Chapter 295: Blazing Flames of the Battlefield[R-18] (13)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 295: Blazing Flames of the Battlefield[R-18] (13)
My first real battle… was better than I could have ever expected.
Sure, the enemy was small in number and weak in strength. Even so, the sensation at my fingertips was a completely different kind of thrill from fighting with a sword.
The feeling of the unit cutting through the vacuum of space, my hands and feet moving with the control levers and pedals, the waves of gravity spreading through my entire body, and the delicate vibrations of the power output.
It was a whole other world, different even from physical combat.
‘It’s true… piloting a unit in space is something else entirely.’
In the cold, vast expanse of space, the sensation of the unit piercing through the silence, of becoming one with the machine, as if I were a weapon of war myself.
The freedom of floating through zero gravity, yet at the same time, a tension that permitted not a single mistake.
‘Is this… what it truly feels like to be a pilot?’
It was a different kind of thrill from when I first used martial arts. A world where a single touch, a single glance, could lead to fatal consequences. It was precise, brutal, and for that very reason… captivating.
[Legion L-77AX, return route to hangar secured. Commencing landing sequence.]
Hina’s voice came through the comms. Her tone was as composed as ever, but I could hear a mix of pride and relief within it.
“Hina. Good work.”
[You too, Oppa! Great work!]
A short exchange, but in that brief communication, we could clearly feel each other’s emotions.
The Legion slowly lowered its posture.
—Vweee… Vweee…
The thrusters on the unit’s underside adjusted, and a faint vibration and heat spread into the cockpit.
Then—
—Thunk.
The Legion landed safely on the hangar platform. The moment the unit’s massive frame came to a halt, I slowly released my hands from the levers.
The moment I disembarked and my feet touched the hangar floor, countless technicians and maintenance crew members began swarming toward me.
“Second Lieutenant Jin! We’re glad you’re safe!”
“We’ll begin inspecting the unit immediately!”
And cutting through the crowd, I saw a familiar face.
Adele Licencia.
She approached slowly and spoke in a quiet voice.
“How was your first battle?”
I smiled and replied.
“…It was the best.”
*
“Damn it! You said we’d succeed this time! What the hell happened?!”
The sweat-drenched captain slammed his fist on the console, shouting at the holographic comms terminal on the screen.
The screen flickered with intense static as the man on the other side replied in a cold, leisurely voice.
[Perhaps the failure… is a problem on your end, Captain Brol?]
“A problem? You call this a problem?!”
Captain Brol ran a hand through his disheveled hair, his face contorting in a grimace. Inside the darkened bridge, the unstable auxiliary power crackled.
“Because of one new escort on the Licencia, six of our units were destroyed! One crazy monster! How the hell is he a rookie?!”
Captain Brol’s shout was almost a scream. Sweat dripped down his forehead, and his bloodshot eyes were fixed on the screen, sharp with fury.
[The report said he was a new second lieutenant, fresh out of the training academy,] the calm, mechanical voice replied from beyond the hologram. It was composed, yet coldly indifferent.
“Fuck that! That bastard took out six Belfires in a Legion! How are you going to take responsibility for these losses?!”
[Get a hold of yourself, Captain Brol. That… was merely an unforeseen variable.]
At those words, Brol gritted his teeth.
“A variable? Are you playing with words?! This whole thing—”
[You will be compensated.]
That single phrase shut Brol’s mouth.
[Losses from the failed operation will be covered by the ‘Fleet A-07 Route Account.’ Furthermore, for the next mission, we will provide ‘one A-Class Unit’ and a ‘Gold-Class Pilot.’]
“…Are you serious?”
[We can no longer entrust your missions to outdated junk. We will provide a state-of-the-art, modified cruiser, a Delphaios-Class.]
Brol’s eyes widened.
“A Delphaios…?! Isn’t that a top-tier warship meant for full-scale operations?”
[In exchange… on the next mission, the Legion’s pilot, Jin Seo-yun. We have determined that he has been upgraded from an ‘Observation Target’ to a ‘Threat Factor.’]
[Eliminate him in the next engagement. Without fail.]
With that, the communication was unilaterally terminated.
For a while after the hologram vanished, Brol remained silent.
Then, information about the next mission arrived. As he read it, a cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
“You crazy bastards… You’re going to attack a neutral colony?”
*
We arrived at Elbite.
Through the window, the full view of the neutral colony slowly came into sight.
It was a massive, spherical base with a triple-layered structure. The outermost layer was a glass dome-like shield surrounded by a ring of defense turrets, while the interior was a dense network of large-scale residential areas and commercial districts.
[Entry into Elbite route complete. Commencing floating anchor lock.]
[Gravity stabilization values confirmed. Disengaging manual control.]
The ship’s entry module vibrated gently, and as the rotational gravity stabilized, a quiet stillness fell.
“So this is… Elbite…”
Hina pressed herself against the window, letting out a breath of awe.
“It’s… more spectacular than I imagined.”
“I know, right?”
I, too, gazed at the colony with admiration. It felt like seeing something straight out of a sci-fi movie.
[Docking complete. Boarding gate opening.]
The doors opened, and we disembarked.
The artificial atmosphere was thin and carried a faint scent of oil. The complex foot traffic was a mix of soldiers, civilians, mercenaries, and merchants. Moving discreetly among them were surveillance drones and armed guards.
‘The internal security system is more sophisticated than I expected…’
I casually scanned our surroundings. There was no one who stood out, but I could feel an unfamiliar gaze lingering on us from a distance.
‘Are we being tailed already?’
Hina spoke as if asking a question.
“What… should we do first?”
“First, we…”
Just then, a guide from the Licencia Group came running from the gate behind us.
“Lady Adele! I will escort you to the waiting area first! The host’s representative has requested an immediate meeting.”
Adele nodded.
“Very well. Second Lieutenant Jin, Sergeant Sakurai. From now on, please act as part of the representative’s entourage. Just follow my lead, and I’ll guide you through the schedule.”
“Understood.”
I gave a short reply and followed her. We boarded the prepared vehicle.
As the vehicle began to move smoothly, the Licencia agent sitting next to the driver turned slightly to report to Adele.
“My lady, the atmosphere within the colony is currently tense.”
Adele looked up.
“What’s going on?”
The agent hesitated for a moment before speaking cautiously.
“News of the incident at Yurabe-3 began to spread yesterday. A video showing the Federation Army carrying out a large-scale massacre, including civilians, is spreading rapidly through the neutral nations’ internal networks.”
At his words, Adele’s brow slowly furrowed.
“Yurabe-3… So the Federation has finally made its move.”
“Yes. But it wasn’t a simple battle. According to reports, it was more of a ‘one-sided slaughter.’ Units were deployed directly into unarmed civilian areas, and precision strikes were carried out on every building.”
“……The war, which had been in a lull, is about to escalate again.”
Adele’s words were low and brief. Her eyes, which had been gazing out the window, slowly turned cold.
The agent continued.
“Furthermore… there are also reports that a ‘red mobile weapon’ appeared at the end of the battle and displayed overwhelming combat power against the Federation Army.”
“A red mobile weapon?”
I asked, turning my head. The agent nodded.
“Its exact affiliation is unknown… but it’s no ordinary unit. According to the statements of escaped survivors, there’s a high probability it’s a new mobile weapon from Arsenos. However, most internal communications were cut off, so no video evidence has been secured. Fragmentary reports state that it drove back the Federation Army with overwhelming force.”
After the agent’s report, a moment of silence filled the vehicle.
Adele narrowed her eyes and muttered quietly.
“Find out more about that unit. Its movements, combat strength, and any information on its pilot. Everything.”
“Yes. I’ll look into it immediately.”
I quietly gazed out the window, lost in thought.
‘A red unit… Yurabe-3…’
The fragmented pieces of my memory, once hazy and blocked, began to come together.
‘Looks like… the original story is finally beginning.’
I turned my gaze back outside. The colony’s massive skydome on the outskirts, its rotating city structures, and the solar panels all gleamed silver. At its center, the spire symbolizing the Elbite Administration rose silently.
The vehicle slowed and came to a stop in front of the conference hall.
—Shhhk.
The automatic doors opened smoothly, and two escort vehicles bearing the Licencia Group’s flag stopped in a line. As the front door opened, Adele stepped out with a serene expression. At that moment, the external security personnel all saluted in unison.
“Adele Licencia. Welcome to Elbite.”
One of the reception personnel from the neutral colony’s upper administration bowed his head. His tone was deferential.
Adele shook his hand with an unflappable demeanor.
I moved quietly, a step behind her. Hina followed beside me, her expression tense, but I could feel her cautiously observing the situation.
‘I see just how much prestige the Licencia Group holds.’
I was lost in quiet thought.
This was beyond the level of a simple large corporation. The officials of the neutral state were tense. They were hanging on Adele Licencia’s every action and every word.
“Adele Licencia, we will escort you to the conference room.”
“Yes. Second Lieutenant Jin, Sergeant Sakurai.”
Adele turned her head to look at us and spoke softly.
“From now on, please follow me without a word. Every word, every glance, can be interpreted.”
“Understood.”
I nodded.
A moment later, we were moving down the conference hall corridor. The interior of the hall was constructed with walls of reinforced glass, offering a view of the distant curve of space and the Milky Way. In the quiet darkness, the starlight seemed to press down on the very air in the room.
—Click.
The door to the conference room opened.
Several other colony representatives were already seated.
*
—Vweeeem….
Under the red lights, agents gathered in a circle. A detailed structural map of the Elbite colony floated above the central holographic table. The low, firm voice of a middle-aged male commander echoed through the room.
“Gentlemen. The objective of this operation is twofold.”
On the hologram, the silhouette of a woman with pink hair appeared, along with her escort detail.
“First: the elimination of the Licencia Group’s heir, Adele Licencia.”
“Second: the securing and destruction of the concealed ‘Secret Technology Development Zone’ within the Elbite colony.”
A brief silence.
Then, the holographic display changed, revealing the colony’s underground schematics. A section blinked in red.
“Here. G-13 Zone. It doesn’t exist in official documents, but according to intelligence we’ve acquired, the Earth Federation Army is either developing a next-generation mobile weapon frame of their own or conducting new weapon experiments.”
“We must crush that technology before it can be commercialized.”
A man raised his hand and asked.
“Adele Licencia… do we have any information on her escort?”
A moment of silence fell. Then, another video began to play on the table.
It was a scene of a single unit single-handedly destroying six Belfires.
“His name is Jin Seo-yun. He may seem like an insignificant officer from a training academy, but…”
The video paused.
“Despite piloting a Legion, a B-Class unit, his control surpassed its performance specs. He predicted and destroyed the trajectories of all Belfire units. According to our analysis, his average kill time was 1.73 seconds.”
The commander’s voice grew even lower.
“He is an uncontrollable variable. Eliminate him as early as possible… or the entire operation could be jeopardized.”
The screen went dark. At the same time, the commander issued his orders.
“All combat agents of ‘Knights-Shade,’ deploy under Code Black. Use the pre-established routes for infiltration into the colony.”
“And—”
He added one last thing, his face grim.
“Failure is not an option.”