Author:I apologize for the long absence in posting.

How was the one-year anniversary event this time? I never expected the finale to be...

My regret is that I couldn't find much time to play the mini-games... (The time constraints were too long!)

Also, as a promotion, I have posted a revised and expanded story about the past events of the Arc Guardian Operation included in my work, titled "Fragmented Memory." If you're interested, please take a look.

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"─Hmm..."

The commander of Eden lightly rubbed his well-defined jaw while gazing at the youthful and spirited Ark commander,damned arrogant youngster, who exhaled the purple smoke of a cigarette before him.

"─100 battles, 51 losses, 30 draws, 19 victories."

"─Quite a dismal outcome. I can only call it terrible. I hate losing, but with results this bad, there's no excuse."

"─Maybe."

The cheeky youngster uttered a low growl in dissatisfaction with the results. Rather than being dissatisfied with the results, he seemed disappointed in his own performance, which was likely more accurate.

In fact, the first half was a continuous string of defeats. The latter half saw a series of draws, and ultimately─

"─We incurred significant sacrifices and losses that cannot be ignored."

"─Indeed. That is an undeniable fact."

However, deliberately imposing harsh conditions for the simulation led to victories.

How to evaluate this result was a rare dilemma for him, Johan.

"Please wait, Commander─Ah, no. Commander Johan."

Dorothy spoke as she addressed Johan with narrowed ice-blue eyes. In this setting, there were two commanders present.

Almost simultaneously, different-colored eyes were directed at her, and when she called out again, the gaze sent from deep brown eyes deviated.

"It may be presumptuous, but... isn't this result not bad? If we judge everything by commander standards, there should be no one passing this test."

"…Even with 19 victories out of 100 battles?"

"…And this is considered not bad?"

Once again, the mismatched eyes collectively turned their gaze towards Dorothy.

Though their voices and the nuances of their words differed, both carried the implied meaning of confirmation in negative meaning.

With confidence, she nodded in response.

"─Yes. Especially the last 19 were consecutive victories."

At that moment, both Johan and the arrogant kid, Moore, furrowed their brows in unison.

Winning 19 out of 100 battles in virtual combat is undeniably a meager result. However, as he pondered inwardly, Johan, the commander of Eden, narrowed his ice-blue eyes to avoid giving off a chilly impression to others. Just as he focused his appraising gaze on the Ark commander, something unexpected happened.

"─Um, why would you want to exclude the Major from the operation to such an extent!"

Suddenly, Papillon approached with the rhythmic sound of heels, looking up at the tall Eden commander while mixing condemnation into her voice.

"The Major is an amazing commander in the Ark too, you know? CEOs of the three major corporations, as well as important figures in the central government, are all paying attention to the Major!"

─Is that so? I didn't know.

Moore couldn't help but be surprised inwardly. Though being "watched" likely included a sense of vigilance.

"Who do you think you are? Isn't it cruel to treat someone like that!?"

─Am I being mistreated?

Moore tilted his head slightly, lit his soft pack with an oil lighter clenched in his teeth, exhaled purple smoke, and tried to encourage Papillon to calm down. Just then, another voice of criticism—or perhaps defense—arose.

"That's right! Master may seem like this, but he's directly under the vice-admiral!"

"Yeah, yeah. He's the rising star of the Ark!"

─Though I don't recall becoming a rising star.

Neon and Anis, including Papillon, intended to defend him. However, when the ice-blue eyes suddenly narrowed with a cold gaze, he turned on his heel and began walking away.

"Noah, Isabel, Haran. Keep the current location secure until I return."

With a brisk pace, Johan quickly called out the names of his subordinates and gave instructions. As he turned the corner of the devastated street and disappeared, Isabel, the chief of staff of the unit, sighed deeply. She then threw a sharp glance at those who had added support fire.

"You all just made a slip of the tongue. The commander despises everything that comes from the Ark."

"…Despises? …Hmm… So, that means… he knows the internal situation of the Ark."

"─Gh…!"

With the cigarette in his mouth, Moore exhaled purple smoke and rubbed his chin, where a few stray stubbles had begun to grow, with his left hand covered by a glove.

Isabel widened her eyes, seemingly surprised by the short words just spoken, and reflexively looked up at the tall figure.

"...Is that still being sold, huh."

The one who loosely exhaled the purple smoke murmured──it was a remark Johan made when invited for drinks and chess. Such a statement would never come from someone unfamiliar with the Ark.

If that's the case──

"─Hmm... I was trying to persuade him, but it seems to have backfired... I'm sorry."

"...No, don't worry about it. It's not your fault. I appreciate the concern."

Even though Papillon apologized in a dejected manner, he shook his helmeted head from side to side.

Then, a voice of agreement arose.

"─That's right. It's not your fault, everyone."

With a calm and high voice, Dorothy deployed her armament and nodded at Moore's words, dressed in an outfit reminiscent of a pure white angel.

"He haven't gone too far yet. I'll try to persuade him."

---

When was it that he was touted as a rising star?

The Second Ground Reclamation Operation──while facing defeat, he excelled in the campaign, established the Officer Academy, introduced and established guerrilla tactics with a small elite force. Those days would never return.

It all collapsed on that day when the blame for the mistake of the vice-commander, who took command in the battle to prevent the Rapture invasion of the Ark's elevator, was placed on him. The moment he was confined to the rehabilitation facility, everything he had built up crumbled.

Closing his ice-blue eyes that had been narrowed, he let out a deep sigh in the desolate street corner. The former Ark commander sensed the approaching footsteps from behind.

"─Commander. Are you really planning to exclude him from the operation?"

"─Yes."

Facing the familiar voice questioning him, he nodded without turning around.

"...Why?"

"...That man is similar to me."

Physically, they were undoubtedly different. The similarity he mentioned was──

.

.

.

.

"...Someday, he will struggle with the disparity between his ideal and the reality, and eventually, the moment of despair, realizing the truth, will inevitably come. Just like me in the past."

.

.

.

.

He understood that it was a feeling similar to kinship hatred. Of course, this wasn't the fundamental reason for excluding the Ark commander from the operation.

"...I don't know how to evaluate him anymore. Probably... no, undoubtedly, he's excellent. Quick-thinking, adaptable. ...His relationship with Nikke and the others should be good too."

He understands that he can't know the feelings of Nikke and the others who took his command quite properly, but undoubtedly, in that regard, he would give credit to him.

"If the operation were to fail, or if there's a possibility that he might die..."

"Would you consider it a loss?"

Dorothy's quiet question left Johan without a response. It was evident that she saw through him; it hit the mark.

"...In that case, what if you make him not want to return to the Ark, or make him feel that way?"

With a perplexed expression, Dorothy approached, and a slight vertical crease formed on Johan's forehead. Looking over his shoulder in his coat, the pure white angel spoke with a faint smile, her lips parting gracefully.

"...Or it might be seen as a shield, but..."

Nihilister intentionally emitted signals that could be recognized and sensed.

A belligerent heretic. It was apparent that they were being welcomed.

For reconnaissance or scouting, it was the perfect opportunity. Reasons or excuses didn't matter. With some pretext, they could send in Counters or him first, make contact with Nihilister, and engage in combat.

Undoubtedly, Counters would be forced into a difficult situation.

Against Nihilister, who continued self-repair even under attack, Moore would likely start considering the use of Unchained, as the squad's damages and losses piled up.

"─We could shoot Unchained into that heretic, support them when Nihilister is struggling in pain, and when we arrive, we can subdue it. That way, couldn't we become the saviors of that person and Counters?"

"...You..."

His ice-blue eyes widened significantly.

"...Did you bring them here with that intention from the beginning...?"

The way she eagerly spoke of enticement didn't match her appearance. Without hesitation and without any signs of remorse, when the commander turned his entire body to face her and confessed her plans, Dorothy tilted her head charmingly.

"...Of course. If we can obtain a useful force that can be easily utilized as a counterpart for lending Unchained, in exchange... and if the commander approves of it... ah, no, you seem to be uncertain about how to evaluate him, don't you? Such a person might come to our side, wouldn't that be a good deal?"

The calm and collected man was left speechless.

Finally, what he managed to squeeze out was──

"...How disgusting."

Manipulating, entwining, and using humans as pawns according to one's plans. Even the consideration of discarding them when there was no use or if they got bored──he even perceived such thoughts from her words.

It felt like──

"Oh? Because my methods... because the commander has experienced things similar to what happened in the Ark? Oh, now that you mention it..."

The amethyst eyes of the pure white angel clouded, and her lips gradually twisted into a form that felt malevolent. The lips, twisted into a form that exuded the opposite of loveliness, even induced a physiological sense of disgust in the former Ark commander.

"Regrettably, I unintentionally stimulated the commander's trauma. Oh my... I'm really sorry."

Johan doesn't know everything about what events this monster wearing the guise of the pure white angel experienced in the past.

However, he can vaguely sense the malicious obsession towards humanity and the Ark.

Trying to escape from the amethyst eyes that clung to him like a sticky web, Johan began retracing his steps along the original path. As he did, he directed a retort to the approaching monster.

"...After knowing this side of you, I wonder, will he won't change his attitude toward Nikke?"

"...Yes, surely. He's that kind of person. I know someone very similar. Hehe..."