[main character: Shion]
ANGELO: Tch! I still don't understand why they sent an Entaku with us. This is not a high threat mission that we can't manage on our own. Specially if they send you...
JULY: Hey! Angelo, don't be so rude my friend. You know I am here just to check how Shion will perform today, don't stress yourself just for having me around.
I just finished training with my sister and I already got my first mission. Let's hope everything goes well.
JULY: I know that her sister can be bit rough, I'm sure she trained him to be very strong huh? Ha ha ha ha!
ANGELO: Why are you laughing like this? It's disgusting...
JULY: Oh yeah, you don't know her sister. Uhm... she is called YUI and even though she is beautiful, she is very strong... and scary... He he he.
- You know I am in this conversation, right?
JULY: Oh Shion! You're here!
He didn't even notice me!
...
JULY: Okay then everybody, Let's begin!
Our job today is to enter an experimentation laboratory situated on the outside the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. There is a young girl named Lilly with tremendous healing powers being kept there as a test subject. Maybe for obtaining her power or just testing its limits, we don't know. What we know is that her parents died in a fire due to strange circumstances. We suppose that the organization silenced them when they started asking for her return a few weeks later.
JULY: We don't have any further information on the laboratory's organization, so let's focus on getting the girl out of there for now.
ANGELO: I will definitely kill those fuckers!
JULY: No, no, no... we have explicit orders on not to kill anyone in there, just get the girl and leave.
ANGELO: What? After what they probably have done to her?!
JULY: Yes...
ANGELO: Tch! Damn...
JULY: Watch your mouth would ya? There are kids in this room.
Is he for real?
ANGELO: Hey Shion, if you don't want to intervene, I won't push you. Even though in this mission we cannot harm anyone, your first is always hard and stressing.
Suddenly he is a kind person!
JULY: NO! NO! The kid must go with you! It is on the orders as well. See? Here.
ANGELO: Oh, shit! You are right! Wait... really? Is he THAT strong?
JULY: Yep, her sister did a great job for five years. I mean, at the end of the day, their powers are very similar.
We went to get our equipment and then July picked up her phone, said some coordinates and a door that was in front of us started glowing.
JULY: Luckily for us there is a small house next to the main building. Come on! Let's go!
ANGELO: I could have done this myself, step aside!
I went after Angelo and then I realized. The air, the weather, the landscape... everything changed. Now we were in Argentina. After July closed the door, it glowed a second and final time.
The KISHI surely have amazing powers, will I rise to the challenge?
JULY: I love this weather... isn't it nice?
ANGELO: Let's get the girl, enough talk!
JULY: But try to enjoy the experience at least. I am doing it for the kid man... be a little more considerate.
ANGELO: If there are people suffering in this world we shouldn't be so light headed just as we were ignorant of the pain that this people [...]
July steps back a bit, reaches out and tells me while Angelo is giving a speech:
JULY: And here we go again... Don't worry Shion, just remember that Yui trusts you on this one, and since we don't need to do any harm, the burden will weight a bit less. So, don't worry.
ANGELO: [...] In conclusion, I won't rest until the evil of this world is eradicated and people with power can live with the powerless in harmony.
After Angelo finished his speech, July gave us the instructions. We had to enter the facility and gather information on the possible security measures they might have. Also, Yui explained me that Umbra is the one responsible of all the building intel and where the girl is, but Umbra can't see everything so is it better than we investigate for ourselves.
JULY: Angelo, you will be the one asking the questions today, as always. After that, Shion, you will head down the lower floors and rescue Lilly. Finally, the rest is up to you guys, up until that point there will be nothing stopping you, so you can leave however you like, but remember no casualties of any sort, okay?
ANGELO: Alright...
- Understood.
At least I don't have to carry around my sword around, it weights a lot, it's a pain. This mission might be easier than I thought.
Angelo went with me through the main door, he went to talk to a employee there while I was looking for the elevator to take us to the lower floors.
I've seen in the mission profile that his blessing is called "Helping Hand". I wonder what it is with that funny name.
Let's see...
Where the elevator might be? There's people running around that long hall, maybe is there. Uhm... yes! An elevator, but does it go down?
No! It requires a key to function. Where can I get ... ?
ANGELO: Here kid!
The key!
- How did you... ?
ANGELO: This guy is very helpful today.
From behind him appeared a man with a lab coat and an identification pass hanging from his neck. Angelo tells him to call the elevator and then he proceeds to do so with a smile on his face. We three entered the elevator. The lower floors required key access as well.
ANGELO: Would you please take us to the lowest floor?
SCIENTIST: Yes sir! It would be my pleasure.
What is going on in here?
ANGELO: This is my ability Shion, I can control people's will by touching them with my right hand, see?
- "Helping Hand"?
ANGELO: Don't call it that way! That July... he put it on your mission profile I bet. Well, anyways, here we are. It is the room 521. And don't worry, you can use your powers here, there is almost anybody in this floor, right?
SCIENTIST: Yes sir! Few people go around this sector, they never know what is going on and they don't care!
- Okay then, see you in a moment.
From here I can see the room 100 so I suppose at the end of the hall is the girl. Okay, here we go...
I don't really need to use my power right now but who cares, maybe I just want to impress my superiors a little bit.
For now, concentrate...
let my soul be my body and fire my strength.
Let's go!
(ZOOOM!)
ANGELO: He's fast.
200, 300, 400, 460, 500 and... 521. It's here.
What could be inside these rooms? There are small windows, but I can't see anything. I will use my flames to make some illumination.
And then I saw her. Attached to the wall. Multiple machinery was around her. It was clear that this room was bigger than the rest, and that this girl might just have spent two weeks in hell.
I need to open the door, but the alarm might trigger if I opened by force.
Wait...
" up until that point there will be nothing stopping you guys so you can leave however you like". That's right, I don't need to worry about this.
HYAH!!
I was right, after destroying the door, the alarms started sounding.
- Lilly! Can you hear me? My name is Shion and we came to save you form this place! Can you hear me Lilly!?
Well, she is not waking up. At least she is warm, so she is still alive.
Carrying her I realized her pulse. She definitively was alive. I runned back to the elevator as fast as I could.
She is so light... poor girl, she might be my age or a bit older.
Suddenly the alarm stopped. And at the end of the hallway I saw Angelo waving at me and with a smile on his face.
ANGELO: Hey kid, I see you got the girl, nice! Let's get moving.
- Um... why did-.
ANGELO: Why did the alarm stop? Well it seems that this guy is the highest authority in this building. Right?
SCIENTIST: Yes Sir! I am the one responsible of all the UMA related experiments for this country and I am now currently working here.
ANGELO: That's how I took care of the cameras for us, he just had to call security and let them take a break and so they did. Umbra will erase the tapes and further evidence later.
Wow.
- Why didn't we use his authority to open the door then?
ANGELO: I just wanted to test you and see how you would react. Anyways, we're leaving.
We reached the main floor and it seems everything was just as we arrived. Nobody noticed us at all.
It seemed that this science guy was really the boss, and everybody is minding their own business. Meanwhile, the girl doesn't seem to wake up.
ANGELO: Hey you, come here!
SCIENTIST: Yes Sir!
Angelo proceed to grab that man's face and started murmuring to him.
ANGELO: I know that you are the one that put this little girl into this fucking nightmare you son of a bitch. I can't kill you today but don't forget that I know who you are and where do you live. Before we leave, let me ask you one more thing bastard. Are there more kids like her in this cursed place?
SCIENTIST: No Sir! She IS the only one. She's so special Sir! She had an extreme... -.
(POOW!!!)
(HYAH!)
Before he could finish his sentence, Angelo punched that man so hard, he knocked him to the floor across the room. Everyone stopped to look at us, but no one helped him.
ANGELO: We are leaving Shion! Let's go!
- Understood.
After all, this man was hated even by his own employees. Human garbage. But what will stop him from doing this again? Maybe Angelo already has that covered. Maybe I am doubting the KISHI too much, or perhaps I'm just overthinking.
ANGELO: My power.
- Yes?
ANGELO: It can also give orders that stick with the person for years when I touch them in the face, but I can only give one. When you were looking for Lilly, I put an order on him on not to make anyone suffer ever again, something around those lines. Don't worry Shion, he won't do bad things for a while.
Is that the power of the KISHI? They think of everything and believe in themselves. He never doubted me or Umbra and knew what my thoughts were at all times.
This is a different type of strength that you can not get through training. I want to do more missions and become that strong.
While Angelo was putting a black glove on his hand Lilly started moving.
- Oh, Lilly. Lilly.
She opened her eyes!
LILLY: Dad... Mom... where... ?
- Can you stand up Lilly? How are you feeling?
LILLY: I am Hungry... It is finally... over?
- Yes Lilly, it is over. You are free now.
LILLY: I want to go home, with my mom and my dad. They might be worried that I... I was gone for so long...
- Lilly... I don't...
LILLY: Who are you guys...?
ANGELO: Lilly! Hear me out on this one. The house you long lived is now gone. This might be hard, but you also won't be able to see your parents ever again. You need to take a decision here young lady!
Why is he so direct? Does he not understand what this girl have been through? Wait she is standing up... is she crying?
- Lilly, I am sorry...
LILLY: There is no need for you to apologize, (sniff). I knew they had do something to keep away my parents for all this time, but... I didn't know they... I guess I was too optimistic...
ANGELO: There are THREE paths you can decide on you own girl! FIRST! you forget everything, go back to the city, and live in an orphanage. SECOND! Demand justice for what they have done to you and your parents to the authorities while you live, yet again, in an orphanage. And THIRD! Join us in our fight against our oppressors and justice around the world! You decide!
LILLY: Wait, you guys aren't from the police or something?
JULY: NO! NO! Lilly, we are from a way far more exciting organization!
When did he get here?
ANGELO: We are part of the Entaku no Kishi, a group of special people just like you, that try to protect each other from bastards such as the ones that locked you up all this time. What do you say?
I showed her some of the bright flames I can produce in an attempt of showing evidence.
- You can touch the flame, it won't burn you.
A bit skeptical at first, she caressed my flames, then she stopped crying, cleared her throat and stand up to Angelo with determination.
LILLY: I've made my decision!
ANGELO: And?
LILLY: I'M IN!