Chapter 94

I have been keeping you waiting for a very long time.

"Here they come," I muttered, but my heart was pounding.

Of course, that's to be expected. This wasn't part of the plan.

Suddenly, flying monsters appeared, and from them, three different voices could be heard (I don't understand how the voices could reach us from this distance. Is it some kind of magic?).

Judging from the monsters' actions, the voices belonged to a higher species of monsters, likely demons.

Anyone would panic if something like this appeared suddenly.

Well, to be honest, I had expected demons to be here. After all, it's impossible for a swarm of this scale to exist without a leader. The higher-ups, including Colonel, had also anticipated the presence of demons.

However, I underestimated their numbers.

What, three of them?

The timing and location of their appearance are also the worst possible.

We had expected the demons to appear with the main force on the other side, and much later, specifically after the first bombardment had taken out most of the large monsters.

But what's the reality? The battle is just beginning, and they've appeared in the rear.

So far, no one except me has taken out any large monsters.

In other words, the remaining enemy forces are "at least three demons, two large monsters, and a lot of medium and small monsters."

What about our side?

There are five machines capable of taking out large monsters: me, the two machines sent from the First Division, Colonel, and Igarashi-san in the prototype No. 3 machine.

There are also a few Type 8B machines and their escort units waiting as support. These can barely handle medium monsters.

Everyone can probably provide covering fire, but only I can engage in a full-scale battle against demons, and that's only if the opponent is one demon.

"This... is a dead end."

If nothing had happened, we could have taken out all the large monsters. The medium monsters would have been manageable, and the small ones would have been dealt with by the base personnel.

But demons, you're the problem.

The current situation is like going from a state where there are many M〇 that can be defeated with one or two hits to a state where three A〇, each as strong as my 〇C, have appeared simultaneously. And this is while the 〇T haven't been wiped out yet.

No matter how you look at it, it's a dead end.

Thank you very much.

"If only I could give up..."

This world isn't one where you respawn at a specific location after a certain event, nor is it one where you just pay for the broken machine and used ammunition.

I've said it many times, but if you die, you're dead, and if you're dead, it's over... probably.

Well, since I've been reincarnated once before, I can't say for sure that there won't be another "one more time" after death, but even if there is a retry function, I think I would be treated as a lab rat.

That's why I've been fighting with my last bit of courage, thinking "I don't want to die" and "I can't die," and yet this is the result.

Maybe I overdid it a bit, but if I hadn't, we would have been in a dead end anyway.

But that's a different story.

"This isn't the time to think about it."

There will be time to think later.

For now, I can only do what I can.

What I can do, that is.

"If you don't move, you die."

"『『...!?』』"

"Are you dead? You're dead."

The battle continues.

---

Of course, there's no need for the monsters to bow their heads to the three demons on the griffins' backs, who have stopped moving in the sky.

In fact, since they've given us an opening, it would be rude not to take advantage of it.

Maybe the demons will move if we do, but that concern is irrelevant once the enemy appears on the battlefield. It's normal for the enemy to move on the battlefield.

So, the right thing to do is to reduce their numbers as much as possible while they're still stationary—more specifically, while we can bombard them from a distance. I think.

Of course, the target isn't the demons but the majority of the monsters that are still around. They're in the way of the mission's success and my survival.

"Don't move? That's convenient."

I don't know if they're shocked by the sudden resumption of attacks or if they can't move without orders from the demons, but for us, it's like they've given us time to reload the armor-piercing shells and switch the turrets to spread incendiary grenades.

Thank you. I'll show my gratitude through action.

"Don't move, or the shots will miss!"

"『『『Gyaaaaa!?』』』"

"Haha! The effect is excellent!"

Of course, it should be. Thanks to repeated adaptations and improvements by Ms. Saigo and others, these grenades can take out medium monsters with a direct hit and deal significant damage with heat and shock even if they don't hit directly. They would be useless if they didn't work.

Small monsters? They'll die from the collateral damage.

The only concern is that we might get complaints from the Vietnamese Empire for damaging the natural environment, but I'll leave that to the higher-ups.

"Spreading incendiary grenades to burn out the medium and small monsters isn't a bad idea, but..."

What we need to reduce now isn't just the enemy's numbers.

"Attention, everyone! While we have the chance, everyone except the Type 8B machines should withdraw and board the Type 8B machines! I'll cover the rear!"

"Major!?"

"You!?"

The sudden order to retreat elicits shocked voices from Colonel and the others.

At first glance, it might seem like we've significantly reduced the enemy's numbers in a short time. The large monsters are all gone, and the medium and small monsters have been reduced in number. That's true. But so what?

Do you think we can win if we launch a full-scale attack now?

Yes, we can still bombard them from a distance. If we all keep firing, we might be able to wipe out the monsters here.

If there were no demons here.

"Colonel, unfortunately, with multiple demons, our total annihilation is inevitable."

"!"

"『『『...』』』"

What would happen if we tried to fight the demons with machines that can barely move? Colonel, Igarashi-san, and the others must understand that we would either be wiped out by the bombardment or overwhelmed when the demons close the distance.

The fact that the demons are not moving now is almost a miracle.

"The mission to eliminate the large monsters has been completed. We should quickly move on to the next phase."

"..."

The original plan for this battle, as issued by headquarters, was divided into several stages. In broad terms, the Fourth Division would lure the main force of the monsters to the base and use its defenses to inflict heavy losses. Then, we, as a separate unit, would eliminate the large monsters and attack the main force from the rear to deal a major blow. Finally, the Fourth Division and the Training Battalion would join forces at the defense base and use their firepower to wipe out the remaining monsters in a coordinated attack.

The key to this plan is how quickly the Training Battalion, which has the most firepower, can eliminate the large monsters and return to the base.

Given the current situation, how does it look?

We have successfully eliminated the large monsters much earlier than planned, and without any casualties.

Therefore, we need to move on to the next phase quickly.

The only remaining issue is that the enemy has more forces than expected, but we have only one option in response.

"I'll take on the demons. In fact, no one else can even slow them down."

"Damn!"

If the enemy were mindless monsters, or if they had the intelligence but not the agility to avoid attacks, even the immobile machines could have reduced their numbers significantly with continuous bombardment.

Of course, it would have been possible to retreat before entering the enemy's range and join the Fourth Division unscathed.

But the enemy is demons.

Snipers and artillery become much less scary once their positions are exposed.

Demons are not stupid enough to be hit by visible bullets.

Demons are not dull enough to be unable to avoid visible artillery.

Demons are not weak enough to be unable to instantly kill immobile targets.

In this situation, the Colonel and the others, who can only bombard, are just in the way.

(Not that I think I can win either)

No matter how powerful the weapon, it's useless if it can't hit the target.

Quick draw? It's a smoothbore cannon.

Rapid fire? It's a smoothbore cannon.

In the end, the enemy just needs to be out of the line of fire.

With distance, it's easy to dodge after seeing the shot. I can do it too.

So, should I close the distance? In pure close combat, they have the advantage.

Especially with three against one, the only future I can see is being surrounded and beaten to death.

There's no way to win.

The moment three demons appeared here, it became a certainty.

"Are you planning to die here, Igarashi-san?"

Igarashi-san seems to be directing a complex emotion at me, but I'm sorry.

"Of course not."

"Huh?"

It would be cool to say "Dying is part of a soldier's job," but unfortunately, I'm not that enlightened.

Besides, not being able to win and me dying are not the same thing.

"For me to survive, Colonel and the others need to join the Fourth Division while I buy time and eliminate the monsters attacking the base. Then..."

"The enemy might judge that their strategic goals are unachievable and retreat, right?"

"Yes, but it's only a possibility. They might not retreat even then."

"If that's the case!"

The conversation isn't over yet.

"But even in that case, if you all come to the aid of the Fourth Division's elite forces, the enemy will definitely retreat. This is not a possibility but a certainty."

"..."

I don't think I can win against the demons because there are three of them.

Numbers are power. It's a simple but absolute truth.

Conversely, if we can match or exceed their numbers, we can win.

Immobile machines don't count as numbers, but if the experienced division members come to our aid, it's a different story.

Then we can turn the tables and beat them.

Demons are strong enemies but not invincible.

From my experience, the power ratio between the demons' machines and the Kusanagi-type machines is about 1:2 or 1:3.

Depending on the skill of the Kusanagi-type machine operator, it might be 1:1.

In short, if we can create a situation where multiple Kusanagi-type machines can engage a single demon, we can win.

The demons must understand this.

Otherwise, there would be no reason for them not to attack the Fourth Division's base.

They also fear the power of numbers.

If we can hold out until they retreat, we can press our advantage and win.

This is one of the few paths to survival left for me.

"So, to avoid dying, can you move as quickly as possible?"

"R-right, understood! Everyone, retreat!"

"Understood!"

When Colonel reissues the order, the Training Battalion members and the dispatched machine operators begin to withdraw, storing their machines and boarding the Type 8B machines. There's no hesitation in their movements.

"Good. They were already more than 10 kilometers away. Even if they try to pursue, they won't catch us."

The escort units, which are less mobile than the Type 8B machines, are a bit concerning, but they'll have to manage on their own.

The important thing is that the artillery units, which have the firepower to drive back the monsters attacking the base, return unscathed and quickly.

"...Well, now it's just a matter of my survival."

I said a lot to get Colonel and Igarashi-san moving, but I don't really think I can hold out until reinforcements arrive. I'm not that delusional.

But I don't plan to die easily either.

"The best outcome is to defeat the enemy. The second-best is to hold out until the enemy's main force is devastated. The third is to buy time until the Training Battalion withdraws from this area. The last is to never die."

There are few paths to survival, but it's not the only one.

The path lies beyond the line of death.

Therefore, what I need now is resolve.

Don't retreat. Don't stop. Don't give up.

"...I'll remind those who have abandoned their humanity of the tenacity of human life."

Now, it's time to hunt.

Thank you for reading.