Rune Troopers: Self-Defense Forces Adventure - Chapter 4: In the Midst of War (Part 3)
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- Rune Troopers: Self-Defense Forces Adventure
- Chapter 4: In the Midst of War (Part 3)
As Kuze listened to the unreasonably difficult order, Sergeant Yaegashi arrived behind him.
“This is all the weapons and ammunition we collected from the wreckage of the helicopter.” Yaegashi said, placing down the ammunition case containing two hundred rounds of light machine gun.
“So, give me a sit-rep, what do we have on hand?” Kuze asked thoughtfully. They had to be prepared for a full-scale battle.
“Thirty-two men, 31 Type 89 rifles and 120 rounds of ammunition each. Two Minimi light machine guns and 800 rounds of ammunition each. Six rifle rounds and two hand grenades each. We also have one 84 mm mobile recoilless gun and two anti-tank grenades left.”
“Do you think we can hold our own against that thing?”
“I don’t know until we try…” Kuze held up his binoculars.
“Roughly, there are four hundred, no, five hundred. And it’s still increasing.”
Beyond the courtyard, the Imperial Army was amassing its forces. The distance was about 300 meters. The Dragon carcass in between served as a buffer zone. The other side of the castle seemed to have fallen into the hands of the enemy.
War flags were waving and spears were pointing their tips toward the sky. Spearmen and archers formed their flanks and stared at them.
They seemed to be in formation, but there was no sign of an immediate attack. Perhaps they were wary that the Dragon had been defeated.
However, it did not change the fact that we were under pressure. Under the current circumstances, it was difficult to land the helicopter, but…
“Is the rescue helicopter on the way yet? We have to move at least the seriously injured…”
Kuze became impatient at the words of his subordinate. But there was nothing he could do. There were other things to worry about.
When Kuze checked behind him, he saw that the corridor was full of refugees. Despite the long and wide area here, there were probably more than 3,000 people. Since it seemed to be filled up near the throne room.
The city had also been attacked by Imperial Soldiers. And it seemed that for some time now, when the city was in danger, people were supposed to evacuate to the castle. In the midst of the chaos, they desperately escaped from the city, and even inside the castle, they were attacked by Imperial Soldiers, but they escaped to this place. Therefore, there were many wounded people. They might have to select the seriously wounded, but Kuze guessed that they would require at least four rescue helicopters in order to transport these many wounded.
“Onii-chan… My sister is…” Someone tugged at Kuze’s sleeve as she looked through her binoculars.
When Kuze looked, the children of the maid were staring up at him. Yaegashi, who had received reports from his children before Kuze, whispered in his ear.
“That girl might not survive…”
Kuze almost turned away from the children, feeling helpless and guilty.
Should he force his way out and secure the helipad? However, the Self-Defense Forces are prohibited from conducting any preemptive strikes. Actions like that were not allowed.
In this dilemma, a girl was about to lose her life.
“I’m sorry… I can’t do anything about it…” Kuze could only give the children a cruel answer.
Tears came to the eyes of the children who looked up at him. At that moment…
“Are you the Hero who slayed the dragon?” A woman’s voice interrupted from the side.
A young girl with long, deep sea-colored hair, probably a refugee, was standing there. She was about 15 years old and was wearing a loose-fitting ceremonial dress of pure white and navy blue. Her neat and tidy appearance made Kuze think she might be a priestess.
“Wait a minute, Rumi, leave these guys alone…”
“you saved us, and now you’re confronting the invaders like this. And you have such kind eyes for children. I am sure you are not a bad person.” The girl called Rumi smiled, not hearing her colleague’s protests.
Kuze was taken aback by the purity of the girl’s face.
“I don’t know where you are from, but if there is anything I can do for you, please let me know. I am a priestess and warrior of the Koumo-kyo religion, and I am also skilled in healing magic.” There was something in her words that Kuze was not accustomed to hearing.
“Healing magic?”
“Yes,” she said. “I borrow a little bit of the miracle of God. I see that there are many people who are injured. I would like to help them. I am quite good at healing magic.”
The girl who was twisting her hands together as if she was praying was in front of him, and Kuze looked at the men around him and at each other. Certainly she said Magic.
She must be joking, Yaegashi complained with his eyes. But Kuze was clutching at straws as he asked her.
“There is someone that needs your help!” He and Yaegashi took Rumi to that maid girl, who was laid out a short distance away.
Rumi gasped at the sight of her with an arrow in her back. He thought she was already dead, since she didn’t move a muscle.
“We’ve been putting her to sleep with morphine, but her condition is only getting worse.”
“Morphine?”
Kuze explained that morphine was a painkiller. Convinced, Rumi gently approached the girl and touched her body. Silently, she closed her eyes and muttered what seems to be an incantation.
Kuze was awestruck by the sight. A pale light poured from her hand and moved over the girl’s body. The girl’s pale skin returns to life, albeit slightly.
“After healing for a while, let’s pull out the arrowhead.” Rumi said to Kuze as she remained focused on healing.
Magic. It was real magic. Thinking that Kuze had seen something unbelievable, he looked at Yaegashi next to him.
“Can she be saved?”
“God only knows. Frena, you can help.”
“Oh God, even you don’t know?”
Her colleague joined him, and she and Rumi worked together to heal the girl. With this they had brought them some more time, Kuze thought.
“Only God knows, huh?”
If there exists a God, it should be you. Kuze thought as he looked at Rumi.
“But I have to rest if you want to continue with the healing magic. If the enemy should happen to come here…” Rumi spoke of her fears.
She feared that the 500 imperial soldiers who were completing their formation across the courtyard would come crashing down on us.
But Kuze replied in a strong tone of voice, “Don’t worry.”
He picked up the rifle on her back and said decisively, “The Imperial Army will never pass you through here.”
He left the girl in Rumi’s hands and returned to his operational command.
“Kato, you will stay in the rear by the communicator and maintain communication with the Fleet. The platoon is expected to fight at full strength, and we are short on manpower.”
“I understand. I will report the battle situation and maintain communication with the Fleet.”
Kato received a long-range communication device from a member of the squadron who was carrying it on his back. The Navy’s top brass, who had virtually no training in land combat, could not be asked to join the line of fire.
“Commander Carda, may I have a word with you?”
“Yes, what is it?”
Kuze called out the name of the Marysea Army Officer who had been standing with her back against the wall since a while ago, looking intently at him. The slit eyes behind his monocle capture him.
“I would like to treat the furniture and furnishings a little rough.”
“For what?”
“To build a barricade.” Carda looked as dubious as she could.
Since he didn’t have time to lecture them on how to fight based on firearms. “They are needed to intercept the Imperial Army.”
“Well, I see no reason to refuse in this emergency.”
Once permission was granted, Kuze immediately ordered his men to get to work. Each of the thirty-two men constructed a makeshift position to hide in. They even considered the idea of digging a trench at the entrance to the corridor, but that would take too much time and would not be appropriate. It would be awkward, but it would be faster to build things up.
The men hauled out bunks, shelves, and other items that might serve as boards to protect them from arrows, after smashing the contents of the bunks.
All of the items looked expensive, and the total cost of the damage was likely to be huge, but in an emergency situation, there was no time to argue about that.
“We’ll help you.”
“Lalona?”
While Ichinose was surprised, the survivors of the Flying Light-Armored Warrior Squadron joined them one after another.
For some reason, they all seemed happy to cooperate with the squadron members. When Ichinose was puzzled, Lalona said cheerfully, “It’s impossible with just 30 people. If you’re going to fight the Imperial Army, it makes sense to help.”
She smiled like a boy and showed her white teeth.
“Thank you, Ichinose. It’s thanks to you guys that we were able to help so many refugees.”
“I’m not doing anything.”
Ichinose couldn’t meet Lalona’s eyes as she carried herself outside.