As the blazing fire roars front of him, the boy stood there without moving a single inch. His gaze across the battlefield, were colder than that of Rez's. The grip of his hand tightens as he holds his sword, the one that was bought for him three years ago. His white cloak wavers due to the heavy wind.
He slowly moves forward, stepping through fires that was displayed in front of him. Not once, did he flinch, the thought of him burning due to the flames never came across his mind. One thing remains however, and that is to make sure the mission is a success, without any casualties.
"Commander Kenji!" A voice was heard coming from behind him. Without any hesitation, he turns back.
It was one of the Paladin that's in the unit he was assigned to. As an Edifier, he'll be referred to as "Commander" as a show of respect, though numerous times he told them to just call him by his name, however, they wouldn't dare to do so.
The commander that the Paladin referred to, is Kazuya Kenji. He is known for his achievement in the royal academy. Not only his academics were superb, his sword skills and fighting style are almost similar to Rez, who's known as the strongest human Edifier in history. Kazuya would often be sent to the battlefield to clear up any mission or issue in an instant, he is what the academy would call… a "Prodigy".
"What is it, captain?" Kazuya asked as he wipes off the blood that was spilled on his sword's blade.
To answer his question, the Paladin pointed out a direction that they discovered which might be the Atraxes and Mimics temporary nest. Though, that's not all, he also mentioned another creature that might also be staying among them… a Widow.
Widow
A creature that's height resembles a military tank. Its skin is as hard as a skull, with only a blade is strong enough to pierce through it if the person has dedication. Unlike mimics, this creature can't mimic anyone. However, it has a mind of its own, hence why they are referred to as one of the deadliest creatures amongst the three. Widows tend to lead Atraxes and Mimics to the destination they'll be attacking, in other words, the Widow acts as their leader in the battlefield.
Though, they're not as intelligent as a human or deviant, their strength is what makes them dangerous, which is being able to attack from a long range.
As the Paladin mentioned the word "Widow", Kazuya became stiff. His face became even colder than before. He turns around, while sliding his sword back to its scabbard.
"Call our men, tell them we'll be heading to the Widow's territory." His words were direct and cold, as if he knows the danger they're up against. Though, he didn't mean to frighten his men, he's still not used to it having to order people around, so he doesn't know if his words were harsh or not.
Ignoring his dilemma, one of his unit's jeeps arrived in front of him. He enters the vehicle. Taking the walkie-talkie that was hung on his belt, he spoke.
"We're entering a hot spot area that was marked by one of our lookouts. It is said that there's a high possibility that a Widow is commanding the Atraxes and Mimics. Please make sure to be careful and call for me if you need my help. Rest assured, I'm not doubting your abilities, but I want us all to make it back one piece."
Hearing that, his men became even composed than before. The assuring word by their commander seems to be working.
As they moved towards the nest's direction, Kazuya got a call from one of his advisors. "Yes, go for Kazuya." He replied while his eyes are staring outside. Statics were heard before the voice became clear. Seems to show how far they've gone from the promised location. "Major Kenji, I am to inform you that you are not allowed to go this far from the radar. What if anything happens to you? You'll be far from our detector that'll-" The person seems to be a female Edifier from the base. Though, her voice was cut off by him.
"I get what you're saying. Though, I can't ignore this matter when we finally discovered it. The risk of letting it be is far too great. I'm not going to let anyone die due to me following orders, just because we're not 'discoverable' by the base. I appreciate your concern." Kazuya said as his face expression tightened from the conversation.
Just like that, he turns off the communication device and throws it lightly to the side. They really expect me to listen to everything they have to say huh… He thought to himself. Kazuya tilts his head to the window, peaking at the creature's nest. Honestly, he didn't even think of charging to the nest at all. The only reason he's doing so right now is so that he can protect the citizen of Liberadity. Of course, the Paladin under his command knows this.
Slowly but surely, they reached the designated location of the nest. Each of the Paladin steps out of the jeeps, with Kazuya being the last. "We're here. Remember, I know we want this mission to be a success, however, your safety comes first." The male Edifier said as his hand rest on the sword's hilt.
In front of them, was a huge, abandoned building, that's probably been deserted for more than fifty-years. Atraxes and Mimics usually use old buildings as their nest. It can be a group or a whole batch clinging to each other at the nest. Other than buildings, they sometimes use unused parks, and caves.
Not wasting anytime, they all immediately walk to the nest's entrance. Kazuya will always be the one at the front, he said it's easier for him to defend the Paladins from a direct danger.
The entrance was like a cave, a big hole, showing the inside of the gloomy, dark and long pathway inside. Few of his men took out their flashlights as their vision was becoming blurrier the deeper, they go. Kazuya, however, uses a special accessory that was a size of a candle, where he can channel his fire to the device, making a portable lighter.
Inside the building, was close to an office. Receptionist desk is in front of them with there being two directions from the desk, right and left.
Out of the blue, the male Edifier felt a sudden presence deep in the building. His instinct, which was never wrong, is telling him to fall back immediately. Though, they're already this deep inside, feels wasteful to leave. However, he didn't want to risk his men's life for his personal gain to demolish the nest.
Kazuya faces backwards. "We must retreat. Something's not right here…" The boy said as he moves his hand, signalling them to fall back. Not asking any questions, the men followed his instruction and walk back outside. Just as they were reaching the entrance, a loud screech was heard deep in the building. In an instant, Kazuya felt like something was running towards them. A loud explosion was coming from where screeching sound was heard.
"GET OUT, NOW!
He peeked behind him, and his eyes widened in shock. An impact of the explosion by the unidentified creature was sprinting towards him.
KABOOM!
His ears were ringing loudly due to the impact. His vision was blurry as he supervises his surroundings. Rubbles were scattered in front of him, with fire started to pile up the reception area. He notices a few of his men were down, while the others made it out. Trying his best to get back up on his feet, Kazuya looked back. "Tsk, I need to get these men out of here."
One of the Paladins that were down starts to gain back his conscious. As his hand was rubbing his face, he looked at the male Edifier.
"Sir, are you alright?" the Paladin asked.
He nods. "Yes, I am. Can you get up? If so, please get the injured out, I'll be right with you." Kazuya said as his hand reaches for his sword. His hand tightens as it grabs the sword's hilt. Pulling the weapon out of its scabbard, he goes in to a fighting stance.
The stance he's using is called "Long Point Stance". This form taught by Rez to him specifically, since he was given the duty to protect Arashi and Ann at the time. Nowadays, Kazuya uses the stance on every fight he's in, just like this one. Thanks to this form, he's able to keep all his enemies on a far distance.
His gaze was deadlocked on the eerie, dark hallway in front of him. Sunrays were reflecting in from the windows, giving him a little visual. A loud stomp was heard. The boy tightens his grip.
A black figure was standing in front of him. He can feel the overwhelming aura that the creature gives off. The figure was a few feet taller than Kazuya, similar height to a tank. He needed to cock his head upwards just to look at its face. The body was wider than any average human.
Kazuya clicks his tongue in frustration.
"Hey big guy, I heard that your smart. Let's talk this out-" Before he can even finish his sentence, the Widow's hand strikes him in a flash. If it wasn't for his fast reflexes, his body could've been torn apart by now. I need to bring this fight outside. It'll be bad if things escalate in here… He thought to himself. Not having much thought, the boy runs outside while he keeps looking back, making sure the creature was following him.
Thankfully, it did. He can go with his plan to fight outside to make sure the building won't collapse on them. Just as he reaches outside, he yelled.
"THE WIDOW'S OUT, ALL OF YOU IN POSITIONS!"
In an instant, the Paladins that were uninjured picks up their weapons. The gunner stays at the back, while the sword user takes charge in front of them, acting as Kazuya's backup.
In a blink of an eye, the Widow dashes towards Kazuya. With only a mere seconds left, he leaped, avoiding from getting hit by the creature. Meanwhile, the gunner at the back fired rounds of bullets to the Widow, however, the outcome was only a few scratches.
Swordsmen came running towards the creature. A few of them jumped, attempting to kill the Widow with a slash. Though, it was meaningless, as the creature were able to block the swing. It gives a powerful punch, causing a few of the Paladins flying to the back. Bullets continues to burst to the creature. Somehow, it manages to dodge each and one of them. Their eyes were in disbelief. It's hard enough that the Widow itself is strongest than the three creatures, but it's more frustrating for them since they don't know much about the Widow.
Out of nowhere, a group of Atraxes appeared, surrounding them.
"Shit… this was not part of the plan." Kazuya grins awkwardly.
The male Edifier looks back to one of the gunners. "GET ME A GRENADE, THROW IT ON MY SIGNAL!" He said as he starts to run towards the creature in an incredible speed. Following their commander's orders, a grenade was ready to be thrown to his Kazuya's direction.
While he's running, his right hand was already holding his sword. He took a deep breath to contain stamina. Kazuya starts to channel his element energy to his sword. Its blade starts to change color from silver to light orange due to the heat. As his distance between him and the Widow became closer, he jumped.
Realizing that was the signal, the Paladin throws the grenade towards the male Edifier.
He notices the grenade flying from the corner of his eye. Immediately, he swings his sword downwards, slicing the grenade in half, causing an explosion right in front of him and the Widow. The impact caused Kazuya to fly a few steps back from where he was originally was.
Fortunately, the impact also damages the Widow's skin, making the flesh easier to be slash by them. The Paladin's blade pierced right through the Widow's body, however, not even an inch if pain was felt. The creature uses it huge hand and strikes the Paladins that were attacking it earlier, causing them to be paralyzed.
Not only that, but the rest of the Paladins were also busy fighting the Atraxes that ambushed them from out of nowhere. A few of them were badly injured due to the surprised attack. Noticing his men is being overwhelmed, Kazuya spoke to the Paladin besides him.
"I'll handle all of them, take the injured and fall back." The male Edifier said as he loosens his tie and unbuttons the top collar, giving room for air to cool himself.
The Paladin nods as he immediately runs back, aiding the fallen comrades behind him.
As his men slowly fall back to their original position, Kazuya stepped in front of them, acting as not only a shield, but getting ready to slice each Atraxes and the lone Widow. He aims the sword in front of him in the middle, making it eye level with his vision.
Out of the blue, his body starts to heat up, most likely due to him activating his element. His grip tightens as the blade starts to change color once again. The atmosphere around him changes, as calm and composure of a guy he is, when he uses his special technique that he created on his own, his atmosphere changes… to something very deadly.
A light sigh was heard coming from Kazuya's mouth. "I really hate this technique, why the hell did I created it."
His feet started to sprint towards the creatures that were eagerly trying to kill him. Not only the Atraxes, but even the Widow seems to join in the fun on killing him. However, as their distance became closer, the male Edifier scoffs. The boy's speed increases as he moves his right hand that was holding the sword, and slashes the creatures in an incredible speed, leaving traces of fire behind, burning the corpses.
Right as he was reaching the Widow, the creature throws a few lifeless corpses of Atraxes towards him. Though, he already anticipated this and easily dodges. Clearly, the Widow seems to be flustered and confuse on how a mere human can keep up with its speed.
"The commander is really something huh." One of the Paladin spoke.
"Yeah, I mean…" His comrade replied, though he stops as he took a glimpse of the remaining burned Atraxes corpse. His eyes then proceed to turn to Kazuya.
"… He wasn't given the title 'Inferno Cavalier' for nothing."
The reflection on the Widow's eyes, are showing the sight of Kazuya, swinging his sword to cut the head off. The deadly and overwhelmed aura was consuming the creature that even made it feel terrified with the human in front of him. Right as the sharp and burning blade was reaching its neck, the boy whispered.
"Die."
Just as that word was uttered, the blade cleanly chops the Widow's head off without any difficulties. The flames consumed the remaining body of the lifeless Widow. As the boy looks around him, a sight of destruction was surrounding him, that was caused by his flames or rather, the technique he used earlier.
This is why he was hesitant to use it in the first place, its true that it'll help them beat the Widow, however, the aftermath destruction, was far too great.
One of the Paladins in his unit came to him. "Commander, I think it's time to wrap things up, most of our men are injured, and…" He looks at his surroundings, shocked with the destruction earlier.
"… I doubt this will be overlooked by the council." He spoke with a low tone.
Kazuya looks at the Paladin and carved a thin smile. He pats him on the shoulder, while walking behind him, heading to the injured Paladins. Some of them were heavily injured due to the ambush earlier. Feeling guilty with his actions, Kazuya leaves a deep sigh. He rushes to the Paladins near a small building, they were the ones who were only lightly injured. "It seems we'll return for today. Can I trouble the four of you to go and get our ride?"
There were four Paladins in front of the small building. They were having a break after a tough battle with the Atraxes and narrowly escape death by the Widow. The four of the Paladins smiles at the commander. "Of course, sir. Don't worry, we got it, rest up while we do our part." One of the Paladins pats Kazuya at the back, followed by three of his friends.
The male Edifier grins, as he turns back, only giving the Paladins a stare as they walk towards the vehicles. He looks up to the blue sky, admiring the beautiful scenery, accompanied by the breezy wind. Nothing like a calm and windy atmosphere after a deadly scenario, is what Kazuya always tells himself. However, his eyes suddenly became smaller as his facial expression became a bit bitter.
"I guess… I'm seeing his majesty again."
⚔
The big oak door slowly opens until the inside of the room is seen. Kazuya, along with Nicole and Rez is standing right outside of the room. Next to them, is the current Section Commanding Edifier, Vyacheslav Ivan. Before Rez was demoted to a captain, he himself was a captain working under Rez at the time. He was also the one who arrested Rez and took Kazuya and Ann after the incident three years ago.
As the four of them entered, Kazuya felt an unsatisfying presence across the room. It was the current ruler of Liberadity, King Lev Kravchenko the IV. Next to him, are the Deviant World Leaders (DWL), accompanied by the council members.
One of the council members stands up, telling the three of them to take their seat, except Kazuya. He's ordered to stand in front of the lectern that was place face to face with the king. As he clicks his tongue, the boy reluctantly walks to the lectern. He faces up, glaring at the king.
"Major Kazuya Kenji. Are you aware of the reason why you are here today?" One of the DWL members asks him with a tight tone.
"… I am. However, I don't know why you've made this as an issue, sir." Kazuya replied with his eyes locked at the king. Their gaze met for a few seconds and was broken off immediately.
Surprised and attacked by the major's rude attitude, the man spoke. "YOU DARE QUESTION YOUR KING'S DECISION, MAJOR!?"
The male Edifier scoffs, thrilled with his reaction. "Yeah, I do. Got a problem with that?"
As he heard the reply, the man immediately calls the guard, telling them to detain Kazuya. However, the action as stopped by non-other than the king himself. The male rule looks at the boy with a curious gaze. He tells the guard to let him be. He also told the DWL member to stand down and let him take over.
"Kazuya Kenji, I understand that you are working under the Section Commanding Edifier, Vyacheslav Ivan, is that true?" The king asked.
Slowly, the boy nods. He looks at Vyacheslav with hatred expression.
King Lev Kravchenko calls upon Vyacheslav, telling him to stand next to Kazuya. He immediately follows his orders. As he arrives next to the boy, he kneels, showing respect to the ruler.
"Glory to the sun of the empire, I'm pleased to be an assistant today." The Section Commander said as he grins towards Kazuya. The male Edifier became a bit irritated, however, he couldn't say anything since he knows he'll be penalized, especially with the king present.
The man stands up, facing the king.
"I understand your concern, your majesty. I will make sure to discipline the boy regarding his actions. After all, you personally assigned me as his supervisor." He said as he lightly bows.
The king's face stayed dull. He's not interested in such matter regarding respect and loyalty. Like any other rulers, he's more fascinated with wealth and riches. Not to mention, he doesn't even care regarding the deaths of Paladins in the battlefield, and only focuses on the Edifier's lives, since he'll be paid if they survived.
"Major Kenji, I heard you went out of your way on protecting the Paladins and disobeying the order to retreat. Care to explain yourself?" The king asked.
The boy smirks, surprised with the statement coming out of his mouth. He's a bit curious on why the king is interested in such matter, even goes far on asking him. "Respectfully, your majesty, why are you concern in such things? Never once I see you care regarding this matter."
Hearing that, the old man's eyes twitched as he felt irritated with the boy's answer. "The Paladin's lives aren't worth anything, not even their bodies. Be grateful that I let you bury your men's bodies, unlike the Specter Unit that's handled by the broken future duchess, Ann Shiro." He said with a smirk.
In an instant, Kazuya's eyes widened with rage as he heard those words uttered from the man's mouth. He slammed the lectern, loud enough for it to be heard across the entire room. Rez and Nicole who were sitting on the seat behind them became startled. The Commanding Edifier leans to the captain. "Rez, should we stop him?" She whispered. Slowly, the man shook his head, "Let him be, as powerful his majesty is, even he knows not to make Kazuya turn against him." Rez spoke with his eyes glaring to the king with a deadly stare. Shivered went down the ruler's spine as he receives Rez's glare.
"… Kazuya Kenji, you are in the presence of the king-" One of the council members spoke, though his words were cut off by the male Edifier.
"And? It's none of my concern if he's the ruler of the country or not…" His words slowed down as his gaze falls upon the Section Commander. "… one word about Ann, and I will not be hesitant to do what I should've done three years ago." The words were uttered as his gaze to the king became deadly. The old man's facial expression became stiff as he became overwhelmed with Kazuya's attitude and actions.
Vyacheslav was shocked with Kazuya's rude expression towards the king. He doesn't have the courage to interfere the matter between the two, so he stood there, silently listening to their conversation with his face facing down.
Not knowing how to continue the meeting, the king stands up, followed by everyone in the room.
"We shall end this meeting here. I'm too tired to deal with this matter, all of you may leave, and Vyacheslav." The king said while looking at the man. The Section Commander turns and replies to the old man's gaze with his. "Stay here, I have matters to discuss with you." Immediately, Vyacheslav bows, showing respect to the king.
As Kazuya, Rez and Nicole were walking outside the room, the boy took a glance behind him, glaring at both the king and the Section Commanding Edifier. His vision was block as soon as the door closes.
"What is it your majesty?" Vyacheslav asks as he approaches the old man slowly. The king faces the window, fascinated by the scenery. "Keep your eyes peeled on Kazuya, turn him to our side."
"With all due respect, that is impossible. You know how loyal he is to the future duchess and the Commanding Edifier." He replied with a light bow, his tone was as if he's apologizing to the king.
A sigh was heard from where the old man was standing. "Well of course, we did vanish the boy's closest friend after all, what was the name… ah yes, Arashi Aoi." He looked at Vyacheslav. The man nods, agreeing with the king.
The old man went back to his seat. He's frustrated that he can't do anything to get Kazuya, the man called 'Inferno Cavalier' to be on his side. If possible, he'd want him to be his secretary, since he's currently the strongest young Edifier in the academy, with Ann being second on the list.
"We shall speak regarding this matter another time, you may leave now, Vyacheslav." The king spoke.
He bowed down, following the king's orders.
As he reaches the oak door that leads outside, he remembered the ruckus he caused three years ago, when sending Arashi to the battlefield. He was full of rage, thinking it would've been better if he had killed the boy on the spot back then.
"Tch, that damn brat."
Kazuya loosens his neck tie as he sits down on the couch. Nicole, Rez and himself are currently in the Commanding Edifier's office. The captain leaves a light sigh as he looks at his former student. "You did good, protecting Ann's dignity earlier." He spoke.
The male Edifier looks at Rez with a guilty eye. He felt guilty that he showed both him and Nicole in his quarrel with the king earlier. No doubt, the two of them will be monitored by the royal guards to keep them at bay.
Suddenly, he felt a light tap on his shoulder. The boy looks to his left, it was Nicole who is standing next to him, with a thin smile carved on her face.
⚔
The sun rises, waking up everyone in the building. Arashi, who's been awake for the whole night, is currently outside, training with his katana. Suddenly, the door behind him slightly opens. He turns back, facing the door, and to his surprise, it was Olivia wearing a plain black t-shirt with her hair tied up to the back.
The boy slides the katana back to the scabbard, and slowly walk towards Olivia. "Good morning, Arashi. Couldn't sleep again?" She asks with a worried face. No words were uttered from his mouth, though he nods lightly, answering her.
She sighs while placing her arms on her waist. "You drink too much coffee, come on, let me brew you a cup of tea." She said as she walks inside to the kitchen. Arashi follows her from behind, while taking a small towel, wiping off his sweat.
A few minutes pass, the tea was done brewing. While he was waiting, a few of the Specter Unit members came out from their respective rooms, joining their captain on the living room. Currently, there's around thirty-five members in the unit.
They have a talk about their hobbies, some of them talk about tactics for the next mission.
As the chit-chatter continues, someone taps Arashi on the shoulder. He looks to his right. "Good morning, Arashi." It was none other than Xander. The boy sits next to the captain and leans on the cushion. The two have a long talk about their position and role, though, Xander's the one who mostly does the talking.
Devon, Rika and Carl woke up earlier than the other members. The three of them went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for the unit. Rika, with her amazing culinary skills, leads the cooking.
A ring was heard from the PASCOD. If one of the members answered, it'll be heard by everyone since it'll automatically goes to the general channel. "Good morning, Specter Unit." A female voice was heard through the speaker.
It was Ann, who just finished her daily jog of the day before she goes to work with the unit's she's in charge of. Most of the members replied to her greeting, this includes Rika and Xander. However, Devon and Carl didn't reply to her and just continue to finish cooking. Arashi though stayed silent as he only listens to her greeting.
"What are you up to?" Ann asks as she took of the cap she used while jogging earlier.
Olivia places the plates filled with food on the table. She also took something out of her pocket, which was a deck of cards. "We're eating breakfast miss Edifier and playing with cards." She said while placing the cards next to the plate.
Hearing her answer, Ann nods. Suddenly, a male voice was heard from the PASCOD. "Miss Edifier will there be any missions today?" it was Xander who asked the question. He munches down the food while waiting for her answer. Thankfully, she replied with the word "None", meaning they won't be needing to go to the field today, and relax at home.
With that being said, Arashi and Xander, still needs to do a simple round routine on their perimeter to make sure everything's still in place. However, the other members are free to do whatever they want.
"Alright, girls. Why don't we head to the natural hot spring that's behind the base, since we're free for the whole day." Suggested Olivia as she sits down next to one of the female Paladins. In an instant, the girls agreed to her suggestion. Rika and Devon however, said they'll join them a bit later after they're finish with cleaning the place.
Ann didn't have the courage to deny their fun. In fact, she's please with their situation, since they'll be able to take it easy for the day, after a long week in the battlefield. The female Edifier then switches to a private channel between her and Arashi.
"What about you, captain?" She asked.
"… I'm not sure. Why did you switch channels anyway?" He answered with another question.
Surprised, the girl slightly blushes, as she becomes hesitant to answer.
Out of the blue, Xander calls for Ann, which made her switch to the public channel. "Don't worry miss Edifier, he always answers a question with another question." He says as he shrugs. Hearing that Ann chuckles.
Rika then calls for Xander, letting him know that she'll be going to the changing room with Devon. Carl, however, still stayed silent and walks to the couch where Arashi and Xander are sitting. He sits on the couch's armrest.
Giving only a gaze to the two female Paladin heading to the changing room, he switches his gaze to Carl. "Hey, Carl. Accompany me patrolling?" The boy didn't utter any word, instead he just nods and immediately stands up, heading to the main door, getting ready to patrol. As Xander smirks he tells Arashi that they'll be going out in a few minutes. Of course, the captain responds only with a nod.
As he watches two of his friends leaving the base, along with the female Paladins preparing to soak themselves in the hot spring, with the male Paladins competing among themselves with a card game, he felt comfortable, as if he has accomplished something.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself, captain. You seem to care about your members more than you think." Ann spoke.
While carving such a thin smile, he replied. "I suppose." He looked out the window. "Until death do us apart… huh?" Arashi whispered as he remembered an old phrase spoken by his previous captain.
Curious, she asked. "What was that?"
"… Nothing."