THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

"You guys will be punished for your lack of discipline."

When we go back after enjoying ourselves with the Longinus, somebody come to us like a dart. It's the commander who I was sent to by Dilt. I guess he is the one who decides of everything on this camp. But he wants to punish us for lack of discipline…?

"Are you meaning to say we shouldn't have intervened?" 

"You will shut up and listen when I speak."

At his words, soldiers come around us and brandish their spears at us. This is becoming as ridiculous as ever.

"Tch!" You are right to click your tongue, Willhem, this is highly stupid.

"Your first offence is to have threatened your superior.. That's already a very severe offence. But you also went to the battlefield without orders. That's unacceptable. Even if temporarily, you guys are still part of the eternal army."

"Cut the crap already. What do you want?" Willhem is on the verge of explosion. And he is not the only one annoyed.

"Hmph! I was going to be a bit lenient but seeing as you don't understand the basics. Who is your leader?"

"It's me."

"Good." The commander walks to me and stands right in front of me. "Thirty-five whip slashes. You will receive them for all seven members of your team."

"What the fuck?!!"

"You think you can just-"

"Huh…okay." Let's just do it and get all this done with.

"It would have been whether you agreed or not. Bring me a whip."

The soldiers move away from us and while one comes with a whip like it was all planned out, a lot more soldiers gather around us. 

"Remove his armor." 

The commander gives the order to Willhem and the other.  While they are all looking angry and ready to tear apart his throat, I remove my armor and gives it to Hendrick. He refuses to take it at first but since I keep pushing it on his chest, he finally grabs it silently.

"Now, two of you will hold him and make sure he doesn't move or fall before the end."

"Hey!! Who do-"

"I won't fall to your weak attempts of whip so hurry up." 

"Oh! You heard that?!"

"The commander will dismember him for sure." 

A vein pops on the commander's face while his men start whispering around us. Some of them even laugh a bit at what I said.

"Is that so? Turn around then."

"I have a question before that?"

"Don't worry, I won't aim at any vital organs. I will restart if you move though."

"No, I just wanted if we will be able to move out after this. I really want to see the mortars." 

The atmosphere completely changes and the commander's face turns dark. He should go full out now. Also, I didn't lie. I really want to see those mortars.

"Ahh!" With a loud scream, the commander raises his hand but his first shot misses and hits the ground instead. When it does, the sound produced lets me understand how painful this would be if I could feel it. Well, that 'if' is really important though.

"I would advise you to turn around or I can't guarantee your safety."

"Just do what you have to."

"I will have warned you."

***

"Wow. That guy really took it all while smiling." 

"And the commander even went extra hard on the last ones." 

Five minutes later, we are done and the soldiers start leaving while commenting. The commander goes back to his tent while I dress up but there is  no need to follow him. Eduard is there so he will be the ones to give us our orders.

"Are you sure you can move?" There are some bruises here and there on my body but no blood. Eduard's worries are unnecessary. But I do feel frustrated so I need to blow off some steam.

"I am. What are our orders?" 

"Well, you only have to assist the main unit which is currently fighting. As soon as you will leave the forest, you will get past the mortars and attempt to reach the fort. There are-"

"Okay, okay, old man! We heard you! Let's go guys!!" Willhem is an bottled up as me. Or I guess even more seeing how he licks his lips.

He jumps ahead and we all follow him. Running like a possessed man, Willhem speeds through the forest and the distance between us increases. The sound of the mortars as well until, I see the end of the forest.

Before exiting it, the smell of blood and destruction hits my nose hard and as I enter some kind of huge field, I see them. Lined up like houses, enormous in size, white and  decorated with silver linings : the mortar.

"Oh shit!" Right as my eyes fall on one of them, it bursts out a ball of flame that skyrock then dives like a bird of prey. My eyes follow the flame ball the whole time until it lands brutally on a ashy ground, filled with Longinus. 

The field looks like a disaster. There are two portals opened near the fort we are supposed to capture and Longinus are coming out of it at regular intervals. They seem to land inside the fort then comes out of it and joins the battle on the field. The fort itself is undamaged and so does the wall of the city near it. Also, it seems the Longinus aren't interested by the city. They don't even venture near it.

"Hey!!! What are you waiting for?!!" While I was contemplating the mortars, the others have moved down the small hill where the mortars are located and are already with some soldiers standing guards there. I think they are from their lazy posture.

You know what, I don't need to go that way. The sky is all open after all. I fly and go to the main area of the fight. Although the mortars are hitting inside the area where Longinus are concentrated, the real fight is happening before that.

"Hyah!!" 

"Don't falter! Advance!!"

"Kriekk!!" 

There are all types of Longinus down there as well as men fighting them everywhere. It's hard to think this is a war between countries when I see this. I launch three bullets on a Prator which is keeping six people busy all by himself and the surprise makes everyone looks above. The prator is dead though.

"Who are you?!!!" 

One of the six screams at me while another flame ball passes above my head. 

"Like you could hear me from there." There are way too many screams and explosions going on right now.

***

"Capt', I have killed more than you already!!" 

"No way! Prators are bigger!!"

"Nope, they count for one as well."

I have come down after helping those men and soon after, Willhem and the others have joined me, rather, they just continued pushing forward and I was forced to go with them.

Now, we are a bit ahead of the main line established by the soldiers. Most of them just maintain that line and intercept Longinus as they come there. Scripts, bolts fired from weird crossbows…they unleash everything whenever Longinus are near the line. Though, right now, those who are around our area aren't busy since they all come to us.

"Krieek-"

A vanguard gets smashed by a greataxe, a sloin gets skewered by a rapier, wind balls flying everywhere. I wonder how we look right now. Not that it matters though.

"Alright. Come at me, boys." 

Two prators are coming our way. Those things look really ugly. 

"Kri-"

I cut through a sloin that was in the way and pounce on my prey. The first swings his clawed arm at me but the crescent bullets do their job and obliterate it. Still, it takes three bullets to blow off their arms. I should increase the amount of fire and wind Angas in my bullets.

"Krieek!!!" 

The prator screams horribly while its companion runs forward, trying to hit me with both arms. I use Disperse and when I am above him, his head is blown off by Tremor. He doesn't get the chance to scream.

I can hear the other one coming behing me and so give him five bullets this time.

"Kriekk!" Ah? He is still alive?

Turning around, I realize none of my bullets touch his head. Though his body is completely shredded. It fall backwards without any possibility to move then I come and finish him off. That's another three crystals on the ground. 

"Actually, that's weird." With all the Longinus we have killed so far, the floor should be filled with crystals but I don't see them as much I thought I would. Is that normal?

"Ahahaha!!! I am getting ahead, you numbskulls!!"

Willhem brings me back to the reality as he advances, pushing through two Longinus like they are mere puppets placed there. 

"No way! Not on my watch!!" Oh well, I will care about it when the time comes. For now, let's take care of this.