episode_0010

A little while later, in the special platoon-only training room.

Starlight Academy’s performance in colony competitions over the past 12 years has been quite low, but the facilities themselves are quite good.

In particular, before it gradually declined, the equipment was relatively new and had a sufficient assortment.

This is the case with the virtual reality simulator device placed in the special forces training room that Lavender and I are in front of right now.

“It’s the 2nd generation model.”

“City, it’s not a new style…”

“Anyway, the internal control device is the same as the entire colony standard, and the simulation data is uploaded. The only thing lacking is that it is not the latest UI.”

I pointed inside the simulator.

“Take it. From now on, I have to find a new weapon with you.”

“Weapon….”

“You said you have never hit someone with a bat.”

“…Yes.”

In response to my question, Lavender flatly denied it.

“I have never used violence against another person in my life.”

“So that’s right. If you had tried something like that at least once, you would have realized your talent.”

“Yes…?”

“First, enter the simulator. Get in the cockpit and put on your helmet right away.”

“Oh, yes!”

Fortunately, Lavender followed my instructions immediately.

She might be suspicious, but she didn’t seem to particularly suspect me.

‘Do you see me as your only hope?’

First of all, no matter what the outcome, there is someone who is willing to do something for you, so you will work hard because of that.

Moreover, now that I know that Aria Milky Way has chosen ‘the other side’, I am actually the only lifeline for Lavender Whiteley.

‘It’s a good catch.’

I’m glad I didn’t just say, ‘But I’ll still learn from Instructor Aria.’

Some tutors don’t like their teachers so they choose someone else, but fortunately, Lavender had already climbed into the cockpit and grabbed the control while I was lost in thought.

“Let’s connect it to the simulator.”

I placed my hand on the right side of the mask and activated the wireless network.

“Uh, instructor…?”

“Its basic role as a visual aid, but it has several additional functions. For example, images of your cockpit and the main camera.”

The mask’s right eye display was divided into four segments, each showing four scenes.

Lavender eyes.

Inside Lavender’s cockpit.

Two black screens not activated yet.

“Let’s start with the most basic weapon. The method is simple. Based on the AI matchup I set up, deal with the enemy using only the weapons I give you.”

“Okay!”

“The most recent aircraft was… Harcon. Just get on it. You have to set up everything, including the battlefield, opponents, and weapons.”

I am in the city center of the colony, the city center of Starlight Colony, where the roads stretch out.

“Instructor…?!”

“Why are you doing that?”

“This is… a colony?”

“You never know when and where a fight will break out.”

“But….”

“If AS is running around in a colony, it can definitely be said to be a major incident.”

It is a major incident that could result in people dying, and the occurrence of such an incident is either a ‘terrorism’ or

It is the end of the ‘war’.

“Try blocking it once. Fortunately, there are not many enemies.”

In other words, the enemy has infiltrated the inside of the colony – the front of the academy.

“How far can you go?”

Simulation, on.

* * *

Weeeeing.

When the simulator’s lid is closed, the internal display changes to resemble Harkon Avandarte’s cockpit.

At the same time, the front display began to illuminate a simulated ‘battlefield’.

“Ah….”

A familiar road.

Along the main street of the colony where he goes to school every morning, his aircraft, Harkon Abandarte, is standing at the main gate of the academy.

Like the last bastion guarding the main gate, only one aircraft stands and stares across the road.

“That….”

Enemies visible to the naked eye are familiar enemies to Lavender, if somewhat familiar.

“Magnolia Bugs…!”

The size is about 10m.

An insect-type AS that crawls on the ground or swims in space on two legs, about the size of a large container commonly seen in space ports.

It’s a bit like calling it AS.

That is a drone developed by the Jupiter Alliance, and it is a ‘genocidal weapon’ mainly used by the Jupiter Alliance when humanity was in a civil war with each other about a few decades ago.

[As a tactical instructor, I am in charge of the operator.]

Beep beep.

A somewhat familiar masked man appeared in the lower right corner of the display.

[Enemy ‘Covus-Mk2.’ Looking at the expression, I think I know it, but it is a colony-penetrating small weapon used by the former Jupiter Colony Alliance. The number of objects is four.]

Lavender found the sight somewhat foreign as he calmly briefed on the enemy with only his face exposed.

[There is only one weapon. Rushing into the body. The attack of leaping forward with a booster attached to the back is powerful enough to easily destroy a 10-story building.]

“Are there any beam weapons? I know it exists.”

[That was from the 3rd generation.]

“…….”

Do I know more about this or that AS than I thought?

After keeping it in mind that she would look for it later when she got home, Lavender held on to the control stick and looked at the left screen with her eyes.

Beep beep.

[I will add weapons. These are hand-selected weapons, so choose one.]

“Uh, this, this….”

Lavender was a little taken aback by the list of weapons.

▶Shield.

▶Mace.

▶Great sword.

“……Oh, no.”

[10 seconds later, the mock battle begins.]

“Now, sleep…!”

The operator screen disappeared.

Instructor Cloud said nothing more, and only numbers went down on the black screen.

“Ugh, uh…! There are only really melee weapons…?”

[6.]

“Ba, shield and mace… ha, just one? Well, then…!”

[3.]

“With this…!”

Beep.

Lavender pressed down on the screen and then stretched out Harkon’s hands forward.

Cheezy.

Electronic data began to flash, and weapons were created in Harkon’s hands.

In reality, this is an impossible phenomenon, but it probably assumes the situation of ‘the weapon is already in hand’.

“Uh, huh…?”

Lavender was embarrassed.

“Now, I pressed the wrong button…!”

Did my finger slip because I was clicking so quickly on the screen?

“Oh, isn’t it?! Surely I am…!”

It seems like he chose a mace, but in both hands he was holding a wide, solid greatsword that reached almost from Harkon’s feet to his chest.

Why I chose Mace.

That’s because before the instructor came here, the phrase ‘Have you ever hit someone with a stick?’ came to mind.

[start.]

“Ahh?!”

Without any time to choose again, the Magnolia Bugs began crawling across the floor one by one, increasing their speed.

A mecha full of evil that seeks to evoke fear in humans through movements similar to those of real insects.

In fact, in history, those mechas invaded several colonies on Mars and trampled countless people to death.

[For your information, students have not yet been evacuated behind the academy.]

“Ah!”

Now, even in mock battles, they are trying to defeat those who stand in their way and slaughter the civilians behind them.

“This…!”

Lavender held the handle of the great sword with both hands and quickly adjusted the maneuvering control device to regain her stance.

“No matter what the weapon is, it must be blocked…!”

Flashing.

The moment the blade of the great sword was twisted to the side, the lavender Harkon leaned forward with sparkling eyes.

“Then get over here before the enemy rushes in!”

Pa–ah.

The thruster on Harkon’s back spewed out flames, and Harkon lunged at Corvus Mk-2 with his greatsword raised.

* * *

“Attack first before a ranged attack arrives. It’s a good choice.”

I turned off the microphone for a moment and wrote a tactical report while looking at the bird’s-eye satellite image (mock) of Harkon, piloted by Lavender.

“As expected, my thoughts were not wrong.”

Should I call it intuition?

For some reason, I thought, ‘This guy is perfect for a great sword,’ so I changed the weapon and threw it to him, and as expected, he started swinging the great sword very well.

Kwa-euang!

Rather than cutting it down, it smashes the corpus by swinging the great sword with the feeling of crushing its head with a huge lump of mass.

“It’s fast. Quickly. Attacking immediately when there is an enemy in front of you is definitely an outstanding skill.”

As soon as the battle starts, he’s bold enough to hit the guy running from the front to the floor.

excellent.

“Then, what about attacks coming from a blind spot?”

After diverting Corpus Unit 2, I attempted an attack by bringing Units 3 and 4 closer.

Kwa-euang!

This time, he stabs the great sword forward and pierces the back of Unit 3’s neck.

Then, as if making a confirmed kill, he stomps on Corpus Unit 3’s head with his foot and thrusts his greatsword diagonally once.

Wow.

Although it was a battle in virtual reality, the emerald ether flowing inside the Corpus splattered like blood.

It was unsightly, as it looked like a bug had exploded and died and green juice had flowed out, but Lavender pulled out her greatsword and swung it wide to the side.

Suddenly!

A sharp slash that twisted the aircraft’s waist.

Unit 4, which was about to jump from the floor and hit Harkon’s solar plexus, split in half in the air, and Harkon stopped moving for a moment while swinging his sword due to the recoil of the aircraft.

“Now.”

I operated Corpus Unit 2 and rushed the guy from the opposite square.

‘If my intuition is correct, lavender is definitely…’

Very slightly.

It made me jump so much that the rear radar could detect it, and I turned my screen to look at Lavender’s helmet.

The helmet doesn’t turn.

However, the eye tracker being checked on the helmet quickly returns to Corpus, and at the same time, Harkon puts down his great sword.

“Wow.”

Baaah.

Harkon puts down his great sword and swings his arm wide, stabbing Corpus’ head from the side with his elbow.

[Aaaahhh…!!]

As a result, the cockpit seat shook significantly as it collided with the Corpus from body to body.

“Awesome.”

I turned the microphone back on and opened a new screen toward Lavender.

“Mission, success.”

Lavender chose her major brilliantly and clearly achieved her educational goals.

“Use melee weapons to shoot down four Corpus.”

The primary goal is to acquire basic knowledge as a mecha pilot.

“…If it comes within its range, it attacks mercilessly. What a destructive fighting instinct.”

The feeling of your body reacting immediately at the slightest reaction is like a kind of ‘wildness’ that goes far beyond the basics of an ordinary pilot.

“Lavender Whitely. You start today.”

Special measures just for lavender.

“Do not equip any long-distance attack weapons.”

[……yes?]

“Only close combat.”

[Well, that’s…!]

“It’s the easiest solution.”

Only close combat using the quickness of a beast.

“If it comes in between you, destroy everything. That’s the way you can become an ace pilot.”

[Well, to do that….]

“Of course.”

The direction of the aircraft has now been determined.

“Your role is to charge into the middle of enemy lines alone.”