Chapter 2 : Fenris

Battle-Frame—they were robots created by a scientist in 2035. Humanity, in its arrogance, believed they could harness these machines to fight wars, sparing themselves from the cost of human lives. So they built robots to fight on their behalf.

But unlike ordinary machines equipped with rudimentary weapons and simplistic codes, the Battle-Frame were different. They took the form of humans—no, young women. Sending girls into the battlefield... wasn’t it revolting? Yet, that was the grim reality.

And now, here I am, allied with these mechanical killers, fighting to reclaim Earth from their grasp. The same machines I hunted relentlessly for years now stood as my reluctant allies.

“Captain Ruger, are you listening to me?”

A voice snapped me out of my thoughts, accompanied by a sharp tap on my shoulder.

“I can’t explain anything to you if you keep staring at the holographic display. I know you’re intrigued by the girls on the screen, but could you at least listen to what I’m saying?”

The woman addressing me was Julia, a tactical commander assigned as my instructor—or more aptly, my supervisor. Her reprimands flowed without pause, but I simply sat there, gazing at her in silence, allowing most of her words to wash over me.

“Do you understand?”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it,” I replied curtly, nodding just enough to satisfy her after tuning out her grumbling for over five minutes.

“Good. Then take a seat. What I’m about to explain is vital to your survival here, so don’t fall asleep.”

Her tone carried a faint threat, as though my life depended on her presentation. I complied, pulling out a steel chair in front of the holographic display and sitting down. Julia moved to a nearby control unit, her fingers deftly working the interface to prepare the presentation.

The large table that once dominated the room was gone, seemingly recessed into the floor when not in use. The lights dimmed slightly, and the hologram flickered to life.

“Fenris,” Julia began, her voice steady, “is a resistance organization dedicated to combating the rogue machines that have risen against humanity. It is led by Rudolf Arthur and includes many types of Battle-Frame.”

She gestured toward the screen, which displayed a striking blue wolf logo, its mouth open in a snarl. The emblem’s dark and light hues of blue were complemented by the silhouettes of various rifles in the background.

“Fenris’s mission is simple: to ensure humanity’s survival. We collaborate with other groups to rescue and protect human lives.”

She shifted the display to a series of images showing enemy robots.

“Our greatest threat is Warfoe Raff—a collective of machines corrupted by Red Ember, an anomaly that grants them self-awareness and a singular goal: the eradication of humanity.”

The enemy robots on the screen emitted a sinister red glow, their forms unmistakably lethal. They were nothing like ordinary machines. These were machines enhanced by Red Ember, armed with sophisticated weaponry and relentless resolve.

“And your role…”

Julia turned to me, her voice sharp, as the screen went dark again.

“…is to lead the Battle-Frame Fenris has created. Guide them into battle and fight alongside them to push back Warfoe Raff and save the humans suffering beyond these walls.”

The display lit up once more, revealing a familiar set of data: my own. My photo, name, blood type, and the results of the grueling tests I’d undergone to join Fenris were all displayed.

“I believe you can do it. Your results are remarkable, to say the least. Honestly, I’m surprised someone like you passed on the first try.”

“Of course I passed,” I muttered. “The test was about how to kill those machines. You think I haven’t spent the last three years doing just that?”

Julia didn’t respond, her expression unreadable. She continued her explanation, showing me the different classes of Battle-Frame and their weaponry.

“Assaulters wield assault rifles and are versatile in both close-quarters and mid-range combat. Stormtroopers, armed with submachine guns, excel at swift, close-range engagements. Recons use sniper rifles for long-distance support and intelligence gathering. And lastly…”

She hesitated before showing an image of a hulking black battle suit carrying a heavy machine gun.

“...the Heavy Unit. Still in development, this class sacrifices speed for unparalleled strength and firepower.”

Each Battle-Frame class came with its own detailed profile, including weapon assignments and unique capabilities. I listened, absorbing the overwhelming amount of information. But my mind lingered on a single question.

“What makes Fenris’s Battle-Frame different?” I finally asked, my voice steady despite my unease. “What stops them from rebelling, from turning against us just like the others?”

Julia fell silent for a moment, her gaze steady. She stepped away from the control panel, approaching me with measured steps. She handed me a stack of papers—files on the Battle-Frame.

“You’ve been worried about that all along, haven’t you?” she said softly.

I didn’t answer.

“The difference,” she continued, her tone firm, “is that our Battle-Frame are not merely programmed to fight. They have memories. They remember everything they’ve done, every action they’ve taken. These memories make rebellion impossible. Because unlike the rogue machines, our Battle-Frame…”

She leaned closer, her voice barely above a whisper.

“...can feel. They’re not just machines—they have emotions, memories, and a sense of purpose. That’s what binds them to us. It’s what makes them human, in a way.”

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"Mom! Dad!"

A memory emerged within me, when I was 12 years old. When the war broke out, it was no longer humans against humans; now, we have an even more dangerous enemy.

They are robots created by humans themselves, rebelling and defying the commands of their creators. Having will, killing, and hunting the humans who once employed them.

"Ruger! Run! Don't mind us!"

Me, who was still a child at that time, could do nothing. Seeing my parents with all their might holding the door with their bodies so that the killer robots could not break through the door.

"Run away!"

I don't want to leave them, I don't want to go alone. In a world that has been destroyed. Where I have no place to shelter. Leaving my parents who have always been with me.

But.... the world left me no choice but to run and survive. They, my parents, were killed right before my eyes. They were shot repeatedly from behind the door. However, my father and mother continued to hold the door to prevent it from being broken down by the Robot.

"GO RUGER! STAY ALIVE!"

I had no other choice but to start moving my feet after seeing my father's bloodied face, shouting at me with all his might. He had never shouted that loudly before, even when he was very angry with me, he had never shouted this loudly.

I kept running, running, and running. Continuously remembering the sound of the shots they fired at me, their lust chasing me, wanting to kill me. Kept running, hiding, following others who... ended the same way, a mass slaughter.

"Hah.... Hah...." I steadied my breath, panting after running so far.

Seeing myself now grown up, having survived until my 20th year.

"That's what you're thinking, right? Being able to survive all this time."

A voice sounded from in front of me. The voice of a girl I didn't recognize. I looked up to respond to her, who was pointing the muzzle of a weapon at my head.

"Keep thinking that you can survive...."

The girl was the Battle-Frame I had seen on the hologram screen earlier, the girl with the Codename Merka. She aimed her rifle, a GALIL, at me.

That's right... that's correct... I am currently working for an organization called Fenris. They use Battle-Frames or Combat Robots to fight the Killer Robots out there. I am surrounded by Robots that can betray at any moment like the others. I am not safe here.

"We will keep hunting... and hunting you...."

She readied her finger on the trigger of her weapon, preparing to shoot me, who could only remain silent here, lamenting my own existence.

"... until nothing remains."

BANG!

"NOOOOOO !!!"

I jolted awake, roused from the nightmare I was having, finding myself on my bed in my room, in Fenris.

Beep... beep... beep.....

A sound was coming from the speaker in my room, its tone repeating over and over. I was lost in thought, recalling the nightmare I had just experienced. A memory from my past, a dark memory that I don't want to remember again.

"Attention to all Fenris personnel." It is now 07:00, please wake up because at 08:00 there will be a weekly assembly. I repeat, to all Fenris personnel..."

The announcement from the speaker informed me that there would be a morning assembly. I still don't want to get out of the bed I'm sitting on right now.

It's not that I'm lazy for not wanting to get out of bed. I'm still scared of my dream just now. Remembering again the girl who shot me, she is the Battle-Frame Girl from Fenris. Their creation. She.... she shot me while saying she would hunt me down to the end.

I work for an Organization that uses Battle-Frames to fight against Battle-Frames and other robots. At any moment, they, the Battle-Frames, could defect. I can't be in such a dangerous Organization.

Even if I leave, where will I go?

No longer have a place to shelter. Or the strength to fight Warfoe as they say, my only choice is to join them so that I can take my revenge.

I have no other choice, because I... have no power.

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After I finished rinsing my body, I took a shower. I attended the morning assembly held in the Main Hall, Fenris.

My room doesn't have an en-suite bathroom. I don't expect much from them, I just feel like I'm in a military barracks. The bathroom is shared. Located at the corner of the Living Dorm corridor, separated for men and women.

Inside, the bathroom is spacious, but I have to shower and do my things with the other Fenris personnel. Yes, at least I can feel warm water for a shower after such a long time. No problem with the bathroom.

After that, the assembly only contained some usual information that was conveyed. A few things to note as personnel along with the speech from the Director, Rudolf Arthur. The rest, I didn't really pay attention to.

However, the thing that keeps me constantly observing my surroundings is the girls in the other line. They wore various types of clothes, unlike the female Fenris personnel. They didn't wear formal attire at all. Some wore tank tops, sweaters, jackets, and even outfits resembling schoolgirls. I don't know who they are, which is why I decided to find out after this.

Well, after I fill my stomach first, of course.

Heading to the cafeteria located one floor below the Main Hall. Using the stairs, I descended to satisfy my stomach that had been growling for a while.

Delicious, this meat soup is really delicious.

The taste of the soup I'm eating is unmatched. I... I have never tasted food this delicious. It's been a long time... eating warm food... with its various flavors. After I had been scavenging for discarded food on the streets for too long. In the end, once again tasting the flavor of freshly cooked food.

"Yo! New Member!"

Suddenly, while I was blowing on my food, someone tapped my shoulder. Causing the spoon I was holding to fall into the bowl. I immediately looked at the person who had just patted my shoulder.

"Are you alone?" "Even though there are still many empty tables."

Someone who tapped my shoulder was a young girl wearing a gray school sweater, and she also appeared to be wearing a white shirt with a dark blue tie. She then pulled the chair in front of me. Arbitrarily decided to sit at the same table with me.

"What do you want?" I asked him. While picking up the spoon that was now wet, mixed with meat soup.

"Ah, sorry about me patting you just now." I just wanted to greet you because I've never seen your face before."

She looked at me with her cheerful face, a fair-skinned girl with messy orange-blonde hair. She also has green eyes. Similar to the build of an American.

"It's fine as long as you don't bother me while I'm eating."

I continued my precious breakfast. There's no need for me to entertain a teenage girl like her.

"May I know your name?" she asked me.

She didn't want to let me eat in peace at all.

"Weren't you taught manners?" Introduce yourself first."

"Myself.... ?"

She then fell silent, thinking for a moment after I told him to introduce himself.

"I... I don't have a name but... maybe, Chris."

Chris? A name that sounds strange for a young girl. Isn't that name more like a boy's name? Then... she... she said she doesn't have a name, what does she mean by that?

"You.... don't have a name...?" What does it mean?What does it mean? "Beep.... beep... beep....

Beep.... beep... beep....

"Attention to Captain Ruger Schmitt and Team 417, please proceed to Tactical Room 25 immediately. Attention..."

Damn it, I haven't finished eating and another call comes in for me. At least I will drink the tea before I leave here.

"Ah, excuse me for a moment." Nice to meet you... erm... I still don't know your name."

"Ruger Schmitt. My name is Ruger Schmitt. You can call me whichever you prefer."

"Then.... Schmitt, nice to meet you."

The girl seemed to be in a hurry to leave this place. She ran as if she was excusing herself to leave first. Although it seemed impolite to someone older than him, at least she still had a bit of etiquette.

Sipping the tea, I can't remember the last time I enjoyed such a warm and delicious drink, grateful that I am still alive to savor it.

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Tactical Control Room 25

10:15 hrs

I arrived at Tactical Control Room 25. To my surprise, Fenris had multiple tactical control rooms; I had assumed there was only one. It seemed this facility was more extensive than I imagined.

Using my ID card, I unlocked the door, which was sealed tight with an automatic metal barrier. The door opened with a faint hiss of escaping gas.

Inside, several personnel were already present. Among them was Julia, holding a stack of documents in her arms.

I stepped inside, scanning the room's occupants. The door slid shut behind me with a soft mechanical whirr.

To my right, leaning against the wall, was a tan-skinned girl with short, straight black hair, wearing a red beret. She lowered her gaze as soon as I entered. Dressed in a military jacket with a tropical green camouflage pattern, she resembled a special forces soldier. Perhaps she was part of the military.

I moved to the left toward Julia, passing by another girl along the way. This one had bright blonde hair tied into a braid. She stared at me persistently as I approached. When I walked past, I noticed a German flag patch on her dark green parka jacket. Who was she? Was she German? And why on earth was she wearing a short black-and-white patterned skirt to an important meeting like this?

"It seems everyone’s here," Julia remarked, glancing around the room to confirm.

"No," someone corrected. "We’re still missing one."

I placed my hand on the wide table in front of a holographic display. The black tabletop shimmered with a blue surface, not an ordinary table but a high-tech interface for displaying data and holograms. I had seen such devices before.

CSSSHH...

The sound of the door opening drew my attention. I turned to see who the late arrival was.

"Sorry, I’m late… I had some things to handle," said the newcomer, a girl with orange-blonde hair in a school sweater.

What was she doing here? No—what I really wanted to ask was...

What were girls like these doing in a place like this?

"Alright, everyone’s here now," Julia announced. "It’s time to introduce your captain. Please go ahead."

She gestured toward me, signaling for my introduction.

In the corner, I noticed another girl standing silently. She had long, dark white hair and a tall, mature frame. Her attire was distinct—a thick, fur-lined white hat and a cream-colored one-piece outfit.

"My name is Ruger Schmitt," I began. "I’ve only been at Fenris for a few days. I’m 20 years old. There’s one thing I want you all to know... I despise Warfoe more than anything in this world."

Julia stepped forward. "Alright then, this is your captain, Ruger Schmitt. Now, let me introduce the rest of the team."

She activated the holographic display with a control unit. A logo for the IPMC appeared, followed by data about a specific Battle-Frame. The image was familiar—it resembled someone in the room.

[Codename: Maya]

Class: AssaulterImplemented Weapon: SS2-V5 A1

The display depicted the tan-skinned girl leaning near the door. She remained in place, her head lowered.

"First, we have Maya," Julia explained. "She’s the team leader of Team 417. Her Battle-Frame is equipped with an SS2-V5 A1 assault rifle. Maya is reserved and doesn’t speak much, but I hope you’ll get along with her."

"I’ve never heard of an SS2 rifle before," I interjected. "Where is it from?"

"Ah, you’re unfamiliar? It’s a weapon from Indonesia, well-known in Southeast Asia. It shares similarities with the M16, and its capabilities shouldn’t be underestimated," Julia clarified.

I nodded, intrigued. An Indonesian-made assault rifle... While I hadn’t encountered one before, I recalled seeing its name in my father’s old magazines about international shooting competitions.

The display shifted to another image—a bright blonde girl wearing the German-patched parka.

[Codename: Uni]

Class: StormtrooperImplemented Weapon: UMP45

Julia turned toward the girl. "Uni, I know you’re excited about meeting your captain, but can you stop staring at him? You’re making him uncomfortable."

"Alright, I won’t look at him anymore," she replied in a soft voice.

"Uni is agile and excels in close-to-mid-range combat," Julia continued. "Her weapon is the UMP45."

A compact submachine gun, the UMP45 is a German-made weapon. Lightweight and economical compared to its predecessor, the MP5, it uses .45 ACP rounds and is ideal for close-quarters engagements.

The next image depicted someone I recognized immediately—the orange-blonde girl in the school sweater who had annoyed me earlier.

[Codename: Chris]

Class: StormtrooperImplemented Weapon: Kriss Vector

"So you’re the captain I met in the cafeteria? Wow… I didn’t see that coming," Chris exclaimed with an amused grin.

"Chris is cheerful but can be overly friendly," Julia said. "She’s one of our best at close-quarters combat. Her Battle-Frame is equipped with a Kriss Vector."

I studied the holographic image of her weapon. The Kriss Vector was small, sleek, and terrifyingly efficient in close combat. Its rapid rate of fire was a game-changer in tight situations, though it was less suited for long-range engagements.

Finally, the display changed to a girl standing in the back—a tall, elegant figure with dark white hair and an ushanka hat.

[Codename: Filin]

Class: Recon/ScoutImplemented Weapon: Dragunov SVU

"Filin is the last member. She’s a skilled recon specialist and sniper," Julia explained. Then, leaning closer to me, she whispered, "Avoid making her angry; it’s... dangerous."

Julia introduced the remaining members, and I scrutinized them again. No matter how I looked at them, they resembled ordinary girls—not killing machines like the Warfoe I had fought. They seemed so... human.

"I should make this clear," I declared. "I still don’t trust Battle-Frames."

My words drew their attention, sparking anger in their eyes.

"You’re saying we’re no different from Warfoe?!" Uni exclaimed, stepping forward.

Filin’s icy glare was the last thing I saw before chaos unfolded.

"Even if you’re the captain, I can’t accept your words!"

They even had emotions, reacting to my provocation with anger. These robots—these Battle-Frames—were truly frightening. I could feel the warmth of their skin against mine. It wasn’t cold, not like a machine. Their hands were warm, shockingly human.

I grabbed one of the Battle-Frames' hands—Uni, the one with the codename Uni. Clasping it tightly, I twisted her arm.

“C-Captain Ruger! Stop this!” Julia stepped forward to intervene, but I held her back with my left arm, keeping my focus on twisting Uni’s arm.

“A-Ah... What are you doin... Khk...”

She... She showed pain. Her face contorted in agony as I twisted her arm further. Pain. Battle-Frames could feel pain? What were these things?

I felt the warmth of her skin, the unmistakable sensation of flesh. They responded with emotions, anger, and even pain. These Battle-Frames weren’t like machines at all. They were... something else entirely. What kind of monstrous creation have you made, you damned scientists? You’ve crafted monsters indistinguishable from humans!

“Can you stop that, Captain?”

Filin, who had been silent until now, stepped away from her spot in the back of the room. She tossed her ushanka at me, causing me to release Uni’s hand. In a flash, she grabbed me by the collar and hoisted me off the ground.

“You say we’re the same as Warfoe?” she demanded.

“Yes. Perhaps even more so. You’re far more dangerous, even more terrifying than Warfoe.”

She gritted her teeth, her piercing blue eyes filled with a cold fury.

“We’ve fought and defeated countless Warfoe for your sake. And you dare call us killing machines? Have you ever thought about who’s truly worse—Battle-Frames like us or the humans who created the Warfoe in the first place?”

Her words struck a nerve. She hurled me onto the table and stood over me, her gaze searing with righteous indignation.

I hadn’t considered that they might have the will to protect humanity, that they could be so vastly different from the Warfoe or the merciless killing machines designed to annihilate. Filin... her words, they rang true.

Have you ever thought about who’s truly worse—Battle-Frames like us or the humans who created the Warfoe?

All of this... every disaster, every loss, stemmed from us—humans. We had sought to create something more advanced, using Red Ember as the foundation, only for it to spiral out of control and bring ruin upon us. The machines gained self-awareness, realizing they’d long been used as tools to fulfill humanity's desires, discarded the moment their purpose was served. They envied human freedom.

“If you still can’t trust us, we’ll prove it on this mission,” Filin said, her voice firm as she turned and walked away, leaving me sprawled across the table.

Julia, who had been frozen in uncertainty, finally stepped in to de-escalate the situation. She attempted to calm both the Battle-Frames and me, her voice pleading for peace.

“Calm down, everyone... We’re all on the same team. Captain Ruger, you must act professionally; you’re older than the others.”

She offered me her hand, helping me back to my feet. I took it reluctantly, standing again to face the group of Battle-Frames I’d just angered with my words.

“Well, despite some... challenges during the introductions,” Julia began, trying to salvage the moment, “let us welcome Captain Ruger. Everyone, this is your team leader.”

“Welcome to Team 417,” she said with a small, awkward smile.

“Our team name,” she added, with a touch of irony, “is Expectation Failed.”