บท 21: Rig Blown Up
"June!" the girl cried as June's face caught her eyes in the courtyard of Ling's vacation home.
"Red! You arrived." June ended up in a village near the capital, where most of the people fled.
"You shouldn't have left me!" Red jogged towards her.
"I'm sorry, Red… I… I couldn't wait…" June stared at her left arm. "How's your arm? You're unconscious! You needed stitches! You're the one who shouldn't left the infirmary!"
"I'm way better now. And you are not going anywhere without me anymore," she said coldly.
Meanwhile, Itu and Fei Yu exchanged cold gazes.
"Fine…. Red, please don't be reckless on your body. You almost lost your arm…"
Red let out a soft sarcastic laugh. "If you care about your limbs too much in a battle, then you'll be dead soon." She turned to Itu, who was nonchalant as usual. "Itu."
"Red," he returned the courtesy.
"How are things going with Kibo?" she asked June.
"We couldn't confront her as she fought for the Dynasty before our eyes. We decided to follow her instead. But we lost her…. We must rejoin her. Even if she is not implicated in any crimes, she definitely knows something about my father…" Red noticed It was the first time she uttered 'my father' not 'the Emperor'.
"Sorry to interrupt…" Ling appeared with a devasted look. "I think you all deserve to know something…. A shadow rig blew up in the nearest village…. A horrible catastrophe…" Ling flopped on the courtyard steps. June flung to help him. "They say there's been some mighty powers fighting there... And I heard Kibo went there before the catastrophe!"
June's face turned pale. Probably not because she wouldn't get any clue about her father… but because Kibo was once her friend.
"Let us proceed without delay." Itu was somehow calm. "June, Red. Let's go." He started stalking. June jogged and followed him immediately.
Watching the party going away, Ling fought off a moment of hesitation and stood up. He stalked fast enough at that old age to surprise Red.
Red couldn't understand exactly what blew up. She thought perhaps it was a massive industrial accident. She jogged to catch up with Itu and noticed Fei Yu was coming behind her.
"Hey! We're not taking you. Go see a doctor."
"I'm not coming with you. I'm coming with Ling… to check if my master is okay…"
Kibo… She was Fei Yu's master. Red shoved aside the probability of Fei Yu eloping with her. It was no time to argue with herself… or with him. The five of them nearly jogged to the exploded village. Her head throbbed little by little. A familiar anticipation of treats crept up in her mind with every step toward the explosion. She was so focused on the present and her companions that she couldn't hear the spooky voice mumbling in her head.
Gradually the ruins of massive structures were revealed on the horizon. Jade blue curtains like Aurora were radiating from the ruins. Who knew how many people died. Ling told them to be ready for everything because breaking a shadow rig requires immense strength. Her brain was calculating multiple scenarios. Perhaps Kibo was fighting with someone or something….
She saw something like a mechanical human near the ruins, holding a long spear-like weapon known as a naginata. He was completely covered with gear, including goggles, a hat, gloves, and a hooded mask.
"The smithy will be locked down. Entry is forbidden," he talked like a robot. But his voice confirmed he was indeed human. "Relinquish all shadow devices and remain here. You shall not—" Before he could finish, the butt of Itu's katana flung from its case as Itu swished it and hit his forehead. The guy fell to the ground, showing no sign of movement.
"The Heralds' Feldshers…," Itu spoke while they moved on. "They appear after shadow accidents to remove contamination. We didn't have time to talk to him…"
Red had seen many Heralds before. But this one was nothing like them. He wore unusual high-tech gear. Did everyone in the Dome look like that? She heard the technology of the Heralds was amazing… and she was beginning to believe it!
They entered the ruins while the sun was setting.
Why… why… why… The girl was fazed momentarily as she heard that voice echoing in her mind again.
"Kibo?" June called softy.
Red was drawn back to the moment and noticed a Herald girl was walking like a zombie nearby. There was no one else. Judging by the back, she agreed it was Kibo.
"Kibo?" Red called loudly. Kibo turned back to them, startling everyone. One of her eyes glowed with the jade blue beam. But she wasn't in the shadow form. Her right hand held her katana, which shimmered with jade blue as well. She seemed to be injured.
Kibo shambled closer. She uttered painfully, "I… can't… hold it… for much longer…" The next moment, a weak Kibo dramatically regained her strength and attacked Red for no good reason. Her body seemed to disobey her.
A battle began: Four versus one.
"Don't hurt her!" Ling yelled. He was the only one who wasn't confronting Kibo.
Kibo pushed everyone aside as if she waded through the crowd of armed fighters only to kill Red.
"Red, take it! You can't defend yourself with a knife!" Fei Yu swiftly passed his katana to Red and picked up a pole from the debris.
The girl tackled Kibo directly. Her body reacted like it was possessed. Red had seen her fighting with a great katana skill. But now she fought like a beast. Had she been infected by the scourge? 10.10.24
No time to think about these. Kibo disarmed her. Her wound started to ooze blood. The idea and the opportunity came at once—Greta's move.
Red ran and threw herself onto Kibo, slamming her on the ground. With the others' help, she got the katana out of her hand and pinned her on the ground, grasping both of her hands. "Tie her! Hurry!"
Kibo stared into her eyes. Her right eye sparkled with the jade blue beam, blinding Red with its unnatural shimmering. 'Why do you obey them? Why do you obey them? Why do you obey them?' the voice echoed in every direction, suppressing others' screams.
'I'm into this mess on my own. Nobody dragged me. We find the Emperor, we find the sphere,' she murmured under her breath. Her vision got blurred. 'Why? Why? Why?' She knew it was an illusion. She told herself not to let go of Kibo. 'Where are you? Where are you!' the spooky voice cried as if it were in misery.
Red suffocated. Her pupil was dilated. And a strange energy ran through her veins, buzzing her every muscle.
"Red!" June's voice muffled.
"Red!" Fei Yu.
"Are you okay?"
"Don't touch me!" She thought she was infected. "There is a huge source of shadow energy," she mumbled and pointed in a direction.
"Yes, it is a shadow energy ore…," June spoke. "Are you okay, Red?"
"Yes. I'm fine… just seeing… stars…"
'Find me… Please! Find me!' the eerie voice pled.
ความคิดของผู้สร้าง 
TheNamelessOne_RED
TheNamelessOne_RED The end of Volume 1: The Dynasty. Next one: The Heralds.
Thanks to all who have been with me till this…
( ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)⁾⁾
Mind if I take a vacation? See ya...
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