica back yourself. It''s better for me to pursue alone than to be burdened by the rest of you." "¡­What are you saying?" "If there''s a need for anyone who can''t return, I''ll be enough. If you guys n to return, there''s no need to continue down this path of no return." "You¡­£¡" Raiden reached his hand out without thinking. He grabbed the front torso of the Panzer Jacke, took a step forward, grabbed Shinn, and mmed thetter into the pir at the back, causing a blunt sound. "¡­Enough," When they first met, there was a difference in height. Both of themter grew to their respective heights, but the height difference remained simr. Raiden red downwards at the red eyes that were ring back, gritting his teeth as he eked out a voice. "Don''t you think that everything''s fine if you just sacrifice yourself? Don''t act like you''re not going to return." "¡­I''m not nning to die." "Yeah, I guess so. But you have no intention of returning alive!" The manner in which he said ''if you guys n to return'' made it seem like it was somebody else''s matter entirely. It was as if it did not matter if he died. It was as if it did not matter if he died alone, that nobody would be hurt. That notion did not start on this day. It started almost a year ago, during thest battle of the special scouting mission, which he intended to be a decoy. And before then, when he bitterly sought the soul of his brother during thest battle in the Eighty Sixth area. He was giving an expression that showed that he did not care if it ended there and then. "Why did you want to end your brother? To keep going, right? You survived to bury and send your brother off, right¡­don''t be mistaken!" "In that case," He squeaked out a voice. At the same time, that voice was filled with anguish. "In that case, what''s the point? For what purpose am I©¤©¤¡­£¡" He blurted out a question in his agitation, and stopped midway through, fearful of asking anymore. It was a silence that showed he had no answer to the question he asked. Ahh, so that''s how it is. Raiden realized. This person really was an ice de. He was focused on forging himself, and upon killing the target, it shattered. Such was Shinn''s existence. Why, to this point? Had he not realized it? "¡­I just don''t want to die, that''s all. That''s enough for me, I think. Same goes for the others." Surely that should be enough reason for a person to keep on living. However, Shinn was told ''It''s all your fault'', nearly got killed, and kept fighting to repay his sins. Shinn kept living, probably unable to ept that he was fighting just to survive. "It''s your path, your decision. We''re in the same boat here however¡­if you''re tired, I''ll carry you along. If you can''t hang on, just rest. So," Just as Shinn chose to be a decoy during thest battle of their scouting mission. Just as when Shinn encountered his brother''s ghost during thest battle in the Eighty Sixth Area. He showed no concerns to Raiden''s feelings. "I''m not letting you fight alone." "For some reason, it feels like I''m the one excluded, or not counted as one of the guys. Anyway, it doesn''t matter since that''s not my character." "Well, both Shinn and Raiden do know each other for a long time, long before we met them. It does seem like something has happened." "I guess so." "Really?" "It''s probably one of those cheesy episodes in a manga where they fight it out with fists or something. Go ask Raiden when he gets back." ¡­Such was the conversation. In descending order of height, Ange, Seo, and Frederica were poking half their faces out, whispering. Basically, they were hidden behind Fido''s container that was slowly and stealthily creeping to the entrance of the chapel. Krena, thest one left, was pulled back by Ange, her mouth covered with a hand, mumbling something. Krena had witnessed the duo bickering, and wanted to dash over like a dog, only to be caught and held back by Ange. It appeared they were done talking, and Ange only let go upon affirming that they left, or rather, Shinn waved Raiden''s hand off, ending this on an unpleasant note. A iling Krena stumbled two, three steps upon once she was let go, unable to stop her momentum. She wanted to question their actions, but Seo spoke up before she could. "Say, Krena. Even if you do rush over now, nothing can be solved. You''ll just make the situation all the moveplicated." "Wh-what¡­I won''t!" "If you go over, Shinn would have run away for sure. If they can''t have a good conversation, there''s no point talking things through." "Boys do love to act tough and not show weaknesses before girls after all." "¡­Ehh, yeah, Ange, that''s right, but mind not saying that in front of me? It feels weird. Also, that doesn''t just apply to guys. Girls too are the same, right?" "I suppose." Ange smiled demurely, and Seo looked up at her unhappily. It''s like I''ve been drawing the short straw ever since Daiya died¡­so Seo thought, but he would not say it out. It was too tasteless of a joke, and no way was he willing to let Ange hear those words. They had sent way too many deadrades, unable to step out of the shadows. But even so, "¡­Well, you can say that we can''t let go of this matter. Shinn has been acting weird recently." Seo himself could not clearly imagine the future. And he felt Shinn was more likely to be unwilling to face it. See no evil, think no evil. He was unwilling to entertain that notion. The Dead had passed on. He could do nothing other than to mourn over them, and they were vestiges of the past. Surely it was difficult¡­to be imprisoned by those things and look upon the future, but, "¡­Anyway, thatst battle we had before we arrived at the Federation seemed weird now that I think about it¡­it''s like he was so willing to do it even after knowing that he''ll die. Back then, he would never do that, nor let anyone else do it." For before then, Shinn had to y the ghost of his brother. And he had to keep living for that purpose. Hmm, so Krena pursed her lips unhappily. "I don''t think so." And Seo gave her a sarcastic look. "¡­Krena, maybe you should try understanding him a little more, and not just give chase after him." "That¡­" "Shinn isn''t¡­a death god existing for our sake." He was not an wooden idol to be admired, depended, worshipped. Krena wanted to refute, but kept quiet once Seo pointed that out. Her eyes fluttered, and after some thought, she averted her eyes awkwardly. "¡­I get it." "Ange, you''ve been worried about this, right¡­you know?" Upon hearing that, Ange grimaced. "He does seem simr to me¡­I do understand a little how it is like to be a child unwanted by his family, how he would think of his family, the world, and himself.." "¡­" "Shinn thinks that maybe it was all his fault. Logically, he knows that is not true, but he cannot help but keep ming himself¡­not only was he unwanted, his brother did say so, no? That feeling is not something he can get rid of alone." Krena lowered her shoulders dejectedly. "So in other words¡­us apanying him isn''t enough?" "At the end of the day, all we can say to him is that we''ll tag along until we die. We''re just relying on him, and one day, we will end up leaving him." In that sense, their rtionship with Shinn remained unequal. It was no wonder that they did not think of him as a guy too, so Seo quietly sighed. It was his fault for relying, letting Shinn bear everything¡­and never trying to share the load with him. "¡­Will we end up troubled over the same things one day? I guess so. After all, we never actually thought about what the future is, what tomorrow is." Thinking back, them knowing of their certain deaths after serving five years in the army was a form of redemption. No matter how arduous the battles were, how malicious the white swines were, they could hang on, for they could see the ending. If they did not sumb until then, it would be a victory for them. They would be able to fight until the very end, and die off with a smile. That was the dignity they thought they could protect. They never expected to be alive, and be told to return, to survive. This time, they did not know what attitude they should live by, how many years they would live, decades even, and worried that they could notst. In the face of that indefinite time, they remained hesitant to advance. There was only one dignity they all had, and if they could not survive this long pride, they would lose it. Having thought that¡­they were unwilling to think of the future. "Shinn certainly had his brother as an objective, and surely he found that if he continues to advance, there is no end. However, we all are the same, without a goal in life, or a want." They could go anywhere, but it did not mean that they had somewhere they had to go to. They were akin to a wanderer alone in the wilderness, who nobody cared for even if they arrived nowhere, remained as they were, shrivelled up and waited to rot, bing empty, unchanging existences. One day, they all would remained hesitant to move on in the face of such loneliness and emptiness. Shinn however had noticed it a little earlier than they did. Good grief, so Seo sighed. "I guess even though he''s the Pointman, he doesn''t have to lead the way in such things." So they ended up subconsciously realizing it. They know they had to face it no matter how much they hated it. They knew that it was different from living on the battlefield called the Eighty Sixth Area, where they could prepare to depart for the afterlife the next day. "Well, Shinn may not appear like it, but he does care about us. I do think that is his personality." "Yeah." Seo nodded, and suddenly nced aside at Krena. "I''ll put it this way, Krena. This is really a big chance. They say that when someone''s most devastated, that''s when they''re most prone." "If I may say so, Seo, this is a great chance, but only bad women do that. This is unbefitting of Krena." "I guess so." "Th-that''s not it! I''m not that," "Yes yes. We heard it all. Also, everyone knows already, okay?" "And Krena, did you not admit it yourself? Why correct yourself now?" "That time was, erm¡­" Krena''s already reddened face became beetroot. With a mosquito-like buzz, she fidgeted, and asked, "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Wait, did Shinn realize it?" ""¡­"" Seo and Ange exchanged looks without a second thought. For regarding that question, The answer was terribly cruel. And it would be extremely inappropriate to state it before her eyes. "¡­It must be said that he has realized it, but well, twas more of an admiring child, or a possessive feeling." And so it was said. "Shinei thinks of you as a little sister¡­one that requires lots of care. Truth be told, it appears he does not view of you as a girl." "¡­" Ahh, so the soul left Krena''s body. Ange grabbed Frederica¡¯s shoulders firmly, showing a gentle, shiny smile while thetter was shaking her head frantically, looking pale. Seo tried to round things off. ¡°Eh¡­well, you¡¯re considered a reliablerade, I guess. Anyway, that¡¯s how it is right now.¡± ¡°Uu¡­yeah, I-I¡¯m great at sniping! I¡¯ll definitely be of help!¡± Seo nodded wordlessly. Truly, for the close ranged fighter Shinn, Krena was an invaluable ally as she was able to provide urate covering fire in the middle of his dogfight. That should be the case, ¡°But¡­ehh, the Republic¡¯s wiped out, huh¡­?¡± For ten years, the country abused its massive authority that was not to be defied, oppressing the Eighty-Sixers, and drove them to their deaths. How quickly it vanished. ¡°ording to what I saw of Kiriya¡¯s memories, the Grand Mur had copsed, and there were signs of ¡°Legion¡± invading in hordes. Unlike the Federation, the Republic frontlines copsed in an instant. It appears¡­the country is gone.¡± ¡°I guess so. The Republic¡¯s defense strategy is to use the Eighty-Sixers as pawns, ensuring their own safety.¡± ¡°And they ended up with the same fate¡­this isn¡¯t funny.¡± They did not care about the deaths of the white swines, but they could notugh at how the few existing kind Albas and the many Eighty-Sixersrades had died because of the swines¡¯ tomfoolery. Krena sighed. ¡°It must be the first time¡­Shinn got to say ¡®we¡¯ll be on our way¡¯.¡± Those were the first words he left behind for others. To the first person he felt he could entrust with, or wanted to. ¡°Guess Major¡­didn¡¯t manage to make it after all.¡± The ¡°Juggernaut¡± was standing on the stone za, resting after a day¡¯s worth of activity. Shinn heard wilted leaves behind trampled, and turned around to find Fido. He was standing by the side of his unit, and shrugged as he stared at the optical sensor staring back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t be going alone.¡± ¡°¡­Pii.¡± ¡°But¡­going alone does feel a little easier.¡± Since I don¡¯t have to bury anyone else. The murmurs were only heard by the Scavenger apanying the Death God. ? The white flowers glittered like pearls on the lush green velvet grasnds, and Kiriya brushed aside the petals as he raced across it. There was nothing stopping the massive steel dragon from racing through the "Legion" controlled area. It darted past the opened forest, crossed the bridge over the massive river, passed the hills that rippled like the waves, and stopped at the battle area it was in charge of. It alone was enough to destroy a stronghold, but after every battle, it required a long period of maintenance. The barrel would bepletely worn out after firing a hundred rounds, and just changing it would take at least half a day¡­.in that aspect, it was truly inconvenient. That white field dress'' navigation speed might be simr, but it would have to break through enemy ranks, which would imped him somewhat, while Kiriya could leisurely pass by enemy territory. It nced aside at the maintenance machinery on standby, beginning work. Its eyes were locked in to the grey shadow in the distance rearing its head out to peek. "Pale Rider to No Face. Arrived at mission area. Will sortie in another 40 hours. Beginning execution at BMNT1 after maintenance isplete." "Copy that." Now then. Would it end up having a face off against this unexpectedpatriot. Or would it fire its glorious fireworks to harken the end of Human history? ? "©¤©¤Major General. It is time to wake up." The armies of the three countries had been fighting the entire night, but they took shifts, and thebatants did not end up fighting without rest. The soldiers had emptied out cargo space used to store the infantry tanks, the jeeps and the "Vanargand", and the Division HQ generals advancing along with the frontlines followed suit. At a corner of the canvas tent that formed HQ, the Chief of Staff was dressed impably even though it was not time to wake up, and the Major General narrowed his eyes in annoyance. They spent the entire prior night nning for operation ns till this day, and the Chief of Staff should have slept a tadter, yet he appeared to be just fine. "You''ve aged, senior¡­or so I should say, but you are still in your 30s, no? Be careful lest you grow a belly." "How energetic of you, William¡­keep acting reckless while you are still young. You will end up like me soon." "Hard to tell." "Whatever you say. Once you get older than 30, your body feels like it''s over the hill." They were back to their old tone as students of the army college many years ago, probably because they had just woken up.The Major General shook his head, shaking off the sleepiness that could not be purged in fewer than three hours of rest, and put on the military coat that was tossed aside. For the sake of their objective, he started off by asking the most important question. "What about the Eighty-Sixers?" "I had just synchronized with them¡­this Republic''s invention really is convenient. No way will I have the Empire Research Branch imitate it however." He pointed at the silver ring called the Para-RAID device, leering. It allowed for humans tomunicate through consciousness. It would have been pointless to experiment this on humans, and on could surely imagine that lots of lives were sacrificed until itspletely, or to the Republic, lots of pigs. The Major General had no wishes to use, or have others use a thing that was created through such immoral principles and technology, but the Chief of Staff had other ideas. While condemning it for being immoral, clearly he viewed it as a useful tool, and wanted to make effective use of it. Speaking of which. "¡­Finally connected, you say?" "It is a connection made through shared consciousness, and it is impossible to connect when the other party is asleep. It''s unbelievable that a five men squad can be sleeping in the middle of enemy territory." Perhaps, The Eighty-Sixers lived on the battlefield before they hit puberty, and survived the "Legion" Controlled Area for at least a month. Surely it was an extension of the part and parcel of their lives. Perhaps they were used to it. The Major General recalled a conversation two months ago. Including the time in officer cadet school, he had served the army for at least twenty years, and had always been on the frontlines ever since the war against the "Legion" started, and the battles that caused him lots of mental stress. If the battlefield was simply daily life to the Eighty-Sixers, and the daily lives he and the other Federation soldiers had was foreign to them, it would take some time for them to get used to this foreign daily life. Even she spent five years getting used to it¡­and as for how she got used to it, that was another matter. "Guess where are they right now? 120km West of the old Empire border. We spent the entire night advancing to this position. Infuriating, do you not think so?" The Major General realized what was insinuated, and raised an eyebrow. "¡­That is surprising. I thought you would try to use those children in this battle as much as possible." And the Chief of Staff in turn shrugged nonchntly. "Do not be mistaken. I do think a fine, sharp de should be used as much as possible, and it is best if they can be used for long¡­but it will be terrible if the "Legion" is to take them. We have to retrieve them as soon as possible." For a long time, they had fought with the "Vanargand" and the "Reginleif" apanying. Thus, the absence of both in the morning left him unnerved. Bernault was in a corner of the barracks as they got ready to sortie, wielding the assault rifle that was the only thing left out his discarded personal machine, and was seated around in a circle with his subordinates, lifting his head when he saw Grethe approach. "We''ll begin advance at BMNT2. You guys ready?"" "Copy that, Lieutenant Colonel. Ready to mobilized here¡­since," He raised the field dress pilot issued assault rifle that had a foldable stock towards her. "It''s a lot lighter for us now." A 7.62mm assault rifle could tear an adult male''s limbs to shreds, but was certainly insufficient firepower when dealing with the "Legion". The Wargus was wielding these weapons that could barely fend off the Ameise and Grauwolves when used appropriately, intending to fight on the battlefield. Grethe smiled. "Are you worried about the Lieutenant and the others, Sergeant?" "I''ll return those words right back at you, Lieutenant Colonel. You''re worried about the Lieutenant and the others, aren''t you?" "I did all I could. What''s left is to believe in them." "You say that, but you sent in a spare "Reginleif" unit, ammunition, spare parts and maintenance crew from the backline just in case, didn''t you? Heard you argued to the bitter end with the Chief of Staff regarding the arrangement of the transport craft." Even the rigid, aloof, and capable looking general surrendered unconditionally. "Well, aren''t you the same, Sergeant? I did say the lot of you have nothing to do, that you may fall back, and you remain disobedient." "Well, that''ll look bad on our part. Whatcha think will happen if the bratse back shouting that they caught a centipede and a bunch of uncles here are all drunk out of their minds? We''ll be aughing stock for the ages." That would certainly be the worst case scenario imaginable. Hmph. So Bernault long out a long snort, and continued, "¡­Might be difficult for this massive army, but we better hurry. Your "Juggernaut" is pretty decent, Lieutenant Colonel, but there are some issues given that the unit itself never went through much testing." "Yeah." All field dresses required a simr amount of maintenance time as the operation, "Reginleif" notwithstanding. While the units were not that delicate to malfunction without maintenance, the "Reginleif" actual operation time was too little, and there might be ws undiscovered. Grethe nodded away, and suddenly frowned. "Speaking of which, you all have been calling it a "Juggernaut"." "That''s a more appropriate name than an adorable war maiden, for us Wargus." While the Lieutenant Colonel was frowning unhappily, Bernault cocked an eyebrow. "And for those shitty reckless brats who always do what we tell them not to." "©¤©¤Ah, my bad." Upon hearing Seo mutter this from the other end of the Para-RAID, Raiden looked over from the Ameise wreckage to the "Laughing Fox" itself. The intense bombardments of 88mm tank cannons continued to echo day and night in the Contested Area, and the noise would linger to the distance, into the "Legion" Controlled Area devoid of people. For that reason, Nordlicht Squadron tried their best to avoidbat, and in cases whenbat was inevitable, they would suppress with close ranged armaments to ambush and suppress. It was through this principle that the "Laughing Fox" trampled upon a Grauwolf, and was bout to hop off from it, only to stop. It appeared the front left leg was jammed within the Grauwolf armor, the explosion of the propent resulted in the pile driver firmly entrenched into it, unable to be removed. "Is there any way to pull out, Seo?" "Hm, guess not. I can''t move at all¡­might just purge it instead." The pile driver firmly entrenched within the thick metal armor could hardly be removed with the actuator output, and caused tremendous stress to the joint. Soon after, the exploding bolt was activated, and "Laughing Fox" got off with the pile driver separated. "Now the "Laughing Fox" is damaged too¡­that''s worse damage than we thought." "¡­Yeah, Ange and I got hit by shrapnel during the battle yesterday, and Raiden broke a gun when he was knocked apart¡­" They had all lost guns, wire anchors, pile drivers, or had damaged armor, twisted frames, and various other damages The status window indicated the amount of ammunition and energy packs Fido had left, and even that was unnerving. The assault operation was set to be finished in half a day, and while they did prepare extra assuming that they would be isted, it was insufficient for battle over a few days. "Guess Shinn''s the only one alright. We don''t have any spare des though." "¡­No," Hearing that response, Raiden raised an eyebrow. After the verbal scuffle they had the previous day, he barely exchanged words with Shinn. The voice was as t as usual, and Shinn was never one for idle chat, so he probably did not truly intend to shun Raiden. "The drive system yesterday hasn''t been working well. Looks like the first battle caused too much stress on it." "¡­You haven''t changed your old habit of damaging those legs huh?" Compared to the Republic''s walking coffins, the "Reginleif" was designed to be light and sturdy for high mobilitybat, yet there were faults. How did he use it? "I can patch things up for the time being, and worst case scenario, it''s not like it''s can''t move." "You say that, but if you turn too much, it''ll break. Don''t get too crazy." "¡­" Shinn appeared unwilling to respond. How childish. "©¤©¤Looking at how much ammo and energy packs we have left, we can onlyst until the next day is over. We should be able to make it, but let''s try to hang on until we catch up." These strange words left Raiden dropping his shoulders weakly. He''s still saying such things? Until we catch up. Not until they rendezvous with the main forces. "¡­Understood" Frederica was within the cockpit of the "Werewolf", and she opened her ''eyes''. Her ability allowed her to witness the silhouette and background of those she met, as though she was by the person''s side. At this point, the silhouette remained unchanging, and the past was a memory the person subconsciously recalled. It appeared someone was recalling a memoryst Autumn. After the oppression by the Republic, the gang risked their lives, breaking through the "Legion" Controlled Area. That was their journey of freedom, one that should have ended with them unable tost a month. Where did they witness this scenery? Autumn was in bloom, and the rusted color of wilted leavesid before her. The scarred quad-pedaled armor looked barren to an outsider. They were dressed in old desert camouge fatigues that waspletely dusty due to the battlefield. This journey was probably close to the end. They probably realized that they could not advance much further. But even so, the youths wereughing. They were joking, chatting enthusiastically, looking lethargic, yet having fun. Frederica could see the back of the ck haired youth facing her, a smile etched upon his lips. Even after achieving and losing the objective of killing his brother, Shinn back then could think of advancing the next day, and smile like before. The reason why he could not do so was, Frederica shook her head, and closed her eyes. ? The Ameise was 80km away from the old Kreuzberk city, amidst the forest, and discovered that thing. It was a snapped branch caused by a thing approximately two meters in height. There were footprints not of "Legion", but of a quad-pedalled weapon. The multi-purposed sensors scanned these scars, and the Ameise transmitted the report back to the main forces. Foxtrot 113 calling for tactical data link. There was confirmation of enemy elements deep within enemy territory. ? The sun rose from the Eastern horizon behind them, passed the Southern skies, and set towards the West. The "Reginleifs" gave chase as they raced through the prairie. The United Kingdom army had bogged down the "Legion" main forces, while the Federation and Wald Alliance joint armies were headed down the south Flower Crane route of the high speed railway, appearing to have diverted the "Legion" attention. The group managed to avoidbat due to Shinn''s ability, and ever since that first battle, they did not encounter any enemies, and were moving quickly within enemy territory. They were in the middle of the battlefield, strangely able to journey on without issues, and every scenery on by the optical screen depicted the "Legion" controlled territory, catching Frederica''s attitude several times. Amidst the forest, there was a flower field with dancing blue flowers growing wildly amidst them. The sunlight shone through the thick leaves, and the bright green of the tender leaves fought for the glittering sunlight along with these flowers. There was a town devoured by greenery, and the shrubs growing freely had cracked past the stone pavements, the trees on the walkways devoured the abandoned cars, road signs, and Holy Maiden figures, while the manyyers of vines pulled the houses down. The delicate flowers were blooming in the Autumn, atop these rusted objects. There was an abandoned vige with houses made of pastel colored bricks, perhaps due to the soil it had, resulting in what appeared to be a country out of a fairy tale. The tall shrubs might used to be a wheat field, and the faded scarecrow stood there, waiting for a certain person to return, or so it seemed. At noon, they rested in the church at the middle of a city, a somber looking vertical Gothic Cathedral . The stained ss windows reached into the ceiling, and glittered beneath the transparent sunlight, casting colors and unlimited blessings upon the empty sanctuary with nobody worshipping. The sun left its midday position, there were were no forests or cities to provide cover the rest of their way. They knew of the dangers, but they darted by theke devoid of shelter. The vast surface of theke reflected an abandoned castle in the distance, and the clear deep blue color of the skies formed a contrast with the massive red flowers covering a tall, white tower. The gales rumbled through the eroded arrow slits, and the lone shadow of a ck bird fluttered its wings forlornly. From afar, one could see its feathers falling as it threw itself to the skies, rising up the chilly wind high in the skies. It was serene and beautiful. Frederica was slowly starting to understand why the Eighty-Sixers thought so little of the Federation''s survival, Humanity''s survival, or even that of theirs and theirrades. If people were to be purged out of the streets, lived on the battlefield, and lived within such sceneries. They would find the world to be beautiful. There was no need for Humanity, for the world remained tranquil and beautiful. There was no ce on this world where Humanity had to be. This world did not need humans to begin with. There was no sce No matter where they were, no matter who they were¡­it applied to everyone. The sun finally set beyond the horizon. Thest lights of this day caused the cloudless sunset to resemble a scorching fire, forming a long shadow upon the vast prairie. The distant mountains formed ck edges by the Southern skies, and in this world with the atmosphere dyed scarlet, the "Juggernauts" dragged their long ck shadows as they advanced through the sea of grass. On the other side of the crimson light, there was dazzling golden light, and at the opposite direction, there were dark shadows fluttering in the wind. Frederica observed this, and spoke up. It was like a sea. It came and subsided like the tide, though it was amon metaphor. "¡­Have any seen the sea?" Nobody answered her words that were neither a question nor a monologue, including Raiden who was in the same unit. "I have not, and know not of such scenes¡­there are many I do not know of. What about you?" The red eyes were staring at the optical screens, narrowing wincingly, yearning for something. "I have thoughts of going to the beach. I wanted to visit what they called the beach, to visit the coast somewhere in the South as seen in the photo of Ernst''s honeymoon, with many people there¡­surely it will be fun." The Federation had no seas. There was one ce bordering the sea during the Empire era, but it was to the North, and was a military port. The only ce where a beach could be enjoyed would be the Southern coast of their neighbour, the Republic of San Mangolia, or countries further South of the Alliance, which were inessible as they were obstructed by the "Legion". A tadter, Krena spoke up. "The sea¡­yeah, I never got to see it before." "Nobody got the chance to leave the residence area. The Concentration Camps might be the first time we got to go somewhere far. I think I spotted it once when I was on a transport heli moving between battle areas, but thinking back, I suppose it was not the case." "Never went to the sea, but there was argeke nearby I used to y at¡­right, maybe those were fun times. There were a few people who went there to y." "I think there was such an activity some year in elementary school. The war started before I could attend though¡­so nope. Never got to see it." Someone let out an immature chuckle on the Para-RAID. "The sea, huh¡­I do want to check it out. Let''s go over once the war''s over." "In that case, I want to go to the Southern inds. The kind with coral reefs and coconut leaves. Oh, and also white beaches." "I''ll like to go see the icy seas of the North instead. Also, I heard that we can walk on it when the temperatures are really low. Might be fun going there." "Well, we can have a look at the sea of stars. That Kujo wanted to organize a moon viewing event, but never got to do it. Let''s prepare for one next time." They were cautious as they advanced, but there were no enemies to be seen, even in the surrounding distance. Soon after, everyone started chatting away, distracting themselves from the tension with some casual talk. There was one amongst them who never participated in their talk, and despite everyone knowing it, never mentioned this. The next night, they arrived at the ruins of what appeared to be a metropolis, and chose to set camp at aplicated looking exhibition hall. Having travelled the entire day, they did their maintenance of the "Juggernauts" before the sun descendedpletely, and when the sun had setpletely, they were done with dinner, and after that, they just had to sleep. The barracks would contain minimal necessities, but sleeping on the ground or concrete is inappropriate as body warmth would be lost. If they had insufficient rest, it would affect them during the battles beyond the next day. Thus, Raiden and the othersid out the foldable beds stored in Fido''s container, covered themselves with nkets, and soon fell asleep. It was notfortable in the slightest, but the Eighty-Sixers were used to such torrid environments. It was not umon for them to spend the night with just nkets in the barracks of the Eighty Sixth Area. But for Frederica, who never slept anywhere else other than afortable mattress bed, it was a little arduous. As sheid down in the thick darkness, Frederica did not feel sleepy at all despite closing her crimson eyes, and finally gave up as she opened them. She twitched about, and snuggled out of her nket, leaving behind the contraption of pipes and canvas that could not be considered a bed, and slipped into her little military boots. The short bed meant that the cold air would reach her directly, and there were worms she had never seen crawling boldly on the concrete floor by the side, vexing her. Having spent the past half a year sleeping without her favorite teddy bear next to her had left her somewhat uneasy. The exhibition hall was centred with a colonnade ceiling leading to the ceiling in the center, a vast corridor, and halls of various sizes. At this point, the canvas of the ceiling was torn and draped, the dazzling stars shining into the room. There was no artificial lights, and the darkness in the deepest parts of the battlefield was an unknown darkness to Frederica. Beyond the other end of the corridor were the folded limbs of the "Juggernaut", and the silhouettes of the people that were sleeping next to it. Beneath the stars that formed a bright, shiny contrast to the night was Shinn, first to keep watch for the night, and he lifted his head. "©¤©¤Can''t sleep?" He was not being wary of the "Legion", but of the wild animals. The wild animals had been isted from the Lebensraum of humanity for over ten years, born deep within the Controlled Area, and never feared them as a result. They shunned the "Legion", which was more merciless than humans in wanton murdering, indiscriminate between humans and animals, and thus, would not approach metals and gunpowder stench easily. However, it was prudent to be cautious on the Eighty-Sixers part. It was said they spent nights this way when they passed through the Controlled Area, unable to build fires. Of the shifts that wouldst a few hours, Shinn got the easiest first shift, probably because Raiden and the others were being concerned about him. Shinn could hear the "Legion" voices even in his sleep, and this responsibility could not be reced. Everyone wanted him to sleep a little longer. "Umu. Apologies for not sleeping even when not assigned to patrol. It does not feel good to sleep¡­" Frederica received a mug of instant coffee from Shinn, and went to sit on the simple bed Shinn was sitting on. Instant coffee and solid fuel that could boil a pot of water were staples of military rations. The warm coffee was brewed using the hot water from the early dinner, and it was very sweet, as lots of sugar was added to replenish the heaps of calories lost in battle. Shinn did not like sweet stuff, and continued drinking from the mug with displeasure. "I feel that instead of having people who cannot use rifles patrol around, you should simply have Fido keep watch." "Pii." "¡­Fido, being active will only be a waste of energy pack. Didn''t I tell you to remain in standby mode until we call for you tomorrow?" "Pii." "¡­.Right. Do as you please." The optical sensor flickered, as though nodding. It apparently had intentions to apany Shinn, and enter standby mode once he was done with his shift. Shinn saw that it was apanying him like a loyal, stubborn servant, and sighed in resignation. Frederica chuckled¡­only to frown thereafter. As they were in the battlefield, she felt that the Eighty-Sixers, including Shinn, were more likely to apany the "Juggernauts". The four silhouettes were all asleep, leaning upon their "Juggernauts". Shinn was basked under the stars, leaning on the "Undertaker", and leaned his shoulder upon the assault rifle meant for defense purposes. Like a toddler hugging a doll to sleep, it appeared he feared the darkness and could not sleep without it. They were trapped between the "Legion" army and their homnd that had oppressed and purged them. They lived through the battlefield, not knowing of tomorrow, and had to wriggle their way out in a twisted manner, while faced with impending doom. Perhaps, unlike their appearances, they were immature somewhere in their mind©¤©¤¡­ "¡­What" "Nothing." Frederica could be said to be the same as them. Averting the simr red eyes, she looked up at the starry sky. Unlike Winter, when the stars glittered clearly due to the cold sinking air, the shining stars of Autumn remained dull, murmuring quietly. The numerous stars blotting the dazzled far away. The heat from the grasnds during the day had vanished without a trace, and the sweet fragrant flowers sublimed into the starry darkness. The night was filled with falling stars, and flower fragrance in the darkness. But to Frederica, it was a beautiful, yet merciless scene. The breath-taking starry sky and the darkness filled with flower fragrance happened because no one lived here. If there were people living here, the feeble starry lights and the fragrance would feebly fade away amidst the lights and bustle of the city. It was like a sandy desert, a fading wilderness. This scene of despair before her was the same as a wastnd contaminated due to certain disasters, reduced to an uninhabitable ruin. Barren it was. She looked aside, and in a dark corner of the space, she could vaguely see an old abandoned bunny doll lying there forlornly. "¡­Is this scene," Perhaps the robots built to be the embodiment of ughter and destruction could not help themselves. Those that died were trapped inside, and they used to be human. "What the "Legion" had hoped for?" Frederica''s words appeared to be a monologue rather than a question, but Shinn had a little thought, and shook his head. "Hard to tell." Shinn could only deduce thest voices of the Dead, and could only deduce from there what they thought before they were trapped within the "Legion". Thements of the mechanical ghosts entered his ears, all of them pleading to return. "¡­Maybe it didn''t hope for anything." They were weapons, tools meant to be used by people for personal wishes. "Those guys are ghosts. Doesn''t matter whether those KIA were taken or not. The Dead¡­never have hopes to begin with." "How do you know?" "¡­I''m the same." He was nearly killed, only to escape the brink of death. Surely somewhere inside him remained dead. Ever since that night, he really never had any hopes. After ying his brother, he had nothing. He had nothing he wanted to do, nor a ce he wanted to head to. He never thought of the future. He looked aside, not looking back at the red eyes staring up at him. He started to realize that he was doing nothing except for running away. "The sea," Shinn was born in the capital of the Republic, Libert¨¦ et ¨¦galit¨¦, and never took a step from until he was taken to the Concentration Camp. He never saw the sea, the sceneries robbed by the "Legion". "I won''t think of looking at it, and won''t think of anything I really want to do, or want to go to. I''m not really concerned by this¡­but at evening, I find it weird that I can''t think of anything ''I want to do'', not even that little thing." He could not think of any trivial, unimportant wishes he could immediately speak of, no matter how insignificant they were. Duringte Autumn the previous year, they went in the opposite direction, advanced through the Controlled Area, and really enjoyed themselves¡­yes, so he recalled, he should be happy. He witnessed many natural sceneries he knew not of, saw foreign cultures as he went through cities and vigers. They stopped at many ces, or chose not to stay. Each time, they could freely decide and advance, the first time they hadplete freedom©¤©¤Shinn remembered that back then, he was the same as hisrades, just enjoying himself. For he thought it was a matter of time until the end came. For he felt that one day, he would arrive at the end of his journey. He thought he would be unable to return anywhere, and without anyone else knowing, would die in battle with the wed aluminium coffin as his resting bed. But somehow, he got saved by his brother, and salvaged by the Federation. Unexpectedly, he lived, and what appeared before him was the long future he never thought of. For him, who should not be alive to begin with, the future was truly, overly long , the objective too distant. The ''freedom'' he obtained was unexpectedly a desert to him. He had no bloodline or homnd, and no objective to guide him. This overly massive void¡­terrified him. It should be the same for hisrades, but amidst the void, they found some little wishes. Not having any wishes was no different from not living. Not hoping for anything was no different from not desiring to live. It appeared he alone had not been living on properly. "©¤©¤I''m not your Knight." Shinn repeated the words he said a month and a half ago, when the strategy was decided, and sighed. "I know that¡­but sorry. I''ve been using your Knight as an excuse." An excuse to return to the battlefield, for he had no objective to ask of. "The fact remains that I want to keep going until the very end, but my brother''s no longer my objective. Right now, I think I need a new objective to rece the old." Hmph, so Frederica snorted. "That is not all, I assume." "¡­?" "You do need to know that you are looking at the mirror in the wrong manner. You do not have a cruel personality, unlike what you think. You could have just left it as ''it has nothing to do with me'', but you cannot turn away even when someone asks you for help, let alone a ghost¡­an all-loving death god you are." She muttered, her sturdy gaze looking looking afar, and not this ce. "At the very least©¤©¤you responded to I, and thus able to release Kiri." Her eyes were fixated on the howling Knight in the darkness of the night. "I do wish to release him, trapped deep within the battlefield, wailing with that pitiful look¡­I hope to be free from seeing that tragic fate repeatedly. What about you?" "¡­No." All Shinn hoped to do was to bury the howling voices deep within the battlefield. Not once did he think of getting rid of them. "So do I," At that moment, Frederica smiled with an expression on the verge of tears. "I am terrified of losing Kiri." She feared losing. She feared©¤©¤. "For I am an unwanted child in this Federation. This country has transformed into a Republic, and for I am a child of cmity, just living means that I am a spark for unrest¡­my absence is best for anyone." The Federation had shifted from a dictatorship to a Republican country, but the ex-nobles that hoarded lots of authority remained in power. Despite arriving at the Federation for no more than a year, Shinn sensed this despite knowing nothing other than the army. Nobles of various tribes upied most of the higher ranks, the two colors Onyx and Pyropes in particr taking up at least half of the general ranks. If those ambitious ones hoping to topple the country over knew of the Queen''s survival, "But I do feel that I have to keep living, so that one day, I can y that Knight of mine. Once Kiri¡­gets in, this excuse no longer remains. I, fear that." "¡­" Even so. There was a need to bury him, to redeem herself, lest she remained unable to move on. "¡­You fear now, unwilling to move forward, for you try to look at your future correct, in the direction filled with much hardship. It is not a shameless thing, and over this short period, you can think of your fellowrades as pirs of support. Comrades¡­are people who stay together and protect each other." "¡­.Raiden said that too." Suddenly. A chilly thought entered his chest. Even if the situation remained as such. Our death god. Yes, those that called him such. Would one day, surely , "Take a move before me¡­huh?" "¡­?" "¡­It''s nothing." The ambiguous words dissipated in the darkness of thete night. ? BMNT1. At dawn, when the sun was yet to show itself, Kiriya awoke from its standby mode, having detected some light around it. The ancient battlefield was cluttered with twisted heavy cannon barrels that stood tall like sword-marked graves of an ancient battlefield. Looking across, the friendly units with folded wings had woken up, the buzzing of the pping wings echoing. The time of the purge had arrived. The Einstagfliege hordes was camouged along with it under the darkness, and there was signs of other "Legion" units under itsmand awakening doens of kilometres away. The enemy did not appear to be moving. A predawn attack was amon, old-fashioned fashion during the pre-radar, night vision era, but it remained effective against the enemy thatcked both. The observed intel by the Ameise was sent, and Kiriya looked into the horizon tens of kilometres away, its optical sensors only capable of seeing the top of the horizon, the armored deck, and the concrete constructs. "Pale Rider to No Face. Beginning sweep operation immediately." The sleepless drone immediately responded. "No Face here. Copy.©¤©¤sending intel from Vast Network ." ¡­Hm£¿ "Enemy forces have been detected in Controlled Area. Coting the situation, it is deduced to be the ones you are tracking. Thus, a search will be done near your operating area." A sneer echoed in the mind. "©¤©¤Understood." So you have caught up, myrade. The fireworks will rise. Until then¡ªhurry over. ? "©¤©¤Let''s go." It was the third day of the mission, thest day no matter the oue. As dawn broke in the azure night, the "Juggernauts" raced out of the abandoned city. With the "Undertaker" leading the charge, the squad formed an irregr wedge formation. They raced across the main streets with the faded five colored gs, trampling upon the ss and concrete shrapnel, leaping over the fallen female statues. At that moment, the skies in the West glowed. Then, there was a bullet impact felt from apart. The tremendous concentrated fire caused the thick dust across the horizon to rise heavily. ""Morpho"¡­maybe not. Probably a Scorpion." "A pretty bad shot¡­but there are no Federation forces there. Who do they intend to hit¡­" Once Ange said that, she, along with everyone else, gasped. Pursuing the rising clouds of dust was a crimson sea of mes, dying the skies where itnded. "An incendiary bomb¡­!?" Incendiary ammunition contained viscouspound fluids, and ignites once itnds and spreads, with the objective being to burn the target down. The Republic and Federationprised mostly of stone structures that were not very mmable, and thus, the "Legion" hardly used them. However, they were more despised than any other weapon. The high viscosity of the napalm allowed for continual burning on the target, and could not be doused out with water. Anyone unfortunate to be sshed with it would end up with a thoroughly tragic fate. Another sh appeared again. On the horizon was a misty forest between the buildings, which was ignited immediately. "Shit, they''re trying to drive us out!" The "Legion" must have realized they were deep within enemy territory. Even though the "Reginleif" was thetest build, it could not advance through the burning mes. The cooling systems could not hold up, and the pilot would surely suffocating when moving through the napalm mes that consumed lots of oxygen. The third shot urred close to where they were. The enemy was destroying all possible hiding spots and routes. "Shinn£¡" "Looks like we have to move out. All hands, prepare forbat. Will make contact with first wave 300 secondster." Shinn affirmed the location of the "Legion" nearby, and upon leaving the nds, he chose the route with least number of enemy forces, racing through the ruins. The Scorpions roared. Bombardments were about toe. The moment they realized, the abandoned city they were at became a target. The roundsnded within close proximity, the trees on the pedestrian pathway hit directly, bing fireballs. The living trees that were hard to burn could not withstand the napalm mes of 1300 degrees Celsius. The mud-like napalm continued to pour on, the mes sublimed the surface, and reduced the surroundings into a sea of fire. The city concealed beneath the night was engulfed in hellfire, ck shadows and red mes swaying. The old building copsed with the mes, and the group escaped the streets by a whisker. "We-we''re discovered!" Near the distant horizon were the silhouettes of the Ameise aimed towards them. The "Gunslinger" immediately shot them down with a cannon, but even so, the surrounding units would have received the transmitted intel before the 88mm rounds could echo. The next moment, the massive army hidden beyond the horizon loomed on, causing even Raiden to gasp. "What''s with those numbers¡­!? Those guys keep showing up like insects every time!!" "Probably shows how important the "Morpho" is¡­the left nk is weaker. We''ll break through at maximum speed." "¡­.Understood." The mes meshed together, summoning gales, and the cmity fusion formed an updraft that swirled heaps of ash into the skies above, resulting in the water vapor above to coagte as water. The sootdened, ckened torrential downpour pelted upon the "Juggernauts", which were hurdling the nds, racing past the low hills and the spiky roads. The incindiary ammunition fulfilled its objectives, and though bombardment had seized, the steels of the grenades continued to be mixed with the rain, pelting incessantly, the metallic shadows quietly appearing beyond the greenery without any footsteps. Thendscape of the hills was extremely uneven, the branches and roots intertwined heavily, preventing the entry of the heavyweight "L?we". However, the Ameise was of simr weight to the "Juggernaut", and continued their pursuit from behind. The pursuing "L?we" forces received intel from the data link, and through the shrubs and branches, they could be seen giving chase beneath the cliff, down the tter riverbed. "©¤©¤Shinn, how much distance do we have left?" "15000 straight ahead. The enemy''s moving and stopping¡­I don''t know what the intentions are, but we should be able to pull some distance. Frederica said. "He is nning something¡­but what is this ce? The cannons positions are fixed, so how can they help on the frontlines¡­" Frederica''s words trailed off as she gasped. Wait¡­so she wanted to say, but there was no time to ask. "Below! They are shooting!" A "L?we" below turned its 120mm cannon turret towards them. The two front legs were lifted, and the cannon was fired at this irregr angle of elevation. "¡­!" The cannon hit the ground beneath the feet of "Laughing Fox", in the middle of the wedge formation, and "Snow Witch" at the back. The dirt that was lifted exploded up into the sky, and as a follow up, the Scorpion bombarded them. The 155mm calibre mortars were capable of decimating the sturdiest of fortresses, and caused the damp dirt holding up the hills to be ripped apart, crumbling and falling. "Ah¡­!?" The "Snow Witch" was caught in the copse, and fell. "Ange!?" "¡­I am fine here. The unit is not damaged¡­but." After falling for at least 10 meters, the "Snow Witch" finally stopped at a t ce, pulled its limbs from the ground, and turned around to look. The red optical sensor quickly scanned the copsed slope, and nudged to the left and right. The "Juggernaut" sensors were in tracking mode, and Ange inside was probably shaking her head. "Sorry, I do not think I can climb back. I shall try to dy the enemy here¡­Fido, leave all the spare missiles pods!" Fido immediately braked to a halt, nearly tripping over as it opened the container on its back, allowing the missiles pods contained within to fall down the slope. The remaining four "Juggernauts" tilted back to nod, and continued their advance to avoid falling down. The Ameise pursuing them evaded the shots, and tried heading down a different path. There was no way to stop thempletely at this point. Fido meandered around, trying to catch up to them, and there were explosions to be heard from the riverbed behind them. It was the noise of the anti-tank mortars with lit fuses, piercing through the weak top armor of the "L?we". Following that was the second and third explosion urring echoing. The "Juggernauts" continued to move beyond 100 kmh in such treacherous terrain, so fast that such loud noises were left far behind. The slower Ameise were left in the lurch, but upon realizing that they could not catch up, they requested for aid through the data link. The "Legion" units several kilometres before them seemed to have changed direction immediately, and deployed a formation on the projected path, trying to cordon the "Juggernauts" off. Seo, hearing the same voices through the Para-RAID, sneered. "They''re stilling¡­another 10,000 to go. These guys are going to be a nuisance when we make it to the "Morpho"." The group darted beneath the dark clouds pelting rain of faint in, down the gentle slope. Waiting for them was a fungal-infected bottom of the hill, the little grandeur stone city appeared before them. They invaded the ruins, and raced past it The moment they broke through, "Laughing Fox", covering the rear, immediately turned around. As he spun in a half-turn motion, he fired the wire anchor into a nearby building, and spun the unit back. The building was worn down after nine years of degradation, and the pir was urately destroyed. The building let out a boom as it fell onto the road. And the rearguard "Laughing Fox" was separated from the other "Juggernauts" before him. The "Legion" units sensed the tremors of the copse and the defeaning booms, moving towards it. Upon hearing that, Seo cackled. "After this is an open field, right? I''m useless at such a ce, so I''ll be a decoy here! ¡­I''ll try to dy them, leaving the rest to you guys!" ? The invading squad broke into two. Both sides were caught by the surrounding forces, and engaged inbat. "©¤©¤Understood" Kiriya heard the report form the Vast Network, and could not help but sigh. Technically however, it had no mouth to exhale, no lungs, and could not sigh to begin with. They were somehow caught by the worthless small fries. As someone of the Nouzens, that person really was too careless. However, the cool-headedness to use hisrade, the rearguard as a sacrificial decoy while he continued his pursuit, was something to be praised for. Contrary to the report received, the rangy and potent anti-air radar caught intel of a group of enemy units. Not the enemy unit fighting the "L?we" in the hills, not the unit scampering around in the ruins, but a third group that was unidentified. There were four enemy units, and looking at the response, three of them should be the Federation''s newest field dress. "©¤©¤Pale Rider to Vast Network." This might be the unexpected reunion with itspatriot. How could it allow for the small fries to get involved? "Begin regr bombardment schedule. Shall cut off allmunications until schedule isplete." It chose not to transmit the obtained data, and disconnected after this message. Even so, the enemy was bringing along unwanted people. Thus, it would deal with them first. ? "©¤©¤Evade! It is firing!" Frederica''s shriek could be heard from the Para-RAID, and the "Morpho" screams intensified. Shinn instinctively pulled the stick up, and at the next moment, the cannon hit the side where the "Undertaker" jumped from. The shockwaves from the supersonic cannon knocked the unit aside, the scattered ground pelting upon it like a shotgun. "¡­!" Another cannon shot was fired at them. Amidst the grasnds of dawn, the hills rippled like the stormy seas, and there appeared to be a hail of machine gun fire ©¤©¤no, the rapid fire cannons continued to bombard them the three "Juggernauts", which rolled aside to evade. It was capable of rapid fire¡ªNo. "CIWS, huh?" He had seen the railgun strike on the first battle zone of the Republic, during thest battle before they reached Federation grounds, and the concentrated fire that wiped out FOBs of the Western Army that were wiped out. What he had witnessed was a lot weaker than those. The assistingputer had diagnosed the initial velocity at a simr 8000 meters per second. The ammunition quality, the caliber was probably smaller than the main cannon, and in return, the cannon possessed rapid fire capabilities. It appeared the "Morpho" wasprised of railguns, even the anti-air defense systems aimed to shoot missiles down. Ultimately, it was the right decision to bring Frederica along, so Shinn bitterly thought This "Morpho" was once her Knight, and thus, she was capable of detecting the attacks faster than Shinn. The distance between them was approximately 7000. Any shot from the enemy Railgun wouldnd within a second, and any sign in this battle was a precious advantage. The tungsten hail fired at extremely high velocities contained fatal amounts of energy, sweeping the battlefield without rest. The three "Juggernauts" leapt, retreated and rolled, using all their instincts and skills to evade. The "Vanargand" would be unable to withstand a piercing round fired at such velocity, let alone these aluminium coffins of a "Juggernaut". They had no choice but to keep evading. "This guy¡­£¡" The cannon paused for a few seconds due to overheating, and Krena clicked her tongue as she ramped up the sniper cannon of the"Gunslinger". She aimed at the enemy on the other side of the hill with the precision nobody else could mimic, and fired. The torrent of shots bombarding them stopped sith tentativeness. "I''ll distract them! Hurry up and move! I''m firing scattered shots! It''s not going to cause much damage!" Krena fired a few covering shots, and once thest shot was fired, she hopped away a few times from the "Undertaker" and the Werewolf", pulling her distance greatly. The hail of bullets swept at where the "Gunslinger" was, pursuing it while it was firing back, luring more shots away from them. "Hurry!" "©¤©¤Please." At that moment, Krena smiled proudly. "Leave it to me." ? Beyond the hill, the enemy unit did not stop firing. Looking at the interval between the shots, it appeared there was only one unit. The radar lost sight of it it as it had hidden itself in the shadows, but at thest observed moment, there were four units. The obnoxious distractions would follow soon. It would be too much hassle to deal with this sniper along with the enemy. There was a need to quickly eliminate it. It got up, twisted its body, and aimed the optical sensors to the back. Buzz, a bluish white snake of electronic raced through the long and massive barrel base. ? At that moment, lots of noise filled the optical screens. "What''s going on¡­?" "It''s not jamming. Probably just an EMP." Saying that, Shinn noticed. The Railgun was a weapon that elerates a projectile using massive amounts of electrical power. When it fires, surely it would cause an EMP to its surroundings. The "Morpho" screams intensified. "©¤©¤Krena! That''s enough. Get away from there!" There was a sh opposite the hill, and a boom echoed into the skies behind them. "Krena£¡" "Kyyaaa!?" Something, probably the shrapnel from a massive cannon shot that self-destructed in the air rained down quickly, letting out a shrill wind-cutting sound along with the impact. The blip of the "Gunslinger" disappeared, and Krena was disconnected from the Para-RAID. For a moment, the others were taken aback. The "Morpho" seized this opening to unleash its CIWS, sweeping the skies in a fanning manner. The supersonic arrows of metal immediately blotted the blue skies a color of steel, forming a diagonal torrent raining upon them. There was no time to evade. Both of them got their units to duck, and reduce the surface area open to bombardment. Despite that, the left front leg was blown apart by the cannons. "¡­!" "Raiden£¡" Frederica screamed, holding back her pain, and the "Undertaker", trying to stand up, stopped what it was doing. Looking over, Shinn found the "Werewolf" sprawled on the ground, unable to get up. "¡­You injured." Shinn was not asking, but affirming. They were connected on the Para-RAID, but the unit was severely damaged, and the two legs on the right were blown off, the cracks in the armor reaching deep into the cockpit. It was unlikely they were unscatched inside. "H-he was protecting me." "I won''t die from this¡­sorry, but I''ll have to fall out." The good thing about a multi-pedalled machine was that it could move despite some damages. However, there was a limit to the movement range when the legs on one side was blown off. ¡­It would be better not to have Frederica remain in the "Werewolf" which had no means to fight. "Fido. Get Frederica on board." Fido teetered over. It did not take a direct hit, as it was quite some distance from the others. Despite that, the legs were a little immobile and damaged, probably caused by the shrapnel or the shockwaves. Shinn knew it would be cruel tomand this to the garbage collector that was in this condition, but he said, "If I''m beaten here, get Frederica and return back. Don''t worry about getting any of the others. Make sure she gets back to the Federation." "Pii." "Shinei!" Fido responded with an electronic sound, as though nodding seriously. Frederica tried to protest, but Shinn ignored her as he continued, "Look, you''re scared of losing him, but you want to save him, right? That''s why you have to live on." "¡­!" Frederica pursed her lips, and nodded. The Canopy of the "Werewolf" was lifted, and the petite figure hopped off, running towards Fido''s opened container, before hiding inside. Cockpit Shinn looked towards the figure a hand taller than him, and nodded despite knowing thetter could not see him. "Don''t die." "¡­Yeah." With the vague murmur as a response, thest unit, the "Undertaker" raced off. The remaining distance was 3000. He got around thest mound. And appearing before him was a vast blue sky. Chapter Volume 3 9 The true form of the blue color was butterfly wings. The countless butterflies opened their blue metallic wings, causing the entire horizon to be dyed blue. They were the Edelfalter, simr to the Einstagfliege and the Atomaria units, "Legion" units installed with sr panels. The mechanical butterflies scattered like frozen blue fragments, piling up, and fluttered their azure wings amidst the blue faint darkness that camete in the day. They flew aside in fear as the white spider invaded its territory. The countless heavy barrels stood on the ground as graves, monuments to the scars of the battles it fought, the radiance of the ss lights fluttering wildly like petals. Behind them, A single "Legion" unit stood tall on the 8 railways running down multiple lines, possessing a massive body like the mythical Dragon, bearing a cannon at least 30m long. That was truly befitting the name of the railway gun, thergest cannon in history used at the end of the Great War. The pitch ck armor module resembled dragon scales, the rails forming what appeared to be ance aimed towards the heavens. The equivalent of the head contained optical sensors as blue as ghost mes, and the 6 CIWS, the six barrelled 40mm Vulcan Cannons continued to spill rising hot air amidst the high heat. Thergest of the mass produced units, the "Dinosauria", paled inparison to it, for it was at least 11m in height, exceeding 40m in length as it stood beneath the dawning sky. The four wings formed out of weaved silver threads appeared to be conts , the faint lights of the stars spreading throughout the skies. The "Morpho". Its sensors and Vulcan cannons were primed at the "Undertaker" leaping out from the hill. The enemy radar might have lost him in the hills, but he was unwilling to take risks as he approached cautiously, moving in a crisp manner. However, How na?ve. There was a second jump, once itnded, the braked immediately. The actuator was designed to be lightweight and sturdy for high mobilitybat, and thus it screeched. The enemy had anticipated the "Undertaker" to move, and had aim before it, but was at a loss in the face of this unexpected motion. The optical sensors were focused fully towards the enemy. Once he sensed that their stares met, Shinn squeezed the trigger of the 88mm cannon, having aimed beforehand. ? What''s with those movements©¤©¤! The enemy unit leapt before the blue lights of its subunits Edelfalter, with the agility of a wild hunting beast; such movements left Kiriya bbergasted. The enemy unit crouched down, and leapt diagonally forward, before turning directions in midair,nded, and braked. As a member of the strongest warrior family of the Empire, Kiriya once had a personal field dress, but even it wondered if there was a pilot inside upon seeing such ridiculous movements. The aim of the 88mm cannon was as precise as it could be, primed back at it. The abnormally shaped field dress appeared like a pure white nightmare shing by, like a white skeleton seeking its lost head as it crawled about. Etched upon the bottom of the canopy was the personal mark of a a headless skeleton raising a shovel. Ahh. The brimming thoughts were clear and concise, with some mad delight. For some reason, there was some relief. So it''s you. So you''re the only one able to make it to me. Now that''s more like it. It sensed that the enemy had squeezed the trigger. It was an overly sharp, cold killing intent that was as natural as breathing, and Kiriya could identify it distinctively, even though the opposing armors were 3000 meters away from each other. Nothing else would be as interesting. ? "¡­Too shallow?" Shinn muttered as he saw the ck smoke rising from the armor module, the railgun still standing. The shot could not pierce the interior, and there was too much mes from the explosion. It was an explosive reactive armor (ERA). It reacted to the explosion of a HEAT Warhead, and used the shockwaves of the explosion to create a storm of metal fragments that protected against armor piercing. It was considered a unique kind of armor. It was a staple of the "Legion". A thinyer of armor capable of defending against grenade shrapnel was pretty decent for the usual specifications of the heavy cannon, but it appeared this unit had deliberately ignored this point. The reinforced sturdy armor ensured that it would not be easily destroyed. A HEAT Warhead was ineffective. Looking at it, even an APFSDS fired at a logically effective range would be unable to prate. But even so, He was fighting in the same aluminium alloy walking coffin as he did fighting the "L?we" and "Dinosaurias". The stare and killing intent was directed towards him. The massive frame was overly heavy, and it could not get off the rails. It maintained the direction it was facing, and the six cannons were spinning about like independent objects. They were going to fire. Without a second thought, Shinn instinctively got the unit to turn left. Muzzle sh followed, and the ground to the right of the "Undertaker" was bombarded by machine gun fire. Shinn spotted this in the corner of his eyes, and had his unit to retreat from the second wave of shots, before hopping off to evade the pursuing third round of fire. The Vulcan cannons could unleash a thick hail of fire through its six rapid fire cannons and the exceptional firing rate, but expended too much ammunition as a result, and overheats easily. In other words, it could not fire rapidly for a long time. The six guns crossed fired, and the "Undertaker" advanced between the hail of enemy fire with dizzying fast movements of little jumps and sudden brakes. The deep bellows of the cannons riveted the belly, and the supersonic bullets zipped through the air shrilly, but neither of them could rattle the increasingly cold bloody eyes. The stoic, robotic red eyes were only showing the optical screens and the dim lights of the holographic windows. The surviving Eighty-Sixers had spent countless years fighting on the Eighty-Sixth Area of the Republic, under extremely dire conditions, and it resulted in their personalities funed forbat, the only difference being a matter of subconsciousness. In battle, the youths humanity were eroded away, and ironically, they became simr to the "Legion", fearless fighting machines that knew no fear and fatigue. Such an effect was exceptionally obvious with Shinn, who was proficient in closebat and shed with most enemies on the frontlines. He darted through the hail of bullets, his mind focused to the maximum, and he lost all elements of an ordinary human. All the unwanted thoughts and emotions, conflicted thoughts, regrets,ments, anguish, were frozen by him, banished to the bottom of his consciousness. The frozen heart was calm, thinking that it was a lot more rxed. Inbat, he did not need to think of anything He could forget everything. It was the most relieving thing for him. He felt he could rte with the Knight he never met, which was standing in his path. He could understand where the madness of the soul who lusted after conflicts and murder came from. Yes, for it got its release¡­by bing like that. A firing path appeared between the gunfire. The left rear cannon ceased to fire for the time being in a bid to cool its part down. The system followed Shinn''s sights, automatically locked on, and once the reticule turned red, he squeezed the trigger. The "Morpho" itself might be fortified with reinforced armor, but the cannons were not. The Vulcan cannon was hit directly by the HEAT Warhead, blown to smithereens. The dark red industrial fire and the sparks cut through the dawning sky. A bunch of Edelfalter units scattered in a panic, and the "Undertaker" cut through the dancing blue clouds and the mes it caused, racing through. Rtive distance, 2000. It was within the range of the 88mm, the main tank cannon designed mainly for precise aim. Such a close distance was no different from a fight against the "L?we" and the "Dinosauria". At such distances, it would be impossible to think of evading a tank cannon with an initial velocity of 1600m per second, or a railgun with an initial velocity of 8000m per second. A Vulcan cannon could not spread its fire at such a close range. No matter how fast it was, the "Morpho" did not possess the monstrous mobility of the "L?we", and as thatrge cannon and firing mechanism was stupidly big, it ended up being a bigger target. Shinn kept evading the hail of fire as he approached from the left. There were 3 Vulcan cannons on each side, and as long as it approached up close, the massive frame of the Railgun would be an obstruction, blocking the three guns on the other side. Half the cannons were sealed off, and the only way to maintain such fire density would be to keep firing. One cannon went silent, probably having depleted its ammunition. Another cannon was giving off ck smoke, exploding and breaking apart, probably due to overheating andck of cooldown. Rtive distance, 1000. ? While that person was tainted with the blood of the witch, he might truly be worth being the heir of the Nouzens, thest of them. Faced with the Vulcan cannons that were literally firing at a hundred rounds per second, the white field dress was somehow able to dart through the invisible gaps, and advance rapidly, leaving Kiriya amazed. The enemy was deftly moving down the fine line of death that was thinner than a shaving de, moving forth calmly. Also, the enemy possessed cunning intellect that sealed off and wear down its own weapons, and terrifying decisiveness that allowed it not to falter in the face of everything. If that enemy had been back at the Empire, and served its master along with it back then, its forefathersnds might have continued to prosper. If it could be captured and absorbed. Kiriya leered at the tactical instincts of a "Legion" seeping into its thought processes, and beat it back. Capturing the enemy alive was a lot more taxing than simply shooting it down, more so when the enemy was this strong. The rtive distance was 1012 meters. The enemy was approaching. Truly, it was the right decision. The 88mm cannon was smaller than themon 120mm tannon cannon, and at such a distance, it could not prate Kiriya''s sturdy armor. But in any case, the reckless manner it was closing the distance. Was truly haphazardly suicidal. One might even say that it was barbaric, no? ? Fido was hidden in the hills, and Frederica awaited within its container, watching the two battle with her ability. Back when she was at thest bastion of the Empire, she had ''seen'' her Knights fight many times. Besides Kiriya, there were other Nouzens. She had seen several members hailing from the proimed strongest family of warriors, fighting impressively in their personal suits, but Shinn was particrly impressivepared to them. He had the attributes of his bloodline, along with the innate talent, forged through the battles of deaths for over five years, such that he might have the best ability of his generation, or even the history of his family. But nobody knew if he himself had hoped for this to happen. If he had fought Kiriya while thetter was born, it was likely Shinn would win despite the difference of four years between them. But Kiriya was no long human. It became a tactical weapon possessing a powerful main cannon of 400km rang and 800mm caliber, with a stronger armor than the "Juggernaut", and Vulcan cannons mounted upon it. Fighting it up close with the close ranged specialized "Undertaker" was already a bad decision to begin with. Whenever the "Undertaker" tried to approach, it would be forced to retreat and jump back, yet it continued to dart through the trails of fire, continuing to advance. The moment there was a mistake in decision making or the unit controls, the game''s over. Just watching it left Frederica''s heart wincing. "¡­Pii," The container was shaking from time to time. It was due to a restless Fido teetering on the spot. The loyal scavenger had witnessed its master face off against the steel dragon, fearlessly and recklessly charging alone, and might have thought of heading into the battlefield, exposing itself to enemy fire, luring the Railgun, and creating an opening. But it did not do so as Frederica was inside. Just in case, make sure she gets back to the Federation no matter what. That was what its only owner had ordered. "¡­Sorry" "Pii." Fido was acting like a good tempered hunting dog, and Frederica indignantly smiled. She felt that she had to witnessed the battle, and again concentrated with her ''eyes''. Then, she noticed. The Nouzen knights used to pilot personal field dresses, instead of the "Vanargand", and had requested for calibration ording to their demands. The "Reginleif" possessed light armor and high mobility, and of all the field dresses developed by the Empire and the Federation, it was an anomaly unbefitting of the times. Throughout the Federation and Empire history, the emphasis had always been on heavy field dresses possessing heavy armor and high firepower. The field dresses Kiriya and the others used were no different. The heavyplex armor was saddled with the heavy 120mm tank cannon, along with an extremely heavy frame and an actuator to support them. Kiriya once piloted such a field dress, but was able to get it to gallop using a high output power pack and the abilities he crafted, trampling upon the frontline enemies. That was the manner Kiriya fought back then Such thoughts appeared within her mind. Her memories beckoned, recalling what Shinn''srade said on the day of his unfortunate demise. ©¤©¤ You heard of the legendary moment when Shinn got a zero? ©¤©¤ During the mock battle ofbat training, he got the "Vanargand" to jump. It might seem like an impressive maneuver, but back then, Frederica was not surprised in the slightest. For she knew. She knew of a person who could do the same thing¡ª She leaned forth without thinking, not staring at the scene that was happening in her realistic eyes, but rather, Kiriya''s silhouette which her ability caught sight of. The heavy armor prevented the piercing from the 88mm cannon, and there was the massive 800mm caliber cannon. Therge and heavy body of the dragon was supporting everything. There was a need for train tracks, eight of them, to get it to move, 4 times the number of tracks for an ordinary train to support that heavy, massive frame. But even so, How was it possible for Kiriya not to perform the same stunt©¤©¤¡­!? "©¤©¤! Shinei, this is bad!" Truly, the weakness of a long ranged weapon was an attack up close. It was not as easy as it sounded¡­but in many cases, what a long ranged weapon would give up was theck of flexibility in close rangedbat. But ironically, Kiriya was assigned to a long ranged cannon, a weaponpletely different from its characteristic. Would Kiriya, not one to fight like this to begin with, let the enemy capitalize on its weakness so easily? "Do not approach carelessly!¡­ Kiri used to be a close ranged pilot like you!" The massive dragon leapt. The countless iron pile-like legs of the arthropod kicked hard at the metals, and most of the massive body left the ground like a venomous snake lifting its head up high. At its apex, it spun its body around, and the avnche of steel copsed onto the train tracks facing the opposite direction. The train tracks weighed hundreds of kilograms, but were snapped apart by the sharp toes, smashed in by the massive weight, and broke immediately, flying into the air. The enemy actually changed its movement methods. Some explosives modules on the armor broke off and fell. The main cannon should not be appearing on the frontlines, and should not moving that way, which clearly resulted in internal damages. However, by sacrificing these. The three anti-air guns in prime condition were pointed at Shinn. "©¤©¤What," Amidst this feeling of extended time, Shinn sensed that the enemy had primed its guns on the "Undertaker". He was caught in the line of fire, and had nowhere to escape no matter which direction he went. The 800mm cannon that remained still started to spin, primed to deal the finishing blow. The base of the cannon was giving off a purple light, showing that it was done charging. Deep within the darkness of sharp shing swords within the cannon, a familiar vengeful voice was sneering shrilly¡ª "©¤©¤Shinn! Back down!" Right at that moment, the "Morpho" cannon took a direct hit on the side. The fuse was activated, and exploded. The cannon of this massive monster was forced to stumble due to this unexpected attack. Another wave of sweeping shots from a machine gun struck at it again. The "Werewolf" had used the wire anchor and its remaining left legs to climb the hill, and was firing full auto. The "Morpho" directed its attention towards there. ©¤©¤You''re in the way. The "Morpho" bared its indignancepletely, and as it took the brunt of the attacks, it turned its massive main cannon while giving off a loud rumble. At that moment, the railgun let out a deafening roar ripping through the air, loud enough to shake the atmosphere. The "Werewolf" took a direct hit, and was blown apart along with the hill it was standing upon. Shin did not know if Raiden managed to escape in time. He seized upon the opening when the reticule of the main cannon and the consciousness was distracted, and escaped the Vulcan fire. However, the three guns were simply a tad slower, and pursued his escape. The 18 barrels continued to re away arcs of electricity, and the "Undertaker" was forced to retreat in the face of the sweep firepower, hoping away. The Fire Control System (FCS) auto aim functions would ensure that the anti-air guns of the "Morpho" would automatically track its enemy that was within range, and not lose sight. The rtive distance was once again a thousand. The three guns should have been neutralized, yet they remained unscathed, along with the main cannon. Now this, He unwittingly gave a sneer. Might be checkmate. The notion appeared for a moment in his mind, but conversely, his dormant eyes and his awakened fighting instincts were hastily seeking a breakthrough. The Vulcan guns had been silent for a long while, trying to cool down, only to begin spinning again before his eyes. The sh of thin ice seemed such a long moment despite the short moment. Both of them got ready to sh, like a quickdraw of swords or guns. Suddenly, There was another person synchronized. ? The Federation RAID device, was developed based on the imnts and the earcuff data chip used by Shinn and the other Spearhead Squadron members. The registered contacts in that device waspletely erased when they were dismissed from the Republic army, but data that was simply erase could be restored just as easily. The yful researchers had reinstated the original settings into the Eighty-Sixers'' RAID device. There was no way anyone else could connect to them, let alone discover it. It was all a joke, a homage to the Republic that developed it. But the settings were the settings. Once the conditions were set, it would work as normal. For example, the contacts registered in those settings. If all the possible contacts connected to him had their Para-RAIDs activated. ? "©¤©¤©¤©¤Calling all "Juggernauts" on the wall!" Shinn did not recognize the voice back then. The RAID device was developed through a different technology, and the voice that should be clear was intermittent with noise, thus, "Coordinates 120, distance 8000. Firing anti-armor mortars! -Fire!!" Following that, the "Morpho" was bombarded all over, exploding wildly. They were not destructive sts caused by 155mms or 203mm cannons, capable of ripping through inferior armor through shockwaves. They were small mes of explosion, little calibers. However, there was an exceptional amount of shots, one more akin to a downpower than a cluster of fire, and the number of cannons mobilized remained impossible to count. It was likely they were continued bombardments from tank cannons, as the sts flew at near ground altitude, at a speed far beyond the responsive vision of the naked eye. The heavy beast was unable to move as it had wrecked its railway tracks, and was pelted upon by the heavy fire. The anti-light armor mortars could not possibly break through the sturdy armor of the "Morpho". However, the tremors and shockwaves triggered mes along with the shrapnel hitting the ERA, causing the massive dragon to remain still in a daze. "Keep firing. Retreat at your own discretion if you are being counterattacked!©¤©¤To the unknown unit there!" The unteral call sounded extremely ambiguous, but for some reason, Shinn knew that it was calling for the "Undertaker". "You are trying to approach the enemy now, right? We will stop its movements. Attack when it stops!" The bombardments continued, causing shockwaves and explosives. The ERA erupted into mes. The tremendous shes and impacts continued to overwhelm the "Morpho", temporary numbing the nanomachine CPU, jamming the potent anti-air and anti-ground radars. The short-range ballistic missiles seized this moment as it arrived in the sky above the "Morpho". The fuses on the outer shells were activated, and exploded, the self-forging fragments rained down upon the "Morpho" as a rain of spears, hammering and prating through the armor, the remaining Vulcan cannons, the engines, and the countless joints. For the first time, the massive beast had its legs broken. The long and massive steel frame appeared to be in agony as it first tilted back, before falling over. The massive weight fell directly to the ground, the shock absorbers in its joints unable to withstand the blow as itnded with a loud, booming thud. "Cease firing for now! ©¤©¤Advance now!" Shinn did not need to be told so. He raced forward at the fastest speed possible. Within a matter of at least ten seconds, he closed the distance between them, and sharply leapt forth, evading the Railgun''s line of fire as it turned around, and finally got into the close ranged distance he specialized in. Suddenly, he felt a jolt running down his back. He instinctively pulled the stick, and got the field dress to halt. He did not foresee the enemy''s movements; instead, the action was due to him realizing the the enemy. But even he was unable to execute any more maneuvers at that moment. As he looked up, on the main screen, He saw a patch of fractured silver rip through the air. ? ©¤©¤Don''t underestimate me! Kiriya was zing all over, perforated by the hail of scorching fire, but it did not stop fighting. It shook its body, shaking off the ERA fragments and the mortar shrapnel that had fallen into the gaps of its armor, before inputting the executemand. I can still fight. At the very least, I''m going to murder everyone even if I''m going to die with them! ©¤©¤Why? A strangely calm voice echoed in its mind. It''s its own voice. The voice from four years ago. Back then, it had a body that could have continued to grow. Its voice had cracked a long time back, but did not sound fully matured, and showed no change as it maintained the same voice it did four years ago. Why go this far? Why continue to fight this much? Why ughter everyone? Why are you not sparing the one kin of the same bloodline, whose name and face you know not of? Kiriya had lost the mouth to curl lips with, and the throat to raise a voice, but it smiled. Kiriya had no face to show that smile, but even it did not know if it was crying or smiling. Why else? This is all it had left. It could only fight on. This battlefield was the only thing it was left with, the battlefield it devoted itself to, and razed down. What could be called a soul at the bottom of its heart was burned away, leaving behind a hollow, and the endless mes of war. Kiriya''s optical sensor spotted the approaching enemy, and aimed it towards the cockpit. Any ordinary person would have shrivelled back and evade the lines of fire, but thepatriot continued to approach with no regards for its own life. You, Kiriya unwittingly muttered while overwhelmed by its thoughts, and noted something unexpected. You''re like me. You have nothing. So rather than end up like me. ? The true form of the fractures was countless wires. The four wings loosened wildly, forming rapids of silver that swung forth at lightning speed. The wires were merely hair strandspared to the massive dragon, but each of them was as thick as a child''s arm. The severed wires pped upon the ground like whips, or were etched deeply into the ground. One such wire grazed the front the "Undertaker" braked from, and the uplifted dirt was stuck firmly onto the right pile driver. At that moment. "¡­!" A purple sh fizzed by, followed by shockwaves. All the optical sensors, the gauges, and the holographic windows were disabled. The "Undertaker" was knocked aside by the purple electricity that struck the ground, but barely managed to stay upright despite nearly tumbling over. The main screen quickly regained functionality, followed by the gauges. However, the holographic windows remained faulty. The gauges managed to recover from the random values it showed, and most of them were blinking red alert lights. The stench of burned parts entered what should be apletely encased cockpit. Shinn looked up at the "Morpho", and saw that it was growing countless wires from its body, headed in all directions, its main body hidden within. The wires were for close rangedbat¡­it appeared the "Legion" had enacted all countermeasures possible to prevent the loss of the "Morpho". The countless wires were refined for anti-tankbat, the destructiveness concentrated on a miniscule point, with the n being to puncture surgical holes on the thick enemy armor, and the tank cannons truly could not take them all down at once. These wires appeared to be stabbed aimlessly into the ground, but in fact, the metal fences gave no room for the "Juggernaut" to wiggle into, and obviously, a bullrush into the wires would end up with it ensnared, let alone a failure to snap any of them. "Confirmly that the Capacitor is still functioning¡­conductive wires. This is truly a problem." The voice from the other end of themunicator was tense. Perhaps such an oue was not anticipated. "Do avoid touching the wires. The enemy''s energy resources are capable of maintaining the massive frame and the Railgun running. It is unlikely that your armaments and actuators can withstand the energy¡­your armaments are for close quarters, and it is not a hazard you can remove." Then what am I supposed to do? Shinn did not say it, and the owner of the voice did not hear it, but she seemed to have nodded. "Yes. So, for that." It seemed that the owner of the voice had narrowed her eyes coldly on the other end of themunicator. It was a tone filled with a sharp de-like, proud desire to fight. "Our side shall handle it somehow." And once again, missiles flew in at that moment. Several wires bent like a whip, pping out at the side of the cannon closing it. The wires mped down on the missiles from the side, and easily diced them up. The missiles falling upon the enemy were not filled with potent solid explosives or rocket fuel, butrge amounts of thick, viscous fluids that were mud-like. Such fluids rained in from the air, andnded right upon the "Morpho" thanks to gravity. The fluids did not flow down, and instead stuck on the surface, turning the ck armor and silver steel into a filthy mud color. And then. "©¤©¤Five seconds. Two, one¡­ignite" The timed fuse was activated. The napalm sshed upon the "Morpho" was ignited, which was then engulfed in mes. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!? A voiceless scream shook the air, along with the tremendous fire scorching its body. The incendiary cannon strike was unexpectedly a payback of the attack the "Legion" had unleashed. The railways were destroyed, the "Morpho" lost its legs, and could not move aside as it twitched about. The remaining joints left the tracks and stomped onto the ground, but the ground beneath it could not withstand its weight exceeding a thousand tonnes, causing it to sink into the ground and topple over. Humans can be burned to death at a mere several hundred degrees, but unlike them, the "Legion" was made of metals, and would not be burned to death even in a hellfire of one thousand three hundred degrees. The excessively thick armor ensured that the heat could not prate into the core of the unit, and no pilot would suffer asphyxia. Despite that, humans still had an instinctive fear of fire, and that fear terrified the massive steel dragon. The napalm mes clung onto the "Morpho", and the purple electricity running through the wires began to vanish. The high temperatures might have caused the circuits to break automatically, or that the metals at high temperature became less conducive as a result. The wires might have lost the inductive electricity, and ended up being normal, heavy wires. The massive dragon writhed and roared, tugging the wires out from the ground, iling them about. The transparent red of the mes was etched into the indigo backdrop of dawn, as it iled wildly and irregrly. At the same time, Shinn pulled the lever, and advanced forth. The "Undertaker" was apparently jolted by electricity. On the other side of the fire, the azure optical sensors of the "Morpho" were aimed at him. They were locked on, and all the wires swung up the sky in unison. The tip of the ws reared back at the top of the arch, remaining still as it looked up at the sky for a moment, before mming down. The wires had just chopped the missile shells like butter. Shinn could sense the face of a certain person on the other end of amunicator paling. "Is it still moving!?¡­Not good. Please get away from there!" No. The bloody eyes clearly saw the angle and timing of every wire swinging down in this tempest of shes. As he gave his utmost concentration, each move felt like an eternity. He could see every move clearly, which path he should take to the " Morpho", how he should sever which wires. The wires remained engulfed in mes, and did not have much inductive electricity left. In that case, They were merely bullets that were slightly faster. He jumped low and sharp. The first shnded right before the silver field dress. They shed. Shinn raced his frequency de just a moment earlier, and sliced the wireing in. At the same time, he hoped to the side of the second strike that missed andnded into the ground, cutting it off. The third and fourth strikes came in diagonally from left and right, between intervals, and Shinn took them on in the opposite direction, slicing off the rain of ws and spears that fell like the rain, before racing off. Another batch of wires tried to m down from high around, but the small caliber mortars flew in an arc from afar, fizzing beside them, and upon flying by, the timed fuses were activated, causing them to explode. A few shockwaves urred beneath the shes, forming invisible shields that deflected the wires, and the "Undertaker" darted beneath them. Faced with the sweeping horizontal sh from the wires, Shinn used the heavy cannon that was stabbed into the ground like a grave as footing, and leaped up high. The "Morpho" might have deemed it a foolish act as it had nowhere to escape in midair, and raised what might appear to be the final strike from overhead. Ahh. I really can''t deal with this kind of people. He recalled a conversation he had with Frederica. He really could not handle such headstrong people. It felt as though he was forced to look at something he was missing, something within him that was twisted, and he hated it. He fired the wire anchor. The anchor sank into the the burnt armor, and he immediately reeled the wire, falling at speedparable to a plunge, not a freefall. The highly raised sh grazed the fixed joint right de, and lopped it off the de itselfpletely. Using that as the one sacrifice, Shinnnded on the back of the massive dragon. "Frederica.©¤©¤where is your Knight?" Shinn asked a question that needed not be asked. Frederica''s wish, her will, was for her Knight to be yed. While he was the one to squeeze the trigger, it was Frederica''s responsibility to make the decision. He could sense a little shiver from Frederica on the other end of the Para-RAID. "¡­¡­Kiri is" At that moment, an illusion appeared before Frederica. She was back in the Adlerhorst, the old residence of the Royal Family she was not particrly fond of. Therge, majestic twin winged shaped side rooms surrounded the courtyard. Kiriya was dressed in the ck and red uniform of the Empire, scowling as he told off a certain person standing before him. That person of mixed blood was of simr height to Kiriya, with bloody red eyes, a few years younger. He showed no interest in Kiriya''s lecture, and thetter''s words fell on deaf ears. Kiriya in response got louder. A bespectacled youth, the older brother of the mixed blood, then came forth to coax them down. It was a scene that did not ur in reality. Frederica''s ability allowed for her to witness only the past and present that had urred. This should be an illusion borne out of her wishes. But if this war did not ur. It was said that the eldest son of the main Nouzen family married a Pyrope princess, and was ostracized by the families for intermarrying, escaping to the Republic as a result. Without such forsaken traditions. If the Empire could have been a little friendlier to its people, to the other countries, to theirrades. Such a wish might have urred. She was the one person left of the one family capable of doing this. The young Empress pursed her pink lips. At the very least, she could start from this point. "There is Kiriya," After a moment of hesitation. Frederica did not escape the responsibility of killing off a confidant when requested, despite it being a ghost. "Behind the main cannon©¤©¤between the first set of wings." Shinn looked around at the vast back of the "Legion" unit he had scaled, and spotted a maintenance hatch poking out slightly at where Frederica had pointed. He severed the wires harassing him from the wings, and raced through the zing napalm fire. The "Morpho" let out a deafening roar. Like a centipede sprayed with acid, it kicked off with the remaining legs it had, shaking the body hard. The heavy mass weighing over a thousand tonnes shook, and the lighter "Juggernaut" nearly got thrown off. "Damn¡­£¡" He spread the four legs wide, and activated the pile drivers. The piles that were fired sank into the "Morpho" armor, and Shinn was jolted by the tremendous whish, such that even he, already used to high mobilitybat, gritted his teeth. In return for that price, he fastened the "Undertaker" down, and secured a firing line. At the same time, the "Morpho" turned its body around, its cannon raised and pointed upsides like the Beast challenging the Heavens. Thergest surge of overloading electricity flowed through the Railgun. Ruptures echoed the air as electricity ran down the barrel. Shinn understood the intentions, and widened his eyes. That guy''s, Trying to take me with him¡­!? At that moment, he did not sense fear nor emptiness in his mind. All he felt was relief for some reason. This, Should be the end, right? Bang! An extremely light sound caused the battle to end for a moment. The sound was a handgun shot. It was far from effective distance, and truth be told, it was hard to tell if it was hit. It was the final weapon to defend against the "Legion", one powerless against its armor, and only used for blowing a person''s brains out. The "Legion" instincts was to massacre all enemy presences, and the cracked optical sensors red over. The "Juggernaut" had identified it as an unknown target, and its system automatically zoomed in. It was Frederica, standing on the grasnds with blue butterflies dancing, her hands raising the handgun. Her lips were moving. "Kiri" "At that moment, the steel dragon clearly saw its master, the Queen." "Princess" It was a deep, relieved voice. And before it, Frederica lowered her raised handgun. Then, she pointed the hard handgun towards her temple. What now? Are you not going to stop me, Knight of I? I shall die. She stood at a position where she would surely be caught in the self-destruction, all just to stop him©¤©¤¡­. "Princess£¡" The killing intent of the "Morpho" immediately dissipated away, along with the electricity filling the cannon vanished, And at that moment, Shinn squeezed the trigger. From a corner of his eyes, he saw Fido reach over and nimbly grab Frederica with the crane arms. It turned and ran away at the fastest speed possible, not taking the time to put her into the container. The shot was fired, and itnded. The APFSDS possessed a tremendous amount of kic energy as it punctured through the armor and the inner constructs,nding right on the CPU, causing the burning effects of a depleted uranium bullet core. The "Morpho" was burning on the inside. "©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!!" The flowing nanomachines of the brain were burned as the "Morpho" screamed away. The deafening scream got Shinn to wince. The steel beast was giving off dark red mes. The flowing nanomachines were torn apart by the mes, turning into silver ash as they fluttered. That sight reminded Shinn of his brother melting away before his outstretched hand. He could not convey thest words he really wanted to say. Neither the hand nor the words could reach his brother. Frederica''s Knight, encased within the "Morpho", was wailing away. It called out for the one it truly yearned, with thest word it said in life, with the hatred against everything else. Princess. Princess. Princess. I finally reunited with you again©¤©¤¡­£¡ "¡­That''s enough," Shinn muttered despite knowing the words would not reach it. The outstretched hand could not reached his brother that was burned to crisps. The calling voice could not reached his brother that had departed from him. The Dead belonged to the past. There was nothing refutable about that. The Living, pushed towards the future and dragged along with the flow, could not interact with it. Thus, "It''s pointless for you to stay behind, and you have nowhere to do. Just disappear already." Suddenly, ck eyes were turned towards him. Those words were filled with some sadness. Aren''t you? The same here? Like me, you have nothing left¡­ No, just now. Just then, you intended to die together with me, right? Before he realized it, that thing was right before his eyes. Shinn felt a chill. It was the same face. Shinn might have thought he was seeing his own face as he did not recognize the appearance of this youth he was unacquainted with. Maybe they did resemble each other so much, Frederica ended up mistaking them for each other. Or perhaps that was not Frederica''s Knight. That was¡­ The face had ck eyes, which were different from Shinn''s, and they sneered coldly. It was a color of darkness, one of the New Moon in Winter. The same color as his brother''s eyes on a certain night. Yes. You have nothing. Nothing to protect. No ce to return with. You have no wishes, no objectives, nobody you can call for before you die. You have no reason to continue living. The outstretched hand grabbed at his throat. It was not his brother''s hand. It was not that of Frederica''s Knight either. The hand was rough, used to wielding guns and armored weapons. It was his. The palm was choking at his neck, the fingernails scratching beneath the scarf. It was the scar his brother left on him. This scar that was left¡­was the one proof that his brother truly existed. The ck eyes sneered. Didn''t you struggle to live so that you can y this? Isn''t it because of that, that you managed to somehow survive? So you finally seeded, right? That means, You''re unwanted. You''re not needed on this world. And now you don''t have any reason to keep you alive, right? So that''s the case, Why¡ªare you still alive? A snicker followed. So you think that by ying this, it''s all over, right? You think you can end it all here, right? But, You''re still alone. You''re still left behind. "¡­!" What he recalled. Was the back of his departing brother, dressed in the camouge uniform. The "Juggernauts" that were blown up next to him The faces of his helplessrades as he shot them to relieve them from their miserable fates.   ; Why? Why is it that everyone, Just leaves me behind, And die before me? The "Legion" had implemented multiple countermeasures to prevent secrets from being revealed if captured, like a paranoid-level of encryption, or a blowoff panel. The "Morpho" in particr was their trump card after all. A specialized sensor had detected that the CPU took fatal damage. An independent controlwork activated the self-destruct sequence. The objective was not necessarily to destroy the enemy along with it, but the high potency of the explosives could thoroughly destroy a unit weighing a thousand tonnes along with the 30m unique alloy barrel. The destructiveness of the explosion scorched the butterflies on standby by the side, and burnt the back of Fido, which crouched over while protecting Frederica, sending the "Undertaker" atop it flying like wooden scraps. ? It appeared he had passed out for merely a short moment. He opened his eyes, and upon his cracked, contorted optical sensors, he saw the azure sky as it dawned. The more he looked up, the more difficulty breathing, and he pulled down the lever to open the canopy. He knew there was no one outside, and even if there were, he did not mind. The frame might have been twisted, and the canopy seemed jammed for a moment before it opened. The real sky remained uncorrected by theputer, showing a heavy azure ready to weigh down on everything. It was a dazzling blue, apparently going to fall and crush everything. He heaved a sigh, leaned his head on the headrest, and closed his eyes. For some reason, he feltnguid. All this while, he had determined that any advance was a form of pride, that the Eighty-Sixers should fight till the very end, until they were worn out and killed in battle. That was what he intended. But truly, after ying his brother, he was merely wandering around for a ce to die on the battlefield called the first area, where he had thought he would die on. He had hoped that the mechanical ghost of his brother, which had departed before him¡­could kill him off given that he was no different from a ghost. If you haven''t been around. That was what his brother had said in the past. Later on, a few others said the same. But even so, as he had the objective of putting his brother''s soul to rest, he was able to live on. He had to bury his brother, and could still allow himself to live on. Once he lost that objective, Shinn had no reason to keep on living. ©¤©¤You still have a long, long life to live. Those were thest words Shinn did hear from his brother. Those were the kind words of farewell that should be impossible to hear, yet granted to him beyond death. Surely Shinn''s brother gave its blessings, regretting that they had to go their separate ways. But for Shinn, it was a curse. He had a future to live for, a very long time. But he never hoped for such a thing. In fact, he was anxiously hoping to die in a mutual kill with his brother on the First Area. But, Brother. Why did you leave me behind strong>again? Why, again, didn''t you bring me along? If you did, I wouldn''t have such feelings¡­. "¡­"! He eked out a voice resembling either a beast''s growl, or a whimper. The shut eyelids started to heat up, and he covered it with one hand, but nothing flowed out. The Death God. Shinn never hated this moniker of his. He had promised his deadrades, whom he had fought alongside with, that he would treasure the memories with them, bring them to the very end, and never regretted it. However, Why was it that every single person, Left him behind, alone. And selfishly left before him? Please do not leave me behind! He could hear a certain person''s crying voice. If he was able to say so, would there be anyone willing to stay by his side? He could see the carcass of the massive dragon burning away slightly before him, scorchedpletely ck. It was the final resting bed of the unfamiliar Knight who was the same as him, yet different from him. It was the fate of the ghost without blood ties, no hometown, and no residence other than the battlefield. It was the fate of a ghost that had be a "Legion" unit, and yet still harbored thoughts for a certain person. If he became a "Legion" unit, he had have no name he would call out for. No name at all. This left him extremely empty within. He heard hasty footsteps approach him, and though he was too tired to raise his eyelids, he nced over. Frederica stepped in through the gap between the blue ss, her hand on the edge of the cockpit as she looked up at him. "Truly you are acting like a dead person ready to be buried." With those words, Shinn merely snorted back coldly. The cramped cockpit was a coffin for the dead, and thepis ss were the burial flowers. "¡­I guess." "What do you mean, I guess¡­callous as you are about your life." Her eyes were red, and she could not hide the tears flowing down her white face. The stern frown she tried to maintain looked so deted. That uppity attitude of hers remained for only a short while, before her shoulders dropped with a sigh. "©¤©¤Sorry. The gun you entrusted me with¡­" Shinn looked at the little hands handing the gun over. The gun might have been hit by shrapnel, and there was arge crack from the extractor breech hole to the front of the frame. It appeared to be deep into the chamber, and was damage that rendered it useless. "¡­.Yeah," It was the handgun he kept with him to end his deadrades, one he was reluctant to give up even after arriving at the Federation. But surprisingly, he had no feelings over it. He took the gun with one hand, and tossed it outside. The fusion of metal and enhanced resin flew out, in between the gaps of the blue butterflies, and let out a light thud. Frederica was taken aback, and looked at where it flew. "¡­! Why discard," "The insides and the barrel are cracked. It''s not a Federation model, can''t fix it." It used to be a Republic model, but the manufacturer was of the Alliance. It was possible to find parts, but Shinn was not that keen on keeping it. Frederica looked over at Shinn dumbfoundedly, and then towards the fallen gun. "Why¡­did you not use that handgun all the time to end yourrades? That is the proof of the bonds between you and yourrades. Even if it is broken, you should not be throwing it away¡­!?" The hollow words left Shinn chuckling. Bonds? "Whatever¡­in the end, I''m just using those guys as an excuse to return to the battlefield." He said he would bring them along¡­but he was just wandering around, looking for a ce to die. Surely they did not want to be dragged along on this stupid journey. "That!" Frederica tersely noted, her face contorted. "That is not what you should say¡­you bore everything for them, not for such reasons¡­" "¡­" "What do you hope to abandon now? The promise with your deceasedrades, the pain you feel flowing in your soul¡­what do you think it is?" She was bawling. In the light of dawn, he could see clear tears flow down the cheeks. "Cold is your heart, and the the feelings with yourrades are burning, hurting you. If you find it an ordeal too much to bear, everyone will share it with you, so can you try relying on those around you a little¡­those around you left you behind, leaving nobody for you to rely on, but that should be a matter of the past¡­" Upon hearing Frederica mention something he never spoke of, he narrowed his eyes. It was a result of her ability, so much so that she would involuntarily witness it. In a certain sense, it was unavoidable, especially since Shinn could not control his own ability as well. However, he was displeased that she was talking as though she knew everything. "¡­You''re peeping again?" "Fool. You have been thinking about the Dead¡­you pretended to have given up on them, but you continued to bear them, and I saw as a result. You never abandoned any single one of them, and never forgot them¡­and you say you give up on them, you big fool." Grrr, Frederica clenched her fists, and with the back of her hand, she crudely wiped her tears away, turning back to look at Fido, which was slightly afar, on standby. "Fido, retrieve the handgun this fool just discarded. I too shall help to find it, make sure you find it." "Fido, don''t mind. We don''t have the time for this." Faced with such conflicting orders at the same time, Fido''s optical sensors appeared to be rolling its eyes. "¡­Pii." It looked towards Frederica for some reason, awaiting further instructions. Before she could continue, Shinn grabbed her by the scruff like a kitten, and tossed her into the cockpit. "! What in the world," "Of course we''re going back. The unit''s all damaged, and I can''t handle any new enemies." Though the enemy was far away from here, Shinn sensed that the "Legion" had begun to move due to the anomaly it detected. The four pile drivers werepletely wrecked, one high frequency de was snapped and blown far away, and the drive systems were overloaded for long periods, indicating alerts. It really was in no state to fight. He was fine with dying here, like this, but he had to get Frederica back. He had to affirm, but the main forces of the Federation should be making progress. He could try to avoidbat and try to regroup with the main forces¡­but then, what? What else could he do? A tadter, he realized it was a dumb question. It was meaningless of him to ask this dumb question. The war against the "Legion" had not ended, and surely they would engage again. As long as the war did not end, he would have to fight¡­and one day, he would die in defeat, just like that. Why fight?¡­for what reason does he fight? He was never able to answer this question. He had been subconsciously avoiding this question. If he had answered that he wanted to die, what would be the expression of Eugene, who raised that question? If he wanted to die¡­he should be the one who died back then, and not Eugene. The incessant thoughts were interrupted when Frederica suddenly embraced him. "¡­What now?" "What, you ask? Fool¡­once we regroup with friendlies, you are to request for a break and rest for a moment. Lest you will soon¡­" The morning air in the North outdoors cooled the bodies, and the warmth unique to children got Shinn really hot, and very annoyed. But for some reason, he did not want to push Frederica aside, as he looked up at the sky while she hugged him. It was a bitter azure sky. It''ll be great if the sky falls, so he thought. The sun rose. The blue butterflies were shooed by the morning sun cutting in, pping their metallic wings. Thepis air instantly became a tempest. His vision was filled with glittering sparkles, which were seemingly attracted by the skies as they flew away. Butterflies. No matter the civilization, areas, eras. They were said to symbolize the dead souls that had returned. He unwittingly reached his hand out, and naturally, grabbed nothing. He looked up at the blue lights that quickly blended into the skies¡­a sighter, he input instructions into the system to close the cockpit. The canopy was sealed, and the beacon lights were lit. Unlike the Republic''s units, the cockpit had an air lock to withstand biological and chemical weapons. The system that was in suspense mode was rebooted. The holographic windows showed various information, finally working normally, and the dimmed optical screens lit up too. The screens flickered a few times, and suddenly, there was a sh of red. Long red petals fluttered in the wind. They were the Licorice that were trampled upon by the blue butterflies, lifting their long and thin petals and their long stamina exhibiting the crimson crowns in a radial manner. It was a colony. During this season of bloom, there were no leaves, and the blooming Licorice formed a distinct crimson sea of flowers. So the wind blew, and the flowers swayed like mute demons. The red petals trampled under the metal limbs fluttered in the air, dancing fleetingly. Amidst this endless radiance of crimson, Before he knew it, there was a girl with silvery white hair and eyes, dressed in deep blue army uniform, gasping lightly. ? She witnessed the pure white light shing apart the night before the dawn on the screen, located in the control room of the Grand Mur''s intercepting cannons. The bottom end of her legs was buried in the crimson carpet of Licorice, and she stopped moving towards the field dress of unknown affiliation. The concept of the design was likely to be different from the Republic''s field dresses. The nimble four legs resembled that of an Arthropod''s, and the streamlined armor resembled polished white bones. Its armaments included an 88mm cannon with a gun mount arm, and a high frequency de that was snapped and flung far away. It possessed the functional beauty of a high performance weapon, primed to maximize its killing abilities, and a cold, vicious beauty or a prized gun or sword, ready to execute in actualbat. But for some reason, Lena found it to resemble the "Juggernaut". It was akin to the ominous vibes of a white skeleton, wandering the battlefield, seeking its lost head. She did not know if it was friend or foe, or if it was a new "Legion" model. However, At the very least, it was the enemy of the long distance cannon type, which had crushed the Grand Mur with its railgun. That was why she took the initiative to call for covering fire. While the other party did not respond, it did work together to take the same enemy down. Later, she saw that it was caught in the self-destruction st of the long distance cannon, and came running over. The pilot, if there was a person inside, might be heard. Even if it wasn''t, she should at least say thanks to it for saving them. A path had been cleared across thendmine field before the Grand Mur, but one would wonder if they did clear out 80% of them, which was the military safety regtion. The "Juggernaut" escorting her, the "Cyclops" hurried over, and carried her to this point. The "Cyclops" processor, Captain Shiden Iida watched the unknown unit with the optical sensors of her "Juggernaut", saying, "If anything happens, you better run, Your Highness. Coming to the battlefield without any protection will just hinder us." "No need to worry. It seems nothing will happen" They approached it, and the unit of unknown affiliation stood up. It appeared neither the pilot nor the unit were damaged to the point of immobility. Their eyes caught sight of the personal mark etched upon the side armor, the headless skeleton with its shovel raised. Ahh¡­, Shiden blurted out in shock, a rare response from her "No way¡­!? No, how''s that possible¡­" "Captain Iida?" "You haven''t noticed¡­ah, I see. You haven''t seen it before¡­" "¡­?" Shiden then kept quiet. And the unit of unknown affiliation turned its red optical sensors towards them. "What, you ask? Fool¡­once we regroup with friendlies, you are to request for a break and rest for a moment. Lest you will soon¡­" The morning air in the North outdoors cooled the bodies, and the warmth unique to children got Shinn really hot, and very annoyed. But for some reason, he did not want to push Frederica aside, as he looked up at the sky while she hugged him. It was a bitter azure sky. It''ll be great if the sky falls, so he thought. The sun rose. The blue butterflies were shooed by the morning sun cutting in, pping their metallic wings. Thepis air instantly became a tempest. His vision was filled with glittering sparkles, which were seemingly attracted by the skies as they flew away. Butterflies. No matter the civilization, areas, eras. They were said to symbolize the dead souls that had returned. He unwittingly reached his hand out, and naturally, grabbed nothing. He looked up at the blue lights that quickly blended into the skies¡­a sighter, he input instructions into the system to close the cockpit. The canopy was sealed, and the beacon lights were lit. Unlike the Republic''s units, the cockpit had an air lock to withstand biological and chemical weapons. The silver haired girl stood in the sea of red flowers. The hem of the dark blue army uniform was scorched and torn, apanied with arge assault rifle strapped over her thing shoulder. The eyes were of the same color as her silvery hair, which were covered in soot. There used to be a monthly air resupply, and an asional redeployment of bases. Each time, he saw the colors he did not want to witness, but finally got used to. The Republic of San Magnolia''s, The people who drove them Eighty-Sixers onto the battlefield, deployed them to various intense battle areas as thetter had lived for far too long, and ordered them to ultimately die. The silver hair fluttered in the wind, and the silvery white face reminded Shinn of a young girl whose face remained vague to him. That face was reminiscent of a boy of the same age as him, dressed in steel colored uniform, and he gasped. If only you had died instead. He hurriedly averted his eyes, and saw the ck armored "Juggernaut" standing there, the aluminium coffin he used on the battlefield called the Eighty Sixth Area, and gasped again. The horizon behind it remained vague, albeit a silhouette of a cold grey concrete structure¡­that was probably the Grand Mur. He sneered. He thought he was moving forward, but ultimately, he was simply wandering around at the same spot. Frederica in his clutches lifted her head, her petite body shivering, enduring the agony, it seemed. However, Shinn pretended not to notice as he pressed the speaker switch. ? "©¤©¤I presume you are themander of the San Magnolia Republic army." It appeared to be damaged from the battle against the long distance cannon, the external speakers was severely faulty, and the voice was hard to hear The tone sounded aloof and stoic. "Yes. And you are¡­" "This is a unit affiliated to the Western Army of the Geade Federation Western Army, 177th Mobile Division Headquarters." In stark contrast to the extremely polite tone, the voice remained cold and aloof. If the affiliation was correct, then he¡ªmost likely a male despite the heavily damaged speakers¡ªshould be a soldier of Geade that was an enemy ten years ago. It appeared a political change had happened to warrant a change of title, and the "Legion" had be a mutual enemy of them, but it did not necessarily imply that the other party viewed the Republic army as one of them. He was unwilling to give his name, probably because of some insecurity, or that the Federation army he spoke of intended to keep this confidential¡­however, the Eighty-Sixers would never tell the Republic citizens of their names if they were not asked, and Lena herself no longer thought of it as an act of insolence. "To maintain the Federation''s frontlines, we have implemented the elimination of the "Morpho"©¤©¤the railgun attached "Legion" unit. Thank you for your assistance in this operation." "No¡­.but you alone made it through the "Legion" Controlled Area? Why is such a cruel operation implemented¡­" "©¤©¤" The silent response was a little cold. Hmph. Shiden chuckled on her side of the Para-RAID. Lena too realized something, and clicked her tongue. A single unit, or a squadron, was forced to move through the "Legion" controlled area¡­it was no different from thest order of the mission given to the first squadron of the first battle areas on all frontlines, the special scouting mission which the Eighty-Sixers were all basically forced to be eliminated. And to think she could call it cruel. "¡­Thank you for your concern, but the main forces of the Western Army is approaching behind. I suppose contact will be made." "I see. Thank goodne¡­" "Will you like toe along?" "Eh?" "I suppose our forces can protect a few people." But unlike what he said, he soundedpletely indignant. It sounded like he had realized the Republic''s predicament, knew that over the past two months, the Republic''s defense lines had been forced back, and was being worn out in terms of territory and fighting strength. Because of this, what he wanted to ask was, do you have any intention to run? However, it was without any intention to humiliate, nor was there any sarcasm. It was simply an empty voice. Like a lost child who was weary, rooted, not knowing where to go, and had no idea where he came from. But she was a little miffed. That tone seemed to have implied that they had no intentions to fight. It was ridiculous. "No. I cannot abandon this country¡ªnot the subordinates who fought under my charge. Even if we do suffer defeat due to inability¡­I am going to continue fighting here." Lena boasted. And the Federation officer gave a chuckle. What was said was truly ridiculous, and Shinn was left gobsmacked. Fight? A Republic soldier, who kept hiding within the walls of her country, and watched its demise? No, more importantly, "For what?" He was surprised that there were others still alive, but the fact remained that the Republic was wiped out. The only weapons used to fight the long ranged tactical weapon were the few tactical weapons and the "Juggernauts" armed with short ranged weapons, and given the insignia of the self-proimedmander girl, it was likely she was at most of Captain. It was unlikely that she was a high ranking officer, just a lower ranking officermanding the troops. The few talents and fighting strength werepletely exhausted after two months. ¡­If the Major was still alive, Would it be her standing at this ce? Shinn had such a momentary notion, only to shake his head, thinking it was pointless. There was neither reason nor need, or the strength, for that matter. So even so, why fight? For what reason? "Are you seeking death? ¡­in that case, you shouldn''t be fighting, you know?" He could hear the silent mockery in his words. But he wondering, who was he really directing those words to? "In that case, you shouldn''t be fighting, you know" The cold mockery seemed to be directed at both parties, and the voice sounded disdainful. Lena clenched her tender hands. "! I might not have enough strength, but I too¡­" Does it mean she cannot fight if she had no strength? Does it mean she cannot live on if there is no meaning? It was preposterous. She nced aside at "Cyclops", which remained there, the overly feeble "Juggernaut" clearly inferior to the Federation unit before her. There was a group of people who fought with these flimsy machines as their only partners, their final resting beds, and kept fighting to the very end even after knowing there was no way for them to survive. Those words were humiliating them. There was no way she could remain silent! "There was a group of people who said that they would never do anything as shameful as kneeling down in defeat. Until their lives end, they would never give up. They would continue to fight until the very end, giving their all. That was how they lived, and they believed I could do the same. So we¡ªI," ©¤©¤ If one day, we arrive at the end of our journey. To repay those words, the feelings that were entrusted to her. ©¤©¤We shall be on our way, Major. Shinn. You once said this to me. So one day, I will surely catch up to you. "I want to keep fighting, to catch up to them, who lived their lives fully, to bring them further on¡­I am the defense forcesmander of the old Republic, Captain dlena Millize. I will never run away from this way!" At that moment. The Federation unit turned towards Lena, seemingly shocked. "¡­!? Major¡­!?" The stunned word echoed from the other end of the broken speaker. For some reason, it was not the rank she had just introduced herself with. While the Federation and the Republic shared the samenguage, there were some minor differences in nuances. Military matters-wise, the distinctions remained striking. The same word might not refer to the same rank. After a moment of hesitation and silence, the Federation soldier said, "©¤©¤They''re all dead. What obligations do you have for the Dead£¿" The voice appeared to be concealing its emotions unnaturally, to the point of sounding distant. At the same time¡­there appeared a fair bit of reliance in that voice. Like a lost child timidly reaching his hand out to the person calling out for him. That might be the impression given to Lena, who for some reason, felt that she had to respond. "He said he hoped that I would not forget them." Under the same skies, they were watching different mes. She made a promise that could not possibly be fulfilled, saying that one day, they would watch the fireworks together. At the same time, she was entrusted with their wishes. For the one thing she could do was to repay them¡­ahh, no, not only that. For she did not want to forget them. Lena did not wish for the aloof him, who left so many things behind for her, topletely vanish from this world. As long as she remembered he, he would surely be waiting before her. "He told me of this tragic fate©¤©¤that the "Legion" would start a mass scale invasion, and thus, I could live. He hoped for me to live, telling me that he hoped to meet me one day, that I could continue to fight. Because of him¡­I can continue to live like this." "¡­" "So I want to respond. They may not be around, but at the very least, I hope to reach where they arrived at. I want to follow them, who once lived, and together," The wish for them to survive could no longer be fulfilled, but, "I want to fight©¤©¤I want to bring them to the ends of this battlefield." Faced with these words, Shinn gave a quiet sigh. Those words were not directed at the current him. She remained oblivious, and was merely repeating the embarrassing pretty words he said a year ago, when he had no idea what his true wishes were, and what would be the result of those wishes. But even so, ©¤©¤Because of them. ©¤©¤Together, I want to fight. Those words made him happy. But he grimaced, for he felt that he could no longer give his name. She gave chase after them, fighting alone, and what she should see, Was not the sight of him kneeling on his knees in this battlefield©¤©¤ "©¤©¤Same to you," "¡­Eh," "You too are the same. You fought to the very end¡ªwanting to live, and that''s why you''re here." The sun hadpletely risen. The clear sunshine was shining onto her front. "I think that''s all the more reason for you to be proud of that." On the cracked main window, the girl he met for the first time was smiling©¤©¤. The red optical sensors of the Federation unit was staring at Lena quietly. Upon see the cold lights, Lena felt the cloud of mdies vanish. Within the armor that was filled with the sands of battle, the fatigue, unbreakable curses, the shadows weighing down on the pilot seemed to have vanished. "¡­Major" That person appeared to be fumbling with his words, wanting to say something, and sounding really clumsy. The external speakers remained choppy and filled with noise, and it was impossible to determine the age and gender. For some reason, the voice resembled a youth of simr age to her. "Major, I¡­" At that moment. There was a numbness, as the presence within the armor suddenly tensed. The optical sensor turned to the side in shock, and in the distant Northern skies, silver clouds of Einstagfliege gathered. A tadter, Shiden, in the "Cyclops" next to her, groaned, "Your Highness, this is bad. We got contact with "Mn" of the Grand Mur¡­"Legion" is approaching!" "Not good©¤©¤To the Federation officer, pleasee retreat with us¡­" "©¤©¤No," Kazaa, a shrill noise interrupted them, not from Shiden, and not from the Federation officer. Waves after waves of air-to-air missiles abandoned the sounds far behind as they raced through the dawning sky from East to North, through the silver clouds, and spreading blooming fires everywhere. A second wave seized upon this interval to fire more arcs down towards thends beneath the Einstagfliege, where the "Legion" forces were gathered. The silhouettes of the battle helicopters apanied a power rotor noise as they flew in from behind. The forces of multi-purpose helicopters and transport helicopters then swooped in from low attitude. An external speaker with some choppy noises broadcasted the battle helicopter pilot''s voice in the clear morning sky. "Good work, Lieutenant. Leave the rest to us." The armored infantries rode upon the multi-purpose helicopters and therger transport helicopters, and descended upon the fiery red battlefield. The powerful downburst ripped apart the red petals, forming red patches in the azure sky. They, armed with assault rifles, hurried down the helicopters, and deployed formations everywhere. Through his cracked main screen, Shinn saw one squadron head towards Lena and the "Juggernaut". Lena saw the steel colored armored infantries, and for a moment, was suspicious, but once one of them removed the helmet, she looked relieved. However, she insisted that they relinquish their assault rifles. One might say she was the same as she used to be. Faced with the sudden change of the situation, Shinn was taken aback. After some arguments, the ck "Juggernaut" finally opened its canopy unwillingly, and the RAID device was activated. "¡­You alright, Shinn?" It was a male voice, not of the Chief of Staff, nor the Division Commander that was his direct superior. "Has the cavalry arrived yet? I hurriedly deployed the other frontlines over when the strategy changed." Faced with the strangely gleeful person, Shinn let out a long sigh without thinking. To be honest, he was of great help. But even so, "Ernst. Once we get back, can I throw something onto you?" First off, a paint can. Uncapped, of course. "Ehh!? What''s with that!? I''m just worried for my precious children, why am I treated like this!?" Without saying anything, Shinn shut the Para-RAID down. Soon after, Frederica frowned away as she pressed down on her own RAID device. "So I understand how you feel, but do respond, Shinei. That blockhead''s fake crying truly is annoying." Frederica handed over the RAID device that was tossed aside, and Shinn could only take it unwillingly. "You''re still on the frontlines, Ernst?" "Well, I''m the highest rankedmander of the Federation army after all. All the more reason I should be on the frontlines." "You''re acting as the President, and yet youe to the frontlines. It''s not going to be finally if you die due to a stray bullet." "Acting, you say¡­.anyway, even if that does happen, the vice President can take over. Why do you think the position of Vice President exist" The temporary President continued nonchntly, saying words that were logically sound, but not usually said. "ording to the report of the advanced team, it appears you have made contact, but just to say¡­once the operation ends, the Federation army shall provide aid the old Republic of San Magnolia. The United Kingdom unmanned unit had intercepted a wirelesswork deep within enemy territory, and the three countries have came to this decision after negotiations. It is immoral to abandon those in need, and furthermore, if the enemy builds a second "Morpho", and we leave it within the defensive structures inside the Republic, it might cause a severe threat to the surrounding countries." "¡­" "The Federation will be basically saving yourrades¡­the Eighty-Sixers who have been fighting like you, and thus there was no disagreement. However, I suppose that ce isn''t the homnd you want to return to. If you don''t want to fight for your oppressors, we can watch for the main forces to enter before sending you to the backlines¡­" "No need for that." He shook his head. "I''ll stay. I have no intentions of helping the Republic¡­but there''s a person there I don''t want to see dead." "¡­I see." The legal adoptive father seemed to be smiling at the other end of the Para-RAIDmunicator. "Ahh, yes¡­you havepleted the objective of this operation, so do remember to write a report, Lieutenant Nouzen. There are other children to help write the report this time, so you should be fine." Shinn abruptly lifted his face. "There''re some still alive?" "¡­Seriously, that''s the first thing you should be checking, you know?" Once he heard the interrupting voice, Shinn discreetly looked up to the sky. Raiden. "Didn''t think that everyone in the squad, including the Colonel, survived the entire thing. And I thought you died when you were blown aside and stopped moving¡­well, I was a little worried about you." "And Krena was really bawling out loud there. Seems like the RAID device was damaged during the attack, and she couldn''t contact you at that moment, Shinn." "I wasn''t crying!" "Well, this is not your fault alone, Shinn, but this is the second time you made Krena cry. Enough with the recklessness now, okay" Following that were the yapping of hisrades. It seemed they had reunited. It appeared neither Heaven nor Hell wanted them in. He looked over, and found a group of people dressed in Panzer Jacke waving from the multi-purpose helicopter, and beyond another three kilometres and so, a taller silhouette was approaching nonchntly from what was a hilly region. At least this time, it appeared that, None of them left before him Shinn heaved a sigh of relief, and immediately felt exhausted. The effects of the cumtive fatigue over the past few days and the concentration from the battle before had finally overwhelmed him. He closed his eyes, feeling a little dizzy. Ernst might have realized that, and said, "Good work there, Shinn. Leave the capture of the Bridge fort to the advanced squadron, and have a rest." "©¤©¤Understood" "Also, Frederica. Once we return, I shall lecture your thoroughly. Prepare yourself." Ugh! Frederica immediately gasped. She looked up pleadingly, which was followed with a t response into the Para-RAID. "I''ll send her back in a container." "S-Shinei!? Et tu!?" "Ahaha, I shall leave it to you then, big brother.brother" Ernst chuckled, and disconnected. Frederica pouted without thinking, and turned aside. "¡­I will not return even after regrouping with the main forces. Only when we return to the Federation will I head home." "Looks like there''s no need for a hostage." "Looks that way." Frederica snorted, and lifted her head back, turning towards him. She was seated on Shinn''s legs within the cramped cockpit, and her head was poking at his chest. "That blockhead of amander certainly chose to interrupt at the most inopportune moment. Is it really fine not to give your name? That person was yourmander in the Republic, right?" "¡­I never mentioned anything about the Major to you?" Saying that, Shinn realized something. "Have you forgotten my ability? The power of the bloodline inherited by I is to witness the present and the past of those I know of" ¡­Ah, right. The red eyes were akin to a kitten preying upon a mouse as they glittered away. It appeared to be for the best that he did not ask her the specifics. "The memories I see are the subconscious ones when I ''see'' the other person. When she mentioned her name and talked of you, you were really shocked. I thought that person might have some rtionship with you, so I had a ''look''©¤©¤¡­" It was the worst oue possible. "You said, We shall be on our way, no?¡­it is a good thing that she made it this part. She admired you so much that she made it all the way here, and yet you are unwilling to reveal your identity. Is it fine?" Frederica continued to grin away, and Shinn let out a little sigh. He was miffed that she was ted about being able to tease him¡­but it was the first time he saw her show such an honest expression befitting her age. "¡­I can''t give her my name." Not on the Eighty-Sixth battlefield where he wandered around, seeking a ce to die, and unable to step forward one bit. "She said she''ll catch up to us. She finally caught up, but it''s a bad thing to see us like this. After all these advances, what she should see is," Not the sight of him with knees on the ground, the forehead resting on the ground "Not this battlefield." Good grief, so Frederica sighed.. "Well¡­a male you are after all." "?" "So what I am implying here is that, creatures like you have an obsession of keeping your dignity during such situations." Frederica looked disappointed as she berated Shinn. She nced up at him, and raised an eyebrow. "Have you not noticed? You had answered." Taken aback, Shinn looked back at Frederica, whose eyes were glittering gleefully for some reason. "That person wants to move on, and there needs to be a scenery suitable for it. The path that person shall take will be the path you took¡­so, where shall your final destination be?" You have already answered that yourself¡­so she implied. Shinn looked back at the simr red eyes that were smiling gently. Chapter Volume 3 subc That was their pride, so they said. But they did not know there was more toe. ~Frederica Rozenfort (War Recollections) The crimson color of the Poppies filled every corner of the battlefield, appearing so maddening and beautiful as it appeared to burn everything beneath the skies. The Eighty Six area of the Republic was near the North of the continent, and once the sun set, the cold came. The dusk breeze robbed away the heat of the long battles, and Shinn lifted his head towards the darkening sunset. For over a year, he had been a processor of the Republic''s ''Manned Drone'', the unmanned "Juggernaut". Already, he was used to the surrounding serenity. For that was after everything, both friend and foe, were wiped out. No matter the squad he was assigned to, what weed him at the end was the silence of his inrades. For over a year, the inevitable repeated, and he got used to it. The birds and beasts stopped crying, and nary an insect flew by in this world, for they were intimidated by the stench of smoke and the roars of the cannons, and the world was seemingly encased in peace and silence. The voices of the Dead lingered in his ears, but they sounded so distant and vague. The "Legion" remained hidden in its controlled areas, and it appeared they would not be back for the today. It was reckless of Shinn to remain alone on the battlefield for no reason, but he decided to remain for a while. He, long used to the battlefield, was only 12, in the body of a child that had not grown. The fighting against the "Legion" remained intense, and during the battle, his entire squadron was wiped out. It was no wonder then that he was weary¡£ ©¤©¤"¡­Undertaker. Is there, anyone else?""Undertaker" The pretentiously kind Handler had no self-awareness of being a citizen of the Republic (White Swine). The voice rang, and Shinn narrowed his eyes. The question itself was unnecessary. It was natural that on the battlefield with zero dead, the Processors were supposed to die. The Eighty-Sixers were supposed to die. The walls and anti-personnel mines had blocked off all retreat paths, and upon this battlefield, they fought and died in ce of humans. Even if they could survive, surely they would inevitably die a meaningless death. It was those Republic citizens who had imposed this upon the Eighty-Sixers. The processors had lost their parents, their siblings, and were not protected as they grew up. All they faced was the sheer malice of the Republic soldiers, clearly or quietly hoping for these Eighty-Sixers to die off. They were used to their inevitable deaths, whether it was the next instance, or five yearster. They had to. ©¤©¤Well, if we''re going to die, guess it''s not bad to have our death god leading us there. Once those words were said, everyone. Left before him. Yeah. Maybe¡ªso Shinn thought as he narrowed his bloody red eyes towards the colors that dyed both the skies and the earth. In the first squad he was assigned to, Shinn was the only one who survived the annihtion. The same happened for the next squad, and the following squad, and even this squad. He was always the lone survivor. He knew others were saying he was a monster who could hear the dead and summon death, and he was used to being alienated. Perhaps that was fact. ©¤©¤It''s all your fault. Just as his brother had said. Though that was said. What was left for him was the back facing him as it walked off, with no intentions of looking back. The sun sankpletely, and the sky was dark. He reached his hand out, knowing it was unreachable. Brother. Why did you do this to me. Chapter Volume 3 epilogue "No Face to Vast Network One" "All phases of Operation has beenpleted." "Operation ended. All "Legion" forces in Network are to ceasebat operations." "Retreat to Controlled Areas." ? Oue wise, the first joint operation of countries against the "Legion" since the inception of the war was a sess. They were unable to regainnd from the "Legion" Controlled Area. The probe West into the corridor resulted merely in the dominion of a frontline centered around the old high speed railway, but a consensus from the three countries was that they could expand territories from there. The ¡°Legion¡± had spent many years amassing forces for an all out assault, failed, was forced to retreat, and did not have enough strength to begin another immediate assault again. By working together, humanity could fight against the "Legion". A small step it may be, it brought a great amount of hope. ? "©¤©¤Even so, this is still not an optimistic situation." It was morning in the Federation capital, St. Yedder, snow falling outside the windows. Standing before the massive desk in the President¡¯s office were the Western Army Chief of Staff and the 177th Mobile Division Headquartersmander, who said. "The Western Army had lost 60% of its forces. A regr recement of forces will be insufficient, and we will have to cut down on the education cycle for all specialist cadet schools, officer cadet schools, and boot camps. However, it is it is undeniable that training would be insufficient. The training facilities too will require the same number of candidates, which will result in decrease of the Federation national power.¡± In War, the army was not one to produce, but to guzzle resources and manpower. The age groups of productivity and repoption had been drafted into the military for national defense purposes. Surely the Future National Power would be depleted. The United Kingdom and the Alliance too might be facing the same situation. Both had low poptions, and their situations might be more dire. "In contrast, the "Legion" might have some depleted squads, but the production Weisels and the electricity generationg Atomarias remain unscath. Regeneration abilities wise, they are able to mass produce weapons far beyond our side¡­and it is likely that this will only get worse as the war goes on." "No need to mince your words, Major General. In other words, if we are to continue pushing through with our strategy, given the situation, humanity will lose due to weariness if it cannot regain the entire continent¡­am I correct?" "Yes. Thus, I believe there is a need to revise our strategy¡­" In the short term, if another assault of simr scale was to begin, humanity would be unable to withstand it. They sent in a massive counteroffensive, and destroyed the "Morpho". Both objectives werepleted, but the initiative remained with the "Legion". It was understood that the Federation had been weary, and made lots of sacrifices. "We are not going to gradually move forth, but to focus on limited offensives. While maintaining our defensive lines, we shall establish a squad, and focus our firepower to eliminate the cores of the "Legion". The Western Army has viewed them as the first candidates, but we never expected you to have the same opinion, Your Excellency" The Federation, formerly a military superpower, viewed them as elite. "We shall create a strike force centered around the Eighty-Sixers, the young soldiers who were saved from the old Republic¡­pardon us, but you have long reviled using those youths as sacrifices for the peace of the country. Does this proposal go against your ideals?" "That''s the case, but they volunteered©¤©¤and hoped to go the frontlines. I had no choice." Ernst looked out of the window, viewing the snowy St. Yedder as he answered calmly. It was an early Winter morning, and the capital was beginning preparations for the Christmas Eve festival. "They have their own ideals, and I have no right to refuse just because I pity them. If they would rather choose to return to the battlefield, I do hope for a fewrades to apany them. And furthermore, regarding Shinn¡­Captain Nouzen, I do hope to keep them in a ce as safe as possible." He nced aside at the holographic email floating in the air as he quibbed. The file of the Federation army''s Gifted had a personal stamp on it. That stamp stood out on the personal file filled with the special notes involving the operation. "The strike force will have to attack the core of the "Legion", and is also expected to provide aid to the surrounding countries. If they are to be deployed around various countries, and be ced under the charge of the foreignmanders, there will be some attention given to them, at least¡­I am not willing to have them beb rats just because they are young capable Canaries." Ernst nced aside, and the Major General''s face was rigid. In contrast, the Chief of Staff snorted. "The unsavoriness of our army has caused this. So that is the scepticism you have, Your Excellency." So he said, showing a malicious sneer as he tilted his head. "But as for that Captain Nouzen, will he be willing to ept having a guest officer as hismander? He will be the direct subordinate. Is he not more likely to choose the current Division, rather than obey themands of his old oppressor?" "I mentioned it to him. He just returned from his break yesterday." The Chief of Staff raised an eyebrow, and Ernst shrugged. Including Shinn, Nordlicht Squadron had participated in the remation of the old San Magnolia Republic administrative zones, but in the battle for the first area, there was a deadlock against the enemy. Thus, the main forces retreated, regrouped with the reinforcements, and retreated. A soldier''s battle efficiency would drop after a certain amount of time had psed in an operation. As a former military superpower, the Federation had forayed north and south, and had a clear understanding of timely handovers and rest. It was temporary, but the youths could finally get some rest. "That was what I too worried about, but it seems there was no need for that. Because ©¤©¤¡­" ? Shinn was dressed in military uniform, for it was an official moment for a soldier, and the military ck trench coat draped over it, he strolled down the Federation capital under the snowy clouds. The National Cemetery took up arge area of St. Yedder¡¯s suburbs, and visible were the powder snow was like ash, the skies concealed in a veil of white, yet glowing slightly, and the Lcs surrounding the cemetery, the leaves fallen and the ck bark exposed to the chilly winds. Amidst the monochromatdscape in this snowy veil, the clusters of graves stood, scattered with the uniform-d vestige of various ages and genders, probably of the Western Army soldiers who returned at the same time. It was said these snowkes were the flowers of winter. In Spring, it was the Lcs that bloomed. In Summer, it was the Roses beneath the Lcs that bloomed. In Autumn, the Salvias littered the ground. The heroes who had no visitors to their graves could get an equal yearly amount of floral offerings. Shinn recalled that he had never seen the scenery of the National Cemetery other than the winter season. It appeared there was lots he knew not of. At a corner of the many new graves, Shinn stood before an ordinary one. "©¤©¤It¡¯s been a while,Eugene" Eugene Lantz. Etched on the stone grave was the name and the gap of seventeen years between his birth and his death, and it remained silent in the tranquil morning of therge cemetery, covered by the thinyer of snow that fell over the night. "Sorry for beingte." But Eugene was not there. Half the body was left behind. His will and memories were no longer inside. Shinn could hear fragments of the lingering wishes and thoughts of the Dead who remained. For him, it was not a difference of values or religions, just a matter of fact. There was no Heaven, and no Hell. All the Dead, without exempt, would return to the darkness at the bottom of the world. Thus, Shinn was not talking to anyone else but the Eugene in his memories. Even so, Shinn needed this in gravestone with only a name just to hold a personal conversation, which he found a little unfathomable. Inscribed on the gravestone was his name, birth year and death year. Once all who knew him disappeared, he would be rendered merely a record. The Federation soldiers that returned to the void wanted graves to remember them by, and back on the Eighty Sixth area, the 576rades entrusted their redemption on small aluminium fragments. What they truly wanted after death was probably not the graves however, but rather people to remember them by. "The Western frontlines remains as it was when you¡¯re alive.¡± He ces the flowers he bought at the entrance before the grave. The Federation was in the middle of a harsh winter, so the flowers were white Lilies raided in a greenhouse. The tender white color looked exceptionally white whenpared to the polished ck granite gravestone. The granny selling flowers knew he was a soldier; after all, he was dressed in military uniform. This is a gift from me, so she handed another bouquet of flowers to Shinn. On this snowy day, the granny arrived early in the morning at the entrance of the National Cemetery, where the KIAid asleep. She pursed her lips, lifted her head, as though it was her mission to do so. "The surviving Eighty-Sixers of the Republic have all been protected by the Federation, and the army has decided to start a new squad centered on them, specialized in piloting "Juggernauts". Once the break''s over, I will be deployed there." Ten thousand men or so in total, arge battalion, in fact. Practically all the surviving Processors volunteered to join the Federation army. A year ago, Shinn and hisrades made the same decision. "©¤©¤You asked me before, why I want to fight." Or rather, Eugene wanted to ask, only to be interrupted, and never got the chance to. Neither Shinn nor Eugene would have expected it to be thest conversation between them. Death remained impartial to all, sudden. That was why the Eighty-Sixers insisted on living to the very end with no regrets, to keep living until they had no regrets, and to continue fighting with this dignity. And they had nothing other than that. "To be honest, I still don''t know. For us, for me, I don''t have the reason to fight like you spoke up. I have no ce to return to, no ce I want to go to¡­and nothing I want to protect." His family was dead, and he was unfamiliar with the inherited culture , the hometown he grew up in was already erased in the darkness of his memories. Furthermore, he used thements of the countless ghost as guides, remembered the memories and souls of his deadrades, and lived on with the goal of ying his brother. It was truly difficult of him to look forward to a future without his brother. The distant future that might not be there, or the tomorrow that should be right around the corner remained so vague, ambiguous, unpredictable. Shinn still had no wishes, nor did he have anything he wanted. However. "But I want to¡­I promised to bring them to the very end, and I guess I know that what I want to show them isn''t the battlefield." There was also a girl he bade farewell to a year ago. Ever since that, she struggled alone on the Republic battlefield, all to catch up to them. It would be overly cruel for her to catch up only to see a battlefield filled with death everywhere. Before he went on the special scouting mission, they had ast conversation that night. Shinn back then had assumed that there would be no aid, but hoped that she could survive, not hoping that she would witness that devastation. "¡­The sea, Back then, the one before him had said that he wanted to show his sister the sea, for she had not seen it. He wanted to show her the unknown she did not see. "I don''t really want to see it, but I want to bring people along. I hope to show them the unknown, the things they haven''t seen. I guess I''ll use this as the reason to fight." This wish could not be fulfilled, for this world was chained by the "Legion". Of course, the gravestone would not respond, and it did not contain Eugene''s soul at all. However, he felt that the approachable, kind peer of his would smile and say, That''s good. "I''lle back again¡­next time, I''ll tell you things you haven''t seen." The gravestone did not respond. Instead, thements of the mechanical ghosts seeped into this tranquillity. The thoughts of therades trapped in the battlefield keptmenting with their final words, wandering around, seeking release. I get it. I''m not going to forget all of you. He turned around silently, and the moment he stepped forward, he vaguely spotted a person in the corner of his eyes. It resembled Eugene, or his dead brother. The moment he looked over, he found a long haired girl turning her head back amidst the fluttering veil of snow, her silhouette resembling Kaie, and yet like the person who had unwittingly caught up to them. He left behind the Dead that had returned, and gave pursuit to the ghosts that wandered the battlefield, along with hisrades-in-arms who had not returned here. The heroesid in eternal rest, silent amidst the powder snow that fell as they watched the Death God walk away. There was always an old granny at the entrance before the "National, Cemetery", and she would always give Nina a bouquet of flowers. Nina''s little body hugged the bouquet of Lilies that were too big, and walked down the path to her brother''s grave, which she was already familiar with. Over the past half year and so, Nina started to slowly realize that dying meant that her brother would never return, and would never meet her again. It was said her brother was killed, and in other words, a certain person caused him to be unable to return. It made her sad, despondent, crestfallen, and so she wrote a letter to that person, but till this point, she did not receive a reply. That might have been a bad person, and did not respond, or perhaps the letter did not reach him. It was said this ''war'' was really terrible, and many died, just like her brother. Maybe that baddie died too. Nina thought that if the baddie met her brother in Heaven, he could say sorry to her brother. Her brother was a kind person, and surely the baddie could be forgiven, and they could be friends in Heaven. Because hating a person would make a person feel angry, painful, not a good thing. At that moment, she noticed a pile of soft milky white before her brother''s grave, different from the cold white snow. She teetered forth, carrying it¡­they were Lilies, and the snow had yet to pile on them. Someone must have offered them just now. She looked around, and within the gaps of the grave, a person that had walked far away entered her sights. That person was a little taller than her brother, a boy of simr age. And like the brother she saw for thest time, he was dressed in a steel-colored uniform. She recalled seeing that person somewhere. She recalled him having fun with her brother. "¡­Erm," Without thinking, she called out softly, but the voice could not reach the other end of the snow veil. d that you came? d that you remembered? Or are you d that you managed to make it back alive, unlike my dead brother? For some reason, the young Nina felt a strong urge to say something. "Erm,¡­thank you very much¡­£¡" The voice was sucked into the snow, and the young girl, not knowing how to shout, could not convey her voice. But even so, she felt that the vague silhouette at the other end of the powder snow turned his head around slightly. ? The "Juggernauts" and their loyal follower, were buried in the Spring garden at the very end of their journey. The young officer of simr age was dressed in the steel-colored uniform of the Federation army smiled calmly. "Pleased to be of acquaintance, but not exactly. This is the first time we are meeting though." As for why those words sounded so ted, Lena did not know. "It has been a while, Handler One. Geade Federation Captain, ex-Spearhead Squadron leader, Shinei Nouzen." She waspletely dumbfounded. Lena''s silvery white eyes widened as she looked up to the youth who introduced himself. He was of simr age to her, just graduated from officer cadet school, and promoted twice at such a young age, already the rank of Captain. He had the pitch ck hair of an Onyx and the bloody red eyes of a Pyrope, a handsome white face to the point of aloofness. Lena never knew of his appearance before. The photo they left for her was too crude, taken from a far distance, and she could not see their appearances clearly. But the voice, The calm, stoic voice seemed a little distant, yet it soundedfortable¡ª "¡­,Shinn¡­£¿" The boy naturally smiled back with some wryness. "That''s the first time you called me that. Yes, it''s me, Major Millize." "You''re, alive¡­" "Yeah. Didn''t manage to die." Whether the voice was somewhat curt, or overly blunt. Lena barely held in the tears that nearly burst out. She did not want her eyes to be blurred by her tears, for fear that if she blinked, he would disappear. Instead, she did her best to smile. It was likely she was looking unbing, but she cared not for that. Over these two years. These two years, while the Republic stagnated, and was finally vanquished¡ªwhat happened to them? They crossed the "Legion" controlled area, arrived at foreignnds, and were dressed in uniforms differing from their homnds. Needless to say, over these two years, they had been fighting. For them, fighting to the very end was a form of pride, a journey they embarked on with a smile. "¡­I have always been chasing after you. The red eyes were beaming. "I know." "I caught up." "Yeah." For some reason, that quiet voice seemed so nostalgic. She held his outstretched hand with two hands, the tears finally falling against her will, but a smile naturally formed. She had no chance to say those words. But this time, she finally could. "Henceforth©¤©¤I too will fight alongside all of you." Chapter Volume 3 interlude A ckout was implemented; the frontlines remained silent aside from the night patrol squadrons, and she remained in contact through her Para-RAID with all the surviving forces. Faced with this serious predicament, Lena pursed her faint colored lips. They were already prepared. They had known that this day woulde. The Republic, which had long ignored the destruction beyond them as they cooped up within their sce, was at its final moments, trying to resist with it''s feeble might in the face of the "Legion" assaults. As the ''death god'' stationed at the Eastern frontline had predicted, there was a difference in how they faced their enemy, for the proud Eighty-Sixers kept fighting, knowing that they could not run from their final fates. In any case, she had pleaded the various sections¡ªto regroup in the Eighty Five zones, that aid would be provided, before switching her Para-RAID off without answering any question, and hurrying off towards the control room. There was no need to answer those questions. If they truly intended to help, they would arrive here, in the Eighty Five Legitive Zones. Before then, she would have to clear the mines between the Eighty Sixers and the Republic, and open the gates of the "Grand Mur". Lena gently pressed upon a certain thing that was hidden within the inner pocket of her ck uniform. That was their final hope. A figure stealthily appeared upon the corridor that she had just passed through. "¡ªWhat are you intending to do, Captain dlena Millize?" At that moment, Lena was grabbed by the shoulder. She immediately turned around. Seeing the person before her, she murmured. "Brigadier General Carl-Stahl¡­!" She waved his hand aside, and red at the man who was a head taller than her. This moment was the Rubicon that determined whether the Republic, the Eighty-Sixers and Lena could survive. Surely she could not allow this man, who was hesitant in despair, get in her way. "I am going to clear thendmines and open the "Grand Mur"¡­call in all the forces on the frontlines, concentrate our firepower against the "Legion". We might have hope¡­" "Enough. It''s better off for the Republic to be wiped out by the "Legion" than to let the Eighty-Sixers in. The citizens might be better off." "At this juncture, how are you¨C¡­!" Still so obsessed with thinking that the Albas are the only humans, that only the Albas have the right to reside peacefully in the Eighty Five zones like delusion, and watch our country be wiped out? "There is no way the Eighty Sixers will fight for the Republic." Upon hearing these sudden words, Lena felt a verbalshing upon her face. "They, oppressed, abandoned and harmed by the Republic, will not agree to our pleas at this point. Thy have no obligation, no reason to save us¡­at most, they will mock us, saying that we deserve it." Lena gritted her teeth. She knew that. She could not bring herself to shamelessly ask them for help, to protect them. But. "They have no obligation, but they have a reason. We have generators and production nts. These facilities remain necessary to survive, to keep fighting. There is no way that they won''t understand that, having fought all this while." A frown appeared on Carl-Stahl''s scarred face. It appeared that he had witnessed something truly intolerable. "How idealistic you are¡­maybe they might have such thoughts initially. However, they will soon realize that it is better to resist the "Legion" with their own might than to protect the useless citizens incapable of protecting themselves." "¡­" "When that happens, what next? ughter might be a better oue here. You should know, having studied history, that what happens next will not be as nice as you will like it to be, especially¡­for a young woman like you." Once he mentioned this possible future, Lena was left terrified. Not that she had never assumed this possibility. Havingmanded many battles, she might have gained the trust of the Processors in her squad. However, to them, she was merely a white swine iling away safely at the back. She had ounted for such a possibility¡ªthat once the Eighty-Sixers were summoned, they would be ughtered. She had also thought of the wanton violence that might happen. But even so. She reached her hand out to the letters and photo beneath her uniform, gently ced in her inner pocket, and concealed with a waterproof bag¡­just in case the "Legion" began its assault. Those were the final words left behind for her. "But even so¡­I don''t intend to give up right from the beginning and wait to be annihted. I might die giving all I got¡­but I want to keep fighting until the end." Or else, she would be unable to face Shinn and the other members, who had lived that way, and believed that she too would do so. The two pairs of silver eyes met each other¡ªand suddenly, Carl-Stahl looked aside. "Do as you please." He turned around and proceeded down the long corridor. Arge assault rifle was slung around over his shoulder, resting upon hisrge back, swaying heavily. It was a well maintained 7.62mm rifle produced by the Republic, capable of firing once or thrice. That was probably the gun Carl-Stahl had used during his youth. The rifles assigned differed for each soldier, who could only use their personal rifle during training andbat. It was a mass-produced assault rifle, but each had a distinct quality. Only those familiar with their rifles could use them well. It was the rifle Carl-Stahl obtained during his youth, had used during the battles against the "Legion" ten years ago, and remained with him till this point. "Brigadier General¨C?" "Having dreams is a privilege for the children, Captain Millize. And it is the duty of an adult¡ªto protect such dreams before they wake and be crushed by the cruel reality." With one hand, he removed his tie, and tossed it to the ground. At that moment, Lena noticed that beneath the thick officer uniform were the shingbat boots fit for practical purposes. Had he always intended to¡­? "Wait and be crushed, Lena. Wait and see how your beautiful dreams are crushed by reality." "Wai¡ª" Unknowingly, Lena reached her hand out towards her ''uncle''¡­only to immediately purse her lips, and clench her fist. The boots ttered as she saluted the silhouette that had no intention to face her. "Yes, good luck¡ªBrigadier General Carl-Stahl." Upon saying those words, Lena again returned to the corridors of the military headquarters. She quietly meditated over herst words towards him. Again she repeated it until it was ingrained in her mind, into a tiny guiding star in a corner of her mind. If one day, we arrive at the end of our journey. Yes, Shinn. Surely, I will head towards where you rest. To the destination of your journey. ? The endless hordes of "Legion" continued their onught, the cannons rumbled, and the des shed. Suddenly, Shinn was seemingly reeled over by something. He seemed to have heard a voice. He was taking on the masses before him, battling for his life. That moment lingered for but a second, and was quickly devoured by the battles, forgotten as it vanished. Never once did he think it would be ''her'' voice during herst moments. Chapter Volume 3 afterword Let''s show some love for the long ranged weapons! Hello everyone, this is Asato Asato. Missiles and cannons might be the easiest to ignore in abat robot show, with probably as much relevance as air, but I want to give them some time to shine. There are times when I want to see the ace unit bombarded abruptly and unreasonably by arge area of effect bombardment. So, with that in mind, the enemy this time is, A Railgun On, A Railway Artillery. A dream fusion of the modern long distance cannon, the railgun , and the World War 2 long distance cannon, the railway gun! ¡­Right, sorry. That''s just what I wanted to do. I didn''t care about how realistic it is. And so, I''ve kept all of you waiting. Presenting the third volume of 86, "Run To The Battlefront (Part Two)." The plotting phase of this "Run to the Battlefront" was supposed to something more light-hearted. The first volume was too grim, so I wanted to write a story of the Eighty-Sixers racing down a brand new battlefield, a happy, entertaining story, as the tagline would imply! So I thought. But when I started writing, I found that it wasn''t as lighthearted as I would have liked. Those who have read the story knows how it isn''t as lighthearted, but as an author, I was shocked at Shinn being the plot crusher here. The plot changed, the ending changed, and all that''s left from the initial draft is ''the enemy is a railgun''. What is this¡­!? This time, a few notes. ?Nachzehrer This is a demonic fusion of the Caspian Sea Monster, thergest transport carrier in the world that is the AN 225 Mriya and the Stealth Bomber B2 Spirit. Just to note, such weapon ssifications do exist, but the specifications were all made up by me. Yeah, I just wanted to do this. I don''t care about reality (etc). ?Rejoice, this is the Hell you guys love The line appeared in thest part of chapter seven was copied from the editor-in-charge Kiyose-san when this series was decided to be adapted into a manga (just to say, nothing really terrifying happened. It''s just a little joke that we''ll be really busy starting from now). So when I heard those words, I decided that I would make sure the sergeant or someone else say this.! I kept it on standby until now. ?Fido I think it''s bad bnce to just talk about Kiyose-san, so to make it up, I''ll talk about the other editor-in-charge Tsuchiya-san. Fido was destroyed at the end of volume 1, and was revived in volume 2, partially because I-IV-sama''s design is really cute, and the other half of the reason is that Tsuchiya-san loves Fido. After all, every meeting, Tsuchiya-san would always ask me if Fido will revive¡­ Finally, the thanksgivings. To the editor-in-charge Kiyose-sama, Tsuchiya-sama, thank you both for guiding this reckless me and the lost Shinn once again, pointing out precisely what the faults are. Shirabii-sama, This volume is full of battles! Thank you for the amazing illustrations provided. Apologies for causing you all sorts of problems. I-IV-sama. There are two impressively big objects this time around¡­! I always wanted a chance to get you to design a long ranged cannon when you became the mecha designer. I''m really grateful. To Yoshihara-sama, who''s in charge of the manga adaptation, I kept thinking "I want to have a read the manga soon!" when I saw the character roughs and the powerful storyboard . I really hope that the serialization will begin soon. I Want to read it¡­! And also to all the readers who received this book. Thank you for the support all this time. This third volume finally focuses on Shinn''s psyche, so I hope you will continue to love him. For the fourth volume next time, I''ll make sure to write a happy, light-hearted story! A light-hearted story where he and she finally meet, and bicker with the other Eighty-Sixers! See you next time! And so, I hope this book will bring you on a journey to pursue the sunset, to his battlefield amidst the scenery of the crimson sunset and the azure night. When writing this afterword. BGM£ºSeiran Keppuroku.£¨Ali Project£© Chapter lenas birthday ¡°Lena. Happy birthday.¡± Saying that, Raiden suddenly took out arge canvas tote bag. It had the sewing of a light pink spotted cat. While the design was cute, it seemed to be for something else. It was made with firmer fabric, and seemed to be something used by housewives buying groceries, not a gift. ¡°Thank you very much. Speaking of which, is it today¡­¡± She forgot as she had been busy recently ¡°Yeah¡­so continue to work hard today.¡± ¡­Why? Of course, it seemed Raiden got her this shopping bag for this purpose. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here, Lena. Here.¡± Theo called for her as she walked down the corridor. He handed her a scenery collection with a ribbon upon it. ¡°S-since I received a presentst time, this is my thanks. Just this.¡± Kurena was blushing for some reason as she handed over a cute kitten print photo frame. ¡°It is a nice smell, so I will put it on your desk¡­just to make sure you will not lose it, I suppose?¡± Anju gave an impish smile. She was delivering a heart-shaped basket containing a rose potpourri. ¡°In that case, what I shall give is this. This, to be apanied with tea.¡± Frederica gave boxes of candied rosewood sweets that were lined together like jewels. ¡°Yes, Lena. This is from me. If only we have a party.¡± At gave little gemstones of red and silver, along with a thin choker made from orange flowers. ¡°Colonel, happy birthday. This does happen from time to time.¡± Grethe¡¯s gift was a wine red rouge with a bright brand logo. ¡°Ah, Colonel. It seems you¡¯ve been bogged down by many things. Erm, this is from your subordinate.¡± Dustin was looking bashful for some reason. He handed over a handkerchief set. ¡°Ahh Your Highness. A certain someone~~~~~ won¡¯t be giving this thing, for sure, so put it on for the time being!¡± And Shiden, snickering away for some reason, handed over a cloisonne ring. ¡°Colonel Millize. I heard that today¡¯s your birthday.¡± ¡°A token of our appreciation. The Federation has few tea sets. It was difficult trying to find one.¡± Major General Richard and Chief of Staff William arrived at the headquarters for some reason. Their gifts were a can of synthesized tea and a white porcin tea set. ¡°Pi!¡± Even Fido gave her a gift. It was a Lira flower stalk plucked from the forest in the back, a rarity for this season. Every few steps she took, someone would stop her, and she would greet. For every person conveying their well wishes to her, the presents in her hands increased in numbers. Lena never expected that everyone would be celebrating her birthday. While embarrassed, she was really delighted. Ah, there¡¯s a birthday menu for you today, Colonel, so the massive head chef said as he passed her by. She returned to her office, carrying the filled tote in her clutches. Huh? She was wondering why her Aide, a second lieutenant, was standing at that peculiar position. The aide¡¯s slender position so happened to be blocking a white marble low table. The female bespectacled officer with red hair and some bangs continued tly as she stood at that strange position, ¡°The bouquet is from me.¡± ¡°Th-thank you very much?¡± So, why was she standing at such a mysterious position. ¡°This thing is a little delicate, and somewhat heavy for a female. I thought I should wait until you bring your items here.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The aide did not respond to Lena¡¯s questioning look, took the Lira flower from Fido, slipped it into the vase behind her, and hurried off. The blocked low table finally entered Lena¡¯s sight. There were lilies and various strange flowers inserted into the crystal vase, forming a faint flowery silhouette under the dim sunlight. And right over there was an extra thing she never saw when she left the office in the morning. There was a square te of antique design, with a round disc ornamented with little gemstones, a round, oblique mirror and a cylinder reaching into the disc. The closest thing resembling it would be a microscope. There was also arge screw on the desk, probably a music box. Lena twirled it as it creaked, not knowing what would happen. For some reason, a nostalgic melody rang from the music box, and the disc spun at the same rate. There was a mirror in the cylinder, so it probably was a kaleidoscope. The images disyed in the round mirror opened like a peacock, or a window of roses, the vibrant floral patterns everchanging before her. So pretty it was, she waspletely mesmerized before she knew it. It had nostalgia-inducing curves, the moving light and colors flickering around. She lost count of time, and forgot to breathe. She did not know why the sender chose to give this. Beneath the paw of the stand was a note with the twin headed hawk emblem of the Federation. The handwriting was a little erratic¨D¨Dbut Lena could recognize his neat words. ¡°Happy birthday, Lena.¡± Fufu, so Lena gave a wry smile. He, as the battalionmander, was hassled by various matters. He was cooped in the hangar with the research team and the mechanics, busy testing the ¡°Reginleif¡± system updates. However, ¡°Seriously, can you not have waited for me a moment¡­Shin?¡± Lena herself had once ran away, so this time, she would let this slide. Chapter school if: 1
[86 Side Stories] SCHOOL -IF: Summer Festival
26 year old Shourei Nouzen had a brother ten years younger than him, who was in the most rebellious phase of his life. ¡°I¡¯m back¡­eh? Shinn, are you going to the festival?¡± ¡°¡­¡± He asked, seeing Shinn wearing a yukata which was very rare. Thetter however remained silent as usual. Their mother¡¯s voice came from the living room downstairs in reply instead, saying that he was going to spend the Tanabata festival with his ssmate. Upon hearing that, Ray had a thought. If Shinn was simply going out with his ssmates, he would not be wearing a yukata. ¡°A date, right? How¡¯s she like? Who is this pretty girl?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± He was ignored. Yep, he¡¯s at the age when it¡¯s really hard to understand him. Ray thought as he returned to his room, and while he was undoing his tie, he heard a voice beyond the ajar door to his room.. ¡°Brother.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tie the obi.¡± So Ray wanted to say, can¡¯t you just wear a heko obi since it¡¯s a man¡¯s yukata? But since he was asked, he might as well tie the kai-no-kuchi musubi. ¡°Seriously, you¡¯re always looking for your brother whenever you have troubles. Also you¡¯re watching anime right now ¡­¡± Ray spotted Shinn watching anime on his smartphone. Well, he¡¯s working hard at least. Having thought this far, Ray didn¡¯t chime in any further. Shinn¡¯s been working really hard, and had considerably grown up aspared to his younger days when he would just rely on others whenever he encountered trouble. However, it¡¯s not too different from asking for help whenever he felt that he couldn¡¯t settle it himself. Maybe I pampered him too much ¡­while Ray started to reflect upon his actions, Shinn in turn looked really disgusted. ¡°I never said I needed your help.¡± ¡°Yes yes, you never said it, okay?¡± You¡¯re still relying on me though. What¡¯s different about that? Aren¡¯t you just saying that while having me tie this for you? Ahh, Ray sighed. ¡°Since you¡¯re so arrogant, tie a bunko (light novel) knot yourself.¡± ¡°What is a light novel?¡± Lady Margaret Millize¡¯s sixteen year old daughter was in the prime of her age. ¡°Mother, is it weird for me to be wearing this?¡± ¡°¡­Lena, are you asking for my thoughts on it?¡± Lady Millize answered, feeling really relieved. Lena was standing before the tall mirror, sizing herself up and checking if there was anything inappropriate. It had been a while since she had experienced such an emotion. Lena lifted her sleeves, turned her back towards the mirror to see the obi, and was beaming away. ¡°Very cute. Have confidence in yourself.¡± The refreshing, orange colored yukata had bright butterfly patterns on it, and a bunko knot. It seemed ratherrge, but was still morous. The silvery white long hair matched with a satin cloth, were tied into a ponytail. The butterfly ornament matching the yukata would also creak whenever she moved.. She was dressed in a manner suitable for partying with friends. But on a closer inspection, one could see that Lena had put on makeup, which was a rarity for her. While she was trying to maintain her dignity, she hid her vibrant, pink lips. ¡°But ¡­¡± ¡°A finedy cannot have such a flustered look.¡­have a seat and calm down. There is still some time, right?¡± For some reason, Lena blushed. ¡°Ah, there¡¯s still some time ¡­¡± She looked around uneasily, and after lowering her eyebrows, said with a teeny-weeny voice. ¡°Well, you¡¯re waiting for someone to pick you up, no?.¡± Lady Millize was a little curious. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Receive you!?¡± The man who yelled was seated on the sofa in the living room, acting nonchnt as he was reading the newspaper upside down, trying to eavesdrop upon their conversation in an exaggerated manner. That man was Vav Millize, her husband, and Lena¡¯s father. ¡°Someone¡­wille by to receive you!? Are you going on a date with some hustler!? I don¡¯t know which lecher is so bold¡­!¡± ¡°Wrong, you mean which boy.¡± Lady Millize looked over at her husband with bewilderment. ¡°¡­Dear, did you return from work early today?¡± ¡°Impossible!? It is a father¡¯s responsibility to worry about his daughter! What if something happens!?¡± Lady Millize walked over, and looked at her husband as if he was a fool. ¡°Fo ¡­do you know how overprotective you are being?¡± ¡°Repeat yourself! Sort out what you say!¡± ¡°Are you a fool?¡± ¡°Sort yourself out!¡± ¡°Do you know that you are acting like my father did while I was still a student? Your skin is as thick as the Grand Mur.¡± ¡°So you say¡­¡± While the two of them were arguing, the inte bell rang. This time, Lena reacted as though her invisible cat ears had pricked up. Before her boorish husband had realized, Lady Millize waved her hand without looking at Lena, who nodded and hurried towards the corridor. By the time her husband found Lena missing, it was already over. ¡°I am leaving! ¨Dkept you waiting, Shinn¡­¡± The uneasy look from before had vanished without a trace, and only the cheerful cheers and the footsteps of the geta echoed. Chapter school if: 4
[86 Side Stories] SCHOOL -IF : The Sports Hall after School
Bam. The hard ball bounced, making a blunt sound resembling a metal wheel hitting the wooden floor, creating a ruckus amongst several students. Most of them were boys, along with a few girls. ¡°¨D¨DDaaaaaaa!! Shit, it rimmed out!¡± ¡°Hmph, nice chance, Seo. Hit it!¡± ¡°No Kaie, you know I slipped here!! ¨D¨D¨Daarrggghh I know this would happen!¡± ¡°You two are bad at this man. Let¡¯s settle this©`¡± ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s really impressive how you never hit one, Raiden-san! I¡¯m amazed©`¡± ¡°Shut up Daiya! Who¡¯s the first one to leave the basketball club in the first ce!?¡± ¡°But I slipped. Not my fault!¡± ¡°Yay! It¡¯s iiinnnn!¡± ¡°Shiden, over to you.¡± ¡°Righto! I¡¯m going to beat you two up!¡± ¡°Shinn! Wait!¡± ¡°Always at this time, you guys,¨D¨Dah shit!?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What are you guys doing?¡± With a thud, the metal doors were opened. Iska asked, his arms folded together as he leaned on the door. The dark blue zer formed a huge contrast to the natural silver hair, along with the gold trimmed school crest unique to the third years. There were two basketball courts on the vast sports hall this high school was proud of. On each side of the basketball courts, there weredder shapes formed out of tape. There were ten or so boys and girls standing behind the shorter side, the free throw line. All of them looked over in unison. Under the hoops hanging from the ceiling, the tall one and short one¨CRaiden and Seo¨Cwere standing together, sighing. Looking at the situation, it appeared they were ying a game involving a basketball and a hoop. It seemed they were to stand behind the free throw line, and shoot in order. If they miss, they have to keep shooting until they make a shot. In the meantime, if anyone after them scores, the ones before who failed to score will be eliminated. The rules were simple. There were only three basketballs, and at most, one can eliminate two. Shinn went to pick up the old basketball bouncing on the floor (nearly falling over), and answered, ¡°What¡¯s the name called, Knockout?¡± ¡°Nobody¡¯s asking what¡¯s the game called. Anyway, isn¡¯t the floor to be waxed today or something?¡± For that reason, all club activities in the sports hall were suspended for the day. Each club had to assign someone to help wax the floor, by drawing lots. As one of those involved, Shinn looked over at a corner of the sports hall. There were lots of mops used to wax the floor, just left there. On a side note, the kendo dojo is located elsewhere, and the kendo club activities were not held in the gym, but it relied heavily on the other clubs. All the sports clubs were to handle menial tasks like cleaning the grounds, clearing the leaves around the dojo, and waxing the floor. ¡°We got a lot of guys with nothing to do. Didn¡¯t spend too much time finishing up everything.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± It seemed strange, but Shinn seemed to have a knack of making friends. Because of that, it was pretty normal to y games on the court after the floor is waxed. ¡°Even if I give you a hundred steps leeway, don¡¯t do this stupid thing after waxing the floor. There¡¯s no point waxing now, is there?¡± The floor was still slippery after all. But despite that, Shinn remained se about it. Iska was a year older than Shinn, and they were of different clubs. Shinn never addressed him in formalnguage, not showing him any respect as a senior. ¡°There¡¯s still some time¡­¡­you fine with this, Alice-senpai?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°What, Iska? You got a problem?¡± Looking over, the female retired captain of the kendo club appeared to be there. She had long ck hair, and she was shaking her head. He saw her lips curl into a smile, and clicked his tongue, averting his eyes. Since their freshmen year, they were in the same ss the entire time, having formed a rotten bond. He had difficulties dealing with her. ¡°You ying? It¡¯s slippery.¡± ¡°Sounds interesting.¡± ¡°Now that you mentioned it, I had a day like this during my first year. There was some time after the floor was waxed, so I suggested that we y dodgeball, but you didn¡¯t let me¡± ¡°Huh? When did that happen?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Captain, actually, we want to y dodgeball¡­¡­¡± Shinn muttered straight to the point. Either way, it seemed Alice did not hear him. ¡°Seriously¡­¡­you want me to report you to the school if you say that again? What if someone else shows up right now¡­¡­?¡± Speak of the devil. Iska felt some domineering force behind him, and immediately froze. He did his best topose himself, so that the juniors before he would not realize, retreating quietly to the side, and nced towards the girl. Then, he noticed it was a short, slender girl with long silver hair. The girl spoke up. The faint pink links showed a kind smile. She followed with the voice of a silver bell. ¡°¨D¨DShinn?¡± Shinn, who had maintained a stoic look the entire time, suddenly gave a tense look Iska noticed. ¡°I heard you are waxing the floor here, so what exactly are you doing now?¡± Chapter school if: 5
[86 Side Stories] SCHOOL -IF : Kadokawa Contest Winner 2018
TN Note: Written after Lena won this poll: https://promo.kadokawa.co.jp/ln-heroine/ There was a convenience store down the slope behind the high school, and the boy walking out from there frowned once he saw Lena. Lena looked up at the face half a head taller than she was, and teasingly pointed with her index finger. ¡°Hm hm. You broke the school rules, Shinn.¡± ¡°¡­Lena.¡± Shinn sighed, and at the same time, resigned himself to this fate. This scene had repeated countless times ever since he enrolled. ¡°Sorry to trouble you every time, student council president.¡± ¡°It is work after all¡­do not think that you can silence me with a bribe.¡± Saying that, Lena opened her mouth in a childish manner. ¡°Just one mouthful.¡± The shaved lemon ice was divided equally down the middle using two sticks. At the parking lots of the convenience store was a no-parking sign by arge tree, and next to it was a bench. Lena¡¯s legs were closed together as she beamed away, enjoying the faint blue, icy, sweet ice snack. The sun was shining really brightly in the summer afternoon. In this residential area filled with much greenery however, it was cooling to remain under the shade, probably due to the breeze. The eyes had adapted to the greenery, staring at the dazzling, blooming midsummer scenery like a daydream. Boys typically had higher body warmth, and Lena assumed that Shinn must be feeling hot. While she had yet to finish her dessert, Shinn had already opened the second pack. The arm showing from the sleeve looked somewhat sweaty. Just to note, Lena never thought about why Shinn went to the convenience store alone to purchase two servings of lemon popsicles. ¡°Thank you for this. As thanks, what shall I deliver for our next club activity? Something handmade?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. Something like a powder drink mix added to water.¡± Shinn tersely noted, ngghhh, and Lena¡¯s cheeks were puffed. She, a princess, never held a kitchen knife, nor entered a kitchen except during cooking lessons, and was really bad at it. She was bad at it, and nobody looked forward to her cooking, but she was really miffed by this. ¡°I think that as the winner of the pageant contest, a handmade item from you will delight those guys at the club, Your Highness.¡± The question was no longer whether the youths at the club would be excited. Leaving that aside, Lena waspletely flushed. There was an annual beauty pageant contest during the school festival, and needless to say, the resultsst year were obvious. Thanks to her ssmates¡¯ scheming, Lena was voted first for cosying in a fiery military uniform. ¡°Ah, that is¡­¡± ¡°It was really a fight, but as to be expected, you won, Your Highness.¡± ¡°So I say, stop calling me ¡®Your Highness¡¯¡­!¡± Well. It was unknown who started it, but ever since the school festival, Lena was dubbed ¡®Her Highness¡¯. The reason was probably the official looking military cap and the intimidating army uniform. ¡°I am really happy that many supported me, and¡­really happy to win it all, but, calling me ¡®Your Highness¡¯¡­!¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it suit you very well, Your Highness?¡± ¡°So I say, stop calling me that! This is an order! I-I am ordering you as the Queen!¡± Lena yelled, her face clearly red even under the tree shade. Seeing that, Shinn chuckled. ¡°Sure, Your Highness¡­I can¡¯t hear you.¡± Chapter school if: 6 Winter vacation is different from summer. It is shorter, and due to various events, it did not seem like a vacation. Before the end of the year, Daiya¡¯s room was in aplete mess, and after an (continued) attempt to clean up, he gave up, Daiya held back a yawn as he walked down the road to school, the sunlight stinging his eyes. During the end of year, he had to visit his grandmother¡¯s house at the farm, and apany his rtives¡¯ children with poker, games, karuda and hanafuda; his life over the past few days was topsy-turvy. The gold morning sunlight was bright and clear, dyeing his eyes amidst the frigid air of January. Wiping off the tears in the his eyes, Daiya spotted a slender figure. The person had long blueish silver hair, and was wearing a cute pastel blue peacoat and a uniform skirt that seemed a little too cold for this weather. ¡°Oh, Anju ¡± ¡°Ah, Daiya. Good morning¡­no.¡± After saying that, Anju stopped. Daiya too stopped before her. They inhaled. ¡°Happy New Year.¡± ¡°Please continue to take care of me this year.¡± They proceeded with the formal greetings. Even when a new year arrives, it did not necessarily mean that thing would exactly change, even though it felt so. Looking around, simr scenes could be seen on their way to school. Shin and Lena apparently went to the shrien together, Kaie, Kurena and Shiden went to do their first sales. They probably had exchanged new year greetings. Daiya himself was one of those who returned to his hometown, as aforementioned. Anju too had returned to her hometown, and this was the first day she met up with her friends. They continued their way to school, walking next to each other. Anju had a muffler on her; it was a Christmas gift from the previous year¨D¨D10 days ago. Daiya noticed, and his cheeks rxed. Simr, there was the pass holder dangling from Daiya¡¯s bag. It was given by Anju, who beamed as she spotted it, but Daiya did not notice. ¡°Guess we can¡¯t rx as much next year as we are now.¡± ¡°Exams are important! But¡­do make sure you do not catch a cold.¡± Saying that, Anju giggled. ¡°Just worried about a cold? Sure can be rxed when you¡¯re one of the top scorers.¡± ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Daiya grimaced as he scratched his head. Everyone would call it ¡®surprising¡¯, but Daiya was one of the better performing students. As for how good he was, he was capable of being ranked one of the top twenty during their regr tests. On a side note, while Anju was smiling away, she was alwayspeting for the highest scoring girl with Lena every time.. ¡°Well, Shin and the other guys have to cheat again. That guy definitely did it on purpose during the mid-terms.¡± ¡°Our homeroom teacher, that ¡®chief of staff¡¯ really has a smile that can kill¡­¡± The young teacher was dubbed this moniker, for though he was a young teacher, his personality and smile were ridiculously terrifying. In any case, they had no real goal in life, and would not take their exams seriously. However, they did go overboard trying to cheat. Leaving aside Ate and Kaie, who were not caught, Shin and Raiden were tantly cheating for the subjects they did not care about, Theo was just copying everything, hoping to attain average scores. Shiden was hoping to get everything right while copying away. Kurena and Haruto gave up as they found it to be a bother. Furthermore, everyone had to work hard for the sports meet before the tests, and the school festival after. Surely one could imagine them in a sorry state. On a side note, the best of the lot was Vika, who scored perfectly average marks for every single subject. It was not a coincidence. He deduced the scoring and weightage of the tests, and just had to answer the questions that would get him to the average score. These guys are geniuses at using their minds for useless purposes. Daiya himself was a little miffed that his friends were tantly cheating. ¡°Well, Lena¡¯s angry about that. Especially Shin. She just told him, you got to revise of this well.¡± Before their eyes was Lena, walking in her school uniform with a serious look. For her at least, a student¡¯s duty is to study. It was no wonder she would end up saying that. ¡°ording to the test results rankings, we¡¯re going to hold a study meet starting January. Everyone got to buck up.¡± ¡°Even if you say that, I suppose it just a regr gathering to y¡­¡­¡± Lena¡¯s idea was probably not too bad. Simply put, it was not that everyone was dumb, and there was no real need to organize a study meet. They just did not want to study, to score high in all their subjects.. Daiya burst outughing imagining his friends being carefree about their studies, and how infuriated Lena would be. ¡°¡­Sounds rather interesting. Can we join too, Anju?¡± Anju smiled in response. ¡°Of course. But Lena might get a little angry¡­we will end up ying anyway.¡± At this time next year, surely. There might not be study sessions for everyone to enjoy together. Chapter shins birthday
[86 Side Stories] May 19th ¨C Shin¡¯s Birthday
¨D¨DLet us all celebrate together. Yes, she did say that. ¡°¡­Well, he slipped off to ept another mission.¡± ¡°Ehh¡­¡­¡± Ate took a sip of the recement coffee as she said this. Lena knew of the mission¡¯s importance, but was dejected about his absence. May 19. Shin¡¯s birthday. He himself had forgotten about it, but Lena learned of the day through the remaining records of the Republic, and wanted to celebrate for him. They were at the headquarters of the 86th Mobile Strike Package, R¨¹stkammer Base, in a corner of the officers¡¯ mess nobody else would visit in the day. Lena was like a white, fleeting flower pelted by rain, sprawled upon the handrest of the sofa alone. Good thing her subordinates aren¡¯t seeing her like this, Ate thought as she picked up a Savoiardi served for tea. The hazelnuts and precious cocoas, luxurious produces of the Federation¡¯s South, were the real deals. They are really delicious. ¡°You¡¯re dispatched to the United Kingdom, right? That ce is another important frontline.¡± It would be May, including that day, and it was expected that the 86th Mobile Strike Package would be deployed for missions into various countries. ¡°We are soldiers¡­we should be prepared for this¡­¡± ¡°What you say is different from what you feel, Lena.¡± If she were a kitten, her ears and tail were clearly dropping in disappointment. ¡°¡­Speaking of which, didn¡¯t you say you want to celebrate Shin¡¯s birthday? You haven¡¯t talked much to him recently.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Moreover¡­she did that foolish thing. After their dispatch mission to the Republic, Lena heard from Ate about what was going on with Shin. Well, it was to be expected then, but ever since, they had been shunning each other. The excuses from them are pretty flimsy though, so Ate thought as she slipped another Savoiardi into her coffee. If she had taken a photo of Lena¡¯s current gloomy look, that would probably be a nice present for Shin. Such a prank should be fine, especially for Ate, a childhood friend of Shin, and someone thetter wasfortable with as arade. ¡°Well, it is not just Shin; the other 86ers have forgotten about their birthdays, and will not celebrate them. We¡¯ll know if we just look into it, right? And even if we do know, we can just pretend not to.¡± Various administration means were done for the entire Strike Package to see if there was an appropriate day to celebrate their birthdays and years. The 86ers did not really care about it, but there were ns to celebrate everyone¡¯s birthday (as there were thousands of them, every day would have been a celebration). However, it was impossible for them to celebrate every day, so Grethe instead suggested that ¡®everyone born in the same month celebrate together on the same day¡¯. Shin and Kurena were born in May, that seemed harsh. Lena suddenly leaned forward. ¡°I cannot pretend not to! ¡­I failed to notice, and now that I know, I have to celebrate his birthday¡­I think¡­¡± Thinking about this, Lena was dejected once again. Well, that is really troublesome, so Ate suggested. ¡°Anyway, how about giving a present?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°I bought one before you quarrelled. One for Shin, one for Second Lieutenant Kremy and one for Second Lieutenant Rikka, even though it was a monthter. Spent an entire day on the next street choosing them.¡± One could easily imagine how difficult and time-consuming it would be to choose a person¡¯s present. Any more persons involved, and it would get ugly if they ended up arguing about the fairness of the gifts instead. ¡°But¡­the Captain should be busy preparing for the dispatch¡­¡± Once again, Lena started to dither. This might get a little troublesome, so Ate thought as she took that thing out. Ahh, seriously. If Lena is unable to hand the present over to him, then let her find an excuse to pass my present on instead. ¡°So, useless Miss Lena, on your best friend¡¯s behalf¡­you listening?¡± Ahh seriously, why am I being the good guy here? ¡°¨D¨DCaptain Nouzen. This is a lost item. It¡¯s yours, right? This book is a little hard to understand.¡± ¡°? Ah, sorry.¡± Typically, a corporal had no need to deliver a lost item over. The hard covered book was once left in the waiting room, but disappeared somehow. Shin had read that book before, but it was a mean to break free from the ¡°Legion¡± voices. Guess it¡¯s probably a prank from the cat, or Frederica, so he thought initially. ¡°¡­Hm? ¡± Shin realized something, and opened the book with one hand. The thick pages naturally flipped to another side. Stuck between the pages was not a note slip ced in ce of a bookmark, but a metal bookmark, a silver te with fine carvings. He took it out, and a heavy, embossed card fell upon the page. There was faint fragrance, a familiar sweet violet. The words were written in Heliotrope in, in the elegant handwriting he was acquainted with over the past month and the half year two years ago. The card was specially designed with outlines of Licorice and a standing Juggernaut. ¡°We shall do the celebration next year¡­happy birthday.¡± ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it a little too early, Lena? There¡¯s still half a month.¡± But by then, they would be on the battlefield. Guess there¡¯s no helping it, so Shin thought as he closed the book. In July¨Cif they would return, he wanted to celebrate the birthday of a certain person, currently scampering down the hallway. Chapter shins birthday (reverse)
[86 Side Stories] May 19th ¨C Shin¡¯s Birthday (Reverse)
¡°¨D¨DCaptain Nouzen.¡± He looked back, and saw a girl with silvery white hair, dressed in the deep blue Republic army uniform and a long sleeved coat. She was Major Anrietta Penrose, of the 86th Mobile Strike Package. ¡°What is it, Major Penrose?¡± ¡°Ate is fine. Dispense with the formalities.¡± Ate, who was staring intently at him for quite a while, looked as though she had long forgotten about her actions. Shin was holding onto the philosophy book he lost days ago. The bookmark gave a silvery glow from that angle, looking alluring. ¡°It¡¯s your birthday, no? Sorry for all the trouble I¡¯ve caused you before.¡± With a stoic look, Shin received with one hand a case of cufflinks. Those were essories to fasten the shirt sleeves instead of buttons, but they were not usually worn on formal attires. Except for the battle dress uniform and army uniform, he hardly wore any service dress. Naturally, Shin frowned. ¡°¡­¡­Why give me this?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear my apology?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really use it.¡± ¡°No point returning it to me now. I don¡¯t have any other gift prepared. Also, officers have to attend parties, and you need formal wear.¡± Even if there is, I don¡¯t want to go. Such words seemingly appeared on his face. Ate quietly sighed reluctantly. ¡°I¡¯m leaving. Make sure you wear it then¡­got it?¡± She then wordlessly shoved it into him. The cufflinks were made of little rubies and tinum, along with fine orange flower patterns. For some reason, Shin appeared to be pouting as he slowly reached his thin fingers in. ¡°Make sure you wear it, especially when going out with Lena for such events.¡± ¨D¨DCurrently, in Ate¡¯s room. There was a choker that came with the cufflinks, to be given to Lena two monthster Of course, Shin did not know about this, yet. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!