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"Out of all of these new recruits, which ones do you think stand out the most? We have six different groups, split evenly from three volunteer groups and three scouted groups," a blue-haired woman asked. Her outfit was a mixture of red and black, what looked to be glowing yellow ports. Her skirt was of the same color palette. If anything, her hair looked far more out of style in comparison.
"Major Kyoka, we all know that the OSF relies on strength," a man replied to her. The OSF stood for the Other Suppression Force. The job of the OSF is to recruit psionics—humans with extra-sensory abilities—to fight the Others.
"Seto, you and I both know that most may not survive the SAS procedure, let me be a tad optimistic," Kyoka said. Seto, the man she addressed, was one of the Septentrions of the OSF, making him one of the de facto leaders. Seto shrugged as the recruiter made the first group of scouted members step up to the plate, for lack of a better term. Seto was wearing more of a formal jacket with the same yellow ports on his outfit.
A third man was seated close by; he did not speak much, and when he did, it came with a small price…
...to everyone's hearing. It’s always active, much to his displeasure. One of the rare cases of linking with SAS.
The recruiter's voice passed through the walls of the observation center as if they were right here, "Now, this will not be like training. The pain you will feel is very real." What they didn't know was that someone was going to die. The facility at Suoh was only one of many OSF bases.
The tension over the recruits was easily felt by the three people in the observation watching, but the third man's eyes narrowed. While wearing the same type of outfit as Seto and Kyoka, he had a mask that covered his mouth, more like a muzzle. A hood obscuring most of his face, and all that one could see was the deepest blue eyes to ever grace the world. So, to mitigate the need for speaking, he tapped on his armor, "The girl, silver hair, red eyes, and hand-made hairpiece...she has intrigued me."
Universal Sign Language. The way this third man can communicate. Since his connection to the SAS, or the Struggle Arms System, he was unable to speak in fear of quite literally deafening his comrades. Thankfully, with advancements in technology, their hearing has since been restored. “Oh? In what way, Hiroki?”
“She feels… different, but the same feeling radiates from another recruit I have met in passing,” the last known figure ‘spoke’ again, Hiroki. The last recruit of the batch passed the connection, making the recruiter in front of them nod approvingly, not even sparing a glance at the cadaver second in line of them. The Randall siblings still held hands even after separating from their hug.
Another thing to note, none of the members present look their age. Kyoka was somewhere in her mid-fifties but looks twenty-three. Seto was in his mid-sixties but looks twenty-seven. Hiroki was actually the youngest looking of them all—being only twenty-one when he was scouted—and shared about seventy-five percent of their experiences.
The reason for their young bodies was because of an anti-aging drug that they were told—read: forced—to take. This was to preserve the longevity of their forces. Doesn’t help when some potential recipients have adverse reactions to it. Thankfully, Hiroki was not one of them.
Even though he was one rank below Kyoka, who is a Major, making him a Captain—the same as Lazy Ara, he acts with far greater precision. It’s not about the ranks, it’s about defending the people from the Others.
Speaking of the Others, a brief explanation is necessary. No one knows when the Others came to the world, but they were ravenous monsters who devour human brains to keep them ‘sane’. No conventional weapons worked on them, resistant to most everything, and nigh unkillable, at least before the OSF was founded. After that, there was hope.
“Interested in Kasane Randall, are you?”
That name made Hiroki look sharply at Seto, “Randall? I thought they only had one daughter...is she adopted?”
“Told you he would put that together quickly, Seto,” Kyoka giggled.
The Septentrion sighed, “Yeah yeah, you were right.”
“I am still here, you know?” Hiroki joked. However, his words took a serious tone, “The Randalls are one of the big military powers, and they fund some of the OSF, do they not? If so, why are their daughters here?”
“She’s not an only child, Hiroki,” Seto said, eyeing the girl next to her. “Her adopted sister, Naomi Randall—the actual daughter of the family—is the only one to who Kasane will open up. Not to mention Kasane is the top recruit in all of her classes, her scouting abilities even rival Kohana.”
Hiroki raised an eyebrow, to rival Kohana, one of the best scouts that the OSF has to offer is high praise. Kyoka nodded in agreement, a teasing smile on her lips.
As if the Randall girls were being talked about, they turned to the observation center. “Looks like they don’t appreciate being talked about…” Hiroki fell silent as the connection to SAS was put in Naomi, to which he saw the stoic façade of the scout falter as she was worried about her. Admirable. The blonde waved off her sister, as she herself braced for the wires to connect.
They did so without mercy. The pain that Kasane was feeling was enough to get a sympathetic wince from the three commanders. It was never a pretty sight but it was necessary. The silver-haired girl clutched her head as marks appeared around her eyes, like scratches. The marks glowed a bright orange before disappearing, leaving her face clean like it was before. Her connection to SAS was a success. Both Randall siblings survived. Naomi literally jumped on Kasane, who reciprocated the hug, a tiny smile noticeable on her face.
Between idle conversation, Hiroki briefly left to gather personnel files on Kasane Randall and the other recruit who Hiroki had his eye on, Yuito Sumeragi. Yuito is the second son of the Sumeragi family. Their political power is overwhelming, not to mention that his brother is serving as a Commander to the OSF. Duty must run in the family… you would know something about that, wouldn't you...
However, that was the excuse that he gave Kyoka and Seto. It was the fact he saw them again.
Those damned red strings. They gave Hiroki nightmares.
The rest of the recruits actually went well, and Yuito Sameragi had the same thing happen to him. Hiroki remembers that the Sumeragi family and the Randall family often clash due to differing ideals, but who knows how they’ll react to seeing one another. Still, it would be no surprise if those two started conversing, or they might try to kill one another. He may just have to step in if things go bad.
Yuito had the same orange markings appear, but they were across his left eye, reaching all the way to his right cheek, near the shell of his ear. Hiroki noticed the same thing he did with Kasane. Once the SAS connection was over, a girl with a side updo and lilac eyes pulled him into a hug, along with another boy, who Hiroki believed was Nagi Karman—childhood best friend by the looks of it.
If they get assigned together, their bonds through SAS will grow tremendously. The same applies to Kasane if her sister is assigned with her.
Their power was Psychokinesis. The ability to use their minds to push, pull and throw objects at their enemies. Paired with their future squadmates, whoever they may be, they can easily traverse the battlefield and obliterate any Other in their way. The world is their weapon, and they would get the chance to test it out.
As for the red strings, they were more like mirages, but he has seen them enough to know that they were not illusions. He just didn't know what they meant. The meanings behind his dreams were vague.
Something was going to happen with these two, and with how vague his own dreams were, there was really nothing that he could do. As much as he wants to order them to not interact, that simply would go against one of the core values of the OSF.
These values are as follows:
- Strength is the leading factor.
- The OSF is a family.
- Defend your comrades, even if it costs you your life.
- If a comrade falls, give them a proper burial.
The value it goes against is number two. The OSF is and always has been a family. The ranks they are given, even up to Septentrion, are usually disregarded for the sake of using their first names. The ranks are for payment calculation. That's it. Hiroki could care less about pay.
"Hiroki, do you have a minute?" Kyoka asked.
"How can I help you, Kyoka?" Hiroki responded. While Morse Code was an option, he prefers sign. Morse is for long-range communique.
The blue-haired Major smirked, "As it turns out, both Randall girls have been assigned to my platoon. I know you’re interested in her abilities, so…”
“You’re asking me to come along?” Hiroki said skeptically. Of course, he’d like to go along, but he has to go see his own commander about that.
Kyoka giggled, an action clearly out of the ordinary. Hiroki didn’t find any of this funny. As if having read his mind, “I’ve already cleared it with your platoon leader. The choice is yours.”
The young man thought about it. Maybe I’ll be able to ask her a question about it. If I saw them, then surely she has to have seen them, right?
“Don’t think too hard, Hiro,” Kyoka lightly punched his shoulder.
“Sure, I’ll join you, but I’m not lifting a finger unless the situation is dire. If I’m not mistaken, this is a training mission, meant to assess them, right?” Hiroki said, confirming her intentions.
Kyoka nodded seriously, “We leave in a day. There’s an old abandoned construction site that is prime grounds for an evaluation.
“Who is in your platoon? I want to know who I’m working with. Obviously, I know about Arashi and the Randall siblings, but who else?”
“Shiden Ritter, electrokinesis. He transferred from another platoon. Kagero Donne, invisibility. Fourteen and twelve years respectfully. They’ve shown they are dependable and they are going to be helpful in this adventure,” Kyoka said.
"I will arrive separately, but do I get to test them?"
"Are you going to use your voice?" Kyoka eyed him critically here. Hiroki shook his head in the negative. "Good, I like being able to hear."
The group of Kyoka, Shiden, Naomi, Arashi, Gemma, and Kasane arrived in the Mizuhagawa District. "Major Eden, I have a question."
"Naomi, don't be so formal. We call each other by our first names because we strengthen our bonds that way."
Slightly condescending, Shiden had something to say, "The OSF only recognize strength." His glasses fell to his nose and he pushed them up, with slight arrogance, but we all know that he was trying to preserve his cool. Gemma, a tall man, whose ability allows him to negate damage shook his head and rolled his eyes. Arashi looked disinterested, her true personality shining through.
While not the best way to say it, Kyoka reluctantly agreed with the electrokinesis operator. Naomi asked where Haruka was. The Major explained that Haruka was the platoon's overseer. {With my power of telepathy and a range of 500 kilometers, I can be your overwatch. However, this is a little draining, so please open up your ports.} That was Haruka.
"So, it looks like the team leaders are… both of the Randall siblings? I'm surprised you're letting Kasane be the leader, Shiden," Kyoka said with a slight teasing remark in her voice.
"Now, wait a min-"
"I thought it was for the best, so I volunteered," Kasane said, appearing uninterested, but underneath, she was excited.
There was going to be more of the conversation but Haruka quickly spoke up, {You have an unidentified target approaching.}
"An Other?"
{No. Potentially worse,} Haruka's words were anything but comforting. Over the wall, a monster that looked like the bottom half of a chicken combined with a flowerpot crashed nearby, stunned into a wall. What they all felt was confusion. Then, a figure leaped over the wall and proceeded to tug on what looked like a lightbulb before grabbing it with both hands and pile-driving it into the ground, smashing it to pieces. The Other disappeared. The figure stood up and brushed themselves off before looking at the group before them.
Their eyes searched every single person lingering on Kasane just for a moment longer, something the scout picked up on. She increased her guard and subconsciously stood in front of Naomi.
"Haruka, you don't have to worry," the Major comforted the operator. "He's here to observe."
{On whose permission?}
"Mine," Kyoka said before turning to the mysterious figure. "Hello, Banshee ."
Shiden recoiled and paled, “This is the Banshee?!” What they all failed to see was a wince and pain in their eyes.
Acting as naturally as possible, Hiroki rolled his eyes under the hood at his moniker. That was because to the outside observer, his screams were like a Banshee’s. The Others that rely on hearing get a kick out of it. Literally.
“Yes, I‘ve asked the Banshee to observe us today. Treat him with the same respect you would give any other member of the OSF,” Kyoka said, looking pointedly at Shiden.
The boy pointed at Hiroki, “This guy is leagues above us because he’s not just in the OSF, he’s a part of the SOSF!”
Kasane had never heard of this before, so, “The SOSF?”
“The Suicide Other Suppression Force.” Ignoring the looks of surprise and gasp from Naomi, “An alternate branch of where there is only one platoon,” Hiroki signed to the group. Since learning Universal Sign was a requirement of the OSF, they understood him completely. “We take the assignments that no one else will. Major Others are common occurrences. Rarely will we have a mission without one.”
Kasane and Naomi looked back at him, “How many are there in the unit?” Banshee held up seven fingers.
“Out of all seven, only one remains of the original formation, and no, it is not me. I joined ten years ago, coming up on eleven. Those that come to the SOSF are ones who show prowess above and beyond their SAS abilities,” Hiroki said.
“With that out of the way, Banshee, will you stick around so that they can ask questions?” Kyoka asked but he heard the tone she left behind. He was going to stay anyway, so he nodded, making Kyoka beam. “Perfect, now follow Haruka's directions and meet at the goal, I am authorizing retreat if you think you cannot handle it. Naomi, Kasane, lead your teams."
Hiroki stopped Kasane by gently grabbing her arm. She tensed but made no motion to dislodge him. He then tapped on her arm, "Are you a dreamer?" Her red irises turned sharply to see just the faintest blue hue eyeing her critically. "You have… I see. I assume that you don't know what they mean?" She shook her head. "I'll be asking you more later, for now, focus on your mission. If you do need me, yell and cover your ears. It'd be a shame for you to temporarily lose your hearing."
With that, Hiroki left Kasane to her own devices.
On the bright side, she didn't need help, and on the dark side, he was bored as hell. Sure, for the 'regulars' in the OSF, these missions are quite literally child's play. Hiroki moved from place to place, watching over Shiden, Kasane, and Arashi. Surprisingly, he couldn't keep up with her in her Hypervelocity but knew that she was the face of the OSF. They have it easy in comparison to the SOSF, where the drop zone is hostile.
He almost moved when he saw the Major Other but was pleasantly surprised that Kasane was calm and collected. She even used her Psychokinesis to drop a dump truck on it—twice—using the tank on its back to coat it in water. She then used SAS to link with Shiden and electrocute the Other. She did, however, combine it with Arashi's ability, and with her in Brain Drive, she was much faster than before. Her knives were like blurs, only being able to see an afterimage, but the one thing she needs to do is spice up her attack patterns, using her ability more often, and rely on her teammates. Code number two.
Brain Drive is a function of the SAS. By using one's ability and dealing damage, the mind of the operator becomes heightened, making a shroud appear over their faces. The enhancements take a few tries to get used to. Some never get the hang of it, some do, or they are naturals.
Kohana would definitely try to compete with her or shamelessly flirt with her. Sometimes, he doesn't understand that girl. She's tried to come onto him multiple times, but he turned her down. However, he was not opposed to cuddling, provided she didn't try anything. The threat of him speaking was enough to mollify her.
Hiroki grinned under his mask, Kasane definitely has what it takes. While he is not privy to their link, something tells him that he would have to watch out as he has to stay with his own. Kohana was still better because she would have found the weakness by looking at it, then taking one swing, and then one counter swing.
The Crows were still on the prowl, but they knew not to approach, as the SOSF would quite literally send someone to their news wing and demolish it and then burn the building to the ground. Okay, too far. But the point is proven. No Crows were going to be able to film them because of the potential backlash that they possess.
Once the Other was confirmed dead, Hiroki leaped down to join them, “Well done. In the face of an unknown foe, you kept calm and collected, and you exterminated it in a matter of a few minutes. One thing you need to focus on is coordination. Just because you are linked through SAS, does not mean you fight as one. Nevertheless, You should be proud of yourselves.”
Under the mask, he was smiling. It was quite a sight to witness. His blue eyes were shining with mirth. He’s learned to suppress his laughter.
“Praise from the Banshee? Should I even believe you?” Shiden asked. Arashi looked bored.
“Believe what you want to, but I am impressed. Kasane.”
“Yes…” she trailed off, not knowing his name.
“Just call me Banshee, it’s easier that way,” Hiroki said. “You have the markings of a fantastic scout. When we’re around, ask for Kohana. She’s the SOSF’s scout. Damn fine, and she could teach and learn a thing or two.”
The red-eyed girl nodded, “Noted.”
“She may also try to sleep with you, so word of advice. Don’t drink anything she hands you,” Hiroki grimaced. Poor Ryo never stood a chance, he doesn't like girls in that way.
“Sounds like you have experience with her unfortunate side,” Shiden commented.
“I can direct her your way and you won't last. Kasane could… given preparation. I never go far with her.”
"What, are you two steady or something?" Arashi asked, a teasing glint in her eye.
Covering his mouth to prevent a snort, "Nope. She knows that I don't appreciate her advances, but we do share the same bed sometimes." Nothing to be ashamed of. Honestly, the rest of the squad seems to think he and Kohana are an item or something ludicrous. Shiden looked in disbelief, Arashi's teasing expression faltered when she heard his truthful response. "To clarify, we don't allow relationships in the SOSF, since we could literally die at any moment. Even now. One night-stands though… that's a slippery slope."
Dead silence as the four operators stared blankly at one another.
“Ahh, I see you’ve already given your thoughts,” Kyoka said, finally joining the party with Naomi and Gemma. Naomi went to Kasane and hugged her. She returned the hug with emphasis.
“Nice to see you finally make it,” Hiroki joked.
“Where are the Crows?” Naomi asked. “There were some on us earlier.”
“It’s because Hi- Banshee is here with us. The Crows aren’t allowed to know what happens in SOSF, let alone film them,” Kyoka explained. “Speaking of, don’t you have an assignment in a few days?”
Hiroki nodded, “Yeah, but I have just enough time to go observe the other psychokinesis user. Their mission is in less than twelve hours.”
“There’s another one?” Kasane’s tone was bland but her eyes exclaimed excitement.
“You may know him… after all, your families hate one another. Yuito Sumeragi, the second son of the family. New recruit, markings of a swordsman, combined with psychokinesis, makes him a formidable forward. I know you two have some hidden beef, considering the times you've interacted in training, but I’m not here to judge you. However, I still need to ask you something now that the threat has passed,” Hiroki said, watching her expression carefully. Her face may be blank, but her eyes revealed her true emotions. "I do not care if you hate him, like him, want to screw his brains out, or throw another dump truck at him, but you will need to cooperate with him when the time comes." Kasane nodded, but there was worry in her eyes. Hiroki couldn't distinguish what type of worry that was, but that was Shiro's job.
"Do you have to be so crass?" Gemma said while rubbing his temple. Kasane… had a reaction. It wasn't of disgust, nor acceptance. Was she smirking? No, it must be a trick of the light.
"That's being crass? Hell, none of you would last with us. We're like this all the time. I've been on my bestest behavior since we started!" Hiroki defended himself. Kyoka agreed with him, much to the former's relief. "We make jokes about sex, death, and… other things while in the field. Our platoon operator, Seki, somehow rolls with it, even if it goes too far for her tastes. Mayu never participates."
"A real batch of loonies, I see," Arashi said half-heartedly.
However, that crossed a line. A growl erupted from Hiroki's throat, making everyone cover their ears in a panic as a high-pitched whining roared across the landscape. Windows shattered at the pitch. The glare that Hiroki was leveling at Arashi was enough to kill her when she was a child. Those blue eyes could nail her down, even in Hypervelocity. "Speak ill will of my friends—no, my family—I will put you in the dirt, consequences be damned. You have not seen the shit we have. Done the things we have and survived what we have. We are the SOSF for a reason."
"Hey, Arashi?" Shiden started, "This is why we need to keep our mouths shut."
"How was I supposed to know that would make him upset?!" Arashi argued back. Kyoka facepalmed, there was no use trying to stop them from arguing. The ringing was still present in her ears, but it went down eventually.
Shiden adjusted his glasses, having gotten some of his hearing back. His voice was a little loud though, "Well since he's SOSF, assume that most anything will make him upset. Only speak when he speaks to you."
"This guy gets it."
"Thank you!"
With a glance to Kyoka then to Kasane, the platoon leader nodded. Hiroki then gently grabbed Kasane by the arm, tapping a message, "Let's talk while we return to base."
It turns out that she had no idea about the red strings, aside from her dreams. She sees someone else in her dreams, but their face is always shrouded, like how OSF members go into Brain Drive. Their figure is always distorted, so she doesn't even know if it is a male or female. Their voice is distorted too.
So, not much, but he did tell her to watch for more dreams and to write them down if possible. When she asked what he needed to know this for, he avoided the question. He left her to her own devices, at least until Yuito showed up.
The kid had jet black hair, with red streaks and red eyes that matched Kasane's. One reason that the red strings are important because it usually beings one close to someone of the same eye color. "Hello, Kasane," Yuito waved, a smile on his face/
"Sumeragi," she responded curtly. His smile wavered slightly, but it remained plastered on his face.
Oof, last name. What did you do to piss her off? Or is she hiding her true relationship from me? Hiroki grinned under his mask before slipping away. He needed to speak to Seto.
After leaving the two potential forbidden love birds alone, he went to the main hub in Suoh. The fact of the matter is, the rest of the SOSF is never seen together all at once. At most, three or four of the members were together. Other than that, there has been only one occasion where they are all in the same room.
As he was heading to see Seto, he was blindsided by a pair of badonkadonks. "Hirochi!" She always calls me that… even though I'm older than her… Everyone, meet Kohana, or Hana. Being only nineteen when she was scouted, her body was in its prime, and thanks to the drugs they were given—again, read: forced—preserved her luscious, fit, and curvy body. Now, Hiroki is no stranger to attractive women, because Kohana is definitely up there. Her seafoam green eyes and hair are easily identifiable, so she wears a hood when scouting.
"What do you want?"
"Well, can't I see my favorite strong-but-silent type?" Hana said while bouncing on the balls of her feet.
"We all know that Mayu is your favorite. She is literally a walking tank, buff, and could snap you like a twig," Hiroki said. That was all true, especially the last bit.
Hana snorted, "I like living too. So, where are you headed?"
"Seto. I need to see if I can observe Sumeragi before our mission. We're expected to be out of contact for two months," Hiroki said.
Hana turned serious, "You've seen them again… God damn it, Hiroki, I thought I told you that they were illusions!"
A growl threatened to emerge, and Hana knew it, but he took a deep breath and spoke, "Not when I'm not the only one who has seen them in their dreams."
The scout of the SOSF sighed, rubbing her temples, "This is going to get you killed one day."
"Then when I'm dead, honor Code Four."
Permission from Seto was easy. He wanted him to come along anyway since his interest was split between the two anyway. Seto's squad consisted of, Nagi Karmen, Hanabi Ichijo, Tsugumi Nazar, Luka Tavers, and Yuito Sumeragi. One uses Aerokinesis, one Pyrokinesis, one Clairvoyance, one Teleportation, and of course, one Psychokinesis respectfully.
Hana was actually slated to join them as well, much to Hiroki's surprise. The one thing that Seto's squad lacks is a proper scout. Normally, it's Seto himself who scouts, but it is difficult without someone with the knack for it. His hope is that Nagi becomes a scouter. Even though the squad is half newbies, they seem to know one another, which will increase their synergy in SAS, and by extension, Brain Drive. Code One was in effect here and it showed.
"Alright, what's the plan?" Nagi asked, rubbing his hands together.
Seto regarded the eager recruit, "We're waiting for two guests."
Yuito and Hanabi shared a look that made them seem like siblings who just had a twin telepathy moment, despite looking nothing alike.
Much to everyone's shock, except Seto's, an Other crashed through a building. On top of it was a female who was cackling. Her Brain Drive was active, and she seemed to be enjoying herself. The male just shook his head before walking over to Seto, "Nice to see you again, Seto."
The Septentrion nodded to Hiroki, "Banshee, good to see you. I'm glad you've decided to tag along. I see Baba Yaga is having loads of fun." Hiroki didn't even need to look over his shoulder to see her pulling the light bulb straight off the other, giggling like a madwoman all the while. Her Brain Drive faded and her hood remained on her head.
"How ya doing, Commander?" Kohana asked, waving. Commander is what she knew him as. If it wasn't obvious, Kohana has been a part of the SOSF for a much longer period of time.
Yuito looked at Hiroki, "You were there when I talked to Kasane."
"Indeed I was. It seems you've yet to realize your importance. A word of advice, or a word of warning. Work with her, even if she tries to harm you. I don't need to remind you of those S-T-R-I-N-G-S," Hiroki tapped this on his chest discreetly, "and what they mean. Am I understood?"
"Y-Yes, sir!" Yuito saluted, much to Hanabi's amusement.
A gasp came from behind Hiroki, "Hirochi! You didn't tell me he was a cutie!" Hiroki reacted quickly and clotheslined Kohana and pinned her to the ground. Wrapping her in a binding he stood up, much to the shock of Seto's squad.
"She's a major flirt and no doubt would have tied you to a bed and tried to sleep with you, her methods leave something to be desired."
"She hasn't tried it on you?" Nagi asked, fearful of what he just witnessed. Luka just chuckled, seeing this as entertainment. Tsugumi naturally kept an eye on her surroundings, murmuring about watering plants.
The blue eyes were visible to Nagi, who froze, "If she tried, I could make her lose her hearing permanently and she knows it."
"Yep, almost did…" Kohana said, sheepishly scratching her head, having easily escaped the bindings. "Seriously though, Yuito. You are a catch, so find yourself a woman." A sly glance at Hanabi was given. One that Hanabi blushed and denied it, while Yuito was clueless.
Tapping on her arm, "Maybe he's into Kasane."
"Pfft, don't make me laugh, Hiro, those two could never get along. That's like saying we're the best OSF members around. You know that's a lofty goal."
"Anyway, we've interrupted their mission as is, let them get on with it. Apologies, Seto," Hiroki said.
"None taken, it's rare that we see SOSF members anyway. I hope you won't make this a habit," the man said, eyeing the two of them. Kohana wrapped her arms around Hiroki's neck.
"No promises, now, don't you have a mission to get to?"
Their mission was easy, but once they got back to base, shit started hitting the fan. All in all, the mission was a success. No major other, and even better, no Crows bothered them. A perk to being SOSF. Once Hana and Hiroki entered the base, Kasane was waiting, but she wasn't waiting for them. She was waiting for Yuito. She was furious, and once she saw Yuito, she beelined for him.
"Did you find something out?" he asked her, but she ignored him.
Naomi gently interjected, "I believe she had another dream, but she wouldn't tell me. I think she saw Yuito in her dream. She wants to get confirmation."
Hiroki stared at the actual daughter of the Randall family, "Then why does she looked so pissed?"
The younger blonde shrugged, "Even though I am her sister, there are some moods of Kasane that I cannot decipher."
Hiroki was about to speak to silence her, but once he was about to, he immediately was silenced by Kohana, "Let's see where this goes."
Kasane grabbed Yuito by the arm and started dragging him away, much to the latter's surprise and complaints. The two squads looked at one another before following along.
Kyoka and Seto sighed before looking to Hiroki, ""Did you set this up?""
"I was with you all day! How can I possibly set this up?! I haven't seen the rest of the squad in weeks! Seki only talks when we're on mission!" Hiroki bristled under the subtle accusation.
"We're… we're still going to see this through, right?" Hana asked, smirking.
"Oh, absolutely."
As everyone followed, they ended up in a training room, where there were a lot of objects in the way. This could only spell trouble. Both of them were on opposite sides of the arena before Kasane pulled out her knives. The Floating Butterflies, as Hiroki called them, while Yuito called out his own sword and got into a ready position.
Both looked to Seto, who nodded, and they launched at each other. Their battle began. Objects flew, blades crossed, and while the rules weren't discussed, it seemed like using SAS was off-limits. Was this a test of skill? Or a test of worthiness? With a glance at Naomi, she seemed just as lost, but her eyes were determined.
"What is the point of this?" Hiroki heard Yuito shout.
"Shut up and fight!" Kasane shouted back, before getting First Strike, a small slash to his arm.
With the amount of dodging that Yuito was doing, he entered Brain Drive and started attacking back. A combo of forwarding thrusts along with using Psychokinesis, sending his blade in a wide arc, before returning to his hand. He wasn't done though. He dashed forward and began dodging between Kasane's blades. She wasn't able to keep. Yuito took this advantages and exploited it. He unleashed a barrage of attacks, slashes, thrusts, and a few punches when the combo allowed it.
Kasane's multiple blades deflected the first few strikes, but one blow got past her guard, her chest plate being scratched. With that, she entered Brain Drive. Her innate speed was higher, due to her scouting nature, so her counters were smooth, flowing into counter-attacks. To his credit, Yuito was blocking, but he was unable to land an attack.
To everyone else, it was an interesting fight, but to Hiroki, he saw the strings. The strings from both sides. They were starting to connect, like knots being tied. With each successful block, attack, and parry, another string tied together. The two of them were starting to feel it. Of course, Hiroki was worried about what this meant. The two of them were connecting, in potentially more ways than one. This was groundbreaking for the OSF, if only they knew what it was. Even the most knowledgeable person in the OSf probably couldn't tell what was happening. Hiroki didn't even know if anyone else could see what he did.
During the fight, Kasane looked directly at Hiroki, a passage of understanding dawned on her. "This is what he meant…"
"What?" Yuito asked, going for a slash as he prepared a barrel to throw. Kasane grabbed one too.
Just as they were about to throw them, they heard a voice, "Stop." It was silent, but the aftereffect was deafening. All Hiroki had to do was whisper and everyone in the room halted. He did have the decency to warn them. The ringing wasn't as bad.
Hiroki stood above, "Do you see what I see, Kasane? Yuito?"
The two fighters finally looked around them. To their Brain Drive vision, they saw the red strings. Both gazed at one another, seeing more of them connect. The duo saw what they normally see in their dreams. Yuito only ever got flashes but he remembered them vividly. Kasane, however, easily recognized this, "I… This is… my dream is making sense."
Naomi shot Hiroki a look that meant she understood as well.
No one questioned it as the two left the room in a dazed state, "Was this all an elaborate plan to get them together?" Kohana asked.
"I'd have to be really good for that, but this was literal OSF history you just witnessed and the first thing you asked me is that?"
"Meh, I have to make sure that you can still function somehow…"
He narrowed his eyes at the scout, "I worry about you."
"Aww, so you do care!"
"Shut up." What did those red strings mean? Why did they connect like that? This isn't some soulmate bullshit, but something more. Maybe it has to do with psychokinesis? But… how have I been able to see them? Is my power even mine?
These questions would linger in Hiroki's brain for a long time… some may get an answer, others may stay buried within the Nexus.