A short while before the infiltration began, the squadron made up of students prepared for a fight.
The leader checked his assault rifle. He made sure the mechanism wouldn't jam in a critical moment.
"Jordan…" One of his teammates sighed, the girl with a inactive lightsaber on her waist spoke up.
Both of them had shed their normal Academy clothes and had suited up into bulletproof vests.
The long haired maiden seemed jittery. She was fiddling with her fingers, and trembling in the knee.
"Don't worry…" The rifleman tried to console his nervous teammate, but she wasn't the only one.
His squad mates didn't seem to look too good…
"I know we haven't done anything directly related to 'fighting' since we got together, but you all had shown great teamwork. We've trained our entire lives to get this far. We can't just stop here now."
"Is the information accurate?" A suspicious look appeared in the eyes of the young swordswoman.
Jordan flipped through the pages of his phone.
{'Mystic Tool and Weapon Shop'/ Danger Level: E.}
{Description: There has been sightings of suspicious indIviduals spying on the old man running the store. Personal levels of those caught on CCTV doesn't seem high, and the value of the weapons within the store are a valuable resource.
In conclusion: There is a high chance that a robbery will be done by E Ranks or below.
It's recommended to secure the hostage first. Top priority must be given to gain approval of citizens.
Only then would more credits be given.}
The last words made him remember why they were doing this in the first place. They needed the work.
There was a quota of credits that students needed to stay in 'the Anti-Martial Academy' every month.
Those who failed would be sent to… 'Training Hell'!
Where they would have to go through godforsaken training regime only freaks would find pleasant…
Anyone who went there once wouldn't be able to live without fearing the teacher named 'Irene'.
If they turned up with nothing tonight, then there was a chance they'd be given 'guidance' by her.
It was enough to make the swordswoman shiver…
"Haven't you heard that… the 'Support Squad' always gives accurate intel?" Jordan took a stance.
"You hesitated…" The girl pointed a finger.
"Jenny, we all know our roles. Even if we haven't faced the 'real deal' before… we can handle this."
"Are you telling me this, or yourself?" Jordan had no words to refute her claim. He was also nervous.
Criminals weren't easy to take down. Some of them had learnt strange techniques, and others were willing to do anything to escape. If any criminals managed to do that, then they might get expelled.
Failure wasn't a good thing to have on record…
It was time to make a decision.
"Devon, how's the situation looking?"
"Not good."
"How?"
"The cracks on the window are making it hard to see, but I think the store owner is already injured."
"Then what are we waiting for?!" He locked and loaded, getting his teammate's morale to heighten.
Jenny, the swordswoman, was the first to power her Macro using the 'Limiter Inverter' she owned.
It was a piece of technology as precious as her life.
No, perhaps it was better to say that Limiter Inverters WERE the lives of these five students.
Before they even came to the Academy, scientists had awakened their Qi Centres artificially before incubating them inside the Limiter. The confined energy on the tech in their hands were then moved.
It shifted from the body… to their 'Steel' of choice.
Once the Coloured Steel had their Life Force incorporated into it, the Inverter made would grow with time. It stabilised a 'Life Seal' that displayed their condition at the age of 5, developed an F Rank Qi Capacity at 10, and E Rank capacity at 15.
Their current stage was past 'Sprouting' and onto the level of 'Budding'. All students had this level.
With one rare exception they couldn't touch…
The point was that they were well-aware that they had to potential to 'mature' into D Rank soldiers at the age of 25. After reaching a standard, they'd be considered as full-fledged 'Superior Dragoons'.
It was a rank many before them only dreamed of.
However, reality had taught them that everything wasn't smooth sailing because of their talents.
Many students had died on the line of duty…
With that in mind, Jordan gave his scout the order to throw a 'Sticky Shocker' through the window.
The broken glass cracked open, and the sound of someone being electrocuted was their signal.
Regardless of the identity of who got electrified…
Then, the rest moved out to protect the store owner. Devon stayed back out of an unknown fear.
It was only after seeing the 'creature' inside did Jordan understand why his scout stayed back.
There was an unusual sight before them…
A long, thick tail of a rat; the ears of one too…
"If you stand down. I promise to take you in without injuries, you… umm… are a person, right?" He was taken back while aiming his firearm. The lackeys behind the man seemed outraged by his words.
"The heck?! He has a frickin' name, you know?!"
"You think he's not 'a person' now?!"
"Come here! I'll smack your ugly-ass face silly!"
"Stop!" The rat person stopped his underlings pointing their regular Red Steel Swords at them.
Other than him and the Fire Initiator, the rest of them had yet to gain any kind of special abilities.
From the former robber's perspective, fighting without any forethought would lead to defeat.
He glanced at the red hooded girl on the floor…
She was too nice for her own good. If he had even the slightest bad intention, he could just kill her.
With the 'Sticky Shocker' stuck on her shoulder, it wouldn't be weird if she was agonising in pain now.
Wasn't this a good opportunity to betray her?
But after remembering her eyes, he sighed.
"You three loose-lipped dolts, go drag this hostage to the back for me." He threw her over to them.
His words caused two faces to turn red:
"Devon!"
"Sorry! My bad! She was too close…!"
The kid flailed his arms while admitting his wrong.
It left the rifleman scratching his head in fury, but they still had a chance to save the last hostage.
They just had to beat the 'villains' before them.
As they watched the thugs, the rat person and the Fire Initiator looked back with the similar eyes.
The first to finish their analysis would attack first.
"Garnt, do you think you're girlfriend would mind if I asked you to try some seduction tactics here?"
"…She would. Ron, have you gone crazy?" The Fire Initiator didn't know why his boss would ask that.
The two of them got closer to have a brief chat:
"Hey, stop looking at me in that way. The guy with the rifle isn't the problem. That sword girl is."
"And in what way…?"
"I can sense 'Metal Qi' in that lightsaber."
"Really?!"
The two of them exchanged a concerned gaze.
Among the colours of 'Steel', Grey was known for being the most valued in close-combat scenarios.
If the four 'Natures' had their advantages and detriments, with 'Lightning' having anti-magic capabilities, and 'Light' being a good support for any role, then the four 'Laws' were a bit different.
Blood, Metal, Wood, and Death…
These four were rare amongst rare affinities that followed certain concepts rather than elements.
With the concept of 'Metal' being things that related to war, combat and 'Enchantments'.
The first among them would increase magic resistance, with offence having magic-piercing properties. Although everything had their own weakness, the former robbers were in a bad spot.
It wasn't exaggerated to say that the lightsaber she held could slice through anything she wished.
That blade was extremely scary…!
They finished their analysis, but couldn't find any way to beat the unity of the rifleman and sword girl.
Ron's eyes flashed for a moment, but he wasn't sure if the idea he thought up would actually work.
"You might as well stand down now. Fossils like that guy and an Anima like you can't beat us."
"Yeah!" Jenny backed her leader.
The two former robbers narrowed their eyes. They also came to the same conclusion those 'kids' did.
"Who are you calling an Anima?!"/"Fossil?!" The two masked thugs spoke up at the same time.
They were all at the same level in terms of Qi.
How could they be so sure they'd lose?
"Looks like I better take this seriously." The rat person spoke while unsheathing his own blade.
The moment he did so, the atmosphere quickly tensed. The Black Steel Traditional Sword was he held might've been an 'antique', but sometimes you didn't need a supercomputer to fight battles.
At the very least, he was sure his blade could cut the Macro on the rifleman's firearm to disable him.
If not, he was planning to slice off an arm instead…!
Feeling the malice from him, Garnt stepped forward to keep his boss under strict control:
"They're kids…"
"Yeah." He glanced at the unconscious girl with his lackeys and decided not to cause so much trouble.
He held back the instincts of his 'Beast Within'.
The thick tail behind him started to thrash around.
They both approached their opponents. The Red Steel Curved Blade was being used as a shield.
*Bang!*
With just a pull of a trigger, a dense energy bullet traversed the distance smacked the curved edge.
The moment it hit, a flower of ice bloomed from the spine of the blade. A cold chill ran through him.
Garnt felt his eyes widen at the gunner's sheer speed of conjugation, but he was able to hold it in.
He'd heard about this before.
This was… an 'Auto Skill'. It was essentially a Magic Art that had already been programmed into the firearm. He theorised that a Water Type Limiter Inverter used the gun's Macro to create a bullet.
And pulling the trigger only shot the projectile.
If so, he needed to muster up his Fire Qi. The ice instantly shattered with a small pulse from his 'Impact Red', and his body was covered by a layer of Qi Enhancement. A red glow covered his body.
This was the basics of being an 'Initiator'.
He slowly stepped forward while inching closer.
*Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!*…
The constant bursts of ear-ringing gunshots didn't deter Ron. He also inched closer to his opponent.
He looked at the girl's form and stance.
She seemed to know traditional western-styled swordsmanship like he did. It was a fair match.
At least, that's how it looked on the surface.
'She has trained well…' He was constantly shifting his stance while they were getting closer… closer…
Inching close enough for the first strike.
He also had to watch out to not hit his comrade in this enclosed space, or get his sword caught.
Thus, he eventually took the most 'direct' approach to beating her. His eyes looked at the display case at the counter. There was a Black Steel Walking Stick… At the very least, that's what it looked like.
Since it was made of Black Steel, he SHOULD be theoretically be able to use it the way he wanted.
A smile appeared on his dastardly expression…
"What are you happy about, you freak?!" There was disgust in the girl's eyes at his appearance.
Was he thinking of theft even in this situation?
As a fellow swordsman, she felt a bit humiliated.
"Excuse me. I was-" Midway through his words, he threw his black sword in the direction of her leader.
A long blade was 'shot' using his superior strength.
Her eyes dilated from such a cheap move!
The ground beneath her feet broke apart!!!
[Manual Skill- Steel Skin!]
Her foot created a crater in the ground from the sheer force of her step, which launched her directly into the blade. A clanging sound could be heard when she gripped the sword, shattering it.
The raw strength of her hand was probably above even the rat person- No, it was more than that!
Her entire body became layered in a magical steel alloy. It made her impervious to physical damage.
Even magical damage would barely scratch her.
But Ron had already expected this.
The guardian beside the shop owner held his stance. An opal glowing wall was in front of the counter protecting where Black Steel weapon was located, and that glass itself was reinforced.
There shouldn't have been a way for him to get past the wall. However, Ron only smirked at him.
"W-what?!"
The rat person in front of the barrier vanished for a moment, then reappeared in front of the guardian.
"Devon!" He roared, but it was too late.
Their enemy had already grabbed the walking stick from the counter and 'swatted' the speedy scout away. The direct impact on his stomach made him hunch over in pain, which the tall guy covered for.
"Thanks, Brook." The scout gasped for air after being pulled back, he tightened his fist with power.
Emerald glowing energy started to flow…
However, the rat person had already vanished once again through the shadow beneath his feet.
It wasn't a decision out of mercy or negligence…
Ron needed to back up Garnt before the two of them focused their efforts. The distraction he made by easily bypassing the barrier made by Brook, their shield user, had thrown them off.
Instead of focusing their attention, Jenny hurriedly ran towards them, but was unable to help due to the barrier's defence. Her face showed her fear that he'd hurt her teammates on the other side.
"You're soft…" He taunted the swordswoman.
His provocation instantly enraged her. With an impatient heart, she struck with confident eyes.
Her lightsaber could cut through anything!
The instant she struck, Ron also reached out his bare arm. The dark energy within him covered it.
In fact, he covered his entire body as well.
'Is this 'Body Black'?' Jenny interpreted his action as the basic technique of being a 'Dark Initiator'.
She knew about this 'crude technique'. This Magic Art only had the power to alter the body a bit.
It was good for physical brawls that needed great strength, but it was useless against her lightsaber.
The Metal Attribute was made for piercing magic!
However, the result was outside her expectations…
*Clang!*
The rat person before her grasped the lightsaber with his bare hands. Its intensity causing harm.
But it wasn't enough to cut him instantly!
That short moment her blade was caught was enough time for him to thrust the walking stick.
It's metallic body smacked into her ribs, and seemingly penetrated her unbreakable defence.
She was thrown back with a grunt…
Her feet hovered up into the air…
Ron didn't miss a beat. This was his time to change the tides using the new powers he had mastered.
Holding onto the blade, he reeled her in again. His hand ready to use the walking stick to bash her up.
Only… this wasn't just a one way battle.
And Garnt had failed to inch close enough to Jordan in this timeframe. A calm voice rang out:
"Switch."
Jenny reacted immediately to these words. Even in mid air… after getting the wind struck out of her.
The lightsaber was deactivated, and the leverage being used to reel her in also vanished entirely.
She brought her limbs together and used her increased weight to quickly land on the ground.
Then, an ice energy bullet struck the rat person.
Ron immediately realised that he had underestimated them because they were 'kids'.
In fact, his hairs stood on end because of this sudden 'switch'. The matchups became bad!
"What? You can't 'deflect' this?" Even though this was probably the first time their leader had seen this ability, he instantly figured out the weakness of it. The ice started confining all his movements!
Garnt also couldn't react fast enough when Jenny charged at him. With one slice of her grey coloured lightsaber, the Red Steel empowered by his Fire Qi was sliced in half. The edge fell with a clean cut…!
'Damn!' Experience allowed the Fire Initiator to change tactics. His leg was covered in Fire Qi.
With a blast of 'Impactful Red', he instantly entered the ineffective zone of her lightsaber's reach.
Since she was taught traditional swordsmanship, it wasn't hard to figure out this kind of weakness.
Within the fist reach of ultra close combat, she was unable to deal with him fast because of her sabre.
To swing a blade, she needed a certain reach…
However, every time she tried to swing, Garnt would disrupt her balance and land more blows.
It was an unsophisticated fighting style that was made up on the spot. He was drenched in sweat.
Casually brushing with death every time she tried to take a swing, and it wasn't good for his stamina!
'Ron…!' He looked at his partner, but that side also wasn't looking too good after revealing his abilities.
The benefits of being part Anima gave the rat man two abilities: 'Qi Deflection' and 'Shadow Access'.
The latter was what allowed him to temporarily jump into his shadow to bypass walls and barriers.
If he wanted to, he could even use it to escape.
However, Ron wasn't just going to run away and leave his men behind. It wasn't what he wanted.
'We are all leaving together!' He was getting agitated from being unable to help whatsoever.
The rifleman shouting at him probably couldn't defeat him. However, just stalling him was enough.
Once Garnt ran out of stamina, it would become two against one. A matchup that wasn't good.
He was started to consider using his last resort.
An ability that would cause him to go on a rampage and nearly die. It would give them time to escape.
He didn't want to use it here, but the imbalanced circumstances that were forcing his hand to act.
A 'boss' had to be decisive…!
But before he could do so, he heard his lackeys gasping in shock, which caused some curiosity.
The rifleman had stopped shooting at him, and it looked like even Jenny had stopped to turn around.
This scene caused him to turn his eyes…
There, standing between his lackeys, was a girl who shouldn't have been able to stand whatsoever.
It was a pitiful figure. The anti-magic electricity was still disrupting her Fire Qi as a similar 'Fire Initiator'.
However, she still stood on her feet regardless.
It was a breathtaking scene that struck his heart.
But to the team of students that arrived, this was an impossible stunt…! How could she do this?!!
And why…?
"U-umm… Miss? You can stay down. We're just dealing with robbers here. We'll take that Shocker off you the moment we're done." Jordan tried to persuade her, but she seemed adamant right now.
There was something she needed to tell them…
"They… are turning a new leaf…! I'll pay for the property damage and convince the shop owner with whatever… I have… to not press charges. I'm sorry… but please… let them leave quietly."
Her words caused the squadron of students to think twice. They weren't sure what she meant.
'Is she on their side?' It didn't look like it. The uniforms the thugs had on didn't match with hers.
Either she had a higher status than them, or she was in cahoots. His eyes looked at the rat person.
His expression was filled with mixed emotions…
So many… that it was curious why he'd feel such things from what was supposed to be a 'hostage'.
"…Are you on their side?" He narrowed his eyes.
Jordan's firearm almost pointed at her, but a growl from Ron quickly shifted his priorities once again.
He became even more certain…
The rat man once again thought of his last resort.
"Don't!" As if she knew what he was going to do, a loud shout could be heard from little red hood.
She staggered forward a step.
However, the Academy students saw her actions as a threat. To them, she was protecting the enemies.
*Growl!*
Ron was taking their attention. His manoeuvrability couldn't be taken lightly amongst everyone here.
If they moved an inch, he'd attack the shopkeeper.
That's what his body language was suggesting.
A deadlock was formed. Her presence in the minds of the students started to fade from existence.
She could be dealt with later anyway…
Anya was a Fire Initiator like Garnt, so it was safe to assume she wouldn't be able to fight until she'd taken off the Sticky Shocker. Which itself was an impossibility. It was made to 'shock' anyone who tried taking it off her without disarming the thing.
And doing so required either a Lightning Initiator (who was impervious to its anti-magic effects), or a great hacker. Either way, none of them had reason to worry about a red girl… who could barely stand.
The situation was turning in their favour again.
*Step*
Until… Jordan heard a footstep right beside him.
His eyes had dilated. He wasn't sure if he wasn't paying enough attention, but the red hooded girl.
…She somehow arrived right beside him.
Jenny felt a tingling down her spine. She wasn't sure how she didn't notice Anya walking near her!
The rifleman looked at the girl's face…
There seemed to be determination in her eyes. Her ghostly white hand touched his shoulder gently.
"I'm sorry about this."
"What-??? Argh!!!" Jordan loudly screamed when feeling the electrical energy suddenly tased him.
The gunner was instantly knocked unconscious.
It was a scene that caused the thugs to stare at her with their mouths open. They couldn't believe it.
What did they just witness?!
'Really bad at this… Should practice this more.' A thought went through Anya's mind at this scene.
"What did you do?!" Jenny released a battle cry and lunged at her before the others could react.
'Damn… Too late!' Most of Ron's body was encased in ice, and Garnt was already exhausted.
There was no way she'd leave unharmed!
Even if she did manage to muster up a little bit of Lightning Qi through touch, it wasn't enough now.
Jenny would definitely sever her arm if she tried!
However, there didn't seem to be any nervousness on Anya's face when she watched the girl lunge.
She merely opened her palm towards her…
…while her other arm reached for the Shocker.
*Bzzzt!*
The confusing scene of the red hooded girl electrocuting herself caused Jenny to hesitate.
She wasn't sure what Anya was thinking.
Only Ron, with his superior magic senses, was able to 'see' exactly what was happening within her.
The purple Lightning Qi that electrocuted her had went into her body, then was 'caged' into her.
As if affected by a new will, the electrical energy seemed to circle her arm with a sense of purpose.
It passed both her shoulders and reached her other elbow, slightly rotating like miniature whirlwind.
Then, it exited out of her other hand…
"Aaagh!!" Jenny was a strong sword user, but she wasn't at the level she could dodge lighting at close range. The instant the electricity was thrown out of Anya, the swordswoman was electrocuted.
She fell to her knees, being less injured than Jordan thanks to the distance between them.
The anti-magic properties penetrated her defence.
With just one look, Ron knew this was a chance she made for them to escape. So he took it gratefully.
The authorities started to arrive when she finally took off the Sticky Shocker. Her body felt numb.
Anya's consciousness started to fade after she too fell to her knees. A nostalgic feeling filled her…
'Sorry, I slacked in training…' She thought to her mentor, who would always be strict towards her.
What she used wasn't exactly a 'Magic Art', but the intricate 'Martial Art' taught to her by her mentor.
Her eyelids started to become heavier and heavier… She hoped that they'd be a bit lenient.
Anya was ready to be punished for her actions.
With the sirens and lights being the last thing she heard, her body fell to the ground after all that.
Her future being at the mercy of the authorities.