The Oncoming Storm

~Hakurei Shrine~ > Patchouli's Scarlet Library

The Oncoming Storm

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The Dratini Farmer:
Hakueri Shrine, Gensokyo-2 Days Left

Remiu had been sitting in front of the small pond behind her shrine all day. She hadn?t even checked her donation box at all today. Her M4 carbine was lying next to her, along with a M9 pistol. The miko had been carrying both weapons ever since Yukari had warned her about the attack at the Ministry of Right and Wrong. She hadn?t been able to get a good night?s sleep since she was worried about being attacked.

Yukari had been keeping an eye on her for a while and was becoming more and more worried about the miko. She had noticed that Reimu was becoming more and more short tempered. The gap youkai knew that having her in this state would lead to her being more careless when it mattered most. She had an idea but, for one of the few times in her life, she felt nervous.

Stepping out of her gap, she takes a few steps towards Reimu. The miko turns and spots Yukari. But instead of throwing needles at her like she usually, the dark haired woman turned back to stare at the pond. That hit Yukari harder than any attack. She takes something out of a gap and sits next to Reimu. They sit in silence for a while, Yukari wasn?t even bothered by the fact that her dress was getting dirty. Wordlessly, she hands the miko what she brought.

Remiu looks at it and doesn?t move for minutes. Then she starts to tear up. Yukari warps an arm around her shoulder and brings her in close.

?You don?t have to worry about having to protect everything by yourself. You see everybody around you getting ready to fight. I know that you want to do it all to make sure that they don?t get hurt. But they want to protect you too. Remember how much effort they gave to make this happen?? Yukari pointed at the picture she had given her.

It was from the Summer Festival that had just ended a few weeks ago. Everyone in Gensokyo had made the trip to attend and made it the biggest in recent history. Even the new arrivals, the Taoists, had taken part in the fun. The kappas had brought plenty of outside technology, so music was played out of speakers, drinks were kept cool in refrigerators, and video cameras were broadcasting footage to screens set up everywhere.

One more piece of technology that the kappas had brought was a digital camera. So some of the more eccentric guests had gone around and taken random pictures. Then the idea for a group photo began to take shape. As more and more youkai and humans were forming up on the stairs to the shrine, Marisa noticed that Remiu had disappeared.

She was found sitting alone in her shrine. For some reason, she had become depressed and had withdrawn herself. Thinking about her best friend?s behavior for the past couple of days, Marisa began to figure out that this wasn?t the first time this had happened.

That was when Yukari had gapped in. She sees Reimu?s condition and drags Marisa out of the room. Closing the door to prevent Reimu from hearing her, Yukari looks Marisa in the eye.

?You knew that this was going to happen eventually.?

The magician doesn?t have an answer. She just stares at the floor.

?The way that Reimu distances herself from everyone isn?t healthy for her. She might be the one that solves all the incidents, but she?s still human. Look at Flandre, she?s still trying to get better after being locked in that basement for so long.?

Still no response from Marisa.

?You been through the same thing, don?t you remember? Reimu reached out to you then, didn?t she. And look at what that lead to. Both of you are close to each other. You have the best chance of helping her get through this.?

?I have to get her to the stairs.?

Yukari was confused for a moment before she remembered the group picture. Having so many people remind her that she was not alone would work wonders. So she created a gap under Reimu that lead outside.

The miko was too surprised to do anything when she felt herself falling. The only thing she thought about when she saw the gap was that Yukari had something to do with it. Then her mind went blank when she landed in front of the stairs in front of a large group of people. Everyone froze when they saw that her eyes were red and puffy. Then as one, they moved forward and drew her into a group embrace.

It didn?t matter if they were human or youkai. The playful Yuyuko was patting her head, while even the haughty Remilia was embracing her. Reimu was still completely mind blown by the turn of events and hadn?t moved. Yukari and Marisa appeared next to the crowd and watched.

Once Remiu had begun to understand, she began to cry again. But they weren?t tears of sadness. Instead, they were full of joy as she returned the giant embrace. This continued for a while until the sun began to set. The kappas finally managed to get everyone formed up and ready for the picture. In the front, both Yukari and Marisa had their arms around a smiling Reimu.

Reimu starts to smile at remembering that, but its cut short when she sees the M4 and M9 sitting next to her, reminding her of the current situation. Yukari squeezes her gently, ?It?s still fresh in your mind. You replay that every day, don?t you? What?s coming isn?t something that you can take on all by yourself. It?s not like when you fought that shrimp Mima, or when the moon was stolen. You?re too proud to ask for help. I can tell that easily. That?s the same reason that you survive on barely any donations. But you have to know that we?ll all here for you.?

Yukari reaches into her pocket and pulls out a spell card. She hands it to the miko. ?Keep this with you at all times. It?s my strongest spellcard, ?Boundary of Life and Death?. You?re going to be on the frontlines, so it?ll have a better chance of being put to good use.?

?But what about the advanced teams that are going to hit before the main attack??

?I got a surprise for them. Don?t worry about me, I?m not going to stop stealing your food anytime soon. But you have to promise me that you?re not going anywhere soon.?

?I promise, Yukari.? They both share an embrace under the moonlight that?s reflected from the pond. Neither of them notice the shrimp looking shadow watching them from the tree line.

Kappa Communication Relay Post, Youkai Mountain, Gensokyo-1 Day Left

For the kappas, setting up a system that creates a path for communication wasn?t a big deal. With Patchouli?s map spell and their own magic, it was up and running within two hours. Now, they had a stable network that worked with both GDF and outside world communication systems. And they had mail.

A message had come in from the NATO forces that were stationed outside the barrier. The United Nations had given Gensokyo one last chance to avoid invasion by turning over the heads of the GDF. Specially, they were demanding that Yukari, Eiki, and Eirin be captured and sent to the World Court.

The three were listening to the message being replayed. Yukari was going over the status of every faction in the GDF. Most of them were ready, but the Tengu air units were still being worked on. That meant that the Scarlet Devil Mansion would have to handle the entire NATO air force by themselves. The most important parts: the redoubt, the shrine, and the Celestial artillery were prepared.

Another message began to beep for attention. Nitori looked at the monitor and tilted her head. ?We got an incoming request for a conference call. Looks like it?s from one of the higher ups of the outside.?

Yukari nods her head and turns to the screen. Seconds later, the image of a lieutenant general appeared on screen. Eiki and Eirin return his stare silently while the gap youkai pulls her fan out. ?Good morning, General. Lovely weather we?re having today, isn?t it??

He shrugs. ?Seems nice enough. Do I have the pleasure of speaking to Lady Yukari Yakumo??

She hides her face behind her fan. ?Why yes you do. May I ask who wants to know??

?Just someone that wants for all this to be over without bloodshed. I know that you have received our latest message. What is your response??

?In just one word: no.?

The general sighed. ?I knew that this was going to happen. Damned politicians never want to listen to us anyway. We know all about your preparations. Let me just remind you that this little backwards summer camp is going up against the combined might of the modern world. I?ll give you a few seconds to let that sink in.?

Yukari still held the fan in front of her face. But her eyes were revealing a sense of amusement. Eiki and Eirin stayed quiet, knowing that she was about to ruin this arrogant man?s day.

?Well, what?s you answer? It?s alright to be scared.? He started to laugh. ?We?ll be done with you by the end of the day.?

From behind the general, a gap opened. Then a kangaroo hopped out. The officer closest to the gap, a major, could only stare as the mammal reared back and punched him in the face. He was out instantly, letting his attacker hop around and knock out the guards with vicious kicks to the stomach. A captain had snuck up behind the kangaroo with a chair but got slapped with his tail. Another captain had begun to crawl to the door and made it halfway out when the mammal spotted him and dragged him back by the leg.

The noise had attracted a squad of MPs who froze when they saw that a kangaroo was beating up their entire command staff. A seasoned looking NCO rushes forward and delivers a quick hook to the animal?s face. Surprised, the kangaroo begins to hop back and gets his bearings. It almost seemed like he was smiling, happy to have a worthy opponent.

They rush at each other, turning the fight into an all-out brawl. Even more chairs and tables are destroyed as both opponents fling each other around the room. The general manages to get up, a black eye already apparent.

?What kind of game are you playing at, Yakumo?? he can barely speak due to his anger. ?I was willing to accept terms of surrender, but no more!?

?Didn?t you just say that you knew we weren?t going to surrender? Did that punch give you memory loss, general??

Before he can say anything, another gap opens above his head, and a skunk falls on him. The little mammal is surprised and instantly releases his foul spray. And it happened when the general?s mouth was open.

Yukari nods her head and Nitori cuts the transmission. As soon as it?s off, the entire room burst into laughter. The gap youkai cracked a smile then remembered her two accomplices. She opens another gap and disappears for a few seconds. When she returns, she?s laughing.

?I always did like some animals more than humans. Those two did a good job, didn?t they??

?So, we?re locked in now.? Eirin looked at her cell phone. ?The Lunarians have a regiment of Royal Foot ready to touch down. They?re one of the best in the Defense Crops, so we?re set there.?

Nodding, Yukari turns to Eiki. ?Have you found anything that says we?ve strayed from the path of self-defense??

The yama shakes her head. ?In the eyes of the international laws of diplomacy and combat, we?re well within our rights. But that doesn?t seem to matter to anyone but us. We have to be prepared for the opinion of the rest of the planet to be poisoned against us.?

?That won?t have much effect on us. We just wanted to be left alone.? Yukari sighs. ?I wonder, how does Makai feel about this??

?I?m sure that we can get Alice to ask Shinki.? Nitori began to dial on the phone next to her.

?Hello, this is Alice.?

?Alice, its Nitori. Yukari has a question that she wants to ask you.?

The gap youkai leans forward. ?Alice, can you get in touch with Shinki? Makai might be in danger if we can?t hold the line out here.?

?I?ve already talked to her about this. She doesn?t want to commit forces to the fight yet. They haven?t had the chance to arm themselves like we have. And they?re still recovering from the last major fight that happen when Reimu visited. But, she?s promised to leave a portal open in case of us having nowhere else where to go.?

?That?s still a good sign. It means that we still have a chance of getting more help later on. Thank you, Alice.?

With a quick acknowledgment, the puppeteer hangs up.

?It?s starting to be close to show time. Nitori, is everyone ready??

?Apart from the two, we?re good.?

?Great. Will you give the call to arms??

?Of course.?

Nitori turned on the microphone that was connected to every map across Gensokyo.

?Now hear this: all units are to go on standby status. Invasion is to commence in 18 hours from the Hakueri Shrine. The spellcard rules are now void. Lethal force is now authorized on orders of the Hakueri Shrine Maiden. I say again: all units are to go on standby status and lethal force is authorized.?

The Dratini Farmer:
Eientei, Bamboo Forest, Gensokyo-10 Hours Left

For the first time in hundreds of years, Eirin was giving instruction in battlefield medicine fully aware that it was going to be put to use. Gathered before her was the group that maintained the Buddhist temple. They would be the ones providing medical care since Byakuren was still against causing bloodshed. And the magician was giving her all to studying to make up for that fact.

?This small kit,? Eirin held up a bag that looked more like a purse than a first aid kit, ?has everything you?ll need to treat any kind of wound that the humans can inflict. The usual types of injuries can be taken care with this.?

She puts the bottle of pills away. Then she pulls out a roll of bandages.

?If you happen to run out of pills, this bandage has the ability to stop any kind of bleeding. Even if it?s caused by magic or normal means. Then we have this.?

The next item she pulls out is a syringe. ?Even though the outside world has mostly banned the use of chemical weapons, there is still the possibility of them being used against us. This injection is something I made when I was still a young medical officer in the Lunar Defense Corps. Reisen, Kaguya and I are immune to every chemical, biological, and nuclear effect the outside world can throw at us due to the vaccines and medicines that we had on the moon. My goal is to do the same with everyone but I still need more time.?

She put everything back into the bag and starts handing them out. Everyone has at least two bags and takes note of everything inside. Then the doctor leads everyone outside to the field to practice care under fire. Reisen and Tewi were doing last minute checks on their weapons while Kaguya was looking towards the sky.

Eirin has Reisen load weaken rounds and Tewi moves a few hundred yards away and lays down. Once everything is ready, the doctor gives the command and the Buddhist caretakers rush towards the earth rabbit. Reisen starts to pour rounds downrange, forcing the medics to find cover and low crawl. When they get too close to their patient, Reisen shoots the ground in front of them. This continues for about an hour. Eirin is satisfied with their progress.

?Alright, that?s enough. We can?t have all of you be too tired for the action later on. Get some rest, you?ll be doing the real thing in a few hours.?

With that, they gather their belongings and head back to their temple. Eirin watches them go, hoping that they would be able to do their job skillfully. On her way back to her study, she sees Reisen and Tewi eating a small meal. The Lunarian felt a ping of fear in her heart. It wasn?t for her but for her apprentice and the smaller rabbit. Even though she was tough on them, she still cared about them. She still remembered every soldier that she had lost during her time in the Medical Service. The ones that she couldn?t reach in time, the ones that were helpless as soon as they were hit, and the ones that would had been saved if the right medicine had been discovered in time.

She sits down and looks at the medals hanging on the wall. So many were there, but she still remembered how she earned each and every one. The crest of the Medical Service stared back at her, reminding her of her duty and creed. Her old uniform made her remember all of the different units that she was assigned to and how she became a valued part. Then she remembered teaching Yorihime and Toyohime when they were young children.

If the war goes wrong, then there?s a real chance that both princesses would have to step in and lead their own regiments into battle. And since they were well trained in the Lunarian tradition, it would meant that they would be on the frontlines. And that scared Eirin as well.

Eirin had never had children of her own, but the two princesses filled that gap for her. Even though she was their distant grand aunt, she had treated them like her own children. The countless nights that she had spent reading telling them stories when they were afraid of the dark, helping them take their first steps, and teaching them their first spells and chemical reactions would be something that Eirin would always cherish. And now seeing how well they performed their duties as the leaders of the LDF and as the royal family filled her a vast amount of pride. It was enough to bring a small tear to her eye.

Wiping away the tear, she turns to her old uniform. A few minutes later, she?s standing in front of her mirror, admiring how it looked on her. Then she put her old pistol belt and quiver on. Finally, her command saber completed the outfit. Eirin hadn?t put all of this on in more than 700 years. It all felt so familiar to her. She pulls out the only service pistol that she ever used, the Mauser lookalike. She checks the magazine and puts it on safe. Then she remembers the offer that the Lunarian princesses had made her a few days ago.

The doctor pauses, surprised that she?s even considering it. At the current time, she was still exiled from the moon. But the Watatsuki sisters had offered her the one thing that she had missed: her old commission in the Corps. And they had extended the offer to Kaguya and Reisen. At first glance, it seemed like a perfect idea.

But she had gotten used to life on the Earth. No more court politics, no more assassination attempts, no more having to solve everyone?s problems. And she had begun to cultivate a pleasant relationship with the residents of the human village. They were grateful for her skills and willingness to cure their medical problems and had taken steps to show that gratitude. That was something that Eirin had begun to be happy about.

She snaps herself out of her daze and looks at the clock. Four hours had passes since that general had been attacked by the kangaroo and the skunk. That meant that six hours remained. Eirin walks towards the courtyard in front of the mansion. She plans to do one last inspection before it?s time.

Outside the Hakueri Barrier, Japan-6 Hours Left

It was early in the morning when Maribel and Renko left the small inn. They had made sure to bring everything they needed and did their best to convince the innkeeper to find cover soon. She looked confused but agreed to after the pair started to beg. They then headed towards the shrine, being careful to avoid the early morning patrols that the NATO forces were sending out. It was still somewhat dark, so evading them was a little easier.

They walked for about an hour and decided to have breakfast before trying to cross through the thicker parts of the forest. As they sat and ate, they could see and hear the patrols returning to their FOBs. Based on the time, they were going to get ready for the invasion. That meant that the pair?s window of opportunity just got wider. Once they were done, they snuck into the deeper part of the forest.

It was slow going since they hadn?t really packed the best clothes for a hike through the forest. Maribel?s dress kept being snagged by the many low branches and Renko?s skirt was dragging in the dirt. The mosquitoes were also starting to take a liking to them. Overhead, the sounds of multiple aircraft could be heard.

The sun began to rise, but they could barely tell due to the thick overhead brush. Maribel kept a tight grip on Renko?s hand, determined not to get lost. Her head is still hurting a little but she shuts it out to concentrate on making it out of the forest. Every time she looks up, she keeps seeing the cracks in the sky that get wider and wider. It was enough to make her shudder.

Renko could tell that something was affecting Maribel. She gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and kept moving forward at a slower pace. Every so often, she would stop to pull out her map and compass since she can?t get a look at the moon or stars anymore. Since they had entered the forest, they hadn?t come across any patrols at all, so Renko?s idea was succeeding.

The pair both kept track of time, knowing that they would have to find shelter before the invasion commenced. But they had no idea of how to do that. Renko was trying to figure it out herself so Maribel would have one less thing to worry about. Their watches read 10:00, so they decided to take a quick rest. They had been hiking for four hours and were almost out of the forest, at least according to the map. But there was still trees as far as the eye could see, even if it wasn?t very far.

?Two hours left?? Renko trailed off.

All Maribel could do was nod her head and keep looking at what little sky peeked through the treetops. It was a blue sky, so it meant that the sun was probably beating down on everything not under the shade. The trees kept the inside of the forest cool, but they both knew that they would have to make sure to keep hydrated. Their water sources were about three quarters full, so they were good for a while.

But one thing still bothered the pair: the fact that it was too quiet in the woods. Ever since they had left the inn, they hadn?t heard any birds or any other animals at all. That emptiness had sent chills down the pair?s back once they had noticed it. It did make some sense, seeing how the boundary was so close and was designed to keep outsiders away.

Once they had reached the edge of the deepest part of the forest, Maribel checked the time again. One hour was left until the deadline.

The Dratini Farmer:
Near the Hakueri Shrine, Gensokyo-1 Hour Left

Remiu was just finishing up a last minute check before she went to her spot. She carried her M4 carbine and M9 pistol with her. In her pockets, all of her spellcards were ready to be activated with a moment?s notice. She even had Yukari?s ready just in case. Floating just a few feet off the ground to prevent from being seen, she moves out. Finding her spot, she drops to the prone and crawls behind a bush. She drops one of her rifle magazines by accident and taps it on her rifle to get the dirt out. The she pulls the charging handle back, slides the magazine in, and release the bolt. Checking to make sure it?s on safe, she takes a deep breath.

Marisa had already gotten in her spot a few meters to Reimu?s left. The pair would be the first line of defense due to their records when it came to fighting. The witch had her Mosin Nagant and both Ruger Blackhawks at the ready. Under her shirt, she could feel the medallion on its chain. Patting her apron pocket, she makes sure that her Mini-Hakkero is still there. The witch rotates the bolt back and puts four rounds into the internal magazine. She hesitates before putting in the fifth round. The realization that she was going to kill another living being hit her, but she pushed it away by remembering that she was defending her home. Once that was done, she puts the final round in the chamber and rotates the bolt forward. She moves back a little to make sure that her bayonet isn?t poking out from the bush.

About 300 meters to their left, Momiji and a few other white wolf tengus were at the ready. They were eager to start the battle. She had her regular sword and shield with her but had her H&K MSG90 locked and loaded. The rest of the white wolf tengus had decided to say with M1 Garands and M1911 pistols. She still wore the little red hat that was the tengu traditional ware, even though she should have probably worn a helmet. In her ear, she had an earphone that was connected to the kappa?s main communication network. At the moment, Nitori was speaking with someone off channel.

Kappa Communication Relay Post, Youkai Mountain, Gensokyo-1 Hour Left

The kappa?s relay system had allowed all of the faction heads to stay at their respective locations and send a projection to the relay post. Every important person in Gensokyo was gathered around the magical map in this fashion. Nitori then began to request a status check from all of them.

?All factions, report in,? Nitori was double checking her panel of green lights.

?Scarlet Devil Mansion air defense artillery, standing by.? Remilia was holding an officer?s saber. She also had a service cap on.

?Hakugyokurou redoubt, ready.? Yuyuko was closing her fan. The playfulness had disappeared from her normally bright eyes.

?Human Village, ready.? Keine held a book, The Art of War. She seemed to struggle to get the words out and had to hold Mokou?s hand.

?Eientei, standing by.? Eirin was wearing her old uniform. The doctor had the look of someone that had seen what war was really about.

?Moriya Temple, ready.? Kanako and Suwako both looked wary. They both held their traditional weapons but had pistols holstered.

?Celestial field artillery, ready for combat.? Tenshi looked eager holding her sword. Her hair waved in the wind, along with her dress.

?Underground, ready.? Satori was clenching and releasing a fist. She had to breathe slowly to calm herself down.

?Buddhist medical personnel, ready.? Byakuren held her scroll and medical bag. The monk had a sincere look on her face, ready to aid the wounded.

?Taoist warriors, ready for combat.? Miko had her fanciest battle rattle on. She seemed eager to relive the rush of combat, just like her earlier days.

?General Staff, standing by.? Yukari held the katana from the other day. She wore her combat dress, the white one with ruffles and the purple cover.

?Higan judicial staff, on alert.? Eiki looked extremely depressed. She was also carrying a thick book and papers.

?Lunarian 4th Regiment of Royal Foot, standing by for insertion.? Toyohime calmly chimed in. The Lunarian was having to hold a numerous assortment of paperwork.

?Tengu air forces still need more time,? Nitori checked over her panel of lights. ?This is it, everybody. I think Yukari has some things she wants to say.?

?In less than an hour, we?re going to be holding back the largest attack this planet has ever seen. Every eye on the planet will be on Gensokyo for this entire battle. We?re going to war against the most advanced nations that have existed on this Earth. We can win this. We can make them fall back and regret ever discovering our homes and threating us. Then we?ll have to continue to fight. We?ll have to take some of their land so they can understand that we are not someone that they can mess with without any consequences. That?s why we have to work together in this. Should we fall apart, we lose. That barrier will hold out most attacks, but infantry and armor are going to get though.? Yukari had to take a breath. ?We have to make sure that we keep them as far from the Hakueri Shrine as possible. Reimu and Marisa are already in position in front of the shrine, along with a team of White Wolf Tengus.?

Yukari pointed at an area in front of the stairs to the shrine. ?This is where most of the attack is going to come from. At least from the ground. We still have to watch out for air assault, airborne, and paratrooper attacks behind our lines. Nitori, how long until the Tengu can be in the sky??

?About 1 more hour. We just got to arm the planes and do last minute checks.? The kappa consulted her clipboard. ?Marisa?s Apache should be done in about 45 minutes.?

?The first part of the fighting is going to be rough, I won?t lie about that.? Yukari points at the Human Village. ?Flandre has predicted that this is their second target. It?s the center of Gensokyo, with multiple roads and easily defendable. But that?s subject to change. Flandre also believes that should the Scarlet Devil Mansion launch their artillery, they would become the second target. The difference is that they would be more likely to send Special Forces to take the grid out than regular troops.?

?Sakuya and Meiling have a surprise for our guests, should they happen to pay a visit.? Remilia nodded. ?But what about Patchy?s Copper Spell??

?As soon as NATO aircraft breach the barrier, that?s when we should activate it. I don?t want us to tip our hand before we absolutely have to. The spell only scrambles long range air to air missiles. We only really need it to cover our fighters until they?re up in the sky under their own power. The Lunarian version is still under development, so we still have to worry about small arms.? Yukari turned to Tenshi. ?How accurate are your artillery operators??

?I would say they can a target at 40 kilometers with only half a meter of deviation.? Tenshi shrugged. ?A lot of them were bored, so they studied this so hard and long that they?re experts. They even have all the cannons sighted to fire at straight lines in front of the Hakueri Shrine, should the need arise.?

?Good. Once we can get enough of them stopped inside the barrier, we can hit them hard.? Yukari turned to Toyohime. ?Where will you be inserting the 4th??

The Lunarian pointed at a clearing about half a mile from the shrine. ?This is the only place near the area of operations that I can transport them there. But I can?t transport so many of them with the barrier up, so we?ll have to stay on standby until then. Do you know how long it?ll take??

The gap youkai looks at the horizon. ?The way it looks, it?ll probably last another hour and a half. But I can?t be sure until the artillery starts to hit.?

?Thirty minutes left until contact,? Nitori calls out from behind her screen.

?Time?s running out.? Yukari could be seen motioning to someone off to the side of her map. ?We got most of this figured out, but we can?t follow this blindly. I got Flandre to keep an eye on the data so that we?re able to counter them as fast as possible.? She paused. ?It was good to have been able to know all of you and your troops. Not all of us are going to come back after this. It?s the nature of war after all. But we can lessen it by trusting each other. Everyone, do your best and live to tell about it.?

Near the Hakueri Shrine, Gensokyo-Zero Hour

Remiu was still in the prone hiding behind a bush. Her M4 started to shake and made her jump a little. Then she realized it was her nerves that was making it shake. She takes a deep breath to calm herself and looks straight ahead. The miko rests her head against the stock of her rifle and slides her head forward until her nose touches the charging handle. Laying like this, she had a steady sight picture.

She can hear Marisa moving around next to her, probably nervous like she was. The witch was laying down like the miko was but hadn?t put her nose to her bolt. Nitori had warned her that with a weapon that powerful, that was asking for a bloody nose or black eye. Marisa had stuck a few twigs in her hat to break up her profile but couldn?t really hide the giant bow on it.

The silence was the worst thing of all. There were no birds chirping and no wind at all. It seemed surreal, even to the pair. Deep down, the two were scared. They remembered something that Erwin Rommel had told them when he had trained them in holding actions. He had told them that it was natural to be scared before combat. That fear would be replaced with anger as soon as the bullets started to fly. And anger was a powerful motivator.

They had been thought by some of the best teachers, Remiu recognized that. And each one of them had said that she was wasting her potential by being lazy. But they hadn?t been cross with her. In fact, they had talked with her at length and offered their own advice. They had seen the weight that she was carrying and had told her that they would be happy to talk with her again anytime. Even the rough talking General Patton had offered mentorship to her.

It was strange how the prospect of dying soon would make people think about the weirdest things at the weirdest times. She never would had given that a second thought if it wasn?t for the fact that one of the deadliest invasion forces was headed straight for her shrine. And it was starting to sink in. Everyone around was right to say that she should had trained more. The miko promised herself that she would start when this battle was over.

Her eyes begin to strain from looking through the tiny sight so she lifts her head up and closes her eyes. For a few seconds, it seems like a normal day. The sun was shining, she could smell the flowers, and she could fell the grass under her. It almost seemed like she was safe.

Then she hears a loud high pitch whistle. Looking up, she sees fire rain down from the sky towards her.

The Dratini Farmer:
Mountain top, Bhava-Agra, Gensokyo

The sky towards the direction of the Hakueri Shrine had suddenly gone orange. Every Celestial on the mountaintop had stopped what they were doing and was watching the display. It almost seemed like the sky itself was on fire. The explosions weren?t happening in bursts or waves, they were just there.

Tenshi rushes into the small command post that she was near and is surprised by what she sees on the map. Arranged in a wide ring around the boundary, thousands of red Xs were flashing. The flashing symbols meant full artillery companies were firing. The radio that the Celestial kept in her pocket was full of traffic.

?There?s too many of them!?

?First squad, come in! First squad!?

?We can?t hold off firepower of that magnitude!?

?This is not what I signed up for!?

?CALM DOWN!!!? This was Nitori. ?Keep off the radio unless you?re giving updates. The barrier is still holding for now but those explosions are interfering with their radios. I say again: our first line is still active.?

The eagerness that Tenshi had felt had disappeared, replaced with a feeling of dread. Then the sky above the shrine began to simmer a little. This really began to worry the Celestial.

?Barrier readouts still look solid. Everyone, hold your positions!? Nitori called out over the open channel. The sounds of multiple kappas yelling over alarms could be heard in the background. ?First wave incoming after the barrage ends!?

Looking at the map again, Tenshi can see multiple aircraft start to from up near the FOBs. Flandre was right in saying that Special Forces would be the first to touch the ground after the artillery. The map shows more than an entire regiment was waiting for the shells to finish landing.

?All GDF units: Intel reports that the American 75th Ranger Regiment has been confirmed present. Numbers are estimated at 100% attendance. I say again: the Ranger Regiment is in the area.? Nitori?s voice came out of the radio again.

Tenshi poked her head out of the command post. ?Heads up! Rangers are in the area!?

As the message was repeated, the outer ring of artillery began to designate one team member as security. Tenshi left the command post to get to the higher clearing that let her see almost all of Gensokyo. When she got up there after about five minutes of flying, the artillery attack still hadn?t stopped. At this height, she could see that it wasn?t just artillery shells, but rockets and missiles were hitting the barrier.

Even though Yukari had taught here that artillery was the deadliest force in combat, Tenshi couldn?t help but find the way that the barrage hit the barrier to be beautiful. All of that power was something that appealed to her. It encouraged her to boost her own.

Hearing someone behind her brought her out of her thoughts. Turning around, she recognizes Iku. The messenger had a scroll from the Dragon Palace and a resigned look on her face.

?Eldest Daughter, the Dragon Palace has been talking about your actions during the Yamaxanadu?s assassination attempt.?

?What have they been saying, Iku??

?Some were impressed with your actions while others were talking about calling for your resignation. But the majority support you.?

?Are the higher ups in the majority??

?All but one or two,? Iku hands Tenshi the scroll. ?The Dragon Palace has sent you this. They would like for you to open it immediately.?

The Celestial takes the scroll and checks the seal. Seeing that it?s still intact, she breaks it and reads the content. Her eyes narrow in confusion and she folds it up after she?s done. Giving a nod of gratitude to Iku, she pulls out her cell phone and types a quick text.

?Iku, I need to ask you a question but it has to stay between the two of us.?

?Ask, Eldest Daughter.?

Tenshi hesitates. ?Do you think?that all of this was planned by someone??

?Eldest Daughter, I don?t know what you mean.?

?I was just thinking that everything was normal until the barrier started to weaken. That barrier?s stood for so long without it weakening, until now. Why now? Is it because of all the incidents? Or is it because we overstepped our boundaries??

?Does it matter now, Eldest Daughter? If we knew the reason and could do something about it, then it would be different. But the barrier?s about to collapse and we have the outside world about to take everything we know away. You should focus on the here and now instead of the past.?

?I know.? Tenshi planted her sword into the mountain rock. ?But I have the feeling that I?m being played by someone that has planned all of this out. And they?ll stop at nothing to get what they want.?

Iku stepped forward until her mouth was about half an inch away from Tenshi?s left ear. She whispered in a very low voice, ?Eldest Daughter, watch what you say and to whom you say it to. These are very dangerous times and our enemies are on both sides of the barrier. I can only protect you against so much. Especially if what I?m thinking is true. No, don?t ask me about it yet. I still need more evidence.?

The Celestial froze for the second time since the artillery started to fall. She could still hear the faint sounds of shells on the barrier so far away. Iku stepped back to her original spot, performing a quick scan of the surrounding area. She then turns and begins to take to the sky, but not before she gives Tenshi one more warning. ?Eldest Daughter, be wary of any communication that you get from the Dragon Palace. And trust everything Yukari says.?

Tenshi was grateful for the fact that she had read so many outside world political thrillers because it felt like she had just been dropped into one. Iku?s words kept repeating themselves again and again. It was obvious that the messenger knew more than she did. And the fact that the she was warned about the Dragon Palace didn?t bode well for anyone.

But what did Yukari have to do with this? First Yukari gives her another chance, and now it seems that someone wants to get rid of both of them. Tenshi couldn?t think of anyone that would benefit by having Yukari out of the way. Not unless they were wanting to take control of Gensokyo. But that would only work if the barrier was intact.

Looking over at the barrier, Tenshi notices that the shelling stopped. She grips her sword tightly. The first wave is on its way.

Near the Hakueri Shrine, Gensokyo

With the iron rain stopped, Remiu could finally figure out what had happened. Her ears were ringing and her hands were shaking. She was worried that the others hadn?t escaped the rounds but relaxed when she looked around. None of the rounds had made it past the barrier, but the shock waves had caused some trees to explode. And now that her radio worked, she could hear Nitori bring everything back under control.

?All units, hold your positions. The first wave of helicopters are 20 seconds out. Looks like their spearhead is here.?

Looking over to her side, Reimu could see Marisa dusting her hat off and bring her rifle up. The miko does the same with her M4 and waits. Her bush shakes when her rifle transfers her twitches to it, causing her to focus on slowing her breathing down. For the first time, the sensation of fear begins to creep up on her. She hated having the icy feeling in her stomach.

Those twenty seconds were the longest twenty seconds of her life. Then she saw specks in the sky. It was a wing of UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. And it seemed that there were a lot of them. Remiu activates her radio, ?Nitori, how many helicopters are there??

?Looks like over 350, but only about 20 are moving forward. Flandre says that those 20 are going to get in closer and fast rope troops. Be careful, those are most likely troops from the American 75th Ranger Regiment. Stay behind all possible cover and concealment. If you are in danger of being overrun, retreat towards the Human Village.?

Remiu sharply inhaled, she knew that they were going to be in for a fight. And a helicopter was getting close to where her bush was. It keeps on getting closer until she can make out the passengers and door gunners. She could also see the pilot looking around to make sure the area was clear. Moving back to hide better in the bush, Remiu brought her rifle up.

She couldn?t get a good sight picture on the pilot so she ended up having to aim at the door gunner. Then several ropes were thrown out of both sides of the helicopter. Cursing under her breath, she tried to see which one would have the first soldier. The miko counts at least fifteen of them in full battle rattle pulling security form inside the hovering aircraft.

Seeing movement, she aims at him. She gets her sight picture centered on his torso. Pulling in the M4 to steady it, she waits until she?s done exhaling. Then she squeezes the trigger. The bullet springs to life and hurls out of the barrel, a bright red bullet marking her position. The round hits her target and causes him to fall out of the helicopter. But before he can fall more than a few feet, the soldier is grabbed by his comrades. The door gunner starts to fire towards where the red bullet came from, forcing Remiu to leave her spot amid a shower of tracer rounds.

Running towards another tree, she sees her target sit up, but with some trouble. The fear that she felt earlier had disappeared, replaced with a sense of anger. She ducks behind another tree, flinching as bullets send dirt flying everywhere. The Black Hawk turns to face her and moves in. The miko takes a knee and sends more bullets flying towards it, but they aren?t having that much of an effect.

Others in the area were more preoccupied with their own helicopters. Then AH-64s began to fly towards the fight and fired their missiles. The forest was full of the sounds of gunfire and explosions. Trees were exploding all around them and bullets were sending chunks of dirt into the air. Remiu was starting to doubt her chances of surviving when she heard a loud gunshot.

Looking over, she spots Marisa on a knee. She had fired the shot and had managed to damage the helicopter. As the aircraft began to smoke and turn around, the witch rotates her bolt and fires another shot. This time, the round caused it to start to lose control. A third shot set the engine on fire and sent it into a tailspin. On the way down, the pair could see soldiers being thrown out of it. The pilot was trying to regain control but slammed his head on the instrument panel. Then the disabled aircraft disappeared behind the tree line and an explosion was heard.

A second or two later, a volley of missiles rammed into almost every helicopter in the nearby area and dealt severe damage. Some of them met the same fate as the first while the lucky ones were forced to turn back. A second volley of missiles dispersed the bigger group that was waiting.

?This is the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Our air defense artillery?s having problems targeting those helicopters. You?ll going to have to hold them off yourselves until the Tengus get in the sky.? Koakuma?s voice was strained over the radio. ?Lady Patchouli?s trying to figure it out but she doubts that we can keep hitting them with good hits.?

?Status update: NATO helicopters are offloading their troops outside of the barrier. Be prepared for a ground assault,? Nitori called out again. ?Armor units have also been spotted in the area. If you have a Mosin Nagant, aim for the treads to disable them. Tengu air support is still twenty five minutes away.? There was a pause where someone could be heard yelling in the background. ?Russian troops have also left their checkpoints. Be on the lookout for Spetsnaz operatives.?

Even though they had heard the kappa, Reimu and Marisa didn?t move. They were both looking towards the smoke that was coming from the wreckage of the first helicopter. They could sense the White Wolf Tengus moving towards the FOBs, aiming to cut communication from the enemy chain of command. But what had just happened was taking up the majority of their attention.

Marisa Kirisame had just made the first kill of the Battle of the Great Hakueri Barrier.

The Dratini Farmer:
Outside the Great Hakueri Barrier

The plan was going well until the artillery began to fly. Renko had grabbed Maribel and dropped to the ground. They had covered their heads and ears while the sounds of explosions had gone on for more than 10 minutes. Once it had stopped, they had stayed down until they risked a peek. Seeing that the coast was clear, the pair got up and looked around.

Then they spotted the helicopters flying towards the shrine. Renko grabs Maribel?s hand and runs in that direction. The pair keep running until they see one of the lead helicopters get hit by bright colored bullets and crash. Renko stops and then steps back when a volley of missiles fly over them and hit more helicopters. Maribel gasps and hides behind Renko.

The physicist looks around and finds a group of trees. She leads Maribel there so they can have some cover from all the chaos around them. More missiles fly above them, this time in multiple directions. Then a helicopter crashes a few hundred meters away from them. The sound of the explosion almost covered up Maribel?s yelp of surprise.

Smoke began to float above the trees, blocking their view of the sky. But they could still hear the sounds of explosions and gunfire. And they also hear one word being repeated all around them in English.

?MEDIC!?

Near the Hakueri Shrine, Gensokyo

A certain kitsune and nekomata were dashing through the woods when the older one felt her cellphone vibrate. Stopping and taking a knee behind a bush while Chen had her Ruger 10/22 and was pulling security, Ran was surprised to have received a text from Tenshi. She frowns when she reads the contents and shakes her head.

?Chen, change of plan. How?s your ammo??

?I got about 10 magazines left, Lady Ran.?

?And grenades??

?I still have all of them.?

?Follow my lead.?

Putting away her cellphone, the kitsune unslings her H&K G36 and begins to sprint towards the area in front of the Hakueri Shrine. Chen was right behind her, keeping an eye out behind them.

Voile, Scarlet Devil Mansion, Gensokyo

The library was a blur of activity. Patchouli was zipping around casting spells and Koakuma was gathering materials. The pair was also trying to keep an ear on the radio during all of this. Fairy maids were also running around, trying to help. Looking at her notes, the librarian couldn?t figure out what was making the spells not want to work.

Then Koakuma let out a satisfied outburst, ?Lady Patchouli, I fixed both of the spells!?

The librarian immediately flew to the control panel and slammed both hands down on two buttons. One of them activated the radio while the other activated her masterpiece.

?This is the Scarlet Devil Mansion, both spells are now fixed! They are now in effect!?

Outside the mansion, the various launchers began to rotate. They were searching for targets and froze when they found some. Their rockets ignited and charged out of the holders. All of them flew straight up for about 3,000 feet and then executed a sharp turn that faced them towards the sky above the shrine. With Patchouli?s Copper Spell in effect, all electronic targeting was being jammed. That left only magical tracking for all of the GDF?s ordnance.

Less than 20 seconds out, multiple squadrons of NATO F-22s, F-18s, and F-16s were coming in for an attack run. Their attention was focused on the anti-aircraft batteries that had lit up near the human village. Many of them didn?t see the mass of missiles that began to crash into most of them. The lucky ones managed to deploy flares that attracted the missiles meant for them.

The formation was shattered, with the few aircraft that survived scattering. The helicopters that they were covering hadn?t been spared from the destruction. Most of the survivors from the first wave had been hit and went down. A lone F-22 Raptor had managed to get deeper into Gensokyo and was trying to get a target lock on the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

He switches on the targeting computer built into his air to ground missile and was aiming towards the clock tower. The beeps that he?s expecting never come. Looking down, he sees that his instrument panel is being effected by static. Then a bright red blur tears through his left wing. The impact makes the aircraft wobble and alarms go off in the cockpit. Then a missile hits the Raptor?s underside.

Outside the Hakueri Barrier

The second volley of missiles had created even more confusion. More aircraft had crashed into the forest around Maribel and Renko. The pair where too confused to even think about moving. Then they heard more noise from the direction away from the barrier.

A group of NATO troops were running through the woods, trying to help the survivors of all the wreckage. A few of them created a circle around a crash site about 250 meters from the hiding pair. Renko motions to Maribel to stay quiet and low. Then another explosion went off in the distance, causing Maribel to yelp in surprise.

The outburst had attracted the attention of the troops and they began to open fire on the pair. A round missed the magician?s face by less than an inch. Renko grabs her hand and begins to run towards the shrine. Half of the group of soldiers began to run after them, determined to take them down. Another platoon was nearby when they saw Maribel and Renko run past them.

One of the squads was a mortar team, so the pair found themselves having to dodge mortar rounds as they ran. They were lucky that the team hadn?t had the time to properly sight their tube, so the rounds were going wide on either side.

Renko couldn?t think of any way that they were going to get out of this.

Eientei, Bamboo Forest, Gensokyo

Reisen was no stranger to the sounds of gunfire and explosions. But they still brought back memories of the last time she was in combat. She still felt like she was fighting in the Lunar War. Her ears began to twitch, a sign that she was going back to her old combat mode.

The moon rabbit was patrolling around the mansion when the sounds began to get closer. Her grip began to tighten around her rifle, causing her knuckles to turn white. She had her original service rifle at the ready.

Sensing close combat near, she takes a knee and installs a bayonet at the end of the rifle. That action triggered the avalanche of memories.

Dark Side of the Moon, 1969

?Damn.?

Reisen watched artillery create craters all over the side of the mountain she was about to charge. Taking a knee, she pulls out a pair of binoculars and looks at the mountain to her north. She can see her side trade fire with the assassins from the earth. The amount of fire that the assassins were putting out surprised Reisen.

?We?re badly pinned down. Need support, over.?

She could barely hear anything other than bullets but can make out someone talking. The voice on the radio was familiar to her. Then she remembered it was one of her comrades from initial training. Her squad was supposed to securing a mountaintop that was not far from Reisen?s present location. And it sounded like they were taking the blunt of the entire attack.

Sprinting to a better viewpoint, she drops to the prone and looks through her scope. She can see hundreds of tracers crisscrossing the mountainside. Then another artillery barrage hits. Thousands of Lunarian flares rain down all over the mountain. Reisen?s heart drops when she sees that rounds are hitting their own troops. Her radio instantly erupted into a storm of calls for ceasefire. But it?s too late as flares drop down on the mountain top, setting the rocks on fire.

Reisen?s eye was attracted by a glint of light. She moves her crosshair towards the source and sees a squad of Lunarians locked in close combat against a large group of assassins. While her comrades were well trained, Reisen could tell that they were going to be overrun. Firing a quick laser burst, she counts the time it takes to get back. She calculates the distance at 2.5 miles.

Taking a deep breath, she aims at one of the experienced ones that was taking a Lunarian on one on one. She finds it strange that the assassin?s wearing a green beret and wielding such an ugly weapon. The human had forced his opponent back and was starting to reload his weapon. Reisen squeezes the trigger and waits. Two seconds later, he?s spun around as the bullet impacts his chest. His body?s flung into one of his nearby comrades and knocks him down.

She unloads the rest of her internal magazine, four more shots, and takes down 7 of the more experienced assassins. A bullet ricochets off the rock next to her. Rolling behind the boulder away from it, Reisen gets a good look at the little trench it creates. She can tell the direction and height it comes from and pulls out a small mirror.

Angling it, she spots the shooter. About half a mile away, he?s accompanied by a spotter. Both of them wear the strange green colored beret. She can see their mouths moving, probably trying to find another shot.

The artillery begins to rain down again. This time, it starts on the base of the mountain that Reisen?s holding. And then it turns into flares.

?Shit, shit, shit!? The flares begin to speed up, forcing Reisen to expose herself to enemy fire as she ran away from the fire. She didn?t think that she would have to face that much but was surprised by the sheer volume of bullets that came close to her. Some of them were even colliding in the air around her. The rocky terrain did nothing to help her sprint.

Down the mountain, she could see a Lunarian officer cutting assassins down left and right with her katana. She pulls out her sidearm and fires a few shots before an assassin catches her in the back with a shotgun. As she falls, she manages to turn around and punches her killer in the throat. She hits the ground and keeps firing into his body. Reisen charges at the rest of the assassins and takes them by surprise.

They?re too tired from the last fight to be able to bring their weapons up in time. The moon rabbit slams every weapon out of their hands and stabs one of them with her bayonet. He screams as the knife is drawn out and Reisen?s foot kicks him down the mountain side. She turns around and slams the stock of her rifle into another green beret?s head and hears a loud crack.

The rest of the assassins draw their knives and rush forward. The mortally wounded officer reloads but is starting to have trouble holding up her sidearm. She manages to take down two more before she can?t hold it up anymore. In that time, Reisen had killed three more with vicious neck snaps. The last one grabs her from behind and tries to choke her. The moon rabbit elbows him in the stomach and extends his arm. Then moves forward, causing a loud crack to sound and bone to break skin.

Reisen flips him over and grabs his head. With one quick movement, she snaps his neck. Taking a quick look, she clears the area. Then she rushes to the wounded officer, taking out her medical kit on the way. But it was too late, she had bled out from the large wound on her back. She had died with her eyes open and a solid grip on both her weapons. The moon rabbit takes out a large poncho and covers the body. It took a bit of effort, but she managed to pry the katana free and planted it in the rock in front of the body.

Taking a moment to wish for her fallen comrade to find eternal rest, Reisen took a knee. Once she felt that the pause was long enough, she got up and began to run towards the forest near her. The forest was quiet, a sharp contrast to the mountainside she had just left. She kept sprinting at full speed, trying to reach a rally point near her.

Then she ran right into an assassin. She had been running so fast that their impact had knocked them back a few feet. Something white had being knocked out of a pocket from the assassin. They had both seen it fly and tried to grab it first. But instead of the cold determination of the others, this one had become desperate when he saw it. Lashing out, his rifle connects with Reisen?s side.

Out of instinct, she throws an uppercut that catches him on the chin. He falls back, but rolls to his side. The moon rabbit charges after him, stabbing with her bayonet. The assassin scrambles back, moving from side to side to avoid the stabs. Then he trips and falls backwards.

Reisen jumps forward, delivering the final strike. But her target manages to bring his rifle up and lock hers. They both push against each other, not giving an inch. This close, she could see the desperation in his eyes. All that mattered to him was getting what had being knocked away from him. The moon rabbit is surprised when he finds the strength to swipe her feet out from under her.

She lands hard on her side, but rolls away when a rifle strike comes out of the air towards her. Reisen lashes out with a reverse roundhouse kick that connects with her target?s shoulder. He?s slammed back into the ground, causing him to lose his grip on his rifle. Seeing her opportunity, she stabs again.

This time, it hits his stomach. She pushed forward until she was stopped by the barrel of her rifle. Then she pulls the trigger and send a bullet through him. She jumps back, pulling the blade clear. Breathing heavily, she rotates the bolt on her rifle, ready to fire another shot.

But the stab and bullet wounds were enough to take him down. Reisen remembers what he was fighting for and sees it laying a few feet away. She picks it up and is surprised by what it was.

It?s a picture of a woman holding a child. The child was young, it was obvious that she hadn?t begun to walk yet. On the back, it was a short letter and a countdown. Reisen could guess that it was a countdown to when he would be able to see them again. But due to the surprise attack, the countdown was now void.

A noise behind her attracted her attention. Spinning around, she holds her rifle at the high ready. But it was only the mortally wounded assassin. He had managed to pull another letter from his pocket and was trying to wipe blood off it in vain. The moon rabbit steps closer, lowering her weapon. She kneels down next to him but knows there?s no way that he can survive the wounds she inflicted.

The sounds of battle still resonate in the background but fell on deaf ears. Reisen had never fought anyone that had the skill and heart that the dying man in front of her had. She takes a gentle grip on the letter he?s holding.

?Don?t worry. I?ll rewrite it and make sure that it gets where it needs to.?

The assassin?s eyes widen in surprise. After a few seconds, he gives her a nod of gratitude.

?Thank you.?

As soon as the words leave his mouth, his head falls back and he goes limp. Reisen slings her rifle and stands up. She pulls out a note pad and a pen. Finding a spot with good cover, she sits and begins to rewrite the letter. When she?s done, she takes the green colored beret off the dead man?s head and puts the letter and picture in it. As she?s trying to figure out how she?s going to get it back to the earth, she hears someone approaching. Seeing a bush nearby, she quickly hides behind it.

A lone assassin runs into the clearing. He stops when he sees the body and begins to sweep his weapon around. Reisen responds with a bullet to the weapon, knocking it out of his hands. Then she begins to walk forward. Her target begins to glance around, looking for a way to continue the fight.

?No, don?t even try.? She flicks her head to the body. ?Look at what happened to him. But I have no intention of killing you.?

?Why should I believe you? Just go ahead and shoot me, avoid the games.?

?Because I need you to deliver something. Look at his headgear.?

The assassin looks and spots the picture and the letter.

?His last wish was for that to be returned to his family. Most of the others that die here won?t have the chance for their loved ones to know what happened to them. Give me your word that you?ll deliver this and I will let you go.?

?Deal.?

He moves forward and crouches down to retrieve the letter. But Reisen sees sudden movement and tenses up. The assassin looks at her and begins to move his right arm. Out of instinct, she shoots him in the neck. He?s spun around and falls face down. She moves forward to kick the weapon out of his hand but stops when she notices that he wasn?t armed. She had just killed an unarmed person. And she couldn?t keep the promise she made to the other dead man.

Then she remembered all of the others she had killed, treating the attack as a game. The picture was still fresh in her mind. What if every person she had killed had a family that would never know what happened to their loved one? She had always said that she understood their pain, but now she actually felt it. And it made her feel like a monster.

There was no way that she could go back to her unit. Not with everyone fighting for their lives while she treated everything like a game. The sounds of artillery began to move closer, forcing her to make a decision. Looking at the direction directly away from the battle, she runs. She keeps running, not looking back for anything. She was running away from her life of war and the profession of arms.

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