Chapter 157

To be honest, Lan had met several very capable "First Generation" leaders, who were the backbone of the Central Province's defense forces.

But that only applies to what's displayed on the screen.

Seeing something through a video recording and seeing it with your own eyes are two completely different feelings.

Perhaps there is no inherent superiority or inferiority between the "First Generation" and the "Second Generation," a thought that Lan had only come to after witnessing Efnir's battle.

But she could only think these words; she didn't have the courage to say them aloud.

Although Lan really wanted to spend more time with the Chief Official of Xijing City, she also had to consider her own position. Interacting with people always made Lan feel powerless, which was Lan's weakest point.

"Um, Vice Captain Herul..."

"Continue with the mission, don't let your guard down."

Herul waved and got out of the car as well.

"Ah, yes, yes!"

A gentle breeze from the wilderness lifted Yukina's hair.

As Yukina stepped out of the car, she could immediately feel the sun's heat radiating from her skin. In the thin clouds of the sky, both the sun and the azure sky were dazzling.

Just like in the city.

But if you look towards the distant horizon, a hazy white smog will obscure your entire view.

The principle behind it is unknown, but the white fog does not obstruct people's view of the sky; it is like something similar to polarized light.

Humans are only allowed to look upwards.

But clearly, this is not the case. This is just one of the many unknown phenomena caused by the White Hole Erosion. These mysterious white mists covering the surface of the earth block the signals of all communication devices. As a result, the satellite network that the Old Era of humans had laid out completely became useless in an instant. At the same time, this is also one of the culprits that caused the Old Era of air force to be almost completely wiped out.

In just one day, a system painstakingly built by human society over countless years crumbled, and all the crystallization of civilization upon which humanity depends for survival and is proud became vulnerable. The so-called "Corruption phenomenon" is such a terrifying thing.

Everything we have today is a legacy from the Old Era.

Yukina couldn't imagine what the world of the Old Era, a peaceful world that belonged only to humans and didn't have to worry about Erosion Disaster, was like.

For Yukina, this was her first time visiting the Beyond the Boundary Region, and the first time she had seen this world ruled by humans in the Old Era not through pictures and videos, but with her own eyes.

The Beyond the Boundary Region is really different from what I imagined; this was Yukina's first impression upon arriving in this land known as the "Land of Fallen Kingdoms."

It felt strangely familiar, but I couldn't quite put my finger on where that feeling came from.

This vast land, once dominated by humans, is not exactly deserted. Occasionally, remnants of the prosperity of the Old Era human society can be seen. Apart from that, there is mostly vegetation that is not favored by the Erosion Entity.

There weren't many trees in sight.

Because it is an area near Garrison District, humans need to maintain an open view, so felling trees is a common practice.

The ground beneath our feet was damp, somewhat soft soil, free of troublesome mud and tall weeds, which allowed us to march smoothly and had a relatively open field of vision.

The dominant vegetation in this area consists of clumps of withered or lush grass and sparse shrubs, which are crookedly trampled into ruts. The wheels of the double-decker trucks are covered with green grass leaves and brownish-black soil. In the distance, one can see dilapidated uninhabited buildings and low walls, as well as collapsed iron towers entwined with vines.

The smell of diesel and steel in the air dissipated, and a fresh fragrance wafted over.

If it weren't for the Erosion Entity, the scenery here would indeed be described as "absolutely stunning," somewhat similar to the biomimetic landscapes of the animal sanctuary that Yukina had visited, but there was no sign of any animals here at all.

Although the Erosion Entity are much less interested in animals, they do not ignore their existence. In this era, there are very few diverse wild animals left to live; instead, there are a wide variety of monsters— the Erosion Entity.

Thank you so much for earlier.

Iris was wiping her pistol a short distance away, while Anilas leaned against the car door, watching the soldiers' busy figures, and tilted her head to talk to Yukina.

Because they had to rely on drones to bring back intelligence from the Maesakagawa Garrison District, Yukina's central/rear unit, under the instructions of Kusei Maki, was on standby 500 yards Beyond the Boundary in the Maesakagawa Garrison District.

As long as the team doesn't move forward, the chance of encountering an attack from Erosion Entity that has mistakenly entered the array becomes very low.

Taking advantage of this rare opportunity, the entire Beyond the Boundary Expeditionary Operations Unit entered a state of high alert and raced against time to readjust, while minor adjustments to the areas of responsibility for each squad were also being made at this moment.

Of course, these were not the duties of Yukina and her agents. The agents were only responsible for combat missions against the Erosion Entity, while other matters were handled by the military.

A soldier with a tense expression passed by her, carrying a large box of something.

Many other squads suffered casualties. The seriously wounded in the vanguard and flank units would be transported to the central/rear unit's logistics and medical teams for treatment, making the central/rear unit particularly busy at this time.

Yukina wanted to help those people, but Anilas stopped her.

"Each performs their own duties."

Anilas said, Yukina had no choice but to give up.

Yukina shook her head and replied politely, "No need to be so polite, it's what I should do..."

"Without your help, things would have been much more complicated, so I must thank you."

Anilas smiled; she was much more approachable now than when she was captain.

12. Two sides of equality

Anilas glanced at the hands of her watch every now and then, then looked up at the sky above the Garrison District, but there was no sign of any drones.

The agents only need to focus on fighting the Erosion Entity; everything else is handled by the soldiers, so they seem rather relaxed when there is no fighting.

No one complained about this, because the agents were the only effective force in the fight against the Erosion Entity. No one wanted their agents to be carrying two large boxes of medicine and doing things that the medical team could do when the Erosion Entity suddenly attacked.

That would be putting the cart before the horse.

That's why Anilas didn't let Yukina join the mission to transport the wounded.

For agents, fighting is their only mission.

She tilted her head to look at Yukina beside her.

Anilas had a considerable interest in this girl, partly as her agent, and partly out of curiosity about the girl's identity as the "idol's sister."

Efnir cherished her very much, Anilas could sense it from Efnir's words and gaze.

So I'm curious.

"Oh right, I heard that Shiomi only became an official agent a few days ago, right? Could it be... that this is actually her first time participating in a battle?"

"It's probably... the second time."

After a moment's hesitation, Yukina answered truthfully.

After officially joining the Orderkeepers Organization, his first battle was the capture operation against Codename H, while this Maesakagawa Recapture Operation is his second.

"Only the second time... I really couldn't tell."

Anilas on her hand, a slightly surprised expression on her face.

Even if you said that Shiomi Yukina was a seasoned warrior, Anilas wouldn't doubt it, because in her eyes, Shiomi Yukina deserved that evaluation.

Although there was indeed a slight discordant element in Shiomi Yukina's performance—a movement that a novice often leaves behind from their usual habits—this could not overshadow the amazing performance Shiomi Yukina delivered. Whether it was the timing or the precision of her movements, Shiomi Yukina was in no way inferior to a skilled agent.

In battle, every opportunity is fleeting. Even the best Herul, who was in the training camp, couldn't make accurate judgments and seize the moment. This is a skill that can only be honed in actual combat, but clearly, Shiomi Yukina has shown exceptional talent in this regard.

Moreover, Shiomi Yukina's instantaneous output power of the Order Force is very impressive, almost comparable to that of Tobi, whose explosive power has been enhanced by the Second-Generation Armament.

However, the kite can only achieve such a power level when using the "Draw-Cut Style" that amplifies power from the scabbard, while Shiomi Yukina can imbue each arrow with powerful penetrating force and immense Order Force.

If we had to point out any shortcomings in Shiomi Yukina, it would probably be in her control and tactical and combat skills. It would likely take some time to improve in these areas.

If there is any unfairness in this world, then Yukina is probably one of those favored by God.

A beautiful face, a figure that is not yet fully developed but is already showing its size, a powerful talent as an agent, and an older sister, Efnir, whom you can never forget in any sense once you see her.

In a way, Efnir also seems to be one of the favored ones.

If his most important friend, Gotō Chizuru, had also possessed this "talent," would the ending have been different?

Anilas sighed silently.

Now that Gotō Chizuru dead, and I, as her most trusted friend, have inherited her name and survived alone, there is nothing I can do to undo what has already happened.

Anilas glanced at her watch again.

"Speaking of which, Shiomi and Yanase- san are sisters, right? But they have different surnames..."

The fact that Efnir and Shiomi Yukina, two "extraordinary" entities, both appeared in a mid-sized city like Xijing City, was what surprised Anilas the most.

Is one's talent as an agent also influenced by the concept of "blood ties"?

However, this is not the case.

"I am fostered. My biological parents died in an accident, leaving me behind."

"Huh? Huh?"

Anilas, then came to her senses and scratched her head awkwardly.

"I see..."

The relationship between Efnir and Yukina is not a secret, but it's not a topic that people often talk about either.

After all, it's not something that makes people happy.

However, Anilas, having grown up in the North, was always slow to realize such things.

She suddenly felt a pang of regret for her loose tongue.

"I'm so stupid... I'm so sorry, Shiomi- san. I hope you don't mind. I didn't mean to..."

If there is any fairness in this world, it is probably that "everyone suffers the misfortunes brought about by this era 'equally'."

This is the only thing that hasn't changed.

"It's okay, it happened a long time ago, and even if I bring it up, it doesn't evoke any special feelings in me."

Yukina smiled lightly.

"Besides... I'm very happy now..."

Yukina looked into the distance, towards the direction of the vanguard unit where Efnir was located.

Yukina had no memory of her parents; she was very young at the time. She had always lived with the Yanase family under the guise of being "fostered," so she never changed her surname and always addressed the Yanase couple as Uncle and Aunt, not Dad and Mom.

This is all that Yukina has to live.

To meet the Yanase couple who treat her like their own daughter, and to become lovers with her favorite Naoko...

"Even so... I still feel somewhat sorry for my biological parents..."

"Hmm... but I don't think so. I believe that Shiomi's parents must have been very kind people, and they must have wanted Miss Shiomi to be happier than anyone else. If you can draw happiness and good fortune from your current life, they will surely be happy in the other world too."

"Really?"

Really?

Anilas smiled gently, but there was no light in her eyes.

If that's really the case, then the word "revenge" becomes meaningless, doesn't it?

The midday sky was obscured by dark clouds.

"It looks like it's going to rain..."

This is really bad timing.

Efnir gazed at the distant sky filled with churning dark clouds, her brows furrowing slightly.

The climate of this era is always unpredictable due to a series of supernatural phenomena triggered by "White Hole Erosion".

Without the assistance of weather satellites, even weather balloons are largely useless. It's like losing our eyes to observe the world, making it incredibly difficult to predict the already elusive weather.

Rain... While it's not the worst-case scenario, it would further diminish the already limited reconnaissance capabilities of the troops if they were to march in the rain.

This will only make the situation more unpredictable.

The more unknown intelligence there is, the more risky the situation will be for the troops.

I just hope nothing unexpected happens.

Efnir looked behind her, towards the direction of the rear troops, and also towards where Yukina was. To say she wasn't worried would be a lie, but all Efnir could do was pray and fight.