*Well because of school there will be a short break between this chapter and the next. Enjoy and I promise to update as soon as I'm finished updating the other stories I'm working on.
North
The three of them had been walking for a few days and Christopher could tell that Clare was getting annoyed about the company.
"Why are you both following me?" she asked as they marched.
"My life is yours. It's as simple as that." Jean said.
"Because I can." He laughed as they continued walking.
"You realize that I have received compensation from you already Jean." Clare said. Pausing she turned and drew her sword and unleashed the quick sword that cut up the trees but not either of them.
"Impressive." Jean said.
"It's thanks to you." Clare said as she explained how Jean having awakened but maintaining her mind had taught her how to truly use the quick sword. Christopher then drew his sword and struck at someone who was emerging from the trees. They heard the clash of metal as they saw it was a fellow warrior and that it was number 5 Rafaela. Christopher was fighting with incredible speed that if it wasn't for the large blade she would have been dead.
"My, my, my. He sure is feisty today." A man said as he entered their view, revealing himself to be Rubel.
"What are you doing here?" Jean asked.
"We've been sent to get you."
"What happened to Galatea?" Clare asked.
"For telling such obvious lies as soon as she gave her report she was executed on the spot." Rubel said, to their horror "At least that is what I would like to say. She is still to useful so we have her going on constant missions. If she lives, well then good for her." He then turned to watch as Christopher easily outclassed Rafaela, and was getting closer to killing her.
"You're too weak." He grunted as he knocked her back.
"Now that's enough Christopher. We came here to offer you to come back to the organization without any transgressions against you." Rubel said, trying to make sure that number five didn't get killed "There have been a large number of awakened beings in the north and we have already lost our number seven and several low ranking numbers. We want Clare to head up there and all will be forgiven. As for you Christopher, you have been ordered to return but I doubt that you will or that if you did you would escape again so I will ask you to go with Clare and fight in the north as well." Rubel then turned to leave before seeming to remember something "Oh by the way. That boy you are looking for. He was caught by slave traders and taken to the north."
Clare seemed shocked but before she could speak Rubel continued "Now don't go thinking that I had anything to do with it. You know how it goes; boys go to the north while girls go to the east. Because the north and east are always short on man power." With that he signaled Rafaela to stop fighting and to leave with him "I'll give you some time to decide, but just remember that we found you once, we can do it again."
"Fool. He could bring Alicia and Beth and I would still win." Christopher growled. Seeing the look in Clare's eyes they knew that they were going to be heading to the north. After several days of travel they finally reached the town of Pieta, the border town. As they entered Clare made a comment that Jean didn't have to follow.
"There would be no point in going back to the organization only to be sent back here." Jean said. Then out of nowhere Helen attacked Clare.
"HyaHahahaha. So you're still alive! It's been awhile Clare!" she shouted.
"Idiot." Christopher muttered. Suddenly Jean attacked in defense of Clare causing Helen to leap away and Deneve to step in and tell her to back off of the greeting between two friends. Twisting her arm Jean struck and forced Deneve to leap back.
"How undignified for a greeting. Even between old friends, something like that requires gratitude." Jean countered.
"Hehe. What's this Clare? You team up with some stuck up bitch again. Oy, What's your number? Let me tell you though, I'm number 22 and she's number 15. So let's hear it." Helen barked.
"My name is Jean and I am ranked number 9" Jean said coolly. Helen looked dumbstruck and Deneve had surprise shining in her eyes.
"What the hell, that's a single digit." Helen began.
"Congrats. You can count." Christopher sighed.
"Why does it look like you're treating her like a higher up?" Helen exclaimed, ignoring his comment.
"She saved my life. Therefore it is hers right now." Jean said.
"I see but let me tell you, she is number 47! That's dead last…dead last!! A single digit serving miss dead last… what the hell?" Helen ranted.
"I had my life saved by Clare. In what way are ranks relevant to that?" Jean countered. With a grin Deneve sheathed her blade
"I see. I thought that all single digits were impossible to get along with… apparently that is not the case. I am Deneve number 15. Sorry for that just now. But Helen had no ill intentions; please believe that much."
"No I overstepped my bounds as well. Those weren't words to be said to friends who fought side by side. Forgive me." Jean said, as they all looked to Helen. After looking at each one of them she finally said "I'm Helen, number 22. Sorry for acting up like that. Oh boy now I feel really awkward."
"You're just a natural born troublemaker." Deneve replied. Then a claymore walked into the middle of the square and said "Please everyone, assemble. There will be a synoptical explanation for this operation now. My name is Flora. I am the organizations number 8."
"Hoo… So that's number 8. You don't see several single digits at once everyday…" Helen trailed off.
"If there are two or more single digits then the higher ranking one is in charge correct?" Christopher asked.
"Correct, but there is someone higher ranking than me." Flora said. Then from out in the wasteland to the north walked out one of the greatest warriors, Phantom Miria.
"Miria!" Helen exclaimed.
"It's been awhile. So we actually able to meet again alive." She said. People began muttering about her, so Christopher took that as his signal to walk up with Flora and Miria.
"Good to see you're alive Miria." He grinned as he walked to her left side.
"And who might you be?" Flora asked, seeming somewhat worried.
"My name is Christopher the unconquerable, number 0" he said giving her his calmest face.
"A male. I thought that you all had awoken?"
"No. I'm the last." He said. Miria then began to explain the mission and why they were all here. After a short interruption by some panicked low ranked warriors another warrior barked "Our duty is to kick yoma ass, any time any place. Someone who looks at the enemy and gets scared is just too damn useless." She said.
"Who is she?" Christopher asked.
"Number 11 Undine. The self proclaimed strongest of us, even got special permission to use a second claymore." Miria said softly.
"Which makes you useless to me Undine." Christopher barked.
"What was that?!" she roared.
"You heard me. You call yourself the strongest, but to me you are the weakest here," he growled as he let his youki out enough to make a point that she was clearly outclassed "When you can face an abyssal one and come back alive then come say you're the strongest." During all of this other arguments began to take place, including one between Deneve and Undine.
"You had to egg her on didn't you?" Miria asked.
"Yes. Her overconfidence will be her downfall." He sighed as Flora got the attention back by using some attack that cleared away all of the snow near her.
"Please be silent. Miria has not finished speaking yet. For those of you that don't think that you can, I will deal with you personally." Flora said calmly enough where it made even Christopher shudder.
"Number 9 Jean, number 11 Undine, and number 13 Veronica, please come forward." She said. Once they had come to the group of them did she continue "Each of us six and lower will be a commanding officer. There are 24 of us so we will now form five teams with us five as the leaders. Each team's strength will range between four to five people. In other words: the same organization used in awakened being hunts." Miria then addressed the entire group "I will now separate you into teams. The assigning will be conducted havening an optimal degree of our battle potential's in mind as a goal. There will be no objections. Number 14 Cynthia: Number 13 Veronica's team. Number 15 Deneve: Number 11 Undine's team. Number 17 Eliza: Number 9 Jean's team. Number 18 Lily: Number 8 Flora's team. Number 20 Cuniee: Miria team. Number 22 Helen: Veronica team. Number 24 Zeruda: Undine team. Number 27 Amelia: Jean team. Number 30 Wendy: Flora team. Number 31 Tabatha: Miria team. Number 35 Pamela: Veronica team. Number 36 Claudia: Undine team. Number 37 Natalie: Jean team. Number 39 Carla: Flora team. Number 40 Yuma: Miria team. Number 41 Matilda: Veronica team. Number 43 Juliana: Undine team. Number 44 Diana: Jean team. Number 47 Clare: Flora team. Is there any one that does not have a team?"
"What about her?" one asked pointing at Christopher, who could hear Helen stifle a laugh.
"I am a man. Not a woman." Christopher said, restraining himself.
"What?!" was the collective sound throughout the square.
"Allow me to explain. This is Christopher the unconquerable rank 0. He is the last of the male generation that retains humanity. He was sent here to help us fight off the awakened ones. Especially since he knew most of them before they became monsters. He will be acting on his own, assisting teams that are in trouble or facing against the yoma by himself." Miria explained.
"He can't be that strong." Undine scoffed. Reaching over his left shoulder he drew his blade and swung it into the air while releasing yoma power.
"Five, four, three, two, one." He counted down. Then an awakened being fell from the sky, body severed in two "Anything else?" When no one answered he faced Miria and let her tell the teams to get to know each other because they would not know when they would be fighting. Christopher then went to the edge of the village and swung his blade out there into the wasteland, hoping that by some change he would kill Isley with it.
That night Christopher snuck out to the cave that they had agreed to meet at. Once there, touching blades and explaining what had happened with Clare and Jean did they get down to the real matter.
"What do you think the odds of the success of this mission?" Clare asked.
"Our chances are zero." Miria said, shocking them all "If this were a regular group of awakened beings then we might stand a chance, but the one who is pushing this is the one reason that no matter what clever tactics we come up with we will lose." Miria said, turning to Christopher "You knew the silver king back before he turned, what can you tell us."
"Where to begin. Isley was a genius to say the least. A powerful swordsman who kept the rest of us numbers in check. In his human form he is quick, agile, and lethal to say the least. In his awakened state he is a force to be reckoned with. He turns into a centaur like creature and his hands change into a variety of weapons, so that countering him is very difficult. I only survived by the skin on my teeth when he awoke. If we have to fight against him then we don't stand a chance. The only hope would be for me to awaken and somehow maintain my sanity. At my level I know I couldn't beat him." Christopher explained.
"Then what is the organization thinking?" Helen shouted.
"We are simply a road block." He said "They well know that they can't beat them here so we are sent here to buy as much time as they can so that they will be ready for when we fall. They feel like you woman are expendable and they have already sent all of the ones they deem problem cases. We are simply meant to take out as many as we can. Am I right Miria?"
"Yes. That is my conclusion as well. Once we fall then the organization will launch it's counterattack against them." She agreed. With that they fell into silence when Christopher suddenly felt yoma energy.
"We have company!" he said as he grabbed his sword "I'm counting four of them."
"Let's hurry back," Miria agreed as they ran her and Christopher in the lead.
"You realize that many will die." He pointed out.
"I know."
"Well let me know if you need to talk. Being a leader can be a tough role." He said as they ran for the village and the awakened beings that were heading straight there.