It’s been quite some time since Sara is out for on-field duty that lasts for days like this.

Compared to the concrete jungle of Malkuth, Remote Town Netzach has more dilapidated housings and open grassfield. Sara remembered that in early years, they planned the area now known as ‘Netzach’ to be a green superblock. With the main body of the river as its main attraction, ‘Netzach’ will later be a treat for anyone wanting to be away from the bustling city and smell nature.

It, however, stays as a mere distant dream.

What was left of the unfinished wooden huts then transformed as a sighting outpost in the face of crisis. Also a lot of houses around the riverbanks are changed to be emergency safehouses in case the need of Guiding and refugees.

Once they are departed from the post on the Capital’s borders, both Amara and Sara decide to simply follow the route, making sure they don’t stray too far or getting caught between broken roadblocks or areas far from the river bodies.

“Enemy at your 3 o’clock.” Amara warns. She raises her fists to guard her chin. Monsters circle around them, about to take their first strike, but Amara nimbly dodges to the side before sending over her Aero to slash its body in retaliation. “I’ll take care of the ones at six.”

“Okay.” Sara crosses her dual batons in front of her chest, charges both of them with her electricity power before propelling herself forward.

A swarm of headless bipedal monsters with distinct upper and lower limbs with cuboid bodies, reminiscent of a mannequin. Its joints crack as it moves closer, circling on them.

Guides might be able to defend themselves with their own affinities and weapons, but it is still unwise to engage with enemies without Espers around. Sara clears the enemies in front of her, focusing only on what's near her, and lets Amara take care of the rest. 

Amara’s control of the wind enables her to do a quick sweep with her limbs, creating wind current that’s not only fast, but sharp and deadly. Sara presses around Amara’s back, giving the enemies closing on them a good whack with her batons, or shooting an electric discharge from the tip of her weapon. Amara ducks to give Sara a room, grapples with one of the bipedal enemies and swings them away until its whole body crashes on the ground. They repeat the process, without having to walk away from the formation, until there’s no sign of bipedal constructs coming to them.

“Situation clear. We can move on.” Amara points to her south, Sara pockets her baton and follows.

“Roger.”

To say whether she is skilled for such missions, Sara won’t really think of herself as highly experienced. Most Espers were already bitter to find out that they got her as their Guide at the Center because of her thorny personality, so no one personally requested her to participate for the specialized teams. 

Usually if she was to participate, it would be something like a Raid call like a few months back, or the first aid duty. Two instances like that would be a single trip activity.

Working with Amara, however, it feels like a breeze. They only need to communicate a little and trust each other when thrown into sudden battle before they clear the areas. Amara doesn’t try to ‘hog’ all the glory while fighting, as though she tries to match her rhythm on punching and kicking to Sara’s baton swings. They’re never surrounded for too long, and Amara’s Aerokinesis can pull them out in a moment of pinch.

“Miss Khalida, mind your head, I’m going to shoot the flying scepters with my skill.”

Sara steps aside. Amara condenses air through her knuckles and begins aiming on the coming scepters—drone-like enemies that fly with a rotary wheel supporting its weight, and small flickering motion sensors on its ‘head’ swirl when it spots their enemies.

Sara smells a mix of oil and bloody stench coming closer, spotting mechanical crickets coming their way. “Miss Angkara, focus on the fliers, I’ll take care of the crickets, so jump after I count to three.”

“Jump? Oh.”

Amara seems to take the hint. She supports her feet with her Aerokinesis the moment Sara plunges both of her batons to the ground, right in front of the coming crickets. Sara exhales as she channels the electric current to her weapons, and the crickets start to explode, one by one.

They’re done with that area after repeating a few steps, and they’re already moving to the next area in a blink.

They stop briefly when the sun dips further to the horizon to catch their breaths and collate the progress. A pause in-between moving and small breaks are a good tactic to not tire them out, and being a Guide she is, she is on the lookout of Amara’s condition.

Amara is holding up exceptionally well, perhaps given as she’s an Offensive Esper, though it won’t hurt to take note of any sign of weariness or exhaustion.

“I think we’re done enough for today,” Amara checks up with her terminal, marking two instances as cleared and checked. Sara also cross-check the map with her own, making sure that they got the details right.

They’re now about in the middle of the site, with only 20% of the patrol site covered. Though, the nearest safehouses are a bit far from them, and so is the supply point.

“Should we just camp here?” Sara points out at a meadow not far from where they located. 

“I agree. It won’t be wise to approach either the safehouse or supply point during the night.” Amara nods as she closes her terminal. “I’ll leave the scouting to you as I clear the spot.”

“Alright.”

And they easily agree on the split up just like that, no needless argument, no need to hear someone bragging about Guides having to cater to the tired Espers…

Sara thinks back to the time when Amara says that she’s been doing administration things by herself because she doesn’t know that it’s part of Guide’s work. Is this her way to show that she wants to understand the work division better?

“No fog. No disturbance around 500 meter radius. We can camp here …” Sara returns after scouting the area to find that Amara already secures the spot to build a tent and places their equipment in jiffy. “... Wow, that’s so fast. Do you do this often?”

“Camping? Hmm, not as much when I’m an Esper.” Amara answers vaguely, Sara simply nods. “So, should I continue to build the tent, or?”

“I’ll be the one to start the fire and set the equipment.” Sara already moves to take out the folding table and installs the fire pit.

Camping out with prepared gear is not exactly a hassle as everything is a simple knock-down item. It’s when Sara happens to see Amara take out something from a leather satchel on her waist, a familiar translucent bottle bearing green-ish liquid of Restorative Potion. Sara squints.

“I’m here, Miss Angkara, so I sincerely hope you’ll be less reliant on the potions and let me Guide you instead.”

“Right. Sorry, force of habit.” Amara put down the bottle, smiling nervously.

Sara shakes her head, can’t help but chuckle despite herself, “It’s alright,” she extends her hand, “Here.”

“Aren’t you also tired from all the fighting?”

“Not one that I can’t handle, you’re still the one who takes care of most of it.” Sara insists. The Esper makes a face, but she voices nothing else of a rebuttal.

Amara faces Sara as they sit inside the open tent, close to the fire that Sara has lit. Sara takes Amara’s hand in hers and begins Guiding. There’s no sign of external wounds or small scars this time, Sara sighs in relief to herself. Amara watches their hands, fire dancing in her amber eyes as it shifts from looking down to looking up to seek Sara’s. 

Only then Sara is suddenly feeling self-conscious as the sunset drifts to the balmy evening, and they’re alone with each other, with Sara concentrating on Guiding.

It’s so quiet that she can hear Amara’s breathing and the momentary snap of wood as it is licked by fire. 

“Can I ask you about boundaries?”

Amara blinks, as though she is pulled away from a trance, “Go ahead, Miss Khalida.”

“This is only in case of emergency but … how far will you allow me to Guide?”

“As in … the Phase?” Amara ponders. “I don’t mind so long as it’s necessary.”

“I see, so you won’t mind a hug or-” Sara trails off. Her eyes set on Amara’s features, then she coughs awkwardly to her hand. What was she thinking? “-ahem. Only when it is an emergency.”

Amara offers her a smile, “I know you’ll do a good job nonetheless. I mean, you’ve Guided me a few times already now.”

Sara tilts her head in wonder, Amara then continues.

“I talked with Mrs. Angelo after finding out that I'd only be able to be Guided by someone with above 80% threshold. She tried to Guide me again and as I don’t feel anything noteworthy, so did Mrs. Angelo.” Amara explains. 

She also stresses about Mrs. Angelo, such a highly-regarded Guide with her high compatibility with Espers naturally, says that her Guiding to Amara is not so smooth. 

“I guess it will be a hassle for someone with a special condition like me to be around, huh?”

“I … wouldn’t say that,” Sara says. “You’re the Tempest, everyone praises you for your valuable skills.”

“But I’d only be a liability in the worst case scenario,” Amara affirms, though unlike anyone who wants to belittle herself, Amara speaks of it as though she already accepts it. She knows there’s no way around it. 

Sara scrunches her forehead, though she swallows a strong rebuttal. No need to beat a dead horse, and no need to repeat anything that’s already obvious.

“It’s alright, though. We have the advancement of medicine to compensate.”

“How about … the next time, you can take me with you whenever there's a mission like this?” 

Sara raises her voice, though knowing she’d perhaps regret the suggestion. She already regretted it the moment it came out - and the moment Amara turns her head in rapt attention, and how her eyes glazes in consideration

“But Miss Khalida, I-” she fidgets, her nervousness showing in a flick of a moment, before she schools her expression once more. “I never want to expose anyone in harm just because of my special condition.”

“Kinda too late for it now, no?” Sara crosses her arms. Her eyes dart around their campsite, and to the fact they’re in the middle of Netzach, tired from battles but unscathed. “Look, I can’t bear the thought of knowing someone can be so reckless when there’s only one option for her when it’s about Guiding.”

Amara laughs, more amused than offended, Sara can’t help but huffs. “You sure don't mince words, Miss Khalida.” 

“I’m just stating facts.”

Sara observes as Amara’s smile grows wide, like she is indeed putting what Sara said to consideration. It’s not about Amara’s job being a state secret that she doesn’t want Sara to be involved. 

It’s just like back then.

The fire warms their bodies, but Sara also feels somewhat comfortable inside. She never knows that Guiding someone can be so relaxing, apart from the fact that it is her duty.

Sara loosens her grip after a while, Amara pulls her hand, flexing her fingers. Her eyes gleaming, as if enchanted.

“Is this much okay?” Sara asks.

“Mm, it’s enough. Thank you, Miss Khalida.”

Amara stands up, seeking the pot and pans on the equipment box. Sara wonders what she’s about to do.

“Stay there, let me be the one cooking.”

“... Ah.” she remembers the time that Amara discovers that Sara can’t cook, and now to think it back, it is quite embarrassing. “But I can heat up the rations just fine?”

“Just take it as a thanks for Guiding me.” Amara shoots up a smile to Sara, and Sara decides not to argue with her. Again with her sense of gratitude and whatnots .

Amara Angkara Khurana is indeed a weird Esper.