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[⚠️: Graphic content]
"KEEP FIRING!"
Commander Choi quickly hid behind a wee remnants of a torn wall as a grenade ticked a few feet away.
BOOM!
Earth shook upon its explosion, sending various sized debris in every direction. Commander Choi felt for his cheek. A stray shard had flown past and cut through his skin. It stung, yes. But he didn't have no time to wince about it. He hurriedly scrambled to his feet and blasted his machine gun to four enemies at the distance, earning him a quadruple kill.
It has been two days since their last straw erupted. Nordame had chased them off to the city proper where they were supposed to gather people and moment to retaliate. However, Nordame and its allie Betherel refused to give them the chance. So instead of a temporary cease, the battle went on without a pause— and everyone from both sides were exhausted and restless.
"Commander!" Corporal Pierre ran to his side. "300 from Nordame are now down. It is estimated that only 500 are left."
"Great," Commander Choi gritted, reloading ammos. "Fucking great."
"Corporal Sy needs backup, sir. His radio broke, thus he was unable to make contact."
"Where is he?"
"Southeast, by the town's hall. My boys are there but it ain't enough."
Commander Choi fished out his device.
"Sharkbait 05. Sharkbait 05."
"Sir." Sergeant Kang called back.
"Sharkbait 05, how do you read?"
"It's a.." Sergeant Kang's voice was cut off with a muffled explosion. "2 out of 5 read, commander!"
"God fucking damn it." Commander Choi seethed. "Sergeant Kang, you spare 50 of your men and deploy them to southeast. Do you hear me?!"
"Sir, I.." Another explosion boomed. "..request you to repeat!"
"Take 50 from your unit and send them to the town's hall, I said!"
"Copy! Wilco!"
Commander Choi chucked his radio back in his chest pocket. Him and Corporal Pierre took cover inside a building. They climbed up the dusty stairs, positioned to the second floor, and aimed their guns at the Nordame troops below.
"You gotta find that goddamn Nordame commander, sir." Corporal Pierre croaked.
Commander Choi shot a soldier. "I know. I need to locate that fucker's hideout."
"Useless coward, ain't he?"
Commander Choi grinded his teeth. "Yes. Yes, he is."
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The Montverde prisoners were anxiously preparing for combat.
Y/N had provided them with a weapon of their choice, varying from firearms and explosives. However, it wasn't sufficient. Thus, some men decided to give up their items to the women. They chose to use hammers, saws, and axes instead— tools they've once used in slavery, now for freedom.
"Nurse Y/N," a teenage boy chirped. "Our lookout says there are about 40 guards today."
Y/N's brows furrowed. "What? There were just 20 an hour ago."
"A couple troops had to come back for new equipments, ma'am."
Y/N scratched her head. "It's.. It's fine.. There's still hundreds of us.."
"200 of us." Diana corrected. "Nurse Y/N, I'm afraid that's not enough."
"Why is that?"
Diana stared at her grenade belt. "Nordame is smart.. A small group can already be the death of u—"
"Listen to me," Y/N grabbed her shoulders. "200 versus 40 is an obvious bet. We're making it out of here alive. All of us. Do you understand?"
"But—"
"Diana! Do you understand?!"
The lady frantically nodded. Y/N stood straight, depicting a fervent image of a brave and wise leader. She lead her crowd by the doors. In a moment, she will signal the first batch to bust it open and charge.
"Remember what I instructed you." Y/N faced them. "Never turn back. There's nothing for us to be afraid of. To those I entrusted the kids with, run the other way and head to a safe place. Anywhere will do. We'll find you once the coast is clear."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"This is our only chance." Y/N loaded her gun.
A lookout peeped from a small hole. Nordame guards were sitting by a single tank. They must take those people down before one climbs up the vehicle and blast them to extinction. Y/N held up a palm, telling them to be ready.
"NOW!"
BLAG!
"AAAARRGHH!!"
War cries raised alarm to the guards as hundreds of prisoners hollered at them. Y/N dashed front and ordered to open fire. Bullets rained from Montverde's side, instantly killing about six Nordame men.
"KEEP FIRING!" Y/N bellowed. "EVERYONE, SCATTER!"
She pulled her own trigger, shooting three guards right in their torsos. Diana carefully jogged nearby and tossed her grenades to a small group, wiping out two. Children were led away by a bunch of adults. Y/N saw them escape to the woods. The rest of the civilians either went aggressive with their rifles, made an explosive fiasco, or come together to beat the living daylight out of one guard with their tools. There was so much pent-up rage inside them, a wrath they've long bottled against Nordame that they were able to let go now that they had the advantage.
"FUCK YOU!" A woman whacked her gun repeatedly against a guard's head. "ROT IN HELL, YOU BASTARD! BASTARD!"
BOOM!
Y/N covered her ears when a grenade detonated a few meters to her left. A severed arm from a Nordame soldier flew high up in the air. A Montverde man picked it up and threw it to his colleague, as if making fun of the rival's demise. Blood splattered, tinting the brown soil with drops of red. Five from the prisoners have already dropped dead. Three were wounded since the guards fought back. Nonetheless, the thirst for freedom kept them going.
Y/N spotted one soldier climb up the tank.
"I don't think so." She muttered and fired.
SPLAT!
Down fell the guy with a hole on his temple. Y/N grinned. Diana threw her a grenade. Y/N bit off the pin and projected it to a tent. As it exploded, a head propelled away. She watched over her shoulder, seeing how her fellow countrymen were full of determination. All the fright and anxiety drained out of their systems as they combat. They never had an experience, but Y/N's leadership and impact drove them into thinking they can do it.
And they were definitely going ahead.
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Night fell.
Commander Choi collapsed on a sidewalk, panting. War kept raging and his battalion was gradually shedding lives. Bright glow from the gigantic flames cascaded upon him, debris and corpses lying around.
"Commander." Maria appeared from an alleyway.
Commander Choi didn't speak. He only showed his wounded cheek where a thick trail of blood had already dried off. His cousin crouched beside him and tended his cut. As she did, he toyed with his radio, pressing buttons like a child.
"Don't lose hope, sir." Maria urged. "All that's left from Nordame is roughly a hundred. See? We'll conquer this."
Commander Choi remained silent. Indeed, after a grueling day of exchanging fires, Nordame eventually started to deteriorate in numbers. However, the fact that Y/N was still missing boggled him.
"I know what you're thinking about." Maria bitterly smiled. "Or should I say who."
"She's a tough one." He blurted. "She's out there. She's fine."
That's what his heart would repeatedly say. But his mind called for a different situation. As much as he wanted to believe that Y/N could handle herself fine, his pessimism made him doubt of her safety. His conscience was a bastard for making him orchestrate a scene in his brain where the damsel was in need of a knight for salvation. He knew the nurse didn't need no man. However..
"I don't know." Commander Choi pushed his hair back. "I don't know, Maria. Until I see her fucking shadow, you tell me nothing's going to h—"
"Yeonjun." Maria sternly called. "I know this sounds stupid but listen to your heart. You know Y/N a little too well. Hold on to that shit."
Commander Choi wanted to snap at her for saying his name but she did have a point. His responsibilities were piling up on his plate so high, he wasn't able to think quite rationally.
WHIRR..
BOOM!
Commander Choi and Maria scrambled up to their feet as a rocket hit an establishment before them.
"Go back to Sergeant Kang." He shoved the girl. "Hurry!"
Maria nodded and bolted away, disappearing around a corner. Commander Choi held out his gun and aimed at an advancing artillery. There were three men on board. He skillfully triggered the fire, machine gun fuming with a deafening ratata. Two of his opponents fell off the vehicle, dead. Yet, the last one managed to blast another bomb, creating an explosion right behind Commander Choi which sent him flying forward.
"Argh.." He winced. "ARGGHH!"
The back of his uniform was completely torn. His exposed skin received a terrible burn, making it sting, swollen, bleeding, and hot. He crawled on his stomach, hoisting himself a bit and fired once more. Eventually, the last soldier took the bullet in his neck.
"COMMANDER!"
He didn't know whether he was hallucinating or if he did hear Y/N's voice calling from afar. He slightly turned his head around. There she was, rushing up to him with an army of civilians tailing her. Y/N hurriedly got down to assist him. She and Diana helped him up, bringing his arms around their shoulders.
"We have to take you somewhere." Y/N breathed. "Commander Choi, can you still walk?"
"Nurse Y/N," he stared at her with confusion. "Where have you—"
"It doesn't matter for now. We have to take cover. Where are the others?"
"They're scattered.." Commander Choi tried to wriggle free. "..let go of me, you two. I can stand on my own."
Y/N nodded at Diana and they both stepped aside. Commander Choi limped, occasionally cursing as his burnt skin ached. Unbeknownst to him, a sniper lurked from a tower. The target was perfectly aimed at the clueless commander, straight to the head. Hadn't if it were for Diana who picked up her pace and leveled with him, Commander Choi would've dropped dead.
SPLAT!
"DIANA!" Y/N screeched.
The lady halted. Blood trickled down from the right side of her temple. She fell into her knees, cold hands instinctively covering her belly to protect the bump. Y/N tried to aid her but it was no luck. Diana was laid to rest on the concrete with her unborn child.
"Vivian.." Y/N whispered.
"Commander Choi!" Corporal Pierre's voice echoed from the radio. "Nordame's commander is right in your location, sir! Sergeant Kang and I have chased him off, over!"
Commander Choi, although draining off energy, traced where the bullet came from and spotted a man behind a broken window. His uniform and hat indicated one thing; he was the Nordame commander.
"Goddamn, you fucking.." Commander Choi heaved his gun to shoot.
SPLAT!
"Agh-.. FUCK!"
He stumbled backwards as another shot was fired, piercing through his lower torso. Y/N hurriedly shielded him.
"All of you," she faced her own troops. "Go. Seek for a safe place. You're finally free. Just get out of here!"
"Nurse Y/N, what about y—"
"Don't worry about me. Go on, leave! Leave!"
They hesitantly left. Y/N fumbled with her rifle, trying to reload it, only to realize that she had ran out of ammo. She felt for her pockets but they were all empty.
Thud!
Commander Choi fell on his back, arms sprawled widely. His eyes were halfway closed. Y/N kneeled next to him. She ripped the rest of his shirt open, spotting the bleeding hole right beneath his ribcage. She had no first aid kit with her. So, she was forced to use the fabric of Commander Choi's uniform as a temporary bandage. Until she finds another nurse, that'll do.
"Commander. Commander." Y/N addressed. "Don't close your eyes yet, please."
He was silent. He wasn't even protesting when Y/N tried to put pressure in his wound. Y/N panicked. Could he be..?
"Commander Choi." She raised her voice. "Commander!"
She knew the sniper was still up there. She picked up her boss' machine gun and pulled the trigger. To her utter dismay, nothing came out. She was practically defenseless. Should she run elsewhere and find help? What about Commander Choi? She still wasn't sure whether he's alive or not. She couldn't just leave nor carry him alone.
SPLAT!
"Ah-" She yelped as a bullet hit her forearm.
Is this it? Is this how they'd meet their demise? Montverde will just fall into the hands of Nordame after all the bloodshed?
Y/N wept. Without any other choice, she flung herself onto Commander Choi's immobile figure. She embraced him tightly, tears dampening his chest. If ever the Nordame commander fires again, at least she'd die right next to the man she grew fond with.
While she sobbed, Commander Choi opened one eye. His nemesis was ready to pull one more trigger to end Y/N. He shakily took out an extra small pistol from his pocket, aimed, and fired.
BANG!
Y/N sat up upon the noise. Nordame's commander was seen lifeless, body limp against the windowsill. She glanced over Commander Choi. One arm was raised, holding a smoking pistol. A victorious glint was sparkling in his eyes as he looked at her.
"What the fuck are you crying at?" He weakly smirked. "Weak shit."
Out of euphoria, Y/N dived down and crashed her lips against his. Commander Choi happily smiled, kissing her back. They held each other warmly, not wanting to let go.
"Commander," Sergeant Kang's voice interrupted. "Coast is clear. We've captured the remaining 20, sir."
The couple broke apart. They stared at the radio, listening to Sergeant Kang's report as to how Montverde's units miraculously pulled through, wiping Nordame off and bringing their nation's liberty back to life.
"We did it, sir. We won."
"You heard that?" He grinned at Y/N.
She nodded, tears of joy streaming down her face. "Yes. Yes, I did."
Commander Choi pulled her in once again. Another kiss was shared. As the bright flames engulfed Grigórre, showering them with ashes and orange embers, Y/N and Commander Choi set their troubles aside. All the of the world melted as they romanced, satisfied and glorious at the war's outcome. It was a thing to rejoice.
They've won.
They've done it.
Montverde is free.
The chaos will finally subside.