Chương 107: Ch 107

Author: The ending is always---

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"── Situation concluded. Commander, are you alright?"

"...I'm fine. No problems. How much longer until we reach the rendezvous point's coordinates?"

The time was 06:10.

The squad was on the ground where the morning sun had risen, and just a moment ago, they had walked through the scattered wreckage of the recently defeated Rapture.

It had been a week since they last set foot on the surface. Perhaps the dazzling feeling of the sun was due to spending time underground, in the night world.

Rapi glanced sideways at Moore as he exchanged the spent magazine.

In this past week, due to consecutive battles, Moore's combat suit and body armor had torn in places, revealing bits of bare skin and ceramic plates. The color of dried blood had soaked into the fabric, and even the cover fabric of the helmet seemed to tell the intensity of the battles.

His stubble had grown thicker, but more noticeable were the dark brown eyes under his eyes. Deep black circles were visible. It seemed as if they were painted with black eyeliner.

And──his steps seemed slightly heavier than usual.

"──Commander."

Marian, carrying a machine gun, walked towards him, entwining her left arm with Moore's right arm to support him. Perhaps due to his unsteady steps, she naturally moved to support him, and he, in turn, briefly widened his dark brown eyes, followed by a slight tremor in his throat, producing a small laughter.

"...You did the same thing before."

"Yes, that's right. It was after the commander had a cardiac arrest."

"...Indeed. Did I ask you, 'Do you want a piggyback ride?' back then too?"

"You remember it well."

"...I couldn't forget. Your presence is not something easily forgotten."

That was undoubtedly true.

The squad members, who heard his murmurs, silently returned their agreement in their hearts.

Moore never gave up. Even as he continued to fight, he transformed into a pitiful survivor of defeat.

And the outcome was──unexpected. It seemed that whatever gods there were truly despised him from the bottom of their hearts.

On the outskirts of the desolate city with ruins spread out, that was the rendezvous point.

Shortly after Neon confirmed the coordinates, they sensed multiple presences approaching from beyond the mist-covered plain.

A click sounded as the safety of the assault rifle was released at Moore's right arm, supported by Marian.

"──Sorry. I'm a little late."

"Don't worry. We just arrived... agh!"

A figure emerged from the white mist── Snow White, the pilgrim who seemed to be leading, furrowed her brow upon seeing Moore's condition.

Moore thought he should have paid a bit more attention to the dress code just before that, and then, two more pilgrims appeared. Seeing their figures, severe headaches raced through Moore's skull.

He involuntarily doubled over. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead, and his breathing became unsteady.

Marian quickly exerted strength on her arm to support Moore from falling.

"──Commander...!?"

"...I'm fine... I'm fine. ...Are they allies?"

"Yeah. Scarlet and Rapunzel."

She calmly uttered the names of her comrades.

The moment those names reached his eardrums, the headache struck again.

He seemed on the verge of groaning, but he gritted his teeth and endured it. Deep vertical wrinkles appeared on his forehead, and his complexion turned unnaturally pale.

While enduring it, Moore lifted his bowed face.

"──Shall we... start with 'Nice to meet you'?"

"──...? Ah... Nice to meet you."

"──...?"

It was undoubtedly their first meeting. That's why Moore nodded in response to the Pilgrim, who looked like a modest nun with her blonde hair tied up.

At that moment, the pale forget-me-not eyes wavered.

"...May I inquire about your honorable name?"

"...Shaw Moore. I hold the rank of Captain."

"...I see. ...Nice to meet you, Captain Moore. I'm glad to meet you for the first time."

The nun, Rapunzel, lowered her head slightly while swaying her tied golden hair. In response, Moore also nodded slightly, returning the gesture.

"Nice to meet you, I suppose? Hm~ The more I look, the more of a good man you seem to be."

Following that, the pilgrim Scarlet, with a distinctive large hat, stepped forward with a carefree attitude. She looked up at Moore, assessing him with her eyes.

The reflection of himself in her amber eyes──was far from what she described as a "good man," Moore honestly thought to himself, shrugging his shoulders.

"...Sorry for making you come all this way."

"Don't worry about it. The regular meeting day was approaching anyway."

"I see. Well, that's a relief."

Once again, Moore expressed his gratitude to the pilgrim reminiscent of pure white snow. He then moved his fingers to engage the safety mechanism of his assault rifle.

And──unclasping his right arm from Marian, who had supported him until now, he turned to her.

"...Marian."

"...Yes. I understand. From now on, I'll be acting alongside the Pilgrims."

There was no need for him to command, and Marian nodded as if to interrupt the words he would continue with. It was as if she knew the details, or so her expression suggested.

This was the conclusion.

Fighting and fighting, killing and killing.

The outcome of those actions──or perhaps their retribution.

The consequences of insisting on an inappropriate whim, from his perspective, there was no more fitting expression than defeat.

"...I made you put up with my selfishness."

"Don't apologize."

While being looked down upon by Marian's dark brown eyes reflecting fatigue, she shook her head left and right.

"...I won't relieve you of your command. I may not be in a position to say anything now, but..."

"Don't say that. ...Instead, please allow me one selfish request."

"What?" Moore tried to inquire, but before that, the slender figure in front of him leaped into his chest.

Both arms slipped through the backpack he carried and the gap on his back, tightly embracing him. Marian embraced Moore, trying to feel even a bit of his warmth against the exposed ceramic plates of his body armor.

"...It's dirty. And I haven't showered."

"──It's not dirty."

──Look at what you've gone through for me.

Moore lightly pushed her shoulder, urging her to let go. However, Marian rejected it by hugging him even tighter.

The rigid bulletproof plates were in the way. His warmth couldn't be felt.

The assault rifle he carried was cumbersome. The distance between him and her would increase even slightly.

"──Commander... This is my selfishness. Can you... hug me tight?"

Fearfully, while pressing her forehead against the body armor, Marian made her selfish request to Moore.

He couldn't see her face like this. Fortunately, that seemed to have given her courage. She was able to make such a bold move.

Sensing her hesitation, and realizing that it might have been an unreasonable request, Marian tried to release her arms from around his back.

After all, he was the commander.

Even Moore wouldn't be allowed such familiar behavior.

Fortunately, he could embrace her like this himself. That alone was satisfying.

Just as she was about to withdraw herself obediently, strong and thick arms were wrapped around Marian's back and waist, hugging her tightly.

Ah, she couldn't help but exhale.

"...I swore to protect you."

Embraced by strong, robust arms, Marian didn't resist at all and listened intently to the words spoken only to her.

"──I won't abandon you."

"Yes."

"I will definitely bring you back to the squad."

"Yes."

"After gaining the strength to protect you, I will surely bring you back.──I promise."

"──Absolutely, alright? Despite my appearance, I'm not very patient. If it takes too long... I might just barge in, you know?"

With each word, the strength in the arms embracing her increased. The air was squeezed out as if being pushed, but for Marian, it was undeniably a comfortable feeling.

She felt his warmth, the warmth she liked.

Inexplicably, she found the warmth emanating from him, someone with an indescribably kind and sadly gentle nature, desirable. Or perhaps, she thought so.

She understood why he had recklessly fought alone against the advancing enemy to protect her.

──Surely, this person...

She herself exerted strength into the arms she had wrapped around his back. She had vowed to herself, from the moment she returned to the squad and rejoined, to never let go again. However, the reason she had to break that oath had now emerged.

──I will die someday.

His solitary struggle under circumstances where rest, resupply, and support were unattainable was remarkable. However, the limits were closing in with each passing moment.

He was a kind person. To the point of becoming cruel and fierce for the sake of others.

It was not difficult to imagine that he would continue fighting until the moment the remaining flame of his life was extinguished.

Recalling the events during her absence that she heard from the squad upon her return and assignment to the forward base, Marian had often heard complaints directed at Moore.

"Why do you fight so fiercely?"

Embraced by his strong arms, Marian, who had a question budding within her, considered voicing it but swallowed it back down into her throat.

Surely, he wouldn't tell her, she felt it as an intuition of sorts.

No, perhaps he would tell her. However, he would do so with a troubled expression while scratching his cheek.

Marian, the only one who noticed the childish habit incongruent with his rugged appearance, whether the rest of the squad was aware or not, might derive a certain satisfaction from it.

Erasing the predicted superiority complex that came with that intuition──she would become terrified.

Because she knew that his kindness would inevitably become the cause of his own demise.

Certainly, he was the kind of person who wouldn't hesitate to become a human offering rather than sacrifice others. Even if it meant embarking on a journey of certain death, even if it was a one-way mission to the ends of the world, he would nod calmly.

"Don't go," she wanted to say, clinging to him, leaving everything else to others after that, and──simply die at the end of the battle.

It was undeniably terrifying.

This warmth might never be felt again. Upon realizing this fact, Marian's arms were filled with strength.

No──perhaps, this isn't warmth.

It might be something burning, scorching her, and the residual heat being released.

──Why do you go so far...?

The desire to ask couldn't be suppressed. But unfortunately, Marian couldn't summon the courage to ask in her current state. Rather than courage, the feeling that she shouldn't ask was stronger.

So, just before impulsively asking──she smoothly, unbelievably, separated herself from his embracing arms.

"──Well then, I'll leave it here. Let's meet again."

She must not cause any worries. She should part with a smile. At least that much she could do.

As Marian cheerfully spoke of parting ways, Moore, gripping the handle of the assault rifle again, nodded in response.

"Yeah, definitely."

"Yes. I'll be waiting for that day.──Rapi, Anis, Neon. Please take care of the Commander."

Expressing gratitude to the squad that had held back, Marian asked for their well wishes, and everyone nodded.

"...Take care."

"Yes. Rapi, take care too.──Anis, don't make that face."

"W-What face are you talking about!?"

"Hehe.──Neon, thank you."

"Don't forget the power of firepower, okay?"

Neon handed over a backpack filled with food, spare clothes, and extra ammunition. Once Marian shouldered it, the preparations were complete.

Well then, she nodded slightly.

Then, she turned on her heel and blended into the midst of the pilgrims who had been waiting.

Four figures disappeared into the dense fog. Moore called out to one of them.

"──Snow White."

"...What is it?"

"──Take care of Marian. She's one of my precious subordinates."

She turned back over her shoulder at his call, casting a glance at him. Though faint, she certainly nodded.

"──Trust me and leave it to me."

"...Try bullying her. No matter where you are, I'll find you for sure."

"...I don't have such a hobby."

Snow White implied she wouldn't bring up the past when they were enemies, and soon disappeared into the thick fog.

Watching her off, Moore took a soft pack from his pouch, placed one in his mouth, and lit it with an oil lighter.

The first puff of a cigarette always tasted good.

Inhaling the purple smoke, deep vertical wrinkles appeared on his forehead.

"...Tastes bad."

The familiar GODDESS tobacco that he was used to suddenly tasted unbearable.

Gradually distancing himself from the squad, Moore pondered how far he had walked.

----

About 30 minutes to walk through the dense fog.

Standing beside Marian, who had been walking, Snow White looked at her out of the corner of her eye and let out a sigh.

"──If you want to cry, go ahead."

Before Marian could ask what she meant, another voice came from the opposite side.

"──Yes. ...If you can't cry, I'll cry in your place. That's necessary too."

Who they were referring to remained unclear.

Whether she sensed Marian's confusion or not, the large hat swayed beyond the flowing thick blonde hair and moved vertically.

"──It's just a guess. That man probably doesn't know how to cry. It'd be good for the young miss to cry in her place."

That way of addressing her was questionable.

It wasn't a term for the commander, and Marian felt the need to correct it, but before that, her eyes, her vision, became blurred.

Had some malfunction occurred?

"...Moore isn't here. So, just let it out."

Snow White lightly tapped her back.

In that rhythm, the tears she had been holding back began to overflow uncontrollably.

---

The reason for expressing Rapunzel's eye color as "pale forget-me-not" is as follows:

The story of Rapunzel, also known as the long-haired princess, is a fairy tale included in German collections of folk tales. The choice to describe Rapunzel's eye color as "pale forget-me-not" is rooted in the German legend associated with forget-me-not flowers.