Reincarnated Into A Dead Woman's Body In Another World-Chapter 269: Arc 4, Act II, - 114: Golden Hour Part II
A dozen or so soldiers standing or sitting around in the near-barren tent—all that was left within the confines of Division One’s central base.
Their heads turned to an entry into the tent, only to see the princess and her five companions enter alongside the soldier who had radioed in their arrival.
Their sunken eyes waxed a little wider, their heads raised from their hung positions; just a whisper of hope as the six entered in their strongest attire with the orangish-gold rays glittering across them.
"Where’s the general?" Daiyu raised a brow.
One soldier raised his hand and saluted, "Greetings princess, I’m currently leading. Our general and... all of our higher ranking officers are, dead."
"All...?" Fumeko squinted.
"Squad Leader Pevan Ghalib, at your service. If there is any info or assistance you require, I will do my best to deliver."
"I don’t think we’re the ones who need assisting," Hotaru’s ears flickered.
He sighed, "Forgive me, it’s been a, long day."
Jotou walked forward, "Then you can start by summarizing what happened. How did it come to this within a day? Where’s the elite soldier who attacked?"
"How many people do you have left?" Daiyu added on.
His eyes darted to the ceiling in thought, "I was originally stationed further west of here. Once we had the order to recuperate here and heard the news of other companies being demolished, we moved with haste.
But the enemy caught up to us and flanked us from all directions. Meaning they snaked their way through our camp positions and defeated us efficiently.
The remaining soldiers who had a chance to escape, did so—like me. Most of our leaders were gone, be it platoons or companies. We outnumbered the enemy, but they were more tactical.
Plus, they had the aid of swarms of birds landing and pecking some troops as well as sharp feathers that seemed to prick the skin. The troops here also told me, that plants or vines emerged from the ground and blocked their path?
That didn’t happen in my case, but we’re sure now more than ever that it is an elite soldier. The briefings led us to infer that it’s someone who goes by the alias, the Poison Feather."
"Uh, my company saw her," one sitting soldier raised her arm. "I only got a view from far back, but I did see green and she was casting magic; I think there was also a tail?"
"She’s a part-human?" Fumeko turned to Jotou.
’The hell you looking at me for? I didn’t know that. Frost didn’t tell me.’ Jotou kept her lips sealed; instead she knitted her brows and shrugged. Fumeko could figure Jotou didn’t know by her expression alone.
"Maybe it was a part of a long cloak? Sorry," the soldier put her arm down.
"In any case," Pevan took over again. "That’s all that happened on most of our ways here. Once we had reached, the enemy had as well.
The leaders here were gradually decreased, the same magic of poisonous birds came around in flocks, but it seemed that ammunition and other attacks stopped them at the very least.
As of now, it’s been roughly an hour since we last saw any such birds. Where this elite soldier went, we don’t know. She couldn’t have gotten too far at least.
And, for our numbers..." he peered around and exhaled. "We are eighty-five troops strong since we last checked; we’re less than a company. Retreat is our best option but the enemy has us surrounded and have around a hundred or so troops left."
"Two thousand five hundred soldiers... brought down to eighty-five..." Daiyu clenched her fists. She twisted her head back to Jotou, "Tell me you have a plan."
Jotou tightened her lips, "Retreat? Then again, it’s guaranteed they’ll chase us down, so it’s not much of an option."
"The only way is to fight then?" Asobi twisted her lips to the side.
"Ara already took down a dozen by herself, roughly a hundred should be fine, right?" Daiyu glanced to Arabella.
Arabella cocked her head and threw her hands out; adding on a shrug to signal a ’maybe’.
"Well you’ve got us too, not to mention all these people to shoot the stragglers," Daiyu looked to the soldiers.
"You’re forgetting the Poison Feather. She could still be lurking about," Fumeko retorted.
"She’s probably gathering her strength," Jotou pondered aloud.
Fumeko nodded, "She’s been at it since morning. She must be resting to regain some of her mana and then if the job isn’t finished, she’ll do it herself."
"Is there anyone injured or poisoned? I can try to help, if every person counts," Hotaru questioned around.
"Just minor injuries. Anyone poisoned were gone within a minute really. There were some stronger ones resisting it, but maybe they lasted at most five minutes before they were gone?"
One of the other soldiers squinted, "Are you that crimson-haired healer who healed over a thousand soldiers?"
Hotaru tried to refrain from smiling, "A thousand’s maybe stretching it... But I didn’t know I had a reputation."
"Feyan doesn’t heal as much as you do," Jotou smirked.
"Well, Feyan quite literally can only do it so many times..."
"Hey loser, got a plan yet?" Daiyu walked in between them.
"Right. We need to escape. Division One is done, there’s nothing left. There’re around a hundred troops waiting to kill us.
A missing elite soldier who can kill us in a matter of seconds to minutes, depending on if we can resist the poison long enough or not.
We have enchanted gear to take bullets to the gut and be fine, magic that no rifle can surpass in terms of power and a radio to call in any transportation we need afterwards, if we lack anything.
We’d also need," Jotou glanced to the troops. "Any and all cover fire we can get. Can I count on it?"
Pevan took a deep breath, "A last stand for the last stand. Can do."
"We have precious little time," Jotou uttered. "Arabella, Asobi, Fumeko, Daiyu and me, all on the offence. We leave no enemy alive and our main priority is to take them all out.
Fumeko, you have an extra mission. Blink around corners and areas, behind the enemy’s line. You need to find Poison if she’s around and get the info to us so we don’t get surprise attacked. Hotaru, you know the deal. Stick close around us."
"Aegis-Aura," Hotaru casted upon the six of them, shielding them in a bluish aura. Fumeko took out her dagger and Asobi went invisible whilst Arabella lifted sand and dust off the ground.
Daiyu lifted her great sword above her shoulder and surveyed the eyes of the soldiers around her. The soldiers glanced to each other; tired, traumatized, on the verge of giving up. The same emblem they all wore, the same uniforms.
"You heard him. Get up, it’s time to put up a fight," Daiyu huffed and furrowed her brows. Many of them sighed and nodded, gulping what they thought to be their last breaths.
"Don’t give up yet. Is this what your allies and friends want to see of you? When given the chance at victory?" her eyes flashed a purple gem-like ripple.
Some of the soldiers averted her gaze; some got up quicker, clenching their fists. A sense of righteousness took over some of their spirits, allowing them to grit their teeth and stand; whilst some still seemed to be indecisive of the matter. Daiyu simply glared.
"Daiyu," Hotaru whispered. "They’ve been through a lot."
The princess’s eyes softened...
Jotou watched the uncertainty many of the soldiers carried. ’This won’t do. They’re gonna die if they can’t pull it together.’ "I know this a lot to ask after the day you’ve had.
But we need your help. There aren’t many of you left and I understand seeing such a devastation of an entire division can leave you feeling hopeless," Jotou stepped forth.
"So, if you’re ready to give up, why not go out proper? What else do you have to lose? If you’re questioning whether or not you’ll make it, then why not go out kicking and screaming?
Every bit of strength you have. Your friends, your allies, they’re gone and nothing’s bringing them back. So take out the reason they’re no longer alive.
The enemy thinks they’ve won; that this is all they have left before they win. Wouldn’t it be grand, if that didn’t happen?" her eyes sparked. "Keep fighting.
Even if it seems hopeless, even if the odds are against you; if you don’t fight, you guarantee your loss. Avenge your fallen allies. Don’t let the enemy get away with a satisfied smirk; to brag about their exploits.
Doesn’t the image of that just make your blood boil? So let’s not give them a grin and test the fates to see if we’ll live another day," she stood tall and drew her armite blade that sparked in electricity.
All of the soldiers had gotten up, huffing out and suppressing their depressive and tired moods for now. She was indeed right; though maybe soldiers don’t grin for killing someone, it was enough of an image to take up their rifles.
Daiyu took a deep breath, "Everyone knew the risks of coming here. I’m sure you all had your reasons. And I’m sorry this happened; I’m sure you weren’t expecting something like this when you signed up.
But what Jotou said is true. Give the death of your allies meaning. You wear the same emblems, fight on the same side; you are not alone. Please, do it for all of Cravolta; every one of you counts."
They could feel it in their breath, their heads held high; they took in the breath of determination. The need to win, the need to see it through, the need to keep fighting, to keep living.
A reminder to them of why they were here, and it was not to mope; that can be saved for another day. Daiyu gave a grin to them all and then to Jotou; who had already turned and was walking out of the tent...
_
"Ha..." she stretched her limbs, finishing what was left of the water in the canteen. She stepped out the back of a carriage onto the sand with glittering green sandals, her toenails painted green.
A glimpse of her long smooth legs before the sides of her dark green dress veiled them. Sharp nails covered under lacy black gloves that went up her arms.
Her hair was let down; while mostly dark green, it had lighter shades that were mixed within. A golden circlet went around with a green gem centred on her forehead.
Light green eyes were framed in black and green eyeliner as she glanced to the sunset, the sound of firearms reaching her ears that dangled small jewels of gold.
She sauntered eastwards, to see how her soldiers were doing. Her rest interrupted by some soldier who dared to disturb her and tell her of some interference.
Her enchanted attire glittered under the golden sunset light and so did the dark green lizard-like tail behind her, alongside the small patch of scales behind her neck like fragments of a broken mirror; though they were mostly hidden by her hair.
A golden chain hung around her neck which led to a green amulet resting above her chest. Her bronzed skin with no blemish nor scar; her left hand held a transceiver.
She glanced from a little distance away... To what seemed to be... Sand being kicked up and—"RUMBLEE!!!"—the earth quaking beneath her feet, though she did not seem to flinch in the slightest.
She held her right hand out as light green energy coalesced into a bird no bigger than her palm. "Go forth and be the first, I’ll send the rest," with a sultry voice she commanded the little finch.
The woman watched the finch fly towards the barricade. She squinted to the scene; there seemed to be sparks flying and the thunder she heard a few moments ago... It wasn’t hard to put together.
She configured the dial and then pressed the button of the transceiver, "This is Feather, I’m sure you’re listening. The vas, stars, whatever you want to call them, they’re here. I believe I’m owed a favour we discussed?"
The transceiver crackled back, "The Thundering Blade and the Undying Princess?"
The woman rolled her eyes, "As I said, whatever you want to call them. I’d even wager you can see them and already know."
The feminine voice from the transceiver replied, "Just testing. Anyway, you know once you run, there’s no coming back."
"Frost, I am your superior and we had a deal. You take me there, I give you the information you want. I can manage on my own after that. Or do you not want the information anymore?" Feather fluttered her lashes.
"...Fine. Don’t say I didn’t give you a fair warning."
