A month later, Kuroha and her squad were assigned a special mission by Medovukha.
"We're... guards for the party?"
"Yes, we suspect that there's going to be an attack on the party."
Every year, the SSB would hold a party, which was more like a meet and greet, to keep relations between outside benefactors and others stable.
"Suspect why?"
When Kuroha asked Medovukha flicked her head towards her assistant, signalling him to show them something.
He placed a letter on the table.
"That letter was sent by the White Ankh."
"The White Ankh..."
"Those bastards again?"
The White Ankh were a group comprised of rogue Streia. They were not regular thugs or delinquents. The rogue Streia were usually mercenaries with a unique sense of justice, removing whomever they believed to be plaguing the world with 'evil.'
"Did they say who they would be killing on their excursion?"
"No, and that's the problem. There'll be too many people at the party and we can't cancel it out of the blue."
Kuroha winced while mulling over the situation.
"We aren't the only ones working as guards, right?"
"No, as much as I would love for it only to be you, due to how much I trust you, there are other teams. Aiku and Nina's team."
"Aiku?! That cowardly snake and his team as guards?! And that selfish, conceited bitch, Nina?! I have to work with those tools?!"
Medovukha nodded, disappointed, knowing what Kuroha was talking about.
"I have no choice. No one else is free. Other squads are focused on protecting a certain area, so you three squads are just protecting any sector in general."
"Leader, does that mean we'll have to work with Yuji and Mina's group?"
"Seems like it."
Kuroha's peerage did not have a good experience with either squad. Those two squads were filled with people with and without pride. People who would turn on you in a second and people who overestimate their own abilities.
"I simply ask you to bear with it, Kuroha."
"I can't bear with shit. Not working with those assholes."
Nina Yutaka was a 3-year officer of the SSB. When Kuroha first joined, as a senior, Nina believed it was right to order her around because she was younger and less experienced than her. It was not until Kuroha trumped her in a battle for promotion. Kuroha got promoted to Jack of Spades.
There was a special promotional system that existed within the SSB. They relied on cards as a whole. The weakest rank was the Ace and it went up along with the numbers. These ranks would only apply to squad leaders.
The type of card showed how powerful the squad leader was in tiers. Diamond was the lowest, then Clubs, Spades and Hearts. Ace was the lowest and Joker was the highest in terms of power. No one had achieved the rank of Joker. It was the strongest rank to achieve.
"You'll just have to."
"You already said that."
She sighed.
"The party is in 5 days. Train your squad for then."
·———·
"The Ankh, seriously?"
The next day was a rest day for Kuroha. Early in the morning, she spent it with a colleague of hers, Yuuki Hasegawa, who joined at the same time as her. Just like her, he was a squad leader. His rank was the 10 of Spades, three ranks below Kuroha.
"Last time they acted up was on a mission I was on with Furuya. The result of our battle caused an unnatural earthquake."
Yuuki took a bite out of his burger.
"The one last year which was rising in Richter scale?"
The man nodded.
"That earthquake always did bug me. I never knew. So, it was a result of a battle between Streia."
She muttered to herself.
"Oh yeah, where are you going to be stationed for the party?"
Yuuki swallowed the final remnants of his burger and wiped his hands with a tissue to remove the sauce that stained them.
"I'm going to be in the VIP area. There are some big guests at the party this year. I wish I could enjoy it."
"At least you're in the VIP area with refreshments. I'm going to be roaming around the party with Nina and Aiku's squad."
Yuuki winced, understanding the source of Kuroha's irritation.
"You have it bad."
"Yeah... Do you know what VIPs you're protecting? I remember last time, we had a surprise guest."
"You mean the Purple Emperor? I remember you two talked quite a bit, almost as if you had met each other before."
Kuroha diverted her eyes, thinking of what to say.
"I didn't know her, per se. She knew someone that I held dear to me."
Yuuki furrowed his brow.
"You saying 'held' means that they're not around, right?"
She nodded.
There was a strange silence lingering in the air after Yuuki mentioned the Emperor. He scratched his head and started talking.
"I'm sorry for bringing something like that up. I didn't know that it would be so deep. I mean, not many people know Emperors personally. Not even the most important people in the world of Streia."
"My high school life was full of trouble, to say the least. The person I was talking about was in the centre of all of it."
It was then that Yuuki was able to connect all the missing links.
His eyes widened.
"When we first met and gave our introductions, you said you went to Altheria, right?"
Kuroha nodded.
"You were in the school for 2019, 2020 and 2021. The same years as the boy who survived against an Emperor. The one who died in..."
He stopped and looked over at her. Kuroha was listlessly staring at Yuuki.
It was not exactly a gaze of anger or annoyance, it was simply one without emotion. Kuroha had no idea how to react to Yuuki's words and assumption.
Feeling slightly uncomfortable and guilty, Yuuki looked away and apologised.
"Uh... I was wrong, I'm sorry for bringing it up."
"Oh, uhm, it's fine. You were wrong anyways."
Kuroha lied to the man to make him feel better.
"Was I?"
Yuuki felt slightly relieved. He believed her without question. Kuroha was not the type to pointlessly lie. Of course, this, to her, was not a pointless lie.
·———·
"You look handsome as always, Albatross."
"Your words won't work on me, Peitho."
In an underground base, a crowd of people in white coats and masks stood in an organised group, looking up at the stage. Behind the stage were a few people in white coats. Unlike the others with white masks, covering their face, these people had masks which covered only parts of their faces. They all wore a white ankh.
Peitho was a woman who had a petite figure. Her hair was wavy and long with the unnatural colour of pink. Her eyes curved seductively, glowing in a golden hue. She wore a white mask which covered her nose and mouth. Peitho rested against the man named Albatross.
Albatross was a fairly tall man. He stood an inch off of six foot. He had a smooth, yet handsome touch to his face. He wore a white mask which covered his eyes. His hair was jet-black. It appeared as though he could not crack a smile.
"Say, who do you want your target to be? Will it be that banshee-looking bitch or the badass princess?"
"To me, it doesn't matter. All I want is to remove those who are hurting the world."
Peitho pouted.
"I love you and all, but you're always so serious."
"It's because every single man who's believed in your words has dropped dead."
Another man spoke, smiling from behind the two of them.
"It's not my fault that all the ones who love me are our targets. None of them are as handsome as Albatross though~!"
She playfully drew circles on his chest with her finger. Peitho had a dangerously satisfied look on her face. She was drooling.
"What's so good about someone who's always uptight, I mean, you never smile Albatro—"
"Shut it, Lycan."
Peitho glared at the man, Lycan, who backed away.
Lycan was taller than Albatross. His hair was the same shade as his but messy and longer. He had a muscular build that could be seen through his cloak. Like Peitho, he wore a mask covering his mouth but it looked more like a muzzle. His eyes appeared closed.
"You should settle down, girl."
Two more people walked in. A man and a woman.
Peitho looked at the woman, who spoke and lowered at her.
"Look who it is, succubus."
"My name is Nixie, you board. You're more salacious than I am."
"Is that right?"
The two gritted their teeth at each other.
Nixie was a very well-endowed woman. Her hair was luscious and a light shade of blue. Due to how well-endowed she was, her cloak looked shorter than it was. Around the front, at least. Her eyes were complimentary to the colour of her hair. Her mask covered one-half of her face.
"P-please don't fight!"
The man shouted, timidly, cowering behind Nixie.
This man was just as short as Peitho, only slightly taller. His hair was spiky and a mix of yellow and black. His right eye was red while his other was covered by a white eyepatch. The man was shaking behind Nixie as everyone stared at him.
"Arista, you're better off not getting involved if you're not going to be resolute."
"S-s-sorry!"
"Speaking of getting involved, where's the newbie?"
Lycan asked.
"Don't know. I thought she'd be here."
Peitho answered, looking around, still leaning against Albatross.
"Seems like you all haven't noticed."
Albatross said.
"What?"
He stayed silent when Nixie asked.
"Stop acting edgy and answer!"
She demanded.
"She's been in the corner the entire time."
They all turned in the direction where Albatross was staring at.
Indeed, a woman was sitting on a crate in the corner, listening in on their conversation. Unlike the others, who had at least a part of their face showing, the woman's face was completely covered. Her hair was white, matching the colour of the cloak and her mask. She wore ruby ears and stayed silent and mysterious.
"If you're there, then say something, Dracula."
"I do not think that speaking is necessary when others are engaged in mundane activities."
She answered listlessly.
Albatross walked towards the entrance of the front of the stage.
"Nevertheless, now that all six of us are here. Let us start the assembly."
And so, the six walked to the stage, greeted by a crowd of believers, clapping at their entrance. Nixie was the one who spoke to the crowd with an insidious smile.
"Welcome, all."