Chapter 14 (1/2)
Chapter 14 [Current Condition]
Translator : Cnine
Editor : MystiKnight
Proofreader : MystiKnight
Part 1
It occurred on the Friday three days after the entrance ceremony, when the new students had gotten somewhat accustomed to their lifestyle in the special forces.
Just when they were about to change to mathematics cla.s.s, an 『UUUUUuuuuuuuu！』sound began reverberating throughout the school.
「Da heck’s that!?」
「Be quiet, all of you sit down in your seats」
Ooma reprimanded the restless D-Cla.s.s students to calm them down.
But the resounding avalanche-like footsteps of severals tens of students from another cla.s.s running in the corridor made them unable to do so.
「What the heck is that, Sensei!?」
「That’s why I said be quiet and sit in your seats, it’s just the alarm for the movement of the CE」
「Eh…」
Hearing those words, not only Eisuke, but almost all the students’ faces paled.
「Isn’t that a serious matter!? It’s time for us to fight——」
「I said BE QUIET (creak)」
「KOPERU！」
Ooma had once again put Eisuke’s neck in a sleeper hold as he tried to dash out of the cla.s.sroom in a hurry.
Although he had jumped to the wrong conclusion, in recognition of his willingness to fight the enemy, the grapple was 20 percent weaker than usual.
「Listen, the alarm that’s ringing right now due to the CE attack is the signal for the dispatch of the 2nd and 3rd year students. All of you first years who haven’t even began your group combat training will be house-sitting right here since you’ll only be a nuisance on the battlefield」
Surveying the students with sharp a look, Ooma’s strong tone ensured that noone could argue about the fact presented to them.
Sixty percent of the D-cla.s.s were feeling relieved at the fact that there was no need for them to fight, and thirty percent were pouting in dissatisfaction at the fact that they couldn’t fight.
Ooma smiled happily to the other ten percent who sat and listened to his reasoning attentively.
「Even though I said they’re coming, it doesn’t mean that they’re coming as far as right in front of this place. They just came as far as the outskirts of the shallow valley, which is the defense line」
After saying that he closed his textbook and began preparing the projector and laptop.
「Since it’s just the right time for it, let’s observe a raid to see how to cope with a CE attack」
The projector light s.h.i.+ning upon the blackboard formed an image of a flock of humans running, but the image shook in a strange fas.h.i.+on.
「When the ACE troops are dispatched, they’ll wear headsets with a built-in communication device and camera. This sortie video was taken somewhere around three years ago」
Wearing large headphone-like equipment, the uppercla.s.sman wearing the phantom converter on their wrist was running to the hangar at the side of the school building with fluid movements, then entered one of the flying vehicles ready for take-off inside.
「Uhm, are we going to sortie in our uniforms？」
Hinata raised her hand and asked a question after looking at the uppercla.s.smen who entered the vehicle with the very same school uniform they were wearing right now.
「That’s right, there’s no difference between a camouflaged jacket and a jersey. If you’re not wearing Phantom Material Armor, then nothing else will protect you from a CE attack.」
Contrary to what he says, as long as they’re wearing Phantom Material Armor, the ACE troops can fight even if they’re nude.
「Even so, it’s better to wear uniforms that are easy to move in, right?」
「There’s already a change of clothes prepared according to the number of people in the vehicle for that purpose. And we’ll be changing our clothes on the way to the site」
All the troops then will sortie after changing their clothes, it’s natural since it’s faster that way. But—.
「We’ll change our clothes with boys in front of us ？」
「――!!?（GATA*）」 [TL : SFX for falling chair, maybe]
「Calm yourself」
Souji silently tapped on Eisuke’s slightly risen shoulder from behind.
「They only put on pants and change their jackets, so there’s no way we’ll be able to see their underwear」
「Ah, that’s right」
「…Che」
It’s not just Eisuke, all the boys secretly clicked their tongues.
「Are~~, was the punishment still not enough~？」
「…………」
But, after undergoing the punishment for their attempt to peep a few days ago, they all had no choice but to shut their mouths.
「Though this is a decision to be made in the far future, the cla.s.s will be divided into three teams consisting of 12 people for the vanguard or rearguard, operating as a 『Squad』 and becoming one group during the mission」
To put it in military terms, a cla.s.s of 40’s three Squads make a『Platoon』, the Platoons in a single year combined are a single 『Troop』, and the combined Troops of the first, second, and third years become a 『Battallion』.
Though, since this is the first year that there is a first, second and third year, the ACE troops have finally completed their battalion.
「In the middle of boarding the vehicles every squad is on the same standing. In addition, the group training that’ll be scheduled from now on is performed with the members of your squad. So choose members that you getting along with from now on, otherwise… 」
What awaits you is a h.e.l.l—is what he said without saying anything, giving them silent advice without opening his mouth.
「Bratheer, we’re BFFs right!?」
「BFFs？」
Eisuke was clinging to Souji with teary eyes but, Souji was a b.u.mpkin who didn’t even know the adolescent lingo from ten years ago.
「Hi-Hinata-chan, I…」
「Yeah yeah, it’s okay, we’ll be in the same team, right」
Hinata comforted Kanna, the loner clinging to her, and then the homeroom teacher clapped his hands to calm the cla.s.s which become quite noisy.
「Be quiet, the finalization of the squads is still one month away. Now look at the video and grasp how to move in a battle, even if just a little」
Saying so, the students looked back at the blackboard. The troops were currently moving toward the Karuizawa ward inside armored vehicles, a journey which could only be described as tedious.
「Are these all third year students? Their faces are more relaxed than I expected」
The six third year students sitting opposite one another were having a friendly chat between themselves, lacking the tension on their faces which would indicate that they’d be going into a battlefield after this.
But, even that cheerfulness was a necessary disposition for a soldier.
「If they were tense everyday they would only be crushed under their heavy stress. Being able to switch like that is necessary even after they graduate」
「Even after graduation… that must be tough」
「Don’t lose your focus」
Ooma threw his chalk, accurately hitting Eisuke’s forehead with Mjolnir-like power.
「By the way, they’ll be arriving soon」
Once they had finished chatting about useless matters, the armored vehicle came to a stop and the uppercla.s.sman quickly disembarked from it.
The camera caught the view of the famous Karuizawa summer resort, the scenery of the Miyota-ward of Nagano prefecture.
Part 2
The location was a town with many fields. a golf course and an old temple. Though the countryside was deserted, the town was wrapped in a calm and serene atmosphere.
But, that was a story from more than six year ago.
Currently the surface of Miyota city surface is scorched.
It was become like that due to repeated battle against the CE, leaving only traces of destruction by flames and lead bullets.
「So cruel…」
It had already been broadcasted on television several times, and could be watched many times on the internet.
Even so, the current scene they saw through the third year students’ point of view was enough to make them feel both anger and fear.
「I won’t tell you to get used to it, but now you need to observe the movements of your uppercla.s.smen」
Ooma switched to a different image on the projector while soothing his angry students with some rarely heard tender words.
The snapshots of Miyota city captured by satellites showed that on the west side, getting closer in the direction of Matsumoto city of Nagano prefecture, existed the Pillar surrounded by glittering things.
「ＣＥ……」
The enemy of humanity, with it’s mysterious crystal-like body, was thus called the Crystal Enemy[CE].
The moment it entered their field of vision, all of the uppercla.s.smen moved simultaneously.
『Shooting Corps, to the front』
Coming out to the front line were students wielding javelins, ballistas, and legendary bows and arrows.
And then, after the CE entered their firing distance, an order to fire came.
『FIRE！』
The illusory arrows, bullets and spears tore through the air with certain-kill precision, and penetrated the s.h.i.+ning red orb located at the center of the CE positioned in the vanguard.
「That red orb is their weak point, their『Core』. The CE can’t be stopped as long as that core isn’t destroyed」
In the middle of Ooma’s explanation, each of the fired legendary weapons pierced the crystal body.
But, there were just too many CE advancing. Even if their numbers were decreased by half, the troops had already used up their ammunition.
「The Shooting-type Phantom Weapons consume the ability of the Phantom Material Armor the more they are fired until it loses it’s ability to maintaining the Phantom Material Armor[PMA]*. The users of the Shooting-type weapons should take extra caution」
[TL : the simpled version should be s.h.i.+eld Energy from IS]
「Yes」
Sitting next to Souji, Itsuki who was a slingshot user nodded with a serious expression.
『s.h.i.+ELD USERS, TO THE FRONT！ 』
The Firing squad retreated behind the s.h.i.+eld users who just came forward.
「The Phantom Weapon[PW] of s.h.i.+eld type is far more durable than PMA, able to block several dozen CE attacks. They’re always standing on the frontline to protect their allies, and as such it’s the most important position with the greatest dangers. Always keep that in mind」
「R-Roger……」
Despite being a s.h.i.+eld user, the timid Kanna stood behind Hinata.
The uppercla.s.smen reflected in the camera were silently waiting for the approaching CE.
「Though I’ve told you before, the CE’s attack range is short and only reaches 30 metres. So it’s easier to wait for them to come rather than exhausting your stamina by charging at them」
Even if they understood that, maybe it was due to their tension toward the slowly approaching enemies.
To the allies who were unable to restrain themselves from charging at the enemies, the person who’s giving out the command commanded them to wait patiently.
『NOT YET, DON’T BE IMPATIENT, LET THEM ADVANCE A BIT MORE』