First Meeting
The day after receiving the dispatch order from the headquarters commander for our first encounter. Early in the morning, as I was packing my bags, Alicia came to see me. She had the look of someone who'd heard unbelievable news.
"Leira! You're really getting dispatched?!"
The rumors must have spread already. I was her only real conversation partner, the friendless loner that she is. News of me suddenly leaving headquarters must have hit her like a bolt from the blue. I'd planned to see her face right before departure anyway, no rush. Alicia looks just like a puppy desperate to pee, fidgeting like that. My mood was refreshingly bright from the morning, so I answered her question.
"Yes. It seems the local commander lost his life in an accident during an operation. Things must be chaotic in all sorts of ways, so headquarters decided to dispatch me to help."
"It's a frontier city, right? You gonna be okay…?"
"Hehe, do I even need to worry about that? Orders are absolute for a Valkyrie, aren't they?"
"Well, yeah, but…."
I knew exactly why Alicia was anxious. A frontier city was the front line, right up against the Outland, the territory of the Erosion Species. Valkyries were dying there even now. So she must be worried I'd die there. Hehehe, what an idiot. That's the whole point. Still, I couldn't reveal my true feelings here. I finished packing my bags and approached her. Stroking her head gently, I smiled.
"I'm happy you're worried. But I'll be fine. Lately, training hard with you has made me feel stronger. If I perform well on this dispatch, I might even reach A-rank. You might need to watch out, Alicia."
"…You've got confidence, I'll give you that. After 27 straight losses."
"The most recent one, I lasted five whole minutes, right?"
"I went easy on you."
"No way. You hate losing, Alicia."
"I don't. I really did go easy…."
Alicia pouted and grumbled. These days she even showed this kind of cuteness—what a touching development. Playfully, I tugged lightly at both her cheeks. She furrowed her brow a little, like what are you doing? But she didn't reject or push away my touch. Cute Alicia. Don't do that. If you let your guard down around someone like me, it just makes me want to torment you….
Casually, my hand slid down and caressed her neck. That vital spot connecting head and body, so precious to humans. I wanted to squeeze that small, slender neck tight and snap the bones. It wouldn't work anyway. Of course, pointless fantasy. Alicia's body was incredibly tough. She'd shake off my hand before I could break her neck. What a pathetic delusion. Maybe I'm even a little sad to part with her. Suppressing the sticky emotions, I stepped back. With the smile I'd grown so used to, I looked at her.
"If things stabilize enough that they don't need me anymore, I'll probably come back. It's not like we're parting forever, right?"
"…."
"Wait for me until I return. I promise, no matter what, I'll come back safe."
"Yeah…."
A promise. I hooked my pinky with hers. Only then did the anxiety fade from her face; she finally smiled. Of course, it was all pitch-black lies.
After bidding farewell to Alicia, I completed the dispatch procedures. They must have considered the incident in the frontier city Ruina quite urgent—they skipped all the complicated processes and let me board the train right away.
Hardly any passengers….
My destination was the frontier city of Ruina. Drawing on memories from my past life, this was a danger zone where an airstrike could hit anytime. No wonder no one without a special reason would head there. Glancing around, most of the visible faces were Valkyries. Sensing their auras, they felt mostly retired, not active duty. Probably looking for work in other cities. Whatever, other people's circumstances didn't matter to me. I claimed a decent window seat, and soon the train departed.
Gazing at the scenery rushing backward, I sank into thought. So it begins now. The train derailment incident.
The gray Valkyrie's prologue. It starts with the player waking up on the train. The Ruina-bound train suddenly derails and topples sideways. The player tries to escape, only to encounter Erosion Species. On the brink of death, a Valkyrie saves their life.
And the Valkyrie who saves them there is Leira… me.
In other words, this train would soon derail due to Erosion Species. And I'd have my fateful meeting with the commander. Exciting. What kind of person is this world's commander? The toy I need to play with right up to the end. I hope they're worth it.
Lightly closing my eyes, I waited for that moment. Then, suddenly, the train slowed and came to a stop. But no matter how I looked out the window, there was no station in sight. Why stop in the middle of nowhere like this? As I puzzled over it, an announcement came.
"We will be stopping briefly to maintain spacing between trains. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience to our passengers."
If that's the case, it'll start moving again soon. But even after a long wait, the train showed no sign of budging.
"When the hell is this train gonna start?!"
"I'm getting tired of waiting…."
"I need to get there quick!"
Something felt off. Sensing the unease, I jumped from my seat. I went to find the engineer to ask what was happening. Coincidentally, the engineer was a retired Valkyrie.
"Excuse me, why aren't we departing?"
"Ah… Well, the train ahead entered the next section but hasn't come out. We've sent contact, but no reply…. There might've been an accident…."
"…An accident?"
"We've notified the company. It might take a little time to resolve…."
Wait—this timing, with communication cut off? The more I thought, the colder sweat trickled down as an ominous conclusion formed. There's no guarantee I'm even on the same train as in the original. Only then did I realize my own foolishness. Thinking it'd just proceed as in the original if I stayed put. As if the world revolved around me—what arrogance. Chastising myself, I politely requested of the engineer.
"Engineer, could we possibly approach the location where that train lost contact?"
"Pardon? No, that's not advisable…. There could be a collision…. We've contacted the company, so waiting is…."
"I'm Leira, B-rank Valkyrie from headquarters. The prior incident may involve Erosion Species. I'd appreciate your cooperation."
"Ehh…."
At my revealed identity, the engineer's round eyes twitched. A B-rank was impressive among Valkyries, especially from headquarters—they were elite. She couldn't easily ignore my request. But right now, I couldn't afford to waste even a minute arguing. No time for tedious procedures. Grasping her hand earnestly, I pleaded.
"Please. It could turn into a major disaster."
"W-Well…."
"If anything goes wrong, I'll take full responsibility."
"Ugh…. Alright…."
Averting her gaze in distress, the engineer finally nodded. Desperate pleas really do shake the heart. After getting the other passengers' understanding, I returned to my seat and opened my suitcase. In the corner was my nailgun, neatly folded in half. I was already wearing my special uniform. Fully prepared. The other passengers panicked at the sight of me suddenly drawing a weapon. But I had no time to care about their reactions.
Commander… don't you dare die…!
I couldn't forgive him dying before me. The savior of this world, beloved by countless Valkyries. The commander had to be my audience.
Several minutes after the train accelerated. It braked sharply, screams erupting from all sides.
"W-What's that…?!"
"Erosion Species?!"
"S-Stop the train!"
The reason was clear. Far ahead, faintly visible, a toppled train. Swarming around it were grotesque monsters—the Erosion Species, humanity's enemies. Confirming them, I yanked the emergency handle, forcing the door open. The train hadn't fully stopped, so a fierce wind rushed in. I climbed the side and got on top of the train. This much wind was nothing to a Valkyrie.
Shouldering my nailgun, I aimed at the Erosion Species.
Bang! Bang!
The distant Erosion Species' heads exploded like crushed tomatoes. As expected. Not very strong. Just tutorial trash mobs. One nailgun shot to the head does it.
With a harsh screech, the hard-braking train shook violently. I kept my balance to avoid falling off, firing the nailgun nonstop. Six on the left, five on the right. Twelve with the 40-round magazine. Swapping magazines, I leaped from the stopped train atop it.
"Kieeeek!"
"Grrrlll!"
Erosion Species still swarmed the derailed train. Huge, ferocious monsters every one. Crashing into them like this, even I'd take serious damage. But I didn't slow my sprint at all.
"Get out of my way… and die!"
Crackle!
For an instant, electricity coursed through my body. Then, as if the process skipped straight to the result—over ten Erosion Species heads burst simultaneously. In a leisurely situation, I'd applaud my feat. But my gaze fixed on the hole-punctured side of the train.
Already inside…!
Throbbing. Clutching my pounding head, I entered. There, someone was just about to be overwhelmed by an Erosion Species. Faster than I could think, I fired the nailgun. The ambushed Erosion Species thudded sideways. A moment later and it would've been bad. Panting, I looked at the man who'd nearly died.
"Hah, hah… Are you… alright…?"
Thump.
He sat slumped on the floor. But something was off, no matter how I saw it. He'd just barely escaped death by Erosion Species—yet no fear in his eyes.
Thump thump.
What burned there was steely resolve. A will that believed something more important than dying here. Looking closer, behind him was a bleeding girl. Circumstances unknown, but he'd stepped forward to protect her?
Thump thump thump.
In a normal person facing death, eyes like that? Unfathomable. No one but me could understand him. Which made it all the more….
Ah, I want to see this man's agonized face….
That was my first meeting with the commander.