The man charged at Saya, spinning his spear like a whirlwind as he leaped into the air, thrusting it forward. Everything happened in a split second. He barely registered what hit him as his vision blacked out for a moment.
Saya, with a fluid motion, had pushed herself back, dodging the spear. At the same time, she snapped her right leg upward, executing a clean back-kick that connected with the man's head, smashing it into the nearby container with a loud *clang*. The force was enough to dent the metal.
"Whoa!" Saya blinked, surprised at the sheer speed and power behind her movement. Her body felt lighter, faster—like something had clicked into place.
But the man wasn't finished. He staggered to his feet, blood trickling down his forehead, and with a snarl, he slashed at her legs in a wide arc.
Saya reacted instinctively, launching herself backward in a backflip, the wind whistling in her ears as she spun. She landed gracefully on top of a nearby container, about eighteen feet high, her feet barely making a sound.
"What the… How did I…?" Saya's thoughts raced, her mind struggling to catch up with her body.
**BANG.**
A sharp, burning pain shot through her left thigh. Her leg buckled, and she dropped to one knee, clutching the wound. Blood seeped between her fingers.
"Damn… the shooter. I forgot about her." Saya gritted her teeth, forcing herself to stand. The shooter was relentless.
She sprinted across the container, each step sending jolts of pain up her leg. The world around her blurred as she focused on staying ahead of the shots.
**BANG. BANG. BANG.**
Three more bullets whizzed past her, narrowly missing her as she leaped to the next container. She could feel the heat of the projectiles as they sliced through the air, grazing her with deadly precision.
Saya glanced back. The shooter—dressed in a sleek, shinobi-like outfit—was hot on her heels, her strange crossbow-gun raised and ready. The woman's movements were fluid, almost mechanical in their efficiency, as she hopped from container to container, never losing sight of Saya.
"Shit!" Saya cursed under her breath, pushing herself harder, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, adrenaline coursing through her veins.
Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a shadow moving parallel to her. It was fast, darting across the tops of the containers like a predator closing in on its prey.
"The man from earlier?" Saya thought, her mind racing. "No… it's someone else."
Her instincts screamed at her as she jumped off the container, her body moving before her mind could process it.
The moment she was airborne, she realized the danger she was in. Below her, the man with the spear was waiting, his eyes locked onto her. Above her, the shadow from earlier revealed itself—a figure wielding two swords, poised to strike.
Behind her, the shooter was still tracking her, finger on the trigger.
"Oh god…" Saya's heart sank as the realization hit her. "These people are about to kill me."
////
"Ugh, my head," Saya groaned as she stirred, her body aching all over. The world slowly came back into focus as she sat up. She blinked a few times, trying to shake off the lingering disorientation.
"Did I pass out again?" she thought, frustrated. This was becoming a bad habit. "I've got to stop doing that." She rubbed her temples and glanced around, half expecting to find herself back in another tent. But to her surprise, she was lying on a soft bed, the faint scent of fresh linens filling the air.
"Grandpa's sword!" Panic surged through her as she reached for her waist, frantically patting down her legs, searching for the familiar hilt.
"Is this what you're looking for?"
"Aaah!" Saya yelped, nearly jumping out of her skin as she saw Nero casually sitting on the edge of the bed, her eyes gleaming with amusement.
"Did you seriously not see me?" Nero asked, raising an eyebrow. "I've been right here the whole time since you woke up."
Saya clutched her chest, willing her heart to slow down. "You can't just sneak up on people like that!"
Nero chuckled, handing over the katana. "Here. You were holding onto this like your life depended on it."
Saya took the sword, her grip tightening around the hilt. "What happened last night?" she asked, her voice laced with frustration. "You didn't come back—and then... We were attacked. I'm pretty sure not everyone made it out of the explosion."
Nero's expression remained neutral. "And you?"
"I was attacked by three people," Saya continued, her voice dropping. "I think I lost… I'm surprised I'm not dead."
Nero stood up, stretching her arms. "Oh, really?" She smirked slightly, as if she found Saya's surprise amusing. "Three, you say? We only found two."
"Two?" Saya frowned, confused.
"Yeah, two dead shinobi." Nero glanced at Saya over her shoulder, her tone casual. "Let's go. I'll explain on the way."
"Dead...? As in dead?" Saya's thoughts spun as she followed Nero toward the door. "But how…?"
The building they exited reminded Saya of a clinic, at least the green colored plus sign on forefront of the door did. 'Apothecary means doctor right? Or was it a chemist?' she wondered.
Saya looked outside, ready to witness another world properly this time (when she wasn't being attacked randomly)
Nero vanished into a large shack, the sound of horses coming from it.
A few moments later, she led her Pegasus, "flying horse!" towards Saya. "Well get on."
Saya flinched as the Pegasus, "Flying horse damnit!" neighed in her direction.
"Do I really have to?" She twirled her fingers. "Can't we just... You know, walk?"
.
.
.
"Yaah!!" Nero tugged the reins, and the Pegasus spread it's wings each of them nearly eight feet in length. It started running, flapping its wings.
.
.
.
"Is... Is she leaving me?" Saya was silent for a moment. Obviously dumbfounded.
"Come baaack!!"
////
"Hey, Sis! You're home!" a cheerful voice cried out as soon as they stepped through the door. A young girl with a vibrant energy barreled into Nero's arms, hugging her tight.
Nero barely managed to keep her balance as the larger girl crushed her with the hug. "Alice!" she laughed, half-exasperated. "Careful, you're going to knock me over."
"You promised you'd only be gone two days, but it's been a whole week!" Alice pouted, looking up at Nero with mock anger. Then she noticed Saya standing awkwardly to the side. "Oh, and you brought a friend!"
"Yeah, Alice, this is Saya. Saya, this is my little sister, Alice," Nero said, shrugging off the heavy armor plating she wore with visible relief.
"Little?" Alice huffed, puffing out her chest. "I'm sixteen years old! I deserve some respect."
"Oh really?" Nero laughed as she stluggled to remove her metal boots. "Damn, I hate these things."
Saya couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. For all her strength and confidence, Nero looked utterly defeated by her stubborn armor.
"And Saya will be staying with us from now on," Nero added nonchalantly as she finally freed herself from the last boot.
"Wait, what?" Saya blurted out. "I didn't agree to that!"
Nero raised an eyebrow, giving her a knowing look. "Do you have anywhere else to go?"
Saya opened her mouth to argue, but nothing came out. "Well played," she muttered in defeat.
"Alice," Nero called from the floor, still catching her breath.
"Yeah?" Alice responded, already setting up a tray of dishes.
"Saya will be trying out for Sutera Academy."
"Sutera Academy?" Saya asked, looking between the two sisters.
"It's a school for fighters," Alice said, placing the dishes on the table with practiced ease.
Saya blinked. She hadn't even noticed Alice leaving the room, let alone preparing food. "When did you…?"
"You must be tired," Alice smiled, pushing a plate toward her. "Come on, let's eat. I'll show you to your room afterward."
Nero, noticing the dishes, sighed. "Sumyrr was here, wasn't she?"
"Yeah," Alice nodded. "She said she needed to talk to you about something. She wouldn't tell me what, though."