Extra Chapter 4 - Kazue, please, leave her alone
It had been nearly an hour since the group arrived at the 5th Regiment’s Ironclad Armada base, and only slightly less time since they were all released, thanks to whatever Li had said during the interrogation. While the others were resting or trying to recover, Kazue had slipped away to search for Commodore Kathlene. She eventually found her in the infirmary, lying in one of the beds next to the unconscious Adam.
In truth, there was something Kazue had wanted to ask ever since she saw the woman fight against Adam. She had noticed that Kathlene also used electrical techniques, just like her—though calling Kazue’s abilities “electric skills” was a bit of a stretch when she only had one skill that she’d barely used once, not counting the time she accidentally electrocuted herself... Regardless, she wouldn’t miss this chance to consult someone who seemed to know far more about that style than she could ever dream of.
“For the love of god, leave me alone! I already told you I have nothing to say or teach you—I just want to rest.”
Kathlene spoke in a tired and irritated tone after the girl’s fifteenth request for training. Under normal circumstances, it would have been easy to either escape from Kazue or put her in her place with a stunning blow. However, the Commodore could barely move now that her combat drug had worn off. Even for someone as skilled in battle as she was, she had to admit that having an entirely shattered arm and multiple internal injuries was excruciating. These were wounds that couldn’t be fully treated in the base’s infirmary alone.
"I’m not asking for anything special, just please tell me the basics on how to improve control over electricity in a technique. You see, I also have a skill that uses electricity to..."
“Whatever, I don’t care. I just want a little peace so I can rest.”
The woman interrupted with clear annoyance on her face, wondering why none of the doctors or nurses were saying anything to get this pest to leave her alone. But despite all that, Kazue kept insisting and insisting, so much so that even after covering her face with a pillow, Kathlene could still hear her.
Kathlene couldn’t take it anymore. Even though her body was in no condition for much, she gathered all her strength and got up intending to leave the room—a terrible mistake she would soon regret. Her painfully slow pace only resulted in Kazue trailing behind her, continuing to talk and drilling into her brain with an endless stream of yapping.
“You know? The truth is I have trouble controlling the flow of electricity when I channel it into my hand and release it. I don’t know how to explain it—it’s like a big bubble running through my body that keeps drifting off course. I’m saying this because I saw how easily you did it with just one hand and even with a kick. I think that blah blah blah blah…”
Kazue went on and on, oblivious to Kathlene’s growing frustration as she desperately tried to escape the relentless chatter or at least to find a single officer or soldier she could order to retain the girl, just where the hell was everyone?
“I’ve seen other techniques that are really similar but with names closer to my main skill. I’m not sure if the abilities here are the same or if there’s an equivalent, but I noticed it’s possible to transfer the energy to other parts of the body or even separate it—blah blah blah…”
Kazue continued her relentless rambling, completely unaware of how Kathlene was gritting her teeth and fighting the urge to scream. The Commodore, struggling to keep her composure, felt every bit of patience slipping away as Kazue’s monologue droned on without end.
“Enough! Godammit! Can you just shut up and go away?!”
Kathlene finally snapped, shouting in frustration as she turned to face what she now considered a thorn in her side. Kazue flinched at the outburst, falling silent for a few seconds as she stared at the Commodore with wide eyes, seemingly frightened. But just when Kathlene thought she had finally managed to silence her, Kazue spoke again.
“But if you could just explain how you—”
“Aahhh!”
It was the first time since joining the Armada that Kathlene felt so close to tears out of sheer frustration, and if she could have, she was certain she would’ve collapsed onto the floor. With no other options left, she decided to surrender and at least try to get rid of Kazue in another way.
"Fine, fine, you win. I’ll tell you some tricks on how to handle electric skills, but first, answer me this: why do you want to know?"
That caught Kazue by surprise, and she couldn’t hold back a wide grin and an equally enthusiastic response.
“To become stronger, of course!”
“And why do you want to become stronger?”
Kathlene expected a standard, cliché response, like wanting to become stronger to protect family or friends, or even for justice—classic reasons from naive newcomers who didn’t truly grasp what it meant to have the power to end a life with their own hands. However, what she heard next was something she couldn’t have imagined, even if she had tried.
“I just want to”
What? She just… Want to?! At least she was honest, but those words only infuriated the soldier even more.
“Just because you want to? Abilities capable of great destruction and harm just because you’re curious about what might happen? Unacceptable, utterly abhorrent! You can’t even see how important it is to know moderation; you probably treat your power like it’s all just a game!”
Those words shook Kazue to her core, freezing her expression entirely. Her mind was flooded with scenes she never wanted to remember—silhouettes shouting and hurling insults at her. Even in what should have been the safety of her own home, pain, both physical and emotional, found its way in. Did she see everything as a game? Yes, she did. Games, manga, novels, shows—those were her life, the only things that gave her the strength to keep going in a world where she constantly questioned whether her existence held any value to others.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Normally, this would have sent the girl into an emotional breakdown, as was typical for her—curling up, and crying for hours. But something was different this time. She felt like her life had truly changed. For once, she was the protagonist of her own story, literally living out the kind of adventure she’d only ever dreamed of. She was in a place and moment she had always longed for since she could remember.
“Yes, I want to get stronger just for the sake of it! What’s the problem with that? Maybe it seems selfish or childish to you, but what’s so wrong about that?! For so long, I’ve been crawling through life, searching for a reason to live, and now I feel like I’ve finally found it. Not because of what others say, not because of what you or anyone else thinks, but because *I* want it. Because *I* choose to do this.”
Kazue’s voice grew louder with each word, her eyes welling up with tears, yet filled with determination. It was clear she was venting deep-seated frustration, though not necessarily toward the Commodore, who was left stunned by what she was hearing. That mindset was certainly not one Kathlene shared. Her entire family came from a long line of soldiers serving the Allied Kingdoms. Both her grandfather and father had served in the Ironclad Armada as paragons of duty, setting the standard she had always imposed on herself, even if, deep down, it wasn’t truly what she wanted.
“I don’t care how much you refuse or try to get rid of me. I’m not leaving, and I won’t give up until you train me somehow. You’re the only one I know who can help me with…”
“Fine, I’ll help you”
Kathlene interrupted, her voice tinged with resignation. Kazue’s eyes widened in surprise. She hadn’t expected the Commodore to give in so suddenly, and when she saw the bittersweet smile on her face it was almost creepy.
“Does it sound good if we find a proper place first? Understand that my body isn’t in the best condition right now, so I can’t give you any direct demonstrations”
The Commodore said, her tone firm but more cooperative, Kazue eagerly nodded, her earlier persistence finally paying off, though she now seemed more considerate, realizing the extent of Kathlene’s exhaustion.
They didn’t take long to find an empty room—one of many scattered around for some reason, once inside, they got ready to begin. Kathlene leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath to steady herself.
“Alright, listen up, as I said, I can’t show you anything directly right now, so I’ll guide you through the basics of controlling electrical energy, but first show me your skill”
Kazue wasted no time, eager as she was, and quickly activated her ability. She felt that familiar tingling sensation as the energy coursed through her, charging the gauntlet with crackling electricity that concentrated in her fist. The loud sparking sound filled the room, and the bright glow lit up the space around them.
“Thunder Piercing Hand!”
Kathlene watched with a critical eye, noticing the raw potential but also the lack of precision, so she didn’t hesitate to point it up.
"Not bad, a very basic but solid technique, but you're losing too much energy through the excess discharge, you need to focus on controlling the flow, not just building it up… Also, it is necessary to shout the name of the skill? It just gives the opponent a head start"
The built-up energy dispersed into the air after a moment, leaving Kazue slightly fatigued but ready to respond to Kathlene’s feedback.
"I see what you mean, but I just can’t seem to keep it stable, it either bursts out all at once or fizzles before I can use it. How do I control something so unpredictable?... Oh, and for the record, yes, it is VERY important to shout out the name of the skill, I like it that way"
Kazue admitted, catching her breath while Kathlene folded her arms, considering her answer.
"It’s not just about gathering power; it’s about understanding its rhythm. Think of it like a pulse—you need to synchronize with it. Instead of forcing the energy into shape, guide it gradually. Otherwise, you’re just burning yourself out."
“But it’s impossible, it’s not my body that is producing the electricity but the power battery I had in the gauntlet, so I don’t have control over it”
After that, the Commodore raised an eyebrow as if she had just heard something quite unusual.
“What do you mean? Clearly, it’s the device that generates the electricity—no human body can produce that kind of energy. My techniques rely on the power generated by the additional arms mechanism I have on my back… Or rather, had. I hope they’re repairing it properly.”
Kazue was quite shocked by that response. It went against what she had been thinking and how she understood the functioning of skills in this world.
“Then how?...”
“Just feel it, relax, and imagine that the energy your weapon produces is something you can shape with your mind. I wouldn’t know how to explain it—it's like... PHOOSH! SWAAZ! BOOM! Do you get it?”
That explanation was awful, even though the basics were correct. It would be nearly impossible for a normal person to understand something like that. However, to anyone who might have witnessed the scene, Kazue seemed to have an epiphany as she stared at her metal palm.
“I… I think I get it”
Several hours passed inside the room, filled with Kazue’s trial and error experiments, as well as downtime while the battery recharged since she only had two uses. She discovered that the most practical method was to rotate her arm as if it were a windmill.
“Can I ask you something?”
Kazue asked after a relatively successful test, turning her gaze toward the woman who had been assisting her.
“Sure, what it is?”
“Why did you change your mind about training me? I thought you’d see me as immature or selfish.”
At the question, Kathlene simply chuckled a bit.
“Oh, believe me, I still think that. It’s just that... I think I understand you, sort of. You just want to do what you believe is right without being swayed by what others think. And honestly, I don’t think you’re a bad person. I don’t know, maybe don’t try to find meaning in everything that happens around you.”
Kazue didn’t press the issue further but felt a small wave of happiness wash over her from the comment, so she refocused on her training, feeling a renewed sense of motivation. Another couple of hours passed quickly until, finally, something happened.
“I… I did it!”
The girl exclaimed, jumping with joy and splashing sweat everywhere, a reaction that was met with a faint smile by the Commodore.
“Great, just keep practicing, and you’ll be able to do much more than that... Now, can I ask you a favor?”
“Sure! What it is?”
“Can you carry me back to the nursery?”
And with that, the woman collapsed face-first onto the ground, hitting it hard and coughing up a bit of blood in the process. Kazue screamed and panicked, unsure of what to do, while Kathlene simply responded with a few chuckles.
“It’s okay, calm down, nothing’s wrong. I’ve just reached my limit with these untreated injuries... Please, just take me to the infirmary. They’ll be able to give me something there and move me to the emergency medical center.”
Without wasting a single moment, Kazue grabbed her and hurried to the infirmary, where the nurses were alarmed by the Commodore’s negligence regarding her own health, to which Kathlene simply laughed. They quickly stabilized her on a stretcher and transported her to one of the landing hangars, where a medical ship awaited to provide better treatment and eventually take her to a facility for necessary surgery.
As all this unfolded, Kathlene’s mind was occupied with thoughts about her experiences and what the girl had said about her own life... She had a lot to ponder now and a lot of free time, perhaps, just perhaps, the proposal from that representative of ‘Stratos Technology’ wasn’t such a bad idea after all.