The huge transport motored along at quite a shocking speed for its size. My first field mission. The six weeks of training promised to me was cut back to four, due to my outstanding abilities, and I passed the HOLD tests with flying colours. I had heard others in HOLY say almost jokingly that this was what I was born to do.
To tell the truth, I hadn't really tried anything else.
'Right. This being your first field mission, there are a few things I should drill you on. First of all- DON'T YOU TOUCH THAT!'
I jerked my hand away from his fruit and crossed my arms almost indifferently. I knew the procedure already, of course. I had taken the liberty of reading the summary reports from prior missions. On this, my first assignment, I was accompanying Urizane. He was a rather corpulent man, and he needed a custom uniform, not that he did it up properly anyway. I found him rather funny, in a strange sort of way. Eccentric sense of humor, odd taste in leisurely activities, and very protective of his watermelons.
'Okay. Here we are. You go out first, smarty.' He told me with a wry sort of look.
Obediently, I obliged and stood, heading to the transport exit. I prepared myself for whatever could have been out there. I had attended the briefing for this assignment and I knew that it was more risky than some of the other ones that had been on the board recently, but Urizane had asked that I go with him, after all, I had passed my tests.
No one other than the examination board knew about Zetsuei yet, so I was tense about this mission; I may have had to bring out Zetsuei. It was my job, now, that's what I had to keep telling myself. It was my job. If I didn't have to summon Zetsuei on this assignment, then it would just be on some other one.
I had discovered just how much Kukanaji outright hated me. He and his friends from HOLD tracked me down every day since I arrived at HOLY. They continually made a point of showing me the skills I lacked in hand-to-hand….. I made sure that no one raised any questions, though, for it was only a simple personal dispute.
I stepped out of the transport and out onto the field. It was late into the evening, and the sun had long since disappeared under the horizon, and it was quite dark aside from a few random lights along the broken streets and in houses that had managed to stay partly intact. I heard Urizane give the orders to cut the local power, and then all light died.
There was silence and utter stillness for a blissful few seconds. The night was still as calm and cold as it was when the night was my only companion.
A spotlight blazed from the top of the transport and shone blindingly into one of the houses. Urizane stationed himself at the intercom inside the transport and blared his commands, all a part of procedure in this particular situation. Still, it was more than a little unnerving to be the only one standing out in the open under such circumstances. Surely, Urizane wasn't going to force me to take on the offending party on my own…..?
'NATIVE ALTERS. THIS IS HOLY. EXIT THE BUILDING SINGLE-FILE WITH YOUR HANDS ON YOUR HEADS AND YOU WILL BE DETAINED FOR FURTHER QUESTIONING.'
I winced slightly with the volume of the intercom, but held my position, waiting for the first person to exit and for Urizane to send someone out with me.
'Fuck you, HOLY bastards!' Said a man standing in an open doorway. He made a very rude hand gesture before going back into the building.
'I REPEAT. UNDER SECTION 18, YOU WILL BE DETAINED AND QUESTIONED FOR THE OFFENCES YOU HAVE COMMITTED.'
BANG!
Burning pain erupted in my right shoulder and I quickly found that I was bleeding profusely. They had guns? No one said that they- well, I should have guessed that they would, but I had expected retaliation by Alter power. Well, my good arm was uninjured. I called forth the power from the well inside me and Zetsuei materialized before me. I clutched my shoulder, pushing as hard as I could without too much pain to slow the bleeding, and started forward, Zetsuei a short ways ahead of me to take the shots, should any more come. It would hurt me if he was shot, after all it wasn't recoil, but it wouldn't be as bad as it would be, were I actually shot again.
'THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING. EITHER SURRENDER OR BE TAKEN BY FORCE.'
'Too late for them to surrender.' Said my Alter side. 'Two warnings should be enough for them. They didn't even give one. Send in Zetsuei, take them by storm!' I found that this was a good enough suggestion. Shaking slightly from the pain in my shoulder and with the apprehensiveness of going in there by myself when I had no idea how many of them there were, I had Zetsuei remove the door. He swiped a whip at chest level once within, my reflex action to seeing several other guns pointed my way.
There was a series of clatters as the halves of several guns fell to the floor. Zetsuei's whips were poised to strike anyone who moved at a moment's notice. 'By refusing to surrender yourselves willingly, you have waned any rights you would have otherwise had. P-proceed in an orderly fashion to the transport vehicle outside where you will be incarcerated for your crimes.' I said, my voice shaky. They all looked three times my age and there was about a dozen or so of them looking down on me distastefully. On top of that, I was starting to get dizzy.
Urizane had no intention of helping me. Had the Commander allowed this? Or was he the one who suggested it in the first place? Commander Sigmar seemed to have great confidence in my abilities. More, I think, than I had.
'Aww….. a wittle baby HOLY officer, come to put us in our place. How about that? What do you say we skin you and make you into a rug? None of the other people who came here before you gave us any trouble with that!'
'You will proceed in an orderly fashion to the transport vehicle outside where you will be incarcerated for your crimes!' I repeated forcefully. My Alter side was pleased. 'Go!' Zetsuei struck one man across the back. If they wouldn't go willingly, they would have to be given encouragement. The man fell to his knees.
Two among his group stepped forward. There was the unmistakable glow of Alter power and the two of them summoned their own Alters. They were a little large for the house, and couldn't maneuver well. That was a mistake on their part. I wouldn't bring this fight outside, Zetsuei was small and could maneuver just fine in the confined space of the house.
A small part of me began to panic. Although I had the advantage of agility, I was outnumbered, and not just Alter wise. Even if it had been one on one, this was my first fight against another Alter User. I was classed as an A-type Alter User which was about as high as they came, but I didn't know how to tell what class these Alters were. If they were both A's as well, I stood no chance.
I closed my eyes tightly and guided Zetsuei's movements. Over, dodge, to the side, slash, slash, slash. I opened my eyes, feeling the other Alters fall. Zetsuei's whips were once more poised to strike anyone who moved. 'GO!' I repeated with conviction. A couple of them stumbled out quickly, the others soon following with Zetsuei's encouragement.
Even as they entered the transport, now in the custody of HOLY, the task wasn't over yet. The briefing had said something about hostages, and maybe it was the fact that I was running dangerously short of blood, but I figured I had to look for them before getting aid. I wandered through the house, searching rooms and closets, but there was no one.
Not until I came to the basement.
Shards of broken glass were strewn everywhere, sometimes mixed in pools of blood. A man and a young woman both lay on the floor dead before me. In a corner sat a child with dark hair and fear in his musky amber eyes. He looked like he had severely injured his leg, or, more accurately, that his captives had. I heard footsteps overhead. No doubt the HOLD forces looking for the hostages as well.
I went closer to the child. He looked a little younger than twelve, and his eyes darted around the room.
'Hello,' I said. 'I'm from HOLY. Everything's going to be alright. Would you come with me? I'll take you somewhere so you can recover.'
'What's your name?' He asked timidly.
'My….. name? Ryuhou.' Zetsuei gently lowered a whip and held it out for the child to help him to stand. 'And yours?'
'A-Asuka,' He replied, taking the offer of help. 'Asuka Tachibana.'
