Vol 1: Chapter 1: The Day When the Sun is Gone

Volume 1: Blood on Blade

Chapter 1:

The Day When the Sun is Gone

In a destroyed city, a storm and dark clouds engulfed the whole sky, hitting everything below with heavy rain.

At the area with the most damage, leaning against the rubble, a blue haired woman is looking up to the sky with resigned expression on her face. Letting rain washed away blood on her wounded face 

"Finally...the end..."

A few meters in front of her position, a giant mass of white flesh of certain creature, the body full of deep cut from a sharp weapon, laying there oozing with purple blood. The creature is not moving, most likely has been dead for a while.

["Master, your condition is really bad. Please give me the access to call HQ."]

The silver sword on the woman's hand talks in desperate mechanical voice.

Looking at the condition of the woman, where her body is so tattered, it is really a miracle that she is still breathing.

"Hey, Ixy, we... really come a long way..... since our first meeting.... huh?"

["Please stop talking and give me the access! Your life force reading is declining every second!"]

"You know... when I first met you... I was actually scared...."

["Master!"]

"Even in our first mission.... I kept thinking ... that I should have just run away at that time."

The pleas of the sword seems have gone to deaf ears as the woman keep on talking.

"But when I hold you, .... I remember my purpose.... in becoming an Enforcer."

["....."]

Her eyes seems looking far behind the clouds, reminiscing about everything she and the sword she called Ixy has gone through.

"What started just as a fight to correct all mistakes..... I became truly attached to this world."

["Please... stop talking."]

The sword's voice trembled as if it was holding back an indescribable feeling. But unfortunately, the woman does not stop.

"I love this city.... I love everyone in it....I love all the senpai and sensei from the academy...... I love Ryuu-kun.....and--"

["MASTER!!"]

"--I love you, Ixy."

["No..... I don't want this...."]

The sword's voice kept on getting lower with each words. The woman just smiled.

"....Ixy."

["No, please! I beg you! I will do whatever you want later, just give me the terminal access! Master!"]

The sword is shaking on its own, as if transmitting the desperation in its voice.

".....ahaha, alright.... I will give you the access, ..... but before that...... can I ask you for a favor?"

["Yes! Just tell me!"]

Perhaps the woman weak response ignited some kind of hope as the sword replied with great enthusiasm.

There was a long pause before the woman open her mouth again.

"....I want you to see tomorrow in my stead."

["Wh-what do you mean, Mast--"]

Suddenly the sword's voice got cut off. The woman released her grip from the sword handle, letting it rolled on the wet ground.

While still looking up to the sky, she then closed her eyes for a minute, and then....

"Gomen.... Ixy...."

Along with the name, the woman breath ceased to exist.

The humanity newly born Hero, has departed after fulfilling her mission.

A few minutes passed, the storm suddenly stopped.

As if the planet itself opening the new page after surviving the great disaster, the dark sky opened like a layered curtain, shining upon the destroyed city with fresh sunlight.

Shines upon the the departed Hero who no longer moving with satisfied expression on her face.

Her blue hair which was wet because of the rain, now swaying with the wind.

Then, from the top of her head, the blue hair slowly changing color into red.

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5 Years Ago

July 20th, 2050, Tokyo, Japan

A very sunny and peaceful day in Tokyo, people goes round and about with their daily business and activities.

A day so tranquil that it will not be weird if the day ended like usual.

But.... that's where Tokyo--, no, the whole planet least expected it.

On the blue clear sky of Tokyo, a purple crack appeared on the sky.

People below one by one stop whatever they were doing to see that unusual phenomenon.

A cracking sounds heard to the whole area without anyone knowing where it came from.

The purple crack on the sky sparked an electrical but ominous nuances to it.

That was when it all began...

The crack suddenly opened a big gaping hole in the sky.

Either it was because of amazement or confusion, everyone below it was slow to react when out of nowhere a horde of white strange creatures came out of the purple hole in the sky and started attacking everything without exception.

The high floor buildings were destroyed, the street was in chaos, humans were slaughtered without any struggle for the white creatures that came out from the hole.

That day was the first day for Tokyo-, no, the whole world to face its trial of survival.

There was really nothing humanity could do against those bizzare creatures. Conventional weapon such as gun and bullet does not work, even the a big artillery like tanks could not do any significant damage to the creatures skins.

Even when a disaster class weapon was brought out, an atomic bomb, although it sure killed a good number of those creatures, it was still just a drop in the ocean in front of an overwhelming number of the monster.

Humanity was in great despair.

Many were giving up and chose to end their life, thinking the world was doomed anyway.

Fortunately or not, the attacks from those monster stopped 30 minutes or so after the hole first appeared, and all of it flying back into the hole and disappeared with the hole itself.

How good it would be if everything that happened in that 30 minutes were just a fever dream in summer.

But unfortunately, reality was grim.

Just from that one attack, humanity had lost 10℅ of its population across the worlds. Many infrastructures were destroyed.

Great despair was etched into everyone's mind.

Time goes by, hours to days, days to weeks, until 3 months has passed from that tragedy.

Everyone thought it was one-time only occurrence. That those monster would not appear again.

Although they were still grieving, people once more try to stand up and fixed the aftermath of that disaster.

Buildings that was destroyed were rebuild. People hold out their hand and helped each other to return the peace that was gone.

But it was like the God was playing with them when that ominous looking purple crack, once again appeared.

Learned from the experience, everyone panicked and ran to find a safe place to hide.

Just in a few minutes, the bustling city full of life, turned into a ghostly area.

All that left were the military armies who was still brave enough to defend their country even in the face of death.

Then the crack opened, and massacre began.

From one of the soldier perspective, the sight in front of him was hell on earth.

Even the despair started to take control of his body, making him bring the point of his gun to his head.

One of those creatures set its sight on him, and flying straight to kill the soldier. The soldier was ready to pull the trigger and closed his eyes when he then heard....

"Sorry we are late."

.... a melodic voice in front of him, followed by a screeching sound of something that was out of this world.

The soldier opened his eyes, finding in front him, a back of a girl with blue strands of hair swaying gently with the wind.

When he peered to the front of the girl, he found the white monster was laying motionlessly with purple blood oozing from its body.

He also noticed that the girl was holding a strange looking katana that is dripping with the monster blood.

Still confused about what was happening in front of him, the girl without looking back started walking ahead and said this to him.

"Tell everyone who is still alive to run or hide. We will take care of everything from here."

After saying that, the woman leaped high to the sky, and with one swing of her sword, a cresent red shockwave was created and cut every white monster in its path.

The woman appearance in this hellish situation really created an image of Angel of Salvation for him and every other survivors in the area.

It was only after everything has ended, the monster was eradicated and the hole in the sky was closed that the soldier finally knew.

It's not only this place, but across the whole planet....

That even in the situation where humanity has lost its hope, when they fall into the despairing time and losing the sun....

.... in those darkness, a new star will be born.

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Present Time

August 5th, 2055, Kyoto's National Hero Cemetery, Japan

A red haired woman in brown military suit was walking from the cemetery entrance.

Other visitors who happened to pass by her stopped on their track with look of amazement, but then greeted her with polite bow.

The woman smilied a little, waving her hand to them and continued to be on her way.

The group of visitors that greeted that woman whispered to each other.

"Hey, are we still trapped in the dream or something?"

"I understand how you feel, but we already woke up from that 2 weeks ago. Do you want me to give you a smack to test it out?"

"Then how can she be here?!"

"No no, look clearly, sure her face is similar, but her hair color is totally different."

"Maybe she is her relative?"

"Or maybe that's really her, just changing her hair color. You know, like those light novel about retired Hero who want to live peacefully after battle?"

"You still read that kind of novel?"

"Hey, what is wrong with that, I have the freedom to like what I like."

"Yeah yeah, whatever."

"You....!"

Even though the distance between them and the woman has been considerably far enough, she was still able to hear them bickering clearly.

A sad small smile formed on her lips.

"Well, in a way, what they say is true. I am her, but not exactly her. Just a murder tool walking in her skin."

The woman murmured to herself with self-deprecating words.

She then stopped in front of a tombstone with so many flower bouquets surrounding it.

There was a photo frame of a beautiful woman identical with her but with blue hair and wearing similar military outfit but also in blue.

On the surface of the tombstone was carved the name [Ougasahara Aomi] with small description below, [Hero of Humanity, fallen after defeating the Great Calamity].

The woman kneeled in front of the tombstone.

"Master, how have you been?"

The woman started talking.

In her sight, the thing in front of her wasn't just a tombstone, but the sillouthe of the cheerful girl smiling and staring back at her.

"I'm sorry it's only now I have the time to come. Have I made you wait too long? Are you mad?"

No response can be heard, but the gentle wind blowing her hair seemed to convey something. Something that her Master probably would say to her in this situation.

'No, how can ever I ever be mad at my cute Ixy?'

If she really was still alive, given her personality, that was the most likely response the women would get.

"..... Master, I.... everyday since I woke up in this body.... I would lament when I look up to the sky. 'Why didn't I stop you at that time?', 'Why can't I be more powerful at that moment?', 'Why would you give this body to me?' and so many 'why' swirling on my mind."

.....

"I should have noticed it. Master is just that kind person."

.....

"You never actually rely on anyone, not even to me, your weapon. Huh, what the hell I'm saying? Why would you even rely on such a useless weapon like me?"

"....."

"I was fine just being a cold weapon with only purpose to kill my enemies, but why you made feel like this?!"

Her composure broke as she raised her voice. Her purple eyes started to gleam with crystal like water.

"Master.... you're so unfair...."

She can no longer hold back her tear.

.....

.....

.....

A few minutes passed with only silent cry can be heard on the empty cemetery.

Until a footsteps echoed on the concrete tiles behind her.

"I know I would find you here, Sacred Weapon No.9. Ah wait, now you are called Ixy huh."

The red haired woman wiped her tears with her uniform sleeve and looked behind her and found a woman with white hair, wearing a white lab coat and rectangle glasses with red frame.

"Professor Livia?"

She murmured the name of the person behind her.

The woman called Livia doesn't respond, instead she was just looking straight at the tombstone. There was a long pause before she opened her mouth.

"Five years, huh? Everything went exactly as she said back then. Just what in the world is that girl?"

She chuckled as if she was remembering something funny.

The red haired woman looked at the professor with question mark on her face.

"Professor Livia?"

"No, it's nothing, don't mind it."

Remembered that she was not alone, Livia stopped smiling, looked at the red haired woman and extended her hand to help her stand up.

She accepted her help and standing eyes to eyes the professor.

The professor showed a weak smile and reached out her fingers to wipe the residue tears on the red haired woman's cheek.

"There is something I want to talk to you about, will you listen?"

Livia said, feeling like a mother who doesn't know what to do infront of her crying daughter.

The red haired woman, or Ixy, gently removed the professor hand from her cheek and ask; "Something to talk?"

Livia pulled her by her hand to a bench not far from their position. "Let's talk while we sit."

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"..... What do you think? Will you do that?"

Minute goes to hour, they talk about a lot of mundane things while sitting on the cemetery bench, before Livia finally asked her about her real purpose.

"You want me..... to be a teacher in the new school you build that specialize to train future Enforcer?"

While Ixy pointed at herself with disbelief, Livia just nodded with great confidence.

This made Ixy become more confused. She shake her head a few times. "Why would you think I can? I'm just a weapon, I can't teach future Enforcer!"

Livia didn't say anything, just looked at her up and down 2 times. "You are human now," she said nonchalantly.

Frustrated with how easy-going Livia was, Ixy snapped and stand up in front Livia. "No, that's not what I mean! I'm a murderer! A murderer like me doesn't have the right to be a teacher--"

"Ixy!"

Livia also raised her voice and instantly stopped Ixy rambling.

Livia crossed her leg, leaned her back to the bench and looked at Ixy with warm gaze.

"I don't mind if you refuse, but do have anything else you want to do from now on?"

"I.... I am....."

"I know about your last conversation with Aomi."

"!?!?"

"While you was unconscious, I checked Aomi's terminal and heard everything. That's why I ask you, is it fine for you to run from her last wish?"

"......But I..... I don't know if I can do that....."

Ixy clenched her hands. She was frustrared because while she wanted to refuse that wish, her heart also yearned to at least granted that last request of her beloved Master.

"Then do you have any plan for how you will live if you refuse my offer? A life where you can 'see the tomorrow' that Aomi protected with her life?"

Each of Livia words pierced Ixy's defense.

Yeah, that was what her Master wished for her.

She already failed to become useful weapon for her Master, will she also run from her Master wish and be forever sink herself in the never-ending guilt?

Her Master wants her to live to see tomorrow in her place.

Her existence now was already out of norm, and she didn't know if she could even die.

So at least, if she could still die, she wanted to die after witnessing the 'tomorrow' her Master always spoke of.

So that someday, somewhere, beyonds this world, when she reunited with her beloved Master, she can face her with a smile.

Ixy loosened her hands, made up her mind, and gaze back to the smiling Livia with determined expression.

"Professor Livia.... I---"

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This is the story of a woman who has lost too many. Her journey. Her encounter. Her parting. And her choice for the future.

To be Continued....