Return to Battle
“...Netoru, what if we do that thing from last night? Think it'd work?”
Karen's face was set with resolve. Watching her, Netoru thought to himself.
From what the squad members told me, this Natsuo guy's pretty reckless. Has that rubbed off on her too?
Sacrificing her own body for the squad—could call it diligent if you're being kind, but stupid if you're not. What is this, some hot-blooded hero from an anime?
...Well, I kinda knew it to some degree.
From their first coupling, she'd gone through that mess, yet she'd come right back without hesitation. Reckless, stubborn, diligent... the perfect recipe for an early grave.
Maybe that's just how the world works—everyone's got a bit of that anime archetype in them.
Netoru stared steadily at Karen. Just moments ago, she'd been making a fuss about last night, but now her dark eyes were calm as a still lake.
That clear declaration of intent made Netoru match her seriousness. “Karen. You sure about this?”
“...Well.”
He kept staring, pressing her for an answer, and she fidgeted with her lips before slowly looking away.
She'd blurted it out given the situation, but there was still some resistance bubbling up.
That hesitation didn't last, though. “...But we don't have a choice, do we?”
She glanced at the screen. The map showed the squad members' positions and the bugs' movements. Battle was about to kick off.
With the long-range bombardment Spiders hanging back, the incoming bugs would be a real threat. One slip-up meant death. Now that they were in range, they were just live targets.
Staring blankly at the screen, Karen murmured softly. “Four squad members dead, and I'm no kid... a little kiss ain't a big deal. Hell, it'd be dumb not to.”
No trace of embarrassment in her voice. Matter-of-fact, almost dry. Nothing like the shy girl from breakfast, blushing and squirming alone.
That finally let Netoru acknowledge one thing. Even if she was just out of high school, Karen had survived this hellish battlefield as a Holy Knight pilot for over three years.
She'd fought countless bugs, seen countless comrades fall. Just like those photos plastered in the mess hall.
But.
Karen was missing something. “Sorry, Karen, but I never said it was possible.”
“......What? Wait a sec!”
Her eyes went wide, like she'd heard something unbelievable. Her body jerked as if she'd leap from the cockpit any second. The fluctuating coupling wavelength betrayed her agitation.
“Netoru! You saying you can't?”
“Dunno. If it's doable, maybe...”
“Don't play games in a situation like this! Spit it out—can you or can't you?”
Was she pissed at his vague answer? Her glare was fierce.
But it didn't scare him. If anything, it was a relief. This fiery Karen beat the resolute one any day.
Realizing that, Netoru shrugged. “Battle's starting soon. You think we can recover in that short time? Even if, it's not realistic.”
“...Yeah, you're right.”
She nodded weakly, finally getting it. She'd been playing calm and determined on the outside, but inside, her blood was boiling over the dead squadmates—she hadn't been thinking straight.
Overheat didn't fix itself that easy anyway. So 'treatment' wasn't the play. Something else.
“But if you really wanna fight, I can make it happen. However.”
“...However?”
Her eyes lit with faint hope, and Netoru warned her gravely. “It won't be treatment. More like doping.”
“......Doping?”
“If you want, I'll get you through this fight somehow. But after? Worse overheat than last night, right away. Still game?”
“...”
Overheat wasn't just a hot forehead. It was like being engulfed in flames. She'd felt it last night—her fists clenched as the memory hit.
Then she nodded slowly. “...It's fine. I get it. Do it.”
“Got it. Uncoupling first.”
“Yeah.”
Netoru released the controls. Karen disconnected from the Holy Knight and stood from her seat.
To kiss, they'd have to face each other standing.
“...Same method as yesterday?”
She approached hesitantly and asked. Netoru nodded.
“Yeah. Simple, right?”
“...Simple my ass.”
He'd meant it as a joke, but she shot him a bratty glare, then exhaled long, closing her eyes like do whatever.
“Then, excuse me.”
Politely asking, Netoru closed the distance, wrapping an arm around her waist.
Even after touching it several times last night, it still felt fresh. No matter how many times, that slim waist and curved hips would never bore him.
“H-Hang on... isn't this too close?”
“We're about to kiss. This is nothing.”
“...Ugh.”
Her body trembled at the intimate contact—still unfamiliar—but only for a moment. “...Fine. But do it right.”
Without prompting, she rose on her tiptoes, adjusting her stance.
Her pristine face drew near. Pale pink lips, elegant jawline. Admiring it like fine art, Netoru noticed her long lashes quivering with tension.
For some reason, it reminded him of a butterfly's fragile wings caught in a spiderweb.
...Actually, I forgot to mention something to her. It'll take a bit longer, but whatever—next overheat, I'll just 'treat' it then.
I just wanted to test her resolve. Wonder what she'll say if she knew.
Anyway, Netoru savored the moment, slowly pulling her waist closer, erasing the space between them.
Finally, their lips met, but without time to enjoy the sweetness, Netoru began forcibly activating Karen's connected mana nerve system.
Overwriting a woman's body and nerves with his own mana was pure pleasure.
2. Wonder if Commander Rien has any clue what just went down. Probably not even close.
──...Then I'll leave it to you two.
No time to bask in the kiss's afterglow. Rien's voice soon signaled the battle's start.
As expected, the bugs moved first. Once spotted, the 393rd Unit squads shifted fluidly in response.
Netoru didn't sit idle, moving swiftly.
Point 306 ─ Hill country.
──BOOM!
No sooner had he arrived than thunderous cannon fire shook the air. The blasts felt like they rattled the grass and trees with shockwaves.
Long-range bombardment-type Spider fire. Even at a good distance from the enemy, the barrage showed no sign of stopping.
Around 30km was squarely in their strike range.
──BOOM! BOOM!
Weaving silently through the terrain amid the relentless roar, Netoru instinctively checked the squad statuses on the screen.
Good—no direct hits. But things weren't leisurely; movements grew hectic, cracks forming in their orderly advance.
The terror of long-range bombardment Spiders wasn't just range or firepower. They fired without hesitation if enemies were present—ruthless, even sacrificing their own kind.
No camaraderie among bugs. Factory-forged for war, stripped of survival instincts, armed with guns and cannons: biomechanical weapons. That was the truth of the bugs pushing humanity back in this world.
And the bombardment Spiders' hallmark? They'd obliterate anything—bugs or foes alike—to kill the enemy.
It was nearing the top of Point 306's hill.
──Shiiiiek!
With no obstacles blocking the way, Netoru halted the Holy Knight abruptly.
Sure, the rear was exposed. But that didn't mean no escorts around the bombardment Spiders.
Reaching here without a fight was victory enough.
──Kiriririk!
──Kiiik!?
The moment he stopped, grotesque creatures burst from the ground one by one.
Ten meters long, dozens of segmented legs, dark armored shells. Large centipedes—infiltrating type Centipedes—that had evaded Rien's scans by burrowing.
A decent number. But no tension.
Not arrogance. These couldn't stop him.
Maybe that's why the nearby cannon fire felt annoyingly loud as he eyed the bombardment Spiders ahead.
“Netoru. This much is doable, right?”
Reading his emotions and thoughts through the coupling, Karen spoke with brazen confidence. Netoru smirked.
Of course. Her question had an obvious answer.