August 30, 4021 09:41 [Khar Khot- Sacred Earth Training Facility]

Blood drops manifested in Akula’s mind, sparkling like brilliant rubies. They were amorphous, malleable like jelly, yet when he willed them, they became as hard as diamonds. Crystalline lattices weaved across floating crimson spikes, seemingly infinite in number. They were puppeteered by thin strands of red, leading back to his fingertips. He grinned, gnashing his teeth excitedly. Akula’s crimson irises glowed intensely. He snapped his arms forward, crossing them as an onslaught of blood spikes flew past him, embedding themselves into Skadi’s shield.

She braced herself behind it, wrapped in a suit of armor. The tanky suit was rusted green, strips of viridian peeling off of it. Sparks flew as the rate of spikes increased, tearing through her defense like paper. A spike shot past her head, grazing her helmet. She had kept the visored headwear from the Simulation Room, using it to analyze their fights.

“Easy!” she yelled. “You almost skewered my head!”

“Sorry!” he called back, halting the flurry of crystals. He returned the blood to sterilizing vials held within his tactical belt. “Whaddya think? That was pretty good, right?”

“Better than good,” Skadi scoffed, shedding the old armor. “This is Garuda armor. It has a rich history and a rich legacy. It’s the prototype for modern-day DIVE Suits. Yes, it’s old, but it’s built to withstand a blast from a Virya shotgun, point blank. Those projectiles you’re shooting are incredibly dense, yet pliable. I want to study those in the lab once we’re done here. We can probably get Slump to help us. I’m sure Dot’s busy with the Lancers.”

“Thanks, but why didn’t you use your DIVE Suit? Aren’t they supposed to offer better protection?”

Skadi shook her head, exasperated. She stared him dead in the eyes, flexing her forearm. Bone erupted from underneath the skin, tearing through the dermal layers, protruding like a claw. Blood dripped profusely from the wound, stemming as she retracted it, her skin sealing up in moments.

“What?!” Akula’s jaw dropped. “What the hell is that Trait? We’ve been training for weeks and all you’ve used is that hunk of metal! How come you haven’t used this instead?”

“‘Osteokinesis’. It comes from the genes of Trichobatrachus robustus, the hairy frog. I have free reign over my osteoblasts and osteoclasts; they’re cells that form and degrade bone, respectively. Although, it’s not a suit-friendly Trait and it hurts like hell, so I have to resort to using the Garuda armor instead. Luckily, Dot says he’s working on a second version of the armor that's sleeker in design and offers more protection. It’s supposed to be near completion, so I’m hopeful for that.”

“That doesn’t sound too pleasant.”

Skadi sighed. “No, it really isn’t.”

“The way you jumped around the Simulation Room…”

“Yes, that’s also from the hairy frog.”

Akula whistled, impressed. He snapped his fingers, a thought occurring to him. “So that’s how you won the boat race!”

“H-huh?” Skadi's cheeks turned a rosy hue. “W-what are you saying? I’ve never taken part in a boat race!”

Akula grinned deviously, waggling a finger in front of her. “Nyahaha! It was definitely you! No way would a regular human being be able to jump to another boat, grab the flag, and then jump back to their own. We saw you in Yuèliàng at the Duānwǔ Festival!” he laughed. “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me, I tend to come across a lot of them. Although, I doubt the leap you made into the crowd was very inconspicuous.”

Skadi scowled, punching his chest. The ding of metal echoed from the armored red vest he wore over a puffy white cropped jacket.

“What would you know? You can enter the city by yourselves. I was rarely allowed anywhere without personnel tailing me. It’s suffocating and humiliating. I managed to slip away for a brief moment that day, able to explore the city with no supervision, under my own jurisdiction. It was exhilarating! Once I got a taste for it, I couldn’t go back.”

“A taste for what? Zongzi?”

“Freedom,” she stated, giving him a dirty look.

“You would be surprised.” Akula returned a knowing smile. “I can see why you’d want to run away from him. A father like that—”

“You don’t know my father.”

“I know enough to see that he isn’t around. Why would the richest man on the planet allow his daughter to fight in a war? It’s asinine to think he would be fine with something like this.”

Skadi averted her gaze.

“Either he knows and he’s given up on trying to convince you, or he doesn’t. Given how connected he is, I’m going to go with the former. If he can’t convince you, then the next best thing would be to station you in the safest place possible. He can’t lock you up until the war is over, because even he doesn’t know how long it’ll last, right? Isn’t that why we’re guarding the supply network?” he continued.

She bit her lip, shifting nervously.

“What’s the deal with you and your father?”

Skadi looked downcast. “I’d rather not talk about it.”

Seeing her deflated, Akula decided it was best to ease up on the interrogation, apologizing instead.

“It’s fine,” she reassured him. “I just…wish he would acknowledge me—see me for who I am. To him, I’m nothing more than a reminder—”

“A reminder of what?” he bit his lip; he just couldn’t help himself.

Skadi refused to elaborate. The silence that followed was thankfully cut short, interrupted by the crash of thunder. On the far side of the Sacred Earth training grounds, Mirai and Gauss fought furiously.

The air was filled with static as the two delivered a barrage of attacks, alternating between martial arts and their Traits. Lightning and dark matter flew from their fingertips, diverted and redirected many times until a stray arc hit its mark.

Particles of dark matter weaved their way through the battlefield, pushed back and forth in erratic directions by the clashing polarities of each fighter. A flash of lightning arced across the field, dissipating against a black barrier.

Gauss rushed Mirai, closing the gap between them. He braced himself against a low kick, his eyes flashing silver as he curled his fingers back, striking his opponent in the chest.

The impact forced Mirai onto his back, rolling over to orient himself before lunging forward, a taiko drum materializing behind him. Lightning danced across his chest as he pivoted into a galvanized punch, yelling “Waka-Ikazuchi!”

Gauss slipped to the side without hesitation, bringing an arm down in a chopping motion. He redirected Mirai’s fist into the ground, dispersing the electricity. Spinning around at inhuman speed, he delivered a kick to Mirai’s head, sending him crashing into the dirt a few meters away.

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The Hyena brushed his palms together, shaking his head as he went to pick up his sparring partner.

“If you’re going to attack me, I suggest using something that I haven’t seen before. The element of surprise plays an important role in what you can get away with in a fight. For a Gilly, you did pretty well, but a lucky strike won’t work on me twice,” he explained, crouching beside Mirai. “Now get up.” Gauss stood up, nudging Mirai in the ribs with his foot. “Hart wants me to stop going easy on you. He said it’ll help with your synch rate if we improve your other abilities, whatever that means.”

“Easy?” Mirai groaned, lifting himself off the ground. “You damn near killed me last time, you bastard.”

“I didn’t though, did I?” Gauss grinned.

“Heh, more like you couldn’t,” Mirai jeered.

That seemed to have struck a nerve with the Hyena. He smiled, a slight twitch in his eye. “Alright then. Keep running your mouth. We’ll see how you feel after today. Let’s go for another round.”

Mirai sighed, dusting himself off, turning to Akula and Skadi who had been watching them intently with crossed arms. He waved, to which Akula returned the gesture with a grin.

“He’s improved a lot,” Akula observed.

“It looks like Gauss has acknowledged his strength too, as begrudgingly as that may be.”

Akula scowled. “I still don’t like that guy. I can’t figure out his angle; it makes me uneasy.”

“He makes everyone feel uneasy.”

They resumed training. Skadi took the opportunity to practice her mobility with the Garuda armor. Despite the damage, the armor kept her adequately protected as she maneuvered through crystalline spikes of erythrocytes with deft precision. Her muscles weren’t just for show either; she moved swiftly and elegantly like a dancer, unencumbered by the armor’s weight.

Skadi pulled her arm back, causing Akula to recoil. The mass she carried and the rate at which she accelerated made him realize that the force of her punch would be similar to that of a bullet train. His mind raced through a series of options. He could dodge, although she would clip him with her foot in an instant. He could duck—no she would just punch down, preserving the momentum. Akula grit his teeth. The only thing he could do was guard the attack.

He brought his arms up to protect himself, Peek-a-Boo style, recalling what Temujin had mentioned about Shakti and its three forms. He let his mind go blank, focusing on reinforcing his defenses. Akula let himself be one with the air around him, drifting into a source of energy far greater than the sum of his person. He could feel traces of energy flowing over him, repelled by unconscious safeguards surrounding his body. He let go of these mental barriers, allowing the passing energy to flow into him.

Akula felt a surge of vigor like no other, a single thought piercing through the fog in his mind. I have to shield myself.

A coldness enveloped him as blood flew from the vials in his belt. It expanded, coating his arms. The liquid hardened, forming a ruby shell that reinforced his arms moments before Skadi’s fist connected.

The shell shattered from the impact, forcing Akula back a few meters. His feet tore into the soil beneath him as they remained firmly planted. Akula stood unscathed after taking the full brunt of Skadi’s armored punch. Shaking off the remaining pieces of blood crystals on his arms, he flexed his hands, grinning at her shocked expression.

“Splendid work, you two!” A towering figure with broad shoulders stepped onto the training grounds, accompanied by three individuals.

“The development of your armor is complete. Dot and Slump saw to it that it matched the same rigorous standards as the DIVE Suits,” Temujin said to Skadi.

“We’re calling it Garuda 2.0!” Dot exclaimed, cheerily.

Skadi was elated, thanking them both profusely. Dot beamed at her praise while Slump waved it away bashfully. She turned to Ghost inquisitively; the woman stood to the side silently, lost in thought with a troubled expression on her face. Skadi meant to ask what was on her mind, though she was interrupted.

“Where’re Kafka and Anari?” Akula blurted.

“They’re out in the desert, practicing with their Lancers. Kafka is helping Anari increase her synchronization rate,” Temujin explained.

“Kafka and I have reached optimal synch rates. Mirai’s almost there, but Anari is trailing behind by a lot. At this point, we can’t switch her out with anyone, even though she would probably be better suited for the ground team,” Dot added.

Temujin shook his head. “She’s a Hyena. Hart picked her for a reason. She’ll be able to reach the required synchronization rate by the time we deploy.” He paused for a moment, his expression matching Ghost’s. He ushered Akula to the side while the others watched them with curiosity.

“I feel obligated to tell you this since you’re close with Aisha—”

Worry started to set in at the mention of her name. “Did something happen to her? Is she okay?” Akula panicked.

“She’s perfectly fine, but you need to listen. She’ll be deployed with the rest of the Lancer maintenance crew. She’s working with them as we speak.”

A cold sweat formed on Akula’s back as the words escaped Temujin’s mouth.

“She’s going to be deployed into an active combat zone,” he whispered, the realization hitting him.

“Either Hart or Gauss will let Mirai know,” Temujin stated, apologetically.

As Akula stood in shock, Temujin addressed the others.

“War is approaching on the horizon. We need to be prepared when it arrives. You’ve all made good progress, but stay vigilant. You’ll need your wits about you, and every tool in your arsenal to survive.” He turned to Dot and Slump. “You two, with me. I’ve got a job for you.” The three of them left promptly without another word.

“Where do you think they’re going?” Skadi asked.

“Probably to sort out the supply network to make sure everything’s in order.” Ghost answered airily, still preoccupied with her thoughts.

“What is up with you? You don’t seem like you’re fully here.”

Ghost pursed her lips, hesitant to speak, though she relented after further pressure from Skadi.

“Don’t you have reservations?” she asked.

“Reservations?”

“About the war. This conflict seems so unnecessary.”

“They attacked us first! We have a right to retaliate,” Skadi replied angrily. “Think of the lives lost!”

“What about the lives we’re going to lose? I understand you’re angry, but this whole operation reeks of ulterior motives. Is this really about quashing terrorism? We’re running dry on Virya, right? The way things have unfolded…There are meticulous details for tools that can extract Virya in the supply list, dating back to before these attacks took place. Don’t you think that’s suspicious?”

Skadi furrowed her brows. It was suspicious, but even if Ghost’s suspicions were correct, what could they do? “We’re in far too deep at this point. Levante’s most likely preparing their defenses as we speak.”

“Still, if there’s something we can do to stop this bloodshed—”

“There isn’t. Even if we expressed disinterest in fighting. What exactly do you think that will accomplish? We’ll be charged with insubordination for disobeying lawful orders from our superiors. The war happens with or without us.”

Ghost stared at the ground, dejectedly. She turned heel, leaving in a hurry.

Akula snapped out of shock, attempting to call after her, but an outstretched arm from Skadi stopped him.

“Let her go. She needs some time alone to process.”

“Shouldn’t we do something?”

“There’s nothing to be done. Our job is to train and make sure that we defend the supply line come deployment time.”

Akula grimaced. “Don’t you agree with her though? There is something suspicious about this. I want to keep Aisha as far away from conflict as I possibly can. At least Mirai can defend himself. She’s just a mechanic!”

“Oh ho, I see. So you’re all fun and games except when it comes to Ghost?” Skadi said with a wry smile, attempting to lighten the mood.

Akula didn’t budge. Skadi’s smile faltered. She sighed, watching Ghost's silhouette fade into the distance.

“Of course I have reservations. But there’s nothing we can do. Unless you want to fight the Hyenas, the Crows, and the Owls, not to mention, all the Homunculi in every facility for a chance to overthrow the Oligarchs, the decision is entirely theirs to make. We have no agency or power here.”

“Your father—”

“Could care less about this country or any other for that matter. He won’t lift a single finger unless it suits his agenda. He’ll be of no help.”

Akula wracked his brain for an idea. He could think of nothing.

“Look, just focus on Mirai and Aisha, okay? As long as they’re safe you’re fine, right? I’ll make sure to keep an eye on them both. Plus, we have multiple Hyenas to see to it that she’s not injured. The Lancer maintenance crew is essential to us. I don’t have any faith in Gauss or Hart, but I’m sure Anari, Kafka, and Temujin will make sure she’s safe,” Skadi reassured him.

Akula felt marginally better.

“So, about Ghost—”

“Drop it.”

“Hehe. I knew it,” she teased.

“You know nothing. You’re wrong.”

“Really? Then why are you turning red?”

“T-that’s none of your business!”

They continued to banter, the looming inevitability of war tucked away in the backs of their minds.