"Who'd have thought we'd be going to war this soon!"
At dawn the next day, the makeshift tent-canteen was packed to the rafters.
Harumasa glanced toward the curtain, watching the constant stream of people coming and going, all while scooping himself a spoonful of soybeans.
"Ugh! This is disgusting! The cook must be doing this on purpose!"
After swallowing a mouthful of beans, Harumasa nearly vomited. Half-cooked and soaked through with moisture, they tasted like burnt chocolate paste.
They felt soft when his teeth first sank in, then suddenly turned hard halfway through.
It was like a fly encountering dried dung—struggling to eat half of it before realizing it was impossible, then spitting it back out, leaving a soft layer smeared atop something rock-hard.
"Exactly! Disgusting! Even Soukaku couldn't stomach this crap."
Soukaku's eyes lost all sparkle.
Even someone as food-obsessed as her didn't hesitate to sweep her tray aside. She slumped over the table in a sulk, completely unconcerned that her sleeve was being used as a makeshift rag.
But soon, Soukaku's nose—her so-called "food radar"—twitched a few times.
Like a hooked fish yanked from the depths, she was pulled straight out of her foul mood. Her eyes instantly lit up, glittering.
"What a delicious smell! Who's making something tasty… huh? Phaga, you're actually cooking in the cafeteria!"
Soukaku's delighted gaze swept over and immediately locked onto Phaga at the stove, with Ellen standing beside him, her eyes filled with equal anticipation.
"Hm? Soukaku, you want some? Sorry, this batch is for Ellen. If you want some, I'll make another one for you next time, okay?"
Phaga, using a spoon as a spatula, suddenly sensed someone staring. He looked up to find Soukaku gazing intently at the tray, eyes sparkling as steam rolled over the soybeans—she was practically drooling.
With no other choice, Phaga gave a helpless smile and promised to help Soukaku once he finished cooking for Ellen.
Soukaku nodded so fast it was as if she feared he might change his mind. She immediately pulled back from the table and shoved her tray over to line up beside Phaga.
But just as her tray was about to reach him, a sharp clang rang out.
Harumasa shoved his own tray forward and cut in line.
Soukaku's excited eyes instantly drooped. She looked up to see Harumasa flashing an eight-toothed grin and giving her a thumbs-up.
"Soukaku's so adorable—letting me cut in line is no big deal!"
Perhaps even Harumasa realized his logic was shaky. Or perhaps Soukaku's "cute" expression was rapidly transforming into something murderous, making his eyelid twitch.
Either way, he immediately averted his gaze and turned toward Phaga with an awkward laugh.
"Ahaha… looks like today's weather is sunny turning cloudy… By the way, Phaga, how did you think of propping the tray up with four Ether crystals?"
There was no helping it—the undercooked soybeans were simply too awful.
So Phaga had propped the tray up with four Ether crystals, lit a flame beneath it with his left hand, reheated the food, and then stir-fried the soybeans again using the spoon as a spatula.
He shot Harumasa a glance, then looked away.
"This cook looks like someone who started stir-frying before sobering up. It's inedible. I'm trying to see if I can salvage it."
"Also, Harumasa, Soukaku looks like she's about to eat you alive. You might want to stop cutting in line."
"Ah, it's fine! She's just throwing a little kid's tantrum."
Harumasa waved his hand, looking completely unconcerned.
Soukaku shot him a glare, then turned her head away in a huff, muttering under her breath.
"I'll go find Yanagi later. I'm going to make sure she keeps a close eye on Harumasa! He'll never get another unauthorized day off in his life!"
Harumasa's face went pale instantly. He hurriedly pulled his tray back and personally pushed Soukaku's tray forward, forcing a grin.
"Heh heh, Soukaku, there's no need to bother the Deputy Section Chief over something this small. You wouldn't want her running around for no reason, right?"
"Hmph!"
Soukaku turned her head away and refused to look at him.
Harumasa hurriedly continued pleading, terrified that his future vacations might sprout wings and fly away because of Soukaku's complaints.
For a moment, his voice alone drowned out the entire cafeteria as he fought relentlessly for his days off.
"What's all this noise? What are you all busy with?"
Yanagi had just entered the cafeteria. Instead of heading straight for a tray, she was drawn over by the commotion at Phaga's table.
Phaga looked up, recognized her, and smiled faintly.
"Nothing much. Just cooking for Ellen. As for Harumasa over there… he's probably debating with Soukaku whether relaxation time can be influenced by personal will. Oh, right—did we just get word that another battle's about to start?"
"What was that middle part supposed to mean? But yes, the next battle is real."
Yanagi nodded slightly.
"Ordinary civilians will assist with logistics under the guidance of our colleagues in the Logistics Department. All remaining soldiers will head to the front lines. The first battle will be the decisive one—we settle everything in a single stroke."
As she finished speaking, Phaga's hand froze mid-stir.
Several seconds passed before he realized the soybeans were done. He placed the tray in front of Ellen.
"It's ready, Ellen. Be careful—it's hot."
After handing her the tray, Phaga lowered his voice.
"When exactly?"
"We leave as soon as the meal is over. While you've been eating, the logistics team has already started checking equipment."
Yanagi sat down and sighed softly.
"The battle begins this afternoon. For victory, we have to race against time."
"I see…"
Phaga murmured quietly and said no more.
Time passed in silence, flowing away with the flickering flames in Phaga's hands.
After the meal, he and Ellen stepped outside the camp and found a sand dune to sit on, quietly watching the logistics crews below, still rushing about without a moment's rest.
Ellen said nothing. She leaned gently against Phaga's shoulder, the two of them gazing at the dense crowd below, which looked like a swarm of ants from afar.
White clouds drifted with the breeze, and the troublesome sun finally broke free from its cage, bursting forth in full glory as if determined to pour all its strength into scorching the earth.
Ellen let out a long breath, as though she'd finally found an excuse to relax.
Almost imperceptibly, she straightened up from Phaga's shoulder. Then, without warning, she pressed down with her right hand, pulling Phaga into her embrace and resting his head on her thighs.
"E… Ellen?"
Phaga was startled, confused by the sudden lap pillow.
"N-no reason. The sun's just a bit strong. I didn't want you to get sunburned."
Ellen's cheeks were faintly red as she muttered the words.
After a short while, as if finally gathering her resolve, her tone grew more serious than ever.
"Phaga."
"Mm?"
"We're going into battle soon. You… you'll be leading the charge, right?"
Hearing that, Phaga couldn't help but laugh softly.
He finally understood what Ellen was worried about. Turning his head to look up at her, he found her concern both foolish and unbearably adorable, and reached up to gently stroke her cheek.
"Don't mess around. I'm talking about something serious!"
Ellen puffed her cheeks in mild irritation, but she didn't swat his hand away. Instead, as if afraid of losing out, she reached up and pinched his cheek in return.
"Sometimes I really want to bite you to death!" she said fiercely.
But she quickly broke, letting out a soft laugh. Tilting her head back, she gazed at the sun overhead and murmured,
"But… I really want you to live a long life. One so long that even the sun can't kill you."
Suddenly, darkness filled Ellen's vision.
Phaga had risen and moved directly in front of her.
She looked into his eyes—dark as the night sky.
The next second, something soft pressed against her lips. Ellen instinctively closed her eyes, then found herself pressed down beneath him, her arms looping around his neck.
After a long while, their lips parted.
They opened their eyes at the same time, each reflected clearly in the other's gaze.
Soon, Ellen heard Phaga's gentle voice.
"Don't worry. We'll both live to be a hundred."
"Phaga…"
Emotion shimmered in Ellen's eyes. Moved by something deep within, her slender arms suddenly tightened as she leaned toward him of her own accord—
"Hey! You two up there—stop making out! Have some respect for the rest of us, will you?!"
But life is unpredictable, and some people have no sense of timing.
Harumasa cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted loudly,
"Time to move out! We're departing!"
...