Rip and Tear

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The Flak Tower Generation 3 materialized in the middle of the cemented ruins. Five Willys jeeps, ten General Motors 6x6 trucks, and two Easy Eight Shermans drove straight to trees until the path between jersey barriers turned flat in concrete.

The convoy reached the meadow, driving past the checkpoint and Normandy pillbox. LCS personnel roamed the renovated structure, some on and around the new perimeter wall thick enough to support bunkers, others at the tower and original rampart.

Droves of infantry dismounted from the trucks and tanks, running to their assigned sectors. Kazuya hopped off the jeep, clipboard in hand, next to a group of soldiers.

"Twelfth Patrol?"

"Yes, Sir," a soldier stepped forward. "Second Platoon, First Echelon."

"Can the 'Sir' while I'm outside, Lieutenant," Kazuya cycled through the list. His helmet rank didn't match. "Where's your CO and the rest of your unit?"

"We've elevated to Aggressive Reconnaissance before the otherworlder incident. The Captain had half of us deal with it."

"Did she now? Does Base know?"

"Yes. That was around an hour ago."

And by a stroke of convenience, a platoon-sized element walked in from the gate with fresh sweat and bare-headed exhaustion. A woman with round glasses, five to seven years too young to possess the two silver bars on her helmet, pointed fingers for the group to follow.

"Cap, your back."

Her eyes landed on Kazuya, and he waved a hand across his throat.

"Yeah — turns out goblins get taller and fatter the deeper you go into their nest. Any news from Command?"

"This place is getting new players, and they need some benchwarmers. So we're it."

"I'll leave the rest to you."

"Will do," he turned to the returning soldiers. "All of you, get yourself sorted out! Hospital ward's inside the tower; resupply station's that way!"

Captain Aoba Ibuki's tone became polite. "I believe this is the first time we've met. Can I help you, Leading Private?"

"Yes. It's something about you seizing the initiative. But first, how about some takoyaki?"

Anywhere but the gate at eyeshot.

In a world of swords and magic, a pinch of your average isekai love can make anybody's stomach rumble from the sizzling and smell; it could even start a war. The field kitchen clanged with knives striking chopping boards and cooks barking for the next ingredient while scratching turners on the pans, one needed to raise their native voice to make sense for those across the table.

"I apologize for not introducing myself to you properly. I had to personally respond to a monster sighting from the north."

"I've heard reports from your unit earlier," the signaler stopped scribbling on his notepad, slid the minutes, and grabbed his chopsticks. "It says you've investigated sightings of what you've described as 'goblins' earlier?"

"Yes. It just so happened to be in our cardinal direction."

"Yet you've gathered half your echelon and dealt with them."

"I acted under the perceived threat they could pose."

"And that is?"

"External interference and our safety, Sir."

Aoba stared deep into his eyes, emphasizing that 'Sir' in the end. It took one stroke of bad luck, the atmosphere, and the distance for those gunshots to get at earshot of anyone they didn't like.

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