"The train had arrived at Shinjuku Station"
An automated voice of the train, a sleek silver bullet, announced its arrival at Shinjuku, providing a serene contrast to the busy city outside.
Tetsu sensed the familiar lurch that marked their approach, the slight slowing down.
He was standing next to Reiji, both of them wearing plain civilian clothes, Tetsu in a dark hoodie and jeans and Reiji in a slightly more fashionable, loose-fitting jacket and dark pants.
Tetsu was aware that beneath the easygoing exterior, their Darkside Destroyer uniforms were concealed, a covert layer of cutting-edge defense.
A stream of commuters and tourists descended onto the platform as the doors hissed open.
Last to emerge were Tetsu and Reiji, who blended in perfectly.
Reiji was carrying a tactical suitcase that was disguised and unremarkable.
The hilt of a tech katana tucked away in a high-tech sheathing at Reiji's waist, concealed by the folds of his jacket.
Tetsu, on the other hand, had no extra equipment and his hands felt oddly empty.
He stared at the shining hilt of Reiji's sword.
"Where did you get that?" he inquired, his concentration broken by an unexpectedly intense jealousy. "It looks... awesome."
With a faint smirk on his lips, Reiji followed his gaze. "This sword? accessible through the 'Shopping' section of the app.
Tetsu muttered, "I saw them," recalling the bewildering assortment of advanced technology and weaponry on exhibit.
"But, even the least expensive one costs 100,000 P. That is beyond my means."
One hundred thousand points! He had just a thousand. It felt like a huge distance between him and a top-tier Destroyer.
With a knowing twinkle in his eye, Reiji remarked, "Ah, the P points grind."
"Don't worry, former newbie. The organization will let you order a weapon that is specially crafted – for free – once you reach Level 4."
Like a far-off spark, Tetsu felt a glimmer of motivation.
Free?
An exclusive weapon?
Even though the idea was alluring, he couldn't help but be drawn to Reiji's katana's strong, elegant lines.
His gaze lingered, and Reiji saw it. He said, "Alright, alright, eyes front, Destroyer," as his tone changed from lighthearted to grave.
"We should prioritize the mission over the merchandise. Later, you can go window shopping."
Tetsu shook off his brief diversion and nodded.
Reiji was correct. It wasn't a game.
Mio and Haruto.
His determination was strengthened by the mental image of their faces.
They made their way through Shinjuku's busy streets, where neon signs and contemporary skyscrapers stood in sharp contrast to the secret society they called home.
They eventually found themselves in front of the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden's grand entrance as the urban sprawl gave way to pockets of greenery.
In the middle of Tokyo's concrete jungle, the garden was a vast green lung and a haven of peace. Under a bright sky, lush lawns extended, interspersed with old, twisted trees and carefully tended flowerbeds that were a riot of color. Winding paths encouraged leisurely strolls, and ponds of still water reflected the tranquil surroundings.
There was a slight tension in the air despite the calm, a slight dissonance that only Tetsu, who was now aware of the hidden dangers, could sense.
Reiji paused and placed his tactical bag on a bench close by.
"All right," he said with a solemn tone, "it's time to get ready for the mission."
Is he removing something? Perhaps a gigantic sniper rifle or a super radar?
Tetsu looked on, anticipating advanced sensors, specialized combat gear, and possibly even a drone. Leaning forward, he waited for the unveiling of some advanced device.
Contrary to his expectation, Reiji opened the suitcase and pulled out... a picnic mat, a wicker picnic basket that smelled faintly of freshly baked goods, and a boater hat.
Reiji unfolded the mat onto a pristine patch of grass with a smooth, practiced motion. The basket was then carefully positioned in the middle, and he sat down on the mat with a flourish while adjusting the boater hat on his head. He appeared completely at ease, a picture of contented leisure.
Tetsu gazed in disbelief. With a surge of disbelief, he exclaimed, "Are you serious right now?! Is this a vacation or an important mission?!"
He raised his voice a little, almost whining.
"This was no Sunday afternoon walk—this was a hunt!"
Unflinching in his composure, Reiji raised a hand in conciliation.
"Whoa, whoa, calm down, former newbie."
"The only information we have about this anomaly is that it is located in the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. Its precise location, whether it targets civilians, and when it will strike are all unknown. It's a huge place. Therefore, waiting for this vast landscape to act first is a far better strategy than wasting energy searching it endlessly."
With a slight smile on his lips, he adjusted his hat.
"But it's much too late to wait for it to attack civilians!"
Tetsu shot back, growing irritated.
"What if it hurts someone before we even know?"
Reiji leaned back on his elbows and sighed.
"Tetsu, having fun is just as important as finishing a task."
Tetsu criticized, with a slight disbelief on his face.
"That advice would not make any commander happy."
Reiji gave a low, rumbling laugh.
"You're correct. Most people wouldn't."
"However, Ara… Commander Matsuzaka did."
He stopped, his eyes straying to the far-off trees, his dark eyes full of nostalgia.
"He accompanied me just like I'm accompanying you now, back when he was still active as a Destroyer, before he retired."
Tetsu nearly caught a glimpse of the flicker in Reiji's eyes—not the present, but a memory.
The smell of scorched earth and ozone crackled in the air. Leaner but no less fierce, seventeen-year-old Reiji cut through a swarm of insectoid humanoids with deadly precision, his blade a silver blur.
The air was filled with their chittering cries, but Reiji's face was a mask of focused ferocity, grim.
He was effective, cruel, but without joy.
Arata, who was younger at the time but had the same silver hair and sharp blue eyes, observed from a distance.
With a sigh and a slight smile, he exclaimed, "Reiji! Come here."
Without hesitation, Reiji left the remaining insects behind and ran to Arata, his movements hazy.
Arata said in a calm, almost scolding voice, "Don't do missions with such a grim facial expression."
Then, to Reiji's surprise, Arata advanced straight toward the biggest of the insect humanoids—a chitinous, towering monster that dwarfed the others.
The enormous claw-like hand snapped as the creature lunged.
Arata did not recoil.
Rather, a wide grin appeared on his face as he seized its claw and began wrestling with the giant.
They appeared to be equal at first, a haze of strength and chitin.
However, the creature was soon overwhelmed by Arata's unadulterated strength. He grunted one last time and stomped the ground, causing a shockwave that flung the insect monster back.
Its exoskeleton cracked as it slammed into a thick tree trunk, and the bark was painted with thick, viscous green blood.
With an unwavering smile, Arata turned back to face a stunned Reiji.
"Reiji, did you see it?"
The remaining insect humanoids stood oddly motionless, as if in amazement at their leader's loss, and the question lingered in the air.
"A face like this brings the best outcome in any mission," Arata went on.
"The important thing is to enjoy it."
Unable to speak, Reiji felt a quiet admiration blossom in his chest, a deep respect for the man who smiled while fighting.
Reiji's smirk vanished as his gaze returned to Tetsu in the present. He gave the picnic basket a tap.
"A mission is only deemed successful if you return with both achievement and satisfaction," as Arata used to say.
The insight into Reiji's past and Arata's unexpected philosophy left Tetsu speechless for a moment.
It was mind-boggling how daring it was to fight monsters with joy. However, a tiny smile appeared on his own lips.
He teased, "You know, the way you perceive Commander Arata's advice seems... excessively wrong."
But the comment was made without malice.
Anyways.
An inner voice whispered to Tetsu.
It's okay.
I don't have to be so tense. I can just consider this to be another typical get-together, similar to the times I spent with Haruto and Mio and my classmates.
Something tight in his chest was relaxed by the recollection of their easy companionship and laughter. Perhaps it served as a coping strategy, a means of normalizing the horrifying new reality.
A peculiar calmness descended upon him as he took a seat on the picnic mat.
He reached into the picnic basket and took out a glass bottle of mineral water and an energy bar with a chocolate flavor. With haste, he opened the energy bar and took a bite out of it.
"Hey!"
With wide eyes, Reiji objected.
"I love that flavor the most!"
Tetsu simply smiled while chewing reflectively.
"Reiji, you're too slow. Accept the loss."
He bit into it again. "By the way, who brings an energy bar to a picnic?"
Their jovial conversation was abruptly interrupted.
A distant shriek tore through the calm ambiance of the garden. Tetsu and Reiji both tensed up, their faces jerking to attention.
"That way!" Reiji, already standing, pointed to a sloping area and barked.
All picnic-related thoughts vanished as Tetsu charged forward.
The chocolate energy bar and the bottle of mineral water fell from his grasp, forgotten, as he went into "mission mode."
Unnoticed, the glass bottle started rolling down the mild incline and eventually vanished into the bushes.
After pushing through a dense bush, they arrived at the scene of the scream and discovered an unbelievable object.
A tree was in motion, its trunk twisted and gnarled like a tortured, hollow face.
A man, a fellow picnicker had been lifted into the air by its thick, sinuous roots, which resembled tentacles.
A woman and a small boy, who were probably his wife and son, stood motionless, horror and disbelief etched on their faces.
Tetsu was about to move when he heard a rustle in the nearby bushes, revealing more horrors: smaller, but no less dangerous, moving trees that had the same hollow, facial textures as the larger one.
Reiji started to stop them, but stopped to give Tetsu one last, crucial piece of advice.
"Hey, former newbie!"
"That mobile tree-like monster is E-097, a Level 1 Anomaly. Rootstrider."
He gestured toward the big, frightful tree that was containing the man.
"In rare instances, such as that large one, it may be classified as Level 2."
"The smaller ones will be handled by me. He's all yours, the big one."
Tetsu's jaw was fixed as he nodded. A fresh Level 2 anomaly. He felt the boy's frightened scream as he gripped his mother.
Desperately, the woman's eyes searched for assistance.
In spite of the confusion, Tetsu spoke firmly and swiftly tapped the woman's shoulder.
"Don't worry."
"Your husband will be all right."
Tetsu hurried toward the hideous tree at supersonic speed, enhanced by his Electrokinesis.
He appeared instantly on the monster's twisted head, moving so quickly that he appeared to blur. Without hesitation, Tetsu spun in midair and kicked it in the hollow face with a strong roundhouse kick.
Momentarily confused, the Rootstrider whirled, its tentacle-like roots releasing their hold.
Seizing the opportunity, Tetsu fired a series of concentrated electric bolts into the man's ensnaring thick roots, severing them with a crackling force.
Disoriented but free, the man fell to the ground.
"Go now! Run!"
Tetsu shouted and made frantic motions for the family to run. Still in shock, the family scurried off, vanishing into the far-off path.
However, a root that was larger, more resilient, and darker than the ones he had just cut swung out from behind.
Tetsu was yanked into the air and left hanging upside down as it coiled around his leg.
Glancing back, the boy saw Tetsu's situation and yelled, "Go, yellow-hair brother! You can do it!"
However, the tree monster became furious and reached out a number of roots in the boy's direction.
There was a flash of silver in the air before the roots had even reached him.
Unexpectedly, Reiji's katana cut through the roots in a single, incredibly quick arc, thwarting the monster's attack.
Tetsu thrashed against the root that held him, still suspended. "Need a hand?" Reiji yelled, already battling the advancing smaller Rootstriders.
"No! Pay attention to the little ones. Let me handle it."
Ignoring the discomfort of being inverted, Tetsu shouted back.
He stared at the huge Rootstrider that possessed him. He used his free leg to conjure electricity in an attempt to shock the ensnared root, but it was obviously unsuccessful.
The root hardly stirred.
"Former newbie, it won't work!"
With his katana performing a captivating dance of devastation against the smaller trees, Reiji shouted from the midst of his own whirling battle.
"Unlike plants on Earth, that one was built cellularly different! Most Anomalies, like this one, have adapted to the harsh environment on Veridia! They insulate electricity with a much thicker layer of lignin covering their roots! Only because those roots were immature, extremely weak, and unable to completely insulate the charge did your prior bolts work."
"The one that is currently holding you a fully matured one."
Despite the confusion, Reiji sighed with a note of admiration in his voice.
"Stubborn."
"But former newbie, you must defeat it."
Then he returned to his battle, leaving Tetsu on his own.
Tetsu gritted his teeth, disregarding Reiji's advice.
He pumped more energy into the shocks by raising the voltage of his Kinesis, repeatedly delivering electrical bursts into the stubborn root.
However, it was pointless.
Another mature root swept sideways from his left rear as he concentrated all of his energy on the entangling root, forming a silent but lethal arc.
Tetsu was utterly ignorant, too preoccupied with the root that held him. He felt a sharp pain as the new root struck his waist, sending him crashing into the earth.
The first root did not break free from his leg despite the impact.
Chaos erupted. Tetsu's mind was racing with panic.
Helpless, he was pinned.
His fingers brushed against something smooth and familiar as he reached out instinctively, blindly grasping for anything.
He drew it nearer until it was in his field of vision.
It was the bottle of mineral water that he had dropped.
He initially believed it to be useless and was ready to discard it.
But then his panicked mind was suddenly and sharply illuminated by an idea.
A number of other roots were pointing at him, poised to attack, as the root pulled him back into the air. He gripped the bottle tightly while staring at the stubborn root clamped around his leg.
Then he smashed the glass bottle against the root with a desperate burst of strength.
Reiji watched from a distance, long since past the wave of small Rootstriders.
It wouldn't work against that thing.
As he wiped away the last remnants He believed it to be an act of extreme desperation, a hopeless attempt.
Water spilled onto the root as the glass bottle broke.
Unintentionally, a large, jagged piece of glass—a shard from the broken bottle—flew towards Tetsu's face and cut a tiny, bleeding wound across his cheek
Tetsu, however, didn't flinch.
He directed the now-dampened root tissue with a powerful lightning bolt that he created in his hand by channeling the raw, crackling power of his Kinesis.
The root ignited this time.
Where the lightning struck the water-soaked lignin, a sudden, powerful explosion of flame caused the monstrous tree to shriek and flinch, instantly releasing Tetsu.
His strong shock had electrolyzed the water in the mineral bottle, converting it into highly flammable gases of hydrogen and oxygen. All three elements of the ignition triangle—fuel, oxygen, and heat—were satisfied when Tetsu's electric bolt supplied the required heat, leading to a successful ignition.
The creature was impervious to electricity, but it was obviously weak against fire.
The Rootstrider was scorched by the rapidly spreading flames, but as the hydrogen gas ran out, the fire weakened and eventually sputtered out.
The Rootstrider thrashed its roots wildly, enraged and singed. Tetsu recalled that his first kick had also appeared to be successful. Its main weakness, he quickly concluded, must be the trunk.
Lashing out in all directions, the Rootstrider unleashed a raging storm of roots.
Tetsu was a blur, moving with electrokinetic speed while dodging and weaving, his body a flickering phantom.
He launched himself into the air with a strong Kinesis surge, a golden streak hurtling toward the hideous tree. His boots dug into the rough bark of the Rootstrider's trunk as he landed with a solid thud.
Without hesitation, Tetsu coiled up and punched hard into the trunk's twisted, tree-like face.
A deep tremor shook the monster's enormous form, causing it to shudder violently.
"It works," Tetsu muttered, his face grimly satisfied.
Tetsu did not remain motionless as the Rootstrider shook. He skillfully rolled over its bark before launching himself forward, leaping back and forth to put some distance between them.
With a roar that sounded like wood being ground, the monster swept a huge root sideways in a forceful arc that was intended to crush anything in its path.
With a deft move, Tetsu slid low to the ground, passing beneath the sweeping root and heading straight for the hideous tree.
He didn't falter. Tetsu jumped up, spinning as he did so, and delivered a forceful uppercut kick directly into the Rootstrider's face in one fluid motion!
With a deeper, more furious roar, the monster released two thick roots that attempted to clap Tetsu between them like enormous hands.
Tetsu, however, had disappeared in a crackle of energy as the roots slammed together, only to reappear in the air behind the roaring monster.
Seemingly alive, the roots twisted and pointed once more at him.
Tetsu disappeared again before they could get to him, resurfacing before the Rootstrider.
The enormous tree-beast continued to attack, its roots slashing out in a relentless manner, but each time Tetsu would disappear out of view and resurface in another area of the monster, just before a root could hit him.
One root struck low after a dizzying period of this disappearing act, forcing Tetsu to dodge while still on the ground.
He exploited the attacking root itself rather than merely dodging.
After his dodge, he stepped onto it and used it as a winding, narrow path, running straight at the Rootstrider with amazing speed.
He was nearly at the end of his makeshift path when another root whipped out and struck at him. Tetsu disappeared once more, only to reappear just above the Rootstrider's head.
His two hands united into a single, concentrated fist that crackled with power as he fell.
With crushing force, the fist slammed into the Rootstrider's trunk. Tetsu continued despite the monster's agonized roar.
With his feet digging into the trunk, he landed and threw a frenzied, nonstop volley of punches, each one causing the enormous anomaly to tremble with devastating force.
But once more, Tetsu was exposed by his offensive focus. He neglected his defense because he was too preoccupied with attacking.
He was grabbed by two thick, swift roots that whipped out, one on each arm this time.
He was pulled away from the trunk, but not far enough to be reachable.
He used his leg as a pivot, landing it on one of the creature's branches in desperation.
Leveraging the branch, he dragged himself forward with all of his remaining strength and delivered a forceful headbutt that struck the now-cracked trunk squarely.
Finally, there was a sickening crack as the trunk split.
With a loud thud, the Rootstrider fell to its side, its movements halting as the roots let go of Tetsu.
He couldn't believe he had won, so he asked himself, "Did I defeat it?"
With a broad, impressed smile on his face, Reiji, who had long since completed his own fight against the smaller Rootstriders, watched.
Slowly and deliberately, he applauded.
"Good job, Tetsu! I didn't help with the first mission. Wonderful."
Reiji, had finally called his name.
Not newbie, or former newbie, but Tetsu.
Tetsu didn't faint like he had in his fight with the Veridian Croaker.
He stood, swaying a little, his body hurting, but he felt a rush of triumphant excitement.
He had succeeded. The Level 2 Anomaly had been vanquished by him.
Before long, Darkside Destroyer personnel were everywhere.
Specialized personnel hurried to secure and move the enormous tree monster, lifting it onto a reinforced platform underneath the large helicopter that had just lowered itself from the sky with its blades whirring softly.
A big cylindrical machine was taken to the battlefield once the anomaly was secured. With a smooth, metallic surface and multiple glowing blue and green panels running along its sides, it stood approximately ten feet tall, with a sizable, multifaceted crystal array at the top.
When the staff turned on the machine, the surrounding area was flooded with a dazzling white light that pulsed with gentle energy and came from the crystal array.
"What is this machine?" With his eyes shielded, Tetsu asked.
"It's a memory alteration device," Reiji said in a casual tone.
Tetsu's forehead wrinkled. "Memory... what will they do with it?"
Reiji pointed to the strewn picnic supplies and the shattered ground and said,
"Harmlessly erase all the witnesses' memories about the existence of the Rootstrider."
"It is a normative practice. Any witnesses will only recall a tumultuous scene, possibly a downed tree, but neither Kinesis nor monsters."
Tetsu felt a surge of guilt.
"Alter people's memories without their consent? Isn't that... wrong?"
With a serious expression, Reiji tapped Tetsu's shoulder.
"Tetsu, it's an essential step to keep innocent people from being aware that kinesis and anomalies exist. The widespread panic would be disastrous. There's a reason we work in the shadows."
Reluctantly, Tetsu comprehended. The reasoning was cold but sound.
"Now then," Reiji said, his voice returning to its upbeat tone, "let's go back to base and get you the reward for your first mission!"
A bit too forcefully, he gave Tetsu a shoulder clap.
"Aw! "Hey!" A new wave of pain rushed through Tetsu's injured shoulder, and he cried out, wincing.
Reiji gave a real, hearty laugh.
"Oh, sorry! I suppose there is still work to be done on Level 3 durability.
Tetsu gave a playful glare, but a tiny smile appeared on his lips.
The quiet garden was behind them as they turned and started to leave the now-clean scene.