The MG-43 General-Purpose Machine Gun.

Conceived as a stationary machine gun, it has been altered and repurposed for use as a squad automatic weapon, bringing higher caliber firepower to mow down hordes of enemies in rapid succession.

Being a modified variant of its predecessor, the MG-94 Machine Gun, it achieves its purpose in a much lighter and maneuverable package, with much of its bulk shaved away from its housing, characterized in its skeletonized design. With much of the barrel exposed, leaving only enough handguard to allow the Helldiver to properly handle the weapon without too much discomfort, it allows the barrel to cool off much faster.

This gives the Helldiver much in leeway when applying its use Liberally, as they should, given the one-hundred-seventy-five round capacity of its box magazine and its selection of three different fire rates.

Depending on the situation on hand, the Helldiver has three options of fire rates should the need arise. In its stock configuration, the MG-43 comes out of the Hellpod ready to rock at seven-hundred-and-sixty rounds-per-minute. Though, should the Diver feel that a steadier rate is needed, the option of six-hundred-and-thirty rounds-per-minute is available, allowing for suppressive fire at a steady, albeit slower rate.

But for when superior firepower is needed now and fast, the Helldiver can select its fastest fire rate at a blazing nine-hundred rounds-per-minute, allowing the Diver to empty its box magazine in just under twelve seconds, while leaving their targets shredded beyond recognition.

Simple in its design and operation, it is no wonder that it finds its way into every fresh Helldiver recruit's hands, giving them a taste of what the Helldiver Corps has to offer, one box magazine at a time.

The MG-43 General-Purpose Machine Gun.

"Spreading Freedom and Peace one round at a time!" - 'Admiral Defense Contracting'

Within the Abydos Outskirts

Tossing the beacon, unlike the previous times where it would roll, it found itself stuck in the sand. I'm no stranger to dry-as-bones areas such as these, like Hellmire in the Mirin Sector, or Fori Prime in the Draco Sector, but Liberty be damned, it is hot.

As I watched the telltale bright blue pillar of light pierce the sky, I sought shade under one of the abandoned houses, one of many in this vast wasteland.

Counting the time it took for my strategem to touchdown, I gazed at the Abydos district. If it wasn't for Rin's briefing, I'd fully expect that this place was always a desert, not a once vibrant and prosperous academy district.

"Arona?" I asked for my trusty assistant as I pulled the Shittim Chest from my chestplate.

"Yes, Sensei?" She replied, her face planted right in front of a standing fan.

I raised a brow, how could she be feeling hot? "Do we have a map of the area?"

Scanning my surroundings, it is pretty apparent that this place was once prosperous, given how far the neighborhood's stretched. If you didn't have a map, there's a decent chance you'd get lost.

"Not currently, but I can get us one!" She nodded as a bead of sweat fell from the movement. "It'll take a few moments though, there isn't a particularly strong connection in this place."

I nodded. "Good deal, I'll see about tending to my strategem.

As if on cue, the beacon shut off before subsequently being crushed under the Hellpod. With a pop, the seal was undone, consequently launching the steel plate into the air before plunging into the sand. Grinning, I watched as the elevator lifted up its Democratic payload.

Strapping on the support backpack filled with ammunition, I hefted the support weapon over my shoulder. Sighting it in, I made sure its reticle was properly aligned before charging the handle, expelling a single round.

With a nod, I finished its checkup, grabbing the expelled round and dusting it off, before loading it back into the internal magazine.

"Woah! What is that!?" Arona exclaimed from her perch on top of a bench.

"Heh, cool, ain't it?" I gestured towards the support weapon.

She nodded vigorously. "Extremely cool! What's it called?"

Bringing it closer, I showed off all of its details to the system manager. "This here is an AC-8 Autocannon, a man-portable, shoulder-mounted support weapon for anti-armor and anti-personnel applications."

"That is so coooooooool!" She bobbed up and down on screen.

I grinned. "Sure is, and the kicker-!" I cut myself off as I turned the autocannon around, revealing a small terminal on the gunner's side. "-Is this here screen that allows us to pick between two types of ammunition, flak rounds and APHET rounds."

"Choosing either-or programs the round to take on the chosen role, making it a very versatile piece of equipment."

Her eyes glittered as she poured over every detail of the autocannon, bobbing and pacing the screen as she took in the sight of the hefty piece of hardware.

I lifted the weapon back over my shoulder. "Before we get a little too ahead of ourselves, what about that map?"

She shook her head, shaking off the awe. "Oh, right! I got the map, Sensei! Here, let me display it for you!"

Lifting up a large leaf of paper, she unfolded it to reveal a map before displaying it fully on screen.

"I'll set us a marker for where we are, and where the Abydos School is!"

As she finished her sentence, a yellow circle blipped on screen, indicating where we stood, and a blue marker a little ways away, indicating where the school is.

I nodded approvingly at the functionality. "Great work, Arona."

"Hehe~."

Slinging the autocannon onto my back, I got to work hiking my way towards the school.

But not before being dusted by a blur of white and blue as whatever it was flew by. Swatting away the kicked up sand and dust, I could barely make out the silhouette of someone on a bike.

Making a U-turn, they strolled back my way, this time without all the speed. Slowing down and stopping just a few steps away, they hopped of their bike before wiping their brow.

"Are you lost?" The white-haired and wolf-eared student asked.

I glanced around before returning eye contact. "Nope, I was just on my way to my destination."

She glanced from my visor to the autocannon slung across my back. At the sight of it, her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "What brings you here to the Abydos district?"

I scratched the top of my helmet. "Well, I was just on my way to the Abydos school, heard that they had a little problem with dissidents."

"Diss...idents?" She trailed off as she raised a brow, continuing to eye me up and down. Then her eyes widened, as if coming to a startling realization. "Wait, does that mean you're Sensei?"

I struck a heroic pose. "The one and only!"

She smirked. "If you're here, does that mean you got Ayane's letter?"

"That I did, I was told you all required assistance, so I came as soon as possible."

She nodded a few times. "Then we have to hurry, the others need to meet you."

I glanced at the map on the Shittim Chest then back to her. "I don't know about you, but we still have a few kilometers of road between us and the school." I shrugged. "Well, I'm no stranger to running multiple kilometers in a row..." I trailed off as noticed her ears stand on edge at my mention of running multiple kilometers.

"Er, what's up?"

She cracked her knuckles. "You wanna race to the school?"

I raised a brow. "I'm not sure about racing, but if we want to make it there in time, I suppose picking up the pace will help greatly."

She nodded as she walked her bike to a nearby lamppost before locking it to the frame.

Gesturing towards the open road, she gave the faintest of smiles. "Shall we?"

Hiking up the autocannon on my back, I grinned behind my helmet. As ridiculous as it sounds, this takes me back to my deployments, hefting multiple kilograms of equipment and ordnance on our backs while absolutely hightailing it towards the next objective as bugs clawed their way towards us.

Good times.

As we jogged, I filled in for noise where the sounds of sand crunching under our feet couldn't.

"I don't know what I've been told!" I sang in a cadence.

"But Titanium-A is hard to fold!"

In the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of the white-haired student giving me an amused look.

"You *huff* sing *huff* during *huff* runs?" She asked in between pants.

I nodded. "Helps control breathing *huff* and increases *huff* lung capacity!"

She raises a brow in my direction before shrugging.

"I don't know what I've been told!" I sang again before noticing she joined me.

We glance at each other before nodding.

"But General Brasch is mighty old!"

Passing through the double doors of the classroom, we took the chance to cool off, with the white-haired student wiping off the sweat on her brow with her scarf before popping open her water bottle.

With Super Earth instilled discipline, I kept my panting to a minimum and scanned the classroom.

"Took you long enough-" A new, this time black-haired student with cat ears, began before pausing at the sight of me. "Wha-!" She then pointed at me. "Who's this adult?"

I jabbed a thumb at myself. "Sergeant Allen Hicks of the Helldiver Corps, at your service!"

She gave me a bewildered look. "...Huh?"

"You must be the new Sensei everyone's been talking about~!" A cheerful voice singsonged as they passed through another door adjacent to us.

Smiling my way, she approached with an outstretched hand. "I'm Izayoi Nonomi, nice to meet you!"

I accepted the gesture. "Pleasure to meet you as well."

She nodded before pulling the two other girls to her sides. Patting the white-haired student's head, she nudged them closer. "This one's Sunaookami Shiroko!" Then the black-haired one. "And this one's Kuromi Serika!"

Shiroko nodded. "Nn, nice to meet you, Sensei."

Serika huffed before glaring at me. "I guess it's good to meet you."

I nodded their way. "Pleasure meeting you girls."

"Aiyaa~, why's it so noisy this time of day~?" Another student, this time with pink-hair, sleepily yawned our way before passing through the same door.

Opening one eye, she glanced up at me before yawning and outstretching a hand.

"You must be Sensei, nice to meet you, I'm Takanashi Hoshino." I catch her eyes quickly glancing between my visor and the autocannon slung to my back.

I accept the gesture. "Nice to meet you as well."

Then another student. "Looks like you're getting well acquainted with the rest." She nodded my way. "I'm Okusora Ayane, thank you for responding to our request."

I nodded. "Not a problem, what kind of Helldiver would turn away a request for aid?"

This earned me a few bewildered looks.

I coughed. "Now then, how about getting me up to speed?"

She pushed up her glasses. "Of course, currently, we are up against the 'Kata Kata Helmet Gang', who have been attacking our school for about a week now. We've been able to repel them without too much trouble on our part initially, but now we are starting to feel the strain of not having any supplies or ammunition readily available."

I nodded. "Have you guys received a shipment as of late?"

This raises everyone's brow. "Shipment?" Shiroko asked.

"Yes, I scheduled a shipment to be off loaded to this school sometime earlier, I believe it was supposed to arrive a couple hours ago?"

Ayane's eyes narrow before turning her head towards Hoshino, who shakes their head.

With a grimace, she turns back to me. "If it was supposed to be here earlier, it was more than likely intercepted."

Serika clicked her tongue at the fact.

I placed a hand on my chin. "Then, how are we looking in the ammo department?"

Shiroko shook her head. "So far, we've only been managing with a couple of magazines between me and Serika."

Nonomi shook her minigun, which is a damn nice looking piece of hardware. "I don't know, maybe enough for a few more fights?" She answered with a shrug.

"I still have more than a few shells, might have to watch my shots though." Hoshino lazily responded, her head resting on her arms as she laid on the table.

I nodded a few times. "Then, would you all kindly follow me outside?"

The girl's glance at each other before turning back to me, with Ayane speaking up first. "What do you have in mind, Sensei?"

I grinned. "Well, since the first shipment was intercepted, looks like we'll have to do this my way."

Again, more weird looks.

I shrugged as I turned towards the door. "It'll be cool, I promise!"

Ayane glanced towards her classmates before back to me with a confused look. "Ooookay, lead the way, I guess?"

In the courtyard, I stood at attention as I waited for the girls to file out of the building.

"Took you all long enough!" I exclaimed, my arms held behind my back.

Serika scoffed. "Well, you didn't even mind explaining what we're even going to do outside."

I waved a finger her way. "Now now, Cadet, I'll first be displaying the logistical capabilities of the Helldiver Corps!"

"...What? ...And Cadet?"

Not responding to her confusion, I lifted up the strategem terminal and a beacon before inputting the pattern for a resupply.

With a high-pitched whine, the beacon lit up blue. Tossing it behind me, I watched as the expressions on their face change from confusion to awe as they followed the pillar of light up towards the sky.

"And now, we wait." I stated, placing my arms behind my back.

Hoshino raised a brow my way. "Wait for what?"

I pointed up. "Wait for that."

Simultaneously, shock plastered all of their faces as their jaws dropped, likely from the sight of a rapidly approaching Hellpod screaming towards us.

Just before they could react properly, the Hellpod engaged its air brakes before subsequently piercing a hole into the sand. With the steel plate launching itself off the entrance, the elevator raised itself up, revealing four yellow boxes ready for use.

The girl's still slack jawed at the sight, I walked over and slapped the top of the Hellpod. "Here's that resupply I promised, fresh from Lady Liberty herself."

The stares continued as silenced loomed over us.

"Uh... you all good?" I questioned as I waved a hand.

Serika shook her head. "What the hell was that!?"

"That, Cadet Serika, was a Hellpod." I replied as I stood back at parade rest.

Ayane rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things. "How...?" She glanced at the girl's then back at the pod. "...What?"

I waved a hand. "No need to get into the nitty gritty." I pointed at them. "You guys needed supplies and ammunition-" I pointed back at the pod. "I obliged."

Hoshino blinked a few times. "Yeah, but-" She cut herself off before laser-focusing onto me. "You... you said you're a, uh, Helldiver?"

I nodded. "That I am."

"Military? PMC?" Her tone treading a fine-line on hostility.

A slight shudder is sent down my spine. "Military, I am Sergeant Allen Hicks of the Helldiver Corps, special forces of the Super Earth Armed Forces."

Her glare eased up as she raised a brow. "Super... Earth?"

"Correct. If it makes it easier on you all, I'm from another planet, and likely another galaxy."

Serika shook her head in disbelief. "Yeah right, from another galaxy." She spat out. "Next thing you're going to tell me is that-" She jabbed a finger at the Hellpod. "-thing came from your spaceship."

I scratched the top of my helmet. "Well, kind of."

Shiroko nudged her with her elbow. "I can kinda believe that, just look at Sensei."

At her words, the girls glanced at each other before eyeing me up and down.

Hoshino nodded. "Well, now that you say it, he kinda does look like he's from space."

"Yeah!" Nonomi affirmed. "Look at his helmet! It's has a kinda space-y feel to it!"

Ayane pushed up her glasses. "Well, even barring all of that, the... Hellpod, you call it, at the angle if came from, there's no way that it could've been launched, if not from space."

I grinned. "Starting to believe me now?"

Serika crossed her arms and huffed. "Well, I guess for now."

I grabbed a supply box. "Great! Now get to rearming yourselves!"

Tossing them towards the girls, we fall short of supplies by one.

"Well, ain't that a shame." I point out as I placed my hands to my hips, turning my head towards Nonomi.

Ayane shrugged before handing her box to the blonde. "I'm not a frontline combatant anyways, you'll need this more than me."

"Aww~, thanks Ayane!" She cheered before gleefully accepting the box.

I nodded in approval at the teamwork. "Great, now crack 'em open!"

Giving me a brief look, the girls then began opening up the boxes.

Hoshino raised a brow. "How'd you know to get me twelve-gauge shells?" Then she whistled. "Magnum buckshot no less, you must have some deep pockets, Sensei."

I shrugged. "Well, I'm not paying for them myself, per se."

"Why're the tips red?" Shiroko asked as she held up a small box of 5.56 with it cracked open.

"Mine're too." Serika followed up.

I pointed at the tipped rounds. "Those are tracers, helps you keep on target as you fire."

They raised a brow at the rounds before shrugging.

"And what are these?" Nonomi chimed in as she held up two cylindrical devices filled with a bright blue liquid. "Some kinda glowstick?"

I put my mouth to an 'o' as I watched them all take out said cylindrical devices from their respective boxes. Now how do I put this lightly?

I point at the cylinders in question. "That's... uh-" I dropped the hand and scratched my helmet. "Simply put, stimulants that rapidly speed up the process of cellular regeneration, usually in the face of extreme trauma."

Nonomi freezes up as she dropped the stimulant. The rest of the girls gave it a funny look before setting it aside.

I sighed. "Yeah, soldiers get some wild stuff, right?"

"Ooooookay..." Ayane trailed off. "What else should we expect in these boxes?"

"Apart from the... ahem, stimulants and the ammo, there's grenades and beacons for use."

She raised a brow. "Beacons?"

"Yup." I grabbed one from its holding before tossing it into the air. "These little guys, I use 'em to call in strategems, like that resupply I called in."

"Huh."

I nodded. "Yuuuuup."

"These are funny looking grenades." Hoshino pointed out as she held up the explosive device.

"Quite so, but very effective at what they do, explode." I exaggerated as I 'blew up' my hands.

She gives me a look.

Clearing my throat, I continued. "Those there are G-12 High Explosive Grenades, big boom without the shrapnel, but when it goes boom, expect a large hole in whatever you threw it at."

In the corner of my eye, I catch Shiroko eyeing them with a deep intensity, before being bonked on the head by Ayane.

"Now that we're resupplied-" I glance over at all the girls. "-What about those dissidents you all were referring to?"

"Dissidents... if what you mean is the Helmet Gang, they've been attacking at random times throughout the days." Ayane tapped her chin. "Speaking of which, they haven't attacked today..."

Then the front gate blew up behind us.

"Hehe~." Hoshino giggled as she loaded a few shells into her shotgun. "Spoke too soon!"