Volume 2 has a cover now! If you're interested, check it out in the V2 prologue!
Anyway, chapter 3. Took a while. But with this chapter, this little story breaks 100k words. Yay, I guess? Thanks for reading!
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Little Wing It
Volume 3
In A Virtual Reality Without My VisiPhone!
Chapter 3
The Crimson Secret
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I
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I slowly opened my eyes, and immediately got blinded by light.
What... Oh. Must have passed out while I was getting hauled back into the ship. Guess with the adrenaline running out, I couldn't fight off the light-headedness anymore.
I could feel that I was lying on something soft, like a mattress, or maybe a bed. This feels awfully familiar...
The light was still hurting my eyes, even when they were closed, so I tried moving my arm to cover it.
Big mistake.
"Ow."
Suddenly, I heard shuffling from beside me, along with a soft gasp.
"You're awake!"
Oh. Emilia.
By now, my eyes have adjusted enough that I was able to open my eyes. I was in a small white room, with some chairs and hanging sheets.
The infirmary. Makes sense.
I looked down to notice that I wasn't wearing my shirt and coat anymore, with the shirt most likely ruined and the coat soaked with blood.
Instead, there were thick and tight bandages wrapped around my chest, and also my left arm.
"Boss. Kara's awake! You can come over now!"
Emilia turned off the comms without waiting for a response, most likely annoying Kraz a fair bit.
Heh. Typical Emilia.
"Hey."
"You're really casual about almost dying, aren't you? How're you feeling?"
"Well, everything hurts. Other than that, I think I'm good."
"Hmph. You're unbelievable."
So she says, but I could see a little smile there.
Emilia let out a weary sigh, before looking at me again.
"The doctors say you have a few broken ribs, and your left arm is busted too so you'd probably have to use a sling for a while."
Right off the bat, that was more than what I'd expected. I guess adrenaline worked its magic longer than I thought fornme to not noitice a broken arm.
That hit I blocked without my shield must have been what broke it.
Which means it's unavailable for the time being. That sucks. Guess I'm out of active duty for a while. Damn that emo Ancient.
"You've also lost a lot of blood so no extensive activities! And, well... I did my best back in Moatoob but... that wound on your chest will probably scar. Sorry..."
"Nah, don't apologize. you saved my life, 'Lia. I can live this, it's not a big deal."
Emilia's eyes widened a bit after hearing what I said, before her expression turned into a sad smile.
"Thanks, Kara."
"Heh. So, what happened after I passed out?"
"Oh, let's see... Lumia went back to Guardians HQ along with the rescued Guardians. And I called the boss to have the mission report on hold. You were... kinda a priority."
Oh.
Emilia quickly snapped out of her mildly embarrassed state, an annoyed expression adorning her tired face.
"I did give him a basic rundown, though. And can you believe it? He actually got mad because we haven't been answering his calls! I tried telling him there wasn't any signal back there but he said to tell him beforehand! Like I'd be able to know beforehand that there wasn't any signal!"
Uh-oh, she's started a rant.
It sure sounds to me, though, that Kraz was just plain worried. Isn't that nice.
And Emilia being the blockhead that she is, or perhaps due to past experiences, it just came to her as more nagging.
Thankfully, her ranting was interrupted when the room's door opened, and in came Yut, Red, and Kraz.
Well, I guess morale isn't in high supply these days. Red was strangely quiet, opting to lean on the wall with her arms crossed. Yut looked mildly depressed making his way to the front of the bed.
"Ah, Kara! You don't look good. I don't think we'll be able to do training any time soon. Get better quickly!"
"Uh, I'll do my best, Yut."
At least Yut acknowledged my state, his face slightly lighting up upon seeing me awake. Red didn't even spare a glance.
And Kraz stood at the doorway, hands in his hips and looking both me and Emilia over.
"Uh, boss? Mind not staring too much? It's creepy."
I'd have expected a "shut yer trap" response or something similar, but instead, Kraz just sighed in what seemed to be relief.
"Looks like y'all came back in one piece. Well, except you. You look like shit, kid."
"Don't I know it."
Kraz let out a snicker, before focusing his gaze on Emilia. Not that I could tell, with that mop of his he calls hair, but that's where his head was facing.
"Guess I can forgive yer communication shortcomings this time. Alright, debriefing time. The Little Wingers you rescued, thanks for that by the way, didn't have any memory of what happened to them. All of them."
What a surprise. Looks like the man in black is hell-bent on messing with our minds.
Luckily, we got there before they or the missing Guardians were able to do anything other than stand around, but...
"So we still have no idea why they were abducted."
"Bingo."
The room was dead quiet after that for a while, before Emilia timidly avoided meeting Kraz's eyes.
Remind me to never tell this girl any secrets.
"Um, about that..."
"What? You find something else down there?"
"Well, you see... We don't exactly have any proof, and you probably won't believe us anyway, but..."
I was about to tell her to get on with it, or tell him myself but I remembered why exactly she's being so hesitant.
The last time we tried to tell Kraz about a conspiracy theory, he wasn't exactly close to buying it. Granted, I could have done a better job back then, but all we had then was the word of a person only me and her can see or hear.
This time, though, we might be able to convince him. And I have a chance to make up for leaving her on her own back then.
"C'mon, tell him. I'm right behind ya."
Emilia still looked hesitant but relaxed slightly upon hearing my words.
She let out a deep breath, before looking Kraz in the eyes.
"Remember that talk we had before you sent us off to Inhelt, boss?"
"Like it was yesterday. Subspace is bad, yada yada... something 'bout Ancients... Inhelt is bad... yada yada yada... A man in black is behind it all. That about sum it up?"
Well, I guess he got the basic gist of it...
"More or less."
"We found some sort of facility where the abductees were being held. Something I've never seen before. I think it belonged to Inhelt. The design, the logic patterns... it was a dead match."
"Say what now?"
Kraz looked a bit confused, but still following what Emilia was saying. I urged her to continue.
"I don't have any hard proof, and I'm just going off what we saw when we were at Inhelt, but still..."
"Don't forget the most important part. The man in black was there too."
"Oh, right! It was the same guy who attacked the Kasch village! The missing people, the man in black, Inhelt... it's all connected! I just can't prove it yet."
Kraz took a moment to let all that information sink in, actually taking us seriously this time.
Well, I guess that's what being a hard-working employee does for you, but I have a feeling that's not the only reason for this change.
"Uh, boss? You there?"
"... you do realize Inhelt isn't exactly going to like being accused of any of this. And they'll make one heck of an enemy."
"I know. I wouldn't have said anything if I wasn't sure."
Kraz grunted in response, putting his hand on too of his head as if a migraine was starting to form.
I couldn't blame him.
After a while of silence, he sighed.
"Figures. It never rains but it pours. Well, I guess I should tell you what I know now."
Tell us what?
Kraz took the confusion on our faces as confirmation to continue, opting for a more serious expression.
"Our parent company, Skyclad, cancelled their support of the subspace research program."
Well, that's... a shock.
Feels like it was just yesterday when Skyclad was all over Subspace research. What changed?
"And we're not the only ones. Other companies have been pulling out one after another. Which leaves Inhelt as the sole subspace research firm."
"What? Why?!"
Emilia suddenly blurted out, not expecting any of this at all.
To be fair to her, it's safe to assume none of us were.
"Turns out the subspace experiments were driving the native wildlife into a frenzy. You saw for yourself when you were at Inhelt, among other places. What's more, the thoughts of anyone present when subspace is formed... Well, they become real."
The thoughts become real? Could it be?
Hold up just a minute.
Those people we rescued mistook us for Seed, which means they were most certainly thinking about Seed.
And lo and behold, Seed were running around the place, appearing out of nowhere and then disappearing into nothing.
It's... too much of a coincidence.
"What do you mean their thoughts become real? How is that possible? Hey, you think that's how the Seed we fought got there?"
"Has to be. Things just don't line up like that on its own. So that whole place then..."
"Exactly! It's a facility for a subspace experiment!"
Well, everything certainly came together in a jiffy. Not only do we now know why there were SEED there despite their containment...
We also figured out why those people were taken. As fighters, they're bound to have the most vivid memories of the Seed...
But it still doesn't explain how this helps the man in black's goals. Is all this just a diversion then? His method of a sick joke?
"Mind cutting us in on yer little talk over there? What's this about Seed?"
"Oh, we... uh, encountered Seed in Mt. Elbars. They were appearing out of thin air, and dissolves into nothing when killed."
"Huh."
I think Kraz might need a cup or two of coffee after this. Or perhaps booze might work better for him, I don't know.
All I can say is that he's not having the best of days right now.
"The Seed are confined, so that leaves this... thoughts becoming real bullcrap as our best explanation for now. And you also said they disappear?"
"She did. Vanishes without a trace when being taken down."
"Hn. Matches the reports we've heard about the phenomenon. Sigh. Guess this means I hafta believe you lot then."
O-kay then. That happened.
I guess my reaction was pretty subdued. I was immobilized after all. Not that I'd overreact or anything.
Emilia? Not so much. She went silent from severe shock for five whole seconds before bolting off her chair.
"Huh?! You mean it?!"
"If this man in black is behind it all, catching him would be the quickest way to clear things up. The connections with Inhelt are still pretty thin. Time we thickened 'em up a bit. You four should get some rest. Leave this to me."
Kraz started walking out of the room after that, opening the door but was halted by Emilia grabbing his arm.
"You really believe what I told you, Boss? Even without any proof?"
"For the last time, YES! Now let go and let me do my job!"
He yanked his arm away and quickly exited the room, leaving behind a gaping Emilia.
"He really believed me... He stood there with a straight face, and he didn't even get upset. Well, not till the end anyway. Hee-hee!"
Emilia giggled to herself, obviously overjoyed that our second go around with Kraz went well beyond our expectations.
To be honest, I didn't also think that we'd accomplish so much from this debriefing. Goes to show what a simple exchange of information can do for you.
"It's kinda... weird. I don't know how to describe it, but it feels... good? Anyway, I feel like celebrating! Hey, Yut, let's get some pudding!"
"... Pudding? Err, okay!"
Well, Yut snapped out of that depressed state easily enough. I'd guess he's still bummed out that he couldn't retrieve the Codex, but hey, we can always try again.
But first, we'll have to get stronger. He's clearly determined to try.
"Don't worry, Kara, we'll bring you something!"
And they were both out the door, rushing for the cafe and leaving me on my own.
Come to think of it, Red came into the room too, didn't she? Did she leave earlier?
One look into the corner, however, told me that, no, she didn't leave.
"Finally."
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II
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Red moved away from the wall she was leaning on, walking towards my bed and putting her hands inside her hoodie's pockets.
I expected her to have some sort of remark about my injuries but, no, nada. She just looked me straight into the eyes, not even a hint of her usual smirk or grin.
"You just gonna stare at me till I melt, shortstuff?"
"... why?"
"Come again?"
Red didn't immediately answer after that, her expression remaining serious.
Okay, not weird or unsettling at all.
After a while, she spoke again.
"Why'd you take the hit for me?"
It took me a moment before I realized what she meant.
Back in Moatoob. When the man in black tried to attack her, I instinctively threw myself in the way and summoned my battered shield.
Which I knew wouldn't hold against an attack from someone like the man in black.
Even I'm surprised. When did I start playing the hero? Things never end well when you do that. Just look at what happened to me.
But if I didn't, then, Red would've been the one to get injured or quite possibly killed.
Suddenly I was grateful that I did what I did.
"To be honest, I don't know. My body moved on its own, or whatever."
"Cut the crap. There must be a reason. Tell me. Was it because I saved you when we fell? Because I came to assist you when that dude was wiping the mountain with your face?"
All of the sudden, I felt very annoyed. Why was she being this insistent on the matter?
Clearly, this was the best outcome we could've gotten out of the situation.
And even if she didn't do all those things for me, I probably still would have saved her anyway.
"Nah, it's because you kept me from freezing? That would have sucked."
"... you're full of shit."
"That I am."
Red didn't laugh, snicker, or grin, like she usually would have done after an exchange like that. I may not have known her for long, but I know her enough to be able to tell that she's not being herself.
Instead, she just released a sigh.
"Fine, don't tell me. I guess I owe you then."
"No, you don't. You're my teammate, Red. Didja really think I would let you die? Hell, you didn't let me die. Why would you think I'd do any different?"
"I thought for sure I irritated you and Emilia pretty thoroughly at this point."
No doubt about Emilia being thoroughly irritated towards her, but she still cares because she's Emilia.
As for me, I'm more desensitized towards her trolling.
And would you look at that, she's self-aware.
Anyway, I'm indifferent most of the time but I'm not cold-hearted.
I tried to get up from my current position and everything started hurting.
Not as bad as when I tried earlier but it still stings.
"What are you doing?"
"Just sitting up. My back's itching like crazy. Hey, scratch it for me."
"I'll scratch it with my saber, how's that sound?"
Geez, it was a joke. And here I thought she's indebted towards me. Was it all a lie?
After a few seconds, I was able to get up and maintain a sitting position, feeling the sweat that accumulated on my back for as long as I was laying there.
"... do you really need it scratched, though?"
"Ye- I mean, no! What are you doing? Stay right there!"
Damn it, you midget, are you really that in a hurry to repay that debt?
Thankfully, she didn't push the issue.
With that fiasco out of the way, I stretched my right arm with a great deal of effort, my left one still slinged up.
I looked towards my left and noticed that Red was still hanging around.
"D'you need something else?"
"Huh? Eh, no, not really. Just, you keep calling me that."
"What? Red? Isn't that what you told us to call you? Not close enough for your real name, remember?"
"... Akane Shiroryu."
Better be some name. She's being so secretive about it, and I can't think up of any reasons as to why...
Hey, wait.
"What'd you say?"
"Akane Shiroryu. That's my name."
"Akane... Shi... roryu?"
I couldn't say anything. My mind went completely blank after that, and I couldn't, for the life of me, figure out why.
There's... something.
Something about that name.
Shiroryu. It's definitely Neudaizian but...
"That's... it sounds... awfully familiar. You did say Shiroryu, right? You from Neudaiz?"
"You... you know about the Shiroryu?!"
Red suddenly got in closer, her face just a few inches away from mine.
I'd have slightly freaked out if I wasn't still befuddled by a name I'd never heard before.
"I think... no? It's just... I feel like I know that name. Nothing's just coming up in my memory about it. Um, why are you so close?"
Red's eyes widened ever so slightly, and she instantaneously backed away, a very very slight tinge of red on her cheeks.
"Sorry, I guess I got carried away."
"It's fine. So, why would it be a big deal if I knew about the Shiroryu?"
Red crossed her arms and closed her eyes, looking like she's internally debating on what she was gonna answer.
After a while, she sighed and her shoulders drooped down.
"It's because... you remind me so much of someone I'm looking for."
Someone she's looking for?
Red took my silence as an indicator to continue.
"Back before I met you and Emilia, the reason I was freelance was so I could scour the system on my terms, and to earn some cash as well."
So that's why.
At first, I thought it was because she wasn't the type to play well in a team or partnership, but our previous mission destroyed that notion for me.
"So the reason you joined Little Wing..."
"It's because Little Wing is the most hands-off mercenary firm I could find. With the recent dwindling of the system's resources, it was really hard to keep being freelance and travel Gurhal."
I can certainly attest to that. Not only did payment get lower, prices for supplies and transportation went up as well.
Red continued her story.
"I'd already submitted an application form to Little Wing when I decided to visit Parum for a while. And wouldn't you know it, there's this guy who was so familiar, struggling against a De Ragan along with his partner."
"That was not my best moment. Can you not bring it up?"
"Heh. So, I killed the dragon for you, etcetera etcetera. And then stuff happened, and you didn't recognize me, at all."
Come to think of it, when I look back, Red didn't seem particularly interested when I was introducing ourselves to her.
If she was expecting someone else, then I'm impressed she managed to hide her disappointment that well. Though I really shouldn't be, I think.
"So, this person you're looking for... who was he to you?"
"... sort of a brother, I guess. We grew up together so there's that."
I thought she wouldn't indulge me with that question, but surprise surprise, Red's being completely open with me today.
So, someone important, huh? I guess she must have felt really disappointed when it was just me. I can't blame her, though, that'd be pretty dickish of me to hold that against her.
"You two look so alike, y'know? Down to the hair color. He's Beast, too. Just different hairstyle and fashion sense. You're not the same personality-wise, but we'd get into some banter too from time to time. That's one more reason you remind me of him. Are you sure you're not him with amnesia?"
"Actually, I think I am. C'mon, Akane, call me big bro."
"Creepy. Don't ever do that again."
Everyone's a critic.
Anyway, I certainly don't remember having a redhead sister figure, or any sister for that matter.
If it turns out I'm Red's missing person with amnesia, wouldn't that be the coincidence of the century?
Anyway, any historical alignment of the stars aside, it's probably just that. A massive coincidence.
And I probably just heard the name Shiroryu from somewhere too.
"Do you have a name for your person?"
"Hikaru."
Hikaru... Nope, doesn't ring any bells.
Red must have noticed from the expression on my face, and sighed for the third time.
I get that she would have thought that I, at the very least, knew something, from my reaction to the name Shiroryu.
But aside from the faint familiarity of it, there's nothing coming up.
"Sorry for not having much for you. Sounds like you've been searching for so long."
"Nah, it's fine. I didn't really expect much, no offense. To be honest, after I joined Little Wing, searching for him's been on the back of my mind for the most part."
"Hm? Why's that?"
"Well, I guess I'm having fun while I'm here. That's what he would have wanted, anyway. If he's still out there, of course."
Red smiled. This time, it wasn't a teasing grin or a condenscending smirk.
It was a genuine smile. And I felt myself smiling too. Just a little bit.
"So, anyway, thanks for listening, meatshield. Felt nice to get that off my chest."
"Back to nicknames, are we, Akane? And what chest, Akane? There's nothing there, Akane."
"... Oh, is your back still itchy? Here, let me help you!"
"Hey! Hey, stop! Get off! Help! Help, I'm being assaulted!"
"Hold still so I can scratch you!"
Somebody, help! I'm being physically assaulted by a child!
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III
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We left the infirmary after that. Or so I say, but we actually got thrown out because we were noisy.
Or I should say that Red got thrown out and I got myself cleared to leave. That solitary room will be the end of me and I haven't even been concsious in there for an hour.
So I got myself a proper cast for my arm and put on a shirt.
Me and Red were currently making our way towards the cafe. We still had one more thing to talk about, and even though the infirmary would've been a better location, I was itching for some coffee.
"Say, Red... Or should I call you Akane?"
"Call me Red unless we're alone."
Okay, then. Although I don't quite understand why she's hesitant to being called by her real name. She divulged that information to me, after all. Willingly, I might add.
I'm still at a loss as to why. Did shielding her from a lethal attack cause her trust in me to skyrocket?
In any case, I'll just keep on calling her Red unless I want to annoy her. It's not even a good codename, to be honest. "Akane" literally means the color red.
And as for her sort-of-brother's name, "Hikaru", if I remember correctly, means something along the lines of "bright new light". Just something of a trivia for myself.
"Hey, meatshield, I do have something else to ask you."
"Quit it with it the meatshield or I'll invoke your name in public... no, in front of Emilia."
"Sheesh, can't take a little bit of harmless fun?"
Red raised her hands in mock surrender, her carefree attitude returning in full force.
At least now I have something else on my sleeve to keep her in line.
"Anyway, I'm not sure if you noticed, but back when we were fighting the guy in black, your eyes started glowing crimson again, just like back in Inhelt."
Did they?
I... honestly didn't notice.
Although I suppose that explains how I was suddenly able to keep up with the man in black, if only temporarily.
That's the third time now that happened. First, back in the Crodog region against the Bag Degga. The second was in Inhelt like Red mentioned. And now against the man in black. I still have absolutely no explanation on why or what it is.
"Well, whatever it is, it wasn't enough."
"What a downer. Hey, have you tried activating your secret power-up intentionally?"
Wait, now that she mentioned it...
I closed my eyes and focused, which was about the only way I could think of to activate it.
Nothing.
"Huh. Worth a shot, I guess."
"Maybe so. But I can't rely on it. So far, it's only happened during life threatening moments. And I'd very much rather not get into those just to activate it."
"So, no tests?"
"No tests."
At least try and hide your disappointment. What are you, a sadist?
The conversation pretty much died after that. There was still so little we knew about the phenomenon that all we can do is theorize.
Add that to the fact that it's something to do with me and I know next to nothing about it. So it's pretty uncomfortable to talk about it.
I'd rather improve myself than depend on a "power-up" that may or may not come.
After a few minutes of silent walking, we eventually got to the cafe. It wasn't packed today, so it was perfect for a conversation about a sensitive topic. Well, not perfect, but at least ideal.
We went over to the counter and I ordered my usual. Meanwhile, Red...
"A milkshake?"
"Got a problem with it?"
I took a sip from my coffee, savoring the rich blend of sweetness and bitterness while Red drank her... her...
"... milkshake."
"Don't judge me! Im still...! still...!"
"... still growing?"
"You shut it, coffee boy!"
We almost got thrown out for the second time in less than an hour.
Why is it that everytime I bring along someone to this place, I can't drink my coffee in peace? Also, I'm ignoring the fact that I was the one who started the banter.
We drank our respective drinks in silence for a short while.
"So... you gonna start or what?"
Red asked in a bored tone.
Of course, I had no intention of breaking my promise to tell her the whole story.
It just wasn't exactly an easy story to tell. I wasn't stalling, it was just... hard to start.
"Alright, if I'm gonna explain it to you, I'm going to have to tell you from the start."
Red nodded understandingly. Well, here we go...
I let out a deep breath, and started my story.
"Long story short, I died."
I could tell Red didn't expect that, at least, not completely.
In theory, I could have started with why I was at the relic site, how I met Emilia, or whatever. But all that would do is lengthen an already lenghty tale.
So I'm going to keep things short and sweet.
"You... died. As in 'died' died?"
"Yup."
"And you're being weirdly nonchalant about this, why?"
"I had time to get used to it. Moving on. Ever heard of Ancients?"
Red looked at me unbelievingly for a short while, before hesitantly nodding in response.
"Well, they have this thing called Project Renaissance. Basically, they placed their consciousness in a pocket of subspace called Maghara."
"So, some sort of hibernation?"
"Yeah, technically. And now they're planning on taking everyone's bodies for their own, effectively killing off every single person in Gurhal."
"... O-kay then. I'm assuming the guy we fought was the leader?"
"Yep. He needs three keys to open Maghara. He already has one, which was the Land-Mother Yut was so hell-bent on retrieving."
Which was one thing that confused me a bit. Why did he need to kidnap people and use their thoughts to summon Seed? If what he needed were the keys?
It was still something we've yet to connect with everything else, so I decided to continue on with the story for now.
"So, we try and stop him before he gets all three. Which we failed spectacularly at, by the way. But hey, while we wait for news on him, we can try and get stronger so it's not so embarrassing the next time."
"You're pretty edgy, aren't you? Anyway, how do you know all this? And you still haven't explained how you're still here if you died."
"Well, it's good that you asked because I can answer both questions in one go. It's all because of Mika."
"Mika? Who's that? Have I met her before?"
"Technically yes, but no. Mika's the Ancient that's currently residing within Emilia."
Red almost did a spit take. Almost.
Careful, you don't want to waste your precious milkshake that's so vital for your growth.
"I thought the Ancients wanted to take over?"
"Well, I guess she's the only sensible Ancient around. She's basically sharing a body with Emilia to help stop the apocalypse, and she can project herself outside of Emilia's body as well."
"Wait, so all of those times I caught bolthead talking to thin air... She was actually talking to... Mika? Wait, I've noticed both you and the wild kid talk to nothing before. What's with that?"
Well, she's certainly a perceptive one. I'm honestly a bit surprised she hasn't connected all the dots yet with how much of a blabbermouth my partner is.
Anyhow, here comes the fun part.
"So, I died. I told you that, right?"
"I'm still weirded out by how indifferent you are about dying but yeah, you did."
"Good. It was actually through trying to save Emilia. I guess Mika heard Emilia's pleas and used her Ancient powers to revive me. So now, we have this sort of link."
"So you were already a self-sacrificing idiot before. Good to know. And the jungle boy? He died too?"
"Nope. We actually met you before him, now that I think about it. Anyway, it's something to do with the Kasch's advanced senses, or some mystic mumbo jumbo. So, theoretically, all Kasch can see or talk to Ancients not completely taking over a host body."
I've put a bit of thought into that one. I was at first questioning how non linked or attuned people could see or hear the man in black, but I realized that he wasn't sharing a body with his host.
He was completely dominating the control over the body, something he himself admitted to Mika.
Although he did mention something about the consciousness of the body's owner still being there.
So, in theory, should Mika take over Emilia, at least temporarily, she'd be able to talk to Red or even Kraz. Food for thought.
"Well, that's about it, I think."
"Wait, the kidnapped people. What's with that?"
"That's something we still have no explanation for yet. All we know is he's using the 'thoughts becoming real' side effect of subspace to summon Seed. As for the why, nothing."
"I see. That's... a lot to take in. Suppose I don't believe you for now, I'm still roped into all this anyway, aren't I?"
"Pretty much. Same thing happened to me, and I've gotten tired of complaining long ago."
Red sat in silence after that, obviously not having an easy time taking in everything I said.
I honestly couldn't blame her.
Red's everyday life just got much more complicated just because of a freak encounter with the man in black.
It can also be argued that it was because she met us.
Just like how my world turned completely upside down because I got trapped inside a relic site with Emilia.
Everything started with that girl, it seems.
"Emilia! I wanna ask you something!"
"My, such intellectual curiosity! Go ahead, ask away, and I shall answer you to the best of my abilities!"
"What's the Communion of Gurhal?"
"... right! Seeya!"
"Wait, Emilia! Where are you going?!"
Yeah, that girl.
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I watched my partner sprint away from the surprised Yut standing by the cafe's entrance.
Look at this fool, running away after talking a big game.
In theory, I could have given either of my teammates a hand. I chose to drink my coffee instead.
I could tell Red had the same idea.
"Hey! You two are just gonna ignore me?!"
Yup.
"Emilia! You haven't told me what the Gurhal Communion is yet! What kinda place is it?"
"Err, that's a tough question..."
Go ahead, do your best to answer the kid with such intellectual curiosity.
Red raised an eyebrow at me for a moment but went back to sipping on her milkshake.
Don't even try to hide that amused smile, you troublemaker.
"You know what a photon is, right?"
"Um, the... energy at the... heart of Gurhal's... civilizations?"
"Err, yeah. You sure you understand those words? On second thought, never mind."
I'm not sure where she's getting the confidence to belittle Yut's vocabulary like that.
And for the record, this coffee is amazing.
"Basically, photons are everywhere. They're particles that react to our spiritual energy."
Look at that, she did her homework.
She's not wrong. Photons are what allows us to do what we do most of the time. Ambient energy that amplifies what little power we can produce by ourselves.
That's why Photon Arts are called us such. Technics and Mirage Blasts draw their power from photons too.
"Anyhow, the Communion of Gurhal is a religious order that believes photons are a kind of 'holy light' from the stars."
Yut's face scrunched up in confusion, looking like that wasn't the answer he was expecting.
I'm not even sure why he's asking about the Communion of Gurhal now. The mission we did there feels like ages ago.
"Photons as a holy light? They worship energy? Why the heck would they do that?"
"No, it's not that, it's... actually, you know what, I have no idea."
There it is. She finally admits it.
I knew she could do it.
"C'mon, intellectual, don't leave our poor jungle boy hanging."
"Shut up, Red, I'm wracking my brain here!"
I guess Red couldn't help herself. When she spots an opportunity to rile someone up, you can bet she'll take it.
In any case, I'm at the very least glad that she's back to her normal self. It was really weird for her to be so serious.
"Alright, Yut, here's what I think! It's less worship and more thankfulness. Kinda like... Thanks, o photons! For giving us all this energy!"
Well, that's actually pretty apt but... with Emilia saying it, it sounds like she's blaspheming.
It's really amazing how she can talk about distortions in magnetic fields, learn the Kasch's language in five minutes, and discover a holograph through pattern deduction but fumble at explaining the basis for a religion.
I'm just... Im just at a loss here.
"Way to sum up an entire belief system, blondie."
"Why not?! I'm doing my best here!"
"Are you really? Thanks, o photons?"
"So what if it's a bit of a stretch? Sometimes you just gotta go for it!"
I'm not so sure that's the moral lesson here.
"I don't understand all of it. But basically, they're just thanking the natural world around them?"
Yut looked enlightened, and at the same time, befuddled. I'm not sure I can hold that against him.
Realizing that she bit off more than she can chew, Emilia sighed.
"Sorry you don't understand, Yut, but that's just about as good as I can do. I think you got the general drift right, anyhow."
See, that's improved maturity right there. I'm actually quite proud.
Yut, though, looked like he got the explanation he wanted, judging from the happy expression on his face.
"It's okay! That doesn't sound all that different from what the Kasch believe, actually. We thank nature too!"
That lifted Emilia's spirits up. Although, instead of boasting like I expected her to, she just smiled warmly.
"Well, it's good to be thankful, don't you think so, Kara?"
I looked at her for a second on reflex and immediately returned to drinking my coffee, which was now disappointedly running out.
Don't drag me into this mess.
Emilia must have noticed my predicament, evidenced by her being induced with a fit of giggles.
"Well, I got what I wanted to know! I'm off to get something to eat! Thanks, Emilia! See you later, Kara and Red!"
I'm not sure if he knew that this cafe was where you get something to eat. He ate here before. If he forgot then that's on him.
"Nice going there, blondie."
"Oh, shut up, would ya? You didn't even help! And that goes double for you, partner!"
What did you want me to do? Really, you brought this on yourself.
I'm thinking of getting a second cup because Emilia looked like she still wasn't done.
"And what's this? I thought you'd be resting up but you're just grabbing coffee here with the shortstick?"
"Watch it, bolthead."
"I got myself cleared to leave. I needed a bit of a stretch."
"Then you should have waited for me! I even said I'll bring you something!"
Oh, right. With that unexpectedly serious talk with Red, the thought completely slipped away from my mind.
My bad, then. I gave Emilia the best apologetic look I could.
She still looked at me cross.
I'm not getting the problem here. What's wrong with going out for something to drink? My throat's dry and frozen from all that snow and ice.
"Because we totally didn't get kicked out."
"No, you got kicked out."
"And you followed me. Same thing."
It's really not.
Emilia watched us curiously, some questions hanging on her tongue.
Thankfully, she decided against them and just shook her head, still bewildered for some reason.
"Well, you're welcome to join us. Just don't order coffee again, we all know how that went."
"I know, don't worry. It's just..."
Just what?
Emilia sighed and continued in a smaller voice, barely audible if not for my enhanced hearing.
"... you said you'd take me out..."
Oh. I guess I did say that. And was there an odd tone in there somewhere?
Before I could say anything else, I saw a flash of misheivousness on Red's face as she heard Emilia.
And slowly but surely, her trademark smirk started to form.
"Oh? Is that... jealousy I hear?"
"W-wha? No, it isn't! Why would you think that?"
"Hm? I wonder?"
"Yes, wonder! Because I'm not! Definitely not of you!"
"And what's that supposed to mean?!"
Looks like Red's slowly starting to get susceptible to Emilia's retorts. Although since Emilia herself is also getting irritated, it's not much of a win.
In any case, if I wasn't before then now I'm seriously considering getting a second cup. They didn't look like they were finished or even close to finishing.
"It means exactly what it means!"
"That doesn't even make sense. Just admit that you wanted Kara to take you out!"
"Only because he said so!"
"And you didn't like it?"
"I did! I mean, I didn't! Gah! I don't know, just shut up!"
"Shut up about what?"
"That I'm upset that Kara took you out instead of me! Because I'm not!"
Excuse me?
I gently placed my empty cup back onto the table and gulped down the contents of my mouth before I could spit it out.
Safe to say I wasn't expecting that. Good thing there weren't many people or we'd have caused quite a ruckus.
"Well, you said it, not me."
"You... You!"
"Hey, hey, Emilia, stop!"
I quickly rushed out of my seat to restrain the livid Emilia, who looked just about ready to charge the grinning Red.
I gave the milkshake girl a dirty look.
"Hey, chill, it was just a joke!"
"You're a joke, you annoying little...!"
Hmm... it's been a while since Red irritated Emilia to the point that I had to stop her from inflicting great harm upon the little troll.
I get that it's not exactly an ideal time to reminisce but I've gotten so used to trouble like this, it's not even fully registering anymore.
Which got me into thinking about how our last mission went better than I expected.
Well, if we don't count the avalanche, the Seed, and the man in black, that is.
I had some reservations about a mission with all three of Emilia, Yut, and Red. And then Lumia adds up on top of that.
But everyone cooperated rather well. So much that I'm actually in some form of disbelief. Considering how such a short talk between these two just now sparked a nuclear reaction, it's really something.
I'm not expecting similar results in future missions but here's hoping.
Of course, with my arm the way that it is right now, that might have to wait.
And Kraz did give us orders to rest, after all. It's probably safe to assume that there wouldn't be any missions for us for a while.
It only took two days to prove that assumption wrong.
ooo000ooo
V
ooo000ooo
Two days after the Mt. Elbars mission, the four of us were called back into the office.
Emilia stepped into the spacious room with a serious face for once. With every passing day, the severely unmotivated her of the past gradually becomes a distant memory.
I wish I could say the same about my arm, though. Which makes me wonder what exactly we were called for. I can't do any missions in the mean time, and I'm not sure if the others can handle themselves on their own.
Kraz was the one who noticed us first, obviously waiting for us this time. Ursula was standing behind him, and Chelsea was typing away on her desk.
"Ah, there you are."
"Yep. What's the scoop on Inhelt?"
Looks like Emilia's not wasting any time. I guess the whole thing with Kraz believing us this time around really did affect her greatly.
Kraz held up his hands, still just a little bit put-off by Emilia's investment on the matter.
"Take it easy, kiddo, we'll get to that. First things first. Ursula?"
"Right. Inhelt is about to hold an emergency press conference. It's going to be broadcast any minute now. I expect they'll announce their efforts to find new sponsors and lay out their plans. Chelsea, could you turn on the news?"
The happy receptionist obliged with a quick "oui", and switched on the television.
After a few moments, the news programme's little jingle played over the speakers as the purple-haired reporter, Hal, introduced herself.
And the news were exactly as I predicted it would be the moment Ursula said the words "emergency press conference".
Due to the things Kraz mentioned the other day, namely, driving the wildlife crazy, and the bizarre thoughts becoming real shtick, well, Inhelt's subspace research is in some deep shit.
Demands to stop it are running rampant. Sponsors are withdrawing left and right. The entire corporation is, figuratively, coming under fire.
The reporter then announced that the CEO, Natsume Shu, will be speaking shortly, along with his son, Shizuru Shu.
I kinda feel bad for the old man. When we met him, he didn't seem to have anything malicious planned when he started his subspace research. He sincerely just wanted to help stop the resource dwindling.
And there he was, on the screen. As expected of a long-tenured businessman, he's keeping his cool very well. But on a closer look, there's a great deal of weariness and misery in his eyes.
And right beside him was his son, Shizuru. I've never really seen the guy before. The CEO's son mostly stays away from the public, but rumor has it that he's been more secluded these past few months.
It's strange, though. He somehow looks familiar to me. He was wearing all-black, and he had this weird hairstyle that almost looks like... like...
"...?!"
"That's...!"
"It's him!"
"Ayyyyieeeeee!"
The four of us had our reactions but Emilia's has got to take the cake.
I didn't think she would actually scream like that. Or maybe I should have. It's hard to say with this girl.
Kraz flinched back from the sudden outburst, startled out of his wits.
"The heck are you yelpin' about? I can hardly hear the news over yer racket!"
I honestly had my breath caught up in my throat. Thankfully, Yut didn't. The Kasch boy pointed at the speaking Shizuru Shu on the screen...
And dropped the bomb on Kraz and Ursula.
"He's the one who stole the Land-Mother! He's one of the bad guys!"
"Come again?"
Ursula looked at us in bewilderment, looking quizically at the younger Shu to confirm Yut's declaration.
Emilia was next to regain her voice. Impressive, considering how she just screeched her throat off.
"It's him! I'm sure it's him! You've got eyes, Red, Kara. He's the one, right?!"
"It could be a look-alike, people. Is that really the guy who threw us all over the mountain?"
"Like I'd forget that face! Tell them, Kara!"
"... no doubt about it. That's... that's our guy."
"See?! The man in black... is Shizuru Shu!"
By the looks of things, both Kraz and Ursula had absolutely troubled looks on their faces. Doesn't seem like they're having the best of times processing the information.
Kraz raised his arm to get our attention, but mostly to calm down the increasingly rowdy Yut and Emilia.
"Alright, let's take a step back. Your "man in black" is the son of Inhelt's CEO? The same man who's behind all the missing people? Who attacked the Kasch village and this colony?"
"And took the Land-Mother!"
"That's right."
"Gotta agree with these two over here, boss man. That's the guy."
"They all agree. Seems a bit much for coincidence. What do you think, Kraz?"
Ursula asked the unsettlingly stoic Kraz, still looking calm and collected as usual but at the same time, in distress.
Kraz took a moment before scratching the back of his head with a gruff sigh, breaking the stoic illusion he maintained earlier.
"I think there's more than enough to it to make me wanna dig a lil' deeper. Perfect timing. We were switching to a joint operation, anyway. Seems like a good time as any to take the investigation a different way."
Joint operation?
Before I could ask Kraz what he meant the sound of footsteps tapped on the floor as the offices doors slid open.
And along with it, a familiar figure and voice.
"The Guardians and Little Wing will be conducting investigations into the missing people together."
"Hey... I know that voice!"
"Hello. You look well, Emilia, everybody."
Ladies and gentlemen, for the second time in three days, Lumia Waber.
"I might have known you'd be showing up again!"
"Huh. It's miss monotone again. What's up?"
"Weren't you listening? The Guardians and Little Wing are working together now. I'm the liason."
"What's a... liason?"
Well, looks like the trouble trio quickly caught up with, heh, miss monotone. Nice one, Red.
Kraz got our attention once again by a single clap of his hands, grinning at us like he got some work taken off him.
"You know each other? Perfect, she's with you then. Give her the Clad 6 tour."
"A tour? Kraz, I was sent here to take part in a joint operation."
"Well, plans change. I got a hot tip I need to look into. Alone."
No bets on what he's talking about. Although I do wonder what exactly he's going to look into. We'd already confirmed to him that Shizuru Shu is the man in black, albeit without proof.
But hey, I just do what I told. And perhaps save the System along the way. Or die trying. Ehh, I don't really know.
Lumia didn't look like she liked the change in plans, though.
"I'm a member of the Guardians' Intelligence Division! You think I'd be in the way?"
"It's not that. Fact is, there're some things best done solo-like. Now, I need to look into this while the lookin' is good. Someone from the "Intelligence Division" should appreciate that. Time is of the essence, and I move faster solo."
"And? Do you expect me to just sit here twiddling my thumbs?"
"Hardly. There's one other joint operation we had planned with the Guardians."
In a matter of seconds, Lumia was reduced to grumbling. Had to be seen to believed.
I wonder if she's usually like this? When she's not trying so hard to be dignified all the time?
"The VR battle simulation tests..."
Virtual Reality?
Well, color me surprised. I knew Clad 6 was state of the art but I honestly haven't heard about it having VR.
"What's a VR battle simulation?"
"Our colony is equipped with a virtual reality facility originally intended for entertainment and sports."
Ursula explained for the inquisitive Emilia, patting out in detail what we needed to know.
"A facility like ours can recreate a broad range of environments and scenarios. The simulation we're going to run will recreate battle conditions. You're our test subjects."
"Simulation? Test subjects? I don't think I understand."
Yut voiced his concerns, looking completely lost.
Sometimes, it's easy to forget that Yut never had any interactions with technology like this. For such a spiritually-focused race, this must sound so outlandish for Kasch.
"Well, um... it's basically like fighting in a dream to hone your skills. That about right, guys?"
"Ehh, give or take. You'll feel pain so that part's off base there with the dream comparison. But you don't have to worry about dying or anything, jungle boy."
Emilia and Red explained for the confused Yut, who looked like the answer he got wasn't to his liking.
"There's no way to die? How can training without consequences make you stronger?"
See, it's this daredevil attitude of his that's so problematic. He's usually very cooperative, too.
Kraz let out a tired sigh. Impressive considering how he hasn't even gotten up from his desk yet.
"Look, just try it, okay? It's still experimental so it can only handle four people for now. That means one-armed bandit over here's sitting this one out."
Well, looks like new experiences are gonna have to wait.
It's a shame, really. I was looking forward to stretching my arm despite it's broken state.
See, the one mission I actually wanted to take, and I'm being benched. Lucky.
"Just give it a shot. That goes for our Guardian guest, Emilia, the whole lot of you. Except you, bandit. Get that arm up and running. I'll try to wrap things up on my end by the time you're finished. Now, go on. Git."
We were quickly shooed out of the office. Seems as though there's a time limit on how long Kraz can tolerate youngins in his immediate area. What an old fellow.
"Huh. Bandit. Pretty good. I might use that one."
"Don't even think about it, Red."
"Too late~!"
Well, we're off to a great start. Or perhaps, that is to say, they are. I'm staying here after all.
"So, good luck, I guess."
"You got it! We'll be back before you know it!"
Well, Emilia's pretty hyped, it seems.
Lumia nodded at me while Yut was still in deep thought about the VR thing. Red just kept snickering at me.
I'm worried about how much of a mess they'll make later. Oh well.
The four of them went on their way, leaving me with an incredible amount of down time. Which is both nice and unbelievably boring.
"Must be dull for you, no?"
I turned around slightly to see Ursula making her way out of the office.
"Kinda, I guess."
"Hmhmm. Did you notice you're the top worker these days, along with your partner? Impressive, considering how recently you joined us."
Really? I haven't actually noticed.
Maybe it's because of all the cleaning up after Emilia I had to do in my early days as a Little Winger. It hasn't happened much recently but I guess my mission log would reflect it all.
"Huh. That's how I roll, I guess."
"Well, I like how you roll, then! I hope you'll continue to roll with us in the future."
Job security, here we come.
That was actually nice to hear, though. I've struggled for three years for stable income. I guess the pros of meeting Emilia outweigh the cons in the end.
Ursula's happy mood turned somber all of a sudden.
"I get the feeling that you're going to fly higher in the future. Hopefully, not away... as others have done."
Huh? Where did this come from?
Ursula recovered quickly, though, burrying the matter in an instant.
"Nevermind. About your partner... or should I say, apprentice?"
"It... varies from moment to moment."
"I see. She's really come along, hasn't she? When she first came here, I never thought I'd see her smile like that this much."
Which is hard to imagine, considering how much she's so carefree nowadays. But I've heard about her pre-me Little Wing days from a lot of people, including Chelsea, and now Ursula.
And also some hints from Emilia herself.
"Stick with her, would you? Trust me. Even when things are looking up, it's hard being alone."
That's the plan for now, I guess. Since I'm basically shoehorned into stopping the Ancients, I don't think I'm going anywhere anytime soon.
And... Emilia's been a constant for a while now that it's a little weird to think about leaving.
"Oh, one more thing before you go. Do we have you to thank for the improvement in Kraz's performance?"
"Err, I think that would be Emilia's doing."
"Emilia? Oh, I don't doubt it. But who do we have to thank for shaping her up, I wonder?"
Well, I guess it's true that I've had a bit of a hand in helping Emilia become more motivated.
But in reality, it's been a combination of me, Yut, Lumia, Red, Mika, the impending apocalypse, and not wanting to be a burden.
It's always the extremes with that girl.
"There's been a marked improvement in both Kraz and Emilia since you showed up. Seeing Kraz investigating on his own again... It's good to see him like that once more."
What was Kraz's life before Little Wing? I'm curious but I guess that's not of importance right now.
"But that was before your time. We have you to thank for turning Kraz, no, all of Little Wing in the right direction. You might be the best thing that's happened to our little outfit."
"Err, best thing might be too much. I'm not sure I deserve that much praise..."
"Don't be afraid to take credit where it's due. Doubt your own worth, and you'll miss out. Or be unable to make a critical decision and end up hurting someone... Well, That's all I wanted to say. Enjoy your time off."
Ursula's somberness retuned for a moment there before she once again brushed it off. And after that farewell, she was on her way. What a busy person.
Well, now I need something to bring me back down to the ground after all the good words Ursula had for me.
I still don't think I'm all that but it's nice to be appreciated.
Now then. What to do? I got nothing but time.