《Noire》


 Entry No. 1: A Spark Out of Nowhere

    Slow breathing.


    Eyes up front.


    Conceal your presence.


    Feel the flow of misteria energy in your body, and slowly focus it on your right hand.


    Slowly accumulate enough misteria for the shot, and then¡­.


    A pale blue sphere glowing from her right hand, Tsukihime had her sights on their target.


    The snow has just finished falling when she and her stepbrother Ren decided to hunt, using the snow as stealth cover. After hours of searching for a game, they finally found one in a giant deer that wandered inside the snowy forest. It was a very large one, with the same pale blue glow that Tsukihime was producing. The energy flowed from its head throughout its body, as seen by the misteria veins that protruded its thick hide.


    The place was dead silent because of the snow dampening any noise, so the deer have to rely on its eyes to spot any danger on its surroundings, which they took advantage by positioning themselves almost behind its blind spot.


    Skeptic on Tsukihime¡¯s ability to use misteria arts, Ren readied his bow, anticipating that she would fail.


    ¡°Now!!¡± the girl shouted as she fired the misteria energy, the bolt flew at almost the speed of light towards the deer.


    Unfortunately, the bolt of energy almost fizzled out mid-flight, only hitting the deer with a miniscule amount of shock.


    The deer was startled, rotating its head towards them, immediately spotting the two.


    Agitated and enraged, it dashed towards Tsuki with the full intent on harming the girl, but Ren, with his bow ready, took the shot, and the arrow struck straight through the head. Losing consciousness every passing second, the deer lost its balance, its body slowly sled towards the fear-ridden girl. Blood soon trickled from the wound where the arrow has hit, coloring the once white snow with a crimson red hue.


    With a deep exhale, Ren withdrew the bow to his back and walked towards Tsuki.


    ¡°You ok?¡± he asked her, outstretching his hand to help her get up.


    Tsukihime could only nod, her mouth stiffened due to shock and cold, as she took her stepbrother¡¯s hand and regained her balance.


    There was silence for a moment, both of them just stared at the dead deer.


    ¡°Ren, I¡¯m sorry,¡± the girl broke the silence, her eyes trying to not look at him.


    ¡°Its fine, really. I already knew this would happen, anyway,¡± he responded, shrugging off any worries that the girl had.


    It was like a routine for him at that point. Ever since Tsukihime found out that she can use misteria energy, she could not stop trying to effectively conjure an art.


    Tsukihime was no ordinary human, for she was a relic of the past... a long, long past, indeed.


    ***


    Ren and his family found the girl only known as Tsukihime on one of the family¡¯s hunting and scavenging trips. Wandering inside a large building, they were looking for scraps, anything that still has any value. After experiencing a hard fall, Ren found the girl¡¯s cryogenic capsule sitting quietly, preserving her inside with its cold interior.


    After a month of figuring out how to release her from her subzero confinement, they finally did it and took care of her at their home at the refugee city of Axria. Having lost some of her memories from the time that she lived, Tsukihime tried to find answers as to what really happened in the world at the time when she was in a deep slumber.


    Who am I? Rather, who am I that is so important, someone needed to preserve my body in ice? What really happened in this world?


    Where¡­. is everybody?


    These questions ran through the girl¡¯s head as she continued her life under Ren¡¯s family for over three years. Even though she quickly got along the way of life on the new Earth, she could not help but miss the time when she is truly young. For some reason that she could not remember, her soul pushes her to find out about the truth of Earth¡¯s devastation.


    The family tried their utmost all, but they could not hide Tsukihime¡¯s high compatibility with misteria forever, and thus, four years after she was awakened, her body naturally began to manifest phenomenon only possible with misteria manipulation. After a long talk, they had her agree not to let anyone else see her powers, for they were fearful of what might happen to Tsukihime if her powers were to be discovered by either the Empire of Paladinus or the Argento Collective, two factions which were at war with each other for a very long time, even before their arrival on their dimension.


    Even so, she tried to rekindle her knowledge about the misteria arts, for she believed that by remembering it, she could also restore her memories from the distant past.


    After packing their hunt onto the Kettenkrad, Ren and Tsukihime began their way back to Axria. The sky, still covered with greyish clouds, has started precipitating snow again. He turned the starter motor and then after a loud hum from the Kettenkrad¡¯s engine, it ran silently on standby, making the body of the vehicle rattle. Except for its remarkable misteria converter engine, its entirety is a testament, a relic of the old Earth¡¯s past. It had a caterpillar track system as its means of movement, allowing very sharp turns and making it an all-terrain vehicle. It could fit up to seven people, and it was powerful enough to pull up to 4 tonnes of additional weight. It sported a rough brown and black color, due to its usage and lack of cleaning. It had become the family heirloom of Ren''s family, passed from generation to generation.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Tsuki, it looks like another snowstorm is coming,¡± Ren called her, still staring at a distance.


    Hearing the boy¡¯s call, she slowly turned around and walked towards their vehicle. After she got inside the Kettenkrad, Ren rode on the driver¡¯s seat of the vehicle and stepped on the pedal, making it move back to their home.


    They passed through snowy terrain, most of the roads now clogged with fresh white snow. Because of the Catastrophe, Earth¡¯s orientation has reversed, making the south pole north and vice versa, along with the planet¡¯s tilt changing from 23.6 to almost 35 degrees. For that cause, a large part of northern part of Great Britain island experiences snow almost all year long, worsening at winter.


    Ren had installed a makeshift tent on the Kettenkrad to protect them from the elements, and for the most part, it does its job well. Their hunt at one side, Tsukihime sat on the other side of the vehicle, staring at the white snow around them. Then, she stretched her hand outside to catch a snowflake, the silver bracelet shining with whatever light could penetrate the thick clouds above them.


    ¡°Tsuki, what are you thinking this time?¡± he asked, trying to break the silence between them.


    But the girl has seemingly not heard anything that he said, her eyes still staring at the snow.


    She was concentrated on feeling the flow of misteria with her hand. It felt like a slow moving stream, calm and relaxing to the touch. She could almost see it, visualizing it as a blue stream. Some of the energy flowed towards her hand, where the bracelet is. Although almost everyone had the basic knowledge about the energy, she hypothesized that only ones who could has high misteria compatibility could truly sense its flow.


    Suddenly, the misteria flow changed. It felt very rough and powerful, as if they were headed towards a waterfall.


    The girl looked towards the direction as to where Ren is driving, observing if anything was in front of their way.


    ¡°Oh no, it seems that another misteria storm is in our way,¡± Ren said in disappointment as he slowed down their vehicle, confirming Tsuki¡¯s fears.


    Snowstorms are one thing, but a misteria snowstorm is another.More severe and dangerous, it emits high concentrated misteria lightning bolts that if hit, the victim will have an experience worse than death itself.


    The boy got off their vehicle and walked for a bit, looking around for a place to camp.


    ¡°There! A cave. We can stay there while the storm is passing,¡± he informed the girl, pointing at the entrance of the cave under a large mountain.


    She nodded, fully knowing the risk of going out into the storm. They immediately drove and parked the Kettenkrad inside of it. Ren then gathered the firewood that he has in store under the left seat of the vehicle, and with a little gas and spark, he made a bonfire to keep them warm. As he finished the setup, the downpour of snow had begun, along with it the strong gales storm. The howling of the wind and the thunderous boom of misteria lightning reverberated around the walls of the cave, sending shivers down the two person¡¯s spines. Even with the bonfire, they could still feel the cold from outside, prompting Ren to add more firewood into it.


    ¡°Maybe we should eat something for now to keep us warm,¡± he said, in which Tsukihime nodded almost aggressively. He sliced a large chunk of deer meat, then cut them into cubes, skewered them into two sticks, and finally put them above the bonfire to cook. The smell of roasted meat soon reached Tsuki¡¯s nose, making her look at them with zest.


    ¡°Just wait for a bit, Tsuki, they¡¯ll be done soon.¡±


    If there was one thing that Ren could say about Tsukihime, it is her being a glutton. Ever since she came into their family, they had to hunt more than their usual just to appease her ever growling stomach.


    That was not a problem to them, though. Having her in their family made their lives a bit more cheerful. They could not explain it, but it just seemed that her presence made everyone around her happy, despite the state of the world they were living in. She was like a flower, beautifully blooming in the middle of a cracked, dried up landscape.


    The snowstorm raged on, with the misteria lightning bolts occasionally boomed at the distance. Tsukihime could feel the raging flow of misteria all over her, as if she was being swept away by a very strong current. The howling of winds and the coldness that it brought crept upon her body as she looked at the already darkened surroundings outside of the cave. Only the fire from the bonfire prevented them from feeling the cold, and yet it seemed that it was not enough.


    After a while, the roasted pieces of deer meat have been cooked into perfectly brown cubes.


    ¡°Time to eat,¡± he called the girl, immediately getting her attention.


    Tsukihime could not wait to get her hands on the grilled meat, and when she did, she admired it with her eyes wide open. Her mind was always fixated when it comes to food, a trait that Ren quite enjoys about her.


    As they ate, Ren asked her something.


    ¡°So, what are you thinking all this time?¡±


    She chewed and gulped her food, then answered to him in a sweet yet melancholic tone, her first words since they left the hunting grounds.


    ¡°Nothing much, really. It¡¯s just my mind wandering off again.¡±


    Ren kind of expected that answer from her, it was her usual response whenever she was asked that question. He knew that it was not a dishonest answer, due to her circumstances, but he had always been curious as to what Tsuki had in her mind whenever she stares in the horizon.


    And thus, he left the matter at hand, and proceeded to eat alongside his stepsister.


    ***


    Tsuki¡­ you must wake up.


    You have to remember.


    For¡­ him.


    The girl immediately opened her eyes.


    It was the same dream over and over again.


    She, all alone in the darkness¡­


    Surrounded by nothingness.


    With only the voice of someone she clearly knew yet could not remember guiding her.


    Breathing heavily, she got up from her slumber. She touched her chest, feeling her fast beating heart. The thought still ran through her mind, about her identity and such.


    The storm raged on outside of the cave, its howling winds made it hard for her to go back to sleep. Meanwhile, Ren almost went into dreamland if not Tsukihime suddenly waking up.


    ¡°Ren, I think I¡¯ll handle the night watch now. You can go rest,¡± she said, smiling a bit as he looked at him.


    ¡°Thanks. I really needed this one. This weather really calls for a good sleep, you know,¡± he answered with a sluggish voice.


    In no time, Ren tucked himself on one of their spare blankets and quickly fell asleep.


    Time passed by, the storm still raging outside the cave. The coldness slowly became unbearable for the both of them due to the bonfire¡¯s dwindling supply of wood, so she got up and got some from the Kettenkrad. But suddenly¡­


    Remember¡­


    Remember who you are¡­


    He¡­ needs you¡­


    She heard that voice again.


    It was a girl¡¯s voice, one that she encountered in the past, yet Tsukihime could not recall her identity.


    Then¡­


    The boy¡­ he is in danger! HURRY!!!


    The voice now called to her outside of her dreams, making her extremely afraid around her surroundings. The sound of the wind outside and the dwindling light from the bonfire did not help to calm her down. Her eyes frantically searched for the source of the sound, while her body trembled with fear for something that she could not see.


    ¡°Wh---who are you!? What do you want with me!?¡± she shouted, pointing her hand in front of her while going in circles. As she raised it, she noticed something from it.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    Her bracelet glowed a faint blue light.


    As she continued looking for the source of the voice, she had another discovery.


    The glow grew a bit brighter as she pointed it inside the cave.


    The inside of the cave was pitch black, so much that it looked like a tunnel that goes nowhere. She felt that if she ventured further, she might end up in an unending abyss.


    And yet, the bracelet glowed, as if it was telling her to go inside the darkness.


    It was a decision making moment for her, either to stay in her current state or to go inside and find out even a single clue about her identity.


    Thus, she slowly walked towards the darkness, her fear growing with each step. Yet she moved on, with her resolve to know the truth overcoming her phobia and doubts along the way.

 Entry no. 2: Discord, Monstrosities, and Reawakening

    Voices, voices everywhere. The place is very bright, I could not discern as to where I am right now, but I know that this place is far from our home.


    Seven shadows in total, including my parents¡¯. They are taking me somewhere, but where¡­


    What am I doing here?


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ***


    She walked into the darkness of the cave, unsure of her destination, but she still continued on her path. Without the heat from the bonfire, she could feel the cold creep up from her arms and feet towards her body, even with two jackets already on. The only thing that keeps her going was the glow from her bracelet, which glowed brighter as she went deeper inside.


    Her feet only moved forward, not once backing down even though her mind told her to.


    She wants to know


    Who she is¡­


    What happened to her, to her parents¡­ the world?


    These questions swirled on her mind as she walked slowly, slowly, slowly towards a place in which she has no idea what was inside.


    And then¡­


    ¡°Aaaah!! My knee!¡±


    Tsukihime tripped, her right foot hitting a protruding rock. She was too fixated to the bracelet¡¯s light that she lost sense of the surroundings that she was in.


    She finally reached the inside of the cave.


    It was rather spacious, the whole area spanning over several hundred meters long. There was a giant mound at the center of the area, a little mountain inside a mountain. Like the cave shaft that she just went in, it was also covered with darkness.


    None of it mattered to Tsukihime, though, for her sights were fixated at one thing.


    When she first found out about her real origin, the family had no choice but to take her to where they found her. The memory was still fresh to her brain, the mechanism that she was in that place.


    The one which preserved her life, and has endured centuries until somebody finally opened the lid.


    A cryogenic capsule, a menacing red glow illuminated the inside, signaling that there was something wrong with the capsule itself. Inside was a person, still alive but clearly had difficulty breathing.


    It was a boy, around the same age as herself.


    As she stared into his face while slowly moving forward, her right hand unwittingly touched something from the capsule. A loud beep reverberated on the walls of the cavern, surprising the tranced girl. That, and the sound of the machinations inside the capsule quickly filled the sound void around her.


    Not long after the noise has started, the ground shook. Stones and pebbles from above began falling down like raindrops in the sky as the gigantic mound in the middle began to move, gradually unfurling from its coiled state.


    Without second thoughts, the frightened Tsukihime quickly ran away into the cavern to where she entered. Her running was constantly interrupted by the quake, causing her to trip and fall flat on her stomach. She could not find her balance due to the swaying of the earth, and her racing heart does not help her at the situation that she was in. Adrenaline rushed throughout her body, letting her almost see in the darkness of the cavern and give her energy to at least run faster, away from the danger that she definitely triggered.


    The shaking began to move towards her, the noise sounded like clawing and hissing. It was clear that her actions had awakened something, and it did not appreciate her waking it up.


    She looked behind almost every minute, not realizing that a looming figure was standing in front of her. Tsukihime collided on him at full speed, causing the both of them to fall on the ground.


    ¡°Tsuki! Where have you been!? I¡¯ve been searching for you when the earthquake happened,¡± Ren asked her as he tried to get up from his fall, but the girl did not answer the question. Instead she grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the outside of the cave, which the misteria storm still wreaked havoc.


    The shaking was almost unto them at that point. They could feel the intimidating presence of a very large creature closing in fast towards them, and the cave is only way out. Without question, Ren carried Tsukihime towards the exit, the snowstorm still on its peak. His legs almost gave out due to the girl¡¯s weight and the sudden change in environment, the snow being too deep for them to step on properly.


    Just as they got out of the cave, a very long, gigantic figure forcefully poke its head in the entrance of the cave, the Kettenkrad ejected and flung a good distance away.


    The earth rumbled, shaking the very core of the both of them. The creature sleeping inside the cavern finally revealed itself to them, standing so tall their heads almost tilted upwards when they tried to take a glimpse of it.


    ¡°Oh, my¡­ goodness. What in the world¡¯s name is that thing!?¡± Ren exclaimed, staring at the creature with both awe and fear.


    The area was dimly lit, so they could not see the entirety of the creature, but its outline and shadow was more than enough for them to know that this being is huge.


    Then, out of thin air, a very bright flash of misteria lightning struck a bunch of pine trees near them, setting them on fire. As the flames quickly burned the trees, it gave light at the creature, making its appearance even more menacing.


    ***


    The monster has the appearance of a centipede, having a very long segmented body covered in some kind of armor with legs on every segment. It lacked eyes, but the long antennae that protruded on its head was more than enough for this beast to see even in the dark. But what made it even more frightening was the pair of forcipules underneath its mouth, still leaking of deadly poison that burned the snow under it as it drips. The low growl-like sound that it makes as it breathes adds a very menacing vibe to it.


    It was a monster out of their league, something that should not exist at all. That creature was certainly an aberration to the natural order, although in reality, that order was already broken when the Catastrophe happened. But still, it was unlike any creature that they had seen.


    As Tsukihime and Ren slowly backed away from the monster, they felt several other creatures heading straight towards them at full speed. Soon, these creatures stopped behind them, their heavy breathing suggested that they have come from afar.


    ¡°We finally found you, monster. Prepare to die!¡±


    Dumbfounded, their eyes widened at what they witnessed.


    The newly arrivals were a pack of giant wolves, not any different from their post-Catastrophe predecessors except for their size. For a long time, the existence of these creatures, only known as Fenrir, had been debated and treated more as a myth. They were reclusive creatures, rarely seen by people who lived far south. They were said to be a majestic kind, hunting for prey with precision and swiftness that rivaled most other creatures that lived in that era. Almost as quiet as a passing breeze, they strike with such speed that their prey would not even know that they have just been killed. Other than that description, there was basically no other information about these creatures.


    At that moment, the both of them have witnessed the arrival of an entire pack of these legendary creatures, even hearing one of them speak.


    As epic as that moment was, it did not help the situation that they were in. On one side, a titan-like centipede creature towering over them, its fangs ready to strike at any time, and on the other, a pack of giant wolves, eyes glowing with rage and teeth bared, also ready to retaliate, all the while the both of them being at the center of the action.


    The standstill was tense, only growling and breathing could be heard from all around them. Everyone was just waiting for the other to make their move.


    Moments later, the alpha Fenrir let out a very loud roar, rallying the pack on the attack.


    ¡°Oh crap! We need to get out of here!!¡± Ren screamed, pulling Tsukihime up and out of the area. With all their strength left, they escaped, nearly getting caught in the Fenrir¡¯s charge. The ground rumbled once more as these two creatures clashed in the middle of the snowy field. Although the Fenrir gave a good fight, they were no match for the speed and raw power of the colossal centipede, the pack being picked out one by one. Their spew out powerful misteria beams from their mouths, and their strength was remarkable, and yet it did nothing to the tough armor of the beast, seemingly ignoring these attacks as if they were insect bites. An attack on the flank was also a failure, due to the centipede¡¯s amazing spatial awareness, shrugging off any attacker with a whip of its tail that was more than enough to incapacitate a Fenrir. The pack may have the numbers, but that advantage was nothing before the creature¡¯s overwhelming power and armor.


    ¡°Those wolves have no way of winning against that monstrosity. The armor is too impenetrable for their beams to even scratch it. We need to get out of here while we sti---¡°


    As Ren pulled Tsukihime¡¯s hand to guide her away from the fight, she instead pulled him back, stopping him from his tracks.


    ¡°What is it, Tsuki? Can¡¯t you see that this place is dangerous right now!? We need to go, NOW!!¡± he shouted at her face in frustration. True to his words, the area has become not just a battlefield, but rather a murder park for the giant centipede monster.


    He pulled the girl¡¯s hand once again, now with a bit more force.


    ¡°Come on, we need to get out of---¡°


    ¡°No,¡± she answered.


    ¡°Wha--- what are you talking about!?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± she answered, fear and nervousness still flowing around her body.


    ¡°I need to help him.¡±


    The boy could not believe his ears. Everything was in chaos and what was in the girl¡¯s mind was to help some beasts that they do not even have affiliation with.


    ¡°What are you talking about? Those beasts will die, there is no doubt about it!¡±


    As he spoke, though, Tsukihime ran straight into the area.


    ¡°It¡¯s not about the wolves, Ren! There¡¯s someone there! I need to help him!¡±


    Once again, Ren was bewildered, but having some sort of obligation to protect his family member, even if she was not of their blood, he had no choice but to follow her. On his way, he found the Kettenkrad, it landed upright and seemed not to have taken any serious damage. He got his bow and arrows and continued to follow Tsukihime, which held her hand forward.


    ***


    Circling around the chaos that ensued, Tsukihime had her eyes focused on the tail of the beast, revealing the capsule that it latched into. Due to her tampering with the capsule¡¯s lock, its lid was opened quite a bit, but the beast moved so fast in the darkness, she could not discern whether the person inside was still alive at that point. On her way there, a Fenrir was thrown and landed near her. It was the leader of the pack who got hit quite badly in the body. Despite its injuries though, the giant wolf slowly got up to its feet, ready to go for the attack again.


    Hearing the Fenrir¡¯s words when they arrived at the scene, she suddenly had an idea that popped out of her head.


    ¡°Wait, waaaaiiitt!!¡±


    The Fenrir quickly shifted its eyes on the source of the voice, a short girl with golden hair. It gnarled at her, trying to intimidate the girl that seemed to work for a bit.


    ¡°Listen to me, I have an idea,¡± she told the beast, catching her breath.


    ¡°Heh. And why would I listen to you?¡± the creature snarled, its breathing obviously labored.


    ¡°I may have a way to defeat that monstrosity,¡± she answered, which began giggling then went on and done a full laugh for a while.


    ¡°Oh, really? And how do you propose we do that, eh? You see the situation in front of you? We can¡¯t even dent its armor! But you, a little human, have an idea. Right, now why don¡¯t you go away like the cowards you are!¡±


    The last phrase snapped her patience string. Her eyes burned with rage as she angrily marched towards the Fenrir, her conviction at an all-time high.


    ¡°Now listen to me, you big fat piece of dog meat!!!¡±


    Hearing her words, Ren was not surprised at that point about Tsukihime badmouthing. He witnessed several instances where the girl¡¯s anger goes through the roof and her just rampaging with curses, so much that he wondered if those patterns of speech were normal during the Old Era.


    ¡°You just can¡¯t let go of your pride, don¡¯t you? It¡¯s always like that with you¡­ you ANIMALS!!! Still holding to your ego even though you¡¯re on the verge of death. Now, would it hurt for you to stand up, get down off your egotistical throne and listen to me, stupid dog!¡±


    Insulted to the core, the Fenrir bared his fangs on Tsukihime, but the girl did not even flinch, instead pointing her hand towards the beast as if she was going to shoot it, although she knew herself that she could not use any misteria arts yet.


    But the Fenrir suddenly changed its mood, which surprised the both of them.


    ¡°That¡­ thing on your hand. So that¡¯s what you are.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    The beast looked towards her, and then lowered its head as if it was offering her a ride.


    ¡°Hop on,¡± it said in a low tone.


    ¡°Tell me your plan on the way.¡±


    Both Tsukihime and Ren had no idea as to what made the Fenrir change its mind, but getting the help that they want, the two just got along the flow. Accepting its offer, the girl carefully mounted herself on the beast. Its fur, while looked menacing, was light and fluffy at touch and sturdy at the same time. Its broad shoulders were stiff and muscular, it felt like riding a horse, except that this horse has sharp teeth and claws. It stood, lifting the girl off the ground.


    ¡°Give me your blade, Ren. I¡¯ll need it,¡± the girl said, and Ren complied, albeit with a little confusion and fear in mind. He unsheathed his blade, the steel reflected the glow of the fire from afar, and gave it to her handle first. Tsukihime then received it and held to it as tightly as she could


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡±


    At her signal, the Fenrir, with all its strength, dashed towards the battlefield with Tsukihime on its back. Ren could only trail them from behind, ready to assist her at any time, armed with his trusty bow and arrow. Although still in the dark about her plans, he trusted Tsukihime¡¯s guts about the situation.


    Meanwhile, the beast asked her about her idea.


    ¡°Get me to the tail of that thing, I¡¯m going to get someone out of the capsule. Maybe that will weaken it, and then you go for the attack,¡± she answered, clutching to the fur of the Fenrir. She was scared, the wolf had felt it with its instincts. It knew it was a natural response when going on a battlefield, itself being overwhelmed by fear when they first encountered the monstrosity ages ago. Even at that moment, as he saw his comrades fall one by one at the clutches of the monster, he still feared that thing. That, and one other reason was why it decided to help the girl, as improbable as it was.


    They circled the monster, aiming at its tail, which the Fenrir saw the thing in which it clutched with.


    ¡°Is that it?¡± it asked, pointing its nose towards the capsule.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it! Be ready!¡±


    That being said, the Fenrir hastened its pace, aiming at the tail of the monster. While its main focus was on the remainder of the pack, the two of them tried their hardest not to be spotted as they sneaked behind it. Then, when the tail finally went down for a moment, Tsukihime, without any warning, jumped off the back of the Fenrir and grasped a tendril that was attached to the capsule, almost slipping and falling into the snowy area.


    ¡°What now!?¡± it asked, waiting for further instructions from the girl who gripped on the tendril with all that she had left.


    ¡°Continue on the diversion! I¡¯m gonna try to disconnect this thing from it, then----oooh waaaaahh!!!¡±


    The monster suddenly moved and raised its tail again, now unknowingly bringing the girl with it.


    ¡°Tsk. Easier said than done,¡± the beast snarled in annoyance as it rejoined the pack once again, determined to end this skirmish once and for all. They all ran around in circles, confusing the monster and halting its movements, at least temporarily.


    As the action below continued, the girl made contact with the capsule once again. There, she saw the face of the boy, still in a sleep-like state but almost on the verge of waking up. The red warning lights continued to blink inside the capsule, and at that time, the display outside it read: ¡°WARNING: OVERRIDE FAILED¡±


    She tried to pry open the lid, to no avail. It was too heavy and was locked quite tightly, so she had to think of another idea. As she looked at the back of the capsule, cutting the tendrils that were on her way, she noticed a strange purple glow that seemed to come from it. There, she discovered the real cause of the monster¡¯s overgrowth.


    The glow came from a bundle of neuron-like strands that attached themselves to the exposed circuitry of the capsule. There, she could see the steady flow of misteria from inside the capsule to the monster, effectively draining the boy inside. She remembered something about misteria being the life force that keeps creatures and humans alike living, and that a complete drainage of it meant certain death, for the soul would have no more anchor to reality and would result in it disconnecting from the body.


    The girl had little time left, she could feel the life force of the person inside slowly fading away with every minute that passed. While holding to her dear life on a tendril that firmly attached itself on the capsule, she reached for Ren¡¯s blade that she tied to her back, and thrusted it with brute force towards the bundle of strands.


    A loud screech was heard all around the area, the monster being subjected to excruciating pain as the blade snapped some of the fibers that connected itself on the boy. Finding out that said connection was compromised, it began to whip its tail furiously to get rid of Tsukihime who held on tightly on the capsule. Round and round the monster went, desperate to remove the girl from its tail. Eventually, her grip loosened due to the absurd amounts of centrifugal force that she had to endure, flinging her body away.


    As her hand lost her grip on the monster, with the blade still stuck on its tail, time seemed to flow slowly all around her, due to the adrenaline being pumped by her body. She was going to land back first onto the snow, but there would be no guarantee that she would survive the fall, given the force that was used to flick her away. Her eyes were still on the capsule, the boy¡¯s facial features still engrained to her memory. Her mind tells her that she knew this boy from a long time ago, but she could not even remember his name. If ever, she could not even remember her own name, doubting if Tsukihime really was her name from the long past. Not that she did not trust Ren and his family, but she could not help rethinking about her life in the past.


    Usually, when a life threatening event happens to a person, he or she experiences sudden flashbacks of the most important parts of their life, but for Tsukihime, it was something else entirely.


    Darkness blanketed her surroundings, as if she was sucked by a black hole, never to be seen again. But she could still definitely feel that she was falling to her possible death. All that she could see were herself and the capsule where the boy was still held captive, sucked almost to death by the monstrosity that probably used his misteria energy who knows how long. Her hand, outstretched at the capsule, began to glow a bright blue light, although she was not using any misteria arts at that time.


    You¡­ must¡­ remember¡­


    ¡°Remember what? Please, tell me! What is it that I need to remember!?¡± her mind shouted at the voice of someone she does not see yet somewhat knew.


    Your origin¡­ your pact¡­


    You must remember¡­ before it¡¯s too late.


    As these words reached her, she suddenly saw flashes of memories from her past.


    Another young girl, just like herself¡­


    The moon¡­ it was quite larger than normal¡­


    The moon¡­ that¡¯s it!


    It was there all along, in all of her vague dreams, the moon was always there, as if it was watching her, observing her growth as an individual. And that girl¡­ she finally remembered who that was.


    Tsuki¡¯s mouth opened, quietly saying the other girl¡¯s name. After that, her bracelet glowed a very bright white light, illuminating the whole area. It finally opened, revealing layers upon layers of runes that enveloped her whole arm. A crescent-shaped object then formed on the bracelet, like something from a bow. It emitted a blue hue, with the same runes engraved on its entirety. The jewel that was with the bracelet had now became its core, where the crescent object originated. Vein-like projections slowly spread themselves on the girl¡¯s arm, seeping through like electricity in a circuit board.


    She felt immense pain, her whole arm seemingly being burned by something. But she endured all of it, pointing her glowing hand at the capsule itself.


    With a loud voice, she chanted an incantation.


    Spirit of the Moon, show me the path to enlightenment!


    Mare Illuminatus, Forte!!!


    A bluish rune-like writing formed on the touch display panel that was supposed to open the door of the capsule, and a second later, it made a miniature explosion that destroyed said panel, unlocking the lid and letting it open. The monster screeched in pain, as if it lost several of its limbs, and continually shook its tail from side to side, the person inside went also in free fall like her.


    Unfortunately, either by terrible luck or fate itself, not one, not two, but three very powerful misteria lightning bolts have struck the boy, the body landed on the snowy ground smoking hot and seemingly scalded.


    Meanwhile, Tsuki had already landed back first onto the ground. If not for the Fenrir¡¯s catch on her using its body, her fall would surely be her last. Her whole body felt very painful, but nothing compared it to the scorching pain coming from her right arm, where the bracelet remained open and exposing its misteria conduits.


    ¡°You¡­ haven¡¯t used any misteria arts for a long time, did you? That was dangerous, it could have get you killed,¡± the Fenrir said to her while moving her to a more comfortable position. The monstrosity was still on a torturous rampage, its misteria source now gone.


    ¡°But, I must give commendations when it¡¯s due. You¡¯ve done a great job. Thank you.¡±


    She could only smile weakly, but with smugness written all over her face.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just stand here, though. We need to move before it notices us once again. Now that you removed its source of power, it will stop at nothing for revenge,¡± the beast continued, now trying to make the girl stand on her two feet.


    As it said those words, the monster suddenly shifted its focus on them, as if it heard what the Fenrir had said. With full rage seen on the rhythmic movement of its multiple legs and antennae, it charged towards the two at full speed, intended on either eating them whole or crushing them with its weight. By instinct, the Fenrir put its body in front of Tsuki, determined on protecting the girl at all costs, when out of thin air¡­


    Diamond-splitting Chop!!!


    ***


    The monster¡¯s charge was diverted by an attack, veering it off course. The boy stood in front of them, his right hand still sparking with misteria. Both the Fenrir and Tsuki felt that something was off with him, specifically his left hand, something sinister, yet necessary for some reason. It felt as if he had another personality separate from the one in front of them, silently lurking within the confines of something. The aura that he emitted was so strong, the Fenrir backed down, its fight or flight instinct kicking in.


    But what surprised them the most was the fact that he still stood after being hit by three misteria lightning bolts, which were known to result in a certain death if struck. If ever, the bolts even seemed to have empowered the boy, given on how hard he hit the monster with his bare hand.


    The storm raged further, seemingly in response to the boy¡¯s growing aura. Misteria lightning bolts lighted up the cloudy skies, a bad omen about to come in fruition. After a while, the boy raised his right hand in the air with his palm open wide. With a loud voice, he issued a command spell.


    Heed my call, The Judge of the Sun, Gawain!!


    Five strings of misteria materialized from his fingertips, arching a bit towards the sky and downwards through the tail of the monster. He moved his fingers inward as to make a fist, and something from inside the capsule responded, breaking through the thick metal plating and flew high in the air, following the strings to his hand. As it approached his hand, the gauntlet opened up, tracing its trajectory and prepared itself for insertion. It revealed an intricate network of metal plates connected by strings of misteria, with a central circular piece as a keystone, and it fitted itself into his hand, interlocking and connecting itself through the boy¡¯s circuits. It then lighted a bright orange glow, with lines of misteria circuitry embedded within the gauntlet that glowed a deep orange hue instead. Tsukihime and the Fenrir could feel the surge of power flow throughout the boy¡¯s body, like a violent stream in a large river after a very severe storm just passed by. The illumination was too bright for them, as if the sun in the sky just descended onto the earth below.


    ¡°I will show you the power you desperately wanted, you goddamned monstrosity!!!¡± he said, raising his hand up in the air, the glow intensified even further.


    The giant centipede, with nowhere to go, decided to finish the fight in one single blow, screeching loudly and charging towards the boy at the fastest speed that it could muster. The boy, on the other hand, stood ground, also determined on defeating the one who used his misteria energy for its own benefit.


    It¡¯s time for Judgement, o Gawain!


    Break the very fabric of existence of the enemy in front of me


    Five lines of misteria runes suddenly flowed from the central circle of the gauntlet, each line measuring up to almost forty meters in length. Next, it stopped at one point, and after that, it quickly retracted back to the circle, making the gauntlet glow a very bright white light and seemingly doubled its size.


    Key no.3 Off-Limited Mode: Fortress Breaker!!!


    He threw the punch at the oncoming monstrosity, which resulted in a shockwave that displaced a large amount of snow around the area. Gusts of wind blew around them, disturbed greatly by the sheer force of the contact. But even with the bright glow of the Gawain, they could definitely see the crack on the reinforced armor on the head of the monster, which was supposed to be one of its hardest part. The boy pushed his fist one more time, and it was the end, for the monster had been stripped off of its armored shell, sending its exposed innards out in the open. Because of the massive air displacement, the gusts did not go away for a while, violently replacing the displaced air in the area like a vacuum.


    The blown-away snow began to slowly descend back into the ground in which they rested. The girl and the Fenrir sat on the snowless earth, both in awe and fear of the show of power the boy in front of them that they witnessed first-hand. All of a sudden, he turned towards them, his white coat fluttering with the wind. There, they saw his left eye completely turned red, with small lines of misteria circuitry protruding from beyond his eyelids. No blood flowed from it, but it definitely looked like a bloodied eye. It contrasted his right eye, which seemed compassionate and kind, its black iris unaffected at all by misteria. The appearance of his left eye made the two nervous, perceiving it as a threat, but seconds later it slowly disappeared, restoring it to normal. He smiled to them, then fell on the ground, losing consciousness.


    ¡°H---hey! Are you---o---kay,¡± Tsuki did not finish what she had to say, also losing her sense of being as she tried to crawl her way towards the boy. Her mind had lost control of its body, her vision blurred and eventually turned all black. The cold, the pain, every single one of her senses came to a slow halt, but as she left reality, the just recently suppressed memories of hers flowed through her subconscious, telling her the tale of her past.


    ***


    ¡°What is happening to our daughter, doctor?¡±


    That was my mother¡¯s voice. I will always recognize that sweet voice anywhere, of that person who cared for me for so long. As to why she sounded so worried, I have no idea.


    Holding my hand was my father, the one who kept us alive. Stoic as he was, Dad also cared for me, although he rarely showed it in front of me. But I knew that he loved both me and Mom.


    But now, he is dead serious. He held my hand tightly, as if he does not want to let me go. His eyes are glued forward, but he still has the reflexes to not allow me to fall down my knees when I trip.


    ¡°To be honest with you, ma¡¯am, we do not know everything about this phenomenon, so we are not sure about anything the moment. But be assured that we are doing our best to know the cause of all of this.¡±


    There were three persons who I did not know. They wore long white coats, so I knew that they were doctors. But I did not understand why they were there. I was not sick, I did not feel anything wrong with my body, and yet my parents are taking me to a place with doctors in it.


    The hallway felt very long with my little feet desperately trying to keep in pace with the adults, and when my legs gave up, my dad carried me on his arms for the rest of the walk. Minutes later, we finally stopped to a room.


    It was filled with white light from two florescent lamps on top of the room, and it was mostly empty, with only a table and two chairs filling the space in it. There were two doors, one on the left and one on the right, and beside the right door is a large mirror that almost encompassed the whole wall. The inside was completely quiet, so quiet it made me feel a bit afraid about the place.


    ¡°You need to leave her here. We will conduct the test momentarily.¡±


    They had me sit on one of the chairs, then Mom touched my shoulders, gently as she always does.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, Tsuki. We¡¯re just in the other room, okay? Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t leave you.¡±


    I saw my mother¡¯s eyes. They almost welled up of tears.


    Moments later, all of them left me alone in the room.


    I began to feel even more afraid, my senses on their highest levels of alertness. My heart would not stop beating, as if something was lurking, hiding within the confines of the room I¡¯m in. I could not even stand; my feet would not respond to what my mind was saying to it.


    Move¡­ move!!


    Yet I sat still, alone in the room filled with white light.


    I looked at the mirror, and I saw myself, afraid of being left alone.


    But¡­


    Mom? Dad?


    Faintly, I saw their silhouettes seemingly from behind the mirror, along with seven more people. They seem to be in an argument, with Mom erratically waiting for something while my father held her to calm her down. The seven other people just¡­ stared towards my direction, also waiting for something to happen.


    The door suddenly opened, its noise gained volume due to how quiet the room was.


    A young man entered, wearing the same white lab coat as the others back at the other wall. He looked at me with gentle eyes, making me ease up a bit. His smile somewhat assured me that he or the others meant no harm. He carried a small violet orb visibly floating on a golden stand. Its brilliance allured my eyes, and so I stared at it with wonder, almost completely ignoring the state that I was in.


    ¡°Hello, my name is Dr. Maikel Saifar. I¡¯m a researcher here at the Huygens-Kashima Institute. You are here today because your parents saw something strange in you, something that we want to see to analyze and to help you cope with what is within you right now.¡±


    His voice was as gentle as his eyes, almost like my mother¡¯s. Although my eyes were still fixated from the floating orb now sitting at the center of the table. The good doctor was still speaking, but I could not hear him at all, instead I heard the call of the orb. It had a sweet tune, as if it was calling to me. I outstretched my hand, and it came to me, slowly, floating from its stand towards my palm. The moment I touched the orb, both my hand and the orb simultaneously illuminated the room with a pale blue light, and I felt something else, like a liquid flowing throughout my hand towards my body. Everyone in the room was shocked at the turn of events, especially Dr. Saifar. He could only observe in amazement as I held the orb with my hand.


    ¡°You¡­ this proves everything. You possess something, a gift from above. You hold something special within you, child, and we can help you control it,¡± he said to me, walking towards me and holding my other hand. He felt warm, but not as warm as the thing that I carried on my right. He smiled, and then stroked my hair.


    ¡°As the caretaker of the Children of Misteria, I welcome you, Tsukihime Haruna, to the Huygens-Kashima Institute of Misteria Reseach and Development. Do not worry, you¡¯re at safe hands.¡±


    At that moment, my life would be changed forever, a new beginning¡­


    The key to everything¡­


    The power within myself, my soul, my Seed¡­


    Everything has changed¡­ and I hated it.


    Until¡­


    I met him¡­

 Entry no. 3: Rundown at Axria

    "You really are a handful, you know."


    Tsukihime''s emerald eyes slowly opened, hearing a girl''s voice just above her. She was resting on a person''s lap, her head cushioned by plump thighs. They seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, an endless plain, with only the faint light of a large crescent moon illuminating the area. The only other living thing in there was a tree in which they rested upon.


    Her mind was still in a state of confusion, completely unaware on how she got into that place. The last thing she remembered was the scene at the end of the battle, where she desperately tried to get ahold of the boy. Suddenly recollecting all that has happened, her senses got ahold of her whole system and she quickly tried to stand up, startling the girl.


    "Wh---where am I?" she asked, her head turning left and right to observe the area.


    "Do not worry, you are safe. This is your subconscious, where I patiently waited for this moment."


    The girl''s voice was quite similar to hers, a bit on the soprano side. In fact, her whole person was an almost striking resemblance to Tsukihime, with the exception of the hair, which was light green instead of golden yellow, and her irises, which reflected a bluish hue. She wore minimal clothing, a simple white cloak, to cover herself.


    "It seems that your head still needs time to recover, so I''ll just introduce myself again. I am---"


    "No need, our Goddess. I already remember almost everything," Tsukihime promptly interrupted the girl, which did not take it lightly. The girl pouted, and proceeded to pinch Tsukihime''s cheeks.


    "Don''t call me Goddess, idiot!" she grudgingly told Tsukihime as she continued with her pinches.


    As Tsukihime felt more pain, though, the surroundings began to dramatically shift, revealing polygons at every corner of the space that they were in, akin to that of a glitch in a video game.


    "Whoops, I overdid it. You almost slipped out into reality on that one."


    Now that she saw the shift, her sense of touch began to pick up the bizarreness of the space. It felt nothing like the real world, something that bothered her from the moment she woke up.


    "Is this really my subconscious? It looks...too real," she spoke, describing what she was seeing with her eyes.


    Having no idea on how to explain the mechanics behind the space in a simpler way, the girl scratched her head and nodded.


    "Well, this is YOUR subconscious. The Crescent Sonata just processes and emulates what you observe out there," the girl answered, giving emphasis to the fact that the space was Tsukihime''s.


    Out of curiosity, she looked at her right arm, and found out that the bracelet was not there, instead it was replaced by a holographic replica of itself. She still felt the flow of misteria from outside her body through the Sonata, with an added effect of her actually seeing it streaming to her arm via the energy lines that periodically glittered with misteria.


    All of a sudden, the girl clapped her hands, breaking the ice between the two.


    "Alright, enough with the chitchat. We still have a business to attend to. Come walk with me for a while, we have a lot to talk about."


    Having established the state of her being, Tsukihime took the girl''s hand and walked with her into the seemingly eternal plains of her existence.


    ***


    "It''s been a week since they left. Where could they be?"


    Hailey, Ren''s mother, was worried sick since the two did not return on the time that they were supposed to come back home. Because her husband Arthur got sick, they were forced to let the two children hunt for the family. The hunting grounds was a two day journey by the Kettenkrad, so she expected them to be back on the fifth day, yet both Ren and Tsukihime were nowhere to be found.


    "Now, now, my dear, you worry too much. They''re grownups now, one way or another, they will have to learn how to fend for themselves," he tried to at least calm Hailey''s mind.


    "I guess even a doctor like me is not immune to sickness."


    As he spoke, Hailey placed a wet towel on his forehead to try to lower his body temperature.


    "Thanks, Hai. I do feel a bit okay now, though. Maybe I can stand up and walk tomorrow."


    Arthur had contracted a flu, making his body weak and causing him to have a high fever for several days. Thanks to him being a doctor, though, and with the help of his wife, his recovery was quicker than usual. But because of this, he could not attend to any patients, and in a place where sickness spread like wildfire and him being only one of the four doctors in the city, it really gave the place a hard time to combat the epidemic.


    "I went to the market just now, flu medicine prices are still on the rise. This epidemic got really out of hand," she remarked while holding his hand.


    "Well, what can we do? The disease came out of nowhere, and the supply for the cure was not enough for this many patients. First, the Catastrophe, then this. Is God really that mad at us?"


    That epiphany made Hailey think for a moment. The Luna Catastrophe caused a planetary-scale dimension shift that left the Earth in a state of total chaos, wiping out almost half of the world''s total population and majority of the mankind''s civilization along with it. But life went on for the survivors, rebuilding what they could on the remains of a once thriving civilization. Several cities have been built, Axria being one of them. Located at what used to be Manchester in the island of Great Britain, this city became prominent for its alacrity crystals which were used for the misteria engines that kept the city running.


    What made matters worse were the two other civilizations which were in a constant verge of war, the Holy Empire of Paladinus and the Argento Collective. Just years after the Earth had healed itself from the damage of the Catastrophe, they began to occupy the planet, and eventually settled themselves with colonies that they were more than willing to fight for against each other. These colonies were widespread, but what was known was that the east side of the Eurasia continent and the north side of Africa were predominantly occupied by the Paladinians, while the rest was Argento''s. Nothing was heard of from the Americas since it was cut-off from the rest of the world for unknown reasons.


    While the past leadership of Paladinus'' over Axria was not of any inconvinence for them, the current one, Plio Cruxia, was a harsh and greedy ruler. Ever since he replaced the former magistrate of the Holy Emperor for Axria, he imposed rules which made life harder for the Axrians. Higher tax rates and restrictions over businesses and resources has made the former blooming economy of the city fell down the drain. Adding insult to injury was the fact that he does not care at all about the people of the city, instead indulging himself to a life of party and the then newly discovered substances known to the past as drugs, which began to spread within the city itself.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    The problem of drugs and the flue epidemic caused major chaos to Axria, either making the residents addicts or victims to the deadly disease.


    Arthur, along with his three comrades, did all that he could to alleviate the suffering of the people, and in the process has contracted the disease himself, and the attack was so severe he had his wife put him on total quarantine to prevent her from getting the sickness from himself.


    And now he was almost healed, and ready once more to help those in need of his help, but just like Hailey, he was also worried about the state of the two children who they sent to hunt up north the island, although he was also confident that they could handle themselves on the journey, knowing that he taught them everything they needed to know.


    ***


    Tsukihime¡¯sconsciousness slowly went back to her, as at is did, she felt something wet and tingly touching her cheek. It persisted for quite some time, enough for her to open her eyes. Her vision, blurry at first, became clearer on each passing second. The scenery around her was dark, walls of rock surrounded her once again, making it hard for her to discern any distinguishing features. Her head, while still aching, was functional, enough to mover her limbs and eyes. The place was quiet, except for the occasional crackle of a bonfire, which reminded her of the night she and her stepbrother spent the snowstorm inside the cave, her discovery and the battle that they faced with the elusive Fenrir.


    The tingling sensation continued, making her feel uncomfortable. With a little effort, she turned her head around, and then was quite surprised at her discovery.


    It was a small Fenrir. It had almost all the features of the Fenrir that she and Ren encountered, with the exception of a strange marking on its forehead that was shaped like a cross. It had fluffy gray fur and small ears, a pair of black eyes with a greenish hue, and soft pinkish paws. As she lifted herself up to a sitting position, the little wolf backed down for a bit and began growling at her, as if it was trying to assert its dominance. Instead of showing fear, though, she did the complete opposite and slowly moved her right hand towards it, making the Fenrir gnarl even louder and even flash its teeth. For a moment, she pulled her hand away, deep in thought if what she was doing at that moment was a good idea, but then she reached out once more, determined to at least make contact with the creature. Seemingly as response to her, and sensing no hostility from the girl, it cautiously approached her hand, its snout smelled her scent. Finally, it let itself be petted by her, and judging by its reaction, the little one instantly liked her gentle touch.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty gentle for a Fenrir. Maybe I should keep you as my pet,¡± she playfully said as she caressed her fingers on its fluffy fur.


    Out of nowhere, a deep, familiar voice broke the silence around the cave, making the little Fenrir jump on its feet.


    ¡°So, you already befriended my son. As expected of humans like you,¡± the alpha Fenrir said in a rather calm tone, but its mere presence causedTsukihimeto instinctively stand ready, although her body was still weak.


    ¡°Oh, calm down, will you? We do NOT eat humans. Besides, why would I harm the one who helped us defeated that giganticCelentrepoda?¡±


    ¡°Celentrepoda?¡± the girl asked, getting back to sitting position.


    ¡°Yes, that thing... It was an oddity of its own,¡± it answered, laying itself down at the entrance of the cave.


    ¡°You see, their kind should not even grow that large. I suspect that this one used your friend here as its source ofmisteria.¡±


    The creature pointed its snout towards the right ofTsukihime, and there she saw the person it was talking about, coat and all. He laid flat on pieces of cloth that they stored at theKettenkradfor camping. Hisbreatingwas stable, and nothing else seemed wrong, with the exception of slight burn marks on his right hand.


    ¡°What...happened to his hand?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Ah, that. We do not know. When we removed the gauntlet, it was there, still smoldering.¡±


    ¡°Is that so,¡± the girl sighed. At that moment, she felt something on her back that she did not notice until then.


    ¡°Oh, right. You also had one on your back. The same pattern,¡± the Fenrir answered.


    Tsukireached out her left shoulder, where she felt the sensation, and as it said, the burn marks were there, although hers were in a circular manner.


    ¡°What... is this?¡±


    The Fenrir shook its head, not knowing what to say to the girl.


    ¡°You¡¯re the first humans that we have encountered for over a hundred and fifty years now. Unlike your kind, our ancestors¡¯ knowledge of the past does not go through the generation, especially now that we were far away from one another. Our tribes, who were once prosperous, were now living in separate groups due to disputes. I dream of bringing back our lost tribe, but as I grow older, that dream is getting far and far away from my sight.¡±


    It was so into talking that it did not noticeTsukihime crawling towards it, and when it finally got its senses back, it was quite surprised by the girl''s presence.


    ¡°Wha---what¡¯s with you all of a sudden? St---stay away, you... youfien---¡±


    Its threats were cut short by the girl suddenly stroking its fur.


    ¡°So fluffy. Ah, this is heaven!¡± she exclaimed as she continued to stroke, making the Fenrir feel even more awkward.


    It tried to brush her away with its snout, but seeing that the girl slowly went to back to sleep, it could not help but to let her stay beside him. At that moment, the divide that it felt when they first encountered each other withered away, as if she became a part of his tribe. The peacefulness of the girl¡¯s touch calmed it down, like the soft, calming winds of spring.


    Motionless, he let the girl sleep on its fur, whilst whispering something on itself.


    "So this is how a human''s touch feel. Not bad at all."


    ***


    Situated at the center of Axria, the administration building was built within the remains of a pre-Catastrophe building. It was painted with a greyish hue, and was built with concrete and steel. Although not the highest among the building ruins, its refurbishment made it stand out compared to the rest of the cityscape. Trees surrounded the area around it, further improving its visual appeal. It has been the home of the magistrates sent by the Holy Emperor of Paladinus, with the intention of overseeing the resource collection and alacrity crystal mining.


    In stark contrast on the outside appearance of the building, though, the interior was a disorderly mess. There were all kinds of trash and drug packets everywhere, fouling the air that stayed inside its closed doors. A lone person was laying down on the hallway''s floor, almost buck naked. He was also a mess, his whitish hair and tanned, slightly chubby body covered with wet ash and dust, with bruises all around his body, suggesting that he had a fight the night before.


    The massive doors of the building opened, finally releasing all the stench that was enclosed inside of it. The woman covered her nose and mouth, the foul smell just too much for her to bear. She walked inside, along with her a few of janitors who were assigned to clean the place. As they started their jobs, the woman in suit tried to wake the man up by kicking its left arm.


    "Hey, its morning already."


    She always hated the day after Plio''s chaos of a recreation, not only because of his attitude, but also due to the mess that she had to deal with.


    But that time was different.


    Seeing that the man would not move an inch, she grabbed her weapon, a silvery staff with a large red alacrity crystal at the top, and pointed it towards him as a sign of threat.


    "You have to wake up now," she begrudgingly said, poking Plio''s body with the cold silver.


    The magistrate groaned, finally opening his eyes on reality.


    "What? Can''t you see I''m still sleeping?"


    That phrase made her anger go through the roof, snapping her whole patience in half. With a considerable amount of force, she swung her staff towards Plio. Realizing the attack, though, the man rolled himself away from her, getting on his feet.


    "You better get yourself all washed up before I end your life," she continued to threaten him.


    Hearing those words, Plio laughed hard, holding himself back so that he could stand.


    "I know you would not do that, Margaret. Better remember who''s holding the real leash here," he retorted, his brown eyes now looked at her in rage.


    "So, what''s with you being all serious and all? Is the end of this godforsaken planet near or what?"


    Regaining her composure, Margaret put the staff back on its place, and then picked up her glasspad, finally showing Plio her reasons.


    "This."


    Written on the glasspad was an announcement, with it a seal of the Council of the Twelve imprinted at the bottom left. After reading the document, his mood changed once more.


    "Great, another routine check. This is just great. Of all the times that they have to visit."


    He walked towards the bath upstairs, but not without giving Margaret a grim order.


    "Margaret, get the troops to clean up the mess on the city. I don''t want any strays on the streets when he arrives, do you understand that?"


    "Yes sir, although that also means that you''ll have to be removed too," she answered with defiance, which made Plio smile a bit.


    "Seems that you already got me. Go on, then, there''s no time to waste."


    As the magistrate climbed the stairs, she walked towards the door while rereading the contents of the announcement, mainly the phrase at the start.


    A representative of the Twelve will arrive at the city of Axria in two days. Your status as a magistrate will be on the line, so show us what you have done for the empire.

 Entry no. 4: The Calm Before The Storm

    "Damn, this thing sure got a beating of a lifetime. That flip almost broke the main axle and the shock absorbers, good thing the engine and the transmission is still intact. If I can just get it to start..."


    Ren was busy repairing the Kettenkrad after what it had endured during the battle against the Celentrepoda. While it survived the ordeal, the boy could not make it to start, indicating that something went wrong with its landing. He got a four-legged hydraulic jack from the repair toolbox that they always carried along the journey and positioned it to the four stable corners of the vehicle. Having prepared everything for the lift, he inserted the metal bar on the central manual pump of the jack and began pumping, slowly lifting the vehicle up. Although the jack does ease the work, Ren still had to exert a huge amount of force to raise the heavy Kettenkrad.


    As he pumped, several Fenrir pups surrounded him, observing his work just like what human children do. They sat down, staring with puppy eyes and wagging tails, distracting the boy.


    ¡°Oh, come on. Can you wait until later to play? I¡¯m kind of busy here, you know.¡±


    Seemingly understanding those words, the five pups lowered their head and the wagging of their tail stopped. Their display of gloom then made Ren feel bad, making him lock the mechanism for a while and began patting them one by one, in which they liked so much. Seeing them happy again, Ren could not help but be glad himself. After a minute of patting, he went back to work, and another few minutes later, the vehicle was raised enough for him to check its underside. While he went down and checked the Kettenkrad, the five pups eagerly waited for him to finish, sitting down on the snowless ground.


    It has been over a week since they left Axria to hunt, so he knows that their parents were worried sick about them back home, specially his mother Hailey. Thus he worked as fast as he could to fix their vehicle so that they could go back to the city. After hours of searching for the cause of the problem, he finally found it. Some wires had been disconnected from the starter, and the solenoid gears jammed themselves due to the shock of the fall, preventing the engine from starting properly. Immediately, he applied temporary fixes to the machinery. These remedies were spontaneous and could fail at any time, but Ren had no choice, for the complete spare parts of the vehicle were back at their home.


    It took a while for Ren to finish the repairs, the sun was almost over the horizon by the time he was done. After lowering the vehicle, he turned the starter, this time the engine responded with a rumble, ending with a stable idle run. Mounting the vehicle and making sure that the transmission was set to neutral, he pressed the pedal, making the engine roar loudly and startling the pups which still followed him. After a few seconds of auditory check, he released the pedal and let the engine sit on idle again.


    The repairs, albeit temporary, were successful, and they could finally go back to Axria by sunrise the next day.


    After washing the dirt and grease off his body at a nearby hot spring, he went to the cave to check on Tsukihime, but the pups were waiting for him at the entrance, preventing him from going in.


    ¡°May I come in, please?¡± he asked them, putting a broad smile.


    As expected, he received no reply, instead they wagged their tails in excitement.


    Not trying to avoid the inevitable, Ren instead opened his arms as wide as he could.


    ¡°Come and get me, boys! IT¡¯S ON!!!¡±


    The signal given, the pups wasted no time and jumped towards him like wild dogs catching up with their prey. Although still pups, their combined weight was more than the boy could carry, causing him to lose his balance and fall on his butt. Their attacks were relentless, with play bites and licks overwhelming Ren¡¯s barrage of pets. Laughter and playful growls filled the air as Tsukihime at last went out of the cave to check on Ren.


    ¡°Wow, Ren. I did not know you became close with the kids.¡±


    Out of breath, he tried to sit down, with two of the pups riding his back.


    ¡°I know, right? Ever since we arrived here, these little critters just won¡¯t stop playing with me. Not that I complain, anyway,¡± he said, petting one that sat on his lap.


    Tsukihime smiled, observing a very rare instance of interaction between two species that before had no contact with each other. It made her think of what else could have changed at the five-hundred-year nap that she had on that capsule.


    But with a part of the truth now guiding her path, Tsukihime only needed one more thing to clear things up.


    And he has yet to awaken himself from the nightmare that he had all those millennia ago.


    ***


    Arriving from the Port of London at the River Thames, the boat which carried the emissary of the 8<sup>th</sup> Cardinal Saint docked at the newly-rebuilt port. About twenty-six of the finest maids and butlers the London magistrate has to offer awaited the advent of one of the most prominent faces of the Earth Occupation Force. The honor could not be higher than that, unless it was the actual Saint who took their precious time for the check.


    Standing at the end of the path was the Magistrate of London, James Oxford Crowley, who tried his best to look presentable in the front of the emissary. In preparation for the arrival, he read all the books of the past pertaining to dress codes, and for that, he sported a typical 1980s attire, wearing a tuxedo with a bow, black pants and shoes that shone with the sunlight from above.


    The magistrate pushed the populace to a very intensive reconstruction operation, almost restoring the high and middle class areas to their former glory. Although still not completely wiped out, though, most of the lower-class, where almost half were the Catastrophe survivors, were casted out of the city of London into the outlands. The administration area was specially renovated in anticipation for the emissary¡¯s arrival.


    Everyone was breathless. One mistake and their reputation would be off the drain. That was especially true for James, he knew that the Council of Saints tolerates absolutely zero imperfection. Every second felt like hours as they awaited the emissary to come out of the ship.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    A young man, clad in a white robe, stepped out of the ship, his very presence giving a holy aura all around him. His descent felt like an angel came down from the heavens, even his steps were as graceful as a dove¡¯s flight. Seemingly basked with an utmost amount of holiness, everyone below him could only bow down in his company.


    ¡°With utmost honors, I welcome you, Sir Emissary Julius Zespertan, to our humble city of London. May your stay here be satisfactory to your liking,¡± James said, ushering the man in.


    The emissary just raised his right hand in response, imposing his authority to everyone around.


    ¡°I can see that you¡¯re handling things here well. Do not worry, I will deliver your achievements to the Council, as long as you do NOT make me lose my trust on you.¡±


    His deep, somewhat gentle voice, while posed no ill intent to James, still made the magistrate¡¯s heartrate soar to dangerous levels. There was no room for error, for the Empire had always been about perfection.


    As he walked down the carpet, the coach in which he will ride alongside James had just arrived. It was a very large stagecoach without wheels, instead floated above the ground with misteria levitation devices installed beneath it. Pulled by two giant white Sleipnirs, that stagecoach was a sight to behold, with all the luxuries that they could offer fitted in what could be called as a luxury carrier. The seats were lined with the finest foam around, covered with a royal red embroidered cloth. The coach¡¯s roof was high enough for them to be able to stand up, and another maid was inside waiting for their arrival.


    ¡°Please, Your Excellency, we can discuss matters inside,¡± the magistrate invited Julius inside, opening the door for him, in which the emissary accepted. As soon as the coach¡¯s door was closed, the maids and butlers swiftly removed the carpet and the golden railings, and started to clean the area.


    The stagecoach roamed the streets of a London rebuilt from the ashes of the Catastrophe. The whole city was way different from what the first settlers from Paladinus had seen, wreckage and rubble surrounded of what was left of the old civilization which prospered on the planet. With the Holy Empire¡¯s guidance, though, Earth has started to see a new life boom with Paladinian¡¯s migration to the planet, in hopes that they could strike fortune in there.


    James the magistrate then started to talk, breaking the silence between the both of them.


    ¡°As you can see, the complete restoration of the old London from the Earthlings¡¯ past is almost complete. Alacrity stone mining is at an all-time high, with new nodes being discovered almost every day. Most of all, there¡¯s no threat of the Collective ever attacking this city, the whole island at that matter. They¡¯re stupid if they ever thought---¡°


    ¡°Do not underestimate the enemy, Magistrate. They are crafty little bastards. Always keep your guard up for anything, understand?¡± Julius interrupted, his tone drove a commanding aura at James.


    ¡°Y¡ªyes, sir. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    The emissary sifted through the paperwork that James submitted to him as they went along the path.


    ¡°Good, good. I see that you¡¯re working hard around here. And yet, your production is still lower than Axria¡¯s.¡±


    That phrase made James tick. He always hated being compared to anyone, especially Plio, to whom he had a grudge with. Hiding his anger, he tried to smile back at the emissary.


    ¡°Well, London is still being rebuilt. But fret not, we will find more nodes and mine those stones in the name of the Empire, good Sir.¡±


    Julius nodded, liking what he heard from the magistrate.


    ¡°Our war with the Collective has gotten worse. We lost most of the East because of their last offensive. I¡¯m sure that the Emperor will demand more stones, and at worst, men.¡±


    The magistrate did not speak a word, distancing himself from the war against the Collective.


    ¡°Anyways, I¡¯ll leave to Axria at dawn. I have no more reason to stay here any longer,¡± Julius commanded as they arrived at the palace in which the administration has lived.


    ¡°But sir, can¡¯t you just spare a bit more time in here? I still have much to show yo¡ª ¡°


    ¡°That¡¯s an order! I have an urgent business to attend there, so I have to go there as soon as possible, do you understand!?¡±


    If the emissary¡¯s normal voice was intimidating, then what he unleashed at the entrance was horrifying. The magistrate could barely hold his balance together, and everyone else could only bow down to Julius¡¯ presence.


    Stunned mentally, James could only whisper his reply.


    ¡°I understand. I will prepare the travel wagon for your Excellency.¡±


    As he left the palace grounds, he could not stop his teeth from biting his lip in anger. A man of pride, his attempt to appease with the higher-ups failed. He then went to the basement of the palace and closed the door, locking it from the inside.


    ***


    Tsukihime sat down on a small hill, staring at a sky which she was unfamiliar with. Instead of a big white moon, it was replaced with a red one which reminded her of the planet Mars. Even though she could see it only as a crescent, Tsukihime could see some features which made it very different from Earth¡¯s old satellite. In addition to that, the stars were also completely replaced, the old star maps of her era now unusable in the current environment.


    Her mind drifting away from reality, Tsukihime remembered the time which she first met the Celestial Gaia.


    It was a night like that, a child Tsukihime catching her breath after running away from her caretakers back at the Institute. She got sick of all the procedures that she had to do every single day, and adding her homesickness, she began to doubt every adult that she encountered. All of her fears were amplified when she mistakenly saw an ailing child as a dead one, causing her to run away. She ran, and ran, and ran, until her captors were out of sight. She then hid in a small bush, letting them pass through without noticing her, and then continued running until she ran out of breath climbing a small hill.


    With only the leaves of the tree and the grass making sound by swaying with the wind, she began to be afraid once again, this time with the darkness which she did not notice when she was running away. She was scared of the unknown, of what she will have to encounter.


    And then, she appeared in front of her. Easily mistaken as a ball of light at first glance, her figure could be seen if stared enough. Just like the present form of Gaia, the past was an opposite reflection of Tsukihime. The Celestial was barefooted, she instead hovered the grassy plains. She then offered her hand to the scared girl, which after a minute of second thoughts, accepted the offer and walked with her at the darkness of the night.


    Tsukihime was later found by the scientists asleep on her room, but none of them could recall any sightings of the girl, neither the cameras helped, for there was no footage to be found. In any case, though, the encounter changed Tsukihime on a fundamental level, now helping the cause that she tried to run away from in the past. For this, she became one of the most valuable personnel of the facility, along with Noire and two others.


    She was pulled back to reality by Ren, shouting to her as he ran as fast as he could.


    ¡°Tsuki!! He¡¯s awake!! You have to come with me, HURRY!!!¡±


    Hearing those words, she wasted no time and raced back at the Fenrirs¡¯ home, preventing a major disaster from happening.


    Confused and ready to fight, Noire kept himself at a readied stance, prepared to attack at any moment. The pack was also reared to go, the alpha at the front of the action ready to retaliate.


    ¡°Wait, Noire! These guys are good! They¡¯re the one who helped us. So please, take it easy and--- what!?¡±


    She was quite surprised at what happened next.


    She was greeted with an embrace from the boy, who was obviously relieved that she was fine for some reason.


    ¡°Thank goodness you¡¯re alright.¡±


    Still tired and confused herself, Tsukihime just let Noire hug her, even patting his head, postponing the explanations for later to let all of the events sink in to her already tired mind.

 Entry no. 5: Homecoming

    ¡°This is my first time eating deer meat, and goddamn this is good. Another, please.¡±


    Everyone inside the cave observed in astonishment as the newly awakened Noire chewed on the roasted meat that Ren promptly made for him. He already has eaten three sticks worth of meat, and yet he asked for more, probably a result of his half-millennium sleep. Tsukihime and the alpha Fenrir specially looked at him very closely, still baffled at the apparent change of the boy¡¯s aura, in contrast to the one that they witnessed the last time, with the red eye and a killer¡¯s look.


    ¡°You have salt there, mate?¡± he asked Ren, which responded with a head shake.


    ¡°Oh, okay. I guess I¡¯ll try cooking with this kind of meat later. The tenderness, even beef is nothing compared to this. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because of the shift or something else, but damn this is good stuff.¡±


    As he continued his meal, Noire noticed that everyone stared at him.


    ¡°What?¡± he asked, completely oblivious of their intentions. Then he had a peek on his metal-covered left arm, which was dirtied of wet dust and still had the burns of the misteria lightning that struck him.


    ¡°This? Don¡¯t worry too much about this left arm of mine. I have this one under control. It just¡­ looks scary.¡±


    In addition to its dirtiness, the arm also had cryptic engravings written on its entirety, somewhat like a runic prison that holds something sinister. What bothered the Fenrir and Tsukihime, though, was the unsettling feeling that they feel whenever they were near Noire.


    He already noticed them, though. After all, it was not the first time that he was stared at with suspicious eyes. The arm was a burden that he carried for as long as he lived, but he never found it to be that inconvenient. Still, he had and still was hiding its secrets to almost everyone that he met, including Tsukihime.


    Finishing his meal, he repositioned himself for better comfort and looked at them with seriousness in his eyes.


    ¡°This is going to be a long talk, but can someone please give me a quick run on the current state of this world?¡±


    ***


    The couple was awakened by loud screams and commotion; they could even hear things being thrown out. Arthur, who just got himself healed after contracting the flu, needed to fully rest that night so that he could go back to his work as a doctor for tomorrow. They stood up, taking a glimpse of an orange glow that appeared to be dancing through the open seams of their windows. The noise outside grew louder with every passing minute, and with it, the dread that they felt at that moment grew as their hearts beat even faster.


    All of a sudden, successive loud knocks were made at their front door, completely freezing them in place for a good few seconds, before Hailey managed to get herself out of trance and slightly opened the door.


    The scenery outside shocked Hailey to the core.


    Tongues of flames and wreckage has spread all over the neighborhood, with people running around like wild beasts. Columns of smoke rose up the night skies of outer Axria where most of the survivors lived. Clad with their silvery iron armor, the soldiers of Paladinus raided almost every home that they could see. She looked all around in search for the one who knocked at their door.


    ¡°He---here. Please¡­ help me.¡±


    She heard the plea from below her. The moment she laid her eyes at the person, her soul almost left her body, appalled by the brutality of the situation.


    A middle-aged man laid bloodied in front of their doorstep, the trail of blood behind him suggested that he crawled all the way from the center of the chaos. He had several cuts on his body, with a critical one in the abdomen which he held tightly to prevent blood loss. In dire need of help, he tried to knock the door again, his half-awake conscience not realizing that it was opened already. His bloodied right hand made Hailey fall on her behind, terrified and with her nerves almost lost.


    Quickly treading on the hallway, Arthur lifted his wife and slapped her off her trance.


    ¡°Snap out of it! Go over there and stay put! I¡¯ll handle this.¡±


    He opened the door, also seeing the victim. But unlike Hailey, his doctor sense kicked in almost immediately and he quickly assessed the situation. The wound continuing to bleed uncontrollably, the doctor knew he had little time before the man¡¯s life would be over and out there. Turning his head at Hailey, he shouted at her with the loudest voice he could muster at that time.


    ¡°Hailey, get the bandages and morphine, NOW!!!¡±


    Hearing him, she quickly got to her feet and ran towards their medical storage.


    Still a bit weakened from the flu, Arthur somewhat coerced the man to help the doctor to carry his body to the operating area, which he did willingly, using his remaining strength to drag his bloodied body. After locking the door, the doctor assisted the man with all that he could, and after an arduous while, they finally arrived at the operating table, laying the victim flat on his back. Arthur turned the light on for damage assessment, and there he saw the full extent of the man¡¯s injuries.


    A large laceration wound cut clean on his abdomen, the cause of his bleeding. There were two other cuts on his left leg and shoulder, but Arthur¡¯s focus was at the large one. Fortunately, it did not hit any internal organs that could be fatal, but he still has to close the wound immediately.


    ¡°What the hell happened there, man?¡± he asked the wounded as he wore his gloves.


    Coughing, he started to talk.


    ¡°The Magistrate, he ordered a full clean-up order against all those druggies in here. But they¡­ they just started to capture or kill anyone that they could see. Damn it, they also looted some of the houses in here. Damn them¡­ damn them all to----¡°


    The man was cut off mid-sentence when he began to cough blood again, the wounds continuing to take its toll.


    Based on what they saw and the victim¡¯s barely audible speech, the doctor had a gist of what was happening.


    With the epidemic and the drug problem getting worse with each passing day, the Magistrate had no choice but to somewhat rectify the situation, but the idea of a total lawless scenario like the one just unfolded never occurred on his mind.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    All of those pointed out at one cause: the imminent arrival of the Council¡¯s Emissary.


    There had been records of incursions, rebellions, and raids that happened within the four hundred-year tenure of Paladinus on Axria. Still, experiencing the pandemonium firsthand would definitely leave a sense of terror to all the citizens affected.


    His hands were trembling of nervousness, but Arthur sucked his guts and injected morphine on the man.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll stitch your wound for now. This will hurt a bit, though, so I need you to take it in like a man.¡±


    The man nodded, closing his eyes, but not before saying, ¡°Thanks, doc.¡±


    ¡°Hailey! I need a needle and some thread here!¡± he commanded his wife, which complied almost immediately. While he waited, he applied pressure to the critical wound. His gloves were painted with blood, yet he was undeterred.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± Hailey said, returning with the items he requested.


    ¡°Good. Now apply the bandages to these two cuts here. I¡¯m going to do the suture now.¡±


    The wound was spilling more blood as seconds passed, giving him little time before the man die of exsanguination. Without further ado, he pierced the flesh with the curved needle and worked his way from there. With each stitch, Arthur could feel the pain that the man was experiencing, his hands trembling in sync with his fast beating heart. He may be a doctor, but moments like those still tests his determination as a man of medicine.


    After almost a half hour of grueling stitching, Arthur was finally done with it. The victim¡¯s vitals were stabilized, the lacerations were patched, and the blood stains on his body were cleaned off. Sweaty and tired, the doctor sat down on a stool, breathing slowly and deeply. Removing his bloodied gloves, he stared at his rattling hands, while his mind was swarmed with the thoughts of the recent events.


    It was at that moment when the door was destroyed by a squadron of Paladinus soldiers, armed with swords and guns. They entered without warning, bringing the doctor down on the ground. With the tips of their blades pointed at Arthur, and the guns at both Hailey and the wounded man, they suppressed any means of retaliation. The inside secured, the leader of the squadron stepped in, looking down at Arthur with a merciless grin on his face. Then, with a loud, menacing voice, he spoke to all three of them.


    ¡°In the name of the Paladinus Empire, we will cleanse this area of scums like you.¡±


    ***


    The morning sun has appeared on the east once again, signaling a new day.


    Ren could be seen packing the Kettenkrad in preparation for their journey back home. Doing a last check-up, he thoroughly looked at the vehicle again, making sure it was fit for travel.


    Meanwhile, Tsukihime was still inside the cave, folding the blankets that they used for the past two nights. The alpha¡¯s pup, which watched her from the other side, whined at the girl. After a while, it ran towards her, trying to get her attention.


    ¡°Aww, there you are, all mopey. Too bad I can¡¯t take you with me,¡± she said in a discouraging tone, in which she then tried to pat the pup. Instead, it ran away outside, not even looking at her, making her sad.


    ¡°Do not fret. Kids, they always act that way when things go sour for them. He¡¯ll be back.¡±


    It was the alpha Fenrir, entering the cave just as its child exited, not even noticing its overpowering presence. It ignored the pup and went towards Tsukihime instead.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s next for you.¡±


    That question made Tsukihime cease her preparations. Everything that she discovered for the past few days were still too much for her to take in. The girl in her mind was actually a part of the soul of the Celestial Gaia, and she had a past with the boy Noire. The Luna Catastrophe was an experiment gone horribly wrong, and Noire barely saved the world, but not enough to save everybody. While it was happening, she was one of the first batch to go in a cryogenic stasis, Tsukihime having put on the list at the last minute due to a treatment that needed a long time to take effect.


    The truth now in her grasp, she felt empty inside, not knowing what to do next.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know right now,¡± is all that she could say.


    She then excused herself, carrying the blankets with her. The alpha observed her as she left the cave, noticing her erratic walk.


    ¡°You¡¯re still lost, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Tsukihime stopped and turned her head at the alpha again. Her face was drawn with sadness all over.


    ¡°You already got what you wanted. Isn¡¯t it time to move on?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I never thought about it. All this time, I was hell-bent on knowing the truth, but now, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Her answer pretty much confirmed the alpha¡¯s hypothesis, which made it chuckle.


    ¡°What? You think it¡¯s funny?¡± she said in an irritated manner.


    ¡°Not at all. I just think that you took your search a bit too seriously. There¡¯s a wide, wide world out there, you know.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s something coming from someone who have not left this snowy hell for a long time.¡±


    Stricken by the girl¡¯s criticism, the alpha Fenrir laid down on the cave, shutting his eyes.


    ¡°I am an alpha. I could not leave my pack behind for my own glee. Do you know how it feels to be stuck in only one place? I have a responsibility, a burden in which I am willing to carry for the rest of my life. But you, you¡¯re a free human being. You can go wherever you want. Why not start from there?¡±


    Tsukihime left after listening to the alpha, but her mind was still on a state of heavy thinking. She was in that mindset when she was noticed by Noire, which had just finished his meditation, something that he does all the time to strengthen his connection with his Seed.


    ¡°Yo, Tsuki. Let me carry that for you.¡±


    He outstretched his hand to hold the things she carried, but Tsukihime backed away a bit. Noire noticed her face, confused and sad.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sad. This is by no means the end, Tsuki. We were spared for a reason, and you waking me up is a great step ahead of our newfound journey here.¡±


    She could not contain her feelings anymore. Her anger, confusion, sadness, her heart was filled to the brim with the emotions that she did not want to have. Throwing down the blankets on the ground, she held Noire by his sleeve, moving his head on her level.


    ¡°Journey, you say!? I was left out, all alone, on that stupid capsule. My memory was lost, and when I woke up, everyone is gone! I was scared, I always thought that I would not see anyone that I knew ever again! That was hard for me to take in, all those years of cluelessness. And then, out of nowhere, you show up! You¡­YOU--!!!¡±


    Before she could finish her rant, though, her head met Noire¡¯s soft touch. For someone who punches so hard, his head pat was gentle like a cotton pillow. That made Tsukihime¡¯s cheeks turn bright red, and she looked at him with a pout.


    ¡°Hahaha. Ok, ok, I¡¯ll make it up to you later,¡± he assured the girl as he continued to pat her head.


    The soft morning breeze blew on the plateau, rustling the grass with its cold winds. As he consoled with the girl, Noire looked at the unfamiliar sky, turned his attention on the reddish planet that was Argento with a newfound resolve.


    ***


    With every kilometer that the Kettenkrad treaded on, the landscape drastically changed, and with it the level of fallen snow has reduced as well. They have been travelling for a day and a half, and Noire, who was just brought out of cryostasis, has kept his eye on every single change that he could see as they drove upon the lands of Great Britain. Although not a native of the island country in the past, the boy had amassed enough knowledge on its basic topography, along with a lot of countries, through the internet. From city wreckages to new land features, mostly volcanoes, he observed them all with extreme concentration. The skies were getting clearer the nearer they get to Axria, so he had a good view.


    Meanwhile, both Tsukihime and Ren were silent on the entirety of the trip. They just continued to observe him, while pretending not to whenever he looks back at them. It was an awkward situation, with no one willing to start a conversation.


    ¡°It is just baffling on how fast a civilization can be wiped out in a single second, and left with the sands of time for hundreds of years. There really is no such thing as a forever.¡±


    The boy¡¯s first words since their departure were kind of ominous, matching with what the scenery that they were in, yet he looked at it with hope in his eyes. Minutes later, he shifted his focus on the girl, which he noticed was staring at him the whole trip.


    ¡°Anyway, how¡¯s your life here? Is it inconvenient?¡±


    Entranced for a second, it took a while before Tsukihime realized what was going on, and quickly thought of an answer.


    ¡°Not really. Axria is in former Manchester, so everything is still in place, just like yesterday. Some tech from our time survived, but unfortunately, the internet is pretty much dead at this point.¡±


    ¡°Is that so,¡± he sighed, for he already knew that no human-made satellite made it to the dimension shift, anything beyond the ionosphere being left behind.


    ¡°Short-range radios still work, though,¡± she added.


    Silence filled the vehicle again for a while, and then Ren exclaimed with a happy tone.


    ¡°There it is¡­ Axria!¡±

 Entry no. 6: Arklight Ascending

    ¡°Wait, is that¡­ the Maroon Spacebridge!?¡± Noire exclaimed, looking in astonishment as they approached the city of Axria, recognizing the towering structure at the central area.


    ¡°That? They call it the Library of Light now,¡± Tsukihime answered.


    ¡°So it survived that massive dimensional warping, huh. As expected of the Reyes twins, they really nailed the foundation of this station.¡±


    ¡°May I ask on what this¡­space bridge is?¡± Ren questioned the boy in curiosity, never even hearing that word before.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m glad you asked,¡± Noire answered with enthusiasm as he started to narrate the past.


    ¡°Those space bridges were, as the name implies, a pathway beyond the sky.¡±


    ¡°People have been up there!?¡± Ren exclaimed, amazed at what he was hearing.


    ¡°Yes! In fact, even before those space bridges, humanity had sent people and animals up there, even putting three on the moon.¡±


    ¡°No way.¡±


    ¡°If you could just see the footage with your own eyes, you¡¯ll be pretty impressed yourself, more so with the sheer size of the rocket that carried just a tiny spacecraft and them in it.¡±


    ¡°Whoa,¡± Ren was amazed at what Noire was telling him.


    ¡°Yeah. Since then, it became clear that the final frontier is out there in space, and so began humanity¡¯s quest for further space exploration. After a groundbreaking achievement and the boom of progress that followed suit, the construction of the space bridges went along smoothly, ten of them finished by the span of only seven years. This one, along with the Magenta Space Bridge on the Philippines, were special for their main purpose as the supply point for the fabrication of the Lunar Misteria Grid System,¡± the boy narrated further as the memories of the past continued to flash inside his mind.


    Visible even from a mile away, the remains of the space bridge were still a sight to behold. An unknown phenomenon caused some of the debris to stay on the structure¡¯s vicinity instead of falling down the ground, resulting in it having a somewhat nostalgic look. Immediately surrounding it was the Paladinus¡¯ Magistrate house, and one other structure that resembled a colosseum. After them were residential and business areas, starting from the high-rise ones, which were reconstructed pre-Catastrophe buildings, to the common houses that surrounded said buildings.


    They went to the south gateway, one of the two only main entrances to the city. As they approached with their Kettenkrad, two guards halted them from their tracks and started their usual inspection. Their prying eyes examined almost every nook and cranny of the vehicle, making sure that the passengers do not carry anything dangerous to be taken inside the city proper.


    After the inspection, they turned their attention to Ren, their eyes still having the dubious look.


    ¡°Who¡¯s he?¡± one guard asked them.


    Tsukihime and Ren were both speechless, they were totally unprepared for that event. They tried to think of an explanation, but their minds were just too exhausted to even utter a single word.


    ¡°I¡¯m a traveler from the north. These people just saw me coming down from the mountains and offered me their ride,¡± Noire calmly said, hiding his left arm from their sight.


    Seeing that the stranger had no signs of being a liar, they got out of the way of the vehicle to let them through.


    ¡°Nice. That was quick of you,¡± Ren complemented the boy as they passed through the gateway.


    ¡°It was nothing. One needs to adapt when pushed to unexpected scenarios. Always remember that, you two,¡± he replied with a serious tone.


    Back on their home city at last, Ren immediately took a right turn towards their home on the eastern side of Axria, having no idea of what happened two days ago.


    ***


    Plio waited at the north entrance of the city, the sun almost directly overhead, making him and the others sweat profusely. Even with the makeshift tent that they erected early on, they could still feel the heat. The magistrate himself was anxious, his heart beating faster every minute that passed.


    ¡°Now, now. You should always try to look presentable in front of the Emissary,¡± Margaret said, wiping off the sweat on his face with a piece of towel.


    ¡°Shut up. I know what I have to do,¡± he angrily replied as he stared on the path that the Emissary would take.


    ¡°I¡¯m just doing my job, geez. No need to be mad.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. I just wish this assessment would end immediately.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s routine. It¡¯s been ordained by the Council itself, so you can¡¯t do anything about it.¡±


    Plio did not talk any further. He already knew the rules that the Council has imposed on all the colonies on Earth, including the annual assessment. What he was worried about was them finding out the severe drug problem that pestered the city for the last ten months. Even he could not resist the allure that these substances offered him, and the broken one that he was, Plio took the path of no return.


    After several more minutes of waiting, their lookout came running towards them with an urgent update.


    ¡°They¡¯re here! The Emissary is coming!¡±


    That announcement made Plio stiff, eyes up the road as he saw the chariot looming towards their location. Pulled by two large Sleipnirs, the ivory white chariot soon stopped at the gates. Exiting the carrier was the Emissary himself, greeting the Magistrate in a monotone.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°Good day, Magistrate Plio. I hope you¡¯re doing your job well. You know the procedure, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your Grace,¡± Plio muttered.


    ¡°Good. I expect only good things on my stay here.¡±


    Plio responded with a bow as Julius climbed back on the carrier, but not before inviting the magistrate in.


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s discuss matters inside.¡±


    With the magistrate inside the chariot, the vehicle began its slow stroll towards the Administration area.


    After taking a look around, Julius turned his attention to Plio, which still had the stern look.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok now, Plio, you can relax now. What¡¯s with that face, though? That definitely does not look like you,¡± Julius said with a light-hearted tone, his demeanor shifted.


    The magistrate let out a frustrated sigh, releasing himself from his anxiety.


    ¡°Even if I¡¯ve known you for a long time now, your presence still is overwhelming. You being an Emissary after the last war certainly did not help.¡±


    ¡°Haha, am I now,¡± Julius chuckled.


    ¡°Also, I don¡¯t trust you completely after what you did the last time,¡± Plio retorted, his brown eyes then showing his anger.


    ¡°Easy there, tiger. Just remember, I¡¯m also the one who pulled you out. Without me, you¡¯ll be still on the frontlines, with one leg always at the grave.¡±


    Emissary Julius¡¯ grin was unsettling, yet Plio gave it no mind. He had always been a schemer, but Julius was right. Without his help, he would have been long dead on the battlefield.


    ¡°When I said I wanted a peaceful life, I did not mean this.¡±


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t like being an overseer? This has to be the easiest job that I can offer you. Maybe you should try being with one of the Cardinal Saints, I bet you won¡¯t even last a day. Geez, just be thankful that you¡¯re not a farmer or something,¡± Julius uttered to him.


    ¡°Easy my ass,¡± Plio replied begrudgingly, averting his vision towards the window.


    ¡°Hahaha. You never cease to amaze me, my friend, the Emissary closed their talk as they arrived at the Magistrate house beside the Library of Light.


    As they walked towards the House¡¯s entrance, Julius heard the loud cheering of people on the other side of the Library.


    ¡°Wait, did you reopen the Coliseum again? I thought the last Magistrate ordered its demolition already,¡± he curiously inquired Plio.


    ¡°Not yet. I figured that I would give it one last grand event before the teardown begins,¡± Plio answered with a leering visage.


    ¡°Oh, interesting. This is what I like about you,¡± the Emissary complemented him, displaying the same grin.


    ¡°What made you do it?¡±


    ¡°Well, I got ahold of some rebels from one of our raids two nights ago. As the ¡®benevolent¡¯ ruler that I am, I¡¯m going to give them a chance for redemption,¡± Plio said, already rehearsing the lie since the time he released the order.


    Seeing an opportunity for a change of pace, Julius wasted no time and went to the direction of the Coliseum, following him were Plio and the newly arrived Margaret. The cheering and shouting of people got louder as they arrived at the massive walls of the Coliseum, and the Emissary liked what he was hearing, reminding him of the time he was still in the Legionnaires.


    ***


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right,¡± Ren said, observing the neighborhood that they were passing though.


    A supposedly busy district at that time, the place was unusually empty when they arrived. Less people were outside, and they looked strange, as if they experienced a disaster that they could not run into. Some houses were outright empty, devoid of any occupants and obviously looted of property. Even worse, some have burn marks both inside and out.


    In need of answers, they approached a person to ask about what happened.


    ¡°It was chaotic. Everyone was running away from them, the soldiers of the Empire. They arrested whoever they caught in the name of the Empire, no one was safe. They even abducted my child, who has done nothing wrong. I could not do anything at all. They said something about purging the drug addicts, but my child has not taken anything. Not at all. He was a good kid¡­and they took him just like that¡­¡±


    After recounting his horrible experience, he broke out and started crying in front of them. The girl tapped his shoulder in comfort, and the man just bowed down as he continued to anguish his losses.


    ¡°Tsuki, we have to go. Mom and Dad surely is worried sick about us at this point.¡±


    Hearing Ren¡¯s words, she climbed back aboard the Kettenkrad, leaving the poor guy alone once again. She then had a look at Noire, and at that moment, she saw that face once more, the same one that she saw on the night of his awakening.


    The face of someone who had experienced violence¡­ a killer¡­


    Noire then noticed her glare, so he assured her with a smile.


    ¡°Do not worry. Whatever happens, I¡¯m always going to be here for you from now on.¡±


    Hearing those words, the girl somewhat felt better, but the feeling of worry was still there.


    ¡°But something DID happen here. Your parents might be in danger, Ren, and we must find out immediately. I can already smell the scent of blood from here.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. I¡¯m going as fast as I could,¡± Ren answered, himself starting to be distressed at the very thought of his parents captured by the soldiers.


    The Kettenkrad went on quickly, passing through blocks and blocks of houses, until they arrived at the district where Ren and his family lived. It had an upward slope, so the vehicle had difficulty traversing the road. They saw the same scenario as the other districts, with houses either empty or had only few people in it. It made both Ren and Tsukihime even more agitated at they neared the house itself.


    As soon as they got off the vehicle, the girl almost went unconscious at what they saw next.


    A large trail of bloodstain could be seen into the hallway of the house all the way to the operating room. The tools used by Arthur for surgery were left either on the floor or on the operating table itself. More blood could be seen into the table itself, and a pair of bloodied gloves could be seen lying beneath a stool.


    Most importantly, both Hailey and Arthur were nowhere to be found.


    Tsukihime began to break into tears, her fears basically confirmed, but Noire held her face and forced her to look at him.


    ¡°Do not cry, Tsuki. They¡¯re still alive. The blood is most probably from someone else. Ren, you said that your father is a doctor, right?¡±


    ¡°Ye---yeah,¡± he answered, also almost crying at that point.


    ¡°Then he has been doing a surgery operation with a different person before they got caught. Tell me, where do you think they would have taken the captured ones?¡±


    Wiping off his tears, Ren thought hard.


    ¡°The prison cells underground would not fit all those people, and they could not just risk a mass murder because of¡­ holy mother of heavens, no way!¡±


    ¡°What!? Where did the soldiers take them?¡± Noire asked again, grasping Ren¡¯s arm.


    ¡°There¡¯s no time to waste! We must move!!!¡± he answered as he pulled Tsukihime and Noire on the vehicle, started it almost immediately and throttled it to full power towards the center of the city.


    ¡°If what I¡¯m thinking is correct, then they would have been taken to the Coliseum. They¡¯ll be used as gladiatorial pawns!! Damn it!!¡±


    The two were shocked at Ren¡¯s deduction. Tsukihime was still on tears, now fearing that both of Arthur and Hailey, who she considered as parents at that point, were already dead. Passing through blocks upon blocks of houses, they soon arrived at the high rise area. After turning a hard left, Ren made a mad dash towards the circular arena, but due to the strain that he gave to the Kettenkrad, it broke down before leaving the area. No matter what he did, Ren could not get it to start. Mad and upset, he kicked the vehicle several times, his eyes already red due to him crying.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lose it, you idiot!! You can follow after me, I¡¯m going ahead!!¡± Noire shouted at Ren, giving him a hard slap to get him off his distress.


    ¡°Noire, wait!!¡± Tsukihime yelled, but the boy was already far away from them. Now taking the still-grieving Ren¡¯s hand, they followed Noire towards the Coliseum.


    As fast as his legs could muster, Noire made a run towards the inside of the arena, completely ignoring the guards who tried to halt his charge. Weaving through people and walkways, he finally made it inside the Coliseum proper after multitudes of turns. Seeing the current situation inside and grasping any information that he could perceive, the boy made a final dash towards the center of the arena, narrowly preventing a tragic end on the person who seemed to have already accepted his fate, surprising the audience above him with his sudden entrance.

 Entry no. 7: The Cost of an Arm and an Ego

    About five minutes prior¡­


    The dungeons below the Coliseum were dark and dirty, the air had a foul stench that seemed to have circulated around it for so long. Dimly it, one could only see the silhouettes of the people caged in each of its numerous holding cells. Each cell was overcrowded, with barely any room to even breathe. The captured ones inside were starting to starve, barely having eaten anything since their abduction almost two nights ago.


    They could hear the people¡¯s thunderous cheering and occasionally a loud scream, followed by shaking of the ground around them. After a while, four soldiers take a person from a random cell, then escorted the unfortunate one to his fate up on the amphitheater¡¯s central stage. The vicious cycle continued, and with each person taken, the rest became more scared of whatever would happen to them if they were to be picked next.


    On the other hand, Arthur at least tried to keep calm, holding his wife¡¯s hand tightly. Unlike the rest, they did not make a sound, rather, they stayed quiet at a corner in their cell. They huddled each other and just looked down on the ground. Hailey, however, could not completely hold her emotions as tears slowly rolled down her cheeks each time they hear a person being dragged out of the cells.


    ¡°Why are they doing this to us? This is insane,¡± she spoke, softly as to not attract any attention.


    The husband had no answer for her question, instead gripped her hand even more tightly.


    After taking three more people, the soldiers stopped at their cell and looked inside, looking for their next prey.


    ¡°That one, at the corner over there,¡± one soldier ordered the others, pointing at where Hailey was sitting.


    At that moment, as soon as she heard and saw them pointing at her direction, she began to panic to the point where her voice started to crack with her screaming. While Arthur struggled to calm her down, he himself was also to the breaking point, but he still tried to keep his calm and prepared to protect his wife at all cost. The soldiers, on the other hand, looked at the commotion that they caused with disgust while holding their laughter.


    ¡°Not you, bitch. That one at your back. I know you¡¯re hiding there, kid. If you want this to be over really quick, show yourself and come over here!¡± the soldier shouted, his commanding tone reverberated on the dungeon¡¯s walls.


    The couple, still in a state of panic, turned around to see who the soldiers were pertaining to.


    Hiding behind Hailey, the little boy tucked himself as hard as he could, hoping that they would not find him. He was dirty all over, showing that he had been living out on the streets for a long time. It was obvious at first glance that he was a brash kid with little respect to authority, but still being a kid, he was also afraid of the consequences that his actions often results to.


    Unfortunately for the kid, though, the soldier had kept a tab with him, and as soon as he saw that the child did not comply to his command, he weaved his way inside the cell and grabbed the boy by the arm. The kid attempted to flee, even going as far as clawing the soldier¡¯s arm, to no avail. He was defiant to the end, using all of his remaining strength to at least put a halt to the soldier¡¯s pull.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fight it, kid. You know this will happen to you eventually. You don¡¯t have anyone else to blame but yourself, haha. This is what you get from messing up with us!¡± the soldier spoke as he dragged the helpless child through the crowd inside.


    The doctor looked at the others, observing them as they watched the scene happening right in front of them. Not one did anything to stop the soldier, as they were afraid of the repercussion if anyone tried to.


    But Arthur, driven by the oath that he swore to, made his move, to the surprise and horror of everyone. He grabbed the soldier¡¯s arm, and forced him to let go of the kid.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that enough? He¡¯s just a kid, mind you,¡± he told the soldier, keeping his tone as civil as he could.


    The soldier did not take his intervention lightly, answering the doctor with a fist on the face. Shocked at what the soldier did to Arthur, Hailey almost immediately ran to her husband¡¯s care, only to be gently brushed off by him. He stood up slowly, still a bit dazed, and pulled the kid on his back with Hailey.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what I said? This one¡¯s just a kid. Are you really going to stoop this low, huh!? And they call you the finest.¡±


    Not taking the insult well, the soldier punched Arthur for the second time, and after he stood up again, he took the liberty to give the doctor one more. Beaten, yet undeterred, Arthur took a stand for the third time, the onlookers observed the action in both awe and pity. The soldier, fearing that Arthur¡¯s insubordination would spark a riot amongst the prisoners, came to a decisive resolution.


    ¡°You know what, you win. We¡¯ll take you there first. You wish to die so badly, I¡¯m going to grant that wish!¡± he said to Arthur, grinning as he held the collar of the doctor¡¯s coat.


    ¡°As for you,¡± he turned his head at the kid, who was still hiding behind Hailey, ¡°You¡¯re next.¡±


    They then took the helpless doctor away, much to their amusement and Hailey¡¯s despair, forcefully guiding him on the long stairway to the surface. The cheers and chants of the audience growing louder with every step, the sun began to be brighter on Arthur¡¯s vision as he climbed the stairs towards his uncertain fate.


    ***


    ¡°It really has been a while since I last sat on a gladiatorial arena. Magistrates these days, they demolish their arenas because they think it¡¯s too barbaric. Heh! If I¡¯m in charge, I would¡¯ve thrown their asses off to the battlefield to let them see what true hell is like. These people, they do their best to appease to the Council, they¡¯re cowards, all of them!!¡±


    Emissary Julius was rambling on his thought about the other magistrates that he encounters every annual inspection as they arrived at the area in the Coliseum for administration personnel. To appease to the Emissary¡¯s taste, Plio ordered its massive overhaul, complete with a golden chair that has cushions made of the finest feathers stuffed in velvet cloth and a banquet of the most zesting food that they could offer. Behind the chair was the insignia of the Empire in its full glory. It was situated in the middle of the amphitheater¡¯s north side, letting them see the action on the center area without their eyes straining.


    To the magistrate¡¯s chagrin, though, Julius did not notice the preparations that he made, instead looking right at the action. Julius did gave a complement on the chair, but his eyes were glued at the center stage.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± Julius exclaimed, seeing the state of the arena.


    Several bloodied bodies were scattered on the dirt, evidently the cause of death was a crushing blow that either resulted in at least massive internal bleeding or at worst open fractures that made the bodies into mushes of their former selves. The one responsible for all the kills stood at the center of the stage, eagerly waiting for his next victim. Towering at over seven feet tall, having a heavy muscular build and a simple yet intimidating black cloth that covered his head, the Executioner carried a large ball-and-chain flail as his weapon of choice. The massive mace had splatters of blood still dripping from the damages that the weapon had inflicted on its casualties. The hunk of steel was attached to the wooden handle by an ethereal misteria chain that shone silvery white.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the next one already!? My flail is hungry for more insurgent blood!¡± the Executioner shouted at the doors where the prisoners get out to their doom, intended to instill even more fear at whoever was next on the line.


    After a minute of waiting, a figure could be seen walking out of the doors. A middle-aged man entered the arena, wearing a bloodied white coat and blue shirt, muddied black pants and slippers. The crowd cheered once more as the spectacle resumed, but the Executioner was more intrigued than excited.


    Arthur looked at him not with fear, but with integrity. Unafraid of his predicament, he stood ground, to the fascination of both the Executioner and Julius himself, who looked at this person with fascination.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be afraid of what¡¯s about to happen to you. Excellent, excellent!! I love breaking wills more than just the bodies!! Oh, this is going to be fun!!¡± the Executioner complemented the doctor, laughing as he started to swing the mace in a circular motion, going faster with every swing.


    The steel mace began to emit currents of electricity as it was spun faster, and the ethereal chains elongated a bit for maximum potential energy. Feeling the adrenaline rush through his veins, the Executioner applied more misteria energy to the flail, hell bent on seeing the body vaporized. The weight and speed of the mace brought the air with it, like a tornado being formed around him. This scene has sparked even more cheering from the crowd, and the Emissary continued to observe the action with utmost anticipation.


    ¡°Splendid, splendid!! Stay like that, this will be quick!! I¡¯ll make sure that you¡¯ll be sent off with a bang!!¡±


    He could not hear anything, not the crowd, not even the winds that was picking up speed around him. Arthur closed his eyes, blanketing himself in darkness. His perception of time slowed down as the thoughts of his wife and two children came to him.


    Hailey¡­


    Ren¡­


    Tsukihime¡­


    I¡¯m sorry¡­ it seems that I won¡¯t be with you anymore.


    Arthur opened his eyes and stared at the sky with the sun still shining brightly, but it did not stop him from doing so.


    God, if you¡¯re truly real, please take care of my family in my place.


    ¡­


    May my sacrifice wake up the will to be free of the real people of this Earth.


    He then stared back at the Executioner, grinning as he spread his arms as if to goad him to execute him already.


    ¡°Hah! Your wish is my command, pest!!¡± he retorted, finally redirecting the direction of the mace towards Arthur.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes were glued to the stage, eagerly waiting for the inevitable to happen. On Arthur, all that he could see was a bright yellowish white light that quickly approached him. His legs were anchored to the ground, himself ready to accept his fate.


    But out of nowhere¡­


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    The massive piece of steel was stopped on its path by a destructive interception from the side. Instead of hitting the intended target, it was veered off course and instead landed hard on Arthur¡¯s far left side, blowing dirt and debris as the result of the sudden release of energy. Both the audience and the administration were left open-mouthed at the event that occurred. Even Arthur himself was dumbfounded, making him fall down on his behind as his legs gave out.


    ¡°What the--- who dares interrupt the execution!? Who are you to defy the will of the Empire itself!?¡± the Executioner demanded answers, trying to pull the mace towards him, only to fail spectacularly.


    As the dust settled down, a boy could be seen dragging the mace with only his left hand. He wore a dark grey jacket with a white shirt underneath, the shirt having an imprinted insignia in the middle, and a pair of black carpenter jeans, something that no one had ever seen before. The footwear that he wore was also radically different, being a pair of white and red high cut sneakers. His overall appearance really gave the impression of him being from a different time period.


    Seeing the bodies around them, he began to give off a sinister vibe, enough for the Executioner to back off a bit. He and the boy met eye-to-eye, and there he saw the fire of wrath seemingly burning on the boy¡¯s black irises. The flow of misteria around them changed, a prelude to the battle no one expected.


    Stopping at his tracks, Noire finally spoke at their midst.


    ¡°Just a traveler passing through.¡±


    ***


    Still carrying the metal mace, he approached the still Arthur, his look changing from sinister to gentle.


    ¡°You okay, mate? Come on, let me help you,¡± he said, offering his hand to the doctor, which took the offer and let Noire help him get up. As he inspected Arthur, the boy noticed his bloodied coat.


    ¡°You''re a doctor?¡± he asked.


    Arthur could only nod, confirming Noire¡¯s first inquiry.


    ¡°Then you must know someone named Tsukihime. Do not worry, she and Ren are safe. They¡¯re on their way here now.¡±


    As soon as he heard those words, he began to burst down in tears, knowing that his children are okay.


    ¡°Now, now, we still have a problem in our hands,¡± he said, shaking Arthur¡¯s shoulders.


    The boy then turned around again, his demeanor turning back on the sinister side. The Executioner still struggled on pulling back his weapon, which Noire held by his left hand. With spite, Noire let go of the weapon just as the Executioner did another pull, the resulting inertia of the weapon¡¯s mass sent him off center. Humiliated in front of everyone, his anger has reached boiling point as well, gripping the handle of the flail so hard he almost destroyed it.


    ¡°You¡­ you will pay for that! I will kill---no, I¡¯ll make you suffer so much you wish you¡¯re dead!!!¡± the Executioner¡¯s threats were delivered with pure anger, his expression showed utter hate towards the stranger. With that said, he began to swing the mace again, adding even more power to every swing as he transferred all of his anger to the mace itself.


    ¡°Hahaha, try to grab this one now, you insolent pest!!¡±


    Noire, unfazed by the display of power, just stood still. He looked back at Arthur, telling him to go as far away to him as possible, and then returned his focus on the now electrified Executioner in front of him.


    ¡°TAKE THIS!!!¡±


    He let the mace loose, the ethereal chains multiplying to compensate for the distance it travelled. It went straight towards Noire, which still stood his ground.


    But then, at the last moment, he sidestepped the incoming mace, the weapon completely missing its mark. It violently landed on the ground, making an impact crater near the boy.


    ¡°Hah! I¡¯m not done yet!!!¡± the Executioner said just as Noire felt something strange.


    The mace began to move again, still on full speed towards the boy, Noire now doing a full dodge by lowering his upper torso towards the ground. Just as he landed his hands on the ground, the steel ball did an impossible turn and again moved at full speed at its target. Noire dodged this one by a roll and immediately got to a running stance, correctly guessing that the weapon would still be in pursuit of him. He began to run on the arena, the mace in pursuit of him from behind.


    The Executioner began to laugh loudly, knowing that the fight has ended before it even began.


    ¡°That mace will follow you wherever you go. There is NO escape. You will be hit no matter what!!!¡± he shouted, the crowd cheering as he did.


    The chain multiplied to no end, covering the circumference of the arena as Noire continued to run away from the mace.


    ¡°Face it, you¡¯re going to suffer no matter what you do. If you surrender now, I could still forgive you and lower your punishment,¡± the Executioner tried to offer a deal to the boy.


    At the spur of the moment, though, Noire stopped at his tracks after a long dash in front of the Executioner.


    ¡°Deal?¡± he asked, completely oblivious of the boy¡¯s plan.


    Giving him a grin in return, Noire whispered to the Executioner, ¡°No, but I have something for you instead.¡±


    It was then that he realized the boy¡¯s plan: to redirect the mace towards him. He tried to escape, but the boy broke his right kneecap, making him scream in agony, then quickly got behind his muscular body, grabbing his arms towards his back.


    ¡°Aaaaaahh!! No, this is not happening!!! Release me!! RELEASE ME!!!!!¡±


    It was too late. The mace already made its way to him, critically damaging his ribs and lungs. The impact was so devastating he vomited a lot of blood from it, and the weapon was stuck on his body as a result. He lied down, his chest area bleeding profusely, as the crowd watched in horror. The boy then approached him again, with Noire now staring above the wounded Executioner.


    ¡°No, please. It¡¯s not my fault! I was just told by the higher-ups to do this! Please, don¡¯t kill me!! I don¡¯t want to die yet!!! PLEASE!!!¡± the Executioner pleaded to the boy, their roles now reversed and his manners turning a complete opposite one.


    Noire instead gave his answer with a menacing step on the mace, giving the Executioner even more pain.


    ¡°What¡¯s that you said to me? You¡¯ll make me suffer that I¡¯m going to wish I¡¯m dead?¡± Noire spoke with an ominous tone, his raging stare inflicting fear on the Executioner.


    ¡°Worry not. I¡¯m not going to kill you.¡±


    The boy grabbed the Executioner¡¯s hand so tightly, it almost crushed the bones on his palm. After grabbing the arm with his left, Noire stepped on the mace once again to inflict maximum agony on the wounded.


    ¡°But, for what you have done here, I¡¯m going to make you wish I did!!!¡± he loudly said as he ripped off the right arm of the Executioner, fresh blood squirting from the now armless shoulder joint. The crowd gasped in horror as they witnessed a brutal conclusion to the short skirmish between a veteran killing machine and a stranger from nowhere.

 Entry no. 8: An Angels Deal, A Clash of Wills

    Ren and Tsukihime was gasping for air when they finally arrived at the entrance of the Coliseum, covering over eight blocks of buildings. Ren¡¯s almost lifeless running made it hard for the girl to drag him all the way there, the boy himself had lost all hope. The constant cheering of the crowd further reinforced the thought of him not seeing his parents again, driving Ren deeper into despair.


    All of a sudden, the Coliseum fell silent following a mild earthquake, causing the both of them to trip over.


    ¡°Come on, Ren!! We¡¯re almost there!  Come on, GET UP!!!¡±


    The boy could not, or rather, did not want to hear Tsukihime¡¯s voice. He covered his ears and laid down on the ground like a baby, not wanting to go further inside.


    ¡°No¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ Stop, please¡­ I can¡¯t go on¡­ can¡¯t¡­ do¡­this¡­ just leave me be,¡± he mumbled, still not moving from his position.


    At this point, Tsukihime lost her bearings and grabbed him by the collar. Her eyes were filled with both sadness and anger; the girl was trying her hardest to stop the tears from leaking out of her already reddened sclera.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mess with me, idiot brother!!! Do NOT lose hope! Isn¡¯t that what Dad has always taught us, huh!? Have you forgotten that?¡±


    Ren lifted his head and had a good look at his stepsister, and as soon as he did, his sense of self slowly returned. Mustering back his courage, he slowly got up on one knee and wiped the tears off Tsukihime¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Thank you. I needed that,¡± he said to her, taking the girl¡¯s hand and stood up. After a while, they resumed their way inside the mazy hallways of the amphitheater.


    The Coliseum was made of stone bricks, an oddity among its contemporaries. Its narrow walkways were dimly lit with torches, giving it a somewhat eerie atmosphere. Because it was so dim, they had a hard time navigating through the entire structure, and they occasionally hid themselves whenever they sense someone walking in their path. They followed the sound of the wind that blows from outside, as they hypothesized that the captured were held somewhere near the entrance of the central stage.


    After a right turn, they finally made it to the exit of the corridors, the sounds from the outside resonating through the walls of the Coliseum. They went a right turn, and arrived at the holding cells just as more soldiers got out of the other end seemingly in a hurry. The two hid at the archway which held the gates, just to be sure, but it was obvious that the soldiers were given an immediate order, much so that they did not even pay attention to the surroundings.


    Seeing them leave, the two took the chance and proceeded to enter the holding cells corridor, searching through every room for their mother. The volume of people inside made it harder for them to find her, so they called her name, their voices echoing throughout the cells until reaching Hailey¡¯s ears, which instantly recognized the voice of her son.


    ¡°I---I¡¯m here!¡± she said as loud as she could, her voice dried up because of her crying a while ago.


    Immediately, Ren hurriedly walked towards the cell where he heard Hailey¡¯s voice until he could confirm visually that his mother was still alive. In an instant he fell on his knees, tears started flowing again from his eyes as Hailey weaved her way through the crowd to get in touch with him. As soon as she arrived at the cell bars she reached through them and held Ren¡¯s shoulders as she gently pulled him towards her, giving him a big hug. Hailey could not stop her tears as well, but she tried not to cry loudly as she feared that her wailing would alert the guards.


    ¡°My son! I¡¯m so happy you two are safe! What happened out there?¡± she said, taking a good look at her son with watery eyes.


    ¡°Many things, Mom. Many things.¡±


    Then, Ren realized that Arthur was nowhere to be found.


    ¡°Mom, where¡¯s Dad?¡± he asked Hailey, who turned a bit white as she heard that question.


    ¡°Mom? Answer me, Mom, where is Dad!?¡±


    Hailey could not give him a discernable answer, she could only mumble in grief as she was reminded of her husband¡¯s fate once again.


    ¡°He---he¡¯s out there...there¡­I don¡¯t---I don¡¯t know¡­they¡­they took Arthur!!!¡± she finally broke, her hands shaking in fear.


    ¡°Wha¡ª¡° Ren could not even speak comprehensively, his psyche which had already been filled with fear was replaced with utter sorrow and madness.


    Hearing those words, Tsukihime began to weep quietly, clenching her fist in grief as her thoughts were flooded with negativity.


    How horrible¡­ why did this have to happen¡­ and to Dad¡­ this¡­ This is injustice!!


    Everyone in the area bowed their heads, silently praying for a miracle from the heavens above. Even after five hundred years since the apocalypse, the teachings of several religions, Christianity in particular, had survived the Catastrophe itself. The world of the past died a long time ago, yet the moral knowledge that it left gave them motivation and perseverance to go on with life.


    And then, as if an answer was sent from above¡­


    An object violently entered the corridor, bringing about dust with it. They could hear metal scraping and clanging to each other and to the stone steps as it went down the staircase. Everyone¡¯s eyes were shifted to it, and as the dust settled, they were astounded at what they caught sight of.


    It was a Paladinus soldier, all battered up with splats of blood all over his silver armor. The dents on the armor itself were deep, even though their armor were widely known for their incredible durability. But what stood out the most was its left leg, which was contorted beyond recognition. The man barely drew breath, his eyes wide open and his hand shook hard, as if he saw horror out there.


    Tsukihime suddenly fell on her knees, alerting Ren.


    ¡°Tsuki, what¡¯s wrong? Tsuki¡­ Tsukihime!¡±


    He received no reply, instead the girl stood up and ran towards the entrance of the centreal arena.


    ¡°Tsuki!! Mom, wait for me here, ok?¡± Ren said to his mom, giving her one last touch before he stood up and left to follow Tsukihime.


    As she took the steps towards the stage, the feeling that she once felt got stronger and stronger. It reminded her of that one snowy evening, the night Noire got out of his slumber, but the murderous intent was scaled up to five times. With shivers continuously running down her spine she completed the steps, and took witness of a horrid scene that almost made her puke.


    Lots of soldiers surrounded Noire, swords drawn and guns all pointed towards the boy. Near him lied the bodies of more soldiers, beaten up and bloodied. There were some on the bottom podium as well, serving as long-range supports for the main infantry below, but even they did not escape Noire¡¯s onslaught, their rifles sliced almost perfectly in half by the swords which the boy threw towards them, some even had the unfortunate injury of impalement on their shoulders.


    Adding to the bizarreness of the fight was the fact that Noire was wielding what could only be called to be the most unthinkable weapon one can use, a dismembered arm. Still fresh from its former owner, the Executioner just laid down on the side and held the shoulder which it came from, some blood still trickling from its exposed veins. Just like the others, he was severely weakened due to blood loss.


    Using it like a flail, Noire used the arm to hit the soldiers¡¯ heads to knock them off balance, then use either a punch or a kick to finish them off. He could read their every move, something that both Plio and Julius had observed keenly. By predicting every swing and aim, the boy sieved through the file of soldiers and allowed him to land a critical blow to each and every single one of them. His movements were smooth and calculated, every step and hit was so precise, it looked like he already predetermined the outcome of the skirmish itself.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    After dispatching a good number of soldiers, Noire did something that finally pushed the patience of the higher-ups to the limit. Using a greatshield that one unfortunate soldier has brought to the field, he took a quick glance at the Primary Podium in which the Emissary was watching him, and then kicked its edge as hard as he could, so hard a small shockwave could be seen as a result, and sent it flying towards them. Anticipating the move, both the Emissary and Magistrate quickly got out of the way, barely dodging the massive metal that instead stopped at the Paladinus insignia behind Julius.


    Seeing this as an insult and a challenge against the Empire as a whole, Plio took his greatsword and small shield, ready for retaliation.


    ¡°Let me take care of this mess, your Excellency. There¡¯s no need for you to be involved.¡±


    Margaret tried to stop the magistrate from doing so, knowing that Plio was not fit to battle, but Julius stopped her from her tracks.


    ¡°Let him be, my dear. I want to see something.¡±


    Deep inside him, Julius could not contain his curiosity and excitement, for he had an idea about the identity of the intruder. But for him to confirm such theory, he needed something from the boy first.


    And he already had a plan prepared to extract that information out of the boy.


    But before he could say anything, though, Noire took the liberty of talking first, raising his voice as loud as he could without shouting. Seeing that the boy was about to speak, he grabbed Plio¡¯s shoulder to stop him.


    ¡°Is this really the justice system of your Empire? Seems kind of barbaric to me.¡±


    Smirking, the Emissary answered, ¡°Says someone who uses a limb to fight.¡±


    The retort made Noire laugh a bit as he looked at the now mutilated arm, and then threw it away on the dirt like nothing.


    ¡°Alright, you got me on that one. You know what, I¡¯m going to make a proposition to you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Interesting,¡± Julius said as he stepped nearer the edge of the podium to hear the boy more clearly.


    ¡°What is it, then?¡±


    Calling upon his Astral Gear, which both amazed and surprised the audience, Noire pointed his finger towards Julius, the Gawain in full display to all of them.


    ¡°Let me fight with the best warrior that you have, and if I defeat him, you¡¯ll let them go.¡±


    Julius expected that proposal, as it was a part of his plan.


    ¡°And just who do you think you are to demand such request?¡± he asked.


    Standing as straight as he could, he looked at them with a glaring stare as he goaded them with a hand sign.


    ¡°I told you already, I¡¯m just a traveler passing by.¡±


    ***


    Plio had jumped from an incredible height and still managed to land perfectly on the dusty arena. He wore no armor, as he had not anticipated the possibility that he would have to fight again. Despite that sentiment, though, he still carried the remnants of his horrible experiences in the frontlines, that is the greatsword that was almost his size and the small shield for protection. His hands were shaking of wrath, his madness towards the boy escalated through the roof after the latest stunt that Noire made.


    ¡°Ho ho, I presume that you¡¯re the strongest of the bunch, at least around here. I can definitely see some potential in your appearance,¡± Noire said, observing the magistrate from head to toe in almost an instant.


    He was creeped out at the boy¡¯s staring at him, but Plio tried not to be seen as intimidated.


    ¡°I have fought many wars, and I doubt you even took one step out of your miserable home,¡± he said in response, countering the boy¡¯s words.


    Instead of retorting back, though, Noire took one step towards Plio, with the boy¡¯s eyes still focused on him.


    ¡°I doubt that, old timer. Maybe you should have just stayed back at your retirement home, you coward!¡±


    If there was one thing that Plio hated the most, it was being called a coward. Wasting no time, the magistrate charged in towards the boy, marking the start of the fight. His first attack was a simple downward slash, with the full intent to kill. Noire evaded it with ease, and the sword landed on the ground, but instead of a cut, the blade had made a small crater.


    ¡°Interesting. That was a pretty straightforward move if I say so myself,¡± the boy applauded Plio.


    ¡°Is that it, though? I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re capable of even more than that petty move.¡±


    His composure already broken, Plio once again unleashed an attack, this time a massive swing coming from the right. Although Noire again managed to dodge it, he observed that it left a cut mark to a wall meters away from them.


    This could mean two things, but I got to make sure.


    Noire then made his first move, which was to punch the greatsword with his right hand. As it and the Gawain clashed metal, he noticed the energy blasted out of the sword.


    ¡°So you¡¯re using an Enhancement type. To use that technique in such a big weapon is a feat in on itself. Amazing!¡±


    Standing down, Plio struck the sword on the ground.


    ¡°Come here and fight me seriously!¡±


    Noire chuckled. It seemed that his opponent has seen through his moves.


    ¡°Oh, you noticed? Sorry, but I just can¡¯t take you seriously,¡± he said, showing Plio a mocking smirk.


    Julius immediately noticed the change in the flow of misteria. It felt that it was all converging on Plio, building up on his whole system. On the other hand, Noire also felt the rise in volume of misteria in Plio¡¯s body, but that did not bother him a bit.


    ¡°So, you decided to end it once and for all. And I thought I can have just a little bit more fun.¡±


    Plio looked at him in disgust, then answered him as he picked up his sword again.


    ¡°Yes, and I suggest you do too,¡± he said, pointing his blade towards Noire.


    ¡°Okay, I think I will now,¡± Noire answered as he repositioned himself to a fighting stance.


    Without any wasted time, Plio once again went in for the offensive, surprising Noire with a flurry of slashes and thrusts. The magistrate swung the sword around as if it had no weight at all, and with the addition of the waves of misteria energy that it emitted in every attack, Noire had to take his steps more carefully, because he knew that one big misstep was all that Plio needed for a critical hit.


    But just as life itself has its moments of imperfection, the boy had an accident that made him fall on one knee. Seeing that as an opportunity to finish the fight, Plio unleashed a side swing, one that he knew the boy could not evade into. Everyone was certain that Noire would be defeated right there and then, and Tsukihime, which watched from the side with Ren, covered her eyes for her to not see the resulting carnage.


    Julius, though, thought otherwise.


    And he was right.


    Instead of metal cutting through flesh, they heard clashing of metal, Noire catching the incoming blade with his own two hands.


    Immediately, Plio felt something strange. For unknown reasons, he began to lose the misteria which he absorbed, making him feel weakened. He tried to pull the sword away from Noire to no avail, the boy already had a good latch on the blade. Again he tried to retrieve his weapon, but seconds later he was so weakened that he could not even lift the blade anymore. Sensing something wrong with the boy, Plio decided to let go of his weapon for now.


    ¡°Oh no. I won¡¯t let you escape now,¡± Noire suddenly spoke as he pulled the blade towards him before Plio could even let go of it. The force of the pull was more than enough to move the magistrate towards Noire, and when he was at a grab¡¯s range, the boy immediately apprehended Plio¡¯s hands to the point of almost crushing the bones in his palm.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s my turn!¡±


    After pulling his head a bit, he gave Plio a massive head-butt, the boy¡¯s skull crashing with the magistrate¡¯s, that resulted in the former being stunned. His vision beginning to blur, Plio tried to restore the focus of his eyes, but Noire was relentless. Giving him no time to breathe, he unleashed one punch after another, the boy¡¯s fists landed to any unguarded part of his body. The magistrate tried his hardest to defend himself from the onslaught, and he was partly successful. The exchange favored Noire though, with every one defended two more would take the hit instead. Pain soon began to build on Plio¡¯s whole system, he could even barely stand on two feet.


    Observing the one-sided fight from afar, Margaret was more than eager to stop it before it ends up on a bad note, but still Julius prevented her from doing so. She had no choice but to continue watching her superior being beaten up in front of a large crowd.


    ¡°Look at you. You can¡¯t even defend yourself now. What happened to your pride as a warrior of your Empire? Seems that you¡¯ve gotten too soft already, what a shame,¡± Noire said to the now wounded Plio, delivering one last good hit on the magistrate¡¯s stomach. That last hit made Plio puke fluids from his mouth as he was flung a good distance across the arena.


    ¡°Wh¡ªwhat? I¡¯ve---¡± Plio mumbled, holding his stomach in great pain as he tried to stand up to at least preserve his pride. Never in his life has he experienced so much suffering, not even on the frontlines which he desperately ran away from. But at that moment, as he took a long look at the boy, he had seen a being way outside of his level.


    And yet¡­


    He smiled... something which both Margaret and Julius had not seen him doing ever since he was assigned to Axria.


    The pain, it was unbearable¡­


    He could barely see, his eyes were constantly blinded with sweat and blood flowing from his forehead¡­


    His torso was done for, that last blow took more to him than he ever expected¡­


    And yet¡­ he smiled. He realized something.


    He held himself back. He tried to hide from what he really wanted to be, tried to suppress the warrior that was already growing inside of him out there on the battlefield.


    Plio¡­ tried to run away.


    With all his remaining strength, he got up, picking up a sword that he found lying down on the ground. He stared at Noire, smiling, quietly vowing to himself that he would not back down any longer. Breathing as deeply as he could, he issued Noire a last challenge.


    ¡°Come on. Hit me with your best shot! Come on, COME OOOOON!!!¡±


    Witnessing a return of a fallen warrior had Noire lower his head, secretly admiring the spirit that the magistrate was showing him at that moment. Not wanting to disappoint the magistrate, Noire picked up the greatsword and held it up high in the air.


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Noticing the chain of events that was happening when the boy held the sword in the air, the Emissary had realized something that immediately shifted his course of action from passive watching to active participation, making him rush towards the two of them, just as flames of unknown origins began to rise up on the entirety of the arena.

 Entry no. 9: Conclusive Strike

    The moment you set your sight on your enemy, your battle has already begun.


    Always remember that every movement, every attack and every tactic has its roots in which it was perfected from.


    Hone your six senses and feel your enemy even from afar.


    Observe your opponent from the moment of the first strike, and find the traces that will lead to the origins of his techniques.


    Find it, and exploit every single weakness that you see.


    A battle of attrition always comes down to whoever is steps ahead of his enemy.


    ***


    The sun was high up in the sky, the heat seared through my skin.


    There were twenty-five of us outside on the boot camp, standing still under the scorching midday sun. Our bodies already covered with sweat, our knees began to shake due to exhaustion as we stood on the spot for over three hours now. We were already on the verge of collapse after that rigorous training regimen which we were just subjected into, but it seemed that our suffering will not end soon.


    And the prying eyes that continued to spy us from afar did not help.


    The drill instructor was quite a stiff one, he does not condone any failures and would not hesitate to humiliate anyone who fails at every exercise on the field. We learned that the hard way on the first three weeks of our training exercises, where we were bombarded with insults after we screwed up the regimen. It went so far that some of us went into a deep state of depression, others even considering just backing down from the challenge.


    The first four days of the week were spent on painstaking body training. Jumping jacks, pushups, a full marathon, and a deep underwater session. It lasts for about half a day, and we finish the routine by a four-hour standstill. Anyone who were left behind during the session would repeat the whole routine again at the latter half of the day as punishment, and that gave us the unnecessary motivation to finish the entirety of it.


    We spent the next two days on the simulation pods, where we were taught via virtual reality almost all fighting techniques and war stratagems that mankind has made and perfected. They utilized the CAESAR Learning Module, an organic computer network that was directly connected to us through the Cerebrum Signal Translator Helmet. Using the eyes as a direct link to the cerebrum, information is sent through a misteria beam through one eye, which also temporarily reprograms the optical nerves for connection, and then using another beam from the other eye, it reads the user¡¯s response to the stimulus given by the system.


    Unlike conventional lasers, which could only send a limited rate of information per second before needing to amplify the light and potentially burning right through the eyes, misteria beams are, while still was on its developmental phase, had the capability of delivering data directly through the optical nerves with far greater results and less risks.


    Every session at the CLM was always a surreal experience. Because the emulation was nearly close to that of what the normal five senses deliver every day, the instances inside the virtual reality were almost close to real life. Time inside the VR went fast, five seconds passing in real-time felt to over an hour inside, the reason being that the path of the stimuli sent to the brain and back were short enough for a fast transmission to occur, and the users¡¯ brains instinctively try to match the Module¡¯s clock speed as it poured gigabytes upon gigabytes of information of data through the eyes.


    The simulations varied greatly from one lesson to the other, showcasing the evolution of human civilization in each session. Emulating the possible scenarios in which a certain fighting technique or tactic originated from, we started from the very beginning where ancient people just started to use spears and arrows as hunting and self-defense tools, all the way to ancient Greece, where the art of war was almost perfected by the Spartans, and finally to the modern warfare era where guns and other projectile-based weaponry reigned supreme.


    Although the CLM was a very effective teaching tool, it also had its drawbacks. For one, it consumed so much power that only a misteria energy generator could power it to its maximum, not even a full powered nuclear fusion power plant could supply even a quarter of its normal functions. The other drawback that it had was the fact that it puts too much stress on the user¡¯s brain. Sometimes the human brain could not fully handle all the data poured in by the Module, resulting in an information bottleneck and eventually ending up in a harmonious dissonance which could prove fatal. Because of this, the engineers installed a data transfer limiter to the system to prevent the dissonance from happening.


    Sunday was the only day in which we get some actual rest. There, we did what we could to relax. Some of us just slept the whole day off, while others did other things, like playing games and taking a stroll outside the compound.


    As for me, I spent it on a secret place that I found while exploring the area, a small hill with a single tree on top of it. It was my only reminder of that encounter with someone that I cherish so much, that fateful night a long time ago. Under the shade of the tree I always reevaluated my life, thinking of what my purpose was on being there in the first place. The boot camp was taxing my body and soul, but for some reason, I still go on. I always fall asleep under the tree, deep in thought, then wake up later in the evening to go back to the camp.


    The regimen went on for almost two years, with slight variations along the way. The last day of each month was always dedicated to a general evaluation test, where we were examined from head to toe for physical changes, and a mock battle with our drill instructor to test our current skills. He was a very tough opponent to deal with, not pulling any punches on us because of our advantage in misteria ability.


    Over time, we felt the gradual change not only in our physique, but also to our mentality and battle ability. Our movements were far lighter and flexible than when we first arrived there, and more importantly, our five senses were heightened significantly, particularly in sight. It even went to the point where we could calculate the probability of our opponent¡¯s next move in mere seconds, as if we were predicting multiple parallel timelines all at once. Soon enough, even our drill instructor could not keep up with our abilities, and at the end of our second year, he congratulated us for finishing the boot camp.


    Seeing an army truck waiting for us on our way out, we knew that our time had come.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Once again, the hell known as war ravaged the world, leaving only death and destruction in its wake.


    ***


    ¡°Ms. Margaret, evacuate the whole arena! I don¡¯t want anyone but soldiers in the vicinity, you hear me!?¡± Julius ordered the assistant with a commanding tone as he summoned his Astral Gear, a long spear with a cross-shaped tip.


    Without any delays, she ran inside the Coliseum and ordered every soldier that she found to evacuate the whole arena. Like the Emissary, she felt that something big would happen in there that would be dangerous to anyone still inside. The remaining soldiers, on the other hand, hastily carried out the order given to them, telling the people on the podiums to get out immediately, with some being forced to do so.


    On the other side, though, Tsukihime and Ren watched on, their eyes fixated on Noire as winds began to pick up and blew towards the boy, like a forming tornado. The girl in particular observed the phenomenon in fear, as she could see the misteria accumulate along with the wind and towards the greatsword which the boy held in his right hand. The five streams of misteria runes emerged from the glove once again, just like what she saw at his awakening, although that time they glowed a reddish orange light instead of the blue ones from before.


    ¡°O Gawain, bend the laws that binds weapon¡¯s power and let it join our cause!¡±


    As soon as he finished saying the phrase, the ribbons of runes retracted back to the gauntlet, which in turn made it emit more light than before. A devastated Plio could only watch as his Astral Gear¡¯s Binding Lock appeared before him, and finally be broken down and reformed into the boy¡¯s own.


    ¡°Wha----what is this power!? This¡­this is¡­this is impossible!! No one can break a Binding Lock, NO ONE!!!!¡± he screamed at the boy, still in denial of what he already was seeing.


    Repositioning himself at an attack stance, Noire pointed his newly acquired sword towards Plio, looking at him with eyes like an eagle that has locked on to its prey.


    ¡°Si vi pacem, para bellum. I believe you don¡¯t know what I just said, do you?¡± he asked the magistrate, which answered him with a no headshake.


    Flames then formed around him, particularly coming from the sword and the gauntlet. Noire took one step, readying himself for his last attack.


    A piece of memory suddenly flashed on Tsukihime¡¯s mind, it was at that time of their last meeting before he had to leave her due to the Army¡¯s orders on the Institute.


    ¡°If you want peace¡­¡± she whispered, unintentionally walking towards Noire with her outstretched right hand, and Ren swiftly taking action and stopping her from her tracks before the girl gets hurt.


    ¡°Prepare for war,¡± Noire spoke, misteria continued to flow around him, to the point where even a normal person¡¯s eye could see its light-bending effect.


    What followed next was so sudden, Plio could not even react in time.


    Noire dashed towards him with his former sword in tow, with large tongues of flames trailing behind the boy.


    Step Three: Overwhelm.


    After stopping at a distance near Plio, Noire swung the sword vertically, the tip of the blade coming from the back, intending to strike down the magistrate from the head.


    Time seemed to slow down in Plio¡¯s perspective, his focus entirely on the incoming attack from the sword which was once his. Its steel was now imbued with flames dancing with the wind and giving it a bright orange color. He could feel its intense heat incoming as it drew nearer towards him, as if the sun was coming down from the heavens. The magistrate could not react at all, petrified at what seemed to be his inevitable demise. Eyes were locked at the sword, his arms would not even flinch, even if his brain tried its hardest to make them move and defend himself.


    Apparently accepting his fate, Plio closed his eyes in defeat.


    Margaret, just finished with the evacuation, quickly ascended the flight of stairs after seeing Tsukihime and Ren. She was about to grab them when she saw the boy doing his last attack on Plio. She was too far away to protect her master in time, but she tried anyway.


    In the nick of time, though, Julius had put himself between the two, his spear fully armed and ready. A clash of weapons seemingly took place, the shockwaves travelled through the air around them and blowing away all the dust that remained inside. With the cloud of dust covering the end scene, the remaining spectators covered their eyes and mouth as to not ingest any particles that scattered all around them.


    As the dust slowly settled, the three could see the outlines of the combatants.


    The blade of the greatsword barely touched both Julius and Plio¡¯s heads, Noire apparently had trouble finishing the attack. The flow of misteria went back to normal, with the flames disappearing from sight.


    Everything went quiet for a while as most of the spectators have already been evacuated from the premises. One could almost hear the heartbeat of the other, along with the breeze that blew gently from the outside.


    ***


    "What do you think, Sir?" a man quietly whispered to his companion, an elderly, as they observed the events that unfolded from a secret corridor at the topmost podiums.


    The elderly got his eyes off the binoculars, wiping the lenses with a piece of cloth.


    "His mere entrance had already disrupted the flow of this place. I think he is the one."


    "The one who''ll release us from the binds of the Empire?" the man asked quietly, containing his excitement.


    "Maybe," the elderly answered.


    "We can''t be certain, though. We need to thoroughly know just who this person is."


    The man let out a sigh, making the elder tap his shoulder to assure him.


    "Do not fret, for I have a plan. If this boy is on our side, then our victory is sealed."


    ***


    Noire, Julius and Plio stayed at the center of the arena, not one of them even moved a bit from where they were standing. The boy then began to feel the strain of holding the weight of the sword, and so he removed it from above their heads and struck it on the ground. Likewise, Julius also disarmed himself, showing a mutual understanding between the two.


    "I''ve got to admit, you''re prettly powerful. As the Emissary of the Eighth Cardinal Saint, I concede this battle in Plio''s place," Julius spoke, his voice filled the empty arena.


    "A deal is a deal. I''ll order the release of the remaining prisoners."


    "Oh, thank goodness," Noire suddenly sighed as he sat down on the dusty Coliseum floor.


    "I really hoped that you''re going to be a sensible man. I really do not want to go further into this fight, to be honest. My muscles are still kind of stiff, you know."


    Hearing the boy''s complaint, Julius could not help but to burst into laughter.


    "Is that so, is that so. Ha ha. I could not imagine how bloody it would be if I haven''t interfered," the emissary said.


    Noire then stood up, grabbed the sword by his right hand and dismantled it in front of them, silenty announcing that the weapon is now his.


    "There''s only one problem, though," the emissary spoke again, this time in a serious tone.


    "I can''t let you loose after what you''ve done here today. This might be a sanctioned fight, but you still broke several rules beforehand."


    Julius expected that the boy would resist the arrest, but to his surprise, Noire stayed in his place as the soldiers went towards him, even going as far as removing his gauntlet and laying it down on the ground.


    "You really never cease to amaze me, boy," he praised Noire as he got ahold of the Gawain and took a quick look into it.


    The soldiers put a chain and shackle restraints on the boy, which still did not mind anything that was happening to him. As soon as the shackles snapped in place, Noire felt something strange happening inside him, something like a draining water sink. Because of this, he could not feel the misteria''s flow no longer.


    "I just have one wish before you lock me out," Noire said to the magistrate.


    "Let me give my weapon to that girl over there. Do not worry, like you, I''m also a man of my word."


    After thinking about it for a while, he consented, returning the gauntlet to Noire as they began their trip on the main holding cells just a few blocks away from there.


    Seeing that Tsukihime was weeping even more than the last time, he lifted his hands to wipe out the tears. Noire then put the gauntlet in her bosom, completely entrusting her with its safekeeping.


    "I''ll be back later, my dear. Wait for me until then," he whispered to her.


    Receiving the gauntlet, Tsukihime watched them take Noire out of the Coliseum. She did not feel any worry, the words of the boy eased her a bit. After seeing him off, she then rejoined Arthur and Ren as they also left the arena, now relieved that they survived the ordeals that had come in their way of life.

 Entry no. 10: Peace and Quiet

    The sun had set on the western horizon, marking the start of nighttime. The Outer Area once again bustled with life as the captured ones were released after the vicious battle between the magistrate and the stranger. Out of the four hundred fifty prisoners, twenty unfortunate people did not make it out alive of the bloody execution, while ten others were severely injured. After offering a solemn eulogy to the fallen ones, the residents went back to their usual lives, trying to move on and forget everything that happened two nights ago.


    Arthur was on his way home after taking a look at the injured. As he walked the streets of the city, the doctor could still see the scars of the last raid, sometimes conversing with some of the victims along the way. Some of them were just glad that the nightmare was over, but others still had the fires of rage burning within their hearts, especially the families of the lost.


    Three blocks from his home, he noticed someone familiar waving at him.


    ¡°Doctor! There you are!¡±


    The doctor knew who the man was, still remembering that blood-splattered face from two nights ago.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you,¡± he said as he waved back at the man.


    ¡°Yeah, doc. Thanks for the patchwork, man. I seriously thought I¡¯m gonna die on that one. Oh, my name is Leonidas, anyway,¡± the man replied, offering his right hand to Arthur for a handshake, which the doctor took with a smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. It¡¯s my job, after all.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and here, I¡¯ve got something for you,¡± Leonidas said as he gave Arthur a basket full of vegetables and meat.


    ¡°You¡¯re a farmer, I see. Say, these are of good quality! Thank you,¡± he said, taking a quick glance of the products inside.


    ¡°Yeah, it is a good harvest. It would be nice if them soldiers don¡¯t take our crops away from time to time. We spent a heck lot of time just to produce top quality food, but we can¡¯t make any profit because they ransack our supplies with the excuse of an inspection. Greedy bastards!¡± the man rambled, Arthur could clearly see the anger in his face.


    ¡°Now, now, Leo. Be careful with your words outside.¡±


    Realizing his mistake, Leonidas instinctively covered his mouth.


    ¡°Oh, sorry doc. What happened last time was just too much even from them. They¡¯re just lucky my family was out of town when this shit happened, because if they ever touch my beautiful wife, they¡¯ll¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re letting out again. Take it easy, ok? Remember, you¡¯re still injured. A spike in your blood pressure is bad for your wound right there,¡± Arthur advised, pointing at the man¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Yes, I know. Oh, right! My love is coming home tonight. I need to go now. Thanks again, doc!¡± Leonidas said as he hurriedly walked back to his house.


    The doctor waved his hand in goodbye, but it seemed that Leo did not notice it anymore. He then resumed his way to his home as well, carrying the gift with him. It was not long before Arthur arrived at their doorstep, after letting out a sigh he knocked the door, which was opened almost immediately by his loving wife.


    ¡°You sure took your time,¡± Hailey greeted her husband, kissing him on the cheek.


    ¡°Well, the patients took a lot more damage than we thought, so I needed to stay there a bit longer. Anyways, you remember that guy that we helped that night ago? He brought us something, here,¡± Arthur replied as he gave the basket to Hailey.


    ¡°Wow, these are good! We should definitely buy his products when we can. Alright, I know what to do with these.¡±


    Hailey took the basket to the kitchen where she then prepped her utensils to cook. Meanwhile, Arthur undressed his coat and hanged it to the wall hook. After removing his shoes and wearing his slippers, he locked the door and proceeded to the kitchen.


    ¡°By the way, where are those two?¡± the doctor asked, sitting down on a chair.


    ¡°They¡¯re at the garage, honey. Ren is checking on the Kettenkrad, he said it took some damage because of something that happened on their way back here. They will tell us the rest at dinner,¡± she answered, getting the knife off the rack.


    ¡°Is that so. I want to ask them about that boy, but¡­ oh well, I¡¯ll just wait here for now,¡± Arthur could only say, looking at his wife as she prepared dinner.


    Seeing Arthur just staring at her, Hailey put down the knife on the table and went towards Arthur.


    ¡°If not for him, you¡¯re as good as gone.¡±


    Then, out of nowhere, she pinched the doctor¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡°You and your crazy ways! Don¡¯t you ever pull a stunt like that in front of me, ever again! You hear me!? I almost lost my mind thinking that you already died back there, you idiot!¡±


    ¡°Ow, ow! Alright, alright! I¡¯m sorry that I made you worry too much!¡± Arthur said in pain, his cheeks turning redder every second.


    ¡°You¡­better¡­be!!¡± she made her point by pinching his cheeks even more. Arthur then held her hands, making her stop and hug him instead. He could hear her sobs as she let her face touch his from behind. After a while, she let go of him and went back to the kitchen.


    The house went quiet as Hailey continued to cook dinner for them. With the two kids at the garage, the both of them had nothing more to say to each other right then, for their minds were still exhausted after the ordeal that they experienced.


    ***


    ¡°Oh no, Dad¡¯s gonna kill me this time. I messed it up big time. The main transmission rod¡¯s been broken, and some of the gears are misaligned as well, also the right tracks are disconnected. Aaaaah!! I need to find some parts tomorrow!¡±Stolen story; please report.


    Ren got out of the underside of the vehicle covered in soot and dirt. He then lowered the hydraulic jack and collected all the tools that he used, cleaning them first before returning them to their storage box.


    Finishing up his work, he then sat down beside Tsukihime, who was at the garage entrance looking at the sky.


    ¡°Still worrying about him, Tsuki?¡± he asked, in which she answered with a nod.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve got to thank that crazy son of a bitch when he gets out. After all, we owe him our lives.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Tsukihime replied, her voice still had a tone of sadness in it.


    The boy did not say another word, instead he waited for Tsukihime to reinitiate the talk. But no words came out of her, her eyes still fixated on the stars above. Ren just continued to stay with her for the time being, knowing that she had history with Noire in the long past and her mind was filled with worry about his well-being.


    After a while, the girl decided to break the silence between them.


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t changed one bit, that guy. Still the same as the time that I met him.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Uh huh. He always pulls these crazy stunts just to not get everyone involved. He¡¯s always a kindhearted guy, everyone at the facility at least had known him for being too kind perhaps. But¡­¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    Tsukihime stood up and stretched her whole body.


    ¡°That aggression¡­that¡¯s on a whole new level that I never knew of. At our time in the Institute, we already knew his potential as a misteria user, but his skills seemed to have quadrupled when I got into that capsule.¡±


    ¡°Wow. He must be a veteran or something, then.¡±


    Ren¡¯s statement made the girl look at him, and there he saw the seriousness in her eyes.


    ¡°Maybe. The last time that we saw each other was the time before I was put in the capsule for treatment. A national order was given to the Institute, and that was to give a portion of the children to the Army as reserves. I think there were twenty-five drafted all in all, the best ones amongst us, of course including him. But that ferocity and agility, its unheard of even when we were trained ourselves at the Institute. As if¡­¡±


    ¡°If?¡± Ren asked.


    ¡°They remade him as a living weapon, something like a strategic nuclear missile.¡±


    ¡°Nuclear¡­missile?¡± he asked again, hearing the term for the first time.


    ¡°Ah, right. You don¡¯t know anything pre-Catastrophe. I¡¯m just going to tell you about it next time,¡± she answered as she faced the entrance of the garage.


    ¡°Come on, I can hear Dad calling us.¡±


    ***


    The Magistrate¡¯s room was spacious, up to six people could easily fit inside. The interior of the room was full of Paladinus inspired furniture and art. At the center lied the Magistrate himself, on a very large bed that had multiple layers of cushioning and blankets. Plio was all alone inside, his body bounded by bandages to ease the pain, which had little effect on him. He could still feel it, the places where the fists of the boy landed on his body, though the pain was then bearable enough.


    But more than the physical torture, his soul was utterly crushed by that skirmish.


    The stranger was unlike any opponents that he faced thus far. Even with his weapon reach advantage, he could not land a single hit on that boy, instead he was utterly punished. His opponent¡¯s movements were graceful yet deadly accurate, each hit an almost guaranteed hit. The sheer speed alone was more than enough for him to be completely overwhelmed, as his arms barely even moved at that time.


    He was in epiphany when someone entered his room unannounced.


    The door of the room opened, the Emissary and Margaret making their entrance inside. As usual, the assistant carried a glass tablet with her, while Julius was all dressed up and ready to leave.


    ¡°Take good care of him now, will you? It¡¯ll be bad for me if he dies now.¡±


    ¡°Of course, your Excellency. It¡¯s my job, after all,¡± she answered, bowing down to his presence.


    Then he switched his focus on Plio, walking towards his bed. There he saw the magistrate¡¯s closed eyes, but he spoke anyway.


    ¡°As for you, I know you¡¯re awake, so let me tell you this. Better stop whatever it is that you¡¯ve been addicted to and change yourself for the better. If not¡­¡±


    All of a sudden, Plio tried to assume a sitting position despite his injuries, making Margaret rush towards him for aid despite the former unwillingly let her.


    ¡°If not what, huh. HUH!? You really are one manipulative sucker, aren¡¯t you? Right, you just look at me and everyone else as pawns on your screwed-up games! You did not care about us, not at all!! You don¡¯t even feel any remorse on what you¡¯re doing, you piece of---¡°


    Before Plio could finish, though, Julius was quick to grab his collar, staring at him with a glare that could set anyone on fire.


    ¡°Let me clear one thing on that thick head of yours. I would not ever, EVER, put you in a situation that you can¡¯t get out of. I maybe a manipulative one, but I still care about you because you¡¯re my only friend here. Remember that, you blockhead!¡± he angrily said.


    Letting go of the magistrate, Julius had let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°That said, I miscalculated your odds back there. I apologize.¡±


    He let out another sigh, then continued to speak.


    ¡°It seems that he¡¯s more powerful than I ever anticipated. He even used some tricks that is not inscribed on any of his records of this planet. Seeing that kid in action, his rank is now justified.¡±


    ¡°Rank? Wait, you know this guy!? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Plio¡¯s questioned him further.


    ¡°I did not tell you because I have to be sure. There were a number of people who claim his name, after all,¡± Julius answered, putting his fingers on his chin.


    ¡°His name, probably, is Noire Arklight. We found data about some Coffin Children that was left buried after this planet¡¯s dimensional shift. Among those data were his profile, which seemed to be of one if not the highest ranking on all of them. Because of this, the Council themselves designated him as a S-level threat.¡±


    ¡°What the¡­S-level!?¡± Plio exclaimed, his eyes widening on the emissary¡¯s revelation.


    ¡°Yes. They may be regarded him as such, but in reality, no one really knew what the data meant at that time. The contents were too complicated for us, even the Children who we awakened had little idea on what it really meant. But if there is one thing, in one way or another, they knew about Noire, and regarded him with utmost respect. And these ones are talented in their own right.¡±


    The revelation had left Plio speechless as he tried to process everything that Julius had said.


    ¡°Well, how would the Council deal with him now? Surely they won¡¯t just let this one swept under the rug, right?¡± he asked.


    ¡°That I do not know,¡± Julius answered.


    ¡°What!?¡±


    ¡°I told you already, there are people out there who also claim to be Noire. Three, to be exact. And because we don¡¯t really have any means of knowing which one is telling the truth, the Council has decided not to deal with these people for now,¡± the emissary explained, looking outside the window once more.


    After a brief moment of silence, Julius prepared himself to leave.


    ¡°Alright, I have to go now. The unexpected turn of things had made some drastic changes on my usual routine,¡± he said as he went towards the door, but not before having one last look at the magistrate.


    ¡°Better heed my advice, my friend. Even I can feel that a massive change will happen on this planet.¡±


    After seeing Julius leave, Margaret walked back to Plio, which had put himself back to bed. Checking on his well-being, she saw his hands were clenched into fists.


    ¡°Sir, are you¡­¡±


    ¡°Angry? Do you really have to ask!?¡± he answered before Margaret could finish.


    At that point, the assistant just sat quietly beside the magistrate, checking on his vitals as the night went on. As for Plio, his mind was still filled with maddening thoughts of the one who tarnished his authority and took away his weapon of pride.


    ***


    The emissary¡¯s coach was ready when he exited the administration building. He immediately got on the wagon and mustered the coachman to go, but not before stating the place which he wanted to go.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make a detour before we go, good man. Take me to the prison, I want to visit someone first.¡±


    ¡°You want to visit¡­him?¡± the coachman asked.


    ¡°Yes. Now go,¡± Julius answered as he closed the window.


    Obeying the order of the Emissary, the coachman whipped the four sleipnirs to trot on the paved ground of Axria, then he mustered them to go to the left towards the prison where Noire was kept captive after the skirmish. Inside, Julius was anxiously waiting, his palms began to sweat as his excitement began to rise once again.

 Entry no 11: A Nicodemian Visit

    The prison yards were located two kilometers off of Axria¡¯s East Outer Zone. Surrounded by walls over ten meters high and a 50-meter deep moat, escape from the complex seemed impossible for anyone who was unfortunate to be locked up inside. The only entrance inside was a single gate with a narrow bridge to connect it to the other side, which could be drawn back in case of a prison break. As expected on a prison complex, it was heavily guarded both inside and outside with men on full gear, and it was almost always brightly illuminated with large fire tongues of misteria origin.


    Julius¡¯ carriage arrived at the prison entrance in the middle of the night, with four guards watching its arrival as they stood guard at the entrance.


    The coachman halted the carriage at the signal of the chief front guard, the other two surrounded the vehicle for inspection. The door was opened by the coachman, revealing the passenger inside.


    ¡°Welcome, your Excellency. I assume you¡¯re here for the new prisoner,¡± the chief guard greeted, showing his respect by bowing his head down.


    ¡°Yes, please. I want to see him before I go,¡± Julius answered.


    The chief guard then made a hand signal to the last guard, which then informed the other two to let the carriage pass through. He pulled the lever that opened the gigantic wooden gateway, and the coachman slowly made the sleipnir trot through. As the Emissary passed them, the four guards stood on a salute.


    The bridge seemed to be structurally compromised, but it held on to the weight of the carriage pretty well. The other gate, now made of steel, slowly opened upon their arrival, in which the prison¡¯s head of security was revealed to be waiting for them inside.


    After the carriage had stopped, the coachman immediately got off his seat to once again open the door to let the Emissary out.


    ¡°Ah, your Excellency. It¡¯s an honor to be visited with someone of your caliber. I assure you, as long as your presence is here, the security of this place will be at---¡°


    Before the head of security could finish, though, the Emissary walked past him as if he did not see anyone at all. This move angered him, but because of Julius¡¯ rank, he could not say anything and had no choice but to let it slide.


    ¡°I understand that you want to see our new addition here, but can you please wait here for a---,¡° the head of security tried to speak again, but failed again to finish his sentence.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much time. I¡¯m going in,¡± the Emissary said, marching his way towards the complex.


    Seeing Julius ignore him for the last time, the head of security¡¯s fury was on its peak. He called one guard with a hand signal and mumbled something to that guard¡¯s ear. The guard then discreetly followed the Emissary as he entered the facility.


    The complex comprised of three levels. The top building was occupied by inmates with light sentences, from simple theft to recklessness resulting in major injuries. Beneath it was the first level basement, where prisoners with heavier sentences were kept. Almost devoid of sunlight, the whole floor was lit with torches that made the aura inside feel gloomy and lifeless. Here, the ones with murder and rebellion on their names were kept, away from the surface, with only despair left on their souls.


    But Julius kept on moving down to the second level basement. Unlike the two levels above it, this floor seemed more modern in design, having steel-like walls and bars on each holding cell. That place was reserved for dealing with special cases, in which the stranger fitted in perfectly. The Emissary walked on the long hallway until he arrived at the cell where Noire was kept, a somewhat upbeat hum filled the empty area and got louder as he went nearer the cell.


    He then touched the solid wall, which became transparent in an instant, letting him see the person confined inside.


    The boy acted nothing like one would do when imprisoned. He was relaxed, lying down on the only raised object in the cell, a long wooden plank attached to the wall with chains. The tune in which he hummed was unfamiliar with Julius, yet the Emissary somewhat enjoyed listening to it. As he hummed, Noire waved his hands in the air like a conductor in a musical performance, rattling the shackles and chains in which he was restrained.


    ¡°Is it time for dinner already? At least give me some meat, that would be nice,¡± Noire spoke, feeling a presence other than his own.


    Julius sat down on the floor on a cross-legged position, then answered the boy in a soft tone.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll be disappointed then. I forgot to bring you anything when I decided to visit you.¡±


    Hearing the familiar voice, Noire got up and took a look at his visitor.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you from up there. What, you¡¯re here to execute me?¡± he asked with a smirk.


    The emissary giggled, and then continued to talk.


    ¡°Oh no, not at all. I absolutely have no intention of doing such things, specially to someone like you. I¡¯m just here to talk, I swear.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, I already guessed that you¡¯re not a person who decides on a whim. If ever, I feel more like you¡¯re a schemer.¡±


    ¡°Now, now. That one just struck broke my heart. Am I really that obvious to you?¡± Julius asked in a playful way.


    Noire sat down in front of Julius, his black eyes focused entirely on the Emissary.


    ¡°Yes and no,¡± he answered. ¡°The fact that you¡¯re so hard to read on first glance made me think that, to be honest.¡±


    Julius, hearing the boy¡¯s answer, laughed so loud it filled the entire level with his voice.


    ¡°Now back to the topic. What is it that you want to talk about?¡± Noire asked, making the Emissary stop laughing.


    Getting something from inside his tunic, Julius said, ¡°I want to show you something first.¡±


    After getting a hold of the item, he pulled it out and gave it to Noire, which was pleasantly surprised at what he saw.


    ¡°That is you, correct?¡± Julius asked, pointing at the picture displayed in the glass tablet.


    The glass tablet contained information about Noire Arklight, complete with a picture of him from the pre-Catastrophe era. The boy skimmed through the data, seemingly checking on its contents, stopping only when it got to the area with a CONFIDENTIAL warning written all over it.


    ¡°Yes, this is me. Wow, the damned twins outdid themselves again with data storage. This even surviving that amount of dimensional warping? I really got to congratulate them when I see them again!¡± Noire exclaimed as he continued to inspect the glass tablet.


    ¡°By the way, is this Paladinus tech?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. One of numerous proof of our vast scientific achievements,¡± Julius proudly answered.


    Noire¡¯s focus was shifted entirely on the glass tablet, trying to guess the inner workings of that piece of technology. Feeling the glass display with his right hand, he constantly looked at its front and back sides, with emphasis to the two metal holders which supported the top and bottom part of the glass. After a while, he gave it back to Julius which hid it back inside his tunic.


    ¡°Interesting. It seems that your scientists have understanding of plasma. Seeing that made my initial analysis of the current workings of this universe partially complete,¡± he said to Julius with a beaming smile on his face.


    ¡°And what is it?¡± Julius asked in curiosity.


    Noire stood up and walked towards the opposite end of the wall, then turned back to face Julius from afar.


    ¡°This universe isn¡¯t that different from the previous one. The laws of science, the flow of misteria, everything. It¡¯s basically the same.¡±


    ¡°I see that you¡¯re more of a man of science,¡± the Emissary commented.


    ¡°Not really,¡± Noire disagreed, ¡°I think I¡¯m more of an in-between.¡±


    ¡°So you believe in the mystics as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Just because you can¡¯t visually see them doesn¡¯t mean that they¡¯re not there, right?¡± Noire answered.


    Satisfied with the answer that he got, Julius stood up, removing the wrinkles that his tunic made when he sat down.


    ¡°So, what are you planning now?¡± he asked Noire.


    The question has hit Noire hard. It made him think for a while, then he spoke to Julius in a cheery tone.


    ¡°This may sound like it came on a whim, because it is, but I¡¯ll do an around the world trip and tell the history of the pre-Catastrophe civilization. This generation of Earth-dwellers still deserve to know their ancestry and the legacies of the past, after all.¡±


    Hearing the boy¡¯s answer, Julius could not help himself and accidentally let a scoff, which embarrassed Noire.


    ¡°What!? Are you mocking me now?¡± Noire said, quite irritated.


    ¡°Not in the slightest. In fact, I kind of admire you now,¡± the Emissary replied, preparing himself for departure.


    ¡°Is that so. Well, before you go, I¡¯ve got one question for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, let me guess. Is it my motives as to why I talked to you like this?¡± Julius spoke as he got another item on his tunic, but when he was about to pull the item, the boy spoke to him.


    ¡°Not exactly. What I want to ask is your purpose with that key?¡±


    His intent now revealed, Julius held the large keycard and showed it to the boy.


    ¡°I¡¯m giving you a way out. You know, for your plans.¡±


    Julius was met by Noire¡¯s stares, the boy dubious of the Emissary¡¯s course of actions. Noire walked towards him, eyes still locked on his entirety.


    ¡°But is that really it? Is there really no catches on this?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha. I guess anyone would be immediately suspicious. All right, I¡¯ll say my proposal,¡± the Emissary answered as he approached Noire and whispered something to him.


    After letting Julius finish his proposal, Noire thought for a bit, then gave him his answer.


    ¡°Well, I can do your request, but to be honest with you, I don¡¯t need that key.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Julius said in surprise.


    Taking two steps back from the barrier, Noire raised his left hand to a shoulder height, and after that, the shackle which held his wrist began to move on itself, the bolt gradually loosening its hold until it fell of the floor and making a loud ping. Then, with the newly released left hand, Noire got ahold of the right wrist shackle and basically ripped it off. Finally, he touched the invisible barrier with the same left hand, which then became opaque just like before, and forcing it to make a huge hole in which he passed through with ease, all the while being watched by an ecstatic Julius.


    ¡°See? No keys,¡± Noire smugly said.


    Julius was shaken to the core, saying, ¡°But those¡­those shackles have voidstones imbedded in them. And the wall, it¡¯s made of pure voidmetal, how did you...¡±


    The boy laughed as he tapped the Emissary¡¯s shoulders and put his right index finger on his lips.


    ¡°That¡¯s a trade secret. No worries, I¡¯m going to accept your request, anyway, so there¡¯s that,¡± he said as he took the keycard out of a still shocked Julius¡¯ hand.


    ¡°How¡­how did you¡­¡±


    Noire sighed deeply as they noticed that the elevator moved downwards towards their level.


    ¡°There¡¯s our way out. Come on, I got a plan,¡± the boy told Julius, which then got out of his shock.


    They walked the corridor, passing through all the empty cells with haste. Just as they arrived at the elevator door, though, the lift arrived and opened the door, revealing the occupants inside.


    What greeted the two are guns pointed at their faces by four individuals in black bodysuits and helmets.


    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± one of them spoke, the voice was clearly feminine as they pondered what to do next.