fang

11:00 A.M., Somewhere in the countryside

We have entered Area 10 according to plan. Enemy presence sighted at three o'clock.

How many left?

...Scan complete. Three within visible range.

There were four who fled for Area 10 just now. If we wipe out the opposing forces here, we can prevent the other side from returning combat intelligence. It'll give us an incredible advantage for our second assault.

These three... we can't let them go, and we need to find the fourth too.

I'll go pin them down! The rest of you, just stick to the plan!

Stick to... the plan? Captain Fang, what am I supposed to be doing?

(Huh? Did I forget to explain again?)

Aciddrop, you find high ground and provide cover fire, risk mitigation. Frostleaf, stay behind me, and attack as soon as we catch the enemy.

Lens, keep tabs on the full field of view, and you have to ensure Scene's safety.

Understood. Currently verifying Lens composite camouflage defense and concealment status.

Huh? There's a burnt smell...

...It's an ambush from the fourth target! Sure enough, they weren't just retreating, they wanted to trick us into falling for their trap.

Aciddrop, it's up to you!

Wha? So you want me igniting the ambush?

It's set to my left. You deal with the trap, Frostleaf and I will go catch the leftovers—

Got it. Check this.

Wait up... Captain Fang, target's out of my attack range. I'm switching positions—

Huh?

(Ah, Aciddrop's specialty is high-precision, close-range fire. Her position there was too far for her fire to reach.)

(I just planned around Kroos's attack patterns out of habit...)

Captain Fang, Target 4... Target 4 is not ahead, they are behind—

What?

It's an ambush! Captain!

Dammit, that's how they're countering Aciddrop—

*cough*, *cough* *cough*... What the—

Aciddrop, Aciddrop, please respond. Your signal has been interrupted—

I'll go look for her.

Okay, Frostleaf. You assist Aciddrop, and withdraw from the trap position. I'll find the fourth guy... I can't let anyone get away.

Aciddrop, can you hear me? Aciddrop!

Captain Fang... I'm alright, the explosion just rocked my comms. *cough*...

I've found you... scoundrel!

Urghh!!

Found her. Captain, Aciddrop is hurt.

It's light injuries, no big. They'll be fine once I'm on the move. Relax, Captain Fang, I'm still good to fight.

Captain?

We can retreat for now. Lens, any other risks on the map?

Area 10 is now fully secured. Further, no sign of danger on evacuation route.

Hold on, I'm alright. Captain Fang, there's still the three guys from...

All four have been dealt with. Our mission is already complete. Area 10 is secured.

Let's pull out for the time being.

...Sorry.

Ten minutes later...

Aciddrop... your wounds...

I'm chill... *cough*, I'm seriously alright, Captain Fang! My board covered me from pretty much most of the explosion damage, I just kinda fell and got a scrape or two.

I'm sorry... I can't believe I'm the reason you got hurt.

I should've obviously just kept up the search-and-destroy in Area 10, and we would've safely and promptly withdrawn in the end. It's all my fault...

Captain...? I'm being serious, I'm fine. See? For real, it's only a few scrapes. I'm cool for the next phase of the mission, I'm at like 90% here!

The other squads should be rendezvousing very soon.

Our mission's first phase is complete either way. Now we just wait to converge and carry out the next wave of our formal assault.

I was too reckless... I clearly should've known that area had a high risk of being trapped, and yet I was the first to charge in.

Your judgment wasn't at all flawed, Captain. We were just slightly disjointed in that last mission, but we didn't lose any opportunity to carry out our search-and-destroy.

Though it might seem extreme in hindsight, if we'd all gone on the offense together, we probably had sufficient strength to defeat them.

Honestly, it's not like I don't get how you were thinking either, Captain.

I could see the situation up from where I was stood just then.

Like, you've found their weakness already, Captain. You wanna rush the enemy directly, yeah? If we've got rear support watching for traps, we'll be good.

It was a lapse in judgment with my command. I subconsciously... took my team members' combat styles to be those under simulated circumstances I knew better.

I had forgotten everyone's personal strengths by the time the mission started, and employed my habitual line of thought. I took it for granted and gave you the wrong assignment, Aciddrop.

Not just that, I even failed to clearly relay the plan to my team members... and caused everyone to spend even more energy on the mission.

I don't think you messed up at all just now, Captain. With the whole situation, putting me in charge of clearing the traps, and you and Frostleaf pursuing the enemy, that's solid tactics.

Just didn't predict the enemy would still be on the counter after that. They really bit off way more than they could chew. I mean, you dealt with them all yourself.

Miss Scene wishes to say that actually, Captain Fang truly trusts her team, and therefore believes they will understand her instructions via action?

That's...

Every captain's style of execution has its own differences. You have your own strong points, Captain Fang.

I'm kinda curious, though. You said you messed up by using a simulation you were used to? What exactly was that?

It's... my habits with the Reserve Op Team A1, more or less. I know I'm not in any of the team's simulation exercises, but in an actual, crucial combat situation...

Aaagh, what am I even doing?!

D o n ' t . . .

Calm down, calm down, Captain Fang. Miss Scene is very concerned you're blaming yourself too much.

Chill out, Captain. Mission one's basically a clean finish. Get your mood out, shake yourself off, yeah? Or, uh, if you're torn-up, you can just say. We're a team right now, y'know.

The A1 detachment, huh... your team's a real party, right? You train together, you do simmed battles together. I bet your team coordination level's through the roof.

Thank you, Aciddrop, Scene, Frostleaf... and Lens, too.

In all honesty... I believe that when it comes to team operability, A1 doesn't fall short against other reserve detachments.

We've known each other for a very long time, and we've all reached the point we can fully understand each other's reasoning and operation methods. Some things we can get done even without words.

That's so neat. I see you hanging with Beagle and Kroos all the time, too. You're really good friends too?

Yes... Before Beagle, Kroos and I came to Rhodes Island, we were an intern team at a Columbian garrison.

That's some major force. All I ever had on the brain was skateboarding, back in Columbia. Only realized after hitting Rhodes Island, hey, when that old police guy taught me those crossbow techs? Actually got a use for those.

If it was a competition, I'd be way below your league, Fang.

Even so, now you've adapted just fine to field combat missions, Aciddrop.

Heheh, you think so? It's not my first time getting a combat scrape, though. Always easy to lose track and get hurt, and I get my captains keyed up all the time with it.

You'll improve with experience.

A1's been through a lot of combat training.

With how we've worked each other out, we've devised a set of handy signals only we understand.

They give me the time and space to judge a situation. That gives me the opportunity to command as a captain. But...

But?

To tell the truth, this is my first time directing combat as an official acting team leader...

I don't know why I've been unable to adjust my plans or instructions... I haven't just failed to make my orders understood, I've given the wrong orders to the wrong teammates.

I... just can't figure it out. Apart from my own incompetence, where else could the problem lie?

I t ' s n o t . . .

You can't let yourself think that way, Captain Fang! Your response and judgment just now were completely correct.

Scene and I observed very clearly in our previous battle that your assessment of the situation was abundantly exact.

You possessed the ability to rapidly locate the enemy's vital points on the front line, and were exceptionally brave in leading your charge to open the way for us.

If it's just a question of bravery, it doesn't matter who, anyone on this battlefield could...

It doesn't stop at bravery.

Frostleaf...?

Some people are soldiers from birth. Soldiers obedient to command.

Able to consider, assess and change their approach based on the battlefield situation, but absolutely compliant to their superiors' orders.

But Fang, you're not just a soldier. You also have the heart to direct us.

Is that really true...? I can really do that?