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American Isekai - Chapter 221
🕑 Added 2024-11-14 13:00:17 +0000 UTCAN: Next chapter is 3800 words and nothing but combat, as are, basically, the next 8 chapters after that. Apologies to those who've felt like the last couple of chapters have dragged. This should be the last 'fluff' chapter for a long while. There's a lot of things we've been building to and now we're finally getting to cash in.
Hope you enjoy.
December 2nd, 625.
Eric’s eyes widened when he looked up, seeing the three drop-dead gorgeous women walk in.
They all wore the same uniform, one he had only seen once before. They should be a powerful group of soldiers based on their Aura. He wasn’t sure why they were here though.
Not that he cared much. He looked at the girl in front. Ashy hair, vibrant purple eyes, an intricately crafted ear cuff on her right ear and an enchanted bracer on her forearm. Her face was sharp, halfway between indifference and haughtiness.
He guessed she was a noble lady. The other two were probably nobles as well if their beauty was anything to go off of. One of them, blonde and tall, a more conventional beauty, and the other, criminally cute, hiding a faint allure behind those big innocent eyes.
He could hardly imagine how three women of such standards had come to this hellhole, let alone why they had entered their barracks.
He stood, knowing he had to take this chance.
“Hello! My name is Eric. Can I help you ladies? Gentleman?”
He stuck his hand out toward the obvious leader of the group with a big smile. He liked cuteness, he liked conventional beauty, but the way this girl looked at everything around her with faint superiority did something for him.
He needed to get a taste of this girl, even if just a bite. His mind filled with images of her underneath him, dominating this haughty noble lady.
She refused to shake his hand, speaking plainly, “We’re from 1st Special Operations Company, 2nd platoon, 5th squadron, here to reinforce Charlie Company. Where’s Commander Pollux?”
“Oh…”
His eyes widened, as did many others.
So she was special operations? That made things difficult. Still, he would try what he could. He refused to believe that she could resist him. He had fucked girls who loved to play hard to get, and a bit of confidence wouldn’t deter him.
He continued to smile, looking into those stunning purple eyes.
“I believe he’s going to receive the Snow Doves.”
“Do you know when they’ll be back?”
“Shouldn’t be long from now. Shall I give you a tour around the place while we wait?”
“No, thank you. We’ll wait outside.”
They turned, Eric jumping forward.
“I’ll accompany you then.”
She didn’t respond, simply glancing at him before staring forward.
Perhaps he should go after her friend first? Eric walked by the cute one as they left the barracks, standing outside as the distant thumps of bombs exploding filled the air.
He went up to the smaller girl, putting out his hand.
“I’m Eric.”
“Hi! I’m Jaya.”
She shook his hand, making him smile wider.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jaya. I must say, you don’t look like special operations.”
“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?”
She questioned, accusingly, a small smile still on her face. Eric shrugged.
“I just think such difficult and dirty work doesn’t suit such a cute lady like yourself. But I suppose that just speaks to your sheer skill.”
“Hoh, is that right?”
She smiled at him before glancing back forward. Not a good sign.
Eric picked it back up.
“You’re a warlock, right?”
“Hm, I’m not supposed to say.”
“Really? I get that keeping secrets is valuable, but is knowing such a basic thing that important?”
“It can be. You never know, and we don’t take chances. It’s just protocol.”
“I see. I suppose I’ll apologize then. How about a drink later, for all of you?”
He threw out the bait, Jaya smiling again.
“Perhaps? We’re about to be very busy people.”
“I’m sure we can find a short time. Since you guys will be working with us, I’d like to make sure you feel as at home as you can be in such an unforgiving place.”
“The sentiment is appreciated.”
A lackluster response, Eric thought. He decided to stop talking, lest he start being annoying. There’d be time later.
A couple minutes went by like that, Eric glancing over at the lead girl. She was on her Aerial, glancing at it every several seconds. She looked anxious, but he couldn’t imagine why.
Then, some Steeds came rolling in from the distance. Eric watched them, internally scoffing. All the Snow Doves were pretentious, there because of talent and nothing else. Yet he had never been admitted, even though he went to petition for it himself. Twice.
It was probably that scum sucking asshole who got his requests denied. That guy was cozy with all the right people, probably fucking that old General lady for favors. Now he was supposed to be filthy rich after inventing the planes. That’s probably why the Brigadier liked him. Classic summoners, using underhanded means to accomplish anything remotely remarkable.
And there he was, rolling in on the top of the Steed. They came to a halt in front of the barracks, John smiling wide as he jumped down, stepping forward.
Eric glanced over when he saw the other girl move as well. She was smiling, and he suddenly had a sinking feeling when they walked toward each other.
Then, John grabbed her waist and pulled her in, the two kissing without so much as a hello.
His eyes widened, and his gaze turned red.
How the fuck did that shit stained summoner know her? Since when was he in a relationship with her?!
He glared at him with hate in his eyes.
He needed to do something. This summoner had to be rid of. He refused to continue to watch John Cooper get everything he shouldn’t have. Money, influence, power.
The girl.
He glanced between him and the girl as they separated. Making his silent vows.
He would take her. If it was the last thing he did, he would take her and fuck her senseless.
He would show John Cooper who was superior.
That’s when he saw John looking at him, those golden eyes looking into his own, cold and unfeeling.
“The fuck do you want, you fucking bug?”
…
I stared at Eric. I could sense the sheer hate in his eyes, the way he looked at Umara with hedonism, the conviction in his gaze.
I stepped past Umara, walking right up to Eric and looking down on him from mere inches away. I didn’t care that he was an Authority 7 knight. There was nothing he could do to threaten my life, especially now that I had advanced.
He scowled.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. Or is your attention elsewhere? Here, let me help you.”
I brought out the P320 chambered in 10mm, pressing the metal up against the soft flesh of his neck, imbuing it with so much Psyka that it stung his nerves.
I let him sense the sheer power behind it. Let him sense how easily it could kill him.
He looked down, his body stiffening. I could finally feel a tinge of fear from him, but all it did was fuel his rage.
Good.
“Listen to me close, Eric. You’re going to keep your disgusting gaze to yourself. Look at my girlfriend like that again and I’ll find a good place to bury you. I’ve already got ideas, and if you want to stay alive, you’ll refrain from giving me excuses.”
I pressed into the pistol a bit harder, my voice becoming inaudible, yet still entering his mind as if I were whispering, “I know you’re jealous. A revolting piece of shit like you could never get a woman that gorgeous. The closest you could get is a high class whore. So I suggest you go and find one around base somewhere before you get any ideas. Fucking pig.”
I flicked away my pistol, Eric standing stock still as I went back to Umara.
He eventually turned and walked back into the barracks, and only when he disappeared did I hear Umara.
She was frowning, “Bad history?”
“He’s just an idiot. Feel free to blind him if he looks at you wrong. If I do anything I’d just end up blowing his brains out.”
“Hm, alright. So you advanced huh?”
“I did. So nice of you to notice.”
We smiled at each other and linked arms before I turned to the others.
“Pollux, Nonnen, these are our reinforcements. Special operators from Stronghold Beta. These three are my friends from the Magisterium, and I don’t know these two but I thank you for being here.”
I stuck my hand out to the two girls, the cute one taking it first.
“Pleasure to be here! I’m Jaya. I hope you’ll take good care of me.”
She winked, my smile turning weird. Was she flirting or just that friendly?
“Can it, Jaya,” Umara snapped, “Before I kick you to another squad.”
She flailed her arms, “I’m just kidding! Not my fault your boyfriend is a hunk of muscle! I mean, what summoner looks like that?!”
“Ahem, anyway.”
I shook my head and tried to defuse, shaking the other girl’s hand.
“John.”
“Harsha.”
“Thanks for the support, Harsha. We need all the fucking help we can get. Things are getting extreme out there. Guys, this is Nonnen, Brigadier of the Snow Doves, and Pollux, Commander of the Pathfinders.”
“Pleasure to meet you all.”
The two parties met and shook hands, all of us forming a circle.
Nonnen smiled, “We’ll get you all set up on the third floor. We have a few spare rooms. Next mission should be coming tonight. We’ll probably leave a couple hours past midnight to set up for the morning. It’ll be cold, so pack heavy.”
“I’ll get them processed at the armory,” I chimed in. They would need to get their gear adapted for not just the snow but the biomat.
Nonnen nodded, “Take your time, but make sure to get your sleep. I don’t need you sleeping through half the battle again.”
“That was a safety nap.”
“Naps aren’t 6 hours long.”
“It is when I’m still not fully rested. I needed at least 2 more hours but then you went and flipped the Steed.”
“I was in combat and you were practically begging for it. Just be rested please. You’re the last person I need ineffective.”
“Roger roger. Come on, operators,” I waved to the others, “Let’s get you painted.”
……
The battle orders came earlier than expected.
I woke up in my bed to an alarm on my Aerial. I had a call waiting from Jasmine, which I took half asleep. Umara shifted in my arms, obviously woken up as well.
“Yes?”
“I need Charlie Company to mobilize. Now. I’m about to walk over there for a briefing. We’ve got incoming.”
“...Alright.”
I clicked my Aerial, hanging up the call and turning my head down to Umara.
“We gotta get up.”
“Now?”
“Unfortuantely. Get used to it, darling. I’m gonna go wake everyone. Gather your squad and meet me in the barracks.”
“Mm.”
We gave each other a quick kiss before I dragged myself out of bed, quickly throwing on my coat so I could warm up and isolate myself from the frigid atmosphere. The winter was coming in full force.
I went down between several rooms, banging on doors.
“All hands on deck! We muster in the barracks in 5 minutes! All hands on deck!”
I passed through those hallways, descending to the main floor where the vast majority of the troops were.
I kicked the door open and started yelling, my voice piercing into the minds of those asleep.
“Rise and shine, motherfuckers! The Colonel is on her way! We got 5 minutes!”
People started sliding out of bed without word. We had gotten 6 hours of sleep, which left me groggy but everyone else should be fully rested. I had no sympathy.
Armor went on fast enough, people streaming down from upstairs and gathering in the middle of the barracks.
Jasmine arrived soon enough. I greeted her at the doorway.
“What have you got for us? Everything alright?”
“I think you already know it's not.”
“I was just hoping. Alright, lay it on me thick.”
“In short, we’ve discovered two new species. They wiped out 3 companies before we could respond properly. Here.”
She placed a cradle on a nearby table, dropping in an Orb and projecting the images on it. Everyone gathered around, getting a good look at our new enemy.
It was cavalry, some odd looking humanoids with small tusks coming from their bottom mandibles riding what looked like a cross between an elephant and a pig. They were brutish, more mass than agility, with heavily armored fronts. They were shown plowing through battle lines and trampling across our troops, causing more than enough chaos for the rest of the Scourge to pierce through and overwhelm their prey.
Proper cavalry. I stared at their image, taking in their distinguishing features and going into my 7th Star to find a weapon to counteract them, quickly finding a perfect candidate.
If only I could figure out how to mount it to a Steed…
“We’ve called them Hog Riders.”
“No shit.”
“They show up in numbers between 100 and 300. The riders and their mounts sit between Authority 6 and 8, and they have natural armor that can resist spellfire from up to Authority 9 warlocks long enough to charge into the lines, especially when they have numbers. They’re difficult to take down and even if you kill their riders, the mounts will continue the charge alongside all the others.”
I nodded and asked, “Any behavioral quirks? Weaknesses?”
“Well, they’re softer from behind, but you’d have to flank them. Thankfully they’re also slow to turn or maneuver anywhere but straight. Major terrain obstacles slow them down but those are hard to create on the fly with the biomat resisting magic. Besides that? The riders are stupid and their mounts eat people. That’s all we have for now.”
“Good enough.”
I formulated some tactics, thinking about how we’d handle these riders both on the move and with fortified lines.
Jasmine continued.
“These things move fast and in larger groups until they’re ordered to split off and engage our active forces. We have two helicopters for you all. For now, we want Charlie Company to be a rapid response force to handle these Hog Riders as they divide across the field. We already have two targets for you now. The faster you get out there, the better.”
“Copy that. Are the pilots ready?”
“They are on standby.”
“Good. Nonnen?”
I turned, looking at the highest ranked man here.
He stared at me, “We leave in 15 minutes.”
“Alright then. You heard the man! 15 minutes! Armor up and be ready to walk in 10!”
A few dozen people started running around, grabbing all their gear and throwing it on, preparing for full combat.
I turned back to Jasmine.
“You’ll send us updates in the field?”
“Yes. A major force of these Hog Riders showed up two hours ago, about 7 thousand strong, yet to split off into teams. Many have been killed but they’re hard to hit with bombs and they’ve cost us nasty losses in a short time. We want to nip this in the bud now.”
“Right. I’ll go prep then.”
“Hang on.”
Before I could walk away, Jasmine suddenly placed something down on the table.
An insignia for Commander.
“I know you didn’t care to report your advancement but Polly wanted you to have it anyway. You won’t get much of a ceremony but I know you don’t mind.”
“No, I don’t. Give her my thanks.”
I reached out to take the insignia, Nonnen snatching it before I could.
He yelled, “All troops, at attention!”
His voice snapped most to immediate attention, some others looking up before turning in our direction.
He raised the insignia, “Under my Authority, John Cooper, now among the 7th Authority of Magi, shall be promoted to Commander! All here, bear witness to his promotion!”
Realizing what was happening, everyone snapped off salutes, some half dressed, others in nothing but undergarments, all of them surprised. I saw Umara, Feiden, and Tana saluting from the side, smiling at me.
Nonnen stepped forward and took off the old insignia from my collar, pinning on the three stripes and three arrows of a Commander.
Once it was done, we saluted each other.
“Congratulations, Commander Cooper.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Our salutes went down in sync, Nonnen looking up as everyone followed suit.
“Back to work!”
Comments
Gabriel Victor
Damn, I'm getting excited for the battles.
john Vargas
Yes but it seemed like foreshadowing if anything. I expect them to play a role later on. Perhaps they will join a battle
SaltyOne
I wish it was complete, and I can read it from start to finish. I will be very surprised if the Key Master is not Prophet. Maybe we will see the Key Master help fight once everyone is strong enough and John get the higher authorities to fight together and attach the scourge.
SaltyOne
In chapter 162 John has a dream about the city being attached. In it there is a corrupted that looks down at him from a rooftop. John's comment is "Completely black eyes and a face I could never stand." I wonder if that person is Eric since they have had issues since the day they met and never got along.
SaltyOne
When John meets AkI (chapter 133), she talks about the Paragon species and that dragons are the paragon species of mana and the Immoral Mane (aka Lordbeast) is the paragon of vigor. I assume he will get a crown with one or both of these beasts. Maybe get the Dragon parts from the kingdom itself?
Lian8 Thawmte
I think the wild flickers have already made a debut.
SaltyOne
The last chapter says that Tana is the last one at a high authority 7. So Umara and Feiden are authority 8.
SaltyOne
I wonder if he will be the first corrupted that we know went willingly, just to kill John.
Grey Knight Lord
A two headed Eagle? That would make John is reminding me of Franklin Valorian from a 40k fanfic called The Primarch Of Liberty.
Luke
I'm gonna have to disagree with you there. John needs an eagle
Grey Knight Lord
Please, give John a Flicker. He is one of the best Scourge Slayers and one like the wolf would have been better for him.
john Vargas
When is john gonna get his own flicker? Or perhaps an appearance of the wild flickers
Lian8 Thawmte
Brother when is Umara's flicker make a debut again?
Matthew Harris
I agree the fluff not bothering me , building up the world and characters
Matthew Harris
When is the biomaterial being magic resistant? John’s long lost security who we still have no clue what happened to, was throwing up walls left and right when he first went out
Florent Carrier
Should be author + audience maybe?
Kevin Baldwin
What do you mean "We" you have more than one of you writing this story?
Mg
Spice Girls if you want to confuse the hell out of everybody
Mg
Somehow it was discovered Eric has been working as a Spy for the Scourge, he just hasn’t been branded by them yet…
Adam Cassidy
I really like the fluff.can't wait to find out more about some others especially the key master. Love your work. Maybe longer chapters 🤔 but that's just cause I want more.
Luke
Gotta remember that premonition/dream John had when he first got to Stronghold Charlie. That Checkov's Gun hasn't been fired yet.
Kevin Baldwin
This is not fluff keep up the great work
small_brain_boy
It's the only thing I can think of!
Just a dude here to read Spades works
Na it's the ma duce the good old 50. Cal machine gun
Emmanuel Valencia
Hog Riders!
Oliver Hand
Eh, I wouldn't call it fluff. My only complaint would be how everything felt like a constant time skip, but it was how you wrote it, and I don't have any better idea to write it in another way to fit your needs. It's your story, and I'm enjoying every bit of it.
Nicolae
RPG with anti-personal warhead?
GRADIOUS
Don’t listen to these fools that don’t know the difference between filler and character development. They would still read this if it had as much filler as One Piece.
OzzHunter
I do believe he will turn coat, but not before shitting his pants full seeing what John can do now.
OzzHunter
Speaks to all, and all listen!
Samuel Berry
Hmmm, sturdy in the front + perfect solution? Hello land mines?
J.R. Turner
Mini-gat M197 or M230 for the helicopter.... just got to love the sound of the ripsaw or lawn mower. And it would be uplifting if Eric would get in touch with the reality that John represents the best option for Eric's own survival. And keep the world building going, we all have loved the story enough to want more as soon as it is written.
Joseph Underwood
Kudos.
takeo_vi
HORRRRCCCC RIIIIIDDDEEERRRS!!!! Anyone remember that clash of clans commercial?
Lee Smith
Eh, I was thinking Doom BFG 9000 OST
FJB20_24
'Saluting while partially dressed' made me laugh - thanks.
john Vargas
I think that because the story is so good we are all riddled with anticipation. One of the things i have always loved about reading is be able to just immerse myself in the story till its over. Book readers are not used to waiting for next week’s episode.
Totally Not An AnglerFish In A TrenchCoat
Also I agree with others. Nerver rush worlworld building for the sake of action for actions sake. Started this story on a whim and loved pacing of the world building and the combat of this world you created Spade
Totally Not An AnglerFish In A TrenchCoat
HOOOOOG RIIIIDEEEERRRRR!!!!!!
ZJAY 1
Nah bro we gotta blast dubstep to cause more confusion
Cjmix
Never apologize about world building. I never want action for the sake of action. Your readers are more sophisticated than that.
Cjmix
I want an Eric Redemption arc. Even if you are a Jealous bitch you are still at the peak of power for humans at Authority 7. Why throw that away to beef with some guy you never had a chance to beat when the extinction of humanity is on your doorstep. It just feels like a cheap underestimation of humanity. Like he as been working with John for a long time now. He wouldn't have lived this long in his unit if he was actually stupid.
Grey Knight Lord
I think something like a Barret M82 would work. It’s Anti Material and when charged on Psyka should punch through nearly anything
Lee Smith
Eric will definitely have a new hole to think out of. By the time that happens though, I don't think he'll have the limbs to do anything.
Rcmrocks
Commander John Cooper. Now that just sounds right
Lee
Rats are always the last to die in bad situations since they always prioritize themselves over others.
SaltyOne
Making red jelly out of the enemy since your grandpappy was in diapers.
João Daniel Fonseca Freire
Hope those Mammoth Tanks make in to the lines ASAP
TangiblyTrashy
Can't wait for this combat, I wonder if John grabbed something akin to an elephant gun for these new beasts.
Luke
MaDeuce?
Erica Robbi
Eric wont be alive for much longer, if not a traitor... fodder
Erica Robbi
LET'S FUCKING GO!!!!!
Grey Knight Lord
Eric is still alive? Guess he is going to be the next Scourge Traitor. Edit: Is Umara Authority 8?
Kevin Hubbard
Wonder if there is a speaker system in his 7th star for the choppers to play fortunate son or ride of the valkyries! Can't wait for the action! Come on tuesday!
