Chapter Eight: Mission Start
Yozora and T.LAC sit attentively in the briefing room, as Selene begins the mission brief.
“No more time to waste,” Selene states firmly, her tone sharp and deliberate. “Let’s get started. S.T.A.R.S. Field Agent Alex Reyes has spent days reconnoitering the location Jezebel indicated. The compound is located in the heart of Houston’s Third Ward—a heavily fortified stronghold. The structure is shaped like a giant ‘T.’ The top crossbar houses the command center, secured under heavy surveillance, while the vertical stem contains barracks, storage rooms, and what Reyes suspects are holding cells. Extending from the south wing is a hangar and active airstrip, likely used for supply drops or emergency extractions. Armed guards patrol the perimeter, automated turrets cover critical points, and surveillance cameras monitor every high-traffic area.”
Yozora raises a hand, his tone direct. “Any intel on Jezebel?”
Selene exhales audibly, the weight of the question evident in her expression. “Zora, you need to understand—Jezebel is ruthless and dangerously manipulative. She’s suspected to be in the command center, and her presence alone casts a heavy shadow over the compound. Based on my experience, Jezebel doesn’t even need the tech or an airstrip. She’ll notice you the moment you step inside. That’s why T.LAC will use Kakusu to move carefully and silently to find Mara.”
She crosses her arms, shifting the conversation. “In the shadows beyond the eastern perimeter, Zephyr will open a portal. That will be the insertion point, a carefully selected blind spot just out of range of patrols and surveillance. Timing is everything—a second too early or late could spell disaster.” Selene’s gaze sharpens as she addresses Yozora directly. “You’ll act as the primary distraction. Your job is to draw the attention of Jezebel’s forces—and possibly Jezebel herself. Your task is clear: make noise, create chaos, and ensure all eyes stay on you, there’s no room for hesitation. The mission’s success—and Mara’s life—depend on your performance.”
She shifts her attention to T.LAC. “For infiltration, the spotlight is on you, T.LAC. While Yozora takes the stage, you’ll slip through the vertical stem of the structure. You must move with speed, precision, and complete stealth. If you fail, Jezebel could find you—or worse, kill Mara on the spot. Your primary mission is to locate Mara. Reyes believes she’s being held in the basement cells or one of the secure rooms within the barracks. Every step must be measured. Every sound muted. Use your beads to cover more ground while in Kakusu—they’ll remain cloaked as long as you are.”
Her tone hardens. “Jezebel’s guards are elite—highly trained and heavily armed—but they’re not Tuners. Direct confrontation is a last resort. If Yozora does his job well, you’ll have the time you need to complete your search.”
Selene points to the map, her finger tracing a route. “Once you locate Mara, signal Zephyr to reopen the extraction portal at the insertion point. The team will rendezvous there and retreat before Jezebel has a chance to regain control. If anything goes wrong, contingency plans are in place.”
Yozora raises his hand again, his brow furrowed. “Why can’t the rest of you help with the mission?”
Selene shakes her head, her voice measured but firm. “Zora, if anyone besides you and T.LAC steps in, it’ll attract too much attention. S.T.A.R.S. and opposing factions would immediately investigate why Zephyr and I, two S-grade Tuners are attacking a compound. That would only escalate the situation and put Mara’s life in even greater danger. We all love Mara, but we can’t risk a battle extending beyond the mission area and causing unnecessary casualties.”
Yozora nods slowly, the logic sinking in. “That makes sense. I figured there was a reason y’all weren’t stepping in.” He turns to T.LAC, his tone softening. “Well, T, let’s get our girl back. And hermano… be careful out there.”
T.LAC grins, meeting Yozora’s gaze as they exchange their signature handshake. “For sure, Zora. You already know. Let’s get lit.”
Selene shifts her focus to Zephyr. “Open the portal. It’s time to get started.”
The room falls silent as Zephyr begins their task. A faint hum fills the air, and a swirling portal of light materializes, casting a faint glow across the team. Yozora and T.LAC share a final look before stepping forward, determination etched into their features.
T.LAC and Yozora step through the portal, to the eastern perimeter, where they see an unfamiliar landscape, the faint hum of the portal closing behind them, Yozora and T.LAC stay silence for a moment. The weight of their mission pressing down on them, but T.LAC broke the quiet his expression sobered slightly as he looked at Yozora, concern flickering in his eyes. “Zora everything’s going to be okay. I’ll find Mara.. so just focus on staying alive.” T.LAC rested his hands casually behind his head with a smile on his face full of anticipation. “We’re main characters like in a manga, we always save the day, so cut loose Zora, if you see Jezebel, hit her extra hard for me.
Yozora felt the anger rise again—anger at what his parents had done to him, how they had sealed away his true power. It gnawed at him like a constant weight. His expression, however, remained cold and unreadable. "Don’t worry about me,"he said flatly, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
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T.LAC saw right through it. He could always tell when Yozora was faking, but he knew there was nothing he could do to change how his friend felt. Instead, he nodded. “Alright, Zora. I’ve got your back.”
"Use Kakusu to conceal your Toro," Yozora instructed. "I’m going to make some noise. When all eyes are on me, find Mara and get her out. I’ll handle the rest."
T.LAC’s expression shifted to one of focus as he activated Kakusu, his Toro vanishing from sight, blending seamlessly into the environment.
Yozora, now fully focused, took a deep breath. As he exhaled, he unsheathed Jūnikagami (Twelve Mirrors). "Illuminate the infinite sky, Sutā Geizā no Yaiba!” His clothes at the same time transformed—his school uniform morphing into a sleek, jet-black suit adorned with a flowing trench coat. His eyes, glowing like distant stars, locked onto the compound. Without hesitation, Yozora kicked off, as though pushing off an invisible wall, sending him hurtling forward at breakneck speed. The sheer force of his movement caused the air behind him to warp, evaporating the heavy fog in his wake. "Sutā Geizā Fumi—Form Two: Tachi (Sever)."
In one fluid motion a, vertical slash ripped through the compound with terrifying precision, the structure crumbling as the power of Tachi (Sever) carved a gaping hole through the eastern wall. Erupting the compound into chaos. “Chūseishi no Gyōshi (Neutron’s Gaze)” Yozora, gaze was cold as he listened alarms blared, and soldiers scrambled. Smoke billowed high into the air, thick and acrid, mingling with the wailing alarms that echoed across the compound. The pounding of soldiers' boots grew louder as they rushed to the scene, some gasping for breath, others groaning in pain as they struggled to hold on, their comrades succumbing to wounds from the Yozora attack. Through the haze of battle, Yozora eyes glowed with a cold, almost demonic light, cutting through the smoke as he strode forward, to the heart of the compound. The weight of his presence was suffocating, he walked through the smoke like a specter of death, his voice low and filled with wrath.
"Where is she? Where is Jezebel?" His demand echoed through the compound, laced with menace.
With a swift slash from Sutã Geizā the smoke parted, revealing a sight that would make any normal person hesitate—hundreds of combatants, armed to the teeth, standing in formation.
Yozora's lips curled into a cold smile. "Give me Jezebel, and I may show mercy. But if you wish to test me..." His eyes burned brighter as he resheath Sutā Geizā" I shall grant you all death."
In that instant, the soldiers made their choice. They charged.
The first combatant, a soldier wielding a sword, lunged forward with a powerful swing aimed directly at Yozora. But Yozora, faster than the eye could track, caught the soldier’s wrist mid-attack, pulling him in and driving an elbow into his stomach. The man crumpled, his breath leaving him in a gasp.
Another combatant charged from the side, but before he could strike, Yozora spun with a perfect roundhouse kick, the force snapping the man’s neck with a sickening crack. The soldier collapsed, his body hitting the ground before he had a chance to cry out.
A squad of soldiers, realizing the futility of close combat, fired rockets at Yozora. The missiles tore through the air, but Yozora backflipped gracefully, dodging the projectiles with ease. Before the rockets could even hit the ground, he dashed into the air, his movements so swift he appeared to blur.
""Sutā Geizā Fumi—Form One: Shűkaku (Harvest)," Yozora whispered.
With a wide, sweeping slash Sutā Geizā unleashed a deadly sweeping, crescent-shaped slash that mimics the motion of a scythe cutting through grain cleaving through the soldiers like they were nothing more than stalks of wheat in a field. The combatants disintegrating on contact, their bodies dissolving into dust as they were caught in the wake of Yozora's attack.
The combatants fell one by one, their numbers rapidly dwindling, yet Yozora’s expression never changed—cold, emotionless, and unrelenting. The battlefield was quickly reduced to a graveyard of ash and debris, the remains of those foolish enough to challenge him scattered like dust in the wind. "Where is Jezebel?" Yozora growled again, his voice carrying through the eerie silence that followed the slaughter, his patience running thin
While Yozora wreaked havoc on the main compound. T.LAC moved like a shadow, his mind focused on one mission: Finding Mara. His thoughts raced as he recalled the briefing from earlier, the layout of the compound etched into his memory.
“The compound is laid out like a ‘T’,” he thought, his sharp eyes darting around as he moved. “Selene said Reyes believes Mara is in the basement cells or one of the secure rooms within the barracks.” Without wasting a second, T.LAC broke into a sprint. His movements were fluid and soundless, his body a blur as he cut through the darkness toward the basement cells and barracks.
As he neared the door to the basement cells, T.LAC’s instincts kicked in. His senses sharpened. Something was off. His hand reached for the door when, out of nowhere, two kunai whizzed toward him from behind. In a seamless motion, T.LAC rolled to the side, dodging the blades effortlessly. He snapped to his feet, summoning his weapon with a whisper.
"Rensa Uchikadake! Hōjō no Shōkō!” before he could fully assess his surroundings, a voice echoed from the shadows.
“Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!”
A massive dragon made of pure flame surged toward T.LAC, its jaws wide and roaring with intense heat. He darted to his right, narrowly escaping the scorching blast. The flames licked at the ground where he once stood, the heat making the air sizzle.
“Hōjō no Shōkō: Bow form Kyn’tralis.” T.LAC muttered, firing a volley of blue ice arrows into the shadows, each arrow slicing through the air, to flush out whoever was lurking in the darkness.
But instead of retreating, a voice, cool and mocking, seemed to come from every direction at once.
"Oh little brother this breaks my heart…our Master I’m sure is rolling in his grave. Pitiful everything you gave up to be with that cold bastard and inferno.”The voice sent a shiver down T.LAC’s spine, its familiarity unsettling him. He scanned the area, turning his head in every direction, trying to pinpoint its source—but there was nothing. The mocking tone continued, circling him like a predator.
"Who are you?!" T.LAC yelled, frustration and confusion bubbling to the surface. "What master?!"
His hand moved to his head as the weight of his missing memories bore down on him. The confusion, the lack of clarity—it was all becoming too much. He searched the shadows, his eyes wild with desperation.
"Dammit!" he muttered through clenched teeth. "What the hell happened in the past?"
Suddenly, the voice spoke again, but this time it was right behind him, cold and dripping with disdain.
"Pathetic. Poor little Lack... behind you."
T.LAC’s eyes widened in shock, but before he could react, a swift hand struck the back of his neck. His vision blurred, the world around him spinning as his body crumpled to the ground. The last thing he heard before losing consciousness was the voice, now a whisper laced with cruelty.
"This time I’ll make you finally understand true power… bye for now little brother"
As his body gave out and his mind slipped into unconsciousness, T.LAC’s final thoughts echoed in his mind.
"Mara... Zora... I’m sorry."