It is my pride to be human.
I was born human, so that is only natural.
✦ ✦ ✦
The slightly fruity scent of cacao; milky, enveloping sweetness.
The members filling the meeting room all have coffee, so it was the right decision to remain resolute and put out three cups for myself. Our time outside of the strategy room is limited, so I want to enjoy it to the fullest without anybody ruining it.
“It’s time. We hereby commence the 57th strategy meeting.” The Colonel’s voice is always so deep. It speaks to how tense he is. “First, let’s go over the situation in the parallel world. For that, see the military diagram of the central plain. The large-scale invasion force of over five hundred thousand led by Thunderstorm has, as we expected, been distributed unevenly across many points, allowing us to plot a breakthrough of their defensive line.” Seven large arrows stretch out from the vampires’ territory. From there, they branch into various smaller arrows, almost like lightning. “A deep operation, then. Its ferocity and multi-layered nature remind me of Operation Bagration from World War II. Truly, the vampires’ stamina and ability to continue fighting are astounding. Unfortunately, we do not know of a clear weakness...” All of the lines are colliding with a massive, cracked blue line. This represents the elves’ waterway network that they excavated as a nation. “As you can see, the Baptism Lines are quite effective, but ultimately it is just a defensive tactic. We have no way to predict a great offensive. As stated in the annexed table, we are suffering casualties from foot soldiers on a local level. We must act before they can mount a second attack.”
The Colonel’s eyes seem to ask if I have something to add, but I shake my head. Everything at present is as he described it, and we are having this strategy meeting because now is the best time to mount a counter-attack.
“I have a few things I wish to confirm.” A first lieutenant from the Air Force Cyber Command raises his hand. Will this technological genius unveil yet another keen idea? “Absolute is keeping Thunderstorm busy in a stalemate. Deep Sea is on reserve until Crumbling Mountain appears. Meanwhile, our bluff card, Ten Thousand Bells... is she not going to do anything?”
“Someone more directly involved with this should answer... Captain?” the Colonel looks at me. Hm. I suppose I cannot rely on him to explain the details regarding the unique units. So much for enjoying my hot chocolate. “I expect great things from the leader of the IT department.” Yes, yes, of course, sir. Here we go.
“You are correct. We assumed there would be some sort of sudden movement after the unexpected defeat of Golden, but other than the declaration of a final battle, no moves have been made,” I state.
“No scouting from the vampires?”
“No. Everything seems to be peaceful.”
“Speculation, then... since the connection has dramatically improved, can’t we change our point of contact from Absolute to Ten Thousand Bells? That way we could gain a much more detailed look at the situation.”
“It is technically feasible, but risky. The connection could suddenly worsen, and even if we did update it, there is the possibility that the change could not be reverted.”
“That’s quite rough... Are there any other difficulties that would prevent us from fully using our greatest asset, Absolute, to his fullest extent?”
Absolute is the elves’ greatest trump card. Not only is he capable of taking on unique units, but he’s also strong enough to take on the Demon God. We must use him in the most effective way possible. Unfortunately, there is a vexing system in place. We can only speak to them in the form of an oracle, and we must focus entirely on one unit at a time, so it is difficult to get a sense of the whole picture. Things get confusing due to the difference in time flow, not to mention our differing languages and ideals.
Hm... perhaps that is why Dragon Demon RPG was sold as an action video game. It would never have passed as a flawed strategy game.
“First Lieutenant, is there something on your mind?”
“Yes, Colonel. The lack of caution towards Ten Thousand Bells doesn’t make sense. She is stationed on the southern battle lines. She could be considered a reinforcement, even if nothing happens.”
“That would be easier to accept if not for the destruction of Golden.”
Is he saying we are being neglectful? Yes, he has a point. I’m well aware of Ten Thousand Bells’ immaturity as a combat asset. Perhaps I have lost my sense of objectivity.
“In fact, I still find the reason for Golden’s defeat odd. The squabbles among the small fry in the subhuman territory... Even taking into account Ten Thousand Bells’ defensive abilities, it’s hard to believe it was a sudden bout of exhaustion.”
This was the topic of two previous strategy meetings. I hate to be interrupted, but it’s clear no one truly believes this explanation.
“U-Um, Colonel...”
“What? If you have something to say then speak up, Petty Officer.”
One of the members elected by the navy hesitantly raises his hand. I recall he’d once professed to be knowledgeable about online games but so far hadn’t given any great insights, nor had we any need to ask him anything, and so I had totally forgotten he existed.
“Um, about the human forces...”
“Petty Officer, let’s try to keep our terms consistent. They’re subhumans, not humans. Their Asian looks and red symbolism are truly infuriating.”
“But, the Japanese...”
“The true samurai are the ones blue on your map; the red ones are to be purged. Have some common sense.”
Ah, I remember now. He was stationed at Yokosuka Naval Base. No wonder he’s in touch with video games and Japanese subculture.
His thoughtlessness makes my blood boil.
How can he not be bothered by the nuclear bombings on Alaska or the terrorist chemical warfare they employed on San Francisco? That’s so Japanese of him, treating everything as someone else’s problem and displaying a dullness similar to the tolerance of angels.
I dare you to lose your family and be turned into a paraplegic, boy. Then we’ll see if your worldview stays the same.
“And? What of the subhumans’ forces?” the first lieutenant is urging him on. As head of the IT department, his fixation on information is strong.
“Erm... There was talk that they were gathering people north of the fort. They were strangely excited about repelling an attack of protozoans. And, er, one of my Japanese friends was telling me...” Get to the point, man. However, no matter what it is, we all must have an equal opportunity to speak in the meeting room. That’s what it means to be elected to the strategy council. “Um, there’s this video posted on a streaming site. It’s called a Let’s Play. There’s a pretty popular style of this kind of video known as live streaming...” I sip my hot chocolate. I knew this was nothing worth listening to. A grown man does not mix up video games with real life, even if real life involves a parallel world. Especially when it comes to war. “So, there’s this strange video about Dragon Demon RPG. It takes a really weird turn, and the guy becomes the god of the subhumans’ forces to defend the Frontier. Like, he controls a unique unit...”
“Could it be modified game data? Those are pretty popular, right?”
“Oh, I don’t think so, that was too well-done. Not to mention that the guy seems to attract viewers with his skill as a player, not by showing new items or functions. Also, the contents match up too well. For instance, Ten Thousand Bells’ positioning in the Frontier. The dates are probably the same, too.”
“I see. Do we have reason to believe the Japanese have independently entered into this Parallel World War?”
“W-Well, if it’s a coincidence, it’s practically a miracle.”
“No, it must still be a coincidence. Our country has already seized Japan’s super A.I., as well as their IT experts. Otherwise, we would have never been able to establish contact.” The Colonel is getting irritated by this nonsensical conversation. He’ll eventually cut it off and start dictating our plans for the future. So until it’s time to return to the hole, I’m going to enjoy my time in human society.
Establishing contact with the elves is a very delicate act. It must be done alone. Alone, I must lead this Parallel World War again. Failure is not allowed. Either I succeed, or I don’t come back at all.