Editing City Series:Volume6b Chapter7 (section)

===Part 3===

Fire was visible out the front of the bridge. The two-hull ship flew along a straight line while slightly tilted.

“Flying above them for a moment can scare the enemy into falling back! If you see any Heavy Barrels or whatever, give them a quick flyby!”

Corelle was shouting instructions.

Hazel undid her seat’s four-point belt and placed her hands on the back of the seat in front of her to get a better view.

The base was burning.

“The ether shield is down. If they can’t ignite the Phlogiston from above, we just have to wait for it to go berserk on its own…but that takes time. The enemy might stop it.”

Hazel did not know what Pale was talking about, but she had a bad feeling about it. She wordlessly held her left shoulder for just a moment before clutching the chest of her clothing instead. That one card was the only thing supporting her now.

She looked back toward Corelle in the captain’s chair.

“Pale! You want down!? This might be one of those losing battles you love so much!”

“Yeah, no. The plan this time is to see it through to the end. Besides…” Pale looked to Hazel. “Girl.”

It took her a few seconds to realize he was addressing her.

She looked over in a hurry, but she had missed her chance to respond.

He scratched his head and spoke again.

“Girl.”

“Y-yes!?”

“That’s the battlefield you wanted. We’re getting closer by the second. You can see it, can’t you?”

“Y-yes…I can.”

“Then listen carefully. A lot of people there will die, be destroyed, kick the bucket, and bid this world farewell. You get what I mean, don’t you? But you can also tell you’ll be safe in here, right? You can remain an observer.”

She nodded and looked to the scarlet-glowing base. They were close enough to make out its general layout. She could tell what was happening and why it was happening.

It was all right there in front of her.

“You asked before if wanting to fight meant you wanted to die, right? And that you wanted to do something else on the battlefield, right? …Is that because you pity the people dying down there? Or did you want to thank them for doing this while you stay safe and sound up here?”

“Pale!”

Corelle threw a rebuke at the man, but he ignored it.

“Girl, I’ve only got one thing to say to that: go to hell.” He smiled a little. “Not wanting to run away means you don’t want to lose. Do you get what that means?”

“…”

“That’s what you don’t understand. People get what they deserve. Winning doesn’t mean killing. If losing means death, then winning is the opposite.”

Hazel faced his words head on.

She pressed her arm against her chest and held herself.

“Now, what do you think about that? What does it mean if not wanting to run away means not wanting to lose? Again, the battlefield you wanted is right there.”

“I…”

Only after speaking did she notice the strength in her hand.

…''Why am I so tense? I’m thinking too hard.

She smiled bitterly at herself and the smile parted to let a sigh out.

“Two years ago…”

“Yeah?”

Pale had a smile on his face. He was waiting for her to speak.

So she did so.

“I actually thought I wanted to be a history teacher.”

“I get the feeling you’d’ve been a real strict teacher.”

She narrowed her eyes at that.

“Probably so,” she said. “But now I think I get why I couldn’t bring myself to write it down.”

She relaxed her hand. Her destiny was right there at her chest and there was no need to hold it there.

She placed her hand on her lap. The arm was trembling a bit, but she ignored that.

She faced forward and saw Corelle turned back toward her.

…''Don’t look so worried.

That thought naturally took the bitterness from her smile.

“I know I can fight.”

She spoke the words that would determine everything for her.

“I want to do everything I can to make sure everyone can go on living.”