Previous Chapter: The Great Empire Wavers 4
“Those guys are monsters. I can’t help but feel that they’re cyborgs or something.”
One SDF soldier remarks.
Another one testifies.
“We carried out training one time where we were defending an airbase from an enemy attack. OPFOR consisted of several elements of the 1st Airborne Brigade, while us, the ASDF as BLUFOR, numbered around 200. While there were only a few of them, we expected that a decent number of us would be killed due to their somewhat elite nature. But in reality, they managed to gain control of the airbase without suffering a single casualty… Yeah, they really are monsters.”
・・・
As dragons danced around the sky, 5 C-2 transport planes flew past them. From all 5 of these planes, the 1st Airborne Brigade parachuted down into the base below. If there were any enemies left in the base, the dragon knights would burn them to ashes with their magical flame bullets. Eventually, several of Mu’s own transport planes appeared in the skies above the base, opening up even more white flowers throughout the sky.
After a successful parachute drop, Yagi of the GSDF’s 1st Airborne Brigade swiftly moved to position to ensure his safety. His movements were nimble due to numerous training sessions, allowing his trained muscles to bring along heavy equipment without difficulty. There were no longer any enemies within his vicinity, with the strong stench of burning earth brought about by the airstrikes and flame bullets stinging his nose. He quietly scanned the area for any enemies that may have survived the previous onslaughts.
With hardly any resistance, their deployment concluded far more smoothly than expected.
“We have confirmation on the entrance to the underground. Breaching in 18 seconds. Team A, advance to point B2!”
With the utilization of bone conduction earphones, orders are promptly transmitted without making extra noise. Without making much noise, they proceeded to advance to the entrance.
・・・
An unpleasant explosion sound echoes across the command room.
“Door No. 12 has been breached!!!”
“The enemy is here!! Maximum caution!!!”
“W-what the?! Is this-Ack!!! Is this poison-Argh!!!”
The radio continues to blast out messages within the command room.
“We’ve lost contact with Squad 6!!!”
“We’ve ordered Squad 7 to brace for contact!”
“What’s going on?!”
Gra Cabal worrily turns to Gaoggel.
“We’re still grasping the situation.”
Gra Cabal was clearly standing in the way, preventing Gaoggel from making precise orders. Gaoggel could barely hide his irritation.
“We’ve lost contact with Squad 7!!!”
“Squad 9 is unresponsive!!!”
“Fuck! They’re advancing too fast!! How are they doing this so easily?!”
The sound of occasional gunfire could now be heard in the command room. With the enemy closing in, the fear of death rapidly engulfs the room.
The troops of the Imperial Army are not weak. They are basically elite troops with a high-level of skill.
They’ve come to understand that the enemy is far better in aircraft and tank technologies. However, they were also moving so quickly on the infantry level that it felt like it hardly mattered whether the Imperial Army troops had guns or not. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. They didn’t even know how many enemy troops there were, but their takeover continued unabated.
“We’ve lost contact with Squad 19.”
Despite the Imperial troops lying in wait, concealed in the dark, the enemy advanced as if they weren’t there at all.
“Why?! Why are we losing even at the infantry level?!”
They couldn’t understand.
“Your Highness! The troops are ready! Please evacuate now using the emergency tunnels!!!
Oi!!! Come here and accompany His Highness!!!”
Without hearing Gra Cabal’s response, Gaoggel decides for him. As if they were shooed away, the soldiers grabbed Cabal’s hand and made haste for the emergency exit.
Base commander Gaoggel closes his eyes and says something to himself in a soft voice.
“This is it, huh… I guess my life amounted to nothing…”
In the following moment, the command room’s door blew open with a bang, followed by something being tossed inside. A horribly intense light lit up the command room, making the people inside subconsciously clutch their faces.
Gaoggel, too, fell from the unbearable intensity. His sense of sight and hearing were done for. Having temporarily lost his awareness, Gaoggel, who had fallen on his back, returns to his senses.
“!!!”
A person wearing green clothes and a helmet had their muzzle pointed at him. With a chilling voice, they gave him a single command.
“Hands in the air!”
Descended upon him was a fear of death; something he had never felt before. He felt that if he didn’t surrender now, the man in front of him would mercilessly pull the trigger. This was the impression that he felt.
“So this is it… I surrender. Don’t shoot me… monsters…”
Gaoggel raised his hands.
On this day, the command room of the Gra Valkas Empire’s Valkyries frontline base fell under enemy control and the base as a whole followed suit.
・・・
“Hah… Hah… Why?! Why are the elite Imperial troops losing?!”
Gra Cabal continued to run through the darkness of the emergency tunnel. His heart beated as though it were about to burst and he was out of breath. He felt as though he were suffocating.
However, he imagined the thought of being captured by the enemy. There are a lot of countries that hold a grudge against the empire. Once they realize he’s the Crown Prince, they might tear him from limb to limb.
The fear of death drove him beyond his limits. As he ran out of breath, sweat accumulated on his face and body.
Thoughts ran throughout his head.
“We don’t know what will happen if you go to the frontlines! Please reconsider!”
He remembers the face of an assistant that desperately tried to stop him from going to Valkyries.
“Don’t go. They will have to spare manpower just to prepare for the visit of the imperial family.”
His father, Gralux, also tried to stop him.
Shaking it off and pushing forward his own thoughts, he ended up where he is at this moment.
He had the chance to turn back. He was advised to do so countless times. However, in the end, he ended up coming to the frontlines. He had believed that his visit was for the sake of the soldiers… For the empire… In reality, all his visit had done was get in the way of the soldiers’ jobs with the possibility of him getting killed in the event an enemy country captured him. There was also the chance that instead of killing him, they’d undoubtedly use him as an extremely valuable diplomatic card.
With their successive victories against the barbarians of this new world, he had ended up looking down on the enemy.
Even if he were to be sorry for and regret his past self being so stubborn, he couldn’t wind back time.
“Hah… Hah… Hah…”
Out of breath, laden in sweat, and his legs worn out, he had come to the point where he complained that he couldn’t run any longer. Still, with the fear that death would catch up to him if he stopped, he forced his legs to move with all his might.
The empire’s elite troops had lost.
This was proof that there exists someone among the enemy forces that possess skill and equipment that surpass their own. Up to now, he, the military, and the rest of the empire never imagined that those same troops would lose to someone else. If they don’t re-evaluate the enemy this point forward, the damage to the empire will be catastrophic.
While he suffered as he ran beyond his limits, he was calmly analyzing the enemy in one nook of his mind.
“Your Highness, over here!!”
They had finally reached a flight of stairs leading up to a door which one of the soldiers opened.
“Ah!!!”
Having grown accustomed to the darkness and the faint light of their flashlights, their eyes were enveloped by sunlight, taking all of them aback. As he slowly got himself used to the blinding light, Gra Cabal stepped out of the door.
They emerged in the middle of the forest around 3km away from the base with no enemies in sight. With trees blocking their line of sight, they couldn’t grasp the situation in the air and of the base. Looking in the direction of the mountains, they sighted a small rocky hill.
“We might be able to get a better view from there…”
Climbing up the rocky hill, Gra Cabal tried to verify the state of the base. The Imperial Army soldiers were ultimately soldiers and so they knew in their hearts they couldn’t bring themselves to suggest that the Crown Prince’s actions were dangerous or that they couldn’t curtail the Crown Prince from doing as he pleased. In the end, they too accompanied the Crown Prince and climbed up the rocky hill to look at their surroundings.
“Huh?! What the-!!!”
The base was engulfed in flames. He turns to look up at the sky.
Dozens of medium-sized piston engine aircraft flew in the skies. Accompanying the hundreds of biplanes were several hundred dragons. Furthermore, more than a several thousand giant birds flew among them, dropping several parachuted troopers on top of the base.
All sorts of weapons from the different levels of civilizations merged together as they filled the entirety of the skies. It was truly chaotic.
“The enemy has gone all out!!!”
From the base’s expanse, the amount of personnel the enemy deployed was nothing short of excessive, showing that they are serious with capturing the base.
“Alright. We gotta survive first.”
Gra Cabal and several Imperial Army soldiers began to move to try to survive.
・・・
Mu Expeditionary Force, Magikaraich Community
Private Ballaster of the 32nd Division trembled in fear as he rode on top of a giant flame bird. As a soldier, he wasn’t afraid of charging in against their enemies. He was simply afraid of heights.
“Sir Ceta… I hate you so much…”
Having declared that he was afraid of heights, he was originally removed from the parachuting force. Without counting the amount of time needed for training, they were still technically counted as ground troops. However, an incident occured 2 days before the operation was carried out.
Out of nowhere, his senior in the parachuting force, Ceta, collapsed from food poisoning from eating the food he himself brought in. With the fever brought about by the bacterial nature of the food poisoning, they couldn’t let him participate in the operation.
Due to the excessive amount of troops being deployed, if this had been a regular operation, they would proceed even with one less person. However, the current operation had them cooperating with their allies, with the superpower Mu throwing in an unprecedented amount of troops and firepower. Due to diplomatic concerns, the Magikaraich Community couldn’t let itself underdeliver the amount of personnel requested of them by Mu, and with Ballaster having done several drops beforehand, they ended up choosing him as Ceta’s replacement.
The operation only required him to jump out from a big bird, pull a string and properly set his direction as he descended to the base, which he had practiced numerous times. With hundreds of other soldiers having already dropped and were now safely at the enemy base, it seemed like there wasn’t any particular danger.
Still, he was afraid of heights.
Being on top of a bird is already frightening in itself, but now I have to jump from it… The last time was scary as fuck, but now I have to do it again…
“We’ll reach the drop point in a while!”
3 people led by a squad leader are to descend from the bird.
“3! 2! 1! Go, go, go!!!”
They jump out of the bird in order. With his turn to drop, Ballaster committed to his will and jumped from the bird.
Despite the fear of falling and his acceleration due to gravity being higher than imagined, he used his skills to lessen his acceleration to the point where gravity and aerodynamic drag were in equilibrium. Due to being dropped at a high altitude, he approached the surface at a slow pace, making it feel as though he were flying.
“Alright… 5! 4! 3! 2! 1!… Now!!!”
He pulled on a string, opening his parachute. He felt a sudden jerk from all across his body as if the sky pulled on him.
“Huh?”
His squadmates that had jumped before him were still descending.
“Ah shit…”
They were ordered by their squad leader to open their parachutes simultaneously after 40 seconds. Due to his uncontrollable fear, he counted the seconds too fast as he simply focused his thoughts on opening his parachute.
“Heh. I’m gonna get clubbed by the squad leader later…”
Their demonic squad leader, Geira, was a dreaded character who drilled any subordinate who had committed a mistake in the battlefield to the point of carving out their souls.
“Huh? Wait, what’s going on???”
His parachute started to get dragged along by the wind. He was supposed to have been on course towards their drop point but now he was getting farther and farther away.
“Magi 5-8!!! What the fuck are you doing?! Change your heading back towards the base!!!”
Hearing his name over the radio, he also heard his squad leader’s unpleasant voice ring out.
“I-I’m being swept by the wind!!!”
He was being swept away towards a direction where he didn’t intend to go. There was little he could do to stop it.
All they heard from one of the people over the radio was the sound of the wind.
・・・
“I was swept by the wind and now I’m alone! Requesting for support!”
“A greenie? Damn. You’re showing off how embarrassing the level of skill the soldiers of the Magikaraich Community are, dumbass… Gotta hand it to him later…”
Naniega, commander of the 1st Dragon Knights Squadron of the Magikaraich Community, surveyed his surroundings from his wyvern.
“Is that…?”
He saw that someone had opened their parachute earlier than expected and was now being swept away to the west of the base.
“Fuck’s sake… Huh?”
Also to the west of the base, he sighted some figures on top of a boulder. He descended down to verify.
As he slowly descended from high altitude…
“!!!”
The figures were pointing their guns towards him.
Hostiles!!!
In the following moment, something grazed his cheek. Afterwards, the sound of gunfire echoed throughout the vicinity.
There was a slight scar that ran from the front of his cheek to the back. Comprehending that he could have died a moment prior, sweat flowed from all over his body. He immediately climbed up into the skies far from the range of the enemies’ rifles.
He then swiftly turned around and dived, ordering his wyvern to fire a magical flame bullet. The wyvern opened its mouth, creating a ball of flame at the end.
“Fire!!!”
The wyvern, possessing magical powers isolated from humankind, sent a viscous, magical fireball from its mouth. The fireball rapidly descended on the enemy, finding its mark on the rocky hill and causing an explosion.
The figures that were brandishing rifles were engulfed in flames. There seemed to be several more but it also seems that they were engulfed in the explosion. Having snuffed out all resistance, Naniega raised his wyvern up.
“That… was close…”
Moving forward, he decided in his mind that he will be even more careful and vigilant against attacks from the ground.
・・・
Having been swept by the wind, Private Ballaster of the Magikaraich Community landed in the forest 3km west from the base. The parachute got caught in the branches of the trees, severing the cloth in the process.
“Guess my chute’s done for, huh…”
He ended up breaking one of the equipment entrusted to him.
Wonder how angry they’ll be…
While he thought so, he turned on his comms equipment.
“This is Magi 5-8 to Magi 5-1! I successfully landed without any abnormalities but the parachute broke… I’m currently at…”
He promptly reported his present situation.
“This is Magi Combat HQ to Magi 5-8, there may be concealed enemies around 600m SW of your position. They’ve already been attacked by our wyverns, but since it’s possible there may be enemies left, you are to head over to investigate!”
“Roger!”
The transmission ended.
“Ah fuck… This is the worst… Do I really have to do it by myself?”
Having been swept away was his fault. He understood that, but being sent alone to deal with concealed Gra Valkas Empire soldiers, which even the superpower Mu couldn’t deal with, was too much to ask. He felt nothing but life-threatening danger with this order.
Still, as ordered, he headed southwest. His hands slightly trembled as he struggled with his fears.
20 minutes later~
Only 20 minutes had passed, but for him, it felt like an eternity. He pushed his way through the thickets as he advanced through the difficult forest terrain. Since he kept watch for enemies as he advanced, it took him longer than he thought to reach his destination. If he were to give away his position, there’s no doubt that he will instantly get showered by bullets.
He silently advanced.
Hearing nothing but his heartbeat, his breathing was elevated.
Rustle!!!
After hearing the sound of grass rustling to his west, he stopped and looked closely. Several wild animals had run past him.
“What the hell… Fucking scared me…”
For a moment, he was relieved.
“Ugh…”
“!!!”
For a moment there, he heard the sound of someone groaning. He went closer towards the direction of the voice. The smell of grass burning fills his nose. He deduced that it must have been a direct hit from one of their wyvern’s flame bullets. It was close.
He slowly moved forward without a sound.
He was currently deep in the forest where weeds grew on the surface, but here there were patches of grass burning.
“Ugh…”
A single man was groaning as he lay fallen on top of the grass some distance away from the patches of grass that were burning.
“Are they…”
The burnt corpses of what seemed to be Gra Valkas Empire soldiers lay scattered near the fallen man. It seems that he was the only one breathing. He couldn’t discern any wounds to the man’s face but parts of his clothing were severely burnt. It seems that the man has suffered substantial burns.
“A survivor?…”
Upon closer inspection, the man was clearly different from the other soldiers and while they were covered and stained in soot, he seemed to be also wearing adornments.
“Must be a high-ranking person…”
Ballaster immediately reported the situation through radio while gathering the weapons of the Gra Valkas Empire soldiers. Having found one prisoner of war, he called in for support.
The wounded prisoner of war, which has since fainted, was immediately transported to the railroad town of Kielseki where Mu’s frontline command is. However, the man’s wounds were much more serious than previously thought, surpassing the capabilities offered by field hospitals and simple recovery magic.
With the high possibility that the wounded man is a VIP, he was transported to a hospital in the Mu capital of Otaheit. Unable to fully care for the person in that same hospital, Mu had him handed over to Japan, which had better medical technology than any other country that participated in the war.
・・・
Capital Avest, Magikaraich Community
The Magikaraich Community, located on the southeast portion of the Second Civilization Area, operates through a system called an academic system, a rarity in the new world, which allows its provinces to operate independent government functions. The aggregation of those independent governments, known as the Magikaraich Academic Union, is recognized as a state by other countries under the name Magikaraich Community.
Blending together magical technology and mechanical engineering, they developed something called magic-guided engineering, which was recognized by even the Central World.
Gathered at the capital of the Magikaraich Community, Avest, were the academic leaders of every province. The sound of the clock ticking, signifying the passage of time, resounded across the silent conference room where everyone waited for the results of the operation that will decide the fate of their country.
Their enemy is the great, powerful empire from another world: the Gra Valkas Empire.
Having driven back even the World Union Fleet led by the main force of the Holy Mirishial Empire, the enemy was strong beyond comparison and someone they could no longer afford to look down on.
“If we lose this one, what the hell do we do…”
Someone whines.
This was a counterattack operation where the superpower Mu and the Second Civilization Area put an unprecedented amount of their strength and spirits into. Along with the entire might of the Second Civilization, the country of Japan, which possessed scientific prowess that surpassed that of Mu, was participating in the fight. If they were to lose in this operation, the Magikaraich Community would have lost its sole means to fight.
“Let’s believe that… we’ll win.”
The conference room returns to silence.
“Hm? Incoming magical transmission!!!”
Everyone looks to the direction of the comms officer.
“I will read it out loud!!! The allied forces of the Second Civilization Area carried out their attack on the Gra Valkas Imperial Army base Valkyries. Much of the enemy’s surface installations have been destroyed and the parachute operation was successful!!! They are now in control of Valkyries!!! Furthermore, one of our new recruits has secured a high-ranking prisoner of war! Our country has managed to recover several of the empire’s weapons in working condition!”
“Nice!!!”
The conference room erupted in excitement.
“Great!!! I am truly proud that our country’s soldiers managed to capture a high-ranking prisoner of war! Let this new recruit be rewarded! As for the weapons, send them immediately to our research agencies!!! We must analyze them and have them mass-produced!!!”
Without being punished, Private Ballaster of the Magikaraich Community was rewarded for his efforts.
・・・
Prime Minister’s residence, Tokyo, Japan
All the ministers have gathered here for an emergency meeting. With so many meetings that decide the country’s fate lately, they have gotten accustomed to everything being an emergency.
“…and so, the allied force that took off from Kielseki managed to completely seize the Gra Valkas Empire’s frontline base of Valkyries. Aside from 1 person, a total of 1623 prisoners have been transferred to the detention facility in Mu.”
Subsequently, it was reported that that 1 person is currently receiving medical attention at a hospital in Japan.
“The prisoner that was sent to us wore clothing that was clearly different from the other prisoners and is highly likely to be a VIP. Furthermore, the person didn’t have anything that could help us identify his identity and the other prisoners won’t tell us anything regarding his identity. It is thought it would be best to wait for the recovery of this person before moving on to verify their identity.”
Without any particular interest from the ministers, the topic of the meeting moves on. The SDF’s executives reported on scheduled operations and on future policies regarding the Gra Valkas Empire. It was at that time when someone from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs entered the room and whispered something to the ear of the Foreign Affairs Minister. The Foreign Affairs Minister, which usually looked pale, got even paler.
“A-are you sure?! If so…!”
He asked in a loud, surprised voice.
“What’s the matter, Foreign Affairs Minister?”
The Prime Minister asks.
“The prisoner of war in Japan’s custody has woken up.”
“Really? Have they managed to verify his identity?”
“Y-yes… We have confirmed that the prisoner is Gra Cabal, a part of the Gra Valkas Empire’s imperial family, and their current Crown Prince.”
“!!!”
Every minister was shocked. With this shocking revelation, they now have an overwhelming advantage in diplomacy. There also exists the possibility that, depending on how the enemy reacts, they just exposed themselves to a full-on attack.
With the Japanese government now in possession of an incredibly powerful diplomatic card, the room went silent from how they would use it.
“What a terribly powerful diplomatic card we have… One wrong move and we end up digging our own graves… We must properly consider all possibilities and take the most appropriate solution…!”
The Japanese government now troubled itself over what to do. The ministers took the shocking information back to their own ministries and came up with plans on what to do moving forward.
The government’s anguish continues.
・・・
“Where… is here?”
Gra Cabal’s consciousness slowly returned.
The ceiling is white. The bed is white. Even the clothes I’m wearing are white. Have I finally ascended to paradise?
His consciousness still wasn’t completely clear.
The formal suited-person that approached me a while ago… He said he was with Japan’s Foreign Affairs…
Since he spoke to him in a polite tone, he unwittingly gave away his identity.
Was I too hasty…?
He regrets it a bit.
With his head in pain, he couldn’t think properly.
“I didn’t get to ask where I was…”
Kachack!
The door opened and in came a woman wearing a white coat. Looking his way, the woman made a surprised face.
“Are you awake?”
The woman asks him.
At this point, he understood that he had been saved.
To grasp his current situation, he cranked his mind into full gear.
Previous Chapter: The Great Empire Wavers 4
“Those guys are monsters. I can’t help but feel that they’re cyborgs or something.”
One SDF soldier remarks.
Another one testifies.
“We carried out training one time where we were defending an airbase from an enemy attack. OPFOR consisted of several elements of the 1st Airborne Brigade, while us, the ASDF as BLUFOR, numbered around 200. While there were only a few of them, we expected that a decent number of us would be killed due to their somewhat elite nature. But in reality, they managed to gain control of the airbase without suffering a single casualty… Yeah, they really are monsters.”
・・・
As dragons danced around the sky, 5 C-2 transport planes flew past them. From all 5 of these planes, the 1st Airborne Brigade parachuted down into the base below. If there were any enemies left in the base, the dragon knights would burn them to ashes with their magical flame bullets. Eventually, several of Mu’s own transport planes appeared in the skies above the base, opening up even more white flowers throughout the sky.
After a successful parachute drop, Yagi of the GSDF’s 1st Airborne Brigade swiftly moved to position to ensure his safety. His movements were nimble due to numerous training sessions, allowing his trained muscles to bring along heavy equipment without difficulty. There were no longer any enemies within his vicinity, with the strong stench of burning earth brought about by the airstrikes and flame bullets stinging his nose. He quietly scanned the area for any enemies that may have survived the previous onslaughts.
With hardly any resistance, their deployment concluded far more smoothly than expected.
“We have confirmation on the entrance to the underground. Breaching in 18 seconds. Team A, advance to point B2!”
With the utilization of bone conduction earphones, orders are promptly transmitted without making extra noise. Without making much noise, they proceeded to advance to the entrance.
・・・
An unpleasant explosion sound echoes across the command room.
“Door No. 12 has been breached!!!”
“The enemy is here!! Maximum caution!!!”
“W-what the?! Is this-Ack!!! Is this poison-Argh!!!”
The radio continues to blast out messages within the command room.
“We’ve lost contact with Squad 6!!!”
“We’ve ordered Squad 7 to brace for contact!”
“What’s going on?!”
Gra Cabal worrily turns to Gaoggel.
“We’re still grasping the situation.”
Gra Cabal was clearly standing in the way, preventing Gaoggel from making precise orders. Gaoggel could barely hide his irritation.
“We’ve lost contact with Squad 7!!!”
“Squad 9 is unresponsive!!!”
“Fuck! They’re advancing too fast!! How are they doing this so easily?!”
The sound of occasional gunfire could now be heard in the command room. With the enemy closing in, the fear of death rapidly engulfs the room.
The troops of the Imperial Army are not weak. They are basically elite troops with a high-level of skill.
They’ve come to understand that the enemy is far better in aircraft and tank technologies. However, they were also moving so quickly on the infantry level that it felt like it hardly mattered whether the Imperial Army troops had guns or not. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. They didn’t even know how many enemy troops there were, but their takeover continued unabated.
“We’ve lost contact with Squad 19.”
Despite the Imperial troops lying in wait, concealed in the dark, the enemy advanced as if they weren’t there at all.
“Why?! Why are we losing even at the infantry level?!”
They couldn’t understand.
“Your Highness! The troops are ready! Please evacuate now using the emergency tunnels!!!
Oi!!! Come here and accompany His Highness!!!”
Without hearing Gra Cabal’s response, Gaoggel decides for him. As if they were shooed away, the soldiers grabbed Cabal’s hand and made haste for the emergency exit.
Base commander Gaoggel closes his eyes and says something to himself in a soft voice.
“This is it, huh… I guess my life amounted to nothing…”
In the following moment, the command room’s door blew open with a bang, followed by something being tossed inside. A horribly intense light lit up the command room, making the people inside subconsciously clutch their faces.
Gaoggel, too, fell from the unbearable intensity. His sense of sight and hearing were done for. Having temporarily lost his awareness, Gaoggel, who had fallen on his back, returns to his senses.
“!!!”
A person wearing green clothes and a helmet had their muzzle pointed at him. With a chilling voice, they gave him a single command.
“Hands in the air!”
Descended upon him was a fear of death; something he had never felt before. He felt that if he didn’t surrender now, the man in front of him would mercilessly pull the trigger. This was the impression that he felt.
“So this is it… I surrender. Don’t shoot me… monsters…”
Gaoggel raised his hands.
On this day, the command room of the Gra Valkas Empire’s Valkyries frontline base fell under enemy control and the base as a whole followed suit.
・・・
“Hah… Hah… Why?! Why are the elite Imperial troops losing?!”
Gra Cabal continued to run through the darkness of the emergency tunnel. His heart beated as though it were about to burst and he was out of breath. He felt as though he were suffocating.
However, he imagined the thought of being captured by the enemy. There are a lot of countries that hold a grudge against the empire. Once they realize he’s the Crown Prince, they might tear him from limb to limb.
The fear of death drove him beyond his limits. As he ran out of breath, sweat accumulated on his face and body.
Thoughts ran throughout his head.
“We don’t know what will happen if you go to the frontlines! Please reconsider!”
He remembers the face of an assistant that desperately tried to stop him from going to Valkyries.
“Don’t go. They will have to spare manpower just to prepare for the visit of the imperial family.”
His father, Gralux, also tried to stop him.
Shaking it off and pushing forward his own thoughts, he ended up where he is at this moment.
He had the chance to turn back. He was advised to do so countless times. However, in the end, he ended up coming to the frontlines. He had believed that his visit was for the sake of the soldiers… For the empire… In reality, all his visit had done was get in the way of the soldiers’ jobs with the possibility of him getting killed in the event an enemy country captured him. There was also the chance that instead of killing him, they’d undoubtedly use him as an extremely valuable diplomatic card.
With their successive victories against the barbarians of this new world, he had ended up looking down on the enemy.
Even if he were to be sorry for and regret his past self being so stubborn, he couldn’t wind back time.
“Hah… Hah… Hah…”
Out of breath, laden in sweat, and his legs worn out, he had come to the point where he complained that he couldn’t run any longer. Still, with the fear that death would catch up to him if he stopped, he forced his legs to move with all his might.
The empire’s elite troops had lost.
This was proof that there exists someone among the enemy forces that possess skill and equipment that surpass their own. Up to now, he, the military, and the rest of the empire never imagined that those same troops would lose to someone else. If they don’t re-evaluate the enemy this point forward, the damage to the empire will be catastrophic.
While he suffered as he ran beyond his limits, he was calmly analyzing the enemy in one nook of his mind.
“Your Highness, over here!!”
They had finally reached a flight of stairs leading up to a door which one of the soldiers opened.
“Ah!!!”
Having grown accustomed to the darkness and the faint light of their flashlights, their eyes were enveloped by sunlight, taking all of them aback. As he slowly got himself used to the blinding light, Gra Cabal stepped out of the door.
They emerged in the middle of the forest around 3km away from the base with no enemies in sight. With trees blocking their line of sight, they couldn’t grasp the situation in the air and of the base. Looking in the direction of the mountains, they sighted a small rocky hill.
“We might be able to get a better view from there…”
Climbing up the rocky hill, Gra Cabal tried to verify the state of the base. The Imperial Army soldiers were ultimately soldiers and so they knew in their hearts they couldn’t bring themselves to suggest that the Crown Prince’s actions were dangerous or that they couldn’t curtail the Crown Prince from doing as he pleased. In the end, they too accompanied the Crown Prince and climbed up the rocky hill to look at their surroundings.
“Huh?! What the-!!!”
The base was engulfed in flames. He turns to look up at the sky.
Dozens of medium-sized piston engine aircraft flew in the skies. Accompanying the hundreds of biplanes were several hundred dragons. Furthermore, more than a several thousand giant birds flew among them, dropping several parachuted troopers on top of the base.
All sorts of weapons from the different levels of civilizations merged together as they filled the entirety of the skies. It was truly chaotic.
“The enemy has gone all out!!!”
From the base’s expanse, the amount of personnel the enemy deployed was nothing short of excessive, showing that they are serious with capturing the base.
“Alright. We gotta survive first.”
Gra Cabal and several Imperial Army soldiers began to move to try to survive.
・・・
Mu Expeditionary Force, Magikaraich Community
Private Ballaster of the 32nd Division trembled in fear as he rode on top of a giant flame bird. As a soldier, he wasn’t afraid of charging in against their enemies. He was simply afraid of heights.
“Sir Ceta… I hate you so much…”
Having declared that he was afraid of heights, he was originally removed from the parachuting force. Without counting the amount of time needed for training, they were still technically counted as ground troops. However, an incident occured 2 days before the operation was carried out.
Out of nowhere, his senior in the parachuting force, Ceta, collapsed from food poisoning from eating the food he himself brought in. With the fever brought about by the bacterial nature of the food poisoning, they couldn’t let him participate in the operation.
Due to the excessive amount of troops being deployed, if this had been a regular operation, they would proceed even with one less person. However, the current operation had them cooperating with their allies, with the superpower Mu throwing in an unprecedented amount of troops and firepower. Due to diplomatic concerns, the Magikaraich Community couldn’t let itself underdeliver the amount of personnel requested of them by Mu, and with Ballaster having done several drops beforehand, they ended up choosing him as Ceta’s replacement.
The operation only required him to jump out from a big bird, pull a string and properly set his direction as he descended to the base, which he had practiced numerous times. With hundreds of other soldiers having already dropped and were now safely at the enemy base, it seemed like there wasn’t any particular danger.
Still, he was afraid of heights.
Being on top of a bird is already frightening in itself, but now I have to jump from it… The last time was scary as fuck, but now I have to do it again…
“We’ll reach the drop point in a while!”
3 people led by a squad leader are to descend from the bird.
“3! 2! 1! Go, go, go!!!”
They jump out of the bird in order. With his turn to drop, Ballaster committed to his will and jumped from the bird.
Despite the fear of falling and his acceleration due to gravity being higher than imagined, he used his skills to lessen his acceleration to the point where gravity and aerodynamic drag were in equilibrium. Due to being dropped at a high altitude, he approached the surface at a slow pace, making it feel as though he were flying.
“Alright… 5! 4! 3! 2! 1!… Now!!!”
He pulled on a string, opening his parachute. He felt a sudden jerk from all across his body as if the sky pulled on him.
“Huh?”
His squadmates that had jumped before him were still descending.
“Ah shit…”
They were ordered by their squad leader to open their parachutes simultaneously after 40 seconds. Due to his uncontrollable fear, he counted the seconds too fast as he simply focused his thoughts on opening his parachute.
“Heh. I’m gonna get clubbed by the squad leader later…”
Their demonic squad leader, Geira, was a dreaded character who drilled any subordinate who had committed a mistake in the battlefield to the point of carving out their souls.
“Huh? Wait, what’s going on???”
His parachute started to get dragged along by the wind. He was supposed to have been on course towards their drop point but now he was getting farther and farther away.
“Magi 5-8!!! What the fuck are you doing?! Change your heading back towards the base!!!”
Hearing his name over the radio, he also heard his squad leader’s unpleasant voice ring out.
“I-I’m being swept by the wind!!!”
He was being swept away towards a direction where he didn’t intend to go. There was little he could do to stop it.
All they heard from one of the people over the radio was the sound of the wind.
・・・
“I was swept by the wind and now I’m alone! Requesting for support!”
“A greenie? Damn. You’re showing off how embarrassing the level of skill the soldiers of the Magikaraich Community are, dumbass… Gotta hand it to him later…”
Naniega, commander of the 1st Dragon Knights Squadron of the Magikaraich Community, surveyed his surroundings from his wyvern.
“Is that…?”
He saw that someone had opened their parachute earlier than expected and was now being swept away to the west of the base.
“Fuck’s sake… Huh?”
Also to the west of the base, he sighted some figures on top of a boulder. He descended down to verify.
As he slowly descended from high altitude…
“!!!”
The figures were pointing their guns towards him.
Hostiles!!!
In the following moment, something grazed his cheek. Afterwards, the sound of gunfire echoed throughout the vicinity.
There was a slight scar that ran from the front of his cheek to the back. Comprehending that he could have died a moment prior, sweat flowed from all over his body. He immediately climbed up into the skies far from the range of the enemies’ rifles.
He then swiftly turned around and dived, ordering his wyvern to fire a magical flame bullet. The wyvern opened its mouth, creating a ball of flame at the end.
“Fire!!!”
The wyvern, possessing magical powers isolated from humankind, sent a viscous, magical fireball from its mouth. The fireball rapidly descended on the enemy, finding its mark on the rocky hill and causing an explosion.
The figures that were brandishing rifles were engulfed in flames. There seemed to be several more but it also seems that they were engulfed in the explosion. Having snuffed out all resistance, Naniega raised his wyvern up.
“That… was close…”
Moving forward, he decided in his mind that he will be even more careful and vigilant against attacks from the ground.
・・・
Having been swept by the wind, Private Ballaster of the Magikaraich Community landed in the forest 3km west from the base. The parachute got caught in the branches of the trees, severing the cloth in the process.
“Guess my chute’s done for, huh…”
He ended up breaking one of the equipment entrusted to him.
Wonder how angry they’ll be…
While he thought so, he turned on his comms equipment.
“This is Magi 5-8 to Magi 5-1! I successfully landed without any abnormalities but the parachute broke… I’m currently at…”
He promptly reported his present situation.
“This is Magi Combat HQ to Magi 5-8, there may be concealed enemies around 600m SW of your position. They’ve already been attacked by our wyverns, but since it’s possible there may be enemies left, you are to head over to investigate!”
“Roger!”
The transmission ended.
“Ah fuck… This is the worst… Do I really have to do it by myself?”
Having been swept away was his fault. He understood that, but being sent alone to deal with concealed Gra Valkas Empire soldiers, which even the superpower Mu couldn’t deal with, was too much to ask. He felt nothing but life-threatening danger with this order.
Still, as ordered, he headed southwest. His hands slightly trembled as he struggled with his fears.
20 minutes later~
Only 20 minutes had passed, but for him, it felt like an eternity. He pushed his way through the thickets as he advanced through the difficult forest terrain. Since he kept watch for enemies as he advanced, it took him longer than he thought to reach his destination. If he were to give away his position, there’s no doubt that he will instantly get showered by bullets.
He silently advanced.
Hearing nothing but his heartbeat, his breathing was elevated.
Rustle!!!
After hearing the sound of grass rustling to his west, he stopped and looked closely. Several wild animals had run past him.
“What the hell… Fucking scared me…”
For a moment, he was relieved.
“Ugh…”
“!!!”
For a moment there, he heard the sound of someone groaning. He went closer towards the direction of the voice. The smell of grass burning fills his nose. He deduced that it must have been a direct hit from one of their wyvern’s flame bullets. It was close.
He slowly moved forward without a sound.
He was currently deep in the forest where weeds grew on the surface, but here there were patches of grass burning.
“Ugh…”
A single man was groaning as he lay fallen on top of the grass some distance away from the patches of grass that were burning.
“Are they…”
The burnt corpses of what seemed to be Gra Valkas Empire soldiers lay scattered near the fallen man. It seems that he was the only one breathing. He couldn’t discern any wounds to the man’s face but parts of his clothing were severely burnt. It seems that the man has suffered substantial burns.
“A survivor?…”
Upon closer inspection, the man was clearly different from the other soldiers and while they were covered and stained in soot, he seemed to be also wearing adornments.
“Must be a high-ranking person…”
Ballaster immediately reported the situation through radio while gathering the weapons of the Gra Valkas Empire soldiers. Having found one prisoner of war, he called in for support.
The wounded prisoner of war, which has since fainted, was immediately transported to the railroad town of Kielseki where Mu’s frontline command is. However, the man’s wounds were much more serious than previously thought, surpassing the capabilities offered by field hospitals and simple recovery magic.
With the high possibility that the wounded man is a VIP, he was transported to a hospital in the Mu capital of Otaheit. Unable to fully care for the person in that same hospital, Mu had him handed over to Japan, which had better medical technology than any other country that participated in the war.
・・・
Capital Avest, Magikaraich Community
The Magikaraich Community, located on the southeast portion of the Second Civilization Area, operates through a system called an academic system, a rarity in the new world, which allows its provinces to operate independent government functions. The aggregation of those independent governments, known as the Magikaraich Academic Union, is recognized as a state by other countries under the name Magikaraich Community.
Blending together magical technology and mechanical engineering, they developed something called magic-guided engineering, which was recognized by even the Central World.
Gathered at the capital of the Magikaraich Community, Avest, were the academic leaders of every province. The sound of the clock ticking, signifying the passage of time, resounded across the silent conference room where everyone waited for the results of the operation that will decide the fate of their country.
Their enemy is the great, powerful empire from another world: the Gra Valkas Empire.
Having driven back even the World Union Fleet led by the main force of the Holy Mirishial Empire, the enemy was strong beyond comparison and someone they could no longer afford to look down on.
“If we lose this one, what the hell do we do…”
Someone whines.
This was a counterattack operation where the superpower Mu and the Second Civilization Area put an unprecedented amount of their strength and spirits into. Along with the entire might of the Second Civilization, the country of Japan, which possessed scientific prowess that surpassed that of Mu, was participating in the fight. If they were to lose in this operation, the Magikaraich Community would have lost its sole means to fight.
“Let’s believe that… we’ll win.”
The conference room returns to silence.
“Hm? Incoming magical transmission!!!”
Everyone looks to the direction of the comms officer.
“I will read it out loud!!! The allied forces of the Second Civilization Area carried out their attack on the Gra Valkas Imperial Army base Valkyries. Much of the enemy’s surface installations have been destroyed and the parachute operation was successful!!! They are now in control of Valkyries!!! Furthermore, one of our new recruits has secured a high-ranking prisoner of war! Our country has managed to recover several of the empire’s weapons in working condition!”
“Nice!!!”
The conference room erupted in excitement.
“Great!!! I am truly proud that our country’s soldiers managed to capture a high-ranking prisoner of war! Let this new recruit be rewarded! As for the weapons, send them immediately to our research agencies!!! We must analyze them and have them mass-produced!!!”
Without being punished, Private Ballaster of the Magikaraich Community was rewarded for his efforts.
・・・
Prime Minister’s residence, Tokyo, Japan
All the ministers have gathered here for an emergency meeting. With so many meetings that decide the country’s fate lately, they have gotten accustomed to everything being an emergency.
“…and so, the allied force that took off from Kielseki managed to completely seize the Gra Valkas Empire’s frontline base of Valkyries. Aside from 1 person, a total of 1623 prisoners have been transferred to the detention facility in Mu.”
Subsequently, it was reported that that 1 person is currently receiving medical attention at a hospital in Japan.
“The prisoner that was sent to us wore clothing that was clearly different from the other prisoners and is highly likely to be a VIP. Furthermore, the person didn’t have anything that could help us identify his identity and the other prisoners won’t tell us anything regarding his identity. It is thought it would be best to wait for the recovery of this person before moving on to verify their identity.”
Without any particular interest from the ministers, the topic of the meeting moves on. The SDF’s executives reported on scheduled operations and on future policies regarding the Gra Valkas Empire. It was at that time when someone from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs entered the room and whispered something to the ear of the Foreign Affairs Minister. The Foreign Affairs Minister, which usually looked pale, got even paler.
“A-are you sure?! If so…!”
He asked in a loud, surprised voice.
“What’s the matter, Foreign Affairs Minister?”
The Prime Minister asks.
“The prisoner of war in Japan’s custody has woken up.”
“Really? Have they managed to verify his identity?”
“Y-yes… We have confirmed that the prisoner is Gra Cabal, a part of the Gra Valkas Empire’s imperial family, and their current Crown Prince.”
“!!!”
Every minister was shocked. With this shocking revelation, they now have an overwhelming advantage in diplomacy. There also exists the possibility that, depending on how the enemy reacts, they just exposed themselves to a full-on attack.
With the Japanese government now in possession of an incredibly powerful diplomatic card, the room went silent from how they would use it.
“What a terribly powerful diplomatic card we have… One wrong move and we end up digging our own graves… We must properly consider all possibilities and take the most appropriate solution…!”
The Japanese government now troubled itself over what to do. The ministers took the shocking information back to their own ministries and came up with plans on what to do moving forward.
The government’s anguish continues.
・・・
“Where… is here?”
Gra Cabal’s consciousness slowly returned.
The ceiling is white. The bed is white. Even the clothes I’m wearing are white. Have I finally ascended to paradise?
His consciousness still wasn’t completely clear.
The formal suited-person that approached me a while ago… He said he was with Japan’s Foreign Affairs…
Since he spoke to him in a polite tone, he unwittingly gave away his identity.
Was I too hasty…?
He regrets it a bit.
With his head in pain, he couldn’t think properly.
“I didn’t get to ask where I was…”
Kachack!
The door opened and in came a woman wearing a white coat. Looking his way, the woman made a surprised face.
“Are you awake?”
The woman asks him.
At this point, he understood that he had been saved.
To grasp his current situation, he cranked his mind into full gear.
