A/N: Sorry for the delay! I have no excuses. I just couldn't post anything.
Anyway, today (15 July) marks another year for me... sigh. I'm now 24... what the hell am I doing with my life? I'm getting too old.
And to mark this special occasion, I'll release an extra looooong chapter! Please put on some epic music for this. There is no fighting, but just for the heck of it.
Angel Beats!
What We Live For
Operation 41
What We Stand For
"... Commander..."
A distant voice echoed somewhere in the background.
"... Commander..."
"Hmm..."
She was tired and needed to sleep.
"... Commander..."
"Hmm... 5 more... minutes..."
She mumbled.
"... Commander... wake up... NOW!"
A sudden blast from an extremely powerful horn shot through her ear drums, causing her brain to immediately activate and scream for cover. Unfortunately her body was slower and she merely bolted up from her sleep. Standing beside the sofa that was her bed was Saori, a member of her elite Guard 1 unit. Saori had more or less established herself as Yamato's second in command for Guard 1 and issues orders that are in line with whatever Yamato wanted.
"Saori... fuaaahh... hmm... What time is it?"
Yamato yawned, stretching her arms as her body started to stir itself awake.
"It's currently 0600."
Saori answered flatly.
"Hmm... I thought I asked you guys to wake me up at 7?"
Yamato swung her legs off the sofa and lazily scratched her head. Her hair was in a mess but that can be fixed later.
"A situation has occurred. Major Fujibayashi has requested your presence in the meeting room."
"... Alright."
Yamato sighed, getting up from the sofa and walking towards the door. She was given a small room to use as her private quarters for the night and though she had told her men that she did not mind sharing a room, seeing as how there were so little left, they flatly told her that it was for her own use. Well, at least she gets some peace and quiet. For that moment. She had spent the whole day after the battle to reorganise her men, ensuring the supply lines were secured and looking after the proper distribution of supplies. The second and third reinforcements from Guild had arrived late at night so she was up till then issuing orders and checking through everything. The P-1500 Monsters as well as the P-1000 Rattes had arrived as well, giving her forces a tremendous boost. If only they could move faster. During the night before, she had guessed that the recovery rate for the Assault and Fort divisions would take more than a day, and confirming it with Kyou and the recovered Tomoyo later last night.
Last night
"We might require additional time."
Kyou had told her the night before while they were eating dinner in the mess.
"Another two days and we'll be ready."
"Two days? Isn't that a little long?"
Yamato had asked back.
"I know you would not want to lose the momentum but in truth our forces are down to 10 percent. We still need more time to get our forces back into action."
Tomoyo added.
"Hmm... but still..."
"I know you're in a hurry, Kusanagi, but the fact is that we cannot move at all. We might lose the initiative, but at least we still can get the momentum going."
Yamato thought about it for some time before finally relenting.
"Fine, we can stay. I could use the time to properly sort out my forces."
Present
So much for waiting. If a something like a 'situation' had occurred, she can well guess that it isn't going to be good. It was a good thing she still had planned for preparations to be done by today. If only she had a little more time to add some finishing touches. Stepping out of her quarters, Yamato found herself in a busy hallway of the main command centre of the Fortress, with SSS2 members running to and fro, carrying supplies, weapons and documents. She guessed everyone was getting ready for the final push.
"Saori, what is the status of our troops?"
She asked her second in command as she walked down the hallway towards the main meeting room.
"Guard 1 is full recovered and ready for action. 2 of the ten tank battalions that were damaged yesterday still require more servicing but reported that they are able to move. Thunder battalion have started moving towards the hills for better positioning and I had ordered two regiments of Shield to accompany them."
Saori reported, keeping in step with Yamato as they turned a corner.
"Hmm... And what of the Yamato?"
"The Yamato reports of one engine failure and minor Shadow skirmishes. Overall it is still operational."
Operational? Well, she guessed that would be what Takanari would say. The two stopped before the main doors to the command centre of this building. She could already hear some noises within. A heated argument this early in the morning? Some people were too energetic. Heaving and sigh, Yamato steeled herself and pushed the doors open. Stepping into the meeting room of the command centre, Yamato noticed that she was the last of the commanding officers to arrive. Standing by the centre table with maps and documents sprawled all over it, the leaders of the surviving SSS2 groups had gathered. Fujibayashi Kyou, current leader of the Fort and Assault division members. Sakagami Tomoyo, taking over Kyou's former job as the leader of the main infantry force. Hasegawa Iori, leader of the Wolves. Senjougahara Shinobu, leader of the runners and provisions group. Goudatera Takako, leader of Shield. And then there is her, Kusanagi Yamato, leader of the Guild forces.
"Morning Kusanagi."
Kyou smiled as Yamato took a cup of coffee from a Guild member who handed it to her. Taking a sip, she let the warm caffeine drink fill her up before looking at Kyou.
"There must be a good reason to wake me up this early."
Yamato narrowed her eyes at Kyou. Yamato hates waking up early. She never wakes up early.
"Oh, there is a very good reason alright."
Kyou smirked, throwing some pictures across the table to Yamato. Yamato took the photos and took a look at them, though what she was looking at still eluded her. On the pictures showed a dark tower of some sorts, twisted and with spikes jutting out from different angles. It had a deep sense of dread to it, a foreboding darkness that seemed to tell every fibre in her body to look away.
"... What is this?"
She dared to ask.
"That... is the school."
Yamato looked up in surprise and utter disbelief. The school? But this looked completely different! Where were the different buildings? Where did all of the classrooms go to?
"Disturbing, isn't it?"
Kyou smiled at Yamato's reaction.
"Disturbing... this is... more than that."
"Yes, it is."
Tomoyo nodded in agreement.
"Our scouts have managed to take this picture when they were out to gather information on the current situation. They also managed to find out that Yuki and Ein had both fought their way inside of this tower."
"Yuki and Ein went inside?"
Yamato asked.
"Yes, they did. Both leaders charged in without care for their own safety."
Kyou muttered with a slight hint of irritation, most likely directed at Ein.
"It would seem obvious at this point that the change in the school's shape as well as the movements of our enemies is proof of something serious."
Tomoyo stressed.
"We do not know how this happened or what caused it but this transformation can only mean that whatever is happening is happening soon."
Kyou added, pointing at the pictures.
"It looks like we cannot sit back any longer. I have a bad feeling about this all and so we need to mobilize as soon as possible to stop this. With the forces of Guild, we are now a fully sized force who can push forward."
"Before we talk about going anywhere, there is a more important question at hand. Have your forces fully recovered?"
Shinobu asked Kyou, crossing her arms.
"I will be honest, our forces are only at 50 percent fighting capacity."
Iori answered.
"But 50 percent is better than the 10 percent we were at last night."
Tomoyo added in.
"That is still not good enough. Even if you say your forces are up by 40 percent, we still do not have enough people."
Takako muttered.
"But with your tanks and the number of troops you brought, we can surely-"
"Do not forget, boy, that we are Guild. We are workers, not soldiers. We are not trained for long battles and cannot stay on the field as long as your troops can."
Takako cut off Iori in mid-sentence with a glare. Kyou sighed, shaking her head.
"Fighting will get us nowhere. I understand where your stand is, Goudatera-"
"I'M NOT GOUDATERA!"
"-But you have to consider that we are currently running against a clock that we have no idea how much is left on it."
Takako wanted to vent on more about her name but she cooled off rather quickly, closing her eyes as she rubbed her temple in frustration.
"That may be so but we still cannot just push on on a whim."
"It is more than a whim! We must risk everything we have to ensure that the worst calamity doesn't happen!"
Tomoyo shouted, banging the table in retaliation.
"And if we simply charge in blindly we will all die!"
Takako snapped back.
"We will all die if we don't move now!"
"We will die even before we can do anything! It would be a meaningless death for us all!"
"It isn't meaningless if you at least try!"
Tomoyo and Takako started to butt heads, arguments flying across the room. As for Yamato, she just stood there, drinking her coffee quietly while contemplating on the current situation. She knew that Takako was right. They cannot move recklessly. Though they have tanks and armoured support, the current route from the Fortress to the school was a heavily forested area, not to mention the amount of snow that piled up overnight. With these two main variables in place, her tanks were sitting ducks within the forest as they make their way towards the school area. Even if they could blast a path through the forest, it would only make their enemies alert to where they were, resulting in their troops being easily overwhelmed with constant enemies charging heading towards them. But she also agreed with Tomoyo's position. This... tower, or whatever it is, can only mean bad news. Like a time bomb, something big was going to happen and it wasn't going to be a party or anything pleasant.
"Hmm, I have to wonder, what do you think about this, Kusanagi?"
Kyou suddenly asked, making all quiet and turn towards the silent leader of the Guild forces. Yamato looked up, not too happy about being singled out like this. Heaving a sigh, she placed the cup of coffee down on the table.
"Why ask me?"
Yamato asked.
"Because you're the current leader of Guild. Though our own lieutenants have such strong opinions, it would be better to hear what YOU, as a leader, plan to do."
Kyou smiled. She knew what Yamato wanted. It wasn't all that hard to figure out.
"... I agree that we must attack soon."
Yamato said, making Tomoyo smile in triumph.
"But commander! Our forces are not yet ready!"
Takako said, turning to Yamato with a concerned expression. Her worries were not unfounded and Yamato knew of the risks.
"Our tanks can survive the push to the tower and we can get the Yamato to provide support and a distraction. The supply lines are secured, right?"
Yamato asked Shinobu, who blinked a couple of times before answering.
"Y-yes, of course."
"Good. We will push the attack BUT... we will only do so by the afternoon."
Yamato stated, making Kyou raise an eyebrow.
"Afternoon? Why so?"
"This would give your troops more time to prepare and recover. My forces can move any time but I would need time for my tanks to get into full moving formation. Though my original plan was to move in the morning, because of these new pieces of information, I have to re-think and re-organize my strategies. IF, that is alright with you."
Yamato narrowed her eyes at Kyou. Kyou closed her eyes with a smile.
".. Alright, we'll go with your plan."
"Kyou! you can't possibly-"
"I've made my decision, Tomoyo. We'll leave in the afternoon."
Tomoyo bit her lip, but said no more.
"Alright, Kusanagi, you got your window. Use it wisely."
Kyou said. Yamato smiled, turning around and leaving the meeting room with her lieutenants following closely behind.
"Ah.. you bet I will."
Leaving the meeting room, Kusanagi Yamato wasted no time in ordering her men.
"Takako, I need the report on all of our troops and weapons check-list"
Yamato said as she walked down the corridor of the main building.
"Yes commander."
Takako replied.
"I also need to know how many units have missing files in their ranks. Redistribute the squads if you have to, and put any remaining units into my battalion."
"Understood."
"Shinobu, I need a complete run-down on the supplies that can be shipped from Guild to us by the afternoon."
"It will be done."
The petite runners leader replied as they took a turn around a corner.
"Work with Takako and order any supplies we are lacking ASAP. I do not want to be caught unprepared for any situation we may encounter."
"Yes commander."
Yamato continued to give out instructions as they continued to walk out of the main building and out into the cold.
"Dagger and Axe battalions are to head out and create a path."
Yamato told Saori, who nodded in silent reply. Yamato led the way to a temporary shelter put up to shield mechanics as they were working on repairing tanks. This tent was for Yamato's own tank, the Type 90 tank, Hammer 1. She turned to face her lieutenants as she was handed a report by a mechanic for the tank repairs.
"That should be all, dismissed."
Yamato said, flipping through the charts.
"Yes ma'am."
Shinobu, Takako and Saori snapped to salute and left the tent. Turning back to the tank, Yamato looked on in satisfaction as Guild members were installing rocket launchers onto her tank. She wanted them to be outfitted with as much fire power as possible and with this new time allowance she had been granted, she could finally do it.
"Maaaaaaaam!"
A giggling Yoshika ran up to Yamato with her overly large helmet covering her vision and she turned and crashed into the side of the tank.
"Ouch!"
"... Yoshika, are you alright?"
Yamato questioned, heaving a sigh at the same time. Yoshika was spinning in drunken circles before she shook herself and raised the helmet to allow herself to see once more.
"Yes ma'am! I'm A-okay ma'am!"
She shouted in a happy tone. While her character was questionable, her skills as a tank operator weren't. She was once one of the experimenters working under Shoka, personally hand-picked by Yuuko to work on the tanks and test drive it. If there was anyone who was better at these tanks than Yoshika, Yamato surely would like to meet him or her.
"The rocket launchers are all fully loaded?"
She asked, turning back to the Guild team drilling and soldering the launchers in place.
"Yes ma'am! We have tons of rockets to use! In fact, we have enough to sell them!"
Yoshika chirped happily.
"Don't sell them!"
"Twelve rockets for one cookie!"
"That's damn bloody cheap!"
Yamato sighed, shaking her head whilst trying to get away from Yoshika's pace. She would just tire herself out before the entire battle.
"I need a sit-rep on the Monsters and Rattes."
Yamato said, and Yoshika snapped at attention.
"Aye aye ma'am!"
With that, she dashed out of the tent, letting Yamato have a breather.
"Commander, what do you wish to do with the machine gun?"
One of service mechanics asked her, pointing to the gun placed at the top of the tank.
"Does it cause any problems?"
She asked back, to which the mechanic shook his head.
"Not really, but after putting on the rocket attachments, the swivel of the gun would be limited. I needed to ask if that was still fine for you."
"Yes, that's fine. Leave it on."
"Aye ma'am."
The mechanic nodded and went on with the attachment of the rocket launchers. She walked around to the back where several more mechanics were tinkering with the exposed engine.
"Any problems? Wiring? Power?"
She asked.
"Wiring is a bit more trickery than before but we'll have it done ma'am."
"Power may be cut off when re-routing systems from the movement to the rockets. We're trying to see if we can get the engine to be separate from the electronics."
Power? Maybe attaching the rockets would cost too much power. But she did not recall needing so many electronic devices in her tank. Well, what does she know about tanks? She's a fighter, not a mechanic.
"What about the secondary auxiliary power?"
"If we attach it to that power source, all electronic hardware inside the tank would switch off just to fire rockets. It's like going in blind and shooting fireworks whilst blindfolded."
Interesting allegory, though she still did not see the point of it.
"We could try putting in another battery, but there isn't enough space in the engine compartment to house such a power battery."
"Or we could try routing it through all of the batteries. That way the systems won't all shut down."
One of the other mechanics suggested.
"Nah, that would only cause a-... wait a minute, that might actually work. Let's try that."
Yamato decided to leave the mechanics to work as she walked off. She did not understand a single word they were saying. Just then, she heard a great rumbling as well as the very ground itself began to tremble violently. Tools from the mechanic's too boxes began to jump out like fishes in a barrel from the mere vibrations of the ground. Yoshika ran back into the tent with a happy look on her face.
"Maaaaam!"
"Yoshika? Don't tell me this noise is made from the Monsters and Rattes."
"It is!"
"You idiot! I told you to give me a report! Not bring the whole damn battalions here!"
Yamato snapped, but then sighed, shaking her head in disbelief. What's done is done.
"Alright, fine, let's go take a look then."
She muttered, walking out of the tent with Yoshika and into the cold where giant machines were starting to roll by. Curious and surprised Fort and Assault members were in shock at the sheer size of these massive vehicles as they were being slowly guided through the Fortress by Guild members. A P-1000 Ratte halted before her and she gave the thumbs up to one of its crew members. Having a crew of ten, the Ratte was a monster of a heavy tank. Utilizing twin 10 cm cannons, protected by nearly 5 cm thick armour all around and being driven by four engines, it was certainly a large marvel to look at. One of the crew members jumped off and saluted to her.
"Viking 1, reporting with the rest of Viking squadron."
He said, handing her a clip board with a report on it to look at.
"Hmm... Ammunitions are all alright?"
She asked, skimming through the report. So far everything was working fine. Oil, engine, turret rotations, treads working well in snow conditions, etc. No obvious problems to be seen.
"Munitions are ready to go, ma'am."
"How is the speed?"
"I'll be honest and say that it isn't exactly the fastest tank we have, but at least it isn't the slowest."
The crew member replied, to which she nodded, handing him back to the report. In total, there were only 50 Rattes and keeping them maintained was a huge problem, not to mention moving them.
"I want each tank outfitted with whatever weapons it can hold, rockets, flares, smoke grenades, machine guns, everything."
Yamato said, turning her attention to some Guild members by the side.
"I want all weapons and ordnance stores open. Get every available man to outfit these Rattes."
"Yes ma'am!"
They shouted and rushed off.
"We will utilize the Rattes as the main offensive line. Try to get its speed to match the speed of our tanks as much as possible."
Yamato continued, talking to the crew member.
"We'll try ma'am."
"And tell the other Ratte crews that for this battle, we're going with Delta formation."
"Understood."
She turned and walked off as the crew member went to relay her orders. Warming up her hands with her breath, Yamato continued to walk along the long line of Ratte tanks that had just arrived in the fortress. With Guild members now rushing to meet the dateline of outfitting these tanks, no one bothered to stop and salute her. That was good. She hated the attention anyway. But now she had to deal with the more troublesome bunch. Yamato stopped right outside of the main Eastern Gates. Stopped right outside was that said troublesome group. Towering well above the gates of the Wall, these ten monsters made the Ratte seem like toys. Each P-1500 Monster was rightfully termed 'Monster', having the largest cannon ever possibly made. Yamato had yet to see the Monsters in action so she had her doubts about whether it could work.
Each had to be crewed by 100 men, a huge waste of man power but somehow the Guild members all reassured her that they were worth it. They better be. Due to their massive size and weight, transportation was a huge problem through the Guild tunnels. She had to abandon them and the Rattes to get to this Fortress in time. Even now, she had to wonder if they were still useful. Just by looking at its tracks told Yamato that it was too heavy. It was literally digging up the Earth as it moved. Truth be told, this wasn't even in the 'Tank' category, but rather in the 'Self propelled Gun' category. Still, this was a monster of a SPG. Oh yeah, its name is 'Monster'. Still, this was going to get troublesome. Yamato spotted one of the crew from the first Monster jumping off its massive platform and walking up to her.
"Reporting, ma'am."
He said, snapping to salute.
"Go ahead."
She said, not bothering to salute back. The crew member did not seem to mind.
"Yes. All ten Monsters accounted for. We have enough fuel and ammunition for a full day fight."
"Are all the components working? Can you be sure there will not be any explosions?"
Yamato asked.
"We have tested each component ma'am, and they are working fine. However since they have never shot a round before, it would be hard to say if it would work at all."
"Hmm... What is the top speed currently?"
"Given the snow conditions, I would say ten km/hr."
That is slow. Real slow. But that would have to do.
"Alright, get your men ready to move out. Get whatever supplies you need and head over to sector five. I already have Shield members setting up a basic forward outpost in that area. From that area you will have to provide artillery support."
The crew member snapped to salute.
"Yes ma'am."
With that, the P-1500 were ready. Yamato turned back to Yoshika, who had followed Yamato throughout her inspections with a happy smile.
"Yoshika, go back to my tank and get the mechanics to mount a communications transceiver on the back. With the way the battle is going, I need to be able to communicate 5 ways or more."
"Aye aye ma'am!"
With that, Yoshika snapped a salute that included her tongue sticking out and dashed back into the camp. Yamato sighed, looking up to the cloudy sky. It looked like it was going to snow once more. The final push. She wondered if they were really ready for this. She had no idea what waited them back at the school and in all honesty, she did not want to find out. That black tower sent shivers down her spine even as she thought back to its picture. The black tower. What awaited her there? What was it that needed to be stopped? Fighting was all she had to do. Was all she needed to do. It was all she could do. Her mind wondered back to Katsuragi. Where was he now? What was he doing? Did he manage to escape the school grounds? Was he able to meet up with others from the SSS2? Or... was he captured? Or killed?
She shook her head, dismissing the thoughts. Katsuragi should not be dead. He cannot be. But even if he is, what could she do? She was a leader. She had responsibilities. She had people to take care of. While she wanted to abandon everything and go look for him, she knew that the black tower came first. Whatever it is, she had to destroy it. Every fibre of her being demanded it. It had to go. It cannot exist. She closed her eyes, feeling her heart beat's slow hypnotic rhythm. She was calm. She was focused. Whatever the future holds. She stood ready. It may not be enough, but she knew that at least she was confident that this was the best she could do. No regrets, no holding back. To her, the battle had already long begun. This was just a little break. This war will end soon. She knew it. She looked up to the sky once more, seeing the sky darken in the far distance. Soon. Soon they will head towards that direction. They will face whatever horrors awaits them. And then... It would all be over. She heaved a sigh as she turned around and walked back into the Fortress.
"... It's going to get cold."
"Get everything ready! We move in the hour!"
"I need those supplies off those trucks and to the tents!"
"A tank's engine blew up in tent 15! We need more help in here!"
"Where is the next shipment from Guild? !"
"The Rattes are moving out!"
"All able bodied personnel are required to prepare for combat!"
"Move those trucks! Vice Battalion is coming through!"
"Everyone who needs a rifle go to tent 1 or 2! Standard issues only!"
Fujibayashi Kyou stood there as the men and women of the SSS2 began their preparation for the battle ahead. Preparation for war. Guild members were frantically handling the last minute repairs on the tanks as well as adding some new add-ons that Kusanagi Yamato had ordered them to put on. Others were moving fresh supplies unloaded from trucks that just came up from the Guild tunnels into tents to distribute them amongst the soldiers.
"Once you've taken your rifle, go to tent 4 for your ammunitions! All armour and protective equipments are in tent 6!"
One of the Guild members shouted over the bustle of people heading into the tents. Thanks to the wait, more Assault and Fort members had recovered and were back into action. The number of soldiers had been bolstered and they would need every man for this battle. There were three main elite fighting groups currently. The shock troops of Assault, Edge, were tinkering with their weapons at one corner. The Wolves of Fort were stocking up on ammunitions and supplies at their own private supply tent. And finally the elite soldiers of Kusanagi Yamato, Guard 1. They were quietly sitting around the main tent of the Guild forces, the one that Kyou knew had Yamato's tank, the Type 90 tank, Hammer 1, within.
They acted a lot like the Reapers from Division 6. Yamato was technically a Guardian herself, but she had only been given a black cloth, and had never even been to see Kurogane Kou yet. Yamato was a Guardian, in name. Still, the members of Guard 1 treated Yamato like she was Kurogane Kou herself and that they were members of Division 6. While they lacked the skills of a Guardian, they were still quite impressive as a fighting force, not to mention they were only formed the day before and were made up of members from all other Divisions. Kyou remembered the second in command, Saori. She came from Assault's Edge. So she would choose to be a member of Guard 1 rather than a member of Edge? Well, Kyou guessed there were some perks to being under Yamato. Yamato took good care of her men under her, making painstakingly careful planned movements to ensure minimal losses. She had also given each member of Guard 1 some sort of training. Though rushed, it showed that whatever training she gave them had obviously changed them from mere members of SSS2, to becoming a band of fiercely loyal elite fighters who answered to Yamato only.
"... Hmm, she is becoming very much like Kou."
Kyou muttered, rubbing her chin in thought. Right on cue, Yamato walked out of her tent, and the members of Guard 1 all stood up at once. She seemed to tell them something and they snapped to salute, heading off somewhere. Yamato warmed her hands with her breath before she noticed Kyou standing there and she walked over to where the proxy leader of Fort and Assault was standing.
"My men are all ready to move out. What about your side?"
Yamato asked warming her hands next to the portable heater that was next to Kyou. It explained the reason why Kyou did not seem bothered by the cold.
"Thanks to the wait, my forces are now up to 70 percent. While it isn't perfect, it is now much higher than before and we at least stand a better chance."
Kyou replied, looking back at the supply tents and the rush of Assault and Fort troops to re-arm themselves.
"... I plan to leave a small contingent behind."
Kyou admitted, earning a raised eyebrow from Yamato.
"You don't plan on committing everything you have?"
Now it sounded as though Yamato was risking everything while Kyou still had a card to play. In other words, it was starting to sound like Kyou did not seem confident in the up-coming battle.
"I will commit every fighting force I have to the battle and I will be leading it. But this is the Fortress. It is where Assault lives and trains. To my men, this place must always remain secure and open. A symbol, if you will, for them to return to."
"... This battle may result in none of us returning."
Yamato said gravely. Kyou merely smiled.
"And yet such a symbol is enough for them to fight on, to continue a dream and goal in which they may achieve. Look there."
Kyou pointed to the tent where the members of Fort and Assault were taking rifles and checking their equipments.
"Those men and women were once injured being what our medics could heal. Most of them were shot dead to allow them a painless full recovery, but all of them still remember the horrors of the battle before. The pain and suffering that each and every single one of them had endured. In a normal battle, they would all be scared, running for their lives, going crazy and maybe even abandoning all hope. But now... now is different. They fight because they believe in being able to win no matter what. I simply want to add additional securities to that illusion."
"Illusion? So... you're just going to lie to them?"
Yamato asked. Kyou smiled sadly, closing her eyes as she answered.
"Sometimes, it is those who stand closest to you who need to be fooled. In other times, it would be the ones whom you trust to protect you that needs to be misled. I want them to win, Kusanagi, not go out thinking it is a one way trip. I want them to believe. Believe in the battle. Believe in our chances. Believe in our strategies... But most of all... I need them... to believe in me."
Yamato looked at Kyou as the latter said that. Kyou may be used to being a leader, but having experience still does not change the amount of pressure you can feel from large decisions like these. When the lives of thousands rest on your decisions, your actions and your very words. Yamato smiled a little. There was so much she could learn from Kyou to be a good leader, but at the same time, there are a lot of things that Kyou needs to learn as well. A person is forever growing, forever pursuing the next step to move forward in their lives. Humans are imperfect, born as imperfect creatures, craving more, exploring the unknown out of pure curiosity and demanding the impossibilities of perfection. And yet such drive, such will power and desire was nothing less than admirable to marvel at. Even if that desire will eventually push men to go beyond the boundaries of sanity, go behind morality and eventually cause the end of everything.
Even if it did lead to that, the drive is what made them human. Is what made humans what they are this day. The drive is what evolved in humans. The drive that went beyond basic instincts propelled humans away from other animals. It made humans grow. And it would surely help them grow even more even in this afterlife. What was important for growth was not the body, but rather the mind, the heart and the soul. Kyou had all of these aspects within her, each still fiercely alive. Kyou was strong, no doubt about that, but even so the strong needed direction. Human growth is important, but rapid and unpredictable. That is why humans are social creatures. Without others, humans would not know what and how to direct their growth. Competition leads to faster growth, a forever changing marker that will push others to match their peers and excel. Cooperation leads to stronger and healthier growth, safety in numbers as well as knowledge from wiser people with experience to teach the younger ones on dangers and better methods. In this case, which would Kyou be and which would Yamato be? The lines were so blurred that it did not seem to matter any more That's right... it doesn't matter who teaches who. All can and will benefit if they work together.
"Why don't you give them a speech?"
Yamato asked, taking a cup of coffee with a stirrer on the table in the tent they were standing inside. Kyou turned and raised an eyebrow at Yamato after the latter said that.
"A speech?"
She asked back. Yamato nodded while sipping on the hot coffee.
"Yeah, a speech. Leaders always give one before some great battle."
"... But I'm not too good with public speeches. That was more Ein's job."
Kyou muttered, staring back out to the middle of the Fortress.
"Ein may be more popular and more outgoing, but Ein isn't the leader now. It is you."
Yamato pointed out, using the stirrer from her coffee cup to point at Kyou.
"You made the decisions thus far, you brought the men together from two different divisions. Not Ein, not Yuki. It was Fujibayashi Kyou."
Yamato said. Kyou took a deep breath, before letting out a very deep sigh.
"So... Since I started it, I have to follow through and finish it, huh?"
"That's one way of putting it. Don't worry, you should be able to do it."
"Easy for you to say it. Guild follows you because they know your skills and saw it first hand. They follow you because they know they can trust you and your judgement. As for me, I'm a proxy leader. I came to this position because I'm next in line. Assault is fractured into the different squads, none except for my own squads listen to me. And the heavy squad is following Guild and you. As for Fort, Iori is trying to get them together but his authority without Yuki is just as good Jin with a sniper gun. Meaning useless."
Speaking of the that good for nothing second in command for the defensive squad of Fort, where did he go anyway? He wasn't involved in any of the meetings they held thus far. The leader of the elite Assault squad, Edge, had come once though he never really introduced himself. Reiji, if Yamato recalled Kyou calling him that. The leader of the snipers, Ryusei Suou, had also shown up a few times. The commandos of the Assault squadron were leaderless as they followed Ein directly but now work under Kyou. The leaders of the Fort squads also showed up from time to time. Guild leaders did the same. But of everyone, Jin, being the leader of Camelot, was never around.
"Jin is probably sulking in some dark corner over the fact that Yuki didn't bring him along when she ran off."
Kyou answered Yamato's inquiry though the latter did not exactly ask for it.
"But being a proxy leader isn't that bad. You managed to get Assault and Fort working together without help."
"It is only a matter of time before it all boils over. I've only managed to distract them but it only can delay the inevitable."
"Then you should just try anyway."
Yamato answered back without hesitation, making Kyou a little surprised.
"What?"
"You know, just try to get them together anyway. Since it is all going to be the same, you might as well just throw everything you have at it. Besides, you might never know what would happen. Those men need a leader. They do not have to trust you completely or listen to you. But they need someone to point the right direction for them to go."
Kyou kept silent, thinking about what Yamato had just said. Maybe this was how Yamato did it. Yamato had no clear understanding of how to be a leader but she gave Guild a direction, gave them hope and thus they followed her. Perhaps there is merit in what she had just said. It was odd. Refreshing, but odd, to have Yamato tell Kyou something about being a leader when the latter was berating the former just the day before about the same topic. But they needed it. They all did. To remind them of what they had lost. Because of the long war, the fatigue from battles and the long hours of rest, the despair and doubts started to build up within each of them. Doubts about themselves, about the war, about everything. Why should they question themselves in such times? They had to focus, and the best way to do that is to have people around you to keep reminding you of your goals, of your objectives, of which direction they should be walking. And now, Kyou was to give thousands of people a new direction. She had not idea if it would work, but like Yamato said, since it was all going to end anyway, might as well just do everything she could. She smiled, thinking of how much Yamato had grown.
"... You're right. I guess I'll give it a try after all."
Kyou said, stepping out of the tent. She walked over to one of the Guild members in-charge of weapons distribution and snatch his loud-hailer from his hand with a smile before turning around and walking off. The slightly surprised and in shock Guild member stared at Kyou before looking to Yamato for answers. The leader of Guild simply nodded her head and followed the leader of Assault and Fort who had stepped up on top of a pile of crates in the middle of the square and stood there. Several curious members of each division stopped their activities and looked on as Kyou continued to stand there in silence with a loud-hailer in her hand. There were so many things going through her mind. The things she wanted to say to them were numberless. Seeing each and every one of them, the boys and girls of the SSS2. Soldiers of the Divisions. Each of them different from the other. The pain of their past. The scars of their battles.
Each and every one of them was different. Different skills, different hobbies, different lives, different regrets. They were individuals, yet they were a whole. They were the SSS2. They were united despite their differences. Not for the sake of the war or for the structure of the organisation. But they were united because they shared the same goals, the same fears, the same dreams. They all knew what was at stake and they were willing to put all of their bets on this war. No... they were willing to bet everything, on her. She has to lead them. She must lead them. No... she will lead them. Every one of them looked to her. She cannot let them down. She will not. The loud-speaker in her hand weighed heavy. Her breath felt hard, forced. The chilling winds biting at her ears. What was this feeling? What was this strange tightness in her chest? She would think it was the uncertainty of what the future might hold, or what might happen in the future.
But it wasn't that. Seeing more and more SSS2 members stop their activities and gather around her only made that feeling swell up. Nervousness? To speak before all of these SSS2 members? While it was true she had not give out that many speeches to so many people before, it wasn't like that. She knew more than half of these brave men and women by name. She knew their interests, their dislikes, their habits, their fighting styles. She knew each and every one of them. Was it because she was scared? Scared she might not see some of them after this battle? That they may fall to the enemy's blade? Or herself? No. It wasn't like that. Then what could it be? Could it be... confidence? Pride? Faith? Perhaps. There was no way of telling now. She kept that feeling in her chest. Never let go. Never want to let go. She will fight. No matter what. She will fight and these brave young men and women will be there with her. Never alone. Never again. She brought the loud-hailer to her mouth. All waited for her to speak. Could she speak? Was what she was going to say reach to every single one of them?
"..."
A slight hesitation. Fear. Rejection. Despair. Her eyes saw Yamato standing there, nodding at her. That's right. Now wasn't the time to worry about that. Move on. Just carry on. No matter what happens, she must have the courage, the tenacity and the will power to move on. Not only for herself, but for every one of them here. She was a leader. She was their leader.
"... Men... women..."
She said, letting the echoes sound out throughout the fortress, grabbing the attention of more people.
"... As all of you may know, we are about to face the largest battle that any of us had ever faced. Larger than the battle of Big Site five years ago, fiercer than the battle of the 'Deep Gorge' three years ago and even deadlier than the battle we had faced just the night before... I will not lie to you, when we march from here, many of you may not be able to come back. For most, we face true death, disappearance and insanity... I cannot promise you a victory... I cannot promise that any of you will be able to get out of this battle unscathed... All of you have witnessed it, the new threat we face... We are cornered, like rats. We face an army of enemy that we stand no chance against... We are outnumbered, out-matched, out-witted at every turn, every corner... We are on our last hope for survival."
She could see the despair in the eyes of some. They all knew what was in store for them.
"I can see it your eyes. Fear. Despair. The sense of all hope disappearing. Marching into a field of certain death, an hour of broken swords and splintered shields. We face an enemy that shows no pain, no remorse. An enemy that doesn't tire, doesn't give up, doesn't retreat. An enemy that doesn't die, feeds upon our very bones, grows in number with each of our fallen, ever increasing in numbers. The dark battles we had fought for countless ages. We have fought against this enemy countless times, repeating the vicious cycle over and over again! We have broken our souls, shattered our bodies, bled dry of our minds. An endless cycle... of death... of pain... of despair. Fought for days! For months! For years! For decades! ... I, myself, have fought in this war for close to three decades. I had given up hope, lost all will that this war would end... and yet... it will. The end is finally dawning upon us all, and it does not look bright. A dark cloud hangs over our heads, foreshadowing our demise, beckoning us to hell... and I say to this voice... I WILL MEET YOU THERE!"
She shouted, her suddenly outburst shocking some in the crowd.
"I have not come this far just to back down! I had fought through eternal pain and suffering so what does it matter to me now? ! Defeat? HA! I had faced defeat countless times! I had gone through the pain of lost an infinite number of times! I see the despair in your eyes. Each and every one of you. The fear. That same fear is within me, have no mistake. But that fear is proof that I had lived! That I am alive! That I am no mindless NPC! THAT I WILL TAKE MY OWN FUTURE WITH MY OWN HANDS OR DISAPPEAR TRYING!"
Her cry met with a tremendous roar of approval from the crowds that shook the very ground they stood on. They all agreed, they all knew, they all thought the same way. She let the cries die down a little before she continued. She had more to say. She had a lot to say. A lot she needed to say. A lot she must say. A lot she wanted to say.
"... Look to your right, and your left."
She said, causing almost everyone to do as she told them to.
"Who do you see next to you? A person? A friend? A comrade? We are all different. Each of us a son or daughter, brother or sister, friends to someone. Each and every one of us are different and it will always be like that. Members of SSS2... Soldiers of Assault, Defenders of Fort, Smiths of Guild, Spies of Intelligence, Survivors of Diversion... We are all different in our ways, our thinking, our philosophies. We do not need to agree with one another, we do not need to like each other... But we all share a common goal. A common drive. To survive. We have long fought together, side by side. We had our times of strife, our times of great disagreements... but we were always together.
We stand together now, on the eve of our greatest battle. Warriors from every division, soldiers of every squad. Side by side, not as soldiers, not as survivors... but as brothers and sisters of this life. We shall fight! Never again shall we abandon our comrades! Never again shall we lose ourselves to petty words and conflict! Never again shall we be alone! Never alone! We stand together! We don't need to have powers matching a guardian, or the powers of a division leader. We are the SSS2! When we work together nothing is impossible! When we march our feet sends tremors through the earth! When we shout our battle cries shall echo around the World three times over! When we move entire nations will part way to let us through! Noting can stop us when we stand united! UNITED AS ONE! UNDER THE BANNER OF OUR SOULS, WE SHALL RISE TO TAKE WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY OURS! AS ONES WHO SUFFERED! AS ONES WHO FOUGHT! AS THE SSS2!"
Cheers echoed throughout the fortress, chanting the name of SSS2.
"SSS2! SSS2! SSS2!"
That name... The SSS2. It represented so much to all of them... yet...
"The SSS2... What... is the SSS2."
Her words brought silence.
"The SSS2 that I had joined... the SSS2 that I had fought so long and hard for... What it was to me... what I believed in it was the chance to redeem myself. A chance to do what I had failed to do in my own life... But soon that was wrong. What the SSS2 had become, what we had corrupted into! ... I... I do not wish to be a leader. I do not wish lead you all to death... I do not wish to be a commander. I do not want to take over the organization. I do not want to be someone who lies, someone who hides behind masks, that is not my business. All of you are individuals. I only want to live on... to help all of you live on. We have all suffered... We have all faced despair.
Somehow along the line of time we became blind, lost ourselves to power. We had the potential, we sought the power to change our pain, our suffering... Do not let yourselves be blinded. Do not let me tell you what to do. Do not be a blind machine, a mere cattle! The power does not lie within one person, but with all of you! The power to make your own paths! To fight against the darkness that forces us to quarrel! To fight for a new World! Fight for what you believe in! The SSS2 is not just an organization. Not just a group of misguided young men and women... the SSS2 is a symbol! As a symbol it is an idea! And ideal for what we strove to become! It does not only hold within our badge, or our five division leaders, it is all of us! In here! In our souls! Hold it deep within your hearts! We are not mere soldiers and blinded fools! WE ARE THE SSS2! MEMBERS OF THE SSS2! UNITE! NOT FOR HONOUR NOR GLORY! BUT FOR OUR LIVES! OUR SELVES! OUR OWN FREE WILL! WE FIGHT FOR HOPE! WE FIGHT FOR OUR TOMORRW! WE FIGHT FOR OUR OWN FUTURE! MEN AND WOMEN OF THE PAIN AND SUFFERING! RISE!"
At her call all looked up.
"UNWAVERING SOLDIERS OF ASSAULT! RISE!"
The banner of the Assault guns rose high.
"IMPREGNABLE STEEL DEFENDERS OF FORT! RISE!"
The shields upon the walls of Fort resonating ever strongly.
"UNCOMPRIMISING SPIES OF INTELLIGENCE! RISE!"
The eyes that glistened at every corner.
"DEDICATED BUILDERS OF GUILD! RISE!"
The hammer and steel foundations of strength.
"UNSTOPPABLE SURVIVORS OF DIVERSION! RISE!"
The unstoppable willpower to live.
"WARRIORS OF THE SSS2! I BID YOU RISE! RISE TO CONQUER ALL BEFORE US! RISE TO TAKE BACK OUR LIVES! RISE NO MATTER WHAT SHALL COME BEFORE US! IF WE WERE TO BE BEATEN DOWN, RISE ONCE MORE! RISE! AND RISE AGAIN! RISE AS WE SHALL LET THIS VERY WORLD AND GOD ABOVE HEAR THE CRIES OF OUR SOULS! THIS IS THE DECISIVE MOMENT OF HISTORY! THE POINT IN WHICH OUR LIVES AND ALL LIVES THAT FOLLOW SHALL BE DECIDED! THAT ALL IN IT SHALL BE REMEMBERED! THIS IS OUR DAY OF DESTINY! THIS! THIS IS WHAT WE LIVED FOR!"
The deafening roar of cheers deafened everyone, their cheers carried throughout the forest, shaking mountains as they cheered out for the SSS2 and for her. They were ready, they had prepared themselves for this day to come. It was a day for all who stood under the banner of the SSS2 to face their own judgement. And Fujibayashi Kyou would lead them to it.
"SSS2, MOVE OUT!"
She shouted, and all in the fortress, every single soldier, every Assault member, every Fort defender, every intelligence agent, every Guild worker, every division helper. No matter who, where or what. All who wore the SSS2 uniform and stood at attention before Kyou, stomping their feet in one giant unified thunderous bang.
BANG
The ground shook, cracking beneath their synchronized steps. And all at once, every member, every man, every woman, snapped to salute Kyou. Kyou looked at them slightly surprised. Every single one of them, stood at attention and saluted her. All at the same time. A strange feeling of exhilaration swept over her. She could not help but smile. With tears running down her cheeks, she snapped her hand up to salute them back. These brave men and women. They will fight. They are the SSS2.