It’s eerily quiet.
Everything around me is silent, as if the world itself has stopped.
“Ugh…”
I barely held myself together and looked around.
Blood. Red blood.
The moment I turned my head, blood that looked human flowed across the ground like a river.
At the end of it lay the scattered remains of my comrades.
If there is such a thing as hell…
…this must be it.
The sky and earth bled crimson, and the air, as if stoked by flames, made it hard to breathe.
“Ah…!”
Despair washed over me, and faint memories of what had happened floated through my haze. How on earth had it come to this? What had driven us here?
“Everyone…”
I turned my head and stared at the mangled corpses of my unit.
Death.
Not an ordinary death, but a brutal and merciless one.
Those who gave their lives for humanity—the team bound by a bond stronger than family—all met their end on Mars.
Summoning my pain, I drove the [Singulator] blade into the ground.
But the next moment, I used the buried [Singulator] as a brace to painfully haul myself upright.
“Cough!Ugh…”
My stomach churned, and I puked up a hot gush of blood. The blood coating my throat made every breath agony.
Unfortunately, my body was in no shape either.
My left shoulder was sliced open so deeply it looked like it could tear off at any moment, and one leg was burned so badly that both muscle and nerve had liquefied.
But worst of all was the hole the size of my head torn open in my abdomen.
With a sickening sound, burnt entrails spilled from the wound.
At this level of injury, I should have died from shock or panic—but there was none of that.
Rage, hatred, resentment, a thirst for vengeance. I packed every negative emotion in my chest as I glared at the cause of this disaster looming before me.
Ten Tier-Zero beasts, collectively known as Dreadnoughts.
Among them, the one with strength and savagery that transcended all others was the king of the Predaking tribe.
It was the Predaking.
“Such a pity. If you hadn’t shielded those idiots… this could’ve been a much more entertaining fight.”
The dragonlike, piercing eyes fixed on me. Heat rose to the top of my head.
“Shut up…!”
My patience snapped, and I ground my teeth even as blood dripped between them.
I wanted nothing more than to rip that filthy mouth off the creature that had slaughtered my comrades.
They had been proud soldiers of the Great Federation, noble souls who had laid down their lives for humanity’s freedom and future.
And now their sacrifices were being mocked. I couldn’t stand it.
“Am I wrong? What else are you supposed to call idiots if not… idiots?”
A twisted, maddened grin spread across the Predaking’s face.
Its taunt pushed me past the limits of endurance.
When I first faced it, I had been terrified—its sheer size froze me.
But now I felt only a fury far greater than any fear.
Shkak!
I yanked the [Singulator] free from the ground. Though I looked hollowed out, the beast was just as mangled as I was.
It was the perfect chance to take it down. Who knew when another opportunity like this would come—maybe never again.
No matter what, I couldn’t miss this chance. Even if it cost me my life, I had to kill it.
“I’ll kill you… you hear me?”
I limped toward humanity’s greatest enemy, the monster that had wiped out my squad.
My only goal was simple—to end this demon.
“Ha ha ha! You can barely stand, and you’ve got a big mouth!”
“I told you to shut up…!”
“Your body’s at its limit already. You know that well, don’t you?”
It wasn’t wrong. I could barely walk, and I felt like I’d pass out any moment.
Of course I knew my limits. With my body in this state, wouldn’t it be strange if I felt fine?
But still, I couldn’t stop.
“Well, I’ve gotten what I wanted, so I’ll withdraw here.”
“Bullshit. Withdraw? Do you think you can do that standing before me?”
The anger I’d been holding back exploded as I forced myself forward.
Kuguguguguung…!
But at that moment, the ground of Mars shook—no, all of Mars trembled violently.
Crack, crackle!*
Then the Predaking’s body began to twist grotesquely. Its very form contorted in a way that made me flinch before slowly transforming.
Thud–!!
In an instant, the Predaking shifted shape and became a massive crimson dragon.
Its monstrous form exuded endless malice as it loomed over me.
“We’ll finish this another time. Actually, scratch that. Seems that’s impossible.”
In a mocking tone, it added, “This place will be your tomb.”
“Shut your goddamn mouth, you bastard!!!”
I couldn’t just stand by and let it go. Summoning strength in my relatively intact right leg, I lunged at it.
Kraaaah—!!!
“Ugh!”
Two sets of massive wings beat powerfully, and a powerful gust, incongruous with such light flaps, swept over me.
Under normal circumstances, I would have shrugged off that wind, but in my current state, I couldn’t withstand it and was sent flying.
“Ugh…”
I tumbled across the ground several times, pain ripping through me anew.
I felt like I would pass out from the unimaginable agony, but I fought to keep my wits and lifted my gaze.
The first thing I saw was the Predaking slowly ascending from Mars.
“Where do you think you’re going—!!”
I forced myself upright and hastily switched the [Singulator]’s form.
I unleashed a hail of fire at the Predaking with the [Singulator] as it shifted from blade to rifle.
Pew!Pew!
Bluish beams shot from the rifle’s muzzle. I fired relentlessly, but the Predaking dodged the beams with erratic movements.
“Damn it, take a hit…!”
I gritted my teeth and strained every ounce of human strength to hit it, but it was useless.
The distance grew too wide, and the beams dissipated harmlessly.
Click–
Even after pulling the trigger, no beam came from the rifle. It seemed all of its stored energy was depleted.
I stared blankly at the now-tiny dot of the Predaking slipping from view.
It was over. All of it.
On Mars, only my dead comrades and my own dying self remained.
Where had it gone wrong? I calmed the fire in my mind and thought it through.
…Right.
It all began when the Great Federation discarded me and my unit like used tools.
While I was focused on the Predaking, Howard, Supreme Commander of the Great Federation, spoke through the comm.
“You and everyone in your unit—outstanding work so far. Now die there for the sake of humanity.”
The absurd proclamation left me stunned—until clarity struck.
From the start, the Great Federation had ordered the Mars operation with the intent to abandon us.
They must have known the Predaking lived on Mars all along.
I realized they’d planned to have it wipe us out once and for all.
It made no sense: how could discarding us be for humanity’s benefit? No matter how many times I thought it over, I couldn’t understand.
Thud!*
My legs gave out, and I sank to my knees. As soon as I sat, my abdominal wound screamed with pain. But the hollowness from losing my comrades and the sting of betrayal was far worse than any physical agony.
What had we done wrong to deserve such senseless deaths? How could the Great Federation we’d served so loyally turn its back on us?
If there was a reason, I needed to know it.
I wanted to call in right then, but there was a problem.
I had no way to reach the Great Federation’s comms.
My only remaining comm device appeared to be broken. Even if I tried, there was no connection.
Haa…Haa…
My head spun, and strength drained from me.
I bowed my head, staring at the ground as every last bit of energy slipped away.
“Why…?”
I questioned what I had been living for.
I had fought for humanity harder than anyone else.
I believed silent dedication would one day bring great honor and glory.
Yet now, my firm conviction wavered in light of my and my unit’s fate.
I fought for humanity. I had been willing to die to protect its freedom and future. So why must this be my end?
It felt as though everything I’d accomplished was being erased in an instant.
My vision blurred. No, it wasn’t just blurred—it was going dark. My end was near.
As my strength waned, my eyelids slipped shut.
The hero of humanity… my comrades and I, who had been called heroes, met a finale unworthy of the name.
Even in my final moments, I regretted becoming a soldier.
It’s dark. Everything is dark.
A thick fog seemed to shroud my eyes.
My body feels light. …Maybe I really died then.
I felt like I was floating.
If I had made a wiser choice… could we have all survived?
I should never have accepted the Mars mission. If we had uncovered the Great Federation’s dirty scheme sooner, none of my comrades would have died so horribly.
Regret washed over me. I felt so sorry for them.
People called me the hero of humanity, the mountain-crushing soldier, and other lofty titles—but it was all meaningless.
I didn’t deserve those names for failing to protect my precious comrades.
If I had been stronger, I could have protected everyone from both the Great Federation and the Predaking.
If I had learned from my instructor sooner and strove relentlessly for true strength, the outcome would have been different.
But what good is it?
It’s too late. I’m already dead, and knowing this now changes nothing.
All that remains is the emptiness after it’s over.
Yet… if this is hell, its air is surprisingly cool.
Hell’s air should have burned—but this felt fresh and easy to breathe.
I drew in a cool breath and suddenly realized—
…Wait. I’m breathing?
My mind flooded with questions.
Sensation started creeping back into my limbs. I watched in consternation as my senses returned in real time.
Static crackled through the comm—an unintelligible jumble of sounds.
“Ah… speak clearly…”
Wham–! *
A sudden jolt shot through my chest.
“Guh—what is this?!”
Startled by the shock, I instinctively clutched my chest as I opened my eyes to the unexpected jolt.
“Commander! Are you alright? Can you hear me? If you can hear me, please smile!”
One woman looked at me with concern. I stared back at her blankly.
“…What is this, a ghost…?”
“Huh?”
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