As Riven stood amidst the wreckage of his own making, the System's voice delivered its full decree, laying out the impossible task before him.
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The words were not a suggestion. They were a statement of fact, a prophecy of fire and death.
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The logic was brutal and simple. Change history. Save the world. Get stronger. Fail, and die with everyone else.
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The voice faded, and the connection to the System receded from Riven's conscious mind. As the immediate threat of the Cipher Pol agents had been neutralized, the immense power of the Super Soldier Serum began to drain away. He felt his muscles shrink, his height decrease, the world growing large around him once more. In a matter of seconds, the towering form of Captain America dissolved, leaving behind a small, eight-year-old boy standing alone on a battlefield, the weight of a world on his shoulders.
The sounds of chaos rushed back in. The two cannonball halves had landed deep in the forest, but the explosions had started fires, and the sheer panic of the government raid had sent the island's populace into a frenzy. People were screaming, grabbing what little they could, and streaming toward the port where the evacuation ship was docked—a ship Riven knew was a floating coffin.
First, Robin. The thought was his only anchor in the storm. I have to find Robin. And her mother.To complete this impossible mission, he had to start with the one person whose survival was paramount.
He turned and ran, his small legs pumping, heading back toward the relative sanctuary of the Tree of Knowledge. He hadn't gotten far when a figure burst from the library's main entrance, brandishing a long-barreled hunting rifle. It was a woman with striking, pale-white hair and a face that was an older, harder-edged reflection of Robin's own. Nico Olvia.
"Where did they go?" she muttered, her eyes scanning the port with the wary intensity of a cornered wolf. "The World Government agents… they were right here. Did someone… help us?"
"Aunt Olvia!" Riven shouted, his child's voice cutting through the din. "The CP agents are gone! A friend of mine drove them off! The island is safe, for now!"
The woman whirled around, her entire body tensing as she leveled the rifle in the direction of his voice. Her eyes were cold, suspicious, and utterly unforgiving. But when her gaze landed on the small boy standing alone, her stance softened fractionally. She lowered the rifle, though her grip remained tight.
"A child?" she said, her voice a low, cautious rasp. "Who are you? How do you know my name? And who is this 'friend' of yours?"
"My name is Riven. I'm Robin's friend," he said, stepping forward slowly, his hands held out to show he was no threat. "Saul told us your name. We know he rescued you, and we know about the government agents. My friend is… very strong. He made them run away."
The name hit her like a physical blow. "Saul? Jaguar D. Saul is here?" Her eyes widened, a flicker of disbelief warring with her caution. She shook her head, dismissing the thought. "And your friend drove off Cipher Pol? Child, they are masters of the Rokushiki. Do not play games with me. This is a matter of Ohara's life and death."
Her expression hardened into one of grim, heartbreaking resolve. "Since you are Robin's friend, your only job is to protect her. Take her and run. Get as far away from this island as you can."
Riven shook his head, his own expression grim. "Run? There's nowhere to run," he said, the words tasting like ash. "It's too late. Spandine has already called for a Buster Call. Ten warships are surrounding the island right now. That evacuation ship is a trap. The moment it leaves the bay, the Navy will blow it out of the water."
Olvia's face went white. The last flicker of hope in her eyes was extinguished, replaced by a dawning, terrible understanding. "A Buster Call… here?"
She looked from Riven to the sea, where the silhouettes of the warships were now visible, a ring of death tightening around their home. Her hands clenched into fists, her knuckles turning white. All the years of running, of hiding, of fighting for a truth the world wanted to bury, culminated in this final, monstrous injustice.
"The Navy…" she whispered, her voice trembling with a rage that was deep and cold as the sea itself. "What more do they want from us? Isn't it enough to destroy our history? Must they slaughter innocent men, women, and children, too?!"