Chapter 1

His Exelia trudged forward through the mud, screeching with every slap of dirt against the machine. Its engine was bright red from overheating. Still, he couldn’t afford to move any slower, because he knew the moment his vehicle stopped, he would be gunned down. Turning around, he spotted four state-of-the-art Exelias in pursuit of him. They were AT3s equipped with high-output engines, a staple of the enemy country. Exelia was a generic term for a small armored vehicle that was approximately ten feet tall. New models were developed as the war demanded it, and at this point, they far exceeded most other firearms. The maximum speed of his old M4 unit was thirty miles per hour. But the enemy’s new models were far faster, so he knew he had no real chance to shake them off. They covered the distance in a mere ten seconds, then used Bullet Magic to shower him with lead. Goddammit. Why’d this happen? I thought we cadets would be safe! The cadets were to be kept safe behind the main forces. That was how it had been explained to them. However— “Nng!” The Exelia he was riding in exploded. As he flew through the air, the cadet, Rain, clearly saw his unit’s manipulator, Athly, blown to smithereens. She didn’t so much as scream when her life ended. And as he was showered with the remains of his comrade, Rain rolled down a cliff, taking further blows from the descent. Goddammit… Why...? Why did this happen? Looking down, Rain saw a broken bone from his leg fly off into the distance, and a sharp pain that could only be the herald of death pierced his senses. Still, despite the intense agony, he slowly raised his head. That’s… He saw something rather ominous. A black Exelia, standing in a mountainous region a mere five hundred feet away. A black Exelia… Black? No way… He hurriedly peered through the scope on his gun, but unfortunately, his suspicions were confirmed. That black unit belonged to a very specific enemy commander: Major Beluk. There was no mistaking that greasy face. It was Beluk the Butcher, an infamous warrior of the western country who didn’t hesitate to gun down even unarmed civilians and children. It seemed he was the man behind this attack… “Kh…” Rain groaned and set aside his rifle. Then, after rummaging through his breast pocket, he pulled out a single silver bullet. This peculiar-looking bullet was something he’d picked up earlier. He’d found five of them lying around and decided to take them for no reason in particular, but as luck would have it, they were the only bullets he had left, so he had no choice but to use one. He’s about one thousand three hundred feet out… Even with Bullet Magic to assist him, taking out such a far-off enemy with a single shot would be quite a feat. But— I have to kill him. Just him, if nothing else. I’ll take out the bastard who killed Athly… Given the circumstances, Rain knew his chance of survival was slim—which was why he refused to die without at least avenging his fallen comrade. Rain had a ritual, a prayer of sorts. He would always confirm the time on his pocket watch before firing, hoping to accurately confirm the exact moment he would end his target’s life… The time was exactly 2:00 PM. All right. After taking ten-odd seconds to adjust his sights, he pulled the trigger. Shortly after that, a crimson flower sprouted in the distance. He had done it. And through his scope, he confirmed the sight of Beluk’s head bursting. Got him. However, just as the thought crossed his mind— “Ah…” —the world shifted.