CHAPTER 74: OVERREACTED
At the entrance of the camp, Akira and several influential figures of the caravan waited for Aurora, who approached walking with Alice.
“Are you okay?” Akira asked as she saw her friend’s expression.
She wasn’t the only one who wanted the answer and attention from other directions was focused here.
One example was Captain Sadiya, who was stroking her sword with a serious expression, waiting for orders.
Vazquez was also folding her arms in anticipation, and elsewhere, there was Cardinal Brousseau, who could not hide the depth in her gaze.
They were all angry, not because Aurora jumped directly to be shot by a tank, but because of General Kavuri’s cruelties.
All they needed was an order.
An order would be enough for them to mobilize to attack, but no matter how upset they were, Aurora was a leader and was respected enough that no one would act on their own and wait for her decision.
“Yes. I’m fine,” Aurora replied, and looking at the surrounding group, she ordered. “Get back to your work. We need to leave very early tomorrow morning and I want everything ready.”
Her tone sounded angry, Akira could recognize it and wisely stepped back saying nothing.
Alice, who wore an indifferent expression, walked behind Aurora, following her and even though that young woman was indifferent, anyone who knew her would realize that she was upset.
‘Protector of Zerzura’ that was a title Aurora didn’t like, but she and Alice deserved it.
Aurora was someone who jumped into danger to save strangers and she did that since Zerzura City was founded.
Many people were saved by her and she had done this kind of mission too many times.
When warlords were everywhere, Aurora was someone who mobilized to help those she could.
She carried out countless ‘Ark’ missions before she had the support of the Apicius company, the church, or the military.
She was someone who had saved thousands of people by starting what Zerzura was today.
That was the reason why, when starting a mission led by Aurora, the volunteers were innumerable and at the same time; it was the same reason why those present respected her orders and were furious when something happened to them.
“Let’s get back to work and finish all the tasks tonight,” Cardinal Brousseau said with a sigh.
Akira nodded.
Very few people knew why Aurora was holding back, among them were Cardinal Brousseau, leader of the Church of Time and Space in Zerzura, and Akira herself.
The ‘Assault’ mission required that they not draw attention to themselves now, and it was a mission of utmost importance to maintain stability in Africa.
Akira made her way to where her group was.
She could see that Shao Ya was next to Clémentine, Érica, and Leslie, talking softly with them.
Shao Ya had the aura of a protective and caring older sister, which made people relax around her.
Akira could predict what the trio must be thinking and feeling.
Knowing that a war was happening near them, knowing which people were suffering right now, and feeling the helplessness of not being able to intervene.
Feeling anger at seeing other people being hurt while the lunatics were still on the loose.
She could understand them why Akira herself had been in their position.
This was the reality... Where even she would have to restrain herself and mull it over dozens of times before attacking an S-rank or intervening in a war.
Then take on the heavy consequences she could not bear.
“How’s the situation?” Akira asked Aeko, who was with Santiago and Oscar.
“We’ve gone through the list of refugees. One thousand two hundred twenty-three refugees in total. We have given nutritional meals so that those who are weaker can withstand the long journey,” Aeko reported in a serious tone and calmly added. “I sent those refugees in more complicated states through the portal following Cardinal Brousseau’s order. Tomorrow it will be used again, decreasing the number a little more.”
“As for the trucks, they are prepared and insured. None has a mechanical defect and they will be sufficient for all,” Santiago added with a strict expression.
“Even if something happens during the trip, we have some spare parts to continue our journey,” Oscar added with a calm tone.
Akira nodded and, reading on her holographic watch the mission she had to perform, she turned her gaze to the three students who seemed to still be upset.
[4:12 p.m.]
Checking the time, Akira hesitated for a few seconds and, in the end, moved.
“I’ll need your help for my mission. Do you guys want to come?” Akira asked and with a serious tone, she added. “It might be difficult.”
Her expression and tone led her peers, who knew her, to realize what she was trying to do.
“Akira this...” Shao Ya tried to intervene as she sensed what she was planning, but seeing Akira shaking her head for her to desist, she gave a sigh and asked, “Please don’t overdo it.”
Akira gave no response and looked at the group, who were slightly tense from the exchange with their teammate.
“Are you coming or not?” urged Akira back, and after the students exchanged glances, they finally nodded.
Without giving them a moment to think, she employed her magical flying artifact and floated with the group to the destination of their mission.
“The mission is about subduing a local militia group,” informed Akira to the trio of students and, seeing their disbelief at not understanding, she did not explain.
This militia group was under the command of a B-Rank who was a petty tyrant in his neighborhood that was under the influence of the Apicius Enterprise.
He was ‘taxing’ civilians in their small area as if the reason General Kavuri’s forces were not attacking them was because of them.
The ‘taxes’ were a direct way to steal the supplies the refugee camp was handing out.
Richard, the A-Rank hero in command of the refugee camp, could not intervene too much, as it might upset other small local militia groups and cause trouble, however, they were different.
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Whether as Zerzura City related forces or with their S-Rank status, no one could say anything, and more so in Africa, where any international institution had no authority.
“If they attack, you guys can beat them all up to let off steam,” Akira warned, and seeing them look at her with surprise, she asked. “What, you’re going to tell me that you guys don’t have a grudge against those guys who murder at will?”
“...” None of the three young women answered her question.
The lack of answer was the answer itself.
“When they have power, everyone thinks they can do whatever they want,” Akira muttered in general criticism and, descending with the group, turned and questioned. “You want to kill those crooks? You can do it. This is Africa, a place where disappearing a body is easy and the best thing is that no one will ask questions, nor criticize your decision.”
In this vast continent, there were very few places where laws were respected and enforced.
Zerzura was one of those places. However, in most of the continent, laws did not matter.
Least of all when there were powerful individuals like an S rank that could be considered a force to be reckoned with.
“The hero guild will never discover your actions and no country or international organization will criticize your decisions or why you acted as judge and executioner,” Akira pointed out with a serious tone and with an amused chuckle she stated. “That’s because no one will ever know.”
The hero guild registered and organized heroes seeking to maintain their image as ‘heroes’ and a respect for that ‘profession’, but this place was the African continent.
A place where people died, killed each other, stole, or carried out worse deeds, with no law, international organization, or nation being able to do anything.
Africa was a place where a demon in some hidden cave could be found performing a ritual or where a famous hero could perform atrocities that he could not in public or in another country.
No journalist would go near this area where he could end up dead without knowing how, and even those journalists who had decent strength had to be careful.
The hero guild could not verify their actions and even less so in a place as dangerous as this, where if they were hiding, they might well go unnoticed, allowing them to murder in cold blood for any reason imaginable.
Perhaps if the person killed was important or someone respected, an investigation would be conducted. However, no one would investigate the death or disappearance of a militiaman who was part of General Kavuri’s forces.
Including his own boss.
“Still remember. Once you murder for something simple, it will be easier for you to murder again for lesser reasons,” Akira added with a grave and heavy expression.
Crossing the line and murdering when it wasn’t necessary was easy... Crossing it again later for a less important decision was even easier.
In this world skill, users didn’t get stronger by killing other people, like in Terra nova, where killing gave ‘experience’.
On earth, one needed not only training, understanding about their own powers but often ‘enlightenment’.
Being stranded in a range for unknown reasons that were actually shackles of the mind was quite normal.
Psionics required enormous willpower, and it was not to be flanked.
Mages needed not only to understand magic, but to assimilate with the nature of the world by following its elements.
Swordsmen needed to understand the essence of their sword and the reason why they swing it.
Fighters the reasons why they fight.
As an S-Rank who had broken through that vast abyss found in the A-Rank, Akira could understand much more than a normal individual.
This world had its own ‘rules’ that allowed a simple human to get stronger, very different from Terra nova, who could only get stronger by killing other creatures and going up a ‘level’.
However, Akira gave them the possibility to do as they wished.
Aurora didn’t like to get blood on herself when it wasn’t necessary, as to her ‘killing’ were shackles that limited her if there were no reason for her to act.
That young woman was not someone who took the simple path of murder for convenience or ease in carrying out her goals, and while her past may have gone overboard, she was calmer at the moment.
Though she was always willing to do whatever she had to do to achieve her goal.
Alice was the opposite.
She didn’t care about goals or reasons; she acted on her own desires regardless of others.
For better or worse, everyone had their own reasons and goals that were often contrary to each other.
“Once you decide, you must be sure. You can kill out of hatred, necessity, or convenience. That will be your decision,” Akira stated with a solemn expression.
For Aurora, it was preferable that they cross the line when necessary... For at that moment, between the life or death of themselves or others, they would realize their reasons for acting.
Just as Aurora would jump to defend others and help unconditionally, or just as Alice would protect her friend and lose her indifference when something happened to her.
Reasons were important in this world.
“And which one are you?” Clémentine asked as her eyes glowed purple from the psionic energy.
She was taking in her words deeply.
“Me?” muttered Akira, surprised that she was so direct, but she gave a smile and stated. “I will do what is necessary for my beliefs.”
******
A hidden group with artifacts moved down the street, and Aurora, who was among them, frowned at the unexpected communication.
“Boss. Akira’s report just came in. It looks like... She overreacted,” Liam reported in a strange tone over the communication system.
Aurora, who was helping a small group of refugees make their way to the refugee camp from General Kavuri’s area of influence, heard those words in her ear and sighed.
“Report,” Aurora ordered in a low voice as she gave an order for her group to stop.
It was [16:12 p.m.]., and it was slowly getting dusk close to becoming night.
Aurora had not stayed cooped up in her room the whole time because of what she had found, but went out to look for refugees who were in General Kavuri’s area of influence, accompanying them to the refugee camp.
This was her sixth group of the day that had been taken directly by her without asking for help from High Priestess Xaali who, after using all her magical energy, had exhausted herself.
Looking at the family, who were only carrying their clothes and some souvenir photos, Aurora listened to the report.
“It seems that when she took on the militiamen. She beat some of them ferociously until their leader accepted the contract,” Liam reported in an odd tone and the next moment added. “Clémentine, Érica and Leslie were involved. No one died.”
Aurora rubbed her temple at those words.
Sending an S-Rank to get the militiamen to sign a magical contract limiting them to not intervene in the war and not carry out any misdeeds was a simple thing to do.
The deal was beneficial to both sides as they would gain the trust of the Apicius company and it would leave the hero Richard a more controlled area, but Akira ‘overreacting’ meant that she had gone overboard with the requests of the contract making it more one-sided.
Magic contracts were quite scary and depending on their quality, some people could die if they broke it... However, it was a useful symbol of trust as they were usually hard to break without receiving consequences.
“Just let it be,” Aurora replied, shaking her head.
Akira accomplished her task and saw to it that in the future, those local militiamen would not cause trouble while making an example of them for being troublemakers.
Now, only an idiot would dare to cause trouble for Richard when they left this place.
“Tell her that reports are made when one immediately completes the mission,” Aurora ordered before cutting off the communication.
Akira had finished her mission quite some time ago and was now with her group and the students performing the same task as her.
Probably because she overreacted, she didn’t want to send the report earlier... Maybe wanting to delay the consequences.
Aurora kept moving with the family through the alleys to leave General Kavuri’s zone of influence.
She encountered some patrols, but as she was using a stealth object so the group would not be discovered, nothing happened.
Some of Liam’s scout drones were observing the entire city from the sky and Aurora’s system was giving her indications to follow a route where she would not run into problems.
After several minutes, she arrived at the Apicius Company’s area of influence and met up with Alice, who had also just recently arrived.
Then they entered the waiting truck and traveled while watching the refugees sighing or smiling after having escaped.
Some of them did not flee when the war broke out and very late they realized how cruel General Kavuri’s forces were.
When that time came, the fear of encountering the militiamen made them unable to leave their homes and risk going out.
Aurora kept her eyes down without speaking as they traveled and when they reached the camp, she helped the families down, pleased that volunteers from the humanitarian organizations were waiting for them to organize them in the camp.
After helping a little and arranging with Richard their distribution, Aurora noticed two other trucks arriving.
Akira on one side, together with Clémentine and Nicole, while in the other truck were Leslie and Érica together with Shao Ya and Aeko.
They were also bringing a group of refugees from General Kavuri’s area of influence.
“Are we going out again?” Akira asked submissively as she walked up to Aurora.
The way she was acting, wanting to act like she hadn’t caused any trouble, was kind of amusing to watch, and it was even more so when Aurora held her gaze for a few seconds.
For an S-rank psionic, it was quite funny the way she was squirming, and such a reaction caused her to shake her head.
“No, this will be all for now. I need you to rest and relax. If possible, sleep early so tomorrow you can be ready for the trip,” Aurora replied, forgiving her companion.
She wished to leave the next day and, if possible, very early.
The reason was simple when one saw the map and the route for the long outward journey.
Leaving that order and asking them to pass it on to the whole expedition, Aurora returned to the building.
She had a few last tasks to accomplish before she could call it a day.