"Thank you." I say into my communication crystal. "Keep me posted."

"Understood." Nomohe says back.

I put the crystal in my pocket.

(This Hunter woman...what is she planning?)

BATAN! BATAN!

Katsumi looks at me, his eyes concerned and serious. I look at him, then the other communication crystal on the table. The atmosphere is quite tense back here at our hideout at Tokiport.

(I thought I would be used to this by now. Many squads left for missions during the war. And many of them didn't return. But there was always a lot of us left behind, waiting for our chance at the frontlines. Now...)

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Ripperu. Yamiso. Sigka. Hiromu. Claire. Tamashi. All of them were sent on this mission. Nomohe is surveying both Oren and Hunter's units, and I don't know where..."he" is. That leaves the only remaining fighters here to be Katsumi, Crystal, and myself. I haven't seen Yuri or Seppe, but I think I know where they are.

BATAN! BATAN! BATAN!

They are likely with Crystal, trying to calm Sueka down.

BATANBATANBATANBATANBATAN!!!!!!

"LET ME OUT!!!!!!" I hear Sueka yell as she tries to break down her bedroom door that is frozen solid by Crystal's ice. From her room's windows to the walls, Sueka is trapped in a frozen prison of unbreakable ice. Anything less, and her superhuman strength would let her escape.

And in her current emotional state, that is a risk not worth taking.

"I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS!!! LET ME OUT!!! HE'S MY BROTHER!!! HE'S ALL I HAVE LEFT!!!"

Even from here in the main hall, I can clearly hear her voice. A mixture of sadness and anger. A loud voice slightly choked up from frequent crying. From being frozen to being imprisoned, she has every right to feel this way. I believe I hear the other girls' voices on occasion, but the volume of Sueka's voice and attempts to break down the ice drown them out.

But if we are to succeed, we cannot take any chances. There's more to this mission than raw strength. And I'm sure that this Hunter person and Jonathan know this.

Katsumi puts his right hand on my left shoulder.

"It's about time," he says.

I nod, then grab the communication crystal from the table.