VI: New Recruits

1:27 pm

"I'm sorry for what my soldiers did to you!" Aqua repeatedly bowed at Mio.

Mio shrugged, "They're just doing their duties, so it can't be helped."

She laid her arms over the officer's shoulder, "Tell me your name."

"Uhm... Corporal Tetsuro Tsukasa," the officer responded.

"Give this man a promotion," Mio pointed at the officer while staring at Aqua.

"You can't just promote a guy-"

"Yeah, Aqua. Give that guy a promotion." Choco cutted her sentences and gave a smug smile.

"Not you too. Fine. I'll promote you tomorrow. You can go now." The officer saluted and left the room. Aqua then sat on her bed. "Anyways, how's Shion doing?"

"She's fine, but I think she's not coming anytime," Mio's face was filled with dismal.

"Wait, wait, wait. Who's this 'Shion' person? And I haven't asked this question yet, who are you?"

"I'm Ookami Mio, daughter of the Ookami Family," Mio introduced.

"Never heard of em," Choco put her finger on her chin.

"It's because they are part of Resistance higher ups, and as higher ups, their connection with the Resistance are confidential, even our members themselves don't know the relationship of their family towards the group," Aqua explained.

"Minato-san didn't tell me about the higher ups, but okay." Choco sipped her coffee.

Aqua continued to tell them about Mio's connection to her. Since Aqua was a child, she was always alone due to her family's duty of being the Resistance Leader. Because of being a confidential family because of their position, her father requested the Ookami family, as a friend of his, to babysit Aqua. And they chose Mio, their only daughter, to be assigned as a babysitter. Mio was so motherly that Aqua once considered her as her real mother.

About the "Shion" person, Aqua told them that she's a girl adopted by Mio. Mio always bring the girl and babysits those two at the same time. Shion became her only childhood friend in her entire childhood life. She always performs magic in front of Aqua, and sometimes teaches her sorcery.

But since her parents got killed, Ookami family cutted their ties with the Resistance. They parted ways on that day, until Mio came back.

"If they left the day after the leader got killed, that means your family's a traitor for leaving the Resistance behind when facing a major predicament, despite being a part of the higher ups," Choco's tone became cold.

"Wait, Choco-"

"I know what you mean, Choco-sensei. That's why I'm here to represent the Ookami family. We're apologizing for what we did. Even under his last breath, my father wanted to apologize to all of you for leaving a comrade behind. That's why I'm here. To help you in your conquest. Forgive us for what we did!" Mio bowed as an apology to them.

Choco stood from the couch, "According to the Rule of Resistance, if the Leader died due to any circumstances, the successor will be the higher up member closest to the Leader, which means your family's supposed to be the next Leader. I know the pressure of managing the entire organization, that's why I understand what your family feels. Good thing I volunteered as the temporary Leader until Aqua reached 18. Well, you came back, and now you're forgiven."

Mio hugged her, "Thank you, Choco-sensei."

Choco got confused, "Why are you calling me Choco-sensei?"

"I mean, you're Aqua's teacher. So why not?" Mio scratched her cheek.

"Why didn't I think about that!" Aqua jumped from her bed, waking up Marine beside her.

"You don't respect me anyways," Choco pouted.

"Is it morning?" Marine asked half-awake while rubbing her eyes.

"It's almost evening, get yo ass up," Choco shook Marine's body.

"Get up, old hag. You haven't taught me anything yet," Aqua joined Choco in making Marine wake up from her bed.

"Fine, fine. Stop shaking me," she responded but still lying on the bed, "Wake me up when dinner's ready."

"What the hell! I'm the leader- you know what, nevermind. Let's go, Choco," Aqua stood from her bed. "You sleeping here, Mio?"

"Hmm, I guess so."

"Good, good. We're gonna get some ingredients. Be right back." Aqua and Choco then left their room.

Walking through the hallway, Choco asked a soldier guarding their room, "Any markets nearby?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Okay then," They continued walking until the soldier stopped them.

"Wait, I think I should go instead, ma'am. It's still dangerous outside."

"Don't mind us. Go back to your position, we can handle it." The soldier only nodded.

They walked through the stairs because the electricity might possibly go down due to artillery shots. They came from the 3rd floor so walking downstairs is not that hard.

On their way, Aqua asked, "5 years ago, you told me you're gonna teach me how to use a gun. Until now, you're still not teaching me anything."

Choco only shrugged, "I don't even know how to use a gun."

Aqua gave a cold gaze and raised her gun pointing at Choco, "I will use this gun against you."

"You can't."

"I can't." She lowered her gun.

"See?" Choco smirked.

Aqua became silent. Then suddenly, she got an idea. "Hey Choco, do you remember that one elf in our org?"

"Who?" Choco gave a clueless look.

"That blue-haired elf!"

"I don't know what you're talking about- Oh yeah I remembered."

3 months ago...

After an entire day of sword training, Choco sighed and took a glance at Aqua, who's laying on the grassy field. "Get up, time to rest." Aqua only groaned and stood as a response.

While they're walking through the hallway that leads to the office, Choco accidentally bumped against a blue-haired girl. She noticed her elf-like ears, which obviously means that she's an elf.

"Sorry, ma'am," the girl apologized with a gloomy tone.

She felt something cold, literally, that made her interested, 'This coldness, strenghthened by stigma. Right, stigma is overflowing through this girl,' she thought. Stigma is an evil aura empowered by negative emotions. If manipulated and controlled properly, it can cast powerful abilities only known in the Underworld.

"What's your name?" Choco asked.

"Y-Yukihana Lamy, from the 5th Experimental Training Corps. Sorry for getting on your way!" she started trembling, afraid of getting punished.

Choco laid her hands towards Lamy's shoulders, "Calm down, I'm just asking." When she felt that Lamy's still shaking, she hugged her and patted her back.

"You feel good?" she continuously patted her back.

"Yes, ma'am."

Choco broke the hug, "Call me Choco, as a treat. Anyways, you can go back to your station. Your instructor might be searching for you."

"Yes, ma'am. I mean, Choco," she saluted and ran outside.

Aqua was staring silently the entire time, "What?" she murmured.

"Yukihana Lamy, that girl..." Choco put her finger on her chin.

"Now you remembered. You seemed interested in her when you first met her. Why?" Aqua glared.

"Nothing," Choco shook her head. She then grabbed her phone from her pocket and dialed the main base.

"Yes, Advisor Choco?"

"Can you send a girl named Yukihana Lamy from the 5th Experimental Training Corps here in Aomori? She's going to be reassigned."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Oh wait, what's the status of the first batch of M109A7 Howitzer we ordered?"

"They're arriving at Aomori tomorrow afternoon."

"Thanks for the report." Choco ended the call and brought her phone back inside her pocket.

When they reached the ground floor, Choco tapped Aqua's shoulder, grabbing her attention.

"Here. You might need another mag." Choco gave a fully loaded magazine.

"Uh, thanks." Aqua grabbed it and placed it inside her pocket.

"You also need this." She also gave her a hair tie, a cap, sunglasses and a face mask.

"Would I look more sketchy with this? Well, I think there's no more outsider here and the soldiers probably cleared out the vicinity," Aqua asked while tying her hair and wore a cap to completely hide her pink hair, and wore sunglasses and a face mask to hide her face.

"Security purposes. I don't want your identity to be revealed. I'm going to get you a jacket, too."

As they went outside the hotel, their soldiers saluted at them.

'If they're gonna salute me, this disguise is useless,' Aqua thought while facepalming. She looked at each building nearby, seeing her soldiers occupying those positions.

She then whispered to Choco, "Are you sure I don't need a vest? I left my sword inside our room."

"Don't worry. I will catch every bullet with my own body," Choco said with a confident smile.

"Now you've got me worried," Aqua sighed while crossing her arms.

They continued walking through the streets while being guided and guarded by two soldiers.

--

8:11 pm

"Shachou?" Moona poked Pekora's cheeks, realizing she's asleep.

"Are you sleeping on the couch?" she murmured as she started carrying the rabbit girl.

"I should've not overworked you." She felt like Pekora's having a deep sleep after a whole day of non-stop practice.

She encountered a staff member, "May I help you?"

"No, thanks. I can carry her myself." Moona shook her head.

"Okay then. Suit yourself." He then left.

Moona didn't sweat much while carrying Pekora. She remembered the time when she saved her from the Resistance Army where she was carrying her at that time.

When she arrived at Pekora's room, she laid the rabbit girl down on her bed. She tucked the blanket onto Pekora's body.

"Have a nice sleep, shachou." She then kissed the rabbit girl's forehead before leaving the room.

Sighing, she dialed a number on her phone, only for it to not answer after several tries.

"Where are you, Iofi?"

--

June 29, 2023, a month after the Invasion of Aomori Prefecture

7:57 am

Within a month, the Resistance Army already occupied both Aomori and Akita Prefecture. Government was slowly making their own tactics to reclaim the occupied lands, but it doesn't stop the citizens from blaming them for their incompetence. For now, both sides fortified their own lands, not knowing when their opponents would start their move.

After a month, Moona arrived in Japan, she was relieved that Pekora was a fast learner. Perhaps the rumors were true, she thought to herself.

As she met with Botan, she was surprised that they already got officers with higher ranks. She felt that she wasn't needed and she took too much time. But she has different plans up her sleeves.

"So, where are we going," Botan asked while looking at a building, possibly an apartment. "Who's the person you're going to meet?"

Moona stayed silent but responded with a smirk.

They started climbing the stairs, until they reached the 4th floor. They stopped in front of the door with the name 'Room 113' in it.

'God, I wish she's going to meet a useful ally,' Botan prayed in her mind.

Moona started knocking the door. After a moment, the door opened, revealing a rather commoner person.

'We're so dead.' Botan facepalmed in her mind.

"Who's ther- Oh, Moona. It's you!!" The girl closed the door and reopened it, revealing a white hair girl with cobalt-blue highlights, a four-pointed star-shaped halo on her head and small wings behind her back. With this appearance, she's an angel, literally.

"WHAT!!" Botan gasped in shock.

"Who's that?" The girl glanced at the lioness.

"That's Botan, Shishiro Botan," Moona introduced.

"Hello Botan, I'm Kanata, Amane Katana," she lent her hand, waiting for a handshake.

"N-nice to meet you." They shook each other's hands.

"Let me call the others. Coco, Towa, Moona's here!" Kanata yelled inside her room.

They heard a loud crash inside. After that, two girls appeared in front of them. One is an orange-haired girl with a horn and tail similar to a dragon, the other one is a purple-haired girl with a tail similar to a devil.

"Hello there," The orange-haired girl waved at Botan. When she saw Moona, she immediately hugged her and patted her back, "You came back, motherfucker!"

"Of course, I always come back," Moona responded and glanced at the purple-haired one.

"Welcome back, Moona," the purple-haired girl shyly waved at Moona and looked at Botan, "Who do we have here?"

"Shishiro Botan, call me Botan," she introduced herself.

"I'm Kiryu Coco and she's Tokoyami Towa. Nice to meet you," the orange-haired girl shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you too," she then stared at Moona, "Does this mean-"

"Welcome to the crew, new recruits!" Moona yelled out loud.

"Hell yeah!!!!!!" Coco cheered.

"Come inside," Kanata offered.

"How did you meet them?" Botan asked Moona

"Hmm, well. Let me tell you a story."