I don't own World Trigger! Daisuke Ashihara does.
I'm just someone who enjoys it.
He just wanted to sleep. While Shinoda was glad that Kido had finally allowed another expedition to the Neighbourhood, he did not appreciate having to finish a week's work of paperwork first. He had even briefly considered passing on the position of commander to Rindou in his desperation to avoid doing more.
Now he wished that he had.
Silently, he cursed whoever that had drawn up the ship's floor plan that had led to a sleepless night on the floor.
Why was he and Kyoko in the same room?
A nice room with plenty of amenities, yes, and spacious, yes, but a room with just one bed?
He had a feeling that Rindou was behind it.
Someone would be on the receiving end of Viper very soon.
The Neighbour with burgundy hair sniffed at him disdainfully. "That's their tactician? I was expecting someone more alert."
Shinoda sighed and closed his eyes, praying that it was a dream.
Behind him, he could hear someone stumble down the steps.
"V-v-viza?" Hyuse stammered.
Shinoda could practically feel the old man grin.
"Lord Hyuse! You cannot fathom how overjoyed I am to see you again, despite the unfavourable circumstances."
"Can't say the same for you." Miwa grunted from somewhere further behind Shinoda.
He opened his eyes, resigned to the fact that somehow, the small army of horned neighbours and black trigger users would have to be defeated. Already, he had been scheming, and couldn't think of anything other than using trion in his real body to buy time while the others escaped on the ship.
Viza was still grinning in a delighted manner, and his grin only widened when he saw Shinoda assess the situation.
"Ah, the young commander rises! I must say, I was very much impressed by your strategy against Enedera - especially the trick with the wind. You simply must show me how you did it when we return to Miden!"
Hairein gave Viza a look.
"I must ask you to refrain from returning to Miden, Viza. Right now, we have to protect Aftrokrator's technology before it is stolen away for research."
The elder smiled craftily. "But if the technology was willingly given, perhaps as a token to build trust?"
Mira narrowed her eyes. "Viza, what are you implying? Do you wish to desert Aftrokrator, the Holy Land? Do you wish to turn your back and let the House Ellin's scarifice be in vain?"
"Mira…" Hairein warned. "Any more, and we will have to dispose of Hyuse."
"Dispose of?" cried Osamu. "Hyuse isn't something to be disposed of! Wasn't he a part of your team?"
Mira levelled a cool sneer at him. "Well, if it isn't the protective big brother. Don't misunderstand, boy. Hyuse was on this team simply because Lord Ellin requested it. The Lord just didn't want his poor adoptive son to be a hostage like everyone else, that's all. Of course, now that he's here…" She smirked, Speiraskia in hand.
Shinoda glanced at Hyuse, who looked stricken.
"I just wanted to return to Aftrokrator…" he whispered. "I just wanted to see Master one more time… and Mother too…"
Viza gazed at him sadly, his face now solemn.
"I'm sorry, Hyuse. As of now, you are the only member of the House Ellin not held hostage. I apologize for not stopping them. I was bound by my duty as a soldier of Aftrokrator."
He leant on Organon wearily.
"The former Lord asked me to do everything in power to protect you, Hyuse. I had hoped leaving you in Miden would be enough, but you are as resourceful as ever, and have managed to find your way back here. Now I realise that it won't be enough. You need protection, a bodyguard, a monster of some sorts by your side. I am old, Hyuse, and my reflexes are not like they used to be. I may be able to defeat a small army, but if Aftrokrator was to send an team of Black Trigger users after you… I fear the worst."
He drew his hand out of his cloak, holding something carefully.
"I cannot afford to wait for someone to learn to use Organon, so I shall create a monster instead." Here, he turned his attention to Shinoda, who was taking in the scene with rapt attention.
"You will be the monster, young commander. I've seen you fight before, during the two previous invasions. I've seen you use your side-effects to the maximum and seen you use a Black Trigger before. You may be a commander for most part, but I know you are a fighter. You care. You care for the people you know and for those that you don't."
He paused in his speech as he offered the trigger he cupped in his hand.
"So take this." he said, his voice cracking with emotion.
"Take this trigger, and protect your world, and everyone you hold dear."
Mira's eyes narrowed. "Perhaps your brain has been addled by your old age, Viza. Even if you were to offer such a request, what reason does he have to trust you? You are a citizen of Aftrokrator."
Privately, most of the Border agents agreed with her. He had been the forefront of the destruction during the last invasion, and had just revealed that he was present in the one 5 years ago as well.
Not exactly the best way to cultivate a trusting relationship.
Viza sighed, activating Organon.
Instantly, his red haired companion was cut down, while Mira managed to warp herself and Hairein to safety.
"Lamvanein!" he cried, as his younger brother's trion body was shredded.
They could only just stare blankly as the Neighbour bailed out.
Shinoda sloshed the strange trigger that Viza had offered in his hands. It had a unique consistency to it, similar to oobleck, triggering memories of Konami's first attempts at curry.
"What do we do?" Kyoko whispered.
He avoided her gaze as he played with the trigger.
"Everyone on the ship." he ordered after a short period of silence.
Protests emerged from behind him, as they clamoured to be allowed to fight.
Their shouts were quelled by the strange look in his eyes which left no room for argument.
Silently, but reluctantly, they boarded the ship.
Only Kyoko and Hyuse were left.
"Director…What do you intend to do?"
He ignored her, instead choosing to address Hairein.
"If I were to turn Hyuse over to you… What would you do?"
Hairein was taken aback. He hadn't expected the commander to give up Hyuse so easily. He would have to speak carefully.
"I would kill him. Hyuse is a threat to Aftrokrator. People may rally behind him regarding the fall of the House Ellin. It would lead to a crisis. Aftrokrator would lose it's status as the Holy Land and the Lord Ellin's sacrifice would be in vain."
Shinoda studied the gloopy trigger in his hands as Hairein spoke, experientially dipping his normal trigger into it.
The gloop spread and swallowed his trigger greedily, until it was completely covering the surface, encasing it a smooth black coat with a symbol oddly reminiscent of Old Border's insignia.
Kido would have a fit if he saw it, mused Shinoda, while Rindou would probably proclaim that it was a sign that their factions should merge.
Kyoko stared at the encased trigger, her amazement at the strange trigger overpowering her shock at her superior's appearance.
"For the greater good?" he asked while turning over the combination of triggers gently, examining it.
Mira nodded impatiently, annoyed at how he was taking his time.
His voice became frigid upon her response.
"Lieutenant." he said with forced warmth. "Kindly escort Hyuse and Viza onto the away ship."
She shook her head. "I'm staying with you, sir. I can't let you fight them all alone."
He still refused to look at her. "This is an order, lieutenant."
"I'm supposed to be your aide," she insisted. "What use am I if I can't support you in the battlefield?"
Hairein gave the two a look. Couldn't he just admit that he didn't want her to be hurt? He was getting tired of being ignored in favour of their protective bickering, and had a niggling feeling that Mira and his fellow countrymen shared the same thought.
Swallowing his embarrassment, Shinoda looked Kyoko in the eyes and gave her a dose of the patented sympathetic Shinoda smile (his family had a variety of them, ranging from condensing all the way to one that he was told could melt the heart of anyone, even if he was wearing a mask).
He must have accidentally gave her a larger dose than normal, as she flushed and shifted her gaze.
"Miss Sawamura," he said, adopting his most gentlemanly tone. "I have no desire to see you hurt, even if in your trion body."
He rested his free hand on her shoulder lightly, forcing her to look him in the eyes.
"You're too important to me." he said simply, his eyes filled with genuine worry.
If Kyoko hadn't worked under him for the last 5 years, she would have most likely been swooning. She settled for burning his face into her mind permanently while blushing instead.
Viza resisted the urge to smirk at the two Border officials, deciding to capture the image of Mira gaping over the commander's charming smile.
"Be careful." She mumbled, reluctant to leave.
He gave her a lopsided smile. "It's in my nature, darling."
Internally, he cringed at the line usually reserved for the adoring press but forged on.
"Trigger On."
A mechanical voice spoke.
"Black Trigger Antarakishimosu has been activated."
"Side Effect: Apex Predator and Sub Effect: Survival Instinct has been detected, along with an unknown side effect that cannot be triggered in trion form."
"Initializing trion body with the selected trigger."
Inside the control room, Kyoko gave Viza a suspicious look.
"Isn't Antarakishimosu from Chion? How did you get it?"
He smiled at her patiently.
"I encourage inquisitive thinking, but perhaps it would be more prudent if we focused on your darling - sorry, daring - commander instead."
She turned to monitor the battle on a computer panel, irked, muttering about obnoxious men sticking their noses into her business.
Viza wasn't wrong about him being daring.
The neighbours had been warned about his precise slashes and had planned accordingly, but were now facing a very different attack.
Shinoda, dressed dashingly in a military trench coat, had abandoned his usual strategy of cutting down enemies with Kogetsu, and was instead employing Izumi's favourite strategy. Bombarding them with Meteor.
Fuelled on by his boosted trion reserves, he manipulated the terrain with a sea of Escudo, creating a chaotic landscape that rose and sank.
"The commander's going all out," Viza commented as they watched him blast through the army of neighbours. "I didn't see him use this type of attack last time."
Shinoda ignored Viza's voice over the intercom, focusing on the final two targets instead.
The two Black Trigger users.
Mira gave him an incredulous look.
"And just when I thought he was a sword swinging strategist." she complained. "Turns the maniac is a jack of all trades."
He frowned at her choice of words.
"I'm not a mani-" he began, but was cut off by Hairein.
"No matter. We will end this fight now." he said, surrounded by wall of animal-shaped trion bullets.
Mira smiled wickedly, a black portal already forming.
She was not expecting a barrage of bullets in response.
"Smart. Forcing me to open a new portal to buy time." she said grudgingly, abandoning her initial portal to redirect the bullets.
"It's not yet over~" he chirped, narrowly avoiding a swarm of bees through a series of well timed Escudo-boosted jumps.
Right as the bullets were about to sink into the inky darkness of the portal, their trajectories changed to a sharp right turn, before swinging back to whiz towards the neighbours.
"Viper." Osamu breathed. "The Director's a shooter?"
"Tomahawk," Kyoko corrected. "A combination of Meteor and Viper."
They watched in silent awe as Mira's body was engulfed by a series of explosions.
Hairein gazed at the light trail as she bailed out, disappointed.
"Her trigger would have made this easier," he said mournfully, as shoal of fish made to attack Shinoda.
"A shame." he returned dryly, blasting the fish with Meteor.
"Indeed." Hairein sighed. "It seems as though I will have to invest all of my trion in an all out-attempt to beat you."
"Likewise."
"He's going to get himself captured..." Kyoko muttered.
"Have faith, darling lieutenant." came Shinoda's voice over the intercom. "I have yet to lose."
Fighting the urge to blush, she rolled her eyes instead.
Viza tried not to laugh.
Uncaring, Hairein levelled his gaze.
"This is where the battle ends, commander."
Smouldering eyes stared back defiantly.
A very short summary of what's going in the story right now:
Basically, they're on the away mission to the Neighbourhood to get new tech and look for survivors, but encounter the Aftrokrator guys. I kinda have this fantasy that Viza left Hyuse behind to protect him on behalf of Lord Ellin's wishes. Anyway, someone told Aftrokrator that they would be heading by so they came prepared to hopefully steal some triggers to improve their own, and perhaps a few baby birds for later (Luckily no one saw Chika).
I won't be revealing everything about the new Black Trigger Antarakishimosu just yet, but here's a few things I don't mind giving away.
The name comes from the Greek work for interchangeable/exchangeable, antallaximos. Any guesses why?
It's also compatible with at least 8 people at Border (including the branches!), and a few other characters who have yet to be introduced or have their true natures revealed. Unless Ashihara-sensei decides to add any changes in the manga.
As for the new Side Effects, I'll be explaining them in the next chapter.
Most of the story came from a weird (but entertaining) daydream during Maths. I've since fantasized about it for weeks, randomly planning out the story during lessons and in bed, playing it out in my mind but never really writing it.
Please rate and review! (And share if you want (ᵔᴥᵔ) )