My name is Hans Ernst. I am a humble German military magician, living a life supported by a salary slightly higher than that of a standard soldier. And yet... here I am now (December 10, 2096), on the outskirts of Moscow in the middle of a soul-piercing frost. A German soldier near the capital of the New Soviet Union (NSU) is usually a "shoot-on-sight" situation, but I have my reasons.
『I see Ivan's tanks, Ernst! Come on, take flight!』
"You're always asking for the impossible, 'Hans'..."
It might sound like I'm talking to myself, but that isn't the case. From a certain day forward, another personality took up residence within me. His name is Hans-Ulrich Rudel—the "Ace of Aces," the greatest dive-bomber pilot in history, a man whose name every aspiring German soldier must eventually encounter.
It all started about a year ago. In the wake of the "Scorched Halloween" incident in Japan, I—having just turned nineteen—was ordered on a deep-cover investigation into the NSU (mostly because I was the only single guy in my unit). Hoping for some divine intervention, I went to a local church to pray. Honestly, you never know if God actually listens, but as a believer, I couldn't just ignore the ritual.
While I was agonizing over the approaching mission, a gift arrived from my uncle-in-law in South America—Deacca Brestillo, the first President of the Sovereign South American Alliance (SSA).
"What did Uncle send this time?"
My uncle is a man of deep faith, though he never lets it bleed into his politics. He's a devout Christian, a trait my aunt (the First Lady) fell for, and he usually sends me crosses or charms for "safety." This time, it was a heavy, expensive-looking silver cross necklace. According to the letter, it was a piece "made by an acquaintance who was compressing stones to kill time."
Apparently, that "acquaintance" was a relative of the legendary hero Gozo Kamizaka.
"...Has Uncle finally lost it? This is too ridiculous to believe. I'm going to bed."
I tucked myself in, thinking I was just tired, but that night... I met him in my dreams.
『Hello there. Hans is a fine name. It might get confusing if I call you that, so I shall call you Ernst. I am Hans-Ulrich Rudel. I'm a pilot who happens to despise Ivan.』
『Who the hell are you?! Wait, Rudel-dono?! Why am I conscious in my own dream?!』
『You lack calcium. You should drink more milk.』
『I'm not angry, I'm just shocked!』
Since then, I've lived in the impossible situation of having two "Hans" spirits in one body. I went for a medical checkup, but physically, nothing had changed. However, Rudel's god-like piloting skills and indomitable spirit miraculously synchronized with my magic. He insists on no honorifics since "he's already dead and we're partners," and together, we began unleashing magic at a scale I could never have achieved alone.
Then, FLT released their flight devices. Rudel's pilot blood absolutely boiled.
To explain: I was never good at remote-interference magic, but I excelled at simple "output" types. I lacked fine Psion control and struggled even with the experimental flight devices the military gave me. But then Rudel, a literal monster-class ego, possessed me. The result? I established a "breakthrough" tactic only I could use: wrapping my body in physical interference armor and charging into enemy lines and tanks at supersonic speeds.
『This is fun, isn't it, Ernst?』
"Noooooooo!"
As a living man, Rudel was bound by aerodynamics. But a flight device doesn't need wings. As long as my body can take the G-force, we can fly anywhere, however we want. If the people who sat in Rudel's back seat in the past were alive today, they would likely say one thing:
"You have our deepest condolences."
So, I trained. Since I couldn't escape, I trained until I collapsed. Rudel's control of flight magic made me black out repeatedly; my superiors were actually worried because I was constantly covered in bruises.
『Plenty of Ivan's tanks today. Still no sign of that Strategic-Class Magician, though.』
"If they used that near the capital, it would be a catastrophe for them."
In the NSU, I became a whirlwind of destruction, dragged along by the Soviet-hating Rudel. Hidden behind a smoked visor and a specialized thermal suit, I earned a terrifying nickname from the NSU: The Return of Rudel. The irony is that it wasn't even technically wrong.
This notoriety led me to the anti-government resistance. Their leader was a man well-versed in animism, and he immediately sensed Rudel inside me. When I explained, he looked at me with pure pity.
"I hope you make it back home in one piece."
"Me too..."
『Bah, losing a leg or two is nothing to worry about.』
Shut up, Rudel. Unlike you, I want to remain in the category of "human." He responded with a mental grin that said, "Too late for that," and in my frustration, I accidentally crushed my stainless steel mug with my bare hands. Even the resistance leader tried to comfort me. I wanted to cry.
By December 17, as the world approached Christmas, the Moscow outskirts were in chaos because "Humanist" groups had started funding the resistance. I received secret orders to return home. My "stats" were insane—in roughly one year, I had destroyed nearly 500 tanks and armored vehicles. My homeland wanted their asset back. Rudel was disappointed, muttering something about a "one-man Operation Sealion," but I shut him down.
However, I wasn't returning alone. I had a girl with me.
"Hans, I'm going too."
This girl, Natalia. Last year, the NSU burned her village to the ground—not because they were rebels, but simply because the head of state decided "leaving the village might benefit the resistance." I found her sleeping in a small shack that had miraculously escaped the fire. She wasn't a local resident, and since the NSU army wouldn't take her in, I had to look after her.
Rudel's comment—『Ho? It seems we share similar tastes』—was promptly ignored. I cared for her, but I had zero intention of "marrying" a child.
When I asked if she had family, she mentioned her "Grandpa was a big shot in the military." When she said his name was Leonid, my heart stopped.
—Leonid Kondrachenko. One of the "Thirteen Apostles," a nationally recognized Strategic-Class Magician.
I sent a secret letter intending to return her to his base. He demanded to see her immediately. Risking my identity, I arranged the meeting. Seeing them together, he looked like any other doting grandfather. But then, Natalia pointed at me and declared, "I'm going to marry him."
I couldn't exactly expect a high-ranking general to trust a suspicious man in a smoked visor and combat suit, so I took off the helmet. It wasn't bravery; it was just acceptance that if I was going to die here, so be it.
"...Not a bad-looking lad. Listen, Natalia. Seduce this man quickly and show me a great-grandchild soon."
"Okay!"
"What is wrong with you people?!"
I was twenty. Natalia was ten. This was a social and ethical nightmare. But Kondrachenko entrusted her to me because, officially, Natalia was already dead in the NSU's records.
『Hahaha! Similar tastes indeed. I shall lecture you thoroughly on the arts of the bedroom.』
"Just... do whatever you want."
Kondrachenko wiped the records of my infiltration. He just wanted his granddaughter away from a dangerous political climate, entrusted to someone he deemed reliable. Being a "suspicious foreigner," I couldn't exactly argue. And so, I was suddenly engaged to the granddaughter of one of the Thirteen Apostles. Rudel was far too excited about offering "advice" for the wedding night.
Carrying Natalia bridal-style, I flew out of the NSU under the cover of night. Thanks to Rudel's brutal training, I was used to long-distance flight while maintaining a thermal barrier. We arrived directly at a German airbase, where—to my horror—the President himself was waiting.
"Welcome back, 'Mr. Rudel.' Did you bring your future wife?"
"Where did that name come from...?"
I returned to find my name officially changed to "Hans Ernst Rudel," promoted to Major, and awarded a medal. Natalia became the President's adopted daughter and my state-sanctioned fiancée. Rudel was cheering, "Go for it, Mr. President!" I just wanted to weep.
To hide this from the NSU (and avoid Igor Bezobrazov firing a Tuman Bomba at us), the German government officially listed me as "Killed in Action" and sent me to the SSA, where my aunt lived, under the guise of a "trade transport."
There, Uncle Deacca registered me as a non-sanctioned Strategic-Class Magician. I met Miguel Diaz, who had studied under Gozo Kamizaka. Seeing how even a Strategic-Class Magician respected that man, I truly hoped to meet him one day.
Rudel, being Rudel, decided to conquer every mountain in South America. I couldn't tell if I should be happy or sad that his "impossible tasks" were making me so strong.
Natalia, likely following her grandfather's orders, keeps trying to seduce me with flashy lingerie. I refuse to commit social suicide, so I've compromised by just letting her sleep in my bed. Rudel calls me a coward. I ignore him. I want a human life, even if my magic is no longer human.
Eventually, I visited Japan as a guard for my uncle, using the name "Hans Ernst." There, I finally met the legend, Gozo Kamizaka. When we shook hands, Rudel whispered: 『He smells just like me.』 That told me everything I needed to know.
Before returning to the SSA, I studied martial arts under Gozo. The man had no openings. My instincts screamed I'd be dead in one step. Yet, Gozo praised me, saying, "Doing well just to stand your ground without running away." He helped me polish my magic even further.
Back in the SSA, I intercepted a guerrilla unit. Using a weapon-integrated CAD based on Gozo's advice, I unleashed my Strategic-Class Magic: Cyclone Explosion. It compressed the atmosphere to eliminate only those with hostile intent. Rudel's control was perfect.
I received more medals. I had set out to be a normal magician, but by involving myself with "cheats" like Gozo and Rudel, I had reached the level of a Strategic-Class Magician.
Then came a letter from Edward Clark via the USNA embassy. It hinted at a recruitment for "STARS," addressed to "Hans Ernst Rudel"—a name very few knew. Rudel scoffed, 『This reeks. Calling him 'vomit' would be an insult to vomit.』 I couldn't agree more.
But Natalia is Kondrachenko's granddaughter. Clark might be planning to use us as bargaining chips against the NSU. When I told my uncle, he called the USNA President directly.
"Are you planning to use my family as threats? If so, I'll have to mention this to Mr. Gozo."
The voice on the other end panicked. 『W-wait! Please, anything but that!』
Having met the man, I fully believe Gozo could fly from Japan and destroy the White House like something out of a sci-fi movie. The USNA President clearly feared the same.
Rudel's take on Edward Clark was simple:
『His letters stink of ambition. He's confident because of his information, but information is worthless against an existence that can overturn it by force.』
Coming from a literal "living cheat," it was convincing. I trust Rudel, even if I'll never get used to his lack of common sense.
After all, unlike him, I still want to be human.
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