Heroes to Hunted

After the meeting was adjourned, everyone vacated the tent. Except for Mizuno and Furuya.

I was curious if they'd been plotting something, so I returned to listen to their conversation.

That's when I spotted an intimate moment between the two. Their arms were coiled around the other, locking them in a tight embrace. They then sealed their hug with a heartfelt kiss.

'So that's how it is.' I wasn't surprised, given how Furuya talked about her last night.

"Make it back to me in one piece, okay? I trust you can do that." He brushed a rogue lock of Mizuno's hair behind her ear and held her gaze for a long moment.

Mizuno gave a stoic smile. "It'll be fine. Just don't let Barrett overthrow you while we're gone."

The couple chuckled cheerily at her joke.

"I'll see you soon, Suya. I'll be back," Mizuno began pulling away.

"You better," Furuya smiled. "I love you, Yuuki."

Mizuno's cheeks turned pink as she shyly averted her eyes. I could tell that "lovey-dovey-ness" was not something she was used to.

Furuya put his hands on her shoulders, pleading. "Come on, you're going on a long mission. Would you say it once? Please?"

Mizuno leaned up to kiss Furuya and, with a deep breath, managed to say the words: "I... I love you too, Suya."

Furuya's eyes widened with surprise, and his smile grew even wider. He hugged her tightly again, nuzzling her neck.

"Thank you," he smiled warmly. "You're the best."

The two then broke physical contact, and Mizuno began to leave. With her inching to the tent's exit, I backed away. I hadn't meant to intrude on such a private event, but I did. By the time I thought about leaving them alone, the moment was already over.

Mizuno and I then regrouped to start packing supplies for the journey. Based on the time constraints, we had to leave that very day. We were to fill two-weeks' worth of provisions within a few hours.

The supplies included food, bandages, weapons, spare clothes, and some armor.

As for armor, I was given a set of treated boiled leather; its chocolate brown surface was sleek and shimmered under the Sun. The armor creaked with each movement, always assuring me I was protected. It wrapped around my torso snugly, like a hand to a glove. Paired with my armor was a studded steel pad for each of my arms and legs.

A series of belts and pockets were sown on, allowing easy access to numerous supplies. It was uncanny how much the primeval vest resembled my military-issue plate carriers back in my old world.

Much to my discomfort, I noticed the weapon I was being issued. While digging through the darkened armory, Barrett eventually returned to the light, revealing a sheathed long sword in his hand.

"Take good care of this one; it's one of Barik's finest!" Barrett boisterously laughed as he thrust the elaborately crafted metal-banded leather hilt to my face.

Though he was cheerful, I certainly wasn't. I was uneasy about using a weapon I hadn't been trained to use. "Could I make a requisition request?" I inquired with a false smile.

Barrett ceased laughing and looked at me with a countenance of confusion. "Sure thing, 'requisition' away!" He placed extra mocking emphasis on the word "requisition."

"Do you think I could swap weapons? I prefer knives over swords if I'm being honest."

For a moment, Barrett stared. However, he lit up with a smile and gave me the answer I least expected. "Nope! Sorry! I know I said you could make a request, but we have an abundance of swords right now, so you're stuck with it!"

After his denial, he reached into a sack and retrieved several bottles containing odd liquid. Barrett called them "potions" and then emphasized how difficult they were to create.

"Don't fuck up with these," he ordered and begrudgingly handed them to me. Six were red as blood, and the final was as blue as the afternoon sky. "Now shoo," he condescended with a disinterested wave of his hands, "I've other business to attend to!"

'I really dislike that guy,' I scowled as I turned away with Mizuno at my side.

After a few paces, I turned to her and asked, "What are these for?" while gesturing to the strange bottled liquid.

Mizuno turned her head and held up one of the reds and the blue vial. "The red will heal any fresh injuries, even severe wounds like broken bones. You can only consume two, at the most, daily. Too much and your blood will coagulate before bursting."

'Well, that's a pleasant thought...'

"The blue..." Mizuno continued. "That one increases mana flow efficiency. You can't control magic yet, so you won't be drinking that one."

I was confused by her statements. I didn't see how some liquid could heal you from death, and I wasn't sure how magic worked. Despite that, I knew Mizuno wasn't one to lie, and I figured I'd learn about how "potions" worked eventually anyway. So I dropped it.

Soon, I met the rest of the team. It consisted of the blacksmith, who was introduced as Barik Forge, the apparent creator of my new sword, the Traunt brothers, Mizuno, and me.

I asked Mizuno why a blacksmith was accompanying us on a military operation.

"Remember when I mentioned how fortified the warehouses were?" she asked. "He'll help with that. He'll also be useful if we fail to find transport. Besides, he's no rookie to a fight, so we'll need him."

Barik hadn't strayed from my first impression of him. He seemed to be in a perpetual state of frustration and preferred secluding himself from us.

'I guess he's not a people person.' I hoped that wouldn't impact our mission negatively. Though I thought that, I somehow felt a kinship with the man. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but his mannerisms and aura were nostalgic to me.

The Traunt brothers were happy to see me. Well, one, at least.

Alan ran up to me and shook my hand aggressively. "Hey, buddy! Sorry for throwing you under the bus earlier with Hearth; she terrifies me, man."

Though I didn't appreciate being lied about, it was a harmless thing to do. Plus, he had to clean a latrine for it, so I was happy. However, his actions did raise a bit of concern. Was he the type to sacrifice others for his own gain and survival? If he was, he'd be a clear liability to the group.

"Don't mention it," I smiled through clenched teeth. 'Though I'll be keeping a close on you now,' I added inwardly.

Joseph, unlike his brother, lacked any immature hyperactivity. On the contrary, he tried his best to remain composed and reserved like when we met.

Upon further inspection, it almost seemed like he was copying Mizuno. I had even caught him staring at her while in a daze.

Alan must've noticed it, too, because he took the opportunity to verbally pounce on Joseph to tease him. "You'll never get her," he cackled. "She even rejected you already!"

"Shut the hell up, Alan!" Joseph replied angrily, then stomped ahead with fury and flushed cheeks.

Though he tried to hide it, romance was plastered across his face. Between his reddened expression and embarrassedly retreating away, it was apparent.

After seeing something so juvenile, I chuckled. Seeing something normal like "love" amidst all this madness was refreshing. Even if it was an unrequited one.

Sadly, I could only see my original companions briefly before I left for the expedition to the farm. I was happy about one thing. Rather than a muck-covered metal collar, the reddened bare skin of their necks was visible.

When I asked, Kamida told me they'd met in the elusive "R&D" building to get the collars removed.

"We met...an odd girl in there," Ayame laughed. "She was very monotone? I guess? But she was definitely a genius! They had so much stuff in there! She even had a gas mask!"

I laughed. It was a joy to see them all so excited about this place. It was the one safe-ish place we'd found since coming to this world. I'd do what I could to preserve it at all costs.

'I swear, I'll do what I can to protect this place.' I made this vow not just for the others, but also for myself. If I ever felt the urge to desert and run, I'd look back on this moment and remember my resolve.

After a heartfelt goodbye, I began my departure with the rest of my team.

Kamida was hesitant to let me go. "Please, Sir! After what happened with Nakamura, we should stick together, no matter what!" he tried his best to convince me to reconsider.

But I wouldn't be persuaded. "I'm sorry, Kamida. But, if we want to live, this is necessary."

He sighed wearily, then accepted my decision. His lips curved to form an obviously forced smile. "We've already lost one good man to the hell of those woods. Come back alive, Sir... Sato... You have to. You will, right?"

However, I said nothing. I only nodded with a fake grin and turned away. I had no idea what to expect, and... 'I'm not one to make promises I might not keep.'

And so, we left with not only the weight of our gear but the entirety of the camp's hopes on our backs.

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