“John, I’m telling you, you have to help us refuse this mission!” Ray’s shout echoed through the empty Administrative hall.

John—the clerk that helped Astrape enlist, shook his head apologetically.

“I’m sorry, but my hands are tied since for the past year, your squad has only taken on Monster subjugation requests and Route clearings. The higher-ups aren’t happy. They specifically demanded your squad to join.”

“T-They… They WHAT!?”

After clenching his fists so hard that they nearly bled, Ray calmed down just a little bit; enough to make another request.

“Then, at least get Ast out. Whether she survives this or not, she’ll come to regret ever coming here.”

“That, I can do.” John smiled. “Okay, so do you have an idea? What should she be discharged for?”

“What should she be discharged for? She’s a fucking child!”

“I understand, but the higher-ups won’t accept it.”

“Fuck, what has the Empire turned into…” Ray sighed. Then, he came up with an answer. “Injury.”

“Pardon? But she looks healthy a—”

“I’ll personally injure her,” he said with a dark gaze. “Being crippled is better t—”

But before Ray could finish his sentence, he felt a light impact on his back. Turning around, he saw Astrape standing right behind him. Her hands were curled into tight fists, and she had tears streaming down her cheeks. However, her face wasn’t that of sadness, but of disappointment and cold rage.

Ray hung his mouth open like a fish. Before he could explain himself to Astrape, she jumped up and slapped him on the face. The slap was definitely light (since she was just fourteen), but somehow, it hurt.

“Y-You! How could you?!” Astrape screamed. “Am I that useless? Is that why you want to kick me out?”

“Ast, I—”

“And if you want me gone, just transfer me to another squad! Why are you plotting to harm me?!”

“Ast, look, you don’t understand! This mission is suicide, they’re trying to k—”

Yet, Ray’s sentence was interrupted again. This time, by several slow claps coming from the door behind John the clerk.

The door soon opened, revealed a General with a mustache; the same General that approved Astrape’s enlistment.

“Excuse me for intruding, but I’m intrigued by your conversation.”

The room came to a standstilll as everyone waited for the General to go around the counter. Once he got to Ray and Astrape, he continued.

“Lieutenant Ray, for your sincerity, I shall allow Astrape Gray to be discharged unconditionally.”

Instantly, Ray’s eyes were filled with relief. “T-Thank you, G—”

“But!” The General cut Ray off again. “It wouldn’t be fair if we don’t consider the opinion of the person in question.” 

He then turned to Astrape and twirled his mustache. 

“What do you want to do. Remember, whatever you choose, I’ll happily oblige.”

Without any hesitation—or thought, Astrape gritted her teeth at Ray and answered,

“I’ll stay. But—” She clenched her fists again and closed her eyes shut. “—Please grant me a request.”

“...Please do tell.”

“Exclude my squad from this battle.”

“Even the guy who planned to cripple you?” The General raised an eyebrow.

“Yes.” She gritted her teeth. “Even him.”

“Very well.”

Ray couldn’t believe his ears. Was this girl suicidal!? 

There was a very good reason why the age of enlistment was, at minimum, sixteen. But after some weird policy that the Imperial Princess implemented, even infants could become soldiers. Ray knew that Astrape wasn’t in her right mind. Nay, no child in their right mind would willinging become soldiers. They were simply too blinded by glory, or too fascinated with novels that glorified and romanticsed war.

He could tell that Astrape was neither of these, but regardless, she was underestimating the horror of the battlefield.

By the time he made up his mind to just cripple Astrape right here, it was too late. The horns of war had been blown, and Astrape had already joined the platoon.

.

.

.

.

Ray decided to still join the battle. He knew that this was a stupid decision, but he just couldn’t let this little girl be alone!

When the news reached the ears of his remaining squad members, they also volunteered to join the battle again. After all, in the past year, Astrape had become somewhat of a family member to them.

But during the three or so days of moving to the battlefield, Ray hadn’t seen Astrape anywhere. He knew that she was here—just, she was avoiding him.

So, when the battle started, Ray had to live in constant fear of Astrape being killed. He ran around the battlefield like a headless chicken, trying his best to find her.

He jumped from trenches to trenches, looking everywhere for the child. Injured soldiers screaming at the top of their lungs filled his vision, but not once did he spot Astrape. 

This battle was a losing one, and Ray was sure of it. This platoon was just a bait to weaken and gauge the enemy’s power. Just thinking of the mustache-twirling General drinking wine in his office and watching this battle safely through monitor was enough to make his blood boil.

‘But why do I care so much about her?’

After all, she was just a naive brat who made light of war. However much she resembled his late daughter, following her into this kind of battle was just…absurd.

But he didn’t have time to think about it, as he soon found Astrape shivering in the corner of an unassuming trench. 

She was hugging her own legs and trembling over. Beside her was a rifle propped up against the wall. Ocasionally, she would look at her own trembling hands and mutter inconceivable things.

Ray knew what this meant, but he didn’t want to admit it. However, he had to when Astrape noticed him.

She abruptly stood up and dashed toward him, hugging him for comfort.

“R-Ray! I-I-I—”

“It’s okay.” He patted her back soothingly. “You don’t have to worry.”
But Astrape shook her head fervently. “N-No! Y-You don’t understand. I-I killed. I killed a man! I-I pulled the trigger a-and his head just b—”

“Pull yourself together!”

Ray, with all his experience dealing with new recruits, soon realized that a soft approach was futile. 

“A—”

As if Fate was playing tricks on him, a torrent of rocks rained on the trench he was staying at, burying everyone under a pile of rubble.

Despite his losing consciousness, he still hugged Astrape tight, as if wanting to protect her from the horrors of war…

.

.

.

.

Ironically, his efforts failed. 

Astrape woke up with a painful groan. One moment, she was in the trenches, trying to process her killing of another person—the next, she was in a dark cell with little to no light. 

She stood up and walked around the cell. With her hands placed on the bar, she tried to pull them apart.

‘They’re sturdy…what did I even expect?’

Then, as if Goddess Lumaria had descended, her vision was filled with light. However, the voice that accompanied the light wasn’t as angelic as she’d thought.

“Look, the bitch’s awake!”

As it turned out, the light wasn’t from some divine being descending down from the Heavens to save her. Instead, it was the light flooding from the door adjacent to her cell. 

Astrape felt someone pulling her by the arm before she could even react. By the time her eyes adjusted to the light, she was already in the middle of a well-lit hallway, being dragged by a man in military clothes. 

However, his clothes weren’t those of the Empire. Instead, it was the standard uniform of the Kingdom’s military.

Astrape squinted her eyes and looked at his name tag.

‘Ken Tadashi.’

What a generic name in the Kingdom.

Her thought stopped there as she soon realized the seriousness of the situation. She was in enemy’s territory, and she was being dragged to somewhere unknown by an enemy soldier.

So, she did what any sane person would and started resisting.

“Keep struggling,” Ken said casually. Even from the outside looking in, anyone could tell that he was much stronger than the girl he was forcefully dragging with him.

Things continued just like that until they reached an unassuming door. Despite looking like any normal door, Astrape could tell that something was wrong with it—primarily the muffled moans that she could hear.

Ken, noticing that Astrape’s frightened expression, grinned.

“A word of advice before going in: just turn off your brain and enjoy everything. Struggling is futile.”

Then, he opened the door and shoved Astrape inside; with himself following soon after. He made sure to lock the door and pushed Astrape deeper into the room.

Finally, Astrape could see what was making the sound. It was…an orgy.

Women wearing ripped military clothings of the Empire were strewn on the floor; all of their holes were being plugged with several men’s penises.

Despite there being a big ventilation shaft on the wall, the room still reeked of sex.

And, in the middle of it all, was an average-looking man with dark hair and eyes sitting on a wooden chair.

“Sergeant Takuto,” Ken said with much reverence. “I’ve found a woman to your liking.”

The man—presumably Takuto, nodded and eyed Astrape’s body hungrily.

“Good job. To think that you actually found a loli… Is she…”

“Yes, Sergeant, she’s eighteen.”

Astrape took the only chance she had to escape this situation.

“Wait! I’m not! I’m only thirteen!”

“Is that true?” Takuto raised an eyebrow at Ken.

“Sergeant, you know that it’s not true. No country is insane enough to make underaged kids fight as soldiers. She’s probably lying to get out of this.”

“I see…”

Then, Takuto stood up and walked over to Astrape.

As if sensing what his superior wanted, Ken pushed the girl on her knees. 

“Open your mouth,” he said.

But Astrape wasn’t going to yield. She kept her mouth shut even as Takuto unzipped his pants and slapped his cock on her cheek.

If looks could kill, Takuto would’ve been dead a hundred times over. So, the only reasonable thing he could do when Astrape glared at him like that was ask,

“Ken, do you have any suggestion on how to break her?”

By this time, Astrape really wanted to say that it wouldn’t no matter what. However, she knew that as soon as she opened her mouth, that disgusting piece of meat would go inside her.

“Sergeant, I do believe I saw someone hugging her when I found her.”

‘Wait, Ray?’ Astrape unwittingly widened her eyes.

Noticing her reaction, Takuto smirked.

“Tell me, what happens next?”

“Ah, about that, nothing much, really. He had already died when I found him. Head crushed by a piece of rubble. Poor soul.”

‘R-Ray is…dead?’

Despite having been betrayed by Ray in her mind, Astrape couldn’t help but tear up at the mention of his death.

Much as she didn’t want to admit it, Ray was…like a father to her—one that she never had. She knew that his talk of wanting to cripple her was for her own good, but she was too prideful to accept it.

And, this was the result of her action.

Astrape felt…defeated for the first time. She didn’t feel this way when her Mom was gone. She didn’t feel this way when the trench she was in collapsed.

Unbeknownst to her, her mouth had already opened.

By the time she realized her mistake, it was already too late. The tip of Takuto’s cock was in her mouth. Just a little push and—

“MPFHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

—Its whole length was in.

As Astrape was making gurgling noise while she was being face-fucked, Ken made his way to a nearby table and picked up a mirror from it. Then, he tied the mirror to Takuto’s abdomen.

“Thank you for your help, Ken. You’re— ohhh, you’re dismissed now.”

Ken nodded and simply left the room.

Takuto looked down at the loli sucking his cock. He tapped his finger on the mirror and commanded,

“Look into the mirror, bitch. Watch yourself slowly become a slut for my cock. You’re nothing more than a worthless whore.”

The combination of the humiliation of people forced to engage in sexual acts against her will and Takuto’s words made Astrape’s mind numb.

All Astrape could see in her mind was the word “DISGUSTING” painted in bold. Though, as time passed, those words scarily began to slowly change into pleasure.

‘I-Is this it?’ She thought. ‘I’ll become a worthless slut just like this?’

There was no way out. She was merely an Unawakened stuck in an enemy’s base. Maybe it was better to let everything go and e—

|Enjoying yourself?|

Something happened—to be more specific, someone appeared in the mirror she was looking at. Astrape was so shocked that the pleasure blew away completely from her mind and she momentarily stopped sucking. Even when Takuto began to grab her hair to forcibly face-fuck her, she still didn’t avert her eyes away from the reflection.

|What a pathetic little bitch you are, Seventh.|

Beside herself, Astrape could see another woman in the reflection. She looked just like her and sounded just like her—just much more mature. She looked like she was in her early twenties. The only difference was that the woman had a big scar across her cheek.

Astrape wanted to ask the woman who she was since no one but her seemed to be able to see her. But she couldn’t since her mouth was occupied…doing something else.

The woman seemed to have no interest in talking about herself either. Her next words were just,

|Do you want to survive?|

“Mpmmmmh!”

Astrape’s small whimpers acted as affirmations.

|Do you want power?|

“Mmm—!!”

|Do you want revenge?|

“MmnH!”

|Well, tough luck. You won’t achieve any of that with the way you are right now.|

Astrape looked into the reflection pleading, as if asking, ‘teach me.’

The woman chuckled. She positioned herself right behind Astrape and hugged her. She placed her soft pink lips near Astrape’s ear and whispered,

|Abandon your guilt. See the men around you? They’re no more than worthless bugs waiting to be crushed.|

‘They…are?’

|You’re still weak, so don’t fight honest battles. Use your wits, your cunning, your deceit to get through everything. That’s how I— That’s how we have always done things.|

‘I see…’

The woman’s grin widened.

|And, if you ever find yourself in an unwinnable situation, let yourself be consumed by madness.|

‘...’

|You do not need rationality to kill your opponent.|

‘What are you—’

|In the face of pure insanity, no amount of planning or power can win.}

‘Y…es.’

|Swing your sabre until their hearts stop.|

Yes.

|Even then, don’t stop slashing.|

Yes!

|Multilate them until their bodies are no more! Etch into their minds that not just your Eyes, your entirely being is FEAR.|

YES!

In line with Astrape’s madness, the woman burst into crackling laughter. Placing a soft kiss on Astrape cheek, she once again whispered.

|And remember, nothing’s your fault.|

Then, she disappeared. However, Astrape could feel her being closer to her than ever before. Her new sensation was proved when she heard the woman’s voice inside her own mind.

|Seventh, do you remember what Ray said when he first met you?|

‘Yes…’

|Good.| The woman chuckled, proving that she was now able to hear Astrape’s thoughts. |How did it go again?|

‘If you don’t have a gun, use a sword. No sword—use a knife. No weapon, then use your fists. Limbs broken—’

The woman interrupted Astrape’s thought with a coy laughter.

|Tear them apart with your teeth.|