Interlude
The setting sun washed the eastern citadel city of Kenstone over with red. With the death of the garrisoned forces’ commanding officer, the war hero Kudanis, the soldiers all lost their motivation to fight. The Gelmed Empire’s Magimatic Sols were simply too powerful...
And now there were six of them. The Lyferian army surrendered, and Kenstone was occupied by the Empire. The soldiers and civilians were gathered in the eastern square where the Magimatic Sols stood. The unit’s captain was Aira, a Kobold with a fox’s ears and tail. The other pilots were also girls from races that fell into the therianthrope category.
A violet-colored Magimatic Sol opened, and from it descended a girl with long, equally violet hair that extended down to her legs. She had pointed horns atop her head — an Oni girl. A maid hurried to meet her as she disembarked, handing her a uniform. Upon exiting a Magimatic Sol, the girls were essentially naked.
She put on the uniform and scooped up her hair. Upon noticing someone was approaching her, her stern expression melted into a pleasant smile.
“Good work out there, Aira!” she said.
“Hey, Migurtha. Right back at you.”
The Oni girl piloting the violet Magimatic Sol was Corporal Migurtha. The one who approached her was a female Kobold, Captain Aira. The two were of different races and different ranks, but they were the best of friends. While they couldn’t afford to do so in more formal situations, most of the time they treated each other with no reservations.
“I’m sorry, Aira. I was late to regroup...”
“No, if anything, I’m surprised you made it before sundown. Good work, Migurtha.”
“I had to make it before the main force, after all.”
“To be honest... I think it’d be best if I were the only one who reported to him...”
“What are you saying? I can’t let you do that.”
“But this was my blunder.”
“That’s not true! This entire operation is messed up to begin with. They split our forces chasing the enemy’s remnants and then expect you to launch an invasion?! And with Arjanos and its melee armaments, too!”
“Migurtha... That’s enough...”
“They’re coming.”
Aira and Migurtha’s expressions stiffened and they clicked their heels. Everyone else, who were on their breaks, ran over as well. Rikka and Erina’s expressions were strained with stress. The sound of heavy cavalry approaching reached their ears. And...
Walking at the cavalry’s back, accompanied by his subordinates, was a fat, round-bellied Human man. He was a middle-aged man, and his eyes were covered by a metal plate. Aira and the other girls were clad in black uniforms, but his was white and adorned with golden ornaments. His name was Doriadanph: a magimatic mage of the Gelmed Empire and the commander of the invasion forces. He stopped in front of the girls.
“Hmph. So the capture of the citadel city went... according to schedule, I see.”
“Yes, sir!” Aira replied.
“However... Unless my eyes are playing tricks on me, there are only six Magimatic Sols here. Where’s ?Arjanos of the Silver??”
“Its nerve center was damaged, so I had it stored in the dimensional interstice.”
“...Damaged?” Doriadanph clenched his teeth. “Perhaps my age is catching up with me and my hearing isn’t what it used to be, but... Did you just say it was damaged?”
“It was damaged because of me. My apologies.”
“Oh? So you’re saying... You lost a Magimatic Sol to Lyferian soldiers with their primitive iron spears and wooden arrows?”
“I did not lose it... No, my apologies!”
“Is that the posture one apologizes with?”
“Nng...”
Aira dropped to her knees. Erina made to open her mouth, but Migurtha silenced her with a raised hand. Rikka and the other soldiers all knew already that Lyferia wasn’t as weak as Doriadanph made it out to be. Still, Aira lowered her head.
“I apologize for damaging the precious unit bequeathed to me by His Imperial Majesty the Emperor!”
“I said lower... your... head!” Doriadanph stepped on the back of her head.
He pressed his weight on her, pushing Aira’s face into the ground with a thump.
“Guh?!”
“Have you forgotten His Imperial Majesty’s kindness, you ungrateful cur?! Remind me, why is it that you therianthropes are welcomed in the sacred territories of the Empire?!”
“B-Because of... His Imperial Majesty’s... benevolent heart...!”
“Then why? Why do you disappoint His Imperial Majesty?!”
“M-My apolo...”
“You filthy beasts! There are plenty waiting in line to fill your roles!”
He put more weight onto his foot to hurt Aira further. A crunching sound rang out from beneath her head.
“Guh?! Aaah?!”
“You’re not thinking of rebelling... Are you?!”
“I-I would... never...!”
Red fluid spread out on the ground. Blood was leaking out of Aira’s broken nose. Erina held her breath anxiously, but noticed that Migurtha’s hand, which blocked her path forward, was shaking.
“Kh...” She grit her teeth.
“Ah... Captain Aira, remind me, what was your village called again?”
“Please! Don’t harm the village!”
“Oh ho... But without a Magimatic Sol, you’re nothing more than a stinking animal.” He grinded his heel over Aira’s head.
“Ugh...”
But then Doriadanph seemed to recall something.
“Oh, come to think of it... We do have one Magimatic Sol without a pilot.”
“Ah?!”
“Try piloting ?Goldinus of the Gold?.”
A shiver ran through Aira’s shoulders, and before Erina could say anything, Migurtha cried out.
“Please, wait!”
Doriadanph swung around, punching Migurtha straight in the face.
“Just who... gave you permission to speak?”
“...My apologies,” Migurtha said, blood trickling from her lip. “But Goldinus... hasn’t had any compatible pilots yet... It consumed all of its test subjects.”
“Perhaps she’ll be compatible.”
“Please, reconsider. If we lose Captain Aira, it will be difficult to continue our invasion according to plan.”
“...You dare share your opinion with me... you filthy little imp...?”
“Pardon my impudence! The six of us will endeavor to make up for Arjanos’ share of the work! But please, do reconsider! Captain Aira is a skilled commander, she’s precious manpower we cannot afford to lose!”
Doriadanph dropped his gaze to his feet and finally moved away his foot.
“Very well. I will leave the captain to her role, as is.”
“Thank you very much!” Migurtha bowed her head.
“However... You will take responsibility for speaking out of turn, Corporal. I sentence you to... a hundred whippings.”
The others made to argue, but Migurtha responded before anyone else could else could speak.
“I humbly accept my punishment!”
Doriadanph scoffed at her and turned his back.
“...Call the magimatic engineers,” he told his attendant. “Have Arjanos of the Silver repaired.”
“Yes, sir!” The attendant saluted and was about to run off, only to be stopped once more by Doriadanph.
“Wait. Have the seekers leave their holes, too... We still need to sniff her out.”
†
With their commander gone, the girls gathered around Aira and helped her to her feet.
“Lady Aira, your nose...” Erina said with tears in her eyes.
Blood dripped from it freely, forming dark red stains on her black uniform.
“Yes, looks like I broke my nose... I’ll be fine. This will heal up in no time.”
“Let me!” Rikka, a dryad, extended her hands forward. A white flash enveloped Aira and the bleeding suddenly stopped.
“I’m sure you’re tired too, Rikka, but I...”
“I’m completely, totally fine!”
Aira then turned her gaze to Migurtha.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t let it bother you. This is a hundred times better than letting that crazy magimatic mage make you into his toy.”
“Goldinus of the Gold... They say it’s the strongest Magimatic Sol...”
“That’s nonsense! That thing is just an execution chamber!”
“Right... Thank you. You saved me.”
Aira bowed to her and then looked around at her companions.
“Whoaaa...”
Erina, who had hair a shade of angrier red, wept bitter tears. She was naturally very short, so she looked like a sobbing child.
“Grr... Lady Aira...”
The pilot of the grey Magimatic Sol was Bakki, who was currently visibly enraged. She had kept her composure this time, but was the quickest to anger of them all. She was a werewolf.
“Dammit!” She slammed her right fist into her left fist. “If only they didn’t have everyone back home at the village as hostages!”
Another in the group was Saya, who had emerald green hair. She was a nekomata, and the youngest of the group, making her effectively a kitten. She was always silent and expressionless, and her comrades couldn’t tell what she was thinking... But right now it was clear she was sad. Her triangular ears flattened against her head and her eyes were moist with tears.
Toaha, a yellow Lamia, disembarked her Magimatic Sol. She was very much their group’s ace, but it was as if half of her heart remained within the unit. Rumor had it that her compatibility with her Magimatic Sol was too high. Even in this situation, she could only smile faintly.
“It’s a good thing you’re still alive, Aira,” she said blankly. “We can eat together again.”
“...Right.”
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