Rune Troopers

Chapter 3.2

Chapter 3.2
RUNE TROOPERS VOLUME 1 PART 2 OF CHAPTER 3

—–Thus ends part 1. Part 2 is below—–

“Take off as soon as Platoon Leader Kuze and company return. Hurry!”

The 3rd squad captain entrusted with the responsibility of guarding the heliport,  Sergeant Yaegashi, yelled this to the pilot.

Eleven people protecting the four aircraft from the threat from all sides is difficult. Of course, the eleven members surrounding the aircraft which are in a diamond shape on the ground have to be on guard.

Presently, they haven’t seen any intention from the dragons to harm those over here, and since they’re so high up it’s not like they could shoot them if they wanted to.

“Un-understood! Starting systems activated!”

Fl.u.s.tered, the pilot began the preparations to restart the engine. The sound of the engine heating up sharply reverberated as  the blades slowly began to turn. But, it would still take some time before it had enough power for take off. That short wait can feel like an eternity.

“S-seriously…”

“Terrible…”

The guard in the helicopters’ vicinity were overwhelmed by the sight before their eyes. The town was being burned down. The sky was covered in black dragons and black giant birds. The giant birds would go to the ground and the soldiers riding on their backs would get off and the birds would set off flying again. The dragons would spot people, and whether they were soldiers or a group of young girls, they would without any discrimination open their mouths, spit out flames, and slaughter them.

This was a fearsome example of what would be done when they refused to become slaves. No, this is reality. Fear spread like a disease.

If the people of Mariisua knew just a little of what would happen, instead of animosity, this periphery kingdom would have been fearful of the empire, probably. For that reason. For that reason alone.

This peacekeeping force was witnessing a ma.s.sacre in front of its eyes. But, there wasn’t a thing the members could do about it. Because there was no permission or order concerning it.

As far as the SDF is concerned, all movements required and order or permission. For instance, it is needed even to protect human life. To a military where only protecting your own skin is not subject to punishment, what is allowed?

Ichinose couldn’t help but want to run and escape the place after seeing the horror at the castle grounds. It was already enough.

Not only were they thrown into a parallel world, but now it looked like they were going to become dragged into a war. He quickly wanted to return to his original world. He went on his way to retreat to the helicopters. He ran. Suddenly, he could hear someone’s voice. It was a young girl’s voice.

“Everyone! As many citizens as possible, get into the castle for shelter!”

“Oh, we understand. Let’s join our efforts and go.”

“Look at us now, you dastardly people of the Empire!”

It was Rarona. A little earlier it was made clear why she was so afraid. She knew about the picture of h.e.l.l that is now unfolding. But, right now, you don’t see any fear in her as she holds the reigns of her giant bird while raising the troop’s morale.

…What’s going on?

“O-oy!?”

Ichinose went running to where they are. Rarona was able to recognize his figure from her bird. 

“Ah, Ichinose, what are you doing? If you don’t hurry and get ready to run, it’ll be  terrible, right?”

“What’s terrible is for your side, no?”

“Huh? What is?”

“Y-you’re not

gonna fly that thing in there, are you? You-you’ll die?!”

“I don’t know about dying, but you’re telling me to live without doing anything?”

“Ah…no, that’s not it but…”

Ichinose could not believe the young girl in front of his eyes. She’s much younger than him, but he could see that she was much more of an adult than him. And, those eyes saw and understood. She wants to fight. To protect her country and to save others. That is, for her pride. Ichinose offered no further words.

“Ichinose, it should be good to go back to your original world!”

Rarona said this and grinned. Ichinose, dumbfounded, took in the girl’s smile. Up until now, he had he had never seen such a pure smile.

“Ichinose! What are you doing?! Hurry, return to the LZ!”

Ichinose was surprised at the voice of the squad commander coming through the radar. 
Yes, what is he doing? If he got left behind in this place, what would he do? Suddenly struck with anxiety, he went to return to the helicopter fl.u.s.tered. That was the time. Ichinose realized that his surroundings were suddenly covered in darkness 

“Eh…?”

And he quickly turned to look behind him. There was the castle wall, but above that was…

Gurururu…

A black dragon was there. Its body length was probably greater than fifteen meters. It was a wicked dragon covered in ominous looking scales and had claws that looked like it’s ready to pull and tear apart humans in one attack. It was an overwhelming presence. With a fushu-su, vapor overflowed from his mouth.

“Enemy attack-!”

Numerous palace guards present threw their lances and shot their arrows. Ichinose, too surprised and too scared to stand, started running away viea crawling. The arrows and lances were repelled like toys off the black dragon’s scales and fell to the ground. In the next moment, the dragon’s atrocious breath was launched toward the guards.

“Gyaaaaaagh!!”

The screams of agony and death reached Ichinose’s ears. The surroundings became scorching hot, and the stench of burning people floated about. While Ichinose seems to be halfway from crying, he was running about trying to escape. From behind him came a loud noise. He looked behind him, and there was a dragon. It had followed him this far. Who knows how many people it had already burned and killed. That dragon in which not a single bit of compa.s.sion could be felt from its heart, but which had a terrifyingly atrocious glint in its eye looked down to Ichinose.

 

“A…uwa…”

 

Ichinose froze in fear.

“Ichinose! Run!”

Rarona’s screaming voice reverberated, a black shadow moved. 

“W-waaah!?”

I’m gonna get killed, he thought. But, then the black shadow pa.s.sed over him. 

“…Eh?”

Unsure of what happened, he confusedly looked ahead to see that the dragon was heading toward the readied helicopters. He felt a chill on his back. 

“Th-this is bad!!”

By the time he screamed, it was too late. The dragon approached a Black Hawk and moved to attack it with its giant claws.

“Dangerous creature approaching!”

“We won’t let you get so close! F-fire! Fiiiire!”

To Sergeant Yaegashi’s orders, the surrounding three members pulled out their type 89 rifles to counter the beast. But, maybe it’s a habit of the SDF, but maybe it’s that the method of shooting was to shoot only once, perhaps it was that of the three only two people faced the menace in the sky and shot, but the dragon didn’t take any damage. They were moving with the knowledge that many animals run from the sound of a gunshot. 

Paying no mind to the gunshots, the black shadow leaned close to the helicopter. The pilot, fl.u.s.tered, moved to takeoff, but it’s not as though the helicopter is defenseless before taking off.

They thought the black dragon was just above them when they heard a loud, dull noise reverberate as though a metal noise hit them. One of the rotor blades were hit.

The helicopter’s balance was destroyed, and the helicopter was overturned, headed for a collision course with the castle wall and falling to the beautiful, blossomed flowers of the flowerbed. The remaining rotor blades started bending back and forth before scattering apart. A cloud of dust rose up, and the field of vision was temporarily inhibited. 

“Uwaaagh!?”

“Take cover! Take cover!”

You wouldn’t see the members guarding the aircraft because they ran to avoid being injured by the helicopter crash debris. For the remaining three aircraft to escape carrying the platoon became an impossible situation. If they’d try, the dragon would surely attack them.

Either way, the control of the skies had been stolen in the middle of the battlefield, and if they just accommodated this, there would be no way to make a safe return to the fleet. At this rate, there would be no route for a temporarily retreating helicopter. If ever the option appeared to either have some escape or get every last aircraft annihilated, no matter how cold-hearted it may seem, the duty to choose the very best option lies with the pilot. 

“Take emergency measures to get to shelter! Take off!”

“This is the Green 2, taking off!”

One plane, then another one, planned to escape while the black dragon isn’t coming to get them. The members above ground were left behind. 

“O-oy, the remaining helicopters are…!?”

“Stop!? Come back!”

They shouted from the grounds while  seeing the helicopters flying away, dancing in a cloud of dust. But, under the enemy’s control of the skies, the helicopters running away can’t go back, no matter how desperate it is. 

After the helicopter escaped, all that remained in the courtyard was a despairing silence. 

“They left me behind…”(Editor:We don’t know what this is! There were many of them but only ichinose is mentioned)

Ichinose sat down and murmured. That time, footsteps closing in on the courtyard and many people drew closer. 

It was Kuze and company. There were also kids carrying a severely injured young girl, so it took him a bit of time to tell it was them. 

“What was that noise earlier?! Wha-!”

Kuze looked at the terrifying scene in the courtyard, and his face grew pale. The crashed helicopter and the missing helicopters with the members left behind. For him to understand that something happened didn’t take much time. 
And——

“They …!”

Kuze scowled at the wreckage of the plane and the silhouette of the black dragon visible as the dust cloud settled. The black dragon wasn’t moving. But, with the dragon there, he knew that he could not get much closer to the pilot who had crashed to see if he could rescue him. His subordinates also realized they couldn’t get any closer. 

“Second Lieutenant Kuze! You were OK!”

The subordinates of the 3rd squad led by Sergeant Yaegashi looked at Squad 1 and Squad 2 as though an earnest hope had taken hold of them.

Kuze gave a large nod to them, and in a flash raised his voice. 

“Sergeant Yaegashi, come with me!”

“Eh? Y-yes!”

Kuze removed all the equipment that would be a ha.s.sle and yelled to the 31 gathered underlings. 

“Yaegashi and I will board the crashed helicopter! Those remaining here, take cover! If the dragon moves, shoot it!”

Kuze brought his type 89 rifle and made off to escape. 

“Second Lieutenant Kuze, exactly what are you planning to do?!”

Yaegashi questioned him. The rest of the underlings felt the same. Kuze surveyed the subordinates and broke down an explanation of what he is doing. 

“At this rate, we can’t help the pilot. And the other planes can’t land here! At least not while that guy is here!”

Kuze glared at the courtyard. The underlings’ breath was taken away looking at Kuze’s expression. 

“N-no way…!?”

“Yo-you intend on defeating it !?”

To their words, Kuze nodded his head. And, he informed Yaegashi of his sense of responsibility. 

“Sorry Yaegashi, but normally you’d be the shooter; it is your responsibility to help shoot it.”

He left his words at that and then started running towards the crashed helicopter 100 meters ahead of him. Yaegashi followed after him. The remaining underlings prepared and aimed their guns, waiting and was  prepared to fire a screen of bullets if the dragon got close to Kuze’s group.

Kuze struggled his way to the crashed plane, and forced open the side door. Maybe it was a transformation from all the shock, but he managed to gather the necessary strength. While he was opening the door he worried that the dragon would come at him, but somehow the dragon didn’t show signs of moving since a while ago.  Kuze and Yaegashi finally got inside the helicopter. The aircraft was literally upside down. Belongings were scattered everywhere, and there wasn’t a really good place to walk.

“Is that Se-second Lieutenant K-kuze…?”

“Pilot, are you alright?”

Kuze stepped up to the pilot in the c.o.c.kpit. Perhaps it was because they got cut on the broken front gla.s.s, but the pilot and vice pilot’s faces were covered in blood. 

“The alt.i.tude wasn’t that high, so we aren’t dead, but…who knows how many things are broken…the feet are probably fractured…ugh.”

“M-me too…”

Kuze had to make a decision in such anguishing circ.u.mstances. 

“I’m afraid we’ll have to put off the aid for now. Please bear it.”

“U-understood…”

The two firmly answered. However, these two, like that girl, needed to be carried to the transport vessel. Their internal organs had been damaged from the shock of the crash. 
And——

“It’s here, Second Lieutenant Kuze!”

Yaegashi found it among the belongings in the upside down helicopter. While they were running, Kuze gave him an order to look for it.

 

“Alright, you hold the ammo.”

 

Kuze took it from his hands, carried it on his shoulders, and prepared to escape the aircraft. Wedged between his shoulders, it was heavy. 

“That’s bad, Second Lieutenant Kuze! He just moved in that direction.”

Through the radio, the scream like voices of the subordinates reverberated. He could hear sound of continuous shots of the type 89 rifle. The underlings fired a blanket of bullets so the dragon wouldn’t go closer to that place. But, the sound of the impact of these bullets made Kuze shudder.

A shrill sound of metal reverberated. The bullets could not penetrated the dragon’s scales. No, not a single bullet heavily injured it anywhere. Kuze turned around from the side of the wreckage to see a giant shadow towering above him. The cloud of dust finally subsided. 

“That’s…!?”

Kuze opened his eyes wide. That there was a black dragon there was undeniable. But, it was an injured black dragon. Fresh blood was dripping onto the ground. 

“Did this one get a rotor blade?”

Kuze confirmed a gaping open scar on the black dragon’s waist. This black dragon didn’t know anything about helicopters. It may not have seen the high-speed revolving rotor blades, or maybe didn’t know the dangers of it. So, it made contact with the blade, and got injured. 

“I-it’s fine if it’s a bit dim…”

Yaegashi revealed a blunt thought. As though he got some courage, face-to-face in that place, Kuze took what was on his shoulders and pointed it toward the black dragon.

During this time, the black dragon slowly took one step and another step toward Kuze and company, as if it were saying it wouldn’t forgive the humans who injured it. After its injury, it is br.i.m.m.i.n.g with battle spirit, visible in its eyes. For victory, its significance is its tenacity.

“Rooooooaaaaar!”

It was a roar that pervaded the entirety of the castle. To Kuze, that intense pressure was like atmospheric pressure. But, he didn’t flinch.

“Sergeant Yaegashi! The load!”

To the one who got injured by getting caught up in the rotor blades, it didn’t feel like it was going to lose. That thing Kuze was carrying on his shoulders was an 84 mm recoilless anti-tank gun, so naturally it packed a lot of power.

It is a heavy weapon used ever since the deployment to Iraq, when it was used against terrorism in the form of exploding vehicles, for the camps got the permission to use it as reserves. For this time’s recon mission, they only got permission to carry one.

 

“Anti-tank gun prepared to be loaded to fire!”

From an olive drab colored cylindrical fiber case, Yaegashi took the bullets and opened the back opening, and pushed the ammo into the gun barrel. 

“The tail is prepared; loading complete! The rear is safe! Ready to fire!”

Yaegashi screamed, and to let Kuze know  that the preparations for firing were complete, and he lightly tapped Kuze on the back of the head. To prepare for the force of the blast, Kuze could feel Yaegashi clinging to his waist. At the same time, they could see the dragon take in a breath.

That is, it was preparing to let loose its fire breath onto Kuze and company, and they had a hunch it wouldn’t take long. Kuze had a flashback in his mind about what he saw on the terrace, of the palace guards getting burned and dying. If he doesn’t fire, his crew will get wrapped up in that h.e.l.lfire with only death awaiting them. 

“Why do we have such an unpleasant duty?”

He grumbled in the middle of such a limit-pushing situation. They’re firing at such a fearsome power with heavy weaponry without prior notice. It’s the big blunder of the SDF since it started. Already, it’s like any chance of him getting a promotion is hopeless. The black dragon opened its mouth wide. It showed the red part inside of its mouth. 

“Take responsibility!”

That moment, Kuze pressed the trigger of the 84 mm recoilless anti-tank weapon to fire. The mouth of the weapon lit up, and the fierce back blast of the thing pulled the tail to be felt by Kuze and Yaegashi. And, at point-blank range, they shot the high-explosive projectile from the barrel of the anti-tank weapon; with a high-speed spin, it was headed for the mouth of the dragon.

With one blast the black dragon was now made defenseless with its fire breath as this weapon meant to bypa.s.s the armor of tanks headed for its throat, and then the fuse went off, causing an explosion.

Having that weapon meant to go against tanks explode made the fire breath’s stream burst , destroying the black dragon’s insides to smithereens. The wind from the blast was so fierce as to turn Kuze and Yaegashi over.
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