章節 4: Prologue(3) - Revised

The explosion rocked through the area—the shockwave worked as intended—which gave us a few moments to ensure most of our battalion got through to the plane. While the acrid stench of smoke and sight of mangled bodies assaulted my senses, Pat blasted another hole through the Merker base.

"Go, go, go!" The Major's voice—though perhaps unnecessary—spurred us on to dash through the breach.

Various German soldiers—the ones not quite left stunned by the shockwave produced by our first rocket—screamed out yells of denial like "Aah!" and "Nien!" towards our intrusion. Before the German soldiers—that were left directly in our path—could regain their bearings, Lanky's gunfire cut them down. They could only manage muffled cries of anguish before collapsing lifeless on the ground—bleeding out from their fatal injuries.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Pat discard the rocket launcher and position himself in front of Lanky. It was evident he intended to use his sturdy frame as a shield to protect Lanky from incoming fire.

Ka—BOOM!

Multiple explosions reverberated across the area as my battalion hurled grenades at the infantry towers, creating diversions and possibly eliminating any lurking snipers.

I crouched beside a conveniently placed crate while hoping it didn't contain explosive ammunition. A sigh of relief escaped me as bullets passing through it failed to ignite a catastrophic fate. What crossed my mind—while preparing to pull the pin on my own grenade to deal with enemy reinforcements—was 'Why did the Germans have a crate full of donkey crap' and 'Why did I know it was donkey crap?'

(E/N: Grenades tend to have pins that—when pulled—essentially arm it and are ready to explode once thrown. They do not have caps as Author-sama suggested.)

While I prepared to pull the pin on my own grenade—finally ready to handle the approaching reinforcements whose footsteps I could hear rounding the corner—my attention was drawn to Fritz.

'What on earth is that fool doing? Just because he has a name now doesn't mean he has to act like the protagonist! Does he have a death wish or something?' I thought to myself as I watched Fritz slide along the nearby wall—very obviously positioning himself to ambush my intended target.

The issue was that he'd be an easy target himself—very likely to get gunned down before he could even throw the grenade—assuming he aimed it accurately and didn't just waste it on a prayer.

I tucked my grenade away after removing my finger from the pin—so as to not prematurely end my own life like some old terrorist—and withdrew my pistol. I also removed the silencer from the pistol to attract Fritz's attention. I opened fire at the approaching unit—causing them to swiftly shift their focus to me and giving exactly what Fritz needed to hurl his grenade into the midst of the crowd.

In a split second, they comprehended what was happening and shouted orders to hit the ground in German—displaying the agility of an elite unit.

Sadly, it wasn't fast enough; the grace period had expired and it detonated before they had a chance to respond. The fate of the unfortunate unnamed German soldier directly beneath the grenade was clear. As for the others in the vicinity, they were knocked down by the blast and writhing in pain on the ground.

We didn't allow them a single moment to recover. Before they could regain their footing, Fritz and I mercilessly shot them in the head—ensuring their corpses kissed the pavement in death and unable to move again.

"I see the landing pad on the left—let's go!" one of our fellow soldiers barked out the order.

I turned my gaze in that direction and was left in awe.

Could this be for real? It felt almost too good to be true. Right in the heart of the landing pad sat an unmanned and completely unguarded Black Hawk dual-propeller military helicopter, with ample space to accommodate all of us.

(I smell a trap.) - Kyen_Syr

Nah, this can't be happening in reality. The world owes an apology to Dominic Toretto and Fast and Furious then.

I couldn't help but entertain doubts: Perhaps the craft was out of fuel or rigged with remote detonation explosives.

All three of our units circled around the helicopter—providing cover fire while Lanky ventured inside to assess the situation. The cacophony of approaching cars and sirens indicated the arrival of military sentries.

No unforeseen miracle unfolded in the next moment as we had anticipated this and were prepared. After all—without trenches or a positional advantage—a mere pistol couldn't contend with a machine gun.

In a matter of seconds, our group of 16 was reduced by half, and the helicopter became riddled with bullet holes. Sadly—among the casualties of Thanos' snap—Pat and Fritz were the first to fall. Even plot armor had its limits in life.

(Sorry, Author-Sama. I could not resist the opening.) - Kyen_Syr

I couldn't help but think, "Damn, I really wanted to see Luke and Dad again!"

Just as all hope appeared to be dwindling, the distinct whir of propellers filled the air behind me, and—not even a few seconds later—Lanky's voice resonated across the battlefield through the intercom.

"What the hell are you guys fucking waiting for?! Do you need an invitation or some shit?! Get in before your asses are pumped full of lead!" His words—though laced with vulgarity—felt like a divine command to me and my squad.

And that says something, considering how many people had lost faith in religion over the years of this war.

"Get on! Rex and I will provide cover!" Phil shouted towards me.

'Seriously, Major? Can't you give me a break? If we survive this, I'm emptying your pockets for PTSD booze.' I thought to myself as I started running towards the chopper.

As the six lieutenants made their way into the helicopter, two unfortunate souls hesitated while approaching the craft with their backs to the enemy. Their fates were tragically obvious, but there's no point in dwelling on the mistakes of the fallen. In times of anxiety, everyone makes mistakes.

So, that meant there were already five people on the helicopter. That's a full five more than I had expected to make it. That's good news, isn't it?

"Are you going to get on or keep monologuing?" That same mysterious equine voice inquired. It really started to annoy me that I had no clue as to who it could possibly be.

'Am I going crazy? Nah, I don't think there's anything wrong with my head.' I thought to myself in an attempt to drive off the budding insanity.

Silence met me, but the unmistakable sound of the helicopter lifting off the ground reached our ears—with its looming shadow beginning to blanket Phil and me. Finally, our ticket out of this wretched place had arrived.

However, just when you'd expect someone to come through in the clutch, they pulled a LeBron James.

The Major turned to me and began, "Alright, Rex, you get on the craft and get out of here! I'll cover your retreat—"

He didn't manage to continue on with what he was trying to tell me before a gunshot cut through the air, piercing the Major's face.

I stood there—frozen in time amidst the ongoing gunfire, the ascending helicopter, and the anguished cries of my comrades. All I did was lower my weapon and affix my gaze on the Major's lifeless body as blood oozed from the fatal wound.

The only thing I could feel in that precise moment was how cold my body started to become as I pondered what Phil had in his mind in that last fleeting moment between life and death. I even asked myself if he felt sorrow, disappointment, shock, fear, or something else in that split moment before that bullet pierced his head—my senses seemingly cut off from the rest of the world at that moment.

The only reasonable conclusion I came to—in that moment of revelation—was that Phil must have felt hopeful for what was looming over the horizon. As for me, I felt like Phil seemed familiar to me due to being so incredibly similar to a certain character that he closely resembled: one Major Gilbert Bougainvillea.

'Would that make me Violet Evergarden?' I mentally inquired with myself as my senses slowly started to come back to reality, 'I don't think I'm as broken as her. Actually, we are quite similar, like her I appear frail but am far from a damsel in distress, and I'm generally reserved. I seem to grasp others' emotions but often struggle to comprehend my own. Nevertheless, if he's Gilbert, there might be a chance he's still alive.'

As my senses finally came back and I snapped out of it, that was when I heard a groan, emanating from King James himself.

In a split second, hundreds of thoughts and emotions swirled through my mind. They ranged from 'What should I do?' to 'Screw it. Time to get my only friend out of here!'

As I lost myself in thought, my special ability—unlimited plot armor—seemed to activate and that seemed to make me invincible and unassailable when I wasn't paying attention. Obviously, this meant none of the attempts the Germans were making actually hit me—making me consider daydreaming more often—before I noticed one of the unnamed NPCs from my squad jumping down to join me.

"Captain!" he exclaimed.

I immediately took charge. "I'm in command now. Lower the ladder and get Phil out of here!"

But he stammered, "Captain, what about-"

I did not bother to hear more of it. "Go!" I ordered.

"Y-Yes, Major! G-Goodbye, Sir!" that unnamed NPC responded to me, yet those words never reached my ears.

I stepped boldly into the heart of the battle, catching the Germans' attention. Perhaps my special abilities hadn't worn off considering they struggled to hit me while I found it unusually easy to take them out. I considered the possibility that they were probably like those trashy stormtroopers of the Galactic Empire with their shit aim, but that didn't remain long as I seemed to feel like something they could not touch. There was also a slight sensation of sorrow at the fact that it was potential experience points lost as an enemy fell every time I squeezed the trigger.

Everything felt slow—almost natural—yet in the end, I had a flashback just an hour ago which sealed my fate.

Then, a tank—yes, a bloody tank—rolled onto the scene and while it lowered its machine gun to aim directly at me, I wondered one last thing before darkness took me. I knew I couldn't avoid my fate—most likely due to my temporary elevated state of fight or flight expiring and leaving me both physically and mentally exhausted—but that last lingering thought was the only thing left to me before that tank fired its shot at me.

'Do NPCs truly respawn?'

BOOM!

-----

An endless, vast, and immense darkness surrounded me. Nothing existed within the reach of my senses and I felt a deep sense of exhaustion down to my very core—rendering me immobile. Drifting through this endless dark abyss, I struggled hard to command my form to stand up—making me realize I no longer had a physical vessel.

I existed as a formless entity now—a mass of pure spiritual and astral energy—with only vague black outlines defining my ethereal features. I also noticed that I was no longer a male in this state, but led another question to pop up in my mind.

"Who was I? Where was I before? What have I been?" were the questions that flooded my being in this moment before a surge of anguish pierced my consciousness and probed my mind as if attempting to cleanse it of something unwelcome.

I watched as images of familiar yet also unfamiliar people and places slowly evaporated into dust within my mental landscape— becoming more difficult to recall before I could grasp their significance.

Then it came like a passing sight in a foggy mirror—a vision of a captivating, fair-skinned woman with golden eyes and auburn hair, adorned in a floral-patterned dress and miniskirt—but like the memories before it, this image began to slowly evaporate and wither away.

"No, no, NO!" I started to shout out with all of my being into the void. "Please! Don't!"

I may not have known who this woman was, but I sensed deep within my very essence that I did not want to lose this vital and precious memory. Despite my pleas falling upon deaf ears, the entity messing with my mind remained highly indifferent to my desires. This made me feel something else beginning to blossom in my soul amidst my desperation.

"God, Kami, anyone! If you exist, I know it is shameful for a sinner like me to beseech your aid, but please! Help me!" I implored.

There had been no response to my darkest hour. My desperation swelled as the mental image of the woman continued to fade, and that is when a miracle occurred.

A brilliant light materialized before me—emanating warmth and security—while the shadow that had pervaded my consciousness was writhing in agony. An unrelenting, scorching torment that resonated throughout the void, reaching a point where I almost pitied it.

Almost.

I then heard this mysterious shadow speak—surprising me with its voice. It was both vile yet also strangely divine. "Filthy observer! How dare you intrude and manifest in my dominion! You are overstepping. Are you prepared to face the consequences—"

Before the shadowy entity could further its diabolical threat against me, the radiant light completely purged it—making it vanish into non-existence. From that point onward—like something hitting a 'Refresh' button on my mind—those memories that were once slowly evaporating into the dark void gradually regained a crystal clarity and luster.

I remembered, recalled, and knew who I was after that. I had been Rex Gardner and that woman had been my mother. That realization of who I had been flooded my entire being—relieving my exhaustion and allowing me to move once more—with the anticipation that something was happening to me.

With my mobility restored, I refocused towards the light.

The white, amorphous mass began shifting—transforming and altering its shape and hue—into a blank holographic screen upon which words began to appear while being accompanied by a melodic chime. It reminded me of video game Systems sending notifications to the players—further adding surprise to my current emotional state. Nevertheless, it did address my ultimate life question.

[Rex Gardner! Do you wish for another opportunity?] it inquired.

'NPCs do indeed respawn.' I thought to myself.

With a slight bit of hesitation, I responded, "Tell me more."