~~~May 1, 2169~~~
[7pm]
It was a cold low-tide evening at Kaba. The squad, along with their newest member Kirashi, gathered around a flickering flame inside a crumbling house of the abandoned town in Goto Kabashima.
Right palm on his nape, Itoshi hushed,
"Is there a possible fresh water nearby?"
Eyes closed, arms crossed, Ayro replied calmly.
"No. Not on this island. The nearest fresh water is probably in the main city."
From somewhere deeper in the town, their pilot Aldrin shouted,
"Oi! I found this water filter!"
Ayro and Itoshi rushed over. The filter was rusty, worn, and brittle with age.
"Oh damn. Tetanus."
Itoshi muttered, nose wrinkling.
Aldrin scratched the back of his head.
"Hehe."
Ayro took the filter, giving it a longer look.
"Keep it for now. We still have a little time."
Back inside, Ryujin sat slumped against a wall, silent and restless while the others fussed over the find. His voice came low, almost a growl.
"Let's just go to the main city already."
Ayro heard him. He stepped outside, leaned down beside Ryujin, his tone steady.
"It's too dark. Everyone is exhausted. Even you."
"Tsk."
Ryujin turned his face away.
Ayro exhaled through his nose. Behind him, Itoshi emerged from the house.
"Not the best time,"
Ayro muttered.
"Ayro-san? What's wrong with him?"
Itoshi asked carefully.
"Nothing."
The answer came too quick, too clipped.
Ayro stood and faced him directly.
"I'll fill you in later. For now, we need water."
They regrouped around the flame. Itoshi kept it alive, the fire crackling against the quiet night. Kara hugged her knees close, whispering,
"I wish rain would come."
Her words had barely left when someone's stomach rumbled.
"Sorry! My bad!"
Itoshi butted in.
Everyone laughed—everyone except Ryujin. Itoshi pointed at Kara with a grin, giving a thumbs-up. The truth was obvious. It was Kara who was hungry.
Ayro clapped his hands together, cutting through the laughter.
"Well, let's prepare what we can prepare, shall we?"
"Ok!"
Kirashi, Aldrin, and Itoshi chimed in together.
Ryujin, however, stared at them through half-lidded eyes. The warmth of the fire and their cheer mocked the unease boiling in his chest. Then, like a knife sliding into his ear, the voice whispered again.
"It's too bad they're all gonna die."
Ryujin's fingers dug into his knees. His head jerked.
"Shut up!"
The words exploded from him before he could stop himself.
The laughter froze. Everyone turned. Silence stretched too long.
Ryujin forced himself to his feet, his voice flat.
"You guys should eat quickly. We have to go."
"Ok!"
The others answered, though tension lingered.
Ayro didn't join the chorus. He stood back, eyes narrowed at Ryujin.
"What the hell..."
Itoshi muttered under his breath.
Ayro rested a hand on his shoulder.
"Be a little more patient."
Kirashi tilted his head.
"Ayro? Something happened?"
Ayro's reply carried no reassurance.
"Can't say it right now. We might make it worse. It's risky. Please, keep your cool."
And then, as if Kara's wish had been heard, raindrops began to fall.
Aldrin stretched his hands out to the sky, grinning.
"Hoh! Rain!"
Ayro quickly barked, pointing at the empty cans and jars.
"Use the containers!"
They scrambled, leaving their makeshift containers outside to fill, then ducked back under the broken roof. Rain hammered the ruins, echoing like distant drums.
Ryujin didn't follow. He remained outside, staring up into the storm, letting the water soak through his clothes.
Ayro lingered by the doorway, watching him with caution. Itoshi, just behind, observed in silence.
Inside, Kara sat cross-legged with her teddy bear clutched tightly to her side. Kirashi noticed, curiosity softening his features.
"You managed to save that teddy bear, huh, Kara-chan?"
She smiled faintly, stroking the toy's worn fabric.
"Yeah. I was lucky. If something happens to this, I'm not sure what I'd do."
"Something special?"
Kirashi asked.
"Yeah... it's the last thing my dad gave me before he passed away."
Kirashi's eyes widened.
"Oh... Sorry about that."
"No! Not at all!"
Kara shook her head quickly, her smile bright but fragile.
The rain poured harder outside. And Ryujin, alone in the downpour, tilted his head back to the storm as the whispers clawed at the back of his mind.
~~~UWDS Africa Head Quarters~~~
In Hachi's office, a staff came to report what just happened with Squad Segment 663.
"What!? Their chopper crashed?!"
"Yes sir!"
The UWDS staff answered.
Hachi stood up from his seat.
"Where?!"
"In Kaba Island, sir!"
"Send a recovery team A.S.A.P."
Hachi ordered.
Suddenly, the staff's tone changed, low and uncertain.
"We're not sure if the squad is still there though..."
"What do you mean?"
Hachi asked, commanding.
"A few moments after their chopper fell, three boats that were there for years suddenly vanished."
"Track those boats."
Hachi quickly ordered without hesitation.
Another wall.
"That's the problem... sir."
"Huh!?"
Hachi barked.
"W-We can't find the boats... Sir... We've tried tracking them since the chopper fell..."
The staff replied.
Hachi slammed his table.
"Damn it!"
He pinched between his nose as he tried to get his cool back.
"How did their helicopter even crash in the first place?"
"It was hit by a faulty defense missile on the island. We failed to notify the pilots."
The staff admitted.
"Shit. We don't even know if they're still alive?"
Hachi asked.
The staff hesitated.
"Y-Yes sir..."
Hachi took a deep breath.
"Go request for a search team then."
"We also can't do that..."
"HUH!?"
Hachi frowned once more.
"Is there nothing you can do?!"
The staff trembled, nervous and voice shaking.
"S-Sir... K-Kaba Island used to be a Seele hotspot, right? Well... that's because of a demon staying by the mines. T-They're lucky if it hasn't come out yet."
Hachi quickly understood the situation, and his expression changed.
"Demons?... In Kaba?..."
"W-We recently d-d-detected a presence of one as we saw their chopper crash there."
Hachi sat back in his chair, shaken.
"Damn it."
"S-Sorry sir, t-they're basically on their own..."
Hachi took a deep breath, then silence fell.
"Have you warned them?..."
The staff once again hesitated.
"We've tried that too."
He paused.
"The signal is being interfered with in the area."
Hachi clicked his tongue.
"Tsk... it must be a spell..."
He then looked at his map, checking for the nearest place the squad could recover the moment they escape.
"Dang it... Shin-kamigoto is still 26 kilometers away."
he thought to himself.
~~~Kaba Island~~~
[8pm]
As the rain subsided, the squad took their time to rest and share a little conversation. They talked about all the missions Aldrin had ever been on.
"I was once assigned as transport for, uhh... I think Squad 332? I was with them for around 3 years?.."
"Hoh! You must've traveled the world with them!"
Kirashi replied enthusiastically.
Aldrin scratched the back of his head.
"Nah! Not really. We were designated in Australia in those days... that's the only area we went around to."
"Ah, even pilots have their designated countries to work in?"
Kirashi asked, curious.
"Yeah!"
Out of boredom, Itoshi joined the conversation.
"Why did you move to 663 though?"
"To your squad?"
Aldrin clarified.
"Yeah!"
Itoshi replied.
"Well..."
Aldrin hesitated.
"They died 2 months ago.."
Everyone flinched, shocked by the truth so casually dropped on them.
Kirashi jolted up.
"All of them!?"
"All of them..."
Aldrin paused.
"They couldn't escape the horde of Seele pouring down on them in Kings Canyon... I tried to lift them up, but they ordered me to stay back."
There was silence before Kirashi broke it.
"Sorry about that."
Aldrin shook his head.
"Nah, it's ok!.. Our work loses people all the time.."
"Wait, 2 months ago? That was around the time I joined Ryujin.."
Itoshi added.
"That's still... quite fresh.."
Aldrin took a deep breath, then stood with a smile.
"Oh well! Gotta move on. It was fun being with them. But now, I have the responsibility to take you guys to places you have to go!"
"If I may ask..."
Ayro joined in.
"Yes sir! About what?"
Aldrin responded.
"Why are you doing this? Like, your own reason."
Ayro asked.
"Other than UWDS Skulls telling me to do so, I do it because I believe you brave fighters face those fierce battles so we'll be free from the oppression of those beasts... If I can get you guys into places faster... the less lives we lose."
Ryujin, Ayro, and Kirashi jolted.
In cartoony fashion, Itoshi cried.
"Damn it Aldrin! That's so pure!"
"What about you guys? Why do you fight?"
Aldrin asked.
Itoshi stood up, fist clenched as he answered out loud, his voice echoing through the evening.
"I wanna kill all those Seele!"
The others did not answer.
Itoshi frowned.
"Hey guys. I wanna hear yours."
"No particular reason."
Kirashi hushed.
"A bit embarrassing to say right now, sorry."
Kara replied, teddy bear tight in her arms.
"Ryujin? Ayro?"
The two denied his request.
"Tsk! KJ's. What else did you do, Aldrin-san?"
"Nothing else. But I've always wanted to be a member of a squad too. Sadly though, my elemental power is just not strong enough."
"Oh! What could it be?"
Itoshi and Kirashi asked.
Aldrin hesitated.
"It's pure Earth."
Ryujin flinched.
"Pure Earth?"
"You mean..."
Ayro wondered.
"Yeah! Not just sand or any variant!.. Anything that's related to this planet's land."
"You should hone your skills."
Ayro suggested.
Aldrin once again scratched his neck.
"Well, everyone told me that. I did try, but I end up passing out if I use too much. I'm not much of a use on the battlefield, hehe."
"Can you show us?"
Ryujin requested.
"Sure!"
Aldrin shifted the nearby dirt, rocks, and even some of the houses in the area. Only for a little bit though—after a few moments, his legs weakened, and he fell to his knees gasping for air. His nose was bleeding.
"Aldrin!"
Itoshi shouted, concerned.
Aldrin gasped for air.
"Sorry, that's all I can do."
"Thank you for showing us."
Ryujin added.
"Yeah! No worries!"
Ryujin ripped off a small part of his jacket and used it to cover Aldrin's bleeding nose.
"Sorry for the trouble."
The voice once again spoke to Ryujin.
"Stop pretending to be someone you aren't."
The look of disgust quickly etched on Ryujin's face as he clicked his tongue.
"Tsk."
He quickly stood and walked back to the house.
"Demon."
The voice whispered.
Ryujin was startled. A shoeless footstep echoed nearby in the dark. The whole squad was immediately alert.
"Seele?"
Itoshi asked.
"Probably."
Kirashi wondered.
"No, it sounds like a person without footwear."
Ayro thought.
A shadow in a humanoid shape emerged from the darkness.
Ayro's eyes widened at what he saw.
"Oi, Ryujin. This is trouble."
Ryujin looked at what lay ahead. His reaction was the same as Ayro's.
"Shit.."
~~~To be Continued~~~