Howls were heard from the distance, the adventurers stood guard and readied their spells.
"Crystal Storm!"
"Thorn of Terra, come forth!"
"Fireball, release!"
Barrages of spells were rained upon the demons, defeating them
"Keep moving! Don't stop!"
The Cavalry moved faster and faster until they reached Point Quebec
Point Quebec, the area is different than the last areas the Cavalry went foot into
From there, there were no more skeletons. From there was purple sand.
"Let's take break, after we're done we'll move again"
The Cavalry rested, drank water,
some fed their horses.
When they lied down, the sand smelled like death.
"hey, you smell that?"
"yeah"
When they touched the sand, it burned their skin slightly.
"This place is hell! It won't even let us rest!" cried by the adventurer
The sand then affected the horses, making them move slower
"Lei... have you been here before?"
"No, first..time.." replied by Lei
"You look so calm even were literally inside the demon's nest"
"I've met death several times before, i'm used to it" replied by Lei
"Oh, i see." said by the party leader
Meanwhile, Sen is daydreaming as he leans on the lobby room table, he described the garrison in detail
The Garrison was in an elevated area. Steel alloy mixed with mithril formed the Garrison. It was made out of metal. It's color is white and on the Entrance Ramp has the word "Alpha".
topside of the Garrison was a Tower with a spotlight, even the watchtower is made of steel. Five heavy magic guns are emplaced on all sides of the garrison. Heavy magic guns resemble an M2 Browning, it has three rods and it's height is almost the same as Hiroki's.
The reason for making the garrison in white is to make outsiders notice it. Since it is placed in a lowlight area, it needed to be white to reflect more light as usual.
12 Soldiers is set to stay in a garrison but the garrison was made to house 50 soldiers.
Usually groups of six are in rotation everyweek to guard the garrison.
The Garrison had a bunker and tents. Tents were used for easy reach out of masks and ammo and bunkers were usually where soldiers sleep, eat, and rest and a place to store materials.
"Jenkins, get that drone working!" said by Keuf
"Aye!"
Jenkins, the team's tech operator and radioman. He carries a rifle with iron sights.
Keuf, a well trained swordsman
and Hook operator. I also used to instruct him about magic use.
"Commander, rules of engagement?" asked by Haizer
Haizer, the team's ace in swordsmanship. An eccentric guy with glasses. Looks weak but a monster when it comes to sword handling.
"Get the outsiders, take them here and watch them. I'll take care of the arriving Demons. White Team will be assisting you here, show them your best"
"and also, bring extra masks"
said by Sen bluntly
"Affirrrmativvee" replied by Haizer
"Oh wait, sir... Front Echelons?" asked by Ri
Sen smiled when she looked at Ri.
"Target has arrived at Point Oscar and are in contact with twenty Demons" said by Jenkins
Overlay appeared on a wall screen on the right side of the room.
"Jeez, just how persistent they are" said by Lith
"Guide them point Lima" said by Sen.
The rangers looked with seriousness at the screen as they watch the Adventurers get massacred by demons.
the magic screen had a green overlay on it's feedback. It also frequently stutters due to the interference with the Dust
"Uh-er affirmative, guiding them now"
Meanwhile on the the blood covered sands of the battlefield
"We lost the horses! We're making there on foot!"
"We lost the supply carriages!"
said by the adventurers
"Damn it!" said by Daz
"Damn Golems, where the hell do these things even come from?"
Daz landed an air magic on the golems using his sword, cutting them in half
"The Demons has been destroyed, Your Highness" said by Colt
"That took out almost all of our resources. Our mages is now exhausted, we also lost the other party at the Golem attack"
"Tsk" the Princess was angered and tears fell out. This moment is where almost all hope is lost
"another Golem is forming! Help!" said by the adventurer
"YOU F#*KING STONE MONSTER"
The angered Helfort rushed into the forming Golem and attacked it using his big greatsword, causing the Golem to roar.
He smashed it's hands but was thrown away with its remaining stone arms.
"Helfort!" yelled by the Princess
blood was coughed by Helfort when he received that heavy blow, shattering his sword
The Golem raised it's fists upward and was about to deliver a devastating blow on the Adventurers
but
A white colored bird came out from the sky, it fell down to the golem and exploded
Then a bigger version of the bird appeared and attacked the Golem using it's self destruct drones, killing the Golem.
It was the Drone that Jenkins was controlling
The bird, or named as MotherBird is a UAV. It has a Delta (triangle) wings design and the body is 10 meters in diameter.
Just below it's head is a crystal, blue in color and serves as the catalyst and camera. The wings has purple gems on it's center to make it fly using wind magic.
The MagicTech that was applied to this UAV is only Air Magic and Levitation Magic.
Air magic serves as thrusters and Levitation as stabilizers.
The UAV then looked at the amazed adventurers
"What is that?" asked by the Princess
The UAV hovered at eye level with the Princess.
"Who are you?"
The UAV backed off did a 300° turn and pointed at a direction.
"You want us to go there?"
The UAV hovered up and down to signature a Yes answer
"I see, thank you"
The UAV then went to it's pointed direction
"Follow that bird!" yelled by the Princess
The group roared and ran to that point of direction until...
They were greeted by a Titan Golem
Titan Golems; bigger and badder version of the Golems. It is usually hiding underground and is very solid and heavy.
"Ah"
" the bird tricked us" said by Colt
"No... it didn't..." said by the Princess
Lei, frustered, walked to the golem and unsheathed her sword
"LEI!"
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" yelled by the Captain of her party
Just as Lei was charging at the Titan Golem. A white Figure appeared out out of nowhere.
The figure was hooded, wore a trenchcoat and his eyes were missing. His lower face was covered by clothing and a gas mask hangs on his neck. He wielded two one sided swords with a different design.
He hacked through the Titan Golem's legs, immobilizing the Titan. He then disappeared and appeared at the top and sliced it's head into two. The Titan golem dissolved into more smaller golems .
He then performed a hand gesture, he held out his right hand and pointed his hand at the golem. 5 Magic Daggers thrusted the golem, vaporizing it. He then pointed his index finger and then one dagger from the five daggers flew to the directed position. He then moved his other fingers, and in succession, he killed the other 2 golems. A fist appeared from behind by the last Golem, he heard Lei's warning but he ignored.
After the Golem raised it's hand, Lei charged in but was pushed back by the person.
Multiple blue projectiles flew the Golems head, killing it.
It was shot from a 1000 meter distance. It was Ryuu's special gun prototype MGRII.
The white figure was Sen.
He was carrying Lei on his front, and said
"You can get off now"
"Eh?!"
Lei backed from Sen and was hugged by her party members
"What the hell were you doing?" asked by the boy
"You could've died there!" yelled by the leader
"I told you, i met death many times so don't worry" she chuckled
"There's no way you can cut that Golem using that sword" said by Sen
"Eh?" said by Lei in a soft voice
Sen rotates his head with his katana on his shoulders and asked.
"I assume you are the person in charge of this group?"
"Yes, i am the Princess of Zenaria, Zenesia von Zenaria"
"I see. Then?" he asked rudely, causing the Guards to be irritated
"We need h-"
"what? Where? Ohh? How many? 100 Werewolves?" he listened to his headset, again rudely interrupting the princess
"Huh?Are you even listening?"
"Sorry, the dro-.. the bird you saw earlier informed me that a hundred sized werewolves are heading towards this path. It must be likely attracted due to a large metal orichalcum presence. I'll take care of the demons, and you ditch that orichalcum. Got it?"
He followed with a glare
"If you want to live, do it"
"hundred sized? All by yourself? y-you're...crazy!" said by the princess
"Welcome to Eastoria, or shall i say, Arcaea" as he said those words, he looked back to the Adventurers with a gaze
"See that thing over there? Head there and my friends will escort you to our garrison." he pointed towards the drone
"You can give me your thanks later"
Heh, i think i used an arrogant approach, well in the first place i didn't know how to interact with people so i used this kind of approach anyway.
"Tsk" Daz uttured
"Adventurers, destroy your orichalcum items" said by Daz. They ran towards the pointed direction as Sen disappears from the fog.
Fog appears as a sign of huge mob of monsters is nearby.
"Where are we even running into?" asked by Helfort
"Just do what he said!" replied by Criz
"Then we'll meet another Golem-"
A Golem formed before the Adventurers eye's.
"Looks like you were right" Helfort draws his broken sword again as he talks
"Damn it, why the hell are we being told to go to a direction to and later then meets up a golem" asked furiously by Daz
"Calm down, I'm sure we'll meet someone right now" said by the Princess
The golem roared and a figure appeared at the Fog
"Hey walking stone! You suck!"
yelled by Haizer
"See?" said by the Princess
"I doubt he'll be any use at all" said by Criz
"I know you're probably thinking that I'm useless. Well yes it's true!"
"Damn it" said by Daz
"Except them" he pointed
Figures appeared at the Fog and raised an oddly shaped weapon
The other two and Haizer aimed their rifles and shot the golem in the legs, and then three people appeared with Hooks
A blue eyed girl jumped high using wind magic on the Golem's head and shot a harpoon piercing it's chest
A big man slides just below the waist of the golem and shot it to it's left leg. It was River
another one shot it to it's right leg. It was Nera
"Pin it down!" her voice was of a middle schooler
And then a swordsman came in
"I guess it's my cue"
it was Nero
"I shall slay this demo-"
Another one jumped over Nero and sliced the head of the Golem stealing his entrance cue
"Too Slow" said by Volf
"WHY'D YOU STEAL MY MOMENT" asked angrily by Nero
"To slow(2)" replied by Volf bluntly
"IT WAS ONE IN A LIFETIME MOMENT YOU DUMBASS"
"You can do that when you're bigger" said by Volf
The Adventurer group was confused and somewhat embarrassed
A beautiful, blue eyed girl walks to the Adventures and said
"Sorry about them, they're always like that" said by Ri
Colt was stuttering to talk with his sword shaking
"We are Adventurers from Zenaria! We would like to-" -Helfort
"We know, we know, but we can talk about that later. Our garrison is nearby, you can talk that to the Commander"
As Nero and Volf argued, the fog clears up
"Who is the Commander?" asked by Criz
"Oh? You still don't know?" said by Haizer
"I suppose we met him already then?" asked by Daz
"You forgot me already?" asked by Sen
"Commander!" shouted by Ri
Rin hugged Sen, rubbing her boobs on Sen
"Rin..."
"Oh! Sorry!"
"Someone there still need to thank me so i won't die that easily"
"Er.. uhm" Zenesia stuttered
"Man, that was disgusting" said by Haruki
Haruki was carrying his Scythe, covered with slime
"It's because you pulled off a wrong spell at the wrong time!" said angrily by Tamotsu
"Says the one who got swarmed by wolves" said by Haruki
Haruki looks at the Princess and said
"That's the princess?"
"She looks flat th-"
"Eh" the Princess blushed
"Move it" said by Yuki while using anti gravity magic to control Haruki
"Put me down Yuki!" said by Haruki
"Sorry about that Your Highness" said by Sen while scratching his head
"Ehh, thank you so much for saving us back there"
"You can do that when you reach the safe zone, Princess Zenesia"
"Oh"
While the group is walking back to the safezones, The Mist Detector, similar to that of a Geiger Meter or a Radioactivity meter starts ticking at an increasing pace.
"Guys, the mist detector is clocking fast" said by Jenkins
The Mist Detector works by utilizing powdered orichalcum. Since Orichalcum reacts to the Death Sand from the molecular level, it was utilized by Yuki to aid the Black Rangers in their OPs
"Shit. Give them the masks!" yelled by Sen
"What? Commander?" asked anxiously by Zenesia
"Everyone, wear these now!" yelled by Nera
"What's this thing for?" asked by Colt
"protective equipment for The Mist" replied by Haizer
"huh? the Mist?" asked by Colt
"Want to know why no one gets out alive in these dunes?"
His voice changes into a deeper tone
"Because of that!" explained by Nero
"Make sure the masks are sealed properly!" said by Nera as her voice change due to the mask
"Follow the drill, guys" said by Sen to his classmates
"No matter what happens, DO NOT LISTEN TO THE VOICES"
a gush of wind blows the team as they prepare for the impending attack
"Stay Quiet! If you see or hear someone that is supposed to be dead, ignore them!"
"Lay down on the sand, even if it hurts! The pain is temporary!"
"And never ever, make a sound, or you'll die! "
"I don't want to lose someone here, got it!?" said by Sen
"Aye!" said by the Black Rangers
"10 Seconds!" yelled by Jenkins
the group laid on the sand.
the sand stung, as they were being burned from the skin
"5"
"4"
"3"
Jenkins stopped counting and covered his ears and looked down on the ground
the rest followed out of fear.
the Adventurer group was confused and followed what was needed.
The perspective changes to Lei as she covers her ear shut.
I'm going to die here, am i?
This world is cruel. Well, i don't even have a purpose to this world. I'm a failure.
it's getting colder now, if i would close my eyes now..
Lei's mask was infiltrated by a small amount of mist, the mist gets inside her nose causing her to receive a flashback
"You don't have that sword skill?! You useless brat!" said by the man as he beats the boy
Lei was covering her ears, it was a flashback when she was still young. She laid on a carpet, she saw a boy getting beaten by a man with a stick, then a woman came and stopped the man.
"Stop it! They're our children, we must support them even if they're not ta-"
"Children? They? How can someone like these two be our children? They're not mine!" He said as he shoved away the woman.
The flashback continues farther
"Listen, Leiya, father keeps abusing us for his own purpose. We're big now! We can now start adventuring!"
The flashback gets further again
Lei is walking in a dark alley, there he was greeted by three men
"Oh hello little girl" suspiciously said by the man
A man punches pokes her shoulder from behind and punches her in the face. She was tied on her feet and hands and was shoved inside a sack.
"This girl gotta sell alot" he laughed
"Yo boss we can play with her cute body after we reach camp, can't we?" asked by the man
"unfortunately, you'll be enjoying your last moments in life here" said by a woman's voice
After that, a rain of arrows whistled, it sounded like they've hit the bandits. She was being carried by a man that moment, she fell as her carrier dropped dead.
the sack gets opened by a sword, the woman said
"Jeez Lei, you gotta be more careful from now on"
The woman had an armor on alongside with other men
The scene continued to fade as the flashback furthered
Lei was in a prone position, she looks into her front and sees the woman that saved her, laying dead on a stone pillar
"C-" she stopped
She remembers Sen's warning, and bits her lips.
"Stay Quiet! If you see or hear someone that is supposed to be dead, ignore them!"
"And never ever, make a sound, or you'll die! "
but she heard a cough, interrupting her flashback. Everyone looks to the source of the noise that disrupted the silence, thus shockingly discovered the source.
it was Lei's party leader
The White Demons rushed to the boy and dragged him from his feet, he says to Lei his final words
"Sorry, Leiya. "
Sen stood up and shocked the surroundings by butting the handles of his katana
the souls of the dead looked to him, and rushed
"Run for it!" yelled by Sen couragely
"Get up Lei!" said by the girl.
Lei ran together with her party members towards the open light in the mist. They ran towards the faint source of light, they ran and ran as they feel more shock waves come of from behind. Once they've reach the light, they trampled down. Lei thought that it was going to hurt but it didn't, she opens her eyes and see a fine yellow dust on her mask. It was pure sand. They catched their breath, they looked back and saw the mist stopping just by the edge of the corrupted sand.
"Get help over here!" the voice changes as she removes her mask. It was a voice of man.
Lei looked up and saw more men in black, they were wearing the same uniform with the soldiers they met. As for the conditions of her comrades, they were bleeding hard and passed out.
she heard voices of people
"Where's the Commander!?"
"He ordered protocol Black"
"Damn it!" said by the distant voices
Lei's eyes was getting blurry, she was being pained by the sand she laid into.
Her open skin was red, it was bleeding. Tears fell out of her eyes, as she held her pendant.
"Get a stretcher over here!" yelled by the medic
"Don't worry, you're safe now"
said assuredly by the medic
tears fell out of her eyes. As she was being carried by the stretcher, she saw her other comrades being treated by the soldiers in black. Some were in grey, some in white, some in black.
While she was laying at the stretcher, she felt like she was going up. She was then being carried to the garrison's ramp. She heard metal footsteps, footsteps of the soldiers.
They stopped, thus heard
"This one is losing too much blood! Medic!"
"Hey kid stay with us!"
"Level 2 Poison, give me an antidote" the medic hurriedly treated her poisoning caused by the corrupted sand
Her vision cleared up, it was Haizer who was treating her.
"Lei is it?"
"Your safe now Lei*
"Bandage!"
Lei's uncovered face was absorbed with toxic sand. She was bleeding on her legs, arms, and face.
Haizer sprinkled her wounds with an antidote to neutralize the corrupted sand. Grains of it fell out of her wounds, cleaning it
Lei was then bandaged on her face, arms and legs.
Then a door cranked open, it was the bunker's airlock opening.
She was then transferred inside the bunker. She was carried by Haizer on his arms. They were inside the airlock, cold and calming wind gushed on the airlock, clearing her out of toxins.
The airlock opened once again, she was brought to a big room where all other adventurers are being treated, they then continued on another hallway, she heard voices of cries in the rooms, there on the hallway she sees the Princess and her knights talking to River.
She was then brought to her private room.
The room's architecture was unique. The beds were inside the walls, completely meant for soldiers. The walls were white and horizontal lines was found on the walls. The lights was controlled by a panel near the sliding door controlled by another panel. There were no windows, they were underground. The ventilation was excellent, cold air came from an ice and wind crystal. It was adjusted magnificently.
"Here's your blanket if you feel too cold, if you want to access the panels, you slide it using your fingers, got it?"
she laid in silence on the soft bed and stared at Haizer
"i take that as a yes"
He takes a few steps on the door, she asks
"W-where is.. h-he?" she stuttered
Haizer stopped just by the door and replied
"He saved us" he said with a sad face
"He'll comeback soon, that's the blade oracle for you"
Lei slept due to her being tired.
She thought things and remembered his figure, a white knight with a sword.
"Blade Oracle? I guess the mission is a success"
[3:12 PM]
"I found a reading at Sen" said by Yuki.
They were in the lobby room where the team rested upon. In fact it wasn't a lobby a room.
"Where is he?" asked by Ryuu
"Interference is acting up again, what i am receiving is late feedbacks" replied by Yuki
"Can you show it?" asked by Haruki
"I wouldn't do that but" said by Yuki
The left monitors embedded on the walls came to life.
It stated
"Syncing..."
"Connected"
A video feedback popped up
It was Sen's hidden eye crystal on his right elbow
It showed him fighting the Ghosts. Multiple Ghosts were swarming on him, he fought back and video noise acted up, cutting the feed
The next sync feedback showed Sen, vomiting blood. A Ghost appeared and Sen killed it using his Daggers
"Stop it" said by Kei
The video feedback was stopped, ending the life on the screen.
"That was three hours ago" said by Yuki
the airlock door opened, a soldier said "The Mist has cleared, and we found the Commander!"
"Is he alright?" asked by Rio
"Well.... He looks like it"
On the surface of the garrison, the soldiers stood with awe as they saw Sen walked slowly out of the clearing mist
"Commander! You alright?" said by the on-guard soldier
"I'm fine"
The airlock door opened, a gush of wind flowed in, and then opened.
It was Sen, unhooded. His clothes were undamaged, and it looks like he wasn't even attacked at all.
"Where's the girl" asked by Sen
On the hallway corner, was Lei
The Commander looked down, unable to look Lei in the face.
"S-Sir?" she asks
He bowed down
"I'm sorry"
Drama filled the atmosphere as her party members stands on her back
"He was demonized by the Mist. I had no choice but to do what i can do"
" no.. that can't... be" she stuttered
"He gave me this note and pendant, he said open the note after you get stronger."
"I don't remember Rev having a pendant before" said by the boy
"Lei, aren't you wearing the same pendant with Rev?" said by the girl
"It can't be...."
She opened both pendant, and discovers a truth
Lei was shocked, she sat on her leg. Rev. Rev was her lost brother that ran away from their home.
Lei cried, she ran to her room, locking it. There she sobbed, reflecting on what she could've done while her brother was still alive.
Sen, on the other hand, went to his room, resting.
"Losing members because of the mist, that's his fear since that day" said by River
"The training accident?" asked by Yuki
"That'll be probably the third time he encounters The Mist, and second time fighting the Ghosts" said by Ri
"Fighting the Ghosts?" asked by Daz
"You mean the floating white people?"
"Yeah" replied by Ri
" being the strongest in the Demon Hunter Squad, he blames himself if one member dies on his watch" said by River
"Now since we have the Commander back, should we introduce ourselves?" asked by Kei
"Don't wanna hear it, don't want to do it. Because of them, they added another burden on Sen"
said by Yuki
"Don't be like that Yuki" said by Tamotsu
"As if" replied by Yuki
Colt was angered by Yuki's statement. He couldn't do anything as he was also saved by them.
"Rear Squad is coming over, if your presence here is an errand of someone, you go tell them that" said by Yuki
"They'll send you to our city on where you can stay for the time being" said by Haruki
"Thank you for your kind consideration" said by the Princess
"Just basic courtesy" replied by Haruki
On Sen's room, there he rested on his wall bed.
"Fallen Sword Technique huh?" he said to himself
"Please.... if you have time..."
"I ask you to take care of Leiya, her adventurer name is Lei."
"Fallen Sword Technique, it's an Ancient Style Art. It was wielded by a white haired Forerunner, and we are his descendants"
The boy kneels with his hands, his nerves was red and his eyes were red, he stripped himself of his armor as he vomits blood
"Tell me more" said by Sen
"The Silhoua Family is a descendant family of the legendary Forerunner Silhoua. Every white haired member has that ability while the others has... a three magic affinity for.. magic"
"I see. Well then, i take that as your final words?..." Sen unsheathes his katana and readied
"I can't let a demon turned human like you walking around."
Rev grows more demonized aura and rampages the sand, he took out a green pendant and note with it
"Give this to her and tell her to open the note once she's stronger... i.. beg.. you, Commander"
"Very well then.." Sen teleports and swings his sword, decapitating Rev ad he turns to dust
Hours passed, the Rear Squad arrived.
The decontamination room opened. There were five people wearing white clothing.
"Yo" said by Masao
"Oh I didn't expect to see Ms. Tsundere to come" said by Haruki sarcastically
"I didn't hate him" said by Asami
"Oh? Now seems you have a change of heart. How wonder you can still-"
"Haruki, stop it" said by Masao
While talking, Haruki stood up and walked to the group
"Ho ho, if only you assisters were there"
The door connecting to the hallway opened, it was Sen.
"Sen" said by Masao
"Let's discuss matter at the tent outside shall we?" said by Sen while nearing Masao
"Oh and also, Mitsou, do it"
"Aye"
Masao and Sen walked outside using the elevator near the decontamination room. They went outside as Mitsou looked to the adventurer group, and asked
"Now then, who ordered this expedition?"
---TO BE CONTINUED---