Chapter 40

- Yaan! Are you okay!?

- This crazy arm...!

Though curses spilled from the mouths of knights in every corner, Tauros did not spare them a glance.

It only aimed the particle cannon on its tail at Glaepnir and Yaan, who gave no answer.

[Synchronization lock released. Nanomachines maximum activation.]

With Nill's voice, veins bulged across Yaan's entire body beneath the uniform.

The feeling of every single cell in his blood losing control and rampaging. A spine-chilling sensation as if his whole body would burst apart.

"Yaan. I told you earlier, but if we push it any further, your body will..."

"Still better than dying right away, right?"

Clenching his teeth, Yaan steadied his trembling body as he spoke.

[Disqualified sentience. We will hear your answer.]

"You even gave me a nickname in the meantime?"

[Defect detected in the subject AI's humor module. Urgent deletion or disposal required.]

Nill, too, seemed annoyed by Tauros, which occupied the colossal Frame, and mocked the AI that called his master a disqualified sentience.

"You heard it? It told you to screw off."

Tauros's AI, which had remained silent for a moment as if lost for words at Nill's reply.

[Your and the pilot's logic circuits are in serious contradiction. Per Human Federation protocols, you are to be erased.]

After that declaration, Tauros fired its sub-particle cannon at Glaepnir as if it had nothing more to say.

Kuaaaa-!

- Lieutenant Yaan!

- Damn it! It's a direct hit!

Along with the knights' curses, artillery fire followed in an attempt to divert Tauros's attention even slightly.

The soldiers who had come to their senses also resumed firing, and countless shells rained down on Tauros's position.

[Interceptor system, first-stage recovery complete. Interception commencing.]

But with a single word from Tauros, countless beams of light burst from its back.

Those light beams, having intercepted dozens of projectiles, melted the armor-piercing tips, warped their trajectories, detonated high-explosive rounds mid-air, and emerged from the crater without a scratch.

"It's coming up!"

- At this rate we have to block it with our bodies! Rorang! Shard!

- Understood!

- This is do-or-die!

The moment the two knights, following Cain's order, were about to charge Tauros alongside Cain-

- Wait! Something's in the smoke!

At Walter's shout, the knights looked toward where Glaepnir had been.

"Lieutenant Yaan, how...?"

Cain, watching from inside the colossus, muttered in disbelief.

What appeared before their eyes was Glaepnir-an alien-looking Glaepnir with all its armor plates flung wide open.

- Smoke's seeping from the armor gaps...

Smoke wafted from the wide-open seams of the armor. Enveloped in smoke pouring from its entire body, Glaepnir exuded a grotesque atmosphere impossible to associate with a machine-made colossus.

[Pilot status check. Respond.]

"Yeah. Still in one piece."

Yaan's faint voice, on the verge of fading, answered Nill's call. One eye, half-destroyed, had failed to endure the nanomachine overload; the transparent fluid inside the lens mixed with blood as it crumbled completely.

"Any limbs out of commission?"

"Just one eye gone. Never coming back."

"Could be worse. Honestly didn't want to end up half-paralyzed."

Even as they exchanged those words, Yaan took in the world unfolding before his eyes.

"So this is the world you saw, Nill."

A field of vision so vivid it felt as if he were seeing with his own eyes, not through a monitor.

As he moved his pupil, Glaepnir's body reacted instantly; Yaan looked at Tauros standing before him.

[Query. Probability of this Frame evading the recent barrage approaches zero. Nevertheless...]

"Zero my ass. We dodged it, that's all."

With those words, Glaepnir hurled itself straight at Tauros.

This was no time to discuss reaction speed or instantaneous Frame performance.

With senses amplified dozens of times, the body moved as will directed. Feeling Glaepnir's limbs move even more freely than his original body, Yaan rushed at Tauros's frame and swung the greatsword.

Kaang-!

What shattered in a single strike was not only the greatsword Glaepnir held.

The tremendous blow, too powerful even for the special-steel greatsword to deflect, sent Tauros's massive frame reeling as it gouged out a chunk of armor plate.

- Emergency, emergency, urgent interceptor system activation. Target: disqualified sentience operating unauthorized system ahead.

Having announced that, Tauros blazed with light-the same light that had just deflected every incoming shell.

Phass!

It was useless.

The beams that touched the smoke pouring from Glaepnir's armor seams scattered like dye dropped in water.

- The Creator's light has no effect!

Leaving the knights dumbstruck at the sight, Glaepnir kept charging.

Thud! Crash!

Knocking aside, grabbing, and twisting the excavators and mechanical arms Tauros swung down to stop it, Glaepnir pressed forward.

At last, unable to endure, Tauros staggered backward, trying to retreat.

Crumble! Crumble!

But only for a moment.

Already ravaged by excessive movement, the ground gave way again; mounds of earth began collapsing onto the struggling Tauros.

- Warning, warning, combat withdrawal required. This Frame's countermeasures...

"Too late, bastard."

Thump!

The instant Tauros, belatedly grasping the situation, strained to escape the pit, Glaepnir's declaration of victory reached Tauros's AI from atop its back.

[Sub-particle cannon emergency startup. Firing in... 2... 1...!]

"Give it up and get lost."

Booom-!

Glaepnir's Rail Cannon pierced the muzzle of the sub-particle cannon pushed to critical limits.

[All long-range armament destroyed. Joints 60% damaged. Armor loss rate 42%... Combat power evaluation: this Frame's win rate has dropped to 12%. Combat ineffective...]

Crunch!

While the mindless Rael operated Tauros, Glaepnir's hand mercilessly tore into the spot the Rail Cannon had penetrated.

Screeech...!

Glaepnir knelt on one knee and ripped away armor plating with its tattered left arm.

The left arm sparked from overload, yet it still did its job-so far.

[Life sign confirmed.]

"...Yeah. I see it too."

Beneath the torn armor plating lay the cockpit.

Finding Rael's body entangled in all sorts of mechanical devices, Yaan clicked his tongue at the miserable sight.

"Ahh... auugh..."

Impaled by hundreds of needles, limbs severed, suspended in the machinery, he looked neither the sinister double agent who had driven him into a trap, nor the ambitious founder of a nation, nor the mad scientist who had used countless children.

Just meat used by an Ancient relic.

A half-breed twisted from the premise.

"Still got one shot left."

Crunch!

Glaepnir rammed the Rail Cannon's barrel into the cockpit that held Rael's dangling body.

'Big brother!'

Was the girl's voice that flashed by an illusion, or just a handful of guilt?

Thinking that, Yaan pulled the trigger on the half-elf before him. And-

Booom-!

A roar. A flash. That was the end.

Tauros, slumped as if drained of strength, became a body that could never rise again.

[Pilot termination confirmed. Enemy AI core unit destroyed. Enemy Frame, no response.]

Psssshhh-!

As the opened armor seam vented black smoke, heat-laden steam billowed out.

Soon, like piecing together a puzzle, Glaepnir regained its original form.

The events at the frontline base over nearly a month ended like that, leaving neither aftertaste nor emotion behind.

***

"Sun's down! Light the lanterns!"

"We're fine here! The elves are providing mana light!"

One week after the fighting ended.

The villages that had conspired with Rael to stage a rebellion surrendered to the Greyhounds who entered afterward, handing over their weapons and frames.

The will of those who resisted seemed to melt like snow the instant they saw the Greyhounds' ice-cold eyes and the Frame that had slain Tauros-Glaepnir-looming behind them.

"Commander, a message from Colonel Walter!"

At Dandel's call, Yaan turned and took the note.

'Final colossus frame secured. Lieutenant Yaan and Second Lieutenant Dandel will report to the frontline base.'

"What does it say?"

"They want you and me at HQ-did our guys cause trouble?"

"Sir!?"

At Yaan's sudden remark the other squad members' faces went pale.

But the moment they saw Dandel's expression they looked ten years chastened and returned to their posts.

"Ah, there's more: it's not for trouble, it's a reward for the last battle."

"We ate and drank for three days straight and they're giving us more?"

"It was an ancient weapon. And you almost soloed it."

Dandel's gaze, saying so, landed on Yaan's face.

Looking at Yaan's complicated expression, Dandel sighed and patted his shoulder.

"Losing an eye in battle's no big deal."

"Still, are you sure nothing else is wrong?"

"Nope. The maintenance squad leader certified it."

Dandel had no idea why the maintenance squad leader's certification mattered for the commander's health, but he let it go.

"Still, thanks to you, we're almost wrapped up."

"Not at all. It was my job. Had to finish it fast."

Dandel's role in managing the Elf village after the standoff was huge.

Once Dandel, now fluent in speaking with elves after negotiating with those holed up in the base, took the lead, exchanges between the other Elf villages and the frontline base soared.

Now the Elf villages were trading their colossus frames not by requisition but by purchase, swapping them for Imperial supplies.

'I could never do that.'

Compared with Yaan's way-marching the Greyhounds in and crushing them by force-Dandel's method benefited both the Elf villages and the Imperial Army.

"With this we've solved the food shortages for now, and Alfraia's area of operations has shrunk."

"They lost their main base and the locals turned against them-only natural."

Tch!

Ren gave a brief evaluation while watching the busy villagers, and Yaan answered, lighting a cigarette.

Poo-

Smoke drifted out. Soon the procession heading for the ruins where Rael had once been shot lit mana lamps that embroidered the village like a galaxy.

"Wow~ what's that?"

"A memorial rite. They're honoring those sacrificed to Rael."

Frowning, Yaan looked at the cigarette he had been smoking.

After a moment he flicked the still-burning cigarette to the ground, crushed it, and clicked his tongue.

"Cigarettes taste awful now."

Meanwhile, from every corner of the procession toward the ruins, symbols of the Creator rose up.

"From the deep pit I cry unto You, Creator-hear my voice, heed these words!"

"There is mercy, and there is bondage-!"

"There is mercy, and there is bondage-!"

"If the Creator counts our sins, who can bear them?"

"There is mercy, and there is bondage-!"

"There is mercy, and there is bondage-!"

Watching the villagers spreading from the shrine to every ruin, Yaan turned and boarded Glaepnir.

[Good morning, pilot.]

"Never says that in daylight, does it."

Hooking into the Frame, Yaan answered Nill's joke and headed for the village where Rana had lived.

"We have a visitor."

"A guest has come."

One of Glaepnir's arms was ragged, yet the elves' attitude toward it had not changed.

Or perhaps it had-some elves who had watched from afar as Tauros was smashed knelt and bowed their heads.

Yaan dismounted and walked to the ruins on the village edge.

The path from the village edge to the shrine through the ruins was lined with the lingering mana lights of the memorial rite.

Shaaah-

Wind through the conifers whirled the last autumn leaves to greet the visitor.

Autumn had ended and winter wind now blew through the forest.

Brightly colored cloths fluttered in the wind, mingling with the mana light to create an indescribably dreamlike atmosphere.

"...."

A path as vividly colored as the spotless, lively child's rainbow clothes.

Walking slowly alone, Yaan reached the ruined structure at the end.

The facility that had been permanently sealed after dragging Rana's body inside.

The ruined shrine, adorned with golden cords and flowers, was filled with blossoms as though the child had played there and left.

Slide-

He drew a red cloth from his pocket.

The bandage he had wrapped around the bleeding child.

Stained dark by dried blood, he laid the cloth across the golden cord.

Shaaah-!

Wind lifted the flowers on Rana's grave toward the sky.

At the same time, lanterns bearing the names of the dead children rose from the forest.

"Whew...."

Yaan quietly watched the brilliant flowers rise. Among them, one lantern flew alone.

The lantern bearing the name of Rana, scorned and persecuted. Following it with his eyes, he saw her grandmother waving from afar.

"...Right. Even for a shaman, her clothes were always so clean."

In a household scraping by on military rations, the rainbow clothes she always wore must have been the grandmother's own guilt over making her granddaughter a shaman.

The flowers and Rana's lantern rose together, soaring high.

From Rana's grave, from the nameless hill, Yaan and the old woman watched until the lantern vanished, then turned away.

Rana's lantern, having received the flowers' farewell, merged with the others and was gone.

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