Chapter 5:

Schale Building Office

Liam Benson, Benson's Buccaneers, Schale

Kivotos Independent Star System Deep Periphery

22 May 3059

Liam had a few expectations when he prepared himself for meeting with unknown leaders of factions. Perhaps they would be wearing formal business suits and give him stern looks. Maybe he would finally meet a male 'student' with his visitors. He even expected most of them to have their firearms pointed at him and Wakamo.

He did not expect someone with an old machine gun of Germanic design to not only accompany Chinatsu but to be so short.

At first, he thought she was a junior to Chinatsu despite the dark clothes she wore and the horns that protruded from behind her. She seemed to have odd wings, like a bat, perhaps? That wasn't right either. They were too thin to be like that, but Liam knew that those wings were not like the bird or angel-like ones Hasumi or Suzumi had. With all that together, it seemed fitting that she came from a school with a name similar to what he now understood was the original name of Hell. With the looks the others were giving her, Liam assumed her to be some sort of leader figure. That was quite odd.

If Liam got a C-bill every time he met a ruler or leader of a significant faction that was short, he would have two C-bills. It was not a massive sum of money, but it was strange it happened twice.

Liam shook off that line of thinking and nodded at the one visitor he was familiar with. "Chinatsu, it is a pleasure to see you again," Liam smiled as he looked at the short white, white-haired girl, "and a pleasure to see you, miss?"

The girl remained stoic in her expression as she looked at him with her purple snake-like eyes. "Sorasaki Hina," she said, her eyes fixated on him, "I don't understand why you sent a message to meet with me. The Disciplinary Committee is not the student council of Gehenna, unlike the Tea Party guests beside me."

Liam winced slightly as he motioned for Wakamo to close the office door and ensure no one else was there, peering in on the conversation. "From what little I could gather about the state of Kivotos in my short time here, thanks to Yuuka and Noa from Seminar, your school's leadership is hardly the most rational of organizations. While I want to be open in my dealings as much as possible, considering the premise of this meeting, I felt it best to go to you rather than them."

A laugh came from the pink-haired Trinity guest. From what Liam could see, she wore a white sleeveless dress with its skirt starting higher up on her waist, her shoulders only covered by a white capelet. Various gold buttons, trimmings, and even a sizeable blue bow. She was clearly trying to follow some fashion, with her wings adorned with ornaments, and her hair had a side bun with purple flowers, from what he could see. However, he couldn't explicitly tell what type of flowers they were. Still, her fashion and white reminded him of a certain Steiner. Personally, he hoped she was more like Melissa rather than Katherine.

"Considering who you are referring to, I'm not surprised you thought of them like that." She added and gave a less than pleased glace to Hina and Chinatsu, "After all, these are Gehen-"

She was thankfully silenced as a rolled pastry was inserted into her mouth. Her gold-like eyes held annoyance, likely due to being interrupted and having the strange pastry in her mouth. She glanced to her left and looked at who she had come in with. Compared to the pink-haired one, this girl dressed far more conservatively. Her dress was more modest, and her capelet was adorned with a dark grey bow. Her eyes were similar to the pink-haired one, and her hair held flowers as well, though it seemed to try to compliment her ashen-blonde hair. She looked at her compatriot as she had a strained smile. "Mika, I said we were to behave for this. So, unless you want another cake roll, I suggest you keep such comments to yourself for now."

Despite their language differences, it was clear to Liam that this student was more posh with her word choice. From what he recalled, that seemed more in line with how Davions, like his mother, would conduct themselves publically. Though he wasn't too sure, he mostly talked to Leaguers or Lyrans. "I thank you for your cooperation during this goodwill meeting, though forgive me for saying I don't know your name either."

The blonde-haired woman squinted at Liam. From what he could tell from her attitude towards him and the fact she brought a third person with her, who he guessed was from the same group Hasumi was from, she, at best, didn't trust him. "Kirifuji Nagisa, acting host of the Tea Party." Nagisa bowed slightly and attempted to regain a formal composure, "Considering the circumstances, I am also surprised you wanted to meet with us."

That was an odd choice of words. "Acting host? Is someone else meant to be this 'host' as you call it?"

Nagisa's gaze turned down while Mika, who seemed to have almost finished the cake roll in her mouth, stopped chewing and had a slight unhinged gleam in her eyes. "It is supposed to be Seia, but there was an incident…" Nagisa whispered out.

Liam grasped his hands together to hide his frown. Was whoever was responsible for the GSC president's possible fate also attacked this Seia individual, or were the circumstances unrelated? If they were related, did this Seia have the strange power he was told about yesterday? His penultimate opponent was very clever if he was this far ahead of him. Considering how well Rin took the news of a likely fate for the President, it would be best to be careful with his wording. "You have my sympathies in the matter," Liam said as he went for the tea he brewed and poured a cup before Nagisa, "I am not the best tea brewer, but I think you could use a cup."

Nagisa blinked a few times as she looked at the tea and then returned to him. She was likely surprised. Most mercenaries preferred coffee. After all, it seemed like a universal stereotype. She hesitantly grabbed the cup before her and bowed slightly again. "I thank you for your kindness," she took the cup up to her nose and sniffed, "Earl Grey?"

"Aye, a personal favourite of mine." Liam smiled softly as he contemplated pouring a cup for himself as well. Perhaps not. The tea was for guests, after all.

Nagisa looked down at the tea in her hands and hesitantly sipped it. She seemed hesitant at first, yet after the first sip, she appeared to have a content smile, and her eyes were closed. Bringing back the cup to her lips, she happily hummed as she sipped more.

Mika finished the pastry in her mouth and smiled cheekily at Nagisa. "Wow, Nagi-chan, you really seem to enjoy that tea! Maybe after this, you can ask him to-"

As if on cue, Nagisa put down the cup of tea and reinserted another cake roll into Mika's mouth. "Mika, I said behave." Her cheeks were flushed as her left eye twitched. "If you can't keep your mouth shut, especially over topics like that, I will ensure that is all you're allowed to eat!"

That comment made Mika go from annoyance to a tinge of fear as she nibbled on the second pastry. For Liam's part, he felt as if he was watching a skit. "I don't mean to be hasty, but perhaps it would be best to get to the crux of the issue here."

Nagisa nodded, her eyes squinted at Liam. "I did not think this was just a standard hello meeting." Her tone was tense as she sipped the tea Liam had poured for her. "What could have sparked such a surprise meeting with so many reporters?"

"The press being here was not something I wanted. I will address them swiftly afterwards." Liam glanced at the black-haired student near Nagisa and debated between two possibilities. He messed up before. Best not to do so again. "It may seem strange, Nagisa, but considering how confidential what I am about to tell you all is, can your guest step outside for now? This isn't for casual ears."

Nagisa frowned as she looked at Liam. For a moment, he thought she would say no and refuse his idea outright. However, she seemed to reconsider as she offered a softer look. "It would please me if the Fox of Calamity would also not be here. You ask me to trust you, and I think it is fair for you to ask something similar of you."

She had a point. Wakamo already knew much of this from yesterday, so she had no reason to be here. "I can accept that compromise. The two can ensure no reporters sneak up here while we talk."

Nagisa seemed to smile as she gave another sip of his tea. "Then we are in agreement." She looked over to the black-winged girl and nodded. "If anything happens, don't hesitate."

"You got it!" The student smiled while her eyes were still closed. "You can trust me!"

With that, the student made it to the door. As she did this, Liam looked at Wakamo and nodded similarly. He didn't need to say the same thing Nagisa had. He already knew Wakamo would do that without him stating the obvious. Once the two left, Liam looked back at the remaining guests. "I thank you all once more for coming. I wanted to discuss the missing GSC President and what I know regarding the situation."

A heavy silence hung over the room as all eyes fixed on him. "If I may, Liam-sensei, did that device you had in your hands two days ago hold some information regarding her disappearance?" Chinatsu politely broke the silence as she recalled the minor incident in the basement.

"In a way, yes, but I also want to discuss something beyond that device as I have been trying to piece together things I know to get a clearer picture."

Hina seemed to mirror Nagisa's expression as she also began to frown. "What do you mean by that?"

Liam considered his following words for a moment. He wasn't as silver-tongued as he would like to be in Japanese, so getting his ideas across to others here was harder. "Let me start with the device first since Chinatsu here brought it up." Liam fished for the Shittim Chest again and gently placed the device before him. Arona's visage was clear as day, and she hummed a tune while she sat on one of the desks inside the device. "If I may be so bold, what you all see before you is a blank screen right now, yes?"

Nagisa and the others looked down at the device and simultaneously squinted their eyes. Nagisa, for her part, seemed the least amused. "Is this an attempt at a joke?"

"No," Liam injected quickly to try and stop that line of thought, "this strange device, for some reason, filters the perception of individuals around it, thus hiding its true nature. If I could have a volunteer, I would need you to hold your finger at the bottom of the device."

It took a moment, but Liam saw Chinatsu look over to Hina first. "If you don't mind, I know Liam-sensei seems odd, but he isn't really the kind of person to trick people. I can confirm what he said if you want."

Hina took a deep breath and considered it for a moment. Her purple eyes shifted back to Chinatsu as she nodded, "Very well, if you think that is the case, I will trust what you see."

Chinatsu bowed her head slightly and then looked back to Liam. "If I may then, Liam-sensei?"

Liam couldn't help but smile softly as he nodded, "By all means, and thank you for the words of confidence."

Chinatsu nodded back to Liam. Hesitantly, she touched the device as her face took on the oh-so-familiar trance-like state.

All eyes were trained on her with curiosity. Liam could have sworn he felt a strange tension in the air. Liam was not worried; seeing a diminutive form of Chinatsu on the screen assured him that nothing was wrong. However, why he and others could not hear what was happening within the device was strange. Perhaps Arona could only be heard when she wants to be heard? He should investigate that later.

Chinatsu's small avatar disappeared after a few minutes, and her face lost its trance-like state. She looked down at the Device as Arona waved at her in earnest. She seemed surprised as she looked back at Hina. "Liam-sensei is indeed correct. It may sound far-fetched, but an AI appears to be looking at everyone here. Though her appearance…"

Hina raised an eyebrow in intrigue. She looked towards Liam and bowed her head respectfully. "If I may, could I see this for myself? I trust what I was told, but I want to see it myself."

"As would I," Nagisa placed down the teacup she was sipping from, "it clearly isn't some sort of trap you made, so I would rather see for myself rather than just assume what I am being told is true."

Mika finished the second pastry she was forced to eat as she pouted. "Ah, I don't wanna be the only one left out. Can I do it with Nagi-chan, too!?"

Well, that was much better than what he was worried about. "By all means, it is more than possible for multiple people to interface with it at a time. I won't stop you if you all want to see for yourselves. I don't like hiding things from others unless absolutely necessary."

The three remaining students nodded before they, too slowly, went to touch the device. When the three of them entered that trance-like state, Chinatsu seemed surprised as she looked down at the screen. "Is it normal to see those who touch it appear on it?"

Liam nodded. "Has been like that every time so far. I would be more surprised if that did not happen at this stage."

Chinatsu hummed at the information, yet Liam could not tell what she was thinking about what he said.

The three finally regained sentience in their bodies as they looked directly at Liam. Nagisa seemed the most on-edge of the three. "I barely met her, but that AI seems similar to the GSC President."

"Indeed," Liam breathed as he glanced down at Arona's form, "Rin confirmed as much to me as well. Arona, are you sure you have nothing on the GSC President? I know you told Rin that, but I just want to be sure."

Arona shook her head as she seemed sad. 'I am sorry, Liam-sensei, but I still have no data on her or her disappearance.'

The others jumped at Arona's voice. Liam guessed they expected it to come from the Shittim Chest itself, not in their heads. "I didn't doubt you, Arona. I just assumed that would be something they were going to ask."

Hina folded her arms as her eyes squinted even more at Liam. "I assume that is because the acting President did the same?"

"Indeed." Liam was glad to get through that part faster than with Rin. He just hoped what he was about to say was just as quick. "If I may guess some more, you're all wondering if I have information on the missing President. Though all I have is speculation."

"Well, what is it?" Mika stated. Her attitude made her seem the cheeriest in the room, which was odd to Liam. "It isn't nice to leave us in suspense."

She did have a point. Liam knew keeping what he knew to himself wouldn't help anyone. "I have two possible theories, one more optimistic, the other grim. I'll let you decide which one you want to hear first."

"The grim one," Hina said without hesitation. "Best to get that out of the way."

Well, that was one way to look at it. It was a perspective Liam preferred, and it also helped to end things on a good note. "Very well. I will try to phrase it as best as possible." If Liam could have used the most direct words, that would have been better for him, but he remembered the chastisement Arona and Yuuka gave him. "There is a possibility that the GSC President is no longer with us."

A silence hung in the room as visible shock washed over all the faces of the occupants. "Does that mean…" Chinatsu started but could not finish.

"Afraid so." Liam still wished that theory was wrong but knew it was better to be realistic about it. "I already discussed this with Rin and Millenium's leadership yesterday, which is another reason I wanted to inform you all. I requested Rin to take precautions if that theory is true for everyone's sake. Still, as I am not even from this planet, I am letting her decide on the finer details of what that means."

Nagisa raised her cup of tea. Her hands trembled as she slowly sipped on the liquid. "I-if I may ask, how can you reach that as a conclusion?"

It was remarkable that she remained calm with Liam despite what he knew about how the locals see death. "Before I even met Rin, and after I was no longer where I called home, I found myself on what I could only tell was an ancient train. The skyline was that which I now know as Kivotos, and the train itself was abandoned, except for one other person, the one who I can only assume was the GSC President. To put it bluntly, her condition was not great…"

Liam did not wish to elaborate more based on how Rin took it, and with their faces as they were now, they did not need to know. It was weird to see others like this. Liam was always called soft for disliking Solaris games, and seeing others more squeamish than himself was strange. Not that he thought less of them for it. Better to not like it than to be numb to the idea.

"Then what was the other theory?" Mika piped up as she seemed still unsettled over everything.

"Well, fortunately, due to some intelligence Seminar's secretary gave me, I was told that there is someone who can see futures that was meant to be your school's current 'chair'." Liam looked over to Nagisa as he could already guess he wouldn't hear her say she could do that. "I am sorry to ask this, but you are not her, are you?"

Nagisa shook her head slowly as she could not look him in the eyes. "Seia is quite sick and…"

Liam held up a hand. "I am sorry to ask, but is that normal for her?"

Nagisa shook her head.

Liam hummed as he processed the information in his head. Perhaps whoever was at least responsible for the GSC president's disappearance did not kill her yet. After all, he assumed his opposite was at least as cunning as he was. If he knew someone could predict what was to come and could stop his unit's attack plans based on information they could get passively, his first priority would be to at least disable her. Perhaps Rin would get to see the President again.

"Thank you for the information, even if it was hard to say." Liam bowed his head slightly as he looked directly at Nagisa. "It gives me more confidence that the second theory is more likely."

"if I may interrupt," Hina politely interjected, "but what is this second theory of yours?"

That was a fair question. "To keep it short, during that time on a train, I noticed odd things that made me dismiss it as reality. The most prominent thing was that the ground behind me disappeared as I walked forward. Based on what I heard, the theory is that rather than being a memory of something that did happen, it is more something that could happen in the future."

"But if that was the future, wouldn't it be set in stone?" Mika asked as she looked up in thought. "I might not be the smartest girl, but you'd think that if something is shown to happen, it will happen."

"Such a guess would require infinite wisdom and intelligence, something mortal people lack." Liam may disagree with Calvinists on aspects of faith, but he had a better understanding than most. "Such wisdom and intelligence could only be attributed to one source, none of who are physically with us today."

"What did you want with us since you told us this information?" Nagisa got serious once more as she seemed to return to her usual self, at least as far as Liam knew it.

"I merely want cooperation in keeping your planet in order. Working against the significant powers of the local populace to maintain order is counterproductive. I want everyone on the same page to avoid misunderstandings and encourage cooperation." Or, at the very least, for them not to get in the way.

"A bit surprising," Hina said as she seemed to soften slightly, "I wouldn't have expected that from an adult."

'Well, Liam-sensei isn't the most normal of people. When he had all of Kivotos in his hands, he just let it go and had me give the power back to the GSC.'

Hina recoiled slightly in surprise, and Nagisa did too. Hina, though, seemed to at least smile slightly. "I see. A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one. Perhaps the Eden Treaty will still happen despite everything…"

"Provided that it doesn't involve full-scale war, I don't see why I would be against it." Liam leaned back in his chair and gave a small smile. "Let's just hope it doesn't end like the FedCom Accords."

"F-F, how do you pronounce that?" Chinatsu struggled with the English, which was a typical sight for Liam.

"That would take learning a whole new language to understand, something I am afraid we won't have time for."

"You speak multiple Languages? That's amazing!" Mika exclaimed in excitement.

"Indeed, first was English, as you all heard. Fourth is Japanese which is I am speaking right now. Dies ist die Sprache, die ich am zweitbesten beherrsche, aber ich spreche sie immer noch zu selten. That being German of course. As for my third best, to have a little fun based off your school's name of Trinity, you are led in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti, if I had to guess."

Nagisa blinked three times as Liam finished talking. "Were you quoting scripture with that last language?"

"No, but I can if you want." Liam chuckled as he imagined reading Romans word for word. At least as best as he could into Japanese.

"Regardless of that trivia," Hina interjected as she raised a hand, "I thank you for coming forth and telling us directly who you are and what your intentions are. Part of me wondered what everything would be like with Schale existing." Hina looked over to Chinatsu and nodded at her. "If you don't mind, I can at least have Chinatsu here visit to provide assistance from time to time. I am too busy to offer anything more with the state of Gehenna."

"Any help is welcome. I quite like Chinatsu. She seems rather pleasant." Liam stated bluntly with a smile.

Chinatsu blinked a few times, then looked away. "I-I look forward to helping you whenever I can, Liam-sensei."

Liam nodded, though confused about why she wasn't looking at him. Did he say something to upset her?

Nagisa coughed, and Liam looked back at her. "I am sad to say Trinity can't offer anyone now, but I still thank you for the openness."

"It is fine," Liam tried to reassure Nagisa as he held up both hands, "I expect you have your hands full with things on your end, too. Merely a promise to cooperate is fine with me."

"I can arrange for that, Liam-sensei."

Well, this meeting went better than Liam expected. "Excellent, I thank you all for coming once more. If you would like, I can escort you out of the building and at least try to keep the reporters off of you all."

It didn't take much persuasion to convince them that the press was more trouble than it was worth.

"In today's news, we here at Kronos School of Journalism have the first interview with Schale's mysterious Sensei. He may not look it, but he is friendlier than he-"

Liam shut off the television and dropped the remote.

After today, dealing with reporters was the last thing he wanted to be reminded of. Due to the meeting, how Schale's appearance was sudden, and the lack of warning from the GSC, it was to be expected. Still didn't mean he liked the press at all. It drained his energy to not tell them off.

Yet he still could not rest.

He had lessons to learn to read Japanese to get through if he was to be in top form to do anything. Another night of little sleep wouldn't kill him, but he could use another cup of tea.

"Here you go~," An unknown voice said behind him as a cup he didn't own was set before him.

Liam jolted backwards and spun around. Before him was a girl with pink hair and eyes in a white and pink uniform. She had a headband and a black bag hanging off her right side that gave him the impression she was perhaps a nurse student. Still, Liam was shocked. How did she get in here? He was sure the doors were locked, and Wakamo was still asleep. "Who are you? How did you get in here?"

To her credit, the student barely reacted. Then again, it was not like Liam was using the harshest terms to ask that. He doubted that these students were as ruthless as people he knew. She simply smiled and tilted her head slightly. "My name is Serina. You seemed rather tired, so I made this to help you!"

Liam squinted his eyes at the tea and then looked back to Serina. "Well, I was thinking I could use another cup, but that still doesn't explain how you got in or why you would care to do that."

"Well, I have been watching you for some time, and as I am a Remedial Knight, making people smile and feel better is what I do!" Serina stated. Liam wished she would at least tell him how she got in.

Liam looked around. Nothing seemed out of order. None of the panels were misplaced, the doors weren't forced open, and the glass windows in the room weren't shattered. If she wanted to do him harm, it would have been so easy for her to just do that. Instead, she just had a cup of tea ready for him. Considering his experience with Niko, he doubted that she poisoned it either. "Well, thank you for the tea. I could use the extra energy to get more studying done."

Serina seemed displeased at first over those words before she smiled again. "Go ahead," she stated with a smile, "it tastes best when it's warm!"

Liam could not disagree with that. He sat in the chair before the tea and took a long and deep swig. After finishing the cup, though, he didn't have much energy. That was odd. "Serinaa…" was getting harder to speak, "w-what was…" The last thing he felt was the desk where the empty tea cup rested.

Liam groaned as he fluttered his eyes open. He should have been more careful with stuff. Liam let his own trust in the innocence of others get the better of him. He was better than this! Still, Liam doubted he was killed. The students in Kivotos seemed too innocent to consider killing someone despite their willingness towards violence. He looked around where he found himself. It was an expansive open room with a table with various teas and pastries before him. To his right was a night sky look towards what he guessed was a mixture of Kivotos' skyline and ancient pictures of London back on Terra.

If this was Heaven or Hell, they didn't fit his thoughts on what those places would be like.

The sound of a spoon hitting a tea cup interrupted his thoughts.

A blonde girl with fox ears was at the other side of the massive table. Her eyes were iridescent in colour and appeared partly emotionless despite the vivid colouration. Though her uniform stood out most for him, it was like Mika and Nagisa's in colour and with the capelet. As she was unlike those two in appearance and he only knew of one other name of someone in their group, who she was was evident to him.

"I take it this is your doing, Seia of the Tea Party?"

She blinked in surprise, though the rest of her face barely emoted. "How did you guess that, Sensei?"

Just his title? Liam sighed as he leaned back in the chair he found himself in. "I guessed based on your uniform. I do not know if anyone else would likely have a uniform similar to Mika and Nagisa. Ignoring that, you can just call me Liam, yet as I recall the tea and that Serina individual, I doubt this is a friendly meeting, is it?"

His words seemed to cause the most expression from her as she quickly shook her head. "I had nothing to do with her, but guessing from the fact you mentioned tea and her and that you are sleeping, it seems she gave you an herbal tea with melatonin. Based on what I know and see, you were sleeping far too little."

He could not deny he barely got any sleep. Still, Liam wished he was given a cup of Earl Grey instead to keep working. "Well, if this is a dream, where would I wake up, bound in some chair and kidnapped by that Serina fellow?"

"More likely your bed with a warm breakfast to wake up to in the morning," Seia stated matter-of-factly as she sipped a cup of tea. "She would not even think of harming others after all, even if she can be unnerving to some with how fast and sudden her aid can come."

Well, that was a relief. Liam considered being extra alert in the future if someone else did that, but at least he got lucky this time that someone was trying to help him rather than harm him. "I see. That is more comforting to know that I didn't get myself killed over doing something foolish. Yet I doubt you are here to just tell me that in my dreams, or are you here to be my sleep paralysis demon tonight?"

"Perish the thought." Seia quickly shut down that line of thinking with an unamused glare. "Though you are right that I did wish to find you, Sensei of Schale, considering all I have seen."

Again, she stated what she had seen. Perhaps the idea she could see futures wasn't too farfetched then. "So you saw something coming that made you want to see me. What awaits my future then?" Liam smiled in amusement as he doubted anything others could guess would be true.

Seia closed her eyes and became more sombre. "Regarding you specifically, that was something I could not directly see, no matter how hard I tried."

"So you are saying you can see futures then?" Liam considered he was dealing with a false prophetess for a moment, but considering how strange Kivotos was based on these students alone and the walking robot people, perhaps it was less of a stretch of the imagination that some had mystical powers as well.

"Indeed, I have seen many things, all of which have led to the end of the world."

Liam grasped his hands together. Seeing them before him made him almost recoil in shock; his body was formless! It was a dream if what Seia was said to be was true so he could recompose himself as he refocused on the girl on the other side of the table. "Believe it or not, that is hardly the first time I have heard something like that. The GSC President said that before when I last saw her."

Seia's eyebrows raised at the utterance of his words. "The GSC President? You already know where she is?"

That was a curious choice of words on her part. "No, but if you can see the future, wouldn't you know she is dead?" Liam had to at least confirm if that idea was accurate. If he could, it would save him a lot of work.

Seia sighed as she shook her head. "I have not seen her die in any of my visions. Her fate eludes me despite the fate that awaits the others…"

Well, at least there was still a chance she was alive somewhere. That was as good news as any to Liam. "You mentioned this dark future in visions often. I can't say I am not curious what it could possibly entail."

Seia closed her eyes as she seemed to be in thought. "I had thought that knowing the inevitable would do nothing to change its course. Any other visions I had were always set in stone reality. No matter what I do, the future will always come." Seia opened her eyes as she sighed and looked up to Liam. "And yet part of me feels that perhaps you might be the difference."

Liam raised his right eyebrow in curiosity. "What could have led you to that conclusion?"

Seia glanced down at the floor before looking back at Liam once more. "I had a vision not like the others, one that showed me something horrible, but you at the end. I can recreate it here if you like."

"By all means," Liam motioned for her to go on, "I am curious to see what you saw."

Seia stood up and bowed. She took a few steps from the table and took a deep breath. "Very well, Sensei, I just ask you to remain calm."

Liam nodded as he watched her do something with her eyes closed. Liam stood from his chair as the room faded into a black void. Liam was anxious about what he would see and what Seia saw to lead her to him. Then he heard a somewhat familiar sound that he was familiar with as a mercenary.

The sound of battle.

He heard English commands over enemy 'Mechs moving in on their positions as men in stark white uniforms faded in. Liam was never here, but as he glanced around, he knew that with the sight of the damnable Com Guards and the Clan BattleMechs and Elementals approaching a fortified position, he knew what this was.

The Battle of Tukayyid.

Liam didn't have to be an expert to know that Tukayyid was a slaughter for both sides. Autocannons and lasers fired as men and women fell against the invader clans. He even saw one of the poor sods try to bayonet an Elemental, a futile effort as his head was crushed like a grape. Yet that was part of the Inner Sphere strategy of the battle, as, with almost perfect timing, the ground erupted from the shell of a Long Tom artillery piece, impacting where they stood, no doubt killing the elemental star that rushed the position.

The smoke cleared as they stood in nothing but a crater. As a Mad Cat approached the crater, an Atlas came from the Com Guards' positions and intercepted it with a punch to the cockpit. The mighty clan war machine, a symbol of the ferocity that spearheaded their invasion into the Federated Commonwealth, Free Rasalhague Republic, and Draconis Combine before, could not help but stagger back. Liam saw the Clan MechWarrior, a so-called trueborn test tube freak, looking on in horror as the Atlas' class twenty autocannon no doubt turned him into paste inside his command coach.

The mighty Atlas, a 'Mech his mother once piloted, strode forward towards the clans. A fresh platoon of Com Guards infantry followed behind it, screaming as they entered the fray.

The scene soon faded as Liam found himself back on the Bradford, on a day he remembered as they deployed to be garrison forces on Coventry before Clan Jade Falcon attacked the planet. His father and other lance mates were already in their 'Mechs, as a copy of himself, as formless as he was, was lowered into the command coach of his Blackjack, modified to be a BJ-3. Once his past self sat in the command chair and put on the Neurohelmet, the machine's onboard AI rang out. "Confirmed brainwaves of Crimson four, Commander Liam Benson. Enter authorization code and voice print."

"Hosanna." He and his past self repeated in synch. It was the one he liked the best; his father had his own for the Highlander, and he would never dare to change it, even if he were to pilot it again after his father's demise and his promotion to colonel.

The scene faded for a final time as he and Seia stood in an empty void, with only each other as company. "Despite the cruelty of that previous scene, I can not help but feel you are the only one who can save Kivotos."

Liam hummed in thought. "I was not at that battle. Tukayyid was a place only ComStar and the clans fought at to decide the future of the Inner Sphere seven years ago. The clans lost, but they soon attacked the world of Coventry, sparking the formation of the second Star League. I had heard of a planned counterattack on Clan Smoke Jaguar called Operation Bulldog, but I don't know if that was a success. All I know is I survived on Coventry and helped that remain free from Jade Flacon claws."

Seia seemed saddened as she looked down. "I am sorry to say, I can't see the future of where you came from to give you some hope."

Liam shrugged. "It is fine, I don't think the clans could win against a united Inner Sphere, so I don't fear that. Yet I would like to know about the future you discussed earlier."

Seia looked up in shock as she considered his proposal. "Are you certain? Wouldn't knowing it just cause it to happen in the end for you?"

"I doubt it," Liam dismissed as he gave a smile, "it is a future, not the future, and besides," Liam chuckled as he recalled his favourite cartoon to watch, "it's like the major always said, information is ammunition."

Seia sighed as she seemed to prepare to do what she had previously done. "I'll let that slide this time, but don't make saying that a habit."

Liam nodded in agreement. He didn't want to anger her.

Then, the images came.

Liam didn't comprehend much of what Seia was showing him. It mainly comprised images of people he didn't know after all. What he could piece together was the corpse of Hina. Seia was on some kind of life support. Mika with crazed eyes covered with blood. And a Red Sky with an unknown tower where the Sanctum Tower should be.

Finally, however, rested a scene of a destroyed building and a dreary skyline as rain fell hard. The first thing Liam noticed was a woman with wolf ears and a cracked halo walking towards a crippled Highlander. She had a rifle hanging on her right side as she aimed an old pistol at the same formless occupant that Liam guessed was meant to be himself. He gave a quick glance to Seia and, to his surprise, was in complete shock. Was something different from what she had seen before?

He didn't have much time to think as three gunshots rang out, and the scene faded away.

As the darkness soon welcomed the two of them once more, Seia shook as she looked down. "Why? None of that was…"

So it was different. Still, the idea of getting shot like that was hardly pleasant to Liam, but it did give him two vital pieces of information. First, whatever this whole vision was about, he should tackle it with the utmost seriousness he can offer. The second, Seia's visions weren't fixed.

"Well, I can see why you were disturbed over that," Liam tried his best to console her, "considering what I know of Kivotos, I doubt any of that would be well on the psyche."

"But that machine and you, that wasn't there before!"

That is what had her up in shock? "What was there before that made seeing my father's 'Mech and my form so shocking?"

Seia took a deep breath as she closed her eyes. "What I recall before was a man in a grey business suit with brown eyes and black hair. There was certainly not this 'Mech, there nor your form in the picture."

"Perhaps so, but I see that as comforting," Liam admitted without hesitation.

Seia looked utterly confused as she didn't comprehend what he was getting at. "How would seeing yourself die make you more comfortable?!"

"Simple, you said you were worried about what you saw being fixed futures. If something like that changed, then what you saw isn't truly fixed now, is it?"

Seia blinked once, twice, then thrice before she gave a small smile. "If one looks at it like that, it would be comforting. Though perhaps instead, it just shows how strange you are, Liam-sensei."

Guess he was on a name basis now. "I never said I was normal. Again, thank you for coming to me. First, I'll redouble my efforts to stop your bad visions when I wake up. Consider it a promise from me to you."

Seia smiled softly as she closed her eyes. "I look forward to that, Liam-sensei."

The dark void soon began to be replaced with more light as Seia's form became more complicated to see.

"It seems you are waking up now, a pity. I would have preferred to talk with you more."

"Perhaps next time then, and over a topic less grim."

Seia smiled as her form disappeared. "I would like that."

Liam heard birds chirping as he opened his eyes. His back was on something soft as he smelled rice and fish next to him. Liam had forgotten how soft beds could be. Most of the time, he slept on the bad beds on the Bradford or inside the command chair of a 'Mech. Personally, he wished that he wouldn't get used to that softness. It would make going to sleep in those areas harder in the future.

Liam sat up with a groan as he looked over to the food and began scarfing it down. "Guess Seia was right," Liam uttered between bites as he ate the food Serina prepared for him. She even made him a cup of Earl Grey tea this time. The smell of it was unmistakable to him. Despite the subterfuge to get him to sleep, he perhaps should thank her when he had the next opportunity.

There was a knock at the door.

"Darling, you there?" A concerned Wakamo asked on the other side of the door. "Please tell me you are okay!"

Ah, the affectionate call. Wakamo really liked to call him that. "Yeah, I am in here. Come on in, just having some breakfast."

A sigh of relief came from Wakamo as she opened the door. She seemed to have been crying. This was likely because he was not sleeping where he usually was. "Darling, I am so glad no one harmed you. You shouldn't worry me like that!"

It was not like it was his choice. "I was more put here by someone else if I had to guess."

Wakamo seemed to get angry once more as she gave Liam a dead-eye stare. "Who dared to touch you…"

"A student named Serina from a group called the Remedial Knights seemed concerned over my lack of sleep if I had to guess."

Wakamo looked at his face more carefully and blushed. "I didn't notice at first, but you seem younger now…"

Maybe Wojtek was right. He should have been getting more sleep. "I'll try to improve my sleeping habits in the future." Liam bowed slightly, then noticed a letter in Wakamo's hand. "Though I am curious, what do you have right there?"

Wakamo blinked as she extended the letter to Liam. "This was something that was addressed to you specifically. I don't know what it is about, so I rushed to find you."

"I see," Liam took the letter and smiled at Wakamo, "thank you for getting this to me and caring about me."

"Anything for you, darling!"

Wakamo's affection aside, Liam looked at the letter in Japanese writing. He didn't know what it said. He hasn't gotten the language practice he needed to learn how to read Japanese yet. So Liam flipped over the letter and recoiled in shock.

The symbol on the back was the same as the badges that the first wolf girl in the flash of visions Seia showed him had.

Liam quickly opened the letter and rushed to see what was inside, only to frown once more as he was greeted with Japanese text. Liam looked up to Wakamo, who had a concerned expression on her face. "What is wrong, darling?"

Liam needed to know what this said. His gut screamed out to him. He promised Seia he would get serious and never broke a promise. "I need you to read this letter to me, and don't skip a single detail; consider it the most important thing we need to do today."

AN: Howdy folks, I got this out early, as I promised I would. Happy Independence Day to those in my country. I wanted to get this out a week before my birthday, but my editor needed the extra time, so I am sorry. I hope yinz are doing well. We only have one more chapter to go before I get to volume 1 proper, and I am also excited to get there despite the time I took to get here. Let me know what yinz think; I do appreciate any feedback I get. Have a good day.