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Night Strikers

 

Kou and Aimer were taking a nap inside the MCS. While they rested, Hyoue and the others had taken over, and the Lanius was undergoing maintenance. Meanwhile, Asia had separated herself from Aimer and was directing the Familia.

An alarm sounded. Their nap of around three hours had come to an end. During that time, the maintenance had also been completed.

「Are you awake, Kou?」

「Asia? What’s the situation?」

「The enemy’s advance has accelerated. The southern outskirts and the areas reduced to rubble are now under enemy control. They’re gradually expanding into the urban areas.」

「So even part of the Fortress Area has fallen into enemy hands. That’s a problem.」

「Still, thanks to Marujin’s reinforcements, we’ve managed to buy some time. Although we’re being pushed back, the deployment of indirect support has been completed, and the runway is now operational, which makes a significant difference.」

「I see. Thank you, Asia.」

「You’re welcome. Aimer, can I enter you now?」

「Anytime!」

Aimer responded energetically, her eyes shining with a golden glow.

The fact that they were still able to hold the defense was largely thanks to Asia. She was able to efficiently organize the troops, quickly exchange worn-out vehicles, and give timely orders to the Familia, allowing for smooth rotations.

The night clearly gave an advantage to the defense forces. While visibility could be managed with sensors, Asia’s command and the Familia, who didn’t need to sleep, played a critical role in defending the Fortress Area.

「Let’s go, Kou. The enemy’s momentum weakens during night battles. It’s a good chance to reduce their numbers, even by a little.」

The Stones had only humans in their ranks. Continuous action without rest was impossible for their troops. At some point, they would need to rest. Given the biology of humans, the night was the best time for that. Even with rotations, the assaults during the day were much fiercer.

「Got it. Asia’s Aimer.」

Just then, a transmission came through from Voy, who was in charge of the maintenance. The damaged armor of Unit 5 had been replaced, and the ammunition had been restocked.

「Are you up, Kou? I’ve got something I want to discuss with you.」

「That’s rare. What is it, Voy?」

「There are five D-Rifles that Aki and Nyanta completed inside Astraea. Kurt-san brought them over in a Type 2 seaplane. They’re meant for specific users: One is for Kurt’s Hrafnagud, another is Canary’s sniper rifle, and the third one is a trial version modified by Nyanta with a higher rapid-fire designed for suppression to be used on her Epona. They’ve each been given theirs.」

The three were probably resting in preparation for the night battle. They were supposed to regroup soon.

「Thanks, Voy. Is there an issue with the remaining two rifles?」

「That’s right. I was supposed to give them to old man Takaba and Chiba-san to use in their Accipiters, but… the old man is in the sealed district. Should we hold them as spares? Asia is producing the shells here, so we can resupply.」

「This isn’t the time to be holding back.」

Kou thought for a moment and then made his decision.

「Give them to Palm’s Epona and Jamie’s Lanius C. They can keep them.」

「Got it, Kou. Those two should be able to handle them just fine.」

Unit 5 remained in its Lanius C assault flight configuration. Along with the D-Rifle, it also equipped two swords—one large and one small—and three extra magazines.

「Kou-san! I’ve just received the D-Rifle. Are you sure about this?」

「This is Jamie. Whoa now, giving me a weapon like this just means I’ll have to push this old body to its limits!」

A transmission came in from Palm and Jamie.

「I want to reduce the enemy forces as much as possible during the night battle.」

「Understood. This is great. I’ll finally get a chance to take on those accursed Arachnes.」

The multi-legged Arachnes had taken out many Quattro Silhouettes. Palm was clearly excited.

「I’ve got to get some payback on that Lanius knock-off too. It’s a hassle that the enemy machines are of such high quality.」

「Yeah, really. Jenny and the others have joined us, but honestly, the performance of our Silhouettes just isn’t enough. But we’re different. You two, come join us.」

「An impromptu special forces unit for night combat? Sounds interesting.」

「A squad that can wipe out the enemy, huh?」

Jamie grinned while Palm’s excitement only grew.

「Five Silhouettes won’t be enough to turn the tide of the battle, but we can at least slow them down. I don’t want to see any more of the Familia die.」

Humans need sleep. The damage to the Familia was greater at night because they needed to rely on the Familia’ tanks and armored vehicles to fill in that gap. While the Therianthropes were also strong at night, they still needed some rest.

「I’m about to send out a general transmission to the defense forces. Asia’s Aimer, connect me, please.」

「Understood.」

「You hear me? Everyone, you’ve done well to hold the line. Follow your captains’ orders, rotate out, and prepare for sustained combat. The enemy is aiming for a swift victory, and their assault isn’t over yet.」

Each unit listened intently. It was rare for Kou to address them directly, rather than Asia’s Aimer.

It seemed even the Argoforce was being rotated for rest. Despite being a highly skilled unit, even they required sleep. They were using a crash-landed aircraft carrier as a makeshift base for resupply and rest. While the number of enemy forces had decreased compared to the initial stages, their indirect and support units were becoming more formidable.

「By morning tomorrow, reinforcements will arrive, Marujin from BAS Albion, the one who came to help us today, has assured me of this. We’re not fighting solely based on that hope, but I believe this reinforcement could turn the tide. We just need to hold out for one more night.」

The mention of reinforcements caused a stir among the troops. Everyone knew that every front was stretched to its limits.

「As a secondary plan, Silhouette Base is also considering sending additional forces. We’re all struggling here, but this is the critical moment. I pray for everyone’s success.」

Kou wasn’t a born soldier. In a situation like this, he should have reassured them by saying reinforcements would definitely come, even if it was a lie. But he chose his words carefully. He knew that if he lied, the Familia would see right through him.

Still, Kou had faith that Marujin’s promised reinforcements would arrive. It was almost a prayer in his heart.

「That was quite a good speech, Boss. You should co-star in the radio program with me next time.」

「Don’t say scary things like that, Blue.」

「You should show your face to the troops sometimes. We’ve already joined up. Once you arrive, we’ll launch.」

Responding to Blue’s transmission, Kou called out to Asia’s Aimer, who stood behind him.

「We’re heading out as well.」

「Roger that.」

Unit 5 launched toward the front lines.

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

The sun had set. The world, once bathed in the colors of the sunset, was now a canvas of twilight, with a sparkling starry sky above.

Where the city should have been brightly lit, there were no lights. Only the sporadic sounds of small explosions and occasional flashes of light indicated that combat was still raging. Since all MCS units were equipped with some level of night vision, they were prepared for this.

The spearhead of the counterattack came from an unexpected force.

「Let’s go, everyone!」

「Yeah!」

It was the squadron of fighters made of wood and water, the Boons. Originally specialized for Fortress Area operations, this aircraft was even more effective in night combat. Its engine emitted no light, used quiet electric motors, and its frame was made with nanocellulose and aqua materials, so it didn’t use any metals, making it invisible to radar.

It weaved through the gaps between buildings, launching wired air-to-ground missiles and firing anti-aircraft missiles from directly beneath enemy fighters. Some had even swapped out their missiles for machine guns to prioritize sustained combat.

The aircraft, undetected by the enemy’s radar and sound sensors, had become silent assassins. Their pilots were primarily nocturnal Familia based on serval cat and tanuki types.

An enemy silhouette, a Kazakh, retreated into the narrow space between buildings, trying to avoid being targeted by the silent Boons, but fell silently without knowing what had happened.

Behind the Kazakh stood Unit 5, having pierced the Silhouette’s MCS from behind without making a sound. Unit 5 sprinted forward, avoiding the use of any thrusters.

With a single flash of light, an entire enemy squad was cut down in the blink of an eye.

「What the—!」

「There! After them!」

As they tried to give chase, a series of explosions knocked them off their feet. It was Blue’s sniper fire. Blue’s Canary had been customized to combine the roles of a marksman and a sniper, allowing for mobile combat even while delivering precision shots.

「It’s the enemy’s ace squad!」

「Regroup! Fall back!」

Just as the enemy squad gathered, an Epona emerged from the shadows.

「Die, nyan.」

Nyanta’s D-Rifle was a modified variant configured as a squad suppression weapon, it unleashed a barrage of continuous fire thanks to its belt-fed ammunition system. The suppression fire using fluid metal rounds was overwhelming.

Blue provided covering fire, and Palm’s Epona and Jamie’s Lanius C joined the gunfight. Even for heavily armored Silhouettes like the Kazakhs, the concentrated fire from the D-Rifles was devastating.

「Scatter!」

Staying clustered together meant certain death. The enemy scrambled to flee in all directions.

Of the fleeing machines, three silhouettes were instantly sliced in half. Kurt’s Hrafnagud stood there, wielding the dual-handed sword Gram.

The silhouettes that fled in the opposite direction were also cut down by Unit 5.

「Area secured. Moving to the next target.」

「Let’s go.」

Kou selected their next prey, while Kurt methodically carried out his tasks.

「The enemies in this sector have been neutralized. Heading to the next area.」

「Roger that!」

The six Silhouettes handed over control of the area to the follow-up forces and advanced to the next battlefield.

The impromptu team’s combat prowess was remarkable, and their success greatly boosted the morale of the allies they were supporting. Word about them had even spread among the Metal Iris pilots and mercenaries.

「The Big Boss and his team are seriously strong.」

「Strong? That’s a given. What’s more impressive is how fast they are. They’re swiftly securing areas and moving from one battle to the next. It’s like they’re a night raid unit—Night Strikers.」

「Night Strikers, huh? Yeah, that fits.」

The exploits of the six fighters spread quickly under the moniker Night Strikers.

「With Big Boss and Asia’s Aimer coordinating, the orders we get are flawless. We just need to trust them and keep fighting.」

「Exactly. They even provide us with retreat routes. It’s a huge help.」

While the quality of their weapons was top-notch, and the Argoforce pilots were elite, Asia’s Aimer’s command played a significant role in allowing this smaller, less-resourced group to hold their own. Despite the cutting-edge radars and sensors on their weapons, fighting at night, with reduced visibility in the maze-like city streets, made smooth operations difficult.

However, the Familia knew the terrain and routes perfectly. They could consistently use the local geography to their advantage. Even the Fortress Area facilities worked in their favor, and it was thanks to this that the defense forces, who should have long been overwhelmed, were still able to fight.

Meanwhile, the Argoforce was being pushed back, with each district falling under enemy control. The uncertainty was causing hesitation as they debated whether to fall back or advance.