86 - Volume 7 - Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4 

STARLIGHT BLUE 

And so the final evening was upon them. The last night of their vacation in the Alliance of Wald. As a crash course in etiquette, all the Eighty-Six were to attend a party that night. 

Everyone in the hotel had been abuzz since the early hours of the morning. This included the hotel staff, the orchestra they called in, and of course, the Eighty-Six themselves. 

“…Whoa.” 

“Wow. It’s so…pretty…” 

The Strike Package’s Processors who weren’t of adult age had legal guardians who were all Federacy government officials and former nobles. In other words, people of high class, with the dignity and prestige to match and maintain. This was especially true when it came to meeting people from abroad, even if they were only their wards on paper. 

As such, female Processors were delivered evening dresses from their guardians in the Federacy, and they were quite resplendent. Each of them had their family’s crests affixed to their dresses, which were delivered in boxes set with ribbons. These outfits, meant only for this evening, absolutely dazzled the girls, who knew nothing but war. Even the hairdressers and makeup artists working for the hotel couldn’t tear their eyes off them. 

Each family’s designer poured their efforts into making a dress that adhered to the latest trends in Federacy fashion. Brilliant red, soft pink, cleansing blue, noble violet, chaste white, and solemn black. And each of them felt unique as they varied in texture: silk and chiffon and velvet laces, adorned with silver and gold embroidery, ribbons, beads, and delicate artificial flowers. Some even had real flowers, picked just for this day. 

They were also sent accessories to adorn their necks, wrists, and hair. Modest ones, of course, given their age range, but no less breathtaking. 

While each girl donned a brand-new dress, the boys wore suits. They had tall collars around their necks that opened to reveal deep-blue jackets that were almost black. Beneath those were white silk shirts and dark-red cummerbunds. 

The sleeves of the jacket were folded back and embroidered with dull silver, and over their left breasts were their badges and medals. The sleeves of their shirts, however, had upturned French cuffs and cuff links in the shape of black-and-red eagle’s wings that reflected the light. 

In the Federacy, formalwear was provided by the army to noncommissioned officers and rank-and-file soldiers, but officers had to pay for it out of their own pockets. In the past, the nobles were those who commanded soldiers and provided them with weapons, while commoners were conscripted. This tradition was done to highlight the difference between those classes and had persisted into the modern day in the Federacy. 

But in exchange for paying for their outfits, officers were given the implicit right to customize and personalize them. This wasn’t something they were allowed to do with their panzer jackets, which demanded uniformity as they were their combat apparel. But formal dress and evening clothes, which weren’t related to battle, were allowed a certain degree of tasteful modification. 

They were mostly changes on the level of the fabric type, the dye’s shade, or the cuff link’s design. This, too, was likely a custom from the days of the Empire. 

So while there wasn’t overwhelming variety with the Federacy formalwear, each of the boys’ suits had a unique tweak. The shade of blue or black was changed ever so slightly to better complement their hair and eye colors, as well as their skin tone. 

It wasn’t as prominent as the girls’ dresses, of course, but still, their guardians were government officials and former nobles. This was a point of pride for them. Or maybe this was their idea of…perhaps not parental love, but familial obligation. 

Watching over them, Vika raised an eyebrow. He was dressed in the United Kingdom’s traditional cravat evening suit. 

“Oh, it does suit you. You look quite regal.” 

Many official outfits and business suits meant for men were based off military uniforms. A business suit’s blazer, for example, was modeled after work clothes, and a student uniform’s stand-up collar was based on a soldier’s uniform. Tuxedos were also modeled after a soldier’s style of dress. 

In other words, these were outfits meant to accentuate a soldier’s—a warrior’s—physique. And the Eighty-Six spent their childhoods on the battlefield, their bodies being toned and forged for combat. As such, the outfits fit them perfectly. 

However… 

“It’s kind of suffocating, honestly,” Raiden said, fiddling with his collar. 

“Get used to it,” Vika said, shooting him down. 

“Why are we even doing this? Seriously, I never even wanted to go to any of these parties.” 

Vika scoffed at him, but not mockingly. He was simply amused. 

“If you ask me, it’s those who aren’t used to these affairs who tend to enjoy them the most… And don’t worry. Today’s event is only being attended by your peers. No one’s going to judge you for your bad manners.” 

In a corner of the dressing room, which was alive with the girls’ excited voices, Lena gave herself one final look in front of a full-length mirror. She was in her dress, her hair was done up, and she’d just finished with her makeup artist. 

Her reflection gawked back at her, its hairstyle, outfit, and makeup all too different from her usual, uniformed attire. She wore an evening dress she’d bought just for this event. The dress Vika had prepared for her during their visit to the United Kingdom was lovely, but she had no intention of wearing it again. 

At least, not in front of Shin. At the time, she wasn’t aware of how she felt yet… Though to be fair, some part of her knew the whole time. She just didn’t have the courage to admit it. So back then, she could pretend she didn’t realize her feelings and put it on. 

But things were different now. 

She spread out her arms and twirled before the mirror. She couldn’t extend them all the way, but the hems of the skirt lifted with her spin, spreading just wide enough to hide the lines of her legs. It was a gorgeous dress. Just like her swimsuit, it was purchased for this trip, chosen specifically for today’s function. She spent a long time agonizing over the right fabric, color, and design. She took just as long deciding which makeup and hairstyle would be the perfect complement. And all the while, the thought of the day she would finally put everything together made her heart beat twice as fast. 

Yes, she had been eagerly looking forward to this day. When she heard they were going to have a party at the end of their trip, her heart leaped with joy. Worrying over which dress and hairstyle to choose was fun. Prior to this event, she had never enjoyed a party a day in her life. 

She had been to parties before. Her Republic pedigree practically demanded her attendance. But she’d never actively wanted to take part in those social events. They were nothing more than crucibles of politics, false pretense, fundraising, and abject greed, held in palaces that were mere relics of a bygone era. 

Anyone who approached her at those parties was a former noble; their eyes fixed on nothing more than the Milizé family status and fortune. They were headhunting. Meeting their backhanded compliments and superficial attitudes with a smile was torture. Being too fastidious only bought her scorn, and people would mock her as soon as her back was turned. She couldn’t bring herself to conform to such pretentious practices. She loathed those parties. 

But today was different. She was surrounded by friends… And he was here. That changed everything. She dreamed of the moment countless times before the actual trip. Getting dressed up and appearing before him. The expression he would make consumed her thoughts. Her imagination soared with the possibilities of what he might say. And before she knew it, he was all she could think of. 

She had to admit it. She had to be honest with herself. Looking away because of shyness or anxiety… She couldn’t afford to do that anymore. And true, this wasn’t something to obsess over while they were in the middle of a war… But the moment she looked away could be the moment she lost him. And that terrified her. The thought of being rejected scared her, too, but…she would hate nothing more than losing him without ever letting him know how she felt. 

So she decided she’d go through with it. This way, she would have no regrets. 

Opening the last velvet box, she took out a delicate handmade choker and placed it around her neck. Annette sent it to her a few days ago, as she celebrated her birthday shortly after their leave began. She told her to put it on if she ended up going to a special event and insisted she didn’t forget to wear it during this trip’s party. 

It was pure gold and crafted in the image of an orange blossom, adorned by red and silver gemstones. Lena clicked the fastener into place, like a knight preparing to march into combat. Looking into the mirror one last time, she nodded to herself. 

It’s time I made my decision. 

The ballroom. While this hotel integrated all styles of interior design—from ancient to archaic to modern—its ballroom was located in the salon of a western mansion fashioned in a restored medieval style. This large hall had served as the site of many social events. 

When the estate was just built, it featured a vaulted ceiling. But now it had a transparent glass canopy. The glass was old—its usual transparency now cloudy and distorted—but it was still well polished and supported by a grid fashioned as a silver relief detailing the Alliance’s history. 

Beyond that lace grid, which made the place feel like a greenhouse or a large birdcage, was the night sky, sprinkled with the stardust of the Alliance’s summer constellations. It was the night of a new moon, and the sky was darker than usual. 

And beneath that glass canopy, among the orchestra, the countless bouquets, and the tables lined with appetizers, a ring of dance and chatter bloomed like a springtime flower. 

“Dustin.” 

A mezzanine floor, which parted to the left and right, connected to the girls’ dressing rooms. It also connected to a stairway, forming a meeting spot before heading down the staircase to the dance floor. 

Seeing Anju descend the last flight of stairs and extend a hand to him, Dustin froze in place. Anju’s bluish-silver hair flowed down her back like a waterfall of frozen moonlight. The dress she wore was a dark, salvia blue, akin to dusk, which complemented her pale skin and bright hair. 

Her dress had countless pleats, like the robes of a goddess, and her matching accessories gleamed with endless celestine gemstones that glittered like the dawn sky. They were beauty and strength. These precious stones were rarely ever cut and set into accessories. 

Seeing her pale, slender arm reach out to him made the air freeze in Dustin’s lungs. 

“…Are you really okay going with me, Anju?” he finally asked. 

“I’d be pretty awful if I let anyone other than you escort me, Dustin,” Anju said with a teasing smile. 

Dustin gingerly took her hand in his. He was a Celena who immigrated to the Republic from the Empire, and since the Celena were considered the noble bloodline of the Alba, he was treated as nobility back in his homeland. Low to midtier nobility, of course, but nobility nonetheless. He’d been taught etiquette for social occasions like this one ever since his youth. 

But right now, it was as if he’d forgotten everything he had learned. His every motion was shaky and awkward. Watching him move around like a poorly crafted marionette, Anju smirked. 

“Besides, if I don’t keep you occupied, you might wander off and ruin the mood for Shin and Lena again.” 

“Look, I said I was sorry…,” Dustin said, frowning pathetically. 

Michihi and Shana chewed him out not long after that debacle. And over the following days, Shin was unusually cold to him. 

“…I mean, Lena is one thing, but I don’t think Shin had any right to get mad at me…” 

“Are you talking about the time we were stranded back in the United Kingdom?” 

Back then, it was Shin who burst onto the scene and ruined the mood for Dustin. And unlike Dustin, he clearly did it intentionally. Remembering it made Anju twist her body and look behind her. The dress wasn’t open along the neck and didn’t show her back, of course. 

“I couldn’t wear a backless dress for this trip. Nor a bikini.” 

Upon her return to the Republic, Anju had started seeing a specialist for her scars. But she had only been in treatment for a month and wasn’t yet comfortable wearing anything revealing. 

“There’s always next time. You can wear it then.” 

Anju smiled, but Dustin couldn’t shake the feeling she was looking at someone else. 

“Right. Next time.” 

“Hey.” 

“What?” 

As they walked toward the hall, their arms locked, Raiden looked down at the person he was escorting. It felt too late to ask this now, but… 

“Who came up with this pairing?” 

“Well, we’re close in height, I guess?” 

Shiden replied nonchalantly. For a woman, she was quite tall, standing at above-average height. She was about as tall as Shin or Vika, meaning she was even taller than the average man. 

“There aren’t that many female Processors, y’know? And they won’t let two girls go together because the boys who lost out on partners would probably piss and moan about it.” 

“…I hear ya. Plus, going with another guy would suck,” Raiden said, his expression sour. 

If any of the guys got caught escorting one another to the party, they’d be laughed out of existence. Because of Raiden’s height, there weren’t even that many male Processors he could go with… The only guys who came to mind who were the same height as Shiden were Vika, or worse, Shin. That was one nightmare he’d never live down. 

“Right? So it’s thanks to me that you don’t have to suffer through that, Li’l Werewolf. Isn’t there something you oughtta be telling me?” She snuggled up against him, pressing her buxom chest against his arm. 

Shiden was wearing a white satin dress that beautifully contrasted her dark skin. It had a daring cut that showed a great deal of cleavage and exposed her toned back. There was also a slit down the side that offered a peek at her thighs. The dress as a whole was embroidered with gold thread, which she matched with golden bracelets that chimed delicately with her every step. 

Her short hair wasn’t done up for the occasion, but she appeared to have applied a glittering product to it, which gave it an extra sheen. Crowned by her shining hair, Shiden regarded Raiden with a proud grin. 

“Whatcha think? No need to hold back.” 

She was obviously fishing for a compliment, but even though he noticed that the makeup added to her femininity, Raiden wasn’t the least bit excited. 

“Yeah… You’re pretty, I guess.” 

“God dammit, the least you could do is put some feeling behind it! Don’t be such a wimp!” Shiden puffed up in a fake show of anger. 

She then slapped him on the back a few times with her usual toothy, crocodile smirk. 

“Well, you look manly as hell, Raiden. Better watch out. Even I might just fall for ya.” 

“Yeah, sure. Thanks.” 

The party was attended by nearly one hundred Processors, as well as Grethe, the maintenance crew, and the support team. The girls wore dresses of various colors, making for a veritable flower field of dazzling shades, and the sound of laughter and chatter rivaled the loud music of the orchestra. 

But in a single moment, the fanfare died all at once for Shin. Lena descended the staircase from the dressing rooms on the mezzanine floor, her hand sliding along the golden railing. Like a dignified crimson rose that emanated purity. 

Her rose-colored dress was accentuated by black lace, ribbons, and beads. It was a dress that gave off a sense of dignity—an homage to her moniker, the Bloodstained Queen. Part of her silver hair had been styled into multiple layers of braids and decorated with red roses and black lace, while her slender neck was adorned with an orange-blossom choker inlaid with gemstones. 

The fabric of the dress hugged her body, expertly showing off the slender curvature of her limbs as she descended the stairs. It was embroidered with silver roses that refracted the light in floral patterns as she moved. They were like the glowing scales of a mermaid. A beautiful demon that tempted all with her siren song. 

Before he knew it, his hand reached for her. Lena reached out to him in turn. They were drawn to each other, instinctively, like magnets. Like gravity drawing water down to the earth. Like a law of nature. 

Her delicate hand settled into his palm, hardened from gripping rifle stocks and Feldreß controls. As if those two hands were made for each other, artfully crafted for this very moment. They were a perfect match, and once their fingers interlaced, it was as if they would never part again. He could feel her warmth, but her skin felt colder than his. Or perhaps his body burned hotter than usual. 

As Lena walked down the steps, he pulled her closer, and as he did, their breaths were in perfect sync. Somehow, he knew the moment would be perfect. And after she descended one more step, and then another, the two of them stood at equal height. 

The aroma of violets hung in the air. Lena’s preferred choice of perfume. He thought he was familiar with it, but today, it seemed to fill his mind, intoxicating him and making his head spin. 

The heels she wore, slightly higher than pumps, completed her uniform, and so her face was closer to his than usual. Their eyes met, and Lena smiled. 

Those silver eyes… 

They held hands as naturally as breathing. Normally, she would be too shy to attempt anything of the sort, but in this moment, none of that bothered her. She was altogether taken by the person in front of her. 

His suit, the steel hue of the Federacy. It was closed around the neck, and beneath it was a lined shirt. It was very much the attire of a soldier but still gave a certain noble impression. This served as a reminder that despite spending so long on the battlefield, he still drew on the noble blood of the Empire, and this sophisticated appearance fit his refined features perfectly. 

The Federacy’s formalwear was essentially the same as the Empire’s traditional garb, with the only real difference being the color. But looking at Shin now, Lena genuinely thought that whoever designed this outfit long ago must have had him in mind. 

She could faintly detect the scent of cologne, which he rarely ever wore. A crisp fragrance, lacking in sweetness—the scent of junipers that seemed to tighten the air somewhat. But just that was enough to make her light-headed. 

Yet perhaps more intoxicating still was that unmistakable crimson gaze. His bloodred eyes drinking their fill of her. She felt like she was being drawn in… But then his eyes seemed to widen suddenly. 

He stiffened and looked away, at the ceiling, for reasons she couldn’t place. And as Lena studied his profile, she noticed that despite his expression remaining unchanged, his face had grown a bit flushed. 

“…Shin?” 

Lena cocked her head, wanting to inquire, but then she saw it. Shin’s uniform was the Federacy’s steel gray, and on its sleeve, applied to the silver embroidery of his French cuffs, were a pair of cuff links. They were simple accessories meant to fasten one’s sleeve. But the ones Shin wore weren’t the Federacy’s standard-issue cuff links, fashioned after an eagle. 

They were a spectral white, in the shape of orange blossoms, with red gemstones scattered all around them. 

A perfect match for the orange-blossom choker inlaid with red gemstones that Lena was wearing. 

The moment Lena realized this, she, too, looked away bashfully. 

“Annette…!” she muttered, her face burning red as she looked at the ceiling. 

She could tell her cheeks must have been flushed now. It all made sense. Giving a friend a custom-made accessory did strike Lena as odd. And this explained why Annette was so adamant about her wearing it to this party. 

“So you got it from Rita, too,” Shin said. 

“Too…?!” 

“She gave me mine a few days ago, as a belated birthday present. She told me to put it on if I wear a suit or formalwear.” 

All the Eighty-Six, Shin included, forgot most everything about their families and hometowns. So of course, many of them didn’t remember their own birthdays. But the personnel files unearthed in the Republic’s headquarters revealed all that information. 

However, the Eighty-Six themselves didn’t place much significance on their birthdays and never went to confirm their dates of birth. Eventually, the officer in charge of personnel lost their temper and simply transmitted the information to all of them one day, basically forcibly informing them of their birthdays. 

So Annette sent Lena that little gift on her birthday (Shin also sent Lena a birthday present two months later), but Lena had no idea she was planning something like this so far in advance. And it seemed like everyone else knew about this, too. The people around them seemed to have noticed the matching accessories and were hiding teasing smiles, looking away and pretending not to notice anything. 

Lena went red, moaning in embarrassment. Her lips trembled in rage at her friend who was currently out of sight. 

“Aaaah…! You took this prank too far, Annette…!” 

“Achoo!” Annette sneezed. 

“What, did you catch a cold, Penrose? Or is someone talking about you behind your back?” 

For that day and that day only, he was her partner. Annette looked away and let out a cute little sneeze, and Vika didn’t miss the opportunity to draw attention to it. As a pair of experienced dancers, the two were in the middle of a waltz, to set an example for the Eighty-Six, who had never danced like this before. 

They moved to the three-count measures, and the hems of Annette’s chiffon dress and the rose ribbons in her hair danced through the air. They were adorned by heliotropes of a different shade. The only different colors were the faint-green peridots adorning her dress. 

He had a bit of a… No, he had quite the chaotic personality. But Vika was still a prince, and he led her along the dance with natural, flowing movements. Annette had skipped dance lessons over the last few years and hadn’t gone to any social events, but she could still dance perfectly well thanks to him. 

But not paying that any mind, Annette cracked a bitter smile. The scent of her perfume mixing with his cologne was a bit irritating. Vika was a royal—the prince of the United Kingdom, at that. The cologne he used was high quality, down to the ingredients it was derived from. 

Not that her perfume was cheap. They were created by different manufacturers, and both were technically high-class products, made with the idea of mingling with other fragrances. The aromas wouldn’t clash. And yet… 

“Oh no. I think a certain pair of blockheads finally noticed the covering fire I’ve been giving them.” 

Annette didn’t look at the blockheads in question as she spoke, but Vika snuck a glance in their direction with his next turn. 

“I see. I assume you gave them matching trinkets or something of the sort, without them even noticing. Honestly, how dense can people be?” 

“I told them they were birthday presents. A matching choker and cuff links. The fact that it took them so long to notice is pretty annoying, actually.” 

Lena was one thing, since her birthday was only a few days ago, but Shin’s birthday was in May, before the operation in the United Kingdom. A whole two months had passed. Annette made no effort to hide her intentions, either, so the fact that he hadn’t noticed spoke volumes to his indifference and lack of any kind of special emotion toward her. 

Apparently, he did hear her when she told him to wear it at the next formal event, so she was content with at least that. 

As Vika watched, the two of them stood as stiff as a pair of boards. Some part of Annette wanted to see her plan come to fruition, of course, but she also felt that the two of them were a bit too innocent if wearing matching accessories made them that embarrassed. 

Vika returned his attention to her and spoke. It was always hard to tell what he was thinking, but this time, it seemed he was legitimately sympathizing with her. 

“You’ve had a rough go of it, haven’t you?” 

Annette nodded sagely, as irritating as it was to have this snake prince sympathize with her. 

“You have no idea.” 

Soon after they each internally admonished their best friend or childhood friend, Lena came to a realization and frowned sourly. It happened again just now. He called Annette Rita. 

“…Next year, on your birthday… No, this year, on the Holy Birthday. I’ll send you new cuff links. Pyrope garnets. They should match your eyes.” 

“Why?” Shin asked with a dubious expression. “What’s this all of a sudden?” 

“No reason in particular.” 

She looked away from him with a pout. She could tell her childish behavior only served to perplex Shin. But explaining what made her upset would be embarrassing. Saying she didn’t want him to wear gifts he received from other women was…shameful. 

As she looked away from him, she felt her face turn red again. 

I really do like him… 

Even if it was from her closest friend, and even if she didn’t mean it like that, she didn’t want to feel another woman’s presence on him. Feeling this way about Annette, who must have done it to cheer her on, to support her, made her experience a bit of guilt. But she still didn’t like it. 

I don’t want to hand him over. Not to anyone. 

Still, Shin was the operations commander for the 1st Armored Division, and Lena was the tactical commander. Even if this was a party between those in the Strike Package, they couldn’t spend the whole night together. And so the two of them separated for a while and went to speak to other people. 

…In truth, Lena wanted to share the first dance with him, but she had the feeling that if she did, she wouldn’t want to let go of him. 

“May I have this dance, Colonel Milizé?” 

Olivier approached her, dressed in the Alliance’s evening clothes. His long black hair was tied up at the back of his head with a sapphire hairpin, the same color as his eyes. Coupled with his androgynous appearance, this hairpin looked quite exotic. In this moment, he did look every bit like the man he was—albeit a very slender one. 

“Of course, Captain Olivier.” 

Seeing him now made Lena hate herself a little for feeling so intimidated by his presence before. Even though she was an inexperienced officer in her teens, he still paid her due respect and made an effort to blend in with Shin and the other Processors. 

And then came…that. 

Pretending to gently kiss a lady’s hand after taking it was a tradition in the southern regions of the continent, including the Alliance. Seeing Lena panic as she noticed Shin regard the sight with a cold glare made Olivier smile warmly. 

Such obvious children, not yet adept at hiding their emotions. Having heard they were hardened by the battlefield of certain death that was the Eighty-Sixth Sector, he thought them to be berserkers who had lost their humanity. And he thought she was a blackhearted, bloodstained queen who would crush the Eighty-Six for the sake of her homeland. 

The rumors made them out to be a bunch of monsters… And now Olivier was ashamed for ever thinking that way. Because they weren’t monsters. Nor were they heroes. They were children. Perhaps a bit distorted—but children nonetheless. All too immature. All too innocent. Children who were still in their teens. 

On the other side of the dance floor, the conductor waved his baton. And so the next song began. 

“…Aren’t you going to dance with Shin, Kurena?” 

“Nah.” 

The waltz wasn’t difficult once they got the rhythm down. As they retraced the steps they were recently taught in school, Theo found he was enjoying himself as he posed the question to his dance partner. 

The prince was right. This sort of thing was painless. Kurena nodded at him with a somewhat refreshed expression. But there was still a certain brooding, obstinate flavor to her demeanor. 

“I mean, changing partners is normal at parties like this. See? Lena’s dancing with Captain Olivier. And Shin’s… Huh. Why’s he dancing with Frederica…?” 

“It’s fine… This isn’t where I get to stand at Shin’s side.” 

Just saying that struck Theo as cute enough. He didn’t really know much about girls’ dresses and accessories, but her short hair was done up meticulously. She also had makeup on, which was a rare sight. 

Kurena wore a bright daffodil-yellow dress, with a wide ribbon extending from the bottom of her shoulder and down to her chest. It was an adorable design. The skirt was a bit puffy, and each time the two of them turned, it swayed beautifully. She had a yellow tulle bow attached behind her waist and slim, elegant high heels of the same color. 

All of it contrasted with the silver ornaments that peeked out every now and then as her chestnut-brown hair swayed. They were rifle shells made into earrings. Had Ernst known about this, he definitely would have objected to her wearing them, and even Theo, who wasn’t used to dresses or ornaments, thought they stood out like sore thumbs. 

“It’s fine.” 

“Come now, Shinei. I shall look you over once more before the main event, so lead away.” 

“…The height difference makes this too hard.” 

“What are you saying, fool? Listen here. In such banquets, a man must never bring shame to a lady. You must commit this to heart first.” 

Shin couldn’t help but feel that Frederica didn’t quite qualify to be a “lady” yet, but he knew better than to voice that thought. 

Her life was spared when she was taken captive, since she was an infant. Even if the emperors of the defunct Giadian Empire were puppet rulers, Frederica always carried the seed of calamity, as she could be used to overthrow the regime. The revolution turned Giad into a democracy, but with the threat of the Legion looming over the country, many of the nobles retained much of their authority and influence within the Federacy. 

And now, Zelene had given him information that had made Frederica that much more valuable, and Shin had to decide what to do with the knowledge. He did consider reporting it to Ernst once they returned to the Federacy and felt he should tell Frederica herself, too. But he wasn’t sure if that was the right thing to do or if maybe doing that wasn’t enough. 

He simply didn’t know the Federacy well enough to make that judgment call. 

Frederica cocked her head at him curiously. Her colors were the same as his. Bloodred eyes and black hair—an unusual combination in the Federacy. 

“Is something the matter?” she asked. 

“…No, nothing.” 

Now wasn’t the time or place to consider this. Shaking his head once, Shin banished the thought from his mind. Frederica scoffed. 

“I know not what bothers you, but you ought to first chase your own desires. Especially tonight. No one shall blame you for doing so.” 

Shin felt his lips curl into a smirk. Frederica’s ability allowed her to gaze into the past and present of people she knew, but she couldn’t hear any sounds or words in her visions. So she shouldn’t have known what Zelene had told him. 

“Right… Sorry.” 

He would have to consider how to approach the matter of Frederica going forward. But tonight… At least for tonight… 

Tonight… 

“Um, Shiden, don’t you think this is a bit much…?” 

“Aw, who cares? It’s just for tonight, and we’re all friends here. Besides, I hear people aren’t that uptight about stuff like this nowadays.” 

Pairs of the same sex dancing together was generally frowned upon. Lena, who had been educated to abide by these traditions, couldn’t help but furrow her brows. Shiden, on the other hand, didn’t seem to mind that at all. And so they danced a slow waltz, with Shiden taking the lead and Lena following. 

Lena thought—even marveled a little—that Shiden must have learned how to dance from both perspectives, because her movements were incredibly fluid. Officers were considered to have high social standing and were expected to always act refined and according to etiquette. As such, the special officer academy had etiquette as a mandatory subject, and that included ballroom dancing. 

Still, they were in the middle of a war. And so the Eighty-Six were given the bare minimum in etiquette lessons to cut down on the amount of time needed to teach them. And yet Shiden’s discipline could not be understated. Lena only hoped it was because the Eighty-Six had been looking forward to this party. She wanted them to experience and enjoy new things. 

As Shiden led the dance, her eyes darted around, as if aware of everyone around them. Her indigo and white eyes didn’t settle on Lena. But her rouge lips moved suddenly. 

“Lena.” 

Surprised by the address, Lena looked up at her and blinked. She hadn’t called her Your Majesty. It felt like an eternity had passed since Shiden last called her by name. Both when they only communicated through Para-RAID and during the united front after the large-scale offensive. She always frivolously called Lena Your Majesty. Shiden fixed Lena with a thousand-yard stare. 

“Don’t you worry about a thing. Today, you take center stage.” 

“…If you’re finished with your business, go home, Willem.” 

“I just thought I might as well take the opportunity to enjoy the occasion. I am a former Imperial noble, after all. Teaching the Eighty-Six proper etiquette won’t hurt anyone.” 

If this party was supposedly a training ground for their etiquette education, they would need someone to set an example. Grethe and the chief of staff, Willem, were supposed to fill that role as a pair, but the atmosphere between them was strained, to say the least. 

Grethe was quite unwilling, and the idea of dancing with Willem was her nightmare. She was wearing a black velvet dress adorned with blue beads, which evoked the image of the night sky. Willem’s tall frame was clad in a trademark-blue evening suit. 

“Don’t worry; after this song, I’ll fulfill my role and teach one of the girls here how to dance… Does that spark your envy?” 

“Not even a little bit.” 

Grethe intended to instruct the boys after this, too. 

“But I will give credit where it’s due… Thank you for bringing them here,” Grethe said. 

At that, the chief of staff regarded her with surprise. 

“…You shouldn’t be thanking me. This is just my way of crafting an alibi. So long as it looks like we did everything we could for them, no one would blame the Federacy later down the line. No matter what we do.” 

One day, for whatever reason, a time may come where the Federacy and its citizens regard the Eighty-Six as outsiders and cast them out. If the Eighty-Six proved themselves incapable of living in a peaceful society, conflict could erupt. 

So if the Federacy could show that it put time and effort into educating and caring for them, they’d be able to save face. They’d be able to appeal to the other countries and their people—and convince them they had no choice but to cast the Eighty-Six out. 

In the end, this was just insurance. A guarantee. And that was why they chose the Alliance—another country—as the destination for this trip. 

“I don’t care. A single sheet of paper would have been enough to serve as ‘evidence’ that you tried, but you actually did put effort into it… And these children will definitely appreciate that effort.” 

The chief of staff scoffed lightly. 

“…I hate the way you always let your emotions get the better of you.” 

Grethe chuckled. 

“But I like that, for how coldhearted you are, you’re never pointlessly cruel.” 

She danced with a few of the other boys and also members of the maintenance crew who were dressed in the same evening clothes and couldn’t get away from the occasion despite not being the ones it was intended for. She spoke to people she hadn’t gotten a chance to talk with often, ate a few appetizers from the tables, and regarded a few awkward invitations to a waltz with a smile. 

She was tactical commander for the entire squadron, so she danced with several people. And before she knew it, the evening party was approaching its climax. The waltz music came to an end, and Lena bowed her head to Guren, who was uncharacteristically nervous, as she parted ways with him. 

But as she turned around, her high heels clicking against the floor, her eyes widened. The familiar aroma of junipers—the dignified, frigid scent of midwinter—enveloped her. She looked up, her eyes settling on a pair of bloodred eyes standing a head taller than her. 

Apparently, he hadn’t noticed her, either, because upon meeting her gaze, his eyes widened slightly. 

“…Shin.” 

“Lena.” 

Standing behind him was Shana, who had apparently just finished dancing with him. She directed a glance at Lena, then shrugged and walked away. She had the brown skin typical of those with Deseria blood, as well as long black hair and blue eyes. 

As she left, her dark crimson dress, which was adorned with a bright red and silver pattern, fluttered with every step. The sidelong glance made it clear to Lena that, as they danced their waltz, she pretended to let Shin lead the dance while actually guiding him over to her. 

Annette, Shiden, Shana… All of them were casually trying to help Lena. Just like Lena, Shin had probably made his rounds. It was a man’s obligation on such occasions to approach any woman without a partner and strike up conversation or offer a dance. 

That said, the other boys were all quite young and timid, so it fell to Shin, their commander, to lead by example. He’d probably been even more obligated than Lena to offer dances. 

But now he carried himself perfectly, never once skipping a beat. Their eyes locked. The moment seemed to last an eternity—as if they had surrendered themselves to each other, body and soul. The prelude of the next song brought them back to their senses. 

“May I have this dance, Lena?” Shin was the first to work up the courage. 

“Y-yes.” She almost reflexively took his extended hand. 

His hand was large and firm. They exchanged bows, and he hurriedly put his free hand around her waist. As he supported her, she felt herself rapidly lose her composure. 

The music’s beat picked up, and Shin took the first step. They moved gently in accordance with the melody, like shorebirds spreading their wings. Shin led her with rare grace, and Lena was overcome with emotion, as if she were a flower petal riding on the winds of summer. 

She was awash with euphoria. She felt she could trust him with anything, but at the same time, she worried her emotions would overwhelm her. She recalled Shin’s dance teachers grumbling about how he was a quick study, but he was extremely unmotivated. 

They only had the one course, and it covered just the basics, but Shin was an Eighty-Six who had survived the Eighty-Sixth Sector. He was light on his feet and could easily mimic the simple steps he’d been taught. And while dancing required not just moving to the music but also harmony between partners, they were used to cooperating when it came to beating the Legion. 

If anything, Lena was the one who was unsteady on her feet. She came from a good family in the Republic, and she’d been taught the waltz and other dances, as well. And she danced naturally with the other Eighty-Six boys, with Marcel and Vika and Olivier. But for some reason, she couldn’t manage it now. She was constantly one step behind the rhythm, and trying to stay on her feet only made her stumble. 

But that was because her heart was beating a mile a minute and sparks were fluttering in her mind. Her legs felt oddly wobbly. She wondered if Shin could hear her heart pounding, but she was nervous to look him in the eye. What if he saw right through her? 

So she didn’t look up directly. But Shin’s face, though a bit unclear, had the same sincere, serene expression. 

“…” 

Even though she was so excited, so terribly happy that she felt like she might die on the spot, he was so collected. 

It’s not fair… Lena frowned, her face flushed red. 

Despite the fact that Lena frowned right in front of him—or rather, in his arms—Shin failed to notice. His mind was too occupied with desperately re-creating the steps he’d learned less than a month ago. 

This wasn’t etiquette class, and even though it was just among their circle of friends and colleagues, this was his first time dancing at a real party. It wasn’t his first dance of the evening, but being so worked up over it was a new feeling. His first partner was Frederica, and he’d danced with countless others before pairing up with Shana, who had worn a secretive smile all the while. Not a single one of those dance partners had gotten him as flustered as he was now. 

And for some reason, his instincts were betraying him. He could only pray Lena didn’t hear his nervous panting. It would be too embarrassing. He could hear his heartbeat, his every artery booming in his ears like an alarm bell. 

He knew he was supposed to be occupied with his partner, but he couldn’t bring himself to look directly at Lena’s face. He knew the moment he did, he’d freeze up. She came from a good family in the Republic and had probably danced plenty of waltzes before, so she wouldn’t be nervous. And while he didn’t resent or dislike anything about her…it did strike him as unfair. 

But despite that, as the elegant music carried on, the two of them gradually grew more comfortable with their situation. All the tension simply melted away. The song ended, and etiquette dictated that they bow, step away from each other, and look for new dance partners. But even after bowing, neither of them let go of the other’s hands. 

They didn’t want to let go. They looked into each other’s eyes, communicating that they didn’t want to part. There was a short pause in the music as people sought new dance partners. But their hands remained clasped even as the next song began. 

Standing in the corner of the ballroom, Lerche leaned against the wall like a shadow. She couldn’t attend a party with a sword, and so she didn’t carry her saber, but she was clad in her rouge uniform, and her blond hair was done up as always. 

Waiters approached her a few times, offering a drink, but she couldn’t drink and refused politely each time. There were a couple chairs aligned near the wall for the sake of those who grew tired of dancing. Seated on one of them was Frederica. Lerche walked across the floor, which had a plaited cord design. 

“Greetings, little princess. Shall I bring you a drink?” 

“No, pay me no mind. I rarely frequent such social affairs.” 

Her feet didn’t reach the floor, so she swung them as they peeked out from the bottom of her dress. She was only meant to make social appearances when she was older, and she wasn’t at that age yet. And so she’d never been to this kind of party before. 

Her puffy, rose-petal-shaped skirt trailed down to her knees. It was a faint-green silk dress, adorned with silver lace and ribbons. Her hair wasn’t done up, but it was adorned with silver ribbons as well. All of those brought out her delicate, dainty beauty, but this attire as a whole wasn’t something a girl her age was meant to wear. 

“Aren’t you going to dance?” Frederica asked her. 

“…I am far too clumsy, I’m afraid.” 

The knowledge of how to dance, the fundamental steps required to perform a waltz or a traditional minuet, were all stored in her artificial brain. But that didn’t mean she knew how to dance. Those were all just records. They weren’t experiences, to say nothing of memories. 

“I am asking if you do not intend to dance at least once with your master. You can simply have him lead you, and if he does well, you won’t need to put forth any effort.” 

“My. Did your Eye see something, little princess?” 

“Not from you. From your master. When one feels something too strongly, I cannot help but see it,” she added, a bit apologetic. “But I feel he is waiting for you, actually. A guard is to be the sword and shield of her liege, but your master does not think of you as a mere weapon.” 

“…” 

Perhaps so. But if that was the case… 

“That would make me…quite troubled.” 

As the girl looked up at her with crimson eyes, Lerche shrugged. 

“I am but a casket. A coffin fashioned for the one I was modeled after. And the only ones allowed to dance with a coffin are the dead.” 

And so, since Vika was still alive, he could not take her hand. Because at worst, she, dead as she was, could drag him down with her. 

One song played, then ended. Another song began, ran its course, and stopped. And before she knew it, their postures, which had remained dignified and elegant, naturally became less tense. It was as if her consciousness and his had melted into one, and they could somehow tell how the other would move. At first, they abided by the tempo of the waltz, but before long, Shin and Lena both matched each other’s pace instead. 

Their two hearts beat as one. And the bliss of it intoxicated them. They each felt complete, fulfilled. It was all so clear now. They raised their heads, joyous smiles playing over their lips. 

If, at some point, they would lose track of their wishes for their future… If they would come to fear taking the next step forward. If they were to falter, be hurt by something, waver and stop in their tracks… 

They both needed only to take the other’s hand as they were now. 

The feeling wasn’t put into words, but that’s how it came across nonetheless. It was like a momentary illusion, a sympathy that broke off the moment the music came to an end. But in that moment, they definitely felt it. 

They could understand each other perfectly. 

The summer stars twinkled across the old glass ceiling, paying their respects to the moment. The sweet aroma of nocturnal flowers wafted in with the cold night air from the terrace on the other side of the large window. 

Seeing the starlight made Lena realize that it was getting late. After a few more songs, they would be given the final address of the night, and then the party would end. 

No. It can’t. That’s not good. 

No… I have to tell him before it ends. Because once the party ends, I’ll wake up from this dream. I’ll go back to being my cowardly self. I’ll be a girl who can only pretend to be strong. 

So before the final bell tolled… Before the silver dress disappeared… Before she lost her glass slippers… This party, this music, this dance—they were all magic. They stirred the heart of humanity, allowing one to put aside their dignity, to remove their armor, to relinquish everything that inhibited them. It granted a person the courage to bear their soul. 

“Shin… Later, um…” 

But even so, it took monumental courage to finish that sentence. And so she spoke, her voice as thin as could be. 

“Could we, um, talk…? Aaah!” 

Having let her mood turn to something else in the middle of the dance made Lena sink the heel of her shoe into a small seam in the polished wooden floor. Her body lurched forward, and Shin caught her immediately. Her face sank into his chest as she clung to him. 

That magical moment, where their heartbeats overlapped, faded away. Their hearts began thumping out of sync once more. And having been caught in what looked like an embrace, the two of them felt as if it were someone else’s actions that drove them into this situation. 

Heartbeats once again acted as alarm bells, alerting each of them keenly to the fact that they were incredibly nervous. 

Shin thought that the body in his arms felt so gentle and delicate that it might break if he were to hold on to her too strongly. 

Lena thought that the body she was clinging to was far more solid and strong than she imagined—a man’s body. 

Yes, the moment they became aware of it, they both turned red—especially Lena, who was by no means accustomed to the presence of the opposite sex, and all the blood went to her head, leaving her dizzy. 

“Lena?!” Shin whispered, a bit panicked. 

Everyone around them was still in the middle of a waltz. Lena clung to his arms for support, her head spinning. Her body grew hot, and it felt like she might explode. Frederica and Raiden happened to be dancing nearby and whispered to him. 

“You two have been dancing for a long time. She must’ve gotten dizzy.” 

“Why not go out to the terrace for some fresh air? You should escort her there, Shinei.” 

Shin left, carrying Lena with him, and as they left, two more onlookers heaved a sigh. 

Really, those two… 

“Ah, looks like Shin’s finally taking Lena outside.” 

“The two of them were so focused on each other that they forgot themselves… But neither of them had the nerve to confess with everyone watching them.” 

Theo and Annette approached them, to which Raiden cocked an eyebrow. True, he did agree with what they said, but… 

“You’re a weird pair.” 

“Well, everyone switched pairs until only the two of us were left.” Theo shrugged. 

“And I figured being a wallflower wouldn’t be right in a party like this,” Annette added. 

“Where’s Kurena?” 

Theo and Annette looked to the center of the ballroom, where Kurena was dancing with Shiden. 

“…Two heartbroken maidens sharing a dance, perhaps?” Frederica suggested. 

“Cut it out,” Raiden chided her. 

“Wait, two heartbroken maidens?” Annette raised her eyebrows, surprised. “You mean Shiden’s…? Huh. I guess she did lock horns with Shin a lot over Lena…” 

“What, you never noticed?” Theo asked her. “I mean, back in the Eighty-Sixth Sector, people just liked who they liked. None of us thought anything of it until we got to the Federacy…” 

“You don’t say…” 

Annette was a bit astonished by this revelation. 

A pair of large, glass double doors led from the ballroom to a stone terrace, large enough to host a gathering in its own right. The polished gray stonework glowed pale in the starlight. Despite it being midsummer, this was still a mountainous country, and the night breeze of the plateaus was quite brisk. 

The fence railing of the terrace was fashioned in the image of rose vines, with fragrant white flowers covering it. Guests groggy from alcohol or dancing would cool down here. A few metallic, ornate benches that were woven into the rails were placed around, and Shin sat Lena down on one of them. 

The terrace offered a view of the lake the hotel was built next to, as well as the night sky. Snowmelt flowed into the river, making it too cold to swim in even during the summer. The cold winds blowing down from the perpetually snowy peaks chilled the waters. 

A waiter approached them with a tray of cool drinks. Shin took two glasses and handed one to Lena. The contents of the fluted glass fizzed gently and gave the faint alcoholic scent of apple cider and the refreshing aroma of mint. 

After taking a few sips, Lena heaved a deep sigh. 

“…I’m sorry. I think I’m okay now.” 

It occurred to Lena that this was the first time she made this kind of blunder. She didn’t like parties, but she was used to them. Or at least, she thought she was. But of all people, to do this in front of Shin… 

“You must have been exhausted. We’re on leave, but having fun can be tiring in its own way.” 

“That might be part of it, but…” 

More than that, having you next to me…makes me want to strive for perfection. It makes me nervous. Yes… That must be it. 

“I’m sorry.” 

“What are you sorry about this time?” 

“Um… You must have wanted to talk to people more, but instead, you’re here, taking care of me.” 

“Oh.” 

After that apathetic utterance, Shin gulped down the contents of his glass. 

“I don’t mind. It’s a party, but it’s all people we know. I can talk to them whenever I want. And…” 

He trailed off, but Lena didn’t immediately notice the momentary pause, the way his tone became a bit more pitched. But the aged waiter, who had served for many years in this hotel and knew how to read the guests’ moods, did pick up on it. He approached the two like a shadow and took their glasses from them, then left with the same silent speed, leaving the two of them alone on the terrace. 

“…I wouldn’t want to spend today with anyone but you,” Shin eventually said. 

“Huh…?” Lena looked up in surprise. 

At that very moment, something lit up beyond the terrace, at the shadow of the serene surface of the rippling lake. It wasn’t a shadow, but boats. The silhouettes of several small boats. Something shot up from those boats, leaving a trail of light in its wake as it soared up to the heavens. It produced a whistling sound as it cut through the air and then bloomed into a flower of flames in the dark night sky with a thundering blast. 

Still looking up, Lena rose to her feet, as if drawn to it. What they had witnessed was… 

“Fireworks.” 

At that moment, the glass ceiling was dyed in a shower of color. The flames blooming in the heavens formed a ring of light. And with that flash of light, the dancing stopped, and they heard the small rumbling of an explosion. But it was lighter than the roar of cannon fire the Eighty-Six were used to hearing. The sound of black gunpowder bursting. 

Sparkling embers rained from the sky like stardust. The flaming reaction dyed the empty sky of the new moon with seven vibrant colors. The sound of the music echoed lightly in the silent ballroom. Everyone looked up at once as a second, then a third flaming flower bloomed in the sky. 

“Fireworks…?” Someone’s whisper echoed loudly through the room. 

And with that as a signal, everyone started cheering. 

“Fireworks!” 

“I haven’t seen fireworks in so long…” 

“It’s been, like, ten years, right…? Wow…!” 

A figure stood in the back, where two staircases combined to form a small stage. He had the robust, shapely build typical of the Alliance’s people and was dressed in a native red tunic. This was the hotel’s manager. 

After confirming all eyes were on him, he made an exaggerated bow, then rose to speak to them with a clear voice. 

“Eighty-Six of the Eighty-Sixth Strike Package, soldiers of the Federacy!” 

The ballroom could house far more than the one hundred or so it currently contained, so his voice reached everyone without needing a microphone. This mountainous land, with its scarce grasslands, mostly raised mountain goats. And so the shepherds who made their homes on this land were trained to speak loudly to converse with other shepherds on neighboring mountains. 

“You, who have survived the Eighty-Sixth Sector, have done well to visit our country and stand at the foot of the holy mountain where the dragon king slumbers. To end this pleasant celebration on a positive note, our hotel offers you this display. We hope you enjoy it!” 

Beneath the fireworks that shot up into the air and painted the sky in every hue, the orchestra once again began a cheerful marching tune. 

As all their friends cheered around them, Raiden, Theo, and Kurena viewed the fireworks in silent appreciation. 

“I think my last fireworks display was around this time of year… It’s been two years already, huh? It feels like it’s been so much longer.” 

“More of us were still alive back then. It wasn’t just us five.” 

Two years ago, they were still part of the Eighty-Sixth Sector’s first defensive squadron. The Republic assembled the Spearhead squadron with the intention of having them wiped out, and by then, over half had already met their end in the line of duty. 

It was at the end of summer, and they had less than a month remaining before the rest of their comrades would die. But they hadn’t told Lena anything yet at the time, and they were all preparing themselves for what was to come. 

But on that one night, they could forget everything. That resolve, the fatigue they couldn’t shake off any longer, the indignant anger they felt, and the horror they kept bottled up since they knew it would be meaningless. On that night alone, they didn’t have to think about it. 

They recalled the abandoned, ruined soccer stadium, its dark sky awash with color. The sky of the battlefield that hadn’t known fireworks in countless years, alight with dazzling flames. 

Thinking back on it now, it was a humble display. But it still felt extravagant. Nothing could compare to how precious the sight of that sky lit up by fireworks was. 

All the Processors and maintenance-crew members who witnessed that moment had already died, with the exception of the five of them. Though, perhaps there were a few survivors from the first defensive front’s second, third, and fourth defensive units present in this room. And they might have happened to be in the area and seen the display. Or perhaps there weren’t, and they’d all died. 

At the time, that reality didn’t strike any of them as odd. Because back then, they still… 

“We all thought…that was the last thing we’d ever see,” Kurena said solemnly. 

Anju stood stock-still, looking up at the dazzling shower of colors produced by the fireworks, their shades slightly distorted by the old glass canopy. 

“…Last time…” 

As Dustin approached her, he waited for her to continue. He couldn’t tell if she was talking to him or to herself, but her voice was heavy with grief. 

“The last time I saw fireworks… Daiya was already gone.” 

“…” 

“Dustin… I’m sorry. I still can’t look at you the way I did Daiya. And I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to. But please…” 

The flaming flowers bloomed, their burning petals vanishing as quickly as they appeared. Their light wasn’t as bright as the light of day, but they had quite the impact. Taking it all in, Anju spoke. Like a transient prayer, too feeble to shine against the darkness of reality. 

“…don’t leave me. Don’t die and leave me alone.” 

“…I won’t.” 

He thought the Eighty-Six were numb to death. When he saw Shin’s face, looking down at the specimens of dissected brains in the Charité Underground Labyrinth. When he saw how he didn’t even flinch at the sight of tens of thousands of rotting corpses piled up. 

In the two months that he’d fought alongside them since the large-scale offensive, they’d acted like weapons in human form who didn’t react to seeing their comrades get blown away by enemy fire. 

He thought they were used to it. He thought the deaths of others meant little to them. 

But that wasn’t true. It was the furthest thing from the truth. And despite them being pained by it time after time, their friends died one after another, until they couldn’t take it anymore. Until they froze their hearts so that they would no longer have to endure the pain. 

But now he felt they could thaw their frozen hearts. And that was why he spoke the words… So he would never have to force her heart to freeze again… 

“I promise. I’ll never die and leave you alone. No matter what.” 

Báleygr—no, the Eighty-Six soldier known as Shin—didn’t come to question her that day. Apparently, he had other business. And as he and his squadron eventually returned to the Federacy, she, too, would be transferred to a Federacy facility, and so Zelene was currently once again in a transport container. She was sitting in dark silence. The container was covered in metallic walls, meant to prevent any possible transmissions from reaching or leaving her. 

Delivering that message to humanity in the High Mobility type was a gamble. A gamble with poor odds of paying off, at that. There shouldn’t have been any living human capable of defeating it. Even if there was, the odds of them tracing it back to her, deep in the Legion’s territories in the United Kingdom, were even bleaker. 

Anyone who could defeat the High Mobility type would have to be a soldier, and soldiers were those who would act as a nation’s blade. Their sworn duty was to make sacrifices for their homeland, for those they hold dear. Most anyone who would gain the authority to command the Legion would not use it to stop the mechanical army. They would simply turn the Legion’s blades on the other countries. 

Her initial exchanges with Shin convinced her that her gamble did indeed fail. A Federacy soldier and a descendant of the Nouzens—a line of savage warriors who reigned supreme in the Empire. One of the bloodlines who saw murder as its glory and its legacy. 

But worst of all was the fact that when he faced her, he showed no hatred nor enmity for the Legion. He was so composed and taciturn that she had to question his sanity. A man who feels no grief nor anger for the death of his own family and comrades is a man who holds no love for them to begin with. A man who does not feel indignation toward injustice is a man who tacitly accepts it. 

And she could not entrust her wish to such a person. 

But that wasn’t true. Her initial appraisal of him had been a mistake, and as she sat within that dark container, Zelene could not have been happier to be wrong. 

<<Can you see this, No Face…? No… You likely can´t. You will no longer act for my sake. Because you no longer need me.>> 

I Am Legion, for We Are Many. The very nature of the Legion made them all expendable. The Weisel nestled deep within the territories could churn out countless numbers of the Legion at all times. And that applied even to Zelene. Commander units were just as expendable. 

It likely wouldn’t be long before another Shepherd took her place as the commander unit in charge of the United Kingdom’s front. Nothing would change. It was the Legion’s modus operandi to trample over any clumsy attempts at strategy with sheer, overwhelming numbers. Zelene’s absence would do little to influence the collective. 

And that was why No Face, as well as the other Legion commander units that formed the Legion’s integrated network, weren’t looking for her. They weren’t looking at her. All they would do was delete her record, same as they did when a soldier was destroyed. 

And by turning a blind eye to her, they turned a blind eye to her scheme. 

<<No Face… No—>> 

Without producing sound or uttering words, she whispered the name he had in life. Back then, the majority of Legion still had plenty of time remaining in their central processors’ initial life span. But knowing that timer would one day tick down to zero, they had already started seeking a solution—a substitute. 

And one of the neural networks assimilated from a dead body and used as a substitute back then was No Face. 

At the time, Zelene arrived at the anti-United-Kingdom front. And despite not seeing his body directly nor being involved in its dissection, she was a commander unit and, as such, had received a report on it from the United Kingdom’s integrated network. 

And that was why she knew his name. He himself seemed to have forgotten it, along with the memory of what his face once looked like. No Face was but a prototype, but now he was chosen as one of the commander units for the integrated network. And the reason for that was… 

<<I will stop you… As things currently stand, you´re not even Legion anymore.>> 

Lena’s silver eyes looked at the sky as the last bit of stardust left its final trail. The fireworks came to an end, leaving a waterfall of light. The echoes disappeared into the night. Multicolored sparks glittered as they burned away and fluttered down. 

Looking up at this sight left Lena feeling oddly forlorn. It was the strange sense of feeling the seasons pass you by, the emptiness one often felt at the end of a celebration. The heartrending loneliness of thinking back on something one had lost. The transient sorrow of crossing paths with a moment you would never again experience. 

“It looks like we won’t get to see the Revolution Festival’s fireworks again.” 

She could feel the eyes of the one standing next to her turn to look at her. Without meeting his gaze, Lena sank into her reveries. The Revolution Festival. A Republic festival celebrated at the height of summer, in August. Fireworks would shoot up in the city’s polluted, filthy skies—fireworks no one paid any attention to. 

But even still, she had promised to see those fireworks together with him. Two years ago, on the night of the Revolution Festival. Without knowing that, the month after that, Shin’s unit would be sent on its death march. 

Beneath the same sky, before they knew each other’s faces. 

“The Revolution Festival is actually due to begin soon. But we’d be too busy with training and mastering the Armée Furieuse… You’ve heard about the next dispatch, right?” 

“Yes. The northern basin countries, if I’m not mistaken. There’s a Legion base in a problematic spot. The 2nd and 3rd Armored Divisions have been having trouble with it and decided to fall back.” 

The northern basin countries were a collection of small nations located to the north of the Federacy and to the east of the United Kingdom. These countries united as one to oppose the threat of the Legion. Over the last month and even now, the Strike Package’s operational unit had been stationed there to assist them. 

They were entrusted with tearing a hole in the Legion’s encirclement around the country, but the fighting exposed the existence of an enemy base. The Strike Package was forced into a more difficult battle than anticipated, and it had been decided they would need to pull back and reassess the situation. 

“The Republic…sees the Revolution Festival as a matter of pride and still intends to hold it, but it’s doubtful they’ll go as far as preparing fireworks. The reconstruction of the power and production plants is still underway, and the Sheepdogs’ resistance is making it difficult to retake the northern regions.” 

This wasn’t true for just the Republic. It was the same everywhere. This was why the Strike Package was going from one area to another on reckless operations. Why they were sent to break through enemy territory in snowy terrain, to topple an enemy base without so much as a map on hand. 

Currently, the 2nd and 3rd Armored Divisions were in charge of operations, and while they were successful in the northern basin countries, one wrong move would have forced them to go on a rush through enemy forces that could have very well ended with them being wiped out. 

Lena and Shin couldn’t go to the Revolution Festival with the war raging around them. 

And even if they did, there would be no fireworks to watch. And would they even be there next year? The fireworks? The Revolution Festival? 

The Republic? 

Will Shin and I…? Will humankind live to see next year? 

Once these pessimistic thoughts reared their ugly heads, they rolled around in Lena’s mind one after another. Lena shook her head in denial, biting her lips while telling herself she couldn’t allow these intrusions. 

They would live. Because they’d made a promise. They would see the fireworks of the Revolution Festival together. Once the war ended, they would go and see the sea. Together. 

So until then, neither of us can die. 

And the moment that desperate thought crossed her mind, Shin spoke as he looked up at the falling embers. 

“In that case…” 

Having finished the march, the orchestra began playing a waltz again. A slow waltz, its tempo intimate and mellow, befitting the end of the celebrations. As if to lull all who heard it into a gentle slumber, clinging to the vestiges of the party’s tumult. An ever so slightly forlorn melody. Judging by the timing, this would be the last song of the night. 

Feeling that song drive him forward, Shin parted his lips. The thought that he had to say it now didn’t even cross his conscious mind; the words just spilled forth on their own. All too naturally, like the melted snow forming rivers that fed into the fields. 

“Then let’s go to the Revolution Festival whenever we can. If we can’t make it next year, we’ll go the year after. And whenever we do, we’ll celebrate.” 

Two years ago, on the night of the fireworks display, Shin responded to Lena’s words, knowing full well that promise could never be granted. It was because it was impossible that he could respond to Lena’s wish to see the fireworks together with a vague answer. 

He didn’t truly want to see the fireworks. He couldn’t even wish for it at the time. But now things were different. 

“Because it’s not an impossible wish anymore.” 

They’d overcome that fate of certain death and survived. They learned they were allowed to hope. To look forward. To wish for something—for the future. And the girl before him had saved him so many times. She had pulled him back from the brink repeatedly. And so before he even knew it… 

He looked down at Lena again. He hadn’t said anything, but her silver eyes met his, as if drawn to him. And so he called out to her yearningly. 

“Lena…” 

“…one day, when we can manage it, let’s celebrate. Because it’s not an impossible wish anymore.” 

His crimson gaze bore an earnestness Lena had never seen from Shin before. She was enraptured. The anxiety and fear swirling in her mind had all faded away like a bad dream. 

If you say so, I’m sure it’ll happen. No matter how impossible it is, I’m sure we’ll create that miracle. 

That feeling sprang forth from the bottom of her heart. Same as how the stars twinkled at night and how the flowers blossomed at springtime. Like nature. She could believe in him without a trace of a doubt. 

And she naturally took a deep breath. She raised both hands without realizing it, clasping them before her chest. If she was going to say the words, it would have to be now. If she was ever going to say it, she wanted it to be right here, right now. 

I love you. 

When the war ends. When we can watch the fireworks of the Revolution Festival together. I want it to be with you. I want us to see them together. I don’t know when it’ll happen, but I want us to do it together. As many times as we can, if possible. 

But just as she was about to say those words… 

“—Lena.” 

The sound of his call, the tone of his voice, made her hold her tongue. She swallowed nervously, holding her breath in anticipation. Whatever he was about to say now was going to be special. She could tell. And suddenly, she was terrified. She was afraid to hear them. The decisive words that were about to fill the air. 

Their relationship so far was awkward, in a way, as if they were ships constantly passing in the night. But it was pleasant in its vagueness. And those words would shatter that. They would shatter their current relationship, rearranging it into something else. 

That might result in something new. But change, and the destruction that inevitably comes with it, is irreversible. Once she heard him out, there would be no going back. And so the thought of hearing the words scared her. The terror gripped her, freezing her body. But… 

I have to hear him out. 

I have to. 

Because Shin must be terrified, too. He’s trying so hard to change, and he took that step forward, even though it might destroy all that he is. He must be so much more terrified than I am. All I have to do is wait. 

But if she didn’t hear him out, she would certainly regret it. And so she clenched her hands. She took a breath, forgetting to exhale, and waited with her lips pursed. 

And then Shin spoke. 

“I…I’m glad I met you.” 

His voice was full of emotion. He didn’t know the name for these feelings, so he simply tried to put it into words. But it didn’t feel like it was enough, and all the terms in existence probably couldn’t describe the way he felt. The only way he could express himself was through words, and the options felt vexingly insignificant. 

“If you weren’t there, I would have died while fighting my brother back in the First Sector. I would have fought, fully ready to die. I would have lost my reason to live after I destroyed the Morpho. I wouldn’t have fought to return home when I was trapped in the magma lake at the Dragon Fang Mountain. Every step of the way, you saved me again and again.” 

Shin was the one who collected those who’d fought alongside him and took them to their final destination. And that made Shin someone who would always be left behind. No one would carry on his memory, and he would simply pass on, with no one to hold on to but himself. 

But the moment he began believing he could entrust his memory to her…that was a salvation that could not be matched by anything else. She had supported him for two years, ever since the Eighty-Sixth Sector, when he didn’t even know what she looked like. 

When she caught up to him one year ago, in that field of lycoris flowers, she gave him a reason to fight on. 

And one month ago, on that snowy battlefield, she helped him accept the first and only future he had ever wished for. 

“Your being there made me believe…that I should live on.” 

Lena felt tears building up in her eyes. 

Yes. Yes, Shin. I feel the same way. I’m only here because I met you. It’s because I learned the secret of the Shepherds and the Black Sheep that I could prepare for the large-scale offensive. By holding on to you all, I learned just how cold and malicious this world really is. I realized just how much of an ugly person I really am. And it was because I could chase after your shadow that I realized who I want to be with. 

“It’s because you were there that I escaped the Eighty-Sixth Sector.” 

It’s because you were there that I could stop being a white pig. 

You made me into who I am today. It was your words that breathed life into the part of me that I cherish to this day. And so, you… The one who changed me. The one who gave me life. I… 

“I love you.” 

The fact that he could finally say those words clearly filled Shin with relief. The words that consumed his every waking thought. If he hadn’t mustered the courage to say them after all this time, then words would lose all meaning. 

She had saved him so many times…and he didn’t know if his feelings would be enough to repay her. He didn’t know how she would respond. The thought made his mind go dark…but he poured his heart out anyway. 

“I want to show you the sea… I want to see things we’ve never seen before, things yet obscured by the fires of war. I want to enjoy the same sights as you.” 

In other words… 

“I want to remain by your side. I want to be with you. Forever…if possible.” 

Lena simply stood there, her silver eyes open wide, unable to utter a single word. Her mind was blank. 

I feel that way, too. I always want to be with you. Until your final destination. No matter where you end up, that will be my final destination, too. And I don’t mean I’ll carry your name and memories. I don’t mean taking your heart and memories with me. 

I want us to be together. To live on together. 

His words made her happy. But it wasn’t just because she felt loved. No. It wasn’t because he had finally told her how he felt. 

She was happy because she felt the same way. 

I have to answer him. I have to answer him. I have to answer him. 

That singular emotion spurred her forward, faster than the speed of light, sooner than she could gather her thoughts. Her body moved forward. Because words would be all too slow. Words wouldn’t be enough. Words wouldn’t even convey a tenth of her emotions. 

The distance between them was less than a single step, and the gap closed in an instant. 

Shin’s eyes widened in surprise. Lena snaked her arms around his shoulders—not daring to let him escape—and stretched upward. The height difference between them was normally half a head, but Lena’s high heels that day covered most of it. His lips were slightly closer than before. And so she drew closer to him, and… 

…they shared their first kiss.