Story Reader / Interlude / Valkyrie / Story

Whoa... So she ended up in our squad, huh...

...

Ah. So this is the redheaded Death—

Wait, Boss, you'd better not—

Before the Squadron Leader can finish his sentence, Vera has already kicked him down to the ground and pressed a knife to his throat.

Don't call me "Death".

You—

Wait! Boss, just forget it... I was sent to the detention room last time because of this. We don't want the people up there to get upset at us again.

Tch. Fine.

The leader gently moves Vera's knife out of the way and lets his members help him up.

This unexpected situation in our squad aside...

We're not defending the city but retreating from it? What about the civilians living here?

Due to all the sudden occurrences, we do not have sufficient time nor manpower for evacuations.

Take everything we need and abandon the people... Is that what the orders are?

...Yes.

What are they even thinking? There are at least thousands of civilians here not yet evacuated. Besides, we have defense facilities here at the ready. If we employ them well—

Even if we do that, this place is gone for good!

This location is an important hub. If we abandon this place, we'll be abandoning all the connected battlefronts and losing ground.

Vera suddenly remembers the info she heard from the first squad she was in: the combat headquarters will be moving to outer space.

They probably want all the resources here because... they need them for certain preparations...

I'm not sure where you got the info, but that's basically what the headquarters wants.

So those who are left behind... those who can't evacuate...

...Will all be sacrificed.

...If we could guide most of the Corrupted to a certain spot... we'd be able to buy some more time so that more can be evacuated.

Hey, wait!

After a brief pause, Vera turns around and hastens to the door. The Construct whom she got into a fight with grabs her by the arm.

You're seeking death by doing this!

I'm doing this to end my pain.

Vera simply meets the other's questioning look with a gaze of steely determination. Shaking off the other Construct, she picks up her blades.