A desolate landscape, a hopeless air of a desolate and destroyed horizon. The fine, rust-colored dust covers the rocks that remained on the plain, and in the background, a large building in a dirty white color. Such a construction is majestic, but not quite beautiful, it is more like a cluster of several different things than something uniform. In this construction, several military troops are allocated to what is observed, infantry, archers, and imposing armor, with huge swords and spears and a tone of death hovering around them as they walk. An uproar covers the corridors of this huge complex, drawing the attention of a young recruit with blue hair and eyes, his identification code is 0466, who is curious about so much movement in the place, something that is not at all common.
He was passing his platoon line, and to watch. In the distance he sees several of the huge armor escorting a peculiar figure, with them there are several troops of experienced soldiers, which makes 0466 even more curious.
Away from his platoon, a teammate approaches, his number is 0513, colleague of the young soldier, who comes to meet, 0466 and questions him:
-Are you okay? It looks like you saw a ghost.
0466, is startled, and replies surprised:
-Hey! Don't scare me like that! Well ... I was just watching all the movement in the complex today ... this is not very common, is it?
-You are right, it really is not common, apparently today the S-class troops brought a "cargo of self-worth" or something.
- Ores?
- No, I think it's something else, for them to be escorting it, it must be something dangerous, right?
0466, is instigated, but all this is short-lived, as his superior arrives to warn them to return to their positions in the queue:
-You two there! Back to your positions!
-Yes sir! Come on, 0466. Before the sermon gets worse.
Both return to their respective positions in the queue, which heads for a battery of exercises until they reach their final destination. Spending the whole afternoon in the sunshine that once illuminated the body and warmed the hearts of those who witnessed it, but which today is a weak light that barely penetrates a dense and cloudy atmosphere, saddening an already unpleasant landscape. Running and stretching along the route, until the so-called destination comes to light ... the IO ruins.
These young people are surprised by this revelation, as they had only seen these fields in their books and in their macabre horror stories, but apparently, all of this originated from there, a soulless field, with walls lined with resistant material, but that it had cracks, a wear on both battles and time.
They are immediately warned and guided by their instructor, who says:
-Very well! Welcome to the ancient ruins of the walls of IO! These will be your friends during the battles of your future! Respect them, and they will provide you with protection, otherwise the "figures" will not even leave their uniforms to tell the story! Marching!
One by one, young people enter the trenches, mapping and locating each strategic point essential for the success of their future battles, taking and distributing resources, like ants in a colony, in a way organized, but without fail to show despair of each of them. The afternoon finally comes to an end, and the reddish tone of the sunset leaves the celestial veil until it reaches a miserable part of the distant horizon. This situation ends the training day, and the troops are guided back to the complex to return to their quarters.
When they return, everyone is exhausted, and will soon rest, all but 0466, who has been instigated since the beginning with what he saw, with a puzzled and confused look, which makes his eyes not close and sleep not pouring out. in his tired head, spending the night awake without prose, wondering all the time:
-What would that be after all ...? All that uproar ...
Another day arrives, and the faint rays of the sun meet the eyes of 0466, who gets up slowly, stretching and yawning, preparing for another busy day. Gradually, his colleagues join him to head to the canteen of his block in the complex. In the dining area, 0466 has a distant and exhausted look, this catches the attention of his colleague, 0513, who asks him:
-Are you really okay? It looks like you're more exhausted than everyone here.
With a somewhat slow reaction, but at the same time by surprise, 0466 replies:
-Ah ... sorry, I didn't get to sleep today.
-Why? Something happened?
-That thing from yesterday ... left me feeling ... after all, what was that all about?
-Are you really worried about that? You know that we, the E-classes, should not meddle in matters of the supervisors, better let it go.
Young 0466 questions his colleague:
-You don't mind the fact that you don't know what's going on around you? I don't like to just quietly accept everything they tell me ...
-I know not, you have been like this since you arrived, but really, it is better to forget that and worry about something more important.
-What kind?
-Like our graduation, tomorrow is the long-awaited day for us to become class D soldiers and we will finally stop being recruits man, cheer up!
-Are you really excited just to become a "pawn"?
-Speaking like that you make it look small! There is no way not to cheer up, we will choose our functions to fight the "figures", protecting everyone seems very heroic to me, not to mention the party after that right. In fact, I have no idea where they got this nickname "pawn", this is mean.
The young 0466, smiles at his chatty colleague, and continues to eat, but his curiosity still does not leave him alone. Another day of training in IO passes, and for another night, 0466 does not rest, in your mind thousands of thoughts appear and disappear simultaneously, leaving you even more exhausted, until one of these thoughts catches your attention, the same scene that he saw two days ago, the high-ranking troops escorting that figure ... Yes, that curious figure that had instigated this young man to the point of taking his sleep, and spontaneously, 0466 comes out of his bed in the bunk and pulls a paper and a pen, reproducing on it the image he had seen previously, and to his surprise, a beautiful figure appears. A young woman, with whitish hair, and heterochromatic eyes, calling 0466's attention even more, making him question himself:
-Who ... who is this?
This very different figure brings more doubts to the mind of 0466 than answers, answers that he is still looking for, and that now, even more, he aims to achieve soon. With the noise, his colleague, 0513, awakens from his sleep, and while rubbing his eyes he asks what 0466 is doing, which he briefly replies:
-Ah! You like scaring me, don't you ?! I'm just sleepless ... that's it.
Confused with so much excitement, 0513, with a disinterested look, he returns his head to his pillow, only asking 0466 for more silence, who in turn decides to fold his illustration and keep it under his pillow, not sure why he is doing this.
The 0466 young man shares some of his colleague's excitement, smiles and accompanies him to his class meeting. Class that will finally graduate in the military course of the complex, leaving all young people increasingly anxious.
After the ceremony, young people are directed to the final stretch of their formation, the selection of their functions at the Block B class booth, a block that none of them had previously visited, leaving them fascinated when they got there. A large place, with white walls reflecting the light that comes from the top of the place, illuminating it extremely efficiently.
Young people are faced with various training booths and equipment spread across various wings of the site, and in the background, a huge panel showing various information such as names and descriptions. An instructor organizes the youth and says:
-First, I would like to congratulate you for having arrived here successfully. Starting today, you will be an essential part of the advancement of our community as a whole! You are here to receive your duties according to your training performance, therefore, I ask that you please queue up and come to the counter when you hear your identification code called, respectively.
Being from one of the last rows, 0466 and 0513 are talking about the training:
-What do you think will catch, 0466?
-I think they will put me as Ballista ... after all, I only did well in training with sword.
-I think you are right, you were the best of the class in Ballista training, it seems the right one for you.
-How about you, 0513?
-Ah, I was not above average in anything, I will be content where they put me, after all, no matter what I do, I can be a hero on the field anyway (laughs)
- (laughs) I think you're right.
With this, the young people are called one by one to receive their respective functions, and finally, 0466, receives his classification, said by the instructor:
-0466, classified as Ballista, proceed to the corresponding stand to purchase your respective equipment.
As expected, the young man was selected as Ballista, an infantry function in close range combat, using swords and melee weapons in general, opening the space for other classes to advance through the battlefields.
Approaching his respective stand, 0466 is instructed to pick up his equipment, being able to choose between several blades and daggers, but his focus is on a specific blade. A blade whose appearance resembles the pure cold of winter, a clear blade in an aged and worn turquoise tone, which soon makes it the weapon of choice for Youth 0466, who even wants to name it, but not yet knows a proper name.
After that, the weeks and training followed one another, until the day when they would receive their first official field mission was revealed. This mission was given by the Supervisors, high-level leaders responsible for all the military training of the complex. A truly mysterious group in the eyes of all those young "pawn" soldiers, who imagine and await, day after day, an official statement about their first mission.
The days go by and 0466 has not yet abandoned the curiosity that was plaguing him, so much so that he has not yet discarded his illustration, which he still does not understand why he keeps keeping it, which makes him think to himself:
-Why ... am I waiting for something? After all, why don't I get rid of it at once? In fact ... who is this girl? It remains in my head for some reason ... there is something wrong with that ... Ah! Why am I thinking so much !? She is just a stranger, probably an invader, since she was being taken so carefully by the knights. 0513 warned me not to try to deal with Supervisors' affairs, so I better stop soon!
And with that thought, 0466, he spends the rest of the day until his rest time at dusk, digesting this question constantly.
Three days later, your platoon receives its first initiation mission to catch up on its training. Its mission would be to reconnoitre an area south of IO, an area where there are not many trenches, but areas of excavation and extraction of active ores, in order to analyze the perimeter in order to increase protection in case of future attacks , which excites his colleague from 0466, who comes to him and says:
-Dude! We're finally going to have a real mission, isn't it incredible?
-You look very happy about it, 0513.
-But of course! We've been waiting for this for weeks!
-I think you are more anxious than all of us here.
The mission would be on the following Tuesday, counting two days to prepare, but what would come on the long-awaited day, that would really make things different.
On Sunday night, after finally having the date of the long-awaited mission revealed, 0466 lies down to reflect for a while, until he can rest for the rest of the night, but something does not seem to want to let him rest. Surrounded by different thoughts, one in particular surprises him. A voice, distant and weak, in a soft and calm tone, calling to a name:
-Hideki ... Hideki.
0466, frightened, gets up and goes to check the surroundings of his accommodation, not really knowing if that was something external or his own imagination. When looking at the corridors on the outside of his room, nothing but a dark and cold void shows itself in the young man's eyes, raising even more doubts, which makes him think:
-Who is Hideki? ...
And to the surprise of 0466, something answers him immediately:
-Is it you, Hideki ?.
-Who said that?! Show up!
-Why are you so scared?
-I already told you to show up at once! Damn it! I will start the protocol against invasions.
-Why would you do that to me? I thought you wanted to see me, Hideki.
-W.... what?
-I thought you wanted to see me ... after all, you seemed to be looking for me in the last few weeks.
-Wait ... so ... Is it you? The girl they were taking?
-I am myself ... why the surprise?
-But ... you ... how are you talking to me? They took you to the prison wards, didn't they ...?
-Yes they did ... actually ... I'm still here right now. But I can still talk to my likeness
-S ... similar? What do you mean by that?
-You and I, our friends too, are all connected, Hideki.
-What are you talking about? I have never seen you since my creation, nor you, nor your such friends! And after all, who is this Hideki that you talk about so much?
The voice starts to give a sweet laugh, and says:
-You don't know your own name? You were always really cute (laughs).
-Hey! Don't talk nonsense!
-But it's true ... anyway, your name is Hideki, since apparently, they didn't told you.
-Hideki ... how do you think I'm going to believe something so sudden?
-To be so curious, apparently part of you believes in such a possibility, no?
The young man is silent for a few moments, wondering if that could really be true, and asks:
-So ... I don't need to use my identification number anymore?
-Your colleagues will call you by him, but your name is Hideki.
-Hideki, right ... I think it's better than a number ... wait, what am I saying ?! You shouldn't listen to an invader!
-I'm not an invader, Hideki. They are.
-They...?
-The ones you believe are your peers.
Now with a proper name, our young man is more confused, but at the same time, he is happy to have something unique, and says:
-This is the last time we speak ...?
The sweet voice approaches Hideki, not only in a higher tone in his ears, but also, in his heart, telling him:
-It was not the first, nor will it be the last ... when the day comes, you will see me again.
-What? What you mean?
-You'll see, Hideki ...
The voice moves away, to the point that it is no longer possible to hear it, and our young man, Hideki, even though intrigued and surprised, smiles, and says to himself:
-A name ... they never gave me a name ... after all, what is this girl? ...
Monday morning finally arrives, and now our Young Man, Hideki, is getting ready for his chores in the barracks, and for the last day of his training before his initiation mission. His colleague, 0513, comes to him and asks him:
-Hey 0466! Did you get to sleep today man?
Even though it was not so long ago, young Hideki seems to have gotten used to the name he was given the night before, making him not notice his colleague calling him:
-Hey, I'm talking to you man.
Hideki, surprised again, replies:
-Ah! Do you want to stop scaring me every time?
-It's not my fault if you're slower than a turtle, how come you didn't hear me call you just now?
-I didn't hear you say mine ...
Hideki, for a moment, with a more confused expression than usual, which instigates his colleague to ask him:
-Your what?
-N... never mind
-You're getting weirder, you know? Anyway, we better hurry up, the training is about to start.
-Y ... yes.
Both meet with their squad and leave for the last battery of exercises before their mission, with much anxiety and excitement ... these children still do not know what to expect.
Training finally begins, and young people are increasingly resistant to both exercise and the hostile environment, but throughout the battery of exercises, Hideki felt extremely exhausted and sore, soon relating this feeling to the fact that he was not having a good night's sleep for weeks. During one of the running exercises, Hideki feels his vision blurred and gradually darkening, and soon, his right eye, mysteriously begins to bother him deeply, to the point of making him fall to the ground during training, and his agony draws the attention of his colleagues and instructors, taking him quickly to the ward wing of the compound.
Hideki, wakes up in the infirmary of block C, not really understanding what had happened previously, just remembering a severe pain on the side of his face and head, calling one of the nurses and saying:
-Excuse me ... what happened to me?
The nurse, surprised that Hideki is awake, replies:
-Ah, you woke up. You fell during the exercise battery, 0466. Probably from exhaustion and mild sunstroke.
-I ... I see ...
-You haven't slept well, have you?
-Y ... yes.
-Well, you are a soldier now, you cannot afford not to sleep, you can harm your performance and that of your other colleagues in the field.
-I know that ... but ... strange things are happening that are bothering me recently ...
-How so "strange"? Can you be more specific, 0466?
-I ... I'm not sure how to explain ... maybe I'm just really exhausted.
-Most likely.
-Ah ... can I ask a question?
-Sure. What is your doubt?
-Why ... We don't have names? Why just numbers?
With an expression of surprise and a somewhat frightened look, the nurse replies:
-That's a question I don't know how to answer ...
-But ... you don't seem to know less than I do.
-I know as much as you do. Now, I want you to wait here while your report is reviewed to see if we can discharge you before your mission.
-But...
-You must rest! I'll be back in a few hours. Take a rest.
The nurse goes through the door that automatically closes, leaving Hideki thinking about what had just happened. The nurse seemed uncomfortable with Hideki's question, which makes him even more instigated. Doing what he thinks:
-What was that ... is it ... I don't really have a name? But ... that girl from before said my name is Hideki ... something is wrong ...
After two hours of waiting, when nightfall fell on the compound, the nurse returns to inform Hideki about her situation:
-Well, Recruit 0466, here are his reports. It says here that you only had a mild arrhythmia due to your exhaustion, but it will not cause any damage in the long run. You just need to rest, and when I say that, I mean an uninterrupted night in sleep. Do this and drink plenty of water and you will feel much better.
Hideki, observes the simple smile on the nurse's face, which before seemed extremely uncomfortable, puzzled. But he only responds by nodding his head.
Back at the lodge, his colleague, 0513, comes running towards him saying:
-Are you okay ?! What happened?! Are you sick ?! Gonna die?!
Hideki, smiles slightly, and replies:
-Hey, calm down, I'll be fine, I was just very exhausted ...
-Dude, you need to be more careful, I thought you were injured or something. I was worried.
-Thank you for your concern, 0513. But don't worry, just get some sleep and everything will be resolved.
-I know ... well, then try to rest soon, tomorrow we will have a full day.
-That's right. Well good night.
-By the way
-What?
-Who were you talking to the other day in the middle of the night?
Hideki, truly surprised that his colleague noticed, tries to refrain from giving details, lying to his colleague:
-Ah, that! I think I was so exhausted that I started to hear things ...
-Wow, you really need a good night's sleep. Anyway, see if you don't do it again. Good night, 0466.
-Good night.
Even though puzzled, Hideki manages to sleep, reserving his energies for the important day to come. With several confused thoughts and dreams running through his mind, his night is extremely hectic, so that he almost wakes up several times during the night, but his tiredness is even greater, to the point of finally being able to sleep through the night.
The weak light of the Sun finally comes to rest on the walls and corridors of the huge complex, and the young people are preparing for their long-awaited "rite of passage", the mission that is long awaited by everyone. Hideki, and his colleague, 0513, join in their queue while they wait for their superior to summon them to attend a supervisor's speech, something of extreme prestige for everyone in the complex.
The time finally arrives, and all the young people are directed to the auditorium, where they will wait for the speech. Hideki and his colleague are extremely anxious, perhaps not for the same reasons, but sharing the same feeling of excitement.
The Supervisor finally arrives at the stage stand, and begins his speech to all those children full of dreams and hopes of being the future heroes of their people:
-My children! Today, it will be the day when you can finally become the representatives of the honor and dexterity of our homeland! Their fruits will be conquered in your battles, the future of our families and friends! So, get up and march to the glory that awaits you from the gates of this majestic complex! The security and progress of the nation is in good hands! Your hands! So go! And bring the fruits that will build our future!
A speech that earns a standing ovation from all those young people, but Hideki was not as inspired as his other colleagues for some reason that he did not understand.
The complex's gates are opened. Tall whitish metal and wood gates, looking like world-dividing doors, a glow emanates from its cracks as it is slowly opened, a brighter glow than expected from such a weak sun. The troops advance through the gates in droves, like knights in search of conquest and glory, wielding their weapons, faithful companions until the day of their defeat. Being guided on the march by their superiors, they now see themselves as true adults, important and respectable, in search of advancement.
Anyway, the destination of the trip arrives, and everyone is preparing to defend their positions for the reconnaissance of the area, made by the Ballista squad. Hideki, sharpening his blade, is summoned with the rest of his class, to finally make the reconnaissance of the excavation area.
The mapping of the area proceeds smoothly for a long time, until Hideki begins to feel uncomfortable ... as if something is going to happen, but he decides to ignore that feeling. After regrouping, young people are instructed to take turns on watch, until something appears on the horizon.
Suddenly, it begins to rain in that inhospitable desert, which leaves almost all young people astonished by this phenomenon, after all, this has not happened for years.
Thunder intensifies, and after several minutes, the rain increases, further damaging the visibility of the horizon from which enemy troops could approach. Hideki, wields his sword hilt firmly in its scabbard, preparing for whatever comes, until something happens. A wave of heads at the bottom slowly approaching, their dark color and gloomy air, spreads through the fog caused by the rain that intimidates the young soldiers ... yes ... there is no doubt. They are the "figures".
Young people prepare and the battle finally begins. Hideki's troops, advance with flank maneuvers, until finally they are with enemy troops, where Hideki, finally sees what it really is about. Thin and tall beings, with a dead and soulless aspect, which paralyzes him for a few moments. Without prose, he and his platoon begin the battle against the "figures".
Hideki, takes his sword out of its sheath and fiercely strikes one of the figures, dividing it in two, and sheathing his sword with a dark blood that quickly becomes dry, even with the heavy rain on their heads and weapons. The battle is arduous, with troops in full swing, requesting support every second. In the distance, is 0513, battling several "figures", who end up cornering him in a small space in a remote trench, far from his platoon. Hideki goes to his colleague to give him support as fast as he can, clearing the perimeter around his companion from enemy forces.
-Thanks man! That was close.
It says 0513, in a tone of exhaustion. Hideki, briefly replies:
-We don't have time to rest, we have to get to the excavations before them. Let's go!
-Yes! Let's go!
Both are quickly approaching their platoons to regroup, but something prevents them from running.
They both stop and look at the gray, cloudy skies above them, and notice something scary. A black rain is approaching them with extreme speed, completely covering his view of the clouds themselves above the entire region in which they were, and the last thing Hideki hears before the impact is shouting for them to retreat or protect themselves. With no escape options, Hideki puts his hands in front of his face, bends down, and then closes his eyes, waiting for the end.
A huge crash covers the region in a black explosion ... hitting everyone in the area.
Hideki, frightened and confused, opens his eyes, and with what he faces he scares him even more. A wall of pure ice, emerging from the ground and completely enveloping his body, and soon after, the pain in his eye returns with extreme intensity, but with much effort, Hideki gets up and slowly walks in search of his colleague.
The rain increases even more, decreasing Hideki's visibility, making it difficult to prevent possible attacks or to find his companions injured. His hands are shaking and he feels his face burning, until he kneels on the floor, under a puddle of water, in which he watches his reflection. Your right eye is completely colorless, and with a cut mark across this side of your face.
When Hideki looks forward, he sees a misteryous figure, with a dark semblant, almost like another Monsters. The misteryous figure says at distance:
-What's it? It looks scared. Did you hurt yourself? No, your ice protected you, didn't it? It must be just your eye.
The figure starts tô walk in Hideki's direction, and that makes he nervous. Suddenly, The misteryous man apears bahind Hideki in a blink of eye, making Hideki's fall of on the ground again.
Hideki, joining his forces, answers the mysterious figure:
-W... who are you? Why haven't you ... killed me yet? ...
-Why would I kill you? I came to get you.
-W ... what?
-I came to get you out of here, it's too dangerous for you to continue in this whole environment.
-D ... dangerous?
-Quite. you need to recover, we still have a lot to do.
-Where do you want to go? ...
-She already talked to you, didn't she?
Hideki is startled by the phrase of the hooded figure, and says:
-H... how do you ... know that? Who are you?
-Ah yes!
The figure then removes its hood, thus revealing its identity. A man with red hair, lightning-shaped marks below his eyes, which are of a different color from one another, one yellow and the other bright red. The man then says:
-Let me introduce myself ... my name is Arashi Masaki, it's a pleasure, Hideki.
Hideki doesn't know how to react, he gets up slowly, pressing his face to contain the pain and says:
-They are all...
-What? Dead? No, at least most. Maybe a little hurt, but not fatal, those things are not that strong.
-I see ... and what do you want with me?
-I already said, I came to get you out of here. Let's go!
-But ... where?
- Home, a safe place.
-I'm not going with you until you tell me what exactly is going on!
-I see ... you're the difficult type, aren't you? The thing is, in a few minutes, your little friends from the complex will come here to collect this dirt, and go for me, it just tends to get worse.
-W ... what?
-Those figures had been observed for a long time, they knew they would be here, so that such "Supervisors" could test their abilities.
-C ... capabilities?
-Misori finally found you, now we can strengthen ourselves.
-Who?...
-The girl who spoke to you.
-After all ... who are you?
- Do you really want to know? Come with me, and we'll explain everything to you, otherwise they'll keep you stuck inside until you die eventually.
- (sigh) right ... come on. In the situation I'm in ... I don't think I have many options ...
-That's what I'm talking about! Hold yourself!
-What?
Arashi then grabs Hideki's arm, and with thunderous sound and a yellowish incandescent glow, he is carried at extremely high speed, almost like lightning. And from now on, Hideki's life, now without numbers and full of questions, would change completely ... this child's story is just beginning.
- (laughs) ... Just the beginning ...