Chương 7: 6: Belobog’s Overworld

<p>Entering the city of Belobog was the Express' Trio and a couple of Silvermane Guards. They were all led by the captain known as Gepard and couldn't help but relax slightly under the warmer temperature once entering the city. This is where the last civilisation of mankind on this planet reside. Shirou and his two companions listened to Gepard as the captain spoke about Belobog's history.<br/><br/>"Seven hundred years ago, monsters from beyond the sky set the world ablaze. The land was turned to scorched earth, with raging infernos and billowing towers of smoke stretching beyond the horizon. In the midst of the conflict, the Eternal Freeze descended without warning. Suddenly, sweeping winds brought blizzards which buried the invading Legion. Belobog was all that remained. The steadfast Architects built this city. Under the protection of Qlipoth the Preservation, Belobog remains forever warm in the face of unrelenting cold." <br/><br/>"...He's sure saying some weird stuff." March whispers to the two males next to her. <br/><br/>"A marked change in tone. It sounds like he's quoting from a historical record." Dan Heng shares his opinion.<br/><br/>"If this has happened 700 hundred years ago, it's only natural he would've learnt it from a book or something." Shirou says.<br/><br/>"Uh-huh, I understand that... So why is the telling us all this?" March questions.<br/><br/>"You wanted to know." Gepard answers, causing March to freeze in place. <br/><br/>The pink haired girl laughs nervously, as she was caught whispering but wasn't exactly discreet. Shirou rubs the back of his head with an apologetic smile and Dan Heng merely crosses his arms and closes his eyes with a sigh. Continuing their walk, Dan Heng asks;<br/><br/>"We saw strange creatures outside the city… They must have come from a tear in corroded space. A Fragmentum, correct?"<br/><br/>"How do you..." Gepard was slightly shocked when Dan Heng asked that, but remembered them being from beyond the sky. "That's right. Out there in the blizzard, there are still many threats... including the monsters you saw. The Silvermane Guards are continuously engaged with the enemy, but l'm afraid the situation is bleak... After your meeting with the supreme guardian, I would like to consult you on this matter. *sigh* We're lacking in intel." <br/><br/>"It's impressive you guys have held on this long. And it doesn't seem like the worst of the worst has come yet." Shirou says, looking at a few kids enjoying their sweets.<br/><br/>"Thank you... But what do you mean 'worst of the worst'?" Gepard thanks but questions Shirou's last words at the same time.<br/><br/>"I'm just glad you guys haven't caused children to lose out on their childhood and forcing them to grow up, fighting and training to engage in combat against the Fragmentum monsters." Shirou explains with a smile.<br/><br/>"None of the previous nor the current Supreme Guardians have ever given it a thought. The people here have chosen to join out of their own obligations." Gepard says, understanding where Shirou was coming from. "But to be honest..." The trailblazers look to Gepard in question, but he shakes his head. "Forget about it. We're already here."<br/><br/>"It's big..." March mutters.<br/><br/>"This is Qlipoth Fort, the heart of Belobog and headquarters of the Architects." <br/><br/>"Why name it Qlipoth Fort?" Shirou asks.<br/><br/>"Qlipoth is the symbol of Preservation. Under Qlipoth's impulsion, the Architects constructed Belobog, thus protecting the spark of civilization from disaster and the Eternal Freeze. To show our reverence, we named this fortress after the Aeon themself. The Architects, under the protection of Qlipoth, have continued to lead this city forward, repelling all manner of disasters." Gepard says, causing Shirou to smile. Shirou was happy that there are some good Aeons out there without the intent of causing destruction and mayhem. "This fortress is also the residence of the supreme guardian."<br/><br/>"The Supreme Guardian?" March asks.<br/><br/>"The leader of Belobog, elected and appointed by the Architects. The supreme guardians have watched over this city for generations, sheltering the people from harm. The current guardian is Madam Cocolia Rand. Every major strategic decision is issued by her." Gepard explains to the three.<br/><br/>"So she's the queen of Belobog?" Shirou says.<br/><br/>"That's... another way to put it. I will now bring you to see Madam Cocolia. Please have your words at the ready. Her time is precious, so she prefers concise communication."<br/><br/>"Uhh... We're gonna see her right now? Can I at least find a place to freshen up first?" March asks.<br/><br/>"How should we introduce ourselves towards the Supreme Guardian." Shirou also asks.<br/><br/>"Rest easy, the Madam Guardian doesn't care about formalities. Not to mention, you've only just arrived, it would be unexpected if you were familiar with Belobog customs." Gepard says, but Shirou decides he'll just bow as a show of respect. "I've dispatched a messenger to send word, Madam Cocolia will be aware of your arrival. Come with me." <br/><br/>The four made their way up the stairs and into Qlipoth Fort. Shirou mentally began preparing the right words to say to the Guardian of Belobog as this is his first trailblazing expedition. He can't just rely on March and Dan Heng only because they have more experience than the magus. <br/><br/>"..But that's a meaningless sacrifice, how can you—" <br/><br/>Entering the room, the four walked in on a young woman speaking. She has long grey hair with matching grey eyes, wearing a short white dress with blue and gold.<br/><br/>"Ahem... You may leave, Bronya. Visitors have arrived." An older woman with blonder hair with a slightly similar white dress cuts off the younger female now Shirou knows as Bronya.<br/><br/>"Yes, Mother." Bronya says, walking away, not even sparing a glance at the four.<br/><br/>"Madam Guardian, I have brought three outsiders to see you." Gepard speaks up as if they hadn't walked in on anything.<br/><br/>"The messenger informed me. Well done, Gepard. You may leave." Cocolia says as Gepard nods and leaves the room. "Welcome, visitors from beyond the Eternal Freeze. Or perhaps I should say: from beyond the sky... no? I am Cocolia Rand, Belobog's supreme guardian. I would be grateful if you could tell me why you have come." Shirou blinks in surprise at how understanding Cocolia seems.<br/><br/>"You believe us, Madam Guardian." Shirou asks with a tone of confusion.<br/><br/>"Do you wish me to doubt it? Or perhaps you're not confident in that identity yourself? Haha... No, I do not doubt it. I can see that you are not from this world. The Architects remember the history well, else we should forget it. I know that in the distant past, before the Eternal Freeze descended or the Legion invaded, this world was once prosperous beyond measure... An Aeon connected our planet to other worlds, and we discovered the endless possibilities of the boundless universe. We also came to know of Qlipoth, the Amber Lord. Under their attentive gaze, we built the city walls... So, do not be surprised. For seven hundred years, the Architects have received no further communication from the stars... but I knew of your existence. Tell me why you have come." <br/><br/>"I see..." Shirou says, but couldn't help but doubt her words slightly. It's not that he didn't believe her, something just felt off to the magus. "We've come here... for a Stellaron." Shirou says as his sharp eyes watches Cocolia like a hawk. <br/><br/>Once the words came out of his mouth, Shirou immediately notices the twitch in her eyelash, slight freeze in her movements, and mouth slightly open. She's on guard now. Shirou notices this but decides to not say anything for now as his words would mean nothing against the entirety of Belobog.<br/><br/>"A Stellaron?" Cocolia asks, as if not having a clue what it is. <br/><br/>Shirou concluded that lying was was like second nature to the woman. But once again, Shirou didn't understand, she doesn't feel threatening to him, but it's a different feeling. One he couldn't understand. Is it his own arrogance that's he's feeling in such away. No. It's different, like she's being misguided. Something Shirou could tell from her eyes.<br/><br/>"Objects that fell from the blue on separate worlds. Their appearance spelled disaster. Many of the planets we've visited have suffered their effects." Dan Heng speaks up while Shirou was still in deep thought. "You mentioned invasion by the Antimatter Legion. Soon after their arrival, this planet suffered the Eternal Freeze. At the same time, the phenomenon known as Fragmentum space corrosion began to occur. Correct?"<br/><br/>"...Correct." Cocolia says.<br/><br/>"Stellarons bring about different disasters on different worlds. But every world seeded with a Stellaron will give birth to Fragmentums. You can see us as... kindhearted interstellar public servants, lending a helping hand to any world affected by a Stellaron!" March says with a smile. <br/><br/>"Your analysis of our current circumstances is clear. We have indeed suffered the disasters you speak of, some of which prove vexatious to us even today... but why should you care? Even if this Stellaron you speak of did bring about disaster, I fail to see its connection to you. I don't believe that anyone would go to such lengths to help a world unrelated to them... unless they had something to gain." Cocolia says with suspicion, as her narrowed eyes observe the three.<br/><br/>"We're not trying to deceive you or anything Madam Guardian, but you're right. We also need to seal the Stellaron or else we're stuck here and can't leave." Shirou explains.<br/><br/>"Yeah! FYI, we're pretty awesome." March puffs out her chest.<br/><br/>"You... know how to seal the 'Stellaron'?" Cocolia asks, as if in fear, but the three trailblazers didn't notice.<br/><br/>"We have the relevant means." Dan Heng says.<br/><br/>"Very well, I believe you. If our present situation is truly the result of this so-called Stellaron, then your arrival is the hope that Belobog has waited seven hundred years for. I am willing to assist you in any way possible to help you locate the Stellaron." Cocolia says with a deceiving smile. "It's getting late, and you must be tired. I will arrange for you to stay in our most comfortable hotel. Rest there, and get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, at noon, I will dispatch someone to escort you here, and we can discuss this urgent matter in greater detail." <br/><br/>The auburn haired boy was impressed that the woman in front of the three was this good at lying. But Shirou couldn't rush to judgements without proof and had to be on guard.<br/><br/>"Thank you for believing and helping us." Shirou bows slightly.<br/><br/>"There is no need for that. After all, it should be me thanking you, visitors from beyond the sky. I too need some time. I will go over our records for anything that may be connected to Stellarons... Please excuse me for not escorting you further."<br/><br/>The three walked out of Qlipoth Fort, March feeling happy and relieved as she skipped down the stairs. As Shirou was thinking to himself, he catches Dan Heng's eyes and that's when they both understood, they also had their own suspicions of the Supreme Guardian as well - something they will talk about in private, when no one is around.<br/><br/>"It seems that the supreme guardian holds you in high regard. I have received orders that your movements are no longer to be restricted." Gepard says, walking up to the three. <br/><br/>"It's good to know I won't have to be looking over my shoulder every second now." Shirou jokes with a smile, which caused March and Gepard to chuckle.<br/><br/>"She's the big shot! Definitely got that 'queen of the castle' vibe going on. Aww, so cool." March says, definitely jealous.<br/><br/>"Haha. As much as I'd like to get to know you all and show you around, I'm afraid I still have duties to attend to. I must return to my post. I hope you enjoy your stay in Belobog." <br/><br/>"Wait! Can you recommend some sights? It's not that late, we wanna take a look around." March asks before Gepard could leave.<br/><br/>"Well, I'd say that Golden Theater and the History Museum are both worth a look. However, the museum is currently under renovation and we're not sure when it'll reopen again." Gepard says with his hand under his chin. Looking to his right, he points at a giant ice statue. "I recommend you visit Everwinter Monument first - it's Belobog's most symbolic landmark. And if you enjoy music, you could head to Neverwinter Workshop. You can sometimes catch an outdoor performance there. The artist is... *sigh* You'll see."<br/><br/>"Someone you know?" Shirou asks.<br/><br/>"Closer than you think." Gepard says before pointing to an alleyway. "If you're staying at Goethe Hotel, please avoid the alley that runs next to it - the one with Silvermane Guards stationed there. It started to be affected by corrosion recently, so it's been sealed off."<br/><br/>"So the corrosion is inside the city... that's a grave situation." Dan Heng says.<br/><br/>"Yes, we're mounting a resistance as we speak. I must leave now, I hope all goes well for you." Gepard says his farewell.<br/><br/>"Good luck." Shirou wishes the blonde haired male, who nods in response.<br/><br/>Once the three were left alone, they began walking around the city, few things catching the interest of the individuals. Dan Heng approached a store and bought a few books from a book merchant. The books he had bought were on Belobog's History, Mythological Tales of<br/>Jarilo: God of Spring & War, Analysis of Jarilo: God of Spring & War, etc.<br/><br/>"You're buying books?" Shirou asks, to which the spear user nods in affirmation.<br/><br/>"Yes. It's just some light reading so I can update the data of Jarilo-VI when we return to the Express." Dan Heng explains.<br/><br/>"Light reading he says..." March says as she has a deadpan expression on her face after seeing the amount of books bought by Dan Heng.<br/><br/>Shirou chuckles as he takes a few books from Dan Heng to help him out. Fortunately for the three, they were given bags to place the books inside, making it much easier for them to carry it. The moment March turned around to see where they should head to next, she grabbed the two males beside her by the arms and dragged them to a cotton candy stand.<br/><br/>"Woah!" <br/><br/>"Cotton Candy! It's been so long~" March says with hearts in her eyes after taking a bite.<br/><br/>Shirou and Dan Heng were now sitting on a bench, completely worn out as they had ran - no, more like been dragged to the other side of the city just to get March her cotton candy. The pink haired girl didn't even pay attention to their state of well-being as she took bites of the candy in her hand. Shirou and Dan Heng aren't even sure how March spotted the candy. Not even Shirou did until they were half way there. Smiling in delight with her hands on her cheek, March paused as if she realised something.<br/><br/>"I can't believe how stupid I am!" March says as she stares at the stick in her hand, before turning to Dan Heng and Shirou.<br/><br/>"Oh, it's okay March. I don't want any—" Shirou started to say before he was interrupted by March;<br/><br/>"I forgot to take a selfie with it! I'll just have to get another one~" March says to herself, throwing the stick in a trash can a few feet away from them. "Wait, did you say something Shirou?" March tilts her head at the auburn haired boy.<br/><br/>"N-no, don't worry, it was nothing." Shirou smiles wryly, waving his hand as he misunderstood March's realisation earlier and foolishly came up with his own assumption.<br/><br/>The female Archer nods and skips away to buy another. Dan Heng pats Shirou on the shoulder, as he gets out a book and starts to read it. Shirou sighs in slight embarrassment, but it seems Dan Heng sympathises with him as if the black haired male made the same mistake before. <br/><br/>Once March was done taking her photos of different sweets she ate (more like Shirou and Dan Heng stopped her from getting diabetes), the three continued their walk around the city before March pointed at a building.<br/><br/>"Neverwinter Workshop... Hey! Didn't Gepard say there'd be a show here?" March says as they head towards the store.<br/><br/>"I..." Shirou stares at the sign above the workshop's doors in wide eyes and confusion.<br/><br/>"Is something wrong?" Dan Heng asks.<br/><br/>"Huh? Uh... no, it's nothing." Shirou says.<br/><br/>Dan Heng was reluctant, but let it go and didn't question Shirou any further. The auburn haired boy didn't understand how he was able to read that sign. It should've looked like a bunch of squiggles to him, but instead he can read it. Not as easily as March when she pointed it out, but it took him a few seconds to make out the words. The problem was he hadn't learnt that language before, nor is it a writing style similar to any back in his world.<br/><br/>Shirou pushed the thoughts to the back of his head as he decides not to deal with this at the moment. <br/><br/>"Gepard mentioned we can 'sometimes catch an outdoor performance...', 'Sometimes' being the operative word." Dan Heng says to March, who pouts slightly in disappointment.<br/><br/>"Darn, I wanted to see one now..." March's eyes spot an orange light beside the workshop. "Hey, I've been wondering - you see that heater over there? Why do they keep it outdoors? This city is so weird... Normally you'd want a heater INSIDE a building, right?" March says in obvious tone.<br/><br/>"You're missing the point March. Without those heaters in the city, the temperature won't be warm enough for people to walk around outside." Dan Heng says with crossed arms.<br/><br/>"Hah, you guys sure have a lot to say about that broken heater." An unfamiliar female voice speaks from behind the trailblazers, causing them to turn around.<br/><br/>"Oh wow - She looks so cool~!" March says in awe, staring at the woman with blond hair that has dark blue streaks running through it.<br/><br/>"Hi there. The name's Serval, I'm the owner of this workshop. If you got any broken equipment lying around you can always come find me, though I can't guarantee I'll be interested in fixing it." Serval says.<br/><br/>"That's a bad pick up line for customers." Shirou says chuckling along with Serval.<br/><br/>"I was just curious about the heater..." March says.<br/><br/>"Curious? About the heater? It's just a standard Geomarrow radiator - you can find them anywhere in the Administrative District." Serval explains as she was confused by the trio's lack of knowledge.<br/><br/>"We're kind of new here, so there isn't much we know." Shirou says rubbing the back of his head.<br/><br/>"New...? Ah! So that's it!" Serval says, cupping her fist.<br/><br/>"What's it?" March asks.<br/><br/>"I overheard a loudmouthed guard say that a group of outsiders had met with Cocolia... You must be them? What an honor! Where are my manners - we can talk about heaters all day if you like. Let's have a chat~" Serval says opening the door to her workshop. <br/><br/>"You addressed the Supreme Guardian as Cocolia. Are you perhaps close with her?" Dan Heng asks, causing Serval's movements to halt for a second.<br/><br/>"You could say we used to be friends and worked together once." Serval says in melancholy.<br/><br/>Dan Heng decides not to question her further and ruin the awkward atmosphere. He was trying to find out more about Cocolia, but he can tell it would be futile with Serval, unless she says anything out of her own free will. <br/><br/>Once they entered, the three behind Serval looked around in amazement. There were different tools, gadgets and mechanisms lying around. The moment Shirou's eyes landed on the tools he'd never seen before, they were immediately imprinted into his brain as blueprints. A screwdriver on the floor catches Shirou's attention as he picks it up. He wasn't able to gather much history on the tool and everything it was used for, but a certain scene did pop into his head.<br/><br/>It was of Serval stabbing this specific screwdriver into a desk, while arguing with Cocolia, who's face remained impassive. Shirou could only trace a sword and it's history to the full extent, but with a screwdriver, there wasn't much he could gather. The magus didn't even think that there would be such an important detail in the history of a screwdriver, but he was proved wrong.<br/><br/>"Sorry everything's a mess." Serval says taking the screwdriver out of Shirou's hand and placing it into a toolbox.<br/><br/>"It's not a big deal." Shirou responds first.<br/><br/>"Yeah! This place is really cool~" March compliments.<br/><br/>"Thanks, it means a lot that some people out there don't find this place a mechanic's dump yard." Serval says, remembering the words of a blonde haired Silvermane captain. "About the heater you saw outside. It's just a standard Geomarrow radiator. They may not look like much, but they're a real lifeline to the people." Serval says, walking around a desk. "The blizzards here are brutal. If we didn't have a reliable way of keeping warm, Belobog would long since have become a dead city - both above and below the surface."<br/><br/>"Above and below?" Shirou asks in confusion.<br/><br/>"Does Belobog have an upstairs and downstairs?" March also asks.<br/><br/>"You didn't know? Belobog is structured like two big connected discs. The Overworld is responsible for administration and trade, while the Underworld is responsible for energy supply and resource extraction. However, due to an order that was given many years ago, nobody has moved between the Overworld and the Underworld in a long time." Serval explains to the three.<br/><br/>Shirou's fists clenched as he wanted to confirm something. "The only person that can give an order like that is..." <br/><br/>"Cocolia." Serval finishes, but her eyes widened and covered her mouth.  "Ah...! I shouldn't be talking about this. Pretend I never said anything." <br/><br/>Dan Heng bring out his phone and notices the time as he turns to his two companions. "We should go, it's getting late and we don't wanna be half asleep tomorrow."<br/><br/>"Tomorrow is a big day." Shirou nods.<br/><br/>"Now that you mention it." March yawns as she speaks. "I am pretty tired~"<br/><br/>"Cover your mouth March." Shirou scolds the girl who simply gives an innocent smile in response. "Sorry to leave Serval, but Dan Heng's right. It is getting late."<br/><br/>"It's not a big deal, I was about to finish off some of my work before getting some sleep myself. You guys should definitely come again. My workshop will always be open to you... and your wallets, of course." Serval says winking.<br/><br/>March and Shirou laugh a little at the blonde haired female's joke and say their byes while leaving the workshop. Once they exited the store, they looked up at the sky to see the sun is still barely visible behind the buildings. Shirou was impressed in how the sky in Belobog is clear, but outside, all that could be seen was snow. The technology here must be more advance than his home world in some terms and yet not at the same time.<br/><br/>"It's not that late." March says, turning to Dan Heng.<br/><br/>"There are a few thing we need to talk about first. Let's go somewhere more private." Dan Heng says.<br/><br/>The three walked to the Goethe Hotel and noticed the alley Gepard mentioned that had been contaminated by the Fragmentum. The noticed two guards standing diligently, doing their job in guarding the area. Once they entered the hotel and walked to the lobby, they ringed the bell and waited for someone to come to the front desk.<br/><br/>"Such a beautiful lobby! It's gonna be soft mattresses and cushiony pillows tonight!" March says as she spins around in delight. "Wanna have a pillow fight later? Huh? Huh? I bet they're stuffed with goose feathers, haha!" March says to the two males standing next to each other.<br/><br/>Dan Heng crosses his arms and speaks with a serious expression on his face: "March, earlier in Qlipoth Fort—"<br/><br/>"Stop! I know what you're gonna say: 'March, you said too much back there - March, you shouldn't reveal our goal to people we don't trust...' Meanwhile you guys were beating around the bush and speaking in riddles." March also crosses her arms and stares at Dan Heng with a frown.<br/><br/>"I don't think we spoke in riddles though." Shirou says.<br/><br/>"The point is everything worked out in our favour. Look around you - seems like we landed with a pretty sweet deal, right? We get the royal treatment, rooms in a beauuuutiful hotel, and the full support of the locals! As far as trailblazing goes, this is smooth as heck!"<br/><br/>"...That's... not what I was going to say." Dan Heng says.<br/><br/>"Alright, spit it out then." March place her hands on her hips.<br/><br/>"Earlier in Qlipoth Fort... were you paying attention to the Supreme Guardian?" <br/><br/>"Uhh, yeah, of course - this isn't my first expedition y'know. My powers of perception are sharper than the sharpest blade~" March says with a smug tone.<br/><br/>Shirou sighs as he speaks up. "March, didn't you notice how odd the Supreme Guardian was? How compliant she was, but also her odd behaviour towards the Stellaron?"<br/><br/>"Nope, she seemed normal to me. She was kinda harsh at first, but she turned out to be a nice, reasonable lady. Although..." March looks down in thought. <br/><br/>"Although..." Shirou says for her to carry on.<br/><br/>"Although... it felt like she was looking through me. As in, I know she was speaking to us, but it seemed like her gaze was fixed on something far away..." <br/><br/>"Hmm, I had a similar feeling. Almost as if we weren't the only people in the room." Dan Heng says, making March gasp in fear;<br/><br/>"Do you have to put it like that? That's scary..."<br/><br/>"What do you think?" Dan Heng asks Shirou.<br/><br/>"I felt like at the time, it wasn't Cocolia we should have been worried about... but whatever—"<br/><br/>"Sorry I took so long, there was a situation in the back." The receptionist says.<br/><br/>"No that's okay. Is there anything I can do to help." Shirou says with a smile, causing the receptionist to blush slightly.<br/><br/>"N-no, you don't have to worry. Everything's been sorted." The receptionist stutters a little, but laughs it off.<br/><br/>Shirou nods and the three were led to their rooms, which they'll be staying in. Dan Heng said they'll carry on the conversation tomorrow, but for now, they should get some rest. Once Shirou entered his room, he took off his shoes and coat. Laying down on the bed, and going to sleep. The teen started to shift around slightly with brows furrowed as he started to hear weird voices. Everything was dark in his dream and the voices got louder, more distorted and overlapping each other, saying they same thing. <br/><br/>No more like they kept calling out the same name.<br/><br/>"Cocolia... Cocolia..."<br/><br/>"Wh-Who are you...? What do you want...?"<br/><br/>"To rebuild... this dying world... To help you... achieve your wish."<br/><br/>Shirou sits up immediately in his bed with a slight gasp as he turns to the sound of knocking on his room door. Getting up and opening it, he sees March with a worried expression, telling him to get dressed and come out. Doing so, he exits the room to see Dan Heng waiting for him patiently, while March was walking around in a circle, waiting for Shirou.<br/><br/>"What's going on?" Shirou asks, wrapping his scarf around his neck.<br/><br/>"Didn't you hear what's going on outside?" March asks as she stops pacing.<br/><br/>"Outside." Shirou says, walking to a nearby window and moving the curtains out of the way. It was still dark out with the sun slowly coming up. Looking around on the ground, Shirou notices many Silvermane Guards outside, waiting for them. His eyes search the Silvermane Guards and notice Cocolia's daughter is outside, standing with a petite woman wearing glasses.<br/><br/>"You see? They just appeared out of now where, demanding us to come out." March says.<br/><br/>"At this time as well. Somethings wrong..." Dan Heng says.<br/><br/>"Cocolia did say we were gonna get an escort..." Shirou mumbled.<br/><br/>"If this is our escort, it's less friendly than I was expecting." March says, holding her hands to her chest. "... I just have a feeling."<br/><br/>"Let's go and meet them. We won't know until we're down there." Dan Heng says as the four walk downstairs to the lobby and leave the hotel. <br/><br/>"Hey! Commander Bronya is waiting for you all down below. Hurry up and go see her. And no tricks!" A guard says as he watches the three walk out.<br/><br/>"Are we... in a lot of trouble?" March asks.<br/><br/>"I hope not." Shirou responds as they walk down the stone stairs outside the hotel. <br/><br/>Once they got to the bottom, Shirou notices Bronya, the petite girl and at least 6 Silvermane Guards behind her. Glancing behind him, Shirou watches another 4 walk up from behind them, leaving their previous position in standing outside the hotel.<br/><br/>"Huh? It's you... you were there at the Fort..." March says, trailing off in confusion.<br/><br/>"I'm not sure what's going on, but I think there has been a misunderstanding." Shirou steps forward.<br/><br/>"I am Bronya Rand, acting commander of the Silvermane Guards. In the name of the Amber Lord in the highest, and under order of Supreme Guardian Cocolia Rand, I hereby arrest the suspected infiltrators under the charge of plotting to incite rebellion." Bronya says, ignoring March and Shirou's words, causing the three to tense up in confusion. "As agent of the supreme guardian, I herewith temporarily strip you of your freedom of action and speech. When you are tried by the adjudication panel, you will be given the opportunity to defend yourselves against the accusations. Resistance will prove futile. You must come with me."<br/><br/>"I'm sorry but there has to have been a mistake." Shirou says.<br/><br/>"Y-yeah, the Supreme Guardian said we were gonna be escorted to discuss an urgent matter! Not this!" March yells.<br/><br/>"...This is an orchestrated betrayal, obviously." Dan Heng speaks up, causing March to gasp.<br/><br/>"It seems like our suspicions were right." Shirou sighs in disappointment.<br/><br/>"Looks like we've been downgraded to accomplices... again. Seems like it's every third planet this happens." March sighs as well.<br/><br/>"That's because you always act without thinking - you never have a plan." Dan Heng crosses his arms, blaming the girl.<br/><br/>"This isn't the time to be playing the blaming game - even if it was March's fault." Shirou says.<br/><br/>"Yea— Hey!" March turns to Shirou with narrowed eyes, showing betrayal. "I'll show you both." March grumbles. "I'll come up with a plan right now... aaaand... got one!" Glancing to their left, March notices the Alleyway locked off. A light bulb appears above the girl's head as she whispers to the two: "Shirou, Dan Heng, the alley!" <br/><br/>"The one that's been sealed off... Hmm, it's possible." Dan Heng says in thought. "The two of you be ready to make an escape."<br/><br/>"I've got a way to immobilise 6 of them." Shirou says.<br/><br/>"I'll take care of the rest." Dan Heng says.<br/><br/>"Huh? We're really doing this? I just wanted to say something..." March says.<br/><br/>"Hey! What are you lot whispering? Let's get going." A guard speaks up from behind.<br/><br/>"... Now!" Dan Heng says.<br/><br/>Immediately after pushing March's head down, which causes her to yelp, Dan Heng takes out his spear and spins, aiming for the guards' legs. Once a couple of them were on the ground, he lets go of March and starts running to the alleyway. Shirou, knocked a gun out of a guards hands as he back jumps into the air and traces Black Keys. 6 of them, stabbing it into the shadows of the guards, which were visible thanks to the sun's appearance. The guards that were about to shoot the running individuals couldn't move at all, they're whole body frozen. <br/><br/>"W-what the-?! I-I can't MOVE!" <br/><br/>"W-what's going on?!"<br/><br/>"H-hey! How the hell!?"<br/><br/>"Sorry! You'll be able to move again in a few minutes." Shirou yells.<br/><br/>The four guards that were previously floored by Dan Heng get up and pick their guns up as they tried to shoot the escaping targets. However, before they could even press the trigger, the gun became cold as icicles started coming out from the inside of the gun. March, just before entering the Fragmentum, looks back an pokes her tongue out, waving;<br/><br/>"Have an 'ice' day!" The female archer says before jumping into the portal with Dan Heng and Shirou following in behind.<br/><br/>"They charged straight in!" Pela says as Bronya and her stop outside the portal.<br/><br/>"...Escaping into a Fragmentum. I don't know if they're overconfident or just eager for death. It would seem that mother's judgment was correct..." Bronya says to herself.<br/><br/>"Should we report them as missing or deceased?" Pela asks.<br/><br/>"The supreme guardian's order was to arrest them. We cannot abandon our pursuit just because they fled into a sealed off area. I must ascertain their fate with my own eyes." Bronya says to Pela.<br/><br/>"Y-Yes, ma'am." <br/><br/>They both turn around to see 6 guards standing frozen, not moving at all. Walking up to them, a guard that isn't under the effects of a Black Key turns to Bronya;<br/><br/>"Lady Bronya! We're... unsure of what to do? They can't move, no matter how hard they try." <br/><br/>"Hmm... Those daggers." Bronya says, walking to one and kneeling down.<br/><br/>"He threw them, but they missed." Pela says, walking up from behind her.<br/><br/>"No he didn't. Look we're they're stabbed into."<br/><br/>"Huh? Their... Shadows!" Pela exclaims in surprise as she adjusts her glasses. Looking around, she sees all the daggers stabbed into their shadows. "Do these weapons have some kind of special ability or element imbued into it."<br/><br/>Bronya takes one out of the ground and the frozen guard next to her immediately fell on his butt. "Amazing." Bronya mutters. "Take this into—" The sharpshooters words were cut short as the dagger in her hand disappeared into blue molts. The same happened with the other five as all guards fell down to the ground. <br/><br/>"I can move." <br/><br/>"Oh! My back!"<br/><br/>"It seems the one who threw these is the one we should look out for the most." Bronya says.<br/><br/> |——————————————————————|<br/><br/>"Hah! See, they weren't brave enough to follow us! Freedom!" March says, jumping in joy as they successfully got away. "Serves them right! Better luck next time, slowpokes!" <br/><br/>"We only got away by luck." Shirou say.<br/><br/>"Well, you can get good at getting lucky~" March says with a smug smile.<br/><br/>"That doesn't mean we shouldn't keep moving. Something tells me Cocolia will do everything in her power to get rid of us." Shirou say with a stern look as now wasn't the time to be celebrating.<br/><br/>"Shirou's right. They'll be in pursuit soon enough. Especially now that we're wanted by Belobog." Dan Heng says.<br/><br/>"Yeah yeah~ So which way?" March asks.<br/><br/>"Let's follow the path. We need to guarantee our own safety before making any further plans." Dan Heng says.<br/><br/>The three began running down the path, on guard with their weapons out, as they had to be careful. Things had just gotten complicated for them as the three tried to understand why they're wanted. Shirou has a hunch that it has something to do with the Stellaron, but decides not to mention anything for now. <br/><br/>The trio came across different monsters along the way, the fire birds were easily dealt with March shooting her arrows, pinning them to the wall and killing them instantly as they were weak against her Six-Phased ice. Dan Heng and Shirou dealt with the rest, while March supported them by providing a temporary shield on the two while they fought humanoid fire and ice monsters - Shirou worried about how their appearance was oddly similar to the Silvermane Guards.<br/><br/>"You don't have to worry, they're just simply shades that wander the Fragmentum, taking the shape of the Silvermane Guards and mimicking them." Dan Heng says, clearing the worries of the auburn haired boy.<br/><br/>Coming up to a closed gate with a weird mechanism in front of it. It was shaped as a 3D metal Hexagon. It has a glowing orange circle on it. March tries tapping the thing but nothing happens. <br/><br/>"Here let me try." Shirou says as he placed his hand on the mechanism. "𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗘 𝗢𝗡." Shirou mutters as his hand glows green in the shape of circuits. Shirou immediately notices it's a few screws and circuits of the controller he's currently touching, that needs fixing. Projecting a copy of the screwdriver from Serval's workshop, he walks around the controller, behind it and works on the circuits. Once he was done, he walked back around and hovered his hand over the orange circle, causing it to disappear and start making weird noises.<br/><br/>Looking up, the gate opens for them as they continued their run down the path. After a couple more minutes of running down the path, the three see a portal up ahead, causing them to increase their speed. Unfortunately, they came to a halt as a hail of bullets were shot towards them. Jumping back, they look to see tens of Silvermane Guards revealing themselves, surrounding the trailblazers. Looking up to their left and right, Shirou sighs as he stares at the guards perched, aiming their guns at them.<br/><br/>"She really caught up with us..." March says, slightly out of breath from the surprise attack. Watching more guards appear in front of them, blocking their path from the portal, she continues: "Even had time to set up an ambush." March scratches the back of her head in dismay.<br/><br/>"Hmph, you dare underestimate me?" Bronya's voice spoke up from behind them. Turning around they look to see her walking up to them with more Silvermane Guards behind her. "Even though it has suffered Fragmentum corrosion, this is still part of Belobog. It was our home. The Guards know this place like the back of their hand. Enough cat and mouse, drop your weapons and come with me." <br/><br/>"Ugh, you're such a nuisance! Just what crime are we supposed to have committed again? It better be worth you following us all the way out here!" March yells in frustration.<br/><br/>"My orders are to arrest you. It is for the adjudication panel to present you with the nature and penalty of your alleged crimes." <br/><br/>"You saw us yesterday, do you remember? Madam Cocolia received us as honored guests. How can such a drastic change have occurred in the course of one night?" Dan Heng says, crossing his arms.<br/><br/>"..The Madam Guardian investigated your backgrounds. She summoned me last night to tell me that you had deceived her. Your identities and purpose here are counterfeit. You seek to overthrow the rule of the Architects." Bronya answers.<br/><br/>"Ah! What a two-faced hag!" March yells with a frown.<br/><br/>"It's obvious Cocolia isn't the person we thought she was." Shirou says with narrowed eyes.<br/><br/>"Publicly insulting the supreme guardian only elevates the seriousness of your crimes. Throw down your arms and surrender!" <br/><br/>"We're wasting our words, March. At least one thing is clear: We mustn't be caught." Dan Heng says.<br/><br/>"Well, if there's no escape, then maybe it's time we gave them a taste of Astral Express medicine!" March yells with confidence and excitement.<br/><br/>Once March had said those words, she materialised an arrow and shot it at Bronya, however that arrow was intercepted by a guard standing by her side. Immediately, the guards perched above them, started shooting. Dan Heng covers March's back and starts spinning his spear so fast that it acts as a shield, blocking the bullets. Shirou doesn't hesitate to run into the oncoming bullets, dodging and tracing Kanshou and Bakuya. <br/><br/>Throwing the twin swords at the two separate rows of guards, they were forced to stop and dodge the blades. One guards wasn't lucky as they didn't pay attention to their surroundings and was knocked out as soon the Kanshou hit their head. What the guards didn't know was that Shirou made his blades blunt as he had no intention in killing them. They were simply being manipulated and used by Cocolia after all.<br/><br/>Shirou catches his blades and turns his head to the two behind him behind him. "I'll deal with the shooters."<br/><br/>"I'll deal with the ones behind us." Dan Heng nods.<br/><br/>"I'll take the ones at the front." March says, notching another arrow. Shooting it, it turns into multiple, thinner arrows, freezing some guards in place.<br/><br/>Shirou immediately creates 2 nameless swords in the air. They shoot off to the incoming guards, exploding on impact. The damage was minimal and the projection was weak as the magus didn't optimally trace them. Seeing some guards preparing their guns, Shirou creates a bow and rains down 30 arrows on the guards forcing them to dodge once again. He creates more arrows once again and aimed for the guns, shooting them out of the gaurds' hands.<br/><br/>Seeing some charge at him, Shirou runs at them with Kanshou and Bakuya back in his hands. Leaving openings on purpose, drawing in the guards and knocking them out. Shirou was able to predict the movements and instantly come up with a counter for each strike and attack that was towards him thanks to two things. One is his skill: Mind's Eye, having fought Silvermane Guards before, he was easily able to fight back without much trouble and easily overpower them. Another thing was that the guards all the seemed to have had been taught the same fighting style and pattern. While their strengths and speed were each different, that didn't bother Shirou too much as he was barely reinforcing his limbs.<br/><br/>While they had the advantage in numbers, Shirou had the advantage in experience. However, for Shirou, his experience was thanks to the memories he got from his future self every time their blades had clashed against each other in the past. While it was cheating, that didn't matter to Shirou, because the only thing that did was saving as many as he can. Shirou having dealt with all the guards, turned to see if March and Dan Heng needed any assistance. Walking over to them, he watches as Dan Heng swings at an incoming guard trying to attack an open March. The guard flies back but was thankfully caught by Bronya.<br/><br/>"I'll handle these evildoers myself!" Bronya says, taking out her gun.<br/><br/>Shooting a bullet, Shirou immediately deflects it, however he was sent skidding back a couple of feet from the force and his blades were slightly cracked. Shirou was surprised but understood that her bullet was imbued with a wind element. Dan Heng ran at Bronya and striked her. She blocked with the sword attached to her gun and fought back, sparks flying as they continued for another 5 seconds. She was able to keep up with Dan Heng's attack speed and had even been able to shoot a bullet when she caused Dan Heng to leave the side of his body open. Luckily Dan Heng was able to twist his body in the last moment, avoiding it. Bronya looks up to see March's arrows coming towards her, but Bronya was faster and able to dodge out of the way with ease. <br/><br/>Clicking her tongue in dissatisfaction as Bronya remembers there's three of them against her. Her eyes widened as remember the third criminal. Turning her head to look behind her, she sees Shirou's blades coming towards her neck. She tries to jump back and dodge, but either way, she'll be injured. Fortunately for her, two guards arrived and blocked shirou's attack. They wobbled under the force of it and Bronya instantly came out of her stupor. She dodges Dan Heng, who attempted to strike her down while distracted. The reason for her distraction was because she didn't see death when gazing at Shirou's incoming at from before, instead she notice his unique swords to be blunt. Who brings faulty weapons to a fight?…Is she perhaps being looked down on? Bronya shook her head, ridding her head of these thoughts. <br/><br/>Once the guards returned to her side, she spoke;<br/><br/>"𝗪𝗘'𝗩𝗘 𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗠…"<br/><br/>Bronya holds her gun vertically, with the butt of her gun on the ground. Closing her eyes, wind and snow gathered around her, swirling around not only her but the two guards as well. <br/><br/>"𝗧𝗢 𝗚𝗨𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗗𝗘𝗙𝗘𝗡𝗗…"<br/><br/>The top of her gun where the sharp tip of her blade was had shined the colour blue brightly as she spoke. If one looked closely, they could see the guards next to her had their bodies tensed and their muscles grow slightly as the grip they had on their weapons became tighter.<br/><br/>"𝗖𝗥𝗨𝗦𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗠!" <br/><br/>The commander of the Silvermane Guards pointed the gun at the three in front of her. The two guards on her sides ran at a faster speed than before to the trio. Shirou and Dan Heng block their attacks but couldn't help let out a sound of surprise. The attacks of the guards were heavier and stronger. They seemed a little faster and confident their strength now, unlike before. The reason for this was because Bronya had enhanced their attack power with her Ultimate: The Belobog March.<br/><br/>While Dan Heng and Shirou dealt with the guards, March dealt with Bronya, shooting arrows continuously at the gray-haired girl. Bronya responded in kind and shot back with bullets from her gun. Both occasionally stopping to dodge the incoming attacks. March immediately jumps into the air and fires two arrows at once, which break apart into 50 arrows. Bronya seeing this aims her gun at March, who's figure is visible behind the incoming arrows. A holographic aiming sight appears as she imbues high amounts of wind in this one bullet. <br/><br/>Once the bullet flies out the gun, it went faster than March's eyes could perceive. It instantly destroyed the arrows it came into contact with and the surrounding arrows as well. However, the closer it got to March, the slower it became as it's speed became that of a regular bullet, with slight frost around it. March immediately creates a shield on herself with the Power of Cuteness. Bringing her arm to cover her face, the bullet hits March's arm and causes the girl to fall back down to the ground, waving her arm around. Just because she had a shield, doesn't mean she couldn't feel the force of the attack.<br/><br/>"This girl's pretty strong..." March mutters as she was slightly out of breath. The same was for Bronya as she didn't think she would have this much trouble. Seeing Shirou and Dan Heng done with the two guards and returning to her side, she speaks up. "Hey, maybe now would be a good time for the two of you to show off your secret strength?!"<br/><br/>"We don't have to go that far." Shirou says.<br/><br/>"...You first." Dan Heng responds to March's question after a few seconds.<br/><br/>Hearing their responses, she couldn't help but frown. "Ugh, you both are no fun."<br/><br/>"Intruders, give it up! You will be guaranteed a fair trial." Bronya tries to convince them. <br/><br/>"Ooh! Sorry, I didn't mean to ruin the intensity of the moment~" <br/><br/>Just as Bronya was about to carry on, a familiar voice speaks up, interrupting the four. They all look around to see where the voice came from. Hearing the sound of clacking on the stone floor, they look to see three bombs landing at their feet. Before anything could even be said, smoke was released from the bombs causing the four to cover their mouths.<br/><br/>"What is this?" Bronya says with a gasp.<br/><br/>"Don't breathe it in!" Shirou yells as he coughs and jumps away, trying to escape the smoke. All that did was waste his strength as he couldn't get far enough away and once landing back on the ground, his knees had buckled and fell to the ground.<br/><br/>"I can't breathe." March says, coughing.<br/><br/>Shirou tries to look around but couldn't see anyone. Looking up to his left, he sees a black figure walking towards him. Hearing three thuds, Shirou's heart stops beating.<br/><br/>"I have one thing to say." The black figure says before coming into Shirou's view. Even then, because Shirou was losing consciousness really fast, his vision was blurry and he couldn't make out the person nor their voice. "Sampo never lets friends who've helped him come to harm." Shirou barely registered the words said as he drops to his back and eyes start to close. "I say what I mean... and I mean what I say." <br/><br/>That was the last thing Shirou heard before everything went dark.<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>A/N:<br/><br/>8146 Words.<br/><br/>Sorry for the late chap, got hooked on this Webnovel called "The Author's POV".<br/><br/>Everyone who doesn't know it should read it if your into a person being transmigrated into their own novel as an extra.<br/><br/>I'm current binging it.<br/><br/>A few things of this chapters I had skipped, because I found them a waste of time to write. <br/><br/>Dan Heng card words when he's running from the guard's where he says : "two pairs, ace" or whatever, I never understood it so I got rid of it.<br/><br/>Anyway hope you enjoyed this chapter!<br/></p>