Chapter 9 - First Snow in Autumn VII
"Adam, this is your new roommate, Kiana Kaslana. Kiana, this is the roommate I told you about, Adam,"
"Wait! Hold on! What?!" The combined flabbergasted cry of the two teenagers echoed through the wrecked apartment.
"I thought it was gonna be a girl!" Kiana exclaimed.
"The rental contract didn't say anything about a roommate!" added Adam.
"Calm down, calm down," said Furuta, the landlady, patting them both on the shoulders, "Why don't we continue this down at my place, hm? This messy environment is bad for your spirit. You're both young, keep that positive energy at an all-time high, okay?"
Adam exhaled lightly, "Fine,"
"Do I still get cookies?" asked Kiana.
"Of course,"
"Yay~!" the white-haired girl cheered as she skipped out the door.
"...Great," Adam groaned as he followed, with the landlady behind him, closing the door before they made their way down to her unit.
When they entered the room, a thick aroma of tea with a hint of freshly baked pastry wafted around them.
Almost immediately, the girl beside him started to drool, whipping her head around, trying to spot the cookies the landlady mentioned.
"Come on in, I'll get some refreshments ready," waved Furuta as she led the two teenagers further into her home, "Please, take a seat anywhere you like,"
Soon, the three of them were sitting around the coffee table in the living room. A tray of freshly brewed tea was in the middle, accompanied by a plate of cookies. Half of the cookies had already disappeared only a minute after the cookies were on the table, with the crumbs still stuck to the white-haired culprit's lips.
"Eat as much as you like, Kiana-chan. I have plenty more in the fridge," Furuta smiled warmly at the girl.
Unable to speak since her cheeks were stuffed like a chipmunk, Kiana could only nod enthusiastically; while sitting across from her, Adam shot her a judging look. It hadn't even been five minutes since they were exchanging blows upstairs, and this girl behaved as if it had never happened.
"You take some too, Adam," the old lady offered.
"I'm good, Furuta-san. I already had something to eat outside," the black-haired teen lied but raised the cup of tea, "But I like this, though. What kind of tea is this?"
"Hm? I thought you'd be familiar with it. It's a blend from North Shenzhou. A friend of mine gifted me a big package of it when they came to visit last month,"
"Ohh, I'm from the Central Regions," explained Adam, "The environments between the two regions are vastly different, and so, as a result, so is our tea,"
"I see," mused Furuta.
"Finished!" Kiana loudly declared proudly as Adam and the landlady looked toward her. The plate on the table had been wiped clean of any crumbs, most of which had been transferred to around Kiana's mouth.
"What a strong appetite," commented Furuta.
"Hihi~," Kiana grinned and rubbed the back of her head, "Those were great! Thanks, Granny,"
"You're welcome. Would you like seconds?"
Kiana's eyes glistened with excitement, "Really?"
"Now, wait one moment!" Adam immediately cut in, sensing that if he let the conversation drag any further, then they'd be there all night.
"Don't we have more pressing matters to discuss?" he reminded, gesturing at Kiana.
The girl huffed and crossed her arms, glaring at the boy across from her, "And what could be more important than eating delicious cookies?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe…" he sarcastically rolled his eyes before focusing back on the conversation, "Why do I have to share a room with you all of a sudden?!"
"Hah!" Kiana scoffed, "I don't want to share a room with a creep like you either!"
"Me? I'm the creep!? I'm not the one going around rolling around on other people's beds and leaving lip stains on their cups! Heck, you're even wearing my shirt!"
"In my defense, I thought Granny was nice enough to furnish and stock up a bit for me! So, of course, I indulged a bit!"
"You literally knew you had a roommate! How did you once not think that those things belonged to them?!"
"I didn't know they were coming right away! Granny only told me that I was gonna have one! She didn't tell me when!"
"Sure, blame everything on Furuta-san!"
"I'm not blaming! I'm just telling the truth!"
"Fine! You wanna know another truth?! You're a slob! You left your trash everywhere! You didn't even bother throwing any of it out when the trash can is literally two steps away!"
"I was gonna clean that up after I showered! And you wanna talk about truths?! Fine, then here's another one! You're nothing but a big pervert who preys on innocent girls like me! Trying to ambush me and satisfy your fetishes while I'm all vulnerable in the shower!"
"Wha–?! Now you're nothing but a deceiving fox!"
"Better a deceiving fox than a thirsty raccoon!"
"Useless donkey!"
"You're the donkey!"
"Tuna!"
"Monkey!"
Having had enough of their bickering, the landlady clapped to get their attention, "Alright! Calm down, both of you. Like I said, let's settle this peacefully. I'm sure both of you have tons of questions to ask,"
"That's an understatement," Adam commented under his breath as he did his best to settle down.
On the other side, Kiana stuck her tongue out at him and looked away with a huff.
"Deep breaths, everyone. Drink some tea," Furuta instructed, "How are we feeling? Have we all calmed down now?
Wordlessly and still glaring at each other, the two teenagers with opposing hair colors nodded.
"Very good. Now, let's continue in an orderly manner," said the landlady, "Who wants to go first?"
Not allowing Kiana a chance to speak, Adam instantly spoke up, "If I remember correctly, the contract said nothing about a roommate. So why is she suddenly assigned to my room?"
"The contract said nothing?" Furuta raised a brow, "Did you fully read through everything? And I mean everything?"
"..." Adam averted his gaze as he dug through his memories, "...I think? …Kinda… Actually… Okay, fine, I might've skimmed over some areas. But come on, who honestly reads the entire thing? It's like five pages of tiny writing,"
"That's on you then. You're young, so mistakes like that are normal, but I hope you can learn from these mistakes in the future. Trust me, it'll save you a lot of time and money," sighed the landlady, shaking her head and taking a sip of her tea, "And if you're wondering, it was Section 6-B,"
"Let me see… Here," she pulled out a stack of papers from the drawer of the coffee table and handed it to Adam, "You can read over it again while it's Kiana-chan's turn to ask a question,"
The black-haired teenager took the contract from the senior woman and began going through it. His brows furrowed every few seconds as his eyes darted from left to right as he absorbed every word on the papers.
"Why isn't my roommate a girl?" Kiana simply asked.
"Because this building doesn't have any female tenants your age, Kiana-chan," replied Furuta, "Half of the people who live here are small families, and we have a couple of newlyweds too, and together all these families fill out the multi-room units. Aside from them, the other half of this building also houses single, adult men, and there was no way I was going to throw you together with them,"
"We did have a nice, young, office lady who used to stay here, but she moved out to live with her fiance," continued the landlady, and she pointed to Adam with her thumb, "And that's when he came along and took that empty unit,"
"So you added her to my unit because the tenant before me was female?" Adam asked, placing the papers on the table, begrudgingly accepting his fate.
The contract did indeed say that the landowner was allowed to add another tenant if the situation deemed it. He just made the rookie mistake of being impatient and skimming through such an important document.
"No. Because you're the only one here who's also a high schooler," Furuta clarified, "As I said, there was no way I was going to put her into the rooms with grown men, nor was I going to intrude into the families who live here with a stranger. As strange as it sounds, you were the most suitable choice,"
"And because you're both teenagers, I don't expect you to pay up on time every month," continued the landlady. Adam sheepishly scratched his cheek, feeling as if that line was directed at him, "So if both of you can work together to pay for living expenses, it would be much easier, and neither of you would have to spend so much time working at a part-time job and instead focus on your education,"
"I mean, I guess a boy and girl without any relation sharing an apartment isn't completely out of the ordinary. But still, it's a one-room unit," pointed out the black-haired teen.
"That's right," added Kiana.
"Wasn't there a room divider?" the landlady asked.
Adam pondered for a few seconds, "...You mean the bamboo sheet thing?"
"Yes, the previous tenant left it there in hopes that the next one could find a use for it,"
"It was rotting, so I threw it out," the teenager confessed.
"Rotting?" Furuta repeated, "Are you sure it wasn't just the design?"
Adam shook his head, "It had some maggots in it already,"
"No wonder she didn't take it with her," The landlady whispered to herself.
A thought suddenly popped into the black-haired teen's head, and he quickly asked, "Wait, why didn't you tell me earlier that I was gonna have a roommate, anyway?"
"I was going to tell you this morning, but you ran off,"
"...Okay, fine, that's my fault," admitted Adam, "I thought you were going to ask me for rent,"
A slight frown formed on Furuta's face, "Come on, Adam. You've lived here for a couple of months now. You know I'm not like that,"
"Yeah, I'm sorry," embarrassed, the boy rubbed the back of his neck, "I guess I was just overthinking things,"
"But Granny, isn't it dangerous for me to live with a pervert like him?" Kiana piped in.
"For the last time, I'm not a—you know what? This argument isn't even worth my breath."
Furuta placed a calming hand on Adam's shoulder before continuing, "From my sixty years of experience being in the police force and being a landlady and from what I've seen from the two of you. I can tell you're both good kids with righteous hearts. I'm sure you'll have more arguments in the near future, but that's natural when you start living with someone new. I don't think your conflicts will go past that, and I believe once you sort out your differences and set a few mutually agreed rules, you'll be able to live harmoniously,"
"But I don't trust him," Kiana mumbled.
"I don't trust her either," said Adam.
"Why don't we start by introducing yourselves?" suggested Furuta with a wide grin on her face, "Then you won't be strangers anymore,"
"Kiana Kaslana,"
"Adam,"
"No last name?"
"None of your business,"
A bead of sweat rolled down the landlady's forehead, "Better than nothing, I suppose,"
"I don't expect your distaste for each other to simmer out any time soon, but I trust both of you to work this out yourselves. I have a feeling the two of you will be great friends in the future and look back on this day with laughter and happy memories," she continued.
Kiana scoffed, "As if,"
Adam added, "Impossible,"
"Well then, why don't we start with a little bonding exercise?" proposed Furuta, but the glare she gave the two teenagers made it seem more like a demand.
The two youngsters perked up, feeling a shiver run down their spines when they saw the look in her eyes and heard the faux sweetness in her voice. Clearly, their consistent animosity for each other had gotten to her, and she was determined to fix it, no matter what method she used.
"You know how you made a mess of the apartment with your little scuffle?"
The duo wordlessly nodded while looking anywhere but her eyes.
"The two of you will clean that up until everything looks as good as new, and as a bonus, I won't punish you for wrecking my property," said Furuta with a cold smile tugging on her lips, "Does that sound fair?"
Once again, the duo nodded silently, still averting their gaze.
"Wonderful. Now, I'm aware that both of you are facing some financial issues, and I am not a tyrant, so I'll supply you with the tools you'll need. But everything must be done by yourselves, no outside help, just the two of you. Is that clear?"
"Yes, ma'am!" the duo responded in a militaristic fashion, sitting up straight and staring directly ahead.
"Good. The weekend is upon us, so you can start tomorrow. For now, you two may return to your unit,"
"Thank you, ma'am!" the two teenagers shot up from their seated position and started to head towards the door.
"Kiana-chan," Furuta called.
The white-haired girl turned back, somewhat afraid that she had done something wrong, "Y-Yes?"
"Your suitcase," the landlady pointed to the large, white suitcase in the corner of the living room.
"Oh, right, yeah," Kiana paced over and retrieved it, "Thank you, ma'am,"
"Enough of this 'ma'am' nonsense. I'm not a police officer anymore; you can continue calling my Granny if you like,"
A relieved smile took over Kiana's features as she bowed before waving goodbye, "Thank you, Granny,"
At the same time when Kiana left the unit, Adam suddenly slid back in, "Furuta-san, before I forget, I actually recently got a new, higher-paying job, so I promise to pay the rent on time next time,"
"It's fine, Adam," the landlady brushed off his concerns, "As I said, work together with Kiana-chan to pay the rent. At your age, your education should come first,"
"Then… Thank you, Furuta-san. Have a good night," the black-haired teen quickly bowed before heading back.
Silence fell upon the landlady's unit as the door closed with a thud.
Furuta leaned back and took another swig of her tea, "Ahh, youth,"
"Just so you know, I'm still not one hundred percent on board with rooming with you,"
Those were Adam's first words to Kiana after he closed and locked the door to their apartment.
"Took the words right out of my mouth," replied Kiana, flinging her shoes off her feet and sauntering off into the bedroom.
Following the white-haired girl into the bedroom, the black-haired boy leaned against the doorframe and watched as she started to unpack her luggage.
"Look, unless one of us moves out, this is our reality now, so can we at least reach some sort of mutual understanding?"
Kiana paused for a moment and looked as if she was going to respond but instead went back to unpacking. Her actions elicited a light, irritated exhale from Adam.
"Then can we at least try to get along? For Furuta-san's sake," pleaded Adam, "She's already done and still doing way more for us than any other landowner would. So we should at least do something that makes her happy and repay the kindness that she's shown us,"
Kiana sharply sighed before standing up with a pile of clothes in hand and turned around to face him, "I can't believe I'm actually agreeing with you. But I don't want to see Granny sad either, so I guess I can try and get along with someone like you,"
"Someone like you," the black-haired teen quietly echoed.
He thought about quipping a clever comeback but shook that thought off. If he said the wrong thing, and without the landlady to watch over them, there was a good chance they would start fighting again. More conflict with his new roommate was the last thing he wanted to deal with after a long day and would no doubt be detrimental in the long run.
'At least it's better than being called a creep and pervert,' he thought as Kiana slid open the closet.
"Hey! Left side's yours!" Adam declared.
"I want the right side," countered Kiana, whipping her head back to glare at him.
"Too bad. I've already claimed the right side,"
Fully expecting Kiana to retort, it was safe to say that Adam was surprised when all the white-haired girl did was stare at him for a moment longer before shuffling over to the left side of the closet. She sulkily mumbled something to herself as she sorted her clothes.
'At least she wasn't lying about trying to make an effort,'
"Once you're done, come outside," said the black-haired boy, pushing off the doorframe and heading into the living room, "If we're going to live together, then we need to establish some rules,"
" 'Kay," was the only response he got.
Ripping a sheet of paper from one of his notebooks and retrieving a pen from his bag, Adam plopped down at their coffee table, scribbling [ Roommate Agreement ] at the top of the page.
As he waited for the roommate in question, he quickly looked around, inspecting the damage they had done to the apartment, and honestly…
'It's not that bad…could've been worse,'
A short while later, Kiana walked out of the bedroom, and she had noticeably gone through a quick outfit change. Her snowy hair was still down, but instead of Adam's shirt that she had quickly 'borrowed,' she was now wearing a zip-up hoodie over a white tank top with a blue cartoon cat in the middle and a pair of shorts.
'Her pajamas?' the boy mentally presumed.
"Stop staring," Kiana narrowed her eyes and tossed the borrowed shirt over his head before zipping up her jacket fully and taking a seat.
"Thanks," uttered Adam, brushing the shirt off his head.
"Right, so," the black-haired teen cleared his throat, spun his pen, and shuffled closer to the table, "Let's get this started. Any ideas?"
"Don't kick down the bathroom door when I'm inside,"
Adam rolled his eyes, "You're not letting that go, are you?"
"Nope,"
"Fine, I'm sorry for barging in on you. Is that what you wanted to hear?"
Kiana pursed her lips before relenting, "Didn't sound very sincere, but whatever, it'll do,"
"Well, if it puts your mind at ease, I didn't see anything. Then…," mentioned the boy as he quickly wrote something down on the paper. Once he was done, he titled it so Kiana could see, "How's this?"
[ 1. Always knock on closed doors. ]
The white-haired girl nodded, "I can agree to that,"
"Great, at least we got one thing down," commented the black-haired boy, "What else?"
The white-haired girl hummed and drummed her fingers on the coffee table as she thought. Scratching his head with the pen, Adam also tried to think up some more rules. Then he took note of the scattered snack wrappers and empty bags around them, and a light bulb went off in his head.
[ 2. Always clean up after yourself. ]
Kiana's nose scrunched after reading the newest line, "I told you I was going to deal with it,"
"Yeah, but you didn't do it before, and you still haven't done it yet, so honestly, you should've seen this coming,"
The girl rolled her eyes and released an annoyed huff, causing one of her lower hanging bangs to flutter, "I'll do it tomorrow when we're cleaning the apartment,"
"You better," said Adam, focusing back on the paper.
[ 3. Always ask before using the other person's things. ]
"Where'd that one come from?" Kiana inquired and gasped, "You're not one of those weirdos who like to try on female items, are you?"
Wordlessly, the boy raised his shirt that Kiana had borrowed earlier and blankly held his gaze.
The white-haired girl bashfully looked away and rubbed the back of her neck, "Oh… right…yeah. But c'mon, in my defense, fighting in a towel isn't ideal,"
"I guess,"
Soon after, the room was quiet again as the two teenagers stared at the paper, trying to think of more things to add, but their minds weren't working with either of them. Adam peaked at his phone and realized that somehow, more than an hour had passed already, and they were entering the late night.
"I'm boooored," whined Kiana, placing her head on the table.
"You and me both,"
"Do we really have to do this today? Can't we do this tomorrow?" Kiana mumbled.
A few seconds passed before Adam nodded, "You know what? Good idea. It's not like we have to complete it in one sitting; we can add things as we go,"
"Hopefully, my brain works better after a night's rest," the black-haired boy said to himself as he stood up before walking to the bedroom.
Kiana picked herself up a few seconds later and followed. When she entered the bedroom, Adam stood near the door, looking down at the single futon in the middle of the room.
Sensing her presence, the teen shuffled a bit, and the white-haired girl stopped at his side. The two of them exchanged glances and immediately recognized the new problematic issue at hand.
"I'm not gonna argue with or fight you on this matter," said the black-haired teen as he raised his fist, "Let's settle this the old-fashioned way, the dignified way,"
Kiana's sapphire eyes gleamed as she instantly understood what he meant and copied his movement, smirking, "Hehe, so this is the path you choose. Fine by me. Just so you know, I have never lost a game of rock-paper-scissors,"
"Really? Because I haven't either," stated Adam, his golden eyes replicating the same gleam, "Best out of one, winner takes all,"
"Daring, aren't you? Well, guess what? That's the only way I play!" the girl declared, cracking her knuckles as she readied herself, "Prepare to get destroyed!"
"Let's see how long your confidence lasts!" the boy countered as he stretched his fingers and warmed up his wrists.
"Rock!"
"Paper!"
"Scissors!"
And so that's how Adam found himself back in the living room.
He could still hear the cheering of the victorious Kaslana as she slammed the door behind her.
The teenager slowly peered down at his hand, still frozen in the rock hand sign.
"You betrayed me," he hissed to his fist before falling face-first into the couch.
He remained still like a rock for a few seconds before hauling himself up and off the soft furniture. Going back to the bedroom, he knocked on the door several times.
"No rematches! You said it yourself: Winner takes all!" Kiana exclaimed from within.
Adam rolled his eyes, "I'm not here to rematch you. I need to get a fresh change of clothes,"
There was a moment of silence until he heard feet scrambling to the door, and it creaked open.
"Fine, but make it quick," said Kiana, "I need my beauty sleep,"
"Might need to hibernate for that one," quipped Adam, strolling over to his side of the closet.
"Hey!"
"I'm kidding," The boy cackled as he stood up with a pile of clean garments in his hands, "I'll leave you alone now,"
"Hmph!" Kiana angrily pouted with a slight puff of her cheeks as she, once again, slammed the door when Adam stepped out.
His lips were curved in a complacent grin, knowing that after that little remark, the final victory of the day was his.
After switching off the lights and washing up, Adam flopped onto the sofa, idly scrolling through his phone before the screen turned black; a digital, red battery symbol flashed a few times before dying out.
'Damn. I forgot about my charger,' the boy thought. He flicked his gaze up at the bedroom door. The light was still seeping out from the bottom gap, telling him that Kiana had yet to sleep or had just forgotten to turn off the lights.
'Either way. I don't think she'll let me back in until morning…not that I'm bothered enough to get off my feet right now. I'll just charge it tomorrow,'
Dropping onto the coffee table next to him, he repositioned the cushion underneath his head, wiggling his entire body until he rolled over onto his other side, facing the sofa's backrest.
'Kiana Kaslana… That's her name, isn't it?… Kaslana. Kaslana. Name sounds familiar… Kaslana…Wait, Kaslana? As in the Three Great Houses of Schicksal? Apocalypse, Schariac, and Kaslana?'
The black-haired teen shifted again, now staring at the ceiling.
'Surely not? What the heck's a member of the Kaslana family doing all the way out here and not at the Schicksal Base? Then again, this is 2013, almost 2014, so I guess there were still members of the clan left. Last I checked, that lineage was functionally extinct in my time… Okay, now that I actually think about it, all three of the Great Houses are functionally extinct in my timeline. The Apocalypse bloodline is gone, so I guess they are actually extinct. The Schariac Bloodline kinda lives on through one person. As for the Kaslana…who's left again?... Siege? Sarge? Fly? Fried? Shit, I forgot his name, but yeah, that guy. And Durandal, who's half-Kaslana and half-Schariac. So unless Cheese Fries gets to work and or Durandal has a biological child, the Three Houses end with them,'
Adam turned his head, again looking at the door to the bedroom, and the lights were still on. He could faintly hear footsteps and even fainter humming as Kiana turned off the lights. Then there was a quick flurry of footsteps followed by a light, excited squeal as the white-haired girl dived into bed.
'The history books and the records didn't have a Kiana Kaslana listed in them. Unless that's been taken out of the eyes and knowledge of the general Schicksal Valkyries and employees and changed into confidential information… Did you run away, never to be seen again? Did you commit a sin so great that they had to take you out of the records? Did you die in some unknown corner of the universe? Did they care? Were you forgotten?... Are you even supposed to be here? In Nagazora, I mean. Are you a butterfly? A change that I accidentally brought about? Or were you always meant to be here, and I'm the one intruding on you? Maybe in the correct timeline, you were the only resident here… Maybe the butterfly effect I caused was bigger than I thought. Perhaps the effect affected time and space. Perhaps that's why I've never heard of you because you never existed in my timeline. Is it because I crash-landed here that you exist? Do you only exist in this timeline because I do?'
The black-haired boy raised his head and slammed it into the soft, squishy cushion, burying his face into the material before releasing a muffled groan.
'I am thinking way too much before bed. But still…'
'Who are you? Kiana Kaslana,'
…
…
…
There was a vibrating hum, then the sound of intricate gears grinding together, before the giant, heavy automated door rose into the walls, allowing passage for anyone who might enter or exit.
A young boy, no older than fourteen with short, jet-black hair, walked through the opening into a spacious domed arena.
Steel and other strong materials made up most of the dome, but near the top, there were several tinted, explosive-proof glass panels. On the other side of the dome was another gate, a mirror image of the one he had just passed through.
[ Welcome, LY-7316. ]
An artificial, feminine voice announced. The words reverberated through the dome.
[ Welcome, NC-7318 ]
Confident footsteps reached his ears, and though he knew who it was, both from the serial number and the sound of her steps, the boy still looked behind him and greeted her with a slight wave, as usual.
The girl waved back and came to a stop beside him.
She was about his age, with shoulder-length blonde hair and messy, low-hanging bangs that covered her forehead and framed her delicate-looking face. Although delicate was the last thing she was, her focused amethyst eyes surveyed the surroundings, taking in the familiar situation.
To observe before action was a trained habit. A lesson that she and the boy beside her had learned themselves through their own mistakes during their initial missions as agents of World Serpent.
[ The Monthly Combat Evaluation will begin shortly. Please wait while the system selects your opponent. ]
As they waited, the two youngsters double-checked their equipment. Both wore dark, skin-tight, full-body, standard battlesuits made by the World Serpent RD Team to allow the wearer flexibility and protection while not hindering their fighting capabilities. An essential utility belt was around their waist, equipped with a pistol, a knife, a satchel of ammo, and another satchel of smoke and flash bombs.
If the World Serpent had default gear, then this was it. Only the best operatives had customized equipment.
[ Opponents selected. Commencing with Monthly Evaluation. ]
The doors on the opposite end of the dome parted.
Instantly, the duo of young teenagers drew their weapons and prepared for battle.
From the darkness, patterns of eerily glowing pink lines revealed themselves.
A large group of smoothly-armored, white and pink creatures resembling some sort of bird and jellyfish floated out, followed by a trio of more enormous beasts. They walked on their hands like apes but resembled some strange hybrid between a sea slug and coral.
"Honkai Beasts," said the blonde girl, "Makes sense; last month was Mechs, after all,"
"I appreciate that they rotate and mix it up every once in a while," the boy commented, habitually play-twirling his knife, "Keeps things fresh,"
The girl jokingly rolled her eyes, "Of course you do,"
"So, do we have a plan this time?" the boy asked as they watched the Honkai Beasts preparing to rush them.
The blonde shot him a judging look, "This test is so straightforward. We never needed one before; why do we need one now?"
The black-haired boy shrugged, "Just asking, just in case,"
Before they could exchange any more words, the Honkai Beasts let out a combined, haunting, synthetic roar and charged.
The sounds of battle erupted through the dome as bullets flew, blades slashed, and pieces of humanity's worst enemies splintered onto the ground.
Behind the high glass panel, the hooded figure of Gray Serpent 75, accompanied by Jackal, watched the two young agents with interest.
The android's red eye flickered every few seconds as it uploaded newfound information into the Network. On the other hand, Jackal would type in several new notes on her tablet before looking back at the fight.
Despite the overwhelming number of enemies, after five minutes, the two teenagers had finished, and the corpses of the Honkai Beasts were littered around them. Not a drop of sweat on their foreheads, and there were no injuries, major or minor. Unlike when they had first begun their training, fighting a massive group of enemies was no longer a challenge for either of them. Their bodies had long gotten used to the pressure through countless life-or-death situations, and almost every movement was embedded into their memory, becoming instinct.
Simultaneously, they both raised their heads to look at the window high above.
[ It seems that they are ready. ] Gray Serpent stated.
"Indeed," replied Jackal, "I don't doubt the results they have produced these past few years, but are you sure you want these two? There are other options. More experienced ones,"
[ That may be true. But these kids are still young. They show promise, and if they continue to grow and evolve, then they will rise to become some of our best. ]
"I'll trust in your judgment for now,"
[ That is all I can ask of you. But for now, it's time for us to formally release them into the wild. To return NC-7318 and LY-7316, their names. Their identities. ]
Jackal entered something onto her tablet, and a melodic series of beeps later, a holographic screen materialized between the two high-ranking World Serpent members.
On the screen were multiple digital files and notes, along with a portrait of the blonde teenage girl who was still in the arena.
[NC-7318.
Natasha Cioara.
Age: 14.
Specialties: Expert Sharpshooter. Stealth. Deception. Infiltration. Melee Combat.
Found and taken in by Gray Serpent 61 during the aftermath of the Second Eruption in 2000.
70 completed missions. 10 failed. 10 called back due to situation changes.
Once had an elder brother. Status: Deceased.
No other known family; however, some of the Gray Serpents in the Network theorize that she has a connection to Cocolia Rand of Anti-Entropy. Further evidence is required.
Authorized by the Network to become a Ranked Member of World Serpent
New Official Codename: ….PENDING
Accessed the Elysian Realm: N/A ]
"Can you confirm if all of these are up to date?" requested Jackal.
[ Commencing confirmation. ] Gray Serpent approached the monitor; his cybernetic, crimson eye glowed in repetition as it sent messages across the hive mind that all his 'brothers' shared. Several seconds later, the hooded android stepped back and nodded. [ There are no flaws in this data. ]
"Alright then, I'll send this to headquarters and have them prepare for NC…Natasha's arrival," said the World Serpent Scientist.
[ Do not forget, Cleo. The trials to become one of us have not ended yet. She still has more to prove before she can join the Ranked. Yes, she is ready for the more intensive missions; however, I do not believe she is prepared to enter the Elysian Realm just yet. More training is required for that, both mentally and physically. ]
"I know," the scientist simply replied before bringing up the following file, "If she doesn't, in your words, evolve by a certain time. Then, I already have something in mind to assist her with that. Now, moving on…,"
Back in the domed arena, the two teenagers were idling about. The system had yet to confirm whether or not they had completed their evaluations, and thus, the doors would not open. Until then, all they could do was wait.
Seated on the carcass of a [ Chariot ] with her legs crossed and one hand propping up her chin, Natasha huffed and glanced at the observation room, "What are they doing up there?"
"Maybe one of the Honkai Beasts they captured got loose, and now they're trying to capture it again," suggested the black-haired boy.
Natasha shot him a weird look, but he paid her no mind as he continued.
"Or there's a system malfunction, or we're under attack, or they forgot about us,"
"Or your imagination is all over the place," the blonde girl commented, "They're probably taking their time discussing something,"
"Hey, you think we can survive off Honkai Beasts if we're really trapped in here?" the boy asked, ignoring her remark completely as he picked up a dead [ Archangel ] by the wings.
"Wha—?" Natasha sputtered and sprung to her feet. She dashed toward her companion and smacked the winged corpse out of his hands, "Are you dumb? Don't you remember what they taught us? These things are silicon-based creatures with an exoskeleton so hard that we need specialized weapons to break through. And you want to what? Puncture them with your teeth? Besides, if you do somehow manage to eat one, you'll die from the Honkai Poisoning,"
"It was just an imaginative suggestion based on a hypothetical circumstance," said the black-haired boy, "There's no need to get so worked up; I wasn't actually going to go through with it… Why are you so worried anyway?"
A teasing grin flashed across his features before the boy covered his mouth with one hand and gasped dramatically, "No way, are you perhaps… Worried about me?"
As soon as those words came out, Natasha clonked him on the head, eliciting a weird mix of a yelp and a laugh out the boy's lips.
She folded her arms and turned away, hiding the growing pink dusting her cheeks, "Of course not, idiot! It's just you're the only other person around here that I know. It's too time-consuming to get to know new people, and it's too awkward to suddenly strike up a conversation with someone, especially if you don't know whether they'll be alive the next week,"
"Ah, yeah, I guess that's true," the black-haired boy agreed, rubbing the spot where he was hit, "We really are the only survivors from our batch, aren't we?"
The serious expression on Natasha's face cracked with a slight frown as she cast her gaze to the ground, "...Yeah. We are,"
"From two hundred people down to a simple two. You'd think we would've gotten used to it by now. Our comrades dying, I mean,"
The girl shook her head solemnly, "I knew a few of the other kids that trained with us, but I don't know if they could be considered friends. Even so, it's still a little hard to swallow…. I try not to think about it… What about you?"
"I'm not sure. I was never close with any of the others, so I'm using the term 'comrade' rather loosely," admitted the boy, "Would it be better to consider them as 'business partners' instead? It might be cold-hearted of me to say this, but I don't think I've ever felt anything when I heard or watched them die. It just reminds me not to make the same mistakes they did and to use their deaths as experience to further myself,"
Natasha stared at him for a moment before humming in response as she sat on the ground and leaned against the body of a nearby Honkai Beast.
"...You're right," the blonde blew a strand of hair out of her face, "That was pretty cold-hearted,"
[ Monthly Combat Evaluation has concluded. Result: Success. Please proceed out of the arena. ]
The automated door on their side lifted open, and at the same time, Mechs that were specially programmed to clean up the corpses of the Honkai walked through in an orderly fashion.
Natasha wordlessly rose to her feet, brushed past her teammate, and sauntered out of the domed arena, her steps quickly fading the further she got. The black-haired boy remained static as he watched her back melt into the dark tunnel.
A single stray thought drifted to mind.
'But if it was you who died… I think I'd feel sad,'
…
…
…
The dark gray clouds parted, revealing the moonlight hiding behind them in the nocturnal sky. In the distance, the sparkling lights of Nagazora shimmered as the city breathed through the night.
Macaque blinked groggily before perking up to survey his surroundings. He had positioned himself between a decently sized rock formation on top of a cliff beside a highway leading into the city.
Though his face didn't show it, he was annoyed at himself for falling asleep on the job. With Takeshi's help, he discovered that a convoy of trucks from the Seirai Group would be passing through the area tonight, and it was the perfect opportunity to track them back to their base. Not their tower, but their unmapped experimental facility, where the supposed traitors of World Serpent would be.
It was a basic stakeout and stalk operation.
However, he didn't know when the convoy would pass by, so he decided to relax for a while against the rocks. Before he knew it, he had dozed off. There was a chance that the convoy had already come and gone, and he had missed his opportunity. It was a rookie mistake he hadn't made in years. Still, there was also a possibility that the convoy had yet to arrive, so the World Serpent assassin decided to continue waiting until dawn.
Before long, the shine of multiple headlights pierced through the dark, instantly drawing Macaque's attention.
As the convoy sped by, he saw the Seirai logo on the side of the vans and trucks, confirming that tonight's target had arrived.
Macaque's focused, golden eyes eerily glowed as he pulled up his mask, fixed his cap, and moved.
The convoy quickly continued, unaware that he had silently latched onto a truck's roof at the back of the line.
Half an hour into his mission, the World Serpent agent encountered a problem. A fork in the road and the group of vehicles began to split evenly.
Macaque clicked his tongue in annoyance; the toolkit he had brought to Nagazora did not include a tracker. The best he could do now was to try and memorize the route the second fleet took, but it was a difficult task when anything he could use as landmarks was hidden by the dark.
His only choice now was to follow the convoy he snuck onto to the very end.
Suddenly, the engines of each vehicle roared furiously as they sped up. Macaque quickly stuck himself closer to the container in order not to be blown away, but the same thing could not be said for his cap as it flew into the wind.
He paid it no mind as there were more pressing matters to deal with. Dust and dirt particles irritatingly and constantly assaulted his sight, forcing him to cover his face with one arm, sacrificing the stability of a double grip for vision.
There were even a few sharp turns that nearly threw him off.
Time became an unknown factor to him, but soon enough, the convoy came to an abrupt screeching stop.
The doors of the numerous trucks' containers burst open as heavily armored and fully equipped soldiers of all shapes and sizes poured out. Macaque stayed down and hid in the shadows of the container roof while carefully observing and eavesdropping.
"It's over there! Go! Go!"
"Don't let it get away!"
"Switch to non-lethals! We don't want to kill it! Just capture it!"
"Can't believe I overtimed for this shit. I hope I get a bonus for this!"
"Everyone, be careful! The Boss says it's dangerous!"
The flashlights attached to their rifles switched on as the squadrons of Seirai and former World Serpent soldiers flooded the surrounding area in an expertly trained fashion.
Macaque's gaze sharpened when he saw who was in the middle of it all.
An imposing, muscular man who stood above everyone strode forth with confidence. He had short, red-brown hair, a chiseled face, a short beard, and a lengthy, X-shaped scar across his nose. His full-body combat armor accentuated his build further and was futuristic in design, making him seem more like a cyborg than a whole human. A ragged gray cloak rested over his shoulders, fluttering as he walked. On his right shoulder pad was the insignia of the World Serpent, only now, there was a horizontal slash mark running through the symbol.
'Bison,' Macaque identified, 'He really is here,'
Without warning, an icy, shrill shriek pierced through the air, cracking the windows of the vehicles and causing the World Serpent operative and the soldiers to cringe and cover their ears.
Bison, however, remained unfazed and simply smirked.
"What a beautiful specimen," he said. His voice was deep, with a hint of a growl, and brimming with confidence and awe.
With his ears still ringing, Macaque crawled to the edge of the roof to get a better look at the situation. The soldiers below had also sufficiently recovered enough to get back into formation as they closed in on the unknown creature, although a few of them still stumbled as they got their senses back together.
'What the hell is that?' the young assassin's eyes widened when he spotted it lashing around.
In the most basic descriptive sense, one could say that it was simply a black cat.
Only what made this feline black wasn't its fur but something else that covered its entire body. The substance's texture was slimy, smooth, a little shiny, and, strangest of all, somewhat…sentient.
Small tendrils flickered along its spine and tail, and whenever the cat arched its back to release another warning hiss, the tendrils would flare up and dance wildly.
The eyes of the alien-looking cat were a deep crimson and almost reptilian in appearance.
"Take it," Bison ordered as he readied a modified test tube.
Four brave soldiers stepped forward, weapons ready, as they closed in on the so-called feline.
The cat released a low, echoing bellow, a warning sound that would not naturally come out of the animal it was mimicking.
The soldiers aimed and fired bullets of electricity at the creature. The cat shrieked in a fearful response, backing up with a few hops before a switch turned in its head, and it suddenly countered, leaping up at the nearest soldier.
While in the air, its tail quickly elongated, hardened, and sharpened until it looked like a blade.
With a sharp twist of its body and a lash of its new tail, the soldier's head dropped to the ground as blood spurted up like a red fountain.
The body hadn't even dropped to the ground, and the alien cat was already on its next target. The soldier barely had time to react as the cat latched onto his helmet. His squadmates aimed at the creature on him but were hesitant to open fire, afraid that they'd harm their teammate instead.
Their indecisiveness proved fatal to their brother-in-arms as the black cat pulled back a tendril-enhanced claw and ran it through the man's helmet, piercing through it with ease.
Terror ran through every soldier's spine after witnessing the unknown creature dispatch two of their own in a matter of seconds.
Standing on the body of their fallen comrade, the creature released another hollow, shrieking roar while lashing its long, bladed tail. Another warning to them. That if they continued, then they would all end up like these two.
Bison, once again, remained calm and even looked a bit excited. Not at all caring that two of his men had just died.
The former World Serpent mercenary locked eyes with the black cat and grinned.
The creature's tendrils vibrated as it sensed that there was something off with this human.
It had been chased for days by this person, and it decided at that moment it was done running.
The cat crouched low and pounced. Its tendrils were ready to tear through the target.
Bison's grin remained ever-present, and at the very last second pulled out a futuristic pistol from a hidden holster.
Human bullets could not harm it, so the creature remained confident and did not move away. Little did it know, it had made the wrong choice.
Instead of bullets, red-hot flames spewed violently out from the barrel.
The black alien cat yowled in pain as it was engulfed by the blaze.
It sprung back and immediately began rolling across the grass and soil, twisting and turning in a desperate attempt to put out the fire that cloaked its body.
The dark ooze looked as if it had started to melt.
With no other survival option left, the alien removed itself from its host, jumping away in a bundle of messy tentacles and revealing that underneath all that black goop was just an ordinary tabby cat.
The feline meowed with confusion, its ears perked up, and its whiskers twitched as it scanned its surroundings. As soon as it saw all the burning grass and large, intimidating, armed shadows behind it, it bolted into the wilderness without so much as another sound.
At the same time, the black, slimy alien rolled across the ground. Its body still cried out in pain from the intense heat it had just suffered.
Without warning, it was suddenly imprisoned by a barrier of glass and scooped up into a large test tube.
Bison had waded through the dying flames without care of getting burnt, all so he could capture it.
In the ring of fire, the giant mercenary raised the test tube to get a better look at the creature within.
The dark goo stretched and slammed at the glass; the container shook in the man's hands, but it was useless. The material was too strong; it was still weakened from the chase and fire, and without a host, it couldn't bring out its maximum potential.
Soon, the alien slowed and slowed until it finally stopped, sliding down the glass in defeat.
"At last," Bison cackled, "The hunt is over,"
In his response to his words, the alien did something unexpected. It curled into a sphere and started shapeshifting, turning into a gray fuzzy ball with a glowing white core.
It said nothing and glared venomously at the human who trapped it.
"The Gray Serpent was right. They do exist," said Bison as he marveled at his catch, "And just when I thought we were all alone in this wide, wide universe,"
The Sugar didn't reply and kept its gaze locked on the former World Serpent agent.
"But it seems the universe is just another forest, another savannah, another ecosystem teeming with life and creatures to hunt," the man said, tapping the glass, "If you are the same as what I've heard, then I have a feeling that you and I…are going to be great partners,"
With that, he strolled through the fire back to his soldiers. One of them came forward with an opened, metallic briefcase. Bison placed the test tube inside and shut the cover, leaving the fuzzy alien in complete darkness.
"Alright! We got what we came for! Let's pack and clean up those two bodies and go! I want to make it back to base by dawn!" Bison ordered as he stepped into his truck.
"Yes, sir!" The soldiers simultaneously exclaimed.
Meanwhile, having not left his position, Macaque pressed the red button on his phone and stopped recording.
The footage was immediately sent to Gray Serpent.
The convoy swiftly rumbled to life again. Now, all he had to do was wait and allow the Bison to unknowingly take him back to his territory.
To the place where the hunter would become the hunted.
To say the first half of his day was chaotic would be an understatement.
The landlady, Furuta, practically kicked down the door at five in the morning carrying an armory of tools and woke both him and Kiana up as if they were in a war and the enemy was attacking their camp.
Dazed and barely keeping themselves awake, the landlady's words went through one ear and out the other before she promptly disappeared to play Mahjong with her fellow retired colleagues. All they understood was that it was time to fix the apartment they had destroyed last night.
Being only half awake and devoid of breakfast, Kiana couldn't control her strength properly and started doing more damage than repairing anything. Adam was forced to constantly clean up her mess, but at the same time, due to his inexperience in home repairs, he also wrecked more than he could fix.
Neighbors would knock on their doors every ten or so minutes to complain about the noise, and all the two teenagers could do was quickly apologize and get back to work.
Breakfast was nothing but the snacks that Adam had brought the night before. He had strategically rationed them out for the whole day, but a certain white-haired girl put an end to that plan in about twenty seconds.
Arguments broke out. Fights almost broke out. Adam got trapped in a headlock a few times, and Kiana was almost thrown out of the same window she broke.
But despite all that hardship, the duo somehow, after seven hours, not including break times, miraculously repaired their apartment.
It didn't look 'as good as new.'
But they both agreed that it was good enough.
…At least the window was replaced, and the cracks in the wall were filled. A pile of trash was in the corner, but that wasn't important because everywhere else looked decently clean.
It was now noon, and Adam and Kiana were splayed out like starfish across the timber floor that they had polished with blood, sweat, and tears. They looked as if they had crawled through chimneys with the amount of dirt, dust, and sweat covering them. Hunger gripped their insides, but they were both too tired to move.
"Hey," Kiana began, the energy in her voice waning, "Make me something to eat,"
"Do it yourself. I'm not your butler," Adam countered, although he sounded equally as drained.
"Aww, c'mon, pleeaaase. I can't move; I'll pay you back later, I promise,"
"That's too bad,"
"Meanie… weren't you ever taught to treat girls nicely?"
"You're not a girl. You're a…salmon,"
"A salmon?"
"That's all I got up here right now. Sorry if you wanted a more creative quip,"
"Salmon sounds nice. I wanna eat sushi~," Kiana giggled as she drooled on the floor.
"Or smoked salmon," Adam added.
"Or sashimi,"
"Or a salmon bowl,"
"Salmon Pasta,"
"Salmon Steak,"
"Salmon Salad,"
"A whole Salmon, straight up, and devour it like a bear,"
Bit by bit, their daydream about eating the oceanic fish merged into one as they both began salivating at the thought.
"No!" Adam suddenly screamed, jolting onto his feet, "We'll starve here if we only think about it. We must journey out into the unknown and hunt for our food,"
Kiana's eyes sparkled as she sprung up beside him, "Agreed! The food can run, but they can't hide! We'll chase them down to the ends of the earth!"
"Hahahahahahaha!" Their maniacal laughter rang through the apartment and even onto the street.
The passing citizens looked up and around in concern, not knowing where the terrifying sound was coming from. One even cowered and sprinted away, yelling something about the start of the apocalypse or the rapture or something.
Hunger does things to people.
Thankfully, the crispy, cold temperature brought them back to their senses by the time they were out and in the city.
Kiana was like an excited puppy, holding multiple chicken skewers in both hands while bounding around, taking in all the energetic, inviting sights downtown Nagazora offered.
'It's like she's from the mountains,' Adam mentally noted, '...Wait…I'm also from the mountains,'
"Hey, Kiana!" he called.
The white-haired girl spun around, cheeks stuffed with chicken, "Mryffs?"
'At least swallow before you talk,' A bead of sweat rolled down the boy's head, but he shook it off and gestured to a nearby department store, "I'm gonna go in there for a bit,"
"Why?" Kiana tilted her head to one side.
"Because I can't have you sleeping on my futon for the rest of my high school years! So just stay out here and don't wander too far away,"
The white-haired girl tossed the meatless skewer sticks over her shoulder and pointed at the black-haired boy, "Like hell I'm gonna allow you to choose my futon. I'm coming with you to choose it myself before you stuff a hidden camera in it or something!"
Adam ignored the last bit and shrugged, "Honestly, that makes things a lot easier for me, so please, come along,"
With her head held high, Kiana marched into the store, and as Adam was about to follow, someone came up behind him.
"E-Excuse me,"
The teenager turned around to see a middle-aged woman who looked troubled and exhausted, standing there, holding a stack of fliers.
"Can I help you?" he asked.
"Y-Yes," the lady handed him a flier with shivering hands, "Please, help me find her,"
'Did she lose a pet?' Adam asked himself as he took the flier and looked it over. His golden eyes widened after scanning the contents, "This is—"
"Have you…Have you seen my daughter?" the woman asked, her breath trembling and her palms soaked in sweat.
On the flier was a picture of a teenage girl with short, light-beige hair and wine-red eyes wearing a school uniform that didn't belong to Chiba Academy. Underneath the photo was the daughter's name [ Sayu , some of her basic information, and the mother's contact details.
"I'm sorry, but I haven't," Adam told her softly.
The woman sighed deeply with misty eyes, "I expected as much. I'll get out of your way now. Thank you, anyway,"
As the woman began to leave, the black-haired teen looked back at the store, then down at the missing person flier, before his gaze traveled up to the somber silhouette of the worried mother.
'Master Hua and Squad Leader Mei would kill me if I didn't at least try to help out,'
"Hey, wait up," he called out and jogged to her side.
The woman turned around in shock.
"Could I ask a few questions?"
"Y-Yes, of course,"
"You have contacted the police, right?"
The lady nodded, "Yes, it was the first thing I did,"
"Okay, good. So, how long has she been missing?"
"Well…we would often have big fights in the past, and she'd often run away from home for a few hours, so I didn't pay it too much mind at first, but we had another argument, and… she's been gone for thirty-six hours now,"
"I see. Can you think of any reason why she would run away?"
The mother shook her head, "… So, I honestly don't know. Maybe my words were too harsh this time. Maybe it's a boyfriend, or she just wanted to try to be independent for a while, or…"
"She's been kidnapped?"
"No!" The lady's sudden outburst caused Adam to wince and step back, "Don't say something like that. There's no way…"
"I'm sorry, I was just considering all the possibilities," explained the black-haired teenager, "Where was the last place you saw her?"
"She left for school," the woman answered, "That's why I used the photo of her in her school uniform because that was the last thing she wore before…"
"Any after-school clubs?"
The mother shook her head, "No, though she has been getting into gal culture recently, so she's been hanging out with a group of them,"
"Right," replied Adam, scratching his head as he jotted down her answers as notes on his phone.
Once he was done, he looked up with a comforting smile, "Thank you for your answers. I'll keep an eye out, and if I find anything, I'll contact you,"
Tears welled up in the woman's eyes as she bowed, "Thank you so much; I really appreciate this. I don't know how to pay you back,"
"You don't need to," Adam rubbed his neck bashfully, "I'm just doing what I think is right, but I hope she'll come back soon,"
For a minute, he watched as the woman moved on and continued to hand out the missing person fliers to the civilians on the street. Some took one half-heartedly, while a few of them also stopped to ask questions. Others rejected it, brushing past her as if she wasn't there, and there were even a few store vendors who tried chasing her way as if she was nothing but a wandering seagull since she was 'bad for business.'
Adam could only lightly exhale at the behavior, witnessing both sides of humanity within such a short timeframe.
He peered at the flier in his hand.
'Missing person, and a student at that. I hope she's okay; I feel bad for her mom… Wait… Missing student…Disappearing students… The disappearance cases from before!'
Around the time Adam had first arrived in Nagazora several months ago, simultaneously, there was an infamous mystery case that drifted across the city. Students of all genders, ages, and schools were disappearing randomly one after another. The police focused much on cracking the case but always fell short. Whatever or whoever the culprit was always two steps ahead and had covered their tracks so well that it sometimes seemed like those students were simply wiped from existence.
Eventually, the disappearances stopped, and the police shelved the case, possibly because they didn't believe the culprit would return and perhaps because they were embarrassed that they couldn't do anything while investigating. But the public demanded answers, so media outlets and news agencies gave them the common explanation of the students running away from home and erasing their past to the best they could.
Since the country was competitive in general, it was true that some families would put immense pressure on their children. Some believed ii, while others didn't. Conspiracy theories sprung up like fresh mushrooms after rain, but those, too, died down after some time.
'That was the whole reason why Raiden Ryoma hired me to be Mei's bodyguard in the first place!' Adam recalled, 'Because he was concerned that whoever or whatever caused the missing students was still out there and waiting for everything to cool down before striking again!'
'And the last time I dealt with a missing person case was…'
A destroyed city, mysterious crystals, unknown, unpredictable aliens, a certain male Herrscher, a clone of the former Overseer, and the faces of his friends that he left behind quickly flashed across his mind.
He didn't even notice the flier being scrunched in his tightening fists until someone smacked him on the back of the head.
"Ow! Hey, what's the—" he whipped around, only to see Kiana standing there with an unamused expression and arms folded.
"I've been calling your name for the last thirty seconds! Why are you just standing here like an over-frozen popsicle?"
"Nothing," Adam replied, stuffing the flier in his pocket, "What are you doing here?"
Kiana rolled her sapphire eyes, "Rule 6 of the Roommate Agreement, remember? All new purchases regarding the apartment itself must be approved by both parties,"
"I'm actually more surprised you remembered that word-for-word,"
"That's not the point," the white-haired girl poked the black-haired boy repeatedly in the chest, "I need to get my own futon, pillow, and sheets, and we need to get that new room divider because Granny will definitely get suspicious if she busts in again and sees you sleeping on the couch again…and I'm hungry so the sooner we buy this stuff, the sooner we can go eat,"
Adam brushed her hand away and moved past her, "Okay, okay, you have a point, let's go,"
"Hey!" Kiana dashed up to his side.
"What's up?"
"What are we eating tonight?"
"You mean, what are you eating tonight? It's not a part of the agreement, so I'm not paying for you,"
"Aw, c'mon~. Haven't you heard of chivalry?"
"Chival–? Aren't you the one that calls me a pervert every ten seconds?"
"And I'll stop, and you can redeem yourself if you buy me dinner,"
"Ugh, fine. I'll get you the kids' meal at the burger place or something,"
"But that's not enough!"
"Too bad, I'm the one who's paying anyway,"
"Didn't your mother ever teach you to treat cute girls like me better,"
"She sure did,"
"So~ Then you should—"
"But you're not a cute girl. You are a Tuna,"
"Tuna?! Hey! You said Salmon earlier!"
"Well, look at that! You reached level thirty-six and evolved! Congratulations! Throw a water stone at your head, and you might evolve again into a barracuda or something,"
"Yeah!? Well, you're nothing but a per–"
"Do you want dinner?"
"...Hmph! Fine, you win this round."
The department store's automated doors hummed as a sulky Kiana stormed through.
Adam chuckled and followed, shaking his head and muttered, "And that's 2-0 to me,"
Cold, hard ground.
The droplets of water torturously hitting her cheeks.
A parched throat and a throbbing skull.
Those were the sensations Sayu felt as her heavy eyelids flickered open, and she slowly came to.
"...Where?" the girl sat up and looked around, but her vision was still fuzzy. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her head, "Ugh!"
"Hey, hey. Easy there, don't get up so fast,"
A pair of chilled hands squeezed Sayu's shoulders, stabilizing her from falling over. As the beige-haired girl's sight cleared, she saw the shadowed silhouette of another girl kneeling in front of her.
"You're still hurt; try not to move around so much until you've rested," the unknown girl told her, "The bandage might get loose,"
The lack of light made it difficult to discern her appearance. Still, Sayu could make out that the other girl looked around her age with long, ash-blonde hair and lime-green eyes that reflected concern.
"Bandage?" Sayu quietly echoed. She reached up and touched the cloth material wrapped around her forehead. A gasp escaped her lips as the feeling of the new, unknown material registered in her mind, "When did I?!"
When she tried to recollect her memories, the only thing she received was another sharp headache.
"They must've hit you pretty hard. Are you okay?" the ash-blonde girl asked with worry.
"I'm…fine," Sayu replied and slowly looked around, "Where…am I?"
"I don't know,"
"You don't know?" echoed Sayu.
The girl nodded solemnly, "I don't know any specifics. All I know is that we're being held here by some evil people,"
Sayu picked herself up from the stone floor and stumbled across the dimly lit room. The green-eyed girl followed to ensure that she wouldn't fall over.
She reached out in the darkness, waving her hand, and hit nothing but air until her fingertips finally touched something solid.
They were freezing, cylindrical, and reeked with the scent of metal. Sayu's hand glided along the structure. There was a gap, and then the metal returned, another gap, and then another bar of steel.
A chill ran down Sayu's spine, and wine-colored eyes widened. With a trembling voice, she asked, "I-Is this? Are we in a—?"
The ash-blonde girl bit her lip, hesitant to reveal the truth, but knew that there was no point in lying and finally nodded, "Yes, we're in some kind of prison cell,"
The girl could see the newfound information slowly grinding in Sayu's head until she quietly squeaked, "What?"
Only then did Sayu look down, and unwanted surprise clawed her heart even further when she saw that she wasn't wearing her school uniform anymore but a white hospital gown.
"When did I—?"
The green-eyed girl frowned, "Probably when you were unconscious and being transferred. The same thing happened to me and the girl before you as well,"
"My name is Kirara," the girl greeted, stepping into whatever little light the cell offered, and offered Sayu a reassuring smile, "What's yours?"
"I'm Sayu,"
"Well, Sayu, we're going to be cell…roommates from now on, so let's be friends and survive together, okay?"
Sayu nodded, but then she froze, "...Wait, what do you mean by 'survive'?"
"I mean we both have to stay alive until someone shuts this place down and rescues us," Kirara explained, "Just keep your head down, don't do anything to get their attention, and don't lose hope,"
"I don't understand,"
Kirara sighed and gently grabbed Sayu by the arm, guiding her to the stone-cold metal bed. The two girls sat down before Kirara continued, "Every day, two people are chosen by the workers here and leave their cell. We don't know what happens to them, but sometimes they both return, sometimes only one returns, and sometimes…no one returns. Recently, we've heard what we think is screaming echoing down the pipes, but the guards say it's just the machines,"
"Wait? There are more people here?" Sayu asked.
Kirara nodded, "A lot more. Look, they even gave us numbers to differentiate us,"
The ash-blonde pointed at the tag on her chest, which read [ 67 ]. Sayu looked down at her own, which was [ 70 ].
"There's probably around a hundred of us in here," said Kirara, "From what I've seen, we're all middle to high school-aged. But I can't confirm it since we can't leave this cell unless the workers come to get you,"
"H-How long have you been here?" asked Sayu, her throat tightening.
Kirara thought for a while, "I…don't really know. Probably a month,"
Silence fell upon the two girls; only the snoring and sobbing from neighboring cells, along with the water droplets leaking from the ceiling, could be heard.
Sayu's heart raced until she could hear every beat thumping in her ears. Sweat leaked from her skin as the chills crept across her body. Nausea clutched her head as the world started to swirl. It felt like the air had been sucked out of her, leaving her chest tight and throat drier than a desert. When she tried breathing, her breath hitched, and tears welled up in her wine-red eyes.
The realization of the situation came crashing down on her like a landslide, and she let out a primal scream of despair, her tears spilling like waterfalls.
Kirara watched with empathy before wrapping her arms around Sayu's shoulders, gently rubbing circles on her back as her gown was soaked in the other girl's pain.
"M-Mama…I'm sorry…I-I shouldn't have…Mama, I w-want…to g-go…h-home,"
She softly whispered, "It's okay. It's okay to cry. I understand what you're going through. We'll get through this together. The bad guys will get what they deserve, so just stay strong, okay?"
Sayu nodded in her embrace, "...W-Why? Why me?... Why us?"
There was a forlorn shimmer in Kirara's green gaze as she held back her own tears and focused on comforting the beige-haired girl.
"I don't know, Sayu… I don't know,"
Chapter 9 - First Snow in Autumn VII
WHAAAT?! 2 UPDATES IN ONE MONTH!? WHAT SORCERY IS THIS?!
But yes…I actually updated within a decent timeframe; I know, unbelievable. I haven't had such a fast update since…well…since I first started writing this lol.
Anyway, I'm not going to lie; writing early-days Kiana was harder than I thought since I'm so used to the current Kiana, so I apologize if she currently feels a little ooc. I'll do some more research and improve in the future.
However, on the plus side, we got some more banter between Adam and Kiana, which is always nice.
Regarding the word count, I've taken everyone's (well at least the ones who contacted me) thoughts into account and have decided to set the average word count to 10-15,000 so you get the best of both worlds. A lengthy chapter but not too long that it takes a whole hour to read. ( BTW this chapter is roughly 13,000 not including A/N ). It's advantageous to me as well since I think I can pace it better this way and update faster, which is a win for all of us. Great Job Everyone XD!
But aside from that, we're finally diving into the juicy parts of the Nagazora Arc.
We got to see a bit of Macaque's past and his relationship with Raven, who actually was blonde with purple eyes in the past before World Serpent changed her to her current appearance. ( Second Eruption Manga shows a younger Natasha being taken away by Gray Serpent. )
Speaking of World Serpent, it's never revealed how their organizational structure works. At least in-depth. As far as I know, it's just: Kevin - Gray Serpents Animal Cadres - Everything else. And since World Serpent will have a more prominent role in [ STARCHASER , I've decided to take a little creative liberties and sort the system out a little so it's not just 'Gray Serpent and Friends.'
It goes: The Sire — Gray Serpent Network The Wild Hunt — Ranked — Numbered.
More details about this system will be revealed in future chapters.
Bison actually finally appeared…well, technically, he first appeared in the last chapter but wasn't properly described until this one, so… ANYWAY! The SUGAR reappeared!
If the SUGAR felt a little like Venom…well, that's because—SUGARS are Honkai's version of the Venom Symbiotes, and I will die on that hill!
They're practically the same thing with a few minor changes. Like they both: Bond with hosts, heal hosts, strengthen their host, survive in space, are black and tentacle-y, alien, both come from artificial planets ( Klyntar and Candy Jar ), SUGARS can travel the multiverse, Symbiotes have a multiversal hive-mind, etc.
I swear if in the future, Shigure Kira's SUGAR partner has a child, and that thing is pure violence and death, and RED! …Everyone! Get ready for SPICE!
I mean, the devs already gave adult Griseo a lightsaber and indirectly confirmed that Star Wars exists in the Honkaiverse. So, y'know what?! The SUGARS can take the role of the Symbiotes, at least in [ STARCHASER ]. Which is why I made their weakness to be intense heat. Another shared trait with the symbiotes and also because sugar melts under heat.
Lastly, yes, Sayu and Kirara are the expys of…Sayu and Kirara (Genshin) ! I confess they were nameless at the start, but then I didn't want to write nameless girls and be like, blonde-girl and gray-haired girl every ten seconds, so I just gave them names. BUT! Even if they're named, they're still minor supporting characters, so it's okay if you forget about them until they suddenly reappear.
As I said in the last chapter's A/N, I'll post a "proper" character profile for all the new characters. ( From Macaque to Kazuha to Sayu…yes, even you, Sayu, with that 3-minute screentime. ) So everyone can get to know them a little better, like small trivia about them and some basic details like age, height, etc. Things I won't really mention in the actual story, but it's always nice world-building.
Actually, one last thing before I end Chapter 9. I haven't written them yet, but occasionally, at the end of some of the upcoming chapters, there will be a small segment named STARCHASER: Short Stories. It's basically what it sounds like. OVA-styled shorts that expand the world a little.
I thought about doing this since there are some scenes I wrote for the main Chapter Plots, but it didn't really fit or was just too short to actually put in. So I decided to just make them bonuses at the end of some chapters.
(( OK I know I just said it, but I swear this is the last thing. Should I start a small Discord Server so I can interact with you guys more and update you guys on Chapter progress? Let me know. ))
But yeah. That's all I got for Chapter 9.
[ Bonus TMI: While finishing Chapter 9, I was listening to this song, and I think that it actually suits the STARCHASER as an Opening Theme. You don't need listen to it but if anyone is wondering, the song is SOS - Seventeen. ]
If you enjoyed it, please consider leaving a follow/favorite/review. They're all greatly appreciated and a source of motivation to continue writing [ STARCHASER ].
Thank You For All Your Support! Until We Meet Again!
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[ REDACTED ]'s Memory II
The corridors were long and somewhat winding.
I wandered aimlessly.
We had many bases all across the world, so it's only natural for me to forget the interior routes of some of them.
Every ten steps, I'd pass a door that led to some room or a window with a view of the starry night sky.
Despite the LED lights stretching through the hallway, it didn't take away the natural glimmer of the stars and the moon. There was a time when our artificial creations could snatch away the shine of the astral orbs, but not anymore…there weren't enough cities left in the world for that.
This base, one out of a hundred, was like a lighthouse. A beacon in the dark. A beacon bright enough to guide your way, patient enough to reveal the path to lost travelers, and warm enough to draw moths to the flame. But despite all that light, it still paled under the sheer might of the celestial sky.
My footsteps sounded through the hallway, but they weren't alone. As I passed by others, some greeted me, and some didn't. Scientists, engineers, soldiers, doctors, nurses, civilians seeking shelter, and their families. This base was populated, to say the least.
I know some of their faces, but I don't know their names, and I'm willing to bet it's the same for them too. Why should they? I'm just one soldier among hundreds of thousands. A single grain of sand on this beach named 'Humanity'... Or at least whatever's left of it.
No! I need to stop thinking like that. There is hope for us! We still have a chance to turn this war around. For things to go back to normal.
I brought my hands up to my face and slapped my cheeks several times to snap me out of my bad habit of overthinking and negative thinking. If my mental state isn't in its best condition, then how can I continue to fight?
Ato once told me, "The mind is half the battle," or…something like that. Honestly, I haven't seen him in a while. Last I heard, he was taking a break from the battlefield to spend some time with his family. Blanca and Griseo must be thrilled…and the man deserves it.
With Kevin stepping up to the frontlines more frequently nowadays, he can finally go on vacation without much worry.
Humanity's strongest fighter. That's what they're starting to call him since he always takes the top spot in the training simulations and has a flawless mission completion record.
Hard to believe we used to play basketball together after school… From being the star of the school team to Humanity's Strongest… Haha, what a resume.
…How long ago was that? Two? Three? Four years? We were seventeen then, and now I'm…wait, how old am I now? Shit, I don't even remember. I guess time really does blend together in times of crisis.
Suddenly, I heard rapid steps echoing through the corridor. But I paid it no mind. Honkai Beasts don't sound like that, and assassins would never allow their presence to be heard… I know that better than most. So it was most likely a child running ahead of their parents, excited for reasons unknown to me.
But the sound of scampering only grew louder as they got closer, and the person causing it very quickly made herself known.
"Hi~,"
A flash of pink zoomed past my peripheral vision, the floral perfume and fragrance of her shampoo drifted around her like a trailing aura, and a smile that was brighter than the starlight adorned her lips as she skipped ahead of me, twirling around to give me a little wave.
"Hi," I politely greeted back.
I'm gonna be honest. I did not know she was assigned to this base. It was probably a recent move since I hadn't seen her in the cafeteria this past week.
"What are you up to?" she chirped, placing her hands behind her back and cutely tilting to one side.
"Nothing much, just taking a walk,"
Now that I think about it, it's been a while since I've seen her too. Actually, it's been a while since I've seen anyone aside from my team. But I guess that's just the side effect of being a part of COCOON—regular isolation.
"Can I join you?" she asked, taking a single step toward me, "I've just been assigned here, so I don't know the ins and outs of this base. I was hoping you could show me around,"
"I don't mind, but I'm gonna be honest; I don't know if I'm qualified to be your tour guide. Even though I've been here for a month, I still get lost. This place is like an ant nest,"
"That's okay," She giggled, "We can explore this place together then,"
…Was her voice always this melodic and soothing? …Pfft, her? No way. I must be losing my mind.
"Is there anywhere specific that you want to go?" I asked, quickly brushing that bizarre thought away.
She put a finger to her chin and hummed sweetly, pondering, "Mmmh, not really,"
She flashed another bright grin, "I was planning on just following you,"
Her pastel-blue eyes suddenly widened as a thought came rushing forth, "Oh, have you eaten yet?"
I shook my head, and she pouted immediately.
"Have you been skipping your meals again?"
I looked away, a little bashful.
She took another big step toward me and poked me in the stomach, causing me to wince a bit.
"That's not healthy, and you know it. You must be in tip-top shape if you wanna keep coming home safely. I promised your sister that I'd look after you while I'm here, and you're already not making this easy for me,"
"It's just this once; I swear I'll eat normally from now,"
"That's what you said the last three times," she huffed, placing her hands on her hips.
I sighed and offered her a reassuring smile, "I'll be fine, and you don't need to listen to everything my sister says, y'know,"
"It's because she cares about you," she countered. Her expression softened along with her voice, "A lot more people care about you than you think,"
"If caring for someone kept them alive, then we wouldn't be struggling so much now, would we?"
She frowned, and it looked like she was about to retort, but stopped herself, releasing a light exhale as she stepped back.
"I believe it's a beautiful thing to care for someone. Yeah, it's true that simply caring isn't a forcefield that can keep someone alive on the battlefield, but…doesn't it give you hope? Hope that they'll come home alive. To witness another sunrise and sunset together. To laugh and cry again. To argue and forgive again. To see them smile, at least one more time,"
She took a step toward me again—closer this time. Her floral perfume invaded my senses, and I could just feel her warm breath tickling my face as she gazed up at me.
Never has my field of view been filled with so much pink.
"I care about you, too,"
*B-BMP*
D-Did…Did my heart just skip a beat? Are my ears…burning?! Shit, is my face burning?! Am I blushing!? Is it obvious!? Can she see it?! Is this actually happening?!
Calm down! Calm down! Calm down! Calm down! Calm down!
I quickly faked a cough, taking that chance to look away, take a deep breath, and regain my thoughts.
"Y-You care about everyone," I replied, though I was still somewhat avoiding her shimmering blue eyes.
Amazing recovery, though, if I do say so myself.
She held her gaze for a moment longer before her lips curved up once again, and she created a small gap between us.
"Ahaha~ I guess you're right about that," she pleasantly laughed.
She straightened her posture and proudly placed her hands on her hips.
"Now then, allow this caring big sister to treat you to a meal at the cafeteria. You need to be big and strong to fight against the next Herrscher,"
"What? Big sis—? Aren't you only eight days older than me?"
"That's not the point!" She sulked, her cheeks puffing out in an adorable pout as she glared at me.
I could feel my lips pursing as I desperately held back my laugh. I couldn't take her seriously. She looked like an angry bunny.
"Okay, okay. I'll go and get something to eat. I was kinda getting hungry anyway,"
Her expression instantly changed to her usual bright persona, and she nodded approvingly. However, I was not expecting her to reach up and pat me on the head… Would it be weird if I said it was kinda comforting?
"There, you see? That wasn't so hard. I knew you were a good boy,"
I cringed, and my face scrunched to match, "Please don't call me that,"
Her cheerful laughter rang through the hallway, "Alright, alright, I'm just kidding,"
Only my sister is allowed to call me that. Not that I'll ever admit that out loud.
"Then let's go. To tell you the truth, I haven't eaten yet either," she admitted, "We can eat together. It'll be like a date,"
"H-Hold on! D-D-Date?"
It's probably uncool of me to blush so many times, but honestly, I can't control the heat erupting on my cheeks. And wouldn't any sane person react the same way if someone as beautiful as her said that?
Is this how Kevin felt when he first met Mei?
Boy, am I glad he's not here; otherwise, I would never hear the end of it. He would definitely enact his revenge against me. Su was right; I should've held back on my teasing back then.
Before my mind could accelerate any further, she tapped my nose with her finger and beamed.
"Just kidding~," she tittered, "Again,"
This girl is dangerous.
"Ahahaha~ You're always so cute when you're flustered like this," she confessed between her laughter, "I can't help it. So I'll apologize now in advance for every time I do it again in the future,"
This girl is really dangerous.
"...Let's just go,"
Thankfully, she didn't do or say anything and simply nodded. Though I was a fool for thinking it was over so soon.
As we headed to our destination, we passed by more Fire MOTH employees and residents. The girl beside me wasted no time in cheerfully greeting each and every one of them and even taking a minute or two to have a brief chat with them, leaving me to stand on the side quietly. Not that I mind. She was well-liked by practically the entire organization, so this was only natural. It was interesting to watch her interact and get along with everyone.
I could never.
Soon enough, we said our goodbyes to the researcher she had just finished chatting with, and the hallways became empty once again.
She whispered something to herself; I couldn't really pick up on it, but it sounded a bit like "Finally" or "I'm hungry." Whatever it was, I'm sure I heard wrong; I was a couple of steps ahead of her and wasn't paying too much attention anyway.
I heard her footsteps quickening for a second before she caught up beside me. We continued our route in comfortable silence, but in the corner of my eyes, I could see her looking around and fidgeting as if she were searching for something or someone.
Although knowing her, it's probably because it's virtually impossible for her to sit still.
But my curiosity got the better of me, "What's up with you?"
"Is my hair messy?" she asked worriedly, running a hand through her soft, pink hair, "There aren't any windows here I can use as a mirror to check,"
Sometimes, I forget that she cares a lot about her appearance. But she's right about there being no windows. The deeper we head into the base, those transparent glass panels to view the scenery become non-existent.
"You look the same to me," I simply stated.
She said nothing and stared at me.
"...D-Did I say something wrong?"
I thought girls liked it when someone complimented them like that. Or did I say it too casually, and she took it as an insult? Or were those romance webtoon all lies?!
"Don't move," she ordered with that honeyed voice of hers as she came closer and closer.
She leaned in until our faces were mere inches apart. Instinctively, my eyes began darting everywhere, looking at everything but her.
All it took was her palm on my cheek to send a shock down my spine and bring my gaze back to hers.
"Let me borrow the reflection of your eyes to use as a mirror,"
I could hear my heart beating rapidly in my ears, and sweat quickly began building on my nape. I tried looking away, but it was as if there were magnets in her sky blue and pink pupil eyes that held mine in place. Speaking of her eyes, she was right about them being able to be used as mirrors because I could see my own nervous wreck reflecting off of hers.
While I was internally panicking, all she was doing was staring into my soul while casually fixing her hair.
It was probably only about thirty seconds, but it felt like thirty million years before she was finished.
"All done~," she announced.
I let out a sigh of relief.
"So~ How do I look?"
"Good,"
She pouted and sighed, "That's it? Not cute? Or pretty? Or elegant?"
"Well…," I sheepishly averted my gaze and purposely avoided looking at her as I desperately tried to conjure up an answer, "My literature grades in school weren't exactly the best, so I'm not exactly a super descriptive person, so—"
I suddenly felt her small, warm hands cupping my cheeks, completely cutting off my thoughts.
She gently guided me until I was face-to-face with her again.
Until I could see her, and only her.
"Hey~, when you're alone with a girl. You always need to look her in the eyes, 'kay~?"
