Decided before the voyage to their former land, the multiple members of Riot would be widespread into three squads, however, thanks to their surplus of one member making it an odd number, one of the squads would be assigned with one extra. And so, as designated by the Scarlet King and the Crow of Justice by his side, the squads were formed as the following:
Crimson Team: Ace, Katie, Hana, June.
Azure Team: Azazel, Darrell, Kim.
Black Team: Mei, Ed, Natalia.
"You might be wondering why I've assigned you these teams. Each has been given a specialized designation and purpose. Crimson will infiltrate the veil with Hana serving as the powerhouse of the group, to get a scale on what we're dealing with. Just a feel of the situation. Azure will survey the entirety of the Center. Kima can see through her beasts, Jefferson can copy the ability and do the same. Azazel has assassin training, he'd be in and out of there before any of them can even blink. Black, you're assault. You three hold the most destructive abilities, so you wreak havoc, no matter the cost."
It seemed everyone was on board with their assignments, throwing on outfits, tightening straps over their chests- their shoulders, but before they finally readied to venture out, as Azazel felt the Crow mask clamp onto his skin, unleashing steam from its inner mechanics, the King's voice rang out to them all.
"Another thing!" Everyone's heads turned to the center, Natalia popping her head inside from the exterior around the doorframe, Kima stroking her wolf's fur as it sat beside her... needless to say, what came next was the last thing anyone expected to hear. "Show no mercy to any that appear in your way. We have insider intel that the citizens might be outfitted with weapons to serve as more soldiers against us or that their bodies might be transfigured to turn into demons. This is a mission that requires zero hesitation... or, simply, in other words:
Make it a big show!"
On the day of the veil's appearance, the Crimson Team knew their role all too well, for it was taken into the hands of none other than the kin of the infamous Reaper. Gifted with eyes that could pierce through the golden castles of Heaven, that which could see through anything and everything, as they opened their eyes for those planetary patterns to manifest over their discolored orbs, a signature ping unleashed into the world.
For Eternal Sight could gaze through all, but as June and Ace sought out to accomplish their objectives, Kate and Hana stood put, the duo of student and master... both held differing expressions over their features. Arms over her chest, Blade's cover resting at her waist, Katie awaited near a vacant bike rack, eyelids hiding the tint of her regular blue pupils. That was, until the Master came, limbs behind her back, to stand right beside her, for she, too, did not reveal the vibrancy of her orbs.
A moment of silence shared between them, as loud as a lion's roar, the tension sliced by the mention of words entering the atmosphere,
"If something like what Ace said were to occur, there's no doubt you'd sacrifice yourself for the sake of destroying that enemy, without hesitation. You're the type of person to protect the people you care about and obliterate any who dares to threaten them. While to your friends and family, that might be an admirable feature of yourself, to others, like your enemies, you need to master the factor of... selfishness," Hana never batted an eye for the time she reserved to speak, instead, that decision rested on the shoulders of the scholar she so eagerly taught.
"With all due respect, Master Saiai, consideration for others is slammed into my bones, it's not something I can shake so easily. I'm not a selfish person, you, of all people, know that better than anyone," Katie admitted, revealing her right eye, glaring at her teacher to her side.
"If that's the truth you wish to reveal about yourself amid the coming battle, then, unfortunately for you, and even more unfortunate for your allies: you'll all die."
June hit the floor, Ace grabbed at her arm before her face could follow her body's movements, left hand rubbing at temples, a river of blood streaming out the left nostril. Groaning at the sting manifesting at his forehead's center, Katie aided before he could collapse, guiding him to a nearby metal bench so he could rest against the metallic cushion.
"Ace, ACE! Look over 'ere... are you okay?"
After snapping around his eyes to get his attention, Kima received an answer, that being an irritable groan, swatting his arms around the sound as if attempting to rid the air of a fly.
"A veil's been cast in a 600-meter radius around the center, and, at the center is a replica of the Sydney Opera House. From there, there are four pathways, one leading to the Aquarium district to the right, the other leading down to the Entertainment one, the Rest and Relaxation to the left, and the forest above. The Founder resides in that Opera House, I hold no reservations about that assumption. We get there, we find Alex... and we finally bring down the higher-ups of ANZEN, once and for all."
Everyone took Ace's information into their brains, for the burden now rested on the shoulders of the Azure Team to accomplish their survey. The sound of tiles being pressured again and again entered her ears as Kate watched her father leap from rooftop to rooftop, phasing through the top of the veil with a spread-out pose, extending arms, and legs to the air. The chilling winds brushing his white face, the endless night that served as the new sky... the breath flying back into his features, he could feel it, here and now. As if this place were another of his memories, revisited like the others ad infinitum, though the future held multiple frivolities even he couldn't predict, his heart continued to beat, like notes ready to be played.
A requiem's tune was signaled, for as he stared, deep into the distance, he could feel it within his soul. No matter what orchestration they had or whatever plan they formulated, the Founder knew their presence was here. But what more could he do? Infiltrate the Opera House, assassinate him then and there? Of course not, that was impossible. The only destiny he remained resigned to was the one by his daughter's side, that was the path he chose, without hesitation. But as he turned his head, returning to the mission at hand, he swore he could hear something echoing from the distance, the source that infamous House.
The keys on a piano played on a repetition, for that song was nothing unknown, infamously told to be Mozart's 'Requiem.' The sound wasn't unfamiliar to him, but as he descended into an alleyway, it grew more distant, sprinting through the buildings, sliding through the halls, crawling under beds. Maybe this Requiem played, not for the fallen that would soon come, but for his deceased alias, the other-self the Frontier came to know them as, surely enough, when he leaped out that window, he wasn't expecting their friendly faces.
Rizia Kosuke, in their Harbinger suit, right beside Heidi Snow, outfitted with ivory-white clothing to match the obvious motif. Revealing the Crow gauntlets that peeled over his wrists, reaching further to form claws at his fingers' tips, an exhalation withdrew out his lips.
"I didn't want it to have to come to this, especially not soon," Azazel whispered, leaving Heidi to angrily grit her teeth, short sword in hand, Rizia silently staring at their ally as her foot crashed into the tiled patterns.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN YOU DIDN'T WANT IT TO COME TO THIS?! YOU ABANDON US, THEN START WORKING FOR THE FUCKING ENEMY?! WHAT TYPE OF PIECE OF SHIT DOES SOMETHING SO DEPLORABLE?! I... I promised myself, that the next time we met if you weren't on our side, I'd splatter your brain matter all over my body. So, if you want to get past them and me, then- kill us both!"
To Be Continued.