(Tl Notes: i just noticed, but Neon called MC as Master instead of Sensei in canon so i'll implement that here.)
----
The eastern sky began to lighten, and eventually, the sun peeked over the distant horizon.
The time was 04:50.
Twenty infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) equipped with 30mm autocannons and TOW launchers roared their diesel engines simultaneously, starting their warm-up routines in preparation for the advance, echoing across the wilderness.
Simultaneously, dozens of armed vehicles started their engines as well.
Among them were the armored vehicles owned by the Special Operations Counter Team. They, too, began warming up their engines.
With less than 10 minutes left until the Zero Hour of the operation, Moore, sitting in the driver's seat, lit a cigarette with his oil lighter. He probably wouldn't have a chance to smoke calmly until the end of the operation. He intended to have a smoke now before that happened.
"Neon, once the convoy starts moving, take the turret gunner seat. If you spot any movement while advancing, don't hesitate to shoot. Just make sure not to hit our allies."
"Yes, Master. Rapi, hand me that spare ammo box over there."
"This one?"
In the rear seat, Neon received the spare ammunition box filled with 50-caliber belted rounds from Rapi and moved it under the gunner's seat.
Moore observed this in the rearview mirror and then glanced at the wristwatch wrapped around his left wrist.
It was almost time.
Finishing his first cigarette, Moore flicked the cigarette butt into the ashtray in the driver's side cup holder. Just as he bit down on the second cigarette, a voice echoed from the communication device hidden in the housing.
][Good morning, Commander, everyone. How's your sensitivity today?]
"Good morning, Shifty. I don't recall requesting a wake-up call, but I would've appreciated it a bit earlier."
[Hehe, duly noted. Now, let me explain the operation plan again.]
Moore, observing Shifty's wry smile, lit his second cigarette.
First, the Absolute Squad and the Café Sweetie Squad would plant explosives on the walls of the underground facility. During the time it takes for the facility to explode, they need to engage the enemy forces already roaming above ground to divert their attention. Not only that, but it seems there's a need to reduce Rapture's forces as much as possible, especially in the final stages of the operation when they carve a path to the Heretic.
Unfortunately, Rapture seemed to have sensed Ark's movements, as they had concentrated their troops and resources. Shifty shared this information, explaining that Rapture forces were surging into the operation area.
"...In that case... it's going to be a chaotic battle, isn't it?"
[Yes, it is. But for this operation, all of Ark's elite forces are participating. I don't think there's a chance of defeat!]
"Oh~! Your loyalty is impressive~!"
Mocking or teasing, perhaps a mix of both—Anis, sitting in the passenger seat, spoke as Moore exhaled purple smoke and manually rolled down the driver's side window.
[Of course! I believe in the power of Ark!]
"I also believe in the strength of our squad."
[Yes, I believe in all of you. Let's make this a success! Definitely!]
"Yeah, leave it to us."
While Anis and Neon were communicating with Shifty, Moore tapped the ash from his cigarette into the ashtray and glanced at the inside of his left wrist. The watch displayed the time: 04:56.
"Commander."
Leaning out from the back seat, Rapi grabbed the backrest of Moore's seat and peered over, her crimson eyes looking directly at him.
"...Are you ready?"
"...I've been ready for a long time."
His eyes were hidden beneath his sunglasses, but judging from his expression and tone, Rapi realized there was no need to ask again. Nodding, she lightly grasped Moore's right arm.
"...Please, don't get too worked up."
"...I might regret it if I don't get worked up now. So, let me get worked up."
"...Understood."
"...Oh, and... I forgot to mention earlier... but... in case I get so badly injured that I can't move..."
He seemed to realize that he had forgotten to give this instruction earlier and gestured with his eyes to the backpack filled with spare ammunition and other supplies. From within the metal case inside the bag, he took out a needle-less syringe and told Rapi that he wanted her to administer it to him.
"...It seems to temporarily block pain sensations. I'm sorry, but I'm counting on you."
"...I understand."
Without a detailed explanation of what was inside the syringe, LRpi felt a sense of aversion toward the act of injecting the substance into the commander's body. However, when he asked her to do it, she had no choice but to nod reluctantly. Acknowledging her reluctant nod, Moore also nodded back, and she returned to the back seat.
[Attention to all units participating in the operation! Operation starts in 1 minute! We will begin a 10-minute preparatory firing for the attack! After the final impact, act according to the operational plan!]
"Major Moore here, understood. Shouldn't we have said something like 'may God's protection be with us'?"
Moore glanced over his shoulder and asked the question to the occupants of the front and back seats. In response, they all smiled wryly.
"It doesn't suit you, Master."
"Commander, you dislike God, don't you? I doubt God will grant protection to the commander."
"...That's a harsh way to put it."
Rapi didn't say anything, but she probably shared the same opinion as Neon and Anis. Sensing this, he shrugged his shoulders, turned back to the front, and glanced at his wristwatch.
5 seconds left.
4 seconds left.
3...2...1...
.
.
.
.
.
.
Operation Start: Zero Hour.
[Commence firing!!]
At Shifty's signal, a fierce attack began from the positions set up in the suburbs of the city. Multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) and self-propelled howitzers (HSP) fired relentlessly.
Following the pre-planned operation, 155mm shells and 227mm rocket rounds were fired vigorously towards the target coordinates.
The nearly 50kg heavy shells shot out from the barrel of the self-propelled howitzer, slicing through the early morning air, leaving behind white smoke trails. The 227mm rocket rounds drew several lines across the sky, passing overhead the convoy preparing to advance.
Amidst the faint tremors caused by the shockwaves from dozens of firings that reached from the city outskirts behind them, he reluctantly discarded his shortened cigarette into the ashtray and exhaled a puff of purple smoke.
"Wow... What an incredible sight..."
"But I don't agree! Why only for 10 minutes?"
"It's probably to conserve ammunition. Depending on the situation, we might need to fire at opportune targets. Plus, we need to respond to requests for fire support."
"Yes, I think that makes sense."
"It's like artillery tilling the land," as they say. Far ahead at the point where the convoy had stopped, a tremendous cloud of dust rose into the air simultaneously with the impacts, likely indicating that they were overwhelming the Raptures along with the deserted streets.
They would be advancing alongside the final impacts, and Moore couldn't help but feel pleased at the thought of the reduced number of Raptures due to this barrage. The fewer engagements they had, the shorter the time they needed to get closer to the Heretic.
"By the way, Commander, you've had quite a morning, haven't you?"
"...What's this all of a sudden?"
The deafening roar of the shells hitting one after another reached the convoy like waves, causing the vehicles to sway slightly. Amidst this, Anis, sitting in the passenger seat, casually grinned and spoke to Moore.
"A lot of mass-produced Nikkes were asking you, 'Please take a picture with us.' How did that make you feel?"
"...How did it make me feel...? Well... it didn't really... bother me much..."
"Really~?"
"...But seriously, why would they want to take pictures with someone like me?"
Unable to comprehend, he continued, tearing open the packaging of a caffeine gum he hadn't had during breakfast and tossed it into his mouth to chew.
"Come to think of it, there were a lot of Tetra's Nikes... Could it be... because of the group chat?"
"Oh... that's... well... it might be my fault..."
As if recalling, Moore mumbled, and Anis, with a troubled expression, or perhaps trying to cover it up, smiled bitterly.
The reason why the dark-skinned Nikke,, Sugar belonging to the Cafe Sweetie squad, which by now would be placing explosives on the walls of the underground facility, had learned about his presence was Tetra's group chat.
"There were quite a few Elysion Nikkes too."
"And the Nikkes of Misilis were also... somewhat..."
Neon and Rapi also remembered the events from an hour ago. It seemed that his presence had become widely known among the Nikke girls. Perhaps due to the hassle of responding to individual requests or the pressing time, they eventually settled for a group photo.
"Being famous must be tough, Commander, huh?"
"...The cause of it all is Anis."
Seeing Moore let out a sigh, Anis, with a half-smile, also apologized.
The artillery fire continued during this time, but the final shells would be fired shortly.
That meant the advance would start simultaneously. After the final impacts, they would be heading towards the area that would soon be cleared.
They were probably also preparing for engagements with the Raptures they might have missed.
In addition to the scene before him, Moore couldn't help but feel a strange sense of "nostalgia" for the anticipated situation that was about to unfold.
"Final rounds have been fired! Prepare to advance!"
"Prepare to advance, understood."
Echoing the report that reverberated from the depths of the housing, Moore picked up the microphone near his mouth and repeated the command while releasing the parking brake.
"The final impacts... now! Start advancing, repeat! Commence your advance!"
"Commencing the advance. Neon, take your position at the turret!"
The infantry fighting vehicles with their roaring diesel engines started moving, treading on the rough terrain with their tracks.
Having observed the leading vehicle leaving a gap, Moore gave his command, and Neon in the back seat acknowledged, taking her place at the roof-mounted 50-caliber heavy machine gun.
As the armed vehicles began their advance, the Special Operations Counter squad also accelerated.
Whether they cried or laughed, a few hours later, one side—either Arc or the Raptures—would gain something, lose something, or perhaps neither side would gain anything.
However, the battlefront had finally opened at this moment.
Soon, as the convoy reached the entrance of the city, just before the cleared area, the Raptures' attack began.
Rays of light flew through the wilderness, and numerous 30mm machine guns and 50-caliber heavy machine guns roared, while explosions echoed around.
-----
[Preparatory Attack Fire] A planned firing to destroy enemy defense structures before the attack begins, and to facilitate subsequent attacks. This aims to initiate the attack and make future attacks easier.
(Tl Notes: i just noticed, but Neon called MC as Master instead of Sensei in canon so i'll implement that here.)
----
The eastern sky began to lighten, and eventually, the sun peeked over the distant horizon.
The time was 04:50.
Twenty infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) equipped with 30mm autocannons and TOW launchers roared their diesel engines simultaneously, starting their warm-up routines in preparation for the advance, echoing across the wilderness.
Simultaneously, dozens of armed vehicles started their engines as well.
Among them were the armored vehicles owned by the Special Operations Counter Team. They, too, began warming up their engines.
With less than 10 minutes left until the Zero Hour of the operation, Moore, sitting in the driver's seat, lit a cigarette with his oil lighter. He probably wouldn't have a chance to smoke calmly until the end of the operation. He intended to have a smoke now before that happened.
"Neon, once the convoy starts moving, take the turret gunner seat. If you spot any movement while advancing, don't hesitate to shoot. Just make sure not to hit our allies."
"Yes, Master. Rapi, hand me that spare ammo box over there."
"This one?"
In the rear seat, Neon received the spare ammunition box filled with 50-caliber belted rounds from Rapi and moved it under the gunner's seat.
Moore observed this in the rearview mirror and then glanced at the wristwatch wrapped around his left wrist.
It was almost time.
Finishing his first cigarette, Moore flicked the cigarette butt into the ashtray in the driver's side cup holder. Just as he bit down on the second cigarette, a voice echoed from the communication device hidden in the housing.
][Good morning, Commander, everyone. How's your sensitivity today?]
"Good morning, Shifty. I don't recall requesting a wake-up call, but I would've appreciated it a bit earlier."
[Hehe, duly noted. Now, let me explain the operation plan again.]
Moore, observing Shifty's wry smile, lit his second cigarette.
First, the Absolute Squad and the Café Sweetie Squad would plant explosives on the walls of the underground facility. During the time it takes for the facility to explode, they need to engage the enemy forces already roaming above ground to divert their attention. Not only that, but it seems there's a need to reduce Rapture's forces as much as possible, especially in the final stages of the operation when they carve a path to the Heretic.
Unfortunately, Rapture seemed to have sensed Ark's movements, as they had concentrated their troops and resources. Shifty shared this information, explaining that Rapture forces were surging into the operation area.
"...In that case... it's going to be a chaotic battle, isn't it?"
[Yes, it is. But for this operation, all of Ark's elite forces are participating. I don't think there's a chance of defeat!]
"Oh~! Your loyalty is impressive~!"
Mocking or teasing, perhaps a mix of both—Anis, sitting in the passenger seat, spoke as Moore exhaled purple smoke and manually rolled down the driver's side window.
[Of course! I believe in the power of Ark!]
"I also believe in the strength of our squad."
[Yes, I believe in all of you. Let's make this a success! Definitely!]
"Yeah, leave it to us."
While Anis and Neon were communicating with Shifty, Moore tapped the ash from his cigarette into the ashtray and glanced at the inside of his left wrist. The watch displayed the time: 04:56.
"Commander."
Leaning out from the back seat, Rapi grabbed the backrest of Moore's seat and peered over, her crimson eyes looking directly at him.
"...Are you ready?"
"...I've been ready for a long time."
His eyes were hidden beneath his sunglasses, but judging from his expression and tone, Rapi realized there was no need to ask again. Nodding, she lightly grasped Moore's right arm.
"...Please, don't get too worked up."
"...I might regret it if I don't get worked up now. So, let me get worked up."
"...Understood."
"...Oh, and... I forgot to mention earlier... but... in case I get so badly injured that I can't move..."
He seemed to realize that he had forgotten to give this instruction earlier and gestured with his eyes to the backpack filled with spare ammunition and other supplies. From within the metal case inside the bag, he took out a needle-less syringe and told Rapi that he wanted her to administer it to him.
"...It seems to temporarily block pain sensations. I'm sorry, but I'm counting on you."
"...I understand."
Without a detailed explanation of what was inside the syringe, LRpi felt a sense of aversion toward the act of injecting the substance into the commander's body. However, when he asked her to do it, she had no choice but to nod reluctantly. Acknowledging her reluctant nod, Moore also nodded back, and she returned to the back seat.
[Attention to all units participating in the operation! Operation starts in 1 minute! We will begin a 10-minute preparatory firing for the attack! After the final impact, act according to the operational plan!]
"Major Moore here, understood. Shouldn't we have said something like 'may God's protection be with us'?"
Moore glanced over his shoulder and asked the question to the occupants of the front and back seats. In response, they all smiled wryly.
"It doesn't suit you, Master."
"Commander, you dislike God, don't you? I doubt God will grant protection to the commander."
"...That's a harsh way to put it."
Rapi didn't say anything, but she probably shared the same opinion as Neon and Anis. Sensing this, he shrugged his shoulders, turned back to the front, and glanced at his wristwatch.
5 seconds left.
4 seconds left.
3...2...1...
.
.
.
.
.
.
Operation Start: Zero Hour.
[Commence firing!!]
At Shifty's signal, a fierce attack began from the positions set up in the suburbs of the city. Multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) and self-propelled howitzers (HSP) fired relentlessly.
Following the pre-planned operation, 155mm shells and 227mm rocket rounds were fired vigorously towards the target coordinates.
The nearly 50kg heavy shells shot out from the barrel of the self-propelled howitzer, slicing through the early morning air, leaving behind white smoke trails. The 227mm rocket rounds drew several lines across the sky, passing overhead the convoy preparing to advance.
Amidst the faint tremors caused by the shockwaves from dozens of firings that reached from the city outskirts behind them, he reluctantly discarded his shortened cigarette into the ashtray and exhaled a puff of purple smoke.
"Wow... What an incredible sight..."
"But I don't agree! Why only for 10 minutes?"
"It's probably to conserve ammunition. Depending on the situation, we might need to fire at opportune targets. Plus, we need to respond to requests for fire support."
"Yes, I think that makes sense."
"It's like artillery tilling the land," as they say. Far ahead at the point where the convoy had stopped, a tremendous cloud of dust rose into the air simultaneously with the impacts, likely indicating that they were overwhelming the Raptures along with the deserted streets.
They would be advancing alongside the final impacts, and Moore couldn't help but feel pleased at the thought of the reduced number of Raptures due to this barrage. The fewer engagements they had, the shorter the time they needed to get closer to the Heretic.
"By the way, Commander, you've had quite a morning, haven't you?"
"...What's this all of a sudden?"
The deafening roar of the shells hitting one after another reached the convoy like waves, causing the vehicles to sway slightly. Amidst this, Anis, sitting in the passenger seat, casually grinned and spoke to Moore.
"A lot of mass-produced Nikkes were asking you, 'Please take a picture with us.' How did that make you feel?"
"...How did it make me feel...? Well... it didn't really... bother me much..."
"Really~?"
"...But seriously, why would they want to take pictures with someone like me?"
Unable to comprehend, he continued, tearing open the packaging of a caffeine gum he hadn't had during breakfast and tossed it into his mouth to chew.
"Come to think of it, there were a lot of Tetra's Nikes... Could it be... because of the group chat?"
"Oh... that's... well... it might be my fault..."
As if recalling, Moore mumbled, and Anis, with a troubled expression, or perhaps trying to cover it up, smiled bitterly.
The reason why the dark-skinned Nikke,, Sugar belonging to the Cafe Sweetie squad, which by now would be placing explosives on the walls of the underground facility, had learned about his presence was Tetra's group chat.
"There were quite a few Elysion Nikkes too."
"And the Nikkes of Misilis were also... somewhat..."
Neon and Rapi also remembered the events from an hour ago. It seemed that his presence had become widely known among the Nikke girls. Perhaps due to the hassle of responding to individual requests or the pressing time, they eventually settled for a group photo.
"Being famous must be tough, Commander, huh?"
"...The cause of it all is Anis."
Seeing Moore let out a sigh, Anis, with a half-smile, also apologized.
The artillery fire continued during this time, but the final shells would be fired shortly.
That meant the advance would start simultaneously. After the final impacts, they would be heading towards the area that would soon be cleared.
They were probably also preparing for engagements with the Raptures they might have missed.
In addition to the scene before him, Moore couldn't help but feel a strange sense of "nostalgia" for the anticipated situation that was about to unfold.
"Final rounds have been fired! Prepare to advance!"
"Prepare to advance, understood."
Echoing the report that reverberated from the depths of the housing, Moore picked up the microphone near his mouth and repeated the command while releasing the parking brake.
"The final impacts... now! Start advancing, repeat! Commence your advance!"
"Commencing the advance. Neon, take your position at the turret!"
The infantry fighting vehicles with their roaring diesel engines started moving, treading on the rough terrain with their tracks.
Having observed the leading vehicle leaving a gap, Moore gave his command, and Neon in the back seat acknowledged, taking her place at the roof-mounted 50-caliber heavy machine gun.
As the armed vehicles began their advance, the Special Operations Counter squad also accelerated.
Whether they cried or laughed, a few hours later, one side—either Arc or the Raptures—would gain something, lose something, or perhaps neither side would gain anything.
However, the battlefront had finally opened at this moment.
Soon, as the convoy reached the entrance of the city, just before the cleared area, the Raptures' attack began.
Rays of light flew through the wilderness, and numerous 30mm machine guns and 50-caliber heavy machine guns roared, while explosions echoed around.
-----
[Preparatory Attack Fire] A planned firing to destroy enemy defense structures before the attack begins, and to facilitate subsequent attacks. This aims to initiate the attack and make future attacks easier.
