"Run Through the Battlefront (Finish)" (ラン・スルー・ザ・バトルフロント〈下〉 Ran Surū Za Batorufuronto (Ge)?) is the third volume of the 86 -Eighty Six- light novel series written by Asato Asato and illustrated by Shirabii featuring mechanical designs by I-IV. It covers the second-half of the second story arc of the series depicting the battle against the formidable Morpho, while Shinei Nouzen searches for the answer as to why he keeps standing on the battlefield, despite his reasons to fight already lost.
Tagline[]
"The word on everyone's lips was "Why?" They couldn't know that for them, asking why is an insult."
"Why? Everyone asked. Without knowing it is insult."
"なぜ戦う。“死神”は。何のために。誰のために。[1]" ― Why fight? Being the "Reaper". For What? For Whom?
Epigraph[]
"They called it pride. At the time, pride was all they knew." ― Frederica Rosenfort, Recollections of the Battlefield
"それが誇りだと、彼らは言って。それ以外の何も、まだしらぬままに。" ― フレデリカ・ローゼンフォルト『戦野追想』
Synopsis[]
PRIDE IS ALL WE HAVE
The attack Shin foresaw has finally come to pass. Wielding a weapon with destructive force hitherto unseen, the Long-Range Artillery-type Legion unit rains unmitigated chaos over the battlefield. Both the Federacy's western front and the Gran Mur of the Republic crumble under the might of the monolithic railgun, capable of dealing catastrophic damage from hundreds of kilometers away. With their backs against the wall, the Giadian military makes a controversial decision: A special strike force will charge into the heart of Legion territory, engage the Railgun type from close range, and destroy it. Shin and the Eighty-Six will spearhead the operation.
...But Shin has not been himself lately. Having defeated his brother's ghost and freed himself from the Republic, the Reaper finds himself without purpose. What reason does he have to go on living? For whose sake does he fight...?[2]
Contents[]
- Interlude: Get Your Arms
ゲット・ユア・ガンズ[† 1] - Chapter 6: Over There
第六章 オーバー・ゼア - Chapter 7: Something to Die For
第七章 死して甲斐あるものなれば - Chapter 8: Run Through the Battlefront
第八章 ラン・スルー・ザ・バトルフロント - Chapter 9: Veni, Veni, Emmanuel
第九章 久しく待ちにし[† 2] - Epilogue: We’ll Meet Again
終章 ウィル・ミート・アゲイン
Summary[]
On the night of the large-scale offensive, Karlstahl confronted Lena regarding her plans moving forward. Lena expressed that they should invite the Eighty-Six to defend the Republic's inner sectors. Karlstahl advised against it, asking her to consider the potential crimes an uncontrolable army fueled only by their common hatred of the Republic could commit. While Karlstahl believed they would be completely dependent on the Eighty-Six, Lena saw it as a mutual partnership in the interest of survival. The Eighty-Six had manpower and combat experience, while the Republic possessed the supply chains required to maintain the war effort. Convinced of her conviction, Karlstahl bid her farewell and went off to the front lines.
Meanwhile in the Federacy, the Nordlicht Squadron narrowly survived the Morpho bombardment at FOB 14. The military would later report that four FOBs were struck, killing approximately 20,000 soldiers.
Three of the continent's nations held a meeting to discuss the destruction brought upon by the Morpho, which had been damaged by a Federacy missile attack and was undergoing repairs. It was estimated that in 8 weeks, the Morpho would regain operational capabilities. Should that happen, the nations of the coalition—Giad, Roa Gracia, and Wald—could have their capital cities wiped out in an instant. With destruction at their doorstep, the coalition began drafting plans for their first joint operation.
Brought upon by the shock and fatigue incurred by the Legion's offensive, many were restless, including Shin. His general inattentiveness and borderline suicidal charges into battle had been noticed by his fellow Eighty-Six. While the suggestion of pulling them off the frontlines had always been offered, their stubborn pride couldn't allow others to fight for them. Nordlicht would remain on standby.
Shin's mental state would continue to deteriorate during the weeks leading up to the Morpho Elimination. A scathing letter written by Eugene's sister Nina which held a condemnation for his actions, subtly different from the blame he was used to in the Eighty-Sixth Sector, weighed on his mind and would further contribute to his rapidly degrading care for his own life. His silent worry for his former Handler did nothing to ease his pain either. He could hear the fall of the Republic clearly and could only assume the worst.
Orders eventually came from the brass. While the three nation coalition would work to push back the Legion frontline, the Nordlicht Squadron was chosen to be the Federacy's spearhead, ordered to recklessly break through in a one-way suicide mission to eliminate the Morpho nested in Kreutzbeck. As Nordlicht's commanding officer, Grethe was furious at the plan which seemingly sent the kids to their deaths. She attempted to persuade Shin to stay back. Technically, the Eighty-Six had no obligation to carry out the operation, as Nordlicht still had the Vargus mercenaries to act as ground troops while Shin could direct them from the rear. Shin quickly shot her down, stating that the delay of him not being there in person might cost them the mission, and that she shouldn't pity them for being given the order. Shin's denial was so desperate that Grethe had no choice but to respect his wishes. Shin had made it clear that fighting was all the Eighty-Six had.
While Grethe and even Ernst had given the green light for the Eighty-Six's participation, Frederica couldn't accept that she'd potentially lose another brother figure. Using her psychic abilities, Frederica had watched the confidential mission briefing. She argued to Shin that she should be allowed to stay during the operation, as she had a personal connection with the elimination target, whereas he did not. Similarly, she wanted Shin to stay behind, saying that he shouldn't be betting his life on such an absurd plan. Despite her heartful pleas, Shin denied her.
The Morpho Elimination Operation's initial plan called for transport helicopters in Nordlicht's deployment. However, the experimental XC-1 Nachzehrer was chosen instead through Grethe's insistence. The ground effect vehicle allowed for fast low-altitude flight, unable to be detected by the Legion's radar. A month was taken to ensure the Nachzehrer was airworthy before the operation commenced. Before their flight, Ernst gave his foster children two orders: eliminate the morpho and return to him alive, lest he destroy the world. Unbeknownst to the president nor the Eighty-Six, Frederica had stowed away in one of Fido's containers.
The operation began on the morning of October 9th, with the armies of the coalition launching a frontal assault to act as a distraction for the Nachzehrer's flight. The intensity and resolve of the Federacy's forces reached Nordlicht via wireless transmission, proving to the Eighty-Six that this battle was different than what they were used to. For all the faults of the Federacy, they had a home worth fighting for, and unlike the Republic, they would fight.
The Nachzehrer would eventually encounter resistance, and by Grethe's decision, she would continue flying while Nordlicht was parachuted down. Shin and company soon reached Kreutzbeck, the city at the crossroads between the three nations of the coalition and the Republic which served as the Morpho's apparent nest. Nordlicht promptly began engaging, expecting the Morpho to still be unfit for combat. What they didn't account for was that Kiriya as the Shepherd could be almost instantly transported out of the vessel into a spare battle-ready Morpho. The bait-and-switch allowed Kiriya to fire upon Nordlicht with the damaged Morpho in the city acting as a beacon. Miraculously, all members of Nordlicht survived unscathed thanks to Frederica's warning and managed to launch a counter attack, albeit ineffective. Before Kiriya was ordered to retreat by No Face (spoiler link), he caught a glimpse of Shin's mark, acknowledging him as his kin.
While the secondary objective of capturing the Kreutzbeck Highway Corridor was achieved, the operation was far from over as the targeted strike turned into a chase. It was decided that the Vargus members led by Brent Bernholdt would return to the main force while the Eighty-Six pressed forward toward the Republic where Kiriya was fleeing. During one of their breaks, Shin would give a sitrep to Willem and be given a chance to back out in turn. Naturally, he did not take it.
As the former members of Spearhead had found a lull in the chase, despite Frederica and Fido's best efforts, they used the moment to confirm that Frederica did tag along without their knowledge. Along with a scolding, she was made to ride with Raiden from then on, as the Wehrwolf was the least demanding Reginleif in terms of concentration. Shin also lent her his pistol should the worst come to fruition. As the squad ate, Shin noticed the Morpho had stopped moving, presumably to change it's gun barrel. Meanwhile, Frederica informed Raiden of the Gran Mur's fall, elucidating why Shin had frenzied during the large-scale offensive. The two long-time comrades had a confrontation as Raiden surmised Shin wasn't all too invested in returning alive. The rest of Spearhead watched, realising that Shin had reached a state of all encompassing emptiness after eliminating his brother, only exacerbated by Lena's potential death.
Damage mounted their Reginleifs as the chase continued. One by one, the members of Spearhead were separated by the Legion until it was but the Undertaker, Wehrwolf, and Fido left together. In the end, even Raiden unable to continue fighting, leaving Shin to face Kiriya alone and Frederica to take cover with Fido. The two Nouzens stood off and dueled, with Kiriya deeming Shin worthy of being the heir to the Nouzen Clan despite also inheriting the witch's blood. Shin thought nothing of it, continuing his foolhardy charge towards death. Both cousins were melee focused pilots, and as Kiriya had the larger unit, he would certainly win without interference. As Shin had been caught in a position of certain death, Raiden charged in as a distraction and was blown away by the Morpho's fire, creating an opening for Shin to escape.
Shin thought his end was near, but his combat instincts continued looking for an angle of attack. That was when reinforcements in the form of an artillery bombardment arrived. Lena, who had fled from the capital eastward in accordance with Shin's advice back in the Eighty-Sixth sector, provided the opening Shin needed for a close ranged attack. Frederica's distracting her loyal knight sealed the nail in the Morpho's coffin.
The battle was over, and while Shin and Frederica shared words regarding their mutual foolishness, a certain Republic officer stepped forth onto field of lycoris flowers that made their battlefield. The two star-crossed comrades shared formalities, unaware of each other's identities. Lena would introduce herself with name and rank, while Shin would not have the opportunity as the Legion were quick to interrupt their moment. After parting ways, Shin would reconnect with the rest of Nordlicht, finding that none of them had perished, truly ending the operation on a positive note.
Nearly two months had passed since then, with Nordlicht continuing to support the efforts of recapturing the Republic's territory until the December holiday season, taking a leave of absence just as the fighting had turned into a stalemate. Shin felt it was time to tie up loose ends with Eugene and visited his grave, promising to tell him stories of the places he would take his comrades, and reconciling with Nina in the process.
Much later, after humanity's return to Liberté et Égalité, former Spearhead were finally given the opportunity to reunite with their former Handler. Lena had caught up to Spearhead just as much as they had caught up to her. Names were exchanged and tears were shed, and from that day forth, they would continue fighting at each other's side.
Appearances[]
- Main Characters
- Supporting Characters
- Bel Aegis
- Brent Bernholdt
- Ernst Zimmerman
- Erwin Marcel
- Eugene Rantz (mentioned)
- Fido
- Grethe Wenzel
- Jérôme Karlstahl
- Kiriya Nouzen
- Lerche (alluded)
- Nina Rantz
- Richard Altner
- Shiden Iida
- Shourei Nouzen (mentioned)
- Viktor Idinarohk (alluded)
- Willem Ehrenfried
- Zafar Idinarohk
Illustrations[]
Footnotes[]
- ↑ The original title ゲット・ユア・ガンズ (Getto yua ganzu) translates to "Get your guns".
- ↑ A furigana in English runs along the Japanese as
久しく待ちにし . Veni, Veni, Emmanuel is the native Latin title of the Christian hymn O Come, O Come, Emmanuel sung for Advent and Christmas. It is a metrical paraphrase of the O Antiphons, a series of plainchant antiphons attached to the Magnificat at Vespers over the final days before Christmas.
The original title 久しく待ちにし (Hisashiku Machi ni Shi) translates to "I have waited a long time"
Trivia[]
- "Run Through the Battlefront" is a reference to the rock song Run Through the Jungle by Creedence Clearwater Revival.[3]