Chapter 140

The ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍great war against the Empire was like a thorn lodged in the throat of every superhuman born in the Composite State.

The ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍scars left by the war clung to every corner of society like scabs over old wounds, and anti-war ideals were invariably dismissed as pretty-sounding nonsense.

Elves? ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Sure, individuals might be kind. But the Empire and the Composite State are nations that can never coexist. They only stand in each other's way.

The ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Kardashev Scale proposed by Kardashev and refined by Carl Sagan claimed humanity would only be able to venture into the galaxy after utilizing 100% of a planet's resources, but by the time Hyperspace Jump technology had been invented, humanity had only just surpassed the K1 stage.

They ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍could control nearly all of a planet's energy, yet paradoxically, the more technology advanced, the more resources they lacked.

The ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍resources an individual consumed over a lifetime.

Resources that could not be mined due to various laws.

Resources that were economically unviable with current technology.

Resources deemed unsuitable because of various side effects.

What the scientists had overlooked... was desire.

Humans were not machines, nor did they seek only rational consumption.

No one could even estimate how enormous the amount of non-productive consumer goods accumulated over a person's lifetime truly was, nor the staggering social cost of dealing with them.

Humanity needed more colonies.

It wasn't as though they lacked the technology to strip-mine entire asteroids or uninhabitable resource-rich planets.

It was simply more economical in the long run to exploit planets capable of supporting life.

「Composite State」

Registered Population: 1,510,900,405,103

「Holy Galactic Empire」

Registered Population: 2,000,140,700,962

The rapidly exploding populations and ever-dwindling resources provided more than enough justification for the two galactic superpowers to clash.

Of course, that wasn't the only reason.

That was why both Imperial citizens and Composite State citizens, though hesitant about war, never denied its necessity.

Because they knew all too well that it was supposedly necessary for the future.

...No.

Because their nations had indoctrinated them to believe so.

“Loyalty. Major Rekem Ging reporting.”

Bronze-colored hair.

A square jaw.

Thick eyebrows and the well-trained physique of a martial-type officer.

He stepped into the divisional headquarters tent on the newly assigned Origo Planet Front and offered a crisp salute.

“Ah, yes. Major Rekem Ging.”

The one greeting him was a brigadier general in a navy-blue uniform with an oddly greasy appearance.

Whether he disliked the sweltering jungle or simply resented being stationed on such a remote front, he spoke with a sour expression.

“As you know, this front exists only to relieve pressure from the fiercely contested Breweis Front. As such, we'll simply buy some time before withdrawing rather than engaging in any real battles, so refrain from acting on your own.”

“Yes, understood.”

“More importantly... you're from the Planetary Defense Force? Triple Gear?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Tch. I thought so. As if they'd send us any proper Special-duty Officers. Dismissed.”

“...Yes, sir.”

The brigadier frowned after reading the brief personnel file before dismissing him.

There was no way it didn't leave a bitter taste.

Still, Rekem Ging saluted as though accustomed to it and left the tent.

A Triple Gear Special-duty Officer from the Planetary Defense Force.

The Composite State military's problems didn't end with factionalism.

Discrimination against officers from the Planetary Defense Force.

Academy lineage.

And much more.

He had graduated from a planetary Special-duty Academy, served in the Planetary Defense Force, and transferred to the Federal Army in pursuit of greater ambitions.

He had expected this sort of discrimination.

He simply hadn't expected it to be this severe.

And that wasn't all.

A Triple Gear Special-duty Officer.

Although such superhumans were extremely rare and therefore valuable, the prejudice that officers from the Planetary Defense Force were fundamentally inferior always held him back.

...Though, to some extent, that was true.

“Sigh.”

Feeling suffocated by both the humidity and heat unique to the jungle, he casually undid the top button of his shirt with a finger before shielding his eyes from the blazing sun and muttering,

“Still... it's not all bad.”

He understood his own situation well enough.

A Special-duty Officer sent merely to pad the numbers on a front established as bait.

The fact that an entire division had fewer than a hundred Special-duty Officers vividly demonstrated reality.

Otherwise, why would they have temporarily promoted a mere captain like him to major?

“Finished talking, sir?”

“Yeah. Let's go.”

Feeling stifled, he lit one of the cigarettes from his rations and climbed into the back seat of a Retona modified for jungle terrain.

Everything about this place was unpleasant.

Forests grown to the size of buildings.

The humidity and swarms of insects.

Commanders who seemed utterly devoid of discipline or tension.

Even the supply stockpiles looked only half full.

“Well, that's only natural.”

Even so, he wasn't tense.

Both the Composite State and the Empire were concentrating their forces on the Breweis Front.

Though skirmishes with isolated Imperial troops inside Origo Planet might occur, there was virtually no chance of a major battle.

To begin with, victory belonged to the Composite State.

Only a few days earlier he had read reports claiming they had already occupied over seventy percent of Breweis Planet.

In other words, the Origo Planet Front behind Breweis was merely a diversionary front to ensure total victory.

One might think that made it dangerous.

But Hyperspace around the Breweis Front had already been almost completely secured by the Composite State.

Unless the Empire somehow achieved a miracle on the battlefield, there was no possibility this front would become dangerous.

I'll just build up my record as a major and head home.

Pulling down his military cap lined with brown fabric, he casually flicked his cigarette out the window.

At least then...

His expectations seemed perfectly accurate.

But about a month later...

An unbelievable report arrived from headquarters.

Breweis Front Defeated. 116th Division. Hold the Argo Front.

The flagship of the brigadier general—the first to flee the moment he confirmed the order—exploded.

Then Imperial warships with their characteristically elegant silhouettes pierced through the clouds and covered the skies.

On that very day—

“M-Major!”

“...Down.”

“Sir?”

“I said get down!”

KWWAAAAAAANG!!

With Orbital Bombardment raining down across the battlefield...

Hell began.

〔Th-This is... GAAAAAH!!〕

〔S-Somebody help! Help me!〕

Even after the commanding officer fled, the General Staff and Field Commanders who remained did everything they could to hold the line.

But they were swept away.

Every stronghold was lost.

Communications with headquarters were severed.

Supplies ran dry.

And the company under Rekem Ging's command was annihilated.

“Huff... Huff... Fuck. Fuck.”

It wasn't as though he had never considered surrendering.

But after months of isolation inside the jungle, the Imperial soldiers had completely lost their minds.

Human or elf alike...

Whenever they encountered Composite State troops, they killed them without exception.

There had never been any choice.

“Ghk... Urgh!”

As the pain in his arm worsened, Rekem Ging finally leaned against a nearby tree.

After taking a few rough breaths, he slowly removed the sleeve of both his military uniform and shirt from his left arm.

“...Goddammit.”

His fingertips had already rotted black.

The purple discoloration had spread past his elbow and nearly reached his shoulder.

Not even injured by a knight... but ending up like this because of some native poisonous insect...

Wasn't it absurd?

His luck had been unbelievably terrible.

After losing every member of his company and exhausting every last drop of Psionic Energy just to escape the Imperial troops...

Who could have expected him to encounter a gigantic native venomous insect?

Killing the wolf-sized creature hadn't been difficult.

But once it bit him, the necrosis spreading through his arm was beyond what his depleted Psionic Energy could stop.

...So this is the end.

He instinctively sensed death.

Perhaps trying to avoid it had been foolish from the beginning.

His overgrown beard and hair, left untrimmed for weeks, itched terribly.

With a face full of regrets, he lit the final cigarette he had saved until the very end.

It was a desperate little act.

A pitiful hope that even if Imperial soldiers found the smoke...

Perhaps they'd at least recover his dog tags.

Goddamn Composite State.

He had never possessed much patriotism to begin with.

Now even the last trace of attachment had disappeared.

Watching the smoke from the half-burned cigarette blur before his eyes...

He slowly closed them.

“Staff Sergeant!”

Yes.

He had closed his eyes and accepted death.

Until a frivolous voice brushed past his ears.

“Hey, the Major's about to croak over here.”

“......”

Opening his eyes slightly, he saw a playful red-haired sergeant calmly lighting a cigarette.

The young black-haired staff sergeant beside him remained silent.

“...Survivors?”

He looked at the pair with confusion rather than joy.

Both wore black uniforms, so they were undoubtedly superhumans.

But while black uniforms for NCOs were one thing...

He had never heard of enlisted soldiers wearing them.

Furthermore, both their unit insignia were unfamiliar, and even their nameplates were blank, as though they had never been attached in the first place.

Black Hunting Dogs?

His questions didn't last long.

Rather...

There simply wasn't time.

Moving his numb tongue through the pain, he urgently spoke.

“...Run. I... Ghk! Morphine...”

The Imperial Army might already have spotted the cigarette smoke.

If a pursuit force arrived, it was over.

They were deliberately hunting Composite State soldiers with Quad Gear Knights leading the chase.

Because of his own final selfish act...

He didn't want to watch two young men barely older than his little brother die.

Thud.

Apparently understanding him...

“'Run away. Just leave me some morphine,' he says, Staff Sergeant.”

The red-haired sergeant casually flicked ash from his half-finished cigarette onto the dirt while speaking to the black-haired staff sergeant.

Rekem Ging nodded.

“What'll we do?”

The black-haired staff sergeant answered.

“Why did we come down here?”

“To take the heads of Four-Star Knights.”

Drawing the greatsword from his thigh and gripping it in reverse, he looked toward the flash rapidly approaching in the distance.

Shing.

He pressed his thumb against the tip of the reverse-gripped blade.

Dense black Psionic Energy flowed from it.

His eyes resembled those of a wolf staring at prey.

“One week.”

At that exact moment, an Imperial knight with silver armor cut down a massive tree in an instant as she charged forward, her blue hair and long ears streaming behind her while roaring in fury.

“...Nand!”

Perhaps because she had briefly surpassed the speed of sound.

Her furious voice made cold sweat run down Rekem Ging's face as he struggled against death.

The instant he saw her...

He instinctively shut his eyes.

Four-Star Knight... Elf Valehi.

A powerhouse equivalent to a Quad Gear user who had once single-handedly wiped out an entire battalion.

Even as a Triple Gear officer himself, fleeing was the best he could do against her overwhelming strength.

Her path proved it.

The entire forest had been devastated as though heavy machinery had plowed straight through it.

Could a sergeant and a staff sergeant who had barely reached adulthood possibly stop someone like her?

Crunch.

Rekem Ging forced together every last trace of Psionic Energy remaining inside him and struggled to rise.

He might have lost his patriotism as a soldier.

But as a decent human being...

He still possessed enough conscience and responsibility to help them escape.

However, the moment he turned with that determination—

“Oh. Major, I'll give you credit for your guts.”

The red-haired sergeant was suddenly standing behind him, speaking cheerfully as though in an excellent mood.

“But you don't need to worry.”

“...What?”

“The thing is... our Staff Sergeant...”

His gaze shifted toward the black-haired, expressionless staff sergeant confronting Valehi with his greatsword.

Before he even had time to understand the sergeant's words...

Rekem Ging shut his eyes tightly, convinced death had arrived.

「National Army Swordsmanship - Modified Style」

Then—

「Jin Crow Style」

Alongside a brilliant flash...

An unbelievable sight unfolded before his eyes.

Slash.

The greatsword severed her arm.

Thrust.

Jin Crow leaped into the air before she could even process what had happened.

He released the greatsword midair, drew a pistol from inside his coat, aimed at the back of her head, and pulled the trigger.

BOOM!

Her skull caved in with an explosive blast.

Staggering from the impact, she immediately gathered mana and attempted to cut him down.

But his next words made her realize she had already fallen into his trap.

「Knight Beheading」

Turning her head, Valehi saw only the pitch-black longsword in the hands of the expressionless man.

The descending sunlight overlapped with the blade's shadow, flooding her vision with light for a fleeting instant.

It was the last thing she ever saw.

Slash. Thud.

The black blade severed her neck without the slightest resistance.

Her head, still wearing an expression of utter disbelief, rolled across the dirt before coming to rest against Rekem Ging's boot.

Immediately afterward—

KWWWWWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAANG!!

The very space traced by the sword distorted.

Then everything for hundreds of meters was utterly devastated...

Split cleanly in two.

“...Th-That's insane.”

The exchange had lasted only an instant.

But as a Special-duty Officer himself, he understood better than anyone how utterly impossible that battle had been.

The 0.01-second opening that completely restricted her movements.

Without a moment's hesitation...

He had taken her head.

And that wasn't all.

The attack's range had encompassed hundreds of meters.

Had he been caught within it...

He too would have been sliced clean in half.

“...Ah... Ahh.”

“Huh? He broke. Hey, Major?”

The red-haired sergeant waved a hand playfully in front of him.

Yet Rekem Ging couldn't respond.

His mind had gone completely blank.

Was it because the pain had grown worse?

Or because he instinctively realized what kind of unit these two men belonged to?

Anti-Knight Special Forces.

There had once been rumors.

That the Composite State had secretly raised an Anti-Knight Special Forces unit.

That a single battalion from that unit could slaughter an entire corps.

He had dismissed it as nonsense.

Every military unit already possessed Special-duty Officers.

Why would anyone establish such a force?

Even if it existed, he had assumed the stories were greatly exaggerated.

But the moment he saw the black-haired man before him...

Rekem Ging realized the rumors had been wrong.

Monster.

The rumors had vastly underestimated them.

If something capable of killing a Four-Star Knight in under ten seconds wasn't called a monster...

What else could it possibly be called?

As he watched the man with awe...

The black-haired staff sergeant...

Jin Crow...

Walked over and briefly examined his purple, necrotic arm before speaking.

“This is going to hurt.”

“...Huh?”

Slash. Thud.

“Huh?”

The black blade descended casually.

The necrotic left arm, whose decay had already spread to the shoulder, fell indifferently onto the ground.

Drip.

Blood flowed down his uniform.

Only then did the pain arrive.

The major opened his mouth.

Unable even to scream, he convulsed before losing consciousness.

The conversation that followed was utterly absurd.

“Hey, the end's still not cleanly cut. Should I trim off a little more?”

“Please.”

“Huh? He passed out. Still, you should've warned him before cutting. You never know. Maybe his bucket list was to die from necrosis while stranded.”

“...If he doesn't like it, he can come find me and throw a punch someday. Stop the bleeding and bring him.”

“Fair enough. Damn, he's heavy.”

And at that moment...

Rekem Ging made himself a promise.

Not only to remember the name Jin Crow, the man who had saved his life—

One day...

I'll throw that punch.

It was a small complaint reserved for the benefactor to whom he would remain indebted for the rest of his life.

After hearing the entire story...

It truly felt as though Major General Rekem Ging's scar-covered muscular body, his missing left arm...

And even his lost eye had all become visible once again.

“Well, I figured you might not remember. I've changed a lot too, and it's been a long time.”

“......”

Jin Crow contemplated for a moment.

Then he brushed back his black hair, looking down at the muscular middle-aged man with eyes shadowed by heavy dark circles.

Lightly tapping the man's neck with the tip of his sword, he asked,

“...Is that everything you wanted to say before you die?”

“...Would you step aside?”

Without removing his foot from the solar plexus of Ju Planet's Vice Governor-General, Major General Rekem Ging, whom he had pinned beneath his boot, Jin Crow answered in a flat voice devoid of emotion.

“I refuse.”