Boom a new chapter for all of you!
I don't have much to say other than I appreciate all the people that favourite this story, and I hope that my mediocre writing lives up to your expectations.
Also, there's a reference to a very particular 1980s sci-fi film that I wonder if anyone is able to catch
"It was all my fault... My decisions and everything they caused."
"I didn't want to understand at the time... Yet after everything came to ruin, only then did I finally understand you were right all along"
"I spoke of responsibility, of knowing what it truly meant... but I was wrong I never understood it then, but now I do."
"Adulthood, responsibility, obligation and the choices that come along with it... Only now do I understand the implications and the weight that those concepts carry…"
"I put on a brave face, but I was lying to those around me... And even myself
"I was scared…"
"I was deathly afraid of growing up... terrified of adulthood and the responsibility that came with it... but that wasn't all."
"Not only that, but I was also scared of the unknown... The unknowable future that came with adulthood, it left me awake at night sweating in my bed as I tried not to think of all the unknown futures that could lie ahead."
"I was afraid of making the wrong choice, of casting everything Into darkness through my own actions."
"Even now... the fear of the unknown, of making the wrong choice... still makes me tremble with fear."
"Yet, it's ironic in a way. I feared making a wrong decision, of making a wrong choice when it mattered most."
"But that was what led us to ruin, my inability to make any decisions because of my own fear...
"Was the very thing that doomed us."
"Therefore, I'm sorry that I have to ask this of you…"
"But you're the only one I can trust now."
"Only you have the power to free us from this twisted, distorted fate…"
"And find the choices that will lead us to a new reality."
"I don't even know if you will remember these words... But I know... you will make the right decisions."
"So, please... liberate us from this horrible nightmare…"
"Good Hunter."
…
"What do you mean we can't see the president!"
Rin let out a sigh, only seeming to aggravate the student in front of her, as she cleared her throat before repeating herself.
"As I said previously... the general student council president is currently... unavailable at the moment" she tried to keep her voice even and level,
Yet, going by the facial expression of the Academy representative in front of her, it seems that she wasn't fully able to get rid of the condescending tone in her voice.
"Well, make her available then!" Rin felt a vein beginning to bulge on her forehead, as a student, a purple-haired girl by the name of Yuuka again demanded to see the president.
Rin was beginning to lose her patience, she didn't want to outright tell anyone that the president had gone missing, after all it would only make the situation even worse than it already was. But at the same time, it was becoming even more apparent that the student representatives were not going to leave until they got some kind of answer.
"Unfortunately, I can't just do that... T-The president is a very busy person, and I can't just disturb her work for something so meaningless" Rin said to Yuuka and all the other representatives present.
She didn't take any pride or pleasure in lying to their faces like this, but ultimately it felt like the only way to keep the situation from growing even worse. Considering that if news about the president's disappearance got out before the council was ready to make a statement, then who knows what could happen?
"Even if the president cannot see us, can you at least address the rumours that several students under the custody of the federal corrections Bureau have escaped?" Another representative step forward, this one being a student named Chinatsu, a member of the disciplinary committee, who adjusted her black-framed glasses as she waited for a response.
Rin felt her headache only grow. She had completely forgotten about the escaped convicts, yet even though they were perhaps some of the most dangerous criminals currently alive, in terms of overall priority, their catcher and incarceration was a bit low on her list of priorities.
"Unfortunately, the rumours are true, several incredibly dangerous criminals have escaped-" Rin didn't get a chance to finish her words as somebody interrupted her.
"There has been a sharp increase in the number of Thugs attacking students on their way to school. I find it completely deplorable that is a general student council is not doing enough to ensure public safety"
A Trinity student by the name of Suzumi said abruptly. Being one of the most well-known members of Trinity's Vigilante Crew, the issue of public safety was a very hot-button issue for her and her group.
"That is not all. Illegal distribution of Tanks, helicopters and other contraband weapons has increased by over 2000 percent. At this rate, ordinary school life in Kivotos will be a thing of the past."
Another student stepped forward following up Suzumi's comment. Her long black hair flowing behind her as she brushed away some stray hairs from her eyes.
Hasumi, the vice-captain of the Justice Realization Committee, was no stranger to Rin. After all, the black-haired girl was known all across Kivotos both for her beauty and her sense of Justice.
In fact, out of all the Academy representatives gathered before her, Rin went as far as to say that the tall and beautiful vice-captain of The Justice committee, was the one she respected the most, because of her professional attitude despite the situation.
Feeling her migraine from earlier that day beginning to return, Rin pinched the bridge of her nose, letting out a frustrated sigh that certainly caused a few angry gazes to be directed her way. But quite frankly, she had long since passed the point where she cared about what the representatives thought of her.
"I understand... But I'm afraid there's nothing more we can do, the general student council's resources are already stretched thin as it is" Before the words even left her mouth, Rin knew that the answer wouldn't go down well for Academy representatives.
But it was simply the truth, the general student council simply had no more resources to spare, with them being locked out of Sanctum Tower, their power to actually govern the city was extremely limited.
"What!? Are you telling me there's nothing you can do, thousands of academies are in panic! Our wind generator shut down just a few days ago!" Yuuka's reaction was explosive, stomping her foot and disapproval at what the acting general student council president had just told her.
Rin for her part simply nodded her head, finding the purple-haired girl's adverse reaction to her words extremely irritating
"That is most unfortunate to hear... Chairwoman Hina isn't going to be happy about this" Chinatsu said with a sigh, her pointed ears wiggling in disappointment at the thought of the disciplinary committee's head having even more work dumped onto her.
Hasumi looking incredibly disappointed by the statement crossed her arms over her chest, which had the side effect of propping up her ample bosom as her wings flat disapprovingly behind her.
"This entire situation is utterly ridiculous. If the general student council is unable to do anything, then all of Kivotos will become just as lawless as Gehenna" Hasumi said off handily, seemingly not even considering her words as Chinatsu turned to look at her incredulously.
The rivalry between Trinity and Gehenna ran extremely deep, to the point where it wasn't uncommon for groups of students from both academies to actively seek out each other and fight.
And even though Chinatsu was not usually one to let the bad blood between her school and Trinity factor into her decisions, she simply couldn't let this unnecessary slight against her Academy go unmediated.
As such, adjusting her glasses, Chinatsu responded, "You say that like Trinity is any better with regard to supposed lawlessness... In fact, the last time that I checked, I was under the impression that Trinity had experienced a notable increase in unlawful activity under your tenure"
Her words cut deep and Chinatsu knew it, considering that Hasumi almost instantly snapped her head to look at her. An incredulous look on her face, which was filled with both anger and surprise.
"H-how dare you! I'm unsure where you got your information but it is completely wrong! Besides isn't a Gehenna student calling Trinity's supposed rise in crime, the pot calling the kettle black?"
Hasumi's calm and exposed exterior was completely shattered, her elegant and beautiful face taking on an almost animalistic snarl as she accusingly jabbed a finger in Chinatsu's direction. Which the blonde-haired girl didn't particularly appreciate, but kept her cool as she adjusted her glasses once again.
"I wouldn't consider it as such. While the students of Gehenna can be rumbustious and free-spirited, the public safety of our Academy and the district has always been excellent, and I would go as far to say a step above Trinity's"
Chinatsu didn't even try to hide the condescending tone in her voice, which had the desired effect as be black haired Justice committee vice president's face went as red as a tomato, with steam practically flying out of her ears due to how angry she now was.
"Ha! now I find that hard to believe! Gehenna's sorry excuse for a justice system is nowhere even in the same league as trinity's. Especially with that sorry excuse for a chairwoman of yours!" Hasumi quickly closed the gap, aggressively jabbing a finger into Chinatsu's just as the fiery hot words left her mouth.
"T-the nerve! Chairwoman Hina's competency and ability to keep the peace is unmatched, especially compared to that mad dog of a president that your committee has!" Chinatsu's mouth moved before her mind, the fact that this black-haired sow in front of her dared to insult the disciplinary committee's president directed to her face, made the usually calm and collected girl lose all sense of reason.
The atmosphere between the two girls was palpable, to the point where after looking at each other for a moment, Yuuka and Suzumi, both quickly stepped away from the feuding students. Not wanting to get involved in their completely unnecessary argument, which wasn't too far away from escalating into an outright battle.
And even though Suzumi, didn't exactly appreciate Chinatsu's comments about her school, she wasn't stupid enough to go and start an argument over something so trivial.
Rin felt her lips curling to a strained smile, the urge to now smash her head into the nearest wall, increasing to the point where she wasn't sure she could control herself anymore.
However just as Chinatsu and Hasumi drew their weapons, the front doors of the office quickly slammed open, catching everyone by surprise as all of their gazes onto the new individual standing between the now open doors.
"Vice presi- I mean acting president!" the mysterious interrupter, was a young girl of small statue with white hair, her uniform and equipment making it extremely apparent that she was a member of the Valkyrie Police Academy, Kivotos's de facto law enforcement agency.
'Thanks, I'm saved!' Rin screamed mentally, trying to not let her relief show on her face as the young girl quickly ran up to her, doubling over as she tried to recover her breath from seemingly running halfway across the city.
"A-acting P-P-president... I H-have... S-something important to tell you!" The young girl managed to splatter out, between her ragged breaths, her voice noticeably horse and strained.
"I understand, but first, calm down and take a deep breath" Rin gently patted the back of the young girl, urging her to get her breath back before she relied whatever message she had.
And finally managing to catch a breath, the young girl stood up, her eyes completely obscured by her dishevelled hair, with the redness in her cheeks still prominent.
"Acting president! Director Ogata has requested that she needs to speak with you, with regard to somebody that was taken into custody earlier today! She said it's of the utmost urgency!"
The young girl finished her ramble of words with a swift salute, the sudden action causing the hair in front of her eyes to momentarily lift, revealing steel grey eyes.
Rin didn't quite know how to respond at first, both of because of how sudden and strange it was. Kanna Ogata, the director of the Public Peace Bureau, reported directly to Kaya, considering that she was currently the general student council defence chief.
As such the fact that the Valkyrie police officer wanted to speak to her directly was a very strange turn of events. But if it could get her out of dealing with the Academy representatives, then she honestly couldn't have cared less about what the request actually was.
"If it's urgent as you say then I guess I can't refuse, please return to her and say that I will meet her immediately" Rin could easily hear Yuuka's scoff from somewhere behind her, but chose to pay it no mind.
However, instead of immediately answering her request, the young Valkyrie student was seemingly caught off guard by her words, rubbing the back of her head in obvious embarrassment/
"Well, you see, ma'am... Director Ogata sent me ahead to give you a heads-up she would be coming..." the young student continued to nervously laugh, as Rin processed what she had just said.
If Kanna was already on her way here with whoever she had apprehended, clearly it was incredibly serious. To the point where Rin silently hoped that the police captain had managed to somehow capture one of the seven fugitives who had escaped federal custody.
"I see... well thank you for informing me, you may return to your duties officer..." Rin let herself trail off, realising that she never actually got the name of the young Valkyrie student.
"Oh! My name is Mutsu, Cadet Mutsu Kigawa ma'am" The student now revealed to be Mutsu, said with another energetic salute.
"I see, well officer Mutsu... You may return to your duties" Rin could feel the gazes of the student representatives boring into the back of her head, yet honestly she didn't care.
"Of course! Right away, ma'am" The young student, gave a final energetic salute before turning on her heels and running out of the lobby, the large glass door sliding shut behind her as she disappeared.
Unfortunately, though, leaving Rin to once again to be the centre of attention for the irate student representatives.
"So where were we exactly" Rin didn't mean to say that out loud, but her patience had long since worn thin, to the point where she simply just didn't care any more if she came across as condescending.
Yuuka after looking at all the other representatives was the first to speak. How come that you can make time for the Valkyrie police chief, but not us?!"
The frustration was easily apparent in the purple-haired girl's voice, which combined with the frantic tapping of one of her feet, made it obvious to Rin that she wouldn't be able to keep this charade up for much longer.
"The Millennium of representative makes a very good point, How is it the Valkyrie Peace Bureau's chief is easily able to meet with you when we practically had to break in to do so ourselves?" Suzumi said with a questioning look, crossing her arms over her chest in a disapproving manner.
Chinatsu and Hasumi having put a momentary halt to their feud, both added to Suzumi and Yuuka's point.
"That is a very good question, it seems a bit hypocritical that the chief can meet with you on such short notice while we are unable to do so" Chinatsu adjusted her glasses as she spoke.
"As much as it pains me to agree with a Gehenna student, I must concur with her statement" Hasumi crossed her arms over her chest, her huge elegant wings flapping disapprovingly behind her.
Rin kept silent for a moment, not because she couldn't find the words. Oh, she knew exactly what she wanted to say to the gathered Academy representatives, but the choice of words that she wanted to use would only make the situation worse, so biting her tongue to keep the words from coming out was probably the best option.
"The reason why, it's that while the welfare of the individual academies is important, matters of national security for all of Kivotos, come before the concerns of individual academies"
it was a complete lie, and one that she knew wasn't likely to convince them, especially considering that the job of the general student council was to adhere to the concerns of the academies above anything else.
But she hoped that if she made it sound official enough, it was possible to string them along for just long enough to get them to leave or until Kanna got here with whoever she had captured.
Yet judging from the reactions and facial expressions of each of the representatives, it seems that unfortunately, both options were off the table for her, especially when Yuuka stepped forward, a livid expression on her.
"That's the biggest load of crap I've ever heard! The general student council's job is to look out for the academy's well-being above everything else! Yuuka said with an indignant expression on her face.
Hasumi and Suzumi both nodded in agreement with the Millennium representative, while Chinatsu gave the purple-haired girl a disapproving side-eyed glance, clearly not liking her use of profanity. But ultimately still nodding in agreement with her sentiment.
'Well it was worth a shot' Rin thought to herself as she let out a disappointed sigh, she knew that her Gambit wasn't going to work, but still, nobody could blame her for at least trying and or possibly hoping for some kind of miracle.
Yet before she could say another word, the sound that she had been wanting to hear for the last several minutes finally happened. The sound of the foyer doors opening was practically music to her ears, causing how to instantly turn on the spot as she opened her mouth to speak.
"Director Kanna, I got your message, and I've been patiently expecting-" Whatever she was about to say, instantly died in Rin's throat as her eyes came to rest on the familiar form of Kanna Ogata and more importantly the person standing next to her.
Their appearance was truly alien, in fact, it was so different from anything she had ever seen before in her life that Rin didn't have any frame of reference to actually and accurately describe them.
Atop their head was a strange pointed and crooked hat with a very large brim that curled at strange angles as it radiated out from the centre. The surface of the hat was seemingly made of some thick and stiff material that almost looked like stained leather or some other kind of animal skin.
Their shoulders were draped with a black, tattered shawl, held together with large, braided ropes of a dull yellow hue. Many of the ropes appeared to be very old and worn, due to the passage of time. The shawl gathered around their neck, concealing the lower half of their face, then cascaded down their back in the form of a large, tattered, black cloak that trailed behind them like a dark, lingering presence.
Hanging from one of the ropes around their neck, was a strange necklace or emblem of some kind, which to Rin's eye almost looked like a crudely carved skull, made of some metallic-looking material that she couldn't quite identify.
The cloak they were wearing obscured most of their upper body from view, meaning that she could only catch glimpses of what lay beneath. She could see fabric worn and coarse, that had clearly seen better days, the colour of the fabric was a mottled arrangement of dark browns and blacks, with various dark red stains that she couldn't quite identify, due to them being mostly obscured by the cloak.
The sound of their feet against the hard stone floor of the reception had a very particular sound. It was the sound of metal against stone, which Rin didn't quite understand before she caught a glimpse of the stranger's feet beneath their cloak.
She saw metal.
Glistening silver metal boots that terminated in sharp almost talent like points.
Their arms were a similar story, covered in what looked to be gauntlets made of the same kind of silvery metal, with the ends of the fingers terminating in lethally sharp points that, Rin was positive, could easily carve up steel due to how the light glistened off the razor-sharp points.
Yet as the stranger grew closer and closer, she looked up and noticed something that was missing. Something that caused her blood to momentarily run cold.
This person was lacking something that she knew should have been there.
A halo...
This person, whoever they were, had no halo to speak of.
But the shock of that revelation was not all that she felt.
A strange presence suddenly overtook her, it felt like a tremendous weight pressing down on her shoulders to the point where she felt her legs wobble beneath her. It was hard to describe in words. In fact, the only real way that she could even begin to describe it, was that it felt like she was drowning at the bottom of an immense impossibly deep ocean, all the millions of tons of water pressing down on her and threatening to crusher into sheer nothingness.
And taking a glance behind her, she could see that she wasn't the only one. Hasumi, Suzumi, Chinatsu and Yuuka all had the same reaction as she did. With Chinatsu easily being the most affected, considering that the poor girl was currently holding onto the reception desk for dear life.
Breathing in to try and calm her racing heart, Rin managed to regain her composure as the strangely dressed individual and Kanna finally arrived in front of her and the other representatives.
She immediately noticed that Kanna was seemingly just as on edge of she was, considering that her pointed ears were sticking straight up on high alert, with her hand hovering over the holster where her standard issue pistol was held, obviously preparing for any kind of hostile movement that the stranger would make
looking between Kanna and the stranger that was now standing in front of her, was it only now that Rin realised just how incredibly tall this person truly was. The hat atop their head did somewhat skew her observation, them look taller than they actually were, but by her reckoning the individual in front of her had to be at least 6 ft 5 or possibly more.
Rin suddenly realised that a deafening silence had overtaken the lobby, which was only broken by her clearing her throat and speaking.
"Director Ogata, I'm assuming that this is the individual that you took into custody?"
Kanna maintained her sharp and suspicious gaze on the individual beside her, showing no immediate response. After a brief pause, she finally broke away from the staring contest and turned her attention towards Rin, addressing her instead.
"Yeah it is... I was going to take them back to the station for questioning, until he said that he had something important to tell you directly"
As she spoke, Rin noticed that the strange individual didn't give any reaction whatsoever to them being addressed, remaining completely still as if they were a statue.
"I see… If I may ask, what did they say exactly to convince you not to take them back to the police station? Rin was curious now, despite not knowing her on a personal level. She knew enough about Kanna to know that she was not so easily convinced by whatever a suspicious individual had to say to her.
Kanna looked between the acting student council president and the mysterious stranger, much to Rin's confusion. In her eyes she could see uncertainty and perhaps even just a small amount of fear, which was certainly unusual for a tough and hardened police officer like Kanna Ogata.
"Well, acting president, you see... He knows about... That" Rin felt the world around her come to a complete stop, she didn't need to the blonde haired police woman to elaborate on what exactly she meant by 'that'
"I see... well thank you Director Ogata, I can take it from here!" the words flew out of her mouth so fast that she stumbled over them, barely managing to articulate a coherent sentence, much to the surprise of the gathered representatives Kanna. Who after a moments' hesitation simply nodded before turning around.
Yet before she walked away, she turned her head to say something.
"Just be careful acting president. This city will go to hell quicker than we can say shit if something happens to you too""
The blonde head police officer, had genuine concern and her voice, because even though she did not know the acting president on a personal level, she was still deeply concerned both for the safety of her and the general well-being of the city itself. After all, her prime directives as a law enforcement officer were to serve the public trust, protect the innocent and most importantly uphold the law.
Rin felt a chill run down her spine. Something about Kanna's words made a pit form in her stomach, to the point where for just a singular moment she almost reconsidered if she wanted to meet with this unusual individual that was now standing beside her.
But quickly pushing aside her own uncertainty, she gave a quick nod to the Valkyrie police chief. Trying to sound as confidence as possible as she spoke
"I will keep your concerns in mind, Director Ogata" Rin could still see uncertainty and suspicion in Kanna's eyes.
Especially when she turned to look at the mysterious stranger once more, before letting out a sigh and moving on her way, exiting the foyer of the general student council building and disappearing from site.
As the blonde haired police chief left, Rin quickly retrieved her phone from one of the many pockets on her overcoat, how fingers automatically dialling the number she needed before putting the smartphone to her ear.
"Ayumu, I need you to drop whatever you're doing, and come to the foyer immediately, I have some important business to discuss with a... unexpected guest" Rin didn't even wait for the blonde haired girl on the other end of the line to answer before she issued her orders. She saw out of the corner of her eye the mysterious stranger staring at her, or more precisely at the smartphone that was currently pressed against her ear.
"Um, acting president, I'm C-currently in the middle of-"
"It doesn't matter, whatever it is it can wait, I need you down here now, that's an order!" Rin did feel a twinge of guilt for ordering her usually shy co-worker around like this, but she needed to hear whatever this mysterious individual had to say in regard to the disappearance of the president.
"O-Of course A-A-acting president, I'll be down in a moment" Rin abruptly disconnected the line, not even stopping to say thank you to her blonde head co-worker as she turned to look at the mysterious stranger.
"Come with me this instant, we have much... to discuss" whirling around she quickly made for the elevator much to the protests of the representatives gathered around the front desk.
Yet, she suddenly heard something that caused her to stop dead in her tracks, for the mysterious individual uttered something for the first time since arriving.
"As you wish mlady"
A cold shiver coursed down Rin's spine as their voice sent icy shivers through her veins. It carried a distinct, otherworldly quality that defied description; words failed to capture the alien nature of the sound.
Yet pushing the thought aside, she continued towards the elevator pressing one of the many buttons as the doors opened up and allowed her and the stranger to step inside. And after pressing one more button, the door's shut and the elevator began its journey upwards, leaving Rin completely isolated in a metal box with the incredibly tall and mysteriously dressed stranger.
Thankfully, the journey was mercilessly short as the doors quickly opened up, allowing her and the stranger to step out onto the highest level of the general student council building. After a short walk, she and the mysterious stranger finally made it to her office, which after ushering them inside, she quickly locked the door behind her, not wanting any interruptions of any kind.
"What do you know?" It came across as quite accusatory, she was well aware of that, yet at this point Rin didn't really care how she came across any more. This person in front of her, this alien looking stranger, knew something about the president's disappearance, and she wanted to know exactly what they knew of it.
The mysterious individual didn't speak for a moment, instead turning to look around the office, almost marvelling at everything around them as if they had never seen such things in their life.
Yet after a moment of this and Rin gradually growing more inpatient, the mysterious individual spoke once again, their strange and alien voice again sending shivers down her spine.
"If you are referring to the disappearance of your president, then I am afraid that I do not have knowledge on such matters" hearing their voice again, Rin was able to identify the mysterious person as a man, and to make it even more strange he spoke in global.
A very antiquated version of global that she had only ever heard spoken in incredibly old movies from nearly a century before.
His accent was also incredibly hard for her to describe, it almost had a Trinity like quality to it, with his word choice and the way he articulated his sentence, but with it being in global it just made it sound even more strange to her.
"However" Rin felt herself perk up at his sudden continuation, her gaze locking onto his, and only just now realising that he did not have two eyes instead he was wearing some kind of mask that had three pairs of dimly glowing eyes.
"I am here on her behalf" His words left her slightly dumbfounded, if he didn't know anything about the disappearance of the general student council president then how exactly could he be here on her behalf.
"I don't understand... if you don't know what happened to her, then how exactly are you here on her behalf?" Rin wasn't sure exactly how this could be.
Before she could fully grasp the situation, the enigmatic individual gazed at his feet in deep contemplation. After a brief pause, he spoke again.
"I am unsure myself... Everything surrounding her is foggy in my memory, but I do remember her asking me for one thing" Though his words held no comprehensible meaning to her, Rin found herself inexplicably drawn to the confidence that radiated from him, a contagious energy that seemed to permeate her being.
"What exactly did she ask you?" She felt like a bunny rabbit chasing after a carrot on a stick, hanging on to the silence as she waited for him to respond.
Yet instead of immediately answering, only silence greeted her, it was almost the deafening to the point where she could have sworn she heard her own heartbeat in her ears.
The stranger meanwhile was deep in his own thoughts, seemingly trying to recall a long-lost memory but struggling to do so, the only thing that he could remember for certain was…
Somebody, asking. No, pleading for help.
"Please... liberate us from this horrible nightmare…"
"Good Hunter."
It was incredibly foggy and hazy, but it was the only thing that he could truly recall from the long-lost memory.
"She leaded for my help... She... asked me to assist you and all of Kivotos" With conviction and a growing determination, the stranger's voice resonated in the air, carrying the weight of his unwavering resolve.
As Rin absorbed his words, a sense of unease washed over her. His tone, tinged with a peculiar and slightly ominous undertone, sowed seeds of doubt in her mind regarding his true nature. Just when she began to feel uncertain, a sudden realization dawned on her.
It was a memory.
A memory of the last time that she had spoken with the President, before her disappearance.
"There is one person that could lead us through this... an individual who could guide and teach... a sensei, Someone that could maybe even save Kivotos from its ghastly fate"
At last, the significance of the president's words hit Rin like a bolt of lightning, rendering her speechless and causing her jaw to drop to the floor.
She felt herself stepping back, her entire system going into shock as the reality finally dawned on her of who exactly this strange and mysterious individual in front of her was.
"That means... That you are... T-The sensei!"
"Y-you are the sensei she was talking about!"
She felt her legs move before her mind did, quickly running up to the mysterious stranger in front of her and grabbing his shoulders, desperately trying to shake him in shock and seeming disbelief. Of course though due to his very large frame and substantial height her efforts to move him didn't yield match results, yet that was the furthest thing from her mind as tears began to leak from her eyes.
"I C-can't b-believe it, She wasn't wrong... You… R-really came" She couldn't stop a sob from escaping her lips, the tears leaking from her eyes continuing to fall as her knees gave out from under her. The weight and responsibility of Kivotos fate finally getting the better of her as it threatened to crush her into nothing.
Yet as she sunk to her knees and continue to cry, she heard the sound of scraping metal and flowing fabric, before she felt something cold and metallic gently push aside her glasses and wipe away some of the tears. Looking up, the tears made it hard to see, but she could see the stranger kneeling down in front of her and wiping away some of her tears with his vicious looking metal gauntlets. The juxtaposition of the viciousness of his gauntlets vs the tenderness of his action was incredibly apparent.
"Come now, there is no need to weep. A young lady such as yourself should not have to bear such a burden" His voice had a calming and gentle tone to it, filling her with an almost strange and calming euphoria that cause the tears in her eyes to dry up.
"Even though I am uncertain of how she wanted me to assist you, I will do everything within my power to help... It is my duty you could say" Rin felt his strong arms quickly grab a hold of her, as much to her surprise she was quickly pulled to her feet, the stranger quickly reaching into his cloak before retrieving a small silk handkerchief and passing it to her.
Wordlessly, she accepted the offer, wiping away the remaining tears and not really caring if her mascara was smudged in the process.
"Thank you... I'm sorry you had to see... that... I've been under a lot of stress recently" Rin finished wiping away the tears from her eyes, looking at the handkerchief for a moment before passing it back to the stranger who wordlessly took it in his gauntleted hand before placing it somewhere inside his cloak.
"You should not apologise... There is no need for it" The stranger said nonchalantly waving one of his metallic hands.
"Sometimes allowing emotions to get the better of oneself... is good for the body and mind, especially when it comes to relieving stress"
His words had an almost otherworldly sage like quality to them, as if he was some kind of Higher being imparting a small piece of cosmic wisdom onto her fragile and immortal mind.
"I suppose you're right, anyway... I... I don't even know where to begin honestly" Rin felt her pale cheeks turn red in embarrassment. She was usually so well-prepared for everything. But even though she had been silently praying for the sensei that the president talked about to come, because of the scenario's unlikelihood she had never actually put anything in place for such an event.
"How about the beginning. Start from the beginning and leave nothing out" the mysterious individual said, crossing his arms over his chest as Rin looked at him confused for a moment, before realisation crossed her face at exactly what he was getting at.
If he was here to help, then he needed to know exactly what her and the rest of Kivotos were currently going through. As such, after a moment she quickly walked over to her desk, slumping down in the comfortable chair, and beginning her tail.
Rin started with the general Cliff notes of Kivotos's history, explaining how the mega Metropolis came to be and how it operated. She told of how the city itself was made up of thousands of different academies, each with their own numbers of students. However, even if she had the time to do so, she would have not been able to have named all the academies so she simply limited it to the main three and biggest ones, that being Gehenna, Trinity and Millennium.
She then moved on to the topic of how the city itself was governed, expanding on what the exact role of the general student council and its main purpose was. Explaining that even though the now missing president was the de facto leader of the student council and by extension Kivotos as a whole, the overall political power of the student council was quite limited which was by design as to allow the individual academies to largely govern their own districts as they saw fit.
She then moved onto the topic of the general student council president's disappearance and how would it plunge the entire city into chaos. The very system that allowed the academies to govern themselves independently was the reason why the city was falling apart, which wasn't made any better by the fact that certain academies such as Gehenna and Trinity openly wanted to go to war with each other over disagreements that extended far back into the midst of time.
"And that's where you come in sensei" Rin finished her exposition, the fact that she had dressed the stranger as sensei being a bit strange at first, but she supposed that she would get used to it.
The stranger for his part looked momentarily confused as a result of being addressed in such a manner, but after a moment he quickly nodded his head seemingly accepting the new alias that was given to him without question.
"An unfamiliar title, but I'm not opposed to it..." The stranger now dubbed sensei said with a shrug of the shoulders, which had the desired effect of lifting Rin's spirits to a level that she had not felt since the president had disappeared.
"Excellent! We can discuss the exact details another time, but there's something I want to show you" Rin quickly got up from her seat, gesturing sensei over to her, which after a small hesitation he did.
Standing by one of the large glass windows that enveloped her office, she took out a small remote from her pocket and pressed a button. The blinds swiftly retracted, unveiling a breathtaking sight.
"Welcome to Kivotos, Sensei"
The site before them was truly magnificent, the metropolis stretching for as far as the eye could see in every direction, the skyscrapers made of glass and metal piercing the heavens like white monoliths.
In the sky were large halo like rings that stretched almost to the horizon, giving the entire skyline a strange and ethereal beauty that was hard to really put into words.
"Truly magnificent... This puts anything in Yharnam to shame" sensei said to himself under his own breath, Rin just managing to catch the word Yharnam which made her raise an eyebrow. The name was completely unfamiliar to her, although the word itself did have a slight Trinity like sound to it, but she shook those thoughts aside because there were more important things to worry about.
"Indeed it is... Kivotos is a place of beauty... and it needs your help, sensei. I don't know why, but the general student council chose you to safeguard our future, I'm uncertain of where you come from or who exactly you are sensei, but I trust the general student council president's choices so... therefore I trust you"
Rin locked her gaze onto the mysterious sensei's staring into the metallic mask that he partially had beneath his tattered shawl. She couldn't see his real eyes, yet the gaze that he gave her was one of understanding and acceptance, one that filled her with...
Hope
Hope for the future
Something that had been completely absent from her for a long time.
"I will do what I can... I am uncertain why I was chosen, but clearly whatever the reason, I cannot turn my back on people in need, it goes against the very thing I stand for as a hunter" He said with conviction turning his gaze outwards to the city that sprawled out to the horizon, seemingly absorbing every detail about its appearance as if familiarising himself with its visage.
Rin felt even more hopeful upon hearing his words, however one thing that he said caught her attention, causing her to feel very confused as she spoke.
"I'm very glad to hear that sensei... But I must ask what did you mean by Hunter" Rin asked tentatively, not wanting to seem like she was crying into his previous life before coming here.
Sensei however simply shook his head.
Tilting his head upward slightly and looking into the sky through the window, his gaze had an almost longing look to it, as if he was remembering a different time and a different place.
"I suppose you could say it was my previous occupation, but it doesn't matter now... That passed along with everything is entails is long deceased... and should remain that way" His voice had a strange tone to it one that she couldn't quite describe, it was as if he was nostalgic, disgusted, mortified, horrified and saddened all at the same time.
It made her truly curious about what kind of past sensei had, and what role is occupation is a hunter played into it. But she supposed that those kinds of personal details could wait for a future time because right now there is more important business to attend to.
"Fair enough, anyway, we have some important business to discuss sensei" In our office chair, Rin settled back, pivoting to face the sensei just as he turned away from the large glass window. Before she could utter a word, he began speaking.
"While I appreciate the title you have given me, I would prefer if you addressed me by my other title" His words caught her off guard somewhat, it was a bit strange to her. But considering that he spoke in global, it was possible that he simply just didn't like the sound of sensei.
"I don't see why not, although when referring to official business, I'm afraid that I must use the title sensei" She saw him nod in agreement as he stepped away from the window, his cloak flowing behind him like a dark waterfall.
As he turned on the spot, his tattered shawl was quickly thrown off his face, momentarily exposing his mask. Rin jumped back in her seat, startled by the sight of the lower half of his mask, which resembled a skeleton. The corners of the mouth were slightly curved upwards, giving the entire mask a slightly malevolent grin.
"That is fine enough, I believe that a proper introduction is in order" In a swift and sweeping motion of his arm, he executed an elaborate bow, his cloak fanning out dramatically around him, resembling a billowing dark explosion.
"The name is good Hunter, and I am at your service, Rin Nanakami"
Well that was interesting now wasn't it?
Even though I think my own writing is pretty mediocre in terms of overall quality I am actually quite proud of how this chapter turned out, because surprisingly it actually turned out pretty much how I imagine it happening in my mind.
Anyway I don't have too many closing remarks other than I hope you enjoyed the chapter.