Nadine Nathanael 

• Character death.

• Graphic depictions of violence.

There’s no place for me in this world.

Created only as an example to demonstrate the possibilities of a grand Paragon future, I was branded as “garbage” from birth.

Naturally, I didn’t have a name. It wasn’t necessary for managing garbage—a string of numbers was enough.

Some of my compatriots wearily insisted that was their name, but I couldn't be proud of something like that.

The reason I was created in the first place was Ahav’s “curiosity” to see if a mixed child between an old human and Paragon would promote Paragon evolution.

Even after various experiments, if you are treated like garbage every day, you will be made to accept it whether you like it or not.

I had no value.

And then one day…

The researchers suddenly ordered me, who had never lived as anything other than an object, to be disposed of.

The end of my world wasn’t worth any more to them than a sigh.

It was coming to an end so quickly.

And yet, my dry heart readily accepted it.

When they finished making their arrangements, they abandoned us half-bloods in the harsh environment.

“You don’t even have the guts to kill us with your own hands? No…”

If anything, we weren’t worth the trouble.

I laughed mockingly at myself, and for the first time, I realized that I was laughing.

“So I have feelings like this too… then… I’ll try to keep going.”

The southern continent of Africa*—a harsh environment where the Paragon’s restoration of the land has been postponed. 

It was a place where a lot of trash like us gathered.

In the past, it seems that there were abundant resources in the land and sea. However, the resources had long been mined up, and the place was of little strategic value—offering no appeal.

It was truly a perfect place for us.

I truly thought that those who had experienced mutual cruelty would get along.

But reality was different.

I was tormented and ostracized just because I was mixed race. A hierarchy existed even in a trash heap like this.

Although we look the same—the blood coursing through our veins is different—so I was subjected to every kind of violence. I was constantly betrayed by my own compatriots—who I thought were my allies.

And yet, despite everything, I survived. It must have been because of my uselessly sturdy body.

“I guess if that’s the case, I should just live by myself.”

To resist, you had to kill and steal.

When I realized the world was either kill or be killed—I met him.

I had fled into the desert without food and had no choice but to die—but he offered me his hand and saved me.

“You’ve got nice eyes. That spirit of yours—trying to resist even as you're on the verge of death… I like it."

That man’s name was Sargon.

Like me, he was a mixed race child who had been used as a test subject by Ahav and then abandoned on the African continent. 

“Come, let us change the world together.”

I took his hand without hesitation.

“—So this is the place?”

The sharp sunlight pricks my skin.

I arrive at a city, collapsed in a past war—and it’s as if you can hear the scorched atmosphere crackling.

Below me in a large misshapen hole leading underground. It looked as if some bastard had fallen asleep with his mouth wide open.

I strain my eyes to look at the city from as close to the edge of the cliff I can get without falling. The Paragons were engaged in excavation work on the rock walls and rubble of the city.

At the center of it all, it was there—a massive structure that would be seen from here with the naked eye.

It’s the thing I’m looking for.

“—!”

Since seeing it, my body can’t help but feel feverish. When I put my hand on my chest, I felt like my heartbeat had become a little faster.

Maybe it was just the sweltering air clinging to me.

But ever since I caught a glimpse of it, an indescribable feeling has been spreading within me.

This is—

“Curiosity… Maybe?”

I take a deep breath, but I’m not able to contain my excitement.

Amidst the busy movements of the mining machines and workers, I hurry underground using the elevator installed at the edge of the hole.

“Haha, it’s so big…”

Even from above the hole, I could tell this thing’s mass was extraordinary. But in order to really understand, I needed to be on the same level. It would be impossible to comprehend unless I saw the situation with my own eyes.

There was something so appealing about it.

"What's the situation?" I asked the man standing behind me.

“The analysis of the target is still only at about twenty percent.”

This is only twenty percent? How big is this thing?...”

I turn my gaze back to it. An enormous "face" blossomed from among the neatly removed rubble.

It’s not all that unusual to see humanoid imagery attached to mobile weapons. Even the Machines and mobile weapons seized during the Bathsheba war have needlessly elaborate faces.

But I felt something else about this guy’s face. That must be why I can’t pull myself away. At first, I thought I was getting too excited—as if I were a child. But it wasn’t that.

There was no fighting against this kind of excitement.

“I wonder if this is the influence of the Old Blood, Lord Sargon.”

There was an emotion that had been smoldering within me and Lord Sargon all this time—anger.

“Um… Lord Nadine, sir?”

“Oh, sorry. Please continue."

“Yes, sir. We can’t get the full picture without examining it in detail, but all of the parts of the mobile weapon we’ve found so far have been heavily damaged save for the head. They’re also scattered across a wide area, so it will take some time to excavate them all.”

“If that’s the case, we’ll have to arrange for additional support immediately. And…”

We also need to secure personnel with knowledge of the relic and a place to assemble it—all without anyone from Olympias finding out.

“Geez… No one else can do it but me, Lord Sargon.”

Well, his unreasonable demands are nothing new. It was like a subversion of expectations—which I have continued to live up to.

――

――――

While the excavation team was busy working underground, I was securing personnel and searching for a suitable site to assemble the mobile weapon.

Out of several candidates, the one I chose was Khartoum, located to the south of Fusrat.

In the days when the old humans flourished, it was a key maritime location, using the rivers flowing north and south to transport valuable resources and supplies.

Unfortunately, the river had since dried up, but the gentle riverbed was perfect for transporting the fragments of the mobile weapon.

Once a base was established, things moved quickly. Before the full-scale reconstruction of collected fragments in Khartoum could begin, I moved to secure engineers.

Based on information I had received from Lord Sargon, I had my target.

They were people who were nearing the end of their lifespan and forced into retirement—the ones who had been responsible for analyzing Megiddo Gog.

My job is, in the end, "violence".

From threats to assassinations, I can do anything physical. But don’t get me wrong—it’s not like I particularly enjoy destroying things.

It’s my job.

I was planning to use any means necessary to bring in the engineers… But when I mentioned the relic, they readily agreed to help.

It was a little anticlimactic, but with the personnel secured, the plan will proceed smoothly.

The plan to rebuild the mobile weapon goes off without a hitch.

According to their analysis, it seems that most of the mobile weapon had been lost for some reason—except for the face.

However, it was found to be compatible with similar machines found in the ruins, so the decision was made to reconstruct it using the excavated face as the core.

And so, the scope of the work gradually expanded—and finally, the day came to test the unit’s startup.

“It's a magnificent sight..."

The mobile weapon, standing upright on the hangar deck, had regained its ominous and imposing presence. It was like it was glaring down at me.

Just being there made my existence feel insignificant.

The engineer standing next to me speaks proudly, puffing out his chest.

"It will take some time before we can use it in combat, but with this much mass it will surely crush the Machines once we get it on the battlefield!"

There were places where the fuselage’s joints and armor plates were joined irregularly. They must have been working in a hurry, prioritizing activation.

The eyes of the workers waiting nearby were dull with fatigue.

“You're very reliable. But please don't push yourselves too hard.”

“It’s not that. I don’t have much time left. If I don’t see this completed while I can still move my body, I won’t be able to face our deceased comrades.”

The engineers nodded in satisfaction.

They will undoubtedly fulfill their duty, whether the leader changes or not.

They were devoted.

"I'd really like to see it in action. Where's the cockpit?"

"Surely you're not planning on boarding?"

“It’s not a good look for the supervisor to only read the manual, right? I’m planning to be the co-pilot, after all.”[1]

“But… There are still black boxes on this fuselage that haven't been analyzed. There's a high possibility that it will interfere with the function."

“Huh? As long as I don’t touch the controls, there won’t be a problem. I just want to experience the view from the cockpit for a little while.”

“...If that's the case, I understand. To be honest, I understand how you feel, Nadine, sir.”

“Thanks for the help.”

I rode the elevator with the engineer and climbed to the chest of the aircraft. As we head towards the rear of the ship from the scaffolding around it, I suddenly think of a question.

"Come to think of it, does this guy have a name? “This” and “that” don't feel very final."

“We’ve been calling it “Dvergr”. It’s a race that appears in fairy tales—said to have forged many weapons."

“Dvergr, that’s a nice name... Now, is this the entrance?"

If it were a human, there would be a raised area about the same size as the space between the shoulders. The cylindrical object that slid out from the protrusion seems to be a cockpit.

“It’s narrow… Please be careful.”

“I see… It is pretty tight.”

After confirming that I was seated, the engineer operated the console. Slowly, the cockpit sinks into Dvergr, and the view is shrouded in darkness.

After a while, the lights at my feet flickered on, and the monitor that had started up showed the view from the hangar deck.

“This closeness makes me feel like I’ve become a titan… It’s not bad.”

Satisfied, I went to call the engineer to let me out.

“FALSE▼…DREAM◆▼DESTROY×◆◆!”

“—Ggh!”

A voice echoes in my head, and I feel a strain throughout my entire body. The scene before my eyes is no longer the hangar deck—and it changes again and again.

It should have only been a moment—but I was exhausted and out of breath anyway.

“What… was that just now…?”

I touch the panel, but I can’t detect anything abnormal. There isn’t a display in Dvergr's log either.

“Is a hallucination that real… Even possible?”

I don't know the truth, but I have a feeling.

Dvergr is alive.

The construction of Dvergr progressed at a rapid pace.

Some of the functions had yet to be fully understood, but activation tests at Khartoum had shown no adverse effects on the pilots—so it was decided Dvergr would be deployed in combat.

Preparations were being made right up until the very last minute for the decisive battle, but the decision to push forward the date of the invasion was made by a military council attended by all leadership.

Assigned to the frontlines were Cainan, who had been appointed commander of the central army, and Sargon, commander of the southern army.

The plan was simple—they would attack from both the north and south at the same time, allowing them to create holes in the defensive line.

As the Paragon’s and Machines clashed, I led my soldiers to Void’s fleet.

“Cooperation, you say?”

“I received orders from His Excellency Sargon to cooperate with the front lines. I was told that having someone nearby who could verify the movements of the southern army would prove useful.”

I made the proposal to Void via the communication line from my combat vehicle.

On the surface, I proposed it as tactical cooperation, naturally. But in reality it was all just a setup for Dvergr’s takeover of Perses.

My true goal was to take advantage of the leaders' celebration of victory and assassinate them.

The most reliable way to assassinate an important figure was murder—a one-way-ticket without any consideration for the assassin’s return at all. 

Although I approached Void with my intentions hidden, I received an unexpected response.

“There’s no need for cooperation. Our army is superior!”

“...Huh?”

“I’ll advance the fleet. As commander-in-chief, I’ll raise the morale of those on the frontlines myself. How could there possibly be better cooperation than this?”

“No, no, that’s stupid…”

“Huh?”

“Putting on a performance is essential to squeezing the most out of your pawns. Hahaha! Now is the perfect opportunity to show off my strength. Let them use the power of Megiddo Gog to "caress" the battlefield!”

The communication is cut off unilaterally, and Void’s flagship roars as it marches towards the frontlines. 

“There’s no way… Did he sense my intention?”

I had always thought of Void as nothing more than a foolish ruler driven by his desire to show off—but it seems he has a cunning side to him as well.

“Tch… We're heading to the front lines too! Follow him!"

“Yes sir!”

We rush to the frontlines, but we get there late. By the time we make it, a portion of the defense network has already fallen—and the emboldened troops are swarming into the gaping hole.

As if the Machines had been waiting for it, they strengthened their counterattack. The battlefield became hell.

When the front row collapses, new troops step over their corpses and carry on. It was the basic course of war.

The cycle continues over and over again.

I simply watched the harsh reality of the soldiers being used like disposable bullets.

Until the appointed time comes.

It isn’t long before I receive a message using the southern army’s encryption.

“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting, Your Excellency.”

A marker indicating friendly forces appears to the south of the radar depicting the battlefield. It approaches at high speed and stops dead in the middle of the chaos.

Through the monitor, I see a mobile weapon has descended onto the battlefield—smoke and flames rising from below.

Dvergr—the embodiment of old humanity’s rage.

A howl of resentment echoes across the battlefield.

When Dvergr lands, the conditions on the battlefield change.

It was one-sided annihilation. 

Like infantry being torn away by vehicles, the Machine’s mobile weapons are exterminated one after another.

Even from the outside, it was clear that the Machines didn’t have the power to turn the tide.

Fully emboldened, the troops on the frontline destroy the outer shell of Perses and infiltrate the interior with Dvergr.

All that was left to do was wait for Dvergr to seize control of the colony—and take action when the opportunity strikes.

But the fragile plan quickly falls apart.

Contact with the unit that had entered Perseus is lost.

“Lord Sargon…!”

No matter how many times I try to communicate, there's no response. Before I know it, Dvergr’s signal is lost—despite the apparent takeover of the city.

We need to get in now and make sure they’re safe. The situation is too unpredictable, but Void issues an order to the entire army.

“All troops, retreat immediately!”

In an attempt to turn things back around, Void and the other Leaders conducted an emergency war council to establish future plans. It was revealed that Perses had weaponized the entire city. Based on heat signatures, it would take a massive amount of energy to fire the weapon—and it would be impossible to fire repeatedly.

And if we didn’t seize control of the city center before the weapon could be refired, our defeat was certain.

It seems difficult to get any further information—so I have no choice but to carve out a path for myself.

I volunteer to be the commander of the infiltration squad.

“—So, this is… all of you?”

It was a group of personnel that hadn’t been caught in the fire from the tactical weapon—those whose main objective had been to provide support from the rear.

Compared to the troops on the frontline, most of them are unreliable. However, since their main assignment was infiltration and reconnaissance, it shouldn’t be an issue.

Besides, even in the unlikely event we have to engage in combat, it’s still possible to do with small numbers.

Yes, they had value as decoys.

Leading the reorganized unit, I charge into Perses.

The objective was to confirm the safety of Cainan and Lord Sargon—who we have lost all contact with. Then, to restart Dvergr  stalled in the middle of the city.

The eerily quiet interior of the city was a stark contrast to when the infiltration began—and mechanical soldiers striding about.

The row of structures forms a barricade, making it unlikely to be found, but I wanted to avoid blindly charging through the intricate city.

If we were chased down a dead end, we could wind up dead.

I send a hand signal to the troops behind me to stop, and take cover to watch the Machine’s movements through binoculars.

“...Hm? Something’s off.”

Unlike the soldiers deployed on the front lines, I can't sense any intent from them at all—as if their hearts were somewhere else.

It would be misleading to say that Machines have hearts, but the point is that it was hard to believe that they were acting under a single command.

While some of them continue forward towards the wall, others collide with each other and topple over.

“Should we consider this our opportunity?”

“Captain Nadine, please come here.”

“What’s wrong?”

Cherub, my direct subordinate, seems to have found something.

“The bulkhead of this structure is the only one that remains open…”

Every structure is covered in what looks like silvery scales—but this one is different.

It’s unclear if it’s a malfunction, but we can’t overlook this. We have to investigate the end of this road—which seems like it leads underground.

So, I callov er the Murica Platoon.

"I'm going to have you infiltrate the interior from here."

“Huh!? You’re sending us in alone, are you crazy!?”

A woman with light blue hair—seemingly a new recruit—raises her shrill voice in protest and begins to gesture… Presumably in an attempt to convey the danger.

“You’re complaining? Then I’ll assign another group…”

“P-Please wait, Captain Nadine!”

“Ughaa!!”

The Murica Platoon captain pushes the woman aside and stands in front of me. He eagerly clenches his fist.

“We’ll absolutely accomplish this mission!”

“Oh, ah, is that so? I’ll leave it to you then.”

The man salutes vigorously and pulls on the woman’s arm, leading her down underground as she continues to complain.

They were an incredibly lively bunch, but maybe having them around would be useful as a decoy.

I instruct the remaining teams to search for other entry points.

“Well… From here on out, speed is key. Let’s move towards Dvergr.”

“Roger!”

Dvergr’s massive body makes its presence clear even among the sea of structures.

I crouched down, my head bowed towards the massive tower in the center of the city.

There’s a massive number of Mechanical soldiers swarming at our feet.

“I want to avoid any unnecessary fighting. Cherub, Acht, do as much as you can to–”

“—!!”

A shrill alarm sounds above our heads.

The structure tapered off the higher it went—leaving us with no place to hide. I figured that must have been the case. I cursed my own naivety.

There was a small mobile weapon looking down on us from overhead—equipped with optical camouflage that allowed it to blend into the surroundings.

“Tch–!”

“Captain! The dolls!”

The Machine soldiers were all looking at us now. Their cold faces were merely an imitation of something human.

They move their blank, white eyes—they’re all coming towards us at once!

“Captain, there’s too many of them!”

“Let’s get some distance for now–”

There’s a violent noise. A red stain spreads across the metal ground.

“Shit…!”

Slipping between the legs of the mobile weapon, I thrust my knife into the small gap between the joints. Having lost its balance, I jumped onto the unstable Machine and pulled the trigger, aiming for the heart,

“Next!”

I jumped down, destroying every last Machine soldier that came my way. If they were flesh and blood, I could be more efficient. Fighting a machine wasn’t a simple task.

I have to activate Dvergr before I can be overwhelmed by the sheer numbers.

“Ggh!?”

Something grabbed my foot. I lost my balance. I fell to the ground.

The Machine I thought I’d killed after shooting it through the chest—it grabbed my leg, and it won’t let go.

Suddenly, a dark shadow falls over me. Above my head, the leg of a mobile weapon is raised up to crush me.

Acht can’t keep up with the swarm of Mechanical soldiers, and he’s scattered around needlessly as he dies.

I won’t make it in time…

“I’m so sorry, Lord Sargon–”

The sound of grinding metal pierces the air.

The pain never comes, and I wonder if I’ve already left this world.

But that wasn’t it.

The mobile weapon poised to kill me was knocked away by something several times larger and had completely disappeared.

Only he could pull off such a monstrous thing.

“Dvergr… You’re still alive?”

Dvergr throws the mobile weapon at the swarm of Mechanical soldiers, and then raises its arm to let out an ear-piercing roar—neither human nor machine.

The army of Machines was reduced to scrap metal in mere seconds.

I wave at the Dvergr pilot.

I don't know if he'll notice, but since he won’t respond to my communications, I have no choice but to try an analog method. But no matter how much time passes, there’s no reaction from Dvergr.

“...What’s going on?”

I can’t get through. So, praying that it won’t start suddenly moving again, I use the anchor to climb into the cockpit on its back. I strike the hatch used to forcefully open the cockpit from the outside and pull the lever. The sound of air escapes, and the cockpit slowly slides open.

“Ggh!? What is this…”

Inside was the body of the test pilot. All of his bones were broken, and his body had burst open and splattered all over the seat.

I touch a part of the body, but I don’t feel any heat.

I thought he’d been killed by the tactical weapon, but this situation was different from the rest of the corpses lying all around the city.

If such a thing was possible, it was probably…

“Dvergr… No, could it be you…?”

I had assumed it was the pilot that had saved me from the mobile weapon, but that wasn’t it.

I don’t know if it was a malfunction, but it had reached out to me regardless of the pilot’s will.

The unknown sends a chill down my spine.

But anyway, I had to decide what to do with this thing first… I throw away the “debris” stuck to the seat and decide to investigate the inside. There isn’t anything significant, and the unit itself isn’t damaged.

“I’m not getting anywhere with this. Let's put the investigation on hold for now.”

Just as I go back outside to continue my search, I spot a ship flying away from the colony. It’s going in the opposite direction from the fleet that had escaped earlier.

Although there are a lot of things worrying me, I can’t make that my priority right now.

I returned to the ground and went back to the bulkhead we found earlier. Afterwards, I find the Murica Platoon and Lord Sargon fighting against Mechanical soldiers underground.

Sargon’s command must have been successful. The Mechanical soldiers suffered heavy losses, and many of them were already silent.

When we finish up with the remaining soldiers, we receive a report from the blue-haired woman.

Cainan Melvias had flown off somewhere with a Machine.

――

――――

A thorough investigation was carried out, and it was discovered that Perses had become a city without a Supervisor. This role was primarily filled by Machines, and it was their responsibility to manage the city.

Even during the Bathsheba Warm there had been instances of Supervisors retreating and abandoning colonies. But this time was different.

This withdrawal had been orchestrated by one of our own leaders—Cainan Melvias. Sargon had found evidence that he had planned this in advance.

There had been several communication logs exchanged with Cainan during the battle. And then there was the ship that flew off heading northeast.

Based on these facts, it was highly likely that Cainan was somehow in collusion with the Machines—or he was using the war as an excuse to act on his own plan.

The situation had changed completely. The time to celebrate the fall of Perses was already gone.

On Void’s flagship—which also served as General Staff Headquarters—an emergency war council was about to be held within one of its rooms.

All of the leaders were in attendance—even ones who normally weren’t there.

This was probably meant to boost morale, but in a way, it was also proof that the number of personnel had decreased.

Even with everyone assembled, Void doesn’t say a word. He just stares at the door in front of him. A soldier's voice comes from behind it.

“I’ve returned with a key witness!”

“Enter.”

“Yes sir!”

“E-Excuse me...”

“Welcome, Officer Elisha Murcia.”

“Haaah…”

Urged by the soldier, Elisha Murcia of the Murcia Platoon, enters the room. She had been assigned to my unit.

She was chosen as a witness to represent her injured and imobile companions.

“Come now, I want you to tell me what you saw at the colony.”

“T-To be honest… I don’t really remember what happened there–”

“I’m telling you to speak! You useless little liar!”

“AAaahh!”

“Void, please don’t do anything to discourage everyone. I’m sorry, Elisha Murcia. It’s alright to take your time, okay? Just close your eyes and try to remember what happened during the rush , little by little.”

“I-I understand. I’ll try…”

Elisha, while being repeatedly intimidated by Void, calmly explains everything from her upbringing to what she had seen and heard inside of Perses.

“And then, Lord Cainan…”

“There’s no need to use “Lord” when talking about a war criminal! How many times are you going to make that mistake?”

“Eek! W-Well, C-Cainan didn’t tell us anything, but I’m sure he’s planning to do something with the Machines!”

“Was there anything else that might have been a clue? Anything at all. How you felt when your companion was shot, the sight, the feel of your hand. What were you doing?"

“AH!” At Rhea’s earnest uring, Elisha’s eyes widen and she shrieks.

“I got so caught up, I tossed everything in my hands on the ship. So, that means I threw the beacon the captain gave me in case I got lost on the battlefield in there. It was so he could find me…”

“Show me… Quickly!!”

Following Elisha’s testimony, the access device is quickly retrieved from the captain of the Murica Platoon.

The recovered indicator had a marker indicating the beacon's location, pointing far to the northeast from Perseus Colony—the direction where Cainan's ship had flown off.

The marker is still moving, but there was no information about the direction of travel—only that it was a mountainous area.

“Is Cainan really in a place like this?”

“I-It can’t be… That’s the direction of… Samarakanda…”

“Void?”

There must be something that only Void knows. He’s staring at the single point on the terminal—his body trembling.

Then, he makes an announcement with a bitter look on his face.

“Send in troops for punitive force.”

“Void!? You know it’s dangerous to disperse the troops in an uncertain situation. Considering our remaining forces, now is the time to take Perses—”

“Our top priority is eliminating Cainan!”

Void’s bloodshot eyes intimidate everyone.

“Not just the traitor Cainan, but anyone who supports him! Anyone who gets in my way! Everyone! Kill them all!”

A red stain spreads across his shoulders as he holds himself close in an attempt to contain his anger.

No one can find the words to respond to his anger, so time simply passes.

“Rhea, Sargon… You two stay here…”

Void’s blood soaked fingertips point to the door.

It seemed that the military council was over.

Even after I leave, I can still faintly hear Void and Rhea’s voices from behind the door. There’s nothing more I can do here.

I decided to look for someone with maintenance knowledge so I can inspect Dvergr.

The three agreed to split the forces in two. Roughly speaking, it was either stay or go.

We, the surviving members of the southern army, joined the punitive force. Rhea and Esther, who hadn’t wanted to send out troops, stationed many of theirs at Perses.

The two of them were moving towards future developments.

In comparison, the punitive force—heavily influenced by personal feelings—was a step backwards.

While I wait in a cell-like room, I glance over the list of troops that had been sent out. Currently, there isn’t anyone here other than me that can operate Dvergr, so I would inevitably be working alone.

As expected, the southern army had been organized in a way that was convenient for Void—making it difficult to communicate with any of them.

It was like indirectly telling us to die on the battlefield.

No, maybe it was a message that we were given the privilege of dying.

Be that as it may…

“The fact that this is the only punishment for us and the others working on Dvergr behind their backs must mean that Lord Sargon came up with a good compromise.”

Sure enough, that communication log was a perfect bargaining chip.

The tactical weapon used at Perses was excellent at efficiently destroying human bodies, but the downside was that it couldn't destroy ships and evidence.

“Oh, and I should thank Lord Cainan for disappearing.”[2]

I let out a small and mocking chuckle, and I delete the list. I leave and head for the ship’s runway.

The impressive runway was usually the landing and takeoff point for combat ships—but now it’s Dvergr’s resting place.

“You being too big is another thing to figure out.” Saying this, I touch Dvergr’s cold armor plate.

I kept thinking about why I was the only one who survived and hadn’t been attacked during Dvergr’s malfunction—the reason why I was the only one who hadn’t been killed when the Machines and Paragons had been destroyed.

It must have had something to do with the “Old Blood” flowing through my veins.

I don’t know how it could distinguish this, but maybe the black box we had yet to figure out had a secret.

“Rushing to deploy it into actual combat backfired, but… —Hey, isn’t eavesdropping in poor taste?”

“...Hmph.”

The sound of footsteps came from the shadows—the source of which was Void, our commander in the punitive force. He made no attempt to hide his displeasure.

“Well, well. What can I do for you?”

“You did well to survive that battle.”

“Well, I have no clue what you mean.”

“How transparent. I know you’ve been acting under the assumption of Dvergr’s invasion.”

…He sure is a roundabout man.

“You came all the way to the runway to say that? You seem to have a lot of free time, Commander, sir.”[3]

“Don’t you understand? This is a warning.”

“...”

“I’m not unaware of your true intentions I can always—”

Void cuts himself off and approaches me—forcefully placing a finger on my neck.

“Don’t forget I can have your heads.”

Void hadn’t come with an escort because he wanted to imply that if I stepped out of line, Sargon, aboard the flagship, would die.

I confront him directly with a provocative look, “I’m a warrior—a man who exercises violence. I am ready and willing to offer up my body to build the Paragon’s ideal world.”

“A transparent lie… But nevermind. You’ll be taking the lead. Bury Cainan with that sinister strength of yours.”

With those words, Void leaves.

I want to thrust a knife in his back right here—he leaves so many gaps. But now isn’t the time.

The world is overflowing with those who need to be destroyed, The Machines, the Paragons, the Returnees. Their existence is based on the blood smeared history of the Old Humans—the ones they’ve discarded.

Only we have the right to question the state of this world.

I’m going to live,

In order to repay the kindness I felt back then I’m going to live. I’m going to live and I’m going to survive.

I don’t care what form I take—as long as we’re the final victors!

“Baptize the world in Old Blood.”

This is my pride—Nadine Nathanael's pride.

[1] This is written as サブパイロット(sub pilot) in katakana, but in English that typically refers to submarines. Looking up the term in Japanese yielded results referencing mech anime as well as the English term co-pilot. Dvergr’s cockpit is not large enough to accommodate two pilots, so “co-pilot” in this case likely just refers to Nadine being the secondary or backup pilot after the first “main” volunteer pilot.

[2] Nadine uses 殿 (どの/dono) to refer to Cainan here. This is unlike 様 (さま/sama)、 which he uses for Sargon. どの is generally archaic, but is still used in formal or business writing and when writing to your inferiors. Here, Nadine appears to be using it sarcastically.

[3] Nadine does the same thing to Void right after calling him commander. Commander-殿 (どの/dono)