The Strongest Sorcerer of Tomorrow (Megumi x Arknights)

Chapter 38: The Fierce Dragon of Reunion

A/N: 14k Words

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Talulah looked off into the distance, the piles of snow falling were as cold as they always have been. A familiar feeling of having spent the length of about four whole years in the Tundra, and all the pain that came with it. Not only was it the biting snow which continued to chip at Reunion's will, but also the constant fighting.

The conception that the group of Infected fighters may not be able to make it south or even see the light of spring ever again left a deep impression in many. Patriot was right to a degree, they would never stand a chance against an army, and the Draco found it to be a crushing statement. But would she give up? Not a chance.

...However, with what had been happening recently, with a group of Infected deserting and taking a small Nomadic City by themselves, the aggression of the Ursus Imperial Army, and... it was all just too much. Stopping now would be pressing the brakes on a train just as it was about to hit a wall, the momentum already built up will simply make it crash into the wall and destroy itself.

The only option was to keep it going at full speed, perhaps even faster. That way, they could break down the wall completely and hopefully emerge to the other side. In spite of all the sorrow and deaths that had led up to this moment, Talulah knew that she could not falter. Not one bit, or else Reunion would be left within the freezing NorthWestern Tundras to rot.

Just like her...

'Don't let this bog you down,' Talulah whispered in her mind. A lot of Reunion's members had taken note of her downtrodden attitude the past few months. While they didn't know the full detail, Draco was sure they were smart enough to get the signs—which was why so many of them had been giving her the space she needed.

The best response she could give to her allies in this freezing and snow-struck lands was that 'nothing' was ailing her. She would need to reign these detrimental feelings eventually, for the sake of what she wished to accomplish in the future. It was just... Why did it have to be so difficult?

There was no need to delve on that question further, she already knew the answer.

Trudging through the frost ladened ground and leaving her footprints across produced a crisp sound of the soft particles being squashed. Moving through the environment wasn't much of a problem for the Draco with how her Arts and race were. For other people, it would be much more extraneous.

That wasn't what mattered though, all of Reunion played a part in creating this movement in its entirety. Every single step of the people comprising it served to bring it closer and closer to its goal, just as Talulah was moving closer to a village where she could negotiate trade supplies. It was one of the only spots that would do such a thing for them.

Aside from that, Patriot was starting to become more accustomed to the group, especially having spent four years with them. Progress was key in that regard since both of them shared the same view of liberating the Infected. It was just that the Wendigo was more inclined towards destroying the Imperial Government than uniting all Infected.

Talulah could admit to herself in these distracting thoughts that it was a foolish goal, but it was still a possibility she was going to grasp upon. Based on how many people they had gathered, uniting a large number of the oppressed Infected wouldn't be impossible. The problem was having to provide for all of them, especially if she truly wanted to unite all Infected.

'There have been upsides and downsides... some better than others, and some worse than others... you'll make it.' Her nerves were steeled once more, seeing the sight of the village in front of her. The one in front of her was one of the least frequented places by the Ursus patrol men, so if she just established trade relations with them discreetly enough...