14 Left-handed slap

After immense effort from the personnel on-site, including Jin, the large-scale simulator exercise began without incident.

Jin, listed among the participants, led a training unit assigned to a sector of the front line.

"Maintain formation! Concentrate fire by company units—fully!"

No fourth-year student can perform dogfights against humanoid targets.

Necessarily, the engagement devolves into long-range shooting.

Concentrated fire from a straight-line formation.

Even the Leopard’s ether rifle cannot withstand ten or more converging fire lines.

The strategy is to retreat gradually, eliminating one target at a time with precision.

And when the pressure still mounts despite this, it is Jin’s turn.

A single Raven accelerates abruptly.

The obsidian frame reached top speed in an instant, diving into the cluster of identical humanoid ASIDs.

No Queen-class — no Black Knight — existed within this orbital zone.

Without a Black Knight present, humanoid ASIDs posed no significant threat to Jin.

Even during Leopard’s engagement, that had been true.

A performance-enhanced Raven would be even more so.

Grasping the Etherdagger in one hand, the Etherrifle in the other.

Viewing separate directions through right eye and left.

Movement as if two distinct pilots controlled each half of the机体.

Ripping through the formation of humanoid ASIDs, reversing through the barrage of trainees’ fire, then returning in a graceful arc.

— To most trainees, Jin, the Instructor, was more frightening than the humanoid ASIDs.

Among the second-year trainees forming part of the formation, a certain protégé remarked.

“The Instructor moved quite human-like, didn’t he?” (M, 17)

“Didn’t engage in变态 maneuvers, so I think he held back considerably.” (Y, 16)

“Just not telling us to watch our backs—that’s pretty kind, don’t you think?” (K, 16)

Note: These comments later reached the Instructor’s ears.

“Still, pretty impressive.”

The overall casualty rate remained lower than during actual combat.

The scale and formation differ, so direct comparison isn’t possible. Perhaps the regular troops have improved since then.

Or perhaps the rate is high only because these are samples drawn from survivors.

Or another reason entirely.

Unfortunately, within Jin’s assigned sector, the trainee unit recorded the highest casualty rate.

Expected, given the trainees’ inexperience. Still, it’s slightly galling.

He wonders if he might have saved a few more lives under his command.

Regular troops sustain losses at fifteen percent. Trainees exceed twenty percent.

The standout is the cyborg squad.

"Two down... monsters, really."

Their loss rate is a mere one percent.

Kill ratio remains a crushing twelve to one.

The fact that the dispatched unit is advancing while others retreat reveals this is no retreat born of hesitation.

"Even this far...?"

The true marvel of the cyborg squad lies in their uniform quality.

Surgical augmentation ensures no imbalance in physical capability.

Once trained in the same tactics, soldiers emerge nearly identical in ability.

Recruit pilots of high caliber.

But even exceptional quality cannot succeed alone.

As a unit, uniformity is preferable.

The technology held by the Second Fleet is exceptionally suited for forming elite squads.

...Could that be the target?

A sales pitch.

Demonstrating cybernetic enhancement technology to the Third Fleet.

This exercise, a demonstration for that purpose...

To be thinking such things while charging into enemy lines—anyone else would be astonished.

Close-quarters combat at high speed. The moment demanding the utmost concentration.

Even without full focus, Jin’s movements show no hesitation.

A foe of this caliber could be handled with movements ingrained in the body alone.

Yes—those are the kind of opponents whose nerve Jin must fully engage.

Queen-class etheric resonance suddenly appearing on the battlefield. Two of them.

This is...

One is likely the Black Knight. Opposing the cybernetic squad.

And the other one—right before Jin’s eyes. Expected approach via overlight.

A slender, white humanoid form, armed with a large, horn-like weapon.

Unit designation: Unicorn.

A炮撃型 ASID that had inflicted severe damage on the convoy.

"Bad."

The tactical data had already reached Jin’s mind.

The weapon that gave rise to the Unicorn’s name.

From its flanks, etheric light poured forth in unison.

A shower of light, tracing curved trajectories, descending upon the trainees arranged in formation.

It was a true meteor.

Not one observed from the ground, but one encountered in orbit—signifying death.

"Evade, all units!"

Yet the command came too late.

The Leopard units, tightly aligned for maximum firing efficiency, had no room to maneuver.

Evade was impossible. One after another, units were shot down.

Reactor output at Queen-class level—size of a humanoid frame.

The firepower of that barrage was beyond conventional limits.

One hit, and the training units were deemed irreparable—falling away one by one.

A single shot brought down thirty percent. Only about twenty percent remained intact.

Half the formation sustained damage, to varying degrees.

ASID specialized for mass engagement.

Jin barely passed through the barrage—momentarily uncertain.

Engagement at range would guarantee defeat.

There was only one path forward—press ahead.

Yet many humanoid ASID units remained, aside from the Unicorn.

Continuing like this meant total annihilation.

Even if action were taken—still—

"Damaged units re-form the line! Re-engage in coordinated fire and bring down the enemy!"

And the few remaining intact units—

"Advance the line! Bring down the Unicorn!"

There is no way out but forward.

Then it was necessary to step forward and carve a path with one's own strength.

"Alright. Finally breaking through."

"Thank goodness we can stop wasting ammunition now!"

"Practice your shooting more, you two."

Eagerly following Jin's command, the two reckless assault riders and one weary veteran surge forward.

Among the trainees, these three stood apart in skill.

The one standout unit in the assault force—May's machine.

Its movements were so fluid, so unrestricted, one might think it aimed to liquefy the human form.

Human-shaped units could not keep pace.

And while distracted by May's motion, the Yuriya unit opens fire.

"Shooting while moving isn't really my strong suit..."

Saying this humbly, the shot is precise.

A gap opens in the line of humanoid units—.

"Nice one, squad leader."

Kou dives into the opening. May follows immediately.

A chaotic assault unfolds—beyond the precision of Jin’s command—complementing the advance of other assault units.

"Kou, you move kind of creepy from behind."

"Shut up. That’s how we win."

Movement defying human anatomy—assault frame mechanics in defiance of biological structure.

Shooting with arms bent in reverse to the elbow.

Knees bent sideways, utilizing leg thrusters for lateral motion.

Kou’s motion grows increasingly inhuman.

While his students fight, Jin does not idle.

He draws the Unicorn into close combat, preventing a second shot.

Abandoning the rifle, he grips ether daggers in both hands.

A strike fighter entering the core is usually fatal—but not for the Unicorn.

Primary armament: a large Ether Cannon.

It initiates close combat by wielding the spike at its tip.

Comparable to spear combat.

The extended reach hinders Jin’s advance.

He could, as before, extend the ether blade to counter the reach.

But the opponent is unfavorable.

To strike a humanoid ASID of Queen-class, the weapon must be more tightly focused than usual.

Such focus sacrifices both power and reach.

“How to proceed…”

Remaining pressed against it achieves nothing.

Yet the opponent was not one to be defeated by mere stasis.

As a spear, it requires a sequence: thrust, withdraw.

He must synchronize his motion with that sequence.

Monotonous, Jin thought.

When facing a humanoid, this monotony required preparation.

Now, this movement feels different.

The engineer who programmed this simulation does not understand what was most terrifying about a humanoid.

Matching the enemy's timing.

At point-blank range, the机体 and the unicorn's forehead collide.

"Got you. The white one."

Driving both ether daggers simultaneously into the neck.

Cutting through the neck from both sides, severing it cleanly.

"Weak."

If this opponent was truly on par with the Black Knight, the simulation was far too shallow.

It wasn't like this.

It wasn't some mechanical opponent.

A faint disappointment stirred within Jin.

Apparently, he would not be able to exact revenge in this simulation.