There was an indescribable tension in the cell, through the pain Miharu could only feel a part of it compared to Karen. The girl was completely still with fear as she looked up to Kai, his face impossible to forget even with the gap in age, and the scar down his face as red as it was when Artorian first gave it. There was no explaining the terror Karen had, it was just that.
"There's probably a lot of questions rolling around in there, can't blame you given the circumstances." Kai said with a sigh, seemingly missing the panic on Karen's face each second she stared at him. "I was quite the mess when we last met, I think this nearly split my face in half if my memory's holding up right." Kai reminisced, gliding a finger down his red scar as if remembering a fond day.
"It's healed in quite nicely hasn't it? Really gives the freedom fighter look doesn't it?"
"Freedom fighter? The fact you're saying that with a smile is revolting." Miharu said with venom on her tongue. "How many innocent people died in that hospital? How many have you killed since this faced started?" Kai's intense glare returned when he looked down to Miharu, the nurse wounded but not lacking spirit.
"She said your name was Miharu, correct? That name's pretty familiar, I think my dad mentioned someone with a daughter named that?" Kai's question was met with a harsh kick to her leg, Miharu biting down a scream as he shattered both her tibia and fibula with such a casual motion. "Kashiwagi, right? Your father was Takashi, him and my father served in the same unit. The same Slayer unit."
"You… you have no right… to say his name."
"He had no right to have it." Kai said with cold indifference. "He was one of Artorias' favorite pets, got to keep his name and even be let in on the more hush hush stuff. Do you know what my father got?"
Kai didn't wait for an answer as he stomped on her broken leg, the nurse unable to hide her pain as she screamed from the agony. "NOTHING! HE WASN'T EVEN GOOD ENOUGH TO BE A NUMBER! HE SERVED ONE MISSION AND WAS DEEMED A FAILURE! BY YOUR WORTHLESS BASTARD OF A FATHER!" A second stomp nearly caused a second break in both of Miharu's bones, the Sin preparing for a third as his eyes glowed. "WHERE THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU CAN SAY WHO HAS RIGHTS!?"
"Stop!" Neither Kai nor Miharu could react when a flash of white light knocked him past Miharu and against the call bars, stunning him for a second as he registered the burning pain he felt.
'A Miracle?' He thought as he regained his senses, pulling himself up with a bar as he turned to see Karen go to Miharu and step between them.
"Karen… don't…"
"What are you doing?" Kai asked with genuine confusion, seeing the girl hold her arms out as she stood, shaking with each second.
"I… I won't… I won't let you…" That was all she could say, unable to keep any composure in front of the unhinged Sin.
"Karen, that woman is a daughter of a Slayer. One of the ones that caused horrible suffering to people beneath him." Kai stated. "My dad was denied treatment because he was a failure, so did Rentaro, Misaki, and even Kubo. Why stand up for her? People like him and Artorias are why we were outcasted! When the worst came we were the ones who suffered!? No one stood up for us, so why stand up for her!?"
"Because… because she isn't…"
"Of course she is! Karen, she's no different than Abyssal, either of them! They talk high but the second they're on the backfoot they-"
"Don't you dare call Artorian that!" Karen's voice boomed surprisingly, shocking both the Sin and nurse with her volume. "And don't you dare ever talk to me like that! Pretending we're… pretending we were ever friends!"
"You're letting your emotions flare up." Kai responded, regaining his composure. "I know what I did to you… I was wrong, you were innocent and I harmed you needlessly. I was only trying to scare you not-"
"Don't pretend innocence is important to you when you dropped a building on hundreds of civilians!" Miharu shouted, Kai reaching his limit as he pointed to the nurse.
"Shut the hell up!"
Neither girl registered what happened next, as Miharu didn't even blink when Cronu was suddenly in front of her, blood erupting from his arm as he took a projectile Kai seemingly shot. And at the same time, the cell door had been knocked off its hinges, the Sin blinking in confusion as he registered he was on his back.
"Cronu… what the fuck are you doing?" Kai said with pure malice, looking to his Vessel without moving from his position. "I thought you were going back to your station?"
"Do you think I'm stupid enough to leave you of all people alone with the prisoners?" Cronu said with a wince, standing upright with his arm bleeding profusely.
'What did Kai do?' Miharu thought in confusion, knowing the bleeding was the equivalent of a gunshot wound. But there wasn't a sound, just Kai pointing his finger. She knew Lords had some form of magic, but a regular human did it without any evidence of even a cast like Karen had moments ago.
"I am your master, I will give you one chance to prostate yourself and beg for forgiveness." Kai said, unnaturally curling his body to sit upright. His face was shadowed by the Abyss, and yet his eyes glowed white, even his scar glowing crimson red as a sickening feeling infested the air.
"Your complex is showing, you can only ever make Desen bow to you by releasing the Abyss. I'm not that weak willed." Cronu stated, although he was developing a nervous sweat at the prospect of fighting Kai. They were both Vessels, but Kai was one of their master's Sins, supposedly one of them was worth ten regular Vessels, and while not average Cronu knew his power was limited against such a strong source of power.
'Abyss?' Miharu noticed the word being used as a subject, more than the way she'd normally hear it. 'Is that their power?'
'Th-They know?' Karen could only stare in shock as Cronu stepped in front of her, standing his ground as the Abyss began to seep around him, appearing more ashen white compared to Artorian's. 'They know what the Abyss is… and they still did this to themselves?'
"It's too short notice to replace you, but I still have to keep some discipline among the ranks." Kai said, planting his feet and lifting himself up with just the strength in his legs and back. "Perhaps your eye. Or your tongue!" Both Kai and Cronu were about to activate their power when a torrent of red went between them, the rapid liquid stopping a clash before returning to the source.
"Damfin." The man Kai called out was a composed one, with calm yet confident eyes and hair tied back that matched the scarlet liquid that was receding back into his wrist.
"I am humbly sorry for interrupting your disciplinary session Envy, but Wrath had ordered me to inform you that Bankert had been captured." Damfin explained, surprising Cronu more than Kai at the revelation.
"They already caught on to her?"
"Wrath theorizes one of our backers has turned on us, but refused to open up on any other details to me." The Vessel stated. "He also says the Master is concerned that you will be given a large retribution for the action, so he wants us to lock down all personnel. And he wants you to get on comms to discuss defense plans."
"I thought he'd be making sure to throw them off? What other point is his role?" Kai questioned.
"That's beyond my station, perhaps you should ask him yourself when you get to the command post?"
"…" Kai looked between his Vessels, the Abyss fluctuating around him as his anger grew. Why now? Why so soon? How Warslran caught on was far too fast for any prediction, so who could have betrayed them that allowed such a quick response!? How bad did Wrath want to throw a wrench into this!?
"…Very well." Kai relented, the Abyss dissipating as he looked to Damfin. "I'll go discuss this with Wrath, and get answers on why he was so late to ward off Little Garden. Inform the others to prepare, if Warslran attacks soon we'll need everyone ready."
"I anxiously wait for that." Damfin bowed with a smirk before leaving, Kai remaining for a few more moments to address his unruly Vessel.
"I will overlook your actions this once, but if you defy me again I will mount your head on a pike and leave your corpse to the desert. Am I clear?"
"Crystal." Cronu said with a firm stare, although weakened with the sweat dripping down his forehead from the Sin's presence. However, Kai did hold true and left, the Vessel releasing his breath to calm his nerves.
'The bastard's gone insane. Is that the Abyss' effect on people or was he always such a psychopath?' Was all the Vessel could think before turning to the nurse, guilt hitting him so hard he nearly fell down at the sight of her. 'We're no better than them anymore… or were we ever?'
Wordlessly, Cronu knelt down by Miharu, the nurse trying and failing to hide the pain as she glared at the man. A gentle touch on her shoulder from Karen however had the woman pause, looking to the girl as she sat by her, putting her faith in the man as he hovered his hands over her.
A rainbow of colors, familiar and indescribable, flowed out of him like a mist, coating her body and brightening the room with the luminescent sparks. A sharp, sudden pain across her body then followed with a slow contraction, the woman looking in shock as her leg readjusted back into alignment. As the mist slowly disappeared, the pain from kai's assault was still present, but far more dulled to a sharp numbness.
"I couldn't completely heal the fractures, but they should be more manageable." Cronu said, standing and walking out of the cell, closing it behind him. "I'll… I'll see about getting you a new serving. Envy made a mess of everything."
No words were given by the prisoners, and he didn't expect any. He simply walked out of the holding area, closing the shutters and locking them with a new code. Once he was sure the coding was changed so that even his fellow Vessels' override commands wouldn't work, he nearly fell over as he hurled out a dangerous amount of blood, chocking for a second as he spat out whatever was mixing with his saliva. His eyes were bloodshot as he eventually dropped to a knee, holding himself up with a hand on the door as he gasped in a desperate effort to regain his blurring senses.
Cronu's abilities were some of the most advanced of the Anti-Slayer factions' Vessels, had he more time he may be considered on par with the Sins of their Liege. But he felt it every time he used his powers, no matter how small or insignificant a spike of magic. The same overwhelming pain in his body as time was ripped away from him. He pushed himself too far by accelerating the healing of Miharu's body, and as incomplete a job it was, it was devastating to his body.
"Damn body, you can't give out already." Cronu gurgled, spitting out more blood and saliva as his composure started to come back. His heart was still beating fast, likely his magic boosting his time already as everything around him slowed. "Just last a few more days… all I need is… a few more…" Picking himself up, Cronu stepped away from the wall, his foot touching his blood and leaving. His body weak yet moving so fast that the splash in the blood moved in slow motion to him. His perception had risen along with his reactive body, the extent however far worse than he could have predicted.
But he had to keep it together, he was close to his target, and he couldn't lose the opportunity he threw everything away for. "You attacked her, you better show up."
"Artorian, wait!" Claire ordered as she and Matthew followed the Abysswalker, each stomp from him leaving a dent. The blonde's concern was only growing as the man didn't even respond to her, only continuing to march to the operation center. "Artorian, we only know they're in the Salem desert, that leaves almost three million square kilometers to search. We have to find it and determine what defenses they have."
"We don't have the time to wait." Artorian responded, reaching the operation center and punching in his access code without looking back. The door opened and to Claire's surprise everyone from Selections was already present. Artorian had gotten everyone together before he even started the interrogation, without her getting any knowledge of it. "Charlotte's already having drones scour the desert, we can be there in time the drones find it."
"We know where Karen and Miharu are?" Emilia asked, standing up from her seat.
"The Salem Desert. Most likely by one of the canyons so that there's a solid foundation to build on." Artorian answered.
"Good, we've waited long enough." Reitia said, punching her open palm as she glared at the steel floor. "I've had nothing but a bad taste in my mouth knowing we haven't gotten back at the bastards who bombed and kidnapped our people."
"When are we heading out?" Liddy asked.
"Right no-"
"We're not going anywhere until we have a firm understanding of what we're dealing with." Claire interrupted Artorian, the team turning to her, a mix of surprise and confusion. "We have yet to find the outpost, or even if it is an outpost. We have no information on numbers, resources, we don't even know who we're actually fighting!"
"What are you talking about!? Nicolas said they're a part of the Anti-Slayer movement! This was a clear provocation, they attacked to kill us!" Emilia argued back.
"They're a rogue splinter, Mikado Rego has already disavowed and placed a bounty on this faction." Claire countered. "For all we know, this group's been militarized from the start. They could have battalions, or even heavy artillery! Bankert's been supplying them for months, maybe years, we have to survey everything before we can make such a rash charge."
"Like hell I'm going to wait one more second." Artorian said, turning to the blonde. "These "rogues" have Karen and Miharu, took down a hospital just to try and bury me, and are doing Gods know what to them!"
"Artorian, I know you're scared. But we have to approach this smart, you can't let your emotions blind you right now."
"Go right to hell Claire Harvey." The Abysswalker growled. "I will not stand by while the person who was the sole reason for me going through ten years of shit be held by fucking terrorists! And I don't want to hear this attempt at bullshitting me, if it was Liza you'd have interrogated Bankart on a jet scouring the entire planet!"
"You are going to get people killed Artorian, and I will not let you endanger everyone here because you are letting your fear cloud your judgement." Claire remained calm in face of the hybrid's ire, not playing his game and biting the obvious bait.
"Fear? I think it's pretty rational wanting to save my fucking best friend!" Artorian barked, his eyes wide in anger. "And I think you're forgetting something big, I don't take orders from you! Regardless of your wishes I'm going even if I have to go by my damn self!"
"You're not going alone." Emilia spoke up, before being shot down by Claire.
"He may be the head of Rejections, but you are still a member of Selections. And most importantly, the resources on this ship are under my jurisdiction." Claire stated. "No one leaves this ship for a mission without my authorization.
"But Claire-!"
"I will not let you all throw your lives away on a suicide mission like this." The commander finalized, looking back to the Abysswalker. "Artorian, it won't matter whether you save Karen or not if everyone dies getting to her. We need time, I know you understand that."
"I don't have any more time!" In a reaction none of the Slayers expected, Artorian appeared ready to attack, reaching into his pocket for his variable stone. But before he could grab hold of it, a bolt of lightning struck Artorian's chest and sent him crashing into the wall, denting it before collapsing to the ground, sparks going across his body as he barely held himself conscious.
"Mat…thew…" Artorian groaned out, the Abysswalker unable to lift himself up, Matthew's lightning spasming his muscles in an intentional effort to contain him.
"You're losing your composure Artorian, this is for your own good." Matthew said, looking down to his fellow hybrid.
The tension was only made worse as a squad of Warslran soldiers entered, half aiming at the downed Slayer while the rest aimed at the bulk of the Selections group. The confusion was answered when Judal entered, the man walking past Claire as his troops went to cuff Artorian.
"I was afraid he'd get too headstrong at this moment." Judal sighed. "We'll have to completely lock down the ship, as well as detain Abyssal and Hermit for the time being."
"What the hell are you thinking!?" Emilia shouted. "We have a lead and you're going to arrest us!?"
"Not arrest, detain." Judal said, two of the soldiers approaching Emilia and taking her variable stone. "There's already enough political turmoil without a full assault on a terrorist cell alone. And Claire's right, we have no true idea of what they may have to fight against us. Slayers are strong, but if a blast charge meant to kill Savage hits you, your death is just as assured."
"That's bullshit, the technology we have and you're going to try and lie to me saying that we can't get past their sensors!?" Emilia tried to argue, but was stopped as the soldiers forced her arms behind her back and cuffed her, the nullification material preventing her from using her energy to escape. "This isn't right! We can easily get in and save them! We're just supposed to leave them with terrorists until you feel ready!?"
"Mikado Rego requested a joint operation for the endeavor, we're still licking our wounds from Vitaly's attack and are low on manpower." Judal countered. "Your outbursts also prove that we can't trust you with a covert op. Your rashness will put everyone in danger."
"Emilia… they're right." Liddy spoke up, Emilia stopping her protests for a moment to look to her fellow Slayer. "I know this is a lot, but we have to remember we don't know everything. If we wait, we can get them out safe. If we attack now, they could kill Karen and Miharu since they don't know their importance."
"Are you listening to yourself?" Emilia asked. "They took them intentionally; they turned a hospital to rubble getting them. They know exactly who they were targeting!"
"Take them to their quarters." Judal ordered. "Dr. Dimandias will have no authorization to see them, and secure their Hundreds until we see fit."
"This is wrong! We can't just stand around we have to go now!" Emilia tried to fight against the soldiers, but was forced out as Artorian was picked up, his body still weak from the lightning as he was carried out.
"Give your mind time to rest Artorian, you have the time." Matthew said to him, Claire unable to speak up as Artorian managed to just choke out a response.
"No… time…"
Those words brought silence as the soldiers left, the remainders of Selections trusted for not speaking out against the situation.
"Remain on standby, we'll be working around the clock to make sure we have the information needed for a proper assault." Judal said to the Slayers, turning to leave before saying one last thing to his sister. "You did the right thing, he'll understand in time." As he left, the room entered silence as the Slayers looked amongst each other, unsure of what to say after the outbursts.
"Be sure to rest, I'll inform all of you when we're ready to make our move." Claire said, turning to leave without another word.
"I'll… I'll go help her." Erica said, knowing her commander was in equal distress and leaving in a rush.
"I suppose then I'll inform Dr. Dimandias and Sakura." Liddy added, standing to leave.
"Are you sure that's wise? Charlotte I understand but Sakura is just as likely to cause an outburst." Matthew argued, getting a pointed stare from Liddy as she walked past him.
"She deserves to know. What she does with the information after is her choice." That was all he got in return before Liddy left, Matthew now only in the company of Reitia as the girl was sitting on an empty crate staring at him. And just seeing her stare at him was all he needed to know what was on her mind. He's known her too long to miss that demanding gleam.
"It's too risky of a gambit, going on so little information could get us killed."
"Don't even try to bullshit." The downside to knowing Reitia so well was that it was an equal recognition both ways. Just as she couldn't hide things from him, trying to lead the conversation's subject was impossible when she was interrogative.
"…This is far more important than just some rescue. Our enemies are above the usual terrorist cell, and without information we could risk losing more people." Matthew responded, cursing the fact that even now he knew Reitia was seeing through his avoidance of admission. "You have to trust me on this Reitia, nothing good will come from this mission. All we can do is make it better before it gets worse."
"Is this Matthew speaking, or Matthew Ornisium of Lordran?" That statement had Matthew pause when he turned to leave, a painful blow that Reitia regretted accusing.
However as painful as that was, the fact the hybrid did not turn around and instead left was all that needed to be said. The silence was deafening to her, pulling out her variable stone as she looked at with a somber stare.
"…Well I'm not a Lord."
"This is rather overkill wouldn't you think? I'm just a single woman with no energy after all." Charlotte said, seated in her chair as she had a detail of four Warslran troops, armed with traditional firearms remaining stationed at the entrance to her lab.
"I may not be near as experienced as you Dr. Dimandias, but underestimating you is the last mistake I'd make." Judal responded, adjusting his tie as the woman stared directly into his eyes. There was always that cold determination in them, but the fire she normally showed when glaring wasn't present, which meant she was already planning on a breakout. All the more confirmation the detainment was the right choice.
"And yet you underestimate Artorian." Charlotte countered. "If you think locking him in his room will be enough, you're undermining how terrifying a determined Lord can be. You never did meet his father or Ornstein in his prime."
"I'm well aware of how reckless and dangerous Artorian is, it's the reason he's been detained in the first place." Judal sighed, confrontation brewed everywhere. And Charlotte was notorious for taking it head on. He respected the woman; for her contributions and her clear passion, but that emotional drive was uncommon for her. At least, it was before Artorian came to Little Garden, then she became this difficult to work with.
"Charlotte… you and I both know this is for the best." Judal tried to reason with the woman, looking to her with genuine understanding. "Artorian is in a delicate position, if he loses control now-"
"He won't."
"Which is precisely why he needs to stay on Little Garden until we can retrieve Karen." He argued, not letting Charlotte's interruption throw him off. "In here, we can help keep him awake, safe from the Abyss' grasp. If we can't do that, then we can keep him sedated. As long as he doesn't wake up, the Abyss can be treated."
"And how long do you think that will last?" Charlotte asked. "He's a Lord Judal, any sedation will work for only a short time. And I can say with certainty that he's getting ready to crash. He's on a time limit and he… he just wants to make sure she's safe."
There was an uncharacteristic hesitation from Charlotte. It's become common, once again recently with Artorian's return. The files on Charlotte were restricted even to Judal, a security measure Artorias made with his parents to make certain no one had dirt on her. He didn't like having so little on the table, that's what got Artorian his new rank and tore any control Judal had as a superior and turned it into an equal standing. Technically, Charlotte had more sway then Judal, but this situation gave him authority, and he couldn't let that slip out of his grasp now.
"It doesn't have to be that way Charlotte, we won't lose him like we lost Artorias." The man's promise wasn't genuine, not in the way he tried to make it. They both knew that, but he himself believed it in his own direction. "If he doesn't enter the field, if we don't feed It, there's a chance we can pull this off. But we need to do it right. Any error could lose us him, and then what? We give up one of humanities best chances of survival to save one girl?"
"You know the value one girl is to someone." Charlotte's words cut deep, neither missing either's intentions behind the other.
They didn't think alike, but they knew well enough how they'd view this quandary, and how there was no true way to reach an impasse. Debates only worked if both parties were willing to listen to the other, there was no such wiliness here, on either side's part.
"Very well then, I suppose I of all people have to be responsible for Artorian's well-being. I trust you'll be smart and not cause trouble for your security?" Judal questioned.
"I'm a lone woman, what could I do to armed jailors?"
"Keep her under careful watch, and don't get too close." Judal warned the security as he left. True, Charlotte only had a few implants to increase her strength and reaction time, nothing the guards didn't have. But he was aware that Charlotte managed to fight off an android of Vitaly that even Mei Mei, a stronger and faster synthetic couldn't. It always went without saying that you could underestimate Charlotte and not get bit in the ass for it. All he needed to do was keep her in her lab and away from Artorian.
And perhaps he could keep the Abysswalker alive long enough to be of use. Him dying now of all times would be most inopportune.
Once Judal was gone, Charlotte spun in her chair to face her computer, the screen shut down along with most of her instruments. Judal was a thorough man, he knew that if even a single device was in her possession Charlotte could plot an escape, he even took her PDA to show how serious he was. But for all his focus, he neglected an important fact, one that many tend to forget. She was the lead figure in many of humanity's advancements, from the Hundred to a simple commlink. And someone modified Erica's glasses to double as a field certified module.
A small shift of her glasses was all she needed to send a message to Reitia and Nesat, linking an additional node to Mei Mei, making a clearance check and using her neuro implant to send a message silently, fumbling around with her hand, removing a glove to reveal a chrome gauntlet underneath it.
'We'll have less than an hour at best, 30 minutes if realistic. And it's one shot, anything goes wrong and we can't leave. So follow the directions to the letter.'
"You're… you're kidding, right?" Sakura asked, staring at Liddy in a mixture of shock and defeat.
"I'm sorry Sakura, but it's under both Claire and Judal's orders. We're holding off any attack until the Mikado negotiates with Judal, as well as getting proper clearance to traverse the desert to attack." Liddy said, the words bitter in her mouth but her face resolute.
"That's insane! After everything that happened, they just want to sit back and do nothing!?" Sakura shouted, the idol for the first time genuinely angry.
"We aren't just sitting on our hands. We have reconnaissance ready the moment we have the go ahead. And are sending hails to the Mikado as he requested to aid in the assault. If we can get the negotiations over with before he reaches us, the response will be-"
"Karen and Miharu are in the hands of terrorists! My friends, YOUR friends, are held captive by the same people that brought an entire hospital filled with people down to rubble!" Sakura interrupted, the rage of the moment causing her eyes to shine gold. The rising heat in her body told her her Variant Virus was acting up, and it took the last bit of her control to keep the energy in. This was the first time she was ever pushed to be this angry.
"Sakura, this situation is delicate. I understand you're angry, I am too. But we have to have level heads win." Liddy tried to reason with Sakura, recognizing the volatile state of her Variant Mode. There was no threat to it, she knew the idol was venting her frustration, but she couldn't deny there was a surprising heat that came from her.
"Is that the same level heads that nearly got you killed by a Trenta!? Or the same that had you almost die in Qin!? Or what about the level heads that were content leaving an entire stadium of civilians undefended because they're "low priority"!?" Sakura bit back harsher words, feeling a headache from her Variance kicking in more. "How many times has Artorian's "reckless" actions saved you, Claire, and the people he has behind him? You… even you have to know what could be happening. And you're contempt with just sitting here and letting Karen and Miharu be prisoners of monsters like that?"
The rage and heat of Sakura fizzled out as quickly as it came, and in her eyes tears began to form. As dangerous as charging in was, Liddy was in the same mindset as Sakura and Artorian. These were terrorists that bombed a hospital, kidnapped two specific people, and nearly tore apart a chunk of Little Garden. Any time wasted was practically goading them to do something to Karen and Miharu. She understood how frustrating it was, leaving them in such a horrid position.
"I just came to let you know. Artorian and Emilia both gave their own arguments, however Artorian's mental state is at a breaking point and he's been detained." Liddy stated, her eyes unable to meet Sakura's anymore as she turned to leave. "He's currently unfit for duty, and deemed too reckless to be put on the coming mission."
"You won't even let him-!?"
"I don't like this any more than you do Sakura… but hands are tied." Liddy interrupted, closing the door behind her without turning to face the idol, unable to bring herself to.
The silence that followed felt overwhelming, Sakura couldn't process what to do as she stood there, tears trailing down her face as her golden eyes remained radiant. Grief and anger too the bulk of her thoughts, neither able to take priority as she remained alone in the empty house. Eventually her head dropped and she collapsed to her knees, crushed by the pressure and unable to stop the tears from flowing.
"Karen… Miharu… I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…"
"It's not too late." Sakura's head snapped up in surprise as she turned to see Nesat perched on a knee at the window, her uniform having a few bloodstains but otherwise unaffected from her battle.
"What are you-?"
"We don't have much time, Charlotte's clearance will be put under a lockdown within an hour." Nesat stated, offering her hand out to Sakura. "We'll grab your variable suit on the way out, the jet they took to Bankert's estate is being refueled so it hasn't been docked."
"W-What about Artorian?" Sakura asked, wiping the tears from her eyes as she stood up, the artificial Variants clasping hands as Nesat hefted her up, surprising the idol as she put the taller girl on her back like it was nothing.
"She's sending others to get him. We're to collect Emilia Hermit and make sure the lane is clear and ready for everyone when Artorian's out." Nesat explained, her energy glowing as she started to fly, her Hundred shifting formlessly as to accommodate the shifting weight.
"…Thank you, I don't know you well enough, and what you did at the Founding Festival is still too fresh in my mind… but this is more than anyone could do for us." Sakura said, seeing Nesat's head lower in shame for a moment as she contemplated her words.
"He saved my family. From the Savage, from Vitaly from… me. The least I owe him is to save his." That was all she said, but those words alone carried weight. Sakura of all people understood, and left their words off at that, not wanting to force the former Hunter to divulge anything she didn't want to.
"What right do you have to arrest him!"
"Do you think you can just walk over him like this!?"
"After what he did during the Founding Festival, this is how you repay him!?"
"Self-righteous bastards!"
"Wow, I didn't think that many people even knew he was on the ship." Krovanh said with minor astonishment. Artorian had only been detained for twenty minutes, but a response from the civilians on Little Garden was present perhaps five minutes into him being locked in his dorm. The entire building was monitored by guards, but that was pointless at the crowd of protestors outside the front entrance.
"Artorian saved a lot of these people when Vitaly attacked, and he was the only Slayer seen fighting at the hospital. To them, he's done more than enough to warrant a reputation outside of his father's." Reitia explained, both her and Krovanh dressed in their variable suits. In contrast to his old one, Krovanh had on a much brighter uniform, a mix of aqua and cobalt to make for a contrast of blue. It was an odd sight, but it was his own choice.
"Never heard much about his dad outside of propaganda , was he popular in the public?"
"Mostly in the west, First Generation Slayers were very hit or miss." Reitia informed, standing up from their position a hundred meters away. "We're getting close to the thirty-minute window Charlotte gave us, if we don't move soon, we might get caught."
"Right."
"Hundred On." In a dull flash, both Slayers activated their Hundreds, Reitia's armor appearing normal while Krovanh's was smoother and more stylish, practically ornate compared to the jagged variation he used to have. His weapon was still a two-sided greatsword, even with the sawtooth edge as it's previous iteration. But it appeared more artistic, as if care went into it thanks to the more refined stone he was using.
"His room's on the third floor. We'll have to be more discrete in reaching him." Reitia informed, getting a nod from Krovanh as the retreated to circle around out of sight.
It was odd, having the former Hunter at her back as an ally. It hadn't been two months since their clash at Qin, and she'd be lying if she was still cautious of him from the attack Vitaly pulled. But Artorian vouched for them, recruiting them into their ranks as open defiance to Judal, so she'd give them the chance to prove themselves. Saving Fritz wasn't going to make everything they did just be brushed under, but their aid in tracking Karen and Miharu was making for a good start in her eyes.
Seeing the window to Artorian's room, Reitia clicked her tongue in annoyance as obviously there was a squad of troops waiting both on the roof and ground level. Judal wasn't holding anything back, he was making sure Artorian would be locked down, as if he knew that his failsafe with Charlotte wasn't going to work. It shouldn't be surprising, he was the head of a PMC, and often clashed with politicians, underhand tactics were his forte.
"There's too many for a straightforward approach."
"Well we don't exactly have a lot of options." Krovanh responded, his eyes glaring at the squads.
"We can't just charge in, if we cause too big of a scene Charlotte won't be able to get the jet." Reitia said, motioning dismissively to the boy, not having to turn to know he already had his sword at the ready.
"Then what's the game plan?"
"Gah!" Both Slayers nearly blew their cover when Touka spoke up, the young girl crouched behind both of them with her sword attached to her back, a similar mag-lock that Artorian received from Charlotte present on a strap wrapped across her torso.
"Touka, what are you doing here?" Reitia questioned.
"I heard Shinshisho was in trouble, and I came over to try and see him. They didn't even let me close to the door. I was going to try and sneak in when I saw you two." She answered.
Krovanh gave a partially annoyed glance over to Reitia, the Selections Slayer shrugging. She didn't see any problems in letting her join up with them. If Artorian had been training her then she would have to have some skill made. And if what she heard was true, Touka landed a blow on the Chimera that had Emilia, Liddy and even Claire struggling. Another head couldn't be a problem.
"Bleh, fine." Krovanh sighed in annoyance. He didn't see the value in Touka being present. Especially since she clearly didn't have a Hundred, considering her choice of attire being a yukata and not a variable suit.
"What's his problem?" Touka asked, the head Slayer shrugging again as the two girls looked to him.
"I just don't like having someone that could be a hindrance present." Touka was about to let out an outburst when Reitia clasped one of her gauntlet's over her mouth, muffling her outrage with some difficulty. "All I'm saying is we couldn't even feel you, if you don't have any energy then the fight could… be…" Both Krovanh and Reitia then looked to each other, seemingly coming to the same conclusion before turning their attention to the fiery redhead.
"I can't be the only one that thinks this isn't right." One of the guards spoke up, getting a sigh from the sergeant. "Don't you give me that shit, you know exactly who we're detaining."
"And I know it's under orders."
"The guy saved my family in the café when the explosions hit, what the hell could be so important this much security is needed. Much less we have him cuffed and chained up."
"Rumor says he butchered a tone of guys in a mission earlier, literal bloodbath from Frank and Decimus' words." A private said, shrugging at the responding gaze.
"Frank's an ass and Decimus is an Anti-Slayer advocate, of course they'll say something like that. They aren't telling us something, and I bet damn well Abyssal's in the right."
"You're just as bias in the argument." The sergeant responded, unaware of a silent figure approaching, keeping his attention to his visor, seeing no energy reading within 20 meters. "Let the dilemma be the boss' problem. All we have to do is stand watch."
"All I'm saying is it's bullshit. The crowd's right, we have no reason to hold him and the longer we keep them in the dark the worse it looks on us." The dissident argued. "Hey Hugh, what do you think in it?"
…
"Hugh?" The soldier turned to look to his fellow corporal, seeing him on the ground unconscious. "What the hell, sergeant we-!" As he snapped back to attention, he saw the rest of the squad down, his commanding officer falling in a heap as Touka turned to face him, her eyes glowing as she seemed ready to attack, however remaining in position as she gestured up.
The dissident was silent for a moment before realizing what was happening, speaking into his comm as Touka remained on guard. "Rooftop team, Corporal Jenson. I think I saw someone enter from the southwest corner."
"The southwest? How the hell did anyone get by?"
"We're focusing on Slayers, they must of bypassed simply thanks to not having energy readings." Jenson answered. "We're moving to investigate, shift position to check for any additional infiltrators."
"Copy that, moving." Hearing the response with her hearing, Touka flashed a thumbs up before motioning to the building, the Corporal seeing two Slayers run out as quick as they could, minimal energy release to avoid being too catching to the sensors. Without needing an indication he turned and pulled out a small device from his belt, firing a scrambler just at where Artorian's dorm window was, making it the Slayers wouldn't be picked up by the energy sensors of any other team close enough to them.
The Slayers and Touka didn't waste a second as they started to climb, Reitia's Martial Hundred giving her the best mobility and reaching the window with a few pulls up, stopping just at the window to look in and see the situation. She couldn't see any guards, meaning he was either left alone or they were just at the edges.
Looking down at her aids, she put a finger to her lips, wanting it to be as silent as possible in case the guards out of the room heard them. She wasn't normally one for stealth, but she knew this was what was needed. This was for Artorian, not herself.
Opening the window silently was impossible, a small creak was impossible to avoid. However it was far from loud enough to be heard from the other side of the room so she could enter comfortably.
"You took your time." Looking to the beds in the dorm, Reitia was stunned at the condition Artorian was in. He was chained, his ankles locked together by cuffs that were connected to the floor under the bedframe. His wrists were also connected together by cuffs, a dim light seen at the center of both. Energy dampeners, perfect for holding a Slayer.
'What the hell gives you the right to do this?' Reitia thought, her teeth clenched for a moment. Did Matthew and Claire know about this? Did they agree with it? It was infuriating to see one of her friends treated like a criminal, the dull look in his eyes making it clear they had tried to sedate him.
"Sorry, we needed time to get everything ready." Reitia responded, Touka and Krovanh climbing in as she crushed the cuffs between his ankles, prying them off before the hybrid ripped the cuffs on his wrists apart, the opening giving him some clarity.
"This won't look good on you, if Claire finds out…"
"She will, but I don't care about that." Reitia said, tossing a grey variable suit to Artorian. "We couldn't get to your gear, so we found an extra. It's not custom fitted, but it should do the job." Artorian wasted no time getting the suit on, not even taking note of the size being smaller than needed. It would stretch enough and that was all that was needed.
"My sword and variable stone are both under lockdown." The hybrid noted, pulling on his left glove as the three looked to him. "I'm not above leaving my sword, but without it I'd need a stone."
"On that end, I got you covered." Krovanh said, opening the storage component in his communication collar. "Charlotte gave me and Nesat our own stones, and when Nakri's fully recovered she'll get one too. But she also threw us a bone…" The former Hunter trailed off, displaying the old variable stone Vitaly had given him between his fingers, grinning mischievously as it glowed faintly.
"Will it work for me?" Artorian asked, taking the stone from Krovanh.
"Your Hundred is intertwined with you energy, not your stone." Reitia explained. "Although it'll look different, your Hundred will function exactly like your usual."
The stone left a disgusted feeling in Artorian's gut. It was the direct creation of Vitaly, the freak that turned children into test subjects, cannibalized the human genome and was the start of the past week of hell. Everything done was an affront on nature, his heightened senses even picking up her twisted aura, his gloved fingers feeling the slimy aura left behind her. It was a grim reminder to what the world was and is, and that for all the posture of the Anti-Slayer faction, there was an understanding. His father didn't have the luxury of picking upstanding followers, and it has bred an equally disgusting group.
"Shinshisho?" Touka asked, seeing the reluctant look in her master's eyes.
"We don't have much time. The second I activate this, we're going to be exposed." Artorian responded, no longer weighing the morality of the stone. It didn't matter if it's creator was a monster in human skin, it was the only option he had to save Karen. He'd damn well side with the bitch if it meant saving his friend, this compromise works just fine for him.
"Think Charlotte and the others will be ready?"
"Nesat will have gotten Emilia, her place is also closer than here. So when we go, we're the only ones that have to worry about reaching the runway." Krovanh answered.
"Good, because being in here has only soured my mood more." Artorian said, fixing up his hair with his metal hand, glaring out his window. It was a single moment of reflection, understanding to him this was the last time he'd be on Little Garden.
He wasn't some optimistic fool, the Abyss' hold on him was getting tighter by the minute and without Karen's pendant when it'd take over that'd be it. Staying on Little Garden would give him a chance to outlast it, maybe 30% if he was generous, but he refused to let Karen and Miharu be confined by those bastards a second longer. They were just as dangerous as he was, the feeling he got back at the hospital was too familiar to be a mistake.
The Anti-Slayers in Al-Salaam were Vessels, and his last responsibility would be to save Karen and Miharu from them. After they're safe, he can drown in an eternity of horror for all he cared, as long as he ripped that damn bastard to shreds there'd be one less thorn in the world's side. And if everyone ends up hating what he becomes, that's all for the better. It would be easier than explaining what hell he could've ended up dragging them in to.
"Hundred on."
(A/N): Well... isn't this a long time coming? I don't entirely know what to say, with how long it's been since my last update. But I can say that I am indeed back. Recently I've gotten back into the flow of writing thanks to a bit of reignition in reading and learning on new practices. I've also gotten a proper routine going, making a goal to write 500 words a day, as well as trying to wait to release a chapter until half of the next one is done. It'll depend on how much I get done on how that goes, this is all experimental and being back in writing for a week doesn't make for certain if I'm going to be dependable. But I fully intend on getting back into a full swing of writing, my approach goal being to release a chapter every two or three weeks. Depending on my inspiration I may release one in two weeks, one week, or the projected three. It'll all be depended on how free I am on days and my flow in writing. So far I'm getting a good go, 2/3 done with the next chapter. But I'm still in uncharted waters, regardless of my drive.
To those who have stayed since I first started, I'm sorry for the wait and I hope I can make it up after all this time. And for those new to the story, let's make this a good one. It's good to be back, and here's to the hopeful renewal of Abysswalker. Have a good day everyone, and I'll see you again in the next chapter.
Peace!