2
(Can we win if we fight? …It’s impossible)
After running a simulation in his mind, Shibano imagined the scene where, immediately after the deployed forces launched a full-scale bombardment, the surviving medium-sized monsters would counterattack, vaporizing the majority of the gunners and artillery.
Originally, the machines used by gunners have no defensive capabilities or mobility. They’re machines given only offensive power.
Even that firepower isn’t enough to take down a medium-sized monster in one hit; it takes several shots to defeat just one.
As a result, even in normal attacks, they often get wiped out by counterattacks from monsters that survive the initial bombardment.
In the Second Division, to prevent this, they always gather more gunners than the enemy, deploy them in scattered formations, and conduct simultaneous bombardments, prioritizing not allowing the enemy to counterattack. Secondarily, they focus on dispersing the direction of any counterattacks.
How about this time?
The fact that there are more enemies than gunners already reveals that counterattacks can’t be avoided.
(In this situation, we can’t expect effective bombardment…)
It’s widely known among artillerymen and snipers that firing from behind cover or armor that can prevent counterattacks results in a significantly higher hit rate than firing from a position with no means of protection.
The same applies to the gunners operating artillery-specific machines.
(Even in situations where their safety is relatively guaranteed, these machines are known for their lack of firepower and accuracy. It’s wrong to expect normal results in a situation where counterattacks can’t be avoided, meaning there’s a high probability of death.)
As a commander, Shibano trusts his subordinates, but he doesn’t overestimate them. He’s the type of person who can accept that impossible things are impossible, no matter how much fighting spirit one has. Therefore, Shibano understood that opening hostilities at this stage would end up being meaningless.
And it wasn’t just Shibano. All the the pilots and gunners confirming the number of monsters on the field, the tank crews and accompanying infantry, in other words, everyone present, recognized this.
(If we can’t win by fighting, we have no choice but to retreat)
The rational part of him knows this is the only option.
However, knowing this doesn’t necessarily mean they can actually retreat.
(Retreating is fine. But can we retreat without even fighting once?)
What Shibano is concerned about is not being court-martialed for desertion in the face of the enemy.
The higher-ups of the Second Division, Shibano’s superiors, understand that retreating to gather strength when faced with an unbeatable enemy is a valid tactic.
Therefore, what Shibano is considering is whether they can retreat unscathed or not.
There’s a saying in Sun Tzu’s teachings that “Of the thirty-six stratagems, retreating is best,” but retreat is considered the most difficult tactic on the battlefield. Especially, retreating while being pursued by the enemy is an extremely challenging task.
(Monsters generally have good eyesight. Given that the officers, including myself, can recognize the number of enemies, we should assume that they have recognized our presence as well.)
Abandon hopeful observations. The rational part of him urges this.
(Turn around and retreat? We’ll be fired upon before that. I can’t imagine maintaining formation and retreating while being unilaterally fired upon. If small monsters charge in while we’re in confusion from the attacks, the unit will be annihilated there. I want to somehow get the the pilots and machines out unharmed, but…)
Speaking of small ones, they might seem like small fry that can be kicked away with a single touch of armor, but that’s not the case. The enemy is a wild beast about 1-3 meters in size. For the pilots, they’re not particularly difficult opponents, and conventional weapons are effective against them, so even tank units can defeat them with some attrition.
However, that’s an assessment based on facing the monsters one-on-one, or rather, one-to-three ratio.
No matter how small they are, if attacked by 500 of them, even the pilots would be overwhelmed without being able to put up a satisfactory resistance. Moreover, the machines are large and easily targeted by monsters, so they’re by no means safe. Considering this, it’s too optimistic to think that everyone could escape safely if they tried to retreat all at once.
(…We need a rearguard)
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After much consideration, the conclusion Shibano reached was “retreat.” Moreover, it was a ruthless decision to leave behind a rearguard expected to die in order to allow as many the pilots as possible to escape unharmed.
The rearguard Shibano has in mind is the tank units and infantry units equipped only with conventional weapons. Of course, he’s not considering escaping alone. He intends to remain and command until the very end.
(Conventional weapons can’t penetrate the barriers of medium-sized and larger monsters, so they’ll remain unharmed. However, if we can reduce the number of small ones, which are the most numerous, we should be able to minimize the damage. At this stage, we’ll request reinforcements from other divisions, and have them prepare as much as possible while we’re fighting. The Sixth and Eighth, which were originally scheduled to support us, shouldn’t take too long. If three divisions attack together, we can win. The rest depends on how much time I can buy…)
Shibano was the kind of man who, if he thought he could buy even a little time by making a fool of himself in front of the enemy, would be willing to strip down to his underwear, charge into the enemy ranks, and blow himself up with dynamite hidden in his underwear.
“Alright. Announce to all troops.”
Die with me for the future of this country.
It’s an order that would plunge his subordinates, who are likely already sinking into despair, into hell.
I don’t want to kill them. I don’t want them to die. But give up. I’ve given up too.
It was just as Shibano, having steeled himself with such resolve, was about to issue this merciless order.
[This is Special Lieutenant Kawakami of the 2099 Special Operations Squad. As the operation start time has arrived, I will now begin the situation.]
“””Huh?”””
Everyone in the command post, including Shibano who had resigned himself to dying with his subordinates, couldn’t help but exclaim.
All the interception forces deployed here are under Shibano’s command.
Therefore, even bombardment cannot be carried out without Shibano’s permission.
Normally, it wouldn’t be strange if someone were to act out of fear, but the patience of the officers and men of the Second Division, waiting silently for orders, proves their endurance and excellence.
In the midst of this, someone suddenly declared the start of the operation.
Even if it wasn’t Shibano here, anyone would have been stunned by this declaration.
The problem is who made this declaration that could be seen as insubordination…
“2099 Special Operations Squad?”
“The 99 series is the code for the military academy. We shouldn’t be accepting trainees yet…”
“…It’s that prototype.”
“Impossible!”
“A student committing insubordination!”
“Did they snap from fear!”
I understand their feelings. Even the elite troops of the Second Division might act out of fear in this situation. It’s not unreasonable for a student to be unable to endure. The members of the command post thought so, but that was a misunderstanding.
“…No, he said this: ‘As the operation start time has arrived’…”
“””””””Ah!”””””””
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