Pilot and Angels

Chapter 48: Tombs

Vroom! Vroom!

"Are we being chased?" The white-haired girl, Sena, asked as she deftly maneuvered the steering wheel, avoiding the debris and rubble that blocked the roads. "No, we're clear!" Chinatsu replied as her hands kept moving, trying to stabilize the heavily wounded man before her. "Understood."

"We will head to Trinity Academy... is that acceptable?" She directed the question to the few Trinity students in the van. Hasumi, as a result, glanced at Tsurugi, before looking at Chinatsu and giving an affirming nod. "Yes, please do."

"Understood." She stepped on the gas pedal even harder, purring the engine as it roared through the desolate street.

"Grg...!" A gurgling groan surprised the medical staff in the back. Droz quickly came to and squirmed in his place. "Sir Droz, please do not move too much!" Chinatsu chided. "You're heavily wounded."

"Mantis... Mantis... where's he?"

"Not now, sir! Please save your breath!" Chinatsu added. "Pass me the hemostatic agent!" She motioned with her gloved hands red with his blood. She kept trying her best to control his bleeding, but the slash wound that the strange robot gave him was deep and wide, making it hard for her.

"I can't stop the bleeding!"

"What's his blood type?!"

The only thing Droz could hear as his consciousness started to fade away again was the whirring engine of the vehicle... along with the muffled voices of his students trying their best to tend to his wound.

"I'm... sorry..."

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The air was bleak, as desperate as it was within the missile strike zone. Yet there was no gunfire, no burning flames, no explosions, no shouting, nothing. Merely one girl who desperately couldn't stop her friend from returning to finish the fight.

"Wait, Azusa!" Hifumi called her name, stopping her from disappearing into the darkness of the tunnel. "Why must you go alone?!" Hifumi screamed, trying her best to make her stop leaving. "...This is my own fight." Azusa weakly answered.

"Wait, you said that you want to stay with us!"

"We can get the others to go together!"

"Just... please... don't go..."

Hifumi pleaded to her friend as best as she could, but instead of an agreement-

"...Goodbye, Hifumi."

All she got was a bitter farewell.

Hifumi fell to her knees, feeling the despair from her failure. She watched as Azusa's back slowly receded into the darkness with no sign of stopping. Tears slowly streamed down her cheeks as a downcast expression invaded her face. "What should I do...?"