Chapter Sixteen

I PROMISED MYSELF THAT I WOULDN'T POST ON WEEKENDS BUT...

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It'd been a day since Kaede's initial briefing with Ordric and the others. The camp was now a hive of activity, the soldiers and adventurers gearing up for the operation. True to his word, Ordric had ordered the march two hours after their meeting, and they were now deep in the forest, setting up a temporary staging area near the edge of the third bandit camp.

Kaede sat on a fallen log at the edge of the group, her gaze fixed on the distant flicker of torchlight through the trees. Though her body ached from earlier exertions, she forced herself to stay alert. Artificia's voice had been quiet, offering only intermittent updates, she still had over fifteen hours left before she was fully restored.

Ordric, ever the disciplined commander, stood at the center of the staging area, issuing quiet orders to his subordinates. His presence was commanding, his tone leaving no room for debate. Beside him, Britta leaned casually against a tree, twirling a dagger in one hand while watching the preparations with a lazy smirk.

"Alright, listen up," Ordric's voice cut through the murmur of activity, drawing everyone's attention. "We're in position. Rhalin's group will hit the northwestern perimeter in forty minutes to create a diversion. Once the bandits shift their focus, we'll move in from the east. Keep it quiet until we're inside. No mistakes."

Kaede stood, brushing dirt from her pants as she approached. "What about the reinforcements Rhalin mentioned? Any updates?"

Ordric glanced at her, his expression neutral. If he still harbored doubts about her presence, he didn't show it. "None. Either they're delayed, or they're already inside the camp. We'll proceed under the assumption that they're here."

Kaede nodded, folding her arms. "Do we have an exit strategy if things go south?"

Ordric frowned slightly but answered. "If the reinforcements outnumber us, we fall back to the river crossing a mile east. From there, we'll regroup with the reserve unit. But I don't plan on retreating unless absolutely necessary."

Kirara strolled over. "What about me and Kaede? Like you sticking us with the reserves again?"

Ordric's jaw tightened. "You'll both stay with the second wave. Support the main group as needed, but don't overextend. And Kaede…" His gaze sharpened. "No heroics. If you see a chance to disable their defenses, take it—but don't push yourself like you did earlier."

Kaede smirked faintly. "I'll behave, General."

Satisfied, Ordric turned back to the map spread out on a makeshift table. "Good. Everyone, double-check your gear and stay sharp. We move in twenty minutes."

---

The final moments before the assault were a tense blur of preparation. Kaede found herself pacing the staging area, her mind running through every possible scenario. Kirara joined her, her usual teasing demeanor replaced by a rare seriousness.

"Ready for round two?" Kirara asked, her tone light but her eyes watchful.

"Are you?" Kaede replied, adjusting the straps of her bag. The silence that followed was heavy, but they had no time to clear it up.

A horn sounded softly from the northwest, the signal that Rhalin's team had begun their diversion. Ordric's voice rang out, cutting through the night. "Move out!"

The group advanced silently through the underbrush, their movements practiced and precise. Kaede fell into step behind Britta, her senses heightened as they approached the edge of the bandit camp.

The camp itself was larger than the first, with makeshift barricades and several watchtowers positioned around the perimeter. The bandits were already scrambling toward the northwest, drawn by the sounds of Rhalin's feigned assault.

Ordric raised a hand, signaling for the group to halt. He turned to Kaede and Kirara, his expression firm. "This is where you come in. See that tower?" He pointed to the nearest watchtower, where a lone guard was scanning the forest. "Take it out quietly. Once you've cleared it, signal the main group to move in."

Kaede exchanged a glance with Kirara, who grinned. "Sounds like fun."

Kaede sighed but nodded. "We're on it."

The two women slipped into the shadows, moving with practiced stealth, well Kaede was Stealthy, Kirara strolled behind her leisurely, toward the tower. The forest seemed to hold its breath as they approached, every rustle of leaves and snap of a twig magnified in the stillness.

Reaching the base of the tower, Kaede crouched low, scanning for any additional guards. Artificia's voice echoed in her mind. <One target detected. Low threat level.> From high above, her drone went unseen.

"Just the one," Kaede murmured to Kirara.

Kirara smirked. "Easy pickings."

Kaede nodded, her hand hovering over the shield at her side as Kirara began her climb. The next few seconds were a blur—a single word, a muffled gasp, and the guard slumped forward, asleep.

Kirara waved from the top of the tower, her grin visible even in the dim light. Kaede signaled to Ordric with a soft whistle, and the main group began their advance.

Just as Kirara got down from the tower, Kaede stopped her saying. "Promise me that you will be careful. Your skill does not discriminate. You have to be careful."

A strained look appeared on Kirara's face. "Ok I get it. Like, I made a mistake before, you don't have to start treating me like a... I'm not some little child you know."

"I know that, and I'm not saying you are... Just, you tend to throw tantrums, in the castle it's not really a problem, but here, anything can happen." Kaede's black tower shield, vanished, suddenly replaced by a white circular shield.

Kaede flung her circular shield towards Kirara, the shield whizzed past Kirara, smashing into the head of a bandit who had spotted them, knocking him unconscious.

If Kirara was afraid, she didn't show it, instead she looked irritated. "I'm not going to attack the adventurers."

The shield bounced back to Kaede's hand and she caught it. "It's not just the adventurers, the bandits too, your power allows you to win instantly without fighting or any casualties. It doesn't have to end with you killing them."

The irritated look on Kirara's face grew more profound as Kirara's lips pressed into a thin line, her grip tightening on her uniform. "You don't get to tell me what I can or can't do," she said, her voice low and sharp.

Kaede blinked, taken aback by the sudden intensity in Kirara's tone. "Kirara, that's not what I—"

"Oh, really?" Kirara interrupted, her eyes flashing. "Because it sure sounds like you're trying to 'manage' me, just like those self-righteous mages back at the capital. Like I'm some kind of unstable weapon instead of a person."

Kaede frowned, her voice softening. "That's not what this is about. I'm not them, Kirara. I'm just trying to look out for you—"

"I don't need you to look out for me!" Kirara snapped, her voice louder now. She stepped closer, her gaze boring into Kaede's. "You think I don't know what my power can do? I'm the strongest person here!"

Kaede held her ground, though the sting in Kirara's words was undeniable. "I'm not saying you don't. But this isn't just about you. We're in the middle of a battle. One mistake—"

"One mistake, and what?" Kirara scoffed, her voice trembling with anger. "You're just like the rest of them, Kaede. Acting like you're better, like you know what's best for me."

Kaede's jaw tightened, her patience fraying. "That's not fair, and you know it."

A bandit, unnoticed until now, emerged from a nearby tent, his eyes narrowing as he spotted Kaede. Before he could make any movements, Kaede's shield flew from her hand, striking him square in the chest and knocking him unconscious. The shield returned to her hand just as quickly, and she exhaled in relief.

Kaede jerked however as she was pushed sideways by a fuming Kirara. Of course if Kaede wanted, she could have not even flinched from the force, but Kaede was trying not to antagonize her only friend further.

"Sleep." Kirara said calmly, her voice carrying in the wind, and Kaede heard a thud behind her. Turning around she saw an unconscious bandit laying on the ground with a bow a few inches away. Apparently he had fallen from the top of a building after being hit by Kirara's skill.

Kaede straightened, brushing dirt from her uniform as she regarded the unconscious bandit. "Thanks," she said, her tone clipped.

Kirara scoffed, glaring at her. "Don't thank me. I'm just doing my job—since apparently, I'm not allowed to do it my way."

Kaede narrowed her eyes. "That's not what I said."

Kirara spun on her heel, her voice sharp. "Isn't it? 'Don't do this, Kirara. Be careful, Kirara.' Do you even hear yourself? You're starting to sound like them. Like the bastards who thought I couldn't be trusted to take a step without supervision."

"That's not fair," Kaede shot back, her tone rising. "You know I'm not like them. I'm just trying to make sure you don't get hurt—or worse, hurt someone you don't mean to!"

Kirara barked a bitter laugh, stepping closer. "Oh, like I did to you? That was all you! Acting like a damned hero."

Kaede's jaw tightened, her patience wearing thin. "Damned hero? I was trying to protect people."

Kirara's eyes flared with anger. "You know for all your talk about hurting myself, you don't even see how much of a hypocrite you're being. You passed out in the middle of a fight because you're so obsessed with proving yourself! To people who don't even matter!"

Kaede's retort caught in her throat. Before she could respond, a shadow moved in the corner of her vision. "Down!" she barked, sweeping Kirara off her feet. A dagger sailed past where her head had been and embedded itself in a tree.

Kirara twisted, her voice sharp with command. "Sleep!" A bandit tumbled from a nearby tree, landing unconscious at their feet.

Kaede felt her temper flare. "What the hell is wrong with you?! How can you be so flippant about people's lives?!"

Kirara turned on her, her voice heated. "Because none of them matter, they're not even real!"

Before Kaede could respond, a bandit lunged at her from the shadows, blade raised. Her shield reacted instantly, flying from her arm and slamming into the attacker's chest. He crumpled to the ground as the shield boomeranged back to her.

"Nice throw," Kirara said coldly, sidestepping another assailant as she murmured, "Sleep." The man collapsed mid-swing, his weapon clattering to the ground.

Kaede took a steadying breath, glaring at Kirara. "What do you mean, they're not real? Everything that's happened- This is not a game Kirara!"

Kirara bristled, her voice a hiss. "Don't you tell me that! None of this is real!"

Kaede's frustration boiled over. "Is that really how you see this world? Kirara I almost died!"

The words hung in the air like a challenge, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Kirara turned away, her voice low but trembling with emotion. "That was your mistake!"

Another bandit charged from the side, shouting as he raised a club. Kirara didn't even glance at him. "Sleep." He hit the ground before he got within five feet.

Silence reigned on the battlefield for a few minutes, both girls standing in view. Kirara had her back to Kaede who finally took a deep breath.

"Where'd you learn to move like that?" Kaede asked after a moment. Kirara tilted her head so that Kaede was slightly in her view. Kaede continued. "I've never seen you train since I got here, and here you are..."

Kirara let her head droop as she answered. "From watching you."

Kaede was mildly shocked at the revelation. "Seriously?"

Kirara nodded. "You've spent almost every moment since you've been summoned in the training yards. Sometimes I come out to watch you practice. You're amazing, and I was just doing what I saw you do. I guess I did it right because half way through, I got a skill called [Battle Awareness]"

"Really? I didn't get a skill, and we were practically doing the exact same thing." Kaede's eyes lit up with realization. "Unless," She smiled, a teasing smirk. "Kirara~"

Kirara turned in surprise. "W-what, why're you looking at me like that?"

Kaede creeped closer, her voice steady but soft. "You were watching everyone, making sure none of our allies got caught in the crossfire. That's why you unlocked the [Battle Awareness] skill—you were paying attention to all of us. Whether you admit it or not, you care."

Kirara stepped back from the smiling Kaede. "Wha... No. Like that's not it. I just..." She didn't succeed though, as Kaede caught up and hugged her. "I know." She whispered. "It'll take time but, I'm here."

Kirara froze for a moment, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. Giving in, she returned the hug, not bringing herself to stop sobbing.