kirara

How are they?

That leader girl got slashed from behind by the bandits. Still out for the moment.

That many, all sneaking up on one woman at once. Cowards!

S—So what now?

What do you mean what now? Those thieves were after our medicine, so they want us dead!

I'll take them on if it comes to that, my life against theirs! I can use Arts myself...

They live by getting one over! We couldn't even light a flame if we wanted. Taking them on would never get anywhere...

Even if it wouldn't, we've got to! You saying you want those bloodthirsty cutthroats to make off with our medicine, after we barely managed to buy it?

All our efforts just to buy this one cheap measly lot of suppressants! And I want you to imagine, if it wasn't for them, then you, me, the village at large, how long we'll still be alive for all these damn stones in us!

Not to mention, there's Rhodes Islanders with us...

But Rhodes is only here to deliver the drugs!

You get it straight. Once they put the drugs in our hands, they could go at any time. They wouldn't help us!

And even if they did stay... You've seen how badly the leader got hurt, after how easily she dealt with the beasts. Now it's just those girls left—what do you think they're going to be able to do?

The bandits aren't going to just forgive and forget after failing to steal our drugs. They might attack again at any moment!

Better we give them whatever they want. Better than dooming us all. We—We can always figure out something else!

Think carefully about this Rhodes Island or whatever. With how cheap they're selling it, who knows if the drugs are real or fake...

Enough! You can shut up any day!

Erk.

I didn't hear this lousy tune from you when those girls helped us fend off the beasts AFTER dropping off the medicine, or when that doctor girl gave you an examination!

You think the measly amount we forked over was worth them delivering it all the way out here, and bringing a doctor to do checkups free of charge?

If that's the lengths Rhodes Island will go to, then whether or not the medicine works, I'm still believing in them!

Tell me, then... You think we can actually protect these drugs?

We can only try.

Now, enough. I'm going to help the Rhodes Islanders. You find something to busy yourself with.

Fine. One of the girls asked me to help out this morning. Still a little work left to go. I'll fetch somebody else to come with.

(Not good. This is totally not good, the way things are going.)

(Captain's KO'd and hurt, treatment takes time, now all we've got is a DPS and also me, a weird support character without many use cases...)

(Wait, no, nononobad. This is a really serious situation, I can't talk about it like a game.)

(But... I mean, this is hard. This is a tough one...)

*sigh*

What's the sigh for?

Wgaagh!

Phew, uh, okay, it's you, Utage...

In the flesh.

(Please don't pop up behind me without warning like that, you're going to jumpscare me to death.)

(What are you, a ninja or something?)

Did I spook you? Soz.

Come on, though, I'm not some kinda ninja.

Wha? Huh?

(How did she know what I was thinking...?)

(It couldn't be... mindreading?!)

I don't have superpowers or anything, you're just, like, real easy to read, girl.

(You're kidding me. Can you really tell?)

Yeah, for real real.

(Well, that's convenient, now I don't need to talk.)

Hey, slow down, Kirara.

It's not a conversation unless you say what you're thinking out loud.

Or, like, what, do you want me to just stare at you forever? Hmm?

Okay, joke's over.

I'm gonna go check up on Akafuyu. See ya in a bit~

Uh...

Hold on, Utage!

Hm?

I'm coming with you.

So, uh, Utage... what do you think about the situation we're in right now?

Um... pretty messed up, I guess.

We were expecting a normal delivery mission, right? So, not like we prepared that much.

We did get a team put together...

Buuut the captain was our big hitter, and she left a whole opening to get backstabbed in.

Haaa...

I have no laughs in me right now.

Usually, average bandits aren't, like, a match for us at all, but they've got way too many guys. Kind of out of my league, if I had to solo them.

Our doctor's not gonna do combat, and you...

Don't look at me, I'm a Logistics techie.

Oh, word? I always feel like every tech I know's pretty good in a fight.

Besides, you were good at those strategy games, weren't you? And you and the Doctor broke some kinda record one time? So, like, maybe being a commander's your thing.

What do you think? Wanna try?

Me?

You're joking, real life isn't a video game, I... I can't.

We should probably go see how Akafuyu's doing.

Aww... it's a bad habit to casually shoot yourself down.

Besides, you've totally got ideas going, don't you?

So hard to be honest, Kirara.

The wound won't pose much issue, and we've applied anti-inflammatory.

She still hasn't come around, but as long as she's not got a fever, then she should be out of the woods after convalescing properly.

Oh, okay...

That's great to hear.

But, like, how much longer is our captain gonna sleep for?

That's up to Akafuyu's own constitution. We've given her all the treatment we can, but the wound was very deep...

Even if she does wake up, she can't return to combat straight away.

Hmm? We can't just wave her in anyway?

No!

*sigh*...

The sensors I laid out indicate those bandits have been in the area the whole time. We did get in touch with a nearby squad, but it's still gonna be a while before they get here.

If the bandits attack now, while the time is ripe, I think we might...

Might be done for.

So now what? You think we take the captain and retreat?

Wait, if we go, what about the Infected here?

We've delivered the medication, so that's mission complete, but I can't just leave the villagers for dead.

Hmm... we take the medication too?

Okay, putting aside whether or not they'd buy that as a ruse, I think the bandits are after more than the meds anyway. They can fight the people here, and they have literally no way to fight back.

That's true...

So, uh...

Actually, I think we could—

Excuse me, I've brought you all some food...

A little place like ours doesn't have much, so if you can just put up with it.

Thank you, it's kind to worry about us. Was anyone from the village hurt in the previous attack?

We're all fine, thanks to your group.

Can I ask how your captain's doing?

No worries, she's not in danger now.