Author Notes:
First of all, salutation to Corporal NottaTank, who is the newest contributor for the betterment of the Imperium!
Now, believe me when I say, recaf does stuff to a person, especially when you down like two 500 ml mugs in quick succession. tehehehe.
Anyway, without further ado, do enjoy this new GSS chapter, and do have a great weekend! Remember, you can support me and gain access to Early Access contents on my Patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/Heartbreak117
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https://discord.gg/cVZxJ29ruh
https://www.webnovel.com/book/reich-marshal-of-the-belkan-reich_23809095505377305
https://www.webnovel.com/book/in-the-grimdark-sector-with-a-system_31596105108346205
https://www.webnovel.com/book/my-soul.-occupied-body---please-the-other-me...!_35377211308783905
https://www.scribblehub.com/series/2271569/reich-marshal-of-the-belkan-reich/
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"How many times has Sensei done this...?" Asks the famous food critic and infamous restaurant terrorist Kurodate Haruna. Above her lustrous silver hair, her halo, red and in the shape of a double crosshair, denounces her usual status as a backline sniper, with either her eyes on the target or a plate of succulent Chinese meal.
In this instance, Haruna, with her wealth of experience as a rifle-wielder and her immaculate vision, has managed to discern and understand every single decision her Sensei has made in the heat of combat. Even then, Haruna still finds herself in discomfort, for she knows that not a single sniper that she is familiar with in Kivotos could pull off the stunts that their Sensei performs with apparent ease. Granted, their Sensei apparently has her superhuman training to boot, but even before receiving her Master Jingwei's teaching, Sensei has been doing more than just fine, and that is mildly concerning.
"I can't even count the people Sensei has... Killed." The last word comes out dryly as a distinct ashen taste settles on Haruna's tongue. Yet, Haruna knows she hasn't been touching any drink or liquid in the last hour or so. That distasteful flavor appears because the word 'kill' itself, and its synonyms, are so unfamiliar to the students of Kivotos... Discounting Arius Academy, of course.
From what Haruna knows about Arius Academy, it remains the most militant Academy in the Kivotos even after the incarceration of its former Headmaster Beatrice. Not even the GSC-affiliated Special Response Team can compare with Arius in terms of total firepower and the willingness to do anything to achieve the final results, even if that means involving less-than-acceptable methods.
An Academy that now trains the first official Army of Kivotos- that is Arius in a nutshell. Fortunately, Arius Academy is loyal to Sensei and, by extension, the GSC... As long as the GSC doesn't do anything to contradict Sensei's desires, of course. But Haruna's digressed.
"They weren't people." Comes the cold voice of someone the Haruna of the past wouldn't ever imagine sitting at the same table with. "Not anymore, at least."
The words were spoken by the Gehenna Academy's Head Prefect, Sorasaki Hina. Coincidentally, she's one of the strongest contenders for the position of being the strongest combatant in Kivotos, with only a certain pinkette of Abydos Academy able to boast the same status as Hina, and a certain overgrown silver wolf.
"I just feel it's sad, you know..." Haruna says before lifting a cup of nothing but water from the table. "Sensei... We all know she didn't have an easy life before and after her arrival to Kivotos. And now? Even when it's her next lifetime, she's still fighting the good fight? Can't fate give her a rest?"
"Just sadness, no pity?" Hina turns her demonic purple eyes away from their Sensei's livestream and looks at Haruna.
"... Pity will be a disservice to Ein Sensei." Haruna replies before closing her eyes and sipping on the mineral water she herself has prepared. Even with the censorship, Haruna still can't find any appetite to enjoy even a drop of tea with all the constant killing on the screen.
She acknowledges the necessity, of course, but...
"We all wished for Sensei to be at peace." Hina starts, looking back at the livestream; her fingers move to caress her personal firearm, The End: Destroyer, as if wanting to grab it and jump into the fray beyond the video screen, hoping to at least lessen her Sensei's difficult life. "But since that's quite possibly impossible, we can only try and offer what meager help we can for her on this side."
"... Speaking of that." Haruna asks. "Who's next after Hoshino?"
Hina frowns at the question, as if unable to accept certain results. Yet, ultimately, she sighs, answering.
"... Malkuth."
"... Oh."
"Yes, Haruna, oh."
"I don't believe we can cut in line any time soon?"
"If not even the GSC President dares to do that, then do you think we should? And you are seriously suggesting that to my face?"
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Filing down the ramp of Roughneck Section's Valkyries, 3rd Platoon meanders by the landing pads for a bit with the fly crews before reassuming our post at our designated bunk area. Said area, luckily enough, is a set of prefabricated, blocky structures that were recently constructed, given how we didn't see these prior to our most recent deployment. It's bare-bones, at best, and comes without any bedding whatsoever. It's literally just an empty room with some storage units for our personal items and firearms. That said, it's sizeable enough for our whole Platoon to relax after one heck of a combat stint.
"Tell me one reason why we didn't get wrecked like the others?" Scorpin asks aloud with a far-off gaze in her eyes as she unceremoniously throws down her rucksack onto the floor before pulling her girlfriends down on top of it.
"Hah!" Johnson smirks before tossing his own bag of stuff to a corner of the room, then slumping down with his back against the wall. "You want the official version or the unofficial version?"
"Oh yeah?" Scorpin, with both ladies lying tiredly in her arms, turns her neck to look at Johnson while the others in the Platoon pick their own spot to settle down. "What's the difference between the two of them?"
"One is going in the report, one is not." Johnson replies before pulling a Lho-stick out of his vest pocket.
"What's the point, John? Just hit us with your best rhetoric in both versions." I chime in from the side, laying down the stuff that I had to make a detour to bring over to our new spot.
The stuff being mentioned includes my Black Steel shield and my personal Lasrifle. The Long-las I went out with was handed back to the Armory.
After I prop Black Steel against the wall and while I am helping Weiss remove her luggage, Johnson replies.
"Officially, we're blessed by the Emperor, banded together, and kicked their faces into their collective asses so hard that not even their mothers would recognize them. We held out long enough till reinforcement came and finished the fight." Johnson starts while puffing his smoke. "Unofficially, our shit asses got lucky, and we should all go and play the lottery."
I chuckle. "Wait, that is it?"
"What else do you want me to add, girlie?" Johnson smiles, shrugging. "Even I am at a loss for words to describe what that was all about."
"I don't know about you," Weiss interjects slowly from the side with a small grin of her own as she and I sit down casually on the floor. "But I can live with the unofficial version. Being lucky does have its perks."
"Ah, our Rookie gets it! Luck is what it's all about." Johnson gives Weiss a thumbs up from the side. "If we're all to win the grand prizes, I am willing to bet that we can squeeze ourselves into some cozy-ass resort planet and act as guards there. Slowly chilling out there for the rest of our lives."
"I can drink to that, Sarge!" Scorpin mirrors Johnson's gesture and raises a thumbs up as well.
"Me two."
"Me three."
"Me four."
"..."
Starting from Scorpin, the rest of the Platoon joins in the banter.
"Hate to put a rain check on your lovely fantasy, but I am pretty sure Cadia doesn't have any lottery chain that we can crash for Thrones. Best we can cook up is the ones that will either give us some better weapons or an actual surplus war vehicle for recreational purposes. And no, those vehicles don't include a voidship." I pop their bubble easily enough, earning sounds of faux disappointment from everyone, including Weiss, amusingly.
The Rookie fits well with us motley Froggers.
"You know, Ein, you could have let us dream for a bit more." Johnson says in a wistful tone as he lets out a breath of smoke.
I roll my eyes. "Seriously though, if you all think you can handle being shoeshiners for the nobility, then be my guest. I would rather take the Rookie and hang back here on Cadia, laughing my butt off as you all make a fool of yourselves."
"Ooh, yeah. That is indeed something we are distinctively unfamiliar with." Johnson plays along, making a face of belated realization.
"Heh, yeah, I will excuse myself from that part then. That said, if it's for my girls here... Then I don't mind." Scorpin says, ending up boasting about the flowers in her hands, much to their amused exasperation and whatnot. "By the way, why only the Rookie?"
"Well," I rest a hand on Weiss' shoulder, causing her to look at me with a curious gaze, wanting to hear my response. "She's my important battle buddy and an even more important henchwoman. Can't do my shenanigans without her around."
Weiss makes a face right afterward, chiming in sarcastically. "Real happy to know that I am growing on you, Ein. And I am so not signing off on any shenanigans whatsoever, else I will wind up being on the muzzle end of a blessed Bolt Rifle."
"Glad to see you two getting along. So, when's the wedding?" Scorpin teases us both, only for me to turn it back at her.
"After you have your own. Which is... Right, not ever because you all think that wedding is a messy affair that adds no spice to an already spicy relationship."
"What can I say, vows of marriage are overrated." Scorpin shrugs with the girls in her hands, chuckling in agreement.
Weiss, however, looks at Scorpin with a face of wry exasperation. "Only you, Scorpin... Only you..."
And such is our back-and-forth banter that goes on and on until we are interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps stopping beyond the confines of our bunk area. Already knowing who the newcomers are, I stand up to greet them with a smile on my face before others can even scramble to present themselves in a mostly professional manner.
"Sister Tsavorae, what a surprise to see you here. Don't you have to accompany Mama?" I move to unhesitantly offer this elder sister of mine in the Order of Our Martyred Lady a hug over her power armor.
I also turn to say hello to the two other members who are right behind Tsavorae. Their Anointed Halberds, Tower Shields, and decorated armor that aren't unlike that of Tsavorae signify their status as Celestian Sacresants, one of the most high-ranking and effective close-range combatants of the Order of Our Martyred Lady.
"Indeed," One of the two says. "Only you, Ein, can interact with us with such warm welcoming."
"Surely you jest, Sister Remora." I reply with a smile, addressing her by her name, since I am quite familiar with the long-serving Sisters of Battle in Mama's Order. "Don't tell me there haven't been any innocent girls or maidens out there who are brave enough to offer you basic hospitality."
"... Well, it's not like that didn't happen before."
"See, I am not an oddball, and that's enough for me. Anyway," I clap my hands together. "I'mma ask this on behalf of my Sarge, but why are my sisters here and not way over there, acting as Mama's bodyguards like you should?"
"That's because we are here to kidnap you." Tsavorae says calmly as she places her gloved hands on my shoulders. The red visors of her helmet peer down at my eyes.
"Right..." I make a move to clean my eyes, saying. "Those Krak explosions must have done a number on my hearing. I'm sorry, but did you just say you're here, fully armed, to kidnap me?"
"Oh no, Ein, I'm pretty sure that you heard her correctly." Johnson chimes in from behind with a remarkably infuriating smirk on his face. "Ain't that right, people?"
"Uhm, damn right you are, Sarge." Scorpin chimes in as well, and for once, Weiss plays along. "Yeah... I guess we can help cover the tracks as well? Who here can teach us to pass a polygraph?"
"Me, I know how to." Comes the reply of a tight-lipped good guy in our Platoon.
That, out of all things, actually forces all of us, the Sisters of Battle and me included, to turn and look at the guy with a surprised expression. Johnson even breaks the charade and says.
"Alright, one day, we need to sit down and talk about how in the name of Holy Terra did you pick up that skill."
I turn back and look at Tsavorae's hands that are still on my shoulders before sighing.
"Ok, jokes aside, what's this all about, Sister Tsavorae?"
"You are called back to the Iron Revenant, that's what? Not just you, in fact, but all of 3rd Platoon as well." My sister replies, causing me to tilt my head in mild confusion.
"We're going back to space? Why all of a sudden?"
"That's because your Technobabble teacher is asking for your presence, and with a security detail to boot. Other than your usual Frogger mates, the Canoness Superior delegated the three of us to accompany you till further notice. Don't worry, Elyzabeth won't be going around solo, and you know that."
"Huh... Yeah, it's a bit abrupt, but I guess we can work with that." I murmur before turning to Johnson. "Sarge, you good with this arrangement?"
"The only downside is that..." Johnson gestures at the stuff around our feet. "We have to pack the bags again."
I shrug with a giggle. "At least you all travel light. I need to lug around a rifle and a shield."
By the time we hit the shuttle, the timeline has moved on to a new day without us even knowing.
[Daily Login Reward received:
- Hoshino's Close-Ranged Combat System.]
[Hoshino's Close-Ranged Combat System:
- Passive Skill.
- Moderately increases Attack Power and Durability in CQC. Effects stack with Atsuko's Gift.]
Huh. This Passive will go nicely with Myrtenaster Rein and Nocturnal Stealth, if I get the chance to bring them out.
[Emperor of Man: Soon.TM]
[Ein: Oh, that doesn't sound suspicious at all, boss lady.]