Attack and defense of Mt. Fuji.

3:35 a.m. on the fifth day. Aaron Pierre.

After a thirty-six hour rest, Britannia again sent a small force to attack.

It is said that it is a small force, but it still has a hundred machines, almost twice as many as ours.

From time to number, it was exactly the same as the deputy commander's prediction.

I have objected to his previous strategy of completely abandoning the defense and resting all hands on deck. But the deputy commander, sometimes you have to admire his view of the battle situation.

"Cleaning up the remnants, treating the wounded, repairing machinery, replacing batteries, and reloading ammunition took thirty hours at least, not to mention that it was carried out in a makeshift camp in the rear that had been completely destroyed. Then the battle situation had to be re-examined, tactics were modified, and the remaining energy and ammunition were allocated to ensure that the harassment could be carried out 24 hours a day and that the troops going up the hill would have the strength to withdraw. And then there is a considerable reserve left for the decisive battle. This time, they are fighting away from home, and the supplies they bring will inevitably not be much, and the line in the rear has been blocked by us again, and all their chess pieces are on this chessboard. According to the results from the rear, they had only enough supplies left to support the whole army for two to thirty hours. Even if it is thirty hours, there will not be more than one hundred and twenty planes attacking at one time, twice as many as our army. Although it is also tricky, with me and Q1 here, there is no mistake. Of course, if they don't learn math well and send out more than two hundred mechs at a time, their march will be slowed down and they will not be easily dispersed, and they can be treated to another meal on the way. So... Can you rest assured now? ”

This is the difference between him and the commander-in-chief -- he is willing to communicate with us, no matter how stupid the question, he always smiles and says it slowly, until the other party is convinced to leave. And the commander-in-chief, he will say "I say no problem, no problem".

There is no doubt that ZERO is more charismatic as a leader, but the deputy conductor, everyone actually already thinks of him as family in their hearts.

The main point of this battle is not to be impatient, to be careful to save your life, if the opponent's firepower is too fierce, it is okay to retreat appropriately to avoid the limelight for the time being, and wait for him or Miss Hongyue to break the siege.

The enemy used the same strategy, finding cover and waiting for reinforcements as soon as the advance was slightly blocked. As soon as our troops got closer, they immediately retreated -- they thought that our troops still had the function of self-detonation, but in fact, in order to prevent accidental injury to friendly troops, or it was not cost-effective to kill only two or three kittens, all the regimental members had already changed their bodies. The intention of the other side to retain ammunition is also obvious, basically pointing to the distance and immediately moving the position after placing two shots.

Both sides are retaining their strength. It was not so much a battle between the two armies, but rather a waltz with a gun on its back.

But at this time, the role of the trump card comes to the fore.

Our large forces are really just acting as goalkeepers, holding down the momentum of the opponent's advance. The deputy commander, as well as Miss Red Moon, almost all of the wrecks were made by the two of them. They all have the ability to face a certain number of troops on their own, and with one or two taken with them, they all have the ability to hunt down more enemies than they are.

Miss Red Moon, in particular, has excellent piloting skills and jaw-dropping physical performance, allowing her to find an opportunity to cut through the loose formations of the opponent's formation, causing considerable casualties.

It seems that in the other party's plan, after losing the twentieth machine, the opponent began to shrink the formation and retreated slowly in an organized manner. At the same time, dozens of points of light appeared on the edge of the radar -- they were ready to change shifts.

In the first battle, none of our side died.

Day 6, afternoon, 2:00 p.m

For thirty-five hours, the fighters were already very tired.

Although the ammunition energy is replenished on the spot at a predetermined location, there is no backup pilot, which is a dead end that cannot be remedied by any means.

Since the start of the defensive battle, we have repelled fifteen enemy attacks.

Hunger is secondary, and the accumulation of mental stress has gradually become apparent. Everyone's reaction speed began to decrease, and the rate of stunned people became higher and higher. Although the intensity of the battle has not been high, if you stand in a daze without cover, the enemy will never give up this opportunity.

Just now, the first KIA appeared in our army.

As the enemy turned to leave, a young man let go of the taut string and stood there watching the other man lose his mind. As a result, he was hit by a bullet from an enemy and hit the spot. Although the deputy commander took advantage of the opportunity of the other party to fall behind and killed the soldier to avenge the fighter, the dead man could not come back after all.

Day 7, 1:00 p.m

The deputy commander suddenly broke out and single-handedly destroyed the opponent's two squads of twelve machines, making the opponent unable to retreat in advance.

He and we got a 40-minute break.

I ran to the hangar to help, and I will never forget the sight in front of me for the rest of my life.

Some people almost fell off the cockpit and began to vomit on their knees, only to vomit some water - they hadn't eaten for too long. There was not a trace of human color on his face, his eyes were bloodshot, and his eye sockets were deep, as if he might fall down at any moment.

These are only a few who can get down on their own, and most of the people can only barely get back to the ground with the help of others. A few fainted in the cockpit as soon as they entered the hangar, and the ground crew had to pry open the hatch from the outside and carry them out.

These pictures were not too surprising to everyone, but when the deputy commander jumped off the body, everyone couldn't help but exclaim.

The deputy commander failed to stand firm when he landed, leaned forward, and took two steps before barely standing. He scratched the back of his head and smiled embarrassedly as he always did, trying to maintain his demeanor.

The deputy conductor is also just a human. Although this is a matter of course, it is still a great shock to everyone to feel it for the first time.

Whether it is the group of soldiers in front of us who are extremely tired, or these bodies that are covered in bruises, they cannot shake our determination to fight to the death. But in an instant, the image of the deputy conductor Superman collapsing, finally made me doubt my previous wishful thinking.

Can we really win?

There were still three days before the bombs were planted in Kyoto, and our people had run out of oil.

Will we make it to that point?

The lieutenant commander stopped a girl who ran up with food in her arms.

"Do you want to kill them?"

The girl still didn't realize what she had done wrong, and stood there in fright.

"Eat now, and in less than five minutes they will be dead in the cockpit. It's all big and small, and they can't die if they don't eat for a few days, so get them some sugar and salt water. ”

Day 8, 1:00 a.m

The fighters have reached their limits.

Although the death of that warrior sounded the alarm for everyone, the spiritual power of human beings is limited after all, like a crack in a dam, as long as it collapses, it will pour thousands of miles, and time is constantly piling straw on everyone's shoulders.

Just now, the dam finally collapsed.

The other party did not make any tactical adjustments, and the pressure was still tepid, and everyone had long been accustomed to daily harassment. But somehow, as if everyone had made an appointment, a whole ten mechs were blown up in the battle. This kind of ultra-long-distance engagement can rub the other side is actually a blessing, and it is more just a symbolic suppression of firepower. There is only one possibility of being killed in such a place - the driver is already unconscious.

There are forty-six machines left, and the number of our troops is already in jeopardy.

The deputy commander finally made the decision to let those who had not completed their training or were not qualified also go into battle. Kyoto is also generous, and the body can be used at will, but these twenty or so recruits did not relieve much pressure for everyone. They just move and shoot. The sense of smell on the battlefield is almost zero, and a third is lost in less than two hours after entering the battle, and at this time, the gap between the veteran and the rookie in the first battle is clear at a glance.

In any case, we held on to this wave. But if we continue like this, we will not wait for the general offensive to come, and the next wave will be our death date.

――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

Suzaku stood behind Ilan, silently watching as the guy plunged the needle into his shoulder, the clear liquid burrowing into his muscles along the needle.

In the brief respite just now, the deputy head of the Black Knights finally ordered the use of drugs, and everyone, including himself, came with such a shot.

As if something cold had crept under his skin into his brain, Ilan couldn't help but shiver and tremble.

He pulled out the syringe and threw it behind him with his backhand like a dart, and was caught by Suzaku.

"What's the matter, Shuki-kun?"

Ilan didn't look back, but snapped a watch on his wrist and looked down to set something.

"It's ・・・・・・"

Suzaku looked at the needle in his hand with suspicion, and he had an instinctive aversion to anything with a needle due to Refrain's storage.

"AADP, artificial adenosine diphosphate."

"What?" Suzaku didn't understand.

"Hmm, do you know how to return to the light?" As if something was slowly awakening in the depths of her mind, Ilan took a deep breath, twisted her neck, and crackled all over her body.

"The human body will make a final struggle before death, and the intracellular storage of adenosine triphosphate will quickly degrade to adenosine diphosphate at the command of the hypothalamus, which speeds up metabolism and amplifies nerve signals. Therefore, people will be very sober and ruddy at the end. ”

The fatigue faded away, the overused lens regained its powerful focus, and distant objects suddenly became clearer, even more so than ever. It was as if something was burning in the body. A fine layer of sweat broke out on Ilan's forehead, but her body felt very good.

"But since it is the 'last time' of the body's struggle, it is natural that the corresponding sacrifices will be made. Metabolism no longer consumes energy from fat or sugar, but is a more direct source of energy -- the cells themselves. Feed! Elegant! That thing can't be injected into a vessel! Straight to the heart and you're done! ”

As she spoke, Ilan strode up to a girl and snatched the needle from her hand.

"You can go into cardiac arrest within 10 seconds, which requires intramuscular injections. Ah, look at the way you looked for the blood vessels just now, did you have any bad habits before? ”

"Ahh No, no! No! I've studied nursing before! I ・・・・・・ my mother when I was in the market area."

The white hair that came back from the state instantly regained his nature, and said the words that embarrassed the girl with a sunny smile, enjoying the other party's justification.

Suzaku looked at the needle in his hand and fell into deep thought.

Can they ・・・・・・ get to this point?

First it was a suicide attack, and now, even if it is a life-burning method・・・・・・ it is for Japan・・・・・・

I'm just here, looking at them・・・・・・

"What are you thinking?"

White Fur had already approached him at some point, and Suzaku looked up only to find that the other party's face was close at hand, which frightened him and took a step back.

"Is this really good? Using this kind of thing will cost you life, right? ”

"Who's going to say for sure about longevity? There are many people who smoke and drink, fish and meat, and there are many people who live to be more than 100 years old. Ilan shrugged and said unconcernedly.

"But it's obviously inhumane to do so..."

"It's still the same as before, you." Ilan sighed and unceremoniously interrupted Suzaku. "It's not right or wrong to be bitter all day long, but I've never seen you practice, don't you think it's shameless? No matter what we have done, no matter how many people we have saved, you can wipe out all the sacrifices we have made with a simple word of 'It's not right to do this'." That's right, I know it's inhumane to do so, and I know that kidnapping a princess is despicable, and no amount of people can hide that fact. So, Suzaku, we will never be able to defeat you morally, and those who do things according to the 'rules' will not make mistakes, so you will always be qualified to say that others are dirty. ”

Suzaku was stunned on the spot by his words, and after a long time coming back to his senses, he smiled bitterly.

"According to the rumors here, the assistant commander seems to be a gentle man."

"Ah, I didn't expect me to have a good reputation. But, I don't hate hypocrites, and I don't hate real villains, but it's the first time I've seen a villain who thinks I'm a real gentleman, and I don't know how to communicate, I'm really sorry. ”

Is it the effect of the drug? This kind of words really didn't seem to come out of his mouth, Yilan couldn't help frowning, this action made Suzaku even more embarrassed.

After so long, after being disappointed and disheartened by the Empire, and seeing the achievements of the Black Knights, he did reflect on himself. Suzaku took a deep breath and bowed ninety degrees.

"Sorry! Eastlander-kun! As you said, I'm really just a dreamer. So... Well, I just wanted to say that if this battle can use my words... Please let me join the fight! ”

This was exactly what he had come to Elan for, but when the words came to his lips, his sense of moral superiority involuntarily took over his brain.

"No, thank you."

"Uh...

"I accept your kindness, thank you." Ilan said expressionlessly. "But even if you sit down, I won't let you play."

"Why?!" Suzaku was in a hurry, stretched out his hand to think of Lai Yilan, and retracted his hand halfway. "Everyone's tired of it, aren't they?! With Lancelot's combat power..."

"The stronger Lancelot's fighting power, the less I will let you go. Shumu-kun, haven't you realized it yet? Elan took a slow step forward, staring into his eyes. You are a bomb from time to time. ”

"I...

"You are now persuaded by me, what if you are persuaded by the other side on the battlefield and turn your gun on us again? The slogans are shouted here, but when you see your former comrades-in-arms, hear the shouts of 'traitors' on the airwaves, and watch those 'soldiers who are just carrying out orders' being killed one by one, Suzaku Shuki, how will you react?

Give it to you behind my back, and I'll be half dead.

Do you know why you've been living so painfully?

It should be because you don't understand anything.

You have seen rivers of blood, corpses all over the ground, broken countries, and no more mountains and rivers. You've seen human dignity degraded to the point that dogs are no good, you've seen the miserable lives that plague the sewers, you've seen the kids rummaging through the trash cans like wild cats.

You've seen the ugliest side of this world, with your eyes.

But you don't understand anything.

You only know that this is 'wrong', but you don't know why this qiē is happening, and naturally it is even more impossible to know how to stop it.

When he saw a corpse, he wept bitterly and complained that the world was cold, which even a three-year-old child would do. But Shumu-kun, instead of crying to a person who is no longer heard, it is better to find the murderer, kill him, dirty his own hands, and protect those who are still alive.

You don't know what you're fighting for, you're just obeying other people's orders, so you're going to waver, so you're going to be miserable.

Suzaku, do you know why, these guys can rush at the enemy with bombs? Why has it come to this point that you have to persist in relying on drugs? Isn't life the most precious thing? Why, not a single person here flinched? ”

Ilan tapped Suzaku's heart with his finger.

"Because, they know who they are, what they want, they know their dreams. Because it's pure, it's powerful. They, fighting only for themselves. And you—" Elan smiled sarcastically and shook his head. "Let's figure out who you're talking about."

With that, Ilan turned around and left, leaving only the out-of-body Suzaku behind.

The body has become lighter, and the previous days of non-stop fighting seem like a dream. Now I seem to be back to my peak form.

No, it's stronger than that.

Ilan could even feel as if substantial energy was flowing under his muscles. Looking at his hand intently, time seemed to slow down, and each palm print was magnified countless times, incomparably clear, and close in front of him.

Looking at the watch on his left hand, it showed not the time, but his heart rate. Even though I didn't exercise, my heart rate, which was usually only 50, has been above 150 all the time. If this state is maintained for more than 12 hours, it will cause permanent damage to the heart.

He could feel his body burning.

This needle, I am afraid that I will have to replace my life span of three or five years.

"True power... is not about how much you have・・・・・・ but how much ・・・・・・ you can sacrifice."

Ilan lowered his head and muttered like a whisper, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned. When he looked up again, his eyes were full of indescribable things, and his snow-white teeth glistened with coldness.

Ilan looked around the hangar, and everyone slowly gathered around, everyone with the kind of eyes that seemed to be awakened by a beast deep in their genes, and everyone with that kind of weird smile that was enough to tear the enemy's heart apart. Gathered in one place, it was as if all the moisture in the air had been dried.

"Okay."

Elan clapped her hands.

"We're going to keep them all this time."