Observation Tower 1
How much time had passed? The bugs were surely still coming. Amid that mounting anxiety, Netoru felt the blood draining from his entire body. The sensation of what made up his insides slowly leaking out was anything but pleasant.
Damn.
His vision was blurring. He'd probably lost a fair bit of blood. Had those rocks smashing into the back of his head during the fall been the problem after all? Still, this was tolerable enough. The body he'd rigorously trained over the past few years had long surpassed ordinary human limits. This wouldn't kill him. No, he wouldn't die from this.
Repeating that to himself, Netoru stared at Karen. A flicker of doubt rose in those desolate eyes of his.
...Why the hell is this girl suddenly crying?
Karen's eyes were red-rimmed. Tear tracks stood out starkly on her dirt-smeared cheeks. It couldn't be just because he'd groped her chest a bit. Was she scared of the situation?
"Karen, you okay?"
"……"
Karen said nothing. She just gnawed at her lip in bewilderment, staring back at him. At a glance, her eyes might seem stoic, but in that moment, Netoru saw a whirlwind of emotions swirling in those black depths. How to describe that expression? It was like she'd witnessed something unbelievable, mingled with indescribable shock and a faint, wistful poignancy—all coexisting in perfect balance. No simple label would do.
So why the hell was she making that face? He was curious.
...At least she's safe. That's what matters.
He had no idea what was going through her head, but Karen looked unharmed. And more importantly, this wasn't the absolute worst-case scenario.
—Netoru hyung! Karen noona!
—Wh-what the hell? Why did the ground just—!? What do we do!?
—Shut up and clear the dirt first! Hurry!
The noisy voices were as lively as ever. But right now, they were a welcome sound. Hearing the squad members from above the dirt pile, Netoru felt a small wave of relief. Looked like he wasn't fated to die here after all.
When the ground had suddenly caved in, even Netoru had felt his life hanging by a thread.
...Why the hell is there an underground space right below us?
As the squad cleared the dirt pile with their Holy Knights, Netoru calmly pieced together the situation. The ground had collapsed out of nowhere? That meant there'd been an empty void beneath just as big. So what the hell was this space?
A rough guess gave him the answer.
Something massive had burrowed a tunnel underground. And what could have dug that tunnel? The answer was obvious. In this world, only bugs pulled off unidentified freakish stunts like that.
The problem was, this type was a first.
Dangerous.
Netoru twisted his lips. He didn't know when it had started, but whenever he sensed real danger, a laugh bubbled up.
That was when it happened.
"……You."
Suddenly, Netoru felt a warm touch stroking his cheek. He froze in surprise—it was Karen's hand. Her fingers trembled faintly, as if gripped by fear, gently wiping the blood trickling along his jawline.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"B-but the blood…."
Watching her flustered, Netoru couldn't help but smirk. In a good way, it was a pure smile. She was usually so bold for her age, but now she looked just like a shy high school girl. It was downright cute.
"It's just a little blood. Don't worry about it."
"You sure you're really okay…? You always say not to worry."
Her voice wavered, emotions still unsteadied. Compared to her usual snappish tone, it wasn't half bad. Maybe there was some reward for throwing himself over her like that. Though honestly, it hadn't been purely selfless.
With bugs right in their faces, losing his coupling partner Karen would be a disaster. And yeah, there were a few sleazy motives too. He'd had his eye on that body. Too much of a waste to let her die here.
"Netoru…. Thanks."
After a moment of silence, Karen murmured softly. Her voice was awkward, lacking its usual bite—weak, almost. From an observer's view, it wasn't unpleasant, but without that sharp edge, it felt oddly boring.
A mischievous impulse crept up. When else would he get a chance like this?
"Karen. What're you thanking me for?"
"W-well…."
For a split second, the light orb she'd conjured flickered weakly—or was that his imagination? She fumbled for words, lips working silently, then finally averted her gaze.
Fidget, fidget….
Every little move made her look as green as the chicks up top. But Netoru fixed her with a steady gaze. Dragged along by it, Karen finally confessed honestly.
"Thanks for saving me…. When the ground collapsed, you shielded me. That's why I survived."
Yeah, she knew. But there was still one thing that bugged him. Or rather, one thing he was curious about.
"Karen. Can I ask you something?"
"…What?"
"Why've you been using casual speech with me since day one?"
"……Huh?"
"Last time I checked, you were all polite with Chandler, using formal speech like clockwork. What's the deal?"
"……"
Karen clamped her mouth shut again. Her eyes darted around, a mix of absurdity and caution. Then she squeezed them shut and said,
"Should I… start calling you oppa now, then?"
Way too awkward. Eh, he didn't care much anyway. Coupling partners ditched age hierarchies and went casual—it was the unspoken rule. Kept things horizontal, not vertical. Relationships started with little things like how you addressed each other.
Netoru chuckled.
"Nah, forget it. Just kidding. Stick to casual like always. Formal doesn't suit you."
"What? Seriously! In a situation like this…."
Karen's face went slack with shock this time. Like she'd seen something utterly incomprehensible.
Right on cue, the emblem at the suit's nape glowed, and the commander's voice flowed out.
—Are both of you okay!?
She must've heard from the kids. Too bad it wasn't time to celebrate survival yet. Unlike her urgent tone, Netoru replied calmly.
"Yes. We're fine. More importantly, can you tell how close the bugs are?"
—…Estimated contact in one minute.
"…One minute."
No time to run. The thought had barely crossed his mind when—
——Kuuuung!
The crushing weight on his back lifted, light flooding in. He'd never thought scorching sunlight could feel this welcoming. The stuffy air was a godsend.
—Found 'em! Th-they're alive! Both of them!
—Hurry and pull 'em out! We gotta get outta here…!
—Uwaaak! Bugs incoming!
Yep, still noisy as hell. Grateful they hadn't ditched him to save their own skins, but their actions were as amateurish as ever. What could you expect from kids?
Netoru slowly lifted his body off Karen and extended a hand to her.
"Up you go. Not over yet."
"…Yeah."
Karen nodded quietly and took his hand.
2.
To put it bluntly, the situation was the worst.
No time to brush off the dirt—they mounted their Holy Knight, and a horde of bugs swarming the fields filled their view. Their numbers mocked today's earlier battle, more than double. The nearby fields were already overrun. They were effectively surrounded.
Luckily, the hill hid them for now. But discovery was only a matter of time.
"…Looks like they're serious this time."
How'd it come to this? Time to ditch any picnic fantasies about this mission.
Gripping the controls of the already-connected Karen, Netoru pondered. Just bolt without looking back? He could survive that. The encirclement was thin despite appearances. Breaking through wasn't impossible.
But that'd wipe out 5th Squad. He had confidence in shaking the bugs, but not those kids' mobility.
Fight here with 5th Squad in tow? Even crazier. They'd be annihilated in minutes. Except maybe him and Karen.
No big expectations from rookies with less than a year under their belts.
Can't run, can't fight. They were all dead weight.
But ditching them felt wrong. They'd dug through the dirt pile instead of fleeing with bugs at their heels.
Abandoning them to die would give him nightmares.
So what now? Blood dripped from his split forehead, pattering red stains on the cockpit. Amid that unshakeable, cold rationality—
Netoru asked Karen,
"Karen. You wouldn't just leave these underage kids to die here, right?"
Damn it all—he was still a modern guy at heart.