Hello, and welcome to the next chapter in "Strike Heroes".

Now, before we begin, there's a few things I need to do, starting with the reviews:

fuji92: Thanks for the review. These last chapters will be answering some important questions...but some questions will not be answered yet. Which ones will be resolved? We have until the final fight to keep guessing and thinking...

Dragonman75: Well, I hope I deliver with this chapter, but be sure to let me know what you think.

(R-Dot-Com): Thanks for the review as well, and sorry for not spelling your username right; for some reason my computer seems to make it disappear when I type it in, and this spelling was the only one I found that didn't do it while trying to preserve the name. Writing this story has taken some work: looking back at the chapters to try keeping structures the same (such as Roland's use of first names in his narrative), looking back to previous chapters to double-check details...the list is a little longer, but that's just the ones I can think of right now. However, even with the work I find it rather enjoyable. I'm crafting something as I go, and I'm taking a fresh look at the anime for this story. I'm still trying to keep what made the anime good in it, but I also need to make the story more believable by connecting it to the previous chapters.

Arisa Le Creuset (Guest): Well, concerning your review, this chapter will give you the answers you seek.

Well, with those out of the way, it's time to continue the story...

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Chapter 19: The Truth

The group opened up, and Perrine, Mio (who was in a wheelchair due to her injuries), and Lynette were shoved into the center. Yoshika caught Lynette as Minna grabbed Perrine. My left hand gripped a handle that someone would use in order to push Mio around.

"What?" I asked quickly as my left hand's grip tightened harder. "You can't be serious…"

"I am being totally serious, sir," Maloney told me.

"And what proof do you have?" I probably didn't want to hear this, but...it's time I faced this and see it to the end.

"Simple. A sergeant and a lieutenant went against their commander's orders. Said commander then went against her superior officer's orders. Insubordination if I ever saw one."

"I hardly call that proof." And what does he mean by Minna going against orders? What orders did he give her?

"You can't just take the base and dissolve the Strike Witches!" Yoshika stated. "We've done too much to let you do this!"

"I wouldn't talk if I were you, Sergeant Yoshika Miyafuji," Maloney said to her. "You looked like the type that would rebel, and you did. Besides, now we have a new way of fighting the Neuroi."

As if on cue, a strange craft flew over us and landed behind Maloney gently. It looked very familiar...it was that same craft from inside the Neuroi nest...

I instantly placed it as being the Warlock!

"I've seen that before!" Yoshika said out loud.

Maloney turned to look at her.

"You have, huh?" he asked her rather menacingly. "Tell us, when did you see this?"

Yoshika couldn't answer: she was already in trouble for going against Minna's orders when she "followed" mine. She didn't want anything else to go wrong, and I could tell.

I, however, didn't have anything to lose. I stepped in front of Yoshika as I gritted my teeth.

"That thing's a Warlock, huh?" I asked him. When he didn't say anything, I added, "Thought so."

"A what?" Minna asked me.

"The Warlock unit is a prototype vehicle designed to fight the Neuroi in the place of the Witches. General Moron here had three planned for construction, and this is barely the first one."

Maloney simply gave off a slight smirk as he looked at me. I have no idea if he was actually irked that I called him "General Moron", but if he was then I'd hate to play poker with him.

"I see you know a lot about this Warlock," he said. "Is there something you need to tell your friends?"

I was shocked. "How did...?"

Apparently, so were the others.

"Tell us what?" Eila asked me.

"It's none of their concern," I told Maloney. "I want to know how you knew about that."

Maloney gave off a laugh and explained: "How I knew about you? Simple. You're not soldier material. You may think you are since going through the training, but you're nothing more than a lying, lowly, no-good boy who just happened to be in the wrong place at the right time."

After he said that, I had no idea why, but I got enraged, let go of Mio's wheelchair, and tried to strike at Maloney. However, he quickly reached into his pocket and pressed something. I soon felt a jolt in my left wrist, and I looked at the watch as I felt something stab into my wrist quickly. Due to the pain, my right hand dropped the crowbar and wrapped around the left wrist to try nursing it back to a normal feeling. Because I never deactivated my Striker Unit before all this, I found myself landing on my feet rather weakly.

"What did you do?" I asked him as I steadied myself.

"You really think that you would be able to simply run around with a priceless prototype all the time?" Maloney asked in return. "There was a failsafe in case something happened. The head of the development team behind the prototype Striker Unit has the authority to activate the limiter, which reduces its user to a quarter of his or her original power."

Quarter of his or her powers? What the hell was he...? "You mean...?"

"That's right!" Maloney pulled out a device from his pocket, and I got a look at it: it was a rectangular device with a set of two red buttons. I could only assume that the buttons were labeled whatever they did. "I'm the one who headed the team that created the Striker Unit you hold so dear."

I was shocked beyond all recognition: Maloney...oversaw the development of this Striker Unit I'm using? Well, was using, but still!

"You mean..." I clenched my right fist tight once I pulled it away from my left wrist. "You mean that you're the one who gave me this Striker Unit?"

The man who headed the development...was the one who was now dissolving the Strike Witches? How...how dare he...!

I lost it, literally. I rushed up to Maloney and swung my right fist at him, sending him reeling back. I didn't stop there: I raced up to him and tackled him to the ground, my left hand wrapped around his throat. My knees were on either side of him to ensure that he couldn't simply push me off.

"You bastard!" I told him. "You damn bastard! Do you even know what I've gone through in this damn world? A lot of crap, that's what! You've been happily making these...things, and you gave me a Striker Unit prototype without revealing who you were. You screwed up my life, general! You don't know what it's been like living in this world. Not knowing when and if you're ever going to see your friends and family again. Never knowing what became of you. Entering a world for unknown reasons and being thrust into a war you never wanted to be a damn part of. You hear me when I'm telling you this?!"

Maloney tried getting in something to say, but I cut him off quickly. "Don't you dare tell me that you're different from me, you pathetic pleaser. You ruined my life the day I received the Striker Unit prototype. Plus, you could have had a part in writing that warning we received on paper. I shudder to even think what else you had a part in."

I heard some noise, but I paid it none of my attention, resuming with, "All I asked for was a normal life. When I was recruited by Commander Minna, I lost that chance, but I still tried to be normal. It's difficult to keep from telling the others that shit happens to each of them. What's even worse is that I couldn't tell them that one of their own gets critically injured. But you know the worst part? Not being able to do shit about it out of some fear! So don't you even contemplate telling me that I had it easy these last few months, you little bastard…"

I raised my right fist, ready to slam it into his face. "This is for whatever s-"

"Lieutenant, that's enough!" I heard Minna say.

My anger immediately disappeared as I turned my head to face them. I could see instantly that they were horrified at what I said.

Oh no...

Oh no, oh no, oh no...

I just revealed the truth without any sort of thinking.

I'm such an idiot!

"Leave him, Sage," Minna told me. "He's not worth it right now."

I let go of Maloney and stood up.

"You're damn lucky the commander stopped me," I told him. "I would have beaten you to a bloody pulp if I had a chance."

I watched the others walk off before following behind them after picking up my crowbar, soon catching up to them. I turned around one last time to glare at the general as he stood back on his feet. Somehow, I thought I saw a grin on his face.

XXXXXXXXXX

It was silent as we reached the dock, and I looked at each of my teammates as I stood there, thinking about their reactions.

Honestly? I wasn't sure about their reactions, and I was going to get them now.

"Is everything you said true, Roland?" Francesca asked me. There was a hint of confusion in her voice.

I lowered my head as I replied with, "Yes, Francesca. Everything's true. I'm from a different world."

The girls gasped.

"Why lie to us?" Gertrud asked next.

"And what was I supposed to say?" I raised my head to look at Gertrud. "'Hey, you guys. Listen, I'm a guy that just happened to land in this world for no apparent reason'?"

"Actually, that does sound a little far-fetched," Eila noted.

"You could have tried," Erica added. "I mean, you've been deceiving us this whole time."

"So..." Sanya started as she looked like she was thinking about something. "Your secret...that's why you asked me if I would still trust you?"

I lowered my head again, this time only slightly.

"Yes, San," I told her. "I tried holding that burden, but I knew that someday it was going to be dealt with..."

"But why couldn't you tell us?" Lynette asked next.

It was now that we finally noticed that Minna's head was hung low.

"Commander?" Yoshika asked her.

"If it's true..." Minna said slowly as her red eyes looked at me with a look of hurt in them. "...then tell us something we didn't tell you."

I looked at her and sighed. Who could I use? I could have used anyone, but with everything I've been through it was rather difficult to deal with. The only one I hadn't dealt with was Yoshika...

I sighed again.

"Yoshika, does the name Michiko ring any bells?" I asked the little Fuso Witch.

"Yes!" Yoshika said after gasping. "But...how did you..."

"I know about her because of something I know that you girls don't. Have you tried saving a cat?"

"Yes..."

I sighed. Now that I asked about it, time to tell them... "Where I'm from, you girls are nothing more than characters designed for our entertainment...All of you are nothing more than made-up characters" I looked at Minna as the commander walked up to me. "I'm sorry, commander. I know I should have told you sooner, but-"

I felt Minna's right hand slam across my left cheek as she slapped me hard. My left hand flew to my slapped cheek as I took a step back and looked at Minna, whose head had been lowered.

"Commander..." I tried.

"You lying bastard…you knew what was going on and never bothered trying to stop any of it?"

What...? "How could I do it, commander? You don't think I tried? Some things I couldn't even stop. Francesca took those panties, yeah, but where was I when it occurred? I did a few things to try changing the story as well. Commander, please…you have to listen to me…"

Suddenly, the commander readied her pistol and aimed it at my head as I tried approaching her. This alarmed the others.

"Commander," Gertrud said.

"Leave," Minna told me. "Just leave. You've done enough damage." She now looked into my brown eyes with determination. "As of now, you're no longer a part of the Strike Witches. Get out of my sight, and if I see you flying again I will personally kill you, consequences be damned."

I looked at Minna before looking at the others, who were rather silent toward this situation.

"Is that what you all think is good for the group?" I asked them. When I received no reply, I sighed and turned around. "I guess you guys agree with Commander Minna...I'll go now and never come back."

As I walked away from them, my head hung low in shame.

Dammit...I never wanted this to happen...

Why me?

I heard footsteps behind me, and I felt someone grab my left arm. When I looked at the person who grabbed it, I found Yoshika looking at me.

"Roland-kun..." she only said.

"I guess...this is good-bye, Yosh...Keep an eye on them please..."

"Roland-kun...you can't go..."

I tore my arm away from her. "No, Yoshika...I have to..." I bolted away from her, the Witch who first bumped into me on my first day...

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Lynette's POV

As we watched Roland run away from us, I could only walk up to check on Yoshika.

"Yoshika?" I tried. "Are you feeling okay?"

"He..." Yoshika only said. "He...He's gone..."

"Yosh?"

"Roland-kun..."

What she did next surprised me a lot: my best friend on the team turned around and buried her face into my chest. I was caught off guard for a fraction of a second before I did the only reaction I could do: I wrapped my arms around her and held her as she cried into my chest.

"It's okay, Yosh..." I tried, hoping to soothe her tears.

I wondered about what I had originally thought of him...like I said, my trust after his secret was revealed had been affected, but somehow I didn't care. To me, he was still the same Roland, and no amount of lies that he used to hide his true identity was going to keep me from believing in him.

Then I looked at the commander. She still looked angry, though. I really wished I had Roland's aura-reading magic so that I could see how the others felt toward him now.

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Gertrud's POV

As we looked at the sight of Miyafuji crying into Bishop's chest, I glanced at Commander Minna. I didn't need anyone to tell me that Sage's revelation had a major impact on us, the commander looking like she took the worst hit...considering that she doesn't look like her usual self.

I found myself thinking back to that day when I was on the verge of death. Was I supposed to die? Is my life being extended a result of Sage, or was I truly saved by Miyafuji?

I shook my head. No...no matter what, I have Sage to thank for getting me to see my mistake.

"I guess we have no choice," I said for the commander. "The general said that we're no longer the Strike Witches, and Sage already left...so I guess we go our separate ways."

"Well, I'll be taking Miyafuji back to Fuso," Major Sakamoto said. "Besides, I feel like heading to the academy there and training some of the Witches there."

"I'll come with you," Perrine added. "I can't head back home, so I can stay at the academy for a while. At least until I get my bearings."

"We'll catch the train back to Suomos then," Eila said as she grabbed Sanya's left shoulder.

"I have a plane I was working on," Shirley said as she glanced at Francesca. "I guess we'll be heading there."

"And Bishop?" I asked.

"Hmm?" Lynette said as she looked at me. "Oh, I can get a ride. Don't worry...though I wonder where Roland's going to head."

"Hopefully somewhere where we won't see his face again," the commander said with a slight growl.

"Commander?" Hartmann asked.

"Come on, you two." She motioned to Hartmann and me.

And with that said, we all went our separate ways. I wasn't sure, but I think some of us were hoping that we would all come back together and be like it was before all this...

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Roland's POV

I walked into the forest, not even thinking about where I was going.

In fact, I wasn't sure where to go. Without my Striker Unit, and with Minna serious with her threat, I was pretty much screwed as far as leaving.

Oh well...

Maybe it's best if I died here of starvation or thirst...or a combination of both.

I ambled along until I found the pond from a while back, and I sat on a rock that was nearby when I arrived.

Life was messing me up, huh? I mean, I barely escaped with a threat and no way of leaving. Oh well, at least I didn't get a bullet in the head. I really don't want to become a vegetable if I did manage to survive it.

Maybe I should have told them the truth. That way, I may have gotten a better response. Though now I'm not sure if it would have changed anything.

I sighed as I sat there, looking up into the sky.

Hey, I heard a voice say suddenly.

"Huh?" I asked as I looked around.

This is your conscious speaking.

"Where are you?"

Down here, in the water.

I looked down and instantly found my face there. However, it looked a little more grim than I liked to see.

"What is it?" I asked myself.

Well, I wanted to talk about what happened lately, my conscious told me.

I had nothing else to lose. "Fire away."

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Minna's POV

It's been about a few minutes since Roland left, and Barkhorn, Hartmann, and I were walking through the woods.

The way we saw it, everyone was going to head back to their home country. Well, except for Perrine and Sanya, but the former was going with Miyafuji and Sakamoto while the latter was with Eila. Shirley and Lucchini had gone with each other, and Lynne decided to head back to her family.

Which left us three.

I think I was still looking upset still, for Hartmann said, "Hey, commander. You okay?"

"Hmm?" I asked her as I looked at them. "I'm fine, Hartmann. Nothing to worry about."

"You sure?" Barkhorn decided to add in. "Since you forced Sage off the team, you've been rather quiet. Not to mention that you're not acting like yourself..."

"Let's not get started on that liar," I told her. "He deserved what he got."

Barkhorn stepped in front of me, arms crossed. "Really?"

I was forced to stop or crash into the captain. "I'm sure, Barkhorn." After what I heard from him, how can I really tell what's real anymore? Was it his fault that everything was going downhill? Hell, is it his fault that Ellios died that day, leaving me to recruit his sorry ass?

"Commander," Hartmann said. "How can you let Roland go that heartlessly?"

I looked at Hartmann. "He lied to us. He lied to you, Hartmann. Are you willing to forgive him that easily?"

"It doesn't matter, commander. He lied to us, yes, but can you really blame him? He was just trying to do what he thought was good. Besides, he helped save Trude."

"I agree with Hartmann," Barkhorn added. "Sage's been there for us through thick and thin. He's one of the reasons we were united this whole time. Why are you throwing him out into the cold like he was a wanted criminal?"

"He had a chance to change this whole situation, but he didn't even try! He's the reason Sakamoto was injured, Barkhorn!"

"The Neuroi was the one who attacked Sakamoto. Sage not firing at it had nothing to do with the fact that it fired to defend its ally. If he really wanted to change this situation, then what would have happened? Besides, what if it was someone else?"

I was about to say something in response, but I caught myself. If Roland didn't fire at it, why? Did he know something that we didn't? That Warlock prototype was familiar to him, but since his revelation I felt that he knew about it before all this. Besides, what if it was someone else who got shot down, like Yoshika? What if it was me?

You can come to me for anything, alright? If you want to talk, I'll listen.

That sentence entered my mind. Did Roland not come to me about it because he was uncertain if I would believe him? I mean, he lied, but what was his reasoning?

"Would Roland lie to protect us?" I asked myself aloud.

"Commander?" Hartmann said in response.

"Nothing, Hartmann. I was just thinking aloud..."

I knew what I needed to do now.

I ran off, determined to find Roland and talk to him.

"Hey, commander!" Hartmann said as she and Barkhorn followed behind me. "Wait up!"

I was going to give Roland a chance to explain himself. One chance.

"You don't even know where the lieutenant is," Barkhorn pointed out. "Besides, you threatened to kill him if you saw him again. He might run to keep you from carrying out your threat."

"I understand, Barkhorn," I said as I activated my powers, letting my familiar appear. "However, that's something I'm willing to risk if it gets me answers."

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Roland's POV

Why exactly did you lie? my conscious asked me. You lied for some reason, but I never understood it. Why?

"I'm not sure," I said. "I wanted to tell someone, but who would listen to a man who says he's from a different world?"

My reflection frowned. You didn't give it much thought?

"Well, I thought you handled things like that."

I never thought about it because I thought you did. I watched as the other me sighed. Well, this is...great. We don't know the reasoning behind your deception quite fully. Let's see, is there any factors to consider?

I gave it some thought. "I guess I didn't want to lose anyone's trust. I mean, who wants to be friends with a man who acts weird because of his original position? I just wanted to be normal, that's all. Was that too much to ask?"

Maybe for your friends it was. You never thought about whether they wanted to know more about you. The real you, not the one you made to protect your secret.

"Oh, sure. Again, who would believe me if I came out with it?"

You could have tried.

My aura sense (or what was left of my powers) picked up three people behind me. I turned my head, expecting to find some of Maloney's men behind me.

Instead, I saw Minna, Erica, and Gertrud.

"I thought you wanted me to be out of your sight," I said, recalling Minna's threat. I was considering running, but I looked at Minna's face, and the commander looked like she was not concerned with her threat for the time being.

"Did I ask for you to speak?" Minna said to me in return. "I want you to only answer when I ask you a question. You are to be silent for the rest of it, understood?"

I nodded. I really didn't want to give her any reason to shoot me.

"Good," Minna started. "Now, as you're probably aware of the recent events that occurred involving your secret, I have given it some thought."

"You have?" I asked her.

"Lieutenant?"

"Sorry." Quiet down, liar.

"Like I said, I gave it some thought. Well, I gave it some major thought while I was running over to find you, but the point is that you have been lying to us this whole time."

"I didn't want to-"

"Lieutenant, please."

"Shutting up now."

"Therefore, I wanted to ask you one question, and I want you to answer me truthfully. Why? Why lie to us? We were a team, Roland."

I sighed. "I'm not sure currently, commander. I thought it was best at the time to keep certain details under wraps until I was ready to tell you guys, but Maloney forced my hand just recently. I guess..." I sighed again. "I guess I didn't want any of you guys to get hurt because you knew my secret. What if someone was trying to look into my past? If they knew you guys knew about it, then they probably would have targeted you first. You were trying to look into my Striker Unit's origins, and Gertrud picked up that letter with the warning written on it. I never wanted to deceive you guys, but I didn't want you guys to feel sympathy for me either. I just wanted to be as normal as I could be. I'm sorry if that wasn't what you guys wanted, but you can't understand my position."

I looked at Minna as she thought about what I said.

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Minna's POV

I sighed.

Well, after hearing what Roland had to say, I think I made my decision. I walked up to him and, raising my left hand, slapped him across his right cheek.

As his right hand flew to his cheek, the lieutenant took a step back.

"Ow!" he shouted. "What the hell was that for?"

"That's for lying to me and the others," I told him point-blank before hugging him tightly. "And that's for everything else you've done on the team."

"Commander?"

I was glad that I wasn't being looked at by Hartmann or Barkhorn because I was blushing madly. After everything this guy's put me through, from recruiting him into the Strike Witches all the way to me being angry at him for lying to me, my feelings for him had somehow remained despite my anger toward him.

"What does that mean?" Hartmann asked me as I let go of Roland after my blush faded.

"It means that the Neuroi Witch is officially back on the team," I told my friend.

"Really now?" Barkhorn asked as she looked at me. "You forgave Sage that easily?"

"Why not? He's done more than enough to assure our trust, even if it's not as strong as it used to be."

XXXXXXXXXX

Roland's POV

I was surprised: after all that, Minna wanted me back on the team? Though...did she really have to slap me again? Wasn't that time after she got angry at my deception before this moment enough of a punishment?

However, that nickname...

"Commander," I started as I smiled. "That's great. Don't worry, I won't betray your trust again. But...Neuroi Witch?"

I swore Minna's eyes had a devilish shine as she looked at me, like she was trying to flirt with me.

"What's the matter with your new nickname?" she asked me slyly.

"Uh, nothing!" I told her as I waved my hands in front of me. "I rather like the name."

Lieutenant Roland Sage, Neuroi Witch.

I guess it has a nice ring to it. That, and it fits in nicely with the fact that Minna said that I could have been a Neuroi.

"Uh," I decided to add in, "Commander Minna. Can I ask something?"

"Sure, Roland," was her answer.

"What's the plan?"

"You never recalled the events after this?" She looked confused. "I thought you had a plan."

"Well, what was your original plan?" I just wanted to check notes here.

"We were going to hide out and spy on those military men inside the base. That way, if something fishy goes on, we'll be able to stop it."

I nodded in approval. "Sounds like a good plan. Plus, you three do it anyways back in my world."

"Hey, um, lieutenant?" Gertrud asked me. "Have you heard of us before?"

I laughed. "Heard of you? Of course. There was an anime series about you Witches. Plus a movie, some manga books, some games, I think...anyways, I digress. Should we proceed with the plan?"

"Of course," Minna confirmed.

"Let's rock."

XXXXXXXXXX

Lynette's POV

I was trying to think of happier times while in the limousine that would take me back to my family for a while. Which was getting harder and harder as I was soon thinking about Roland and his secret.

Was it really true? I mean, if he truly is from a different world then how did he end up with magic? What really happened to his parents? He did say that they had died, but did he say that because they didn't come with him when he got into this world, or was it because he needed a story to use in case someone asked him?

"Are you feeling okay, ma'am?" the driver asked me as he looked into the rearview mirror.

"Huh?" I replied as I blinked. "Yeah...I think I am..." Was I?

"Do you want me to stop somewhere for a while? There's a good vantage point of the water close by."

I smiled slightly. "Uh, sure..."

A few minutes later, and I got out of the limousine as I walked over to a nearby railing that was somehow overlooking the water.

Roland... I thought as I leaned on the railing and could make out the Akagi out in the distance. I don't care if you believe that we don't trust you anymore...I still do...it's not as much as it used to be, but I'm forgiving you for your lies. Please...find a way to bring us all together again...

XXXXXXXXXX

Sanya's POV

"Alright," Eila said as she came back to the bench holding two tickets for the train that would get us started on our trip. "The timetable says that the next train won't be coming for a few more minutes."

I didn't answer her right away.

"Sanya?" she asked. "You've been strangely quiet since that incident with Roland...and I'm not talking about your usual silence. It feels like you're upset at something, and that's a sign if I can tell."

I continued to ignore her, focusing more on trying to remember Roland and some of the moments we had shared other than him helping me out on the night patrol that day.

"Sanya!" Eila shouted.

"Huh?' I asked as her shout interrupted my thoughts.

"Finally," Eila sounded irritated, but her tone softened a little. "Sanya, you've been thinking about Roland again, huh?"

"Yes. I was thinking of what he asked me..."

Sanya, I want to know: will you still trust me? No matter what, will you still believe in me? Roland's words entered my thoughts.

I told him that I'd still trust him. Yes, he wasn't born in this world, but he's alive here. That's enough to prove that he exists to me.

"Eila?" I decided to pose the question to my friend. "Do you trust Roland still?"

"Wait, you're asking me that?" Eila replied.

"Roland asked me that question, and I think I know how the commander feels about him right now...but what about you?"

"Well...let's see...not counting the way I treated him beforehand...he's been there for us, I can say that much. Even if we're just characters back where he comes from, I'm as alive as he was. I'm certain that he didn't have powers before coming here, but if he has magic and that prototype Striker Unit then he's been picked for a reason that's beyond all of us."

I then remembered the card Eila had read for him. "You think that card from before...you think it still applies to him?"

"I don't know, but if it does still apply to him then he has some work to do."

I was slightly confused. "What work?"

"I said that the card was him bringing balance to our lives. Kinda hard to do that when we're split up..."

I nodded. "So Roland's future was incorrect?"

"Well, like I told Miyafuji that day, I can't see very far into the future. I didn't know about Roland's secret at the time, so how was I supposed to discern the true purpose he needed to fulfill?" Eila sighed. "To give you a good enough answer...I guess I still have a little trust in him."

I smiled slightly. "You do?"

"Yeah. If he could handle himself alongside us while trying to keep us from failing in our missions, then I don't think Roland's going to have much of a problem with the situation he has in front of him."

Suddenly, the train came into the station. I watched as Eila stood up and looked at me. I swore she wore a smile on her face.

"Well," she told me. "Come on. Our train's here...though I don't know if it'll take us to where we want to go."

I nodded as I stood up as well.

"Right behind you, Eila," I told her in return.

XXXXXXXXXX

Roland: Next time on Strike Heroes: it looks like all hope hasn't been lost yet. I've been given a second chance by the commander, and now the four of us are keeping an eye on the base as I tangle with what the being revealed to me.

Erica: Yeah, though based on what you know, do you think we'll find anything?

Gertrud: I think the bigger question is how the others are digesting your secret, lieutenant.

Minna: I agree. Not everyone may have recovered from that revelation.

Roland: But they have to trust me if we're going to stop that Warlock!

Minna: ...You sure you want to just charge in unannounced?

Roland: (sigh) Yoshika and I have unfinished business with that Warlock, and I'm willing to risk my life if it means accepting my new identity. Next time, I promise...We Will Fly again!

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That's it for the next chapter.

Just for heads-up, here's a few information I'm going to give here:

1) I've decided to start work on the idea I had been thinking of. As of now, I am at work on Project Himebana (named based on the CDs featuring the Strike Witches themselves), the final title to be announced at the end of this story.

2) The chapter itself was going to be split into two parts, one covering the revelations and one dealing with the repercussions...but then I figured that it would have made more sense placing the two contents together to make this chapter. This made it a little interesting as I covered some of the views I chose to deal with. Other views will be explored as well as the answers to some of the questions still out there.

Other than that, let me know how the chapter went, so please read and respond.

Thanks.