Suddenly, something grabs his attention. From the side of his eye, he can see one of the wolfmen getting up. Oh shit, was it only playing dead? Before he can react, it runs straight toward him. He only has time to stand up. He won't have enough time to dodge or parry this attack. A glance tells him that the Captain hasn't noticed it yet. There isn't enough time to do anything. He closes his eyes and braces himself.

But the attack never comes. By the time he opens his eyes, the beast is lying dead on the ground with an arrow lodged at the back of its head. The Captain seems to be facing the direction of its source.

"Who are you?" cries the Captain. "Show yourself!"

From the fog, a small humanoid figure approaches. Fairly small, the person could easily be mistaken for a child, if it were not for her military garb. This girl, as innocent as she looks, is a soldier just like them. But somehow, she seems familiar.

The girl walks up closer to the Captain, still holding a loaded crossbow in her arms. The weapon looks far too heavy for her, but she is carrying it as if it were some child's toy. He recognizes the metal of the tip of her arrow. It is made of silver.

"Cadet Yakumo reporting, Captain!" she says with a salute. "Formerly of the 11th regiment, investigation team."

"Formerly?" asks the Captain.

The Cadet lowers her eyes slowly.

"No one else survived," she whispers.

"I see," the Captain replies. "I have no choice but to ask you to join us, then. I cannot send a soldier out alone in this area."

"T-thank you very much, Captain," the Cadet says. "And as for your subordinate, I -"

The girl pauses as he meets his gaze. Her eyes widen in recognition, as do his. He knows this person. There is no mistaking it.

"Big bro- I mean, senior?" the Cadet returns. "I-It's me! We met back at the academy, d-don't you remember?"

Vincent pauses to recall. There were a lot of other girls back at training. The Cadet frowns as he continues to think. No, this girl wasn't any ordinary person. Her name is one that he can't forget.

"Chen?" he says. "What are you doing here?"

Without warning, the Cadet tackles him to the ground, holding him in a tight embrace.

"Y-you remembered! Big brother remembered!" she squeals with delight.

The Captain only raises an eyebrow, but makes no further comment.

"How could I forget my favorite little marksman?" he replies as he ruffles her hair. "Seems like you improved quite a bit."

"Y-yes! I worked hard, just like you said!" says Chen. "The past year was tough, but I knew that if I studied and practiced enough, I would become strong just like big brother!"

"Ahaha! Quite calling me that!" he replies. "You should be calling me by my rank. You are a soldier now."

Chen leans her head against his chest. Her tails wave energetically back and forth. He gasps slightly as he feels something pleasantly soft press against his lower body. She definitely isn't fully developed, but she is starting to show promise as a woman.

"I was hoping that I would meet you again soon," she whispers. "You see, I still..."

Suddenly, the Captain clears her throat.

"While I hate to break up this reunion, there are a lot of evil monsters that still need slaying," she says coldly. "We shouldn't keep them waiting."

Chen pulls away from him reluctantly.

"After we finish checking the village, we need to sweep the nearby farms for any hostiles," says the Captain.

Looks like this will be a long night.
[ ] Talk to the Captain. Perhaps you can discuss your potential as a swordsman.
[ ] Talk to Chen. You haven't seen your favorite junior for quite some time.
[ ] Stay silent and focused. Here, there be monsters.
[ ] Custom