"Man, you wouldn't believe my 'luck.' The moment I opened the door—room full of people."
Edwin's booming voice could be heard clearly even from outside the tent.
"And their commander just froze when he saw us…"
Sitting alone on a stack of crates, Arcia slowly unwrapped the bandage around her abdomen. The No. 2 agent's superior clotting and healing properties had allowed her to hold out long enough to make it back to base for advanced medical support. That, too, was one of the Night Knights' many advantages—broken limbs could be "patched up" back at Altasa's facility as good as new. For a regular soldier, such injuries often meant permanent disability.
Still, even for a Night Knight, a headshot was unrecoverable. If it hit the heart or lungs, the No. 2 agent might keep the person alive—barely. Come to think of it, in the year-plus since the war began, Arcia had never needed a "full rebuild," and neither had Nordhausen. Edwin, though, had come close—he'd been hit by shrapnel six months ago and barely survived.
An armored personnel carrier rumbled into the camp. Arcia pulled her shirt back down and tossed the blood-soaked bandage into the nearby incineration pit.
"You can't dump medical waste here."
She turned toward the voice—it was Marcia, the unit's medical officer. She was in her early thirties, sharp green eyes, long golden waves cascading down her shoulders, her figure curvy even under a clinical white coat. It was no surprise she'd once been the unspoken crush of half the wounded and most of the officers.
"It's going to be burned anyway."
Arcia shrugged.
"This pit was just emptied. The next burn won't happen for another three or four days. Meanwhile, people are going to toss in kitchen scraps and daily garbage—it'll turn into a paradise for flies and mosquitoes. If those insects carry your blood into another unit, it could be a disaster."
"Is it really that dangerous…?"
Marcia had a point, but it still sounded like an exaggeration.
"Of course it is. Your blood—'superhuman' blood—is basically poison to normal people."
"Huh. That's news to me."
"I gave specific orders when we set up camp. Medical waste and anything contaminated by your blood must be handled carefully."
"…"
Arcia turned her head away.
"Did your last medic not explain any of this to you?"
"Never even met the last medic."
"Lovely... don't make this a habit. And next time, have a nurse or a doctor remove your bandages."
Arcia raised her hands in mock surrender.
"Marcia? What brings you over here?"
Edwin and Nordhausen had stepped outside at some point.
"I heard new recruits arrived today. Thought I'd come over and give them a quick rundown on hygiene protocols."
She shot Arcia another disapproving glance.
"What were you talking about with Arcia just now? Sounded like an argument."
"Well, since you brought it up—let me scold you two while I'm at it. Arcia's young, a little rebellious—fine. But you two should know better. She was sitting here alone taking off bandages. Don't you remember the blood-borne incident in the 2nd Army a while back? I told you about it."
Edwin and Nordhausen exchanged guilty looks.
"Poor leadership, totally our fault… our bad…"
"Sigh—you guys…"
Marcia shook her head, already resigned to the likelihood that this would happen again if she didn't stay on top of it.
"Anyway, I'm off. Reinforcements just arrived. I should go take a look."
Nordhausen quickly excused himself.
"Yeah, me too. Some of them might be assigned to my squad."
Edwin followed suit.
"You coming?"
Arcia shrugged and followed Marcia toward the armored personnel carrier.
"Your wound's healed?"
"Good as new."
"Swing by the medical tent later. I'll check it anyway."
......
Eleven new recruits were already lined up next to the armored transport. All four squads in the company needed reinforcements, not just the 4th.
"Beat me to it, huh."
Captain Otto of the 4th Squad approached, pulling on his gloves. As per protocol, Nordhausen and Edwin offered a brief salute, and Otto returned it casually—no need for formality among close comrades.
"You here to spectate too?"
Otto gave Arcia's cheek a playful pinch as she lowered her arm after saluting.
"She's not a kid. Hands off."
Marcia slapped Otto's hand away and pulled Arcia beside her.
"Where's the company commander?"
Nordhausen asked.
"In a meeting with higher-ups. Left the rookies to me."
"So we've got a new mission coming."
Edwin clicked his tongue.
Otto pulled out a personnel file and started matching faces to ID photos. He stopped in front of one girl.
"Sennia!"
"Present!"
A crisp, clear voice snapped everyone's attention.
"Another girl?"
Surprising, but not shocking. Night Knight had a notably higher female ratio compared to standard combat units. The drugs helped level the physical playing field.
"You're assigned to 4th platoon, 1st squad."
"Understood."
"You four…"
Otto flipped the file again.
"2nd squad, 4th platoon."
As expected, no verbal response.
"You—3rd platoon, 1st aquad. You—1st platoon, 1st squad. And the last three—2nd platoon. Your team leads will assign your exact roles."
He closed the file.
"You five, follow me."
Otto led the five assigned to other squads away toward their tents.
"Sennia!"
"Sir!"
Nordhausen stepped up to her.
"I'm your squad lead. I hope you impress me."
"Yes, sir!"
Nordhausen nodded at the silver-haired girl.
"So all the 'normal' ones go to your squad. And I'm stuck with the brick-wall brigade again."
Edwin approached, grumbling.
"This is Edwin, leader of 2nd squad."
"Hello, sir!"
Sennia saluted. Edwin returned it with equal sharpness.
"You four—come with me."
With brief introductions done, Edwin took his new recruits away.
"And this is our company medic, Marcia. Also, your comrade—Arcia."
Nordhausen introduced the two women behind him. Sennia gave them both a precise salute.
"Hello."
Marcia stepped forward and gave her the standard hygiene lecture for camp life.
"Let's go. I'll show you around—and swap out that stick you're carrying."
She gestured to the rifle Sennia had slung on her back. As she turned to follow Nordhausen, she caught Arcia's gaze. The two girls, seemingly the same age, shared a brief look before parting ways.
......
"Ladies and gents—we've got our next assignment."
All members of the 4th platoon had gathered in the tent on command. After a short wait, Otto entered with a stack of folders.
"We've received intel on enemy movements in Ripova. Command suspects they've set up a forward HQ there."
He gestured to the map behind him, pointing out Ripova—a medium-sized town.
"Aerial recon picked up some images, but our birds were quickly chased off by enemy fighters."
He pinned the photos on a board.
"Our mission is to strike enemy installations and disrupt their command structure in Ripova. Depart at 07:00 tomorrow. Assemble here."
He looked to Nordhausen and Edwin, who both nodded.
"Good. Dismissed. Nordhausen—hang back a sec."
Otto's expression was serious. Nordhausen followed him without hesitation.
"What's up?"
They stopped at a quiet corner.
"Direct order from the company commander. He wants us to keep an eye on Sennia—and ensure her survival."
"What?"
Nordhausen blinked.
"Yeah, weird, right? He said it came from higher up. Didn't elaborate."
Nordhausen's face hardened. His gut told him something was off.
"Anything unusual in her file?"
"Nope. Looks standard—birthdate, origin, departure date from Altasa…"
They fell into thoughtful silence.
"Anyway. Let's follow orders—for now."
Note:
Combat Enhancement Agents: Temporary injectables designed to amplify Night Knights' physical and sensory capabilities while avoiding permanent body modification that might affect daily life. Numbered I–IV.
No. 1 Agent: First-generation physical enhancer, now obsolete due to the dual-functionality of No. 3.
No. 2 Agent: Medical agent; promotes rapid healing, seals wounds, and reduces pain and bleeding.
No. 3 Agent: Standard issue combat enhancer. Used pre-battle. Lasts six hours, effectiveness tapers with time.
No. 4 Agent: Energy booster for extended ops without food intake. Compensates for the massive energy demands of physical enhancements and healing.