Ch.213#213. What is a War Hero? #213. What is a War Hero? #213. What is a War Hero? #213. What is a War Hero? #213. What is a War Hero? #213. What is a War Hero? #213. What is a War Hero? #213. What is a War Hero?

Gilbert flew toward the giant mech like a bullet, feeling the extreme gravitational acceleration throughout his body as he kept his eyes wide open. His superhuman physique withstood everything despite being thrown with nothing but his bare body.

CT-777 had delivered him precisely to the cockpit of the giant mech, just as it had confidently promised.

Even amid the turbulence, Gilbert maintained his balance with remarkable physical control and entered the cockpit before the bombardment hit. In that momentary gap, the autonomously moving CT-777 covered for him.

Gilbert hurriedly activated the giant mech.

[Characteristic skill “Your Mech Is Awesome” is activating.]

The characteristic skill activated along with the giant mech’s startup. The artificial spirit that had been warning of errors was immediately overridden by the characteristic skill and recognized him as the pilot.

The synchronization rate with the giant mech, which had felt frustratingly low until now, instantly rose, giving him a natural feeling as if he were moving his own body. Though the left arm was partially destroyed and the mech’s performance output hadn’t increased, the improved synchronization rate alone filled him with confidence that he could do anything.

“You!”

Grand General Dantes was shocked to see Gilbert performing the outrageous feat of switching mechs. It felt like everything he knew about common sense was crumbling.

Before even questioning whether it was possible, the fact that someone would venture onto a battlefield where giant mechs were clashing against each other with nothing but their bare body was beyond sanity. And to have his own mech throw him—it was unbelievable even after seeing it.

Meanwhile, Gilbert paid no attention to Grand General Dantes’s shock and freely used his characteristic skill. The combination of increased synchronization rate from “Your Mech Is Awesome” and Gilbert’s piloting ability score of 100 produced another insane effect.

Any giant mech that faced him was mercilessly shot down and sent tumbling to the ground. Only the new model giant mechs could hold their ground against Gilbert, using their superior performance.

The giant mech knights piloting the new models felt self-loathing for failing to properly handle a single one-armed giant mech despite following Prince Richard’s instructions precisely. Or they were simply at a loss about how to deal with this monster.

The second round of battle that had begun early in the morning was gradually coming to an end. Though it appeared evenly matched at a glance, a closer look revealed that Seraphina’s rebellion suppression forces had the upper hand.

This was all thanks to Gilbert, Ian, and the autonomously operating CT-777. They had perfectly blocked the new model giant mechs, allowing the rebellion suppression forces to exert their strength.

Both commanders, Seraphina and Richard, recognized this. Seraphina smiled at the fact that her disciple had excellently completed his mission, while Prince Richard smirked at the realization that it was just one man who had stood in his way.

And as if they had discussed it, both ordered their armies to stop fighting and pull back.

As both sides withdrew their forces, Richard immediately requested magical communication with Seraphina. Seraphina had no reason to refuse and promptly accepted.

“What business does the rebellion leader have with me?”

[Has becoming the Crown Princess made you unable to see your brother?]

“You must know that the situation is different now than before you started the rebellion.”

[That’s correct.]

Seeing his utterly shameless face speaking so calmly, Seraphina abandoned her dignified appearance and glared fiercely at Prince Richard.

“What exactly was your intention in causing all this? Do you know how many innocent citizens have suffered because of your rebellion?”

[Suffering.]

The consistently calm expression of Prince Richard suddenly hardened. He moved his lips as if about to say something, but ultimately said nothing and firmly closed his mouth.

After a very brief moment, Prince Richard seemed to have made up his mind and dropped a meaningful statement.

[Be vigilant. That’s all the advice I can give you.]

“What? Are you playing word games with me now?”

[Think what you will… but keep that man within the Empire at all costs. That is my final piece of advice.]

With that, the communication ended. His words were full of incomprehensible meanings, leaving Seraphina perplexed.

Richard, who disliked speaking unnecessarily, must have had a reason for opening communication to say such things.

However, now was not the time to leisurely ponder this. Even though they had entered a brief lull, they were still at war.

Seraphina pushed her conversation with Prince Richard to the back of her mind for the moment.

Meanwhile, Richard was feeling somewhat dejected.

He never expected that even with the new model giant mechs, they wouldn’t be able to defeat Gilbert Lion Heart. While it had gone according to plan when he struggled and was repelled in the first round, it was truly unexpected that Gilbert would overcome the new giant mechs in the second round.

But that made it interesting.

Richard burst into laughter. Seeing someone who could smash his proud military tactics with piloting skills made him realize that all his simulations had been useless. If they hadn’t been able to counter the new model giant mechs, they wouldn’t have stood a chance from the beginning.

That man was truly a tactical weapon that could shatter strategies. A weapon that could significantly impact the battlefield just by moving independently.

And in the Empire, such individuals were called:

War heroes.

He too was called a war hero, but in reality, he was just a madman obsessed with war. Despite clearly seeing the intentions of those people, he had made this choice with a smile.

Prince Richard could easily predict that he would become the defeated general. Seraphina, who possessed a tactical weapon, was clearly ahead of him. That’s why he deliberately contacted Seraphina to drop hints about those people.

If the intelligent Seraphina understood his words…

The reason he, who had started a rebellion, gave Seraphina a tip wasn’t for any grand reason.

It wasn’t because of his mindset as an imperial prince or as the war hero Richard.

He was simply curious about how those unidentified individuals who had handed him the new giant mechs and encouraged rebellion would react against the Empire’s tactical weapon.

It was merely a whim to balance the scales of battle, as those operating in the shadows had already secured an advantageous position.

Did they know what kind of monster they were fighting against?

Did they realize that their opponent was an anomaly who could even hijack someone else’s giant mech, something theoretically impossible?

Richard thought about this and chuckled. Though he wouldn’t be able to see it directly, he vowed to watch from the afterlife.

***

Using the brief lull in battle, Gilbert retrieved CT-777.

It wasn’t hard to predict that the next clash would be the decisive battle. Gilbert planned to use CT-777’s support to make his winning move at that critical juncture.

He held his breath and calmed his mind. He maintained intense concentration with his iron sword sheathed, ready to act the moment the charge signal came.

“Limit Break.”

[Initiating Limit Break.]

[Warning! Activating Limit Break may cause permanent stat decreases.]

Entering the domain, Gilbert sank into his inner self, hearing only his heartbeat in a world that seemed to slow down infinitely. Having grown accustomed to entering the domain, he took one step further.

The feeling of surpassing the limits of his limits.

It felt like he could go a bit further, but he was only permitted two steps.

But he didn’t give up. To take that slightly insufficient third step, he drew upon his characteristic skill. “Your Mech Is Awesome,” which could make even others’ mechs his own, somehow extended its grasp into the domain of limits he had stepped into.

And at the moment he took that third step, as if stealing it—

[Charge!]

At the exact moment both commanders gave their orders, Gilbert exhaled the breath he had been holding.

His ultimate strike.

A single sword strike capable of splitting the cold blue winter sky appeared on the Selenne Plains.

Winter Sword – Gathering Force

Winter Sky Slash

Leaving deep scars on both earth and sky.

***

Seeing the rebel army devastated by the Winter Sword’s Winter Sky Slash, the rebellion suppression forces charged toward the rebels like wolves at Seraphina’s cry.

Gilbert’s ferocious strike was unstoppable even for the new model giant mechs. The slash that carved deep wounds into the earth and split even the clouds—not just the sky—had the unbelievable power comparable to tactical magic weaponry.

Of course, that single strike couldn’t completely annihilate the rebel army, but the unimaginable devastation from just one sword strike crushed the rebels’ morale. In contrast, the morale of the rebellion suppression forces soared to the heavens, displaying incredible combat performance.

Grand General Dantes, who had resisted until the end, sacrificed himself heroically to help Prince Richard escape. It was a lonely end unbefitting a war hero who had once commanded the battlefield of an era.

But isn’t that the emptiness of war?

Despite Grand General Dantes’s death, Prince Richard remained at his post until the end, fighting fiercely until he was captured by Ian.

With the rebel leader Prince Richard secured, the rebel army, having lost the will to fight, surrendered.

In the end, the civil war that unfolded over two rounds on the Selenne Plains ended in victory for the rebellion suppression forces, thanks to Gilbert’s overwhelming sword strike.