Reviews:

gamer611: You have done a very good job with this story so far as it is quite interesting and I can't wait to learn more about mysterious related to Rei and why he left Zephyr. Also can't wait for a reunion between Rei and Fie and her reaction to Rei's reason for leaving Zephyr.

Last chapter set the tone of the story for both Rei and Van perfectly and I am very interested to see what happens when they cross paths.

The fight scene in this chapter was very well written and I liked how you described Rei's fighting style as animalistic, but calculated and the weapon he was given was quite interesting and I can't wait to see what it and the gauntlet can do. The content concerning Van was very interesting and stood out differently than the game in regards to his reunion with Elaine.

Overall I can't wait to see what becomes of this story later down the road.

Out of curiosity, since you mentioned other pairings in the first chapter can we expected to see Rean x Fie by any chance? Also if you had to give Rei crafts like in the games and name them what would they be?

Thank you for your kind words! For your question... I want to say I'll keep it a secret for now, but I'm probably known for writing about Rean x Fie so... hehe. I'll make a character profile about Rei and his crafts in the future!

Cobalt Striker Gundam: Already and Van and Elaine are meeting each other a bit earlier than the game. But more importantly It's seems that Rei is fighting Kashim while testing his new weapon. Love the Longsword rifle though with using arts and any other hidden abilities on it.

Questions is can Rei and Van handle the times between 1204 and 1207 before the main story? Since the civil war in Erebonia and the Independence from Crossbell is about to happen how will Van and Rei react with the terrorist attacks from the anti Immigration faction in Calvard?

Thanks! I won't be exploring everything that happened during those times in detail... only certain events. All I can currently say is that things are happening behind the scene XD

Guest: Yeah, I found Risette Twinning's maid style outfit odd too. Never really saw the appeal of that trope and just find it overused in general to be honest.

Looking forward to further interactions between Rei and Kasim. Like the idea of Rei using a sword rifle but not too sure about giving him a gauntlet as well. Feels like you are trying to pay homage to both Leonidas and Xeno at the same time and that is too much. Especially since Rei has cut ties with Zephyr. I know there is going to be an eventual reunion with Fie and that just makes it feel more awkward to me.

Maybe some sorta of scythe would better fit the fighting style you are giving Rei. Or two smaller gauntlets instead of one large one.

Looking forward to seeing what happens between Van and Elaine, along with Shizuna's eventual arrival.

Those two will definitely interact more in the future. I'll be honest, the thought of the weapons being a homage to the Zephyr duo was purely coincidental, but I do understand why you thought that. The gauntlet is nothing like what Leo uses. While I can't go into too much detail, it is smaller and isn't a weapon Rei would often use. More VanElaine drama, here we go!

Elaine Auclair stared at the rumored Spriggan as a storm of emotions welled up inside her. The grip around her blade repeatedly tightened and loosened, unable to make up her mind whether she should draw it or not. Her baby blue eyes wanted to leave their sockets out of pure shock, completely in disbelief. Her heart thumped against her ribcage as the sound reverberated in her ears.

Thump

Thump

Thump

Thump

Thump

It was maddening.

His canvas of deep blue was painted with several emotions just like hers, but her own feelings clouded her mind and eyes. Pain and sadness washed over her heart as she swallowed and gritted her teeth. The blonde-haired woman had heard the rumors but refused to believe them. But seeing the sight of the familiar face standing in front of her, she would be a fool to doubt the undeniable fact: Van Arkride is Edith's Spriggan.

Both childhood friends remained silent as the running water of the waterway and the soft whimpering of the puppy occupied the room.

Elaine gathered her cool as she breathed deeply. She can't let her emotions get the better of her right now. As much as the blonde wanted to vent out the feelings suffocating her chest, she had a request to take care of.

She was a bracer, one that many had high hopes for.

But... Elaine was still a woman.

A woman who despaired over the disappearance of her childhood friend five years ago.

Fate was such a cruel mistress. Who would have thought the day she began to believe the rumors of his return and his occupation as a Spriggan would be the same day she would be reunited with him? How cruel. It was almost amusing.

Her sword hand ultimately fell to her side as a frown stitched itself across her visage.

"You really were the rumored Spriggan..." Her voice was close to a whisper as she continued to stare at her childhood friend.

Van wordlessly nodded and kept his gaze away from her, making her frown deepen.

She desperately wanted to ask all sorts of questions: Where have you been? How have you been eating well? Are you getting enough sleep? Have you talked with René yet?

The kind of questions a concerned friend you haven't seen in years would ask. It was true she wanted to know if he was taking care of himself, but there was something far more important that she wanted— needed to know. The question that she needed to ask was...

Why did you leave me?

Her lips separated to utter those exact words, but her voice failed to come out. Elaine gripped her left shoulder in frustration, and she tried calming herself once more. Five words she tried getting out, but each attempt made her heart ache. All she could do was look down at her feet.

The Spriggan seemed to understand what she wanted to ask as he closed his azure orb. He took the first step, even if he might step on a landmine.

"You came here looking for her, right?" He gestured to the puppy in his arms as he walked toward her. "I happened to see her while I was looking for something. It looks like the monster frightened her a bit."

His forced casual tone did not go unnoticed as Elaine looked up to meet his visage again. Contrary to his forced tone, the dark-haired fixer wore a laid-back expression as the little pupper leaped from his arms and into Elaine's, snuggling her close and surprising the blonde.

It was clear Van was forcing himself to stay relaxed and casual. Still, the easygoing nature of his countenance put the woman at ease for a second. That single second helped her compose herself as she held the puppy close, stroking the little girl's fur. A small smile appeared on the woman's face, Van's lips slightly twitching upward. The tension between the two was lowered by the man's initiation.

When she raised her head to meet his azure blues, Elaine saw a barrier surrounding his eyes, yet she saw something that stirred her heart lingering in his orbs.

"A bracer, huh? That kinda thing suits you. Helping out civilians with requests and keeping them safe from danger sounds a lot like what you were doing back when you were in the student council." Van suddenly remarked, cutting her off from her observation.

Now that Elaine was able to reign in some of her emotions, she could respond properly and coolly. "I just want to help those to who I can offer a hand and protect them from harm. I have my own reasons for joining the guild, not like I would share them with you." She turned her back on him, hearing the man wince with a chuckle.

"That's fair." He said as he pocketed his right hand, turning his head away from her. "That damn four-eyes totally jinxed me..." He mumbled.

Elaine snapped her head to face him upon hearing his words, eyes narrowed. "You already met and talked with René?"

Van instinctively took a step back at her glare, sweatdropping before he sighed. Her eyes told him she demanded an answer; faint signs of betrayal and hurt made themselves known to the man.

"I didn't plan to. He tricked me into meeting up with him in the hotel here. Long story short, he wanted to confirm the identity of the Spriggan running around Edith." He groaned, remembering how he was deceived by the CID agent and his subordinate. "Four-eyed bastard's still a schemer."

"Yes. René has always been like that, even back in his time as the president of the student council. But you would know that better than anyone, wouldn't you? Nine times out of ten, you're always involved in his schemes in some form." She shot him a half-lidded look, to which he groaned. A faint amusement painted over her face before it all faded, her cool expression returning. "Some things might not have changed, but I'm sure the three of us have ever since that day..."

"..."

At her words, Van dropped his gaze to the side. For the briefest of moments, regret colored the canvas of his visage, a rueful half-smile matching the emotion.

The blonde-haired bracer analyzed the brief appearance of his true emotions as her lips tugged downward. She concluded that her childhood friend's lack of a retort was a sign of his guilt. Her heart still throbbed in hurt, but the woman mustered up everything to ask him. She wasn't going to let him leave without an answer— a proper answer.

"Van..." She spoke his name as he slowly turned to meet her eyes, both showing their emotional turmoil. "Why did you leave Aramis...? Why did you leave René and me without a word to us?"

Her baby blues started to water, but she kept herself from sobbing her pain and despair that day...

"Why did you leave us with just a note? It didn't even have any explanation..." Elaine hung her head as the puppy in her arms whimpered softly, feeling the sadness that came from the woman.

She gulped down a lump she wasn't aware of. Her heart raced in nervousness and fear, afraid of his potential answer. She couldn't allow herself to be consumed by those emotions. She needed to know the reason for his disappearance.

Even if his answer might tear her heart in half.

Elaine raised her head to look Van straight in the eye with tears threatening to fall.

"Why did you leave me...?"

Why did you leave me...?

Her words struck the Spriggan's heart like a piercing bullet. The emotions the man tried to keep hidden momentarily leaked out, now on full display. He snapped his head to the side to hide his countenance from being exposed to the bracer. A hand ran through his hair, almost ruffling it roughly. Dammit, he felt his throat dry, and his heart pounded in response to the guilt he was feeling.

Elaine silently waited for his answer. But Van understood that his desire to remain mute was hurting her even more.

His breath hitched; teeth gritted as the fixer shut his eyes closed. She needed some form of explanation. Van didn't want to hurt her more than he already had.

"Elaine, I...!"

Unfortunately, fate or whatever forces above always managed to get in his way. His eyes widen at the twitch of his nose, a foul odor attacking his nasal passage.

"Move!"

"Wha—?!"

The dark-haired Spriggan pushed Elaine to the side as his arms wrapped around her frame, using his body to shield the woman from the impact as they fell to the ground. The bracer grunted, keeping the puppy close to her. She opened her mouth to express her reaction but saw the cause for the sudden action.

Her orbs landed on the corroding flooring as it slowly melted away. The scent of acid assaulted her nostrils, immediately causing her to cover the puppy's nose and hers. The splash of water reached their ears as both childhood friends looked behind them.

A large, green blob of gelatinous material stood menacingly before them, a size larger than your average drome. The stench it exuded was literal poison to the pair's noses. The urge to gag had never been high; the two resisting the desire of their churning stomach was almost sickening. The green menace slowly crept closer to the pair as they stepped back.

"So that's why it left the suitcase alone... The bastard was waiting to strike human prey. The puppy probably made her way to this room by sheer coincidence." It was already strange that the case was unguarded, even more, when the pup came, but it never attacked her. "It's either really smart, or it just felt like showing up now."

"Save your speculations for later! We need to eliminate it before it becomes too troublesome to deal with." The bracer chastised as Van got off of her, the two getting back on their feet as her sword hand went to the grip.

The woman looked down when she felt a hand on top of hers. "What are you..."

"I'll handle this. You get outta here with the puppy."

"What?!" Elaine exclaimed, eyes narrowing. "Are you insane?! I'm not letting you fight this drome all alone! We can defeat it efficiently if we work together."

"Its stench is too dangerous for the dog to inhale the air right now, and you can't just let it run away by itself. The place is still roaming with monsters." He reasoned with a grimace. This was difficult for him, too, because of his sharp sense of smell. If a puppy takes in too much of the odor, it could lead to an unwanted outcome.

The woman clenched her teeth at his reasoning. His words were sound and logical, but it didn't mean she had to like them. "Fine, but I'll be coming back to help!"

"Whatever floats your boat."

Elaine held the puppy close, keeping her nose covered as she ran to the door but not before looking back at her childhood friend. Her reluctance to leave him was apparent; although hesitant at first, she followed through with her words and left the room.

Once she was gone, the Spriggan's lips curled into a small smile as he tossed the suitcase away from him and the drome.

"What a pain..." Van muttered as he drew out his Stun Caliber. "Time to get to work."

The blob let out a form of battle cry, at least what it could make as it spewed out acid. The dark-haired fixer rolled to his side to avoid the acidic chemical, fishing out a few coins from his pocket. Tossing them into the air, the Spriggan flicked each of them like a projectile.

The 10 mira coins flew at a bullet's velocity as they passed through the drome's gelatinous exterior. Van jumped toward the blob and swung his bladeless weapon. The blunt blade simply went through its body as the fixer clicked his tongue. He really needed to use arts to deal effective damage to this monstrosity.

Unless...

'It's worth a shot!'

Van backflipped away from another acid shot, rolling around and evading its disintegration as holes formed on the floor. Good grief, this monster's planning to ruin the flooring of the entire room with its weird stomach gunk! Not that the Spriggan cared, but the more holes it made, the more potent its toxic odor would eventually become. He held himself back from regurgitating through sheer willpower.

As the drome fired another shot of its acid, Van darted forward to its blind spot and jabbed his weapon into its body.

"Have some of this!" He shouted, pulling the trigger as lightning discharged itself from the bladeless steel.

The drome cried out in pain as the electrical discharge ran through its body. The insides of its jelly exterior were being fried like there was no tomorrow as the burnt stench of the monster filled the man's nose, gagging desire increasing. Van grimaced as he held his breath. Just a bit more, and the drome was done for.

But the blob wasn't planning to go down without retaliation.

In a last-ditch effort to harm its prey, the extermination target spun its body around as it released a rain of acid around the room.

"Oh shit...!"

Van withdrew his Stun Caliber and took a large leap back to save himself from the acid shower. His movements gradually grew sluggish, no thanks to the state of the air in the room. Inhaling the air as it is now would no doubt harm the Spriggan's respiratory system. The ground around the blob was nothing but disintegrated stones and full of holes because of its attack.

One more discharge and the drome was finished. The fixer only needed to close the distance without him having to risk getting caught by its final attempt to fight back. It was easier said than done, though. Van was running out of clean air in his system, and continuing to dodge would only exhaust him further.

A single thrust into its body would finish the job.

It was an all-or-nothing gamble.

Kicking off the ground, Van sprinted toward the target, forcing his body to evade the corrosive projectile. Once in front, the fixer thrusted the steel into its body as he released another azure discharge. The monster bellowed with ferocity, raining down its body fluid all over.

But the man didn't pull away and stayed in his place, watching as the drome's body slowly melted into goop.

"Just a bit more—!?" He suddenly gasped when he felt his lungs demand oxygen, temporarily staggering back and letting go of his weapon when his respiratory system flared up. 'No...! I can't go down yet...!'

His desire was fulfilled in the form of his firm stance, stopping himself from succumbing to the burning pain. The monster exploited the moment the discharge disappeared to leap at the Spriggan. Van changed his posture to a martial art form, readying himself to counter until he heard two feminine voices.

"Royal Style: Southern Cross! / Silvery Cross!"

Two cross-shaped shockwaves crashed against the green menace, knocking it away from the Spriggan. Despite his surprise, he caught himself before a gasp slipped out. He still couldn't take in a breath. Elaine and an ash grey-haired woman leaped over Van as they launched themselves at the drome.

The unfamiliar newcomer wielded an imperial-style long and shortsword, crossing them together as a gold and emerald glow coated each blade, respectively. The blonde-haired bracer pulled back into a thrusting stance before the two women struck the gelatinous blob. Slashes and thrusts tore through its already fragile body, the two leaping back before unleashing another shockwave of energy.

"Haaa!"

Their final attack finished off the drome, destroying its remains.

If Van could sigh in relief, he would. Knowing that there was still the damn odor in the air, the fixer decided to wait until he got out of here.

But thankfully, he wouldn't have to wait. Elaine cast a wind art to cleanse the air in the room as Van removed his hand from his mouth and nose, breathing all the air he could take. A chuckle reached his ears, turning to the woman with ash grey locks as she sheathed her blades.

The stranger wore a white dress with ebon accents and armor pierces covering various parts of her body. Her shoulder and hands were clad in black armor with matching high-heeled boots, black stocking fully covering her right thigh. The left was half-covered with two black straps intersecting each other to form a cross around her thigh. To finish her ensemble, the woman had a black and orange chocker resembling a dog collar around her neck.

Van couldn't decide whether this woman was emo, punk, or maybe a little of both. If it wasn't for the mature air around her, the man definitely would have concluded she was going through a phase.

The woman's ponytail bounced as she and Elaine walked up to the Spriggan, the blonde helping him up.

"Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. I can finally breathe..." And that's what he did. The dark-haired fixer felt his lungs coming back to life, the burning pain still there but not as intense as before. "You actually came back, with backup no less."

His response earned him half-lidded eyes from his childhood friend. "Of course, I came. I said I would, didn't I?"

"I guess you did."

"Elle, is this who I think it is?" The ash-haired swordswoman asked, turning to Elaine.

"Yes, it is..."

Van blinked at their exchange, slightly confused. "Um, one of your bracer friends, Elaine?"

The ash-haired woman frowned and crossed her arms, emerald eyes filled with mock hurt. This further confused the Spriggan as he scratched his cheek. Was he supposed to know her? His childhood friend sighed; an understanding smile crept across her countenance.

"I'm not surprised you don't remember. She resigned the month after the start of our first year in Aramis." Elaine sighed as she motioned to the swordswoman next to her. "Does the name Olivia Soleil ring any bells, Van?"

He tilted his head at the question, eyes narrowing in thought. Olivia Soleil? It sounded familiar...

Wait.

The Spriggan looked at the other bracer, scanning her features as the woman's lips curled upward. Upon inspection, she did resemble someone he knew back when he was a kid. What became the seal of confirmation was when the woman spoke once again.

"You've grown a lot since the last time we saw each other, Van. That's to be expected, though. I think you might be taller than me now." She chuckled as she stood beside the man, comparing their height. "You're no longer that sweets-eating gremlin I used to know... but I have a feeling you're a sweets-eating ogre now."

A gasp escaped his lips as the man stepped back in shock, eyes wide open. His mouth shakily stutters leaving him like a leaking faucet. The tone was eerily similar to a teenage maid from his childhood. N-No, he's deceiving himself now. It's exactly like hers!

It can't be... this emo, punk woman was her !?

"Livia!?"

"Ah, you finally remembered Big Sis?" She smiled, walking back to Elaine's side, with the blonde shaking her head in slight amusement. "I can understand your shock. You must be thinking how a former maid of the Auclair family and part-timer in the orphanage became a bracer, huh? Well—"

"Hold up just a sec!" Van cut off the woman, much to her annoyance, as he raised a hand, turning to Elaine. "She resigned as a maid?! You didn't say anything about her resigning back in high school!"

"I had other things in my mind at the time!" She retorted, lips curling downward before inching close to the Spriggan. The man instinctively backed away each time she got closer. Her glare could really freeze Gehenna. "And I tried to tell you, but you were always so busy helping out the sports clubs that it eventually slipped my mind."

"O-Oh..."

Now that he thought about it, there were times when Elaine was looking for him while he was doing a request for a club.

"Now, now. It's my fault I didn't inform Van about my resignation." Olivia got in between the two, patting their shoulder before her cool smile fell, taking in a more serious demeanor. "I heard you dropped out and disappeared five years ago from Elaine. I won't pry if it's a sensitive topic to discuss, but I do hope you can explain yourself to Elaine."

Out of habit, Van gave the former maid a reluctant nod as he looked away, failing to notice the despondent frown of his childhood friend.

"Good. I do have a question for you, though. Why did you become a Spriggan?"

That's a question he can answer. The man straightened his back, returning to his usual posture as he pocketed his right hand.

"The Spriggan's style suits me." He answered vaguely. Elaine was dissatisfied with his response while the ash-haired swordswoman simply nodded.

"I see. You are aware that you will clash with the guild from time to time, right?"

The fixer nodded with a casual smile. "I know. I'm fully aware of the risks of being a Spriggan, and I might get some unsavory requests in the future. But this is what I've chosen to do."

Olivia Soleil flashed a small smile. "As long as you understand."

Elaine jerked her head in her fellow bracer's direction. Disappointment and disbelief were written all over her visage. She expected more disapproval for his occupation, even surprising Van at the lack of an objection from the woman he used to call 'big sis'.

"That's all you're going to say to him? You're okay with him being a Spriggan?"

"Whether I'm okay with him being a Spriggan or not doesn't matter. If Van understands what he's getting into, then I see no problem." Her visage softened before a grin replaced the soft smile on her lips, looking at the Spriggan. "But I swear I won't be holding back when our paths crossed, Van. I'm also certain Elaine won't hesitate to apprehend you and make you hers either~."

"L-Livia!"

Ignoring Elaine's flushed face and the older woman's implications, Van smiled wryly at the ash-haired swordswoman as he rubbed his neck.

"I'm not exactly looking forward to fighting you two, but if it comes to that, I'm not letting myself be beaten without a fight." The neutral expression and casual smile he showed earlier came back as Elaine closed her eyes.

If Van knew what was going through her head, he didn't say anything. He glanced back at the entrance when footsteps approached the door. As he picked up the suitcase and his Stun Caliber from the ground, the door opened, revealing René and a few of his subordinates, along with Van's 'client', enter the room.

"It looks like you three managed to deal with the extermination target," Kincaid stated, scanning the room. "Good work."

"Good to see you too, Mr. Kincaid ." René dismissed the former maid's tone with a smirk, the woman shaking her head. "It was mainly thanks to Van for weakening the drome; we just dealt the finishing blow." Olivia coolly shrugged while Elaine glanced at her childhood friends, closing her eyes and returning to her professional mode.

"It was a good thing we dealt with the monster before it could completely harm the waters in the waterway. We had already received reports about a green liquid contaminating the water in the river at the Riverside Area a few days. Thankfully, we were able to remove the toxins before it affected anyone."

"I see." The bespectacled brunette turned to Charles, to which he nodded as the man directed his attention to Van. "Thank you for taking the 4spg. We'll send the payment to your account."

"No need." His reply caught the CID agents and the bracers by surprise as the Spriggan shoved the suitcase into René's arms. "This is free of charge. I don't need you to pay me with mira. Instead, I want some compensation for you tricking me earlier."

"Oh?" René smirked at what Van was going on about. "Information, then?"

"Bingo."

The suit-wearing brunette gave the suitcase to one of his subordinates, pressing back his glasses. "I'm afraid the information I can give is limited due to my position. But depending on what kind you're looking for, I might be willing to disclose some for you."

"Hmph. That's fine by me."

Protests and concerns erupted from Kincaid's subordinates, dumbfounded why their superior was willing to give away information to a fixer. The brunette agent waved off their concerns with his suave tongue. Van scoffed softly, knowing the end result whenever René busted out his persuasion skills.

"You know we're still here, right?" Olivia reminded them as the CID agent and Spriggan turned to the bracers, both women crossing their arms while giving the two a half-lidded gaze.

"What kind of information do you need from René, Van?"

"Don't call me that." The brunette heaved a sigh, which was promptly ignored by the others.

"Just something that'll help me with my Spriggan work."

"..."

The blonde's stare felt like ice was slowly coating Van's legs. Her baby blues were currently like a violent blizzard, cold and harsh. The bluish-black fixer sweatdropped at her icy gaze but faced her glare with a wry grin, eliciting a chuckle from the woman with ash grey locks.

Van patted his glasses-wearing friend's shoulder as he made his way to the door, a hand holding his chest. Elaine's eyes widened as she stretched out her arm.

"W-Wait!" He stopped in his tracks but didn't turn around. "The art may have helped ease the pain in your lungs, but it's clear it's still hurting you. Let me take you to the hospital!"

They heard Van take a deep breath as he lifted his head slightly, looking up at the ceiling. "I'm fine, Elaine. This is nothing, I swear. You worry too much about me." The strain from just breathing was noticeable as Elaine's lips twitched downward. "See you around."

He left the room with those parting words, leaving a frustrated Elaine, who hung her head, and a disappointed Olivia. René stared at the metal frame, sighing as he shook his head before he and his subordinates departed from the room as well. The former Auclair maid rubbed the younger woman's back, the blonde gripping her left arm tightly.

"Why... why does he have to be so stubborn...?" She croaked out as she fought back the pearls of water that were hanging by the corner of her eyes. "Why..."

Why can't he just accept my help?

Her unspoken words would never come to light. Elaine let him go again. She asked herself why she didn't run after him. The fact that her body didn't move an inch from her spot after his parting words upset, angered, and saddened her.

Her question from earlier remained unanswered, and Van's refusal to rely on the blonde hurt her more than she would ever show to others.

"Elaine..." Olivia's lips curled into a frown as she continued to rub her younger bracer's back. "He's really stubborn, but I know you'll get through to him. Whatever may be the reason he's acting like that, I know he still cares for you."

"How can you be so sure...?" With her current emotional state, believing her older sister figure's words was difficult.

The ash-haired swordswoman pulled her into a hug like a mother would give to their sobbing child, stroking Elaine's flaxen mane as sniffles left the bracer.

"Just trust me on this one, okay?" A meek nod was given to Olivia as she chuckled under her breath.

As her older sister figure continued to comfort her, Elaine's tried to compose herself as she gathered her thoughts; a seed of resolve planted itself in her.

'Van... I'm not letting you run away again, especially without giving me a proper answer. I swear it!'

[03/ 19/ S. 1204]

-16:25-

Front Deck of an MK Airship, flying through the skies of Ored

Rei leaned against the railing of the deck, sighing with a bit of a hiss mixed in. His ebony coat was over his shoulder, leaving his bandaged-covered torso exposed. His left hand fished out a box of cigars and an orange-copper lighter from his pocket. He slipped a stick into his mouth, covering the side of the lighter as he lit up his cigarette.

He looked at the endless clouds in the sky as he puffed out a few rings of smoke. It's been some time since he had to take one. The black-haired mercenary knew smoking would harm his body in the long run, but sometimes it was his only stress relief. And right now, he needed to relieve some stress after getting destroyed by Kasim.

The ex-jaeger grunted at the memory. The two traded blows for blows, the man even utilizing Hrunting's unique ability to harness pure septium energy from the special bullets to give him an edge. He remembered Risette referring to the ability as Septium Charger.

However, the Blazing Whirlwind proved to be stronger than Rei expected, completely destroying him during training.

"I didn't know you smoked, Master Rei."

"Hmm?"

He turned to see the cyan-haired Marduk employee walk up to him, holding what looked like a strap for Hrunting.

"I only started after my old boss passed away. He and a few others would always be smoking whenever we were taking a break from taking on jobs." He stated with a bitter smile. It vanished in a blink of an eye as he glanced at the sword strap. "That for Hrunting?"

"Yes. I hope it meets your standards." She handed him the black leather strap as the man appraised it briefly.

"Well, since you guys are the ones who made my new weapon, you probably already know its measurements." Rei slung the strap around his shoulder, grunting a bit in pain. Damn, aching muscles. "This is fine. I'd say it's perfect even. You made this strap with my own measurements in mind, didn't you?"

The service concierge giggled, covering her mouth. "Nothing gets passed you, Master Rei."

"Nah. It was just a guess."

"I wonder..." She hummed to herself as she gazed at the sky. "You have good instincts and observation skills, Master Rei. I've seen it in the way you fought earlier. A calculating and smooth fighting style under an unpredictable and feral façade. Quite a contradiction to each other, but you were able to craft your own style mixing the best of both worlds.

Rei stared at her with the most dumbfounded expression he could muster, slack-jawed and all. This woman managed to note all of that by observing just one fight?! That was insane! He didn't bother trying to hide the surprise or fix his face. He was too stunned...

"Wow. I'm... wow..."

"Speechless? Based on your expression, that is likely true." The amusement behind her voice was apparent as Rei grumbled, ruffling his hair. "However, there's still one thing I don't understand."

The surprise inflicted by Risette died down as the ex-Zephyr jaeger looked at her curiously. "And what's that?"

She closed her eyes as the winds brushed their locks.

"Extraordinary observation skills can be born from either natural talent or training. From what I have seen during your fight with Chief Kasim, your observation skills are far from the typical combatant. It could be seen through the way you attack and dodge your opponent."

Rei realized where she was going with this, gasping faintly, his expression becoming neutral.

"But your body appeared to move on instinct, always evading danger by a hair. I'm no expert in the subject of combat, so my knowledge regarding this matter is limited. But the instincts you possess are... unnatural, for the lack of a better word."

"Heh... can't blame ya for that." He shrugged slightly. "Elite jaeger corps always have jaegers with sharp combat instincts to fight and survive on the battlefield, so it's no surprise I have good instincts too.

"That seems plausible, but your instincts surpassed that of Chief Kasim— a former jaeger who's considered to be one of the strongest jaegers in the continent. Surely your instincts aren't simply 'good'."

And that was nothing to scoff at. Upping the Blazing Whirlwind in one department in combat could be considered an accomplishment. If Rei was physically stronger by just a bit more, maybe he could have stolen a victory from their bout.

The mercenary saw Kasim's movements up close, so he knew the older ex-jaeger was superior when it comes to basic combat parameters, not to mention the ex-Khurga jaeger had more experience. But when it came to reaction time and pure instincts, Beowulf came out on top.

Rei puffed some smoke with a sigh. "The others from my old corps always said I had good instincts, but I lacked something that prevented me from using my instincts to their full potential. That's when I decided to take on the Jaeger King's special training."

As Risette opened her mouth to ask, the two heard the door to the airship open, both turning to see Kasim Al-Fayed.

"So, this is where you ran off to. I was hoping we could have a chat while you were recovering from your injuries."

"Yeah, I don't know about that. My trigger finger won't be able to keep itself together if I'm alone with the guy who slammed me against the wall." Rei deadpanned as the stoic man chuckled under his breath.

"That was all part of your training." He reasoned and walked up to the pair. "Anyway, I came here to tell you we're here at your destination. We'll be landing shortly, but the general manager wants to speak with you before you go."

"He does? We already talked about my contract when I was getting patched up earlier..." Rei groaned.

"I don't think it's about your contract but an entirely different matter," Kasim stated, hands behind his back.

"For the love of... Fine, I'll go see what he wants."

The head of security nodded before heading back inside. Rei heaved one last puff of smoke as he took out the cigar from his mouth, extinguishing it with a crushing grip. If the service concierge saw the action, she refrained from offering a comment. Instead, the woman offered to dispose of the stogie for him.

Rei waved a hand dismissively but gave the service concierge his thanks for her offer as he slipped on his coat, the two heading inside soon after.

The pair made their way to the bridge of the airship as the mercenary felt the start of their descent.

'Finally here in Anchorville...'

As the door opened, Rei stepped inside to see the general manager staring at a monitor as Risette bent for a bow, soon leaving the two.

"What do you want to talk about this time, Thorndyke?" His voice made the silverette turn to face him.

"Ah, you're here. Good."

The shady general manager walked up to their external tester, holding something in his hand. Thorndyke handed him what appeared to be a photo of a woman with auburn hair and golden eyes. Only her face was visible due to the buildings and the angle of the picture obscuring her figure. Rei raised a brow as he took the pic off his hand, wondering why the older man was giving it to him.

"Cute pic, but why are you giving this to me?"

"Oh? I thought you'd figure it out when I showed the photo to you." He said with a business smile, eyes closed. "I heard that you were looking for that woman."

As those words left Gilliam's lips, Rei froze.

His amber jewels stared intently at the photo of the auburn-haired woman. His breathing gradually turned ragged as sweat began building up on his forehead. The beating of his heart pulsated in the mercenary's ear as he grounded his teeth.

Rei had been wandering the continent for four years looking for any sightings, yet he found close to nothing. But when the GM heard the ex-jaeger was looking for the woman, he managed to obtain a photo…?

It pissed him off.

The ex-jaeger grabbed Thorndyke's collar and pulled him close to his face, amber eyes seething in rage. This alarmed the crew operating the airship as they got up. To the crew's dumbfounded shock, the GM raised a hand, forcing them to stop taking further action.

"How. The. Hell. Did you get this photo?" Beowulf snarled, tightening his grip around the man's collar. The hostile and aggressive act, however, didn't faze the GM.

"We didn't actually take the photo. One of our past clients told me they heard that you were asking people in Crossbell's underworld if they saw a woman that matched the one in the picture's description. They gave me the photo since they heard I've come in contact with you on more than one occasion." He corrected calmly as Rei's eyes grew wide, his grip loosening slightly.

"How long did you have this photo...?"

"For some time now. For the sake of the privacy of our past clients, I can't tell you any detail about them. However, I can tell you that they weren't the ones who took the picture. They said it was simply given to them by a hooded figure a week after hearing that you were looking for this woman."

Rei let go of Gilliam's collar in shock as his hand fell to his side. The mercenary couldn't begin to express his feelings right now.

At first, Rei wanted to take his anger out on Thorndyke for not informing him of the photo much earlier. But he realized that the GM couldn't contact the dark-haired man easily because he lacked his number and the fact he was always wandering the continent. That was his own fault, but the anger and confusion he felt were hard to quell.

Some hooded bastard gave the photo of the woman to a past client of someone Rei was acquainted with. It was as if they were leading him on a wild goose chase...

It pissed him off even more.

"Did your client say anything about where this photo was taken?"

"Well, based on the surroundings, they said it looked like a district in the capital city of Edith."

Yeah. It really felt like someone was leading him into some shit...

Beowulf felt the airship land as he pocketed the photograph.

"Perfect. I was planning to go there anyway." He slammed his right fist against an open palm, heading out of the bridge, Gilliam following after him.

"Why did you want to be taken to Anchorville instead of letting us take you to Edith then?" Thorndyke asked curiously as the two made their way out of the airship.

"This might sound troublesome and a waste of time to you, but I'm going to walk from here to Edith to get a better feel of the land around the capital." And because Rei hadn't explored the Republic as much as he wanted to because of that stupid note.

From the map he studied before, one of the places close to Edith was Anchorville. The ex-mercenary hoped to gain more knowledge of the areas in the Republic by foot, just like what he had been doing when he was in Liberl and Crossbell.

"I don't find that a waste of time at all. I find it interesting, actually." Thorndyke admitted honestly with intrigue in his eyes, prompting Rei to raise a brow.

"You do?"

"Of course. I'm assuming your decision was influenced by your habits back when you were jaeger?"

"Yeah... Huh, and here I thought you'd find the idea of walking from place to place instead of traveling using an accessible airship a waste of time. You look like the type of douche to say that."

"My, you don't mince words, do you?" The GM chuckled while Rei rolled his eyes, the two leaving the airship to see both Risette and Kasim waiting for them outside.

"This is where we part ways for the time being." Gilliam's business smile plastered itself on his face, offering a hand. "I know I said you'll have Chief Kasim as your combat instructor. But with your past experience as a professional jaeger, you're only required to come to Ored once a week for training and maintenance."

Rei clicked his tongue in annoyance but understood it was technically still part of the contract. And as much as he would like to say he could do his own maintenance, it was better to let the ones who made Hrunting take care of it... He'll just ask them to teach him how to perform the maintenance when he can.

"Fine..." The mercenary hesitantly shook the sketchy manager's hand.

"Oh. And I would like to give one last piece of advice before you depart." Rei quirked a brow as the man leaned close to his ear, whispering. "Once you arrive in Edith, I suggest you look for a man called a Spriggan. I'm certain he can help you with your... little quest."

His eyes narrowed at the silverette's statement. Though, Beowulf didn't provide a reply as he turned to face the exit of Anchorville.

Gilliam chuckled to himself and bobbed his head slightly.

"See you during your next visit."

"I'm looking forward to training with you again, Rei Liafall. May Alusha watch over your journey to Edith."

"Until we meet again, safe travels, Master Rei."

Kasim and Risette said their farewells as the dark-haired mercenary gave the Marduk employees a thumbs-up, leaving the three and Anchorville as he began his journey to Edith.

His amber hues relentlessly wandered and gazed at his surroundings, continuously making mental notes of every nook and cranny of the lengthy highway leading to the capital. One might find memorizing every detail of their environment exhausting and tedious. For Rei, it was nothing more than an old habit.

The Jaeger King and the other veterans of Zephyr often told him to study his surroundings and use them to his advantage. It was one of the basic rules of the jaeger's way of fighting.

When monsters got in his way, Rei would swiftly cut and shot them down with Hrunting. The array of bullets provided to him was effective, and he looked forward to using all of them in combat. That was probably his inner jaeger talking, though.

Rei continued his (definition of a) relatively peaceful stroll, taking down any small fry monster that came his way. The man hummed to himself until his ears picked up the steady beating of a heart, halting him in his steps. The ex-jaeger scowled as he searched for the source of the heartbeat, switching Hrunting to its rifle mode.

"Someone's watching me, but where..."

Whoever was watching him knew how to completely seal off their aura from detection.

Stealth wasn't the man's specialty, but he knew a thing or two about concealing his presence to avoid detection. Even with that knowledge, he could only rely on his instincts and sharp hearing to deal with stealth experts. And quite frankly, it annoyed him.

His eyes widened at the brief sensation of killing intent that appeared as he turned around. Rei allowed his instincts to guide him toward the source as he pulled the trigger, firing an art bullet.

He watched his shot fly toward the woodland area of the highway, grunting when he didn't hear it connect with anything.

"Shit... where the hell is that son of a—?!"

Beowulf's sentence was cut off when he turned around, a blade coming down fast on his face. A pair of sky-blue eyes gleamed under his assailant's hood; a faint grin stitched across their face.

And Olivia Soleil (OC) makes her appearance! I assure you all that she won't just be a Sara character to Elaine, she'll have incredible importance with Rei as well. Of course, you'll see it in future chapters. With the appearance of the "mysterious" assailant who attacked Rei, the next chapter will be the final part of Fated Encounters. Thank you for reading, until the next one!