07 Binding Sword

The forces deployed reached an all-time high.

Within the Third Fleet Defense Force flagship, the Longinus-class mobile battleship *Gebork*, Jin surveys the interior with faint curiosity.

Even he, known as the top ace, had never boarded this vessel before.

A colossal frame stretching ten kilometers in length.

Nearly the same size as the Ark-class colony ships that constitute ships two and beyond the main vessel. Living quarters match this scale.

It resembled a fortified city flying through space.

The number of Ravens lined up in the hangar approached five hundred.

With another identical hangar, the total capacity reached one thousand.

A scale sufficient to house one-tenth of the Third Fleet Defense Force.

Two thousand remain behind with the colony fleet; the rest deploy immediately.

The remaining seven thousand or so units are distributed among the Lombardia-class battleships and Rosario-class cruisers.

Additionally, newly constructed shield-generating vessels. Supposedly capable of defending against super-large-scale Ether Cannons.

A grand fleet of fifty ships in total.

Even with such a force assembled.

Jin wonders how much of a chance they truly have.

The Longinus-class mobile battleships have scarcely seen combat deployment.

Their true worth has never been proven in actual combat.

Thus, there is no operational data on how effective they are against ASID.

"Operation is fundamentally flawed."

A reckless gamble, to say the least.

Or perhaps, one should marvel at the thought that such a thing was even conceived.

Jin cannot decide what words to throw at the planner.

Yet he also understands, simultaneously, that this may be the only option available.

"...Reminds me of the aquarium Mio and I once visited."

A creature displayed there.

He had not expected to end up the same way.

He feels a faint sadness, aligning his fate with that of a certain marine organism.

If he had known this, he should have watched its form until the very end—engaging in a subtle retreat from reality.

"Look, it's the Instructor, just as I thought!"

"Making a declaration from that grain-of-rice distance is a bit much."

A lively voice.

Recognizing two familiar tones, Jin smiles and turns around.

"Sasamori Lieutenant! Nastin Lieutenant! You two here too?"

"Yes! Instructor. It's been a while!"

"It's been a while, Instructor. Yes. Both of us were selected for the First Assault Unit."

Speaking in unison, the two offer crisp salutes.

Kou has grown taller since the last time Jin saw him.

His still-developing frame was tightened by relentless training; muscle definition beneath the uniform was unmistakable.

Perhaps due to five years spent in relentless combat. A certain bearing, almost regal, had begun to settle upon him.

Yuria had cut her hair short—golden strands trimmed into a sharp bob.

When asked the reason once,

“Hair floats in zero gravity. It gets in the way,”

she replied with a practical explanation.

Perhaps because she’d served as Kou’s constant backup since assignment.

Their coordination now felt more seamless than during training academy days.

Both had grown into formidable fighters. Their records now warranted calling them the Third Fleet’s elite.

Jin felt a quiet resonance at their transformation and returned their salute.

“Hmph. Same here. And drop the instructor title. Teaching only the troublemakers like you is more than enough.”

"Actually, Instructor—May was complaining about troublemakers among this year’s recruits..."

"Is that so! That’s excellent news!"

"Ugh, full of smiles. I don’t think I was a troublemaker, though!"

Hearing that May had become an Instructor and was struggling through it, Jin finally understood his mentor’s feelings, even if it was late.

"Hardship in youth is something you’d buy even if you had to... I’m sure Bellwair will come to understand my feelings someday."

"Please, Captain. May isn’t Bellwair anymore—she’s Sasamori. Honestly, I can’t stand it!"

Jin frowned at Yuria’s sudden outburst.

Perhaps...

"Nastin Lieutenant. You’re not still—still pining for Bellwair, are you?"

"Captain. Say such things only after you’ve slept."

Dead serious.

Jin was stunned—being told seriously by someone who usually spoke in sleep-talk.

"Captain. Probably this is it. May's been saying something like this now and then."

With that preamble, Kou begins speaking.

"Something like, 'Who knows, maybe ten years from now we'll complain about our husbands together'—or whatever."

"Wait, she said that to you too!?"

"Also mentioned, by the way, that it's fine even if it's two more years."

"May! I'll get you for this when you get back!"

"Isn't it because you say things like that that your boyfriend ran away, Yuriya?"

"Too bad! He ran away before I even got to be his girlfriend! He ran away...!"

Though poorly phrased, Yuriya was left behind after two of the three had paired off.

She was nearing the middle of her twenties, apparently starting to think seriously about marriage.

"Give up, Captain Nastin. Once you become a soldier, your spouse must be military."

"I don't want that... I want a fresh-faced, handsome type."

"You're setting the bar too high."

Perhaps the ideal is so lofty that you're avoiding reality altogether, Yuriya thought, as Jin did.

"Y-yes. Mio-chan... Mio-chan doesn't have a boyfriend yet, right!? She won't leave me behind, will she!? "

"Relax. Not yet. If you want to date Mio, you'll have to be stronger than me."

"Great! Mio-chan's a fellow single! "

"Captain. If you're too strict, you'll end up just like this guy one day."

"That's not it! I just haven't found someone worthy of me!"

Kou calmly reasoned with Jin's usual exaggeration.

Sensing he was at a disadvantage when the topic turned to this, Jin changed the subject.

It had been a year since they'd last met—plenty of topics to discuss.

They said your actions saved them. Remember? The captain of the escort unit during the mining operation.

—Yeah, yeah, I remember. Yeah, I did help him out, Kou.

Was it about half a year ago? We broke through from the outside when he was surrounded.

They praised the move. Really impressive. Have you improved further?

Yes… I think I could hold my own against an Instructor in one-on-one now.

His tone carries absolute confidence.

Not arrogance. Just the quiet certainty of someone who has earned their skill.

Physically, Kou is at his peak. If it came to a real fight, even Jin couldn’t be sure of victory.

In that sense, Kou is the closest to Mio’s partner. Married, so he’s not a candidate anyway.

Speaking of improvement—Sasamori Lieutenant. Congratulations on the medal.

Jin suddenly snaps his fingers, remembering.

It was just yesterday.

He was awarded a commendation for leading the convoy in ASID downings this year.

"Thank you, Captain."

"By the way, Captain—how many of those medals do you have?"

"You can't receive multiple of the same medal, Lieutenant Nastin. But... I’ve probably collected around ten."

He counts them on his fingers. That’s about the number.

Since becoming an Instructor, he hasn’t increased the tally—yet.

"Right, right. The Red Cross Medal."

"Is that the one awarded for destroying one hundred ASID in a single engagement?"

"That’s it. The medal was created specifically for me when I destroyed one hundred in one battle—newest in the series."

The previous gold cross medal required fifty downed ASID per battle.

Exceeding that threshold with ease, yet receiving nothing, was considered a lapse in decorum—so the medal was established solely for Jin.

"I’ve heard even the Gold Cross is awarded only once every few years."

"I haven’t heard of anyone else receiving the Red Cross Medal besides me."

Jin nodded slightly at Yuria’s words, casting a faintly challenging glance toward Kou.

"How many years until you earn it?"

"……I’ll show you."

Kou accepted Jin’s provocation without hesitation.

He exhaled, as if already surpassing the record.

"Still, first I’d need to encounter a battlefield where that many can be eliminated."

"That’s a dilemma..."

"You can’t eliminate that many unless you’re attacked by a large-scale swarm."

For the convoy, the best scenario was one without active combat.

Awarded medals meant combat had occurred.

A desire to earn merit, yet no opportunity to display it.

Exactly as Kou said—a dilemma.

"Still, this mission. If we achieve results, maybe we’ll earn another medal. Let’s push, Kou."

That’s right. If we had even one medal, we could at least have an excuse to tell May…

That’s not the point!

Lieutenant Nastin. Unfortunately… I think most civilians would feel awkward around someone who’s been decorated.

Eh!? What am I supposed to do now!?

Yuria’s love life seems to be shrouded in thick fog—no destination in sight at all….