Left the World as Villager A. Came Back a Mecha Pilot.

Left the World as Villager A. Came Back a Mecha Pilot.

Disclaimer: Heya guys. Swordstriker21 here. I'm also known as UnlimitedMeganeWorks in RoyalRoadL BTW. Having posted this on some other FF sites, I figured I'd have a go at posting it here. I'm open to constructive criticism. Violent reactions... nah, I'll somehow deal with them. Hope you enjoy my work, as amateurish as it is ^^

Oh, and P.S. I can't guarantee regular chapters due to IRL stuff but I don't plan to drop it indefinitely cuz of that. Some chapters may take a while. Please bear with me folks. Cheers

Synopsis:

Myst Evrard was your typical rural village kid. He once dreamed of fame and a life of adventure but quickly gave up on the idea after realizing he just wasn’t cut out for that sort of stuff.

It doesn’t really help that his best friend became a monster and demon slaying hero and his first crush turned out to be a long lost princess of the kingdom.

As he finally resolves himself to live a mundane village life, he suddenly encounters an unfortunate accident and dies. Just when he thought things couldn’t possibly get any worse…

But when he opened his eyes next, fully expecting to find himself in the netherworld, what he saw was…

Giant robots?!

What the heck was going on?

(Action , Drama , Fantasy , Romance , Sci-Fi , Original) (I'm tempted to put in comedy but I don't have a lot of confidence in my sense of humor. So yeah...)

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1: A Wonderful yet Ordinary Life of Ordinary Ordinariness

Chapter 2: The Unlikely Tale of The Hero, The Maiden and Villager A

Chapter 3: The Whims of Fate Truly are Unpredictable

Chapter 4: Confusion, Conspiracy and Awakening of a Nurse Fetish

Chapter 5: Magic Practice, Voyeurs and a Shadowy Stalker

Chapter 6: Assassination Attempt and Crazy Combat Nurses

Chapter 7: Unexpected End and Prelude to Realization

Chapter 8: Deal With the Devil

Chapter 9: Art of War

Chapter 10: Speculated Potential and Building Expectations

Chapter 11: Stirrings of Fate

Interlude I

Chapter 13: I Don't Want My Life to be THIS Eventful!

Chapter 14: Deepening Mysteries and Good Company

Chapter 15 : The Trouble with Standing Out


******************************************************************************************************

Chapter 1: A Wonderful yet Ordinary Life of Ordinary Ordinariness

Spoiler

Part 1

"Wooof! *Slurp *Slurp *Slurp"

I suddenly woke up with dog saliva slathered all over my face. Not that I'm bothered by it. It's just our family dog being far too liberal with displaying her affections as always. It's quite cute actually. The only downside is me smelling a bit funny after she's done with me.

I slowly sat up on the bed and rubbed my eyes to get rid of the drowsiness. I'm not really a morning person. I moved my gaze towards the door to my room. As expected, the petite figure of my dear little sister was there; her cheeky little mouth curled up into a wry grin.

"Rise and shine big bro." greeted a bell-like voice. "Honestly, you've got to start learning how to wake up by yourself already. You've just turned twenty. You've got to start behaving like a more responsible adult. You're setting a really bad example here."

I shrugged my shoulders as I listened to her usual morning lecture. Honestly. Doesn't she ever get tired of it? Not like I hate it or anything. After all, she does have a point... or two. It's just that I can't seem to find any motivation y'know.

"You're plenty responsible already Elaine. How bout you do my share as well?" I replied half in jest.

Elaine Evrard, my hyper competent, busybody little sister, pouted cutely as she placed her hands on her waist in an attempt to look imposing.

"Geez. What's with that? You weren't always like this big bro. You've been in that state ever since Vance and Felise left the village..."

My brows furrowed involuntarily and my expression turned gloomy. Ouch. She certainly did hit a sore spot of mine dead on. After noticing my change in expression, Elaine cupped her mouth hurriedly and displayed an apologetic look.

"Big bro... I'm sorry. I..."

I got off the bed and lightly patted her shoulder.

"Nah. Don't worry about. I'm the one at fault for brooding about it after all this time anyway. Thanks for always worrying about me Elaine. And sorry for being such a no good brother."

Elaine got teary eyed and hugged me tightly on the waist. Geez. What is with this cute creature? My little sister can't be this cute!

"Big bro! Don't worry. No matter what anyone says, you'll always be my one and only big bro." she exclaimed with conviction.

Man. Just how much more loveable can she get? This little sister of mine truly was too good for me. I... I am not worthy. I'm seriously about to break into tears here.

"Wooof!"

A lively bark echoed throughout the room, breaking the moody atmosphere.

"I think Berry's saying it's time for breakfast." I said with a grin. Elaine smiled and let go of my waist. She then trotted towards the stairs with a lively gait.

"Big bro, hurry and wash up so we can eat. You know mom won't let us touch the food unless everyone's present on the table." she reminded before finally heading down. Berry, our family pet followed along.

I proceeded to the bathroom to get rid of the smell and the sticky sensation on my face. I then headed towards the dining room of our quaint village house for some breakfast.

Part 2

Come to think of it, I haven't introduced myself yet haven't I? The name's Myst. Myst Evrard.

Quite the fancy name for a rural village guy don't you think? Apparently, the Evrard house was once a prominent noble house that produced several generations of excellent knights. But due to coming into conflict with another famous noble clan and ultimately losing out, we started to decline and were finally chased out to the outskirts of the Vandel kingdom, where we lived in exile.

That's how the stories told at the periodic family gatherings went at least. Honestly however, they were little more than gossip and no evidence to substantiate those fanciful claims was ever found even if one traces back our family tree.

But it's a nice story nonetheless. Not to mention a great time waster. The kids seemed to love it anyway. Heck even I was completely enamored with it back when I was young and didn't know any better.

Come to think of it, hearing those stories might be one of the factors that contributed greatly to me wanting to be an adventurer back then, only to have reality slap me in the face. Hard. Honestly, why are kids so damn gullible?

***

"Good morning dear. Have you groomed yourself properly? And you didn't forget to wash your hands did you?"

My mother's smiling face greeted me as soon as I arrived at the dining table. Melissa Evrard - my awfully young looking fourty-something year old mother. Her long silky brunnete hair, smooth skin and delicate figure were the envy of the village housewives and spinsters. Heck even our villages young maidens were jealous of her killer combination of youthful looks and mature charm. She did tend to overly dote on her children though.

"Yep. All cleaned up." I replied casually.

"Well, now that Myst is here, can we start eating already?" a deep, masculine voice echoed from across the table.

My dad, Lucian Evrard, made a pleading look as he asked my mother for permission to start digging in.

Even though he looked like a seasoned veteran warrior, he was actually a big softy, especially towards mom. They made quite a pair actually. Incidentally, he's also the village chief.

"Ehehe. Dad's stomach is already making funny noises mom. I think we really need to start eating before it gets any worse." quipped a familiar bell-like voice. It's my little sister, Elaine Evrard. She inherited mom's glossy brunette hair and good looks. She tied her hair up in a cute twin tail style and possessed a cheerful and somewhat fussy personality.

"Look. Even Berry's starting to get impatient." Elaine pointed out while giggling happily. Our family pet truly did look a bit impatient as she vigorously wagged her tail.

Despite the cute name, Berry was anything but cute. She's a cross between a regular dog and a type of lupine monster species called Rouge Fang. My mom found her wounded and nearly dead as she was picking herbs within the nearby Fiora forest. She brought her home and nursed her back to health along with my sister, so she's quite attached to the two of them.

She lacked the usual wild and ferocious nature of a full blooded Rouge Fang. But despite that, she's still about twice as big compared to a regular large dog. She did have a unique charm though. Instead of her fur being blood red, it's carnation pink - except for a particular spot on the center of her forehead which rather curiously resembled a red heart mark.

She's become our official family mascot. She can be rather sweet. But piss her off and you'll be on the receiving end of her pearly white (and rather sharp) fangs. She beats any regular guard dog, that's for sure.

And then, there's me. The one and only Myst Evrard. Seeing as the other members of my family (plus the family pet) have really distinct features and personalities, one would expect me to be the same right? Well, unfortunately, that's not the case. Far from it actually.

The wonder that is moi can actually be described in one single world: ordinary.

I have no distinctive features. My looks, while far from abhorrent, can't exactly be called handsome or dashing either. My height is average compared to my peers. My build ain't skinny. But it ain't buffed either. I'm not particularly gifted academically. My physical capabilities are average at most. I have average mana capacity as well. And my skills with a sword, spear or bow can be considered as barely passing.

Hence, I'm your average guy. As ordinarily ordinary as they come. The poster boy for ordinariness. If you think of "ordinary", chances are you'll think of me.

Anyway, the bottom line is that I'm ordinary. You got that? It's not like I'm sulking or anything you idiots!

Well, I think you get the point.

Part 3

After the meal (which was delicious, as always), my father and I headed out for work. Mom and Elaine started their day by fussing over the plants and vegetables in our garden as Berry lazed around nearby.

Mom's the village pharmacist. It's said even just her smile could heal. There's even a rumor of people injuring themselves willingly just to see her.

My dad's the village chief but he's also the villages best blacksmith. He used to take in loads of commissions for weapons an armor during the war with the demons. Now, he just makes various tools and implements. His kitchen knives became an instant hit with the ladies because of their beauty, sharpness and balance.

I walked down towards the village entrance. Lindorf, this little village out in the sticks is my home. Despite not having any distinctive features or specialties, our village still gets plenty of visitors due to it being one of the stops along the road towards the kingdoms southern border.

Adventurers and merchants pass through our village for some rest while in the middle of traveling towards the neighboring Almadeus theocracy. My job is basically being a village guard cum village guide/receptionist. I greet and inspect the people that come to our village and provide some friendly directions for first timers. Service with a smile and all that. I also alert the other village guards whenever I encounter suspicious individuals. It's not the most exciting job in the world. But hey, it's better than nothing.

I greeted some of the villagers along the way. They're all relatively friendly folk. But some of the younger generation can get a bit annoying at times.

"Hey look guys. It's Myst. He looks as gloomy and miserable as always. I can't believe he's childhood friends with Lord Vance and Queen Felise." a lanky young man quipped.

"Sssh. Quiet down! He'll hear you. He may be a good for nothing but he's still the village chiefs son." a thin eyed young woman warned.

I already heard you, idiots. And which part of me looks gloomy? Okay, maybe I do have a bit of a depressed look recently. But I make sure to put out my best "business" smile whenever I take up my post. And seriously, a good for nothing? I may not be anything special, but at least I'm not "bottom of the barrel" useless. There are guys who are much worse off than me even in the village.

Damn. This is unjust resentment. I want a lawyer. I do have an inkling as to why they're so critical towards me however.

Simply put, they're just jealous.

Why the skeptical look? I'm serious here. No, really. I'm not pulling your leg.

They're not jealous of "me". Not exactly. They're jealous because I happen to be childhood friends with both the dashing and powerful hero who slew the demon king and brought peace to the continent and the beautiful and brave princess who, after spending her childhood hidden away in a far away village to stave off some traitorous nobles who were after her life, made a triumphant return after the king, who had been turned into a puppet ruler by said nobles, breathed his last. She staged a successful coup, deposed the corrupt nobles and rallied the various allied nations under one united front against the threat of a massive demon uprising. She was finally crowned queen after the demon armies defeat.

Amazing isn't it? They both sound like larger than life individuals and I'm childhood friends with both of them. Not that this little tidbit counts for anything really. They both seem so far away now. And to think I can still vividly recall their smiling faces whenever I close my eyes...

-Chapter 1 End-

 

Chapter 2: The Unlikely Tale of The Hero, The Maiden and Villager A

Spoiler

Part 1

Vance Rayleigh and I were the best of friends. He was a naughty, hyperactive kid who liked to cause trouble. But he was also quite smart and charming. He held a certain charisma even as a child and you really can't help but follow the guy no matter what sort of trouble he gets you into.

That's what I did anyway. I was his partner in crime. We did many crazy things together. As for what those things were, I'll leave that to your imagination.

Then there was Felise Hayward. She was a veritable goddess. And I'm not exaggerating. She truly was beautiful. She had a sweet, gentle yet firm and unyielding personality. All the village kids admired her. The sight of her lustrous flame red hair fluttering in the wind as she walked elicited admiring sighs from both the young and old folks in the village.

She also had Vance and I wrapped perfectly on her little finger. Whenever we went to cause some mischief, she'd be there to reign us in and prevent us from going overboard.

She was also my first crush.

You really can't blame me for falling for her though. Heck, most of the guys in our age group had crushes on her. She even charmed some of the girls.

Well, all except for one guy. Vance, that idiot, was as dense as a rock. He was more interested in swords and adventurers than girls. Somehow, it seemed quite appropriate though.

Part 2

Vance and I dreamed of being adventurers. He was in it for the thrill and excitement of an unbridled life. I was in it for silly things like wanting to restore the Evrard house to its (rumored) former glory and attaining the hand of my lady love. I was a kid. Kids tended to have some pretty crazy dreams.

We were able to study the sword under Felise's grandfather, Galvan Hayward, after a few rounds of passionate (i.e. desperate) pleas (i.e. shameful begging).

I was pretty into it at first. I followed the assigned training menu religiously. I did my best during spars. I filled several bundles of parchment with research notes about the stances and techniques of the Sevenfold Paths of Radiance sword style that grampa Galvan taught us. Most of it were just incoherent scribbles though.

I even had the gall to declare that I'd use my sword to protect Felise forever. She showed me a meaningful and somewhat mysterious smile whenever I did that. I was too caught up with myself to notice anything though.

But after a while, the huge difference in talent between Vance and me became readily apparent. He absorbed gramps' teachings at an alarmingly fast rate. It didn't take long before Vance completely surpassed me in skill, technique and strength. I was no longer a worthy opponent for him in spars.

It's not like I was particularly bad at swordsmanship. Vance was just too overwhelmingly gifted at it. Even grampa Galvan started to have trouble with him shortly after he took over as a sparring partner.

I was proud of him. I really was. He was my best friend after all. But I can't deny being jealous of him either. It's an ugly feeling. But I can't deny it.

The difference in the looks gramps gave to the two of us when we graduated from his tutelage made it much worse.

With Vance, there was a look of overwhelming pride. There were even hints of awe and reverence.

But, as for me, what stood out was pity. I was being pitied. Gramps tried not to show it, but I could tell. And I was truly bothered by it.

Maybe Vance's talent was just that overwhelming. It made me seem all the more drab and, well, ordinary. But even so, I thought that this still didn't justify the look of pity gramps gave me.

I was still decent with a sword wasn't I? Okay, well, barely decent. But I could still put up a fight. I wasn't useless. But that look took a serious toll on my self-esteem.

Felise did admonish gramps about the obvious difference in treatment - a small consolation. But I still felt down in the dumps. Vance being as oblivious as always didn't help either.

Part 3

I can't ever forget the look of disappointment on Vance's face when I decided not to go with him to register at the local adventurers guild in the neighboring town of Ambrose.

Even the usually dense Vance sensed something from my attitude back then. We stood in silence for quite some time after I broke it to him. We did promise to start adventuring together after our training ends after all.

But I couldn't do it. I couldn't bring myself to follow after him anymore. I was afraid - afraid I might eventually come to hate him if I continued staying by his side.

I knew I was being unreasonable. I shouldn't have let jealousy get the better of our friendship. But I was already deeply mired in it. I was simply being petty. And not a day goes by that I don't regret the way we parted ways that time.

I was the only one who kept up with him no matter what kind of mischief he engaged in. He did tend to get carried away and often overdid his pranks after all. I covered for him whenever we got busted by the adults. Being the village chiefs son, my words did hold some weight. So we got off not getting the worst out of it.

We used to think we were inseparable. But it turned out not to be the case. My insecurities won out in the end. It was the worst.

But what got me the most was that he didn't blame me. He might have even blamed himself.

Before Vance went on to start his adventuring career, he tapped me on the chest with his fist in a familiar gesture. I was supposed to tap him back. It was a good luck charm as well as a sign of faith. I didn't return the gesture and just continued to stare at him stiffly. He showed me a strained and helpless smile.

That was the first and last time I got to see him truly close to tears. He departed for Ambrose soon after.

Part 4

Things got awkward between Felise and me after Vance left. I was still caught up in conflicting emotions and continued to sulk while sporting a gloomy expression.

She often got out of her way to hang out with me despite my attitude. She never said anything. She just simply sat by my side. But that was enough. It was more than enough.

Truth be told, I thought she would hate me. I went back on my word and betrayed the hopes of my best friend just because of some unreasonable inferiority complex. I thought she would be disillusioned. But not once did I hear any words of admonishment coming from her.

Instead, she continued to silently support me. She was waiting for me to open up. But I never got the chance to express my feelings. Fate would not allow me to.

***


It happened so suddenly. Armed men came to the village and requested an audience with my dad, the village chief. They demanded to see the former Royal Guard commander Galvan Hayward.

I got confused. Old grampa Galvan was a knight commander? And to top it off, he led the Royal Guard. They were the crème de la crème of the knight regiments of Vandel kingdom - the true elites. Whenever they spearheaded the army at the behest of the king, all the kingdoms opponents trembled in dread.

If so, why was gramps out here on the sticks? Even if he retired due to old age, normally, he would have been given an important position as an advisor to the king and the royal family. Or perhaps, he would have been made the dean of the Vandel Royal Knight Academy to nurture the next generation.

Here in Lindorf, he was just your plain old village guard captain. Hes also commonly referred to as an eccentric who preferred to hunt wild boars using only his sword and his sturdy body, even at his age.

Well, come to think of it, there were indeed some signs pointing that he wasnt exactly ordinary. But still, former Royal Guard commander was just too much of a jump in status. My poor fourteen year old mind couldnt keep up. And to think I was going to be officially recognized as an adult on my next birthday

I was out of it for most of the conversation between the men and my father. But some words got stuck in my mind.

“A major change in the situation…”

“An impending war with the demons…”

“The king dying because of a disease…”

“Suspicions of treachery…”

“A deal between the demons and some of the kingdoms nobles…”

“A change is needed…”

“A symbol of hope…”

“Princess Felise…”

I was jolted awake.

“No way…” I thought.

“It can’t be…” I thought.

An incomparable sense of anxiety and unease came over me.

“Not her too…”

Part 5


My fears were confirmed after gramps came and brought Felise over with him to meet the men. They knelt down and greeted her with utmost respect and reverence.


They all called Felise princess. She didnt get flustered, but instead took it all in stride as if it was but natural. And then, she turned to me.


Her face displayed that meaningful yet strangely mysterious and somewhat uneasy smile she gave me from time to time. Only at this moment was I finally able to grasp some of its meaning.


I really am a self-centered fool I thought.


***


The men really were members of the current Royal Guard who remained loyal to the royal family. They told us that they could no longer sit still and do nothing as the nobles ambitions threatened the very foundations of the kingdom they loved and swore to protect. The last straw was a suspected conspiracy between the nobles and the demon army which was currently annexing parts of the neighboring Silvanus Union in open rebellion against the humans and other races of the continent.


The nobles had seized power after forcing the rest of the royal family into exile and making the king into a puppet ruler. They had the support of a part of the Royal Guard forces and most of the military. Those loyal to the royal family were either exiled, executed due to trumped up charges or forced to submit through threats of violence against them and their loved ones.


They had been cowed and humiliated for years.


This was all news to me. The people had felt the worsening state of the kingdom long before. The state of living for commoners, especially in the royal capital, rapidly deteriorated in recent years. The nobles did as they pleased and didn't listen to the cries of the people.


But we all thought the king had been privy to all the abuses and simply refused to act against them. Some even secretly resented the royal family but were too powerless to do anything about it. All signs of rebellion were stamped out before they could even gain some sort of momentum.


Attempts by commoners to smuggle themselves out of the capital, and even out of the country frequently occurred, but few succeeded. Grampa Galvan and Felise were some of the few that did. That's how they got to Lindorf. But I never could have imagined that the royal family also fell victim to those corrupt nobles and that our village had been housing a royal princess all this time.


Most attempts to escape were thwarted. But the few who did manage it were never pursued. It was like the nobles couldn't be bothered to focus on such endeavors.


Thus, gramps and Felise had managed to safely disappear from the nobles sights. But the men who came were imploring for Felise to take the helm and spearhead a massive coup de tat with her as the central figure. This was in order to stop the kingdom from falling into the demons hands because of a deal made by the nobles that supposedly ensured their rights to rule by handing the country over without a fight.


"As if those damned demons would spare their pitiful lives!" a sharp eyed man who was apparently the leader of the group spat out.


The deep resentment of the demons for all other races that lived in the continent was quite well known. Centuries of open animosity and oppression towards their kind fostered their hate. Although it had somewhat abated during our generation, a majority of the continents populace still treated demon-kind as a scourge upon the land.


The humans and elves in particular, had staged many subjugation attempts to drive them out of the continent. We had succeeded in confining them within the Al-Zeberuk wastes - an unforgiving land where death lurks in every corner.


They were supposed to wither away in that hell. But somehow, they came back. And they were extremely pissed off.


They began conquering the scattered tribes which lived in the wastes borders and have now pushed well within the Silvanus Union, and will continue to head to the heart of the continent if nothing stops their advance.


Part 6


The Silvanus Union consisted of the high elven forest-city of Yllyr, the dwarven city of Giliead and the human cities of Myrn and Vendice. They held the most power and influence in the northwest areas of the continent. But now, they were in a desperate struggle against the demon forces and are close to falling.


As the rogue knights relayed the information, everyone's countenance gradually turned grim.


Perhaps, blinded by fear of the might of the demon army, the nobles had quickly agreed to the demons proposal of guaranteed ruling rights without realizing they were being fooled. Most likely, the demons were just doing this to preserve their forces. After all, no matter how powerful a force, casualties are inevitable. Their reproductive abilities are low, so the demons manpower is quite limited. If they manage to take Vandel without bloodshed, they'd be poised to attack the Almadeus theocracy with their full strength.


After Almadeus falls, there will virtually be nothing stopping them from taking over the entire central continent.


***


Grampa Galvan recognized that the situation was indeed dire. But he still held reservations. Why call upon the child of the king and a commoner borne out of wedlock in an illicit affair to be the heart of a coup de ta to reinstate the royal family? The king still had a number of children, each brilliant in their own right, who could possibly succeed the throne.


The rogue royal guard knights smiled bitterly after his question. They once again dropped another shocker - every other member of the royal family is dead. The nobles were very thorough. They eliminated all that may hinder the deal they made with the demons. All except for one that is.


True, the nobles were fools. They deferred the elimination of the royal family loyalists within the royal guard because they enjoyed watching them suffer indefinitely under their oppression. This, along with their deal with the demons, showed they prioritized impulsive whims instead of sound logic. But they did succeed in silently taking over the kingdom, so they couldn't be underestimated.


Felise had managed to avoid their notice because only a handful knew of her existence. But now that the nobles have a precedent for getting serious in rooting out rogue elements, it was only a matter of time.


Gramps nearly fainted from his seat. Felise's expression turned dark. The situation was more pressing than they thought.


Finally, with a determined look, Felise had agreed to take up the mantle as the last remaining royalty of Vandel kingdom in order to bring the nobles to justice and to protect the country from the approaching threat of demon invasion.


Part 7


I was dumbstruck. Things got crazier and crazier and my thoughts were swept up by a tide of confusion and worry.


Felise was the last remaining princess of the kingdom and now she was headed towards a dangerous battle for the kingdoms survival. That was way over my head. I didn't know how to take it. What could someone like me do in a situation like that?


Felise suddenly entered my room while I was immersed in my thoughts. That caused my mind to instantly grind to a halt. Why was she in my room? In a boy's room. At night. I panicked even more when she sat down right next to me on the bed.


Then she spoke.


"It's just as you've heard." she began.


"I have the blood of the king flowing through my veins. He wasn't always the ideal father. But, for a time, when he spent his days with me and my mother, I was truly happy."


Her expression grew solemn. Hints of melancholy were present within her clear, jade colored eyes.


"I... I've decided to take on the responsibility of leading this kingdom. I know it's presumptuous of me. It's certainly going to be difficult. I know nothing when it comes to being a leader. But if... If someone were by my side to support me... Then perhaps..."


The distance between our faces gradually shrank and we could feel each others breaths. And, at this moment, I did one thing I would regret for the rest of my life.


I turned away.


That effectively served to ruin the mood. Felise flushed red and her eyes wandered restlessly across the room. In the end, she gave a quick apology and went out of my room with panicked steps.


***


Why did I turn away?


I wussed out, that's why.


I knew that she wasn't requiring anything unreasonable of me. She only wished for me to stay by her side, just as she had for me. But is that truly alright?


She was about to undertake something with the lives and futures of countless people hanging in the balance. Was it truly okay for someone like me to stay by her side? Will I be forgiven for something so selfish? I'm sure quite a few will not recognize my worth to be with Felise. And I held those doubts myself.


A part of me was saying "To hell with that!". But in the end, my insecurities won out once more.


And so, I turned away.


***


The carriages departed in the dead of night the following day.


I kept going back and forth with wanting to accompany Felise and holding myself back.


When I finally decided to see her, the carriages had already departed in the distance. A flash of crimson came from the carriage window.


I couldn't see her face.


But why did I feel she was in tears?


-Chapter 2 End-

 

Chapter 3: The Whims of Fate Truly are Unpredictable

Spoiler

Part 1


"Hey young'un! Stop your daydreaming and take up your post. Something tells me it's gonna be quite busy today."


An aged voice snapped me out of my trip to memory lane.


Mr. Len Reynolds is the longest serving active village guard in Lindorf. He still refuses to retire even at the ripe old age of sixty five. He also had this weird rivalry with grampa Galvan back when he was still in the village. They once entered a honeyed bread eating contest during one of our annual spring festivals. It didn't end pretty...


"I told you to stop spacing out and get into your post you blasted youngster. That old fogey Galvan didn't teach you nuthin bout discipline! I'll whip you nice and proper and turn you into a respectable adult yet. That'll show that geezer... Quitting while he's ahead... The old fool..."


I couldn't help but smile at his remarks. Regardless of how they treated each other outwardly, I guess gramps and Mr. Reynolds could still be counted as friends. And he wasn't exactly the picture of youth himself. Though his enthusiasm could put all of us "youngsters" to shame.


As soon as I stationed myself on the guard booth just outside the village gate, the sound of hooves trotting resounded from the road.


"Hello again lad. It's nice to be back out here after so long. Sure beats lazing around in a dreary office all day. Wahahaha!"


The lively greeting came from a tall, portly man sporting a rather distinct beard. He's Milton Pavel, the founder of the Pavel trading firm and a long time family friend. He was leading a large caravan filled with merchandise, presumably on his way to Almadeus for trade.


"Hello uncle Milton. I thought you're already relegated to administrative duties. Don't tell me you ran away from Matilda again." I greeted back.


"Pah! That ungrateful daughter of mine. I keep telling her life cooped up in one place just isn't for me. But she just wont listen. That stubborn fool. Takes after her mother too much I tell ya!" uncle Milton complained.


Matilda Pavel was uncles eldest daughter and his most talented protege. Uncle planned to hand over the firm to whoever displayed most talent to make business flourish from among his associates. Blood ties were meaningless. But his own daughter blew past all the competition and led the firm to its most prosperous period yet since its founding. Uncle may say otherwise, but deep inside, I know he's very proud of her.


My mood dampened somewhat after thinking of the lively young woman with an uncanny eye for prime opportunities and possessed decisiveness and nerves that rivaled even the most seasoned merchants in the continent.


"So different from me..." I muttered.


"What's wrong lad? You look out of it." uncle Milton asked. I shook my head and fixed my downcast expression.


"It's nothing uncle. Anyway, you're quite early this time. The Lumia festival's still next month. Why'd you bring so many wagons with you?" I asked out of curiosity.


"Oh, those eh? Well, they're for transport. I've been commissioned to buy a large amount of goods from Almadeus by the kingdom." uncle Milton answered readily.


"Must be a huge deal." I remarked in an amazed tone.


"Well, yes... You could say that." uncle replied with a little less enthusiasm in his voice.


"Hey idiot! Stop holding us up and clear the way. We're in a hurry here. We need to buy those souvenirs for the royal wedding pronto!" a young boy shouted impatiently. The boy, Milo Pavel, was uncle's only son and also his youngest child.


He was as impertinent as ever. But getting annoyed with him was the thing furthest away from my thoughts right now. Something about what he said really bothered me.


"Uncle... What's he saying?..." I asked with a trembling voice. I desperately wanted to deny the possibility. I truly hoped I only heard wrong.


"Uh... Well... You see lad... The thing is..."


Uncle Milton couldn't give me a straight answer and started to beat around the bush. It made my chest tighten uncomfortably even more. Milo's next words drove it in with finality.


"I said we need to buy souvenirs for the royal wedding between the celebrated hero of the continent, Lord Vance Rayleigh and our beloved Queen Felise Altasia Vandel! A match made in heaven if I do say so myself." Milo quipped with a know-it-all attitude.


With that...


My heart sank.


Part 2


Come to think of it, this outcome was pretty much expected.


Vance rapidly rose to fame as an adventurer and was granted the highest rank in the trade, the Overdragoon rank, at the tender age of sixteen. He then met up with Felise after getting caught up in a battle between the forces of the corrupt nobles and the royal family loyalists. He proceeded to lend his aid to her and became one of her most trusted aides.


When the war with the demons began, he rendered feat after unrivaled feat, defeating a majority of the demon lords most trusted generals in the field of battle.


When he finally defeated the demon lord, his name was already carved in history and became the stuff of legends. He was hailed as the greatest hero of our time.


He was even called things like "The Princess' Champion" and "The Queens Peerless Knight".


I gathered those tidbits from the bards and actors passing through Lindorf a while back.


It wouldn't be strange for the people to support the wedding of the great hero and his beloved queen. Unlike me, Vance was able to stay by her side and become her strength after all.


It makes so much sense in my head. But my heart refuses to accept it.


"Big bro..."


I looked up to see my little sister with a worried expression on her adorable face. I tried to smile to reassure her, but my face cramped up and the best I could manage was a broken grin.


Elaine pulled me towards her. She placed my head on her bossom as I leaned on her sideways. She then proceeded to stroke my hair gently.


Really now. To be comforted by my little sister of all things. Just how pathetic could I get?


I've cooped myself inside my room all day after I heard the news. I even ran away from work while being scolded by Mr. Reynolds earlier this morning. I couldn't manage to crack a smile or hold an amiable conversation even if I wanted to right now anyway.


It seems my little sister has already heard the news as well, so she headed to my room in worry. It was warm in her embrace. But this wasn't gonna last either.


She was going to head for the Almadeus theocracy next month to enroll in Luminaris Magic Academy under a scholarship. Her talent in holy magic was extraordinary and the village priest recommended to nurture her gift. From what I was told, she held the potential to ascend to the position of Light Oracle. So, in the end I'll be left behind again.


Actually, I knew in my heart that part of why I'm in such a sorry state right now was caused by myself. I was just running away from that fact.


The door to my room was suddenly flung open.


"Mom!" Elaine exclaimed.


"Hello dear. How is your brother holding up?" my mother asked in a worried tone.


"Well... He's like this mom." Elaine replied and patted my head lightly.


"Oh, I see. Well then... Could I bother you to step outside for a little bit dear? I need to have a little heart to heart talk with your brother." mom instructed. Was it my imagination, or did I just hear her crack her knuckles?


Elaine went out obediently and left me alone with mom. If I had known what was to follow, I would have desperately clung to my little sister as I begged my mom for mercy. Alas, twas already far too late for regrets.


"Well then dear... Time for a little bit of tough love." my mom declared with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.


I broke into a cold sweat and prepared for the worst.


Part 3


I woke up the following morning somewhat feeling more at peace with myself despite my body aching all over. Mom really talked some sense into me last night.


I cried my heart out for the first time in years ever since two of the most important people in my life left our village for greater things, leaving me behind. Though I'm unclear how much of it was due to grief or to the pain and fear I was subjected to last night...


In any case, I've already resolved myself to go and see the two of them during the wedding. Uncle Milton actually had an invitation addressed to me but had a hard time thinking of how to break the news yesterday. He knew us since childhood so he did have an idea regarding our circumstances.


I'm thankful for his concern. Milo was just too blunt. Well, he's just a brat after all.


Anyway, seeing them would probably allow me to sort out my own feelings. But, more importantly, I want to properly apologize to the two of them.


For a lot of things.


Maybe after doing that, I can also begin forgiving myself.


***


The day of the wedding was fast approaching. I prepared to head out with a merchant caravan returning to the capital after selling their wares.


Mom and dad bade me a safe trip. Berry barked at me encouragingly. Elaine sent me a letter wishing me good luck. She was already on route to Almadeus but still went out of her way to send a letter via carrier pigeon.


My heart was light.


Lighter than it ever has these past five years.


The coaches started heading out one by one a few moments later.


***


Before we reach the main road leading to the capital from Lindorf, we must first cross the Elmoore mountains.


It wasn't a hard journey, except for a particular section where we needed to navigate the cliff side. But the way was still relatively wide so the danger of falling was very low.


Or so we thought.


That assumption was overturned a few moments after we got halfway through the cliff.


A rock slide happened. Apparently, this section of the mountains had been subjected to heavy downpour last night. The soil was very moist and the area on top of the cliff had been cleared out of large trees due to unrestricted logging.


We were unfortunate enough to get caught up in it. Curse me and my rotten luck!


A mother was hysterically calling her young daughters name. I was actually with said daughter. More specifically, I was holding on to her to prevent her from falling with my right hand and was holding on to a branch that stuck out from the side of the cliff with my left.


My arms were gradually getting tired. I glanced at the child below me. She looked at me with eyes filled with bottomless dread. I gritted my teeth in resolve.


I poured mana towards my limbs and activated bodily enhancement magic. It was one of the few magic techniques I was competent in. I concentrated the mana on my arms and threw the child back up with all my strength. She crashed right towards her mother who frantically embraced her.


Just as I was preparing to launch myself up as well, another accident happened. The branch broke.


Damn!


Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn!


This can't be happening!


It just can't.


Why is my life suddenly flashing before my eyes?


What kind of sick joke is this?


Why is life so unfair?


Even death is no better!


This is just too cruel.


I... I haven't even seen them again yet...


I still haven't managed to apologize...


My tears continued to stream out from my eyes and kept scattering in the air as I fell.


I let out an anguished howl.


There was unimaginable pain.


Then it all went black.


Part 4


My body felt weightless. There was no sound present either. I couldn't even hear my own heart beat. But that was natural.


After all, I'm already dead.


Was this the netherworld?


"How fitting." I thought.


It was pitch black.


A black void.


A world of nothingness.


Or so I thought.


There was something there. Releasing an ethereal glow, it came ever closer.


A glowing iron giant.


"A guardian of the netherworld?" I thought.


My senses grew dull once more. I felt them slowly fading.


The giant gradually disappeared from my consciousness.


And there was darkness once more.


***


"Doctor! Doctor Saionji!" a girl yelled frantically.


"What is it this time Nemu? I'm kind of busy doing autopsies on the bodies of the corpses right now. If it's another crew member getting space sick, just grab the medicine right over there. Should make em right as rain in no time." a bespectacled middle aged man replied in a grumpy tone.


The girl shook her head vigorously.


"That's not it doctor. We found one. We found a survivor."


The man looked at her skeptically.


"Nonsense. There are signs indicating a widespread Genion particle attack as cause of death for most of the subjects. Even if their units managed to avoid total destruction, unrestricted exposure to the particle would have still shut down all bodily vital functions. Having survivors is impossible." the man denied.


The girl strode forward and cupped the man's cheeks with both her hands while pouting.


"WE! HAVE! VITALS! HE! REALLY! IS! ALIVE!" she asserted.


The man, cowed by the girl's forceful insistence, reluctantly followed after her to take a look.


His eyes widened to saucers as soon as he saw the said survivor.


"My word... He truly is alive."


He turned to the girl with an incredulous expression.


"Nemu... It's a miracle!"


-Chapter 3 End-

 

Chapter 4: Confusion, Conspiracy and Awakening of a Nurse Fetish

Spoiler

Part 1


White walls.


I woke up to find myself surrounded by white walls.


No, why did I wake up in the first place? Wasn't I supposed to be dead? Or was this place the netherworld? I thought it would be more gloomy and foreboding.


"Ah! Doctor Saionji, the patient's awake."


"Hm? Oh, he's awake huh? Let's see..."


A young melodious voice followed by a somewhat sloppy sounding male baritone. Are they also souls that departed to the afterlife like himself? Or are they actually the residents of this place. The so called "guides".


My eyes slowly regained their focus. I began to look for the source of the voices. What came into view was a tall, slick haired male who wore glasses and a young girl who had her long, lustrous black hair tied up into a neat ponytail.


The man had a spotless white robe over his strange looking clothes. The girl's attire was both strange, whimsical and quite revealing. She only had light pink robe-like clothes on, which were really form fitting and emphasized her developing figure quite well. It barely reached halfway down to her thighs. Her slender legs were covered with white cloth which went up to just above the knee, exposing a fair amount of skin. She also wore a strange headdress of the same color as her clothes.


Truth be told, I had a hard time looking away from her. Even in death, a man's desires can never be underestimated...


"Strange..." I thought.


For beings that resided in the realm of the dead, they surely looked quite... human-like. They also appeared tangible. Almadeus beliefs surely preached that dying will purge us from our physical forms and we will continue on as ethereal spirits, residing in the realm of the dead to be purified and finally sent back to the material plane in accordance to the Great Cycle, as the Highest Goddess Alma wills.


But the beings in front of me looked like anything but ethereal spirit entities. The girl's lovely legs certainly looked quite solid and supple...


No!


What's wrong with me? My improper thoughts will surely get me reincarnated into a bug. I need to resist the stirrings of my male heart...


"Doctor, he still looks in pain." the girl exclaimed worriedly.


Crap. Did my thoughts show in my expression? I frantically tried to put on my best poker face.


"Hm? Sure doesn't look like that to me." the man she addressed as "doctor" replied.


He then approached me and touched my face. His gloved hands felt rather cold. But strangely enough, it wasn't really uncomfortable.


"No signs of any obvious aftereffects. Complexion looks quite normal. Temperature's good too. I'm gonna have to observe him for a few more hours just to be sure. But it does seem he's recovered from the worst of it."


The girl's expression brightened after the man's lengthy exposition. She was actually pretty cute. The man turns to me once more and smiled wryly.


"Hello there lad. You certainly have the devils luck. You're extremely lucky to be alive. Especially after unrestrained genion particle exposure of that magnitude." he said in a cheerful tone.


Alive?


Who?


Me?


How?


Why?


Lots of questions started popping up inside my head. It seems this place really isn't the netherworld. But, if so, where exactly is this place? And why was I here? Was I really alive? Did I really survive a fall from that sort of height?


No! More importantly, what day is it? Can I still make it to the wedding?


I tried to stand up in panic. But my strength failed me and I staggered.


"Steady there sir. You haven't made a complete recovery yet. Don't overdo it."


The girl pushed me back down firmly on the bed I was apparently lying down on. My body really did feel weak. I couldn't resist her at all. The fact that she smelled nice didn't help either.


"I'm sorry miss. But I really have to go to the capital fast. How long was I out? Is it still the fourth day of the month of Aelios? Where are we anyway? Are we far from Vandelas? Has the wedding between the hero and Vandel kingdoms queen concluded already? Please. Tell me miss. I need to know!"


I unleashed a barrage of questions on her in panic. I was met with a confused expression. Of course I was. That was a bit rude of me after all. But I really need to know if I could still make it. If not, then it'll be another thing worth apologizing to Vance and Felise for.


"W-What are you talking about sir? Vandelas? Kingdom? Hero? Queen? D-Doctor! This is..."


The girl quickly turned flustered and gazed back towards the man wearing glasses with a worried look.


I sensed something was off. But I pressed on anyway. I need to see them again. I had to.


"Miss, my name is Myst Evrard. I'm the son of Lindorf villages chief. I was on my way to the capital Vandelas in order to attend the royal wedding. But the merchant caravan I was with got caught up in a landslide and I fell down the cliff. I sincerely thank you for nursing me back to health after the accident, but I really need to get to the capital to greet the royal couple. You may not believe me, but they're both dear friends of mine, and I want to personally give them my blessing. Please..."


Apprehension and worry filled the faces of both the girl and the man in glasses.


"Now lad, I'm sure it's been hard on you. You just need a bit more rest. Nemu, if you please..." the man spoke with a soothing tone, beckoning for the girl who was now holding some sort of strange tube.


"No! You don't understand! I have to meet with Vance and Felise! I need to apologize. I have to. I..."


I felt something pierce my neck. My consciousness quickly dimmed.


Part 2


"Well, this certainly doesn't bode well for the project." a sharp eyed man with hawk-like features exclaimed with a sigh.


"Mm. We've barely recovered anything after the transport was attacked. All our test pilot candidates bit the dust, save for one. But it turns out he didn't quite escape death unscathed after all." the bespectacled doctor sighed back.


"What exactly is going on with him doctor?" the sharp eyed man asked.


"As I'm not an expert on the field, I can only speculate. But I think the severe traumatic experiences he encountered coupled with his brush with death put him through an extreme state of denial. He's replaced reality with elements from what appears to be some sort of fantasy novel." the doctor explained.


The sharp eyed man raised an eyebrow.


"A fantasy novel? People still read that sort of stuff?" he exclaimed with an air of disbelief.


The doctor shrugged helplessly.


"Different strokes for different folks as they say." he replied.


"Will he recover?" the sharp eyed man asked.


"Hard to tell sir. For now, let me continue observing him. We're already at our wits end anyway. At this point, I'd actually be tempted to take a crazy guy in as the test pilot for the Elysium project rather than admit defeat." the doctor said with conviction.


"Alright. I'll leave it to you. And doctor... Our enemy got wind of the plan despite the massive information blackout we implemented. There's a high possibility that they have someone on the inside. Trust no one. Not even me." the sharp eyed man warned.


The doctor grinned darkly.


"Oh, don't worry captain. I never trust anybody."


***


"Sir, Deep Eyes 04s periodic report has just been sent in." a young officer exclaimed.


"Hm? Ah, yes. Just leave it there." a skinny but stone faced man answered and gestured towards his desk.


The young officer promptly saluted and transferred the data recordings on the terminal installed in the stone faced man's desk.


After the young officer left, the man expanded the data recording into several overhead holographic screens. His poker face slightly faltered after taking a look at them.


"So, one rat escaped extermination huh? We need to remedy that." he hissed.


He sent out an encrypted code that relayed his orders to the spy they sent to infiltrate the enemy ship.


Missing one kill left him a bitter aftertaste. At least that's going to be fixed soon.


He can almost imagine the looks of despair and frustration on those Confederacy dog's faces. He laughed in glee at the thought.


-Chapter 4 End-

 

Chapter 5: Magic Practice, Voyeurs and a Shadowy Stalker

Spoiler

Part 1

It feels like a few days have passed ever since I ended waking up stuck in my current predicament. I actually don't have much of a sense of time after waking up because the room I was in didn't have any windows. I couldn't tell if it was night or day.

Light came from a strange contraption that turned a sort of glowing object on or off with a touch. The illumination was very bright. Almost like daytime actually. But once the contraption was turned off, it turned quite dark, save for the ambient light coming from some of the other strange devices in the room.

The folks who saved(?) me treated me quite well. I even had a trio of beautiful girls taking care of me. No, really. I'm not boasting. There really were three of them - ranging from cute to beautiful to sultry.

The one who was with the man when I first woke up is Miss Nemu Morikaze. She's quite lively and liked to joke around. She's quite the looker as well. Her ponytail suited her. She brought two other women with her and introduced them to me. The one with an exceedingly voluptuous figure was Aiko Takayama and the petite girl who seemed to perpetually sport a bored, spaced out expression was Miya Iwamori. The doctor also introduced himself as Mr. Satoru Saionji earlier before. They all had pretty exotic sounding names. They're probably not from the Grandale continent. The oriental islands to the far east perhaps?

The beautiful trio told me they were the ones assigned to take care of me while I recuperate. Again, I'm not deliberately trying to rub it in.

And while I would normally be relishing the fact that three beautiful women were nursing me back to health, I was still really worried about my situation.

I barely scraped up new information as I conversed with the girls. First, I was probably no longer on Grandale continent anymore. They told me I was currently aboard a civilian transport freighter. In other words, a ship.

The Vandel kingdom was situated near the heart of the continent. It was nowhere near the sea. Therefore, things like saltwater fish were rare commodities. The bodies of water that were located within Vandel kingdoms territory like the Kraust river and Ayers lake were too small and narrow for large vessels. From what the girls told me, the ship we're on is fairly large.

If so, then I must be out at sea right now. This certainly put me in quite a bind. I have no idea how distant we are from the continent. I tried asking the girls, but Miss Nemu and Miss Aiko both just gave me slightly troubled looks. Miss Miya had that spaced out look as usual. But she also didn't answer my queries. Did I really ask something strange? I wonder if the people in the eastern lands called Grandale continent by a different name?

If I try to leave via lifeboat, I might just find myself stranded and lost out on the open sea. I don't have the slightest inkling about how to navigate out at sea. I'm a dry land person, born and raised near forests and mountains after all.

And, though they're my benefactors, I can't simply waltz in on the captain and request for them to turn back just for my sake. Traveling the seas via ship can be really daunting after all. That's what I heard from uncle Milton and some of the traveling merchants who had experience riding ships in order to sell their wares on foreign lands.

Do I really have to give up on coming back to the central continent immediately? All factors point to this conclusion. And, though I'm a bit unwilling, I virtually have no choice in the matter.

I'll try to hitch a ride on another ship bound for Grandale once we come to port. I have no money right now (my things got buried in the landslide along with the coaches) so I might not be able to do so straight away. But I'll work something out. I have to.

After get back, I'm probably gonna have to bow down repeatedly to those two for not making it to their big day. I hope this doesn't cause more friction between us; though them hating me is just my one sided conclusion. I actually have no idea about what they think of me. I'll talk it out with them eventually. I hope we'll all have smiles on our faces afterwards.

Part 2

The time I spent lazing around in the white room felt like an eternity. I was bored out of my mind. I tried going out only to find that the door was looked from the outside.

How the heck do you open this thing anyway? There's no handle or hinges. It looks really tightly shut. I can't just bust the door up either. That'll be rude.

And it feels really solid. I don't think I'll be able to make even as much as a dent even if I rammed it with all my strength.

The girls won't allow me to leave the room even if I ask either. I seriously feel more like a prisoner than a patient.

I really wanted to explore this so called ship. My room has so many strange contraptions. I have no idea how most of them work. I was told not to mess with anything so I tried not to. I can't have them getting annoyed at me, especially because I was only tagging along aboard their ship.

But my curiosity was still quite piqued. Most of the things inside the room were made out of metals, glass and a strange, light but hard material I've never seen before. Some of the things made with it were transparent like un-tinted glass. But things like the cup I drink water from had color and was even peppered with some strange symbols. Is this the face of a cat? It's hard to tell since it didn't have a mouth. It also wore a pink ribbon on one of its ears.

Strange...

There's nothing made of wood. Procuring and processing metals was quite expensive. A room made out mostly from the stuff feels really extravagant. But the people here don't think much of it at all. Were things like this normal where they're from? I may have stumbled into a really outrageous place.

Part 3

Since I couldn't get out even if I wanted to, I decided to give up for now and went back to bed. Since I didn't have anything better to do, I decided to practice circulating mana.

Weird.

My mana circulation feels smoother than normal. Maybe all that rest did some good after all.

I activated body enhancement magic. Hmm? It kinda feels like it's gotten a bit more potent than before. Maybe my near death experience caused me to awaken my hidden potential?

Pfft... Yeah right. Like that could ever happen. The improvement feels marginal anyway. Nothing to get excited about really. I still wouldn't be able to hold a candle to seasoned adventurers.

I continued to practice and began focusing the mana to reinforce specific areas. My mana capacity is average at best, but I was a bit proficient with circulation and control. But that's limited to things like body enhancement magic techniques which simply circulate and pool mana into specific areas within the body in order to strengthen them.

I lacked the sense to accurately control mana acting outside the body. I coul manage haphazard explosions, but they carried an acute risk of friendly fire in a party environment so they're nigh useless.

I improve slightly when I use auxiliary equipment like wands, enabling me to cast simple fireballs. But honestly, those types of equipment are better off being used by people actually decent in magecraft.

So why practice magic at all? I kinda developed a combat style that relied on body enhancement magic to improve the strength, speed and quality of my swordsmanship. Grampa Galvan told me it's actually pretty rare for a person to have both magical talent and the spark of a warrior.

But in my case, both my talent for magecraft and swordsmanship ended up being half baked. So I ended up as an average magic swordsman who could barely measure up to people with more specialized skill sets.

Kind of underwhelming really. But that's been my life story so far. Only choice now is to grin and bear it.

I have to keep myself sharp to prepare for the possibility of a long journey once I start heading back to the Grandale continent. Dangerous monsters and beasts roamed the world after all. They have been ever since the dawning of time.

The fallen demon king had several subordinate monsters and had shaped them into an organized fighting force. But originally, monsters and beasts were wild and, at times, dangerous. Best not to provoke one if you end up in an encounter. But you need to have the resolve to fight or run away from them in order to live if things escalate to a confrontation. This practice served to prepare myself for such circumstances.

I continued to meditate in silence.

***

"Sir, I think you'd want to take a look at this." a young female officer exclaimed.

Dr. Satoru Saionji approached the terminal the female officer was stationed at and observed the screen. His brows furrowed after observing the phenomenon that was occurring in front of the monitor.

"Fascinating!..." he whispered.

"Hi-Phonon particle readings are steadily increasing within the room with the subject as the epicenter sir. Quite the spectacle." the female officer said in an amazed tone.

"Achieving this degree of particle control without formal training... Astounding! Could you pull up the subjects pre-selection test results please." Dr. Saionji requested somewhat excitedly.

"Test results indicate he barely made it past the benchmark for Hi-Phonon concentrations within his body. Physical ability is, likewise, only average." the officer remarked rather bluntly.

Dr. Saionji shook his head slightly.

"I see. That's unfortunate. But still, with that kind of manipulation ability, he'll do quite well as a test pilot. Continue monitoring the subject and notify me of any changes." he instructed, recovering his spirits a bit.

"It looks like the project isn't such a lost cause after all." he said in an almost inaudible whisper.

***

A figure lurked behind Dr. Saionji and the female officer, listening in on their exchange. Blending well with the other officers and crew members of this so called "civilian" transport freighter, the figure had been conducting deep undercover infiltration within enemy lines for quite some time now.

Having determined that the subject for extermination could pose a significant threat to the Alliance if allowed to develop further, the figure had resolved to proceed with the assassination posthaste even with the risk of being compromised.

Steady footsteps left the room. But a pair of bespectacled eyes followed after the sound with a cold gaze.

-Chapter 5 End-

 

Chapter 6: Assassination Attempt and Crazy Combat Nurses

Spoiler

Part 1

I was lazing out inside the room as usual when I suddenly felt a presence from beyond the door. But something was strangely off. It took a few moments for me to realize what felt wrong.

It was something I haven't felt in a long time. Not since being surrounded by a pack of hungry Rouge Fangs with Vance after being purposely stranded in the middle of a monster infested forest during our training with gramps.

Killing intent.

So thick, it could nearly suffocate you from pressure alone.

Why?

What'd I do to deserve facing another life or death predicament? And this time, via human hands instead of an unfortunate accident.

I quickly activated body enhancement magic and pretended to sleep so I could catch the would be assailant off guard. No matter what, I can't afford to die. Not without seeing those two again.

But still, who could want me dead enough to release such dense killing intent? The people on this ship saved me earlier and now they actually want me dead? That just doesn't make sense.

I heard the familiar hiss that indicated the door opening. It closed right after the assailant entered the room, effectively locking the two of us inside.

Light footsteps slowly approached the bed. The killing intent I felt made me have goosebumps. I steeled myself and prepared to act.

Once I felt the presence was close enough, I took the initiative and quickly moved to restrain the assailant, only for me to go wide eyed in shock when I saw who it was.

"M-Miss Miya?!"

There in front of me was the petite girl Miya Iwamori, whose normal spaced out look was now replaced with a piercing hate filled gaze.

Part 2

I was really shocked. This cute girl actually released such dense killing intent. And it's directed at me.

"W-Why?" I asked.

Her answer was a knee straight to the stomach. Even under the effect of body enhancement magic, the blow still hurt like hell. Where does she get that much power with such a small build?

Never giving me the chance to recover, she lunged forward with astounding speed. My eyes barely kept up and I managed to narrowly avoid a blow to the neck. A trickle of blood came from a small wound that opened up on the side of my neck.

She was holding a sharp looking knife and thrust it at me. When the heck did she bring that out? I didn't even notice.

I moved almost instinctively, trying a technique that would allow me to pin her down and disarm her. But her body was too supple and her techniques too fluid. She easily slipped out from my clumsy grappling attempt.

Once she fixes her posture, that nasty looking knife would aim for my vitals once more. I couldn't let that happen.

Maximizing my mana output, I threw a magic strengthened hand chop down towards Miya's wrist. The speed and sharpness of my blow was also augmented. I forcibly disarmed her with all I've got and even stole her weapon.

But I didn't relax one bit. She might have more than one of these things. And her speed and proficiency with them are far from ordinary. Even with that little exchange, I've already determined that she was very skilled.

I was only able to disarm her through surprise and sheer luck. In a battle of attrition, I judged I'd be at a disadvantage. She seemed too used to this stuff - used to killing other people.

I had experience killing monsters before. But, as expected, facing a fellow human allowed for some hesitation. And in a battle, hesitation could be fatal.

Even if I was holding a weapon right now, I still felt like a frog facing off against a snake. I was already sweating buckets.

As the tension reached its peak, something unexpected happened.

The door suddenly opened.

Part 3

The door opening distracted me only for mere moments. But, as expected, Miya capitalized from my blunder. She thrust another knife at me with blinding speed. As I thought, she carried another one with her.

I tried to parry, mustering all my strength and magic, but I wasn't going to make it.

It was only by mere moments. But I was still not going to be able to stop Miya's fatal strike. My life flashed before my eyes once more.

But before the knife bore through my skull, I felt someone grab me and throw me right outside the now opened door. My back slammed on the hallway walls and I got winded.

But due to body reinforcement, it wasn't as bad as it could have been and I recovered rather quickly. I moved my gaze back towards the interior of the room and got another shock.

Miss Aiko Takayama was now facing off against Miya. She briefly looked back and flashed me a dazzling smile.

I shouted a warning. Miya suddenly brandished her knife towards Aiko when she turned away to face me. But my concern turned out to be unwarranted.

Aiko easily deflected the attack without even looking and even countered with a kick which sent Miya flying towards the back of the room. Aiko finally turned her attention back towards Miya while twirling her weapons.

She was touting what appeared to be metal rods with handles fixed perpendicular to them a third of the way down their length. If I remember correctly, those were foreign weapons called "tonfa". Faint lightning sparks emanated from the tips. Are those magic weapons?

"Ara. This isn't very smart of you Mi-chan. Letting your feelings get in the way of your mission I mean." Aiko remarked teasingly.

"Shut up bitch. I have nothing to say to you, filthy Confederation dog." Miya coldly replied.

Am I hearing things? That aloof but cute Miya saying such vulgar words... What is wrong with the world?!

"That's mean Mi-chan. I'm not filthy." Aiko playfully retorted while feigning a hurt expression.

"I told you to shut up, fatty. I'm going to chop that flabby chest of yours right off if you continue to fool around." Miya exclaimed in a hostile tone.

The atmosphere changed. I felt chills run down my spine. Black aura seemingly surrounded Aiko whose expression turned stiff.

"You're really asking for it aren't you shorty? You're just jealous cause you're completely flat." she remarked threateningly.

Now it was Miya's turn to make a stiff expression. Veins seemingly popped out on her forehead.

The two of them launched attacks while simultaneously shouting.

"Don't call me fatty!"

"Don't call me flat!"

The battle turned even uglier.

-Chapter 6 End-

 

Chapter 7: Unexpected End and Prelude to Realization

Spoiler

Part 1

It's been a while since the fighting between Miya and Aiko began. The battle was fierce but neither was able to gain the upper hand. I knew I had to get away from them quick. But I continued to watch them in a daze.

"How beautiful..."

I whispered those words while intently observing the spectacle before me.

I was captivated.

Their moves were incomparably mesmerizing to me. I failed to notice it earlier because of the situation, but neither of them displayed any traces of activating body enhancement magic. That meant that the things I was bearing witness to were achieved without the aid of magic - only pure physical prowess.

I couldn't fathom how that was possible. Miss Aiko aside, Miya had a build that couldn't possibly support the speed and power she was currently displaying. Just how were they able to achieve such feats of strength without using magic?

But that wasn't what captured my attention the most. It was the quality of their moves. No, that's not quite it. The very nature of their moves made me unable to pull away.

Those weren't techniques born from simply talent and instincts alone. They were polished to a very high degree and were certainly amazing. But what shined through was the nature of pure effort. The countless hours spent into developing them into blades sharp enough to cut down all that barred their path.

It was more pronounced in Miya's case. She truly did not possess the air of one with innate talent. But she was strong. That was undeniable.

Her techniques did not have the spontaneous and unrestrained quality of one born for battle. Instead, they bore a clinical, systematic and efficient nature, developed to near perfection by internalizing and building upon their foundations until reaching the summit of their potential.

Can people really reach such heights through hard work alone? That can't be the case. How can such a thing be possible?

Talent overshadows even the hardest of efforts. That was fact set in stone. Irrefutable truth.

But was it really?

I'm not so sure now.

Was I too focused on Vance's overwhelming talent and sold myself short as a result? Can I also reach the heights displayed by the two before me if I put in more effort?

Of course, I knew things aren't that simple. But something inside me was stirring once more.

A foolish, naive dream.

I bit my lip until I drew blood. Various emotions were welling inside me.

Anger, sorrow, frustration, regret... and hope.

But I was stirred awake by a knife whizzing past my face. Miya threw it after seizing an opportunity to break away from her opponent.

Miss Aiko sharply admonished me and told me to run as she blocked Miya's path once more.

And so, I ran.

Part 2

"Well then, since we got that out of the way, I think it's about time we finished this shorty." Aiko provoked.

"Sure. I'm just about fed up with you too anyway." Miya retorted, brandishing her mono-molecular combat knives. She now held two of them in response to the nano-carbonite shock tonfas Aiko was sporting.

The air around them turned heavy.

And they clashed once more.

Miya unleashed a barrage of fast and fluid slashing and thrusting attacks which were continuously fended off by Aiko's tonfas.

Aiko countered at every opportunity and had her weapons discharge several thousand volts of electricity towards Miya. She knew that this wasn't enough to incapacitate her opponent, but Aiko did it in order to impede Miya's movements, allowing for more of her attacks to land.

Just as Miya was occasionally pelted with electricity, Aiko also suffered numerous cuts made by Miya's knives even with her fierce blocking. Miya's attacks were just too fast and decisive for Aiko to block them all.

After simultaneously landing blows on each other, they once again drew apart.

"Heh. Not bad. Alliance agents aren't too shabby after all." Aiko remarked while panting lightly. Her hair and clothes became disheveled during the battle. Her expression revealed excitement as proved by her wild grin.

Miya was of a similar condition. She also held a grin on her face. But there was also something else in her expression - a triumphant glint in her eyes which seemed to say she had finally captured her prey.

A silver flash fell from right above where Aiko was standing. It was one of Miya's combat knives. Aiko wasn't able to dodge in time and crimson blood sprayed from her left shoulder.

"Gaah!"

Aiko's face distorted with pain. Miya rushed forward to deliver the killing blow.

Just as she was moments away from stabbing Aiko's vitals...

"Well, that's about enough I think."

A casual sounding voice suddenly came from behind the two of them.

Miya's movements halted instantly. Her body convulsed violently and after a few moments, she fell paralyzed to the floor. Her eyes swam towards the origin of the voice.

It was Dr. Satoru Saionji, slowly walking towards them with a relaxed gait. He was smiling amiably, but his eyes were icy cold.

He knelt down and looked at the object that wounded Aiko with a curious gaze.

"Hmm... A weapon that uses magnetism huh? The knives can be set to emit strong magnetic fields. One can be set as an "attractor" and the rest will be drawn to it with astounding speed and power."

He pushed a trigger on the hilt of one of the knives stuck to the floor, turning off its magnetic field, and picked it up. He twirled it around between his fingers and slowly walked back towards the two ladies.

"If I remember correctly, the weapons designers who developed this thing were retro gaming nuts. They based the concept on a 21st century video game. One that takes place on Mars, I believe. It actually caught on huh? Interesting."

He helped Aiko up and gave her a troubled smile.

"To think you were caught off guard by such a thing. You're getting a bit rusty." he remarked with a playful tone.

"Rub it in some more why don't you." she replied.

"Did you get enough data?" she asked.

"Why yes. Good work by the way. After the cease fire agreement and this subsequent cold war we have going on right now, we've had less opportunities to observe the abilities of enhanced soldiers fielded by the Alliance in action. This will make for a good reference point." Dr. Saionji answered nonchalantly.

His gaze turned towards the fallen Miya. He smiled at the bewildered expression she was showing.

"What's wrong dear? Are you wondering what just happened? It's simple really. Just an itsy bitsy nano sized device. It allowed us to mess around with your cybernetic implants and shut them down indefinitely. How'd we get it inside you? Now that IS a mystery isn't it." Dr. Saionji explained in a taunting tone.

Miya's expression distorted with anger. But it turned to confusion once more only moments after.

"Ah, yes. You can't blow yourself up now either. We've also disabled that self destruct function. You can't go ahead and die on us now right? We still have SO MUCH to talk about." Dr. Saionji explained further while sporting an ill natured grin.

"Alright then people. Take her away. And make sure she's secure." he ordered.

Several officers came , cuffed Miya and brought her away. She was to be taken to the maximum security brig and prepared for questioning.

"What now?" Aiko asked.

"Now we deal with our other little problem." Dr. Saionji answered promptly.

Part 3

I ran around aimlessly after being shouted at by Miss Aiko. My head was still in a mess and I didn't pay attention to where I was going.

And I suddenly bumped on something. No, make that someone.

"Well now sir... This is quite bold of you." a soft voice remarked from below me.

It was Miss Nemu. I ended up right on top of her after accidentally bumping onto her and knocking her down. She had a mischievous look on her face and smiled wryly.

I hurriedly got off her and backed away. I was still wary of others because of the attack. She narrowed her brows a bit as she stood up and addressed me in a soothing tone.

"Don't worry. I'm not an enemy. Besides, if I wanted to hurt you..."

She paused a bit.

"...I could have done so already."

The next thing I knew, she was already right beside me.

"Miya has already been neutralized. I'm to bring you to the port side viewing deck as per Dr. Saionji's order. Come on."

She took my arm and led me away. The soft feeling pressed upon me almost made me lose the motivation to resist. I really don't have any immunity to a woman's charms huh.

I secretly activated body enhancement magic once more. I also prepared to cast some mana explosions the moment she acted funny.

Being in close proximity was certainly a disadvantage. But given the speed she displayed earlier, running away would be futile. My only chance was to catch her off guard and incapacitate her before she has the time to react. I had a hunch that this would prove difficult, given the caliber of the opponent.

I allowed myself to be led by Miss Nemu while hoping that my concerns are wholly unfounded.

***

She led me down the long hallway. I was amazed by what I saw. From the looks of it, the entire interior of the ship was made mostly from metals. Maybe even the exterior. How the heck do they even make it move?

Even the strongest headwind wouldn't be able to propel such such a heavy vessel. Did they hire magicians to constantly cast high tier wind magic? Or did they use demi-human slaves like semi-giants as rowers?

Miss Miya continued to stare at my curious expression with an amused smile. We finally reach a fairly large and thick metal door which opened with a hiss.

Once I stepped inside, my heart nearly stopped from surprise.

I was floating.

It was not unlike staying underwater. A true feeling of weightlessness assailed me.

And when I turned my gaze towards a huge glass window...

There were stars. A veritable sea of stars.

My jaw dropped.

-Chapter 7 End-

 

Chapter 8: Deal With the Devil

Spoiler

Part 1

I was at a loss and didn't know what to make of the situation. I can't feel any mana activity so what I'm seeing and experiencing right now probably isn't caused by magic. But it was far too unbelievable!

"I see you've already brought him." a male voice came from behind.

I looked towards the source of the voice to find Dr. Saionji smiling at me.

I wasn't good at dealing with Dr. Saionji. He seems like a good enough guy, but there's this lingering sense of uneasiness whenever I engage in a conversation with him. I can't help but liken him to gramps whenever he was baiting Vance and me with sweet promises of awesome new techniques or training methods, only for us to end up biting off more than we could chew.

We've gotten into some pretty close calls back then. Actually, it's quite remarkable that we survived that sort of hellish training. I involuntarily shudder at the thought.

Dr. Saionji's voice snapped me out from my reminiscence.

"Well, lad? What do you think about zero gravity? Pretty interesting right? Though normally, you should be used to this kind of stuff already. But, given your condition, it wouldn't be weird for you to think this is the first time you're experiencing it." Dr. Saionji began. I don't have the slightest inkling about what he's talking about.

"Hmm. Judging from that blank, confused look, I assume I'm pretty much on point huh. Was the trauma really so severe?" he continued without paying attention to my growing confusion.

"Um... Sorry to interrupt but... Just what exactly is going on? What the heck is this place? Who are you people? Why is someone suddenly trying to kill me?!"

I unleashed a barrage of pent up questions. I already lost my cool earlier and am close to being hysterical now.

"Whoa there lad. Slow down. Relax. I'll answer all your questions to the best of my abilities. I only ask that you listen to my little proposal in return." Dr. Saionji replied, trying to ease my excited state.

"Alright. Sorry about that." I answered with a hoarse tone as I try to calm myself down.

"Good. Now then... Where to begin?..." Dr. Saionji nodded approvingly and launched himself towards me with a light tap of his foot to the floor. Stopping just short of where I was, he positioned himself as if he was sitting cross legged on a chair while in truth, we were floating in mid air. It was quite a bizarre sight.

"Well then... How should I explain...? Ah, yes. Considering all that you've told us about yourself in these past few days, I think you'll understand better if I explain it like so."

Dr. Saionji paused his explanation for a few moments and looked me squarely in the eyes. I reflexively flinched a little from his gaze. His next words shocked me into silence.

"Basically my good lad... You're in another world." he stated in a matter of fact tone.

My thoughts ground to a halt while trying to digest what the doctor claimed. And after a brief pause...

"Huh? Are you crazy?!" I screamed.

Part 2

"Now I know it sounds hard to believe, but if we were to infer from your previous statements, it seems you are indeed from another world. A world different from this one. And now you're in our world. A stranger who's crossed space and time. Has a nice, romantic ring to it huh?" Dr. Saionji continued; unfazed by my panicked scream.

"What do you mean 'other world'? Maybe you meant 'another country'? I'm in a ship from another country right? This is all caused by some fancy foreign illusion magic right?" I denied desperately.

"No. This really is another world. There's no kingdom called Vandel here. No central continent called Grandale. No Lindorf village. You can't find those places even if you scoured the entirety of the colonized regions of the galaxy.

Of course, they may be located on a planet somewhere out there in this vast universe. But certainly not here. It does sound more mysterious and exotic if we go with the 'other dimension' theory so I'm going with that." Dr. Saionji retorted with an unconcerned tone.

I grabbed his collar in panic and shook him about wildly. I was completely out of it.

"That's crazy! All of this is crazy! All of you are crazy! You expect me to believe that?!" I shouted in confusion and rage. I continued to vent for quite some time.

After I tired myself out from all the shouting, Dr. Saionji gently removed my hands from the collar of his clothes and addressed me in a calm manner.

"Are you done now? Good grief lad. Learn to manage your temper a bit. Anyway, it's fine for me to continue right?" he asked. I nodded half heartedly. I no longer had the motivation to react.

"You should have already noticed yourself right? Almost all the things you've seen here couldn't possibly exist in the world you're from, basing from your descriptions. You just refrained from acknowledging that little fact in order to better cope with the situation. But right now, there's no use denying it." he went on. I looked at him with a powerless expression.

My head was a mess and I mulled over a lot of things in worry. If this really was another world, then how did I get here? It's said in the Church's teachings that one would reincarnate an untold number of times until the soul becomes pure enough to sublimate towards the eternal realm. Did I already undergo reincarnation after dying?

But Dr. Saionji said this was another world and that the places I'm familiar with don't exist. Have I reincarnated into the far future? What if this really was another dimension? How would I get back? Legend tells of people ending up in the Spirit Realm and never returning. Will the same thing happen to me? Will I never get to see my loved ones again?

People say losing someone to death is incredibly painful for the ones left behind. But I'm actually the one who died. It's incredibly painful for me too.

They say death send you into a journey towards eternal peace and happiness. That you're not supposed to fear or be sad about it. What a load of nonsense! Then what is this feeling that is tearing through my heart? How am I supposed to overcome this?

Should I just accept it and move on? Like hell I can! I still have so many things I had to do. I still have so many things I wanted to say. I still had people I wanted to be with. But I will never have the chance to fulfill those hopes ever again. Just how unfair is that?!

Why? Why do I remember my previous life? If I didn't, then I won't have to experience this kind of pain at all...

And even if I really haven't died. If what Dr. Saionji said is true and I have indeed travelled through dimensions, how would I even find myself back. Merely wanting to wasn't enough. Is there a way to get back in the fist place? How would I even start?

Countless worries assaulted me one after the other. People often say you need to keep your cool in situations like this. But can you? I certainly can't.

How the do you expect me to keep calm when I'm in such a predicament? This isn't like getting stuck in a deserted island or something. It's possibly being thrown into a new life or a new world. There's a nagging sense of something uncomfortably alien about this whole thing and it's driving me nuts.

"Well, now that we've established that bit, it's time to move on to the more important topics." Dr. Saoinji declared, not paying my unsettled mood even a tiny bit of attention. I continued to stare at him with lifeless eyes.

"Don't look so glum lad. I have a really interesting proposal for you later. But first, I need to tell you about our world. Notice the grand tapestry of stars out there?" he pointed out.

I moved my gaze to the large glass window. I could clearly see multitudes of stars within an ocean of darkness. It was surreal yet beautiful.

"That's called 'space'. We're now in a place called 'space'. It's the thing beyond the sky. The next frontier. By the way, in your world, what's said to be beyond the sky?" Dr. Saionji explained further and paused a question.

"The domain of the gods who created the world - Alma, the goddess of light and creation, chief among them. It's said that only after countless lifetimes can a soul be purified enough to join the gods in that sacred domain." I answered almost involuntarily. I was still in a state of confusion and shock, so I wasn't fully conscious of what I was saying

Dr. Saionji's lips curved into a light smile.

"Gods huh? Humanity certainly likes to play god actually. Quite the irony. So it's similar to heaven or nirvana." he whispered.

"Well, anyway, in this world, this is what lays beyond the sky. A vast, mysterious place with countless untold secrets. And we have gained the capability to explore it and discover what little we can about it. Will we actually find 'gods' residing somewhere in this vast universe? Who knows. But that's part of the charm you see. Excitement for the unknown." he continued.

"Now, even in this world, there are conflicts. And space has become the stage for countless battles. Even now, we're right in the middle of one. The higher ups are desperate to downplay the situation and try to keep up a facade of false peace though."

I nodded lightly. Conflicts just can't seem to be avoided, even in a so called other dimension.

"We're actually a covert military operation that has recently been commissioned to spearhead a project that would turn the winds of battle in our favor. And we want you to join up."

Huh?

Now what's he on about? As if I wasn't confused enough already.

Part 3

"I want you to officially sign up and become our military's asset." Dr. Saionji stated once more.

"Wait. Now just wait one moment! You said 'military' right? Why would I want to be conscripted to fight in a war for a country I don't even know? And I'm not that strong anyway. Why would you want me?" I asked, puzzled about the reason for the invitation.

"Ahaha. Don't worry. I'm not gonna ask you to go fight in a war. Far from it. I only want you to serve as a test pilot for our newly developed weapon system." Dr. Saionji answered.

"Like I said, why me? I don't know about being a 'pilot' or something but there must be others more qualified than me." I insisted.

Dr. Saionji made a tired sigh and fixed a sharp gaze at me.

"Here. Take a look at this."

He handed me pieces of film-like sheets. They contained various information about someone. On top of the very first piece was some sort of tiny portrait of a young man. Must be the one being described in the sheets. My brows furrowed after realizing that the portrait looked eerily similar to me. I looked at Dr. Saionji in increasing puzzlement.

"That's you. Or rather, that's the identity of the man you formerly were before you started to claim otherwise." he explained.

I became even more confused. My former identity?

"Kou Mikagami. That's who you are. Rather, that's who you were. Right now, you claim to be... Myst Evrard was it?" Dr. Saionji went on.

"You're actually one of the few who voluntarily signed up for joining the Elysium project. Before joining up, you were a fresh recruit just out of one of our military institutes.

You and several others were on route to one of our testing facilities to take part in the project, but were ambushed by enemy forces pretending to be criminals who were after your ship and valuables. Space pirate wannabes if you will. You're the only one who survived the attack." he explained further.

"I... This..."

I was at a loss. I didn't know what to think anymore. Suddenly being told I was a different person before...

"I don't know exactly what happened to you after recovering from the attack. Kou Mikagami might have already died and you took his body over after dying in the world you're from yourself. Or maybe you're just delusional and you're making the things you're claiming up because of the trauma from nearly dying.

I'm no expert when it comes to psychoanalysis. But I do know this - You're a valuable asset who has the aptitude suited for our purposes. And we want your services in order to develop a weapon system that will help us in winning the war."

Dr. Saionji's gaze bore through me. But I was preoccupied with something else.

Delusional? No! That can't be! I could never dream something like that up. I remember them clearly. The taste of moms cooking. My sisters cute nagging. My fathers deep set voice. My hometown. Our noisy neighbors. Vance's cheeky laugh. Felise's lovely smile.

I remember them all quite vividly. The entirety of my twenty years of life in Lindorf. I couldn't possibly make all that stuff up... right?

"Hey kid! Don't just go losing yourself in la la land. We're in the middle of a deal here." Dr. Saionji admonished.

"Deal?" I asked.

"Uh huh. It's the offer I was talking about earlier. You seem to be set on the fact that you're really a different person who came from an unfamiliar world. We're prepared to go along with your whims and grant you both the resources and the expertise to pursue a means of getting back to your own world, no matter how crazy that sounds." he stated.

What? Are you serious?

"Judging from that expression, I assume you're at least interested. Very well. Just think about it. You'll never get an offer as good as this. You'll get to have the full backing of the Confederation military. Our resources and quality of personnel can't be matched by just any run off the mill organization. We're your best shot at finding a way to get back to your own world. Rather, we're your only shot. And all we ask is that you cooperate with us a bit too."

Dr. Saionji was smiling. But there's something familiar about his smile. It was the smile of a conniving merchant. I saw uncle Milton make that smile lots of times before.

But he's right. I'm in an unfamiliar alien world. I have no one I can rely on. If what he's saying is true, then it's a major step for me. But people who make that kind of expression always gloss over the more inconvenient stuff for their own purposes. Was it really alright to trust him?

"What's the catch?" I asked. Dr. Saionji grinned wryly.

"Nothing major really. Like I said, you'll be serving to develop a weapon of war. It's not like you'll be the one responsible yourself, but the weapon you'll help develop will definitely cause a lot of blood to be shed. But hey, it's war. That's sort of par for the course. Still, I can't have you getting any moral dilemmas just cause we failed to mention this from the get go. So I'm telling you this now."

Dr. Saionji's grin grew even more ill humored.

"So what do you say? Think you can throw in your lot with us crazy folks? After all, you're quite mad yourself. And I don't really think you're one to spout nonsense about sacrificing personal happiness for the good of others. Most folks aren't that noble. Help us create a tool for murder and mass destruction and we help you find a way back home. Simple right?"

Dr. Saionji offered his hand while still sporting that conniving merchants smile.

"Come on lad. I've already laid down the facts for you. We're not doing this purely for just causes. I'm personally in it for revenge. But we're still asking you to be a willing accomplice. Because frankly, you don't have any other choice."

Dr. Saionji was simple and direct. But his words were like whispers from the devil. Even so...

I breathed in deep and looked Dr. Saionji in the eye. His expression was unfaltering.

I reached out and shook his hand.

-Chapter 8 End-

 

Chapter 9: Art of War

Spoiler

Part 1

"So I take it that you agree with my proposal." Dr. Saionji asked. I had grasped his outstretched hand earlier after he made an offer too good to be true.

I slowly nodded and shrugged in resignation. Dr. Saionji's expression visibly lit up with glee.

"Excellent. Don't worry. We'll keep our end of the bargain. I've already discussed this with some of my superiors. Once you officially join the project, we'll start to iron out the details." he assured. I nodded once more.

I'm aware that I might be getting the raw end of the deal here. Judging from this guy's smile, I'm sure he'll squeeze me for all I'm apparently worth. But I have no choice but to play along for the moment.

There's no denying the fact that I'm currently in a very disadvantageous position. I know next to nothing about my current predicament. The things I was told about might not all be true either. Gaining more information is necessary.

Suddenly, a loud noise started blaring. What followed was a female voice harping about 'Alert Level 1' and 'possible hostiles detected'. Dr. Saionji's expression turned a bit sour.

"They're finally here. Sure took their time for an encore after that rather flashy performance. Or maybe they noticed the side act not doing so good." he murmured. He looked at me once more and his mouth slowly formed a wry smile.

"No matter. One can simply take this as an opportunity. Follow me lad. I'll show how this world's battles are waged. You'd have to get accustomed to it eventually anyway." he said and gestured for me to come along as he went towards the large metal door. Miss Nemu followed after him after smiling sweetly at me. I hesitated for a bit and went after them, floundering in mid air.

***

We arrived at another spacious room. It had a lot of people in it. A raven haired woman with a serene and somewhat cold looking expression stood at the side of a rather sharp eyed man whose virile physique was evident even under the clothes that covered most of his body. He sat at the center of the room, overlooking several other men and women who sat on starkly furnished chairs in front of strange contraptions that displayed glowing images above them.

The sharp eyed man turned to us with an expression of mild surprise. The woman beside him followed his gaze. After noticing our presence, her brow arched slightly, sporting a questioning look. The man addressed Dr. Saionji with a deep baritone.

"What brings you here doctor? And I see you brought our guest with you." he asked.

"He just agreed to be a part of the Elysium project. Figured he might as well get a taste of what he's signed up for." Dr. Saionji replied with a flippant grin. The mouth of the sharp eyed man slightly curved upwards into an almost imperceptible smile.

"Hear that you lot? It seems the good doctor is requesting an impromptu performance. Can you deliver?" the sharp eyed man spoke loudly.

At first, it seemed to me that he was addressing the people below us. But my assumption proved to be rather off. Several bright "windows" popped up in mid air above us. All in all, there were five of them. Each displayed people wearing strange armor-like clothing and rounded helms that only exposed their faces.

"Sounds interesting sir. I take it that you want us to be as flashy as possible." one of the people on the other side of the "windows" replied. He had a calm countenance. But his eyes betrayed a hidden fierceness. Grampa Galvan was the same. Still waters run deep, as the saying goes.

"Sure. Go all out. Performance data on the newly commissioned units is always welcome. Those things don't have any sensitive or top secret tech the other side doesn't already know about. Even so, don't you dare let any of them get compromised. Those things cost us a ton too." the sharp eyed man sternly warned.

"Don't you worry about a thing boss. We know what's up. Those Alliance bastards don't have what it takes to go head to head with us anyway." came a frivolous reply.

A guy with a loose, carefree expression grinned at us. He was also one of the people on the windows. Despite the playful air he displayed, a sense of coercion could be felt from his smile. He was no simple fool.

Rexler Everret, captain of the Aster Edge mercenary group was quite similar. He's my fathers acquaintance and frequent customer. He especially liked fathers swords. He was carefree, shameless and had a hugely inflated ego. But his skills were second to none.

People followed him after being dazzled with that strength. I heard he and his group performed admirably in the war against the demons.

"Mou! Zack-chan! Stop being so irresponsible. Take this seriously for once."

A clear, bell-like voice rang out from one of the windows and interrupted my thoughts. For some reason, it greatly reminded me of my sister.

"Sorry big sis Izuho. I'll give it my all. Don't you worry." the frivolous guy replied.

"Un. As long as you understand." the bell-like voice rang out once more. It came from a baby faced female sporting a fresh flush of pink on her cheeks.

"Enough of that. Go prep for launch." the calm male ordered. The others answered in the affirmative and the windows disappeared.

"Here we go lad. Don't miss any of it." Dr. Saionji said while elbowing me. I nodded and turned my attention to the large glass window that displayed the sea of stars beyond it, not knowing what to expect.

"Wyvern squad, you are clear for launch." a woman operating a strange contraption below us spoke. Voices rang out one after the other, seemingly in reply.

"Wyvern Lead launching."

"Wyvern 2 deploying."

"Wyvern 3. Let's kick some Alliance ass."

"Wyvern 4 commencing operation."

"Wyvern 5 engage."

An image appeared on the side of the glass window. My attention was instantly glued to it.

What appeared... were giants of steel.

Part 2

Zack Simmons licked his lips in anticipation. It has been quite some time since his squad fought a decent battle. He couldn't help but get excited. Despite his earlier remarks, he knew full well that Alliance black ops weren't ones to be taken lightly. He welcomed the challenge.

Before long, his unit's sensors detected the hostiles. Eight enemy units were heading their way. There may be more lurking outside the sensors range, waiting for an opportune snipe. He primed his units weapons and braced for the clash.

"I just love being point man!" he mused as adrenaline pumped in his system.

The unit beside him released beam dispersal nano materiel which spread quickly around them as a precautionary measure. Afterwards, all of them deployed Hi-Phonon barriers and cranked their sensors outputs to maximum.

They were out in open space. There was nowhere to hide. No cover to take refuge in. Whoever draws first blood gains a solid advantage.

The enemy signatures came closer and closer. Before long, Wyvern squad was able to discern their figures in the distance. They aimed their weapons at the incoming enemies and prepared to fire.

Bright flashes ripped through the darkness. The battle had finally begun.

***

A soundless void. A silent battlefield. Constantly tethering on the brink of life and death within the cold vacuum of space, where mere moments could decide ones fate. Tranquil and yet chaotic. Zack was enamored with all of it. It wasn't to the point of addiction, but he did quite enjoy it.

And so, within the silent hell where even ones screams cannot resound, Zack Simmons smiled in glee. He was truly thankful for being assigned to the Wyvern squad and sent to participate in the Elysium project - the Confederations greatest and, perhaps, final bid for seizing freedom and prosperity.

He really wasn't all that interested in the Confederations ideals. Nor was he driven by hatred or revenge against the Alliance. To be able to indulge in this guilty pleasure of his for as long as he can was enough. Yes, it was more than enough.

An enemy came before him - a seemingly shoddy looking Tactical Frame. "They're really putting effort into maintaining their image as dirt poor space raiders." he thought.

Despite its looks, the enemy machine was fast and precise. The two sides have already gotten into a close quarters firefight and heavy autocannon fire bathed the battlefield with an ethereal glow.

High-Phonon barriers were excellent for defense but consumed massive amounts of energy. Though the High-Phonon power cores installed on the latest Tactical Frame models were capable of continuously gathering and refining ambient particles, resulting in a near perpetual energy source, the rate of replenishment still had a tentative limit.

Thus, each combatant endeavored to overtax their enemies power core by pelting their barriers with a constant stream of heavy autocannon fire, firing several hundred 45 mm explosive rounds per minute.

That said, it wasn't like the combatants were stupid enough to just get hit. Their units engaged in systematic combat maneuvers, constantly trying to catch their opponents off guard and set them up for a cross fire.

Zack maneuvered his unit with wild grace. Despite his bold and fierce combat actions, he didn't neglect cooperating with his squad mates. He skillfully dodged incoming autocannon fire and constantly tried to lead his opponent in disadvantageous positions.

Suddenly, his machine jolted from a strong impact. He was hit. It was an incredibly accurate snipe. Luckily, the units barrier managed to hold up, but getting hit with any more of those will certainly be bad. He howled with a mixture of annoyance and excitement.

"Ahahaha! These guys are the best!" he exclaimed.

A bright flash went past him. He knew where it came from even without confirming. Izuho Himeno's unit just made a countersnipe.

"No less from you..." Zack mused. His grin widened as he once again plunged headfirst into the thick of battle.

***

An innocent looking smile blossomed on Izuho Himeno's face as she confirmed elimination of the target via direct hit.

Aiming right for the moment when the High-Phonon barrier is lowered to allow for precise shots, she picked off the enemy snipers one after the other with shockingly fast and accurate countersnipes, seemingly with the greatest of ease.

Getting done in right after an attempt to do the same to an enemy in a battlefield isn't all that improbable. But a sniper dying almost immediately after he or she squeezes the trigger was nothing short of terrifying. One isn't even given the chance to find out if he or she really did manage to take an enemy down before dying themselves.

The few snipers who did manage to survive an encounter with her were left with a grievous blow to their confidence coupled with a traumatic experience that led to fear of getting back to active duty and squeezing the trigger. Squeezing it meant death. That fear became deeply lodged in their subconscious.

If she didn't manage to kill you physically, she'd kill your spirit. She'd already ended countless promising Alliance snipers careers. This feat had earned her several embarrassing monikers, which she absolutely abhorred.

After getting assigned to participate in the Elysium project by High Command, her record only continued to grow. And she did relish that fact.

Constantly outdoing her old scores gave her an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. It's rumored that she likened it those antique whack a mole games prevalent in the 21st century.

One of her old squad mates claimed to have overheard her muttering "C'mon! Pop your heads up so I can blow it right off..." over the comms, leading to the rumors. She neither confirmed nor denied them. She just immersed herself in doing what she did best.

The present battle was business as usual for her. She hummed a cutesy tune with a voice that sounded way too young for a woman of her age as she continued to hunt for more prey.

***

Blaise Olver surveyed the battlefield with a calm gaze. He was currently satisfied with how things were proceeding. All his squad members seemed to be in top form. They definitely got hold of the initiative, as was planned. And he did like it when everything goes as planned. His lips slowly arched upwards in a rare show of satisfaction.

He continuously gave crisp and decisive orders as he strode over the battle field.

"Wyvern 4, fall back to point E-4. Wyvern 5, head on over to point E-6 to assist. Wyvern 3, continue to keep those bogeys occupied and steadily bait them to point D-3. We'll get one of them in a pincer. Wyvern 2, pin the others down with snipes and keep them off our backs."

He gave orders and his squad executed them almost perfectly - like sublime clockwork. He found these moments truly exhilarating.

Yet, he didn't think victory here would actually decide the ultimate outcome of the present battle. It was another one of his occasional presentiments - sudden bursts of intuition. And, more often than not, they were right on point.

"Should be any moment now..." he muttered.

A bright flash came from the rear - where the camouflaged Confederation heavy cruiser "Aegis" was located. It was enveloped in a blast that came from the main cannon of a fairly large battleship. Judging from the sensors readings, it was a highly concentrated burst of Genion particles.

"So that's how they managed to wipe out the Confederation transport convoy." he thought.

"That can certainly be said to be the strongest spear." he continued to muse to himself.

"Unfortunately for you, we have the strongest shield. And there's definitely no paradox." he whispered to no one in particular as his mouth broke into a slight grin.

Part 3

Captain Kent Grumman's face contorted to one of shock, disbelief and horror.

"T-They actually managed to withstand a blast from the Banshee's main cannon. Impossible! How could that even...?!" he exclaimed while stuttering.

As soon as contact with Deep Eyes 04, Miya Iwamori, went dark, he had immediately ordered a seek and destroy operation to be undertaken. He couldn't afford to let the Confederation ship go. Especially not after the possibility of an Alliance Deep Eyes agent being compromised came into the picture. As for any political complications that came afterwards, he'll leave it to those in charge of clean up to sort out.

After catching up to the target, he had ordered the TF squad to act as decoys by deploying them ahead in order to set up the decisive blow via the Alliance heavy cruiser Banshee's main cannon. They skirted the standard quantum sensor detection range while sporting optical camouflage and waited for the most opportune moment to fire. The main cannon was a newly developed weapon that fired a large amount of heavily concentrated Genion particles which would effectively annihilate all caught up in its wake.

That's what was supposed to happen. But, contrary to it, the Confederation ship was able to survive the onslaught. They even looked poised to counter attack. That fact sent Captain Grumman to a state of panic and rage.

And he wasn't even given the chance to recover.

"Sir, one hostile closing in fast! It's heading straight for us!" a bridge officer warned in a horrified tone.

"D-Deploy barrier! Have the point defense guns ready to intercept just in case." Captain Grumman ordered.

"N-No good sir! It's already inside the barriers effective range! The point defense guns won't be able to keep up either!" the bridge officer exclaimed in a terrified shriek.

Before Captain Grumman could ruminate just how an enemy machine could accurately spot and close in on them, catching them unawares, blades of superheated plasma sliced through the Banshee's hull and melted him and the rest of the bridge crew to nothingness.

***

"Wyvern 6 to Dragons Nest. Plan S-4 'Guillotine' successfully executed. The coordinates were spot on. The lieutenant does it again. The guy really should open a fortune telling business. I bet he'll rake in a ton." Wyvern 6, whose real name was Eva Emmett, remarked playfully over the comms.

She was the sixth and final member of the Wyvern Tactical Frame squad led by Lt. Blaise Olver. She was supposed to sortie with the rest of her team but was told to delay her deployment and quietly make her way to a set of coordinates specified by her team leader. Apparently, the hunch paid off and she managed to take down the Alliance ship with relative ease.

"This is Dragons Nest. Copy that Wyvern 6. Good work. Proceed to disable the rest of the ships combat potential but leave enough intact for the tech guys to have a field day out of it. But be sure to take out the energy reactors to prevent attempts at self destruction. Destroy the secondary bridge as well. Hail the remaining crew and demand unconditional surrender. We'll also proceed to head over to secure the spoils until reinforcements arrive." came the lengthy reply.

"Wyvern 6 copy. Proceeding to carry out orders."

Eva licked her lips and started to systematically destroy the specified targets.

-Chapter 9 End-

 

Chapter 10: Speculated Potential and Building Expectations

Spoiler

Part 1

I didn't even notice my jaws dropping involuntarily as I continued to bear witness to events that shattered everything I considered to be common sense. I felt that I've finally gotten a glimpse of just how utterly absurd the predicament I've suddenly found myself in was.

"High Genion particle concentration readings detected. Closing in fast from 6 o'clock sir." a woman below us warned. The corners of the sharp eyed man's lips raised slightly.

"Just as expected. Set High-Phonon barrier to maximum output. All hands brace for impact!" he ordered loudly. Moments later, the ship violently shook and I was sent tumbling down to the floor.

I frantically tried to stand up but fell down on my haunches again. But it wasn't due to fear. I was just utterly shocked.

Demonic mana! How could there be such a powerful surge of demonic mana?! I thought the demon lord was defeated and killed by that idiot. Did the demon lord also get revived and sent to this world?

Huh?

No... Wait a sec... We got hit directly by that extremely powerful surge of demonic mana. The prejudice and hate for the demon race was mainly due to their innate ability to control this highly destructive force which is said to deny the divine and all of creation. I only had the chance to experience it once when we encountered a mutated monster which was able to control demonic mana during our training.

Even if what it could control paled in comparison to a true demon, Vance and I were still driven to a corner by its attacks. Even grampa Galvan had a relatively hard time killing the damn thing.

The demonic mana surge we just got hit with was truly far too overwhelming. If below average attacks utilizing demonic mana already posed a threat to even a former captain of an elite Royal Guard corps, then the attack we got hit with earlier, which was like a powerful and gigantic wave that engulfed the whole ship, should have utterly obliterated us. So... why are we still alive?

I felt someone lightly tap my shoulder. I looked up to see Ms. Nemu making a composed smile as she held out her hand towards me.

"Are you alright? Here, take my hand." she said in a calm, soothing tone. I felt slightly embarrassed but I grabbed her hand anyway, thinking it quite childish to brush her off just to keep appearances. And besides, her hand was amazingly soft and delicate.

Once I managed to calm myself down somewhat, I looked towards Dr. Saionji with a questioning expression. He only smiled lightly as his hands moved to make a placating gesture.

"Don't worry lad. I'll endeavor to answer all of your questions later. For now, just focus on observing and taking it all in." he assured. I decided to follow his advice for now and brought my gaze back to the images displayed on the huge glass window.

Everything that I've experienced so far ever since finding myself on this ship have been quite mind blowing. But the things that are occurring right before my eyes took it to a whole new level.

The steel giants which came out of the ship are still engaged in a fierce battle. I've heard of Magic Engineers and Alchemists creating and controlling automata and golems made out of various materials such as precious metals, stone or wood. But these steel giants felt like an entirely different existence unrelated to those things I've heard bards and adventurers talk about in town or read about on some of the books in my mom's small collection.

They were elegant yet brutal - fast, agile and powerful. They held strange weapons that spat out a countless barrage of glowing projectiles. They unleashed fiery plumes of bluish white luminescence that propelled them swiftly across that dark 'sea' called 'space' just outside of the ship. And they were capable of projecting a large and extremely dense mana shield that enveloped their gigantic frames.

This was another thing that left me quite speechless. The sheer volume of mana concentrated in those shields was absolutely shocking. Even highly proficient Archmages would find it quite hard to accumulate such absurd amounts and condense them into a proper mana shield unless one uses a spell array that gathered mana automatically in such quantities. Even then, the array should be of sufficient size to be practical. Although they were giants, the output being utilized on their shields is virtually impossible even if Magic Engineers imbued the entirety of their massive frames with a spell array. Just how had they done it?

In fact, you can't even call the shields those steel giants have proper, even as flattery. They were, in a word, crude. Quite so, in fact. It's like haphazardly piling up an enormous number of bricks without care for forming a sound structure in order to create a large wall. Although crude, the mana was quite densely packed, resulting in a massive and considerably tough mana shield.

Come to think of it, the demonic mana surge earlier was successfully fended off even though it was absurdly powerful...

Could it be?...

I shuddered at the thought. I tried to direct my sixth sense outwards, trying to perceive the surrounding mana in order to confirm my suspicion. I nearly doubled over once more due to shock.

"This... Ahahaha... Are you kidding me?... I can't even..."

My suspicion was right on the mark. The ship we were on is covered by a mana shield several times more massive than those used by the steel giants. And, unlike the giants shields, the one covering the ship seemed to follow some sort of spell structure.

It was still terribly simple, but the structure still bolstered the overall toughness of the shield. Coupled with the sheer amount and density of mana that constitutes the massive mana shield, it comes as no surprise that it was able to withstand the demonic mana surge earlier.

However, what really gets me is precisely the quantity of mana utilized in forming and maintaining the shield. It was really quite unreasonable to an absurd degree.

Even the Almadeus Theocracy's prided Divine Eight Pointed Star, the largest perpetual spell array in the world I'm from, pales in comparison. It allowed for the existence of a massive magic barrier encompassing the entirety of the Theocracy's capital. But the mana shield that's now blanketing the ship we're on dwarfs it in density, toughness and overall mana consumption.

Mana is said to be the breath of the world. It is the purest form of energy that comes from the wellspring of all life and gives the world its brilliance and vitality. However, there's a limit to how much mana a spell array can draw from the world.

The world has a natural ability to replenish mana within it. But it is by no means a fast process. There are times when consumption exceeds the world's mana replenishment rate, causing it to be unable to keep up, thus creating an barren area with dangerously low mana concentrations. This can only spell disaster for that areas environment as well as the beings living within it.

Mana shortage could spell the deterioration of the area in which it occurs, so perpetual spell arrays have always been regulated by the World Magic Association. Almadeus Theocracy isn't exempt from this either, especially since the Association's headquarters was located in its capital city.

I have a rough idea of what the benchmark is for arrays and spells which cause large scale mana consumption. I did properly study the basics because of my aptitude for magic, despite it being average at best. And even I could tell that the mana shield the ship was encased in has already exceeded that value by a very large margin.

Just how were they able to accomplish this? Does this world simply have an over abundance of mana? Or do the people here not know or care much about the danger excessive mana consumption poses?

In any case, I'll have to press Dr. Saionji for answers later. I just hope he'll be able to give them.

Part 2

The situation had finally settled down for the most part after a while. I found myself standing stock still with furrowed brows; caught up in trying to digest all that happened. The sharp eyed man seated at the center of the raised platform we were on continued to give out crisp orders to the others in the room. He's obviously this ships captain. Dr. Saionji stood beside him with that unreadable expression of his.

"Damage report." the sharp eyed man spoke as he directed his gaze towards one of the women operating strange contraptions.

"Aegis' High-Phonon Converter is showing some signs of a minor breakdown after the concentrated Genion particle attack. Other than that, we're relatively unscathed sir." the woman replied in a steady tone.

The sharp eyed man nodded slightly and turned towards Dr. Saionji.

"It looks like the 'Shield of Aegis' did live up to the estimated performance specs." he remarked with a slight grin.

Dr. Saionji nodded at the sharp eyed man's remark, and yet sighed and shook his head soon afterwards.

"It's still woefully flawed. Its stability and consumption rate remain unfeasible for defending against sustained barrages, especially from weapons utilizing Genion particles. The attack we got hit with earlier very nearly depleted our High-Phonon reserves. Although it managed to hold up in the end, that was still too close for comfort.

It also consumes a considerable amount of converted particles. It'll run our reserves dry fairly quickly, effectively turning us into sitting ducks in the middle of an engagement. It remains quite costly and impractical despite our best efforts. Truly unfortunate..." he complained and let out a disgruntled sigh. The sharp eyed man grinned helplessly.

"Still quite the perfectionist, I see. In any case, we did manage to get through quite a predicament with practically no losses. That's something to be glad about at the very least. That guys 'insight' is still as sharp and eerily accurate as ever. Pity he can't do it consistently." the sharp eyed man remarked once more. Dr. Saionji's mood turned slightly better.

"Mm... Blaise Olver truly has developed quite nicely. The entire groups progress is also quite remarkable. But I'm expecting our boy here to follow suit and possibly give us even better results." Dr. Saionji replied and tapped me on the shoulder, surprising me and snapping me out of my current thoughts.

"Eh? W-What?"

I could only react in a dumbfounded manner. I was still quite overwhelmed by the last series of events. The sharp eyed man threw me a scrutinizing gaze. I gulped involuntarily from the intensity. He then turned back to Dr. Saionji with a skeptical expression.

"You sure this guy can take it? He looks as plain as they come. Wet behind the ears too." he asked with a criticizing tone.

Ugh. I know I'm quite plain looking but but did he have to be so blunt about it?

Dr. Saionji laughed heartily and put his arm around my shoulder, acting all chummy.

"Don't worry. I can vouch for his ability. Given a little training, I'm sure he'll do quite well. Or do you not have faith in my eye for talent Lawrence?" he addressed the sharp eyed man with a teasing smile.

"Nothing of the sort my good doctor. Or should I say 'professor'? You've more than proven your scouting prowess already." the sharp eyed man retorted.

The both of them stared unblinking at each other for a few moments, then broke into hearty laughter soon afterward. Their behavior made it even more confusing and awkward for me. Just what were they expecting out of someone like me?

"Oh, right. I haven't really introduced you guys yet huh. This boorish fellow here is Lawrence Hill. As you may have noticed, he's the captain of this ship. The lovely lady over there is Miranda Hill, the woman unfortunate enough to have married this buffoon. She's also this ships Executive Officer. Lawrence. Mira. This young man right here is the latest recruit who agreed to participate in the Elysium project. He now goes by the name of Myst Evrard."

Noticing my awkward expression, Dr. Saionji jerked me towards the sharp eyed man and made an abrupt introduction. The sharp eyed man nodded towards me and the woman with the cold demeanor slightly smiled.

Eh?! They were married? It looks to me like the woman named Miranda was the ships vice captain or something. Is that even allowed? Dr. Saionji lightly chuckled at my reaction.

"Nice to meet you kid. And I take offence to that other statement! I vowed to make Mira the happiest woman in the galaxy the moment I decided to marry her." Cpt. Hill retorted in a surprisingly sincere tone.

"I'm sorry gentlemen, but I don't think this is a proper time to be engaging in tomfoolery. We still have the aftermath of the earlier engagement to deal with. The Wyvern squadron is also awaiting further orders sir." Ms. Miranda pointed out after getting our attentions with a light cough. Although she sounded quite harsh, she couldn't hide the faint blush on her face, prompting Cpt. Hill to smile unabashedly. Dr. Saionji chuckled once more.

"Of course. Well then gentlemen, my queen has spoken. Back to work I go." Cpt. Hill cheerfully exclaimed and immediately turned his focus back towards giving out commands.

"Nemu, go ahead and guide Myst to his new quarters. I'll stay here and observe for a bit more. I'll hurry over to answer any question you have after I finish my business here lad." Dr. Saionji instructed. Seeing my reluctant expression, he said some words to reassure me.

Ms. Nemu immediately complied and dragged me out of the room. Even if I was still a bit reluctant, the sweet, flowery scent and the soft sensation on my arm made my misgivings go down the drain. I was successfully led out of the room with a still somewhat bewildered expression.

Part 3

The atmosphere instantly became heavy as soon as Myst got led away by Nemu.

"Are you really sure about this? You're planning to make him the primary test pilot for Unit E-S right? Will he really be up to snuff? He looked so confused and lost earlier. It's hard to imagine him having high potential." Cpt. Hill asked Dr. Saionji with a grave tone. Dr. Saionji smirked slightly.

"I'm quite sure about this Lawrence. That guy's quite interesting after all. I've observed and studied many latent espers in the past ever since we started this project, and he's one of the most remarkable I've seen in a while. Truly fascinating." he replied excitedly. Cpt. Hill's brows knitted after hearing it.

"Are you saying he's got potential on par with Blaise and the rest? What's his ability?" Cpt. Hill asked curiously.

"I haven't had the chance to find out what his ability is yet. But even now, I think his potential is outstanding." Dr. Saionji answered.

"Oh. How so? What made you become so taken with him?" Cpt. Hill probed further.

"His capability to sense and control High-Phonon particles is already at a very advanced level even without any formal training. That alone already makes him quite unique. Even Blaise and Izuho, two of our most outstanding subjects, couldn't exert such fine control over the particles at first." Dr. Saionji elaborated. Cpt. Hill's expression flashed with interest after hearing it.

"How high is his talent for particle control? To what extent is he able to influence them?" Cpt. Hill urged Dr. Saionji to elaborate further.

"He's already quite proficient in the particle refinement and integration stages. We had the opportunity to observe him doing just that the other day. It got us quite excited. I was also observing his reactions earlier, and have confirmed that the degree on which he's able to interact with High-Phonon particles has already exceeded our expectations." Dr. Saionji explained.

"Just what did he do earlier? I only saw him looking all confused." Cpt. Hill remarked.

"He actually probed Aegis' particle field Lawrence. I kept observing particle activity around him all throughout the engagement. There was a slight spike in particle activity as he was looking up at the hull earlier.

He managed to grasp them Lawrence. Regardless of distance. Regardless of several layers of reinforced composite armor plating between the bridge and the hull. Regardless of the interference from the aftermath of the Genion particle surge we got hit with earlier. He still did it. Do you understand just how remarkable that is?"

There was an obvious tinge of expectation in Dr. Saionji's voice as he talked. His eyes shined with barely repressed fervor.

"If all of that's true, then we've possibly encountered a real golden egg. The project's been stagnant for a while now. Even if our current subjects are progressing quickly in terms of developing their respective abilities, we haven't really made any significant progress with our main objectives. We have to proceed carefully and ascertain the extent of that guys ability. I assume you'll personally take charge of developing him."

Cpt. Hill's eyes flashed with anticipation as well. He finally began acknowledging Mysts value. He's known Dr. Satoru Saionji for quite some time even before they were drafted to participate in the Elysium project. He's quite confident in Dr. Saionji's analyses if nothing else.

"Of course. Now, if you'll excuse me. The guy's probably getting all anxious. It's time I take the opportunity to probe him a bit more."

Dr. Saionji made a playful salute, turned on his heels and headed out of Aegis' bridge to meet up with his new promising subject.

-Chapter 10 End-

 

Chapter 11: Stirrings of Fate

Spoiler

Part 1

I'm lying on the bed of my new quarters languidly, probably looking all spaced out. Dr. Saionji came by earlier and answered some of the most pressing questions that got stuck in my head after witnessing something of that magnitude. I'm still finding it hard to digest all of the previous events without feeling lost.

Virtually all the knowledge and experience, however meager, that I've managed to acquire during my twenty years of life had been completely overturned. Of course I'd be distraught. This isn't something I could naturally accept just like that.

This unfamiliar world and the foreign body of knowledge they called 'Science' truly fascinated me. But I was also terrified. Completely, utterly terrified...

Battles like the one earlier made the ones waged in my old world seem like nothing. The sheer scale of it gave me goosebumps.

I felt my forehead up only to find it drenched in cold sweat. This situation really was crazy beyond all belief. And I had a feeling I was only able to gaze upon a very small part of it.

I had agreed to cooperate with Dr. Saionji for the time being as I try to gather more information. I felt that it was the best course of action I could have taken, given the circumstances. But now, I'm actually having second thoughts.

Even as I was assailed with countless worries, fatigue finally caught up to me and I slowly drifted to sleep.

Part 2

Dr. Saionji briskly walked towards his personal quarters with a somewhat annoying looking smirk hanging on his lips. He had met with his new prospect earlier and was quite satisfied with the results. He couldn't wait to mess around with the guy some more, especially after he's shown such promise.

"It looks like you're quite taken with your new found toy doctor."

Dr. Saionji turned around to find Nemu Morikaze looking at him with an expression of cold indifference. It was a large departure from her usual bubbly demeanor.

"How couldn't I be dear? That fellow is quite interesting after all. And he's not just a toy. He's THE toy."

The smirk never left Dr. Saionji's lips as he turned to reply. He's already quite used to dealing with this so called 'assistant nurse' who also happens to be an agent of the Confederation militaries Intelligence division. She's the one sent by those busybodies in order to keep him on a tight leash.

His smirk deepened at the thought. As if a pretty little thing like this could reign him in.

Still, he was quite thankful that the young woman in front of him actually played along with this little farce in quite an amusing manner. The two of them usually acted like they got along well; hiding their innermost thoughts and intentions from each other while constantly trying probe and sound the other out in a veritable mental game of cat and mouse.

"You shouldn't get too invested in him just yet. His circumstances are quite unexpectedly complicated. Even if he proves to be a potential major asset, his background is still quite a cause for concern." Nemu warned. Dr. Saionji just shrugged it off nonchalantly.

"Don't worry. I read the report. I think it's part of his charm actually. I don't know what he was trying to accomplish by entering the Confederation military through a forged identity. But the irony is what makes it interesting, don't you think?" Dr. Saionji said as he chuckled in obvious amusement.

Nemu shook her head slightly and sighed.

"Unlike you, I don't have a taste for playing with fire. Managing to slip through Confederation Intelligence's scrutiny for so long and even successfully enrolling and graduating from the C.E.I.S. Defense Forces TF pilot training academy without a hitch most likely proves he still has a considerably solid and competent support base." she replied and tossed a portable data terminal towards Dr. Saionji with a huff.

"His forged personal data and citizenship were incredibly thorough. Took all we had to ferret the truth about his background. Considering what happened to him, it's quite possible that the people behind him would start to act in some way.

He's too much of an unknown. So are the elements backing him. And if his background comes to light, there's probably going to be a lot of people who'll come after his head. And they're most likely going to be from both sides too. Miya Iwamori is a prime example."

Dr. Saionji remained indifferent even after Nemu's cautionary statements. Naturally, he'd already considered things to that extent. Even so, he's still determined to have Myst join the project. He had already vowed not to pass an opportunity like this up, risks be damned. He beamed at Nemu and waved his free hand dismissively.

"I appreciate the warning Nemu-chan. Even so, I think the potential he offers is worth the risks involved. And besides, it's not like we're gonna move in and crack down on his shadowy conspirators just like that right? Considering his past and background, the people supporting him may be competent, but I doubt they have enough clout with either side nor enough manpower to pose a significant threat to us. After all, if they're who we think they are, then they're actually considered traitors and hated enemies by both camps.

Besides, we have the best possible hostage right with us. Conveniently enough, he's apparently had a major breakdown. Now he's lost, confused and more easily led to suit our needs, no matter what his background and former goals were.

We can also use him as a bargaining chip to possibly gain the services of his "little helpers". They'll surely attempt to make contact. If they're still willing to serve the guy even after all that's happened, they're either extremely loyal or are confident that sticking with him will benefit them in the long run, despite the risk. That alone merits some interest."

Dr. Saionji paused abruptly and focused his gaze on Nemu's countenance, which had turned increasingly grim. His eyes seemed like that of a hunter staring down his prey.

"I'm sure you and your superiors have already considered such options. In fact, I'm sure that's exactly the course of action they ordered you to take. Therefore, this discussion is actually moot. It's not good to mix personal feelings with work my dear." Dr. Saionji rambled on while sporting one of his insincere smiles. Nemu's brows twitched slightly. But she quickly gained her composure and let out a resigned sigh.

"Fine. You win. Just don't forget your place. As long as you do not step out of line, you'll have our full cooperation and support." she retorted.

"But of course milady."

Dr. Saionji bowed theatrically as he replied. Nemu momentarily shot him an icy glare and walked away.

Dr. Saionji let out a soft chuckle and continued on towards his quarters. His heart rate was uncharacteristically elevated. It seems he was more excited about the future than he first thought.

"This unsightly status quo... It's finally time to smash it to bits." he whispered in a voice not even he himself could hear.

Part 3

-CSS Aegis: Maximum Security Brig-

Miya Iwamori sat completely still on the small bed attached to the wall of her cell, immersed in quiet contemplation. She was busy admonishing herself for giving in to her emotions as she attempted to fulfill her designated mission. She hadn't expected that she would be affected to that extent.

Even now, she was endeavoring to settle her fraught nerves. It's like all the training she had undergone got invalidated in that one moment. Her mind blanked out and all her pent up frustration and hatred exploded. She attempted to get rid of the source, but landed in her current predicament instead.

She let out a light, derisive chuckle. Who would have thought that snot nosed brat would actually learn how to fight. And he was actually decent to boot. That was a little too hard for Miya to swallow, considering the fact that she knew him since they were children.

Yes.

She "knew" him...

At one point, she had even pledged to serve him. Him and not his father nor his older brother who was the actual heir.

She had adored him.

That fact made seeing him in his current pathetic state all the more painful and, above all, infuriating!

"How dare he forget!..." she spat out in a venomous tone.

The hopelessness and despair that overcame her after the betrayal of the ones she and her family had served and protected for generations had scarred her deeply. She even believed there could be no greater pain. And yet, there was.

The young master she had thought dead had unexpectedly come into her life again. She should have been elated. But instead, all she felt was seething anger. Whether it was directed at him or her own person, even she wasn't sure.

She couldn't bear seeing him waste away like this. "Severe trauma? Amnesia?!" she whispered in a vexed voice. Even death would have been better, she thought. Her earlier attempt to kill him was, in a way, something that she did partly to protect his honor. What remained of it anyway.

A grin slowly spread on her lips and grew increasingly lopsided as she contemplated her actions. She faintly realized just how utterly absurd and unreasonable she was being. But it couldn't be helped. She was thoroughly, utterly broken after all. Ever since that faithful day...

As she further sank into a depressed silence, someone abruptly entered her cell. Upon seeing who it was, Miya instantly grew wary.

"What do YOU want?!" she spat out with a tone surprisingly tinged with nervousness. Her instincts were practically screaming "danger".

"I have a proposition for you, young lady." the visitor began. The persons voice carried a calm, serene quality. The gaze fixed upon Miya did not have any hint of antagonism within it. But it was also highly indifferent and unfathomable. It elicited a foreign sense of incongruity within her.

An almost instinctual feeling of rejection invaded her heart. And yet, all she could manage to do was stay still, transfixed by that lofty gaze.

For the first time in her life, the young woman known as Miya Iwamori experienced an overpowering sense of dread.

- Chapter 11 End -

 

Interlude I

Spoiler

Part 1

- Vandel Kingdom capital Vandelas: Royal Palace -

A string of collective sighs arose from several men and women seated around a fairly large decorative table. They were currently inside one of the royal palaces central rooms.

These people were ministers who led various departments that served to run the entire kingdom. Some also acted as the queens personal advisors. They all held grim and troubled expressions and were seemingly nearing the end of their ropes.

"How could this happen?!" a man who sported a thick, silvery white beard cried out mournfully. He was Albrecht Applewood, one of the royal advisers. He felt increasingly baffled by the current situation which has persisted for a number of days already.

The entire kingdom had been preparing for the betrothal of their beloved queen to the celebrated hero that rid the lands of the demon lord and its ilk. It was as supposed to be an auspicious and grand spectacle that gathered the attention of the entire central continent.

Dignitaries and leaders of various major powers from both within and outside the continent came to give the couple their blessings. Forming better diplomatic ties with the kingdom would come naturally of course. It was deemed as an event that would herald the Vandel kingdoms recognition as the most influential power in the central continent - eclipsing even the venerable Almadeus theocracy.

Unfortunately, all that did not come to pass after a piece of unfortunate news found its way to the royal couples ears. One of their closest friends had gone missing after getting caught up in an accident within the Elmoore mountains.

The pair was instantly plunged in grief and refused to go through with the ceremony. Queen Felise immediately dispatched an elite search party to find her friends whereabouts. Lord Vance even offered to lead them. He was ultimately dissuaded by some of the royal advisers, imploring him to stay with the queen.

A week has passed without any positive news. The search party formed of veteran rangers had failed to find anything related to the royal couples friend. They had surveyed the accident site thoroughly countless times but had not discovered any clues which would potentially lead to the whereabouts of the unfortunate fellow.

Several dignitaries from foreign powers had already begun to voice dissatisfaction concerning the recent turn of events. They argued that the degree of importance given to a single person (a commoner at that) bordered on ridiculous - even if he was the royal couples good friend. Most of those from outside the central continent had already left in indignation. The minister of foreign affairs almost pulled out his remaining wisps of gray hair in frustration.

But, regardless of how much they tried to persuade them, Queen Felise and Lord Vance remained firm in their stance - there will be no wedding until their friend was found. It was an uncharacteristically bullish attitude from the both of them, who were known to have always remained calm and levelheaded even at the height of the demon war.

Albrecht sat back down limply after venting. No matter how many times they had to do it, they had to persuade the couple to go through with the ceremony and put the kingdom at ease. He couldn't help but hold a little resentment in his heart for the missing young man whose predicament had put a damper to the momentous occasion, even if he thought it improper. He was sure the rest of the ministers, and even the citizens felt the same way.

Part 2

A young woman with golden blonde hair that was set into a neat bun stood in a corner of the queens chambers. Her gentle expression held a hint of worry at the sight of her queen staring out of the window with a blank, almost lifeless gaze.

This young woman, Sarah Lumiere, is Queen Felise's personal attendant. She stuck with her mistress through thick and thin and had risked her life to serve at her side during the demon war.

Since the queen never really put any emphasis on the difference in station, they are as close to each other as real sisters. But even she was at a loss about how to comfort her mistress and good friend, who was now suffering from deep sorrow.

"Lisa, it's me. Can I come in?" a pleasant male voice called out from outside the room.

Queen Felise got up with a start and frantically opened the door to her chambers, not giving Sarah any chance to react. A vigorous young man with auburn hair entered the room with a composed gait.

Vance Rayleigh stood in front of the two young ladies sporting a somewhat troubled look. His countenance still held a hint of youthful mischief. But there was also steel within his gaze. A kind of fierceness and ruthlessness borne out of walking a multitude of merciless battlefields and facing overwhelming peril.

But right now, his aura that was akin to an unsheathed blade was barely noticeable. Replacing it was an air of profound sorrow that stained his visage.

"Have they found him Van? Please tell me they've found him."

Impatience. Worry. Despair. Hope. Queen Felise's emotions had become exceedingly chaotic during the past few days after she had learned of Mysts disappearance. It marred her graceful features, which have turned even more enchanting during the last couple of years, and made her look somewhat haggard and weary.

Her jade colored eyes now carried a hint of red due to crying. Bags had also appeared under them due to her spending several sleepless nights in constant worry. Her lustrous fiery red hair had become somewhat frayed and disheveled. She continued to look at Vance with a sorry pleading look which made him sigh helplessly.

"I'm sorry Lisa. You're already familiar with Avery's skills. He's our kingdoms best tracker. He's already doing all he can to find any clues about Myst. Right now there's still no news. But I'm sure we'll find some clues soon." Vance replied.

"Soon? SOON?! You've been saying that for days! What if he's gravely injured? He needs us Van. We need to find him. We have to!"

Felise broke into large sobs after losing the last vestiges of her composure. Vance enveloped her in a tight embrace. Her delicate hands balled up into fists and she started hitting his chest repeatedly with them. Vance spoke reassuring words softly in order to calm her down. She stopped hitting him after a while but continued to cry in his arms.

It looked very much like a loving couple comforting each other in a time of grief. But Sarah knew otherwise.

Having accompanied the both of them during the demon war, she had grown close to them like family, regardless of their positions. They had confided their deepest fears and hopes with each other in that period of roiling violence and battle, not knowing if the next breath that they take would be their last.

And she knew... that only the sole figure of an ordinary young man occupied the depths of both Vance and Felise's heart.

Her hands clasped in solemn prayer to the Highest Goddess Alma. All she could do right now was to earnestly wish for their happiness.

In her heart, she harbored curiosity for the young man who held the affection of these two remarkable individuals. She decided to pray for his safety as well.

- Interlude 1 End -

 

I'll edit my first post to make a table of contents section sometime tomorrow. I didn't have enough time earlier and I can't seem to figure out how to do it with my phone. Cheers people

*EDIT:

All done! Enjoy

 

Chapter 12: When You Train, It Has to be Spartan!

Spoiler

Part 1

- Confederation Controlled Space / Rhone System / Hidden C.E.I.S. Weapons Development and Testing Facility / Training Grounds -

"What's with that sorry display of physical prowess?! You bunch of pathetic little shimps! C'mon you idiots. You're looking down on TF piloting too damn much! You ain't going anywhere near equipment related to pilot training without my A-OK. Put some more back into it you little shits!"

Aaah... Another fine day has come. The air is crisp and fresh. The birds are chirping in a resplendent chorus. The sun with a slightly reddish hue is slowly peaking out of the horizon. And Instructor Keynes is once again spewing out a torrent of verbal abuse as she makes us go through grueling physical exercises.

What a truly wonderful morning...

Yeah right...

Ok. Enough of my pathetic attempts to escape from reality. I'm actually nearing my limit here. Seriously! What the heck is up with this spartan training menu?!

***

It's been nearly two weeks since I've found myself stuck on this unfamiliar world under another identity. Due to a certain string of events, I ended up striking a deal with a guy named Satoru Saionji in order to find a way to get back home. I agreed to become something called a "test pilot" and help him develop a sort of weapon for war. I decided to play along for the moment in order to glean some more information.

Thus, I spent the first few days since the battle between those steel giants they call Tactical Frames undergoing a crash course in Common Sense and History 101. Ms. Nemu and Ms. Aiko taught me most of the basics.

Having these beautiful women teach you sure did wonders for concentration. I just made sure to remind myself of the fact that both of them could probably turn me to mince the moment I attempt anything funny. Thanks to that, I managed to gain an adequate grasp of the world I'm in and the circumstances surrounding it.

To be honest, I think things went far too smoothly. It actually felt somewhat creepy. I was supposed to be learning all that knowledge for the first time, but I remembered and understood most of it almost immediately. It was like I was recalling facts I was actually familiar with instead of learning completely new things.

This feeling wasn't there the first few days after I woke up to this foreign world but it had gotten increasingly more distinct lately. I became anxious at first but I decided not to brood about it for now. Worrying too much won't solve anything anyway. And considering my circumstances, this was actually quite convenient.

I was then dropped off to a so called secret facility in one of the habitable planets within the Rhone System - a planetary system located at the outskirts of Confederation controlled space. Here, I was slated to begin my job as a test pilot for the military. It turns out I'm not the only one though. A number of recruits who came from various Confederation territories also arrived at the facility in order to become test pilots.

We were told we had to undergo a refresher course before they let us begin our test pilot duties. The equipment we were supposed to handle differed greatly from standard issue ones and held classified tech so a bit of retraining was needed in order to familiarize ourselves with all the new systems. They also wanted to make sure we had all the basics down pat.

We met our current training instructor, Lisa Keynes, a few hours after we arrived at the facility. She was a gentle looking soul with golden brown hair cut just above her shoulders. She also wore glasses and sported a full figure despite her somewhat smallish stature, making for a captivating contrast. Needless to say, us guys got all riled up while the women in the group collectively clicked their tongues in annoyance.

All of us guys thought we were really in luck to have such a beauty as an instructor. That ended up being a truly terrible misconception...

Part 2

We were immediately subjected to lots of tough physical drills as soon as we started the training course. At first we didn't think too much about it. Some of the guys even tried to make use of the opportunity to show off to the women. After an exhausting hour or so, all of us finally completed the entire set. But then Miss Keynes said something surprising.

"Pathetic. That was utter rubbish. Absolutely unacceptable! Do it again. And this time, do it properly." she scolded in a surprisingly icy tone.

Some nearly raised complaints but ultimately refrained from voicing any, thinking this may be some form of test or some sort of crazy initiation rite. We redid everything as told. But after finishing the sets once more, Ms. Keynes still wasn't satisfied and ordered us to do it again. After the eighth time redoing everything, some of the guys finally snapped and went over to protest.

Then, the unexpected happened...

A guy almost two metres tall flipped over three and a half times in mid air then fell flat on his face. Within moments, Ms. Keynes planted herself on top of his defenseless back, straddling him and effectively pinning him down. He tried to get up forcefully but let out a scream akin to a pig being slaughtered instead. We were all shocked into silence.

The oppressive air Ms. Keynes gave off felt extremely familiar. It was akin to an apex predator staring down on her hapless prey. It really was quite similar to the aura of coercion those crazy high spec combat nurses gave off. I shivered Involuntarily as I watched her torment the poor guy.

Ms. Keynes pressed some points on his neck and back. Each time she did so, screams of agony erupted from the guy's mouth. She then proceeded to lean forward and brought her glossy lips near his left ear.

"Now listen here you pathetic piece of sh*t. What do you think this job was for huh? What the heck were you expecting when you took it? This ain't some leisurely vacation on some resort planet, trash. This here's a military facility. And you're here to help develop weapons that may very well turn the tide of this damn war. You think we'll settle for mediocre performance little man?" she scolded harshly. The guy pinned down was obviously in agony but still managed a feeble retort.

"W-What's that got to do with making us repeat that stuff over and over?" he asked in a weak tone.

"You'll be handling military grade Tactical Frames. And in your case, it'll even be a high spec experimental model. A certain level of endurance and tenacity is needed to properly pilot that sort of equipment - something most of you sorely lack. My job is to pound those things in you till they become second nature. Now get your sorry little ass back there and repeat those drills till I say otherwise." she finished in a tone laced with venom and forcibly stood the miserable looking guy up. She pushed him back towards the rest of us, then proceeded to look at each of our faces which displayed varying degrees of surprise, indignation and apprehension.

"What's with those sh*tty mugs you damn morons? Some of you may have civilian backgrounds. But the moment you agreed to take part in this program, you've already thrown away that kind of status. You're all effectively soldiers now. You may not necessarily participate in combat operations, but your job would certainly influence the flow of this war. Know what that means idiots? It means you're already responsible for countless lives! Drill that fact through your empty heads!" she lectured.

A somewhat timid looking young man raised his trembling hand, seemingly to object.

"B-But... Isn't the war effectively over? Aren't we developing new weapons as deterrence? L-Like... In order to gain some form of advantage in the negotiations... Or something like that..." he stammered.

Ms. Keynes expression warped into an even more contemptuous sneer.

"Deterrence is it? You goddamned idiot! There ain't no way in hell the Alliance will just sit idly by and allow us to get formally established. This so called truce is nothing but a hollow lie. This false peace is so fragile it could break at any given moment with just the slightest nudge. The fruits the Elysium project would bear will help us to deal with anything the Alliance throws at us when all hell breaks lose. That's the plan anyway. And if you don't step up your game, everything might end up failing miserably. So stop with the idiotic remarks and get to training already will ya!" she furiously scolded.

Her intimidating demeanor overwhelmed us and erased all thoughts of rebuttal - most of us anyway. The timid looking guy was surprisingly obstinate. He posed another question.

"B-But... If this project is so important... why'd you even hire civilians? I mean, we did undergo compulsory military training as state decree dictates. But it's not like we can compare to real soldiers right? Isn't sourcing personnel directly from the military a more logical course of action?"

Ms. Keynes expression froze. Her mouth then slowly broke into a smile. But within her eyes shone a dangerous glint. She grabbed the timid looking guys collar and forcefully brought his face next to hers.

"You're asking a lot of questions aren't you. You sure you're not a spy or something. We have lots of ways to deal with spies y'know."

The timid young man's expression turned flustered. He was obviously panicking.

"Wha - ? N-no, I..."

Ms. Keynes spoke before he could raise an objection.

"You seem like you have a good head on your shoulders so I'm sure you've already thought these things through before accepting our offer. The moment you decided to come here, there's already no going back. You've already entrusted your lives to the Confederation military, so holding any more doubts about us and this project is both unnecessary and futile. So shut up and train so you can finally do your job."

She abruptly let go of the young man's collar, causing him to stumble a bit. When she confirmed no more attempts to complain or question, she immediately ordered us to continue with the drills. This went on until all of us collapsed from exhaustion.

Part 3

"Was that really necessary?"

Lisa Keynes had just finished breaking in the new recruits and returned to the main facility. She was immediately greeted by a shady looking guy sporting a bemused smirk. Her mood visibly worsened.

"Says the guy who suggested this training method in the first place. What the heck are you loitering around here for Satoru?" she retorted.

Dr. Satoru Saionji shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and replied.

"I got a bit antsy cooped up in that stuffy office so I decided to walk around a bit. I'm more of an outdoor type see."

Lisa arched her eyebrow at the casual remark but refrained from retorting back. She didn't want to get caught up in this guys pace.

"Oh? No reaction? Well that's no fun." Dr. Saionji teased.

"What are you really here for Satoru? Oh, and spare me from the lame jokes." Lisa probed.

"Fine. You really take life too damn seriously Lisa. I just came to inquire about the new recruits. What are your impressions?" Dr. Saionji conceded.

After a short silence, she offered a blunt assessment.

"Lacking. Far too lacking. We've really been hit hard this time. Almost all the original recruits died in those damned Alliance attacks. These backups you sent may hold the same potential but they're hardly military pilot material. Those who do come from the military are far too few. To be honest, it's looking pretty bleak."

Dr. Saionji nodded slightly and furrowed his brows in contemplation. He then shrugged his shoulders once more and smiled lightly.

"Oh I'm sure they'll pull through. Whether we like it or not, they're the best we've got. We'll just have to make do." he affirmed.

"We may not agree on a lot of things you damn mad scientist. But this time, I hope you're right." Lisa answered back. She then turned towards the opposite corridor, heading for her own office.

"Do your job well Lisa. They're more capable than you think..." Dr. Saionji muttered.

- Chapter 12 End -

 

Mecha? You have my full attention.

 

Chapter 13: I Don't Want My Life to be THIS Eventful!

Spoiler

Part 1

Sounds of several people panting intermittently echoed around a forest located eight kilometers from the military facility grounds - my own included. And no, we're not doing anything morally questionable. We're still undergoing training under the supervision of the lovely (deadly?) Ms. Keynes.

It seems we've finally graduated from simple physical drills and moved on to traversing this lush artificially grown obstacle course. During the briefing, we were told that this was one of the very first areas to be terraformed during the colonization of the Rhone system. The colonists went a bit overboard so there are a lot of strange plants growing within this green maze. Apparently, quite a number were botanists.

Go figure...

The only saving grace is that the animals in here are actually pretty harmless.

The task was simple: Traverse this large expanse of forest spanning several kilometers and get out within the allotted time. Unfortunately, completing the said task wasn't nearly as simple. The terrain was challenging enough, but the plants were a very unwelcome annoyance. Lots of them carried poisonous substances with diverse effects. Some even shot off poison laced thorns whenever you get too close as a defense mechanism. To make matters worse, the thorns were also hard and sharp as hell and easily tore through our training suits.

I'm actually no stranger to traversing forests. Heck, back home, I'd been dumped in lush forests teeming with monsters as part of training too. There were even carnivorous plant monsters trying to ingest you whole. This forest, however, had none of those. But that also meant my previous experiences aren't as useful here.

I was unfamiliar with most of the plants here. Thus I was unable to decide which ones I needed to be wary of except for the obviously dangerous looking ones. I'm also not that proficient at detoxification spells so my magic wasn't of much use. The first time we entered this area was the worst. Most of us didn't even get halfway through and collapsed due to fatigue and plant poison.

The transmitters embedded within our gear allowed for swift recovery and medical aid, so the danger wasn't really that prominent. But becoming incapacitated or being made to hallucinate because of these damnable plants definitely didn't feel pleasant in the slightest.

This is our third foray inside this crazy garden. For the mean time, we are actually doing pretty well. None of us have been poisoned at least.

"H-Hey Kou, we're actually on a roll today aren't we? There's that large boulder we passed by yesterday. That means we're at the halfway point already. We might just finally nail this thing!" quipped a timid looking young man running right alongside me.

"H-Huh? Oh, yeah... We just might, Kent."

It took me a good few seconds to reply. I'm still getting used to my current identity. I still sometimes fail to realize people are actually referring to me whenever they call me out using my current name - Kou Mikagami.

My face is practically identical to the one I had in my previous world except for some slight differences like narrower eyes and paler lips. My hair is also jet black as opposed to its previous brown color. My eyes are also a darker shade of brown. My skin has always been a shade paler than my peers back in Lindorf village, owing to my dads northeastern nomadic tribe lineage. My height's unchanged, nearing six feet.

All in all, I'm still in awe over just how much the resemblance is, despite some differences.

"Hookay. I'm going to kick it up a notch. I don't know why but I'm feeling pretty confident today. It's like I'm in top form!"

My companions lively ramblings suddenly snapped me out of my current thoughts. His name is Kent Stoner; a relatively short, unassuming guy who has this habit of turning just a wee bit too eager at times. He also has a tendency to talk a lot despite the timid first impression he gave off - something which lands him into trouble quite often. He's currently wildly sprinting beside me with great vigor.

He actually turned out to be my bunk mate in the barracks. We hit it off surprisingly well. Perhaps his energy and enthusiasm rubbed off on me and eased my accumulated stress somewhat. Or maybe it's because I felt he's somewhat like a kindred spirit.

We sped up and ran through the forest like our asses were on fire. We have never completed the full course but we're afraid that Ms. Keynes would just order us to run through the forest again if we didn't arrive on time.

"Heeeey! Hey guuuys! Wait up a bit will you!" a frantic sounding voice called out from behind.

Kent and I turned around to see a guy with golden blonde, slightly curly hair fiercely running after us. We're supposed to be displaying traces of fatigue on our faces given our fast pace, but this guy still has a refreshing(?) smile plastered on his well featured mug. And is it just me, or is he actually giving off sparkles?

This blonde pretty boy is Gustave Rommelin, another fellow test pilot recruit. Apart from me, he's one of the other two who directly graduated from state run military pilot training academies. However, his appearance and demeanor didn't give off even an inkling of proper military discipline and training - a truly incomprehensible fellow.

Oh, and I only treat myself as a graduate "on paper" since I don't even remember my time in my former alma matter. Rather, I'm actually a different guy! At least, I think I am. To be honest, it's all becoming muddled up. I just try not to think about it too much.

Gustave soon caught up to us and we continued to run close to each other as we traversed the forest.

"How'd the thing with Instructor Keynes go yesterday Gus?" Kent suddenly asked.

Gustave, who Kent familiarly called by his nickname, smiled even more brightly. Now there are even flowers fluttering about him in addition to the sparkles. My eyes are playing tricks on me again...

"It was the best! It looks like I'm finally getting through to her. Last time, she just shot me down with an overhead shoulder throw. Yesterday however, she circled behind me and made me pass out in a choke hold. She's now willing to have a bit more skinship with me. Isn't that amazing progress? I was previously jealous of Roan for getting a head start but now I'm finally catching up!"

Gus went gesticulating excitedly while describing his "intimate" encounters with our formidable lady instructor. Kent and I looked at each other and ended up laughing awkwardly while shaking our heads.

Oh, and the "Roan" Gus referred to was the guy "assaulted" by Ms. Keynes during the first day of training, Roan Kirsch. To actually be jealous of that treatment... He really is quite extraordinary in a way, this guy...

Suddenly, a large black shadow ran past us with fierce momentum.

"The heck are you idiots doing? We're going to be left behind at this rate."

The owner of the annoyed voice is precisely the one who ran past us. He's another test pilot recruit, Gregory Lane. He's honestly a bit chubby. But his looks are quite deceptive. He's actually really nimble and agile and the sight of him leaping and running freely across the forest is both amazing and a bit surreal.

He has this competitive streak and wore a perpetual scowl on his face, but he's a good guy.

"C'mon Greg. Lighten up a bit. it's not like we're that far behind." Gus quipped in a carefree manner, prompting Greg to scowl even more.

Before it turned to another shouting match between the two of them, Kent intervened and ran faster after tapping both their shoulders. I followed suit and ran ahead of them as well. Greg and Gus gave each other a cursory glance and quickly went after us.

Part 2

"Whoah! Spikes incoming from 2 o'clock!" Kent warned. The rest of us frantically dodged while trying not to drop our speed too much.

We've come quite deep into the forest and the number of dangerous flora is increasing steadily. We already managed to catch up to the rest of the group and are now acting in concert to watch out for danger. Gus is visibly elated because the group now includes women.

"Heads up Yuuna!" a valiant looking raven haired female shouted in warning.

"Eh? K-Kyaaaah!" a cute squee rang out.

A young woman who had her dark brown hair tied in up in rather cutesy twintails fell on her butt while clutching her right shoulder in a grimace.

"What happened Lin? Is it Yuuna again?" a bespectacled lady with a short bob cut went over and inquired in a slightly annoyed voice.

"Here. Chew on this. It'll prevent you from getting paralyzed."

A lady sporting a healthy tan handed out an assortment of several leaves to the fallen girl which she gratefully accepted.

The raven haired girl with a sharp look is Linnette Hsien or "Lin". The cute girl sporting twintails is Yuuna Suzushiro. The glasses girl with a bob cut is Eun Hee Park. And the tanned beauty is Daumiera Renvis, who has the rather common nickname "May".

These four ladies are the only flowers amongst us thorns.

Lin gave an impression of a cool, calm beauty. She's a graduate from a state sponsored military academy like Gus and I, but properly looks and acts the part.

She has a professional air about her. But it also makes her seem quite detached. Her lustrous black hair is currently tied up in a tight bun. Her tall, lithe physique holds a certain fierce charm.

Yuuna, on the other hand, doesn't seem to be fit for things like piloting or weapons development. Her appearance and demeanor is that of a lively and clumsy innocent young girl. Her naive and klutzy personality is quite the contrast compared to Lin and the other two women.

She's been struggling to keep up since the start of the training. But her eyes still burn with unyielding determination no matter how many times she fails. There must be something that's pushing her to go so far. I'm quite envious to be honest.

Eun has this intellectual air about her which is only emphasized more by her half rim glasses. It's quite a rare sight to see someone wearing a pair of glasses in this day and age, or so I'm told.

She can be a bit blunt. But she's not really that cold. Nor is she condescending. She's just quite harsh on herself and that reflects in her treatment of other people.

That became more evident when you interact with her. At least, that's what I felt the few times I spent talking with her. I was not hitting on her though. It was plain curiosity. She kinda reminds me of my father, though I can't quite place why.

May has an air of mystery about her. Her silvery hair reminded me of the songs and stories about high elves the bards used to perform and tell back in Lindorf. She has exquisite tanned skin and a toned figure, not unlike those of female adventurers I used to welcome to the village back home.

Her knowledge about the medicinal properties of various plants is what allowed us to steadily advanced inside this strange forest. She was also a victim of this green hell the first time we attempted crossing it. But she gradually found ways to deal with the various poisons by using several mixtures of different herbal plants to counter their effects.

And she did so only relying on her tenacity and instinct. It's honestly quite impressive.

All in all, they are certainly an interesting group of women.

Part 3

Yuunas complexion gradually recovered after chewing the herbs. After covering her wound with first aid nanospray, we resumed our trek. We were forced to slow down our pace since the density of plants which scattered toxic materials substantially increased in the area we arrived at.

We also caught up with the two guys who went ahead of the rest of the group earlier on - the previously mentioned Roan Kirsch and Shinjou Hiratsuka. It seems they also had trouble with the dense plant poison which hung in the air like mist.

"Shin kun! Shin kuuun!" Yuuna hollered as she waved at the two excitedly. More precisely, she's waving to Shinjou who's apparently an acquaintance.

"Quit yelling Yuuna! I can hear you just fine. Can't you stop being so annoying for once?" Shinjou spat in irritation.

"Eh?! That's real mean of you Shin kun. Meanie!" Yuuna retorted indignantly.

"What's his problem? Talking to her like that..." a faint voice muttered from behind me.

I turned around to see Kent making a bitter expression. He gave fleeting glances at the pouting Yuuna and glared fiercely at the indifferent Shinjou.

This guy... Is he actually...

I smiled bitterly myself, shook my head lightly and sighed. Oh well. It's not my business to meddle in other peoples love lives anyway. I can only wish Kent luck silently.

"Okay, that's enough you two. We have more pressing matters to discuss. May, if you please." Lin interjected and nodded towards May.

May moved towards the center of our group and gave a quick glance at the poison mist up ahead.

"I can account for 80 to 90 percent of the harmful effects. The rest, we'll have to leave up to luck and perseverance." she said confidently.

"Well? That's what she said people. We have to decide if we're gonna risk it or go the safe route and completely avoid this area by circling around it. Either method runs the risk of severe time loss or outright failure if we screw up." Lin stated matter-of-factly.

Each of our brows knitted while pondering over the options. Talk about being between a rock and hard place. Geez...

Part 4

In the end, we decided to go the direct route.

We didn't know how much distance we had to cover if we did circle around the area with poison mist. Thus, we decided to gamble on May's expertise.

But there's also something else that made us ultimately decide to charge through. Call it a gut feel of sorts. Everybody seems to have felt it. Even the usually composed Lin had this feverish glint in her eyes.

After a while, I somehow formed an idea as to the source of that feeling.

I've actually held suspicions regarding our training program ever since day one.

It started out as something vague.

I felt something oddly familiar about the physical drills we underwent during the first few days of training. At first I couldn't quite place what was so familiar about it. But something happened that took me by surprise and left me wondering if it was just a freak coincidence or something intentional.

I underwent the motions of the prescribed physical drills as per usual during the third day of training. Then "Bam!" there it was. The mana within my body suddenly became quite active even without me entering into a meditative state or casting any spell. It rapidly circulated all throughout my body's mana pathways and gradually made me reach an optimum mental and physical state.

Then it hit me. These physical drills greatly resembled the basic exercises novice mages did when they first started on the path of the magical arts!

The movements allowed novices to effectively accumulate and circulate ambient world mana even if they haven't mastered "True Breathing" - being able to gather and purify world mana within the body with ones own will.

At first, I couldn't make a connection because the routines were slightly different and a tad more intense. I was also under the impression that magic in its truest sense was a total unknown in this world. It only exists as a concept widely used in popular fiction. The so called "magicians" here are merely professional entertainers who perform seemingly impossible feats through the use of tools, wits, trickery and sleight of hand.

So how exactly did these sort of movements come about?

Come to think of it, what they call "high-phonon" particles here are basically mana particles. And the barriers the military employed also utilized crude magic formulae.

Dr. Saionji attributed their development to scientific advances, but I'm not so sure about that now.

Things definitely aren't as simple as they seem.

The situation we're in now adds further weight to these speculations.

To put it simply, my companions are currently under a heightened mental and physical state brought upon by the circulation of mana within their bodies. The effects are more pronounced because they most likely haven't fully unlocked their mana pathways. And now, their bodies are akin to sponges soaking up as much energy as possible, serving to gradually unlock their latent potential.

Not everyone can use magic. If you don't have a natural affinity then no matter how hard you practice, you won't be able to use it. You won't even be able to sense mana at all.

But all of my fellow recruits are able to unlock mana pathways and absorb mana. So all of them are actually latent mages? Was this actually the criteria for selecting the people here?

And the poison mist surrounding us is also quite suspect. In its unadulterated state, it causes harm to the body and mind. But after ingesting the herbal mix prepared by May, it actually feels like this supposedly poisonous mist is aiding in the refinement and absorption of mana.

Consequently, doesn't that make May quite suspicious as well?

There are apparently a lot of points I need to take note of. But right now, I'll just focus on getting out of this peculiar forest in one piece.

Part 5

We've been running for quite some time now. According to the holo-map on our snap-on mobile terminals, we've nearly reached the edge of the forest. Fatigue has been building up steadily, even under the tempering effects of the weird mist.

The faces of my companions are gradually showing signs of tiredness. I'm a bit better off because of the physical reinforcement magic I discretely cast earlier on. I also prioritized efficiency while circulating mana, so I have quite a bit in reserve.

We finally broke through the poison mist after a few moments. Just one final push and we're home free. We spurred ourselves on as we gradually neared the end of the course.

But suddenly, a cute yelp came from behind me. I looked over only to find Kent holding on to Yuunas waist. Judging from their positions, Yuuna probably fell over and Kent hurriedly caught her from behind.

Kent helped Yuuna to regain her bearings with a look of genuine concern on his somewhat childish face.

"A-Are you okay? You need to be more careful." he gently warned.

"Y-Yes... Thank you..." Yuuna replied in a quiet voice.

Both of them glanced at each others eyes but hurriedly lowered their gaze while blushing innocently. Kent was the one to regain his wits first and, in a move that surprised everyone present, took hold of Yuunas left hand. He then gestured forward and urged Yuuna to start walking again. Yuuna blushed scarlet but didn't jerk her hand away. They walked hand in hand towards the exit of the forest under our astonished gazes.

What the heck! What is this? Stockholm syndrome?! I just recently learned that term but I didn't think I'd get to see a firsthand example so soon. And how old are you guys? Why are things suddenly turning into a strange teenage rom-com scenario?

I turned to Shin to gauge his reaction only to find him gazing indifferently at the path ahead. The heck? He doesn't even care. The brewing love triangle scenario just got shot down early. Seriously...

I sighed and started walking towards the edge of the forest myself. We have just about ten minutes left on the clock so we're safe. I just hope Ms. Keynes doesn't suddenly say "Not good enough idiots!" and make us do this all over again.

Eh...

Wait...

Why is my vision spinning?...

Why am I suddenly up in the air?...

I hurtled upward a good several meters before falling down painfully on the rough forest floor. I clutched my side in pain. Blood trickled down my lips.

What the heck happened?

A loud and furious roar resounded in front of me. I struggled to regain focus and saw the cause of my current sorry state.

A huge bipedal lizard-like creature bore down on our group as it bellowed in wild rage. Solid looking silver hued armor plates covered its back, head and forelimbs. Its tail ended in menacing purple spikes. It had long hooked claws situated on its long forelimbs that propped it up like a gorilla. Razor sharp teeth jutted out of its mouth and a large horn-like y-shaped protrusion grew out of the tip of its snout.

What in Goddess Almas name is that?!

Part 6

The savage creature continued to roar aggressively. I propped myself up on a protruding tree root with difficulty and looked at the others. Most of us lay sprawled on the forest floor. Kent and Yuuna were the furthest away so they were spared from the initial attack and stood still, frozen in shock.

Just what is that thing? Why was I unable to sense it despite the creature being this aggressive?

I've been constantly on the lookout for danger the moment we entered this place. My senses were in a state of heightened alert all this time. Not to brag, but after going through grampa Galvans hell training course, I've gained an acute sense for detecting hostility or killing intent. Even the most stealthy monsters couldn't completely erase traces of hostility when they move in for an attack.

This acute sense for danger is a must when one sets out to be a full fledged adventurer. Mine can already be considered as pretty good and is one of the rare things I excel at. So why was I unable to detect even a sliver of hostility from that damn thing? It caught me completely by surprise!

The others have already begun recovering and were trying to get their bearings back. Greg, May, Shinjou and Lin were the first to get up and eyed the creature with steely gazes.

The creature had stopped roaring and looked at us with baleful eyes while snarling intermittently. It seemed like it was sizing us up. Then it charged without warning.

Fast!

The thing was insanely fast despite its bulk. It immediately brought itself in front of Lin and swiped at her with its left forelimb lined with razor sharp claws.

Lin managed to barely avoid the claw swipe by rolling on the ground. But the creature didn't give her time to recover and immediately followed up with bringing its right forelimb down in order to crush her. Things seemed hopeless, but Shinjou managed to drag her out of harms way at the last moment. He apparently sprung to action as soon as he saw the creature attack Lin.

The creature was about to renew its attack but was suddenly hit by a large rock on the side of its head. It turned towards the perpetrator in fury.

"Hey lizard breath! Over here!" came a taunting shout.

It was Greg. He waved his arms frantically, trying to lead the creatures attention from the rest of the group. The creature roared madly and dashed towards him in a frenzy. It reached him almost in an instant and attacked him with its claws. Greg dodged each swipe with great effort but he hadn't managed to avoid all of them completely. His gear became torn up in a lot of places after several swipes. Red blood began trickling down his training suit.

"Greg that's enough! Fall back!" Lin called out.

"No can do ma'am! Somebody needs to get her out of here first!" Greg replied and nodded towards his left. Eun laid helplessly a couple meters away, apparently unconscious.

"It's okay. I got her. Now get out of there! Watching you get mangled to death by that monster would give me endless nightmares!" came a frivolous sounding shout.

Gus ran over to where Eun was and brought her away in a "princess carry". Greg heaved a sigh of relief.

"Good. Now fall back Greg. I already sent an SOS transmission. Base camp isn't that far from where we are. Hiratsuka! Renvis! Come with me. We'll stall for time until the cavalry arrives. The rest of you get as far away from here as you can. And for crying out loud Mikagami! Snap out of it and haul your sorry ass outta there!" Lin commanded the group in a steady tone.

Huh?

What the heck am I spacing out for? Lins chiding didn't quite register to me. I was preoccupied with the metallic taste spreading inside my mouth.

"This... This is all real right?..." I mumbled incoherently.

Well shit! I thought I've already accepted my situation for the most part. Turns out I subconsciously still didn't want to admit it. And I ended up snapping out of that last strand of denial through the worst wake up call imaginable!

I struggled to get up after slapping myself awake. Just as I was about to help out in distracting the creature...

"Ack!"

"Greg!" we all screamed in horror.

The creature managed to grab hold of Greg and brutally swung him around. It then threw him right at Gus who was still running away with Eun towards the edge of the forest. Apparently, it has a good aim. Greg hit the two of them squarely in the back and all three sprawled to the forest floor.

Before Lin and the rest could react, the creature already brought itself in front of them. Its massive forelimb swung in a backhand blow and mowed all of them down.

Before I realized what I was doing, I already ran towards the creature in all haste.

It already turned its attention towards Kent and Yuuna who were running away hand in hand. It ran after them like a violent gale.

Kent, realizing they won't be able to shake it off, grabbed Yuuna and pushed her away from the creatures path. He ended up bearing the full brunt of its attack alone.

The creature slammed its clawed forelimb right on top of him, crushing Kents body underfoot.

"Eh? Nooooo!" Yuuna shrieked in fear and grief.

"Gaaah! Aaauhg!..." a muffled cry resounded from beneath the creatures forelimb. Kent managed to avoid its sharp claws but still had the creatures massive weight bearing down on him.

"Raaaah!" came a ferocious sounding shout. Out of nowhere, Roan suddenly sprang out of the undergrowth and swung a huge tree branch at the creatures head.

"Wha-? Ooof!"

The creature didn't even flinch. Its thick serpentine tail lashed out. Roan flew several meters away and slammed on a large tree. He coughed up blood as he slid down its trunk.

Having taken care of the slight distraction, the creature turned its attention back to the helpless Kent. It brought its hideous head down towards him and opened its large jaw. Yuuna attempted to attack it with stones but was easily flicked away.

I was still a few meters away.

"Shit! I'm not gonna make it! Not gonna make it. Not gonna make it. Not gonna make it! ..."

"LIKE HELL I WON'T!"

I cast my most potent physical enhancement magic and focused most of the mana on my legs. Bringing all my weight and power to bear, I leapt out and gave the damn monster a flying kick to the side of the head.

It finally gave a noticeable reaction. Heck, it staggered away a few steps, consequently freeing Kent from its claws. Even I was surprised by the power of my blow.

Yuuna, who was only flung lightly, responded quickly and went over to drag Kent away. The creature recovered quickly and focused its attention on me. Most of the team had already recovered their bearings as well.

"Get going guys! I'll hold the fort!" I volunteered.

"B-But..."

A trace of hesitation floated on Lins face.

I infused mana into my voice.

"GO!" I shouted.

Lin finally resolved herself and signalled for the others to follow and escape. The creature noticed their movements and attempted to intercept. I hurriedly cut it off.

"You're not going anywhere big guy." I taunted. The monster snarled at me in obvious hate and contempt. I circulated my mana once more and poured most of it on my four limbs, focusing the effects of the physical enhancement spell on them.

We stared each other down for a few moments. It was the monster who broke the silence first. It attacked swiftly and brutally, swiping and hacking with its claws and lashing out its barbed tail.

I endeavored to avoid its attacks while trying to find opportunities to counterattack. It's quite hard because of this monstrosities peculiar characteristic of not having any trace of killing intent when it attacks. That forced me to only rely on my physical senses to avoid - something easier said than done.

I finally managed to run up its left forelimb and gave another swift, hard kick to the side of its head. It seemingly got even more enraged and delivered a backhand blow many times faster than any of its previous attacks after I landed. Since I judged I couldn't evade, I braced myself and prepared to take advantage of the impact to gain some distance.

It worked!

Although my hands became a bit numb, I managed to mitigate most of the impact by leaping back before before the blow landed. I flew back several meters and rolled on the forest floor. I hurriedly stood up and steadied myself after the momentum of the blow dissipated. I raised my left hand and aimed my palm towards the creature.

I started to chant a basic fire spell.

"Resplendent flames, gather upon my person and smite my foe! Flame- WHAT THE HELL?!" I guffawed despite myself, interrupting the chant.

The damn monstrosity closed the distance practically in the blink of an eye. I already knew it was fast but THIS FAST?! I already shortened the chant by quite a bit, but that was proven to be of no use. In desperation, I just tried to fire off the spell as is.

"FLAME BOLT!"

A projectile made out of fire sped out of my palm and hit the open maw of the speeding monstrosity, exploding in a grand fashion.

"Did it work?..." I mumbled in trepidation.

*Ruuuaaah!

DAAAMN! Looks like it didn't! Just how tough is this thing?!

It came in front of me in the blink of an eye, slamming down its foreclaws.

"Aaargh!"

I ended up in the same situation as Kent earlier, pinned under this things claws, gasping for breath.

Shit!

Is it really gonna end like this? Again, just like this?

"No..."

"NO! "

"AAAAAAH!!!"

I mustered all the strength I had left and brought my palms up towards the monsters gaping jaw.

"RAAAAAAAAH!!!!"

I fired of a series of flame bolts aimed towards the creatures throat.

Two bolts.

Three bolts.

Five bolts.

Ten...

I eventually lost count of how many spells I fired off. I just fired them with abandon. I let loose until all my reserve mana was spent...

"Haah... Haaah... Aaah..."

I panted intermittently in exhaustion. I continued to stare at the creature with a burning gaze. When the dust cleared, I was treated to a peculiar sight.

The creature was deathly still...

It bore down on me like an immobile statue, devoid of all life. But I'm sure it wasn't due to my spell barrage. It barely took any noticeable damage from them.

"What the hell happened?..." I asked to no one in particular. Then, another even weirder thing occurred.

The creatures body crumbled and turned into minute silvery particles. The particles moved away from my body like they had a life of their own. I turned to the direction they went to only to find another unexpected sight.

There was a large suitcase made of some sort of alloy that opened up and received the silvery particles. After retrieving them, it automatically shut itself.

I then heard the sound of several footsteps. I sat up and turned towards the direction the footsteps were coming from only to find Lin and the others heading towards me with complicated expressions on their faces. At the head of the group was our strict lady instructor, Lisa Keynes, who had this faint smile on her lips.

She continued to walk towards me and crouched down when she reached me. Her face was only a few inches from mine. I could hear her faint breaths and smell her sweet perfume. Her eyes had a curious, inquiring look and her cherry colored lips were curled into that faint smile.

Finally, she touched my cheek with her left hand and patted it lightly. A sweet voice emerged from her lips.

"Hey there rookie. Nice job."

I looked around the surroundings with knotted eyebrows. There was that weird metal suitcase. There was Ms. Keynes with her enigmatic expression. There were Lin and the others who had bitter smiles on their faces.

I plopped back on the ground powerless and started laughing in spite of the situation. The same thoughts actually occupied all of us test pilots minds at that moment.

"Damn! Were we just f*cking trolled?... "

- Chapter 13 End -

 

Chapter 14: Deepening Mysteries and Good Company

Spoiler

Part 1

Hidden C. E. I. S. Weapons Development and Testing Facility / Central Labs

Dr. Satoru Saionji peered out of the reinforced phonite nanocrystal walls of his personal office with an unreadable expression. He held a mug of coffee which had long turned lukewarm in his left hand.

It was now twilight. The suns fading red hued rays bathed the room in an ethereal glow, tinting his glasses crimson. The eyes behind them were akin to dark pools - deep and unfathomable. His gaze was steady and unfaltering.

It held an unbending will.

A solid conviction.

But there were also other things.

Despair.

Hatred.

Obsession.

Madness.

What had come first? Even he had forgotten. That is, after all, inconsequential.

The holocom terminal on his stark office desk activated. A woman's figure appeared. The security system indicated her to be just outside the door.

"Satoru, we need to talk." she demanded.

A faint smile appeared on Dr. Saionji's lips. He operated the terminal through voice commands and gave a short reply.

"Come in."

The office door promptly opened and revealed a somewhat agitated looking Lisa Keynes. She entered the room and headed straight for Dr. Saionji with hurried steps.

"Hello there Lisa. What can I do for..."

Lisa didn't allow Dr. Saionji to finish his bland greeting and grabbed his suits collar. She then slammed his back to the office wall while glaring at him.

Dr. Saionji looked regretfully at his mug; the contents of which had spilled on the floor.

"Now look at what you've done. That was genuine stuff. Not one of them coffee flavored concentrates. Really hard to come by nowadays." he complained with a hint of jest in his tone.

"Who cares about your damn coffee?! I'm gonna have you explain yourself Satoru. What was that?" Lisa retorted.

"What was what?" Dr. Saionji asked back in a clueless manner.

Lisa scoffed at his reaction and tightened her grip on his collar.

"Don't give me that nonsense Satoru! You know what I'm talking about - Kou Mikagami. That guy's ability... That kind of effect without using auxiliary amplification equipment is unprecedented! And you also failed to mention him being a pyromancer in your report. An esper with a direct particle conversion ability is quite the rare find. I need you to give me the full details."

A trace of surprise appeared on Dr. Saionji's expression. It was so natural that one would be hard pressed to tell if it were genuine or not.

"He did now huh? Pyromancy... Mm... Quite interesting." he muttered with slightly furrowed brows.

Lisa's expression turned increasingly furious by the moment. She once again slammed Dr. Saionji on the wall, causing him to cry out in pain.

"Urrgh! Aha... Ahahaha... You're as rough as usual milady. Not that I mind. I do fancy myself as a bit of an M." he teased while grimacing because of the impact.

"Listen you idiot!... The higher ups did give you a bit of leeway. But that doesn't mean you have free reign, especially in matters like this. I don't know how you managed to convince that little lady from Central to keep this under wraps. But it's not like she's the only one monitoring your actions. You of all people should be clear about the importance of these types of abilities in a latent esper. Withholding something this crucial could result in severe sanctions." Lisa warned.

The faint wry smile on Dr. Saionji's lips didn't disappear after Lisa's chiding. On the contrary, it became even more pronounced. His countenance remained nonchalant.

"What exactly did I withold milady? Him being a pyromancer is also news to me. My preliminary report contained the most factual and accurate info we managed to glean about him at the time. I even included all records pertaining to his time in Raylington Academy. Only... He did go through quite the traumatic experience due to the Alliance attack. The manifestation of this particular ability may have been spurred on by that event." he calmly explained.

Lisa looked unconvinced.

"Still... He should not have been assigned to this part of the project. With this, his value would only be put to waste if we allowed him to stay as a mere test pilot for experimental weapons. His talent can only be harnessed fully if we train him with the purpose of ultimately assigning him to the front lines. The Wyvern squad could be a great fit for him. We only have a bunch of precogs and empaths there after all." she suggested.

Dr. Saionji raised an eyebrow at her response.

"I have explained this to you countless times. Simply relying on conventional methods will not help us win this war. Some boors from High Command deem weapons development unnecessary at this point in the hostilities - a near useless expense even. I only see them as narrow minded idiots whose propensity for penny pinching will eventually cost us the final victory.

The Alliance overwhelms us both in the strength and size of our forces. Our only chance is to develop something that would allow us to bridge that disparity in one fell swoop or at least act as a powerful deterrent that would allow us more breathing room. If we really want to hedge all our bets in the Elysium project, achieving results in our research here is of paramount importance. Kou Mikagami staying here to lend his talents is, likewise, undoubtedly necessary. With him and the other personnel assigned here, developing such a weapon system is no longer just some far fetched pipe dream." he countered.

Lisa still remained unmoved. She was about to retort but was interrupted.

"Why are you getting all impatient milady? It's not like an esper piloting one incomplete prototype model will have the capacity to influence the war. This will be the case even if he does sport a rare direct offensive ability. A tiny pebble can only cause minute ripples. A slightly bigger pebble won't do much more." Dr. Saionji pointed out.

Lisa's brows tightened in consternation. Her expression became quite conflicted.

"Is it because of the report you received from one of your former royal guards. What was her name again? Daumiera?" Dr. Saionji probed.

Lisa's grip on his collar tightened even more. Agitation and rage painted her face.

"You have no idea what it's like for me! You...!" she vented out.

"Of course I don't. You have no idea what it's like for me either milady. Don't go acting like you're the only one who has issues here." Dr. Saionji interrupted in a piercing cold tone.

Lisa's expression changed to that of awkward shock. The hands gripping the professors suit collar slackened and slowly fell to her sides. She averted her gaze in shame and frustration.

Dr. Saionji straightened his clothes and gave Lisa a cold gaze.

"I recommended you as their instructor because you're the one most familiar with high-phonon particle control methods out of all personnel staffing this project. I expect you to do your job without mixing in your private circumstances. Opinions and suggestions from you are welcome but will still undergo reviews from the proper channels - mine included. As this can just be treated as a minor incident, I'm inclined to overlook it this time in lieu of our past acquaintanceship. You may return to your post." he concluded.

"Yes sir." Lisa reluctantly agreed. She turned towards the door and started walking out.

"Milady... Don't let your demons undermine your duty. Please remember that you are already part of the C. E. I. S." Dr. Saionji added before she stepped out of the room.

Lisa turned around and gave him an accusing gaze.

"Please Satoru. You don't have the right to lecture me about handling my demons. After all... yours come straight from hell."

She went out of the office with those parting words, inducing a fit of soft laughter from Dr. Saionji.

"Hell huh? How appropriate..." he muttered under his breath.

Part 2

"Mmm... Hmm..."

I'm currently making a stern face as I make an effort to concentrate while sitting on a toilet seat inside a cubicle in the barracks lavatory. Sounds of running water and people coming and going came from outside the door. And no, I'm not taking a dump.

It has already been a few hours after that crazy forest fiasco. We were immediately shoved into recovery capsules and treated accordingly after we got back to the facility.

Once I got reasonably fixed up, I immediately shut myself in here.

Why?

Because I needed to get to somewhere private in order to do some discrete experimenting. And all I could think about was the toilet to do just that.

After all, there shouldn't be any security cams installed that would capture the inside of a toilet cubicle right? Dear goddess, I do hope so...

Truth be told, I feel that these precautions are actually too late. My actions may have already attracted too much attention. That flashy spell barrage earlier already caused the other pilots to look at me with complex gazes. Only Kent seemed to be unaffected. But he may be just holding it in because we were bunk mates.

I don't know how the scientists and engineers in this facility will react towards my earlier actions. If I take Dr. Saionji as reference, they may be hankering to have a go at experimenting with me already. Right now, I just don't want to add any more incentive to that line of thinking. Thus, I found myself in my current situation.

A tiny flame floated just above my open palm, flickering intermittently. I was trying to ascertain just to what extent could I actually assert fine control over mana that has been refined and discharged outside my body and had undergone substance conversion via magic. The current results left me in awe.

I attempted to make shapes out of the flame and succeeded quite swimmingly. I made it circle around the cubicle in varying speeds. That was also done rather easily. I changed the flames intensity a few times and found it relatively simple.

Thus, the results are quite clear: Near perfect.

Almost total control.

And I did all this without even relying on chants.

Of course this is just a tiny fire ball we're talking about here. I still don't know if I could replicate the same result with a higher density of mana. But for someone who previously didn't even have the ability to cast a single stable attack spell without the use of magic tools, this result is enough to shock me speechless.

Come to think of it, why did I actually elect to cast Flame Bolt in that fight with Ms. Keynes' nanomachine construct? I just somehow felt that I could pull it off.

But why?

I properly know the extent of my abilities. At least, I think I did. I'm not so sure now...

Could it be the result of heightened emotions?

No... Unlikely.

If so, why can I still exert such fine control over mana even now?

So just what exactly happened to me? To be honest, thinking about it scares me.

I feel like a stranger in my own skin.

Rather, that's exactly the case isn't it?...

Damn...

If I do find a way to get back to my previous world, would I still be myself? I'm Myst Evrard right? That's who I am right?!

Goddess, this is so messed up!...

"Kou? Are you in there?" a panicky voice suddenly called out from outside the cubicle door.

"What's up Kent?" I asked.

"I really gotta go man! The rest of the cubicles are taken. Are you finished in there? Please say you are!" Kent hurriedly replied.

Smiling wryly, I opened the cubicle door to find a blue faced Kent who unceremoniously shoved me out of the toilet in an apologetic manner.

Part 3

Hidden C. E. I. S. Weapons Development and Testing Facility / Mess Hall

Instead of worrying about things endlessly, I decided to go with the rest of the test pilots for dinner. I need to clear my head a bit and go about this step by step.

I'm still scared of the implications of my earlier experiments. But I can't allow myself to fall into a negative spiral and end up not accomplishing anything. I have first hand experience regarding that sort of thing after all...

For now, some lasagna.

You gotta hand it to the chef though. This stuff's good.

I moved towards the back of the hall and took a seat on a vacant table. I'm not too much of a people person y'see. I'm still not comfortable mingling with the rest of the test pilots. And some of them seem to be taking a distance from me too. But, to my surprise, Kent took the initiative and approached the table I was in.

"Uh... Hey man. May I?" he asked a little nervously.

I assented. He immediately took a seat across from me.

"Uh... Hey Kou?" he called out.

"Mm?"

"Well... I just wanted to thank you for earlier. For saving me y'know..." Kent sheepishly said it while scratching his cheek in mild embarrassment.

"Are you talking about the thing from training or the toilet crisis from earlier?" I arched my brows and asked in a teasing manner.

"Wha- ? No! I mean yeah! I mean... C'mon man..." Kent responded in a fluster. I laughed and waved my hand dismissively.

"Don't mention it. I mean, it turned out to be part of training anyway. Ms. Keynes just trolled all of us. You were never in any real danger." I replied.

"Still man. Thanks. I really appreciate it." Kent insisted. I just nodded my head in acknowledgement.

Hm?

What's this piercing amount of killing intent I'm feeling?

I turned towards my right only to find Yuuna staring daggers at me from the table opposite us. Why the sudden hostility young lady?

She suddenly stood up and moved towards us.

"May I as well Mr. Mikagami?" she asked; gesturing to the space right next to Kent.

Her tone was polite enough. But something in her smile made me feel that there will be hell to pay if I so much as indicated refusal. Of course I agreed right away.

My instinct warned me of the dangers of offending a maiden in love.

But there's just something I'm a bit peeved about regarding this situation...

Just why am I being treated as a love rival in a cheesy romance drama?! And over a member of the same gender even!

And, for the record, I'm a hundred percent straight! I wanted to clutch my head in exasperation.

Once she was sure there was nothing funny going on, Yuuna finally calmed down. We continued to casually talk about this and that. She snuggled herself close to Kent all the while. Contrary to her innocent look, she's quite the assertive young lady.

After a while, two more people decided to join our merry little group. Gus and Greg unceremoniously sat down beside us and barged in the conversation. Gus was just bored while Greg wanted to confirm some things with me. As expected, it was about my actions in the forest.

"I didn't know you also had an ability Kou. Blasting fire out of your hands... It's way cooler than mine." Greg commented.

Hmm? Wait a minute... 'Also'?

"You have one too?" I probed. Greg nodded in confirmation.

"Yeah. Mine's not really as direct. Since I was young, I had this ability to reduce my body weight. I seem really athletic despite my obvious... uh... girth right? It's because of that. I have this hunch it's why I was recruited despite my... uh... questionable records." he added.

Weight reduction? There was a type of spell that did that if I remember correctly. Greg can do it instinctively?

"What about you guys? Have one too?" Greg suddenly asked the rest of the group.

Isn't he too direct? Fortunately, no one seemed to be offended.

"I kinda have the ability to predict events several seconds into the future. It doesn't always kick in though and not really all that reliable. It also isn't always accurate either." Kent confirmed.

Future Sight! It's not really magic. It's a phenomenon that occurs when one is highly in tune with world mana.

There was this seemingly profound explanation about it in one of my moms books back home. Something about the world dreaming endlessly and people being able to get a glimpse of those dreams.

People like this were rare in the world I'm from. Some of them even became sages and seers of considerable repute.

"Wow! I never knew I was in the company of such fantastic people. Amazing!" Gus suddenly cried out.

"You don't have one? An ability I mean." Greg asked. Gus nodded excitedly.

"I don't have something like an ability. I just got scanned by some machine and my application was approved." he elaborated.

"You applied for this post? You didn't get scouted?" Greg asked further.

"Uh huh. I graduated from Waldenholt Academy y'see. But I didn't want to get sent to the front lines immediately so I didn't apply for becoming a full fledged space marine.

I'm still far too young! I have a lot of things I want to try and do. There's still plenty of beautiful women to chase after! Who cares about honour, glory and serving the Confederation? I just want a long, fulfilling life.

So I used some of my old man's connections and got myself a spot as a test pilot. It was hard giving up on girls in military uniforms. But I dig lab coats and jumpsuits too, so it's all good." Gus explained.

The rest of us had incredulous looks plastered on our faces after Gus' lighthearted answer. Once again, I became awed by this guys overzealous optimism towards inane matters.

But we're actually technically part of the military though. But I suppose it's true we're not going to be active combatants. Dr. Saionji told me as much too.

"Um..." Yuuna called out in a timid voice and raised her dainty hand. We turned our attention to her.

"I also don't have amazing powers and stuff. My family has a bit of political influence, so I made use of that to gain a spot here like Mr. Rommelin. I think they tested my aptitude for high-phonon particles or something. That's what I heard from my cousin. She's also a part of this project."

High-phonon particles again. Looks like I need to look into it more.

"Are you guys sure you should be this open regarding this stuff?" I asked.

Greg snickered and raised an eyebrow at me.

"Pfft. Look who's talking here. You're the one hogging the most attention. And besides, I have this sneaking suspicion all of us aren't exactly the normal sort at all. Betcha the staff here's already clear with all that." he exclaimed.

"But aren't you bothered by it at all? You said you were scouted right Greg? And if your suspicions turn out to be true, then aren't we just being treated as glorified test subjects?" I inquired. Greg paused for a bit. A bitter smile appeared on his lips.

"Well... I'm originally from '7th Heaven' y'know. Compared to living in that dump, this is actually way better." he answered.

Yuuna suddenly stood up in a surprised manner.

"Eeeh! You're from Verdius?!" she exclaimed. Greg nodded, still sporting a bitter grin.

"Yup. You know what happened to the artificial colonies in that sector when war broke out right? We were hit pretty hard because of being right in the middle of the border between the Alliance and C. E. I. S. All important industries and key people were evacuated off-sector after striking a deal with the Confies. They left us 'dregs of society' to fend for ourselves in a virtual husk of a sector in its death throes. You can only imagine how 'pleasant' that must have been." he recounted darkly.

"People still live in Verdius? B-But I was told all of the people still living there were already relocated by the government to several resettlement areas after the ceasefire." Yuuna stated.

"Heh... Guess we're not considered 'people' then." Greg spat out. Yuuna sat down dejectedly after hearing him. Kent gave Greg a hostile glare. The atmosphere suddenly turned stiff.

"Now don't misunderstand. I'm not blaming anyone in particular. That's just life after all. It's not like we can choose the circumstances we're born in. Sorry if that came out wrong Ms. Suzushiro." Greg explained himself hurriedly.

Yuuna raised her head and managed to give Greg a reserved smile.

"N-No. I'm sorry too. For reminding you of something awful... And please, just call me by name. Being called 'Miss' feels kinda off."

"I'll do that then Yuuna. Pleasure to be working with you by the way." Greg responded and gave back an amiable smile as he held out his hand.

"Pleasure to be working with you too Greg."

Before Yuuna could respond, Kent had already grasped Greg's outstretched hand in a firm handshake. Greg could only smile wryly at his actions.

Haha. Thank the goddess. The atmosphere turned light again. We continued to chat about various stuff until an hour or two before lights out.

Heh... That was unexpectedly enjoyable. Talking about each other freely like that does feel refreshing for me. It's not like I hate being with people. I just find interacting with others a little taxing on my nerves somewhat. I'm the extremely self conscious sort after all. I'm just used to bluffing my way most of the time.

I remembered everyone's lively expressions earlier.

"Yeah... This doesn't feel bad at all." I mused.

- Chapter 14 End -

 

Chapter 15 : The Trouble with Standing Out

Spoiler

Part 1

Hidden C. E. I. S. Weapons Development and Testing Facility / TF Hangar

It's been a little over a week since we've started the retraining program in order to formally become test pilots for Project Elysium. We've been subjected to all kinds of grueling activities that challenged our physical and mental limits. They also allowed the others to grasp the basics of mana control. They have absolutely no idea about that little tidbit though.

We regularly repeated the drills we were subjected to when we first started training before beginning any other activity. That allowed the rest to come that much closer to achieving the state of 'True Breathing' in such a short period of time. Their progress amazed even me. If an examiner for a prestigious magic school were to evaluate everyone's aptitude, they'd absolutely be deemed geniuses.

I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. It took me two months to achieve that state and here were people who did it in just over a week of training. The gap was so large, I wasn't even given the chance to feel jealous. I'm having an awful case of deja vu. Damn...

Oh well. No use beating myself up over it. I already knew I was mediocre from the beginning. At least I have experience going for me, though I'm not sure how long that'll hold up too. I let out a resigned sigh.

The more puzzling thing is how I managed to encounter a training regimen that effectively enhanced ones ability to perceive, accumulate and control mana fluctuations in a world that's supposedly devoid of the concept of magecraft in its truest sense. Judging from the meager info I managed to get a hold of, it's possible that this all ties to the discovery of high-phonon particles.

But the breadth of information I'm able to get my hands on is woefully lacking. There isn't a single source that is able to address the most important points. The kind of articles that are readily available to even the average citizens won't give me jack squat.

Since high-phonon particles and mana have very distinct similarities -- even to the point that they can be considered as practically one and the same -- , researching about the particles and the process of their discovery may lead to some clues.

There's a lot to consider. What led to their discovery? Who discovered them anyway? Were they really discovered or did the ones responsible for unveiling them already have working knowledge about them? If so, how did they obtain that knowledge?

This may point me to a lead about my current situation. Maybe it may even help me in finding a way back home! But anything I manage to get right now only contain things that can also be found in school reference material and civilian publications. They're practically near useless to me.

Many points remain unclear. The individuals responsible for the discovery of the particles aren't even named. It's attributed as the result of the collective efforts of several researchers and engineers affiliated with the Confederations official technological research and development department.

There's also that thing about espers. Apparently, the appearance of the so called 'espers' -- people sporting 'supernatural' powers -- roughly coincided with the discovery and subsequent development of high-phonon particles. But their existence is treated by a majority of the citizens as a mere urban legend, which can be largely attributed to the Confederation's thorough information control.

But they do exist. We have real life subjects right here in this facility. Apparently, I'm also considered as one. With that, I can more or less assert that the ones they call 'espers' over here are actually just simply mages - latent or otherwise.

The abilities they're able to display are closely related to their natural disposition as magic users. Take Greg for example. He has a natural affinity for gravity control magic so he can already manage rudimentary displays of said magic. It's quite a rare affinity too. Back home, we simply call it weight control magic since the term 'gravity' doesn't exist. I, on the other hand, have an affinity for fire. A bit ironic considering my name.

Early manifestation isn't exactly common. It's considered a good indicator of the potential of an aspiring magician. There are also abilities that aren't directly related to ones magic affinity such as Future Sight and the like. They're collectively called 'Talents' and some have quite the reputation.

How was the Confederation able to procure people with affinity for the magical arts like this? How much do they know about us? Yuuna and Gus mentioned a device that was used to test their aptitudes. What exactly did it test? Does this world really have a working knowledge of magic but only used different terms?

There are a lot of things I need to investigate but I lack the means to make a thorough one. Somehow, I doubt Dr. Saionji would willingly divulge info despite his earlier promises of full cooperation. I knew he was only baiting me when he proposed that deal anyway. I'm not that gullible. But at that time, I was pretty much desperate to grasp any kind of foothold so I went along with it.

I was eventually forced to back down for now. But I refuse to believe an opportunity won't come. And even if it doesn't, I just need to work on creating that opportunity myself. Of course, things aren't really that simple. But what choice do I have? I don't want to give up on finding my way back home!

I snapped myself out of my current thoughts. Right now, let's focus on the activity at hand. I straightened myself up and looked ahead.

A large guy with a neatly kept beard stood in front of us and made a few light coughs. He kept throwing furtive glances to the side while constantly trying to straighten out his uniform collar.

Needless to say, the beautiful trainer from hell, Instructor Lisa Keynes was standing nearby with her signature glare. It looked absolutely stunning and incredibly intimidating at the same time - an atypical combination for sure. But countless guys in the facility have already been enslaved by that expression. It looks like the bearded man was one of them.

"EHEM!"

Oh? That was a big one. Has he finally calmed his nerves?

"Look alive runts! My name is Kendrick Hartley and I'm to be your technical instructor regarding the maintenance and handling of new experimental gear specifically designed to work in conjunction with the newly developed Tactical Frame prototypes. I will be working in concert with Instructor Keynes in order to prep you for your upcoming duties as test pilots and, like her, I will not be lenient in the slightest. Is that clear runts?" he declared in one breath, obviously trying to impress our lady instructor. Unfortunately, she doesn't seem to be moved even a little bit.

"Yes sir!" came our perfunctory reply. He nodded slightly in acknowledgement.

Instructor Hartley gestured to the interior of the hangar, bringing our attention to a row of large armored suits gleaming a pale silver

"Does anybody know what those are?" he asked. Eun hurriedly raised her hand and answered in an excited tone.

"Sir, those are Tactical Combat Augmentation Exoskeletal Gear, otherwise known as Ex-G. They're used by both Confederation and Alliance troops as an all terrain high performance powered suit capable of enhancing a soldiers combat efficiency greatly." she exclaimed with a somewhat longing look in her eyes.

Instructor Hartley smiled and nodded repeatedly.

"Somebody knows her stuff. Now here's another one: What do those things have to do with piloting Tactical Frames? What's the connection?" he followed up.

Eun furrowed her brows in deep thought while the rest of us held blank expressions.

"TFs and Ex-Gs are different weapon systems. A connection between the two... Connection... Connection..." Eun muttered.

All of a sudden, her hazel eyes lit up and then...

"Wait a minute... C-Could it be? Dad mentioned this in passing once. Something about achieving an almost flawless human-machine interface by linking the neural network through a proxy... TF / Ex-G Conjunctive Link... KYAAAAA!!! IS IT REALLY THAT?!" came an excited shriek.

We were all bewildered by Euns behavior. Instructor Hartley, however, chuckled heartily.

"As expected of Dae Woon Park's only daughter. That's right. These babies are specifically designed to act in tandem with the prototype TFs systems, creating an advanced man-machine interface. It would allow for controlling a fifteen to twenty-something meter TF almost solely through a pilots neural input." he proudly explained.

"So, in other words, these Ex-Gs will basically be our pilot suits right?" Kent probed.

"Correct. These will allow you to control almost every aspect of the Tactical Frame with virtually no loss of efficiency. Reaction times will rocket through the roof! Conventional controls won't even have a prayer of keeping up!
...
That was the plan at least..."

Instructor Hartleys voice trailed off as he continued his lecture. There seems to be a catch huh. It did sound too good to be true.

"Unfortunately, we may have made it a little too un-user friendly... It takes a bit of getting used to in order to operate these things manually via direct neural link. We've come up with a support A. I. which would assist you guys in using them by sharing some of the burden. We're going to let you have a go at operating these babies partly to let you get used to the feeling and to polish up the support A. I. s functions."

A commotion broke out within the group after Instructor Hartleys lecture. Everybody was looking forward to trying the Ex-Gs out. Eun was particularly gung ho about it. She's even drooling slightly.

Now I finally know why I found her similar to my old man. They're both crazy about their hobbies... My dad liked everything related to smithing. Eun, on the other hand, seemed to like this sort of stuff. What did Ms. Nemu call it again? Mecha otaku?

Only Lin and Shinjou had their brows creased, not being taken by the rowdy atmosphere. Lin raised her hand and voiced a concern.

"Instructor, shouldn't the goal here be standardization? Doesn't developing a weapon system that is only usable by a select few who underwent a specialized training program go against the basic principles of mass produced weaponry?"

Instructor Hartley nodded approvingly once more.

"A valid point, considering High Commands planned army-wide implementation of the tech developed here in order to increase our military capabilities. And that's exactly where you lot come in." he replied. He gestured towards the Ex-Gs once more.

"I mentioned a support A. I. earlier didn't I? We like to call it MUSE."

He walked over towards one prototype and tapped the helm portion.

"MUSE is installed in each and everyone of these Ex-Gs and is the key to that particular problem."

Instructor Hartley gave the Ex-G a peculiar gaze as he talked.

Reverence.

Longing.

Pride.

That gaze contained a mix of several emotions. A wisp of melancholy can also be observed, though fleeting.

He continued his explanations.

"Its primary function right now is to 'learn'. It collects, compiles and analyzes the data gained from each operator that equips the units it's installed in. Every unit connected via the C. E. I. S. quantum network will be granted access to this big compendium of essential data.

It then refines them and uses them to better assist the pilots in the operation of these new weapon systems. It uses the knowledge and techniques it has stored up to guide and fine tune your actions and physical abilities via electrochemical stimulus and high-phonon particle interaction.

Now that may sound a bit off putting to some, but I assure you that it's absolutely safe and will not likely leave any unpleasant side effects. Once it's completed, even an absolute beginner will be able to operate this thing like a seasoned pro. And actual pros will find their skills optimized to completely new levels!"

A hint of fanaticism laced his tone near the end. But Instructor Hartley reigned it in fairly quickly. After a light cough, he ordered his subordinates to prep us for training.

We were directed to changing rooms and were asked to put on tight, form fitting suits which would supposedly allow us to interface with the Ex-Gs better. We then proceeded back to the main hangar and equipped the silvery suits of armor laced in cutting edge tech.

The limbs of the prototype Ex-Gs are relatively longer than actual human limbs. My hands and feet reach just halfway its forearms and legs. There are handles situated inside the mid section of the Ex-Gs forearms. The entire thing closed up when I grabbed them, encasing me in sleek, silvery armor.

It's a bit stuffy though. After the face helm closed up, a panoramic HD camera view with a detailed HUD appeared in front of me. It's like I'm not wearing anything over my head. It's incredibly crisp and clear.

Man, I wish the MagiVision projectors back home were this crisp and detailed. If they were, then the set of covert ero ero hot spring MagiCrystal recordings I got from uncle Milton would be even more amazi... Err... Never mind.

"Okay rookies. Try walking around slowly along the facility grounds. Take it nice and easy. Trust me, it's not going to go smoothly the first time. These ain't like the standard models you're all used to." Instructor Hartley directed.

Everyone started their ungainly steps towards the open grounds outside the hangar area. I followed suit as well. I immediately understood what Instructor Hartley meant when he said to take it nice and easy.

It's like walking on stilts. Talk about awkward. We advanced slowly with tottering steps. I was nearly thrown off balance several times but the A. I. kicked in and hurriedly corrected my stance. It actually felt somewhat unnatural. I can't quite understand Eun's enthusiasm about this thing.

I advanced a few more steps. Then suddenly...

[Sync ratio at 77% Neural interface feedback nominal. Initiating link in 3, 2, 1... Full neural link established. You are now in Direct mode.]

A professional sounding female voice suddenly rang inside the suits helm and announced something. As I was wondering what was up, Yuuna suddenly wobbled backwards. She's heading right for me. I knew the armor would automatically correct her balance, but I still moved to avoid her just in case.

And when I attempted to dodge...

"Eh?... WHOAAAAAAAA!!!"

I suddenly flew backwards in high speed.

"WAIT! STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOOOP!" I leaned forward and yelled out in panic. And then...

"Huh?... Arrrgh!"

My momentum suddenly got cut and I landed face first on the hangar grounds.

"Ow..."

What just happened? My head was spinning a bit from the sudden impact but it subsided rather quickly. When I used my arms to raise myself and tried to get up...

"AAAAAAHHH! Ooof..."

...

My entire body suddenly launched upwards and flipped over a full 360 degrees in mid air. I then landed squarely on my back.

"Owww..."

Seriously... What in Goddess Alma's name is happening?...

[Assessing data... Current neural synchronization values allow for overextended involuntary maneuvers... Adjusting feedback sensitivity... Current values set to 37.42%... Uploading Unit Basic Function Primer to current Operator... Upload complete.]

I was still reeling from the earlier accidents when a constant stream of information suddenly flooded my consciousness, catching me off guard. But the feelings of surprise and confusion didn't last long. My state of mind rapidly stabilized to the point that it was scary. But even that burst of fear dulled. I became unnaturally calm in an instant.

...

I started sifting through the information that suddenly appeared inside my head. It seems to be a detailed primer on the prototypes basic controls. So it was like that...

I slowly sat up and raised my armor covered hands in front of me. My flesh and blood hands were still gripping the handles inside the armor. But I became able to move the mechanical wrists and fingers of the Ex-G as if they were my own.

I did it by circulating my mana and subsequently channeling it to the armor. The entire structure of the Ex-G soaked it all up like a sponge. I then felt an indescribable sense of oneness. With this, the power conduits became my blood vessels, the internal nano-circuitry became my nerves, the servo motors became my joints and muscles and the composite nano-laminate psionium armor became my skin. The Ex-G became my very flesh.

I got flailed and thrown around because I had been overshooting the strength needed to move normally. I also used unnecessary functions in order to perform simple actions. I was simply unaccustomed to the Ex-Gs capabilities. I decided to do a quick once-over first in order to remedy that.

First are the main and auxiliary thrusters. These pesky things are the cause of my earlier blunders. The Ex-G is equipped with several of them, positioned along key points all across the armor. These thrusters enhance the overall maneuverability of the unit as they allow for near instantaneous directional changes while in motion depending on the output used.

They work primarily by rapidly expelling high-phonon particles which creates great propulsive force. It turns out that I've been involuntarily activating the thrusters, resulting in those earlier mishaps. I start checking each of them out.

First are the main thusters located at the back of the unit. They're placed on small movable wing binders and have the highest output capacity. I tried moving them just like any other body part. It's a curious experience, but I got used to it fairly quickly.

Next are the shoulder thusters...

The ones equipped on both sides of the hip area...

The ones on the sides and backs of the legs...

There are also ones positioned across the torsos upper chest area.

I then reviewed the various data displayed on the helms HUD. Terrain info, overall unit condition, body diagnostics... All sorts of information are readily available and updated in real time.

I also tried moving the other parts of the Ex-G mentally as if it truly were my own body.

The advanced optics had great magnification capabilities. The unit can also connect to tracking satellites or scouting drones in order to get a direct image feed. There's also a rear view function, which can be pretty handy. It pops up on a small sub-window with a thought.

I moved the units hands and fingers next. Unlike flesh and blood limbs, these mechanical fingers have exceedingly articulate ranges of motion. I can even fully bend them over or wriggle them like snakes (which looked weird). Heck, the wrists can even fully rotate!

Giga Drill Finger!

It's spinning! It's spinning like crazy!

...

I'm fooling around again...

The Ex-Gs feet don't have any toes to speak of, but the soles could open up to reveal another pair of auxiliary thrusters in case of emergencies.

Lastly, I try out the exhaust vents which serve to release the units built up residual heat. I open and close the various flaps placed all over the unit. All of them move without any problems.

Everything checks out fine so far. Now let's try using these things to get back into position.

After a deep breath, I begin to initiate a maneuver. The main thrusters fire up. My 'body' steadily lifts itself. I activate some auxiliary thrusters to counterbalance and successfully move myself to an upright position. I hover for a few more seconds. After reconfirming my bearings, I slowly bring myself back down by tapering off the thruster output bit by bit.

Aaaand... Touchdown!

Alright! If the Ex-Gs helm opened right now, everyone would see the smug look plastered on my face.

I gradually calm down after a few moments. Everyone probably saw my embarrassing displays earlier after all. This is no time to be feeling proud of myself for such a small achievement.

Oh well. Let's see how the others are doing. I was so focused on my own matters that I didn't have the leeway to pay attention to the other test pilots.

I turned around... only to find the others staring at me while standing stock still.

Hm?

What's the matter everyone? Was that 360 degree flip really that embarrassingly bad?

I moved my gaze towards the instructors. Ms. Keynes was glaring daggers at me, which didn't come as any surprise. But Mr. Hartley was staring at me with widened eyes. His mouth was opening and closing intermittently as if he wanted to say something but couldn't find the words.

Really now. What's with you all?

Part 2

"Instructor Keynes! Just where did you find such a guy?! He just initiated a full neural link in his first time operating the prototype!"

Kendrick Hartley bore down on Lisa Keynes with an exceedingly giddy look on his bearded face. He was sticking really close to her while breathing roughly in excitement. If this scene happened in public instead of the hidden Confederation R&D facilities TF hangar, he might have been taken as a crazy pervert in the middle of molesting a poor, innocent woman.

"I... I wasn't the one who scouted him." came a rather subdued reply.

Lisa wore an expressionless mask and spoke in a rather strained tone. Kendrick, finally noticing the awkward position they were in, let go of her immediately in panic. He let out a series of embarrassed coughs and gave Lisa a sheepish grin.

"I'm sorry Ms. Keynes. I was just a bit too surprised because of earlier. You didn't take any offense I hope."

Lisa lightly shook her head. "None taken." she replied curtly. The pair then lapsed into an awkward silence...

"Uh... In any case, what that test pilot did earlier was quite an impressive feat. Even when we asked for some members of the Wyvern Experimental Squadron to give the prototypes a go, we didn't have such dramatic results straight away. They did manage to pull off a relatively complete neural link after a few days. This guy however... Please tell me who got him onboard the project."

Being unable to bear it any longer, Kendrick attempted to restart the conversation. Fortunately for him, it seemed to have worked somewhat.

"It was Satoru... Dr. Satoru Saionji. He's the one who brought him over." Lisa answered.

A look of surprise surfaced on Kendrick Hartley's face.

"Someone the deputy director personally brought over? Now that's interesting..." he mused.

"I actually feel we don't have the full details regarding his background history and relevant records. If you wish to find out more about him, you could try asking Dr. Saionji directly." Lisa added.

Kendrick raised an eyebrow at Lisa's comment.

"Are you saying the deputy director is withholding information? That's quite a claim Ms. Keynes."

Lisa lightly shook her head.

"No. Nothing that definite. Just a hunch."

Kendrick's brows furrowed. He then let out a resigned sigh.

"Hmm... Perhaps there's some merit to asking after all... If you'll excuse me Ms. Keynes." Kendrick nodded in assent and went off to find Dr. Saionji.

They had programmed MUSE to adjust to the capabilities of each individual pilot. A review of the data logs reveal no abnormalities in MUSE's algorithm.

What exactly did that signify?

Did MUSE really rate Kou Mikagami's aptitude to be that high? Not even the seasoned veterans of the Elysium project, the Wyvern Experimental Squadron, were able to induce such an evaluation. What stood the kid apart from even the projects current creme de la creme? How could he get the hang of the prototypes direct neural controls so fast despite MUSE being decidedly incomplete?

Kendrick Hartley needed answers. His pace visibly quickened.

Part 3

Lisa Keynes looked at her colleagues departing figure with a complicated expression. She then let out an audible sigh.

"Will this work?..." she thought.

She goaded Kendrick Hartley into action in order to see if he could procure more information out of Dr. Saionji. It was nothing more than a passing whim. She more or less didn't hope for much. But there's still some worth in trying.

She let out another sigh. She massaged her slightly aching temples due to piled up stress. It seems the news from her former handmaiden really did a number on her nerves.

"What's wrong Matriarch? Are you feeling unwell?"

The concerned remark came from a silver haired, brown skinned young woman who appeared behind her without warning. She had long gotten used to it, so Lisa was hardly startled by the woman's sudden intrusion.

"It's nothing Miera. What is it? Aren't you supposed to be with the rest of the test pilots right now?" she asked back.

"It's alright Matriarch. There's a fifteen minute break before sim training starts. I just wanted to check up on your condition first." the young woman, Daumiera Renvis gently replied.

Lisa's lips curved into a bitter smile.

"Did I seem that bad off?"

Daumiera, now under the guise 'May', repeatedly shook her head in a fluster.

"N-No Matriarch! I was merely doing my duty as your handmaiden. The fact that I am unable to be by your side at all times is troubling. But under these circumstances, I realize we have to endure."

The smile on Lisa's smile twitched after May's impassioned declaration. "Matriarch... Right..." she muttered under her breath.

There was a time when being called that title filled her with boundless pride. No longer... Now, that just seemed like a distant memory.

It was supposed to be.

But May's sudden arrival changed everything. Her former handmaiden appearing unannounced before Lisa who had settled herself as a consultant of sorts to the Confederations R&D department stirred those fading memories once more.

The Order of Nei Va'an... The Path Seekers... The legacy of Rahd Ha'arun still persists.

Lisa's emotions were thrown in a chaotic spiral. She had been living as a mere remnant of a past age. Even so, she couldn't stop herself from vowing revenge over the ones who deprived her of all she treasured. Her very soul cried out for it - the soul which had been dyed with those of her ancestors and 'The Path' they had so fervently espoused and venerated; ultimately trampled upon by the hateful Alliance and the very people she had once sworn to guide and protect.

Revenge was all she lived for. It was all she had. And suddenly, she gets told that all was not lost. That there yet exists a sliver of hope for a tradition and people in their death throes.

How was she supposed to respond to that? Even she has been far too immersed in things 'foreign' that she once vehemently rejected. It was too late to turn back now. What else did they expect of her?

The confusion and stress that this brought her had caused Lisa to lose most of her composure. Does she truly wish to answer their call and restore the Order under her banner? She recognizes this as a mere fools errand. But even so, a part of her still thinks otherwise, no matter how absurd that notion may be.

She breathed in and out in order to calm herself. This wasn't the time and place to be preoccupied with such thoughts. Lisa fixed her expression into one of calm, businesslike indifference as best she could and turned her attention towards May once more.

"Your observation target... How is he? What are your impressions?" she inquired.

"He's... definitely worthy of interest. Given his background, there are things about him which are highly suspect."

The worried look on May's face also turned serious as she began giving Lisa her initial analysis.

"I have been observing him as Matriarch instructed after the forest exercises. I believe it's safe to conclude that he's already awakened as a full Adept even before being recruited, and even trained. Extensively at that."

Lisa's gaze became sharp after hearing her subordinates claim.

"Your basis?..." she inquired further.

"His foundations are already relatively solid. His control of 'Breath' has already reached quite a competent level. His apparent use of an element mantra during the forest exercise is already a solid indication. But the smooth flow of 'Breath' within his channels prove that he has sufficient mastery of the fundamentals. These can't be achieved without sufficient training. Even ones deemed natural geniuses won't be able to display that kind of ability straight away." May expounded.

Lisa's expression turned darker. She thought of several possibilities inside her head. "There's really something else going on with that guy." she mused. The more she heard about Kou Mikagami, the more intrigued she became.

"Any chance he, or someone related to him, is actually from our system?" she asked further.

May shook her head hesitantly.

"I also investigated that possibility. There's actually some subtle differences in the way he accumulates and utilizes 'Breath' compared to our traditional methods. I actually cannot say for sure but... there's just something... off about it." she answered.

"Off? How so?" Lisa urged May to explain further.

"I apologize if I can't elaborate in detail Matriarch. Even the rarest or most deviant methods for treading 'The Path' have something of a similarity along with the standard ones. A unified origin if you will. But his method however... Though I can't say for sure... But it feels like it has a different basis altogether. It's something astoundingly similar but also decidedly different from ours."

May's brows scrunched up as she went on presenting her impressions. She was evidently agitated by the things she found familiar and yet alien at the same time.

Lisa gradually took all the information in. They presented more questions than answers, but proved enough to spark her interest anew.

"Continue with the observation. We need more information in order to draw more definite conclusions. Whether or not he'll be of use remains to be seen." Lisa instructed. May gave a distinctly different salute from the regular C. E. I. S. one and left for the sim training room.

Lisa reached for her neck and brought out a worn out looking pendant. It was made of some kind of pale blue crystal and had a pattern carved on its surface - a serpent-like creature coiled in an irregular circle that devoured its own tail. She clutched it tightly as she bowed her head.

As if in prayer...

- Chapter 15 End -

* Note:

C. E. I. S. - Confederation of Extrasolar Interplanetary Systems

 

Thank you very much for the chapter

 

I'm glad I found this again. <3 TY for writing.