+++ Lieutenant Hans Hoffman +++

Near Venido

It was already 12:30 hours when Hans and Adelyn finished the repairs for their mechs. Even Adelyn's mech, which was affected by her ideal, which was called 'Fair Eagle', still sustained significant damage when it unmanifested, turning her mech back into a standard boring old Wanderadler, now with some component damage on top.

She did take significant hits last night after all.

On Hans' side, he sighed as he finished checking his remaining AP numbers. It was now down to a mere 270/200 AP left. His reserves over his cap were now practically used up badly. A bit more and he would have to rely on his body's absorption cap.

My levels didn't budge either.

That was quite a great disappointment for Hans. He had to do repairs and use up AP to rearm himself, for nothing in exchange. Sure, his munitions and fuel stocks were now on the full side of things, but still—that was nearly a thousand and more AP burned for nothing.

He looked at the skies, a clear frown on his face, as he cursed the heavens again.

Maybe I should have just taken a Ruger in the face after it turned sideways. He sighed, shaking his head. Whatever.

He jumped down his mech's hull, following Adelyn as she began walking in the direction of the command post. Catching up to her, Hans saw that she seemed to be writing things on her notepad.

"What are those?" Hans asked, and Adelyn turned to him, a small smile on her face.

"Nothing, just listing things I'll need if we face that guy again," she curled her fist, a determined expression on her face. "I swear, I'll crush him next time. He seems to be from our world, but that doesn't mean we'll lose."

"Right…" Hans looked at Adelyn's list. "Munitions, huh?"

"Yeah, I'm still short on AP," Adelyn mumbled. "I'm going to refill my stocks with more plasma and cryofreeze rounds later. Plasma especially—he seems to be more vulnerable to those."

"The cryofreeze rounds too are very useful against those normal demons," Hans reminded. "So don't lose out on that. What's your projected count for these special rounds?"

"Erm, well…" she sighed. "I think I can have six or eight plasma rounds, four cryofreeze rounds, then, the rest will have to be standard rounds because, well…I'll just have too little munitions to fire if I don't."

"I've been wondering," Hans leaned closer. "How does that ultimate shot of yours originate from your 'ideal' work?"

"Divine Judgment?"

That's such a metal name.

"Yeah," Hans nodded. "It…it was so strong. Valeria and Emilia even said that it probably was the strongest attack they'd yet seen. I imagine even a city would crumble with that sheer power."

Adelyn laughed.

"You flatter me too much."

"I was there. I watched it. It was…" Hans tried to find the proper words. "So awesome, is what I'm going with. Even my mech thinks so."

"How?"

"My electronics get temporarily fried whenever you fire it."

She crossed her arms, concerned.

"That's…not a good sign."

"That must just mean that 'Divine Judgement' shots are very powerful," Hans said. "So how does it work?"

"I don't know…" she looked to her side. "It's just, that when I activate it, whatever round I have loaded will be rapidly turned into a powerful magical round. Then it does…that. The description says that it also cleanses environmental effects caused by Injustice."

Hans' eyes widened.

"Environmental effects?"

+++

"We shall now launch the assault on Venido," General Ercole declared over the gathered officers. Hans briefly looked at Emilia, watching as the Viceroy's lips curled into a tiny smile. "It seems that our scouts have now shown that…the presence of our enemy is gone."

He took a deep breath.

"Unfortunately, while that is true, the members of the Imperial Mage Corps stuck in the city have reported that Injustice actually attacked briefly last night. Deaths are now rising in the city, both to a poisoned water supply, and…something that Injustice did."

Everyone seemed uneasy in response to those words, the atmosphere in the tent dropping into a chilly one, until Captain Strobel raised his hand.

"General. What did Injustice do?"

"People below Tier I seem to be rapidly dying due to a curse that drains their mana," General Ercole said. "We are not sure what the nature of this 'curse' is, but it seems to be tied to his corrupted ability."

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Adelyn's face darkened on the side, looking down. Hans leaned close to her, frowning. He could see that growing shame in her expression, and when she noticed him staring, she quickly looked away.

"We're going to try our best to intervene, but the casualties are now rising to thousands," General Ercole said. "That's all. We're advancing at 04:00 hours, very cautiously. Captain Wittenstein and Lieutenant Hoffman, both of you are going to be assigned as our forward vanguards, and you'll be driving to the main gate of Venido."

"We'll do our best, sir," Hans replied instead of Adelyn, who remained silent. "I'm sure we'll break in nice and fast."

"That's good," General Ercole said. He turned to Emilia, Valeria, and Captain Weibel. "You three on the other hand are in charge of our magical corps. I want you folks to make preparations about dealing with the poisoned water supply and the curse of Injustice left on our people."

"I assure you, I am already on that, General," Emilia said, her fist on her chest. "I absolutely won't leave my people dying. There will be a solution to this, I assure you."

"Good," General Ercole nodded, turning to Captain Strobel. "On the other hand, you Captain Strobel, and the 1st Anti-Demon Unit, I want you to form up on our easternmost flank. If any remnant demons try to retreat, I believe they'll do it there."

"It shall be done, sir," Captain Strobel replied.

With that, the meeting was finished.

+++

The process to enter Venido proceeded quickly. When they set out at 04:00 hours, initially, much of the Imperial Army moved slowly with extreme caution. Eventually, though, the all-clear declaration was given, and they practically crashed into the city rapidly.

The walls of Venido were damaged when Hans and Adelyn reached it. The entrance gate itself was blasted wide open, indicating that demons must have broken inside. On the other hand, there were only a few soldiers and survivors that were on top of the wall, all of them shouting desperately to be saved.

Contact between Hans and Adelyn was limited, as it seemed that she still felt ashamed to speak. When they drove directly inside the city, seeing the overrun barricades, the burned and destroyed buildings, and the corpses on the streets, the silence between the two grew colder and colder.

As they turned a street, Hans finally decided to speak.

"Captain—"

"I'm fine," Adelyn said. "We…we tried our best."

"...I know that look on you earlier," Hans countered, frowning. "Look, we drove them out. You drove them out."

"I know," Adelyn's voice rose a bit before she calmed down. "Just…it's nothing. I'm just being silly again."

"Are you sure?"

"Mhm…"

Hans let it go. Soon, they stopped at one of the wider roads, as hundreds of sickly civilians appeared. Hans turned his speaker on, trying to encourage them to get off the road.

"Everyone," he spoke through his speakers. "Please don't block the road. I assure you, aid is coming."

"Golden Angel!" shouted one of the sickly people, his voice angry. "Give yourself up! Injustice will free us from this if you do. I refuse to die!"

Hans' mech stepped back a bit, as the group of civilians turned hostile. Many of them weakly threw rocks at their mechs, decrying that the two 'left them alone', or that they 'didn't accept Injustice's peace offering'. Even mothers, their cheekbones already clear as they held their dead babies, shouted with anger at the two.

"Fuck," Hans cursed. "Let's step back a bit, shall we."

"No," Adelyn replied. "I need to face these people."

"Again," Hans bashed his fist on his controls. "This is not on you. This is on him. Even if we gave you up, he will not, never, follow the terms. These people are just dying and…and are deluding themselves—"

"Even if they are, I need to face them," Adelyn said. "It is my responsibility."

"I just want you to remember damn it," Hans raised his voice a bit. "These people aren't your only responsibility. You're also the angel who defends hundreds of thousands more. They expect you to fight, not surrender."

"...I know."

Even with Hans' words, Adelyn opened her hatch and stepped out. Hans himself opened his hatch, his gun at the ready if any of them tried to pull off crap. And they did. Rocks began being thrown in Adelyn's direction.

Hans was about to raise his submachine gun to the skies to fire a warning shot, but Adelyn shot him a glare. She took every rock thrown at her calmly, even when one of them was thrown particularly hard enough that she flinched.

No damage appeared though, and she barely received even a scratch. Truthfully, she was tougher than Hans now, as she had been trained diligently by Emilia to improve her body's constitution.

When they were done, Adelyn bowed at them apologetically.

"Everyone," she spoke softly. "I am sorry."

"Is that supposed to revive my wife!"

"My son died because of you!"

"Is your life more worthy than all of us!"

Jeers and shouts continued to be thrown at her, all of them still angry at her. But Adelyn continued to apologize and apologize. Hans on the other hand was filled with fury. They risked their lives for these people after all.

And this…this was how they treated them?

Perhaps he had just been used to the heroic welcomes they received from everywhere else, but still…

He curled his fist, as the citizens of the city began to disperse, tired of hearing Adelyn's continued apologies.

I guess it's just how dying people act.

He jumped down his mech, walking straight to Adelyn. She remained standing there, tears clear on her cheeks. Alizée herself even peeked from Adelyn's hatch, her eyes moist yet her face red in anger. Behind them, the first soldiers from the General's army arrived.

They seemed to be standing far away, all of them had seen the commotion. No words came from them, however. When Hans looked at their faces, almost all of them seemed to look at Adelyn with pity. Last night's battle after all showed that she was a massive hero in the Imperial Army's ranks.

Wherever Adelyn went, the soldiers believed that she would bring her weapons to vanquish Injustice. But now, all of them just watched their heroine being hated by the people they claimed to protect.

This is such a mess…

Hans could hear Adelyn sniffling a bit, as she turned to her mech, but Hans intercepted her, patting her back as he followed her.

"I know that was awful, but…"

"I will kill him," Adelyn said, turning to Hans. The once gentle and innocent demeanor he had been used to was now replaced by a murderous aura. "I'll tear him piece-to-piece. You hear that?!"

Hans stared at her briefly, watching as even in tears, she gritted her teeth, fury overcoming even her tears. He nodded.

"I'll be with you on every step to get there," Hans said. "We'll hunt him down. Until he's six feet under us."

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