The moment Kikyouu was certain they could safely cross the crevice, her armored vehicle came to an abrupt halt right above it, accompanied by an upward thrust from below. The sudden stop from high-speed to stationary in almost zero seconds nearly sent her body flying forward, but the seatbelt managed to save her. However, if they were natural-born humans, this intense sudden braking would have likely torn their bodies apart by the belt. It was an impact only genetically enhanced people like her could withstand. Kikyouu felt relieved for a moment that Koizumi wasn't in vehicle two, but quickly refocused. "Status report," she ordered. "Right second tire locked. Unable to move forward." "Pressure sensors detecting something. A metal rod-like object is wedged between the tire and the vehicle body, fixing it in place." "Lunarians approaching from all sides. We're surrounded. Repelling them with high-voltage current." Kikyouu wondered how they would overcome this situation. She searched through her past memories and quickly came to a conclusion. They couldn't afford to linger directly above the enemy for long. "Purge the right second tire. Full throttle forward the moment the stake is removed," she commanded. "Understood. Initiating purge." "Those with free hands, slaughter as many Lunarians as possible." "Roger that." This should work. Kikyouu believed that Koizumi would prioritize the lives of the squad members even if it meant disposing of a tire. The voice of her beloved came through the radio. "Don't let the enemy get close to vehicle two. Keep firing. Vehicle two, report your status." It was Koizumi. Disregarding the danger, they were waiting for them several hundred meters away. While there were biological-born commanders who would use enhanced humans like her as sacrificial pawns and flee, Koizumi waited for them. She silently vowed to return to Koizumi's arms no matter what. "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 was a bit worried if she managed to speak in a calm voice. She didn't want Koizumi to feel even a hint of anxiety. "Any injuries?" "No injuries. However, there are far more Lunarians than expected. Their numbers are still increasing. We suspect there might be a base underground here." "Got it. We'll provide as much support as we can from here. Hurry with the tire purge." "Roger that." Koizumi had promised to wait without fleeing. Kikyouu was even more determined to return to them now. While maintaining her poker face, she steeled her resolve. "Purge complete!" "Floor it! Run over those Lunarians! Full speed ahead! Head towards vehicle one!" Kikyouu was going to reach Koizumi at top speed. She wouldn't die. She wouldn't make them sad. With those thoughts fueling her, she roared her orders. While I had talked with Kikyouu over the radio, the staff of vehicle two had successfully purged the tire. The stake, along with the whole tire, that had been wedged between the tire and the body fell into the crevice. "Floor it! Run over those Lunarians! Full speed ahead! Head towards vehicle one!" I heard Kikyouu's orders through the radio. The six-wheeled drive, now reduced to five, overcame the crevice and crushed the Lunarians in front of the armored vehicle. Vehicle two approached vehicle one at full speed, knocking Lunarians aside as it went. "Vehicle one, turn 180 degrees. We're pulling out." "Roger that." During this time, both armored vehicles continued firing until their gun barrels were scorching hot. A mountain of Lunarian corpses piled up, but their fighting spirit didn't waver. On the contrary, they seemed to get more excited at the sight of their fallen comrades.

Several small explosions erupted from the crevice. It appeared that vehicle two had dropped hand grenades into the crevice as they retreated. This proved to be the decisive factor in their escape. Kikyouu's quick thinking had paid off, allowing them to shake off the Lunarians' pursuit. The armored vehicles returned to driving side by side, leaving the crevice that likely housed the Lunarian base far behind. The Lunarians didn't seem to have any means of long-range attacks. Or perhaps humans just weren't aware of them yet. Finally, the enemy signatures disappeared from our radar. I announced to all vehicles, "Combat has ended. Maintain full perimeter alert. We'll keep this speed for 30 minutes, then switch to cruise formation." "Vehicle one, understood," came the reply. "Vehicle two, understood," echoed the second. The combat forecast changed. Combat Forecast: Searching for enemies. Casualty probability: 5% It looked like we had managed to get through safely. If we had been forced to purge the front wheel, it probably wouldn't have been able to escape from that crevice. Even if we could have supplied power using Iwakram, the high-voltage generator in the armor probably wouldn't have held up. The high voltage would have been cut off, and they would have been dragged deep into the crevice, likely losing all four squad members and the armored vehicle. If that had happened, vehicle one would have had to plunge into the crevice to attempt a rescue of the crew. I knew what the result would have been in that case. Total annihilation. Even though I understood this logically, military regulations mandated the rescue of comrades. That's how much importance was placed on the lives of soldiers. People were a rare and valuable resource. Ignoring this regulation and returning would have meant facing a court-martial. In this situation, we might not have been punished for retreating, but still... I realized that just a few meters' difference in the placement of those spikes could have meant the difference between life and death. Abruptly I realized how thirsty I was. It had been an exhilarating battle, one I hadn't experienced in a while. I quenched my thirst with water from the canteen attached to my belt. As the water seeped into my body, my brain finally registered that we had escaped the crisis, and the excess tension in my shoulders dissipated. "Squad 1111 to HQ. Requesting response." "This is HQ. Squad 1111, what's your status?" "We've disengaged from enemy territory. No casualties. Vehicle two lost its right second tire due to purging, but it's not affecting our mobility. No other damage. We're maintaining cruising speed in normal formation and returning to base." "Understood. HQ will take over situation monitoring from here. Squad 1111, prioritize your safe return. Over." "Squad 1111, prioritizing safe return." September 26, 2201, 18:09 KYT, 1st Infantry Battalion Headquarters "Squad 1111 returned an hour ago, and we've analyzed the combat data and images from their armored vehicle. As a result, we've confirmed behavior from the Lunarians that we haven't seen before. They were firing metal spikes into the armored vehicle." One of the NCOs at headquarters, Lieutenant Toujouji, reported the combat update to Captain Kagayama. Kanade Toujouji was a 24-year-old biologically-born human woman, a cool beauty with short-cut hair. She served as Kagayama's adjutant. "They have the technology to make swords and reach Earth from the moon. I don't think it's strange that they can make spikes," Kagayama said. "Yes, Captain, you're absolutely right. The issue here is the fact that they now have a countermeasure against our armored vehicles." She probably wanted to point out that there had been a change in the Lunarians' thinking. It meant that Lunarians capable of devising strategies and countermeasures had appeared. This was a new development in the decades-long war with the Lunarians. It could even be called a dangerous evolution for humanity. That's likely what Toujouji-san wanted to say. Kagayama pretended not to notice this fact and continued the conversation. He believed that to nurture subordinates, one shouldn't give them the answers. He always waited for the answers to come from his subordinates themselves. "I see. So the armored vehicles, which were invincible until now, have been destroyed for the first time. From now on, we'll need to check inside crevices before crossing them," Kagayama declared.

"In the worst case, we might need to bypass the crevices entirely. Avoiding the countless crevices in the wasteland would be extremely inefficient," Toujouji-san replied. "What other options do we available?" "Deploying tanks with continuous tracks. Or installing launchers on armored vehicles that can fire howitzer shells or vaporizing bombs in an indirect trajectory." "So with tank tracks, we could neutralize the spikes, and use indirect fire into the crevices to annihilate the Lunarians hiding inside. It seems we need to establish a countermeasures committee to examine this." "I feel the same way, sir." "By the way, what's the status of the 112th Squad sent to scout the beacon location?" Kagayama had taken the current situation seriously and immediately deployed the 112th Squad as a reconnaissance team after receiving Koizumi's transmission. Toujouji-san operated the console and checked the monitor. "They're currently scouting 3 kilometers from the beacon. They report heavy Lunarian activity in and out of the crevices. Combat predictions show a 70% casualty rate if the 112th Squad engages alone. To keep it at 5%, the forecast indicates we'd need a full battalion." One squad consists of four fire teams (four members each, totaling sixteen). Four squads make up a company, and four companies form a battalion. This means we'd need 256 soldiers plus a dozen or so from the command squad for this operation. This would exceed Kagayama's authority. "Do we know the exact number of enemies?" he asked. "At present, we only know there are several hundred. Given the heavy Lunarian traffic, there must be a base or garrison nearby," Toujouji-san replied. "We need to continue reconnaissance a bit longer. How long can the 112th Squad stay out?" "They have a week's worth of rations, but mentally, it might be three days. We've already designated replacement personnel. If you approve, we can send them out right away." "Very well. Lieutenant Toujouji, I order you to summarize this information and write up a proposal. You can submit it under my name." "I'll do that then, sir. It's more likely to be read by the higher-ups that way." "My name isn't that highly regarded. You could submit it under your own name, Lieutenant. If the content is good, it could be a chance for promotion. I'll review it for you." "I'm better suited for desk work, sir. In the field, my lack of physical ability would only hold others back. I prefer my current position where I can utilize my skills effectively." "You lack ambition. I'm aiming for the top. When I get there, I'll pull you up with me." "Me as well?" she asked surprised. "At this point, you're the only adjutant who can faithfully interpret my intentions," Kagayama said. "If you continue as my adjutant, not only will it make my job easier, but it'll also help me advance in my career." "Captain, I can't tell if you're being serious or joking. This doesn't sound like something an elite military family's officer would say," Toujouji-san replied, still looking perplexed. "You're right. If I hadn't met that person, I'd probably just be another stick in the mud," Kagayama mused. "That person?" "Ah, never mind. Forget I said anything. Now, about that report..." "Understood." As Toujouji saluted and was about to leave, Kagayama remembered something important. "Lieutenant, one more thing I almost forgot." "What is it, sir?" Toujouji gained a suspicious look, probably wondering if there was more to the story still. "Sorry, but could you get me a hot black coffee? It's top priority," I said. Toujouji-san let out a sigh. "Understood. I'll bring you an extra strong one, as thick as crude oil, right away." Toujouji disappeared into the kitchenette. Well, it looked like Kagayama wouldn't be able to go home tonight. There was a mountain of work to be done at headquarters. Speed was crucial in determining the course of the battle. They also needed to inform all units about the existence of the enemy's forward base. He took a sip of the strong coffee Toujouji had made and steeled himself for the night ahead.