~Part XI : ~ Comrades ~
~Saga~
… Is this a dream…or a reality?
The events of last night…getting married to Tiara... If I didn’t know any better, it was so surreal I’d thought it was just a mere dream…an illusion from my heart.
The pains of reality tears people apart… To feel the joy and bliss of love, and yet to fight a painful war that had consumed the lives of many, much lost without meaning or honor.
Here I am…awakening to the scent of blood that reeks a battlefield…
I have come this far… soon. Soon, everything will end.
[Meister…it is almost time.]
Null’s words reached out to me. That’s right… the final assembly and inspection of the forces are about to be done. The final battles that will determine the fate of this nation…after decades and decades of struggle…have finally reached its climax.
“How are you feeling, Null?”
[The Unison System runs at about 37% efficiency… Regulation of alternate systems are doing just fine. There’s no worry of Null breaking down this time in battle after my lonely nights of doing nothing but reconstructing my systematic functions, so there’s no excuse for you to ignore me like that time.]
“Talkative as ever, I see… That’s good. Though it looks like the Unison System is incomplete…we’ll just have to make do without it.”
[…Are you all right, Meister?]
“… I’m fine.”
[Liar….It’s about Tiara, isn’t it? What happened?]
“Null…Whenever I meet Tiara…each time feels more like an illusion. A dream that is so real, it’d disappear once it actually becomes one. The feeling, sometimes it almost feels surreal. It’s like…I’ll never see her again…once this war is over.”
[Meister…]
That’s right… last night, we promised both our future, and another…before we left.
”Tiara…exactly 7 days from now…let’s meet her once more. This time… there will no more secrets between us. I will tell you everything.”
“The same for me…Sa-Dear. Yes…one week. Then me too…I shall no longer hide anything.”
That’s right…once this is over…I’ll go there again. This time, I’ll tell her everything. About me being the Griffon Knight…everything.
Because I promised her.
And that is why…I must live.
Then, from outside the tent…Isdera pulled away the slight pullings of the curtain door…as he spoke the words.
“General…It is time.”
So…the time has arrived.
“Let’s go…Null.”
[Yes, Meister.]
Walking out from my tent…amidst the large flags and banners that represent our allegiance to Vauxhall… I walk out towards the edges of a small cliff…where I see below me…my comrades, my soldiers, my knights…all assembled underneath.
A grand scale… hugely divided platoons of knights divided into divisions of summoners, sword knights, spear knights, and more…all armed and ready to thrust themselves into this final battle…As their eyes set gaze on me, it came to my realization…
Yes…I also carry the lives of everyone below me.
As I stepped further towards the edge of the cliff, making my sight clear as day to everyone… There was nothing I really need to tell them. They…we’ve understood our duty and roles from the very beginning…but that is why, I must tell them something.
This will be my last address and statement to these people…Some of them will live to remember it, some will not… but at this very moment, I shall speak out my heart, not bound by any rules, or rank.
I will just be myself.
“My comrades…
This civil war has raged long…Hundreds and thousands had died over the decades. It is a long and painful war for all sides, but that long battle…has finally reached this stage.
As you all know…the capital of Opel…the heart of the Night Sky, lies just beyond these plains. It lies just before us.
Many of us have had loved ones who has died because of this war…our comrades, and the ones before us as well…many have died, be it through battle or other reasons.
However…we have persevered, lived on, fought with everything we’ve got…to reach where we’ve come today.
4 years ago… I was no different from the rest of you. I was drafted as a soldier, and rose to what I am right now. Even right now…I may be the General, but it doesn’t make me any less of a soldier than anyone else here.
A leader carries the weight of the lives and suffering of the ones below him. A leader can treat his soldiers as pawns, but a soldier never abandons his comrades.
This war will be painful. Many more lives will be lost in the upcoming struggle, and regardless who is victorious in the end, it will not be a fairytale ending to the winners.
Everyone of you…do not even think of going out there, to die in glory and honor for your king or your country.
Peace and glory means nothing to the dead.
Fight…to live. So long as you all live, there’ll always be a future for you.
Lastly…”
Removing my gauntlets, I kneeled down before the thousands of knights before me.
“ Before everything else…Thank you.
Thank you for entrusting your lives to me, thank you for believing in me and fighting all these way. I cannot thank all of you enough for everything.
I…am truly thankful…to all of you.”
Regaining my posture and composure, I gave one last word of thoughts towards all of them…
“Remember… you are all not just soldiers…you are the Knights of Belka. Carry that pride and honor within your chest…and live!”
"THIS! IS! BELKA!!!"Less of my original canon, and more of an OC thread in-joke. It still somewhat fits...I suppose. Take it for what you want, be it canon or not.
As I finished my words, chants can be listened as everyone of them shouted as loudly as they could, as if to accept and deliver a last show of trust towards me, and their duty.
“BELKA! BELKA! BELKA! BELKA! BELKA! BELKA!”
“An excellent speech, Saga.”
Astra and Isdera came from behind, congratulating me…Well, it was only Astra, really…Isdera’s not the type to give compliments about such things…
“Where’s Wira?”
“He’s stationed near the command post. He’ll be the rear supporter, until we’ve broken through the center, where all of us will then strike the heart of the enemy.”
Good…Everything is set in place…
It is now. Or never.
Raising my arms, I signaled the one motion that creates a wave of rushing stampedes that seek their victory…
“CHARGE!!!!!”
Finally…
This is the beginning of the end.