Rune Troopers: Self-Defense Forces Adventure - Chapter 6: A Hymn to the Living (Part 5)
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- Rune Troopers: Self-Defense Forces Adventure
- Chapter 6: A Hymn to the Living (Part 5)
Three Tactical Tomahawks entered the final entry sequence in front of the screaming monster.
“The heat source of the attack target is detected, direct hit course adjusted, no jamming, system all green.”
The IBUKI’s CIC displayed the camera image of the missile.
The digital image zoomed rapidly to the burning monster. No, it was not zooming up, it was rapidly descending. An electronic alarm sounded, indicating that it was just before impact.
Peeeeeee!
The screen filled with the monster for a moment, and then immediately switched to a screen of a sandstorm. What it meant–
“Target hit and destroyed!”
The fire control officer shouted a report.
◇
“Geeaaaahhh!!!” Genfur was sprawled out, having been hit by an explosion that obliterated everything and a tremendous fire.
The crystals were melting due to the heat. The meteor, having lost its crystal controller, would deviate from its intended trajectory. His life-threatening wish had been crushed.
“Why! Why?” He did not know what kind of attack he had suffered, but he was sure of who had done it.
He shouted with anger and hatred as he was about to be destroyed.
“Ha! Otherworlders, this will not be the end of you! Your existence should not be in this world! The world will not allow you to exist! The world will try to erase you! It is your destiny!”
***
In the CIC of the Aegis class destroyer “IBUKI,” the telemetry crew was surprised at the sudden change.
“A large number of small meteorites are changing their trajectory!”
“What!” Kaburaki turned to the radar screen.
Many of the small meteorites that had been on a straight line, aiming for this spot, had changed their trajectories. The fall sites would also be scattered.
“Their trajectories must have deviated due to changes in their center of gravity or air resistance!” The Artillery Chief rejoiced at the faint glimmer of hope.
Most of the meteorites were now about to fall toward the distant ocean. Moreover, many of them were in the process of being depleted and extinguished by the frictional heat from their entry into the atmosphere.
But Kaburaki did not relax. Once again, the telemetry operator shouted, “Well, there are still some that have broken through the atmosphere and are falling toward us!”
Even a small meteorite had a destructive power of several megatons. A direct hit would probably not save them. But beyond that, it was a matter of luck.
Yet for some reason, Kaburaki had a hunch that it would not hit him.
And he was right.
***
On the helicopter, Carda felt as if she were watching the end of the world. The Dragon burned the Royal city of Seyrord. Fortunately, a meteorite also hit the city, although it was very small.
“There is nothing for us when we get through this hell.” She mumbled, unintentionally.
It was a weak sound. Normally, as a knight, it might be the kind of thing that one shouldn’t have said. But even so, she said it because there was someone who would accept it.
“There is, I’m sure.” The young man from the distant other world answered without hesitation.
“What in the world?”
Kuze thought for a moment, then said with a wry smile, “The future, I guess…”
“You think we can recover from this state?”
“Yes, you can. My country was like that.”
“My country is not as powerful as Kuze-dono’s country. If Seyrord, which is the key to trade, is in such a state, we can only farm and produce a little good Argentavis…” Carda said to herself.
“Seventy years ago, our country, which had nothing but agriculture, recovered from a burnt-out state in a very short time.”
“Huh?” Carda was surprised.
She didn’t think that the Kuze country and its people, with all its power, would have to go through such a phase.
“What is broken can be fixed. What we need to do is to live well for those who died, don’t you think? Oh, these are the words from the will of my great-grandfather who went to the Pacific War…”
Carda narrowed her eyes, “Yeah, let’s live…”
“Yes, those who have died do not return. I am sure that crying is not the only thing we can do for those who do not return.”
“Yes… Maybe…” Carda gently laid her face on Kuze’s shoulder.
Warm, she thought. And I wanted to indulge in this warmth. Perhaps, if I miss this opportunity, it will never happen again.
“Kuze-dono.”
“Yes?”
“I’m a little tired… May I sleep for a while, until this ride reaches its destination?”
“Yes. Oh…” She snuggled up to him gently. Like lovers, no, like husband and wife.
Her happiness, which had not come true. Wanting to make it happen, even if it was only in a small way, she laid her hand over Kuze’s camouflage-patterned leather gloves.
The others pretended not to see it. Carda could see that. But since no one from her own country was there, she decided it was a good thing for now.
She wondered if she would get a word in from the cold, but that did not seem to be the case, as Kuze was her superior officer.
Kuze felt a little restless and great relief at the sweet scent wafting from her long hair. It must have been the life of one of the irreplaceable people he had protected in the crazy world of war.
She gently laid her cheek on his neck, her hair hiding her face and tears silently flowing down her face.
“Thank you… I, too, will try to live again…” Kuze gently hugged her shoulder.
With the sound of the helicopter engine and the city burning down, he could faintly hear her sobbing. It was terrible background music. But it was also a distorted but beautiful anthem for the living.
The future never ends. People would live. Even in another world, that would never change.