Journal 14 - Entry 38
Battle of Mitakihara
September 2008
We just finished driving back the Quincy's most recent advance. They've been fighting back hard out here on the outskirts of Mitakihara Village, so it's been a stalemate for the last couple weeks. We are dug out in a small trench in what was a forest southeast of the village proper. Our trench is small, just a single buried room with a trench running out about 10 meters from the entrance to the hole. The ten of us needed to stay hunkered down in that room most of the time while our position was hammered by that long range ballista-like attack they have.
Well, nine of us, Tarou got caught out by a sniper. We aren't able to do anything with the body, so we just covered it and have it staying with us down here until we are able to move out.
Earlier today, the rain of ballista bolts stopped, and we could make out ten to fifteen figures moving towards us, a squad. Our trench was located in what used to be a forest, but now it was nothing more than bare tree trunks sticking out of the ground like toothpicks, and pock-marked soil. We had the advantage that the Quincy squad didn't know the exact location of our trench, so we waited until they got closer.
There's a small hole on the opposite side of the dugout large enough for one of us to aim through, and Kazuto stepped up and fired two rounds at the closest Quincy, hitting her in the chest and head, dropping her like a puppet with its strings cut. Then we saw the man behind her drawing his hand back as if to throw something. I screamed to get down, and the object, a small silver orb, landed just outside the hole, and detonated in an ear-splitting explosion. We got lucky that the Quincy missed getting it directly through the hole, or it could have killed everyone in here.
Another had walked too close to the trench without realizing how close he was, and Rika had a clear line of sight from the trench. She shot him in the knee and he went down, then shot him once more to finish it. Even still, the main group was getting closer so I needed to do something. A tree had fallen across the top of the bunker, so I jumped out of the trench and ducked behind the tree. This gave me an elevated look and I had a clear shot at the main Quincy group. They loosed a barrage of arrows in my direction, hitting the tree stump. I yelled down at the others and they started laying down suppressing fire.
I needed someone else up here with me too, so I yelled down to Keiko to get her ass up here, but she was frozen. Poor girl was shell shocked. Thankfully Tarou stepped back and told her to trade places with him. Had to smack her to get her moving. Cruel? Yes, but we're in the middle of a battlefield, freezing up is how you get comrades killed. I know from personal experience.
With her here to draw fire I was able to use Shunpo to get to outside their field of vision while Tarou pinned them down with suppressing fire. There, I activated my Shikai, Shikōsen, which allows me to create four orbs of green light that float around me, each capable of firing a concentrated beam that can melt through almost anything.
By the time the Quincys sensed me and whirled to face me it was too late. The beams cut straight through the cover three of them were hiding behind, killing them instantly. The remaining two pulled back to retreat. Ginrou had taken a hit and needed treatment, so that took priority over trying to pursue them.
While we were patching him up, we felt it. Powerful, crushing Reiatsu. I could see the fear appear in Keiko's eyes, and a couple of the other newer troops. But I'd been around since the Fall, and to the veterans, that Reiatsu may well be a campfire in the frozen mountains. Before I could open my mouth to explain it, we saw it, an enormous explosion in the tell-tale shape of a pitch black cross. The signature attack of Ichigo Kurosaki.
It must have been kilometers away, because it took a few seconds before the sound of the explosion and the shockwave reached us. We didn't have time to dwell on it, because moments later, the radio crackled to life with the voice of Major Takanashi telling us that we had a squad of reinforcements coming in behind us, and to group up with them. Once we were together we were to take the house on the ridge that the Quincy platoon was using as their base.
Luckily these reinforcements had two Kidō specialists in it, which would make the advance much easier. So we advanced, the Kidō specialists launching a barrage of Shakkahō and Sōkatsui to keep the Quincy from shooting us when we advanced from cover.
The structure they were holed up in was a stone structure that was clearly well constructed, and likely further reinforced by the Quincy, because it was wearing the onslaught with minimal damage. One brave Quincy poked out from a window to try and fire down at us, but he underestimated how good of a sharpshooter Kouta is.
Me, Tarou, Keiko, and Kazuto reached the base of the house and drew our Zanpakutō. It was hard to say exactly how many were in there, but based on how many we'd taken down already vs their standard platoon size, we were confident we could take them. I activated my Shikai again and used the beams to melt the lock on the door. Tarou kicked the door in and we let our training take over.
Breach and Clear is an extremely dangerous maneuver, especially when going in blind. We had the Kidō specialists and Kouta providing overwatch, but nothing is perfect. When we went through the door, Tarou ducked low, which was good because the Quincy had been waiting at the door, bow drawn. Tarou closed the gap, severing the Quincy's hand, before finishing him with a slash to the chest Kazuto had already moved to the next room and cleared it out as I went upstairs. The upstairs was where they had their command room set up, and the only person up there was their commander. I wasn't in the mood for talking so I didn't hesitate and lunged forward, parrying her strike and subsequently cutting her down.
That was it, we'd taken the house… Is what I thought. A half second later I heard the sound of an explosion go off down stairs. I ran down, and I saw just another horror that this fucking war had wrought. The Quincys had booby trapped the door to one of the guest rooms with a Reishi grenade. The room Keiko had been designated to clear. Luckily she had died instantly and hadn't suffered. I bent down and closed her eyes.
After that we were all able to move into the house and adapt into our FOB for the region.
All this had been for barely a kilometer of territory gained.
We did get some good news at least. A large swath of the outskirts of Mitakihara was successfully taken by a battalion of Arrancar from the 2nd Division led by Lieutenant Apacchi. While they may be slow, gains are being made, and it's looking like we have the Wandenreich on the back foot more and more.
I sit here and look at myself in the mirror. The scars I've gained physically and mentally, and how much I've changed. It's been 5 years since the Fall, and at the time I assumed I'd be dead within the month back then. Keiko wasn't long out of the Academy, she reminded me of me at the start, and what happened to her… how easily that could have been me. She didn't deserve that. No one does. But it's the reality we have. So I just need to keep going, so maybe, eventually girls and boys like Keiko, and like so many others we've lost won't have to be put into this hell.
.
CPL Ryūnosuke Yuki
13th Division, 2nd Battalion, Avalanche Squad
September 13, 2008
Author's Notes:
It's been awhile, I know, but a combination of generally being busy and Starfield coming out have combined to create procrastination.
And then I return with a very depressing downer of a chapter. This is a much smaller scale and overall more personal chapter, that doesn't really progress the overall plot, but just shows what it's like in the trenches.
Despite how small the scale is, you'll notice this is actually the furthest ahead in the timeline we have gotten so far, so we're starting to peek further ahead.
I don't know when the next chapter will happen, but it'll happen Eventually™
Thanks for reading!