Hard times don't create heroes. It is during the hard times when the 'hero' within us is revealed or not.
My old teachers and noble shit fellow students had been wrong about me. In the twenty-five years since that place, I have risen like a star in the sky never dimming, learning more and more from the tutor I had been placed with after that 'school.' A tutor who had eventually become both my mentor and close friend. He was extremely arrogant, but that arrogance was well-earned from being an outstanding genius. Yet despite all this arrogance, he quickly recognized my own intellect and nurtured it after I became his student.
Under his tutelage and guidance, we both rose quickly in our shared patron's service, producing miracle after miracle for them and defying our naysayers who claimed we couldn't do what was asked of us.
As we presented the latest project to the representative who would check in on us the unassuming man looked at it before he smiled wide and said that our patron would like to speak with us both personally. That declaration made my year, as I had never met our patron before, and my mentor had only met them twice. The shock was quickly broken when the representative gestured to follow. We did and were led out of our current lab and out into the hallway before the man said we could return later to pick up our stuff. He led us through dozens of narrow hallways that twisted and turned as we moved through them. These hallways eventually began to go downwards into the earth, and with each step down, my excitement grew increasingly greater, as did my mentor's.
The journey downward continued through more and more hallways and seemed to last hours before we finally reached a hallway with only a single steel door at the end. On that door, an unknown word was scrawled across it in big red letters.
When the three of us reached the door, the representative put his finger on a pad. The door made a slight hissing sound as it opened. The three of us stepped into the darkened room, and just as the door began closing behind us, the lights in the room all flicked on at once.
That light shining reluctantly made me open my exhausted eyes and glance around a mostly lit room. There was only two people in bed with me, one of whom was Kuroka, in cat form on her back, sleeping for once on the stomach of someone other than me. That person was Rias, who was snoozing away with her red hair splayed out across her pillow. The two kept snoring in almost unison as I crept out of bed towards the bathroom.
The steam rose around me as the hot water fell across my body, relaxing my sleep-stiff muscles. I was so exhausted from the night before that I left myself under the glorious heat to relax. That relaxing continued until cool air reached my back making me slightly shiver. My head was about to turn to that when I felt four things rub up against my back. That made me still for a moment before long red and black hair fell over my shoulders. Then, two heads rested there before two sets of lips kissed me on either side of my neck before a tired, lusty chuckle came from my left.
"Looks like we are lucky with our heroic man like Kiryuu-chan told us Red nya~."
Kuroka's head gazed down my front while her two tails wrapped around my waist. Rias's voice came from the right, and she too looked down.
"We are lucky with our hero for many better reasons than that, Roka, though that does help~."
Hands and tails around my waist give me a slight squeeze before the two cuddled into my back. The three of us stood silently under the water for a moment before I recovered from my shock and asked them in amusement.
"Xenovia gave you both this idea, didn't she?"
Rias and Kuroka didn't answer that and only kissed my neck again together. I moved my arms behind the two and pulled them closer.
"I should be mad at this, but I'm not. I was going to start inviting everyone in after the peace conference tomorrow."
Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Rias and Kuroka's surprised looks turn to understanding ones before I continue in a quiet voice.
"I was also thinking of perhaps taking a mini vacation with all of us at the house in Vancouver in a few weeks. Would you and the others want..."
I didn't get to finish that before both of them attacked me. Rias drew me in for a deep kiss that almost as soon as it was over was continued by Kuroka. When that ended, I was in a mini haze before Rias answered.
"We would love to be there with you Greg as would the others~."
Kuroka's voice came a moment later, and she was now fully awake.
"A weekend vacation with an ultra-sexy mate is just what I need nya~."
I chuckle at that as a wide smile crosses my face.
"Then it's a date. I also have some good news for you both. I will be doing my first episode for my DevilTube channel this weekend. My partner and I have made a plan that works well for both of us for the first few episodes."
It gave Koriel space for the reader while I could do the basics of the setting and maintain our story. The news got excited gasps before they began to ask me about the episode excitedly. That only got them a secret smirk, but their questions helped us cross this barrier of our relationship as the steam rose.
Twenty minutes later Kuroka and Rias were still pestering me about the episode as we entered the kitchen. We found Neri serving food to Hana on the island, though the kitsune's nine tails flicked about behind her chair in agitation. Meanwhile on the other side of the kitchen, Raynare and Ravel were talking to each other in whispers near the fridge. Whatever Raynare was saying to Ravel made the blonde have a deep frown that quickly disappeared when she caught sight of the three of us. Raynare spoke a final word that put another deeper frown on her face.
"We will talk about this later."
Raynare gave Ravel a hopeful look before she got up from the table and exited the kitchen. Ravel watched her go before she looked at the three of us.
"Good morning."
My eyes looked at her in worry hearing that tense greeting.
"Morning Ravel. What…"
Ravel cut me off.
"It's nothing."
Her quick response and the nasty look that appeared on her face made me stop my question. Ravel got ready to say something only for Rias to exclaim in knucklehead excitement.
"Guess what, Ravel! Greg is going to put a video up on his channel soon!"
The sudden loud noise spooked Hana who jumped. Rias immediately saw that and said in a softer voice.
"Sorry, Hana-chan."
Hana turned and looked at the four of us. The illusion for her glasses was up again, and her yellow eyes looked at Rias before a small smile crossed her face.
"It's alright, Rias-chan."
Her yellow eyes then fell on me before she grew very worried.
"Good morning, Gregor-san."
Something big was troubling her and seeing that I moved to the island.
"Good morning, Hana-san. Is something the matter?"
Hana looked at me for a second and seemed reluctant to speak
about whatever this was. Seeing that Kuroka and Rias looked at each other before going to get plates of food giving us some space as I reached the island. Hana blushed for a second, looking down at the granite counter before her face returned to mine and asked in a near whisper.
"Can we please talk? Alone"
Her voice there told me this trouble was serious.
"Of course."
Hana looked incredibly relieved and quickly got up from the island chair before she started moving out of the kitchen and towards the staircase. Kuroka, Rias, and Ravel gave me worried looks as I followed Hana out of the room.
Hana led me up the stairs and briskly towards her room, her tails wagging in agitation. They only started to calm down when Hana quickly opened the door to her bedroom and entered it, with me following behind. No sooner was I in the room than Hana shut the door and cast a spell on it before she turned to me, and her face showed how worried she was.
"Mother told me that she would like to speak with you."
Hana quickly approached one of the dresser drawers and withdrew a long roll of paper and scissors. She promptly cut a semi-big strand of what I recognized as washi, placed the rest of the roll on the dresser, and then spoke two words in Japanese.
"Setsuzoku suru."
The paper flew out of her hands and started sizzling as it settled before me. Then, it began to burn, with the ashes floating in the air, making a circle. Then the ashes lit up and burned again before it seemed to open a hole. Yasaka's face appeared at the other end of the hole when the ashes settled. Yasaka was dressed in an orange-yellow traditional Japanese noble dress with a circlet on her head with a topaz in the middle. Upon seeing me Yasaka got a relieved face.
"Gregor-kun."
Despite the warmth, Yasaka's eyes told a different story, which was echoed in Hana's face as she approached the front of the hole standing next to me.
"Yasaka-sama, this is a surprise what…."
Yasaka raised a hand at that before a small teasing smile crossed her face.
"No need for formalities here, Gregor-kun. We will be family soon, and I am alone on my end."
The smile was directed at Hana, who blushed red next to me before recovering a bit. Yasaka kept that smile for a moment longer before she grew serious.
"As for why I am reaching out to you, it is because of a problem that happened less than ten minutes ago."
A nagging feeling came over me before my eyebrows returned to normal.
"What happened?"
Yasaka looked directly into my eyes now.
"Something I believe might be connected to your warning about my palace's wards."
My face also grew serious as Yasaka continued.
"I had my champion backtrack on how that happened and quickly discovered something disturbing. He found a tiger youkai who saw something strange the night before our meeting. They spotted a tengu with another person next to them who wore a cloak covering their body. They moved to the statue that held the wardstone and then quickly moved away from it back towards the direction of an entry portal close to my palace. There are three of those, and after triple-checking with each one, my champion found one that had multiple unregistered entries."
My red eyes were squarely on Yasaka's yellow now.
"The portal guard there was arrested and then, after a bit of interrogation, confessed to helping a large group of humans with sacred gear enter the city the day of our meeting. No sooner was that information extracted from him than a group of ten humans stormed through that portal and killed the new guard there."
Yasaka's face was filled with genuine worry as she continued.
"These humans charged into a building nearby and then grabbed ten people before dragging them out of the building to use as hostages. Despite our best efforts, they disappeared through the portal into regular Kyoto with them."
The worry was now also on Hana's face as I asked calmly.
"Were you able to track where these humans went?"
Yasaka gave a nod as her face grew even more worried.
"It was hard to do, but yes, we were. The humans took them to an abandoned bank in one of Kyoto's mostly empty southern suburbs. Please, help us the only other ward breaker I know is in northern Japan, and will take three hours to find. I will give you..."
I quickly cut her off.
"Don't offer anything. Just tell me where they are so I can rescue them."
Yasaka's face looked at me, stumped momentarily, before a small, genuine smile of relief appeared.
"Thank you, Gregor-kun. We tracked them here."
She rattled off an address that I typed into Maps. When I saw the place, I sent a message to Issari but didn't receive an answer. Despite that, I reassured Yasaka.
"I'll get moving as fast as possible and get your people home safely."
Yasaka gave me a look of gratitude while still wearing that smile.
"You truly are the hero the Shinto say you are. Er-Kyoto and I will forever be in your debt."
That made me shake my head.
"I'm only a hero sometimes. As for being in debt, I don't want that. As you say, if we will be family, maybe you can help me with something instead."
Yasaka's right fox ear twitched for a moment behind her circlet.
"Help with what exactly?"
I finally got a buzz on my phone with a message asking what I wanted. While sending a message back to Issari, I asked.
"Do you know of anything magically significant with the name Nanki? I recently came across the term, and still being newish to the supernatural world I don't know what it could be."
Yasaka frowned for a moment as she thought long and hard.
"I don't know anything of that term off the top of my head."
That put a slight damper on my spirit before Yasaka continued.
"I will search the libraries here in my palace to see if I can find anything about this. You can't give me anything else about it to help me?"
I sighed as it seemed fate hated me.
"I can't say for sure, other than to guess it might be something in Asia. I know it's not much. When I have rescued the hostages, I'll bring them to Er-Kyoto through the portal on the temple island."
Yasaka took that information before she wrote on something out of sight and then looked up again.
"I'll inform the guard there to close the shop, and when I find something, I will have Hana get you. Thank you again, Gregor-kun."
I gave Yasaka a small smile which she returned before raising her hand.
"Chikai."
The ash that made up the hole was suddenly sucked into it, hissing before the hole closed as if it had never been there. I looked at where it had been before turning to my left, where Hana was. The younger kitsune looked at me with wide eyes of admiration and the beginning of something else as I got an apologetic look.
"I'm so sorry, Hana-san. I was planning on spending most of today with you."
Hana, it seems wasn't offended. Instead, her gold eyes now have a hint of stars in them as she looks at me.
"I understand. This just proves you are a true, noble hero like the ones in the stories."
The stars were getting bigger before my phone beeped and I get ready for combat.
"I got to go Hana-san however, when I'm finished with this and a few other things we can try and go out tonight for a date of your choice just the two of us."
The promise broke Hana from her gaze at me as a beautiful smile and blush crossed her face.
"I would love that Gregor-san."
Her nine red-orange fox tails fluffed up in excitement as soon as she said that. The sight was cute, and as I looked at her, I had an intrusive thought about what it would be like to pet those tails before my phone buzzed again more insistently. I turned from Hana and began walking out of the room and just as my hand touched the doorknob Hana called out.
"Please be safe, Gregor-san."
I turned back to face her and gave a small smile.
"I always try to be Hana-san."
With that said, I opened the door and stepped out of her room. Ten minutes later, after quickly explaining the situation to a worried Rias, Kuroka, and Ravel, my queen followed after a silent discussion with the others. We were soon fully kitted up, walking off the teleporter pad power walking through Olympus Mons's command center toward the briefing room where Issari's message said the Kill Team was gathering. As Kuroka and I turned down the hallway to where these rooms were, a door opened from another room slightly to show Jeanne holding a phone. She was gazing at the screen with a slightly red face and a blood droplet coming from her nose. That soon disappeared upon catching sight of us.
"Boss, Bad Cat."
Jeanne sweated momentarily and tried to hide her phone failing badly in her haste allowing us to glimpse what was on the screen. It was a very heroic-looking Issari in her armor, winking while posing with her thunder hammer. Kuroka got ready to tease Jeanne before I looked through the door crack to see Carlos and Marie standing behind a metal desk, showing off a floating servo skull to the gathered group of ranger recruits and Abe. I turned back to Jean, who looked ready to make an excuse before I interrupted her.
"Just getting started?"
Jean quickly nods her head while slyly putting her phone in her pocket.
"We are about to, yes. We were just waiting for two brand new recruits from the European base to arrive."
My eyes fell on Abe, who was watching the skull closely. Again, I felt a strange feeling run up my spine before turning back to Jeanne.
"You showed them how the skulls work yet?"
When Jeanne shook her head no, I decided to kill two birds with one las gun.
"You can do a live demonstration for them. Does Grigori have an introductory book on gear?"
Jeanne blinked at that owlishly.
"They do have one. What is it you… Is it them?"
Her blue eyes were now entirely on my red ones.
"I don't know, but I suspect it might be."
I lower my voice to a whisper.
"They in the other place including you attacked Lady Yasaka's palace. Last Saturday during my visit to it in Er-Kyoto for political reasons, I discovered the ward scheme to the palace was one step away from falling apart. I informed Yasaka of that, and it was fixed, but less than fifteen minutes ago, multiple humans with sacred gear stormed into Er-Kyoto and grabbed hostages before retreating to a building in Kyoto's suburbs. I need to know what we might face if it is them."
Jeanne's face grew dark.
"Which room?"
I told her eight before Jeanne turned and said over her shoulder.
"I will be there as soon as I can."
She ran up the hallway quickly leaving a smoke trail before turning the corner. Kuroka and I watched her disappear before turning and moving down the hallway again toward room eight. Inside the room, we found the ten members of Kill Team Cerberus waiting in a circle, all geared up and ready to go. The team turned to us as we made our way over to them before the explanation began. As the explanation continued, several of the kill team's faces turned troubled. When it came to an end, I asked the team.
"Any questions while we wait for someone?"
The team looked at each other for a few moments before the Cajun woman spoke with her twang out in full force.
"Wed be savin youkai."
It was a statement, not a question.
"That is correct. Is this an objection to helping?"
My tone wasn't accusatory, but the American and several others looked at each other before she spoke again.
"De abuse humans like all supernaturals do. De killed mercilessly many of our comrades when we were in Grigori. Why should we help dem when dey do the same thing to us?"
Several other team members murmured in agreement, while others remained silent. Kuroka said nothing, though she stood beside me in silent support as my eyes fell on the team in understanding.
"I won't order you to do this if this bothers you. This mission is volunteers only, and no one will be punished for refusing."
The silence lingered before the American got ready to say something only for Albert to interrupt them.
"I vill help."
The nine others turned to the Bavarian in surprise, and out of the corner of my eyes, I could see Albert clutching his gun's barrel hard.
"Who cares if ze people ve are rescuing are youkai or human? Could you condone grabbing random people off ze street and holding zhem hostage to potentially kill later? I can't."
The rest of the kill team looked at Albert as he continued.
"My mother vas pulled from our home by the supernatural, held hostage zhen murdered by zhem. Having experienced zhat and seen vhat it did to my family and myself, I vont sit back and allow it in kind to zhem or it vill never end."
The others looked at Albert in shock while I gave the Bavarian a deep look of respect. Albert then put his hand out in the beginning of an Oath of Moment. The others glanced at guns or swords before another man who had been silent put his hand on Albert's.
"For my little girl."
Then he put his hand on Albert's, and that seemed to break the damn as another man put his hand out determined.
"For my brother."
Then, one by one, the other team members put hands out on the pile and said who for them. As they did this, I explained to Kuroka about the oath finishing just as the second-to-last person put their hand on the pile, leaving only the Cajun. She had been silently watching this while holding her gun hard. I got ready to tell her she was free to go but stopped when she hugged her gun hard.
"I will help for Guidry my little boy who was all I had. I'm sorry, Gui."
Guidry must have said something to her from the gun as a wet smile crossed her face as she put her hand on the others. The ten kill team members got ready to gather their emotions only to be surprised as I put my hand on theirs.
"For my mother who was taken from me by humans in the supernatural."
I left the words unspoken for Alex as he and Nomie watched me here. The team didn't know what to say before Kuroka put her hand on mine.
"For my Pappy and Mam who were taken from my sister and me by devils nya. And for my aunt taken by fallen."
The team glanced at Kuroka and then me, their faces softening for a moment before we all started, gathering up all our emotions before the twelve of us, as one said.
"For you."
Energy poured out of us and up to the Machine God before my share of energy hit me feeling like I had popped six energy drinks. The team, Kuroka and I broke apart just as the briefing room door opened, showing Jeanne. The blonde approached us, holding what looked like an old store catalog. As she came our way, the ranger recruits quickly piled into the room confused before taking a seat, and while they did that, Jeanne put the book on the table.
The words "What You Will Likely See Concerning Sacred Gear" was on its cover, and Jeanne opened it to the first page before looking at us.
"This is the training manual they give to the gear retrieval teams at Grigori, which I was going to join."
Jeanne quickly flipped three pages before showing one with three people showing off gear I was familiar with before Jeanne spoke to the now huddled-together team.
"A common misconception about sacred gear is that there are hundreds of different types of it. The truth is only 50 to 75 gear classes are active at any point on Earth, and those here are the most effective at protecting humans. According to Azazel, who made this, the most common melee gears you will encounter are blade blacksmith, which makes ghost swords; twice critical, which doubles the damage an attack would deal; and flame shake, which coats melee weapons in fire."
The team and I listened before she pointed at the second page, where two figures stood, two with blue or green bows in their hands and quivers on their backs.
"The most common ranged gears are staring blue and green. They make holy arrows, and Azazel theorized they are so common because of how effective they are against devils, fallen angels, and several other types of supernatural beings."
I raised an eyebrow there.
"What about defensive or support gears?" Jeanne flipped the handbook page and pointed at the picture of two figures on the left of the page, one holding a pitch-black tower-style shield and the other of a human with sleek silver skin.
"The most common defense gears are Obsidian Aegis, which makes a very sturdy shield in front of its user, and Steel Skin, which increases the user's durability. Obsidian is much more common than Steel Skin as that only started showing up a decade ago replacing an old gear that was no longer effective."
She then pointed at the other page, where two figures stood, each holding a musical instrument.
"As for support gears, that would be Griffin's Trumpet and Eagle's Harp. The first raises the morale of people around the user, and the second eases their fatigue. Azazel thinks these two gears in particular, were made because Heaven was going to start including gear users in their armies for the Great War as it started to be pushed back by the Original Satans in the later stages. If you see either of those gears, they are priority targets."
The team and I took that in before Jeanne handed me the manual.
"There are also all of the more uncommon gears and several of the more exotic ones in there but not all as the system for gear according to Azazel makes one to three new ones while phasing out less effective gears every decade."
I quickly take the manual and throw it in a pocket spell to give to Issari later before Jeanne turns to the ranger recruits just as Abe, Carlos, and Marie enter the class with the servo skull and the pad for it. Carlos gave Jeanne the pad before she gestured to the ranger recruits to gather around her. While they did that, I gathered magic in my right hand and opened a portal close to the building in a nearby alleyway beside one of the side entrances to the bank lobby. Jeanne moved the skull through the portal, which was followed quickly by the team and me as we donned helms before the portal closed.
Inside the alleyway, the team and I watched on our HUDS as the skull sat on a light fixture broadcasting the inside of this building to us. Inside the bank's vault at the back of the building were ten figures, two of which looked young teen-sized bound together. All ten were bound by rope of some kind all on their knees. In a room next door to the vault, a person was typing on a laptop while lounging about in two rooms at the front and back of the hallway in break rooms were more foes. The final skull scan pings counting out thirty-five enemies. As Albert and I looked at the building layout, it became apparent that the group inside had fortified the single hallway from the lobby to the vault with a zigzag pattern of barricades that would make this building hell. Seeing that fact and one person inside entering the vault and then slapping one of the hostages hard makes me give an order to the team over the vox.
"The main objective is getting the hostages out alive. Everything else is secondary."
That got nods from the team before they started doing last-minute checks on guns while Kuroka and I approached the edge of the ward scheme. Kuroka and I follow the edge searching for a stone till finding one at the edge of the alley, hidden beneath a pile of trash. Magic flows from my hand and into the stone, making it pop out before I get ready to break it. Only for a frown to cross my face as I realized the stone maker had left very few cracks here.
It took five minutes of both of us wiggling tendrils of magic deep into the few cracks in the stone and then expanding them. There was a loud snap before the scheme began breaking down as we returned to the others. The team clustered into two groups of five on either side of the door guns ready before I moved the mechadendrite with the las cannon before firing.
The red beam flew into the door and sent it flying before it landed with a loud and resounding crash in the center of the lobby. We had barely crossed the doorway and taken a few steps in when a group of seven people came speeding around a corner close to the counter where tellers used to be. The figures, four men and three women all in their late teens or early twenties came to a screeching halt when they saw us. The seven were dressed in various types of clothes and on their heads was a military helmet complete with a radio headset while covering their chests, arms, and legs was military body armor with a patch displaying a white shield with a gold H in the center of it.
Each of them also carried a steel cutlass, and the group stared at us for a few seconds in confusion before one saw Kuroka's armored tails. The sight made the young man clench his hand making a green bow appear before he shouted to his comrades.
"The youkai somehow found us!"
No sooner was that screamed than an arrow, formed as the bow string was drawn back with skill and then released flying quickly across the lobby, sizzling with holy energy. The projectile quickly making us dodge for cover behind a half-wall nearby. The arrow slammed into the wall and poked through it before I peered over the wall. The archer was not the only one to have summoned gear as another arrow this time blue flew aimed for my eyes. That sent me back into cover and thankfully the servo skull outside showed us what was happening. Three black shields were now formed in a wall covering their users behind them entirely along with two archers and two blade blacksmith users holding ghost swords. Seeing that I called out to the team over the vox as the enemy got ready to advance.
"I'll make an opening. Get ready."
The team waited before I glanced over the wall once more and quickly lined up a shot before firing. The bolt flies and slams into the centermost shield, drilling through its center and into its user. He popped, showering his comrades in gore and making the arrow barrage behind them stop for a moment before a las shot from beside me came and hit a now-revealed man holding a ghost sword.
The shot blew off his right arm holding the sword making him scream before a second shot silenced him as his body hit the floor. At that moment, the rest of the team and Kuroka opened with their own attacks as more las shots and two fireballs were thrown. The fireballs were heading for another man but bounced off a newly reformed shield as the two remaining users clumped back together filling the hole. The fireballs did make the shield person, taking them stumble for a moment as the shield cracks then reforms.
It was then the las shots following the fire balls did something surprising. They hit the shields cracking them again before returning to normal just as the arrow barrage starts again with the arrows coming through small gaps in the shield wall. Seeing that Albert called out to the team as he and the others duck back into cover.
"Overcharge shots."
Switches flicked to that setting just as the blaring sound of a trumpet is heard along with more boots. I peeked my head over the wall and again almost took an arrow to the head as it whizzed past me, but I saw something more concerning. Three more black shields joined the first two in the wall, and behind them, the sound of more arrows being nocked and the gleaming of more ghost swords was seen as a person arrived at the back of the formation. Then the trumpet came again loudly echoing behind the shield wall as our foes cried out.
"For those in ignorance and they we cherished!"
The shield wall and those behind it moved forward as more arrows flew through its gaps. The arrows sent me back into cover, and Albert again called out as the wall drew closer.
"Focus fire two shots per shield."
As the sound of boots drew closer before I told Kuroka.
"Get the trumpet player. I'll deal with the melee people."
My queen began gathering magic before I holstered the boltgun and drew Mimic. The longsword immediately changed into a chain axe, and then Albert shouted.
"Now!"
I jumped from cover over the arrow-ridden wall, propelled forward by the energy from the Oath, and made Mimic roar to life, getting ready to sprint. The sound of the roar and teeth spinning stopped the advancing shield wall and archers long enough for Albert and another person to pop up from cover and fire as one. The las shots flew past and into the shield in front of me as it absorbed the first shot cracking them badly before the second shot made them explode into pieces. The enemy were astonished by this before I kick my servo motors into high gear sprinting quickly across the small distance before I brought Mimic down on the shield user in front of me who was now trying to draw the well-made steel cutlass from his side.
Mimic ripped off the man's arm making the cutlass fall to the ground with a clang spilling blood across the floor as the man screamed before another las shot hit him in the stomach making him collapse. I sprint towards the next person behind them, a blade blacksmith user with more las fire coming around me. The sounds of more shields cracking and then breaking before bodies tumble to the floor were barely heard over the roar of Mimic as the woman before me with black hair from the Middle East brought up her ghost blade with trained skill. It wasn't fast enough to stop my swing as I took her head off before descending on the next swordsman. He managed to block my first swing, but the roaring teeth on the axe and the sight of my previous two kills made the man piss himself and back up, making an opening for me as I swung again and disemboweled him.
His guts spilled out before two more swings claimed two archers who tried to use their bows to stop Mimic as the teeth break the bows in half before chewing through their users. The sight of their bodies falling along with something behind me made the final melee people and the man holding the trumpet flinch badly before they sprinted back towards the hallway to the vault with the single woman of the trio screaming into her headset.
"Kil…"
It was then a las shot blew off her head making the body fall to the floor joined by a second shot claiming the other blade blacksmith user followed by the trumpetier as an ice bolt drilled through his heart. I heard a whimper before I turned to see a wounded shield user being put out of his misery by a las shot as Cerberus and Kuroka moved forward to join me. We continued towards the hallway and reached the entrance just as a flock of blue and green arrows flew toward us. I jumped into cover along with the others, and a tiny glance around the corner showed that at the makeshift barricades up the hallway were more archers, shield users, and ghost swords in hands. At one barricade, a trio of people held cutlasses in gauntlets similar to Issari's but with a bronze color and purple gems. My glance almost cost me as a green arrow came my way, aimed for my left eye, and it was barely dodged. That was followed by another trumpet blowing before the thudding of boots was heard.
A glance around the corner showed three black shields pushing down the hallway with several archers behind them firing arrows through the gaps. Albert and I glanced at each other from either side of the hallway entrance before I got the bolter ready while he and three others raised their las guns. Kuroka started gathering magic, and then as one, we moved. Ice suddenly formed on the floor a second before the shield users and their allies behind them making them slip and slide before the bolter and four las shots were fired.
The bolt round drilled through the center shield and its user making a shower of gore while the four las shot blew up the shields showing their users, two blade blacksmiths and two twice critical with cutlasses behind them. Almost immediately las guns get ready to fire only for a loud trumpet to be heard before the two twice critical and blade blacksmith users holding ghost swords charged forward toward us. A bolt popped the first twice critical while las fire claimed the two blade blacksmith foes but the second twice critical reached us and brought his cutlass down on one of the team as his bronze gauntlet's purple gem flashed. The sword made contact with a breastplate and left a somewhat deep and bright white line down the carapace. That dumbfounded the young man before a las shot carved through his stomach leaving a hole as he fell to the floor.
The melee people had bought time for the two black shields to reform only for one to be immediately popped by another bolt making the final one fall back while two las shots break their shield before a fireball from Kuroka cooked him. The remaining fourteen foes further up the hall were dismayed and horrified by their comrades' failed charge. Several of them grew ready to flee, only for the trumpet to sound again, which stiffened their resolve once more. The arrow barrage started again, and thus we began a slow zigzag up the hall, taking cover behind barricades.
The arrows slowed our push, but counter-fire soon claimed two archers, all but one of the shield users and the final twice critical user, leaving just nine mostly archers foes. They started to fall back to the trumpet player who it seemed was the commander and they lost two in that retreat. That trumpetier was hiding behind a steel desk with the last shield user and two archers who were twins. When we reached two-thirds of the way up the hall, the twenty-two-year-old South American woman popped her head over her cover to see that. The sight made her grip her ivory trumpet hard before screaming out to the archers near her.
"Use the guns!"
The twins, a brother and sister, holding a blue and green bow, despawned them before quickly unslinging something that stopped our advance dead in its tracks. The two guns now aimed at us were a familiar blocky design, and their sight made the fire stop, allowing the remaining three archers to run as the twin guns powered up and fired.
However, they each did something different. One whined and blew up in its user's hands, taking them off entirely making her scream in agony. The other let loose a weak snap-hiss, making a red light fly. It hit a desk shielding a kill team member and scorched it slightly. A fireball ended the suffering of the handless woman while my voice called over the vox.
"Secure that weapon if possible."
A series of ayes rang out from the team as the las fire began again while two people drew chainswords and kicked them on. The roars made the remaining defenders quake as they advanced with las fire covering them. Despite the cover fire, several twangs were heard, and three arrows lodged themselves across the carapace of a melee person simultaneously. Seeing the arrows not killing their target the commander shouted at the shield user and the remaining gunner close to her.
"Kill the vermin in the vault now!"
The two men quickly turned, ready to run around the corner to where the vault lay, only for a bolt from me and a poison ball from Kuroka to come for the two. The shield user took the bolt in the back, popping them, spooking the trumpetier and gunner who both dropped to the floor behind cover, dodging the ball. I holstered my bolter and again drew Mimic, shifting the chainaxe to a power axe determined to capture that gun joining the two other melee people advancing on the remaining archers. The remaining twin attempted to get up, only for concentrated fireballs from Kuroka to keep him pinned. He tried again to bolt towards the top of the hall and this time a las shot and fireball came for him. The man dodged the las shot, but one forced him into the fireball's path. Just as it was about to hit him the trumpetier dodging another las shot had the ball slam into her throwing her against the t-shaped part of the hallway. The woman screamed for a few seconds before going still.
Seeing that sight, the remaining twin broke from cover, trying to run backward towards the vault. Multiple las shots were fired at him, but each of them missed as he dove from cover to cover. Seeing their comrade struggling and the ever-decreasing odds of winning this, the three remaining archers made a decision breaking from cover drawing their cutlasses then charging toward us shouting.
"Justice has now come!"
They slammed into me and the two others in a fury, clearly trying to buy their comrade time to do his grisly deed. The archer who engaged me was somewhat skilled at melee as he sliced and stabbed at my helmet visor determined to kill me. His swipes kept me busy, and over his shoulder I saw the gunner vaulting over a couch then duckin to avoid a las shot. I parry three more blows from the archer and then went ultra-aggressive as the man with the gun sprinted around the corner. His dot was moving towards the vault, and it was then that one of the melee people with me decapitated their foe before rushing forward as I got ready to quickly end my foe to help them
Mimic hummed on overdrive, and I brought it across the archer's waist cutting through the body armor, flesh, and spine. His body tumbled to the ground in half as I bolted forward joined a moment later by the other swordsman. We reached the corner and saw the foe standing in front of the open vault with the gun pointed at something inside as our third sprinted as fast as they could. I couldn't switch to my bolter or the other person to their las gun in time as the snap hiss was heard.
Only for a loud thud to happen as the sprinting skitarii jumped farther then they should have taking the red light in the chest. It slammed into them making the person gasp before being pushed into the vault and landing on the ground with a clunk. That action gave me enough time to throw a wind spell at the foe who was getting ready to fire again. The spell pushed them away from the vault entrance further down the hall staggering them before another snap hiss happened as the person next to me fired. The red light hit the foe in his stomach and carved a red hot hole through them. The man let out a groan before he collapsed to the ground dead as the gun clanked twice before going still. The hallway was silent momentarily before the skitarii inside the vault groaned, followed by several cries of relief as the other person and I rushed forward.
As soon as we came to the vault entrance, we found our person had landed in front of a sixteen-year-old nekomata with blonde hair. Besides her was a younger sister and a male nekomata who had a small bruise on his face and must have been their father. The other seven youkai in the vault were a mix of tengus and kitsunes with one tail, all looking at the skitarii who had taken the shot. I quickly flipped my helmet's front before kneeling next to the skitarii checking them to see if the las shot had breached their carapace. It hadn't, and the shot had only left a barely there scorch mark against the red. I sighed in relief before looking up at the hostages who flinched, seeing my face before I gave them a reassuring smile.
"It's ok. We are not with them and were sent by Lady Yasaka to save you. Did they hurt any of you?"
The ten youkai blinked before faces of relief appeared, and the male nekomata spoke.
"Just me. Everyone else is fine. Are they..."
His yellow eyes were on the kill team member in front of his daughters, and that was when they spoke.
"Im doin jus fine. Jus had de wind knocked out of me luns."
That got sighs of relief from everyone before I said to the skitarii next to me.
"Get that gun and then help the others do clean up."
The skitarii gave a nod before he turned and left the vault entrance. I relayed the second part over the vox while I helped the Cajun to a sitting position facing the hostages before she flipped up her own helm. I changed Mimic to a chain knife and moved to start cutting the hostages free of their ropes.
Twenty minutes later, Kuroka told me over the vox that the cleanup was almost done, and she was getting ready to head out and inform Yasaka of our success. That made me smile before reassuring the kitsunes and tengus again that there were no more foes in the building and that we would get them back to Er-Kyoto soon. However, despite most of my attention being on the seven youkai around me, I saw something amusing on the other side of the vault.
There, the Cajun was surrounded by the three nekomatas who had pulled her that way as soon as they were free of their rope. The nekomata teens looked up at the woman's face with star-filled eyes, continually asking questions to her while their father was gazing at the woman with something else growing stronger by the second. While answering the two teens, the Cajun had gotten a small wistful smile while looking intently at the male nekomata, specifically their tail. Just as I was about to reassure anparticularly shaken-up kitsune again Albert steps into the vault with his face plate up. The German had two guns slung on his shoulders, and a laptop under his right arm. He also smiled amused, seeing his teammate with the nekomatas before he saluted.
"Ve are good now Herr. Ve didn't find anything else in the building, save zis laptop, which is locked up tight."
I sighed in relief as I was all but certain this was the Hero Faction and was disturbed by their warcries and their possible philosophy. However, my bigger worries were that someone had somehow been able to build a lesser-quality lasgun, and Obsidian Aegis's effectiveness against regular power lasguns. Albert broke from my thought train as he offered me the computer and the gun before I threw them into a pocket spell. As the small hole shuts, I tell the man.
"Tell everyone to start making their way to us. I'll make a portal to the entrance to Er-Kyoto I know. When we get back to base get with Paula."
The kitsunes and tengus let out a sigh of relief as Albert quickly relayed that over the vox. Soon, all eight other kill team members were here before I gathered magic in my right hand and opened a portal to the gift shop on the temple island keeping it open as people filed through. The Cajun and the nekomatas went last, with the woman wearing a slight blush and the father looking gleeful about something. When they were through, I waited a moment longer before entering the portal and letting it close, missing the sound of another opening.
The moment I stepped into the gift shop, I found it empty except for a kitsune shrine maiden in a white kimono with one tail peeking out from it who it seemed, was waiting for me. Her face took on a two-second blush before she straightened up and gestured to the open portal entrance.
"Lady Yasaka is waiting for you on the other side, Chikatestu no eiyū-kun."
I gave her a polite smile before heading to the portal and stepping through it.
On the other end, I blinked in surprise when I saw no Yasaka or Kuroka there but rather the entire kill team with their face plates up waiting in the shop lobby. They all turned my way but before I could say anything the kitsune came through the portal with a smile before speaking.
"The Lady is outside the shop Chikatestu no eiyū-kun. She would like to speak with all of you and is waiting for you on the bridge to the city proper. I'll take you there."
The kitsune moved past us to the shop's door, opening it for us. The others hesitated for a moment before I shrugged and followed after her. The team, led by Albert, joined me, and we soon stepped out onto the temple island.
The island was completely deserted and silent other than the wind on tree leaves and the water gently rippling. The kitsune shrine maiden's tail started wagging in what looked like excitement as we drew closer to the bridge before we finally saw people. At the top of the crest was a smirking Kuroka next to a beaming Yasaka, Kunou, a happy Kiyomi, and the hostages next to them. The Kitsune shrine maiden led us up to them, and I was about to tell Yasaka there was no need to thank us when the kill team and I froze at the sight before us.
At the other end of the bridge, stretching across the street and back up the road, stood a massive crowd of youkai of all kinds and shapes, while at the bottom of the bridge stood multiple reporters and their camera crews looking up at Yasaka. Yasaka smiled wide at us with a hint of a teasing smile, and before I could say anything, she elegantly stood aside as her dress fluttered, allowing the crowd to see Kill Team Cerberus, Kuroka, and myself. The crowd stilled before Yasaka declared to the waiting crowd.
"I present to you all the Chikatesu no eiyū, his queen Kuroka Toujou, and his men from the Legio Solar that rescued the hostages taken from our city earlier this morning."
The crowd went completely silent when they heard this with the only sound around us being the water rippling in the lake. Yasaka smiled even wider as the cameras zoomed in on us intently before continuing.
"They who bravely risked their own lives to rescue our kidnapped people. Their actions today are those of Heroes and like last Saturday the Chikatesu no eiyū asked me for no boon for this deed."
The moment those words left Yasaka the crowd collectively gasped looking at us with pure shock before the word Heroes struck them. It was then that the ten pairs of eyes of the hostages turned our way, and their eyes showed, especially the trio of nekomatas, believed this totally. As did Yasaka, Kunou, and even Kiyomi as they looked at the stunned kill team, Kuroka, and me before Yasaka got a gentle smile.
"True heroes, for they all are not youkai yet despite that fact, they didn't hesitate to step up to rescue the hostages from their kidnappers."
The cameras zoomed in on us again before Yasaka turned once more to the crowd before saying extremely loudly and at the top of her lungs.
"Thus, do I decree that for this deed that these twelve people shall always be welcomed in our city and be forevermore known as the Heroes of Er-Kyoto!"
There was a second of stunned silence from us before the older nekomata teen let out a cheer before quickly being joined by her younger sister, their father, and then the other now calmed hostages. Kunou smiled wide then clapped and Kiyomi now looked at me in approval joining soon after and that set off the powder keg. Suddenly the crowd erupted into a hurricane of noise that seemed to engulf the world and rang off the city's buildings. The cheers grew even louder when Yasaka touched my armored shoulder and now they seemed to shake the very ground itself. The noise echoed in my ears making them ring and yet this was like something in a dream. The noise continued growing louder and louder before out of the corner of my ear, an ultra-soft voice that was loud enough to be heard over the cheering spoke.
"Beloved by All."
The voice was like all the queens mixed together and so very sweet, yet that utterance seemed to make the world and everything in it disappear except for it and the crowd's cheering. The possible title I always doubted deep down despite Xenovia's insistence that it would happen now seemed possible. I imagined more crowds chanting my name with that title in adoration for me nonstop this time across Earth. I bask in that amazing feeling getting ready to close my eyes only for a kiss to touch my neck. The shiver there made me blink away the dream crowds as I saw a smirking sexy Kuroka on my other shoulder. She nudged me gently, and it was then that I remembered the cameras. I quickly raised my hand and started waving followed by Kuroka and the still dumbfounded Kill Team as the cheers grew louder.
Now, inside the city of Er-Kyoto, everywhere there was a TV, this was the sight that greeted people as they quickly flipped on the devices, hearing their neighbors' exclamations. As the youkai watched this sight, there
was only one story on everyone's mind as feelings changed or grew.
In the older generations the sight and information presented had left many
of them in amazement learning this all but devil had asked for no boon twice
now apparently. Once could be dismissed easily but not twice. That made many of them now wonder if perhaps this hybrid truly was the noble hero they heard about through the rumor mills of the city over the weekend. One made from the most unlikely of beings who's once supposed heroism now seemed very real.
In the younger generations the rescue of the hostages was drawing the awe and
admiration of this hybrid to new levels. Admiration that began after the news
of his Saturday visit to Yasaka's palace broke. A trio of sleuths quickly dug
into this hybrid's past and found his ratings game video and the context of why
the game was played. The footage had been released on the younger generations' forums on Sunday before spreading like fire. A fire that grew again when a younger kitsune shrine maiden from the Temple of Amaterasu confirmed once and for all that this hybrid was indeed the Hero of the Subways. The confirmation and the game quickly led to the formation of a fan club, and now, younger youkai began gossiping intensely about something Yasaka had said. As the chatter behind the screens of those using the forums and watching TV grew, something began to play out behind one of them.
Inside a somewhat rundown building in the city, an eleven-year-old tengu girl with over a hundred similar-aged or younger orphans clustered around the old TV their minder had left unattended as she answered a cell phone. On the screen stood twelve larger-than-life figures, which included a youkai, all wearing strange but cool red armor and robes while a huge crowd cheered for them. The kids stared at
this sight in awe, especially at the person with green hair and red eyes next
to Lady Yasaka, smiling and waving at the crowd.
Almost as soon as the minder returned, the orphans swarmed her, begging her to tell them about the people on the screen. Seeing the excitement on the faces of the usually withdrawn and quiet kids of the orphanage made the swan youkai quickly hide her blush, looking at the group as she quickly began telling them what she knew about these people who were quickly becoming the children's heroes.
Hercules was sitting with Georg, Stanley, and Julie du Pont, Heiress of the famous du Ponts of the United States, at a U-shaped table, looking at a pissed Fredrick. He had a half hour earlier stormed into their meeting in a fury before telling them one of their bases in Japan had been attacked. Hercules immediately ordered one of his people to investigate that base. While that happened, Fredrick ranted and raved before finally the woman sent had returned. She moved past Fredrick then quickly whispered into Hercules's ears something that made his blood run cold before he told them to tell Cao Cao. She scrambled out of the room past Fredrick still ranting, and it was then Hercules saw Stanley's face go bone white as he looked at his laptop before he began flushing in rage. The American glared extremely hard at Fredrick shaking while Hercules peered at the screen. His eyes widened when he saw what was on it, and he also grew pissed. Despite his new rage, Hercules got ready to tell Stanley to calm down when Fredrick shouted at the top of his lungs.
"We need to find out who did this as they are getting in the way of heroes' work!"
That set off Stanley who gritted out.
"You weren't doing hero's work at that base Fredrick."
Fredrick turned his head and blue eyes to look at Stanley ready to protest only for Stanley to cut him off again.
"You forget I run and monitor our communication system. I have now seen the order you gave that base two hours ago. What was it again? Oh, right, it was: Let's give the humans of Japan 'justice.'"
The disgust in Stanley's voice as he said that and again before Fredrick could speak Stanley continued.
"That 'justice' was kidnapping ten youkai and getting ready to kill them horribly before returning their bodies. That's not justice or heroes' work!"
Fredrick glared at Stanly before snarling.
"They do it to us all the time, and it's long time we should start doing the same to them! Show them what it's like and how it feels!"
Hercules felt a tiny part of him agree with that sentiment for the many humans who also had that happen to them. Georg, Julie, and Stanley also felt that way from the tiny flashes on their faces. Yet that agreement was quickly quashed on Stanley's face as his anger returned worse than ever before. He was about to explode on Fredrick when the grey-haired young man continued.
"We need to get our people ready and attack that vermin city! When I find out whoever did this I will…"
That was when another voice spoke like a ghost in the night.
"You will do nothing, Fredrick."
Hercules, Stanley, Georg, Julie, and Fredrick looked to the door to see Cao Cao. The young man held the first Longinus in his right hand and its power spread into
the room, drowning out Georg's own Longinus. The pressure made Fredrick stop
his next rant and shake along with everyone else to various degrees. Cao Cao
stared down Fredrick as he sat at the table next to Georg and Hercules. Cao Cao
then broke his almost perfected mask of indifference and glared at Fredrick.
"You will do nothing. I know who did this."
Fredrick's now legendary rage rekindled for a moment before the first Longinus's power kicked bit up a notch making the other man whimper out.
"Who?"
Cao Cao lost his anger, and then, seeing Julie, Stanley, and Georg's faces echo that question, he finally admitted.
"The Chikatetsu no eiyū. He who is the Avenger of Ten Thousand Souls and a Hero of Japan."
The room stilled as Stanley grew even more pissed, with Hercules putting a hand on the other's shoulder to keep the other from jumping across the table to strangle Frederick. Georg swore loudly in German before quickly filling in a confused Julie, who hadn't been let in on the other hero yet as she was usually busy with her father in the States helping them. Cao Cao glared at Fredrick briefly before saying in his now returned calm voice.
"You are dismissed, Fredrick."
Despite his shaking, Fredrick was about to protest when the intensity of the first Longinus grew again. He began inching backward to the door and was about to leave when the pressure stopped as Cao Cao spoke.
"If you try anything against the Chikatetsu no eiyū, then I will drive this into you. Understand, Fredrick?"
Fredrick nodded rapidly before he fled the room. As soon as the door closed Cao Cao reigned in the pressure though hints of it still lingered in the air before Stanley spoke.
"We should throw him out of the faction and let the Chikatetsu no eiyū finish him off. Connla informed me yesterday that his cell has finally found a way to approach him. We can then replace Fredrick with someone who has proven yet again that he is actually a hero."
Cao Cao took that news before he made the first Longinus disappear from his hands. Georg spoke with a reluctant tone as he adjusted his glasses.
"Ve do that ve vill likely lose a good chunk of ze faction too as Fredrick is popular vith zem. Ve need everybody for ze next possible plan."
Cao Cao again sighed in reluctant agreement. Their first plan had been to capture Yasaka's palace in Er-Kyoto and then draw in Nilrem and the OSF with the promise of sharing the vast libraries of knowledge there. Both factions Stanley learned were frantically scrambling to collect as many magical artifacts and books as possible, though he hadn't learned why. Once both factions' leadership were there their best forces would have sprung their trap and kept collateral damage down in the regular world having forced the youkai out of the pocket dimension city using Yasaka and her family as hostages. While that was happening, the rest of the faction would have attacked every base they knew of for the OSF and Nilrem across the planet, before hunting down the unknown bases one by one. When that was done, they would turn their new battle-hardened army on the other threats in the supernatural world.
Yet this plan was now ruined, and they needed another good one. Stanley snapped back at Georg.
"We would lose them but instead have the Chikatetsu no eiyū's genius, his vastly more competent people, and his robots, which would be more than enough to compensate for their loss. I vote for."
The room fell silent as this was said, and then Julie, who had stayed quiet since learning about this unknown hero, spoke with her East Coast American accent showing.
"For Cao. Fredrick's sub-faction has cost us too much in terms of lost equipment since it formed. It is getting harder and more costly for my father to convince the US Military to 'forget' equipment on the regular for us."
Hercules didn't blame Stanley or Julie for that vote, nor did he blame Georg for his.
"Against. Ve vould also lose most of our scientific branch as somehow Fredrick convinced Al of his ideas and ze others look up to him. He was ze one who made ze prototype guns that were zere for testing. If ve lose him then ve will never be able to catch up to the Chikatetsu no eiyū's genius if he has become our enemy."
Cao Cao's face was blank as he took the votes, while Stanley and Julie, to a lesser extent, glared at Georg but said nothing. Cao Cao looked at Hercules, waiting for his vote as Hercules sighed.
"Against for a big reason."
Stanley and Julie glanced at Hercules while Cao Cao had his eyes on the demigod's face. Hercules looked at the three others of the inner circle saying regretfully.
"If we throw Fredrick and his people out now, we would almost certainly be creating a new monster to add to the supernatural's many others already. We taught them how to use their gear, and now having mastered it, they could very easily go on a rampage. At least here with us, we can mostly control and direct them toward the right things."
Cao Cao closed his eyes in contemplation and then nodded his head at the vote.
"Against. He stays."
Stanley glared at Hercules in frustration and respect, as that was hero thinking. Julie sighed but accepted the vote while Georg wasn't smug at this victory, nor was Hercules before Cao Cao looked at the German.
"Georg, have Al start on the prototypes again. We need them ready now more than ever."
Georg nodded before getting up from his chair and leaving the room. Julie got up to follow before Cao Cao said to her.
"We will need more gear as our next class of recruits is massive. If your father can't get it from the US, try Europe or Russia. Please."
Julie sighed but could do that much more easily thanks to her family's connections. The user of Staring Onyx got up and left while Stanley was fuming, and as soon as Julie was gone spoke.
"We risk losing a month's worth of work and more with him Cao. It will now be extremely hard to convince him of our goal if he believes that we are all like Fredrick."
Cao Cao didn't say anything for a moment before he nodded.
"It will be difficult you are right. Thus, we must prepare for both ways this could go."
Stanley blinked in surprise for a moment as Cao Cao continued.
"Part of the reason we are in this mess is because we let Fredrick have too much freedom on how he and his sub-faction operate. Stanley, you will watch their base messages closer. Report anything that might lead to another incident to me personally."
That made Stanley look at the first Longinus user as Cao Cao sighed.
"But should that not be enough, then this should. Start gathering everything we know about Fredrick's faction. That way, should we need to cut him and his people out, we can direct the Chikatetsu no eiyū and his people at them properly and minimize the damage they could do. We also need to try and get one of our people into his organization so we can properly counter him in case the wind blows against us fully."
That order calmed most of Stanley's rage.
"I will tell Connla and his cell to prepare and, if necessary, switch missions. That way, we won't waste all of their hard work."
Stanley was bitter over that now very real possibility. Cao Cao nodded in thanks, and Stanley took the silent dismissal. He rose from his chair and left the room,
leaving Hercules and Cao Cao alone. As soon as the door closed, Cao Cao
admitted quietly.
"Start preparing our contingent of the faction to face his people."
Hercules could hear the worry that was extremely well hidden in Cao Cao's voice. Out of all of them, he had been with Cao the longest and was the closest thing the other had to a friend. He stood up too and grunted.
"I will review his Ratings game video again to see if we missed anything."
Cao Cao nodded before Hercules grew serious and concerned.
"Do you think we might need to pull Leo out for him?"
That was an excellent question, Cao Cao thought before answering it.
"We might have to especially if we are to fight his army. Till then, let him rest."
Hercules took the answer before he left the room.
No sooner had the door closed, then Cao Cao put his head in his hands and let all his frustration and worry truly show. As his doubts returned, Cao Cao wondered if he had made the right call here. Yet, like always, when he wondered, he unconsciously reached for his shirt's right pocket and pulled out a photo.
It was old and worn, but three of the four faces on it were as clear as the last day he had seen them. As his beloved parents and older sister looked up at Cao Cao with wide smiles of love a certain siren song returned to him greater than ever before. It played in his mind for a few moments before Cao Cao made a choice.
He would take them just in case and do what he had sworn to do on their graves every year since his home burned. He would be the hero for them and the world like they always believed he could be again.
Fredrick was in a rage as he stormed down the halls of this old navy base that the Hero Faction had taken as their over here in Australia. He wanted to gather all his people and find where this so-called Avenger of Ten Thousand Souls was. This shit was interfering with their work and needed to pay for this humiliation and for his people at that base. He got ready to do that before he remembered Cao Cao's
threat to him. The first Longinus's pressure seemed to fill the hallway around
Fredrick, and it cooled some of the never-ending rage before his strategic mind
from his first life made a connection.
The one who had stopped their assault on the palace had been him. The shame of running there returned and then was magnified by the remembrance of the past at Kunersdorf, where he had run with his few remaining bodyguards from the Russians and Austrians as they searched for him from house to house. That long day's worth of overwhelming fear of being hunted and the possibility of being caught had stayed with him throughout his first life and now this one. That fear, he was beyond certain, was what all humans felt as they were abused by the supernatural.
His desire to make them never feel that fear like he had made him clench his fist and that brought out his sacred gear. He looked at the gauntlet for a moment before stopping abruptly. He suddenly remembered what was said to him before the retreat in Er-Kyoto.
"You would have beaten one of the new arrivals into the ground. He would have been no match for you."
Killian's confidence in him was like a lighter to the dimming flames of his rage. It reignited them and made him clench his gauntlet making the grey body and the emerald gem shine in the base's lighting before he began to make a plan for the Chikatetsu no eiyū.