第２７９堀：ｕｎｋｎｏｗｎ (Part3)
"Next is the irregular warfare that follows in the urban pacification phase. Also known as unconventional warfare. Since the functions of the state and government have already ceased, the military naturally cannot move either. Well, the enemy has already penetrated deep into our territory, and the defeat is effectively decided. In this state, we are talking about combat that drags in the civilians."
"How could they...!?" Jessica gasped, unable to believe it.
"Well, this also falls under things like terrorist activities, but let's leave that aside for now. As you said, Jessica, involving civilians is absolutely out of the question, but the side being invaded wants to drive the enemy back at any cost. So, they use the geography they know best to annihilate the intruders. It’s logical, isn't it?"
"...Indeed. If we can just drive off the occupying force, a recovery is possible... but even so, using civilians as shields..."
"The monster incident that Sui-a and the others caused in Enaria was, in a sense, a terrorist act—an irregular war. You, of all people, understand its effectiveness best, Jessica."
"...Yes. That is why this is such a modern style of warfare, isn't it? It’s all about how quickly you can ferret out the opponent."
"Exactly. We are currently in the middle of an information war."
If the enemy were packing sniper rifles or RPGs, I wouldn't be going anywhere near there. I’m certain the forest would be crawling with snipers. Fortunately, the only things that can damage us are the entities summoned by the Holy Sword Users. It’s already been proven that Wai-chan can block the attacks of a Holy Sword User. The only thing we need to defend against is that one attack from the 'Unknown.' No—before we get attacked, we’ll annihilate them with a preemptive strike.
"I hope we find them soon."
"Agreed. Well, if we can't find them, the strategy will be for us to act as bait and draw them out..."
I really don't want to do that, so I’m hoping we find them first. I don't even know the enemy's range. Hell, I don't even know what they look like.
"Well, Lady Jessica's concerns are valid, but the real battle will likely start after sunrise."
"After sunrise?"
"Yes. Once the sun rises, the enemy will be forced to move to maintain surveillance. They’ll keep their movements to a minimum, of course, but they know that we—the commanders—are coming on a Wyvern. They’re bound to make a move."
Well, that’s pretty much what I expected. Let’s finish the checks while we have time.
"So, Steve. How is the unit’s preparation?"
"All good. Preparations are complete. Everyone except the night shift is asleep, but they can all deploy at a moment's notice if needed."
"No issues in particular?"
"None. We are in the best possible state we can be."
"Communication methods—radio frequencies and magical channels—both ready?"
"No problems there, either."
"Radio frequencies? Magical channels? Is 'Call' not enough?" Jessica asked, questioning the use of radios.
"Yeah. 'Call' can only communicate with selected representatives. Plus, we need to be prepared for skill-sealing, magic-sealing, and signal jamming. If we only relied on 'Call,' it would become useless in a skill-sealing zone. We’re avoiding the situation where having only one communication method leads to total isolation if that one is blocked."
"I see."
"Well, of course, we’ve trained to operate even if all those communication methods are crushed."
"Depriving the enemy of their messengers or killing them is a standard tactic on the front lines, after all. We’ve made sure we can function properly in the field."
"Indeed, capturing or killing enemy messengers is vital... but hearing it put this way, Yuki's world is truly... intense. Even the wars..." She said this with a slightly apologetic tone.
"Intense or not, it’s still war. It’s better if it didn't exist. Well, even in modern warfare, the underlying principle is to minimize human casualties. That’s why we aim precisely at the enemy's core."
"Yes. If that can be done, the front lines won't expand, and civilian casualties will be low. But, it feels so... heartless."
"Well, I understand how you feel, Jessica, but waging a war that drags in tens of thousands of soldiers and surrounding people just for the sake of pride or stubbornness... Over here, the villages and towns of enemy nations are treated pretty harshly, aren't they? I mean, you’d naturally drag civilians into a defensive battle, right?"
"...Yes. That is true. The people in captured villages and towns are routinely exploited, and in defensive battles, not only men but women and children are thrown into the fray."
"Over here, we don't involve civilians unless it’s irregular warfare. They’re just in the way, so we evacuate them. Besides, if an enemy nation touches civilians, they’d face a painful backlash from the global community, so they never do it."
The exploitation Jessica mentioned is only because they can't maintain an army otherwise—stress relief, supply replenishment. With this level of civilization, on-the-spot replenishment is the norm. That’s why killing dissidents is easier and the quickest way to maintain temporary control. Well, that said, even our world had massacres during the Second World War. But nowadays, such things aren't tolerated; if you did that, the whole world would become your enemy.
"...We are still so immature. Our world."
"You can just keep working hard from here on out. First, let’s eliminate the obstacle in front of us."
"Yes."
I encouraged Jessica, who was looking downcast. She’s usually so sharp and composed, so seeing this side of her isn't bad, but she is my precious wife, after all. Yeah. Jessica, who gave me her reply, was back to being the dignified knight I know. Beautiful and cute. No complaints.
"So, how long do you two plan on staring at each other?" Steve interrupted, breaking the mood.
Jessica tried to pull away instantly, but since there was no particular reason to, I kept her held tight.
"Eek!"
"No need to be shy. We’re married."
I pulled the now-docile Jessica onto my lap and held her there. Yep, yep. The sensation of her chest against me was satisfying.
"Ah, I see. Right. You’re married, aren't you? Damn it..."
"Don't sulk. You might have a good thing going with Agil, right?"
"I’m more likely to be torn to pieces by her!!"
"You never know where love starts. Maybe love starts after being torn to pieces."
"I don't need a meeting like some serial killer and a vampire."
"I actually like that story, though."
"I like it too, but I’ll pass on the real-life experience."
"Fair enough. Oh, that reminds me. They say if you want to hide a tree, you put it in a forest. There’s a possibility it’s camouflaged. So, let’s see—if we observe the ground carefully, we might be able to identify the monster the enemy is summoning. If it’s large, that is."
"Ah, I see. If it’s large, that’s the only way it could hide, right? Since we couldn't find it from the air, I assumed it was a small type."
"Or, there’s a possibility they summon it the moment we arrive."
"That’s the most troublesome scenario. Well, for now, we’ll search with the intent of seeing through any camouflage. It’s almost dawn."
Looking at the clock, it was past 4:30. Just as Steve said, it was dawn. The video feeds from the animals were gradually brightening. And then, a few minutes later...
"Boss!! We’ve discovered something that looks like the monster summoned by the Holy Sword User!!"
"Put it on the monitor!!"
Suddenly, a view from above—likely from a bird—appeared. There, in the middle of the forest, stood a solitary rocky mountain.
"Near that rocky mountain?"
"No!! Look at the ground-level feed too!!"
When it switched to the ground-level view, a tree that looked like it had been crushed was lying between the rock and the ground.
"...Hey, don't tell me!?"
"That’s right!! That rocky mountain is the enemy!! ...Found the Holy Sword User, too!! Mid-section of the mountain!!"
"Are you serious!? What’s the size of that mountain!?"
"...Approximately 30 meters in height!! 120 meters across!!"
"...No way."
Jessica was also staring at the monitor in shock. Then, the rocky mountain shifted, rising up with a motion like it was lifting its head.
"Species, likely a dragon!! I think it’s a Earth Dragon type!! Actually..."
Steve took a breath, and I joined him in shouting.
"A KAIJU!?"
Oh crap, is it time for the Ground Self-Defense Force to step in? No, it’s not 'King of the Monsters' size, so maybe it’s okay? No, it’s quadrupedal, not bipedal, so there’s no difference in size... Either way, this is bad.
"Call an emergency assembly!! Bring Taiki-kun in as a priority!! Even if you have to roll him up in a mat, drag him here!!"
Now, some of you might have thought it would end easily, but it has finally arrived.
The descent of the Kaiju.
How will Yuki and his team face it?!
What would you do?
Oh, September 30th.
"How to Operate a Winning Dungeon Vol. 2"
is on sale.
It features a color illustration of Yuki being assaulted by little girls!!
That was a blatant sales pitch!!
The bonus short story is distributed on a first-come, first-served basis at Toranoana, so be careful.
It’ll be a few days late in the provinces.