The silence you left (Kaisagi)

The arrival

"Well look who we have here, if it isn't Isagi Yoichi"

Isagi lifted his head to see the soldiers mocking him
"What do you want this time?" He asked flatly

The two soldiers glanced at each other and snickered as if Isagi had just asked them if the sky was blue

"Oh, nothing," one of them said. "Just wondering why you're even here."

"Yeah," the other added. "You don't even fight with the infantry, you just hide behind a table waiting for us to save the day."

Isagi frowned slightly. He had heard this argument too many times to count. Somehow, it managed to become more irritating every time.

"You already know the answer," he said, his voice calm as always. "So what's the point of asking again?"

He turned his attention back to the map, dismissing them as if they were background noise.

The two soldiers didn't leave.

Instead, one of them stepped closer to the table, glancing down at the map covered in pins and markings.

"So this is what you do all day?" he said. "Staring at lines and act you're helping"

The other one laughed.

"While we're actually out there risking our lives"

Isagi clenched his fists but he didn't look up.

"Yeah but can you predict where the opposition is going to attack next?" He muttered under his breath

The soldiers went quiet for a second.

Then one of them scoffed. "What did you just say?"

Isagi was getting more irritated by the second.

"Nothing"

The two soldiers looked at each other with rage thinking that Isagi was challenging them.

"Anyways, go on, repeat what you just said."

"I said that you keep bothering about me not fighting but you don't even know (I don't know what to say)

One of them scoffed, "well if you think you're so smart, then tell us where they might attack next?"

Isagi sighed before replying.

"They took the eastern villages yesterday. If they continue that pattern, the northern ridge is the only path that makes sense"

"Or maybe," the other soldier cut in, "you're just guessing"

Isagi didn't respond.

To him, it wasn't worth it.

The two soldiers exchanged a look, clearly unimpressed.

"Right," one of them muttered. "Whatever helps you sleep at night"

Before Isagi could say anything else, the atmosphere shifted.

At first, it was just the sound of footsteps outside.

But they were different.

They didn't sound like the other soldiers.

More footsteps followed, along with voices speaking in a language Isagi didn't recognize immediately.

The two soldiers straightened slightly.

"Who do you think is coming?" one of them asked.

Before anyone could answer, the door slid open.

An officer stepped inside, his posture stiff.

"All personnel, stand by. Allied reinforcements have arrived"

The room fell silent.

More footsteps approached, louder now, more deliberate.

Figures appeared in the doorway, their uniforms different from the others. Darker. Cleaner. Their presence alone made the air feel heavier.

They were German soldiers.

The two who had been mocking Isagi immediately stood up straighter, their earlier confidence fading.

Isagi glanced up briefly, then back down at the map.

It didn't matter to him who had arrived.

The war was still the same, it hadn't changed one bit

A pair of black boots stepped forward, stopping right beside the table.

This time, Isagi looked up.

The man standing there didn't say anything at first.

He glanced across the map slowly, taking in every pin, every line, every mark. His expression was calm, but focused, like he was reading something interesting.

No one spoke.

He reached out and tapped lightly on the map, his finger tracing along one of the lines Isagi had drawn.

"These formations," he said, almost to himself. "They are amazing"

The room stayed silent.

"Did you really think through all of this?"

The two soldiers looked at each other, confused.

The man finally lifted his head.

His eyes landed directly on Isagi.

"It's probably nothing...he doesn't even do anything but look at maps" one of the soldiers said, his voice wasn't as confident as before.

A small smile appeared on the man's face.

"No" he said. "It IS something"

"I heard about how your army has been countering opposition cleverly, I can see that's true now"

The soldiers froze.

Slowly, they turned their heads toward Isagi.

The same person they had just been mocking.

"So the reason you're all still standing here," the man continued, his tone calm, "is because of him"

Silence filled the room.

Isagi closed his eyes for a second, exhaling quietly.

This was exactly the kind of attention he didn't want.

"Are you done yet?" he said, his voice cold but steady.

The room went even quieter.

The two soldiers stared at him, completely thrown off.

The man let out a soft chuckle.

"Oh so thats how you're gonna react, huh?" he said.

Isagi looked up properly this time, meeting his gaze without hesitation.

"I didn't ask for your commentary"

For a moment, neither of them looked away.

The tension in the room shifted again, but this time it felt different.

Then the man smiled slightly.

"The name's Micheal Kaiser" he said.

Isagi didn't respond.

He just turned his attention back to the map.

But for the first time since the war had started, something felt different.

Like the battlefield had changed.

Not outside.

But here.

And without realizing it, Isagi had just met someone who could see the war the same way he did.

Somebody who could stand right next to him.