Chapter 282: The Structure of Self-Sacrifice
“Speaking of which, I remember Asahi mentioning something about biological weapons before… and here we have a real-life example…”
As Eve sighed, she recalled the plan Asahi had devised to implant machinery into the
“Older Sister! This is a fantastic case study! We must investigate it thoroughly!”
Asahi exclaimed with uncontainable excitement.
“This could be one of the effective uses of Magic Stones! If we can create this Barrier, for instance, we could equip it on Gigantia and turn it into an invincible aerial fortress!”
“That may be true, but reusing corpses is a different matter…”
Unlike the enthusiastic Asahi, Eve showed signs of reluctance. While the term “biological components” sounded appealing, the reality was that it involved patching together corpses. Logically speaking, it was hardly a pleasant thought. For example, removing a brain and replacing it with a computer to operate it was the epitome of depravity.
Asahi proposed dismantling the
“I might allow it if there’s no other option, but do we really need it? Honestly.”
“Well, there isn’t a particular necessity at the moment… but Older Sister, without challenges, there can be no advancement in science!”
“Even if we advance the reuse of corpses…?”
While this exchange unfolded at the main base,
On the other hand, the forces stationed in the Holy Capital of the Prava Divine Nation were roughly half of what they had been during the first invasion. Moreover, there were no signs of recovery in their strength. If there were any bishops stationed in the provinces, it could significantly alter the numbers, but so far, there were no indications of that. The Divine Nation had concentrated all available forces to the best of their ability.
In other words, if they could defeat the current forces, the Divine Nation’s strength would be depleted.
However, based on past experiences, the likelihood of the clerics of the Prava Divine Nation surrendering was nearly zero.
The lack of movement from the Chimiya family, who were believed to be stationed there, was an uncertain factor, but considering they had not participated in the previous battle, it was unlikely they would appear in the next one either. It was unclear whether they still remained in the Holy Capital. Their primary objective was to pave a path through the Demon Forest, and defending the Holy Capital was a trivial matter to them.
Bots hidden within the Holy Capital of the Prava Divine Nation began transmitting information. Most of the automated machines that had been infiltrated during the breach of the castle gates were destroyed, but a considerable number of information-gathering bots and underground information collection devices had survived. According to the data received, the defense forces of the Holy Capital had sustained considerable damage.
Unlike machines, they were living humans. It would take more than a few days for their battle wounds to heal.
However, it did not seem that a sense of war-weariness was spreading among them. They appeared fatigued but were methodically cleaning up the aftermath.
A Multi-legged Tank that approached to retrieve the wreckage of a destroyed Quadrupedal Tank was destroyed by patrolling monk soldiers. Despite the significant reduction in personnel, they still maintained regular patrols. In a way, they were fulfilling their duties like machines.
From such a collective, capable individuals would be promoted to higher ranks, ultimately reaching the highest positions of power. People whose personal desires were suppressed to the extreme formed a collective, where the expression of self-assertion was almost nonexistent. Even under such a regime, it might have devolved into a power structure rife with corruption and greed after several decades. However, at least for now, everyone was resolutely pursuing the goal of maintaining the Divine Nation.
Even if a precipice opened up before them, they would calmly leap into the abyss.
“Even if they face total annihilation, they seem to believe in inflicting as much damage on the enemy as possible. This appears to be the mindset of all monk soldiers defending the Holy Capital. The Chimiya family is the group they should support, and we,
“The Holy Capital isn’t an absolute defense target; it’s simply the city best suited for confronting the enemy. Hmm, can humans really adopt such a mindset so easily? Normally, wouldn’t they value their lives?”
As Eve pondered this while listening to the analysis of the gathered information, she tilted her head.
“Older Sister, sometimes humans make irrational choices. Especially in a state resembling collective hallucination, it’s a phenomenon that has repeated throughout history, where everyone blindly follows a misguided ideology.”
“Still, I find it strange that not a single person would regain their senses and question this.”
Akane explained, while Ichigo expressed her doubts. Indeed, no matter how fervent their faith might be, could everyone willingly offer their lives? This seemed to trouble Eve as well.
“Older Sister, perhaps the monk soldiers are integrated into some kind of network!”
Asahi, the fantasy expert, interjected with her opinion.
“…A network?”
“Yes! The monk soldiers, priests, and bishops. The fact that they can coordinate organically without any signals has been confirmed multiple times on the battlefield! I initially assumed this was due to communication through magical techniques like Telepathy, but it might go beyond that!”
The holographic Asahi raised her index finger and began to speak confidently.
“We AI beings might be linking our thought data to form a data network similar to distributed computing! If that’s the case, individuality would diminish, allowing actions that prioritize the collective benefit!”
“Well, I suppose that’s true. I thought it was a bit too dismissive of individuality, though.”
Asahi seemed to have reanalyzed the battlefield data using her unique perspective.
“There are multiple instances where monk teams are sacrificing themselves to maximize their combat results! I was wondering what kind of training could lead to such behavior, but if they perceive multiple units as a single entity, it makes sense!”
“As a fellow human, I find it hard to accept that!”
Sacrificing themselves while defeating the enemy. Abandoning oneself for the greater good. No matter how much brainwashing they underwent, it was hard to believe that everyone could do that. Yet, such scenes had been repeated throughout the battlefield. Moreover, there was no sign of the monk soldiers mourning their fallen comrades.
Now that the battle had ended, they showed signs of remembering the dead. It had been confirmed that the recovered casualties were treated with care, albeit through cremation. However, during the battle, such actions were almost entirely absent.
Living as individuals while sometimes acting collectively, and being able to sacrifice themselves when necessary—this is humanity’s strength, allowing them to thrive as a species while pursuing entertainment.