Chapter 419 ( Pilar )
"We'd better talk about that later" - Cloud said as he gave the girl a blank look, though he had to admit it was the first time he heard something like this - "Remember that we're in the middle of nowhere"
"Uh, you're right" - Alisa replied as she nodded calmly - "I guess I'll just have to wait until we get back to civilization and do it like normal people."
Cloud rolled his eyes at the girl, only to shake his head.
"She's weird, Dad," Sapphire said as she flew to Cloud's shoulder with a confused expression.
Cloud gave his subordinate a blank look, only to notice that she had already registered the word 'dad' as the title she would use from now on to refer to her leader - "Call me whatever you want."
"?" - Sapphire looked at her leader in confusion - "OK?"
* * * * *
Half an hour had passed for Houki and the others, when they saw a group approaching from the north.
"Finally" - Yoh said coolly as he prepared to insult his 'comrades', but his expression changed to one of discomfort when he saw how the soldiers were completely exhausted and wounded.
Houki remained silent as she watched this with surprise, after all, she never expected this.
"S-Sorry we're late," said one of the soldiers wearily, "We've suffered ambush after ambush as we came to support you."
Tatenashi watched this in silence as she felt like the world seemed to be giving them the middle finger for all these 'coincidences'.
"Ugh, now I'd sound like a bastard if I said anything about why they were late" - Yoh muttered as he looked at his fellow survivors before sighing regretfully. Now he had no one to blame for the deaths of his friends.
"Take a break, we're done here," Houki said as she watched the soldiers fall to the ground, "Yoh-san, I want you to organise our group to create a defensive perimeter, half an hour later we'll return to base to brief Soma-san on the situation."
"As you command, Houki-dono" - Yoh replied as he looked at his companions.
Houki nodded when she saw this, then focused on Sakuya and Tsubaki - "I'm sure you have some doubts, but I'm not the one to clear them up, so you'll have to wait until we meet up with Cloud again."
Tsubaki was silent as Sakuya nodded normally.
"Tatenashi, come, we need to talk" - Houki said as she watched her partner jump up and appear at her side.
The two women quickly separated from the group as everyone was watching them curiously.
"What could they be talking about?" - Sakuya asked as she frowned.
"I don't know, and I don't care either" - replied Tsubaki as she sighed regretfully - "I have a lot of problems to solve and I don't think I have the time to be curious about other people's conversations."
"Uh" - Sakuya fell silent when she heard this, after all, Tsubaki's attitude had been extremely curt, though she couldn't blame her with everything that had happened.
"I'm sorry, I just don't feel like anything" - sighed Tsubaki as she looked up at the increasingly clear sky.
The night was ending and a new day was beginning, but honestly, she just wished time would stop.
"Oh, I guess it was kind of obvious" - Sakuya replied as she shook her head, only to look up at the sky with her friend.
Tsubaki remained silent, she didn't say anything else for the next hour, though she had to admit she felt a little bad about worrying her friend so much.
"Okay, it's time to go back," Houki said as she walked back next to Tatenashi after the speculated time was over.
"Hai!" - exclaimed the soldiers as they struggled to their feet and prepared to return, and to their relief, the trip back was nothing compared to the trip out.
* * * * *
"I see," Soma muttered as he closed his eyes to hide the sadness he felt after hearing of his friend's death.
Lindow had been an important support for his life, as well as one of the two responsible for keeping him from committing suicide or going insane with all the weight on his shoulders as the son of Johannes, the man responsible for many of the accidents caused by the [Oracle Cells].
"It is indeed a pity," Soma continued as he looked at Houki, Tatenashi, Sakuya, and finally Tsubaki, "I am sorry for your loss, Tsubaki-san."
The group had arrived at the base a few minutes ago and the soldiers had already gone to take their well-deserved rest while others went to the families of the fallen soldiers to offer their condolences.
". . ." - Tsubaki fell silent when she heard the words of the current leader of [Fenrir: Far East], only to let out a heavy sigh - "Thank you for your words, now I need some time alone."
Sakuya tried to stop her friend when she saw that she was leaving the room, but stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Let her have the time to think things over" - Houki said as she shook her head - "She needs to plan what she's going to do from now on, as well as time to be able to come to terms with everything that's happened during the last few hours."
Sakuya looked at her teammate for a few seconds before nodding regretfully - "Ok."
"I think we'd better move on to the next topic" - Soma said as he gained the women's attention - "It's time for us to go retrieve Cloud"
"Right, I had forgotten about Cloud with everything that had happened" - Sakuya muttered as she ducked her head in embarrassment.
"At least he's not alone, Alisa is with him" - said Tatenashi calmly.
"Though I don't know if that's good, or not" - replied Houki while frowning - "I'm sure she has to be taking advantage of the opportunity."
It was no secret to the duo of recruits, that Alisa was showing a growing interest in Cloud over the last while, more so after the orgy.
"I think that's beside the point" - Soma said as he looked at the women neutrally - "You can leave that for later, now we have to bring him back, after all, he has to be tired as well."
The women nodded as they tried to contact Alisa to tell her that they would be coming for them soon.
"Hey, Houki-san, what's going on?"
"Alisa, we have something important to say" - Houki replied seriously as she explained what had happened.
The communicator fell silent, showing that Alisa didn't know how to react to the news of her leader and teammate's death.
"I see, I'll tell Cloud right away."
Houki noticed the change in Alisa's voice, but didn't say anything to emphasise it - "Ok, tell him too that we'll be coming for them soon."
"Ok, tell Tsubaki-san that I'm sorry for her loss."
"I'll tell her" - Houki replied as he cut the call.
"At least they're okay" - Sakuya muttered as Houki and Tatenashi nodded.
"I know it's hard to digest, but I think we'd better get everything ready to leave right away" - said Soma as he closed his eyes - "We need a pillar right now, and Cloud is the perfect man to be it."
The women nodded, after all, they were aware of this.
The current state of [Fenrir: Far East], was deplorable, not even a shadow of what it had been before, and it would take months to recover, that's why they needed a pillar to stand firm in the face of their problems.
"When he flies, we will try to organise the recovery of our central base, with that our problems will be reduced" - Soma continued as he started to think - "Let's just hope that our crops and our warehouses have not been destroyed, or are still standing."
"I'm pretty sure there won't be any problems with that" - replied Houki as she folded her arms - "Those things aren't too fond of our food, so those places don't have to be so destroyed"
"Right, not counting that the [Aragami] were chasing us the whole time, that means they haven't touched the central base, or at least not much" - replied Tatenashi while shaking his head.
"If that's so, then I'll be relieved" - replied Soma while nodding weakly - "But I still think it's better we go in with the mindset that things might be destroyed."
"Right, at least then we won't go with our expectations so high" - replied Sakuya while nodding .
"Alright, I want you to rest for a few minutes while we get everything ready to leave immediately" - said Soma as the women nodded and withdrew, leaving the leader of [Fenrir: Far East], alone again - ". . ."
Soma let out a tired sigh as memories of the years flashed through his mind, ending in an image of Cloud, Lindow, and him, having a few beers together with a smile on their faces after completing a difficult mission.
"Lindow," Soma murmured as a small, treacherous tear ran down his cheek, "I never thought I'd let out a tear again."
Soma sighed again, then shook his head in an attempt to shake away these feelings of sadness at the departure of one of his best friends.
--
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