I had once witnessed such a scene on the Western Front.
In this world, guns are assisted by magic, glowing when fired.
Surely, it's a sight many soldiers see in their dying moments—A beautiful and cold starry sky, shining amidst the rain of bullets like an aurora.
11 of us parted with rifles and fireworks, hiding in the shadows of trees or in mud pits.
Then, camouflaged from toe to hair with leaves and mud, we waited with bated breath for the enemy.
At parting, Verdi offered me live ammunition, but I declined.
Since the goal was to hold back the Sabbatian soldiers, I thought there was no need to actively kill them.
We should conserve ammunition and send as many bullets as possible to the Flamer Front.
"They're coming…"
Not long after taking our positions, I spotted several squads walking towards us.
Without hesitation, I fired warning shots and lit the fireworks.
To avoid revealing that my bullets were training rounds, I deliberately aimed at the nearby grass and trees.
"…[Shield]."
The enemy immediately recognized me as a threat and began firing back.
Using [Shield], I constantly changed positions to counterattack the enemy.
Actually, there's another reason I declined the live ammunition from Verdi.
Training rounds lack lethality.
Because of this, I can pull the trigger without hesitation.
In this situation where a moment's hesitation can be fatal, I didn't want to use live ammunition, which I have little experience with.
One hour.
We set a goal for how much time we're trying to buy: one hour.
If we can hold out that long, Verdi might succeed in communicating with our allies, though it's a somewhat baseless goal.
In endless battles like this, setting small goals boosts soldiers' morale.
***
…10 minutes have passed since the start of the battle.
The sound of gunfire and fireworks from my right side have stopped.
The person stationed there was a rookie soldier from Allen Platoon.
Now, I have to pay attention to the right side as well.
His name was Reita, wasn't it…? Though we hadn't exchanged words, he seemed like a sincere young man.
"…[Shield]!"
Within 30 minutes, the gunfire coming from our position had decreased by more than half.
But sporadic gunfire and fireworks could still be heard in the distance.
I wonder if Rodri and Senior Allen are alright.
It really doesn't mean anything if they're alright, but it would be very reassuring to know they're still alive.
"…Ah!"
In a moment of distraction, I failed to deploy the [Shield] and got hit.
The injury is on my right thigh. It looks like the shot was fired from the right.
I immediately rolled and broke the line of sight from the right.
While masking the sound with gunfire fireworks, I managed to finish my self-treatment.
"Phew, phew…"
I let my guard down. That one really hurt.
What hurts most is that my remaining magical power has dropped to about half.
Healing magic consumes more magical power than a [Shield].
Since I still need to use [Shield], full recovery will be difficult if I receive a fatal wound next.
***
"…Oh."
40 minutes later. I've finally run out of the fireworks.
I must have misjudged the amount, using them all up before the one-hour mark.
By now, there was almost no sound of gunfire coming from our side.
It seems we didn't have enough for a full hour from the beginning.
"The end of fireworks is always a lonely thing."
"■■■!"
When the gunfire ceased, the enemy's assault forces finally charged in.
Though I had been desperately holding out while gradually retreating, it looks like my time has come.
Feeling like I'd be shot dead if I stayed there, I quietly moved to the right.
Hoping to buy some time with the gunfire fireworks from my fallen comrades, I continued to move.
"[Wind Cannon]!"
The enemy's assault troops were closing in, and the air was thick with the scent of death.
Grenades and gunfire were raining down all around. They were seriously trying to kill me.
I continued crawling forward to buy even just one more second before being killed.
"Ah?!"
Suddenly, a loud explosion went off behind me. Probably a thrown grenade.
My position has been almost pinpointed by the enemy.
I was outside the blast radius, but a flying branch struck my ear, cutting it deeply.
My ear was torn and clogged with blood.
…But it's not a fatal injury.
If I wipe away the blood, I can still hear just fine.
Let's hold off on using healing magic for now.
"────Gah."
As I tried to crawl away from the explosion's location, I was hit by a massive impact to my right shoulder and slammed into a tree.
My humerus is fractured, causing my arm to become numb. I completely lost sensation in my right arm.
Looking at the wound, I could see a major artery had been damaged, and blood was gushing from my right shoulder.
"Ugh… [Heal]!"
I have no choice but to use it now.
I can't crawl forward if I can't move my arms.
If I leave this injury untreated, the brachial nerve will necrotize, rendering my arm useless forever.
I had to treat it right away with healing magic.
"Ah…"
The sound of military boots draws closer.
If I stay like this, I'll be found by the enemy and shot dead.
"I'm such an idiot…"
The reason I healed my arm was to be able to resist the enemy even a little.
At least to fire back at them with training rounds if nothing else.
Yet…
"My rifle is bent…"
I had been shot in the right shoulder earlier, and that's where I'd been holding my rifle.
Apparently, my rifle had been damaged when I was shot, and the barrel of the borrowed OST-3 rifle had snapped, rendering it useless.
What would be the point of healing my arm in such a situation?
What can a defenseless girl like me do on the battlefield?
"Ah, at last…"
I rolled around aimlessly, not thinking at all.
I rolled, trying my best to put some distance between myself and the enemy.
"This is the end."
…Judging by the devastated villages, the Sabbatian soldiers have a nasty habit of toying with enemy corpses.
Will my corpse also be desecrated and used as their toy?
The thought of that is rather unpleasant.
"…Thud."
As I rolled aimlessly, I suddenly fell straight into a pit.
I have no idea who or what animal dug it, but what a silly thing to do before I die.
"Ah…"
But as soon as I fell into that hole, I realized something.
The ground still had residual heat, and foul-smelling smoke was rising.
This hole wasn't dug by someone.
It was likely the blast crater from the grenade that exploded behind me earlier.
"…"
Taking a gamble, I decided to lie in the hole, covered in dust.
I lay there with my blood-stained right shoulder facing up.
I thought this might make it look like I had been killed instantly by the grenade blast.
Since I was in a pit, it wasn't obvious at first glance.
Well, even if they find me and kill me, so be it. I think we've bought enough time already.
"■■■■…"
Nearby, I heard the Sabbatian language.
They were forming squads and slowly walking towards my vicinity.
"■■■■!"
Sure enough, I wasn't going to be unnoticed.
Lying in the blast crater with my twisted rifle, I was spotted by the Sabbatian soldiers.
If you're going to kill me, then do it.
If you're going to toy with me, feel free.
If I die alongside everyone I love, I'm not afraid.
After all, my life was already forfeit.
"■■!!"
With a loud bang, they shot me in the stomach.
I lay limp, accepting the bullets. Feeling a dull pain in my stomach, I almost threw up.
"■■■—!"
"■■"
Afterward, the Sabbatian soldiers hurriedly moved on without toying with my body.
As expected, they prioritized pursuing Verdi and the others over messing with my corpse.
This is as far as I go… Please escape safely, Verdi.
…..
I still have a bit of magical power left.
"────[Heal]"
***
After feigning death to deceive the Sabbatian soldiers, I cautiously resumed moving while pressing down on the unhealed wound in my stomach.
The pain was intense, but I had to keep going. Every step was a struggle against exhaustion and the overwhelming urge to collapse.
I managed to patch up the major wound, but my internal organs must be in a mess.
I'll die if I don't receive proper treatment.
Retreating to a place where I can heal is impossible.
Surrounded by an enormous number of Sabbatian soldiers, I can barely move.
I doubt I'll be able to escape.
"Rodri's position was, I think…"
So, I aimed for my comrade Rodri's location.
If I'm going to die anyway, I want to die by his side.
The most precious person I have left in this harsh world.
This was a connection for me, who had no hometown, parents, relatives, or anything else.
…
"Being near him in my final moments might increase the chances of meeting him in the next life."
If possible, I want to meet him again in Japan.
Maybe as classmates or childhood friends, that kind of relationship.
I would love to team up with you in-game, have fun, and laugh with you, Rodri.
For that reason, I'll give it one last push.
"…"
The distance of just a few dozen meters felt so far.
Was moving always this time-consuming?
After being shot, my body feels dizzy and my head hurts.
"Rodri…"
Even so, I didn't want to die alone.
I wanted to sleep next to that sharp-tongued, kind-hearted boy, like we did in the trenches on the Western Front.
"…!"
Before I die, just one more time…
Laughing while Salsa sobbed and held his backside, surrounded by Senior Allen and Verdi, who watched over him. I wanted to perform for the slightly tipsy Platoon Leader Garback, who blushed as he drank.
On the cold earth, I want to sleep next to Rodri under the starry night sky.
***
"Huh?"
"Hey… Shorty."
Motivated by such a wish, I desperately moved my body for another 100 meters.
There, I witnessed an unbelievable sight.
"What the hell, you can still move? You're a tough one."
"Rodri…"
This shouldn't be happening.
There's no reason for those enemy soldiers to let Rodri live.
"How are you still alive?"
"Heh, heh. After I got shot, I hid by the roots of that tree and waited it out."
I reunited with Rodri, who was crawling on the ground just like me.
"I need to perform surgery right away…"
Rodri is severely injured. His face is blue, and there were dark bruises on his abdomen.
It's clear that he's bleeding heavily inside his abdomen.
He'll die If I don't treat him immediately with a surgical kit.
"Do you even have the surgical tools?"
"…If I go back, I could get them."
"Then it's impossible, you idiot."
Even though it must be difficult for Rodri to even breathe, he laughed as he looked at me.
"You look pretty bad yourself."
"I managed to patch up the major wounds, so I should be able to last a bit longer."
"…Looks like you have fatal wounds in your shoulder and stomach though?"
"Yeah, both of those are fatal injuries."
"This is just hopeless."
Rodri kept laughing as he looked at me, despite his face turning blue.
I couldn't help but smile alongside him.
"Man, I never thought the face I'd see on my deathbed would be you, Shorty."
"Are you dissatisfied with me?"
"I'm not dissatisfied. I was planning to bite back at the Sabbatian soldiers and die, but my plan didn't go as expected."
I could feel his strength slowly fading.
It's as Rodri said, he's already done for.
So, there's no need to rush into doing anything anymore.
"It's great that I can talk with my comrade at the end. This isn't a dream or anything, right?"
"When I saw Rodri alive and moving, I also thought I was dreaming."
"Yeah, we're both incredibly lucky."
While his face remained blue, Rodri slowly raised his head and sat with his back against the tree.
I sat next to him, leaning against him.
"As expected of the 'Lucky Carry', huh?"
Amidst the gunfire echoing from all directions, the two of us lay side by side, gazing up at the blue sky.
"Oh, right. Shorty, before we head out, what was it that you wanted to tell me?"
"Huh?"
"Don't go hiding things at the end. Was it a military secret you couldn't talk about? I've been curious about it."
Rodri suddenly asked me.
He's eager to hear the sad news that the Flamel has invaded.
…Since it's the end, maybe it's fine to tell him.
"Sorry, it's a very important military secret. I can't tell you."
"Eh, don't be so stingy."
But what will Rodri think when he hears about it?
At the very least, he won't feel happy.
No, I'm sure he'll be terribly saddened.
"Well, alright then… Will you regret hearing it?"
"Hmm, who knows?"
It's true that telling him about the Flamer invasion might put my mind at ease.
It would feel nice to die without keeping secrets from Rodri.
Even if that's the case…
"It's just that, you see…"
"Yes?"
"I… loved you, Rodri. That's all."
I didn't want to thrust such a reality onto someone in their final moments.
"What? That's the classified military secret?"
"Yes, it's a highly classified and crucial military secret."
"What's with that…"
I lied to Rodri until the very end.
There is no Flamer invasion.
What I had hesitated to say back then was just a simple story of me not having the courage to confess my feelings to Rodri.
"You suddenly burst into tears, so I thought it was something really serious."
"What are you talking about? Isn't this an incredibly important matter?"
"Ah… what a letdown."
Rodri looked at me with a baffled expression.
That's fine. Go ahead, be disappointed. Just don't think about the Flamer invasion.
"You don't seem very surprised, Rodri."
"It's just, um… Sorry, but I already knew."
"Huh…?"
"Sorry, but I already knew", he says?
Unfortunately, there is a misunderstanding on Rodri's part, but let's not point it out.
That kind of misunderstanding is quite embarrassing, you know?
"If that's the case, it's good that you said it before dying. If you died without saying anything, you'd end up regretting it."
"I thought being rejected right before dying would be too much."
"…"
"You're going to reject me, right, Rodri?"
"No."
There's no use in being embarrassed anymore. No one will carry back this silly story of me being in love with Rodri.
So, let's make the dying Rodri feel good about himself to the fullest.
"If you had said that, we might have talked about getting married."
"Eh…?"
"I mean, there's no time to find another woman now. It wouldn't hurt to have a wife to brag about to Senior Gray in the afterlife."
…
"You're really hopeless, Rodri."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
As it turns out, Rodri is quite rude.
He bluntly declared he would compromise on marrying me just to brag about it.
To a normal woman, that would be an unpleasant statement deserving of a slap in the face.
"That's fine by me."
"Huh?"
"If Rodri insists so much, I suppose there's no choice. Shall we make it official?"
"…Why does it sound like I'm the one proposing?"
But, well…
He's saved my life many times before, so I'll let it slide."Then let's get married. There, it's settled."
"O-Oh…."
I took Rodri's hand and gazed into his eyes.
There's a slight blush on his face.
"Now, we're husband and wife. Do you have any thoughts about this, Rodri?"
"Umm, isn't it a bit sudden… Isn't there something like, I don't know, putting a ring on or something?"
"We don't have one. A ring, I mean."
"Right, of course…"
Rodri scratched his cheek with a slightly awkward expression.
But somehow, he didn't look displeased.
"…Rodri, what is your family name again?"
"It's Lowe. Rodri Lowe."
"Then from today on, I'll also go by Touri Lowe until the day I die."
"We're already almost at that point."
Seeing Rodri's face turning pale, I gently rested his head on my lap.
It's a lap pillow.
"Oh, right. I'll cross out 'Noel' on my dog tag and change it to 'Lowe.'"
"Oh…"
"If they understand the meaning behind that, they might even put our names on the same gravestone."
As his eyes gradually lost their light, I kept speaking gently to him.
"You know… this feels nice."
"What does?"
"Getting married, having a wife… It's nice…"
In a faint voice, Rodri spoke while staring blankly into space.
His eyes are no longer focused on me.
"Thanks, Shorty. For liking someone like me…"
"…That's wrong, I'm not 'Shorty.'"
"...ah."
"My name is Touri Lowe."
"Got it, sorry…"
It looks like Rodri has reached his limit after all.
Before my eyes, his life's flame is slowly fading.
"It's a bit of a dream come true…"
"…"
"Even if I don't have any children or grandchildren, and I'm not in bed… but I'm happy that my wife, who has a small ass and small breasts, is here to send me off…"
"Geez."
Holding his fading life in my arms…
"He's rude even at the end."
I let out a sob as I watched Rodri stop moving.
"See you, Touri…"
"Let's meet again, Rodri."
Gently, I press my lips against his.
"Ah…"
When I pulled away from the kiss, he had passed away.
His eyes stared into the void, his body went limp, and he became extremely heavy.
"Arunoma's a liar."
I kissed his lifeless lips once more.
It was a sad kiss, tinged with the taste of blood, soil, and tears.
"That was my first kiss."
Ah, what a nostalgic memory.
On our last day off together, we went on a date to see Arunoma's play in the capital.
Even though the hero Igel brought his lover back from the dead…
"You're not coming back to life at all, Rodri…!"
I didn't care if I was spotted by the enemy.
Embracing Rodri's lifeless body, I cried loudly.
***
"…"
My stomach feels incredibly heavy.
Dizzy and with a headache, I feel like I'm going to throw up.
"Phew…"
I continued walking, trying to avoid the enemy's patrols, carrying Rodri's body on my back.
"Just a little further, Rodri."
Using a leather strap, I carried Rodri's body on my back, step by step, aiming forward.
I can feel his body heat on my back fading.
It was so unbearably sad that I bit my lip.
"…"
There were still many Sabato soldiers around the Tar River.
Death's dense presence loomed everywhere, to the right, left, front, and behind.
I continued to stagger forward in this hellish place, relying on my intuition to find safety.
My legs felt heavy as lead. The taste of blood filled my mouth, and a dull pain assailed my stomach.
But even so, I had a place I wanted to go.
That place was…
"Look, Rodri. We've arrived."
The sound of the water was so peaceful and calm that it was hard to believe we were in the middle of a war.
This is the banks of the Tar River, where the war between the Sabbath and Austin began.
"…Don't you think it's a beautiful place?"
I slowly stepped into the river while talking to Rodri on my back.
My life is soon coming to an end.
The moment I relaxed, thinking I had reached the finish line, I felt like I was going to lose consciousness and sleep forever.
But I had to keep going, just a few more steps.
"I won't let the enemy desecrate your body, Rodri."
My goal is to give Rodri a water burial.
If I just left him in the mountains and the enemy started playing football with his head, I would never be able to die in peace.
I wanted to bury Senior Allen and the others as well, but… it wasn't possible with my strength.
"And, it wouldn't be good for my body to be messed with either."
I walked into the river, splashing water everywhere.
As the water reached up to my knees, every step became more difficult.
Still, I've come this far. I need to push myself forward.
"After all, this body belongs to Rodri…"
Since I'm a medic, I can examine myself.
Peritonitis, internal bleeding, full-body bruising, a fractured shoulder blade. These were all fatal injuries that couldn't be treated without immediate medical care in a rear facility.
I knew that no matter how hard I tried, there was no way to save myself.
Even now, I was so weak that I felt I would faint if I relaxed even a bit.
A little while ago, I was wondering what I should do in this situation.
I thought it would be nice to give up everything and sleep next to Rodri.
But then, I heard the gentle murmuring of the Tar River nearby.
If I'm going to lose my life anyway, I'd prefer to do so in a cleaner place than the muddy ground.
With that thought, I began to walk, carrying Rodri's body on my back.
"…"
The river gradually deepened.
Desperately holding on with the weight of two people, if my footing slipped, we would be swept away instantly.
Just a little further in. Just a little deeper and I'll throw ourselves in.
If I did that, I felt like we could be carried farther away.
"Oh?"
I felt Rodri, who was being carried on my back, stiffen a little.
Even though it's still too early for rigor mortis to have set in… his arms are gradually tightening around me as if hugging me.
"You're surprisingly lonely, aren't you, Rodri?"
I hugged him tightly, wrapping my arms around him, and gently stroked his hair.
"Don't worry too much. I've secured you firmly with the strap."
Eventually, I felt my body reaching its limit.
"Even if death separates us, we'll always be together."
Losing strength in my legs, I collapsed into the water's surface.
Accompanied by the serene sound of splashing water, I threw myself into the current.