Chapter 39: Count down toward the apocalypse
Man dreams, beast dreams, all living creatures dream and some times, even dream even comes to a sword.
Forged in the inferno of war and the hammer of fate, the blade darker than a moonless night was created, laying corpses of its enemies in its wake. A device of carnage, untouched by the gift of life, blessed by the god of death himself, yet the blade still deserved a right to dream.
May 19, 2003
"When are you going to wake up, you idiot? You made appointment with some troublesome people. Quickly wake up and clean your own mess!"
A phantom voice chimed within my head.
Kouzuki Yuuko it was, and yet she was no longer here. I knew it as much as anyone else should. Kouzuki Yuuko is no longer here.
"If you planned to fight against me, at least, make some back up plans in case you fail, you gigantic idiot."
Indeed, it was Yuuko's voice. That haughty attitude, other than her, there is nobody that I have ever known had that kind of overbearing confident. But she was no where to be found, not in the last two year. She disappeared since that day, leaving all of us behind. Fight against her? What is she even talking about? As if I would be stupid enough to fight against her, I mean she was the last person that I would want to have as an enemy. Who would be stupid enough to fight against her?
"Takeru san…"
"Takeru chan"
Somehow, I could not distinguish which one is the reality, the scenery before my eyes or it was the illusions within my head.
Kasumi, shouldn't she at the bottom of the base, in the brain room where she always was like usual, waiting for me to visit her.
Sumika, I heard her voice. But, she shouldn't exist in this world. In this world, there is no Kagami Sumika, Yuuko sensei has told me. But why, I can hear her voice? Why could I hear her voice here and now of all time? Before, no matter how much I missed her, how much I searched for her, she was no where to be found, not in this world at least and even in my dreams.
"Battle start"
A mechanical voice brought me back to my reality, driving away the phantom noises that echoed within my head.
This is not the time. I reminded myself, zeroing out the distraction and focus on what in front of me.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
A golden strip curved across the ghostly ruin and subsequently transformed into an uncontrollable inferno.
"Bandit 05 down," Tama's voice resounded, reconfirming the status of her shot.
Actually, it was needless. Everyone in the squad 207th has already known the result. A singular directional flying pattern would ensure the unfortunate Eagle a quick promise of death even if it was on its max thrust. The sniper was the Far East's best sharpshooter who even took down the runaway HSST from beyond the horizon, something like this was just the same as shooting practice clay Frisbees during her self training exercise.
"Nice shot Tama. Everyone, proceed to plan B. Class Rep, Ayamine, double team their leader on my mark. Mikoto, stay put, defend that place as though your life depends on it. Tama, keep it up, Meiya and I will lure them into your range."
A squad leader he wasn't, nor was he a second in command nor was he in charge of the squad tactical decision. Yet, everyone obeyed the youth's instruction without complain.
"Easy… easy…easy"
The youth's mumble rang over the intercom as his eyes fixed into his HUD, waiting for the signal of the wireless sensors that he laid over the map, expecting some reaction.
A siren wail and the youth rallied his squad into battle "Everybody, go."
Chiruzu would have thought that the youth must have been a psychic or a prophet of some sort if it weren't for his history of being undefeated in TSF battles around the base.
The leader of the Rapier squadron appeared at the spot as expected, intending to perform a sneak attack on Tama with his speedy Eagle alone. If only the Rapier unit weren't all that well acquainted with Takeru, being his duel buddies, this would never happen to them. They held way too many rematches against Takeru in those unofficial matches, resulting in Takeru get a hold on their tactics and habits. It was fortunate for the squad 207 to have the Rapier unit as their examiner.
"Hey, what are you…"
Chiruzu never had the chance to finish what she intended to say nor she had the luxury to admire of how precise Takeru's prediction in this match. Through her retinal display, Ayamine plunged her Gekishin forward, away from the agreed ambushing area, intercepting with the flight path of Bandit 01's Eagle.
If the commander of the Rapier was surprise, he did well to hide it. With a barrel roll, he timely evaded Ayamine's reckless interception and retaliated with a salvo of 36mm.
"Disarm him first if you are going to do something like that next time," with a short grumble, Chiruzu took the Eagle by surprise, destroying its assault cannon with a furious 120mm shell.
"Rob him of his mobility next time if you are going to support," Ayamine retorted as she leapt at the stunned Eagle, smashing its defence open with an explosive front kick and then slamming her fist at the Eagle's left Jump unit, chopping it off the Eagle's body and subsequently sent the one wing Eagle assail the air with a reverse roundhouse kick.
"Like you are the one to talk. Finish him properly next time"
Chiruzu angrily responded to her bitter rival as she drew another 120mm piercing bullet through the exposed torso of the crashed Eagle.
"Report it if you took him down," Ayamine bickered
"Guh… this is 20702, Bandit 01 neutralized," Chiruzu could only swallow her anger and report as she was told.
"Hahaha, I never know if the two of you were getting along or not," Mikoto laughed openly on the squad's channel, listening to the usual quarrelling between her squad leader and the squad's vanguard.
Takeru must have been overly cautious, Mikoto thought. With her back pressed against a three storey buildings, Mikoto raised her Gekishin's hands backwardly, nailing down two Eagles with two assault cannons.
The sole reason that Takeru asked of her to defend the place was to prevent the Rapier unit to come to their leader's rescue in case Chiruzu and Ayamine unable to take down the commander in due time. But now, since the quarrelling duo Chiruzu and Ayamine have taken out the opposing commander in a blink of eye, Mikoto need not defend this area anymore.
Since none of the two Eagles within her sight dare to explicitly soar to the sky after that unearthly shot of Tamase, Mikoto had a relatively easy time to deal with the both of them without much worrying of the difference in spec between her Gekishin and the Eagles. Besides, Mikoto started out as a Blast Guard, one with the most devastated firepower on the battlefield, she wouldn't simply stall for time. If necessary, she might as well the leading player in this battle.
The moment her retinal display revealed that the pair of Eagles decided to part in two directions, retreating in order to regroup. Mikoto leapt to the sky, flipped her Gekishin backward, similarly to those weird aerobatic of Takeru, spearing rain of 36mm shells with the twin guns in her hands at one Eagle, sending several thermal rockets at the other.
The well timed surprise attack of Mikoto found their targets. One Eagle became a ball of fire, hit by thermal rockets while the other earthed, purging away its aflame right Jump unit.
"This is 20704, Bandit 03 down. Bandit 04 is yours, Miki san"
Mikoto gave her status report and at the same time called her best friend for the finishing shot.
"Good job, Yoroi san," Tama replied, bringing her scope at the crippled Eagle and squeezed the trigger.
"This is 20705, Bandit 04 neutralized."
"Nicely done everyone," Meiya's praising voice resound on the common channel, following by her own status report "This is 20702, Bandit 02 neutralized, end of simulation."
The bisected body of the last Eagle laid flatly on the ground next to her Gekishin as though begrudging the azure knight princess.
"End of simulation,"
A woman whose name Meiya didn't know announced accordingly, deactivating the JIVES system and ending the practical exam.
"Hey! What the hell? Why did it end so fast? It wasn't in the plan. I didn't even get a single kill count! I'm not even doing anything!"
A single complain came after the HUD of every member of the squad 207th turned dark. Grumpy, Shirogane Takeru directed his irritation at his squad mates.
"Isn't that proved your plan a success?" Chiruzu snickered.
"That must be a lie. Neither you nor Ayamine followed the plan, you people even abandoned the ambushing area"
"It can't be help," Ayamine replied with her usual poker face.
"It can't be help… my foot!" Takeru stomped his leg on the cockpit, throwing a tantrum like a spoil child.
"Now, now Takeru, don't be like that" Mikoto offered a word of consolation.
"Like you are the one to talk Mikoto, you didn't even wait for my signal and decide to act on your own," yelped, Takeru.
"Ahahaha, It was a one in a life time chance back then, I couldn't help but do it," Mikoto shrugged her shoulders and lightly laughed.
"Why you…" gritting his teeth was the only thing Takeru could do.
"Takeru, stop acting like that. It's unsightly." Meiya reprimanded her boyfriend over the intercom.
"Meiya, what the hell was that? You didn't even wait for me. Didn't we agree on that?"
"It's just turn out that way," Mitsurugi Meiya stuck out her tongue and cutely smiled.
Being at a loss of word was the most befitting description for Takeru. Tears rolled down his eyes. "How are they going to score me on this exam then?"
Shirogane Takeru asked as his friends' laughter filled the intercom, he asked knowing full well the answer.
It was all but a formality, this exam and the many exams that the squad 207th has aced. This was all but a formality to get the 207th armoured squadron under their control. This was all but a formality. There was not a person in the base who not knowing of Takeru's inhumane feat and his winning streak. He and the squad 207th was readied a year ago but weren't allow to take the exam due to some stupidly convenience reasons.
An easy exam like this for Takeru and his unit was nothing but a walk in the park, a formality, a device to bring the 207th armoured squadron under the palm of the Fifth plan.
People of the fifth plan wanted to get Takeru and his squad, just as much as the legendary A01 Valkyries and the great many personnel that used to work for Kouzuki Yuuko and her fourth plan and they have succeeded to certain extend.
There were those who resigned after the disappearance of his Yuuko sensei, compromising and working for ALTERNATIVE V.
There were also those who stubbornly fought to a bitter end, only to be jested by a scripted twist of destiny like that of the Valkyries.
There were also those who are still fighting, persistently believing that one day Kouzuki Yuuko would return, with her usual glory.
And there were also those who are still fighting, persistently trying to protect a fruit of someone else's research while not knowing what it is. The world deemed them as hinderers of mankind's attempt to put a victorious conclusion to the war against BETA. They fought, accepting the role of a villain, some uncooperative bastards who refused on someone's generosity out of their vanity and selfishness. They fought, protecting the fruit of the fourth plan from fallen into the wrong hand. They fought knowing full well the predictable outcome ahead of them. They fought knowing full well that mankind has resigned to their apocalypse, running away from the Earth to a faraway star. Still, they fought to a bitter end, with pride and resolution on their back. And Shirogane Takeru is one of those people.
Even though his uniform was sew with the emblem of the fifth plan, making him unmistakably a member of the ALTERNATIVE V, another insignia proudly embed on both side of his sleeves.
Warrior goddess in white, holding twin swords, preparing to fight and lay down for a greater cause, A01 the Valkyries was the legendary unit that associated with that insignia.
A01 Isumi's Valkyries, the strongest unit in Yokohama, Yuuko's personal unit, it has ceased to exist, half a year ago, on the record, but still, it remained till this day. And so did its pride, its strength and its legacy.
"Well, it's not like I really care about this stupid exam or anything," Shirogane Takeru silently swallowed his word before they could come out of his vocal cord.
"Hey, what are you mumbling Takeru? Hurry up and head to the auditorium. Our result will be announced there," Mikoto's cheerful voice abruptly woke Takeru from his trance.
"What are you seating there for? Get your ass moving," Chiruzu complained with a cheery tone.
"Takeru, you are not going to sulk like this the whole day, aren't you?" Meiya teased.
"Don't worry about it Takeru san. There is no way that they would fail you," reassured Tama
"Surely a C, at worst a C-, no worry," Ayamine concluded
"Hey, the last one was uncalled for," Takeru growled and kicked his TSF's cockpit open.
The squad 207 has become stronger, much more than Takeru has ever imagined, may be as strong as those special op units, but strong enough to be considered a threat when compared to any armoured TSF unit, even if they were the legendary Valkyries.
Using Gekishin to fight against Eagle and yet emerged victorious in the end, that's not something easily imagined. Takeru may solely responsible for seeing through the down fall of the Rapier unit but it was the skills that the girls displayed to be praised. Their piloting skill all shared all but one pattern, bizarre footsteps and eye catching acrobatics. After all, it was Takeru who became their instructor in this subject. He wasn't the undefeated champion in those unofficial matches for nothing.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Tsukuyomi Mana sometimes couldn't help but wonder at that certain someone, the biggest mystery in her entire life.
A person from another world he was, definitely not someone from another culture or something similar.
His head filled with strange knowledge and vocabulary that nobody except himself understood, yet lacking the most basic knowledge that even a child know. His behaviour was even stranger, oddly familiar with Tsukuyomi even though it was their first met and even now. There is not a normal Japanese soldier or civilian would greet Tsukuyomi in the manner that he did seeing Tsukuyomi in the bright red uniform of the Imperial Royal Guard. And the strangest thing about him is the fact that everyone came to accept him despite his eccentricity and stupidity, Tsukuyomi herself included.
Tsukuyomi was trained side by side with the greatest of the Imperial Royal Guard, seeing many talented people and also many untalented one, but not that man from another world.
It was as though the words "incompetent" and "untalented" were solely created to describe him. More than anyone else in this world, even children, that man lacked many essential skills, knowledge and abilities that everyone had. It was really a wonder of how he survived in this world until now, being like that.
A fish that stranded on shallow water and struck there, unable to do anything, unable to survive on its own and unable to return to where it belonged, he was.
But it's all different the moment he boarded a TSF. The air around him changed and he became a different person. Like a hawk soaring on the unlimited sky, a whale splashing in the great ocean, Shirogane Takeru piloted his TSF.
He was born for this purpose, Tsukuyomi was convinced.
The word "talent" would not do justice to that kind of aptitude and unnatural display of piloting skill. A genius, he is not. His unrestrained acrobat and thinking style was all driven by sheer aptitude and primal instinct.
He was born for this, piloting a TSF, like how a bird was designed to fly and a fish was created to swim.
I'm seriously had nothing else to teach you.
Long time ago, she has thought that it would be an impossible feat for her and the boy, praising him this kind pf praise. But it completely vanished when Tsukuyomi realized the hidden side of Shirogane Takeru that everyone has failed to perceived. She couldn't teach those combat techniques, shooting skills or anything else, beating it into the boy's body through normal mean. Her old and traditional lessons barely have any effect to Shirogane Takeru at all.
He lacked many things aside from physics, aptitude and natural talent. Still, given time, he could catch up with Tsukuyomi and the girls in his squad. But, it would be a long and thorny road for someone like him, how many decades it would take until he reaches that state? But that opinion was a mistake itself and in itself. Shirogane Takeru was just different. A fish could not swim on the land nor could a bird fly under the ocean. The sole reason that people believed the boy Shirogane Takeru as an untalented person was to blame on the environment and the teaching method that was forced onto him.
It was totally conventional and natural to teach kenjutsu in a dojo or teaching shooting skill in the shooting range. It was natural to learn CQC skills with your muscle as much as learning some kind of math theory with your brain.
But those conventional and natural methods would not help that boy at all, Tsukuyomi was convinced. Therefore, some kind of special training course and curriculum must be designed for such an oddity such as Shirogane Takeru and Tsukuyomi knew just the right method.
It wasn't the dojo or the shooting range or the tactical conference room that held Shirogane Takeru's daily lesson from Tsukuyomi, it was but a JIVES TSF simulation.
That trick did the job, far better than Tsukuyomi dared to put her hope. And since the first lesson, Tsukuyomi realized that she was watching the ascension of an invincible conqueror.
Humility was the only one thing prevented Tsukuyomi from believing that she herself was one of the best Eishi our there in the world, reaching the summit in this art, until she met Shirogane Takeru.
There are always higher mountains.
That proverb always reminded Tsukuyomi to be humble, that there is always someone better than her out there in this vast world.
Geniuses, specialists, aces pilots, the existence of Shirogane Takeru made a mockery on those who bore such titles on their chest.
"Thank you for the lesson,"
A courteous voice chimed inside Tsukuyomi's intercom
"Good work today, you are as terrific as usual," replied Tsukuyomi, giving the highest unrestrained praise that she has ever given to someone. "Go back and take a good rest, we will meet again tomorrow at the same place and hour."
"Thank you, now, please excuse me"
The youth exhaustedly replied, disconnecting from the virtual simulation system.
"Being courteous doesn't suit you at all," Tsukuyomi chuckled silently the moment she was sure that the link was disconnected.
Rudeness and informality suited the youth better, Tsukuyomi thought and kept it to herself. Rude but frank and sincere, that was one of quality that defined the person known as Shirogane Takeru.
On the other hand, it was Tsukuyomi who demanded from him such courteousness to maintain their 'mentor and disciple' relationship to avoid mistaken speculations from people who are not aware of their special remedial lessons.
It has been almost two years since this special relationship was form between Tsukuyomi and that youth. Ever since, it has been relatively a hard time for Tsukuyomi to privately giving him one on one lesson like this.
"I'm serious had nothing else to teach you," Tsukuyomi sighed "If you could do something like this on a regular basis, I am seriously don't know what else to teach."
A Takemikazuchi in red and a Gekishin in blue, both kneeling on the ground on their knees with impaled sword ran through their gigantic frames, if this wasn't the most ridiculous scene, what is?
Her TSF is the pride of the empire, the TSF bearing the name of the god of sword and lightening, the Takemikazuchi, the strongest TSF in the arsenal of the Imperial Royal Guard. His TSF is a first generation, a Gekishin, a variant of the earliest TSF the Phantom, excluding the fact that it was a used one, patching up from scraps. Yet, the boy could use something like that and fight Tsukuyomi tooth and nail to a standstill. If this isn't a mockery on Tsukuyomi's pride and skill, what is?
If he wasn't satisfy with this kind of strength, what would? Tsukuyomi couldn't help but wonder. Ever since that incident, ever since the attack attempt on Meiya, Shirogane Takeru has become obsessively possessed with a drive for strength.
The undefeated, the crownless conqueror, the invincible Eishi, the genius, what ever title people gave him, it wasn't enough. Shirogane Takeru never gave a damn on those titles, what he seek was something beyond those titles that people gave him. Unparallel strength to crush down those who attempted to wrong him, to touch what was his, to steal the treasure in his possession was the only thing Shirogane Takeru pursued.
December 14, 2001
"How's your wound Hayase?"
Suzumiya Haruka, the one in charge of the Valkyries' command post worriedly asked her best friend.
"Hahaha, don't worry about it. It's nothing much," the undisputed aced laughed, shrugging her head.
"Well, if you consider that kind of wounds as nothing, I'm seriously worried of your future Hayase. I mean a maiden's skin is just as important as her life. No matter how I looked at them, those will leave scars," Munakata sighed aloud, poking her nose into the conversation.
"If you don't talk, nobody would think that you are muted Munakata. Keep your mouth zipped for a moment, if you please," Hayase retorted, slightly annoyed.
"Well, still, I'm amazed that you still able to bail both Shirogane and Instructor out in that kind of condition." Isumi timely intercepted, diverting the ball into a different direction.
"It's nothing much…" Hayase mumbled, muttering a weak response and then looked at Isumi with serious eyes "It's really none of my concern but, Isumi, do you think that he is still alive?"
"I'm in the dark just as much as you. Lt. Elena also has no idea either." was Isumi's answer.
You are clearly concerned about that.
Isumi's thought remained unspoken but it was perfectly delivered to the rest of the unit, all except Hayase.
A solo mission was the only thing that Yuuko explained to Shirogane Takeru's disappearance. After receiving his medical check-up from the military hospital, Shirogane Takeru was forceful dragged away by Yuuko in his comatose state. Ever since, nobody has a single idea of where is he or what is he doing.
"Even if it was the XO, she would not be as cruel as order him to go through some suicidal mission, isn't she?"
Kashiwagi Haruko opened her mouth and spoke, only to be flabbergasted immediately by her old squad mate Akane. A swift succession of silent codes passed down by the older Suzumiya ensured Haruko to be silent. Muffle sounds came out of Haruko's throat and immediately died away as she saw Suzumiya Haruka passed out a silent order to her younger sister, sliding her index finger across her throat. Thankfully that Akane wasn't all that cruel as to obey that order from her sister.
"Stupid Haruko, what are you talking about? There is no way that would be the case. I'm sure that the XO merely sent that blockhead into recuperation somewhere so that he is free from attention." Haruka hastily spoke and defused the time bomb that Kashiwagi activated, winking her eyes, signalling the rest of the Valkyries follow suit.
"I said I don't really care about what happen to him. You all can stop talking about that," Hayase grumbled.
No, you are definitely concerned about him
The thought was never spelled aloud but it was shared among the Valkyries, all but their ace.
"Considering the length that the XO order us to recover him back then, he is most likely not recuperating somewhere at the moment," Kazama was the first to take the cue card from Haruka, ignoring Hayase's rebut.
"Surely, I don't believe that the XO would allow someone as important as that idiot to participate in anything worthlessly dangerous," Akane reassured.
"Why are you people keeping talking about him? I said that it was really none of my concern if he was to die." The undisputed ace yelled.
"Where do you think he is at the moment?"
Munakata openly ignored her friend's attempt to deny, voicing a question at the group of gossiping girls.
"Who know? Maybe he is enjoying a date with some random girls at the Imperial Royal Guard Palace at the moment. That would explain those Takemikazuchis' presence in the hangar 01. pFFF" Kashiwagi joined the conversation, doing her part to reassuring the ace, trying to lighten the mood in her usual method… or perhaps ticked off the time bomb, resulting in being strangled to silence by the younger Suzumiya after a merciless hand signal of the older Suzumiya.
"Stupid Haruko, I bet those Takemikazuchis had something to do with the XO, or rather with the contract of the XM3," Haruka laughed nervously as she silently signalled her younger sister to deliver the fainted Kashiwagi to the hospital for immediate medical attention.
October, 2003
"You are just a pawn on their chess board. Now, they have some use for you, they kept you in their hands. But the moment that they deemed you unnecessary or a hindrance, they wouldn't hesitate to discard you. So how about quitting now while you can? Come and work for us, we need people like you"
Never Shirogane Takeru thought that he would be scouted despite being an UN new graduated Eishi by any army other than the UN Army. But this is the ninth time that someone came to offer him a different position than a UN Army's 2nd Lieutenant.
One proposal came from the HQ, scouting him to be a test pilot the next-in-the-line TSF to which he refused, making excuse base on his inexperience and his troublesome status as someone related to Yuuko's ALTERNATIVE IV.
Two came from the Imperial Garrison, recommended by several ex-Yokohama Eishis, scouting Takeru to be a part of one of their newly form special unit in which he too declined.
Several proposals came later which he also declined in the same manner.
But, this is different.
ALTERNATIVE IV's supporters who fell out of favour sympathized with his current situation, offering him a leeway, an escape route to part with the ALTERNATIVE Plan for good. They were among Yuuko's acquaintances and supporters. So far, this was the best proposal among those recommendations that offered to him, to enlist to the Imperial Royal Guard Barrack.
If he was to enlist to the Imperial Royal Guard, he would able to separate from all sort of political problems related to his old relationship with Yuuko herself and the fourth plan. Not even the UN upper echelons would able to lay a hand on him once his status as a member of the Imperial Royal Guard was secured. If there was any organization that could even forcefully drag Takeru away from the UN army, including all sort of political problems that he involved with, it was the Imperial Royal Guard Household.
And now, when Takeru was on a mission, ordered to sort out away from the Yokohama Base, evacuating a civilian camp with his squad, he ditched the job to meet up with his appointment. This was all according to the arrangement of the employer that was currently scouting him, the Imperial Royal Guard Household.
"Don't waste your talent and your life in this place. There is nothing you could do here. This is your only chance. Your place is with us"
He wouldn't have another chance if he was to decline this proposal, Takeru knew, still…
"I appreciate that you regard me so highly, it is my greatest honour. I know that a chance like this will not come again… But, my friends are still here. I feel obliged to take care of them after giving them so many troubles in the past. Besides, I was entrusted by many…" Takeru's hand inadvertently reached out for the emblem on his sleeve, squeezing it tightly. "They might fail. We might have failed. But we are not totally defeated, this battle is far from over. I could not simply leave things half done like this. I could not betray their trust in me," Takeru bowed his head low, apologetically.
…
"Hey, Takeru, have you finished your business?"
A cheerful voice rang over Takeru's intercom via satellite signal, masking a subtle pang of uneasiness that would not able to detect by anyone but Takeru.
"It's done. I declined," Takeru replied accordingly as he read through the cheerful facet of Yoroi Mikoto.
"Fwa… you should have accepted it." Mikoto breathed a sigh of relief but instantly gave her own opinion.
"What's the point if you girls still remained with the UN? It's not like they could help you for an early discharge just like my case." Takeru reasonably gave his answer. "By the way, when will you be done with the mission?"
"It probably takes a longer than we have expected. We have only evacuated roughly 23% of the camp. Ah, it's really helpful that Meiya san and Sakaki san was with us, everyone followed their direction without complain,"
"Meiya and class rep heh?" Takeru parroted absently.
Needless concern about Sakaki Chiruzu, an owner of a very charismatic character, a person who was more suited to be a politician than a soldier, the fact that civilians followed Meiya's instruction without complain was kind of weird to Takeru even today.
Even back then during the eruption of Mt. Tengen, the obasan was bowing to Meiya and treated her like a god, a member of royalty family.
In this world, the Shogunate in Japan still existed until this day and Meiya's face resembled a distinguished member of the Shogunate to a scary extend, that was all Tsukuyomi ever explained to Takeru. Meiya, too, did her part on the explaining, but largely vague and cryptic and Takeru didn't dig into that, waiting for a day she could speak to him without any restrain.
His girlfriend was a princess, hailing from the Shogunate system, a real member of royalty was the only thing that Takeru understood regarding the background of Meiya.
"Huh?"
At the edge of his vision, Takeru spotted something out of usual, a familiar face.
"Hey, Mikoto, is Meiya still at your place?" Takeru asked.
"Meiya san, Miki san and Sakaki san are escorting a group of civilian to their vehicles. She might be too busy to contact with you at the moment Takeru. By the way, I and Ayamine are still on our lookout duty,"
"I could care less about the later part. I mean…isn't it obvious? Huh? Meiya? Wait, what're we talking about? Ah right, Mikoto, are you really sure that Meiya is there?" Takeru snapped, thinking that his eyes were playing a trick on him.
"Why wouldn't she? If you miss her that much, I could send you an image," Mikoto replied, slightly curious of Takeru's strange question.
"Nothing… it's must be my imagination. I think I just saw Meiya for a moment," Takeru replied as he massaged his temple, wondering if he was stressed enough to see an illusion. "Well, since I'm done with my job here, I will return to the squad roughly around 20.15 hours."
"You better not dilly dally around Takeru. We can only hide your absence for so long," Mikoto nonchalantly laughed.
"Yeah, see you soon," Takeru answered as he entered the military Jeep that arranged for him.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Chiruzu scrunched at a page of her half written report, throwing it at the corner of the room. She was stuck, unable to compile a full narrative report to retell the entire event that happened to her squad in yesterday.
The responsibility of writing a report shouldn't fall on her shoulders if it wasn't for her unreliable squad leader Shirogane Takeru. Compare to his amazing piloting skill, his was incredibly inept in many expertises, writing a report was also one of the skill that he was unable to handle.
"Ouch," Chiruzu cringed in pain as she massaged at her temple to maintain her focus out of habit, touching the fresh cut that she received yesterday.
Tears spilled as Chiruzu cursed her own forgetfulness, hoping the cut would not become a scar after healed. A soldier she was but she also a maiden, a girl in her twenty, the thought of having yet another scar on her body and worse, on the face, was totally uncomfortable to Chiruzu.
For a moment, only a short summary was written on Chiruzu's paper.
09.43 hours, the evacuation began. 2nd Lt. Sakaki Chiruzu, 2nd Lt, Mitsurugi Meiya and 2nd Lt. Tamase Miki were in charge of giving instruction and help civilians at the camp to evacuate. 1st Lt. Shirogane, 2nd Lt. Ayamine Kei and 2nd Lt Yoroi Mikoto maintained contact with HQ and kept an eye on any possible hostile targets. 23.33 hours, the squad finished the mission, assisting of the evacuation of the entire camp's population. 24.47 hours, finishing loading the squad's TSFs into trailer and returning to the base on tactical armour car.
There was already a problem with the beginning of Chiruzu's report. She lied about the fact that her leader, Shirogane Takeru was there, working his ass out just as much as everyone else, staying on look out. He didn't. In fact, he barely made it back to the squad around 2120 hours, escorting by a vehicle of the Imperial Royal Guard Department.
But until then, it wasn't a problem for Chiruzu to write her report, it's what came after that.
She felt fear. An invisible hand squeezed at her heart and invisible chains bound at her limbs, preventing her to move a muscle. But ironically, the fear that she felt on that day wasn't point at the unknown enemies but at the man who protected her from the enemies. Chiruzu hated herself for that. She hated herself for having such a damnable feeling toward her saviour, her friend and the old target of her affection. But even so, she couldn't lie of her feeling. What she felt at that time wasn't respect, admiration, thankful or appreciation, it was purely fear.
The Shirogane Takeru she saw on that day was a totally different man, something that she not knew of.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
My heart quickened, racing on its own.
Something was wrong. Something was incredibly wrong.
We were laughing and chatting in the armoured vehicle until I had this panicked attack.
Something was wrong. The heart rate monitoring mechanism within my Exo suit flashed its warning. My friends and my lover worriedly looked at me, wondering what's wrong with me.
Absolutely nothing in particular, I could provide them no answer for I see nothing and hear nothing that was worthy of the anxiety that attacked at the moment. But beyond the 4 walls of the armoured car, I saw myself dying, watching my friends and Meiya died in front of me in a sea of flame. A dejavu it was, a chill ran down my spine, alerting me to take action. I couldn't know what it was but I felt like I went through this exact scenario before.
"Fasten your seatbelt, everyone" my mouth preceded my thought "Fasten your seatbelt."
"Ossan, stop the car", I slammed my fist at the cabin's wall, yelling into the intercom. "Stop the car. Stop the car"
"What's wrong?" the driver asked but nonetheless hit the brake. The car screeched and forcefully halted.
"Just stop the damn…" I screamed at him, ignoring the worried questions that everyone poured at me. But before I could say anything, a shock wave channelled through the car, sending everything into a furious rotation. The light broke, filling our cabin with darkness and sparks as I braced myself against the seatbelt.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
A gun shot forcefully dragged the youth from the land of void to the harsh reality.
"Shit, the door is jammed," a strange voice rang outside the cargo as the iron door was shaking back and forth in vain.
He was up side down, stuck between his seat and the seatbelt. His head scalded in pain and a horrifying headache. He must hit it against the wall previously during the crash. "Meiya, everyone," Takeru called hesitatedly as he pressed the seatbelt open. The monitoring system privilege to the squad displayed his squad member's condition to Takeru, safe they are, but only for now.
"Get the cutter, chop down that hinge," a commanding voice reverberated in and out the darkened armoured car and in turn a vision flashed through Takeru's mind, a scorched and red vision. But it was wrong to call it a vision. This wasn't the first time he experienced it. It was more like a déjà vu for the youth felt it exceedingly familiar for some reason, his death scene, once that door opened, his death followed after everyone but Meiya.
'Zzzzz' the sound of the heat cutter rang, suppressing the moaning sound of the girls as well as the static noise of the damaged light.
In an instant, reasoning flew out of the Takeru's mind, he wouldn't care if he mistaken the reality and hallucination, leaving the call of decision on his instinct. Handgun pulled out, safety hammer cocked, knife unsheathed, and Takeru was ready to kill or be killed.
Suddenly Takeru cringed, another vision flashed on his mind yet again, the door of steel collapse, two men in black stomped in, flashing their torch, spraying bullets at everyone but Meiya while dragging her away.
Not this time
Takeru shook his head, tuning out the hallucination that haunted his consciousness. His hand reached out for the thermal blanket on the floor, waiting for the moment when the door collapsed.
'Zzzz,' the sound of the heat cutter dwindled and then died completely. The moment Takeru waited for has arrived, he seized the initiative, stomping the door before the enemies from outside could. Under the wild strength he muttered, the metallic door flung out from the frame, hitting the two surprised assailants squarely.
Swiftly taking advantage of the confusion, Takeru dexterously rolled on the floor, throwing the thermal blanket over the men.
Assault rifles flashed, drilling the blanket with holes as the unknown assailants panicked, firing their guns wildly at Takeru's direction. The moment the two unfortunate assailants shrugged off the screen that blind them, Takeru was no longer within sight. They hurriedly turned around, terrifiedly moving their gun muzzle around, seeking for Takeru.
"Where is he?"
One assailant asked in a fear instilled voice and received his answer with the chattering teeth of his companion and static noise. Three of his men were killed, lying in their blood on the ground, eyes widened. Immediately stand back to back with his companion, the man anxiously shifted his gun muzzle, searching for the killer but only the corpses of his team lay wherever the circle of light of his torch pointed at. The assailant swiftly switched his gear from night vision into thermal vision, revealing a figure of a man kneeling on the ground in firing position. Instinct get the better of him, the man leapt into the darkness, didn't forget to fire his rifle at the kneeling man. A glint flashed as the figure jumped, avoiding the rain of lead and the last of the man's strike team fell on his butt, blood spraying from his forehead.
"Shit," the assailant cursed, voice shaking in fear, chasing his gun muzzle after the killer of his men.
Dexterously, the killer avoided the salvo, dashing from bush to bush, rolling and hiding himself behind a tree.
"Shit," the assailant rolled on the floor once again, changing his position, pressing his body as close to the ground as possible, avoid being detected by his enemy.
"You shall not touch her," the wind brought a cold and merciless voice to the man's ear, chilling words, full of killing intent and hatred. "None shall take her from me"
The figure threw something into the air in which the assailant instinctively leapt from his hiding place with all his might. And it was what he thought it was, a blinding inferno descended, rendering the assailant's hearing with high pitch sound and static noise. His thermal vision goggles blinded with bright light in which he immediately threw it away. Neither the night vision nor the thermal vision worked this time, the assailant knew.
Suddenly, the assailant froze, his neck fell cold.
"Drop the gun," a cold voice came, whispering into the assailant's ear, a knife pressed against his neck, eagerly to dig at his skin. Under the threat, the assailant let go of his weapon and subsequently his consciousness as a blunt object digging into his temple.
"…Did you kill him?"
"No, I merely knock him out," Takeru answered, looking back at the owner of the voice. "He would provide us some answer to this attack soon"
Meiya, it was, the voice called out to him. She pressed her temple with one arm, supporting Chiruzu with other.
"Where are you going?" Chiruzu asked, seeing her squad leader walked away from the immobilized assailant.
"To the trailer. There is an enemy TSF nearby," Takeru bluntly replied, running toward the trailer. "Meiya, take care of everyone. I'm more than enough to handle this."
"Don't be ridiculous. Wait for me, I will get my TSF as well" Meiya stared at her boyfriend, having no idea what he was getting at. The air around her boyfriend was nothing like she has ever seen. He wasn't really himself. It was as though he was possessed by something, driven by something.
"…Take care of everyone, I will return shortly" Takeru bluntly replied, disappearing inside the trailer.
Subsequently, the hatch of the trailer opened, a metal giant sat up. The conqueror has awoken from his slumber, burning with anger and fury.
"Come out amateur, I know you are there. Come out, I will slay you in the same manner as that bunch of trashes came before," Takeru taunted over the open channel, leaping into the forest according to his instinct. "You want to take her away from me? Come, man, BETA, god, devil, whoever you are, I will slay them all."
Touching a dragon's scale and you shall know its fury. But never attempt to touch the dragon's treasure whilst the dragon still alive, or you shall suffer a fury that makes even the god themselves tremble.
If only the assailants knew that they have attempted to touch what should not touch.
63 days before The Day
It was they who turned me into the person who I am today.
It was Yuuko who gave me a new life, a new identity and wake me up from my very own delusion.
It was Marimo chan who showed me the way of this world and help me to stand up back on my feet when I fell down.
It was everyone in the squad, Chiruzu, Tama, Mikoto, Ayamine and Meiya that I had a purpose to live, to fight and even to die for.
I am Shirogane Takeru. It has been a while that I woke up only to find myself in another world, one that was alienated and deviated from my normal everyday life, one that was on the verge of its destruction and demise, one that forced even kids of my age to war, one that had no hope for human to live and survive on.
It has been a long journey for me, so long that I am no longer have the thought or desire to return to the home that I have been forbade from. Even so, I often dreamed of it, the world where people lived their lives innocently, without knowing the real meaning of peace.
There is no turning back in the road ahead of me. I see nothing but a dark and bleakest future. And it was like a dream, this world and the road that I have been travelled. People are dying even now, risking their lives and living for the sake of protecting something.
Which one of them is the dream and which one of them is not, I know not.
Why am I here? Till this day, I still wonder.
A proof of Yuuko sensei's genuine ingenuity? A key to Yuuko sensei's research? A mistake of the gods? What am I? I wondered.
Was there really a reason for me to be here? Was there a reason for me to be a part of this world? Was there a reason that god make to stay in this world in the first place?
I know not.
However, there was something that I would not step down from, something that I secretly kept inside my pocket this entire year without sharing with anyone else, even Meiya. They're all I ever had.
It wasn't righteous. As a soldier and an Eishi, this was not what I should do…but as a man and a human, I felt like I must do it.
Rule and morality was for the weak, to those who can't live without them, I was told on that night. I could never support her if I lived my life, abiding to those things. But even if I did, I still could not support her at all…
I was conflicted but, strangely, I never hesitate for a second.
This is something I vowed to do on that morning, the day my Yuuko sensei disappeared.
This is the path that I chose for myself the moment I went out of my way and challenged people around the base to those TSF unofficial matches.
This is the truth of me, Shirogane Takeru, a normal man just like any man, not some undefeated genius Eishi, not some crownless invincible conqueror, but a man with a family to protect.
…
"Takeru chan"
I stirred awake, responding to the wake up call of my idiotic childhood friend like I should. But she wasn't there when I opened my eyes. Of course, she wouldn't. I should have known. Strangely, even after almost two years, I still linger to such dreamlike days when I was still around with Sumika in that world, the world that I belonged to.
But lingering and acceptance is different. I yearned for those dreamlike days but accepted that I would never return to that world anymore. Still, my desire to stay in this world, to protect what I sought to protect was greater than my little old lingering to the previous world that nobody could prove of its existence.
"Damn it, I totally doze off,"
Sleeping wasn't my original intention, coming to this room, Yuuko sensei's office. At least, that was the last thing I intended to do. These days, I could sympathize of what class rep went through a year ago. How she got a ton of things on her hand and how she wanted to get those things solve first before she could eat or sleep. I could slightly understand what she went through during that stage as I am now.
There wasn't anything as scary as not knowing a thing in this kind of state that I am living.
I am protecting Yuuko's sensei fruit of labour and yet at the same time, I do not know the identity of my enemies, nor what Yuuko sensei's research is all about or the relationship between the Third Plan and our Fourth plan. I knew nothing.
How does the 15 billion of parallel semiconductors fit into that all those messed up stories?
I only knew the result, the ultimate ending and the approaching apocalypse, not the reason behind them. I truly knew nothing at all, back then and even now.
Digging up the legacy of the Valkyries, learning of their missions and tracing back Yuuko's footstep were all I could do after donning their insignia on my uniform. And the process wasn't all rewarding.
So many lives were lost, so many people have laid down, but for what, I have truly know nothing at all. The legacy of the Valkyries, my sempai, my predecessors wasn't enough to sate my despair or dealing with it.
Shoot, hack, kill, destroy and flying a TSF was all I could ever do.
Even so, I could not accept giving out the result of everyone' sacrifice to the hand of those who planned of the approaching apocalypse.
10 percent of the world population will be saved, running to a faraway planet using the technology studied from the BETA, ensuring the path of mankind's survival.
90 percent of the population must remain, enduring and waging war against BETA on a different scale with a different kind of war, a nuclear war.
How could I accept and listen to those who orchestrated that kind of plan, regarding of their attention? Forsaking a billion of lives to save a hundred of thousands, that was sheer madness even if it was to prevent mankind's extinction.
Using my status, my connection around the base, I tried to rally Yuuko's followers, the remnants of the Fourth Plan, sharing our own information and knowledge among each other. Yet, nobody knew a damn thing, It was an irony that a cadet like myself was apparently the most informed one among us, aside the Valkyries.
I truly fell powerless at that time, feeling like resigning to my fate.
But I was stopped, luckily, the insignia of the Norse battle maiden of god embed on my sleeves, the girls of the 207th squadron and Meiya were the only reason that prevented me from giving up.
The hopelessness was great, the sea of despair was great, but my resolution to protect them was even greater.
I have failed to protect her, I couldn't fail to protect them as well.
Shivering and trembling non stop like that of a newborn lamb, trying to stand on its legs, yet unable to, no matter how many time I thought, it couldn't possibly the person that I held onto with these arms.
She was soft and delicate, yet strong, far stronger than anybody, haughtier than anyone and smarter than everyone. She shouldn't become someone like this. Not even in my widest imagination, Kouzuki Yuuko would transform into this kind of pitiful lamb that could only live her days in tears and wine.
She tried to runaway from the harsh reality in front of her, seeking a haven in alcohol and within my arms. When she was not drinking, she cried, babbled vague words that reached none but Yuuko herself. And after she cried until she exhausted herself, she sought comfort in me, buried her face into my chest, sobbing until she slept.
What a thing! To drive even someone as strong and determined as Yuuko sensei to this state, I'm not sure how should I expressed my words properly. I too, must have gone insane during that Christmas, listening to that ill news from Yuuko herself. My eyes were blurred with tears and anger, yet my mouth was laughing like that of a mad man. The both of us has gone insane on that day.
"Break me," Yuuko ordered and I obediently crushed her quivered body against mine with my entire strength.
"It's hurt," she complained but didn't oppose it, instead wrapped her slender arms around my waist, burying her face into my chest and sobbing to sleep.
She depended on me, not as a friend or a subordinate, didn't explain anything, merely using me as a device to cure her grief and despair. I was but an emotional and physical support for her. Nothing more and nothing less.
But in the end, she used me just exactly the way I used her. It wasn't that I really wanted to comfort her. I held her in my arms, using her as a remedy to my pain and frustration, deluding myself that I could do anything for her until she could stand on her own feet. She was the invincible Kouzuki Yuuko, my guiding compass. No matter how hard it was, how bad it was, she would not succumb to it. One day, she would return to who she really was gave us a solution to everything with a haughty attitude like usual.
We merely used each other, seeking comfort in each other arm and living the days meaninglessly like that until the day she disappeared.
"Who are you looking at?"
One night, Yuuko gave me this strange question out of nowhere while I was combing her hair before lulling her to sleep.
"Takeru, who are you looking at?"
She repeated the question, stopping my busied hands as she turned at me. Those days, she didn't call me as Shirogane or stupid Shirogane but my first name on a regular basis.
"Yuuko, Kouzuki Yuuko," I replied to the woman who sat on my lap and leaned against me. That's the only word came into my mind at that time.
Yuuko replied with a smile, a sad smile, full of grief and despair.
"You liar," she said "who are you looking at with those eyes?"
She chuckled and asked in a childishly lighthearted tone, gazing at me as her eyes started to well up with tears.
Her lighthearted voice and sorrowful expression didn't match. Something wasn't right. Something was different. I realized it but unable to understand the cause of Yuuko sensei's strange behavior.
"Who else but you, sensei?" I replied, completely obvious to the real meaning behind Yuuko's question and her sorrowful smile, burying her head against my shoulder and repeatedly stroking her head like I always did. That's the only method I know that would calm her down every single time she became emotionally exhausted with tears and sob.
The faint odor of alcohol that has long assimilated into Yuuko's scent was clearly missing on that night and I was too worried about Yuuko's sad smile to realize it. There was neither a bottle nor a glass of wine in the room that night. There was only but the two of us, Yuuko and me.
The lines of her brows crumbled and Yuuko sensei kept on smiling in that manner, a pained smile, it was.
"Yuuko, what's wrong?"
I asked, caressing against her dishevelled hair and her sad brows with one hand and squeezed her soft body with another.
"Nothing," Yuuko smiled, still with that sad smile, brushing off her tears. As I worriedly hugged her, running my mind to explain Yuuko's unusual behavior, she pressed her lips against mine, squeezing at me with her weak and slender arms, with all her might, never let me go on that night.
The next morning when I woke up, there was but a single note left behind. Yuuko has disappeared, leaving behind no trace.
I thought I would go mad, losing my sanity, crying my eyes out without her scent and her warmth. Yet, no matter what, I could not mutter a single tear drop. I was strangely calm, dreadfully calm instead.
What I harboured for her wasn't love, and I was convinced by her letter and my own calmness. I was surprised by that fact but not as shocked as the moment that I learned of the feeling which Yuuko developed for me.
No way, I thought, couldn't believe it no matter what.
I thought she was merely using me to forget about her pain and grief. I thought that she would never sought for those feelings from me no matter how much she has grown to depend on me, emotionally and physically. Our relationship was that of wounded beast licking each other's wound, nothing more and nothing less. I supported her, satisfying all she has ever needed no matter how unreasonable it would be and in return, she licked my wound, nothing more no thing less. Even if she was not in her right mind, she would not lose to the physical attraction and the lust for warmth that she had for me. No matter how much she grew to depend on me, how consummate our relationship has become, she wouldn't look at me with such eyes. After all, she was Kouzuki Yuuko, the invincible sensei who saved me and gave me a new life in this world, she was stronger and smarter than anyone else in this world, or so I thought. It was all began with 'I thought' and ended with 'I thought'. I never for once understood what's going on inside her mind or her heart, back then and even now.
I love her, but not that kind of love, not that kind of feeling that she yearned for beyond the warmth I could provide her.
In that sheer madness, in those depressing days that we lived meaninglessly, she unconsciously developed a special kind of feeling for me. She looked at me as something more than just an emotional pillar, something more than just a convenient and useful device, someone more than just a friend.
Love came like a storm, unannounced and once it came, it was unstoppable despite what kind of barriers, what kind of logic that you put against it, she wrote in her letter.
Every time I held her in my arms, giving her kisses, lulling her to sleep, she apparently wanted more than just that, desiring me to look at her in the same manner that she looked at me and even deceiving herself that I would eventually, in time.
And I was too obvious to realize that and could never believe that if it wasn't for her letter.
Yuuko realized that and still, deceiving herself with wishful thought until that night, never telling me a thing in the end. She wantonly devoured my pain, my frustration, my tears and I replied her in an even manner, soothing her grief and despair, not knowing that I only widened her wounds in each and everyday that I stayed by her side. She sought comfort and I responded to her need. Every time I did that, she got her hopes up. While fearing that one day I would stop doing that, she secretly wish that a change will come, that those recurrence might finally end and I would notice and accept her feeling. Each time I hold her in my arms, she prayed that a miracle would happen. Every time she locked her lips against mine and pressed me down with her tiny figure, she hoped for a miracle. And every single time, she was injured anew.
I couldn't understand a tiniest amount of pain that I caused for her.
That night was a wake up call for her and that morning was a wake up call for me. We both woke up from our never ending delusion on that day.
It's better for the two of us to part rather than staying side by side, seeking each other's warmth in that manner, she wrote and I believe that's that as well.
She was an excuse for me to forget about anything else in this world, my future, my life, everyone else, anything else and I was a haven for her to hide away from everything, her guilt, her grief, her pain, everything. We were only destroying each other, living meaninglessly like a tumour on each other's body in the end, not solving a damn thing. We both ran away from our reality, burying ourselves at each other and didn't give a damn about our world anymore ever since that Christmas
My obviousness, my compassionate was destroying her as she was growing weak, heart and mind. The difference between kindness and cruelty is but a hair breadth. That was my gravest sin and mistake.
Her tears and grief was killing me in return. She was the invincible Kouzuki Yuuko, she was my guiding compass, and she would never succumb to something like that, I deceived myself and kept on living in that manner. She has once told me that my existence no matter how unacceptable and an aberrant it is, it was crucial to her, the proof that Yuuko would never have been wrong in her judgement.
And it was just as Yuuko wrote in her letter, it was ultimately better for the two of us to part, living on our own from now, beginning a new life.
I read her letter many time, again and again and accepted it, that parting was for the better of the two of us.
That day was truly a wake up call for me, for better or worse until that strange question that Yuuko asked of me on that night before she departed without inform was brought up yet again, but by a different person.
"Who are you looking at with those eyes, Takeru?"
It took me a long time of soul searching until I can give her an honest answer that sufficed of the emotion and courage of the girl who asked me. It took me a long time to overcome my guilt and reach out for her.
It was all before my eyes, yet I failed to see it all along, hurting myself, Yuuko sensei, her and them as well.
…
But it was all in the distance past. It didn't matter anymore, not to the approaching apocalypse that we will face sooner or later.
"What can I do?"
I could all but ask myself, looking ahead at the bleakish future.
"Am I doing the right thing?"
My hand unconsciously rustled at the enveloped that Marimo gave me in my pocket.
"Am I doing the right thing?"
One day before The Day
Dear Kagami Sumika
Even now, I still wonder from time to time whether this is all real, or whether it's but a dream.
You don't exist in this world and there is nothing to prove that I used to live in yours.
But even so, I made a choice… I have a future
It may be so uncertain that I have to risk my life fighting for it but I have a feeling that my life has been fixed here ever since the day the Game Guy suddenly broke.
I've come to a realization that I couldn't return to your world ever again.
But, I'm fine with it, since here is something for me to protect in this world now, after I found something much more precious than myself... Which is why, I don't think we will ever meet again.
I'm sorry for being so vague. I will try to be franker.
You might be surprised to hear this, but I have fallen in love with a woman and found a place to call home in this world.
I'd do anything for her, for them. I wouldn't even mind dying.
…
I'm sure that I sound very naïve to you. Those words wouldn't take literally in your world. They've been used far too many times in those clichéd drama and novel. I'm sure I'd get laughed at by everyone else.
But, I believe that you might be different…which is why, I'm writing this letter to you. After all those time that we spent as childhood friends, you know all the good and bad points of mine. I'm sure that you can tell whether I'm kidding or not. In fact, I'm sure that other than you, anyone else would probably laugh if they knew I was writing this.
Goodbye Sumika
Goodbye mom and dad
Goodbye my best friend Mikoto
That's fine… this is just the right length for a farewell
Goodbye
Shirogane Takeru.
…
The soldier put down his pen, relieving it of its duty. He sat, his eyes wandered among the lines that he wrote, once again drowning in the depth of his emotion.
A foolishness, that was what the soldier thought on this letter that he himself written, for it would never reach the hand of Kagami Sumika. It was all but self satisfaction, it was all but selfishness, just like the enveloped that he kept inside his breast pocket an entire year without telling anyone.
Author note:
Just return from my overseas holiday to start a new semester and begin a new arc while I am at it.
Readers, as you all might have been aware, and in case someone is not aware, the clock has turned back to Unlimited (my own version) and heading toward TDA.
Dreams and stories are things to be told, even those were that of a mere sword. Even a devil may cry, who said that a sword cannot dream?
That's my policy and I am upholding it at the moment.
I am aware that there are still several pressing questions that needed to be attend regarding the Yokohama incident, that's why the Alternative timeline (my own version as well) will run parallely along this arc. To avoid confusion, I will put on the date and time on top of those events. If anyone saw an event in 2001, you will know it was the current event in Alternative timeline, anything else will be the continuation of the dream.
I don't intend to ramble nonsensically like Yoroi Sakon here so… thanks for reading and supporting as always. I appreciate to all the comments and suggestions regarding this piece of fanfict, they are really helpful in many ways. The next update might take me a while longer than usual, so please be patient.