September 26, 2201, 11:21, 15 kilometers south-southwest of KYT On the fifth and final day of our mission, we had completed laying the communication cable as planned the day before. The empty reels were now just attached to the back of our two armored vehicles. Today's operation was to return to the underground city, guided by the radio beacons. Apart from encountering the Lunarians on the first day, everything had gone smoothly. However, it seemed our return journey wasn't going to go as planned. "Captain, temperature sensors are picking up readings one kilometer ahead," Saika reported from the passenger seat. "There are more than ten humanoid figures overlapping. Exact numbers are unreadable. They appear to be hiding in crevices on the surface." "All vehicles halt. Prepare for combat," I ordered. "What's the status of Vehicle Two?" At my command, my subordinates thrust their assault rifles into the gun ports, switching from cruise mode to combat mode. "Vehicle Two reports the same situation. Unable to determine enemy strength," Kikyouu responded immediately. "Now, Warrant Officer Imori. What do you think?" I asked. "Is it an ambush? We have two armored vehicles. I believe a frontal assault would be sufficient," Imori replied. It had been a while since we stopped administering the stimulants, and he seemed sane, but his attitude still appeared bolder than usual. I'd have to be careful about that. "We could certainly win that way, but there's a risk of taking damage. The materials to build armored vehicles aren't easy to come by. We can't afford to damage them even slightly. Think of a safer strategy," I instructed. Imori closed his eyes. He was probably trying to recall the tactical manual. "We'll retreat while firing. Maintain a constant distance and annihilate them," he suggested. "Hmm, not bad. But it's not the safest option. There's a possibility of reinforcements arriving. Our ultimate goal is to return safely. We should flee," I explained. "Huh? You mean desertion in the face of the enemy? I can't understand that. I strongly advise engaging in combat," Imori insisted. It seemed the drugs were still making him overconfident. "Even with two armored vehicles, we're only eight people. The enemy's numbers are unknown. There's no benefit in annihilating them. Our priority should be bringing the valuable armored vehicles back safely. If you're going to recommend combat, state the advantages," I challenged him. "By reducing even one enemy, we'll have an advantage in the next KYT defense battle." "It won't give us an advantage. A group of that size would be wiped out by a single hit from the artillery. It's within the margin of error," I countered. "Then what about the attack four days ago? If they hadn't noticed us, shouldn't we have just left them alone?" he questioned. "That's the point. Whether the enemy has noticed us or not makes a big difference. If it's a surprise attack, we can almost certainly annihilate them safely. But this time, it's an ambush. We might even be surrounded. Did you consider that far?" "No, I didn't notice. I apologize. You're right, Second Lieutenant. I hadn't considered the possibility of being surrounded," Imori admitted. "However, sometimes following your suggestion might be the best course of action," I added. "So, what are we going to do?" "Muhaha. Don't you know our squad's other name?" I asked with a chuckle. My face, which had been showing an intellectual expression, began to turn ferocious. Saika and Suzuran, sitting in the driver's seat and passenger seat, glanced at each other and giggled. "Forgive my rudeness, but... you are known as the Mad Dog Squad." "Exactly. In that case, there's only one path to take. We'll break through the front lines and escape." "But, isn't that the same as what I suggested earlier?" he asked. "The route and actions might seem similar, but the strategic objective is fundamentally different. You probably want to focus on offense and annihilate the Lunarians, but my plan is all about escape. I don't care if we miss shooting some Lunarians as long as we can get out of here. Retreating when we might be surrounded could make us walk right into a trap as well." "Couldn't we just go back the way we came without any issues? There were no enemies there," Imori suggested. "The enemy might have circled behind us after we passed through." "If we start thinking like that, there's no end to it." "Exactly. The enemy is like wolves and rabbits. They're beasts. Humans can't understand how beasts think. So we should keep it simple. We just need to punch a hole through their front line and run through. We don't even need to annihilate them." "Such tactics aren't in any manual," Imori pointed out. "Tactics change based on the situation. There's no way a situation will ever perfectly match what's in a manual. If we could always follow the manual, there'd be no need for biologically-born humans to be in command. Even accelerated-growth humans could lead. It's because of the need for adaptability and reading between the lines that biologically-borns become officers. You should gain more experience so you can graduate from relying on manuals soon. But don't die before that happens. A lot of money and time have been invested in your education. There's no replacement for you." "U-understood. I'll do my best." Imori's expression showed he wasn't convinced. However, lacking both the necessary information and experience to make a judgment, he seemed unable to argue further. "Sergeant Kikyouu. You heard that, right? We're breaking through the front." "Roger that. We're ready to go."

"Alright, stick to the left side of vehicle one. We'll break through side by side. Concentrate the assault rifles on the left flank. Machine gun focuses on the front. No need to cover vehicle one's side. Advance at full speed. Vehicle one will adjust speed and distance. Vehicle one, concentrate your firepower on the right. The machine gun on vehicle one will adapt as needed. Suzuran, you know what to do. Can you handle it?" "No problem. Sticking close. Roger." I thought to myself, "Still giving responses like an air traffic controller. Well, that's part of what makes her different from the others... and cute in her own way." For me, this type of situation wasn't a problem at all. "Now then, Warrant Officer. Make sure you and Lance Corporal Saika guard the right flank well. I'll cover all angles with the machine gun. Saika, if the Warrant Officer messes up, don't hold back. Feel free to correct him." "Understood," came the response. Saika and Imori thrust their assault rifles into the right gun ports. I set the machine gun to grenade launcher mode. Even zooming in on the targeting reticle displayed on my retina, I couldn't see any enemy silhouettes. However, the crevice where the enemies were hiding was wide enough for our armored vehicles to pass through without issue. Switching to thermal sensors didn't reveal any signs of enemy movement either. I scanned the full 360 degrees but detected no enemy presence. I powered up the machine gun and disengaged the safety. There was no other information to base a decision on. Without hesitation, I initiated the operation. "Full speed ahead." The armored vehicle lurched forward, pressing me lightly into my seat. Vehicle One matched Vehicle Two's speed precisely, closing the gap between us. The space between vehicles was less than 20 centimeters. At this width, there was no room for the Lunarians to slip in between. But Suzuran, reading the driving patterns of Vehicle Two, closed the gap even further. Now there was barely 10 centimeters between us. Over the radio, I heard Vehicle Two's driver gasp. "Vehicle Two driver, eyes front only. Forget about the sides. Trust Vehicle One. We'll avoid you on our own," I claimed, directly followed by Kikyouu saying: "All vehicles, run high voltage through the armor." This would ensure any Lunarians touching the armored vehicles would be instantly electrocuted. "Maximum speed reached," Suzuran reported coolly. We were racing across the wilderness at 80 kilometers per hour. The armored vehicle shook violently and tilted, coming so close to the neighboring vehicle that I thought we might collide for a moment. But Suzuran, with a calm expression, made minute adjustments to the steering wheel, maintaining the distance between vehicles. "Commence attack," I yelled. Lightly pulling the trigger of the machine gun, I fired five grenades into the crevice where the Lunarians were hiding. A blinding flash followed by a cloud of dust marked the explosion. The inside must have been filled with flesh and blood. The surviving Lunarians began pouring out of the crevice in droves. I had hoped the initial grenade barrage would have taken out most of them, but an unexpectedly large number emerged from the crevice. There must have been about twenty of them. This meant there could be several times that number still inside the crevice, or we might be seeing all of them. I hoped it was the latter, but on the battlefield, hopes rarely come true. I fired grenade after grenade into the Lunarian horde, turning them into chunks of flesh alongside Kikyouu. However, the situation I had been worried about came to pass. The battle zone monitor displayed Lunarian reactions on all four sides of our armored vehicles, and the combat forecast was updated. Combat Forecast: This will likely become a full-scale battle followed by a retreat. Casualty probability: 30% It was the worst combat forecast I had ever seen. That number was a record high since the introduction of combat forecasts. At the officer's academy, we were taught that a casualty probability exceeding 30% meant annihilation. Indeed, if three out of our eight-member double squad became casualties, we'd be in no shape to fight. Just thinking about our barrage of fire, and thus our fighting strength, being reduced by half was terrifying. It would make it easier for the Lunarians to approach us. Our only option then would be to make a run for it, aiming for the area where the enemy presence was thinnest. And as fatigue slowed our judgment, we'd be surrounded. The last thing waiting for us would be total annihilation. That's what a 30% casualty rate meant, according to what we were taught at the officer's academy. And abandoning comrades on the battlefield would lower the morale of the entire military. Difficult operations can be undertaken because we believe that no matter what happens, our comrades and allies will come to our aid. That's why we can charge into harsh, deadly situations. For this reason, the military places great importance on recovering not just the injured, but even the bodies of fallen comrades and allies. —A 30% casualty probability in the combat forecast, huh? That's a lethal number.— It was tantamount to receiving a death sentence from the combat forecast. A faint smile played on my lips. "L-L-Lieutenant Koizumi, the casualty probability is 30%! That's a terrifying number. Is this a common occurrence?" Imori, high on medication, asked me frankly. I thought that in this situation, maybe being doped up on meds was the happier state to be in. "This is the highest probability I've seen since I enlisted. It's probably a new record. However, we didn't falter, and pressing forward was the right choice. If we had retreated, the probability would have skyrocketed even higher. By now, we'd have been ambushed by the group behind us."

I answered as if I had read the situation perfectly. But personally I was just happy I had won a gamble. "As expected of you, Lieutenant. Did you foresee this situation as well? I'm truly impressed." "Save your admiration for after we make it back alive. For now, we need to break through." "Understood, sir." Despite firing grenades into the area ahead, the number of visible enemies remained steady at around twenty. They seemed to be replenishing their numbers from underground. Enemies on our flanks and rear were also closing in, but we were speeding across the wasteland at top speed. As long as the armored vehicle didn't stop, we didn't need to worry about being overtaken. Occasionally, the heavy armored vehicle would bounce, throwing off my aim. For now, we didn't need to consider the enemies on our sides and behind us, so I yelled to everyone: "Focus on the front. Take out the enemies ahead. We have one kilometer left. We'll scatter them and break through by then." The machine gun and assault rifle quietly scattered light from the armored vehicle, dealing death to the Lunarians. However, their numbers weren't decreasing at all. It seemed the rate at which we were taking them out was balanced by how quickly they were being replenished. As we approached within two hundred meters of the crevice, a group of Lunarians closing in from the front began a stone-throwing attack from behind their main force. Fist-sized rocks slammed into the ceiling and front of the armored vehicle with loud thuds. Mere rocks had no effect on the vehicle's composite armor though. Not even a scratch. The Lunarians charging from the front were mowed down one after another by my and Kikyouu's machine gun fire. The armored vehicle started driving over the piled-up corpses of Lunarians, causing it to shake violently and slow down. We couldn't expect the rookie driver of vehicle two to perform any acrobatic maneuvers to avoid the bodies. Our only option was to stubbornly drive straight through. The crevice in the ground loomed before us. It was two meters wide. Our six-wheeled armored vehicle could easily cross it. There was no need to detour. However, I was concerned about exposing the vehicle's weak underbelly to the enemy. The bottom was thinly armored to reduce weight compared to other parts, and it wasn't covered by the voltage system. The moment our vehicle straddled the crevice, I pressed the switch for the external armament I had prepared in advance. The triple grenade launcher, originally designed to fire upwards, rotated 180 degrees. Six grenades were fired into the crevice from both sides of the vehicle, sending a torrent of light and heat flowing through it. This should have significantly reduced their numbers, but they still kept pouring out of the ground. There were far more than I had anticipated. In the corner of my sights, I caught a glimpse of Lunarians carrying what looked like thick pencil-like logs. After a loud impact sound, vehicle two, which should have been driving alongside us, suddenly vanished. As I swung the machine gun around, I saw it had stopped on top of the crevice. "Vehicle one, rotate 180 degrees. Support vehicle two," I ordered. Suzuran quickly reversed the front and rear wheels, rotating the vehicle 180 degrees on the spot. The tremendous sideways force caused the seatbelt to tighten around my body, momentarily stopping my breath. The armored vehicle came to a halt several hundred meters away from the crevice. "Don't let the enemy get close to vehicle two. Keep firing. Vehicle two, report your status," I barked. "This is vehicle two. It appears the Lunarians have driven metal stakes between the tires and armor. As a result, our right second tire is locked and stuck in the crevice. We're currently repelling them with the armor's high voltage. We'll purge the right second tire to remove the stake. There's no risk of the armor being breached." Kikyouu's calm voice came through the radio. "Any injuries?" I asked. "No injuries. However, there are far more Lunarians than expected. Their numbers are still increasing. We suspect there's a base underground." "Understood. We'll provide as much support as possible. Hurry with the tire purge." "Roger that." Both vehicles continued to mow down Lunarians with ferocious intensity. However, a separate unit that had circled behind us joined the fray, and their numbers weren't decreasing. I suspected Kikyouu was right - there must be a base underground. "Suzuran, fire a beacon into the ground and record the coordinates," I ordered. "Understood. Beacon fired. Confirmed deployment on the ground. Signal received. Coordinates recorded," Suzuran responded. We had now identified one of the Lunarian bases. Any unit dispatched should be able to find this location without issue. I connected to headquarters via radio. "HQ, this is Squad 1111." "This is HQ. Report." "On our return trip, we've discovered what appears to be a Lunarian base. We're currently engaged in combat. We've recorded the beacon and coordinates and transmitted them. Vehicle two is stranded but currently being recovered. No casualties." "Coordinates confirmed. Do you require reinforcements?" "We can handle this ourselves. Vehicle two will withdraw from the combat zone as soon as it's operational. However, I strongly recommend planning an offensive operation for this area. The number of Lunarians exceeds 100 and is still increasing. The threat level is extremely high. We'll contact you again after we've escaped." "HQ acknowledges. We pray for your safe return." I ended the radio communication with headquarters. Our ability to communicate with the distant HQ was thanks to the gradual installation of communication cables and radio equipment. These routine reconnaissance missions would likely continue to be prioritized going forward.