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I CAN'T BELIEVE TAISHI's here, but for the sake of our mission and our charge, I have to ignore his presence.
This battle is the absolute hell I expected it to be. Even before the transport ships reach the shore, we see bullets hitting the water, so I erect a force field around Miles. As skilled as I am, I wouldn't be surprised if his shield lasted through the duration of the battle.
Some soldiers aren't so lucky. There are corpses floating on the water, stained red by their blood. The beach is littered with dead bodies from the first and second wave of the Allies' attack. Miles leads the charge, and he's impervious so far. Bullets ping off his shield, and even a land mine is diffused when he steps on it.
I turn around to check on Taishi and Haniel's charge. I can see his force field as well. Semi-transparent and green, it encompasses his entire body. When Taishi gives me a nod, I only glare at him. It may seem like I hate him, but I truly wish him well. He was my former student, after all. A part of me is still invested in his success.
I spot a familiar face in the sea of screaming soldiers, if only because he looks much calmer than most. It's impossible to miss Archangel Azrael when he arrives on a battlefield. Tall, dark-haired, and wielding an immense sword, the Angel of Death tends to stand out.
Chris and I are following Miles up the beach, and while I don't want to get too far away from him, I stop to have a chat. “Azrael! I figured you'd be on the battlefield somewhere, I just didn't think I'd see you so soon.”
“You sound like you're happy to see me, but you know I get no joy from this,” Azrael says. “I've already escorted more than a hundred souls to the other side... and there will be many more to come. My Helpers are somewhere on the field as well. It will be a busy day for all of us.”
Azrael always looks so moody—not that I blame him. If I had his job, I'm sure I would be the same. To be surrounded by death all day would take a toll on anyone. I don't envy him in the slightest.
“Well, I better shove off.” I give Azrael a salute, because I truly admire what he does. “Take care.”
I hurry after Miles and reinforce his shield, just in case. Death is only a bullet away, and I wouldn't want Chris to fail his final mission. Everywhere I look, I'm reminded of the fragility of human life. They can die so easily, so suddenly. Sometimes I think it's quite cruel.
Miles reaches an embankment and throws himself behind it, as do several other soldiers. Chris and I stay as close as we can, and I swear my student looks just as frightened as the men gripping their guns.
“You know you can't actually get hurt... right?” I remind him. “No human bomb or bullet can scratch you.”
“I know. It's still... really, really unsettling.”
I follow Chris' eyes to a young soldier. His body is blown in half, and he's cradling his own entrails. I have no idea how he's still alive, the poor man. Chris is right. It is unsettling.
“Is there anything we can do for him?” Chris asks, pointing at the disemboweled soldier. “I know he'll probably be dead soon, but... I can't even imagine how much pain he's in.”
“The pain is terrible, I'm sure. I'll take it away for him.”
Chris looks surprised by my response. “You can do that?”
“Of course.” I crouch next to the dying soldier and bring my hands to his body. Warm white light flows from my fingertips and wraps around him. He won't recover, of course, but at least he won't die in agony.
As I heal him of his pain, the soldier murmurs something about an angel. I guess he saw me. It's not uncommon for the dying to catch a glimpse of an angel or spirit before they pass on.
Chris says, “I thought you weren't allowed to perform miracles without approval from the Council or something.” I can barely hear him over the cacophony of gunfire, screams, and exploding grenades.
“This isn't a miracle. It isn't as if I'm bringing him back to life,” I explain. “I'm allowed to take away pain or give my charge a significant energy boost. A miracle is different. To be a miracle, it must defy human comprehension.”
Chris claps a hand over his eyes and groans. I think I know why he's struggling. Next to us, there's a man holding his dismembered leg.
“Can a spirit throw up?” Chris asks. “Because I really feel like I might throw up right now.”
“No, Pho, a spirit cannot throw up.” As I reply, I see a bullet ping off of a soldier's steel helmet. It's enough to make me wince. I wonder if he knows how close to death he came? If I could, I would put up a shield for all of these poor soldiers. Of course, there are restrictions against that kind of thing. There are always restrictions.
When I check on Miles, he's still crouching behind the embankment, gripping his rifle in both hands. I think he's trying to snipe one of the enemy bunkers. If he could succeed, it'd be a great boon. The machine gun in that bunker is mowing down many of his allies.
Finally, Azrael himself comes to claim the young soldier whose pain I relieved. Most Archangels, angels and spirits try to be comforting when they claim a deceased human. Azrael is all business, though. He whisks away the new spirit without a word of explanation and returns to the battlefield a moment later, massive sword in hand.
While my attention is elsewhere, I fail to notice Miles' fading force field. While his shield is down, he's targeted by the machine gun, but the rain of bullets is deflected by a semi-transparent shock wave. It takes me a moment to figure out what happened.
It was Taishi. He helped us. This time, I give him a nod. Even though he took Leigh and ruined my reputation, I still have respect for the man. He was a damn good student.
It feels like we're on the battlefield forever. I put up a new shield around Miles and pray that it lasts. This battle is one of the bloodiest I've seen. Gore and death surrounds us all.
I take away another soldier's pain, then another's. If I could, I would help them all, but I need to conserve my energy for Miles. I hate to say it, but there's a limit to the number of tricks I can perform.
“How are you holding up?” I ask Chris, who looks as terrified as ever.
Chris gives me an unconvincing reply. “Uh... I'm okay.”
“I won't judge you if you need to close your eyes for a bit,” I tell him. “I wouldn't want this to traumatize you.”
“No, I think I'm okay, but... I keep wondering if there's something else I should be doing.”
“You could give Miles another boost of confidence,” I suggest. “It seemed to work for him before.”
As soon as Chris puts a hand on Miles' shoulder, we see evidence of my student's effect on him. Our charge takes another shot at the soldier in the bunker—and this time, he succeeds.
“Well done, Chris!” I praise him. “See? You're more powerful than you realize.”
We stay with Miles through the entire battle, which lasts many hours. I occasionally check on Haniel and Taishi, to make sure their charge is still standing. Like Miles, he's still in the fight.
The battle ends in a decisive victory for the Allied soldiers, and eventually, the beaches are secured. Miles and Chris look exhausted by the end of it. I'm exhausted too, though I'd never admit it. In fact, I give Miles an energy boost at the battle's end because I'm certain he'll need it.
“Will we be joining him in other battles too?” Chris asks. “Because... I don't know how many more I can stomach.”
“Don't worry, Pho. It was only our duty to see him through this one... and since he survived, your mission is officially a success.” Squeezing his shoulder, I add, “Not many students complete all five of their missions, you know. It's rare.”
“Well, I had a friggin' Archangel as an instructor! It was an unfair advantage, don't you think?”
“Quite,” I agree. “Nevertheless, you have every reason to feel proud of yourself. You've tackled all of these mission with poise and maturity, and I was impressed by your ideas. When I write up my report, I will have nothing but praise for you.”
“Is this... the last time I'll see you?” Chris asks.
“No... no. I'm sure we'll bump into each other again... especially if you keep coming around Haniel.” Glancing around the battlefield, I ask, “Where did she disappear to, anyway?”
Chris points to her right away. “She's over there.” I wouldn't be surprised if his eyes were following her the entire time, smitten as he is.
“Thank you. I need to speak with her student. I'll be back in a moment.”
I leave Chris with Miles and approach Taishi. There's much that needs to be said, but I wonder if I'll be too proud.
“Nakamura...” I address him with a sigh. The aftermath of a battle might not be the best time to discuss this, but I may not have another chance. “I suppose... this is sorely overdue, but... I... I'm sorry I attacked you and tore off your wing. That was uncalled for.” I wince through my entire apology because it makes me sound horrid. I wish Chris hadn't heard about my conflict with Taishi. I would hate to lose his respect.
“I'm sorry too,” Taishi says. “You were my superior officer, and I hurt you too.”
I'm a bit stunned by his apology, to be honest. I didn't expect to get one in return. I was absolutely the instigator of our battle, and I'm sure he knows it too.
“You were a good student. I enjoyed working with you,” I tell him.
Taishi surprises me again. “You were a good instructor, and I liked working with you too. There's no one better with a sword.”
“Well, Michael's better... supposedly.” I roll my eyes when I mention Michael's name. He doesn't deserve even half of the adulation he receives. “Will you do me a favor?”
Taishi nods and says, “Sure.”
“Will you tell Leigh I'm sorry as well?” I request. “I've recently realized the error of my ways, so—”
Taishi interrupts, “You should tell her yourself. And while you're at it, maybe you should apologize to some of the other girls you've wronged.” With narrowing eyes, he adds, “It's just a suggestion.”