COI C183
Later that day, the train comes and gathered all the Enders, mostly the Dexter Guild. The job is done under the agreement of their service. Manager Kubo had her heart racing to see them leave. The amazing work they put through to get this industry out from the notorious threat and still the Mihayara district is in ruins. Thankfully this place was enough for the guild’s forces to get it clean. Now inside the warehouses were the equipment needed for the defenses. The workers wipe off their past and look at their future. The armory, held what they called it the protection against the dust and the runes to repel the monsters.
It was not long, where Spokesman and Lilith joined in the train. Along with Tabitha and the rest saying their goodbyes. Miyusuki is with the Ironno, Haw, and Rusic. The two are still banged up from the incident and Rusic helps Miyusuki taken care of them as they leave. Tabitha says to him
“Sorry we didn’t see each other during the last day of the convention”
He shakes his head “No problem, I can’t believe I managed to get all around the convention. But they didn’t allow me to get in to one of those Agathean night tavern though”
The girls hear him said it as he was there. It is obvious it is age restricted, and they have nothing they could do to let him drink, brawl, or even celebrate with the adventurers. Oh, what a sad time to be too young. There they saw Archivist being carried inside the train. Mummified and still in bandages like the rest. Yui still didn’t hear about her question being answered. She didn’t care, because the train has more time for her conversation to get lit. Then again though
“Yeah, well. Tabitha, I’m still wondering about the moody giggles of yours”
“Excuse me!”
Their farewell went south rather quickly. Yui says it in front of Miyusuki “You all know that the convention had those number signs”
Miyusuki raises her question “Number signs?”
“Don’t go cheeky with me. If I, I mean, we didn’t ask questions about it. It is a term called 18 plus”
Tabitha blushes “Why of all places have to be here?!”
Tabitha had enough and tries to stop her by lightly beaten on top of Yui’s head. She pretends to make a magical shield appeared above her as she giggles.
Miyusuki sees that Tabitha is getting embarrassed as he is also embarrassed in public. This must be Yui’s being Yui. The others don’t care anymore of her trying to be a nuisance. They turned to them and say their farewell.
Juela says first “It’s nice to see Sanquin’s disciple improving. You’ll learn a lot better with your new abilities”
Kiege says after “Don’t forget, after you finished that school of yours. Always stop by in Enders Bridge. Remember, you’re Sanquin’s ‘why you are her chosen one’ little grasshopper or whatever she called it, or maybe not, if that Foundation of yours got it to work”
Rusic responds “Ah, you lassies. Giving heart-warming goodbyes, while ignoring that wee girl over there bullying the heroine”
Kiege sighs “You’ll get used to it, mature women don’t have any fun with younger people like us”
Yui reacts “I heard that, you’re acting like this because you guys don’t have a proper lady conversation”
Miyusuki feels like to react and joins along. “That’s right, Oue is a lady. But I thought of you as aunty though”
The last tone of his went shy. Embarrassed to say that, but Yui has never feel so fulfilled to hear like she has a nephew for some reason.
The women look at her like she has gained favor from him. At the moment, Yui summons one of her familiars. One of her cousin’s dolls appeared to him.
“Trying to pretend we are family, hah?”
Her gleaming voice couldn’t make a questionable tone because of her excitement. However, they look at her without any rejection as Miyusuki was not expected her give him something like this
“. . . I know she is there in the island. It would be easier for you to get into the embassy with my familiar. So, take care of it. This one can eat anything valuable, just don’t feed it garbage or I’ll be angry at you”
The doll looks at him. It summons a mask to give him an expression. A creepy smile with bright light lens as it behaves like a villain, teeth showing and no other else to give a very evil grin. Miyusuki responds “Uh? I remember your familiars, Oue. All of them didn’t have facial expressions”
“Oh, don’t you worry. I think it spends its time buying at the convention for it to look dangerous”
The doll stays silent and then chuckles while bopping up and down with its head and shoulders. Not everyone is against this decision, but Tabitha thought it was silly. Yet this is Yui and Tabitha rather removed the mask. The doll turns around
“My confident face” It speaks with determination.
As they about to leave, Miyusuki asks Yui one last thing “I know I don’t want to ask more, but I know this doll has a name”
Oue didn’t show her face but a scuff off from her voice as she almost laughs, then she calmly answered “It’s better to not know its name. Like your people shouldn’t reveal their true name. Why not give it a name?”
As the train doors starting to close in. Miyusuki calls the familiar “Ok, you are Yui’s cousin’s doll, then I call you Fae-chan”
“Pfft!”
The train begins to move as everyone at the window wave them goodbye. Miyusuki carries the doll and wave them back. Along with Rusic waves while carrying both Haw and Ironno around as their bodies as waving flags. Yui maintained her poise, Tabitha and her friends watch her not showing her face to Miyusuki. The laughter goes out freely and Tabitha asked
“Fae-chan, what’s wrong with that name?”
“Nothing, but the familiar he had, is a boy”
Kiege can’t see why a doll has gender “Then how do you know what gender it had?”
Juela uses her sash to identify the familiar before getting into the train. “Well, I guess, it is more of her culture thing. Let’s just let him be, he’ll learn”
Miyusuki thought it would be difficult to have this doll wondering, but it turns itself into a small doll that fits on the palm of his hand. Very convenient, and Rusic tells the young boy “Then it’s time for you lad, to go back home. We won’t know when will the siege will start, and I know that tree over there will be asking for a second round”
They look at the far distance. The Jigeram is now hailing above somewhere at the central parts of Kinteinnou Region. All Enders are left from this city and the Jigeram’s light will caused so much damage.
The citizens watch the sky and the city barrier is hard solid now. Like a dome made out of crystals cracked and ready to fall. The Mihayara district personnel are managing the barrier so far as large amount of energy needed to keep it in high integrity. None of them could ignore the skies crackling from above, from all area on the hemisphere as the city looks like a hard solid dome. The news had tried their best to be informative while the rest of the communities are preparing their quick evacuation plan into South Shore Bay. Everyone is prepared for the last siege.
Within city hall, they gathered all the representatives and leaders from Stranding Island. All together once again for the fate of this city’s destruction, will it fall or will it thrive? They have mustered up the debts they get from gathering the resources from Rune Isles, and the services received by the Dexter Guild and many others. Confidence boosted thanks to the convention held planned by their own citizens. Taiyou Industries returned for operation and brought out the best they can do to produce protection against the Jigeram’s light. Lastly, the ruins with so many upcoming phenomena are cleared before the siege.
Manager Kubo, Old man Ban, The Advisor, and Lion King are here, but there is one missing. Fuku City representative, Bokushi Hidari the cult leader, is not present. Old man Ban scratches his head and worries the district he is neighbored with.
“That man, autumn wasn’t the best time for him. His own district fell into the harvest of the demon”
The advisor gives a weird look to the man spoken nonsense. “What are you on about? You should be worried about your communities ready for the evacuation”
“They are strong bunch, don’t think that we people suddenly went bad because their lives mean nothing”
King intervenes “There is no need to complain someone’s comments. We all know what happened to that district and what do you expect to cater a group of people who have been isolated and trying to get control one another. That place has origins from bad organization”
The advisor agrees “That’s what I am expecting for their representative calling himself the cult leader. Sigh* I fear that we are going to face a lot of cases when this city gets back into action”
“First focus on that need to take back. Taiyou Industries recovered all of their zones and Mihayara district will be next”
Manager Kubo shows them the report “I don’t know if this equipment is going to work, and the Enders left because of their issues happening to their city. I heard a lot of them mentioning when Alga’s light reaches solely in their region. I say, let’s hope I can make a visit to see what happened there”
She gives a light comment as the files are spread to their hands. In each of the designs from military equipment to infantry equipment, the lack of ammunitions is their sole weakness as their budget max. The good news of all these are her workers trained and educated into it.
Following up inside the files are the drills have been done only in Taiyou Industries. The situation they are in as they don’t have prior knowledge how to get that massive tree gone. Of course, the preparation is ready, the Agatheans and the people from Stranding Island are now suited to help them. The dangers they are going to face are the risk of the lost in using failsafe, however. Reading through to the next page as the report shows there are other ways to deal with it. That’s where they have to do it. Chemical response, which is only decided as the last option. The reason why it separated from the files as a whole because of its long details. The only message it results are lethality.
On to the next one, the update that happened in the ruins. The obnoxious tree was finally fell into dust as the mana it consumed turned to crystals, yet there are still have the presence of demonic magic left. It is rather strange that the plant can do much for the city that is trying to leach the city for some reason. No one among the representative understand how it exist then failed on the next. Even Manager Kubo thought the Enders’ mistake, but more secrets she learned privately that the realms still exist and disoriented from what it links too. She has no proof, even there was an incident happening in Fuku City. The cult leader isn’t here to address it.
The representatives have read all the files and the reports connected with King’s guild are already up to date.
“This is good, which means all the new equipment will be provided”
Manager Kubo responds “So far, and remember it requires people with sets of abilities. We are facing the dusts into hard stone crystals. Have you seen what happened into the ruins lately?”
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The advisor nods his head “The police have recorded it. Would you people like to see? I know you leaders didn’t have a chance to say. You can at least teach us what happened here”
They played the video as the leaders from Stranding Island see what happened to the ruins of Mihayara District. A frozen wasteland mixed together with dust storms. The bomb’s effects are leaving trails clean as the brown red cloud persists. Acting like the dust storm, while the solid crystallizations are solidifying the monsters’ remains and more. The demon elf is the only one knew about this reaction between magic and the Jigeram. Lost to its end of the previous eras, she stood up in the form of an elf.
“The original horde is there. No monsters, but minions with a strong army. I don’t know what kind of demon’s army are there, but I’m sure the equipment will make it work”
Manager Kubo agrees “Indeed, the Enders have worked so hard to get the equipment to fit to our standards. So far, I have witnessed a lot of privateering behind our backs. I can’t say we can agree to their actions, but no training this short will be possible to face it”
The Old man Ban asks “This is too complicated. However, I like to hear what they did it?”
“What I can tell with their different methods of getting the certain creatures. My men were using the prototypes and able to scan a little bit of the enemies. It is certain, they get rid of the runes and the shamanism”
The demon elf slams her fist on the table. Both the dwarves and the goblins agreed from her frustration. “They are looting the relics and the ancient items behind your backs. Did any of the adventurers know that?”
King answers “We did loot our shares. I don’t think they could get something better by their own numbers. They were only four people in their power armor”
The dwarf leader doubts it “Then how about those demonic runes, did your people have able to contact with it from any random encounters?”
The goblin leader adds it “Then how about the purpose of why the spirits are gathering the brown red cloud in the first place?”
The Dexter Guild is given into suspicions from the leaders. Still, no Enders among the group as words got out that they are in the embassy inside the island. This accusation made the advisor very anxious. As he shares some secrets with the leader a bit. The reason why there were chaos happening in his city. The rumored started because of the Dexter Guild’s first appearance. He doesn’t know about the rest, but it was surely caused more problems and news about Fuku City’s embarrassing accidents occurred after the postpone of the siege.
When the argument settles, they returned back to their original plan. To wipe clean all threats inside of the ruins. With the Jigeram helps them to stop all the mana, except for runes, and finished of all the hidden secrets that the demon brought to them. All they could do now is to acknowledge all viable groups to deal with it first. Today won’t be the day, yet. As the distribution of the armor sets are in the final inspection. The advisor is not going to waste time as the news erupt suddenly on their screens.
“Breaking news, this is from outside of the city. Under the full reign of the dangerous moon, Jigeram, we have full coverage where the elves are heading to Isekai City. I am here from the emergency checkpoints, where many places here have thrown into a crystal wasteland. Take a look over there, they are marching in full armor heading to the massive tree . . .”
The advisor is grinning as they brought an army to help their cause. To think, he will be having problem to deal with it, but Manager Kubo wasn’t convinced by it.
Old man Ban noticed her “Hmm? You seem not happy to see those fantasy creatures coming to our city”
“It’s nothing, but why the news has to report it? I know it will lift the spirits to the viewers. That’s . . . (device ringing*) wait, can you excuse me for a minute?”
“Sure, take your time”
Manager Kubo answers the call “What is it?”
“It’s the ruins, we found some monsters, but these monsters are talking. Beast like creatures but have skulls looks like rats. I can’t say, but they are digging out something from the clusters and chunks of the crystals”
“Then raise the alarm, why didn’t you call me here now?”
“But ma’am, some of my group members are infiltrating?”
“What!!!”
Inside the ruins, the workers hid inside Ironno’s saferooms. Some daredevil tried to infiltrate the small packs of rat men. Either is good or not, this was because they were convinced to do otherwise. Alongside with their own group were the Enders, the five guilds who come here didn’t leave. They stayed for a reason, and that reason wasn’t heard yet. The workers have to collaborated with them, as past cooperation thought of their trusts to be assured. They took advantage what the Dexter Guild is promoting for. Because of that, they have people around to follow their every command, facing the monster the workers don’t know.
Syri is with them, using the electronic devices they have to survey down the hidden traces of these packs coming back inside. She is able to convince them to get through this mess. To finalize everything that the Enders had done to this ruin. No adventurers nor anyone from this city will know about the heist the Dexter Guild did. Especially they brought scapegoats to further the illusion of their returned here. The mascaraed of this place must kept it secret, even many will find out but the evidence are already gone. These Enders must play it naturally, as their purpose is closer than they have thought.
“Alright, ma’am. We follow what you’ve ask for. The manager was right, we should’ve sent the alarm. We are not capable to do this espionage thing”
“I’m not complaining here, she can’t wear her outfit and trying to look in fashion. I think we did a good job setting up the equipment here. We can just watch like the rest of them from the other saferooms”
A transmission is coming from other saferooms. “This is base 8 can you read me, over”
“This is from base 44. We have connected all the saferooms in the surrounding ruins. If you are in need to recall here, please be advised your equipment will be left behind”
Syri never thought the Dexter Guild had trained them to be this well aware, or maybe it is because of their nationalism. Another transmission coming from the field. Deep breaths coming from the comms as the man is tired.
“Breathe* This is Sniper hiding inside the buildings, Kombat is outside and we saw as pits. Solid formed portals coming in as if they were thrown here”
“Yup, this is Kombat at their position. They seem to be struggling, they are arrogantly going digging around the remains of the monsters”
Syri responds “It’s all good, the Jigeram is beating them to the worst condition it can do. Do you find any of them now in solid crystals?”
“This is Sniper, I’m searching for your claims. Affirmative, no, I mean they are either both yes and no”
“What’s your, what should say in this?”
“This is nothing dangerous, ma’am. They continue to move in into the crystals. They are merging together with the remains as new body parts emerged. My readings tell me that mana they have are extremely low”
“I see, then continue your orders. We will call back if anything bad happened”
“Noted, over”
Kombat and Sniper are taken this mission with respect to the Enders. Their cooperation is good enough to develop their city counter measures against the monsters with their invaluable knowledge. Their power armors were upgraded thanks to the Dexter Guild. This infiltration thing will work, and Sniper watches Kombat from the past distance. Lurking through the weak state of the rat men. Gathering all information what the Jigeram can do to any life when it touches them. Kombat, bathed in dusts, every wipe from his armor shows to its new plating. The dirt and the oil are all removed like he is raining down with cleaning sand.
He faces the crystals’ obstacles blocking his way. He brought his water tank and poured through in high pressure. The water pressure was able to pierced through the crystal leaving no impurities because of its high velocity. Treating it like a blowtorch, he cuts his way through and sees the thickness of the crystal that no ordinary tools can cut and slides off a large chunk of it.
“Dusts that can’t hold against distilled water. Sniper, tell me again. You’re an engineering student. Can you explain how natures work in that science of yours?”
“We already learn it from the Enders. I have to tell you this again. The Jigeram’s light is an alternative to oxidation. Meaning, a chemical reaction that is involved with oxygen with other matters. The Jigeram’s light rains down dust because of the pinnacle ozone layer filled strongly on oxygen. Thus, it’s particles fell. Compared it with the interaction with Alga’s light, it just nourishes life. Back to the subject, the main reason why pure water is good to eradicate the dusts because of no bacteria inside. Treating oxygen as one another to pushed around, and water is heavy than air. It will bring it down to the ground then reaches to the sea”
“The state of the dusts solidify is all chemical reaction with the biological matter. It is like the form of decay that release to the air. That’s not how it works when the dusts kill life, even though it says feasting off mana. This results to hardening when magic is involved. I am no scientist, but this is some complex analogies. Anyway, let’s treat it as salt water melting the ice thing . . . I think we should stop for now. Enemies are breaking the crystals”
Sniper looks at the distance as they brought out the remains, soon more of the remains pop out as the last of its hidden mana leaks out. Through his sight, he finds the rat men is merging their bodies with it.
“This is not looking good. Kombat take action if you have a chance. I’ll take the shot before anything happens”
Kombat takes his position, and he powers up his combat armor. The sounds of clean engine and no vibration inside his exoskeleton network. The feeling of a futuristic technology on his body. While the dangerous weaponry next to his layered jumpsuit pulsing into the life of thrill. A thriller into his pine, and the boost of confidence with Sniper’s new hardware. Yet his heart still worries, for his own safety and his sister’s son. He hopes that his nephew will survive in this world or made it back home.
The rat men were able to retrieve the body parts. The language they speak, translated near Kombat’s ears. “Nibble* Ch-ch-chosen ones gone, all souls with sanity reaches peak a-a-are gone”
“Ye-e-e-s-Yes! Entomb by great blasts and opened in the valley of crystal sands. Man thing brought remnants here, t-t-t-t can’t say why”
“Forces c-c-can’t survive here, gods voices are not here”
“No wait! We hear voices this stone one”
“This is gods, n-n-o! Its AAH!”
“Fight! We can’t be feasted, we can’t be feasted, WE CAN’T BE FEASTED!”
“I have awakened” A humanoid chimera is formed, covered in crystals as its bits and pieces shade to its bone like soft skin. Falling off because of the weight of the dust, but a little amount mana around it, it quickly consumed. The creature pincers attack at the rat men quickly exploded with an eruption of the dusts. The crystals chattered into shards with bits and pieces of the remains barely giving off the presence of the demonic mana. It stretches further and made it to the magic portal. It consumed it too but gasp out because of its strange magic. It backs away for a bit and look around what’s going on.
Sniper takes a look while Kombat stretches the frequency coming from the monster. They carefully observed it like some dangerous predator. Sniper messaged to the workers.
“This is field unit. This is field unit. We spotted a new monster. It speaks about being awaken”
“This is from base, we heard you. Continue the mission until spotted. The escape route will be your needed getaway. Keep your unit from getting close from out of sight areas. We are taken a risk here, according to Ma’am . . .”
“. . . I’ll be taken them some advice. Ahem* You two are facing with one of the oldest immortals under the demons’ army. They’re weak as of now, and nearly starved to death . . .”
“. . . Yet, they can’t be perished. You’ve seen by now and heard that they were forced summon here. It is because an opportunity to bring out their secret weapons under this crystal wasteland. With your tech, we can analyze and find these summoning portals that led to the monsters from what you’ve seen before. Very unique in every way, that’s only for the adventurers to deal with. Take your time with it, if it finds you. Run to the saferoom without using mana, rely your power armor to get there or that thing will get stronger with your trails leading to your death”
Kombat watches carefully. The monster speaks “This world is new. Everything around it is nothing to compare either it was made by those Heroes Faction or from the central cities”
Clearly sees only the lifelessness of its own horde, the rest just like it seems to be disoriented by their own physical form. It looks at its own hands or limbs and witness the depravity of its body.
“Heh, is this really my disadvantage of my awaken? I am just a ghost who will haunt the living”
It turns around looking at Kombat’s direction, he shifts away. Then to sniper, they feel something is not going to be this easy.
The monster’s remaining mana, was a fluke, what lies inside of it is its core. A core that is not demonic but its own. Kombat’s readings are reaching high levels of danger to which he realized something wasn’t right.
“Sniper, get me out here! This monster is not only it can talk, it has more than one mana core”
“Go!”
Kombat is about to bring his weapon, but the monster already found him and disarm him right away. A snipe coming by and pushes only the top of its body ripped off, the other half transform as the spine stings to his combat armor. The crystallized dust wrapped him where the sting is.
Kombat shatters the crystal and grabbed the stinger then throw it to the ground, crushing it. He sees the readings as the damage turned into crystallized dust. The monster keeps going with crawling its way with the bodies of rat men. Countless skulls moving like legs and its rat men limbs are stretching out trying to grab him. He pulls out his weapon again, and tries to hit it back. He wasn’t fast enough the sudden appearance as the dust quickly catches it. The pace was in the right time but bad for his advantage. Once he lands a hit, the frozen prison breaks free. The tormented body consumed by the dust push forward. Then quickly got shot.
“What are you doing, Miyusuki?!! Get out of there. We have no idea what that thing is capable of”
“Shit! I know, Sonohara! The danger signs are making my system go haywire”
He runs, powering up his combat armor, a strong ram into the environment, breaking through obstacles. The monster tried to grab him, but the dusts resist its advance. The glow on its body where the skulls are shinning and releasing the mana core’s magic.
“Interesting” It whispers as the trail made it moved like a slug.
Sniper watches the monster coming at his partner. The far distance he had to pull through to get this nice view turned into an intense chase scene. Kombat sends him the data and divert it into his sniper rifle. The visual signatures made it him gritted his teeth as he is not certain how he aims it.
“Cores! They are moving like flies!”
A preventive shot fires. The monster can’t able to fight with its magic and uses every piece of its body to sling at Kombat as it tries to land a hit. A big chunk of it throws at him, and the shot landed and breaks into pieces. The shards managed to hit him, but protected by the dusts.
The shards collect itself as the body pieces managed to break free. The Dexter Guild have prevented it to use its other types of mana and only have nothing but demonic mana. The Jigeram makes it hard for it to contact with the others, and all while the fragments of the shamanistic rituals able to weaken the demonic mana. The monster notices it all, and continue to keep going. The chances of it following the runaway will lead to the others. They weren’t there. Nothing it can find as it sees more secrets forcing its kinds to summon separately.
These things would lead to one thing. The Heroes faction is already prepared or its masters have already been defeated. This mana core, it carries many visions who are with the demon faction. However, the rituals tainted it. Made it impossible to get the clear knowledge. It is impossible for the enemies’ side be winning to those who lost a great deal controlling the moon. Its sanity takes in as the shot lands on its random limbs. It trembles a bit and see the man disappeared. And with that, the monster dugs down as the dusts consumed it. Leaving itself frozen, sealing itself.
The base heard the report from Sniper “We have found what the Enders are searching for. Identify as the last wave. Since they give the information to keep it quiet, we found out the threat have lost all of its advantages and led to suffer the wrath of the dusts. Still able to fight and my partner wasn’t prepared for it. No damage so far, but the readings he gave me is more than dangerous. All its high tier magic depleted to none, and I wasn’t able to kill it with my ammunition . . .”
After a long analysis, Syri sends an ok sign. The workers call the manager. This will be the last time they can finally clear the remaining monsters in the demons’ army.