At this moment, the sense of shock far outweighed the pain in his heart.
Actually, there wasn't much to be pained about, as this was only the first stage, and Yamada Masaharu had just met and was getting to know his few allies, so their bond wasn't deep yet.
One could only say that Old Thief Furuhara's ability to inflict pain had declined this time.
Don't you understand? To make players feel heartache, the most important thing is to let these characters build a connection with the players.
Inflicting pain in such a short time cannot evoke a strong resonance.
However, to say that there was no ripple in his heart would certainly be impossible.
Pokeni's visual expressive power was evident.
But, the reason Yamada Masaharu felt his heart waver was largely due to Pokeni's highly emotionally evocative presentation style.
So sometimes, the method of presentation is also very important.
However, mere expressiveness is certainly not enough; time is still needed, for time is the most terrifying force in this world.
It allows your emotions to settle, and then, through subtle influence, it plants these characters deep within your heart, so that once they are pulled away, there will be a huge void, like roots torn from your heart after being fermented by time.
That kind of piercing pain cannot be compared to the ending of the first stage now.
This is also why sometimes text can evoke more emotion than visuals; it's not necessarily because text gives you more room for imagination, nor is it because the visuals aren't good enough, but possibly because the text stays with you longer, more persistently.
This is the power of time.
...
Yamada Masaharu was stunned for a good while.
He wondered if Pokeni had learned the tradition from fire emblem?
If an allied unit is eliminated, it's truly eliminated for the entire game, and can never be used again?
Was he operating it incorrectly?
Actually, could the previous four allied units have been saved?
Fortunately, the game allowed saving and loading.
Maintaining his curiosity, Yamada Masaharu tried again.
It was still the same outcome; all four allied units were eliminated.
They were too fragile, it felt like if an enemy got close, one could be quickly destroyed.
The only difference was that depending on the order of the allied units' deaths, the order of their final words also differed slightly.
Yamada Masaharu tried several times, but found he couldn't reach them before their deaths to help clear out nearby enemies.
In other words, this was intentionally designed by Pokeni, but presented through a normalized game method.
Damn it!
...
Having no choice, Yamada Masaharu's efforts were fruitless, so he could only proceed to the next stage.
In the game, it transitioned into a cutscene.
The setting sun was like blood.
The entire sky was dyed with a magnificent red, the evening glow was particularly beautiful, like a young girl's gauze skirt, fluttering in the sky.
On the battlefield, there was the creaking sound of machinery, as the scavenger mech, fido, was cleaning up the battlefield and clearing the wreckage of mechs.
This fellow hopped and skipped, picking and choosing some usable parts to put into his reserve box.
fido
"Crackle, crackle, crackle…"
The static-filled voice of a superior officer, intermittently playing from the discarded headset, seemed to spoil the scenery in the cool breeze of the setting sun.
"Control One calling all members of the squadron. Do you hear me?
First Squadron, respond if you hear me."
The male protagonist, Shinei Nouzen, leaned against the organic-looking, cocoon-like mech, reaching his hand into the open cockpit to press the radio's talk button.
"Undertaker calling Control One. Enemy interceptor forces eliminated, and enemy forces confirmed to have retreated.
Operation complete, preparing to return to base."
"Undertaker.
Um, besides you, how many others?"
"Call ended."
Before the question that shouldn't have been asked, and didn't need to be asked, was finished, he cut off the radio and turned his gaze back outside the cockpit.
Bathed in the setting sun, in the boundless sea of red poppies, the wreckage of steel beasts and four-legged spiders, emitting thick smoke and with their mechanical innards exposed, were scattered everywhere, casting long, slender shadows.
This was the tragic end that enemies and allies alike would ultimately face.
No living thing could be found on the battlefield.
As far as the eye could see, besides corpses, there were only the lingering spirits of those who had died but remained in the world.
The silence at this moment was chilling.
The sun slowly sank into the dark, shadowy mountains on the other side of the grassland, casting a horizontal line of crimson light.
In this world, dyed crimson, or rather, shadowed in deathly silence, he and his mech were the only objects still capable of movement.
Its long, slender legs mimicked an arthropod's structure, its yellowish-white armor was scarred with countless marks, equipped with scissor-like high-frequency blades, and a main cannon on its back.
Its overall silhouette resembled a wandering spider, and with its four-legged torso carrying a long cannon, it also looked like a scorpion.
Some also felt its shape resembled a headless human body, like a skeletal corpse crawling back and forth on the battlefield, searching for its missing head.
He exhaled deeply, leaning his body against the armor that was cooling in the twilight's chill, hunching and gazing up at the fiercely burning sky.
In a distant Eastern kingdom, a flower born from the blood shed by a tyrannical ruler's beloved concubine when she took her own life.
Another legend says it was born from the river of blood of knights who were slaughtered after failing to resist barbarian invasions in the past.
As far as the eye could see, the battlefield was filled with blooming poppies, their brilliant crimson so wildly beautiful under the setting sun that scorched the sky.
...
Shinei Nouzen watched for a while, then went to inspect the allied mechs one by one.
One of them had been so battered by cannon fire that it could almost be described as a pile of mush.
Shin shook his head, and with a calm expression, continued to the next one.
The main body of this mech was extensively damaged, but it could be determined that a part of the cockpit's main structure was still intact.
He opened the hatch from the outside.
Immediately, the body of the team member inside slumped down.
It was the red-haired Miss.
Shin glanced at her, then expressionlessly pulled out his pistol and shot her in the head.
Bang!
The sound in the game startled Yamada Masaharu.
He almost dropped his controller.
What was happening?
Yamada Masaharu couldn't understand, only feeling somewhat shocked.
It was clear that the red-haired Miss had already died, so why did Shin need to shoot her in the head again?
Next, Shin continued to the next one, opened the hatch, and continued to deliver the finishing shot.
Finally, he walked to the mech of the blue-haired short-haired girl.
He sighed, and the hatch opened.
Inside, the short-haired girl's round, cute face was flushed crimson by the setting sun, half of her face was covered in blood, but the corner of her mouth was still slightly upturned.
She seemed to be waiting for something.
Seeing this, Yamada Masaharu couldn't help but feel a stir in his heart.
Bang!!!
A gunshot rang out, Shin finished the last task, then returned to his mech.
On the side of the Destroyer's mech, there was a special marking, carved bit by bit with a small knife or something, in the shape of a headless knight carrying a shovel.
Undertaker
At this moment, Yamada Masaharu suddenly understood the origin of the male protagonist's nickname.
He had originally thought it meant he was too fierce, burying his enemies, but he hadn't expected it meant burying his own comrades after they died.
How truly ironic...
...
How should he put it?
Although it was the end of the first stage, only the prologue part, but up to here.
Yamada Masaharu could feel the cruelty of that bloody battlefield.
...
Up until now, the Control Ones who had been assigned to Shin had either suffered mental breakdowns, gone insane, or completely fled due to being unable to bear the emotional and psychological impact from the front lines.
This time was the same situation; since all members of the First Squadron on the front lines, except Shin, had been eliminated, Shin would be reassigned to other units.
And the previous Control One was relieved to no longer have to interface with Shin.
She almost resigned in a fleeing manner.
However, Shin didn't seem to care much; after all, these Control Ones were cowards.
Their presence or absence made no difference; ultimately, command on the battlefield would still be entrusted to him.
He wondered what the next Control One would be like?
Shin thought.
However, he quickly dismissed it with a smile.
Those white-haired race, it would be the same no matter who came. There was no difference at all.
...
The screen went black, and the perspective shifted.
In the scene, a young girl with long white hair stood, dressed in a crisp uniform, looking up at the sky, listening to the battle report coming from the large screen in the plaza.
Wow, so beautiful.
Lena:
Although he had already seen Lena's appearance in the start menu, Yamada Masaharu couldn't help but exclaim again when he saw her image.
Pokeni's original artist was truly amazing.
Who was the original artist this time?
Ninjin Makoto?
Lena's appearance was exactly how he imagined a two-dimensional beautiful girl.
She had delicate features and a heroic demeanor, radiating an indescribably powerful charm.
...
On that battlefield, there were no casualties.
"Next, we will broadcast today's battle report."
"The Imperial unmanned combat machine, The Legion, that invaded the First Seventh Sector, suffered a devastating blow and retreated under the counterattack of Saint Magnolia's proud autonomous unmanned combat machine, Destroyer.
Our losses were minimal, and simultaneously, there were no casualties today."
At the same time, the female protagonist's inner monologue also resounded:
"The peaceful and beautiful streetscape of Saint Magnolia's First District, the capital of Saint Magnolia, Belt Eid Ekali, showed no signs of a country that had endured nine years of war."
The majestic stone high-rise buildings had exquisite carvings on their chalk-white outer walls.
Lush green trees lined the streets, and antique black cast-iron streetlights, combined with the spring sunshine and the clear blue sky, formed a picturesque contrast.
The street corner cafes were filled with students and couples with naturally shimmering silver hair, chatting and laughing.
Fluttering in the wind on the blue roof of the city hall were the portrait flag of the revolutionary Saint Magnolia and the five-colored flag of Saint Magnolia, symbolizing freedom and equality, fraternity, justice, and nobility.
In front was the main avenue, wide and straight, completed under the guidance of meticulous urban planning, every inch paved with exquisite stone bricks.
A little boy with bright moon-silver eyes, holding his parents' hands and laughing heartily, walked past the Miss.
From their elaborate attire, it seemed they were going out to play.
After watching the happy family disappear into the distance, Rena's smile faded from her silver eyes, and she turned her gaze back to the large holographic display screen on the street.
She was wearing a dark blue Saint Magnolia female officer's military uniform with a stand-up collar.
The sixteen-year-old Miss's snow-white beauty was as delicate and exquisite as a glass carving, and her elegant demeanor also showed good upbringing.
Her slightly wavy, silky, shimmering silver hair, and her large eyes of the same color beneath long eyelashes, were solid proof of her inheritance of the bloodline of the white-haired race, one of the white-haired race who had settled here long before the birth of Saint Magnolia, and who were once considered a noble race.
"Under the wise command of the Control One, combat conducted by high-performance unmanned drones has made the national defense concept of no longer needing human involvement on the dangerous front lines a reality.
It also proves that Saint Magnolia's humane and advanced combat system is indeed effective.
Presumably, before the two-year deadline for The Legion to completely cease operations, Saint Magnolia's justice institutions will have already defeated those evil legacies of the fallen nation.
Long live Saint Magnolia.
May glory be to the Five-Colored Flag."
The snow-haired and eyed snow-haired race female protagonist showed a proud smile, casting a shadow over Rena's expression.
Ever since the war began, this battle report, which was more unrealistic than optimistic, had been broadcast daily.
Despite being forced to abandon more than half of its territory within just half a month of the war's start, and even now, nine years later, Saint Magnolia had not pushed the front line back an inch, most of the populace still believed such reports implicitly.
That's right.
Now on the battlefield, there were no soldiers officially recognized as human, nor any martyrs listed as fallen.
However.
"It's not true that no one has sacrificed."
Rena couldn't help but bite her lip and whisper.
You know, those guys are living, flesh-and-blood humans, just like us!
Those pilots were never reported as warriors; each of them had their own code name or nickname, and no one wanted to know their real names.
Nor would anyone ask their names, to prevent unnecessary emotional breakdowns.
Saint Magnolia has a total of 86 districts, 85 of which are protected by the Iron Curtain, which are heavy city wall defenses, and outside is District 86.
District 86 serves as Saint Magnolia's front line and buffer zone, used to counter The Legion's attacks from the Empire.
And the humans fighting in District 86 are collectively called 86.
In the remaining 85 districts, all are white-haired race humans, with white hair and silver eyes, looking beautiful and noble.
In Saint Magnolia, they believe in white-haired race supremacy, so people of other races have been driven outside the Iron Curtain.
Of course, those 86s were never treated as humans by them.
Seeing this, and hearing Rena's conversation with others,
Yamada Masaharu couldn't help but frown.
A surge of anger rose within him.
These guys...
They do look good, but doing something like this, they are the real idiots, aren't they?!
The portrayal of this part is more like a galgame.
Throughout the game, there appeared snow-white streets, and in this quiet city, there were cafes, parks, squares, the city hall, the command center, and so on.
Yamada Masaharu is currently controlling a white-haired Miss named Rena, who is also the female protagonist of the game.
He glanced at the map and then chose to head towards the command center.
This palace, and the large fortress complex 'Iron Curtain' that surrounded all administrative districts, was the garrison for all Saint Magnolia military personnel.
white-haired race personnel either served in logistics or performed clerical work such as analysis and combat planning; therefore, currently, no Saint Magnolia military personnel actually held true combat roles.
On the way, he encountered a short-haired Miss named Anetta, who chatted with Rena for a while and told her, "You'd better not get too close to those 86s, and it's better not to pour too much emotion into them."
Rena was indignant and was about to retort, but she held back in the end.
She walked inside.
And in the command center of Saint Magnolia.
Rena was called into the office by her uncle, a high-ranking Republic military officer, and assigned a mission—
To serve as the Control One for the First Squadron of the First Combat Zone on the Eastern Front, collectively known as the Vanguard Squadron.
Tsk tsk.
Yamada Masaharu thought, isn't this the male protagonist's unit?
Does this mean the male protagonist and female protagonist are about to meet?
Yamada Masaharu couldn't help but feel a little excited.
However...
Thinking that the female protagonist was a white-haired race, he always felt a little uncomfortable.
Choose to accept the mission.
The white-haired Miss then stepped towards her assigned control room.
The control room was a small room half-buried in a cold computer console, dimly lit, and with a cool room temperature.
The holographic screen in standby mode emitted a faint glow, making the silver floor and walls appear somewhat hazy.
Sitting properly in the computer chair with her feet together, she swept back her silver hair and embedded the slender neck-ring synchronization device into her neck, then Rena looked up with a spirited expression.
"Authentication initiated.
Major Fladileina Millize.
Control One."
After voice print and iris authentication, the control system began to activate.
Holographic screens appeared one after another, displaying the vast data transmitted from observation machines located on the distant front lines, while the main screen showed a digital map and light points representing both enemy and friendly forces.
There were seventy blue light points representing friendly Destroyer units.
The First Squadron, under Rena's command, had twenty-four units, and the Second and Fourth Squadrons each had twenty-three units.
The number of light points representing the enemy The Legion was already countless.
"Perception synchronization, activated.
Synchronization target is the central processing unit [Processing Terminal] "Destroyer"."
The blue crystal embedded in the back of the synchronization device began to heat up slightly.
Through the array, all perceptions, including hearing, feeling, smell, sight, pain, etc., could be shared with the synchronized 86s...
This was also why many commanders had broken down before.
The sensations from the front-line battlefield made it difficult for one's mind not to break down.
That "channel" connected through the sea of collective unconsciousness to the consciousness of the First Squadron's captain unit, the processing terminal with the personal code name "Destroyer."
From then on, Destroyer's perceptions were shared with Rena.
"Synchronization complete.
Control One calling Destroyer.
Please take care of me today too."
She called out to the other party in a gentle tone, and after a while, a "young man's voice" that sounded a year or two older than her responded:
"Destroyer calling Control One.
Synchronization status is good."
It was a "human voice" with a hint of sarcasm.
There was only Rena in the control room, so there couldn't be a second person's voice.
This was hearing shared through perception synchronization, making the voice from the processing terminal "Destroyer" sound as if it were right next to her ear.
Second level, mission starts.
The game switched to the combat map.
From this point, Rena, played by Yamada Masaharu, became Control One, the commander.
She began her new mission.
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