Reincarnated Into A Dead Woman's Body In Another World-Chapter 276: Arc 4, Act II, - 121: Inspiring Leader
"Try not to do that again," Hotaru gave a small simper as she healed up Feyan’s arm.
Feyan sighed, "Apologies," he wriggled his fingers one by one. Every random bruise across his form had been faded, every broken nerve and bone mended.
With an influx of soldiers and the necessity to be ready as soon as they could, the half-elf spared no thought to his own body as he healed as many people as he could...
Which, lead to him becoming a somewhat sorry looking state and rendered him unconscious for a few minutes, giving those who were around a sudden scare.
A sleepless night for most, hoping that they could save their strength enough for the battle at dawn; however, for our two magical healers, there was barely a break.
Although Jotou did advise for them both to save some energy for the fight to come, they were not to be in the frontlines in the first place, allowing them to play it by ear so to speak.
Now that the sunrise was not but an hour or so away, those who required some amount of medical attention would find it through normal means and the two healers were off the clock.
It gave enough time for Hotaru to be able to heal Feyan back to a functional state. With one last flick of glowing blue water, Feyan was completely healed as Hotaru wiped her brow. "There we go, all good."
Feyan checked himself and everything seemed fine. He no longer wore his uniform, instead he just wore a long-sleeved white shirt with an unbuttoned collar and dark trousers.
He stared his wrists usually secured by cufflinks, instead the open white cuffs had smatterings of bloodstains, a couple of drops up his forearms as well.
With the cuffs folded, he pulled his sleeves up his forearms till they got caught right before the elbows. He looked around in the tent lit by orange hues, to find his watch reflecting it.
He wrapped it around his pale tan wrist, sat up from the bed, "Thank you for not telling the princess of my... accident."
Hotaru stretched her arms a smidgen, finally done with her healing. Her ears pricked to his words, "You’re welcome. Still, you should’ve known when to stop healing."
"I agree, but given the circumstances," Feyan grabbed the purple suit vest from the side and fitted it on.
Hotaru glanced to him, "Blood and whites isn’t really a good idea."
"No, it is not..."
"Did something happen to your uniform? You were quite proud of it," her fangs glistened.
"Seeing as this is the final battle by many accords, and the fact that they have been wiping divisions off the map, I doubt whether or not I am a medic is of consequence at the moment.
And let us be honest here," Feyan chuckled, "That uniform is not flattering in the slightest and can be very unwieldy."
"Should’ve got something enchanted then," Hotaru giggled, flaunting her adventuring attire as she took a seat on another bed to rest her feet.
Feyan sighed, "I did not think it necessary at the time. Mistakes to be learned from. Besides, I doubt I will be amidst the fray."
"You never know. I didn’t expect to save Asobi in the middle of all of that either... And who knows what would’ve happened if I didn’t get there sooner..."
"I suppose," Feyan smiled to her. "You need not worry about that possibility now."
Hotaru nodded, "Yeah... Asobi was an inch away from dying. If I was just a bit better of a healer, maybe it wouldn’t’ve been that close for her, even after I saved her; I had to put her on hold while I healed the poison."
"You need not worry about your ability either," Feyan’s words picked her lowered gaze back up. "I admire your ability to persist and to keep learning to be better.
And it is an ability born out of care. You are a marvellous healer and nobody here can deny that except you. I wish only that my drawback was not so self-detrimental, that I am obligated to shift my responsibilities on to you."
Hotaru’s lips curled up to the statement, "Thanks. You’re an excellent healer too; and a great friend. Daiyu’s lucky to have you by her side. With the amount of responsibilities I know you have, I’m happy to take some of it."
"Thank you," across Feyan’s lips that uttered those words, little flecks of light glittered off. They both turned to a wall of the tent as soft sunlight began to breach, "The dawn arrives..."
_
The same soft sunlight dazzled into her eyelashes, the cold night coming to an end with a blanketing warmth. The stars were fading away, but her thoughts, were not.
She stood at the edge of the chasm, turning around to face the sunrise; also to face the thousands of soldiers waking up or drinking coffee after being been up for the night. Tanks were parked and undergoing inspection to be deployed, firearms triple checked.
She glanced to her right; not too far off she could see where she faced the Rainstorm Slasher. All the thundering blitzes had been cleared except a few little spots.
To her left was further up north the Ufaedari Plateaus. She turned back around to face the chasm as the sounds of either ordered chaos or expectations of misery rang behind her. She stared to a narrow path of land connecting in between the drop.
’There’s a narrow bridge from west to east, which is what our troops used to get here and set up quickly; it’s wide enough for a tank. But it’s obvious the enemy won’t take that path early on, it’s too much of a bottleneck.
There’s an alternative path which roundabouts around the north which isn’t too far and is much more stable.’ Her gaze fell a little north-ish. ’Which is how they’ll get to us.
With all companies ordered to return to base, there’s also been enemy movement down south; meaning their coming at us from all sides except our backs.’ She glanced back to chasm as her brown eyes calculated.
’It’s a pincer manoeuvre; as expected after we put all our forces so close together. But timing is key. Once this fight starts, it won’t end until Cinder is down for the count.
So isolating him from the overall fight and eliminating him first is our highest priority. We have forces from Divisions Two, Three and Four to provide backup for the fight and to pincer the enemy; meaning, we win a battle of attrition by all accounts.
After such a battle, Chief Egebe and Daiyu will contact the Trailonian forces and request a formal surrender from them. With their elites all down, their forces and morale depleted, this last stand will be over.’
Jotou turned back around and took a deep breath... She’d need a good break after this; this war-last-stand thingy wasn’t much of an adventure as it was an ongoing fight.
It’s not like adventurers didn’t have risk in their lives, but to do this was to help a friend. Perhaps there were other ways she could assist in the war, including fighting of course...
But to stay with soldiers, out on the battlefield for so long with, well, all of this and not much ’adventuring’ to do, felt like her wings were tied together. She exhaled completely before walking back into the camps.
’I’m tired of this game of chess and I hope this’ll be the final day. But for now... Daiyu’s given me a task I don’t know if I can handle...’ She walked and walked through the army, going towards the tent she had to call home for the time being.
"Sobi?"
"Hm?" the squeaky voice had just finished yawning herself up from bed. "Jotou! I feel a lot better!"
The blonde beamed brightly, "I’m glad you are. Sorry I’m not celebrating it right now, but I need you for a little magical assistance, if you’re ready to go?"
"Mhm!" Asobi smiled with her eyes and bobbed her head, "Once I wash my face and brush my teeth~"
"Alrighty, I’ll just wait outside," Jotou leaned the back of her head outside the tent. ’Meanwhile, I’ll figure out what the hell to say... She wants me to rally the troops? Is she crazy?
Never mind, I know the answer to that. Seriously, what does she expect me to do? I get that I can say the right things sometimes, but I can’t force it on a whim...
Sigh... Alright, what should I do then? Well, do what you always do Jotou. Let’s assess the situation. Hm...’
"All done! What do you need help with?" Asobi popped out.
"Oh," Jotou stood upright. "Can you project my voice across the division?"
"Sure, sure! What do you want me to say?"
"Actually, I need you to make me louder. It’s a bit of a speech. I know it’s a bit harder for you, but I need you to do it, is that okay?" she tilted her head.
Asobi nodded with glee.
"Right. Follow me then, we need to get more of a centre spot," Jotou moved along, finding a proper spot to say, well, she wasn’t even sure what she’d say.
She walked slower, making it to where her and Rain had fought before... "I think this’ll do. You need to be touching me, right?" Jotou gave Asobi her hand.
Asobi took her hand, "Yeah. I wonder what you’re gonna say Jotou."
’I have no clue... Honestly, I’ll leave it up to whatever my head can cook. If I fail, I’ll take the embarrassment on the chin.’ Jotou stepped onto one of the displaced rocks from her battle with Rain, leading Asobi up onto the precarious position. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
"Alright. Let’s do this."
Asobi poked her wand to the side of Jotou’s neck, "Good luck!" Asobi hushed.
Jotou’s eyes peered to the soldiers traipsing around, some noticing her sudden elevation to take notice. All her friends were probably somewhere in the mix.
However, the sight she saw was, melancholic. While there was order like how it was when this battle first started, the chaos was lost; every march a little more sombre, every followed order more robotic.
No smiles, no determination... "How do you ever hope to win if you can’t pick yourselves up? Do you really think throwing a pity party for yourselves is gonna help you in any way?"
Every head on the battlefield turned in unison to the blonde, who’s voice was thrown across the entire division... Jotou’s eyes widened...
"Jotou...?" Asobi whispered.
’Shit, I said that out loud!’ Jotou waned her eyes back down. ’Ugh, fuck it. It’s not like I’m lying.’ "Look around you and tell me we’re prepared to win," Jotou glared, her spiteful tone carrying over the field.
"You’d be lying through your teeth. We have the equipment, we have the manpower, we have the method and a plan; yet somehow everyone here’s too hung up on things out of their control.
Is this what everyone joined for? You knew the risks, you knew the rewards. Nobody thought it was gonna be easy and everyone knew that people were gonna be lost..."
Some soldiers began gathering before her, many of them glaring and scowling to her in response. The division generals, the king, Daiyu, Feyan, Hotaru, Arabella all could hear her as they stepped out into the rising Sun.
"What the hell is Jotou doing?" Daiyu questioned herself.
Jotou glanced down to all the soldiers starring daggers to her. Nobody really wanted to voice out against her for saying it how it was. But Jotou got the message; their answers would be: and so what!?
’Assess the situation.’ Jotou’s eyes softened, alongside her tone, "I’m not asking everyone to get over it in a second; it’s a trauma that’s gonna linger for a long while, if not forever.
What’s happened to our comrades and allies in matter of days is nothing short of devastating. Many of you knew someone next to you that isn’t here right now.
Many of you fled from your companies, many of you had to stain your hands with blood for the sake of the greater good. Seeing your friends die; I understand...
It almost makes you want to end yourself. It’s something you can’t control; a speeding bullet, a deadly poison, magic beyond comprehension," the voice of a songbird, mellowed throughout the division.
Jotou’s gaze lowered and lowered, till she didn’t even know what she was looking at, "I understand the pain, the anguish... I understand the feeling of wanting to give up, but just holding on by a thread to keep pushing on.
The feeling of hopelessness. How many of us will not be here soon; how many of us will die... You start to think everything is pointless..."
Many of the troops slumped their shoulders, all the preparations for the incoming battle coming to a standstill as they remembered all those who fell.
Entire divisions wiped out, being cornered into a tight spot, only to hear horror stories of the Cindering Brimstone from those who escaped his wrath...
It’s not as if the elf standing right next to her wasn’t just sleeping off the most grievous injuries. And yet... here she was... "There’s time to mourn; and there’s time to fight..." the solemness disappeared at the end of her echoed whisper.
Jotou stood upright and glanced to them all, "The Cindering Brimstone is marching towards us to wipe us out as we speak. The last of the elites we’ll have to face.
We’ve taken five of the field and we’ve come this far, haven’t we?" her voice boomed a little. The onlookers glanced to her, those who listened gave an ear.
"So why stop now? What’s lost is lost and we have no control over it. But does that mean it was meaningless? That it was pointless? Every step, every plan, every march, has taken us this far...
So, many, years of war. How many lives were lost in all those decades? How many stories were cut short? We’re standing here, with one final push.
If everything was pointless, then we wouldn’t have an opportunity of a lifetime right now; to get rid of an enemy off the face of this war!" Jotou’s eyes sparked.
Her fist clenched as she cried out, "We have the chance to change the tides and bring victory to all our allies across the planet! We’re one dawn away from that reality, so you can’t, give, up!"
Her brows knitted, "The Trailon Regime brings loss to innocents and soldiers alike. What better time for some payback!?
For every single life lost here! For every life lost in their wicked scheme! For their memories, don’t let this one fight go in vain!
Their lives all had stories to tell, let it be that their stories end with their deaths being justified! Being avenged! Don’t let your spirits die now, not today!"
The soldiers all breathed heavier, their fists clenched. Some scanned the ground in contemplation. Her words sang true and those who were timid got a grip on their rifles.
This chance wasn’t something to squander. Had they not come here with a sense of honour and pride for a chance like this? How could they ever forget?
Their fallen comrades in battle; to lose hope now would be to spit on their deaths... A sense of justice and duty reigned over their hearts and minds.
In that split second thought as her voice thundered across them all, Jotou unsheathed the armite blade and sparked it into the air, "I’ll be damned if I go quietly!
I’ll be damned if I go out without using my every breath. I’ll be damned, if I let them win! They think they can march towards us, wipe us out like livestock; I say, let’s prove them wrong!
This last stand will come to an end, with us sending Trailon running back! Fight for your lives, fight for your allies, fight for the men, women and children who are waiting back home to hear the news of our victory!
Till every broken bone, till every drop of blood, till every severed nerve, keep fighting! Keep standing! Don’t give up! We need every one of us together! We can win!" she sparked her entire body into a beacon.
"GAAHHH!!!!!!!!" The soldiers screamed out their lungs, letting their anguish to be cried out into determination. Claps and cheers could be heard through every corner of the division.
It felt like less of a military but their morale was nothing to scoff at in the moment. In haste and diligence, they continued working on what they hoped to be their final fight.
Chaos had been brought back to the order and the march of the trampling soldiers was deafening on its own. Jotou could see in the crowd that gathered around her; their eyes filled with vigour and their brows furrowed in resolve.
Jotou sheathed her sword and smiled, "That’s more like it," the sparks left her eyes as she let out a small giggle. Her words and the giggle made it across the entire division...
Jotou tensed up with a forced smile, slowly removing Asobi’s wand from the side of her neck... Some of the soldiers chuckled to themselves, much less of them gave notice to her little titter. Though it did make a certain wolf-girl giggle as well.
"That, was, spectacular! Amazing!" Asobi clapped. "You have everyone inspired and moving again! You’re amazing!"
Jotou stepped down from the rock, Asobi in tow, "Thank you my wonderful assistant~ I couldn’t’ve done it without you!" the blonde cheered back.
Asobi held her wand in both hands and tilted her head, "Aww, thanks. But I only helped with the voice; the sincerity is all yours Jotou. And for that smile, I’m always happy to entertain," Asobi tipped her hat.
The soldiers gave their nods and eventually dispersed from the area. "You should go see Hotaru in case you need anything healed," Jotou advised.
Asobi nodded, "Will do. But you haven’t told me my part in the plan yet."
"Don’t worry, we still have a little time. Your role’s just as vital as everyone else’s."
"Okay! I’ll see you later!" Asobi waved as she skipped off. "Woosh." Jotou heard the shadows emerge behind her.
"Hello detective," Jotou turned.
"Nice speech," Fumeko crossed her arms.
"Not inspired?" she raised a brow.
"Overdramatic; it’s in your style really. Affected me a bit, but I know who you actually are, so I can kinda tell when you’re putting up a front."
"Well," Jotou shrugged, "It’s not like I was lying. I do want to prove life’s worth fighting for. And if someone wants to prove me wrong, then, you know the rest," her eyes sparked a smidgen.
"I didn’t call you a liar," Fumeko smirked. "Still, you brought a lot of hope to all of these people," she glanced around. "So even if it’s a bit of an act, it worked."
"What? Don’t tell me you were hoping to be inspired too."
Fumeko went silent for a moment, darting her eyes to the rising Sun. She sighed, "No. I just want this fight to be over already. I don’t want what happened to Asobi to happen again. And that goes for anyone else too."
"...Meko, I know how you are with fire. If you want to sit this one out, I understand," Jotou’s eyes softened.
Fumeko pouted to the side, "I figured you’d bring it up... Look, I’m gonna be fighting, alright? I get that the fire’s gonna keep me back somewhat, but I’m not gonna sit this one out."
Like she was going to let Jotou go in the front while she let her fear of fire get to her... "So I don’t need special treatment or inspiration."
Jotou cocked her head with a smile, "Good. I don’t need to inspire you anyway."
"Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?"
"You’re pretty stubborn, I doubt you’d give up or run away. There’s a reason I asked Asobi to take the tiara when we fought Dread ya know."
Fumeko narrowed her gaze.
"I can maybe be the hope for all these people..." her blonde locks fell strand by strands, "But you’re the most hopeful one of us all Meko. Even if you hide it," she laughed.
The brunette blushed a little. It’s not like she was expecting praise or anything; definitely not! She didn’t ask for it!
"You don’t let anything get in your way and you’ll try over and over again, just like me. It’s part of your charm. You’ve rarely let me down detective, so I have no doubt in my mind that you of all people will keep fighting; even against the flames.
You’re still figuring it all out, bit by bit. I bet you’ll solve the biggest of mysteries and become the greatest detective in the world. So, don’t die alright?"
Fumeko hugged Jotou. "Yeah, yeah," she smiled much brighter than usual, infecting Jotou with a similar smile. "Thanks," her voice went soft for a second as she buried her face into the blonde. Perhaps, she got a little inspired after all...
