High School Soldier
The Soul Eater

“Loh, where's Hevaz? Is he back at headquarters?”

It was now a peaceful afternoon next in the 21st Border Zone, and the entire 12th Team members were seen doing their preferred thing again as long as they did not forget the main task of monitoring the state around the border. Meanwhile, Nio did not see the figure of Hevaz this afternoon. Usually the girl with the female members and Edera prepare dinner or look for additional foodstuffs that can be found around the camp.

“I saw him flying east, and not towards the central headquarters.”

The member with the code name High Girl, aka Ika answered Nio's question while helping Ga Eun prepare dinner.

Arif, Bima, and Ferdi were playing a card game. Zefanya reads the dictionary of the world's language, and occasionally speaks some words of this world rigidly. Hassan was trying to find a signal for his radio. Hendra is still on his ‘miknya’ tree while monitoring around using binoculars. Ae Ri helps Ratna prepare the seasoning to cook tonight, and Gita is reading a fantasy novel inside the tent of a female member accompanied by Edera.

As the team captain, Nio was in charge of making reports on the state of the border on a daily basis, so his job involved piles of papers, pens, and pencils, so that the tent for male members doubles as an office and is the largest of the five tents.

Regarding Hevaz, Nio still had some questions towards the girl, but she had not returned until dinner was almost done cooking. He still did not know the girl's origin, the purpose of Hevaz declaring himself to be his personal servant and the person who sent the girl was the big question that was stuck in Nio's head. Every time he wanted to ask that there would definitely be a nuisance or a bully.

“Yah... surely he will return by himself later.”.

Nio decided not to look for Hevaz, and returned to the workbench while sipping instant black coffee in his plastic cup. He had to make a report about the attack some time ago, and finish a report that had not been done.

**

The first war between the Alliance and the Expeditionary Forces ended with the deaths of countless of their soldiers, the missing soldiers were also not less numerous. The Alliance forces fighting under the same banner almost vanished when the relief forces for the Expeditionary Force arrived.

If the event happens in Indonesia, it will make headlines in every news program and front page of the newspaper and make the world rowdy. But, in this other world, the movement of the troops was unknown to their inhabitants. Even if the Alliance were to disintegrate and lose the war, the people of the Alliance member states would only obtain new rulers who replaced the previous rulers who were defeated in the war, and their daily lives would be unaffected.

The reason why this happens is because the world still has a war to fight for a region, or fight to take again the territory that was controlled by another country. The war to conquer and dominate each other is still happening in several countries in this world. Since their rulers changed frequently, it was impossible for the people to have any loyalty towards their country.

In this world, as long as the house was not a battlefield, and family members were not forced or obliged to undergo conscription to fight on the battlefield, commoners did not care about their country.

Even so, after the first major war between the Alliance Forces and the Expeditionary Forces, people's lives were affected. The rise of runaway warriors who became bandits was the cause.

This world contained knights and noble warriors, but none of them acted to suppress the existence of bandits. This is because of their obligation not to maintain security, but as a symbol of the greatness of a country. The more the number of soldiers a country has, then automatically the country will be seen as the owner of great power.

All the knights and noble warriors cared about was ‘kontrol’. In fact, the nobles were no different from the bandits. First, they rob farmers and ordinary people and call it ‘pajak’, while bandits rob people and merchants by violent means to kill. However, both sides (noble and bandit) both did not accept rejection, and cracked down on the rejecting party with violence.

Even when the knights and noble warriors spurred the horses to hunt the bandits, they were just like shepherds driving away wolves, and would come back just like that once the bandits disappeared from sight. Frankly, whatever actions they took against the bandits caused side effects.

Because the starving and lustful bandits would fight even harder and even manage to kill the noble knights and warriors who would crack down on them. The knights and noble warriors were not too eager to crack down on the bandits if they did not receive money from the party they wanted to protect. Or they will only move when there is a group that can pay them to protect from bandit attacks.

Some say that bandit similarities with commoners are preferable when there are fewer nobles ‘jal’ and corrupt warriors.

Before the war with Indonesia and its allies began, the bandits roaming the territory of the Luan Empire had to act clandestinely, but after the great defeat of the Alliance they were able to move freely.

An intelligent hunter would think that killing all the prey would leave nothing for the future. Fortunately, or unfortunately, an intelligent person would not be a bandit, so most of the bandits were extremely ruthless and brutal to the most extreme degree.

For example, there was a group of bandits whose entire members were former Alliance soldiers who had fled from the battlefield, and they had attacked a group of refugees from the Luan Empire. Then their next target was a group of otherworldly warriors (12th Team) who were camping near the border.

The group of refugees aiming for the Kingdom of Arevelk spurred their horse carriage as fast as possible, but the horses carried a burden that was too heavy. After there was no way to fight, the group was captured by a group of bandits who rode and surrounded them.

All the men in the refugee group were killed, and the women were taken away.

In the darkness, more than 100 bandits gathered around a huge bonfire and happily ransacked their spoils.

Their prey brought not only money, but also supplies such as clothing and food. This group of bandits filled their stomachs with the food they got. They took turns rotating the women who were mostly mothers and children, while the elderly were immediately beheaded. The bandits were more concerned with satisfying their passions, then relaxing with wine.

“Bos! otherworldly warriors seemed to have plenty of women and food!”

Ever since the war with the otherworldly forces broke out, many otherworldly warriors were standing guard around the border. Then, they judged that the small number of troops would be a very easy target, and the women could be used if they managed to fight against the otherworldly forces. They also judged if the otherworldly forces guarding the border were very weak and would not be able to win against their large numbers. They would make Team 12 their next target, then would slaughter and loot them.

After hearing his minions speak, the boss of this bandit group who was previously a former Alliance officer laughed in satisfaction. It was good news, so they would go to attack that small army.

“But we are too few to attack that small army. I don't want the events of the previous war to happen again.”

The bandit boss had predicted that the fight with the otherworldly forces of the border guards would be quite difficult.

“Why don't we recruit another runaway warrior? That way, we can fight against the otherworldly forces of that border guard.”

It was also a good opportunity to have more members.

With many people, they can successfully attack villages and small forces, even cities. If the bandit boss thought carefully, he could replace the leader of the village or city, perhaps even being able to establish his own state.

From bandit to king, that sweet dream that filled his head emerged from a bandit boss.

SLASH…!!!

This last moment of the head of the nameless bandit boss was spent imagining himself to be king. By the way, his head separated from his body abruptly and surprisingly.

The head of the bandit boss rolled on the ground then into the campfire.

The smell of burnt hair and charred meat instantly filled the campground.

According to research, a person's severed head can maintain consciousness for a few seconds. Therefore, the owner of the head will see his head fall to the ground. His field of view rolled as the head of the bandit boss rolled, and the owner of the head saw his body spitting out blood like a fountain.

After that, in his rapidly darkening field of view, the head owner saw the silvery-haired goddess of death bathed in fresh blood, then died completely.

The first thing that people will think of when looking at the girl is ‘tease’.

His skin was so white that it was almost pale, his eyes would attract any man, and his eyes were as red as blood. Then, his slender hand held a huge scythe that seemed to be extremely heavy.

He flew up and put the scythe on his shoulder, and shook the blood away from the scythe.

The girl had been surrounded by the corpses of the bandits that she finished off very quickly.

“This is the result of you having thoughts of attacking my master and his friends. So, thanks for the sacrifice.”

He bowed elegantly. At first glance, she looked to be in her 20s, and from her delicate beauty and movements, she seemed to be a very good girl. She had a seductive and very mature look and smile. His red-colored pupils were filled with an endless bloodlust.

“Thank you for giving your lives to me, and don't expect evil warriors like you to touch my master and his friends. The God of War and the Goddess of Death are very grateful for your sacrifice, and they say I should have fun with you guys.”

“What! Who are you?!”

Among the surviving bandits, one of them could still shout with much greater courage than he felt, even though his entrails were churned with fear. He deserves praise for still being able to shout despite being in such a situation right now.

“I?”

The girl smiled sweetly and was very seductive.

“I am Hevaz, the messenger of the God of War and the right hand of the Goddess of Death.”

“A-what?! She is a personal servant of ‘people foretold’?! Hevaz the Soul Eater?!”

“Mhmh ~ you're right.”

In front of the girl who was seen laughing with the lewd groans, the bandits were running around like ants.

They left everything behind and fled with all their might, driven by their fear of death.

“What the fuck! How can we fight the Soul Eater?!”

“Oh ~ no, no, no, no, no. You can't run.”

Hevaz leaped and spread his wings, carrying a large scythe that seemed to weigh several times that of him. He chased the fleeing bandits like a savage carnivore hunting its prey.

The scythe split the head of the bandit like he was splitting a coconut, and the surrounding area was filled with pieces of meat.

“Ahhh ~ I told you not to run!”

Hevaz let out a sigh and flew over a bandit, then cut off his head with a single slash. He swung his scythe lightly, and flew in pursuit of the entire bandit running around.

Her snow-white skin and hair were dyed red by a spray of blood.

“You know, the Goddess of Death said so. The goal of all life is death. No human can avoid it.”

A miserable scream sounded just as the spear swung down, splitting the body of a bandit.

**

“Haa .. haa .. haa... why, what is the right hand of the Goddess of Death doing here?!”

The bandit man cursed his misfortune as he ran with all his might.

A miserable scream sounded from the distance. Hevaz the Soul Eater had devoured the souls of the bandits.

“Sial, shit!”

There are no trails in the wilderness at night. The forest was filled with swamps, house-sized rock formations, thorny shrubs, and huge trees. The bandit man once again stumbled, his body filled with mud and sweat, and his clothes were torn here and there.

Again, a scream was heard from behind him.

He's passing through a mudhole. His body slid down, and his head hit the ground first.

“Sial, shit, asshole, why is my luck so bad!”

“Ah~ aren't you having fun?”

There was a female voice and wings.

Hevaz stuck the tip of his pointed scythe between the widened legs of the bandit man, another hair of the sickle's tip would hit his anus.

“I, I, I have never killed anyone!”

“Ah, really?”

“It's true! this is the first job I have done since I joined! About women too, they said I had to wait until the end because I was a new member! I don't even touch the ladies!”

“Hmmmmm?”

Hevaz thought briefly about this before speaking to the man again.

“The other bandits were all summoned by the Goddess of Death. Don't you feel lonely alone?”

The bandit man shook his head with a face of despair. He was not lonely, not lonely at all.

“But, wouldn't it be sad if you were the only one left behind?”

“No, please, I really want to be left!” the man begged.

Hevaz looked at him with a cold gaze that was as sharp as a knife.

“What should I do with you, then~”

After he said that, Hevaz clapped his hands.

“I see, this might be a good idea. Since you haven't done anything yet, why not do it now/”

After that, Hevaz grabbed one of the man's legs.

The man could feel an unimaginable strength that was unlike his gentle and seductive appearance.

Hevaz dragged the man away like a garbage bag, while slightly muttering about Nio.

“It hurts! Please stop!”

The forest on the border of the Luan Empire and the Special Region of Indonesia in the New World contained sharp rocks and sand. It caused the man's clothes to tear to shreds when he was dragged over it, and then his sweaty skin swiped a sharp pebble. His back was covered with his own blood.

“Who do you like between them?”

“Tidaaaak! Please stop!”

“Do not stand when the ceremony takes place, this is the end for you. I've treated you well so you can do it.”

Hevaz grabbed the man's foot and threw it. He landed in front of the women who looked in a very miserable state.

“Alright, now it's your turn.”

The man frantically shook his head.

The bodies of dozens of naked women were lined up, displaying the fact that they had been harassed. Their arms raised, as if calling for help.

None of them moved, it appeared they had stopped breathing.

“Truly troublesome, they are dead.”

It looks like they have been raped to death, and this seems like it has happened before.

“Sorry, I didn't come on time.”

Hevaz closed their unblinking eyes and lowered his head. Then she smiled at the man again.

“Stay, since they are already like this, why don't you do it?”

Puddles of liquid appeared between the man's legs, and his body trembled as it was.

The bandit man begged for forgiveness.

He prostrated himself on the ground as if he were worshipping Hevaz. His face was covered in tears and snot, he lamented for Hevaz to show mercy. He said that he did not sin directly, and declared that his hands were still clean. He had no choice but to become a bandit to survive. He would flip a new leaf, and declare that he would work seriously and so on.

In essence, Hevaz had seen this before he was sent.

Hevaz sighed as he looked at the man's pitiful appearance.

He turned his face in disdain as if he saw something dirty. He felt that he would be stained by the man's defilement if he looked longer.

There are some situations when killing another person is not a sin, such as war or situations that require self-defense. According to the Soul Eater, aka Hevaz, killing people is not a sin, as long as the conditions as above are met.

That was the teaching of the God of War and the Goddess of Death that Hevaz served.

Stealing and robbing by killing others is a sin.

Soldiers and executioners who kill enemies and are on death row are innocent.

That was how the God of War and the Goddess of Death and the servants of gods/goddesses like Hevaz saw it.

Hevaz tolerates all kinds of people, respects the path they choose to live, and respects the path they take. Therefore, a bandit only needed to act like a bandit.

If the man in front of him looked into his eyes proudly for being a bandit, Hevaz would give him the respect he deserved.

But what happened to this man's attitude?

First, the reason he said his hands were still clean was unacceptable. When he became a bandit, he became a member of a group that relied on numbers and committed assassinations. It had nothing to do with him taking part directly or not.

He could not be forgiven for being a bandit just because of poverty. If he doesn't get food, he should lie down and die.

Hevaz preferred people who had no luck to fill their stomachs to beggars or anything like that, rather than robbing others of their wealth by killing them.

Stupid as a human and despicable as a human, Hevaz saw the man as worthless. The man's ugliness made the Soul Eater twist her beautiful face into a frown.

Then, he remembered a soldier who once ordered a bandit to dig a grave with only both hands and without tools. He could not remember the soldier's face properly, but he felt that he had met the soldier.

Hevaz then issued a warrior-like order that he once watched from the world of the gods. So, the man began to dig a grave in the wilderness.

Unlike sand or farmland, digging a hole in hard soil is not easy. His nails began to fall apart and his finger skin was torn, but whenever the man wanted to stop due to the pain, the owner of the giant scythe was seen to be beheading.

Worshippers of the God of War and the Goddess of Death come from among soldiers or death-related occupations, such as executioners and healers. Then, the messenger of the two gods and goddesses watched the bandit man with a look of terror. The man dug out the ground covered in rocks and grass with all his might.

When he used his hand whose finger had exposed the flesh without skin to cover the graves of the women with earth, the sun began to rise and illuminate the surroundings.

The man did all that because that was the condition for him to be released. The man turned around to get Hevaz's opinion.

With thirst, hunger, fatigue, and pain in his hands, the man looked almost fainted.

He saw Hevaz clasping his hands and chanting a prayer.

Hevaz knelt on one knee, clasping his hands in prayer devoted to the figure he served. Sunbathing in the dawn's rays, she looked beautiful and noble, and felt taking breaths from everyone who saw her.

His lips that looked painted blood red formed a smile.

The girl stood up after finishing her prayer, and raised her scythe up high. He swung a scythe that was a symbol of loyalty and love towards the person he served, then took the life of the man in front of him.

**

Sunlight penetrated the waterproof cloth used to erect the 12th Team's tent.

The sunlight that marks the beginning of the morning has arrived shows how bright it is today.

Out of all the members of Team 12, Nio was the first one to wake up from a dream.

He saw that the entire male member was still asleep under various circumstances, some even heard snoring very loudly.

While putting on a face that was still holding back the drowsiness, Nio exited the tent while scratching his stomach with his right hand and covered his mouth which evaporated wide with his left hand. He walked towards the small lake behind the campground to wash his face and brush his teeth.

How to walk Nio like a person suffering from a syndrome that makes sufferers able to fall asleep while walking. But fortunately Nio does not have such a syndrome, and it is especially dangerous if border guards have such a sleep disorder. Because crossing the border means bringing death.

The otherworldly birds perched on some trees near the campground were a natural source of music, but had not been able to wake the rest of the team. Then, wyverns and wild dragons flew far overhead without showing any threat.

After putting his feet into the cool lake water, Nio's consciousness fully returned. He felt the warm sunlight of this world, and made his mind calm again after working on such an endless report.

“Who is he?”

Nio narrowed his eyes at the sight of a girl swimming not far from his place, in a condition without wearing clothes.

“He-Hevaz?!”

Their eyes looked at each other, and the girl stood up and revealed her whole body that was not covered by a thread. Hevaz flew with a naked body towards Nio, and his smile looked like a threat according to Nio.

The young man immediately ran as fast as he could, leaving his shoes by the lake just like that. After arriving at the tent, he immediately covered his entire body with a blanket in a heart condition that was beating very fast.

Meanwhile, Hevaz smiled after seeing Nio's behavior while saying, “Time is soon, the person foretold. Ah ~ I forgot that He has become my master.”