《Beyond/Odyssey》


 Prologue: Crash Landing

    Crimson. His vision was filled with bright crimson. The incessant ruckus made by the warning system that indicated danger barely registered within his consciousness as he continued to hurtle downwards with frightening speed; further exacerbated by the planet¡¯s gravity that now held him prisoner.


    The attack was all too sudden. He didn''t even know what hit them. All he knew was that it hit them hard and caused them all to plummet planet-side.


    This was, of course, absolutely not part of the plan. It was only supposed to be a routine probe and customary data collection mission after all.


    Still, there was no use thinking about ¡°how¡±s and ¡°why¡±s now. That fact is, he was falling towards certain doom. And unless he does something quick, there¡¯s no avoiding either going out in a blaze of glory or getting turned into red paste as soon as his unit impacts the ground.


    He gritted his teeth as he tried to release the ablative gel that aided in re-entry in the event that the primary nano-field that prevented units from burning away in the atmosphere ever failed to deploy; as it had done so now. He had to pound the console a few times and finally got the thing to respond. Who says good old fashioned equipment bashing didn''t work?


    The gel immediately began coating the surface of his EXA-Frame, prompting a small sigh of relief from him. Of course, he knew he¡¯s not out of the woods yet ¨C far from it. But at least this reduced the risk of dying even before getting the chance to try and land.


    He now turned his full attention towards attempting to boot the back-up OS through the emergency sub-system. It quickly proved to be a formidable effort, primarily from the fact that the turbulence was getting increasingly worse as he plummets downward and that his unit was spinning uncontrollably, making him feel like he¡¯s inside one of those sim pods they used back in the pilot academy again ¨C only several times worse.


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    Muttering several curses under his breath, he continued to wage battle against both his unit¡¯s sub-system and the threat of passing out from the g-forces that were slowly but surely building up. He bit his lip in desperate effort, drawing blood. The taste of metal slowly seeped inside his mouth.


    After what seemed to be an eternity, the control panel finally sprung to life as the boot-up sequence started up at last. He could clearly feel each individual heartbeat as time seemed to slow down while he waited for the sequence to finish.


    Not wanting to waste a single moment, he frantically keyed in his access codes as soon as the sub-system became operational and re-activated the controls.


    After changing the control settings to full-on Manual, he fired up several of the Frame¡¯s vernier thrusters that adjusted its position accordingly. They also served to slow down its falling speed.


    He then activated the Quantum Inertia Nullifying Field that covered the Frame¡¯s entire cockpit and hoped that the shock absorption systems and the unit¡¯s overall structural integrity would hold out as he braced himself for imminent impact.


    Moments later, an over 20 meter tall bipedal object crash landed deep within the mountainous regions of the Allied Kingdoms of Altarius, scattering clouds of dust and debris in the aftermath.

 Log 1: Beneath the Azure

    The sky above the Allied Kingdoms of Altarius was a brilliant blue. Wispy clouds dotted it''s vast expanse and travelled leisurely across the horizon. The sun shone like a precious jewel that crowned this majestic tapestry of brilliant azure.


    Suddenly, a small shadow darted past, disturbing the sky''s tranquil atmosphere.


    "MILADYYY!!! PLEASE FLY MORE CAREFULYYY!!! UWAAAH!!!"


    A stream of glistening tears constantly fell from the eyes of a raven haired young woman as she screamed and pleaded while strapped on the back seat of a brightly colored Kingdom bi-plane. Closer inspection revealed her wearing maid clothing underneath a light brown aviator jacket, leading one to question her good sense in donning them during flight. It did suit her though, for what it''s worth.


    "Ahahaha! What are you saying Sakuya? Isn''t it more fun this way? This one handles pretty well after all. Don''t you want to know exactly what it''s capable of?"


    Laughing with a cavalier devil-may-care attitude was a crimson haired young woman; her features exuding both the cheerful playfulness of youth and the sharpness of a fine honed blade.


    She sported a fierce grin with a hint of mischievousness as she performed several aerial maneuvers that could be seen as a tad bit reckless, prompting the poor girl behind her to tear up even more and continue to scream with abandon.


    ***


    "Ugh... I think I''m gonna hurl..."


    "Didn''t I tell you not to join me during the test flight? This is what your stubbornness earned you Sakuya."


    The maid clothes-wearing girl got down from the plane shortly after it landed with wobbly legs and walked in tottering steps towards the hangar; the crimson haired girl following closely behind.


    "Honestly! You''ve been assigned as my personal attendant only for a few days and you''re already biting off more than you can chew." the crimson haired girl exclaimed in exasperation.


    "I expressly told you to just ignore Ms. Halford''s instructions to accompany me whenever possible did I not? I''m not a child anymore. And flying is already second nature to me. I know the risks and how to deal with them so there''s no need for all these excessive precautions. Haaah..."


    She finished with a sigh as the pair finally reached the hangar.


    ***


    The maid named Sakuya plopped down the hastily prepared guest seats; her hands pressed upon her face as she fought with a rather severe bout of motion sickness and consequently, the urge to vomit.


    "Hey there milady. So how was she? Our new model I mean?"


    A rugged looking, tall middle aged man greeted the pair in a rather cheerful and familiar manner. He had a crop of wavy, medium length, brown hair that was tied up in a messy ponytail.


    His tattered workers clothing sported oil and grunge stains yet he wore them as if they were badges of honor. He strode proudly towards the pair of young ladies in a light gait while sporting a warm smile.


    "Flies like a charm Chief Mathers." replied the crimson haired young woman.


    "It''s overall speed and acceleration isn''t on par with the latest monoplane models of course. But the ease of handling and it''s great maneuverability far outstrips any machine of it''s kind that''s available presently. You have the right to be proud sir. I''ll be sure to put in a good word with my father. You continue to impress as always."


    The man scratched his cheek in mild embarrassment as the young woman heaped praises upon him.


    "The effort wasn''t mine alone milady Charlotte. My team did an outstanding job. Couldn''t have done it without them."


    "Of course Chief Mathers. I''ll see to it that your team gets the proper credit. In any case, let me take this chance to congratulate you personally for a job well done."


    The smile on the face of the crimson haired young woman, Lady Charlotte Harvey Rayline deepened as she held her hand aloft, gesturing for a handshake.


    She was the only daughter of Lord Alvert Linus Rayline and eventual heir to Rayline Aeronautics Industries, one of the leading companies in the development and production of both civilian and military aircraft in the Allied Kingdoms.


    The man opposite her, Matthew Alan Mathers, is the chief of the research and development department of the company. He was a former military engineer that was hired by Charlotte''s father and had developed a good number of Rayline Aeronautics'' newest models.


    He grasped Charlotte''s outstretched hand in an awkward fashion, very conscious of the young woman''s inherent loveliness. His brows furrowed a little as he silently admonished himself for being bothered by Charlotte''s charm despite his age.


    But he really can''t be blamed for it. She just gave off that much of an impression. This was very evident both in the number of suitors vying for her hand and the charmed expressions of people whenever she graced them with her presence.


    "What''s wrong chief? Is shaking hands with me really all that unpleasant?" Charlotte quipped, a hint of mischief present within her clear, sky blue eyes.


    "Eh? Ah, no. Of course not milady. I''m just not used to this stuff see. Anyway, is Miss Sakuya alright? Her face looks really pale."


    Chief Mathers smiled awkwardly and tried to change the focus of the discussion. Charlotte didn''t press any further and turned to her quietly suffering personal attendant with an exasperated look.


    "Wanna go for a quick walk around the place Sakuya? It''ll help get rid of the nausea. Just slumping like that would only make you feel worse."


    "I don''t really feel like it milady. Let''s just stay here and have some afternoon tea. Doesn''t that sound nice and relaxing?"


    Sakuya sported a strained smile as she implored her mistress to slow down and relax for once.


    "What are you saying? Come on. It''ll be great. I''ll show you my favorite relaxation spot. It has a great view of the Milda valley. Really breathtaking."


    The suggestion was immediately rejected.


    "Wha-? Milady! Knowing you, it''ll either be needlessly far, needlessly high in elevation or both!"


    "It''s just a few kilometers from here silly. Not far at all. It''s a small clearing on a cliffside overlooking the valley.


    I''ve heard there were some sightings of a falling star not far from this general area. Wouldn''t it be amazing if we managed to find it along the way?"


    Sakuya''s face was drained of whatever color it had left as conflicting feelings roiled about in her heart. She was torn between her sense of responsibility towards her job and her self preservation instincts which were firing danger signals all over.


    She was, however, not given any more time to worry as Charlotte grabbed her hand and dragged her along.


    "We''ll be taking a short walk Chief Mathers. We''ll be back in the afternoon."


    "Of course milady. Please enjoy yourselves. But do be careful of wild animals. There were also some reports of a fell beast being sighted around these parts. Though I know you''re more than capable of handling such creatures, do still take care. I''ll have snacks prepared once you return."


    "Thank you chief. We may bring some wild game for dinner if we''re lucky. Now then, let''s go!"


    "Noooooooo..."


    Sakuya''s sorrowful scream resounded in the distance shortly afterwards.


    ***


    Several days had already passed since he managed to crash land with both him and his EXA-Frame coming out relatively intact.


    He had foraged and hunted in the surrounding forests for sustenance, making full use of his survival know-how earned during his time as a spec-ops operative in the Neo-Pleiadic Union Space Corps.


    But he knew he had to find a way to report what happened to either his superiors in Orion Delta, the PMC he was currently working for, or Union High Command.


    They were hit with something they never saw coming. And the effects were nothing to scoff at either. All the advanced protection systems civilian defense contractors installed on their equipment for quality testing were rendered virtually useless.


    Being able to effectively shut down cutting edge military hardware and weapon systems was devastating in certain situations; war being the primary concern.


    Tensions were rising between the Union and the neighboring Ri-Galvanis Coalition and the planet he was currently in just happens to be smack dab in the middle of a sector located between the official borders of the two powers.


    Things couldn''t have been worse.


    He knew something was off when he found out just how much pay they were going to receive just for a simple escort mission during a research expedition in neutral space.


    ***


    TW-Z1A40-¦¤, more commonly known to the locals as Verdia, was a medium sized planet that housed a diverse ecology and a category 5 civilization that had already developed flight technology and were now already dabbling in matters regarding space.


    It was an obvious point of interest for various political entities such as the Union and the Coalition.


    The Underdeveloped Planets Nonintervention Agreement (UPNA) discourages any form of contact between category 10 and above classed planets or planetary alliances and any other planet or sector ranked below them unless the latter initiates said contact through their own efforts; by then which they would be briefed into the "why" and "how" of things by an independent regulatory body - The Ascendant Civilizations Inter-sectorial Council - and offered the option to join a planetary alliance or remain independent while considering trade options and agreements.


    There were many advantages for taking a budding space faring civilization under one''s wing. The monetary aid from the Council''s independent development fund was considerable for example. Thus, various planetary alliances contend for the chance to make first contact.


    Data gathering missions were conducted solely by the Council and findings were disseminated to the various planetary alliances to ensure fairness. Sometimes, PMCs such as Orion Delta were hired to provide assistance and security along with the Council''s official forces.


    This time, they were told it was a countermeasure for recent space piracy incidents near the said sector. It''s now apparent that they were worried with something far more dangerous than a couple of pirate cruisers.


    He could sense the palpable feeling of danger coming from this crazy fiasco. An entity or organization was actually willing to defy the Council; something that was thought to be very unlikely given the Council''s power and influence.


    He thought of Ri-Galvanis as a major suspect as they have been very overt and confrontational regarding the recent border disputes with the Union; going so far as to annex a part of neutral space between their borders without paying any heed to the concerns raised by the Union through the Council.


    Tension was at its peak. And if the Coalition did indeed find a way to bypass protection systems and directly attack and disable an opposing forces vehicles, equipment and weaponry, then it certainly could spell heaps of trouble for the Union.


    It could possibly result in one sided slaughter, given the Coalitions newly acquired propensity to subdue everything with overwhelming force and virtually taking no prisoners ever since the fairly recent successful coup and subsequent government takeover by the Ri-Galvanian military.


    In fact, the Council was also at quite a loss as its attempts to build amicable relations with the current Ri-Galvanian military junta were all but snubbed.


    But no one actually thought the Coalition would dare to openly oppose the Council as the difference between their power and influence as organizations was simply too large. But doubts have surfaced in his mind about the veracity of that assertion.


    Of course, the assailants could be an entirely different independent force. The potential threat was still just as alarming though.


    ***


    He did not actually feel a particularly strong sense of duty, nor loyalty towards the Union. But many of his friends and acquaintances were still employed in the Union military. They''ve already managed to survive the hell that was the Eddessia uprising. Even if it was for a few moments longer, he wished for them to live out their hard earned daily lives.


    He had always found his comrades dazzling. They had something to fight and live for. Some place to come home to. It was more than he could say for himself.


    But there was something that bothered him about the current situation. Why was there no further action taken after the mystery attack downed all their units, including the Council scout ship they came aboard in for the mission?


    If it weren''t for the fact that all his comm equipment was being jammed and that he couldn''t even manage to use anything that sent or received remote transmissions, he couldn''t have quickly come up with the possibility that this was all deliberate.


    "___Perhaps they really had panicked..." he thought to himself. Maybe they didn''t expect to be sounded out so suddenly. There were rumors going about that the data collection mission they were tasked to escort didn''t exactly go through proper procedure and wasn''t actually formally announced.


    Maybe their presence really did catch their mystery assailants unawares and, as a result, they had attacked his squad and the research team without thinking about the consequences.


    But this was all simply conjecture and it was obvious that he wasn''t going to get anything done by mulling these things over alone.


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    In the mean time, he had decided to look for clues regarding both his squad''s and the research team''s whereabouts. It shouldn''t be too difficult for rumors to spread considering how flashily they dropped from the sky.


    He couldn''t confirm his exact coordinates, contact them using his Frame''s comm terminal, nor use recon drones to scout terrain so he''s going to have to go about it all manually. He wasn''t adverse to that notion either, which was probably a good thing.


    ***


    It had been a few days since the crash and he had spent a majority of that time going through the conifer forests and watching for signs of habitation by local residents from whom he can glean information.


    He had hidden his EXA-Frame deep within the mountains and continued on his trek down. There were severe sanctions for revealing higher category tech to the local populace of a world of a much lower technological tier and are not officially recognized and registered in the ranks of the ascendant civilizations. Thus, he had made every precaution to ensure he didn''t do just that.


    Of course he didn''t exclude the possibility of having to use modern ordnance and tech to deal with certain eventualities. But he still thought it better if he could avoid situations that would actually require such actions.


    He had already covered quite a distance within a few days yet there wasn''t a single sign of people living within the immediate area. He did, however, manage to find a fresh water source - a small clear stream that went several meters deep further down. He immediately replenished his dwindling water provisions.


    Then he was hit with a sudden urge.


    Actually, thinking back about it sometime later, he found his subsequent actions after this course of events somewhat careless and stupid.


    He even felt ashamed about them somewhat due to his military background and training. They made him think he had gone soft.


    But whats done cannot be undone; at least not in this particular case. So he went about his merry way and stripped down till he was bare-naked and jumped into the water to wash the dirt and fatigue off.


    ***


    "___How the heck did I ever get into this situation?!"


    It was the question that was persistently repeating itself in his head as he stood frozen in place within the water.


    He had decided to take a quick bath to wash off the dirt and grime accumulated after hours of trekking. He at least wanted to look passably decent when he does meet someone from the local populace. It wouldn''t do to leave a bad impression after all. He didn''t want to be mistaken for some sort of mountain bandit or something.


    Leaving his equipment near the waters edge, he began cleaning himself up.


    But just a few minutes after he began bathing, something unexpected happened.


    Goddesses suddenly appeared!


    And they were fully naked to boot!


    He just had a major naked encounter!


    They all stood frozen in the water, as if time itself has stopped. Then one of the goddesses let out a piercing shriek, snapping him out of his reverie.


    "IYAAAAAAAAH!!!"


    "W-Wha-? No, wait! Calm down miss! Just please calm down."


    He had tried to appease the screaming raven haired goddess but the crimson haired one got in front of her with a challenging look in her eyes.


    "Uh- I mean you no harm miss. This is just an unfortunate accident."


    The crimson haired goddess spoke but he didn''t understand her words. Well of course he didn''t. He didn''t have his universal translator equipped after all. He slowly backed up towards where he placed his equipment with his hands raised.


    While reaching for the translator within his equipment bundle, the crimson haired goddess let out a threatening shout.


    Feisty.


    He liked that type of woman.


    But it wouldn''t do to antagonize them here. They were his first contact with the local populace after all. He couldn''t just leave it as a misunderstanding. It could result in rather unpleasant complications.


    He hurriedly equipped his translator and attempted to speak with them again.


    "I''m truly about this miss. This was just an accident see. I didn''t expect two lovely ladies to be bathing all the way out here. I sincerely apologize."


    "?!"


    The crimson haired goddess had a look of surprise in her eyes. She was most likely confused that she could suddenly understand the words of this mysterious stranger who had been talking gibberish till just now. But she had regained her composure shortly afterwards and spoke with him warily.


    "If you truly mean no harm then stop staring at us with that lewd look in your eyes. It''s extremely rude."


    "Eh? Uh- Sorry about that. But aren''t you also staring intently at my body miss? So lets just call it even alright?"


    She went red up to her ears after the young mans remark. She did admit to staring at his well developed body. But she will never admit that so openly in front of him. Not with that smug look hes sporting on his face.


    "A-Anyway, no matter how you look at it, you''re still incredibly suspicious. You''re clearly a foreigner. No one in this country has bright silver hair like you do. And what was that thing you put on the back of your neck just then? Was that a translator glyph? How''d you get something that rare and valuable?"


    "___Translator Glyph?"


    He was confused by the unfamiliar term but managed to not show it in his expression. It was probably a technological invention developed in this world.


    His own universal translator worked by processing and transmitting data directly into his brain, thus allowing him to effectively speak and read another language as long as it has been encoded in the translators database. He decided to play along for now without directly admitting to anything.


    "You can say that. Anyway, with this we can understand each other right? Ill go and cover myself up in a bit. Then well talk more. Don''t worry. I wont run away. I have a few questions of my own and I might as well ask them to you lovely ladies."


    The young man smiled reassuringly. It was all very natural, without the slightest hint of pretense. So much so that it greatly shook the composure of the crimson haired girl in front of him. But she still barely managed to keep a neutral facade.


    His smile deepened, finding her attempt at staying cool quite cute. She blushed slightly but never broke eye contact. It seems she won''t let her embarrassment affect her caution.


    "Alright. Go behind those bushes. Just so you know, I''m carrying a weapon and wont hesitate to shoot if you attempt escaping."


    "Of course milady. Now then, if you''ll excuse me."


    She wasn''t kidding. He understood that. It made him take an interest at her even more.


    "___Is she part of the military? A soldier or knight maybe. Crap. I kind of regret not bothering to research about this place prior to deployment. I''ve become quite lazy"


    He proceeded to dress after a bout of self admonishment. Still, he couldn''t get his mind off the young women he just encountered.


    He had seen countless beautiful women in his lifetime. He had even escorted some of them on some occasions. He was tasked to guard several interplanetary idols and cultural ambassadors during his stint in the military and even after he moved on to working for PMCs.


    And some daughters of influential military officials were lovely as well.


    But whether or not this was due to the rapid technological advances regarding beauty and wellness and their parents considerable assets or were given to them naturally, even he would be hard pressed to know.


    Modern technology was just that scary.


    However, there was no hint of anything "fake" or "artificial" about those two young women. That was certainly rare. And rather charming.


    Yes.


    He was charmed indeed.


    ***


    After he finished putting on all his equipment, he came out from behind the clump of bushes to find the two young ladies fully dressed and waiting nearby, seated beside each other upon some large rocks.


    The crimson haired one touted something that resembled a short barreled rifle with a wooden stock. She aimed it at him readily.


    But that wasn''t what caught his attention. He stood still, mesmerized by their current appearance.


    The crimson haired young woman wore a red tight fitting collared blouse that accentuated her ample upper body curves and equally form fitting pure white trousers that resembled the ones equestrian riders of old used as part of their riding uniform. That meant it also emphasized her slim legs and shapely buttocks. She also wore a pair of black long boots.


    Her blouse was slightly unbuttoned at the top, making it possible to get a slight glimpse of her cleavage along with an article that was bordered with a thin, almost transparent layer of white lace holding her chest up from inside her clothes.


    It strangely seemed a tad bit naughtier than her naked appearance from earlier. Truth be told, it bothered him a bit.


    Just beside her was the raven haired young lady who screamed hysterically earlier on. She seems to have already collected herself for the most part and was now looking at him, apprehension and a slight glimmer of fear present in her gaze.


    But what was truly striking about her was her current choice of dress. No matter how one looked at it, she was clearly wearing a maid uniform. It was dark blue, with the collar and cuffs being a crisp white. The dainty apron that she wore on top of it was also pure white.


    Lace trimmings adorned the collar, cuffs, apron and her maid headband. Small, delicate looking rose patterns were embroidered on the lace.


    It exuded an overall impression of pure innocence.


    Now here was another breathtaking beauty.


    If the crimson haired young woman embodied a kind of beauty that had would make a lasting impression upon others almost immediately, this raven haired maid(?) was the kind that would increasingly mesmerize you the more time you spent looking at her.


    Being beholden with two genuinely beautiful women after ending up virtually stranded on this Category 5 planet made him wonder if he actually landed in paradise. He was grinning from ear to ear despite having a weapon aimed straight at him.


    "What''s with that weird grin on your face? Don''t you dare do anything stupid or I''ll really shoot!"


    "Ahaha. Sorry milady. I was just really awed by your beauty."


    "Enough fooling around! It''s about time you told us who you are and what you''re doing all the way out here."


    "I suppose you wouldn''t believe me if I told you I''m just your average hiker would you?"


    "Of course not. You''re obviously a foreigner. Also, this part of the forest is privately owned by Rayline Aeronautics. You can''t just simply waltz in here to hike."


    "Oh? Then the fact that you''re here means that you have some sort of connection with that company. You have a personal maid with you after all. Aren''t you worried I might try something like kidnapping you ladies for a hefty ransom?"


    "You can certainly try. But it won''t be that easy you know. I think you''ll find me a bit more of a challenge than your average woman."


    "___Well, she certainly isn''t bluffing." he thought. She didn''t reveal any openings even as she engaged him in conversation. The way she held her weapon indicated that she''s no amateur.


    He was still relatively confident in his ability to subdue her. But your average criminal would probably be no match. But he really wanted to avoid any trouble with them if he could.


    "Well? Out with it then. Patience isn''t really one of my stronger virtues." she prodded in a lightly threatening tone.


    He was in a bit of a bind. He originally planned to scout things out first and then blend in with the locals. Ideally, he didn''t want anyone seeing him in his standard equipment.


    It was a sleek composite hard suit made from densely packed nano-carbon strands and highly flexible military grade synthetic fibers, layered with a nanite film that would adapt to all kinds of weather conditions and block harmful radiation.


    Gaudily colored in black and orange hues, it looked a little too foreign and otherworldly considering the level of technological advancement in the planet he was currently stuck in.


    The only drawbacks were that, due to cost cutting, his current suit model was not equipped with the capability to keep away dirt and grime from its surface like its later editions, nor did it break down and disperse sweat in order to prevent odor build up.


    Aside from the formerly mentioned defects, it was still a considerably advanced piece of equipment.


    But in the middle of him desperately thinking of an appropriate excuse to give, another unexpected event happened.


    Bestial growls suddenly resounded from within the forest. And it seemed to be coming closer and closer.


    Before any of them could react, a large black shadow suddenly vaulted from within the trees and bore down on the of three them; fangs and claws bared.


    The raven haired maid looked at it with an expression filled with utter terror and yelled.


    "H-HORNED SILVERMANE!!!"

 Log 2: Chance Encounters

    The creature that stood before them was apparently called a horned silvermane. It looked like a cross between a bear and a lion, with a shaggy silvery mane that was most likely it''s namesake.


    It also sported two brutal looking spiral horns pointed forwards, large enough to easily gore a grown male and reduce him to a bloody pulp.


    Its eyes were bloodshot and saliva dripped from its gaping maw rimmed with dagger like fangs. It looked poised to attack at any moment.


    The crimson haired young woman was the one who reacted first and got in between the monster and her companion. She readied her weapon and aimed it directly at the creature.


    "Stay behind me Sakuya! I''ll finish this sluggard off right away."


    The monster swung its powerful looking fore claws at her without warning. She dodged the attack by a hair''s breadth and immediately prepared to retaliate.


    She aimed her weapon at the creature once more and pulled the trigger.


    Contrary to what the young man was expecting, the weapon didn''t work like your typical antique firearm that used gun powder.


    A bright bluish light shot forth from the barrel of her weapon and hit the monster head on. It was hit directly on its chest and staggered briefly but quickly regained its balance.


    The woman wasn''t fazed and continued to fire her strange weapon at the creature.


    Though it failed to deal significant damage in one hit, being peppered with rapid fire shots seemed to be having an effect. It was like the creature was being repeatedly hit by a heavy blunt weapon and it was getting increasingly disoriented.


    It continued to swing its large fore claws at the young woman despite this, attacking with reckless abandon. It also lunged at her several times, intent on impaling her with its horns.


    But she continued to dodge its attacks by a narrow margin and pelted it with those strange bluish white "energy" bullets.


    Finally, after enduring a few moments of getting hit with continuous weapons fire, the creature collapsed with a heavy thud. It was frothing in the mouth and its bloodshot eyes lost the glimmer of consciousness.


    The crimson haired young woman was panting furiously. Looks like it wasn''t an easy victory after all.


    Just as she relaxed her guard, another bestial roar resounded; this time right behind the three of them.


    Before she could collect herself, another horned silvermane appeared from within the shadows of the trees. It was charging right at the maid girl who was petrified in fear.


    "Sakuya!" she screamed desperately.


    She wasn''t going to make it in time.


    As the raven haired girl screamed in horror, the suspicious young man suddenly sprang into action.


    He immediately grabbed the maid girl and dashed away with astonishing speed while cradling her in a princess carry, effectively avoiding the monster''s charge.


    "Hey Miss! Stop gawking and fire at the damn thing will you!"


    Coming to her senses, the crimson haired girl aimed at the newly arrived monster and started another barrage. She continuously fired at the center of the creature''s forehead and hit it with pinpoint accuracy. It didn''t take long for the creature to suffer the same fate as its kin, collapsing belly first onto the ground.


    ***


    "Damn! These things are tough. I didn''t think subduing horned silvermanes would be this much trouble."


    The crimson haired girl sat on the ground, utterly spent. The young man looked upon her with increasing interest. He was also curious about her weapon. Its projectiles resembled a pulse guns somewhat. To think that a Category 5 planet had things that resembled energy weapons. It was certainly an unexpected surprise.


    "Ah... Um... Uuuh..."


    A hesitant voice suddenly entered his ears. He then remembered that he was still carrying the maid girl within his arms. He set her down gently beside him; his eyes scanning her appearance to check if she was hurt.


    Thankfully, it seems she was fine. She just looked a little distraught. Her cheeks revealed a faint blush as she caught his eyes and she looked away, seemingly from embarrassment.


    It was such an adorable gesture. The young man suddenly found himself fighting the urge to hug her out of impulse. Thankfully, he managed to reign in the desire before he made a fool of himself.


    "U-um... T-thank you sir. For s-saving me."


    She bowed towards him in a gesture of gratitude. He shrugged lightly and told her it was nothing worth any thanks. His body just moved without thinking.


    "Y-you still saved me though. I''m truly grateful for that. Um..."


    She looked at him with moist eyes. Somehow, he wasn''t able to turn away and stared back at her. She slowly drew closer. He couldn''t pull away and stood rooted at the spot...


    "EHEM!"


    The sudden interruption snapped them out of the weird atmosphere. The maid girl shrunk back and covered her blushing face in embarrassment. The young man scratched his cheek while sporting an awkward smile.


    "What is this? The rumored suspension bridge effect or something? Anyway, you have my gratitude for saving my attendant uh..."


    "Slay. Slay Cassidy."


    "Hm. Thank you Slay. I still find you suspicious but I guess I''ll trust you for now."


    "What brought about this sudden change of heart? It''s not just because I saved your attendant is it?"


    "No. Well, not just that anyway. You could have left us and ran away after getting confronted with those monsters but you stayed behind and even saved Sakuya. I, at least think you''re not just some simple rogue or criminal."


    "I could have done that to get in your good books you know. All of that may have been calculated on my part."


    "I believe I''m a good enough judge of character to discern whether or not a person is fond of petty schemes like that. You don''t really seem to be the type from what I can tell."


    "What makes you so sure?"


    "Eh... A woman''s intuition?"


    "Kuh... Ahahahaha!"


    "Ehehehe!"


    Boisterous laughter resounded from the two. The maid looked at each of them in turn revealing a puzzled expression.


    "Ahaha. You sure are interesting milady."


    "I could say the same for you. In any case, let''s just move out of the forest for now. It''d be bad if we encountered more of these damn things."


    "What''re we going to do with these things anyway? We can''t just leave them here." Slay asked.


    The young woman sighed and drew what looked to be a pistol from her belt holster and fired it right at the two creature''s heads. This time, its bullets were the kind propelled by gunpowder.


    "Less flashy than the magius rifle but it does its job just fine." she exclaimed and winked charmingly at the young man.


    He was taken aback by the cute gesture but was even more surprised by what happened to the two unconscious monsters. They had disintegrated into fine particles and scattered in the air shortly after.


    "What? Never seen a fell beast get done in before? Those things are abominations that destroy the natural ecosystem of whatever area they appear in so it''s best to get rid of them."


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    "No, that''s not it. If those things could have been done in with a simple shot to the head with a gun, then why''d you go to all that trouble to render them unconscious?" he asked with a confused expression.


    "Oh, that. Yeah. Those things die instantly when you destroy their ether core. That''s what I did earlier by the way.


    But there''s a catch. Large fell beasts like those silvermanes have the ability to move their cores around their bodies. Finding and destroying them would be too troublesome without proper equipment.


    The cores move to their default location when the beast is rendered unconscious. In the case of large mammalian beasts like those, it''s usually in the forehead. So I did just that and finished them off afterwards."


    She finished with a small huff, looking slightly smug.


    "So that''s why." he muttered and nodded in understanding.


    "Yep. So let''s get out of here already. I wasn''t able to bathe in the stream thanks to a certain someone so I guess I''ll just have to settle for the showers."


    She grinned mischievously towards him, prompting him to grin back.


    "Like I said, that was unintentional on my part. Anyway, I take it that you want me to come with you milady?"


    "Of course. I still find you suspicious after all. We''ll proceed with the interrogation after we get back. And it''s Charlotte by the way. Charlotte Harvey Rayline. And this young lady is..."


    "Um... Sakuya. Sakuya Kagemitsu Lockelear. I thank you for saving me once again Mr. Cassidy."


    Sakuya very politely bowed towards Slay, to which he reacted by scratching his cheek with an awkward looking expression.


    "Uh... No problem Miss Lockelear. I''m just glad you''re safe. And please stop it with the Mr. Cassidy thing. It''s kind of awkward for me. Just call me Slay."


    "Oh. If so, then I must ask you to call me Sakuya as well. It won''t be any trouble I hope."


    "No. Of course not Sakuya."


    "Ehehe..."


    Sakuya smiled bashfully at Slay and her cheeks took on a faint blush. Slay smiled back at her, prompting her to blush even more.


    "Ahem! We really should be moving along now you two. Come on guys. Chop chop."


    Charlotte pushed the both of them forwards, prompting them to start walking back towards the Rayline Aeronautics facility at the foot of the mountains.


    ***


    They arrived at the facility late in the afternoon. Charlotte picked up her pace as soon as they entered the gate, signaling for Slay and Sakuya to hurry it up as well.


    As they approached the hangar, they found Chief Mathers still busy with fine tuning the newly developed bi-plane. He saw the group come near and waved cheerily.


    Charlotte waved back, sporting a warm smile.


    "We¡¯re back chief. Still going at it I see."?


    "Welcome back milady. I gotta get this baby ready for the formal presentation to the board after all. Once it gets officially approved, we¡¯re gonna go straight to production. The client this time is in a bit of a hurry after all."


    The chief then noticed Slay, standing nonchalantly near the two young ladies. His eyebrow lifted up slightly and gave him a questioning look.


    "Oh. Might I ask who might this be milady? A local from Terine? No, it doesn¡¯t look like it. That silver hair...?"


    Charlotte grinned mischievously and replied.


    "A peeping tom. We caught him in Largus forest when we went to take a quick bath in the stream."


    "Hey!..."


    Slay made a troubled expression and attempted to intervene but he heard the familiar sound of someone cracking their knuckles nearby. Needless to say, it was Chief Mathers.


    "Ohoh! Boy¡¯s got some guts. What do you want us to do with him milady? The special course or the EXTRA special course?"?


    Both Charlotte and the chief wore really dark expressions on their faces.


    "___These two are S? for sure!?" Slay thought as he struggled to find a way to get out of this situation. Luckily, a raven haired angel threw him a lifeline.


    "Milady! Please, enough with the jokes! Slay saved my life."


    Sakuya admonished Charlotte as she moved in front of Slay, as if to protect him.


    "Heh? You¡¯re surprisingly easy to please aren¡¯t you Sakuya. He just carried you like a princess and now you¡¯re all over him."


    "Wha-? M-Milady!"


    Sakuya blushed to the roots of her hair at Charlotte¡¯s comment. Unable to keep her poker face, Charlotte laughed unsparingly at the two of them.


    "Ahahaha! Alright, I get it. I¡¯ll stop now. You¡¯re really fun to tease Sakuya."?


    "Milady?..."


    Sakuya let out an exasperated sigh. She was used to being an outlet for her mistress¡¯s worries. She was already on the receiving end of her teasing even before she became her personal attendant. But she truly did care for her young mistress and childhood friend.


    Even though she doesn¡¯t show it in her usual cheerful demeanor, the young woman named Charlotte was burdened by a lot of things. Some of it, Sakuya doubted she could bear herself. So if teasing her eased her friend¡¯s worries even by just a bit then Sakuya was alright with it.


    Though it seems her mistress has found a new person to play around with. Sakuya smiled at the thought and threw a glance at the gentleman behind him.


    Slay sported a troubled grin and shrugged his shoulders when he noticed her gaze. Sakuya made a grateful expression and smiled warmly at him.


    "So¡­ In the end, who is this guy?" Chief Mathers suddenly quipped while scratching the back of his head.


    The three of them burst into cheerful laughter as the chief continued to make a confused expression. After laughing her heart out, Charlotte explained the matters to the chief.


    ***


    "Horned silvermanes! And two of them¡­ My word...?"


    Chief Mathers held a troubled expression after hearing of the events that happened in the forest.


    "It seems we need to make a customary sweep of the area. To think such large beasts have already made it this far out... When people reported sightings, I expected small to medium types like fanged hares or redeyes...


    I¡¯ll have my men check Largus forest tomorrow. In the mean time, please refrain from going out of the facility milady."


    "Of course chief. We need to return to the capital after tomorrow anyway. We¡¯ll be good little girls and behave till then."


    "Mm. And as for this young man?...?"


    "I¡¯ll be hearing out his story later. It won¡¯t be too late to decide what to do with him afterwards. Come Sakuya. Let¡¯s return to the lodge."


    "Yes milady."?


    Charlotte and Sakuya walked towards the back of the hangar with slightly weary steps.


    "Um¡­ What about me?" Slay asked.


    "You¡¯re coming along mister. I told you I still have some questions." Charlotte replied sporting a radiant smile.


    Slay followed the two ladies towards the wooden lodge. Prickly gazes from the rest of the workers in the facility sent chills down his spine as he did so. He smiled bitterly as he thought of how troublesome things are going to get.