Achaeus.
Gil.
Pierce.
Agnar.
Alfonso.
Alvey.
Asim.
Bolt.
Oswald.
Ryker.
We've now become generals and lieutenants with thousands of subordinates under us, but before, we were all royal guards tasked to protect the royal family from the shadows and take secret missions from the king.
The battlefields we've gone through together, I will never forget that picture where we stand side by side.
No matter how many times I die.
"Great general," Achaeus's voice sounded from behind me.
Hearing his voice, I stopped in my tracks, and turn my head slightly to ask,
"What is it, lieutenant? Ah... I mean... Lieutenants and generals?"
Not only Achaeus, the other 9 members that present at the military meeting together with Alexander before surrounded me, blocking every way to escape. They don't use any armor or any helmet, but all of them hold their weapons.
There is no bloodlust emitted to the air.
There is no hostility or malice in their eyes.
Just frustration.
"Answer me!" I ordered them with a firmer voice, making the youngest member of us, Gil, trembled.
Suddenly, Alfonso threw a sword in front of me.
"Remember our rules, general?" Asked the one who threw the sword, Alfonso.
"Everything that can't be accepted through words, we finish it with our swords," said Asim, a warrior with a huge body.
"Hmph! I was the one who made that rule, there is no way I'll forget about it," I answered with a snort as I took the sword on the ground.
"So? What will we put at stake this time?"
"If we win, we're going with you, no matter what happened to the world afterward," The one who said it with a trembling voice is surprisingly Gil, the youngest and the one who all of us always spoil and protect.
He's trying his best to hold off his tears, looking at his face pains me, so I avert my eyes from him.
"I see... what a foolish thing to bet..."
"But. Rules are rules, it's made to be obeyed," I take my battle stance as I stare at them one by one. About five hours from now, I'm supposed to go and block the march of the demon king and his armies. But well, this might serve as a good warm-up.
They also take their battle stance, but everyone who made eye contact with me slightly trembled, except for one man.
Achaeus. With a firm face filled with his determination, he started the battle.
"Charge!"
They are by no means weak.
They are the greatest warriors of the kingdom, who are not just feared by the people in our continent, but throughout the world. We've gone to countless battlefields together, sometimes battling with an army ten times bigger in number than us, but we always end up victorious.
They are truly the heroes of this kingdom.
Just like how we usually fight, we all trust each other perfectly, so we became capable to make perfect teamwork because of it. Their attacks are coordinated and they switched with each other with perfect timing.
But since I've fought and sparred with them countless times, I've observed every detail of their movement and their behavior.
I remember every movement they made.
Clank!
"Tsk!" Achaeus clicked his tongue in frustration as I blocked his surprise attack from behind of me.
Words could be conveyed through our swords.
All warriors knew this.
Every time our swords collided, the spring of emotions we're feeling somehow get magically transferred to each other.
"Don't go,"
"Let us die with you,"
"Please let us die together with you,"
"There must be other ways,"
Those thoughts constantly transferred into my mind in every collision of our weapons.
Their feeling of depression and frustration bombards my heart, making me start to hesitate.
But.
I can't let them make my heart waver now.
I gripped my sword stronger, and with it, I knocked them out one by one, and convey my message to them.
"Live!"
The rain started to pour as if the world is trying to conceal the tears that about to fall from my face.
"Ah... I can't be here much longer... I need to go to that place and block the demon kings-"
!!!!!!!!!
Pant! Pant!
Suddenly, my chest hurts and I can't breathe. As if there is a barrier surrounding me and blocked the oxygen.
Oxygen? Why do I know that here?
This is...
*****************************
"ay!"
"ay!"
Huh? What am I?
"AY!"
Huh? Ao?
"Ray!!!!" Ao's voice finally manages to call me back to the realm of the living.
"W-What happened...?" I asked her as I hold my head that kind of dizzy.
"You're drowned in the bathtub!" said Ao.
Ah... I'm eating cookies while having a bath, aren't I...?
It seems that we're still inside the toilet, does it mean she checked on the toilet? Did I forget to lock the door?
I raise my body that is still naked and slightly stretches.
Still naked...
Still...
.....
I take a look at Ao and saw that her face is boiling red like a tomato.
Does it mean she saw it?
"Is it not time for you to leave now, pervert otaku youkai?"
"I-It's not that I wanted to, okay!? And why the hell are you calling me a pervert!? I saved your life when you're about to get drowned and die IN A BATHTUB, you know that!? And I search for you because Tama asked me to since Charles-san came to visit! I called you several times but you didn't answer, I saw that you've prepared your change of clothes so I went to the toilet but you didn't answer me too despite I've called you numerous times! I thought you're intentionally ignoring me so I got mad for a while but you're not making any sound inside so I got worried!" said Ao in panic as it looks like her face got even redder than before. Her hair looked very pink because of his red face.
"I-I see... Your face is very red, you know?" I raise my body and take a towel to wrap my body.
"I-I know! *Phew!* *Phew!*" Ao exhales a big amount of breath and tries to calm herself down.
"About to die in a bathtub, huh... So much for a feared general..." I muttered and mocked myself under my breath.
"How could you even get drowned in a bathtub? Suicidal?" (Ao)
"Hell no, it looks like I fell asleep when I'm favoring the bliss of hot bath together with the sweetness of the cookies,"
"Huh...?" (Ao)
Stop it, Ao. Don't look at me with an eye that seem to be saying, "What the hell is this old fart for a soul is talking about!?"
"People like you won't understand the bliss," I said to her as I crossed my arms. But suddenly, she went silent.
"Hm?" My eyes focus back on Ao who is staring at my body.
"What are you looking at, huh? *Flick!*" I sad as I flicked her head.
"Ouch! Nothing! I was just thinking... Y-You had such a strong and robust body... Why did you keep on using that way too oversized uniform every day... You will definitely look better if you use a more appropriate-sized uniform," said Ao as her face starts to get red again.
Now, aren't you adorable.
"It's a waste of money,"
"B-But if you do that, you'll have more friends! And they will-" (Ao)
Tap!
I put my hand above her head, and pat it.
"I'm fine, child,"
"B-But... You always look like you're suffering... And you're always-" (Ao)
"Like I've said. I'm fine," I cut her words and leave the toilet.
Really, if anyone saw us inside the toilet together, it will definitely be a disaster...
Especially if Sachi saw us...
Hell, I don't even want to imagine it...
*Sigh*
I let out a heavy sigh.
So 'he' visited, huh...?
I put on my change of clothes and take a look at the clock before going downstairs.
So I fell asleep and slowly got drowned in the water, huh...
"Talking about negligence... It even ended up with Ao looking at... Ugh..." I mocked myself with a wry smile on my face.
I went downstairs and enter the restaurant.
"Boss~ I heard it from Ao~ You got drowned in the bathtub because you fell asleep, huh? Hahahaha!" said Tama as she cheerfully approached me.
"Shut up! I'm favoring the perfect combination of a hot bath and sweet cookie and fell asleep!"
"Whoa... Boss... You sound just like an old man..." Commented Tama.
"Pfft!" (Ao)
Ugh... The fact that my soul is indeed an old one made the joke felt hilarious to the point that it's very annoying...
"Ah... Charles is waiting for you, boss," (Tama)
"I see... Then I'll go meet him,"
"Okay~" Replied the orange-haired short girl cheerfully. Many people will definitely think of her as a middle schooler...
I walked towards the corner where this 'Charles' guy always sits.
I immediately recognize the man when I saw his back, and as if he sensed my presence, he turned back and saw me.
Wearing a black leather jacket, the guy with hair beginning to change white had his face brighten when he saw me.
"General!"