My enemy is the Ezenheim. No, humanity’s enemy is the Ezenheim. But the truth is, I don’t really know much about the Ezenheim. Their homeland, identity, origin, and most of all, why they seek the destruction of this continent. The fundamental reason is still shrouded in fog. Because of this, I find myself conflicted every time I face them. Is simply killing them the right choice? Should I capture them, torture them, dissect their brains, and conduct human experiments─ do whatever it takes to uncover their secrets? “.......” A swordsman stood on the other side. A captain in military uniform. He is an enemy my heart reacts to. Behind him, a modest number of soldiers have their rifles aimed at me. “Are you a knight of the Empire?” He asked me in fluent Imperial language. I stood still, gauging his strength. ──Thump. The virus's reaction was rather dull. However, he was a much easier opponent than Dun Caan. Thankfully, time was on my side too. I had already destroyed the communications outpost. "Captain! Give us the signal anytime! We'll shoot him down!" One of the soldiers shouted in a trembling voice. “No. Don’t shoot.” The captain stopped them. “You can’t deal with someone like him using guns. Don’t provoke him needlessly.” He gave a bitter smile as he looked at me. "......For me, it seems even buying time will be difficult." His eyes looked as if he were ‘acting’ out resignation. He spoke again in Imperial language. "If you are indeed a knight of the Empire, I appeal to your chivalry." Indeed, in the coming great war, language will be a vital asset. Thanks to that, my desire to study grew even stronger. “Please let the soldiers go. They are merely following orders.” The way he bowed politely while gripping his sword made me feel a wave of revulsion. It was absurd and infuriating. I replied without lowering my sword. “If you answer my question.” "......Please let the soldiers go first." Among the soldiers here, many have young faces. Just barely twenty, maybe nineteen. Pure-blooded Zerphain, not Ezenheim. “.......” I gestured with my chin toward the end of the tunnel. The captain spoke to them. “Go.” “B-but...” “Now-!” This is the first time I've encountered an Ezenheim pretending to be a saint so blatantly. The soldiers dropped their guns and ran, and I glared at him while uttering one sentence. “You are Ezenheim.” “......If you’re asking about my origin, yes. That is correct.” Brazen. The more I look, the more this Ezenheim seems different... Or so I thought. But that couldn’t be. Until now, I might have unconsciously confined the Ezenheim to a certain ‘mold’. They are the kind who would do anything for their grand cause. “There was an Ezenheim who once said this to me.” I recalled Jacob. The first Ezenheim I encountered and killed after my regression. That one was clearly an immature specimen. Young, emotional, and above all, unable to hide his identity. “‘How dare you steal our language? I’ll rip your heart to shreds and devour it.’” I mimicked the wave of language he had snarled at me. At that moment, the captain’s face stiffened. “That one said he grew up eating hearts. That the extermination of humanity was his goal.” “.......” “Where did you come from, and why do you seek to destroy us?” He looked dazed for a moment, then gave a sorrowful smile. “I knew... there would be someone like you.” That expression, so desperately acting out sorrow, was revolting to me. “However, even among the Ezenheim, not all of us live with the same goal. Just like you people.” ──Perhaps. It is this very side of the Ezenheim that is the greatest reason for humanity’s defeat. “We are, in the end, humans just like you.” An expression far too human. Emotions far too human. ......All of it, mimicked. “I, on the contrary, stand against my own kind. I fight for what is right.” Wearing the same type of skin, speaking the same kind of language, they break down our defenses and pierce our hearts. “You betray your own kind’s will?” “Yes. Everyone, all beings in this world have that right. Race is merely race. It cannot determine my ideology, my beliefs, or the future I choose. In the end, we all come from the same roots... we are the same humans, aren’t we?” The same humans. I let out a hollow laugh and raised my sword. “We are not the same humans. At least not you.” The captain’s face darkened with sorrow. “......You harbor hatred. Toward an entire race, blind and primal......” Ssssss──. Ebenholtz’s mana rippled across the sword’s blade. The man took a deep breath and raised his sword. “If my death can bring you any comfort, I will gladly accept it.” Still spewing such f#cking lies until the very end. I drew an invisible line in space. Mana distorted like moonlight, and at the tip of the blade, a crescent-moon-shaped slash formed. Ebenholtz Second Form── Moonlight Slash. The Ezenheim swung his sword as well. His mana glowed blue. It was no different from that of a human. He never showed the kind of impulse Jacob did. ......Perhaps the existence of the Ezenheim named Jacob was the greatest fortune for me, and for humanity. Screeeeek──! In the blink of flashing light, the captain’s sword snapped, and his neck soared through the air. Even in the moment of death, he collapsed with eyes that seemed not to resent me. Or perhaps, eyes that seemed to understand me. “Filthy bastard.” The virus greedily sucked up his mana, and I crushed his face under my combat boot. Crack! Crunch! The calm, serene eyes, nose, and mouth were smashed out of shape. “......Haa.” But still, this was unbecoming of me. I calmed down belatedly and took a deep breath. Brushed back my hair. Straightened my disheveled clothes and wiped off the bits of flesh and dust on my shoulders. There’s no need to get worked up. No reason to get heated. I already know what they are. “They...... use their own deaths.” They are the kind who use even their own deaths as stepping stones. All for the single purpose of the world’s destruction. Therefore, I need a hardened heart. Unwavering killing intent. Hatred that never strays. “Hoo.......” I took a high-purity mana stone out of my inner pocket. After tossing it lightly, I slashed toward the tunnel’s entrance. KWAHHHHHH───! A silver flash, amplified by the mana stone, struck the arch of the ceiling. A deafening roar echoed as the bedrock came crashing down. The completely collapsed tunnel returned to being part of the mountain range. ─Leon. Bridge destroyed. ─Dare Tan. Bridge destroyed. ─Hannah. Bridge destroyed! ─Royce. Operation successful. One by one, briefings announcing mission completion came in. “......This is Maximilian. Now heading to Zerpha’s capital.” *** We created chaos by destroying enemy facilities and penetrated the gaps in the stiffened siege to enter the capital of the Royalist faction. And so we arrived at the heart of the Zerpha royalists── 「Elenium Royal Palace」. “We are knights of the Empire.” The three zero-years, Leon, and I presented our identification at the main gate of the palace. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶 The guards thoroughly examined the mana insignias of the Sentinels and then bowed their heads. “Yes. We’ve been expecting you. Please, come in.” We entered under the guidance of a steward. Unlike its grand exterior, the interior was heavy with gloom. The faces of the servants moving about were dark, and the nobles glanced at us warily, eyes filled with guarded suspicion. The smell of defeat was thick in the air. “For now, please stay here.” The steward pointed down a long corridor lined with guest rooms. “The Crown Prince will be with you shortly. Until then, it would be best for you to rest and recover from your journey.” "Yes. Let's do that." I spoke to the other knights. “Everyone, unpack and get some rest.” The zero-years didn’t look well. Dark circles hung under their eyes, and their eyelids were heavy. Then again, I haven't slept for 60 hours either. “Yes.......” “Understood.......” Everyone replied weakly and went into their respective rooms. I, too, opened the door to the room I’d been assigned. A VIP room prepared for guests. Luxurious carpet, a soft bed, and well-maintained flowerpots by the window. “Not bad.” I took off my coat and hung it over the chair. As I sat heavily on the bed, a crushing fatigue pressed down on my shoulders. “......Max. Got a moment?” That’s when Leon followed me into the room. “Yeah. What is it?” “I’ve got something to say.” “What is it?” He dragged a chair backwards and sat on it. "Um...... about the Imperial Army. Honestly, it doesn't seem like they have any real intention of participating in this civil war, except for us." He scratched the back of his neck as he continued. “Truth is, it’s been that way from the beginning. Even before we got here.” There was a reason the Empire had hesitated to dispatch the Sentinels. Their true goal wasn’t some rushed rescue of the Zerpha monarchy. “No. The reinforcements will move soon.” But that doesn’t matter. Regardless of the Empire's intentions, I will focus this civil war on the victory of the Royalist faction. “Eh? Seriously? The reinforcements, you mean Durkon? That’s a pretty hardcore legion.” The Durkon Legion, with its force of 10,000, was fairly well known even within the Empire. Capable, half of them were crazy. Before my regression, they’d loitered around Zerpha’s territory for years, requisitioning resources. “Yeah. Durkon will advance. Definitely.” “How can you be sure?” I chuckled as I pulled a towel from the shelf. “I wrote a few letters.” Handwritten letters I’d left with Lieutenant Colonel Kai Han. By now, those letters should have made their way back to the Empire, stabbing at the most sensitive parts of the military. "It's not orders that move people, Leon." I took off my top. “It's ‘relationships’ that do.” Leon gave me a look, then shrugged with a weird expression. “Alright~ well. You know knights are just dispatched personnel, we don’t stay longer than a month anyway, right?” “I know, you idiot. Now get out, I’m gonna wash up.” “’Kay.” Leon left, and I stepped into the bath. First, I checked for any potential wiretaps or surveillance. Ssssshhh...... I turned on the hot water and soaked my whole body. The accumulated fatigue slowly melted away in the warmth. *** ──Inside Zerpha territory, local command HQ. The commander of the「Durkon Legion」dispatched as reinforcements from the Empire, Major General Schweitzer, had forcibly requisitioned the penthouse of a luxury hotel in the city to conduct operational meetings. “First, calculate how many rounds of the new model magic bombs we’d need to wipe out a village of this size from the map.” He pointed to a map as he gave orders to the officers. The area was filled with peaceful civilian homes. “We’ll also run parallel efficiency tests with wide-area incineration magic.” From the start, the Durkon Legion’s objective wasn’t immediate combat. Those cowardly Royalist bastards would obviously drag things out with a prolonged siege, so there was no need to waste the Empire's precious resources on them. Therefore, the plan was to test new weapons and military operations in preparation for future wars. In fact, Major General Schweitzer had received such ‘orders’ directly from high-ranking members of the Imperial Court. “Additionally. Test how far we can push the mental limits of the wizards before they break.” Each wizard is a walking tactical weapon. However, to utilize them in combat, they require media such as magic circles and mana stones, and above all, their sensitive minds and bodies must be carefully tended to if they are to function at full capacity. “─Yes, sir!” His staff officers responded in unison. “Subsequently, we will eliminate civilian areas cooperating with the Republican faction.” When civilians collapse, the nation collapses. This was the doctrine of Wolfgang, the Chief of Staff of the Imperial Guard. By massacring civilians, they would verify the effectiveness of ‘fear tactics’ and demonstrate the Empire’s might. “General! A messenger has arrived!” At that moment, a communications officer came running. Schweitzer furrowed his brows. “......Messenger?” “Yes, sir. A messenger from the Berton unit. They’re requesting coordination regarding the advance plans.......” "Dismiss them." “Understood!” Schweitzer waved him away. Berton. He didn't even know who they were. After dismissing the communications officer, Schweitzer was about to resume the meeting. “──General! We have a transmission!” The communications officer returned, now with an even more urgent expression. “Transmission?” “Yes! Emergency transmission via military line!” The military mana line installed in the basement of the hotel, connected to the military command in the central-western region of the Empire. Schweitzer ran a hand through his hair and descended to the basement. ─Aah. Major General Schweitzer. Can you hear me? This is─ “I hear you.” ─Ah. This is Major General Maut. “Oh, Maut? What’s going on?” ─It's been a while. It was Maut, a major general from the military and an old classmate. He’d served in the suppression forces in Genen. ─It’s nothing serious. I just wanted to ask, when do you plan to advance? “......What?” At the abrupt question, Schweitzer let out a hollow laugh. ─I'm talking about advancing, advancing. You seem to have rested enough on-site, so how long do you plan to just sit there? “......Not sure what you’re getting at, but this is my jurisdiction, and I’m already operating under orders from above.” ─The royalists are isolated. The Berton unit is already risking their lives on the mission, and yet the main force is just sitting around. What, are you here on vacation? “What─ didn’t you hear me? I said I have my orders!” ─This is for your own sak─ Click. Schweitzer cut off the transmission irritably. What the hell is this guy on? "This crazy bastard suddenly butting in......" Muttering curses, he climbed back up to the meeting room. But. Not even five minutes passed before the communications officer came running again. “G-General, sir. Another transmission just came in.” “If it’s Maut, tell him to shut up and get lost.” “It’s not Major General Maut, sir.” “Ah, f#ck. Then who is it?” ──This is Lieutenant General Litruman. At the voice coming through the receiver, Schweitzer responded politely. “......Ah, yes. Senior, no, I mean, Lieutenant General.” It was Litruman, headmaster of Empire Point and a senior figure in the military. ─I heard you've established a local command post in Zerpha. Quite some time has passed. What’s the schedule for the advance? “Uh... apologies, but at the moment, there are no plans to advance. We are currently─” ─What?! A furious roar burst through the receiver. ─Do you have a death wish?! You went all the way there and you have no advance plans! “N-No, that’s not it. But I’m under orders I can’t disclose. We’ve been testing new weapons and tactics─” ─You test those on the battlefield, you balding fool! Get your ass moving now! “.......” Schweitzer quietly touched his barren crown and bit his lip. Litruman was the head of Empire Point. It was a political position, yes, but on the battlefield, he was effectively a civilian. So why all of a sudden─ ─If you just sit there doing nothing, huh?! I’ll kill you myself. You got that?! “Lieutenant General Litruman, with all due respect, I’m under direct orders from above.” ─You son of a bitch! You just stay right where you are! This time, it was Lieutenant General Litruman who cut the line first. “......Ha.” Schweitzer dazedly lowered the receiver. 'Did all these old geezers overdose on something together?' "What the hell is going on......." As if losing his hair wasn’t irritating enough, now this. He needed to vent. Blowing up one village wouldn’t cut it anymore. He’d need to wipe out at least two to feel better. “Everyone, sit back down!” Just as Schweitzer returned to the conference room to resume the operational meeting. But once again. “G-General, sir!” “What now?!” The communications officer came running again, on the verge of tears. ──Major General Schweitzer. This is Lieutenant General Walter. Schweitzer groaned and rubbed his forehead. Lieutenant General Walter, one of the military’s key powers, and all but guaranteed to be promoted to General. ─It's been a while. Good to hear from you. “......Yes, sir. Good to hear from you as well. Is this... about that again?” ─‘That again’? What are you talking about? “You're going to talk about advancing, aren't you?” ─Hmm~ Walter seemed like he was going to say something different. “Ah, perhaps─” ─Exactly. Why the hell aren’t you moving out? 'You’ve got to be f#cking kidding me.' “......We’re currently carrying out classified orders─” ─Then consider this a unclassified order. Move out immediately. Maut. Litruman. And now even Walter. It was as if the high-ranking officers of the Imperial military were conspiring together to apply pressure. At this rate, he might even get a direct call from the General. “But─” ─A force sent as reinforcements is called reinforcements. A force just sitting around is a garrison. Cold sweat trickled down Schweitzer’s back. ─I won't say it twice. “Ha.......” He couldn’t understand the reason. He had absolutely no idea why, but the pressure from the military was too strong to resist with just backing from the Imperial Palace. Honestly speaking, they could test the new weapons just fine on the battlefield, couldn’t they? While targeting civilians could indeed allow for the measurement of the enemy’s psychological damage, turning the entire military against him was not an option. “......Understood. Where am I supposed to go?” ─Join forces with Berton. Click. The transmission was cut. Schweitzer slumped down into his chair. “What the hell is this... And who the hell is Berton anyway.” Suddenly, he recalled something the communications officer had said earlier. ─A messenger from Berton is on standby. “......Messenger.” He shot to his feet and went down to the hotel lobby. A soldier covered in dust stood there. “Loyalty!” “You from Berton?” “Yes, sir. The commanding officer asked me to deliver this to you.” The soldier respectfully held out a sealed letter. Schweitzer snatched the envelope roughly. He checked the name of the sender written on the front. "Ha, seriously......." A hollow laugh spread across his lips. *** Thanks to the user "pepper" for the chapters provided!