Chapter 21

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In response to the request, "I want you to teach me the trick," the reply, "Don't think. Just move with the button," was so surprising that even a muscle-bound, macho fire dragon would have been taken aback. It has been a few days since then.

The confirmation that the mass-produced units could perform combat maneuvers, albeit clumsily, thanks to the command system, led the military to start developing and simplifying command patterns and the OS, which had been neglected due to the reliance on the pilots' abilities.

As a result, it is expected that the mass-produced units, which initially could only perform simple actions like "fly to the right when you press the red button," will be able to move more complexly.

So far, so good. For Keita, it means that he will have more reliable comrades—no problem at all.

However, reality can be cruel. Even if the handsome Keita provides good ideas, the number of monsters remains vast, and Japan is struggling to defend its territory. The situation is not such that "if the mass-produced units can move more complexly, my opportunities to shine will decrease."

On the contrary, with the mass-produced unit issues resolved, the call to action seemed to say, "You did well with the mass-produced units. Next is you."

Until now, Ryuji had protected Keita, citing reasons like maintenance and growth checks. However, this time, even Ryuji was looking forward to the battlefield tests, and nothing could stop Keita's trip to Kyushu, which was decided as soon as summer vacation began.

The only consolation is that, with the Third Division's people focusing on control training, the likelihood of his sister Yuna being attacked while he is away is extremely low.

(Well, for me, that's the best reward.)

In a sense, he is a very cheap man.

Last time, after a single battle, he immediately returned, conducted various checks, compiled reports, and returned to Tokyo. This time, he is planning for at least a half-month military operation.

(In other words, if I work for half a month, I can rest for the rest. I'll work hard in the first half and play with Yuna in the second half!)

Even though there are circumstances, it's not something he can say, even if his mouth were to tear, that "It's fine as long as her safety is secured" when considering his sister, who has been separated from her friends and her only family member, and is forced to live alone due to the sudden move.

Thus, Keita, unaware that he is setting a death flag by saying, "If I return alive from the battlefield, I'll do this and that with Yuna," will fly to Kyushu, where monsters constantly attack.

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What exactly are the monsters?

Thanks to the cooperation of the demons in the First Savior Plan and the efforts of the boy who was the key to the Second Savior Plan, much is known about them, despite the information being over ten years old.

First, the demons are a race that results when a human is implanted with a mysterious factor from a demon and is not completely consumed by it. They often have a purple tint to their skin, red eyes, and black wings, reflecting the image of demons that the implanted human had. Unlike monsters, demons retain their intelligence and memories from when they were human. They are generally cruel, as powerful beings tend to be.

In areas dominated by demons, humans are treated as slaves and food, with no human rights. They are sometimes hunted for sport or used as targets for magic, enduring unimaginable cruelty.

Their brutality can be compared to the treatment of indigenous peoples during the colonization of the American and Australian continents.

Moving on to the monsters, which are the main force of the demons. They are created when humans or small animals are consumed by the mysterious factor produced by demons or demons. Unlike demons, they lack intelligence and memory and absolutely obey the commands of their superiors. Without orders, they live like wild animals.

Thanks to the cooperation of the boy in the Second Savior Plan, we were able to study monsters that remained motionless until they died, but I will leave that information for another time.

The monsters change shape based on the concentration of the factor given to them and are classified into four types: small, medium, large, and extra-large.

Most monsters, due to their origins, cannot cross the sea individually. Only those derived from aquatic animals can do so if they try. So why do they cross the sea to attack Japan?

The reason is, of course, because they are ordered to do so by demons or demons.

But why do demons or demons give such orders?

It is not to conquer and seize land and resources in Japan.

Over a hundred years after World War II, many countries have perished, and the world's population has decreased. Therefore, there is no need to swim across the sea to reach the distant island nation of Japan; they could simply develop land nearby. Hence, their target is not land or resources.

It is simply the policy of the demons.

To be more specific, demons believe that "humans do not do good things when they are comfortable." Therefore, they continuously attack with monsters to instill a sense of crisis and deprive humans of their comfort.

The saying "a cornered rat will bite a cat" applies here. What demons want is precisely that.

Unlike demons, who enjoy bloodshed, demons, their superiors, prefer a fair fight. However, a fight cannot occur unless the power of both sides is relatively balanced.

Therefore, demons seek a certain level of quality in their enemies. They are pressuring Japan, one of the countries leading the counteroffensive, to accelerate technological development.

It might seem like they are underestimating humans, but the gap between demons and humans is so vast that it is forgivable.

In addition to the demons' policy, there are the demons' circumstances.

Unlike demons, who desire conflict, demons do not want to fight on equal terms. For demons created from continental humans, the Japanese are seen as traitors—though in reality, the Japanese became independent or refused aid when they were weak. To demons, the Japanese are beings who should unconditionally serve them, and their refusal to do so makes them traitors.

Therefore, they want to destroy Japan, which is developing technology to destroy them, but a full-scale offensive is halted by their superiors, the demons.

Caught in a bind, they decided to think of and implement ways to torment Japan—ideally, to destroy it—without disobeying the demons' orders.

This is the "continuous attacks."

As a result, Japan is forced into a constant defensive war, losing both mental and material resources. Additionally, the "coexistence faction," which creates discord from within, weakens the organization and reduces resistance. In fact, in Japan, those tired of the war with demons and those blinded by the materials flowing in from the continent are constantly defecting to the coexistence faction without considering the consequences.

For now, the military is strong, and the collapse of the Third Division is seen as a distant expedition, not a defeat of the national defense forces. However, if the situation becomes even slightly unfavorable, the coexistence faction will start to call for an end to the "useless war."

How will the military, hindered by the citizens they are supposed to protect, respond?

Will they arrest those who oppose the war?

That's fine. I'll spread it as military tyranny.

Will they ignore the citizens' voices and focus on the war with demons?

That's also fine. I'll watch and laugh at their pathetic struggle while being held back by their allies.

After destroying the military, I'll teach the citizens who were satisfied with hindering the military the reality.

Either way, they are in a bind. This is why the demons can endure the order from the demons to "suppress a full-scale offensive," which is unbearable for them.

Of course, the suppression is only for a full-scale offensive. The continuous attacks that are ongoing will not stop.

Moreover, even if the Japanese national defense forces cannot withstand these attacks and lose Kyushu or the Chugoku region, the demons have no intention of easing their offensive. They plan to report to the demons that "Japan is a country that will perish if continuously attacked."

Later, they will realize their mistake in shock.

The existence of the new weapon deployed by the Japanese national defense forces, which they thought was nothing special.

The existence of the eerie new weapon that would make any pilot say, "What is that?"

Even the demons, who are supposed to be knowledgeable about machines and magic crystals, will scratch their heads, saying, "How did it become like this?" or "I don't understand the meaning," at the sight of the new weapon with a standard upper body and a spider-like lower body, which gives an indescribable sense of discomfort to everyone, regardless of friend or foe.

The day the world learns about the "Black Pervert" is drawing near.

Thank you for reading.