A Few Days After the Battle of Arene
At Arene, I insisted on defending my nation's people,
eliminating only the enemy mages.
My hands are still pure as the driven snow... Probably.
Excuse me.
It's been a long time, Major Degurechaff.
Uger...
Major Uger!
Glad to see you're doing well!
Same to you.
You're with the army's railway division now?
Yes.
I've heard a lot about you.
Anyway, are you on your way to Strategic HQ?
Yes.
You, too?
Lately, I've been doing nothing but running errands for General Zettour...
If the railway division's busy,
then it's a big operation?
Looks like you know something.
Well, I guess it's safe to tell you.
I owe you for recommending me for a rearguard position.
The railway division has been asked to
make a plan for emergency transport from the combat zone.
The planning folks intend to pull the Rhine front way back.
Pull back our lines?
After we've pushed the enemy so far back?
Indeed.
The plan seems to be to draw the enemy's main unit in and destroy them.
I see.
So like Bonaparte at Austerlitz,
or perhaps Hannibal at Cannae.
That's a surprise.
A surround-and-destroy operation on the scale of the Rhine front...
A bold but fascinating plan.
You've got that right.
The brass wants to end the war with the Republic soon, no matter what.
But how do we surround the enemy?
I haven't been told the details.
But your unit will be asked to serve as the rearguard
so the enemy doesn't learn about the retreat.
The rearguard, huh?
The battle will be even fiercer than what's come before.
Once you get to Strategic HQ,
I'm sure they'll prepare everything you ask for.
Imperial Army Strategic HQ, Joint Conference
The Arene incident damaged our railway network,
making supplying the front lines difficult.
A full-scale assault at this time would be impossible to sustain.
Is a landing operation possible, like the one against the Entente Alliance?
The Allied Kingdom's response would be the issue.
In theory, they're neutral,
but they won't let us pass through their territorial waters.
Which means it will take time...
I believe some degree of attrition is unavoidable.
We need a paradigm shift.
We're facing the first world war since the dawn of humanity.
The pre-war doctrine of entering an enemy castle to force them to sign a peace treaty
isn't practical here.
How do we win, then?
We don't win. We avoid defeat.
I think that's the only way to stay standing.
General Zettour, are you saying you're opposed to the offensive, too?
No, I support the idea of aggressive action.
But breaking their lines shouldn't be our goal.
What do you mean?
We eliminate as many enemy soldiers as possible
and render them unable to continue fighting.
That's the one way to end the war.
Do you have a practical plan?
The planning department already has a plan to destroy their main force.
A decisive battle? In these circumstances?
Are you serious?
Isn't that reckless?
The first stage of this plan is a large-scale withdrawal
from the battle lines, in order to lure the enemy forward.
It's the first step toward the rest of the plan.
We must go forward.
You could say a "forward escape" is the best path toward victory.
Episode 9 Preparations for Advance
May 10, Unified Year 1925
Rhine Front: Imperial Army Right Flank, Front Lines
Break! Break!
Damn it! They got me!
Take cover, 03!
Grab 27 and fall back!
This is 04! Company 4 has lost multiple men!
Losses are at over 60%!
Company 4, put out decoys and retreat!
Anyone who can support them, do it!
Roger!
Who are our guests?
A force recon unit.
They're the size of an expanded battalion!
Maybe they really are planning a full-scale offensive!
They're coming! Fire! Fire!
Damn it! Air burst rounds?
Everyone, form up!
Limit yourself to stochastic evasion and—
This is 02!
We've lost half our men already!
We won't last much longer!
Damn...
This is Fairy 01!
We are surrounded and engaged with a company-sized unit of enemy mages!
What is your situation?
Initiating Plan 1.
Not quite ready yet,
but you have permission for an immediate withdrawal.
Permission to retreat? Now?
Unnecessary.
What? Are you serious?
If we retreat here, they might discover our con.
Since we can't let the enemy learn about the retreat,
we will continue.
Roger.
We'll have it ready ASAP.
May God's protection be with you.
God's protection...
I can see Being X's ugly face—
Rhine Front: Imperial Army Right Wing, Rawl Lowlands
Hurry!
Destroy the heavy cannons!
Hurry!
The rest can get on the next train!
Get moving!
Operation Fog and Sun A False Retreat From the Battle Lines
We will shortly reach the designated retreat point.
I don't see any pursuing forces.
They seem to think we're engaging in a large-scale offensive.
Hey, hang in there!
We don't have enough bandages!
Where are the medic mages?
How much longer?
M-My stomach... My stomach!
Warrant Officer... Warrant Officer Teyanen!
Lieutenant Grantz, what were your grades in classes?
Didn't you learn in officers' school that all responsibility for a unit's actions
rests with their commanding officer?
In law class.
I think I did...
At the Battle of Arene, the major emphasized that you were acting under orders.
I'll say this once more.
This is the order from our superiors.
She was the commanding officer,
so there was no need for her men to feel responsible.
Maybe that's what she wanted to say.
I never thought you'd be making me feel better, Lieutenant Serebryakov.
Huh? What's that supposed to mean?
Hang in there, Teyanen!
Teyanen!
Plan 1 was a success.
It's all thanks to your unit.
On behalf of Strategic HQ, I thank you again.
Your words honor me too much.
Actually, I wanted to ask you something.
What is it?
I'm told our military is distributing false propaganda via third countries?
You hear things fast.
Supposedly, the mess at Arene destroyed our supply lines.
Even maintaining our front is difficult,
and we're planning a reckless, large-scale assault.
The Empire on the Brink
Republican forces will believe it and will concentrate their forces.
A Desperate Large-Scale Assault?
If we want to draw them in, encircle them, and wipe them out,
don't we need to disrupt them and put them in disarray?
Just like at Norden?
You never cease to amaze me...
Your new orders.
Thank you.
The name of the second operation is "Shock and Awe."
The plan is to directly take out the enemy's HQ
and leave them in disarray.
And then capture the enemy units?
Indeed.
I see.
On a strategic level, it makes a good deal of sense.
But if it were that easy to take out the enemy's HQ,
the Rhine theater wouldn't have fallen into a stalemate to begin with.
That is quite true.
Then we'll need a new tactic.
Something completely unexpected.
God has brought us to this moment, hasn't he, Major?
Doctor Schugel?
Imperial Army V-1 Launcher Secret Base
What is this?
A special acceleration booster device I developed for force recon.
Code named V-1!
It's a new type of recon unit
that flies too high to be intercepted and too fast to be pursued.
Use these V-1s to cross their defensive lines and attack their HQ.
When did you build this?
General Zettour requested their development.
He requested a new type of equipment to break through heavily defended areas.
And a certain mad scientist made something that surpassed your expectations, huh?
It's still in the testing stages,
but the fact that we could get a small run
of mass-produced versions ready before the decisive battle is truly...
Truly, a blessed message from God!
That's the only way to describe it!
Behold these huge boosters!
It contains five specially-made engines that run on hydrogen fuel!
Doctor, it's fine to boast about their size and numbers,
but you can adjust their speed and direction, right?
Adjustments? You don't need adjustments!
Just fly straight!
Just keep going straight forward!
That look on your face...
You're worried the boosters might be too heavy, right?
Relax! No need to worry at all!
The used fuel tanks can be purged from the booster when they're empty.
By lightening the load, the final speed gets even higher!
Its final speed is Mach 1.5!
As the first humans to break the sound barrier,
we will shake off anyone and everyone on our tail!
Um, how will you handle the increase
in drag and shock waves caused by breaking the sound barrier?
Vibrations and shocks caused by aeroelastic flutter
should be something mages can handle with their defensive shell.
You can do it, right?
It would be strange if you couldn't.
I suppose he thinks everything comes naturally to everyone.
Yeah. He's a natural-born disaster.
He went and got us a one-way ticket to hell.
Rhine Front: Former Imperial Army Right Wing, Rawl Lowlands
No response.
It seems they really have withdrawn.
Roger.
Contact command.
This is Rhine Command,
speaking to all units on the left flank.
Republican Army Rhine Theater Forces
We have confirmed that Imperial forces have withdrawn from the Rawl Lowlands.
Rhine Theater: Republican Army Left Wing, Rear Echelon
Begin advancing our main force immediately.
Roger.
All units, advance!
We've gathered our main forces and started advancing the left flank.
The right flank is staying put.
If we take out the left flank, the Empire will give up.
And that will end the war, huh?
Yes.
I want to repay them for what happened in Arene.
But I'm reduced to a cigarette gofer for a while...
Distribute them among the right flank. They aren't doing anything.
Are you sure?
Leave enough to celebrate our victory.
Second Lieutenant Grantz.
Lieutenant Weiss...
Calm down, Lieutenant.
You look kind of pathetic.
Sorry, sir.
Well, I understand how you feel.
To be honest, I don't feel calm, either.
Now, you've been specially selected for this mission.
To be blunt,
our mission is to ride rockets right into the enemy HQ.
I'm sure that only a few of you eleven are capable of enjoying a rocket ride,
but we have to do this.
And if we have to do it, we must ensure we succeed.
Our current intelligence has given us three attack targets.
One of them is the enemy's Rhine theater HQ.
Once we take it out, the enemy will be leaderless and easily destroyed.
In other words, tomorrow's mission will end the war!
We are the head of the entire army!
No soldier in the Empire could remain calm after that.
Hell, no soldier in the world could.
I take that back.
The Republic's main force has already started its advance.
Only a matter of time before the western industrial districts are within firing range.
Preparations for Plan 2, the assault on the enemy HQ, are ready.
What is the state of the next plan?
I'm told we're finishing our last preparations on the left flank.
Deployments at the target point are completed,
and we can begin tomorrow.
We've crossed the Rubicon.
And now, it's all up to Major Degurechaff, huh?
If we're eating in silence, we must be more nervous than I expected.
I thought you never got nervous.
You, too.
I'm surprised to find you're nervous.
The Fatherland's fate rests on this mission.
If we fail to take the enemy's head, the remaining plans will also fail.
Moving forward is the only way we can win.
No, it's the only path we have at all.
Anyone who stands in the way of the Fatherland will be destroyed.
My friend, victory for the Empire!
Victory!
May 25, Unified Year 1925
Hydrogen fuel levels confirmed.
Firing angle and direction confirmed!
All equipment working normally.
All units, proceed to final preparations.
Releasing safeties.
Launch preparations complete.
Staff is to leave the area!
We will now launch a mage company
via the manned rockets code named V-1!
Light all rockets.
May God watch over the Fatherland.
My comrades-in-arms, I believe not in God,
but in Strategic HQ, a stronghold of logic and reason.
Our pride lies in duty and sacrifice.
We go to win this battle.
A true Imperial soldier goes anywhere, even Purgatory, and conquers it!
Show them what good guard dogs we are!
All units, take off.
I shall pray for your success.
I was supposed to climb the ladder in the rear lines.
How did I end up here?
It's all... It's all Being X's fault.
Until I pound free-market principles into that piece of shit,
I won't die, no matter what!
I'm going to live... to live and...
I'm going to end this!
Everyone, prepare for non-magic-dependent drop!
Release door knockers!
Operation Shock and Awe Assault on the Enemy HQ
"To the family of my friend,
Warrant Officer Tweet Nika Teyanen.
I'm terribly sorry to inform you
that Warrant Officer Teyanen will be retiring due to injuries.
A military doctor has decided that he needs long-term care.
I ask forgiveness that I can only return the child you entrusted to us in this state.
I know it isn't much, but I have put in a request
for a Class 1 Combat Medal and a War Injuries Medal,
and it has been accepted.
I hope he successfully recovers."
I never thought I'd lose one of my troops to a rotten potato...
Next Time Path to Victory
This program is fiction. All persons, groups, places, laws, and names appearing in it have no relation to the real world.