Round Robin Story Debate - RD. 1, Logic vs. isallannoyyo

It was when the black rain marred the parchment that Ito looked up. A fine stream of black particles fell through the air. Ito closed his book and looked around, his tranquil surroundings now utterly disrupted. Standing up, Ito gazed out at the coast.An armada of steamships.Ito looked closely at the ships. They were undoubtedly made by the Hevellians, as they were called. Imposing and powerful, the steamships were no merchant vessel, and carried no ornament to brighten their appearance. And people were exiting the ships. Vast droves of people. It was then that a rider appeared.“Ito, meet Frederick down in the village square!” “What’s happening?” queried Ito. The rider was gone. Shrugging, Ito felt for his scabbard – his sword was at the ready. With a last look at his parchment and the running stream nearby, Ito turned and began his walk to town. Or rather, his very brisk walk. Seemingly only moments later, Ito scrambled into the village square, as a haggard looking Frederick – a tall man of a muscled build and the military leader of the town - bellowed commands. Ito weaved his way to Frederick.“Frederick, what’s happening?” Frederick didn’t look at him. The din of the preparations, and masses of people moving perhaps.“Frederick!” shouted Ito. Frederick turned, and clasped Ito by the shoulder, motioning him aside.“Ito, it’s good to see you here. Every man who is able will perform his duty.” “I take it by ‘every man’ that you are evacuating the women and children and that we are at war?” “Of course. Perceptive as ever Ito.” “So what’s happening?” Frederick gestured to the sea, and began walking slowly“You might not be able to tell, but we’ve managed to piece together an advance team to fight at the beach.” Ito abruptly stopped.“That’s suicide Frederick.” “Of course it is. They’re merely to delay the Hevellians. We’ll let them think they’ve secured the area and then attack them with all of our strength. Meanwhile, we buy time for those being evacuated to get away.” Ito glanced at Frederick, his face sullen. The plan was suicide but to question the plan, to question Frederick... it wasn’t right.“So what am I to do?” asked Ito, wary that Frederick’s patience might wear thin – the din of metal, the lives being lost at the coast only kilometres away.“You are going to lead a unit to recapture the beacon nearby, and the surrounding houses. You will light the beacon and defend it with your lives. It is crucial that you light it, otherwise our forces in Delmar will have no advanced warning, save for the slow moving evacuees, of the Hevellians.” The immensity of Ito’s mission grabbed him.“You mean that the forces in our capital are going to be outnumbered?” Frederick’s face looked ever more haggard. His town resigned and reluctant.“Yes. The Hevellians bring a mighty host to bear on us, and our country’s might may not be sufficient, except to hold a defensive position at our capital, Delmar. Now, you’ll be accompanied by your fellow sergeants Alfray and Okubo, as well as a crack squad of people coming to this beacon. You will likely encounter heavy resistance. Be prepared, and light that beacon at any cost. Now go!” With his final imperative command said, Frederick glided into the mill of men now gathering together, preparing an ambush.---------------------------------Ito couldn’t see the ground for corpses. He was deafened by screams and clashing steel. Despite the cold air, a glistening sweat coated his face. His body ached, but the adrenalin of battle pushed him on. It had been a vicious, hard assault on the beacon, and they still weren’t there, despite their valour and the casualties suffered. And yet still the Hevellians kept coming – 2 were coming at him as he thought. It was a strange thing to feel calmness and clarity in such a quagmire, but Ito did.Ito struck out at the first attacker, engaging his attacker’s blade with a series of furious swipes as Alfray held off the second. The attacker flailed with his broadsword, a weapon ill equipped to fencing. Parry and thrust, Ito could see his attacker tiring. The weight of the broadsword weakening his blows. A minute passed with more duelling. Finally, the man slashed out in desperation. Cut a waft of air near Ito’s face, the blade missed, and the man was suddenly defenceless. Ito pierced his heart with a merciless thrust.Withdrawing his sword, Ito looked at Alfray, still duelling away. It was time to help Alfray out.A shield smashed Ito in the head. He fell to the ground, sprawled out like an eagle.Dimly, Ito saw a glint of steel above his head, seemingly descending upon him. The towering oblivion approaching... Alfray dispatched him with a side cut. But it was only horror that struck Ito’s face. “Alfray, behind you!” Alfray turned swiftly, but his former dueling antagonist impaled him through the heart. As if lost for a moment, he stumbled forward before falling. In that instant Ito stabbed Alfray’s killer through the stomach. The man doubled over, and lay on the ground to die. Immediately, another man came into view and Ito raised his sword to deflect a vicious blow. When were they going to stop coming? His men were slowly falling away, and the Hevellians kept coming, their numbers seemingly endless. And from what he had glimpsed of the main fray, it did not go well there either. Suddenly there appeared a new vigour in the struggle – Hevellian reinforcements. With a deadening jolt, a crush of people seemed to fall upon Ito. Swiftly, he lashed out at another attacker, drawing blood. Then it was a wicked deflection from a flailing man. And then it was...The crunch of a shield upon skull. Ito fell to the ground. An unconscious figure amidst the fury of battle, caught beneath a charging horde.---------------------------------------Ito opened his eyes. Where was he?And then it came – the faint lights of embers, corpses strewn across the ground, buildings mostly crushed. It was his hometown. Frederick and his men had not held the line. He turned to his home in the distance – a charred, desolate place now. What was there left? The sound of a quiet step caught his eye. Ito turned to see a man facing him, sword tentatively drawn. “Who goes there?” stated the man, his voice both carrying a forceful, and yet somehow hesitant tone. “I am Ito, a man who served under this town’s commander, a man named Frederick.”“Frederick? How are you alive? His men were slaughtered, despite their honourable efforts.”“I... I don’t know. Slaughtered? Did the women and children escape? Did we hold the Hevellians at Delmar? Did we...” Ito trailed off. “They escaped. At Delmar our forces came forth with a sweeping assault, and they won a great victory.” Ito’s face lightened.“A victory? This is great!”“No, a pyrrhic victory was won. The government later capitulated to the Hevellian forces.” As if struck by a great force, Ito went for his sword, as if to strike the very air before him.“They, they capitulated? They surrendered, despite the dishonour, despite the Hevellian ways!?” Ito’s anger was visibly palpable. “Look, the government thinks there might be things to gain from the Hevellians.” “Gain? They’re mad, wretched demons if they think that!” “The government thinks the only way to overcome these invaders, to retain our way of life, is to absorb the technology and ideas of the Hevellians. We can not fight against them as we are, and we will succumb if we stay as we are.” “It is not right, nor honourable, and shames those who fought here.” “Ito, you can adapt to imperialism or try and rebel against the Hevellians, maybe form a resistance group. Know that if you do so though you’ll just endanger the livelihood of all of us.” He looked sternly at Ito’s anguished face. “Do you expect me to abandon the town of my forefathers?” “Look around you – your home, your village does not exist as it did days ago. Now, I can’t temper any will for vengeance on your part, but you must understand what we’re doing. Now, are you coming to Delmar?"