Chapter 8

Twelve hours since evacuation… 

Going over our plan once more. The six of us began exiting the small meeting room.

“Ah, Shoukode.”

Turning, Eiji stood wide-eyed with Kenn in the corner of the room 

“What’s up?”

Walking forward, the neon signs which rested above his mouth met mine. “I know I can’t go with you all. But I just wanted to tell you something before you left.” He took a pause, glancing towards the tile floor. “Emra, the word means we’ll always be together. And we’ll always find each other. That we’ll never be lost, whether in life or death. We’ll always reunite with our loved ones.” A red pigmentation overthrew his somewhat calm facial expression as his lips began quaking.

Shakily raising an arm, I began, “I’m not going anywhere,” I said monotony, placing my hand on his shoulder.

He grinned, his cheeks were still bright as a fresh sunburn. “Dr. K, are you going to join them?”

Straightening himself out from laying his back on the cold concrete wall, he glanced towards us. “Oh no, I’m too old for combat.” He raised his arms and let out a chuckle. “And regardless, this isn’t my fight to take.” 

I nodded slightly, patting Eiji onto the shoulders once more, I began exiting.

“Ah, Emra! Remember that!” Eiji shouted nervously towards me.

Leaving the cramped room, Atake led us just down the hall, to the left into a similarly cramped room.

“Everyone, grab your items and meet me down by the docks in five,” Atake explained as she pushed open the sleek-white metal doors of the room. “Kenn was kind enough to lend us a small ship.”

Being the first to enter, I immediately scanned for my treasured black trenchcoat.

As the rest entered the room and equipped their weapons, I finally had spotted the black cloth folded neatly next to two swords that were propped up against the wall as they reflected the dim, somewhat blue, light.

While the others began to exit, I slowly put my arms into the sleeves of my worn-down coat. Trying my best not to irritate my wounds.

Glancing over, Fumia was the only other person around besides me. As she sat, staring towards the ground patiently waiting for me.

Before leaving, there was one more thing I felt a sense of urgency to do. Pulling the soft cloth away from my throat, I snuck behind Fumia, wrapping the navy-blue scarf around her neck.

“H-huh.” Startled by this, she turned towards me. Burying her face into her scarf as she started into my eyes. “It seems you're ready, let’s head down towards the docks.” She stood and exited the room.

The far north of the ward was a massive opening from the mountain which led directly into the ocean. These were the docks of the fourteenth ward. Not all wards were conveniently located near oceans like the nineteenth and the fourteenth wards though.

The aroma of saltwater and smoke roamed the air.

“Mmm, is that Wesley next to Atake?” Yuna questioned as we waited patiently by the docks as the ship was prepped.

Glancing towards the small lone ship, a cream-suited man wandered off as Atake stepped towards us.

“The trip from here to the nineteenth ward is at least one hour. Take this time to rest until battle.”

Those words from Atake were considerate, but in reality, we were all too jittery to rest up.

“The ship is now ready, let’s board it now.”

“Oi, yea lot ready?” Sakura exclaimed as slowly boarded.

I rolled my eyes, pushing him forward.

Standing atop the wooden deck, the ship swayed from left to right as the calm night rose the ocean waves ever so slightly.

“Ready?” Atake shouted from the cramped captain’s room.

What followed shortly after were the roars of a loud engine. As steam huffed into the atmosphere and we began moving forward, sailing across the ocean towards the fallen palace we once called home.

***

Fourteen hours since evacuation…

Pulling into a small canal near the shoreline of the forest which led directly into the ocean. Atake rammed the tiny ship in between three massive pine trees. Leaving the head of the ship unrecognizable. Along with multiple large branches penetrating directly through the polished wooden deck.

“Whoa, watch it, Lady!”

“I apologize Serpent, and the rest of you, I don’t entirely know how to drive this thing.”

“Here lies our only escape route. Now we have no other choice but to win this.”

I nodded towards Fumia.

“Well, I never planned to lose or retreat. This all ends here.” I murmured.

“Mmm? Did you say something Kanade?” Yuna beckoned.

Shaking my head, I stepped off the ship and onto the scorched mushy dirt. My snowy white hair became chalk-black of soot, as flakes of charred leaves and wood fell onto us. Staring directly upward, the once vibrant watery sky was now a dim washed-out orange almost brown color.

“Yuck.” Sakura inhaled, and spat a thick ball of saliva onto the ground.

Continuing forward, we traversed in silence. We were either all anxious or just couldn’t care enough. I felt the latter.

“Whoa! Guys look at this.” Yuna skitted across the ground, sharply turning left.

“Yuna! Don’t go off on your own.” Atake demanded.

Steering off the path as well, we all slowly met up with Yuna as she stood still. Standing by her side, the five of us started towards our feet towards the massive anomaly which ran directly through the forest. Leaving no signs of life, not even trees. The strange pit ran twenty-five yards in diameter. And even deeper in length.

As we stood, the floor was still warm. And the manga-like substance flowing at the bottom of the pit still bubbled.

“So this is the thing we’re up against, huh?” Yuna gulped.

“Yea well, none of this would have happened if it weren’t for these two slaying an Original.”

Narrowing my eyes, I darted my gaze towards Serpent. “Excuse me?”

His clouded eyes met mine once again.

“It’s not like we could just let an Original roam around! Are you genuinely stupid? Pitting the blame of this on us.”

“Tsk,” He rolled his eyes.

“Serpent…” Yuna yelled his voice softly.

It was as if she would continuously give him opportunities to show that he was a welcome figure, but he continuously failed to do so.

“Oi, oi. And what were yea doing that day? Lounging around on yea ass like always? Yea have no say in matters that didn’t involve you.”

Serpent stepped forward, revealing the chain link from beneath his sleeve and thick metal clanged onto the soft ground. Dragging it across the dirt, Serpent darted forward towards Sakura and me.

“Enough! All of you!” Fumia exclaimed. Unsheathing her katana, she propped it against Serpent’s throat. “We have no time for this. And we’ve completely gone off track.”

As we all fell silent, the sound of wood being charred and smoke being huffed ran throughout the surrounding area

“Hehe, sorry. It’s my fault we came this way.” Yuna giggled trying to calm the tension.

Retracting her blade, Fumia sheathed her weapon and Serpent silently let out a sigh from beneath his battered cloth mask.

I just don’t get him sometimes.

Taking the lead, Fumia led us to the massive crater in the wall where Atake awaited.

“Are you five done getting sidetracked?” She exclaimed as she rose from a sitting position.

We nodded.

“Okay then, there’s something strange I need to show you lot.” 

Facing her back towards us, Atake began maneuvering through the barren land cluttered with heaps of rubble. Reaching the other side of the outer wall, we were met with something unexpected.

The wall. My eyes widened as I fixated directly ahead.

The inner wall was in shambles. With a massive cylindrical crater similar to the one we found etched into the ground of the forest. But what had left me uneasy was the wall was lined with Eris. And the only material known to be able to break Eris was Eris.

“It’s too quiet. You’d think we’d be able to hear something able to level a forest.”

“That’s what I thought as well Fumia, and while you five were wandering. I checked it out for myself.” Atake explained as she pushed the rubble aside making a clear path.

“Huh? That’s so irresponsible, what if something had happened to you? None of us would’ve been there.” 

“Well I’m safe, aren’t I Yuna?”

She scrunched her face, and her pink pigtails were like shooting stars, flailing with her anger. It was evident she was on edge, we all were. Placing my hand onto her head, I fluffed her hair around trying to calm her.

“Mmm,” Her tense shoulders fell.

“Let’s go,” Atake beckoned as she had made a narrow path through the clumps of debris. 

It was as if we were passing through a tunnel as we went through the crater in the wall. Going further down, we became more surrounded by darkness until we reached a point of pitch black and the only light was the orange murky sky calling towards us from the end of the tunnel.

Exiting the other end of the inner wall, we were finally inside of the nineteenth ward.

Everything clumped together as large blobs for a moment as my hazy vision subsided and my eyes sight readjusted.

“H-Huh?” I shot a quizzical glance towards everyone. “I-it’s empty.”

“Tsk, our home is gone--” Serpent said with sincere despair in his voice.

“Seems like one helluva fight went down.” Sakura grimaced.

The entire ward felt like a wasteland with buildings left in ruin. The once lively green trees surrounding the training area were now a dull brown as their leaves snapped off in the small brush of wind that pulled through.

The five began to discuss among themselves while I was thrown deep into thought. Was…was Kiriya successful? Does this mean he’s not-- It has to be, right?

“It’s strange,” Atake began, grabbing my attention. “With all this happening, you’d think there’d be a massive MechaBeast carcass or some hit as to where they went. But we have nothing to work off of. So just where did they go? More importantly--”

Don’t say it.

“--where’s Kiriya?”

The six of us explored the ruins of our home but found nothing to lead us to a conclusion.

“Oi, look at this!” Sakura grunted as he lifted up a large golden plate from the ground. “Who would’ve thought this would survive.” He chuckled.

The golden sign he held once sat above the large doors of the dining hall. The pristine marble building we all shared meals together in. 

“Aw, it’s a shame to see it like this.” Yuna tilted her head downward. “All the times the six of us sat together.”

“Yea, before he decided to ‘better things’ and up and left the nineteenth ward.” Fumia scoffed.

“Cocky bastard, always shot for the top spot. Tsk, I wonder what he’s doing now.” Sakura also scolded the thought of this man.

Glancing away from them, I gazed towards the faint glare which continued to be caught in my peripheral vision.

“Mmm, something up Kanade?” Yuna questioned as I began walking towards the strange glint.

Buried deep within the rubble, I could barely see what the object was. But something deep within me urged me to retrieve it. So I began throwing the large crumbling remains of the building out of my way, scavenging for this unknown object.

“What are you doing.” Serpent yelled towards me.

Ignoring his comment, I continued.

“Kanade?” Yuna asked once again.

It can’t be…

As I revealed more and more of the object, I couldn’t stop myself from uncovering it completely. 

It can’t be… I became frantic.

Pulling the last bits of rubble away from the object, I fell to the ground in despair.

 “Kanade!” Fumia ran to my side, looking towards me than the object which laid in front of us.

Rising to my feet, I placed my two hands onto the long handle of the object. Carrying the object with care, I turned to face them and they let out a gasp.

The object which I held was once a violent crimson, now it was nothing more than a dull silver. This was none other than Kiriya’s scythe.

“Oi, where the hell is Atake!”

Fumia put her hand onto my head, and the other onto the scythe, slowly pulling it away from me.

“All of you look out!” Atake shouted from behind.

Turning to her dominant voice, I dropped the massive weapon as a black mass emerged where the scythe laid.