I started to levitate, the pool of blood and guts that were gushing out on the ground started to take humanoid forms. On my own body, similar things happened as well as half of my under torso was barely holding onto my spine. The soldiers formed from the blood and guts of the fallen, turned their backs against me and started to put up a defensive position towards the walls of the building. Their intimidating postures and appearances deterred the attackers for a few moments before the siege continued, starting with an arrow straight through my head. I fell backwards.

Though it was painful as hell, I didn’t die this time but rather the pain triggered something in me. An extreme rush of adrenaline combined with an overly violent blood lust overtook me; with the knife in hand and what’s left in the m16, I rushed through the rows of brigands, shooting, ripping and tearing through the flesh of my foes. The “zombies” followed my stead, growling and tearing through them as well.

Now one would think that this was a scene from a horror movie or horror videogame, as decayed monsters with torn up limbs and faces tearing through the battlefront. Things got bloodied real quickly as my strike team of Frankenstein’s monsters overrun the attackers. I got my fill of the fun too, as with extreme speed and agility, I quickly dispatched against the attackers. I even ripped a guy’s head off and ate it like that one character from a Western comic I had read.

The worst part of this battle was that the defenders kept mistaking me for enemies and kept shooting me with their guns. Though it only lasted for a few moments.

“Monster! Get away from me!” They yelled as the massacre continued.

As the herd was starting to thin out, I slowly made my way back into the library. Of course, guns were drawn, but no shots were fired. The zombies also stood down too, they returned back to their defensive and guard positions.

My body also started to heal as well. The rip from the stabbings and slicing earlier from the brigands were starting to weave together and in a short few minutes my wound healed and I was able to walk once again. As I walked through the crowd of injured children, all of their eyes were focused on me as I made my way to a wall where I could rest. I sat down with my back against the wall to take a short breather. Though I had chosen a quite crowded wall, hoping for their eyes to avert from my spot. It hadn’t been an hour into my rest that I had to deal with that idiot again.

“Why are you all standing out like that? Kill it!” (Nam Seung) Nam Seung yelled as he took a Howa Type 89 from a kid standing nearby and pointed at me.

“Get out of here monster! We don’t need you…” (Nam Seung) I stood up to his level and held the gun to my head once more. With a threatening look on my face and an intimidating glare, I said.

“Don’t fucking point that thing…ahhhh…”(Rynosuke) I tried to sound intimidating but the high monotone voice I had, made it came out quite childish.

The crowd surrounded us started to have “pffts” sounds as they tried to quell their laughs.

“So what! My voice sounds like a girl so what?!” (Rynosuke)

I berated them. This was common back in school as even though people who came out of the JSDF advance commando courses looked like steroids filled macho humans, I wasn’t. I was still small, young and innocent looking. What’s worst was that my squeaky voice started to become higher since then.

“Back to the point! Until you can stop shaking like a wet dog, don’t point that thing at me. Now! I need some volunteers, there are still some survivors out there and it’s dangerous to wait for them to regroup, so who wants to have some fun?!” (Rynosuke)

I finish my scolding of Nam Seung and turned to another matter with an enthusiastic tone of voice hoping to rile up the winning spirits of those who had just survived the siege of more than a thousand brigands.

No one answered.

“Anyone?!” (Rynosuke)

I asked once more to be sure, but my invitation was mostly brushed off. I couldn’t blame them, most of these kids just barely started their training while I had been going on field missions and mock assignments for 5 years. So as to not waste any more time, I decided to proceed with my hunt for the survivors. I would prefer to let them go but seeing how many men they wasted trying to catch only a bunch of kids, and slave nonetheless.

In history textbooks and literature I had learned during my time in the JSDF, almost no culture would risk nor waste a large number of men for a measly small number of slaves. What’s more was that these guys were quite well equipped and worked tactically on their siege.

I was afraid that their retreats were to regroup and or to rally more troops. I took the howa from Nam Seung, rack the slide several times to clear out the dust or mud that might reside inside and might jam the gun if I were to shoot it.

“If none of y’all want to help, then go and hide. There are Humvee and transport trucks inside the library’s left storage. Let the wounded ride the cars and the rest of you march! Use some paint or something to mark your way so that I could track ya. Prepare everything and move out at dawn. I won’t ask too much of ya, just don’t leave before I come back alright?” (Rynosuke)

I gave them some overall instruction before vaulting the wall to begin my objective. Since I couldn’t manage to persuade any of them to be my riflemen, so I guess CQC hand to hand combat would do. Plus I did have the abilities to call in ghouls no? The only thing that I need to be careful to not get my head cut off. Headshots sure, but if my head was to be cut off I would not be able to use any of my limbs and such.

However, I didn’t manage to get far before the kid I had saved before ran to the gate and asked to go with me. Which played a huge role in the change of plan that I later made.

“Nii-san! Wait for me!” The kid yelled out loud as he ran to me, holding tightly on his EBR.

AN: I wish to specify that he is a boy despite how deceiving his look is…and his posture… and that face. Anyhow his voice sounds deeper through the mask that most of these students had been wearing. This journal has been quite a chore to write and rewrite. Especially during the operations against the Grand Rile Empire.

“Oh hey, you’re that kid from earlier? Right?” (Rynosuke)

“Yes, sir!” He took off the mask to greet me revealing an incredibly feminine face that made me feel dumbstruck for quite a while.

“My name’s Hideyoshi Yoshii. Rank: Corporal. I’m a junior marksman of the National Police Agency SAT. Age 14! I’ll be in your care!” (Hideyoshi) He bowed down and stated.

The SAT? How the hell was this kid not covered in burnt mark, bruises and knife wounds? During my time in training, I’d always either seen or heard of news or stories of the police force fighting riots instigated by the insurgents at neutral zones or having beaten off by angry mobs.

Let just say that the police hadn’t been that popular with the denizen since the 2023 Shibuya riot that later would lead to the mobilization of the entire JSDF to the district.

Back to the report.

The boy was of a slender build, he had quite a feminine face, a tomboyish short-cut and a soft monotone voice

“Alright! The name’s Rynosuke Tanizawa, rank Sergeant of the 21st JSDF commandoes. Nice to meet ya.” (Rynosuke)

After the introduction and a few casual jokes, we went on our way. Hideyoshi was quite fun to talk with, he told me that he was usually mistaken as a girl. Of which was reasonable to a certain degree, was quite relatable as my little sister, Kimiko, used to force me into that kind of clothes whenever we played house and mom would usually joke with an idea that “her two daughters both look beautiful”. I found it to be good fun but it’s not really my preference. He said that he had been coerced to wearing a few round girls’ costumes when he was 14 for the unit’s drills competition.

If one were to look from afar, it would just look like two kids walking together casually talking together, two friends having a hike down a hill, as it would be if one were to ignore the background.

It was fun for a brief moment, a time of innocence, a time without duty. Things soon ceased as we managed to reach the compound once more. And…my hunches were right. About 2000 men riding on stood tall with two figures standing in front of the formation. I would have preferred a few more people to form more fire teams than two guys.

“Medieval gear? Where are we?” (Hideyoshi asked)

“Not in Japan or anywhere else I’m sure.” (Rynosuke)

“OH! Like in those Isekai light novels right?” (Hideyoshi)

“Isekai…Another world, light novels? What are those?” (Rynosuke)

And this was the question that poked the hornet’s nest. Though I am Japanese, I wasn’t that knowledgeable of the Japanese Otaku culture as the Commando course forbid students from bringing anything that could distract them from their studies. This was one of the reasons why I clung on to the kid so much.

We had a brief talk about the subject before coming back to the task. The boy had a Marksman EBR rifle which came along with an ACOG scope. I had preferred if the gun had a 4x scope, but beggars can’t be choosers. I let him out on the plan, of which he assured me about his skills and said “okay” with a thumbs up.

We then waited for sunrise for a better shot.

“You see those two guys? Think ya can take them down from here?” (Rynosuke) I said, pointing at the two proudly dressed generals, idly walking around the compound

“Yes Nii-san, I can!”(Hideyoshi)

He says as we got into position. Playing the spotter for this sniper, I then used the binoculars to assign enemies for him to shoot.

“You ready?” (Rynosuke)

“Yes, Nii-san!”(Hideyoshi)

“First target. The man with the dome helmet, drinking water behind the tent. 100 meters, wind speed 3.5 meters per second. Spotter ready.” (Rynosuke)

“Shooter ready.” (Hideyoshi)

“Weapons clear, fire at will.” (Rynosuke)

He took a deep breath, held it and slowly squeezed the trigger. Because of the suppressed muzzle, we managed to take care of the first target without any of the enemies noticing.

“Next target. 200 meters, man in the red beret, same wind speed. Spotter ready.” (Rynosuke)

“Shooter ready.”

“Greenlight. Fire at will.” (Rynosuke)

We screwed up with this one as the suppressor broke off from excessive use as the gun discharged.

“What the hell?”

“We are under attack. Defensive position.”

They dismounted from the horses and raised their shields over their head. This was a sign that they might have known where we were shooting from.

We didn’t stay long for them to be able to spot us and rushed away from the camp, using the trees and bushes to cover our tracks.

“Run towards the trees!” (Rynosuke) I said as I took the boy by the hand and led him by the hand as we ran.

“Nii-san…Wait up! I can’t…” (Hideyoshi)

Though as we were able to rush to the bushes, I immediately felt something wrong as Hideyoshi was constantly tripping on his track and he was gripping quite tightly on his belly. Suddenly he fell down, gripping tightly on his belly and started yelling. However, as for us not to be discovered, I had to silent him up.

“Shh!” (Rynosuke)

I was scared half-death as the soldiers ran past us

“They are still here! Keep looking!”

Seeing the danger of being spotted from staying in cover, I decided to run. However, Hideyoshi was exhausted, he was breathing heavily and upon looking down, I saw that his stomach was bleeding through his armour. The wound from before?

”Hideyoshi? Your stomach’s bleeding…” (Rynosuke)

“I’m sorry Nii-san…*cough*…” (Hideyoshi)

“Shh…don't talk or it’ll hurt more.” (Rynosuke) I took off my bandana and wrapped it around his stomach.

“Listen…Our plan failed. I’m gonna carry you back…the mission’s complete.”(Rynosuke) I continued.

“But…I’m too heavy and the guns too…” (Hideyoshi)

“We’ll lose the guns if necessary, and I can carry you and the two guns.” (Rynosuke)

Finishing my sentence, I hoisted Hideyoshi over my shoulder and carefully manoeuvre through the bushes. Though it hurts as hell crouching like this, I managed to work through it.

“Ready?” (Rynosuke)

“Go! Nii-san!” (Hideyoshi)

I then rushed through the bushes, while constantly keeping my head down. This was kinda hard to manoeuvre with, but I still managed except for a few trips and falls. We managed to reach the top of the first hill, before being spotted.

https://imgur.com/DlzjAKh

“Nii-san leave me! Save yourself!” (Hideyoshi) Hideyoshi yelled out loud as I slowly went down the steep hills.

“Shut up! Shut the fuck up! I’m not losing anyone else you hear me? You are going to come with me and is gonna teach me all that otaku stuff that I have always heard of!” (Rynosuke) I yelled out loud as I went down to the hills.

But how misfortunate, I tripped and as we fall, both I and Hideyoshi rolled down to the foot of the hill, crashing against the huge rock down below. And because of this, we both groaned loudly which alerted the enemies down to our location. I dragged Hideyoshi to cover as it started to rain down their arrows.

“You alright?” (RYnosuke)

“I’m fine Nii-san…*cough*…I’m fine…”(Hideyoshi) He replied as blood started dripping from his mouth.

“Shit! You’re not fine you’re not fine at all!” (Rynosuke) I said as I hastily put pressure on his wound.

I had lost focus at this point, and so an enemy managed to sneak behind us and gave me a jab of a lifetime. I managed to overpower him though. However, at this point, there were many rushing down the hills with their swords and shields ready.

I took the guns and laid down suppressive fire towards the bandits, but they didn’t falter and though my bullets manage to pierce their shields, they seemed to not care and continued pushing. Running out of options and hoping for just pure luck, I yelled out loud for the kids defending the library, hoping that they hadn’t left and would come to help us.

“Help! For god’s sake help!” (RYnosuke)

It didn’t take long before the m16 and the EBR ran out of ammo and I was forced to use the USP. Both wounded and exhausted, I said.

“I’m sorry man...I’m sorry for letting you die like this.” (RYnosuke)

“It’s alright…*cough*…Nii-san…Don’t be sorry Nii-san...I’m glad that I was able…to meet you…Thank you for being my friend…”( Hideyoshi)

“Hideyoshi!” (Rynosuke)