Long Ride To Riche

The squad met Danzo just outside of headquarters. A carriage, decked with two horses, and a trim of the rare fiery oak awaited them. Danzo stood beside the carriage, bags and rations in hand for the journey.

“Good afternoon, Judgment! Ready for the road?” He grinned, his voice a little too cheery for Knoxx.

“Yeah. Ready to go talk it out with a bunch of merchants…” Knoxx responded. “Maybe we’ll find some APC goons there. I’ve been itching to use Miagi!”

Azumi slapped the back of his head. A quick “ow,” escaped his lips as he rubbed it.

“Not everything in war is blood, Knoxx,” Danzo frowned, placing his bag in the cargohold.

Tsuki looked down. The weight of his words resonated with something in her.

Not everything in war is blood… she had been taught differently. The realities, the things she learned—with every passing day, the APC’s lies became more and more malicious.

Knoxx’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “Let’s board. We’ve got a long ride ahead of us.”

“I agree with Knoxx for once. Can’t believe the day has come,” Geo joked, putting his arm around Knoxx’s shoulder.

Knoxx gave a fake frown, while Azumi and Hatori chuckled while hopping into the cart. Tsuki was the last in, hoisting her bag in before jumping into her seat. Together, Judgment and Danzo rolled out into a different stage of war.

Meanwhile, in northern Galion, squads of Memento were on the brink of battle.

Three men stood in a triangle deep within the Galion forests. The air was thick and filled with smoke. One man, the captain wearing a decorated Memento cloak, shouted, “Shintaro, watch the flank! We’ve got company!”

Shintaro's eyes were wide and observing the great oaks around. Nothing hostile was in his view, and yet, the view of fire spoke for itself. The enemy hadn’t revealed themselves. “Got it! These freaks are hiding like kitties! You ready Hideki?”

Hideki nodded and looked to the sky. “They’re not ready for this,” he said, a sense of pride and excitement filtered in his voice. He raised a hand, and with every movement of it, a storm above moved at will. One stalker appeared from the trees. Her movement was slow and steady, clearly unfazed by his ability. Her limbs twitched, and a maniacal smile stitched her face.

A matching grin came across Hideki’s lips. “Shouldn’t have shown yourself, you damn stalker!” His arm came down in a sudden tug, and a lightning bolt mustered, directed at the looming threat. A clear hit.

Or so he thought.

“The hell—that was a direct—!”

He didn’t finish. A sudden impact hit his back like a freight train, knocking the breath from his lungs as if the world folded around him. He hit the dirt with a thud. Dust flew in every direction, shrouding parts of the battlefield.

“Hideki?” Shintaro shouted, “you spaced out! What the hell was that?”

“I… I swear I hit her—but my vision…” he muttered. His head was spinning in a loop, unable to mutter the words in a sentence.

Before Hideki could piece it together, Shintaro’s face shifted—his eyes glassy and lifeless. He lunged at Hideki without a word.

“Shintaro, what’re you doing? Talk to me, dammit!” Begged Hideki. Shintaro was now on top of him, throwing punches and kicks. Hideki blocked with his elbows in desperation.

The captain yelled through the air. “Stop it Shintaro! You two, get back here! They’re show—”

A piercing sound hit the air. A yellow arrow tore across the battlefield in a striking beam of light. The sound seemingly woke Shintaro from his trance. He turned to see the arrow impale the captain through his chest, his body falling limp, and his face in horror. Blood splattered on the surrounding dirt.

Hideki and Shintaro froze, their captain now lifeless, and the two of them were battered. To worsen the scene, the remaining two stalkers showed themselves. One was a tall man, with a bow now slung across his shoulder. His eyes glowed yellow with a target mark on his left iris.

The second was a shorter woman. Her presence was a haunting calm. Her dark hair covered one eye, allowing the other to peer into her target's soul.

The twitchy one, Yodoma, laughed. “This is Memento’s elite? What were we supposed to be worried about?”

Erodima followed it up with a chuckle of his own. “Straight up pathetic. Ain’t that right, Pia?”

Pia was the only one whose expression remained neutral. “I expected more. Guess the reports were generous,” she said flatly.

Hideki tried to lift himself off the ground. Pain shot through every joint and tendon in his arms. Shintaro stumbled over in a protective manner. “Hideki, run. I’ll stall them. Go—warn the others. These three are too dangerous…”

“Damn right we are,” Yodoma mocked.

Shintaro spread his arms out wide. Blood trickled from multiple different wounds, but he didn’t budge.

“Erodima’s fully charged now. His arrow won’t miss. Be proud, you stood in your final moments,” Pia said, still straight faced.

Hideki and Shintaro turned to Erodima, shock and fear overcoming their bodies. His bow was drawn and the string was nocked. Their deaths were imminent.

The arrow released, and launched forward in immense speed. It was impossible to dodge, and the two Memento soldiers could only stare as it rocketed closer.

However, the arrow never landed.

Midair, it shivered as a violet wall covered its path. The arrow abruptly reversed back from where it came.

Erodima just barely dove to the side as the arrow shattered a tree behind him. “What the hell?!”

Pia now grumbled, the most emotion she had shown in the battle. “Erodima, you missed?”

“No!” Erodima panicked, “the damn thing got turned around!”

From behind Yodoma, a quiet but lethal voice rang out across the forest, “found you.”

Yodoma swung wildly in the direction of the voice, but her strike was caught. There stood Tona, his expression unreadable.

“All fun in games until a bigger predator comes around… right?” He mocked. He swept her legs out from below, dropping her hard to the ground.

In a blink, Tona vanished into a gate, reappearing beside Shintaro.

“Hey, I’ll take it from here. Get you and your friend out of here.”

Shintaro was in awe. He couldn’t grasp the words he was looking for. “Y-You’re t-the… Ghost!”

“Mhm, now, go through this gate. It’ll take you close to a Memento camp here in Galion.”

Shintaro nodded, raising himself off the ground. Hideki was still struggling to keep himself awake.

“Also, don’t mention I was here. Or fought. Don’t need work getting back to Maro, yeah?”

“Got it sir! Thank you!” Shintaro said, dragging his friend through the gate.

“Sir, eh?” Tona chuckled, almost whispering to himself. “I like the sound of that.”

He turned back to the matter at hand. Erodima now stood up, preparing another arrow. Yodoma and Pia now stood close together in defense.

Pia broke the brief silence. “We weren’t expecting the Ghost here.”

“Nobody ever expects me. Kind of the charm when I do come to kick your ass,” Tona grinned.

Yodoma shrieked. “We’ll wipe that grin right off your face, Ghost!”

She launched forward, her voice creating an illusion around Tona. The tree’s distorted, the sky turned an evil gray, and his own body below seemed to sway in the upkicking wind.

That’s right, he thought. The Hellsinger, Yodo? Yodema? Yododo? Something with a ‘yo.’ Ah, whatever.

Tona closed his eyes, his calm confidence soothing every muscle.

Erodima taunted the man, his vision clear from outside the radius. “Closing your eyes won’t help you Ghost! Nobody escapes the illusions of Yodoma! Not even someone wicked like you!”

Tona didn’t respond. Instead, he allowed his other senses to take over. His masterization of Najutsu he had learned from Maro years ago.

He stood still, feeling every vibration of the surrounding air. The approaching heat signature behind him, and locked on to his target.

“Is that right?” Tona asked in a delayed response to Erodima, before he ducked low avoiding a jab from Yodoma. He pivoted upwards into her torso which had continued momentum. She launched upwards with a gasp.

Tona wasn’t done with her, though. He opened a gate right above where she floated, with the other side opening below him. He kicked her as she rose through the gate below, and she hit the ground with a sickening crack.

“First Gate, Enhancement,” he said, before practically teleporting behind Erodima.

His bow was drawn, but he couldn’t track Tona’s movement.

“He’s too fast!” Erodima shouted, before Tona backhanded him into a tree.

Pia clenched her fists. “We know your tricks, Ghost! Those first and second gates you have can be overcome!” A wicked grin formed from ear to ear. “You have nothing else. The reports say everything.”

Tona turned toward her with no urgency. A small smirk curved his lips. “Nothing else you say…”

Pia’s cocky grin remained. Almost daring him to charge her.

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” he said.

Pia’s eyes widened momentarily, before she focused again on Tona’s face. His eyes burned with a silent confidence that tore through her very soul.

“What… what are you talking about?”

Tona turned his back to her as he spoke. “Don’t worry about it. Anything beyond the first two are overkill for you three anyways.”

As he finished, he disappeared in a bright violet light. Pia turned to see a fist flying at her from behind. She narrowly dodged it, freezing Tona’s momentum. She followed it with a strike of her own, sending Tona backwards.

It was in vain, however. Tona opened a gate behind him, sending himself behind Pia again, and this time, she couldn’t react. He kicked her directly in the back, a devastating blow. She launched downwards, directly into the moisty grass of the forest.

Tona turned back to the two others, who had since gotten up. Erodima and Yodoma were now equally pissed.

“Round two already?” Tona cracked his knuckles, before bringing his hand to his silver ring. A faint smirk. “So be it.”

He slowly slid it to the tip of his index. The stalkers watched in anticipation and fear as he pulled it off. “Third Gate of Alden,” he smiled, before reality around him distorted.

Elsewhere, across Alden, Tsuki and the others in Judgment Squad continued toward Riche. The wooden wheels of the carriage rattled softly against the cracked ground. Dust curled in its wake as the sun dipped lower, staining Jon’s sky with amber hues. The wide open deadlands were just as Tsuki remembered, granted, it hadn’t been long since she was last here. The rocky, red mountains and distant off-grid homes filled the landscape. Memories from Jon’s turn came back to Tsuki.

I hope Renji and his father are doing okay. They’ve done more than they know with their economic aid. Memento has squads stationed there as part of our promise to the district, so they should be safe.

Beside her, the atmosphere in the carriage was peaceful. Tsuki leaned back against a cushioned wall, her arms pillowed her head. Her eyes gazed at the setting horizon.

“The ride’s gone faster than I expected,” she said. “Considering how much land we’ve crossed, I mean.”

Geo sat beside her. One foot lay over his knee, and his eyes were on his hands. “Yeah, hasn’t been bad at all.”

Their eyes met for a fleeting moment. Geo’s face flushed, and he turned away. Tsuki noticed, of course, and saw an opening for a tease.

“What’s got you all red?”

Geo responded, keeping his head bowed. “Nothing.”

Tsuki chuckled. Hatori was the only other one awake. Azumi slept with her head hanging off the side of the carriage's wall. Knoxx’s noggin lay on Azumi’s shoulder, though, if she was awake, she’d definitely move him off.

Danzo’s eyes were closed in a hunched position. Likely falling to his drowsy eyes as he contemplated their movements in Riche.

Tsuki broke the brief silence, targeting her eyes on Hatori. “Oh yeah, Hatori,” she said, his eyes meeting hers in a calm manner, “you’re from Riche right? You told me that a while ago.”

Hatori nodded before turning his gaze back to the sunset. “Yeah, I am.”

Tsuki waited for more discussion, then remembered it was Hatori she was talking to.

“I was expecting a little more on that matter,” she muttered.

“Not anything more to say,” he calmly responded. “Cut ties with anyone there the moment I left. Riche’s just another mission for me now.”

While he finished, Tsuki could for just a moment see a sense of sadness in Hatori. He wasn’t being upfront about it, but it wasn’t her place to push him. She left it alone.

Geo spoke next, his voice more upbeat than the previous conversation. “Riche’s gonna be a different ball-game. I’m sure our ex-Stalker friend hasn’t done much negotiating in her life.

Tsuki gave him a stern look before softening. “Harsh, but true.”

“I didn’t mean it negatively towards you. More so the APC than anything. Besides, there’s a first for everything,” he finished, flashing a grin.

Tsuki put her head down into her hands. “Even so, it’s nerve-wracking. I’ve never gotten along with people well.”

“And that’s why our squads’ here for backup. It’s never you alone in Memento. If one struggles, we struggle as a team, and we work ourselves out of it.”

Tsuki looked up again, this time smiling. “Right,” she said, giving a thankful nod.

A Solen-shaking snore shortly followed from none other than Knoxx. He still lay against Azumi’s shoulder. She somehow hadn’t moved even after the snort

Geo groaned, picking up a half-eaten pinfruit, its blue skin gleaming and shoved it into Knoxx’s mouth. It barely fit, stretching Knoxx’s cheeks wide before he coughed and groaned in protest, still half-asleep.

“How obnoxious,” Geo whispered.

Tsuki chuckled and let her head hit the cushioned wall once again. The upcoming future wasn’t something she was used to, but with her squad, she felt growingly confident.

Elsewhere, silence filled the chamber of the Alden Protections Council.

Torchlight flickered along the smooth walls, casting orange shadows over the long crescent stage. Nine high-backed seats circled the room, filled with silhouettes of power.

Standing in the middle of the marbled floor was Chaze, sided by two unnamed Stalkers. The one to his left was shorter and wiry with unkept red hair. His green eyes were glassy and unreadable, like nothing living stared out from behind them. To Chaze’s right, was a taller man with brown hair and light-red eyes. His face showed reluctance to his duties.

Hoshuro, the leading chair, leaned forward from his seat. His voice was sharp, and cut through the air like a blade. “Chaze… this Tona Norasachi. It’s him? The Ghost?”

Chaze’s eyes rose, filled with hatred at the mention of the name. He only nodded in response.

“Then, that man is a problem. A large one.”

Hoshuro leaned back into his chair. His fingers repeatedly tapped on his armrest.

“He must be erased. Our future as a nation calls for it Chaze. We persuade the people he’s dangerous. Strip Memento of the Ghost, and its support falls with it.”

Chaze grinned, now lowered to a knee. The man to his left followed suit instantly. The one on the right, the taller man with brown hair, was slower to the ground. Hesitant.

“Give me enough bodies. I’ll lure him out one way or another. With it, Memento, and Norasachi will become prey for the Butcher of Igumi,” Chaze said. His jagged teeth practically chewed the air with every breath.

A faint smile crossed Hoshuro’s lips. His head rested against one hand, and the other lay on the armrest. “You do that, and I promise a reward large enough to warrant never lifting a blade again. Until then—break him. Start with what he cares for.”

“His mentor? That ugly leader of Memento?” Chaze asked.

Hoshuro’s delight twisted into something dark. “The death of Maro… would be indescribable joy. His little group is a minor nuisance. Without their helm, they become uncontrolled and easy. I leave the planning to you, Chaze.”

Chaze grinned wickedly. “Consider it done, my lord.”

He turned, his white uniform was stained with blood at the sleeves and collar. A cape covered the back, dragging on the glossy floor behind him. “Nekro, Shikuya, with me. Now. We have plans to set in motion.”

Nekro followed with an utmost urgency, seemingly happy with the order. Shikuya trudged after him unwillingly.

The council continued their discussion after the three left. Hoshuro’s eyes scanned the other eight council members.

“Now that’s settled. Good. However, we have some other threats to decide.”

The APC threat board was behind him, not large in size, but filled with categorizations for different threats. Each level was presented with a different color; Low was green, Moderate was yellow, Major was orange. The two highest levels were Run on Sight or ROS, which was colored red, and World Threat, which none other than Tona Norasachi was raised to. The color for that was a deep violet.

Hoshuro continued, turning to the board. He held a multi-gradient rock from the low beaches of Eden in a palm. “This, ‘Shadow,’ will be moved to Major threat. Her ability reminds me of someone that I’m not pleased to have in my thoughts,” Hoshuro announced with a scowl. “This Shadow Manipulation can be a real bother. We must take priority in dealing with her in the near future, behind him of course.”

Omura, the councilman of Riche, spoke next. “Lord Hoshuro, what of this Reverb? He’s said to possess an ability to slow down time. I see that as a reason for a promotion?”

Hoshuro boomed. “Reverb will be moved up, yes. Memento’s pure number of threats is getting annoyingly high. He will be put into Major alongside Shadow. With them, we will put the Katana as well.”

Hoshuro paused for a moment as his thoughts raced. The other members watched as Hoshuro’s hand shook as it rose to the board. It was unclear if anger was the cause, or nerves.

“And the Phoenix… ROS.”

Back in Persetta, the newly constructed Memento war room was dimly lit. Blueprints and maps were spaced out across the center table like a battlefield frozen in time. Maro stood beside it, arms crossed. Ringo sat in a chair against the wall with his eyes closed.

“Sir, I just got news from Hail Squadron in Galion,” Ringo said, eyes remaining shut.

Maro leaned against the table, his arms supporting his weight. “And?”

“The attacks have stopped. Shintaro said he wasn’t sure why.”

Maro sighed, rubbing his temple. “Right. But I know why. I told him not to engage.”

Maro sat in his seat with his head buried in his hands. “That boy gives me a headache. I thought I was pretty damn clear with my orders,” he muttered.

Ringo’s voice rose just slightly. “With all due respect sir, I don’t think he was going to let a squad get wiped out, especially if he could do something about it.”

“I know,” Maro whispered. “I know.”

A silence followed his whispers. It wasn’t awkward, but more so a relief. Ringo tapped the side of his chair, waiting for Maro to regather himself.

“What of Danzo and Judgment Squad?” Maro finally asked.

“Nearly at Riche. I spoke with Tsuki earlier,” Ringo said. “The others were apparently napping.”

Maro chuckled slightly. His head rose, and he moved a marker to the district of Riche. A single finger traced the borders, a tick Ringo noticed.

“I don’t blame them for resting. Riche’s a hell of a ride, and it won’t be a fun mission either.”

His eyes met Ringo in a serious expression. “But, it’s important. A must win. Riche joining Memento’s cause would boost our economy, and would cause unrest in the other APC districts.”

Ringo only nodded. “The pressures building across Alden.”

Maro smiled. A genuine, soft smile with a flame of passion hiding behind it. “It is. The council will learn that we are relentless.”

“Oh, by the way sir. Checked in with Phantom Squad earlier as well. They’re operating as planned.”

“Good,” Maro responded. “Good. And Mican Squad?”

Ringo gave a wide grin. “Zimala’s eventless sir. The patrols are clear across the board.”

Maro nodded, grabbing his coat. His steps inched toward the door to the room. He turned to Ringo one last time as he reached for the knob.

“Then we await more news in Riche. Also, tell Hail to continue their observations in Galion. APC’s been pushing hard from Eden.”

“On it sir,” Ringo said. His voice went back down to his normal level.

Maro pulled the door open, and was hit with the kicking breeze of Persetta. The warm ray of sunshine brought peace and prosperity over Memento’s home district.

But the wind carried a warning Maro couldn’t ignore.