WEAPON | JEAN KIRSCHTEIN

⟼ 05: Guilt

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Year 854
'Guilt'

His steps grew heavier and heavier with every second that passed. The soldier in front of him walked a steady pace but Jean felt as if he raced to reach Sergeant Zacharias.

"What did he want to see me for?" Jean tried to make small talk.

"He didn't say," he simply replied.

Jean pursed his lips as the tension grew thick.

It wasn't long until they arrived at Mike's private barracks. It was a small house by the edge of a river. The other superiors also resided in the homes next to Mike's.

The soldier knocked before a voice invited them in.

Mike was seated behind his desk filling out paperwork when Jean entered alone.

"Kirschtein," Mike said, "I received your report,"

Jean completed his reports during the journey back to Shiganshina. While his comrades napped their worries away, Jean was restless. Pacing here and there counting his squad-mates, listing down those who were thankfully still alive. There weren't a lot to begin with.

Mike clicked a button and a screen appeared and floated above the wooden table. In Jean's said report, names of deceased soldiers were jotted down, highlighted in red. Their portraits stared at Jean as Mike scrolled through the list

Jean took a quick glance at the sergeant's face. Mike never seemed to be one to show anger or resentment, he was one of the more considerate superiors in Wings of Freedom. But his face showed signs of disappointment. It was evident.

"Have a seat, kid,"

Jean sat down. He held his fists together as Mike let out a sigh.

"I'll hear it from you first before you explain yourself to everyone at the meeting later. We both know those two can't be any kinder with words," he referred to the nobleman and chuckled to ease the tension in the room, "But I will mention, however, Combat Unit 1 lost nearly 60% of its personnel. I hope you have a good explanation for this,"

Jean took in a breath, "I was unprepared,"

Mike waited for another response. He looked up to meet Jean's eyes, "That's it? That's not going to suffice for the lives that we lost yesterday, Jean,"

"But I did everything the same way you would, sir," Jean began, his thoughts flooded with scenarios from the previous day filled with screams and blood of his fellow comrades, "We divided and dispersed according to plan. It went well for the first quarter of the expedition but when they brought out their incendiaries, that's when everything went haywire. I underestimated everything,"

Jean reminisced it again.

Just like a completely synchronised orchestra, everything went well. Everyone moved rhythmically with the sound of their marches and shots creating a perfect symphony. The sun scorched above them but they didn't care for it, because at the time, it seemed like they were winning.

Red splashed out of wounds as soldiers cried and screamed at the top of their lungs.

The numbers on the enemy team looked as if they were decreasing rapidly which made Jean a little too confident with the title he held. Though he was just a fill-in for Mike's place, he made sure to treasure the feeling.

But as they released bullets after bullets, blades clamouring against each other, soldiers bellowing under the seething, spite-filled sky, Jean failed to notice the government soldiers preparing incendiaries in his peripheral vision. When the first bomb detonated, it set the green cloaked soldiers flying a distance away.