Chapter 29 – Partner Swapping
The living must continue to live. So, even on the day after the farewell ceremony for the dead unit members, Unit 393 had to work diligently as ever.
“Damn it. After checking, Netoru was right.”
So around lunchtime. After returning to the unit, Asuna, the maintenance team leader, entered the office with a serious face.
In addition to repairing the observation tower, Asuna and her troops were on their way from early morning to check the ‘tunnel’ that Netoru had reported in the report.
She is Asuna, who is in charge of maintaining the holy cavalry in the unit, but she is also a magician. So she could trust her report.
“The basement under the observation tower is not naturally formed, no matter how you look at it. It’s a tunnel artificially created by something big.”
“… Then.”
Rien’s face slowly hardened, and she narrowed her brows. Asuna avoided Rien’s gaze and clicked her tongue.
“What are you talking about? It means that a large unknown bug is hiding under the ground, avoiding your observation.”
“… “
At Asuna’s confident answer, Rien closed her eyes tightly and dried her face. I hoped she wasn’t, but the reality is this awful.
When Netoru returned to the unit and posted the report, I couldn’t believe it… Was he also right?
Right now, there is an ‘unidentified’ bug in Area 39. Even just watching the last battle underground, a huge monster.
Asuna chewed on her lips for a while and was lost in her thoughts.
“Leen. Could it be that guy?”
“… Probably.”
“Under… Fuck. I don’t know if it’s the same guy from Area 47 or a different entity, but we screwed up anyway.”
Out of Asuna’s mouth, her characteristic savage tone leaked out. I’ve been wanting to be a bit calmer lately, but that’s probably because things aren’t looking good.
Still, this is pretty much better. When Asuna first came to Unit 393, she always cursed at her mouth.
What kind of crap is this place…
‘… I couldn’t believe that monster existed in our district.’
Should I say that this is fortunate? It wasn’t that I couldn’t figure out what the bug was in the basement. Didn’t an unpleasant war report come in the other day?
A super-giant bug observed in Area 47.
Commonly known as “Death worm”
According to the war situation report, it was said that he was wandering around the ground. So, it’s no wonder that when Asuna sees a large underground passage, she thinks of that monster.
Anyway, the important thing now.
Even if you knew its existence, you could not observe it unless you were on the ground. It was impossible for even a wizard to track down what roamed the ground.
It is a deadly existence because it cannot be observed. No matter when I am attacked, I cannot respond. It was a monster with a very different attribute from the bugs he had dealt with so far.
‘Is this why I told you to save tactical magic bullets…’
That day, Netoru, who claimed to be the bait, told him to save his tactical magic bullets. Perhaps he was expecting the same situation. It was a smart choice.
“… Lien. If nothing else, this is not something we can afford.”
Asuna let out a low voice and pounded Rien’s desk. Lien lifted her head helplessly. It was her tired face.
“As you know, the reason the nobles withdrew from Area 47 is because of this guy. “
“Yes…”
“How can we stop him if he attacks the unit with such stupid words? Anyway, because of this battle, there was a huge gap in the unit’s strength. There are six children being transported to the hospital right now.”
“… “
Power gap… An unknown monster that cannot be observed.
Even if the unit is intact, as Asuna said, if a death worm suddenly attacks the base one day, it cannot be stopped.
You probably won’t be able to resist and will be helpless. It was because of these circumstances that the holy cavalry units withdrew from Area 47.
A surprise attack by an unobservable bug is more lethal than any attack. Humans are powerless if they cannot ride the sexual cavalry. So, if he attacked before riding the genital disease, he had no choice but to be one-sided.
‘… Ha.’
Rien grabbed her forehead. Could his father have felt this way? As if the world had abandoned him, everything is the worst. Feeling trapped in a dark space where no one reaches out.
Huge bug… Was it about a fortnight ago?
When I found out about the war situation report, it didn’t touch my heart much because it was a story that wasn’t realistic. Besides, the area was far away.
But when you face it in reality.
Lien just wanted to cry.
But I can’t be this frustrated.
“First of all, how to solve the power gap…”
Injuries are also a problem, but the biggest problem is that there are many pilots whose coupling is broken due to the injury of their partner.
Even the six pilots who were transported to the hospital this time were wearing different couplings.
Thanks to this, a total of six teams lost their respective coupling partners, so six holy cavalry units were practically incapacitated.
Somehow I have to deal with this first. Rien, who was struggling to keep his expression on his face, corrected his mind and prepared to summon his troops. Whether it’s a death worm or whatever, it was necessary to calmly organize the unit.
2.
I saw the return of the troops who had sortied out early in the morning. He probably went to check the underground space under the observation tower that he posted in the report.
Could she have figured out something?
It was a very disturbing underground space. It is my honest feeling that I want to go and investigate myself, but
As well as overheating, Karen was unable to fight for the time being due to the aftereffects of her forcibly activated magical nervous system. No matter how much Netoru helps her recover, she needs to rest for a few days. Rather, it was fortunate that it ended just like this.
‘Is it a crisis situation?’
When I think of the situation in the unit, I can only laugh for some reason.
Karen and Netoru were not the only ones waiting in the unit. There were quite a few pilots who suffered major and minor injuries in this battle.
In other words, combat losses due to injuries are rampant in the unit, except for those who died.
It is a battle of shells and bullets. I don’t know if it’s okay until the bullets, but the moment the shells are stuck in a part of the body of the holy cavalry, the pilot inside it is bound to have a big shock.
In addition, intense battles over a long period of time were also a serious problem. Even with a rough calculation, in this battle, the 393rd unit members had practically continued to fight the bugs all day long.
When I went to check the status of the observation tower, the bugs that came in and once,
Bugs that came in at night and once,
And once in the battle that Karen and Netoru participated in when morning came.
There has been a battle every day lately. In the midst of the accumulated fatigue over such a long period of time, this battle is bound to be a fatal blow to the troops.
In that respect, in fact, rather than the reaction caused by excessive output in a short period of time like the overheat that Karen is currently experiencing, damage to the magical nervous system caused by continued holy cavalry maneuvers was the most terrifying injury.
In fact, is it because there are pilots who have serious problems with their magic nerve systems, regardless of gender, in this battle? Around noon, a boarding vehicle arrived to transport the wounded into the unit.
Damage to the magical nervous system is not easily recovered, so it is better to recuperate at a hospital in the city… That must be Rien’s judgment.
If Netoru hadn’t been there, Karen would have been among them too.
It was when the unit members gathered in one place and watched those being transported.
“… Are we going to lose another 6 people with this?”
Karen, who was next to Netoru, muttered quietly.
Then, as if she suddenly realized something, Karen slowly moved her gaze and looked at Netoru.
The emotions tangled in her dark eyes were honest. Thanks to that, Netoru didn’t have a hard time understanding what Karen was trying to say.
“Netoru, just in case…”
“Karen, do you think that will work?”
“Yes? I haven’t even told you yet?
“It’s obvious what you’re saying. Didn’t you mean to ask if the ‘treatment’ you’re doing now can be done to other members of the unit?”
Karen winced and nodded her head at Toru’s words, which saw through her thoughts sharply.
“Ugh… That’s right… Is it not okay?”
Seeing Karen’s behavior as she looked at her, Tohru Ne let out a low sigh. She must have decided to think that this guy was really a ‘cure’. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to say such a thing casually.
No wonder.
“Karen. Let me tell you that it is impossible.”
“… Are you really not? It’s just kissing each other. Is that difficult?”
It’s not sarcasm. Netoru laughed at Karen’s innocent question. Apparently, this young lady was looking at ‘treatment’ quite simply.
“Do you really think it’s just a simple kiss?”
“Now, wait a minute… !?”
Netoru pulled Karen by the waist. There is no resistance. She was naturally embraced as if she had become accustomed to the same behavior before she knew it. But Karen, belatedly coming to her senses and pushing her body away, probably worried about the troops around her.
“Hey, are you crazy? What are you doing here!”
“Don’t worry. Because no one has seen it.”
“Again, such a shameless sound… !”
It still seems burdensome to perform treatment in front of other unit members. Seeing Karen blush and a puzzled look on her face, Tohru Ne shrugged her shoulders.
“Anyway, you don’t know, but it’s not as easy as I thought to interfere with a person’s magical nervous system. It is quite tiring.”
“… So you’re saying you have limits too?”
“That’s it.”
“… “
Karen stared straight into Netoru’s face. She was the kind of eye that would tell if she was lying or telling the truth. However, Karen sighed as if she hadn’t had any results.
That time, when the wounded pilots were being transported, it felt like the inside of the unit was getting colder.
Lien mustered her men.
In order to match the male and female pilots who lost their partners for a while in this battle,
It was to propose partner swapping.
