Chapter 16 - Durandal and... Huh?
"Looks like things will be progressing to the next stage soon."
"Yeah, as much as I don't like it you and me both are going to be on this next assignment..."
"What, its almost like you don't want me to be with you here? Aw, you hurt my poor little heart..."
"Can it, idiot!"
"Hmmmm… nope!"
"Why you!"
Within a lavish looking Living Room, Sun chuckled in amusement and merriness as he used a single arm to fend off Chris's incoming punches and kicks, much to the lavender haired girl's frustration. She never did have as much cardio as him, a proper CQC fighter whom had done way more stamina-dependent missions than her, hence her strikes didn't last for long as she had to stop to catch her breath. They sat on a single sofa, with their respective Relic near their persons whilst they waited patiently for their next orders from their 'mother' as much as Sun disliked calling her that.
As of late, Sun hadn't been too busy with anything idol related, having been ordered to keep a low profile by Fine so he would be more 'available' for her plans. Well, more like battle ready for future encounters with that SHADOW character, someone whom she had deemed a threat to what they had been trying to achieve with his versatile abilities and how he had been able to fight on par with Sun himself. whereas he didn't mind not singing as much as he used to in front of a crowd as much, the more important part to him, had been the last one.
THAT part had stung at his pride a bit, as much as he hated to admit that the woman had been right about something, for someone else to claim to be someone who could fight on his level did not tickle Sun's fancy at all, he wanted to take that guy out of the picture as possible. SHADOW's existence threatened his own 'standing' one could say, within Fine's eyes, which wasn't a good thing. The only reason why she even kept him around and allowed him to do the stuff he did was due to how valuable he had made himself out to be, so if someone else who threatened that value appeared, then perhaps Fine would move 'on' to not only that person, but Chris as well. Not something Sun appreciated.
Right now, whilst the two were bickering like this, these were the kind of moments that the blonde singer appreciated the most in between the hectic, downright chaotic times that they lived in. To be able to laugh so comfortably like this, to be able to live so easily like nothing else mattered, Sun wouldn't trade these things for the world since they were so rare, which made them all the more precious to him.
But like all things, nothing truly could last forever, a fact he became all too painfully aware of when he got a text from Fine on his Phone which had been nearby. It's contents told him everything that he needed to know, causing his eyes to narrow and his gaze to harden. "Whelp, as we expected those guys are playing right into her hands. They're moving out, so lets get going. You got the Staff?"
"Who do you think you're asking, of course I have it!" Chris sharply retorted, reaching for the said Relic which had lay beside her. She then stood up from the sofa, slapping his hand away from her when he tried to reach for her as she left the Room to go prepare. She'd also taken the Armour with her too, so she at least would be getting prepared.
Though that wasn't to say that Sun didn't have anything occupying him either, as proven moments later when he heard a series of frustrated grunts within his link to a certain monster Partner of his.
[That mortal... how can one be so ungrateful? She didn't even TRY to see how you've been trying to calm her nerves for this upcoming mission, and instead throws you under the bus. Why, you might as well consider her a-]
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNG!
What started as one of the usual mocking from Wukong about the way that Chris treated her friend, soon got smashed into dust when suddenly a wave of tension erupted from within the blonde boy, his hair shadowing his eyes as he hung his head and gripped the sofa's arm rest in his hand. An armrest... which got turned into nothing but DUST from the force that he had applied to it. "You can diss me and my ideals all you want, Wukong… but don't ever, EVER speak ill of the one thing that keeps me sane in my presence..."
[...Hmph.]
After that response, as surprising and unexpected as it had been, Wukong simply huffed and retreated back into his usual space within Sun's mind. However, if one were to say he was unaffected by what just happened with Sun just now, they'd be mistaken. The being knew what that had been, and it did NOT like it one bit: not only did it seem that all the combined stress from the lifestyle Sun had been living, his strained, perhaps even toxic relationship with his so-called 'friend' and lastly the worry that he may be 'threatened' by this SHADOW's presence had started causing... THAT thing to stir. The ting which Sun repressed almost on a psychological level, not just physically.
THAT thing's return... would be very bad, it'd spell a whole lot of trouble.
Trouble which it had no patience for.
Chaos.
That could sum up the events that followed suit once the announcement of the Defense Minister's demise reached everyone's ears at the Division 2 Headquarters. Of course, like anyone would, workers wanted to know who did such an act and why, however answers weren't properly provided since there were truly none to be given. Nothing concrete at least, which didn't sit well with the majority of them as the hushed whispers and vague rumors which pointed fingers at all kinds of possible conclusions could attest to. It didn't help that with the recent emergency, the chaos surrounding Division 2 couldn't have become any more transparent if they tried, and only through the expert leadership of their Commander could they still organize themselves to get the job that they were requested by the Japanese Government to do, done.
Furthermore, the workers of Division 2 knew that this did NOT bode well for their future, since the Minister of Defense was one of the few people up in politics who allowed them the freedom to operate within Japanese territory that they had. Whilst there were other potential allies that they had in the Political world, their numbers weren't that high compared to those whom wanted them to be put on a tighter 'leash' which, in layman's terms, pretty much meant that they wanted them under the pockets of a specific party, allowing them to have more influence and power over the country. It didn't help that there was an upcoming election for Prime Minister coming up later in the year, and with such a golden goose laid out in front of them, every available candidate may as well be like a lone wolf, hunting the others down and striking at the moment there was an opportunity to exploit. Before, they didn't have to worry much about all this, though some still kept an ear out just in case, since as long as they had such a capable Minister on their side then they could bear with the scorn they got from their colleagues and continue on their duty like nothing else mattered in the world.
So, with Defense Minister Hiroki's death their future ability to be so effective in their jobs could potentially be put in jeopardy.
However, those worries had to be put on hold for the time being, as their current orders issued by the Japanese Government, had been to procure a specified object from within their own possession, a Complete Relic (one of the few which still remained that were in their clutches) known as 'Durandal': the same sword which belonged to the Legendary Roland, legendary paladin of Charlemagne in French epic literature. They were to take it out of containment within their deepest sector, known as the 'Abyss', and were to transport it to a secure storage facility known only as the 'Ruins of Memory', where they stored all kinds of different ancient artifacts. Of course there had been a divisive set of opinions regarding these orders, with one side claiming that transferring it out of the Abyss wasn't the smartest move out there since the Abyss was built with the very PURPOSE of holding Relics like that one in mind, so there would be very few places which would be suitable for storing it. Storing it inside the Ruins of Memory however, seemed like the other side's preference, since it housed many such Relics and thus proved itself as a place where they could be hidden away from those who would try to possess them for nefarious deeds. Still, in the end Division 2 could only comply with these orders since they came directly from the Japanese Government, hence another reason why there was a high amount of unrest within the Force.
"This feels way too much like we're playing into the hands of another foe... I don't like it."
[Hmph, destroying that damned piece of Junk seems like a better option than risk letting it fall into enemy hands, or perhaps even letting US have it. That sword could make for at least SOMEWHAT of an appetizer for my future hoard...]
"Well, considering the fragility of our alliance Vritra, I doubt they would see it the way that you do... though if I DID have Durandal on my side I bet I could finish off that damned Ape in our inevitable rematch..."
Meanwhile, in one of the waiting rooms beneath Lydian Private Academy within Division 2's Headquarters, SHADOW stood close to one of the walls, leaning against it whilst looking like he was lost in thought, one hand inside his coat's pocket whilst the other cupped his chin with its thumb and index finger. Thanks to the shadows (pun intended) generated by his coat's hood, most of his features got concealed save for a bit of his mouth, as well as his eyes which showcased an intense, fierce gaze which looked to be aimless. A sign of the male's pondering to be sure, as he currently kept himself busy till the inevitable operation by pondering about it, looking at it from multiple different approaches. He was alone in this room for the time being, but that was fine with him, since he knew that there would inevitably be others who would come to this room in time, so he'd use this chance to get his thoughts in order.
SHADOW wasn't a fool, he could SMELL manipulations behind the Governments actions almost immediately after the orders had been announced by Ryouko, orders which he didn't think were wise himself which apparently a majority of the officials in that Command Room agreed with (although Hibiki remained Neutral due to not understanding any of it, that goofball her). Though he could also sense a bit of desperation behind them, desperation likely born from both the increasing Noise events which had been reported to be around the entire Academy as if they were trying to encircle it. He guessed there must have been too much paranoia within those old coots for such orders to have been allowed to come to pass, but for the life of him SHADOW felt like there was more to it than that.
It didn't take him very long to suss out a possible theory though, one which pertained to this Third Party likely being the mastermind.
Thinking about it in that way, it made a lot more sense as well as explained a few things. If he were a third party with a considerable amount of influence and power (he believed this party had such due to how they were able to stay hidden for so long and fool the masses into not realizing they exist, perhaps even had managed to slip into a high ranking position to keep people off their tail), then arranging for such a powerful Complete Relic which apparently were low in number, would be a simple task if the danger and pressure were enough to scare the Government into pushing something so precious out into the open to steal. Thus, SHADOW believed that the chance for an interception by this Party would be high, and according to his instincts SHADOW bet that the girl with that Armour along with that damned Ape would have something to do with this. He could feel that they would be meeting shortly, so he felt QUITE eager to settle the score from last time, especially with that Ape.
[Speaking of that stupid monkey, we need to talk about his capabilities... his situation too, actually.]
Although nobody was around to aim this gesture to, SHADOW arched his brow as he figured out what the Evil Dragon meant by that. It didn't take him long. "You must be referring to how that guy's physiology, eh? About how he seems to have broken ass defensive options? That, and the assortment of weapons he possesses." He stated, more than asked anyways. To him, it was indeed strange, if one were to use a Symphogear's Armed Gear, then they would manifest one of such, according to what he knew of them from Genjuro when he'd asked alongside his many battles with Tsubasa in the last 2 years. However, this guy... he was different, for he had multiple different Armed Gears in the forms of that Staff, that Gourd and that Cloud. Not to mention that ridiculous level of defence that he apparently possessed. "You got anything?"
[Yes, and you're not going to like it. #SIGH# From what I observed of him during our battle, it would appear that his Gear is... somehow like a Hybrid. A Hybrid of Symphogear and Synchrogear.]
This caught the male's attention judging by how his eyes enlarged slightly and his jaw parted to form an ovular shape. "Wait, what? How the heck can THAT be a thing?" SHADOW questioned in more confusion than shock. Considering the shit that he dealt with on a daily basis, from both the Noise and... well other stuff, this didn't really constitute as a surprise for him. Synchrogears may as well be rare like their Symphogear cousins, but encountering another member of his own kind wasn't something that could shake him. Encountering a mix between BOTH technologies though? That was something to consider, especially with how each system was supposed to work. "Well, in any case that DOES sound quite interesting... you think the reason why he has to Sing in order to create a better Synch Rate between him and his monster is because of..."
[Most likely. It must appear like it can function like an ordinary Symphogear on the surface, but perhaps its workings are actually similar to a Synchrogear's, which would explain why his body is so damn durable. I can easily see it having strong healing capabilities as well with its physical ability. That doesn't mean we don't have options against him however.]
"I can think of a few things. For one, whilst his body's going to be difficult to damage, I don't think his weapons are the same, but then again we'll need to see about that. Some manipulation and a bit of power experimentation and it could be possible, What of your side Vritra?"
[For one, even though his body is so damn durable, thanks to our Synch Rate being higher than his we will be able to inflict lasting damage on him if we hit hard enough, remember my flames have a strong effect of negating healing. It will work on him, I am sure of it, whereas how effective it will be well... only a rematch will tell.]
"Well, to maximize efficiency, perhaps constant exposure to your flames can be an option. Trapping and isolating him within a large barrier should do the trick, and if he does get out his body would likely be severely damaged from the attempt... letting me get some good shots off on his lazy ass."
"Uhhhh… Ta-SHADOW?"
"?!"
Whilst SHADOW had his conversation with his partner, he wound up isolating himself from his surroundings due to getting rather into the topic of , he ended up not noticing that Hibiki had found walked up to him, looking rather confused and slightly concerned for him, something which caused the male to jump slightly in surprise. 'Oh shit, Hibiki saw me! She must be wondering if I need to be sent to a mental asylum or something...!' the male thought to himself in mild panic, before he cleared his throat whilst quickly regaining his previous collected demeanor. "Ah, Hibiki. You're here...You seem to be considerably tense. Not only about the upcoming mission next morning." he stated, at first looking mildly sweaty from his nervousness until he noticed something about the girl which caused him to switch to a more concerned, yet collected tone.
Hibiki herself sweat dropped too, not just at what had happened but also is quick recovery. Though she thankfully chose not to bring up what he had unintentionally did since she... well, she had a bit on her mind as well. "Yeah, I'm good. Things with the Boss and everyone are a bit hectic, but that's mostly due to the operation we're going on..." she replied, trailing off in the end as she glanced to the side.
Something which SHADOW noticed. "What is it that troubles you so? If you desire an ear, I shall lend you mine."
"Ah, well don't do that LITERALLY please." Hibiki responded with a mildly panicked facial expression, as the way SHADOW had worded it almost made it seem like he meant it literally, not figuratively. "but its nothing, really..." Hibiki began to say more in that same manner, waving her hands in front of her face. That is, until she noticed the 'no bullshit with me' look that the guy sported, which reminded her of just WHO it had been behind that Mask of his. As such, her previous demeanor faltered and eventually resulted in her releasing a tired, weary sigh. "Ahhh... guess I can never hide things from you, huh?" she remarked with a rather weak looking smile, one which spoke VOLUMES about her current feelings regarding this situation... or rather, a certain OTHER situation brewing between her and a certain someone as SHADOW theorized.
"Your friend?"
Turned out that he had been right on the money, based off the expression that Hibiki made as she nodded in response, lowering her gaze to the ground as she sat down over at one of the sofas. "I... had to lie to her again... even as she covered for me in class for my morning training..." she proceeded to explain, although just from looking at her one could tell that she had a difficult time admitting it. Or rather, admitting that she felt she had no other option BUT to lie according to what he was seeing from her right now, a theory which got confirmed with her following words. "Miku... she tried to get answers from me again before, but I couldn't give her any... she must be really mad at me."
SHADOW furrowed his brows behind his Mask as he heard this, knowing JUST how delicate this situation was since he had found out the inside scoop during their many battles with the Noise together. Perhaps his intervention back before his fight with that Ape had only delayed the inevitable, something which he had realized a bit quickly much to his internal dismay since he had wanted things to be alright between those two. According to his knowledge Hibiki and Miku had been close since childhood, so t see their bond being strained like this REALLY didn't sit that well with him. Just as he made to say something though, his eyes widened when he noticed what the young girl looked to be reaching towards on the small table in front of the Desk.
However, he couldn't say anything as the girl had already opened a large newspaper, revealing a double paged spread showing a tall woman in her 20's... winking sultrily alongside posing rather suggestively whilst wearing nothing but a set of underwear.
"Eek!"
"Ah..."
Face redder than a tomato, Hibiki hurriedly closed the newspaper and turned her head away, trying her best to push the sight of that woman out of her mind. Heck she held it away from her like she were holding a disgusting trash bag... not like he'd blame her.
'Oh geez, I should have known those things would be bought by the male workers here...' the hooded male couldn't help but grown in his mind, utter annoyance and contempt filling his being as he made to once again recover his composure after seeing such... material. Of course, he knew for a fact that guys like him tended to have preferences to pornographic material. There were MANY stereotypes that portray men as sex-obsessed machines, from Books, television shows, and movies that often featured characters and plot points that assumed that men were crazy about sex and women were only concerned with romance.
It often annoyed him that people said that men were just sexual predators though, as there were examples of this NOT being the case. Case in point, a particularly interesting study at a University of over 200 students debunked the popular myth that men thought about sex every seven seconds. That would mean 8,000 thoughts in 16 waking hours, whereas those young men in the study reported thoughts of sex 19 times per day on average, and in comparison the young women in the study reported an average of 10 thoughts about sex per day.
One can find all sorts of things on the internet these days... not all of it bad by the way.
Furthermore, to describe a man's views on sex would be considered as a 'Sex Drive' or a Libido, and since there was no numeric measurement for libido, sex drive was better understood in relevant terms. For example, a low libido means a decreased interest or desire in sex. The male libido lives in two areas of the brain: the cerebral cortex and the limbic system. These parts of the brain are vital to a man's sex drive and performance. They are so important, in fact, that a man can have an orgasm simply by thinking or dreaming about a sexual experience. SHADOW had heard a few stories about things like this from eavesdropping on both male Division 2 workers as well as students at his High School, learning of how some of them had less sexual interest than others as opposed to what the media liked to portray.
[...Now that you mention it, Perhaps this explains why I see little to no sexual activity in your memories, then. Would you consider yourself as a male with low libido, then?]
'I'd say... yeah, I'm one of those types of guys. To be frank, I hardly think of it at all unless its brought to my attention by a outside source like this. Relationships and Sex never registered on my radar in the past, especially with all that shit that went on...'
A while of awkward silence dominated the airspace between the two of them, with Hibiki remaining in that position whilst SHADOW wisely kept his eyes averted away from the scene. Eventually however, she managed to get a sentence out despite it sounding like she wanted to scream and run for the hills. "I -I guess, guys like this sort of thing, then..."
"N-Not all of them..." SHADOW responded, just as awkwardly as evident by the stutter that he did, despite cursing himself for such a response internally whilst scratching his lower jaw. As much as he proclaimed to have a low Libido, talking about it to a young impressionable woman like Hibiki did not count as something he took comfort in. Maybe there were studies showing men to have an easier time thinking ad talking about sex, but he wasn't one of them.
"Ah..."
Waiting to get away from this topic of conversation as quick as possible, Hibiki made to lower the Newspaper, but when she did so Hibiki and SHADOW noticed that it showed another page, this one MUCH more interesting for different reasons depending on who one asked. It showed a picture of Tsubasa, or rather, a picture of her recent announcement of taking a break to recover from overworking. She looked hardly anything like when they had last seen her, looking so lively and joyful as she waved at the camera as the picture got taken whilst sporting a professional smile on her face.
Seeing this picture made SHADOW recall when Tsubasa had fought that Nehushtan Armour wielder where she had unleashed her Superb Song, nearly killing herself which caused him to scowl. A scowl which expressed no small levels of frustration and anger. "This woman..." He muttered under his breath, loud enough for Hibiki to hear. "I never could completely like her songs, even before I found everything out. After that Concert, they just seemed so... hollow, void of any true spirit compared to her previous works. That's not even considering her fighting ideals. To me, her blade, although as sharp as any weapon used to cut the Noise, felt like it was 'damaged' in a sense, broken away from its true form and purpose. The way she changed that day... it did not do her any good, it would seem." he admitted, pocketing his hands inside his coat as he levelled his stern gaze up to his companion. "There's a reason why I always refer to her as a 'broken blade' all these years."
"W-Well..." Hibiki muttered, frowning as she heard his words and his opinion on the Idol. As much as she was a fan of Tsubasa's songs, that part of her being super triggered inside by what he had said about her, she couldn't say she disagreed with him either. Evidence pretty much painted the truth in front of her eyes, how different Tsubasa truly was compared to how people viewed her as. "But in her defence, she did lose her best friend... her and Kanade seemed like they were truly close to one another..."
SHADOW shook his head at that response. "Yeah, but she acts like she was the only one who lost a loved one that day, heck people lose their loved ones all the time, as unfortunate and infuriating as it is." Why did that feel like it hit closer to home, Hibiki wondered as she made to say something about that cold remark, but SHADOW continued before she could. "No matter the circumstance, there's never a guarantee that loved ones will remain by your side forever, and death comes for us all in the end." As he said this, SHADOW's eyes glistened slightly, memories coming back to him of things... that had happened in the past, but he didn't wallow on them for long and instead focused on saying his piece, hardening his gaze into a stone mask as his mouth clenched tightly. "That's why... you have to keep on going, to keep on surviving and live on for their sakes. Wallowing in self-pity is pointless and it wastes too much time, yet she's been like that for multiple years now. Time waits for no man, as unfortunate as it may seem."
"Not everyone is as strong as that though, SHADOW."
"Hm?"
"Ah!"
Just as SHADOW finished his speech, one which had been spoken with a strong degree of passion to it, the voice of Shinji Ogawa soon rung out, drawing their attention to the suited Manager. Said man stood not too far from them, having paused his stride to say that piece of information before he walked up to the two, his gaze polite yet slightly stern which the black hooded male believed to be the signs of how Shinji REALLY felt about his words just now. "People rely on each other when things get tough, that's just how us humans are."
[One of the MANY flaws in the human species, if you ask me.]
SHADOW mentally nodded in agreement with his partner when he spoke those words, all while Hibiki happily greeted the older man, and when she gestured to the newspaper image of the blue haired Idol Shinji proceeded to explain that side of things. "Information control is also part of my job here, and while we're on the topic of Tsubasa, I'm happy to let you two know that she's not in any critical danger anymore." Shinji announced, much to Hibiki's joy whilst SHADOW merely nodded curtly. His words still rung in the atmosphere, and he'd made it VERY clear just how he viewed Tsubasa at the moment. "but she'll need to stay in Division 2's Medical facilities for a while, so her concert at the end of the month will have to be cancelled." Shinji explained further, sitting down next to Hibiki whilst doing so. "Now then... how should I apologize to her fans? Would you help me think of something?"
'Wait, why is this Adult asking Hibiki something regarding on how to do HIS job?'
Apparently, Shinji realized it the same time as SHADOW thinking this, as before he could say anything the man quickly proceeded to explain himself. Perhaps seeing the shocked and surprised look form on Hibiki's face also helped. "Ah, wait, that isn't what I meant...!" he tried to say, his face morphing into one of panic and concern. A few seconds later however, his fears became unfounded when the young girl chuckled slightly in amusement, causing him to give an embarrassed smile back. "Sorry, I didn't mean to blame you or anything... its just that, what I'm trying to say is, whatever you do, lots of people are behind you, helping you in all sorts of ways. So, I think you can afford to relax a little."
'That... actually makes a lot of sense...' SHADOW thought, eyeing Shinji with no small amount of wariness, but at least it wasn't like before when he had been about to incinerate the man whilst seeing him as utter scum. 'The old 'power of friendship' cliche, where people believe that just because they have strong bonds it will solve all their problems. As much as I hate that cliche, its a fact that humanity is a pack-based species, which means that they naturally will feel more confident in groups. Heck, girls embody this since they hang out in groups quite a lot, for multiple different reasons too. Making being around other people more bearable, a form of comfort, security and personal safety.'
"... You're nice, Ogawa san."
"I'm just scared. There are other people way kinder than me."
Whilst the black suited man stated this along with his ashamed smile, Hibiki herself didn't believe that, not one bit, but she didn't have that much time to try and convince the guy otherwise. Like many guys, they each had their stubborn pride and stuff... though she did admit that there were girls who were the same. "Well, I do feel a bit better. Thank you." she replied whilst standing up. "I'll get as much rest as I can so I can do my best on the job." she declared, bowing to the older man and then proceeding to run off.
Shinji watched her leave, sporting a sad yet nostalgic smile on his face. "If only... if only Tsubasa can be more like you, Hibiki..."
SHADOW didn't respond to this, finding there to be no need as he simply vanished in a ring of his Black Flames. To him, there was no need to be here any longer, he didn't want to converse with adults beyond anything necessary, if he didn't have business with them then he would not associate himself with them on anything other than a professional basis.
What he DIDN'T notice as the flames took him away however was the look of mild concern on Shinji's face as he stared over at his retreating form.
'Durandal... According to what Sakuya told me recently... perhaps that Relic won't be the ONLY Relic we'll have to worry about in the future...'
Finally, the time of the mission came at long last, with the morning sun just beginning to emerge from the horizon in the distance. Though currently, the night still held somewhat of a dominating presence over the still speeding city... a city which would have NO idea of what would be going down in the near future, save for a certain military group.
Currently, Genjuro and Ryouko stood together in front of a line of Division 2 Members. Members who consisted of Hibiki on one side, with SHADOW on the other and men in black suits with matching Shades. Behind them were a row of varying cars, most of them being the classic black ones any secret Government organisation would use to get around... with the sole exception of Ryouko's pink car in the middle.
[Could that car be ANY more obvious? Should the foe intercept, they're going to know which to target first... if not, then the human race has sunken to a new low.]
'Believe me Vritra, there's literally going to be ZERO limits to how low people can sink these days...'
"Attention!" Genjuro called out, unaware of the dialogue between SHADOW and his partner as he placed his hands behind his back. His role as commander made it so that he would be remaining within the HQ beneath the School, so he wasn't going with them. "You are all being deployed under the pretext of investigating the death off Defence Minister Hiroki. Make haste for the Ruins of Memory." his orders, short and simple, pretty much conveyed the entire situation as quick as it had been effective. The slight stiffening seen on the men showcased that they heeded these orders, whilst Hibiki perked herself up by puffing out her chest. In her mind, she kept repeating to herself that she would not be failing as a form of a morale boosting mantra.
If there was SOMETHING that SHADOW could acknowledge about the man, that would be that for an adult he sure as hell had skill in conveying his words effectively. Probably honed through his many years in a position of authority.
Then, as if to offset Genjuro's seriousness in the situation, and to add a bit of comedy (not like he thought it necessary) Ryouko then offered a V sign, and a chirpy proclamation to go with it. "Then lets give this operation a Codename: The Plan to Make Everything All Right for Only Us!"... naturally, a group of sweat drops happened to be their response to the chirpy woman's statement, ESPECIALLY regarding that lame as hell title.
Though it jut served to raise SHADOW's suspicions of her even more.
Afterwards, everything proceeded as planned, with the men in black taking their positions within the black cars pronto. Hibiki almost fell over, flailing her arms about like a lunatic when one of them accidentally bumped into her had it not been for the Scientist catching her by hooking her arms underneath her shoulders, halting her movement. Looking up at the smiling woman, Hibiki beamed happily at her. "Th-Thanks Ryouko san!" she proclaimed in gratitude, earning a giggle in response.
"No problem, my dear. Follow me, you'll be riding with me and the Relic, its already inside my car waiting for us, the dynamic duo." Ryouko replied as she let Hibiki separate from her to get her balance back. She also proceeded to head on over to her Car, already pulling out her keys to unlock it. Hibiki soon jogged on after her, and they would have boarded the Car at this moment... "Ah, SHADOW san! What a surprise, I didn't expect you to be THERE of all places." had it not been for a certain someone.
That someone being the black dressed male... who sat cross legged atop the Car itself.
"Since your car is so 'bright' and 'obvious' as a target, I will be acting as the Convoy's main defence against aggression." SHADOW replied evenly, crossing his arms under his chest as he heard the other cars beginning to start. When Ryouko made to say something, the teen quickly cut her off by clicking his fingers, and from his feet his Flames covered the Car's entire roof. The Flames on the roof then proceeded to solidify, becoming a metallic structure shaped like her Car's roof. Though they had also spread across the entire car like they were a liquid being poured onto the vehicle itself... which resulted in the Car becoming an armoured, black and red futuristic looking TANK rather than a pretty, frail car. All the while, SHADOW summoned his Schlagen as his primary arm whilst summoning Donner as his secondary, pocketing it within his Coat whilst summoning Orkan as well. As the male stood atop the armoured Roof, coattails fluttering in a soft breeze, he then shifted his gaze downwards so he could eye the two stunned-looking women. "Just some extra defence modifications. This will keep me tethered to your car too, allowing me to defend like a Turret in Tower Defence. I got permission from the Commander to do this, not like it would have mattered to me if he didn't approve. Anyways, we must be off, this Relic shall not deliver itself."
Chapter end!
Whelp, here's the second chapter of this arc, guys. Not very exciting I know, sorry bout that. But we will soon be getting to the battle over Durandal, with each of the players gathering together into one specific spot. There's stuff going on with both sides, too, stuff which may be revealed in the upcoming chapters. Though I will say this, I think I'll be changing up the battles in some places, just so it doesn't look like I'm carbon copying from CANON with just some extra OC's. Hopefully I'll be able to pull it off like I have for the previous battles so far, and I also hoppe you all like this chapter. I'll see you all in the next one.
Peace Out!
