86―EIGHTY-SIX

For years, the Republic of San Magnolia has endured relentless assaults from the Giadian Empire and its mechanized army of autonomous drones known as the Legion. After extensive research, the Republic unveiled its own fleet of unmanned weapons, successfully shifting the conflict into what officials proudly proclaim to be a flawless war with zero casualties. However, this narrative of a bloodless defense is nothing more than a carefully constructed lie engineered by the state. In reality, no war can ever be fought without sacrifice. Hidden far beyond the fortified borders that safeguard the Republic’s eighty-five official territories lies a forgotten zone known as the Eighty-Sixth Sector. The young men and women condemned to live in this forsaken region are stripped of their humanity and branded simply as the "Eighty-Six." Treated as less than human, these marginalized soldiers are forced into the cockpits of the Republic's supposedly unmanned drones, fighting and dying on the front lines so that the rest of the nation can maintain its illusion of peace.