Chapter 19: Clouded Horizon
November 19th. Third Day of the CCSE.
(Near the river. 09:37 PM.)
[Takeru]
"….Then I heard you screaming, and after seeing you being kicked so mercilessly I snapped. I won't make any excuses, I let my rage take control of me."
"….I see. I'm amazed you could fight in such a state." Chizuru was treating my shoulder's wound.
We walked a lot after we decided to get away from the soldiers, but luckily we weren't so far from the river. It was too dark to keep moving so we decided to rest for the day, Meiya was still unconscious. I'm completely spent after today, I can't even get up probably.
"So, what happened to you guys?" Her hands suddenly stop and I can sense her tense up.
"Well, we… tried to get away from them. But they quickly catched up to us. At one point I tripped and lost my glasses."
"And what then?"
"We kept running, as Mitsurugi held my hand tightly. They kept shooting at us, saying all kind of insults." She stops for a second and I felt a cold drop on my shoulder as her hands began to shake. "Hic… When they got close I tried fighting back, but I just fumbled around. However… Sniff… when I actually hit one of them a man got really angry and… he pulled my hair so hard, smashed my face against a tree… They threw me to the ground a-and…. Hic…"
Tears flow down her cheeks as she remembers what happened, hands still shaking. She's trembling as if it were snowing, and that only makes me bite my lips. I coil my hands to restrain a howl. Her composure scattered away like pieces of a puzzle, the broken image left on her complexion put more anger in me.
"Then, Mitsurugi assaulted them but they all ganged up on her, a woman kept me pinned on the ground so I couldn't do a thing to help her. They beat her up with their batons until she collapsed, and then… they kicked at us while laughing, saying that we were never gonna graduate. That we would end up as 'comfort corporals' in the base." Wait, what the actual fuck does that even… It can't be what I'm imagining, right?
"And then I showed up, I guess." She nods as she finishes tying the bandage on my left shoulder.
"I can't… say that I approve your methods but…" She wipes her tears and slowly sits to my side. "I felt truly relieved when they stopped kicking me. I thought the Instructor might have come to help us, but even when I heard your voice I felt glad. To be honest, I didn't recognize you at first." She wraps her arms around her knees, the crows in her tone eased up. She looked at me for a moment, then she again digged her gaze into the ground. "After seeing how angry you were for us, how far you were willing to go to help us… I… I'm sorry, Shirogane. We ran away without you, we abandoned you." She bows deeply, almost hitting her head with the mud.
"Don't apologize, you did nothing wrong. The ones at fault are the bastards that ordered this thing."
"No, it's not that. I… Well, I didn't really… trust in you, at all. When we started running…" Her lips twist inwards, she hugs her sides. "I didn't even look back, I didn't even care. And yet you… You stained your hands with blood for me… Sorry, for everything I've said. Forgive me."
"Sakaki, it's alright. I did what I wanted to do. You don't have to force yourself, I know you must hate this, being forced to cooperate with an American that killed your fellow Japanese soldiers."
"Huh? Well… I mean… If you could explain why you… No, I… I was in the wrong. You're not like the Americans! And those soldiers are the ones in the wrong!" Chizuru's eyes narrowed and turned into chainsaws, I've very rarely seen her this honestly angry. She slowly rose and punched the tree.
"H-Hey, calm down! You're still hurt, remember?" I pull at her pants a bit and she again sits down by my side.
"…I was just letting my frustration out. But you're not like the Americans, and those soldiers committed abuse against a defenseless opponent, they will get punished for it. Sure, you might have gone too far… But I don't think… what you did was wrong." She then remains quiet, looking at the ground.
A small smile makes it way into my face. I might have done something horrible in my fit of rage, but… They're safe. That's what matters. I'm too tired to scan her face to see if she's lying, but even if she is I don't care. She's alive. Though I really don't want to go through something like this again, the thought of losing them again tore my heart apart.
And yet it was that pain what gave me the strength to fight. This cold embrace gave me stalagmites far mightier than any sword I ever had.
A gale howls strong through the night, from somewhere on this island shadows are coming for me. The Captain and the other two members of the chasers. To survive these harsh nights, to do the necessary cruelty, to protect my beloved ones, shouldn't I rely on my greatest power? Shouldn't I let these hands freeze me over? If it means being able to kill without remorse…
A cold winds blows, a faint moonlight covers me. My vision grows narrow, distorting the light as the shadows turn into a wall of pure dark. Like hell I'll let harm come to them again. My heart wouldn't endure seeing them die, even if they're not who I remember them as. And yet, the other three might…
I beg of you, frozen hands, give me a pair of ice wings, the strength to become a maverick, to face this mad world. I have to keep fighting, I have to keep tearing. Until the day I find a way to regain my life. Until I can leave this place forever, I'll try to keep them safe. However, Sensei didn't tell me of this. Can I… trust in her if she hid this from me?
Slowly, painfully so, the hands rub my back. I feel strangely better all of a sudden, the world around me recovered it's color. I gaze at the moon, it's so beautiful when it's full like this.
Did I use to look at it so much? Hmm… But from where? My house doesn't have a way to reach the roof, and… this memory feels different than the view at the tree on the hill. Who was I with? For a second I feel lightheaded and everything around me spins slowly but then it reaches my ears, a soft voice piercing through the sounds of the jungle.
"Will you promise to look at it when it's full? That way our gazes will meet under the same sky looking at it. No matter how far away you are, we will always be connected through the moon!"
…!
I look around me, scouring every shadow, every tree. I just heard Sumika's voice very clearly, as if she were right by my side. What the… We never had… a conversation like that as far as I know.
"Shirogane? What is it?" Chizuru was looking around too, apparently startled by my actions.
"I… thought I heard something. The nerves seem to have gotten to me."
"Oh yeah, I know what you mean. So… Um… How are you feeling?" Never thought I'd hear this soft, sweet voice from you.
"I'm feeling fine, despite everything. So, now that you know I killed those soldiers, you won't abandon me?" She dislikes me a lot, so I need confirmation on whether or not I can trust her.
"I… I swear I won't. I owe you my safety, even if Mitsurugi objects I'll take your side. I always repay my debts. I swear this on my mother's name, I won't betray you again Shirogane." She looked at me in the eye with a fire glowing in hers.
Wait… Her mother? I don't remember this Chizuru ever mentioning her mother at all. Weird, another difference to the list.
"Are you sure, though? Then, what are you planning to do when we get back? You're reporting my 'killing spree' to the Instructor, right?" She looks down as her hands start shaking.
"T-There was… no warning that we would get chased by armed soldiers. And they didn't… limit themselves to capture us. I think your actions can be explained, not justified, but I do not think you'll be punished. As you said, they kept kicking us when we were defenseless, they could have killed us with a strong enough kick to our heads. You saved our lives Shirogane, at the very least I will testify on your behalf on this matter if anything happens." She stares right at my eyes, with that slow glow Chizuru always has when she's serious. I'm glad to know that you're on my side, for now at least.
"Let's leave it at that then." I lean against a tree as I watch the stars again.
Tomorrow is gonna rain again, we gotta cross fast if we wanna get past this cliff. Otherwise… I feel that blood will be spilled in large quantities. Those soldiers won't let us get away without trying to return the aggression.
"Shirogane… Can I ask you something?" Chizuru gets a bit closer as she slowly adjust her glasses.
"What is it?"
"Are you truly a Cadet?"
"Again with this?"
"Don't misunderstand. It's just… The way you defended us, what you said when I confronted you, it seemed as if you had already been deployed at some point." Ugh, whatever. I guess I can try to explain something to placate her curiosity, even if it'll confirm I come from America, according to the cover.
"I was… stationed at Alaska. I woke up one day in a hospital without any memories of my family or my life, and I got inducted into the UN army."
"Huh? Alaska? Wait, you lost your memories?!" I again explain the situation, according to what the records say.
"And that's the gist of it. This is classified so don't speak a word of it to anyone, but right now I couldn't care less. In my base, there was some program to train Cadets from all around the world. Everyone in my unit was from a different country." Half truth or not, I am an outsider in this world.
"Really? Wait… Could you have been stationed at Yukon Base?" Her voice turns into a whisper, perhaps realizing what I was about to tell her.
"Yeah, I was part of a Cadet Squad of the UN at Yukon. So I didn't belong to another army, I just got transferred to another UN base when my squad got wiped out."
"…During the Yukon Incident?" I try to remember what happened during the XM3 trials last time. Feeling my stomach turning, frowning instinctively as the memories come back to me.
"Yes. It was so sudden, BETA started appearing from the ground. The lasers burned the sky, everybody was screaming, TSFs were exploding left and right. It was… a massacre."
Chizuru has her eyes glued to the ground as she listens to me.
"My whole squad already had permission to pilot, so they were assigned to cover some ground. I was…. In a tank, providing support. But in the end all I could do was watch as the BETA killed them all."
"Shirogane that… wasn't your fault. You couldn't have done anything in such a situation."
"Yes, I could have. I could have killed one of those monsters before it was too late." Fucking Superior, I swear I'll erase you as fast as I can this time. No talking, no negotiations.
"Too late?" Chizuru stares at me, waiting for me to continue.
Meiya's last words come back to me again, I can't hold back the tears this time.
"There was someone… I liked a lot. I relied on her for almost everything I did. She always had the right word of advice for me when I needed it the most. She… got trapped by the BETA… and I had to shoot her TSF down. I killed her." Chizuru's eyes go wide as her lips tremble.
"You… Is this what you meant when you said that you got someone killed?"
"Yes, if I had not being a coward… I could have killed the BETA before she had to sacrifice herself to stop them. I will never forgive myself for that. That's why… when I saw you two being harmed by those motherfuckers… I lost it. I will never let one of my squadmates die in front of me without putting up a fight. Never again!" I hit the ground with my right hand, splashing mud on my pants.
"Um… Shirogane, it wasn't… your fault, you know? I mean, you were…" Chizuru couldn't find words to say and simply remained quiet.
"That's why I trained so hard, to surpass myself. That's why I was so happy to be assigned to your squad. I guess… I just wanted a place to belong to, a place to call home. I didn't want to… be all alone again." Again, I shiver as those cold hands reach my shoulders. "Heh, guess that's just my destiny." I wipe the tears from my eyes. What a great savior you are Shirogane. Can't face your own mistakes without tearing up.
"…Sorry."
"Why are you apologizing? It's cool, I get it. You don't want to mix yourself with a foreigner, I won't get in the squad's way anymore. I'll just shut up from now on and when we get back I'll ask Sensei to take me out of the squad. Assuming I don't get kicked out of the army." Chizuru faces me with a conflicted expression as her mouth opens and closes, as if she didn't knew what to say first.
"No, you don't have… Tamase might have been right. We should… have talked things out with you from the start." I stare at her in disbelief and saw her holding back tears. Why is she… Chizuru never cries, unless she's feeling like shit. And I do not like it when she cries.
"Don't cry, Sakaki." I wipe the few runaway tears that betrayed her efforts, then I run a few fingers over her cheek to calm her down. I smile at her quivering face, leaning back again. "You chose what you thought was best, I'm not trying to make you feel guilty or anything."
"It's not that. It's just… I can relate… to what you went through. I feel awful because I know how horrible it is to have to live while carrying someone's death on your shoulders." She's trying real hard not to cry, she took her glasses off and rubbed her eyes quite strongly as her body quivered for a sec like jelly in front of a fan.
"You can relate? Did you have to fight the BETA at some point?" I don't recall that ever happening, but then again the list of differences grows bigger each day.
"What I meant was that… I also lost someone important without being able to do anything." Her voice cracked at the end there.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked. Let's leave it for today." I don't want to make her uncomfortable, last thing I want is to see her cry.
"No, you told me your story despite it being classified intel, all you had to endure to survive alone. It's only fair that I tell you my reason to fight, and it'll also work as an explanation of why I pushed you away." What does that mean?
"It has something to do with the fact everybody got super defensive when they learned I came from an American base?"
"Indeed. And since you've already seen the BETA I can tell you everything in detail." I gulp as she mentions them. So she already had an encounter with the BETA? "You see, my family was rather wealthy. We weren't nobles but we lived really well. My mother was a teacher at an important school in Kyoto, and my father was a member of the Capital's Congress. We never got along very well but…"
"Family is family." I smile wryly as I remember all the times I argued with my parents over the most stupidest things.
"Yeah, family is family." Chizuru smiles too, taking a breath before continuing. "I had always wanted to join a military school but they never allowed me, saying there was no reason for me to fight. All of my friends had enlisted in the IJA Youth Training Program, I was the only one left out. My mother wanted me to follow her footsteps and become a teacher, she always kept reminding me of the importance of that role. In retrospect, she was only trying to keep me away from the horrors of war but I saw it as if she thought I didn't have what it takes to become a soldier. I always… kept saying hurtful words to her, my Father also opposed me quite harshly and pretty much blocked any chance I had to enlist with some contacts he had. I think he was more worried that I would be used as a bargaining tool by his political enemies." Right, her dad is the Prime Minister here so if she was to become a soldier, any decision he might take to favor the IJA could be taken out of context as him favoring his daughter.
"It must have been hard for you, being negated like that. Is that why you're so determined to prove your worth to the army?"
"Well, yes. When I first enlisted I was obsessed with doing everything perfectly, that only made my interactions with Ayamine much more worse." I can already imagine how much you two must have fought. "But that's not the point. Before I got accepted into the UN, we were living in Kyoto. W-When… the fall happened."
I remember the reports I read, the Capital fell in a single night like all the lands to the west. They couldn't put up a fight despite the Shogun's personal unit being out there as well, they still kept fighting for around a month to try to drive off the BETA but the city had already suffered a great harm by the first night after the BETA broke through their defense line.
"I frankly can't believe the capital's defenses fell in a single night. To think they couldn't stop the BETA from entering Kyoto with all the Royal Guard stationed at the frontlines." Well, they didn't have the Takemikazuchi back then so it's understandable. But they should have had many Shiranuis available at that point.
"There were many reasons for that. The most well known one is the retreat of American and UN troops." She frowns as a disgusted tone filled her voice again.
"I read that the Americans and the UN abandoned the mission because they tried to impose some orders to the Shogun."
"That's half the truth. This is secret intel so don't tell it to anyone, but my Father told me that the Americans could tell the mission was going to fail and proposed a tactical retreat to the Shogun to then nuke the BETA with napalms. Obviously, all the nobles refused and that turned into an argument. The Americans called us close-minded retards, the Shogun retorted with cowardly slavers. The discussion spiked and the American General that was stationed in the Empire due to the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation ordered all American and UN troops to retreat. This marked the end of our good relations with the Americans." Ah yes, the grudges and pride of the Empire. Why are they so prideful this time around?
"And that sealed the fate of Kyoto, right? That's why the foreigners are so hated?" She nods quite angrily, brows tensed into a sharp V.
"I can't say that what the prior Shogun did was right given the situation, but the Americans were also in the wrong. And that's not all that went wrong that day."
"You did say that it was only half the truth, what else got wrong?"
"First, you do know how many BETA attacked the Capital right?"
"I did read on it, they were close to 70000 if I'm not mistaken. I think they halted their advance for a week until they broke through and destroyed Kyoto in a single night."
"Correct. The Americans wanted to bomb them before they got too close during that first week, but since that would have killed all the remaining population to the west of the defense line set on Arashiyama, the Shogun vehemently refused. Fighting those numbers without powerful bombs was suicide, but the Shogun was confident that the land mines they had set up would be enough to deal with the smaller strains of BETA and that the new TSF they had would make a difference in battle."
"You mean the Shiranui?"
"Yes. The first part of the invasion went especially bad for us because the BETA decided to attack during a typhoon, so after gathering all the best troops the Empire had in the Capital, I think it's safe to assume that they got overconfident." She makes some circles in the air with her finger as a sad sigh escapes her lips.
"Ugh, this sounds like the best possible train wreck had a child with the best possible natural disaster." I spit on the ground, an awful taste like the one I had when I woke up to a destroyed base last loop again flooding my mouth.
"However, the Empire had little experience fighting the BETA and the Americans didn't want to put up with our goals. While the plan to hold out the larger strains did work, without the American and with the UN's troops caught in the crossfire, the plan fell apart when… w-when…" She starts trembling, unable to finish her sentence.
"Hey… If it's painful you don't have to-"
"When the Warriors pierced the final defense line."
"Huh? The Warriors? Not the Tanks or Destroyers?" I haven't fought a Warrior in any of my loops as far as I recall, not that I want to be close to one of those outside of a TSF cockpit.
"You see, our troops weren't well trained in the use of canister ammo, so they couldn't perform area control or area denial tactics as the situation demanded according to my Father. While the larger strains were more obvious targets, many Warrior-Class slipped through the TSF fighting at the frontlines and reached the last perimeter around the city. From the start we didn't have enough TSFs to fend off the BETA, so when the city requested aid the battle got worse. The defenses were meant as a last effort to save some time, and as far as I know they only had a bunch of tanks and the rest were foot-soldiers with machineguns."
"Wait a second… They didn't leave a single TSF in the rear?!"
"No, that would have been a disgrace to any pilot, noble or not. To be sitting doing nothing while their peers are out there risking their flesh and blood for our nation would have been a punishment worse than death for them. The UN was sent to guard Osaka after the mess with the Americans, so they said they had their hands full. As far as what my Father told me, Arashiyama Base was the official last defense line since no one thought the BETA would reach the perimeter around Kyoto in a single night." That's bullshit, it has nothing to do with honor. Throwing your life away and not consider all possibilities is just madness. That's no honor, that's just blind ego.
"No wonder the mission failed. Nothing could have gone worse." Chizuru grimaces as she lowers her head. "Don't tell me there's more."
"Yes, there is. Considering how well our forces were holding out during that week, the Shogun was so sure of his victory that he didn't order the evacuation of the Capital's citizens, not even after the Americans retreated." Didn't evacuate? So when the Warriors attacked…
As if a hammer had hit my stomach, as if I had tried to swallow too much water and some of it went down my lungs, I could do nothing but grimace at the thought of it. Again feeling cold all over, nothing but tightening my fist could clear this feelings.
"You have got to be kidding me. How could the Shogun decide something like that? Looking at the numbers it would have been obvious that the city would have become a battlefield. To not evacuate the civilians… That's madness."
"There was a broadcast a few days before the fighting began, you see. The Shogun proudly announced that all Battalions from the 3rd to the 18th of the IJA along the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 15th and 16th Battalions of the Royal Guard were stationed at the capital and its surrounding areas, forming a wide defense line from Osaka and the bay to Kyoto's outer rims. He proudly showed in TV the near two thousand TSFs that would take place in the battle. Almost a thousand Type-94, around five hundred Type-89, and the rest were Gekishins and Zuikakus. The Empire brought its best soldiers together to protect the capital at all costs, that's why after we lost we had to retreat all the way to Tokyo. We still haven't recovered from that, we still seem to have a shortage of Type-94 to this day."
"So they were confident that they could win with their aces fighting side by side, but forgot about the infantry types and when they had to send reinforcements to the city they couldn't deal with all the BETA. Sigh…" Chizuru sighs with me.
"Exactly, as far as I know everything started going downhill when the Laser-Class got too close and took out three important field commanders of the IJA that were on the frontlines, and then they teared our vanguard apart. As you can imagine by now, most people in the Empire won't admit that what they did was a mistake because that would be like shaming the pilots that gave their life for us, we wouldn't be honoring their sacrifice if we blamed them for the fall. So instead we placed all the blame on the foreigners, that got easier after Operation Lucifer when they dropped two G-Bombs on us without warning, killing around half of our frontliners in the blast. It was a scandal all over the news, some people were even saying that we had to 'recover' our land from the UN. The attitude of some foreigners I've met hasn't done much to change the prejudices I held towards them. They're always talking about aiming for the result, regardless of the methods they use. They don't doubt to abandon a comrade if it becomes 'dead weight'."
Guess that explains why everybody treated me like shit. It wasn't documented anywhere but that kind of thing was 'common sense' in this place, so a Japanese that joins hands with the foreigners is seen as a traitor because the Empire blames them for all its problems instead of admitting that it did wrong things too. But I suppose criticizing the Shogun is a crime here.
"So when the last defense line got breached around a thousand Warrior-Class swarmed into Kyoto. In the middle of the night, while we were all confident that the Shogun was going to deliver victory, sirens boomed throughout the city." She buries her face into her arms, retracting her legs close to her body. "I remember that my Father came with a soldier and ordered me and my Mother to evacuate. B-But obviously nobody had prepared vehicles to transport the people, so the only transportation available was given to the nobles. The rest of us had to escape on foot."
I love how here they always say that people have to give their life for their nation, but when things get rough the nobles pull an 'F this shit I'm out' card and get themselves to safety without sparing a single thought for their civilians. According to the records, only the Royal Guard managed to survive the Battle of Kyoto with more than half its crew alive. Exhaling through gritted teeth, I hold back on hitting the ground.
"Chizuru, it's fine. I already know why everybody hates my guts, don't force yourself to continue." She might be a different person, but I still don't like to see her face stained with tears.
"Please let me finish."
Raising her face again, she wipes her tears and, after taking a deep breath, she continues. It does look like she wants to let this out, so I'll listen without interrupting her anymore.
"I… We had to escape towards the eastern exit. As we moved, some soldier squads came to escort us to a group. We were many people quickly marching through the streets, I could hear the explosions at the distance, the sound of guns all over the city. We were near the exit, I could see the gates to the highway already. I thought we had made it out safely, but…. Some Warrior-Class appeared from the rear, they got close to the group in the blink of an eye… T-They started rampaging through the people, they tore them apart in mere seconds. The soldiers tried to fight back but ended up getting killed. In just a few seconds… hic… everyone got…"
Imagining how that happened… being chased by those monsters… the city being blown up… More and more hammers strike at my stomach, something seems to be clogging the base of my throat.
I wait in silence, waiting for her to calm down. After rubbing her eyes again, she continues.
"I was trying to get away desperately when one Warrior started charging at me. I froze, I thought I was going to die there. But my Mother pushed me away, and I… I could only see as that m-monster cut her in half."
Neither of us said a word for a long while. Only Chizuru's quiet sobbing could be heard in the night. What the hell is wrong with this world? Why did things turn out like this here? I thought things were bad in my past loops but… Sighing, some tears also leave my eyes. It makes me feel so… empty, so frustrated. Always because of those idiots up above who don't give a shit about lives so long as they're alive after the mission. I just can't understand why something like this had to happen.
A hand quivering, I hit the ground. Leaning back onto the tree, I again look at the stars as I frown and bite my lips, Chizuru keeps sobbing.
"I thought I was going to be next… but then some Zuikakus appeared on the sky. They had no problem killing the Warriors, even if they had to mercy kill some people along them. I was saved by a few seconds, had they arrived half a minute later everybody would have gotten killed."
She takes a second to wipe the waterfalls that dropped from her eyes, and after a short while she keeps talking, this time without tears tainting her face.
"Some days after I got to the shelter and calmed down a bit, I thought of what could have been done to prevent that tragedy. That's when I decided that I wanted to become a surface pilot, to understand about the battle protocols and someday become a General in the IJA. Someone who can guide our soldiers to the best course of action. If we had more experienced or knowledgeable commanders such a failure would never have happened, someone had to bring more options to the Shogun but no one had the valor to do so. We need to get stronger before the BETA strike again, without the help of the foreigners. The Empire needs to regain it's strength before it's too late!" Her devotion was apparent in her tone, and her eyes sparked to life with burning determination.
"But… why did you join the UN and not the IJA?"
"Because that's the only army my Father allowed me to join, I was still a minor back then so I didn't have a say in it. He was not pleased with my decision and it took me months to convince him to let me enlist. Of course, when I saw the UN's logo on the papers he brought me we had a fight over it. I can understand why he did that, but still…"
"Well… I can understand your hate towards the Americans, but why the UN? It's not like all the foreigners are your enemies. The troops that were here back in the '98 weren't all under the American's army, they also fought during the invasion."
"Even so they're the same. The UN didn't come to Kyoto's aid, just like the Americans, and from then on gave very little support to the Empire until Operation Lucifer. I remember the news back then, the UN kept insisting on moving our defense lines more and more, and thanks to that the MDF and the Royal Guard were left alone to protect the lands beyond those imaginary lines they decided without consulting us. I'll never forgive them, they ran away to safety without sparing a thought for us. They could have fought with us to protect the civilians, but they ran to Yokohama and Saitama. They abandoned us, you do what they want you to do or they throw you away. They're despicable, who wants allies like that?! They only fight when it's convenient for them, if it's not they run away like cowards without a care about their allies' situation." Her voice was brimming with venom. I mean, it's not like I don't understand.
If the UN had left some troops on the last defense line of Kyoto the evacuation would have gone without a problem, nobody would have died. Warriors cannot do a thing to a TSF, leaving ten or so would have prevented that accident. Then, the rest of the invasion would have gone differently. Of course, the UN had to protect Alt. IV and its HQ too, so maybe they did help, especially with the STF, but they couldn't risk the project, so they probably were forced to divide their resources between halting the BETA and making a solid defense for Alt. IV, even if it meant retreating all the way back to Tokyo. And obviously, no one could tell the media the real reason behind their actions.
That's why everyone gives the stink eye to the foreigners on the base. But to put everyone on the same bag? They're isolating themselves, the Empire will end up alone if this continues. And with Yuuhi coming after my neck, I can see she probably agrees on these feelings and is only using the UN for her own benefit. But what will she do when she doesn't need them anymore?
…That was a stupid question, I can already imagine it.
"I don't think it's right to put all foreigners in the same bag for the mistake some made in the past, but I can see why you all hate them so much. It's a mess."
"Sorry. I assumed you were like them. I didn't try to hear you out, as a leader and a comrade I'm a failure. I was sure that since you are so much better, when you thought we were bringing you down you would abandon us, like those bastards. But, despite being outnumbered and injured, you didn't run away and fought with all you had for us. I do not have words to describe how grateful I am. Shirogane, w-would you be willing to give me another chance? To prove you I deserve your trust?" She looks so guilty right now, shaking as she holds her elbows softly.
"It's alright, don't feel guilty about it. The rest wouldn't accept me now, after all I did kill those Japanese soldiers." I pretty much shot myself in the foot this time.
"That's… They were the ones who abused their power first. And I saw for myself that our suspicions about you were mistaken. You didn't abandon us, even when I doubted. You could have chosen to save yourself then, and yet because of me… You got hurt once more." Her gaze drops as she hugs her knees. "Yoroi and Tamase were always friendly with you, and I think Mitsurugi will change her mind after we explain to her what happened."
"You think they would want to work alongside a murdered?"
"Even if you did kill them, no one can ignore what you did for us! I'm sure we can explain this to the Instructor. Those soldiers were going to kill us and you saved us." My heart beats a bit more slowly as I relax onto the tree. Even if it's just for today… I'm glad I could see this side of Chizuru once more.
"I hope you're right. So what do think we should do?"
"Go to the evac point as fast as we can. We don't know when the soldiers will come for us, so we need to get out of here ASAP. Like you said before they went too far, something's very wrong here. I don't know if they are actually part of the CCSE, but given our encounters with them we should treat them as enemies. It pains me to say this but… if we encounter them we will have to incapacitate them, and if they resist… We might need to gravely harm them." She nods with her eyes closed and trembling fists.
"I agree. The first two that I fought with went as far as to point a gun to my face. They weren't trying to capture me in one piece, that's for sure." Even if I did went too far back then.
"We have to advance with utmost caution, I don't think I could run at all if we get spotted."
"Same. I think I overdid it today, my legs feel like jelly. And my back is killing me right now."
"In any case, let's rest until dawn. I'll take the first watch, you can sleep for now."
"Got it. Though, I don't know if I'll be able to sleep at all." Not when I still feel this cold all over me.
"I get what you mean. With the threat of the soldiers so close it'll be a miracle if we get any shuteye tonight." She sighs again as she relaxes onto the tree.
We remained quietly watching the night sky as the moon moved over the treetops. What a beautiful night, if it weren't for the looming danger of being found I would have fallen asleep a long time ago.
Now that I've calmed down a bit I should think on what I'll do from tomorrow on.
It seems that these soldiers weren't sent to take care of me specifically since they went after the others, so they aren't men from the Shogunate. There's no reason for Yuuhi to attack Meiya, unless she's paranoid that she'll betray her or something. I can understand some people might want the girls to remain as political hostages, but they went too far. They could have killed them if it weren't for my intervention. Maybe they were ordered to do that? Or were these soldiers caught up in their power over the 'special girls' and got lost in their emotions?
I know that what I did was awful, being generous, and that there will be consequences for my actions, but let's say I told Tsukuyomi-san about this. What would happen? The Empire would definitely lose it, so I have a card to use. If I get threatened to be kicked out of the army, I'll answer by saying I'll talk to the Empire about their 'offense' against Meiya. Maybe this was part of the CCSE but the soldiers were 'convinced' to be more aggressive during their mission. I wonder what they got in return for this? Money, a promotion, a house?
I have to find a way to surpass this hurdle. And I won't let them touch the girls again. Not because I want them to love me, not because of the ones that I met before, but because I want them to live. I don't want to see them suffer, even if they do end up hating me for killing these soldiers. My heart won't be able to take it.
Now then… What was that voice I heard before? It was clearly Sumika, but I don't remember ever talking with her about the moon. Well, my memory regarding my childhood isn't exactly clear. I did mistake Meiya's promise and thought I did it with Sumika instead, so I might be forgetting something here.
I rub my left shoulder slowly. It hurts way less now, I hope it doesn't get infected. I still feel those hands in my back, this feels completely different than how it was when the power plant blew up. Back then, when I turned off the lights of my room I felt a shiver all over me, as if a pair of cold hands were on my shoulders. They were… How to say it? Small? Like, it wasn't like the feeling when your Dad or Uncle grabbed your shoulders when you were little, it was as if a friend tapped my shoulder while joking. Yet the hands now feel more… strong? Unlike before I haven't stopped feeling them at all, as if they didn't want to let go. What is this feeling?
"Uuugh…"
Meiya groans as she slowly moves her arms. Looks like she's regained consciousness, she slowly opens her eyes but she can't raise her head from the ground as she stirs under her blanket.
"Where… am I?"
"Good morning, Meiya."
"Eh? Who… Shirogane?!" Her eyes went from barely open, sleepy and glazed, to fully open and shocked.
"Shh! Don't raise your voice." Chizuru scolded her as she crouched besides the leaf bed.
"Sa… kaki? What happened? Where are- Augh!" She holds her sides as she tried to get up.
"Don't push yourself. You took quite a beating so you have bruises and scars all over. Take it easy and stay lying, yes? You'll need all the energy you can muster for tomorrow." Chizuru put the blanket over her again, Meiya lies down with a pained expression.
"My body is aching all over and my head hurts with intense pain. What happened? How did Shirogane get here?" She throws a soft gaze at me. She looks so weak… I should have killed that gray haired bastard.
"I went and got a red paintjob on my hands." I say jokingly at her which makes her tilt her head in confusion.
"What… does that mean?"
"Let me explain, please stay quiet and let me finish." Chizuru starts telling her of what happened starting at when they got surrounded. Meiya seemed to be feeling horrible about not being able to protect her, but when she told her I disposed of the soldiers she looked horrified. Her expression didn't change when Chizuru told her we both carried her unconscious body to safety.
"You killed… two of them… and harmed the rest? Wait, how did you find us?"
"I struggled against the two soldiers that restrained me when they found us. After I broke free, I escaped towards the west from the hill and tried to lose them, but I had to fight them in the end. So after I finished dealing with them, I grabbed the Pleiades they were using and started running towards the direction of the dots on the map, using my compass as a guide to make sure I didn't get lost. Then, when I got close, I heard Chizuru's screaming and took care of the other soldiers."
"What did you do to the first soldiers? Did you kill them?" Her voice was very small, but her eyes were again full of fire. Really? You'll take those soldiers' side?
"No, I broke one's arm and beat up the other one." She bites her lip. It looks like she's holding a scream.
"Can you tell me… why did you have to kill them?"
"Mitsurugi, Shirogane saved us from them. Those soldiers were-"
"Sakaki, I know that. But he still killed two Japanese soldiers. Do you have an explanation, Shirogane? Why didn't you restrain them?" She's too noble. She isn't even considering that those guys weren't going to just lay down and give up.
"Mitsurugi, you and me know that those men went too far." Chizuru was talking like when she was Class Rep, waving a finger in the air and with that aura of a pissed off mom. "The UN's code is very clear on this, to never abuse your strength in front of a defenseless adversary. Shirogane could have abandoned us when he saw himself outnumbered, yet he risked his life and militar record to save us. He will probably be punished for the deed of saving his comrades from a clear case of abuse."
"It's alright, Sakaki. Meiya, I killed them because I saw how you two were getting beaten up. You in particular weren't moving and they kept kicking you, even on the head. I rather die than watch and do nothing when my squad is in danger." She bites her lip again, clouds covering her face as she squirms in the leaf bad.
"Because of us? You… You did it for- Augh!" She rubs her shoulders as pain assaults her. She shouldn't have tried to get up. "Why did you took their lives? You didn't have to stain your-" I move closer to her putting my face a few inches away from hers. She flinches backwards but doesn't break eye contact.
"Because they were going to kill you both. I don't care if they got sent by the UN, the Shogunate, or another army, anyone who harms my squad is my enemy. If they try to kill you, I'll answer with the same force. I mean, can you put yourself in my shoes for a sec? When I found you there was the possibility that you were already dead. How do you think I felt when I saw you lying still, not reacting to the kicks?" She starts shaking and breaks eye contact. I grab her chin and force her to look at me again. "Tell me Meiya, how do you think I felt?"
"I-I… suppose you were truly adusted. But why did you have to…" She can't continue as her mouth closes shut. She did sympathize with the rebels' cause last loop.
"Look, I know I must look like a monster to you. But they were harming you and Sakaki. I… don't want to lose anyone again. I'm not putting up excuses. I just wanted to protect you two."
"But… Why didn't they stop? Surely they… they wouldn't have…" She's shaking all over and I see tears well up in her eyes. I had tightened my grip on her face without realizing.
"Sorry. Please don't cry, it's alright now. I won't let anyone harm you, so you just rest." I let go of her chin and slowly wipe the tears of her face. She looks so weak right now.
"No, forgive me. You're right, you saved my life. Thank you Shirogane. Truly, I… don't know what could have been of us if not for your help." She bows slowly with an apologetic look on her face.
"That's fine. Now, stay lying. You're hurt all over so don't force yourself." I gently grab her shoulders and push her into the ground slowly. I pet her head as she tries to raise again. "Stay quiet Meiya, you need to rest."
"I am fine. And… I told you not to call me by my name." She looks so cute when she's annoyed like that. I keep petting her slowly.
"Sorry about that. But you need to rest, we need to march at dawn break so don't force yourself." She stops trying to get up, then nods and lets out a sigh.
"I won't. I understand already. I'll rest for tonight, I won't cause you two more problems." She seems honest. She stays in place looking at me in the eye, with a light blush on her face. "Um… Thanks again. Really, I… truly appreciate you looking out for me."
"I told you it's fine. I know that what I did isn't praise worthy, you just rest for now."
"Shirogane… Forgive me, for leaving you behind."
"Don't worry, Sakaki already apologized. It's alright, I don't resent you or anything." She looks at me incredulous.
"Are you serious? You're not upset?"
"Come on, now. What could you have done? If we had stayed in that open area they would have sicked their guns on us, and thanks to you two leaving I could break free."
"Really? You do not resent me? Despite that I ran away?" She must be troubled about her honor since running away is seen as a disgrace, if I remember correctly from what she taught me when we got together on the other world.
"I don't. The question is, can you work with me despite what I did?" I get closer to her again and she moves her head to the side. She gazes at me as her hands fumble with the blanket.
"You won't… kill anyone else, right?"
"Unless they try to harm any of you, no. If it's to protect someone I'll do it, but I don't like harming people." As much as I might hate them, I need them for the Kashgar raid. And as angry as I got, I can't say the taste it left in my mouth is a pleasant one.
"So… You'll work with us? You won't leave us behind?" Why is she being so timid? This isn't like her at all.
"Of course, you're my squadmates after all. Can we work together for these few nights, Meiya?" She pouts slightly at me. Hehe, I know you're not her but I'm so glad to see you're alright Meiya. You're alive and kicking, that's good news.
"Of course, we're in this together. But, why are you using my name again?"
"Because I want to. Don't worry, I'll go back to calling you Mitsurugi once I'm rested up." I move back slowly towards the tree. I wince as my back makes contact with the bark.
"Are you hurt?" Her gaze on me, Meiya spoke softly.
"Yeah, but I'm already patched up. It shouldn't be a problem, I think."
"I see. I don't think I can fight much in my current state." She admits as shame appears in her eyes.
"Mitsurugi, neither me or Shirogane are much better. All three of us are in horrible shape, so we need to work together to pass this." Chizuru reassures her, giving her a smile.
"You heard her, Meiya. So whether you like it or not we're working together." I smile at her and she finally relaxes a bit.
"But… what we did… Are you really okay with this? We abandoned you."
"Come on, I'm to blame for lowering my guard too."
"But…"
"What, you want us to give up?" I teasingly take out one radio and immediately her eyes light up with purple flames.
"Never! But… You know, I thought you would snap at us, since we left you to your misery."
"You couldn't have done anything in that situation. Really, it's fine. So, can I count on you to cover my back?" I stare at her and she nods at me.
"Yes, of course. I don't know what I can do right now, but you can count on me." Chizuru breaths a sigh of relief after hearing her answer.
"Say Shirogane, can't you tell her what you told me?"
"I did kinda tell her parts of it, and honestly I don't think she needs this right now." Meiya seems to have taken offense at my words as she shot inquisitive glares at both of us.
"What are you talking about?"
"Mitsurugi, Shirogane told me about his past and made me realize I was misjudging him. Can you hear what he had to go through?"
"I already know he lost his memory before he joined the UN and that he doesn't know where his family is."
"No, that's not it." Chizuru starts making circles in the air again as she speaks. "I'm talking about how he got inducted into a special squad, and had to endure a horrible incident. Could you please listen to his story?" I'm touched that Chizuru is trying to clear the air between us. I guess… I can finally drop my guard with her. Meiya is glancing at me with fire in her eyes again.
"Inducted into a special squad? Shirogane, why didn't you tell me of this before?"
"Because you didn't ask. Anyways, do you want to hear it?" She nods quickly. She looks like a child waiting for a tale before going to bed. I know she admires my swordsmanship but, is that the only reason she's so curious about me?
I told her what I told Chizuru. How I failed to save someone and had to kill her, how I joined a special squad, how after the Yukon Incident I had nowhere to go since my squad and Instructor died and Yuuko-sensei scouted me to arrive at Yokohama.
"All of this is classified intel, so don't tell this to anyone." Meiya nods as she strokes her bangs slowly.
"You do not need to tell so, I understand. So you were there during the incident… You were part of a special squad… I cannot imagine the severity of the situation you had to go through. So when your unit was wiped out you got a proposal to join our base, and since the authorities at Yukon didn't have a place for you they agreed to transfer you? Is this the truth?" She looks at me intently, a weird glow in her eyes.
"I'm sure Sensei pressured someone to get the deal done. Supposedly, she was interested in having such a promising recruit on her base. I also used the chance to come back here, to see if I could find out who I was." I let out a sigh as I relax onto the tree.
"I see. Now that you mention this… Does this has anything to do with that badge?"
"Badge?" Chizuru tilts her head, looking at me.
"Sigh… Yeah, you can say that."
"Shirogane, what is Mitsurugi talking about?"
"I got a badge when I arrived here, as a formality for having fought on Yukon. I don't think anyone else got it, so please don't mention it again Meiya."
"Sorry… But it did say 'Champion', so I suppose the XO sees you as a great asset." You don't know how right you are. "Is this also related to your special missions, perchance?"
"…Yeah, it is." I close my eyes, putting my hands behind my head.
"Um, Shirogane?" Chizuru's voice softly says. "Why were you assigned as the tester of those machines? Are they truly a Japanese invention?"
"Yes, I said as much before."
"But they're… If they are, why are they being tested in the UN?" Chizuru was folding her arms. Meiya's eyes were fixated onto me. Sigh…
"Well… Can you keep a secret?" Both of them nod. "The machines have so many English terms and are in the UN… because I'm the one who made them."
"Huh?! Is this true?" Meiya was in whatever state comes after shocked, Chizuru was silently staring with her mouth slightly open.
"I came up with the concept back in Yukon and had done a prototype build of them and had a very rough version of some programs we used. They're like a pet project of mine, you could say. When I came here, I mentioned them once to Sensei and she was interested in the idea. That's how those prototypes were made and why I was in charge of testing them. That's what I was doing with Kasumi when she came to look for me, she was helping me out with the tests and fixes the sims needed." Both of them look away for some reason. They remained quiet for a while.
"…But you arrived in late October, were those machines made in… The UN's engineers must be top notch." Chizuru says, tapping her glasses.
"Yeah, they are. But you know, not a word of this to anyone. The sims are Top Secret stuff for now, so keep this to yourselves please." They both nod, I can see in their stares that they won't break this promise. I wonder if I could get to use those things after the CCSE if they can look at them differently…
"Say Shirogane…" Meiya says, gripping the edge of her blanket. "Would you let me assist you in your search of your family? With my resources, I'm sure I could find them." Thanks, but don't. I do not want to imagine what would you do if you find out I'm a 'dead man'.
"It's alright. Sensei tried to look into it, but it seems all my data was wiped out. Without that, you won't be able to find anything." I let out a sigh. Meiya drops her gaze as her hands grip the blanket tightly again.
And anyways, I may actually never see them again. I can't even go back to my home world for more than a day without dooming everybody to a horrible death. So, my parents might be gone from my life forever.
"Um… Forgive me, Shirogane. I shouldn't have brought that up."
"Don't worry. Let's rest, we need all the energy we can get for tomorrow." Both of them nod.
"Well, how do you two wish to take shifts for sleeping?" Straight to business, as usual for our blue haired girl.
"I'll take the first as we agreed before. Shirogane, I'll wake you up in four hours or so. Mitsurugi you just rest, you got it the worst from all of us."
"Understood. Forgive me for pushing this burden onto you two."
"Don't sweat it Meiya, you're the one who needs it the most." She avoids my eyes as she slowly gets under her blanket. She's so cute when she gets all bashful.
"Yes, I will need all the energy I can get for tomorrow. Good night, you two." And she gets completely under her blanket. I do wonder what got into her, to have her be this embarrassed all of a sudden.
"Sakaki, remember to have the gun nearby just in case. If you hear anything wake me up." She nods at my words grabbing the rifle tighter.
I need to sleep. In just a few hours we have to run, once we make it to the first evac point if we are not being tailed… We can escape with the boat. One or two days, that's all I need. Every second counts here, the sooner I get back to the base the sooner I can talk with Sensei about this. About the sword, the soldiers. She better have a good explanation for this. But I'll cross that bridge when I get there, for now… I need to rest.
I put the blanket over me, it smells bad. Considering how much it rained and all I ran it's not surprising. I can only hope everything goes alright. And after taking one last look at the moon, I let sleep's spell take over me.
[Musou]
My breathing is still rugged. They're getting close. I grab my sword tightly, and feel the weight of the 9mm gun on my waist. I never thought… they would go so far. The smell of burnt wood has long since filled the hallways, the sound of gunshots coming from the gardens have not yet ceased. I can expect no backup.
I look at her frail figure lying on the futon. Forgive me Koubuin-sama, for I have failed you. The gash on her back is drilling at me, one second too late and her life might have faded. No, it still wasn't safe to assume she'll survive.
I heard voices getting closer. I jump onto the wall and climb unto the small air vent. I peek towards the hallway after nudging myself into the small space, I see three black-cladded figures. Enemies.
I return to her room, they will enter from the front door and that'll give me an opening to assault them from above. As the door opens forcefully and the men enter the room I fall from my hiding place on the roof, sword at the ready. I slash one's neck as I fall, launching myself forward as I land driving my sword into another's stomach from behind.
Quickly sending a kick to the last one, I managed to send his gun flying away.
"Damn you bastard!" The last remaining aggressor took out his blade and charged at me.
I side step to my left and slash at his shoulder, he blocks and sends a slash from my right. I move to pressure him from my right, he takes a step back and launches a downward slash from my left. I stay still as I deflect his strike with my blade using all my might, no matter how skilled I might be fighting a bigger opponent is never an easy task. Then putting force into my feet I return the blow. His arms got yanked upwards, leaving his body wide open. I take my chance and take a step forward, slashing at his neck. The man falls to the ground with a groan, he drowns in his own blood.
I can't hear no more footsteps nearby. I'm starting to feel sick, I never thought… that killing could be so intoxicating. It's a horrible taste the one that fills my mouth. For the sake of my duty, I can do anything. Or so I thought.
The sound of footsteps resonate again on the hallway, approaching quite fast. I won't have time to hide, I grab my gun and point it at the door from a blank point. However, the figures I see are not those of the aggressors.
"1st Lt. Tsukuyomi!" I greet her as she arrives with four members of the guard behind her.
"You… what are you doing here?" Her cold eyes through the glasses make me flinch.
"I… I am protecting-"
"Do you call this protecting?! You useless fool!" She grabs me by the collar, almost choking me.
"I… There were…" I cannot form a sentence under their spiteful glares. I know the guards don't exactly like me… but still…
"Ichimonji, take Yuuhi-sama to safety. Fuudo, Juutsuya, Tayama. You three secure the area. Understood?!"
"Yes, Ma'am!" All of them answer in unison and get on her orders immediately.
"You… follow me, we will open a path for Ichimonji to take Yuuhi-sama to safety." She addressed me coldly, and I follow closely behind as we make our way to the right side of the hallway. "Tell me what happened. How many were they?"
"Five. They ambushed us, I'm the only one left of the guards here. I had trouble dealing with one of them, and another knocked Koubuin-sama before trying to kill her. I barely managed to attack him to make him fail on his deadly intent. But…"
"You still failed. Is this all you can do? All the time we spent on you, for this? You disappoint me, where are all those brave words you spoke before?"
"My apologies." I bow as we walk, I have nothing to retort with. Because of my weakness…
"Hmph, that way of speech does not suit you. I hope you're ready to keep fighting, it seems someone leaked our patrol's data and our weaponry to these terrorists."
"You mean… someone of the Regent-"
"Do not utter another word." Her cold eyes stop me from finishing. I sometimes forget how scary she can be.
"But then who-"
"Do not ask. You need not know, you're a blade. A blade asks no questions. Focus on your mission, slaughter all who would harm Yuuhi-sama. I'll say it one more time, lose that little humanity you still have within. Let loose, have no moderation in your strikes. You are a member of the Royal Guard, we do not hold back in front of our enemies. Was I clear?"
"Yes, Ma'am." This intel could only be leaked by someone of the Regent Houses. This Empire is rotten, how dare they point their blades towards their fellows? And sending terrorists to do their dirty work no less.
"Perfect. Now make haste, our comrades won't hold out for long. Let me remind you, being inducted into the Royal Guard is one of the greatest honors a Japanese citizen can ever hope to receive. Maybe my words are falling on deaf ears, but I still have high hopes placed on you."
"I'll do my best to answer to them." I feel so out of place here. I much rather go back to my old station. Working alone suits me best, and all this forced dignity is making me sick.
We're under attack and you bother with the honor speech? I already know what my role is. I already saw the consequences…
The sound of footsteps reverberates nearby. We both ready our guns and open fire at the soldiers that turned the corner. I won't hesitate… I can't hesitate… For her sake, I…
The hallway is painted in red. The 1st Lt. gives me a stern look as my knees started to shake. Can you blame me? I never had to kill anyone… And now…
"Make haste, time is of essence!" I resign myself to my fate as I follow her lead.
Some hours after that...
Standing guard outside of the room where Yuuhi-sama was brought after the incident was over, it feels as if I had a boombox beating inside my chest. My ears just won't stop ringing, and I can't stop one of my hands from shaking.
The damage we received was too severe. 1st Lt. Tsukuyomi didn't deny the possibility that another Regent House was the one who leaked the intel, but even so, how could they have gotten our data? Does that mean that… there's a traitor in our ranks?
Still… How many did I shoot today? I thought I was going to puke my insides out, yet despite the reflex nothing comes out. My stomach turning and turning, yet this sick sensation doesn't want to leave me for now. I guess that once my tension truly leaves me I'll be able to let it out, whatever it is that's brewing in there.
"Hey, attention!" The other guard that was keeping watch with me stood upright, three fellows in the red dress approached us.
The two different green tones of the Tsukuyomis' hair in the lead, and the boy that's always around them following right behind. They don't seem to be hurt, thankfully.
"Greetings, fellows. We have come to watch over Yuuhi-sama. Is Ichimonji-san within the room?" Grasping a strand of her emerald hair, she asked.
"Yes. Her wounds have already been treated."
"How are her injuries as of now?!" Narrowing her turquoise eyes, I couldn't help but to gulp hard and nod.
"…She is no risk, rest assured. Please, do go inside." Both of us bow to them, opening the door.
The two of them quickly walk inside, yet the boy delays his steps for a moment. Remaining in place as he looks down, he ruffles his chestnut hair as he sighs. Looking back at us, it takes a second for him to find his words.
"Um… How is the rest of house?"
"It has taken serious damage, especially the left wing." My comrade answers. "Thankfully, the inner structure wasn't compromised. Rest easy Shirogane, we have routed all of those terrorists."
"…I see. How are our fellows? Have the other guards… well…"
"…We did lose many comrades, yes." I say, and we both grimace. He seems to be wringing his fists. "However, everything has already been resolved. Please do go to Yuuhi-sama's presence, she should be awaiting you."
"Yeah… Um…"
"Yes?" It is odd, he rarely hesitates this much when asking something.
"…Is this how it is? To be at war?"
…
"…Not always." My comrade answers. "Sometimes it goes better, other times it goes worse. But it rarely comes down to such barbaric acts, for us to face off against other people."
"I agree. No one could have anticipated this turn of events. This is a limit situation, nothing more."
"So… everything will return to normal in a few days right? The others won't… be left as they are in the hall for long, right?" Biting his lips, frowning clearly, we could do nothing but look down as we knew the supplies wouldn't magically appear overnight.
"…It might take some time. The available supplies have been sent to the higher echelons of our ranks, after all." My comrade says, sighing afterwards.
"…Is that so? So they won't receive anything else?" Hanging his head, eyes almost closing, it felt as if a crab was strangling my throat. "They won't send anything from our reserves?"
"Well… They were clear in their orders already."
Biting his lips, he winces. Coiled fists shake, a frown suddenly finds its way to his face.
"H-However, our Lady and the rest are working as hard as possible so that supplies arrive as quickly as possible. I believe Cpt. Amato had gone to the hall a moment ago to survey the situation over there?"
"Yes… Yes, he did." He looks down, seeming dejected at something. How odd. "Sorry to take your time." Giving us a bow that we return, he finally enters the room, and we close the door as he does.
Sighing as I lean on the wall, nothing but powerlessness fills me. Can't do much but to share his feelings, this was something that we weren't ready for. It is dejecting, seeing him so afflicted and worried about us commoners despite his standing. And to hear of how the rest of us inductees are being treated in the Main Hall.
"…I wish more of them were like him."
"Hey, don't say that out loud. I don't want to face a reprisal because of any loose words. Remember what just happened, Fukuha."
"I know… It's just, is it that much to ask for them to look after us commoners properly? He's right, they could have sent something else to the hall."
"Look, I agree with you. But we can't let them hear us complaining, the Tsukuyomis won't let us off the hook like they do with him."
"Sigh… I know."
Still… I would like more of them to follow his example. Shirogane's completely right, sending just a few more supplies isn't out of our reach. Hopefully, he might just convince Amato and the Tsukuyomis with one of his ramblings again.
All I can do for now is stand guard and follow my orders. That's all us inductees are allowed to do in the Royal Guard.