To Yurika, battles weren't something she started, but just sort of fell into. She would then desperately fend off the attack and return to her usual life. She had always been repeating that and because of that, her determination to start a battle was heavy. One could say that she had been cornered to that point. While she had determined to battle it wasn't that this was something she wanted, so she would sometimes show hesitation. Now was one of those times.
“....”
Yurika was eating dinner within the Blue Tower. However, she wasn't moving her hand or mouth. She simply stared into her bowl while holding her spoon. She seemed to be looking past the bowl of soup and was looking at some faraway place.
“Yurika, aren't you going to eat?”
”Satomi-san...?”
Because she was like that, Yurika didn't notice Koutarou until he called out to her. When Yurika looked up, she saw Koutarou sitting on the other end of the table, eating dinner.
“Are you nervous?”
“Y-Yes... I'm so worried about the future...”
Yurika wasn't moving out of nervousness and worry for the future. While Yurika had matured, this was the first time she had moved ahead with a battle she had initiated. For the first time in her life, each and every one of her decisions would affect the lives of many people. Up until now her hand had always been forced as the enemy appeared, or cooperated with someone else in a battle, so she only had to focus on the thing in front of her. But now she had to create situations like that herself. Hesitation and pressure seized control of Yurika.
“I thought so”
”You noticed?”
“Yeah. That's only normal for a commander on their first campaign”
Koutarou dropped his shoulders and smiled wryly at Yurika's question. Because Koutarou had been running around the battlefield in the past Forthorthe, Yurika's reaction was familiar to him.
“If you make the wrong decision, many people will die. And that's why you're frozen. Everyone feels the same way before a big battle. Other than those who don't value the lives of others”
Maxfern, Dextro or Tayuma probably wouldn't care, however a normal commander would. Your allies possibly dying from a miss in judgment was something anyone would fear. Even more so on your first campaign.
“You too, Satomi-san?”
“Yeah, I was scared too. Everyone were such good people. They were earnest to protect their country... and they might die with just a word from me. So I understand how you feel”
Koutarou used the legends as reference as he acted, but those were without a doubt his own decisions. There were successes and failures. There were many battles he wanted to redo if he had the chance.
“What should I do?”
”Don't try to do anything special”
”Something special?”
“For example... like trying to do everything yourself. It's a mistake people tend to do”
Since your allies were in danger, you should be the first to jump into danger, at first glance this looked the correct decision, but it wasn't. The situation would change as time passes, that's why always standing on the frontlines yourself was strange. But if you didn't accept that out of guilt, the entire plan would be distorted. The results of that need not be said.
“Just trust in your allies and do what you always do. That's the best”
If you tried to do something you weren't using, those around you would hesitate as well. Acting like normal would be the most natural way to carry out any plan. While that sounded obvious, one tended to forget when the lives of many were at stake. Koutarou thought that battles really are difficult.
“... If I was the strongest magical girl in history, nobody would have to fight...”
Listening to Koutarou, Yurika stared at the palm of her hand. If the power in that hand was strong enough to pierce the heavens, Yurika could have fought against all of the enemies alone. But because she couldn't, all of her allies would have to expose themselves to danger. Yurika felt really bitter about her helplessness.
“You're right. I think the same thing every day. If I was an invincible hero, you or the others would never have to fight again”
“Satomi-san...”
Koutarou smiled wryly again. He strongly agreed with Yurika's opinion. Yurika looked at Koutarou with surprise. She had convinced herself that Koutarou didn't have any worries like that.