Chapter 315 - Vol. 5 -

Ash

The day of the siege had a strangely peaceful beginning. 

The half-demon's eyes slowly blinked open as Ash stirred in her mat. Behind her, Kaori's body rested peacefully, and in front of her, taking up most of her view, was Keiko as she sat there, turned away from Ash, with her legs crossed. 

Hm... 

Ash sat up, yawned, and stretched her arms before leaning her head over Keiko's right shoulder. The raven-haired girl briefly turned to look at her, smiled, and then went back to her book. 

"Hey," Ash said. 

"Good morning!" Keiko happily greeted her which caused the corners of Ash's lips to curl up as she hugged the girl from behind. 

"What are you doing?" She mumbled quietly, as she was tempted to go back to sleep. 

"I asked some of the new soldiers if they had any magic I could study," she replied. "One of them had a spellbook on them that sounded pretty good." 

"What does the spell do?" 

"It's a momentary speed boost. A slight one," she quickly added, as Ash gave her an impressed look, "but still, it sounds useful to me." 

"Yeah," Ash nodded. "How far are you into it?" 

"I just - ahhh..." 

She flinched as Ash pressed her lips against the girl's neck. Smirking a little, Ash asked. 

"Yeah?" 

"I... I just started," Keiko replied with a little smile, her voice sounding a little drier now. 

In all honesty, she wished she could remain in this position for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, however, she understood that later this comfort would be traded for a chaotic battlefield. However, for the sleeping woman behind her, Ash would need to go through that. 

So, as her stomach growled and Keiko giggled in her arms, Ash took the first step towards abandoning that comfort briefly.

"I'm gonna go get something to eat," she told Keiko. 

"They're already serving the breakfast, go ahead." 

And so, Ash stood up and walked away. 

Outside the tent, it was a tense morning. There was a noticeable contrast in the atmosphere when comparing the camp to how it had been the previous day. Whereas before, Ash could barely hear herself think due to the constant chattering around her, Now, though, the sound of her own feet treading over grass was clear, as everyone around her was eerily quiet. 

Setting that aside, she went over to where that same lady from before was handing out the food for everyone. However, as she arrived there she noticed something odd. Unlike everyone else around her who looked like a nervous wreck, that woman had a wide smile on her face as she passed some meat and bread into her hands. 

"Have a nice morning!" She said, happily. 

"Uh... Thanks," Ash raised a brow at her. She was about to turn away, but curiosity got to her. "So, you're not feeling nervous at all?" 

It was easy to see that the woman hadn't expected that question. She looked up at Ash and shook her head. 

"Of course, I am, ma'am," she replied with a nervous chuckle. As the confusion didn't leave the half-demon's face, she added to that. "But... I'm the first thing a lot of these soldiers are going to see this morning," she stated. "I have to put on a smile for their sake. If I don't, then, well, the morale is just going to be that much worse, right?" 

"Hm..." That wasn't something Ash had considered. Looking around, though, it wasn't hard to think about how these soldiers could falter when the actual time to fight arrived later. Then again, Ash couldn't think of anything she could do about that, so she just pushed it out of her mind. 

With breakfast in her hands, she walked back thinking, maybe Keiko will let me  eat her out before the day really starts, and returned to her tent. 

---

A few hours later, Ash, and her group, were gathered around a wooden table with the general and his commanders behind him. The difference between this meeting and the others they'd had was that this time, they were out in the open and most of the soldiers were gathered around them. 

"We will enter through the palace's escape route!" The general reminded them. "A small group will travel with Kasumi, the Illusionist Savior, to prepare a distraction that grants us the space to move in and swiftly enter the city. After that, we will attack the demons from the rear and take the city in one short burst! Without a portal to retreat to, the demons will fight like cornered wolves. Do not underestimate them, and do not hesitate when the time comes to skewer them, as they will not hesitate to do the same to you!" 

As he continued his speech, Ash let her eyes roam over the nearby soldiers. She wondered how many of them would be left after tonight. However, in the middle of her analysis, someone put a hand on her shoulder. 

"Hm?" She turned and found Satsuhiro, gesturing for her to follow him. 

The two of them walked away from the group then, with a few of the soldiers' eyes moving with them, asking where they were going. They stopped just a few short steps away and Satsuhiro crossed his arms. 

"Yeah?" Ash asked. 

"I wanted to tell you to keep an eye behind you when we go into the city," Satsuhiro said. "There's always a chance that the plan is going to go wrong somehow. If it does, you'll be the factor that swings things back in our favor. Understand?" 

"Think so," Ash replied, as, again, she looked out toward the soldiers. "So, what are our chances here?" 

"Victory should be expected," Satsuhiro replied. "If that Nightmare you saw earlier is their highest-leveled demon, then they shouldn't be able to overwhelm us the way they want to. At the same time, though, Niven probably doesn't care about the city all that much."

Well, if what he's told me in the past is true, all he really cares about is that as many of us die as possible.  Ash thought.  Who's in control of what territory doesn't really mean anything to him, in the end. 

"In any case, just keep an eye out,"  Satsuhiro added. "Just because our group's gotten a little stronger doesn't mean we can't lose." 

With that being said, Satsuhiro walked back to where everyone was gathered, but Ash remained standing there for a little while longer. 

... I know that,  she thought, as Arianna's face briefly came back up in her mind, and as she remembered Sinneah being decisively beaten by that Nightmare. 

How much leveling do I need to do before I can stop worrying about everything?  She wondered.  How strong do I need to get before Niven finally gives up? 

With no answers to those questions, however, all she could do was come back to the circle, and continue listening to the general's speech. 

---

Hinata

"Remember," the silver-eyed healer told her friends, "we're here to learn from our siya. That can't happen if she dies. So, if you see her in any trouble, you drop whatever you're doing and you go help her. Understand?" 

As the other soldiers finished their preparations, while the sun was quickly descending below the horizon, the three Zayama warriors who had been sent here by the Elder herself, took stock of their weapons and made sure to be as prepared as they could be before the incoming battle. As for Hinata herself, she had a kunai with a rope attached to it on her waist, a pair of daggers on sheathes at her calves, a shortsword on her back, and a bow right next to it. The others were carrying the same weapons, along with some weary expressions on their faces. 

"What can we even learn from her?" One of the boys said. He had bright blue hair and a sharp, pretty face. "She went down so quickly when the demons came earlier. If it wasn't for you, she'd be dead right now." 

"Yes, that is how being a healer works," Hinata replied with a glare. "It doesn't mean she's a bad warrior, it means I did a good job. Now, stop doubting her skills, Hiro, and make sure you're prepared." 

"I was ready several hours ago," Hiro replied with a roll of his eyes. The other boy there, Kan, a quiet man with a much larger frame than Hiro, just gave Hinata a thumbs-up. 

Nodding, she stood and took a deep breath as she remembered what the Elder had told her personally. 

"My granddaughter is a fool,"  she had said, as Hinata attempted not to tremble in her presence.  "But..." She paused, as though the words hurt to say. "She's a gifted fool if these reports I keep hearing are anything to believe. As such, if you are to take the next step in your own journey, then you will need to see what she's doing well, and what she's doing incorrectly. In doing so, perhaps you will take the next steps in your own journey."

"Understood, siya,"  Hinata replied with a bow. 

From what she'd heard about Keiko, she'd expected a warrior goddess. Someone who looked like they were strong enough to stand by the half-demon Savior's side, or who looked rebellious enough to slap the Elder in the face as she had, and as everyone had heard about. 

Instead, when she arrived here and looked at her now from a distance, what she found was a girl who Hinata would expect to be a painter, or a musician rather than a fighter. 

She's almost shorter than I am,  Hinata thought, as her eyes refused to leave Keiko. There was something... alluring about her. Something that demanded Hinata's attention, aside from the respect she obviously held for her. 

However, that stare worked against her when Keiko noticed and walked over to her. 

Eh!? I messed up,  Hinata scolded herself before nervously looking away. 

Keiko stood in front of her, though, and said: 

"Are you prepared?" 

"Yes, siya," Hinata hurriedly replied with a bow. 

"... You don't have to call me that," Keiko replied. "And, I'm glad to hear it. Good luck out there," she stated, before walking away as quickly as she'd come. 

"..." Hinata let out a deep breath.. "Thank you, siya," she muttered as Keiko left.