Fighting against the dark is not just a task for the goddesses. Every day, brave adventurers and hunters are pushing back the advance of the Deity of Sin; all the Monsters wandering Gamindustri are Hers by birth, created from the malevolence that is Her being. They haunt the world and will do so for all eternity, just as She will.

All those that feel the strength to fight can make a difference; with every Monster extinguished, She loses the tiniest fragment of strength. With every Monster slain, She will need more time to rise again. With every Monster destroyed, another day might be safe.

-Histoire

Almost two years have passed since we left off. It is now the year 510 of the planeptunian calendar, the first day of November.

IF turned sixteen the previous week, never having anticipated a twenty-sixth more than this one. Now, with the turn of a new month, her career as a Guild agent would officially begin.

The young woman had never once ceased in her exercises and practice, returning with light steps and boundless determination to succeed. Where she walked the corridors shily two years prior, now her stride was much more confident. Her increased ability was not the only reason for that, though.

After all, the first friendship she ever found was holding strong. Despite the fact they still found few hobbies to share, or IF's awkwardness around Compa's other friends during any gatherings, they got along as well as on the first day, if not better. Though, admittedly, IF would prefer if her friend held smaller birthday parties.

She shook off these thoughts upon reaching her destination, never even noticing the curious looks she got from time to time. Her youth was no longer as apparent, for she had grown almost a full head taller; some still took note of it as she walked past, having glimpsed the badge clipped to her collar. A purple background just like everyone else's, but sporting a silvery J that identified her as a junior member. She was young, yet obviously ready for whatever may come.

Once IF knocked and opened the door, she was greeted by an empty conference room. Mostly empty, that was; the Tome hovered toward its center, offering a gentle nod in greeting. "Miss Fontaine, wonderful. You are a little early, but that is fine. Please, take a seat." She motioned for the only table currently taken by someone else, someone who gave the girl pause.

Her first thought, despite of how alien it was for IF at this point, was that the girl was pretty. Her skin may have been sculpted for its lack of any impurity, with light purple, almost pink hair flowing around soft features like water. It was even just a little longer than her own, reaching slightly past the stranger's shoulder.

The girl wore a modified middle school uniform, white with purple hems and buttons; a big 'N' formed the center of its ribbon. Her shoulders were pulled in and she seemed to make herself smaller over the scrutinising gaze, yet her lilac eyes took in IFs appearance in a similar way. They shone with curiousity and intelligence, yet the girl did not meet IFs gaze while nervously adjusting her metal choker.

After a few moments that felt much longer, IF blinked and shook herself slightly. Then she offered the friendliest smile she had and a nod before sitting down with one seat between the two. Histoire took note, but did not comment on the matter. "I believe introductions are in order." She gently motioned for them. "As the only minors currently employed by the Guild, the two of you will be assigned to the same team. You are of the same age as well; Isabelle, Nepgear, I expect you to work hard and do your best."

They both nodded at once, though IF's thoughts were with the girl by her side. Nepgear appeared a little too young to be eighteen, so she already guessed her having a special license. The purplette's eyes were on her again, too. When IF turned her head to meet Nepgear's gaze, she was given a weak smile in return. That was enough for her.

"Now then," the Tome continued. Both girls turned back to her and found a pair of bracelets floating their way. "I took the liberty of preparing your trackers. Please wear them at all times you leave the city, as they allow us to locate and contact you at a moment's notice if necessary." She paused while both girls gently pulled the elastic material over their right hands. Once it came to rest on their wrists, the trackers pulled themselves taut.

These were one of the few marbles of Sharicite engineering that the Tome herself freely offered to any generation. The solid form of divine Share Energy could be sculpted into any shape at will by an experienced CPU, yet mistakes were easily horrifying in their consequences due to its potency. Just like the Share Crystals used to focus a deity's Share income for measurements, a tracker's core was created from Sharicite. It reacted to the energy released by a dying Monster and even allowed to identify the type.

These were the Guild's backbone, automatically noting any one agent's amount of monsters killed and having a bounty transferred to their accounts for each one. Civilians could rent them as well if they wanted to earn a little extra during their free time, though that came with a monthly fee.

Lastly, trackers had powerful communication devices installed, to be used only in emergencies; if someone was in trouble, they could call for help immediately. This fact alone was what Histoire did not mention out loud, for one of the main reasons it was installed into the design sat in front of her.

During her short lecture, the Tome took note of the fact IF was busy moving her hand this way and that, making sure that her new possession did not restrict her movability. The sight was encouraging, yet heartbreaking all the same. She adored the children that grew up to become warriors as much as she loathed the fact they were needed.

Once she was finished, Histoire motioned for the girls to stand. "Please head back to the first floor locker rooms. Your team is waiting for you there, three other members in total. Your main duties will be scouting and fast response. As most other teams are already on duty at this point of the day, you will have no trouble identifying them." Or rather, they would have no trouble identifying the girls; the thought went unsaid, though it was on all of their minds.

With a final mention of their timetables being sent via e-mail later, the Tome ushered her newest employees out of the door and saw them off.

She was the only one to notice the other observer thanks to her additional and improved senses. Nepgear could also tell for other reasons, but would know better than to turn around. IF had no idea, never once noticing the head being pulled back behind a corner; framed by the same lilac hair as her new colleague, yet somewhat more youthful and with a bright smile etched onto it.

At first there was a nervous kind of silence hanging over the two of them. IF pondered speaking up or waiting for Nepgear to do so, but every second they walked on made more clear that the first step was up to her. After half a corridor, she took a deep breath and began: "So we're partners for the time being. Its nice to meet you, I'm IF."

The purplette flinched almost imperceptibly when spoken to, but quickly got herself together and nodded in response. "Ah, yes. I'm Nepgear, it's a pleasure to meet you and to work with you." They awkwardly stopped for a moment to shake hands, both being surprised by the respective other's strong grip.

When they got going again, the tension had subsided somewhat. Nepgear moved a little less apprehensively while IF considered what to ask her about; the purplette was unlikely to speak up by herself, or so she reasoned. Much to her surprise, Nepgear was the one to carry the conversation along. "So... why are you here?"

Her voice rang much softer than IF's own, a note of curiousity mixed with cautiousness; they were both trying to find out how far the other was comfortable with, in their own ways.

IF shrugged in response and dug her hands into her pockets. "It's what I wanted to do for as long as I can remember. I don't really have a reason, I just want to." Though she knew it was just part of the truth. That she wanted to save other children from ending up like her sounded like a bit much to tell a stranger, though. "What about you?"

"Oh, you know..." Nepgear started nervously, all the while poking her index fingers together. "I uh... I'm practicing for my actual job later. My big sister said the Guild is great for getting some combat experience in, so, um..."

"I see." IF really only said it to spare Nepgear from the embarassment. She was honestly curious how and why a girl as awkward as her had been forwarded to pass the examination, but figured she should not pry too much. The only other job she could think of that required this kind of experience was a combat teacher; which, IF admitted to herself, Nepgear might be more cut out for from what she showed thus far.

They soon reached their destination without any further conversation, having to ask for directions once after missing a sign. The room was almost empty save for a handful of people, three of which had their eyes on them the moment they entered. Dozens of lockers lined the walls, reminding IF that she got one of those reserved for herself as well.

Nepgear had already clamped up again, so the brunette took the lead and strolled toward the group that looked their way. Two men, one woman, all somewhere between their mid-twenties and early thirties. The badges pinned to their collars all had a D noted, marking their ranks.

What immediately caught IFs eye was the woman's tan; her skin almost matched her dark brown hair, being but a few shades lighter. Then her eyes were drawn to one of the men, who took a step toward them as they came close. Dark pink strands fell around a good-natured smile and big blue eyes, making him feel less overwhelming despite the fact he stood at almost two metres.

"You are our new reinforcements, I take it? Nice to meet you both, I am André." He shook their hands without ever breaking his smile, then motioned for the woman. "The lady is Alexis."

He got a raised eyebrow for some reason, then Alexis huffed and raised her hand in greeting. "Nice to meet you girls. And yes, it's natural. I'm a born Leanboxian." The last part was directed at IF, who felt her cheeks heat up a little. She had been caught looking.

"And lastly," André continued, pointing at the redheaded man leaning at the wall. "This is Gabriel. Don't mind him being gruff, we-" "Always get the 'special' children." His features were a bit sharper and an unhappy look was thrown their way the moment he interrupted André. Then he pushed off the wall and came over to them.

"I will be honest," he started with a measuring glance. Nepgear wilted a little, though IF stood her ground without averting her gaze. "The three of us are some of the poor bastards that have to babysit special licence holders. We've had six of them in the last eight years, not counting you. Out of those, all but one were either pushovers or thought they could take the world."

IF felt a little angry at being treated like this for someone else's behaviour, but she could also understand why this would be concerning. Gabriel sized her up and sighed, some of the hard lines in his face vanishing as he did. "Don't get me wrong here. I will give you the chance to prove me wrong; just don't expect me to come rushing in if you bite off more than you can chew."

"That's fair," IF conceded. A mixture of relief and apprehension flooded her system; though she was fighting an uphill battle, her teammate did not appear unreasonable. So she held out her hand with a nod. "I'm IF, this is Nepgear." He took it without hesitation before shaking hands with the purplette as well.

Alexis shook her head with obviously faked exasperation while André shrugged. "I'm sure they will do well," was all he said.

Once the introductions were over, Gabriel told them to find their own lockers; once that was done, they sat down at a table in the adjacent common room. Weapons were spread out and Alexis nodded to herself. "Looks like we're having a melee-focussed composition this time."

Next to IFs katars, Nepgear provided a one-handed sword. André had carefully placed a heavy metal club on the table while Gabriel crossed two shortswords in front of him. Alexis did the same with her daggers, but also produced a submachine gun.

Taking in the weaponry, IF felt it was time to note her own situation: "I'm actually planning to get myself a gun, too. I have the license already, but I don't have the money to buy one yet." That got her a few understanding nods, considering that the possession of a firearm was allowed only at age sixteen and higher.

"Sure thing," Gabriel told her before snapping his fingers and having bright light glide out of them, forming an orb that floated above the table. It cast weird shadows over their faces while he looked around. "What about magic? I'm the only one with some, but my light is pretty solid."

IF shook her head with a tinge of nervousity, though Nepgear took the attention off her with a nod. "Yes, actually. I have some potent healing magic."

"Ohh, nice!" That was Alexis, who started grinning from ear to ear. "A healer is always great."

IF found herself agreeing, albeit quietly. She could not even imagine what a catastrophy her early magic sessions would have been without her strong aptitude for healing magic. However, the attention on Nepgear made Gabriel speak up again with a look at her weapon. "Why do you leave one hand free? Fencing style?"

The purplette slowly shook her head and fingered her sword nervously. "Not really, um... I can grab it with both hands if I need more strength in my swings, but most of the time I use my off-hand to help move around."

"In a skirt?"

The question was asked drily, but IF immediately understood what he was asking about. An acrobatics- or agility-based style like her own could be rather flashy; in Nepgear's case, that would be true in more ways than just the one. The girl herself started to match hair and face in colour, though she quickly shook her head. "G-Goodness, no, uh... I'm wearing shorts underneath, don't worry."

"Ah, got it." Gabriel dropped the topic with that reassurance before turning to IF, measuring the brunette. "What about your coat? Won't that get in the way, or do you use it to carry equipment?"

IF for her part held onto the cloth from within her sleeves, unnoticed by anyone else. She liked the coat and would rather not take it off. "I practiced getting it off in one motion if I have to, but it's wide enough not to hinder me most of the time."

"And probably torn within the week," Alexis quipped from the side. The Leanboxian seemed more amused than anything else, though.

IF just shrugged at her. "I have a dozen of them." After all, she already had considered this particular problem. In the end, no matter what she wore, it would get torn sooner or later anyway. Alexis threw her an amused look, but kept from commenting further.

Gabriel just shrugged and went back on topic. "Whatever, that's almost it for the basics. Do you have ear protection?" His question visibly confused Nepgear, but IF just nodded and pulled out a pair of blue ear plugs. "Sure." She did learn how important those were for her hearing while studying to get that firearms license. Guns were loud.

"Oh, that. Just let me..." And the purplette started rummaging through her pockets before producing a similar pair. Gabriel nodded again while IF put the plugs in, his voice barely different even before the electronics came to life. "Good to know you have your basics covered. Now we're getting started on the job."

André rolled out a map of the capital and its surroundings, with Virtua Forest marked visibly. Gabriel continued: "For the time being, we are scouts. Our duty isn't extermination first and foremost, but keeping track of Monster movements. On top of that, our group is designated as fast response, too. If anyone nearby is in trouble and calls for help, it's our job to roll in and bail them out." He tapped the area of Virtua Forest. "That's where we're stationed. They send us to Virtua every time we get one of you."

IF nodded in understanding; she got the gist of it and was secretly a little relieved to get less dangerous work for a start. Histoire's words still echoed through her mind at times, reminding her not to try going too fast. Not that it made a difference, considering that IF already went above and beyond her peers. Though it would take her a few more years to realise this.

"Anyway," Alexis took over, "you two are minors, so you aren't going to work full shifts with us. Is it the usual deal, fourteen hours?" IF nodded again. She read in her contract that as a junior member, she would work fourteen hours per week. To be allocated as she saw fit. Ten Credits per hour sounded good to her as well, being a little above the minimum wage.

Nepgear gave the same response, which was followed by the other three exchanging glances. André shrugged and Gabriel did the same after a second or two. Then the redhead adressed them a moment later: "That's it, really. Any questions?" Two headshakes. "Okay. We've still got... a few minutes before we have to get going, they gave us a halved shift today to fill you in. Anything outside of work you want to ask questions about?"

IF did not really feel like she should ask any personal questions, even though it was basically an invitation. Nepgear seemed to think the same, considering she seemed to wilt a little closer to the brunette. Then she perked up, though. "Oh, right. Alexis said she is leanboxian... uh, what about everyone else?"

The older woman smiled over that while the men simply shrugged, not even surprised. ""Planeptune,"" they said in an almost perfect unison that made IF suspect they were used to the question. She herself added a quick "Same" and eyed the purplette, who confirmed that she was planeptunian as well.

Then a question of her own wormed its way back to the forefront of her mind, so she turned to her fellow teen. "You said your sister suggested the Guild to you?"

Nepgear fidgeted a little before nodding, though she had grown less tense already. Before she could say anything though, Alexis threw her a wink. "She a beauty like you?"

Her transition from girl to tomato was rather visible, accompanied by confused noises and succeeded by embarassed silence. Then Nepgear nodded again, eyes on the table. Looking at her once more, IF could not disagree. She read the term 'legs for days' on the internet before, but this girl was the first to actually impress its actual meaning into her. And that was on top of everything else.

Shaking off those thoughts, IF stopped staring. Alexis thankfully took all attention off of her, so nobody noticed. The older brunette held a mischievous smile as she leaned closer to Nepgear. "So what's she doing? Care to introduce me?"

The purplette continued to avert her eyes, mumbling almost inaudibly: "I-Inquisition."

It took only this one word to wipe the smile off of Alexis' face. She sat back down with a sigh. "Oh. Sorry."

IF was surprised as well; she had not expected the planeptunian inquisition, but she knew not to ask. These people were supposed to keep their work a secret so they could investigate cases of corruption and the like more easily. Asking Nepgear anything at all would risk her sister's job.

"Well," Gabriel broke the awkward silence a moment later. "I guess we should leave it here. Let's head out and see how you two keep up." Nobody disagreed, so they all packed up and got going.

IF learned many lessons that day. Yet the most important of them would be that work, any work, is not always exciting.