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MAY 13, 2063 | 10:47:02 PM
ULTIMA CITY, MARKED EXPERIMENT BUILDING NO.7
It was eerily still in the experimentation room of the seventh marked building in Natsuha's given map. Inside, there were 2 workers sitting on a luxurious chair talking to each other in the dark. The area was half lit up, and the workers' faces were obscured by the darkness.
The first worker had a large-sized body, and wore a lab coat with long sleeves; he was a middle-aged man that had been working here for some time now. His face was well groomed and clean, but his eyes were like those of an animal. The other worker looked much younger, with a glimpse of an AFR showing occasionally. She was in her early twenties and was a tall girl with blond hair, wearing a pink uniform. She had bags under her eyes and very bad posture. She sat like she was about to fold in half any moment.
"I suppose you received the news also?"
"About one of our experimentation buildings getting attacked by an individual? Yeah, I think so."
The way they talked was sinister, but also formal. "What do they look like?" She said as he looked at her while he responded. He stood up, holding a sketch of the individual.
"The culprit is most likely a middle-schooler. One of our Multi-Utilizers came by with details of the appearance. The culprit wore a beanie, a grey hoodie and had a blue skirt on. The Multi-Utilizer couldn't properly gauge the culprit's power, but we assume they are atleast above Class 8." He spoke. He was the director of this facility, having worked here for years. The girl worker was one of the main leaders of the Multi-Utilization Project. She was a level-headed, intelligent scientist who also worked as a doctor for SPECs.
"This is very important information. We must be more careful in the future. Now that the culprit is known, we will have to increase security measures." He said as he looked at his watch.
"Security measures? That's unnecessary. We need to eliminate the culprit." She replied quickly with a deadpan voice. Her facial expressions remained unchanged. It looked like she was very serious about killing a middle-schooler.
"...Pardon me, ma'am... but... The culprit is a middle-schooler... It would be wiser if we subdue the culprit and bring her to-"
"I repeat. We need to eliminate the culprit. We cannot afford to halt our project because of a spoiled brat. Send our guinea pigs after them. Get an army ready. Do whatever you need to do to ensure that kid's death." She continued, her voice elevating and her anger showing after each word.
"We can't let our plans get thwarted by a lonely girl. Our Multi-Utilization project is very important. We can rewrite the entire meaning of SPECs, we can create supersoldiers. No need for that 'Class-10, best ten' bullshit! We make our OWN Class 10! We will be better directors than the Chairwoman herself! We will dictate this city! WE will dictate the entire world!" She stood up, smirking. She seemed to find amusement in the idea of killing a child, making her own Class 10.
"Do you understand your role now? You are to eliminate the culprit." She added in a more monotone and bashing voice, before finishing her sentence. As if it were the most natural thing in the world. It sounded like she was pleased with herself.
"Y-Yes ma'am." He replied, feeling cold. His eyes shifted to the floor.
"Good. I will be receiving reports from my subordinates shortly, so please take care of it immediately." She said as she walked out the room.
"I believe I found myself the number one guinea pig... Hihi."
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MAY 14, 2063 | 11:40:02 AM
ULTIMA CITY, EASTERN DISTRICT MALL
"You really made me walk all the way from school to here, just to show me some bogo sales?" I say with a disappointed and tired voice. Ritsune didn't listen to me and grabs my hand firmly, going to a certain store. "It's fine, Suha-chan! We have a break of 2 hours, so it's plenty of time to get you some nice clothes!"
Yuck! Buying new clothes? That's like stepping through hell itself for me. I really don't want to look for new clothes! I'm perfectly comfortable in these! "Oh... Oh no no. I don't need new clothes, Ritsun-"
"Come on, Suha-chan! It's a great deal! You can buy yourself a new outfit for your birthday!" She says cheerfully, dragging me along.
"...I'm not celebrating my birthday, Ritsune-senpai. And I don't need any new clothes!" I say to her, looking around the mall. There are tons of people here. "You really don't need to go such lengths to-" I cut my sentence short as Ritsune stares at my soul. Did I say something?
"You oughtta be happy your senpai worries about your lack of fashion sense! You really need to get a new wardrobe, Suha-chan! Your current one is so outdated!" She exclaims with an excited tone.
"No it isn't, I look good in this." I say to her, but she shakes her head and looks at me with a serious face. "...Seriously! What's wrong with hoodies and skirts?! You... You don't think I'm ugly, do you? Ritsune-senpai!" The more I talk, the bigger of a hole I'm digging for myself. Ritsune knows how to tease me and I hate it.
"You're not ugly, Suha-chan. But you need to change your wardrobe! You can't keep wearing those old things forever! You'll become a laughing stock!" She says as she takes my hand and pulls me to a clothing store.
"I've literally never been laughed at before!" I say, but she doesn't listen. "Why do you care so much about what other people think?!" I yell out, but Ritsune just ignores me and drags me to the store.
I can sense people staring at our little bickering. Aiiii, this is so embarrassing!
"Suha-chan, if you don't buy something today, I won't let you see me again!" She says, pulling me into the store.
"Aren't you the person that... rg... always looks... to get my attention?!" I grunt a little as I try my hardest to resist her pull, but her pull is so fucking powerful! That kind of core strength is unhinged for a scrawny girl like her!
"No no no! Ritsune-senpai... Rgh... Can I just... go back to school? I really don't nee-" She successfully pulls me into the store with all her might. She almost tore my arm off!
"Hmph, you're going to buy something or I'll make you regret it!" She says, looking down on me. "I'm not gonna let a friend of mine go around looking like a hobo! And I'm not buying you anything, you have to buy yourself!" She says as she points at a rack full of clothes.
"Ritsune-senpai..." I groan as I look at the racks. I know I should be thankful for her help, but I don't want to spend money on new clothes!
"If you don't buy something, I won't let you see me again!" She stresses, making me feel even worse.
"I... I... I just... I just... I don't know what to buy... I'm not good at this stuff... Ugh..." I say as I look at the racks. Shirts... Shirts, shirts, shirts, shirts and more shirts! There is no end to this shit! Why is this STORE SO BIG?!
"You're hopeless!" Ritsune says, making me blush. "I'll pick out a few things for you." She says as she starts to walk away from me. I feel even more embarrassed now. The last time I bought new clothes for myself was around 3 years ago, when I still lived with my parents. It wasn't something that I did individually, by the way. I had my parents who helped me buy new clothes. I suck when it comes to making simple decisions for myself. Like... what kind of clothes fit the best for me? I'm perfectly happy with my wardrobe full of grey hoodies and skirts!
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
"May I help you?" A worker approached me, offering help. I can feel sweat pouring down my forehead as I look at her. I can't take this embarrassment! How do I start this conversation? Do I accept her help or...
"...Ma'am?" The worker tilts her head, waiting for an answer. I can't tell her "No thanks" because I'd look like a jerk!
"Umm... Uhh... I... I... urm... I uhh... I need some new clothes..." I say in a low voice, making the worker tilt her head even further.
"Oh, I see." She says. "We have a large collection of dresses and comfortable wear for..." The worker stopped talking for a bit, before asking. "May I ask which level of education you are currently following?"
This is going much better than I expected. I don't feel so embarrassed like just then.
"Middle-school..." I say, trying to sound confident.
"Ah, middle school." She nods. "Well, we have many different brands here in this store. What kind of clothes do you usually wear?"
"I usually wear... uhm... Just hoodies and skirts... nothing else." I say in full embarrassment. I think she can feel it radiating off me. Aghh! I want to leave this place! Ritsune, why??
"Hoodies and skirts, hm? Well... I see... I guess that's all right for a middle-schooler." She says as she walks over to the rack. "Are you a person who follows with the latest fashion trends?"
"...Nah." I say with a deadpan voice. "I just hate going through the trouble of getting new clothes. That's why I dress like a hobo."
"Oh, I see. Well, I'll pick out some clothes for you, but if you're not satisfied, I can always bring back something else." She says as she starts picking out clothes for me.
"Okay..." I say, feeling a little relieved. I'm glad that I don't have to make any more decisions. I just hope that they aren't too expensive. I try to make small talk with the worker to pass the time. "Hey... uhh..." I forgot I'm a introvert at heart.
"What is it?" The worker asks, looking up from her work.
"Umm... Do you go to St. Evangeline Middle School?" I ask, wanting to make a new friend. The worker looks at me with a surprised look on her face. What's she so shocked about?
"Yeah... I do. How did you know?" She asked me.
"I... I just had a feeling, I guess." I respond awkwardly, hardly making eye contact with the worker. What's so special about this worker is that I'm feeling a high level of AFR radiating off of her. She's most likely a Class 7 or higher, which is probably how I found out that she's going to the same school.
"It's just that... I can sense your AFR. It's a pretty strong one... and from what I know, St. Evangeline only accepts SPECs of classes higher than 6."
The worker smiled, turning her whole body towards me, while also maintaining her sophisticated body language and elegancy. "They did say that, but lately I heard that they're changing that policy due to the influx of new high classes."
"Really? The Intrinium Program these days are helping a lot now, huh?" I said with an impressed expression.
"Yes, it does seem like they're upping the program. That's probably why people are able to achieve such a high level. Their talents are showing." The worker responded, nodding her head. "Speaking of high level... Your AFR is... almost blinding." She said, with a confusing tone.
"Huh?" I ask, confused by the worker's comment. "What do you mean?" The worker approaches me and examines me up close. "...Uhh..." I make a confused small sound in return.
"Are you a... Class 10 by any chance?" She reluctantly asks. It's like she's scared of me for some reason now that she has a full grasp of my AFR. I reluctantly nod.
The worker's eyes lit up. She was happy. "Ah! That is so cool! I've been longing to meet a Class 10." She says, reducing her tone by about 10 - 20 decibels before uttering the dangerous words that is: 'Class 10'.
"I... I am." I reply, still confused. The worker then starts to smile as if she just won a lottery. "So! What is your name, Class 10?" She closes in on my face, impatiently waiting to hear my name.
"I'm... uhh... I'm Natsuha Inose." I scratch the back of my head in embarrassment. "Natsuha Inose, huh? Well, it's nice to meet you, Natsuha. My name is Nazuki Mihara... I'm a Class 8." She says in a happy tone. It's like she waited 100 years to introduce themselves to a heroic legend who just reincarnated into the present world or something unordinary like that.
I laugh the embarrassment away. "Hehe... But... If you're a Class 8, why are you working in a clothing store? I know some Class 8 who get paychecks of around 500 UlCreds every week."
Nazuki smiles at me with a 'You don't say!' expression. "Well, those Class 8 must be privileged to have that much money. It probably depends on the position you're in. Think of it as social credit or something, when they enrolled it in China back in the 20s or something." She thinks aloud.
"Favourites, huh? I hate it." I said, sighing. As a Class 10, I can't really relate to having no money. I get paychecks of around 10,000 UlCreds every week. By the time I become an adult, I'll basically be a walking millionaire.
Nazuki nods. "Yeah, it's not like I'm complaining about the fact that I work here. I just wish I could do more than this." She says, looking down on her feet. "Not that I don't like this job! I'm just a little bit jealous of people like you."
Oh... Oh man, that hurt a bit.
"Suha-chan!! You done screwing around? Did you pick any-" Ritsune said as she comes strolling to our side. She sees Nazuki standing next to me and looked surprised for a second. I feel like she's going to bash Nazuki for something so trivial. Like: 'Oh, Suha-chan! Are you looking to replace me or something? I'm your senpai, remember!' or something like that. I can feel it coming.
But then, Ritsune stops in front of us. She looks at Nazuki, and then at me. "Making new friends, huh?" She gave my shoulder a little nudge as she said that.
"...Yeah." I look down. Nazuki looks at me with a tad bit of guilt and then shifts her focus towards Ritsune and smiles. "Hey. I'm Nazuki Mihara. We only just met but we have so much in common."
"I see... Well! I'm Ritsune Nonomura, her senpai~" She says with a prideful tone. Nazuki awkwardly laughs it off. "So it is... huh?"
Ritsune looks at Nazuki with a confused expression. "What's up?"
"...Nothing, I just th-"
Boom. That's what everyone hears in the clothing store. Was the mall under attack? In any way, the fire alarms sounded, which indicates that something exploded and caused a fire to break out... or it's the worst-case scenario: A terrorist attack.
"Mihara-san, Ritsune-senpai, get to safety, both of you!" I say in a stressful tone before I super-hop out of the mall. I can hear Ritsune-senpai yelling my name before I jumped off and started gliding to the ground floor. I'm sorry, Ritsune-senpai, but a Class 10 can handle this the best.
Is it even a normal terrorist attack? I have a slight suspicion that the perpetrator is someone involved with the Multi-Utilization Project. If that's the case... then I have more than a reason to stop this attack. Anyhow... I might be overthinking this. What if something just blew up instead?
I can see people running out of the mall in pure fear. All of them, fear of dying from a terrorist attack. I see an unordinary person walking around with some kind of weapon in their hands. They have short silver hair, and red eyes, wearing some kind of black dress. Could it be them? The people are running away from her in fear... and they emit some kind of weird AFR... The same AFR I felt when I fought that guy back in that building...
I land easily on the ground floor of the mall, in front of the assumed terorrist. As they look at me, their face changes from a sophisticated look... to a disturbing, sinister smile. It's almost scary.
"I knew you would be here, Natsuha Inose. The culprit that we've been looking for. The one that deliberately attacked and slowed down our project." They have such a scary look, it makes me feel uneasy.
"What do you want?!" I yell at them, wanting to get straight to the point. I can't bear a villain monologue right now. How dare she involve innocent people in this?
"Isn't that obvious, silly girl? I want to exterminate you right here, right now." She says with a cold voice. "Our project is almost fully complete, but with you around, we won't be able to finish it. We can't let you roam free any longer, as you know the secrets behind our project. Everyone that knows, must die. Everyone who is involved, will die. And everyone who you like and love, shall also die."
I give her a sour, angry look. I turn my hands into fists as I grit my teeth. She continues talking to me in a condescending tone. "If you don't want your loved ones to die, submit and kill yourself right here." She laughs.
"How dare you!" I shout at her. "You terrorize an entire mall just to get one person! I'll never submit to the likes of you, especially when you're involved in that project. I'll crush it along with you!" I speak my mind as my AFR elevates, starting to manifest and become visible to the naked eye.
"No matter what you do, it won't be enough halt the project. The only way to stop us is to destroy our base, which you cannot do." She says confidently. "You are an easy prey. Obnoxious naive girls like you who think they are so confident, but lack in thought and intelligence. You should've known better than to get involved with us."
"Well, I'm not going to let you get away with it," I say, clenching my fists. "I'll make sure all of you pay for what you did to them." I reference the pile of dead bodies that I stepped on in an abandoned room in the building back then.
"Oh, spare me your empty threats, little girl. You were lucky that the Second-Ranked came to your aid. You will not be lucky now. Besides... If you truly are a hero like you think you are, then show me that you can save everyone in this mall as I pummel you to the ground and kill you!" She says, her aura becoming even more powerful.
I bit my lip as her AFR starts to overshadow mine. Those Multi-Utilizers have the firepower of a high-ranked Class 9 or a low-ranked Class 10. But this girl... This girl is something else. Their AFR is almost... gut-wrenching. It's so evil and... mighty. I can feel my confidence fading. I can tell she has no intention of backing down from me.
She smirks at me. "You are nothing compared to me, little girl. In fact, no Class 10 can ever beat me. I am the strongest of all the SPECs in U.C.!" She says confidently. "And I will prove it to you right now." She laughs as she dashes towards me at supersonic speeds.
"HAHAHA!" Even her voice becomes distorted. The light around her starts to bend from the speed. Fuck! I don't have time to guard myself! She lands a powerful punch on my face and sends me flying across the mall.
I could hear her laugh even harder as I crash inside a store. That punch was incredibly strong. She punches harder than Divo... That's bad...
I get up and dust myself off, before jumping out of the store and revealing myself in her eyes once more. My vision is blurry but I can still see her standing there, waiting for me to attack.
"Ahahahahaha! Are you feeling dizzy already, little girl? I thought that the Fourth-Ranked Class 10 of Ultima City could endure a single punch. But look at you... Your feet are already wobbling."
Her ego is through the roof. The punch was deadly because you had speed to back it up, you dumb fuck. I'm going to end you.
"Come at me if you're ready, little girl," she says. I take a deep breath and prepare myself mentally. I have to win this fight... I can't let her win. Or everyone is going to die...
Including Ritsune and Nazuki.