The Special Selection Unit Astral finally arrived at their destination: the Republic of Mels, a nation currently serving as the stage for the war.
Reports suggested the fighting had quieted down compared to its peak, but the casualty count showed no signs of tapering off.
"What is the current status?"
"I’ll provide the briefing here, sir."
A makeshift base had been erected at the front. It doubled as a field hospital, and the air was thick with low moans of agony. The metallic scent of blood mingled with the sharp tang of disinfectant. Furthermore, the sheer volume of healing sorcery being performed had saturated the surroundings with a heavy concentration of Prima Materia.
"..."
Ray let his gaze drift over the scene. He didn't feel any specific emotion, yet his heart skipped a beat for a fleeting moment—as if a faint echo of a memory was stirring within him.
"First, regarding the situation on the battlefield: the enemy soldiers are acting strangely," the commander explained.
"Strangely? In what way?" Henrick asked.
The man, who appeared to be the commanding officer, replied, "They are... perhaps best described as monsters. They have lost all reason. They simply continue to let their sorcery go haywire, striking friend and foe alike."
"So you are saying it isn't just a case of Overheat?"
"No. We initially assumed they were merely rampaging due to Overheat, but we’ve observed soldiers who still seem to possess their wits. There are even commanders organizing them. To be honest, we can't make heads or tails of it..."
The man looked utterly spent. He was a fellow member of the Kingdom Army and an acquaintance of Henrick’s. Seeing a veteran like him in such a state drove home the gravity of the situation.
The conditions at the front were clearly much grimmer than anticipated.
"What about the vanguard?"
"The vanguard... a significant number of the soldiers we deployed have already perished. There were talented individuals among them, but they were ruthlessly—"
He didn't finish the sentence. His tearful eyes and the crushing aura of tragedy radiating from him told the rest of the story.
"The front line is quiet for the moment. We have sentries posted, but since we're in the middle of a forest, immediate detection is difficult."
"A forest... Does that mean sorcery-based detection is ineffective?"
"The Prima Materia within the forest is distorted, making magical sensing nearly impossible. We have to rely entirely on sound to detect the enemy, which is why our responses have been delayed."
"I see..."
Henrick placed a hand on his chin, sinking into thought. He hadn't been optimistic about the war, but the situation had deteriorated significantly. He considered how they might turn the tide.
With a resolved expression, Henrick spoke again.
"Understood. Our unit will take over the front line."
"…! Thank you... thank you so much!"
The man bowed his head in a display of profound, heartfelt gratitude. Very few of the regular soldiers stationed here had actual combat experience. Moreover, their opponents were fellow humans. It was only natural for a person to hesitate when it came to killing. The enemy, however, possessed no such moral restraint.
The absence of hesitation to take a life was the ultimate advantage on a battlefield.
Night fell. The sun had long since dipped below the horizon, leaving only dim lanterns to illuminate the camp. The members of the Special Selection Unit Astral gathered in a separate tent to begin drafting their operation.
"In my opinion, the biggest hurdle is this forest. I suspect the enemy is aware of that and is intentionally forcing the engagement here," Carol said, her voice sounding more serious than usual. Currently, Carol was in charge of drafting Astral's tactical plans. She would deliberate with Henrick to finalize their course of action.
The rest of the unit was also present for the briefing.
"The forest... So they are deliberately obstructing magical detection?"
At Flor’s question, Carol gave a small nod.
"I believe so. Theoretically, the technology exists to do it. But it should have a cycle; there must be moments when the interference weakens."
Carol stared at the map with a solemn expression. In the heavy silence that followed, Ray quietly raised his hand.
"Ray-chan? What is it?"
"If it’s just the status of the forest, I can handle it."
"What do you mean?"
"From this position, I already have a rough grasp of the enemies lurking in the woods."
A stir of surprise ran through the tent. It was an unthinkable claim. The distance from the base to the front line was several kilometers. Perceiving targets that far away should have been impossible, yet because it was Ray, the others found themselves accepting it as fact.
"I have a general idea of their positions as well," Lydia added. "The enemy soldiers are shrouded in a peculiar kind of Prima Materia. Before Ray and me, however, such a trick is meaningless."
Lydia also seemed to have a complete read on the situation. Carol looked at them, thinking how truly reliable the two were.
"In that case, once you give me the exact coordinates, we’ll adjust the plan like this—"
The strategy meeting continued for another three hours.
It was now the dead of night. Looking up, one could see a vast tapestry of beautiful stars. Ray sat alone on a rocky outcrop, staring blankly at the sky.
It was well past the designated lights-out time, but he had come out here alone, his mind too restless to allow for sleep.
"Ray. Out here by yourself?"
"Howard. Is something wrong?"
Sensing a presence behind him, Ray turned to find Howard standing there. Howard approached and sat down beside him.
"It finally starts tomorrow."
His voice was steady. Howard didn't seem nervous in the slightest; he was perfectly composed. Ray felt much the same.
"Yeah. It does."
"...You're remarkably calm."
"Am I?"
To any observer, Ray appeared perfectly at peace. His aura was not that of a typical child. Tomorrow, they would begin fighting the enemy soldiers. Furthermore, they were headed straight for the front line.
It would undoubtedly be a struggle for survival. Despite that, Ray remained as cool-headed as ever.
"Actually, I came to check on you because I thought you might be chickening out. Guess I was wrong."
"Was that it?"
"Yeah. But it looks like you’re doing just fine."
With that, Howard lay back on the ground and gazed up at the sky. There wasn't a single cloud tonight, leaving the brilliant stars on full display. It wasn't a particularly rare sight, yet Howard let out a soft sigh.
"The stars. They're beautiful."
"Yeah. It’s very clear tonight."
"This is your first time in actual combat, isn't it, Ray?"
"It is."
"Let me give you one piece of advice: do not hesitate."
"Because hesitation leads to death, right?"
"I should have known Ainsworth would have drilled that into you already."
"Yeah. But I still don't have a real sense of it. Like they say, seeing is believing."
"That's true. I understood those words a lot better after I experienced my first real battle."
There was a distinct weight to Howard's words. He was an elite sorcerer and a genius, but that meant he had been given many opportunities to experience the reality of combat. He had already taken countless lives with his sorcery. No matter the cause, and regardless of the fact that they were enemies, those memories stayed with him.
Even if his actions were ultimately for the sake of protecting his country.
"Ray. Are you looking for something?"
The question was sudden. Ray’s eyes widened for a moment; the inquiry had hit remarkably close to home.
"That... might be true."
"Might be?"
"Yeah. I don't quite understand it myself. I wonder why I’m searching... I haven't been able to recall my old memories lately. But at the same time, I feel this strange sense of déjà vu. Who exactly am I...? Maybe I’m looking for the answer to that. I think that's why I'm heading to this battlefield."
"..."
His words were abstract, lacking any real concrete detail. Yet, Ray clearly felt a resonance with this war. He had arrived here in pursuit of something. That was what his intuition was telling him.
"I see. I hope you find it."
"Thanks."
The conversation tapered off there. The two of them stood up and began walking back toward the base.
At last, they were about to participate in the Far East Campaign in earnest.
Each carrying their own sense of mission, the operation was finally set in motion.