Y/N: "I'm sorry... did you just say that you know someone who might just know something about my past?!"
Kokomi: "That is correct. Whilst I was on Watatsumi Island I continued to receive reports from General Gorou regarding the situation out here on the front lines. And in some of these reports did he mention you as a new recruit whom quickly climbed up the ranks. As it happens, I was reading out one of these reports out loud one evening and the nearby Shrine Maiden seemed to recognise your name. I was unable to pursue further before she then went off to go and read further into something, but I am quite sure that you may very well find a new lead from her."
Y/N: "That, or she's just heard my name from a connection she might have with Liyue."
Gorou: "I don't think that would be too likely. News from the outside world has been far and few between, the only things that we've managed to gleam from the world beyond Inazuma is from what those pirates aboard the Alcor and her fleet would tell us. And they haven't visited us in quite some time now, long before your arrival to Inazuma."
Y/N: "Huh... Okay then, and you say that this Shrine Maiden is on what island again?"
Kokomi: "Watatsumi Island. The same island that the Watatsumi Army calls home, away from the front lines. I would be quite interested in introducing you, once we have the opportunity. But for now? I believe we should discuss that which General Gorou had one of your troops summon you for..."
Gorou: "Ah right, of course! *ahem!* There are a couple of things that we would wish to discuss with you today. Firstly, whilst I assume all went well because you have returned unscathed and a smile on your face, I would be keen to hear a debrief as to your mission out on Narukami Island."
Y/N: "Oh right, of course! Well, suffice to say that I dealt with the issue that threatened Inazuma. That sea beast has been sealed away just like her partner was in Liyue. And the Grand Narukami Shrine has elected to maintain vigil over her sealed body for the next few centuries at the very least—"
Gorou: "The Grand Narukami Shrine? I see, so you were able to convince your hidden ally there to aid you in this matter then, just as you had planned?"
Oh right! I almost forgot that I didn't exactly give the name of my benefactor at the Grand Narukami Shrine. Whilst I might have explained to Gorou that I was one of those that fought against Osial back in Liyue, that I was the one who dealt the finishing blow to him, I never did tell the General any names of people that had helped me– neither in Liyue or Inazuma. So my relationship with all those on Narukami Island was unknown to the Resistance forces... well, other than Kuki Shinobu I suppose!
For now, I thought it best to keep my friendships with these people hidden, lest these Generals might ask me to attempt to use these bonds of mine for their gain at risk of my friend's safety. Yoimiya, for example, is quite keen to help protect those being hunted down by the Vision Hunt Decree. And someone as kind as her would definitely not say no to a request of mine that might help people... even at risk of her own safety most likely...
All of that, and, I'm not all too sure that anybody in this Resistance force would actually consider Yae Miko, someone who is both retainer, and the Priestess of a Shrine that honours the Raiden Shogun, to be an ally that they could trust!
Y/N: "I did, yes. My hidden friend there ensured the encounter went well and dealt with the aftermath in my stead. They also gave me shelter for a time, so as to recover from my minor injuries– well, less so injuries and more just minor strains that they kept hidden away from the common citizen and soldier. Then, on my approach to leave the island, I ran into another friend of mine who happened to be heading to this same island. She offered me a boat trip back and escorted me most of the way back here, until my Yukina took over and brought me outside your tent."
Kokomi: "A concise summary... And yet, I worry, quite some details were missing from your recount of the event, no?"
Y/N: "Well... I guess you've got a point. But there's really not all that much left to say... not really. I suppose I could go into more detail as to how I dealt with Beisht, so that you might know what I am capable of... but, well, it wasn't really all that impressive— certainly not something I'd really want to boast about."
Kokomi: "And even still, you found success regardless. That tells me one of several possible outcomes: you are steadfast, able to withstand the attacks of a being most others would have most certainly buckled under, biding your time until the perfect opportunity despite the duress; or that you were able to avoid even having to take an attack at all, and that your contingencies were so effective that you were practically under no threat at all throughout the encounter; and finally, the third speculation... simply put, you were the superior combatant in one way or another, and you were able to utilise this advantage of yours so as to emerge victorious."
Y/N: "You... are quite the analyst..."
Gorou: "But of course! Her Excellency is a most skilled tactician, without her most well thought out stratagems I fear that we would not be holding our ground against the Shogunate force anywhere near as well as we might have without her guidance."
Y/N: "I have heard similar things from the others here in our group, particularly those who, unlike Leviathan I, are actively involved in confrontations with the Shogunate. It would appear we are quite lucky indeed to have such a talented strategist amongst our ranks, leading us on towards a better Inazuma. But... you mentioned there being a couple of things you wanted from me?"
Gorou: "Indeed! But I will leave Her Excellency to explain the matter to you, if you would wish?"
Kokomi: "Thank you, General. I can see that you would rather not discuss further what happened back on Narukami Island, Captain Y/N, so I will not pursue that further for the time being. Although, I will say that, thanks to the distraction that such an event created, we were able to retake quite some ground in our offensive this morning. Our foothold, whilst prominent, is quite likely to be targeted soon... In fact, we have received intelligence that the Shogunate response will be coming tomorrow, with the return of General Kujou Sara to the front lines."
Y/N: "Oh? So there's to be a need for us to defend this newly claimed territory then?"
Gorou: "Exactly! And after some discussion, we would like for you to join the offensive."
Kokomi: "More specifically, you and the rest of Leviathan I. We will need all hands on deck, so as to repel this incoming attack. And many of our front lines are still recovering from recent bouts, as well as from the taking of new ground this morning."
Y/N: "I see... And you think us— no, think them to be ready for such an offense?"
Gorou: "To be honest with you? There is not much choice left, if we do not fortify our front line then we will be sacrificing all the efforts that we put into taking the land that is now under threat. We cannot afford to lose such a large portion of our forces after all that we put in to securing that area."
Kokomi: "And you should not discredit your subordinates. I have heard much praise for their progress since your taking up captainship. And I hear that they performed quite well in the operation you oversaw regarding that Treasure Hoarder encampment. An operation that you did not intervene in at all, no? The results of that mission came from their own skills alone, did they not?"
Y/N: "Well... yeah. But that was against Treasure Hoarders! That's almost completely different to that of a disciplined Shogunate force!"
Gorou: "Captain. This is an order, and—"
Kokomi: "Please, General, allow me... Y/N. I can tell that you worry for your soldier's safety, and that is quite great to see. It tells me that you truly care for those under your charge. But at the end of the day, they joined to be soldiers. We cannot continue to coddle them whilst everyone else risks their lives for the same cause that they joined for. And it is not as if they will be fighting alone. You shall be beside them, as their leader, and you shall all be accompanied by your fellow soldier to hold the line. General Gorou and myself will arrive with reinforcements later in the day, but we must ensure that we do not allow them to flank our position hence our taking two separate squadrons to tackle and reinforce the two weak points in our current hold of the area— from there we will then flank the attacking force from behind, after which victory will be all but assured."
Gorou: "An excellent plan indeed!"
Y/N: "I... I suppose it is... But wait a second... If you two are both taking a selection of troops with the both of you... then how many soldiers will that leave to actually defend the ground in the first place?"
Kokomi: "There is a full platoon already stationed at the target, and alongside Leviathan I there will be another two teams accompanying you as reinforcements."
Y/N: "A full platoon... so thirty-six plus the twelve from the three teams... So that means that... forty-eight? There'll only be forty-eight of us to defend against who knows how many Shogunate soldiers?!"
Gorou: "The area that you will be defending is heavily fortified, the bottlenecks will mean that you will only need so many troops stationed within to be fully fortified. Too many will just overcrowd the fortifications after all."
Y/N: "But even still!"
Kokomi: "Of course, we will not dally in providing aid. But our missions will be of equal importance in this coming conflict. And I am certain that, with your capabilities, you will be more than capable of holding the line until our arrival."
Y/N: "But— *sigh* You seem to have a lot of faith in my abilities, to expect me to be an anchor in this planned defence of yours, and yet you've yet to actually see for yourself what I am capable of."
Kokomi: "Well, as I have said before, I have heard many a great thing about you. Captain Y/N. If even half of what I have heard is true, then I am confident in your finding success tomorrow. Now, if that is all? Perhaps you should speak with your team, to prepare both them and yourself for the coming battle."
Gorou: "I will have the appropriate documentation and mapping ready for you upon your return. I would recommend you make to leave within the next hour."
* * *
Jaren: "wh–What are you saying?! We're leaving in a little while to– to go to war?! "
Y/N: "Well, not so much war... But we have been asked to assist in the defence of a key position."
Yukina: "That sounds like we're finally joining the war to me! It's about time!"
Jaren: "h–How can you be so confident, Yukina? We've hardly had any battle experience at all!"
Y/N: "It won't be just us. There'll be about a platoon and a half's worth of soldiers defending this place. With more joining us later on."
Yukina: "Quit your worrying Jaren! Like the Captain said, we're not doing this alone. And anyways, even if it were just our squad, I'm sure the Captain could hold the line entirely by themselves! And... as much as I'd hate to admit it... Hayate would also be really handy to have beside us too..."
Y/N: "Speaking of which... have either of you seen Hayate recently? I'll need to make sure he's ready to leave as well."
Yukina: "Last I saw he was heading back to our quarters. I think he got a letter sent to him or something? He said he wanted to read it without us breathing down his neck or some rude thing like that..."
Y/N: "Sounds like Hayate... I'll head over and inform him to get ready. In the meantime, can you two prep all that you'll need and wait outside the General's tent for my return. I need to pick up some documents from the General before we head off."
Jaren: "w–Wait! But how soon does that mean we're leaving?! I thought that—"
*whack!*
Yukina: "Jaren, chill out! You joined for a reason, right? Well, it's time we get geared up and fulfil it!"
Jaren: "i... i guess you've got a point..."
Yukina: "Well then, come on! Keep up! We gotta go and get our gear prepped!"
Normally, I wouldn't condone my soldiers hitting each other like Yukina just struck Jaren across the back of his head. But it seemed to do wonders for Yukina to ground Jaren and get him back into the mental state he'll need to be in for the preparation phase. As for the actual battle? I... I just hope he'll realise he doesn't have much choice other than to just fight alongside us. Dealing with a scaredy–cat is definitely not something I'm hoping for when it comes to the actual conflict.
Of course, I can't blame him too much... but I'll just have to think on that for now. In the meantime I should focus on finding Hayate and making sure he's all set for the conflict he'll almost definitely be salivating at the mouth for!
* * *
There was definitely a different atmosphere hanging in the air of this camp today. With soldiers of all ranks running around with equipment in hand as preparations were made on all fronts for the coming conflicts, be it the defensive reinforcements or the offensive squads that would be securing the land beyond me and my team's structure.
It didn't take too long to get to the quarters that I knew Hayate stayed in... surprisingly he also was similar to me, in that he had his own room for some reason. For me, it that I was a Captain, and all Captains got their own private rooms rather than the bunks that the average soldier had. But Hayate, for some reason, he had a partition that separated his single bunked bed from the rest of the beds in the barracks?
Having made my way through the barracks, currently empty as the troops that I would normally find in here were all keeping themselves busy with the preparations outside; I was now outside Hayate's personal door that led to his room, to which I gave it a couple knocks so as to alert him to my presence.
Hayate: "Who is it?"
Y/N: "It's Y— It's your Captain. I need to alert you to some things..."
Hayate: "Sure, whatever, come in I guess..."
With that half-hearted invitation, I opened up the door and allowed myself in. Taking a couple of steps inside of the private room that I had only seen but a few times... for as rude a guy as Hayate is, he sure is fond of his personal space huh!
Hayate: "What is it? Can it not wait until tomorrow? I thought we were dismissed for the day..."
Y/N: "Change of plans. We're gonna head out soon to join up with a platoon and several other teams so as to defend the newly acquired frontlines from a Shogunate counter-offensive."
Hayate: "Huh? We're going to...? We're going to actually join the battle finally?! Finally! Jeez. When are we leaving?"
Y/N: "In about thirty minutes. Will you have all your preparation done in that time...?"
Hayate: "Hm? Thirty minutes? Really? Hm– Oh yeah. I've had my stuff waiting for this situation for a good while. I'll just give it all a once-over or two and then I'll head out."
... This whole time that he was talking to me, he was sat down on his bed. Normally he'd stand up to attention without prompt, treating me as his superior in rank. But something seemed a bit off about him today... the way he was sitting on his bed, facing directly at me in a way that was probably not all that comfortable to sit. And his arm seemed pinned to his chest...
His face looked really different today too, it looked like he'd washed off all the mud and stuff that he'd normally have a light layer or two of. There was... something off about it... maybe it was just that I'd never seen him like this before? At least not that I can remember.
Y/N: "Are you injured, Hayate?"
Hayate: "Hm? No? Why would you think that, Captain?"
Y/N: "It's just your arm... it looks like a bracing position. Are you certain that you're ready for combat?"
Hayate: "Oh, that... I'm fine. I was just... in the middle of something when you came in. Don't mind it."
Y/N: "Is it something that will impede your abilities? Or anybody elses?"
Hayate: "No."
Y/N: "That's all I needed to know. I'll leave you to it then."
Hayate: "... you will?"
Y/N: "Mhm. Just... don't take too long, alright? I'd rather we didn't end up tardy on our first proper assignment!"
I'd begun to dismiss myself, taking my leave and heading back towards the door that would lead me out to the main barracks. As I have preparations of my own to make— albeit not much, as I still had everything on my back that I had taken out to Narukami Island for my last mission. But I could probably do with a top up of rations, especially if we're expected to defend a position for who knows how long...
Hayate: "...Captain? Do you really not care?"
Y/N: "Hm? Of course not. Everyone has their own ways to deal with the stress. Just... make sure you're clean and good to go in time for our departure, that's all that I need from you for now."
Hayate: "Huh? You think that I'm... Oh Archons no! Gross! That's not what I was doing!"
Y/N: "Honestly, it doesn't perturb me. I'll close the door behind me and—"
Hayate: "w–wait... Captain? Could I... *ahem* Can I tell you something in confidence?"
Y/N: "Now...?"
Hayate: "... yeah."
He sounded completely different. Hayate sounded way more muted and sheepish than I had ever heard him before, so much so that I could have sworn he was almost... he sounded like an entirely different person to who I knew him to be. It sounded like he was pretty troubled about something. And I can't be leaving something like that to fester as we march our way into battle...
So I made my way back inside the private room of Hayate, closing the door behind me as I re-entered so as to provide the privacy in this discussion that I assumed Hayate would want.
Y/N: "Alright then, what's up?"
Hayate: "It... It would be easier if you read this first. Whilst I... well... just read this."
As he said this, he threw an envelope out towards me, with a letter that seemed hastily stashed back inside it, as if he was trying to hide the letter at a moment's notice... perhaps when I knocked on the door? And I almost didn't catch the envelope either, as Hayate had thrown it to me with his weaker arm, as his dominant arm was still pinned tightly to his chest, even now.
Choosing not to question it any further for the time being, I simply pulled the letter back out of its envelope and opened it up so as to read the contents written upon it...
╔═════════════════════╗
Sabishi.
Come now, stop kidding yourself.
It is time you came home already.
You know that place isn't for you.
There is so much dirt and blood,
it's unseemly to even think about!
You should be at home with us,
it's much safer back home I'm sure.
Your father really misses you...
We'll be willing to forgive you
for the things you said to us,
all your silly little delusions.
Return home, you know I'm right.
A mother always knows best.
╚═════════════════════╝
Y/N: "That... was unpleasant to read. But why do you have this letter? Did you find it somewhere? I haven't heard of a soldier named Sabishi I don't think?"
Hayate: "Of course you wouldn't have. They don't exist anymore."
Y/N: "Oh? I see... My condolences."
Hayate: "Hmph. I don't miss them. 'Silly little delusions...' what does she know?! She just misses have an obedient little version of herself to control! All those stupid little lessons, trying to make me someone that she would consider successful. Somebody that is not me..."
I wasn't sure what to say to this, to any of what Hayate was saying. He seemed really annoyed by it, like he had a lot to say and nobody to vent it out to, and so I just stood there and listened to him as he continued to speak his mind. Perhaps though some confusion of mine still lingered on my face, as Hayate stopped what he was saying and stood up, his arm still tightly pressed against his chest.
Hayate: "You still don't get it, do you? I... I guess I should thank you, for only seeing the me that I truly am. And not my mother's daughter."
Y/N: "Mother's daughter...? But that would mean that—?"
Hayate: "Yeah. I was born a girl. Sabishi. That was my name. That was the name my parents gave me. But it's not my name, not anymore."
It was upon being given this realisation that Hayate had finally relinquished the tight hold that he had on his chest, and in doing so it revealed a secret I never would have expected– especially not from Hayate of all people.
Hayate: "I was in the process of rebinding them again when you came in... I... I didn't want anybody to know about Sabishi's past. Because I'm not them anymore. I'm Hayate."
Y/N: ". . ."
Hayate: "You think I'm just some weirdo now, don't you? You think I'm some delusional freak too!"
Y/N: "No, I don't. Hayate. I never met Sabishi. I only know you, and who you are today. I don't think I could imagine you any other way if I'm being honest, you certainly don't seem the type to be interested in a life of household chores to me at the very least. You crave action. To always have your hands busy with something or other, I couldn't see you as anything else other than a reliable soldier... if a little rough around the edges!"
Hayate: ". . ."
Y/N: "You alright, Hayate?"
Hayate: "...yeah. I'm good... Thanks, Captain. I uh– I guess telling you wasn't so bad."
Y/N: "I assume you'd rather people didn't know then?"
Hayate: "Hmph. Not that anybody would care, or even believe you. How could Hayate, the least liked and most bloodthirsty of soldiers here turn out to be some ditsy little girl who used to take stupid needlework and dancing classes?!"
Y/N: "So...?"
Hayate: *sigh* "The General knows. That's why I got this room to myself. He thought it for myself because I... well... you know. I'd rather the others didn't know, I doubt they'll be as... well, as stupidly accommodating as you are."
Y/N: "Alright, I'll keep it between us then. But, now that I know, let me know if anything comes up that you can't tell anyone else about, alright?"
Hayate: "... I'll consider it, I guess."
Y/N: "Alright, I'm glad to hear it. Although I hope it will never come up! But for now, unless there's anything else you want to discuss, I'll leave you alone now to get ready. We'll be waiting outside the General's tent, okay?"
Hayate: "General's tent. Got it. Now uh... I gotta finish binding, so if you could hurry up and get out of here. I would appreciate that."
* * *
The time had come, and all that were involved in this mission were now making the trek from our camp on towards the frontlines under the cover of the unstopping storm of our island. There were about a dozen of us making this trip, with the platoon leader being the one at the front of it all, having made his way back to camp to both give his report and to fill us in as to the plan. The team leaders like myself decorated the outer perimeter of this travelling group, and my three team members remained close by to my particular placement throughout the journey, but none of them were speaking at all, not to me or even to each other.
I might suppose that for Jaren it was due to his nerves getting the best of him, whilst Hayate could either be back to his normal ways of anti-social behaviour, or he wasn't sure what to do and how to interact now that I knew his dead past. Yukina however? It was quite unnerving to have her be so quiet as she is now. Normally she would be chatting up a storm to rival the one pouring down on us, but she was dead silent...
Perhaps the realisation of what we are going to be doing for the next while had really caught up with her? It might be that her nerves were now getting the best of her, that she was now thinking of things that may happen if she doesn't adopt a more serious attitude and is ready for combat at all times. Hmm... I suppose I'll have to speak with them all later, so that they know that not only is their safety going to be my top priority throughout this incursion. But also that in all reality, unless the Shogunate manage to break through this natural bottleneck we'll be taking advantage of, they probably will never get into too much trouble. And with the Shogunate attack having a time limit enforced on it, before Gorou and Kokomi's reinforcements arrive... this is likely to not be too difficult for us to withstand...
Platoon Leader: "Our target lay just ahead. Assume positions upon arrival!"
The loud and booming voice of the platoon leader ahead of us all could easily be heard over that of the rain and thunder. And hearing his command I noted the stiffening of many a soldier's back, as if simply being told what they were was enough to inspire morale in the rain trodden troops. Of course, perhaps it may just be because they do not wish to be scolded now that attention is likely to be on them again. With the Platoon Leader's newest orders being that we would all take up the spots at this fortification as we were given during the planning phase back at camp.
And so, as we slowly approached the naturally fortified position, all of us as reinforcements began to head towards our designated positions, with each of the newly arriving team reinforcing a different position of the encampment, as directed beforehand by the platoon leader. Swordfish I and II were to take the outer left and right sections of the wall for example, whilst my team, Leviathan I, was ordered to take position at the front of the defensive structure.
Several hours had passed since then, with us all getting familiar with our surroundings and the equipment that we had on hand within the inventory of this place that we had been ordered to defend. We got to know the platoon members of our particular quadrant and were able to relieve them of their vigil so that they could get some much needed rest.
???: "You called for me, Captain?"
For quite a while now I had been the sole person on lookout. As I wished for the rest of my team to get some good food and rest, so as to relieve the worries in them all somewhat. But... I won't pretend that I'm not still feeling the burn of exhaustion from my debacle with Beisht early yesterday morning. With the moon being directly above me as it is now, it's still been less than twenty-four hours since that battle... and in less than twelve more hours it's very likely that I'll be in another one– but this one would be fought by more than one combatant on either side.
This was war.
Y/N: "Hayate, good, you got the message then. It's your shift on watch now, if you're ready to take over?"
Hayate: ". . ."
Y/N: "Hayate...?"
Hayate: "I've been wondering this for a while... but why is it that you joined the Resistance?"
Y/N: "Hmm? Why I—? Why's that?"
Hayate: "Well, everybody has their own reasons for being here, right? A lot of people are here because they think it's the right thing to do. Some people joined because they knew people affected by all this madness, or because those friends joined up before them. And some joined just for the sake of fighting. You're pretty different to most other people around here, and you were sort of just... wandering, back then when you stumbled upon us. I suppose I've just been curious as to why you didn't just keep moving on after you dropped us all off back at camp?"
Y/N: "Well, I guess I don't mind having a chat... but you don't mind if I take a seat and lean up against this wall? I could do with a bit of a rest."
Hayate: "Go for it."
Even though I didn't technically need his permission, it was appreciated nonetheless. I then went and stood next to the nearby wall before then allowing myself to slide my back down until I reached a seated position with a view of both Hayate and of the distance beyond that we were meant to keep an eye on. Of course, I couldn't really tell anybody the real reason why I was so quick to join the Resistance– that being that it was a recommendation for me to do so by La Signora. So instead I should probably use this...
Y/N: "It's really not that special a reason really. I uh... well, I've not been in Inazuma since before I can remember. I wanted to try and discover my past, where I came from, who I was. But I didn't have any leads, and I had a Vision that I'm not too keen on losing. So I couldn't go to the Shogunate for help. And, well, I saw how some Shogunate soldiers were abusing their newfound power over the population. I guess I thought that I might as well kill two birds with one stone: helping to fight back against such a villainous stance whilst also having the opportunity to explore this nation and perhaps to run into somebody who recognises me."
Hayate: "Huh... I would have expected something more... righteous than that. But you're doing it to serve your own needs just as much as for other people. I... I can't help but respect that!"
Y/N: "Well, I'm not sure if that's quite as good a thing as you make it out to be. But I suppose that, as long as we're doing good by the oppressed of Inazuma, that it's not so bad a thing either. But now that you bring it up, do you mind talking about why you joined up?"
Hayate: "It wasn't just for the sake of fighting, if that's what you think. I guess I couldn't blame you if it was. That's what I had everyone believe so they'd leave me alone."
Y/N: "I guess it's got something to do with Sabishi then?"
Hayate: "Yeah. You could say that. I want to get an operation, one that Inazuma can not provide me... at least not with my parents skulking about. So I planned to head to another nation for it. But then the nation locked itself up, with nobody allowed in or out. I guess the main reason I'm here, fighting as hard as I am, it's... well, it's purely so that we can open up our borders again. So that I can leave this damned island and finally put Sabishi to rest for good. Then and only then could I finally be the me I truly am."
Y/N: "Oh? But couldn't you have just stowed away on one of the rare ships that were permitted through to the ports? Or even just setting sail yourself on a vessel of your own craftsmanship? Why did you decide to wait until the borders were opened up completely instead of just forcing your way in?"
Hayate: "If I wanted to do this, then I want to do it properly. I want to leave Inazuma as a passenger, not a stowaway. But, well, I guess it's more the return trip that matters than anything. So that when I return I will be able to return properly, not as a stowaway, but as a true citizen of Inazuma returning home. That and, well, I guess I don't mind getting the reputation I'm getting from all this. No longer would someone hear my name and think of some stay-at-home wife in the making, no. Instead they would think of the soldier that crushed the Shogunate like they were nothing!"
Y/N: "Ahaha! Quite impressive, I must say. You know? You are a very strong person, Hayate. It seems like you've gone through quite a lot to get to this point, but you're still doing pretty darn well. Hearing all of what you've told me today, I'm quite proud. Proud to have someone as strong as you on the team. And— CRAP! They're here early!!"
Hayate: "Who is—? Shogunate scum!"
Y/N: "Hayate! Ring the warning bell!"
Hayate had seen me trying to bring myself back up to my feet, and he was reaching out to give me a helping hand up, but warning the rest of the troops was far more important than assisting me back up to my feet. And Hayate quickly took my orders and ran over to the nearby bell, ringing it vigorously for all in our encampment to hear. Within moments had all the dormant soldiers nearby sprung to life, immediately taking battle stations as they prepared for the oncoming storm of Shogunate weaponry we were to face.
I was up on my feet now, and already in position as ordered previously by the platoon leader's plans. All I need do is wait for the rest of my troops to make their way up here to back me up. And in the meantime, I stared down at the opposing forces approaching us, looking for that familiar figure amongst the ranks. Of course, I didn't need to look too far, as right in the center of it all, leading the charge, there's no mistaking it...
* KUJOU SARA'S POV *
There's no mistaking it... even from this distance, that is most definitely Y/N on that wall. It would seem there is no rest for the wicked even within the Resistance. They seemed to be utterly exhausted from that battle with the sea beast yesterday morning, and yet here they are at the frontlines. Perhaps that is a sign that the Resistance is finally running out of manpower?
Perhaps more likely is that they wish for a decisive win in this coming conflict, hence their finally utilising one of their strongest members in the direct line of battle. Of course, that is likely to be impossible under these conditions. Whilst we may have some difficulty retaking that position with its natural fortifications creating a bottleneck against us, it also means that they should not head out to fight us head on. We have far more soldiers in our company than they could possibly hold in those walls. We very likely outnumber them five to one. Five... Hm, most excellent indeed!
Y/N, we may be able to speak on friendly terms in private. But out here, on the battlefield, we are soldiers on opposing sides. And I quite look forward to having my blade meet yours, just try not to fall before I get to you.
Hmm... I suppose my birthday will not be so unpleasant after all. Y/N, I will be greatly looking forward to this opportunity. I hope you do not disappoint.
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