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Shouting her name, she dashed toward the girl who flew from the impact of protecting them all from the red crimson attack numerous time.
The sky looms dark and orange, blazingly so. Her hand trembles–’Aoi’, she heard Ichigo faintly says and Sumomo looking as if she was trying her best to not cry. Why are they crying? Why does it seems like they want to ran away straight to Aoi who was laying on the stone dirt, when they know their leader, 31B dependable leader, is going to go back up again, is something she couldn't comprehend. Aoi is an invicible shield, after all. She even said it herself while protecting them just now. There is no way, not even that damnation of a monster could–
“Ruka!” A stern voice and she looks to the side. Yuki. She is looking at her with such a troubled face–how confusingly rare. If she makes that kind of face, brows furrowed and peridot eyes starting to waver with tears, how would she respond. Troubling. Maybe she should smile.
No good. Her facial expression refused to do her order, as if they all went stiff. Her throat tightens. “A..ah…” She finally managed to answer, strained, and turns away.
Crimson Red roars. she closes her eyes and clenches her fist. They won’t waste this chance.
She wouldn’t.
One hour. That was how long they had to wait. Sumomo gritting her teeth and looking away from the scene with tearful eyes. Ichigo's cracking rough voice as she held 31B leader’s cold limp hands. Standing a little bit far to the side was Seika, who was eerily silent the whole time along with Kozue who had both her hands clasped together close to her chest with ears streaming freely from her closed eyes.
Out of all 31A squad members Tama was the one who cried loudly, with Megumi patting the former captain's head through her hat while wearing a frustrated expression. Karen and Tsukasa who had calmed down from the shock of seeing one’s life taken away before their eyes now could only stay silent while looking at the scene with painful expression and Tsukasa averting her eyes.
Someone slid their hand against her wrist and she jolted. The tension on her muscle loosen and she realizes how hard she had been clenching her fist as her nail pricks against her palm. Looking to her left, Yuki was there. “There's nothing we could do. Don't be too hard on yourself.”
Eh? Was she blaming herself? What kind of expression did she make? Hot tears start to trickle down her cheek. Wiping it with her sleeves, she grits her teeth. “I know that…”
Byakko, the white tiger that usually sticks close by Aoi’s side, even now was still doing the same. Licking the girl’s cheek and letting out a low whining voice as if telling the girl to wake up.
After that, helicopters came to pick them up. Away from the dusted battlefield broken with craters and debris. Each squad entered separate helicopters, with 31B entering first, following their leader who was carried on a stretch by the medical emergency staff. A white pure cloth covering that girl once blue deep eyes.
“...” everyone stayed silent. It wasn’t until their advisor, Nanami called out quietly to them that they began entering the helicopter.
Her steps were heavy, trudging along the metal floor of the helicopter until she was seated, and so was her other squadmate. Whether it was the tough battle, the loss of a life, everything felt eerily painful. She knew that their job to save humanity as member of seraph squadron would unquestionably put their lives on the line, and yet.
The intercoms rings, and she slowly tap the device on her ear. Commander Tezuka voice was the same with those nuanced professional air behind each of her words briefing the results of their operation. “--the objective has been achieved.” Those words, were as cold as it was professional.
She bites her lip, “Don't fuck with me,” her eyes open, brows furrowed and teeth clenched in contained rage, “how could you call it a success with such results?!”
“That is an order, leave the rest to us.”
She closed her eyes again in frustration. There is nothing they could do. Her voice cracks, banging her fist against the cold armrest. “Damn it… damn it!”
Yuki stayed beside her, giving a silent companion without a word. The others looked briefly before giving their attention somewhere else: to the darkened sky beyond the helicopter window, the metal walls, floor.
It was silent the whole way back to the base.
Few days passed by after that. Everyone was starting to get to their usual self. At the very least, she think they tried to.
“Oi Tama!!”
Tama shrieks, “Y-yes!”
“You put your hat backward,” Megumi says and flip Tama’s hat around before it plops onto the pink-blueish hair.
The former captain replies in a formal tone, “Thank you, Megumi-san!”
Yuki scrunch her face in exparasted way, “How could a former captain not notice such obvious thing…”
“I-i was just a bit sleepy!”
“Oi Tama!”
“Yes!”
Megumi tone took a kinder one, like a mother hen talking to their child, “It’s okay to sleep more.”
Yuki touches her own forehead and sighs this time. “Hey, don’t go enabling her.. it's time for breakfast.”
“Yukki is just like a grandma watching over our grandkids.” She jumps into the conversation.
“I'm just being more of the normal one and what do you mean ‘our’, besides if they are the grand child, who is even the child?!”
“They are flirting again.”
“Ruka-san and Yuki-san child, how nice.”
“if you guys want to flirt, at least make me a big sister. A cool physics onee-san is the only way to go.”
“Don't make me a little sister, I'm a former captain after all!”
“Why are you guys going along with it?! And we are not flirting!” Yuki's face starts to redden.
Ah, how nice. But if she let this go on for too long she will start to feel bad for Yuki.
“Now, now, calm down Yukki. We should go to the cafeteria now or else we would be late for morning classes.” She said, suddenly taking the role of 31A leader.
“Ruka is right, we wouldn’t want to be late.” Tsukasa, the supposed intel agents who usually didn't reflect that one bit with the amount of useless trivia she throws, added.
Yuki stared incredulously at them. “Why am I now the one at fault, getting told that by Tsukasa even… fine.”
They marches on toward cafetaria.
Just as they entered the cafetaria hall, Shirakawa Yuina walked toward them with food tray in hand. “Oh, Ruka.” It feels like a long time had passed since she’d last seen Yuina face ever since that day.
“Yuina-senpai!” truth be told, she might've consciously trying to avoid meeting any of 30G squad member to avoid bringing up that conversation. The rest of 31A gives their greetings before joining 30G members, seating beside their table. She and Yuina stood there, and she was the one who continues first, “Is there anything you need?”
Yuina smiled demurely. “No. I havent directly gave my thanks directly to you about the operation few days ago.” Ruka smile twitched briefly. “Thanks to both 31A and 31B, we managed to successfully install the bridgehead. Appearances of cancers as strong as Crimson Head were definitely unprecedented. If it were not for both of your class, there would've been more casualties and a forced retreat. Especially sergeant Aoi…” Yuina paused for a second, silently mulling over her words. “Her valiant efforts was the deciding factor of the operation success.“
Ruka nods. “Yeah. Definitely.”
No matter how many times she heard it, from commander tezuka, nanami, and other squads, the word ‘success’ brought a sickening taste to her stomach. Look, even Yuina was starting to look lost in what to do. She smiles and brightly says, “Let's join the others!”
“R-right.” Yuina managed to reply in rather awkward manner after their brief silence.
They walked toward the rest of the members who was chattering while eating their food. It would be fifteen minute before another training starts today.
Tossing and turning around, sleep didn’t come as easy.
“Ugh, there's no use.” She rose up from her bunk bed, glancing around the room. Everyone was fast asleep with Megumin muttering about physics power, her arm sprawled free on the bed without care in the world. Tama on the bed below grumbling with her high pitched voice with words like ship, charge, and the likes befitting of someone who commands a fleet.
She climbs down her bed down to the floor. On the way she stops to see the face of her favorite hacker. When Yukki is sleeping like this, her usual frowns and stern facade were nowhere to be seen. Replaced by a calm and serene expression.
She observes Yuki’s shoulder heaving up and down slowly along with her quiet breaths. Before she knew it, the corner of her mouth turns up slightly. She lost count of how many times this girl had supported her during their operation. Even having each other back, protecting everyone on 31A together. If one day, Yukki wasn't there, she wonders if its possible for herself to hold up.
She shakes the thought away and continues down, making sure the ladder didn't creak as much.
Making her way toward outside the dorm, her steps were without purpose. Occasionally trying to get closer toward random narby before they rab away. Somehow she ended up in front of the clock tower.
She looks up toward the clock. Its short hand pointing at ten. Below it were counters indicating the number of people that's still breathing in this world. It hadn’t changed significantly compared to the time she enrolled. If anything, it might have gone down a bit.
With nothing better to do, she steps inside the clock tower and climbs the spiral staircase until she reachs the top. Greeted by the clear night sky, she took a breath and walked closer toward the balcony railing.
It wasn't until some minutes has passed with her blankly staring ahead toward faraway buildings and sky that an authoritative voice came from behind her, “You look horrible.”
She didn't need to look to know who the girl was. There's no way she would mistake her voice. “You too, Yuki.”
“Because it’s already time to sleep.” Yuki stopped close to Ruka’s side, one hand placed against the balcony railings. “Want to talk?”
“..I’m not sure if I can be like usual if I talk right now.”
“That’s okay.”
“Yuki would find it annoying.” She starts to make excuses.
“Who said?”
“Me.”
“I won't.”
“But it would sound like im whining and complaining.”
“Then complain away.”
She glances briefly into Yuki's eyes which was unwavering at all. Taking a deep breath, she slowly starts. “So I've been thinking.”
“Yeah?”
“We, seraph squadron are fighting for humanities right? The HQ would record our fights to be shown live to the entire humanities through the screen, they would cheer us on and even idolize us, being the only ‘hope’ that humanity had left. But the moment one of us died, it would be forgotten just as fast. Its as if our lives was just a blink that passes by..”
“Hm.” Yuki quietly answers, if only to urge her to continue.
“..what if, what if the next time it won't be just any other squad member.” Yuki stayed silent, urging her to continue. Her throat tightens. “it could be one, or it could be all of you, Megumin, Tsukassie, Karerin, Otama, … even Yukki. If you all aren’t there, if Yuki wasn't there to support me then what is the point I–”
“Ruka.” Yuki cuts her ramble abruptly. “Look here.”
She timidly looks to her right, meeting Yuki’s sharp peridot eyes.
“We are not going down that easily. Not without a fight.” Yuki smiles, her smile was smug, but it wasn't looking down at her, rather a confident one as if saying ‘bring it on.’ “Did you really thought it would be easy to put us down?"
Ruka shakes her head. “But everytime we are out there, we put our lives on the line.” She grits her teeth, gripping tight against the balcony railings. Her eyes felt hot and she took a deep breath then continues, “You know, a day before operation Aoi was wondering what she should do. At times she felt frustrated that she can't keep up with training. I told her, since she is a shield, she should think she is ‘invincible’.” Yuki's eyes widen slightly from the corner of Ruka's eyes. The last thing Aoi said before Crimson Head attacked her, who had bravely put up her last strongest shield against the cancer finisher attack. Letting out a bitter laugh, she continues with trembling voice, “If I had never said that, Aoi probably would still be alive. We would be making another song together and playing a concert in the cafeteria. She would get nervous at first but in the end all of us would have a blast. If not for me and my words.”
She laughs off the last part in deprecating way.
“..Don’t just conclude things like that.” Yuki voice was quiet. It was so quiet and lower than usual buat she could feel something chilling from how Yuki pronounced each words with restrains.
“Yuki?”
“Even if you didn't say things like that, do you Think Aoi wouldn't put herself in harm's way to protect us? Do you think she would've given up?”
There's no way that Aoi who confesses that she loves the thought of ‘protecting someone’ more than defeating cancers would think of doing. “That is–”
“Correct.” As if Yuki knew what she was thinking, she interjects easily. “If you thought she would, then you definitely didn’t trust Aoi, and I know you of all people trusted her as a leader and ally.”
Yuki take a look at Ruka troubled expression and continues, “Our fight, It's all for the sake of humanity. If humanity as we knew cease to exist, would you be happy, Ruka?”
“...I probably wouldn't, but if you all weren't there, I wouldn't be happy too.”
“We all would be there. Including you. Humanities would be saved and all of us will be there to see it.”
She smiles softly. When all the cancers had been eradicated, then they wouldn't have to fight, no more missions where each of them could lose their lives to go to. What a nice thought to have. “What's with that, sounds just like a faraway dream. I never thought Yukki was the type to say things like that.”
The night winds graze their cheek, Yuki closes her eyes and turns toward the balcony with a flustered manner. Her white hair swaying in contrast with the night sky. “And what's wrong with a faraway dream.”
She couldn't help but chuckle. “Then you all better put up a whole damn of a fight for that dream to come true.”
“And you better command like you mean it each time, even if we're marching towards hell itself.” The replies that came from Yuki were adorned with a confident smile. If it weren't for the serious mood she would've thought the word ‘charming’ were fit to describe it.
“What a high demand.” She closes her eyes, the cold wind grazed past her cheek. “Hey, Yukki.”
“What?”
“Once we defeat cancers what do you want to do?”
“Huh. I haven't thought about it. Maybe continuing my hacking activities. But that probably won’t be possible unless i joined other organizations similar to orchid. A nice quiet life where I use computer as my main work would still be pretty nice though. Maybe working part time in stock trade and full time in software development could work.”
She stares at Yuki who answers thoughtfully with glittering eyes. “Yukki! You have thought so far ahead!”
“Well, it's just a hypothetical situation but realities didn't always go the same way. How about you, Ruka?”
She hums while racking her brains. The only thing she was good at was music. It's a big part because of her mother who patiently teaches her how to strum a guitar, and happily listens to her playing. Of course continuing the new ‘She is Legend’ activities would be a nice idea, but every other member each has something they wanted to do when times had become peaceful.
“You're thinking about it way too hard.”
Ruka grumbles and pouts. “I briefly thought about continuing ‘She is Legend’ even when times are peaceful. But by that time everyone would have things they wanted to do and chase after. Karerin would probably return to being a pro FPS gamer. Tsukasassie might be continuing what her mom had left in some way or another once she remembers it all. Otama will go onward continuing her role as captain of a ship, this time making sure none of the ships she pilots goes underwater again. And then there’s Megumin, she is, uh..” Wait, what might Megumi and her physics power that could only jolt you in its full power would do in the future? “Megumin.. probably would play as a magician in a circus showcasing her physics power.” She ended with more of a question than a statement.
“You totally sounded unsure at the end there.” Yuki deadpanned.
“Well that’s basically it anyway. So I probably would go as a solo artist. An acoustic singer doesn’t sound bad at all.”
Yuki smiles while letting a thoughtful hum. “Not a bad idea.”
“I would fully expect Yuki to be there to cheer me on too.”
“W-wha?! Why are you expecting that?!”
“Yukki is my fan after all!”
“S-still that doesn't mean i would always cheer you on each of your steps as an artist!” Yuki blushes and stutters, she knew Yuki didn’t mean anything she said right now but she couldn't help pushing forward through Yuki cuteness just a bit more.
“So you wouldn't support me…?”
Yuki let out a painful grunts as if her heart was clenched tight, while her eyes furrow from looking at Ruka who wore her best abandoned puppy expression.
Yuki finally says and Ruka manages to pick up on her almost low voice that seems like it might disappear carried by the wind, “...I-I would.”
What is this creature..! So cute! “Yukki…!” She leaps into Yuki's shoulder from the side, effectively surprising the girl while wrapping her arm around the girl's shoulder.
They stared at each other, Ruka smiling before Yuki's bashful stern expression turns into one too, bursting into small laughter. Few seconds passed by and their laughter finally died down. Atleast, in this world that burns so beautifully she still finds solace in her everyday life, surrounded by both friends and allies.
She pulled away from Yukki and yawned. Turning her back, she leans against the railing with both arms stretched. “Thank you, Yukki.”
Yuki glances at her for a moment before closing her eyes. “You’re welcome.”
“As a thanks I will join you for a bath tomorrow.” She said while stretching her stiff body.
“Ha, you already did that without asking, didn't you.” It was more of a statement than a question. “Come on, it's starting to get cold. Let's go back to our room and sleep.”
“Got that, Ma’am!” Yuki of course interjects her salute and she laughs, stepping down the stairs away from the clock tower.
Yuki follows closely behind. “We will all be okay. No matter what the future brings.” Seems like Yuki is still being thoughtful of her mental condition.
Nodding, she trusts Yuki's words. “Yuki is the best. I love you.”
And of course, as she predicted, the tip of Yuki’s ear reddens as the girl flusters about.
It took a minute and two when the girl behind her quietly spoke, “T-the moon..”
“The moon?” She turns to look behind her at Yuki who suddenly stops her step and looks at the clock tower window. She followed Yuki gaze, looking at the big full moon outside, its cascading white and yellow simmering through the big glass pane. It certainly looks so close from this point of view.
She looks back again at Yuki. Her white smooth hair reflects the light coming from the moon outside. Her breath seems as if they had stopped for a split second when presented with such divine sight.
“It.. it looks b-beautiful tonight.”
Turning to look at the moon outside the window, she said, “Huh? Now that you said that, it does look brighter than yesterday…”
Yuki wore a shocked expression like a deer that was confused on where to run. It didn't take long for her to dash away past Ruka, bumping the edge of her shoulder in the rush while shouting in a trembling voice full of embarrassment, “I-idiot Ruka!”
“Y-yukki?!”
She chases after the girl’s back, toward her, and the rest of 31A who is sleeping soundly in their room.
Toward tomorrow and onward.