"These breaks…" The doctor had not seen a break this horrifying in his entire medical career, and he'd been in the field for over 50 years. The bone shards were slanted at awkward angles and jutted out of the leg like sharp spikes, and the inside of the leg was a tornado of bone shards and marrow. It could hardly even be called a leg anymore.
The doctor entered the Glade's room to deliver the news.
"Well, it will probably take a day or so to heal, so no worries!"
After humanity underwent evolution and their technology improved, it was even possible to bring someone back from death! (Though people didn't do it because it was considered immoral.)
Injuries like bone breaks and fractures were completely negligible! Still, being out of commison for an entire day didn't really suit Glade. Being injured or sick made him feel helpless.
Glade couldn't even wiggle his toes inside of the metal cast on his leg. "Is there any way I can speed the healing up?"
"Nope!"
"...So can I go, then?"
"Yep!" The old doctor gave him a nice smile and sent him on his way.
Glade awkwardly shuffled down the stairs. "This is such a hassle." The cast made everything much more difficult.
"Want some help?" Adalaene appeared and took his arm so she could support him. She gave him a quick peck.
"Thanks. You taste like pancake syrup." Glade licked his lips and swallowed to wash away the sweet taste.
Ada looked a bit embarrassed. "I needed the stress relief..."
Glade really loved moments like this. The moments where he and Ada could support each other without anyone judging them for it. "We really need to win that tournament and get approval from director Yeklov." Ada sent him a determined look. "We're going to win. I'm not settling for top three. I want to see the look on everybody's face when we beat everyone else by a landslide."
Glade breathed in the brisk sea air as they exited the hospital. "Any idea when they will let us pilot?" Ada took out her student notebook and did a quick search. "The next joint class is synchronization training in dummy cockpits so... pretty soon. By the way... Aren't you curious about what happened to Golden?"
Glade looked at the orange sky and horizon as the wind swept past his face. "Nah." Why would he care about Golden? There was a beautiful horizon in front of him and an even more beautiful partner next to him. Golden wasn't even worth thinking about, right now.
Glade watched Ada as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Her silky hair was swept backwards by the wind, revealing her truly angelic face. She had a slight flush on her cheeks from the brisk sea air. Glade kissed her knuckles. Ada blushed. "Ah... What are you doing? Stop looking at me like that. Is there something on my face?" Ada gave sent him a flustered look as she tried to look anywhere but his eyes.
"The only thing I can see on your face is beauty." To Glade Ada was the definition of beauty. Glade had never looked at anyone in his life like he looked at Ada. Adalaene became even more flustered. "W-what are you saying, all of a sudden? You almost never say stuff like that! If you're teasing me I-"
Glade interrupted her pointless talking with a kiss. He pulled away after a moment. "The way you were prepared to kneel for me today... I know first hand how much pride you have. But never do that again. Not for anyone. Not even for me." Ada pulled away from Glade and took a few steps back so she was framed by the horizon.
"You're so dumb. Of course I would kneel for you. I would do anything for you." Ada gave him an angelic smile that could melt the hearts of demons.
"Because I love you, after all."
__
The next day a truly unbelievable sight could be seen in class B.
Puck and Renne walked into the classroom together. Even more surprising was that they were holding hands. "There they are." Puck and Renne did a bee-line for the classroom delinquents. They were the same males who had bullied Puck before. The leader who still believed he was in love with Renne, did a quick bow.
"Miss Renne! How can I aid you?" The delinquent had practiced speaking in a sophisticated tone exactly for this moment! And now he could finally use his new skills to talk to Renne! His dreams of having a lengthy conversation were shattered by the same woman he wanted to talk to. "It is not me who wants something from you. It's my partner. Puck has something to say to you."
Puck took a step forward and faced the bullies who had harrassed him before. "A-Ah..." Puck knew what he wanted to say, but the words weren't coming out. Renne squeezed his hand and whispered in his ear. "Do not stutter."
Puck shivered and suddenly felt a great amount of courage swell within him. "I hated the way you treated me the first time we met. I... I want an apology." Puck did his best to send the bullies a determined glare. The delinquents looked a bit surprised. They'd done that weeks ago, so why bring it up after so long?
"Uh... Sure. Sorry, buddy." The delinquent leader apologized. But it didn't satisfy Renne. Renne sent a threathening glare to every delinquent using eyes glowing with soul force as she said; "He wants an apology from each of you. A proper one."
All the delinquents stood at attention stiffly before they bowed to Puck and shouted. "Ah... Yes! We are very sorry, Puck!"
Puck felt a lot of uneasiness leave him as the bullies apologized. "T-thanks..."
Renne's eyes stopped glowing. "Good." Renne turned around and dragged Puck away from the delinquents. "I-I did it!" Puck looked at Renne excitedly. He couldn't believe he'd been able to face down those delinquents like that.
"Yeah, you did. But you still stuttered a few times."
"Ah..." Puck looked a bit dissapointed as she said it. Renne quickly continued on. "But you still made a lot of improvement. I'm proud of you. Now let us sit down. I want to hear more about that special Ygdrill spear you were talking about yesterday."
Puck's chest felt warm and fuzzy as he followed Renne to her seat. "Yes!"
__
Golden was being pulled down a dark hallway by a person who covered their face with a mask. The mask was intricately crafted. It attached to a person's face using soul force and was indestructable and impossible to remove unless a person stopped feeding it their soul force. It also changed a persons voice when they spoke. It was the perfect equipment for concealing identity.
Golden resisted as they pulled him into a room. "Do you have any idea who I am? Who you are dealing with?! I will crush you! Remove this soul force inhibitor right now! Who do you think are?!" The person stopped and looked at Golden's pants. A large wet spot from he had pissed himself was still visible.
The person chuckled, their voice distorted through the mask. "Shut it. Sit down." Golden was forced into the dark room and was sat on a chair. Golden's arms and legs were bound against the chair so he couldn't move. "How dare you! Release me!" Golden wiggled in the chair, causing it to jump erratically.
Smack!
The person slapped Golden hard across the face with an open palm. Golden stopped shaking the chair as he stared wide-eyed. "How dare-!" Golden was slapped again before he could finish the sentence. "You-...!"
Another slap.
"I-!"
Another slap. Golden opened his mouth but received another slap before he could say anything. The person slapped Golden every time he opened his mouth. Golden only stopped opening his mouth when his cheeks were too swollen to move.
The person rubbed their wrist as they said; "You rich family types are always such a hassle to deal with..." They grabbed Golden by his chin and lifted his face so he looked at them. "Call me mask. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Mask put another chair across from Golden and sat in it. They gracefully crossed their legs. "Golden Rapex Apicem. You're the latest lion cub from the Apicem family are you not?" Mask leaned forward as they spit an insult in Golden's face. "Then why are you acting like a filthy rat?"
Golden glared at Mask. "Do not lecture m-!"
Mas slapped Golden again before he could finish the sentence. "I did not say you were allowed to speak yet. Do not open that filthy mouth before I tell you to." Golden spit blood out of his mouth in his reply. Mask just looked at him disapprovingly.
"I can understand why you are so desperate for the EX-rank. If you are not number one you are no one-- not to the Apicem family. And you have big shoes to fill, do you not? With both of your parents being S-rank. How distraught the Apicem family must have been, when you were merely A-rank. Shamefully on the border between A-rank and S-rank, too. Such a pity." Mask's distorted voice became an octave lower, as if to mimic the pity in their real voice. Mask glanced down at Golden's sodden pants. "You are supposed to be a lion. Not a dog that pisses on itself." Golden could not contain his outburst.
"Do not pity me! Do not presume to know my motivations! You know noth-" Instead of slapping Golden Mask closed the distance and grabbed Golden's jaw. Mask released their soul force and gripped Golden's jaw with enough force to crush it.
"The next instance you speak without my permission I will cut out your tongue. From now on, you only nod and glare at me with that pathetic face of yours. Nod if you understand." Mask let go of Golden's jaw and he nodded.
"Good. I hate having to get rough but you entitled types always bring the worst out of me. It is irredeemable, really." Mask sat back down in their chair. "Now, then. Back to the topic at hand. You do not need the EX-rank girl to become number one. You simply need the EX-rank girl gone. And we have a shared interest in that regard." Mask snapped their fingers and a man stepped out of the shadows holding a container. The man opened it and showed its contents to Golden. Golden's eyes widened in surprise.
Mask explained and confirmed what he saw. "Yes, yes. I can understand you are very surprised. That is indeed a Reaper's kiss. I am sure you understand what to do with it. That girl is an abomination that needs euthanizing." A reaper's kiss was a modern weapon synthesized from reaper cores. It was similar to a knife. If a person was stabbed by a reaper's kiss their soul force would drain out of their body permanently, effectively disabling them. A reaper's kiss was created with the intention of disabling pilots retired from reaper psychosis to prevent them from doing any more harm. The reaper's kiss treatment was abolished after horrific side effects were discovered. A person who lost their soul force to a reaper's kiss would have their life-span shortened irreparably and die withered and dried up after a few years.
Mask continued on. "You make sure the EX-rank girl is no longer EX-rank like a good lion's cub." Mask stood up and patted Golden on the head. "Or maybe we just use it on your right here and euthanize the lion's cub instead?" Golden's eyes shook with fear. These people were dangerous.
Golden nodded his head. He could almost see Mask smiling through the mask.
"Good boy. You are now allowed to speak."
"W-who are you?"
"You may imagine me as your support."
__
"These breaks…" The doctor had not seen a break this horrifying in his entire medical career, and he'd been in the field for over 50 years. The bone shards were slanted at awkward angles and jutted out of the leg like sharp spikes, and the inside of the leg was a tornado of bone shards and marrow. It could hardly even be called a leg anymore.
The doctor entered the Glade's room to deliver the news.
"Well, it will probably take a day or so to heal, so no worries!"
After humanity underwent evolution and their technology improved, it was even possible to bring someone back from death! (Though people didn't do it because it was considered immoral.)
Injuries like bone breaks and fractures were completely negligible! Still, being out of commison for an entire day didn't really suit Glade. Being injured or sick made him feel helpless.
Glade couldn't even wiggle his toes inside of the metal cast on his leg. "Is there any way I can speed the healing up?"
"Nope!"
"...So can I go, then?"
"Yep!" The old doctor gave him a nice smile and sent him on his way.
Glade awkwardly shuffled down the stairs. "This is such a hassle." The cast made everything much more difficult.
"Want some help?" Adalaene appeared and took his arm so she could support him. She gave him a quick peck.
"Thanks. You taste like pancake syrup." Glade licked his lips and swallowed to wash away the sweet taste.
Ada looked a bit embarrassed. "I needed the stress relief..."
Glade really loved moments like this. The moments where he and Ada could support each other without anyone judging them for it. "We really need to win that tournament and get approval from director Yeklov." Ada sent him a determined look. "We're going to win. I'm not settling for top three. I want to see the look on everybody's face when we beat everyone else by a landslide."
Glade breathed in the brisk sea air as they exited the hospital. "Any idea when they will let us pilot?" Ada took out her student notebook and did a quick search. "The next joint class is synchronization training in dummy cockpits so... pretty soon. By the way... Aren't you curious about what happened to Golden?"
Glade looked at the orange sky and horizon as the wind swept past his face. "Nah." Why would he care about Golden? There was a beautiful horizon in front of him and an even more beautiful partner next to him. Golden wasn't even worth thinking about, right now.
Glade watched Ada as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Her silky hair was swept backwards by the wind, revealing her truly angelic face. She had a slight flush on her cheeks from the brisk sea air. Glade kissed her knuckles. Ada blushed. "Ah... What are you doing? Stop looking at me like that. Is there something on my face?" Ada gave sent him a flustered look as she tried to look anywhere but his eyes.
"The only thing I can see on your face is beauty." To Glade Ada was the definition of beauty. Glade had never looked at anyone in his life like he looked at Ada. Adalaene became even more flustered. "W-what are you saying, all of a sudden? You almost never say stuff like that! If you're teasing me I-"
Glade interrupted her pointless talking with a kiss. He pulled away after a moment. "The way you were prepared to kneel for me today... I know first hand how much pride you have. But never do that again. Not for anyone. Not even for me." Ada pulled away from Glade and took a few steps back so she was framed by the horizon.
"You're so dumb. Of course I would kneel for you. I would do anything for you." Ada gave him an angelic smile that could melt the hearts of demons.
"Because I love you, after all."
__
The next day a truly unbelievable sight could be seen in class B.
Puck and Renne walked into the classroom together. Even more surprising was that they were holding hands. "There they are." Puck and Renne did a bee-line for the classroom delinquents. They were the same males who had bullied Puck before. The leader who still believed he was in love with Renne, did a quick bow.
"Miss Renne! How can I aid you?" The delinquent had practiced speaking in a sophisticated tone exactly for this moment! And now he could finally use his new skills to talk to Renne! His dreams of having a lengthy conversation were shattered by the same woman he wanted to talk to. "It is not me who wants something from you. It's my partner. Puck has something to say to you."
Puck took a step forward and faced the bullies who had harrassed him before. "A-Ah..." Puck knew what he wanted to say, but the words weren't coming out. Renne squeezed his hand and whispered in his ear. "Do not stutter."
Puck shivered and suddenly felt a great amount of courage swell within him. "I hated the way you treated me the first time we met. I... I want an apology." Puck did his best to send the bullies a determined glare. The delinquents looked a bit surprised. They'd done that weeks ago, so why bring it up after so long?
"Uh... Sure. Sorry, buddy." The delinquent leader apologized. But it didn't satisfy Renne. Renne sent a threathening glare to every delinquent using eyes glowing with soul force as she said; "He wants an apology from each of you. A proper one."
All the delinquents stood at attention stiffly before they bowed to Puck and shouted. "Ah... Yes! We are very sorry, Puck!"
Puck felt a lot of uneasiness leave him as the bullies apologized. "T-thanks..."
Renne's eyes stopped glowing. "Good." Renne turned around and dragged Puck away from the delinquents. "I-I did it!" Puck looked at Renne excitedly. He couldn't believe he'd been able to face down those delinquents like that.
"Yeah, you did. But you still stuttered a few times."
"Ah..." Puck looked a bit dissapointed as she said it. Renne quickly continued on. "But you still made a lot of improvement. I'm proud of you. Now let us sit down. I want to hear more about that special Ygdrill spear you were talking about yesterday."
Puck's chest felt warm and fuzzy as he followed Renne to her seat. "Yes!"
__
Golden was being pulled down a dark hallway by a person who covered their face with a mask. The mask was intricately crafted. It attached to a person's face using soul force and was indestructable and impossible to remove unless a person stopped feeding it their soul force. It also changed a persons voice when they spoke. It was the perfect equipment for concealing identity.
Golden resisted as they pulled him into a room. "Do you have any idea who I am? Who you are dealing with?! I will crush you! Remove this soul force inhibitor right now! Who do you think are?!" The person stopped and looked at Golden's pants. A large wet spot from he had pissed himself was still visible.
The person chuckled, their voice distorted through the mask. "Shut it. Sit down." Golden was forced into the dark room and was sat on a chair. Golden's arms and legs were bound against the chair so he couldn't move. "How dare you! Release me!" Golden wiggled in the chair, causing it to jump erratically.
Smack!
The person slapped Golden hard across the face with an open palm. Golden stopped shaking the chair as he stared wide-eyed. "How dare-!" Golden was slapped again before he could finish the sentence. "You-...!"
Another slap.
"I-!"
Another slap. Golden opened his mouth but received another slap before he could say anything. The person slapped Golden every time he opened his mouth. Golden only stopped opening his mouth when his cheeks were too swollen to move.
The person rubbed their wrist as they said; "You rich family types are always such a hassle to deal with..." They grabbed Golden by his chin and lifted his face so he looked at them. "Call me Mask. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Mask put another chair across from Golden and sat in it. They gracefully crossed their legs. "Golden Rapex Apicem. You're the latest lion cub from the Apicem family are you not?" Mask leaned forward as they spit an insult in Golden's face. "Then why are you acting like a filthy rat?"
Golden glared at Mask. "Do not lecture m-!"
Mask slapped Golden again before he could finish the sentence. "I did not say you were allowed to speak yet. Do not open that filthy mouth before I tell you to." Blood dribbled out of Golden's mouth. Mask just looked at him disapprovingly.
"I can understand why you are so desperate for the EX-rank. If you are not number one you are no one-- not to the Apicem family. And you have big shoes to fill, do you not? With your father being S-rank. How distraught the Apicem family must have been, when you were merely A-rank. Shamefully on the border between A-rank and S-rank, too. Such a pity." Mask's distorted voice became an octave lower, as if to mimic the pity in their real voice. Mask glanced down at Golden's sodden pants. "You are supposed to be a lion. Not a dog that pisses on itself." Golden could not contain his outburst.
"Do not pity me! Do not presume to know my motivations! You know noth-" Instead of slapping Golden Mask closed the distance and grabbed Golden's jaw. Mask released their soul force and gripped Golden's jaw with enough force to crush it.
"The next time you speak without my permission I will cut out your tongue. From now on, you only nod and glare at me with that pathetic face of yours. Nod if you understand." Mask let go of Golden's jaw and he nodded.
"Good. I hate having to get rough but you entitled types always bring the worst out of me. It is irredeemable, really." Mask sat back down in their chair. "Now, then. Back to the topic at hand. You do not need the EX-rank girl as your partner to become number one. You simply need the EX-rank girl gone. And we have a shared interest in that regard." Mask snapped their fingers and a man stepped out of the shadows holding a container. The man opened it and showed its contents to Golden. Golden's eyes widened in surprise.
Mask explained and confirmed what he saw. "Yes, yes. I can understand you are very surprised. That is indeed a Reaper's kiss. I am sure you understand what to do with it. That girl is an abomination and needs euthanizing." A reaper's kiss was a modern weapon synthesized from reaper cores. It was similar to a knife. If a person was stabbed by a reaper's kiss their soul force would drain out of their body permanently, effectively disabling them. A reaper's kiss was created with the intention of disabling pilots retired from reaper psychosis to prevent them from doing any more harm. The reaper's kiss treatment was abolished after horrific side effects were discovered. A person who lost their soul force to a reaper's kiss would have their life-span shortened irreparably and die withered and dried up after a few years.
Mask continued on. "You make sure the EX-rank girl is no longer EX-rank like a good lion's cub." Mask stood up and patted Golden on the head. "Or maybe we just use it on your right here and euthanize the lion's cub instead?" Golden's eyes shook with fear. These people were dangerous.
Golden nodded his head. He could almost see Mask smiling through the mask.
"Good boy. You are now allowed to speak."
"W-who are you?"
"Certain people want you to stay number one, Golden. I am one of those people."
__
Golden returned to the academy after a few days, and the whispers followed him wherever he went. "Why is he here?"
"Didn't he try to kill somebody?"
"He's psycho…"
"Did he really piss himself…?"
The whispers that followed Golden like an annoying swarm of insects. The low, but clear voices were akin to the buzzing of flies. And that's what they were to him! Damn flies! How dare they whisper behind his back…
"I heard he shit himself, too." That particular whisper brought him over the edge.
Golden rounded on the boy who'd whispered the lie and slapped him in the face. "Shut up, you damn side-character. I did not say you were allowed to speak." The boy fell weakly on the ground, clutching his face. He fearfully looked up at Golden. The boy tried to apologize. "I… I'm-!" Golden slapped the boy in the face again before he could finish the sentence. "I still did not say you were allowed to speak!"
The boy had a stunned and terrified expression on his face as he looked at Golden.
Golden's mouth curled into a satisfied smile. Yeah, that was the right look.
"Stop that…"
Golden turned around and saw Puck standing there with a… somewhat determined look on his face. "Sea cucumber…?" Golden was very surprised. If anyone was going to speak up, Sea cucumber was the last person he would expect to. Golden glared at him. "What did you say to me?" Puck cowered under his gaze. But a moment later he righted himself.
"I said you should… s-stop that…"
Golden became incomparably annoyed. First he was humiliated by Glade, then people started whispering behind his back, and now even that disgusting Sea cucumber thought he could talk back to him?
Golden was enraged and shoved Puck backwards. He would have to teach Puck a lesson to remind everyone that Golden was still the king.
"What did you say, huh?! Say it clearly! Should I beat it out of you?! You dribbled like a true Sea cucumber the last time I slapped you!" Puck almost fell backwards but managed to keep himself from falling. He couldn't meet Golden's gaze from fear, but still he said; "S-stop…"
"What did you say?!" Golden raised his hand as if he was about to slap Puck.
"I said stop!" Puck shoved against Golden's chest, but instead of Golden being pushed away Puck pushed himself away from Golden instead. Golden was like a rock wall to him.
But still, it managed to stun Golden. Golden could never have imagined Puck would be capable of standing up to him.
"H-how dare you…?!" Golden closed the distance between Puck and himself as he prepared to smack him.
"G-Golden… Stop." Golden froze in place. Renne appeared behind Golden, a complicated expression on her face. "P-please…"
Golden was absolutely stunned. Renne of all people, was choosing Puck's side over his?
Renne knew this was her only chance. She quickly grabbed Puck's hand and pulled him along with her as she dashed away, leaving a petrified Golden standing in place.
__
Why did I do that?!
How could I have done that…?!
He'll make me pay for this!
These were Renne's fearful thoughts as she dashed away from Golden hand-in-hand with Puck. She debated going back and groveling in front of Golden so he would forgive her.
Why had she she done that…?! Renne knew she couldn't risk angering Golden, but when she'd seen Puck standing up to him like that… she couldn't help it! She refused to repeat her last mistake. She just hoped Golden wouldn't make her pay for it.
Renne trembled as she shought of what he might do.
Golden still had that…
"Renne?" Puck squeezed Renne's fingers with concern written on his face. "Are you okay…?" Renne's heart queezed when saw her Partner's concern for her. "Y-yeah… just worried." Puck smiled at her and squeezed her hand again. Renne smiled back as a pleasant warmth filled her chest. It felt very strange.
She was still new to this. It felt unfamiliar to have a partner who cared about her. Especially one who cared as much as Puck did. It felt… nice. She felt wanted. She felt like someone actually wanted HER and not her status, soul force or future.
That's exactly what Golden had been after before. Renne's Blýd family was almost as powerful as Golden's Apicem family. That's why he had…
Renne shivered from fear and disgust as she remembered.
Puck noticed and stopped walking. He turned Renne to face him and said; "I… I-uh…" Renne just watched him stumble over his words. When Puck saw her gaze he quickly continued on. "S-sorry for stuttering… But if something is bothering you, please tell me…? I want to know if I did something wrong… or if I can help. Y-you're my partner… So please tell me if something is wrong. I promised I wouldn't stutter, so you promise to tell me if something is bothering you, okay?"
Renne's chest bloomed with warmth again while Puck spoke. How had she been able to despise this boy just days prior, but now he made her feel so at ease whenever she was around him?
Renne pulled Puck close to her and did something even she did not expect. She hugged him.
"Eh! A..Ah! Eeeeh?! Oh?!" Puck's brain regressed that of a monkey because he was suddenly hugged by such a beautiful woman. He made a bunch of strange sounds nobody would be able to interpret.
Renne's face flushed with embarrassment as she said "Puck…" Renne couldn't belive she'd done something so crass in public. She tried to pull away but Puck suddenly squeezed her back and he protested. "N-no…"
Renne blushed a bit as she noticed the eyes on them. They were still standing in the middle of the hallway. Renne swallowed "I-I want to tell you. I really do. But I cannot. At least not right now." She pulled away and kept her eyes on the floor as she pulled Puck towards their classroom.
__
"Yue. What are you thinking about?" Yue's partner, Zed, asked her. "You're frowning again." He looked a bit amused. Yue smiled at him. "I'm just thinking about the irregulars. They know Tae-Kwon-Do."
Zed's eyes widened in surprise. "Seriously? Isn't that a pretty big deal?"
"Why do you think I'm frowning?" Yue replied. Zed chuckled a bit.
Zed Sicarefic was ranked 20th among the first years of DUST academy. Him and Yue had met during the entrance ceremony and immediately taken a liking to each other. Zed wasn't tall, but he wasn't short, either. His were red(a rare variant after humanity evolved) and short turquoise hair that made for a striking contrast with his eyes.
Yue would be lying if she said she didn't partner with him for his looks. His powerful soul force, calm but playful personality and flexible mindset were all just a bonus. Plus, she didn't like tall men. They made her feel shorter than she already was.
Zed popped a piece of chocolate in his mouth and asked Yue if she wanted one. She declined.
"So, any idea how they could've learned it?" Zed chewed on the crunchy bits of the sweets he was eating.
Yue sighed. "Nope. I still have to ask Adalaene about it. I just can't figure it out. My family has been looking for people who know the old martial arts for years, especially eastern martial arts, to keep them alive. Even after 16 years we haven't found anyone who knows Tae-Kwon-Do yet."
Zed poked her in the side playfully. "Well, don't think too hard about it. What matters is that you've found someone now, right? Also don't frown too much. You'll get wrinkles."
Yue frowned at him.
"See! Frowning like that. Don't do that."
Yue started ranting. "You don't get it. There's too much about those two that doesn't make sense. First of all their Soul force. Have you ever seen anyone with a soul force that weak? And even worse, that high?! Adalaene has a full digit higher than the most powerful consor pilot ever! Their mentalities are strange, too. A 1.8 and 9.7 refusing to pilot with anyone else? That doesn't make any sense! And then they both know a supposedly lost martial art, too? And even more surprising, Glade without the soul pressure of an A-rank. An A-rank! WITHOUT USING HIS OWN SOUL FORCE!" Yue's cheeks flushed red from her excitement.
Zed observed his partner carefully. Yue seemed to be out of breath.
"Calm down. Don't break your cute little head over it. You're friends with the EX-rank, aren't you? Just ask her."
"You don't get it. How am I just supposed to ask her? It's not a topic you can just casually bring up."
"Why not?"
"Huh? What do you mean 'why not?'"
"You're friends, right?" Zed looked at Yue like she was the one talking nonsense. "If you're friends you hould be able to ask her. Worst she'll do is refuse to answer."
"But there's a time and place for everything…" Yue fidgeted a bit.
"Want to make a time and place, then?" Zed was being very direct.
"How?" Yue frowned at him questioningly. Zed just smiled as he said; "Double date."
__
"Uff..." Ada made a sound similar to being hit in the gut. The cause was the way Glade looked.
Dashing!
He was wearing a stylish black suit that matched his haircolor and the white blouse contrasted in a sleek way with his striking grey eyes. Ada couldn't help but feel like she was hit by a truck.
"I almost don't want to let you leave..." Ada's eyes were filled with liquid desire.
Glade shot her down. "Yue and Zed are waiting, aren't they?"
Glade didn't really show it, but he felt the same way when he saw Ada. Adalaene was wearing a white dress that hugged her frame around the waist, but became loose below her hips. The dress left little to the imagination as far as curves went. There was even a slit in the skirt that showed off her delicious thighs whenever she walked. Glade cleared his throat as they left.
"So... where are we going that we needed to dress up like this?" Glade tried to look anywhere except Ada, but that damn slit in her dress pulled his eyes down every time she walked. Ada looked back at him with hunger in her eyes. "I wouldn't mind undressing again."
"We have an appointment..." Glade chided her.
Adalaene clicked her tongue. "I don't know. Yue just said to dress fancy. The academy is basically just a colony ship, so it wouldn't surprise me if they had somewhere fancy enough to wear this."
They met Yue and Zed at Café Séléne. Café Séléne had become the routine meeting spot for Glade, Adalaene and their friends. It was central on the large colony ship and easy to find.
Yue and Adalaene excitedly flickered around each other as they inspected each other's dresses. "You look amazing! That dress is amazing!"
Yue was wearing a dak blue dress with frilly edges around the skirt. It matched her frame and eyes very well. She looked like a doll.
"Yo. You look pretty sleek. That black suit is killer." Zed wore a more casual get-up with a nice clean, white blouse that managed to show off his forearms. His pants were a nice light blue that matched his hair color.
"Thanks. You, too. Those pants fit you well." Zed rubbed the back of his neck from mild embarrassment as Glade complimented him. Glade's first impressions of Zed were good. He seemed like a smart guy with a chilled attitude.
"Thanks. Yue picked them out. You like music?" Zed asked Glade.
"I don't get to listen too often. Do you know where we're going, then?"
The four of them started walking, and heads turned wherever they went. Yue and Ada linked arms as they walked. They seemed to be absorbed in their own conversation, whispering excitedly as they glanced back at Zed and Glade every so often. Glade felt a sense of unease lift from his chest. He'd been worried Adalaene would have trouble making proper friends. It seems his worry was unnecessary.
Zed got had excited glint in his eyes. "A concert. Classics from the old generation before reapers appeared. They've got pre-evo age instruments like cellos and violins, too. Ever heard of Mozart or Amadeus? You'll love it."
"I had no idea DUST academy's ship even had a concert hall. Should a military academy really have one?"
Zed looked at Glade as if he'd asked something strange. "Glade, do you know why everyone wants to study at DUST academy?" Now it was Glade's turn to look at Zed as if he had asked something peculiar. "Because its the best at producing pilots."
Zed laughed at Glade. It was a genuine, surprised laugh that escaped him. Glade felt a bit embarrassed. Did he say something strange?
Zed's eyes twinkled with amusement. "Good guess, but nah. Look up at the sky for a second." Glade did look up and saw the beautiful night sky, filled with glowing stars and soft lights. Zed told him: "When you die as a consor pilot, you'll never get to see it again." Glade shot him a surprised look. He had not expected Zed to say something so pessimistic.
"You see, consor pilots die every day. There's a reason the war's been going on for uncountable decades." Zed rubbed his hands together. "Everyone wants to be the one to end the war. The best way to do that is DUST academy, so you aren't exactly wrong, but look around you."
Glade observed his surroundings. There were bright shops with students enjoying themselves and laughing. Restaurants, both fancy and casual, where students ate themselves full unless they passed out. A cinema. A large aquarium. Even a miniature amusement park in the distance. All of them with people enjoying themselves with no cost. Glade suddenly remembered how he'd bought the fancy suit he was wearing from one of the bright shops around him for free. Suddenly he understood.
Zed saw the look of understanding on Glade's face and smiled. "Now you're starting to get it. DUST academy provides almost anything you can imagine for free. Good food, nice beds, fancy apartments, recreational facilities, all of it. Because they understand how precious life is. They want the students to enjoy themselves before they become fully-fledged pilots. Of course, there's the cost of having to enter battle before we even graduate, but that's a small price to pay for the amount of fun we can have while we're still alive. DUST academy is DUST academy not only because it produces great consor pilots, but because it produces happy consor pilots. DUST academy takes care of its recruits. Not like other academies do, but better."
Glade frowned. "I never realized..." He'd been so focused on becoming a pilot with Adalaene that he had forgotten to properly enjoy his time with her. Glade now understood why Adalaene had been so rushed in their relationship.
Zed interrupted his thoughts and clapped him on the back. "So yeah, bro. A military academy is supposed to have a concert hall. Now, let's go. The ladies are waiting for us."
Yue and Adalaene were waiting for them at the entrance to a large concert hall. All four of them entered together and found their seats. Yue and Ada were seated next to each other while Glade and Zed sat behind them.
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Yue giggled as Adalaene made another joke. The entire purpose of this outing was actually to interrogate Ada about her martial arts, but so far Yue had forgotten because she was genuinely enjoying her time. She straightened out her dress as she sat down in the comfortable seats of the concert hall. They were sitting in a VIP booth up high. Would have preferred to sit closer to the actual concert, but it couldn't be helped. She needed to have a private conversation with Adalaene.
Adalaene sat down and both girls turned around to glance at the boys as they sat down in their seats. Glade joked around about some nonsense and it was answered by Zed's deep, husky laugh. Both of the girls swooned as they observed the interaction between their partners. Both of the girls giggled again as they looked at each other.
They made light conversation and gossiped before the concert started. Clapping filled the large concert hall as the musicians entered the stage. The lead violin was in the center, and he worse a strange, easthetic wooden mask. Yue had no doubt it was part of the show. But... Why was he staring at their booth?
Yue decided to ignore it and glanced behind her at Zed right as the show started. Zed caught her gaze and she mouthed 'time and place?'. Zed gave her a thumbs-up and turned his attention back to Glade.
Yue turned to Adalaene. It was finally time to have some questions answered.