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27-1 Funeral
>Aeon Reforged
Today, we're gathered here to mourn someone important.
He was my best student, everyone's reliable comrade, and the Forsaken's most trusted leader.
Despite all our efforts, the six-month search has brought no good news.
All we found were wreckages and the remains of a few comrades.
So it is with great regret that I must announce...
Our leader, Watanabe...
...Has left us forever.
But...
Our fight will not end here!
The battle will continue, as it always does.
When one person goes down, another will rise to take the torch until we achieve victory and reclaim what is ours.
Under the monument, Ballard's solemn voice stirs the emotions of everyone present.
I first met Watanabe during the Golden Age, before the Punishing Virus outbreak. He was just a child, an ordinary kid.
I asked him what he wanted to become, and he said he hadn't decided yet because he didn't know what the future held or what he would be like when he grew up.
When I met him again, he was not the same. He was no longer the boy from the Golden Age.
He said that to overcome disasters and save others, he had to become a different person.
I initially thought he had given up his original dreams of becoming a soldier since his mother sacrificed herself and the Punishing Virus broke out.
But I gradually realized that wasn't what he meant.
Soldier, Construct, Leader? No, none of these were what Watanabe was talking about.
He wanted to become a better person, the best person he could be.
To become...
The dark clouds are being torn apart by lightning, and rain pours down from the gap.
The rain soaks everyone, drenching their clothes and hair.
No one speaks, and no one leaves.
To become someone who can speak for the unprivileged! To become someone who can protect the weak! To become someone who can fight against injustice!
Watanabe sacrificed himself in the struggle. He became the person he wanted to be, the best person that exists.
The thunder fails to drown out Ballard's powerful voice, and the anger in everyone's hearts cannot be extinguished by mere rain.
Watanabe led us in this struggle. He brought us from having nothing to having everything.
He brought justice back to this world and showed all survivors that this barren land isn't just about deceit, slaughter, and survival of the strongest.
Mutual partnerships, love, and overcoming hardships together still shine brightly in these ruins.
We will not abandon any comrades. We will defend every inch of our land and we will pass the flame of hope to everyone in need.
Did the deserters on Babylonia think that destroying Watanabe's body would extinguish this flame?
Ballard clenches his fist and places it on his chest.
They are wrong! This flame will not go out from any sacrifice. Every heroic soul will become the fuel that helps this fire burn brighter, to warm and awaken those being oppressed.
Does Babylonia think that suppressing us with force will quell the sparks of rebellion?
They are wrong again. We have never feared spilling blood or sacrifice, so how can threats from deserters stop us from breaking free from our shackles?
We respect those who fight, but Babylonia continues to oppress its warriors. Such an unpopular regime will never win.
High up on the platform, Ballard's gaze sweeps over everyone present.
Rebellion might mean death, but not rebelling means never having lived.
We have liberated the area that rightfully belongs to the Forsaken, but why should we stop here?
Look at this monument. During the Golden Age, it symbolized unity.
Today, we return here to mourn our fallen leader and comrades.
But is this what they need the most?
No!
The best way to honor them is to fulfill their dreams and to witness the future they wanted to see.
Ballard raises his arm, shattering the falling raindrops. His passionate voice echoes across the memorial square.
Comrades, oppressed souls are still waiting for liberation in the conservation areas.
You know that not all Forsaken members are here today. Our trusted comrades are holding the front lines, guarding us against possible attacks.
So today's memorial is not just a remembrance, but a rallying call for the future!
Let us turn sacrifice into motivation to break the rotten oppressive chains!
Bring justice back to the world! Restore dignity to everyone!
Remember, this struggle only has two outcomes for both sides—victory or death.
If we must choose an outcome...
Then we will choose victory! Complete victory!
Victory! Victory! Victory!
As Ballard's speech finishes, deafening cheers echo the sky, shattering the dark clouds.
Ballard looks up at the sky. The downpour continues and looks like it's going to last a long time.
(This weather again...)
World Government National Cemetery 04:00 p.m.
Tsuru, I'm here to see you again.
The man places a bouquet in front of the tombstone. His light blue eyes reflect a figure that was no more.
The tombstone is simple, with only the name, date of birth and death, and a short epitaph.
She sleeps here along with the war, bringing peace as a gift to the world.
Watanabe, give your mother a bouquet.
Yes, Dad.
The boy places a bouquet in front of the tombstone and uses his handkerchief to wipe away the fallen leaves.
Shin and Watanabe, you're here. Looks like I'm late for once.
A tall figure walks over from the other end of the path. For Watanabe, if he has to choose a person he trusts most, excluding his often-absent parents, it will undoubtedly be Ballard.
Although sometimes he trained Watanabe with demands that seemed harsh for a child, Ballard's posture and aura are always what Watanabe aspires to.
Uncle Ballard!
Call me Instructor.
But today, I'll make an exception.
Ballard places the bouquet in his hand in front of the tombstone, and only then does he notice the three other bouquets already there.
This bouquet is?
He looks at Shin with a questioning gaze.
It's from Mr. Hans... The cemetery staff said he comes here every year, but he always avoids us.
You and Tsuru were his most promising students. You also met Tsuru through him.
Just before the war ended, there was a misjudgment that led to the annihilation of Tsuru's team.
I fear that regret still haunts him to this day.
That's war... Scars like these can't be healed by finding someone to blame. Only peace can mend the wounds torn open by war.
I came to terms with it a long time ago, but Hans... I suppose that's common for someone who has fought all their life.
Fortunately, we've finally achieved peace. It'll give us the time to heal those wounds.
...
Why do you look like you have something else to say?
Actually...
Wait, if it's classified information from your Security Intelligence Bureau, I don't want to hear it.
It's not really classified. I mean, when Arnold had a shouting match with the president, everyone heard it, including the Environmental and Sanitation Department downstairs.
Probably only space soldiers like you haven't heard about it yet.
Ballard speaks in a rare tone of helplessness and frustration.
You always talk about Lieutenant General Arnold like this. He's your superior, yet it sounds like you don't respect him much.
I admire his achievements in the Security Intelligence Bureau, but that's as far as it goes.
Privately, I can't respect someone who opens surstromming in the office, even if he explained later it was just a joke for Hans and President Trillard.
Sigh... Remember the sixth proposal for military expenditure reduction I mentioned to you last time?
Although the Space Force's budget wasn't affected much, I heard the Army faced significant cuts.
After the last revision of the Joint Charter, most countries relinquished a large portion of their military command.
We no longer have external enemies on Earth to guard against, nor do we need to maintain so many national armies.
Such proposals pass every year. Was there still opposition this year?
More like it got heavily modified. In a sense, it can no longer be considered a military budget reduction proposal.
President Trillard proposed a "contract system" in the Parliament, listing part of the armed forces as contractible units.
If this proposal passes...
If this proposal passes, those conglomerates and economic entities will be able to meddle in the World Government's armed forces.
Trillard, what exactly are you planning to do with this proposal?
Hans? I thought you'd be visiting the cemetery today.
I went earlier this morning since this "World Government Executive Meeting" is happening this afternoon.
Here, new glasses. I met your secretary on my way and brought them for you.
The man in commander uniform hands over the glasses.
I needed these.
He removes the old pair that is missing half of one lens.
Whew... Didn't think much about it earlier, but now I can finally see the stairs clearly.
...Why did Arnold punch so hard even though we gave him a heads-up?
I even chose the executive meeting that he usually attends virtually, but this time he showed up in person.
Our director of the Security Intelligence Bureau is as sharp as ever. No wonder people call him the "Hound".
Serves you right. You know exactly who Arnold despises the most.
A bill so blatantly biased... You should be grateful that security reacted quickly, or else you'd have ended up with more damage than a pair of broken glasses.
As the President, I can't appear on the morning news with bruises. I'll have to schedule an appointment with the medical consortium to reduce the swelling.
Well, if you'll excuse me now.
Hold it, don't try to evade my question.
There's no one else here. You can speak your mind, old fox.
We've been working together since before the formation of the World Government. I know what you put on paper is never what you really mean to do.
Then why bother digging...?
Actually, we just need money. Lots of it.
Trillard gives an awkward smile. To avoid further embarrassment, he turns to look at the huge statue built to commemorate the unification.
Industrial stagnation, shaken beliefs, the quagmire of war.
The appearance of any one of these would threaten the status quo.
And the World Government bears the load of the whole of humanity. Even the smallest crack could cause this dam to collapse.
Dominik and the Science Council have solved the problem of belief. When the world's smartest minds gather to create miracles for humanity, their proposed ideologies become deeply rooted, unshakeable as steel.
And through the military's peace operations over the past decade, extreme ideologies and extremists have lost their means and grounds for survival, freeing us from the quagmire of war.
But Hans, while we've unified ideology and power, our resources have yet to be unified.
The spherical sculpture reflects in Trillard's eyes. He can see his small figure on each reflective surface.
And the monument beneath the sculpture carries the names of every martyr who sacrificed for peace, along with an inscription at the base.
A World for All
Most resources are still controlled by a minority, and these people won't be swayed by beliefs.
They are like the fat dragons guarding treasures in knight novels, sleeping on mountains of gold and agate while worrying that we might one day break into their caves and plunder their treasures.
But in fact, we can never use force against them.
I figured that means you decided to trade with them?
For their own good, they would sell the ropes they will use to hang themselves. If it's a grand gift, it naturally comes at a different price.
You wear the same expression as those corporate representatives when they heard your proposal.
Only those who share their foul tastes can talk about these things.
Dominik and his scientists stabilized the beliefs, you and your army resolved the wars, and as for the mundane matters of daily life, leave them to someone as ordinary as yours truly.
Whether it's "Project Zero-point Energy" or "Project Eden", it's hard to move forward when our resources are not unified.
You're playing with fire. These people are just going to chuck their manners out the window once they're powerful enough or have what it takes to contend with the World Government.
But if I can use this fire to my advantage, then I can cook great stuff with it. And naturally, I know just what to do to not get burned.
First of all, it's true that the army has implemented a contract system, but recruitment and training qualifications are still in our hands, which ensures the scale of mercenaries won't go haywire.
Unless they're willing to tread the fine line of the law... And there's very few people inclined to choose a precarious life spent fighting in the shadows.
Secondly, the contract system only applies to the army and some of its equipment, confining their armed forces strictly to the land.
Such a single force is insignificant under a complete four-dimensional strike system of land, sea, air, and space.
I'm sure they thought of this already, so what's the point of your proposal?
And your containment plan only works under ideal conditions. If there's an issue with the people carrying out your plan, your plan would take a nosedive.
I'm aware of that. This is never meant to be a long-term plan.
And they didn't have us in mind when they decided to hire armed forces.
When they realize they can't quickly resolve or corrupt the World Government, they'll naturally turn their focus inward.
When you get a bunch of fish trapped in a pond, they'll eventually either devour or invade one another. This is determined by their operational logic, not your will.
During their internal conflicts, we can break free from Earth's gravity and organize colonization teams for other planets.
It won't be long before the vast resources of space are within human reach.
By then, what value will the coins they hold have?
A rare trace of fanaticism appears on Trillard's face. He looks toward the sky, seemingly wanting to gaze through the clouds into the boundless stars.
I see you're not satisfied with the fact that verification of Eden I is way ahead of schedule.
Do you plan to complete both "Project Zero-point Energy" and "Project Eden" within your ten-year term?
C'mon, I'm anything but an overachiever.
I see you're keeping a cool head there, which is great.
That's why I'm aiming for re-election.
...
Hans, no politician can refuse the achievement of leading humanity beyond Earth, and I'm no exception.
Besides, I'm getting old. I want to elevate the World Government's prestige to new heights.
And perhaps leave a legacy in the annals of history?
What a thing to say about someone as mediocre as me...
I can assure you, though, that I'm not being entirely selfish here. I've always placed the World Government above myself.
There is one thing you've failed to consider, though—what if they throw their coins away and choose to bet on space, too?
If they too set their sights on the cosmos, on the stars...
Trillard turns around, the sunlight filtering through the spherical sculpture landing on him.
He spreads his arms as if to embrace the giant fireball in the sky, or the entire world before him.
That'd make them like-minded people, no? What would I have to worry about then?
Shin and Ballard continue to discuss issues beyond his understanding, and the boy's thoughts begin to drift.
There are no remains under his mother's tombstone. In that fierce assault, extremists used an unstable thermal cannon. The haywire explosion turned them and the government forces into ashes.
In the 400-meter-diameter crater, no traces of humans were found, only molten iron and cooling, crystallizing rocks.
The smoke from the explosion covered the entire city, taking a week to settle.
Perhaps that was when the sacrificed truly returned to the soil.
For humanity, it was the last day of war and chaos, but for the families of the sacrificed, it was their first day of grieving.
Why? Why did Mom have to go to those missions when they were so dangerous...?
Though Watanabe didn't witness it firsthand, through the gruesome photos and the repeated news broadcasts, he felt as though he could smell the gunpowder...
And what the bodies must have been through when they blew up.
It was them. It was the moment his mother was frozen in death. Every time he thought of this, Watanabe's stomach would spasm.
This made him dizzy at the sight of injuries, because what he saw wasn't the fresh wound on his retina.
But that lingering illusion of death.
Countless times, Watanabe questioned his mother who was no longer there.
The same question he never had the guts to ask his father, fearing it would only add to his grief.
Ballard might be a good choice, but would it make him think I'm a wimp?
The boy is unable to find the answer to his question, his heart heavy with worries and overthinking.
A youngster Watanabe has never seen appears in sight.
The youngster gently places a memorial bouquet in front of the tombstone and bows their head in silent tribute.
The youngster appears to be a member of the military personnel like Shin, except they're wearing a completely different uniform.
Responsibility, you said?
What about her responsibility as a mother and wife?
Watanabe is seeing the youngster for the first time, yet he's feeling a strange sense of familiarity with the young person.
Watanabe knows he should be exercising his vigilance, and yet he finds himself asking this question that's been in the back of his mind.
There are many soldiers in the world who can carry out missions, but to my father, she was his only wife; to me, she was my only mother.
Did we really mean that little to her?
My mother left nothing but an empty tombstone. I swear I'll never be like her.
The sound of raindrops hitting the leaves interrupts the young soldier's next words.
The rain comes without warning, weighing on the boy's heart.
Watanabe, we need to go.
His father's voice comes from somewhere nearby. Before Watanabe knows it, he and Ballard have already reached the cemetery's exit.
Alright.
Watanabe takes off his coat to shield himself from the intensifying rain and jogs toward his father.
He turns around and sees that the strange youngster has already moved to the next tombstone, offering another bouquet of flowers.
Through the hazy rain, he vaguely makes out a symbol of a shield and a wing imprinted on the youngster's cloak.
Watanabe, let's get going already.
Coming.
The rain intensifies, forcing Watanabe to curl up entirely under his coat as he runs toward the exit.
In the rain, the young officer's figure stands like a lighthouse at sea, surrounded by the tombstones forming a cluster of reefs.
Lonely yet resolute.
2900 days until the Punishing Virus Outbreak
