“There it is.”

Gris pointed as he gripped the steering wheel with one hand tightly. The calm, waving grass of the rolling hills was an irony to the chaos that lies ahead of them. Reiss, the town in the middle of it all, waved to the world with flames and pillars of smoke. D-7 drove and loomed near the outside walls, and, parking it just outside the gates, heard the constant raging fire from within. Yells and screams hinted every minute as if the gates of hell opened within, but they were likely just auditory illusions.

Hopefully.

“Peram and Vivace…” Enna said, rubbing her fingers to the edge of the table she leaned on.

“We need to be quick,” Fein noted as he double-checked his equipment. “There’s no telling if where they are inside those walls right now. Judging from the enormous smoke, the riots escalated to a point of no return.”

“Why would someone do this?” Wiz said, disheartened by the sight of the now-unstable town.

Gris sighed. “Pierre has something to do with this. I’m sure of it. His ability can easily incite in-fighting among the people around here. We’re somewhat resistant to it, but we need to be cautious…” placing his gems of varying colors into sockets on his suit, he grunted.

“It’s certain that those people the reserve op encountered are with them.”

“The reserve op… They’re captured, you know. Shouldn’t we prioritize them first?” Sora suggested, but Fein immediately declined with a nod.

“We don’t know their whereabouts, or where they are held at right now. Our best bet is to scour the place, with the details they relayed as a basis, but we don’t have enough time, even with your ability, Sora.”

“Hmph.” Sora scoffed. “I guess saving our own takes second priority, then.”

“We don’t have much choice. But we’ll save them. Our enemy won’t just carelessly kill potential sources of information. They’re not bandits.”

Each of them readied themselves. They secured their equipment, sleeves, and steeled themselves, for whatever may come at them within those walls, they must succeed.

The door let out a gust of pressurized air before opening.

“Let’s go.”

Inching through the dirt, D-7 formed a single file as they faced the gates. Gris slammed unto the heavy wood, but it only let out a resisting budge. The gates won’t give way.

“It’s locked from the inside.” He grunted. Without skipping a beat, Gris immediately ran back to the Beaver, signaled for the others to step aside, and rammed the gates. The wood did not withstand the full brunt of the metal and engine as it splintered into pieces. The vehicle continued up until a few feet away, facing the fire-laden buildings that ran through many blocks. The sheer density of the smoke above the town blotted much of the sunlight.

It’s as if the once-absentminded people they saw staring at them days ago turned into a blind rage against each other. The bricks of the buildings bore cracks, some were dirtied with soot, and the others were still burning, fire raging through the windows.

The others looked through the huge opening the Beaver opened for them and saw the same devastation. All of them were appalled, but Mido took most of the shock. Seeing the flames made him face yet again the visage of his home. A home he does not remember most of but poured much of his anger onto who burned it to the ground.

He shuddered, unsure of what to say, or feel. Or think. He became resilient over the past few days, seeing the cruel reality of this world, outside the comfort of the snowy valley he once lived in, but this sight… The downfall of a community rocked him to his core. It tortured his mind, as his rage against them goes unquenched yet again.

Smelling the brimstone emanating from the ashes, Mido was reminded that whoever made him and the people he lived with suffocating in the flames was here.

And whoever they were, whatever power they may hold, he must bring them to their knees.

“…Mido. Hey.” A warm feeling touched his hand.

“Let’s go.” A soothing voice pulled him back from the abyss.

Opening his eyes, he saw emerald eyes, shined faintly by the luminosity of the flames. Hazel hair, highlighted by the fire that danced erratically. That’s when Mido knew that he needed to steel himself.

“…Yeah.”

“This place is wrecked. Nothing seems right; everything’s out of place.” Sora said, heaving blocks of fallen wood foundations and destroyed brickworks. “This is a far cry from days earlier.”

“Let’s get some altitude around here. We need to find the others.” Fein said, gripping the wooden stock of his rifle tight.

“Let us go! Maniac!”

“Mama… Mama! Why is he pointing that to us?”

“You are a disgrace to this city! Die!”

Fits of struggling resounded. A blow and a grunt reverbed into the wall, followed by a cry.

A gunshot boomed. The screaming stopped.

“Is… is she—” An impact came next. Another gunshot was heard.

“What…What was that…” said Enna, trying to peek from the holes of the building they’re in. Suddenly, she heard the cracking of wood and stone. It was the sound of someone stepping on it. It got nearer, until Enna saw the silhouette of a helmeted man on the walls, inching closer and growing larger. Looking at the others, they were alerted, but they soon kept to themselves. Enna thought that their position must’ve drowned out most of the gunshots’ sound, and perceived them as far away. However, the footsteps told otherwise.

“…so, we should—”

“Shh! Someone’s here!” She whispered to the others, but it was too late.

“Huh? Who goes there?!” The man said, pointing his gun at the corridors. One wrong move and they will be spotted. His vision covered most of the exit points.

In a flash, Fein used his ability, dashing to the man, who had no time to react and knocked him out with a charged punch to the head. Flicking his wrist to numb the pain, Fein panted.

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“That was fast,” Gris said, unfazed. They secured the perimeter, with Enna guiding Gen, investigating the area she speculated where the gunshots came from. The others checked on the unconscious man. He wore a uniform reminiscent of that of the more sophisticated guards. Perhaps, the most significant detail is the shield insignia on his coat and cap.

“Why does this ‘city’ have two types of guards?” Mido asked, bending his body to reach and rummage any object containing relevant information from the man.

“Reiss has two districts. The Leighmann and this backwater they only called the slums. The reason why we chose to come here instead of that secured area is that Leighmann is strict on its rules, going so far as to divide the city into two factions. Both sides are in tension for a while, but It’s safe to say that the noble incited this in-fighting. This will reduce this poor city to dust in a matter of days, given the destruction already caused.” Sora detailed, coming up with nothing as he helped Mido rummage.

“No ID’s… that’s strange.”

“That man shot a mother and a child,” Gen said, fuming as he trudged back from their brief search. “This is outrageous.”

“Oi, Gen! What the—” Fein was startled when Gen yanked his rifle out of his hands. He cocked it, pointed at the man’s body on the ground, and relentlessly pulled the trigger. The shot echoed, as the man was shot unconscious without a word. His action shocked the others for a second.

“He deserved it, Fein. The people. They became cold-blooded murderers.” He coldly remarked.

“They’re controlled, Gen! He did not have any control—”

“Those people were not meant to die!” Gen snarled at Enna. He realized his unneeded rage and touched his face with both hands.

“I’m… sorry, captain. I let my emotions take over.”

“Save your emotions for Pierre. He’s the one that did them to this.” Fein said.

“Let’s face it: Reiss is now a warzone. Even killing is far from unjustifiable now.” Gris sighed. “Should we call for reinforcements?”

“I already proposed this idea. But unfortunately, our resources are lacking. The other apprehension groups are vastly spread out, and command can only dispatch a rescue team once we pinpoint reserve op B-5’s location.” Fein explained.

“I’m afraid we’re the only ones who can help.”

Everyone tried to grasp the scale of the situation they’re in. Reiss is a big town, and there might be pockets of Vassal resistance, to which they hope Peram and Vivace are with, but they cannot single-handedly quench a flame this big. Not even with the help of the local Vassals.

“Stop pondering, and let’s move.” Gris took it upon himself to take the first move. They followed him as he tapped Fein on the shoulder.

“Captain, don’t daze. We’ll do this.”

“…Right.”

D-7 traveled on foot, as the Beaver cannot fit in through the road, let alone one laden with rubble. As they neared the depths of the town, the carnage became more apparent. They had encounters with men from two oppositions, the guards and the commoners who armed themselves, fueled with irrational, mysterious rage. The group had to stick to the shadows. Eventually, an opportunity for a vantage point was set, and they soon acquired a watchtower with minimal damage. It provided good defense because of its walled structure and gave D-7 ample time to catch their breath.

Sora climbed up as the others secured the perimeter below. He surveyed the vast sea of flames that permeated much of the atmosphere. The rays of sunlight were blocked by the sheer thickness of the black smokes, and the sounds of gunshots and utter chaos dotted the town like rain.

‘Reiss is purging itself. How sick can you be, with that ability of yours, Pierre?’ Sora cursed. ‘You could’ve used that power for good, but no. You are a sadistic man.’ Readying himself, he planned to use his ability to increase D-7’s range of awareness.

“Grantor, let my sight extend to the skies, to the earth, and into the soul.”

Theian Precipice, Long-range tonal radar.

A torrent of tonal wind burst forth from Sora outwards, and after a moment, when he opened his eyes, so did his ability. His other senses became static, and it felt like his consciousness was lifted to the space around him.

From Sora’s eyes, he looked at the town from the sky. Every tracing of the roads between buildings, faint beats of life, from the huge flickering flames to the lightest of sprites, he saw it all. But he was not concerned with them, not now, that is. Trying to channel his ability to the level of the tones, he concentrated more. The resulting focus narrowed his senses more, but he can see a faint fog of colors from the sky. Focusing on the large blots, they were outlines of each Vassal’s tones, visible to him as ethereal wisps of energy.

‘Now, I’ve got to memorize this—ah!!’ Sora exclaimed as he sensed pain. It was confusing, as his consciousness was out of his body, but it felt like it came from his eyes. They were straining.

‘So… they’re there, and we’re here… Right!’ After tracing a line and committing it to memory, Sora quickly bolted back to his normal consciousness and deactivated his ability. The resulting shock made him collapse to his knees. Sora felt as if all of his senses except for his sight became numb from anesthesia. It lasted for a full minute before he carried himself back up.

“…I didn’t like that variation one bit…” Scoffing, he climbed back down to the others.

“Sora! How goes the search?” Gris waved at him.

“I’ve found a few Vassals holed up a few blocks from here. We have to cross a riverbank that goes through the town, however. It’s crawling with non-Vassals of an unknown faction. No way around it.”

“A chokepoint wouldn’t hurt, as long as we’re faster than the enemy. Everyone!” Fein called to them.

“Let’s move! Follow Sora!”

They immediately vacated the tower. Jogging through blocks of houses, buildings, and stalls, Mido realized Reiss did not end in just that part of the town. After they passed through an enormous roadblock where some people were still rioting, the buildings here noticeably became wealthier. It did not change the gritty atmosphere, however, as much of the roads were still in disarray.

Another turn and D-7 eventually came to face an esplanade. The once-pristine waters were now riddled with dark soot and whatever pieces of roofing or materials that managed to flow through its currents.

“There it is.” Sora pointed at the bridge that connected the two sides. In the far distance, the large shield-obelisk stood tall, still intact even though Reiss itself is slowly breaking.

“The pocket of Vassals is holed up in a space just after that bridge. It seems to be a foothold, but look…” Sora positioned himself and the others followed to see a fuller view of the bridge from beside it. A heavy blockade was placed on the other side. People were moving out and about, the still noise of gunfire racketed behind them.

“How do we do this…” Gris pondered and rummaged his bag for his gems.

“Swim stealthily on the banks?” Wiz suggested.

“I can’t swim,” Mido whispered.

“Possibly, but we’ll be spotted even if we take our time. I saw figures on the esplanade on the other side.” Gen sighed. “Hell, I even have a feeling we’re spotted right now. Let’s play it cool.”

“Play it cool?” Sora raised an eyebrow. “I don’t like where this is going, Gen.”

“We’re Vassal United. That fact might knock a defective gear or two from them.”

“Gen. They’re being controlled by a Vassal. We can’t reason with them.” Fein explained.

“We’ll cut the distance as short as we can. Then we surprise them and make a run for it. We have no options.”

“I have to say, stalling is better than brute-forcing. They might be controlled, but they can still be delayed, even if for a bit.” Gris found a gem and placed it in his hands.

“Right! Here it is.”

“Let me guess…” Sora said. “Flashbang?”

Gris scoffed. “Hmm… You can say it that way, but this is more of an experiment of mine…”

“Alright, here’s the plan…” Fein made the group retreat indoors and began to speak.

“Our first objective is to get their attention. Then we slowly close the distance as we stall the blockade. After that, you do your thing, Gris, and let’s make a run for it.”

“How do we stall them? Just talk?” Mido asked.

“What, you want to make a show on that bridge, then? I bet Enna can smooth-talk those dogs. Even from a distance.” Gen jested, making Enna pout.

“I dunno~” Enna mused. “That plan prints something like a scene from a skit I watched. Seems funny, but what the hell.”

“We are ill-equipped for headbutting that blockade,” Sora noted. “I agree with this ‘distraction’ plan, no matter how silly it is.”

“True.” Gris seconded. “If the Beaver were here, we would’ve cut straight through that blockade by now.”

“Right,” Fein grunted as he stood up from a chair. “Ready your abilities, Vassals. We’re up against Leighmann guards. Although we don’t know their specifics yet, they will pack a punch.”

Leaning back to his colleagues, and after sighing a sense of relief, Fein composed himself and encouraged them.

“D-7! Let’s do this!” Everyone stood up and assumed their valiant postures.

“Understood, captain!”

And so, Designation Seven, as the only Apprehension Group capable of helping the city of Reiss from destroying itself, will charge through the blockade, and collect the Vassals trapped on the other side, hoping that they will join forces together.