Sector 25: The Sector Center [21:59]

Kenji jabbed his spear forward, but the mazoku had some type of speed ability that made it hard to hit. Frustrated, Kenji swung his spear to give a blunt impact, but the mazoku went under his spear and punched him in the stomach. Kenji heaved from the impact, but it looked like the mazoku broke a few of his fingers from the speed of the impact. In fact the mazoku hadn’t been hit at all by Kenji and yet he looked tired. His left arm hung limply, he favored his left leg, and now his fingers on his right hand were broken. From Kyou’s perspective it seemed like this mazoku’s ability was too much for his body to actually handle. Kyou rubbed his head, he could help Kenji but he really wasn’t in the mood. The idea of fighting a mazoku didn’t seem like the right thing to do.

Kenji had pierced forward for another attack and the mazoku lunged left to dodge, but tripped over his now broken ankle. Taking the opportunity, Kenji pushed his spear in the ground and swung around it to kick him in the head. Agent 010 fell to the ground with a hard smack. The air escaped from his lungs and his body twitching in shock.

Kenji walked calmly up to him, settling his foot on the mazoku’s back. Kyou turned away at the thought of Arisa under his boot instead.

Kenji cleanly pushed his spear through the mazoku’s neck- right where the spine meets the neck, “Disposed of-”

Kyou heard a loud thud and turned back to see Kenji had been thrown into the nearby building.

The elemental screamed as she ran to Kyou. She was breathing heavily but biting back tears. Wind seemed to fly off her skin in sharp attacks aimed at nowhere in particular. There was a look in her eyes filled with anger. Kyou fell back in surprise, holding up his arm to defend. The elemental grabbed him by the wrist and threw a punch at his stomach, throwing him back.

Keiko fell to her knees beside Agent 010, “Ojii….” her voice was shaky and her throat seized as she tried in vain to hold back the tears spilling from her eyes. She reached for his wrist to grab the omni-book but jumped back because Kenji had thrown his spear at her body.

“You fuckin mazoku cowards!” he spat blood and wiped his mouth, “That’s not very lady like ya know?”

Kenji threw himself at Keiko, kicking, punching, twirling his spear around. Keiko did all she could to dodge and block- she couldn’t even focus on finding an opening.

Kyou ran to the body of the mazoku and pulled it away from them- even a dead mazoku has value to STAM. He turned back to Kenji and the elemental- while he didn’t get involved in the other fight, a black agent was different. He held up his arm and took aim, “KENJI!” he screamed before activating the light.

In an instant, Keiko grabbed Kenji, spun him around and kicked him toward Kyou. Kenji fell into Kyou and cursed, stopping Kyou from using his light.

Keiko ran for Agent 010 and grabbed the omni-book on his wrist. Kyou reached over and grabbed her arm. Keiko swung with her other arm and landed a punch on his jaw allowing her to slip from his grasp. She turned to run but Kenji grabbed her ankle pulling her to the ground, and the omni-book toppled from her grasp. Kenji yanked on her ankle, pulling her to him.

She cried out as her skin scraped against the ground, her suit ripping slightly. When Kenji pulled her close enough she kicked her foot right in his face- his grip on her ankle didn’t falter.

Kyou grabbed her other ankle, the one pressed into Kenji’s face, and pulled her off. He flipped her on the ground and held her wrists behind her back tightly, “I’ve got her! Kenji grab the-”

Furious, and with a bloody face, Kenji pushed Kyou off of the elemental and kicked her in the rib cage, spinning her over on her back.

“Kenji!” Kyou shouted at him, but Kenji made no reaction that he heard him.

He picked up the elemental by her throat, but she kicked both legs up and slammed them into his chest throwing up back. She twirled in the air to fall on her feet. She immediately lunged for the omni-book on the ground but Kyou grabbed it first, “What could this be that you want so badly?” he examined it carefully.

Without any warning, the elemental sucked in a lung full of air and gusts of wind began to twirl around her- growing larger and larger into a tornado. Kyou fell back at the force of the wind and the omni-book got sucked up by the air storm. The elemental turned her path around toward the fallen mazoku, but before the winds managed to lift him, Kenji pierced his spear through the chest of the mazoku and into the ground, wedging it there. Kenji held tightly to the spear, glaring at the elemental in the center of the twister.

She screamed, ready to fight him again when she heard Hong’s voice in the omni-book’s connection, “013 that’s enough! You’ve retrieved the omni-book! Leave him!”

She cried out in anguish one more time, “I wont leave him!” her hand fell hard against the omni-book disconnecting the nerve connection. She flung herself at Kenji, her anger taking over her.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Keiko slammed Kenji into the ground using a gust of wind to push him harder. He pushed his body up but Keiko slammed her boot into his face.

Rage was taking over her. Kenji stood and twirled his spear to hit her, but she slammed a wall of air into him pinning him to the ground. She turned around to Kyou who was setting up his paralysis. Keiko lunged for him. The two exchanged blows.

You shouldn’t be so reckless. She bit back tears at the sound of Ojii’s voice in her head. Who is going to protect Arisa if you’re gone?

She screamed and slammed her leg into Kyoushirou’s hip. He wobbled back but Keiko grabbed his arm that had the anti-mazoku weapon and slammed her elbow into it, cracking the display. She pulled Kyou toward her. Kyou dodged her attack for his face and slammed his free elbow into her side. She faltered over, but the winds around her were stronger. She lunged for Kyou, but suddenly Kenji held her back with his spear. She growled at him and pushed him over her so he fell to the ground. Kenji coughed as the air escaped from his lungs from the impact. Keiko slammed her boot in his face, making him finally pass out.

She turned to Kyou again, walking toward him as the air around her whipped violently.

Kyou threw down his now broken weapon and pushed the hair from his face. He lunged for her first.

Before he even landed a punch Keiko slammed him to the ground with a wild burst of air. She cried out as she got on top of him and started punching him. Even once his body went limp she couldn’t stop.

She was suddenly pulled off of Kyou. In a panic Keiko twirled around to attack- her body moved completely on instinct and rage.

It was Aku who had pulled her off. Without hesitating, Aku grabbed Keiko by the arm and slammed her into the ground, knocking her out immediately. She sighed, it fel’ goo’ to finally do t’at.

Aku pulled Keiko up on her back and slipped down into a shadow.

Sector 27: Infirmary [22:10]

Keiko was in one of the cell repair tubes. The head nurse was rubbing her temples as Aku explained the situation.

“When I went back to retrieve 010’s body, STAM officers were already there to collect the agents and of course 010.”

“You said she was in a rage? Out of control?”

Aku nodded, “She attacked me when I pulled her off one of the STAM agents,”

The head nurse sighed, “Thank you 014. I’ll send her home when she’s fully healed. Ojii wouldn’t want her to be in more pain right now...”

Aku nodded and left the infirmary.

Sector 1: STAM HQ [23:15]

Kenji and Kyou were sitting in their radiation quarantine. The two sat inside a small, white room surrounded by extremely thick glass. The room was heavily circulated and scanned the agents to ensure their radiation levels returned to an acceptable sievert. On the other side of the tinted glass were the rest of the agents and Shizune. Kyou had called them for a short briefing of the mission.

“So the black agent was after a watch?” Shizune asked after hearing Kyou’s report.

Kyou nodded, “It seemed her main goal was to collect the watch that the blue agent was wearing. She had the same watch on her wrist...she was able to collect the watch, but it seems to be quite important if they would send a black agent just to retrieve it.”

Shou thought for a moment, “I think the albino had one too ..”

Shizune nodded, “It’s safe to assume that it is no ordinary watch. Perhaps it is something to identify their organization....” she looked at her own watch, “Finish your quarantine and retire.”

With that Shizune walked off.

Seiji shoved his face up to the glass and stared at Kenji, “The fuck happened to him?? The elemental kick y’all around?”

Shou pushed Seiji away from the glass, “Why are you always trying to start a fight?”

Ryu was also close to the glass, chuckling wildly, “Your face is all squished in!” he pointed at Kenji. Seiji patted Ryu on the back and laughed wildly.

Kenji grumbled through the large bandages on his face.

Kyou shot Seiji a glare, “That wasn’t the normal elemental…I’ve never seen any of their agents act like that…”

Seiji rolled his eyes, “Sure.”

Sector 27: MRPA Interrogation Room [22:15]

Arisa had sat in silence with Masahiko. She was consumed with thoughts of Kyoushirou. She felt conflicted. After seeing him act so vicious toward her there was no way he could have seen her shift at the school earlier...and yet she felt consumed with fear. Perhaps he was faking. Maybe he had seen but didn’t want to outright attack her. Maybe he suspects Keiko and Aku already.

“Aren’t you supposed to be interrogating me?” Masahiko was staring at her.

Arisa looked up, having forgotten he was there, “I’ll wait for 014.”

Masahiko sighed, “I guess now is as good a time as any...I’ve put this off long enough…” There was a hint of sadness in his eyes, “I can’t be a coward forever.” he looked at Arisa and gave a soft, sad smile.

“What are you-”

Masahiko bit down hard on his jaw. Arisa heard a loud cracking sound. Almost immediately, Masahiko’s eyes rolled back into his head and his mouth started foaming. His body fell limp into his chair and his muscles twitched.

Arisa jumped up in shock, “Masahiko!!” she looked around panicked, unsure of what to do, “Oh my god!” she rushed to the other side of the table, “The infirmary! I gotta take him to the infirmary-” she shifted her hand into a solid form and slammed open the cuffs and struggled to pick him up. With Masahiko now on her back she took a step forward, but foam from Masahiko’s mouth fell on her face and in a panic she shifted her weight. Masahiko slipped off her back. She tried to overcorrect the situation by turning around to get a better hold of him. But Masahiko slipped down and slammed his crotch on her leg. His body lurched and he threw up all over Arisa before falling to the ground in a pile of foam and vomit.

Arisa was frozen in place, tears welling in her eyes.

At that moment Aku opened the door to the room, “Holy shit! What happened?!?”

Arisa turned slightly to Aku and really started crying, “Akkkuuuuuuuu!”