The battle ended only after two full days had passed. The unprecedented event where three Greater Demon Beasts simultaneously struck the front line concluded with humanity’s victory by defeating two of them. Humanity did not escape unscathed, however. Of the eight Special Forces members who participated in the Radiata operation, five died, one was unconscious, and two suffered serious injuries. The casualties among the garrison on the Northern Front exceeded forty percent.
“Captain, it’s been a while.”
Rie, lying in a sickbed, greeted me wrapped in bandages like a mummy. The Special Forces successfully delayed the Greater Demon Beasts that directly hit the front line. However, the price of that incredible achievement was steep. Four Special Forces members, including Nazar, had died. The only survivor, Rie, lost vision in her left eye.
“How’s your body?”
“I just woke up, so I’m not sure, but my whole body aches. I can’t see out of my left eye.”
“I brought some herbs and fruits that are good for recovery. They’re quite rare in the North.”
Rie, who had been in a coma for two weeks, groaned.
“Did the Captain’s wife use her influence?”
“Who?”
“…? Are you asking which side to take now rather than denying it? Captain, just how far did you go together?”
“Denying wouldn’t help stop the bad rumors from spreading, so what can I say? And I didn’t do anything.”
“Are you really telling me to believe that?”
I truly hadn’t done anything. Irene and I were both seriously injured and lying still; what could we do? Even after two weeks, we hadn’t met. Moreover, the Duke’s Daughter simply came to visit me with herbs. Rie cast a cold, scrutinizing glance at me.
“Of course. It’s hard to believe. Given that there are even rumors about you using the same barracks, what exactly are you denying?”
Putting aside the small talk, I decided to get to the main point.
“So, did you see it?”
“I did see something like the paint you mentioned, Captain. I’m not sure if it was because of the problem with my eyes, but it definitely felt more powerful.”
“What do you think the conditions for seeing the wave are?”
“Since you and I were able to see it in similar situations… maybe it’s something that blooms in the face of death?”
“Is there anything else?”
Rie blinked her eyes and fell into deep thought. Then, she suddenly looked up and replied.
“Ah! I think I was concentrating so much that the sword appeared to be very slow.”
Could the conditions to awaken the wave involve a life-threatening crisis and extreme concentration? I still couldn’t be sure.
“Did anyone else see the wave besides you?”
“I think Pell said he could see it too. By the way, where is Pell? I haven’t seen our youngest.”
Pell, the youngest member of the Special Forces, had died. The cause was from excessive bleeding. Pell held on with every ounce of strength he could muster, only to die immediately after the battle concluded. How would Rie interpret my silence as she awkwardly smiled and continued to speak?
“Ah, haha… After all, when you think about it, there’s probably no one who survives with a hole in their stomach…”
Her reaction seemed to be an attempt to fill the awkward silence with any words. No matter how many times I experienced it, I could never adapt. The forced act of pretending to be cheerful while hiding grief was unbearable. I suppressed the emotions that were about to burst out.
“Rest. I’ll come again tomorrow.”
***
The next place I visited was the sickbed where Irene lay. Having clashed with the Greater Demon Beast all alone and eventually defeating it, she hadn’t yet recovered enough to walk but was expected to recover within a week. Her recovery was almost supernatural.
“I came to visit.”
I noticed her long silver hair, which flowed down to her neck. Irene, who had been gazing blankly at the void, widened her eyes in surprise upon seeing me enter the barracks.
“You’re alive.”
“I promised, didn’t I? That I would survive.”
“I thought you were dead because you took so long to come.”
“I’m sorry. I just woke up too.”
Irene and I hesitated for a moment. It was Irene who finally broke the silence.
“…I’m sorry. It was my first time in such a situation. I never expected the Greater Demon Beasts to join forces.”
Hearing Irene’s words, I looked at her face twisted in guilt again. It was an unexpected situation for anyone. In the Northern Front, where anything could happen, it was difficult to calculate all the possible scenarios. Yet, Irene tried to attribute all of it to her fault. She wasn’t showing it outwardly, but she was slowly festering inside. I became gloomy just from her infinitely kind nature.
“No, it’s not like that. It’s not the Commander’s fault.” (Ian)
“…People died because of me. How can that not be my fault? I… I can’t accept that…” (Irene)
Irene hung her head low. Her silver hair fell down, covering her face. Tears dripped from her cheeks, soaking the blanket. Silently observing her, I carefully began to speak.
“It’s hard to face the deaths of others. However, if you choose to carry that burden, eventually—”
—You will collapse.
In that instant, I couldn’t finish my last words. The image of Irene I had seen in the game overlapped with her current self. The one who became a Greater Demon Beast, annihilated the Northern Front, and was ultimately defeated by the player. I bit my lips. The blood that flowed from my lips trickled down my chin.
“…So, don’t force yourself to bear it.”
Irene lifted her head slightly. Her eyes were red.
I decided to take an almost cliché approach.
“What we can do for the dead is not only to bear their burden. We can kill all the monster bastards and eradicate them. If we bring peace to the Northern Front, surely those who have died can rest comfortably, right?”
Irene responded as if she herself wasn’t sure.
“…Can we do that?”
The confident demeanor I had seen as the Commander directing soldiers at the front was nowhere to be found. There stood a single human being who was hesitating, agonizing, and wavering. Just because she possessed inhuman recovery abilities didn’t mean she became something beyond human. That evidence was right there. Humans were simply humans. No matter how great a power one possessed, it was a realization of the fact that it could never become anything more.
I still had no certainty that I could bring an end to this hell. There was no guarantee that I could bring a happy ending with only a few experiences of clearing the game. I was also just a single human.
I merely resolved to take action. Holding onto a strong belief that it would happen. Firmly believing until it became certainty.
“We can do it. For sure.”
“…”
“I will definitely make it happen.”
I could see Irene’s eyes. Her ice-blue eyes looked back at me.
“…Together.”
Irene smiled slightly.
“Let’s end this together.”
***
Aside from enduring the front line day by day, I had to prepare again. To ensure that the same sacrifices wouldn’t repeat. As soon as Rie fully recovered, we began researching the Wave Device together. Working together was proving to yield significant progress compared to when we were alone. We were able to approach the essence of the wave.
The principle of the wave begins from responding to the external force that spreads outward. It recognizes the vibrations of all things and harmonizes the body with those vibrations. By assimilating oneself into external power, one could be said to wield that power. The reason why the power was amplified only when swinging the sword along the wave was because of this. Rie and I steadily established the basics and limits of the Wave Device through repeated research.
“What should we name it?”
“The Wave, since it’s related to vibrations…”
Level 1 – Initial Shock
The stage of first connecting to the wave. The muscles, nerves, bones, and sensory organs begin to respond to the vibrations.
Level 2 – Heavy Shock
The phase where internal organs, especially the spinal cord and skeletal system, respond to the vibrations. The ability to resonate increases dramatically.
Level 3 – Deep Shock
The stage where the heart and mind are fully connected to the wave. The wave and the self completely resonate, allowing the projection of the body’s vibrations to the outside world. One can actualize their wave through a sword or weapon.
“What’s next—ah, could it be Extreme Shock?”
“I don’t know. I’m not there yet.”
“Oh, Captain, if I reach Level 4 first, can I name it?”
“Sure.”
“Great! You can look forward to my dazzling growth.”
Research alone wasn’t enough. Techniques that hadn’t been validated in real combat were no different from illusions. Thus, we began conducting practical experiments with the new recruits.
It was not the clumsy method I initially adopted. Having gained insight from continuous research, I chose a more professional approach. It involved injecting one’s own wave into the subject to transfer it. Artificially raising the wave to allow the opponent to feel the vibrations.
Suddenly, the new recruit, Seraph, who was receiving the wave injection, started rubbing her eyes. She awkwardly scratched her cheek and asked us a question.
“Um… for a moment, I started seeing something strange in my eyes. Is this normal?”
We succeeded.
