Chapter 153

Kusei Maki was giving her pre-battle speech.

Previous reconnaissance operations were carried out by elite teams of only ten or so people, consisting of agents, combatants, and special forces members. Their objectives were mostly to carry out Beyond the Boundary reconnaissance missions assigned by the Human Federation or to conduct exploration and search missions in occupied areas. Occasionally, there were also missions to retrieve key data or devices left over from the Old Era or to escort researchers to conduct sampling and research.

This was the first time even Efnir had experienced such a large-scale operation Beyond the Boundary. Therefore, coordination and collaboration among the agents, soldiers, and Engineering Corps were essential.

The most crucial element is the coordination between Efnir and other former agents from Xijing City, and Anilas and other new agents. They are the main fighting force in the Beyond the Boundary Expedition and the most important factor in determining the success of the operation.

"By the way, I will be your battlefield commander for this operation."

"Um?"

As soon as Kusei Maki finished speaking, Efnir and the others were stunned, and even Fushihara Ayaka showed a puzzled expression.

This wasn't the original plan— Kusei Maki temporarily changed the battlefield command to herself.

[The previous chapter, "It's Night Outside the Window," was accidentally uploaded to Volume 1. I've already submitted a revision request, but the editor seems to still be on vacation, so it hasn't been revised yet. I'm so sorry QAQ...]

4. From Suzuta

Although this operation Beyond the Boundary was just an exercise, it was still unwise to suddenly announce a change of commander at this critical juncture when the operation was about to begin.

Originally, Kusei Maki was supposed to stay in the city.

Kusei Maki is the Commander of the Orderkeepers, and Xijing City needs her to stay and oversee things.

The departure of the Orderkeepers Organization's commander from the city is no small matter.

Moreover, the very idea of a military commander concurrently serving as a proxy commander in combat operations is itself questionable.

Generally speaking, it is difficult for military commanders to also serve as battlefield commanders.

The Human Federation operates a combat command system that separates and parallels the two major command authorities, "General Commander" and "Battlefield Command." This is determined by the unique combat mode of the agents. The agents have their own unique fighting style, so it is not suitable for the traditional military command system. Simply put, the traditional command methods of soldier commanders cannot enable the agents to give full play to their advantages, nor can they keep up with their combat rhythm; they can only slow them down.

This has also created the awkward situation where there are no suitable commanders among the existing soldier commanders to lead proxy combat squads.

In short, ordinary people are simply not capable of acting as agents in battlefield command.

Therefore, in the original plan for this Beyond-the-Boundary Combat Exercise, both Agent Squad were to be commanded by Efnir and Anilas, two agents with outstanding individual abilities.

The command of the rings was held by a commander among the soldiers and Engineering Corps.

In other words, the three commanders cooperated from different divisions.

For a unit as a whole, such a command system may seem somewhat chaotic or even reckless, but given the current situation, it is a last resort.

This is the purpose of the exercise.

The agents and the soldiers of the army already had difficulty coordinating their actions. In the past, they had no experience in joint operations, so they needed to work together. This was not only the case for the agents and soldiers, but also for the three commanders.

"What's going on? Why change the plans at this time?"

Fushihara Ayaka lowered her voice and asked Kusei Maki.

"Although it's just an exercise, I think we need to be cautious about changing the commander; it shouldn't be brought up suddenly now."

In terms of rank alone, Fushihara Ayaka is far inferior to Kusei Maki, but under the special system of the Human Federation, Fushihara Ayaka, who serves as the head of the Special Disaster Division, has the right to speak with Kusei Maki on an equal footing.

Kusei Maki didn't look away, but calmly spoke:

Do you think this decision was ill-considered?

"Of course, it would be more accurate to say that this decision was even somewhat foolish."

Fushihara Ayaka's tone was anything but polite.

Based on first impressions, Kusei Maki quickly fell into the category of "people you don't want to associate with" in Fushihara Ayaka's eyes.

The Special Disaster Division has always Orderkeepers Organization. For example, the relationship between Fushihara Ayaka and Masaki Hina is quite delicate. On one side, they are comrades who would entrust their backs to each other, and on the other side, they are rivals who constantly undermine each other. Their way of getting along is a true microcosm of the relationship between the Orderkeepers and the Special Disaster Division.

Compared to Kusei Maki, Masaki Hina is far superior. If Fushihara Ayaka had to choose between Masaki Hina and Kusei Maki as her seatmate during a meal, she would choose Masaki Hina without hesitation, even though she knew that Masaki Hina would definitely argue with her.

As a fellow warrior active in the Erosion Disaster, the Agent has a close relationship with the Special Disaster Division, and Ayaka is naturally aware of what happened between Kusei Maki, Efnir, and Canary.

Therefore, Fushihara Ayaka had a very strong prejudice against the new commander from the outset.

"Yes, I agree with what you said, but in fact, this is not a spur-of-the-moment decision."

"Kusei Maki said."

"I've long had deep questions about this city's command system—there are three battlefield commanders. Do you think that's appropriate? On the battlefield, there's no unified command and control. If you were a soldier, you should understand the serious problems this would cause. And I think you might have misunderstood. As the commander-in-chief, I will retain their command authority, but their priority will be lowered. That's all the changes I'm making."

"This kind of thing should have been included in the plan earlier."

"That was my stupidity, but you don't need to be surprised by it. Can we talk about it later?"

"Kusei Maki said."

After all, pre-war speeches are still underway.

"I don't really care."

Fushihara Ayaka glanced in Efnir's direction.

"Perhaps they are the ones who need your explanation more than I do."

"I will."

Not only Fushihara Ayaka, but also Efnir felt confused.

She waited for Kusei Maki's explanation, but Kusei Maki only unilaterally announced the change of commander and did not continue on this topic.

"Senior Efnir, why would the Commander suddenly announce a change of command at a time like this...? Is she out of her mind?"

Canary stared straight ahead, but didn't let up on talking about Kusei Maki.

For the straightforward Canary, Kusei Maki must be the kind of person she "can't stand," and this dislike will be expressed by Canary through her undisguised actions.

"Doesn't she know how risky this is? No, I'm going to object."

"Wait, Canary, now is not the time to voice your objections. I understand your concerns, and I will ask her personally later."

"But..."

"It's alright, leave this to me."

Efnir didn't say much.

Regardless, Kusei Maki is the commander, and she has the standing to do so. Now is not the right time for Canary to make a suggestion.

One must not take the wrong stance; this is Efnir's principle.

Kusei Maki continued her pre-battle speech.

"... Our second objective is to investigate the general situation of Maesakagawa, gather intelligence, establish an operational route from here to the Maesakagawa area, set up temporary markers along the way, and use 'Lure Device' to disperse or lure away as many Erosion Entity as possible along the route, in preparation for the next formal operation. In this operation..."

Strictly speaking, this exercise is also paving the way for the next formal battle.

According to the information relayed by the Boundary Stele management department, the Boundary Stele System in the Maesakagawa area is still in good working order and only needs to be activated. This is a prerequisite for establishing a frontline stronghold in the Maesakagawa area. However, in reality, no one knows what Maesakagawa looks like now, which was destroyed by the Apostle. Why did the Apostle target Maesakagawa? Are there many enemies or traps there now? This is a blind spot, but also an important aspect that absolutely cannot be ignored.

"Secondly, I have just received contact from the Central Province and Suzuda City. As part of the counterattack against the common enemy of the Human Federation, our Xijing City will receive combat support from Suzuda City. As your commander, I am conveying this good news to you."

Upon hearing this, the agents, including Efnir, all looked surprised.

Suzuda City is not the closest neighboring city to Xijing City, but a waterfront city located downstream from the Maesakagawa tributary.

Efnir and Suzuda City's agents had crossed paths during operations Beyond the Boundary, so she knew that Suzuda City had a well-organized naval force.

Those were precious naval combat units left over from the Old Era —naval warships.

Chapter [2, Night Outside the Window] was accidentally uploaded to Volume 1 due to my oversight. I requested a correction but it wasn't fixed, and it's now hidden. So I re-uploaded it to this volume today.

We didn't want our readers to pay for our oversight, so we decided to offer free chapters...

But then!!! I accidentally clicked the wrong thing again!!!

This chapter is still a paid chapter... sad...

Therefore, as compensation, I will add one chapter to the original bonus chapter repayment plan, making it [18+1=19] chapters. This is the number of bonus chapters that will be repaid within two months.

I sincerely apologize for any misunderstanding this may have caused... (Don't even think about it, I've checked online! Apologies don't require showing your belly button or breasts!! Only a scoundrel who makes such a request would want to be shoved into oranges!)

5. Paving roads

The army and air force were the first to be affected by the large-scale outbreak of Erosion Disaster.

In the battles of the Old Era, the casualties and losses of both armies were the most horrific.

The army has a large base, and the difficulty of replicating the maintenance and manufacturing technology of its main equipment is relatively low, and the soldier training cycle is relatively short. Therefore, even after the destruction of the Old Era, the army still quickly built up a huge active-duty force.

However, the Air Force has been in a slump. Due to the significant technological gaps that have hindered its progress, and most importantly, urban areas have failed to provide the Air Force with adequate operational space. As a result, apart from the Central Province where air combat technology is still being developed, the Air Force has been gradually sidelined by various cities. In most cities, the air combat units that are still active today are no longer descendants of the Old Era of the Air Force system, but rather armed helicopters and transport aircraft belonging to the current land-based armed support forces, which are used for transport or combat.

In contrast, the navy discovered the Western Sea Ruins and used them as weapons to launch counterattacks on the sea surface with a relatively low density of Erosion Entity. Overall, its combat power was well preserved, and it is one of the two main forces of the Human Alliance today.

The most important step in the "Liujin City Investigation Operation" was to use waterways to open up a passage between the two satellite cities of Maesakagawa and Shimokitazawa, in order to build a "bridge" between Xijing City and Liujin City.

Conversely, if the waterways of the Maesakagawa could be utilized to provide combat support from external forces, it would undoubtedly greatly reduce the difficulty of the "Maesakagawa Recapture Operation" in Xijing City.

It can be said that the support from Suzuda City arrived very timely.

However, this also shows that the Central Province's attitude towards this operation is not as casual as it seems on the surface. Joint operations between cities are very rare. This is not due to conflicts arising from the struggle for interests and resources, but because the huge risks brought about by long-distance marches and operations Beyond the Boundary force the cities to choose this approach.

No one would disobey the orders of the Human Federation, and Efnir had no doubt that this was why Suzuda City, which did not have much interaction with Xijing City, would join the operation.

By this time, the morning mist had gradually dissipated as the sunlight penetrated.

"Time is almost up."

As visibility improved, the desolate landscape Beyond the Boundary, previously obscured by the thick fog, was finally revealed in its entirety to the soldiers and their agents.

Kusei Maki glanced at her watch, her gaze sharp and menacing.

The faint roar of artillery fire echoed from the Beyond the Boundary region. From behind the thick fog, the awe-inspiring tremors reverberated beneath everyone's feet, bringing waves of tingling sensations.

That was a "Lure Shell" dispersing the Erosion Entity in the nearby border area. Although the guiding effect of this kind of thing that uses light, heat and radioactivity on the Erosion Entity is very limited, it can still provide some convenience for the advance of the main force.

Kusei Maki raised her voice, forcefully drowning out the explosive sound in the air:

"... That concludes the main arrangements and mission planning for this operation. Now, the first Beyond the Boundary reconnaissance exercise for the 'Operation Recapture of the Maesakagawa Area' officially enters the operational phase!!"

With a command from Kusei Maki, the massive gate outside the base groaned heavily as it slowly opened, letting in sunlight and scorching heat waves that rushed into the Garrison District, bringing with it the smells of earth and gunpowder.

"--All troops, advance!!"

The roar of steel and machinery filled their ears, and Efnir and Canary exchanged glances.

Her gaze drifted down to Yukina, meeting Yukina's gentle, watery eyes.

In this operation, Efnir and Yukina were responsible for different areas.

"Take care of yourself."

"Yes! I will! My sister absolutely cannot be hurt either!"

Yukina nodded vigorously, and Efnir wrapped the light blue hair ribbon that Yukina had given her around the end of her hair.

"We made a promise."

Efnir took a shallow breath of the sweltering air, inhaling the pungent smell of steel and diesel fuel.

She raised her hand and whispered:

"The mission begins. May you all have good fortune in your military endeavors."

"Alright, everyone in position, let's go!!"

The agents work in groups of several, each responsible for a different operational area.

Generally speaking, the Beyond the Boundary Operations and Survey Force consists of about one thousand people, divided into four units: the vanguard, the Right Wing flank, the Left Wing flank, and the center/rear force.