Chapter 56: An Act of Savagery

“Ahh, what was that? You startled me.”

The soldier who had been sitting on the woman’s stomach rose to his feet, responding to my glare with a lazy, mocking grin. He sauntered toward me, his steps slow and unbothered, as though nothing about this situation struck him as wrong.

“Just a private, huh? Thought you were from another unit. What, you alone?”

“And you?” I replied coldly, my eyes fixed on him. “An entire squad gathered just to commit rape?”

The insignia pinned to his chest marked him as a corporal. The others wore the ranks of private first class or simple privates. A pathetically small unit—yet more than enough, it seemed, to indulge in their filth.

“…Disgusting.”

The woman pinned to the ground had her clothes forcibly torn away, leaving her exposed in nothing but her undergarments. Tears pooled in her eyes, trembling spilling through her entire body as she struggled helplessly beneath their weight.

Ah… yes. Truly abhorrent.

“What’re you mumbling about?” the corporal sneered, tilting his head. “Damn, you’re small. You sure you can even handle yourself with a body like that?”

“That’s my line,” I answered flatly, suppressing the surge of anger rising within me. “We were ordered not to lay a hand on civilians. That was a direct command from above.”

“Oi, oi, like we’re gonna follow that,” the corporal scoffed, laughing lightly as if mocking my restraint. “We risked our lives, fought, and won, didn’t we? We deserve a little reward. Raping a woman? That’s the flower of urban warfare, ain’t it?”

His words dripped with arrogance, trampling over any semblance of decency as though it were nothing more than dirt beneath his boots.

“AAAAAAAHHHHHH!”

Just as I was considering what to say in response—

A sudden scream rang out from behind me, followed by a sharp, jarring impact against my back.

…

When I turned around, I found a small boy standing there, tears brimming in his eyes. In his trembling hands, he clutched a kitchen knife—the blade now buried in my back.

“That’s not something you should use so carelessly,” I said quietly.

He couldn’t have been more than ten—five years younger than me, at least. Even with all his strength, the blow hadn’t been fatal. I calmly reached back, pulled the knife free, and took it from his grasp, pressing a piece of cloth against the wound to stanch the bleeding.

“G-give it back!?” the boy cried, desperately reaching toward me.

“D-don’t touch my sister!?”

The weight of his words was far heavier than his small frame suggested.

“Ahh, see?” the corporal chimed in mockingly from behind. “That’s what happens. We’re invaders, after all. People from the Rosha Empire are bound to attack us. So why bother trying to earn their goodwill? Better to just enjoy ourselves, right?”

“I understand how you feel—wanting to protect your sister.”

Ignoring the corporal’s rambling entirely, I crouched slightly and gently placed a hand on the boy’s head, stroking his hair to calm him. His body was trembling, but he had still found the courage to act—to fight, however desperately.

“Stay back for a bit,” I told him softly. “I’ll save your sister.”

“…Really?” he asked, his voice small, fragile with doubt.

“Of course,” I said with a faint smile. “So go on… step back. You’ll get caught up in this otherwise.”

I gently but firmly guided him away. Though young, he must have sensed that I bore him no hostility, because he quietly obeyed, retreating without resistance.

“…Good kid.”

“A good kid, huh?” the corporal snorted. “If he were a citizen of Lunoa, I might even applaud him.”

“Don’t misunderstand,” I said, my gaze snapping back toward him, sharp and unyielding. “His hostility isn’t because we’re outsiders. It’s because you’re acting like fools.”

“…Hah? What’s with that tone—and those eyes?” the corporal’s expression twisted with irritation. “You’re just a damn private. I’m a corporal, you—”

Before he could finish, I drew the handgun from my coat and fired without hesitation, the shot tearing clean through his shoulder.

“GAAAHHH!?”

The scream that followed was raw and unrestrained—he hadn’t expected it, not even for a second.

“Y-you bastard!? Do you have any idea who you’re—!?”

“Who do you think you’re speaking to?” I cut in coldly.

A disguise without magic—something I had practiced countless times since I was about the same age as the boy behind me. Reaching up, I removed the mask covering my face, revealing my true features and hair.

“…Ah.”

At the same time, I took out my actual insignia from my pocket and fastened it into place.

“I’m a brigadier general. Normally, someone of your rank wouldn’t even be allowed to stand face-to-face with me.”

“…Ah… ahh…”

The color drained from the corporal’s face in an instant. His knees trembled violently, and a pitiful whimper escaped his lips.

“How long do you intend to keep your hands on her?”

Once I confirmed the corporal had fallen silent, I turned my gaze toward the other soldiers still pinning the woman down.

“““…!?”””

At my words, they froze, their faces going just as pale before scrambling away from her in a panicked rush.

“Are you alright?”

“…Ah…”

After ensuring those wretches had been silenced, I approached the woman lying on the floor.

“My subordinates have behaved disgracefully. My apologies. It’s nothing of great quality, but… please, cover yourself.”

I removed my own cloak and gently draped it over her trembling body, shielding her exposed form. Others would likely arrive soon.

“For compensation, please contact my company. We will arrange whatever you need.”

Placing a business card atop her now-covered form, I ensured she had something to rely on before stepping back.

“What’s going on here!?”

At that very moment, another unit stormed into the house, drawn by the echoing gunshot.

“B-Brigadier General Willard!?”

The moment they entered the room, their eyes fell on me—and shock overtook them.

“These men attempted to assault a civilian woman. It’s a violation of military law. Take them away.”

“W-wait!?”

The corporal, who had been listening from the side, cried out in desperation.

“Silence. I have no intention of speaking with you any further. Throw them in a cell. The woman—and that boy, her younger brother, it seems—ensure they are treated with care. Call for female soldiers. Do not repeat such foolishness.”

I paid no attention to his pleas.

I simply issued my orders.

“Y-yes, sir!?”

“I’m returning to central command. Someone guide me.”

“W-wait!? Please, wait!?”

There was no one foolish enough to resist a brigadier general with a gun drawn, not even among their own ranks. As the corporal and his men were forced to the ground and restrained, their desperate cries for mercy filled the room.

Suppressing the disgust rising in my throat at their pathetic wailing, I said nothing more—

and walked away.