LIGHTNOVELONLINE Arc 1: Coda Village Part 4
Disclaimer: I don't own Gate or Nihonkoku Shoukan as it belongs to its rightful owners.
Arc 1: Lands Of Rodenius:
Coda Village Part 4
"Whenever things were going well and according to plan, there's always this minor hiccup that would ruin everything, and the next thing you know, hell has opened its gates again to invite you."
-New World Journal
Guest Room, Village Hall
"I'm so sorry for what happened to Elrena."
Yet another word of apology came out from the old woman's lips." If I've known earlier regarding her illness, I would have asked Cato for help." She explained, recalling the last time she had seen the wonderful elf woman.
She couldn't help herself but noticed the silence that enveloped her. As if she was indeed hiding something. No matter how weak the latter's state was during that time, she still managed to bring up every time, she would visit the village.
Hodor slightly forced a small smile. The elf man didn't really want to revisit those sorrowful and colorless days as he was on his way to a self-destructive path during that time. Adding the fact that he wasn't there for his daughter, who also had suffered the same emotional pain as him.
"You don't have to apologize, Mrs. Elena." He responded as he placed his now-empty cup on the small wooden table beside him. "It happened a long time ago, and there's nothing we can do." He went on to say. "At the very least, there are a lot of lessons to be learned from it." He finished his sentence with a twinge of guilt in his eyes.
The village chief's wife nodded slowly, "I understand Hodor," she said, looking down at the ground. Her thoughts were drawn to a brief struggle. She wasn't sure whether to let her emotions out and cry for the loss of a dear friend, but the recent struggles that the village had faced, her husband's poor health, and many other factors had greatly affected her emotions to the point where she had almost lost the ability to cry, and she had been staying in this position where she had to muster all of her strength in her every day if she were not to experience this kind of pain.
Add the fact that her son's recent departure fueled her distress from within. Even at this age of her life, she would still worry for a loved one that has already moved on, and she understood the motivations and reasons behind that.
"I'm sorry about what happened to your son."
Hodor spoke the words that had been floating around in her head at that precise moment, which surprised her.
"How did you know?" She asked, placing a hand on her lips thereafter.
The man blinked a few times in confusion before realizing the meaning of the old lady's question." Oh, I guess I haven't informed you yet but, Eldar himself told me about it." He added." When he visited me on the first day, I was confined in this room."
"Oh, I see." She muttered.
"My husband? "How come I can't seem to remember?" Elena had a thought. She had to keep an eye on her husband at times. He could no longer walk long distances and couldn't handle his duties as chief of the village, at the same time.
Unless she was missing something.
Hodor was in no position to speculate. Sometimes people simply lose sight of what is going on around them. In fact, the village chief did pay him a visit, and they had a brief conversation about how each of their lives was going, and that was the end of it.
A minor occurrence smack dab in the middle of a larger one that he was completely unaware of. Being trapped inside this room for days had kept him from knowing what was going on outside, and he had never heard about the new visitors who were changing the fate of this village.
Elena was about to inform him about the recent event when she was abruptly interrupted by a startling noise outside in the form of a small explosion.
BOOM*
The sudden noise interrupted both of their thoughts, and the room fell silent for the first time. Anxiety and tension gradually began to rise as a result.
Their attention was drawn to the door, and the older woman was the first to stand. Her husband was the first thing that came to mind, as she was aware that the old man was inside his office room, waiting for a meeting to begin.
The mysterious small explosion itself was the second thought. The obvious question to ponder was what or who could have caused it.
The sound reminded Hodor of something he'd heard before. He knew he'd heard that sound before, no matter how hazy his memory was.
The smell of burning wood had entered the room in no time.
"Oh no! Eldar."
Elena had uttered her husband's name as she eventually decided to leave the room to check on the situation outside, but not before the elf man stood up, ignoring his own injury to keep the latter from walking into a potentially dangerous path.
"Mrs. Elena, please, it could be dangerous outside," Hodor said as he limped through the elderly lady.
"M-My husband, He's alone in his office "Elena explained, her mind racing with worst-case scenarios such as a possible attack by a dangerous unknown assailant or even an Imperial assassin infiltrating the village.
She could feel the desperation clinging to her, and the hesitation was slowly dissipating to the point where she didn't care what might happen if she went ahead. Hodor abruptly interrupted her once more as she chose to accept her own temptation.
The elf man lightly rested his hand on her shoulder. "Mrs. Elena, please! Please allow me to speak first." He stated before adding. "So that I can ensure the coast is safe and that whatever is outside will not harm you." He looked her in the eyes and tried to persuade her that he was dead serious about this.
"But, Hodor, you're hurt!" She expressed her concern.
The elf man simply nodded. "I understand, but you have to trust me on this one." He reassured the elderly lady by giving her a confident smile. "Don't be concerned; everything will be fine." He went on to say.
Having said that, the elf man went with the flow as he passed by the village chief's wife and grabbed the knob. There was a brief moment of silence as the man bit his lower lip before quickly opening the door.
When the door finally opened, the two were greeted by a surprising silence and the rest of the empty first-floor hallway.
After a brief pause, Hodor took the first few steps outside the door, followed by Elena from behind. The eerie silence was the defining creepiness of it all. They had no idea where it came from, and the smell of burning wood was still strong.
Elena could feel the tension as the old lady brought her trembling hands and gripped the elf man's back. She was convinced that something terrible was happening right now.
As the two continued down the corridor, another deafening noise rang out in the form of that alleged small explosion.
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"This is RCT actual, what exactly is going on there right now?"
The panicked cries of the villagers erupted from their walkies. The majority of what they were saying was hazy, but the group had gotten a glimmer of what was going on.
"Lieutenant Brian, We have a commotion here at the plaza, and we are currently attempting to put out a fire at the Village Hall." Sgt. Kuwahara responded.
"Understood! But what the heck caused the fire?"
"It's still not verified sir but we are not trying our best to lead the locals out to a safe zone as possible, and but we might need assistance as of now."
The Sergeant explained before returning to his task of handling and maintaining the current situation's balance.
The Recon group which was currently stationed at the Chocobo stable were forced to shift into action as the majority of them had begun preparing themselves for possible big trouble.
The only problem was that the source of the trouble had yet to be confirmed, aside from the fact that there was a sense of a looming threat that had finally made its presence known at this hour.
"Wait, didn't someone just say the village hall was on fire or something?"
"Did anyone else hear it, or is it just me?"
Carl made the first direct guess, as he was in the process of returning his gear to himself and the rest of them.
They climbed aboard the vehicle as if they were in a race against the clock. Lieutenant Brian sat in the driver's seat, ready to start the vehicle.
"Whatever is going on there right now, we need to get there as soon as possible," Itami said as he sat back down in the front seat of the open window light armored vehicle.
"I just got a bad feeling about this, seriously."
Rory, who was sitting in the backseat, smiled amusedly. "Oh, you men can really sense impending doom and disaster in such a short period of time." She remarked.
"It's all part of our training, Ms. Mercury, I mean... Rory," Brian replied, recalling the girl's request to be addressed by her given name. He didn't need to question it because he knew the so-called young oracle was serious.
Yuji maintained his own silence, his mind pondering her recent statement. His gaze remained fixed on the black-haired young lady. "Is she telling the truth?" He reflected himself.
The warning she had given him and the others about Marcus, the village official who had expressed opposition to the plan. It was unclear whether she could truly see into the future. There was literally no time for explanations or going into greater detail because events were moving at such a rapid pace.
According to Cato, the only thing they could do right now was trust her warning and prepare for what would happen next. There was a glimmer of truth in that matter, and it was gradually revealing itself as time passed.
"Are we certain that Marcus is the one who is causing all of this from behind now?" Itami then inquired.
Rory only nodded. " Yes, I'm certain about that." She responded. "He's always been plotting something since he came into this village." She elaborated. "And the current situation proves it."
"With all due respect, Miss, but how do you know about his intentions?" Lieutenant Brian was the one to ask this time, leaning a little more to the logical side of things.
It felt as if something was missing.
"Well, she is an Oracle for a reason," Yuji had commented. Reminding them about her occupation.
In response, Rory chuckled and gave a small smile. "It's simple; I assigned an underling to monitor the man and his activities." She stated.
"Underling? What do you mean Rory? A confused Itami asked this time.
Yet another unexpected statement coming from the Oracle, that just keeps fueling the mystery even more.
A brief moment of silence took over for confusion to take the minds of the rest. Yuji continued to stare at the young lady with puzzled eyes.
Since when did the girl have a spy tasked with watching every move of a single suspicious man? Neither the old Sage nor any of their previous discussions had mentioned it.
For all he knew, the main plan was for Eldar to give that specific signal so that they and the rest could act.
Rory smiled once more. " Well, my little assistant is currently at the village hall doing the said task, and hopefully you'll be able to cross paths with him later." She explained, cheerfully clasping both of her hands together.
"Man, Ms. Rory, you're full of surprises," Carl said while scratching the back of his head.
The young lady only giggled in response.
"Oh my, Thank you!"
Brian sighed as he turned on the engine. The light armored vehicle roared to life as soon as he flipped the key, and just as he was about to step on the pedals, the engines died.
"What the...?"
The man tried again to start the vehicle, but it still wouldn't cooperate with him. As moments passed by, it became more of a struggle which paved the way for more frustration and disappointment.
"You've got to be kidding me!" He said this frustratedly, attracting the attention of the others.
"Hey, everything alright Bri?" Carl asked his big brother.
"Goddamn truck won't start." He simply stated that he was doing everything he could to start the vehicle.
Itami raised both eyebrows." But it was working fine just a while ago?" He said, bringing up his own surprise and confuse expression as well.
It was impossible for such a powerful and fast military vehicle to fail in such a manner. There has to be a reason or explanation for this. Was it really a problem with the engine? or something more akin to a kind of supernatural intervention?
The American Lieutenant bit his lower lip. "Damn, why did this have to happen now?" The struggle was unmistakably approaching, and as much as he wished to hasten the situation, he found himself trapped in a potentially endless cycle.
"Uhmm, this is Carl from RCT Actual, we're kind of experiencing technical difficulties, so please bear with us for a minute."
His younger brother went on to inform the other group.
It was clearly a frustrating thing that just came up from nowhere, and of course, there was still the backup option, in the form of running through the portion of forest towards the main village area. Though, the only problem was that it was a liability right now.
When their hopes were now starting to dwindle, an idea suddenly came out.
"Why don't we take a ride on one of those Chocobos?" This time, it was Yuji who spoke up, capturing their attention. "I mean, the farm owner said you could ride them, so..." he explained.
The others weren't entirely convinced because none of them had ridden one before, but a simple push from the demi-goddess sealed the deal.
"What a brilliant idea! I'd always wanted to ride one of those adorable giant creatures." Rory exclaimed excitedly.
Seeing that were no more possible options to take instead of that, the rest of the team gave mixed reactions. Some of them were even uncertain if it could work.
"Fine, as long as we get there in time," Brian said bluntly as he handed Al the keys and instructed him to guard the vehicle before exiting in order to return to the farm and ask permission from the farm owner to borrow two or three Chocobos.
Al, who had worked as a mechanic at one point in his life, agreed without hesitation. He wasn't expecting to fix a military vehicle in the middle of a stable in another world. Luckily, each of the Recon Vehicles had their own respective toolboxes acting as a temporary solution to any breakdowns or little malfunctions.
The rest soon followed his Lieutenant's lead while the man had stayed behind.
Even though they were unsure about riding these massive birds, it was the only way for them to get to the main village area right now.
"Man, I hope these birds are nice enough to give us a ride."
It was the same phrase that was running through the men's heads. Riding massive birds like ostriches was not a common practice or tradition back in their homeworld. With the exception of a few individuals who were trained and destined to perform it on the odd ostrich racing event.
"Don't worry gentlemen, Mark my words, you'll be enjoying this." Rory smiled."
The young oracle kept reassuring the men that they will fully enjoy the experience rather than dislike it.
It didn't take long enough that several of the Chocobos were released from their respective cages in order for them to be strapped and prepared. Much to their surprise, the giant yellow birds eventually cooperated.
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"This is Sergeant Kuwahara! Get the villagers to the safe zone as soon as possible!"
"Yes sir!"
"Copy that!"
The small explosion which originated from the village hall had very much startled everybody. The smell of burning wood and a huge black smoke coming out from a part of the said building, quickly made its presence known.
Following that, the first signs of panic emerged as the villagers scrambled and hurried their way towards the gates as quickly as they could, nearly causing a stampede. Some attempted to stop the fire from spreading by bringing wooden buckets of water from the well and starting to put out the fire that had appeared on the western section of the village hall.
Since none of the villagers were magic users that could cast water magic, that was the best solution they can think of right now.
The chaos was beginning to take hold.
Sergeant Kuwahara, as the main person in charge of the evacuation operations, found himself in a dangerous and tense situation. He knew he had to act quickly and swiftly to prevent the rising stampede and chaos, so he clutched his walkie with trembling hands.
There was no doubt that of a greater possibility that people would lose their lives today if things would get out of hand.
The oldest member of the Recon Team observed his surroundings, witnessing how the other members, such as Furuta, Nishina, Daisuke, and Tomita, were attempting to calm down and guide the villagers to the safe zone, but not everyone was able to listen due to the noise and chaos.
The safe zone, which was revealed to be an open field outside of the village gates, used to be a small portion of trees that were cut down for easier entrance and exit of wagons and carriages.
The 50-year-old Japanese Sergeant's mind was in a small conflict as he pondered on what would be the best solution to bring this commotion to a halt.
At that precise moment, an idea occurred to him as he quickly returned to the light armored vehicle in search of a specific object. In fact, it was a common object used to control or at least reorganize chaotic crowds and gain their full attention.
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Hitoshi found himself unexpectedly blending in with the crowd. The never-ending flow of people continued to pass before his eyes, attempting to create a powerful sense of confusion in him. The different colors, faces, and chaos that surrounded him, were slowly eating him up.
Sweats to Sweats
Smell to Smells
Devoid of any Social Distancing.
"Please calm down!"
"Everything is going to be alright, please cooperate."
"No ma'am, we are not under attack by Wyverns or beasts."
He could hear other recon members' voices trying to control the crowd as best they could, and it eventually jolted him out of his small trance, and the first thing he saw was a lost little village boy looking for his mother.
"Mama!" The boy called out as many times as he can while in the middle of the ongoing commotion. Not aware of the dangerous repercussions surrounding him
The chef turned JSDF soldier, blinked a couple of times, as he could feel a part of him telling his mind to quickly take action.
Soon after, the sounds of a horse galloping and its rider yelling out were heard. Further investigation brought Furuta's eyes to widened in surprise, as he noticed a rushing horse-drawn wagon approaching a young boy from behind.
"Hey, kid! Look out! "
He yelled, taking off as fast as Usain Bolt, bumping his way through the crowd to save the befuddled and lost boy. His heart was racing because he was in a race against time, and fortunately, he was only a few steps away.
As soon as he arrived at his destination, he grabbed and snatched the boy with all his strength from his current location before the out-of-control horse wagon could fully hit him.
Furuta landed safely on the ground, dirt almost went inside his eyes as he held the tight boy in his arms. The boy, on the other hand, was taken aback and perplexed.
"Wait a minute, what happened?" The boy mumbled and wondered, unable to comprehend what had occurred. Prior to this, He caught sight of his mother on the other side of the plaza, who was also looking for him, and this gave him the motivation to keep running despite the growing stampede around him.
The JSDF soldier exhaled a sigh of relief. "Are you okay, kid?" He asked the boy as he assisted him in getting back on his feet.
The surprised and confused boy slowly nodded as a response.
"Then you should be careful the next time or you might get hurt." Furuta wasted no time in imparting basic wisdom to the child, though he had a feeling there was a reason for the child's singular focus. He had just realized that the latter was not at all lost.
"Did you get lost?"He asked the youngster, followed by a brief moment of silence.
"I'm looking for my Mama." The boy simply said, as he pointed towards the same direction and to reveal his worried mother still struggling to find him amongst the crowd.
Furuta nodded in understanding and in turn, he gave a small smile."Don't worry, I'll take you to your mom." He assured the boy, taking charge, as he picked him up from the ground and placed him on his back, thus giving him a piggyback ride throughout the sea of crowd.
It was going to be a short but difficult struggle to make his way through the panicked crowds, but in an unexpected turn of events, a familiar voice rang through his ears, as did everyone else's.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"People of Coda of Village, May I have your attention please!"
A huge and somewhat distorted voice had rung through the ears of the panicking villagers.
As if they had heard a voice from a God, they all came to a halt and began to search for the source of the voice.
The rest of the Recon Members in charge of calming the villagers found themselves in an unexpected and surprising situation, and not long after they recognized the loud distorted voice and looked towards a familiar sergeant now standing at the hood of the LAV.
Sergeant Kuwahara stood firmly as he held a portable, cone-shaped acoustic white horn in his hand. He held his breath as he positioned the small tip of the horn near his lips and continued his words as the curious villagers awaited, while the silence had returned back to the area once again.
"Don't be afraid!"
"I assure you everything is going to be alright if we can just all calm down and cooperate."
The Japanese Sergeant could feel sweat dripping from his brow. He mentally jotted down the words he was about to utter. He had to be cautious and convincing because this was his only chance to restore things to their previous state.
"Don't be alarm about the fire in the village hall, We are now dealing with the situation as we speak."
He continued by referring to the small group of villagers and a couple of Recon members assisting each other in extinguishing the source of the fire. Fortunately, because the old man's actions of instantly calming the crowd down with the device allowed them to gather the buckets of water at a faster rate because there was no chaos in their path.
"So I'm begging you from the bottom of my heart, please calm down and cooperate, so that we can finish this evacuation and get you, people, to the field safely."
His statement was now permeating the minds of the evacuating villagers, and they would soon come to their senses and realize what they were doing. Countless reactions erupted from them, some were amazed, shocked, and fearful that a man like him possessed a voice that eerily resembled the sacred deities of the mountains, and fortunately, they all started to calm down and reorganize themselves once more.
Just like that, the situation went back to its normal state.
Moreover, some of the villagers, specifically the ones putting the fire out, noticed the green man's unusual huge white horn on his hand and deduced that it could have some magical abilities that would calm a person's mind and persuade them.
From what they were seeing, they were all following him like obedient children.
Was he one of the Pied Piper's disciples or acquaintances?
Although, for the rest of Third Recon's members, It was just their Sergeant's good old way of saving the day by being practical and creative.
That really did save time and gave them more chances to finish the evacuation on a higher and safer note.
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"Mama!"
The boy yelled out at the top of his lungs to get his mother's attention.
"My son!"
As soon as they finally reached their destination, Furuta had returned the boy to the ground after a brief piggyback ride, confident that he was safe, and had watched the boy finally reunite with his family. As a result, a smile formed on his lips.
"So this is how it feels like to save a life and help them find their way." He never expected to say such words. Even though it was just a little village boy, there was something rewarding about it.
Exactly, when was the last time, he did save a life?
"Hitoshi!"
As his own thoughts were entertaining him that a familiar voice called out his name.
"Are you alright?"
He turned to face Tomita, who was surprisingly carrying two children on his back. Twins siblings, to be exact, who were quiet but thoroughly enjoying the piggyback ride of their own.
It seemed that the bigger man had the same encountered a similar ordeal.
The chef turned JSDF soldier, blinked a couple of times as he would then come to realize it.
"Tomita, what happened man?" He soon asked, noticing the man's awkward expression.
His fellow Recon Team Member cringed and let out a small sigh. "Well, I had to step down from my post for a while." He simply stated his case. "And then, uh... I ended up in this situation." He continued, saying.
As it turned out, Furuta wasn't the only one who had to save someone from harm's way. Apparently, the big man himself had to rescue several children who were caught in the middle of the now-neutralized stampede. The twins were the last of them to be rescued by him.
Then in the middle of that, the sounds of a vehicle engine were suddenly heard. Followed by a familiar honk of a certain vehicle.
Both men then turned to see one of the Recon LAVs approaching them from behind.
"Hey, guys! Sorry for the late arrival, but I think you might need assistance!"
The voice of Daisuke, one of the members of the Third Recon Team announced.
The back of the LAV was revealed to be empty, save for another recon member, Tetsuya Nishina, who was waving his hand to get the attention of the rest of them. He also had a spare Megaphone in his hand as he spoke, bringing it to his lips.
"Attention everybody! May all women, children, and elderly, please proceed here."
When he made that announcement, the children's eyes lit up with excitement at the prospect of being able to ride one of those moving metal carriages. The rest of the adults were relieved that their elderly would not have to endure any more hardship.
Most of the villagers, who had wagons that didn't have enough space to accommodate more people, wasted no time in assisting their own elderly, women carrying a child, and then the children towards the empty back of the horseless carriages.
"Careful Ma'am."
"Please watch your step."
"Don't get too excited kids!"
A sigh of relief came out from both men as they watched the situation unfold before their eyes. Truth to be told, it was definitely a lifesaver.
"Well, I guess I'll take these twins back to their parents." Tomita spoke this time." See you later." He added before leaving the area. The man wanting to get things quickly done as possible in a good way.
"Yeah, see you later." Furuta returned the smile, deciding that since there was no more of any of these cases, he should return to his main task and continue assisting with the evacuation process. But not before peering into the Village Hall, where the source of the fire was finally being extinguished.
He felt a sense of relief that the situation eventually went back to normal, though he still could feel a small hint of uncertainty growing.
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"I'm sorry girls, but you can't go out yet to the Village hall at this time, It's still dangerous ya know?"
The young woman gave off the impression of being strict and intimidating. As a result, despite their desire to go outside, the two girls were forced to remain inside the small tent for their own safety. Especially for the elf girl, who was concerned about her father, who was currently resting in one of the Village Hall's guest rooms, while the young mage desired to go outside in search of her master.
The sudden news of a fire engulfing a portion of the village hall, as well as the commotion that ensued, bothered their minds.
For the first time today, the two girls never felt worried like this in their lives.
Lelei and Tuka were sitting in their respective chairs inside the tent, close to the watchful eye of a certain Takeo Kurata.
The young soldier, who had only recently recovered from being unintentionally body-slammed, was tasked by Shino and Mari to protect the two village girls, much to his surprise and excitement, and he was even struggling to control himself, thus he had this wide grin on his lips while trying to come up with words to start a conversation. Based on what he could see, the two were clearly bothered and concerned about something.
Kurata was not the ideal person to be able to lift people's spirits. In terms of reassuring people that everything would be fine, he had a pretty empty track record. He wasn't like his fellow Otaku Captain, who had the experience of calming someone down in a crisis.
Although, He considered this moment as an opportunity for him to prove himself that he was a nice and friendly person, to begin with.
"Hey, I guess I haven't told you girls my name yet but, you can call me Kurata." The young man said, awkwardly attempting to introduce himself in a more gentleman-like manner.
His introduction, however, was met with silence because the two girls were still lost in their own thoughts. The Elf girl did, however, return with a nervous smile, while the other girl gave a deadpan expression.
"Dammit, Kurata you failed again!"
His inner voice yelled at him, causing him to cringe.
The Otaku soldier pondered again what to do next. Since the girls were worried about something, Why not ask regarding the issue they were worried about? He had heard them pleading with Shino about it prior.
Maybe he could lend some of his assistance and see what he could do?
"Okay, girls. I understand there are a lot of things going on right now, but please allow me to assist in any way I can." Kurata stated before adding. "So, what do you girls want me to do?"
This time, his words had reached both of their ears, especially Tuka, who had raised both of her eyebrows, sensing that this nice Man in Green might be able to help them at least escape and make their way to the village hall without being noticed.
"Please sir, I need to see my father! He's in the Village Hall recovering from his injuries."
Tuka spoke right away and presented her pleas. A glimmer of hope filled her eyes along the way.
"I needed to make sure he is safe."
The elf girl's statement caught Kurata off guard, and before he could respond, the blue-haired mage had beaten him to it.
"I need to get back to my house," Lelei stated before adding. "I believe my teacher is already there, and I need to inform him of the current situation." She told her side of the story, not a hint of any emotion on her face.
'Uhhhh..." Kurata trailed off, the stress rising inside of him.
The man was at a loss for words at the moment. Sure, he was eager to assist, but after hearing their cries, he was put in an unexpectedly difficult position.
"I'm not sure if I could help with you that, since I'm really not in the position to-"
"Oh, pretty please!" Tuka begged as she held her hands together, small tears forming in her eyes.
"Man, why does she have to be so damn cute!" Kurata could hear his inner voice screaming again. The Otaku part in him just couldn't resist it.
Regardless of how much he wanted to help, he still had his responsibilities to attend to. And, of course, as a soldier, he had to be overly strict and firm, but in a nice way.
"I'm sorry girls, but I have to follow orders." Kurata then said in a sad way, shutting down whatever hope that the elf girl has.
Tuka bowed his head in dismay. She knew these people's intentions were to keep them safe from the trouble outside, but a part of her continued in telling that she needed to get her father out of the Village Hall. She wasn't sure why, but she felt compelled to.
She took a glance at her blue-haired friend, who was surprisingly calmer than she had expected as if she had a plan in mind.
In the middle of that, The Disciple of Cato flashed a small smile for the first time and spoke." Excuse me sir, but would you like to see a magic trick?" She suggested.
This raised the man's own curiosity and he obliged.
"A Magic Trick? Are you some kind of mage or something?" Unbeknownst to him, his own guess was surprisingly correct.
Lelei simply nodded, though she was amused because she had not previously elaborated on her ability to use magic. The Man in Green, on the other hand, would be the first to notice it this time.
Kurata, on other hand, had never seen the kind of magic that exists in this world nor any of his fellow Recon members. He actually considered himself lucky now as he was about to witness this mage girl's capabilities.
Although, there was one tiny problem that he did not expect.
Lelei took a deep breath and motioned for the man to lean in closer. She was a little disappointed in herself for not bringing her wooden staff with her, but fortunately, she can still cast a spell without it.
She had to rely on her persuasion this time around.
When the man got close enough, the blue-haired mage decided to start as she brought her hands near the man's eyes. She made a smooth flowing motion, then uttered a phrase that would strengthen the spell.
The area fell silent for a moment. Kurata suddenly felt this lightness all over his mind and body, as if his consciousness was drawn into a euphoria he couldn't explain.
The feeling was really good!
But, unbeknownst to him, he was already in a trance as seen through the eyes of the two girls.
Lelei snapped his fingers as the JSDF soldier lost consciousness and quickly fell asleep on his chair.
Thus the little magic show was over.
Tuka widened her eyes in amusement." You really did cast a sleeping spell on him." She commented, and added." Are you sure, He's going to be okay?" She expressed a little bit of worry.
Lelei gave a small grin. "Don't worry, a squirt of cold water will do the trick later." She stood up from her seat and encouraged the elf girl to leave the small tent. "Come on, there isn't much time to waste." She stated.
"Alright then." Tuka nodded as she followed.
At the same time, the small tent was now occupied by a few villagers who were still recovering from the small commotion that had occurred earlier. Mari, Higashi, and Shino were forced to unload and re-arrange a few beds, unaware that the two girls had finally left the small tent.
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The smell of burnt wood continued to spread around the corridors of the Village Hall, mostly from the western portion. There were several rooms that continued to produced black smoke as they laid in ruins.
It was like a small battle had taken place, with the walls and doors to every room were filled with large circular holes.
Hodor attempted to investigate the rooms and found out small certain areas which were still engulfed in fire, further convincing him that whoever is still in this building should immediately leave.
"How many people are still inside this building?" He asked.
"Most of them have already left to help with the evacuations." Elena explained, referring to the caretakers, servants, and helpers." As far as I know, My husband and I are the only ones remaining here." She finished her statement, letting out a hint of exhaustion for the first time.
"I see." A slow nod came from the man. Only recently that he was informed and learned that Coda Village had decided to move to a new settlement.
The realization would soon dawn on him, as it turned out the old lady had taken on the role of overseeing the safe evacuation of the village hall personnel while simultaneously bringing him back to health. As he gave her a sorrowful look, he felt a pang of guilt. For a lady her age, she was meant to be enjoying her life despite the difficulties, but instead, she had decided to help and keep the process calm.
It was then the elf man had pushed himself to walk up straight and firm, ignoring the pain. Instead of the village chief's wife assisting him, he turned the tables around as he placed himself as the one to help her this time.
Elena widened her eyes in surprise when the man, took charge and prevented her from collapsing to the floor in exhaustion.
She could feel her own exhaustion catching up with her, and her body beginning to break down as a result of her many worries about her husband's safety.
"Don't worry Mrs. Elena, I'll get you to safety." Hodor followed with a small smile. Hoping to change things for the better.
The old lady nodded in agreement. "Thank you, Hodor." She grinned softly as she gripped the latter's arms.
They eventually arrived at the main area after continuing their journey. According to Elena, there is a large vacant hall that was once the building's lobby. Previously, this space was occupied by a large amount of furniture and numerous documents being loaded into several wagons.
The only things that remained were old books and parchments scattered across the wooden floor. Furthermore, the entire area appeared to have undergone a drastic change, as there were hints of massive damage marks in the form of the same circular holes in the walls, and the mystery destruction also created piles of debris that were scattered in the surroundings.
"What happened here?" Hodor thought to himself as he surveyed the damages once more. Again, this could be the work of a high-ranking mage.
Elena was taken aback by the outcomes of an unknown force. Her concern for her husband grew stronger as the seconds passed, and her gaze was drawn to the wide staircase leading up to the second floor.
At that moment, both seemed to have heard sobs of someone not from afar.
It didn't take long enough for Hodor to find out that the source of the woman's cries, which was located behind small debris. The man's instinct quickly took over, knowing that someone was in need of help, and he rushed and limped his way towards it.
"Don't worry, I'll get you out!"
He exclaimed as he took out the large pieces one by one. The cries continued to get louder and before he knew it, he found himself staring at a young servant woman filled with dust and dirt, and had to fold herself to avoid chances of getting hurt. Fortunately enough, the young woman was spared from any injuries.
"Hey, are you alright?" Hodor asked to get her attention, to which the young servant girl noticed and immediately wobbled herself towards him.
"Oh my goodness! Aurra!"
Elena immediately recognized the young lady and quickly rushed towards her.
The young servant lady was unable to speak properly, her whole body trembling, and her eyes showed signs of trauma. All she could do was place her face on the elderly lady's shoulder.
"It's alright, everything is alright dear," Elena said as she comforted her.
"I apologized miss for the immediate question, but what happened here?" Hodor asked, wanting to get to the bottom of this.
The servant girl, Aurra, tried her hardest to regain her composure. She started moving her lips. " I-It was sir Marcus, he did it." She finally said it, revealing the identity of the perpetrator. "I was the last to pack up, and just as I was about to leave, He appeared out of nowhere and began casting powerful magic with some kind of iron weapon." She continued to explain.
"No, that's impossible! That young man wouldn't have caused all of this?"
Elena had blurted out, disbelief filled her eyes. How could the kind and sweet village official would such a thing? He was a person of honor and he saved Coda village from its recent struggles.
Another wave of confusion enveloped Hodor. Particularly wondering about this Marcus character, to begin with. Though his other thoughts would soon take over him as he brought his eyes towards the large doors leading outside.
"I think it would be best if you two should head outside." The elf man said, catching their attention.
"What about my husband?" The still worried Elena asked.
"Don't worry, I'll handle it," Hodor reassured her by placing both hands on her shoulder and smiling. " Please go and alert everyone."
The old lady's eyes glowed with apprehension. She was worried about her husband's safety, and now she was concerned about this man's life. But, as much as she wanted to disagree, she chose to give her complete trust and responded with a simple nod.
"Alright, but please be careful." She replied.
"I will..." The man gave his promise as he left the two women and headed upstairs to confront the assailant.
No matter how much danger he is in, he will not succumb to fear so easily.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
It moved like a spirit as it bears witness to a dangerous confrontation.
The small entity did its best as it hid its own presence from the two men. It had been closely monitoring the situation, especially the secret activities of the so-called Village official.
Despite the potential risk that it presents, it had to follow the instructions given by its master.
Oh, how difficult it was to precisely follow her orders, despite the fact that her ever-kind character and caring presence often made it completely trust her.
Now, all it had to do was to anticipate what could happen next.
The small entity felt this nervousness creeping up. It hoped that its master and her friends would arrive as soon as possible before things get out of hand.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
"It's a great honor to finally meet you, Sage Cato!"
He allowed his voice to be heard all throughout the room. He saw no reason to pretend anymore.
The man was well aware that the old mage would not go down that easily. Even at that age, he was regarded as a threat. His failing mind had persuaded him to test the weapon at the entrance, only to be greeted by his unexpected earlier arrival.
A devious smile crept upon his lips. It was his own way of greeting a respectable figure, and to see if he was really him. This was the first time, he had seen the old man display what he could do.
Cato had never seen such strong magic unleashed from a small iron before. The insignia that manifested in front of the barrel strongly resembled a type of fire magic. He felt drained a little bit as a result of his staff absorbing the shock that followed after.
The now circular damaged portion of the door had small bits of fire surrounding the outline, and luckily it did not grow or spread. He immediately brushed that off as his attention solely focused on the current matter at hand.
The village official tightened his grip on his weapon as he pointed it directly at a trembling Eldar.
"What's the meaning of this Marcus!?" Cato demanded.
"Have you lost your mind!?"
Following that, he was greeted by silence, sensing the younger man's strange calmness.
Marcus, on the other hand, kept smiling. He had the upper hand, and now was the time to strike up a harmless conversation with the old mage. He wanted to ask so many personal questions, but he had to follow the rules.
The man sighed as he sat in a nearby wooden chair, placing the iron barrel on the table alongside the opened scroll to demonstrate that he wasn't intending to harm the old man.
"Please understand, I have no bad intentions." He further elaborated. "I just wanted to talk to you."
Cato narrowed his eyes, refusing to let down his guard, despite the fact that the younger man appeared to want to tell him his true reasons and motivation for doing this. He was also aware of the man's history, but he has yet to discover his true identity and intentions.
"Tell me, Marcus, what does this village have to do with Sadera?" He took a deep breath and asked.
Marcus simply smirked.
"I believe there is a misconception about your statement." He then said." This village has nothing to do with the Empire." He went on to say." I'm merely just here to prevent its fate."
The bitterness in his eyes was visible as he looked down.
"As I was given this second chance, I want it to share with the people here." He said, casting a quick glance at the village chief before returning his gaze to the old sage.
"Beaten and left to die in the wilderness by his own countrymen...This village saved my life and gave me the realization that people like you are the true heroes and the ones that have the purest hearts." Marcus said, remembered all the wonderful things that this place had done for him.
"The kindness of this place is unmatched in my eyes." He added." So I did my best to repay you all as much as I can." There were small tears visibly falling from his eyes.
The droughts, natural disasters, and struggles that this settlement had endured. He was there to share the experience with the people of Coda village. Fortunately, he still had his closest trusted comrades back home who generously pledged their support, and the village came back to life.
Not long after, He regained a chance to return to his home once more, if only he would accept what they had proposed.
He was afraid and that the time would soon come for this place to be erased from existence.
"This is the only way for Coda Village to survive, but to ensure its survival..." He then fixed his gaze on the sage. " You must accept certain conditions." He went on to say
Silence befell the whole room.
Cato was clearly not pleased with this proposal from the start. It sounded more like a ruse than a genuine offer.
"There is a growing movement in the Capital to pursue an opportunity for change and innovation." Marcus explained." Though the Emperor and majority of the senate isn't all aware yet, we want you to be a part of this change since-"
"Since, I'm the only one that could convince them to join." Cato finished the rest of the sentence for the man.
Marcus simply nodded.
"Correct"
"Rondel is one fine city and a without its vast knowledge, the kingdoms in this continent wouldn't be able to gain that much knowledge if it weren't for their contributions, but still they cannot withstand the power of the Nothern civilizations." Marcus continued, arguing how its potential was wasted due to its own principles.
Cato sighed, the same questions had arrived to haunt him again.
"Rondel has pledged that it will never involve itself with any of the Empire's activities nor any of the remaining kingdoms in this land!" The old mage fired back.
Marcus gave a rare chuckle." Times are changing old man." He said." You're too confident that your home will be safe for years to come, but I tell you, Its days are numbered."
"Is that threat?" Cato raised an eyebrow and asked.
The village official chuckled again." A grave warning, if you don't take this last opportunity." He explained as he grabbed the iron barrel once more.
The old Mage tightened his grip on the staff, sensing a possible act of violence.
"You see, I will finally reclaim the power that I once held as a member of the nobility." He went on to say. "And through that power, this village will gain a new home where it will be safe from the dangers of this world." The man then extended his hand. "And a new reason for future generations to live a fruitful life."
"Marcus! The Men in Green had provided us-"
"Don't be a fool, Eldar!" He exclaimed. "What makes you so trusting of strangers you've just met?" he stated. "They could be spies from our enemies sent to entice you into their own twisted ways of slavery."
"Your minds had been clouded by their tools of deception and persuasion." He added, as his thoughts turned to a specific person. "There's no doubt why that useless Apostle of Emroy had sided with them."
Eldar could only grit his teeth in frustration and then looked down in defeat." You don't understand." He muttered to himself.
Cato noticed as he stood firm.
And as Marcus looked at the old mage for one more time, He presented his so-called offer." I beg you Great Sage, for the goodness and safety of this village, and as well as the future of this land, join us."
"You don't want your precious loved one to die in vain as a result of your decision."
Silence had befallen the room once more.
No matter how deceiving or convincing that this man is, He would still choose to honor the principles of his forgotten ancestors.
Cato took a deep breath as he narrowed his eyes on the village official." I'm sorry but I'm going to refuse your offer." He said." Rondel and Coda Village is better off without the Empire." He finished his statement, while his anticipation grew.
"No matter what happens, We'll survive and create a future of our own."
Marcus's face was stricken with disappointment. His rage grew stronger as he realized he had no other choice but to act.
"So be it... " The man uttered as he pointed his weapon towards Eldar, who widened his eyes in shock.
With a possible act of murder on the horizon, Cato forced himself to act quickly to prevent any deaths from happening, but he found himself being trailed off by time.
Marcus was about to pull the trigger when something sharp passed by and directly hit his hand, forcing him to fire elsewhere and drop the weapon.
Yet another small explosion erupted in the room, damaging the walls instantly.
The man felt extreme pain in his hand as he looked down to see the kind of object that hit him, and to his surprised, the object was revealed to be a butter knife of some sort that penetrated to his skin, wounding it in the process.
A surprised Cato turned his attention to the mysterious person that had unexpectedly thrown the knife.
His eyes widened as he immediately recognized him and mentioned his name.
"Hodor! what are you-"
"Damn you! You'll pay for what you've done!"
Marcus interrupted again as he recovered and pointed the weapon at the two, but he was too late because the Old mage immediately countered by casting a spell that sent a small shockwave towards the man.
Though, unbeknownst to him, a portion of his blood from the wound had dropped on the scroll itself, thus causing the symbol to glow and react.
It didn't take long for Marcus to be thrown against the wall, rendering him unconscious. As a result, the two were given more time to finally rescue the weakened village chief, who found himself falling to the ground.
Despite the pain in his leg, Hodor wasted no time in rushing to retrieve the old chief. When he arrived, he quickly grabbed the chief and carried him all the way back to the door through his back.
Cato, still taken aback, wondered how the elf man had discovered them. The last time he saw him, the Koan village protector was laying on his bed, barely able to eat his own food.
As for Hodor, He exactly knew what was going to happen next. He wasn't that too late to eavesdrop on the whole conversation, merely hiding just behind the doors, and when things were on the way to get out of hand, like any informal negotiations, he decided to take action.
He was fortunate enough to stumble upon a small butter knife on the ground on his way towards the room. As if someone had just placed it there for him to acquire it.
"Explanations are best saved for later, Cato."
He told the old mage as beckoned the old man to follow him in an effort to finally leave the place.
Cato nodded in agreement but his worry rose up again as he took notice of the scroll on the table, the symbol on it which began to glow in red.
His eyes widened in shock.
"Explosion Magic!" He thought to himself, wondering how Marcus had acquired such forbidden magic.
"You'll pay for what you have done!" The village official exclaimed in anger once more as he tried to recover on his own.
"You will all regret this!"
"Let's go!" Hodor exclaimed once more as he encouraged the old mage to go with him. Desperation was slowly creeping up to him.
Before the old mage could turn around, he gave the man one last pitiful look. A part of him wished to save the latter, but the scroll's power was now generating large amounts of energy, slowly engulfing the room and rendering him unable to take another action and save the man.
"I'm sorry, Marcus," Cato muttered as he finally left the room with the wood elf.
XXXXXXXXXXX
Everything has fallen apart.
"This is unacceptable... "
The bitterness inside him had fully taken over.
A Betrayal that he would never forget.
Marcus stood up, ignoring the pain in his hand and the danger that is finally surrounding him, picking up the blood-filled butter knife, which fell on the floor.
"I did everything in my power to ensure that this place survived." He continued to utter as he walked towards the scroll.
"I offered the opportunity for you people to live a peaceful life in my home."
The latter finally reaching the table, his eyes already filled with madness and vengeance.
The world surrounding him had become severely distorted and the red sparks had grown much bigger as it began to take over the entire room.
"Only to be rejected in favor of these strangers."
He gritted his teeth as the man pulled up his sleeve, placing the knife on his wrist.
"If you don't want to be part of the new era, then so be it..." Marcus continued as he finally slit his wrist as more blood continued to drop towards the scroll.
The symbol on the scroll began to change drastically taking the form of three mysterious beast-like figure, and the red sparks began to appear along with the energy engulfing the room.
"I'd rather die alongside the people of Coda village."
As he said his final words, the red spark and energy engulfed him, followed by a blinding light and a menacing voice erupted.
"You'll be our vessel."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The situation in the village plaza had drastically improved as the evacuations were nearly into completion.
The majority of the villagers and their wagons had finally left the premises and were now stationed near the bridge in an open field. Except for a few characters who remained in the premises due to unexpected problems that had arisen, the majority of the settlement had become a ghost town.
"This is Sgt. Kuwahara, I might need some of the guys here, if you are still on the premises."
The 50-year-old Sergeant said through his walkie, as he attempted to contact some of the remaining Recon members, who were still inside the village grounds. For all he knew, the majority of the recon team task to help with the evacuations was now at the field.
The JSDF Sergeant was one of the last people on the village grounds. He had to make sure that no one was left behind, and he hoped that this was the last of them.
Though, that was until he had heard the familiar voice of the village chief's wife, who began calling for help as they emerged from the village hall.
"This is Tomita speaking, Hitoshi, Daisuke, and I are on our way there sir."
After what seemed like an hour of static noise, the walkie began to pick up a signal, much to his relief. As a result, he had lost contact with the Recon Team's main leaders and had missed the opportunity to inform and update them on the current status of the evacuation.
As a result, he had no choice but to wait here for their arrival, while the other members had taken up the responsibility of controlling the village crowds back at the field.
It seemed that reality was now slower than before.
"We have a situation at the village hall, please be here ASAP!"
"Copy that sir!"
He returned his walkie to his belt gear and smiled as he brought two cups of water and offered it to the servant girl and the village chief's wife. It turned out that there was a box containing water bottles that had been forgotten and left on a food stall in the now-empty market area.
"Don't worry about your husband Mrs. Elena, We are dealing with the situation as we speak." The Japanese man reassured the older woman.
"Please do whatever you can, A friend of my husband's is also there to rescue him, He will assist you." Elena pleaded with the man in green, giving them as much information as she can.
In an unexpected twist, the new information obtained from the old lady revealed the culprit, and the one responsible for creating the hostage situation was none other than Marcus, the village official himself, who had previously opposed the Recon team's plan to evacuate Coda village to their base of operations.
The news was so sudden and unexpected that the man was a bit taken aback but eventually recovered his senses.
Not too long, the sounds of vehicle engines were then heard as the Recon LAV had arrived at the scene.
Tomita and Furuta boarded out of the vehicle and began assisting the two women in entering the vehicle.
"Took you a long time huh?" Sgt. Kuwahara commented in the form of a small joke, though displaying his waning patience.
"Sorry sir, we had to bring the last of the elderly from the medical tent," Tomita explained, before switching into the main topic at hand. "How's the situation so far sir?"
"Village Official went mad and took the chief hostage, We need all the help we can get to deal with this." The old Sergeant explained.
"I see, but where are Itami and the rest?" Tomita asked once more, as he looked around his surroundings.
"I thought they were on their way here?"
"That's the problem, The signal went shit again and I can't get exact updates from them." He voiced out his frustration, he had been trying to contact them for a good amount of time now, and it was beginning to worry him.
The man then followed up a question after." What about the others?"
"Well, Nishina and Wataru are in charge of keeping the villagers in one piece, and that's about it," Tomita explained, stressing that they might need more help there since they don't want to have another commotion again.
The older man nodded." Very well." He said as he took out his walkie once more.
"Daisuke, please take Mrs. Elena and Ms. Aurra back to the safe zone as soon as possible." He instructed the younger man, who was in the Recon vehicles driver seat.
"We'll handle the rest of the situation here." He added.
"Copy sir,"
Daisuke replied back through the walkie as the LAV's engine roared back to life once more. Not long after, the vehicle finally took off en route towards the safe zone. Leaving the three Recon Members behind.
Sergeant Kuwahara, on the other hand, signaled the now-ready JSDF soldiers to cover him as they approached the village hall entrance and began their silent assault to rescue their target.
However, as they were about to close in, the door suddenly burst open to reveal Cato, and a blonde man that they had never seen before and, who was actually carrying a weakened Eldar on his back.
"Get out of here as soon as you can!"
"The village hall is about to blow up!"
The blonde man yelled as he warned the three recon members.
There was visible confusion on their faces for a few moments before they realized what was really going to happen next.
"Tomita! Furuta!" The old sergeant exclaimed as he pushed the younger men to flee as fast as they can.
Questions were going around their minds as to what had transpired inside, but before they can attempt to fully comprehend the situation, their thoughts were suddenly interrupted as a wave of dark red energy erupted from the village hall followed by a loud explosion.
*BOOOOM*
The shockwave was powerful in that it toppled a lot of the market stalls designed to carry heavy loads of supplies, the windows of nearby houses instantly broke into pieces, followed by strong winds that swept across the village plaza.
It felt as if a bomb explosion and a tornado banded together to wreck havoc on a certain place.
Fortunately, Cato was able to cast a spell that created a forcefield that briefly shielded the others, who were all on the verge of losing their balance and being sent away to a greater distance.
As a result, most of them just fell to the ground, facing the dry gravel and dirt.
The situation quickly calmed down as silence returned in a matter of minutes. Unbeknownst to them, their world was slowly changing.
"Is everybody alright!?" Sergeant Kuwahara immediately asked.
"We're alright sir! But what the heck was that?"
The others took time to recover, Hodor who quickly assisted the village chief yet again, was about to speak when he was suddenly interrupted by a deafening roar.
All of their attention immediately shifted towards the now destroyed village hall as a dark red essence filled the place and a thick fog which began to cover the entire village premises.
XXXXXXXXXXX
It seemed that things were finally wrapping up as the RCT's unofficial medic team had organized and packed up the remaining equipment once again.
The last villagers were treated and finally delivered back to the safe zone. All they had to do was to wait for the LAV to return
in order to pick them up but due to some circumstances, it was somehow delayed, and because of that, they were forced to wait again.
However, a more lively atmosphere was on the way, thanks to a certain tough JSDF young lady.
Shino had never expected to be the one doing the scolding. She felt like a parent for doing that, and she wasn't even married yet, though still, she had no choice but to express her disappointment.
"So let me get this straight, you two somehow made Kurata fall asleep, and he could only be awoken by water?" She asked, eyeing the two teens, who have now a guilty expression.
Kurata, on the other hand, was now wet and shivering as a cold bucket of water was thrown at him while he was in his deep slumber. He tried to find solace in the only towel that had been given to him, but it was as thin as a piece of paper.
"Yes," Lelei replied, her gaze looking down on the ground, along with a certain elf girl.
Apparently, the two were able to escape the tent and found themselves in the still crowded plaza, and that was when a man in green had spotted them and brought them back to the tent. Merely, all their efforts were for nothing.
Like guilty teenagers waiting to be sermoned by the guidance counselor.
"Girls, how many times do we have to tell you that it's still not safe outside?" Shino spoke with her arms folded together, attempting to pass down wisdom that had been passed down to her by the countless school counselors she had met before.
Yes, she too was a troublemaker back in her younger days. Though, she preferred to be a big sister figure to the girls.
Lelei and Tuka remained silent for the remainder of the time. It's been a while since they got an actual scolding from an older person. The two girls feeling defeated eventually decided to direct themselves into their own worries.
Only they could hope that their own father figures would be alright.
At the end of the day, they were just kids.
Mari, who was packing up some medical equipment couldn't help but giggle at the scene. Her friend had been scolding the Poor Kurata for a good amount of time, and then now with the two girls.
To think that they could have put the Otaku soldier into sleep by using real magic or hypnotizing him in mere seconds was a very surprising and clever move.
"Damn, I didn't think they could pull up a stunt like that."
Higashi had commented, still couldn't forget the fact regarding the swift and nifty performed by the girls. Something that he would often see in movies.
"And that is some good stealth-action there." He added.
Mari just sighed but smiled." We couldn't blame them, They're worried about their loved ones." She replied, a part of her wanting to help the girl reunite with their families.
"But the situation outside is finally stable right?" The man asked, receiving a nod from the young woman.
"Well, according to Daisuke, the evacuation is near completion but there was a bit of problem," Mari explained.
Higashi flashed a confused expression." What's the issue now?" He asked again.
Mari only gave him a serious look.
The atmosphere inside the medical tent slowly began to change without their knowledge. The wind grew stronger as if an overwhelming presence was fast approaching them.
And at that moment, the world around them changed abruptly as the powerful shockwave reached the area, causing the wind's power to accelerate to higher levels, blowing everything away.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"How long does it take to for us to reach the village!?"
Itami had to yell out as he wasn't used to the fast pace environment around him. Sure, he had ridden a horse at a faster rate. for only a few times before back in his world, but riding a giant yellow bird that ran as fast as an ostrich or maybe faster than that, was never in his expertise.
"Don't worry, this will only take a few minutes!"
"Just please let this be over with!"
Even the rest of the guys struggled to get used to it, nervously gripping the saddles and ropes as tight as they could, with the exception of their fellow American counterparts, specifically Brian, who was trying hard to learn and blend in with the situation.
There were four Chocobo birds that the farmer had agreed to let them borrow. As a result, they had to split into two groups because only two people could ride a single bird.
Therefore, Hayato and Hiyoshi had to share the ride together, The Wilson Brothers, riding one Chocobo, and the same situation for Itami and Yuji.
The only difference was that Rory herself had her own Chocobo bird to ride. She secretly laughed and felt grateful once more for the fact that being an Apostle entailed such special privileges comparable to those enjoyed by great nobles.
But from the perspective of the Men in Green, she basically had the ultimate VIP status and access amongst everything here in this land. Even the farmer offered her some small gifts to which she politely declined.
Yuji, who was on the back end of the saddle as Itami took the reigns of controlling the giant bird.
The writer continued to observe the Apostle, who was gracefully handling the situation very well. Indicating that she was far better experienced in interacting with the animals in this world.
Something that tied into the old mage's statement before.
"She knows more than I do"
The forest area they were currently traveling through was densely forested, with massive trees nearly covering the sky. The sun's rays did, however, manage to penetrate through the dense tree bushes, providing them with additional light to properly navigate their way.
The trees' massive roots, which were as big as the trunk itself and protruded above the ground, were the highlight of the show, with some even blocking their paths.
As a result, the Chocobos would occasionally jump over the said roots, providing the Men in Green with yet another surprise. It gave the impression that they were more of a hindrance than a source of enjoyment or a normal sightseeing phase.
Their path was also complicated and chaotic.
The only thing that continued to bother their minds was that they haven't been into this part of the forest before. But the Oracle of Emroy insisted that this was the shortest path to take en route towards the village.
Another disadvantage was the loss of signal because they couldn't reach the other guys on the other side. As a result, there was a growing sense of worry and anxiety among them.
As much as she could sense and see their struggles, Rory kept a small smile, despite her feeling pitiful.
These men were slowly but surely learning.
And it's only a matter of time before they can finally reach their destination and provide help to their brethren. Though, soon enough, the situation would suddenly change for the worst.
Yuji felt a tension that suddenly filled the air in the middle of their journey. The wind became stronger as the trees began to shake on their own. Not long after, there was a sudden shockwave that came from further down their path and almost knocked them off their feet.
All Chocobo birds were forced to halt their tracks much to the confused expressions from the men.
"What the heck was that!?"
Carl exclaimed, startled by the sudden burst of this tense energy.
Unbeknownst to most of them that small portions of a mysterious red essence, brought by the shockwave, which surrounded most of the forest.
"Ms. Rory what's happening right now?" Lieutenant Brian asked, wanting to also clarify if they should keep on moving.
All of them began to feel this evil presence.
Rory immediately noticed the change and turned her attention towards the rest of the Men in Green.
"We need to get out of here as fast we can!" She warned them, before eyeing every single Chocobo bird in front of her.
"Now!"
Seriousness filled her eyes for the first time as she called and command for the giant yellow birds to take off again, and all of them did so at the same time, startling the rest of the Recon members.
"Can someone please tell me what's happening!" Carl exclaimed once more, holding into his older brother's soldier, even as to squeezing it due to the anxiety that was fueled yet again.
"Dammit, Carl! Please calm down will ya!?" Lieutenant Brian exclaimed, almost losing his balance and control.
As a matter a fact, the rest of the men were now attempting to calm the giant yellow birds down, to which they miserably failed.
The Chocobos, on the other hand, knew what they were doing.
"Concentrate People! You might not want to get crushed by them!" Rory replied back referring to an incoming threat, yet brought in more questions rather than answers.
"Them? Who's them!?" Another question rang out.
Soon, the giant roots of the trees began to move and rise like tentacles of an attacking octopus, and that automatically, answered all their questions in mind.
The men's eyes quickly widened in shock to find that the trees were now moving wild and erratically, and it was from the stuff of nightmares.
Not long after the roots themselves began acting violently as many of them began to smash the ground hard. Luckily, the Chocobo birds were able to avoid them...Barely.
"Shit, this isn't what I'm expecting!"
Yet another comment was made, this time from Itami.
"Screw this! We're not going to be smashed by these giant tree tentacles!"
And more surprisingly, Lieutenant Brian exclaimed, describing the giant wild moving roots in his own vocabulary, and much more determined to get out of this mess.
Yuji found himself in the middle of a strange nightmare. His mind couldn't comprehend what was transpiring around him. This wasn't normal anymore by Earth's standards. As if he had just entered the wild imagination of a troubled person.
One small mistake equals the death of them all.
He couldn't help himself but only hope to escape this unexpected situation in one piece.
Although, for the Demi-Goddess herself, the excitement continued to fill her mind. The dark presence brought forward by the shockwave was very much familiar, and it has been a while since she had confronted them.
A small confident smile formed around her lips as she uttered:
"I couldn't wait to get there."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The aftermath of the explosion saw large portions of reddish fog engulfing the main village area, turning the place that of a cursed ruined ghost town.
The once lively atmosphere Coda Village has been reduced to that of a hellish scape.
As if a storm had passed through, decimating everything in its path. The Plaza, Marketplace, and other business areas were almost put into ruins. It now looked more like the abandoned and dilapidated villages from the southern lands.
The Village hall which was its center of authority and leadership was finally blown up to pieces and only the bits of its foundations were what's left of it.
It was a sign that the spirit of Coda village had ultimately left this land.
There was unnerving silence that followed.
The village premises turning into that of a nightmarish landscape had placed everyone in a worry, especially for the old mage himself, who saw the true intentions of it.
As Sergeant Kuwahara was about to speak, the latter gestured him to keep his mouth shut for the time being. It was a warning to everyone and a rule to follow in this world.
He immediately gestured again to the men, especially Hodor to retreat to a safer area, where they can stay undetected from the evil that is slowly emerging.
The rest soon followed his advice.
Tomita and Furuta, on the other hand, continued to follow orders despite the confusion in their minds. But there were able to get the gist of the situation. Their superior would soon instruct them to get themselves into spots where they could have a defensive advantage and a better look at what's going on.
Fortunately, there were a couple of two-story shophouses from a few distances away and they wasted no time heading towards their destination.
Hodor, on the other hand, had carried the weakened Eldar in search of a suitable spot for the old man to hide. Eventually, he did found one and set his sights on a nearby empty shed.
Cato remained in the area as he gathered enough of his mana and began chanting a phrase to cast another spell and create another barrier once more, to ensure enough protection against an emerging danger.
He wanted to curse at himself for failing to realize it earlier.
It was not just ordinary explosion magic, the scroll itself had a different and complex design and he caught a glimpse of the symbol that immediately horrified him for the first time.
And in that exact moment, the silence was finally broken as a menacing roar had erupted from the ruins of the village hall and was heard all over the entire grounds.
"May the Gods guide me."
Cato thought to himself as he secretly prayed to the Gods for strength. He wasn't sure if he could still withstand a presence, as the Urban Legend predicted. His mind was a mess as he tried to figure out how Marcus obtained the exact scroll that served as a vessel for centuries-old evil.
Soon after the roar, there was a burst of maniacal laughter that followed, and three massive shadows emerged from behind the thick fog that had engulfed the ruins, followed by a deep intimidating voice.
"How long has it been!"
Cato could feel his heartbeat at a faster rate, He gripped his staff tightly as he can despite the tension in the air that produced more fear. He had to keep his eyes locked in a specific direction.
He recalled to his childhood, particularly his own grandmother's words as she re-told the certain story many times to him. An Urban Legend that used to frightened many children.
"Whenever they are near you..."
The ground began to shake as one of the huge shadows had finally sensed something.
"Don't make a single noise."
A menacing smile crept upon its face as its laid its eyes in a certain direction.
"If they hear you, they will hunt you."
In the middle of the thick fog, the huge shadow took off in blinding speed.
"And amongst all that, don't breath."
Cato opened his eyes to face the huge shadow finally charging towards him. He had very limited time and soon began chanting a spell as quickly as he can to prevent it from reaching him.
As the menacing entity finally closed in, the fog that surrounded it began to fade away, revealing a demonic wolf-like face with malicious blood-red eyes that seemed to be blocked by some kind of white mist, and an evil Glasglow grin.
Sensing that a presence was now nearby, the entity bothered to finish its words as it raised its gigantic claws to strike him.
"The Taste of Fear is sweet!"
CHAPTER END
AN: Well, that's a wrap for this chapter, and I cannot believe that I've been writing 10,000-word chapters for like weeks already, and to be honest, it's freaking exhausting, mentally. I guess this is what DFMRCV felt like when he wrote the chapters for Freedom's Ring and The Fight We Chose. He had to really push himself to finish an arc in the story despite the procrastination and other setbacks. Plus, I'm really amazed at how he was able to follow the vision for his story and the ambition for it, all I could say was pretty big, and that is really inspiring. I wonder when will I reach the 30,000-word mark?
So let's talk about the chapter for a bit, as usual, the scenes are close and personal, very much in the perspective of most of the characters. Some scenes were also cut.
I did my best to present the idea of a sense of urgency and a creeping danger in the atmosphere, and at the same time, that the rest of the main characters were now figuring it out. A race against time perhaps?
The scene where Lelei puts Kurata into sleep via magical hypnotism is loosely based on those mini-adventure escape scenes involving teens or kids that you see in the movies. Kuwahara crowd controlling the villagers into calmness via a megaphone is something from The Army of Darkness movie, This is my Boomstick" scene particularly but in a less intense way, and as for the scene involving the moving gigantic trees, I'm not sure yet.
And for the three big bad enemies, I did have a background for them, and I'm still planning on how to reveal them in a more interesting way. All I can say so far is that These three demonic beasts and their actions are a combination of Urban Legend, and the elements from the movies, Don't Breath and a Quiet Place.
I hope that makes sense. Furthermore, the next chapter is going to be much more challenging since it would have a bit of a survival action horror element.
With that said, I guess this is the last of my thoughts regarding the chapter, I apologize for any grammar/spelling mistakes since English is not my main language and also please go easy on me since I'm not a member of any military organizations. Thank you also for your support and time for reading the story, That means so much and I really appreciate it.