13 Deadline

"Move forward."

After a brief hesitation, Jin made his decision.

"Continuing the operation under these conditions is difficult."

"That's true. Coordinated withdrawal is impossible as well."

Communication is entirely severed, after all.

As in ancient times, the only option is to send runners.

Under these circumstances, informing the entire assault unit of a retreat is impossible.

"Some units will be left behind if others withdraw."

"Yet we may be the ones left behind."

"Perhaps. But those chosen for this operation are not the kind to retreat. They'll all choose to advance before they turn back."

Jin's decision means nothing if the other units don't think the same.

Even if they reach the processor successfully, it's useless unless they destroy everything simultaneously.

Only time will tell which choice was correct.

Jin prefers stepping forward in such cases.

"How do you plan to achieve simultaneous processor destruction?"

"Simultaneous destruction isn't necessary. Destroy it once, then keep destroying it every time it regenerates. The other units will handle the rest."

It comes down to whether one trusts the other units or not.

"Besides, they must be aware the external communications have been severed. Probably, he’ll manage something."

" Him?"

"There’s someone who can whip up something useful on short notice during unforeseen circumstances."

Jin speaks, recalling his long-time technician.

She’d likely scream about the weight of such trust if she heard it directly—but Jin believes.

She’s the type who excels at combining makeshift components into functional systems.

If she knows communications have failed, she won’t be helpless.

Move forward—nothing matters unless we reach the processor.

Movement and attack continued as before, but the pace quickened.

Expending all stored ether from the orbital package’s auxiliary thrusters, they detached.

The accelerating thruster unit, now unmoored, functioned as a singular mass weapon.

Breaking through the interference lattice by brute force, Jin’s squad advanced deeper.

“Interference is only at the lattice towers… odd.”

Jin frowned at the unusually lax reception.

The response was swift upon entry, but subsequent actions were sluggish.

He had expected more complications, but these two were insignificant to Jin and his team.

“Perhaps this is sufficient interference in total?”

“Possibly. Then it’s troublesome.”

Standing out alone achieves nothing.

At minimum, six units. The operation collapses if not all survive.

Retracing the branching path, attempting rescue for other units—no, that is futile. One would only become lost.

There is no choice but to proceed, trusting.

As Jin moves forward, he senses doubt taking root within himself.

Is this truly the correct course?

Only they are advancing. The others may have already withdrawn.

The thoughts spiral endlessly.

Passing several branching points.

Reaching what must be the third junction—.

"Three o'clock alert!"

A sharp-eyed one detects movement ahead in the corridor.

A potential enemy, on guard—yet immediately identifies the reactor signature, recognizing the error.

From the shadows emerges a group of Ravens. That is, friendly forces.

'Oh, so there are units advancing ahead of us after all!'

The others must have harbored the same doubt while moving forward.

The joy of recognition was similar in both.

"Yes! Better than retreating and leaving us behind!"

"Same here! Share map data. Processor status?"

"Still undetermined."

Integrating both units' maps reveals a substantial area.

Still, only in one direction.

"...Sorry, Captain. I just realized something."

"What is it?"

"This direction on the map. Unexplored territory. From an external view, this area should be the head."

The color on the shared data-link map shifts.

Indeed. The region ahead of Jin's team is the head.

And as expected, ASID processors are concentrated in the head.

A reasonable target direction.

"Our unit will proceed this way. What about you?"

"May we accompany you? Embarrassing to admit, but we've been driven toward the turret this entire time..."

On closer inspection, the Raven that had joined them bore visible damage. It had taken hits it could not fully evade.

Its number had decreased from the full complement of twelve.

‘Alone, it seems likely to be destroyed soon. It would be better, then, to serve as a shield for allied forces.’

The words carried the weight of surrendering to survival.

Recalling the earlier interference.

Indeed, even two units alone were in a precarious situation.

‘Understood. We will advance together.’

With their numbers increased, the Raven formation moved deeper into the structure.

Near the upper section, movement emerged from the side of the colossal variant.

‘What is that?’

A disc-shaped object floating gently.

If one had to name a similar object, perhaps a drone used by the migrant convoy.

But it was not a drone from the migrant convoy.

It approached without suffering a single shot from the turret—casually, without hesitation.

"...What is this?"

"No reactor reaction. Threat level is low... should be."

Uneasy.

And not human-made—ASID.

No need to let it come so close unchallenged.

A bullet fired from the ether rifle deflected abruptly.

"What?!"

The movement triggered it.

Suddenly agile, it attacked again with ether projectiles.

More objects, identical in form, advanced from deeper within the corridor—ten, twenty, multiplying.

"Damn it! What the hell is this?!"

That strength—undoubtedly ether-coated.

And the attack just now—ether-based.

Some even advanced with extended ether blades.

"Why is it using ether if there's no reactor reaction?!"

One of the squad members spat in frustration at the contradiction.

……! So that’s it! That’s how it is!

A single insight grants Jin the answer.

If this theory holds, it’s absurd.

“This is part of its ether circulation system. Unprocessed ether still flows here.”

It circulates from the reactor, travels to various points, is refined, then used for attack, defense, and mobility.

“Then part of it should be able to function without a reactor—using the ether here directly.”

It’s like wireless charging.

Even at a distance, it can draw ether supply.

……This is trouble.

It’s unusually hard.

A few shots from the ether rifle would break it, but it keeps shifting—harder to hit than a turret.

And it has unexpected mobility.

It’s actively chasing after the Raven, which is dashing ahead right now.

It can no longer be handled as before—shooting down the obstructing turrets and ignoring the rest.

Ignoring it recklessly risks an unmanageable number.

There is no choice but to shoot it down.

But even as it is shot down, for a brief moment it halts, and the turret takes aim.

"Like white blood cells, perhaps?"

"Then we should have red blood cells ready too... blast them all down, disrupt the ether supply."

Jin mutters, thinking.

Breakthrough is possible.

One Raven, spinning like a disc, is cleaved in two from the cockpit.

The cockpit may be intact at that position, but the reactor is completely destroyed.

Losing the aircraft within enemy territory is tantamount to death.

As the last act of vengeance, he cuts it down with a single strike of the congealed ether dagger.

It is possible to bring them down.

But how many times must this be repeated before reaching the processor?

While Jin downed one unit, two more emerged from deeper within.

Sequential deployment should be a target for individual elimination—but with this endless addition, it felt like an endless round of leftovers.

No resupply in sight.

This battle repeats, and as time passes, the enemy adapts further.

Currently, they can respond—but if more time elapses, even Jin and the others may face something beyond their capacity.

“This might be bad…”

No sign of improvement.

At least not from within.

Without intervention from outside—fleet-side—it seemed impossible to break the deadlock.

“…I’m counting on you.”

Only because he believed they would not leave the situation as it is did he choose to move forward.