Intense training was conducted simultaneously for numerous squads. Given that it simulated wartime conditions, its intensity was incomparable to other trainings. Participants, even those who had experienced various trainings over a long period, were quickly eliminated from the training due to the unpredictable nature of what could happen at any moment.
Originally, arrival was the goal, and there was no concept of passing or failing. However, when the squad deemed it too difficult to continue the training and feared potential casualties within the unit, they decided to halt the exercise.
On the second day of training, Angelique, who was checking the status of each squad at the arrival point, received a situation report from the squad containing A. They continued the training without any casualties so far.
Angelique was genuinely worried. As a commander leading a unit, she maintained fairness among all members. But given that this was the first time some squad members were undergoing wartime training, and considering her recent understanding of A’s circumstances, she couldn’t help but worry about him.
Above all, there was nothing she could do at the moment. Being in the midst of training, Angelique was burdened with many responsibilities and couldn’t provide physical assistance or advice.
Although he was a soldier and aware of his role, A’s participation in the training concerned him. He worried about his lack of experience rather than doubting his capabilities.
Despite the squad being composed of individuals participating in the training for the first time, Angelique acknowledged their abilities. There was no doubt about the team’s capabilities, but she was concerned about their relationships.
Especially, the interpersonal dynamics centered around A were not entirely positive. Although she gave A as much advice as possible, knowing that direct advice wouldn’t necessarily resolve issues.
Ultimately, the situation changed based on how the person involved acted. In a short time, Angelique realized that A was someone who could make sufficient efforts to improve relations. However, the A known to Angelique differed from the A known to others.
Just because she believed in something didn’t mean it would come true.
“Probably nothing will happen…”
“Sir. Additional report.”
However, she couldn’t relax and worry freely. The phrase “relaxed worry” itself wasn’t accurate, but currently, with the training progressing rapidly, she didn’t have the luxury of sitting and pondering.
All she could do was trust the soldiers moving toward the destination from afar.
“What?”
“It’s not coming this way.”
There was an old trench built along the path to the destination, where A and Klugger were crouching. Other squad members were also present, looking entirely different from when they initially set out.
Their faces were still covered in dirt, and their suits, which had been neat at the start, were now extremely dirty, beyond description.
The situation had become much more urgent compared to when they first started. Given that it was a wartime simulation, each scenario pressed A and the squad members.
Since they had already given up sleep, insufficient rest wasn’t a problem. High-intensity training meant that staying up for one or two nights didn’t matter. That was what he thought.
This training was at a completely different level from what they had previously experienced. Even just sitting and breathing felt exhausting, leaving no room for relaxation.
“Any communication?”
“It’s dead.”
“We need to join forces first. This is serious.”
The squad, while heading to the destination by climbing a mountain, encountered an enemy ambush. The sudden situation scattered the squad members. A, Klugger, and some other members hid in an empty fort they discovered during their movement.
Due to radio interference, they couldn’t contact other squad members.
All means of convenience were blocked, and the reality of the training situation, which was more intense than expected, left them sighing.
“If there’s no pursuit, we need to find the squad members first. We can’t stay here indefinitely.”
In response to A’s words, Klugger sighed again. While his statement was correct, he couldn’t think of what judgment would be best in such an isolated situation.
“Hey. Snap out of it.”
Poking Klugger’s side with her elbow, she brought him back to his senses. Regaining his composure, Klugger lifted his head and reconsidered.
“There’s no immediate way to join positions. We can only move to the next designated point and meet up.”
“What if they don’t come there?”
“We hope they do. There’s no other option.”
Neither advanced equipment nor high-powered weapons could be used freely. The squad members, who had maximized their abilities during the training, sought ways to act under controlled conditions.
However, simply thinking wouldn’t lead to a miraculous solution.
“Let’s go.”
As they emerged from the trench and prepared to move.
“!”
Klugger aimed his gun forward, and a figure appeared, raising his hands immediately.
“What is it?”
“We got lost while retreating.”
A and Klugger quickly exchanged glances. It was clear that this was not a normal situation. Given it was a wartime simulation, civilians should have been evacuated. Yet, there was a person presumed to be a civilian.
“Is there anything that can verify your identity?”
While questioning the man, Klugger asked, but the man standing with his hands up shook his head.
Even though A argued that civilians found during wartime should be protected first, he was cautious about the man.
“Then we’ll have to treat you as a prisoner. It’s difficult to protect someone who cannot be identified as friendly or civilian.”
Wartime situations are unpredictable, and spies disguised as civilians are not uncommon. Klugger knew this well and was even more convinced that one shouldn’t let their guard down during training.
“Hey.”
As Klugger kept an eye on the man, A approached him.
“He’s wounded. Whether a prisoner or civilian, we should protect him first.”
Given the tense situation, Klugger quickly assessed the man’s condition. He had a splint on his leg and was struggling to stand. However, it was hard to believe he was truly injured.
“Snap out of it. Moving with a wounded person is dangerous too. Should we protect him right away? When everyone is scattered?”
“So? Without proof of identity, should we take him as a prisoner? Protecting a civilian found during wartime is our duty.”
“The civilian status isn’t confirmed yet. If we protect him and something goes wrong with the mission, then what? Just say ‘I wish I hadn’t’ later?”
Though unintended, opposing views began to surface again. They should have tailored their approach based on the situation, but they failed to do so.
Military manuals existed, but this training aimed to evaluate each squad’s response capability. Following the manual strictly would have been limited, making it difficult to apply existing protocols.
“Treating him as a prisoner doesn’t mean we’re giving up. I don’t see a problem with my decision.”
“What if we end up having to protect him? Do you plan to ignore the situation?”
“I’m the one with command authority here!”
“Your actions right now are not commanding but making unilateral decisions!”
Though voices rose, the fatigue from the situation allowed them to regain their composure quickly. However, regaining composure didn’t erase the emotions they felt towards each other.
They looked at each other with hostility, neither willing to back down.
“I’ll say it again; I have the command authority. We’ll proceed according to my decisions here.”
“…Knowing you have command authority, you must take responsibility for your actions.”
Continuing to clash here wouldn’t solve anything. Whether protecting him or treating him as a prisoner, it was undeniable that they needed to take the man with them.
Klugger retrieved restraints to bind the man’s hands. Seeing no resistance, the man did not protest. Averted from Klugger, A scanned the surroundings.
“No enemies in sight. We can move.”
Nodding at the squad member’s assessment, Klugger agreed.
With unknown individuals joining the squad, the future was uncertain. Despite the uncertainty, they couldn’t stop moving. The squad restarted their journey, but the presence of the unidentified man slowed them down significantly. Previously, they could move quickly by focusing solely on each other’s movements.
Now, with the unidentified man joining them and needing constant attention, fatigue increased.
During this process, A and Klugger did not communicate at all. Their interactions were limited to signaling and no actual conversation occurred.
No matter how urgent the situation, time still passed. As night fell, visibility became poor.
Normally, they would continue moving through the night, but the unidentified man hindered their movement. Without him, they could navigate and move together even at night. But in the dark, identifying teammates’ locations was challenging enough, making it impossible to check on an unknown individual easily.
“Let’s take turns resting.”
The squad members nodded at Klugger’s suggestion. Lighting a fire would expose their location, so they took turns resting and standing guard within visual range.
Even a little rest calmed their nerves. Though alertness remained, they could now think more rationally about recent events.
A still couldn’t understand Klugger. To him, a soldier was someone who protects. Understanding the need to be cautious around an unknown identity, he couldn’t comprehend treating him as an enemy and a prisoner.
“There could have been better measures.”
Hearing A’s low comment, Klugger immediately understood his intent.
Klugger similarly couldn’t comprehend A. Protecting isolated civilians during wartime was indeed their mission. But to him, a soldier was someone who fights.
Identifying unknown individuals, especially judging someone alone on the battlefield as a civilian and protecting them immediately, was beyond his comprehension.
“If you want to play hero, go somewhere else. This is the military, and we are soldiers.”
Not having the energy to deal with him, Klugger avoided the conversation. A could tell he wasn’t willing to talk.
“The role of soldiers is to protect citizens. Who exactly is trying to play the hero?”
Though spoken softly, hostility remained between them.
The argument, similar to the confrontation earlier, was carried out in hushed tones.
“Quiet.”
One of the squad members, monitoring the surroundings, stopped them. Convinced something was happening, A and Klugger stood up with other squad members.
Holding guns, they peered into the darkness.
“Is there anyone?”
“Not close. Far away.”
Something was approaching from afar. Hoping it was a scattered squad member, they knew it was unlikely given the current situation.
“All prepare to evacuate.”
They had no significant belongings and were not in a combat-ready state.
Movement was prioritized. Ready to leave their positions, the squad members prepared to move.
“Move slowly. Don’t get caught.”
Silent movement began in the darkness. With poor visibility, enemies would struggle to approach quickly.
The squad moved in the opposite direction of the incoming threat and left their position. Eying the darkness until the last moment, A shouted.
“Run!”
At the sound of A’s voice, they revealed the approaching enemy and ran at full speed.
“Damn it!”
The man they were carrying was still a burden. They had to keep an eye on him while moving, and A followed behind, keeping an eye on him.
“Don’t stop. Keep going!”
Eventually, laser bullets rained down from behind. Clearly human-fired bullets, the heart raced uncontrollably compared to facing robots.
“Damn!”
The enemy was using a mobility aid, a hoverbike, to chase them. Catching up to the running squad was inevitable.
Judging they might be caught, A stopped and changed direction.
His hands held two massive electronic cannons.
After being chased for a long time by the electronic cannons fired the previous day, the squad remained unharmed.
Facing a potentially catastrophic situation, A abandoned judgment and fired the electronic cannons at the pursuing enemy.
A straight line of light illuminated the mountainside at night, and several hoverbikes exploded as the attack hit.
“What are you doing?!”
“Go! It’s better to have one as bait than to be wiped out!”
Stopped by A’s unexpected action, Klugger watched as A tried to buy time for the squad to retreat.
“You’re the one with command authority. How will the squad manage without a commander?!”
“Aaah!”
A’s attack continued, with explosions and electronic cannon blasts shaking the ground.
The man running with the squad was startled by the shock and fell. Klugger rushed to him immediately.
“Get up and run!”
He unlocked the restraints on the man’s hands and faced the incoming enemy.
Hearing about retreating, A, fighting the enemy, frowned at Klugger’s approach.
“What are you doing?!”
“The destination isn’t far. If we keep this speed, we’ll reach it before dawn.”
“Then you should go too, right?”
“Two people holding off is better than one.”
“Why you too…?”
“Don’t we need to protect the fleeing civilians?!”
Seeing A pull out an electronic cannon, Klugger drew his sword to attack the approaching enemy. Unlike A, Klugger, lacking the ability to adjust output instantly, used a weapon requiring less precision.
Choosing a sword, every strike sent shockwaves propelling the enemies away.
From the beginning, Klugger never intended to identify the discovered individual as an enemy. While he saw soldiers as fighters, the concept of protection wasn’t absent. However, a colder judgment was necessary for the squad’s movement.
Not understanding A’s reluctance to make a cold judgment was understandable. A’s desire to protect civilians wasn’t different from Klugger’s.
Though they had much to discuss, it wasn’t the right time. Focusing on countering the advancing enemy, they bought time for the squad to move.
Suddenly, a wire grabbed Klugger’s arm, lifting him into the air.
“Damn!”
As Klugger flew into the air, he thought the enemy would soon have him. Something swiftly approached from the ground, cutting the wire and pulling Klugger down.
Moving too fast, the enemy couldn’t target the rescuer. A watched the scene unfold.
“Siera?!”
As the squad scattered, Siera, who went in another direction, flew in.
Despite the risk of becoming a target, Siera chose flight to rescue Klugger. Seeing this, A handed her another electronic cannon.
“I came upon seeing the light. You’re the only one who’d do something like this in the middle of the night.”
“Thanks a lot.”
Accepting it as praise despite it not being one, A smiled. Joining forces, Siera continued the attack, followed by other squad members arriving.
“Why aren’t you retreating?”
With far from adequate firepower for engagement, it was perplexing why they were fighting alone. Siera asked A and Klugger for a quick explanation.
“Civilian!”
Without hesitation, they spoke simultaneously, and Siera immediately understood the situation.
“Where’s the rendezvous point?”
“Communication is down. We can only hope they’re far away.”
Radio interference prevented smooth communication with nearby squad members. Struggling to respond to attacks, Klugger and A quickly brainstormed. They couldn’t afford to be mere bait anymore.
If joining forces endangered the squad, they needed a retreat strategy now.
“There’s a risky method.”
A quickly suggested an idea. Wanting to remain calm, Klugger wanted the fastest action possible given the urgency.
“What is it? Hurry up.”
“Fly as fast as possible.”
Siera’s aerial maneuvers made her a non-target, but flying at night was still a risky choice.
“Formation is ‘other’. I’ll shoot.”
Though undecided about handling the civilian, everything else was prepared with utmost certainty. Given the squad’s composition, they selected methods to handle numerous scenarios, including some absurd plans.
Though these plans were never intended to be used, they were prepared for emergencies. Scratching his head, Klugger accepted the inevitability.
“Alright. I’ll handle the rear.”
Several squad members increased their suit outputs to maximum capacity. Given the superior functionality of the suits, individual differences in performance became apparent.
Using everyone’s maximum output could disrupt the squad’s balance, but maximizing each member’s strengths was also possible.
As Klugger and the squad members ascended, A and Siera stayed low, crossing the forest.
Now, being spotted by the enemy wasn’t critical. A shot an electronic cannon to clear the path, increasing speed once visibility improved.
Anti-aircraft fire began targeting the ascending Klugger and squad members. Dodging lasers wasn’t difficult, but identifying aerial threats and missiles was another challenge.
Moreover, missiles had higher lethality, making flight a potentially fatal choice.
Despite this, the decision was made because, regardless of Klugger and A’s strained relationship, Klugger recognized A’s capabilities.
Missiles pursued the ascending Klugger, and A fired electronic cannons at the ascending squad members.
The flash of light swept past the flying squad members, and the missile collided with the light, exploding in mid-air.
“Rear fire commence!”
Both A and Siera were equally at risk. Attacking airborne individuals didn’t mean ignoring ground targets. Thus, while ground forces provided cover, aerial forces did the same.
Immediately after A destroyed the missile barrage with electronic cannons, Klugger and the squad members fired at the approaching enemies toward A and Siera.
Lasers scattered from the air to the ground, but accuracy dropped significantly. Missing wasn’t a concern; the purpose was to restrain enemies to allow ground forces to move.
Even if it seemed reckless or foolish, the pursuing enemies were surprised by the bold plan. Having played enemy roles in many wartime simulations, they had seen countless reckless plans, but this one was new.
“Are you really doing this?!”
Even the leading squad members were equally shocked. Though they knew it was possible, they hadn’t expected it to actually happen. However, the initial shock quickly faded, and those who knew and those who didn’t responded differently.
The squad members prioritized protecting the unknown man and joined the formation in the air.
Missiles rained down, but support from A and Siera on the ground continued. The risk was high, aiming at allies, demanding full concentration.
“I said I’d do it, but… never again!”
Hitting fast-approaching missiles was challenging, but hitting moving allies in the air was even harder.
“Just dodge and keep firing! At this speed, we’ll reach soon.”
The difference in speed between walking and flying is clear. Repeatedly ascending and descending to confuse the enemy and provide covering fire proved effective. The distant destination lights appeared.
“Land!”
No longer necessary to move in the air. Following Klugger’s instruction, the squad members descended. Just as Klugger prepared to descend, an undetected missile struck him.
“Klugger!”
A shouted, and sensing his proximity, Klugger turned his head.
Caught by A in mid-air, Klugger plummeted quickly, and the missile exploded in the air, colliding with something.
“Are you crazy?!”
“Don’t worry, it’s fine with just one electronic cannon!”
A launched an electronic cannon at the missile in mid-air.
“It’ll hit the ground!”
“It won’t!”
Changing direction mid-fall, A grabbed Klugger and flew at high speed toward the destination. Low-flying squad members accelerated, and upon landing, dust clouds enveloped them.
“Are you okay?!”
The most surprised person was Commander Angelique when the squad members, who had been shooting lasers at allies in the dark sky, landed at the destination.
Dust clouds slowly cleared by the wind, and buried under the debris, A and Klugger raised their heads. Without hesitation, they both exclaimed simultaneously.
“Where’s the civilian?!”
Seeing the two shouting without considering their appearance, the squad members showed the man they carried was unharmed despite the chaotic situation.
Seemingly half-conscious due to the reckless flight, he showed no injuries.
“Luckily.”
At Klugger’s words, A, sitting, turned his head.
“Do you consider him a civilian or a prisoner?”
“I wanted to consider him a civilian, but had to treat him as a prisoner. Why?”
“…Let’s talk about it later.”
Everyone has different thoughts. However, through dialogue, they can understand each other. Both A and Klugger understood this.
However, the animosity stemming from their differing thoughts led them to refuse dialogue. This incident made them realize the necessity of dialogue.
Of course, they didn’t expect a resolution simply through conversation.
A recalled Angelique’s words. First, listen to the other party. Change begins there.
“Are both of you okay? Any injuries?”
Approaching, Angelique checked A and Klugger’s conditions on the ground.
There were no visible major injuries, but there could be unseen ones.
Seeing Angelique approach, A removed his helmet.
Dirty face and messy hair. Exhausted beyond recognition, A’s primary concern was immediate verification.
“Commander. Was the training successful?”
“Yeah… yes. We arrived safely.”
Regardless of the evaluation, A raised his thumb in approval with a smile, and Angelique, initially stunned, soon smiled back.
