“They’re here… What an insane number…”

“Lord Road’s probably gotten the report by now, but reinforcements won’t come for a while.”

Zeke Silfield stood at the front lines.

He was retired and wouldn’t normally set foot on a battlefield himself.

But as the man in charge of Japan, he couldn’t afford to stand on ceremony now that an attack was underway.

Besides…

“If this operation fails, the war’s over.”

The enemy forces outnumbered them several times over—a massive army.

It was a defensive battle, but with that disparity, they’d eventually be overrun.

Still, factoring in reinforcements, holding out for three days might make it possible.

“Evacuations aren’t done yet. Reinforcements from the homeland will arrive soon enough. I’ll make sure you hold for three days.”

“We’ll hold the line. We’ll probably die doing it, though.”

“Well said. I’m counting on you. You’re all I’ve got.”

“That’s ’cause you’re freeing every last 2nd Class Earthguard soldier, Zeke. We’re short on manpower now.”

“All I did was eliminate the risk of getting shot in the back.”

“Sure, let’s call it that. Sigh… A two-rank promotion, huh? When we get back to Earthguard proper, make sure you hook the families up with those benefits. My kid’s still little.”

Zeke’s subordinates chuckled at his words.

In building the defensive line, Zeke had freed every 2nd Class Earthguard citizen—all the Japanese.

That had reduced their forces, though not by half.

“Haha, sorry, but I’ll leave that to someone else.”

Then Zeke stepped forward.

When heading into battle, he always took point ahead of his men—that was his way.

“I won’t allow any of you to die before me. So don’t you dare die! I’m entrusting you with my back.”

“…Got it. Understood. We’re right behind you! To the end!”

And so Zeke and the 13th District garrison took to the skies.

Before them loomed the World Alliance forces—and a single red KOG charging straight at them.

Tens of thousands strong, blotting out the skies and seas.

Zeke issued orders to all units.

“All hands, engage! Hold the line at any cost! Defend to the death!! Until I fall!!”

“Understood!”

With that, Operation Japan Reclamation began.

…

“Haaaa!!”

“W-What the hell is that machine?! Uwaaaah!!”

The girl fought like a blazing inferno.

Her crimson machine burned like flames, cutting down enemy KOGs one after another.

“That’s… five!”

She swung her red sword, felling her fifth Earthguard KOG.

Leading the World Alliance’s spearhead charge, the girl was quickly surrounded by about ten machines.

But…

“Don’t stray too far from my sight, Princess. I can’t protect you if you do.”

Asia’s strongest warrior covered Kaguya Kurokami, picking off foes to keep her from being boxed in.

His azure machine matched the performance of Kaguya’s KAGUTSUCHI, dubbed the Azure Dragon.

But the pilot’s skill outshone even the White Lotus.

One of the world’s top fighters wasn’t just talk.

“I don’t need your babysitting, Commander-in-Chief.”

“So damn stubborn… Well, that’s part of your charm. Still, the enemy’s hunkering down on defense. It’s not gonna be an easy breakthrough. The gap you pried open got filled right back in.”

With the surrounding enemies cleared out, Kaguya and Byakuren caught their breath.

The two returned to the mothership to resupply ammo.

The enemy defensive line, breached once by their charge, was rebuilt.

The Earthguard forces’ training was phenomenal, their daily drills paying off in full.

…

“Guess that’s it for today…”

It was past midnight, the sea shrouded in darkness.

The World Alliance paused their assault for the day and went into rest mode.

The next day brought more fierce attacks.

But they still couldn’t break the front lines that day.

“Insane counterattacks. I’m feeling the ‘three-to-one rule’ in action. We outnumber them by more than double, but we can’t push through.”

“On the battlefield I fought, we were advancing. But we’re getting pushed back elsewhere. Some fields are even total defeats and retreats. What the…”

On the second night, aboard the mothership, Kaguya, Byakuren, Thor, and the officers held a strategy meeting.

“Byakuren, the longer this drags on, the more likely Earthguard reinforcements arrive. Shouldn’t we throw everything in tomorrow?”

Byakuren pondered Thor’s suggestion.

He knew as well as anyone—prolonging this wasn’t smart.

“Show me footage from the lost battlefields.”

(There’s an abnormally strong unit there. That’s what’s pushing back the fields we should’ve overrun. It’s keeping the front intact…)

Byakuren and the others reviewed the footage.

It showed ordinary units—and at the vanguard, a standard KOG with slightly different markings.

But its movements…

“Strong… In a mass-production model? That’s the culprit. Those markings mean general, right? What do you think, Thor?”

“I saw something like it once before. We had them surrounded with overwhelming numbers, our plan working perfectly, but they held out impossibly long. Then Road Earthguard showed up and crushed us after.”

“Oh yeah, there was that guy in this district. A former Holy Knight Captain, retired though…”

“Yeah, no doubt. I only know him by rumors.”

Byakuren, Thor, and Kaguya all pictured the same man.

A man who should’ve pulled back from the front long ago.

The name of the Holy Knight Captain once feared worldwide—a name unheard on battlefields since retirement rumors spread.

Byakuren closed his eyes in thought.

He slowly opened them, a smile creeping across his face.

“Then let’s announce tomorrow’s strategy.”

…

Earthguard Empire, capital Valhalla.

“Huff… huff… Alright. With this many, we’re good. Prep reinforcements now! Get ’em there tomorrow!”

“A-As expected of Lord Road. That many in just two days…”

Road had been fighting too—with paperwork, supplies, food, weapons, every calculation imaginable.

Simulations for Odin’s invasion included, he’d crunched numbers on how many troops he could move, how many it’d take to win.

Reorganizing the army Odin had wrecked, all in two days—that was Road’s genius at work.

“Compared to the guys risking their lives on the battlefield, this is nothing. You all did great.”

“N-No… But the 13th District hasn’t fallen yet? With those numbers… impressive.”

The pieces on the board represented forces that, per reports, had nearly made Road consider retreat at first glance.

Zeke was holding strong, reports said they could endure—that’s why the defense line held.

The disparity was huge: 13th District’s KOGs around 10,000; World Alliance at least 50,000.

Defending was easier, sure, but the gap was overwhelming.

They didn’t know Road’s full strength yet, but if the enemy committed everything at once, the district would fall fast.

“Zeke’s the one digging in. He’s a monster at defense. He gets how critical holding this district is.”

“The Military God, huh…”

“Yeah. If he holds here, the Alliance’s first strike fails, and the war ends. No more blood. That’s why Zeke won’t retreat. He’s staking his life on it.”

Road recalled the origin of Zeke’s moniker.

“When leading troops, he’s the empire’s strongest defender—not even Osiris can match him.”

Military God—that was Zeke, named for how his armies fought like divine soldiers.

(Don’t push yourself too hard… Zeke.)

Then a call came in for Road.

“…Yeah, yeah. What? Reina? Alone…? No, fine. Can’t stop her now anyway…”

The report: Reina Silfield had sortied.

In her dedicated machine Aphrodite, she’d flown solo to Japan.

…

Day three of Operation Japan Reclamation. Early morning.

The World Alliance launched their attack.

Zeke and his forces counterattacked.

“Zeke, at this rate, we got this!”

“Yeah, thanks to you all. Plus, homeland just radioed—tens of thousands of KOG reinforcements tomorrow. Survive today, and we win.”

“Final push then. Fighting you made me feel insanely strong. This the Military God’s power?”

“Heh, nothing like that. It’s your power. I’m just…”

Zeke launched his KOG, sword and gun at the ready.

“…entrusting my back to you. Same as always—counting on you!”

His back inspired courage in those behind him, a back worth fighting for, even dying for.

Zeke’s unit grew as if divinely inspired, punching above their weight.

“Leave it to us!”

And when leading troops, Zeke was leagues stronger than solo.

The Military God took flight once more, to turn defeat into victory.

But three machines launched toward him at once.

Blue, red, and yellow—converging on one spot.

Targeting a single machine. Pilots: the world’s elite—Byakuren, Thor, and Kaguya.

Their eyes locked on Zeke’s machine.

“Let’s go, Thor, Kaguya.”

“Yes.”

“Yeah.”

Byakuren commanded Thor and Kaguya.

One target: the enemy pillar propping them up.

“Take down the Military God!”