Chapter 21: Dawn That Never Came.

In the past, during the most intense period of the Great War against the Encroachment, the Allied Government had been deprived of half the world by an unprecedented nemesis.

They barely managed to fend off the initial offensive from beyond the dimensions, but they couldn’t defeat it.
They merely drew defense lines, solidified the front, and engaged in a sluggish holding action.

However, most Encroachment species were continuously evolving creatures. They became stronger as they adapted to Earth’s environment. As they grew and molted, they were gradually reborn as higher-level variant species, so even time was not on humanity’s side.

So, the Allied Forces at the time came up with an extraordinary plan.

To break away from the defensive battles so far and take the first active large-scale offensive to eliminate the ‘Queen’, the core entity of the variant species cluster.

Queen.
The pinnacle of Encroachment species evolution, the alpha and omega of the Hexa Virus.
All hundreds of millions of variant species moved solely according to its will.
It was truly the core of the colony. Humanity had not been able to reduce the number of ‘Queens’ by even one in the past few years of war. It was that strong and special of an entity.

But, in other words, if they could kill even one, it would be a decisive opportunity to break the delicate balance of the war.

Therefore, the Allied Forces chose the ‘Queen of Conquest’ as the first offensive target.

The lord of Encroachment who had first arrived in the human domain.
Before the Unified Government was established and all nations united as one, the number of countries that had been destroyed by the ‘Queen of Conquest’ alone was in the double digits.

It was an unforgettable object of long-cherished desire for the Allied Forces, and a target that required the utmost preparation.

In fact, if the story had unfolded exactly as it did in the original game, ‘Aegis Project’, it was a preparation for an offensive that they wouldn’t have even dreamed of at that time.

In the original work, the Allied Forces were helplessly pushed back by the Encroachment’s offensive without even forming a defense line, losing most of their territory and troops.
They wouldn’t have even thought of counterattacking.

But the fate of this world had changed due to Seo Jin’s existence.

Arcel, who became the strongest Aegis based on the player’s knowledge, and by changing the results of some key battles based on her influence, humanity was able to preserve much more power than in its original fate.

It was an offensive that they were able to plan thanks to that.
Not a defense that relied on meaningless sacrifices, but the first step towards bringing true victory.
An operation that the Allied Forces completed by pouring in all the capabilities they could use at the time.

The ‘Dawn of Humanity’ plan.

For that one attack, elite Allied Forces units from defense lines across the region, new strategic weapons, and even the majority of active Aegises were summoned to one place.

Also, after considering all possibilities until the end, confirming, discussing, and debating, they executed the operation after repeatedly reviewing astronomical numbers of simulations.

The results of the verification clearly showed that the probability of failure was extremely low.

But-

[“Guardian Knights currently in communication silence-, the last communication was from V-2 point, saying they encountered a Lambda-class variant species…”]

[“Special-grade Aegis Lord Gerard is being transported due to severe injuries.”]

[“The 37th Armored Division reports that no further support is possible!!”]

[“The Witch of True Flames reports that she cannot continue the battle due to mana exhaustion…!”]

[“13th Squadron signal lost, ah… aerial carrier Yggdrasil, altitude decreasing… being shot down…!”]

[“The following is a telegram sent from the Integrated Operations Command.”]

『”Operation failed. Cease mission. All troops, retreat.”』

Eyes shaking frantically.
At the end of that gaze, Arcel’s figure, stained with blood, was visible.

In the very center of her chest, where her heart should have been, was a fist-sized hole…. spewing blood without being filled.
It kept leaking out endlessly.
He wanted to somehow stop it, to put it back in, but there was no way to do so….

Seo Jin blankly stared at her face.

Pale.
Her lips, which always sparkled with a peach color,
her cheeks, which sometimes turned adorably red at mischievous jokes,
her green eyes, which shone beautifully like stars,
were now chillingly cooling down.

He didn’t know where things went wrong.
It was a reality that he didn’t want to believe even while seeing it.

He only wished that all of this was just a dream.
Like a terrible nightmare, he wanted to shudder and wake up from this place right now.

But, the feeling of the blood soaking his hand,
the warmth of her body scattering in his arms, was so vivid….

He couldn’t possibly turn away from the reality that was given to him.

“…Seo Jin, are you there?”

Her blood-stained lips moved slightly.
A faint voice, as if it would break at any moment.
Her unfocused gaze couldn’t even look at him straight.

Her eyes, which always transparently reflected Seo Jin….
had now lost their light and couldn’t even find his figure.

His throat tightened with a surge of sorrow, and he couldn’t say anything.
He only held her hand tightly. That hand, which was chillingly cooling down like ice… he held it as if he would never let it go.

Then, Arcel belatedly gave a faint smile.

“I’m glad…. that you’re safe….”

The blood that flowed out with her voice fell down her jawline.
At the same time, Seo Jin’s heart dropped.
He desperately tried to do something, but his trembling hands couldn’t even touch her wound and only fumbled around.
It was such a huge wound, the place where her heart should have been was completely gone, and only blood was flowing out…

Seo Jin stopped blankly without even daring to try to stop the bleeding.

Leaving him behind, Arcel whispered softly.
With a voice fading like the smoke rising for the last time from a burnt wick.

“I’m sorry, I can’t anymore……”

“Stop, stop talking…! If you hold on a little longer, you’ll be evacuated-“

“Seo Jin, meeting you…. was the greatest luck of my life.”

In her gentle tone, like a memory from the past… there was a vague premonition.

“Thank you for everything so far.”

“Don’t say things like that, please….”

He couldn’t understand.
Why was she making such a joke in a situation like this?
They had to go back as soon as possible.
First, go to a safe place, get some treatment…

And…..

Even knowing that it was already irreversible, Seo Jin couldn’t admit it.

Because they had definitely promised.

If the war ever ended, the two of them, with nothing to do, would open a shop together….

Whatever it was, coffee, dessert, it didn’t matter if it wasn’t delicious.

They would run it together, it would definitely be fun….

‘You were the one who promised first.’

But why was she talking as if they would never see each other again? He wanted to question her immediately. But the reason he couldn’t was because of her expression.

Arcel was still smiling faintly. Without showing any pain, just gently as always. A little sadly, as if comforting the person who would be left behind….

Even at this moment, she was worrying about him,
and he couldn’t even bear to look her straight in the eye.

His throat tightened. No words came out of his gaping lips. Only tears flowed endlessly.

If only he hadn’t known,
if only they hadn’t met,
he wouldn’t have had to be this hurt, this tormented…..

He was regretting it now.

The memories of being comforted by her kind personality,
of thinking that the time they spent together was happy…
even the moment when he relied on her alone in the world left behind and drew a better future…

were shattering into pieces that were too painful, piercing his heart.

Seo Jin just didn’t let go of their clasped hands and wept silently.

Like that for a long time.

Until the warmth in his enveloping hands disappeared….

He couldn’t bring himself to lift his head.

Because he didn’t have the courage to face her again,
the one who would no longer answer him.

“……Please.”