Upon awakening, I found myself floating on a white ocean, soft sheets enveloping me.

With sunlight illuminating the fabric, I closed my half-lidded eyes at the brightness.

It seemed clear this would mark the beginning of another peaceful, fair weather day.

Even with my eyelids shut, the light streaming from the windows dazzled me.

But it was still too early to slip out of bed.

After all, the voice I was so accustomed to hearing hadn’t yet reached my ears.

“It’s time to wake up, Kou.”

Of course, no sooner than I thought that, “her” voice called out to me.

“Come on already. If you don’t get up, we’ll be late.”

She was right. If I didn’t wake up now, I’d miss the beginning of my first period.

I’d need to wolf down my breakfast and head to class now.

If I managed to dredge through my classes, an afternoon with my friends awaited me.

Despite knowing that, I indulged in my own laziness, pretending not to hear her voice.

I knew if I waited a minute longer, “her” hand would gently shake me.

“Do we have to do this every morning?”

To my satisfaction, I sensed someone bending over me, “her” hand rocking me awake.

“Her”.

She was important to me.

For the first time in my life, I’d found someone I had a true connection with.

When I thought of “her”, I felt a sharp pain in my chest.

Though we lived in the same dorm and went to school together, I longed to spend more and more of our time together.

So why was it that…

I couldn’t remember her name?
“Kou.”

“Kou-san.”

“Kou, Kou, hey Kou!”

“Kou-san, Kou-san, Kou-san…”

“Lieutenant Kou, wake up!”

“…?!”

A steel claw looming towards me greeted my awakening.

Kou: “What is that?!”

Still the midst of my morning stupor, the machine’s legs lunged towards me.

As I drew back reflexively, the machine’s claws collided before me, causing an ear-rending crash.

Kou: “What’s going on?!”

I slipped away on my backside, my palms and rear sliding upon hard tile.

Wait, sliding on hard tile? Hadn’t I been asleep in bed?

Frenzied, I cast my eyes downward, only to find the lower half of my body covered in steel armor.

Kou: “You’ve gotta be kidding me!”

This had to bed a dream. Though everything seemed real enough, this couldn’t be possible.

Kou: “Am I still asleep?”

Murmuring, I lifted my face to see yet another mechanical claw lashing out towards me.

In front of me, the machine bared its teeth. The contraption, either an insect or spider, continued its steady grating as it attempted to grapple with me.

Kou: “Damn it! Let go of me!”

I struck out with both my hands.

Kou: “What?!”

As the lower half of my body had been, steel armor also covered my hands.

No, this wasn’t armor. I wasn’t wearing it. Sensations were transmitted directly through this metallic skin.

Kou: “This is my actual arm?”

Nerves ran through this metallic flesh. Without thinking, I tried to draw breath, at last alerting me that I had no mouth.

Disregarding these unpleasant surprises, I swung my arms outward.

It was near thing, but I managed to stave off the enemy’s blow.

And yet the machine continued its advance towards me. In a moment, that jaw would be—!

Kou: “Ahhhh!”

I couldn’t defend myself!

???: “Lieutenant!”

Kou: “What is it this time?”

A flash of light, accompanied by a rumbling sound, pierced the spider. It exploded and its remnants scattered.

Following that, a square formed in a section of my vision, reflecting a woman’s features.

???: “Are you okay, Lieutenant?”

This person controlled that steel humanoid? She looked to be a bit older than me with blonde hair and blue eyes, and while her face seemed familiar…

???: “I was worried when you didn’t respond, but you appear to be all right.”

Kou: “Ah, yeah. Thanks to your help.”

She extended her arm. Without contemplating the matter too deeply, I took her proffered hand and rose to my feet.

Once again, words failed me.

Kou: “Hold on a second. What is all this?”

Ruins billowed smoke, clusters of inorganic, enormous structures stretching as far as the horizon.

Flare bombs cut across the air, tearing through the pitch-blackness. At the same time, the light of explosions seared afterimages into my retinas.

Hell would be an apt description. No, the word for such a spectacle was—

Kou: “Is this a battlefield?”

???: “Affirmative. We’re still within range of hostilities, as we can’t log out from here.”

Kou: “…”

???: “A self detonating device was planted within these facilities. Lieutenant, it appears you lost consciousness due to the blast.”

Kou: “Self detonating device?”

???: “Affirmative. Our nearby allies’ identification signals have gone out. We’re the only ones left.”

????: “Fortunately, our injuries are slight. I can still fight. As the enemy seems to be in disarray, we can use this opening to escape to—

Kou: “Uh, wait. Wait! Wait a minute!”

???: “Ya. Lieutenant, is there a problem?”

What is this place, and why am I here? About a hundred more questions popped into my mind.

Kou: “Umm, first of all, may I ask what your name is?”

???: “My name?”

Rain: “Rain. Kirishima Rain. My rank is second lieutenant.”

Kou: “Second lieutenant… Kirishima Rain?”

That name sounded familiar. Even so—

Kou: “Rain, Rain. I’ve heard that name somewhere, and I feel like we’ve met before.”

I wracked my brain for any information but couldn’t grab onto anything substantial.

Kou: “I can’t remember. Rain, who are you?”

Rain: “Lieutenant, what do you mean? I can’t believe I’m asking this, but…”

From beyond the face window, Rain drew in a short breath.

Rain: “Do you not know who I am?”

Kou: “Uh, yeah, that’s right. While we’re on that subject, I wanted to ask about this “lieutenant” you keep referring to. Is that me?”

Rain: “Affirmative. Lieutenant Kadokura Kou. Your name and rank.”

The female soldier called Rain peered at me with anxious eyes, leaving me unsure how I should respond.

A monotonous, electronic sound interrupted the silence.

Rain: “The warning alarm! Fire from a kachusha headed this way! To avoid it, we should—no, there’s no time! Duck!”

Rain’s steel body knocked me to the ground. A few heartbeats later, a roaring blast wave enshrouded me.

Kou: “…?! Kachusha?!”

A torrent of scattered earth and dust rained down upon me. My body creaked in the blast wave, pain welling up within my metal flesh.

A head on assault? A bombing?  I was being attacked? With that awareness, my body began to shake of its own accord.

Kou: “Uuugh, uurgh…”

The attacks were pressing in on us. With each successive, resounding shock, my courage wavered.

But I’d experienced this fear before. Had it been ingrained somewhere into my body?

Though my legs wobbled, I managed to stand.

Rain: “The enemy will be here soon! We need to leave this area at once!”

Kou: “Ugh!”

Projectile impacts fired from point-blank range blew away the sound of my yelling. Heat waves and flashes of light threatened to engulf me.

Kou: “Aaaah!”

A moment later, I escaped the explosion’s fumes, feet gliding across the ground. My body had reacted of its own volition

Rain: “Lieutenant, hold on! It’s dangerous to act alone!”

Kou: “Aaaah, aaaaaaah!”

Kou: “Gah!”

Rain: “Lieutenant, are you all right?”

Kou: “S-seems that way.”

I was still in the middle of a nightmare, but this impact, this sensation—they were both too real.

Rain: “Lieutenant. I hate to ask this, but have you even forgotten how to pilot a sumicram?”

Kou: “Hold on! I’m no lieutenant! Can’t you see I’m just a student? I’m— ”

Kou: “I’m Kadokura Kou, male, junior at Seishuu Academy! I’m a student in the department of virtual engineering—and, um…”

Rain: “And what else?”

Kou: “Aah, umm, well… hang on. Give me a minute.”

“I thought” I lived in a dorm with my friends.

“I thought” I had several close female friends.

Rain: “…”

Kou: “Ahh, why can’t I remember? Damn it, what’s happening to me?”

Something was missing, rendering me unable to order my memories. My head felt like it was full of fog.

Rain: “Your memories may be confused for the time being, Lieutenant. It sounds like you’re having trouble recalling what lead up to this point.”

Kou: “What does that mean?!”

Rain: “Please calm down. This isn’t the time to panic. We’re still in the middle of battle. Try to relax.”

Compelled by Rain’s grave expression, I inhaled sharply, steadying my breathing.

Despite having a steel body with no mouth, that action filled me with a strange reassurance.

Rain: “Rain, wasn’t it? You called me lieutenant?”

Rain: “Affirmative.”

Kou: “So you’re sure I’m a soldier?”

Rain: “Affirmative. You’re a freelance mercenary and digital officer. A sumicram pilot of some renown.”

Kou: “You’re joking, right? I was just lying in bed until a few minutes ago.”

On the other hand, I couldn’t remember what I’d been doing before going to sleep. Or, come to mention it, anything from yesterday.

Rain: “No, I wouldn’t lie about this. As soldiers, we’ve ‘dived’ into the midst of an online battlefield.”

Kou: “…”

Rain: “You blacked out from an explosion not too long ago.”

Rain: “If I had to guess, I’d say the blast might have made some of your memories irretrievable.”

Kou: “That’s ridiculous.”

I wanted to laugh off Rain’s remark but couldn’t bring myself to do so.

If what she said were true, I was a mercenary, and all my memories from the time I was a student until now were gone.

Kou: “When you phrase it like that, it sounds like amnesia.”

After uttering those words, I came to an abrupt realization of how serious this situation was.

Rain: “Shh! Quiet!”

Rain placed her hand over my nonexistent mouth, and, without thinking, I lowered the volume of my breathing.

While keeping her hold on me, she motioned backwards with her jaw.

In the direction she’d indicated were several steel insects of the same model she’d fought earlier.

Rain: “Self-operated units—viruses. Our enemy.”

Kou: “Enemy? So that means they’re going to come at us again?”

Rain: “Luckily, they haven’t noticed us yet. I’ve placed a jammer on their detectors. We should be able to rest easy for a little while.”

Machine voice: “Jammer is operational. Obstruction is at 95%.”

Lending proof to her words, the viruses passed by us, wandering about aimlessly.

Machine voice: “Notice: The enemy’s passive wall is operational. Obstruction is at 75%.”

Kou: “I guess this won’t last forever.”

Rain: “Affirmative.”

Kou: “Hey, do you think we could escape? If we ran at full speed like before, maybe…”

Rain: “The instant we move, those viruses will pinpoint our location. Besides, they’re each an aggressive reconnaissance model with an emphasis on speed. Even if we did run, they would catch up to us in no time.”

Kou: “So there’s no avoiding a fight?”

Troubled by these thoughts, I glanced down at my steel body.

The solid frame emitted a dull light, but if I fell, it still hurt. If I feared something, I’d tremble.

If that were the case, what would happen to this body if it were destroyed?

Machine voice: “Obstruction is at 50%.”

Kou: “Damn it, it’s getting hard to breathe.”

I unconsciously balled my hands into a fist, fingers creaking.

Rain: “You’ll be all right.”

Rain wrapped her own metal hand around my clenched fist, whispering to me in a soothing tone.

Rain: “You will be all right.”

She gazed at me with those beautiful, blue eyes.

Rain: “Allow me to confirm something. Do you remember your name and school year?”

Hearing that stately voice, I felt at peace again.

Kou: “Kadokura Kou. I’m a junior.”

Rain: “A junior at Seishuu Academy, I believe?”

Kou: “Yeah, that’s right.”

Rain: “Well then, you must know how to pilot a sumicram.”

Kou: “Know? Uh, I don’t think so! For starters, what’s this sumicram you keep—”

When I tried to object, something nudged at the corner of my mind.

Battle Formatted Virtual Body—Sumicram

Rain: “Perhaps you’ve forgotten everything else, but not this! Concentrate on what you can feel!”

Kou: “Concentrate?”

As instructed, I focused my attention towards my body, becoming aware of the pulse coursing through me.

The rhythm had a faint ringing tempo.

What flowed through me was an electromagnetic pulse.

Kou: “You’re right. I can sense it now. I know this body and its cadence well.”

Lead by the beat of the electromagnetic pulse, a single word took shape within my mind.

Kou: “Sumicram—battle formatted virtual body.”

This was a humanoid weapon adapted to the laws of virtual space—the net. A weapon created by humans to kill one another within this fabricated world.

Rain: “That’s right, Lieutenant. This is our weapon when fighting in virtual reality.”

Kou: “Fighting in virtual reality…”

Rain: “Affirmative. As of right now, we’re locked in cyberspace combat.”

Cyberspace—another world built within the net.

What surrounded me was a virtual reality governed by artificial intelligence. We stood upon a new land birthed from nothingness by human intellect.

Machine voice: “Warning: 30% cut from obstruction rate.”

The machine voice cut into the conversation, causing Rain’s expression to stiffen.

Rain: “Here’s a brief overview of the situation.”

Rain: “We’re isolated within the middle of an enemy encampment. If we don’t break through their fortifications, we’ll die.”

Rain: “Fortunately, we’ve destroyed most of the enemy’s forces. Their current deployment is made up of nothing but remnant viruses.”

Rain: “You can fight, Lieutenant?”

Rain offered me an encouraging smile, communicating her faith in me.

Kou: “I’ll have to.”

There were no other options.

Rain: “Ya. Resetting weapons to their initial state.”

No sooner than those words left Rain’s mouth, an equipment list popped up before me.

A thirty-millimeter gunpowder pistol and armor reinforced fists and feet. I had a vague recollection of this set of crude weaponry.

Rain: “Reset to initial state complete! Choice mechanism and distance sensor are both ready to go!”

Rain: “Based on the distance of the enemy and your unit’s movement, weapons will be chosen automatically from one of three categories.”

Rain: “Weapons overheat easily, so be careful not to overuse a single one. Try using multiple weapons in the most efficient way possible.”

Kou: “Roger. Let’s do this.”

If my body did remember how to pilot a sumicram, I’d be able to pull this off.

Machine voice: “Jammer rescinded. Warning: Viruses approaching.”

Rain: “Let’s go, Lieutenant! Open combat!”

Kou: “Well, that’s dealt with.”

Rain: “You performed well, Lieutenant. You didn’t need my help at all, did you?”

Kou: “To be honest, I’m amazed how well that went.”

After answering, I noticed something strange. The uneasiness I’d felt on the frontlines had vanished. In response to the battle, I felt excitement and even intoxication.

Did this satisfaction mean I knew how to fight?

Rain: “I’m not surprised at all. I never doubted your ability, Lieutenant.”

Rain: “That being said, it’s still too early to let our guard down. It’s likely this battle signaled the surrounding enemies to our presence.”

Kou: “No times to calm my nerves, huh?”

Damn. What I had been thinking, choosing to become as soldier?

Kou: “Still, we can’t let this turn into a war of attrition.”

And I’d dearly like to have a face-to-face meeting with my real self.

This being a virtual space, I wondered what had been done with my real body.

Rain: “As I said before, we can’t long out of here while the enemy’s anchor is still in effect.”

Kou: “We won’t be waking up from here then.”

Rain: “We’re not at the end of the line yet, however. If we travel south for several virtual kilometers, we should be able to escape from the anchor’s range.”

Kou: “So if we want to leave the net, that’s our target.”

Rain: “Affirmative. Therefore, if we target a spot where the enemy’s forces are sparse…”

Rain: “…?!  Lieutenant, behind us!”

Kou: “What?!”

Kou: “When did they get so close?!”

Rain: “Forgive me! I was late to notice the enemy’s jamming!”

Kou: “Did we get all of them?”

When the tension of battle receded, I felt a twinge of pain in my steel body.

In my side abdomen was a bullet wound that carved a straight line through my armor.

Rain: “It looks like you were grazed by a bullet, but it doesn’t appear to have pierced your insides.”

Kou: “I didn’t expect taking a bullet in virtual reality to hurt, much less in a steel body.”

The words ‘nerve feedback’ sprung to mind.

Sumicram weren’t ordinary robots. To make natural movement possible, nerves ran through the entire body.

Rain: “Watch out for gunfire. We’ve accessed the net with our limiters off.”

Kou: “Which means we’ll receive an unlimited amount of undiluted feedback.”

Rain: “Affirmative. This may be virtual space, but if your body is destroyed, chances are you’ll die.”

One terrifying thing after another.

Kou: “You’ve helped me remember something else.”

With standard access, in exchange for restricted mobility, the limiter would relieve pain and shock. This would protect your real body and soul from any trauma on the net.
Conversely, if your mind or body were unable to withstand the reproduced senses of limitless access, death would occur.

Flat lining was a phenomenon that shadowed all those who delved too deep within virtual space. And digital officers made it their business to explore those depths.

Kou: “Needless precision can be a problem.”

I took in the scattered remains of the enemy I’d done battle with earlier.

Kou: “Speaking of precision, check this out.”

Stepping on the small fragments of the remains, I felt metal beneath my feet all too well.

Kou: “Did any of the robots we destroyed have pilots operating them?”

Rain: “We’ve only exchanged fire with viruses so far. No human controls them.”

Kou: “That’s a relief.”

Rain: “But if a sumicram does appear, you mustn’t hesitate.”

Rain: “If you do, it’ll be your remains scattered about on the floor.”

Kou: “Yeah.”

Rain: “Let’s be off. If we stay in one place for too long, the enemy will gather.”

Rain: “Be on guard! Enemy units approaching from the front!”

Rain: “Backup units headed this way!”

Kou: “Damn it, again?!”

Rain: “Reinforcements are here. They’re viruses of a small build. I’m not sure of their model name.”

Kou: “There’s no end to them! How much longer will this go on?”

Rain: “Stay strong, Lieutenant.”

Rain: “Even during your time as a student—”

Rain: “No, even as a student, enemies of this caliber should make for an easy victory.”

Kou: “Haa, haa, haa…”

I was short of breath. Though I had no lungs, my body longed for oxygen.

Rain: “Breathe deeply. Even if you senses are faint, the body can’t run away from physiological phenomenon.”

I gulped down a lungful of air and released it.

A metal body couldn’t respire. What I did here was mere imagination, yet it still pacified me.

Kou: “I thought I’d left my heart and lungs in reality.”

Rain: “If you’re having trouble breathing, don’t fight it. You can never truly be free from the logic instilled in your body.”

Kou: “A sound mind resides in a sound body, after all. Well, maybe this is a little different.”

Rain: “Right now, your real body is in a trancelike state, breathing deeply. I’m sure of it.”

Kou: “That aside, did I always fight like this?”

Rain: “There were quite a few enemies, weren’t there?”

Rain: “Neither of us predicted there would be so many foes lurking in this structure.”

Hearing as much, a fundamental question occurred to me.

Kou: “So why are we fighting here? What kind of people are our enemies?”

Rain: “Well…”

Rain equivocated.

Rain: “I’d rather not say now. It’s somewhat complicated. For now, let’s hurry onward.”

Rain: “There is one thing I can tell you with certainty. All those who stand in our way are enemies.”

Kou: “Gotcha.”

Following that, how long did we race through this uninhabited structure?

And still the machine voice never indicated that logging out was possible.

Kou: “We still can’t log out?”

Rain: “It’s strange. We should have arrived at our destination by now. I’ll investigate the matter.”

From across the face window, I could see Rain closing her eyes. After a brief period, they snapped open again.

Rain: “I’ve finished scanning the area. The reason we haven’t been able to log out is simple. The ringleader of these viruses is tailing us from behind while wearing an anchor.”

Kou: “I can’t see anything, though.”

Rain: “I spotted the virus by sensor. I’m your support, you see.”

Kou: “Support? Come to think of it, your unit is different than mine.”

Rain:  “That’s because it’s a custom model geared towards support personnel. It’s equipped with various sensors and long-range firepower.”

Kou: “That makes sense. But if there’s an enemy on our tail, we’ll have to turn back and give it a beating.”

Rain: “Lieutenant, I’m sending you what intel I have regarding the enemy.”

The forwarded data unraveled before my eyes.

Kou: “What? This is insane.”

My exultation at our successive victories dispersed at the sight of the data.

An immense colony of viruses, too numerous to count, were following behind us.

Rain: “Giving them a beating, as you said, sounds like a far-off prospect. We’d have no chance of winning with a frontal assault.”

Kou: “No chance? So there’s nothing for us to do but keep running?”

Rain: “That would be impossible at this point. The enemy is tracking us at a uniform velocity. We wouldn’t be able to shake them off with speed alone.”

Kou: “Damn it. What other recourse do we have?”

Rain: “…”

Rain bit her lip.

We had no hand left to play. I’d have to come to grips with the likelihood that I’d die here.

Realizing that, a chill pierced my body, causing my hands and legs to quiver.

How ironic. Even with my memories in shambles, I still feared death.

Rain: “There might still be a way.”

Rain: “Go on without me, Lieutenant.”

Kou: “Huh?”

For a moment, I didn’t grasp the meaning of her words.

Rain: “I’ll buy us time, during which you can escape from the anchored area.”

Rain stared at me unblinkingly as I considered how to respond.

She was willing to buy time for me? But in doing so, what would become of her?

Kou: “Please don’t say that by sacrificing yourself for me, you plan to hold back the enemy.”

Rain: “I don’t plan on going out in a blaze of glory. You should know I hate suicide bombers. I’m merely buying time. Nothing more.”

Rain favored me with a smile.

Feeling beaten down, I gazed at that smile. How could she wear such an expression now?

Rain: “Wait for me in reality. I’ll catch up soon.”

Kou: “…”

Rain: “On my signal, fun at full force. Can you do that for me, Lieutenant?”

Kou: “I can’t! That’s absurd! No way would I turn tail and run while leaving you here!”

Rain: “We’re out of time! Go on ahead, Lieutenant! Right now! Run!”

Machine voice: “Numerous enemies approaching. Large model virus recognized.”

Rain: “Lieutenant! If you don’t hurry, we’ll both die a pointless death!”

Kou: “…!”

Prompted by the word “death”, panic that had lain dormant within me reared its head.

And yet.

Kou: “You expect me to abandon you?! Aren’t we comrades in arms?!”

Rain: “Lieutenant?”

Rain’s opened her eyes wide, exposing her astonishment.

Shoot. I’d inadvertently worked myself into a passion and raised my voice at her.

But I couldn’t leave her by the wayside.

When I looked at her, even if I’d lost all recollection of the fact, I knew she was my comrade in arms.

Kou: “I won’t desert one of my own.”

Rain: “It’s too dangerous. You’ll die, Lieutenant.”

Kou: “Don’t worry! I still know how to fire a gun! And, well, since you keep calling me ‘lieutenant’, that makes me your commanding officer!”

Rain: “…”

Rain: “Are you certain? If it turns into a melee, I won’t be able to cover you.”

I was met with a levelheaded argument and stern expression. But those eyes betrayed the worry Rain felt for me.

Rather than using words, I willed determination to show in my own expression.

Kou: “…”

Rain: “…”

Rain: “Even without your memories, you’re the same man, Lieutenant.”

For the first time, Rain graced me with a gentle smile. That smile, like a flower blooming, enraptured me.

Such a beautiful person isn’t fit for the battlefield, I thought.

Rain: “Very well, Lieutenant. Will you accompany me, then?”

Rain squeezed my hand. Before I’d realized, that fist had ceased its trembling.

Kou: “Yeah. Let’s get back to the real world, Rain.”

Rain: “Ya.”

Rain brandished her hand, a large-scale energy weapon materializing there.

Rain: “This is a stun flare. Using it, I can paralyze the viruses’ sensory equipment for about twenty or thirty seconds.”

Kou: “So you’ll blind them?”

Rain: “Affirmative. After they’re immobilized, we can slip through the enemy’s foremost defenses, destroying the support unit hidden in the rear.”

Rain: “With that, we can escape in the opposite direction.”

Kou: “Sounds good to me.”

Desperate times call for desperate measures, I suppose.

Machine voice: “Warning: Enemy units approaching.”

I raised my head to find a swarm of viruses closing in on us with accelerative fervor.

Rain: “Let’s get through this alive. Our main target is their support unit. We don’t have the resources to engage any other enemies.”

Kou: “Reading you loud and clear!”

Rain: “Let’s go! Launching stun flare!”

For an instant, a curtain the color of glittering paste swathed my vision.

When the light ebbed away, the colony of viruses laid frozen, clinging to the ground.

Rain: “Let’s cut our way through, Lieutenant!”

Kou: “Right on!”

Machine voice: “Relative speed is to fast. Please slow down.”
Ignoring the machine voice, we increased our speed further, slicing through the colony of viruses.

Rain: “It’s over if we crash! Be on your guard, Lieutenant!”

Kou: “Ugh… Sure thing!”

Advancing with awesome speed, I swept across the colony of viruses, their frames cutting across my hull.

If I crashed, those viruses would form a mountainous horde around me long before I could regain my footing.

Kou: “Aaaaaaah!”

My battle cry rang throughout the structure. An inexplicable dread filled me, and my heart beat as if to burst.

This sensation—yes, I’d felt it somewhere.

The colony of viruses came to an abrupt halt, and our sumicram alighted in a vacant area we’d passed once before.

Rain: “Lieutenant!”

Kou: “Yeah, I’m fine! That’s our target?!”

Rain: “Affirmative! That’s the enemy support unit! If we don’t destroy it now, the other viruses will revive in no time!”

Rain: “This support unit is a drone—troublesome but lacking intellect. Let’s go.”

Rain: “Nullifying the anchor now!”

Rain: “Time to retreat! We’ll have to jump!”

Kou: “Huuh?! From here?!”

Rain: “Now!”

Kou: “Ya!”

Kou: “A-aaaaaaah!”

Machine voice: “Anchor rescinded. Logout possible.”

Kou: “Rain!”

Rain: “I’m booting up the logout process!”

As Rain began the logout process, I at last remembered something vital.

I was Kadokura Kou—freelance mercenary. Years had passed since I was a student.

Vivid images of my friends from that time appeared in the back of my mind.

I couldn’t remember their names or where they might be. However, I did recall those serene days we spent together.

Unable to order my memories, I felt only a sense of nostalgia.

How long had passed since that peaceful time?

What kind of life had I lead that brought me to this war?

My last glimpse of the battlefield was one cloaked in tumult and gunpowder smoke.

“What had transpired to turn me into a soldier?”

I didn’t have the time to find that answer.

My virtual soul was pulled back my real body.