The Legion of the Tziad Empire attacked. Although they were called The Legion, the Tziad Empire's Legion was completely different from the Republic of San Magnolia (that name is so hard to remember and write).
The Legion dispatched by the Empire were genuine drones, completely robotic, requiring no human operation.
On the Republic's side, because their mecha performance had not reached that level, they used the 86 to pilot them.
"Second Stage Begins"
"Game Objective: Annihilate all enemies"
"Lena and Kujou must survive."
...
After the game began, there were a total of 3 mechas in the protagonist group that Lena (the player) could command.
All 3 mechas had to be deployed; there was no choice:
Vanguard Unit Captain, Undertaker, Shinei Nouzen, a short black-haired boy with a sky-blue scarf tied around his neck.
He piloted the M1A4 Destroyer, which possessed high mobility and powerful jumping propulsion, strong close-combat attack capabilities, slightly weaker long-range attacks, and very thin armor.
Vice-captain Leiden, with short, light-green hair that was thick and straight like a Hedgehog's, was taller than the 16-year-old male protagonist, had a scar on his face, and his gaze was resolute.
He was a black-haired race youth belonging to the "Vanguard" First Defense Squadron of the First Combat Zone on the Eastern Front, serving as the team's vice-captain and second squad leader.
His personal codename was "Wehrwolf."
He was the person who had known Captain Shin the longest in the team and trusted his astonishing abilities.
Although he spoke roughly, as the team's elder brother, he supported the combat unit.
He piloted the Interceptor M2D, which had very thick armor. The mecha was noticeably twice as large as the male protagonist's, looking like a sturdy, massive machine placed on the ground. It possessed powerful suppressive firepower, capable of large-scale attacks, though with limited lethality and long skill cooldown times.
Its close-combat weapon was a large hammer.
It could be used in the game to clear paths, destroy rocks, and obstacles, etc.
Its main abilities were to act as a meat shield and a pathfinder on the battlefield.
The yellow-haired boy, who looked even younger than the male protagonist, was Yuuri, codenamed "Peregrine."
His piloted mecha also possessed agile mobility and evasion capabilities, balancing both close-combat and long-range attacks. Its weakness was also its relatively thin armor.
Including the support and supply unit fido, there were a total of 4 units.
...
After the game began, the camera pulled up from below to a position above the valley, where two combat mechas were already surrounded by enemies.
One of them had black dreadlocks, darker skin, and although he looked relatively young, he was clearly older than the protagonist. His name was "Kujou," and his personal codename was "Sirius."
He was also a heavy firepower, tank-type mecha.
The other was a red-haired girl who looked younger and cute. Her name was Lena, a sharpshooter with perfect aim, codenamed "Divine Gun."
Both of them were in a predicament; if either of them died, the battle would be considered a failure.
Commander Lena, although not on the front line, could perceive what was happening through her synchronization device with Shin, and the perception was synchronized.
In the game "86 - eighty-six," Commander Lena also possessed special skills.
She could mobilize rear artillery for support.
Currently, she had "Artillery Barrage LV1," which fired rockets from behind the Iron Curtain, delivering massive damage to enemies.
However, it could only be used once throughout the entire battlefield.
It was used for full-screen AOE and could achieve a very important critical effect at certain times.
Yamada Masaharu couldn't help but smile when he saw this.
Indeed, Pokeni's creativity was amazing; both the game and the world view were integrated so well, giving a refreshing feeling.
In his subconscious, he had thought that the female protagonist Lena was just a useless decoration, at most used to advance the plot and tell the story.
It was understandable, because in the first battle, Control One was directly scared witless, then handed over command authority to Shin, and only appeared briefly at the very beginning and end of the entire game.
She was completely useless, purely used to emphasize the world view and tell you how useless the white-haired race were, hiding behind the Iron Curtain and in the far rear.
However, with Lena, it turned into a different scenario.
The white-haired girl actively took on the role of commander and support, able to communicate with the Vanguard Units at any time in the game, informing them of enemy movements and positions, and even providing fire support.
Even if it was only once per game, such a skill was better than none.
Given the sheer number of enemies in the game, almost filling a large portion of the screen, Yamada Masaharu initiated an artillery barrage at the very beginning.
Lena's melodious voice rang out from the intercom, "Fire support commencing, awaiting rocket launch. Arriving at the battlefield in 3 seconds."
3, 2, 1
Boom!!!
On the screen, the border first flashed with red warnings, followed by a burst of fire appearing from the sky. Each rocket carried a white contrail, and its head seemed to be burning with flames...
Falling like meteors.
Boom boom, the battlefield shook, and huge whistling and explosion sounds emanated from the television.
After the strike, enemy units with low health were directly destroyed on the spot, while those with more health were already in critical condition.
Just waiting to be harvested.
Wow!
So cool!!!
Yamada Masaharu couldn't help but let out a low growl.
Lena's abilities were not limited to this; in the future, she could learn and master more support skills, but these were basically achieved by remote delivery from behind the 86 battlefield.
For Lena to come to the battlefield and fight alongside the many Vanguard Units was almost impossible.
...
The second stage's mission was relatively easy.
After Kujou joined, the team gained a very strong source of firepower. At the same time, Kujou could also complete charge and rapid breakthrough missions, making him a very excellent combat force in the team.
Yamada Masaharu planned to focus on developing him.
And Lena's role was even more special and very useful.
Because she was the "Divine Gun," her aiming accuracy was a notch higher than other pilots, and her assigned mecha was primarily sniper-type.
The greatest feature of this type of mecha was its strong attack power and extremely long range.
Her skills included single-point explosions and AOE types that dealt straight-line penetration damage.
When facing the enemy's long-range firepower, Lena's advantages could be fully utilized.
Because the opponent's long-range units often hid behind close-combat units, trying to bypass them to target the backline units would result in insufficient mobility. Only the male protagonist Shinei Nouzen, with his ability to ignore terrain and enemy unit characteristics, could easily jump directly behind enemies for a massive harvest.
Other units besides the male protagonist couldn't do this.
Furthermore, these long-range units generally had higher attack power than close-combat units, so they dealt more damage and always caused Yamada Masaharu considerable trouble.
Therefore, before Lena joined, he always used Lena's fire support for rear strikes.
If he couldn't eliminate them in one go, it would be very troublesome, as the enemies in critical condition could still pose a threat and cause damage.
After Lena joined, he could use her to precisely clear out those annoying guys in the rear.
...
Each character in the game had different characteristics, skills, and ultimate abilities. How and when to use them was very much worth studying.
Playing this game, Yamada Masaharu also felt the long-lost fun of strategy games, which involved deploying troops and devising countermeasures after understanding the characteristics of both friendly and enemy forces.
Winning battles brought a great sense of satisfaction.
And he could also enjoy the pleasure of development and customization.
Each character's attribute growth was different, and the growth of different mechas was also different. Items picked up on the battlefield were also categorized.
Some parts could be used to strengthen the male protagonist's mecha, while others could not and were used to strengthen Lena's mecha...
So there was also a certain element of luck involved.
After defeating enemies, sending fido to retrieve wreckage was also something that fascinated Yamada Masaharu, much like playing a gashapon machine. What he would get, and whether there would be good items to strengthen and modify mechas, was always worth looking forward to.
Generally speaking, the stronger the enemy, the more powerful the wreckage left behind.
So when he saw enemy mini-bosses or mechas with special abilities, Yamada Masaharu's dopamine would rapidly secrete.
Click, click, click, it was all money, all good stuff that could be used for upgrades!
From here, the game entered a mode familiar to Yamada Masaharu—
In each stage, you encounter one or two new teammates, and after a conversation, if they don't die by the end of the game, these newcomers will join the team and become units that Lena can command in the next stage.
The black-haired beauty who joined in the third stage is Kei, codenamed "Sakura."
The blonde man who joined in the fourth stage is named Daiya, codenamed "Black Dog."
Although Yamada Masaharu didn't quite understand why a handsome blonde guy would be called Black Dog, he probably accepted it because of his gentle nature.
Black Dog has a gentle personality and takes care of stray cats he finds.
Whether in wartime or privately, he often gets involved in inexplicable (awkward) situations.
Additionally, in this stage, there's also his CP; although their relationship isn't explicitly stated as romantic, their interactions somehow made Yamada Masaharu detect a hint of a sour love smell.
The long-haired older sister with violet hair is named Anju, codenamed "Snow Woman"; she clearly seems like the Good Wife and Good Mother type, and her voice acting is quite gentle.
In the fifth stage, a younger-looking boy joined, who likes to draw, Seyo, codenamed Smiling Fox.
After the stage ends, this guy always likes to draw on the outer wall of the Vanguard Team's headquarters.
The drawings on the wall are of the Vanguard Team's former commanders, but since they all died in battle, he draws a big 'X' over them.
Although war is cruel, in the eyes of these young boys and girls, it seems to have become commonplace.
Their optimistic and positive spirit greatly motivated Yamada Masaharu's heart.
...
As the stages progressed, the team's numbers had expanded to a terrifying 24 people.
Yamada Masaharu couldn't remember everyone's names completely, but their characteristics were quite distinct; he could easily remember them by their codenames.
The cafeteria was bustling in the morning, and the squad members were discussing yesterday's battle.
"Yesterday's battle was really intense," Leiden, the vice-captain, sighed.
"Why does Undertaker always snatch my targets?" Kujou expressed his dissatisfaction with Shinei Nouzen.
"I never thought Control One could fight alongside the 86 - eighty-six either; I thought she'd be scared to pee her pants," the red-haired girl, Lena, let out a sky-high laugh.
After speaking, seeing Snow Woman—the gentle and lovely Anju with long blue hair—bring freshly baked bread to the table, Lena darted onto the table and quickly grabbed the bread, stuffing it into her mouth.
"Ah! Lena, that bread is mine!" Kujou exclaimed, indicating that she was truly out of control!
...
Hearing the commotion from inside the room, Kei, the black-haired beauty watering flowers outside, couldn't help but smile happily; she straightened up and wiped the sweat from her forehead with her right arm.
Blue skies and white clouds overhead.
The sun was just right.
Under the sun, the handsome blonde man called Black Dog, Daiya, was playing with the stray cat he had picked up.
To this day, no one knows what the stray cat's name is.
It had been half a month since Lena became the Vanguard Team's handler.
With no casualties for several consecutive days on sortie missions, Lena happily initiated sensory synchronization and communicated with the processing terminals daily.
"To all members of the team, thank you for your hard work today."
"You too, Control One."
As usual, the first to respond was Undertaker.
His voice was always so calm, making it impossible to associate him with the nickname "God of Death."
There seemed to be several other presences on the other end of the synchronization, and some of them also greeted her in succession.
The one who spoke not very politely but like an older brother who took care of the entire team was the team's vice-captain, Werewolf.
Even in casual chats, he would discuss seriously, the straightforward and honest Sakura.
The frivolous attitude, good at setting the mood, Black Dog.
The gentle voice, dignified demeanor, Snow Woman.
The voice as soft as a young girl's, but speaks very venomously, Smiling Fox.
And while Undertaker was as taciturn as his first impression, rarely speaking outside of official duties, the members who were willing to synchronize with him every night would stay by his side.
However, after this period of communication with Lena, a subtle relationship had developed between the two.
What a peaceful scene.
Leiden picked up his mug and took a sip of coffee. This was the Vanguard Team's traditional substitute coffee, with a recipe passed down through generations.
Just then, the kitten suddenly meowed, its high-pitched sound interrupting the handler's bell-like voice.
Lena blinked in surprise, hearing a sudden high-pitched "meow" during their conversation.
"Is that a cat?"
"Ah, it's one we keep in the barracks," Black Dog replied.
"By the way, I'm the one who picked it up. When I was first assigned here, I heard it meowing in front of a house that had been blown away by tank fire.
The parents and children inside were all crushed, but this guy was completely unharmed."
"And, for some reason, it's most attached to Undertaker."
"He never plays with it, and even when it rubs against him for affection, he only gives it a perfunctory pat or two."
"Rather than being attached, it feels more like it found a good bed.
Like now."
A small black cat with white paws was currently perched on Undertaker's chest.
"Hmm. Because he always stays perfectly still when he's reading.
So Black Dog could never get close to it because he's too noisy."
"That's too much! That's unreasonable! I demand an improvement! Pfft~~!
Pfft~~!"
Listening to the processing terminals in an uproar, Lena chuckled softly. They looked just like ordinary boys and girls.
So ordinary that she felt she should also be one of them on the front lines.
"What's its name?"
After asking with a smile, everyone in the synchronization almost simultaneously replied:
"Xiao Bai."
"Xiao Hei."
"Er Mao."
"Little Dot."
"Kitty."
"Remarque."
"Didn't I tell you not to name it after the Author of the book you're reading?
What book are you reading? Your taste is truly vulgar."
Only Smiling Fox, who spoke last, didn't say a name.
But Lena was still completely confused.
"Uh, do you have a lot of cats?"
"Didn't I just say there's only one?"
Lena became more and more confused.
Black Dog seemed to understand her confusion and explained:
"Because it's a black cat with only white paws. That's where Xiao Hei, Xiao Bai, and Er Mao come from.
We didn't agree on what to call it, so everyone just shouts whatever they feel like, and recently, it just obediently comes running when we call it twice."
Giggle, giggle.
Through the communication, the handler Lena's bell-like laughter could be heard.
...
Yamada Masaharu was almost bursting with laughter; what a group of adorable people they were.
Ah... this atmosphere, it's so good.
Even Yamada Masaharu, watching from outside the screen, was truly envious. Unlike the previous brutal war, everything was now a harmonious scene.
Each character had their distinct personality and characteristics; every character was so cute and kind.
He never expected Old Thief Furuhara to have such a gentle side.
Huh?
When the words "Old Thief Furuhara" flashed through Yamada Masaharu's mind, he instantly sobered up.
No, no, absolutely cannot believe it.
An illusion, it must be an illusion; Old Thief Furuhara can't be this gentle.
Have you forgotten the fact that he killed 4 people at the very beginning, Yamada Masaharu?
...
After playing for a while, Yamada Masaharu discovered a terrifying truth.
He now had a pretty good understanding of the 86 - eighty-six region's stages; it seemed to be the same few repeated.
The enemies were attacking in different patterns.
However, many of the missions were defensive operations, repelling enemy forces.
As for any progress, there seemed to be none at all.
There was no intention of recapturing lost territory whatsoever.
The Tziad Empire's offensive was like a storm, with almost no pause.
This feeling was truly oppressive and despairing.
Moreover, for some reason, the more harmonious the atmosphere among the game's members became, and the warmer the plot, the stronger the sense of unease that surged within Yamada Masaharu.
It was as if something was about to surface from beneath calm waters.
It's over, it's over.
Yamada Masaharu's eyes narrowed.
He jumped up from the sofa.
Is this the Furuhara Tsubaki after-effect??
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