RUNE TROOPERS VOLUME 1 PART 2 OF CHAPTER 5
“Hurry, get the casualties on board!”
Kuze yelled as he confirmed the landing of the *CH-47JA giant transport model helicopter, which holds 2 giant rotors, in the courtyard during the violent down wash. The battle power of the empire’s forces was greatly abated by the power of the Aegis warship.
Around the area where the scattered remains of the empire soldiers who were hit by bullets. It looked like Platoon Leader Kuze was about to run out of ammunition, but they were able to have just enough to secure the courtyard. Hearing Kuze, the warriors of Mariisua carried the severely wounded on stretchers.
“Hurry! The lives of the people depend on this!”
Those frightened by the exploding noise of the helicopter were reprimanded by Karuda.
“Big sister!”
“Eve…ry…one…”
In the middle of carrying all the casualties on board, Kuze noticed that young maid. It seemed her consciousness was still hazy, but she was somehow still holding onto life. Ryumi’s healing magic might have made it in time. In the middle of all this tension, this helped a little to relieve it.
“It is fine. There is no way the gods would abandon someone who won’t give up.”
Though Ryumi was clearly tired from singing an aria for so long for the healing magic’s purposes, she lightly pat the children’s’ heads with a gentle expression.
“That’s it for now for the replenishing of ammo and accommodating the injured! For everyone else, please wait a little longer!”
The crew yelled to Kuze, and so the back door they used to carry people in was closed. Those really injured on the helicopter would be brought to the transport vessel with a plan for them to get surgical operation.
“Please! Hurry and get this there!”
They did not want a single person there to die, and Kuze especially desired this. They raised the output of the large-made helicopter, and started flying as the violent winds were created by the turning of the rotors. He had one anxiety that bothered him about being left alone as he saw the helicopter fly off.
It was at that time.
“You monsters! Prepare yourselves!”
Arising from around the corpses of his allies, a soldier of the empire arose, broadsword in hand; he moved to attack Kuze. Kuze moved to get out his handgun, but because of the sudden surprise of the attack, his movements were too slow.
“Ugh!?”
He opened his eyes wide, regretful of his own carelessness. They’ve got me, he thought. But, faster than the blink of an eye, in the next moment, the soldier had a lance through his chest.
“Guagh!?”
The empire’s soldier fell at that very spot. Kuze remembered that lance. A splendid adornment came out: it was a red jewel-looking thing that was at the point of the blade that dug into the foe. And, it seemed quite heavy. It was Karuda’s special weapon. Karuda, pulling her lance out of the enemy, gave Kuze a keen scowl.
“Don’t let your guard down on the battlefield! Your death and the death of this squad is the same thing!”
“S-sorry…”
He had no other words to respond with. Just now was completely the fault of his own carelessness. Karuda was able to save his life. To her, Kuze made a very sorry face. Seeing this, Karuda abruptly smiled.
“Please don’t die. You, who came from a parallel world, you who was originally not involved with this world: we can’t let you die.”
Without thinking, Kuze stared at Karuda’s face. It had a gentle expression.
Somehow, in this state, he ended up following h
er. Kuze prepared his gun and returned back to the barricade with caution as he said to Karuda.
“Will you let me say something a bit self-centered?”
“Eh?”
They entered the barricade and squatted. Karuda too bent down and waited. Kuze, while checking the ammo, continued the conversation.
“It’s not like I’m not involved in this country, Karuda-san. It’s only been a short amount of time, but I’ve met you and that young maid girl and Ryumi. Even if Japan’s leader of the SDF told me I can’t have these feelings because this is the wrong world and that you live in the wrong country, I think I’d still want to protect you.”
“Kuze…dono…”
To Kuze’s words, Karuda took in a large breath.
“I think I want to protect you, Karuda.”
In her mind, memories of the past showed themselves. The memory of the last time she met her fiance. It didn’t excel his passion for the military, but he loved literature. He taught Karuda about the history and literature and beauty of her territory.
He was very erudite. And, without being prideful about being a noble, he was frank with the people of the estate with a gentleness. Considering that man, she couldn’t give out a comparable emotion.
He was from a small noble family around her, but he was the fiance from a fine family, though the families seemed to be dealing coldly with each other. But, Karuda was happy with that. Thought it was to be a marriage of political convenience, she was happy with him being her fiance. She liked his sincerity.
She never said it but she was not dissatisfied. But, the last time they met. It was when a skirmish broke out at the border with the neighboring nation, and there was a draft for soldiers, to which he responded. He said it. That “I want to protect you.” Now, before her eyes, there is a young man named Kuze from a parallel world saying the same thing. Not to be brave or as his duty for being a noble. Just, “I want to protect.”
“It’s alright; thankfully it looks like I’m in luck to be protected by Karuda-san like that.”
“Eh…”
Thanks to Kuze’s words, Karuda was able to return to reality. And, she stared at his smile.
“I won’t die. I have no intentions of dying.”
When she realized tears were about to flow, she quickly averted her face away from him. Gentle as anybody else. Beyond herself, someone else’s happiness took precedence.
Over myself, I will sacrifice this body to protect someone.
The face, the race, and the clothes are all different. Yet, he resembles him.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, sorry, some rubbish from when that thing you guys ride on got stirred up and got in my eye…”
It was a transparent lie. But, Kuze took it super seriously.
“That’s bad, man. To guard against scattered, small things, normally you’d put on goggles…let me see your eyes for a bit.”
He raised his hip up a bit and peered into Karuda’s face. Concerning stuff like this, it might be Kuze’s inability to subtly read the mood that his ex-girlfriend broke up with him.
“Kya…!”
Karuda, who didn’t want Kuze to see her crying face, let out a short scream and shook and got her hand loose from his. Kuze was also shocked that a commander on the battlefield, who shouldn’t get perturbed easily, would let out a scream like a little girl.
“Wa-!? Ah, s-sorry.”
Not understanding at all what happened, there was a reflexive apology from Kuze.
“N-no, actually it was my bad. It is fine now. No problem.”
Karuda grabbed her lance in her hand, and got up as if to run from the barricade.
“Please wait a little.”
“No, no, like I said, it’s fine now!”
“No, not that!”
Kuze stood up with an ear to the wireless communication device. It was a message from the sharp shooter who had climbed into the minaret, Ichinose.
“Second Lieutenant Kuze! There are signs of the enemy from the front! A large crowd of foot soldiers are on their way there!”
With binoculars in hand, Kuze stepped out of the barricade.
“…The enemy’s objective, eh?”
Karuda whispered next to him.
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