A sound of cheering and the sound of pops could be heard. A gathering in the green and black hued walls now covered in white and pink ribbons.
As if a wedding is taken place, glasses stacked together in pyramids and rows of tables with linen stapled on its very end are stumbled about everywhere.
Rows and tables of metal cases with food in them layed. Some sneakily taking plates after plates as much as they can as others barely took an inch of a bite.
It was definitely a celebration but a celebration of what? A celebration of graduation of course. A graduation of completing their training and earning a proper license.
Ding ding ding~ A sound not too far away from the hall's stage could be heard. The crowd whitened down as a familiar woman in her eyepatch was suited up ready to give a speech.
Clearing her throat, she tried her best to speak in her most English way.
"Ladies and .... Gentleman, Congratulations for gathering here in this lovely party as we came here to finally give our regards to the soldiers who managed through blood, sweat and tears in participating in their final training course as they start their new jobs as official members of Continuum. The table was a success and we managed to strike a few impressive ones at that. Thanks to the team and the few other volunteers from the Guardians side to assist in our care as we end our first path of the plan to the upcoming possible good future. Well, everyone gives an applause to each other and enjoy yourself!" General Shriway spoke as she nods to the crowd and starts clapping.
The sound was filled with the sounds of clangs and claps along the way.
As General Shriway left the stage, everyone continued to their conversation as the younger children played around.
"Will, will!" A familiar voice called out to him.
"Why, isn't it Shizuka. Been a while, pilot." He said as he excused himself from the group of guardians and the veteran soldiers he was conversing with.
"Yeah! By the way, our families are on the way here, so be prepared to introduce them to your echelon." Shizuka said as she was looking rather worried.
"What's the matter Shizuka?" William asked with a smirk on his face. "Is it because you hadn't change much for a few years?" He asked.
"Says the guy who reanimated from the dead and then scared the crap out of everyone. No, it's not that. I just do not like talking to alot of people." She said as she was fumbling about.
"AHH, I see. You're an introvert. That's fine, that's fine. Same here. " William smiles as he sipped onto his pint of champagne.
"Well, what should I do then?" She asks.
"Simple, just go out there and enjoy yourself. Talk about anything , what you learnt and your guardian..heh you could summon her out to introduce herself, if she wants to , that is." William thought up an interesting plan.
"That sounds reasonable! Thanks!" Shizuka said as she smiled in glee.
"Hmm, Why hello there Mr.Endicrite." he felt an odd warm touch on his shoulder. Trying not to accidentally counter the touch , he slightly shifts his body towards the voice.
"Why, hello there...." William noticed a face he hadn't seen for ages. "Kalen...!"
"Hahah, didn't know you could still recognise me." Kalen was wearing a lovely dress not her usual chauffeur suit. This time it's full blown white with some lovely estatics such as half-yellow denim. She wore light make up such as eyeshadow and lipstick as her hair was let down.
"Why not? You always look the same. " He gave a short dry laugh with a happy sigh.
"Yeah, you are right." She said with a smile. "So, what were you and my sister talking about? Asking for one of those advices I guess." Kalen gave a foxy smile to her sister.
"Yeah. As usual." Shizuka said as smirks.
"So where's your mother?" He asks Kalen. (Shizuka was with him)
"She's talking to the generals over at the corner side of the stage there." She says as she points to their direction.
"Oh, there's my mother too." William noticed as he gave a wave to her. His mother waved back before continuing their conversation.
"Wait, then where's Elaine?" William asked.
He suddenly felt a sharp jab onto his back. "Owch, hey!"
Turning around in anger of a sudden poke, he noticed someone familiar, or, not so familiar.
"Hey brother, how are you..." a girl, wait no, a young adult dressed in a green robe looked at him with a smile. "Bet you didn't forget about me , yeah?"
"Obviously, I wouldn't. Your my sister." William said with a smile.
"You know, I actually cried for you when I found out you were alive again, yes?" She tells him something.
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"Yes, I do. Quite a lot of people mourned and went "What the F@#£!?" when they found out when I was alive again." He replied.
"Nice, I met this girl who worked together with you. Something Chau something, she also had a German and Dutch chick with her. They told me that you were an incredibly nice guy so I was quite relieved when I heard that." Elaine said as she takes a bite out of a macaroon.
"Don't need to sound melodramatic. It's just the way I roll you know. I help people and always never expect anything in return. You know that yourself." He replied back as he chuckles.
As the two siblings conversed, Kalen and Shizuka joined in on the fun talking about the five years of so called "William's Death Anniversary" as a joke.
William didn't mind as he kinda expected the outcome as warned by his Guardian Angel , Oracle before he was brought back to life.
After some time if conversing and introducing each other with others and their own Guardians, they party had some interactions to showcase.
...
"Crap, do I have to Oka-san?" Sae-Yong asked her mother as she puts on her battle uniform.
"Yes. It's normal for everytime a Guardian has gained their Warrior Status. You have to try on some of this armor and then you can adjust it as yourself as how you want to." Shimaya explained.
"Damn, fine. It's tight though so can I immediately adjust it with my mana!?" Sae-Yong is getting restless.
"Sure sure...calm down." Shimaya sighs and tightens the final knot as she lets her daughter to do her own adjusting.
"Alright then, I got just the thing!" By using her mana, she immediately transforms it into a Tozando, a uniform made for Kendo and Iaido practicing. As light and thin it is, it gives a very agile and fast manoeuvrability allowance.
"That's it?" Shimaya asked as she made a small smile.
"Yep, this is just the thing!" Sae-Yong exclaims.
"Alright then, if you like it, then go ahead and use it next time when you are on Release Form." Shimaya says as she a made happy hand sign. "I will just excuse myself and head over to the tea room now, enjoy yourself."
"See yah." Sae-Yong said as she slowly closes her room door.
Leaving a sigh, she sits on her bed and summons a pair of gloves that she formed out of thin air. "I could use this to avoid strikes from other weapons I guess."
Shin-ae sneaks into her room by a small hole in the closet. "Can it protect gunshots though?"
"I guess so, I could enhance it with my mana." Saw Yong said as she puts it onto her hands.
...
As the watch tower was guarding the building, they noticed that they were being ambushed out of the blues'.
The guards women immediately sounded the bell as the soldiers are alerted.
General Shriway nods and immediately notifies the guest to evacuate immediately.
"Damn it, why now." Chau-Min snickered as she summons Ni-au to immediately change to her uniform. Same goes for the rest.
"F@#£ sakes, no choice." William and the rest immediately took the handguns available from under the Generals table incase of emergency as they headed out of the base.
The Aviation Crew couldnt give any help as the air drive is too far away from the base, so they had to take care of the civilians instead while having no choice but to use their elemental guardians to make portals to safety.
The Supports followed the Echelon as they headed towards the mountainside near the base.
"Captain, ready on call?" William asks Shanina. "Yeah, as prepared as we are. They won't realise it." She replies.
With some hand signals on the approaching pack of Axis soldiers, the Echelon ambushed the ambushers.
The axis surprised by the unknown attacked tried to resist and hold back. Unknown numbers of them, they had no choice but to rely on their corrupted guardians they possess as their gun isn't even prepared to unholster.
"Dammit...their tough..." William said as he uses Sae-Yong's blade to hold off a fending axis with a shortblade. "I have no choice...I'm going rampage !"
"Release!" He shouts onto the axis's face as with some strength pushed her offand tried to pin her down.
With a burst of energy, he felt a rage churning inside him as he cut through everything in his path.
"Rampage , what the f@#£! You could have cut me!" A soldier said as she immediately steps back and shoots another axis with her handgun.
William ignoring her simple cries, immediately pins onto another axis soldier.
The axis soldier with no emotions stared into him as if the unknown.
William had a split second of a dirty thought before he finishes her off. "Sorry lady." He picks himself up before his Release is done.
"Thanks Sae-Yong." He shouts as he joins back his team to fight the dying rest.
Sae-Yong turns off her Visor and drops onto her bed. "Damn, that was tiring. But heck, this armor works well. Maybe I could use it in real combat soon too once I learn more Guardian Human techniques."
"Dammit, there's so many of them. We might need to supply more ammo." Sherrinford said through her walkie-talkie.
"On it." A voice replied. "Sending in a care package at marked coordinates ---- south of ----. "
William reloaded his NZ75 before hiding behind a tree, some bullet hits the tree , leaving splinters and a ear piercings sound behind." Crap, their like zombies...but WITH Guns."
"Relax, we can do this." Shanina uses Geist to create invisible snares which acted as a tripwire. Upon some axis tripping onto it, the crack sound of a whip was heard as they were suddenly tripped and finished off.
"Care packages received!" William shouts at Shanina and the others. "Hey, Sher catch !" He tossed her a set of magazines for her LH.
"Thanks." She immediately reloads her gun and immediately starts shooting back.
Some sounds of footsteps could be heard to their direction as the Echelon's walkie-talkies sounded.
"Aviation crew here, we will give elemental backup." A voice sounding similar to Shizuka sounded as a sudden burst of crimson red came from the floor dragging down some unfortunate Axis soldiers.
"Great! Just don't get shot!" Chau-Min shouted as she asked Captain/Shanina permission for a flank.
"Not you, you need to heal the others. Aviation Crew, Rampage ... We can flank them. Guardian and Griffon, you two stay back and cover the injured." Shanina said as she went Ghosting.
"On it." Shizuka said as she caught up with William. "Wisp and Blaze, try to keep defend." She calls in her teammates.
William smiles as she pulls her to him as sudden bullets was aimed at her. "You better watch your back witch."
"Shit, my bad." She casts a spell which cause him and her to be dragged down into an alternate plane then back at the real, behind the axis soldiers. "Go, Rampage."
"I can't afford to go rampage now...but alright then." He takes out Sae-Yong's crystal as he "crushed" it to summon her.
"Thanks...now, I will go to the left and you take the right. After all, Human weapons don't work on me."
"Right" he answers as he took some shots with his Bullpup as he flanked. As he was distracting, the axis soldiers were sliced up to bits by Sae-Yong who showed no remorse for them at all.
"Are you always in that kill intent trance?" William asked as he searched up the bodies for a radio or something to be proven useful.
"No, only when I am concentrating." She says as she wipes the blood off her Katana.
William summons Shin-ae's gun and reimagines it into her signature duet handgun. "Alright, let's move on. I'm out of ammo anyway."
"Alright..." Shizuka and Sae-Yong replies softly as they stalked their next victims.