Bombs of People 2

The girl stood in a reserved manner, her hands clasped together in prayer. Her bearing was that of an angel – one who lured others into the darkness below. She closed her eyes before speaking in a passionate tone, though her words were more pointed than usual. “I would never have expected such a child to be so sinful. Using your fellow brethren as tools? For shame. I see that the sin of greed has stained your soul. But if you repent, I promise I can give you salvation, wiping away those disgusting impurities.”

The lieutenant, fearing for her life, wanted to escape. “C-commander, I think we should–”

“Oh? Aren’t you a cocky little brat. If you already know what I can do, then I’ll give you a choice. Surrender now, and I’ll let you live for a little while.” The commander smirked, disguising the red that had permeated through his cheeks. As a figurehead whose only strength was his inborn skill, he only saw the girl as an innocent maiden who knew nothing of the world. He could not see the corpses at her feat, nor the blood blackening her pure-white dress.

“And does such a lost soul plan to grant me salvation. After all, your skill only works on those of your race, does it not?”

The commander’s face twitched. “How do–”

“Why else would you send your own people to their death, not bothering to capture anyone? Is it not obvious how fragile and inflexible you are? I can’t see it any other way.”

“Why you… soldiers! Kill this wretch immediately!” The commander lost all composure, showing his shame, but he didn’t care. None of his soldiers – or slaves, as he called them – could rebel. If they did, they would die a meaningless death. So, the two guards standing next to him screamed as they charged at the girl. Then, he grabbed the lieutenant by the arm, pulling her in front of him.

“What are you–”

BOOOOOOMMMMM!!! An explosion rocked the tent, shredding it into pieces. The lieutenant, forced to guard the commander, managed to protect her vitals from the incoming shrapnel, but her legs quickly gave out soon after. Her breaths were labored as her mind swam in and out of consciousness. Meanwhile, the commander was completely unharmed.

The feeling of victory restored the commander’s ego as he shouted a prideful eulogy at the billowing smokestack. “Hah, serve you right, you wretch. You should have accepted my terms before going against the bombardier beetles! Now, you’re nothing more than a–”

An arm, or at least what looked to be an arm, reached out from the smoke, grabbing the commander by his lapels. Bits of exposed muscle and bone visibly undulated under the light of the perpetual sunset. The commander wanted to shriek, but he found himself frozen in place.

“You know, if there’s only one thing I could say, it’d be…” A raspy, high-pitched voice rang through the battlefield – a voice the commander had never heard before. But still, he recognized who it belonged to right away. After all, it still sounded like the voice of a goddess, one ready to drag its sinners into hell.

The girl stepped out of the smoke, revealing her horribly disfigured form. Her other arm was missing, half her face had melted, and her body was littered with missing chunks or gashes. And yet, even through all that, the girl’s smile remained fixed on her face, inviting the commander to his salvation.

And then, she spoke.

“Damn it all.”

The commander, driven by fear, powered through his instincts and drew the sword sheathed at his waist. It was purely ornamental, as he never once had a need for it, but he could no longer think straight. However, even at this distance, he knew someone as unskilled as he could land a fatal blow. So, he jammed his sword straight into the girl’s side, lodging it within her sternum.

“See, that’s what you–” The commander began to jeer once again, but his words halted. Instead, blood came pouring out of his mouth. He couldn’t understand what was happening. He hadn’t heard a sound. All there was a hollow feeling in chest, prompting him to look down.

An arm, covered by the semblance of a blue sleeve, stuck out of his chest, holding his heart in hand.

“It is terribly inconvenient that I must experience your sin to offer salvation, but it is my role to do so.” The girl took the heart, bringing it to her jawless mouth. “Now, I will grant you that which you desire.”

The girl bit down, and the commander’s vision went dark.

~~~

“T-thank you for your help.” One of the citizens bowed towards the girl and the man before disappearing into the forest. With the commander dead, they were finally free from their endless suffering. Although the Eternal War prevented them from having any real peace, they could at least have a life with some amount of normalcy.

The girl let out a cute sigh, wrapping the man’s arms around her from behind. “I can’t believe how much of a mess they made. It’s going to take a few days to clean this up.” She surveyed the countless corpses littering the clearing. The dirt was fully saturated, leaving a thin layer of blood.

The man said nothing, standing as motionless as before.

“Oh, you. You’re completely right,” the girl blushed red. Then, with an almost dispassionate gaze, she turned to the side. Kneeling there was the lieutenant, shaking but determined. “You wish to join us?”

“Y-yes, if you’ll have me. I am unable to return with my people, given everything that’s happened. Ignoring your… methods, you are kind and help those in need. I am unworthy, but I’ll still ask. This is the only way I can atone for letting my people live like cattle these last few years.”

The girl brought a finger to her chin, thinking about what to do, unconsciously brushing her cheeks against the man’s lips.

“Are you sure? Well, if you say so honey. We would be welcome to have you.”

“T-thank you.” The lieutenant bowed, the fringes of her blue hair blotched with the blood on the ground. “I-I’ll start collecting the bodies.” She quickly retreated, noticing the change in the air.

“Observant and considerate, that child is,” the girl said, pushing her lips against the man as she pulled him to the ground. Not surrendering herself to the feeling, she stared at him with a smile marred with sadness. “Hey, we’ll always be together, right?”

The man gave no answer, but the girl could tell. He would never leave her side until the moment she died. And so, as she prepared herself for what was to come, she spoke the only words that could come close to capturing her feelings:

“I love you.”