Vol 1: Chapter 8: New Threat

Volume 1: Blood on Blade

Chapter 8

New Threat

Time passes after our first successful mission.

When Master came a few days ago wearing black blazer uniform, it hits me that almost a year has passed and Master already a High School Girl.

The world was also moving in a better direction after Professor Livia's declaration to make the global organization, S.T.A.R.S, public with many branches opened and spread out across the world.

The production of D-Mons-based weapon, called D-Gears, was going smoothly and by 2 months after the publication, it was distributed evenly with the military forces as the first batch member of S.T.A.R.S to fight against the 3rd Disaster.

To say the effect was amazing is an understatement. With proper weaponry and plan, the damage in the 3rd Disaster was really minimal.

Since soldiers with D-Gears can fight the D-Mons on equal grounds, the Sacred Weapon Users can focus on taking down the Rift Master without distraction of protecting the civilian or anything else.

The 3rd Disaster ended with almost just 1% casualties. Though it's still quite a number, but it's a really big improvement compared to the first and second Disaster.

Presented with the results of 3rd Disaster's reports across the media, every S.T.A.R.S branches gained a huge amount of support from people and many new members joined as the Enforcer candidates.

The main objective of S.T.A.R.S was to give humanity a better chance to fight D-Mons, so we naturally made a partnership with military forces in every countries, but strictly stated our ground that S.T.A.R.S' Enforcer and the weaponry will not be involved in any activities that was not related to fighting D-Mons.

It was to keep the power balance stable because, bluntly speaking, one Enforcer from S.T.A.R.S with proper gear is equal to a small team of elite soldiers of the top country. That's just how powerful D-Gears are.

If its power falls to bad people, gods know just how much of a headache it will be.

Luckily, Professor Livia anticipated that by tinkering with the system that would make the D-Gears explode if it was aimed to living beings other than D-Mons.

This move was really necessary since we all know just how corrupted human can be if they're given power beyond their understanding.

Dozen of reports about cases of Enforcers tried to sell D-Gears to black market, and attempted use for evil purposes were coming to Professor Livia from various countries, and she then publicly stated that any country that letting it all happen would be blacklisted from S.T.A.R.S' protection and support.

In short, "Your country was testing my bottom line, so deals with the D-Mons by yourself. S.T.A.R.S wouldn't help you anymore."

To every country in the world, this statement was equal to death sentences.

All the governments then strictly enforced the law that forbid the misusing of D-Gears for the Enforcer from their country and give the harsh punishment to anyone discovered, even an execution to the offenders, just to appease Professor Livia.

At first I thought it was cruel, but after some times passed, I just accepted that and thought Professor Livia was really capable as a leader.

Oh yeah, about the Disaster, in this one years, we already went through 7 world-scale Disaster.

Why do I say it 'world-scale Disaster' and not just a 'Disaster'?

It's because after the 4rd Disaster, the D-Mons seemed to have grown frustrated since humanity always thwarted their plan and then they decided to attack us at random with some small-scale Disaster.

This small-scale Disaster's Rifts would be opened in random places around the world and they would wreck havoc endlessly in that area until the Rift Master of that Disaster is killed.

It was so different from world-scale Disaster that, even if the Rift Master couldn't be killed, the Disaster would end 30 minutes after it's appearance.

Of course, in the case of world-scale Disaster, Sacred Weapon Users and all Enforcers of S.T.A.R.S would do everything to kill the Rift Master as fast as possible before any victim can fall.

But this small-scale one is too random that even Professor Livia couldn't do much about it other than preparing Enforcers team in all the possible area of Disasters.

Luckily, with the experiences the Enforcers got from fighting against world-scale Disaster, they can keep up with the small one and even kill the Rift Master on their own without the help from Sacred Weapon User.

In the rare case where the Disaster is too much for the local Enforcers to handle alone, first the neighborhood city or prefecture Enforcers would be dispatched to help. If that's still couldn't be handled, only then the Sacred Weapon User will be called to handle everything.

Because of this, the time I and Master go into battle in this one year together doesn't even exceed the number of 20.

S.T.A.R.S Enforcers in Japan are too capable. Good for them!

Today is the example of that rare case.

A small-scale Disaster was opened across the Iwate prefecture, and it was reported that the Rift Master is in Morioka city.

The local and support Enforcers from other prefecture couldn't keep up with the Rift Master as it's always can avoid their attack and strike back by sending many Soldier Class D-Mons to keep the Enforcer busy while it fly away freely.

Since I already have my sheath, now other people can touch me without hurting, as long they don't touch my handle. I was brought by a soldier to the helicopter to pick up Master that should still be at school at this time.

•

•

The helicopter landed on the empty school ground, facing the building with two floors that can be seen from outside that those were the classroom as many students stand up from their seats and come to the window to take a look at us, or the helicopter.

Not long after, a girl with blue hair jumped out of the window from the class on second floor and running towards the the helicopter.

Yups, she is my Master.

"You guys picking me up means it is an emergency right? Let's go now."

She said that and quickly get in before the soldier that was tasked to relay the information able to say anything, and we all fly at the max speed to Morioka city.

When we were approaching the city, we can see some D-Mons were targeting our heli.

"I'll go ahead and draw their attention. You back of a little and lands the heli and then support everyone in the city."

Without hesitation, Master take me out of my sheath and jumped from the heli towards the flying D-Mons.

While still in the air, Master was able to take out some of the D-Mons before she landed on the grounds and ran toward the city without minding the D-Mons that fly towards her.

Gunshots rang behind us and the following D-Mons one by one fall to the ground. It seems they already landed and support us from distance.

After a few minutes, we finally arrived at the center of Morioka city and see the big Rift was still opened and many Enforcers were still fighting and shooting the incoming D-Mons.

"Please someone tell me the status right now."

Master asked this to the group of Enforcers that were resting and treating their wounds.

An man stood up, give a salute to Master.

"There is no casualty as of now. All civilians has been evacuated to underground stations. but 6 Enforcers were greatly injured. The damage to the city, is just like you can see."

"What about the Rift Master?"

"It's.... it's too small compared to the usual Rift Master. That's make it so hard to shoot. Even when we tried to attack it with close quarter weapon, it always bring out more D-Mons to make us busy while it run away."

"How small?"

The Enforcer looked arounds until his eyes stop at the top of a building and he pointed his finger. "That small."

We followed her gaze and see a white volleyball with wings flying around on the air with ease.

"Uwahh~, with the target that small no wonder it's hard to get it."

That size is really unusual for a Rift Master. Our usual Rift Master would at least be at the size of big car.

["I guess their size goes according to how many Rifts it control. This one only have 1 orb."]

I told her through the earpiece.

"How many Rifts opened in Iwate?"

"Only 3. Other than here, it's on Ichinosaki and Kitakami."

"Alright, I understand the situation. I'll take it over from here. Just focus to stay alive and protect your fellow Enforcers."

After saying that, Master once again go running towards the building where the small Rift Master was located.

["Do you have an idea how to kill that small guy?"]

"I want to try 'that' one."

["Which one?"]

"You know, the one we practiced two weeks ago."

[".... alright. As you wish."]

"Hehe, I love you Ixy!"

While we chatted around, her hand never stopped swinging me around to kill the coming D-Mons.

When we almost reached the bottom of that building, Master jumped high that left crack on the ground, leaped straight to the top of the building.

Our sudden move probably startled the little Rift Master as it widened its eyes and in panic try to fly away.

Master swung me, but because the target is too small and it moved frantically, our attack missed and the Rift Master got away to the next building.

We don't chase, so it turned and moved around as if mocking us.

"Haha, this guy is cute. You ready Ixy?"

["Just get this over with already."]

Getting in position, Master thrown me straight the Rift Master, but of course, it moved and dodged.

"Now!"

With that signal, I released an explosion of Sacred energy I've saved up from before. With my position behind it, the Rift Master doesn't realize it and was hit within the explosion, stun-locked in place.

'Bang!'

It was only then that Master take out the gun from her waist holster and shot the unmoving Rift Master straight in the middle of its eyes.

The stun effect is gone and the Rift Master fall to the floor, dead, along with it's orb that shatter a second later, followed by the Rift closing in an instant.

With that, the small-scale Disaster in Iwate prefecture is finished.

Master jumped over and picked me up and sheated me back.

"Nice job, Ixy."

["Just so you know, I'm not a thrown weapon. I don't like being treated like that."]

"Ehhh, but it's get the job done so isn't it fine?"

["....I hate you."]

"Ehh, why?! Come on, Ixy. Don't be mad."

She hugs me, rubbing her cheeks with my handle.

Ughh, what is this feeling, it creeps me out.

While we are talking, I can see the heli that taking us here fly toward us from afar.

"I wonder how much difference I'd made this year."

When I looked back at Master, she was looking to the sky, her eyes dazed as if she was deep in thought.

"That 'one' .....is coming."

["Master, what's wrong?"]

"Nothing Ixy. Maybe I'm just a little tired."

Lately, she would look at the sky and said something incomprehensible.

I don't know what was she thinking, but I hate that melancholy expression on my Master's face.

Without saying anything more, we board the helicopter and returned to the base in Hokkaido.

•

•

"Hey, Minami-chan, is it possible for me to just bring Ixy with me all the time?"

When Master returned me to my lab, she casually asked this to Yuzuhara-san who was focusing on reading the data in the monitors.

"Why do you want to do that?"

"Well, you know, if there is a Rift opened near my position, with Ixy already with me, I can just go there and clean up the problem in an instant without waiting for you guys sending Ixy to me."

"We have Enforcers stationed in every city. There is no need for you to go personally unless it is emergency or world-scale Disaster. So just tell me directly, what is your true purpose in asking that?"

Master stiffened. It seems she got seen through.

Yuzuhara-san, so cool!

I now fully believe that women in this facility have mind reading ability.

"Well that was...."

"Yes?"

"Ixy was supposed to be a same age as me right? So I thought she would like to experience how High School too, perhaps?"

"Wait a damn minute! How do you know that informa--"

'BEEEP!' 'BEEEP!' 'BEEEP!'

An alarm beeping loud throughout the whole facility and one monitor in the lab lit up with the red text warning.

[Red Emergency! Red Emergency!]

[All Sacred Weapon Users and Available Enforcers will be Deployed!]

"That guy finally comes...."

I saw master expression became serious as she stared straight to the monitor.

The text gone and a video was being played.

A giant white monster with wings was rampaging on the road of Shanghai, China.

[Red Emergency! Red Emergency!]

[All Sacred Weapon Users and Available Enforcers will be Deployed!]

"....Calamity."

[New Type D-Mons: Calamity]

To Be Continued.....