Collusion

The Velaro glided slowly along, hovering above the surface of the road as it approached the gates of the Aurora Force base.

The enormous gates rose against the reddish evening sky. Their height and sturdy structure commanded respect from anyone who approached. The Observation Towers reflected the metallic gleam of the structure while soldiers patrolled among the fortifications. The symbol of the kingdom—the white flaming phoenix within a circle of fire—was emblazoned across the main entrance, representing order and duty.

As soon as the vehicle touched down, the repulsion tubes released one final breath of magical mist before shutting off. Kaela, the team Leader, was the first to step out. Her rigid posture betrayed her exhaustion. The rest of the group followed, each lost in their own thoughts.

Sylvaine placed her shield into the holder on her back, then pulled her long red hair—still damp—away from her face and sighed.

“I’m going to change before the smell of sewage becomes part of my identity.”

“Me too…” Diana said. The Archer wrinkled her nose at her own filthy uniform.

Both headed toward the barracks while Art remained near the Velaro, observing his surroundings. The base courtyard was relatively quiet, with only a few officers moving about to coordinate post-mission operations. Oliver stood beside the young Striker, the Swordsman’s ruby-colored eyes filled with contempt as he waited for his friend Kenno, one arm draped over the prince’s shoulders, to fully regain consciousness.

“Take him to the infirmary,” the Leader ordered Oliver.

He hesitated for a moment, but eventually turned his face away with his chin held high and slowly made his way toward the infirmary.

Little by little, other groups began to arrive. The soldiers looked discouraged, and the silence between them said more than any report could. Something was wrong.

Art spotted three familiar figures approaching from the opposite side of the hangar courtyard: Harold rested his staff across his shoulders, Markos was finishing securing his greatsword into the holder on his back, and Asuka still had her shield strapped to her arm. They walked toward him, their faces marked by exhaustion and frustration.

“You got back fast, huh?” Harold said, forcing a smile.

“It wasn’t an easy mission.” Art crossed his arms. “At least we made it out alive. What about you?”

Asuka sighed. She looked around before answering.

“The other bases were just decoys.”

The statement hung in the air like a cold blade.

“What?” Art frowned.

“The operations were designed to throw us off, nothing more,” Markos explained, his green eyes narrowed. “It was all for nothing.”

Art felt a knot form in his stomach. If that was true, then the entire mission had been a diversion… But for what?

“Where’s Master?” asked the young pink-haired Shieldbearer.

“She went to change her uniform.”

“Eh!? Change her uniform?… Why?”

Art sighed. The exhausting day passed through his mind in a jumbled mess.

“It’s a long story…”

Before he could say anything more about it, a firm voice echoed across the courtyard. The same soldiers—wearing silver armor and helmets—who had informed Kaela’s group about the mission transports back in the main hall entered the hangar courtyard. They announced:

“Everyone is dismissed!”

The sound of countless footsteps marked the soldiers’ slow dispersal, relieved that they could finally rest. But before Art’s group could go their separate ways, a second order rang out:

“Leader Kaela and her team, meeting in the Captain’s office. Now!”

The young Striker’s eyes met Kaela’s carefully neutral expression. Without saying anything, she turned and walked toward Headquarters. The group exchanged glances before saying their goodbyes.

“I don’t know what happened to you guys on that mission, but it must’ve been important…” Harold could tell something was wrong. “Tomorrow, I want to hear everything!” he added, his brown eyes fixed on his friend as he walked away.

After taking a few steps, the young Support noticed Asuka was still standing in the courtyard. Irritated, he called out to her:

“Come on, Asuka! What are you still doing there?”

“I… was going to wait…”

“There’s no one to wait for. Diana’s going to the meeting in the Captain’s office. You wanna go there and get chewed out?”

The small Shieldbearer’s eyes widened, and she ran toward her companions.

After a brief silence, she looked up so she could see the face of her Swordsman friend.

“We could go watch the birds. What do you think?”

Markos, who had been distracted, looked at her with a smile. The Swordsman immediately brightened at the mention of his favorite hobby.

“Let’s go! I know where they stay before nightfall.”

The young Shieldbearer smiled sincerely, then took the opportunity to invite Harold as well.

“Do you want to come?”

“Thanks for asking! But… I have something to do later.”

Markos tried to hold back his laughter, already prepared to expose his Support friend.

“He has a date… With Men—”

“Shut up, you giant!” Harold interrupted, jumping up and covering his friend’s mouth with both hands.

Amid laughter and teasing, the group walked away.

They left Art alone with his thoughts. As he headed toward the meeting, he felt the weight of the sudden summons. This wasn’t merely a mission report; the serious tone in the officer’s voice, Kaela’s restrained expression, and everything that had unfolded since their return all pointed to a problem larger than what could be seen on the surface.

When he arrived, the seriousness of the atmosphere startled him for a brief moment. Edgar’s office—the Captain’s—was spacious but without excess. Everything was neatly arranged and gave the impression that it was there for a reason. The dark stone walls gave the room a severe atmosphere, reinforced by the cold light of the mana lamps embedded in the ceiling.

A large, sturdy wooden desk dominated the center of the room, its surface marked by years of strategies and difficult decisions. Behind it, a bookshelf filled with military reports and books was carefully organized, reflecting the discipline of the man who commanded the Aurora Force.

Maps were pinned to a board on one side, covered in handwritten notes and markings indicating troop positions and movements. In the corner, the flag of the Kingdom of Aurora hung imposingly. The room’s only window offered a partial view of the headquarters, but heavy curtains covered it, allowing only a thin line of light to pass through.

Upon entering, Art found Kaela already standing before the Captain’s desk, her rigid silhouette reinforcing the burden he could sense she carried. Lucian, Edgar’s right-hand man, stood beside the Archer Leader. The air inside felt heavier, charged with authority and expectation. The young Striker noticed the hesitation in her eyes. She was about to say something compromising, and before she could, Art intervened:

“Shouldn’t we wait for the others?”

He gave Kaela a meaningful look. The Captain, a man with austere features and an ever-calculating gaze, crossed his arms.

“There’s no need. Kaela reported that both of them stayed out of the battle. I sent someone to dismiss them. But you may have useful information.”

The young Striker nodded slowly and decided to report what he knew.

“The weapons they used were powerful. One of the swords had some strange technology… When I attacked, it absorbed my magic and returned an even stronger strike. If they have resources like that, who knows what other technologies they’re hiding?”

“Yes. Indeed, they do… We were already aware of the military power they’ve been hiding. Is that all?”

“The enemies… their hoods were different colors. I saw at least four different colors among them.”

“Which ones?”

“Green and blue. One of them wore black. But… what caught my attention was one who appeared at the end. He wore purple and limped with every step. Everyone looked terrified when they saw him.”

The Captain didn’t react immediately. For a moment, his pale blue eyes narrowed. Art felt a slight chill and grew uneasy.

“Understood.” The man returned to his usual posture and acknowledged the observation. “That may help us establish a pattern. Good observation, kid.”

The tension that had formed for a moment quickly dissipated, but not for everyone. Lucian, the imposing Striker with long black hair, kept his golden eyes fixed on Kaela. Their intense, unwavering gleam gave the impression that he could see beyond words, examining every gesture in search of a hidden truth. His gaze was cold. He wasn’t convinced.

“Leader Kaela, I heard you were late arriving at the mission site. Did you follow protocol all the way through?”

Art noticed Kaela’s fingers tense slightly. She was cornered.

“She did,” Art said before the tension could escalate. His voice was firm but calm. “The Leader didn’t take long to arrive… The situation required us to adapt, but we’re trained for that kind of problem.”

Kaela maintained her composure and nodded.

“Of course. I fulfilled my duty. When I arrived, I was able to protect my team… The rescue was carried out within protocol… Unfortunately, my mission wasn’t as easy as yours, Leader Lucian. From what I heard, you didn’t find anything, did you?”

The soldier—the Striker Squad Leader—remained motionless for a moment, but there was no opening for him to press further. He looked away, either satisfied or simply out of arguments to continue.

“Enough! That’s no longer important. We need to understand what the enemy’s plan was and how they managed to deceive us. As for your delay, Leader, as soon as I arrived, I received a report stating that the Cannon had experienced problems during launch,” Edgar said, his elbows resting on the desk and his fingers interlocked.

“And do you know what the problem was?” the Archer Leader asked.

“The copper cables kept disconnecting. Apparently, the kind of defect you’d expect from a prototype.”

Kaela frowned, knowing that she herself had disconnected the cables to delay her launch. Everything had gone according to what the enemies had ordered her to do while they held her husband and daughters hostage. The meeting continued for several more minutes without further conflict.

“That’s all for today… And Kaela, the members of your team are being promoted to Vanguard. Despite the problems, they performed very well!”

“Affirmative! I’ll inform them.”

Once they were dismissed, Art and Kaela left together.

As soon as they stepped out of the room, the Leader let out a long sigh, relieved of the tension that had built up.

“Thank you!” she said quietly, without looking at him right away.

The young Striker smiled faintly, also avoiding eye contact.

“They wouldn’t understand your reasons. They’d probably remove you from duty and lock you in a cell.”

“Art! We can’t trust anyone. You’re the only one who knows what happened to my family.”

“What about the team that rescued them?”

“Mia and John. They’re my right-hand people. They’ve been with me in the Archer Squad for years. I trust them with my life.”

She looked at him for a moment, then, as if trying to dispel the heavy atmosphere, changed the subject.

“To make up for all of this, how about dinner later? My husband owns a restaurant downtown. I want you to meet my family.”

Art was caught off guard—he hadn’t expected such an invitation—but he noticed something in her expression, a mixture of exhaustion and caution. As though, beyond gratitude, there was another reason she wanted to keep him close.

“Sounds like a good idea.” He nodded.

“You can bring your family. Bring Diana too. You two are always together, right?”

Kaela smiled, but her attention quickly shifted back toward the door to the Captain’s office before she walked away. Small signs… the kind Art was paying attention to.

Moments later, between the two great Observation Towers at the entrance to the base, Diana was waiting for him.

She sat atop the low stone wall bordering a small garden. The cold material contrasted with the well-kept vegetation around her, where modest flowers swayed in the evening breeze. Her new uniform, a copy of the old one, stood out beneath the lights around the base, which were already beginning to turn on as nightfall approached.

She wore a dark lilac leather jacket with golden details on the shoulders and cuffs over a flexible top in a lighter shade, fitted to her athletic body. Lightweight plates protected her shoulders and forearms without compromising her mobility. Her tight black leather pants, accented with purple details, were secured by a wide belt from which hung a small equipment pouch. Mid-calf boots fit snugly around her ankles, with golden buckles reflecting the surrounding light.

Her light lilac hair was once again tied into a single braid, further highlighting the delicate features of her face. Art approached his friend, who wasted no time once she noticed him.

“What a tiring day…” She tilted her head back, as though trying to let the weight of the past few hours slip away.

“Tell me about it,” Art said, taking the opportunity to add, “Ah, Kaela invited us to dinner at her husband’s restaurant later.”

Diana raised an eyebrow, finding the situation strange.

“What? That woman invited you to dinner?”

“She wants to thank us for today.”

“Thank us!?… It’d be nice to hear that from her at least once.” Diana said with a smile that concealed old resentment. “But… thank us for what, exactly?” she added, confused.

“I covered for her and didn’t tell the Captain about her delay or the reasons behind it.”

“I heard there was a delay with the Cannon. Everyone already knows that.”

“No… Hidden Gear was holding her family hostage.”

The young Archer’s eyes widened, and her mouth fell open. She tried to process the new information.

“Art! Why didn’t she tell us on the way back? And why did she hide it from the Captain?”

Art took a deep breath and placed his hands on his friend’s shoulders. He looked directly into her eyes and said:

“It’s complicated to explain right now. I don’t even have any way to prove it. But…” He hesitated for a moment. “After everything that happened, I think Hidden Gear has infiltrated the Aurora Force. And they’re in high-ranking positions.”

“You mean… the Captain…”

“I don’t think it’s him. But we can’t trust anyone. And this dinner tonight might be a chance for us to get closer to the Leader and understand more about what’s going on.”

“What if she’s lying?”

“There’s only one way to find out. The first step is accepting the invitation.”

Diana understood the gravity of the situation and agreed. Amid her thoughts, something suddenly clicked.

“Wait… today? Today’s the day you visit your mother, isn’t it?”

Art’s eyes widened. With everything that had happened, he had completely forgotten.

“Damn it…!”

Diana crossed her arms and shook her head.

“I knew this would happen. Good thing I’m here to remind you. If we get ready quickly, maybe we can do both.”

He let out an awkward laugh, scratching the back of his neck. With no time to waste, they hurried home.

For Art, it was the first time he had ever forgotten one of his visits to his mother. He was lost in thought. He blamed himself, still irritated by the strange voice tormenting his mind.