Chapter 3: This Is Not War

The next morning, Sophia visited Lud and the others at their lodging, where they had greeted the morning without much rest. Sophia said she needed to talk and they suggested doing so at the breakfast table while eating, but she refused the offer. Instead, Sophia hung her head low and made a fist.

“I’m sorry.”

Her voice was full of frustration and regret.

“Sophia, what happened?”

Sophia replied to Lud’s question by telling him the Security Department was planning to test a ballistic missile and had abducted Meitzer. She added that the regular military was sending a special combat unit to stop the test and retrieve Meitzer. Furthermore...

“I also asked permission for you to come, but I was refused.” Sophia spoke in a strained voice and looked tense and unhappy.

She had asked Toolman, the captain of the special combat team, for Lud and Sven to join the operation. However, his answer had been extremely cold.

“There’s no way I can allow that.” Toolman had curtly cut her off in a tone that allowed no argument and was inappropriate toward a superior officer. “I know Langart, and I know he’s a capable man. However, he has quit the military.”

Some retired members of the military remain on reserve for emergency musters. Lud, however, was not in the reserves.

“This mission requires the utmost secrecy. We don’t know who Langart has come into contact with since leaving the military, and we haven’t examined his current situation. We cannot trust him.”

Sophia couldn’t say, “Do you doubt my subordinate?!”

Toolman was correct. To press further would be to involve personal matters. A fundamental tenet for the success of an operation was removing even the slightest worrisome element. Toolman wasn’t wrong.

“I hear Langart is living in a rural area as a baker now. If you care about him, shouldn’t you let him lead his peaceful life? Or... is there some reason he should come with us?”

Sophia couldn’t answer that question. Meitzer claimed to be Sven’s father. However, Sven was officially a weapon that had escaped from a military research facility. That was as big a problem as Verne 1.

“I see. Understood. I apologize. Forget I mentioned it.”

Sophia was unable to press the matter any further.

“I’m sorry, Lud. I wanted to take you with us, but...”

Sophia was frustrated because she had been useless to her former junior officer and old friend. That wasn’t all. She and Sven had often tussled, but Sophia didn’t dislike the girl. On the contrary, she respected Sven for standing up to her and even came close to trusting her to make Lud happy. She felt worthless because of her inability to satisfy their expectations.

“Pay it no mind, Major Rundstadt.”

However, Sven expressed consideration for how Sophia felt.

“Major, it’s understandable a logical opponent would verbally win against a hothead like you.”

“Who’s a hothead?!”

“Heh heh heh...”

“Urgh!”

Sophia had been looking down forlornly, but now she looked up.

“It can’t be helped, Sophia. I used to be in the military too, so I understand.”

“I’m sorry...”

Now she was open to Lud’s consoling words.

“Can you tell us who the enemy is and where they’re holding Meitzer?”

“Erm... those are military secrets.”

Sophia couldn’t tell any civilian about a problem tightly bound to a political affair.

“This is hardly compensation, but trust me. I won’t fail to rescue Meitzer and arrange a meeting with you.” Sophia ensured Lud and the others she would do everything she could. “Hmm... It’s time. Sorry, but now I must hurry.”

Out front, the horn sounded from the vehicle waiting for Sophia. There wasn’t much time before the operation would begin. She had come to apologize to Lud and Sven in the little time that remained.

“Good luck with the mission.” Sven saw Sophia off with those words. “I guess we just have to wait.”

After Sophia left, Sven and Lud thought again about what to do next. There was nothing Lud’s group could do now. He had left the military and hoped to live a new life, so it was ironic that his choice should lead to limitations such as this.

“Hm?”

There was a knock on the door. They thought perhaps Sophia had forgotten something, but it was Rebecca who came in.

“Oh, the red girl. What’s up?”

“Stop calling me that, Svelgen.”

Lud and Sven assumed she came with a message, and indeed she tersely delivered one.

“The director wants to see you. Come to the development bureau right away.”

“Has something happened?”

“I can’t tell you. Actually... I don’t know myself.”

If she merely needed to summon them, a phone call would have sufficed. While phones had yet to spread throughout Wiltia, each district in Berun had a few installations. It was much faster than dispatching messengers.

“I see...”

This situation required summoning them in a way that could not be wiretapped.

“Understood. We’ll go at once.”

Staying at their lodging wasn’t accomplishing anything. They prepared to depart and set out with Rebecca for the Royal Weapons Development Bureau in the northeast area of the royal capital.

Led by Rebecca, they arrived at the development bureau one hour later. This was where Sven was “born.” However, the place had troubling associations for Lud.

“This way, please.”

When it came to military secrets, this facility contained more than a few. Nonetheless, the two were able to enter with the most perfunctory of procedures, without even a body search.

“Isn’t security a bit lax?” Sven muttered without thinking.

“Don’t misunderstand, Svelgen. It’s because you’re with me—and because Major Rundstadt isn’t present.”

“Oh, right. She’s in charge of security here.”

Sophia was called the Devil’s Black Spear, but she was also known as the Dragon Slayer. She had earned that name with her fierce glare. No enemy escaped her gaze and she possessed impressive defensive skills.

“If the major had been here, even you would not have been able to enter the area housing the director’s office without going through the regular procedures.”

Now they understood why Rebecca came to get them immediately after Sophia’s departure. When Daian learned that Sophia was leaving the royal capital on the mission, he hurriedly summoned Sven and the others “while the demon was gone.”

“That’s the Sorcerer for you. No one can beat him when it comes to sneaky methods.”

Sophia usually had Daian under her thumb, but he held onto control where he could.

“Svelgen, you mustn’t talk like that in front of the director.”

“Yes. Of course.”

Daian was one of the most important people in the nation. The military treated him as it would a colonel.

“He’d be happy to hear such things.”

“Is that how you see it?!”

However, he was also a twisted individual and a real pain in the butt.

“This way. Director, we’re coming in.”

They had walked deep within the development bureau and finally entered Daian’s office.

“Sorry for calling you here. Langart... and Sven. I suppose this is a homecoming for you.”

“It doesn’t really feel like it.” Sven shrugged at Daian’s glib chatter.

“Yes, I suppose it’s more like a maternity ward for you.”

Sven just thought of it as the place where she was born.

“For Langart, however, that isn’t true.”

“You know?”

“People everywhere owe me something. In return, information reaches my ears.”

A “friend” of Lud’s had once died here beneath the Weapons Development Bureau. The man’s name was Genitz. He had been both friend and foe to Lud.

“Director, did you call Master here so you could needle him about the past?”

“Certainly not. However, I too am human, so I remember whether I want to or not.”

“What do you mean?”

Sven admonished Daian for bringing up a matter that was so sensitive for her master, but she did not understand the importance of his words.

“I’ve got some info. I know where Meitzer is. However, the situation is extremely tricky.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, it’s a tale that will make you dizzy.”

Daian gave them a succinct rundown of the key points. The two learned that the Security Department was conducting experiments to develop a new weapon that threatened to instigate another war, and Meitzer was now caught up in it.

“What a stupid thing they have done.”

Lud was at a loss for words. He had been at war for ten years and it had finally ended just two years ago.

“Are you saying another war is going to break out?”

It was the worst nightmare they could imagine.

“Genitz left behind some troublemakers. Actually, they may be worse than he was.” Daian sighed as if he agreed.

Genitz had a reason for staging the rebellion in the royal capital. By starting a war, he intended to achieve certain hopes and ideals. He had wanted to establish a unified nation before science and technology developed to the point that humanity could be destroyed beyond recovery. That alone might appear delusional, but at least it was better than believing war itself was the goal.

“Meitzer tried to stop that plan and they took him prisoner.”

“Why would he do that? Or rather... how in the world did they capture him?!”

Sven knew how indestructible Meitzer was, so she found his captivity hard to believe.

“It seems he was with a female soldier, a regular soldier. They took her hostage. Apparently, Meitzer is quite the gentleman.”

“Oh.”

Sven’s face took on a conflicted expression upon hearing those words. She used to think it was the height of folly to take a job as a soldier, in full awareness you might die, only to then cling to your life and expose the nation to danger. Now she was slightly relieved the man claiming to be her father had chosen to preserve this one life.

“I suppose Meitzer would prioritize stopping the Verne 1 plan over his own life.”

“Yes, indeed.” Daian’s reply to Lud was brief.

Meitzer had probably gone to the Association for Space Travel alone and without personal security because he wanted to halt the plan quietly before it became an international conflict. That had not gone as expected and in fact the situation was now much more serious.

“In other words, we have to stop the Verne 1 launch test if we want Meitzer to tell us how Sven can become human.”

“Yes, that’s right. What should we do?”

Lud had only one answer to Daian’s question.

“We have to stop it.”

“But, Master... this must not put you in danger!” Sven’s voice rose to a near shriek.

If Lud was still a soldier back in the military, it would be different. Lud was an ordinary baker now. He was a civilian. He should be protected, and was someone with the right to avoid danger.

“Sven, I was happy about our wedding three days ago. The townsfolk came to celebrate with us.”

“Huh? Uh, yeah...” Sven was baffled by the sudden change in topic.

“They suffered greatly in the war. Marlene and Jacob too. They all suffered.”

Many people had suffered and were injured, had been sad and struggled, and some had even lost their way and gone astray. Nonetheless, they gradually got back on their feet and eventually were able to celebrate the happiness of others.

“They were joyful because we are happy, so I don’t want to see them suffer.”

“Aw...”

Sven’s shoulders slumped. She thought about how this man never changed. His good nature was bottomless. If someone was unhappy, he couldn’t be happy either.

“Ha ha ha ha!” Listening to them, Daian laughed in amusement. “You married someone incredible, Svelgen!”

“Shut up, you!”

Usually, a bad husband was one who made his wife suffer because he wouldn’t work and was always off gallivanting—drinking, gambling and visiting brothels. However, Lud was the type of husband who inspired suffering of a very different type.

“I had no idea the situation would blow up like this!”

She wanted to become human, but who would have guessed it would lead to stopping the outbreak of war?

“Then we’ve reached a decision. Shall we go to where Meitzer is being held... the new weapon test site known as Penmunde?”

“But how do we get there?”

Penmunde’s location was within Sven’s databanks. It was a seaport on Wiltia’s northern edge. It was far from the main highway and no train passed through.

“Ha ha ha... Svelgen, you underestimate me.” Daian hummed merrily and behaved like a clown. “Come with me!” Then he led them toward the development bureau’s inner courtyard.

The Royal Weapons Development Bureau’s nickname was “the Snail.” Each area was independent, and the experiments being conducted within grew more important the deeper inside you went. The inner courtyard was at the halfway point. It was called a yard, but there was no grass anywhere. What they found was exceedingly strange.

“I’m not called the Sorcerer for nothing! I’m no magician, so I can’t turn a pumpkin into a carriage, but I can easily give you a ride to the ball!”

It was an airplane. But, it was a very odd airplane. For one thing, it had three wings. Two wings made sense. Four wasn’t out of the question. However, with wings extending in three directions, this plane could never achieve enough aerodynamic lift. Another strange thing about it was that the central vertex was vertical. This would never allow the gliding necessary for takeoff.

“What is that?”

At the sight of this object, which appeared to be a joke or crazy avant-garde art, Sven could find no words.

“Oh? Don’t you know what this is, Svelgen? It is a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. I call it a Triebflügel.” Daian spoke as if saying “Tadaaa!”

“Vertical takeoff and landing?”

As its name suggested, it was an aircraft that took off and landed vertically. A traditional aircraft required a long runway for take off and landing. However, with a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, a runway was unnecessary. It could be parked anywhere. If desired, it could even depart from and land on the deck of a warship.

“How does this thing fly?”

“It gains propulsion from three ramjet engines on the wings.” Daian explained as if he had been waiting for Sven’s question.

“Oh, that’s why it has three wings!”

When thrusting vertically from underneath, three points would create higher stability than one or two.

“No, you don’t understand.” Daian shot down her conclusion. “Each engine rotates horizontally, spinning the wings and thereby generating lift.”

“Huh?!”

She thought the wings were in a weird place, but the way it lifted off was strange too. In other words, the whole thing was like a giant propeller.

“How did you arrive at such an idiotic design?”

“According to my calculations, this is more stable.”

“What?”

She was unable to overlook a certain piece of missing information.

“Um... Director? Have you test-flown this aircraft?”

“There are no problems with any part of it.”

“Have you actually flown it?”

“I did perform a test takeoff with a mock-up.”

“I’m asking if you actually got inside, flew it, and landed!”

“Wa ha ha ha ha!”

“You can’t blow this off with laughter!!”

The aircraft had never been flown.

“Well, what do you want? This is the fastest aircraft I have on hand! I’m telling you, even I would find it difficult to borrow an aircraft from the military!”

Daian’s connections might pay off in time, but they only had two days. Toolman’s special combat unit, including Sophia, would travel by rail and military truck. They needed to get to Penmunde before that group and rescue Meitzer. There was only one option.

“Understood. We’ll use it.” Lud accepted Daian’s proposal.

“You finally decided? Prep is complete, so hurry and climb in!”

As if waiting for Lud’s reply, the hatch opened and a man appeared.

“Major... so that’s where you were?”

Blitzdonner appeared from the cockpit.

“If not me, then who can fly this gobsmacking contraption?!”

The crimson daredevil grinned at them. He had fought since the early days of the Great War, and even now he belonged to an organization that sent him on dangerous missions. In expectation of all types of combat, he had learned how to pilot any aircraft.

“I’ll be your copilot!”

“I see... You?”

The offer came from Rebecca, Blitzdonner’s former Hunter Unit A.I.

“The Crimson Hawk duo will escort you. So you can’t complain!”

“Yes, that does improve our chances of survival by at least one digit.” Lud responded with a wry smile.

“Shall we paint it red to suit the occasion? It’ll take some time, but I can do it.”

The Triebflügel was a prototype. It had a little paint, but it was mostly just bare metal.

“It’s not a bad idea, but we don’t have time. Langart, get in, would ya?!”

Lud and Sven departed for Penmunde, where Meitzer was held captive.

Until about ten years ago, Penmunde was a small rural village. It had a tiny fishing port and one old castle that was constructed a few hundred years in the past. It consisted of little else and was a village with no unusual characteristics. However, in the recent Great War, the Wiltian navy developed a supply base in Penmunde. The military repaired the crumbling castle and beefed up the port.

At first, the people were overjoyed. Business related to the military flowed in, resulting in economic growth. Before long, however, there was nothing to laugh about. The military port grew daily, and soon the fishermen were forced out and lost their fishing rights. Toward the end of the war, the location became a weapons test site, and the villagers were evacuated to prevent information leaks.

Penmunde, the village, was now gone. In its place was an experimental facility bearing its name. Inside the control room of the Penmunde Test Site, a man was speaking.

“Are preparations for the launch of Verne 1 proceeding smoothly?”

As chief of its headquarters, Hitzinger was the effective leader of the Security Department. He was asking Helmut, the assistant chief, for a status update on Verne 1.

“Yes, Deputy. We have already completed 90 percent.”

“Heh heh... Deputy? That doesn’t sound bad.”

Deputy... He was filling in for the deceased Genitz, so the title implied he was fulfilling that man’s ideals.

“Then you too are a deputy. You are Professor Auguste’s deputy.”

“That man is from an older time.”

Auguste was Verne 1’s head developer and should have been present. In fact he felt so guilty about the research he had performed, he was unable to issue the correct instructions for the launch preparations.

“The era of those old farts is ending. I’m sure that’s what Genitz would have said. Am I right, Helmut?”

“Indeed you are, sir.”

“The times are changing. We will have to leave behind those who cannot keep up. That is the law of nature.”

Hitzinger spoke proudly, as if he had just thought of that line, even though others had uttered it hundreds of times.

“Once the world learns of Verne 1’s existence, it will tremble at Wiltia’s might. Then they will realize who is their master!”

If Wiltia possessed a weapon capable of bringing down the hammer of God, even from far away, even across seas and mountains, all the nations would realize the futility of fighting, hang their heads and render homage. He truly believed that.

“The times are changing. A new era is coming and it is glorious. We must not stumble as we make the last move.”

“Yes, sir!”

“All personnel, remain wary! Those fools in Berun will be onto us soon enough!” He began issuing commands to his subordinates packed into the control room. “Have the observation towers report!”

“Yes, sir! Right away!”

A subordinate received reports via transmitter from the observation towers at the four corners of the test site.

“This is east tower... We are clear for launch!”

“Hmm...”

“This is west tower... Clear for launch!”

“Good.”

“This is north tower... Clear for launch!”

“Ah, yes...”

Reports came in from each location as if performing a meaningless ceremony.

“This is south tower...”

As the report from the last tower came in and they were almost cleared for launch, trouble arose.

“This is south tower! W-What the heck is that thing?!”

The soldier in the south tower raised his voice in bewilderment.

“What’s wrong?! What happened?!”

“Is... is that... an airplane?! What is that?!”

“What’s going on?! Report in detail!”

“G-Gaaaaah!!”

Communications with south tower broke off, and Hitzinger got no reply. But there had been what sounded like a collision before the connection was lost.

“What happened? Has the regular military launched an air raid? No, that can’t be...”

This may be Wiltian territory, but if they bombed without sufficient reason, there would be an outcry. It was only six months since the rebellion in the capital, so it would be like announcing to other nations that Wiltia’s internal affairs were unstable.

“Elvin! What has he done?!”

Marshal Elvin had become a hero in the recent Great War. His craftiness caused enemy nations to tremble as if he were a god or devil.

“Send a combat unit to the south tower! We only have three—no, two days left! We can’t fail now after having come so far!”

He promptly dispatched troops toward the south tower.

At the south tower...

“I knew we couldn’t trust this thing!” Sven kicked open the door of the Triebflügel after the crash landing.

“Well, the flight went all right, but...” Grunting with effort, Lud followed her out of the craft.

“Hmm... Landings are a bit tricky, eh? As I suspected, this type of aircraft just isn’t practical.” As he voiced his thoughts, Daian pulled a memo pad from his pocket and began making notes on his failed prototype.

“This is no time for that!”

“Don’t get so angry, Svelgen. We landed, didn’t we?”

“We almost died!” Refusing to let him blow off their near-fatal crash, Sven yelled at Daian.

The Triebflügel’s liftoff had gone well. The aircraft had performed better than expected, so well its passengers—Lud and the others—had been impressed. However, halfway through their flight, the all-important ramjets became unstable.

“High air pressurization is crucial to the ramjets, and there are three of them. It appears they still aren’t perfectly synchronized. I’ll work on that.”

Daian spoke as if it were purely an intellectual exercise. Due to Blitzdonner’s piloting and Rebecca’s assistance, they had somehow managed to land without injuries.

“I had a hunch this would happen!”

Blitzdonner pulled himself from the aircraft. The Triebflügel had crashed into the south tower and partially destroyed it. Given the rough landing, it was almost a miracle that the passengers were unharmed.

“I hate wasting my luck on something like this...”

“Oh, it’s all right! We planned to hit ’em hard anyway!”

Daian spoke jovially to Blitzdonner as the pilot offered his hand to Rebecca, the last to exit the aircraft.

“What do you mean, Director?”

“Langart, it’s a little late to inform you of this, but I didn’t try out this new invention, still under development, and come all this way with you out of the goodness of my heart!” In response to Lud’s question, Daian spoke with an inscrutable look on his face. “From here on, we go our separate ways! It’s probably for the best. Tackle your own objectives, and I’ll do what I must.”

At the precise moment Daian finished speaking, as if appearing from offstage on cue, soldiers flooded the area.

“I can, however, clear a path for you. Blitzdonner? Rebecca?”

Then, like a good actor, he gave his costars their scripts.

“Good luck!”

In response to his words, Blitzdonner and Rebecca started running.

“Let’s go, Sharlahart!”

“Yes, Major!”

Sharlahart was the name Blitzdonner had given Rebecca when she was still a Hunter Unit. She did not let anyone else call her that. But, she was happy. He called her Sharlahart once again and she was able to fight at his side.

“Hraaah!!”

She leaped forward with enough force to rend the earth—and within a moment she had felled a few soldiers.

“What the... !!”

Taken by surprise, the soldiers hesitated. They were confused to see this young girl successfully take out their peers.

“Umph!!”

Blitzdonner was a veteran warrior, so he would not let this opportunity escape. He was human, but his limbs were mechanical. Even without weapons, he was strong enough to wipe out an entire platoon in an instant.

“Director Daian, will you be all right?” Lud asked as he kept an eye on the crimson duo’s fight.

Lud knew Daian was a genius, but the man’s combat ability was practically nonexistent.

“Don’t worry. I’ll get by. You should get going!” As he spoke, Daian handed him a bundle of papers. “This is...!”

It was a sketch of the Penmunde test site’s layout. There was a circle around one area.

“That seems to be where Meitzer is. Go quickly.”

It was impossible to understand what Daian was after. He didn’t act like an ally, but he had taken care of everything up to this moment.

“After all, if something happened to you, Sophia would be very sad.” Daian sighed as if this was regretful.

“Director, I’ll pay you back someday!”

“Yes, I’ll hold you to that.”

Lud and Sven bowed once to Daian and then raced off in the opposite direction.

“Now, if my expectations are correct... it’s about time for some action.”

Amidst the roar of battle, Daian flourished his cape.

Lud and Sven ran to rescue Meitzer. Penmunde Test Site was originally a feudal lord’s castle. There had been renovations and additions, but although it looked reconstructed, inside it was concrete instead of stone. It was camouflaged to escape the notice of foreign spies.

“This way, Master!”

Meitzer was being held prisoner in a renovated storage area beneath the original castle.

“This is a test site, but it has a prisoner containment facility.”

“I suspect it was originally a room for storing sensitive documents so they wouldn’t be discovered.”

“I see...”

In that case, getting Meitzer out might not be terribly difficult. Conventional containment facilities were designed to prevent escapes from within as well as attempts from the outside to break prisoners free. However, sensitive documents couldn’t escape, so that changed matters. For example...

“Who goes there?!”

Three soldiers appeared up ahead.

“............!!”

Lud sprang forward, defeating the first soldier with a strong punch to his stomach. Before the second soldier could raise his gun, Lud struck his chin with the heel of his hand, and he fell unconscious.

“You guys stink.”

From behind, Sven delivered a blow to the third soldier, knocking him out.

“Well, that makes sense.”

Detention centers and prisons often contain wide, straight corridors so escapees can be spotted from a distance. This building was a castle, and used as a residence, not a fortress. The halls were narrow and winding, with lots of turns, thereby reducing visibility. Enemies could come close before the guards were able to respond.

“They’re young,” Lud thought as he looked at the fallen soldiers.

Lud also looked like a young man. However, the faces of these soldiers were even younger. They were probably in their teens, the age when they should have been attending high school.

“Oh, I see...” When he guessed the situation, Lud made a sour face.

They were like Lud and Hilde. At the time of the Great War, they both had been very young, without any military experience. However, they had lost their guardians in the war and didn’t have any place to go. The Security Department had taken them in as very young recruits.

“In war, they send the kids they steal off to fight in the war.”

“Why would they do that?”

“Good question. It makes sense to wonder.”

Lud’s reply to Sven was bitter. He had once faced a similar situation as a type-three soldier. That’s why he understood.

“They’re a generation that was stolen by war. This time, however, they’re being used unfairly to steal back what was taken from them.”

“That doesn’t make sense!”

“No, it doesn’t. But, that’s the way it is.”

Adults had started a war and children had been taken. They lost their families and the happiness that should have been theirs. The children grew up, the war ended and there was peace.

“Compared to war time, things don’t move as quickly during peace. Once you assume your station in life, you stay there.”

The poor stay poor for life. The resulting resentment forced them to make a choice.

“If war happens again, they could do the stealing this time.”

It was an awful way to think.

“It’s even worse than the relationship between Genitz and Hilde. They’re being fooled as well as used!”

Lud raised his voice in indignation. He suspected that he had actually been happier than they were. After the war ended, they had nothing, so they hoped for more war. Lud had met many good people and found a new life.

“Urgh!”

The difference between them was slight. This awareness caused him great pain.

“Sven, I have a favor to ask. Please try not to hurt them.”

Lud’s voice was strained as he asked.

Try not to hurt them... Not killing their opponents was something he no longer needed to ask.

It was an unrealistic request on the battlefield. However, Sven accepted it.

“Understood, Master. I mean... of course I won’t!”

“You won’t?”

“We’re just a rural baker and his employee! We’re not vicious soldiers! Right?”

Sven would have grumbled before, but now she felt differently. If the person she had decided to walk beside asked something of her, she would gladly do it. That wasn’t all. There was a time when she would not have shown mercy to anyone who harmed Lud, even a child, but she no longer had the desire to kill such people, even complete strangers.

“All right, let’s go. Victory goes to the first to strike! Soldiers prize haste!”

Now that she felt this way, she was happy.

Blitzdonner and Rebecca had held the soldiers back so Lud and Sven could get away.

“Oh my!”

Blitzdonner’s four limbs were made of steel. His fists were harder than hammers and his arms were more bulletproof than shields. Nonetheless, the number of opponents had them at a slight disadvantage.

“Major, reinforcements are coming from beyond—about ten soldiers.”

“That’s still no problem!”

“Fifteen will come in two minutes. With rifles.”

“That isn’t good...”

Listening to Rebecca’s warning, communicated via sonic sensors, even the Crimson Hawk began to lose his smile.

“Major, I have a suggestion. We shouldn’t hold back.”

Blitzdonner had given Rebecca an order as the battle began. “Don’t kill them,” he had instructed her. “They’re not even real soldiers. They barely have any combat experience. They have almost no discipline, so if we use persuasive methods against them, some will flee.”

Persuasive methods meant savage killing. It meant methods such as ripping off limbs, jabbing out eyes and tearing open guts.

“They don’t even know what they’re doing. That’s why they’re willing to fight us. So let’s teach them a lesson in how fearsome their opponents are.”

It was like crowd psychology. There is an illusion that if more people attack, the pain and death will be divided among that number of people. This wasn’t like that. A bullet means death on a ratio of one to one. Even if your army wins the battle, your own death cannot be undone. Younger soldiers have little understanding of this truth.

“Give the order and I won’t hesitate to—”

Rebecca was capable of such killing. She looked like a fragile young girl, but she had the strength to rend iron. It would be easy for her to break a human being apart.

“No.” Blitzdonner refused her offer.

“But, Major! This is war!”

“No, we’re at peace.” Blitzdonner contradicted her. “We have to keep the peace. We can’t let fools do anything crazy.”

“But this enemy doesn’t think like that!”

“Then we don’t have to play by their rules, do we?”

Those who want to start wars enjoy fighting those wars more than anything else. Blitzdonner and Rebecca had to make them realize that a war is what they were fighting. Blitzdonner hated that. Shielding these inexperienced young soldiers only had meaning if he treated them as minor criminals. That’s what he believed anyway.

“Stay with me here, partner!”

“Urgh... That’s cowardly!”

Rebecca could not understand Blitzdonner’s scruples. She couldn’t understand them, but if that was what the man she loved wanted, behaving accordingly would make her happy.

“This will be a pretty difficult fight. Is that all right?”

“Don’t be ridiculous! I’ll handle it somehow.”

Rebecca was frustrated by his restrictions, but she was elated to fight beside Blitzdonner after so long.

“Where’s the professor?”

“What?”

The professor was Daian.

“He has already joined her. He will be able to achieve his goal on his own.”

“So that was his objective all along.”

Blitzdonner knew why Daian had come to the test site. The major had told Daian that he could not be his escort, but Daian’s mission seemed to have gone well.

“Then let’s hang in there a little longer!”

“Yes, Major!”

The two known as the Crimson Hawk ran toward the fresh batch of troops that had just appeared.

Meanwhile, beneath headquarters...

“Hmm...”

Meitzer was languishing in his underground cell when he heard noises. Sounds of battle: gunfire, shouts and explosions.

“The situation has changed?”

The sounds were so faint, normal human ears wouldn’t have heard. However, they were audible to him. At the same time, he heard something else. Faint footsteps...

“Who’s there?”

Had Hitzinger and his comrades come back? Or was it only him?

It was neither one. It was not a soldier at all.

Someone had entered the test facility during the battle all alone.

“What in the world...?” Seeing the woman who appeared, Meitzer covered his face. Of all the possibilities he could imagine, this added the very worst to the worst. “Why are you here?”

She responded to Meitzer’s question with a perky smile. “It looked like a fun party, so I decided to crash it.”

Before him stood the woman who had secretly controlled the world for over one hundred years. Even now, she was controlling August and trying to start the next Great War. It was the Saint.