Upon returning to the main force, she heard that Dustin was MIA.
Through their long time on the battlefield, the Eighty-Six adapted to keep grief and concerns out of their minds during combat. It was only this warrior’s capacity that kept Anju composed.
“—I see. Roger that, Yuu, Kurena.”
Her grief felt lighter than she expected. And of course, she didn’t feel any anger, either. Yuu and Kurena weren’t responsible for what happened, after all. Nor was she incensed at this world for being so terribly cynical.
She exhaled sharply.
There were no miracles in this world. No salvation to be found. Any salvation that someone—that God—granted was nothing short of unreliable whimsy in the end. And so…
And so…
“I won’t ask you to save him.”
She didn’t know if it was God or fate or whatever else, but she never had and never would find the words to beg with. If all she did was pray for Dustin’s salvation, she’d spend her life bemoaning the fact that she didn’t save him. If she was to rely on miracles, she’d live her life begrudging the fact that her prayers went unanswered.
I refuse to live like that.
I refuse to live my life standing still and waiting for salvation to come to me. I won’t resent what happens, be it from the hand of the world, God, or fate.
Aah, but…
“…Daiya.”
I wish I could have gone with you.
“Dustin.”
I wish you could have returned to my side.
Please. Okay…?
“Come back to me, Dustin.”
✦ ✦ ✦
As the fighting went on, the routed soldiers were still returning slowly. In between the mud and fallen trees, outstretched hands clad in metal-black uniforms emerged, crying for help.
“—How many of them are there?! It’s not funny anymore!”
With his unit’s legs, the young commander of the armored division kicked away the self-propelled mine disguised as a wounded soldier. The metallic self-propelled mines had different radar readings compared with Vánagandrs. With the support console’s security system and alarms, a Vánagandr was unlikely to mistake them.
Of course, even with the radar, there was a chance of one slipping by and blowing up, but with so many of the scrap monsters around, things were already dangerous enough. Unlike infantry and armored infantry, the armored unit was protected by thick plates that allowed them to brave some risks.
After all…
“Wait. Don’t leave me behind…”
“Stand back, infantry! All these are self-propelled mines—just ignore them!”
The routed soldiers who’d slowed down their pace froze upon hearing his shout. They’d likely heard a comrade’s voice. Or maybe they were just good people who couldn’t bring themselves to abandon someone in need. Indeed, some of the soldiers who turned around had faces, discolored with mud and clotted blood, that looked like they were on the verge of tears.
“…You’re sure they’re self-propelled mines, right? We don’t want to leave someone behind again…”
The commander of the armored division held back the urge to click his tongue… They had to abandon someone. An injured soldier who couldn’t keep going. Another unit who’d stayed back to keep fighting. This made the soldiers reluctant to ignore a voice calling for help…and that drew the self-propelled mines to them.
“Yeah, these are Legion…so you’re not abandoning anyone. There isn’t anyone for you to save.”
The entire front had fallen apart, with retreating troops all over the battlefield. There were many real injured troops left behind. Many people who had no choice but to abandon an injured ally and flee.
And these weapons were made to take advantage and predate on that chaos, on that guilt.
Self-propelled mines, by design, directly targeted good people who tried to alleviate the guilt of betraying their comrades and fleeing.
They embodied malice, mocking those with a conscience and a kind heart, rubbing in the fact that those who didn’t have them were more likely to survive.
…Dammit.
“We’re not going to let you get the better of us, you shitty pieces of scrap metal.”
Cussing at them, the commander of the armored division moved in the opposite direction of the infantry forces heading to the Harutari reserve position, then turned his Vánagandr’s bearings to face the mechanical swarm pursuing them.
✦ ✦ ✦
The area around Rüstkammer, the Zasifanoksa Forest, was a mixture of conifer and broad-leaved trees—flora that was typical of the Federacy. The past governor of this area had left it mostly untouched, using it as hunting grounds, so it’d grown into a forest with uneven ground interlaced with tree roots and branches that impeded human passage.
They used these natural obstacles, reinforcing them and cutting away any parts that would hinder their defense. They dug trenches that were like scars etched across the soil, setting up anti-tank trenches, pillboxes, and metallic anti-tank impediments.
Through her optical screen, she could catch the morning sun shining down through the treetops and glimmering against the anti-tank impediments. Seeing this familiar forest, which they visited so many times to train, hunt, and fish, changed in this way made Michihi’s heart stir.
Michihi, and all the Eighty-Six for that matter, had no memories of their homeland. But if they could, seeing their homeland turned into a battlefield would no doubt feel like this sort of anxiety.
Seeing precious memories, the places one thought back on, turn into a scenery of death and blood.
It really is scary… This base became a home for us to fall back to. But that’s exactly why…
“Who do they think they are, stomping all over our backyard? This is our base. Our home.”
This was the forest they walked through during march training, where they hunted so many times, went fishing, played around. It was their backyard. They knew every river and valley and incline, how each tree grew, every nook and cranny in this forest.
The forest we lived by for six months is sure to side with us.
The Reginleif squadrons hid in unfamiliar defensive installations set up on the familiar ground of the forest, connected to the Alkonosts and Vargus troops cooperating with them via Sensory Resonance. Somewhere in the trees, Undertaker lay in cover, with Shin carefully listening to the cries of the approaching Legion.
“All units, they’re coming… We engage the enemy first at point 934. One hundred fifty seconds later, the enemy’s advance guard should be in range. It’s probably an armored division.”
Saying this, the Strike Package’s Reaper smiled coldly.
“They’re confident they’ve won, so they’re not even sending out anyone to scout ahead. Let’s beat their smug faces in and send them packing.”
The Vargus troops who weren’t aware of his ability fell to confused silence. Meanwhile, the Eighty-Six, Sirins, and Bernholdt’s unit—which had served at Shin’s side for a long time now—all calmly responded. “““Roger that.”””
They accurately opened fire on the spot he instructed. That was the opening shot of the battle of Rüstkammer base.
✦ ✦ ✦
The aluminum armor and internal bulletproof fiber was able to stop most of the shell fragments, but not all of them.
“The RAID Device… Yeah, it’s dead.”
The quasi-nerve crystal that served as the core of its features was cut in half by a shell fragment. What’s more, his unit was heavily damaged and out of commission, his assault rifle’s chamber was broken, and his body was aching all over from blows and sprains. He couldn’t hear out of his right ear—the eardrum must have ruptured.
But on the other hand, if the RAID Device hadn’t taken that shell fragment, it would have cut across his neck, killing him. His right leg, where his pistol was holstered, wasn’t on the receiving end of such a miracle, with a fragment painfully embedded into his flesh.
“…I should count myself lucky I still have my pistol, I guess.”
It was no good for fighting the Legion, but it was useful for killing himself. The radio was, as always, useless due to Eintagsfliege jamming. He recovered his knapsack from his unit and began trudging through the unfamiliar Federacy woods.
A thicket rustled, prompting him to turn on his heels swiftly, only to find a seven-year-old girl in uniform. For a moment, he was confused, but then he realized she must have been a Mascot. A symbolic daughter the Federacy employed to keep soldiers from betraying the army. She must have strayed from her unit or perhaps been discarded.
As he froze, she looked up at him, but her small lips didn’t part. Her upward gaze wavered, expressing her emotions, but she couldn’t ask him for salvation. She’d been abandoned, left behind on the battlefield by the soldiers who should have been her family.
But he couldn’t blame them for it. After all—
“…I can’t save you, either.”
I’m weak, and just looking after myself is taking all I have. If I try to help a child, I won’t survive.
So it wasn’t his fault. He had to leave her behind. And he’d already abandoned Citri once—what was another one on the list? He’d already abandoned someone once, so he may as well keep leaving people to their fate. He was a despicable bastard who betrayed Anju’s wish, so he may as well try to live like a coward, only to fail and die.
The girl looking up at him had no pistol on her, nor was she in any shape to wander the battlefield. He looked away from this girl, much weaker and younger than him, his conscience blaming him. He had to look away from the sheer guilt of it all.
After all, I’m…I’m…I am…