by Kasugamaru
One of the members elected by the navy hesitantly raises his hand. I recall he’d once professed to be knowledgeable about online games but so far hadn’t given any great insights, nor had we any need to ask him anything, and so I had totally forgotten he existed.
“Um, about the human forces...”
“Petty Officer, let’s try to keep our terms consistent. They’re subhumans, not humans. Their Asian looks and red symbolism are truly infuriating.”
“But, the Japanese...”
“The true samurai are the ones blue on your map; the red ones are to be purged. Have some common sense.”
Ah, I remember now. He was stationed at Yokosuka Naval Base. No wonder he’s in touch with video games and Japanese subculture.
His thoughtlessness makes my blood boil.
How can he not be bothered by the nuclear bombings on Alaska or the terrorist chemical warfare they employed on San Francisco? That’s so Japanese of him, treating everything as someone else’s problem and displaying a dullness similar to the tolerance of angels.
I dare you to lose your family and be turned into a paraplegic, boy. Then we’ll see if your worldview stays the same.
“And? What of the subhumans’ forces?” the first lieutenant is urging him on. As head of the IT department, his fixation on information is strong.
“Erm... There was talk that they were gathering people north of the fort. They were strangely excited about repelling an attack of protozoans. And, er, one of my Japanese friends was telling me...” Get to the point, man. However, no matter what it is, we all must have an equal opportunity to speak in the meeting room. That’s what it means to be elected to the strategy council. “Um, there’s this video posted on a streaming site. It’s called a Let’s Play. There’s a pretty popular style of this kind of video known as live streaming...” I sip my hot chocolate. I knew this was nothing worth listening to. A grown man does not mix up video games with real life, even if real life involves a parallel world. Especially when it comes to war. “So, there’s this strange video about Dragon Demon RPG. It takes a really weird turn, and the guy becomes the god of the subhumans’ forces to defend the Frontier. Like, he controls a unique unit...”
“Could it be modified game data? Those are pretty popular, right?”
“Oh, I don’t think so, that was too well-done. Not to mention that the guy seems to attract viewers with his skill as a player, not by showing new items or functions. Also, the contents match up too well. For instance, Ten Thousand Bells’ positioning in the Frontier. The dates are probably the same, too.”
“I see. Do we have reason to believe the Japanese have independently entered into this Parallel World War?”
“W-Well, if it’s a coincidence, it’s practically a miracle.”
“No, it must still be a coincidence. Our country has already seized Japan’s super A.I., as well as their IT experts. Otherwise, we would have never been able to establish contact.” The Colonel is getting irritated by this nonsensical conversation. He’ll eventually cut it off and start dictating our plans for the future. So until it’s time to return to the hole, I’m going to enjoy my time in human society.
Establishing contact with the elves is a very delicate act. It must be done alone. Alone, I must lead this Parallel World War again. Failure is not allowed. Either I succeed, or I don’t come back at all.
47 The DDR Plan for Victory / An Ordinary Soldier Dreams of Happiness Surrounded by Fire
The human god is a god of battle. Fire is at His command.
So I fight, wielding fire.
-DDR Stream/VOD Part 4-
It’d be a sign of the apocalypse if I got a delivery of steak from my parents.
Hey guys, it’s PotatoStarch, your resident foodie bandwagoner. Meat is so delicious. Maybe it’s because it’s been carefully grilled, but I find it a perfect marriage of a crispy outside and a juicy inside. Some slow-grilled fish cake would be excellent, too.
Fire is magnificent, isn’t it? Maybe I should re-examine my lifestyle of eating instant food and microwave-based meals. By the way, things seem to be going well in DDR. I’d love to raise a toast to it, but I promised not to drink alcohol anymore. Plus, wine or dry Japanese beer would go best with this juicy meat. No! Prohibition!
So, let’s toast with a cup of tea! Here’s to the continued rise of faith in the Devil God. Cheers! Man, things are looking up. Faith in the Devil God has started to spread far and wide, through the western towns and even to the fort. Coupled with the results of our vampire hunting, total faith points have exploded like a high school-level quadratic equation.
This must be thanks to Kuroi and Sira. Like, because I’m sending out an Apostle and her servant, the people around them are deepening their faith? I don’t really know. There was no such element to the game when I played as an elf or a vampire. Faith in the Demon and Dragon God are pretty much natural to those races. They’re filled with fear that their god might curse them one day.
Maybe because the humans have no Guardian God, part of the fun of the DX version is in missionary work. Look, everyone around Sira is praying. And around Kuroi, too.
Mmh? Ha! Aha ha ha! When I switch between Kuroi and Sira, they look up at me in confusion. This is fun! Click, click, click. Swapping between them at high speed! Too funny. Damn, the devs are so thorough. Oh? A new system message? Let’s put my servant viewer in a separate, smaller window and... there.
Ah... yeah, I guess switching quickly between views isn’t an endorsed way to play. Why do I feel like a child being scolded? It’s as if someone just yelled at me for not being able to control myself.
Okay, let’s move on. Time to focus on planning for humanity’s great victory! The basic idea is to improve our forces while whittling away at the vampires. I could steal their land, but in the end, the Demon God will show up and kill everyone, rendering it all meaningless. It’s the timing of the Demon God’s appearance that I’m estimating. The trigger for this event is the number of vampire Apostles remaining. So, what’s the state of the contested lands in the center of the territory? For some reason, Thunderstorm and Absolute’s markers are there.
Hm, I can’t tell... At least I know that the Apostles are there, but... I’m guessing they both have about ten thousand soldiers with them. This is the final battle, after all. Worst case scenario, both the Demon and the Dragon God will show up. To put it in real-world terms, they’re like nuclear weapons.
Nuclear weapons, nuclear strikes, nuclear war... Let’s pray that never happens. Seriously.
Hm? What’s this? One of them appears to be moving south. Oh, there! They moved again.
This isn’t good.
Is Thunderstorm not going to engage in the usual push and pull between east and west, but instead aim for an opening from the south? That would be a real pain. We’ll be smashed to splinters if we collide with the vampires’ main force. An army of vampires ten thousand strong is akin to a calamity. It’s apocalyptic, even.
What do I do? If they invade the south with those numbers, we’ll be screwed. But I have to do something! At any rate, Kuroi’s definitely not going west anymore.
Actually, Sakiel is at the Frontier. She should be able to hold off Thunderstorm for a bit. After that, all I can do is trust in the speed of my horses. If she can buy enough time, the elven main force should arrive... so much is relying on “shoulds”! These estimates are so optimistic. However, I can’t just abandon the Frontier. Never.
Godspeed, Kuroi. And follow me, handsome knights. Our first stop is the Hell Expanse. We’ll resupply there and then move straight to the Frontier!
-Soldier Mulaso I-
“Mulaso, are you crying?” asks the sergeant. Chowing down on my pork that still remains on the bone, I nod vigorously. I mean, it’s just so good! And so sad.
This meat came from a pig that was left behind after its village had been massacred. Who raised this beast so well? Whoever they were, they’re dead now, and I’m eating the fruits of their labor wit
h tears streaming down my face because it’s so delicious. The sergeant pauses.
“Well, eat up, man. Our job is to get down in the mud. If you don’t eat, you won’t last long. Plus, you’ll piss off the guys already in their graves.”
I nod. I nod and bite into the meat. It’s so good.
There are other delicious things around the campfire as well: fresh vegetables, stews, and even wine. Tonight, we’re going to eat and drink to our heart’s content and restore our energy. Then, we’ll offer our prayers to the many, many graves we built and bring what food we can to the refugees. They must be starving.
“Lady Kuroi’s left us...” I nod at the sergeant. Indeed, Lady Kuroi went back already. After eliminating the vampires that had been terrorizing the western front, she immediately headed off to the next battlefield: the north. No rest at all. “She’s amazing. She swept through those freakish monsters like they were weeds, and yet, she always looks calm and indescribably beautiful. She’s definitely loved.”
I don’t even need to ask “by whom?” By God, of course. The human God. Lady Kuroi’s existence means that God must exist.
“And those knights weren’t normal, either. So fast and strong...” he continues. “They knew no fear. Of course, House Willow is known for having dauntless courage, but those stories about them pit them against small monsters and bandits. To see them rip through real monsters...”
That knight called himself Agias Willow, I think. We were all tied up when he saved us with his shining sword. He turned us from vampire food back into humans.
We can’t fight like that; we aren’t cool like them. It’s not about being able to ride a horse, or about lack of swordsmanship... it’s courage. We lack the courage to fight.
“Hey, wipe that sad look off your face! Not everyone’s cut out to be a hero. In fact, you impressed me. I can understand your admiration, but frustration? That’s something else entirely.” The sergeant peers at my face, so I turn towards the campfire. The popping flames are strong and warm, dancing beautifully; they remind me of Lady Kuroi and her knights. It’s marvelous to see how they don’t succumb to the darkness of the night. If only I could be like that... I don’t want to be a mere observer.
“Let’s just focus on doing what we can to the best of our abilities. Isn’t that good enough?”
His voice sounds like it’s rising from the bottom of his stomach. Maybe that’s why it sticks in the bottom of mine. He’s right next to me, yet sounds so far away. He must be watching the fire, too.
“Lady Kuroi has things that only she can accomplish. The knights, too, have things that only they can do. That’s why we should focus on what we can do. We’ll transport all the survivors and supplies we scraped together to the city. People need us,” he declares.
My gaze drops to the pile of firewood beneath the roaring flames. The wood burns, cracks, and turns to ash, which then blows away on the wind. The popping sound is coming from it, not from the flames.
“Yes, we were saved, but it’s nearly impossible to completely save someone. Perhaps, when there are lots of people you want to save, fighting is the easier route, but it’s not like God is going to rain down food from above,” he jokes, so I give a little chuckle. The human god is a god of fire and war, not of meat and wine. If that were the case, would Lady Kuroi have been a chef and not a warrior in a different life? And the knights, would they have been sous chefs and waiters, traveling to villages and delivering gourmet dishes? I bet that would make everyone happy. I could help with washing the dishes and cleaning up afterwards.
That would be nice. Really nice. Fun, even. I wish the world was like that.
“C’mon, finish up and go to sleep, we have an early morning tomorrow. Gotta turn our backs on the scary north and head south to the city at the foot of the mountain.”
I nod and lie down. My belly is full, I’m slightly drunk, and the fire’s close and warm. The sounds of people still eating and drinking are pleasant to my ears. I feel like we can keep working hard together.
God, they say You reside within fire. We’ll do what we can, in our own way. We’ll work hard. So please, grant victory to Lady Kuroi and her knights. Grant Your greatest blessings to the ones who work the hardest. And one day, I hope we can all gather around a great fire together. I bet that would be fun. If that day comes, I’m sure everyone will be able to smile and say: “I’m glad I survived.”
48 The Youngest Brother Fears a New Battle / Old Fang Hopes for a New Battle
God shows us the techniques, methods, and strategies of battle. He gives us His blessing: the power of fire.
But these do not guarantee victory. They are not victory itself. They are merely the tools for victory.
-Marius I-
I barely grunt as I send a monster’s head flying with my sword.
It’s late afternoon on the plains; the perfect battlefield for us Bomber Knights. A hundred goblins? Hah! Make it a thousand; it makes no difference. I swing my sword to rid it of the filth and take a deep breath, turning to the battlefield that has started to become slightly fouled with the stench of monsters.
“All platoons, strike! No fire magic!” I order. As soon as the first horse reaches the row of foot soldiers behind him, Captain Zakkow comes to me before I can give my next order.
“Just the cavalry, right, Marius?”
His expression is stern. Mine might be in a similar state.
“Yes, that’s fine,” I reply. The goblin horde we are fighting against came flooding towards the Hell Expanse from the mountain forests to the north. Unsure of their numbers and strength, I sortied with not only a thousand cavalry, but also a thousand foot soldiers. I’m fine with going overboard. I’ve decided that I will meet them with a formation that allows not even a single monster to reach the Expanse. I believe this was the correct move. Considering the sentiments of our people, it was best to go with the safest option.
“So, what do you think?”
“We are definitely being watched,” I reply.
Unfortunately, my plan might have been predicted. The goblins charge without fear of death and refuse to retreat. This all points to one thing: vampires are lurking close by. Probably someplace where the forest is least dense, so they can see us clearly. This attack is, without a doubt, merely a means for them to calculate the number of soldiers in the Hell Expanse.
“Hmph... Good thing we didn’t bring the rabbits,” comments Captain Zakkow.
“Yes, indeed. And we’ll refrain from using fire magic, too.”
“Where do we strike?”
“That’s what I wanted to ask you.” We also have the option to not strike. We could hide it under the guise of evacuating citizens... Furthermore, it would be easy to switch gears if needed. “Anyway, I think we should stay here a little longer and observe the enemy’s movements,” I command.
“All right. We’ll leave you to that, then.”
Captain Zakkow gives an order and the foot soldiers begin to withdraw. Good, very orderly. Of our two thousand foot soldiers, including the thousand we left in the Hell Expanse, I wonder how many of them are from these lands.
I exhale. The hand holding my reins is shivering. I have a bad feeling about all this. Our enemy is hiding completely out of view while over a thousand goblins rush across the field. We’re hunting down their pawns, but they don’t seem to be drawn in by the scent of battle. This isn’t normal.
Maybe I should send out a smaller platoon to try and gauge their forces. They could ride up to the forest and unleash a bit of fire magic; that might seize the initiative.
But... no. My Bomber Knights are our greatest asset; I can’t risk putting them in unnecessary danger. At the very least, not on my decision alone. Given the situation, I have no choice but to play along while sticking to my original plan: I can look for an opening while staying on the defensive.
We slowly draw back, slaying goblins as we go. No signs of movement from the forest. Are they waiting for the evening before making their move
? Or will they strike in the dead of night? Either way, there’s no way to plan around an enemy you can’t see.
In the end, war is just subtraction; there will always be sacrifices in battle. The ideal outcome would be for no one to die... or at least, preserving our army. If worst comes to worst, I must prioritize my Bomber Knights above all else—even if it means abandoning the citizens and Captain Zakkow.
I take a deep breath and ride forward. I don’t like this wind; it’s moist, as if spreading rot. A storm is coming—a storm of violence that will torture the lives of men. Precautions are always lacking, and no matter what we do, it won’t be enough. Nevertheless, it is at times when we must hold out against all odds that we draw closer to others. Together, we pray to God.
“Deus Ex,” I mutter, praying for many things. Then, I swing my sword wide. Together, my knights quickly withdraw.
The time for battle has come, yet the hostile intentions of our enemies remain ambiguous. As I ride, I bite my lip in frustration.
-Old Fang Barebow I-
I survey the plains below from my perch on the cliff, sipping my blood wine. A drink before battle is an exquisite treat.
“Watch them run like scared deer. It makes me want to bite them in the butt.”
“Please stop, Fang Chief Barebow... it’s not funny.”
It was just a joke, so stop grabbing my sleeve. What’s with those judging eyes? Have you no sense of humor, girl?
“All right, Tamika, whatever you say goes during this operation. If you ordered me to, I’d dive into a sea of flames or water.”
“Why would I order you to do that? It makes no sense.”
“Really? The apes use fire and the elves use water. The situation could arise.”
We are at war; risks must be taken in order to slaughter our enemies. The possibility of death drives us to kill even more. That’s what’s so fun about it.