A week later.
"Acma, Trepie #23! Over here!" Nida called out to her friends. "I'll be announcing the squad assignments for the exam now. Let's see... You two will be with..." Nida paused for dramatic effect. "Devie Satthu. Quite a lively fellow."
"Devie?" Acma recognized her friend from Trabia. "He's just loud. Can't I switch teammates?"
"I'm afraid that's not possible, Acma. Trepie #23, you're the squad B's leader. You'll have Acma and Devie as your teammates. Over here, Devie!" Nida instructed.
As Nida called out for Devie, he made a grand entrance by swinging his katanas back and forth for a whole minute. "How is it, Instructor Nida?" he grinned.
"Perfect for a show at the Garden Festival. Now get over here with your squad. Squad A, C, and D will join us soon," Nida replied.
"Whoa! Senior Acma, I'll be with you?" Devie was surprised to see Acma.
"I'm glad to see you made it, Devie," Acma feigned a smile. Devie had great potential in martial arts and swordsmanship, but he was quite empty-minded, making him quite the opposite of Acma.
"Trabia is less competitive without you and Timeth," Devie smiled, maintaining his positive attitude. "Nice to meet you, squad leader! I'm Devie, S22 from Trabia."
Devie rubbed his hand on his pants and offered it to Trepie #23.
"Nice to meet you!" Trepie#23 shook his hand and gently squeezed. "It's an honor to be a squad leader of Trabia's best students. I hope we'll have a successful mission together."
After their introduction, the other squads made their way to the information center, where Headmaster Xu joined them for an encouraging speech.
"It's been a while, everyone. How's everyone doing? This exam will involve 12 members from Squads A through D. You will be proceeding to a real battlefield. Obviously, the battles are real. Life and death, victory and defeat, honor and disgrace... Each of these goes hand in hand. There's only one way or the other. How about it? Are you still up for it?"
Xu glanced at the eager faces in front of her, including a few members who had taken this exam multiple times and probably knew the speech by heart. Xu had no shame in borrowing Headmaster Cid's speech, knowing damn well that Cid himself had likely borrowed it from someone else, possibly his wife.
"You will be accompanied by four SeeD members. Should you fail, these members will get the job done. They always do. That's one less worry on your mind."
Acma furrowed her eyebrows. She was pretty sure that the number of SeeDs accompanying SeeD exams had gradually declined over the years, probably due to SeeD attrition. Trepie #23 was a Seed, but Acma couldn't recall seeing her with a weapon as she was too busy performing Garden duties. Nevertheless, the number of SeeD candidates remained the same, if not slightly increasing. And the presence of 14-year-old Devie proved that Garden was eagerly pushing down the average age of their new class of graduates.
"The pride of Balamb Garden! The elite mercenary force, SeeD! Learn from them, obey their commands, and accomplish the mission. Prove yourself worthy of becoming a member of SeeD. Best of luck!"
After Xu finished her speech, every squad followed their leaders to the transportation area and boarded an aircraft headed for Flowers City.
In the aircraft, each of the squads gathered for more detailed discussions of their assigned tasks. Finally, they all came together for a recap led by the designated leader, who happened to be the oldest student of Balamb Garden.
"Good morning, everyone! I'm Zyma, the mission leader for today's exam," Zyma announced. "Our client for today's mission is Flowers City. A request for SeeDs was made 18 hours ago."
Acma noticed that he had put on the tinted eyeglasses she had asked Timeth to give him. Apparently, they worked as expected and helped him see the screens.
"We have six hostages located in this shelter," Zyma pointed to a location in the middle of the map, surrounded by a couple of residence units and backed by a river. "Three days ago, an unknown military force raided the village and captured its officers to demand a ransom, which has already been paid. However, they are holding the hostages for additional ransom. Our intelligence believes that the terrorists don't trust that they will be able to leave safely as promised. It is also believed that the leader has been injured by Flowers City's sniper, and whether he's still alive is unknown... The hostages are not being provided with food or water, and our thermal signals indicate that their health conditions are deteriorating. We pretend to accept the second ransom, hence this mission. However, we'll attack the enemies to rescue the hostages ourselves."
"Group B, led by Seed Trepie #23, will be responsible for first aid and safely retrieving the hostages. Do you have enough supplies?" Zyma turned to Trepie #23.
Acma couldn't tell if he looked at her due to his tinted eyeglasses, but given the cold treatment he had been giving her, she was certain he hadn't looked at her at all. Business as usual.
"Squad C will hijack the enemy's communication system, followed by Squad D, who will detonate a bomb to divert their attention to the back gate," Zyma instructed. "Squad A, led by me, will be responsible for clearing the enemies to open the path for Squad B. Squad C, are you certain that their communication is being monitored and they haven't discovered us spying on them?"
Squad C's leader, Keisha, nodded. Keisha was Acma's senior in Trabia, and for some reason, Trabia produced more tech-savvy individuals than Balamb.
"Squad D, your task is to detonate a bomb at the back gate and capture any enemies attempting to escape," Zyma directed. "Depending on the number of enemies and the situation, be flexible and provide support to either Squad A or Squad B as needed."
"Understood!" Squad D's leader nodded. Raddie, who was part of Squad D, winked at Acma as she looked at him with a smile and a nod.
"Great. It seems like every squad understands their duty. So the sequence of action is quite simple. We'll begin the operation half an hour before the actual ransom drop off time. Squad C deactivates the enemy's communication, Squad D detonates the bomb and guards the back gate, and Squad A dashes into the village from the front gate. Once the path is clear, every squad should assist Squad B in reaching the shelter and rescuing the hostages. Our backup mission leader is Instructor Nida - a SeeD Rank A, will be in the aircraft near the river. If I fall down for any reason, he will come to the rescue. Any questions?''
Raddie raised his hand and, upon receiving a nod from Zyma to proceed, asked, "What is our backup plan if any of these steps fail?"
"We'll leave the brainstorming for each squad. It's usually not recommended to think of multiple backup plans, as the number of possibilities is endless. That's a skill you'll develop over missions. Just remember, when it comes to making hard decisions, prioritize the safety of the hostages, your teammates, and lastly yourself. If you're afraid of death and would prioritize your life over the lives of others, then perhaps a career as a mercenary is not suitable for you. If anyone feels that way, please speak up now and withdraw from this test."
A silence filled the room, and everyone seemed determined to complete the mission.
"Very well. Return to your squads and get ready. We will land in 10 minutes. Good luck!" Zyma concluded.
Acma waited until everyone was dismissed and approached Zyma. "Did you intentionally put me in the rescue squad? I'm an offensive magic caster, not a healer."
"Do you see anyone else here more suitable for that group? Devie is only 14 years old, and he'll need someone with both offensive and defensive magic to back him up. I work with what I have. You should know by now I don't consider any personal stuff in real missions," his voice trailed off, his eyes fixed in the paperwork without looking at her. "If I had a say, knowing how reckless you were back in Centra Ruins, I would have crossed you off the list."
Acma bit her lip, absorbing his words. "I see. Thanks for the explanation."
As she turned to leave, he spoke up again. "Thanks for the eyeglasses."
"You're welcome. It's the least we can do for all the trouble you've been through. Well…" she trailed off, "Good luck passing the exam and enjoy your freedom," she said, trying to sound nonchalant and happy, but she knew she couldn't hide her disappointment about their relationship, which was mutually implied to end before it even had a chance to begin.
"Good luck. Don't die," he blurted out before retreating to a corner.
In the once-thriving village of Flowers City, where charming houses with colorful facades nestled among fields of swaying grass and fragrant blossoms, an unsettling stillness permeated the air. The village bore the haunting remnants of a recent attack which left deserted streets strewn with broken wooden wagons. The houses stood as solemn witnesses, their once vibrant exteriors now marked by walls riddled with bullet holes. The windows, previously adorned with lively curtains, had their glass shattered, likely by the terrorists to ensure clearance, leaving behind a sense of emptiness.
The squads quickly settled into their designated positions and followed the plan.
BANG!
A loud explosion reverberated in the distance, signaling that Squad D had secured the back gate.
"Squad A, move in!" Zyma commanded over the comms, leading his team into the village.
Trepie #23, Devie, and Acma remained silent for the next 15 minutes, awaiting the signal for their Squad B to proceed.
"Central square clear. Squad B, proceed with caution. Squad D, split up and head to the front gate, following Squad B," Zyma directed.
Devie led Squad B, with Trepie #23 and Acma following closely behind. They moved steadily, taking advantage of the clear path created by Squad A as they neutralized the enemy forces. With their helmets on and wearing civilian attire, it was difficult to distinguish them from the enemy soldiers.
"Final stage: Squad B, get ready to enter the bunker. Squad A follow squad B. Squad C and Squad D stay outside," Zyma announced.
In a matter of minutes, Acma's squad reached the entrance of the bunker. She glanced at other squads, who surrounded the shelter, before following Devie and Trepie #23 inside. The mission was nearing its end, but it was only the beginning of her part.
BANG!
"Focus!"
Acma's focus snapped back into place as Zyma's stern voice cut through the chaos. She quickly realized there was a distorted bullet lying at her feet, and Zyma's Shuriken lay ten feet away. A lifeless body of a shooter fell from the balcony of a nearby house, hitting the ground with a thud.
Feeling a surge of fear, Acma sprinted towards the bunker, closely following her squad members.
THUD!
A bunker door abruptly slammed shut just as Acma entered.
"What was that?" Devie asked.
"We're trapped?" Acma exclaimed, attempting to force the door open, but it was made of solid steel, with no visible handle.
"We need to keep moving. Don't worry, the others will find a way to break us out from the outside. Stay alert," Trepie #23 reassured. "Devie, lead the way, we'll back you up."
The bunker appeared to be a well-constructed hideout, prepared for potential bombings. It had multiple chambers underground, and the narrow staircases and hallways made navigation challenging. There was no natural light, so each member of Squad B activated the flashlight on their forehead to find their way.
"The com signal is very low here, other squads can't hear us. Be extra careful, everyone!" Acma warned.
They carefully ventured into the maze with a small chamber at each dead end.
"We're SeeDs, here to rescue you! Is anyone here?" Trepie #23 whispered as she cautiously entered each chamber, careful not to alert any potential terrorists hiding in the bunker.
"Help! We're here! Please!"
The villagers' relief and joy were evident as they caught sight of the flashlights piercing through the darkness.
"Is everyone here?" Trepie #23 asked, quickly spotted an injured woman in the corner.
"Yes, this is all, please get us out of here now! Please!" An old man wearing suit exclaimed in fear.
"Please! Someone stay to treat my wife, she's been bleeding for days!" A middle-age man holding the injured woman said.
Trepie #23 quickly knelt down to sit next to the injured woman with blood out of her torso and applied first aid kit.
"I'll stay with you two. Acma, Devie, lead the way out for others."
Acma followed closely behind Devie and the villagers, providing backup as they traced their way back to the bunker's entrance.
BANG!
"Shield!" Acma reacted swiftly as a hail of bullets came toward them. She shielded the group and swiftly cast a powerful Thundara spell at the shooter, who succumbed to the attack.
"Thank you!" Devie expressed his gratitude among the yells in fear of the villagers.
"Please be quiet! There are terrorists in this bunker. How many of them are here? Does anyone know?" Acma asked the frightened villagers.
"There are three or four of them. Your friend... the couple she stayed with are two of them," one of the hostages revealed.
Acma was stunned by the news. "Why didn't you say anything earlier?"
"I'm sorry... They threaten to kill us if we say anything," the villager stammered.
"Trepie #23 is in danger. What should we do?" Devie turned to Acma for guidance.
She reinforced the group with additional protection spells and instructed Devie to stay with the villagers. "The exit is just a few stairs away. You take care of them. There are two terrorists with Trepie #23, plus the leader and the deceased one here, making a total of four. If what this man said is correct, there shouldn't be anyone else until you reach the door. I'll go back and find Trepie #23."
"Be careful!" Devie cautioned Acma and quickly assisted the villager out of the bunker.
Zyma grew increasingly impatient. When he asked Raddie to double check the facial recognition system, Raddie realized that the person they had thought was the captured terrorist leader was not the real one, indicating the presence of more terrorists in the bunker.
BOOM!
A small amount of dynamite was used to blast away the dry mud covering the entrance to the bunker, allowing the hostages to get out.
Seeing Devie being the only one from Squad B return with the villagers, Zyma felt uneased.
"Please hurry, Trepie #23 was staying with two terrorists we mistook for villagers. Acma went back to find her," Devie reported.
Zyma's vision darkened, but he couldn't afford to lose focus on his duty. He quickly assigned Raddie to verify the hostages' identities and called for other squad members to gather around the bunker for necessary backup. Finally, he summoned Nida to take over the control of the squads for him to come down to rescue the girls.
"Devie, lead the way," Zyma instructed, and the two swiftly descended into the bunker.
A few minutes later, Zyma and Devie arrived at the chamber where they found the hostages, only to be greeted by a horrifying scene. Trepie #23 was lying on the floor, struggling to breathe due to a deep wound on her stomach.
"Trepie #23, stay with me," Zyma pleaded in fear. He quickly retrieved an X-potion to heal her and used a first aid kit to apply more pressure to stop the bleeding. Someone had treated her but in a hurry way.
"I'm... fine... Acma... cast regen..." Trepie #23 managed to say between breaths.
"Where is she?" Zyma asked anxiously.
"They took her..." Trepie #23 tried to convey information through her pain. "Follow the blood." She motioned for Zyma to look at the drops of blood on the floor, leading towards the exit. The scent of Acma's blood filled the air, intensifying Zyma's fear.
"Carry her out. Bring more people in here if it's clear on the ground," Zyma commanded Devie, then dashed out of the chamber and followed the trail of blood.
As he ventured deeper into the maze-like bunker, the blood trail grew larger in size, then gradually diminished.
"No! Please, Hyne, no..." Zyma pleaded internally, his heart filled with dread at the thought of her bleeding to death.
There were Acma and at least three terrorists in these dark chambers.
Then, he spotted a figure drenched in blood, wearing a familiar cadet uniform. Zyma cautiously approached, turned the body around, and let out a sigh of relief.
It wasn't Acma. It was one of the terrorists. She was still alive but in critical condition. Zyma noticed a siphon attached to her vein - the same siphon Acma used to induce her Limit Break.
The blood trail ended there. He kept going to dead ends and decided to leave scratches on the wall to retrace his steps. Along the way, he noticed a new scratch mark, freshly made by someone else. Based on its height, it seemed to be made by a person much shorter than him.
It could be Acma's. The other two terrorists were most likely men who shouldn't have left this low marks. A glimmer of hope flickered in his mind.
Suddenly, the dark maze was illuminated.
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion shattered the silence, jolting Zyma into action. Following the sound, his heart nearly stopped at the sight of Acma's blood-soaked lasso on the ground, leading to a nearby chamber. Suppressing his worst fears, he pushed forward.
As he entered the chamber, a devastating scene greeted him—a small girl with red hair, her military tank top drenched in blood. Her lifeless form resembled a discarded, battered doll.
His world spun, but he compelled himself to approach her, taking heavy steps. Scan! He cast the analytics spell, refusing to accept her death.
Suddenly, her hand flickered.
"Thundaga!"
A surge of magical electricity coursed through his already trembling body.
Shaking off the shock, Zyma regained his composure, carefully assessing his attacker.
"Oh... Oh gosh... Zyma, are you okay? I'm sorry, I thought you were another terrorist... Here, let me heal you," she stood up quickly and reached out her arm to cast Cura on him. "Please keep it off record… Thank Hyne, you were in full HP," she smiled awkwardly.
"If it were Devie stepping through that door, you could have killed him," he commented, while assessing the surrounding with two unconscious terrorists at the corner. He wanted to reprimand her for scaring him to death, but found no good business reason. She did what she had to to lure in the terrorists.
"I'm sorry, it was dark," Acma muttered. "Have you seen Trepie #23 on your way here?"
"She's conscious. Devie has taken her to safety. Let's get back. Can you walk?" Zyma coldly replied.
"Thanks Hyne!" She smiled in relief, "I'm fine, just some bruises."
Zyma nodded slightly, turning towards the unconscious terrorists, but he was interrupted by Acma.
"Um... wait. Can I borrow your jacket? Mine was taken, and... I'm kind of cold," she rubbed her arm.
Without hesitation, Zyma immediately took off his cadet uniform jacket and gave it to her. "Reckless... You're sure you haven't drained too much blood?"
"No," she promptly protested. "You can Scan me, I'm fine."
Zyma sighed, then cast Sleep Powder on the remaining terrorists, ensuring they remained unconscious throughout the journey back. He carefully scooped up both terrorists into his arms, balancing their weight. "Alright, let's go."
"Um... do you need any help?" Acma rolled her eyes at Zyma's display of strength. She knew he was capable, but carrying two bulky terrorists through a narrow passage was no easy feat.
"Shut up and follow me closely. The woman is unconscious, but there may be a few more lurking around," Zyma commanded.
Together, they cautiously navigated through several chambers until they reunited with Devie and Raddie.
"Acma! You're alive!" Raddie exclaimed, his voice tinged with both fear and relief. He gently held her shoulders, his gaze scanning her from head to toe, contemplating whether to embrace her. "Are you hurt?"
"I wasn't, but I am now," Acma chuckled weakly, appreciating Raddie's concern.
"I was terrified when I heard that you were down here with at least three terrorists," Raddie admitted. "I'm afraid I can't see you again…"
"Ahem..." Zyma cleared his throat, his voice interrupting their reunion. "Need some help here! Focus, cadets!"
Raddie finally releasing his grip on Acma and joined Devie in assisting Zyma with the captured terrorists. "I'm sorry, Senior Zyma!"
Zyma pointed in a direction. "There's another woman that way. Take her with us too."
"Roger!" Raddie quickly followed the direction pointed by Zyma.
"Wait! I'm coming with you. She has my jacket!" Acma exclaimed.
Ha… Zyma's gaze lingered on Acma's back, adorned in his cadet uniform, as she hastened to join Raddie.
Garden Committee's office.
"When I returned to find Trepie #23, they had already stabbed her and taken her healing kit," Acma began recounting the events to the committee. "I was eavesdropping, and gathered that besides the woman, there was another terrorist, which I believe was the leader. They found me and threatened to kill Trepie #23 if I didn't comply with their orders. I lied to them, that I'm just a medic without weapon, claiming my blood type was O and that I had a siphon to transfer blood to anyone injured on their side if they spare Trepie #23's life. I notice the woman was bleeding quite a lot, potions wouldn't help, so she definitely would need my blood," she continued.
"I demonstrated how my blood could safely transfer to Trepie #23 to save her and gain their trust at the same time. I knew our blood types were compatible. The man then tied my hands with my lasso and connected the siphon between me and the woman. Together, we headed toward their leader. However, it didn't take long for my blood to clot in the woman's system, causing her to lose consciousness. I seized the opportunity to escape deeper into the maze. Knowing my way around my lasso, I freed myself, and then used it to lure the terrorists into my hiding chamber. I incapacitated the leader first, and Zyma found me shortly after I had taken down the other man. But what I couldn't understand was that the leader didn't seem as injured as our intelligence had indicated," Acma concluded, leaving a mystery hanging in the air.
"The woman," Raddie answered, "was actually the leader of the terrorist group. She had disguised herself as a subordinate. I discovered that after watching the footages over and over again."
"Oh..." Acma realized, her eyes widening. "That's why the man stayed by her side the entire time and didn't chase after me. I suppose once Zyma made his way into the chamber, he eventually left her and found me."
"Very well, it seems we have all the necessary information," Xu remarked, glancing at Nida. "Is there anything else we need to address?"
"I believe that covers it. The villagers have all been rescued and treated. Aside from minor injuries and trauma, they should recover without complications. Our client has been officially signed off the mission as a success," Nida reported. "Trepie #23 is recovering quickly. Dr. Kadowaki said she can resume her operational duties in a few weeks. Overall, good job everyone! Please wait for the final decision on the seed exam results in a few days."
As the meeting came to an end, people started to leave the room.
Zyma approached Acma and whispered in her ear. "Men's room."
"What?" She rolled her eyes.
"Business," he replied, then made his way to the door.
That jerk never stopped driving her crazy. It was as if he were a magnet, and she was inevitably drawn to him. Who on earth meets in a restroom to discuss work?
She waited until everyone had left the room, then waited a bit more before leaving herself. She glanced left and right, ensuring no one was in the hallway, before knocking on the men's room door on the same floor.
Zyma quickly opened the door and pulled her inside before locking it.
"Ouch! Let me go!" she squeaked in pain.
"How are your wounds?" he asked.
"I'm not wounded, just bruised from broken blood vessels, and now they hurt again, thanks to you!" she yelled but then realized she was in the men's room, lowering her voice. "Can you please not hurt me like that again? Not a single day goes by without you twisting my wrist!"
"I'm sorry. But you're lucky I kept your bloody trick off the record. They would have automatically disqualified you for endangering yourself had they known the truth," Zyma replied. He couldn't help but be curious. "How were you able to fight with that much blood loss? I traced your blood trail… it was a lot." he asked Acma.
A mischievous smile played on Acma's lips as she revealed a bag of red liquid hidden beneath her cadet uniform. "I wasn't bleeding for real. I've learned my lesson," she said. "I keep a supply of my own blood, extracting 100cc a day. Regarding the blood loss due to transfusion, I used two siphons to recover the blood loss faster. I'll redesign your siphon to include an extra storage chamber and a motor pistol to accelerate the transfusion rate. Timeth also has a brilliant idea, that he can enable it to precisely control the desired HP. If I can set my HP to 1 within seconds, then perform my Duo Limit Break with a dark GF like Quezacotl…"
Zyma scoffed. "You're... unbelievable."
Acma wasn't sure if that was a compliment, as there was a tint of disappointment in his eyes.
"Out of all the martial arts training I taught you in the past six months, you still rely on your magic and resort to your suicidal moves. I don't know what to say, Acma. I regret showing you my siphon trick."
"I..."
"You're not going to stop using it, are you?" he interjected. "The thrill of being a badass, having everything under control, is addicting."
He walked toward the door and twisted the knob, about to leave her.
"Whatever you do, promise me, don't die."
"Tch... What is it that you're doing?" Acma began to cry. "I'm tired of your games, Zyma. Why do I need to promise you anything? Is this 'talk' solely business? Oh, I forgot, I'm not allowed to ask questions. You'll probably just walk away now."
"I don't..."
Before Zyma could say something, the door was pushed open by someone, causing Acma to startle and quickly retreat into a toilet stall.
"Oh, sorry," Nida walked in.
"Sorry," Zyma said hastily, then left the restroom.
He waited outside, but she didn't come out even long after Nida had left the restroom.
He walked in, and found the window wide open.
Empty.