Shift

[Andromeda]

Simonides peered through his binoculars again to watch everything happening. He needed to be on top of the battle to give out orders to his men. The plan was a delicate one. “Looks like they’re about in position. It’s time to show them what we’ve learned.” However, he was unable to say anything. A blade suddenly rested on his shoulder with the edge up against his neck. It gave only enough room to breathe, while his skin pushed around it a little without breaking. He glanced over his shoulder to see who it was.

Behind him, Chiharu stood holding her blade ready to execute him. Her eyes narrowed harshly with dark shadows hung over her entire face. “I think it’s time you saw what I’ve learned.”

“Captain!” shouted Abeiron, only just noticing Chiharu’s presence. He attempted to move to help his Captain, but immediately saw the blade against his throat move slightly. It was unseen by him, but her blade cut into his skin ever so slightly with precision control. A thin line of blood dripped down.

Glancing down without moving his head, Simonides tried to put her into his sight. She was too far out of even his peripheral. “I wondered when you’d make your move.” In spite of his situation, he did not flinch under the pressure of her blade.

‘He’s too confident,’ thought Chiharu, trying to read the situation, ‘Something off about this.’ Narrowed eyes tried to glean everything from the slightest movement from Simonides’ body. ‘He sounds like I’ve played into his plans? But how would he have predicted my actions without even knowing me?’

“Is that silence in professionalism?” He measured out his tone in deliberate fashion against Chiharu. “…or is it confusion?”

It felt like he could see through her. Chiharu’s body tensed up. The man had a strange aura about him. She knew he was merely a normal human with no more power than the average adult, yet there was an massive intimidating presence emitting from him. A strength that she thought she could see bleeding off him. It did not make any sense to her. Her mind could not grasp it.

It was why she failed.

Suddenly, a force pulled at her arm. It dragged her sword arm away from Simonides’ neck. It was powerful enough that all of her struggling meant nothing. ‘Damn! I lost my chance…’ She already knew the reason.

Behind her, a MP user stood in slow approach. The young woman drew Chiharu away from Simonides, keeping her restrained by invisible hands. “It was exactly like you said, sir.”

“Good work, Agaue.” Casually, he ran a finger across his neck to remove the blood. Simonides turned
around to face Chiharu directly. “Surrender now before you drag this out any longer.”

Grinding her teeth together, Chiharu tried to find a way out of the trap. The intelligence of the man unnerved her. She did not know if she could beat him. “Go to hell!” she barked, in an odd burst for her. She immediately regretted it, feeling like the muscle head started to leave an impression on her.

“Your choice,” he replied solemnly, almost sounded sad. “You’ll find soon enough that you can’t win. Agaue.” He motioned to the blonde haired woman to get rid of Chiharu.

“Sir? We’ve captured one of them!”

“That is an order, Second Lieutenant.”

His commanding voice snapped her back in line in an instant. “Yes, sir!” Chiharu’s body moved closer to her for a second before flung forward. The aim put her in the center of the ring of soldiers and back with her comrades. However, she did not understand her Captain’s thinking.

Simonides faced back at the battle watching with the same intent as before, unaffected by the interruption. “You’re wondering why I didn’t keep the child. It’s simple. She’s too much of a risk right now.”

Agaue still felt confused by his answer. ‘A risk? Isn’t more risky sending her back with her comrades where she can help them?’

“Answer me this. Can you completely negate her powers?”

“No, sir. I don’t know what her powers are.”

“Correct. You can’t make her a normal human without understanding her powers. She’s the biggest unknown we have, she’s only fought twice and neither of those that faced her got a real view of her powers. She’s cautious. She’s held back her secrets knowing not to reveal them. That’s why she’s dangerous.”

She started to understand his line of logic. “Yes, sir!” Agaue should have never questioned him. Her Captain knew what he was doing. She just needed to follow his orders.

‘However, in this battle…you’re going to be forced to show me everything. I’ll seal it all.’

Chapter 211 – Loss of Control

Chiharu landed safely next to Yumi. Rising from one knee, she stared back in the distance at Simonides. ‘Why?’ Her eyes narrowed trying to understand it. However, her surroundings did not allow her the freedom of time.

“Chiharu! Are you alright?” Yumi leaned over to her side for Chiharu. It surprised them all to see her flying through the air back at them. None of them knew what happened to her, but just assumed she went to do something.

Brushing off Yumi’s concern, Chiharu stepped forward to gauge the numbers. ‘He’s got a mob of soldiers that don’t stand a chance against us. The man’s too smart for that. He’s scheming something.’ Chiharu looked in search of the power users of the Atlanteans, but saw none of them. They did not stand out to her. It meant only one thing. She looked over at Yumi. “Pull them back,” she ordered.

“Huh?” It was too sudden for Yumi to react the way Chiharu wanted.

“It’s a trap. They’ll be isolated and right where he wants them.”

Yumi turned her head immediately hearing the word ‘trap’. “What?! Do you know what they’re planning, Chiharu?” Like Fumiko, she worried that it might be a trap. But none of them had anything to go on with how they might do it.

“I can’t see it all, but this is obvious. Anyone with a tactical understanding would see it. They already figured they can neutralize our powers. The next step is pretty obvious at this point.”

Her eyes widened. Everything suddenly made sense to her. She quickly turned back out in the direction of Seiji. ‘It all fits!’ The sword restrained her from the extreme movements she wanted to make, forcing to remain subdued despite her emotions. “Seiji! Fumiko! You have to get back! Those people with Yuki’s power are mixed among the normal soldiers! They’re wearing the same uniforms to blend in!”

Seiji tilted his head back while finishing his punch against the latest soldier. “Damnit! You mean we can’t tell which of these guys are the real ones?”

“Their plan is to isolate us and seal our powers!”

Simonides watched the scene unfold. They had figured things out, but he already gave the signal. “It’s too late. Your strength, your flame…I’ll take it all away!”

Suddenly, the last punch of Seiji’s did not have the same force behind it. The man staggered a little, but did not fall over. It left a bit of soreness in Seiji’s hand, one he had not felt for weeks. The feeling was quite nostalgic for him. However, in spite of the familiar feelings, he understood the problem.

His strength was gone.

He took another swing, but it resulted in the same effect. Worse for him was that the soldiers seemed to understand it as well. They surrounded him quickly applying the pressure. If he could not punch his way out, his options shrank. “…damn…bastards…” For the first time in the fights in Atlantis, Seiji hesitated. He did not know what to do. The numbers were against him.

Clinching his fists up at his side, Seiji cursed the frustrating situation. If he had no options, then he only had one option. “Hell! I’m tired of thinking about this!” Seiji went charging into the nearest group of soldiers. His fists clashed with their swords and shields. He tried to meet flesh with flesh, but he was too accustomed to his speed and strength that nothing move the way he wanted it to anymore.

“Seiji!”

Fumiko slid back, knocked off balance by the regular soldiers. “…damn…we’re running out of options…” She had already tried to summon her flames to no effect. The magic circles appeared, but no flame came out. They were sealed.

‘This isn’t about the individual fights,’ commented Simonides. ‘However, the numbers are merely a screen. This is all about the plan, nothing more. Everything for the singular goal.’

Nerine watched helplessly from the sidelines. In such a situation, she did not know what she should do. Which side did she belong? ‘Captain…Seiji…’

Swinging his fists around blindly, Seiji took blow after blow from the soldiers. It did not stop him from continuing to try to muscle his way through the mob of soldiers. Nothing would stop him. Bits of particles trickled off his wrapped arm. “You’ll have to tie me down if you want me to stop!”

“I see.” Simonides watched Seiji with deep intent. The strength stripped away from the boy gave him more insight. ‘So it wasn’t the strength alone. I thought that might be the case. This will bring him to his knees.’ He lifted up his hand, a signal to Abeiron. “Inform squads 39 and 59 to have their MP activate their fields. Tell them to include a law that sets a body’s hardness, resistance to damage to a normal human’s.”

“Yes, sir!” Abeiron turned around issuing orders to the soldiers in communication with the soldiers out on the front. They had to change out of the fields. An overlap in fields happened briefly, as the newly updated fields from different MPs activated. Once on, the previous MPs turned off their fields. All was part of the plan to keep a constant seal on their powers and adapt as they learned more. Each time they pushed for something more, it would be taken away immediately until they had nothing left to bring. They would completely understand their potential.

Blood sprayed into the air. It was less the force and more the surprise that knocked Seiji back. He slid a little distance away from the soldiers, but still surrounded. Pain. Blood. He was used to all of it. Yet, it felt different. ‘Something wrong with my body. It doesn’t feel right. I feel heavy…’ Before he felt like he could keep going without end, even without his strength. Yet it felt like the life of his body dragged away. A coldness crawled up his fingertips.

Yumi could barely see Seiji through everyone that surrounded him. She could do nothing for him. It was something she understood too well. “Chiharu! Seiji needs help!” The only chance he had was Chiharu. He would be captured without any help.

‘There’s a problem with just jumping in,’ she thought. Long before she suggested, Chiharu already thought about joining in the fight. However, she saw it coming. ‘The more we use our powers the more they’ll get sealed off one after another. We need a way to breakthrough and escape. This is a losing battle.’ She hated the thought of a losing battle.

A failure.

More failure.

Chiharu walked out towards the soldiers. It seemed like a long distance away. The chaos of the fight made everything mixed together. ‘What will be the outcome? We’ve been out maneuvered…’

“Hurry, Chiharu! Seiji won’t last!”

“I can’t. They’ve already sealed my speed.” She kept an even stride. The men came closer to her starting to take awareness of her presence. “We have to be smart about this.” A couple of the Atlanteans broke off from the muscle head to come after her.

Their swords bore down on her. She lightly dodged to the right of the first, flipping them to the ground as she passed. The second, she disarmed with a fast fluid motion that sent the sword spinning off towards Yumi. Once free of the weapon, she turned his movement against him and sent him to the earth along with his comrade. ‘Even without my strength or speed, I’m still a ninja. An assassin.’ Chiharu’s eyes narrowed into steel resolve. ‘My training can’t be stolen from me.’

“Impressive child,” remarked Simonides. He motioned to Abeiron again. ‘It’s time to see what you can really do. I’ll push you into a corner and force you to show me your fangs.’

Suddenly, red strips of a strange thin material erupted from the earth. It seamlessly appeared as though grown from it, despite its unnatural appearance. The ends of the strips flew up into the air surrounding Seiji and Fumiko. It moved too quickly for them to react.

In moments, it pinned them to the ground. The red material wrapped around their arms, legs, neck and waist. It restrained them. All of the struggling meant nothing. It did not budge at all. They could only kneel to the earth in submission. Both captured in an instant.

Chiharu ground her teeth together. She faced the entire army alone. The only one freed still to move and act. The only one able to rescue them. He taunted her to action. She knew it, but she had no choice. She was their only chance.

To be continued…

[Andromeda]

Suddenly, red strips of a strange thin material erupted from the earth. It seamlessly appeared as though grown from it, despite its unnatural appearance. The ends of the strips flew up into the air surrounding Seiji and Fumiko. It moved too quickly for them to react.

In moments, it pinned them to the ground. The red material wrapped around their arms, legs, neck and waist. It restrained them. All of the struggling meant nothing. It did not budge at all. They could only kneel to the earth in submission. Both captured in an instant.

Chiharu ground her teeth together. She faced the entire army alone. The only one freed still to move and act. The only one able to rescue them. He taunted her to action. She knew it, but she had no choice. She was their only chance.

“Damn,” cursed Chiharu, understanding her situation. ‘He wants to force my hand.’ She looked back at the others. They could do nothing. It was a hopeless position for them. ‘They’ve had all of their powers stolen. I’m the only one left.’ Turning her gaze back into the distance where the Captain stood. ‘He’ll just have them steal mine as well. What can do?’

Little options remained for her. While she thought, she had to fight. The soldiers kept coming at her. All of her physical attributes were already sealed. She could feel the difference in her body. ‘It’s less seen, but that weakling really did screw around with our bodies. I’m not getting everything I wanted out of it…’ Each dodge felt sluggish. Her mind wanted more out of her body, but it could not deliver. It was so used to faster responses. It seemed as though she controlled her body remotely and the input had lag. ‘Such a disconcerting feeling…when I see him again I’m going to punch…’

Chapter 212 – The Rising Tides

‘She’s keeping up,’ noted Simonides. The child continued to impress him on her stubbornness. He knew the sort of trap he set for them. It was designed to not lose anything. ‘However, there’s a limit to the human body. Even thought she understands the trap, I’ll keep her fighting. She’s only got two choices. Uses her powers and lose them or collapse from exhaustion.’

He did not want the second option. It was the only option he did not want to happen. As he told his soldier, the risk was too high. ‘I won’t know what she’s capable of, something she’s probably considered.’ Inside the risk remained some weakness as well for her. ‘She’s human. Watching your comrades, friends caught suffering will make you act against reason. As much as your mind knows what you should not do, your heart will always move on its own. No matter how much training you have, your humanity will be the weakness.’

Simonides tightened his hands around the binoculars. ‘If I must, I’ll play the villain for this stage. There is too much at stake to play with soft hands anymore.’ Anything that needed to be done would have to be done. It was the only course. Strange things, secret things were in motion that he did not understand. He only saw shadows running in dark hallways, never allowed to see the whole picture. He could not allow himself to be stationary with the future of Atlantis at risk.

Chiharu slid back a meter. A sword from one of the countless soldiers managed to catch a piece of her chainmail. The links remained intact, but it did give her the sign. She slipped up. She needed to do better. She needed to be better.

Completely surrounded.

Panting lightly, Chiharu found herself with a momentary pause in the action. It gave her more time to look at her dilemma, which was not necessarily a good thing to have. The more time to think the worse the thoughts got. She spun downward.

Her eyes closed. She obliterated the thoughts from her mind. Everything had to be clear. Only focus had to remain. ‘I am what I am, nothing more and nothing less. Ninja.’

Chiharu withdrew a small orb from her back pouch keeping in firmly in her left hand. The hardened look surrounding her eyes told everything. She had to move. The orb flew out of her hand at the ground. Smoke blasted out everywhere for several meters around. Everyone caught inside could only see shadows or faint figures, nothing clear.

Orders screamed through their earpiece, but it was too late. Groans and screams only escaped. The soldiers on the outside could only look on listening to the voices of their comrades. None of them knew what exactly happened, but the sounds were enough to guess. It bloomed into fantastical images only possible in the mind. It was more than enough fuel for fear.

When the smoke settled no sight of Chiharu remained, only her victims. Spread around the area, the soldiers laid tossed about unconscious. Small trails of blood dotted the glass blades, but not enough for anything lethal. They were alive, even if they could not fight.

“Where’d she go?” shouted one of the soldiers.

“There’s no orders!”

“She’s got to be somewhere!”

“She couldn’t have just disappeared!”

“No, she did disappear,” answered Simonides, as he tried to sort out what happened. ‘She’s still got some tricks to use. The smoke concealed whatever her power was to disappear.’ It frustrated him a little to know it dragged out. A little bit of him sort of enjoyed it as well. Someone gave him a challenge and made him think. It was certainly an appealing thing to have. However, he forced himself to remain focused.

He had to think back to the other fights the girl had with his soldiers. Bakkhos did not have a lot of information for him. Draining her strength with his field did a lot to weaken her ability to fight. ‘He did mention her disappearing on him a couple of times. It was something he had no explanation for. He never saw it happen, so he did not what sort of power she used.’

Simonides knew he had a puzzle on his hand with her. The more he watched her act the clearer that truth became. He just did not know how complex of a puzzle. ‘Her cautious nature has held on to her secret so far. But will you be able to keep it up the entire time?’

Smoke rose up from the ground. It was in a different area. He knew how obvious it was. Simonides already began sending out orders to Abeiron, but it was too late. She acted before he finished. Kunai flew from out of the smoke in several directions. The kunai disabled the fighting arm of the soldiers hit. Out of the smoke jumped Chiharu making her away towards Seiji.

The soldiers reacted in the field quickly coming after the resurfaced Chiharu. Her short sword rattled up against one of the soldier’s swords as she forced her way through. A few more soldiers tossed to the side brought her before Seiji. He still struggled with the red material that kept him down.

He caught the presence of Chiharu and looked around as much as he could. “Can’t believe you’re the one rescuing me…” A bit of a smirk popped up on his face.

“I could just leave a muscle head like you behind,” she commented. She tried to cut the material, but her sword just glided over it as if it did not even touch. Chiharu worked from a different angle. Nothing still.

Seiji pulled at his arms, but did not feel anything give. It was just as solid as before. “Thought you would have gone for Fumiko. She’s the one that can’t handle herself in a fight without her fire.”

She did not want to listen to his complaining. The fact her sword failed to do anything only made things worse for her. “And you would have kept recklessly charging into those swords thinking something would happen and get yourself killed. She’s at least smart enough not to do something stupid.”

“You know as much as this arguing is nice, you might want to dodge!”

Chiharu turned around suddenly finding a soldier already swing her sword. A raised arm was all she could manage. The light armor strapped to her forearm too most of the blow. One of the straps tore loosening the whole piece nearly tearing it apart. Once most of the attack finished, Chiharu pushed back and wrapped her hand over the blade. She kicked the blade out of the woman’s hand and ended with another kick in her elbow. The force popped it the wrong way completely disabling the woman as she dropped to the ground in pain.

Unfortunately, the situation only grew worse for Chiharu. More soldiers closed. She could not do anything. ‘The only way to free them is going to be finding the one doing it.’ They pushed her back forcing her away. Even though she could not help him she tried to fight back to reach him. She could not abandon him.

The mob did everything to keep her back. Her body’s movement slowed. Bruises she received during the fighting started to speak up. Everything seemed to be sliding from terrible to worse. The speed she lost her footing even surprised her. ‘What do I do?! I can’t show him my power, but…’ She caught a narrow glimpse of the muscle head between two of the Atlanteans. They dragged her to the ground trying to restrain her. “Let me go! Damn it!”

“Chiharu!” shouted Seiji, the bindings kept him from seeing what happened to her. “You bastards! I swear if you do anything to her! Not even hell will want you after I’m done with you!” The red bindings groaned at Seiji’s struggling. A faint glow flashed briefly from his bandaged arm. It pulsed softly.

Fumiko could only hear Seiji’s shouting. She felt the panic of the unknown boiling up inside her. “Seiji! What’s happening?! Is Chiharu alright?” After they captured her she gave into the struggling, knowing she could do nothing about it. However, her body felt on fire again. She could not give up silently. “Chiharu! What are they doing?”

‘Sis!’

“Chiharu!” Her fist tightened up. Magic circles rapidly appeared on her arm at her beckoning. Nothing happened with them, but they continued to flash down her arm. More and more appeared slowly disappearing. In mere seconds, it seemed her arm was a blaze with dancing lights. “Not again! Chiharu!”

“Desperation surfaces,” Simonides remarked. He watched Seiji and Fumiko begin to respond to the tension. ‘The unknown is worse than what you can see. It makes everything seem more frightening. It will be the fuel to bring everything out of them. Show me what you have kept in reserve.’

The magic circles suddenly came to a stop as though they found something. Threads of magic spun down Fumiko’s arm pushing into the ground. Light broke up from the earth in the form of lines. They sped around quickly drawing out a symbol. It grew out further away from the center, Fumiko. While it continued to expand, the light grew more intense. “Huh? What’s happening? I thought they took my magic away from me.”

As though to answer her question, a forest of thin pole like vines smashed through the earth. Chunks of debris flew up into the air from the velocity. They pierced the ribbons that kept her down. However, they kept expanding out further than the circle could keep up. Screams of pain erupted with blood sprayed through the air.

It all took Fumiko by surprise. When she stood up everything was still in a daze for her. A water drop fell on her arm. It was warmer than she expected, but was enough to snap her back to reality. “What…” Another drop of water fell on her arm followed by another and another. Then as though someone tossed a bucket of water at her, half her face was soaked. “…copper…” Her eyes widened when she understood finally it was not water.

She actually looked around her finally. The vines that came out from her stretched for meters with thorns all along the surface. It looked like a briar patch, if made from the bodies and blood of humans. Fumiko screamed in horror. “What…what have I done?!”

Even Simonides leaned back surprised at what he saw. It made him grind his teeth together. He could not see clearly from his point, but he knew that there was some that did not survive the attack. ‘Damn! Again and again!’ His hands tightened around the binoculars to the point it seemed like his fingers would snap.

Then he saw Seiji break free from his bindings, the MP taken out by Fumiko’s attack. Their position suddenly turned around of them. They had their backs up against the wall. ‘I’ve got to focus. I don’t stop them now this’ll all be for nothing.’ He motioned to Abeiron. “Get squad 15 to get the field back up! I need them restrained immediately!”

He focused back on Fumiko and her new power. ‘What the hell is that? What do I tell them to seal?’

Seiji staggered a little in his step, but he found his footing quickly. He immediately flipped around to find Chiharu. “I’m coming! Now get the hell out of my way!” Soldiers already started to form up to slow him down. However, the field down, all of his strength returned. He simply plowed through the wall of men that tried to form. Nothing would stand between him.

The restored powers did not last for long. An easy opening from a closing soldier drew blood from Seiji with the swing of his sword. It did not faze him much. Seiji changed his target for a moment slamming his hand over the man’s face. “Don’t think you will stop me from getting to her!” The bandaged arm glowed briefly before the man started to shake violently. Seiji released him and turned back to Chiharu.

Left behind, the man collapsed to the ground unable to control his body. Spasms bolted around his limbs. On his face, a paper talisman stuck from his forehead over his nose and sealed his mouth shut. One of his squad mates rushed over trying to him. “What’s wrong?!” When he saw the talisman he tried to remove it, but it was attached firmly. “Why won’t it come off?!”

Dispensing with a couple more in similar fashion, Seiji charged to the cluttered mess. His arm glowed brightly as he swung through clearing the entire swarm. “Hey, brat!” He grinned offering a helping hand for Chiharu.

Her face thinned a little at his sight. An ever so slight curl of a smirk came through her lips. “Muscle head, always butting in when you don’t belong.” She stood up on her own.

“You looked like you could use some help.”

“I had a plan.”

“Sure, brat.”

“More than you, muscle for brains.”

“Stretching your vocabulary there, brat.”

Chiharu noticed the soldiers starting to move again. “I’ll give you a Japanese lesson later.” She retrieved her sword preparing for the next round of the fight.

With his back against Chiharu’s, Seiji smiled. “I look forward to seeing what a brat like you can teach!”

In the center, Yumi looked a little relieved to see everyone back. Her face twisted a little at the sight of Fumiko. No words could help her. However, something else needed her attention. There was movement next to her. She was late in recognizing it until it was too late. Her face went white as the clouds in the sky. Her eyelids stretched open until her eyes could pop out. Every part of skin ran cold with sweat. The beating in her heart doubled. She was ill prepared for it.

A groan came out and then a voice. “Yumi? What’s going on?”

To be continued…

[Andromeda]

In the center, Yumi looked a little relieved to see everyone back. Her face twisted a little at the sight of Fumiko. No words could help her. However, something else needed her attention. There was movement next to her. She was late in recognizing it until it was too late. Her face went white as the clouds in the sky. Her eyelids stretched open until her eyes could pop out. Every part of skin ran cold with sweat. The beating in her heart doubled. She was ill prepared for it.

A groan came out and then a voice. “Yumi? What’s going on?”

“Y-Y-Yori!” she yelped, coming out in surprise. It was an honest reaction, but helped to disguise the uncontrollable fear coursing through every vein in her body. Blood from Fumiko’s fighting painted Yori’s face loosely. As he lifted his head, the slow dripping drew up old images in Yumi’s mind. The brother from her horror-fueled nightmares superimposed over the real Yori. It was real enough that she heard echoes of his voice calling out to her. Chills drove down her spine.

The shaking in her arm did not go unnoticed by Yori. His head still felt fuzzy, but he could tell when something bothered his sister. “Is there something wrong? What’s happening?” He tried to focus his eyes to look around him, but all he saw was blurs.

Realizing he noticed, Yumi put more control into her body. ‘I can’t let him know. The situation is desperate enough.’ It took a lot of effort to reign in her emotions that dominated her voice. “I’m fine! But things aren’t good right now.”

As he became more aware of his surroundings, he realized something wet was on his face. He rubbed at it, doing his best to get it off him. When he checked his hand, the color startled him. “Blood?!” Yumi’s words seemed to understate the issue. Yori looked up immediately at Yumi. His eyes worked better than before and he finally saw Yumi for real. The sight made him nearly jump to his feet, if the lightheadedness did not force him down. “Yumi! You’re not fine! When did this happen?! This blood—“

“It’s not mine!” she insisted, interjecting before he allowed his fears to create images worse than reality. She awkwardly showed off the sword that remained embedded in her hand and chest. More specifically, she wanted him to see that there was no blood. The confusion that dug into his face seemed expected, even normal. Her new dilemma became something she adjusted to and accepted. It made it easy for her to forget how others saw her. “This is…complicated.” A weak smile tried to reassure him of her health.

“I think you’re understating it.” Yori felt oddly sure from her words she really was safe. ‘Why am do I feel calm?’ He could not explain the certainty he felt, just that his body told him not to worry. Unfortunately, his eyes began to soak in the rest of the battlefield. The sight he beheld did trigger his emotions. “What’s going on? How much have I missed?!”

Yumi managed her emotions precariously in front of her brother. Whispers still poked her from behind; ignoring was all she could do. “Explaining everything…would take too long. The situation is…we’re under attack by the Atlanteans.”

A bit of a plain look came across his face. “I think you’re simplifying it too much.”

“They…figured out how to…seal our powers. So we’re struggling…to stay ahead.”

Chapter 213 – False Turns

“He’s awake now,” noted Simonides. Another variable introduced itself into his plan. It made him feel a little uneasy, but things could not turn back. “I’d like to think he’s a normal human, but best to assume he’s got powers like the rest of them. Have six squads move in on the two in the center.”

Abeiron tilted his head briefly in the Captain’s direction. “Understood, sir!”

Still bothered by the actions of Fumiko, Simonides rubbed his finger over the surface of the binoculars. He tried to piece everything together to reach a conclusion. ‘It’s metal and used the same sort of patterns as with the fire. The simple answer is it is magic, but that seems contrary to the traditional magic. Metal magic?’

Backs against each other, Seiji and Chiharu managed to keep the soldiers at bay for the moment. Their strength slowly dwindled and fatigue slowly crawled up. They would not last forever, as much as Seiji acted as if they would.

He swung out catching the soldier before they got their shield up. While the soldier fell, Seiji ripped their shield off their arm and chucked it over Chiharu. Bone clearly broke from the sounds as it smashed into two soldier’s face. “Need me to lighten the numbers for you, kid?”

Spinning around in a fluid motion, Chiharu disarmed the closely soldier and sent the sword flying into the neighboring comrade. “Need help standing, muscles? You’re more red than anything.”

Seiji’s arm caught the edge of the blade before he twisted the man’s arm. It added another cut to his already extensive wounds. “They’ll have to cut off my legs to keep me from standing!” He smirked and tossed the soldier into one trying to stand back up.

“Don’t give them any ideas!”

“I’d like to see them try!”

Yumi turned away from her brother, distracted by the battle. Things were worse, even though they seemed better. She could tell. “Seiji! Chiharu! Pull back!”

“What?!” questioned Seiji.

She stood up, leaving Yori behind. “We need to regroup!” Her eyes glanced over at Fumiko, still completely out of it. The soldiers closed on her very cautious only because of what she displayed. ‘She’s going to be captured soon. They’re only holding off, because they’re trying to figure out her new power. The fact that they haven’t charged her means it’s not sealed, yet.’ Yumi felt confidence surging up as she thought things out. “Seiji, go get Fumiko!”

Seiji chucked another Atlantean over his shoulder to give him his chance to look back. It gave him all the time he needed to examine the scene. He understood. “Right!” Kicking a shield at his feet, he stunned the soldier enough to charge through the line.

“Chiharu, you still have a couple tricks left, right?”

Narrowly reading Yumi, she picked up a little on her plan. The resolve in her eyes told her enough to trust her. “Always!” She lowered a foot into the man’s gut. It rolled him over enough for her to start the motion. Chiharu jumped up on his shoulders wrapped her legs around his neck. She pulled him forward and tossed him with her legs as she bent down to the ground. The body spun in the air one full rotation before it slammed into another. Chiharu disappeared from sight during the whole move.

Inside her shadow realm, her hand grasped a smoke bomb. Her mind thought back to using the man’s shadow on his body to slip between dimensions. “The power really is evolving. It was like it was instinct, as if I already knew how to do it. Very unsettling…” She tightened her hand around the smoke bomb. Dozens of mirrors appeared around her. The full view of the battle lay out before her. “This’ll keep them busy for a while.”

Smoke suddenly began to rise from a location deep within the ranks of his troops. Simonides drew down his brow in confusion. ‘She’s done that before.’ Lifting a hand, he motioned to Abeiron. The formation changed. However, another pillar of smoke rose in a completely different area. It made him pause for a moment, but he gave the order.

Nothing. It was just smoke.

The third appeared. ‘Does she have some ability to summon smoke? Before she used a device, but she can’t be in all those places that quickly. We’ve sealed her speed.’ The two previous were nothing. He did not have his men act. ‘She’s trying to distract us.’ Simonides signaled to Abeiron again. “Move on the fire user, we’ve waited long enough.

“Yes—“ A scream cut him off. It drew him back to the soldiers communicating with the teams. “What’s going on? Report!”

Simonides focused back on the battle. The third column of smoke had fighting. ‘She was actually there?!’ He ground his teeth when he discovered a fourth and fifth column. The only thing he could was act on them. More smoke continued to appear throughout the field stirring the confusion. Some had fighting and others did not. There was no way to know. He had to treat them all as real.

Yumi turned around and pulled in the entire storm of soldiers. She needed a point of attack. ‘That’ll do…I knew I could leave it to Chiharu to figure it out.’ A bit of a grin came across her face.

The whole scene left Yori a little short on words. He stared at his sister trying to figure everything out. His confusion did not help him, but it was no longer about being behind on the time. ‘What happened to my little sister? Since when did Yumi look so tall? ’

“Hey!” shouted Seiji, “Fumiko! Can you hear me?” He was already close to reaching her. The soldiers ended up not being much trouble for him, not expecting him. However, he noticed they changed their behavior in the middle of his attempt to reach Fumiko. The metal vines made it difficult for him. New cuts flowed like slow summer rain, staggered yet constant. “Damn it to hell! Damn! Damn!” His cursing only made things worse.

The rest of the steps were twice as painful, but he made it. “The hell’s wrong with you damn woman!” Seiji grabbed her by the shoulders to force her in his direction. He ground his teeth together seeing the dead look in her eyes. “I don’t have the time for this! Wake up, damnit!” A slap started his attempt followed by slightly hesitate punch (she was a woman). The force was enough to knock her over, but not enough to wake her. His punch left her strung up by the vines, dangling loosely in the garden of metal.

Unfortunately, Seiji did not have any more time. The soldiers were finally upon them. They might have been cut up as much as him, but it did not seem to slow them down. Revenge filled their eyes. Their lost comrades no doubt fueled them into action, finally granted permission from their Captain. “Hell! Hell! Damn! Hell!” It seemed he reached a limit. “Ow!” His anger caused him to scrap against one of the thorns. “…the HELL! WITH IT!”

Seiji dove down for Fumiko’s staff that rested at his feet. He swung it up the moment he grabbed it. A light arc filled the air along its path. “I’m tired of all of these cuts!” The tip of the sword he went to block went flying into the air. It was enough to make the front row of Atlanteans hesitate.

“Huh?” questioned Seiji, realizing several seconds past, that something was wrong. He stared at the entire staff trying to understand what happened. It seemed perfectly ordinary, for a staff at least. He remembered Fumiko carrying it around with her, but did could not remember when it started.

Trying to move it to prepare for the next attack, he had to maneuver around all of the gathered vines. The base of the staff knocked into the metal of the vines. A loud ring echoed from the point. It continued and produced more ringing. The sounds began to become like bells almost. Something responded to the noise. It pulsed to life.

An odd feeling surged from his arm. The light emitting from the wrapping grew stronger. It seemed as though his arm ignited into flames. Light radiated off his arm bleeding into the staff. “What the hell is going on?!” shouted Seiji. He swung his arm trying to get it off him. An arc of light formed from the swing cutting through the earth and soldiers. Then he froze.

His eyes stuck to the staff once more. Something was wrong. It was not his normal power. It was not physical strength. Something was familiar about it, in a dread filled, meeting the annoying smothering aunt you always detest seeing sort of way. ‘This is—‘

“Seiji!” called Yumi.

Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts, almost as if he wanted to leave them. Seiji tilted his head back in the direction of Yumi. Everything started to come back to him. “Right! I can’t be standing around here!” He did not know what went on with his arm, but he had to accept it. It was something he could use.

Swinging the staff again in the direction of his friends, but avoiding them, an arc sliced through the metal briar. He had his path without pain. Seiji spun around swinging the staff again at the ground of the soldiers. Chunks of earth and metal flew into the air. A cloud of debris covered his retreat.

Seiji dropped Fumiko down at Yori’s feet. “Hey, you’re awake, man!” he commented, before returning to Yumi. “What you need?”

“Use that power of yours to make an opening,” Yumi answered. She threw out her free arm to point in the direction. ‘I had planned on using Fumiko’s new power, but this works just as well. We need to get out of here while we still have something they haven’t sealed!’ Chiharu surfaced in the shadows making her presence noticeable. “Chiharu, grab Fumiko. She’s in no condition to run. Yori help her, she doesn’t have her normal strength.”

“R-Right,” her brother replied, still trying to get used to the change. Yori rushed over to Chiharu’s side to help Fumiko up to her feet. He glanced over his shoulder at the soldiers closing on them. The fighting gone, their attention turned to a single point. ‘This better work…’

Seiji ran out in front of the group to his designated point. He smirked a little, starting to accept the strange power. “You might want to get the HELL out of my way if you don’t want to get sliced up!” he warned, before swinging a cautionary blow at the soldiers’ feet. There were different reactions out of them. Some moved a little, while others stood their ground. “Don’t say I didn’t give you a chance!” The second arc ran vertically through the thinnest part of the troops.

Blood and screams erupted from the arc eating through Atlanteans and earth. It chewed up debris coughed out knocked more aside as it pushed through. Seiji charged into the broken line clearing the rest of the path for his friends. He could finally see the horizon again. “We’re out!” he shouted, turning around to see how close they were on his rear.

However, an earthquake stopped them all in their tracks. Seiji felt the worst of it as he dropped to one knee unable to keep his balance. A shadow suddenly stretched over him and towards his friends, as though reaching out for them to push back. Confused, he looked behind him. His eyes widened to see a smooth wall stretched out aiming for the sky.

Their escape route disappeared.

Simonides’ features thinned and hardened a little watching them. “I never said you could leave.”

To be continued…