章 22: A Silent Melody
I'm looking for Lieutenant Nagato," I said.
The girl scrutinized me from head to foot and nodded.
"Big brother, you have a visitor!" she shouted at the top of her voice. It was kind of cute, though. Now I wish I had a little sister.
The loud music suddenly went silent.
"You have a visitor, big brother," she repeated.
The door opened wider, revealing the inside of the house. A young man appeared, his hair messy and short, his skin pale with tired, droopy eyes. A long scar ran from his jaw, down his neck, and stopped at his chest.
"You're Ryuma... right?" he asked, his voice cracked and low, as if something were stuck in his throat.
"Yes, I'm Ryuma."
"Mm, I remember. Come on in," he said, stepping into the house.
The house was a two-story building. Nagato made his way upstairs, leaving me with his cute sister.
"You can make yourself at home while you wait for big brother," her sweet voice rang out as she walked to the kitchen.
I sat in the living room, scanning it. Pictures of record albums were placed all over the walls, and beside each album cover was a signature: 'Aoi Nagato.'
"Those are big brother's," the girl said, catching me off guard. She placed a cup of green tea on the table.
"Before all this happened, big brother was in a band. He released a lot of singles and albums. Look over there!" She pointed to another picture—a group photo of the band. There were four members, with Nagato in the center, holding a guitar.
"He was the group leader and had the best voice. Big brother used to sing songs for me," she said with a smile, but it quickly vanished, replaced by a somber expression.
"When those purple things attacked us, they injured big brother's neck. After it was treated, the people at the big white building said he would never use his voice again. Big brother almost lost his life trying to protect me. I know he hates me for that... I know..."
She began to sniffle as tears rolled down her cheeks. I wanted to console her but didn't know how. Maybe the one who needed consolation was Nagato. Having never had a dream, I can't imagine what it's like to have it shattered by forces beyond your control.
So I can't tell how he felt, he must have been really heart broken
I placed my hand gently on her head and patted her.
"What's your name?" I asked.
"Aoi…Aoi Hana."
"Well, Hana, nobody hates you. Your big brother doesn't hate you. In fact, he loves you more than you think. So stop crying and focus on making him love you even more. Focus on making him happy, okay?"
"But—"
"It's alright, I'm very sure Nagato doesn't hate you"
Truely she doesn't know, and I doubt she will ever know, to proudly bring out a picture of your kid sister, its really…
"Mm! I'll make big brother happy!" she said, wiping her tears away and clenching her fists with determination. She jumped up from the chair and ran upstairs. Not long after, she returned.
"You're the second visitor big brother has ever had, mister," she said, holding a small music player with an earphone connected to it, and a marker in the other hand. She wrote my name on it and handed me the music player.
"That's big brother's last album. Take it as a gift—"
Nagato came down the stairs, now dressed in his battle suit.
"Sorry to keep you…waiting. Let's go."
"Sure."
Nagato walked over to his sister and patted her head.
"I'm off."
"Come back safely, big brother."
"Mhm"
***
Everyone in Squad Seven sat around a rectangular table, waiting for Captain Leonard to begin.
"As mentioned in the message sent to you all yesterday, we will be leaving the walls today. Our destination is the Kyoto Reservoir. The journey is expected to take two days, so I hope you have all your necessary items packed and ready to go?"
"Yes, Captain."
"Alright then. We'll be joining Squad Six, so try to get along with them. Remember, outside the walls, teamwork is everything. This shouldn't be new to you. We have a common enemy, and to win against them, we need to work together."
It felt like he was talking directly to us new recruits.
"The meeting is dismissed. Make sure to meet outside the first wall an hour from now."
"Yes, Captain."
***
After the meeting ended, everyone except Saiya boarded the same cab, taking us to the first wall.
Maybe Saiya still wasn't used to being around guys. I wouldn't blame her. I would freak out if I were in a team filled with girls... nah, I think I'd get used to it, especially with the view of ass and thick thighs... sensational.
We arrived at the gate. Captain Leonard and some others were already there—probably Squad Six. Like us, there were six of them. I recognized a few from the exam, like the red-haired girl, Hinetsu, Kitetsu's supposed senior sister.
"You guys took your time," Saiya remarked.
"Good afternoon, Senior Saiya."
"Hm, good afternoon."
I still don't get why Kitetsu is so respectful, but at least he's better than Haruchi.
"Lady Saiya, please be my girlfriend!" Haruchi said, down on one knee with a ring box in his hand.
"I'm sorry, I can't," Saiya politely declined, as always.
'Tsk, tsk, tsk... you need to raise your standards, Haruchi,' I thought. I took a quick glance at Saiya—I'm not gonna lie, she looked kinda sexy in her battle suit. Her hips were nicely curved, her thighs too. If it weren't for the fact that she was such a bitch, I might have... well, not like I'm going to do anything. I'm not even sure I'll ever get a girlfriend. I'll work on my communication skills and maybe approach that girl named Sarada. She's the one.
I lifted my gaze, taking in Saiya's figure, and then our eyes met. I'm sure she caught me.
***
On the other side, Captain Leonard was speaking with a dark-skinned woman with long silver hair.
"Your squad is lively as always, Leo."
"Mm. How's the preparation?"
"Okay, I guess. We're ready to move."
"Then let's move."
There were a total of five rover buses: two for the squads, one for the engineering team, one for the control room, and the last for repair tools.
As everyone boarded the buses, the gigantic iron gate opened, revealing the wasteland ahead. The engines roared to life, and one by one, the buses left the walls, while every ranger at the gate post saluted them off to face the uncertain battle awaiting them.
***
In a distant land, far from the Shibuya walls, a figure wandered—a Nephilim. Its appearance was strikingly odd, unlike any Nephilim encountered before. The usual hardened scales most Nephilim had were replaced by soft, smooth, and slimy skin, ash-colored. Its head was round, with no visible organs to show it had a nose, eyes, or ears. On top of its head and back were long tubes, their purpose yet unknown.
It moved through an abandoned industrial area, as though searching for something—or someone. It bent down, picking up a metal scrap.
"Human resources are cheap. They lack authenticity..." it spoke, its voice shaky and robotic. "If only Linx were here, I wouldn't have to go through the trouble of finding test material for myself and Nera's experiment... so unfortunate, now how do I report this"
It stood up and continued its patrol.
Hidden within one of the still-standing buildings was a woman holding a boy tightly in her arms. Both were pale and thin due to malnutrition, yet their eyes burned with the will to survive. The woman placed a finger to her lips and gave the boy a series of hand signals, indicating her next move. She then whispered in his ear.
"I love you."
The boy's eyes widened at her words, he knew her plan.
The woman ran out of the building, coming face-to-face with the Nephilim.
"Hey, look at me, you demonic beast! Come get me!" she shouted before turning to run. But her legs were too weak. She tripped and fell to the ground, and couldn't get up.
She took one last look at her horrified son and spoke her final words.
"Run…"
Her head was blown apart by an invisible bullet, leaving trace of blood and flesh all over the ground
[KYOTO ARC]
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