Location: Unknown Room, Demonic Queen's Manor

"Scanning… Scanning… Scanning…"

A monotone female's voice filled the air in the quiet rook, sounding almost robotic. The source of the voice was coming from a woman whose body was hidden underneath a black, torn cloak. The woman's eyes were glowing red as she looked at a multitude of photos laid out on a table in front of her. Behind the woman were two others, females considering their body structures. The one on the left was in a gray cloak while the one on the right wore a reddish one.

"Scanning completed," the woman said. "All targets and target code names have been downloaded into my database. Beginning transference of data."

The woman walked towards the white cloaked woman. She placed her hand on the white cloak's chest, a mechanical whirring being heard for a second.

"Data transfer complete," said the white one. Her voice was stoic and commanding.

The black cloak repeated this process with the red cloak.

"Data transfer complete," said the red one. Her voice was bloodthirsty and egotistical.

The black one turned around and faced the table. "S11-413 and S11-096 have received the data."

"Good. With all of them memorized, allow me to explain in detail what I want from the three of you."

Standing at the other end of the table was Dirge Nott, the demonic tactician that served the Demonic Queen without hesitation. A woman known for her strategic mind and ruthlessness against humanity, hating the realm with a passion. The tactician held her hand out towards the three and began to speak.

"No… to better phrase it; What the Mistress wants from you three," Dirge said. "After all, she is your current owner. This is what she desires."

"Acknowledged," the black one said. "What are my commanding officer's orders?"

"Out of all the faces you have scanned, my Mistress desires to capture one of them. The one who bears the title 'Grim Reaper,' is who she is after. If located, capture him alive. Another note; the one titled 'Sankaishin' is also with us. For the time being, he is to be ignored. However, should he prove to be a problem, I will change those orders. And your main mission… shall be to deal with the others. Kill them. It's as simple as that. Hunt them down across Riverbrandt and kill each of them, so that they cannot get in my Mistress way. They must die by any means necessary, no matter who gets in your way."

"Order received. Termination of other targets is set as the current objective."

"I expect to hear positive results from the three of you. Considering what you are, finding these people should be no problem. It may take some time for all of you to finish filling in the missing blanks about your target. But with the images, Realm data, and pseudo DNA samples I provided, that should run much smoother."

"Affirmative. Long range sensors are active. Beginning search."

"From this point on, I will be leaving this mission in the hands of you three. No matter what surprises you may face… no matter what tricks they try to pull on you, you will not be hindered. You will locate the targets…"


"And kill them all. Hunt down these otherworlders."

The black cloaked girl was standing in the middle of a crowded city, her head held down. A beeping noise went through her head as she looked up, pulling down her hood to reveal her dark blue hair.

"Target detected," she said. "Commencing mission: The Termination…"

The bluenette stared ahead… right at a certain girl.

"…Of 'Vermillion Blue.'"


Bloodedge: Hero of Riverbrandt

Volume III.5: Vermillion Blue

Chapter I: Can You Help Me? I'm New Here…


Sometime Between Volume I and Volume II

In the Afternoon

Location: Vier-Galla

Vier-Galla is a large city in the northeast, one of the major cities that are part of the kingdom of Galla, Man's second largest Kingdom. Surrounded by mountains in the northeast, an ocean view from the north, and a grassy plain in the southwest. It may not be the largest city there is, but the size of Vier-Galla is indeed impressive. Today was a cold day for the city, which was rather strange to most. Whether they were soldiers, mercenaries, or civilians, people all around were either trying to buy warmer clothing or heading back to their homes to change. Barely anyone was prepared for how chilly today would be.

Among those in the city was someone not from this world. Noel Vermillion. A former lieutenant of the Novus Orbis Librarium, wielder of the Nox Nyctores' Arcus Diabolus: Bolverk, and the twelfth Prime Field Device, Mu. The younger sister of Ragna the Bloodedge, whether she remembers this or not. In the aftermath of the world born from Ragna's disappearance, Noel resigned from the NOL. When given the offer to return, she denied it and chose to live her life as a nun in the church where Saya was raised, alongside the likes of Lambda and Nu. The young woman was last seen having a conversation with her friends, Makoto and Tsubaki.

Or at least… That is how things should have been.

In the aftermath of everything, Noel instead finds herself in Riverbrandt, a world that she's never heard of, even once. Unaware of the status of the church. Unaware of what fate has fallen upon Makoto, Tsubaki, Lambda, or anyone else. The young woman was thrown into an unknown world with only her memories to possibly guide her around. She didn't know where to start, or who to begin questioning about her situation. But one thing that she did know… was that it was cold.

The first thing she did was try to find something that she could use to cover herself, as she was only wearing her usual sleeveless shirt and blue mantle, blue miniskirt, black thigh-high socks and her heeled boots. Certainly not an outfit made for chilly weather. To make matters worse, she didn't have any money that'd work in this world, as she quickly realized that World Dollars are not a thing here. She needed to find something for warmth so that she could focus on what to do next. Thus, she began searching around Vier-Galla. As expected, there weren't a lot of people that were willing to give a stranger without any money something, despite how cold it was.

"Here you are, miss. There's not much I can give you without any money, but this should do."

"Thank you. And I'm sorry for troubling you!"

Eventually, after several shops and rejections, Noel finally found some place that was willing to help her. They didn't give her much, but it was enough to keep the girl warm at the current temperatures. Over her normal clothing, Noel wore a dark blue mantle that only extended down to her waist. Leaving that store, she was ready to start her next objective; Finding out where she is and finding out if she can get home.

"The cold is really the least of my worries…" Noel sighed, talking to herself. "Where on earth is this place?" Noel turned around and looked at the range of mountains behind the city. "We're near a mountainside, so could this be a hierarchical city that I'm not familiar with? But…" Looking around further, she laid eyes on several soldiers patrolling the city. "None of these are NOL soldiers, and my money's practically worthless… So that can't be the case… This just means I'm even more lost than I realized."

The girl looked around for something, anything that would be familiar. But alas, she found nothing. There wasn't even anybody she recognized around. "I wonder if Lambda and Nu are alright… Makoto, Tsubaki, and everyone else too. Maybe they ended up in the same situation that I'm in. There's a chance they could turn up around here if I look hard enough. But then again…" Noel sighed as she recalled how she's already searched nearly the entire city and saw no one that she recognized. "Oh, there must be something that I missed."

Feeling a breeze behind her, she turned around and saw what looked like a bullet train speeding across a railroad above her. Tracing its origin, Noel saw that the train came out of an opening dug out in the mountain.

"That's it!" She said to herself. "There's probably something on the other side of the mountain that I haven't checked out." Noel saw that the train stopped at a depot a good distance away. "Though… I probably won't be able to catch that one… But, maybe if I run, I can make it in time!"

Noel holds onto her mantle as she runs towards the train station.

She wasn't the only one headed in that direction. About a hundred meters ahead of her was a small group of soldiers all looking at the arriving train, standing in between two buildings.

"Second Lieutenant Kannon," one of the soldiers said. "I believe that's our train."

Standing at the forefront was a fairly older woman, about six feet tall. She had crimson red hair and a single yellow eye, her left eye being covered by an eyepatch. She wore a white breastplate with blue and yellow designs. Underneath was a blue, skin tight jumpsuit that highlighted her abs. She had a dark blue and gold crotch plate and leg and arm bracers. She had a white cape tied around her with a red rope, and a large hand cannon that she had strapped on her shoulder.

"Figures we're late," the woman said, running her fingers through her hair. "Though now that I think about it, the Captain probably hasn't arrived either. This order was very last minute."

"Ma'am, maybe we shouldn't get too worked up about being late then?" asked another soldier.

"That's no excuse! As soldiers of Galla, we're expected to-"

Someone suddenly untied the cape from around the redhead and snatched it away. She turned around and saw the culprit. Behind her was a shorter girl with dark blue hair and a brighter color for her eyes. She wore a jet black under shirt and a white, long overcoat with dark blue borders, similar to what all the other soldiers were wearing. The right end was shorter, revealing her black boots and leggings. The coat's collar also reached up to her face, covering her mouth.

"What are you doing?" The redhead had a deadpan expression as she looked at the woman.

"Cold," that was the only thing that she said in response.

The second lieutenant just sighed. Some of the soldiers snickered quietly but quickly stopped once the redhead turned and looked at them.

"Keep moving!" she ordered.

The soldiers all saluted as they marched on. Right as they walked into the open streets, the sounds of footsteps were approaching them quickly. The redhead looked to the left just as she stepped right into Noel's path. The blonde tried to stop herself but failed as she collided face first into the lieutenant's chest due to their height difference. Noel fell to the ground quickly. The redhead stumbled back and tried to catch herself, but was weighed down by her cannon and fell as well. The soldiers helped up the lieutenant while Noel picked herself up,

"What the hell's your deal?" the redhead groaned.

"I'm so sorry!" Noel apologized. "I was in such a hurry, I didn't see you there."

"What would a civilian be rushing to in the middle of the day?" one of the soldiers asked.

"Well, I was hoping I could make it to that train that just arrived, before it left."

The redhead folded her arms. "What do you want with a military train?" she further questioned Noel.

"H-Huh?" The blonde was clueless about all of this, however.

"You're just a civilian. Even if you made it there, they wouldn't just let you on. Only Galla military and approved personnel are allowed on those types of trains. What business would a civilian have with that, huh?"

"I was just hoping to head to the other side of the city, that's all!" Noel put her hands up defensively. "I didn't know that wasn't a public train, honest!"

"Hmm… Likely story, but it's not like I can just take your word. Warrant Officer, search her."

The dark bluenette was suddenly right next to Noel in an instant, startling her as she began a thorough body search. Noel couldn't keep her eyes on the girl as she kept moving around very quickly. The warrant officer stopped and removed her mantle, showing the lieutenant and others that the blonde was armed, Bolverk still inside the twin holsters on her back waist.

"She's armed," the bluenette said. "I don't trust her."

"Wait, this is all just a misunderstanding!" Noel exclaimed. "I'm not trying to do anything wrong!"

"Most civilians don't walk around with weapons like that practically visible," the lieutenant stated. "You a bounty hunter?"

"No…"

"Would you happen to have a permit to legally carry those publicly?"

"I'm afraid not…"

"Suspicious," the warrant officer said.

"No, really! I'm not from here, that's all! I'm just a little lost and I want to see if there's anyone on the other side of the city that can help me out! I swear, I'm not here to cause you any problems."

"She doesn't seem like she's lying, ma'am," one of the soldiers spoke up.

"I can see that," the second lieutenant puts her hand on her hip. "She doesn't seem like she'd be a terrorist or anything. Looks can normally be deceiving, but I doubt that's the case with her."

"I don't know what else to say…" Noel thought internally. "If I bring up something about the NOL or anything else, I feel like they'll just look at me with even more suspicion. The NOL doesn't seem to have any influence wherever this is so… bringing it up doesn't seem like a good idea…"

Suddenly, the redhead let out a loud groan. "We don't have time to deal with this shit."

The lieutenant reached into a pocket in her jumpsuit and pulled out a small bag. She pulled out twenty gold coins and gestured for Noel to hold out her hand, which she complied.

"Here," she said while handing over the coins. "If you're really telling the truth about being innocent, then I expect you to follow my orders to a T, understood?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Noel replied.

The redhead points to a nearby building in the shape of the rook chess piece. "You see that place over there? I can't exactly let you off the hook or anything as long as you're walking around here with weapons and no permit. I want you to head over there, use the gold I gave you, and buy a weapons permit for civilians. If you're as innocent as you seem, I expect you to remain on your best behavior in Vier-Galla. Afterwards, we'll leave you be. Understand?"

Noel nods. "Thank you so much!" she politely bowed to the redhead before heading off.

"Follow after her," she said to the bluenette. "Make sure she's actually going to do what I ordered, and that she doesn't screw up or spend that money elsewhere."

"Don't wanna," the warrant officer replied.

"That's an order."

The warrant officer sighed quietly before vanishing, supposedly going after Noel. The redhead and other soldiers continued marching towards the train station.

About a minute later, Noel arrived at the building that was pointed out to her and was able to go through the permit process. The warrant officer helped her with whatever was necessary but spent most of her time waiting in the corner of the room, trying to make herself less seen. The process for Noel was pretty standard and didn't take up much time. It took all twenty gold coins she was given to pay for it and at the end, she received a small plastic card with all of the information she gave on it. There was even a picture of her on it. After everything was done within a few minutes, she and the warrant officer walked out of the building.

"Stay out of trouble," the bluenette stated.

"Thanks again for believing me," Noel replied. "I'm sorry if I've inconvenienced you."

The warrant officer didn't say a word before vanishing from sight, surprising Noel. "She's… like a ninja," the blonde said. "She reminds me of Hibiki. Noel looked up and saw that the bullet train was still at the station. "They haven't left yet. Maybe I could still make it in time and thank that other woman for helping me out as well."

Noel was about to take off running again, but suddenly felt a chill go down her spine as if somebody was watching her. Not just one person, but perhaps three or more. She turned around, her hands instinctively going to Bolverk as she felt the Nox Nyctores telling her to stay alert. But when she looked, Noel didn't see a thing in the area around her.

"No one's here…" she said, sighing as she started walking away. "Maybe I was just feeling that other soldier's presence. She disappeared like a ninja so she might've still been around. I'll just have to worry about that later. For now, I'll head to the train station.

-X-

Noel runs off once again. However, she was unaware of just how wrong she was about assuming who was watching her. She was a long distance away, so it would be impossible for Noel to tell where she was or even spot her from where she was standing. In the distance was the girl in the black cloak, staring at Noel from afar with an emotionless face. Seeing that she was heading to the train station, she turned around and walked off in a different direction, but intended to stay as relatively close to Noel as possible without alerting her.

"Pursuing objective. Otherworlder 'Vermillion Blue' is en route towards Vier-Galla's West Railyard," she said. The girl held up her hand as the dorsal side had a glowing circle emitting from it. Suddenly, her hand transformed and her fingers opened up to reveal a metallic frame. The rest of her hand did the same as two monitors could be seen on the back of her hand. The code "S11-413" was written on the top monitor, and "S11-096" was on the bottom.

"Can we just eliminate her now?" The top monitor displayed sound waves as the voice of S11-413 came from it. "I'm in the perfect position to take her head off."

"Negative. Please withhold from engaging combat procedures, S11-413. Your current position is too exposed. Minimum time it would take your attack to reach the target is 2.1998 seconds. Objective's capabilities of being faster than light have not been confirmed nor dismissed. Success of an attack now is below fifty percent."

S11-413 could be heard scoffing. "Am I supposed to listen to a fourth series model doubting the skill of an eleventh series?"

"Affirmative. I was appointed commander of this operation."

"And our objective is to eliminate the otherworlders by any means. I'm not going to allow your calculations to screw up this mission! I'm taking the shot!"

The bluenette assassin stood still as the other woman made up her mind. She kept her eyes on Noel while waiting to see if her ally would attack. She waited, and waited, and waited some more. She waited for a total of ten seconds before she reported it.

"No shots have been fired," she stated.

"You think I don't KNOW that?!" S11-413 exclaimed. "Target's moved out of my line of sight. If I fire now, my accuracy will be below fifty percent. I'm not one for spraying and praying, unlike some people."

"S4-213, I have the objective in range," the bottom panel started displaying sound waves as S11-096 reported in. "She's almost at the rail station. Continuing pursuit. Please stop arguing, we don't have time for humanlike squabbles."

"Acknowledged. I shall be there shortly," S4-213 replied. "ETA; three minutes, twenty-eight seconds."

"ETA; four minutes, thirteen seconds," S11-413 replied.

-X-

Location: Railyard 3W, Vier-Galla

It wasn't long before Noel made her way to the rail station, taking note of the sign that said "Railyard 3W" when she walked up. As expected, the bullet train was still stationary, but she didn't spot that group of soldiers when she first walked in. None of them were seated in the waiting area, so Noel walked out to where the train was. And sure enough, she managed to lay eyes on the group of soldiers, all about to board. She was going to call out to them and go over there, but part of her didn't want to cause anymore problems. Not only that, but she noticed that there were others with them this time, as she noticed there were more soldiers than before.

"Oh… They must be in the middle of something important," Noel thought. "I shouldn't say anything, unless I cause trouble."

Noel decided to have a seat outside on a bench close to the train. The girl sighed. Despite only being out for about three hours, it already felt like she'd been running around for a full twenty-four. This was the first time she's been able to sit down and rest since she showed up in Vier-Galla. It felt very relaxing. She yawned, almost feeling like she could just doze off right now. But she kept herself away. Looking at the train, Noel realized she was also in earshot of the soldiers by the train.

"I shouldn't be eavesdropping, but…" she said to herself.

The majority of the soldiers were standing in two separate lines on the side, leaving a pathway for people to enter the train. The redheaded second lieutenant wasn't in the formation, but stood against the side of the train with her arms folded. The warrant officer suddenly appeared next to her, still wearing the lieutenant's cape.

"You know, you can hand that back now," the redhead said.

"Warm." the bluenette replied. She suddenly looked to her right and stood at attention. "He's here."

The redhead followed suit. Any other soldiers that weren't at attention made themselves presentable as somebody important was approaching the train. Noel leaned over to try and see what they were looking at, while trying to remain inconspicuous at the same time. She didn't have to do too much as that person walked right into her line of sight. She noticed that there was more than one new arrival. Two of them were standard soldiers. In front of them was a lady whose outfit stood out.

She had long, black hair with light colored eyes, and was wearing a fancy blue hat with gold borders and red feathers. She had a black and gold decorated breastplate and white pants. Covering the rest of her was a white fur coat and blue boots. She also had on purple and gold bracers with white gloves. On her waist was a fancy rapier in a blue sheath.

There was a fourth person among the new arrivals as well. However, Noel could not see them from where she was sitting. Even if she moved around, it wouldn't help. The way everyone was positioned kept that person out of her line of sight. Nonetheless, she continued to listen in on their conversation just to see if she can learn anything new while she's here.

The second lieutenant saluted two of the new arrivals. "Captain. I wasn't aware that First Major Winchester would be accompanying us."

"I had no other orders, so I decided that I'll tag along with what you lot have been ordered to do," the woman in the blue hat replied, indicating to Noel that she was the First Major in question. "Apologizes for holding you all back with my interruption."

"There's no problem, ma'am. We're happy to have the assistance of a Knight in any mission."

"If we're done idling, I suggest that we get a move on. I don't want to let this tip go to waste."

"That voice…" As Noel was listening, she perked up at the sound of another voice. Judging by the conversation, it could only come from the one whose rank is Captain. But the moment she heard him speak, she felt as though she recognized him. She tried to get a closer look, but could not.

"The Captain's right," the warrant officer said.

"This mission of yours came from one of the Lieutenant Generals, correct?" asked the first major. "Could you perhaps fill me in on everything quickly?"

"We can do that once we get inside," the captain answered. "I'd like to get a move on, if you don't mind."

"Fair enough. Lead the way, Captain."

They started walking towards the door to the train. Noel got up from the bench and tried to see if she could get a look at the captain before he was out of sight. Just as they turned to enter the train, Noel caught a small glimpse of the fourth newcomer. The person she saw surprised her, even though she wasn't sure if she could confirm that it was him from his skin and blonde hair alone. The other three followed after him into the train, the other soldiers boarding as well.

"W-Wait! Stop!" Noel tried to call out to them as the door was closing, the train beginning to move. "Is that you-"

The blonde stopped and covered her face as the train took off from the station. She watched it jet off into the distance, en route to the other side of Vier-Galla.

-X-

By the time the train left the station, most people inside were not yet seated. Only the captain, first major, and a few soldiers were sitting down at the moment.

"By the way, Captain…" the redhead spoke up, leaning her cannon against the wall. "Aren't you cold? It doesn't seem like you're wearing a lot."

"I'm fine," he replied. "This thermal suit of mine has let me survive temperatures worse than this. A little cold wind is nothing."

-X-

Noel eventually sat back down and decided that she would wait and see if she could board the next train whenever it arrives. She didn't have any reason to be bored as she waited. Her mind was racing with the thoughts of the person she saw rushing through her head. That wasn't the only thing that she was worrying about. Another thought crossed her mind, wondering if she'd be able to ride a train without any money. The feeling of being watched came back again, despite seeing the warrant officer board the train.

"There's just so much going on today…" Noel sighed. "The more I search for answers, all I find is more questions and concerns." The girl leaned back on the bench, looking up at the sky. "I wish I could just wait here and things could go my way. Maybe Makoto or someone else will find me if I stay put. There just has to be others here that I know." Her eyes slowly shifted down to the city. "If my eyes weren't deceiving me, then that has to be true. I don't think it would just be me and-Hm?"

Noel blinked as she saw somebody in the distance, their presence drawing her attention unconsciously. She stood up and walked forward, the person also walking towards her. She was able to get a good view of them and saw they were staring directly at her with a serious expression. That person kept walking until they were only a dozen yards away from Noel, standing at the entrance to the railyard. The person in front of Noel was the blue haired woman… the assassin that she was unaware of.

"Uh…" Noel took it upon herself to break the silence between the two, and spoke. "Can I… help you?"

The assassin didn't say a single word.

"You're staring at me right? Is there something you need from me?"

Suddenly, Noel felt something telling her that she was in danger, her Nox Nyctores beckoning her to get away from this woman.

"She's… what?"

The cloaked woman turned around and walked away.

"Huh? Hey wait!"

Noel, despite her weapon's warnings, chased after the mysterious bluenette, wanting to at least see what was going on. She ran out of the rail station and into the streets, looking around to see if she was anywhere in sight. Noel saw the mysterious woman walking down the street to the right of her. She tried signaling the bluenette to stop, but was ignored, despite the woman staring her right in the eyes. Noel was starting to get concerned, and she didn't want to make a scene in public. She kept her hands free and ready to draw Bolverk whenever needed, and ran after the woman. She saw her turn the corner at an intersection, but she wasn't sure which direction she went afterwards.

"Which way could she have gone…?" she wondered aloud. "There!"

Noel spotted the woman standing on the roof of a building in front of her. Not uttering a word, she walked off again. As Noel ran up, she looked for some way to get up there, assuming that the person she's chasing used it to climb up.

"There must've been something on the side of the building."

Noel ran towards the left side of the building immediately. Looking around, she didn't see anything that she could use to reach the roof. There was also a wall that prevented her from just walking around the building. Figuring that whatever it is must be on the other side, she ran back into the streets to go around.

THUD

"Kya!"

SPLAT

Only to run right into somebody as she turned. Noel bumped into someone and knocked both them and herself to the ground. The other person was a girl with vibrant pink hair, and green eyes. She was wearing a dark undershirt and a sleeveless blue dress with white strips… that was now covered in ice cream. The pinkette was carrying two ice cream cones, one vanilla and the other strawberry, and both of them were triple scooped. When she bumped into Noel, she let go of them as they both fell. She tried catching them but failed, and both of them fell on her.

"Our… ice cream…" the pinkette said sadly.

"Sorry about that!" Noel exclaimed. "I didn't realize that I-Ow ow ow ow!"

The pinkette grabbed Noel by her hair clip and pulled her close.

"The hell was that for, huh?" she asked the blonde angrily.

"I'm sorry!" Noel whined. "I didn't see you, I swear! I was in a hurry and when I turned the corner, I ran into your accident! I didn't mean to ruin your ice cream!"

"Yeah? Well a simple 'I'm sorry' isn't going to cut it, girly! Triple scoop ice cream isn't as cheap for me as you think it is! You owe me a new pair."

"I'd be more than happy to pay you back, but…"

"But what?"

"I don't… have any money…"

The girl looked up and down at Noel and narrowed her eyes. "You expect me to believe that bull? Someone dressed as well and unique as you is supposed to be flat broke? Yeah, you ain't fooling anyone with this shitty cloak."

"No it's true! There's an explanation for this!"

"Spare me whatever made up story you have. I'm pissed off right now thanks to you!" The pinkette cocks her fist back as she lets go of Noel. "Hope you'll think twice about paying me after this ass kicking!"

Noel only hid her face, wanting to avoid as much as possible. "Wait! Wait a second!"

"Lyrial, wait!"

Someone suddenly ran up and grabbed the pinkette's arm from behind just before she threw a punch at Noel. the blonde uncovered her eyes to see a purple eyes brunette in a red hoodie with matching pants and boots.

"Aguil…" the pinkette said.

"Maybe we should go somewhere and talk this out…" the brunette suggested. "I don't think we should start a fight in the middle of the street…"

A Few Minutes Later…

Noel wasn't sure about traveling with these two at first. One of them did try to attack her after a misunderstanding, though the other showed up and quickly stepped in to stop her. The brunette at least seemed like they would be a trustworthy person in Noel's eyes. She wasn't sure, and kept her guard up the whole time. She was also on the lookout for that mysterious woman that escaped her sights. She didn't see her on any nearby roofs, and assumed she must be back on the streets and too far for her to find, yet alone to pursue.

Noel and the other two ended up at a park with a good view of a large tower right outside the city. After sitting down, the three got to talking things out, the brunette apologizing for the pinkette's actions, while Noel apologized for bumping into her accidentally. While the pink haired girl was stubborn, she eventually accepted the apology, and also apologized for overreacting and trying to pick a fight with Noel. She learned that the two of them were visitors in Vier-Galla. The pinkette introduced herself as Lyrial, and the brunette as Aguil. Noel introduced herself as well.

"Once again, Miss Noel," Aguil said. "I'd like to apologize for Lyrial's actions.

"Yeah, that was a bad call on my part," Lyrial commented, wiping ice cream off her dress. "I'm still upset, but I apologize."

"I'd love to make it up to you, but I really don't have any way of doing that," Noel replied.

"I'm still not buying the claim that you're broke, you know."

"Maybe not broke… but I don't have any money that I could use. I don't think Platinum Dollars would work in a place like this."

"Platinum… what?"

"I figured that you'd never heard of them. Where I'm from, Platinum Dollars function as our world's currency. I'm not sure what type of money this place uses so I'm afraid that I don't have any way of paying you back."

Lyrial and Aguil looked at each other for a second and then back at Noel.

"Your… world?" the former asked.

"Are you telling us that you're not from Riverbrandt at all?" asked the latter.

"That's right," Noel answered. "I've never even heard of Riverbrandt until now. Something tells me that this place isn't anywhere close to somewhere like the Ikaruga or Izumo regions, is it?" The two looked confused, which told Noel all she needed to know. "Didn't think so."

"You're really from another world, huh?" Lyrial said. "No wonder you said you didn't have any money."

"I'm… surprised that the two of you believe me so easily…"

"It's not that hard to believe actually," Aguil replied. "Aside from the fact that you don't seem like a deceptive person, you're sort of in a situation similar to the two of us."

"I am? Wait, do you mean that-"

Lyrial puts her arm around Aguil. "Bingo! Aguil and I aren't from Riverbrandt either. This isn't our home world, but we've been here for a long time. It might take a while but if you want, the two of us could try to show you how things work around here."

"It's the least we can do for you," Aguil said. "We don't have any other plans while we're here in Vier-Galla, so don't worry about us."

"I couldn't possibly ask you two to babysit me!" Noel exclaimed. "We've only just met and I'd hate to get you involved if something happens."

"Why? Is something the matter?"

"Well…"

"Hang on… should I really talk to these two about that…?" Noel paused as she was internally questioning just how much she can trust Lyrial and Aguil. The pair seemed to be willing to help, which she found to be a little surprising when she thinks how long it took her just to find a cloak to keep warm. But on another hand, they mentioned that they were from another world as well. "If they're really telling the truth about not being from this Riverbrandt place, then maybe that's why they're so willing to help me. But… what if this is all just an elaborate trap set up by… that girl…"

She couldn't get the image of that mysterious woman out of her head. It didn't take a genius to figure out that woman knew something about Noel. The blonde was certain the blunette was aware of her otherworlder status, and that is why she was staring. She wants to find out what it is she wants, but she knows that ahead is dangerous. "I need somebody that I can trust in this situation. I need to find out what's going on. Who is she? And what is she up to?" Suddenly, she got an idea. "Maybe if I just ask them about these things… Depending on how they answer, then I'll decide what I should do next!"

THWACK

"Ow…"

Right as Noel finished thinking, Lyrial flicked her forehead, making the blonde wince as she rubbed her head.

"Hello~?" the pinkette called out. "Earth to Noel, are you in there?"

"Huh?"

"You zoned out on us for a moment," Aguil said, concerned. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Noel looked at the two. "Can I ask you something?"

"Um, sure. What is it?"

"Do you know anything about a girl with blue hair?"

"No, I don't." Aguil looks at Lyrial. "Do you?"

"You mean someone with blue hair around here?" Lyrial responded. "I've seen blue haired ladies before, but not around here. Why do you ask?"

"You're not lying to me at all, are you?" Noel asked.

"Nope."

"I see… If that's the case then, maybe I could use your help."

"This woman you're talking about…" Aguil spoke up. "What is it about her that makes you ask this?"

"While I was exploring this city, I kept having the feeling that somebody was watching me. Not just the girl I'm talking about. I felt like multiple people all had their eyes on me. I couldn't see them or tell where they were. But I know that they're out there. And she's connected to them. And then… she revealed herself to me a while ago. She didn't say a word, but I could feel her unnerving gaze staring down my soul. It was the same as the one I've felt all along. She's watching me… and I don't know why. I want to find her, and find out what she wants with me."

"You're being stalked…? I see… I want to say that it has to be because you're not from Riverbrandt, but… Lyrial and I haven't experienced anything of the sort. We're outsiders, just like you. Nobody's been following us around or stalking us."

"They haven't… Then do you think there's another reason why they're watching me?"

"Assassins." Lyrial suddenly spoke up.

"Huh?!" Aguil exclaimed.

"An assassin?!" Noel was surprised as well. "Why would somebody send an assassin after me?! I haven't done anything!"

"Hey, don't go asking me questions I can't answer!" Lyrial replied. "I'm not saying that it's one hundred percent an assassin. I'm just saying, that's what this sounds like. Hidden figures watching you from a distance, tracking your every move. One of them appears before you, grabbing your attention. You want my honest opinion? It's a blessing from the Gods that you ran into me. It sounds like you were being lured somewhere to be killed. And you almost fell right for their trap."

"I was aware that she was a dangerous person before I started following her. I was prepared to fight if need be. I didn't want to, but if I had no choice, I wouldn't just let them kill me."

"Hmm… You DO look like a very capable fighter. Yeah, you might've handled yourself against one of them. But what if the other eyes that were watching you show up? Could you handle two, or three? Maybe there's a dozen of them out to kill you. You think a dozen trained assassins are no match for you and those guns on your hips?"

"That's-"

Noel was suddenly taken back as Lyrial was right next to her. The pinkette had two silver daggers in her hands, very close to Noel's throat to the point where she wouldn't be able to draw Bolverk.

"Wh-What?!"

"Lyrial!" Aguil yelled out.

"Face it," Lyrial said. "If somebody like me, who only really studies the basics of ninjutsu as a hobby, can get the drop on you, then what would a trained assassin be able to do?"

Noel grabbed Lyrial's arms and forced the pinkette away. "That was my fault for letting my guard down while talking. I'm not saying that I could take on an entire army by myself. I'm only saying that I won't just roll over and let them take my life!"

Lyrial glared at the blonde for a moment before putting her daggers away. The pinketter stretched and sat back down next to Aguil. "Well then!" she said, her tone changing. "Sounds like you need to start searching for somebody to watch your back."

"I know…" Noel said. "But it's not like I can just go around asking anybody… Oh right! What about you two?"

"Huh?"

"You seem to be pretty good at fighting too. I'm assuming both of you are. If that's the case, maybe you could help me since you already know about my situation as well."

Lyrial folds her arms. "Hey, I never said anything about getting involved with someone that has a target painted on their backs! I was just giving you advice so that you can know what to look out for! It's not like a really give a damn whether or not you-"

"We'd be happy to help!" Aguil spoke up, cutting Lyrial off.

"Huh!?"

"You will?" Noel asked for confirmation.

"There's no reason why we can't help you. Besides, you're still new around here and you don't have any money, so you'll need somebody to help show you around. We can show you around Vier-Galla if you'd like. I don't know how much help we'll be with this situation, but this is the least I can do in return."

"Aguil, do we have to…?" Lyrial whines as she pulls on Aguil's hood.

"It's simply the right thing to do."

"As long as you don't think it's too much trouble to lend me your help, thank you so much!" Noel exclaimed. "You certainly seem like the more trustworthy one between you and your sister."

"Hey!" Lyrial felt insulted.

"I apologize for her behavior," Aguil said. "I promise, she has nothing against you if that's what you're thinking. But that aside, maybe now would be a good time for us to take you sightseeing."

"I guess so. There's no point in staying in one spot," Noel said. "That just makes me a still target."

"Right." Aguil stopped to think out loud. "But… where should we go?"

"How about there?" Noel points to the tower in the distance. While it wasn't too visible, she could tell that it had a black and white pattern from top to bottom. "It really stands out from where we're sitting. That tower could be an excellent place to start touring."

"Oh, Monochrome Tower. Lyrial did tell me she wanted to see it up close."

"Do we really have to let her tag along?" Lyrial questioned. "This was supposed to be a sightseeing trip for just you and me, Aguil…"

"It still is, don't worry. There's no need to feel down about anything." Aguil rubs Lyrial's head. "Noel might be tagging along with us, but this is still our trip."

"If you say so…"

"Alright. To Monochrome Tower it is!"

"Right!"

Noel, Lyrial, and Aguil got up from the benches. Letting Aguil lead the way, the three started walking to the south side of the city where the tower would be near.

-X-

Not far from where the three were having a conversation, the mysterious blue haired girl was watching Noel's conversation with the siblings on a nearby rooftop garden. Her presence was concealed so greatly that Noel nor her Nox Nyctores sensed the nearby threat. Lyrial and Aguil couldn't pick up on her as well. Labeled "S4-213" by her comrades, she activated the communicator in her hand upon receiving a contact from her other allies.

"Are we seriously just gonna sit around and let our target leave Vier-Galla like this?" S11-413's voice was heard from the other side. "Not only is 'Vermillion Blue' escaping our grasp, she's picked two new allies. That just gets in the way of our mission, you know. Hey! Are you listening to me?! S11-413 to S4-213 respond!"

The blunette wasn't intentionally ignoring her ally, but her attention was drawn elsewhere. After Noel started leaving, her eyes became fixated on a small patch of lilies growing. It seemed like she let out a soft smile before finally focusing on her ally, who was growing impatient.

"Seriously?! Don't tell me, are her comm systems shot?! Ugh! This is what happens when we have to work with an outdated model like-"

"S4-213 reporting in," she spoke up. "S11-413, S11-096, we are to allow the otherworlder 'Vermillion Blue' to leave Vier-Galla. I have determined her destination and am relaying the coordinates to you now."

"You're really going to let her get out of the city. You're serious."

"Affirmative."

"Requesting to speak freely, Unit Commander," S11-096 joined the conversation.

"Request acceptable. You may speak freely, S11-096."

"Based on my current data, I am calculating that there is a seventeen percent chance that the target can be killed via assassination methods. All possibilities are showing that we will have to engage Combat Mode. Furthermore, I fail to see your logic behind allowing 'Vermillion Blue' to leave Vier-Galla's limits. This is an illogical move according to my knowledge."

"Processing… Processing… Concerns understood. I am forwarding the scans that I took of Galla Military soldiers at Railyard Three to you and S11-413."

"What good is knowing about a bunch of humans going to do?" asked S11-413.

"All answers will be provided when data transfer is complete."

There was a moment of silence between the assassins as S4-213 was still transmitting data. "Data transfer complete." she spoke up once finished. The blunette continued to wait for her allies to finish examining the newfound data.

"Hang on, hang on…" S11-413 said. "Isn't this…"

"These readings…" S11-096 sounded both shocked and monotone.

"Affirmative." S4-213 said. "The readings I have sent you seem like normal humans, except for one. Among the soldiers that boarded the train to the other side of the mountain, I detected an extremely close match to one of the pseudo-DNA signatures provided by our Master. Data match confirmed. The readings belong to the otherworlder labeled 'Glacial Order.' Based on this data, I have concluded that 'Vermillion Blue' and 'Glacial Order' need to remain separated and dealt with one at a time. The otherworlder 'Glacial Order' is currently in the vicinity of multiple soldiers and will be hard to reach. Letting 'Vermillion Blue' move away from the other otherworlder will prevent her from receiving his aid when we attack. Combat Mode procedures will be unavoidable for this mission. We will be engaging the otherworlders head on. Are there any objections?"

Neither one of the other two girls spoke up against the blunette. "We shall follow 'Vermillion Blue' to the coordinates specified. I will launch the first attack. S11-096 and S11-413, you are to provide a distraction for the two obstacles with her should they try to interfere."

"Orders acknowledged," said S11-096. "Moving out."

"Orders received and acknowledged," said S11-413. "Let's give 'em hell, and then some!"

"S4-213, continuing pursuit."

The blunette jumped off the rooftop.


Location: Monochrome Tower, about 2 miles south of West Vier-Galla

It was about a half an hour walk for the group of three as they arrived at Monochrome Tower. Much bigger up close, the group was able to get a better look at its interesting design and usage of black and white, hence the tower's name. Noel and Lyrial ended up exploring the inside quickly while Aguil wanted to get a better look outside. The interior was the same in terms of color. Despite the repeated use of black and white, everything in the tower felt unique, as if in this similarity of colors, the floors, walls, objects inside the tower, everything still found a way to make itself stand out from other things.

"I've never seen any place like this before," Noel said.

"I've heard about it and seen pictures, but that doesn't do this place justice," Lyrial replied. "Monochrome Tower was built to… uh…" Aguil walked in. "Oh, Aguil!"

"Hm?"

"Why was this place built again? I forgot…"

Aguil shrugs. "Honestly, nobody around here knows the true reason. Vier-Galla manages the tower's upkeep and is responsible for restoring it to the state it is in now. It's a popular attraction for the kingdom. Though, I believe the accepted reason for its existence is to convey a meaning along the lines of 'Showing the similarities between us all when the world is without color' or something like that."

"Hmm…"

Noel stared around the building for a moment while they were all walking upstairs. The second floor was similar to the first, but with noticeable differences in the designs and furniture. They decided to head up to the third floor, which was definitely a different sight. There was a large opening with a balcony that the group could walk onto. The shopping area below was completely visible. The fourth and top floor was truly where the most attraction could be had. The top was protected by the walls that allowed people to see through them, but there were also two side sections resembling castle walls. Small rails were built to keep someone from just falling off. Various monochrome paintings were hung on the walls for all to see. Noel could tell that none of them were new, and had been here for a while.

"Maybe this place used to be an art museum," she wondered.

"Pretty sure you can consider the entire tower one big art piece," Lyrial said. "Think whoever built it was trying to win an art competition?"

"I'd be surprised if they lost after making something like this."

Noel and Lyrial giggled while Aguil was sitting on the wall next to them. A few yards away from them however, was one of the cloaked assassins. The one in the white robe… formerly in the white robe. She had taken off her cloak, revealing her white beige, side strapped leotard that had a brass belt around it, with two moon shaped objects acting as the fasteners. She had white stockings with black, cross-shape metal bands, and gray gauntlets with purple gloves and a metal neck plate. Her most notable features were her long, white hair, her large, rabbit-like ears, and a metal horn attached to her forehead.

Perched on another wall, she was watching the three like a hawk the moment they came up to the top floor. She had her three-headed spear impaled in the wall on the other side, her cloak hanging from it, blowing like a flag in the wind. She tapped on something behind her ear and a military-esque earset appeared on the right side of her face, a blue eyeglass also covering her right eye.

"S11-096 reporting," the assassin stated. "All targets including 'Vermillion Blue' are on the highest level. S4-213, are you in the vicinity?"

"Affirmative," the blunette's voice could be heard from the communicator. "I am approaching the highest level as we speak."

S4-213 was walking up the staircase to the fourth floor. Meanwhile, the three were enjoying the sight of the tower as they walked around. All of a sudden, Lyrial looked back towards the staircase, a serious look on her face. S11-096 noticed this.

"S4-213, standby," she said, turning away so that Lyrial couldn't see her communicator.

"Please explain," S4-213 asked for clarification as she stopped.

"The one with pink hair… she can sense your presence."

"Impossible. My spirit jammers nullify the ability to sense my soul. By its function, there is a zero percent chance that she is able to sense me."

"The pink one has suddenly stopped moving and turned around. Her expression is one that represents high alert. She must have an ulterior ability that is allowing her to detect your presence."

"You're telling me that's what we're dealing with?" S11-413 chimed in. "Would you like me to exterminate her first? I'm stationed opposite to you and can easily vaporize her."

"Negative." answered the blunette. "S11-413 shall remain in position. S11-096, I shall explain your next orders."

Meanwhile, Noel and Aguil took notice of Lyrial's behavior.

"Lyrial?" Aguil asked. "What's wrong?"

"I think I just got a good idea of what that blue haired lady after Noel looks like," Lyrial said. "She's in the building."

"She is?" Noel responded. "She actually followed me all the way out here?"

"Seems like it. She was coming up the steps a moment ago, and planning to walk right up to us and shoot you while your guard was down. Would've had a bullet right through the head if I hadn't picked up on her."

"I see…" Noel started walking back to the entrance. "So she really is an assassin."

"Where are you going?" Aguil asked her. "Lyrial just said-"

"I know. But I want to see if I can find some answers from her. There's not really another way for me to learn what she's after without going up to her and asking her."

"You're gonna get yourself killed being a dumbass," Lyrial said. "Guess that means that we have to help you here too, huh?"

"Of course we do!" Aguil exclaimed. "We can't just stand around knowing she's walking towards something that can kill her!"

"Please, don't intervene when I meet with this one," Noel requested of the two. "If there's more than one, then you can join me. But for this one, I'll go at it alone."

"Noel…"

"You better not die on us, you hear?!" Lyrial shouted.

Noel smiled and nodded before walking to the entrance. "If it's just that single girl, then I should be able to subdue and interrogate her. I don't feel like someone's watching me, and that's worrying me more. I have to go into this and try to get some information. Something… Anything that I can learn about who sent her would be useful. Not just that, but about Riverbrandt in general.

Noel stopped as she walked into the main part of the fourth floor. Listening, she heard footsteps approaching. Normal people came out of the stairway too, but what grabbed her attention was the sliver of blue hair visible behind an old man's head. Walking into her sights was the blue haired assassin, going by S4-213. The moment she saw Noel, she stopped walking for a minute, and stood by. Lyrial and Aguil were watching the situation unfold from a corner.

"There she is…" Noel said to herself.

The blunette showed no emotion as she slowly started to approach Noel. The blonde had her hands hovering above Bolverk underneath her winter cloak.

"There's no doubt about this…" Noel thought. "After what Lyrial told me she was planning to do, she really is an assassin, that is all she can be."

Noel took a step forward as well, being wary as she is unable to see what's going on underneath the blunette's cloak.

The two girls keep walking towards each other slowly, sizing the other up and wondering what will happen next. They stopped walking when they were within four feet of each other, S4-213 keeping her same expression. Noel keeps herself calm, but she was extremely nervous. She was trying to not let herself be seen sweating. She took a small gulp. The blunette's eyes started glowing red.

"Target identified as 'Vermillion Blue' confirmed," she said as her eyes returned to normal.

"Vermilion… Blue…?" Noel question.

"Affirmative. That is your identifier; the otherworlder 'Vermillion Blue.'"

"So you do know that I'm not from here." Noel tensed up. "My name is Noel Vermillion. I demand that you tell me why you're after my life!"

"My mission is to eliminate the otherworlders in Riverbrandt. That is why."

Taking the preemptive attack, Noel drew Bolverk faster than Lyrial and Aguil's eyes could follow, surprising the two with her speed. She pointed her weapons at the blunette, but didn't pull the trigger immediately. Any people that were in the area started running for cover. Noel started regretting doing this in a public place, but she knew that this could've only happened here, or in Vier-Galla.

"Why do you desire these 'otherworlders' to be killed?" she asked.

"I do not desire anything," S4-213 answered. "I am fulfilling my master's orders.

"Who is it that wants me dead? I demand you answer me, or I will have to force you to comply."

"There is no logical reason to answer this question. I shall not give you this information to take with you to the afterlife." The blunette tilted her head. "Commencing elimination of the otherworlder 'Vermillion Blue'."

In a swift movement, the assassin kneed Noel in the chest before she could register what was going on.

"Ngh!?"

The blunette kicks Noel back and holds out her hand. The assassin's left hand began transforming into a built in pistol. Noel flipped through the air and landed on her feet. She aimed at Bolverk and was about to fire, but had two gunshots scrape her hands instead. Naturally, it caused her to jump and drop Bolverk. The assassin moved in front of Noel in the blink of an eye and had her hand pistol pointed right at her abdomen. Noel acted fast and pushed the gun away just as it fired, and then tried to kick her opponent away. The assassin ducked and kicked Bolverk away from Noel before firing at her, forcing the blonde to jump back.

They were just getting started and Noel was already on the defensive, dodging gunshots effortlessly as she moved outside to try to put some distance between herself and the assassin. While backflipping away, one of the bullets went through her cloak and to her holsters, detaching them from her waist as they fell off the side of the tower. As Noel landed, she saw the assassin's hand turn back to normal.

"?! What?!"

But that wasn't a good thing. Right after, four slots on her arm opened up, each of them revealing a four unit mini-missile battery.

"Noel!" Aguil and Lyrial tried to rush and stop the assassin, but were stopped by stray gunshots coming from above, forcing them to get away. They could only watch as the blunette fired a total of sixteen missiles towards Noel. The explosion caused all the innocents around and on the tower to start rushing out and away.

"Did…" Aguil started to say. "Did she-"

"She's alive!" Lyrial shouted.

The explosion kicked up a lot of smoke, limiting the two's range. The blunette walked over towards where she fired her missiles. She stopped walking as sensors inside her went off. As the smoke cleared, Noel could be seen landing on the ground. The blonde was completely unscathed, avoiding the missiles. She unfastened her cloak and threw it into the air, letting it blow away as she stared down her opponent.


Location: East District, Vier-Galla

On the other side of the mountain in Vier-Galla, the smoke caused by the explosion at Monochrome Mountain could be seen by many, especially by the group of soldiers that just got off the train.

"The hell is that?" the second lieutenant asked. "Is that coming from the western district?"

"No, it's too far away," the captain answered her. "Most likely, it was coming from that tower outside the city's boundaries." The Captain turned around and started walking. "Regardless, that isn't our responsibility right now. Let the other troops handle it."

The First Major shrugged. "Oh well. I'm sure everything will be fine."


Author's Notes:

As previously stated, this volume doesn't immediately follow the previous one, hence III.5 is the title instead of IV. This is a prelude to explain the events of another character, Noel. Yes, it's still a canon chapter.