Chapter 15

1 “There are traitorous spies among us!” They were at an Imperial base. Commander Mismis had started off that day’s meeting with that rather dramatic declaration. “Or at least, HQ wants us to make that happen during training,” she said. “Iska, what do you think we should do?” “Isn’t this kind of coming out of nowhere?” The Imperial swordsman tilted his head quizzically. “If you could start from the beginning…” “You already know the story, Iska. Some Nebulis spies tried to invade the Imperial capital.” Two global superpowers were at war. The Heavenly Empire that Iska and his companions were part of had waged an ongoing, century-long campaign against the Nebulis Sovereignty, otherwise known as the Paradise of Witches. Since the conflict was currently at a standstill, they’d resorted to sending spies into each other’s territories. “Yeah, of course I heard about that. It happens every year. There were two or three suspicious people caught on the surveillance cameras in the capital.” “That’s right. We think they’re from the Nebulis Sovereignty’s intelligence unit.” Commander Mismis nodded. Yes. Enemy spies had already invaded the Empire. “The Empire is just too big. There are so many people within its territory that it’s impossible to investigate every single person who comes in from overseas.” “We’ve got physical limitations…” Since Iska was an Imperial soldier, the problem struck close to home. Luckily, the Empire’s most important secrets—its military intelligence—had yet to be breached. The Imperial forces’ security had blocked all attempts at espionage. “We can’t let our guard down, Iska. We need to assume that a Nebulis spy might even target this base.” “Oh, so that’s why…” “Yeah, that’s right. It’s the theme of our training.” Commander Mismis pointed to a map of the Empire on the wall. “I christen this the ‘Betray the Imperial Forces Mission!’ We’ll become spies and infiltrate the Imperial base!” “Well, that’s a very…novel idea,” Iska replied. “I know, right?” Mismis said. “Jhin, Nene, did you catch all of that?” “I got all of it. Sounds like an important mission,” replied Jhin, the silver-haired sniper who was sitting in a corner of the room, exuding confidence. “There’s a stray cat that’s taken up residence in the Imperial capital. Finding its parents takes top priority.” “I’m not talking about stray cats!” “Oh, so stray dogs, then?” he said. “Just leave that to a humane society! Nene, you were listening, weren’t you?” Mismis asked. “That’s right. I heard it all.” Nene, the red-haired girl sitting next to Iska, raised her hand. “I’m also frightened to hear that molestation incidents have been increasing year by year in the capital. If I have to walk around the alleys at night, then—” “I’m not talking about that, either!” “Okay, enough joking around. So basically, you want us to run a counteroperation.” Jhin leaned back in his chair as he spoke, his tone clearly indicating that he didn’t want to participate. “We have no idea when the Imperial forces’ security measures might fail. So you want us to play the role of Nebulis assassins and attempt to infiltrate the Imperial base.” They—the three members of Unit 907 and their leader, Commander Mismis—had been assigned to be spies. “Right, boss?” Jhin said. “Exactly! HQ set up a prefab base for us to use as training. It’s in the business district, where there used to be an empty lot.” Commander Mismis pointed at a location on the map. “This is going to be an experiment. We’re part of the spy team. We can use any method we want to force our way into the base.” “So anything goes as long as we don’t get caught? Well, what if…” The first thing that sprang to mind for Iska was sneaking in from above. If they used a military helicopter, they could infiltrate the base without worrying about walls. All they would need to do was descend via parachute. “Of course, we can’t use a helicopter, though,” he said, shooting his own idea down. “Sure we can,” Mismis replied. “You can’t be serious?!” “But the base also has a defense team. They didn’t tell me how many people would be on it, but it’ll be more people than our team.” Even if they got into the base by parachute, they’d likely end up caught by the opposing team. “…I see. So they want us to figure out how to sneak past the defense team, just like real spies.” “I wonder what equipment the other side will have.” Jhin rose from his seat. “Hey, boss, will the defending team have guns and stuff?” “Of course. Their firearms will be outfitted with rubber bullets, like the ones used for riot suppression. They’ll also have access to handcuffs, nets, and traps installed at the base.” As he listened to Commander Mismis make a list, Iska scowled slightly. “This sounds like it’s going to be tough… So the defense team will have anything they need at their disposal, while we’ll be limited.” For example, Iska was a swordsman. While the Imperial forces primarily used guns, he specialized in close combat with blades. His skill set wouldn’t be useful for this training exercise. In fact, his swords would be far too conspicuous if he brought them along on their stealth mission. “Commander, do you have any other information about the opposing side?” “No. I asked about it, but all HQ said was that the defending team would have more people, and that they’d have standard Imperial-issued equipment… No different than usual.” Commander Mismis gave them all a strained smile. They were completely cut off from any other intelligence, as though this were a real mission. “We have three weeks. We’re supposed to come up with a plan and execute it in that time.” “Three weeks? That’s absurd.” Jhin shook his head immediately. “Even the Nebulis intelligence unit hasn’t been able to penetrate Imperial security. We couldn’t do it in three weeks, even if we went with a reckless approach.” “R-right, but…the training area is a prefab base they had to put together really quickly. And they also pulled together the defense team at the last minute.” Commander Mismis clenched her fists, as though trying to motivate herself. “It’ll be fine! This is the first time they’re trying this, too. The defense team probably has holes in their communication. If we exploit that, we’ll win this for sure!” “Are you sure about that?” Suddenly, the door flung open. Someone had overridden the electronic lock. “A hole in the defense team? Don’t think things will be that easy for you!” They heard footsteps ring out through the room as a black-haired woman wearing glasses appeared in front of the unit. The woman, who was as small as Mismis, suddenly smiled. “Hello, Mismis,” she said. “Oh, it’s you, P. How have you been?” “Who are you calling P?!” Commander Pilie Commonsense. She was a young member of the Imperial forces who had been promoted only a year ago. Her black hair and well-to-do appearance made her look like a quintessential member of the Imperial capital’s upper class. However… “Her abilities are bottom-tier. Her grades are among the lowest of all the Imperial commanders. She’s got more ambition than anyone, and she puts up a good front. But as soon as you peer below the surface, she’s just—” “Hey! Why are you going over my history?! And why are you doing it using an explanatory tone?!” “She even looks childish, and her appearance is nothing to write home about. But our boss is the only person in the Imperial forces of similar height and academic standing to Commander Pilie, so she’s decided they’re rivals.” “Stop it already!” “I’m just stating the facts,” Jhin said brazenly when Commander Pilie pointed a finger at him. “I’m pretty sure that was all true.” “Sh-shut up! My looks are a sore spot… At least call me cute instead of childish!” Strangely, Commander Pilie was willing to admit that Jhin’s assessment was the truth, though she still turned bright red. “Ahem. Anyway, back to the topic at hand… I heard everything you said earlier, Mismis!” “You mean what we were just discussing?” “That’s right, I heard you talking about the training exercise. It seems like you’re hoping oversights will save your hide when you try to penetrate the base’s defense.” Her eyes glinted. She took a large step forward with her little legs. “But don’t count on it! Because, I, Commander Pilie, was selected as the general commander of the defense team!” “…What did you just say?” Iska couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise. “Is that true, Commander Pilie?” “Heh-heh, I see you’re so alarmed that your jaws are hanging open!” The commander was assured of her victory. Meanwhile, Iska, Commander Mismis, Nene, and Jhin had formed a huddle. “Wow, I can’t believe that happened. Commander, we’ve basically got a win in the bag now.” “Right? I feel so relieved.” “I’m kind of disappointed,” Nene said. “Forget looking for holes—there’s a huge one right there!” “This is like a minigame,” Jhin said. “A little kid—no, a mutt—could break right through Commander Pilie’s defenses.” “What are the four of you doing?!” Commander Pilie butted into their conversation. “I’m leading the defense team. You’re supposed to be despairing right now! Why do you all look relieved?!” “Thank you, P…” “You’re thanking me now?! Ugh! If you don’t get it even after I’ve spelled it out for you, you can see how terrifying it’ll be when we start!” the lead commander of the defense team declared as she gritted her teeth. “Compared to the thirty spies on your side, we’ve got three hundred people on the defense team. And we won’t let a single one of you rats get in!” “Wow… So you’ve got three hundred people,” Mismis murmured. HQ had withheld that information. Commander Pilie had divulged some critical information right from the start, but naturally, she hadn’t realized that. “This is the end of the line for you, Mismis. We’ve been competing for a while now, but this is going to decide it all,” Commander Pilie coolly declared. “My defense will be impenetrable. See if you can break through it!” “Cool.” Jhin nodded and confidently accepted the challenge. “Then we’ll start tomorrow.” “What did you say?” “The forces are huge, so they’ve gotta get lots of food deliveries. You should know that already. We’ll disguise ourselves as lunch delivery workers tomorrow and sneak in that way. Try to catch us if you can.” “Sounds interesting to me!” Commander Pilie shouted with a competitive look in her eye. “I can only compliment you for the advance notice and your boldness in divulging your plans…but even if you have professional disguises, you’ll never be able to get past my discerning eyes!” “Yeah, you better be ready for what we throw at you,” Jhin said. “That’s exactly what I was hoping for. Well then, Mismis, I’m looking forward to our showdown!” “Oh…wait, P!” “Adieu!” Mismis had no time to stop her. The black-haired commander left the conference room like a speeding arrow. 2 The next day. In other words, it was the day of Jhin’s plan. The Imperial capital had been hit with an unusually heavy rain. Now, as for what Iska and the gang were doing… “It sure is pouring outside. Hey, Iska, that window over there looks like a waterfall’s running down it,” Nene remarked. “It really does. Good thing we’re just doing indoor training today.” They were relaxing in the same conference room as the day before while holding a strategy meeting about their covert operation. “Say, Jhin.” “Hm? What is it, boss?” As Jhin took a swig from his can of coffee, Commander Mismis pointed at the wall clock. “It’s almost lunchtime…” “Yeah, that’s obvious.” “What about all the stuff you said to Commander Pilie? Like, about disguising ourselves as lunch delivery workers? If we’re going to do that, we need to start now.” “Oh, that.” Jhin took another sip of his coffee and answered her with a straight face. “That was a joke, obviously. Who’d take that seriously?” “Oh, right, of course.” “Yeah, it’s a no-brainer. Thirty spies against a three-hundred-person defense team? That’s a factor of ten. We were already at a disadvantage to start with. Why would I reveal our plans on purpose?” “Oh, good. I was almost convinced that you might have been serious.” Commander Mismis looked relieved. “P seemed like she was weirdly fired up about it, though. You don’t think she actually believed it…?” “No way. It was tit for tat. I cracked a joke, so she just went along with it. That’s all it was.” He tossed the empty can. After it landed in the wastebasket, he let out an exasperated sigh. “It’s not like anyone can become an Imperial commander. No one in a position of leadership would take that baloney seriously.” “Yeah, you’re right,” Mismis said. “Obviously.” Everyone there was convinced of that, and the day passed without incident. The next day. “…At least that’s what we thought.” “You big fat liars!” Commander Pilie ran into the conference room, her face bright red. “I didn’t think anyone would take it seriously,” Jhin said. “Wh-why did you just sigh like that?! Do you have any idea how many hours I spent waiting in the rain for you to break in yesterday night?” She sneezed. Evidently, the group leader of the defense team had caught a cold. “I was guarding the base outside all night. You said you’d come in as food delivery workers, so I was keeping an eye out for you the whole time!” “That must have been a lot of effort… Wait? You were keeping guard? Don’t tell me you did something to the delivery workers—” “We arrested every single one of them, of course. We handcuffed them and everything.” She’d just dropped a bombshell. “I took every single female delivery worker and checked everything they had on them, including their IDs. Then I had them undress in a changing room and did a strip search, too.” “Hey, you can’t drag citizens into this when they’re not part of the exercise.” “I only did it because of what you said!” Pilie shrieked. “We had complaints come in from restaurants all over the capital! Thanks to you, I had to pull an all-nighter writing self-reflection reports. HQ even told me off. How could you do that to me?!” “Uh, what am I supposed to do about that…?” Jhin shook his head, looking and sounding exasperated. “I’m just glad we weren’t real spies.” “What?” “A Nebulis spy could definitely leak false info to you. You should be thankful you got some practice dealing with that through us.” “I—I suppose you have a point!” Commander Pilie swallowed her breath. “Did you do that on purpose as a learning experience…?” “No, I was surprised you took me seriously. I didn’t think you’d actually believe in it.” “Well then, this means war!” She pointed at Jhin. Then she howled, turning red from rage and her intense cold. “I made a mistake this time, but you’ll regret angering me. Now that I’m actually going all-out for real, there won’t be a single blind spot in my defensive line!” she said through gritted teeth as she firmly made her declaration of war. “You’d better be ready for this, Mismi…achoo!” “P, you’ve caught a cold from being in the rain yesterday.” “And whose fault do you think that is?!” A few days passed. Unit 907 was in the woods at the edge of the capital. It was late at night. “So the base that we’re targeting as spies is somewhere in this Imperial forest reserve.” Iska was leading the group. Behind him were Commander Mismis, Jhin, and Nene. “But, Commander, we haven’t decided how we’re getting in, have we?” Iska said. “That’s right. We’re just scouting it really quick today.” There were two routes by which Unit 907 could infiltrate the base. They could either go through the business district of the capital and attack head-on, or attack from the woods and break into the base from behind. “But this seems really sudden…” Iska and the others had only been told they would be scouting that night. Per Mismis’s orders, Iska was carrying a map and a headlamp, while Jhin and Nene were taking along binoculars and cameras. Commander Mismis herself was dressed in light clothing and carrying a comm. “Hey, Commander, I’d like to ask you something. What are you using that comm for?” Nene tilted her head. “We’re all here, so who else would we need to talk to?” “Oh, did I not tell you?” Commander Mismis replied nonchalantly. “We’re helping one of my friends today.” “A friend?” “That’s right. Someone else from the spy group.” Commander Mismis nodded confidently and pulled out the comm. “Another team is going to infiltrate the base tonight. They’ll have ten people in total. And they’ll go through the woods to get to the base.” “Oh, I see.” Iska nodded. He’d assumed the scouting mission was totally spontaneous, but it seemed that the point had been to support another group all along. “So, Commander, what happens if the other group gets into the base successfully?” “That means the entire spy team has won. If that happens, our training will be over on the spot, so we’ve got to support them with everything we have!” Commander Mismis parted the underbrush and headed deeper into the woods. “C’mon, you can do it, everybody else!” “I don’t normally condone relying on others, but this time I’m in full agreement. There’d be nothing better than getting this training exercise over with as soon as possible.” Jhin held up his binoculars. “Boss, when’s the other unit making their move?” “They should be starting soon. Let me get in contact with them.” The commander pulled out the comm again. “This is Unit 907’s commander, Mismis. We’re getting closer to execution time. What’s the situation there?” “Unit 31 commander, Nagra, here. We’ve rendezvoused with Unit 602.” A sober man’s voice came over the comm. They could hear the other members of the unit in the background as Commander Nagra spoke. Ten members of the spy group would be participating in the infiltration. Apparently, they were already on standby. “Where are you now?” “We’re waiting at the rendezvous point. Right now we’re at the environmental conservation boundary’s ‘forest bear checkpoint,’ and we’ll be heading to the ‘forest rabbit checkpoint’ next. It should take us about an hour to reach the rear side of the enemy base. Then it’s showtime.” The commanders were using code words. They’d designated the “forest bear” and “forest rabbit” checkpoints ahead of time to ensure the mission would be a success. The attacking team had opted to use code words to prevent Pilie’s group from eavesdropping and deducing their location. “Hey, Iska, ‘forest bear’ is a pretty cute code word, isn’t it?” “I dunno. What if you actually get mauled by a bear in the woods…?” “Shh! Iska, Nene, quiet. They’re about to head out!” Mismis pointed into the trees. They could just barely make out people sneaking through the woods through their night-vision binoculars. “Looks like they’re in camo. The infiltration team did a great job dressing for this.” Jhin sounded impressed. “If they can get to the back of the base, I can’t wait to see how they deal with the wire on the concrete wall.” They were heading toward a wall equipped with security cameras, where there would also be patrolling soldiers. How were they planning to get through the defenses with just ten people? “So what’s our job here, Commander?” “We just need to stay on standby.” She brought her comm to her ear. “Hello? How’s it going?” “This is Unit 31. Progress going well down the forest route,” Commander Nagra answered. They heard the unit’s footsteps parting the undergrowth. “Uh, um. Good luck out there.” “Ha-ha, Commander Mismis. You worry too much.” The commander let out a hearty laugh. Even though it actually fell to his team to execute the spy mission, he sounded quite confident. “We won’t run into any issues with Commander Pilie leading the team at the base.” “You know her?” “Yup. She’s basically the only commander in history who flubbed her first day on the job. She had to write a self-reflection report.” “Oh, I actually had to do that, too…” “Hm?” “Oh, nothing! Ah-ha-ha-ha. Right, no one would have to write a self-reflection report their first day!” “That’s for sure. An elite combo unit like us wouldn’t lose to the defenses set up by a woman who just squeaked by as a commander. Right, everyone?” They heard laughter through the comm. It wasn’t just Commander Nagra. Everyone seemed to be chuckling on the other side of the line, as though the mission had practically been handed to them. “You can rest easy knowing that we’ve got this.” He seemed very reassuring when he put it like that. “Oh, um…but have you taken any countermeasures? P is really motivated, after all.” “Ha-ha-ha. Don’t worry, Commander Mismis. No matter how much spirit she has, she’s still a fail—” Boom! Just then, they heard an explosion on the other end of the comm. “Gaah?!” Then they heard a scream. “Uh…Commander?! Commander Nagra?! What happened?!” “” Communication cut off. “Iska, over there!” Nene pointed in the direction the unit had been walking. They looked through their night-vision binoculars. White clouds of pillowy smoke were obscuring the thickets. “Looks like tear gas-firing equipment. It was hidden in the brush.” Jhin looked through his binoculars. “That’s not all. I don’t see anyone coming out of the gas cloud, so there must have been pit hole traps there, too. I bet Commander Nagra’s team fell into them.” “P-pit holes?! Are you telling me they walked into a trap?!” Commander Mismis went pale. “But, Jhin, this is meant to be a conservation zone. They couldn’t have been there originally…” “The defense team must have dug them for this training exercise.” “During the last few days?!” Mismis spoke into the comm. “Commander Nagra, please answer!” “Ugh…th-they got us! It was a tear gas trap!” Iska and the others watched as a large man leaped out from a cloud of tear gas, looking like he was in pain. “And there are pits all over the place! It was a bloodbath… My whole team—all nine of my troops—got caught!” “Wh-what?!” “I never expected her to be so prepared…but I’m still here!” Perhaps spurred by his sense of duty as an Imperial soldier, or the fact that he couldn’t allow himself to be beaten by a young girl, Commander Nagra ran right through the tear gas. He was still heading for the base. “Sh-shouldn’t you withdraw?!” Mismis asked. “Leave this to me. It’s pitch black. No one can see me with camo—” Flick. Just then, an intense spotlight shone on Commander Nagra. “I-impossible! An infrared tracking system?!” he screamed. This was no normal infrared surveillance camera. It was bona fide Imperial forces equipment. “I can’t believe it. How much of the budget did Pilie blow on this?!” “Commander Nagra?!” “Urgh!” He ran through the vegetation, but the surveillance equipment followed him wherever he went. And then… A gigantic net fell on him from above. “Gaaaaah!” “Commander, Commander, keep it together!” Mismis frantically called out to him, only to receive silence on the other end. “” A few moments later, they finally heard his sad voice over the comm. “…I’m sorry, Commander Mismis.” “Commander Nagra?” “It seems this is where we say goodbye. We’ve all been wiped out.” “Wh-what?! Commander, you can’t—” “Be careful out there. That young lady isn’t the same person she once was… I pray fortune will be in your favor!” The comm cut off. It must have been intercepted by a jamming radio wave from the base. “Commander, we need to withdraw. Let’s run.” “B-but!—” “The defense units will come any minute. We’ll go down like them if we stick around. Don’t waste their sacrifice!” “Urgh. I-I’m sorry, Commander, and the rest of you!” Mismis cried out like a heroine in a story, wiping away her tears and running after Iska. “This is so unfair of the defense team! How could they use so much of their budget to protect the base?! How are we supposed to even try tackling that?!” “…You got over everything that happened real quick.” “That’s because they’re not playing fair!” Mismis wailed. They ran through the dark woods. The spy group had lost ten of its members, but Unit 907 managed to escape under the direction of Commander Mismis. 3 Three days passed. “Everyone else was taken out…” Commander Mismis gave the rest of her team the news in a heavy tone in a conference room. “They got two whole units. The offensive team was able to infiltrate the woods, but there was so much surveillance and so many traps that they had no place to step.” “The team at the base put a ridiculous amount of effort into this.” Jhin leaned back in his chair. “They’ve really tightened their defenses. We’ll need to take this seriously if we want to stand a chance.” “Any good ideas, Jhin?” “Zilch. If I’ve got to say anything, it’s that attacking through the woods is hopeless.” “Which means…” Commander Mismis breathed in sharply. “What about the front route?” “Right. And dressed up as citizens. In plainclothes without any equipment.” “D-do you think that’ll work…?” “I think that’s the only option we’ve got,” Nene said. She unfurled a map of the Imperial capital. “This is Commander Pilie we’re talking about. She’ll have metal detectors prepared. We’ll get caught if we have comms or binoculars.” “All right. We’ll go ahead with the plan under the assumption that we need to be dressed as civilians.” First, they would disguise themselves. Then they would walk right through the Imperial capital and march up to the front gate of the base. But that’s when things would get tricky. “So, Jhin, what happens after we get to the front gate?” “We’ll break in through sheer willpower.” “Why’s that the only part of the plan that relies on brute force?!” “What else are we supposed to do?” Jhin asked. “Look how tough their defense is in the back area by the woods. We’ve got to use the front route. It’s a no-brainer.” “You have a point, but—” “The alternative is to use a decoy. While you’re hit with the tear gas, boss, the rest of us can try climbing over the wall.” “Don’t joke like that! And why am I the decoy?!” “Isn’t it your duty as an officer to sacrifice yourself for the rest of the team, Commander?” “No way!” Jhin fixed her with a serious look, and Mismis let out a real shriek. 4 The evening streets were lit with neon. Melting into the bustling crowds, Iska’s unit walked through the business district. “This is finally going to be what decides it…” Commander Mismis had a grim look in her eyes. She had changed out of her battle uniform and donned a cute dress. “There are ten members of the spy group remaining. There are the four of us and another unit of six.” “And the other unit is also carrying out the same plan.” Next to her was Iska, in a plain shirt. Jhin was walking behind him in a similar outfit, and Nene had changed into a skirt that emphasized her youth. They were perfectly disguised. From an objective standpoint, they were indistinguishable from any other group of teenagers in the business district. “It’s a good thing you don’t look your age, boss. You look the youngest out of all of us.” “Jhin, I don’t just look young. I’m twenty-two, so I am young. Anyway, we need to get out of the business district. We’ll go straight to the Imperial base.” She plowed straight ahead. Then she pulled a comm out of her pocket. “This is Commander Mismis of Unit 907. How is it going?” “This is Commander Wien of Unit 871, Division II. We’re also making progress through the business district.” They received a reply through the comm. The spy group had broken up into two teams and were heading for the base from the right and the left. “We’ve dressed up as office workers who just finished a day on the job. We’re in suits.” “Looks like things are going according to plan.” “That’s right. And we made copies of documents from companies that do business with the Imperial forces. Our cover story is that we’re about to go in for a meeting with the Imperial forces’ general affairs manager.” “Well, if you’ve gone that far…” “Yup. That should get us through the front gate, at least.” They were acting like real spies. If they couldn’t actually sneak in, then their only option was to try to waltz right through the front doors of the base. “So the goal is the entrance, right?” “That’s right. If any of us puts a hand on the door, then the spies all win.” “I see. Then we’ll make sure to be the decoys for you!” Mismis’s unit was in charge of making a commotion by pretending to be civilians near the wall of the base. Commander Wien’s group of six were most likely to be successful. “Let’s do the best we can, Commander Wien!” “Ha-ha-ha! Leave it to us, Commander Mismis,” Wien said, acting like this would be the easiest thing in the world. However, Commander Mismis started to get anxious when she heard the confidence in his reply. “B-but Commander Nagra’s entire team was wiped out just a few days ago. If you go in with the same attitude they did…” “Nagra’s team was wiped out because they made the mistake of trying to brute-force their way in. Our plan is foolproof.” “…I see.” “That’s right. And we’re up against Commander Pilie, after all. An elite unit like ours wouldn’t lose to a girl like her.” “Uh-huh…” This conversation gave her a feeling of déjà vu. Iska and the others could still vividly recall how Commander Nagra’s pride had led to his unit being wiped out. “Please be careful!” “Ha-ha-ha. You worry too much, Commander Mismis. With us dressed up as company employees like this, even God himself couldn’t—” Just then, Wien’s voice was replaced by static. “Huh? Commander Wien?” “I-impossible!” They heard panic on the other side of the comm. “They’re jamming the comm?!” “Ha-ha-ha! You were too naive, Commander Wien! And you too, Mismis!” A voice that sounded just as childish as Mismis’s came over the speakers of the business district. “We already knew that you ten spies would try to attack tonight!” “Commander Pilie?!” She’d tapped Commander Wien’s comm. “This can’t be! We only nailed down the details of the plan here. We met in this district and had our briefing while pretending to be office workers. There’s no way you could have figured us out!” “And that’s what makes you naive. I knew about the location of the café where you held your planning meeting this whole time.” “What?!” “Take a closer look around you.” There was a murmur. Everyone in the crowd around them stopped and turned toward Unit 907. “They’re all Imperial detectives I hired. I had all of them pretend to be regular citizens and tail you the entire time.” “You hired all these people?! Just how big is your budget…?” “Ah-ha-ha-ha! Did you forget that my family owns a conglomerate?” Commander Pilie smiled as though she’d already won. “If I take out the entire spy group here, my reputation at headquarters will soar. If it’s for boosting my prestige, I don’t mind spending a little cash!” “Th-that’s underhanded! Who would allow you to spend that much money so extravagantly?!” “In war, a budget speaks volumes. Now, capture them, Defense Team A!” They heard an explosion on the other side of the comm followed by the sounds of what seemed like death screams. “Gaaaaah!” “Commander Wien?!” “…” There was no reply. “C-Commander…Commander?!” Mismis’s forlorn cry rang out. Then, the other commander’s final, demoralizing message came through. “…I’m sorry, Commander Mismis.” “Commander Wien?” “It seems this is where we say goodbye. We need to drop out of the operation now, but you all keep going. Good luck!” “Commander Wien?!” The comm cut off. After being captured in the business district, the six members of his team must have been taken to the base. “Ha-ha. We didn’t even let them get to the base before capturing them. We caught them on their way there to prevent anyone on the spy team from infiltrating us!” Commander Pilie gloated as though she’d already won. “All right, Mismis, this is when we settle things. We’ll leave only the four of you for a fair fight.” “How is this fair, P?!” “My wits were what brought me this victory!” “I think money is what bought it for you!” She’d overwhelmed them not only by relying on her budget from headquarters but also by using her vast amount of personal wealth. Anything goes, it seemed. “All right, Defense Team B! Capture Mismis!” They heard the loud thudding of military boots. Tons of heavily equipped Imperial soldiers filed out of the alleys, surrounding Iska’s unit one after another. There were twenty people—no, more than thirty. “Run, Commander! They’re going to surround us!” “Uh, uh-huh!” They dashed as fast as they could through the business district. Naturally, they ran toward the Imperial base, where Commander Pilie was waiting. “Iska, they’re approaching from the front, too!” “Guh! Nene! Let’s escape through that small alleyway!” It was so narrow, only one person could get through at once. A large crowd wouldn’t be able to follow them, so as long as they hid, no one would be able to find them. “Haah…haah… I-isn’t this unfair? We’ve only got four people, but they’ve got hundreds!” “Shh, Commander. They’ll hear you.” Commander Mismis hid by the wall as Nene checked their surroundings. “From now on, it’s hide-and-seek. We’ll just lie low until the defense team starts getting impatient—” “Hey, wait,” Jhin whispered. He stared in the direction of the narrow alley they had come from. “I heard something.” “What? What did you hear, Jhin?” “A dog barking.” This wasn’t a cute little yelp, either. It was the cry of a large, ferocious dog—the kind that would growl and bare its teeth. “They’ve caught their scent!” Suddenly, a light shined into the alley they were all hiding in. Then they saw a soldier holding not a gun but the leash of a large military canine. “They’re using hounds?!” “Hey, wait a sec! That’s going way too far across the line now!” Now even Jhin was rushing to get away. There was a military hound after them, after all. No matter where they hid, it would track them if it caught the slightest scent. “Ahhh?!” “Nene?!” “M-my skirt!” Two dogs had latched on to the hem of Nene’s skirt. Her long, slender thighs peeked out from underneath as she pulled it up to shake them off. “Ahh! Don’t look!” Her face was turning redder and redder. “Waaah! I’m not supposed to be the one who’s embarrassed like this! That’s Commander Mismis’s role!” “What’s that supposed to mean, Nene?!” “Urgh… I really liked this skirt, too…!” Nene tore through her own skirt with the knife she always carried on her person. Then she ran from the dogs, which were still clinging to the fabric. The entire unit started running through the backstreets again. “Iska, what do we do?!” Commander Mismis looked behind her. “At this rate, we won’t be able to get away! We’ll be surrounded before we even get to the base.” “Let’s split up.” There was no time to hesitate. Iska pointed at a corner as he made the split-second decision. They could either go straight or turn the corner. “Jhin and I will run straight. You two sneak around the corner and make a break for it.” “Are you sure, Iska?!” “Worry about yourself first. Get going, boss, Nene!” Jhin started things off by breaking into a sprint. Iska followed him. After a beat, Commander Mismis and Nene ran around the corner. However… ““Oh no!”” Jhin and Iska both yelled at the same time. The hounds and the soldiers of the canine unit had turned the corner and followed the two women instead. “They’re going after Commander Mismis first!” “Iska, we’re going to operate on our own. Run!” They could only hope that the rest of their unit would make it out safely. Praying that they would meet Nene and Commander Mismis again later, Iska ran from the alleys back into the business district. “Found you!” “Guh! We ran right back into them!” Imperial soldiers resumed their pursuit. However, Iska and Jhin were faster. “Jhin, they’re slow runners.” “Their equipment is weighing them down. We’re dressed lightly, so they won’t be able to follow us if we keep running.” Then something flew right in front of Jhin’s nose. As it rushed by, they realized it was a rubber bullet—the kind used to suppress riots—that had barely grazed him. That was forces-issued ammunition. “They’ve even got a sniper unit?!” Jhin blanched and shuddered. “They must be on the roof. So the defense team led us into a spot where the snipers would have a good view.” “Jhin, this way!” They ran in the shadows of the buildings. Behind them, the heavily armed defense team continued to give chase. At the same time, military snipers aimed at them from the buildings above. “This is harder than our usual training!” “Damn it! How complicated are they going to make this?!” They headed to the north of the district. Finally, they saw the buildings peter out. Once they’d cleared the hill, they would get to the base. “There they are! It’s the spy group!” They heard soldiers from behind. “Sniper unit, aim, Alice—” “Wait, Alice?!” Iska reflexively turned back when he heard that name. The Ice Calamity Witch Aliceliese. She was the second princess of the Nebulis Sovereignty and Iska’s rival in the battlefield. “Alice can’t be here, can she?!” “Iska, don’t stop!” When he heard Jhin, he came back to his senses. The Ice Calamity Witch Aliceliese wasn’t there when Iska had looked. Instead, he saw an Imperial sniper holding a gun. “That’s not the same Alice!” They scrambled up the hill. The Imperial base came faintly into view, illuminated by spotlights that were always on. “Iska, Jhin!” “Nene?! You made it out okay?” Nene and Commander Mismis were running up the hill, too. Iska was relieved that they were fine, but then he heard the vehement howl of hounds behind them. “Ah?! We worked so hard to shake them off, but the canine unit is still behind us!” “Nene, hurry!” The four of them reunited. Once they ran up the hill, they found that the automatic doors were closing on them. “The doors!” “Jump!” They tumbled in, slipping through the gap in the entrance to infiltrate the base. “All right! Everyone, if we touch that door, we win!” Mismis took a step forward. “Wait, boss!” Jhin grabbed Mismis’s hand to stop her. “Wh-what’s wrong, Jhin…?” “Look closer. There are unnatural mounds all over the lawn.” “What?” “Let me show you what they are.” Jhin picked up a pebble and threw it onto the lawn. Blip. They heard a soft electrical sound. Whoom! The lawn exploded, sending up a gigantic shower of dirt. “L-land mines?!” “They’re buried all over the place. If you run straight ahead, you’ll definitely step on one.” “Ha-ha-ha.” They heard a familiar voice echo throughout the base’s speakers. “Great job making it this far after overcoming all those trials. No wonder you’re my archnemesis, Mismis.” It was the leader of the defense team, Pilie. She was likely watching them from afar through a surveillance camera. “But the party’s over. You’ll be blown to beautiful pieces here.” Whoooom… They felt something move as a gigantic shadow descended over the back of the base. “I’m making a personal appearance for the grand finale.” “That’s a tank!” It was the Imperial army’s UTV-70X model tank. It was equipped with a heavy machine gun that could riddle a building with holes within seconds and an automobile combat defense system. “Well, Mismis.” Pilie’s voice blared from the tank. Needless to say, she had to be the person driving it. “We’ll settle this the customary way!” “How is pitting a tank against humans customary?!” “In war, the battle is over before the fighting even begins. The real thrill of the battle is thoroughly preparing yourself.” “Then what about our ‘customary’ battle?” “I just want to win!” “Now you admit it?!” “En guarde!” The tank began to move without another word. The gigantic caterpillar track started to turn, trampling the lawn as the vehicle charged forward. “Whoa! It’s heading straight for us, Iska!” “What are you going to try to do to us when we’re unarmed?! Do something, Commander!” “I can’t do anything!” “All we can do is run!” They all did just that and sprinted as fast as they could. There was no way that unarmed humans could win against a cutting-edge tank. “This is bad, Commander. There’s a wall in front of us. We’re cornered!” “Are we done for?!” The unit gathered at the dead end. Pilie was approaching them in her tank. “All right, just accept defeat. This is definitive proof of the difference between us.” “You mean the difference between humans and a tank?!” “That works, too. As long as I win—” Click. They heard the sound of the tank rolling over something as it approached. Bip, bip, bip. A familiar electrical sound rang out. “Oh?” Pilie seemed confused. Iska and the others stared at the tank. It was sitting right on top of a mound of dirt containing something they’d already encountered. “C’mon…” “P, you didn’t…” They had a bad feeling about this. The tank hadn’t just rolled over one land mine. All four caterpillar tracks were right on top of separate mounds. “H-how could this happen?! I rolled right on top of the land mines I set up myself!” “I knew it!” “What are you doing, P?!” “Why’d you get yourself caught in your own trap?! Run, they’re going to explode!” Iska and the rest of his team dashed off as fast as they could. “W-wait a second! Don’t leave me here! Uh, ah, noooo!” Then they exploded, and spectacularly at that. Leaving only a sad wail in her wake, Commander Pilie and her tank went flying into the air. 5 The next day. In a room in the Nebulis Sovereignty, far, far away from the Empire. “There was a giant explosion in the Imperial capital?” Alice said as she read a magazine that her attendant, Rin, had prepared for her. Aliceliese Lou Nebulis. She was a princess who was feared by the Empire for being one of the strongest witches around. “Rin, tell me the details.” “Yes, Lady Alice, the origin of the explosion was within an Imperial base.” Rin looked nervous. “It seems that it was some sort of accident. There are eyewitness reports of a tank moving in the vicinity of the base. People think it went out of control…” “No, Rin, you need to look deeper,” Alice declared with confidence as she held the magazine in hand. “That was a trap. That was likely a test explosion that they made to look like the tank self-destructing. The Imperial forces must be testing a secret weapon they’ve developed.” “Wh-what?!” “There’s no way that the forces would make such a silly mistake and blow themselves up. Especially not with Iska serving them.” Iska, the former Saint Disciple. Alice couldn’t believe the swordsman who’d entranced her on the battlefield could work for an organization that would blow themselves up. “The Empire truly is a cunning enemy. We’ll likely have even more intense battles with them going forward…” She was completely convinced that the Empire couldn’t be so incompetent. Alice renewed her vow to overthrow their enemy. “Just you wait, Iska!” Meanwhile, at the same time… “It burned down…” “The land mines blew the whole thing up. The prefab base is gone.” “I can’t believe we survived that…” The Imperial capital Yunmelngen. In a daze, Iska and the rest of his unit stared at the base that had burned to cinders. It was their day off. But Iska and the others held brooms and dustpans in their hands. “They’re making both the spy group and the defense team clean up together…” “Geez. We’re losing a perfectly good day off.” “It’s all because P went too far.” “Nuh-uh! It’s because you guys were too tenacious!” Commander Pilie was wrapped in bandages. “P, why don’t you just rest? Those burns must hurt,” Mismis said. “Shut up… I’ve gotta help clean up as the general commander.” Commander Pilie was hard at work cleaning with them. She’d been injured after the land mine blast, but she was also the first to have started cleaning because she was responsible for the incident. “This loss is also a learning experience. Just you wait. I won’t lose to you next time, Mismis.” Pilie pouted, and Mismis stared at her from the side for a while. “You’re so adorable, P,” she finally concluded. “What?!” “That’s the one aspect of you that’s impossible to hate.” Mismis smiled awkwardly.