Throughout history, there have been many genius strategists who have overturned conventional wisdom and pushed the era forward.
However, even these geniuses did not continue to win indefinitely.
This is because, the more revolutionary an idea is, the more likely it is to be imitated by others.
For example, riflemen were hailed as the strongest for a time after the invention of firearms.
With a longer range than archers and the ability to penetrate the armor of heavily armored cavalry, firearms allowed even a novice swordsman to kill a sword master, boasting overwhelming superiority on the battlefield.
But today, the advantage of having developed firearms has been lost.
This is because firearms have become standard equipment for soldiers.
Such innovations can only be made by geniuses, but imitation is possible for ordinary people.
The same was true of the multi-point simultaneous breakthrough strategy created by Sylph Nova.
Many commanders have already imitated it, and countermeasures have been researched.
To be a genius means being outstanding.
There is value in standing out from the conventions of the time.
Sylph also realized that the multi-point simultaneous breakthrough strategy she devised had already become a relic of the past.
It had become a mere mediocre tactic that could be countered even by the Austin Army without Bern.
…So she chose once again to push the era forward.
***
10 a.m.. The sun is high in the sky and the soldiers are hard at work digging trenches.
The briefing had finished at Headquarters and the staff had begun working on their paperwork.
"Major Touri. It appears the enemy has launched an offensive again today."
"Understood."
As usual, a report came in that the Flamer Army had launched an offensive.
I listened to the report with a cup of tea in hand.
"Where is the range of the attack?"
"They are carrying out preparatory bombardments over the entirety of Area B. According to reports, there are also bombardments in Areas A and C."
"Oh, today seems to be quite extensive."
"…Could it be the multi-point simultaneous breakthrough strategy?"
"It might be."
Since the range of the offensive was wide that day, we thought the enemy might be using the tactic of breaking through multiple points simultaneously.
However, I was not anxious.
"Please grant permission to Captain Kennel and Captain Zieve to withdraw from their trenches. It's fine to pull back the line if needed, but ensure we don't get outflanked."
"Yes, I will inform them."
The possibility of the enemy suddenly launching a multi-point simultaneous breakthrough strategy was already anticipated.
Austin, who had previously been burned by this tactic, had thoroughly researched countermeasures.
And a decision had been made as to how to deal with the situation.
"Also, please order Gavel Company, which is scheduled for transport duties, to stand by."
"Understood."
"If necessary, let's have them deploy as reserve forces."
…By this time, most of the members of the Gavel Company have been replaced.
With the exception of core members like Nauman and Argie, almost everyone had been sent to the front lines.
The soldiers now in the company are all unfamiliar faces.
"…"
I felt a slight sense of loneliness that the people I knew were no longer there.
After giving instructions to the front lines, I returned to my paperwork.
"What's the matter, Major Touri?"
"No, I just have a bit of a premonition."
…At that moment, I felt like my heart was beating faster just for an instant.
It was an unpleasant sensation, like being stuck in a murky sludge.
"Probably just my imagination. …Please bring the next document."
"Yes."
But it was only for a moment, so I decided not to worry about it.
I interpreted this to mean that I felt reluctant to let Gavel Company fight.
…Without realizing that it was a warning alarm of imminent danger.
"Major Touri, we have a report from the front lines!"
"Y-Yes."
It was only 20 minutes after that report.
The secretary's shout was heard when the communication officer reported.
"Captain Zieve is requesting assistance. They have confirmed the presence of the 'Great Shield' and they are currently engaged in combat. It seems the enemy has breached the trenches in Areas B14, B16, B17, B18, and B20. They are urgently requesting reinforcements."
"…What?"
***
Right after issuing the order to prevent the trenches from being breached even if it meant pulling back the line.
We received news that five trenches had been breached in Captain Zieve's sector.
"What happened? Did multiple ace-level soldiers appear?"
"No, the only information we have is that it was breached…"
If it was only one breach, it would have been possible to follow up even if the trench was breached.
But with five breaches, handling the situation is not so simple.
"If that is true, we will need reinforcements from Headquarters. I will be heading to Lieutenant Colonel Verdi's room."
"Please wait, there's also a report from Captain Kennel!"
When unexpected events occur, you report, communicate, and consult with your superior.
I quickly got up to discuss the matter with Verdi.
Immediately after…
"The trenches guarded by Captain Kennel at Areas B7, B9, B10, and B11 have been breached. The enemy's momentum is strong, and it's difficult to contain them."
"…"
"They are urgently requesting assistance…"
An even more distressing report came from the secretary.
"So a total of nine points were breached…?"
"…We have just received additional reports that Areas B5 and B6 have also been breached."
Reports of defeat are delivered one after the other in real-time.
I felt a chill run down my spine and a clear sense of approaching death.
"…What's happening in the areas outside my jurisdiction!"
"I'll confirm immediately."
"It's faster to check it for ourselves!"
I stuck my head out of the window and checked the direction of the front lines.
Although it is difficult to see clearly due to the buildings blocking the view, the sound of gunfire can be heard over a wide area and dust is seen rising in various places.
Fighting was occurring even outside my assigned areas─
"Lieutenant Colonel Verdi! Is Lieutenant Colonel Verdi here?!"
"This is an emergency meeting! All officers, gather in the conference room immediately."
"It's a multi-point simultaneous breakthrough! Despite being warned to stay vigilant, what are the front-line commanders doing!"
Officers started rushing out of the command rooms, shouting in panic.
It seemed they were in a state of panic in the face of this sudden event.
"Major Touri, what orders should we send to the front lines?"
"…"
We will all die if things continue like this. I felt cold sweat running down my forehead.
My heart was beating like a gong.
"Touri… Major! We'll conduct an emergency response meeting; please hurry to the conference room immediately!"
"Verdi!"
Soon, I heard Verdi's shouting voice.
It seemed an emergency strategy briefing was about to begin.
Even though I didn't understand what was happening.
"We need to come up with countermeasures immediately…!"
"Lieutenant Colonel Verdi, I have a request."
…This is not the time to be leisurely causing a commotion in the conference room.
Not taking action here will lead to a fatal outcome.
What should I do to survive and to save as many of my subordinates as possible?
"Verdi, may I have permission to deploy?"
"…What?"
"I propose to conduct reconnaissance at the front lines."
Before I knew it…
I was pleading with Verdi to send me to the front lines.
"The front line is in a state of panic. We cannot expect accurate information to be transmitted."
"But…"
Gradually, I felt a switch in my mind begin to flip.
The "self" who gets completely exhausted from paperwork is useless.
…Everyone will die if things continue like this.
If Austin loses, Sedol and Anita will be killed as well.
What should I do to stop that from happening?
"There's a possibility that the communication base has been captured by the enemy and false information is being spread."
"Touri…"
"I will go and confirm it myself."
Somehow, I had a conviction that "it would be bad if I don't go to the front lines."
And I felt like doing so was in the "military's best interest."
"I can reach the front lines in a few tens of minutes from here."
"…"
"Please, grant me permission to deploy to the front lines."
I don't have much say in meetings.
Whether I am there or not probably won't make much of a difference.
I'm more likely to be useful on the front lines.
"Are you planning to go on reconnaissance alone?"
"Fortunately, the Gavel Company is on standby. I will lead them and head over there."
"…"
It's been a while since I felt this sense of elation.
A long-awaited opportunity to enjoy the "game" I've been missing for over a year.
"You…"
"What is it?"
"Do you… enjoy the battlefield?"
────Ah, my filthy true nature.
I gripped my well-maintained rifle.
I looked at Verdi with an animalisticpl smile on my face.
"Yes, perhaps I do."
"…!"
"I'm a pleasure-seeking murderer who enjoys killing people."
I loaded bullets into my familiar Sabbatian rifle.
The cold feel of the rifle heightened my excitement.
"That's the way I have to be."
I had realized this after a year of doing paperwork as a Major.
I am by no means a clever person.
There are many who would be more suitable to command as a Major.
"I understand. I will grant permission to conduct front-line reconnaissance."
"Thank you, Lieutenant Colonel Verdi."
There is only one area where I am superior to others: my mental superiority on the battlefield.
I have a perspective that is unimaginable for people of this era, which is to view gunfights as a "video game."
Without feeling the fear of death on the battlefield, I am able to oversee the situation as if it were a game.
I feel no guilt about killing people, I can revel in the joy of victory.
I am the kind of person who is better suited to FPS games than to simulation games.
"I will live up to your expectations. I will bring back reliable information and save as many comrades as possible."
"…"
I find it utterly enjoyable to shoot people.
The moment when I can outmaneuver my opponent and finish them off is the best.
"I'll take down as many enemies as I can."
────And this abnormal aspect of myself is The only part of me that has been recognized and relied upon by Verdi.
***
Around the time I made up my mind and was preparing to head to the front lines.
The front line's defenses had already been torn to shreds by the new tactics devised by Sylph.
The core of this idea was the multi-point simultaneous breakthrough tactic she had once devised.
The multi-point simultaneous breakthrough tactic involves spreading out and advancing over a wide area to make response difficult, and then expanding the damage from secured positions.
However, this tactic had a clear countermeasure. It was sufficient to lower the front lines and prevent the breakthrough.
In essence, the strategy is launching a massive offensive while being aware of the risk of suffering significant damage.
Therefore, if one flexibly retreats while preventing the breakthrough, the enemy will end up self-destructing.
A high-risk, high-reward gamble, where failure results in tremendous losses.
The multi-point simultaneous breakthrough strategy was truly a tactic that embodied "Sylph Nova."
…This time, what Sylph used was an improved version of that tactic.
It was an effective tactic, something that could be considered an answer to trench warfare.
It was the infamous "infiltration tactics" from my previous life.
First, Sylph spent a year organizing a special unit based on the concept of "infiltration" rather than "assault."
This unit moves forward while hiding, without firing their weapons, advances while hiding by crawling forward, and then launches a sudden surprise attack with grenades.
She placed great importance on training in carrying out this operation.
Since the operation required special skills, she allocated ample preparation time.
She even went so far as to create mock trenches and had her men "secure the trenches" every day.
A unit that could evade reconnaissance with a small number of troops and launch a sudden surprise attack.
It was a new unit several generations ahead of its time.
Moreover, Sylph executed the infiltration with a simultaneous artillery bombardment.
At the time, launching an offensive while firing artillery was an unthinkable concept.
This was because the accuracy of artillery magic was extremely poor, with deviations of up to 10 meters being common.
If an assault was launched during the preparatory bombardment, it was inevitable that friendly forces would be caught in it.
That is why reconnaissance during preparatory bombardments tended to be lacking.
It was rare for soldiers to launch an assault during artillery bombardment.
…That is why an "infiltration" during bombardment was such a terrifying surprise attack.
Sylph's elite unit used the sound of preparatory bombardments to conceal their movements and secured trenches in various locations.
A small force would then infiltrate and secured part of the enemy trenches.
Using that as a starting point, the following assault troops would be sent in to cut off and take control of the trenches.
The strategy was to drive a wedge in, send in troops to infiltrate and occupy the area.
That was the new tactical concept of "Infiltration Tactics" developed by Sylph.
However, there were still some flaws in this strategy.
Since there is no way to avoid artillery magic, some soldiers were killed by friendly artillery fire.
But Sylph did take proper measures to reduce the number of soldiers caught in friendly fire.
The preparatory bombardment was merely a diversion.
After the infiltration units secured the trenches, she stopped the bombardments and sent in the main force.
She took measures such as lowering the frequency of artillery magic and reducing the density of attacks to make it less likely for friendly fire to occur.
At this time, with the technology, equipment, and weaponry available, no better strategy existed.
It is said that this infiltration tactic was the "right answer" for trench warfare given the technology available at the time.
The terrifying part of this infiltration strategy is that even if you understand it, there is no clear answer.
Sylph's elite forces infiltrating the trenches were highly skilled.
To counter this, it required the defenders to be adept at reconnaissance under artillery fire and capable of handling grenades.
Austin did not have the time to properly train rookie soldiers.
Without sufficient training time, there was no way to defend against it.
In other words, for the Austin Army, it was a strategy they "understood but were helpless against."
We should have been more cautious about Sylph.
We should not have been so optimistic that a tragedy like the Sylph Offensive would never happen again.
Sylph Nova, the "genius" who boasted about knowing how to defeat Austin, demonstrated it with her achievements.
Bern Valou, the "monster" capable of rivaling her, was unable to return to the front lines.
And so, the countdown to Austin's destruction begins.