Unfortunately, I’m Not A Hero: 107

Unfortunately, I’m Not A Hero: 107

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Commissioned by Shaderic

Wordcount: 2500

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Naturally, I had concerns about arming Reiser with the equipment necessary to take down a Pharaoh. It would be weird if I didn’t, since our relationship with one another was fucked over by her decision to leave me on the front and go fight for the people who abducted me from my home.

Sure, since then she betrayed and tried to lead a rebellion against the Empire from within and failed, as well as worked under supervision for me for several months… but the thing about personal feelings was that I didn’t need justification.

They were my feelings as a result of our interactions with one another.

I could go further into detail about how she fucked up our situation, blame all the losses we took after she left on her, and generally be really, really fucking petty to stoke those feelings up… but this wasn’t the time for it.

It’ll be a long time before I trust Reiser without any minders around, but I wasn’t an idiot who let his feelings lead him around.

The former Hero of the Empire had the credibility of her work in Ylstu. None of the people she’s ever worked with had complaints about her and she never stepped out of line once over the course of months. If she was playing some long game, secretly undermining me and Ylstu, after all the security measures I sieved her through, then I wouldn’t be able to stop her and her plans no matter what I did.

Then, of course, there was the fact that my current mission was to take down an Apophis who knew I was coming and already heard of the fact that I killed one of her kind. Though I was confident my Kunoichi would secure her source of power, the Claim, Miriam was going to go into battle better prepared than her now-deceased colleague. Just sending A’Bel in there would be too risky. However, sending a specialist in anti-Kindred fighting in there with her would heavily tip the odds in her favor, thus increasing the chance that the mission would succeed.

Therefore, I pushed down my concerns and feelings, in favor of doing what a leader needed to do: make choices that benefited the entire mission instead of just himself.

I had to take the risk of equipping her, because not doing it would be inviting unnecessary risk.

I didn’t have to like it.

I didn’t have to change my personal feelings on the matter.

However, I did have to do it for the sake of the people who put their lives in mine.

That was that.

…

The Pharaohs had plenty of armor to spare for warriors, but most of them were made for Kindred. The Empire had a lot of faults that made razing their entire territory to the ground and erasing them from history a valid option, but they outfitted their professional soldiers and champions properly. Gambeson, chainmail, and plates, all enchanted with layers of protection, boosts to physical attributes, and charms that made wearing it all practical, was the norm for their heavy soldiers, Knights, and Heroes.

The Amazons armor wasn’t practical for Reiser, since they relied on innate toughness and making sure their limbs weren’t shorn off, as bruisers on the battlefield that could shrug of physical and magical attacks. Reiser needed protection that they didn’t have, so cobbling spares together to fit her wasn’t applicable… therefore I had to play an emergency card that I didn’t want to play.

I’d had armor made for Reiser for the event of an emergency, when she was the only around that could keep my head on my shoulders, I’d planned on giving it to her to save my own skin. Under the emergency event that my life was in danger, and she was around, I was willing to arm and equip a possible sleeper agent in order to not die. Giving it to her now was actually less risky than my original plan, since I had capable bodyguards capable of taking her on.

So, no matter how many times Ur nudged me and raised an eyebrow at me as Reiser looked over her armor, I had a completely valid and honest reason why the armor existed. If I’d forgiven Reiser for what she did, she’d be wearing custom-made armor for herself, and not an emergency set that I commissioned without her knowledge and hid in the back of the storeroom.

I cleared my throat and ignored Ur, while Reiser got to know the armor I’d given her.

“Its defenses are mediocre, but you’ll be near where you used to be in terms of attack power.” I stole as many ideas as I could from my world for the armor. It was basically an enchanted scuba suit that could have plates of armor strapped over vitals. The bodysuit was made by Driders master weavers, the plates were Dwarven, and the enchantments courtesy of Henri. “You’ll die if you try to tank hits with that armor, so don’t do that. Focus on fighting and taking down the Pharaoh. Help A’Bel. If try to do more, you’re a moron.”

Reiser nodded and checked both of her earrings. Sneaking a metal helmet around was impossible, and one that was mis-sized would’ve done more harm than good, so I went to magic for a solution. The project that I had Henri research allowed her to miniaturize the effect of the protective wind charm into a valid way of protecting one’s face from speeding objects. They couldn’t do so forever, and were one-offs unlike the larger charms that could be repowered, but they made for a decent substitute for a well-fitted, proper helmet during emergencies.

I was going to get studs for my collar to prevent assassination attempts.

“I understand. I will not fail you, Lord Hikigaya.” Reiser gave a nod at my words. The plated bodysuit was entirely black, without any markings, and she looked more like a ninja than a Hero. The most ostentatious part of her outfit was the Noble’s sword that she wore on her hip. It was the same one I took from the ruling noble of the city I’d burned to the ground so long ago. It stood out on her hip, in its scabbard, but it looked more natural on her than it did me. “I will return with your blade and victory no matter the cost.”

Reiser’s still looked like a brown-haired Elf, her disguise was practically permanent without magic, but her words and actions made it impossible to ignore the fact that she was the same Reiser that I once knew.

Seeing her off before battle brought up memories I didn’t wish to have, so I gritted my teeth and moved on.

“Take the Apophis alive if possible, but not if you or A’Bel have to get critically injured or die to do it. Killing two Apophis in a row is good enough, even if it's better if we take out of their own away to more savage lands to an unknown fate.” I was sure that killing the immortals would light a fire under their asses. But if there was anything worse to an immortal used to living in the lap of luxury, it would be being abducted into a savage land bereft of the luxuries that they enjoyed. Miriam was either going to die, or get to enjoy the lesser lands of savages in a neat cage, until I saw fit to return her with a few more ships at my back. Roseanne couldn’t get any MORE pissed, after all. I’m sure that I’ve maxed that meter out already. “Do you understand, Reiser?”

“Yes, Lord Hikigaya. I understand.”

With that statement uttered, I turned my attention to Ur.

“You’ll be accompanying them with the Wyverns and Harpies to fight against whatever guard she has. Assist against their Pharaoh if you can. Kill them and make sure that they can’t pursue us.” A’Bel’s actions simmered in the back of my mind. I should be looking for ways to avoid killing, but I knew better than to treat loyal generals and soldiers of a ruler like chaff to be swept aside. There were few things more dangerous than someone with nothing to lose and vengeance in their minds. Source/Example: me. “Fight them honorably and give them painless deaths, as long as you don’t risk your own life.”

“I understand, my chieftain.”

Ur bowed with the words and with that I turned my attention to the deck of the ship. Wyverns, Harpies, and Amazons stood ready for battle. They were equipped with as much as I could afford. Since my forces for this expedition was limited, I outfitted them and geared them all up as much as I could. It was common sense in the present that Kindred didn’t go into battle with enchantments to their strength and prowess, but that was a stupid. Every possible advantage should be leveraged as much as possible, while utilizing them with as much lethality and savagery as possible.

I prepared for an overwhelming, immense, and perfect victory before every battle I entered, because that was the only goal worth pursuing.

With that in mind, I addressed my troops on the deck of the ship while standing beside the one keeping the ship’s helms-Kindred.

Wyverns, Harpies, and Amazons stood in neat lines, by squadrons led by field officers, while A’Bel and the other heavy hitters stood ahead of them.

“I expect you all to follow your officers’ commands, fight against a living god’s army, and assist in capturing or killing a living god.” I didn’t know all their names, but just like the days I spent fighting for the Empire, I knew their faces. Thus, I knew that if any of them died, I’ll see their faces sometime in the future in my nightmares. I didn’t want that, so I trained them harshly and equipped them with the best. “If you do everything you’re told, then you’re going to come back alive. If you make a mistake, I’ll have your corpse, and bring you back from the dead to pay me back what you owe.”

Those words got a laugh out of them.

How cute.

They thought I was joking, especially when bringing them back might keep the nightmares away, especially if they just became themselves while Undead.

I kept that to myself, after reading the room, though.

“As far as I’m concerned, this is all well within your paygrade, but if you survive and come back… bonuses and awards are in order.” I had to force myself to say it. My troops' eyes filled with greed and excitement at the notion of pay and honors. It was difficult to repress the part of me that wanted to ask them if they thought I was made of money, but I knew it was important to increase my troop morale. Excited troops always fought better. “So, get ready for the battle of your lives, ladies. You’re going to fight a god and win.”

A light applause and some snickering came from the deck, as I moved to hurry up and wait… until the bell atop the crow’s nest started to ring and in the distance Miriam’s ships started to appear.

The bell did not ring for the last three fleets we faced, because I’d instructed the lookout to ring it for one purpose only today: the sighting of the signal our Kunoichi would sent at their approach.

The fact that their stolen, speeding ship sailing towards us was being followed by Miriam’s fleet was just coincidence.

Much to my surprise, though, Miriam had tried to cobble something together in order to combat my ship.

“Huh. A flying pyramid. Neat.” Miriam’s fleet of wood and wicker boats surrounded a largely stone structure in the form of a pyramid that had an orbit of rocks around it. Upon sighting our ship, the pursuing fleet slowed down and allowed the flying hunk of assembled rocks to take the front. It was slow and lumbered towards us, spreading itself to act as cover for the ships. The went at a snail’s pace, unused to their independent as they approached us. Unfortunately, I had an answer for fortifications. “Kurama, how did your last lesson with Henri go?”

“Oh, my dear husband, she mourned the fact that she had to stay, after realizing you liked her much better with more clothes on.” Kurama giggled as she sauntered over to me with an open fan covering her coy smile. Her nine tails fanned out behind her as she conserved power for the fight ahead. With A’Bel fighting against the Apophis, she was going to be providing most of the ship’s power. “But, if you’re asking about the toys you stored in the ship… I can absolutely use them.”

“Of course, I meant that, woman!”

“Tee-hee.” Kurama stuck out her tongue and gave herself a light knock on the head. Oh, jeez, we’ve been living together long enough that she’s picking up my habits. And, she’d pulled it off better than me. Dammit. “So, you wish to show the world the pinnacle of weaponry of our age instead of keeping it stored as an ace in your hand?”

I considered the question, weighed the risks of not using them, before shaking my head with a grunt.

“It’s too much of a risk not to. Do it.” I looked over to the deck where my assembled strike force was and yelled at them and the Demon eagerly awaiting combat. “Move to the sides of the ship! A’Bel open up the center!”

The center of my ship had a large set of hatches at the center meant to provide ventilation for the insides of the ship and make it easier to store things within via dockside crane.

However, I didn’t open them for the sake of cargo now, since I’d offloaded off anything not essential at the docks to make my ships possible.

The only thing in our docks now was the first project Roseanne’s scholars worked on in Ylstu, refined by Henri, and perfected for the use of warfare: magical, guided missiles.

They were as cool as they sounded.

Open activation each of the tall, long missiles flew from the cargo hold. They had spectral, ghostly wings to carry their long bodies bearing explosive gifts to the enemy. In order to use and command the spirits of the dead beasts that powered them, some understanding of necromancy was required, but that requirement was far better than modern computers and military equipment.

These missiles just needed a very competent mage who dabbled in Necromancy.

Such as Kurama.

“The payload’s enough to blast the rocks and set them on fire, so aim for the cover on the highest ships of the fleet to cover the entire fleet in shrapnel and fire.” I only had a “flock” of a dozen missiles, but they were plenty powerful and fearsome. The original prototype was small, about the size of a person, but I suggested they scale it up as to not waste time and make it a good substitute for a transport filled with satchels. These were bone-white constructs of undead avians molded into wooden pillars loaded with explosive magical fluid mixed with jellied whale oil courtesy of my formerly-tribal friends. “Fire when ready.”

Kurama took a moment to breath, take things in, and looked for a long time at the massive fleet and flying fortress of stone before her… before a too-wide smile stretched across her face as she squeezed her fan closed and gestured towards the fleet like a headsman swinging an axe.

“Farewell, my dear husband’s foes! Have better luck in your next lives!”

And with that she unleashed the flock, which gave of screeches of vultures, before gaining unnatural speed with their ghostly wings leaving spectral trails in their wake.

Man.

My wife sure could be scary sometimes.