Chapter 40: I did not expect this
It's been a few days since my last publication, I was somewhat busy with the new projects of the work and writing a reboot of this same story, I know that a few chapters ago I asked if I continued with the story or applied a "hard reset", the vote ; if two people from your audience can be called that way; It was to continue with this story. Despite this I wanted to write about the true story that was around my head when I wrote Stranded for the first time. So I have also been writing this other story and others that will only be only in Spanish on another platform that I already published some time ago in another chapter. Later when these stories reach the "theme" proper, they will be published with all the chapters I have written so far to avoid the same effect I had with this story.
We begin now with the Stranded chapter.
With the clean beaches of enemies the landing occurred without setbacks or casualties. A real achievement considering how many lives were lost only at the landing of Omaha beach on our day D.
The coalition soldiers were stunned to have been able to touch land without any mishap, everything changed as soon as they reached the second line of defense of the Galian coast; death, miasma and "laser beams" were waiting for them at the mouth. Followed by a powerful neuroi counterattack formed by hundreds of turtles. But it was in vain, someone requested naval support and an artillery barrier coming from the ships deployed in the canal swept the groups of enemies that came to receive the coalition troops.
The troops were glad to be so close to the coast, so they could benefit from naval artillery attacks. Soon they began to take the surrounding lands and establish camps, they also began to land larger and larger dropships containing two and up to four tanks inside.
To ensure the newly established camps, troops were deployed and scattered in all directions in order to take as much ground as possible in the time that remained until nightfall.
My team and I just waited until the Witch Corps trucks disembarked to supply us with war supplies and some food. I was a little tired from the recent night assault on the nests but the rest of my squad was exhausted due to lack of activity, they were not used to fighting for so long; in fact they were not used to real combat.
The Witch Corps trucks approached our position, one of them stood by our side and a man in a khaki uniform and a noncommissioned cap got off. The man informed us that our "barracks" would be mounted at the furthest point of the camp and that there we could enjoy the long-awaited rest along with a vegetable soup and a warm and safe field bed.
The soldiers guarded our makeshift barracks with what could be called pride. Being in charge of delivering supplies and ensuring the rest of the ground assault squad that had made the landing itself possible they should feel that they shared the victory with us. Soldiers who were not afraid of magic and felt contempt for it. Soldiers accustomed to cooperating with the forces of the Witch-Corps.
It was the first time in a long time that I could feel security and at the same time the excitement for the night to pass and we could launch ourselves into a new day full of adventures and combat.
Waking up and breakfast were the best, really; the best I had felt or done in the last two years in this bullshit world.
I woke up with the sun's rays hitting my face but instead of being annoying it was a very pleasant awakening, like when you go camping in the mountains or the forest and you get up with the first morning breeze in the most "natural" way and carefree possible. That was the feeling.
The best thing of the day was to go to the dining table and, without anyone saying anything, prepare a cup of milk with soluble cocoa and some coffee along with something that made tears spill down my cheeks.
Sybilla ... Is that chocolate chip cookies? Are they really? Am I not having hallucinations?
No, I detect them too, they are genuine chocolate cookies. Although they are not like the ones described in your memory, they will have to be worth it.
Ohh For all the gods of the earth and the multiverse ... Chocolate cookies ... Thank you. I thought this had been invented in the eighties.
All the gods? Kye too?
No, not that one. I don't want more problems. My current world is already complicated enough.
Ok. I take note.
Why did you say that?
Umm? Nothing
No. Seriously, why did you say that?
Forget it, forget it. It was just a comment.
I was going to continue arguing with Sybilla about her extra multiversal comment when I noticed movement nearby. Before my sudden guard, a soldier raised his hands to chest height to show harmlessness.
-Quiet, if I wanted to attack you, I would have taken advantage while you slept.- The newly appeared soldier excused himself. I didn't remember this soldier from the group that met us at the beach with the supply trucks.
-It didn't sound very good. If I detect any kind of hostility towards me or my team, be sure that you will be the first to die.-
-Woah. Scary ... Ahh ... No, that was not what I meant ... That was not what I meant. Is that I am ... Difficult to deal with, or at least that's how my mother says it.- The boy shrugged his shoulders at the end of his strange explanation. It seemed he had trouble expressing himself.
-If that's why, don't worry I used to be similar to you ... What are you doing up so early? The next turn of advance will not be until three days- That was the time frame agreed with the cat woman and the generals in charge of carrying the invasion forces.
-Do not. Yes. Well.- He paused to sort his thoughts and that and how he was going to say what he wanted to say.- What do you think we do while the witches do your missions? -
-I'm not a witch. That first, and second; I have never considered what the regular army was doing while I was around- I made a hand gesture to refer to the outside area.-Destroying enemies.-
-Well while you do missions we have to maintain the base and equipment. Who do you think fixes and prepares your units? Ahh ... And sorry for the "witch" comment.-
-Well, I didn't know you did that because my team and I are trained and equipped to repair and maintain our own team and we are a nomad squad and mobile combat for what the base ... -
-Ahh ... I understand. So you haven't had a base so far? -
-Well ... - I took a sip of the chocolate milk in my cup.-For almost a year I was deployed in Suomus, the witches of 507 welcomed me and, technically I did not cease to belong to the squad at any time ... But due to my role In battle I spent very little time on base so really. Yes, you could say that this is the first time I have a more or less stable base.-
-The 507? Wasn't that the original squad? - Asked incredulously in boy.
-No idea ... I was only over there and only when I wasn't on the border patrolling. And the patrol time was more than three quarters of the time, so that might be their story but although I belonged to the squadron, I really only spoke carelessly with two or three witches of the entire squadron.-
-Wich ones? - The boy asked excitedly. He must have been a witches enthusiast who, because of that idolization, ended up working directly at the Witch-Corps
-Ehh ... Well ... Eli, Sisar Aurora and Anabuki Kommandant.- I answered sincerely. Really with the rest of the witches highlighted there I just crossed words. Although many times they had come to where I was fighting we had never been left alone except for the day I arrived at the squad.
-Who are Eli and Sisar Aurora? - Asked the boy confused. The said witches should not be included in your mental list.
-Ehhh? Well Eli is Eli ... Ah, yes, Elizabeth Beurling and Sisar Aurora ... It's Aurora Edith Juutilainen. The latter is my teacher and mentor. - I stressed with a slight smile, especially when I explained about Sisar.
-The first one I know of her, I mean; I know who she is. The second; no idea.- the boy shrugged
-What can we do? I would like Sisar's achievements to have more visibility ... -
Soon the twins rose and the whole routine was activated again.
They began to prepare breakfast, if that could be called that. And a little later a still sleepy Georgie appeared on the scene.
-Good morning princess.- I said with a mocking smile on my face. Georgie meanwhile returned the smile, her brain still must not be fully activated and still did not understand the jokes.
-Hahaha. She has not understood yet ... - The soldier laughed.
After another joke and waiting for all the members of the team to have breakfast we went to the part of the small mobile base where they had deployed the workshops for our combat equipment.
Our units were in the makeshift workshop, I had stopped trying to get anyone to touch my units; it was useless; unless we were in enemy territory and completely isolated there was always someone who took my units without permission and took them to who knows where to perform periodic maintenance, it didn't matter that it really wasn't necessary due to my own maintenance routine, always someone I took my units and took them to a workshop to perform relevant tasks.
Not that I went to the post, just that was the job of the people who took the units and subsequently maintained them. But that was something that put me in a very bad mood, especially when they touched the energy options.
Finally and after inspecting the ground units in the workshop a little we found ours, I sighed with relief when I discovered that they had done nothing to my StuB IV beyond checking systems and lubricating some gear.
There were about a dozen units on tables or stands in that workshop. It was to be assumed. After all the tank witches were part of the armored forces of the army, it was perfectly normal that we were not the only ones who could take advantage of the services of the Witch-Corps mobile workshop.
Soon we began to attract unwanted glances from all the repair technicians and from the multitude of witches waiting for their units to be ready to return to action.
I could hear whispers everywhere from all angles that made me nervous. They made me feel like I didn't belong here. It was the second time something like this happened to me. I worked the same as last time. I ran for my units, I equipped them ignoring the people around me and started engines. A bright blue-white light shone from below my schurzen. Don't wait for anyone to ask anything or go to me. I simply took my equipment and weapons and left the mobile camp.
I ran and ran until I reached one of the villages previously occupied by a neuroi nest and its forces.
After a few minutes entering enemy territory, a rhythmic sound brought me back to consciousness.
The rhythmic sound was produced by the caterpillars of Georgie's unit.
-What happens? Why did you run away? - Georgie asks alarmed about a possible attack.
-What? - I look around as if I am not aware of the situation, and in fact it was not. -I do not know. I felt out of place with all those witches around whispering and opted for withdrawal.-
-It seemed more like an escape.- Now it sounded somewhat dismayed and somewhat angry.
-You may be right.- The twins soon also reached my position. -I'm sorry guys I don't like the masses of people and I don't trust the witches I don't know.- I apologize to my team.
-Nothing happens Erik, to tell you the truth I thought you would send them to fly like you did with that nest last night.- Tommy answers playfully
-Tommy, firing a railgun of any kind at close range is a bad idea.- Tommy responded with a disappointed face at the refusal to launch a railgun in the mobile workshop.
-But you could have at least warned us that you were leaving.- Iona complained, who had passed me on the road and now cut my progress.
-Yes, sorry team. But I really don't like that kind of situation at all.-
-Nothing happens. Let's go to the next target point.- Cut Gorgie to prevent us from continuing to argue.
-Yes, the next turning point is a few kilometers from here. A place called Chartres, about eighty kilometers southwest of Paris. Apparently most of the ground troops that maintain the capital. Our new mission is to get there and destroy as many enemies and nests we meet along the way. Once we have finished the rest of the army will join us to attack the capital and take it. At the moment that is all you need to know.- My team nodded approval and we started.
The road to our destination would have been quiet had it not been because at the first checkpoint we found that in a nearby town there was a small fortified point with ground troops. The next line of defense of neurois.
The fortified point was nothing more than a network of recons and heavy turtles along with a few flying neuroi as I did not want to waste bullets at an intermediate point on the road, I offered my team an ingenious and spurring solution; I offered them a reward in the form of a teaching from the masteries to whom they could achieve death with more style. Then I dedicated myself only to look.
The twins, as they always did a great teamwork, making a perfect synchronization combination in which Tommy attracted one or two enemies to a prepared position in which Iona was waiting for the signal, microseconds later Iona exploded a wind blows just below the enemy units and Tommy then killed them while they were in the air defenseless. This combination was made a couple of times until little surprised by his already very visible performance I turned my gaze to Georgie who simply accumulated the enemies in a certain area, seeing that I was just accumulating them at a crossroads wait curious to see which it would be the devastating attack that he was surely thinking of releasing on them.
After accumulating eighteen turtles, I began to wonder how they didn't abandon that position. I soon found the cause, Georgie besides keeping the shields active to defend herself she had erected walls of solid air to catch the enemies inside, when the number of turtles caught reached twenty Georgie took one of the hexenium bullets. Bullets that can be easily loaded with magic and kept it for a long time. She loaded it with magic the same technique as she had learned from me during the airborne landing and I from the tanuki destroyer. Then she inserted it into the chamber of her HV 77, narrowed the air walls to confine the enemies in a much smaller space and shot at full power against the group of turtles causing a huge, bright and voluminous explosion.
With that great explosion, the mobile land enemies of the area are over and before the flying type attacked, I unleashed my twenty-millimeter FLAK and equipping my two favorite support spells, I emptied half of my charger to kill 5 flying enemies before the rest will retire to another place. Probably our next stop along the way.
The twins admitted their defeat but promised to end the air that had escaped and I assured them that they would have their chance to show that they were worthy of the teachings of the first battalion.
Georgie was anxious and excited for the free class. I usually give my soldiers, if it can be called that, weekly teachings and then let them evolve at their own pace and way. Due to the additional teaching Georgie was happier than usual, waving her family member's ears and moving her tail from side to side, as if it were a dog.
-What would you like to learn from the teachings of the first battalion, Georgie? -
-I want to learn how to make that bright cannon with which you destroyed the neuroi aircraft carrier and the Le Havre nest.- Georgie answered with bright eyes.
-But that is not a spell or a line of investigation of the first battalion, I developed that as a weapon of use "alternative" to conventional.-
-Ahh ... So, can't you show me that? -
-It would be unfair for the twins to show you a tier five without giving you the foundations of the previous tier. I also told you that I would give the winner a first battalion teaching.-
-But, then, what could you give me that it would be useful if it wasn't the bright cannon? -
-I have seen that you already use solid air walls compressing the gas particles and reinforcing the links to make them as hard as steel. I could give you the next level of that line.- Georgie's eyes shone with emotion even more when I mentioned that part.
-Yes, please.- Excited nod.
-Well then…-
I told her about the excitation of the particles when they are in the state to which they are subjected when they are part of a "wall" of solid air. And without waiting for my suggestion it occurred to her to use it to enclose enemies in a vessel in which the rays bounce inside jumping from one wall to another due to the immense potential difference between them. Then I suggested that if she closed the air container completely and emptied it of air, the rays would become laser or plasma that shatter the enemies trapped inside.
The theoretical class lasted a few hours, I continued teaching the class while we ate.
When we finished eating we moved to the next point, rather I simply went in the direction in which the enemies escaped.
We started walking south, again south ... This time I would not have to go to Romagna.
It did not take long until we saw signs of the enemy, the terrain began to become difficult and the progress began to slow down. The landscape changed to mountains, an ideal place for a defensive post. Indeed, on top of a rocky mountain was a neuroi fortress with flying enemies of the same type as those who had fled from the previous fortified point. A sweep showed me that they really were the same ones who fled from our previous position. This time do not wait for the recognition of the area, ending air support would give us some advantage. I drew my FLAK again and completely emptied the loader and the remaining flying enemies were destroyed, the next thing that happened is that the world turned red.
Shit, I'm dead.
Not yet, look at your side.
I looked and saw how Georgie had deployed her shield in time to cover me with the miasma ray that would surely have ended my life.
-Thanks Georgie. If it wasn't for you now it would be a mark on the ground.-
She simply smiled and we all assumed combat positions.
The top of the mountain was not fortified with the neuroi material but was completely covered with turtles and too many defensive turrets planted every few meters to get a super effective defensive cord.
This structure must have looked quite similar to the ziggurat type with which Anabuki Kommandant had to fight just before the official formation of her squadron under the wing of the Witch-Corps.
I announced a second round of competition for teachings and the battle resumed with renewed aggressiveness.
Georgie presented her newly acquired knowledge in the form of new attack spells.
She formed small dusts of solidified air in which he caught certain turtles and then ran an electric current in the form of a voltaic arc from dome to dome but did not seem very effective against enemies based on silica.
The twins observed Georgie's new and failed spell and activated the combination attack that they already show me in Britannia but that they had never been able to use in combat.
They formed several crystals with ice of different refraction index and created a powerful laser cannon using the sun rays condensed in a single beam. Then they released the sunbeam over the groups of enemies.
The solar death beam had such enormous energy potential that it melts the rock and evaporates the plants that stood in its way.
They moved the crystals to alter the trajectory of the beam of death light throughout the mountain until Tommy fell to the ground of mental exhaustion, then the crystals he was maintaining dissolved in the air and the lightning is divided into hundreds of small and less powerful rays that randomly hit the surface of the earth calcining and even melting everything they touched until his sister realized what had happened and ran to help her brother, who had fallen right in front of the enemy.
Georgie switched from attack spells to firing his cannon and also ran to cover the fallen comrade with his shield.
For my part I could not do anything that was not supposed to immediately end the battle.
Karen, give me real-time detection long enough to cover the entire area occupied by the enemy, then filter everything that is not neuroi and remove it from the mental image and finally point me to the nuclei of the detected enemies.
Buhh ... Many requests in no time.
You can not do it?
I didn't say that, you already have it. What do you think to do?
Do you remember the only attack lightning spell I learned in Hamburg?
Yes, but there are many enemies.
Well, I will execute one for each objective and launch them simultaneously.
Okay… just don't die.
I will not, I may fall unconscious but as it will have ceased to be a busy area it does not matter much.
As I requested, all the forms of all the enemies in range began to be drawn in my mind; turtles, recon, turrets and something on top of the mountain.
Using the coordinate system that I was forced to develop so that the wind blow did not explode on my face, I set all the targets and loaded the lightning spell in each of the locations. As the lightning spell was what I technically used to boost the railgun right now, performing many will only impact mana spending and possibly some level of mental exhaustion. But it surely won't cause me to "shut down" because of excessive heat in the brain. Possibly. Certainly. Maybe.
Then, without thinking much about the consequences, I ran all the spells at once and felt the mana drain, a sudden and excessive mana drain that could cause permanent damage to an individual, so Karen activated my second mana center to avoid it. .
Neither of them wanted me to know what happened to Yoshi at the end of the second season.
The spell was super effective, at least I could see that thanks to the detection spectrum of active sonar because I fell to my knees and my vision clouded, I also lost track of time for some time.
When I regained my sight and the notion of time I could see the colors of the sunset in the sky.
He was lying on a soft soft surface. Grass?
Then, as if I had remembered something important to do, I jumped to my feet and looked around.
The brothers were smiling at me as if something funny had happened. Being semi-conscious isn't funny, so I turned around to see where Georgie was.
The aforementioned girl was on the floor with the units out of her legs and sitting on the grass just at the point where I was only a few moments ago.
I do not know how to respond to this "attack", I can only think of putting distance between them.
Georgie seems surprised, she is just sitting there, on the floor doing nothing; from his position I deduce that he was on his lap.
-I was sleeping in your lap? -
-Yes, is it a problem for you, sir? - Georgie is still surprised, me too. No, it is more, I am confused. Because of Sybilla's cushioning of emotions, my brain cannot process youth situations that occur to me from time to time.
But don't worry about that, Georgie seems like a determined girl who knows what she wants. If you don't know or can't decide; Let her do it for you. I already told you it was good "waifu material"
If it wasn't for you, I could understand and process these situations.
Nor could you fight properly, this ability is not deactivated and activated when you want.
I thought you could, as you did in Hamburg.
No, it was only your imagination.
Ok...
This little conversation with Sybilla put me in a situation.
It was already getting dark and we were not going to move forward at night considering that we could reach our goal tomorrow and that we had spent a lot of mana and used many energies and forces in today's advance.
After apologizing, several times, with my team for my fainting. And to make sure everyone was in order. We camped in a clearing we saw when we were recognizing the surroundings, near the now besieged mountain.
We slept each in his sleeping bag, well the twins slept together; like brothers; I hope. The situation was becoming somewhat strange.
. . .
The next morning we set off again to take the checkpoint. We had only one day left to take it, if we did not get it today we would have the support of the army that was coming here but neither would they be able to protect themselves from most of the enemy's attacks.
We started immediately, after breakfast, cleaning and stuff.
In two hours we planted there. It was a fucking fortress. It was more worthy of a mmo video game than of a real war scenario. Seeing things like these make modern warfare go to the background.
Finally I want to apologize to my readers, a long time ago that I did not release a chapter but I have had a last few weeks of shit in January. With a project that we can't close. In the end and with a delay I did it.
This project had me desperate, bitter and depressed. Now that we have closed it, I feel like writing again.
That's it, well one last thing; Icy Clean: if you really want to see Malibu it shows signs of life.