"Our squad leader is a peculiar guy. But he's not a bad person. He was a sergeant until recently, but he got promoted to second lieutenant due to battlefield promotion, so he understands us well. Unlike the fresh lieutenants, he gets along well with the soldiers and sergeants, which is proof of that.
However, we, who follow him, end up exhausted before he does. Even though we're in the same damn situation, what's the difference?
He always takes the lead in battles against the Rapture. I couldn't help but ask the squad sergeant if he didn't care about his own life, and the squad leader answered.
"Wherever we meet our death, if our battle cry reaches someone's ears, if another hand is offered to take up our weapons, if other people rise up, I will gladly accept death."
Upon hearing this, the squad sergeant continued, sounding amazed.
"Squad leader, aren't those the words of a revolutionary?"
The squad leader, who nodded in agreement, and the squad sergeant both laughed.
I'm not as determined as you are... but I'll stick with you until the end, squad leader.
- Excerpt from the diary of a Corporal belonging to I Marine Expeditionary Force, stained with the blood of a Marine Sergeant, stored in the Central Government's lost items."
-----
.
.
.
The swirling sand dust settled down slightly.
Blown by the explosive wind, the fine sand particles danced in the air, mercilessly dyeing everything yellow. Amidst this, Moore stood up from a kneeling position, lightly brushing off the sand with his left hand and surveyed the street.
"...Shifty. Any remaining enemies?"
[There are no Rapture signals in the vicinity. It seems they've been annihilated.]
"Understood. Please continue to be vigilant there."
Moore's dark brown eyes, hidden behind his sunglasses, were now focused on a petite figure running back towards them from the front. This diminutive figure was carrying an unusually large weapon - a recoilless gun strapped to their back.
The fool, or rather, Eunhwa's careless shots seemed to have some effect. It had been about ten minutes since they started moving away from the meeting point.
Just as Shifty warned them about the approach of over forty Raptures, Vesti, carrying the recoilless gun, went alone to intercept them.
Moore and Anis instinctively moved to follow her, but Emma held them back, making them spectators.
The outcome was... Vesti singlehandedly destroying all the approaching Raptures. It was a sight that surprised even Moore and Anise.
"I-I'm back..."
"...Welcome back."
"Um, um... Wasn't she the weakest in the Absolute...?"
"That firepower was amazing..."
As they welcomed back Vesti, their expressions—especially Anis's—betrayed a different scene from what they had heard in rumors. Affected by this, Anis couldn't help but ask Emma.
"...Anis. Don't point fingers. It's rude."
"S-Sorry."
"Hehe, it's fine. Vesti is the strongest among us, you know?"
While pointing at Vesti, Anis asked, but Moore reprimanded her. Emma, with a gentle motherly smile, replied to her, still surprising her with her words.
"...The contrast between her appearance and her abilities is too extreme..."
"...Is that so? Vesti."
"...Eep!"
"...Right? As I said."
Anis's remark made Moore tilt his head, addressing Vesti. However, she seemed to shrink back more in response, hiding behind the taller figure of her companion.
See? Anis seemed to say, shrugging her shoulders. This animalistic appearance and behavior seemed to lead to misunderstandings. But Moore couldn't comprehend why she had been so scared since their first encounter, especially since the day they met in the hospital when he had just lost his right leg and eye. He had no memory of ever doing something to her.
---He failed to notice that the reason lay in his stern appearance, and also in the fact that he had unhesitatingly raised the hammer of his pistol and pointed it at Eunhwa's face earlier. Unlike other commanders, he seemed to be perceived as someone who didn't hesitate to dispose of troublesome individuals like the chatty Nikke.
"...I-I'm sorry..."
"...No, you don't need to apologize..."
"I'm sorry...!"
"..."
He didn't want her to apologize, yet as she peeked timidly from behind Emma, lowering her head, Moore found himself at a loss about what to do.
Through the gap between his helmet and sunglasses, wrinkles furrowed his forehead, and he couldn't shake the feeling that Vesti's misunderstanding was accelerating.
"Commander... we might be used to it, but he looks scary... Look, Vesti. The Commander isn't scary, you see?"
"He always looks a bit grumpy."
Anis and Neon, flanking Moore, made their own assessments of him. Moore didn't usually intend to look so grumpy, but three vertical lines immediately etched themselves on his forehead.
Anise casually snatched his sunglasses. That was a mistake.
"Huh!?"
Just as his forehead furrows deepened, Vesti, who looked directly into his eyes sharper than Eunhwa, let out a small scream and completely hid behind Emma. Seeing this, Moore sighed, took back his sunglasses from Anis, and put them back on.
Unfortunately, he didn't possess a perverted personality that would revel in being feared by someone who looked like a young girl.
If she was so afraid, maybe it was better not to approach her too much. However, they were assigned the same job. They had to cooperate; there was no way around it.
He kneeled on one knee, wrapped in knee pads, ensuring his eye level was as low as possible compared to Vesti's while pulling down the shemagh that covered his mouth.
"Vesti."
In a deliberately calm voice to avoid scaring her further, he spoke. Eventually, she timidly raised her sky-blue eyes, her face still partially hidden.
"...I'm late for the greeting... Oh, no... I should've done it back at the hospital... Hmm? Did I say it properly back then, too?... Well, it doesn't matter... I'll say it again... Thank you. I'm grateful for what you did back then. I was saved because of you. No matter how many times I say it, it won't be enough. Thank you again. I express my gratitude."
Holding the grip of his assault rifle with his right hand, he slightly lowered his helmeted head towards Vesti. Seeing this, she began shaking her head vigorously.
"...I-I appreciate your thanks... but...! Commander, you shouldn't bow your head to Nikke...!"
"Is it not allowed?"
"Y-yeah..."
"...That's... troublesome..."
Although hidden behind sunglasses, Moore's perplexed expression seemed apparent. He felt that way as he saw him scratching his cheek with his fingertips.
"...C-Commander, you should be more confident..."
"...Aren't I...?"
"...Well, I think you are..."
"At the forward base, maybe not so much."
— I see clearly how you all perceive me.
Hearing the evaluations from Anis and Neon on either side, he let out a small sigh and shrugged his shoulders. This action seemed a bit comical, prompting a faint snicker from Vesti.
"Well, I guess that's how it is. I might not be the commander you desire... but please work with me during this mission. - I'd like to shake hands, but I can't do that now. Instead..."
He clenched his left hand into a fist and extended it towards Bestie. Comparing his face to Moore's, she timidly made a small fist and bumped it against his.
"P-please take care of me..."
"I'm counting on you too. - Anis, didn't you want to learn how to argue from her? Sorry for taking your time."
"Wait a minute...!"
As Vesti grabbed his raised body armor and tried to stop him, Moore, with a puzzled expression, turned his gaze towards her. Then, she faced Anise.
"U-umm... I want Commander and Anis to teach me...!"
"...About arguing?"
"Y-yes..."
"...I'm not that good at it, you know?"
Moore tilted his head again in his kneeling position, causing Anis to burst out laughing.
"You made Syuen cry and even made her pee herself, right!?"
"...That wasn't really an argument."
He let out a sigh as his forehead furrowed, but strangely, Vesti wasn't scared anymore.
"At that time, my sensei used a combination foul language and light violence together."
"Well, well. You want to beat Eunhwa, right? It's more certain if Commander teaches you."
"...I don't care either way..."
So, he, along with Anise, briefly taught Vesti how to argue.
And that opportunity quickly arrived.
After finishing the lesson, Moore stood up and lit a cigarette he had tucked into his coat pocket at a short distance away.
"Don't dilly-dally. Move as soon as the battle is over. Do you have that much time to spare?"
Approaching while slipping his hand into his jacket pocket, Eunhwa urged them to move sarcastically. Anis pushed Vesti eagerly, making her step forward and face Unfa.
"...What are you doing? Move quickly."
Stared down by Unfa, Bestie, albeit trembling slightly, gathered her courage and looked up at him.
"...Sh-shut up! Y-you... flat-chest...!"
.
.
.
.
(Tl Notes: Damn!!...That hurts. That's just like saying our lower half is puny sized.)
Upon the sudden outburst—especially from Vesti, who typically obeyed quietly with just a stern look, Eunhwa found himself momentarily speechless.
This was the argument technique Anis had taught her. Now, Moore's lines were supposed to follow.
"...Wasting ammunition meaninglessly...! Firing aimlessly...! Gathering Raptures meaninglessly and lecturing others arrogantly...! What did you learn at the boot camp of the New Recruit Training Facility...!"
.
.
.
....He truly didn't expect her to say this.
Despite the irresponsibility of teaching her these words, Moore, puffing on his purple smoke, couldn't help but shoot a glance at Vesti, who was hurling insults at Eunhwa.
"...?"
"Wait~"
Eunhwa started walking forward without saying a word. Emma caught up with her, saying,
"...I know. It wasn't like me... I'm reflecting on it..."
"Oh~"
It was a reprimand that pierced her self-reflection. It seemed to affect Eunhwa, who lowered her head. As she muttered, Emma couldn't help but smile.
"You should apologize later, you know?"
"..."
While she didn't think she'd be the type of leader to apologize readily, Emma said so anyway, and Eunhwa didn't react.
"...Anyway, Rapi, what's going on? Is something not right between you and Captain Moore?"
"...Don't mention her name."
"Huh~? It's fine. But I'm not worried at all..."
Emma looked back over her shoulder, observing Counter Squad still advancing with Vesti, Anis, and Neon chatting eagerly among themselves. However, Moore and Rapi showed no sign of joining their conversation.
"...Is it because of what Ingrid said?"
"...Who knows..."
The wind started blowing strongly again. In the thickening dust storm, Eunhwa hastened his pace, moving forward.
----
Author's Notes: I want to believe that Unfa is truly reflecting. Is he? He must be, right? He's a serious and good kid, after all, isn't he?
Regarding the introduction, the original source is a quote from Ernesto Che Guevara.
"Our squad leader is a peculiar guy. But he's not a bad person. He was a sergeant until recently, but he got promoted to second lieutenant due to battlefield promotion, so he understands us well. Unlike the fresh lieutenants, he gets along well with the soldiers and sergeants, which is proof of that.
However, we, who follow him, end up exhausted before he does. Even though we're in the same damn situation, what's the difference?
He always takes the lead in battles against the Rapture. I couldn't help but ask the squad sergeant if he didn't care about his own life, and the squad leader answered.
"Wherever we meet our death, if our battle cry reaches someone's ears, if another hand is offered to take up our weapons, if other people rise up, I will gladly accept death."
Upon hearing this, the squad sergeant continued, sounding amazed.
"Squad leader, aren't those the words of a revolutionary?"
The squad leader, who nodded in agreement, and the squad sergeant both laughed.
I'm not as determined as you are... but I'll stick with you until the end, squad leader.
- Excerpt from the diary of a Corporal belonging to I Marine Expeditionary Force, stained with the blood of a Marine Sergeant, stored in the Central Government's lost items."
-----
.
.
.
The swirling sand dust settled down slightly.
Blown by the explosive wind, the fine sand particles danced in the air, mercilessly dyeing everything yellow. Amidst this, Moore stood up from a kneeling position, lightly brushing off the sand with his left hand and surveyed the street.
"...Shifty. Any remaining enemies?"
[There are no Rapture signals in the vicinity. It seems they've been annihilated.]
"Understood. Please continue to be vigilant there."
Moore's dark brown eyes, hidden behind his sunglasses, were now focused on a petite figure running back towards them from the front. This diminutive figure was carrying an unusually large weapon - a recoilless gun strapped to their back.
The fool, or rather, Eunhwa's careless shots seemed to have some effect. It had been about ten minutes since they started moving away from the meeting point.
Just as Shifty warned them about the approach of over forty Raptures, Vesti, carrying the recoilless gun, went alone to intercept them.
Moore and Anis instinctively moved to follow her, but Emma held them back, making them spectators.
The outcome was... Vesti singlehandedly destroying all the approaching Raptures. It was a sight that surprised even Moore and Anise.
"I-I'm back..."
"...Welcome back."
"Um, um... Wasn't she the weakest in the Absolute...?"
"That firepower was amazing..."
As they welcomed back Vesti, their expressions—especially Anis's—betrayed a different scene from what they had heard in rumors. Affected by this, Anis couldn't help but ask Emma.
"...Anis. Don't point fingers. It's rude."
"S-Sorry."
"Hehe, it's fine. Vesti is the strongest among us, you know?"
While pointing at Vesti, Anis asked, but Moore reprimanded her. Emma, with a gentle motherly smile, replied to her, still surprising her with her words.
"...The contrast between her appearance and her abilities is too extreme..."
"...Is that so? Vesti."
"...Eep!"
"...Right? As I said."
Anis's remark made Moore tilt his head, addressing Vesti. However, she seemed to shrink back more in response, hiding behind the taller figure of her companion.
See? Anis seemed to say, shrugging her shoulders. This animalistic appearance and behavior seemed to lead to misunderstandings. But Moore couldn't comprehend why she had been so scared since their first encounter, especially since the day they met in the hospital when he had just lost his right leg and eye. He had no memory of ever doing something to her.
---He failed to notice that the reason lay in his stern appearance, and also in the fact that he had unhesitatingly raised the hammer of his pistol and pointed it at Eunhwa's face earlier. Unlike other commanders, he seemed to be perceived as someone who didn't hesitate to dispose of troublesome individuals like the chatty Nikke.
"...I-I'm sorry..."
"...No, you don't need to apologize..."
"I'm sorry...!"
"..."
He didn't want her to apologize, yet as she peeked timidly from behind Emma, lowering her head, Moore found himself at a loss about what to do.
Through the gap between his helmet and sunglasses, wrinkles furrowed his forehead, and he couldn't shake the feeling that Vesti's misunderstanding was accelerating.
"Commander... we might be used to it, but he looks scary... Look, Vesti. The Commander isn't scary, you see?"
"He always looks a bit grumpy."
Anis and Neon, flanking Moore, made their own assessments of him. Moore didn't usually intend to look so grumpy, but three vertical lines immediately etched themselves on his forehead.
Anise casually snatched his sunglasses. That was a mistake.
"Huh!?"
Just as his forehead furrows deepened, Vesti, who looked directly into his eyes sharper than Eunhwa, let out a small scream and completely hid behind Emma. Seeing this, Moore sighed, took back his sunglasses from Anis, and put them back on.
Unfortunately, he didn't possess a perverted personality that would revel in being feared by someone who looked like a young girl.
If she was so afraid, maybe it was better not to approach her too much. However, they were assigned the same job. They had to cooperate; there was no way around it.
He kneeled on one knee, wrapped in knee pads, ensuring his eye level was as low as possible compared to Vesti's while pulling down the shemagh that covered his mouth.
"Vesti."
In a deliberately calm voice to avoid scaring her further, he spoke. Eventually, she timidly raised her sky-blue eyes, her face still partially hidden.
"...I'm late for the greeting... Oh, no... I should've done it back at the hospital... Hmm? Did I say it properly back then, too?... Well, it doesn't matter... I'll say it again... Thank you. I'm grateful for what you did back then. I was saved because of you. No matter how many times I say it, it won't be enough. Thank you again. I express my gratitude."
Holding the grip of his assault rifle with his right hand, he slightly lowered his helmeted head towards Vesti. Seeing this, she began shaking her head vigorously.
"...I-I appreciate your thanks... but...! Commander, you shouldn't bow your head to Nikke...!"
"Is it not allowed?"
"Y-yeah..."
"...That's... troublesome..."
Although hidden behind sunglasses, Moore's perplexed expression seemed apparent. He felt that way as he saw him scratching his cheek with his fingertips.
"...C-Commander, you should be more confident..."
"...Aren't I...?"
"...Well, I think you are..."
"At the forward base, maybe not so much."
— I see clearly how you all perceive me.
Hearing the evaluations from Anis and Neon on either side, he let out a small sigh and shrugged his shoulders. This action seemed a bit comical, prompting a faint snicker from Vesti.
"Well, I guess that's how it is. I might not be the commander you desire... but please work with me during this mission. - I'd like to shake hands, but I can't do that now. Instead..."
He clenched his left hand into a fist and extended it towards Bestie. Comparing his face to Moore's, she timidly made a small fist and bumped it against his.
"P-please take care of me..."
"I'm counting on you too. - Anis, didn't you want to learn how to argue from her? Sorry for taking your time."
"Wait a minute...!"
As Vesti grabbed his raised body armor and tried to stop him, Moore, with a puzzled expression, turned his gaze towards her. Then, she faced Anise.
"U-umm... I want Commander and Anis to teach me...!"
"...About arguing?"
"Y-yes..."
"...I'm not that good at it, you know?"
Moore tilted his head again in his kneeling position, causing Anis to burst out laughing.
"You made Syuen cry and even made her pee herself, right!?"
"...That wasn't really an argument."
He let out a sigh as his forehead furrowed, but strangely, Vesti wasn't scared anymore.
"At that time, my sensei used a combination foul language and light violence together."
"Well, well. You want to beat Eunhwa, right? It's more certain if Commander teaches you."
"...I don't care either way..."
So, he, along with Anise, briefly taught Vesti how to argue.
And that opportunity quickly arrived.
After finishing the lesson, Moore stood up and lit a cigarette he had tucked into his coat pocket at a short distance away.
"Don't dilly-dally. Move as soon as the battle is over. Do you have that much time to spare?"
Approaching while slipping his hand into his jacket pocket, Eunhwa urged them to move sarcastically. Anis pushed Vesti eagerly, making her step forward and face Unfa.
"...What are you doing? Move quickly."
Stared down by Unfa, Bestie, albeit trembling slightly, gathered her courage and looked up at him.
"...Sh-shut up! Y-you... flat-chest...!"
.
.
.
.
(Tl Notes: Damn!!...That hurts. That's just like saying our lower half is puny sized.)
Upon the sudden outburst—especially from Vesti, who typically obeyed quietly with just a stern look, Eunhwa found himself momentarily speechless.
This was the argument technique Anis had taught her. Now, Moore's lines were supposed to follow.
"...Wasting ammunition meaninglessly...! Firing aimlessly...! Gathering Raptures meaninglessly and lecturing others arrogantly...! What did you learn at the boot camp of the New Recruit Training Facility...!"
.
.
.
....He truly didn't expect her to say this.
Despite the irresponsibility of teaching her these words, Moore, puffing on his purple smoke, couldn't help but shoot a glance at Vesti, who was hurling insults at Eunhwa.
"...?"
"Wait~"
Eunhwa started walking forward without saying a word. Emma caught up with her, saying,
"...I know. It wasn't like me... I'm reflecting on it..."
"Oh~"
It was a reprimand that pierced her self-reflection. It seemed to affect Eunhwa, who lowered her head. As she muttered, Emma couldn't help but smile.
"You should apologize later, you know?"
"..."
While she didn't think she'd be the type of leader to apologize readily, Emma said so anyway, and Eunhwa didn't react.
"...Anyway, Rapi, what's going on? Is something not right between you and Captain Moore?"
"...Don't mention her name."
"Huh~? It's fine. But I'm not worried at all..."
Emma looked back over her shoulder, observing Counter Squad still advancing with Vesti, Anis, and Neon chatting eagerly among themselves. However, Moore and Rapi showed no sign of joining their conversation.
"...Is it because of what Ingrid said?"
"...Who knows..."
The wind started blowing strongly again. In the thickening dust storm, Eunhwa hastened his pace, moving forward.
----
Author's Notes: I want to believe that Unfa is truly reflecting. Is he? He must be, right? He's a serious and good kid, after all, isn't he?
Regarding the introduction, the original source is a quote from Ernesto Che Guevara.
