13 August 2024
9:12 A.M Pacific Daylight Time (PDT)
San Deigo, California, United States
A man around a hundred and seventy-two centimeters stands outside of San Diego International Airport. Brown hair, oily and spiked-up, and mixed with facial grime.
Most distinguishing of the arrival had to be him being in Glowgen's combat uniform. A gray ballistic vest with a thick long-sleeved shirt, sturdy trousers, and combat boots. Idling at the entrance to an international airport with a Glowgen ID with his name, which was Arnold, as he'd wait for something.
"Hey there, soldier." an approaching man said.
Being fairly tall stature, mesomorphic frame, and firm muscle. A full head of brown hair, clothed in a tight white shirt layered under a straight fit leather jacket, with black jeans and leather boots. Immediately distancing him from other typical individuals in the area to him.
Arnold quickly responds, "Greetings, mister! Anything I can do to you today?"
"Today's been a frenzy for Glowgen and your boss. Hasn't it?"
Before Arnold could question it, the man soon said again, "Better get back to your group. They need you against that unknown entity and its duplicates."
"I'm waiting for an important individual from Japan to arrive soon!"
"Who?" the man asked.
"Doctor Élisée Lussier. He's here after recent developments in the U.S."
The person turns his head and thinks about it. "I'm not aware. What happened?"
Arnold shook his head before he explained as best as he could, "He said to me on a call about the girl that showed up in Denver is an immediate cause for concern and said to meet at the airport."
"When is this Élisée person gonna arrive?" he asks.
"Anytime now…"
"Kept you waiting?" said another man coming from the interior of the airport with near-perfect British English.
In a full suit and tie and a short blue haircut with several strands shaped similarly to porcupine quills. As well as having the superior height to both of them.
The other person inquires. "Are you Élisée?"
"Yes, my name is Élisée Lussier, PhD." Élisée responds.
Two brown-green eyes swiftly give a check of both of his accomplices. Something Élisée commonly did when he's not in an area he was familiar with. Immediately noticing their equipped, militarised outfits.
"Are you two on a military campaign?"
Both shook their heads.
Arnold spoke first to reply, "No, sir. Glowgen's headquarters isn't doing well."
"I wonder why… Maybe an excuse to not assist me when Glowgen's potentially entering into a situation that can destroy them completely?"
"I-I'm not scared of dying!"
Élisée laughs while beginning to walk, a satchel tethered snugly to his hand. "We'll see if your competence stands in the time of stress."
Arnold and the second individual follow him.
"Where's the car you pulled up in?" asked the doctor again, staring at the two.
"I had one… But that girl at Glowgen headquarters shot it. There wasn't enough time and too dangerous to repair it. Got here via taxi."
"That's worrying… What about the second person?"
"I was looking for a student of mine, Kong Se-Yeon."
Élisée hardens his expression, quickly ordering Arnold, "Search for a car that we can use. Carjack it if necessary."
"O-Okay…" Arnold scrams from the group to find one.
The individual awaits for what Élisée had to say. Which wasn't kind, as inflections from a Frenchman enters his voice. "So you're working with Miroslav…"
"Miroslav?"
"Are you ignorant? Your student was with Miroslav's five tribunes!"
"Tribunes?"
"Otherwise known as Staff Sergeants."
"Mister Lussier, you need to calm down." he puts his hands forward.
"Listen here… Do you know who they are?" Élisée imposes himself as he leans above him with a snarl.
He shakes his head. Leaving Élisée to sigh and look at him normally. "Not going to get angry like this because of associations. What's your name, sir?"
"I cannot disclose my true name. But my code name is Lucius," he replies.
Élisée looks towards the parking lot. "What does UNION have to do with being in the Sword Art Online world."
"SAO? That show people despise?"
"Yes... That one. I don't like Kazuto. I want to kill him, and I have tried. The attempt failed but made it known I will make sure his body turns dead and lifeless."
"Have many people tried and failed to kill him?" Lucius asks.
"They have. His plot armor prevented him from dying by the hands of Kuradeel, Heathcliff, Sugo, Kyoji, and even Arnold's boss, Gabriel."
"Really?" Lucius's head tilts.
"Happens in two years, when Gabriel's ambition lead him, and a few members of Glowgen with a few that tried to stop the Tribunes, to attack RATH's headquarters to steal Alice for the American government. And his own ambitions with the soul. The same kind of soul the tribunes of the Fifty-Seventh Squadron use."
"He seems like he's not a nice person."
"He actually isn't. He makes it seems like it is, but it isn't. I saw right through him when I communicated to him and met him in person. What he'll do in the future is unforgivable."
However, he smirks while tracing Arnold's path through the parking lanes. A hasty pace was visible from how he ambled. Followed by Lucius while approaching quickly.
"Stressful times."
"They are," Élisée replies. "Especially now I know that something related to the group Kong is involved in is in play…"
"UNION?"
"Yes, UNION… And for you to be his teacher implies a-"
He suddenly stops as he heard a holler from Arnold at a silver hatchback with a cakey paint job and obvious signs of wear over years of use.
"Sir, this isn't the best choice we have time to get!"
"Good, Arnold," Élisée smirks. "Get in. We're going to drive."
Arnold rolls his sleeve up to his elbow, preluding him forcing his elbow straight at the window, throwing glass fragments and chunks into the vehicle. As well as setting the alarm off. Buying time for Élisée to get his arm in, open the door, and unlock the rest of the vehicle.
"A girl is nearby with two lever-action guns!" Lucius shouts.
"That's the same girl that's at Glowgen headquarters right now!" Arnold shouts as well
Without warning, Élisée pushes Arnold from the front door. His palm faced inside, closing his eyes as a faint aura surrounds him. " Activate Command, Voiture propre. "
The shards of glass rose up. Obtaining a similar aura as Élisée's, and slowly began to orbit each other locally, then fusing and crafting a globe out of the pieces.
As he saw it, Lucius comments. "Kind of looks like tectonic plates."
"It sure is..." Élisée looks at it with a smile. Before his face went neutral, "You two. Get the car started."
"What about you?!" Arnold asks.
"I'm going to meet who might be a serious threat."
Élisée said it as he walked from the car. Several scores of cars, pickup trucks, vans, and SUVs of varying makes and models. Imposing the tarmac of the airport's parking lot. A generally straight line where six to seven people, shoulder to shoulder, would fit inside. No other vehicles went through. Only Élisée and the other soul inside the zone free of parked vehicles, one in a black and red lolita dress, holding a musket and a flintlock in both hands. A familiarly colored net bow over the top of her head. Holding two uneven twin tails in place.
With his sphere, the doctor approaches the presence, "An interesting twist. The Spirit of Time, the wielder of Zafkiel, comes to San Diego."
The clone of her doesn't respond, although some slight fiddling of the flintlock is seen.
"You're a clone, aren't you? Sent out to kill a person who escaped one of your time-gaining atrocities. One who works for me more than that man..."
She then spoke, smiling a bit. "Ara, you know a bit."
He raises an eye, "You're correct, and you seem to be indecisive. Whether it's worth ending my life or leaving it alone. You see this sphere?"
She points the flintlock at it as her face briefly changed its posture. "Threatening me?"
"Threatening you?" he shrugs for a moment before chuckling. "Non non non, I don't threaten Spirits. Always a bad idea. However..."
Thinking he was just trying to bait him, zoomed right up to him. Pointing the barrel of the musket right at his forehead.
"I won't be afraid to defend myself if I have to protect my own arse or any of my associates from greater powers than my own."
The first click, the indicator she's primed the musket's lever for the ball to fly when she wants to.
"However, I offer a preposition, Kurumi."
"How so?" Kurumi asked.
"Spare the life of me and my associates Arnold and Kaiya. I'll not get in your way."
Her finger made its choice. Retracting from being visibly away from the trigger to a hair's inch of firing a shot. A movement Élisée noticed, leaving him to quickly mumble a command, his free hand shoots forward. A quick pulse of the aura follows and surrounds the Kurumi clone. Leaving a brief window for Élisée to back away before it breaks away due to its makeup being from a more powerful being.
As the aura quickly decayed, he'd jump backward to give extra leeway. Soon mumbling another command that dispersed the sphere. His glass shards flying like missiles at her as Kurumi's clone used her flintlock instead and fired.
Springing around the area with the extent of the gunpowder visible. An aura surrounds the rather standard musket ball, slowing all momentum before he soon mumbles.
" Activate Command, Superposition."
With his left hand stretched out, the Miné ball that shot out of her musket changed direction. At an angle, pointed away from his body, at a nearby car's rear windshield. Its momentum halting effect coming to an end and shot into the vehicle.
Élisée gunts as his knee lands on the ground. His right sleeve slashes like an invisible razor, stained with some blood.
"Merde!"
Élisée's grunt shifted Arnold's attention. Making him run for Élisée until Lucius stopped him and managed to calm him down and focus on his task.
"That's how it's going to be…" Élisée rose back to his feet. Pulling away from his clothing's detached fabric. Showing a bit of his forearm as well as the extent of his wound.
Kurumi chuckles. "Self-harming yourself? Just another edgy teen it looks like trying to act cool."
"I'm older than you, Kurumi. The man you're talking to, Élisée Lussier, is."
Her chuckling immediately halts before it starts again. "The Delusional Scientist of Section Two? Impossible-"
He looks at his arm cut. Smirking, "Bold for you to immediately attached that epithet many gave to me."
"I imagine why… If you really are that scientist that threw away all the semblance of humanity in a boy..."
A deafening silence emerges. Leaving Élisée with a tightened expression while figuring how to best handle the information she potentially wields.
"My greatest accomplishment plus my greatest regret… Harnessing the same energy you and eight others use… Intentionally… To create a ninth… An Incident… A growing storm… A consequence… A storm you'll stare at yourself and soon."
All of a sudden, a car approached the two from behind. The man slid out of the way while the clone, convicted, chose to take it head-on. Met with the force of a metal vehicle ramming against her body. Changing into black and crimson shadows before vanishing.
"Élisée! Get in!" Lucius shouts as he opened the door.
He quickly followed, leaping into the car as he slams it shut. Sweat finally pouring from his face while he breathed fairly quickly through his mouth, followed by a grunt.
Arnold used the door closing as his cue to get driving. Leaving Lucius to tend to the older man in the car with an injury. The noise of him going through a small bag of some things contained in glass containers. A verdant fluid inside of one of Lucius' glass capsules.
"This may help you feel better. Wait, the healing effect occurs through a person's Phase Force. You don't have one."
"So it confirms it then, you're a UNION agent," Élisée replies, watching the scene change to typical San Diego.
"I am." Lucius replies, "Also, don't move too much. We're getting you to the hospital."
Élisée laughs. "I can see it… A destructive battle between the real Kurumi and him..."
"Him? Who's him?" Arnold asks while he drove.
"I'll say it once. If there is one thing I regret, it was creating a Spirit of my own."
"A Spirit?" Lucius asks.
"That's what Kurumi is. A select few beings capable of ending life on a scale only seen in total war."
"So, we have to kill her?" Arnold asks. "Before she does worse?"
Élisée shakes his head. "While Spirits are forces to be reckoned with, they are not invincible. Especially when another Spirit faces a Spirit in combat."
"So, this other person is the only one capable of stopping this Kurumi person?" Lucius asks after thinking it over for a little bit.
"At this instance, definitely. But, for how long will it take?"
"We need to find this person and tell them to fight Kurumi then!" Arnold exclaims. "I saw it with my own eyes. Kurumi tried to indiscriminately massacre people at Glowgen's headquarters!"
Élisée turns quiet. Allowing Lucius to give the glass capsule to him and nonverbally showed him how to open it.
Then, he spoke again, "It isn't going to be easy, as he wouldn't be easily convinced. I can't tell you how to. But, his name..."
Lucius tilts his name.
"His name is Antin Vyacheslavovich Ivanov. The nephew of a key member of Project Sephira and Experiment S."
"Anything else important?" he asks.
"One-o-One had figured out the group he was in resides in Fresno…"