Chapter 65

"Oho? You finally showed up, hero!"

"..."

Why did it come to this?

No, I know the reason. I’ve been briefed on it.

I understand it, but I can’t accept it!

"You kept us waiting. I hope you’re ready to entertain me, huh?"

I don’t know. Just go home.

"..."

"Hey, are you being silent? Ah, maybe you think pre-battle speeches are unsightly, huh?"

I wouldn’t say that.

But if I talk too closely with the demons, I don’t know what people will say later.

"Well, even if you don’t want to talk, I’ll introduce myself. My name is Alba. I’m the one who will kill you."

It’s nice of you to give me that information, but what am I supposed to do with your introduction?

"…Sergeant, don’t attack yet."

"…Understood."

I was about to punch through that defenseless head. Is that not allowed? I see.

"So, is this the new model? ...The upper part is a demon, and the lower part is a beast. It’s just as monstrous as the rumors. What kind of thinking led you to create something like this? Huh?"

"..."

Talk to Saikou about that.

"They say you used this to defeat a large demon in Far Eastern Russia? After that, the National Defense Army suffered significant losses because you weren’t there, right?"

"..."

I didn’t kill anyone, and it’s not because I wasn’t there.

"Well, I don’t care what happens to humans. For now… die!"

"…!"

He suddenly closed the distance!

Is he good at close combat?

"Take this!"

A swing of the right arm? Is that a club, or a mace?

It looks powerful, but it’s not reaching me… no, that’s not it!

"Damn!"

"Hmm?"

He’s extending his attack with magic power!

Can he even do that with a blunt attack?

"You dodged that well. I see. You’re not just another grunt."

Moreover, the strength I felt during the attack and the speed at which he closed the distance are no joke.

He’s the same size as the standard model, but the inside is completely different!

"But this is just the beginning. Try to entertain me, okay?"

No way!

Ah, what’s this about ‘if you can fight large demons, a demon on a medium-sized monster should be easy’?

This is a long-range combat unit, and you expect it to perform at full capacity in an arena!

This is the worst possible match-up!

To order a one-on-one fight with no surprise attacks is just insulting!

"Those politicians!"

I won’t help them no matter what happens!

---

"Those politicians!"

Kaita, who was dodging the demon’s attacks, couldn’t help but spit out those words. Although the external speakers were turned off, so no one outside could hear, the words still echoed loudly in the space where Shizuka and other military personnel were waiting.

Normally, Shizuka, as his direct superior, should have reprimanded him. If she didn’t, it would give the upper echelons an excuse to harass him later.

However, Shizuka, and the other teachers present, didn’t think to reprimand Kaita.

Why? Because they all felt the same way.

"His words are unacceptable, but he’s still a student, even if he’s a lieutenant. We can forgive him that much."

"…Headmaster"

Speaking beside Shizuka, looking up at the monitor, was the headmaster of the military academy, former colonel Masaharu Hiwata.

He looked like a refined old man, more like a court noble than a soldier, but his inner self was that of a true warrior. In fact, it was precisely because of this that he was entrusted with the important role of headmaster, a position that greatly influences young, promising individuals.

Even to Hiwata, the order this time was incomprehensible and out of the ordinary.

"What’s this about ‘for the sake of Japan in ten or twenty years’? They just want to save themselves."

"…That’s right."

After Shizuka and Kaita discussed the demon’s intentions and reported to Asaka, an emergency meeting was arranged. Asaka and the others deliberated based on the information provided.

A few minutes later, the order given to Shizuka was: "I understand the possibility. I order you to send Lieutenant Kawakami to the demon. Of course, you are not allowed to send the security forces first or ambush and kill the demon."

This order was so incomprehensible that even Shizuka couldn’t help but ask, "Are you serious?"

Of course, a mere lieutenant colonel shouldn’t speak like that to the chief of the integrated headquarters. But Asaka, who issued the order, seemed to understand Shizuka’s feelings. He ignored her question and explained the intent behind the order.

He said, "There are many guests present. If a large-scale battle breaks out, the guests and spectators will be harmed." "Therefore, we shouldn’t provoke the demon while it’s not moving." "If the demon’s target is a mere lieutenant and the performance test of the mass-produced model, we should let it happen." "We can use the time to ensure the safety of the guests."

(That’s true. I can admit that.)

Protecting civilians who can’t fight is the military’s duty. If Kaita’s participation can reduce civilian casualties, it makes sense to send him.

Of course, there’s a sense of unease about leaving everything to a student.

But that’s a personal matter. It doesn’t outweigh the rescue of civilians.

Shizuka can cut through these feelings because she is a brilliant officer.

If the order had only been this, Shizuka wouldn’t have been so angry.

The problem started when a certain general at the meeting said, "The demon has appeared alone in enemy territory and is asking for a one-on-one fight. What kind of warrior would refuse?"

He argued, "Is it right for us to surround the demon with many people when it’s standing there openly?" "It’s not good for a hero to run from a one-on-one fight." "If our guess is correct, there will be a referee. If we surround and attack the demon without agreeing to the one-on-one fight, we’ll be seen as a group that doesn’t keep its word." "If you can fight large demons, a demon on a medium-sized monster should be easy." "We might have to negotiate with the demons in the future. It would be problematic if this incident causes trouble."

To those on the ground, all of this sounded like nonsense.

In the end, the meeting, which completely ignored the field personnel, concluded with an order that essentially protected the demon: "For the sake of Japan in ten or twenty years, we cannot do anything that would destroy the negotiation channel. Therefore, Lieutenant Kawakami must fight alone and face the demon head-on."

This left the field personnel with no choice but to complain.

It’s unclear whether the demon will wait quietly for Kaita to appear.

Even if the demon is quiet, its collaborators might not be.

It’s unclear how to ensure the safety of the guests and spectators.

It’s also unclear whether this one-on-one fight will help build a negotiation channel.

Despite all these uncertainties, the responsibility is being dumped on the field personnel, while the order is to face the demon head-on.

When asked, "What if Kaita dies?" the response was, "If he loses the one-on-one fight, it can’t be helped. They will have achieved their goal, so we can take revenge or negotiate afterward."

Orders based on speculation, assumptions, and wishful thinking should never be given. Wasting a soldier’s life is an act that deserves to be shot in the back.

Especially when the order is given to Kaita, who is hailed as a hero.

The impact on those around him if it’s known that he was killed by such a wasteful order is unimaginable.

That’s why Shizuka couldn’t help but say, "Are you serious?"

It’s unclear whether Asaka understood this.

What further disappointed Shizuka was that this was an official order.

If these were just the ramblings of the Third Division, Shizuka and the others would have dismissed them as, "Here they go again," and ignored them after feeling disappointed and frustrated by the Third Division’s decline.

But the worst part for Shizuka was that this emergency meeting was held by the Integrated Headquarters, the General Staff, and the First Division’s leadership. In other words, the First Division’s leadership officially ordered Kaita to accept the one-on-one fight with the demon.

It’s no wonder Kaita sees them as politicians rather than soldiers.

The reason Shizuka and Hiwata, along with the other officials, didn’t acknowledge Kaita’s words was that they all felt the same way.

"…When did the First Division become so senile?"

Isn’t the military supposed to be about efficiently defeating the enemy?

If the enemy comes alone, shouldn’t we surround and defeat them?

Isn’t the military supposed to use ambushes and snipers to eliminate the target?

When did the military become an organization that believes in facing a lone demon with a lone soldier, exposing subordinates to unnecessary danger?

What’s even more frightening is that even Asaka, whom Shizuka trusts, didn’t have any negative opinions about this.

This means that this trend is not just in the First Division but also in the Integrated Headquarters.

—Of course, in Asaka’s case, as a military politician who has never been on the front lines, he might think, "I think one-on-one fights are nonsense, but if others think it’s right, then it must be." He might be mistakenly accepting their opinions as the field’s opinions, which is a serious problem in terms of understanding the field—

"The side effects of being away from the battlefield for too long, I suppose. Originally, court nobles and warriors tend to be romantics. If they don’t know the reality of the battlefield and are encouraged, they become like this."

"…This is no different from the Third Division, which was destroyed by underestimating the enemy."

"Yes. Or, because they have power, it might be even worse."

Hiwata deliberately pointed out the harsh reality to Shizuka, who was disheartened by the corruption of her organization.

Because in front of them was a student who was fighting the demon with his life, suffering the consequences of the corrupt upper echelons.

"Don’t dodge!"

"True, that cannon is a threat! If it hits, I won’t be just fine! But, such attacks only work on slow, large demons or mindless medium ones!"

Kaita, with mobility that defies a mass-produced model, maintains a certain distance from the demon while firing armor-piercing rounds from the 88mm smoothbore cannon at appropriate times. However, Alba is cautious, and the attacks are easily evaded.

"Then this!"

"Machine guns won’t work!"

Kaita tries to fill the space with 40mm machine guns, but the attacks are blocked head-on.

At first glance, it might seem like Kaita is on the offensive. In fact, the spectators, guests, and dignitaries watching the battle on monitors might think Kaita is in a favorable position.

But that’s not the case. Those who can see it know that Kaita is the one being cornered.

"Even if it doesn’t hit, it’s ineffective."

The 80mm incendiary grenades, which were thought to cause damage even without a direct hit, failed to affect the demon with their heat.

"Is it over, hero?"

"…I’ll send in reinforcements before Lieutenant Kawakami dies."

"Ah, I’ll hold back the ones who might interfere."

"Thank you."

A demon skilled in close combat and a hero skilled in long-range combat.

In the presence of many who are watching with their own hopes, the battle between the two is about to enter a new phase.

Thank you for reading.