Daigo Oyama

(Don’t go!)

I was always running after him.

I didn’t have much else going for me other than the fact that I was big-boned, and it was all I could do to keep up with him.

(Wait up, Ryo-chin!)

I cried out as the gap between us widened. At the same time, I tripped over my feet and fell.

Before I knew it, I had lost sight of him.

(Ryo-chin!)

As I cried out, blinking back tears, I noticed a hand stretch toward me.

“Come on. Get up, Dai-chin. Let’s go.”

It was the usual dream: a scene from my childhood.

Ryo-chin grinned at me as I grabbed his hand and stood up.

...At least, that was how my dream usually ended.

This time, however, Ryo-chin’s arm tore off at the shoulder when I grabbed it.

I stumbled backward and landed on my butt, still holding his hand.

(Ry-Ry-Ryo...chin?)

The Ryo-chin that stood before me now was no longer a kid, but a high school student.

He was still missing an arm and blood gushed from the jagged edges.

“I’ve always waited for you, you know. I didn’t think you’d leave me behind, Dai-chin.”

(No, wait! Ryo-chin, I-!)

The words died in my throat. 

“Aaaaaahhhh!!”

I woke up from my dream and sat up, gasping.

My whole body had broken out in a cold sweat from my realistic nightmare.

When did I fall asleep?

If I recall correctly, I’d held my breath for too long while fighting the lizardmen and passed out from lack of oxygen.

Tsukasa had been talking about leaving Section Eight behind and retreating.

I’d never been good at expressing my emotions or talking to people, and Ryo-chin had always been there to help me out.

That was the first time I yelled at someone baring all my emotions.

“Abandon Ryo-chin and the others?! Screw you! I won’t-”

I was unable to finish my sentence as I blacked out due to the blood rushing to my head.

Now that I was awake, I saw that we were no longer at the river, and the sun had already set. 

Amidst the darkness, I made out the shapes of multiple brick walls.

The same walls surrounded me on all four sides as if to protect me.

“This is our makeshift camp. I asked Sergeant Makabe to build these walls for us.”

Tsukasa spoke to me from the other side of the wall.

His voice sounded terribly hoarse, most likely from shouting too much.

“Tsukasa! Where’s Section Eight?! What happened to Ryo-chin and the others?!”

“Relax, SSG Oyama. Corporal Ando’s confirmed that the five of them are safe. They’re still waiting by the river.”

Thank god. They’re okay.

I have to go help them, quickly.

“Don’t move, SSG Oyama.”

My body froze at Tsukasa’s command.

I was unable to move an inch, no matter how hard I tried.

“I forbid you to meet up with them. Make any attempts, and I’ll shoot Charlotte and blow her up, along with the others.”

“Wh-why?! What for?!”

“Because they’re dangerous. That goes for both that woman and those useless soldiers. A rotten apple spoils the whole barrel.”

This was no longer the Tsukasa who was constantly being bullied by Eiko’s group. I hardly recognized him anymore.

“Our current priority is to destroy the enemy’s castle. If we succeed, we can save Private Izumi and the rest of Section Eight.”

I grit my teeth in frustration.

Was there really no other way?

An image of Ryo-chin running away from me entered my mind.

I desperately called after him as he disappeared into the distance, becoming smaller and smaller.

But no matter how hard I cried out, Ryo-chin never looked back or held out his hand to me again.