Level 3 structural deformation detected in the East District wall section B2, with a new breach forming.
Estimate number of Corrupted, report remaining personnel in Section B, and prepare to update tactical strategy.
Estimated at 85, still increasing, approaching in waves. Five personnel remaining in Section B, currently establishing a new defense network.
Query: Can Section A provide reinforcements?
Reinforcements not possible. Section A breach is larger, and we're down to only nine people ourselves.
Aah—Mom!!
SCREECH!!
Pulse munitions deployed.
Grrrr...
Human child detected. Refugee shelter located 300 meters directly from the breach. Corrupted estimated to arrive within 10 minutes.
—Intel relayed. Requesting reinforcements from Gestrig.
Tactical Control Room
Tactical Control Room.
Intel received. Processing.
Due to extensive damage to communication stations during the fifth test, signal coverage here only extends to the battle zone near the edge of Wall No. 141.
In other words, the fact that we can once again detect the Corrupted's movement patterns means the city is already in grave danger.
Query: Will reinforcements be dispatched?
After organizing by rotation numbers and excluding those with moderate to severe damage, how many units remain?
23 units.
Include those with moderate damage.
30 units.
...Include the company guards in the count as well. Prepare immediately.
Even when facing such dire circumstances, her stern expression never changes.
On a nearby screen, crimson circles continuously surround the blue defensive walls. At the breach in the blue perimeter, a crimson line forms, connecting a series of points.
They're temporarily contained at the narrow breach, thanks to the blocking efforts of the few stationed student forces. But that line grows increasingly wider, surging like a flood toward the gap.
The breach forms a natural chokepoint where we can overcome a numerical disadvantage.
Once deployed, they'll need to assess the situation and make tactical decisions on their own.
Your words are identical to those of the previous commandants.
You coordinated the operation under your command, but nearly 60% casualties were incurred to secure that victory—all for the sake of protecting high-value, non-essential assets.
They will protect the civilians. There's a non-automated armory in the mid-ring zone that can be used to establish a new stronghold.
I've placed my trust in them many times already. If they fail to deliver results this time, I won't be able to save them.
She coldly withdraws her gaze, focusing her attention on the screen, offering no further explanation.
...
Officer Martha, preparations are complete.
Let's go.
As the assembly orders are issued, the silhouette of a young girl appears in the distance once more.
Teacher...
From her slightly parted lips, you can tell she's calling out to you.
In that same moment, five or six pairs of eyes lock onto you—armed guards stationed in Gestrig, each equipped with standard-issue sidearms.
What should you do?
Pale faces and Jetavie's shattered body flash before your eyes. Who else will you lose this time?
The critical situation demands immediate action. Your sense of duty as a soldier compels you to step forward.
Stand down at once!
Six or seven sidearms are instantly trained on you. The soldiers form a tight circle, blocking Jetavie from your view once again.
Martha has warned you more than once to follow company orders.
As a Babylonian officer infiltrating Gestrig for investigation, regardless of the many questions about Leibowitz that remain unanswered, ensuring your own safety must take priority.
Staying in Gestrig serves your interests in two ways—facilitating the long-term investigation and ensuring your own safety, but...
Trust me, Teacher... trust Jetavie.
Just reach out your hand, and I promise I won't leave it hanging.
Hoo—aah...
Hearing your call, Jetavie stretches with a long, lazy arch of her back.
I hear your voice, Teacher—
Following your movement, the soldiers raise their guns once more—
Stand down immediately, I won't say it a second—
Snap—all the raised weapons are suddenly knocked to the ground.
You dare to lay a finger on this person?
Jetavie, obey our orders, or else—
Don't stand in my way, okay?
Aargh!
A black shadow flashes before you, and by the time you regain your senses, all the armed soldiers have been completely incapacitated.
I said it before. Just reach out your hand, and I promise I won't leave it hanging.
She triumphantly takes your hand in hers.
Alright, come with me now, dear Teacher!
I successfully lured 15 Corrupted to Section B, but my remaining frame components no longer support high-mobility operations.
She forcefully tears off her infected lower leg and slumps weakly against the wall.
Hang in there—reinforcements will arrive in 3 minutes.
They'll prioritize Section A, where the remaining computational nodes are more valuable to the company... That's why I lured them away.
By reinforcements—I mean, just me—
The sound of high-speed movement cutting through air comes through the communicator.
Don't—it's too late, ugh!
SCREECH!!
Grrrr...
Teacher?! How can you be here?!
While helping No. 19 to her feet, the teacher fires continuously. Crimson bullets follow, blooming into explosions among the mass of Corrupted.
Bang！
But the computational nodes there—
This contradicts the strategy of protecting high-value assets, but humanoid combat units must prioritize human commands.
She decisively joins in firing at the Corrupted.
After clearing Section B and luring the Corrupted, they retreat behind Section A. This position sits on the inner side of the road leading to the urban area, an almost mandatory passage for any invasion.
The large server racks known as computational nodes have transformed into crimson crystal clusters after being infected by the Punishing Virus, scattered around the perimeter of their battle line.
Wave after wave of bullets methodically hammer into the horde of Corrupted, dropping the slow, zombie-like entities as soon as they're hit.
Jetavie's silhouette weaves through the center of the battlefield, harvesting Corrupted as swiftly as an angel of death.
POWER OUTPUT EXCEEDED
ENERGY REMAINING: 29%
Hah... this frame always has the same damn problem.
(Angry roaring)
The Corrupted behind immediately fill the vacant positions, violently charging toward the defensive line.
Will these things ever stop coming?
LOADING WEAPONS... LOADING...
Jetavie pulls back to charge power, then unleashes red particle beams that blast through the horde of Corrupted.
RAAAHH!!
Though this blast takes down numerous foes, it also sends the survivors into a frenzy of rage. Jetavie swiftly draws her Greatsword, cleanly cleaving the Corrupted charging toward her in half.
Ugh!
ENERGY REMAINING: 20%
Damn it... it's happening again...
INSUFFICIENT ENERGY DETECTED—
The young woman among the Corrupted staggers momentarily. When she steadies herself again, she launches into the enemy ranks like a burning comet.
This is bad—she's gone haywire again.
As she pulls back from the horde, you glimpse wounds of various sizes covering her body, armor plating cracked and mechanical skeleton exposed. If this continues, she'll completely fall apart again.
...
She continues fighting as if deaf to your calls, leaving a trail of afterimages in her wake.
...?
You guide her mind, encouraging her to follow your movements.
In her daze, Jetavie raises her gun and fires at the Corrupted in her sights.
Grrrr...
Teacher...
Her consciousness seems to clear somewhat.
The Corrupted in their line of fire drops instantly.
Aim, pull the trigger, bullets fly—the two of you match each other's movements, gradually forcing the remaining Corrupted toward the center of the road.
Huff... hah...
The girl's consciousness slowly rises from a murky swamp—
She grips her gun with both hands.
WEAPON CHARGING... 30%
WEAPON CHARGING... 70%
WEAPON CHARGING... 100%
bang！
Everything around her seems to darken in an instant as the gun erupts with brilliant red flames, waves of scorching heat billowing outward.
Accompanied by a thunderous roar reverberating in your ears, magnificent light tears through the thick gunsmoke, piercing the dense battle line from above all the way to the end of the road.
The horde of Corrupted collapses like brittle twigs, leaving only a few bodies still standing from sheer inertia, before they too topple to the ground like broken reeds.
ENERGY REMAINING: 2%
...That should do it.
Corrupted signal—ten o'clock position.
No, don't come any closer—
A feeble cry echoes from the distant ruins—a Corrupted hiding in the corner raises its butcher knife toward a shivering little girl.
[ULTIMATE MODE]
Tsk.
Her consciousness oscillates violently, though she still maintains her connection to the beacon.
But clearly the beacon can no longer fully restrict her actions.
A streak of red electricity suddenly flashes around her, and before she realizes it, she's already rushing toward the little girl.
It takes at least 10 seconds for you and Ewig to reach the predetermined location.
...
Brushing aside the rising dust, you see Jetavie with the sobbing little girl in her arms, the light gone from her eyes.
...She cleared all the Corrupted in this area by herself.
Teacher, give me a hand. Looks like we'll have to carry her back ourselves.
The world is ending.
Only one person wanders alone at the center of this dying world.
Rocks crash down suddenly from the domed ceiling as the ground beneath gives way in an instant.
In the moment of falling, her vacant eyes fix upon an inverted clock—she has tried everything, yet nothing can be done.
The march of destruction does not halt for one person's despair. She simply moves toward the end alongside the dying world.
How many times has she returned to the starting point of the Matrix?
The weeping girl reminds her so much of her former self. She has stirred this lightless dream, and now Jetavie must awaken from it.
So she reaches out her hand, transcending countless cycles of despair, just as that person once extended their hand to her at the beginning.
Jetavie...
A voice calls her name. Whose is it? The collapsing world suddenly freezes in place.
Chosen One?
The cycle of destruction gradually resets itself.
The Chosen One—
So Jetavie desperately seizes your hand.
Inside the transport vehicle on the return journey.
The Chosen One!!
The girl lying down suddenly bolts upright, tightly gripping your hand.
A mechanoid's strength is no joke—even through the exoskeleton, intense pain shoots through your palm.
Huh...?
She stares blankly for a moment, then, as if suddenly comprehending the situation, abruptly withdraws her hand.
Oh... it's just you, Teacher...
She turns her face away in disappointment.
Could you see my dream just now?
She eyes you warily, instinctively reaching for the sidearm beside her.
That's impossible. Even if connected, you shouldn't have the clearance to initiate a Deep M.I.N.D. connection...
What?
I apologize for my rudeness, teacher. Regardless, I must thank you for your assistance. My consciousness has indeed stabilized.
However, I'd ask you not to casually browse through my data blocks. Some of that information could put your consciousness at risk.
She releases her grip on the gun and curtsies respectfully, lifting the edge of her skirt—a gesture that also conveniently puts more distance between the two of you.
Just as you're about to continue discussing the matter, Ewig's voice interrupts the conversation between you and Jetavie.
We've returned to Gestrig.
What's happening? Weren't the traction frequencies already set up? Why are the Corrupted only just breaching the city walls?
The scouts spotted a human participating in the battle. Probably the new tactical teacher sent by the company.
New tactical teacher?! Didn't that woman already prohibit instructors from participating in combat?
However, the tactical coordination of those weapons has been exceptional—there's no way they coordinated that well on their own.
The fact that they've managed to contain the Corrupted in the outer ring is likely thanks to that Commandant's leadership.
Tsk. Always meddling where they shouldn't. That battle wasn't even supposed to be the Commandant's responsibility.
Our plan has been delayed. If this continues, they'll likely have time to prepare their defenses.
How long until the factory can organize the next wave of attacks?
At least 12 hours.
Speed it up. The faster, the better.
But if we produce the Corrupted at maximum capacity, the equipment will overheat. I'm afraid the attack after the next will be delayed much longer.
That's fine. We can't give them too much time to recover between attacks.
What about that tactical teacher?
...I'll find time to have a little chat with the teacher. We can't let that teacher interfere with the transfer of control.
What if they refuse to relinquish command?
It's best if they surrender willingly. If not, we won't wait any longer. The longer we delay, the more complications arise.
