YUUKI - To Move Forward: Prelude 1

Log #600: Kingdoms

It is impossible to create a society where there is no dissent and no desire for change; more often than not, these emotions give birth to splinter groups, or worse, terrorist organizations that use their disapproval of the system to incite violence. While Guardians help put down small-scale revolts and the like, if often takes active military pressure to disperse or dispose of larger splinter groups throughout the Four Kingdoms. Most groups, even the larger ones, last no longer than a month after they announce their existence to the world. Indeed, many may criticize the forceful methods of which the kingdoms dispatch such groups, but in a world where our predators bide their time just a wall away from humanity, there is simply no time for political dissent. Perhaps, when the day comes where Shade are a much lighter weight on our shoulders, a democracy can be opened up to include every citizen’s political opinions. But for now humanity must focus on survival and growth. We will not repeat the mistakes of our last world by drowning ourselves in equality and politics. We will survive.

-General Elvira Ramos

160 BPE

There was no possible way to reach Fort Ramos by dusk. The primary reason was the fact that dusk had already settled upon us, and the fort was far enough away that it was hardly any bigger than a random barn. The trek would have to resume when dawn broke once again, so until then it was the duty of Chang and Marinos Squad to rest by the campfire and rejuvenate. Instead of camping out in the middle of a field, however, we agreed it would be smarter to head towards a small woods up one of the numerous hills around us. It was a bit of a detour, and an exhausting one at that, but the reward was having the high ground as well as a sheltered location to sleep off the night. And we couldn’t just not have the high ground. My squad members were sent out to collect firewood, while Miranda ordered her Squad to blaze a perimeter for the night. Meanwhile, she and I set up the sleeping bags around our chosen location.

Barely any time had passed since starting that task before Miranda grew bored of the silence.

“Hey, Alison, how’s leader-status going for you? I mean, how does it feel?”

“Well, it’s definitely not easy. I find the challenge exhilarating, though. I guess I ought to be content with how things were before such a responsibility, but I guess it always just felt a little... empty, if you know what I mean. What about you, though? No offense, truly, but you don’t look like a natural-born leader at first glance.”

She paused for a moment, considering the question. “I can’t really argue against that, since you pretty much hit the nail on the head. Hehe, I guess you’re right. I’m shy, conservative, and totally out of my element leading four other teenagers. So I guess I’m a lot like you, in the sense that it’s a challenge, at least. Haha...” She laid out the bedding that she’d been unfolding, and collapsed on her back. She rested an arm over her face with a sigh, her long black hair spreading out under her back. “It’s tough, but I don’t wanna quit. When you have parents who ask for no more than academic success and you turn your back on all of that to join an academy for warriors, there isn’t much room for not excelling. The second I slip up, Mom and Dad will pounce on me for not heeding their advice, and who knows what’ll happen then?”

I could feel shame rising in my chest. I’d never even considered her relationship with her family. Despite her shy and delicate behavior, her parents’ disapproval was always in the forefront of her thoughts. Despite that pressure, all she wanted is to get them to understand her. The revelation was intriguing, and I found myself struggling to not ask her to elaborate in order to be polite. Instead, I went for a different, less intrusive approach.

“I know what you mean. Trust me, I really get it. My parents were always pushing me to inherit the position of my mother, but it was a title I had no desire whatsoever to claim. I don’t want to sound too presumptuous, but my parents are definitely more strict and drastic than yours. They would stop at nothing to force me into my future if they had to, which is the main reason I fl... left in the first place. I know that as long as I keep moving forward, the nightmares behind me will never catch up. I hope, at least.

“The challenge of leading such talented and unique individuals, the stress of always training to be stronger, faster, and quicker than any opponent, and even the overbearing weight of the lives of my Squad that I hold all push me forward, and I welcome it. Even if pain consumes me, as long as I can move my body, I will always have the strength to defy my past. Well, that’s the philosophy I believe in, anyway.”

“Wow. That’s amazing, Alison. Really! I mean, how many people can you find who have the motivation and strength you’ve got? You gladly accept all the pain that is forced upon you, and use that pain to prove to yourself that you’re still strong. I’m not half of that, honestly. I just want to show Mom and Dad what I can do, and even if I can’t make them understand, I will never stop trying to make them proud.”

Oh, so that was it. It’s not that she was struggling to make her parents understand, she was fighting to make them proud, understanding or not. Miranda knew that they may never understand why, so she didn’t waste time thinking about that.

And then there was me.

Lost, scared, trustless, and none of the good qualities that Miranda had. My skills on the battlefield and as leader may indeed be superior to her, but as a person, the only candle I can hold to her is a waxless stump. And yet here she was, praising me...

The bushes behind me shook and trembled, alert to whatever or whoever had entered their embrace. I jumped back, only to be disappointed with a full view of Francis, beside himself in muffled laughter. Anger quickly swelled through my veins.

“What the hell, Francis?!”

“Hahahahahahaha, hwooo you have the literal best expressions ever! I swear that not even Isa could look nearly as hilarious as you just did! Haahhaha..haha...ha.”

His laughter died out just as quickly as my baton found his chest. The poor bushes behind him were far worse off than he, though.

“Did you get the wood or not, you worthless, barbaric, pathetic excuse for a failure of a Slayer, or is even that task too grueling? And where is Kazu? Shouldn’t he be with you?”

“W-who? O-oh yeah, him. Kaz-azuki is... somewhere... yeah,” he stumbled around, attempting to rebalance himself with little success. “On the wood front, it-it’s behind me, right bush next to th— Oh, I mean... you know.”

He then proceeded to crawl back into the bushes, vanishing from sight. In that exact moment, Kazuki popped out from the forest, in the opposite direction of Francis. In his arms rested a large pile of wood blocks, carved roughly into rectangular prisms.

“Got ’em. I’ll just plop these things over here, then.” He walked over to the middle of the camp and dumped everything. “Before you ask, Isa’s rapidly transforming into a monkey as we speak. Well, more of one, at least. I’m gonna go hunting with the rest of Marinos Squad, so call ’em if you need me.”

Without waiting for a response, he departed from camp, anxiously grasping his sword’s hilt as he disappeared.

A head popping out of the bushes that had devoured Francis broke my train of thought, providing the perfect distraction from a rather unpleasant thought that had began to rise. I directed my gaze at the figure emerging once again from those unfortunate bushes, this time triumphantly wielding half as many logs as Kazu had carried.

“Oh, right. I forgot you existed for a moment, Francis. Oh well, at least you’re helping.”

Through his grunts and panting, silent curses escaped his mouth. Once he released his package on top of Kazu’s, he mimicked Miranda by collapsing on an unfurled sleeping bag. It was quite an amusing sight to see such a pompous, proud warrior with his face buried in a sleeping bag, the rest of his body stiffer than a plank. So amusing, actually, that I failed to stifle a giggle.

“Mmjustshutummph.” His muffled response only brought on another round of giggling, now echoing with Miranda’s.

She took a breath, calming herself. “I wonder where everyone else is?”

Miranda looked up at the evening sky, premature stars lighting up the dusk. The moon was already high in the sky, waning as it strode passively among the stars. Despite only acting as a mirror to the Sun, its surface shone with white brilliance, the smaller sparkles around it merely emphasizing its importance. There was almost no pollution to be seen, and every so often a Gyaos or some other avian Shade would darken a speck or a cluster for an instant, before moving on to the next. It was during moments like this, moments that the naked eye rarely savors, that the heavens were even more alive than the earth below.

“They were supposed to be back by now, weren’t they? I wonder if they’re okay... What if they’re injured? Or in worse trouble? What if they need me?”

I shuffled over to the ever-increasingly-worried leader, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, Miranda. You’re fine, and so are they. They are more than capable of handling Shade, and even if it should get too dark to see clearly, everyone was equipped with night vision goggles beforehand. Your squad is an exceptionally skilled group, and even without their leader, are well-equipped to handle anything that may come their way. So don’t get all worked up, okay?”

“Y-Yeah, you’re right. Of course. I just can’t help but be worried whenever they are away, I dunno...” She looked down at the fire, wrapping her arms around her knees.

“That’s a good thing, you know. I mean, you are their leader, after all. What decent leader doesn’t constantly worry for those they lead? The concern you feel for you comrades only further proves that you’re a great leader. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Yeah...”

“Hey, I have an idea! Why not go and check up on them? We can both go, and that heap of bone and flesh can watch over camp. Alright?”

“Alright. Alright then, let’s go!” She brightened up at the suggestion, jumping to her feet. Weapons and armor equipped, we headed out in the most likely direction to find them.

Sarah, Matthew, Sadie, and Kadie were assigned to clear out a circumference around the base camp with a three-kilometer radius, making sure no Shade had gotten in or remained inside. Since they were scheduled to already be back at camp, it was most likely they were being held up somewhere around the last area that would close off the circle. And since that place would also be the area they began blazing, I knew exactly where to look.

We had only wandered out about two kilometers out before the a screech rang out from behind a hill. Nodding at each other, Miranda and I ran around the hill and peeked out our heads. Five teenagers were battling a Night Stalker out in the open. The smaller and less powerful of the two, Night Stalkers were far more manageable than Core Stalkers, since their greatest asset was lurking in the shadows until their prey passed unknowingly right by them. Despite that advantage, it was still a Stalker, one of the highest ranking species of Shade. A Core Stalker took a team of experienced Slayers to eliminate, but even a Night Stalker could exhaust an entire Squad of novices. That being said, Miranda’s Squad was doing exceptionally well, battling with just enough caution to avoid careless mistakes.

Sarah and Matthew fought as the vanguard, blocking the heavy hits and striking back when able. Sadie and Kadie jumped along the sidelines, striking and retreating with their scythes, wary of the ever-present triple stingers. All three stingers originated from one spot in the back of the Stalker, which split into three tails that each carried a poison-filled stinger on each end. Every time a tail lashed out at a target, its movement mimicked a cobra, moving much faster than something of that size should be possible. Even if one attempted to block the blow, the force of the stinger was powerful enough to tear apart a boulder in its path.

With that in mind, the duo swiftly dodged every strike, careful not to stray too close to the stingers. On the vanguard, Sarah used her naginata to parry the oversized claw assaulting her, while Matthew merely batted away the other with his halberd. Despite this excellent teamwork, it was clear that these four rookies were far from defeating the beast, expending energy much quicker than their opponent. This was a losing battle. Something still bothered me, however, something felt missing...

“But where’s Kazuki?” Miranda wondered out loud, sharing my concern.

As if on cue, a roar erupted from behind us. Startled, we turned around and saw Kazuki sprinting towards the battle, his flaming sword raised high in the air. His eyes were feral, and mouth twisted into a disturbing smirk. As he leaped into the battle, Kazuki gripped his sword with both hands, jumped into the air, and came crashing down, the glowing blade making direct contact with the Night Stalker’s armored head. Furious, it jumped forward, throwing Kazuki into the air in front of it and onto the ground next to Sarah and Matthew. The Night Stalker screeched into the night, mandibles crunching together angrily. It appeared that the impact had cracked the exoskeleton, and another hit to the head would likely end it.

Kazuki got back on his feet, and charged into the fray again. The beast momentarily ignored its previous assailants, and shot all three stingers forward to eliminate the one in black. He was facing away from me, but there was no doubt that his bloodthirsty grin was widening further every step he advanced.

The first stinger crashed down in front of him; he leaped backwards before continuing his charge. The second flew right for his head, but at the last moment he ducked, barely changing his pace. The final tail hovered in midair cautiously, waiting for a blind spot in the reckless human’s rush. Kazuki lifted the blade, burning with a raging flame, and jumped forward to deliver the finishing blow. However, the movement left him completely vulnerable, unable to dodge or deflect any incoming attacks. The stinger wasted no time in this opportune moment, lashing out towards Kazuki’s airborne body.

He’s going to die!

I let out a voiceless scream as the stinger plunged towards its oblivious, unguarded prey.