Social Politics

As the crowd hushed and gathered around the high schooler, a blend of obvious anxiety and fervent anticipation spread across their faces.

"First, let me introduce myself," Red Hair began with a wide grin. His fiery locks caught the light, and his grin revealed a fang that caught the light, adding a sharp gleam to his smile. "The name's Tachibana Daisuke. Nice to meet you all! Now, as for our current situation…"

He paused, letting out an exasperated sigh, then continued in an almost pleading tone, with both hands thrown to his sides.

"Look, people. What you all need to understand is how amazing of an opportunity this is, okay? We. Have. Been. Trans-mi-grated. You know, like those stories where people from our world get transported to another? That's us now! Do any of you even understand how AWESOME that is?! I'm talking about stuff that only happens in manga! Stuff that JUST HAPPENED TO US! We're in a world of fantasy now! A world with magic, riches, adventure, freedom… You name it!"

Murmurs of disbelief and excitement rippled through the crowd, reactions as varied as a desert to a jungle. Some faces were brightly illuminated with hope, while others were shrouded in doubt.

One from Tachibana's clique raised his hand and shouted, "Elven babes, too, right?! We gotta see some!"

Tachibana laughed, undeterred by the interruption. "Yes, yes! Exactly! In fact, I'm sure this new world has a little bit of everything for everyone! It's a new start for all of us!"

"I mean, aren't you all tired of the routine in your daily lives? Back in our old world, I bet most of you were used like human grindstones! Your only purpose was to make someone else richer while they paid you a pittance in return, am I right? Right?!"

'Such privileged concerns...' Sato thought to himself with a scowl. 'At least you didn't have to wonder when you might catch a bullet or three.'

That's when casually dressed man raised his hand.

"Yes, sir! What can I help you with?" Tachibana inquired.

The man rubbed the back of his neck and gave a nervous smile. "Well, actually, my boss pays me pretty well. I rarely have to go in too! Being a manager is pretty awesome! I'll admit, my life is pretty goo-"

"Ptoie," Tachibana interrupted. He spat at the ground and scowled at the man. His welcoming demeanor had gradually spoiled to hostility. "Well, I'm not talking to you then. You can just get out of the way and try to find a way back on your own."

"I-"

"Shoo, shoo," Tachibana interrupted the man's protest. "I don't like your kind. Get outta here."

The man raised a finger, then hesitated with clear discomfort. He opened his mouth to speak but Tachibana's pressuring stare silenced any words.

"...okay," muttered the man. Defeated, he slunk away and disappeared into the crowd as they parted to let him through.

"Now. Where was I?" Tachibana continued with a renewed smile. "As for everyone else, aren't you all excited to get away from the mundane grind?! Excited to find freedom in a land where it's abundant?!

I'm tired of my high school days. At best, I was going to end up in some white-collar job working with spreadsheets. At worst, drafted into the army to fight a battle I had no stake in! Neither of which would've been my choice, but a destiny laid out for me by others. Now, though? Now," he squeezed his fist tight and thrust it forward, a sparkling smile shimmering on his face, "I can be a goddamned HERO! And you all can be too!"

"But what are we supposed to do?! We can't just uproot our lives and move on as if nothing happened! What about our families?!" a voice called out.

"Forget 'em!" Tachibana replied with an odd coldness. "Families are a dime-a-dozen. My parents were always on my back about following a defined path. Always telling me what I should and shouldn't do. But here? A life of grandeur? This'll be an experience nobody can shape but us! This'll be priceless!"

A brief silence weighed heavy upon the atmosphere as the crowd considered Tachibana's words. It all changed as a middle-aged woman muttered, "You… You're insane! How could you be so ungrateful to your parents?!" 

Meanwhile, another's eyes began to well with tears. "Will I… Will I never see them again? Why is this happening?" he cried.

Numerous others followed suit as anger, unrest, and sadness washed over the crowd.

Even so, Tachibana only looked on with an unfazed attitude and shrugged. "Huh… I guess not everyone would feel the way I do. Don't worry. You guys will come around. Just give it a little time!"

Another stepped into the limelight, a slightly grizzled, middle-aged man.

"Look, kid. Personally, I'm alone. Been that way since the war started... But still, I have a job! Now, I'm not expecting someone your age to understand, but I have a career. Something that I worked on for YEARS to build! Is it boring at times? Sure! Is my boss an inconsiderate prick that forces me to go wayyyy beyond my limits because he refused to hire any more help? Absolutely!"

"Then-" Tachibana tried to speak, only to be interrupted.

"HOWEVER! Despite my complaints, that life promised me safety, stability, and security! Which is more than most people back home can say. I was set to retire at fifty-five! Can the same even be said here? Who the hell knows where we are! You expect me to just go along with what that old timer was saying?"

Tachibana approached the man and placed a hand on his shoulder. His eyes softened and his lips curved to form a reserved grin.

"Don't worry, buddy. What we do here won't even be considered work. Effective now, you're retired. You'll practically get paid for having fun now! You'll never again have to suffer under a boss's tyrannical hand ever again! No more will our lives be taken and devoured by those more fortunate than us! We're free!"

Tachibana gestured to the clique at his side.

"As for safety, my new friends and I know the drill. Have you ever played an adventure game with cheat codes?" He smirked and stepped away. "Because that's essentially what you get by sticking with us. And for those of you concerned about your families, we'll find a way to contact them again. Hell, we could probably just bring 'em here! You know?!"

Tachibana excitedly gestured to the three teenagers at his side.

"Look, just follow our lead and everything will be okay. Follow us and I promise you, we'll succeed in this world. We won't just survive. We'll thrive!"

A few seconds of silent deliberation passed. Reluctance weighed heavy in the air as each of Sato's countrymen considered Tachibana's words. In the end, however, most of the group nodded in agreement.

It wasn't long before the crowd flocked toward Tachibana. While some were still plagued by concern, they were an outlier. Most had completely given their trust to the charismatic boy before them. 

Sato stood as one of the minority, far at the edge of the room and narrowing his eyes in disdain.

"Ugh…" he grimaced. 'Seeing a crowd of adults entrust their security to a kid is enough to make my gut nauseous. Why are people like this?' 

He asked the question, but he knew why.

'If someone's desperate enough, they'll follow anyone promising safety. So long as that someone has even a small amount of confidence, they'll be perceived as an authority figure. That's humanity for you - a bunch of sheep that can't think for themselves.' 

There were two exceptions, however.

The punk from earlier and Agawa watched the herding masses with contempt and disappointment. 

"Lemmings." 

"Idiots." 

They simultaneously grumbled with judging stares of disappointment. 

'Well… At least some of them have the luxury of common sense,' Sato chuckled. He then turned his attention elsewhere - specifically the room's exit. 

'I guess I should be thankful they're so oblivious, though. I won't have to worry about being noticed or disturbed now.' 

The soldier stepped up to the door to see that it consisted of sturdy oak paired with iron reinforcement; markings of wear and tear suggested it hadn't seen maintenance in many months, if not years. 

Even the iron handle and lock were wholly rusted on the surface. Yet, despite its poor condition, the obstruction seemed too robust to break with reckless force. 

'Might as well give it a try,' the soldier thought. His fingers tightened around the rusty handle and his brow furrowed. The door resisted. Instead of opening, one could hear the faint grinding and clattering of it grating against its frame.

"Won't budge," Sato muttered with a sigh, rust flakes clinging to his skin. He quickly pulled his hand away and wiped it on his trousers while thinking, 'So we're locked in? Must be what that sound from earlier was. They call us "heroes" but we really are captives, aren't we?'

The soldier brought a hand to his mouth and pondered. 'Should I try to force it? Depending on the level of erosion, the hinges might snap free if I pull with enough strength…' 

Without moving, he took another look at the door, then shook his head in dismissal. 

'No… If anything, I'll tear the handle clean off before making any actual progress… Maybe I could break it down?' 

An image of the old man's mysterious combo of fire came to Sato's mind. 

'Yeah… No… I better avoid needlessly antagonizing him or any of the others until I figure out what their tricks are. Until I know what they're capable of, it'd be better to hold tight and wait for more information.' 

His internal deliberation and mission to check the door was finished, so Sato let go of the handle and wiped his hands clean of any rust. 

'I'll wait for now,' he nodded to himself and stepped away from the door. It was just in time, too. The obnoxious cheering and clapping around Tachibana was audibly dying down, meaning the soldier's precious distraction was meeting its abrupt end. 

"Back to their peripheries," Sato mumbled. 

The soldier had always been an anxious man, a condition that was only exacerbated by his time in service of the military. Because of that, he hated crowds, even feared them. And though he knew that fear was irrational, Sato couldn't help it. 

One thought would always linger in the back of his mind.

'Who's a friend and who's an enemy?' he thought while warily appraising his countrymen. 'It's impossible to tell anymore.'

So, Sato silently inched back to his original position in the back of the room. 

'Almost back to obscurity-' 

"What about him? He's clearly in the army," said the same girl who'd brought up the issue with the phones. She pointed at him and continued, "Wouldn't he be the most qualified as a leader?" 

'...or not.'

***

The room fell silent as dozens of eyes fixed upon Sato.

"Great," he sighed. He would have liked to avoid getting entangled in social politics, but with this atmosphere, he had little choice.

"Huh, so you do look like you're in the military…" Tachibana saunted up to Sato, then paused and ran his eyes up and down the soldier's body, noticing the damaged condition of his equipment. "Definitely seen better days though. You get blown up or something? You look like you've gone through an apocalypse!" 

The kid burst out into laughter at his own joke. A joke which only disturbed and even frustrated the soldier. Still, he was too disciplined and tired to confront the teen about it.

Sato only sighed and responded with, "You don't know the half of it."

"I'll bet! I guess it's normal to look beaten when you're a shield, huh? You damage tanks really have it rough!"

"...yeah." 

Slowly, the soldier's patience burned away. He soon found himself gritting his teeth together and squeezing his fists in a subtle fit of anger. With Tachibana's insensitive remarks, it wouldn't be long before Sato's emotions had grown to burst.

Luckily, the kid had lost interest and moved on before that breaking point.

"Well, whatever. Who are you, then?" the kid asked as he wiped a tear from his eye.

Sato relaxed and, without thinking, he snapped into an automatic response. 

The soldier straightened his back, clicked his boots together, and placed his hand to his forehead: a formal salute. 

"Sergeant of the 31st forward platoon and a member of the Armored Deployment Corps. Sato Katsuro of the Imperial Reformed Forces!"

"Woah," Tachibana stepped back. "So you guys do talk like that?" He stared in amazement and mockingly clapped his hands. "That's really neat! It's like you're a puppet! Anyway, do you think you're up to the task? Can you take charge of our merry little band of heroes?"

Ignoring the kid's usual insensitivity, Sato hesitated - images of his last mission played through his mind like a theater screen. 

The loss… 

The bloodshed… 

It flickered behind his eyes as he looked on at the hopeful crowd ahead. 

'These people can't fend for themselves. If trouble happens, the same will happen to them,' he grimaced and pulled a hand to view. 'But do I want that kind of responsibility? Do I want to be the one to blame when everything goes wrong? Or be the one to sacrifice when someone needs help?'

The soldier squeezed his hand into a fist and steadied his resolve. "No, this isn't my responsibility. Not without any orders from a superior," he said. 

"Excuse me?" Tachibana replied.

"I need orders first," Sato responded again flatly.

"I see…" Tachibana smiled while scratching his neck. "But that didn't really answer my question. I'll be more specific. Are you willing to lead us?" He nodded toward the crowd of curious spectators within the room.

'Does he not understand? Was I vague?' the soldier wondered. He had always struggled with a communication gap when speaking to civilians. 'I just have to be more direct.'

Making direct eye contact with Tachibana, Sato's expression became firm so as to leave nothing to interpretation. "I only serve when ordered to by a superior. Anytime else, I'm just a normal person. I'm not interested in anything more than that."

"So, you're saying you don't intend to lead us then?" Tachibana's face became apparent with impatience, and his shoulders tensed up. His brow furrowed and his eyes drilled into Sato as if to say "Hurry up, already."

That was when the realization had hit the soldier.

'This kid…' his eyes twitched with irritation. 'He knows I don't intend to lead, but he isn't asking out of curiosity.'

Instead, it was painfully evident Tachibana was trying to knock out a potential rival, like a regular politician, by getting an unambiguous declaration of Sato's surrender.

'Fine,' he begrudgingly relented, 'I'll give him what he wants.'

The soldier folded his arms behind his back, straightened his posture, and spoke with a loud tone. "That's right, Mr. Tachibana. I don't intend to lead this group." 

Sato had always clashed with political types. So many times he had dealt with their manipulative, two-faced nature. These encounters hardened him. Now he despised anyone who played political games - they had become his natural enemy. 

'And I'll avoid you too, while I'm at it,' the soldier vowed inwardly.

"Sounds good!" Tachibana exclaimed. An idiotic smile plastered itself onto his face as turned from the soldier and stepped away with the pep of victory. 

"Welp, you heard the man, folks!" Tachibana shouted with glee. "Unless there's anyone else that would like to throw their hat into the ring, we should make a pla-"

A loud thud disrupted his words as it echoed in the room. Sato turned his head to see what had caused it: the punk and the sole of his shoe after he had stomped into the floor.

"This is stupid!" the punk shouted with eyes flared from anger. "Like I'd let some brat tell me what to do! You all can play games if you want," he pointed to the door and growled, "but I'm leaving."

'That's the way!' Sato thought with a genuine smile. Though he didn't agree with the punk's aggressive nature, he could only describe what he felt in that moment as admiration.

"Brat?!" Tachibana exclaimed. He stepped toward the punk and clenched his fists tight. "Who do you think you are?! Do you wanna fight?!"

A violent smirk containing what could only be described as bladed fangs appeared on the punk's face. He arched his neck and turned only his face toward Tachibana. "I'm Takagi Akio, and actually," the punk slid a thumb across his neck in an intimidating gesture, "yes I do. I'd love a fight. Are you giving one?"

Tachibana staggered back at the unexpected answer. He stammered over his words as a profuse sweat broke out across his forehead. "Uh...w-wait... What?"

"So? Wanna die?" Takagi cracked his knuckles and leaned forward. Then, with a turned cheek, he mockingly pointed to it with one finger. "Go ahead. I'll even let you take the first swing, lemming. Give it your best shot."

Unsurprisingly, the overconfident Tachibana nervously fidgeted to himself. His muscles, or lack thereof, were loosening as he lost his will to figh.

"Um… Uh… Heh… About that," Tachibana stuttered. He slowly backed away from Takagi, but never took his eyes off of him.

Meanwhile, Sato chuckled to himself with crossed arms. To him, the sight resembled a fussy Pomeranian cowering after angering a seasoned Doberman.

'All bark and no bite, huh? Figured as much.'

Likewise, Agawa had whispered, "Behold, our valiant leader!" while snickering to herself.

"So? Are we doing this or what?" Takagi said with a fiery smile.

"Uh… N-No. It's not worth it," Tachibana replied.

"Uh huh. Pathetic." Takagi appraised Tachibana's lack of fighting spirit and scoffed in a display of extreme contempt. "Don't act tough if you don't have the fists to back it up." The punk sneered and turned away, adding internally, 'You'll get my hopes up…'

Takagi then walked forward, making Sato the next hindrance he needed to address. "Move," he demanded without hesitation.

'There's no way this kid could break it. He'd only hurt himself,' Sato thought, shaking his head. "The door is locked and exceptionally sturdy. Attempting to force it wouldn't end well without proper planning."

"It doesn't matter… Move."

Sato peered into Takagi's eyes and saw they were inflamed with determined fury. One way or another, the punk planned on whamming the door; nothing was going to deter him from it.

Sato sighed tiredly and shrugged his shoulders. 'I'd rather not have to fight a kid… But if he does break it down, he could antagonize our captors. It wouldn't end well for any of us…'

He glanced again at the punk and sighed to himself. 'Why don't you guys ever listen to reason?'

An impatient growl escaped from between Takagi's grinding teeth. "Soldier Guy, you have two options: move, then die. Or die, and I'll move you. Your call."

"Huhhh, fine," Sato relented and stepped aside. "Have at it."

Following orders made by civilians was absolutely not a habit of his. However, he figured letting the punk learn from his mistakes would be better than resistance. Of course, there was no way an untrained teenage delinquent could break the door, so the worst outcome was he minorly hurt himself.

"Heh, good. I'll show you you're worried about nothing. This door is nothing special; I'll break it down in less than a second."

'Sure, sure. We'll see about that,' Sato thought with crossed arms and an amused expression.

Another beast-like grin appeared on Takagi's face as strutted up to the door. He pocketed his hands and lifted his right leg with utmost confidence. "I'll show you losers how it's done. Watch closely."

'Yup. Let's watch you fail,' Sato chuckled to himself. 'Maybe the brat will learn to listen after he does.'

But then Takagi started glowing!

Small orbs of green energy gathered in a spiral around the punk's leg, their luminescence reflecting off every wall. The light even dwarfed the torches in both radiance and size, blinding all who beheld it.

'It's…too bright!' Sato winced. Instinctively, he averted his gaze and shielded his eyes. All he could hear was the loud crackling of splintering wood and the squealing of bent steel hinges.

Then the light vanished, and with it went the door. No, it wasn't that the door disappeared… Takagi had sent it barreling down the hallway!

And then, once the dust had cleared, Sato was met with Takagi's arrogant smirk as he stared the soldier down. There were no words exchanged between the two, but the punk's expression said it all.

"I told you so."