The captain spotted what Ali was running from, and laughed.
<"ha! You fear one woman?! What can she do? Spread her legs and–">
The one-eyed captain met his end with a spear to the back of the head.
He slumped over, collapsing.
Hinata reached the fortress walls and scaled them with terrifying speed.
Punching holes in the wall and using them as stepping stones.
When she reached the top of the bastion, she unholstered twin semi-automatic pistols.
Secret weapons, only to be used in a crisis.
She gunned down every pirate with ruthless efficiency, permanently silencing the cannons.
She then turned her attention to the fleeing Ali.
She jumped down from the bastion with a thud, cracking the ground beneath her feet.
And gave chase.
He was caught in an instant, snatched up by the neck, and lifted into the air.
Ali choked as his feet dangled.
His hands gripped Hinata's wrists as his eyes narrowed.
"Why send you?" He rasped in perfect Hallish, "We avoided your colonies… I'm sure of it."
Hinata narrowed her golden eyes as she marched Lieutenant Ali out of the fortress.
<"Surrender now!"> She barked in spani, holding up Ali, <"or the lieutenant dies.">
A cold chill ran through the battlefield as the pirates paused their assault.
A few turned around, their eyes bugged at the sight.
One woman silenced the fort and captured the lieutenant.
The same lieutenant who almost brought them victory.
<"I said now."> Hinata demanded for the final time, her grip tightening.
The pirates quickly dropped their weapons and raised their hands in surrender.
They weren't stupid, they knew if the lieutenant died it didn't matter if they won.
Because the Vizier would have them executed.
Wagner's laughter was cut short at the sight, punching a pirate in frustration.
"Man, what the FUCK?! You're pussies! All of you! Get up and KILL ME!"
Hinata glared at him.
"You wanna kill, save your sniper team."
She nodded in the direction of the tower.
Wagner was already pointing at the loose collection of marines.
"You, you, and you! With me!"
He charged towards the tower without waiting.
The Marines looked up and chased after him, struggling to keep up.
Hinata turned to Klaus and the remaining survivors, "Round up the prisoners and hold them at gunpoint, anyone who moves, dies."
Klaus looked up, blood flowing down his face from a wound on his forehead. "Yes ma'am."
Hinata turned her attention to Alexander, who lay motionless among the sea of bodies.
Reinhardt sat on one knee beside him, his panic evident. "Sir… sir…"
Hinata stopped before Alexander, whose eyes were wide and unfocused.
He stared blankly at the clouds drifting across the morning sky.
He was alive, but the Alexander who arrived on this island was long dead.
Reinhardt looked up at Hinata, his eyes moist.
"He's not moving… the commander… he's…"
"He's in shock, corporal."
Hinata replied, tossing Ali onto the ground.
"Move, and you're dead."
Ali gasped for oxygen as he rolled over, coughing and sputtering.
Hinata knelt beside Alexander, her hands cupping his cheeks.
"It's okay… It's over."
She whispered, pulling him into her embrace.
Alexander remained silent, the violent battle playing in his mind on loop.
It was supposed to be easy.
It was supposed to prove he's a genius commander.
So why…
Why did he fail?
Hinata pulled him closer.
"Corporal, find every corpsman and bring them ashore."
Reinhardt flinched, then scrambled to his feet.
"Ma'am!"
Hinata looked down at Alexander, her attention focusing on his broken shoulder.
She unsheathed her knife and cut the fabric along his shoulder.
"It's dislocated…" she whispered, peeling back the fabric.
"This is going to hurt, Alexander."
She placed his hand on her shoulder and pressed down on his elbow.
Then, with a sharp breath, she pulled it in place.
Alexander's pupils shrank as he jolted up.
"GAH, I…" he screamed, his voice shaken as the pain cut through his mental fog.
He gripped his shoulder as he swiveled his head frantically.
The ringing in his ears was replaced by the sounds of death.
He staggered to his feet.
The ground was carpeted in bodies, marines, demi-oids, and pirates alike.
His gaze fixed on the demon Reinhardt bayoneted earlier.
He swallowed, his gaze fixed on the wound in her neck.
Reinhardt returned, leading the ship's corpsmen.
They began shouting immediately, tending to the wounded.
"He's losing blood!"
"Put pressure on that wound!"
"Breathe, just breathe…"
Alexander barely registered them, still staring at the corpse.
I got her killed…
His genius plan was ruined by his own morals, and not only did it cost him the lives of his men.
But the slaves.
The whole reason he hesitated.
"Hahaha… So you're the commander of this force?"
A voice chuckled coldly.
"A boy playing pretend, and all that's left are the souls of the slaughtered."
Alexander's eyes followed the voice as a shiver ran up his spine.
He locked gazes with Lieutenant Ali.
The man sat on his knees with a wicked grin.
"Still, I can't believe the great Ambur is deploying child soldiers. I thought that was something only the desperate did."
He tilted his head.
"Though, based on the lack of firepower I'd say you're more than desperate. Am I right?"
Alexander stepped forward, his left arm hanging uselessly.
"Was it… You?" He asked, "You did this?"
He spoke in a hushed, shaken whisper.
Ali glanced to his right, nodding.
"I did… and I would've killed you all had it not been for this D'élite."
His expression hardened, "Speaking of, why is a D'élite here? You're not royalty."
Alexander stepped closer.
"You did this…"
Ali's eyes widened with realization.
"Unless, you were married in the royal family. Is that it? You're an Amburian consort… so then why would they bring you here? No, I got it, this was supposed to be your introduction to warfare, wasn't it? And the D'élite was here so that even if you failed, you'd survive. You're being groomed into a commander, before the age of 15. That's… shockingly brilliant."
Alexander stopped in front of Ali.
"You did this to me."
Ali laughed bitterly.
"You should be thankful, had I not been here your shitty plan would've worked. And you would've learned this lesson the hard way."
He leaned closer.
"Instead of a few soldiers dying, it could've been an entire army, city… or even your kingdom. So drop to your knees and praise me."
Praise me.
Those words fueled a fire so bright it could rival the sun.
Alexander's sorrows shifted into a hatred so absolute that he didn't hesitate to draw his blade and jam it towards Ali's neck.
It never touched his skin.
Hinata gripped his wrist like a steel chain, stopping him mid-thrust.
Alexander glared at her.
"Let me go, that's an ORDER!"
Hinata narrowed her eyes.
"Unfortunately I can't do that, he's too valuable."
Ali laughed, "You let your emotions drive you, boy!"
Alexander turned his glare.
"I'll fucking gut you!"
Ali scoffed, "That'll be your second mistake of the day. Killing me is probably the worst decision you'll ever make."
Hinata turned to look at him.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Her tone was blizzard cold.
"Oh, you don't know? Well, let me spell it out for you. You kill me and you'll rob yourself of prime real estate. That's why you wanted this island, right? Well, what do you think will happen when the Vizier comes and sees the Amburian flag waving on the fort?"
Alexander blinked, his anger momentarily forgotten.
But Hinata scoffed.
"Nice try, but you're more valuable than this island. We're taking you."
Ali laughed harder.
"That's worse than killing me, you idiot. The sultanate will do everything in its power to get me back… or silence me. Including starting a gray war so brutal you'll be forced to retaliate."
He leaned back, a knowing smirk crossing his lips.
"You'll have entered a war you can't afford to fight. So to avoid that, you'll hand me over."
He shrugged his shoulders.
"It's best to do the logical thing and spare the world another pointless war."
Alexander's arm hung limp as the anger dissipated as fast as it arrived.
What was left was a hollow void.
Hinata let go of Alexander, crossing her arms.
"So you're saying we can trade you for the island? And nothing will come of this?"
Ali nodded.
"Yeah, pretty much."
He replied, "I'm not going to cry over a fucking island, and I can convince the Vizier of the same. Peace is kept, and everyone looks the other way."
Hinata frowned.
"Just answer one question, why the slaves?"
Ali smirked.
"Why not? It's easy money. Everyone wants ogres to work their mines, or demons to shack up with. And what do you know, but the more money people have, the more fucked up shit they want. Hell, you'll be surprised about the lines even I won't cross."
Alexander stared at him in disgust, but he had a point.
He wouldn't have a job if there weren't a market for it.
Ali sighed.
"Still, I could ask you the same. You're about to let a slaver walk free because capturing him will cause a war that'll kill thousands. Tell me, is that fair to the slaves?"