Hurt and Heal (Arknights)

Chapter 20: Lungmen part 6

A/N: I know I know... You've been wondering what happened a month has not passed since last chapter and already a new update. Well yeah, but this chapter is twice shorter than last one, only 11K words for that one. On this, enjoy !

A young cautus on the battlefield remained motionless, or rather she remained paralyzed. While she was holding her dear doctor's hand just a few seconds ago.

*badump* *badump*

Her hands had dropped the doctor's to stand stiffly in front of her azure eyes. Her hands that were covered in still warm blood.

*badump*

She was only fourteen, and the traumatic scene that had just unfolded before her eyes had her brain spinning in a loop, unable to do anything or even think about anything else.

*ba... dump*

And all around her the battlefield was in total chaos. The troops of the reunion after having seen their leader put a foot on the battlefield felt more motivated than ever, and the troops of Rhodes Island on the contrary having seen for the last time the giant making a glide with a missing arm before disappearing, were starting to suffer from the lack of effective tactical commands, as well as a clear lack of morale. And without Gravel, or projekt red, no one was there to fill the doctor's role of running to different parts of the battlefield to help those in need. In other words.

*ba...*

The situation was getting worse every second. The only thing that was still holding on a bit was the L.G.D., even though they were fighting one to ten, the controls and the help of Ch'en and Swire were enough to hold on for a while. But as the lung glanced at the oni she could see that she too seemed to be suffering from the same anxiety sickness as the Rhodes Island troops and as a result her combat skills were suffering.

As a barrage of arrows and art blasts was organized on the side of the reunion to suppress the resilient L.G.D. Swire's brain was reeling from all the tactical notions she had to deal with as well as her preoccupation with staying alive. Ch'en was doing the same, although she had far less trouble fighting her enemies than the feline. Then suddenly when the scales on the lung's tail began to quiver she sensed the danger and looked further out onto the battlefield to see that all the soldiers in the reunion were ready to fire in front of them.

Ch'en: Everyone take cover!!!

Hoshiguma upon hearing this looked in front of her and stood up in front of all the other L.G.D. troops drawing the attention of the shooters and their projectiles straight to her shield. A wave of fireballs and sky-high arrows flew towards the oni and finally hit a wall. With a grunt of pain and physical effort, the young woman took on all the attacks, driven only by the will to protect her troops behind her. Quickly the volley of deadly projectiles stopped and the oni came out unharmed although exhausted and panting throwing a look of defiance to the troops in front of her who had just riddled their comrades in the front line with arrows and arts to finally have no result.

*thump* *thump*

The shots from the grenade launcher sounded like the last time. Hoshiguma raised her shield again but this time the L.G.D. aegis didn't hold against the projectiles of the young ursus, swept away by the power of the attack she crashed heavily on the ground a few meters away with her shield beside her. But when the pain made her look at her arms she realized that she couldn't use them... The bone of her right forearm came out of the flesh causing an immense pain but also letting escape a wide net of blood. Not to mention his other arm where the wrist was broken. Skullshatterer who was running in the middle of her men came out of the crowd with an inhuman leap, changing to take her two swords in hand. Seeing what had been done to her colleague, moved by rage and a desire to protect her other colleagues Ch'en felt Chi Xiao vibrate in her scabbard. So without thinking she drew her blood blade and slashed straight towards the leader of the reunion. Sensing the imminent danger, instead of trying to counter the attack as she would have tried first, she seemed to leap back into the air, her speed allowing her to dodge the attack with ease before falling straight back towards the lung, bringing both swords down towards her with all her strength. The lung managed to parry the attack using her raythean. Swire took advantage of the second of immobility of the leader of the reunion to attack with her flail.