“I rely on superior firepower. But sometimes, you really cannot count on superior firepower to win. That’s a bit of a problem for a pilot trained to shoot at things.”

- Excerpt from Lieutenant Hans Hoffman’s Journal Entries.

+++

+++ Lieutenant Hans Hoffman +++

Near Rignon

Hans, Adelyn, and Laura both tended to the wounded as best as they could. Unfortunately, heavy machine gun rounds practically blew open anyone that Hans managed to hit. The few men that were still alive, their bodies mangled awfully, were so beyond the reach of Laura’s healing magic, that Hans had no choice.

Talking to their leader, Hans received permission from the old man. He looked briefly at Adelyn, shame present on his face. But Hans carried on, cocking his pistol as he walked to the tree line.

The men, bleeding out badly, all looked up at him with solemn gazes. Pain and desperation were clear on their faces. He took a deep breath and decided to just be done with it.

Shot after shot rang. One by one, Hans emptied his magazine on the wounded men. He made sure that he was efficient on it. Shooting each of them straight to their brains as a form of mercy. Some tried to stop him with blood still spurting out of their mouths. But Hans shot them anyway.

By the time he was done, he had emptied two magazines from his pistol.

He looked back at the people staring blankly at him.

It’s my fault, no? He asked himself, as he looked back down at the dead. I’m too trigger-happy.

“May they rest in peace,” the old soldier said, lowering down his hat. “Thank you, sir. Our mistake has—”

“Stop it,” Hans said. “I said it’s my fault. That’s why I shot them myself. That’s my responsibility. Stop making apologies…for ambushing us by mistake. Ultimately, it’s my mistake that killed people. Not yours.”

He looked back down at the men.

“We can’t take our time to help you bury them,” Hans said. “We’re on a special mission to hunt down the Calamity of Desire. You folks do this yourself.”

“I understand,” the old soldier said.

Hans walked past them, going back to his mech. Soon, Adelyn and Laura followed him, while the surviving soldiers all went to work to bury their fallen comrades. He felt some stared daggers at his back, but Hans didn’t react much. They should all hate me. Hans thought. I screwed up so badly. Again.

At this point, his endless crimes and screw-ups were stacking up high. He wondered when he’d figure out how to end it.

He climbed his mech and returned to his seat. Adelyn took a while to climb her mech. When he reopened his comms to her, she was still clearly pissed about what he did.

“We need a good, long talk once this battle is over, Lieutenant,” Adelyn coldly said.

“I know, Captain.”

“...Do you need anything?”

“What?”

“I’m just thinking. You’re not in the right mind, aren’t you?”

“Stress, and…”

“Stress doesn’t turn you into that. I’ve seen you fight for a long time now. I know you wouldn’t be that sloppy in Terra. Never. Lieutenant, let’s face it. Something’s happening to you, and it’s hurting you.”

“I guess…”

“And not just you. Everyone around you too.”

Hans’ voice turned defensive this time.

“Look, I’m trying to contain and—” he caught his tongue and stopped. “I’m trying to fix it myself, okay? I’m taking steps. Here and there.”

“I don’t think you can do it alone, Lieutenant.”

Hans wanted to retort to her, but perhaps she was right. I’m dealing with my repeated mortality alone. He placed his hand on his face. Still…no, I refuse to place this on her. She can’t even do anything about it. It’d just be pointless. He strengthened his resolve. No, I’ll fix this myself. Kill that calamity…and bounce back. I’m sane. I’m perfectly sane. I will be perfectly sane!

He took a deep breath.

“Acknowledged, Captain.”

“Let’s move out then,” Adelyn said.

“Copy.”

+++

Hans was never fond of delays.

It seemed that those screw-ups caught on quickly. When they reached the area where they met the convoy's last loop, there was none already. Hans didn’t make a comment, just riding past the dirt road, as he formulated changes to his plans.

They have been knocking, village to village. Town to town. But nothing. Why? Because she was on that carriage. Unfortunately, Hans didn’t have a map with him. Adelyn carried their map. And she was the one directing where to go. She gave her new sets of orders.

Off to another town they went.

As usual, it was evacuated. Empty. And incredibly wet from the rain. The skies were already darkening when they exited empty-handed. It was already nearly four in the afternoon. And so, Hans dismounted his mech, to deliberate with Adelyn again.

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The two of them, under the shade of one of the houses from the town, looked at the map.

“Hmm…I don’t know,” Hans said. “I think all of the towns here have been cleared.”

“Then that means that she won’t have a reason to strike at any of these places.”

Hans traced his gloved finger through the map as Adelyn spoke. He checked the road they were in, and what turns led to Rignon. Placing his hand on his chin, he spoke.

“I think we should go to those routes,” Hans said. “And intercept any refugees still moving through there. As you’ve said, she has no reason to strike any of the towns in the outskirts anymore. Only one target is left.”

“There are three roads though,” Adelyn said. “That’s a lot of area to cover.”

“Let’s just drive southward on the first turn, then swing eastwards to check on the two other roads leading to Rignon. That way, we can be sure.”

“Hmm…alright…” Adelyn said, closing the map and placing it back in her plastic container. “Sounds like a plan then.”

+++

“It’s that convoy!” Hans shouted on his comms, as they finally reached the actual city of Rignon. “We need to intercept them now! They’re getting inside of the city!”

“That?” Adelyn asked, confused. “How do you know?”

“Call it a gut feeling,” Hans said, his heart sinking at the thought. “The city’s officially in danger then. Call the IYC into the city. We’re charging forward to kill her.”

Adelyn seemed skeptical, but she replied enthusiastically.

“Okay then! I contacted them. We’re moving onwards!”

The two immediately lunged forward. Hans’ mech sped close to its top speed, as the city’s walls closed. A formation of musketeers and pikemen, alongside multiple cavalrymen, formed in front of them. Hans immediately pulled his mech into a break, pressing the button for his speakers.

“I am Lieutenant Hoffman!” He declared. “We come from the Imperial Army! Make way now. Those carriages you allowed inside, she, the Calamity of Desire, is inside of it!”

The soldiers were spooked by the sudden loud noise that came from his mech. Many covered their ears, while others aimed their muskets at their vehicles. One of the cavalrymen rode in front of the soldiers, aiming his saber in Hans’ direction.

“You!” He shouted. “Who are you, and what strange contraption is that? Are you the reported Grey Knight of Rousselot?”

“Yes, I am!” Hans replied, accepting the ridiculous title given to him. “I’m with my partner. Yes, we are the same two folks riding in these vehicles to hunt demons. Now let us in!”

“Then…” the soldier hesitated before he turned to his men. “Let them in, open the gates! Stop those wagons we allowed inside. If this man is right, then we shall take and kill that demon here and now!”

“Aye, Captain!”

The soldiers gave way, clearing a path for Hans and Adelyn to drive through. The gate opened, revealing the interior of the fortress city. The two immediately rushed inward, as soldiers followed them.

The streets however were way too cramped. Wagons, carriages, and all the like filled the area. Stores and merchant stalls, alongside the civilians on foot. Many screamed in fear as the two metal behemoths rushed forward, creating panic inside the city. But the soldiers of Rignon immediately calmed it down.

“Make way!” Hans shouted at his speakers. “Make way!”

He soon found the area where the wagons that he remembered as the ones containing the great demon were parked. He immediately pulled his vehicle to a quick halt—stopping his vehicle in the center of what appeared to be a plaza. He immediately dismounted his mech, as Adelyn stopped behind him.

“Captain! I’m activating my skill!” He shouted to his radio as he jumped down, SMG in his hand. “She’s right there. Get your guns trained on my target.”

Behind them, suddenly, three horses carrying Laura, Mathieu, and Charles, rode furiously into the plaza. The trio stopped, with Mathieu and Laura running straight in Hans’ direction. Hans himself however dashed into the direction of the woman, who, when he activated his skill, was glowing red.

Her red eyes glinted in delight upon seeing Hans, almost amused at how quickly she was spotted.

“It seems that I’ve been found then…” the woman purred, as Hans reached them.

“All of you!” He shouted to the civilians, aiming his SMG at the woman. “That lady—she’s the Calamity of Desire!”

“I-it’s her!” Laura shouted as she stopped in shock. “You’re her!”

“Shit, this is bad,” Mathieu said, pulling out his sword, and aiming it at the woman. The trio surrounded her, pushing her into the wall of one of the houses. “Don’t you dare do anything stupid! Or I shall cut you down myself!”

Hans had already placed the enchanted bullets from Moritz. But he knew that with how dense this place was of civilians, it wouldn’t do to immediately enact hostility. Especially knowing what she’s capable of. He decided that he could probably buy time for people to flee. He eyed his mech. Then, once this area is clear, I’ll run back there.

It was an impromptu plan, but considering how fast things happened and how late he was at catching her.

He didn’t have a choice.

“Captain!” Hans shouted as Adelyn’s mech positioned itself right behind them. The turret of her Wanderadler immediately turned in the direction of the woman. Her guns were now aimed at the demon in front of them. “Cover me if she turns hostile. If you have to shoot through me, shoot!”

“You’re sure it’s her?”

“My skill said it already,” Hans said. “It’s her.”

“How fascinating,” the black-haired woman taunted. “You have the skill to detect even a Calamity. No normal man can do that. I wonder…what your class must be?”

“None of your business, demon,” Hans retorted. “You’d do well to surrender now. Even if you’re strong, extremely strong, I know that you know that you cannot take on everything. That’s why you hide and strike cities one by one with surprise.”

“Hmm…” the woman smirked deviously. “It would have been lovely if I had someone like you to serve under me. But I can smell it from you. You seem extremely afraid, huh?”

Hans’ hold on his gun stiffened as she continued.

“Yet you came here to confront me, face to face.”

“That I am,” Hans replied. Behind him, Laura too aimed her staff at the demon. The soldiers of Rignon, seeing what was happening, especially with the slow but obvious unnatural changes to the woman’s body, began surrounding them too. Ranks upon ranks of men began piling into the plaza, their muskets aimed at her.

“Strange, to face death so resolutely even when you’re irrationally afraid of it,” the woman commented, looking at the array of weapons aimed at her. “You really all caught me…”

“You’d be a pink paste on that wall if you try anything stupid,” Hans said, as multiple cannon pieces were wheeled and aimed in her direction. “So why not stop that transformation of yours and cooperate?”

“Hmm…you’re right,” the woman said, eyeing Adelyn’s massive gun. “I imagine with all that is aimed at me, at my current form, I’d be completely disintegrated. Those men seem to be charging their best skills on their guns too. Hmm…but you know, you three also stand a great chance of dying if they fire all of that.”

Adelyn however moved slightly to the left, until her guns were only aimed at the demon.

Laura and Mathieu also backed a bit, giving the rest of the soldiers more space to fire their weapons at her without risking friendly fire. Not that it mattered, Hans thought. The canister shot and the in-accuracy of their musketry would mean that the trio would be turned into ribbons regardless.

The woman sighed.

“I see then,” she said, as her eyes glowed an ever more dangerous red. “But you see, the problem is…I’m the Calamity of Desire. And I…I won’t fall from mere toys!”

She screeched loudly as she jumped up onto the roof of one of the houses. The trio immediately ducked, as the loud booms of artillery and gunfire echoed around them. When Hans felt his back hit the floor, he aimed his SMG at her body, as she summoned that gigantic axe of hers.

He squeezed his trigger, as her blood rained from the sky.