COI C196

It is the time. Multiple people are changing their minds from staying to leaving and vice versa. It is the time. Where people who are reconsidering certain types of people to allow the prohibitions to be regulated than full out banned it. The citizens have shared their opinions to the Enders, the Dexter Guild for example, have brought so much effort to pull through to get the city out from danger. More and more calling out issues to collaborate once again. The mayor’s advisor had promised they shouldn’t do it. Mountaiwall’s leaders have spoken it about it to the mayor before.

“. . . You will only have the Agatheans to do your project. My people and especially the Enders have very much hated your people in private. Betrayal is not coming from us, but the judgement of our people. Isekai City was brought here for a reason, and to this very place is a suspicion of a forsaken summoner. Heh, we won’t tell the details. Is it that right, you little green midget?”

“Oh, sog it, my boyz won’t be a good widgitz to you either. There are some who can, but what my tribes dared to go to the land with powerful mana”

Sork enters the conversation “And I am for one to be their widgitz, just to make sure that they aren’t the ones who destroyed our east coast”

The mayor’s advisor had done what he done to keep this city safe by their own rules and authority. He can’t believe that Fuku City still stand and the monsters didn’t even try to flank there. Only focusing to Taiyou Industries.

“Do you think Fuku City is in a cahoots with them?”

“That’s preposterous, they brought their Fuku adventurers to the industries too. Those are high leveled skilled people that the cult leader brought”

“He wasn’t there to join you, but he left a strong resistance until that demon gave powerful breached to the city barrier. Now the surface is shelled to the brim with dusts and crystals”

“Let’s focus to try to restore the city barrier before it rains again. The rain falls had very effective interaction with the dusts. While the dusts’ weaknesses are distilled or pure water. I don’t want to know what rain water is mixing it with”

“You should be learning more about it too. The rain water takes time to fall from the sky, the density and the substances it collected while they fall is already been filled. Like raining mud”

“Stop with the fucking trivia. I just want to do my job better in this situation”

The advisor is with the officials; Case, the official in foreign affairs. Justice, the official in public service and security. Grimoire, the official in education. It is quite strange that they brought one of the official for education, but he is the only one who has knowledge about the circumstances of the city. While more officials are alongside with him, the clear reason why they brought here is important.

One of the officials said to them. “One of the Enders from the island is warning us about the sole reason why we created the prohibition rules”

The advisor knows it and was hoping to keep at it. The people are start changing opinions about them more and more. Enders are not that easily given themselves a bad reputation. Even the rumored scamming Enders, who created the buzz word ‘judgement days’, portraying him as a hero. The people who are dead under his actions are all immoral people who had done impractical against women and children.

It is more than enough of people are wishing them to be a help for society. Meaning, there are certain types of Enders will surely get in and do something about the Foundation.

Grimoire speaks out his opinion “The rumors for this law is coming together with the Enders who will coming this city and our citizens are willing to smuggle them in. Unfortunately, the Enders Bridge can’t be any help for us as I’m reading right here”

The old message they found between Lady Hivites and their former mayor, Nakamura, mentioning about the Enders.

“. . . The Enders are in a what you called it feudal system. A rogue will come and they will not let them entertained their escape. Once they reached your people, they will take out strong trophies. People who had exceptional mana. The Enders still think of you as the people who are summoned by the summoner. You must ready your Foundation as soon as possible. Luckily for you, they will be active in the 4 to 5th moon cycle. Because your weaknesses are when the moon consumed your mana . . .”

Justice has no confidence if their forces would able to face them “After those volunteers have brought help to the police force. I don’t think ourselves without mana will be safe either to go against them”

“And we already know why. The consequence of staying here will bring worries to the region. We received powerful mana with lack of mastery of it. I will not admit this kind of trainee thinking, but a veteran or elite to get us as trophies are certain”

They spoke what they have the moral high ground where they are in their own city. Grimoire already think of themselves as foreigners who colonized their land. Like the western colonizers discover America. There is no different for them who brought more advance everything to the natives. Others are peaceful while the rest are hostile, no difference after all. Time moves swift as the lawless rule in this region start to show signs of this world reality. There is no such thing as no criminals. That’s how far he knows about civilization.

Case whispers to Grimoire “Hey, I am certain that I won’t be have a chat with Justice with these reports”

“Reports? You mean the scattered monsters around the city”

“That’s not about that. It’s about the city’s defenseless barrier. We found some criminals made here. Especially from Enders”

“Where did you get this information”

“From Stranding Island, I told you that I’m involved with foreign affairs”

“Then how do you get the ideas that those Enders are criminals?”

“I have no idea about royalty, but I heard they are summoned back to Enders Bridge. The only people are allowed inside our city are the Enders reside before the siege”

This is not good. The conflict of trusts and ever changing to this city’s condition. All that is left for the city is stay quarantine, a lockdown where they could not leave yet. The evacuation areas are still kept them inside. They are in such a relief at first, but the outside wasteland in their own city feared them to stay inside. The most delicate part of it is Isekai city’s crucial system to keep their mana intact. it is reaching its limit. Isekai City is stoned into crystallization. Dusts turned to sands as shifting it like sand dunes moving like a sea.

Miyusuki had finished school, and the rest of Sister’s Hope Highschool students are not going back to the evacuation area for a bit. Their school is in crystals, but what let them go to school willingly was entering the sphere. The simulation helps them learn and fear the Jigeram’s light. It was the experience they don’t want to face. The fear of to lose completely of their mana and rely the natural strength they have or lose to the crystallization on their bodies. They rather stay in the sphere and not the real thing outside.

Thanks to the sphere’s rule. Their fatigue, hunger, and mental state won’t last them to stay and found themselves inside the simulation room. Slowly they are gaining numbers and tried to use magic to either expand the room or change their sizes to make them all fit. It’s a atter of time to return to the evacuation area. Miyusuki made it out and he had three portals to go. His friends beg him to go with him. One of the portals is to Stranding Island. His training continues through there, and he brought them once then preferred there because of the dusts.

He was got into trouble with the Enders, yesterday, and it was due to that his guild has no activities in the island. His trainer for this time is Ironno, and he still don’t know when will Haw will be coming back.

“Sorry, but remember what they said yesterday”

“Oh, come on, we are getting bored in the evacuation area. The stench of magic is filled into a brim with other spells from people. It feels like mana is getting crowded”

“Yeah well, see you guys”

“WAIT!” Miyusuki enters the portal and teleported him to the island.

Miyusuki accidentally fell and dropped on Rusic “Ouch! Lad! Try not to get yourself flying off to those portal things. Like you are trying to go here waiting for someone to land your tush like a baby you are”

“Sorry, but . . .”

“Ah, ah, ah. Forgiveness weighs better with ale, but you won’t be drinking this year and the next either”

Rusic brings him to Ironno. The embassy is empty and the five banners lie hanging on the walls packed up together. Miyusuki didn’t hesitate and goes inside and lies his back with one of the cushions.

Rusic chuckles to see the boy acting like this again. “I’m getting a feeling that their city had poor beddings and . . . sniff* . . . that burning mana stench. Ironno, do you think we are going to start his training now? I mean the fighting against what is left out there”

“I won’t allow it, not yet”

“Agh! I knew you would be saying that. The boy is getting spoiled with gifts. He has a toy and his dark lousy breath tries to be those Circoston’s thing. What about his shields? His name is the shield student”

“He was giving a nickname because his first use of magic is defensive”

“Yeah, I guess you inspired to be like you”

Ironno slides his pickaxe to one of the shields on the storage. The end of the pick speaks otherwise, the runes it has, the faded runes forge together, and separated into the scrolls. Rusic can’t make this man speak enjoyably. The demonic burns on him really can’t make him any better. Rusic sits himself on the floor and feel like they are the weak ones.

“Sigh* You’re right, what are we supposed to survive like this. The prohibition will eventually kill us if this keeps up”

The shield student hears them bickering about it. As he opens up his gauntlet, the condition of it is already falling apart where its energy able to hold it together but the functions of its parts are struggling to keep it straight. He feels the weight of the gauntlet really makes not strong enough to carry it in one hand. He remembers back in the sphere when those simulated Enders stay away from him. He never knew the gauntlet needs a hit in order to get his energy. He can do it in the environment but it was so little to collect.

The depressing feeling to return back to the start. The gauntlet is truly a painful reminder for his inept not understanding archscience equipment. Haw warned him not to fix it on his own. The shield student can only imagine it for being a car or something. He laughs a little and tries to forget about it. The quick then slow movement is coming closer to him with his eyes open. Trying to turn to the other side of the bed. The small thing sticks close to his view in such a far distance while he moves by a head turn. He just smiles as he blinks. Already it looks at him in the eyes, the wide blank circles looking it with floating bars above it eyes as eyebrows. Then it disappears after it gives him a mean look.

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“Fae-chan, I know you are smarter than that. Please don’t act like a kid”

“My keepers give me this body and taking care their younglings. You are younger than younglings. You don’t know why the Ankr(s) give me to you”

The shield student fell asleep as it tries lecture him. “Behold! The youngling sleeps as I speak”

Rusic comes into the room and sees Fae-chan ritualized itself close to the shield student’s slumber. The familiar is obviously the protector and trainer for the children. It casts a ritual on him where his dream weaves to its control. His dream has become a virtual fantasy.

Miyusuki, at first, he dreamt about Rusic’s tales about what Miyusuki talked about in his first city sphere adventures. A vague to his tales as he barely remembers the words as he goes through the dream.

“Trials, a path to most dwarves have travelled through. The corridors to the small tunnel that fits one man in the single line. Mindless fight to take turns fighting at the front one by one. There you see scratch marks where many tried to fight in confined spaces. Others hurt from the back and fell without a chance to take their turn to face it”

A tight corridor and a tunnel that fits for a single man to go through. A dream where he was there with Team Platinum as remembered, not by passing through, but giving a chance to fight the golem. Mislead by the dream, entertaining for what he had expected before. Lacking to feel the reality, only adrenaline, and vast numbing strength to push through without any harm. He dreams if he could ever beat them without wits and cleverness. The shield student’s dream is to be strong just like all heroes in the anime. Only if, he could get strong quickly.

Fae-chan enters his dream, both memory and fantasy put together hoping to be strong. Where it sees the part of the reason faded away as dreams can’t be fully remembered. Its reason is what it saw, the purpose is there quickly falls apart when the boy will wake up. A sad one to be forgotten, it clouded itself into the end of its existence. A goodbye that most dreams are not fully remembered. An embarrassing one, but worthy to witness of this familiar. It weaves his dream to the fading one, hearing the voice he wanted to say.

“MOMMY LOOK! I told you I can take care of you. I promised DAD!”

The shield student wakes up leaving a tear. He wipes it off out of confusion, then feels his head is heavy as he tries to move. He checks his head and it was Fae-chan, the doll familiar, making a chicken movement where he keeps moving without swaying his head anywhere else.

“Man, you’re heavy, what are you doing lying on my head?”

“Dream weaving. I protect younglings from bad monsters scaring the night”

“I’m not a kid”

“I feel your eyes watering. You cried for fear”

“Laugh* I was . . . Why am I crying? I dream about the fighting against a golem and”

He didn’t say back to Fae-chan. The shield student grabs it and place it on the ground like a pet. Fae-chan won’t be say anything more and begin leaving the room. Ironno catches it and grabs it by his hand. The muscles show in his veins giving signs that he is carrying a familiar weighing a ton. Familiars are always with their owners. It is hard to be shared by anyone except for the owner to allow it. This is Yui’s familiar given to him. Sanquin’s presence is being mingled with it and it is trying to force out the seal inside of him as he is producing his own mana by his own natural body.

Ironno drops it, by how fast it drops then quickly fall like a feather when it hits the ground. The familiar is truly keeping secrets made by past owners. Yui, the woman gives it to Miyusuki. What else more will he be going get out of favor? He can’t say it, and the first who allows it was Sanquin. A deep breath and blows with a sigh, Ironno needs to train him and should’ve earn it with his own strength. The rubs of his skin to remember the burns of the demons’ fresh puppet. The challenge, the boy faced will do the same.

“Are you ready for special training?”

“Special training?”

Rusic hears it and said it in deep concerns “The little lad is going somewhere? Everywhere in his city is already surrounded with dusts. No one is going to breathe properly in there. The place is like a wasteland, lively wasteland where people still inhabit inside the city”

“There is no need for concerns. I’m the one will be training with him, and Haw has personal matters as well”

“Eh, that lad left can’t have his potions begin with. Ironno, take care of the boy. Remember who is the one who brought to your guild”

“I remember, even you. A young boy won’t be staying long in this world, right?”

The shield student nods and quickly ready himself with his stuff. Rusic sighs with such unconcerned circumstances with the boy. “I’m not saying the wee lad not doing some dangerous stuff in this moon cycle”

He looks at the kid as he didn’t know how to react for this dwarf being worried. “There’s no clean job out there. Even you have saferooms across the city. I can imagine you will be fine, but you’re not alone”

The shield student struck him, Rusic is right. The dangers of this world he must endure. He only knew about dusts, but who are still lied inside of it.

The first is the rumored volunteering work. Teacher Haw was in it, and the teachers were whispering about him fighting against the citizens. The imagination they put through, can’t describe how injured they were. The healing magic truly hides their scars. Then about this week, the talk about burns and can’t let them get out of bed. Ironno is in front of him all clear from the so-called burns thanks to the healing or medication they had. The fear that is brings to him is now on his skin. Going through this training, Miyusuki must face it soon or the dangers will be greater.

“I can do it”

The shield student said to the both of them. His confidence is lacking but they can see the aura around him severing the boy senses with Sanquin’s presence. Rusic doesn’t like those kinds of trainers with supports behind the individual’s determination, while Ironno keeps in check how far did he able to get Sanquin’s power. It would be risky. The boy’s first downfall when he was trying to rescue his friends from the rat men’s realm. That defeat was too swift, the everlasting pain to go through is what needed to endure.

Rusic feels his leg and it was the familiar. He knows that every man needs company to deal against their everyday struggles, but the boy surrounded with help. The training he deserved should be the example of hardship paid off. Rusic silently whispers himself to the dwarven gods, to help the boy find his strength surrounded by guardians.

“Rusic?” The shield student reaches out to him

Ironno stops him “He has his doubts, I hope you could face my training. Because in this new cycle. This is your city’s true weakness. The people of this region will take their chances”

Through the magic circle after their discussions, they go through to one of the saferooms. To where they are going, Miyusuki doesn’t know. The path he takes to train is now closer to what have Enders must train for. Haw taught him enough of the basics. Kiege short term sparring. Yui opening his blessings from Sanquin, and Juela’s trials in the city sphere. All put together with little to understand he needed to do to go against the wilderness of his city. The dust wastelands of Isekai City.

Inside the saferoom, where Haw left some components for Miyusuki’s gauntlet. The training from Ironno describe as scheduled training. Ironno gives him a time limit scroll only set to three hours. Miyusuki finished school at 4pm and magically appeared here at that certain time. As the time is 6pm, he had this hour just to prepare. His training with Haw how to do maintenance with archscience tech and with a little help with his uncle, he could be able to get it to work but couldn’t upgrade it.

The first time he disassembled the gauntlet with his own hands, and see the parts that he cannot comprehend. The components are like ticking time bombs for him, and only he can do is to record himself the parts he had removed in order to for him to fix right back up. It wasn’t easy to remove the high-quality plates and customizable flexible interior. There he can see it. The energy storage and the converter distribution system. He found more than he could understand from it. Ironno gives him a book. It wasn’t a book as he opens it. It is a literally Haw’s notes.

After translating it, he found out the complexity of crafting archscience tech. The procedure of the process made him realize how he was lucky for having the gauntlet in the first place. Haw or the Dexter Guild could able to decipher it clearly and use standardized materials without any imitation. Tonight, wasn’t his night to set out. Remember what he had learn from his guild, then he thought of something. He was being tested. All of the Raker Mawn guild who are with him will always doing it by pairs, no one is going out there alone.

Ironno should be joining with him, but the shield student thought otherwise. His classmates have more experience together with him than any of his guild members. The first adventure he had gone with them is Rusic, Archivist, and Tabitha. The more he thinks about it that he needs more members beside them two alone. They are in the most difficult circumstance and only two facing the 4th moon cycle and whatever had left in the dusty wasteland. And only for an hour without preparation, he thought it would be too good to be true.

The shield student asks him “Do you think we can handle ourselves out there?”

“That’s what I am thinking. The training is practical. I am waiting for you for any sense of mind that you think I can you bring out there”

“So, you mean to tell me, you are going to send me out there. Prepared only by myself? I don’t . . .”

The shield student thought the rules of the Enders guild. Haw specifically mention it from differentiating between different world. The guild member is nothing at all as an adventurer. The guild meant for individuals working together in the same profession.

The adventurers’ guild was nothing but an anime trope idea of the story. This world of adventurers are the modern days of explorers from westerners. That idea sprung to his head as he continues to think deep. He was trying to go out there thinking like an anime character would do. It wasn’t, he has to go into the dusty landscapes with dangers he wasn’t prepare for. The weak enemies from the remnants of the demons’ army. That’s where he is going to face or so he thought. He opens his mouth aloud.

“Are you going to get me out there on purpose to learn the harsh environment? Only me?”

“Ah, the typical mindset of the citizens. Did Haw never teaches you our version to travel across the harsh lands?”

“I did! But I didn’t expect to go out there now”

Ironno picks out his pickaxe, he wipes the edge of the pick with his scrolls, then tap it to his shoulders. He feels the runes pinching into his skin then quickly falls down.

“Ugh!”

He stays quiet and starts to remember all what Haw taught him before. Ironno gives him a punishment to not let him forget it again.

Both knows what’s up, and Ironno slides the tools and the parts to the shield student’s side. “Keep maintaining your gauntlet for the next day. The rest of this hour will be you bearing your mistakes. You need to practice the discipline I will get to you. From now on, think on your own and prepared what you are going to face. Act like an Enders and do what you have learned before. Isekai City wasn’t a good place to train you. Today, they stood and almost fell to their defeat while we rest into your facilities. Don’t dare to doubt that Enders have limited resources thanks to the prohibition”

Miyusuki keeps working on the gauntlet with his hands trying to bear the surge of the pickaxe picking into his shoulder. He had forgotten, the rules of the guild in the Enders’ side. One, expedition tested by experience. Only be proven how long they survived in certain conditions. Two, strong or not, attrition will be tested by the numerous unworldly threats. Three, preparedness only gives time. The true success it must be done as soon as possible. Skipping to the rest, where needed to learn his success. The successes must be the basic. Either be a blessing or a curse, that’s what he needed to take that risk.

The risk he must take as the time is up. Ironno waits for him to ready to go, but the shield student left and disappeared right before his eyes. He checks what the gauntlet is in. Only he can see are parts scrambled and other components lying empty. He cleaned it up, and soon faded away to join with the owner, Miyusuki. Ironno sees how valuable the gauntlet is and moved on, he goes to the stadium. Abandoned for all citizens to go. He goes to the stadium alone. There he could meet strangers invading the city. The practice he wanted for him is to face them.

The voice of the strangers called out to him “It’s an Enders, FIRE!”

Needle like bolts of crystals rained down on him. The crystals exposed by the dusts and its damage weakened. He keeps going as rained in the dirt. The swings of his pickaxe, he steps into the stadium. Where more of them are lying on the ground. The fight was already over, the timing should be on the mark as he sets up before the night comes. The agatheans are already here. They called out to the Enders

“We weren’t able to get them on the roof. The night will come and they will escape this place”

Ironno wants the shield student to witness this, the harshness that everyone left into the worse conditions. Their own people, the bandits and other criminals had come to this place to collect the remnants of the demons’ armies. The setting should be easy enough for the young boy to fight but the dangers are greater severely or concussively. The matter for this practice that he must know his limits and the basic teaching by those women in their guild to show him the reason why he must attain the skills needed to fight against than obtain strength without purpose.

These Agatheans are Victory Rooks adventurers retaking this place and made it into their own. Ironno sees the makeshift interior and his mouth remained silent from its awing structure. He didn’t respond to them verbally. The interior had shown signs of Lady Hivites’ reign. The demons hiding withing the adventurers are surely there to look after it. One wrong move of truth he knew about them, putting together with the demon as their subliminal symbol will be the hindrance of many people around them. He steps out to the rise of the night. While one of them gargoyle itself into a form of crystals, watching him reading his thoughts knowing too well. Ironno was able to leave the stadium.

Meanwhile Miyusuki and his uncle is having their dinner. Shared with friends and other peoples in the evacuation area. His uncle is struggling to let his nephew choose. Sniper though, he is totally against it.

“You’re wishing for a death sentence. Me and your uncle are struggling for our air filters getting into our breathers. The Jigeram’s light is no joke and it feels like we are in a nuclear winter wonderland”

“Laugh* Oh, my bad. I knew my brother-in-law has great inspiration to get you back on top. It is kind of bad for an uncle like me to bring my younger sister’s kid into dangerous place”

“I know that, but you’ve seen what happened to the city” Miyusuki tries to talk back and at the same time struggling to find the right word to convince them.

Sniper is a smart man knows too well to counter his argument. “Our city had many precautions. It was really an evitable time since we are new to this world. There are still hope for us to survive in the new future. Or better yet, get that Foundation working and all of us must leave and forget what we experience in this world”

Sniper is scolding him like a normal parent would, but Miyusuki’s uncle thought otherwise. They were almost got killed many times in the fight. Leaving no people to trust to take care of him. Putting the trust for the protection from the government is always the thoughts of the people. Sniper didn’t believe it. The mind crawling with regret if Miyusuki fails and won’t be able to leave this world. Miyusuki had no options left to either be dead or alive. Then Kombat sees his nephew is not turning back down. The eyes of the boy like he was inspired by someone. He can’t help it but laugh. Sniper argues back to him

“Why are you laughing? This is your nephew taking his life in danger”

“I know, I know. But to whom I can leave to if we don’t make it”

“I’m trying to keep your nephew alive”

“That’s what everyone wants, he is going to be a man someday and I want him to be that man. His father is braver than the both of us. (Sigh* I have to say to him) I’ll let you do this, only if you have a buddy with you”

“!!!” Miyusuki was a bit surprised.

It not because of his uncle always supportive for him, but he was hesitating and started to doubt a bit. The experience of taken care of the funerals really make everyone depressed. That excitement turned spoiled. Fortunately, his uncle keeps him going. He says to them

“I promised! We’ll survived this world!”