Lieutenant General Mamen Colo watched as his army defended excellently, smiling attentively and rubbing the cut on his cheek.
"I'm quite satisfied. We've been in a stalemate for a while, but this battle will likely be our first major push.
This garrison was stationed surrounding a lab, one of the many on this island. However, as of recently, most were empty, cleared out, and moved to the mainland. This was one of the few that remained.
Beside him stood a young woman of equal stature. Her hair was long and black, and her eyes were a dazzling purple.
"You're too cocky. 14th Batallion has a few skilled individuals, but to say it'll be a major push?"
The woman was Lieutenant Baltoz. She wore a cap on her head.
A mana blast fired from an AHMC 1 rifle, shot through the air. Mamen Colo bent his neck, avoiding the strike.
"I guess I shouldn't just stand idly, watching. I should join in the battle as well."
"You should."
"!"
"!"
A bony spear landed in the soil, sending roots into the ground like a tree.
[Cast: Growth]
The bones shot out from the soil, piercing the hearts of Mamen Colo and Lieutenant Baltoz, blood splattering, painting the bony white a crimson red.
"Kya!"
"Keuk!-"
They groaned before their breathing stopped, and their existence ceased.
Rita van Eustis landed gracefully onto the end of her staff, perching. As she landed, the bones retracted, and the spear retained its original shape.
She stared at the battlefield.
It reminded her of a face of sorrow.
A desperate plea to be seen.
"How... solemn."
On the battlefield, many things were happening with no commander to guide the Sar forces.
Bastle sliced, fervently.
[Cast: Moon Sword Art: Flickering Moonlight]
[Cast: Moon Sword Art: Crescent Slash]
He hacked and sawed through flesh. The more people he killed, the more exhilarating it all felt.
— Normally... I would barely be able to kill two people in a battle.
He leaped through crowds, slicing and dicing.
— But now... it's as easy as pie. That surgery... really helped me. But I've gained this thirst for murder that seems unsatiable for now. It's very troublesome.
Slsh!
His blade cut through the metal of a Sar soldier's helmet, slicing their forehead open, and spewing brain matter chunks onto the ground.
— Well, this war allows me to be satisfied. How will I live after the war? I wonder.
Lost in thought, he had not noticed the arrow crashing, hurdling toward him, until it was at a distance that he could not dodge, which was maybe ten inches away from his face.
Clang!
A fellow soldier of Anore stood in front of him with intense speed, blocking the arrow.
"Watch out."
A feminine, yet low and deep voice escaped the helmet of the individual he stood behind. Despite the bulky armor, she appeared to be able to move freely.
. . .
After the battle was won, a celebration ensued.
"Yeah!"
"Another victory with minimal casualties."
White tents were set up, with medics working to heal and fix up as many injuries as possible. Fires were started, and cheering and celebration began.
They could peacefully start so much commotion with the level of confidence they had.
Bastle sat quietly sipping at his large wooden cup of booze, though quickly spitting it out as the taste was far too bitter and unlike anything he had ever drank.
"How can we all be cheering like this? We managed to live another day, but we haven't even gotten outside of the island yet. At this rate, this battle will last forever, and only Anore has gained civilian casualties."
Thoughts that he wished he could say aloud ran rampant in his head. To ignore them, he stared at his feet, resting his hand on his hair.
"You look troubled."
A familiar voice entered his ears, along with the feeling of someone tapping his shoulder with the scabbard of a sword. He looked up.
"Do I know you? You sound familiar," he asked.
"... Probably not. I'm just looking out for my fellow soldier," the woman replied.
Bastle scoffed. "Thinking like that will get you killed."
The woman sat next to him on the wooden log.
"What, having altruism? That'll get me killed?"
Bastle nodded. "Mhm."
She laughed. The woman had extremely light blue hair, it was more like white with a small tint of blue. Her eyes were black and surprisingly warm. And when she spoke, she constantly looked down, not in shyness, but almost as if she was too lazy to hold her eyes up.
Woman was the wrong word to use. Although she was taller than Bastle and appeared to be stronger than Bastle, she was not too much older than her. She was but a girl.
"Thinking like that... how old are you? I get the sentiment you're trying to give me... but it's stupid, really. Childish."
"Childish? I'm not a child."
"You are a child."
"By age, sure. But I've seen just as many horrible things as you have. Whether I'm a child or not. I'm sure seeing such cruel things... has... has..."
Bastle shuddered. Seeing his discomfort, the girl paused for a moment.
"My name is Clementina."
"Bastle."
"Bastle? That's an interesting name."
"I could say the same for you. Were you named after a fruit?"
. .
.
(Author's Note)
Hello everyone! I'm still grounded, of course. And, the laptop that I am currently typing on is broken, so it is a little difficult to actually type. It is nothing too major.
I have been realizing a lot of things.
I have this habit of where, I focus on one scene, then cut to another, very frequently, and I'm wondering if that throws you guys off. If so, I hope you guys say something about it.
And, I think i've been lacking when it comes to character development. Everyone seems so grey. So, I'll try my best to focus more on that and deliver a better story, bit by bit.
From, the author.