Author:

The present I can offer to everyone is... updating my work.

Q: How does Lieutenant Moore spend Christmas? If he does, who would he like to be with among the Nikes?

A: "Anise, Neon── and also Rapi. ...Christmas is also a mission on the surface. I apologize, and I really want to give a break... I want to go to a hot spring. I heard recently that a hot spring has emerged in the northern part, and it's said to have a positive effect on eyesight recovery. ...I wonder if it will help restore the vision in my right eye?"

"...I appreciate the apology, but... hey, Commander. Can I ask you something?"

"Mentor's right eye... it was a prosthetic, right?"

"It's my own kind of joke."

"...Commander. It's difficult to say, but... that joke... isn't funny."

-----

The Kratos Project──that project is a relic of the past century, and there should be no plans for a successor.

Those who were created have fallen on the battlefield.

Indeed, all of them──

"─Could it be... it can't be...!?"

It felt similar. The aura, way of speaking, facial features, physique, and even the way they smoked were identical. It was dismissed as a coincidence, just someone resembling another, but how many layers of coincidences could there be?

Ludicrous──it's impossible.

"─Chatterbox, that bastard. Risking such a danger to hand you over to me like that----Oi, Is something wrong with you?"

"─This morning, it seems the food I ate was bad...! It seems the expiration date has passed...!"

The heretic who looked down slightly at the young man in front of him, her burning eyes narrowing, asked. He responded with a joke, but the deep vertical wrinkles on his forehead and the grinding of his teeth showed obvious discomfort.

"Oh, that's not good... if something happens to the important Black Box..."

"─Commander!!"

As Rapi called out with a wary tone in her melodious voice, the body of the heretic, Nihilister, began to expand.

To say it began to expand is not an accurate description. As her burning eyes shone even more brightly, her body began to transform into a mechanical dragon.

Spreading its long wings wide, the moment it flapped them, the surrounding dust soared into the air.

And just as the leg with claws extended to capture Moore, a dazzling flash pierced through the dragon's body.

"─Release the Commander...!-----!!?"

The massive dragon fell to the ground under the pull of gravity. Amidst the rumbling and rising sand dust, the Inherit Unit acknowledged Dorothy's confusion.

─What am I...

No, it's different. It should be someone else. Despite the resemblance, it can't be him.

He's already──if he is a human, then long ago──

.

.

.

.

──I'm glad you call me human. I'm so happy, tears are about to come.

.

.

.

.

A low voice echoed in his mind. Distant, so distant that it seemed like a mockery that had become uncomfortably familiar in the distant past.

"─Commander! Are you okay!"

"─Commander-sama!"

Just before being engulfed in the dragon's shooting down and fall, Moore's subordinates gathered around him as he leaped backward.

"I'm fine! ─Dorothy!"

As the voice rang out, behind the helmet-wearing head that turned around, a pair of deep brown eyes befitting his rugged features were directed.

Very nostalgic resonance.

"─Thank you!"

─Ah.

"─ you're....welcome..."

Perhaps the possibility is infinitely low, but it might be possible.

"Squad! From now on, engage and defeat the Heretic Nihilister with Inhert! ─Encounter!!"

Declaration of engagement. The vibrations of the vocal cords and the atmosphere, even that echoing around, were familiar.

"─Rapi! Right! Take Anis and go to the right!!"

"─Roger! Neon, Papillon, please take care of the Commander!"

It is not advisable for allies to gather for engagement. It could lead to mutual destruction.

As Rapi began to advance with Anis, he and Neon added covering gunfire to the enemy aircraft.

The sounds of assault rifles, shotguns, and sniper rifles mixed together, the cacophony of bullets hitting the enemy's hard armor reverberating loudly.

It seemed to disturb Nihilista's temper. The mouth, with fangs now fully grown, opened wide, and suddenly flames began to accumulate.

"Master! It's coming!"

"Duck!!"

Acknowledging Neon's warning of an incoming attack, Moore urged them to take cover and dropped down.

Supporting Neon and Papillon, firing vigorously for even a few seconds, they eventually turned their backs and ran towards the crack in the earth.

The moment Moore jumped into the trench-like crack, flames of red and yellow streaked above.

"─What. You were here. I thought you were done for."

"─... I knew Nihilister's attack was coming."

Coincidentally, there were already occupants in the crack. Moreover, two of them. Johan and Noah.

"Huh? The ones who would be done for first are on your side, right?"

"Well, who knows... around 1000 degrees Celsius or so."

"Probably around 1200 degrees."

The casually heard short exchange between Moore and Johan, looking up at the streaking flames, left Papillon inwardly astonished.

Certainly, this is not the time for such conversations.

"...The air is thin, making it hard to breathe, but at least I won't have trouble lighting a cigarette."

"Hmph..."

Johan, sniffling his nose, seeing Moore raise the cigarette he pinched between his fingers overhead, and as it spontaneously ignited, he began to smoke, exhaling purple smoke. Moore, noticing his gaze, asked him.

"So, what's next?"

"Not much will change in what we have to do. Has the mission objective to defeat that young lady changed? ─Neon, Papillon, be careful with the ammunition. It might explode suddenly due to the high heat."

Normally, it would be unlikely, but exposed to high temperatures, the temperature of the cartridges rises sharply. There is a risk of spontaneous ignition before the loaded propellant ignites the primer. Moore warned them to be cautious, including that point. The three major corporations would likely conduct experiments involving such risks in the development and manufacture of firearms, but it's always good to be cautious.

"Before the ammunition explodes, your clothes might catch fire."

"Aren't those clothes flame-resistant? We did bring a change of clothes too...---Oh, in the car."

"...Yes..."

Quite carefree. Noah let out a sigh of exasperation, but Johan was slightly smiling at the light-hearted exchange.

"──Shall we request support?"

"...That's a generous offer. I appreciate it."

Moore, exhaling the purple smoke from the cigarette in his mouth, furrowed his brow deeply. It wasn't that Johan's expression was unpleasant. Simply, the intense heat that enveloped the surroundings evaporated the moisture in his mouth, leaving his throat dry, and the purple smoke stimulated it.

"Is making ironic remarks your hobby?"

"Is your personality twisted to that extent?"

"...Not to say that, but..."

"Hey! Save the chitchat for later!"

Sensing an atmosphere that could lead to a barren exchange during the ongoing battle with the Heretic, Noah couldn't help but offer a word of disapproval. As soon as she did, two pairs of eyes of different colors were directed towards her.

Both of them narrowed, giving an intimidating feeling. Feeling somewhat intimidated, Noah hesitated, but...

"...Indeed, we don't have time to indulge in conversation."

"Can you attract his attention until Inhert takes its position?."

"Hah, you think I can't?"

In translation, it might mean "Believe and leave it to us." Moore, shrugging his shoulders, seemed to have understood Johan's silent communication, gave a nod to Noah, and gestured for them to move.

"...Ah, right. Take this with you. I don't know if it'll be useful, but..."

Moore stopped him as he and Noah were about to leave. Suddenly taking off the backpack he had been carrying, he rummaged through its contents, eventually handing something covered in light brown wrapping to Johan.

"...High-performance explosive C-5?"

"I'll also give you the detonators and ignition devices."

Stored in the backpack for obstacle handling during the journey, such as debris from collapsed buildings, he likely never anticipated such a use for these materials.

Radiating a dull metallic sheen, slender metal tubes made up the detonators, and detonation devices, about the size to fit in one hand, were handed to Johan.

"How to use it──seems to be no problem."

Casually, the detonator was inserted into the high-performance explosive wrapped in light brown packaging by Johan's hand.

"Just to be sure... your prosthetic hand, doesn't generate static electricity, right?"

"No problem."

"Good then."

The fact that the inserted detonator did not malfunction due to static electricity and the explosive did not──indicate an explosion, is proof enough.

"It's a remotely controlled detonator. Remove the safety, pull the trigger, and it'll explode."

"Understood."

Explanations were probably unnecessary. Johan released the safety on the detonation device, confirming that the detonator received power or a signal from the detonation device. After confirming, he secured the safety once again.

"──I'll rely on your support. Noah, let's go."

Leading a petite subordinate, Johan sprinted through the crack.

As soon as she saw him off, Papillon, standing beside him, raised a dissatisfied voice.

"As indifferent as ever..."

"Is that so? Indifferent people don't say 'rely on me' like a praiseworthy line."

Shrugging his shoulders, Moore took the last puff of the cigarette in his mouth, and soon after it burned down to the filter near his fingertips, he pinched it and flicked it upwards.

In an instant, swallowed by the flames unleashed by the dragon of fire, the cigarette butt immediately turned into ash.

"All right. Neon, by my side. Papillon, follow behind me... we have to attract the attention of that young lady."

The heat of the fire dragon dried up the inside of his mouth. Even tasting a strange flavor, there was no time to leisurely drink water.

As the flames passing overhead subsided, Moore crawled out of the trench-like crack in the earth.

In the line of sight, about 150 meters away. He spotted the figure of the fire dragon, covered in red and black armor, exposing its colossal body. Lowering the barrel of the grenade launcher attached to the bottom of his assault rifle, Moore opened the breech.

Into it, he pushed the grenade.

Lifting the dedicated sight, aligning the scales and the silhouette of the enemy machine, Moore pulled the trigger of the grenade launcher.

Playing the deflating sound of the shot, the grenade head drew a gentle arc to consume the distance with the fire dragon, and eventually exploded simultaneously with the impact.

The hit was on the head of the fire dragon.

Certainly, one grenade wouldn't deliver a fatal blow.

However──realizing that the eyes of the fire dragon were directed at him, without showing any signs of panic, Moore confidently opened the breech of the grenade launcher, ejected the spent casing, loaded the next round.

{Oi, human.What do you intend to do?}

"──Just doing my usual soldier work."

The next round was chambered, and the chamber was closed without a hitch.

The difference in size was as clear as day. The arrogant attitude prompted laughter from the Fire Dragon, Nihilister.

{You're truly an interesting one, aren't you!}

"──Thanks for the compliment, miss."

Once again, the assault rifle was aimed, and the trigger was pulled.

The second shot also hit the head. Black explosive smoke erupted, covering the fire dragon's head. Moore ran out with Neon and Papillon crawling out of the crack.

"──I've gotten used to Master's recklessness...! If you're going to do something like this, please consult with me beforehand!"

"──Ah. If there's a next time, I'll do that."

"──What do you mean by getting used to recklessness!?"

Different in attire and armament, the three, each carrying different clothing and firearms, sprinted out. Their figures became visible as the smoke cleared, caught by the eyes of the now clear-eyed fire dragon.

Once again, flames began to accumulate in the mouth, filled with newly formed fangs.

"──Take cover behind obstacles!"

Once again, the fantastical dragon breath attack──that attack was coming.

Prompted by Moore's warning, the three jumped into nearby cover, behind rocks, just as a torrent of flames erupted from the fire dragon's mouth.

"──Master! The rocks are melting!!"

"...It's like molten lava. If you touch it, it seems like it would be more than just a burn."

"Major! Why are you so calm!?"

"Panic won't improve the situation. Well, I'm grateful not to have trouble finding a spark. "

A stream of flames raced through the left and right of the hidden rocks. Feeling the sensation of the moisture on his skin evaporating, Moore took out a cigarette with his left hand, brought it close to the flames, and as the tip burned, he inhaled the purple smoke.

His mouth was too dry, and he choked a little.