Chapter 12

Aiming at the target, he took a shot.

*Thud!*

Aiming at another target, he took a shot.

*Whump!*

Aiming at the center again, he took a shot.

*Hark!*

Changing the type of cannon, he took a shot.

*Chiv!*

Confirming there were no allies around, he shot incendiary rounds at the cluster of small enemies.

*Whoooooosh!*

Firing at the monsters approaching from the coastline, he shot, shot, shot. If there was a counterattack, he would dodge. Or rather, he would dodge before the counterattack came.

"Whoa"

Even as monsters, they wouldn't be defenseless against attacks from a distance. They would throw rocks or fire beam-like rays of light, the origin of which was unknown.

Naturally, the target of these attacks would be where the cannonballs came from—where he was. So he needed to dodge sideways after taking a shot.

"Huff"

I wasn't there. I wasn't sleeping, you know.

What I realized was that while I could move horizontally, flying was faster. I needed to learn a landing method that wouldn't shock the drive components. Having something like a wire anchor to adjust the time in the air might make it easier. I'll ask for it later.

This kind of experience can only be gained in actual combat.

That said.

"Here we go"

If there's an opening, shoot, shoot, shoot.

*Boom!*

Firing a cannonball in retaliation at the spot where the attack came from, I saw a medium-sized monster, which was nearly six meters tall, vanish. Even from a distance, it was visible.

While everything went according to the simulation, ... well, this is beyond the realm of practical training, isn't it? This is actual combat, right? We're participating in a beach defense operation, right?

Weren't we supposed to train in the rear?

Well, since we're keeping our distance from the enemy, this could be considered the rear, I guess.

But, "rear" usually means "behind the allies," doesn't it?

Ah, I can aim.

"Huff"

*Uboget!*

I don't have time to say it out loud, but ...

I feel like the squad from the 2nd Division waiting in the back is pulling back, but it's just my imagination, right?

"From here, it seems you might be closing the distance if you keep fighting alone. Let's ask the 2nd Division to help. Once you spread the incendiary rounds, fall back. ... Can you shoot with both hands?"

"I can."

Of course, if you let a single long-range sniper unit fight alone, this is what happens, right?

It's a relief that they're letting me fall back before I get into a dangerous situation. But in reality, this isn't just training, is it? What's going on?

If I get surrounded, it'll be a hassle, so I'll shoot without hesitation.

"Here it comes!"

Aiming at the center... no, spreading them out, *whoosh*! Exciting!

*Boooooom!*

Good. It's burning.

"Confirming impact. Falling back."

I'm already moving back before the impact, but since the retreat order is given, it's all good! Full speed ahead, back!

... Running on four legs is difficult. When running at full speed, I have to give up on controlling the upper body.

Yeah. I need to report this too.

---

"Confirming impact. Falling back."

As he declared, the hybrid unit, like a post-apocalyptic tyrant riding a black circle, began to retreat with its arms crossed, looking dignified (though only the upper body looked dignified, while the lower body moved in a disturbing manner).

From the start of the battle to the retreat, it took about 30 minutes. The 2nd Division personnel who had been observing the entire process began to discuss the performance and combat methods of the new unit.

"Four large, six medium, and over twenty small enemies destroyed in this short time. And the last incendiary rounds caused significant damage to dozens of enemies, right?"

"Unbelievable. What is that?"

"More like, what is that movement?"

"Jumping on four legs? What about the strain on the moving parts!"

"Changing cannons is fine, but shooting while flying? How does that hit?"

"Using a 120mm gliding cannon and thermite armor-piercing shells to sink a large enemy, then holding an 80mm howitzer in each hand to spread incendiary shells? What is this unit designed to fight?"

(Hahaha. That's right, that's right! Surprised, right? Unbelievable, right? This is the new unit we created, the "Mikage"!)

Among the 2nd Division personnel trembling at the abnormal results, the one cheering inwardly was none other than the manufacturer and production manager, Takafumi Saigo.

The sight of the people who had just been calling it a "freak" now giving it high praise was truly the ultimate satisfaction for a creator.

(Well, I doubt we can achieve such results every time.)

While basking in the praise for their work, Takafumi understood better than anyone that this case was an exception.

Kaita's abnormal behavior was possible because this test was treated as a trial run, allowing for a few tricks.

First, the movement. Normally, the unit, being a deviser, would be stored in a magic crystal and transported by Kaita, but this time it was airlifted. Therefore, the distance Kaita had to move while storing the unit was only a few kilometers from the air force base to the front line.

Thus, the burden on Kaita's body was significantly reduced compared to the usual deployment.

Next, the armament. All the weapons prepared for this time had their shells pre-loaded, and Kaita only needed to remove the safety and pull the trigger to fire. Of course, there were no spare shells, so reloading was impossible.

Even if reloading was possible, Kaita had no experience with it, so it would take a considerable amount of time.

(If I showed that, the evaluation would drop. I think some of my peers have noticed, but even if the initial preparation alone can achieve such results, they can't complain.)

The unit is deployed in unpredictable battlefields. Therefore, it's impossible to always send it out in perfect condition. Hence, the most important function the military requires is adaptability to sudden situations.

Thus, the results of sending it out in perfect condition, as in this case, are not very useful for reference.

... Normally, that is.

"Kaita has no experience with reloading or resupply. The maintenance staff have no experience with maintaining units damaged in actual combat. The commander has no experience with deployment. I understand there are various issues. We'll need to sort them out from here. But if a student who has only been on the new unit for a month can achieve such results..."

(That's it, this is it!)

The biggest miscalculation and the best advantage for Takafumi was meeting Kaita, a deviser with a peculiar mindset.

Using the upper body for weapons while moving the lower body. It doesn't sound that difficult just from the description, but when the upper body is human and the lower body is beast-like, the difficulty skyrockets. It's a level of difficulty that those familiar with the unit would say is impossible to move at all.

Takafumi, who was well aware of this, once asked Kaita, "How are you operating it?" when Kaita continued to achieve abnormal results in the simulator.

At that time, Kaita answered, "If you do it like a TPS, it works. Well, to be precise, I'm manipulating visual information, so it's a bit different? But it's kind of similar. There's a bit of lag, and close combat is quite risky, but I think I can get used to it."

(At the time, I didn't understand what he was saying, but now I get it a little. He has a special sense, like a sniper who can observe themselves from above.)

The so-called "hawk's eye" skill.

(In other words, he can observe his position from above using the information from the camera and his original ability. He uses this to perceive the battlefield in three dimensions and track enemy movements.)

Because he can track enemy movements, he can see the moment of attack.

Because he can see the moment of attack, he can dodge with ease.

Because he can dodge with ease, he can calmly aim.

And once he can aim, all he has to do is pull the trigger.

There can be some shake during landing or jumping, but the unit is designed to be heavy to suppress this shake. If the aiming device is adjusted in advance, it's not a big problem. And the presence of the elite 2nd Division right behind him is also a reassuring factor.

These factors contribute to the results.

Incidentally, Kaita doesn't have such a convenient skill. He's just pulling back the view from the eye camera to broaden his field of vision and trying to recreate the feeling of a certain game.

Of course, the fact that Kaita is a severe *F* brain patient is evident from this alone, but since there's no *F* game company in this world, the fact that Kaita's brain was contaminated by those particles is unknown to others.

Putting aside the fact that Kaita has an illness that others can't understand.

(Now, we're relying on his special skills, but if we can get funding from the 2nd Division and arrange a battlefield to collect more data, we can mass-produce units that, even if slightly inferior, can still perform adequately!)

The V Plan, which had only been issued in the mind of the pervert, became a reality.

If Kaita had heard this idea, he would have pointed out the flaws and worked on a concrete plan, but unfortunately, there was no one in the room with knowledge of a classic robot anime.

With no one to point out the flaws and Takafumi, who knew the weaknesses, unwilling to reveal them, what would happen?

"By the way, Mr. Saigo, is there only one of those units?"

The conversation progressed, and in the direction the pervert wanted.

(Got it!)

"Yes. For now, there's only one. However, if we reuse spare parts, we can build another one relatively quickly. However, as you've seen, there are many issues at this stage, and the unit is very selective about its operator. If we manufacture a second unit without addressing these issues, it would cause problems for everyone..."

"It's a prototype, so it's natural for issues to arise. However, let me say this: the firepower to take down large enemies with a single unit is certainly good, but what's even better is the evasion capability. The pilots of units called 'coffin cannons' would drool over this. We will also make a formal request, so please expedite the production of the second unit. Of course, we will cooperate with the test pilot and the preparation of the test site. Please let us know when you're ready."

"Thank you very much!"

The new unit, which had been ignored by everyone, finally got the attention it deserved. It was truly a moment of satisfaction for the creator.

Not only that, but having a connection with the 2nd Division, which consumes a lot of weapons and ammunition due to its role on the front lines, was significant for the company president.

(Yes! Now I can feed my employees!)

As a creator, pursuing the romance of a test unit was one thing, but as a company, a unit that was just a romantic idea wouldn't sell and would be just junk.

(We need to conduct more tests, and it's unclear what will happen with the second unit, but the first unit is definitely being purchased by the 2nd Division. Of course, the weapons and ammunition it uses too! That's enough for now!)

The success of this debut raised the evaluation of the test unit, which in turn made it possible to sell other products. Truly, it was all thanks to Kaita.

(Well done. I'll repay your kindness! Accumulate many achievements and rise higher than your peers!)

"Then, regarding the schedule and location for the next test..."

Takafumi, who had been receiving cold looks from his wife, daughter, and even the accounting staff, decided to hold a meeting with the 2nd Division representative, who was now positive about the tests, to discuss the next test schedule to achieve both the company's profit and to repay Kaita. ——Incidentally, Takafumi didn't understand that Kaita's wish was not to "fight gloriously on the battlefield and rise in rank" but to "work moderately as a test pilot and then be assigned to a safe and secure administrative position"——

In any case, the first battle of Kaita Kawakami, who would later be called the "Harbinger of Death" by his allies and the "Black Pervert" by the enemy, came to an end.

For those who don't understand why Kaita is called a pervert, imagine the Duke of Gorgon (or a Beast Demon General) hopping around and firing rockets.

Thank you for reading.