Chapter 4: Training to the Oblivion

I woke up in the morning the next day, ready to gear up for the training. As I shift myself to the side of my bed, the first thing that glances my eye is a portrait of our family in the desk nearby. Me, my dad and my mom... Then, a knock is heard from the door and I immediately come over to open it, revealing that it was the commander. This caught me off guard and tried to salute but he gestured to me and said "No need for formalities, son. I'm here as your father, not your commander. You can ease up now."

I then relaxed myself as he entered my room, most likely to talk to me. He sat near to my desk while I sat at the bed. "So what is the purpose of your visit, dad?" I asked, but deep down there's an answer forming in my head and I feel it was unpleasant. "I wanted to talk to you as a father before we proceed to the training... and the mission." His expression took a solemn look, contrasting his often stern demeanor while leading us. Heck, this turn started to bring back some resemblance on the face he had before the invasion and before...

"Son, you're readying yourself for the mission, I see." He said in a solemn expression. "I know that you're dedicated for our mission. You're driven unlike before." He placed a hand on my shoulder. "It is a great thing to have. I hope... I do hope to God that this mission succeeds and that you would have a future beyond this." I started to piece together what his intention in this conversation, but I dared to asked as I'm getting afraid that it is. "Dad, what are you saying?"

He looked at him with a solemn expression, coupled with sullen eyes that visualizes a great sadness inside him as he tell him his intent. "I... I don't know I will survive this mission." This shook me when he said that, though I kind of participated that response subconsciously. "Dad. No! You shouldn't saying those things!" I exclaimed to him. "Wag n'yong sasabihin na mamatay kayo! Baka- (You shouldn't say that you're gonna die! What if-) My father cut me off at the raised of his hand. "Son, when I said that this mission holds the fate of all humanity, I also said that it wouldn't be easy." He continued on his conversation. "You should know this by now that every hardships you endure, whether you fight it or not, sacrifices are bound to happen. This war... Every wars always takes its toll on each side. This isn't any different. Just like what happened before." He solemnly said as he looked upon the portrait of our family in the desk, which made me look too and it brought up a sorrow that hasn't been satiated ever since. His word have wisdom in them, sure, but its implications...

"No! I would not let it happen. I will never gonna lose you! I will ground myself into the ground if I needed be just to protect you!" I stood up from the bed and started to storm out of the room when he suddenly grabbed my shoulder. "Son, I know its hard, but that's how it is. But it doesn't mean that I wouldn't fight for myself when I started to say this things. I just need you to ready yourself for the uncertainty that we had now." He hold his other hand to my other shoulder and his expression started to change again, with a smile that now resembles his former character back then, albeit with a sense of solemnity mixed in. "And I just wanted to have a talk with you as a father." This puts me at ease. "I know, dad. I'm sorry for storming out. I didn't mean it. Really." I apologetically said. "I know." He sweetly said before exiting out of my room and I ready myself.

I exited out of my room as I go to the mess hall while meeting with Taki along the way and then we went to the training room. The training room is one of the huge caverns in the underground cave system that houses many tools and weapons for battles and simulator devices crafted by the Magistoid Defendatus to create any simulations that perfectly mimics any known battlefields for training against the war. As we entered the room, there are stretching and exercising their bodies for preparations and others are lining up took up arms and customizing them to the weapon makers. The weapon makers in question are Goda and Enjiros, tinkering the weapons when they'd noticed our presence and we'd struck a conversation there. It's a good thing Goda was here, he is actually good to talk to despite his beginnings.

"Yo, you brats. Have a nice breakfast before this, huh? Hope your guts are steeled out or else you might ended up in a mess. This training is no joke, I say to you." He was a delight to talk to.

"Yeah, same goes for you, Goda-san. Maybe I would see the mighty steel crumble after this. That would be a sensation, I tell you." I said with a snark and a wry smile on my face. At least I could tell jokes, even just to him. Enjiros then looked down with a bright expression in his stony face. "Hey there, little cherubs. Hope you're ready because these weapons of mine has much more firepower within them for this mission. I hope it would satisfy you when they melt the faces of the enemies." Enjiros gleefully said while brandishing the weapon he's tinkering in front of us. "Yeah, that would be a pleasure to use, Enjiros-san. Right, Daichi." Taki said with a polite cheerfulness he's known for. "Oh. Yeah, yeah. I hope that weapon can satisfy the needs of our mission." Goto looked at me when I said that with a hint of... disappointment? Oh no! I've done it again. Goda then look at Enjiros with a cheerful expression for a rebound. "Come on, do you doubt us two? You know we're the best weapon makers in town. Everyone should remember that!" This brought a smile on Enjiros' face, a damage averted. "Yeah, thanks for that, my brother-in-arms." I had to fix it! "Yeah. I'm sure your weapons will suffice. We always count on you two." With that, we cheerfully laugh in the end. I'm such an idiot. I'm sure Taki looked disappointed at what I have done. I didn't meant that. I do appreciate their help. I...

___________

After we arm ourselves with a weapon of choice, we started to line up in front until the commander and Ardugo came in front. "Attention!" The commander shouted, leading everyone to firmly line up in rows. He raised a hand as he started his quick briefing to the soldiers. "Everyone. We're gathered here today for the aforementioned training that we've been readying ourselves with. We are heading to the endgame. Steel yourselves for what it is to come." He paced to and fro as he continued his speech with no break between his sentences apart. "Now, this mission have many components to it, but within this mission lies a central task integral to it all, an infiltration mission, and this will be handled by select members from each of you." After he said this in dour note I observed, Ardugo stepped forward to continue the briefing. "The most essentials and mechanics of the infiltration would only be told to those selected few and to their ears only." Ardugo said as he nodded to the commander, a gesture he returned immediately. "But that doesn't mean this would be not fraught with danger, so I expected all of you to cooperate with each other in order for them to enact the infiltration successfully." He then pulled out a clipboard and read its content aloud to us.

"Here are the ones who have been chosen for the infiltration mission: Intelligence Officer Mori Takegawa, Weaponmasters Takeguchi Morisawa and Goto Goda and Combat Specialists Taki Takezawa and Daichi Mizukawa. That is all." The mention of my name caught me off guard, in turn questioning his motives for this. But I just shrugged it off as it was the most important part of the mission he said, I can't question it. And probably his own to protect me I'm sure of it, so I just stayed quiet during the remainder of the briefing before the training begin. "The training commence now! Good luck to all of you.. and God bless." Everyone saluted at the stern command of the commander, holding their weapons in their arms as they do it. The last part struck out to me and that was on brand to him. To us before the invasion... I then steeled my resolve yet more. This special infiltration mission though, it does make me ponder on what it would entail. I didn't know it then, that this is where everything will be changed: the outcome of the war, everyone involved, and me. For the worse and for the better.