Kanata is told by Marika that he won’t be taken on the operation and he persists, unable to accept it.
“You’re not coming on this operation,” Marika declared to Kanata.
“Wait! I may be new, but I’m a member of the first squad! Give me a convincing explanation!”
“Are you saying Kanata can’t follow my orders?”
“If Marika-san told me to die for you, I’d gladly die! But that’s not how you usually talk, Marika-san!”
Marika looked at the lit cigarette with a sheepish expression and dropped it into a portable ashtray. She then shook her head as if to say, “Oh, this is trouble.”
“You’re right, I was being unfair. I’ll explain why I can’t take you, step by step. First, you’ve only been at the Rose Garden for four days. You haven’t even done joint training with the others. You can admit that, right?”
“…Yes, teamwork is important in military tactics. But I’ll undergo intense special training and learn it before the operation!”
“That’s impossible. We sortie tomorrow at 18:00. There’s no time left.”
“An operation this sudden, is that even allowed?”
“For other units, perhaps. But for the Asura Unit, it’s business as usual. There are other reasons too. You’re not the only one being left out this time. Due to the nature of the operation, we can’t take everyone. There’s also the issue of Mai Shiranui’s cargo space. That’s why it’s best for a rookie like Kanata to do joint training with those staying behind. It’s perfectly logical, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Your reasoning is flawless and perfectly logical.”
“If you’re convinced, it’s time for you to rest, young man. Or would you like to go for a drink with me?”
Going for a drink with Marika-san would be a wonderful, beautiful time, but… I wasn’t convinced.
“Marika-san, there’s still a reason you haven’t told me, isn’t there?”
“…Why do you think so?”
“Marika-san, you’re not going around to every room of the members staying behind to tell them they’re staying, are you? Why did you call only me to your room? Also, you know I don’t smoke, yet you lit a cigarette without a word to me. You, who always smokes only in the designated smoking area. And you extinguished it immediately after noticing. Even though I might seem like anything, I know you’re someone who can show great consideration, no matter how short our acquaintance. That’s why something feels off. Something is not right. I can’t help but suspect you’re hiding something.”
“…Kanata, may I smoke?”
“Please do. Leave the butts behind. I’ll dispose of them later.”
“You’re not planning anything foolish, are you?”
A little indirect kiss is fine, isn’t it?
“There’s still something else, isn’t there? Did you call me specifically to convince yourself? By seeing my unreliable face directly, you convinced yourself that it’s for my own good to leave me behind. Isn’t that right?”
Marika, with a cigarette in her mouth, looked at me with an expression that was a mixture of admiration and disappointment, hard to describe.
“I said I dislike clueless idiots during the entrance exam, but someone who thinks and schemes this much is another matter entirely. It irks me, but that’s pretty much it. Perhaps I wanted to convince myself… Do you really want to know?”
“Yes, I do.”
“This operation is a snatch-and-grab.”
“You mean kidnapping?”
“For the Asura Unit, a snatch-and-grab is considered a rescue mission.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“There’s a ‘plus alpha’ attached to the rescue mission, but that ‘plus alpha’ is not the issue here. The problem is that the location is a Mechanist Army’s biological weapon laboratory.”
Biological weapon laboratory. That’s a disturbing phrase. And a rescue mission… Could it be?
“That’s right. The operation is to rescue people plus some others, who are being used as guinea pigs in a biological weapon laboratory.”
“Since they’re being used for human experimentation… we have no idea what state they’re in.”
“Yes, in the worst-case scenario, they might have been transformed into something that can no longer be called human.”
“I see. It’s a harsh situation for a new recruit. That’s why you intended to have me stay behind.”
“…There’s more.”
Are there any more terrible elements?
A somber light flickered in Marika’s Scarlet Eye.
“All the guinea pigs are ten-year-old children.”
I thought I understood that this world was cruel. But I was still naive. Using humans as guinea pigs in a biological weapon laboratory… Even that is the work of devils. And on top of that… all ten-year-old children! Even devils wouldn’t go that far! How can someone become so inhuman?
I can’t back down now that I’ve heard this. It’s not that I’m a philanthropist. The Alliance Army I belong to also creates clone soldiers like me. Morally, we’re on the same level. I am a clone soldier. I didn’t become one by choice, but I am a clone soldier nonetheless. Therefore, precisely because of that, I cannot run away from this mission. This is something I must do. A dark emotion spreads within me. It won’t stop, and I have no intention of stopping it.
“Vengeance is mine.”
Those who trample on the souls and dignity of humans will be sent to hell without mercy by me, a clone soldier born from that result! If I had control of the attack satellite network, I would have incinerated the inhuman bastards of the Mechanist Army and the Alliance Army with the fire of Megiddo without hesitation.
“Marika-san, I will go. Please, let me participate in the operation.”
“If you’re participating out of a noble desire to save children, you’ll be a nuisance and a hindrance.”
“No. That’s not to say I don’t feel that way. But I have a reason to participate in this operation. It’s a personal reason, one that I absolutely cannot compromise on.”
I looked directly into Marika’s mismatched eyes. I didn’t avert my gaze. Marika didn’t avert her gaze from mine either. I wouldn’t back down. Not even against Marika. Silence filled Room 666. Marika broke the silence. She closed her eyes, crossed her arms, and spoke.
“…The people we’re taking on this operation are subordinates with high Nenshin Strength, good infiltration capabilities, the ability to use their legs, and strong mental fortitude. I judged Kanata should be left behind based on the last criterion, but now you meet the conditions. I am in a position where I must tell my subordinates they might have to die. Therefore, I want to be fair to my subordinates. Leaving you out would go against my principles.”
“You’re taking me with you?”
“One last question, Kanata. Have you ever killed anyone?”
The image of Unit 10, whose eyes lost their light, flashed through my mind.
“Yes,” I replied.
“Hoh, that’s unexpected. Considering that, let me ask again. Not just on this operation, but as my subordinate, you will have to kill enemies. Among them will be good parents, good brothers, good friends, people with a right to live, unlike us thugs… Will you still be able to kill them?”
I don’t have the luxury of choosing to be discharged because I don’t want to kill. As Marika said, there will be people with a right to live, those fighting because they were conscripted. But I have my own reasons for needing to kill. If I end up in hell, I’ll worry about it when I get there.
“I will kill. I will show no mercy to those who stand before me with the will to fight.”
Marika uncrossed her arms, opened her eyes, and nodded slowly. Then she gave me my first order.
“Kanata, from now on, you may struggle in the mud of the battlefield. But you are not alone. The Asura Unit’s First Squad, Crystal Widow, is always with you. Under my command, strike down the inhuman brutes of the Mechanist Army!”
“Yes, Mom!”
This is how I would participate in my first real battle.
I noticed the access analytics yesterday and decided to check them. The growth had been exponential since July 7th, and yesterday, PVs reached nearly 20,000. I wonder what happened on July 7th? I don’t know what level this is, but to everyone who is reading this, thank you so much. I am truly grateful.
