Knowing he wouldn't be making any progress anytime soon Sam decided to take a break. Most of the food they brought with them was destroyed so there was no dinner, but that didn't matter since he no longer needed to eat to survive.
Thankfully a few coffee containers survived the fire. They were a bit burned, but being able to brew a cup or two gave him the much needed relief he needed.
Holding the wooden cup Trenta made -to his surprise it was quite well made- Sam walked around the camp checking on the Valkyries one by one. Seeing the usually energetic Juni sitting still and silent served to show him how bad their morals were. Three and Venti were trying to cheer her up but it didn't seem to be working.
Zero Five and CS were up in the air keeping an eye on anything that might be heading their way. Triska and Trenta went to check the wreckage of the Olympians' ship to see if they could find anything that could be used to repair theirs. Sam doubted that he could make use of the technology of a race from another dimension, but just in case he wanted to see if they could scavenge some materials they could recycle.
Sitta was sitting alone, away from the others. She had her halo out and was doing something Sam couldn't understand, all while keeping a large barrier around the camp. Being a barrier specialist, she was ashamed that her creations were easily broken during the last battle, and was blaming herself for being incapable of protecting her friends.
The pulse attack Perseus used was as much of a mystery as Atropos' crimson sword, and quite dangerous as well. The fact that the Olympians are able to overcome their defenses in more than one way made them a much more dangerous foe than anything they have faced so far. If they were going to win their war against them, Sam needed to find a way to overcome anything thrown their way.
After saying a few words to Sitta, to which she gave a dry response, she pointed him in Ichigo's direction. The pink haired Valkyrie was sitting alone on a bench at the edge of the camp, looking much more depressed than the others. He expected her to see her going around caring for the others and trying to cheer them up, but even though she came out of the battle practically unharmed, she seemed to be the most bothered by how everything went down.
"Mind if I sit here?"
Ichigo looked up with a start, her eyes widening when she saw Sam.
"D-D-Doctor! W-w-wha-"
He ignored her stammering and took his place beside her, watching from the corner of his eye as she nervously adjusted herself, her face growing red by the second.
Sam took a sip from his cup then placed it on the log beside him. He remained silent for a few seconds, staring up at the night sky above them, and waited for the Valkyrie to calm down. After a while he spoke again, his eyes still looking up.
"The stars are different, huh…" he said. "Well, we're in another world after all."
"... Y-you're right…" Ichigo said, raising her head to take a look as well. After a short pause she added in a quiet voice. "I always thought that this world was identical to ours."
"If I remember right Wolf said they are." Sam Said. "Maybe he was referring to Earth alone, not the entire universe."
"I see…"
The silence returned, however it lacked the awkwardness or oppressive air One would expect from such a situation. Sam picked up his cup and took a sip. Looking at the bitter dark liquid, an idea came into his mind and he turned to the Valkyrie beside him.
ραΠdαsΝοvεl.cοm "Would you like some?" He asked.
"Ah… um…"
Before she could reply he pushed the wooden cup into her hands. Ichigo's gaze kept alternating between it and him, and when she saw that he went back to staring at the stars, she hesitated for a couple of seconds before forcing herself to taste the drink.
"... Bitter…" she said, her expression twisting into a grimace.
"Is that so?"
He took another sip after she returned the cup to him. It was indeed bitter, and had a slightly burnt taste to it, however it was still better than the coffee substitute served at the base's cafeteria.
"So you enjoy sweet stuff more, huh?"
"Well… I can't really deny that…" she said with a smile only for a hint of sadness to make its way into it. "B3… she was the only one who could handle black coffee. She drank it quite often…"
"Really?"
"Yeah. Even Nana would add milk and sugar to her cup. B3 alone seemed to enjoy the bitter taste. Somehow that made her seem a lot more mature despite how she looks."
"Hmm… then, maybe I should start inviting her to drink with me. I wonder if we have more things in common."
The silence resumed, but this time the atmosphere grew heavier, the smile having left Ichigo's face as she looked down at her hands, her fingers intertwined.
"B3 made the right decision." Sam said after a while. "The enemy must've understood how much of a danger your cleansing ability posed to them and decided to eliminate you first. By making sure you survived she helped us secure better odds in the next battle."
"But…"
Ichigo was ashamed of how useless she was in the last battle. Despite helping with the barriers many times, she still felt like she stood there and did nothing while her friends were fighting.
Her lack of combat abilities was never a problem before when all she did was cleanse the areas ravaged by the Calamities, however now that she experienced the battlefield for herself she couldn't help feeling weak compared to the other Valkyries.
"B3 wouldn't have had to cover for me if I was better."
"That we can agree on." Sam replied instantly, not holding back his punch. His comment hit Ichigo like a sludge hammer, but before the tears could start forming in her eyes he continued. "Both of us are useless in a fight so if we don't find other ways to contribute then we would be nothing but dead weights."
Looking at him with surprise in her eyes, the Valkyrie once again struggled to form words as she tried to speak.
"D-D-Doctor isn't u-useless! Y-you help us with a lot of things!"
"But I still can't fight." Sam replied. "I can't even make a barrier to protect myself, and I always need someone around to protect me. If I was able to do more I wouldn't have been such a burden."
The only reason he was forced to go on this mission is that they have yet to figure out inter-dimensional communication. If he had the choice he would've remained in his lab and commanded them from there, that way the Valkyries wouldn't have to worry about keeping him safe. Sadly, with how their communications were jammed on the last battle which resulted in him arriving at the scene late, Sam was now left with no choice but to stay close so he wouldn't miss anything.
"Ichigo, each of us has a role to play." Sam said. "Fighting power isn't everything in a war. Without the support we offer, the others would find it very difficult to win."
"..."
Seeing that she still wasn't feeling any better, Sam decided to push things a little bit. Ichigo was silent. She knew the Doctor was being kind and that his words were supposed to encourage her, however the pain in her chest persisted, growing stronger the more she tried to fight it.
Then suddenly, it was all gone, washed away by a warm feeling that flooded her bosom. Without a warning, Sam had placed a hand on hers. Valkyries didn't have hearts in the same sense as humans, but in that moment she could swear that she felt it skip a beat when she saw it. As her cheeks began taking on a red color, she slowly turned to find his eyes gazing at her with such intensity that it almost caused her to faint.
"You might not be able to fight on the same level as the others." He said, grasping her hand into his. "However your ability might turn out to be what changes the tides in our favor. Don't ever think that your presence is unnecessary. Everyone here has something to contribute, and that goes twice for you."
Ichigo was unable to respond. She couldn't think of anything. All of her thoughts halted and the only thing she could see was the Doctor. As the feeling in her chest grew stronger and stronger, her eyes noticed something behind the man causing her emotions to vanish as if a bucket of cold water was spilled on her head.
Noticing the change in her expression, Sam turned around only to find Nino standing behind him, her gaze so cold it sent a chill down his spine.
"What a nice spot you have here." She said. "Do you mind if I join you?"
Before he could provide her with an answer, the Japanese doll picked up the cup that was beside him and sat down, moving closer until their legs and shoulders touched.
As the awkward silence went on she lifted up the cup and was about to sip from it. Sam tried to warn her, but it was already too late.
"BLUGH!... W-what is this!?" She complained. "It's way too bitter!"
"Well, you shouldn't have drank it without permission." Sam replied with a chuckle.
Seeing Ichigo goggling as well, Nino began pouting then turned away. The three of them continued talking for some time but then Sam decided to put an end to his break. He wasn't in a rush to get back to work, however as he was enjoying the company of those two he felt several jealous glares being directed his way. He had achieved his purpose of helping Ichigo cheer up, and Nino seemed to be doing fine as well. Now all that he has left to do was work up a plan to defeat the Olympians. That was the biggest challenge he would have to face from now on.
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