“I don’t understand. What is the Red Wing?”
Yu said, furrowing his brow. Chiaki let out a sigh of relief, satisfied that the person she had invited into her house was not a deranged murderer. There was a brief silence, and then Yu continued, his voice above a whisper.
“So Chiaki, you never told me… Why did you bring me here to fight them? Why do they want to fight, anyway?”
Chiaki looked at her friends with a smile, but her gaze eventually settled on Yu.
“Their dreams are to become members of the Master’s council. You know… the one that acts on its own from the United World Federation. Many are strong martial arts and bureaucrats, but overall, they are influential people with no national or political ties. All of us also have a connection to the U.W.F.’s elite unit selected Ason's father, Guiren's brother, and my father, to serve in the Asuran War as members of the Avatar Brigade. None of them survived the attack by the Red Wing. Because we all lost our family in the war, they want to prevent others from suffering the way we did. According to them, the Master’s Council is the definitive answer.”
Her smile remained radiant. Yu felt a warmth spread through him, but he kept his stoic expression. The two people Yu had defeated were now on their feet and limped towards him and Chiaki.
“I guess… I’m a good checkpoint for them.”
Looking perplexed, Chiaki tilted her head to the side.
“What do you mean?”
“If you two’s goal is to be a Master… then I hate to say this. Your current strength is nowhere near a Master. Not even close to a Master ranked ten.”
When they heard the statement, Ason and Vincent exchanged worried looks.
(Were my efforts not enough? I thought maybe if I could defeat an Avatar like Ason and Guiren, I at least stood a chance on the Master’s level. But wait… He said: ‘Not even close to a Master ranked ten.’ There is a ranking?)
Vincent furrowed his brows, rubbed his temples, then turned to Yu.
“What do you mean, ranked?”
“The strength and authority of the Masters are determined by the number tattoo they have: one being the strongest and their leader and ten being the weakest of the ten masters. But I still consider even ten to be quite strong. I believe there is a micro gap between each master too. A ten alone can take out a hundred people. I’m confident I am on par with eight… though I think I can stand on even groundings with a seven though.”
“How do you know this?”
“... The person who trained me is a part of the Master’s council.”
The fire in Vincent’s eyes was so bright that it was almost blinding. Jumbled thoughts made it hard for Ason to concentrate on anything. Ason’s voice broke the silence as he spoke up.
“So you’re the person to beat, then.”
Yu stared at Ason and gave a quick small smirk.
“Slim chance in the next two years.”
The air hung heavy with tension as Yu turned his back on Ason and walked away. Chiaki sent off her text message before racing towards Yu, leaving behind a cheerful Vincent and an irate Ason.
The aroma of steamed vegetables and sizzling beef filled Chiaki’s condo as Yu prepared a meal for the two of them.
“I think this is a fair trade, ya?”
“Chiaki, thank you. This isn’t enough. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do. I can pay for rent if you want me to.”
Chiaki searched for the remote on the coffee table and found it after a few failed attempts. She turned on the television and saw that the local news channel she had watched earlier that morning was still on.
“Local officials have reported to the Asuran government about the murders that happened in the suburban streets, estimated to have occurred late last night. During her visit to the United States, Queen Lycoris, the young autocrat of Asura, will ensure the return of the bodies of her fallen comrades from the 108 army.
The U.W.F. raised concerns that the murders of honorable Asuran citizens may lead to another Asuran War. Many government leaders from the U.W.F. will join Queen Lycoris — “
Chiaki changed the channel to an audio-only channel to listen to music.
“Does the news bother you, Yu?”
Without uttering a word, Yu served their dinners on the table. The dish was a beef stew, yet crafted by the hands of a four-star chef, with every element placed to form a work of art.
He waited until Chiaki started eating before he touched his plate. Yu held his silverware with a delicate touch, as if any sudden movements might cause it to shatter. Chiaki had no qualms about indulging in the delicious beef stew, and ate with gusto.
Despite Yu’s efforts, she didn’t compliment the food. They sat across from each other in silence, picking at their food and avoiding eye contact. After finishing her meal, she thanked him and walked away from the table, towards the couch. As she buried her face in the cushion, the music swept her away and she lost herself in a peaceful trance.
Yu finished cleaning up and joined Chiaki on the couch, sinking into the soft cushions beside her. With her eyes closed, she turned her face to the side and breathed in the peaceful silence. Yu picked up the remote control and switched back to the news channel.
The news of the murder of the three Asuran citizens dominated the headlines. His ears taking the different accounts of various news anchors and journalist.
“The case had become significant because the victims were foreigners, murdered in a place that was not their home. The Queen had selected each member to serve as her soldier. With the deaths of three Asuran heroes, there is a potential scandal on the horizon.”
Yu moved with light steps around the room, ensuring he switched off all electronic devices and lights before covering Chiaki with a warm blanket. In search of solitude, he retreated to an empty room and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep on the hard floor.
The new daily life of Chiaki, Yu, Ason, and Vincent began. Everything changed for them when Yu became the key ingredient that was missing. Whenever Yu was on school grounds, students surrounded him by over zealous fans eager to talk to him. People gravitated to him, and it was not uncommon for guys or girls to ask for his number or ask him out. Chiaki always came and batted them away like they were harmful insects.
Yu had an intimidating presence and a sharp intellect. His intelligence was most clear in his ability to grasp complex concepts. Yu’s natural talent in maths and sciences was so impressive that even his teachers sought his help. He spent his free time discussing theories with other professors and earned extra money by acting as a temporary teacher’s assistant. Yu’s tutoring was in such high demand that people will pay a premium to his attention.
Although it was an unusual subject for him, he found he had a natural talent for history class. Chiaki and Yu only shared a history class together. Before class, you would often find Yu and Chiaki chatting about what they planned to eat after school, Yu’s to-do list for the day, and any exciting events happening later. As the conversation progressed, it always circled back to the same question: who was going to cook dinner tonight? Chiaki always assigned cooking duties to Yu, no matter the occasion. Chiaki had an insatiable hunger for food. Random classmates would interject with small talk, interrupting their conversation.
“... Ugh, I’d rather freeze any day of the week than die in hell. What you thinking about Yu?”
“You know what you want to do yet, Chiaki?”
“Not at all...”
Chiaki scowled.
“Guess we are on the same boat.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know what I want to do too... I figure I would work all day at several minor jobs for the rest of my life.”
“Doesn’t sound smart... I mean… look at yourself Yu. You’re intelligent, so make use of that brain. I’m pretty sure you have something you’re good at.”
“Easier said than done. The things I’m good at don’t make others happy, though. I mean, look at what I caused since introducing myself to Ason and Vincent... Besides, I’ve been cheating this whole time...”
“Cheating...?”
She slid her hand over and smacked Yu behind the head.
“Hey now. Vincent trains a lot harder than usual since you’re here. Not sure if you had noticed, but so far, every time you guys fought, he would improve. Same with Ason. They were not at the same level when you first fought them.”
“Yeah… They got a lot stronger. I didn’t think they would progress this fast. You got a good eye for martial arts. What about you, Chiaki? You should get up on it.”
“I don’t fight. I just do it to keep in shape.”
The history teacher’s arrival signaled the end of the discussion between Yu and Chiaki. The history class had reached the modern era, and the students were excited to explore recent events.
“Last time we were covering the major battles of the Asuran War. Today we’ll be discussing the end of the Asura War and the start of the East Rebellion, the civil war in Asura right after the Asuran War. We’ll start with what lead up to the East Rebellion. The U.W.F. had little chance of defeating Asura. Asura had advanced technology that it seemed almost otherworldly. Asura’s jamming radar was so massive that it could immobilize missiles, military aircraft and marine ships, causing many U.W.F. soldiers to perish in their attempts to reach land.
The jamming radar did not limit the Avatar Brigade’s abilities, making them an essential asset in the War. The Red Wing claimed the lives of countless Asurans the Avatar Brigade, and U.W.F. soldiers.
Asura’s shift in focus to the East Rebellion resulted from the Queen and U.W.F.’s successful alliance to pressure the end of the Asuran War. By exploiting a weakness in the system, Lycoris and the 108 Army could neutralize the jamming technology, and slip a considerable number of U.W.F. soldiers into East Asura. The hawks and the rest of the Asuran military soon surrendered.”
“What about the Six Blades? They played a huge role for the Asurans during the war.”
Without raising his hand, Yu interrupted the teacher. Yu met the teacher’s gaze, but he returned with a furrowed brow. The students gave Yu a chorus of blank stares in response to his statement..
(Was he making it up?)
Chiaki thought.
“The Six Blades?”
As the professor repeated the question, their eyes fixed on Yu, the room filled with whispers that grew louder.
“The Magister Militum and councilman, Dante Eleftheria, created the Six Blades.”
Yu spoke again, taking advantage of the quiet.
“They were the ones who assassinated important figureheads from both Asurans and humans and—”
“Enough, Yu. There is no evidence of the Six Blades. Why would humans fight their own people in a huge war? From what you’re saying, those were the actions of the Red Wing, not this… Six Blades you speak of. Besides, how would you know this, anyway?”
“...Common sense?”
Chuckles erupted from the group as Chiaki had her eyebrow raised. Pushing up on their glasses, the teacher ended the uncomfortable silence.
“Well... Next week, the queen of Asura will visit our school as a part of her five-school tour, and that’s why I wanted to discuss the Asuran War and East Rebellion today. Besides meeting with local officials about the bodies, she plans to make time to visit our local universities while in the city.”
The lack of any prior announcement left the class in shock, struggling to process the news. Chaos and noise filled the classroom. The only ones who didn’t react were Yu and Chiaki, who remained still and quiet. Seeing the perplexed look on Yu’s face, Chiaki slid closer to him and whispered to help him understand.
“Are you not up to date with anything? People love the Queen.”
“That’s not what I’m confused about.”
“Then… what?”
As the school bell rang, students rushed to gather their belongings and head out the door. After slipping away from their fans, the duo made it to the tennis courts. Without hesitation, Chiaki mustered up the courage to ask Yu the question that had been on everyone’s mind. Reading Yu’s face, she understood he wanted to talk more about the Red Wing, so she took charge of the conversation.
“So Yu, who are the Six Blades and how are they related to the Red Wing?”
Chiaki’s words stopped Ason and Vincent, who took a break from their training to eavesdrop on the conversation between Chiaki and Yu.
“The Red Wing...? That’s what I’m confused about... You mentioned the Red Wing a while back. Who’s that?”
The expression on Chiaki’s face was cold and unwelcoming, as if Yu’s ignorance of the Red Wing was a personal affront to her. Memories flooded back to her of lying on the ground, gasping for breath, with blood pooling around her.
“Really...? The Red Wing? That infamous Asuran assassin that ruined everyone’s life. Now he’s some senseless nobody. Vincent and Ason have been following reports on the Red Wing whereabouts. He’s been committing robbery, attacking banks, other businesses, and innocent people. Our goal is to catch him someday, bring him to justice and get back at him for taking the lives of our family from the war.”
Yu’s smirk was in response to Chiaki’s firm verbal conviction after reading the emotion on her face and taking in her words.
“Whether you call it the Red Wing or I call it the Six Blades, what makes you guys think you can take someone like that if you can’t even take me down? The Red Wing should be strong enough to give a master a run for their money.
Since I’m on par with a Master… why don’t you three take me on at once, if you can’t beat me... I say give up on trying to hunt this assassin down and focus on training until the Master’s tournament. At least with that option, you won’t be throwing your lives away.”
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