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4 chapters to the system
Don't forget to add to library
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Tatsuya lay on the cold, metallic floor, his body aching from the blow he had taken moments before. He struggled to catch his breath as the Colonel stood over him, a looming shadow in the dimly lit room. The Colonel's eyes, sharp with disdain, bore down on him, cutting through the silence like a knife.
"You hesitated," the Colonel said, his voice carrying a biting edge. "You had the opening, yet you didn't take the final blow. Why?"
Tatsuya remained silent, struggling to push himself up from the ground, his muscles screaming in protest. The air between them felt heavy, thick with tension.
The Colonel stepped closer, his tone growing harsher. "You evade when you should counter. You move like someone who's unbalanced, like a child swinging in the dark, relying on brute force or luck. But neither will save you."
Tatsuya gritted his teeth, his fists clenching against the floor. His eyes remained fixed on the ground, though each word the Colonel spoke felt like a fresh wound.
"And you…" the Colonel's voice deepened, laced with venom, "You always run. Every time something weighs on you, or when the situation becomes difficult, you run."
Tatsuya's jaw tightened, the accusation striking him harder than the physical blows ever could. The truth in the Colonel's words stung more than he was willing to admit.
"You did it before, didn't you?" The Colonel's voice became sharper. "You ran from your training, from your responsibilities because you couldn't handle the pressure. You let fear and regret consume you."
Kisame, who had been standing off to the side in quiet confusion, furrowed his brow. He looked from the Colonel to Tatsuya, unsure of what to make of the situation. "Colonel," Kisame interrupted, his voice tentative, "What do you mean? Tatsuya… ran from training?"
The Colonel let out a dry, scornful laugh. "Of course, he did. Why else do you think he's back here, starting all over again? This man," the Colonel gestured toward Tatsuya with a scowl, "is none other than AX379, the former captain of the first special unit."
Kisame's eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait… AX379? But I thought he disappeared…"
The Colonel's eyes narrowed, the contempt in his gaze deepening. "Yes, the infamous AX379. The one who deserted his post, vanished without a trace, and left everything behind because he couldn't keep his emotions in check. He couldn't handle the weight of responsibility or the consequences of his actions. So, he ran."
Tatsuya remained silent, his knuckles turning white as he clenched his fists tighter. The Colonel's words cut deeper than he'd care to admit. They reopened wounds that had never fully healed.
"He's no soldier," the Colonel continued, his voice cold and merciless. "He's a coward. A man driven by impulse and emotion, not by discipline or reason. A man who abandoned his duty because he couldn't face his fears. Is that the kind of person you look up to, Kisame?"
Kisame looked between Tatsuya and the Colonel, his face a mixture of confusion and disbelief. "I… I didn't know…"
The Colonel scoffed, shaking his head. "Of course, you didn't. He hides it well, doesn't he? Behind that calm, collected exterior. But underneath, he's still the same scared boy who ran away the moment things got hard."
Tatsuya's breathing slowed, though his body remained tense. He finally managed to push himself to his feet, the effort sending sharp pain through his limbs. His eyes locked onto the Colonel, but he didn't speak. His silence was heavy, filled with raw emotion—anger, regret, and something deeper.
The Colonel took another step toward him, towering over Tatsuya as if daring him to react. "You think you've changed? That you've grown? You haven't. You're still running, just like before."
Tatsuya's lips parted as if to respond, but no words came. His mind raced, memories of the past flooding back—memories of missions, decisions, and failures that had haunted him every day since. His chest tightened as the Colonel's words dragged him back into those dark moments.
"You were given a position, a responsibility," the Colonel pressed on, his voice like a hammer on steel. "And what did you do with it? You crumbled. You let your emotions take over. Instead of thinking clearly, you acted impulsively. And when the consequences came, you couldn't handle it. So, you ran."
Tatsuya's fists shook as he struggled to contain the storm brewing inside him. He knew the Colonel's words weren't entirely wrong, but hearing them laid out in front of Kisame, in front of himself, only deepened the pain.
"And now," the Colonel continued, his voice dripping with disdain, "you think you can come back? That you can just pick up where you left off? You're not fit to lead. You're not fit to fight. You're not even fit to stand here."
Kisame's mind reeled as he tried to process the words. AX379… the former captain of the first special unit? The man who vanished without a trace? The man who had disappeared as though he had never existed?
Tatsuya's voice finally broke through the tension, quiet but steady. "I know what I did."
The Colonel's eyes narrowed, his expression hardening. "Do you, now?"
Tatsuya looked up, his gaze meeting the Colonel's, filled with a mixture of defiance and remorse. "I know I failed. I know I let everyone down. And I live with that every day."
The Colonel sneered, unimpressed. "Words. Empty words. That's all you have."
Tatsuya shook his head. "No. I'm not the same person I was. I'm still trying to—"
"Trying," the Colonel interrupted, his voice sharp. "That's the problem. You're always trying. Always thinking, always hesitating. But in battle, hesitation gets people killed. You hesitated back then, AX379, and that's why you failed. That's why you'll keep failing."
Tatsuya's hands trembled, his knuckles almost as pale as his face. The weight of the Colonel's words pressed down on him, heavier than anything physical. Every accusation felt like a blow to his core, cutting deep into wounds that hadn't healed.
The Colonel straightened, his eyes cold and unforgiving. "This is your second chance. But don't think for a moment that anyone will go easy on you because of who you were. Here, you're just another failed recruit, struggling to prove something. But most of all, you're trying to prove it to yourself."
Without another word, the Colonel turned and walked away, leaving Tatsuya standing there, his mind swirling with the weight of everything that had been said.